Reno Gazette-Journal from Reno, Nevada • Page 9

Monday, December 18, 1995 9A Opinion Letters Sue Clark-Jackson, publisher, 788-6202 Ward Bushee, editor, 788-6299 Tonia Cunning, managing editor, 788-6357 Bruce Bledsoe, editorial page editor, 788-63 1 2 Maria Padilla, associate editorial page editor, 788-6383 Reno Gazette-Journal editor Besides traditional mailed letters. theGaette-Journal accepts letters by fax and L-mail. Limit letters to 1 HO words and include your name, address and day time phone on letters. Writers are limited to one letier every two months. Fax: (702) 7X8-6458 E-mail: (702) 785-4191, rgj( libcom.dps.com Letter: P.O.

Box 22000. Reno. Nevada 89520 Tips for Temp: 3244)225. press code 1 466 i Lack of money shut Harrah's Orleans casino topics ne president win pay tne electricity bill personally. We're hoping the government shutdown doesn't go to long.

Mike McCurry. White I louse press secretary, over the directions that the 6.000 lights on the national Christmas tree be kept burning despite a new partial shutdown of the government. The following subjectsissues generated the most letters to the Reno Gazette-Journal during the week ending last Friday: As a newspaper that has covered the casino in New Orleans, the Eeople of larrah's Entertainment VVouldliketo address an issue that has i in. ft' PHILIP SATRE Yc our children are at risk. We ha I Grand jury report (9) I Congressional seat (4) I speed limit (4) I jail time (4) I Bosnia (4) I MedicaidMedicare(3) I Breast implants(3) I Reno police (3) a generation at risk.

Health and Human Services Secretary Donna E. Shalala on a report that' more teen-agers began smoking cigarettes and using illegal drugs this past year. I fvou 're arrested, vou 're presumed 2 rf Yooiiwir rVjjaa I imDITRRJRF vi'-J THFH0UPAY5- I innocent, and the Eishth Amendment says you ha ve a he freed pending trial. The onlycxczptrons are it'the judge finds that a person isJangerous or might not show up for tridl. Robert Fogelnest.

present of the National Association of CnminaJJX'fense Lawyers on President Clinorv'Jiyv to seek drug tests for every one arreter! federal many peopie contused. As many of your readers know, in early November rumors circulated in New Orleans and beyond that the I Iarrah's Jazz Company (HJC) partnership developing the New Orleans casino was in financial trouble and on the brink of bankruptcy. We addressed those rumors with press releases, advertisements and public statements emphatically denying Vet.yn late November, HJC is in bankruptcy protection in an attempt to restructure its New Orleans casino project. A question can be raised: How could HJC have told people that bankruptcy rumors were absolutely false and that all was well on Nov. 7, and then, on Nov.

22 close the casino and enter bankruptcy? The ansVefts that there was a dramatic chijftgj of vents. On Nov. 8. represifntativs of the banks met with company personnel and gave no indication that the 145 million ofnd'v necessary to complete the was in any ay in jeopardy, wi on Nov. 1 4, representatives ot charges.

geililemin. i Dome sad news ladies and A fter onlvth ree da s. Ton Ra net all 's new wife threw him out of the house and he had to move back in with Jack Klugman. David Letterman, "Late Show with David Lettcrman." tne oanks, in a teiepnone can, Raised concerns. A series of discussions took place over the next Goldfield Hotel Inaccuracies in story not fair to living, dead An Associated Press story on the Goldfield Hotel prompts me to write this letter.

Let's set the record straight! VVyatt Earp never dealt faro at the Goldfield Hotel. His brother Virgil died in Goldfield in 1 905 and Wyatt. who had visited him briefly that year, never returned. While we are at it. Theodore Roosev elt would isit Nevada four times, (including) once while as president in 1903.

yet he never isited Goldfield. I will concede that it's possible Jack Dempsey stayed at the hotel, as he fought in Goldfield in 1916 prior to becoming heavyweight champion. Howev er, the quote that the Goldfield Hotel "boasts the first electric elevator built west of the Mississippi" is preposterous. I called the Otis Elev ator Co. Historic Archiv es in Farmington.

and was told by the archiv ist that the first electric elevator west of the Mississippi was sold to a party in Spokane. Wash, on Sept. 1 2. 1 890. The Goldfield Hotel may hav had the first electric elevator in Nevada, although there was some type of elevator operating at Goldtield's Casey Hotel in 1907.

