President's priorities are not mine
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.
How much damage will Trump inflict?
To the Editor:
Many American servicemen feel duty-bound to oppose combat Marines being deployed in American cities. I’m one of them.
First of all, this President is in clear violation of the Posse Comitatus Act of 1878, a federal U.S. law that restricts the use of the military for law enforcement within the country.
Our president is a disaster
To the Editor:
Disappointing national employment numbers were released last week. Estimates were much lower than expected, and may be precursors of a shrinking economy. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimated that 19,000 jobs were filled in May, 14,000 in June, and 73,000 in July (bls.gov/economic news release 8/1/2025).
Democrats in shock, not disarray
To the Editor:
Last week’s letter by L. E. Cossette: “Democratic Party is in disarray,” is a delusional insult to Democrats and a vacuous flattery job to Trump’s Republican Party. Democrats are as committed and vocal about the values that they support as they always have been.
Democratic Party is in disarray
To the Editor:
As we approach the 2026 mid-term elections, the political climate is marked by uncertainty for the Democratic Party. Confusion and disorder echo throughout their ranks, causing many to doubt the party’s sustainability. Meanwhile, the Republican Party has a unique opportunity to benefit from this chaos, provided it avoids complacency and overconfidence.
The basis of moral behavior is innate
To the Editor:
What I dislike about the American Christian Right is what I dislike about Jeff Minick’s book review in last week’s edition of The Smoky Mountain News, which is less a book review as it is a chance for Mr. Minick to display his own religious views using the passages he quotes from the book as support.
Nothing beautiful about this bill
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.
Libraries shouldn’t choose ideologies
To the Editor:
As I read the article about “Jexit,” I found myself wondering about the word “ideology.” In the article, proponents of taking the Jackson Country libraries out of the Fontana Regional Library system frequently used the term.
Project 2025’s vision is not my America
To the Editor:
Most of us now understand that Project 2025, brainstorm of the ideologues at the Heritage Foundation and barely mentioned a year or so ago, is very real and that — right now — our federal government is being radically restructured in accordance with that 900-plus page manifesto as it seeks to consolidate power in the executive branch; to consolidate power to the will or whim of the president.
Broken promises, spending is up
To The Editor:
My friends who are Donald Trump supporters have been claiming that President Trump has kept all his promises, that’s why they still support him.
