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By the early 1900s, Argentina was in a golden age. It rose to become a top 10 nation in global wealth. The country had a top-notch railway system, rich agricultural yields, bountiful mineral wealth, and a high-growth economy. Its middle class grew by leaps and bounds. Laissez-faire capitalism had done wonders for the country. Following the Great Depression in 1929, everything changed. The state took over economic planning. Social and welfare programs were dramatically expanded. Industries were nationalized. Government spending soared. As wealth was redistributed, corruption spread like a plague. A long period of instability followed, extending up until today. There were 7 military coups in Argentina during the 20th century. Much of the time the economy was in shambles. Inflation spiraled out of control, often surpassing 100% annually. The past 8 decades have been a very difficult period for Argentinians. A Chainsaw Massacre (For Bureaucracy) Things have finally begun to look up for Argentina. In December of 2023, President Javier Milei took office and began a libertarian reform program. The shift is reflected in the country’s stock market, as shown by the chart below. It shows the price of ARGT, the largest Argentina ETF, since its launch in 2011. Source: Yahoo Finance As you can see, Argentine stocks were basically flat for an entire decade (priced in US dollars). But since Milei took over, shares have more than doubled as foreign investment flooded into the country. What has Milei done to change Argentina’s path so dramatically? In October, Daily Reckoning contributor Joel Bowman explained in The Greatest Political Experiment of Our Age : All of that was within the first 48 hours of his presidency. Milei has taken a metaphorical chainsaw to government spending. The country just emerged from recession, and its public sector has posted a financial surplus for the first time since 2008. Impressively, inflation is down from a recent high of 25% per month to 2.5% in the most recent data. Not All Sunshine Change of this magnitude is not easy. I have spoken with a few Argentine friends recently, and every one of them has a story about people they know getting fired from their government jobs. Argentina’s poverty rate increased by 11% to 53% earlier this year. Slashing government spending will increase productivity over the mid and long term, but in the short term, it does harm employment and GDP. Despite this, all the Argentinians I talked with expressed hopefulness going forward. They acknowledge the system had to change and seem willing to bear the consequences in exchange for a shot at long-term stability. As we await Donald Trump’s second term, it is worth studying Argentina. Milei and Trump have much in common. They both campaigned on eliminating government waste and revitalizing their respective economies. Milei has a ~13-month lead on us. So if Trump does follow through with his promise to slash federal spending, we can expect a somewhat similar path. Short-term pain is traded for long-term growth. I think that’s a price well worth paying. The question is: can the U.S. government oversee its own downsizing? We shall see. Merry Christmas Everyone!BREAKING NEWS Caitlin Clark mourns death of Iowa basketball analyst from cancer at 41 READ MORE: Caitlin Clark supports boyfriend's basketball team from the stands By JACK BEZANTS Published: 22:42 GMT, 23 December 2024 | Updated: 23:07 GMT, 23 December 2024 e-mail View comments Caitlin Clark has paid tribute to a former Iowa basketball analyst who has died just before Christmas from cancer at the age of 41. Jamie Cavey-Lang, who also played for Iowa, passed away over the weekend leaving behind her husband and three children. And as news of her passing was announced, Clark paid tribute by sharing a picture of her being interviewed by Cavey-Lang back in February at Iowa. 'Will cherish the special moments we got to share with you,' Clark wrote as the caption, alongside four black-heart emojis. Iowa women's basketball also paid tribute to Cavey-Lang on Monday, writing on Instagram: 'The voice of our favorite memories. 'Jamie brought joy to all she encountered. She was an All-B1G competitor and an enthusiastic and entertaining color analyst. Caitlin Clark paid tribute a former Iowa basketball analyst who has died at the age 41 Clark took to social media after learning about the death of Jamie Cavey-Lang at the age of 41 'More importantly, she was an incredible friend and mother. Rest in peace, Jamie Cavey Lang. We're forever grateful you are part of the Hawkeye family.' Clark left Iowa and college basketball for the WNBA earlier in the year , being taken as first pick by the Indiana Fever and driving interest in the league to unprecedented levels. Earlier in December, Clark was named athlete of the year by TIME magazine for her transformative impact on women's basketball. Reflecting on her year, Clark said: 'I've been able to captivate so many people that have never watched women's sports, let alone women's basketball, and turn them into fans.' She added: 'Personally, I'm just scratching the surface of what I can do and hopefully how I can change the world and impact people. 'There's also been so many people that are not involved in women's sports, that are just in the workforce, or whatever they do, and they're just like, ‘Thank you for what you do for women.’ I've heard that a million times.' Instagram Caitlin Clark Iowa Share or comment on this article: Caitlin Clark mourns death of Iowa basketball analyst from cancer at 41 e-mail Add commentTuesday’s game features the Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs (2-3) and the SE Louisiana Lions (2-3) matching up at Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya in what should be a one-sided matchup, with a projected 77-66 win for heavily favored Gardner-Webb according to our computer prediction. Game time is at 12:30 PM ET on November 26. Based on our computer prediction, Gardner-Webb is a good bet to cover the point spread, which currently sits at 2.5. The two teams are projected to go over the 141.5 total. Catch tons of live college basketball , plus original programming, with ESPN+ or the Disney Bundle. Place your bets on any men’s college basketball matchup at BetMGM. Sign up today using our link. Gardner-Webb is 3-2-0 against the spread this season compared to SE Louisiana’s 4-0-0 ATS record. A total of three out of the Runnin’ Bulldogs’ games this season have hit the over, and one of the Lions’ games have gone over. The two teams average 140.6 points per game combined, 0.9 less than this matchup’s total. Bet on this or any men’s college basketball matchup at BetMGM. Rep your favorite players with officially licensed gear. Head to Fanatics to find jerseys, shirts, hats, and much more. Not all offers available in all states, please visit BetMGM for the latest promotions for your area. Must be 21+ to gamble, please wager responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, contact 1-800-GAMBLER .

BLOOMINGTON — The two largest school districts in McLean County are exploring a 1% sales tax to help pay for needed building projects and potentially reduce property tax burdens, officials said. The plan, which could put the question before voters as soon as the April election, surfaced as school boards for McLean County Unit 5 and Bloomington District 87 discussed preliminary tax levies for the coming fiscal year during separate meetings Wednesday night. While both districts' proposals call for lower tax rates, officials acknowledged many people will face higher property tax bills because of the rising value of their homes. District 87 Superintendent David Mouser said the County Schools Facility Occupation Tax would add a small percentage on every sale in the county to help fund school districts for facilities, mental health resources for students and safety and security. Mouser That is "a 1% tax that is then put on prepared food, tangible personal items (and) retail items. It includes online purchases, now, that it did not in the past," he said. However, the tax would not affect groceries, unprepared food, over-the-counter medication and most farm equipment. That question, if approved by the school districts housing the majority of students in McLean County, would be put to voters in the upcoming April election. For Unit 5, the resolution must come before the board during its December meeting or during a special meeting in early January to appear on the April ballot. Mouser told the school board Wednesday, a large portion of the money spent in McLean County, upwards of 40%, "is spent by folks that do not live in McLean County that can thereby offset the cost for facilities, safety, security and mental health services for our students." As property values and property taxes increase for county residents, such a tax could alleviate the pressure on county residents, Mouser said. "The other thing that you can do with the 1% sales tax, the County Facility Sales Tax, is you can abate property taxes," Mouser said. Unit 5, meanwhile, is evaluating the sales tax as a possible revenue stream to cover more than $70 million in infrastructure and maintenance projects over the next 15 years. In September, district officials gave a presentation on the current infrastructure needs of district facilities. Over the next five years, the district estimated more than $50 million in work to the schools' roofs, running tracks, fire alarm systems, geothermal systems, heating equipment, cooling towers and chillers. Another $13.6 million in projects is anticipated between 2030 and 2034, and another $7.8 million is estimated between 2035 and 2039. One of the most urgent projects is a $10 million roof replacement at Chiddix Junior High that must be completed this summer. If approved, the tax is estimated to generate between $16 million and $20 million annually for Unit 5, officials said. McLean County would allocate the sales tax revenue to the Regional Office of Education, which would distribute the funds across each school district in the county based on enrollment. The sales tax was one of several funding mechanisms the board discussed on Wednesday. Other options could be grant funding or the issuance of building or working cash bonds. Board member Amy Roser said since the district doesn't have $50 million, it should be mindful of consequences of any revenue source. Roser "If it doesn't come from (the sales tax) where we can take every dollar that we get and put it directly to a project, it's going to have to come from one of those other sources, and a majority of those other sources have interest involved," Roser said. Cooperative resolution For a referendum to be