To the editor:
This may be my last chance to publish before the election, and I want to address some misconceptions that may help sway some wavering Trump supporters. Let's continue from where I left off last month, the economy.
In my September letter, I stated, "I would prefer contrasting Harris' economic policy plans with Trump's economic plan …, but since he hasn't got one …" At that time, this was accurate. However, Trump's since begun sharing some ideas, albeit limited, beyond his usual reliance on tariffs -- an approach economists warn could cause a recession. His first noteworthy proposal is to appoint Elon Musk to lead a government efficiency program. The same Elon Musk who infamously laid off half the Twitter staff when he took over, later claimed he didn't need advertisers and has seen a staggering 79 percent drop in the company's stock value. A true efficiency expert.
This move reflects Trump's ongoing trend of placing unqualified billionaires in key government positions, similar to his previous administration's choices like Betsy DeVos for education and Steven Mnuchin for treasury. This practice can be described with a single term: Oligarchy.
Many people mistakenly believe gas prices were better under Trump. While gas prices did fall in 2019, the context matters. Russia and OPEC conspired to flood oil markets to eliminate competition, which was effective enough that Trump had to beg them to stop to allow prices to return to normal. They finally agreed to cut production in February 2020, but only because it was clear a global pandemic was about to cause prices to plummet on their own.
For the record, when adjusted for inflation, gas prices are currently lower than they were in 2018, with U.S. gas production at a record high.
Regarding inflation, another misconception among some Trump supporters is that it's severely harming American families. While inflation does impact people, median incomes have generally kept pace, meaning most individuals are not struggling to afford necessities. A higher minimum wage would help, and Harris supports this; Trump doesn't.
Thanks to policies implemented by Biden/Harris, our economy has rebounded faster than most other countries, with our inflation rate being among the lowest in the world.
Time's running out. Here's a quick list of topics you should research before voting. All of these statements are true, if you believe otherwise, you've been lied to.
• Critical race theory isn't being taught in schools.
• No children who identify as cats are provided with litter boxes in classrooms.
• Human gender's not strictly binary; chromosomes are not the sole indicator of sex.
• The Bible's not anti-abortion.
• There's no ongoing wave of immigrant crime.
• Walls cannot stop illegal drugs from entering the country.
• Race doesn't exist as a biological concept.
• Haitians aren't eating pets.
• Russian interference in elections is a real issue that persists.
• The term socialism is often misused.
• Finally, Trump lost in 2020.
I urge you to look into these topics for yourselves before casting your vote.
J. David Core
Toronto