LETTERS: Sales tax allocation needs reviewing

To the editor:

Jerry Steffes’ letter advocated increasing the sales tax to expand public school funding in Nevada (“Sales tax hike best move for education,” Feb. 6 Review-Journal). I agree with Mr. Steffes’ contention that a sales tax is the fairest way to fund schools, because everyone pitches in.

However, I disagree with his contention that we start with the assumption that the sales tax must increase to better support our schools. I would like to see a breakdown of how present sales tax revenue is allocated among the programs it supports. I suspect such a review might highlight some areas that could be resized to free up current tax receipts, which could be shifted to the school budget.

There have been some dramatic shifts in Las Vegas’ demographics and economy since 2008, but I have seen no evidence that the allocation of sales tax revenues has undergone any review, or consideration of adjustment, to adapt to the new reality. So my plea is for our elected officials to re-examine and potentially redistribute the present sales tax receipts to better fund the schools.

A public disclosure of how our taxes are allocated would bring a refreshing transparency to the process and show taxpayers that government is acting as a good steward of our funds, rather than just continuing to do business as usual.

WAYNE BEESON

LAS VEGAS

Sebelius’ nightmare

To the editor:

Steve Sebelius never ceases to be provocative in his columns (“Difference between nightmare, reality? One election,” Feb. 6 Review-Journal). There is no doubt he is a bleeding heart. There is also no doubt that he has no idea where all the money is coming from to fund the plethora of government programs he wholeheartedly supports.

Or he does, and he simply feels that Democrats are entitled to spend it as they see fit. Then, when Republicans attempt to put on the brakes, he thinks they are cold-hearted, insensitive or just plain dumb.

Mr. Sebelius, maybe we should just tax everyone at 100 percent and redistribute the wealth accordingly. Journalists like yourself would clearly get a larger piece of the pie because of your worth to the functioning of our socialist republic.

In that same column, Mr. Sebelius lamented that the Democrats would have held their majorities if more of those who receive a government check showed up at the polls in the last election. To that, I quote the inimitable Yogi Berra: “You wouldn’t have won if we had beaten you.”

MIKE BRYANT

LAS VEGAS

Don’t change PERS

To the editor:

I have been a practicing registered nurse in Nevada for more than 30 years, 27 of those at University Medical Center, our state’s only public hospital. During that time, I’ve seen great changes in our community and periods of boom and bust. But I have never seen such an ominous threat to Nevada’s working families as I do in the large volume of bills being introduced at the Legislature that will hurt working families.

As I get closer to the end of my career, it is beyond unsettling to realize that the pension I have contributed to for the past 27 years might be legislated away. Because members of the Nevada Public Employees Retirement System contribute to it instead of Social Security, I am completely dependent upon PERS.

I know I am not the only Nevadan with these concerns. I implore lawmakers not to support these legislative attacks on Nevada’s working families.

MICHAEL I. COLLINS

LAS VEGAS