False choice between higher taxes and disaster

To the editor:

In response to John L. Smith’s Tuesday column on Gov. Jim Gibbons and the concluded legislative session:

Why is it that he and so many others never mention a third option in commentaries regarding government spending? It’s always “more taxes” or “gridlock”; “more taxes” or “teachers leaving the state”; “more taxes” or “polluted skies,” etc.

There are many people like me who believe the choices presented are false choices. I’d endorse some tax increases for more roads and higher teacher salaries — if, along with that, some money was taken from other government programs; pensions for government employees were re-worked to more closely match what is commonly found in the private sector; duplicative and poor-performing government programs were cancelled, etc.

The choice Mr. Smith presents is really “let our physical and social infrastructure crumble” or “allow all the waste and mismanagement in government to continue unabated and just provide more in taxes.”

That is a false choice — and one I don’t agree with.

MICHAEL K. CASLER

LAS VEGAS

Teachers first

To the editor:

Now that the latest legislative session is over, I am sure our lawmakers are patting each other on the back, complimenting themselves on the fine job they did.

Fine job, indeed. During the entire session, was any concern given to the severe shortage of teachers in our public school classrooms? Well, if you consider concern to be killing a bill that would have granted teachers the right to defend themselves against unscrupulous supervisors; granting a salary increase that is, once again, below the inflation rate; and also taking away a benefit that offers affordable health insurance to teacher retirees, I guess you could say they are concerned.

This next school year, when your child comes home and talks about what this substitute teacher and that substitute teacher did in their overcrowded classrooms, thank your state assemblyman and senator for putting education first in Nevada and being concerned about the teacher shortage in our public schools.

JIM HAYES

LAS VEGAS

Bail money

To the editor:

I was shocked when I read the final paragraph in the Monday article, “Traffic court referee tries to give motorists breaks,” which states that, “Drivers who plead innocent must post bail and pay the citation’s fine … ”

Since when can we be sentenced prior to trial? Just because it’s a traffic ticket doesn’t change the principles behind it. Can we now be required to serve the jail time for an offense prior to being tried?

And what is the purpose of requiring bail in order to plead not guilty? When you receive a traffic ticket, your signature is your bail. But if you plead not guilty, they make you post the bail that wasn’t required when you received the citation? As I understand it, bail is supposed to guarantee your appearance in court. You have already appeared in order to plead not guilty, so why are you all of a sudden at risk of not appearing? Excessive bail is supposed to be unconstitutional. If no bail is needed, then any amount of bail is excessive.

What do they do if you insist on pleading not guilty but don’t have any money with you? Or what if you have bail money but refuse to pre-pay your fine? Do they refuse your plea? Throw you in jail?

These are obvious and transparent attempts to coerce us into not pleading our innocence in traffic court. This is one issue I’d love to see Gary Peck of the local ACLU get involved with. I just don’t see how policies like this could possibly be legal.

TIM REARDON

HENDERSON

Perverted minds

To the editor:

As I opened the newspaper Monday, I was appalled by the horrible moral choice made concerning the photo on the front page. The picture consisted of two young women with their breasts hanging out of their skimpy “shirts.”

I can understand how this disgusting picture could easily be found in a nasty magazine. However, this is not the kind of picture that should be in a local newspaper. This is not the kind of thing that you advertise.

The newspaper should inform people of current events; it should not tell us about the easy ways to get our hands on pornography.

I would like to inform you that not only are these perverted pictures seen by your customers, but also by kids at the local elementary schools, middle schools and high schools.

In the future, would you please keep all of your audience in mind, not just the ones with perverted minds.

MARY HALLEWELL

LAS VEGAS