Regarding the Covid relief proposals: Without having seen the details of the moderate Republicans' proposal, I definitely share their concern that the relief be targeted to those who need it most. It seems ironic that it is Republicans who are pushing to lower the income limits for eligibility for the relief, in view of how Democrats rightly opposed the massive tax breaks given by Trump and his Republican Congress to our wealthiest citizens. Are we seeing Republicans and Democrats reversing their roles here? In any case, Biden campaigned on a promise of bipartisanship, which is sorely needed in our highly polarized nation. He needs to negotiate in good faith with this group of moderates to create a bipartisan bill which will help our nation to successfully weather this crisis. That said, I wonder why neither party seems to be addressing my greatest concern about how the relief money is being spent: It is necessary not only to limit the relief distributions to those below a set income level, but also to restrict individual payments to include only those who have suffered financially due to the Covid crisis. I give my own situation as an example. My husband and I are retired, with our modest (below limits proposed by either party) but adequate income coming from Social Security, my employee pension, our savings, and some inherited annuities. None of this income has changed as a result of the Covid crisis. The stimulus payments we received are welcome windfalls to us, but that money could have been more appropriately distributed elsewhere. The same applies for individuals who continue to work their normal hours for their normal pay, either because they are essential workers, or because they are able to work remotely from home. Our government should not be randomly handing out payments to all taxpayers, but should be targeting aid to those who have suffered financially from the effects of the pandemic. It seems that both parties (or the moderates among them at least) already agree on many aspects of the latest Covid relief package. It is absolutely essential that they work together to hammer out details for a bill that can be passed with broad (hopefully overwhelming) bipartisan support.
Shoutout to both reader comments, especially Blake from Arkansas. While I've been increasingly uncomfortable with "my own side's" apparent intolerance, I've also felt the growing conservative complaints of discrimination aren't entirely genuine, even if they are legitimate. While it is likely true that in many places, conservatives feel they can't express themselves, the fear of expressing (or simply ~being~) oneself for many marginalized groups has been much deeper and been around much longer. It's so important (and easier said than done) that we view each other with empathy instead of stone throwing, even when there are many justified stones to be thrown.
Regarding the Covid relief proposals: Without having seen the details of the moderate Republicans' proposal, I definitely share their concern that the relief be targeted to those who need it most. It seems ironic that it is Republicans who are pushing to lower the income limits for eligibility for the relief, in view of how Democrats rightly opposed the massive tax breaks given by Trump and his Republican Congress to our wealthiest citizens. Are we seeing Republicans and Democrats reversing their roles here? In any case, Biden campaigned on a promise of bipartisanship, which is sorely needed in our highly polarized nation. He needs to negotiate in good faith with this group of moderates to create a bipartisan bill which will help our nation to successfully weather this crisis. That said, I wonder why neither party seems to be addressing my greatest concern about how the relief money is being spent: It is necessary not only to limit the relief distributions to those below a set income level, but also to restrict individual payments to include only those who have suffered financially due to the Covid crisis. I give my own situation as an example. My husband and I are retired, with our modest (below limits proposed by either party) but adequate income coming from Social Security, my employee pension, our savings, and some inherited annuities. None of this income has changed as a result of the Covid crisis. The stimulus payments we received are welcome windfalls to us, but that money could have been more appropriately distributed elsewhere. The same applies for individuals who continue to work their normal hours for their normal pay, either because they are essential workers, or because they are able to work remotely from home. Our government should not be randomly handing out payments to all taxpayers, but should be targeting aid to those who have suffered financially from the effects of the pandemic. It seems that both parties (or the moderates among them at least) already agree on many aspects of the latest Covid relief package. It is absolutely essential that they work together to hammer out details for a bill that can be passed with broad (hopefully overwhelming) bipartisan support.
Shoutout to both reader comments, especially Blake from Arkansas. While I've been increasingly uncomfortable with "my own side's" apparent intolerance, I've also felt the growing conservative complaints of discrimination aren't entirely genuine, even if they are legitimate. While it is likely true that in many places, conservatives feel they can't express themselves, the fear of expressing (or simply ~being~) oneself for many marginalized groups has been much deeper and been around much longer. It's so important (and easier said than done) that we view each other with empathy instead of stone throwing, even when there are many justified stones to be thrown.