Reid out to lunch on jobless comments

To the editor:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's comment that "private-sector jobs are doing just fine" should confirm to everyone that our senior senator is economically clueless.

It has been clear to me for some time that Sen. Reid is woefully inadequate in economic affairs, and now his comments show he has no idea about our employment problems here in his home state of Nevada.

Jim Horsley

Henderson

Ace in the hole

To the editor:

In response to Steve Sebelius' Tuesday column, "Nevada: The Republican promised land":

Mr. Sebelius ends his column with a ridiculous premise -- that Nevada's economy is going through bad times because of low taxes and economic freedom. This conclusion is preposterous for many reasons.

First, Nevada's low-tax structure resulted in our leading all 50 states in population growth for many decades in a row. When times were good and Americans were making money, Nevada's tax structure was the lure to get them to relocate to our state. We are now in a Great Depression. Few have the money to move here anymore, and many others have lost the incentive. Why move somewhere where taxes are low if you aren't making money in the first place?

Our low-tax structure hasn't hurt our economy in any way. In fact, it made us No. 1 in most every economic and growth category for decades on end. The times have changed. The situation has changed. When prosperity returns to the U.S. economy (assuming President Obama is ousted), Nevada's tax structure will quickly make us No. 1 once again.

Second, Texas is enjoying the best economy in the country, offering the same benefits Mr. Sebelius cites for Nevada. Low taxes, fewer regulations and smaller government work successfully in Texas, and all of the other low-tax states. The lowest-taxed U.S. states have beaten the highest-taxed states in every economic category for decades on end -- and beaten them badly. The highest-taxed, biggest-spending, highest percentage of union employee states have led the nation in moving vans fleeing for many years in a row.

Third, lower taxes work everywhere in the world. The healthiest economy on Earth is found in Hong Kong, with a 16 percent flat tax combined with zero capital gains tax. The high-tax countries of Europe are all bankrupt, insolvent and headed for nightmarish unrest in the streets.

Nevada's problem is simple: We are in the Great Depression II and our economy is built around tourism, construction and all forms of entertainment. This Great Depression affects tourism more than any other business, and all forms of spending built around tourism -- gambling, drinking, night-clubbing, golfing, massages, spas, shopping.

Oh, and one more thing my friends on the left just happen to always leave out: This is a state dominated by an unattractive desert and stifling heat. We compete with states such as California, which have perfect weather and God-given natural beauty. But we have competed and won for so many years based on one advantage -- low taxes.

We are not failing because of low taxes. We have succeeded in a big way, against all odds, because of low taxes. They are our ace in the hole.

Wayne Allyn Root

Henderson

Matter of race?

To the editor:

In his letter to the Review-Journal last week, Dale Drennan said the GOP wants Barack Obama out of the White House because he's black.

Actor Morgan Freeman thinks the same thing -- as does, I'm sure, every Democrat on the planet.

But what's their excuse going to be if Herman Cain is nominated by the GOP for president? What's their excuse if he wins the presidency?

I'm a 66-year-old white male. I usually vote independent, but if Mr. Cain gets nominated, I'll vote for him in a heartbeat.

Rodney T. Elkins

Las Vegas