D.C. protest costs far less than crony capitalism Re: “Bills rise, patience wanes with Occupy DC,” Dec. 12
So the estimated cost of policing the Occupy DC protests amounts to $1.3 million over two months. Big deal. This amount pales in comparison to the sweetheart tax breaks granted by D.C. officials to politically-connected developers, among them up to $5 million in tax abatements to the Steuart Investment Company to build a high-rise along the H Street corridor, a $900,000 grant to Yes! Organic Market, up to $6 million in tax incentives to cover the cost of an underground garage at the Harris Teeter in NoMa, and a whopping $46 million in tax abatements for a five-star Marriott hotel to be built in Adams Morgan.
I know some consider corporations to be “people,” but nothing is as sacred as the First Amendment rights of real, live people to petition their government for a redress of grievances. This is exactly what the Occupy DC folks are doing, and if Mayor Gray needs to cover the minimal costs imposed by their actions, let him go to his high-flying corporate cronies and have them pony up the money. I’m sure he has their numbers on speed dial.
John Woodmaska
Kearny, N.J.
Climategate fraud is deep and pervasive
Re: “Climategate proves scientists are — gasp! — human,” Dec. 11
I don’t think that Matt Patterson goes to the lengths necessary to convey how deep fraud truly runs in client science.
Michael Mann and Phil Jones’ research relies on climate simulation models. But before modeling and simulation professionals trust their results, they apply a rigorous process called Independent Verification and Validation (IV&V). This involves third parties running benchmarks against known outcomes to demonstrate to stakeholders that the simulation can produce reliable results.
Everyone depending on energy is a stakeholder, and their refusal to make the research publicly available avoids proper IV&V. A carbon trading-based economy would introduce an exponential increase of inroads for the special interest and lobbyists, as demonstrated by fraud in Denmark’s Agency of the Climate and Energy Ministry and Europe’s Emission Trading System registry.
Until the public has the opportunity to conduct proper IV&V, no legislation based on Mann and Jones’ findings should be passed. Even Canada plans to withdraw from the Kyoto Protocol, signaling their growing distrust of climate change research.
Brian Wrenn
Washington
Cell phone use in moving vehicles should be prohibited
The United States government is finally becoming concerned about the use of cell phones and other devices that distract drivers operating vehicles. But concern is not enough. Congress must take definitive action.
Some states have laws prohibiting “texting,” and others make it illegal to hold a phone while driving, but enforcement is difficult or lax. There is talk about educating the public to the danger, but this is nonsense. It is self-evident that the two activities do not mix. Many people believe they are like Superman and that drinking and driving, speeding or using a cell phone does not impair them. That is why we have so many injuries and fatalities on the road.
It would be bad enough if only the people breaking the law or not using common sense were affected. But they are not alone on the road. They run into the rest of us.
The obvious answer is for manufacturers to install a simple, inexpensive device which would emit “static” over the frequencies used by cell phones when the car is moving. The installation of such a device should be mandatory, like seatbelts and air bags, and would make driving and using a cell phone a thing of the past.
Murray Katz
Silver Spring
