Letters to the Editor

Some are saying asking a citizenship question during the 2020 census would result in an undercount due to fear by certain members of our population. This, in turn, would result in reduced federal Medicaid, WIC supplemental food grants, Title 1 educational grants and perhaps the greatest: political fear of redistribution based on the voting population versus total population.

But let’s be clear: all of these issues are because of illegal aliens skewing the issue; they are the ones fearful of the question. They are not U.S. citizens and do not deserve any of the benefits reserved for citizens in need. They are economic migrants from the third world pouring into our country, taking jobs from Americans or diluting wages. Continuing to care and feed them results in higher taxes, bigger government and loss of efficiency from excessive overhead.

Who is hurt worse? Isn’t it blue collar workers-the Democratic base? So why would Democratic leadership be resisting this question? It is easy to see. Ultimately it leads to more government, more taxes and most U.S. citizens unable to make a living due to job loss and/or wage dilution becoming dependent upon government social programs — that is more Democratic political control. No wonder so many workers abandoned Hillary in the last election. You might ask if people are fed up with the political class living higher on the hog and doing nothing substantive for our country.

President Trump may be unlikeable personally, but he is disrupting the political class whose sole ambition is to stay in power and reverse the 2016 election, versus doing what is right for our country. We need to pray for our president and ask the citizenship question on the next census.

Thomas E. Brazier

Lt. Colonel, USAF (retired)

Tyler

NO JUSTIFICATION

U.S. military spending for 2018 was $649 billion compared with $61.4 billion for Russia. Yet Russia was able to successfully influence the outcome of our presidential election to pick a pathological liar who heaps praise on the likes of Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un, and drove the U.S. into record debt. Mr. Trump, and his campaign, welcomed the help of Russians, has indicated that he would do it again, and said “If I thought there was something wrong, I’d go — maybe to the FBI.” There you have it. He saw nothing wrong with accepting information from Russian sources, yet he lied about it to try to cover it up. If you doubt my word, read the “Report on the Investigation into Russian Interference in the 2016 Presidential Election.”

Congressman Justin Amash tweeted, “…I initially fell for AG Barr’s March 24 letter of principal conclusions — but then I read Mueller’s report.” If you don’t want to read it all, at least read the executive summaries. If you choose not to read at all, you can listen for free from a variety of online sources. Also, the Trump campaign had at least 140 contacts with Russian nationals and WikiLeaks, or their intermediaries, during the 2016 campaign and presidential transition yet brazenly lied about them to the American people.

There’s no justification for continuing to excuse Trump’s corrupt, destructive and traitorous behavior.

Michael Tolbert

Tyler

TRIAL DELAYS

If William Shakespeare thought the law’s delay was a problem in his time, he should live in Smith County and observe the delay shenanigans in the Zavala-Garcia trial. It is three years and counting and even though this year is barely half over, the court has already announced that the trial won’t be held until next year. Is anyone willing “to bet the farm” that the trial will be held then? Not me.

Stephen Thompson

Tyler