Letters to the editor: Proposed greyhound racing ban, Donald Trump and the elections | Bradenton Herald

The truth about greyhound racing

I feel I must respond to a letter that was inferring that we, the people, have no idea what happens in the greyhound racing industry.

The word industry should set off red lights! These are loving animals that are forced to race, if not, they have been beaten, caged and otherwise mistreated. There have been many documented videos showing how they are treated, just look for them.

If one wants to gamble, we have plenty of places in Florida for you to throw your money away. Don’t make it off the back of a dog that only wants love and to please his owner, not an industry.

Please vote to stop the abuse of greyhounds

Joanne Adams

Palmetto

Use election to restore sanity

Recently a letter was printed praising the wonderful job that the current president is doing, and railing against the previous occupant of the White House, Barack Obama.

I would simply like to point out the latest finding of the Congressional Budget Office, which states that the “tax reform” bill championed by Mr. Trump and his Republican supporters in the House, including our representative, Vern Buchanan, will “add 1.9 trillion dollars to the deficit between 2018-2028.” This is mostly due to the prolific tax breaks extended to corporations, the friends of the Republican Party. Is there any wonder?

Hopefully, the midterm elections will add some sanity to our Congress and put the President on notice that not all Americans are happy with the “tax reform bill.”

Roy Phaneuf

Bradenton

Follow the money

Follow the money and connect the dots. This is why the rich get richer, the poor get poorer and the middle class is disappearing.

Renege on the Iran nuclear agreement and tell the world not to buy their oil or else face retaliation. Effect price of oil goes up to $80 per barrel. Who benefits the most Russia, Saudi Arabia and the frackers.

New federal income tax plan that gives huge benefits to the one percent. It is promised that it will stimulate the economy and not increase the federal deficit. The federal deficit increases and Mitch McConnell blames Medicare and Medicaid and calls for cuts in the programs.

The president promises to rein in the cost of pharmaceuticals and allow Medicare to negotiate prices. The president backtracks and does not support Medicare being able to negotiate pharmacy rates. Medicare has the most leverage in the healthcare market not allowing them to negotiate lower rates maintains the same big pharma price gouge. This must be a Wharton school negotiating tactic that we commoners don’t understand.

Tariffs are imposed on our friends and foes alike, to bring back manufacturing jobs and reduce our trade deficit. What has actually happened? A tariff is actually a national sales tax that compounds state and local sales taxes. A 25 percent tax on an imported good is passed on to the consumer. The increased cost ads to the calculation of the state or local sales tax. The tariffed countries have imposed counter tariffs on our agriculture industry, so we give corporate welfare to big ag with $12 billion from FEMA. We then give the excess foods to food banks causing them to scramble to find funds to transport and store the foods while Congress threatens to reduce the funding for SNAP.

Is your head exploding yet?

Ray Fusco

Bradenton