To the editor:
Let's see how "Working Class Joe" and his administration have been supporting the actual working-class citizens of our country. In early February a train derailed in the small town of East Palestine. The initial reaction from President Biden and his transportation secretary, Pete Buttigieg, was absence. The administration decided to leave everything up to the railroad and the state of Ohio. Railroad cars with toxic wastes were burned, causing a toxic plume in that area and in neighboring Pennsylvania. FEMA was not deployed, and the residents were given no immediate assistance from our government.
Buttigieg finally visited the site after several weeks and did not spend any time with the residents. Biden went to Ukraine instead of visiting East Palestine. The residents are told that the air and water are not contaminated, but they continue to have symptoms of health problems. Testing done by Carnegie Mellon and other universities show contaminants for which the government does not test. The dam in the creek is no longer working, and the contaminated water is making its way to the Ohio River, which goes into the Mississippi River. This disaster could affect residents in many states for many years to come. This is the latest example of how "Working Class Joe" really feels about the working class.
Let's examine Buttigieg's work as the transportation secretary. How did he do with the supply chain problem? What has he done with all the problems with the airlines? Why have there been so many train derailments? It seems his only concern is lack of diversity in some areas of transportation. Where did all the infrastructure money go? That money should be spent on railroads and airlines to solve some of their problems.
The open Southern border remains a problem. Now four U.S. citizens were kidnapped by the cartels last weekend and two were murdered. On Monday, the White House press secretary denied any knowledge of the kidnapping. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas continues to downplay the crisis at the border. His latest excuse for the huge number of migrants illegally crossing our border is that migration is happening in other countries in our hemisphere.
The working class and retirees are still dealing with inflation. Gasoline prices have gone up again. Food prices continue to rise. Interest rates are continuing to go up, which means it is harder for members of the working class to borrow money for mortgages and loans. Biden wants the working class to pay the college loans for people who make enough money to pay their own college loans. How many members of the working class paid their own loans and their children's loans? How many members of the working class did not go to college? How is paying the college loans of others helping the working class?
Joe Biden was never a member of the working class. He has been a politician for his entire career. That is why he cannot empathize with the real working class.
Michalene King
Wintersville