To the editor:

How should we choose the next president? Perhaps listening to what the candidates are actually saying and fact checking their statements would be a good start. Kamala Harris sat down with “60 Minutes” for an interview a few days ago, answering every question asked of her. Donald Trump was also invited but declined to attend. Why didn’t Mr. Trump participate? His reluctance stems from his adversarial relationship with the truth. He doesn’t want to be fact checked, since facts play a very minor role in what he says.

Mr. Trump refuses to admit that he lost the 2020 election or to declare that he will abide by the results of this election. In so doing, he is denying the American people the right to have their votes counted. He has told his followers that they “won’t have to worry about elections anymore” if he is elected. His plan doesn’t call for another election in four years. He would remain in power until he dies. At his rallies Trump spews hatred and dissension, calling his opponents “vermin” and promising to outlaw news organizations and individuals who don’t kowtow to his wishes if he is elected.

Ms. Harris will help the American people through increased job opportunities, improved health care coverage including making more prescription drugs available for less money, helping young families pay for mortgages and child care, continuing the vital fight against climate change and working to solve the border crisis in a significant and humanitarian way. Asked how she would pay for all of these things, she answers that she would increase taxes on the very rich and on huge corporations, who have been paying very little if any tax. She asks why shouldn’t the rich (and she draws the line at anyone making over $400,000 per year) pay their fair share? Why should a billionaire not pay a similar rate of tax to what a nurse or fireman pays?

We saw what Donald Trump did during his term in office. His tax cut helped the wealthy far more than it did the average citizen. On the international stage, Trump called Vladimir Putin a genius for attacking Ukraine, while thousands of civilians died during the Russian invasion. Trump brags that he’d end the war in Ukraine in 24 hours. How would he do that? He’d give Putin everything he wants, ignoring the fate of the Ukrainian people.

There is a very clear choice in this election. Donald Trump has proven over and over again that his main concern is not the well-being of the American people. His emphasis is in continuing to give every break imaginable to his wealthy friends, while letting those not in that category fend for themselves. Kamala Harris is ready to do everything she can to help Americans through difficult times, to continue the Biden administration programs that have proven themselves beneficial to our people and to initiate new actions that will lead to better lives for us all.

Barry Lobdell

Saranac Lake