HB 5.6.2021 FINAL

The Hastings Banner — Thursday, May 6, 2021 — Page 5

from our readers

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Editorial page 2

GUEST COMMENTARY

The Hastings Banner

Devoted to the interests of Barry County since 1856

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Area Locations to purchase the Hastings Banner!

Hastings:

One Stop Shop (Marathon)

(M-43 North)

Superette

Family Fare

Tom's Market

Hasting's Johnny's

The General Store

Marathon

Mega Bev

Hastings Pharmacy

Marathon Gas Station (M-37 West)

Family Fare Gas Station

Walgreens

Middleville:

Speedway

Middleville Marketplace

Greg’s Get-It-N-Go

Middleville Johnny's

Gun Lake:

Sam’s Gourmet Foods

Pine Lake:

Doster Country Store

Prairieville:

Prairieville Fast Stop

Orangeville:

Orangeville Fast Stop

Woodland:

Woodland Express

Cloverdale:

Cloverdale General

Brown’s Cedar Creek Grocery

Delton:

Family Fare

Delton Johnny's

Banfield:

Banfield General Store

Dowling:

Goldsworthys

Dowling General Store

Freeport:

L & J’s

Nashville:

Trading Post

Little’s Country Store

Nashville Johnny's

MV Pharmacy

Nashville C Store

Carl’s

Lake Odessa:

Lake-O-Express

Lake-O-Mart

Lake Odessa Johnny's

Carl’s

Shelbyville:

Town & Country

Thanks to those who oppose

high-priced drain project

To the editor:
I’m writing to publicly “thank” the three
commissioners for voting against the $600,
price tag for who knows what. It’s been like
snow falling since they opened the drain in
Mud Lake.
Now, all of a sudden, all the lakes are being
involved.
I wrote The Banner a long time ago about
this. My grandfather went to Hastings years
ago when they tried this. He got an injunction
to stop it because he said what would happen
if they did.
Well, it happened. I’m paying for their mis-
takes – as well as a lot of others.
It says in my paper I’ll have to pay for 20

years. Well, I won’t because I’m 84, but my

family will – and my land doesn’t even touch

the water.

Since when don’t the commissioners have

to take more than one bid? I’ve never heard of

such a thing in all my years! I guess whoever

they are paying to do the job could charge

whatever amount they wanted.

When election time comes around, you

need to remember all those who are costing

you more tax dollars and don’t care. You need

to call those who voted for this and let them

know your opinions.

Zelma Armintrout,

Delton

Movie underscores importance of local news

To the editor:
Recently I enjoyed a wonderful movie,
“News of the World,” based on a novel by
Paulette Jiles and starring Tom Hanks.
It is post-Civil War and Capt. Jefferson
Kidd performs live readings from newspapers
to paying audiences who hunger for news of
the world at that time – whether the happen-
ings in their own state of Texas, the progress
of the railroad and the slaughter of the buffa-
lo, or the rebellions beginning amongst coal
miners.
The story evolves as Capt. Kidd commits
himself to a 400-mile treacherous odyssey to
deliver an orphaned child, raised by the
Kiowa, to her surviving family. Although
written as fiction, it is based on the true story

of Caesar Adolphus Kydd, who was the orig-

inal reader of the news in small towns in

North Texas in the 1870s.

In this month of May, I am due to renew my

subscription to The Banner. I will indeed

renew since this is where I turn to for my

news of our world here in Barry County.

In this time of myriad digital options, print-

ed newspapers and local journalism are still

so important. They build social cohesion,

reflect local culture, and provide a snapshot of

our history each week here in Barry County.

We are fortunate to have this resource.

Carla Wilson-Neil,

Hastings

As unemployment benefits flow,

businesses shoulder consequences

Peter Meijer
On March 11, President Biden signed into
law the American Rescue Plan, purportedly a
COVID relief package.
In reality, this nearly $2 trillion package,
which I opposed, was a massive, multiyear
omnibus appropriations bill that covered
everything from bailing out multi-employer
pension plans to school funding well into
2025.
The American Rescue Plan had some posi-
tive elements: $160 billion for COVID vac-
cines, testing, and protective equipment, and
$1,400 direct cash payments to help Americans
weather the economic uncertainty.
But the funding allocated to these areas
paled in comparison to hundreds of billions of
dollars either sent to cities and states, almost
all of whom were running budget surpluses,
or in the extended federal unemployment ben-
efits bonus program that has been rife with
fraud. Ultimately, the price tag on this law
falls on the backs of hardworking taxpayers
while blocking the road to economic recov-
ery.
Days after signing the bill, President Biden
himself said, “The American Rescue Plan
[...] will generate economic growth for the
entire nation.”
This claim is patently untrue. Those of us
who live and work in West Michigan have
either experienced firsthand or heard about
the same challenge over and over: There is a
crippling labor shortage because the extended
federal unemployment bonus incentivizes
employees to stay home by making unem-
ployment benefits, at times, more lucrative
than getting back to work.
Thankfully, the end of the pandemic is in
sight. It has been a long, challenging, and
tragic 14 months for so many around the
world and here at home. Nearly a third of
Michiganders are fully vaccinated, and almost
half of adult Michiganders have had at least
one dose.

While the end of the pandemic draws closer

every day, businesses’ inability to find work-

ers is a serious roadblock to our economic

recovery.

That’s precisely why I drafted a conserva-

tive counterproposal to the American Rescue

Plan. My proposal, Direct Dollars Over

Government Excess ($DOGE), would have

made supplemental unemployment benefits

smaller and phased them out faster in

exchange for larger, up-front direct cash pay-

ments to those who need help the most.

Democrats rejected my proposal to boost

direct cash payments from $1,400 to $2,400,

even though the end cost was $1 trillion less

in debt.

I’m mindful of the challenging situations

families have experienced during the pan-

demic, such as the single parents who lost

access to schools and daycare for their chil-

dren and were forced to stay home from work

with no options for childcare or schooling.

My conversations within our West Michigan

community suggest that direct, targeted pay-

ments to these individuals would better serve

our workforce and labor market than current

extended federal unemployment benefits do.

I fear for September, when the American

Rescue Plan’s extended benefits are set to

expire, and we have more individuals out of

work and on the government payroll than ever

before. With businesses closing their doors

every day due to workforce shortages, what

will happen in the fall when countless people

need jobs that no longer exist? We must

encourage Americans to return to work and

ensure we do not continue to hinder our eco-

nomic recovery. I will continue to advocate

for common sense policies that support

American workers and foster economic

growth.

U.S. Rep. Peter Meijer, R-Grand Rapids,

represents Barry County in Michigan’s Third

Congressional District.