Enough GOP B.S.    

The idea that Republicans are fiscally responsible and better for the economy is a lie. - Reagan took the deficit from $70 billion to $175 billion - Bush 41 took it to $300 billion Clinton got it to ZERO and left office with an $86.4 billion surplus - Bush43 took it from Zero to $1.3 trillion - Obama halved it to $600 billion - Trump added $7.8 trillion, the largest peacetime deficit budget in history, and a national deficit exceeding 100% of the economy for the first time since World War 2. - Biden reduced the deficit by $1.4 trillion by his second year in office. Conclusion:  Republicans will destroy the economy - if we let them...   Republicans ALSO raised the debt ceiling: 3 times under Trump 7 times under W. Bush 18 times under Reagan 97% of all debt occurred before Biden's presidency 25% of all US debt occurred under Trump The "default crisis" is on Republicans The Midas Touch blog     Yes, the GOP answer to the labor shortage is to weaken child labor laws, while at the same time lowering the age that children can marry. They want welfare recipients to work, while forcing them to have babies. They try to thwart and weaken unions to keep labor dependent on the hallowed business owner, so he can remind them how good he is to provide them with a wage. This is part of a dying political party driven by personal greed. We should fully expect them to (eventually) default on the debt ceiling. - JuffPost.com The Republicans love government.  Government is how they redistribute wealth to the upper 2%.  What they hate is democracy.  They don't like people voting, and that's been a struggle in this country since our founding.  It's never been conservative vs. liberal.  It's been aristocracy vs. democracy.  -  John Fugelsang   Democrats are increasingly being targeted by the GOP for being politically motivated in their reactions to Trump, (as the GOP tries to make the public to believe they're not politically motivated at all.) I want to believe the political motivation of the DFL is secondary to the judicial fact that no one is above the law.  It's also what must be a necessary response to anyone who breaks the laws as Trump did. Trump's entitled and dysfunctional attitude needs to be challenged, and have consequences,  if we, the people, are to continue to believe in the rule of law. If what the DFL does is also considered a political response, I believe that's just frosting on the cake of justice. ·         ·       GOP Agenda ·       1. cut Social security and Medicare 2. Repeal Affordable Care Act 3.  Defund public schools 4.  Defund DOJ, DBI, DEA, ATF, TSA, VA 5.  Ban abortions and birth control 6.  Ban LGBTQ marriage 7.  Expand off-shore drilling 8.  Lower taxes on billionaires 9.  Raise taxes on working families and senors 10.  Build Trump's wall 11.  Investigate Hunter Biden 12.  Impeach Joe Biden 13.  investigate DOJ/FBI 14.  Re-elect Donald Trump

Gary Burt, Marble, Minnesota   

Remember the dark skies

I read your story in the last reader, 'Easy Hacks for Sustainability' on page 52. I would also add turning off your outdoor (and indoor) lights. Three billion dollars a year is wasted on outdoor lighting that goes up into the sky and is wasted. Not only does it effect our view of the stars but night lighting is unhealthy for humans, as well as harming all living things from pollinators and fish to mammals. To save on money and the environment, turn out outdoor lighting when not in use, or switch to timers and motion sensors. For more information see Dark Sky International website  https://starryskiesnorth.org/ or locally Starry Skies North. https://starryskiesnorth.org/         

Caroline Torkildson, Starry Skies North Board Member, Duluth, Minnesota

Marijuna, mental illness and memory loss

The title  of Peter Johnson's  last letter"Making sense of Bipoar Disease" is actually the main point to get honest answers.  Mental illnesses have skyrocketyed yet mainly  Psychiatry and Endocrinology have been suspiciously silent  or incomplete as to the causes of Bipolar and Depression. The report that  Peter  read is a partial  explanation as to the causes of Bipolar and Sexual Dysphoria, etc so, understandably, Peter and others believe it .   I'm not a doctor and certainly don't know everything but I am going by personal experiences and observations as a nurse, plus getting information from the main media (CNN,NBC,) and Conservative /Christian media such as TBN, Daystar, frankspeech.com, FoxNews plus local newspapers.  Conservatives /Christian sound more honest about  Mental Illness (sexual dysphoria ,etc) and look at the long lists of side effects of Psychotropics includes increase hate,obsessions including sexual,  violence and suicides. Questions about every suicide needs to ask if they were on Psychotropics. I agree with  retired Holistic Dr Gary Kohls ,who wrote for "The Reader" about Bipolar and antidepressants plus being responsible for most "shootings"   There isn't enough room to explain all but the study lacks any mention of the Thyroid causing depression. The article seriously missed anything about the Thyroid which controls all body systems with  many symptoms including Depression ,Thyroid Mania  and Thyroid Paralysis,(I feel, now called Bipolar) ,muscle weakness, and metabolism. One  pill, Synthroid (Thyroid Replacement hormone),  helped me  when I got Hypothyroidism in 1978  giving me several symptoms like tiredness,  Thyroid Paralysis. and Paranoia which Synthroid cleared up within a month.Antidepressants interfere with normal Thyroid function and I feel should be banned and patients need to ask to check their Thyroid first and ,I feel,refuse all Psychotropics.Now tragically,Marijuana is legal which adds to mental illness and memory loss.  

Rosemarie Mitchell, Duluth, Minnesota