Letters to the Editor

The Art of Compromise

Dear Mr. Hazard,

I know you expect an answer from President-elect Joe Biden. But here is mine to your letter. 

One Party Rule. Read Constitution, Article II, sec. 1. The concept of electors did not make any sense then, and it does not make any sense now. The country is mature and informed enough to elect the president by direct vote. It would be truly unifying. The two-party system would survive Senate, House of Representatives, Governors, state assemblies. 

Unsustainable Debt. The last time we had surplus was during the last years of President Clinton. The Republican idea of debt control is cut the taxes, increase military spending, and blame debt on Social Security. The answer should be increase taxes, cut military spending, and fix Social Security on sustainable basis.

 Healthcare should be a right based on need. Common good requires us to provide healthcare to all at affordable costs. The healthcare should also include mental health and drug addiction. 

We know what works in education, and we do not need to reinvent the wheel. Just put enough resources to K-12. Our community college system is excellent preparation for vocational training. Let’s make it free. Our university system, except for Oxford University in Britain, is the best in the world. Let’s make it affordable to all that qualify.

Legal Immigration Reform. Yes, we need immigration reform. Let’s start with legalizing DACA. We have a conflict with need of cheap labor in farms and meatpacking industry, and highly trained doctors and scientists. It will require a lot of work to be fair and just. 

Shared Values. Make America Great Again is a false call. America was never great for a lot of citizens. We should follow President Obama’s call for a Promised Land and John Lewis’s call to form a more perfect union. Move forward!

Free Enterprise and Restore Economic Growth. The coronavirus disclosed that consumer spending drives the economy. Businesses, as it is now, get multitudes of tax breaks. The economic growth since 2009 was great. But it exaggerated the economic inequality. To make the economy grow, let’s start by increasing minimum wage to $15. Let’s establish safety net below which nobody falls down. 

Law and Order. The call is racist. It goes back to slave patrols, Jim Crow laws, and President Donald Trump calling “Fire the SOB.” There were hundreds of protest marches in the last four years. Women’s March of 2017 was probably biggest and most peaceful. The Black Lives Matter protests were mostly peaceful. But let’s keep perspective. You can fix broken windows, but George Floyd is dead. Very few cities saw any big, disruptive protests. It is estimated white collar crime cost $300 to $800 billion, while street level property crime cost $16 billion. 

Donna Handy

The Natural

I just read your article on Chris Tamas (“The Natural”). It’s a masterpiece, really. Beautiful. Deep. And well crafted, interwoven. You have a gift. Please keep me posted on your future writing efforts. I genuinely look forward to seeing where it goes.

George Tamas