Democrats are as Deportation-Happy as GOP
Regardless of who is in power, the number of annual deportations has risen consistently since 1968. But the rate of that rise began to increase precipitously in 1981 under Ronald Reagan, climbing to new heights under Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, followed by an all-time high under Barack Obama that has yet to be matched by Donald Trump.
And deportation rates are not the only area in which Democrats rival Republicans: Under Joe Biden’s administration, the portion of ICE detainees held in private prisons increased from 81% to a whooping 90.8%. Biden’s commitment to ending private prisons conspicuously failed to include ICE detention.
Total deportations per term (approximately): Ronald Reagan 1981: 100,000. 1985: 75,000; George H.W. Bush 1989: 100,000; Bill Clinton 1993: 150,000. 1997: 600,000; George W. Bush 2001: 800,000. 2005: 1.1 million; Barack Obama 2009: 1.5 million. 2013: 1.4 million; Donald Trump 2017: 1.25 million. Joe Biden 2021: 700,000.
Total deportations per term: George W. Bush: 200,000. Barack Obama: 400,000. Donald Trump first term: 400,000. Joe Biden 400,000. Self-deportations?
David Hancock
Chester Township
Time for a Change
While the ‘People’s House’ is wrecked to make room for a gilded age ballroom, the
administration orders the most powerful military in the world to bomb boats in the Caribbean and the Pacific, and billions of taxpayer dollars are sent to Argentina to prop-up their economy, we here at home are seeing lines grow at foodbanks, prices rise at the grocery store, health care
costs skyrocket and our farmers losing out in terms of crop prices (soy in particular).
Is this what ‘Make America Great Again’ means: the ultra-rich and Washington elite get richer and the rest of us see our bank accounts dwindle and paychecks disappear? It is time for a change.
M.A. Smith
Auburn Township
A Call to Action
On Nov. 5, the day after the election, I’m going to retire as a Geauga County Board of Elections poll worker. I could give a bunch of excuses like:
I have kids.
I’m overcommitted.
I’ve had a few health scares recently.
I’m tired.
All those statements would be true; however, none are the reasons why.
The Geauga County Board of Elections is the most efficient, well-run BOE in the state. Serving as a poll worker for the past four years has been nothing short of life changing.
We live in a time when literally no one can agree on anything. The Geauga BOE provides me with a space I like to call Election Worker Land: a magical place you can visit for 15 hours a few times a year. While there, you get to genuinely collaborate with neighbors, all with the sole purpose of ensuring a free and fair election. It’s not actually magic of course. It’s democracy at work.
I choose to liken the poll worker process to having kids. Just as you don’t understand what it’s like until you have them, you don’t know what working a single election can do for you until you are in the thick of it. It’s grueling in the most beautiful way possible. In a single room, on a single day, you are expected to solve problems, help residents and celebrate a U.S. citizen’s sacred duty to cast a ballot.
I will miss greeting people as they walk in, photo ID in hand. I will miss working in an efficient bi-partisan team to help elderly and disabled voters cast their ballot curbside. I will miss learning the stories of my fellow poll workers, many of whom I might have never met otherwise.
I will especially miss those voters who entered my check-in line and offered up verbal doubt as to whether elections are truly fair. My response to them always was and always will be: “You should sign up to be a poll worker to see how it all works! We could really use your help!”
So back to the reason why. This letter is meant to be a call-to-action to you dear reader. Learn how the process works. Attend the training run by the extremely qualified BOE staff. Do your duty. Take part in democracy. You won’t be sorry you did. The next election is in less than 200 days.
Marla Zwinggi
Auburn Township
No Property Tax
Did you notice how much your property tax has increased this year? Does it seem that you are renting your house from the government? Are you aware that many seniors have lost their homes due to inability to pay these taxes?
It is time to put a stop to property taxes in Ohio.
Then how would we fund these services? Possible solutions could be: an increase in income tax, an increase in sales tax or governmental agencies could CUT spending.
A petition is being circulated to put a constitutional amendment on the ballot in November of 2026. This would take away all taxes on real property.
Come to sign this petition on Main Street on Chardon Square each Sunday in November from 2-5 p.m. Call 440-286-8421 for more information.
Molly Nikkila
City of Chardon
