Letter to the Editor: Stop the charade

To the Editor:

The author of the letter to the editor in the March 17 edition of The Standard claims that the Democrat Party, not the Republican Party, is the real party for  working class Americans. I would suggest otherwise.

She points out that not one Republican representing Iowa voted for the American Rescue Plan. All Iowans should applaud that vote.

The American Rescue Plan was promoted by the Democrat Party as a COVID relief package, which it is not. Only nine percent of the package goes for COVID relief. If the package had included $1400 for every citizen of the country, that would have cost, at most, $49 billion.

Instead we are saddled with $1.9 trillion which included hundreds of millions for museums and endowments for the performing arts, as well as millions more to pay for abortions.

The bill also includes billions to bail out poorly managed Democrat controlled cities and states, including New York, Chicago and California. I want to know how many Iowans think we should be paying for that.

The author claims the bill will reduce the number of Americans living in poverty by one-third. That remains to be seen. The Trump administration brought more people out of poverty and provided jobs for them than any administration in the last 50 years. Iowa farmers should be incensed by one portion of the bill which specifies 120 percent debt forgiveness for disadvantaged farmers of color. I am wondering which provision of the Constitution authorizes that.

The bill is a blatant attempt to buy votes. There was bi-partisan support for the four previous COVID relief bills. Had the Democrats stuck to COVID relief it would have been the same again.

Now I am wondering how the author thinks that the latest policies of this new Democrat administration will help the working class Americans. Does it help American workers to allow thousands of illegal immigrants into the country? We are at the highest level of unemployment in decades and now there are thousands of illegals coming who will be competing for jobs. If we need additional workers, especially in Iowa, we have a guest worker program already in place to fill those needs.

The Democrat Party is not the party for working class Americans. The Democrat Party is attempting the biggest power grab, for its party, ever seen in the country.  Stop the charade.

Lowell L. Engle
Harpers Ferry