Letter: Republicans tried to squash the American dream

Published 8:30 pm Friday, April 19, 2024

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In response to Mavis Jacobs-Hanson, I too have lived the American dream.

I lived/saw firsthand how Republicans tried to squash it.

Growing up in the ’60s and ’70s I saw my neighbors who worked blue collar jobs, (the working class) able to buy homes, cars and take vacations. Most of my friends had stay-at-home moms. Their fathers worked at Wilson, Queens, Streater or were plumbers, welders or garbage men — all living the American dream. When I turned 18 I went to work at Wilson from the late ’70s through late ’80s. Through most of that time my wife and I also were living the American dream — had kids, a house, cars, vacations.

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Once Ronald Reagan became president though, our lifestyle, along with most all working class, went downhill. He stacked the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) with anti-union members. Broke the air traffic controllers strike and with that sent a message to all corporations “start the union busting.”

The greed is good mentality is taking over.

In the mid ’80s our wages at Wilson/Farmstead were slashed from 10.69 per hour down to 6.50! All across the nation wages for the working class/blue collar went down or stayed stagnant for over 30 years.

All thanks to the Republicans’ union busting and their failed “trickle down” theory.

As for Ms Jacobs-Hanson, Trump is a crook, a liar and is trying to destroy American democracy for his own personal gain.

I feel sorry for anyone who cannot see this.

The self proclaimed billionaire is not a friend of the blue collar/working class — never has been.

Remember …
“We all do better, when we all do better” — Paul Wellstone

Al Helgerson
Albert Lea