September 19 , 2024 The Beacon • 49
Mr . Trump seems to have a nick name for everyone . Most of them are pretty demeaning , targeting race , gender and culture . The latest one targets the middle class , which I wholeheartedly disagree with . I consider myself middle class but not without struggles over the years .
In thinking about being middle class , I reviewed the jobs I have held since I was a teenager : lifeguard , ditch digger , warehouse worker . These were minimum wage jobs . After college I was a restaurant manager , state highway worker , carpenter , remodeling contractor and finally a mental health case manager . The restaurant jobs wound up being 80-hour-a-week jobs that were salaried between $ 150- $ 200 a week . State highway and carpentry was $ 10 an hour . Remodeling contractor was feast or famine with case manager being more stable with
benefits . After 55 years I retired .
Presidents Kennedy and Regan asked us to participate in making our country better . “ Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country .” Regan just asked us to simply look around and “ volunteer .” Those requests stuck with me . When I was able , I coached age group and high school swimming for 25 years . I was a youth worker at a church for at least 10 years , four to five years as an assistant pastor , eight years as a pastor and 16 years as a youth coffee house director . These were all unpaid with the exception of coaching , which worked out to around 15-18 cents an hour . I am sure there are
Letter to the Editor
other activities in there I no longer recall .
My wife and I made a decision to raise six children and instill in them a heart of service and hard work while taking care of their siblings growing up and now their own families . We see that as mission accomplished and makes me believe I am middle class .
When I look around Coshocton County talking to others who I know or am acquainted with , I do not see any billionaires or “ one percenters .” I do know some who have done really well and most likely will not have to be concerned with outliving the money they have saved . I believe Coshocton residents can basically share the same story of hard work , struggle , saving , overcoming setbacks and getting on with life .
I probably should not be surprised , but I am truly amazed at the generosity
I see year after year that comes from our community — folks who have a personal financial need that gets met through our clubs , the Christmas Castle project and donations to all manner of activities that reduce the cost of family activities .
So here is my reason for being offended on behalf of the middle class . When Mr . Trump , behind closed doors , calls us middle-classers “ Basement Dwellers ,”
Letter to the Editor
There seems to be a lot of misinformation about the Democratic nominee for President Kamala Harris . I ’ d like to tell you about her and why I ’ m voting for her for president .
Her parents were immigrants , her father an economic professor and her mom a biomedical scientist . Early experiences in the civil rights movement with her mother inspired her to make it her life ’ s work to fight against injustice . She earned her bachelor ’ s degree , went on to law school and began her career in the district attorney ’ s office , eventually being elected district attorney of San Francisco and then the state of California . She was then elected to serve in the U . S . Senate before running for president — but as we know becoming a VP .
What does she stand for ? Here are a few : the bipartisan Border Security Bill , supporting Ukraine and remaining a part of NATO , backs Medicare for all , supports clean energy / fighting climate change , backs gun-safety regulations , he has no real idea what we are all about , and to label us all as if we have no care or concern for one another is downright offensive .
Ed Gallagher
Coshocton
women ’ s reproductive rights , and cutting our $ 1.9 trillion U . S . deficit by raising taxes on those who make over $ 400,000 . Why is it time a woman is president ? Women are more inclusive , empathetic , focus on teamwork , good at multitasking , motivated by challenges , dream big , handle crisis well , are more impartial , keep their ego in check and are long-term strategic thinkers . Join me in voting for the most qualified and inspiring candidate — Kamala Harris .
Jennifer Wilkes
Frazeysburg
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