Letters to the editor April 5

Uniforms not necessary in elementary schools

I am one of the Fritsch Elementary parents who has spoken out against school uniforms. Your recent editorial, "Benefits of school uniforms far outweigh the negative" appears to have forgotten that we, the parents at the board meeting, were arguing against uniforms at the elementary level.

Gang violence and substance abuse are not a problem at Fritsch. Tardiness and absences have not been cited as problems there either. Parents are responsible for getting their 5 to 10-year-old child to school on time. As for the study you referenced in regards to academic outcome, it actually states, "A negative effect of uniforms on student academic achievement was found."

Furthermore, the cost should not be overlooked, as we are in a recession, and fiscal responsibility is critical. Even your paper has had to limit weekday print and should know something about budgeting. A school that has 42 percent of the student population on free or reduced lunch cannot afford to provide uniforms to all those in need, which it is lawfully required to do for all those who request such assistance (NRS 392.458(3).

Budget cuts are forcing teacher layoffs and eliminating programs that actually facilitate increased academic performance. Implementing a school uniform policy is a superficial modification with an expensive cost for the ineffectual reasons of student spirit and the simplification of getting students ready in the morning.

Let's face it - I want academic solutions that are effective and you'll take whatever's easiest.

Sara Romeo

Carson City

Student enjoys wearing uniform to school

I'm a seventh grade student at Carson Middle School. At the start of the school year, they required students to wear uniforms. I'm glad that they required uniforms because students violated the school dress code.

I like the uniforms because they are comfortable and they cost less than regular school clothes.

Cole Hanks

Carson City

Enough is enough when it comes to the federal deficit

As reported by Fox News, the estimates of $309 billion will make Japan's earthquake the costliest on record. We have all seen video of the total devastation. Coastal cities and towns leveled, tens of thousands of cars and homes pulverized, and stores, shops, factories, warehouses, schools, freeways, roads, ships, aircraft, trains, port facilities and infrastructure reduced to rubble.

Casualties may reach the 25-30K range. A shocking disaster for sure but it may cost as much as our federal deficit for a couple of months. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the deficit in February 2011 was $223 billion. Shocking and inconceivable, how else to describe the monumental scale of the deficit as measured by the devastation from Japan? Hundreds of billions of dollars each month, the accumulated treasure of our great empire is being hemorrhaged into oblivion, without purpose, thought or rationality.

Why would anyone spend a nation into more debt than could ever be repaid? The GOP House is far too complacent, eager only to symbolically nibble around the edges of this crushing burden. Meanwhile, our socialist Senate and administration, content to bleed this nation into second-class status, gleefully ticks off each day that brings our nation $4.1 billion closer to insolvency, instability and the end of our constitutional republic.

Four years of Reid/Pelosi and two years of Obama have brought this great nation to the brink of financial disaster. I wonder if the so-called prominent Republicans who supported Reid's re-election are proud.

Bill Johnston

Carson City