Money doesn’t grow on trees, you know
To the editor:
On Sunday, a local TV news reporter gushed over the pending opening of the new bus transportation center known as the Bonneville Transit Center, or BTC, replacing the Downtown Transportation Center (DTC) the following day. She finished her phrase with "and it didn't cost taxpayers a dime."
The reporter continued to explain how $5.5 million of the new $17 million facility was courtesy of the American Recovery and Re-Investment Act. Overall, the Regional Transportation Commission will receive some $34 million in stimulus money.
While the new center is undoubtedly an improvement, it also undoubtedly did cost taxpayers more than a dime, at a minimum, approximately $5.5 million with $34 million more pending. The federal stimulus money is taxpayer money. Regardless of the political slogans -- re-investment, stimulus, shovel-ready -- the act is a multi-generational loan with interest likely held by foreign interests against our future, paid for by the taxpayers at the local and national levels -- basically debt financing.
Unless of course, the Federal Reserve decides to print more money out of thin air, then "(I)t doesn't cost taxpayers a dime."
Wait ...
Martin Dean Dupalo
Las Vegas
Pelosi follower
To the editor:
Like her mentor Nancy Pelosi, Democrat Dina Titus still doesn't get it ("Titus vows to keep fighting," Tuesday).
Rep. Titus says "the votes on particular issues didn't seem to make any difference" in her narrow loss to Joe Heck.
Well, I voted for Rep. Titus in 2008. As one of the 1,922 proud voters who put Mr. Heck over the top, I told Rep. Titus in e-mails before the health care vote that if she supported that ill-conceived legislation, she would be thrown out of office.
I have no doubt that many of my fellow voters told her the same thing. Yet she chose to follow Speaker Pelosi.
Ignoring the voters in your district is not a positive approach for a political science professor who will now, thankfully, only be misdirecting the minds of students at UNLV rather than making national policy.
Richard Vilkin
Henderson
Health plans
To the editor:
In a Nov. 7 Business section article, Tom Murphy stated that "health care costs are expected to rise between 9 percent and 10 percent next year." He should dig deeper for the facts about Nevada Medicare plans and premiums.
The 2011 Medicare booklet, when compared to the 2010 Medicare booklet, reveals the following facts:
-- Forty-five Medicare health plans were dropped in 2011 out of 65 health plans offered in 2010, and only 42 plans are offered in 2011.
-- "Out-of-pocket limits" have changed from "yes" to $6,700.
-- Nineteen Medicare Part D drug plans were dropped in 2011 out of 42 plans offered in 2010, and only 28 plans are offered in 2011. Monthly drug plan costs have increased from 8 percent to as much as 310 percent.
Two companies have dropped Medicare health plans and three companies have dropped drug plans in Nevada.
My health plan increased 12 percent. Thanks, Obamacare.
David Meredith
Henderson
Move on
To the editor:
I have lived in Nevada for 46 years. I have worked here, paid my taxes here, my family has owned a business here, I register my vehicle here and I vote here. The Nov. 2 election compelled me to write.
I live now in a retirement community where the vast majority of the residents moved here from states where they candidly tell you they could not afford to retire. They moved here to enjoy our low taxes, stable economy, world-class entertainment and shopping. And let's not forget the beautiful weather they rave about.
Now they vote for liberals such as Harry Reid and Barack Obama, whose socialist agenda has ruined our local and national economy. They have done everything in their power to make Nevada just like the state they left -- where they could not afford to retire. Their political views defy any logical or intelligent thinking.
I just wonder where these people plan to move to when they can no longer afford to live here. Just wondering.
Paul V. Christensen
Henderson
Save water
To the editor:
I thought Mike McCoy's idea to import Alaskan water was pretty cool (Monday letter to the editor). I only had a few reservations.
First off, what's wrong with the Columbia River? It's a whole lot closer.
Second, how is water to the Sacramento Valley going to relieve the shortage on the Colorado River?
And third, why should I pay more for my tap water to subsidize California farming corporations?
You know, conservation makes a whole lot more sense, at least here in Las Vegas.
Roger Densley
Las Vegas
