Most states realize that during a recession many people who lose their jobs return to college, particularly community colleges, so they can learn new skills to re-enter the workforce. To dismantle the college when it's needed the most is self defeating during an economic downturn. Nevada needs to enact a steady funding source for education. Every entity--casinos, non-gaming businesses, legislators and residents--need to come together and support legislation in the upcoming session that will once and for all provide a steady funding source for Nevada's state employees and education system. If we fail to do so, this state has no future and Governor Gibbons should be thrown out of office.

jfinance, again you need to educate yourself on what responsible business and community leaders are proposing to help solve the budget crisis.

Mr. Feldman, from MGM, along with Steve Wynn and many other community leaders, are in support of a payroll tax on certain businesses and a possible room-tax increase to alleviate the budget crisis. Even Mr. Feldman agrees you don't hit an already suffering middle and lower-middle class workforce with more financial hardships during an economic downturn.

Tune in to today's NPR Nevada and hear what Mr. Feldman is saying.

Sadly, people like you and some of our legislators just don't get it. We need a long-term steady funding solution for Nevada's education system. If you can't begin to understand that, then this correspondence is just a waste of time.

jfinance needs a lesson in economics.

The Bush administration has already begun sending out stimulus checks because even Republicans at the Federal level realize taking money from the very people that need it the most during a recession only makes matters worse.

Rescinding a four-percent COLA that doesn't even enable middle and lower middle-class workers to keep up with inflation is a self defeating economic policy.

Let me get this straight. Ms. Lowden wants to take away a four percent cost of living raise for teachers and other state workers to ease the state's financial crisis and help out hard-working Nevadans.

Apparently, Ms. Lowden doesn't believe state employees are hard-working people who are struggling financially to keep up with the soaring costs of food, energy and gasoline prices.

The last time I checked, taking money out of the pockets of middle-class Americans during a recession was hardly a solution to the problem.