Democrats need to do a better job sourcing opinions

All of you who despise and fear President Donald Trump as much as I do may have more or less money than I do.

I am 84; I live on Social Security and Medicare. I am a lifelong Democrat. All the emails sent by pro-Democrat groups ask for our opinions but end up asking for money. I gave hundreds last fall, and have none left.

Why not buy billboards? Why not figure out a way to get people to sign something without making it necessary to give money? Where is all this money supposed to come from? I think of the poor people who depend on Medicaid and Social Security, housing vouchers and free food depots. I think of the homeless too. We unfortunately don’t have money to send, but we sure do have opinions.

Somehow, you have to reach all the people, let them rise up and give each other information on rallies, marches, letters or whatever. Thank you.

— Linda C. Franklin, Baltimore

Federal workers seen as livestock by those just crunching numbers

I am a proud, hard-working federal employee. I manage a team that is motivated to meet our agency’s mission every day. We enjoy our work, we do quality work, and we get our job done on time. We are also under fire and threats daily from the current administration, but we are not sure why. There have been numerous articles written about why the federal government is important, and most of those articles focused on public-facing positions, like food inspectors, air traffic controllers, loan specialists, etc. But I have worked mostly behind the scenes, making sure Medicare and Medicaid dollars are protected; exposing fraud, waste, and abuse in agencies; and providing tools and practices to help our farmers in need.

These are important jobs that Americans may not be aware of, but people really rely on. There are countless jobs just like these, that are very important to the American people and the American economy. The federal government is a large organization, and like every business — large and small — we have stellar employees, good workers and underperforming staff. There is a process in place that works well to rehabilitate and, when necessary, remove employees from federal service. I have used that process several times in my federal career. It does not take years, and it does not involve payouts. It’s a legal, fair process.

The current administration wants to abruptly remove 1.6 million federal employees from service — one of the largest workforce purges in U.S. history. These are not wealthy people flying to Paris to catch an opera on a whim. Federal employees are low-to-middle class, they have mortgages, they have to care for family members, and they have to endure the same bouts with inflation and high costs as all Americans. Where are these 1.6 million Americans going to find work? How will this purge not shake the economy and send our country into a tailspin? Previous administrations from both parties have reduced the size of the government in a humane way, and the federal government has continued to shrink and grow throughout the years. This administration does not see federal workers as Americans, community members, youth coaches, volunteers or taxpaying citizens. In fact, they don’t see us as humans at all. They see us as livestock. America deserves and needs a working government. Without it, there will be no protections for our fellow citizens.

— EJ Silver, Ellicott City

Gambling revenue is poisoned

Does the state’s increasing dependence on gambling revenue make you uncomfortable? It certainly should because it cannot be justified by the claim that the proceeds go to “a good cause.”

That “good cause” is usually education. I have heard it used to support the state lottery, off-track betting, slots at the tracks, casinos, table gambling, sports betting and now the most seductive of all — internet gambling.

It is very important to recognize that this is a zero-sum game that will directly destroy many lives while providing a very diluted benefit to the public as a whole. Imagine the convenience of being able to sit on your couch and gamble away this week’s grocery money, or this month’s rent.

The state can’t live within its means and can’t justify taxes which would support its prodigal habits so it takes the path of least resistance in soaking the suckers. Shame on us all.

— Larry Jeeter, Ellicott City