Great article, Mike! You hit on all of the essential points and appealed to readers' conscience and logic without being condescending or insulting. I hope lots of people read it. You are right - we must get into some "good trouble" to change our collision course with fascism.
Thanks. I had some help from a writer in the local dem party. I reached out to them wanting to do more and was doing research at all the farmers, vets, seniors and poor people that are being affected….and NO ONE was talking about it here. So I wanted to appeal to our humanity to each other. Right here in my county. Start local. Y’all can do the same! Get after it!
We need to thank Tillis and the other 6 Republican cosponsors to the senate bill that would strip Trump of tariff authority. S.1272 — 119th Congress (2025-2026) Cantwell, D, WA is main sponsor.
Thank you for posting this comment and for listing the Republican co-sponsors to this very important bill to strip Trump of his authority to impose tariffs.
"Being wrongfully identified as dead in Social Security records “can lead to benefit termination … and severe financial hardship and distress to affected individuals.” Because the DMF is leveraged by many federal and state agencies to determine eligibility — and by the Treasury Department’s government-wide “Do Not Pay” system to prevent improper payments — false inclusion of a death date can lead to an individual losing their health coverage through Medicare, having their tax return delayed, or having their Social Security or other eligible benefit payments cancelled, among other harms.
"The DMF is also used by some private-sector companies with a legitimate business or anti-fraud need for the data — including financial institutions, credit agencies, insurance companies, and pension administrators. As a result, being inappropriately listed as dead can result in severe financial consequences like disruption in bank account access, credit cards being cancelled, pension benefits being paused, insurance coverage being cancelled or claims being denied, rejected employment applications, or denial of credit.
"The first group of people to be wrongfully and knowingly declared dead by the Trump Administration are reportedly being targeted in an immigration enforcement effort focused, at least in part, on people who were lawfully present and eligible to work until the Trump Administration abruptly terminated their lawful status. These individuals would have been correctly issued Social Security numbers (SSNs) upon obtaining their lawful immigration statuses, and any change in those statuses should not limit their access to their own financial resources in U.S. banks."
Would it be beneficial to circulate a document with this thank you letter for folks to sign and keep circulating? Seeing how many of us are calling out and naming the republicans who are doing the right thing might encourage those republicans to do more. And seeing the names of the republicans who are doing the right thing might encourage more maga folks to look at why they are resisting the regime. Maybe?
We do realize that this bill when sent to the US House will never see the light of day because MAGA Mike Johnson would never allow it to come up for a vote. My cynical self says this: The Republicans in the US Senate listed above are coming up for re-election and want to be able to say that they tried to do something about the tariffs but there just wasn't enough bipartisanship. Them knowing that the legislation is going nowhere. The Democrats in the US Senate listed above are coming up for re-election and want to be able to say they tried to do something about the tariffs but those darn Republicans and "ain't it awful".
Not to mention that Trump would never sign this legislation and the US House and US Senate would never have the votes to override Trump.
Trump has denied a FEMA extension of matching 100% recovery funds to Western NC. This area is still reeling from the devastating hurricane last Fall. We need to let all our fellow North Carolinians know he has directed this malicious and vindictive denial toward our neighbors and friends.
My neighbor has a house in the mountains that was affected by the hurricane and he didn’t know. So I told him, your FEMA was just canceled. He was speechless.
What a great article! I shared it on Blue Sky and with friends. Hopefully those supporters of this administration will start to see what is really happening and not viewing the world with rose colored glasses as most maga politicians do.
Thank you for writing so clearly what many of us think in many parts of the country today. I’m old enough to remember the late 50s and the 60s and all the turmoil we went through at that point. That was nothing compared to today.
Great, great job. What an honest letter and I am so happy that your newspaper published it. Freedom of the press. Could it be that someone is getting tired of all these harmful acts?
Thank you for speaking out in your deep red area of NC! I live in the Raleigh area (Wake county) where it is a little more liberal. Your message is so important for all of us to hear!
This is a great article, VERY well written! I’m thrilled that The Pilot published it! I live in NC, too, nearer the beach than the Blue Ridge, and we’re feeling it the same as everyone else. I’m going to share your article, too.
Keep going! I got this published in my local Deep red area newspaper here in NC. I’m trying to do something! https://www.thepilot.com/opinion/column-it-s-time-for-us-to-make-wishes-known/article_d7ba8c03-baff-4525-92f0-5789b187465c.html
Congratulations, Mike. It’s folks like you in the deep red areas who have both the hardest work and the greatest chance to make change.
I agree 💯
Thanks, I appreciate that
that’s fantastic!!! they published this? This article is excellent. And not combative. Just explanatory
Great article, Mike! You hit on all of the essential points and appealed to readers' conscience and logic without being condescending or insulting. I hope lots of people read it. You are right - we must get into some "good trouble" to change our collision course with fascism.
Thanks. I had some help from a writer in the local dem party. I reached out to them wanting to do more and was doing research at all the farmers, vets, seniors and poor people that are being affected….and NO ONE was talking about it here. So I wanted to appeal to our humanity to each other. Right here in my county. Start local. Y’all can do the same! Get after it!
We need to thank Tillis and the other 6 Republican cosponsors to the senate bill that would strip Trump of tariff authority. S.1272 — 119th Congress (2025-2026) Cantwell, D, WA is main sponsor.
