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Edwin Lyngar Published 11:15 a.m. PT March 12, 2021

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Edwin Lyngar(Photo: Provided by Edwin Lyngar)

RGJ columnist Edwin Lyngar isa freelancewriterliving in Reno.

I hear bleating accusations of socialism every five minutes, from right, center, and even some moderate lefties. From the just-passed COVIDbill, to minimum wage, to library funding, and in every Democratic Party squabble, someone is just waiting to scream socialism, like retirees yelling bingo. Yet when Nevada filled Elon Musks pockets with more than a billion dollars in free money, I didnt hear so much about socialism then, nor do I hear socialism hurled at Comrade Berns of Blockchain, as he attempts to corner the means of currency production by forming his own government. Accusations of socialism are situational and always dishonest.

President Joe Biden just passed the COVIDbill supported by 70% of Americans, while opposed by 100% of D.C. Republicans. They call it you guessed it socialism. The early actions of the Biden administration shows that it sees the scam clearly. They passed a bold law with broad American support, further destroying both the false claims of socialism and the damaging neoliberalism of the Bill Clinton era. Its good policy and smart politics.

More: President Joe Biden's COVID stimulus bill explained in 6 charts

If Democrats solve real problems, accusations of socialism lose power. Americans are tired of massive subsidies for the wealthy and businesses in hopes of trickle-down promises that never materialize. COVID-19 blew the doors off our broken system, but changes started much earlier. For years, progressives like Bernie Sanders have relentlessly pushed for more opportunity and fairness in Americas economic system. Sanders helped birth the popular COVIDbill and has been an animating force behind a $15 minimum wage, immigration and criminal justice reform, and marijuana legalization. These ideas all started as liberal pipe dreams but now enjoy broad bipartisan support, even as they are blocked by Republican politicians.

With every bold demand for change, Americans are told to wait, just another year, election cycleor presidential election. Whats the hurry? Im tired of waiting for our leaders to do the right thing, and too often its Democrats who tell themselves they cant win with popular ideas. Democrats should do everything possible to muscle through popular provisions without apology, just as Sanders has pushed for years. We can never rerun the 2016 election, but I argue Sanders would have beaten Trump.

The role of Sanders supporters in the broader Democratic Party has taken on new relevance here after a recentintraparty fight. Other than an undying fondness for Tick Segerblom, who lost to Judith Whitmer, I have little opinion on the contest. Both candidates are longtime Sanders supporters and neither are socialists, despite the dozens of dishonest headlines that attempt to weaponize the word. The Democrats had a competition, and the establishment didnt like the outcome.

More: Sanders backers take over Nevada Democratic party leadership; staff resigns

Democrats feel understandable pride over the past few Nevada elections, but I argue they still have room to grow their single-digit victory margins as the Nevada GOP descends further into a trashy Gong Show remake. Democrats dont need any more barriers to winning, and I hope the party can find a way through the rift.

America already has too many excuses to inaction; were in crisis, by golly. From the dot-com bust to 9-11 to the 2008 housing collapse to COVID-19, were always in some crisis, and most of them hit Nevada harder than other states. These predicable challenges give politicians an excuse to punt on solving problems. Sorry, no cheap college for you, were in a crisis. After every crisis of my adult life, rich people ended up with more money, while everyone else was working harder for less. The inability of the American political system to tackle everyday problems is the real threat to our national unity.

Many of our political problems predate Joe Biden, and thats saying something. Yet Im so encouraged by the progress in Washington. I was hard on Biden in the primary, but I was wrong Biden gets it. He might be the only person with the heft, experienceand history to thread the needle. Nevada leaders should follow his example Americans support bold action on hard issues, and they crave fearless, honest leadership. Nevada needs more bold ideas to help regular people and fewer proposals to establish company towns that give special treatment to the communists at Blockchains.

More: Nevada bill would allow tech companies like Blockchain, LLC to create governments

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COVID relief, party politics and the socialism of Blockchains | Edwin Lyngar - Reno Gazette Journal

As I considered the changes in America since January 20, a thought came to me; with all the presidential executive orders being signed, our rights have been taken away with the stroke of a pen. America is becoming a socialist country right before our eyes. The government refers to herd immunization concerning the vaccines, but what they really are looking for is herd indoctrination into socialism, and they use the left-wing media to promote their agenda.

