In Thursday's Letters to the editor
In Thursday's Letters, readers vent their agitation over the Republican response, led in part by former presidential candidate Sen. John McCain, to President Barack Obama's stimulus package.
Anita C. Singer, of Laguna Woods, marvels that last week's Inaugural already seems a distant event:
Sen. John McCain is still behaving as if the campaign never ended, leading the GOP charge against President Obama. Republican leaders now pontificate about bipartisanship, but their public statements foster the old Washington gridlock and the old ways of doing the public's business.
Even more disingenuous is when they rant about the Democrats' recovery plan, claiming it will increase the deficit. What short memories they have. Under Republican control of the White House and the Congress for much of the last eight years, didn't the deficit increase off the charts?
It makes me wonder, who won the 2008 election, and wasn't it supposed to signal change?
Readers also reacted strongly to this story about the disappearance of facilities for equestrians in California. Notes Joan Klengler, of Glendale:
Times and property uses have changed over the decades, and not necessarily for the better.
Those of us fortunate enough to live with our horses, adjacent to Griffith Park, are lucky enough to have access to miles of trails that are not likely to be replaced by housing developments and condo complexes, strip malls and parking lots. But even here, protecting the park from development has been an ongoing fight.
We believe strongly that preserving this way of life is worth the effort. Every day we lose a little more of the most precious things from our past. It is time to demand accountability from elected representatives and to fight to save what's left of our neighborhoods, parks and wild places -- not just for horse people but for everyone who enjoys having a place to go to that hasn't been paved over.
More on the nation's foreclosure epidemic, too.
*Jan. 27 photo of John McCain by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images.
Investment in installing the solar penal is the best path to choose in the current situation. An article in the newspaper mentioned that a warehouse company decided to invest the money to install the solar panel on his warehouse roof last year. After calculating the cost of the solar panel, the warehouse's yearly electricity cost, rebate from the government, he found out that he could get all his investment back in 6 years. He could make money on year 7. If he could not use all the electricity which was generated by the solar penal, he could sell the electricity to the utility company. From this news, the return for the investment in the solar panel to generate the electricity is over 15%. I think that it is a good time for the government to install the solar panel to generate electricity on the roof of the following building, such as elementary schools, high schools, universities, hospitals, library, post offices, county, city and state offices and so on. The local utility company will pay the government for the electricity the solar panel generated every month or year. The government can let the local utility company share 0.1 to 1% profit. The following is the benefit to invest in the solar energy.
1. It can stimulate the economy and create jobs immediately. Installing solar panels in buildings can create a lot of jobs locally. This kind of job cannot be exported to foreign country.
2. It can generate income for the Federal government in the long term. If the government invests money in the solar panel to generate electricity, it can get the all the money back in 6 years. After 6 year, the government can get income for the money it invests. 15% return every year for the next 50 year and beyond is very good investment. The government can use this income to do a lot of things that it wants to do. If the government needs the money immediately, it can sell the installed the solar penal to the investor or utility companies and get profit .for this investment.
3. The local electricity company might get the profit from the government's investment.
4. It is an investment, not spending. If the government gives the taxpayers tax credit, it is spending. The person who gets the tax rebate might put the money in the bank or pay his/her credit card debt. The government will not get the money back from the spending for the tax credit. However, if the government invests in solar panels, the government will stimulate the economy while also receiving a steady source of income. This will not be contributing to the national deficit because it will be earned back. This is a far better plan then handing out money in hopes that the consumer will spend it on luxuries that they do not need.
5. This will improve the economy while also cutting our dependence on foreign oil. Foreign oil used to create electricity can be cut dramatically. Some oil is burned to create electricity. This oil will not have to be imported from foreign lands. We have to import this oil from places like Saudi Arabia, a country whose inhabitants may not be friendly towards the U.S. If ever there was to be a war, we would be seriously crippled if they decided to stop shipping fuel. How can our soldiers fight terrorists when there is not enough fuel to fly them? Using solar panels, the extra oil can be sent to the national reserve, or even better, not imported at all.
6. This would help slow global warming, something that is rapidly sped up because of our burning of coal and other fossil fuels to create electricity. Placing solar panels on buildings can also reduce the amount of coal powered plants in U.S.
7. Because it is investment and not spending, it generates income for the next generation. The spending will increase the government deficit which is already in a huge amount. This smart investment will reduce the government deficit and enable the government to have money to solve the following problem: health insurance, Medicare, retirement fund and so on.
8. Right now, the economy is very slow. People do not know if they will be laid off or not. They will not invest money in to set up a solar penal in their house, because they might not be able to keep their house, if they get the lay off. Also, the companies will try to cut the cost in the recession and will not invest the money to set up the solar penal in their building. I think that it is a good time for the government to invest money in the solar penal to generate the electricity.
Investment in installing solar penal will create job immediately, stimulate the economy, slow down the global warming, reduce the oil consumption, reduce the deficit in the long run. There is no reason for the governments not invest money in installing the solar penal. Half of the money in the stimulus plan should go to the investment in installing solar penal.
Posted by: frank | January 29, 2009 at 01:32 PM