Trump is right about NATO. What I learned in Milwaukee alley about freeloaders. | Letters

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Former President Donald Trump recently said he would not protect NATO members who did not pay their fair share of 2% of their gross domestic product on defense (“Trump’s NATO talk draws rebuke,” Feb. 13).

He then went on and said he would encourage Russia to “do whatever the hell they want” to those NATO members who do not live up to their promise to pay their dues.

His comments reminded me of a time when I lived in Milwaukee in the 1980’s with an alley to the rear of my home. For many years the homeowners who lived on the block would hire a contractor to plow the alley in the winter months. Everyone living on the block was asked pay their fair share of the near $350 the contractor wanted for his snowplowing service. Someone had to collect the money, and the neighbors would rotate from year to year as to who would collect.

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I learned a valuable life lesson during the year I had the collection duty. I learned that some freeloading people are not willing to contribute for the common good. These same people wanted to enjoy a clear alley without helping to pay their fair share. After making several unsuccessful attempts to collect from two neighbors on the block, I instructed the snowplow contractor to lift his plow blade when they reached their property.

Trump, in my opinion, was correct in stating that there can be consequences for freeloaders.

Thomas M. Jordan, Brookfield

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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Donald Trump correct in calling out NATO freeloaders not paying dues