EDITORIAL
BY DHIREN SHAH
Hello Readers,
On Tuesday night, there was a test between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. This editorial was written before the debate due to deadlines, but by the end of it, we will see who can lead the country. The biggest issues are the economy and immigration. Foreign affairs are also a key issue, specifically the conflicts with Iran, Ukraine/Russia and Israel/Hamas. The middle and poor class are hurting.
A few years ago, the minimum wage was only $7.25 and now, in New Jersey it is $15.13. Some places with a higher minimum wage than New Jersey are District of Columbia: $17, Washington state: $16.28, California: $16, New York City and Nassau, Suffolk, and Westchester counties: $16, Connecticut: $15.69. The places with the lowest minimum wages are Georgia: $5.15, Wyoming: $5.15, West Virginia: $8.75, Minnesota: $8.85 (for small employers, or those with an annual gross revenue of less than $500,000), and Puerto Rico: $9.50.
The reason for a high minimum wage is for employees to have a little better life than normal. However, with the wage increases, the price of groceries and daily needs like gas and household items have also gone up. So, it became tougher to survive in this economy.
On the flip side, the living conditions have gone down. We have talked many times about quality of life. However, the quality of life has gone down. The elected officials and mayors are more motivated to build large housing projects, giving them attractive PILOT (Payment in lieu of taxes) programs with tax abatement up to 30 years. They might end up paying about 10 to 15 percent and the mayor and council have more power over the money, which should have been used to reduce property taxes for the residents. However, it became the reverse. The residents become content looking at the nice buildings, not realizing they are getting hurt by paying more property taxes themselves. Instead of getting more schools, better garbage control, and better water and utilities, the only thing they really get is crowded city streets.
Let’s go back to Harris and Trump. Both have some baggage on their resume. Trump has created his image for the rich class. Harris has created an image of flip flopping. Trump does not care about talking rough. Harris is a smooth talker, but is she capable of running the country? Many people have doubts. The inflows of undocumented immigrants have become a major problem for the country, especially in a place like Springfield, Ohio.
Now from what I’ve heard, there is a fear that over the last three years, as many as 18 million undocumented immigrants have entered the country. If they happen to vote illegally, our results might be fraudulent. A lot of people say that it is illegal for noncitizens to vote, but if everyone obeyed the law, the crime rate would be zero!
In Dubai, most of the people are from India. The Indian population in Dubai is over 3.5 million as of 2021, which is about 30% of Dubai’s population. When I visited in 2005, I talked with some people about why there is almost no crime. One of the people said that anyone who commits a crime will have to go through the committee, which is handpicked by the crown prince. If they decide, the person is guilty, they will be sent to jail for 30 days. After 30 days, they will be sent straight to the airport and deported from the country. The committee does not care if the person has a spouse, parents, children or family members. The perpetrator will be deported.
I think we should do the same here in the U.S. If any undocumented immigrants are caught voting, he or she should have been sent to jail or straight to the airport and deported. If a court judgment is required, it must be done in a quick process. This is not because I don’t like undocumented immigrants, but I want the election process to be clean and we elect the right person to lead us. Many politicians said that it is important to save democracy. For the same purpose, we must have strict rules about our system.
Have a wonderful week. I’ll talk to you next week.