included on the April ballot, Unit 5 and enough school districts to represent a majority of the total enrollment of McLean County would have to pass a resolution, said Mark Jontry, regional superintendent for the Regional Office of Education 17. His office oversees the school districts in Livingston, Logan, DeWitt and McLean counties. "The way the statute reads, school boards that represent 50.1%, or the majority, of K-12 students residing in the county can pass a board resolution," he told The Pantagraph on Thursday. That resolution would then go to his office where they would prepare the ballot's language, Jontry said. "Once I verify that enough boards have passed it ... then I file the ballot initiative with the clerk and the Bloomington Election Commission for the consolidated April election," he said. Jontry said, because Unit 5 has more than 50.1% of total student population of McLean County, its Board of Education needs to pass the resolution for the tax question to have a chance in April. According the Illinois Department of Revenue, any funding received through this tax "is to be used exclusively for 'school facility purposes' in that county as defined in the County School Facility Occupation Tax Law." The statute was "subsequently amended almost 10 years ago with a slight expansion to include ... safety and security as well as mental health services," Jontry said, noting this includes school resource officers, school psychologists and school social workers. "The language in the ballot question actually specifically denotes those areas," he said. Based on the Department of Revenue's figures for sales within McLean County, $29-30 million would be divided amongst school districts countywide, Jontry said. "It would have a significant impact on their ability to maintain their facilities. ... I have two other counties that currently have (the tax) — Livingston and Logan — they have realized a lot of benefit to maintain their facilities without having to touch their (Operations and Maintenance funds)," Jontry said. Asking less, but receiving more For the past several years, property values in the county have increased because of multiple reasons, including companies like Rivian Automotive and Ferrero establishing long-term homes in the Twin Cities. District leaders said they hope the sales tax can help to offset the increased property values. "Your homes are worth more," said Michael Cornale, District 87's chief facilities and financial officer. "And we are asking less by (tax) rate of you all. It may not end up being less dollars, but we are asking less rate." For the 2025-26 school year, Cornale advised the board to approve a tax levy that would generate between $52 and $56 million, keeping the property tax rate for homeowners in the district below 5.1%. Michael Cornale, chief financial and facilities officer for Bloomington District 87, delivers a presentation on the 2025-2026 tax levy at the regular board meeting on Nov. 20, 2024. School districts have no influence on the equalized assessed value (EAV) of properties in their townships, Cornale said. That belongs to township officials. The Bloomington Township Tax Assessor is projecting an increase of 8.95% in EAV, but, because of potential assessment challenges from property owners, Cornale said he conservatively estimates that number closer to 7.75%. "Here's the truth: if (property owners') home value were to stay the same as it did from the year prior, they would see relief," Cornale said. "I'm not ... necessarily sure that everybody will see the same home value." According to Cornale's calculations, if the value of property were to remain stagnant, the owner of a $225,000 home would pay $52.72 less than they had the previous year. But the value is estimated to increase. But if that same property owner experienced EAV growth of 8.95%, they could pay about $290 more than they did the previous year. "The EAV is a component that you all (the school board), we all (administration) have no ability to change. There is nothing we can do in this room to change what that EAV is," Cornale said. "That comes from our township assessor. He gives me that number to start working from. So that number is set in stone, and then we work backwards." Before the start of every fiscal year, the county's school districts use a calculated assessed value tax rate from the county and township assessors to determine a requested amount of funds from taxpayers, Cornale said. "When I levy, I levy for dollars ... because we ultimately don't know what that certified EAV will be," he said. In the interest of fiscal responsibility, Cornale said he uses a conservative estimate of that rate to calculate the levy he provides to the county. "We're going to do our part as a community member to give some relief as we can. I think it's a fiscally responsible thing to do," he said. Unit 5 estimated a $163.4 million property tax levy, a roughly 9.2% increase over the 2023 tax year. As a result, a truth in taxation hearing must be held before the levy can be approved. However, the district is estimating a tax rate reduction from $5.29 per $100 of assessed value to $5.07 per $100. The owner of a $225,000 home who experienced a 10.63% increase in value in 2024 would see a $239 increase to Unit 5's portion of their property tax bill. Unit 5 Chief Financial Officer Marty Hickman said this will be the