Give budget surplus back to taxpayers, letter says

Give budget surplus back to taxpayers

The state has a projected excess of revenue. What to do? 

How about returning some tax money to the taxpayer? It is our money after all.

As a senior citizen on a fixed income, I would be delighted to have an excess of revenue. I could use extra revenue to pay for medication, food, healthcare, property taxes and basic necessities.

If you can't act on my recommendations, how about saving it for sometime in the future when there is a shortfall? Hmm, saving — that's a novel concept. It seems all politicians, Democrats and Republicans, govern by tax and spend.

Governor Carney, please give some of our "excess revenue" to Matt Meyer so he won't raise our property taxes. 

—Debby Morgan, Newark

Trumpists can't hide Mueller truth

The comment piece by James Robbins is a good example of the Trumpist/Fox News strategy to "change the subject."

We know that Trump's first national security adviser has pleaded guilty to a felony, his first campaign manager is currently under indictment and his assistant has pleaded guilty to a felony. A number of Russian spies seeking to help the Trump campaign are under indictment.

Also, there are reports that only whistleblowing by State Department staff headed off a quick ending of Russian sanctions upon Trump taking office. And the Trump Tower meeting of Donald Trump Jr., other key members of the campaign and Russian operatives in which support for the Trump campaign was sought in itself is a federal crime.

So nice try, James Robbins in trying to change the subject. 

—Howard Palley, Newark

Aim outrage at Hamas, not Israel

In, “Where is the outrage over Gaza killings?” Mary-Lee Lutz castigates the Jewish community and singles out one of its representatives for not speaking out against “Israel killing peaceful protestors in Gaza.”  

“Peaceful” protestors?                          

Even though there is an abundance of on-the-scene media reports about the nature of these protests, Ms. Lutz chooses to ignore the truth. Here’s the stated objective of the protests: “We will tear down the border and we will tear out their hearts from their bodies.” That's Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, clarifying the “peaceful” intent of the rioters on the Gaza border.  

Since March, thousands of Palestinians have approached the border fence, hurling stones, rolling burning tires towards the fence, throwing Molotov cocktails, pipe bombs, and planting explosives. Kites carrying firebombs have been launched resulting in many fires to Israeli farmlands.

“Peaceful” protestors have tried to breach the fence so that they could enter Israel with the intention of killing as many Israelis as they can. Israel is doing what every other country would do in similar circumstances – defend their border and protect their citizens. And Israel only uses live fire as a last resort. 

Yes, there should be outrage, but it should be directed to Hamas which cynically encourages their people, including women and children, to risk their lives by confronting Israeli soldiers who are defending their country’s border. Ms. Lutz, who has depicted a totally false picture of events in Gaza, owes the Jewish community an apology.

—Marty Zukoff, Wilmington

State should offer incentives for new green tech

I'm a rising senior at the University of Delaware and have lived in New Castle County my entire life. As a political science major, I strongly advocate for environmental policy and programs. 

I believe that Delaware should create an incentive for individuals to develop technology that combats carbon emissions. This incentive could come in the form of a subsidy to firms that have the resources to develop such technology. It could also come in the form of a monetary reward set aside in the state's budget for an individual or group of individuals that develop a way to drastically decrease the states emissions. 

This would create an incentive for great minds in Delaware, perhaps schools, clubs, or even friends to develop world-changing technology. I mean, even Apple started in a garage. 

It's no secret that the University of Delaware is predominately an engineering school and I believe that this incentive would get students excited about their work and seriously produce something effective. The University of Delaware and the state's other colleges are composed of great minds that have the potential to develop great things — they just need a little push.

—Michael Cariello, New Castle