Who could possibly oppose the ‘tea party’ protests?

To the editor:

It's amazing that in this country -- after decades of left-wing radicals demonstrating, rioting, trashing public facilities, invading public forums, bombing public institutions, burning public buildings, defacing public monuments, ad nauseam -- we have the same big government socialists screeching about how stupid and horrible it is for middle-class Americans of many beliefs and backgrounds to actually use their constitutional right to peaceably assemble and petition their government for redress of grievances.

Those who have the gall to criticize the "tea party" effort -- which was far more about the borrowing, debt creation and spending than about paying taxes -- ought to be ashamed for even thinking that these patriots didn't have the absolute right and duty to protest in this way. The fact that this new administration, which is putting the entire country into a financial deep well from which we may never get out, would not only allow any of its pathetic wags to make a negative comment about such responsible citizens -- and even encourage the criticism -- shows how far they have sunk.

This is the "change" promised by the Obama regime? This is what we want for the "new" America? This "just sit down, shut up, and follow us" leadership of the new left is what so many people voted for?

Ken Koester

LAS VEGAS

Legislative meddling

To the editor:

I can't believe what I'm reading about our legislators in Carson City changing the smoking ban that we the voters supported and put in place ("Smoking measure advances," Saturday Review-Journal).

This is similar to politicians saying we don't like who you elected, so we are going to put someone else in that spot. It shows again how our lawmakers are beholden to special interests and lobbying groups and not the will of the majority.

There is nothing worse than trying to eat a meal where you can barely breathe because of someone else's cigarette smoke. This is just further evidence of us electing the wrong people to Carson City. I'll never again vote for anyone in the Legislature who supported this, nor will I go near any restaurant that now allows smoking while I'm trying to eat.

In this legislative session, they should have put in place a compliance mechanism for the law. But maybe because that required making their campaign contributors unhappy, they went in a different direction.

If we thought our state was the nation's laughingstock before, we are certainly adding to the image.

Richard DePaso

LAS VEGAS

Money loser

To the editor:

After they legally lost the right to smoke in bars and eating establishments, smokers are now trying to score after the bell (Saturday Review-Journal).

I am an adult male. I am 56 years old and I don't like people smoking near me -- never have.

Now the smokers are promising not to smoke in places that have kids. They can smoke wherever they want to as long as it does not interfere with my right to breathe unpolluted air.

I know there are places that blame the new law for a loss of income. But now that the air has been cleansed of the noxious fumes, I believe these places will lose more money once they allow smoking to start again.

WARREN DASTAL

HENDERSON

Room fees

To the editor:

Our Las Vegas hotel-casinos are complaining that raising the room tax will hurt occupancy rates in a recession. It makes some sense, and as residents of Las Vegas, we usually believe them, especially because most of us depend on the gaming industry to make our living. We are against anything that stifles their business.

But before you take them at their word, spend a night on the Strip. You will find the big hotel-casinos are charging their own room tax. They call it a "resort fee" or "facility fee." It ranges from as little as $6 to $25. The Sahara charges $6. Trump charges $15. The M charges $25 per day.

Other hotel-casinos may have a resort fee too, but they do their very best to hide this tax/fee from their guests. If you don't read the very fine print on their Web site, you will have a very big surprise at checkout.

What do you get for the extra money? It ranges from a bottle of water, a newspaper or a shoe shine to free local calls. And at all three places, you get to swim in their pool, "weather permitting."

Raising the room tax will hurt business, but charging bogus, expensive fees for no real value in return? That's sure to bring people back to Las Vegas.

What a sneaky way to pick up a few extra bucks.

Cary De Grosa

LAS VEGAS