Manitowoc letter-writers on democracy, the Corporate Tax Dodging Act and the Visitor Bureau's impact

Here are this week’s letters to the editor of the Herald Times Reporter. See our letters policy below for details about how to share your views.

America’s democracy is in jeopardy

There is a real possibility Donald Trump could be elected again, and we don’t have to guess what he will do if he gets back into office. He has told us.

He has said that “I am your retribution!” and that he will go after political opponents, the press and others who have criticized him. He has even suggested he would seek to prosecute President Joe Biden for his “many crimes,” even though Biden hasn’t even been accused of committing prosecutable crimes.

He has praised autocrats and dictators Kim Jong Un, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Rodrigo Duterte, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Viktor Orbán and Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi because they are “strong” and has said that he himself will be a dictator on day one of his presidency.

He conspired to overturn the lawful results of the 2020 presidential election and failed to stop his supporters from attacking the Capitol. Unbelievably, he has promised to pardon those convicted of their involvement in the Jan. 6 riot.

Trump is facing 88 crimes in four indictments.

He has defied gag orders that have been legitimately imposed, continuing to put the safety of judges, jury members, and witnesses and their families at risk.

He has jeopardized our relationship with our allies by encouraging Russia to attack any NATO country that fails to pay its bills.

The statement “I cannot tell a lie” has been attributed to George Washington. “I cannot tell the truth” would be more fitting for Donald Trump.

We cannot risk our democracy by electing Trump again.

Jim Rabata

Manitowoc

Who will pay for the Corporate Tax Dodging Prevention Act?

I am writing in response to a May 5 letter to the editor that supported the Corporate Tax Dodging Prevention Act.

The act supposedly would raise more than $2.3 trillion over 10 years by closing corporate tax loopholes.

While on the surface this act sounds great, apparently the writer does not understand how corporate America and the U.S. economy work.

If the act succeeds in collecting the $2.3 trillion, do you think the affected corporations are going to eat that additional cost?

Corporations maintain profit margins to support stock prices for shareholders, which in turn supports the stock market, which in turn adds value to investment accounts, such as retirement funds.

Profits are also used for the expansion of their business, as well as upgrading equipment and processes to stay competitive.

There are two ways for corporations to maintain or increase profitability: cut costs or increase prices.

There aren’t any corporations saving cost cuts in their closet to offset a change in their profitability.

Any cost cuts are always implemented immediately. That leaves increasing prices.

Regardless of at what point in the cost chain, the increase always trickles down to the consumer. This is the federal government’s way of passing on a new tax to the consumer, while pointing the finger at corporations for raising their prices and causing inflation.

So, if you really want to see who is going to be paying the $2.3 trillion, go stand in front of a mirror.

Donald Wessely

Mishicot

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‘Truthful media’ could temper hatred dividing the country

Here we go again. Donald Trump called soldiers who died on D-Day “suckers” and “losers.” That lie was debunked by people who were with him during that D-Day commemoration the day after it was spread.

This is the danger of a biased, activist media. This lie has been repeated for so long (five years) that, for some, it becomes fact.

We have also been told Trump has said there will be retribution. He really has said success will be his retribution.

How about: “Trump is a white supremacist because he said there were good people on both sides at Charlottesville.” What the activist media left out was he also said there is no place for white supremacy or Neo-Nazis in this country. A seven-year distortion still being repeated by many, including our president.

Investigative reporter Sharyl Attkisson in her book “The Smear” lists more than 100 lies and distortions about Trump that were proven false.

A truthful media may not change many minds, but it could at least temper some of the intense hatred that has divided this country. Less hatred might just lead to more discussion.

Much of that hatred is generated by a corrupt, thus dangerous, media.

Mike Kinzel

Manitowoc

Manitowoc Area Visitor & Convention Bureau is critical to Manitowoc County

I have worked and volunteered at the MAVCB for the past five years. I was pleasantly surprised at the number of visitors who we saw and helped daily. Engaging with the visitors is so very important. Many don’t want to look up restaurants on their devices, they want to know where the locals eat.

Many visitors flew into Milwaukee and Chicago, rented cars and were heading to Door County. They stopped in to use the clean restrooms or stretch their legs after a few hours on the road. We greeted them and engaged in a conversation to find out where they were heading and how they planned to get there. Most said they were following their GPS that took them on the Interstate to State 57 to Door County. We encouraged them to take State 42 and enjoy a beautiful ride along Lake Michigan. I would say 90% to 95% of the visitors wanted to get off the Interstate and take the scenic route. By doing this, we helped local businesses in Manitowoc County get traffic they would not have received if the visitors stayed on the interstate. Many would stop back in on their way home and thank us for the service we provided.

We also provided two volunteers to greet the S.S. Badger every day of the week to help them with directions and offer restaurant options. The MAVCB serves a vital role in this community.

Charlene Dresang

Manitowoc

Our letters policy

Letters to the editor are published in the order in which they are received and letter-writers are limited to having one letter published per month. Letters can be emailed to htrnews@htrnews.com and Editor Brandon Reid at breid@gannett.com. Letters must meet specific guidelines, including being no more than 250 words and be from local authors or on topics of local interest. All submissions must include the name of the person who wrote the letter, their city of residence and a contact phone number. Letters are edited as needed for style, grammar, length, fairness, accuracy and libel.

This article originally appeared on Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter: Manitowoc letters on democracy, Corporate Tax Dodging Act, tourism