Letters to the editor for Sunday, April 26, 2015

Senate approved business tax voters rejected

In the last election, voters overwhelmingly voted down the large business tax. Now the Senate passed Gov. Sandoval’s tax bill, the largest tax hike in Nevada history ... much worse than the business tax we voted against. No wonder the media refers to him as the “popular” governor; liberals never met a tax they didn’t like, so Sandoval gave them the biggest ever.

Supposedly, $437 million will go to education. But throwing money at K-12 has never improved education. Neither has class reduction. More money and class reduction will hire more teachers, allowing more dues to go into the teacher’s union, one of the most influential bodies responsible for destroying education.

To improve education, we need vouchers and year-round schooling. Vouchers create choice, which stimulates competition. Year-round school assures buildings don’t stand empty while tax dollars are poured into maintenance. Students have less time to forget their lessons with shorter breaks.

Gaming and mining will be exempt from this egregious tax burden. Gaming-base taxes have remained at 6.75 percent for about 30 years. Yet casinos cry poor mouth and moan that they can’t afford a tax increase. They can afford to open casinos all over the world and in other states where the taxes are double, triple and upward. It’s time casinos gave back to the state that legalized gambling for them and allowed many to become billionaires.

Write your legislators, and keep track of every Senator and Assemblyman who voted for this business-busting bill. Then replace them next election.

Nannette Moffett

Carson City

Rates do favor the gas company

This is in response to Tim Holdsworth and his gas bill. I have a 1,400 square-foot townhouse and will break down my gas bill for March.

The first charge is for delivery. The gas company explained it as the gas that is sent from the company to my meter — $9.

The next charge is actual usage, 22 therms, $17.44. The delivery charge is always about half of what I actually use.

Then you have the basic charge of $10.80. So I was charged an extra $19.80 for 22 therms of usage.

In the summer with only using the hot water heater, it even gets funnier. So I strongly suggest Mr. Holdsworth take a real hard look at his bill. Someone was definitely on the side of the gas company when rates were determined.

Barbara Phelan

Carson City

Republicans didn’t stick to small government values

Republicans like to call themselves fiscal conservatives. They also despise “big guvmint” sticking its nose into people’s private affairs. However, three Republicans — Victoria Dooling, Scott Hammond and Ira Hansen — must hate transgender children so much that they have eschewed normal right wing “values.” Instead, they want to stick their government noses into all the public school bathrooms and showers in Nevada.

They promoted AB375, a bill that would criminalize transgender students who use bathrooms that are appropriate for their chosen gender. The bill would require taxpayers to pay millions of dollars to build special transgender bathrooms, and it would cost millions more to defend against the discrimination lawsuits which would surely follow.

If Hansen, Hammond and Dooling really believe that transgender students are a major problem, they should take on the job of gender inspectors themselves. They can prowl school bathrooms and showers, peek under the bathroom stalls, lift dresses and snap jockstraps.

Teachers might be expected to fill this role, but teachers have better things to do with their time. Democrats didn’t support this execrable bill, and neither should rational Republicans.

Phil Stotts

Carson City

Unemployment Division needs to be more helpful

Unemployment Division ... seriously? I understand cuts have been made, furloughs and what not. However, taxpayers, like myself, have fed into the service you provide only to be left on phone hold for no less than four hours and only available Monday and Tuesday and when answered are put off — if lucky enough to reach a live person. The rest of the week is for “general questions.”

My taxes went into this service, and there are none to be had. Please consider the people you are not helping; we are out here and have earned our due, was that not the entire reason your department exists? Kindly wake up and stop being so sloppy.

The taxpayers who have earned their benefits should not wait weeks and months for you to get around to case files. We aren’t numbers; we are real people looking for what is fair help in times of struggle after having contributed for years. I believe that was the point of the program.

Thank you,

Jeni Wolford

Carson City