LETTERS: Actually, property taxes constantly rise

To the editor:

Henderson City Councilman John Marz’s recent commentary supports an increase in the city’s property tax rate (“Making case for increase in Henderson property tax,” Sept. 15 Review-Journal). Mr. Marz emphasizes that Henderson’s property tax rate has not increased for a number of years, but this is presented as though it means that the city does not collect more property taxes if the rate does not increase.

However, even if the rate as a percentage does not increase, revenue collections still increase as the assessed property values increase. Since 2004, the oldest record I could find on the Henderson city website, the assessed values and property taxes collected have grown at twice the rate of population increase.

Mr. Marz states that the proposed rate increase is to “only” 91 cents per $100 of assessed value. This would be a 28 percent increase. Oh, sorry, “only” a 28 percent increase. To make matters worse, Henderson only gets about 24 percent of the property tax; the rest goes to the county and the state. So, it appears to me that of the $17 million or so that Henderson residents would be required to pony up, only a little more than $4 million would go to the city.

And, yes, I realize that there would be some residual benefit to Henderson from the other $13 million. But if the city does indeed need more revenue, then one would hope that there would be a more effective way to raise that revenue so that the lion’s share does not disappear into the nether regions of the state.

JOHN WELCH

HENDERSON

NFL players’ immunity

To the editor:

During the Vietnam War, NFL players were immune from the draft because they were considered national treasures. That made many of the men who were drafted feel like second-class citizens. The power of the NFL goes beyond the law, beyond morality and falls far short of what role models stand for. I half expect Michael Vick to be hired as a head coach someday.

How many more times do we have to read and hear about violent crimes committed by pro football players? If they get banned or suspended, they can be expected to be back on the field whenever the NFL decides that they have paid the price of violations that should have put them in prison. Perhaps if NFL players had to compete without their protective armor, like rugby players, they would get in touch with what real pain is.

JIM ARMBRUST

LAS VEGAS

Funding soccer stadium

To the editor:

Given today’s low-interest-rate environment, the city of Las Vegas should float revenue bonds to fund the proposed downtown soccer stadium. A revenue bond is a special type of municipal bond that guarantees repayment only from revenues generated by a specified revenue-generating entity, in this case the city of Las Vegas soccer stadium.

Because repayment is directly tied to the purpose of the bonds and not from a tax, Las Vegas taxpayers are not responsible for repayment. Only the revenues specified in the contract between the bondholders and bond issuer, an agency within the city of Las Vegas, are required to be used for repayment of the bond principal and interest. No other municipal revenues and/or the general credit of the city would be encumbered.

A development agency run like a business within the city, generating operating revenues and expenses, could issue revenue bonds. And if private investors won’t buy into these bonds, then we will all know the stadium’s true value.

RICHARD RYCHTARIK

LAS VEGAS

UNLV supercomputer

To the editor:

I was underwhelmed by the front-page article about UNLV obtaining “the 400th fastest supercomputer in the world and the 41st most energy efficient and powerful computer in the world” (“UNLV celebrates new supercomputer,” Sept. 17 Review-Journal).

Las Vegas is the city of world-class champions and superstars. We recently hosted boxer Floyd Mayweather, the undefeated 10-time champion and highest-paid professional athlete in the world. From Frank Sinatra to Elvis Presley to Siegfried and Roy to Celine Dion to Shania Twain, we host the very best.

Had UNLV just added a Nobel Prize winner in physics to its faculty, this would certainly merit a front-page article, or if those talented folks at the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health had discovered a drug that halted and reversed Alzheimer’s disease. But give us a break. Celebrating the 400th fastest supercomputer in the world is like celebrating being the tallest little person in the circus: embarrassing.

HENRY SOLOWAY

LAS VEGAS