On Tuesday afternoon I agreed to publish the anonymous letter to the editor that appears in today’s paper.
For more than 150 years, the Register’s policy has been to allow anonymous commentary only if the author’s identity could somehow precipitate a harmful situation.
In this particular case, the contributor said that while he isn’t concerned about his personal safety, he fears his opinions would prompt a backlash against his business and negatively affect his employees.
“I don’t want my staff to bear the burden of my personal opinions,” he said. “You understand.”
More than he could know.
“Why don’t you just stay neutral?” I’m asked. “Sit this one out. It’d be better for business.”
Probably.
Maybe.
But if democracy is “for the people, by the people,” then it’s our job to speak up — and that includes voting.
One of my favorite campaign signs reads: “Not voting is the No. 1 cause of unwanted presidencies.”
So don’t sit this election out.
In deciding who I feel is best suited to lead the country next, these are my priorities:
• Growing the economy so that the United States remains the world’s largest economy but also does a better job of lifting those in poverty out.
The U.S. has emerged from the Covid-19 pandemic in stronger financial shape than any of its peers, growing by 3.2% per year. Inflation has fallen sharply since the summer of 2022 and unemployment is now a stable 4%.
Most economists roundly agree this “soft landing” from the pandemic would all be undone if former President Donald Trump’s promises of a growing menu of tax cuts and across-the-board tariffs came to pass.
