LETTERS
SEND YOUR VIEWS AND LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: DON@NANTUCKETINDEPENDENT.COM
ISLANDS URGE STATE - LEAVE SSA ALONE

The following letter was originally sent to state Senator Steven A. Baddour and Rep. Joseph Wagner who both sit on the joint committee on transportation and is reprinted here at the author's request

Dear Senator Baddour

and Representative Wagner:

The County Commissioners of the County of Dukes County have directed me to express their concern over, and disapproval of, House Bill No. 3681.

The County Commissioners fail to see how this bill will improve or strengthen the current Board, or the operations of the Steamship Authority.

The Steamship Authority has proven quite capable at balancing its budget; modernizing its fleet; maintaining excellent service to those of us who depend on it daily, and it does so without state money or involvement.

It is noted that the House members who filed the bill do not represent the islands of Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket. These filers have not even come to the island to explain why they believe this bill is necessary or good for the islands, or how it will improve the operation of the Steamship Authority.

The Steamship Authority is our lifeline, and it is working very well.

The County Commissioners of the County of Dukes County urge you not to support House Bill 3681 as it is totally unnecessary.

Sincerely,

- E. Winn Davis Dukes County Manager

The following letter was originally sent to state Reps. Joseph F. Wagner, Matthew C. Patrick and Cleon H. Turner and is reprinted here at the author's request

Gentlemen:

This is in reference to House Bill 3681 on which you have scheduled a public hearing for May 17, 2007. Due to previous commitments we will be unable to attend.

It appears that this bill would place the Woods Hole, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket Steamship Authority under the Department of Transportation, along with the Mass. Turnpike Authority, Massport, and other state authorities logically based in Boston. lt would also change the Authority membership by adding a continuous representative of the Secretary of Transportation and reducing the voting percentages for Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard.

We are unsure what the intent of this bill is and would appreciate your informing us as to its purpose in relation to the islands of Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. We see neither commonality with the other Boston agencies nor any conceivable coordination of intermodal assets that should appropriately place the Steamship Authority under the Secretary of Transportation.

The Steamship Authority has been functioning extremely well as an independent agency serving Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard for over 40 years without any cost to the Commonwealth, and we respectfully ask that you not change this situation.

Yours truly,

- Nantucket Board of Selectmen CUT CO2 EMISSIONS

To the editor:

Global warming is here - what can we do about it? World-renowned scientist Dr. George Woodwell of Woods Hole Research Center, and internationally-recognized Ross Gelbspan, author of "Boiling Point" spoke on this subject at a recent event sponsored by Clean Power Now. Each speaker underscored the fact that burning fossil fuels, a major contributor to massive emissions of carbon into our atmosphere, is a primary cause of global warming.

Dr. Woodwell and Mr. Gelbspan highlighted two ways to address this crisis:

1- Use wind power and hybrid vehicles to cut carbon emissions - with effective national action on these and other programs, our near-term fossil fuel use can be cut by 20 percent.

2 - Greatly reduce the $25 billion of annual subsidies now being given to coal and oil, shifting at least a small portion to renewable energy projects.

We must make deep cuts in carbon dioxide emissions. European countries (including the U.K., Germany, France and Denmark) have firm, orderly programs to reduce their carbon dioxide emissions by 50-to-80 percent, and are already making good progress.

One way for us to help is encouraging Cape Wind's project, which will reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 1.5 billion pounds annually.

- Jim Liedell