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December 4, 2009

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Letter: We need to elect ourselves real leaders

Tuesday, Oct. 16, 2007 | 7:13 a.m.

Although I hesitate to write that I strongly agree with Jon Ralston's Oct. 14 commentary, for the same reason I hesitate to fill a balloon beyond its breaking point, I feel a need to take the chance.

His description of how the lack of leadership by our weak and ineffective politicians has led to the disastrous rise in state initiatives is the best that I have seen. It seems to me that people today try to get into politics for a few years of job security followed by a retirement plan at the public trough rather than as a way to best govern for the benefit of all our citizens.

Mr. Ralston is right. If the politicians in the Legislature and, I would add, the governor's office have nothing to say or are too timorous to bring useful ideas to the debate leading to representative decision with conviction, they should just get out.

To abdicate their responsibility to their oath of office and turn representative government over to direct rule driven by special interests is just unforgivable. Years ago in France they sent a lot of people in power to the guillotine by direct rule. That is not the America we all want, respect, love and deserve.

Charles R. Parrish, Las Vegas

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