Dear Editor:
After Jerry Raski previously stated in his most recent letter (January 5) that secularism is immoral, we should stop talking about “divisive issues” like abortion.
Raski complains that everything is terrible. Most of Raski's claims are pure nonsense, but I agree with him that we need to address the long-standing problem of illegal immigration. But not through Trump’s idiotic “wall,” which can be circumvented with a shovel, a ladder, or a saw.
Abortion is fundamentally a question of freedom. The anti-freedom crowd complained that women were able to make their own decisions about reproductive health for 50 years until Trump-appointed U.S. Supreme Court justices abolished that right. Now that they have denied women the freedom to make their own decisions, anti-choice voters say we shouldn't talk about it because it's “divisive.”
Meanwhile, despite Raski's nonsensical statements to the contrary, our economy continues to improve under President Biden's leadership.
Inflation is a complex topic that cannot be adequately explained in a narrow space. The main cause of the recent spike in inflation has been an imbalance in the supply chain. This is similar to inflation after World War II.
The recent inflation was due in large part to the pandemic, which curbed demand. When Biden finally contained the pandemic, demand skyrocketed and supply temporarily couldn't keep up.
The second problem was Putin's treacherous invasion of Ukraine, which led to a rise in oil prices. Both causes triggered inflation worldwide.
Although much of the news media has not yet grasped the reality, the good news is that inflation is easing. The Federal Reserve targeted inflation with the tried and tested strategy of raising interest rates. The Fed's target measure of inflation, personal consumption expenditures, has been below 2 percent over the past six months.
Typically, an increase in interest rates leads to increased unemployment. However, thanks to Biden's Inflation Reduction Act and his infrastructure investments, unemployment is only 3.7 percent.
Stocks are near record highs. Mortgage interest rates are falling. Consumer confidence is rising. Our economy is the envy of the world.
US oil production is at an all-time high. Gasoline prices have fallen to about $3/gallon (national).
Local gas prices remain stubbornly high due to a variety of factors. While national economics plays a role in the local economy, the local economy is also based on local conditions.
Despite the gloom and doom that some proclaimed, to quote my former boss, it is morning in America!
Frank Waxman,
Salida
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