We tax and spend as one nation, one people
Published 1:30 am Sunday, August 10, 2025
Can we just stop with the belief in the rights of Americans to keep that money that they earn, deciding for themselves what to give away and downplay the “greedy” government’s role in their lives. Nothing screams, “civics education is necessary!” more than Todd Welch’s latest column (“It’s our money; we know where, how it’s used best,” The Herald, Aug. 6). The spree of climate Disasters to descend on the U.S. in recent years alone, should have everyone alarmed? Most people, thanks to the devolving Trump economy can barely get by, as it is, and the GOP wants them to handle a disaster too, all on their own?
Government is supposed to protect its people, not harm them. Granted, overtaxing can do that very thing. Waste, fraud and abuse are real. But you don’t get rid of programs that work to prevent the troubles that you foresee ahead. Well, not unless you’re Donald Trump. I’ll have another Biden economy, thank you. World affairs aside, we were coming out of a pandemic that Trump ignored and the economy was on the trajectory to a positive outcome for all, if not most. Now, it’s backsliding and someone doesn’t want you to figure out how incompetent and corrupt he is.
USAID was pennies on the dollar and coordinated help on a mass scale and created goodwill around the world. In Trump’s economy, gone. FEMA, with the help of climate scientists, coordinated efforts ahead of hurricanes, in order to move quickly once it hit and save lives. Almost gone. Can you prevent a bridge from collapsing? How would you alone build one back up? Government is what we are supposed to do collectively for “the people”, i.e. everyone!
I’ve written before, that I was sick and tired of jars that sat on store counters, begging for spare change to help pay for a sick family member’s health care, with or without insurance. Now, they’ve moved to Go Fund Me websites, but still, why should someone’s health be dependent on how many clicks they can get?
We are a rich country, no matter what some say. We can afford to join the other nations that put their constituents first and not their donors. Paying real attention can go a long way. The likes of Joe Rogan and friends are starting to find that out. How about you?
Nancy Cooper
Stanwood
