How about a tax on ‘the children’?
To the editor:
Here's a new twist on taxes: Instead of raising taxes on liquor and putting more financial pressure on workers, how about adding a 5-cent tax to a half-gallon of milk, a box of cereal and a container of juice?
Remember, the taxes are for "the children" and "the schools."
If we want to be fair in our taxing, those who use the services should pay for them.
Michael A. Rotello
HENDERSON
License fees
To the editor:
The governor wants to cut the hours of operation for Department of Motor Vehicles offices. The times I've been there, it's been stuffed with people.
Instead of cutting hours, how about raising the cost of the driver's license? I was surprised that it was only $17 to $22 for four years.
Bette Powers
LAS VEGAS
Where are the lawyers?
To the editor:
I am eagerly waiting for the environmentalists to stage rallies and file lawsuits protesting the outrageous behavior of Alaska's Mount Redoubt (Monday Review-Journal).
This volcano, located in a conservative state, dares to pollute the air and land of Mother Earth in defiance of the wishes of humans?
Ken Howatt
HENDERSON
Recall elections
To the editor:
In response to the March 19 letter to the editor from Boulder City Councilman Travis Chandler, "Bill on recall petitions a dead end": There are no "no-brainers" for a straw man.
In his presentation of Senate Bill 156, Sen. Terry Care, D-Las Vegas, did an excellent job of framing that bill to include a statement that the intent of the bill is to provide clarity to Article 2, Section 9 of the Nevada Constitution, not replace it. Anyone who has read the article surely understands this need.
In addition, and in supporting SB156, the American Civil Liberties Union of Nevada testified March 10 that the bill is needed because the secretary of state's interpretation of Article 2, Section 9 denies Nevada citizens basic election rights -- rights guaranteed every citizen of this country by the United States Constitution.
Reading Councilman Chandler's letter indicates that apparently he was not listening during these hearings. In siding with the secretary of state's interpretation of the same article, Mr. Chandler writes in a very condescending way that Sen. Care's presentation of the bill was flawed, and that the senator should quickly withdraw the bill.
If anyone needs to withdraw something, it should be the secretary of state and the attorney general. Their recent interpretation of Article 2, Section 9 of our constitution holds that it is OK to deny certain registered voters the right to sign a recall petition.
The Nevada Constitution's Article 2, Section 9 does need clarification, and SB156 proposes and provides just that.
We could forgive "The Wizard of Oz" Scarecrow for not seeing SB156 is a "no-brainer," but not Councilman Chandler.
Jim Beneda
BOULDER CITY
A deficit all his own
To the editor:
President Obama has said several times that he has inherited a budget deficit.
The president apparently doesn't know what the word "deficit" means. A deficit is simply an amount of money being spent that is larger than the revenue available.
No one may inherit a deficit. You either spend only what you have or you don't. If this administration chooses to run a deficit, no part of it can be blamed on a former.
I guess he doesn't know what the word "change" means either.
Donald Darling
LAS VEGAS
We are to blame
To the editor:
I am so tired of this blame game that is going to get us nowhere and nothing.
In a participatory democracy, the blame is obvious. We the people are to blame. Let's stop the childish and cowardly blaming of officials we elected. Let's stop the pointless blaming of CEOs and those we put in exalted positions, and whose exorbitant salaries and perks we have accepted for years.
It is time for us to point the fingers at ourselves and have the guts to accept the blame. If we sat in complacent stupidity, then we are to blame. If we did not yell loudly enough for it to be a valid warning, then we are to blame.
There is no one else to blame. It is on us.
So we can now begin to look at the reasons we failed. We allowed it. We participated in a way that led to these problems.
We can examine our basic attitudes about life, wealth, productivity and democracy, and we can grow.
If you chose not to do this, the only honorable thing to do is to shut up.
Ed Gardiner
LAS VEGAS
