News & Articles

Goodbye, politics

For those of you who have read my “Letters-to-the-Editor” for the past 2+ years it is now my New Year’s Resolution to say “Goodbye to Politics.” For those of you who have read my letters you know that I am a Republican and a Trump supporter! My decision is not based upon the protest at the U. S. Capitol but more on the personal toll it has taken on my family and my relationship with my wife. I do not condone the violence at our sacred U. S. Capitol but it was absolutely the response to the fraudulent election (not Trump’s speech) and 4 years of the Democrat’s attacks on Trump. As of this writing, I suspect more violence will occur.

So, not sure if I will be writing any more letters but time will tell.

P.S. – Democrats: “Careful what you wish for”! Instead of America 1st, now America last!
 

Chuck Bracken
Cannon Falls, Minnesota

The oath of office

Pete Stauber was one of 126 Republicans who signed on to the Texas lawsuit. He said it was in no way an attempt to overturn the results of the election. The goal was transparency and integrity. The fact is that the law-suit wanted to invalidate every vote in four states that cemented Trump’s loss. Every vote. The Supreme Court tossed it out.

On January 6th a mob incited violence at our nation’s Capitol. Rep. Stauber says he was “disappointed” in Trump but doesn’t support impeachment.

On Jan. 13, 2021, Stauber voted with GOP members NOT to impeach Trump. According to Duluth’s Reader newspaper, I quote Stauber: “It is imperative that leaders across the nation take this moment to unite our country. I believe efforts to impeach the president contradict the idea of unity and will only further divide our already divided nation.”

On MPR News, Stauber said “the tone of politics on both sides needs to calm down. The impeachment proceedings against Trump will continuously divide this country and not heal.”

House Republican Liz Cheney is currently being persecuted by fellow Republican Matt Gaetz of Florida. He is calling for McCarthy to expel her from office because she was one of 10 Republicans to vote in the House for impeachment. She did nothing illegal or wrong. She took her Oath of Office seriously and voted accordingly.

Elected people are servants of the people. They are required to take the Oath of Office in which they swear to support and defend the Constitution against enemies. They swear allegiance to the Constitution, and they swear to do their job well. They do not swear allegiance to a President, political party, ideology or agency.

The intent of the Oath is to protect the public from a government that might fall victim to political whims. So where are we now?

I fear too many elected officials vio-late their Oath of Office. Lawmakers need to stand up and say, I took an Oath of Office. That Oath gives me permission to vote against anyone or anything that threatens that Oath.

In the future, let’s be careful who we vote for. Democracy is fragile. Let’s demand truth over conspiracy & the Constitution over political ambitions.

Mary Ann Markas
Buhl, Minnesota

Tiffany showing his ignorance

In the Jan. 22 edition of his weekly e-newsletter “The Tiffany Telegram” Representative Tiffany notes that the new administration “chose to commit America once again to the Paris climate accord and unilaterally nixed the Keystone pipeline in mid-stream,” and asserts that “these moves will kill thousands of jobs, boost energy costs for those who can least afford it, undermine our hard-won achievement of energy independence, and harm the American economy – while allowing China, Russia and other countries to grow their economy with no restrictions.” 

If rejoining the Paris climate accord is such a bad idea for our energy independence and the American economy, I wonder why Exxon-Mobil, Chevron, the American Petroleum Institute, the U.S. Chamber of Com-merce, and Business Roundtable (“an association of chief executive officers of America’s leading companies working to promote a thriving U.S. economy”) all support it.

Bill Bussey
Bayfield, Wisconsin

Payback

Donald “abandoned” his mob after getting them all fired up to attack and trash our Capitol building and assault our police officers standing guard. Now angry, seeing their leader as a spineless, lying coward, perhaps attacking his Mar-a-lago retreat might be their sweet revenge.

Ann Martin,
Duluth, Minnesota

Smart borrowing

When I was growing up (being raised by “the Greatest Generation”), it was common to teach children certain values. Some of those values today are in conflict with capitalism and corporatism. Who should win?

One value stated that we don’t go back for “second” helpings at a dinner until everyone else has at least had a “first.” When I was young, of course I didn’t like this idea but I followed it. I didn’t have to follow it out of fear of punishment, but I followed it out of wishing to be a part of the larger family. As I got older, I was able to see the reason for this value.

Right now we’re facing an economic challenge due to Covid-19. Democrat President Biden wants to initiate a $1.9 trillion plan to help us all out. Republicans say it’s too much, pressing for only $600 billion. Not long ago Republican President trump was happy to hand over $1.5 trillion to the 1% who needed it least: the wealthy, in a case of going back for seconds, thirds, and fourths before others even had a first. (Let trump be trump? That’s trump, all right!)

The $1.9 trillion is meant to help bail us out, keep us all afloat. We will have to borrow the money, whether it’s $1.9 trillion or $600 billion, and naturally must pay it back through our taxes. Who will pay back the most, low income people, or those already wealthy?

Should we try to scrape by on $600 billion? I’ve had 2-3 businesses, and if endeavors aren’t properly bankrolled and funded, most will likely fail, even those that would be expected to do pretty well.

A. Martin
Merrifield, Minnesota