This letter is in response to the Political Place piece written by David Goode, December 12 publication, My Sun Day News.
We know we are a country divided. Do we, at Del Web Huntley want to encourage this divide? What responsibility does the staff of this publication have towards its readers? Open dialogue is important. Lets keep the lines of communication open. I hope we can agree to disagree.
Dave made certain statements, but where is his factual information to backup his statements?
I will agree with Dave Goode, that the lack of bipartisanship in Congress is disturbing. However, President Biden shows remarkable leadership in working with a most difficult situation. His accomplishments, in spite of a divided Congress, are as follows:
Pandemic: One of his first acts was to get the pandemic under control by passing the American Rescue Plan. There were people suffering hardships. He didn’t deny the pandemic.
He worked swiftly in a situation that demanded action.
Gun safety: Biden signed into law the largest gun-safety bill to pass Congress in nearly 30 years. (WPR, June 25, 2022.)
Reliance on China: Because of Biden, The CHIPS and Science Act of 2022 passed which helped fund the manufacture of semiconductor chips in the U.S. instead of relying on China. (U.S. Dept of Congress, Sept 29, 2023)
America’s Defense: What did Trump do about Afghanistan while he was in office? The option the Trump administration chose, to stay in Afghanistan with a somewhat enlarged militaryCapacity was a bad option. This was not a strategy for victory. He did not work towards better governance and political process in the Afghanistan government. On May 14, 2022, Trump claimed there were no deaths in Afghanistan during his term. In fact, there were a total of 63 deaths. (Defense Casualty System for OFS database. May 17, 2022). President Biden was the only president who had the guts to pull us out of “a losing war.”
Economy: The unemployment rate fell to 3.7% in November 2023.Average hourly earnings, a key inflation indication, increased by 0.4% and 4% from 2022. The Gross Domestic product is on pace to rise at 1.2% in the fourth quarter with expected growth around 1% in 2024. (U.S.Bureau of Labor Statistics)
Climate: Trump denies climate change. If elected, Trump will likely pull the U.S. from the Paris Climate Accord. On August 16, 2022, President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law, an investment into clean energy and climate control. This created 170,000 clean energy jobs. The administration has given over a billion dollars to communities to build protection from the disastrous impact of climate change. (Wash Post, Aug 26, 2023) President Biden announced a billion-dollar investment to meet the critical ecosystem, restorationand environmental planning in the National Park Service. (nps.gov, Aug 8, 2023)
Infrastructure: President Biden signed the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act H.R. 3684 into law November 15, 2021, boosting America’s competitiveness and improving the quality of life for all Americans. This investment in our bridges, roads and airports, improves the safety of broadband connectivity in the U.S., upgrades our energy grid efficiency and resiliency.
Veterans: This administration cares about our veterans. Since taking office, President Biden has signed 30 bipartisan bills that expand access to health care, address veteran homelessness and support education and work opportunities for veterans. (WH. Gov Nov. 10, 2023)
I’m tired of hearing about MAGA. If you’ve ever traveled to a Third World nation, you know America is a great country, where we have opportunities not available to most people living in other countries. We have resources and the ability to learn and improve our lives. Yes, we have pockets of poverty, and shame on us for this! But most Americans live in comfort. In a Third World country, most people suffer at the expense of a few with power. I pray we never give any one man power at the expense of all.
Vivian Lenski
Sun City resident
