ISSUES: Back at you

Dear Rick, Bob and J.W.,

Thank you for your responses published on Jan. 5, 2022. To address a few of your combined points:

Border policy: The Wall — Only 47 of the promised 800 miles were built during the previous administrations’ tenure, so yes, this project was scrapped; Title 42 — still in effect; Vaccinations — starting Jan. 22, all nonessential foreign travelers must show proof of COVID-19 vaccination before entering the U.S.; and Number of immigrants — that’s 180,000 individuals caught in May 2021 (trending up since 2016), which tells me the border guards are doing a great job.

Afghanistan: Feb. 29, 2020, the previous admin signed an agreement with the Taliban which set the withdrawal for May 1, 2021, and included releasing 5,000 Taliban prisoners. The previous White House occupant said on June 26, “I started the process…they (the Biden administration) couldn’t stop the process…the only way they (the Afghanistan government) lasts is if we’re there.”

Defunding the police: Let me be clear, the police serve a very important role and are shouldered with a huge burden and to whom I am grateful. The purpose is to help the first responders by assisting the individuals/families before a #911 call is ever needed.

Government Spending: Income tax rates have consistently declined from 70% to 40.8% since the 1980s (other than H.W. Bush’s tenure). You’re correct, the top 5% of earners typically do pay 60% of income taxes, but that’s how a progressive tax system works to fund, among other things, Social Security and Medicare (socialist programs) which are roughly 43% of the Federal budget outlays.

Lastly, comparing anything to the Holocaust is done either in poor taste or ignorance. Please do not make that comparison again.

SHANE SMITH

Coeur d’Alene