Brian Greenspun

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Choosing mediocrity is far from exceptional: Asia’s ingenuity will leave U.S. behind if we stay on current path; Sunday, Nov. 21, 2010; The age of American exceptionalism.
Hospitals should examine what ails them, seek cure: Simply adhering to regulations isn’t enough. Providing the best possible care should become the standard they work to achieve; Sunday, Nov. 14, 2010; When someone is very sick, he goes to the doctor with a list of ailments and asks, “What’s wrong? Can you give me something to get better? What can I do?”
Voters had their say; now it’s time to lead: Sandoval would do well to seek advice, counsel of veteran Sen. Raggio; Sunday, Nov. 7, 2010; Election cleanup and the mess it can make.
Nevadans can show how smart we are: Or, by electing Sharron Angle, we can prove the reverse is true; Sunday, Oct. 31, 2010; “Stupid is as stupid does.” That’s right, Forrest Gump has managed to insert himself into yet another national spectacle. This time it is the Harry Reid-Sharron Angle Senate race in Nevada.
Even those who disagree with Harry Reid support his bid for re-election. So should you: Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2010; Three well-respected and thoughtful leaders in Southern Nevada who are generally not thought of as typical Harry Reid supporters, well, are.
No more denying gays’ right to serve: Judge’s ruling reflects military’s needs, changing views in U.S.; Sunday, Oct. 24, 2010; Don’t ask. Don’t tell. Don’t care. And other earth-moving events to discuss.
Actions speak louder than debate: For all he’s done for Nevadans, Reid is obvious Senate choice; Sunday, Oct. 17, 2010; The Great Debate was not so great.
Too much written has been written about Thursday’s Sen. Harry Reid-Sharron Angle debate.
Angle’s pastor poses a problem: She risks alienating Mormon voters unless she renounces ties; Sunday, Oct. 10, 2010; Sharron Angle, you have a Rev. Wright problem. The question is, what are you going to do about it?
Why do Nevadans want Reid ousted?: Sunday, Oct. 3, 2010; Late-night walks can give you nightmares.
So I am out walking my dog late the other night when I run into a neighbor — let’s call him Bruce — also roaming the dimly lit streets of the neighborhood, presumably unable to sleep, as am I.
State’s South has cause to rebel: Sunday, Sept. 26, 2010; Power to the people! Except the people of Southern Nevada.
Driving your destiny amid adversity: In High Holiday message, a rabbi encourages recession victims to overcome their plight, reclaim their dignity; Sunday, Sept. 19, 2010; Saturday night, Jews around the world broke their 24-hour fast for Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement. In our tradition, last night marked the end of the High Holy Days, in which we ask G-d to forgive us our sins and inscribe us in the Book of Life for another year. If you are reading this, it appears that I made it!
What 9/11 should mean to America: Sunday, Sept. 12, 2010; Happy New Year. It has been 5,771 years since the creation.
Rise in infection rates, hospitals’ reticence are troublesome: Hospitals say they’re fighting the spread of bacteria, but most don’t want to release the results of those efforts; Sunday, Aug. 8, 2010; I have washed my hands more in hospitals during the past couple of years than I had ever done before.
As a leader, Kenny Guinn unmatched: Candidates today must tell us the unvarnished truth, as he did; Sunday, Aug. 1, 2010; I always knew Kenny Guinn was the real deal. It wasn’t until his funeral — isn’t that almost always the case — that I realized he was also a really big deal.
Vegas is No. 1 for all the wrong reasons: It’s time we invest in a future that will make our city strong; Sunday, July 25, 2010; When will we get tired of being No. 1? The news this past week that the unemployment numbers for Las Vegas got a little worse should not come as a shock to anyone who has been paying attention the past couple of years. If there is any surprise related to the unemployment numbers, it should be that the numbers weren’t worse!
If low taxes were all it took to lure business ...: Politicians should be honest about what Nevada lacks; Sunday, July 18, 2010; Telling the truth at risk of great bodily harm ...
The motive behind a despicable dig at Reid: Senator’s patriotism questioned, despite his devotion to military; Sunday, July 11, 2010; Shame on Sherm.
This is not one of those “pick on Sherm Frederick” columns I have written from time to time. I used to enjoy picking on the Las Vegas Review-Journal’s publisher because Sherm and the Review-Journal always made it so easy to find fault with the quality — or lack thereof — of the journalism they practiced.
Reflecting on our obligation as citizens: We owe it to our nation’s founders to be informed voters; Sunday, July 4, 2010; Today we should declare our independence — from the mediocrity of political thought.
