Ferry service
A ferry system does not completely solve our cross harbor congestion problems, but it is the only solution that provides partial relief while offering unique benefits. More bridges and tunnels are likely decades and billions of dollars away. A ferry system can be deployed in months rather than years at a small fraction of the cost.
The near-term ferry solution requires neither steel, concrete nor tunneling. No painful traffic disruption is created to deploy it. In a man-made or natural disaster, ferries could be the only way to cross the harbor. Ferries are a universal attraction for tourism and can be of particular benefit to military commuters, both very important to our economy.
A new ferry system would be drastically different from the previous Hampton-Waterside ferry. It would deploy multiple, fast boats on reliable schedules with frequent departures/arrivals. Part of the overall transit system, ferry routes would be integrated with parking and connections to other modes of travel.
All transportation is subsidized by taxpayers, starting with the streets we drive on. In most cities, less than 25 percent of the operating cost for buses is paid by passengers. Ferry passengers generally pay a higher percentage of operating costs for a reliable ride that is unimpeded by traffic congestion. Either way, it appears that paying extra to cross the water is in our future.
A fast ferry system turns an obstacle â€" water â€" into an asset.
Robert Heffley
Global warming
After the petrochemical multi-billion dollar Koch Foundation funded global warming skeptic Professor Richard Muller of the University of California Berkeley for three years for him to prove global warming is a hoax, it is ironic that Muller concluded that it is real â€" and "humans are almost entirely the cause" (Daily Press, July 30). Now former Republican Party communications director Marc Morano calls Muller "befuddled" and the Koch Foundation immediately cut off Muller's funds.
This would be humorous, but there is nothing funny about the Republican Party's continued refusal to do anything about this growing problem. Sadly, this includes most of our local congressmen even though we live on a coast highly vulnerable to impacts of future global warming â€" including sea level rise and the increased acidity in our waters from dissolved CO2 impacting our seafood industry (Science, July 13) and the livelihood of our watermen.
Ed Prior
Poquoson
An important election
Charles Joyner's buoyant missive (Aug. 1,"Not the most important election") dismisses the importance of this November's election. His optimism rests, however â€" as he acknowledges â€" on one big caveat: "As long as we uphold our founding principles and celebrate our 'exceptionalism,' we will remain the freest, richest and strongest nation on planet Earth." Well, a hearty "amen" to that statement.
Unfortunately, those founding principles are under relentless attack by a president out to "fundamentally transform America." Economic liberty, freedom of religion, even the right of contract (or the right not to enter into contract) seem to have no meaning to this administration. If that weren't enough, various leftist groups, sensing on the part of the American people either complete ignorance of, or, at best, ambivalence towards our founding principles, have joined forces to push us into their brand of socialism.
"Elections have consequences," as Lindsey Graham famously said of Elena Kagan's elevation to the Supreme Court, and this one will have even greater consequences for our country's future than most.
Gary Porter
Yorktown
Defending Boomers
Your editorial blaming Baby Boomers for current economic woes, was mean-spirited and one-sided.
Few Boomers grew up with the wealth of toys, clothing, sports, lessons, and, later, cars, that they provided for their Millennial children. When it came time to start careers, many Boomers struggled in the stagflation of the 1970s. Your statement, "Many college graduates end up underemployed and wondering why that four-year degree didn't land them a better job," could have been lifted out of an article about the college class of 1971. Once Boomers did establish jobs and considered buying homes, they faced soaring real estate prices and sky-high interest rates. Their generation was the first in which two-earner families became widespread ... because people felt they needed the extra income.
You rightly praise the Greatest Generation for industry and frugality, but fail to mention a potent sustainer of their wealth: social support systems funded by taxes and retirement contributions paid by Boomers throughout their careers.
Yes, I am a Boomer. In 1981, when I was 31, I wrote in an unpublished poem, "Social Security won't be there for me." Statements like yours incline me to hope that, should health fail and money run out, I will die very quickly. It would be nicer if we could all realize that each generation has its challenges and we all benefit by working together.
Sarah Charlock
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