We are still checking. The bottom line is these my ths have been making the rounds for years. It is not fair to play tricks on either the living or the dead, and pass the product off as history rather than folklore or legend. Guy Louis Rocha, state archives and administrator. Carson Taxpayers foot the bill Taking another vacation Rep.

Barbara V'ucanovich taking another vacation at taxpay ers' expense (to Bosnia). She really gets her share of free trips. She doesn't agree ith sending troops to Bosnia. Why is it. she nev er seeks the opinions on anything from hcrconstitucnts? In the Gazette-Journal, she stated that she would have discussions with the people of Nevada after she received a copy of the budget.

I guess the reason she didn't follow through is she is still confused and really doesn't understand the budget. Orrin Bennett, Carson City Social Services needs hands-on manager Dilemma: It's possible to be a good advocate for children but a bad case, people manager live days. 1 hen. on Nov. 1 9, at a meeting in New York, the banks gave HJC their final decision on the disbursement issue, which was they would not disburse the $145 million of funds necessary to complete the project on terms originally agreed.

Without the bank financing. HJC could not continue to construct the permanent casino. In addition, HJC did not have funds to continue to operate the temporary casino which was experiencing negative operating cash flow month after month. In short, the bankruptcy filing and related actions were precipitated by the cash crisis created by a lack of bank financing. A final decision on filing for bankruptcy, shutting down construction, and closing the temporary casino was not made until late on Nov.

21. While we all know that the financial results at the temporary New Orleans casino have fallen below expectations, we did not anticipate the most recent events. We obviously are disappointed in the events that have led to the necessity of filing a bankruptcy petition and the impact on all constituencies. However, the HJC partnership firmly believes that the bankruptcy code provides the best option at this time. Harrah's has become the most successful and respected casino entertainment company in the world, with 1 5 casinos operating in eight states and more than 23,000 high quality, dedicated employees because it is of the highest integrity and honesty, with an unwavering commitment to excellence in every endeavor.

Our customers, business associates, shareholders and in a family crisis, saying those averages were not compiled (presumably. Social Services did not see the need for it, either). When County Commissioner Steve Bradhurst asked Shelton if there were improvements Social Services could make immediately, she deferred the answer to a later date although ostensibly she had been preparing for this public meeting on the grand jury report for days. These are but three examples that point to a crucial dilemma: How can the director improve Social Services if she doesn't know what's going on? And is it possible to be a good director without this involvement? The answer to both questions is. it cannot be done.

A good manager knows both the strengths and weaknesses of the operations and not just in terms of generalities but in terms of nuts and bolts, too. This element seems to be missing in Social Services. To her credit, Shelton gets high marks from children's advocates for her compassion and her push for greater services for poor and abused children. One advocate at the commission meeting complimented Social Services for "casting the widest net" in the state in terms of help and services offered to families in crises. And Washoe County also investigates more child abuse reports per capita than does far more populous Clark County.

That is something to be proud of. But advocacy and management are not the same and it is important to be able to make this distinction. It is possible to push for more money or more services (and get it, too) but still not be a good manager of cither people or cases. For instance, figures also show that Washoe County has more child abuse deaths per capita than any other region of the state, and that is something we should all be ashamed of. It comes down to either championing the advocate or championing the children who have few legal rights and therefore few options in cases of abuse.

And there is no contest, the children must prevail. Second of two parts Jn the ongoing debate about the effectiveness of Washoe County Social Services, one question continues to pop up: How involved should the Social Services director be in the cases that come before the department? The grand jury report clearly found director May Shelton's involvement lacking. "Senior management is so distanced from the day-to-day problems," the report stated, "that it cannot respond meaningfully to the problems of (ongoing and investigative) workers." In response, Shelton has said it is "not practical" td expect greater involvement on her part, given the.7,00(-)-q,dd cases that are reported annually to the department and the myriad of other responsibilities that fall to the Social Services director. But a convincing dfttr can fe nyde that absent some involvement and absent mekrfowledge that comes from that participation, Shelton run the department efficiently and SffeetivejV She is in fact operating it in the dark, this has nVf to be detrimental. What's more, in the new, stricter climate of welfare reform, there will be many" more tasks demanded of Social Services and if the director doesn't know how these new responsibilities are being performed there may be a greater potential for errors.