first year the district will take advantage of the increased tax rate for its education fund that was approved by referendum in 2023 . Hickman As a result, the levy for the education fund increased from $76.3 million in 2023 to about $109 million in 2024. The district also saw a significant reduction to its levy for debt service after paying off building bonds. The levy amount for debt service dropped from roughly $37 million to about $13.6 million. Local officials from the community and college as well as with the company joined together Thursday at Country Financial headquarters, 1701 Towanda Avenue, in Bloomington, to announce the mile-long trail project which will be called the Country Financial Trail at Heartland and extend the Constitution Trail. Photo Credit: Artazum / Shutterstock Despite many economic experts’ worst fears early in the COVID-19 pandemic, state and local government budgets have proven resilient over the last two years. With much of the economy shut down or hobbled as a result of the pandemic, forecasters initially worried that states and localities would collect substantially lower amounts of sales and income tax and face major budget shortfalls as a result. But behind falling unemployment, rising wages, and strong consumer spending, income and sales taxes have produced stronger-than-expected revenues since the initial shock of the pandemic. One factor that has helped protect state and especially local revenues over this period is property taxes, which are taxes levied on real property like land and buildings or certain forms of personal property. Property taxes tend to be more stable over time because property values are less susceptible to economic volatility than income and sales tax. Depending on when taxes are assessed, it could take years for any significant changes in property values to become apparent in a government’s tax collections. This certainly helped keep property tax revenues steady during the pandemic—and for some communities, collections could potentially grow in coming years due to the skyrocketing values of residential real estate. Property taxes’ stability could help continue to protect state and local budgets if the U.S. is headed toward a recession in the near future. Property tax collections represent 16.6% of state and local general tax revenues, which makes it the largest form of “ own-source ” revenue generated by states and localities, ahead of individual income (12.9%) and general sales taxes (12.5%). And among all revenue sources, property tax trails only intergovernmental funds (22%), which comprises funds transferred from one government to another (most frequently federal to state or local) through grants, loans, and other agreements. However, the overall mix of state and local revenue sources looks different across the U.S. Each state and local government offers a unique collection of revenue sources that weights income, sales, property, and other taxes differently. For example, nine states have no state income tax , while five have no state sales tax. Others have caps on property tax rates or restrictions around how property valuations are conducted that limit the amount of revenue from property taxes . This means that individuals’ specific tax burdens will look different depending on what state and local tax laws are in place where they live. Property tax collections across the states show these differences in action. At the low end, only 6.9% of general tax revenue collected in Alabama comes from property tax, while at the high end, property tax is 36.5% of general tax revenue in New Hampshire. New Hampshire stands out in part because the state has neither an income nor a sales tax, so many services are funded at the local level through property taxes. Many of the other locations highly dependent on property taxes are nearby Northeastern states including New Jersey, Maine, and Connecticut. The data used in this analysis is from the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2019 Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances . To determine the states that collect the most property tax revenue, researchers at Porch calculated property tax revenue as a share of total general tax revenue. In the event of a tie, the state with the greater annual property tax revenue per capita was ranked higher. Here are the states that collect the most property tax revenue. Photo Credit: Mihai_Andritoiu / Shutterstock Photo Credit: John S. Quinn / Shutterstock Photo Credit: Henryk Sadura / Shutterstock Photo Credit: Jacob Boomsma / Shutterstock Photo Credit: Ingus Kruklitis / Shutterstock Photo Credit: Shawn Dorsey / Shutterstock Photo Credit: Christian Delbert / Shutterstock Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock Photo Credit: f11photo / Shutterstock Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock Photo Credit: nektofadeev / Shutterstock Photo Credit: f11photo / Shutterstock Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock Photo Credit: Sean Pavone / Shutterstock Photo Credit: RaulCano / Shutterstock Contact D. Jack Alkire at (309)820-3275. Twitter: @d_jack_alkire Want to see more like this? Get our local education coverage delivered directly to your inbox. General Assignment Reporter {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Government Reporter {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items.

