Letters to the editor for Saturday, May 2, 2015

Teenagers need to know about proper driving

In the past I have talked about aggressive, impaired and distracted driving. These are just a few of the issues that we as drivers come across in our daily commutes and while running errands around town.

Some, or a combination of all, can lead to car crashes in which you or another driver may be injured or killed. Many adults are arrested every year for driving under the influence or are cited for distracted and aggressive driving violations.

So, what about teenagers? According to the 2014 Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) as well as information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, at least 62 percent of teen-related crashes last year involved aggressive driving, including speeding and erratic driving behaviors.

Intoxication was a culprit in at least 41 percent of teenage driver fatal crashes. Not wearing a seat belt and distractions while driving were also major contributors to loss of life.

Take the time to talk to your teenager about proper driving habits. Encourage them not to drink and drive and to put away the cell phones and other distractions that could lead to a car crash.

Sgt. Scott McDaniel

Carson City Sheriff’s Office

Kerfuffle over taxes: Sandoval’s betrayal

“Sandoval defies GOP image, seeks tax hike,” which appeared in the Appeal on April 29, sneeringly dismisses the “anti-tax types” who oppose the governor’s plan as the far right. But the story omits that Sandoval campaigned as one of those anti-tax types in the first place. The headline of your news article should have been “Sandoval lies.”

Looking for political cover for their greed, Sandoval and his pet Republican legislators are joining with Democrats to waste taxpayer dollars on the already bloated public school bureaucracy, adding layers of feel-good initiatives that will do nothing to improve education. The only question is, which plan will they adopt: the governor’s or the equally bad legislative version? The father of the Taxpayer Protection Pledge was right: raising taxes is what politicians do when they lack the will or honesty to govern. Regarding the kerfuffle over that pledge, it’s an integral part of being a Republican politician, kind of like the promise to protect and to serve when a cop gets his badge and gun.

The indispensable Nevada Policy Research Institute website features a video of Sandoval pledging to veto any and all new taxes during his 2010 campaign. Please include this historical context in future articles about taxes.

Lynn Muzzy

Minden