As 2021 comes to a close, I am thankful for the sanity brought to our country by the Biden administration. We have a stable, functioning government with a cabinet filled with competent individuals led by a competent president. Job creation has roared back with an unemployment rate that has dropped from 10% to 4.6%; wages are up almost 5% from a year ago and the economy is on its way to a robust increase of 5%. The stock market has had more than 50 record highs in 2021, and President Joe Biden has passed a remarkable bipartisan infrastructure bill that will further spur growth. He has dealt with many difficult issues related to the world’s inability to gain more control of the COVID pandemic, but I am thankful for a competent administration that oversees a health policy based on science despite right-wing resistance to vaccinations and prevention.
What a difference compared to the chaos of Donald Trump. In his first year Trump fired his FBI director, national security adviser, chief of staff, press secretary, communications director, secretary of homeland security, secretary of health and human services, destroyed the Iran nuclear treaty, tried to impose a Muslim ban and threatened to pull out of NATO. According to the Washington Post, Trump made more than 16,241 false or misleading claims as president, an average of about 14.8 such statements per day. With his illiterate and insulting tweets he thrived on making everything about him. His response to the COVID epidemic turned deadly and his lies about a stolen election inspired an insurrection threatening our democracy.
Finally, I appreciate that President Biden has gone about the daily business of governing despite partisan opposition that refuses to place country above politics.
Carol Santa
Kalispell
Stay Connected with the Daily Roundup.
Sign up for our newsletter and get the best of the Beacon delivered every day to your inbox.