They don’t want us to know true costs

To the editor:

The section of proposed Nevada Senate Bill 123 that would hide the terms of renewable power purchase contracts from the public sounds to me like green energy industry lobbyists have bribed a legislator or two. Existing legislation already forces Nevada electric companies to buy the renewable power and the public needs to know how much they’re paying for it.

The lobbyists want the public to think their solar plants are a big economic benefit with their short-term construction jobs, but they don’t want us to know that the billions of dollars added to consumers’ electric bills will cost many times these benefits.

Renewable energy won’t be economical until its cost approaches that of gas generated power. Until then, new investments should be halted and the public must be kept informed of the costs.

TOM KELLER

HENDERSON

Their jobs, our money

To the editor:

Senator Harry Reid continues to marshal his forces for the promotion of renewable energy in Nevada, but neither Sen. Reid nor any other champion of the industry will tell me what it’s going to cost me.

When Senator Reid and Sarah Propst (executive director of the Interwest Energy Alliance) say, “Renewable energy will create more jobs and tax revenue for Nevada,” I believe what they’re really saying is, “Because consumers will be paying four times more for renewable energy than fossil-fuel energy, the industry will be able to create more jobs and tax revenue for Nevada.”

GRAHAM H. TYE

NORTH LAS VEGAS

Nanny state

To the editor:

What the devil is happening in Nevada? We have these nanny state legislators trying to infringe on our personal lives.

Recently, it’s the five cent tax on fast food They use the excuse its child obesity. Nonsense. The lawmakers and we the people know it is just a way to squeeze out another tax. It is not the legislators’ business to take over the parents’ duties of raising their children. The parents know when to allow the child to eat a burger, shake, fries, etc.

Then there is the idiotic proposal to ticket people between $100 and $250 who are using a cell phone in a crosswalk. Folks, adults know it is wrong to step in front a semi truck or a bus while crossing the street. They clearly can look both ways before crossing the street, even with a phone in their hand. We were all brought up beginning in kindergarten to look both ways before crossing a street. Kids are still taught that on a daily basis.

These lackluster legislators are using up valuable time trying to control our personal behavior rather than conducting state business for the general good of the state.

I would suggest these Nevada lawmakers concentrate on the excessive moneys they spend on public employee pensions and retirements. Take care of roads and infrastructure in the state. That’s what we need.

People, we have an indelible right to eat what we want, when we want it, and a right to walk and talk at the same time.

Legislators, keep your nose out of my personal business. America was built on freedom of choice and I personally do not like them being encroached on every day just to raise more tax revenue under the guise of “I know what’s good for you.”

BRADLEY KUHNS

LAS VEGAS

Why bother?

To the editor:

I see the state wants to pass a law making it against the law to talk or text while crossing a street. Who is going to enforce this law if it passes?

I see people every day jaywalk and walk against the signal right in front of Metro officers and they don’t do anything about it. Do you really think if this law passes they will write tickets?

HENRY HERTEL

LAS VEGAS

Real cuts

To the editor:

Mr. Lowe (“Sequester” letter, March 1) is right, the majority of Americans do want spending cuts and would agree to raising taxes if we got real spending cuts — not phony so-called spending cuts that only trim the rate of growth of government budgets.

Now I hear some Obama administration appointees claiming President Obama has already cut $2.5 trillion from the budget. So, when President Obama leaves office in 2016, with a national debt of $20 trillion, we should be happy because it could have been $22.5 trillion without his budget cutting? What kind of stupid math is that?

There is no way to achieve this with a so-called “balanced” approach. We didn’t reach almost a $17 trillion dollar debt by spending that much money in a “balanced” way. Do the math.

This year we will spend and borrow almost $500 billion dollars to pay the interest on the national debt. The Republican Congress wasn’t sent to Washington to negotiate and compromise with President Obama. They were sent there to cut this bloated government. The entitlement programs — Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid — have unfunded mandates of almost $100 trillion dollars. They cannot be saved without cuts, plain and simple.

We need the president to sit down with the Republicans now and cut the future budgets, in a real terms. If that doesn’t happen soon, we won’t have a country left.

KEVIN ALEXANDER

LOGANDALE

Report savings

To the editor,

I, like most Americans, enjoy the USAF Thunderbirds. I hate to see that their schedule has been put on hold for the indefinite future. However, not once in the entire article did I read what the cost savings would be for this action. I did read where it would have a $19.2 million impact on the Las Vegas

valley, not how much it would save. It would be nice to know, for comparison purposes, if our leaders in Washington are making prudent cuts or just high-profile ones.

FRED KOSHMERL

LAS VEGAS

Costumed cat

To the editor:

We appreciate your journalist John L. Smith writing the truth recently revealing the many Las Vegas pimps and their evil trade. Only very ignorant people will look up to and admire these gold- and jewelry-bedecked men in their expensive cars with their bimbo “‘hoes.”

Las Vegas Boulevard can be a beautiful experience with the fountains of Bellagio and the shows. But free us from such spectacles (as we have seen) as an innocent cat dressed up as a pimp begging for dollars from tourists. I hope the cat’s owner was arrested. The very idea of using a cat for this! Poor cat.

Las Vegas Boulevard is one of the most unique, interesting places in the world where you can see people from all over the world and we used to be able to just go sightseeing any time without fear.

RUTH HUFF

LAS VEGAS