In response to “Listen to your heart, Elise” which ran in the Feb. 26-March 3 issue of North Country This Week and ‘Medicare For All is practical, long-overdue” which appeared in the March 4-10 issue of North Country This Week: Creating a universal childcare program goes beyond the scope of governments responsibility.

Investing taxpayer money in such a program is reckless and authoritarian in nature. Why should taxpayers whom do not have children and retired senior citizens be forced to help fund such a project?

The responsibility for paying for childcare should only be borne by children’s parents. Taxing for this plan would be theft.

In regards to forgiving $50.000 in for student loans, again … irresponsible. First of all, the U.S. government is not a bank and should not be in the loan business.

Second, if they do loan money to borrowers, they must insure they are able to repay the debt in a timely manner and not transfer the debt to innocent taxpayers. The idea of taxing the wealthy and corporations is idiotic.

That additional tax burden will only be transferred to the public by increasing fees and product pricing. Targeting specific groups of people to pay additional taxes simply by their ability to pay higher taxes is wrong.

This is one of the reasons why corporations and wealthy people move overseas. In the matter of Elise Stefanik from the teacher in Potsdam, I found it to contain too many generalizations.

There was mention of subverting the law and undermining our democracy. What are these subversions and undermines? Who has been convicted of such crimes? What are the atrocities against the environment, the poor, the disabled the immigrant, and the refugee? These statements are hollow with no verification.

I have witnessed the atrocities committed by illegal immigrants when a U.S. citizen is murdered, attacked, robbed and help ruin our environment.

I have had a great satisfaction in seeing some useless environmental regulations lifted so that our country can reap the benefits of energy independence. Keep up the good work Elise.

Steve Youngs

Lisbon