Letters to the editor for Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2015

Tax hikes and the Nevada Legislature

Bo Statham’s column in the Appeal on Feb. 12 regarding the Republican-controlled Nevada Legislature’s governance problems omits the cause: Gov. Sandoval’s cynical no-new-taxes campaign flip-flop (a standard RINO tactic).

Sandoval and his fixers have been interfering in the Nevada Assembly leadership selection process and passing out campaign cash. They’ve persuaded a handful of Republican-in-name-only legislators, who campaigned as anti-tax conservatives, to vote for his tax hikes.

Doing the work our fawning local media won’t do, the Wall Street Journal has, twice in one week, called out Sandoval on his poor governance. Investor’s Business Daily asked, “ ... If providing carve-out tax breaks to high-profile CEOs like (Tesla’s) Elon Musk brings jobs to Nevada, doesn’t raising taxes on existing businesses drive jobs out?” The answer is, yes!

Sandoval’s RINO mercenaries have sanctimoniously defended their “reluctant” support for tax hikes as necessary to fund Nevada’s school system. But Chuck Muth, who is quarterbacking a recall movement against some of these RINOs, points out: “The problem isn’t that we’re under funding education. It’s that we’re over funding the education bureaucracy.”

And what, may I ask, has the local Republican Central Committee to say about this massive tax hike?

Marshall Goldy

Gardnerville

Against AB148

I am opposed to the concealed carry bill AB148 for a myriad of reasons.

Firstly, students and teachers don’t feel safe, meaning this will effect our learning environments. Students and teachers alike will be more worried about someone pulling a weapon out in a fit of anger and using it than they are about the educational topic they are discussing. I’m sure the need, and therefore cost, for security around our schools, public buildings, day cares, and colleges will rise as well.

Armed college students and perpetrators on alcohol, drugs, and suffering from lack of sleep are a deadly mix. Also, people who are inexperienced to fight in a gunfight or mass shooting in an alarmed state are more likely to hurt innocent people. Perhaps a better idea would be to find and teach the use of non-lethal weapons to protect yourself instead.

I urge my legislators to vote no on AB148 for the well-being of our educators and students.

Sincerely,

Jenny Smith

Carson City