As Congress negotiates the next COVID-19 relief bill, they should include provisions to stop it from being used as a Trump campaign tool.
After the first bill, the Trump administration arranged to have President Trump’s name printed boldly on the stimulus checks, which was unprecedented. And instead of the customary generic notice from the Treasury Department, the follow-up letter indicated that it came from the White House, with the salutation “My Fellow American,” signed by President Trump, touting his administration’s efforts.
The envelope indicated that it came from the IRS, making it hard to ignore. And postage and mailing costs were paid by the IRS.
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Ironically, a major reason we even need this relief is because Trump initially failed to act and then took so many deadly missteps in dealing with the pandemic. He has continued to downplay the danger and ignore the science, even during crowded campaign rallies.
The lives of millions of people have been ruined, yet Trump has accepted no responsibility for how badly he has handled this pandemic. He certainly shouldn’t be allowed now to use the taxpayers’ money for further self-promotion.
David J. Roberts, associate professor emeritus of accountancy, DePaul University
‘Cost saving’ is no reason to release murderers
I read with interest your article regarding release of aging “C” classification murderers. If cost-saving is the only justification for this, why not cost-save in the extreme and abolish prisons? There was no mention of how victims or their families might be impacted by the premature release.
Jennifer Soble mentions that one of her released clients “almost certainly was innocent.” Almost? Since the incarceration of this individual and others in the “C” category dates back to the 70s, wasn’t that sufficient time to prove innocence beyond a doubt if it was, in fact, the case?
Perhaps the recidivism rate of older former inmates is lower than that of younger parolees. But unless it can be guaranteed as zero, who wants them living on their street? I believe the mega-year sentences were intended to send future parole boards a message that parole for these offenders should never be considered. I don’t think cost-saving entered into consideration.
Ann O’Brien, Addison
Biden over Trump is an easy choice
Laura Washing has expressed the doubts about Biden that many worry about.
I did not support Biden in the primary, preferring a younger, more dynamic candidate. But he ultimately won the primary, and I now give him my full support.
He has never been the most articulate speaker, and is notoriously gaffe prone. But that having been said, he has a long record of accomplishment and was a most creditable and responsible vice president. He is well-liked by colleagues who know him best and is known to be honorable and ethical in his dealings with others. And he has the experience to be an effective president on Day 1.
He sincerely wants to make the country stronger economically and fairer to all of our people. He will provide leadership to control the pandemic and get our lives back to normal. He will truly have the best and the brightest people around him to help make fact based/science-based decisions to move this country forward.
Considering the Trump alternative of lies, corruption and incompetence, it is an easy choice, even if Biden doesn’t always keep it perfectly together!
Carol Kraines, Deerfield
A carbon tax
Thank you for the article “First heat-related death of season in Cook County reported in Oak Lawn.” Your report, along with last weekend’s uncomfortably warm temperatures, was a timely reminder that more and more local residents die every summer because humans are heating the planet.
We humans who have enjoyed the prosperity and convenience of cheap fossil fuels over the past century have an obligation to leave our children and grandchildren a habitable world.
We can do something about this before it’s too late: Put a price on carbon pollution, at the national level.
Economists broadly agree that a carbon tax is the single most effective way to reduce carbon emissions. Many also support returning the tax directly to households as a “dividend,” to protect middle- and lower-income Americans from suffering the effects of higher energy prices.
Judy Peres, Hyde Park
