To the editor:
Candy Bar on “What Economic Indicators Do We Need?” by Paul Donovan (Opinion Guest Essay, January 21):
Contrary to Mr. Donovan's claims, I am not ignorant about inflation. I have the latest year-on-year inflation rate and the latest monthly inflation rate.
In fact, using the Bureau of Labor Statistics' most cited measure of inflation, the Consumer Price Index, my real (inflation-adjusted) salary for the winter of 2024 would be even though I received each raise. This will be lower than the winter 2020 real salary. The past three years have been built on solid performance ratings, solid corporate results, and a recovering economy.
I also provide information on the causes of inflation in 2020 and beyond, including multiple pandemic relief packages passed under the Trump and Biden administrations, supply chain disruptions, corporate “margin expansion”, and other countries' inflation policies. I am getting .
Given this reality, it's no wonder I get angry at dishonest politicians and business leaders who claim they're not concerned about inflation. And I'm justifiably annoyed by the numerous opinion pieces, including Mr. Donovan's, that attempt to explain away my fortunate ignorance.
Jonathan Carey
chatham new jersey
To the editor:
The main reason the public is wary of inflation is because the right-wing noise machine is hammering home the message that the economy is in dire straits on Fox Noise…er, news 24/7. “Prices are going up and aren't coming down!” A voice echoes from the rooftops.
Any angle, whether imaginary or simply exaggerated, that can undermine public satisfaction and trust in government is relentlessly exploited. Nothing stands in the way of naked power to “Make America Great Again.”
mark nobile
pittsburgh
To the editor:
This article is not only patronizing, it's completely wrong.
The reason the average American continues to worry about massive inflation, rather than inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index, is because home and rent prices are rising and are not included in the CPI. It is.
Unlike Snickers bars, housing costs make up the largest portion of a person's expenses, so regardless of how economists define inflation, rising prices have a significant impact on a person's perception of an increase in the cost of living. have a significant impact.
sarah simon
portland maine
Are people missing President Trump's show?
To the editor:
Regarding “Election may cause people to hide from the news” (column, January 20):
I read Michelle Goldberg's column about the possible waning of American interest in the Donald Trump show. Not as someone who has skin in the ratings and clicks game, but in a desperate attempt to preserve my own sanity when everything I read and see about Mr. Trump infuriates and causes me. I read this as someone who is. More despair.
In eight years of monitoring MAGA and our country's connivance, my investment of time and attention has not yielded any measurable benefits, but it has caused me much harm.
Ms. Goldberg may have inadvertently provided a path to salvation for people like me: “Turn off all the sounds.” Like the example she gives of President Vladimir Putin's Russia, I already feel myself retreating “into private life and aesthetic satisfaction.”
This doesn't mean I won't vote in November, but the emotional cost of continued involvement if President Biden loses is too high.
peter bartes
Moreland Hills, Ohio
To the editor:
I read Michelle Goldberg's column about widespread defection in the face of another Donald Trump nominee with dismay and disbelief.
Last week, here in the battleground state of Georgia, I joined a Zoom call with a number of other activists to learn about a new voter contact program being implemented for November. The enthusiasm was palpable, with participants vowing to do even more campaign work than in 2020.
Other friends I talk to, who are not necessarily progressive or political, say they will work to defeat MAGA. Those who woke up to Trump's threat in 2016 have not walked away or given up. We cannot tolerate a convicted sexual abuser and authoritarian fanboy leading the free world.
And despite the mainstream media's hysterical coverage of the 56,000 Iowans' caucus votes and meaningless polls, we know Trump will be the loser again. .
barbara bart
Athens, Georgia.
Mayor Eric Adams' Veto
Let me give you an example. A prison bus. Prohibited by Bill Intro 549-A. Prison officers are prohibited from restraining detainees during transportation to and from court. About a third of the detainees at Rikers have been charged with murder, and most have been assaulted. Police officers would never place an arrestee in a patrol car without restraining them, so why should corrections officers hope for the best?
The article also fails to mention that the federal inspector general who oversees New York City's prisons strongly opposes the bill, saying it increases safety risks for all Rikers.
Mayor Eric Adams is determined to support the safety of correctional officers and the people in their custody. That's why he vetoed the bill.
Lisa Zornberg
new york
The author serves as chief advisor to Mayor Eric Adams and City Hall.
wall of usa and canada
To the editor:
Regarding “Republicans also push for northern border wall” (news article, January 23):
I am Canadian. I wholeheartedly support building a wall along the northern border of the United States if it would stop the flow of illegal firearms from the United States to Canada. This is a disaster that has definitely reduced my quality of life. Country.
L. Flynn
St. George, Utah
refuge from politics
To the editor:
On “Taking a Cue from the Squirrel in the Nest Box” (Opinion, nytimes.com, January 8):
Margaret Renkl writes so well about relaxing with her husband in their quiet cottage in the woods. I share Renkl's concerns about the upcoming election. I wish she could be like her husband who believes that “American voters are not stupid,” but unfortunately I am not.
In 2020, 74 million people voted for Donald Trump. And while millions more voted for Joe Biden, 74 million believed Trump would be a better president despite surviving four tumultuous years in office. I am not satisfied even if I know this.
Now, that quiet villa in the forest seems very, very attractive. And if Trump wins in November, let's make it a vacation home in Canada.
Len DiSessa
Drescher, Pennsylvania.