Trending
Ghosted: a New Campaign Strategy
Editor:
The question that needs asking is why Jack Bergman has "ghosted" his constituents. He has not had a live public debate since October 17, 2016, nor has he held a public forum, town hall, since 2017. Its rumored he doesn't like the rancor of being in a room with dissatisfied voters. Really, a retired Marine afraid of facing his constituents. No, what Mr. Bergman fears are the questions he will be asked and the answers he must defend and cannot. We, his constituents, pay him for his service to represent our needs here in the UP and Northern Michigan. We don't pay Bergman to serve big corporations, billionaires, pharmaceutical and health insurance companies. And we sure as hell don't pay Bergman to be a lap dog to Donald Trump.
Are we getting our money's worth from our representative who's "ghosting" us? Do we have a right to have Bergman meet with us in public meetings, participate in open debates, and respond to our questions sent to his office? You damn right we do. The typical "modus operandi" for Bergman's campaign style is to swoop into town for prearrange unannounced meeting. He shakes hands with a community leader, a veteran, perhaps a campaign donor. He presents a plaque of appreciation and poses for a picture to be published in the local newspaper. Then "poof" he's gone without having to answer a question or defend an unpopular position. Despite this dereliction of duty to meet with his voters, his compensation looms large.
Representative Bergman receives a salary of $174,000 dollars a year plus full comprehensive health insurance. After 5 years in office he receives "retirement" which coupled with his military retirement should allow him to live out his senior years comfortably in Louisiana. Added to these benefits, he receives $1.5 million for travel, staff, office supplies, lodging and food under the Membership Representation Allowance. In 2023 Jack Bergman spent more of his MRA than any other Congressman. He used every dollar of his $12,000 food allotment. How hypocritical that our Congressman utilizing every free dollar for his food would vote against SNAP benefits that help needy families put food on the table to feed their children. The question is not about how much money our congressional reps are entitled. Rather, the question to be answered, "has Jack Bergman, the "ghost" of District One earned his keep"?
Phil Keyes
Baraga
Democratic presidents = Better economies?
Editor:
When I learned that Democratic presidents created significantly better economies than Republican presidents
since WWII, I was sceptical. I looked for official government documents that might prove or debunk this claim and
found an Oct. 6, 2024 report called "THE US ECONOMY PERFORMS BETTER UNDER DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTS" from
the U.S. Joint Economic Committee (JEC), a bipartisan U.S. congressional committee with members from both the
House and Senate. The JEC studies economic conditions, coordinates economic policy, and advises Congress on
achieving national economic goals like full employment, price stability, and growth. The JEC uses data from the
Bureau of Economic Analysis, Bureau of Labor Statistics, the U.S. Census Bureau, the Federal Reserve System, the
Congressional Budget Office, and other federal agencies.
This report shows historical statistics that "total job growth, unemployment, economic growth, manufacturing
job growth and investment, small business creation, national debt status, and economic performance is stronger
under Democrats."
It further states, "While there are many factors contributing to these trends, the point is clear that
Democratic administrations consistently help the U.S. economy perform better than Republican administrations."
Why is this? The report answers, "Republicans have prioritized tax cuts that benefit the wealthy and fail to boost
economic growth or pay for themselves, while Democrats have prioritized investing in the middle class, supporting
small businesses, and improving economic resilience after downturns."
In summary:
• Since the early 1980s, the unemployment rate tends to be lower at the end of Democratic presidencies and
higher at the end of Republican presidencies.
• Since 1949, real gross domestic product (GDP) was 3.79% average for Democratic presidents vs. 2.6% for
Republican presidents.
• A near record 19 million new business applications were filed under Biden-Harris administration, with more
business applications filed in 2023 in all 50 states than in 2019, notably higher than under the Trump
administration.
• U.S. national debt increases: Obama-2013 thru 2016 +$3.11T (Trillion), Trump-2017 thru 2020 +$6.98T, Biden2021 thru 2024 +$2.84T. Increases are largely due to partisan tax cuts passed by Republican presidents that
mostly benefited the wealthy and big corporations.
• Of the 11 recessions occurred in post-World War II era, 10 of them have occurred under Republican
presidents. I'm voting for Democrats moving forward!
Sources: Economic Policy Institute (epi@epi.org), Joint Economic Committee (jec.senate.gov), American Economic
Assoc. https://www.aeaweb.org, Why does the economy do better?..etc, Fiscal Data.gov website.
Luke Zastrow
Menominee
Protect Copper Country Heritage, Vote "No" on Senate Permitting Bill
To the Editor,
On November 9, the U.S. Senate plans to vote on legislation that threatens to dismantle the National Historic Preservation Act.
As an industrial archaeologist who completed my graduate training right here in the Copper Country at Michigan Technological University, my professional life was shaped by the historic mining landscapes of the Keweenaw. From the Quincy Mine and local stamp mills to the deep Anishinaabe heritage along Portage Lake, I have seen firsthand how much these physical monuments matter. They tell the story of the ingenuity, labor, and community that built our industrial nation.
For 60 years, Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act has ensured a simple safeguard: before federal actions damage a place that matters, agencies must stop, look, and listen. Most reviews finish efficiently without stalling legitimate progress.
Yet the proposed Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act tears this working framework apart under the guise of permitting reform, silencing public input and Tribal Nations. Once these irreplaceable landscapes are bulldozed, they cannot be recovered.
I urge Copper Country residents to contact Senators Gary Peters and Elissa Slotkin and ask them to vote "no" on this destructive bill.
Sincerely,
Brendan Pelto, M.S., RPA
Muskegon
The Failed FOIA: Informing the Public
Editor:
Government transparency is not supposed to be optional. Michigan's Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) exists so citizens can access public records and hold their government accountable.
My recent experience with a local township has left me concerned about how that process is being handled.
I submitted a FOIA request for public records. The request was received, and the township acknowledged it. Instead of receiving the requested records or a timely response explaining the costs and process, I received an extension notice requesting additional information. A second extension followed.
As the deadlines passed, I continued communicating with the township and attempted to work through the process in good faith. I was willing to address legitimate costs and requirements. What I expected was a timely response and access to public records as provided by law.
Instead, I found myself repeatedly asking where my request stood and when I could expect a meaningful response.
This is not simply about my individual request.
FOIA is an important tool for every citizen. Not everyone has the time, knowledge, or resources to repeatedly follow up with a government body when a records request is delayed or becomes difficult to obtain.
Public records belong to the public. FOIA should not be treated as a favor being granted to a citizen. There are lawful procedures and deadlines that public bodies are expected to follow.
My purpose in bringing attention to this situation is not to attack individuals. It is to inform the public and encourage government transparency.
When citizens have to repeatedly pursue their government just to obtain public records, we should all be asking whether the system is working as it was intended.
A FOIA request should provide a pathway to transparency--not become another obstacle standing between citizens and their government.
Government works best when the public can see what its government is doing.
Transparency is not just a principle. It is a public right.
William Louis
White Pine