To the editor:

While Jim Kaznica makes some good points about the early life of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in his May 15 letter, he misses many current facts that he and much of the public simply do not recognize.

Pollution levels are less now than they were 15 and even 10 years ago. However, the recent regulations imposed and being proposed by the Environmental Protection Agency, or EPA, in the past five years will not benefit most Americans. Electric rates have risen about 50 percent over the past five years largely as a result of unnecessary EPA regulations.

EPA cost-to-benefit studies are not backed by any facts. Most of the claimed benefits are projections based on better health as a result of less pollution. They simply fabricate the benefits and costs and portray them as “facts.” Philosophically, one must ask the EPA when are the final rules set, and when does it become unnecessary for making up new rules?

You can argue about global warming or global cooling. The reality is that no one knows which side is correct.

However, if the global warming crowd is correct, shutting down all use of fossil fuels worldwide still won’t stop the rise of CO2 levels. Even the global warming alarmists agree with that. So, what is their solution? A world with less people? How do we reach such a goal?

Saying utility company lobbyists are buying off state legislators is simply wrong. We have a federal law for renewable energy that allows a 30-percent tax credit for wind and solar capital costs, which is also coupled to the production tax credit for wind and solar of 2.2 cents per kilowatt-hour.

How did this law get passed, and were any politicians bought off to make this a law? Even the wind and solar executives will tell you that they cannot survive without the production tax credit. On the state level, utilities have been forced to offer solar rebates to customers, and the cost for these rebates is recovered by the other utility ratepayers. Is this fair? And, again you have to ask why is this being done and who benefits?

It’s dangerous to think without the effort required to be informed with the true facts. And, higher electric and gas bills are not something that I want unless someone can prove to me that the higher costs are justified. I’m from Missouri — show me — the true facts.