LETTERS: Taxpayers, ratepayers cover increased costs of renewable energy

NV Energy is a monopoly, and as such, its rates are governed by the Nevada Public Utilities Commission. Solar energy companies are not monopolies and must be subsidized by both the taxpayer and the ratepayer. This involves a 30 percent reduction on the cost of the original installation and the current net metering rebates to solar customers.

Rarely mentioned is the high cost of current solar energy. The politicians also did us no favor by forcing NV Energy to purchase 20 percent renewable energy by this year and 22 percent by 2020.

Until solar and wind power become competitive on their own, we should not be forced into ever-increasing rates. I certainly understand people wanting to save on their energy bills, but they must understand there is no free lunch and that Nevada ratepayers cover the increased costs. The PUC has a difficult job, but I hope it considers the vast majority of the Nevada ratepayers when establishing future rates.

Murray M. MacDonald

Henderson

Obama on refugees

President Barack Obama recently attacked Republican critics of his policy for admitting Syrian refugees to the U.S. ("Obama upbraids critics who want to block refugees," Nov. 19 Review-Journal). How we respond to criticism often reveals more about ourselves than we realize.

Responsible people react to criticism respectfully, without having to attack critics viscerally and with disgust. President Obama said GOP critics are "scared of widows and orphans." Does anyone remember being called a scaredy cat in kindergarten?

In addition to being juvenile and a bully, the president was sexist and condescending to women. He inferred that a woman without a husband is harmless, helpless and incapable of terrorist activities. Did the president hear a woman blew herself up during a raid in Paris subsequent to the Nov. 13 attack?

Wanda Durick

Boulder City

Cryotherapy safety

It is a shame that Chelsea Ake-Salvacion lost her life in the cryotherapy accident ("Family says woman died in cryotherapy chamber in 'seconds,'" Oct. 25 Review-Journal online). However, she bears some responsibility for what she was doing, and her family needs to accept the fact.

She was apparently going against best practices by giving herself treatments after the business was closed and all other workers were gone. I would also assume that this was probably not the first time she had done this. Only this time, something went wrong. It's not the company's fault, nor the manufacturer of the machine that caused this tragic outcome.

We all need to stop blaming everyone and everything else for our own actions, and accept responsibility for what we choose to do. Now the business is threatened, insurance companies will pay out, prices will go up, and all will be required to pay. This did not need to happen and appears to be no one's fault but the individual involved. Who do we blame when we choose to speed, run red lights, etc.?

David Wilhite

Henderson

Government predictions

Why is it that politicians are always predicting the date when Social Security is going to run out of money? Why do they never predict a date when the money for welfare and food stamps will be gone?

Jerry Patchman

Las Vegas