Cutting government waste? That's not what's happening
Cutting government waste? That's not what's happening | Voice of the People (April 20, 2025)
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How did Elon Musk become so powerful in Washington?
As leader of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Elon Musk has made major changes, but who is Elon Musk and how did he rise in Washington?
Eliminating government waste? That's not what's happening
Mike Coon's recent letter states that we should all support Trump because he is chasing waste and corruption. Mr. Coon implies if we lose our democracy in the process that is OK because it is impossible for democracy to be a permanent form of government anyhow.
True, we should all support eliminating government waste and corruption, and we should all be concerned about reducing the huge national debt. We do need a rational, well-planned policy toward those ends.
That isn't what's happening. Trump's mode of operation is chaos, decrees are followed by retractions, then new decrees followed by new retractions. Mistakes are rampant, making the economy shaky and destroying much of what is good about government.
If there are actual savings, they will go for tax breaks, not toward reducing the debt. Mr. Coon is correct to imply that democracy is fragile, too fragile for us to ignore Trump's destruction.
The letter quotes an 18th century Scot who had never lived in a democracy nor even seen one in action, but was commenting on ancient Greece and Rome. Alexander Fraser Tyler believed that the only successful government was monarchy. In that, he would certainly agree with Donald Trump.
Nancy Simmons, Winter Haven
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Corporate greed in manufactured home parks
With the recent housing boom in Florida following the COVID pandemic up until the present time, it appears that stick-built homes and other types of housing developments and apartment complexes are being built everywhere you travel in Florida.
So, ask yourself why does it seem that more manufactured home communities are not being built?
Looking at the big picture, is it not much better for the large corporate out-of-state park owners to keep the supply low and the demand high, which allows for them to demand usurious rent increases each and every year?
Making these out-of-state owners live up to their obligations under FS723 and the promises made by their 'unlicensed' salespeople should not mean that the only option to hold them accountable is taking them to court with lengthy and costly litigation.
Further, where do they get the money to hire their attorneys? Answer: From the rent they collect from the retired seniors living in their parks. Where is the fairness in that?
Yes, we could stand out by the road with signs saying don't buy a home here, but who really gets hurt but those in the park trying to escape corporate greed.
Ray Hendrick, Haines City
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Metallic foil confetti in public parks
I recently organized an Earth Day cleanup at Lake Parker Park and was disheartened to find the area littered with metallic foil confetti. This type of trash is extremely difficult to remove and poses a serious threat to local wildlife — particularly birds like ibis that feed in the park and may easily ingest it.
Given its harmful and persistent nature, can the City of Lakeland consider banning metallic foil confetti in our public parks to help protect these shared natural spaces?
Kathryn Levassiur, Lakeland
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The handout to billionaires
Right now Republican leaders in Congress are debating a package that would provide $4.5 trillion in tax cuts to large corporations and billionaires -- and they plan to pay for it by cutting essential tools families and businesses need to thrive, like health care, public education, nutrition assistance and child care.
This is a crime. Seventy percent of the Republican tax plan benefits go the richest 5% while costs will go up for hardworking families who would feel the impact of budget cuts and tariff hikes the most. This will only raise costs overall, increase grocery bills and hurt our economy.
Our leaders should make sure the wealthy and big corporations pay their fair share in taxes in order to ensure everyone can go to work, raise kids and contribute to communities. This means advancing a permanent Child Tax Credit, as well as child care, health care, nutrition assistance, care for the aging and people with disabilities, and paid family and medical leave. Our tax contributions aren't just expenses, they're investments in the systems that allow us to thrive.
It is obvious that the Republicans have become a party that believes in the dictator, and not the people.
Bruce Weaver, Winter Haven
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Reparations for J6 insurrectionists?
On April 8, 2025, DOJ prosecutors suggested those Jan. 6 insurrectionists whose convictions were wiped out are also entitled to reparations.
Attorney Ed Martin, has stated, 'We should have reparations for them. They should get a big pot of money.' President Trump granted clemency to about 1,500 rioters who were prosecuted or pleaded guilty for the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, assaulting police, carrying firearms and destroying property leaving five dead and including 174 police officers injured.
Congress gave $38 million to formerly interned Japanese Americans in 1948 and another $1.6 billion in reparations in 1989 after passing the Civil Liberties Act of 1988. Reparations allowed Native Americans to build casinos. And the government paid slave owners in D.C. $300 for each slave with the Compensated Emancipation Act on April 16, 1862.
No reparations for 250 years of slavery, genocide, rape, murder, lynchings and 350 years of discrimination and Jim Crow.
Is a million dollars each to the 1,500 insurrectionists fair?
Lamar Sessoms, Lakeland
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I love the other America
I love the America that doesn't deport people to infamous foreign prisons with no due process of law.
If they entered the US illegally with no proof that they are legally in the immigration system, by all means deport. The overwhelming majority of the hundreds deported to this torturous, El Salvadoran prison have no criminal convictions or even criminal charges. This is brutality, clear and simple, done in our name with our tax dollars.
Never in my wildest dreams would I ever believe we could be capable of this. Look closely … this is not a 'prison' and most if any of these people do not belong here. Yes, 'good Christian nation,' this is what Jesus would do.
Danette May, Lakeland
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