Coal reset

The Oct. 11 editorial, “EPA rollbacks are bad for our planet,” is an extreme misrepresentation of a much-needed regulatory reset.

With unprecedented enthusiasm for regulation, the prior administration issued broad, sweeping rules that overstepped the bounds of what the federal government can and should do — duplicating existing regulations, creating jurisdictional confusion among agencies, steamrolling states’ authority, and picking winners and losers in the energy market. Well-intended or not, it was an inappropriate use of authority that the current administration is working to address.

Coal’s critics should have nothing to fear — the market will determine the coal industry’s fate. That’s all we have been asking for: a chance to compete. But, if the industry succeeds, the U.S. can drive real and positive change. Coal will remain one of the world’s leading sources of energy in developed and developing countries for the foreseeable future, and is key to addressing energy poverty.

For those who care about the environment, instead of trying to obstruct the coal industry at home, a more appropriate path would be as a global leader driving the adoption of advanced coal technologies that will continue to reduce emissions everywhere.

EPA’s new rule

Once again, a Trump appointee has shown that big business is much more important than the health and welfare of people and the environment.

EPA chief Scott Pruitt has proposed a rule to withdraw Obama’s Clean Power Plan. Of course, anything with Obama’s name on it draws the ire of Trump and, therefore, must be removed. And Pruitt is just the man to do it, because he obviously believes that EPA stands for Environmental Pollution Agency.

Pruitt stated, “Regulatory power should not be used by any regulatory body to pick winners and losers.”

Actually, regulatory agencies are supposed to regulate industries for the protection of the populace and the environment when the industry shows total disregard for humanity in favor of the bottom line.

Maybe someone should give Trump’s entire cabinet — and Trump himself — lessons on what each department is supposed to be doing.

Tax reform

Today, we have an anti-growth, complex, and out-of-date tax code. The U.S. corporate tax rate of 39.1 percent is the highest in the world and reduces domestic investment.

The individual tax system is too complex for the average citizen; our tax code contains more than 74,000 pages and Americans spend an excessive amount of time and money to comply with it. Pervasive cronyism in our tax code benefits certain businesses and industries.

It is crucial for the American people, who gave Republicans control of the House, Senate and White House, to support President Donald Trump’s effort to lower and simplify individual tax rates, lower the corporate tax rate, permit tax free entrepreneurship, and end cronyism.

Congress can use this opportunity to pair tax reform with spending cuts.

After all, the federal government has a spending problem, not a revenue problem.

Shorting Trump

In his latest spate of name-calling, President Trump referred to Tennessee’s junior senator as “Liddle Bob Corker.”

Should the senator decide to respond to the president’s epithet, he may wish to cite conservative publisher William F. Buckley’s biting retort to the 6-foot, 8-inch economist J.K. Galbraith, with whom he was feuding.

Buckley quipped: “One should not confuse height with stature.”

Hostage situation

If you’re OK with being gunned down at home, at work, at the mall, at the movies, at a concert, a baseball field, at school — or anywhere you and your children go, then keep voting for politicians with “A” ratings from the NRA and coffers full of blood money.

They’ve got your back — and it has a big target on it.

The Constitution protects the rights of people, not objects.

It is our right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is our government’s obligation to promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.

Only 31 percent of American households own a gun.

Only 3 percent of the population owns half of the 315 million guns.

When the majority of Americans must live in fear, we have a hostage situation. Make no mistake — it is the NRA and their minions, their bought and paid for politicians, who are holding us hostage.

Terrorism is defined as the calculated use of violence (or the threat of violence) against civilians in order to attain goals that are political or religious or ideological in nature, accomplished through intimidation or coercion or instilling fear. If the shoe fits, NRA…

The Monty’s vote

David Smiley’s Oct. 8 article, “Everything voters need to know about proposed lease extension for Monty’s,” left me wanting to know more.

Why are we considering a 52-year lease on this valuable chunk of public waterfront property?

Why weren’t others allowed to make proposals?

The voters have no way of knowing if proposed improvements, described in the lease, are the best use of the property or if its terms are fair.

The developers that own Monty’s Raw Bar already have a lease that continues until 2035.

Why are they rushing a vote to extend it another half-century?

Clearly, the voting public needs more time to consider the proposal as well as alternatives for future use of the property.

The city of Miami should postpone the vote.

If they do not, voters have no alternative but to reject extending the lease for another 52 years. A “no” vote is what’s best for this valuable public land on Biscayne Bay.

Trump’s victory

After thoughtful and careful examination, I think I’ve finally identified a most important victory of the Trump presidency: It has exposed the unfathomable hypocrisy in every single one of us.

The Humans

GableStage is offering the Tony Award-winning play, “The Humans.”

How moving it is to see a play that has sympathy for all its struggling characters and one that has no villain, except perhaps life itself.

How sad that we live in an era when these values are seen as old-fashioned.

This story was originally published October 11, 2017 at 9:35 PM with the headline "Coal reset."