Jennifer Kiggans

Lifelines

Re “Data usage” (Your Views, Aug 13): The problem with rationing data based on whether its use is “essential” is obvious: Who decides what’s essential?

A video call may be entertainment to one person and a lifeline to another. Social media can be mindless scrolling or someone’s livelihood. Artificial intelligence can generate silly pictures or help someone understand a medical or legal document.

And why stop with data? We could conserve electricity by deciding which television programs are worthy of watching, save water by determining which gardens deserve watering and reduce gasoline consumption by deciding which trips are important enough to take.

The environmental impact of data centers is a legitimate concern. But giving someone the authority to decide which uses of the internet are worthy — and charging or rationing accordingly — creates a much bigger problem.

As for “nonessential” data use, I’ll decide what qualifies — and I’d rather watch dogs skateboarding than cat videos anyway.

Debbie Beck, Virginia Beach

Water leaks

It is very enlightening that the Newport News Waterworks wishes to hold sessions to educate the public about how the department works. It might be important to customers of NNWW to understand just how long it takes to receive a leak adjustment. My normal bill is around $35, so when it was $150.08 I had cause for concern.

I am a widow living in a condominium with no outside faucet. It is now three months later and still no adjustment. I immediately called my insurance and a plumber was sent to find a leak; still a high bill came. NNWW sent an employee to check the meter, which was still showing a leak. A second plumber was called, found the leak and repaired it. I have filed all the necessary paperwork to facilitate this request. I have called several times to see why it takes so long to correct the bill since it also makes for a very high Hampton Roads Sanitation District bill.

It is my understanding that there is only one person at NNWW to make these adjustments. Maybe rather than educational sessions, NNWW should hire some help for the adjustment employee considering this area has many thousands of customers.

Jacqueline A. Peters, Newport News

No champion

U.S. Rep. Jen Kiggans portrays herself as a champion of healthcare for seniors. Actually, it is difficult to find evidence of her being a champion of healthcare for any of her constituents. As a member of the House Republican majority, she failed to extend the Affordable Care Act tax credits resulting in millions of Americans losing their health insurance. Kiggans supported the GOP reconciliation bill that imposed restrictions on the ability of the states to fund Medicaid coverage. This bill hurts rural hospitals and could affect the almost 1 million non-elderly veterans losing Medicaid coverage. As a veteran herself, Kiggans should have known better.

In the nearly four years that Kiggans has been in Congress, she has participated in adding roughly $9 trillion to the national debt, which now exceeds $40 trillion. This amounts to a debt of $117,000 for every American. The nation is now paying more than $3 billion per day in interest on this debt. Kiggans never talks about the national debt or what action she is taking to mitigate its negative effects on Hampton Roads and Virginia.

Interest payments on the nations’ debt drive up borrowing costs and add to inflation. The daily tab of $3 billion is not going to lower the cost of living. When combined with tariffs and the Iran war that she supports, the burden placed upon Virginians is almost overwhelming. In reality, Kiggans is not actually a champion for any of her constituents.

Tom Banford, Chesapeake