Family-supporting jobs needed
Great article by Marc V. Levine, “Tale of two cities in inequality, lack of jobs,” in the May 24 Crossroads section.
Can it be any more obvious that this is the crux of the problem for our country’s inner cities? When manufacturing jobs started disappearing in the 70s to ensure lower production costs and thus deliver greater shareholder dividends, the result was a huge deficiency in the ability of our country’s economic engine to provide family-supporting jobs for residents of the inner cities.
It is so obvious and has been for a long time, but yet we can’t seem to do much about it. Until we as a society commit to addressing the situation, we will get more of the same: deteriorating conditions in the inner cities and the potential for more violent situations such as the one in Baltimore.
Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it), many of us are insulated from the inner city employment conditions, so we tend to point to the halfhearted efforts that are proposed to improve them and say we are trying. Then we say, “Well, it is their own fault. They could get out of there if they wanted to.”
Seriously, people, drive into the inner city and take a good, hard look. Can they all really “get out of there if they wanted to”? The inner cities of our country need familysupporting jobs, and we have to acknowledge that everyone can’t be an accountant or a computer programmer.
Nick Blasnig
Muskego
Go with science?
Perhaps the wars that are fought over God and religion are fought over an entity that doesn’t exist.
It is inherent in Einstein’s famous equation E=mc2 that something can come from nothing. In other words, the universe can create itself; it needs no assistance from a supernatural power.
Regarding the spread of militant Mohammedanism, Winston Churchill wrote: “and were it not that Christianity is sheltered in the strong arms of science — the science against which it had vainly struggled — the civilization of modern Europe might fall, as fell the civilization of ancient Rome.”
Perhaps it is time that we seriously question the verity of religion and go with science instead.
Questions for politicians
Esther Mattson
ACA has worked well for him
Mequon
What are some legitimate questions and honest answers about our two major political parties that need to be addressed at this time? I would like to suggest the following questions and answers.
Who do the politicians represent? Their respective political parties and themselves. What do they understand? The dishonest methods of deceiving United States citizens into thinking what they say is the truth. What don’t they understand? Lower and middle class needs and values. They are either millionaires or close to it.
What do they control? Political spending, especially the kind that benefits their political ambitions. What do they neglect to control? Aid to unfriendly nations, illegal immigration, military waste, political corruption and welfare abuse.
What are their political positions? Mostly far right ultraconservatives unable to recognize constructional change while stuck in their political quagmire or far left radical liberals who glorify government spending and a political economic system dying in a sea of debt.
What are their major accomplishments? Loss of revenue, public anger, political confusion, taxpayer disgust, waste of time and a realization of the need for a complete change of direction.
God bless America! We need it desperately and we need it now.
John Meisenheimer
Dousman
PolitiFact did a thorough job of debunking Sen. Ron Johnson’s insinuation that Russ Feingold was the deciding vote to pass the Affordable Care Act. Feingold was one of 60 votes.
But what about Johnson’s allegation that the ACA has “not worked out so well for Wisconsinites”? I rate that “Pants on Fire.”
From July 2009 to January 2014, I was uninsured — and resided in Wisconsin the entire time, as well as several years before. Thanks to the ACA, for 2014 and 2015, I have been covered.
I have seen a doctor for the first time in five years. I have a primary care physician should anything come up. I pay a share of the premium, based on my income, I also have copays, share of cost and an out-ofpocket maximum. When I filed my tax return for 2014, I had a few thousand dollars more income than I had estimated. That meant I owed a chunk of money back into the system. It took up about 80% of what would have been my income tax refund, but fair enough. At least I finally got my shingles vaccination.
In 2015, I found policies were available through the exchange that came with a health savings account. That saves me and the federal budget money on premiums; it means I can pay my own money into the account to pay for future medical expenses. Of course, I also have a higher out of pocket maximum. An HSA is not for everyone, but it is about the best idea that came out of the George W. Bush administration, and it works for me.
For this Wisconsinite, the ACA has worked out very well. The law could be improved. Perhaps employers who don’t provide medical insurance should be taxed a share for the tax credit subsidy given to any employee, based on exactly what fraction of 40 hours the employee works. That would be good for workers and taxpayers.
But the ACA is doing well compared to what we had before. What Wisconsinites is Ron Johnson talking about, anyway?
Charlie Rosenberg
Milwaukee