Dropping the ball on blatant government corruption
It concerns me that we’ve dropped the ball on the Hunter Biden/Burisma corruption case. He was paid a million dollars per year to sit on the BOD simply for having the last name of Biden (and a B.A. degree in history from Georgetown, a Law degree from Yale Law School). He failed to pay $1.4 million in taxes on this income. A fee he did pay later. Outrageous behavior.
Can we address some of the corruption that is now happening in the current Trump Administration? Jared Kushner, our unpaid (does not have to make ethics/financial disclosures) Middle East envoy has huge financial conflicts of interest with no visibility. Jared’s firm Affinity Partners received $2 billion from the Saudis and hundreds of millions more from the Qataris and Emiratis, the same Emiratis who are asking for a bailout of hundreds of millions from the Trump regime. Or, the billions of dollars the Trump boys have profited from connections with the sultans and sheikhs of the Middle East. Or, their bid awards for government contracts in robotics and drone production. Can we look at the $150 million Crypto investments for Barron Trump?
Do I hear any outrage from the Republicans?
Bruce W. Paulson, Winter Haven
Trump World Cratering
Recent polls indicate that President Trump’s numbers are dropping like a stone. This “go it alone” situation in Iran is rattling global markets and driving up prices. Agricultural products are oil dependent and expensive, and apparently in short supply. The price of groceries are through the roof. Grocery chains are being allowed to indulge in profiteering. In Trump World, there are no guardrails.
Ask a Trump supporter about the current state of affairs, you still get “better than Kamala,” “Biden’s inflation” and “open borders.” Not much about Trump’s leadership. There is that stubborn 33% that will never say a bad thing about him. If you push too hard on Trump and his relentless distortion of truth, his followers become belligerent.
When inflation struck during Biden’s presidency (COVID was the culprit) Trump lamented: “What happened to my beautiful economy?” The truth of it is that he was handed a perfectly good economy from Obama and didn’t screw it up. It’s not unlike Trump to take credit for someone else’s work.
I see the midterms on the horizon. Bet Trump will do everything in his power to bend the rules (dare I say cheat?) to his advantage. Yeah, I will say cheat.
Paul Foks, Winter Haven
Attack on correspondents’ dinner
Our rights end where others’ begin. It is a delicate balance. The Bill of Rights was written to create a just balance. (A work in progress). The recent attack on the White House Correspondents’ Dinner calls this balance into question.
Unpaid Secret Service agents, Coast Guard, Cybersecurity and others, doing an outstanding job; unpaid because many see ICE as a rogue police force, masked officers, operating in civilian clothing without ID, killing American citizens, working without judicial warrants, holding others in unsanitary conditions denying them access to their constitutional rights, and deporting them to countries that don’t speak their language, to meet a quota. Many see this as authoritarian stepping stones to control future elections.
Reminds me of World War II, the U.S. government forcibly relocated and incarcerated about 120,000 people of Japanese descent, most of whom were American citizens, in internment camps due to fears of espionage following the attack on Pearl Harbor. Authorized by Executive Order 9066, signed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
“History is always repeating itself, but each time the price goes up.” — Will Durant
Robert Connors, Lakeland
Pet Peeve: Litter
I always read the letters on the editorial page of the Ledger on Sunday, and lately most of the letters are political in nature either leaning to the “left” or leaning to the “right.”
This is not that kind of letter. It’s about my pet peeve, litter. The only “left” here is litter should not be left on our streets, sidewalks or anywhere else. The only “right” here is putting litter in a trash container is the “right” thing to do.
So, my letter is to encourage every reader to pick up, throw away properly and don’t litter in the first place. Please teach your children this also. If you teach them when they’re young, it will stay with them for life.
My definition of litter: An ugly blemish on the face of our beautiful country! Don’t do it and if you see it, pick it up.
Sandra Hinchman, Lake Wales
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This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Dropping the ball on blatant government corruption (Voice)
Reporting by Lakeland Ledger / The Ledger
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