Letter: Nevadans back Neal’s noble fight

Saturday, Aug. 26, 2000 | 3:12 a.m.

The worst thing that the gaming industry can do for itself is to continue to try to crush Sen. Joe Neal. As we know, Neal supports a 5 percent increase in the gaming tax, and two-thirds of the citizens of Nevada support this effort.

The industry is fighting the 5 percent increase that he has proposed. This is to make it pay its fair share of the increased infrastructure burden that it causes. The same gaming companies pay far more taxes to other states than they pay to Nevada. The Nevada taxpayer is subsidizing the gaming companies, and they are using our dollars to expand elsewhere. Admittedly his 5 percent proposed increase is low; we now know that a 10 percent increase would be more equitable.

So let the gaming people harass him, whoop at him at debates, tear up his initiative petitions, pour money into his opponent's campaign coffers and throw Neal out of office. But as these blatant attacks increase, the taxpayers will become more aware that the 5 percent increase should be more like 10 percent and that Nevada has been taken for a ride all these years. Neal is the only senator who has the guts and integrity to stand up to the gaming industry for the taxpayer. He needs our support.

GEORGE P. DIX