Letters to the editor for Sunday, May 20, 2018

Legalized sports betting could be a problem

The legalization of sports betting throughout the United States is likely to cause a decline in a vital portion of the budget for the state of Nevada.

Last year according to the Gaming Control Board, sportsbooks received roughly $5 billion in wagers, and the state collected around $30 million in taxes from wagering on sports.

In the Governors Executive Budget, the forecast for FY2018 and FY2019 was $1.5 billion in revenue from gaming taxes.

Wagering totals are likely to decline across the board as state legislatures change their gaming frameworks in every possible way as a result of the court case and address a topic that the state of Nevada has known for years provides consistent revenue.

If there was a 10 percent decline in taxes from gaming revenue, Nevada could require an additional $100 million in revenue to make up the budget shortfall, and this would require new taxes or cuts in spending.

In preparation for this, Nevadans need to say no to additional spending during this election season and ask their candidates how they anticipate filling holes in the budget.

If Nevada will need more tax revenue, it needs to be addressed during this election season, rather than when the legislature convenes, or else there will be nasty surprises and a whole lot of “I told you so’s,” which could have been addressed with a sentence before election day. We need the best of all possible worlds, not the worst.

Brooks T. Jelinek

Reno

LaSor brings Appeal to new low

Fred LaSor brought the Appeal to a new low. Once again, denigrating Robert Mueller and the rule-of-law institutions in this country, then elevating Nunes, the worst congressional member this side of Fresno. Nunes proved to be a joke when running a sham House Intelligence Committee and whitewashing the results for the benefit of Trump.

Fred, if you can’t recognize collusion when Trump’s son, son-in-law, campaign manager and five Russians meet to get dirt on your favorite whipping gal, Hillary, then you just don’t get it. If you can’t recognize obstruction of justice by Trump firing Yates, then Comey, the person investigating him, then you don’t want to get it.

And if you can’t recognize illegal campaign contributions by paying porn stars and Playboy models days before the election to secure their silence, then start watching real news. You refuse to recognize money laundering and corruption involving Michael Cohen, and the following incredible accounts of swamp shenanigans: Novartis $1.2 million, Columbus Nova $500,000 (Russian oligarch money), AT&T $600,000 to influence a pending corporate merger Trump was against. Well over $4 million “Fixer” Cohen has received, paid out to who knows, or even kept as he profits off selling access to the liar-in-chief. Add in the bumbling Rudy Giuliani and we have a complete swamp of liars, thieves, and influence peddlers. Don’t forget 19 indictments, four guilty pleas, tons of Fed cooperation, and we’re looking at prison time or big-time begging for plea deals.

Fred, you have the good fortune to have a column to inform your readers. Yet you choose to regurgitate Fox garbage and propaganda, ignoring the real truth and news your constituents need to hear. How sad.

Rick Van Alfen

Carson City

Long chains make bad neighbors

Kudos to the Board of Supervisors for continuing with its “beautification and reliability” upgrade of Curry Street. While it will cause another year of pain for downtown business owners (and their customers looking for parking), in the long run it should be great for the city’s future.

In the meantime, does it bother anyone that the Carson Nugget, a friend of downtown for decades, now seems to be a foe? Its parking lot on the west side of North Carson Street, between Robinson and Spear streets, has been open for parking for the city residents since the 1960s. In fact, there’s still a sign on the lamppost in the middle of the lot that proudly says just that.

But for the past year or so, they have chained off all, or part, of the lot and put up a sign that says it’s only for the use of their customers — not the museum, not businesses surrounding the lot, not tourists ... just them.

It might be different if they needed it, but instead it just sits there, chained off and nearly empty.

If Hop and Howard Adams still owned the Nugget, there would have been a big sign that said, “Free Parking for our Neighbors, Complements of the Carson Nugget.”

Maybe the trustee of the lot, the aptly named Steve “Neighbors,” should think about what Hop and Mae would have done.

Bill Kidder

Carson City

Schmidt appears to be resident of Senate District 16

I was reading the article written in the newspaper and I wanted to say that I am 86 years young and a tenant of Mr. Gary Schmidt.

Many months in 2017 I personally took my rent payments to Mr. Schmidt at 9000 Mount Rose Highway and it seemed evident he lived there. I only missed going to Mount Rose Highway on months when he was out of town.

I feel I should testify to his behalf, not because he is my landlord but because I believe he is being treated unfairly in this political race and I wonder if it has to do with the media frenzy against our elected president.

In February 2018, he requested I mail my checks as the roof had caved in. I have done so per his request, plus I believe he was out of town also.

I am wondering if the reason he is being singled out is because he was a staunch supporter of Donald Trump. I hope not as we must all be given a fair chance when trying to support our political candidates.

Sincerely,

Lenoralee Vecchiarelli

Dayton