To the editor:

The article that appeared in the Review-Journal on Feb. 27, "Numbers of hunters declines," did not address the most important reason for the decline. In 2003, 48,800 deer hunters in Nevada applied for deer tags. Only 14,800 received tags, compared to 1988 when 51,011 received tags.

This serious reduction in tags is because we have lost 70 percent of our deer so there are 70 percent fewer people able to hunt deer. The problem is basic Game Management 101. You cannot have a lot of predators and a lot of game. The Nevada Department of Wildlife and the state Wildlife Commission have chosen to have lots of predators, not lots of deer.

This is the real reason why hunter numbers have declined. If you don't have the product, you can't sell it. It's too bad those in charge don't realize this.

CECIL FREDI

LAS VEGAS

THE WRITER IS PRESIDENT OF HUNTER'S ALERT.

To the editor:

The 5-4 decision by the U.S. Supreme Court declaring that juveniles offenders cannot be put to death for committing murder, no matter how heinous the crime, has totally usurped the "rights of the people and the states" to determine such matters as delineated in the Ninth and 10th amendments.

The U.S. Constitution does not give the U.S. Supreme Court the power to make laws, yet the justices just did. They assert it is the "right of the people and the state" to define marriage. They avow it is the "right of the states" to perform marriages and divorces. Even attorneys have to pass "state bar exams" to practice law, but the U.S. Supreme Court assumes the right to tell states what the punishment for a crime will be? Nonsense.

If the U.S. Supreme Court wants to make laws, those laws should apply only to federal offenses tried in a federal courts. That might stop this outrageous attack on the "rights of the people and the states."

Louis Frederick

NORTH LAS VEGAS

To the editor:

I am amazed at some of your readers who think that a controversial federal bill will wipe out wild horses in Nevada. These people obviously don't get into the outdoors much.

The horse population in Nevada is way out of control. You could kill off half the population of horses and still have too many. The BLM has proven that it cannot manage them. The proposed legislation will, however, help with ridding us of this problem -- but it will not be the final answer.

So let's send thanks to Sen. Conrad Burns of Montana for doing something for Nevada, and let's hope that this bill passes and we start removing these beasts that are ravaging our land.

The final answer, I do believe, is to sell a permit to harvest one or two animals. It would make the BLM some money to help with control, as well as managing the herd itself.

Eat horse: You may like it.

George Rowe

CALIENTE

To the editor:

Considering the latest comment from certain legislators about how a property tax cap would be against the state constitution, it appears that the people's outcry over this issue is not being taken seriously enough. The state constitution did not stop the passing of the current outrageous state budget.

Once again, listen up legislators: Do the right thing or we the people will. Count on it.

Steve Sica

HENDERSON

To the editor:

I read in the Review-Journal that our legislators aren't sure if they can cap our property taxes because they think it might violate our state constitution. That's really funny. That didn't worry them last year when they were raising our taxes and the state Supreme Court said it was OK for them to ignore the state constitution. It seems they care about it only when it benefits their spending habits.

Tom Saitta

LAS VEGAS

To the editor:

For all of you Proposition 13 lovers, the border is still open. What will you come up with next? How to save our schools with a lottery? Oops I'm sorry have I lost my mind?

Why shouldn't our kids pay higher property taxes if they buy a home? What a perfect house-warming gift to complement the $8 trillion in federal debt they get to go with it.

And, since they won't be able to afford health insurance or utilities, they can just divert what they would have paid for those luxury items to pay for your police and fire protection and road maintenance.

Chuck Bailey

CARSON CITY

To the editor:

Rep. Jim Gibbons' Elko speech unfortunately reaffirmed the same beliefs of extreme political division, non-cooporation, ignorance and hostility that I was trying to disregard. It was shocking to such a tactless display of vulgarity, yet humorous to know that his limited capacity prevented any originality in this plagiarized speech.

Rep. Gibbons might be better suited to follow in the noble, patriotic, and muddy footsteps of the Bush administration than to lead a state to a progressive future, which might involve writing his own speeches.

Pete Dronkers

RENO

To the editor:

I regret seeing letters like Shirley Roberts' (March 3) that support raising the income cap-- currently at $90,000 -- subject to Social Security tax. She prefers that the top 5 percent of all income earners pay more taxes to support those who don't earn as much. This is just another "soak the rich" scheme that is so prevalent among underachievers of our society.

It doesn't matter to them that according to recent IRS data the top 5 percent of all income earners already pay more than 55 percent of all income taxes. It makes no sense to pay an excessive amount of taxes into a government program (e.g., Social Security) that the payee will never see returned.

A better plan for the Golden Years is for each person to take more responsibility for his own retirement and not count on others to provide for you.

S.G. Hayes

LAS VEGAS

To the editor:

I must admit that I like the energy of Las Vegas. The biggest problem is that Las Vegans seem to have lost their sense of smell. No wonder you tolerate such a high level of stink.

I see glamorous ads for beautiful women in fancy nightclubs. When I get there, the women are sucking on a stink stick. Tends to lessen the glamour just a bit. The even more "chic" cigar smells 10 times worse. Brilliant.

More places here stink than any place I have been. Now, aren't you glad you can't smell it?

Jeff Hansen

BOISE, IDAHO