The real skinny on local teacher salaries

To the editor:

In response to the letter from Kathleen Sorrentino ("Community must support local teachers," May 16):

Ms. Sorrentino's letter is one of a massive number that have been printed since the arbitrator's decision to force the school district to continue paying teacher raises. In not one of those letters or editorials or columns has actual teacher pay been reported to the public. How can the people of the private sector, who foot the bill, make an informed decision without knowing the dollar number?

So in the interest of a more rational and reasonable discussion on this subject: The average Clark County classroom teacher salary (not including any benefits) in the last school year was $51,795.

This is the official number from the Nevada Department of Education. The number for the current school year has not yet been published, but we are all well aware the teachers have been and will continue to receive their raises due to the arbitrator's decision.

What you think or how you feel about $51,795 is totally up to you. At least now you have the information.

KNIGHT ALLEN

LAS VEGAS

Smoke this

To the editor:

John L. Smith's Wednesday column on the smoking ban in Nevada was long on opinion and very short on facts ("Nevada hasn't come a long way when it comes to smoking").

Mr. Smith states that "for the record, going smoke-free hasn't dampened profits at casinos outside the state." That is completely false.

Ask casino companies in Illinois who suffered an 18 percent decline in revenues when their smoking ban passed. Guess what? Indiana - where smoking is allowed - has had steady growth since the Illinois ban, even in a failing economy. Gary, Ind., is not exactly a destination resort.

Ask the Atlantic City casinos, where the well-meaning City Council passed a smoking ban and then rescinded it after a severe drop in revenue.

In every venue where a smoking ban was passed that applied to casinos, gaming revenue went down.

How about Las Vegas, where we've had three different casinos go broke when they went smoke-free?

The recently passed concessions about serving food in smoking areas of taverns were good. Tavern owners were more worried about patrons drinking without eating than the effects of smoking.

Something else to keep in mind: Approximately 4,000 to 5,000 gamblers who come to Las Vegas make up 50 percent of the table game revenue in this state. These players are almost exclusively from the Far East, and banning smoking in casinos would dramatically hurt our revenues.

Yes, we know smoking is bad for you. Yes, we know there are additional costs for workers in these workplaces. But as with all things in life, there are trade-offs. Would we like to see workers laid off when a smoking ban passes and revenues drop?

No one gets the whole loaf.

Joe Wilcock

Henderson

Taken for a ride

To the editor:

A story in the Wednesday Business section noted, "It shouldn't be hard to get a ride to the Electric Daisy Carnival next month as Las Vegas cab companies will field as many as 140 additional taxis for the weekend."

Why, then, can't the average citizen call a cab for transportation from home to somewhere else? Anywhere else?

Walking distance and wait time in summer heat make the valley's bus service usable only for the most desperate. And try carrying the day's purchases home on a bus.

Richard E. Law

Las Vegas