Letters for August 4, 2016

Third way

I am a Nevada voter. I’m sure you’ve given coverage to Joe Heck and Catherine Cortez Masto, but there is a third candidate for Nevada Senate who I think deserves some press.

The presidential race this cycle was spent casting Bernie Sanders aside as a “fringe candidate,” yet he amassed a large following and gathered a great amount of support from an unacknowledged group of people—independents. This election year could very well be the end of the two party system as we know it, leading to an opportunity for at least one more party to join the race, and I feel that you could be ahead of the curve, by showing some information about an independent candidate who is still in the race for senate—Jarrod Williams. I think it is a very exciting idea to be opening the floodgates of this race to more than just the standard two parties. Website: www.jarrod4nevada.squarespace.com

Brandon Fowle

Reno

Round three

Re “Always try to come in 49th” (Left Foot Forward, June 30) and Re “Give to get?” (letters, July 21):

Since Mike Kazmierski raised the subject, let’s address the “temporary reduction in taxes that actually brings more revenue to the state than the taxes that are not collected.” Just how does that work, Mr. Kazmierski? Nevada doesn’t have a personal income tax, like 43 other states. So there’s no additional state tax revenue from the employees imported to Nevada from other states. Is that additional tax revenue you mention a result of higher housing costs and the increases in property and the real property transfer taxes? We all end up suffering from and paying those taxes. How is that a benefit to all of us?

As for the “over half were reductions in taxes on manufacturing equipment, a tax that most states don’t even have!” you fail to define for us “over half.” Would that be 50.1 or 99.9 percent? I suspect your lack of specificity is because “over half” is probably closer to 50.1 percent. What were the reductions in the other, almost, half? The real difference between Nevada and the “most states [that] don’t even have” a manufacturing equipment tax is those states have a personal income tax—instead. Again, we don’t. Don’t get me started on how a new company coming to Nevada can avoid payment of taxes on manufacturing equipment while an existing company must at the same time pay that tax. A clear violation of Nevada’s constitution!

If there’s going to be a tax holiday, it should be for a designated period of time and for all manufacturing companies to benefit, equally. Somehow, I doubt you ever mention that to our elected officials when you lobby them—which causes me to wonder who you really work for. Us? Or for the companies you convince to come here and price us out of the housing market?

People like Mr. Kazmierski like to throw around lots of dollar-based facts, using numbers that can’t be proven by any real means of testing and verification. For if their numbers could be tested and verified, they would do so. They would weigh the so-called dollar benefits against the declines in quality of life factors. When asked to prove their numbers they get loud, red faced, angry and personally insulting, as if we are questioning their integrity—which, and in a way, we are and deservedly so.

Our elected and appointed tourism officials are masters at the same game, constantly telling us how this or that event brings millions of dollars in room tax, gaming tax and other revenues to our area. Then, at the end of the year our hotels and casinos seek tax relief because of a horrible year—year after year after year. And year after year after year, those same elected and appointed officials grant the tax relief. If it makes you feel better, keep patting yourself on the back, Mr. Kazmierski. It shows somebody loves you.

Marcus Krebs

Reno

Correction

Re “Latest straws in the wind” (Upfront, July 14):

We reported that Nevada is one of two states with a male majoirty in its population. It turns out that, according to the 2010 census, there are 10 such states: Alaska, Wyoming, North Dakota, Nevada, Utah, Montana, Colorado, Idaho, Hawaii, and South Dakota,.