Many of our freedoms are now under attack by the Socialist Democratic Party. Even Dr. Seuss isnt safe anymore. But I have a plan to remedy our situation. Americans should move to Mexico, giving up our citizenship and then come back across the border as illegals. Well then be able to get all the perks Americans have paid for through hard work and capitalism. Social security will be paid to us even though we didnt work or pay into the system. We can get driver licenses and be able to vote without proper identification. Well be able to go to the hospital and receive free medical services. We can get more handouts and privileges from the government than we ever thought possible. All we have to do is give up our citizenship in the greatest country in the world, the United States of America.

Im proud to be an American citizen; however, as a Christian, my real citizenship is in heaven. Jesus Christ paid for my citizenship with His death on the cross and his resurrection on Easter Sunday. Where is your citizenship?

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Socialists are taking away our rights | Letters to the Editor | tullahomanews.com - Tullahoma News and Guardian

The LedgerThe greatest threat to America

I remember the serious Cold War threat of communism in the '50s. In 1962 Russia's Nikita Khrushchev allegedly said, We will not destroy you by missiles, but by small doses of socialism until you wake up and realize you are communists.

The revolution is on thanks to Barack Obama's and Joe Biden's hope of fundamentally transforming of America; Bernie Sanders' push for democratic socialism and academia's predominance of left-wing professors teaching millions of our youth a favorable, appealing and fearless acceptance of socialism.

Add to that Black Lives Matter is now respected and supported even after one of its leaders said We are trained Marxists. Also, unbelievably more than 2 million voters in Georgia are sending a Marxist senator to Washington. And add to this the censorship of conservative social media.

The U.S. is quickly closing the door to the "Land of the Free. America was founded on faith in a big God as protector, provider, liberty, little government and strong individualism. Socialism threatens to supplant God by trust in big government as one's provider, totalitarian rule, while sacrificing precious individual freedom. America is at a crossroad, Choose this day who you are going to serve.

The Rev. Norman C. Bradney, Lakeland

Submit your letter here or email it to voice@theledger.com. All letters are subject to editing for clarity, length, taste and libel. Letters should be signed and contain the writers full name, address and telephone number. Letters should be kept to 200 words. Submit new letters 30 days following the date of publication of a prior letter.

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Letters to the editor: The greatest threat to America is Socialism - The Ledger

The House first passed the bill in February, but after the Senate made provision, it came back to the representatives for approval. USA TODAY

WASHINGTON The latest COVID-19 relief packagehas now passed the Senate and House, and will soon be on it's way to President Joe Biden's desk.

The legislation, dubbed the American Rescue Plan,includes$1,400 stimulus checks, billions of dollars for vaccines, and money to reopen schools.

While Biden and Democrats are cheering the bill as a victory in the quest to fight the impacts of the coronavirus crisis, Republicans say the bill is wasteful and full of provisions that don't address the virus. No Republicans vote for the billin either chamber of Congress..

Here are sometakeaways of the bill's passage through Congress and what happens next:

The American Rescue plan madeit through Congress with only Democratic support, makingitstandout from the bipartisan COVID reliefplans Congress passed over the last year.

Though the two sides squabbled over priorities in each of the previous packages that cleared Congress,allwere approved with members of both parties in support except the one approved Wednesday.

More: Biden's relief bill isn't getting bipartisan support like previous stimulus bills. What do Republicans dislike so much?

Live updates: Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus plan expected to get final passage Wednesday

The final vote Saturdayin the Senate was 50-49 with all Republicans voting against the measure and all members of the Senate Democratic caucus supporting it. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, was not present for the vote. In the House,it didn't earn a single Republican vote in the two times the bill came to a vote.

Biden ran on his ability to broker bipartisanefforts on Capitol Hill, drawing onhis 36 years in the Senate and eight years as vice president.Republicans haveviewedthe bill as a betrayal of thebipartisanship Biden embracedand spoke of during his campaign.

