Letters to the Editor Aug. 10

The recent three-ring circus in Congress regarding the debt ceiling is a prime example of how dysfunctional our federal government has become.

The "Harry and Barry"-led Democrats produced no piece of legislation or written proposal for debate between the houses of Congress. Republicans approved the only common-sense piece of legislation (cut, cap and balance), only to have Harry and Barry rush out in front of the cameras to pronounce it DOA.

What was eventually foisted on the American taxpayers is a blank check for another $2 trillion in spending for Harry and Barry.

This useless piece of legislation will neither lower the reckless spending of the Obama administration nor lower the record level of debt left to our kids and grandkids. It would have been worse had the Tea Party influence not thrown a major speed bump in the path of the Harry and Barry train of destruction. Almost before the ink had dried on the final deal, Harry and Barry again rushed in front of the cameras to declare their plans to raise taxes on the American people. The so-called "Prominent Nevada Republicans" who supported Harry's re-election in 2010, along with Dr. Eugene Paslov, must be proud. Harry is living up to his reputation as a tax-and-spend liberal. The Tea Party forced the debt and spending issue into the open for all to see, and this small but significant victory is only the start of the battle to save our great country in 2012.

Bill Johnston

Carson City

To those in Douglas County who wonder why their property tax keeps going up when assessed property values have gone down: Just take your last tax bill, calculate what 3 percent of that is, and I'll bet that's your increase in property tax for this year. It's really quite simple.

Owner-occupied homes have up to a 3 percent cap in their property tax bill. That means the county can increase property tax by 3 pecent every year. In our case, since 2005 when the cap was instituted, our property tax has gone up exactly 3 percent yearly. The whole 3 percent has been levied, never less, and I'm sure the county wishes it could be more. Just think, in only another four years, the total increase will be 30 percent.

However, the arithmetic required to reach that 3 percent increase isn't quite as simple. The assessed value is calculated as 35 percent of the total appraised value. That figure is multiplied by the county tax rate for your specific tax area, to arrive at the tax due (minus certain abatements). Therefore it doesn't matter that your assessed value has decreased because the applicable tax rate is increased and then spread across the line items, called "taxing entities" on the tax bill. (See http://cltr.co.douglas.nv.us/certtaxrates.pdf).

Thank goodness the cap is in place. What do you think would happen without it? We'd be paying even more for the privilege of living in our own home.

Kathy Coleson

Minden