Is Las Vegas slogan itself a copycat?
To the editor:
According to your April 14 editorial, “Copycat slogans,” the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority is expending considerable sums of money to thwart imitators of its trademarked slogan, “What happens here, stays here.”
Instead of litigating against those who may be paraphrasing said slogan, perhaps tourism officials should be offering a formal mea culpa and some remuneration to the producers of the 1999 film, “The Green Mile.” As I see it, the Las Vegas slogan is a knockoff of a line which was voiced twice in the movie.
The movie line, “What happens on the mile stays on the mile,” was said once by Tom Hanks’ character and once again by David Morse’s character. Clearly, the film’s line and the Las Vegas slogan bear an unmistakable resemblance to one another.
Can the visitors authority prove that the Las Vegas slogan was conceived and trademarked prior to the use of the analogous line in “The Green Mile”? If not, maybe it should quit trying to protect its not-too-original ad phrase from copycats and admit to some apparent paraphrasing of its own.
marion schlenske
LAS VEGAS
Gaming tax
To the editor:
I am writing to add another voice to the call for raising the state’s gaming tax. Crystal Ann Smith’s April 16 letter put forth the facts very well — that in every other jurisdiction with gaming, the tax is considerably higher.
Our major casinos pay just 6.75 percent. In Louisiana, the tax is 21 percent; in Atlantic City, it’s 13.5 percent. There are more examples, all higher than Nevada’s.
The Legislature may raise taxes because the state is in dire need of highway funds, funds for education and for many other programs. Why not tax the casinos at a rate they are willing to pay in other cities?
It would be only fair that the gaming industry pay its share. They are the main cause of our population explosion — and therefore our traffic problems and the demands on our educational system.
I understand that the Nevada Resort Association has political clout and is a major factor when it comes to funding the campaigns of our legislators. But do we need a ballot initiative to accomplish this or do we inform our legislators that unless they bring this about, they will be voted out of office?
The people of Nevada need true representation.
Carolyn brandom
LAS VEGAS
Personal sacrifice
To the editor:
It’s time to step up our efforts to fight global warming. Global warming is the challenge of our generation.
This Earth Day, I took two steps to reduce my carbon emissions:
— I bicycled to school, the grocery and my house of worship.
— I washed my clothes in cold water and dried them on a clothesline.
If everyone could make a personal commitment we could significantly reduce carbon emissions, a global killer. Reducing CO? pollutants requires city, state, federal, individual and corporate action.
Please don’t wait for the next ice age before we address this serious problem.
Sandra schuab
LAS VEGAS
Nuclear power
To the editor:
Having been involved in nuclear public education since the late 1950s, I just had to respond to a recent Review-Journal story on global warming (“Bill would measure emissions,” April 23).
I noted with interest the legislative response to an environmental measure submitted by state Sen. Dina Titus intended to survey greenhouse gas emissions in the state. Part of it was accepted, part rejected.
How serious are the folks we have sent to Carson City regarding global warming? Let us consider the proposal from Nevada Power for a dual coal-fired generating facility near Ely. The company recently received a heavy fine for contaminating the atmosphere near one of its coal-fired generating plants. Two proposed coal-fired plants, to be located near Ely, will further add to our deteriorating atmosphere.
This project should be stopped and consideration given to a nuclear facility similar to many around the nation that do not harm the atmosphere.
Data abound to support the use of nuclear energy to produce economical electricity. Nevada has the latest in gaming machines — how about getting up to date on environmental protection?
We cannot afford to keep contributing to global warming. Why is Nevada Power being allowed to build a facility that is in direct conflict with the goal of cleaning the air we breath?
If those in state government are really concerned about the environment and global warming, they should work with Nevada Power to reach an alternative to the proposed coal-fired plants. Solutions are available. It is time to use them.
Richard g. telfer
