Speak out: What's going on with the drones in New Jersey?

The Speak Out column allows readers to voice their opinions on topics important to them. Comments are meant to be short in nature. There is no guarantee that a comment will appear in print or online. We encourage positive comments, especially those that mark local accomplishments and acts of grace. To submit a comment, go to: Submit Speak Out comment.

Jersey drones

How can the Federal Government not know anything about the "drones" (some as large as SUVs) flying over New Jersey and parts of New York City? Will someone wake up Sleepy Joe!

Manufacturing jobs

Americans can rightfully be concerned about the loss of manufacturing jobs in recent times. Well over 10% of those job losses were to Asia, and then add the NAFTA agreement to the losses. However, most manufacturing jobs were lost to automation, due to advanced technology. This trend will increase in the years ahead. Tariffs and trade wars will not stop the advances in technology and automation in America's factories. Machines do not strike due to low wages.

Joe Biden?

Re: A fox or box of rocks? The caller surely was referring to Sleepy Joe Biden!

Voting profiles

Recent election data suggests that voters who paid little to no attention to daily news voted overwhelmingly for Trump, while voters who paid lots of attention to daily news and events voted overwhelmingly for Harris. Add that to the data, which indicates the difference in educational levels for these two sets of voters, and then add rural vs urban, and one gets to the primary reasons for the 2024 election results. The voters fit into certain categories for their voting patterns.

Biden's economy

It seems that some are living in an alternate universe. Getting to reality, in the past four years 16 million new jobs were created, while the unemployment average was the lowest of any administration in over 50 years while the economic growth was a strong 3%. Inflation increased due to dislocations from the worldwide COVID crisis, which was the lowest of any of the world's leading industrial nations, and now inflation is near 2%, the goal of the Federal Reserve. Some leading economists say that President-elect Trump is inheriting the "strongest economy in the modern world." This is due to economic policies very similar to those President Eisenhower had. Going back to Reaganomics will reverse this good trend.

Burisma lie

Alexander Smirnov today pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI, when he claimed that Burisma, a Ukraine company was illicitly paying off Joe Biden while was VP. Many have spread this lie over the past four years and now it has been revealed, it was all a lie. With a guilty plea, no less. In the end, truth prevails.

Felons for public office

Trump’s effect on morality has taken a toll on society and politics. It seems now that a Missouri legislator wants to change state laws to make it OK for convicted felons to run for office. Have we finally lost our collective minds?

DOJ report

A DOJ Inspector General’s report concluded that no FBI agents or other federal agencies were involved in the Jan. 6 insurrection. How long before the Trump administration shreds the report and claims the exact opposite?

No monopoly

This reflects how close the 2024 election was! The House majority was decided by 7,309 votes across only three districts out of a total of 148 million votes. This reflects the equal balance of political views in America. Neither side has a monopoly.

Promises broken

Trump may be breaking a promise even before he actually gets sworn in. He campaigned on lowering grocery prices but now says he may not be able to do that. Promises made, promises broken. Maybe the reality of his tariffs is sinking in.

Economic advisor

Sounds like Trump has found his economic advisor: Argentina President Milei.

Energy inflation

Ontario, Canada’s most populous province may bar American-made alcohol in addition to restricting electricity exports to Michigan, New York and Minnesota if U.S. President-elect Donald Trump imposes sweeping tariffs on all Canadian products. This would make electricity unaffordable for Americans in these three American states. Canada supplies more oil to the U.S. than any other country, nearly 4.5 million barrels a day. About 60% of U.S.A. crude oil imports are from Canada and a fifth of the crude refined in the U.S. comes from Canada. If you put a 25% tariff on oil from Alberta that increases every gallon of gasoline by one dollar. Inflation indeed.