It is time to have a serious discussion about inflation, immigration and abortion.
Obviously, many people never studied economics in school. The president does not control inflation, which is the job of the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve has dragged their feet, and we are paying the consequences. Economists say the Fed neutral rate is supposed to be 0.5% above inflation. Right now, we are in negative territory, and it will take getting interest rates to at least 8% to get things under control. Many of us remember interest rates of 12% to 15% during the Reagan era, and mortgage rates of 9% with an excellent credit score. And as the oil companies make record profits, the price of fuel drives up the price of all other goods.
During the heart of the pandemic, oil companies cut production because people were not traveling. At the same time, farmers and ranchers divested themselves of stocks of cattle, hogs, etc., because the demand from restaurants and schools had disappeared. Restarting production facilities and growing the cattle and hogs is not something that happens overnight. This recovery has been the fastest in our history, and it will take time to catch up. Also, it doesn’t help that people like the governor of Texas slow border traffic by as much as half, China is locked down, and our Congress plays games with appointments to the Federal Reserve Board.
In 2021, the U.S. population grew just 0.1%, the slowest rate since the nation was founded in the 18th century. By 2030, all the baby boomers will be retirement age. So just who is going to fill the jobs needed to sustain this country? The only answer is immigrants, the hard-working people who built this country in the beginning.
The last administration restricted immigration nearly to the point of extinction. Now, farmers in the West have to restrict growing the foods that need to be handpicked, as they cannot get the labor needed to do the picking. We are terribly low on home health aides, child care providers and even skilled laborers. The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 was passed at the height of the Cold War. Though it has been amended on many occasions, it focuses more on keeping people out than letting people in. This country cannot exist without the hard-working people who come here to escape tyranny, war and famine. Many of them are hard-working family people simply looking for a better life for them and their children. They add billions to our economy. Our Congress has to move now on immigration reform if we are to keep our country a viable economy.
If Roe v. Wade is overturned, the rights and health of women will be turned back to the 18th century. First, the issue of abortion should be between a woman and her doctor. Pregnancy remains a major cause of morbidity and mortality in the United States, much higher than in other developed nations. Women run the risk of preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, hemorrhage, preterm birth, blood clots, infection or sepsis, serious depression and more each time they become pregnant. Men have no risk, and they need to learn what all of the above problems can lead to, including death from heart attacks and strokes. As Dr. Marta Perez states, “Pregnancy is not a health-neutral event.”
If Roe v. Wade is overturned, pregnancy-related deaths could rise as much as 20%. Many of the laws being put forward in states make no exception for rape, incest, sex trafficking or the life of the mother. This is no more obvious that in the bill introduced in Missouri, which even sought to ban the termination of ectopic pregnancies. That language has since been removed.
The Texas heartbeat bill is a perfect example that these legislators don’t know what they are talking about. Heartbeats don’t exist at six weeks’ gestation because the valves in the heart don’t exist. It takes nine to 10 weeks for these valves to form.
We cannot become a country ruled by vengeance seekers, authoritarians or religious zealots.
Doris W. Draper
Houston
