Good riddance to Rep. Lipinski, a Democrat who was really a Republican

Only two House Democrats on Monday voted against boosting COVID-19 benefit checks from $600 to $2,000, and one of them was U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski of Chicago.

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Lipinski voted for the overall COVID relief bill Trump signed. He said in a statement he did not approve the larger payment “because we cannot continue to endlessly dig our national debt hole deeper.”

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The people of the 3rd Congressional District have suffered for years by having U.S. Rep. Dan Lipinski, D-Ill., consistently vote Republican and for war expenditures over humane concerns.

He betrayed his constituents, and especially his blue-collar constituents who did not have the advantage of a daddy to hand them a job, as he did to land what has given him job security and all the perks of office — like congressional health care.

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Lipinski, who lost his last election and is leaving office, was one of only two Democrats who voted on Monday against boosting COVID-19 benefit checks from $600 to $2,000 for eligible adults, to help save the unemployed and those desperately in need.

Why? Good riddance to a Democrat who was really a Republican.

Ed Juillard, Morgan Park

Why a check for everyone?

Government, with pandemic restrictions, shut down thousands of businesses, restricted the businesses of others and put millions of people out of work. So, yes, I can live with the government helping people in need. For now. Raise unemployment benefits until such time as the businesses reopen or go back to full capacity.

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Aid to businesses, though, is a little more complicated. Stopping all tax payments that incur during this time would be a good start, including property taxes.

But last time they sent us a pandemic stimulus check, too. We didn’t need it. We weren’t affected by the shutdown or restrictions. Why did we get a check? Why are they giving everyone a check, just because they made less than a certain amount of money? I made less than that even when I was working, and I was working in an essential business.

They’re using this virus thing as an excuse to just spend money that’s not needed.

Maybe I should just give the money back or donate it to a charity. Nah! All this government borrowing will only increase the rate of inflation, and I’ll need the money to stay even.

Larry Craig, Wilmette

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