Letters to the editor — Oct. 10

Published 12:00 am Thursday, October 10, 2024

Use tax code to help fix immigration

Immigration is in dire need of repair. Let’s come together and fix it for a better future for the world.

The “fix” would be for the U.S. to have an “out.” One should not believe that the “current” crises “solved with more money” will be the last. The “current” crises are Mexico, Ukraine, Palestine and possibly more.

  1. The Mexican border with the U.S. is 1,954 miles long, 1,250 of which are in Texas alone.
  2. The federal government presently collects 18.7 cents per gallon of gasoline in every state of the U.S.
  3. Fewer than 50 percent of people in the U.S. pay federal income tax, a situation that calls for reevaluating our tax system.
  4. The federal government should consider a significant change: replacing the “earned income” tax with a “crowd sourcing” tax (CST). This new tax system would collect federal taxes when a person spends their money, not when they earn it. It could begin with 1/2 cent and be adjusted annually.
  5. As soon as someone steps foot in the U.S., they begin paying taxes the same amount as everyone else.
  6. As soon as a child has a dollar to spend, they begin paying for their own “healthcare for all, “Social Security, education K-14 and lowering the national debt. A formula is applied to each individual’s case, and a maximum can be recovered at tax time each year.
  7. Texas can now spend $10 billion on a state border wall without U.S. approval.
  8. The U.S. should invite immigrants into the U.S. to “grow food for the world” and give food when other countries in need ask for help, not money, arms for war or ammunition for furthering war, which only benefits the NRA.

This is a solution with an out, which is desperately needed by everyone, and the political party that enacts this fix will be in power for a long time.

— Steven Arey,
Salisbury

Trauma care for Helene victims

As a therapist specializing in trauma for over 20 years, I am extremely concerned about the emotional trauma that is likely to be a result of Hurricane Helene. Individuals desperately need to receive EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), which is an evidence-based treatment for both the treatment of and the prevention of PTSD. EMDR is endorsed by the World Health Organization, the American Psychiatric Association, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense, the American Psychological Association, and the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies.

After working with many individuals who have experienced trauma, including the mass shooting in Las Vegas and 9/11, I am a firm believer that the sooner individuals can be assisted in processing the trauma, the sooner they can recover.

When individuals are not assisted in processing a disaster situation quickly, there is a risk for Acute Stress Reaction, including nightmares and flashbacks to begin, which can be devastating. Only by assisting individuals in processing the event through EMDR can individuals begin to rebuild their lives. Thus, it is critical that groups be conducted to assist these individuals in obtaining necessary skills for self-care; and those who are at most risk for PTSD, be provided EMDR to process this trauma.

— Patti Lyerly,
Salisbury