Police cameras would alleviate controversy

To the editor:

Here we go again. Another controversial police shooting "Police: Woman had hands on gun," Tuesday Review-Journal).

I don't understand. If an officer called for backup and a number of police officers had time to arrive, including two supervisors, why didn't someone think to bring a video camera to record this situation? If they had, we wouldn't have to go through a number of investigations, hold police out of service with full pay and gather a bunch of witnesses with different stories - not to mention spend thousands of dollars of taxpayer money.

This should be protocol. Department officials would save a lot of money and time if they used their heads and bought a few video cameras.

Mike Vasko

Henderson

Tax man

To the editor:

In reference to the Tuesday article, "Amazon, Sandoval reach tax accord":

I'm wondering why this has been an issue. Nevada already has a tax in place to cover these purchases and has had for years. It's called the "use tax," and I quote in part from my state of Nevada quarterly sales and use tax return:

"Column F: Amount subject to use tax - On the appropriate county line, enter (a) the purchase price of merchandise, equipment or other tangible personal property purchased without payment of Nevada tax and that was stored, used or consumed by you rather than being resold."

For the past year, I have been paying to the state of Nevada an 8.1 percent "use tax" for everything that I have purchased off of eBay.

The problem isn't establishing a new tax, it's enforcing the one already in effect. And if I'm not liable for these taxes as of right now, I sure could stand for the state refund me the $2,000 in "use taxes" that I have paid on my Internet purchases thus far.

FRANK W. THOMPSON

Henderson

Long walk

To the editor:

You have to love the irony when it comes to the Paiutes walking 50 miles or so from Moapa to the U.S. courthouse in Las Vegas to draw attention to how the Reid Gardner power plant's proximity to their reservation has inflicted so much damage to their health.

Looks like we should all have a power plant in our back yard if it will enable us to go on a 50-mile hike.

Curtis Williams

Henderson

Race baiting

To the editor:

In his recent letter, Cecil Jones offered a rebuttal to the Patrick Buchanan commentary on the Trayvon Martin shooting. Mr. Jones argued that President Obama showed his humanity and compassion by empathizing with the grieving family.

I agree he did show compassion. Where was Mr. Obama, however, during the previous weeks when there were numerous fatal shootings in Chicago and in Detroit? In one of the incidents, a little 6-year-old girl was killed during a drive-by shooting.

It is ironic that in most of those shootings the victims and perpetrators were both black. Yet Mr. Obama chose to show his compassion when the shooting involved a black American and a brown American.

Mr. Jones stated that black kids fear to walk or drive thanks to racial profiling. But it was the Rev. Jessie Jackson who once stated that he feels relieved when walking the streets to find the footsteps he hears behind him are those of a white person.

In fact, America's black children are much more likely to be a victim of a crime committed by another black American than by any white or Hispanic American. The statistics bear that out.

We need to stop race baiting and start finding ways to reduce this phenomenon.

Michael O. Kreps

Las Vegas

Payback time

To the editor:

To answer the question Steve Sebelius posed in his Tuesday column, "Only two ways to end Nevada judicial standoff," yes, we will be content during a Republican administration when minority Democrats deny judges a hearing or committee vote. Because you know the Democrats will do that regardless of whether judicial nominee Elissa Cadish receives a hearing.

We will probably also make recess appointments even when Congress is not in recess because - as Mr. Sebelius put it - "It's payback time, baby!" And as we walk down this rancorous path, let us not forget which party paved it.

James Loeper

Henderson

Lights out

To the editor:

The recent letter to the editor from T. Vanderveldt regarding traffic signals was right on. The traffic lights in the Las Vegas area aren't timed properly.

On many roads, you sometimes see traffic backed up for a half mile or more because you have signals that last several minutes. When you have traffic stopped for this long period due to mis-timed signals, you cause other difficulties such as drivers running lights and accidents.

The traffic signals in the Las Vegas Valley need to be evaluated and changed because of the unintended consequences that could occur.

Bill Miller

Las Vegas

Five shots

To the editor:

In response to the Saturday story, "DA calls shooting self-defense":

I am for gun ownership and the right to defend your family, home and property. I know that 19-year-old Demarcus Carter had a history of burglary. The homeowner claims Carter continued to try to enter his home even after seeing the owner was there. But at some point Carter was trying to get away and got shot at least once in the back.

Shot five times? I have guns, but don't know if I have any material things for which I would want to kill someone for.

John Lawrence

Laughlin