Isaac Orr and Mitch Rolling’s Oct. 19 op-ed, “D.C. mandated solar power, and now residents are getting burned,” claimed that “in-state renewable mandates raise costs for everyone.” They certainly haven’t raised costs for me.
The renewable energy credits Orr and Rolling criticize create a revenue stream that covers the installation of rooftop solar panels, like the ones installed on our roof this past April, at no cost to my wife and me. Since the middle of April, I’ve generated more electric power with my solar panels than I’ve used, so my electric bill has been only $18.09 per month (the cost of the connection fee that Pepco charges). I’ve been building up a credit account that will cover all my electric bills through at least the fall and well into the winter. My average monthly electric bill last year was $254.52.
Yes, this may be increasing electricity costs for people who don’t have solar panels, but they can get free solar panels, too. For people who live in apartments, this may not be possible, and for them, it is true: We need solar farms out in the country to generate solar power. But renewable energy credits are encouraging more people like me to install solar panels and creating a climate-friendly source of electric power. Maybe in a better hypothetical world, there would be a more efficient way of doing this, but with our broken political system, this may be the best we can do for now.
Jack Wells, Washington
Surprise e-bikes make walking more dangerous
Regarding the Oct. 11 Metro article “E-bikes, scooters are under scrutiny”:
Several times a week, something passes by me so fast and quietly that I freeze in place. Sometimes it’s an e-scooter on the sidewalk. Sometimes it’s a bike or e-bike on a shared trail, or a moped cutting through an intersection as I step off the curb. I don’t hear it coming and feel it only once it’s already gone by.
These near-misses are happening all over D.C., and they have changed how I walk. I am now more wary of e-scooters, e-bikes and mopeds than I am of cars. A car is loud and mostly stays in its lane. These devices can come from any direction, and they rarely give any warning.
I understand why people ride them. For a lot of people, they make getting to work, school or appointments far more manageable, and I don’t want them gone. But right now they are poorly managed, and pedestrians are the ones paying for it. The companies that profit from these devices seem to take little or no responsibility for how and where they are ridden. The city does not appear to be doing much about it, either, and certainly not enough.
Walking should be the safest way to get around. Too often now, it isn’t.
Erik Cooke, Washington
Gifted students deserve a special education, too
The Oct. 20 Metro article “Court to hear parents’ case” regarding alleged admissions discrimination at a magnet school in Montgomery County reminded me of the problems facing the Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Fairfax County. In each case, there are more qualified students than there are openings for admission.
It is my understanding that public schools are required to provide an appropriate education for students in the area they serve, and each program must be suitable for the students’ levels of learning capability. This is often discussed in terms of students with particular challenges, but those special education requirements also apply to gifted students.
If there are too few spots for gifted students, the obvious solution is to provide additional schools with those appropriate programs. Or these school systems can continue spending on legal fees rather than classroom instruction.
William B. Pugh, Chevy Chase
I’ve saved my saving mindset
Michelle Singletary’s Oct. 21 Color of Money column, “After decades in saving mode, being less frugal can be hard work,” was personally resonant. After a lifetime of saving and preparing for the unknowns of retirement, I could not flip the switch and become less frugal. I am soon 89, and I’m at the stage of my life when I cannot reasonably spend my savings. My assets and income are sufficient to meet all expectations and some of the unexpected. My wife and I have good health insurance that allows us to manage the infirmities of old age without incurring debt or depleting existing resources. My children, grandchildren and great-grandson are all on a financially sustainable path. As long as the American dollar has currency, they will prosper.
I was born during the Great Depression, but because my mother and father were both employed, I was not adversely impacted. However, the lessons they imparted were never forgotten. At present, I have no wants, and no needs that I cannot meet. I agree with Bishop Milton Wright, who once said, “All the money anyone needs is just enough to prevent one from being a burden on others.”
Gratification deferred is now gratification foregone. Savers and spenders are not genetically related; they are of a different mindset.
Singletary’s advice is sound. Enjoy the reward of the fruits of your labor.
William A. McCollam, Fairfax
Letter submissions
Send letters to [email protected].
Submissions must be exclusive to The Post and should include the writer’s address and day and evening telephone numbers. Letters are subject to editing and abridgment. Please do not send letters as attachments. Because of the volume of material we receive, we are unable to acknowledge submissions; writers whose letters are under consideration for publication will be contacted.
The post Solar power isn’t burning this Washingtonian appeared first on Washington Post.
