Letters to the editor

Important issues The United State Senate and House of Representatives recently passed the Recessions Act of 2025 (H.R 4). Funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (NPR and PBS) is cut by $1.1 billion. I sent an email to my current U.S. House Representative, Bob Latta, and questioned the cuts to NPR and PBS in the bill that was at the time under consideration. I would like to reprint a portion of Rep. Latta's email response to me exactly as it was worded: "On May 1, President Donald Trump signed an executive order ending the taxpayer subsidization of National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting System (PBS). NPR and PBS receive $535 million taxpayer funds each year from the Corporation of Public Broadcasting (CPB). Moreover, while the CPB is legally mandated to be nonpolitical and not to contribute or support any political party, both NPR and PBS make contributions to the Democratic Party and its political causes." I have done my due diligence to research the assertion that the CPB has made contributions of money to the Democratic Party. I can find no such evidence. I have called Rep. Latta's office five times since he sent the above email to me and asked for proof. Each time I called, I spoke to someone in the office who answered the phone and asked them for proof of CPB making contributions to the Democrats. I have not received a verbal, written or phone response. The last phone call I made, the person who answered his phone said that I probably hadn't received a response because they had more important matters to attend to. Apparently, like many comments made by the Trump administration and the party that has the majority in both the House and Senate currently, comments can be stated but there don't need to be any facts to back them up. I am exceedingly disappointed in the funding cuts to USAID, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, SNAP and Medicaid. It is quite evident that the people most in need are targeted to be harmed the most and that Rep. Bob Latta has more important issues to attend to. Dean Kessler Carey