Surrounded by Democratic House and Senate committee chairs, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., sign the $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill during a bill enrollment ceremony on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday. The bill now goes to President Joe Biden, who will sign the bill into law Friday.(Photo: Drew Angerer, Getty Images)

Republican lawmakers described the stimulus planas a "clunker,""bad politics" and wildly expensive."

House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., described it as a "laundry list of leftwing priorities" that "do not meet the needs of American families."

"It is very liberal," he said. "They called this the most progressive piece of legislation in history. For those who are watching, progressive means socialism."

Rep. Jason Smith, R-Mo., called the legislation a progressive wish list forced down by the Democrat party.

Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill., said in a statement he was "glad to know" his constituents would get a stimulus payment and other benefits of the bill, but explained why he voted against it.

But the legislation passed today is one of the largest expenditures in American historywith spending unrelated to the COVID-19 pandemic and Republicans were left out of all negotiations," he continued, saying the legislation"still manages to spend way too much money".

Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo.,the House Republican Conference chair, saidin a statementthe bill "does far more harm than good, and the damage it does will only make our recovery efforts more difficult."

The bill sailed through the House despite complaints from progressive Democrats who believed too many concessions were made to moderate Democrats when the bill passed Senate on Saturday.

The final vote was 220-211, with oneDemocrat Rep. Jared Golden of Maine opposing it,saying it would borrow and spend far more than is needed.

Borrowing and spending hundreds of billions more in excess of meeting the most urgent needs poses a risk to both our economic recovery and the priorities I would like to work with the Biden administration to achieve, like rebuilding our nations infrastructure and fixing our broken and unaffordable healthcare system, Goldensaid in a statement on Wednesday.

Golden also opposed the House's first vote on the legislation in late February before it went to the Senate. The bill had to go through the House one last time because of changes made in the Senate.

Rep.Kurt Schrader,D-Ore., voted against the first bill in February, but supported the Senate's modified legislation during Wednesday's vote.

With Democrats controlling both chambers of Congress, some Republicanspulled out all the stops in attempts todelay voting on the legislation.

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., forced the Senate to begin reading all628 pagesofBiden's COVID billaloud on the Senate floor Thursday.

More: Republican Sen. Ron Johnson forces Senate to read all 628 pages of Biden's COVID bill aloud

Johnson said his tactic was about educating the American public on what was in the$1.9 trillion package, which he has derided as full of provisions unrelated to COVID relief.The entire process took more than10 hours.

Then senators were allowed to bring upamendments to the bill. The rapid succession of votes on each proposed change is dubbed a "vote-a-rama."

Republican Senators filed nearly 600 amendments, but only brought forth a fraction of those for debate. It was enough to draw out the voting session for more than 24 hours,keeping senators voting from from Friday morning into Saturday.

More: Senate OKs extension of $300 weekly unemployment benefit after long delay

One issue, unemployment insurance, was stalled by Democratic senators for most of the day Friday as they negotiated behind closed doors,focusing on the vote from Sen. Joe Manchin, a moderate Democrat from West Virginiawho expressed interest in plans from Republicans and Democrats.

During the House's session on Wednesday, before lawmakers began debating on the legislation,Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greeneforced the House to delay debatingand voting on the stimulus billby forcing a vote to adjourn House proceedings ahead of the debate. The effort failed.

Signing COVID-19 reliefhas been Biden's chief legislative priority sincehe beganhis presidency.

He's stressed the aid is sorely needed for Americans battling the economic impacts of the pandemic and repeatedlypushed for Congress to pass the bill quickly.

More: With passage of COVID-19 relief plan imminent, Biden delivers a final sales pitch

On the campaign trail, and in the first hours of his presidency, Biden promised to pass massive relief in Congress.

In announcing the American Rescue Plan on the same day as his inauguration, Biden called the smaller, bipartisan legislation passed in December "a down payment."

The White House described the new legislation as "ambitious, but achievable, and will rescue the American economy and start beating the virus."

Several polls show the latest package enjoys wide popularity, particularly the direct payments to Americans.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., praised the bill as part of Biden's legacy, calling it the "Biden American Rescue Plan."

We will get to work immediately to deliver lifesaving resources springing from this bill as soon as it is passed and signed as we join President Biden. in his promise that at last help is on the way," she said.

