Letters to the Editor: Don’t use Biden’s infrastructure plan as an excuse to pave over nature

To the editor: The American Jobs Plan put forth by President Biden speaks of competing with China. (“Biden’s plan to upgrade almost everything is worth every trillion,” Opinion, April 2)

With a population roughly five times the size of the United States, China over the past years became the world’s biggest polluter as it has developed an infrastructure for global market competition. Its mass market approach works as an economic weapon set to overwhelm anyone indulgent enough to engage them.

There is no need for us to try to outdo China, when in reality for the sake of the environment and our collective wellbeing, we should all be reining in our material aspirations. Without putting limits on traditional infrastructure capacities such as roads, energy and airports, the jobs plan is environmentally unsound.

Instead of building widgets, may we rather cherish the value of nature. It is healthy forests, wetlands and other natural infrastructure that ultimately determine our well being.

May the American Jobs Plan be rewritten to develop and expand our natural infrastructure and thus truly work for a sustainable, secure future.

Robert Stumm, Hampton, Va.

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To the editor: Biden unveiled his $2.3-trillion “infrastructure” plan last week. Most Americans support and think of infrastructure as roads, highways, bridges and waterways, yet it is rather incredible that this plan also includes billions for affordable housing, childcare facilities and increasing home healthcare.

This is hardly what we think of as infrastructure.

It looks like Biden, the so-called moderate, is being led by the progressive wing of the Democratic Party with its insatiable desire to build government bigger than it has ever been. It is the American people whose children will be saddled with this debt for generations to come.

Janet Polak, Beverly Hills