Print edition for April 13, 2007

She won't quit as long as people need her help: By Ed Koch; Las Vegas political lobbyist Thelma Clark, a 5-foot-1 spitfire, has been cornering politicians in Carson City for 13 consecutive legislative sessions, going back to 1981, advocating on behalf of seniors and others who otherwise have little political voice.

Higher education gets no love from lawmakers: CARSON CITY - Nevada lawmakers gave a cold shoulder Thursday to higher education, leaving university presidents resigned to the fact that they will have to make some deep cuts to their budget.

Letter: There's no excuse for what Imus said: This is not about being black or white. This is about Don Imus calling these 10 young, intelligent, hardworking young women whores. Imus knows none of these girls and does not have the right to call them bad names.

John Katsilometes tastes a slice of Americana at the Clark County Fair and Rodeo in Logandale: By John Katsilometes; I was walking along a gravel path Thursday afternoon when a small man approached and asked if I would like a massage. I told him no. Then he grabbed my shoulder and asked again.

It's union time or demolition for Imperial Palace: By Michael Mishak; Imperial Palace, once the most virulently anti-union property on the Strip, will almost certainly become unionized if it is not imploded by its new owners.

Small casinos team up to play like the big boys, stay in loop: By Liz Benston; In the shadow of luxury condo towers and giant north Strip casinos sits the Eureka Casino, where the big news is not a posh nightclub or high-limit lounge but the remodeled Teddy's Restaurant (home of the Thunder Burger and $4.44 breakfast specials), hand-paid jackpots and the opportunity to chew on your club sandwich while you sit at the slot machine.

Letter: Freedom to not buckle up is the question: "To be or not to be, that is the question."

CONVENTION CRASHING: THE MARKET BRIDAL EXPO: So the important thing to remember when walking into a bridal convention is ...

If they come, they will build it: By Timothy Pratt; The Las Vegas Housing Authority finds itself in a peculiar situation, possibly a victim of its spotty past.

Seabiscuit rides again - down the Strip: In his most recent start, Seabiscuit encountered a lot of traffic down the stretch.

Letter: Imus coverage blown out of proportion: Has anyone noticed that the newscasters covering the Imus fiasco are actually salivating while discussing it? When did we become a society of individuals who enjoy and exalt in the distress of others? Does the phrase "Forgive the sinner, hate the sin" mean nothing anymore?

Jon Ralston on why pols often find it easier to patronize than to lead: Whoever asked poor Kathy Silver, University Medical Center's interim director, to walk the plank at that budget hearing this week is simply sadistic. Or Silver simply agreed to be the human shield for the County Commission.

FLASHPOINT for Apr 13, 2007: Finally, we get the take everyone has been waiting for on Gov. Jim Gibbons' troubles: Mayor Oscar Goodman's. When a reporter, tongue presumably in cheek, started a news conference by asking his honor whether he ever thought his political opponents were paying reporters to write negative stories about him, Goodman quipped, "There are only a couple of reporters I know who are on the take." Pressed to name names, the mayor would not. But he does have sympathy for the poor governor: "I'm not particularly a fan. It seems like every day he gets more mired down in his difficulties ...

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Editorial: No ducking responsibility: Sources unearthed by The Washington Post said that at least three retired generals had been approached by the White House and that they had declined the job. The newspaper contacted all three .

Letter: Turkey should own up to own holocaust: Barnett makes a good argument in his commentary for Turkey's admission: loyal participant of NATO, strong economy and, most impressively, a population that is 99 percent Muslim but, for the most part, secularized. Those are the good points. However, Barnett completely avoids the fact that the country he refers to as religiously tolerant refuses to this day to deny that it is responsible, in any significant way, for the 20th century's first holocaust, the murder and annihilation of millions of Christian Armenians and Greeks from 1854 through World War I.

Editorial: Veterans deserve faster relief: On average, the Veterans Affairs Department takes six months to process a claim and nearly two years to address appeals. As bad as those delays are, they will get worse as veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan return home, adding to the nearly 400,000 claims that were pending as of February, the Post reported.

Letter: Missing the train on mass transit: Although many of these countries are land-deficient compared with the United States, they have perfected mass transit systems that are the envy of the world. The Inner-City Express in Germany and the TVG in France are delights that titillate the soul. The trolley cars in European cities are also as efficient as these high-speed marvels.

Paper probe picks up punch: Jeff German, Las Vegas Sun; The Nevada Department of Public Safety has joined an investigation into the possible destruction of public documents in the state treasurer's office to determine whether any criminal wrongdoing occurred.

Small casinos team up to play like the big boys, stay in loop: By Liz Benston; In a state where the economic engine is driven by fewer than two dozen Strip resorts, Nevada is in many ways a state of small-casino operators like the Lee family.