War on drugs

The war on drugs is aptly named as the tally of dead Americans and ruined families exceeds 100,000 annually. For comparison, American casualties in Iraq from 2003 to 2009 totaled about 4,300 dead and just over 30,000 wounded. President Trump was correct to prosecute a combat operation against the Venezuelan government of drug honcho Nicholas Maduro. Presidents of both parties have been derelict in the effort over many years to stymie the drug devastation within our borders.

Paul Bloustein

Cincinnati, Ohio

Energy in Mass.

The energy costs in Massachusetts are through the roof, due to the energy policy of Gov. Maura Healey. She is hell-bent on spending millions of dollars on useless wind technologies. They cost too much and produce very little energy.

The last two Eversource bills were $255 in December and $357 in January.

Tom McLaughlin

East Bridgewater

Venezuela

Here’s my two cents: I’m OK getting Maduro out of Venezuela. It’s a a good idea, but President Trump advising that the United States take over Venezuela’s oil reserves and run Venezuela’s new government is not so good of an idea.

Tony Meschini

Scituate

Climate change

Adding climate instability to your cost accounting, as Hawaii lawmakers did in 2025, is a reasonable local approach to a genuine global problem. Climate change has significant impacts on the island state’s tourism-based economy, and it makes perfect sense to incorporate those impacts in Hawaii’s business policies.

It’s easy to ignore rising sea levels and extreme weather when you’re in an air-conditioned office in Washington, DC, but coastal erosion, changing rainfall patterns, and intensifying storms are a fact of life for Hawaiians. Tourists hoping to enjoy the islands’ scenery and wildlife should cooperate with the state’s environmental preservation initiatives, even if it means an extra fee included in your hotel bill.

When food shortages hike our grocery bills, or superstorms damage our roads and infrastructure, these are climate-change costs all of us will bear. The president and his administration frequently downplay the dangers (and indeed the existence) of climate change in their rhetoric and policies, but denial is not an option for Hawaiians, or for any of us.

Warren Senders

Medford