Room tax hike would reduce occupancy
To the editor:
Increasing the room tax to pay for education -- or for any other services -- is a bad idea ("Casinos, teachers discuss tax plan," May 8 Review-Journal).
In the early 1900s, Arthur Pigou, an economist, postulated what became known as the Pigovian Tax Theory. Based on his work, everyone applauded the increase in tobacco taxes because it helped bring down demand. Why would we assume that increasing room taxes would have any different effect? Most certainly, it will decrease room occupancy and, in so doing, multiply the losses in many other areas that depend on tourist spending, including the tax revenues from those sources.
One sees it now in reverse. Several presidential candidates are suggesting a gasoline tax holiday. Charging less for gasoline will drive up consumption. Wiser and braver politicians would advocate just the opposite: Increase the gasoline tax to drive down consumption.
Is that what Las Vegas wants? An increased room tax that drives down occupancy?
JERRY VALLEN
HENDERSON
Legislative pay
To the editor:
Erin Neff's column of May 15, "A broken system," about our underpaid Legislature, had the numbers correct but did not articulate the history or place the responsibility for the situation.
First, the Nevada Constitution gives to the legislators the absolute authority to set legislative compensation.
Second, there have been at least two blue-ribbon panels of independent, well-respected citizens who have adopted the idea that legislative pay should be tied to the average private-sector wage in Nevada. Both panels formally presented this proposal to the Legislature. Both times the idea was supported by almost every newspaper in Nevada, including the Review-Journal, and both times the legislators failed to act. A compensation level tied to the average working person's wage can easily be defended by any legislator with even a modicum of leadership and courage in front of any group, including the "30 ladies at IHOP" Ms. Neff addressed.
A legislator who feels abused and shortchanged by his compensation and is looking for someone to blame need only look in the mirror to identify the guilty party.
KNIGHT ALLEN
LAS VEGAS
Toll highway
To the editor:
The Nevada Transportation Board, under the leadership of its chairman, Gov. Jim Gibbons, is recommending a privatized toll road through Las Vegas ("Toll road plan OK'd," Friday Review-Journal). As someone very skeptical of the privatization of government entities, I hope the 2009 Legislature takes a good, hard look at this proposal.
The first issue needs to be the $1.4 billion price tag estimated for the demonstration project. Just what are these dollars going to? Following the completion of the U.S. Highway 95 widening project, there is no more room in the center of the freeway to add additional lanes. So I guess we are now going to have to pay extra to use the lanes we already paid for.
Interstate 15 is preparing for a widening project to add additional lanes in the center of the freeway -- lanes paid for primarily by the federal and state governments. Whether the funds come from the feds or the state, it's still taxpayer money.
The next issue is maintenance. Who pays for it and how? The only separation between the free lanes and what could become the toll lanes is a painted line on the pavement. Is the state going to continue maintaining the toll lanes, or will the private company be handling its own road maintenance? If it's the state, we can present the investors a bill for the costs. If it's the private company, are they going to be charging us the cost plus additional money for profit, as many of these partnerships do?
The final question: What standards and guidelines are going to be used to select the company to build and operate this system? Will it go out for competitive bid, or is this a back-door way for the governor to help out some of his friends?
All questions the 2009 Legislature needs to be asking.
David Black-Downes
LAS VEGAS
Learning CPR
To the editor:
In response to the Sunday article about the boy who suffered brain damage as a result of a baseball injury ("Pitched battle over bats"): My heart goes out to his family following this terrible tragedy. I don't want to second-guess the situation, but I am amazed that his father and other nearby coaches and parents apparently did not know how to perform CPR.
Had the boy not had to wait 90 seconds for a complete stranger to come to his aid, would the outcome have been different? We'll never know, but I think it should be mandatory for anyone involved in organized youth sports to at least be trained in basic CPR and first aid.
Bill L. Wilson
HENDERSON
