Dear Editor:
I am outraged that President Trump is aware that the U.S. Postal Service will need additional funding to handle the mail-in election ballots, but he refuses to provide any additional assistance. In my opinion, this is a blatant attempt to cry foul if Joe Biden wins this election. I believe Donald Trump will manipulate the mail-in ballot system to his advantage. This is another example of our self-serving president, who runs the county like his former game show “The Apprentice”.
The country is in crisis. We need solid leadership, not some politician that puts his personal interests before the interests of the country. The economy is important, but more important are the lives of the American people. This pandemic has shown the true colors of this politician. Send kids back to school before getting a handle on the numbers for the state’s rate of transmission, cut back on the additional unemployment benefits but attempt to earmark funds for a new FBI building, force mother’s back to work who are caring for young children whose daycares have closed, neglect to put the proper emphasis on the serious nature of the pandemic. SHAME ON YOU.
What America needs right now is enough food to feed the hungry, financial support so that people can keep their homes and apartments, stricter penalties for people who refuse to wear a mask in retail stores, faster turnaround time for COVID-19 testing and follow-up contact tracing, support for small businesses to keep them from having to close their doors, and other support to keep the American people afloat until the crisis has passed.
We are not political pawns. We are mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, aunts, and uncles trying to protect our families from the horrors of this pandemic. Our lives are hard. Many people are juggling jobs, childcare, and family responsibilities while barely having enough to eat and pay their bills. Oh yeah, I know that to President Trump this sounds like we are bleeding heart liberals or socialists but on the contrary, we are all just trying to survive.
I am asking politicians to think of us as people, not pawns on a chessboard. Stop earmarking funds for your own political gains in bills that are supposed to assist the “common” people through this crisis. Republicans and Democrats have to stop blackmailing each other at the expense of their constituents before they can reach a decision on a bill that will assist the American people during this pandemic. While you debate, a mother is wondering how she will feed her children next week, a father is wondering if he will have a job tomorrow, an aunt does not know if she will be able to make her rent payment and an uncle does not know if he will have enough money to keep his utilities running or make his car payment. The reality is salaries barely cover rent (mortgages), utilities, health insurance, and phone service even when times are good.
The government should represent us, remember “we the people”. We should not be carrying the government on our backs. It’s time for politicians to step-up and put personal needs aside and concentrate on the needs of the people and disregard race, creed, political affiliation, and more importantly their own personal agendas.
Diane Kerns
Friend of Parsippany Resident
Forked River, NJ 08731
