Refusing to negotiate
In response to “Enough is enough” on March 22nd.
It is understandable that people see the Senate Democrats as denying funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The Senate Democratic minority wants accountability for ICE agents in the performance of their immigration responsibilities. That is a fair request considering what has happened mainly in Minneapolis where accountability has been sidelined over and over. And they want to address the detention centers and lack of due process for detainees.
The Senate Democratic minority wants to negotiate ICE funding, but it seems the Senate Republican majority doesn’t want any negotiations. The Democrats have put forth at least seven independent bills to fund TSA, the Coast Guard and FEMA. The Senate Republican majority has blocked those seven bills. Are the Senate Republicans really interested in solving the funding shutdown?
The mention of immigration reform under President Barack Obama seemed like a side comment. Immigration has not been addressed for over 40 years, well before Obama took office. That immigration reform was under President Ronald Reagan in 1986. It has been put to discussion in Congress on several occasions but has never gained traction and ultimately was shelved by both parties.
In 2024, there was a bipartisan immigration bill put forth by the Senate. That bill faced significant opposition and ultimately collapsed due to Republican objections, particularly influenced by then-presidential candidate Donald Trump. If immigration was such a big issue, why did Trump sideline it? Because he viewed it as a major point for his campaign, and the result is the chaos we see today.
As long as the Senate Republican majority refuses to negotiate with the Senate Democratic minority on ICE funding and accountability, nothing will happen, and the country pays the price.
Thurl Carmany, Ravenna
Data center inflation
Akron Beacon Journal, March 18: An “Ohio family could be paying $70 more per month by 2028,” due to new data centers. Wonderful. I love throwing my money away.
Data centers should be required to pay an upfront capacity fee to build greater production, and extra fees if their operations cause other incremental expenses. If you use it, pay for it.
Homeowners and small businesses should not supplement data center payment for electricity. If data centers are profitable, they should pay for their power. If they are not profitable, they should close down.
That’s how other business survive or expire.
Len Rose, Fairlawn
Wake up, Ohio
It is baffling how voters support the single party that continually thumbs its nose to the will of the people yet keeps getting elected.
An overwhelming percentage of Ohio voters approved protecting women’s reproductive health issues, yet the governor and the General Assembly go on their merry way to restrict those rights.
An overwhelming percentage of Ohioans voted to loosen marijuana laws, yet the governor and General Assembly have chosen to override the will of the people with absurd new constraints. Restrictions could easily be modeled after those placed on alcohol.
An overwhelming percentage of Ohio voters say they want common-sense gun control, yet the governor and the General Assembly liberalize gun ownership rights to absurd and deadly levels.
An overwhelming number of Ohio children attend public schools, yet the governor and the General Assembly reneged on a fair school funding formula, funneling more locally raised public tax dollars to private, parochial and charter schools than ever before. One public district after another are forced to cut millions of dollars in student programming due to increasing amounts of local funds going to for-profit and other non-public education schemes. You, Ohio, are subsidizing and supporting the privatization of education while sacrificing your neighborhood school.
An overwhelming number of Ohio voters are against gerrymandering and have said so several times, yet the governor and the General Assembly keep playing games refusing to abide by the spirit of the law and ignoring the will of the people.
Wake up, Ohio, and make the necessary change for a government that listens to the people and respects their intelligence and wishes.
Jodie M. Grasgreen, Akron
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Data centers should foot higher electric bills, not residents | Letter
Reporting by Akron Beacon Journal / Akron Beacon Journal
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