Letters: Nov. 22, 2019

U.S. presidents are term limited

Facts matter. I want to respond to Ira Johnson letter in the Nov. 14 paper. The only factual statement in your letter is Donald Trump is our president. Check the facts: We do have term limits for president, a total of two terms, eight years max. We need term limits for Congress. President Trump is far from a career politician. Ira, you seem to be making the case that Trump got wealthier as president, he is losing money and does not take a salary. He was a billionaire before he became president. If you look at a large percentage of Democrats and some Republicans, a lot of them became millionaires in office. Great example: Maxine Waters, who has been in public life for her entire career. She is now worth millions. How does that happen as a public servant? Nancy Pelosi is one of the richest women in America. Same thing a public servant her entire life.

It’s time all Americans come together and support our president and help make our country better, not attack a sitting president. Stop all the false charges, and let’s help our homeless especially in Nancy Pelosi’s district. She has millions of supporters (who) are broke.

Thanks to drivers who are courteous

I want to thank every driver in Richland who pays attention to traffic signals and gives people using crosswalks the right of way. There are many of you and your patience is appreciated, especially as winter approaches and the days get colder.

For those who decide not to check crosswalks, or are determined to run red lights, remember you’re in a heated vehicle able to move in a split second. If you were out in a cold, only able to move as fast as your feet are capable, perhaps you’d learn that waiting a few seconds for the rest of us is worth it.

Do the work to be enlightened voter

The Hanford cleanup program is nearly pure socialism; if staff doing the actual work were government employees, like the healthcare workers in the VA healthcare system are, Hanford cleanup would certainly meet the precise definition of socialism. It’s sad that the term, “Socialism,” has been nurtured by Republicans to become a pejorative with no particular meaning, and much of the electorate has been trained to respond angrily to the word, much like Pavlov’s dogs were conditioned to salivate when food was suggested in many possible ways.

All this nonsense about our drift to socialism is no more than simple advocacy for expanded access to healthcare for every American. Of course, this alleged drift could be reversed if employers like Wal-Mart paid their employees enough to purchase health insurance and food. Food stamps and Medicaid sound to me more like Christianity, not socialism.

I’m simply suggesting that everyone should do sufficient homework to understand specific proposals made by any candidate. Don’t accept fake assertions of socialism by candidates; assess every proposal on its specific merits or defects. Our democratic republic is in genuine danger. It’s really important that we do the work necessary to become enlightened voters and get America back on the right track.

Where will Trump tower go up next?

I have no way to know how much Putin spent helping Donald Trump win the 2016 election. Similarly, there is no way to know how much impact Putin’s help had on the results. However, if it were possible put a dollar value on the damage the Trump regime has had and continues to have on the United States and the benefits that have accrued to Putin and like-minded dictators as a result, it’s safe to say that Putin would have gotten a tremendous bargain even at 100 times the cost.

I wonder if there really is a Trump Tower coming soon to Moscow, Damascus or Ankara.

This story was originally published November 22, 2019 at 12:01 AM with the headline "Letters: Nov. 22, 2019."