More: Polls find most Americans support Biden's COVID-19 stimulus package

Republicans in the Senate were successful in changing several key portions of the legislation.

Some House Democrats gripedover the modificationsmade to the legislation particularly the removal of a $15 federal minimum wage hikewhen the bill cameback to their chamber for avote Wednesday. But those peevedprogressives set aside their misgivings, and approved the Senate changes.

A federal hourly minimum wage increase was included in the version of the relief bill that was approved by the House last month. But it was stripped from the Senate versionafter the Senate parliamentarian foundit to be against budgetrules. Senate Democrats'attempt to reinsert a $15 minimum wage provision Friday also failed when eight Democratic caucus members voted with all Senate Republicans against Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders proposal.

More: Some House progressives aren't happy with Senate version of COVID relief package. Here's what changed.

Like the House version, the Senate bill includes$1,400 stimulus checks to Americans but it lowered the income eligibility for taxpayers getting the payments.Under the Senate bill, the checks phase out forindividuals making $80,000 per year and $160,000 for couples.

Roughly 8 million fewer households will get a check under the Senate bill compared with what the House passed, according to an analysis from the Tax Policy Center.

More: $1,400 checks are coming in the new coronavirus relief bill. Here's who will get them, and who won't.

The House bill extended federal unemployment benefits through August and increased that aid to $400 a week, but the final bill only extends the enhanced unemployment benefits through August at $300 a week.

The House vote was the final legislative hurdle for the legislation.

It now goes to Biden, who will sign the bill into law Friday, the White House said.

More: $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill with $1,400 stimulus checks passes House, heads to President Biden for signature

"This legislation is about giving the backbone of this nation the essential workers, the working people who built this country, the people who keep this country going a fighting chance," Biden said in a statement following the vote.

"On Friday, I look forward to signing the American Rescue Plan into law at the White House a peoples law at the peoples house."

After the bill is signed into law, the IRS may begin delivering stimuluschecks within one to two weeks.

"Middle-class Western New York households will be getting a $1,400 check in the mail in about two weeks," said Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. "They should get them by the end of March, so it'll be a nice Easter present for everybody."

More: With the economy healing, is Biden's $1.9T COVID-19 relief package too much?

Contributing: Michael Collins, Nicholas Wu,Sarah Elbeshbishi, Christal Hayes, Ledyard King

Read or Share this story: https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2021/03/10/covid-stimulus-passes-house-takeaways-president-joe-bidens-bill/6929739002/

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Takeaways from the COVID-19 stimulus bill passing Congress: Weeks of partisan fighting comes to an end with a win for Biden - USA TODAY

According to the St. Marys County Equity Task Forces Joint Resolution to Advance Equity in St. Marys County, on June 29, 2020, Racial justice is the systematic fair treatment of people of all races, resulting in equitable opportunities and outcome for all.

The fundamental problem with this statement is its acceptance of the socially constructed system of categorizing human races based on observable physical features, such as skin color and ancestry. It is antithetical to the goal of a colorblind society and serves to perpetuate and exploit racism for political, legal, economic and social purposes.

Another problem is the intentional omission of equal treatment. Justice is the systematic, fair and equal treatment of people without regard to differences that foster discrimination and injustice. Note the term equitable opportunities instead of equal opportunity.

The task forces advancing equity goal is an equitable outcome for all through the absence of disparities among groups of people that would have otherwise arisen because of their socioeconomic status, geographical area, age, disability, sexual orientation, gender, or racial/ethnic group. In other words, equity is diversity without disparities in the outcomes of different groups.

The compensatory means of eliminating disparities or leveling the playing field is through the redistribution of resources by taking from some and giving to others, such as using a weighted formula.

Equity treats people unequally through preferential treatment for some and less favorable actions toward others. Equity is a euphemism for affirmative action and an excuse for reverse discrimination. Equity conforms with the Marxist phrase, From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs. Acquiescing to equity also requires the woke renouncing of the so-called disparity of white privilege. Equity is a steppingstone in the movement toward socialism.

If equity improves equality of opportunity, it may succeed, but if it is intended to idealistically achieve equal outcomes, it will undoubtably fail and will result in more government coercion and less individual liberty.

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Equity is 'steppingstone' on the way to socialism - SoMdNews.com