Shelton's knowledge of the department's inner workings is limited. In her presentation to the County Commission and to this newspaper, she lacked familiarity with the nine cases of child-abuse related deaths that were singled out by the grand jury (never mind the 7,000 other cases). Surely it would seem that she would know the intimate details of the cases that are the subject of much controversy. Because she didn't have a grasp of the details, her defense of Social Services was weak and unconvincing. For instance, Shelton could cite procedures that were in place to improve the checks and balances between ongoing and investigative social workers but she could not say whether those procedures were working.

She did not know at what point the department intervenes community leaders in the cities where we operate, in some cases for close to 60 years, know this from their experiences with our employees. We thought it was beneficial for you readers to know it, too. Philip G. Satre is president and chief executive officer of Harrah's Entertainment Inc. of Memphis, Tenn.

Black leaders finally speak against gangsta rap Delayed reaction: Sure took long for leaders to recognize gangsta rap as negative trend Rlack political and church leaders are beginning to among black leaders to criticize black artists (and the speak out against gangsta rap music, and it's term is applied loosely here). But criticize it we must. lack political and church leaders are beginning to speak out against gangsta rap music, and it's LJ about time. For far too long they have remained for gangsta rap has proliferated and is heard by ever about time. For far too long they have remained increasing numbers of both black and hite teen-agers who take its lyrics seriously.

The lyrics uphold much that is pathological: crime, violence, promiscuity, women as sex objects and Teens don't always have the life experience or perspective to recognize a bum rap when they hear one. So, late as it is, we should welcome the recognition among black leaders that gangsta rap is nothing to keep quiet about. silent about one of the most negative forms of artistic expression that has been pressed into records even as others have decried the anti-female, pro-violence music. What took them so long? One answer is that music, like all forms of expression, is protected by the Constitution and there is a fine line to observe. But an other reason is, black artists very much dominate this music form and this may have created a reluctance Campaign contributors Invest money wisely With the retirement of Barbara V'ucanovich.

the law requires the return of her purchase proceeds which apparently exceed 1 00.000. I would hope that the buyers of the next congressional representative inv est their money wisely as seniors issues need to be paid for in the remainder of this decade. Terry A. Friedman, Reno Going to Bosnia Is the risk necessary? I am riting in response to the article in the Nov 23 issue about "peacekeeping troops" being sent to Bosnia. My son Christopher became a Marine to protect and serve his country and his family.

It was one of the most difficult things we all hav ever had to go through, seeing him leav and not know here he would end up. We now know the likelihood of him being sent to Bosnia is inevitable. The article Thanksgiv ing Day made me question who has the right to decide my son or any other mother's son's life is "worth the risk." I also question if my son docs have to fight, and risk his life and takes other liv es. Is he and other American servicemen going to be treated as those in the war that no one likes to talk about, Vietnam? 1 pray for all of the mothers that are going through the fear of what might happen. I know my son.

and he will do what is necessary. .1 am sure President Clinton would have held that comment if he had a child scrv ing this counTfy. Jodie Bolander, Reno Temperature gaugeFever lines: Temp wonders how did IGT allow this checkmate to happen. Good John Lennon: His black and white drawings got the Goodbye IGT: Slot mifcrmie maker shouldn't kitflttlf! took a major hit sixicxecu-tives from engineering to developtyeO took flight for a confpn-tor. It will be awhile blJore ir.T Good luck Philip Wang: Local 12-year old the country's No.

2 player for his age is off to Paris for an international chess match at Disneyland. Will the high desert hold Wang after he's seen gay Paris? nil IT' 1'i hod instead of the I Colored serigraphs. i Guess that means r- it's not strawberry 1 vj 1 1 tv-uvti a. lields forever. (tip 1.