Sunday letters: Better uses for defense spending; bridge decay; no to No Labels

Divert defense spending for the greater good

Jim Luken’s commentary "A firsthand look at the 'obscenity of war' " (Commentary, Feb. 3) resonates in its moral call for an end to war.

Defense does not equal killing. Defense means creating circumstances where violence is not the answer. Responding to bullying and other aggressive behaviors that occur on the international level does not need to incur murder. When it does in other countries, we recognize these aggressions as murder. We deal with murderers in the International Court of Justice. We have a State Department designed not only for negotiations but for programs to help other countries develop so that positive economic outcomes will benefit their populations and maintain stability.

The current proposal in the federal budget for the Department of Defense is $842 billion. The budget for the Department of State for international affairs $69 billion, which is 1.4% of the federal 2024 budget, compared to 12.9% that is the Department of Defense portion, according to the Congressional Research Service.

Think how many lives could be enhanced, economies boosted, and U.S. moral standing improved by diverting some of the defense budget, more accurately military budget, which totals more than the combined defense budgets of China, Russia, and 8 other countries.

Eugenia Marks, Providence

Words of wisdom

In his recent commentary, Jim Luken poignantly and powerfully comments on the suffering of non-combatants during warfare.

However, I would remind all of a line by the character Hawkeye Pierce from "M*A*S*H": "War is not hell. There are no innocent bystanders in hell."

Thomas Hines, Greenville

Telltale signs of bridge decay

Why didn't anybody question the demolition and replacement of all the bridges on Interstate 295 in Rhode Island built at the same time as the bridges of 295 in Massachusetts that have not been replaced? Where were the investigators? What about the General Assembly that gave RIDOT millions of dollars? Were they designed wrong? Were they built wrong? Or were they improperly maintained? Anyone that has pictures of any of those bridges will see as you drive underneath rusted concrete supports and rusted steel beams.

Concrete does not rust. Steel beams rust. Water leaks through the bridge deck at the expansion joints, rusts the steel at its critical bearing point and stains the concrete which is porous and in the winter the damp concrete freezes and spalls exposing the steel reinforcing which also rusts compromising the structural integrity of the supports.

The bridge deck is supposed to be water-tight like the roof of your home, to prevent water intrusion. As you drive around the state you will see concrete supports with rust stains. That is a problem that has to be addressed.

It will be interesting to see if the Washington Bridge investigation reveals severe rust and improper maintenance as the root cause of the bridge failure. The investigation should be done by an organization out of state with no ties to anyone in Rhode Island.

Nicholas Piti, Greenville

No Labels, no way

In his column “Voters want choices, not echoes of the past” (Commentary, Jan. 28), Gary Sasse is essentially encouraging voters to waste their votes for a “No Labels” party which can’t even make up its mind on whether to enter the presidential race by February.

No choices in this election? The choice could not be any clearer, nor the stakes higher. While Mr. Sasse roundly criticizes Democratic Party operatives for running what he conveniently terms a malicious, anti-No Labels campaign, he is deathly silent on Donald Trump and his nonstop antics, along with his sycophants which pathetically comprise today’s Republican Party.

No Labels is largely funded by Republican and conservative mega donors. This is precisely why they refuse to fully disclose their donors. No Labels represents the will of corporate interests like Joe Manchin, a DINO who is bailing from his Senate seat due to negative net approval ratings. No Labels completely neglect mentioning any specific platform or vision, other than to say both parties are captured by their extreme elements. Look at the track record of third parties in the past 40-plus years: John Anderson, Ross Perot, Ralph Nader, all of whom failed to garner a single electoral vote.

So do we reward Trump by voting for another clearly hopeless third party effort, which will be unable to gain a single electoral vote? Do we allow No Labels to swing the decisive battleground states to Trump? No thanks and no way, Mr. Sasse, to No Labels.

Michael and David Salzillo, Providence

Condo board members are owners too

In response to the letter to the editor on condominium fees ("Exorbitant fees make condos unaffordable," Feb. 4), I suggest reading and comprehending the Rhode Island Condominium Act RIGL 34-36.1.

Condominium documents are derived from the Act and are not conjured up by a condo board. In fact the Act does give broad authority to condo boards whose members are subject to election on an annual basis by owners in the condominium. Detailed operational and reserve budgets are set and must be approved by a majority of the owners.

Insurance rates have risen dramatically in the recent past and coverage is mandated by the Act. This cost must be borne by the owners. If owners in my community would like to pass on snow removal and deicing of roadways, driveways and sidewalks, and pass on landscaped lawns, our board could remove $75,000 from our annual budget tomorrow. I’m certain not one owner would agree.

There is no evidence to suggest that current multiple affordable housing efforts will become condominiums. Condominium developments with market rate and affordable units could have condo fees subsidized for those units as a possible solution.

Condominium board members are owners too, and have a fiduciary responsibility to all owners, which means developing and presenting a responsible annual budget for majority approval. The writer would suggest that condo boards pick a fee number out of thin air for their benefit.

The connection between annual common area condo fees and affordable housing is nebulous.I’d gladly share my association’s annual budget with the writer which might lead to a betterunderstanding of how condominium fees are derived.

Thomas J. Daniels, Wakefield

The writer is the executive board president of The Preserve at South County Commons Condominium Association.

Hamas to blame for plight of Gazans

Regarding Walter Thorne's letter “Reporting from Israel” (Feb. 4), the humanitarian situation is “exasperating,” as he writes, but not because of the difficulty of safe access for supplies. The humanitarian situation, and all responsibility for the tragic unintended deaths of Gaza's civilians (as well as Israeli civilians), lies solely at the feet of Hamas, whose war strategy is to maximize the death of Gaza's civilians in order to mobilize sympathizers such as Mr. Thorne.

The simple fact is that the war in Gaza ends the moment Hamas surrenders and releases all hostages.

“Human rights” sympathizers should be pressuring Hamas and supporting Israel’s necessary, moral and difficult effort to eradicate Hamas and liberate Gazans from its chokehold.

Howard Brown, North Kingstown

The writer is executive director of the R.I. Coalition for Israel.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Sunday letters: Better uses for defense spending; bridge decay; no to No Labels