From Gerry Mason

Watching the way some politicians and the media have mishandled the Russia/Trump election innuendos has been disappointing, disheartening and disgusting. How can we be so stupid?

Trump won the presidency fair and square by winning the popular vote in a majority of states, which awarded him some 306 electoral college votes. This is 5th grade civics. While Clinton had no message, Trump’s “Make America Great Again” call resonated throughout the middle class — especially in rust belt states like Michigan, Ohio and Pennsylvania. Trump outworked Clinton.

The notion that Trump’s presidency is somehow illegitimate is nonsense; it is just the opposite. Voters sent establishment politicians from both parties a message: we want real leadership, results, and are sick and tired of your phony, self-serving political grandstanding.

At crucial times in U.S. history, Russia has been our ally. During World War ll, she fought 3.3 million German soldiers including SS Panzer Divisions. We ended the Cold War without firing a shot, stood together in Desert Storm and in the wake of the 9/11 attacks. While Putin has much to be desired, he respects strength, effective use of power, and resolve – all lacking in recent U.S. foreign policy.

In 1972, Nixon changed the world with historic visits to Moscow and Beijing. So began detente with the Soviets, and then the opening of China. There were arguably Middle East peace implications. To defeat ISIS, and stand against China in the world community, we will again need Russia as an ally.

Marysville, Mich.

Don’t use the Holman Rule to hurt federal employee unions

From Elizabeth McDArgh

I am a Federal employee and I am writing in support of my union.

Federal employees at my Agency come from all political parties. They provide regulatory oversight, monitoring and compliance. They ensure stability of operations and protect us against waste, fraud and abuse (WFA). They protect against capricious policy swings administration to administration.

Trey Kovacs’s op-ed titled “Use Holman Rule on federal employees that work full-time for union” (1/10/17) proposes that the Holman Rule be used to fire my union representative. That feels personal and politically motivated because if you fire my union representative, you essentially are taking a machete to my work safety net, my employee rights and due process — and that feels like jumping out of an airplane without a parachute.

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My union has helped fight WFA, demanded stronger training programs and helped to streamline organizational processes. That has led to cost and time-savings; and, while Mr. Kovacs addresses salary costs, he does not account for those savings in his analysis.

Having a union protects the work we do and the public trust, which is the reason Congress allowed unions in the federal government in the first place.

If the Holman Rule is used to fire my representative, then it is my opinion that we will see bigger problems and more dirty dealings. Believe me when I say that I have plenty of stories and I know what would have happened had my union not been there for me in those situations.

So while I understand the author’s financial arguments, I think it ignores the benefits and safeguards unions provide for the enterprise, the staff and the american taxpayer. Federal employee unions at their core help and protect good employees; and, it is my hope that if Mr. Kovacs knew more about those variables and their corresponding financial value, that he might endeavor to protect unions — not get rid of them.

Long Beach, Calif.