To the Editor,
I recently read a strange letter to the editor in the Fort Davis Mountain Dispatch, August 8, 2024. The letter glorified Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ actions on the economy and their impact on the U.S.A. The writer used the first paragraph to eccentrically define himself. The second paragraph was used to denounce types of media the writer might disagree with, while repeating the pretense of Russian collusion. He referred to the Biden-Harris administration as the most productive in America since LBJ.
He either forgot, or chooses to ignore, LBJ’s Vietnam, and Biden’s Afghanistan, but then I digress. Without going into all of his dubious claims, it suffices to say that his listed sources can be categorized as, shall we say, good friends of the U.S. Democrat Regime, leaving the door open for honest fact checking. Much of what he wrote can be tied to an assertion, “Tell a lie
once and it remains a lie. Tell a lie 1000 times and it becomes the truth.” Research on the origin of that statement will show an interesting political alliance. In closing I leave the writer with something to consider: an open mind is a terrible thing to waste.
James R. Le Blanc
Fort Davis, Texas
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The Jeff Davis County Democratic Party enthusiastically welcomes Kamala Harris’
choice of two-term governor of Minnesota, Tim Walz, as her vice-presidential running mate. His background and experience are the perfect complement to her presidential candidacy.
Tim Walz grew up in a small town in rural Nebraska, the prairie heartland of America, and he remains very much a part of it. He has been a high school social studies teacher (and named “Most Inspiring Teacher”), a highly successful football coach, a veteran and 24-year member of the Army National Guard. He used his GI Bill benefits to attend college. In his spare time, he hunts pheasants and catches fish. He and his wife Gwen are the parents of two children through IVF. Like Harris, Walz has lengthy experience in local, state and federal government and many accomplishments along the way. From 2006 to 2018, he served as a moderate congressman from a rural, Republican-leaning district, and represented veterans on the House Veterans Affairs Committee and farmers on the House Agriculture Committee. Walz was elected governor of Minnesota in 2018 and re-elected in 2022. He is the most recent chair of the Democratic Governors Association.
Walz’s record of accomplishments as governor of Minnesota is extensive, mostly focused on helping middle-income families:
Tax credits for families with children.
Paid family and medical leave.
$1 billion+ invested in affordable housing.
Expansion of technology and infrastructure funding.
The state’s universal free breakfast and lunch program for school children.
A budget with significant increases in per-student funding and improvements in teacher retirement.
Free public college tuition for low-income students.
Automatic voter registration and the Minnesota Voting Rights Act that restored protections for minority voters, created a permanent absentee voter list, and made it easier for college students to vote.
Legislation to achieve clean electricity by 2040 and replace lead pipes to ensure clean water for all.
A law protecting people seeking or providing abortions in Minnesota.
Common sense gun safety legislation with background checks for private gun sales.
In his get-the-job-done style, Gov. Walz deservedly can take credit for these achievements, but his most important attribute may be something simpler: his character and personality. Walz is folksy, warm, affable, approachable, plain-spoken and straight-talking. His Midwestern, rural roots and joyful everyman appeal is likable, long overdue and real –– in contrast with some other vote-seekers we don’t need to mention.
Maggie McCollum
Jeff Davis County Democratic Party
