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A GOOD CHANGE
I will assume that nuns do not lie but unfortunately do fall prey to media and Democrat lies. The proposed reforms to Medicaid and food stamps would, horror of all horrors, require able-bodied, single men to have a job (“Keeping Medicaid healthy,” May 22).
This will return to the Clinton-era reforms that led to balanced budgets for two fiscal years in the late 1990s. It also ensures the financial stability of these programs so that money is available to help those who are truly in need rather than just lazy men happy to take government money so they can play Minecraft in their basement.
Ted Harvatin
Springfield
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HAVE EMPATHY
I spent six years working in well child clinics in Iowa in the late 80s to the early 90s I did dental screenings to evaluate a family’s qualifications for children to receive dental care through the state. They had to have no dental insurance and have enough family income to not qualify for Medicaid. I found that by the time a child had an examination, X-rays, cleaning and fluoride treatment, most of the allotted money was used and any treatment of dental disease, such as cavities, was not covered.
Most of the time, both parents were working but still needed help with providing food for their families. Many received WIC and food stamps. Most of the enrolled families showed up faithfully for the interview with the family services nutritionist at prescribed intervals to keep receiving benefits, and many families brought their children to the sliding-fee clinic for well child exams and vaccinations.
So here we are, 40 years later, and we still have the hard-working poor. But now, we want to take away the safety net for the families who have both parents working. Minimum wage in Iowa, along with other states, is still $7.25 an hour, based on the federal minimum wage. It’s a tragedy and an embarrassment to all U.S. citizens.
I’m begging you to empathize. There are just a handful of people who aren’t working and trying. Do unto others, please.
Nancy Gehlsen
DeWitt, Iowa
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KEEP ENERGY TAX CREDITS
I implore our U.S. Senators to reject the reckless repeal of the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) clean energy tax credits. This policy betrays our families, economy and future.
Think about your electricity bill jumping $46 to $160 annually and natural gas prices soaring 2-7% for heating and cooking. It’s the inevitable result of slashing clean energy projects and electric vehicle adoption, leaving us vulnerable to surging demand from AI, massive power-hungry data centers, and increased air conditioning.
With the IRA in place, Sangamon County alone is projected to have more than 6,000 jobs from renewable energy construction and operations by 2028. Surrounding counties like Menard, Logan and Christian will also see significant job growth. Statewide, hundreds of thousands of jobs will be created in battery, EV and solar manufacturing. All the jobs hang in the balance if the IRA and its tax credits are repealed.Â
Energy security teeters on the edge, with demand rising 25–50% in a decade and clean energy growth across the country being dramatically reduced as a result of the repeal. This invites blackouts, as delayed gas turbines fail us. We cannot afford this risk.
Worst of all, pollution will skyrocket by 1.5-3 billion tons, costing thousands of lives to air quality decline. The promised $500 billion savings pales against $2,000 per household in added costs and irreparable harm. This is a moral and economic disaster. Our senators must act now to preserve these life-saving tax credits.
Kevin RademacherÂ
Sherman
This article appears in Juneteenth 2025.