Fascination and frustration in reporting on Las Vegas hospital care: Sun creating a base year of data that can be reviewed, added to and reported for years to come; Sunday, June 27, 2010; The assignment Sun reporter Marshall Allen was given two years ago was just one sentence, but would prove to be the most ambitious of his career: Find out what’s right, and wrong, about our local health care delivery system.
Father’s Day gift like no other: Daughter’s eulogy for her grandmother makes this Dad proud; Sunday, June 20, 2010; Message to family — no Father’s Day gift for me this year. I have picked out my own.
Thank you, Mom, for being you: A son’s thoughts on one of the most important people in his life; Sunday, June 6, 2010; On Thursday, my mother, Barbara Greenspun, was laid to rest. Hundreds of mourners filled the sanctuary at Congregation Ner Tamid. Many family members spoke eloquently about their mother and grandmother.
Taking inventory of lost values: We can honor the troops by treating each other with more respect; Sunday, May 30, 2010; Memorial Day is about honor.
Use a cool head when voting: Casting ballots when we’re angry won’t get us the leaders we deserve; Sunday, May 23, 2010; Reading the election tea leaves ...
Common sense for state’s future: Nevada Vision Stakeholder Group takes on tough task; Sunday, May 16, 2010; What good is vision if we refuse to see?
Gunderson never went gently into good night: Friday, May 14, 2010; Former Nevada Supreme Court Chief Justice Al Gunderson died Thursday afternoon.
Wind farm just a seed for global possibilities: When U.S. and China work together, potential for energy is limitless; Sunday, May 2, 2010; To misquote Vice President Joe Biden, “This is a big deal.”
Dump plan will not go away quietly: Nevada’s best defense against nuke waste at Yucca still is Sen. Reid; Sunday, April 18, 2010; Just when you thought it was safe …
Nevada needs a leader to step up: No more time to waste; tough decisions loom to ensure state’s future; Sunday, April 11, 2010; Who is going to lead this?
It was a very simple question that Ted Quirk asked at a gathering Monday afternoon at UNLV. The answer, however, was not so simple.
Is Tea Partyers’ hate really that strong?: Movement’s anger at government and its workers is misdirected; Sunday, April 4, 2010; Happy Easter. Christians all over the world celebrate Easter today. It is a time for rejoicing, a time for counting blessings and a time to be thinking about matters much greater than our own.
A red letter day worth recalling 50 years later: Events of March 25, 1960, set Las Vegas on path to racial equality; Sunday, March 28, 2010; What happened 50 years ago that changed the face and fortunes of Las Vegas?
Good ends often come by painful means: Biggest issues facing the nation, world require hardest work; Sunday, March 21, 2010; Some random thoughts while waiting for health care reform.
Energy working for all Nevadans: Harry Reid’s help in renewables deal helps ensure our future; Sunday, March 14, 2010; Reinventing ourselves in a renewable way.
What we deserve as American citizens: Constitution clearly defines government leaders’ responsibilities; Sunday, March 7, 2010; “What do they expect?”
That was my dear wife’s retort to the morning news that delivered — as it so often has these past two years — the bad news that more colleges and universities were cutting valuable education programs while K-12 schools across the country were increasing class sizes and cutting schoolbooks, art classes, music instruction and practically every other pursuit that makes our kids accomplished and happier adults.
Harry Reid under the microscope: Co-author Mark Warren took his obligation to study the U.S. Senate majority leader seriously; Sunday, Feb. 28, 2010; Of all the sorts of authors — those who write screenplays, novels, self-help books, poetry, newspaper articles, technical papers and even editors with their opinion columns — perhaps none digs deeper into his subject than the historian and, more specifically, the biographer.
Truths evident in Obama’s Vegas visit: President gets Nevadans’ plight; Reid the one to help state persevere; Sunday, Feb. 21, 2010; Facts really are stubborn things.
Nuclear bravado a nightmare for West: Even if it’s blowing smoke, Iran must be dealt with urgently; Sunday, Feb. 14, 2010; Iran had a party last week.
It was a celebration, of sorts, at which its president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, gleefully announced that Iran had, indeed, become a nuclear state. Elements within Iran and, I suspect, millions upon millions of people around the globe were not so enthusiastic. The understatement is intentional.
Help for Las Vegas is help for the nation: Obama can give a big boost to our struggling economy when he visits; Sunday, Jan. 31, 2010; The state of our union depends, in large part, on the state of Nevada.
