LETTERS: Sandoval lets his inner Keynesian show
To the editor:
Tax and spend is the heart of the business of government, and it always has been, though it was not until the New Deal of the 1930s that its spokespersons were honest enough to openly say so. The full quote was, “Tax and tax, spend and spend, elect and elect,” purportedly by one of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s closest aides, Harry Hopkins.
The idea was (and is) to maximize taxes from all and to spend what is collected on segments of the population where it will most likely yield votes favorable to the ruling party, helping perpetuate that party’s rule. And now, Republican Gov. Brian Sandoval has fulfilled the same thesis for Nevada in his State of the State speech, among wild applause from the Legislature. Like Richard “We are all Keynesians now” Nixon, Gov. Sandoval is a Keynesian now.
FRANK M. PELTESON
LAS VEGAS
Kirkpatrick’s Trump card
To the editor:
Last Thursday, we watched Gov. Brian Sandoval’s State of the State address. We agreed on some things and disagreed on others, like all day pre-kindergarten. My wife thinks it’s good, but I don’t think it’s a good replacement for parenting.
The one thing we did agree on was the ineptitude of Assembly Minority Leader Marilyn Kirkpatrick’s answer to the governor’s address and her stammering, ill-prepared delivery. Her ridiculous statements about Donald Trump paying next to nothing in taxes while we poor residents take the hit was enough to make us laugh. Ms. Kirkpatrick, Mr. Trump employs thousands of people, he donates millions to charitable causes here and around the world, and it is pioneers like Mr. Trump who have made Las Vegas what it is today. He is a good man by nature, not money.
We live in the southwest part of town. I remember when this area was nothing more than shacks, dirt roads and wandering coyotes. Now, it is a busy community with schools and hundreds of businesses, and it is a wonderful place to live. This all came about because of the pioneering spirit of men and women like Mr. Trump, Steve Wynn and others who had courage, foresight and good money management skills. They also had the common sense that Assemblywoman Kirkpatrick obviously lacks.
The assemblywoman failed to give an answer to the governor’s plans to help our northern tribes in their struggle to rise out of poverty, through better education and better living conditions. Does she even know that we have this problem with our Native American population? Ms. Kirkpatrick, your own district, which includes North Las Vegas, has been in financial difficulty for years, even to the point where the Fire Department was having trouble making its payroll. Despite many state-subsidized improvements to your district, and despite the beautiful new schools in the North Las Vegas area, truancy is all too evident by children wandering the streets during school hours. Why is that?
Perhaps, Ms. Kirkpatrick, you should take advantage of the governor’s educational proposals before you embarrass yourself and your party. The next time you are chosen as a spokeswoman, read over the copies of your statements and the governor’s remarks. Both were prepared and given to you well in advance of the governor’s address. Above all, send an apology to Mr. Trump.
JIM ARMBRUST
LA VONNE ARMBRUST
LAS VEGAS
Almanac changes
To the editor:
I totally agree with Mark Cronenberg’s letter on the changes to the daily Almanac feature (“Bring back old Almanac,” Saturday Review-Journal). Please bring back the old version. For one thing, we don’t need to know the dates of people who died. And another suggestion: Before the names, tell us what they do, rather than doing so after their name and age. For instance, write “Actress Betty White, 93,” not “Betty White, 93, actress.” It makes it confusing, and I’m sure Mr. Cronenberg would agree. Don’t mess with a good thing when people look forward to that part of the Almanac.
CYNTHIA COLETTI
LAS VEGAS
