Soap Box

To the editor,

President Trump is trying to correct a trade imbalance by imposing tariffs on products imported from China. China has retaliated by imposing tariffs on our exports to China.

Trump’s tariffs will cost automaker Ford $1 billion in 2018 and 2019 and require significant layoffs. Exports from the BMW plant in Greer, S.C., were down 35 percent in August 2018 versus August 2017. Honda USA is incurring hundreds of millions of dollars in unplanned costs because of Trump’s steel tariffs.

States incurring substantial revenue losses include: Louisiana a $5.7 billion loss, with China its top export market; Washington $5.2 billion, with China its top export market; California $4 billion, with China its third-largest export market; Illinois $2.1 billion, with China its third-largest export market; South Carolina $2.6 billion, with China its top export market; Alabama $2.4 billion, with China its second-largest export market; Texas $1.4 billion, with China its third-largest export market; Kentucky $917 million, with China its fourth-largest export market; Michigan $842 million, with China its third-largest export market; and Ohio $826 million, with China its third-largest export market

Many states are suffering economic problems with declining exports and job losses because of Trump’s tariffs.

– Donald Moskowitz, Londonderry, N.H., via email

To the editor,

Recently, there was a segment on the news about gun drills in preschools. When I grew up, there were only fire drills. One would think the 2012 Sandy Hook shooting was enough to get sensible gun laws enacted.

As much as I am glad there are more elected officials agreeing with people wanting sensible gun laws enacted now, and not later, it’ll take no more lucrative pay-offs to both sides of the political aisle. So far, over the many years of mass shootings, there are insane threats to realistic gun policy from pro-gun groups to keep their AR-15s. I did not see the negative reaction needed when a current law was installed for the mentally unstable to purchase firearms.

The latest California shooter, with PTSD from military overseas deployment, is an example of why we should not ever be engaged in war that breeds 12-people-trigger-happy deaths.

If gun deaths don’t happen in most politicians’ back yards, where their own family members/colleagues are affected, we will unfortunately see weekly carnage. Had there been a worse situation last year at a baseball field full of Republican congressmen, where one was shot in the leg, perhaps we the people would be spared weekly mass funerals.

Mothers Against Drunk Driving took years to create awareness. Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America deserves recognition now, not to be kicked down the road.

– Sally Florence, Durango

To the editor,

In response to several recent articles demonstrating the benefits of single payer/Medicare for all, compared to  our current health system, a few facts go a long way. The World Health Organization of the United Nations annually ranks its 191 member nations on the effectiveness of their health-care systems. These enlightening statistics are available at the World Factbook published by our own CIA, the United Nations website, worldlifeexpectancy.com, and the Institute for Health Metrics from University of Washington.

The performance of the U.S .health-care system ranks 37th of 191 nations, which is truly pitiful. France and Italy rank first and second. The health of the U.S. population ranks only 72nd, slightly above Iraq. In Life expectancy, we rank 43rd, the third successive year of decline. In infant mortality, we rank a dismal 170th, in maternal mortality 138th. We are, however, first in one category: expenditures. We spend almost twice as much as any other nation on health, and health-care costs are the biggest cause of U.S. bankruptcies. Longevity projections published in the medical journal The Lancet rank the U.S. 64th in 2040, slightly better than Bangladesh!

Single payer/Medicare for all is used by the rest of the world, because it makes more sense and saves money with no middle men, like insurance companies or agents. Doctors work for the health system, and drug companies are forced to sell drugs at reasonable prices. We can learn much from other countries about their success and as a result, experience better health at a much lower price.

– Jim Forleo, Durango