All is not lost in the Senate surprise: Our president has a new chance to connect with frustrated voters; Sunday, Jan. 24, 2010; There are many reasons for the mood of voters — most of which are valid and some, like fear mongering and dissembling, are not. How President Barack Obama deals with the message, will determine the success or failure of his presidency and, more important, the success or failure of millions upon millions of Americans.
Tragedy makes Gibbons look trite: While world tends to serious matters, it’s politics as usual here; Sunday, Jan. 17, 2010; What’s got me going now is Gov. Jim Gibbons’ childish attempt to embarrass the president of the United States and, along with him, Nevada’s senior U.S. senator, Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader. Gibbons is trying to be cute, once again, playing to Nevada’s home crowd by asking Reid to get the president to apologize, genuflect or otherwise bend a knee for Barack Obama’s misguided remarks a year ago about using bailout money to travel to Las Vegas.
Dodd’s retirement not just a loss for Senate: His service, passion are what U.S. needs more of — not less; Sunday, Jan. 10, 2010; When I listened to Chris Dodd’s announcement that he would not seek re-election, it dawned on me that the Senate was losing not only vast experience but also reverence for the institution and dedication to civility, a quality lacking more as each day passes. And those losses would ill-serve us as the torch continues to pass from one generation of leadership to the next.
Combined visions of Goodman, Reid can help ailing hospital: Why Cleveland Clinic should take over UMC; Wednesday, Jan. 6, 2010; The University Medical Center is a mess, at all levels. It is a very expensive mess, costing taxpayers tens of millions of dollars annually with no end in sight. On the other hand, the Cleveland Clinic is known worldwide not only for the high quality of medical care it provides but also for the efficient way in which it provides it. So how about a marriage?
Where I Stand: Today, a forum for visionaries: Sunday, Dec. 27, 2009; Visionaries are only as good as the people who pay attention to them. As we look to 2010 — that in itself is a mouthful to a fellow who, as a very young man, used to wonder what kind of spaceships we would use to take us to the moon in the 21st century — it is helpful to pay attention to what our community leaders think will happen in the next 10 years.
For CityCenter, Murren elevated to city’s top ring: Courage, resolve to open CityCenter is praiseworthy; Sunday, Dec. 20, 2009; The landscape of Las Vegas has changed forever. CityCenter has spent the better part of this month opening its multiple doors to a world awe-struck by its size, its boldness, its price tag, certainly, and its place in a world that promises to likely never replicate its grandeur. CityCenter gives us a glimpse of what it is like to have a city core.
Important values illuminated in 2009: In a difficult year, courage and compassion stood out; Sunday, Dec. 13, 2009; Out with the old, in with the new. Not so fast. Before we say goodbye to 2009 and welcome 2010, along with some fervent hopes for a much better year, I have some thoughts that run contrary to the urge to “start anew” without regard to what is good and, therefore, worth taking with us.
How city, county can save our money by consolidating: Combining local governments could boost growth, cut waste; Sunday, Dec. 6, 2009; I remember in the late 1960s those community leaders who thought past the next election and urged our community fathers in Las Vegas and Clark County to consolidate the city and county into one municipal government. They argued that the duplication of services resulted in millions of wasted taxpayer dollars.
A sad day at the Sun, but a day for hope: Greenspun Media Group consolidation unites our talent; Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009; My father used to tell me that if you want to be a good newspaperman, you have to be prepared to put news about yourself — good or bad — on the front page.
Youth Forum a reason for optimism: Clark County students show they’ve got what it will take to succeed; Sunday, Nov. 29, 2009; I have seen the future and it looks good. Our young people, at least those Close to 1,000 Clark County high school students represented at the Sun Youth Forum, have not only the brains to achieve but also the heart and sensitivity to succeed.
Health care decisions should be the peoples’: Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009; How’s this for timing? Here was Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, ready to unveil his long-awaited Senate health care bill — a bill that, while it has drawn the usual complaints from the usual suspects, hasn’t been dismissed as unworkable or unreasonable. And then, unexpected, was an announcement about detection of breast cancer that suddenly overshadowed the entire health care debate.
Give credit where it’s due: Harry Reid saved jobs: Stimulus provision he’s taking heat for was a safety net for Nevada; Sunday, Nov. 8, 2009; We have a credit problem in the United States.
The same is true in Nevada.
Here’s hope for a smarter future for Nevada: Kids today are thinking for themselves, not just parroting their parents; Sunday, Nov. 1, 2009; This month the Las Vegas Sun Youth Forum will bring 1,000 of the best and brightest high school students together at the Convention Center to discuss Nevada and other topics on peoples’ minds. They will do it in a setting where what they have to say is more important than what the adults in the community who think they know all the answers have to say.