Cosponsor Date Cosponsored
Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA]* 04/03/2025
Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS]* 04/03/2025
Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [D-MN]* 04/03/2025
Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK]* 04/03/2025
Sen. Warner, Mark R. [D-VA]* 04/03/2025
Sen. McConnell, Mitch [R-KY]* 04/03/2025
Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO]* 04/03/2025
Sen. Tillis, Thomas [R-NC] 04/04/2025
Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT] 04/04/2025
Sen. Young, Todd [R-IN] 04/04/2025
Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE] 04/04/2025
Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME] 04/04/2025
Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] 04/04/2025
Thank you for posting this comment and for listing the Republican co-sponsors to this very important bill to strip Trump of his authority to impose tariffs.
How about -- " at the direction of DOGE, [SSA] has begun knowingly adding living people to SSA’s death records — the Death Master File (DMF) — by assigning them false “dates of death” to “terminat[e]” their “financial lives.” " https://www.cbpp.org/blog/trump-and-doge-claim-power-to-falsely-list-living-persons-as-dead-in-social-security-records
What member of Congress supports that??????
"Being wrongfully identified as dead in Social Security records “can lead to benefit termination … and severe financial hardship and distress to affected individuals.” Because the DMF is leveraged by many federal and state agencies to determine eligibility — and by the Treasury Department’s government-wide “Do Not Pay” system to prevent improper payments — false inclusion of a death date can lead to an individual losing their health coverage through Medicare, having their tax return delayed, or having their Social Security or other eligible benefit payments cancelled, among other harms.
"The DMF is also used by some private-sector companies with a legitimate business or anti-fraud need for the data — including financial institutions, credit agencies, insurance companies, and pension administrators. As a result, being inappropriately listed as dead can result in severe financial consequences like disruption in bank account access, credit cards being cancelled, pension benefits being paused, insurance coverage being cancelled or claims being denied, rejected employment applications, or denial of credit.
"The first group of people to be wrongfully and knowingly declared dead by the Trump Administration are reportedly being targeted in an immigration enforcement effort focused, at least in part, on people who were lawfully present and eligible to work until the Trump Administration abruptly terminated their lawful status. These individuals would have been correctly issued Social Security numbers (SSNs) upon obtaining their lawful immigration statuses, and any change in those statuses should not limit their access to their own financial resources in U.S. banks."
I recommend that Meidas interview Ed Weir, PhD, Former Social Security Manager. https://www.youtube.com/@MyGovExpert
Wait… what?! WTF!
Would it be beneficial to circulate a document with this thank you letter for folks to sign and keep circulating? Seeing how many of us are calling out and naming the republicans who are doing the right thing might encourage those republicans to do more. And seeing the names of the republicans who are doing the right thing might encourage more maga folks to look at why they are resisting the regime. Maybe?
Good idea. Post on Jerry's substack.
Which Jerry?
https://jerryweiss.substack.com/
We do realize that this bill when sent to the US House will never see the light of day because MAGA Mike Johnson would never allow it to come up for a vote. My cynical self says this: The Republicans in the US Senate listed above are coming up for re-election and want to be able to say that they tried to do something about the tariffs but there just wasn't enough bipartisanship. Them knowing that the legislation is going nowhere. The Democrats in the US Senate listed above are coming up for re-election and want to be able to say they tried to do something about the tariffs but those darn Republicans and "ain't it awful".
Not to mention that Trump would never sign this legislation and the US House and US Senate would never have the votes to override Trump.
They're in reconciliation. Subject to change everthing.
That 'never" is deafeatist.
This is heinous!! The whole administration needs to be in the gulag!!
SSA’s Death Master File can be used to fiscally “disappear” someone without kidnapping.
This can be more damaging, harder to fix, than having a National Security Letter dropped on someone.
Looks like they've started. I'd lay it out but I don't want to give anyone ideas.
Very well-written article. Congrats on getting it published. Someone there had heart enough to see to it. 💪🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Trump has denied a FEMA extension of matching 100% recovery funds to Western NC. This area is still reeling from the devastating hurricane last Fall. We need to let all our fellow North Carolinians know he has directed this malicious and vindictive denial toward our neighbors and friends.
My neighbor has a house in the mountains that was affected by the hurricane and he didn’t know. So I told him, your FEMA was just canceled. He was speechless.
https://ncnewsline.com/2025/04/12/fema-will-stop-matching-100-of-helene-recovery-money-in-nc-stein-says/
What a great article! I shared it on Blue Sky and with friends. Hopefully those supporters of this administration will start to see what is really happening and not viewing the world with rose colored glasses as most maga politicians do.
Thank you for writing so clearly what many of us think in many parts of the country today. I’m old enough to remember the late 50s and the 60s and all the turmoil we went through at that point. That was nothing compared to today.
Great, great job. What an honest letter and I am so happy that your newspaper published it. Freedom of the press. Could it be that someone is getting tired of all these harmful acts?
Bravo. An excellent column.
Thank you for speaking out in your deep red area of NC! I live in the Raleigh area (Wake county) where it is a little more liberal. Your message is so important for all of us to hear!
This is a great article, VERY well written! I’m thrilled that The Pilot published it! I live in NC, too, nearer the beach than the Blue Ridge, and we’re feeling it the same as everyone else. I’m going to share your article, too.
Very well done (from another North Carolinian!).
Excellent! I don’t know you but I’m proud of you.
Excellent to read your Pilot piece. I call this Anger in Action, Mike!
Clear and factual. Great to see your link shared here at Meidas Touch.
Love the John Lewis reference...good trouble!!! Thank u for what u r doing...#theresistance!!