India in Houston, concerns
A request for Modi
Regarding “With Modi’s visit, Houston’s Indians say ‘howdy’ to world” (Front page, Sept. 18): As Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses thousands of Indian Americans and meets with Texas energy sector leaders in Houston this weekend, I sincerely hope he will convey both a vision and plan to lead India out of its air pollution crisis.
India’s prolonged acceptance of suboptimal fuel standards and unabated industry emissions have had dire effects on India’s air quality. Indians suffer every day for simply breathing. According to air quality projections, even under the best policy enactments, India’s air will not be considered “clean” in our or even our children’s lifetimes.
Nevertheless, India has announced ambitious clean-energy policies including increased use of natural gas, expanding renewables and electric vehicles, and phasing out diesel and excessively-polluting industrial activity. These all have the potential to substantially reduce air pollution. What’s missing is execution, monitoring, and enforcement. We need Modi’s leadership to accelerate turning these policies into Indians’ reality.
More urgently, we need his help to protect Indians against the harmful air they breathe now, every single day. Gita Sinha, Whitefish Bay, Wis.
Protest within the law
Regarding “Protesters arrested after daylong demonstration shuts down Houston Ship Channel” (A3, Sept. 13): In America we have the right to legally protest actions of others, including our government entities.
When those protests disrupt the lives of thousands of people, including shutting down all shipping traffic in the Houston Ship Channel, those responsible should be prosecuted to the maximum extent legally possible, including jail or prison time. Bob Byars, Porter
Poverty and hunger
Regarding “In fight against hunger, poverty is the real villain” (Outlook, Sept. 17):
How to reduce poverty? The root cause of poverty is the lack of good-paying jobs. Manufacturing is the source of good-paying jobs. Until the United States has a renaissance of the manufacturing sector, poverty will continue to plague our country, particularly in the inner-city.
Given the realities of worldwide economics, to achieve that renaissance Congress needs to change the federal tax structure from one based on production to one based on consumption. That change would be effected by The Fair Tax Act of 2019, HR 25.
The Fair Tax will tax imports and exempt exports from taxes. Ben Mathes, Houston
Double standard at ‘SNL’?
Regarding “‘SNL’ pulls offer to comedian after remarks” (Page A2, Sept. 17): So “Saturday Night Live” pulls its offer to a comedian after remarks he made that were offensive to Chinese and Asians. That is just amazing to me that they would do that, yet week after week insulting and offensive remarks are made about President Trump and that seems to be OK with them.
I used to be a fan of SNL, but gave up watching them after delight in offensive remarks started to be a weekly habit with them, and that’s OK.
Why don’t they fire Alec Baldwin, who is making a career of insulting the president? That’s not offensive to anyone? It certainly is to me.
I couldn’t take their insults, and even though I had enjoyed them for years I had had enough! I’m finished with them. Audrey Schambon, Houston