Powerful Legislature wants more power

To the editor:

In response to the Tuesday letter from Sen. Tick Segerblom and Assemblywoman Lucy Flores, “Defending a more visible, available Legislature”:

This constant whining and crying about our poor, downtrodden Legislature is getting pretty old.

Our biennial Legislature is second to no other branch of government. It controls the purse and so controls the system. The line about co-equal branches of government is pure malarkey. The legislative branch is superior. Every check in the system of checks and balances exists to limit the power of the Legislature and does so for very good reasons.

As for an “elitist view,” it’s really coming from folks like Sen. Segerblom and Assemblywoman Flores, who think they know what’s best for 2.75 million people and have an insatiable hunger to prove it by imposing as many laws as possible, as often as possible and in as many ways as possible — consequences be damned.

There is no questioning Sen. Segerblom’s and Ms. Flores’ integrity. They really believe in what they’re trying to do. There’s just one problem: They’re wrong.

KNIGHT ALLEN

LAS VEGAS

Tax thee

To the editor:

State Senate Majority Leader Mo Denis, D-Las Vegas, is despondent because he can’t get more school taxes through this year. That’s so sad.

In reading Wednesday’s article, “Emotional Denis declares school tax boost dead,” one thing struck me as so characteristic of the tax-loving Democrats: Though he and his wife of 30 years have “dedicated themselves to be active in their children’s schools,” they find it more convenient to tax others to provide their gifted son with more challenges rather than dedicate themselves to personally assisting him to greater achievement.

I guess his dedication has personal limits and is focused on getting others to do his job. That’s the Democrat credo, however. Eliminate personal responsibility, create dependency on government and tax the masses in an attempt to provide all things for all people.

Maybe this will be just one failure in a long list to come.

MARK R. CRAVEN

LAS VEGAS

Tax increases

To the editor:

So some state legislators are disappointed that a school tax increase never made it (“Emotional Denis declares school tax boost dead,” Wednesday Review-Journal). To make matters worse, I’m sure there will be many citizens joining in the chorus.

I’m also sure that most of these folks complain about the cost of other goods and services they receive. I would probably feel guilty about my opposition to most tax increases if I saw our local, state and national leaders putting as much, if not more, effort into ferreting out the fraud and waste in most giveaway programs and tax breaks. They have to (or should) know where to look.

It seems that it’s simply too easy to cry poor and raise taxes. Although people would raise an uproar — yes, and probably me, too — some laws need to be changed, like user fees based on income levels. Everyone seems to get lost in the fact that “government funds” is just another term for “taxpayer money.”

BILL L. WILSON

HENDERSON

Lottery, anyone?

To the editor:

I am getting fed up with the folks in Carson City and why they are trying to figure out how to rob the public with more taxes. The answer is so simple. Legalize a lottery. There will be more money than they can handle. There is a good chance they could even reduce sales taxes. Put the lottery on the ballot and let the public decide if they want it.

MIKE BORCHERS

LAS VEGAS