Regarding “Telescope project expenses are out of sight” (Page A3, Friday), if you want to understand why NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope is 14 years behind schedule and more than $8 billion over its original $500 million price tag, you need look no further than the fact that when contractor Northrop Grumman started missing deadlines as far back as 2007, NASA simply requested more and more money, and got it.
As with many NASA projects, the James Webb Space Telescope was grossly underbid, and was literally born too big to fail. And the only thing that is absolutely certain about its fate is that come the new deadline of 2021, it still won't be done.
Pete Smith, Cypress
Sunday, July 29, 2018
Wednesday, July 25, 2018
LTE - Trump, Perry back in sync
Regarding “Perry in bind as Trump demands that he betray his values” (Page B1, Sunday) business columnist Chris Tomlinson goes out of his way to psychoanalyze and berate former Gov. Rick Perry for his role as Trump’s energy secretary in propping up the coal and nuclear energy industries. In Tomlinson’s world, there is room in America for only two energy sources: natural gas and renewables. And yet, of renewables, only hydroelectric is reliable and cheap, which leaves wind and solar — both of which are notoriously unreliable and not cheap and both of which have benefited from billions in yearly subsidies under the Obama administration.
As for coal and nuclear, both have been subject to decades of punitive and politically motivated regulations, which explains their current cost. America has vast reserves of coal and uranium. We would be crazy not to leverage those assets. Trump’s temporary subsidies to both is necessary to level the playing field, ensure America’s energy security and, in the long run, keep costs low.
He and Perry on are the right track.
Pete Smith, Cypress
As for coal and nuclear, both have been subject to decades of punitive and politically motivated regulations, which explains their current cost. America has vast reserves of coal and uranium. We would be crazy not to leverage those assets. Trump’s temporary subsidies to both is necessary to level the playing field, ensure America’s energy security and, in the long run, keep costs low.
He and Perry on are the right track.
Pete Smith, Cypress
Thursday, July 12, 2018
LTE - Stalled? No cost
Regarding “Stalled vehicles get free tows” (Page B5, Tuesday), kudos to the Houston-Galveston Area Council for its “Tow and Go,” a program that focuses on citizen safety and convenience, which is what a public service ought to do.
This contrasts dramatically with the last public effort to remove stalled vehicles from our roads, the former Mayor Bill White’s 2005 “SafeClear” program, which allowed politically connected towing companies to confiscate your stalled vehicle simply by getting there first, then charge above-rate towing fees and mandatory storage fees. Mandatory fees were removed in response to public outrage but were restored In 2011 by former Mayor Annise Parker.
SafeClear has always been a public money grab that preempts the rights and options of private citizens. “Tow and Go” appears to fix all that. Looks like third time is the charm.
Pete Smith, Cypress
This contrasts dramatically with the last public effort to remove stalled vehicles from our roads, the former Mayor Bill White’s 2005 “SafeClear” program, which allowed politically connected towing companies to confiscate your stalled vehicle simply by getting there first, then charge above-rate towing fees and mandatory storage fees. Mandatory fees were removed in response to public outrage but were restored In 2011 by former Mayor Annise Parker.
SafeClear has always been a public money grab that preempts the rights and options of private citizens. “Tow and Go” appears to fix all that. Looks like third time is the charm.
Pete Smith, Cypress
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