Economics has nothing to do with who is president

The economic problems are largely due to COVID and the war in Ukraine

I've been reading posts on social media lately comparing the cost of various goods before President Biden took office to current prices. This is a story made up to divide us as a nation.

The current global financial situation is not limited to the United States. It has nothing to do with who is in power in Washington. It was largely caused by two events and compounded by a recent third tragedy.

The global COVID-19 pandemic began in early 2020 and disrupted economies and supply chains around the world. The recovery was slow worldwide.

Russia invaded Ukraine in early 2022, further disrupting key supply chains, particularly for food and petroleum products.

A container ship destroyed a bridge in Baltimore, blocking the country's eighth-largest seaport. This will have further impacts on the economy in the coming months.

None of these events were caused by Donald Trump. None of these events were caused by Joe Biden.

Just like the Great Recession of 2008, recovery will take time, regardless of who is in the White House.

Dan Shepherd

Palmer Township

Decades after World War II, we still have not learned a lesson

A failed Nazi plan to bomb a railroad in Pennsylvania, who would have thought? Not me. Thank you, Morning Call, for the information and the fact that Altoona's “Horseshoe Curve” was considered one of the world's engineering marvels.

The plot was orchestrated by Nazi spies in 1942 and only foiled by a Nazi apostate. Just remember folks, it was 1942 and our planet was small enough that Hitler's Nazis could be plotting on our east coast while Hirohito of Japan was attacking us in the west.

Almost a century ago, man did not understand that this destruction was no longer Tinkertoys. There are houses with people in them, workplaces, companies, churches, synagogues, hospitals, schools and much more. Total destruction only breeds more hatred and will never lead to peace. War and destruction is not the answer, it never was.

Glory of Senavit

Bethlehem

Mackenzie votes with the Democrats too often in Harrisburg

Have you noticed how Ryan Mackenzie answers a lot of questions with “As a state legislator…”? His actions clearly demonstrate that he is fully aligned with progressive Democrats in the legislature.

What has he done:

Election Integrity: Ryan voted with Democrats to pass Act 77, bringing mail-in voting to Pennsylvania.

Abortion: Ryan voted with Democrats to pass HB1786, which would prevent Pennsylvania police from arresting people for abortion crimes in other states.

Taxes: Ryan co-sponsored HB1416 and voted with all Democrats to increase pensions for teachers and state employees. Yet he brags that he will never vote for a tax increase!

So when you hear Ryan say, “As a state legislator…” you wonder how he will represent Washington's 7th Congressional District after such a dismal 12-year voting record with Democrats in Pennsylvania.

Vote for Kevin Dellicker.

Eugene R. French

Hanover Township, Northampton County

Don't trust the Republican Party when it comes to immigration

The latest untruth came from the eerily smiling mouth of Alabama Senator Katie Britt. A fact check revealed that her sex trafficking history did not occur in the United States. It happened in Mexico during George Bush's administration. Another example of Republicans trying to scare voters with stories about immigrant crime waves.

Instead of working to pass necessary legislation like military aid to Ukraine, Republicans are conducting sham impeachment proceedings as a political weapon. If they want to investigate actual corruption, they should impeach Judge Thomas in the Supreme Court.

One of their complaints against the Biden administration concerns the influx of immigrants from Mexico. Republican Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma and independent Senator Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona introduced a bipartisan bill that included all of the immigration policy changes demanded by Republicans. The GOP, led by MAGA captain Mike Johnson, refused to consider the bill because Trump urged them to reject it because it would have solved the problem that Republicans wanted as a campaign issue.

My advice: Anyone who is descended from immigrants to this country should not vote for the Republican Party of hate and falsehoods.

Mark Anderson

Longswamp Township

The terrorist attack in Moscow mirrored Putin's terrorist attack in Ukraine

After the recent ISIS attack on a Moscow music hall, Vladimir Putin called the massacre “a barbaric and terrorist attack” – the same words I would use to describe Putin's attack on a peaceful and democratic neighbor, Ukraine. The burned-out Crocus town hall looked very similar to the schools, hospitals and homes that Putin bombed in Ukraine. Both ISIS and Putin's military apparatus target civilians in order to terrorize them.

I am motivated to help the brave Ukrainian people resist Putin's brutal invasion. But Trumpist members of the US House of Representatives have been resisting the Biden administration's demand for an additional $60 billion in aid for Ukraine for months. For Ukraine, the bill is “the difference between victory and defeat,” according to David Kramer in The Hill.

The questions I have for MAGA House members are: Why did you abandon Ukraine? Why do you support communist dictator Putin? And when will you send the Ukrainians the bullets, grenades and rockets they need to defend their democracy?

Daniel A. Nickischer

Lehigh Township

Bethlehem aims to help minimize takeout waste

Bethlehem is a city full of great restaurants. This results in large amounts of waste that overwhelm our garbage cans and landfills.

We as citizens and consumers can do our best to minimize our single-use waste, but the city must step in to create a more effective system.

I am writing to urge the City of Bethlehem to establish a citywide eco-friendly restaurant program aimed at minimizing takeout waste. A program like this would provide local restaurants with reusable containers and create a process for returning them.

This program would help reduce Bethlehem's carbon footprint and minimize litter on our streets.

Emily Cohen

Bethlehem

The author is a senior at Lehigh University.

BALLOTS

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