Who are these high interest rates really helping? | Letters to the Editor

Detroit Free Press
Updated ·5 min read
Economists say the Federal Reserve isn't likely to be on a path to aggressively cut interest rates in 2024.

It appears to me the only people benefiting from the ridiculous interest hikes are banks and credit card companies, while everyone else is suffering.

Noe Gomez

Southgate

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I-375 shows MDOT doesn't understand urban planning

John Gallagher’s opinion piece on the I-375 redesign is correct. ("MDOT is spending $400M to solve problems caused by I-375. It won't work," Aug. 20, Detroit Free Press.) It should prompt Michigan Department of Transportation and Detroit officials to revisit the original concept of removing a traffic planning/urban renewal mistake and mending the imposed wound. MDOT fell into its typical planning mode that cannot comprehend traffic "calming" design, but instead emphasizes the fast movement of high volumes of traffic — all to the detriment of pedestrians and bicycle riders.

In the 1950s and 1960s urban freeways expedited “white flight” by creating pathways for employees to and from places of work downtown to their new suburban neighborhoods. MDOT’s surface level street uses the same logic at the behest of downtown big business at the expense of urban residents. My wife and I feel safer walking to downtown over I-375 from our Lafayette Park home now than we will when confronting six lanes of traffic, along with turn lanes, that will function like a freeway with a few traffic signals.

The financial and environmental cost to replace I-375 with a super-wide surface level street will not accomplish the original objectives of the project. Either start over or just give up, since MDOT does not understand what traffic-calming and good urban planning is about.

Gregory Ptucha

Detroit

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You can help solve climate crisis

So, you are concerned about the climate crisis and are not sure what to do about it. Know that you are not alone. Also know that the climate movement needs you, it needs everyone, to do everything we can to address this crisis. Here are some ideas:

  • Learn more about how our world is warming; the causes, consequences and actions that need to be taken to stop it. Start by visiting NASA’s website on climate: https://climate.nasa.gov.

  • Talk about it, a lot, with friends, family, neighbors, everybody and anybody.

  • Get involved. Join a climate group or two. Ask how you can help. You undoubtedly have the skills they need. If you have money to donate, they could benefit from that, too.

  • Get political. Take to the streets, contact elected officials, repeatedly, at all levels of government, and demand that they take action to address this crisis. They were elected to service the people, and there is no higher service than protecting the world we live in.

  • Walk the talk; take steps to reduce your emissions. It is very gratifying.

  • Pace yourself; we’re in this for the long haul. Have hope.

Ron Sadler

Alpena

This is how I stay close to my community

I served as a Gibraltar councilmember and mayor pro tem for four years, but I was recently on the other side of the table when I got to talk to our state representatives about how they’re thinking about growing our local economy. We talked about how I have been delivering with DoorDash, and how so many people across Michigan depend on opportunities like these to earn extra income.

I’ve been a delivery driver since last year, and it has been a great way for me to remain close with our community. I love being able to work when I want, and the flexibility to set my own schedule is something that’s really important to me.

I hope that Michigan representatives understand why this type of work is so important to me and many others, and will think of my story the next time a food delivery shows up at their door.

Dennis Boismier

Gibraltar

I'm tired of conservative propaganda about teachers' unions

While watching the Republican debate, I could not believe how many candidates brought up the tired old tactic of blaming teachers for our nation’s problems. But of course they never said just the word "teachers." They cloaked it in the sinister terms of “unions” or “pensions.” One participant bragged that he cut pensions in half. Another claimed that unions allow teachers to indoctrinate students. One candidate even went so far as to say that the single biggest threat to our nation are the teachers’ unions. This was met with thunderous applause.

Talk about indoctrination.

Conservative propaganda for years has promoted the idea that teachers’ pensions and teachers’ unions are holding back our education system. Allow me to define those evil terms for all of those that dutifully cheered along when the candidates called for their elimination. A pension is deferred compensation that many teachers are afforded by their contract. They make less money in salary, but are able to have a modest amount set aside for retirement. Cutting pensions is basically cutting teacher pay, but of course the candidate did not dare say those words on stage.

Unions are simply the organizations that represent teachers so that they get fair compensation and working conditions, and can in turn educate our children adequately. It is preposterous to portray them as evil entities that are holding kids back. The job of everyone in education is to do quite the opposite. They do not protect bad teachers or keep families from obtaining quality schooling for their children. Teachers’ unions represent school employees just like every other union in America represents their employees.

For years Republicans have bashed teachers’ unions. Then they complain about the state of education in our country. Where is the logic in that? Decades of Republican policies that weakened teachers’ unions have resulted in lower pay and worse conditions for teachers across our country. This has led to our current teacher shortage that has reached a crisis level. No one wants to go into the profession anymore. Can you blame them? We must make a career in teaching more enticing to those going to college. We must attract the best and the brightest with fulfilling, well-paying jobs. We cannot do this by continuing to beat down our teachers, encouraging them to leave the profession and discouraging others from even pursuing a teaching career.

David Cash

Detroit

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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: High interest rates, I-375 redesign, teachers unions | Letters