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Ben Fordham left stunned as top professor exposes what Australia got wrong during Covid Professor casts doubt of Covid measures Said they were 'madness' and 'disgraceful' READ MORE: Mother blames Covid vaccine for her daughter's death By DAVID SOUTHWELL FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA Published: 20:46 GMT, 24 November 2024 | Updated: 20:48 GMT, 24 November 2024 e-mail View comments A visiting UK professor of medicine stunned radio host Ben Fordham by taking a blistering aim at Covid lockdowns, quarantine, masks, and vaccines. Angus Dalgleish, a professor of oncology at the prestigious St George's University in London who also sits on the European Commission Cancer Board, told Fordham Australia's Covid response was 'absolutely appalling', 'madness' and 'disgraceful'. His unconventional views go against the recent Covid Response Inquiry verdict that 'Australia fared well relative to other nations that experienced larger losses in human life, health system collapse and more severe economic downturns'. But Prof Dalgleish insisted Australia bungled its Covid response. He was also scathing about Britain's handling and said 'Australia, New Zealand and Canada all over-reacted exactly the same'. 'The only people who got it right long-term were Sweden ,' Prof Dalgleish said. 'They didn't have any lockdown mandates, they had no other mandates, the vaccines were for people over 70 and they have the lowest excess death rates in the Western world.' Sweden relied on voluntary social distancing, mask-wearing, working from home and avoiding public transport, with 80 per cent of the country saying they complied. Angus Dalgleish, a professor of oncology at the prestigious St George's University in London has taken blistering aim at almost all the Covid measures employed by Australia and other countries Prof Dalgleish attacked mandated masks being worn outdoors. 'That's absolute madness, the only reason you get people to wear masks is to instil a state of fear in them,' he said. 'I said right at the very beginning with the very best mask the smallest hole is three times bigger than the largest virus. There is no science behind it whatsoever. 'You wear masks in (operating) theatres to stop you coughing into someone's abdomen, it's not for viruses.' He also believed lockdowns achieved next to nothing. 'We know it is respiratory, so lockdowns make no sense whatsoever, particularly when there is no quarantine [which there wasn't in Britain at the start of their lockdown]'. He believed hotel quarantine was a 'complete waste of money' and didn't think it 'saved any lives whatsoever' because it only delayed the natural herd immunity, which was always the best defence against Covid. 'You get the virus naturally you can build up an innate immunity to it, and they denied this,' Prof Dalgleish said. Professor Dalgleish said he did not believe lockdowns, quarantines, masks or even vaccines saved lives Fordham asked whether lockdowns were necessary to protect the elderly, but Prof Dalgleish hailed the Swedish approach as far more pragmatic. 'They say "your grandmothers and people are at risk just be careful, don’t go too close to them",' Prof Dalgleish said. 'They didn’t lock everybody down, so society wasn’t strangled at the neck. 'And it worked very well. Why did you have to lock up young, fit people who couldn’t work?' He also slammed the controversial vaccine mandates. 'I think it was absolutely disgraceful. It was totalitarian, it was descent into an Orwellian dystopia,' he said. 'Especially as we knew when the vaccines were rolled out, the virus had changed completely. 'I don’t believe [the vaccines] had any beneficial effect whatsoever because the virus changes, mutates so quickly. Sydney radio talkback king Ben Fordham was clearly taken aback by some of the professor's claims 'We know that when our vaccine program was rolled out, the wave of infection was falling off naturally. It didn’t need any help to damp the wave,' he said. 'It was the same with the lockdown - we introduced the lockdown as the first wave was flattening out and if you had done no lockdown, there would have been no difference.' A clearly taken aback Fordham asked Prof Dalgleish if he thought the vaccine saved no lives. 'They came in too late they gave the appearance of saving lives because they were coming in on a wave of people doing in and dying,' he replied. 'There might have been a very few, it might have been under one or two percent but not significant compared to what they wanted to do with them. '(That was) roll them out to everybody and have mandated vaccines when there was no evidence it prevented transmission at a time when the disease was killing 0.085per cent of the population with an average age of 82. 'It was complete utter blindness and madness.' London Ben Fordham Sweden Canada Share or comment on this article: Ben Fordham left stunned as top professor exposes what Australia got wrong during Covid e-mail Add comment

To the editor: Every month, California throws away enough solar and wind energy to power half a million homes — not because we don’t need it, but because our system is designed to waste it. While Sacramento celebrates expanded solar capacity, we’re forcing solar panels to “nap” during their most productive hours while keeping expensive gas plants running. (“ Solar power glut boosts California electric bills. Other states reap the benefits ,” Nov. 24) The problem is structural. Our regulated monopoly utilities are incentivized to build infrastructure where it maximizes their returns, not where the grid needs it most. The solution? Start by reining in utilities’ blank-check spending on questionable upgrades. Then transform the California Independent System Operator into a forward-looking grid operator where every watt of clean energy reaches its destination. California revolutionized wholesale electricity markets after the 2000s crisis; we shouldn’t wait for another crisis to fix transmission. Currently, these costs