Your Opinion: Responses on Fair Tax, nuclear power

Dear Editor:

I'm glad to see others writing letters to counter Tony Smith's bi-weekly rantings. I'm writing this letter to add to that support, as it's apparent he has beaucoup time to publish his liberal propaganda. To keep up I will try to cover letters published March 22 and March 25 within the required limits.

March 22: Having worked on the Callaway plant four years and the Vogel plant in GA. for three years in a cost/planning position, believe me, the only reason that private industry won't invest in nuclear energy is the federal government.

Everyone should know that nuclear is the safest and cleanest energy available which will truly serve our needs.

The problem is, the federal government after the Browns Ferry fire and Three Mile Island incident went crazy with requirements for new design. I realize that many were a good idea and needed, however, many were gilding the lily and cost billions to the industry.

The Callaway plant was originally estimated at approximately $750 million. By the time the rework was completed that the federal government required, the cost escalated to approximately $2.5 billion.

Also, what happened to Yucca Mountain? After spending billions our president has permanently shut it down. Now utilities have no idea what to do with nuclear waste or how long it will have to be stored on site. Again, the unrealistic liberal environmentalists who control the federal government are bound and determined to give the nuclear power industry a slow death, as with coal and oil, along with USA leadership in world production.

March 25: Mr. Smith must be a politician or lobbyist. They are the only people who are scared to death of the Fair Tax. The politician will again have to become servants of the people instead of special interest groups because he/she won't have the power any more to manipulate the tax code for campaign contributions. The lobbyist may as well pack up and go home! And just think people like Sen. Kerry wouldn't have to find a place to park his yacht to get out of paying taxes. He'd have to pay when he bought the thing. And just think, drug dealers, illegals, billionaires and tourists from overseas, ever one would have to pay taxes. Also, who would miss all those friendly people at the IRS and those we have to pay just to keep us out of trouble?

God Bless America!