Letters to the editor | Sunday, Feb. 2, 2020: The Howze-Harder race for Congress takes a nasty turn

Political attack based on misinformation

Thanks to The Bee for clarifying the issue of the veteran seeking VA assistance.

This highlights a serious problem in our political system. Howze should have done more research before he accused Harder’s office of not providing assistance. But the circumstances are too tempting not to take a cheap shot at hard working people doing their best to serve constituents. Even when the real story comes out, the damage is already done. Howze throws a nonprofit under the bus to make himself look like an interested citizen being duped.

It should be noted that Howze did not work through the VA system but used the easier “a friend of a friend” to appear to be the rescuing knight. The effectiveness of this political chicanery can be seen in the response by the daughter of the vet: “I’m pretty sure we are going to vote for Ted.”

This man represents us

Re-elect Josh Harder for Congress. Until he took office, I hardly knew we had a representative in Congress. He is an incredibly accessible, energetic, thoughtful, and responsible representative for our Valley. He has had more town halls than 95% of other members of Congress. He has brought to the Valley more than $20 million in grants for local infrastructure and organizations. He helped local families receive in excess of $500,000 owed them by the VA, IRS, Medicare, and other agencies.

For the future, he is working on expanding water resources here, helping end homelessness, and making healthcare more affordable. One thing that really impressed me at one of his town halls is how respectfully and completely he responds to questioners who obviously do not share his politics. I believe that Josh Harder is working harder for us than any other candidate opposing him could possibly do.

The best kind of public servant

I’m tired of politicians who talk about public service but have never actually served. Our country desperately needs leaders who think “country first” and themselves last. I am convinced that based on his record of service and sacrifice, Bob Elliott is the leader we need in Washington, D.C.

Bob served our country for over 30 years in the United States Army and retired as a colonel. He even joined the ranks of the legendary Green Berets. As a county supervisor, he made tough choices and got the budget balanced — with no new taxes. That is what we need more of in Washington.

Bob Elliott has spent his life serving the cause of freedom, when politicians were playing political games and wasting taxpayer money. We need to send him to Washington, D.C. to clean up the mess. Send a Green Beret to fix Congress!

Overlooking what is unappetizing

I am puzzled why many Republicans support President Trump. His words, beliefs, and actions seem contrary to what most Americans expect from a president. Then it came to me: Trump supporters are like people who visit cafeterias, selecting only foods they enjoy from an assortment of possibilities. They ignore bad-tasting things and pick out something they like. Examples:

• Trump has told the American people approximately 14,000 lies since taking office; “But he’s against gun control, so that doesn’t matter.”

• Trump’s words and actions indicate that he has no respect for women; “But he’s against abortion, so that doesn’t matter.”

• Trump is a racist and a bigot; “But he’s keeping dark-skinned immigrants from entering our country, so that doesn’t matter.”

• Trump’s ignorance regarding climate change and the environment is harmful to the planet; “But he’s getting rid of all those regulations that keep businesses from making more profits, so that doesn’t matter.”

It’s sad that so many Republicans can ignore so much when deciding how to vote.

What might he do next?

This letter is to Mitch McConnell and Republican senators: If you allow lawlessness with the president of the United States, it is time for us to open our prisons and allow the prisoners freedom. The laws of courts would become useless.

Is this the example you want to set as our representatives? If you exonerate our president of his misdeeds, it will will give him free rein to continue in his lawlessness without fear of retribution. I ask you to stand up to your responsibility and represent us, your people. Keep the law of this land for which you were sent to the Senate.

Why impeachment makes sense

To accept the argument by congressional Republicans and administration lawyers that the current impeachment process is an effort to nullify the 2016 election is to ignore two key points.

First, the Constitution’s framers established Congress’s impeachment power to defuse presidential corruption by allowing indictment and removal from office, thus considering the president always and necessarily removable (they did not stipulate election-year exceptions). The argument that impeachment and removal undo the prior election could be made against any such effort and would effectively neuter the constitutional impeachment provision. Surely, the framers would find that argument laughable, which is why it has not figured prominently in any previous impeachment process.

Second, because the current House of Representatives was elected directly by the people in 2018, its impeachment of the president is an even more direct and recent reflection of the will of the people than was the president’s loss of the popular vote in 2016. The attempt by the administration and Senate Republicans to obstruct and delegitimize its actions is therefore a direct assault on the results of the 2018 election.

Keep tax money in America

For taxpayers looking in on this impeachment trial, we can now see what they have all been doing while we foot the bill. The impeachment trial has become an exposé, letting citizens have the opportunity to witness where our tax money has gone through the years. It is revolting to see billions of dollars poured into a useless building overseas that not anyone is interested in using.

The harder the citizens work, the more we pay. Now we know why.

Iran attack did harm U.S. soliders

Our narcissistic twitterer-in-chief explains to us that he does not consider brain trauma to be a serious condition. This is in response to recently released information that 34 soldiers suffered concussions during the Iran missile attack on two military bases.

About half have subsequently returned to duty and some are still receiving treatment in Germany and the others are being treated in the United States.

He boasted several times to his base and others that there were no injuries, but now says the concussions and brain trauma are not serious — certainly not as serious as his supposed bone spurs which exempted him from military service but have since healed sufficiently enough so that he can take an occasional break from his golfing and limp back to the White House.

This candidate Berns brightly

There is an old saying, “A man cannot ride two horses at the same time.” Candidates who hold fundraisers in wealthy people’s living rooms and then claim to represent working Americans are being hypocritical. Bernie Sanders has received the largest number of donations of any candidate for president in history up to this point, with an average donation of $18, and is the only top-tier candidate with no billionaire donors. The former chair and longtime member of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, Sanders has a longtime proven track record of standing up for veterans and ensuring they and their dependents receive the care and benefits they are entitled to.

Among other things Sanders will implement as president are: 1. Eliminate the VA benefits backlog, fully fund the VA, and stop the privatization of the VA. 2. Fill the nearly 50,000 vacancies at the VA in his first year. 3. Provide $60 billion to repair, modernize and rebuild VA infrastructure. 4. Expand the VA’s Caregivers Program together with mental health services for veterans. 5. Reform harmful VA regulations that restrict access to care and benefits based on character of discharge.

This story was originally published February 2, 2020 at 5:05 AM with the headline "Letters to the editor | Sunday, Feb. 2, 2020: The Howze-Harder race for Congress takes a nasty turn."