Letters to the editor for Sunday, March 19, 2017

Elimination of elected controller, treasurer is bad for Nevada

Per Assemblyman Elliot Anderson, Assembly Joint Resolution 6 would eliminate the currently elected positions of state controller and state treasurer and have these positions appointed by the governor. He feels the positions should be professional, not political.

He states, “We should not be having politicians making financial decisions for the state.” He further states we should “take financial management out of the hands of politicians and put it in the hands of qualified financial managers.”

I, and probably most citizens, feel our elected Senate and Assembly members in their roles as politicians have a much greater impact on Nevada’s financial situations than any combination of the governor’s controller’s and treasurer’s actions.

Good financial management generally involves the elimination, or reduction, of unnecessary or ineffective costs. This is something which should be of more concern to our elected officials in our legislative bodies.

Taking the currently elected positions on controller and treasurer and having them appointed by the governor means they will become positions for political hacks, reporting to the governor ... not the people.

Sanford E. Deyo

Minden

Federal tax reform a critical priority

As your new county commissioner, I am striving to ensure achievements are made on the local level, but, right now, another issue has the opportunity to really affect Nevadans across the state — federal tax reform.

I am tired of big government halting economic growth for our country. With one of the highest corporate tax rates, our businesses are struggling to fairly compete with other foreign competitors. With comprehensive tax reform, requirements like border adjustment will create jobs and strengthen American wages; border adjustment will ensure Nevada businesses do not have to suffer under punitive taxes on Nevada-made products and services.

The tax burden on Nevada businesses and families is too heavy to bear any longer. I urge Washington’s lawmakers to come to an agreement on tax reform — it’s necessary in order for us to move forward and begin to make America great once more.

We must work to lower tax rates, and create fair and equal opportunities for all businesses. The time for overhauling the tax code is now.

Ken Gray

Lyon County Commissioner, District 3

Nevadans: Consider year-round Daylight Saving Time

Fiction is wonderful. Before television, there were storytellers who shared their thoughts and entertained as they expressed a meaningful message. They were creative and made everyone want to be a part of a wonderful story. I will attempt to share how my grandfather might have told this story below:

What a wonderful headline: “Nevada Okays Year-Round Daylight Saving Time.” Less traffic accidents, less heart attacks, and our children and dogs will know when to eat! Government regulations to modify the hours in a day and “time of the year” is no more.

Nevada leads the way for others to follow. The Battle Born State shows its independence and freedom by demonstrating this is a state giving its citizens what they want. Our Congress and legislators have taken the first steps for health and safety. They set a precedent for our children that government can be helpful and trusted.

Twelve other states had Senate bills to change this silly time law. Our politicians showed government can serve the people. Nevada is the first to join with Arizona and retain Daylight Saving Time.

In conclusion, the people all thanked the lawmakers that supported this effort. Some of the most influential citizens said they might be worth re-electing these lawmakers, just for this one accomplishment.

A fun story ... now if it were only true.

Timothy M. DeTurk

Genoa

Potential traffic increase could cause problems

Reno Tahoe Industrial Park is continuing to add business and more workers which will continue to increase traffic on I-80, I-580, 50 USA Parkway and US 95 unless something is done.

To reduce the amount of traffic Washoe, Carson, Douglas and Lyon counties along with Reno, Sparks, Dayton, Gardnerville, Carson City and Virginia City should establish Park and Ride lots for ride sharing and bus stations to the industrial park and between cities.

The start times at businesses should be staggered to help reduce congestion.

There are some parking lots existing that could be used for this and parking garages could be subsidized at casinos such as the Atlantis and other casinos.

This would not only reduce congestion it would also reduce greenhouse gasses, wear and tear on the roads, accidents and give parents more time to be with their families.

If something isn’t done, these roads will be grid locked.

Walt Ratchford

Carson City

Make underage drinking prevention a priority

With prom and graduation season around the corner, it’s time to talk with our teenagers about making smart choices, including how to deal with peer pressure to drink underage. We can have a big impact on our children’s decisions about drinking — in fact, studies show parents are still the number one influence on their teenagers’ decisions about alcohol. It all starts with conversations and building relationships of trust.

To help start — or continue — these important conversations, Capital Beverages Inc., would like to remind parents about the Family Talk About Drinking program, a free parent guide designed to encourage open and honest communication between parents and their children. Programs like this one, paired with education and effective law enforcement, are essential to preventing underage drinking.

Below is a list of all of the Family Talk About Drinking online resources you can find on your channel of choice: www.familytalkaboutdrinking.com; www.facebook.com/abfamilytalk/; https://twitter.com/abfamilytalk; www.pinterest.com/abfamilytalk/.

Remember, it’s our collective responsibility to help prevent underage drinking and parents have one of the most important roles of all.

Jason Brown

General manager, Capital Beverages