LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

To the editor: Plenty of actions cause our outrage

1/3/2018
Victor Gonzales shouts with a crowd before a speaking engagement by Ben Shapiro on the campus of the University of California Berkeley in Berkeley, Calif., on Sept. 14.
Victor Gonzales shouts with a crowd before a speaking engagement by Ben Shapiro on the campus of the University of California Berkeley in Berkeley, Calif., on Sept. 14.

Regarding Hugh Newitt’s Dec. 29 column, “2017 launched our addiction to outrage,” I am among those who are outraged.

I also read Jack Lessenberry’s Dec. 29 commentary on the MIDAS program employed by the state of Michigan to address fraud by those citizens drawing unemployment payments from the state (”MIDAS another example of out-of-touch Snyder administration”)

More than 50,000 citizens were accused of fraud, with less than 7 percent found to be guilty. Yet the lives of the innocent were turned upside down by a program ill-conceived and un-monitored or supervised. Why wouldn’t I be outraged? 

Then I read a Dec. 27 article, “FEMA sells used trailers at cut rates after just 18 months,” about purchases of new mobile homes at $150,000 a pop while retiring 18-month-old units by selling them for “cut rates” with no effort to renovate or upgrade them and return them to use. And yet 7,900 applicants are seeking housing assistance after Hurricane Harvey decimated southeastern Texas.

We are assailed daily by the actions of the greedy, the stupid, and indifferent. Why wouldn’t we be outraged?

LeROY DUNLAP

Holland

 

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Be creative with dementia patients

I was saddened to hear of the dementia patient who was lost and discovered dead (Dec. 28, “Dementia patient, 67, left care center”).

There is an easy solution to prevent such tragedies: Coon hunters and bird hunters commonly use tracking collars to find and recover lost dogs. The collars use a combination of GPS and radio waves. They are affordable, easily available, and have a range of several miles.

I feel certain that the companies who manufacture these devices would be happy to modify them to be used as bracelets or ankle-worn devices. 

PAUL DERRINGER

Defiance

 

There’s no need to accept tax cut

A bonus of $1,000 for 200,000 AT&T employees seems like a pretty good deal.

There must be a number of employees who are anti-Trump Democrats who oppose the reduction of corporate taxes. I see two choices: They can quit their jobs and join the protesters or they can give their bonus to the Clintons.

NED PLUMMER

Hagley Road

 

Republicans not fooling us

The recent images on TV of the Republicans congratulating themselves on the tax bill made me think of a thief who has stolen all of your money and pretends to be your friend by donating enough cash to buy you coffee and donuts to help you out.

No one is fooled by this scam.

RICHARD WILKINSON

288th Street