To the Editor:
I have become increasingly disgusted by Rep. Jeff Van Drew’s chameleon act since his conversion to the Republican Party. What does New Jersey have in common with Texas? I’ll give you a hint: nothing – except Van Drew of New Jersey aligned in common cause with Dan Crenshaw of Texas.
The common cause was a fact-deficient propaganda piece to, once again, rail against vaccine mandates (“Jeff Van Drew Stands Against Vax Mandates,” 10/13). This time it was for something so heinous as requiring vaccines if you are crammed into a train, plane or public transport to limit the possibility of infecting fellow travelers with COVID.
Van Drew represents a constituency in a region of New Jersey whose average full vaccination rate (56%) is nowhere near what’s needed to protect the community. Rather than encourage a sense of civic duty, community responsibility or, dare I say it, a belief in the power of modern medicine, Van Drew has chosen to rally around the “freedom” flag with the promise that the freedom to die from, or pass on, a virus means more than life itself. Why? Because it’s easy.
He’s also chosen the easy path with the discussion of raising the debt limit. He hasn’t admitted to the fact that the debt limit was raised three times during the Trump administration to the tune of $7.8 trillion nor did he vote against Trump’s tax giveaway to the wealthiest corporations and individuals, which sucked needed revenue from the nation’s coffers.
What did New Jersey get? We got shafted with the severe reduction of tax deductions for state and local taxes. This came on top of the fact that New Jersey ranks dead last in how much federal aid we get back, 79 cents for every tax dollar we send to Washington. Compared to the $2 back for every $1 that Kentucky is taxed I’d say New Jersey has been played. When did Van Drew decide he represented the Republican Party instead of the state of New Jersey?
I for one appreciate candor when discussing issues of vital national interest like the debt limit. Pretending that the debt limit represents future borrowing or that households somehow achieve the American dream by adhering to a budget and never borrowing is just piling falsehood on falsehood.
Where would any of us be if we never got an education loan, a car loan or a mortgage? Judicious borrowing is a path to wealth, not poverty. Be honest! The debt limit represents money the nation has already borrowed and spent. Raising the debt limit is on par with asking your credit card company to raise your credit limit so your card doesn’t get locked if the need for another purchase comes up. Should it be raised forever? No, but the way to bring it down is by increasing revenue, i.e. taxes, to pay off the debt or reducing spending. Let’s have that conversation instead of sound bites.
Ralph Thayer
Barnegat Light
"sound" - Google News
October 28, 2021 at 06:56AM
https://ift.tt/3Bkk3yP
Easy Sound Bites - The SandPaper
"sound" - Google News
https://ift.tt/2MmdHZm
Shoes Man Tutorial
Pos News Update
Meme Update
Korean Entertainment News
Japan News Update
No comments:
Post a Comment