Let’s try Texas ‘pole tax’ in Nevada
To the editor:
In Texas, they seem to be thinking about taxes that really hurt no one (Associated Press article, Saturday Review-Journal). The story on the Texas “pole” tax — a tax on strip clubs — has inspired me to say: Now that’s a really great idea for a tax.
Look at all our visitors who head out to the Las Vegas strip clubs every night they are in town. If they had to pay an additional $5 to get in the door, they wouldn’t blink an eye. After all, if our guys want to play, they gotta pay!
The revenue received from such a tax could be used to set up rehabilitation houses for women wanting to start over after having spent time climbing the “pole” and providing lap dances. Also some of the money could be set aside for providing additional money for social services throughout the state of Nevada.
If this tax is going to bring in $45 million annually for Texas, I do believe we can do even better.
Denise Kelley
LAS VEGAS
Government accounting
To the editor:
I have recently received letters from my government.
The first one was from Social Security explaining my raise in benefits for 2008. I thought I pulled a fast one on them because they are going to pay me the raise on Jan.1 almost before 2008 begins.
The second letter was from the Clark County assessor. My property’s assessed value went down from last year so I assume my taxes will be less this year. But I think the assessor is going to pull a fast one on me because they have included “important property tax information — why taxes may increase when taxable values decrease.” They figure I should be thrilled that my actual tax last year was somehow lowered by about $1,000 so this year’s tax can go up only 3 percent over last year’s capped tax.
I feel stupid as a taxpayer because government accounting methods always cost me more, even my raise.
MIKE CLARK
LAS VEGAS
Budget cuts
To the editor:
Let’s see how Gov. Jim Gibbons can keep his promises, not raise taxes and bail the state out of its “financial bind.” Oh, I know. Cut the budget — the education budget.
That promise really doesn’t count. After all, kids don’t vote. At least they won’t for awhile. By that time Gov. Gibbons won’t be in office and he won’t have to worry about those votes.
I find it so interesting that the cuts are always made to the youngest of our state — the children, those who don’t have a voice, our future.
So Gov. Gibbons, cut their education funding and their insurance programs. What’s left for their future and for yours? One can only hope that by the time they are the leaders of tomorrow, they cut your funding — funding for senior citizens.
After all, turnabout is fair play.
Cynthia Musgrove
LAS VEGAS
Education spending
‘To the editor:
With the current talk about a budget crisis — for the schools in particular — it seems like the education officials are crying too loud. After all, didn’t they get a huge windfall after the previous Republicrat governor raised taxes? Didn’t they exercise fiscal responsibility?
I do have a suggestion as a possible interim solution. Take the amount of money that constitutes the budget decrease suggested by our governor, then take the number of students affected and divide the money by the number of students. Write a letter to each student’s parents and ask them to contribute those few dollars until the crisis is over.
Those people parading in candlelight demonstrations against the cuts should be the biggest donors instead of expecting the governor to raise taxes on the entire population. How many generations of delinquents and dropouts am I expected to finance because education officials are careless with our contributions?
Three cheers for Gov. Gibbons. Don’t raise taxes at this time.
Esmael E. Candelaria
HENDERSON
Charitable work
To the editor:
Jane Ann Morrison’s recent column on charities was extremely enlightening and informative. I applaud her. She has drawn attention to greedy officers — and also given the information required to check out what portion of the money raised actually goes to help people and what portion is squandered in over-compensation of the officers and on advertising, telemarketing, etc.
Miracle Flights for Kids, Henderson based, is a perfect example of the founder, Ann McGee, over-compensating herself and her husband. The most important point here is that less than one-third of donations went to help sick children with flights last year.
The worst charity was Help Hospitalized Veterans, where Roger Chapin and his wife received $540,000 last year.
This can all be checked out on the Web sites Guidestar.org and charitynavigator.org.
Before I donate to any organization in the future, I will be sure to check out the charity and how much of it actually goes to help the cause it was founded to help. I hope that others will do the same.
Corinne R. DiLeo
LAS VEGAS
