What’s the big deal about ‘Merry Christmas’?

To the editor:

This atheist shakes his head in disbelief at how a minute, insignificant, envious, misinformed minority can cause large corporations to shake, city governments to quake and ignorant citizens to cower at the thought of saying "Merry Christmas."

Let's face it: Ask any rabbinical scholar, and he will tell you that Hanukkah was never really big on the Hebrew religious holidays. It gained recognition only because of its proximity to Christmas. As for Kwanzaa, fine, it you choose to place it alongside Christmas -- and then, of course, it will also be celebrated as part of Christmas.

As for the Muslim religion, I don't know if they have any holiday at this time of the year. I do know that their prophet, Mohammed, recognized Jesus Christ as a prophet who preached love. So then, they should have no problem with Christians wishing one and all Merry Christmas.

Consider this: If the Christian religious scholars in researching Christ's birthday discover that he was actually born in April and moved his birthday to that month, what do you think people would be saying at this time of the year? Happy Holidays? Not likely. They would probably be commenting on how cold it is and the latest price of heating oil.

So this atheist wishes one and all a very Merry Christmas. Why? Because it silently asks that we love our fellow man.

James Mallas

LAS VEGAS

Corporate tax

To the editor:

Bill Weidner, chief operating officer of Las Vegas Sands Corp., doesn't believe we need any new taxes to fund schools or our state's budget shortfall (Review-Journal, Dec. 9). His idea is to privatize the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority and raid the room tax revenues instead.

I'm not sure with whom I disagree more, Mr. Weidner or the teachers union, which wants to raise the gaming tax by 3 percentage points.

Looking at the convention authority's financial statement for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2006 (most recent available), we see that all revenues combined amounted to a little more than $254 million, with expenses listed at almost $220 million. This leaves a basic profit of $54 million that gets added to the general capital fund to pay for property improvements, etc.

Marketing and advertising costs (the money used to make sure Las Vegas stays No. 1) totaled $115 million. Mr. Weidner wants to reduce this amount to $100 million. I'm not sure what justification he has for this cut or what logic he's using. He seems to pull an arbitrary number out of a hat to provide for a budget without having any knowledge of exactly how that money is spent and what benefit it provides to even himself and the Las Vegas Sands Corp.

Operations, general governmental support and interest on long-term debts totaled about $71 million. Combine that number with the advertising and marketing number and you come up with $186 million. This number is relevant because it represents the basic operating costs for the convention authority.

About the only thing on which I can partially agree with Mr. Weidner is his contention that revenue is being lost because the convention authority charges less for its convention space than either his company or Mandalay Bay. His point seems valid at first because the convention authority is sold out and therefore should be charging more for its space. I'm sure this wouldn't hurt the Sands Expo one bit since they'd probably raise their rates as well, knowing full well that convention space attached to a large hotel can demand a premium.

The problem begins when you ask yourself what would happen should convention promoters choose to hold their conventions elsewhere. Who pays the room tax on an empty room?

A corporation's sole purpose is to make as much money as possible for its shareholders. That is its duty and it cannot falter. Mr. Weidner wants to corporatize the convention authority and makes the contention that more revenues will be the result.

What Mr. Weidner fails to point out is that the authority is already a corporation that is answering to its shareholders and doing an excellent job at performing its core business. It just so happens that its core business isn't promoting or hosting conventions, but rather to generate revenue in the form of taxes. I'm sure Mr. Weidner would love nothing more than getting rid of that sort of competition.

I don't believe raiding the room tax or raising the casino tax is the answer to our budgetary woes. A small, across-the-board tax on corporate profits (including casinos) and on individuals making more than $250,000 per year would expand the tax base and spread the burden while keeping our main industry safe.

MARTIN ELGE

LAS VEGAS

Mileage standards

To the editor:

The House of Representatives' recent passage of increased gasoline mileage standards for all to endure is an example of political dogma trumping science and engineering. As a former university regent, Rep. Shelley Berkley should know better. But when the master calls, rational thought, considered contemplation, and the application of science become meaningless.

What's next from these lunks? Legislating pi to be 3 to make calculations easier and declaring the Earth flat so that maps are easier to make?

Mark R. Craven

LAS VEGAS