Some things need discussing

To the Editor:

There seems to be several items that need more press coverage. Those items include:

1. Illegal immigrants

2. Wind farms

3. Light bulbs from the PSC/AES

Recently I attended a Catholic church meeting related to illegals. The terms: immigrants, illegals, undocumented “persons,” refugees, and migrants were all used interchangeably. Those words are not interchangeable, nor do they ever mean the same.

We are dealing with open borders, which allow any and all illegal foreigners to enter and roam our land. In my opinion, they do not pay state taxes because so many are paid “under the table.” They do not pay for insurance, thus the American pays for them in higher taxes. They “might” pay federal taxes if they are caught somehow in our system, usually with illegal papers. We were told that 75 percent are citizens. I suppose they are, once their mother sneaks into our country, uses our hospital free of charge, and has a child here.

Meanwhile, I said that we can’t enter their countries without papers. We can’t work in their countries, yet they can sneak into our country, usually unchecked. (Although, at least three people in the meeting told me that we can, indeed, go into Mexico without papers. Apparently they haven’t tried that.)

They are responsible for are lowered wages for our own workers, lack of work for American citizens, and a generally lower standard of living.

I don’t care how much you pray and sing hymns about it, in my opinion the Catholic Church has a wrong-headed approach to the illegals (crooks), and have no right to push this political agenda down my throat. If you believe “illegals” are wrong, tell your priest or minister! Don’t sit and take political speeches in church.

Now let’s talk about wind farms. A recent writer declared them to be (I’m paraphrasing) dangerous, unsightly, a ruination of our landscape, an abomination caused by lobbyists, will kill birds, (any bird that’s that dumb probably should be cut out of the bird DNA), and that unsightly propellers will be “with us forever.”

Come on now, we need some kind of alternative fuel source. The high propeller type has been proposed, and will work on many levels. They will, indeed, pay the land owner, even if they are on state land and pay us. They need built and will pay for construction workers (let’s hope they’re American). As to their form as large propellers on our landscape, already, research has produced a small turbine that anyone can mount on their house.

Larger solar panels are available and getting cheaper. One dude is experimenting with the use of ocean waves to create the needed motion for generation of an alternative fuel source. Look at the person who is crying, “save our beauty” and see if they are getting at least four state and/or local, retirement checks in the mail each month, thus allowing the retiree the time to “see our beauty” while the rest of us pay high fuel bills.

That brings me to the light bulb. Did you know that the light bulb that you received will cost you a minimum of about $16? (If you really wanted that bulb, you can buy two of them for about $7). Do you know that they (AES/PSC) and extend this tax beyond the end of the year?

Do you know that if you pay for a second apartment for your “in-laws,” or other relatives in your building that your tax will double, or triple? (And you don’t even get the extra lights). Do you know that the landlord who pays for a tenants utilities can pay over $2,000 for two lights?!

No one else in that building will get even one new light for all that money! If you really think the PSC is wrong to tax you for a bad light, and you really do want to protest this tax, just do what I’m doing, and help Kevin Kelly protest. At least he’s working for us.

Put a new label or strip over your name, or cross out your name.

Re-address the box of lights to: Maryland Public Service Commission (or PSC), 6 St. Paul Street, 16th Floor, Baltimore, MD 21202

Dr. Eileen B. Steele

Frostburg