Cough up more to help public employees
To the editor:
I've been hearing a lot about the government unions needing to be fair and give up their contractual raises and take pay cuts. People in the private sector, Mayor Oscar Goodman and the City Council all want the unions to give up some of their income to balance the city's budget.
Let me ask these people this: Did the unions ever ask for raises when the economy was booming in the middle of a contract? I dare say no.
But let's be fair. I hear people say, "Spread the pain to everyone, not just the private sector." Sounds like socialism to me. Is the Review-Journal going to call Oscar Goodman a socialist? How about that casino owner who took tokes from his (rich) dealers and gave them to his poor supervisors? Sounds like socialism.
Unions are under attack because they are finally getting support from the president and Congress. The private sector says it isn't fair. Have you heard of the Employee Free Choice Act? Unionize and get a contract. Stop whining about what other people have and what you don't. It is not fair, so let's be fair.
1. Raise the sales tax rate to 9 percent.
2. Push for a state lottery. Give the whiny casinos 10 percent of the sales.
3. Tax the brothels. Two millions dollars in taxes would save 40 to 50 teaching jobs.
4. Raise the car registration fee by $50 to $100 per car.
Whining you can't afford it? Put your latte down, cancel your pay-per-view and skip one fast-food meal a month and that should cover it.
Let's be fair. Stop laying people off. It only adds to the recession. Higher taxes will balance the budget.
SCOTT PEARCE
LAS VEGAS
Water waste
To the editor:
I share Elizabeth Poole's concern, expressed in her letter of April 22, over the negative impact the massive Jim Rhodes housing development at Red Rock will have on our water resources here in Southern Nevada.
As we all know, the water level at Lake Mead goes down every year, and water czar Pat Mulroy predicts that if nothing changes the Las Vegas Valley could be in a bad state in 10 years or so. With this in mind, is it in our best interest to have thousands of new residents of this new development flushing toilets, taking showers and filling swimming pools while the rest of us are strongly encouraged to tear out our lawns and fix leaking faucets to conserve water?
It makes you wonder why this project was even considered for approval in the first place.
BRUCE BROWN
LAS VEGAS
More bailouts?
To the editor:
Is anyone listening to the radio and television commercials that are continuing to encourage people to act irresponsibly and to shirk their fiscal responsibilities?
"Do you owe more than $10,000 in credit card debt? Since the government has given credit card companies billions in bailout money, you have a right to reduce your debt by 40 percent or more." Do these ads bother anyone besides me?
As I watch my 36-inch, 5-year-old television and drive my 11-year-old car, I am glad I pay off my credit card balance every month. I do, however, resent those people with 54-inch plasma televisions and maybe two cars who are looking for "relief" from the wicked credit card companies.
Does anyone remember the days when the finance company would repossess property if the buyer defaulted? Apparently it cannot happen under our benevolent lawmakers.
It has become typical of the Obama administration to spend our money to allow irresponsible people (and companies) a free ride while those of us who accept our responsibilities and honor our obligations pay the tab.
Furthermore, have you caught those ads by "tax consultants" that reveal the IRS is in a forgiving mood and cite instances where tax scofflaws have saved thousands -- even millions -- on their delinquent income taxes legally? And they boast about it on television.
It seems that at a time when the government needs every penny it can shake out of its citizens and corporations to finance the ambitious programs they continue to foist on us, the IRS has a helluva nerve forgiving millions in delinquent tax obligations.
We are paying for all this government magnanimity. When will it stop?
Paul Frano
Henderson
Stay home
To the editor:
Apparently some city council members from Los Angeles and San Francisco have submitted proposals asking their citizens to boycott Arizona because Arizona recently passed a strict anti-illegal immigrant law. If such a boycott develops, I think Nevada should enact a similar law just so we can get Californians to stay home.
Sharon K. Hayes
Las Vegas
Wrong people
To the editor:
Of all the rhetoric I hear about the newly enacted law in Arizona, nobody mentions the root cause of the problem. Why do these illegal people come here? It is to support their families. If businesses in this country did not hire them, they would not be here.
If Arizona really wanted to take care of the problem, they should be enforcing the laws already on the books. It is illegal to hire persons who are not in this country legally. Straight up and simple.
I contend it is the greed of America that causes most of the problems in our country -- witness the Goldman Sachs hearings. The greed for power and money in this country is unprecedented. It even trickles down to the "Mom and Pop" businesses. Casinos hire illegal help, construction trades hire illegal help, meat packing plants hire illegal help, crop raisers hire illegal help.
If I lived in Mexico and could not support my family living there, I would do whatever I had to do to support my family, even if it meant coming here illegally.
If the opportunity were not provided for them by greedy Americans, then they would not come.
The Arizona law is aimed at the wrong people.
Jim Rideout
Pahrump
