We need the pipeline tunnel

August 4, 2020

Making a living in Michigan these days isn’t always easy. Without access to Line 5, keeping work sites open would get a lot harder. That’s why we need to let Enbridge Inc. build the tunnel under the Mackinac Straits for the pipeline and keep Line 5 in good working order. We need the energy from Line 5 to heat our homes and businesses. That fuel is also used to create thousands of products, including products that my business uses every single day. And I know there are a lot of other businesses across the state that depend on those products, too. I don’t understand why some in ...

Best to drop off absentee ballots

August 3, 2020

Heavy, heavy pressure out there against mailed ballots. Mr. Trump insists that absentee voting is good, mail-in voting is bad. Clearly, this is a distinction without a difference. In Michigan, anyone who wishes may request an absentee ballot — no excuse, no reason necessary. The clerk will compare the signature on the ballot request to the signature on your voter registration. Oregon, Washington, Utah, Colorado and Hawaii have all gone to mail-in ballots. Four of those have been at it for several years, and have experienced NO increase in fraud. You may mail your ballot or hand-carry ...

Virus doesn’t care about your freedom

July 28, 2020

EDITOR: I have to make a comment or two about the mask thing. The doctors tell us that if we use them in any kind of public contact indoors or out, we will make a big difference in stopping the spread of this virus. Science in general tells us to wash our hands a lot, avoid touching our faces and, yes, wear the mask. The people who tell us this are the people of science and are educated in their various fields. Now we also have some people with an opinion talking about not wearing the masks and in fact doing nothing other than our normal lives. It is all about your personal ...

Venezuela failed under socialism

July 24, 2020

Venezuela has the largest oil reserves in the world, larger than Saudi Arabia’s. They just can’t get it out of the ground because socialism has destroyed the pricing system and government overspending and debt has caused hyperinflation of their currency, causing it to be worthless. In 1975, the government implemented a massive welfare state to transfer wealth with the goal of “eliminating income inequality” and took control of Venezuela’s entire petroleum sector to finance the program by oil profits. Over time those living below the poverty line fell from 50.4% (1998) to 33.6% ...

Amazing grace over fear, hate

July 23, 2020

EDITOR: I was at the peaceful protest June 28 in front of Charmaine’s Beauty Bar in Iron Mountain, hosted by Charmaine Cain, believed to be the only Black business owner in Iron Mountain, and her cousin, Tia, from Milwaukee. This was the fourth peaceful demonstration in Iron Mountain for unity and equality. The purpose of these gatherings is to bring attention to how our justice system in some circumstances does not serve people of color in communities around the country, as the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis on May 25 demonstrated. Our gathering in downtown Iron Mountain ...

Women veterans office proposed

July 22, 2020

EDITOR: Women veterans have always played an active role in the United States military, dating back to service to our nation’s first military in the Revolutionary War. Now, they serve all of us in roles in every branch of service, ranging from fighter pilot to intelligence analyst to infantry to medics and many, many more. These women who have signed up to serve our nation deserve our respect and support - and there are more than 43,000 women veterans in Michigan alone. Unfortunately, women veterans face challenges in returning to civilian life. Women veterans face higher ...