Letters to the Editor, Jan. 16

Family Appreciates Memories

Editor:
The family of Colin Stevenson would like to thank the many friends who have reached out to us in the past few weeks. So many stories, so much love have helped to fill a tremendous void. We appreciate every memory you have shared. A sincere thank you for contributions to the Family Pantry in his memory. Colin never forgot a face and “never met a man he didn’t like.” He is greatly missed.

The Stevenson Family
Harwich


Evidence Of EV Opposition

Editor:
Donald J. Trump is crystal clear about his disdain for electric vehicles. The former president has falsely claimed electric cars don’t work, promised to shred President Biden’s policies that encourage EV manufacturing and sales, and has said he would slap a “100 percent tariff” on electric cars imported from Mexico if he retakes the White House. (New York Times, May 27.)
Trump has warned that the president’s embrace of electric cars will bring a “bloodbath” to the U.S. automotive industry and falsely claimed that battery-powered cars don’t work in cold weather and that they aren’t able to travel long distances. “You’re not going to be able to sell those cars,” he has warned of Mexico-made EVs in the US market. (The Guardian, Aug. 5.)
“After more than a year of denigrating Biden’s EV policies as ‘lunacy’ and calling for electric car supporters to ‘ROT IN HELL,’ Trump told a rally in Atlanta this month that he’s for ‘a very small slice’ of cars being electric. ‘I have to be, you know, because Elon endorsed me very strongly,’” Trump said. (Politico, Aug. 13.)

George Myers
Venice, Fla.


U.S. Can Lead In EVs

Editor:
Thanks for the description of your decision to go electric. I have a Kia EV6 which is built on the same platform as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and I agree that the acceleration and handling make it fun to drive — almost too much for an old guy like me. Regenerative braking also requires some getting used to. I agree that charging can be a problem but I've found it can be solved with a little pre-trip planning. As time goes on, I hope that car manufacturers will be better able to estimate the range of electric vehicles based on ambient temperatures and individual driving characteristics. I agree that electric vehicles are the future of the U.S. and the rest of the world and the changes are blowin' in the wind.
When President-elect Donald Trump said at an event in Conway, S.C. on Feb. 10, "We are a nation whose leaders are demanding all electric cars, despite the fact that they don’t go far. They cost too much, and whose batteries are produced in China with materials only available in China when an unlimited amount of gasoline is available inexpensively in the United States, but not available in China” (New York Times, published Feb. 16, updated Feb. 21), he was wrong. The U.S. has a chance to seize a market opportunity in the production of electric vehicles. The Biden administration has teed up the opportunity for the automobile industry to increase their share of the electric vehicle market, and if President-elect Trump can put aside his political prejudices, the U.S. can take advantage of the moment.

Paul Grogan
Chatham


Change Monomoy Funding Formula

Editor:
As a leading advocate, I have great concern about the ability of the Monomoy Regional School District (MRSD) to sustain the high-quality educational experience it currently provides to its students.
Under the Monomoy Regional Agreement, all regional (non-elementary school) costs are assessed to member towns according to student enrollment (Chatham at 25 percent, Harwich at 75 percent).  However, the only major category of a school budget that is directly correlated to student enrollment is instructional operating expenses (class sizes, teachers, instructional materials, programs, student services, etc.).
Capital and non-instructional operating costs of a school district are not directly related to student enrollment.
With aging buildings, the MRSD has over a dozen regional capital improvement projects lined up for the next five-plus years, beginning with the costly siding and roofing projects at the middle school, a building it inherited from Chatham.
Harwich is currently operating at a razor-thin $139,000 under its levy limit. The town cannot afford to take on any future capital expenses at the current 75 percent rate and still be able to afford a school assessment that meets the instructional costs in the MRSD budget.
Holding only 45 percent of the total property valuation (taxation of which is the primary source of revenue to support the MRSD) and 67 percent of the total population of the two towns, Harwich should not agree to approve any future regional MRSD capital projects unless/until the funding formula is amended by both towns.
For the educational future of its students, Chatham and Harwich need to make amending the MRSD funding formula a priority for mutual immediate attention.

Charles Gruszka
Harwich