LETTERS: Property tax hike not the way to go

To the editor:

In response to Henderson City Councilman John Marz’s commentary advocating for a property tax rate increase (“Making case for increase in Henderson property tax,” Sept. 15 Review-Journal), I don’t even live in Henderson and I want to pay it! In fact, I’m so excited that, in a few years, he can even raise it again — to around $550 a month.

By the time young families buying their first home hit retirement, the monthly cost should be raised to $1,500 per month. Then those couples will come to the realization that they never really owned their home and that they are just stewards of the property that they spent the better portion of their lives paying for. Don’t you all know that the state owns your property? The state needs the money more than you or your family does, so that its employees can take care of their families.

There was a lovely couple in New Jersey — a postal worker and a schoolteacher — who lived in the same house for 45 years. They paid their mortgage on time — all $297 of it. Then all of a sudden, five years into their retirement, their property taxes climbed to more $1,000 a month, almost four times what their mortgage payment had been.

The poor couple had to sell their home because they couldn’t afford the taxes. Mr. Marz, is this the road we want to go down?

MIKE BRYANT

LAS VEGAS

Pot least of distractions

To the editor:

Now that marijuana is becoming more accepted in our society, people are fearful that we will have lots of motorists driving around on our streets impaired. Here’s a news flash: We already have drunken drivers, people texting and playing games with their cellphones, people trying to eat a three-course meal while steering their vehicle and a host of other distractions once we get on the road.

Let’s face it, the streets are a jungle and it is survival of the fittest. People smoking pot and driving is just one more spoke in the wheel, no more or no less dangerous than any of the other factors.

TIM HICKS

NORTH LAS VEGAS

Festival frustration

To the editor:

Between Sept. 11 and Sept. 14, the Silverton Casino Lodge hosted the MexFest El Festival del Pueblo from 4 p.m. to midnight in the parking lot. The Silverton’s website advertised carnival activities, food vendors and live nightly entertainment.

I live two miles from the Silverton. When the entertainment started, the sound was so loud that it drowned out my own TV. Calls to the property were directed to security personnel, who told me that the parking lot had been leased to the festival presenters and that they had a permit to allow the noise level to reach a certain decibel level.

So, for the nights of the festival, I couldn’t hear a conversation inside my own home, and I certainly couldn’t sleep.

I made several calls over those four days, including to the Silverton manager. Security personnel apologized but said there really wasn’t anything they could do; the manager didn’t even seem to care. I don’t know if there is a law or ordinance that covers this, but some consideration by Silverton management would sure be appreciated.

JOY FOX

LAS VEGAS

Soccer stadium

To the editor:

The people behind the sucker downtown stadium must be dreaming if they think they can get the Las Vegas City Council to approve a major takedown of the taxpayers. I’m amazed it even got this far.

First of all, the chances of getting a Major League Soccer team here are slim to none, when competing against major cities that have major-league sports success. We’re major league when it comes to gaming, big resorts and tourism, but we’re not a big-league sports market.

And soccer? It might be big worldwide and attract a big TV audience on occasion, but how many folks here would support a team?

JERRY GORDON

HENDERSON