Power grid attacks, Donald Trump: Second look
Letters to the editor:
Disaster response
Commentary writer Glenn Reynolds misses the point about our nation’s readiness for the potential of a cyberattack on our power grid. The federal response — coordinated by FEMA — is only part (albeit a major part) of what is necessary to support the country during such an event. It is a shared responsibility among the whole community. That is why we have partnered with communities across the nation to make sure Americans know what steps they should take before, during and after a major power failure to prepare (“Glenn Reynolds: We aren't ready for the lights to go out”).
The most effective way for the federal government to plan for and respond to the potentially life-threatening consequences of a cyberattack on our nation’s power grid is to be as prepared as possible to handle the consequences of any type of catastrophic event, regardless of the cause. FEMA has in place the plans and resources required for a robust federal effort to support state, local, tribal and territorial governments and citizens to successfully respond and recover from the consequences of any hazard, to include the potentially life threatening effects of power failure.
A cyberattack on our power grid remains a serious threat. The Department of Homeland Security works closely with power companies to prevent or mitigate the effects of cyberattacks and participates in national exercises with first responders. Additionally, FEMA and the Department of Energy are leading the development of an interagency power outage response plan. For information on what you and your family can do to prepare for disasters, visit Ready.gov.
Joseph L. Nimmich, FEMA deputy administrator; Washington, D.C.
Promises lead to debt
After reading “Trump turning off Millennials,” I once again scratched my head. I’m amazed young voters always gravitate toward the least fiscally conservative politician, in this case Bernie Sanders (News, Tuesday).
Why don’t they understand that Sanders will leave them with trillions more in national debt? When he taxes corporations, it will simply trickle down to consumers, which means they’ll be paying more for a long time.
Democratic leaders hate trickle-down economics but love trickle-down taxation. They don’t care how they get our money, as long as they get it.
Roger Sargent; Albion, Pa.
Prize civil discourse
Suggestions for voters. Consider a candidate:
•Who does not depend on bluster and threats to gain attention.
•Who reflects before he/she speaks.
•Who does not have a mean streak a mile wide.
•Who is willing to negotiate in good faith with the other side to arrive at meaningful compromise.
•Who does not demonize minorities.
•Who has the empathy to take seriously the problems faced every day by the working and very poor.
Those are my criteria this time.
Patrick Frank; Arden, N.C.