Letter: Give surplus to voters, not just to car owners

Friday, Jan. 21, 2005 | 9:50 a.m.

There seems to be a variety of schemes to rebate the surplus in Nevada's general fund to taxpayers.

Some politicians want to keep it and some want to spend it. Not everybody has a car so Gov. Kenny Guinn's plan to rebate vehicle registration fees has some problems.

Also, and not mentioned by politicians, the DMV plan might favor the folks who operate fleets of vehicles. But, fellow Nevadans, there is a clear, fair and simple alternative.

The secretary of state's Web site shows that the total turnout in the 2004 general election was 831,563. If we were to divide the $300 million surplus among these 831,563 voters it would result in a potential rebate of about $360 to every Nevada voter.

This is not a bad idea as those voters were all adults, they paid taxes and they clearly have an interest in government. This approach is also not unfair to anyone, as every adult American citizen who lives in Nevada can register and vote. In short, this plan has no inequities.

Every registrar of voters in all 17 counties knows the correct name and address of the voters who turned out in 2004. Even allowing for the cost to prepare these checks and mail them, this approach is certainly more equitable than that which has thus far been proposed. Who knows, such a plan might even stimulate more interest in voting.

JOHN STANHAGEN