Rebuttal to Benson letter [Village News, 3/25/21]

Regarding Dominion’s $1.3 billion defamation lawsuit against Sidney Powell: her defense is that “no reasonable person would conclude that her statements were truly statements of fact!” Let that sink in. Giuliani hasn’t responded yet to his corresponding lawsuit. But Powell’s defense says it all. The entire election fraud charge is a complete tissue of lies.

Now, with that issue taken care of. Let’s talk about who and what I voted for. The president I voted for knows the battle against the pandemic is far from over and is actively managing our combat of it.

Our president fast-tracked the latest stimulus bill and the funds are already starting to flow. Here are the major components: $410 billion for the $1,400 checks, $242 billion for extended unemployment benefits, $170 billion for schools, and $360 billion for state and local governments.

In other words, about 34.5% of the funds are going directly to lower and middle income Americans, not the paltry 9% you claim. The money for schools and state and local governments will also provide substantial, but indirect, support.

Our President is now ready to fast-track an extensive and intensive infrastructure bill that will provide well-paying jobs, make America a better place to live, and provide a legacy for future Americans. This is provisional, as the GOP contingent in Congress will try their hardest to derail it.

The situation on our southern border is not a policing problem: it is a humanitarian problem and our President is approaching it as such.

Now for some schooling. California is among about a dozen states that regularly provide more revenue to the federal government than they receive in grants and other funds from the federal government. And in general, red states receive the most federal support.

California does have a large deficit, but it also has a large Gross State Product. In fact, If the state were considered separately, it would rank as the fifth largest economy in the world! Certainly, we’ve taken a hit from the virus, but that’s a one-off.

As for the rest of your complaints, refer back to paragraph 1 for the root cause.

John H. Terrell