Print edition for July 22, 2007

Letter: Government has been unmitigated disaster: It's not just the Republicans but the Democrats, too. Between the two parties we have an almost $9 trillion national debt, more than 3,600 military deaths in Iraq, over 25 million government "workers" on the payroll, with 40,000 additional bureaucrats added in June 2007.

Jon Ralston on why Gibbons' decisions on an appointment to the nuclear project panel and a dismissal from the Homeland Security Commission have him scratching his head: This state has a rich history of outsiders whispering in governors' ears to slip their friends onto state boards and commissions. Some governors are more susceptible to lobbying than others; some eschew cronyism more than others.

Carpenter to enjoy big paycheck in Houston: Outgoing CSN President Richard Carpenter will be paid $55,000 more a year when he moves to Houston as chancellor of the North Harris Community College District.

Editorial: Seeing beyond the numbers: But when another four-year school, Nevada State College, opened in Henderson, offering choice for higher education, UNLV officials and the Board of Regents felt the timing was right to increase the standard for admission.

Brian Greenspun laments the recent migration of some of our best and brightest from the valley that nurtured them: If this were River City we would have trouble and it could be pool. But, this is Las Vegas and the trouble we've got is far worse than kids playing pool. It involves kids, to be sure, but it exists in schools, parks, roads, health care facilities, our institutions of government, our leadership ranks and, yes, even our own homes.

Again in June, foreclosures hit Nevada harder than any other state: By Brian Wargo; Again in June, foreclosures hit Nevada harder than any other state

Jack Sheehan recalls pulling off a trade as a kid for a coveted Mickey Mantle rookie card but regrets that he couldn't pass it on or trade it in: I scour the box scores each morning, and I'm irresistibly drawn to Baseball Tonight each evening on ESPN, where former Las Vegas Star John Kruk always provides a laugh or two and Hall of Fame scribe Peter Gammons reveals why he's the smartest baseball guy on the planet.

Letter: Ads about Democrats show a lot of nerve: All I could do was shake my head from side to side in sickening amazement when I read about the upcoming advertisement by Americans United for Change - which the Sun describes as a "progressive group that is part of the anti-war umbrella group Americans Against Escalation in Iraq" - touting the successes of Congress and highlighting Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Editorial: Hire more food inspectors: Reports of tainted imported human food were published, such as this one in May from The Washington Post:

Culinary turns to others as MGM Mirage talks stall: Michael J. Mishak; The Culinary Union will open contract talks with a number of other Strip casino operators this week as it tries to isolate MGM Mirage, whose negotiations with the union have stalled.

Foreclosures eat away at upscale enclave: By Marshall Allen; The upscale San Niccolo neighborhood, in one of the Las Vegas Valley's newest master-planned communities, would seem a homeowner's dream, its quiet streets lined with expansive homes starting at a half-million dollars.

Letter: Iraq war has only strengthened al-Qaida: Does that mean after three years we do not have to be concerned about an attack by al-Qaida? How come Bush keeps telling the American people that if we fight them over there we won't have to fight them over here and now Washington is saying they are planning an attack on the U.S.? Is this another scare tactic by the Republicans to help them win the next election?

Slot players might get new crack at an old video game: Pong, the game that turned pinball wizards into video-game junkies in the '70s, is poised to make a comeback in casinos.

Letter: Iraq is out of our president's control: Being from Las Vegas, I'll take Tolstoy and give you any odds you name. While the future of Iraq may or may not be "beyond the reach of global summits, political benchmarks and the understanding of any chief executive," it is certainly beyond the understanding of this chief executive.

LIVING LAS VEGAS: By J. Patrick Coolican; The night air at Coral Garden apartments just off Boulder Highway doesn't carry the scent of ocean breeze that the name otherwise implies. Instead, when it's real Vegas Summer hot, and the wind blows just right, the heavy air of a nearby treatment plant wafts over.

FLASHPOINT for Jul 22, 2007: Everyone has an opinion on the Erin Kenny sentence 30

LOOKING IN ON: CITY HALL: At times, words spoken can be words misunderstood.

The Luxor's New Threads: By Liz Benston; The black and bold Luxor opened in 1993 as an architectural tour de force - the tallest structure on the Strip, attracting camera-toting tourists as well as design intellectuals who would write books and teach college courses discussing the building's commercial and psychological appeal.

Editorial: Wasting taxpayers' money: A report released Tuesday by the Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of Congress, says the U.S. government is the "largest single buyer in the world" of goods and services from private companies, spending more than $400 billion in fiscal 2006 alone. Such contracts now account for 25 percent of the government's discretionary spending, with the largest increases occurring in the Defense, Energy and Homeland Security departments after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the GAO reports. "Agencies continue to experience poor acquisition outcomes in buying goods and services" and ensuring oversight, the GAO says.

Letter: Like him or not, Reid reflects will of people: He was elected to be our voice in Washington. Most Nevadans are opposed to this war and want immediate action taken to bring it to an end. By pressing for a vote to begin the troop withdrawal process, Sen. Reid is reflecting the will of the majority of the people he represents.

THE WEEK IN REVIEW: WASHINGTON D.C.: WASHINGTON - Nevada Democratic Rep. Shelley Berkley took a congressional trip in May with Jim Nicholson, the Veterans Administration secretary, who almost one year to the day earlier she had called on to resign.