Letter: Assemblyman’s plan for gift cards is awful

Wednesday, Jan. 3, 2007 | 7:12 a.m.

Regarding a state lawmaker's proposal that unused gift card money should go to the state treasury:

I consider myself to be very liberal, some might even say that I am a bit socialist, but what Assemblyman Ruben Kihuen is proposing is communism or more likely outright theft. Whatever the assemblyman wants to use the unused gift card money for, it's wrong.

Even if it's for cancer research or feeding the hungry, I don't see how Nevada can take this from businesses or the public. If I buy a sweater and I don't use it, the government shouldn't come in and take it from me and give it to someone less fortunate.

It's not the best thing, me having a perfectly good sweater just sitting in my closet, but it's my choice if I want to leave it there or donate it. How are gift cards different?

I thought that I heard that the federal government was going after retailers for having an expiration date on gift cards and service fees. Then let's go after retailers who are making a killing on unused gift cards, but don't make the situation worse by commandeering private property, especially when Nevada has a budget surplus!

This is the worst thing I've heard in a long time.

Tahirih Kempf, Henderson