To the Journal editor:

U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman, who lives in Louisiana, not Watersmeet, and who taxpayers paid a salary of $174,000 in 2024, and lodging and meal reimbursements of $44,079 in 2023 (Bergman’s reimbursements were the highest in congress) will not face his constituents in person in Michigan.

I, on the other hand, am using my unpaid time to fight for democracy and vulnerable people, and I was willing to have my heart broken by listening to Bergman’s constituents at the recent empty chair town hall meeting in Escanaba.

This is what I said to Bergman’s empty chair:

“The president can be described in one word: corrupt.

His actions and words demonstrate his corruption:

≤ lying about everything

≤ not claiming responsibility for his unethical actions

≤ attacking our ally in Ukraine

≤ canceling funding for Ukraine

≤ undermining NATO – siding with Putin

≤ allowing Elon Musk, and a group of young techies, access to U.S. citizen’s social security numbers, tax information, and other sensitive data

≤ breaking the law by defunding programs passed by congress

≤ firing thousands of critical federal workers and giving contracts for some of the work they do to Elon Musk’s companies

≤ coercing senators and representatives to pass budget resolutions that severely cut life saving programs, like medicaid, to give tax breaks to billionaires

≤ conning voters by lying to them and promising to do things like reduce cost of living and then, after he conned them into electing him, firing many of them and mismanaging the economy so the cost of living is going up

≤ adding tariffs that will harm the U.S. economy and financially burden millions of Americans

≤ conning Americans by falsely claiming that millions of normal, good people are harmful.

≤ Immigrants are not harmful. Most of our ancestors are immigrants. Some immigrants are harmful, just like some politicians are harmful, namely the president.

≤ Gay and trans people are not harmful – sexual offenders are harmful, and the president is a convicted sexual offender.

≤ Liberals are not harmful. It is totally okay to disagree with liberal beliefs, but liberals are the opposite of harmful. Liberals believe in helping and taking care of people, especially vulnerable people. The president’s actions are extremely harmful, especially to vulnerable people.

Rep. Bergman, I believe you took oaths both as a lieutenant general in the Marines and as a U.S. representative, to defend the constitution from all enemies foreign and domestic.

Rep. Bergman, I ask you, how can you defend your actions, or more pointedly your lack of actions?”