simply pass through the system with no incentive for efficiency, since neither utilities nor grid operators earn rewards for optimization. While artificial intelligence can help manage the grid, without meaningful transmission reforms at the state level, even the smartest technology becomes window dressing. We need a market that rewards efficiency over waste, not one that rubber-stamps natural gas investments while solar and wind sit idle. Until we align our grid operators’ incentives with our clean energy goals, we’ll keep paying premium prices for dirty power while our solar panels take their expensive naps. Jalal Awan, San Francisco The writer is an analyst at the Utility Reform Network. .. To the editor: California ratepayers spend hundreds of millions annually keeping gas power plants online that operate only sporadically. That’s because our grid needs surplus energy sources available when demand surges — much like keeping extra fire trucks ready for emergencies. The fact that a small amount of solar energy doesn’t make it to the grid on cool spring days isn’t alarming. All energy sources face curtailment, including gas plants that sit idle the vast majority of the year. What matters is having enough clean energy available to meet energy needs on hot summer days, and solar is vital for this. But California still has work to do. Sometimes we have no other option but to curtail solar power while fossil fuels are still being used elsewhere in the state simply because we lack the transmission lines to move clean energy where it’s needed. The solution for both affordability and reliability isn’t to slow solar development; it’s to accelerate transmission construction and battery storage to match our clean energy buildout. Melissa Romero, Sacramento The writer is deputy legislative director of California Environmental Voters. .. To the editor: As a longtime subscriber and homeowner with rooftop solar since 2005 (and batteries since 2019), I read with interest your article on solar curtailment, which made it sound like solar power is over-developed. It seems to me the criticism is really about solar farms, and mostly due to inadequate grid and storage development, not rooftop solar that generally keeps production local. What we really need to do is to promote more storage, including batteries for homes, grid-smart storage in electric vehicle batteries and pumped water storage, an old technology that already supplies more than 90% of existing grid storage (yet is hardly mentioned in the press). Science magazine had a great article about it last January . Rooftop solar with batteries also has kept my home working smoothly through multiple public safety power shutoffs by Southern California Edison — including one over a previous Thanksgiving Day when we had 12 guests. The world needs more solar and wind power replacing fossil fuels. Unfortunately, the utilities are compelled to find profits for themselves and their shareholders and move toward renewables only when they are forced to or they find a way to make money. Jed Fuhrman, Topanga .. To the editor: Let’s get creative! There are options for using excess renewable electricity. Data centers are crying for power (yes, battery storage will be necessary for night-time use). Also, the excess power from solar can be used to operate desalination plants along the coast. These could produce more potable water, solving a major cost inhibitor of that energy-intensive process and the long-running battle for water between the farmers and urban areas. With that, there might be no need to build expensive new infrastructure through the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta to transport more water from Northern California to Southern California. What are we waiting for? David Bach, Sacramento .. To the editor: It is not a bad thing to have excess solar power from rooftop solar. Rooftop solar produces energy where it is used and reduces the need for centralized power generation and long-distance transport. That is a problem only for power utilities, which have been working extra hard to kill rooftop solar so they can keep their profits. Rooftop solar saves massive amounts of new land from being eaten up by solar farms. It’s ecologically more sound to put solar panels on roofs and not on massive land-eating farms. Hannes Ziegler, Redlands .. To the editor: California’s financial losses from solar power underscore the idiocy of capitalism. We pay neighboring states to take our solar-generated electricity. This, in turn, leads to higher electricity costs for Californians while enriching middlemen through arbitrage, and lowering electricity rates in the neighboring states. Those states can then benefit financially by shutting down their own solar installations, while keeping coal and gas plants operating. In a more rational system, all utilities would be publicly owned, as would an extensive array of electric vehicle chargers. During times of excess solar power production, instead of paying other states to take our electricity, Californians could have free access to all state chargers for electric cars, buses, and trucks—- another incentive to go electric. Banks, hedge-fund middlemen and other money leeches would have to find something socially useful to do. David Klein, Northridge .. To the editor: So, our brilliant California legislators have allowed renewable energy to become yet another corporate robbery of its citizens. The most economic approach to renewable energy — rooftop solar — has been de-incentivized in favor of huge solar farms that cover sensitive desert habitat and must have their energy sold out of state at a loss to Californians. This is corporate welfare. It’s time to wake up and get reasonable. These corporations — not just energy producers — need to be reined in. The U.S. Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision must be overturned. No profit-oriented corporation is going to take human welfare into account. Betsy Rothstein, Long Beach

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