Solar Energy

While Americans are falling behind on their utility bills, Australia has built so much solar that it will soon offer many of its citizens three hours a day of free electricity.  When solar output is high in mid-day, Australians will be able to run their washers, or keep up their AC for no cost at all.

Why can’t we have that? The sun shines here too, especially in the South.

Unfortunately, the EPA canceled grants for “Solar for All” that were already committed by the previous Congress. Low and middle-income homeowners, who could have been adding solar to their homes, now lack the start-up funds.

Other programs that help save us money, like the Energy Star program to rate efficiency in appliances, were also slated for elimination by the president’s proposed FY2026 budget. Congress may keep Energy Star in the budget after all, but this administration remains hostile to energy-saving measures that lower the profits of their fossil fuel donors.

Call Senators Markey and Warren, and your Congressperson, and tell them to defend clean energy and energy efficiency funds in the FY2026 budget. Let’s catch up to Australia and help everyone pay their bills.

Mary Memmott

Framingham

Bipartisanship

Regards the government shutdown, it took the airlines cancelling flights to finally end it. Never mind the food stamps mess or the employees laid off, jet planes got the attention of Congress. I realize how important jets are. Getting home for our troops and others is very important. Keep ’em flying!  Now we have some cooperation between politicians and some small degree of harmony. That is how America works best. Pooling our resources and brains can create a path to real peace. Hopefully we’ll stay on course.

Tom King

North Bennington, VT

Hub spending

I am confused by Mayor Michelle Wu’s actions (“Oh Canada,” Nov. 18). Last week Wu was on the news stating that many families in Boston are unsure where their next meal was coming from. When I heard this I went to the Greater Boston Food Bank and donated $100 worth of food.

This week I read the news and it stated that Wu’s family trip to Canada where she chopped down the Boston Christmas tree cost $5,000 in taxpayer funds. My first reaction was this must be fake news, given the dire need for food in Boston, but I was wrong.

I am utterly disappointed that Mayor Wu thinks she can do whatever she wants with our (hard-earned) taxpayer dollars. The scary part is she can do exactly that, and there is nothing any of us hard-working taxpayers can do about it.

Michael Westen

Malden