Letters to the editor

Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2009 | 4:32 p.m.

Taxes may be needed to provide for Nevada

EDITOR:

In response to your editorial "Legislators must look outside gaming industry for budget solutions," (Jan. 22):

Gov. Jim Gibbons, a former pilot, reminds me of one of those WWI aviators flying by the seat of his pants. The only light on his instrument panel says: no new taxes.

It makes no difference to him that his passengers, the people of Nevada, will not be provided for.

Schools, health clinics and other facilities may close or lose their purpose, and the people he was elected to care for will lose the services they require.

No matter to Gibbons. The only important thing for him is to keep his pledge not to raise taxes.

I hope our state legislators ignore this inane governor and decide the best course for Nevada, even if that means increased taxes.

RICHARD J. MUNDY

Students, parents should pay for school

EDITOR:

In response to your editorial "Legislators must look outside gaming industry for budget solutions," (Jan. 22):

College is a privilege, not a right, so if someone wants to go, they must be prepared to pay for it. And I put the emphasis on they because somewhere along the way someone came up with the bright/wrong idea that everybody else should "always" be there to pick up the tab for someone else's expenditures. This notion is completely ridiculous.

If they want to solve the financial crisis at CCSD, they should tax all parents (and only the parents) of students enrolled within the system.

A simple tax of $500 a year per student times the 300,000 (plus or minus a few thousand) students would easily solve the problem, creating an additional $150 million in revenue to cover their expenses.

This would be an ongoing tax. This would not only create the revenue stream school administrators are so desperate for, but it will also shake up complacent parents to get more involved in their kids' education if they actually have to pony up something toward it.

Stop polluting everyone's minds with statements like, "There is no credible argument that Nevada now spends enough on basic state services such as education and health care for those who can't afford it." I have news for you: Nevada is not a communist state, and education and health care are privileges, not rights. And for the record, I am a registered Democrat.

JIM DUNLAP