To the Editor:

The Congress has to finalize the Big “Bad” Bill (for most of us) by Oct. 1 or face a government shutdown. This means Congress still has the rest of September to “fix” the worst parts of this bill if they want to before the final vote by Oct. 1. 

Like any parent or guardian, Katie Clubb wants to provide nutritious food for her grandchildren. Clubb, a Canton resident, said with rising grocery prices, SNAP benefits don’t adequately cover healthy options for anyone in her household. 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture for fiscal year 2024 reported that the average person received $187.20 in SNAP — Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program — per participant, per month.

To the Editor:

In the 2024 Presidential race, 49.8% of the votes went to Donald J. Trump, who promised to reduce the costs of consumer goods, end the wars in Gaza and Ukraine and fix our immigration crisis.

President’s priorities are not mine

To the Editor:

Priorities: $200 million for a ballroom in the White House; $1 billion to retrofit a jet given by Qatar. Contrasted by cuts to Medicaid and other safety net programs. 

On a fourth-generation family farm nestled in the hills just outside of Fairview, Jamie Ager spent his childhood watching the seasons change, the animals grow and the land evolve with the rhythms of life in the mountains. Today, that land is not only the site of a thriving regenerative agriculture business, but also the launching pad for a campaign that could reshape North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District. 

To the Editor:

The big beautiful bill is neither. Tax cuts take effect this year. While the cuts for the highest earners are permanent, most cuts expire in 2030. Sixty percent of the total tax savings will go to people with incomes greater than $217,000 per year.

In Western North Carolina, where aging populations and rural poverty place extraordinary pressure on the social safety net, few programs matter more than Medicaid and Medicare. Congressman Chuck Edwards, who represents North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District, has repeatedly said he and fellow Republicans had “no interest” in cutting Medicare, but his voting record tells the real story. 

To the Editor:

Neither the President’s omnibus budget bill nor the House’s abysmal substitute warrant the approval of sens. Thom Tillis or Ted Budd. The senators should stand up for our country and North Carolina in a time of great need. 

To the Editor:

This is a letter I sent to Sen. Thom Tillis:

Because you had the courage to create and make that presentation to the Senate on what war criminals and enemies of freedom Putin and the Russian regime overall are, I hold out hope that you will vote against — or abstain from voting — for the so-called “One Big Beautiful Bill,” or the Senate version of the House budget reconciliation bill with its sneak attack on our republic. 

To the Editor:

On June 12, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem made the following statement during a news conference regarding about 4,700 U.S. military troops in Los Angeles: “We are not going away. We are staying here to liberate the city from the socialists and the burdensome leadership that this governor and that this mayor have placed on this country and what they have tried to insert into the city.”