Response to Ambrose column
Please fact-check your editorials. The public depends on West Hawaii Today to provide realistic, enlightened commentary in a world where incendiary misinformation runs rampant.
“The Test Biden Can’t Pass” by Jay Ambrose (March 19) is filled with incorrect and misconstrued information.
1) Ambrose repeats Robert Hur’s assertion that President Joe Biden struggled to answer questions during the investigation into whether he “stole classified documents.” However, those who have read the actual now-released 258-page transcript of Hur’s interview with Biden have confirmed that Hur simply cherry-picked phrases to give a skewed impression.
2) Ambrose brags that, “Few know that we could well have the highest progressive tax among developed nations.” Well, nice try to justify not taxing excessive wealth. But some of us, including the nonprofit, nonpartisan Brookings Institute, know that 11 countries are more tax progressive than the U.S.
3) Ambrose claiming that “1% pay more in taxes than 90%” is a misleading conservative talking point that refuses to die every time taxing the rich is mentioned. According to facts in New York Magazine, that statement is notoriously repeated during Fox News diatribes and Republican lectures given by billionaires. But it doesn’t change the fact that the 1% own 22.2% of GNP, make more money than 90% of all working Americans, and use their wealth to influence politicians and courts to achieve favorable tax treatment.
Mr. Ambrose has a lot of gall saying Biden is “ignorant or lying” considering that Ambrose is fuzzy at best on his information. And while the Washington Post fact-checked and documented Donald Trump lying and making false claims 30,000-plus times while he was in office, are newspapers willing to print editorials that describe Trump as a liar? (Because in service to “bothsidesism,” I’d be happy to submit one, if WHT would print it?)
Mr. Ambrose gets paid to push the talking points outlined in the Republican Playbook. He scares people about Biden raising the national debt, but doesn’t mention that, according to The Hill, Trump’s administration raised the national debt by $8 trillion while Biden is now doing damage control by reducing it so far by $1.7 trillion.
I don’t get paid. But I just spent four hours researching, educating myself and writing this letter. I respectfully request that you print my letter as a heads-up to any editorials and their writers whose supposed “facts” are awash in unfounded accusations, fear-mongering and misleading information.
Martha Hodges
Kailua-Kona