Obama has kept his promise to not raise taxes

To the editor:

Despite my distaste for President Obama, raising taxes on tobacco products does not violate his campaign promise to not raise taxes on the poor and middle class (Thursday Review-Journal editorial).

Tobacco is not part of a smoker's income, and it certainly is not a "need." It is a luxury, and for most a curse that deteriorates a smoker's health and makes a smoker's breath stink. If the poor are the only ones smoking, then now would be a great time to stop and use that money for food, clothing and health care.

As long as President Obama doesn't tax your income or your savings, he keeps his promise -- and you suffer from your own bad habits.

Joe Ford

LAS VEGAS

Warming global cooling

To the editor:

The Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research reports that Earth has been cooling since 1998. Last year, Earth's average temperature declined definitively.

The beautiful part about this is the environmentalists say it is being caused by global warming. In other words, if it weren't so warm, it wouldn't be this cold. If it weren't so warm, we wouldn't have so much snow. If it weren't so warm, the United States would not have suffered one of its worst winters in memory.

The bottom line is that as long as government money is available to fund global warming studies, statistics will show it is getting warmer no matter how cold it is.

Edward J. Finley

LAS VEGAS

How much is enough?

To the editor:

I would like just one lawmaker -- federal, state or local, chief of police or other government type -- to tell me how much taxpayer money is enough. Is there an amount of our earnings that would be enough for them?

I also would like one of this group to tell me which of my rights they promise not to curb or take away totally.

Is there anyone from this group who will answer me?

Kent Brewster

HENDERSON

This is leadership?

To the editor:

Our Congress has given new meaning to the word arrogance. Members are akin to hit-and-run drivers who get to sit in the judge's chair and tell the victims lying in the street what they need to do to get well.

Louis Frederick

NORTH LAS VEGAS