The ‘Why’ Of The Vote
To the Editor:
I am writing this letter in response to the previous letter written by Mr Adinolfi on 12/11/20 (The Newtown Bee, “Fighting The Deadly Virus.”) He accused President Trump of being a racist. Our president is not a racist. Never has been. This is fake news. Talking COVID-19 is not racist. It is an equal opportunity virus. It does not know color.
As a conservative Republican I can tell him why I voted for President Trump.
1. He built the wall.
2. Gave the middle class a tax cut.
3. Reinforced our military.
5. Moved the American Embassy to Jerusalem.
6. Started Cyber Space.
7. Brought American companies back from China.
8. Brought about a peace treaty in the Middle East.
9. Pulled out of the Iran deal.
10. Pulled us out of the Paris Accord.
11. Operation Warp Speed.
12. Getting the vaccine faster than thought possible by pushing the pharmaceutical companies and scientists to work harder and faster.
13. He got other countries to pay their fair share in tariffs.
14. Under his tutelage we had the best economy in years until China released COVID-19 on the world. China wanted Trump out of office and they succeeded. A spokesman for China was happy Biden won because they had Biden in their “back pocket.”
Ashamed of President Trump? Never. I am 80 years old and I have voted in every election since I could vote. I believe President Trump will go down as the best president in my lifetime.
Now, would someone tell me why they voted for Biden?
Respectfully,
Veronica Hempstead
Fieldstone Drive, Newtown January 1, 2021
Why did I vote for Biden?
Because he believes in the greatest existential threat to not just America but the entire planet: climate change.
Because he believes in upholding democracy, not in undermining it or disenfranchising certain people based on the color of their skin or who you think they might vote for.
Because he is for LGBTQ rights.
Because he recognizes that Trump’s wall is ineffective, a waste of money, and an environmental disaster.
Because with any luck, he will reinstate treaty with Iran.
Because he will actually try to do something about Russian cyber attacks on the US.
Because he will get us back into the Paris Accord.
Because he will actually help the states distribute the vaccine and will actually encourage people to wear masks.
Because he will (if he keeps his promises) help the American PEOPLE not just “the economy,” because he recognizes that so many of the traditional markers for a strong economy do not give adequate insight into the condition of the middle class, or of the poor.
Oh, and because he won’t tell the Proud Boys to “Stand Back and Stand By.”
A vote for Biden is a vote for socialism.
Biden cannot form a coherent sentence, has no idea what facts are, he bullied Ukraine withholding $1bil in aid, he took money from China, turned a blind eye to BLM’s summer of violence, he lied about Hunter’s dealings, it goes on and on.
And if democratic policies are so good, why are residents fleeing democratic cities and states (including CT)?
A little socialism is a good thing IF combined with democracy. Examples: Social Security and Medicare are both Social Democracy style programs.
As for the China, Ukraine, and Hunter stuff, go ahead and believe what you want. Just please consider why you think anything you accuse Biden of is any worse that what Trump has done. And please check a variety of news sources, and fact check those news sources by looking at original documentary evidence wherever and whenever it is available.
As for outbound migration from CT specifically, guess where the majority of them are moving to? New York. Also, a major reason for CT out-migration is that we have a lot of wealthy retirees who, by the way, got wealthy while living and working in CT and, in their retirement, have the means to move wherever they want, which might be a sunnier place like FL or perhaps somewhere closer to their grandkids. Please note that I’m NOT saying this is all fine and dandy and that CT politicians shouldn’t try to find ways to encourage wealthy retirees to stay in-state (they should). What I am saying is that a major cause behind much of the out-migration is relatively apolitical.
Also, you are responding to a critique of Trump’s racism by raising the specter (I presume) of Venezuelan style socialism. Are you suggesting that condoning racism is an acceptable trade-off for preventing (an imaginary) spread of (Venezuelan style, i.e., socialist dictatorship) socialism?
Not sure you are correct in saying that the majority are moving to NY. The largest block is moving to FL. However, NY, MA and even CA are also popular destinations. Reason people move out of CT to those high tax states? Jobs. CT is suffering from the combination of high taxes and lack of employment opportunities. Job and economic growth is near the bottom of all 50 states, if not at the very bottom.
Historically, I am right about New York, if we take a long view and consider the last 10 years or so of out-migration. Please see this chart (go to: https://ibb.co/JBrs4mD). You ARE right, however, that FL has been rising in popularity over the last few years, and has even been at the top in the last year or two.
This, however, doesn’t change my overall point: if residents are fleeing Democrats’ high taxes, why are they fleeing to New York (in addition to FL, where presumably more are going to retire than to work)? And why, moreover, is Massachusetts the third most popular state to relocate to, considering it is also a Democratic bastion?
Here’s a quote from the Hartford Courant: “The census data show it’s not all about taxes, however. Florida remained the top destination for Connecticut expats in the period covered by the new data, from July 2017 to July 2018. But the second- and third-most popular destinations were the neighboring high-tax states of New York (14,420) and Massachusetts (14,224).”
And, if it about jobs (as you say) and not so much taxes, then why are the jobs in so many cases in (largely Democratic run) NY and MA?
retirement age is the main demographic.
And Biden won’t call Georgia’s secretary of state and illegally try to bully him into subverting the will of the people by “finding” more votes for him, because (unlike Trump) Biden values facts and democracy more than his own ego.
Why are the jobs in NY and MA? Look at the profile of existing corporations that are there and the startup environment that those states promote. Why have some major employers left CT?
From the Hartford Business Journal.
The large number of people moving to high-tax states likely indicates people are chasing new job opportunities, among other potential reasons.
However, it should be noted that Connecticut used to be a tax haven back in the 1980s, before the state enacted its income tax, with people and companies moving here from high-tax states like New York.
That competitive advantage has been eroded over the last few decades, making it less painful for tax-conscious citizens to cross the border into a higher-tax state like New York.
I reiterate, MA and NY are generally run by Democrats. If CT people are fleeing CT for these states, then it is obvious that being run by Democrats is not the problem.
The top outbound states for 2020 were:
New Jersey
New York
Illinois
Connecticut
California
Kansas
North Dakota
Massachusetts
Ohio
Maryland
My comments are apolitical. My point is that CT is not run well, regardless of the name of the party in office. It is underperforming almost all other states in the union with respect to the economy. People are not leaving just to retire. They’re leaving to find jobs and that is a major concern for the future of the state.