HB 5.6.2021 FINAL

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

from our readers


The Hastings Banner welcomes letters to the editor from readers, but there are a few conditions that must be
met before they will be published.
The requirements are:


  • All letters must be signed by the writer, with address and phone number provided for verification. All that will
    be printed is the writer’s name and community of residence. We do not publish anonymous letters, and names
    will be withheld at the editor’s discretion for compelling reasons only.

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    est, which will be determined by the editor.

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  • “Crossfire” letters between the same two people on one issue will be limited to one for each writer.

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Editorial page 2


GUEST COMMENTARY


The Hastings Banner
Devoted to the interests of Barry County since 1856
Published by... Hastings Banner, Inc.
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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.
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