If a business can’t be profitable, it will go out of business. Young Brothers was not sending profits to Saltchuk “during good times and then seeking a bailout from the state during bad,” per critics (“Lawmakers pave way for Young Brothers’ regular rate hikes,” Star-Advertiser, May 13) . Young Brothers was repaying the debt owed to Saltchuk for bankrolling the cost for building three new tugs so they could continue to service our islands.

Columnist Cal Thomas attacked the Pope’s comments on Donald Trump’s Iran war (“Pope might be righteous, but he is wrong about Iran war,” Star-Advertiser, May 12). He cites Iran as evil, as Ronald Reagan did the Soviet Union. Thomas falsely says Iran seeks Muslim world domination.