Taxing truckers will lead to higher prices
To the editor:
It is apparent that state Sen. Dina Titus has never attended a class in economics, or if she has, she did not listen. Her contention that the only way to improve our roads is by increasing the diesel fuel tax would be laughable if the view were not so broadly shared by the other members of her party in Carson City (Sunday letter to the editor).
I have yet to find a business or industry that does not pass tax expenses on to its customers, with an added cushion to cover the administrative cost. This continues on down the line, eventually ending with the consumer bearing the accumulative cost of the initial tax. Because of this, the idea of "equalizing fuel taxes" by increasing the diesel tax will, in essence, become a tax on groceries and other necessities that are delivered to Nevada by truck.
The Democrat Party has portrayed itself as the champion of the poor, and yet, during my first term as an assemblyman, I saw little of that in action, especially at the hands of the party leadership. It appears to me that this championship is little more than lip service. If you tax fuel, eventually you wind up hurting those least able to afford the added expense.
The governor's proposal to fund road repair and construction using a small portion of tourist tax dollars without raising taxes on working Nevadans was ridiculed as shallow and ill-conceived. Nevada is a state with an incredible influx of moneyed tourists every day. The projected amount of growth in room taxes is exponential, and the claims of the Democrats that moving 1.5 cents of each new room tax dollar to the transportation fund would bankrupt the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority's future plans have little bearing in reality.
Some have projected that the growth in funds to the convention authority, in spite of the proposed 1.5-cent transfer, could surpass all funds generated from the previous five years.
This plan seems far more Nevada-friendly than one that makes our cost of living much more expensive. I would suggest that the best way to "equalize the fuel taxes" would be by cutting the tax on gasoline to match the tax on diesel.
Bob Beers
HENDERSON
THE WRITER IS A REPUBLICAN WHO REPRESENTS DISTRICT 21 IN THE NEVADA ASSEMBLY.
TEACHERS AND JUDGES
To the editor:
I think Bob Huggins is on the right track and Bonnie Carrick is on the wrong track, considering their comments on education published on June 5 in the letters section. An article in the June 4 issue of Time magazine indicates that the percentage of Nevada fourth-graders scoring at proficient or better in reading is only 20 percent, according to federal test results. Poor reading ability sets a child on a course to poor overall education.
It seems to me that we have our priorities upside down at present. Instead of raising the salaries of judges to attempt to deal more effectively with crime, we should be raising teacher salaries so that we draw more qualified teachers, giving our children a better chance of a good education.
Instead of turning to crime, those children will more likely get better-paying jobs and will increase taxes paid over time, alleviating the burden on all of us. In the long term, this strategy should reduce the need for judges and jails.
Charles Parrish
LAS VEGAS
Too expensive
To the editor:
I think it is terrible that the Las Vegas Springs Preserve is charging so much to visit (Review-Journal, June 7). Most of the site is not free. The trails have a $6 per person "suggested donation" and the rest costs $14.95 for locals. A family annual pass is $75 and is only good for a family of four.
The pricing shows that they don't really expect low-income families to want to come and learn about the area's history and ecology and experience the "green living" exhibits. Further, these costs do not cover special programs and events.
The facility is the first I've ever encountered that requires a substantial deposit in order to book a tour for moms with small children. The pricing also inhibits repeat business, because the surrounding national recreation areas offer similar types of exhibits for less than $10 per car. The best educational and cultural facilities in the country are either free or under $50 for the whole family. Who are they expecting to draw?
The people in charge of pricing for the Springs Preserve have their priorities in the wrong place if they are expecting a profit while discriminating against larger or lower-income families. It is not Disneyland -- educational facilities should not be in it for the money. Perhaps the Las Vegas Valley Water District should rethink its goals for the preserve and rethink the pricing structure.
LEONIE MOWAT
NORTH LAS VEGAS
Poor Paris
To the editor:
Now that Public Enemy No. 1, Paris Hilton, has been incarcerated by the hand of merciless, swift justice, it is time for a crack at the illegals. Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot: Only Americans are expected to obey the law.
The 10 million illegals are a protected class and merit special treatment. I apologize for holding the perverse belief that laws should be enforced against all lawbreakers.
William Donati
LAS VEGAS
