Letters: Dec. 20, 2018

Politicians failing at border control

There are better ways to manage our borders than to have our politicians, for decades, ignore and neglect this issue and then be surprised and shocked when caravans are headed our way! Time and again they tell us that we have to secure our boarders before we can fix immigration and then produce no laws that would control the border or address those who are undocumented. The caravan is a logical outcome for neglecting this issue for so long.

Setting aside Republican rhetoric about rapists, murders and terrorists, we need to recognize what we are actually dealing with. The people in the caravans are seeking asylum from political and gang violence. If so, then we should follow our laws in processing these people with all deliberate speed. Trying to discourage them with Mexican camps, minimal food and sanitary conditions and taking in only a handful each day is like treating a serious wound with a band aid.

Please recall that immigration was a major Republican campaign issue along with repealing and replacing Obamacare. After two years, this Republican administration has yet to produce any legislation that would restore health care or stabilize immigration.

A modest proposal for tax algorithm

Why don't we eliminate all corporate and personal income taxes and just borrow money for the entire budget from China, to be paid back by our children and grandchildren? Alternatively, it would not be terribly difficult to develop an algorithm that could compute corporate and personal tax rates that would, without any participation from Congress or the executive branch, set rates to produce income precisely commensurate with the expenses agreed upon by Congress and the president.

The beauty of the latter approach is that no party or individual could be blamed for raising taxes. (The algorithm made me do it!) The law to support this approach should require a super-majority to change the algorithm, ensuring that any changes are a bi-partisan effort.

The very existence of the national debt demonstrates that we as a nation have been living beyond our means for quite a long time. Some may assert that the debt proves that we cannot afford to assist the poor, the sick and the elderly, and others will assert that it proves we can't afford weapons sufficient to destroy any enemy 1,000 times over. What we really need is the courage to address the issue boldly and openly. Don't hold your breath.

No excuses for Trump rainout

Christine Brown should have won our (Fourth) district. She clearly stated some of the most pressing issues. Instead, we have Newhouse who ran on issues, “you know I support all those veterans and, you know, all those old people” as he strolled his farmland in his farmer chic outfit.

Then we have Trump unable to attend the WWI memorial because, “it is raining” he whined. But of course Trump doesn’t like dead soldiers or POWs. They aren’t heroes. He only respects heroes. There is a 94-year-old vet who travels every year from Pennsylvania to Germany to place a rose on the grave of a woman he shot because he thought she was the enemy. She was a grocery store clerk.

So what do we choose? Integrity or hypocrisy. I do believe that is a no brainer. And please no letters offering excuses for Trump. There are no excuses.