Building without thinking about the consequences Re: “Arlington and Alexandria officials: Make ’em commute on the subway,” Local Editorial, Feb. 10
In lieu of building such monstrosities as the BRAC building in a residential neighborhood in Alexandria, and then discovering that commuters cannot get to it and will have no place to park, why not solve the traffic problem first, then do the building?
Obviously, we do not have rocket scientists in decision-making posts, and I am sure not one of them lives in the affected areas. I live on Seminary Road, which is already a monumental traffic snafu.
Another sad factor of such indiscriminate building is that the colonial aspect of Alexandria is now long gone.
Jacqueline M. Davis
Alexandria
Outdated fossil fuels are not sustainable
Re: “Natural resources hold the key to economy, creating jobs,” Feb. 8
Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colo., chairman of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources, lambasted the Obama administration for not taking action to “drill, baby, drill.” He takes the oil, gas and coal industry line that these fossil fuels are somehow marginalized and that we aren’t taking full advantage of our domestic energy resources.
Really, Mr. Lamborn? With all due respect, this is not constructive and not in the spirit of bipartisan solutions to our energy and climate problems.
Not once does he mention how carbon emissions from our excessively heavy use of fossil fuels to feed our insatiable appetite for cheap energy contributes to climate change. Nor does he mention the unfairly large oil, gas and coal industry tax breaks in comparison to the miniscule amount this country invests in renewable energy sources. And in an op-ed about creating jobs, Mr. Lamborn leaves out clean energy industries that do not pollute the environment, endanger the health of millions of Americans or sacrifice the future of the planet.
Mr. Lamborn is propping up 20th century forms of energy that are harmful and finite. He should be supporting the Obama administration’s forward-thinking efforts to transition America towards renewable energy sources. Wind, solar, geothermal, hydro power and biofuels are sustainable, while oil, coal and gas are not. It really is as simple as that.
Josh MarksWashington
Iowa legislator wants to discriminate against gay couples
A bill introduced in the Iowa House of Representatives by Rep. Richard Anderson, R-Clarinda, titled “Religious Conscience Protection Act,” would ensure that licensed business establishments in Iowa could deny services to same-gender married people.
Shouldn’t such people also be required to wear something like a yellow star so that a God-fearing proprietor could readily recognize them as misfits? Will the places be posted with signs that say “We Only Serve Heterosexuals”?
Sam Osborne
West Branch, Iowa
