Letters to the Editor - September 18, 2025

Political figures fair game for cartoonists

Bravo to The Lakeville Journal for publishing cartoons that are timely, insightful, and consistently on point. In his letter to the editor in the Sept. 4 edition, Tom Morrison complained that the cartoons unfairly target Republicans. Hmmmm… I looked back over the past few months of cartoons and found almost none with a character labeled as a Republican.

I did, however, see skewering of President Trump and Senator Joni Ernst — but haven’t political figures always been fair game for editorial cartoonists?

There is one cartoon from February that shows a character with “MAGA” written across the back of his shirt, facing a judge who is giving him a light sentence. Is that what Mr. Morrison is objecting to? If so, he might consider that the editorial cartoons are not criticizing people simply for their party affiliation, but for the policies and actions being promoted by a president who leads the Republican Party.

Citizens who continue to support a president known for spreading misinformation — and who back policies that undermine health insurance, voting rights, reproductive freedom, scientific research, and protections for vulnerable populations, while advancing tax breaks for the wealthy — should expect to be held accountable through satire and commentary, including in political cartoons. That’s the purpose of editorial cartoons: to provoke thought about what we are doing and supporting.

Rather than objecting to these well-founded criticisms, Mr. Morrison and others concerned about the Republican Party’s image might instead reflect on — and work to change — the policies and behaviors that are causing harm to millions, both in the U.S. and abroad.

As the saying goes: Hate the sin, but love the sinner.

Lee Greenhouse

Salisbury

In defense of Steiner’s cartoons

It’s interesting that Tom Morrison, Salisbury Republican Chair, perceives Peter Steiner’s cartoons as “mocking everything Republican.” The truth is, Steiner’s political art focuses mostly on people and policies, especially ones that are misguided, flawed, illogical, corrupt, cruel and anti-democratic. Done with humor and a light touch, cartoons like these may be one of the few ways left to subvert anything (or anyone) these days.

That Mr. Morrison takes such offense is telling, too. It reminds me of a similar confrontation in New York City, when after the Civil War, Thomas Nast’s cartoons in Harper’s Weekly relentlessly lampooned William “Boss” Tweed and his corrupt Tammany Hall. Boss Tweed famously cried out: “Stop them damned pictures!”—a protest that now sounds remarkably familiar. But the popular cartoons proved extremely effective, and ultimately, they led to Tweed’s ouster and conviction.

Maybe history will repeat.

Henry Labalme

West Cornwall

Another way to look at Medicaid cuts impact

Regarding Cameron Smith’s letter of Sept. 4 listing his version of misconceptions about projected negative effects of Medicaid cutbacks in the One Big Beautiful Bill, here is another set of counter-facts.

1. Investigating Medicaid fraud and abuse has always occurred in previous administrations, though new schemes continue to pop up. Further savings from investigating fraud could happen BUTthere is so much disarray in HSS under RFK jr, and so many firings, including those by DOGE, that who is left to carry out adequate investigations?

2. Undocumented Immigrants are NOT ELIGIBLE for Federal funds like Medicaid and only receive certain emergency services,No savings there. However, 1.4 million people will likely be removed from STATE Medicaid rolls as a result of Federal cutbacks to states who don’t throw both legal and undocumented people off such state funding. By the way, those people are mostly low-income children, some of whom are U.S. citizens.

3.Undocumented immigrants pay taxes, including federal, state, and local taxes!In 2023, households led by undocumented immigrants contributed approximately $89.8 billion in total taxes, which includes $55.8 billion in federal taxes and $33.9 billion in state and local taxes.

4. More than 4 in 10 Connecticut families live on the edge of their financial capability. This “Big and Beautiful Bill will be devastating to a very large number of vulnerable people in Connecticut and to the hospitals that we all use in this state and elsewhere

Barbara Maltby

Lakeville

It’s the candidate, not the party

Once again we are embarking on another November election when we choose the individuals we want to serve in our local offices, boards and commissions.And once again Republican candidates face virtually insurmountable odds: the town’s 421 registered Republicans are badly outnumbered by registered Democrats (1534) and Unaffiliated voters (1083).

If past elections are a guide, Democrats and the majority of Unaffiliated voters will – due to their feelings about national politics – cast their votes for all the Democrat and/or Independent candidates on the ballot.Yet November 4th is a purely local election.The hot button issues that consume so much television, print and social media attention are not the least bit relevant to the upcoming local election.All voters should want the most talented, honest and dedicated members of the community to assume responsibility for governing our town.

The Republican party has two such candidates on the November ballot: Don Mayland, running for Selectman, and Peter Becket, running for the Board of Assessment Appeals.

Don Mayland has been part of the Lakeville/Salisbury community since 1970.He taught economics at Hotchkiss for 38 years, served as a Director of Litchfield Bancorp for 41 years (26 years as Chairman), served on the Board of Finance for 24 years and served three terms as one of our three Selectmen.Don is highly respected in the Salisbury community; during his nine years as a Selectman, he worked extremely well with First Selectman Curtis Rand and Democrat Selectman Chris Williams.In 2023, he lost his bid for re-election by two votes.

Peter Becket is a graduate of Yale University, has an MBA from Columbia University and served as an Infantry Captain in the U.S. Marine Corps.Peter has long been active in the community, including service on the Board of Education (he is a current member), the Fire House Building Committee and the Transfer Station Recycling Committee.Peter’s business experience as a bank officer, real estate agent and business appraiser makes him uniquely qualified for hearing disputes about property valuation, which is the mission of the Board of Assessment Appeals.

Salisbury would be fortunate to have Don Mayland return as a Selectman and Peter Becket to bring his valuation expertise to the Board of Assessment Appeals.They deserve your vote on November 4th.

Tom Morrison,

Chair, Salisbury Republican Town Committee

Lakeville