FTX founder Sam Bankman Freed’s verdict was well deserved. But his punishment reveals a bias against traditional institutions, compared to the relative lightness of punishments for bankers and officials whose actions caused the real estate crash and subsequent global economic downturn. ing.
david steelRegina, Saskatchewan
Even recognizing the heinous fraud committed by Sam Bankman Freed, I believe that 25 years in prison is excessive and an unjust sentence. What will this long sentence do to right this crime or make him a better person? This inexperienced entrepreneur made the wrong decision and will absolutely have to pay back the over $11 billion he extorted from so many people. However, I believe a shorter prison sentence, alongside several years of community service, followed by continued monitoring, is a better approach.
He has already been shamed accordingly. Paying back the money you owe, doing meaningful community service, and serving some time in prison should send a strong message to anyone who wants to commit white-collar crime. 25 years is too long for someone with no criminal record. Some people kill people and get short prison sentences.
larry greenberg, Washington
The sentencing of Sam Bankman Freed on charges related to fraud and money laundering should prompt closer scrutiny of funds flowing into political activities. The Biden Victory Fund and the Maryland Democratic Party were both beneficiaries of his donations, as were many other candidates and organizations in both parties. Some national Democratic organizations have moved to return it, but the process is complicated given the civil lawsuit over the remains of Bankman Fried’s company. Accepting ill-gotten funds to influence elections is unethical and undermines the core of our democracy.
Transparency is paramount when dealing with political contributions. Voters have the right to know the true source of funds for candidates’ political activities. It is not enough to simply refuse to return tainted donations or redirect them to charity to avoid liability. As many campaigns and organizations have done with Bankman Fried’s funds, candidates who learn that their donations are the result of ill-gotten gains must immediately return the funds and face investigation. We must fully cooperate.
Bankman Fried’s trial is over, but the reckoning for his influence should continue. Those who intended to accept what turned out to be tainted donations reflect what Bankman Fried’s ease in gaining influence and access says about a larger crisis in ethics. There is a need to.
Hampton E. Brown III, fulton
If immigration is a family issue…
Regarding the March 27 news article “Trump’s mother-in-law came to the U.S. through a process Trump ridiculed, records show”:
I take issue with the implication that President Donald Trump’s late mother-in-law would not have been allowed to live in the United States under the Raise the Pay Act he sponsored.
That won’t happen. While the Raise Up Act would certainly remove immigrant parents from the “priority list” for green cards, it would also allow those parents to apply for renewable tourist visas that are valid for five years at a time. was supposed to be possible.
Few immigration activists oppose allowing foreign nationals living in the United States to spend quality time with their children and grandchildren, even as semi-permanent residents.We simply object to giving those people priority A green card entitles you to taxpayer-funded benefits, employment in the United States, and sponsorship of additional relatives for a future green card, a process known as “chain migration.” . While the Visitor Visa Renewal that the Pay Raise Act would have created may seem inconvenient, it would have shortened the length of current visitor visas and improved the right balance of overall immigration policy.
Despite a cited immigration lawyer’s suggestion that blocking chain migration was “part of the stupid politics of the day,” the idea was not original to Trump. Civil rights icon Barbara Jordan, who chaired the U.S. Commission on Immigration Reform during the Clinton administration, said spouses and minor children of recent immigrants would receive priority for family-based green cards, while other relatives would not. recommended that they could try to obtain the qualification in other ways. as their job skills. Jordan was never “stupid.”
The author is the founder of NumbersUSA.
And a call to the community
About the news article on March 28th “Appellate courts continue to block Texas immigration law”:
The crisis at our southern border involves more than just managing the flood of illegal immigrants coming into the country. This requires countries to collectively think seriously about where asylum seekers go once they cross the border.
Concentrating refugees in border states and sanctuary cities like New York, San Francisco, and Chicago has not worked. State and local services are overwhelmed by busloads of people who are in immediate need of shelter, food, clothing, medical care, and education.
Rather, we need to come together every Community school districts, religious institutions, Red Cross and Salvation Army aid workers, and private businesses work together to take in several families and guide them to jobs, financial independence, and stable legal status. Perhaps up to six of her families may be accepted into one school or place of worship, depending on the population of the community.
The federal government should build a constantly updated national database listing potential destinations, the number and type of jobs available there, and the number of families a region can absorb at one time. Buses are scheduled according to destination, giving immigrants both options about where to go and better information about what awaits them when they get there.
As an added benefit, when a small number of immigrant families arrive in an English-dominant community, the newcomers have a strong incentive to learn English. This increases their chances of growth. At the same time, they had the comfort of other immigrant families supported by the community.
During World War II, American families supported war efforts in a variety of ways, including planting Victory Gardens and organizing scrap collection efforts. The people rallied then, and they can rally again. As ambitious as this vision may be, we hope it’s a conversation starter. What we’re doing isn’t working.
Ann Rauma Laciulla, Grosse Pointe Farms, Michigan
Small home, bigger community
Regarding the March 25th news article “Wealthy Sedona’s answer to the housing crisis: Parking for sleeping”:
Could dormitory-style housing be part of the answer to the housing crisis in Arizona’s affluent communities described in the Post? The “single-room occupancy” housing once common in American cities has become a cornerstone of the urban housing market. It would certainly be more affordable than a conventional apartment as it filled a valuable void. University dormitories are often built and developed by private companies, so cities don’t have to start from scratch to find architects and contractors, but they do need to amend city planning laws to provide dormitories. There may be. Public opposition to such development could be weakened by ensuring that these dormitories are zoned into areas of intensive use, such as warehouses or high-density housing. It should be pretty easy to make sure these aren’t built in traditionally low-density areas, such as areas zoned for single-family homes. In addition to meeting immediate material needs, dormitory-style housing can provide the foundation for the community that many Americans desperately need.
Smaller cars, safer roads
Regarding the March 27 online news article “Kia invests in new compact car despite segment shrinking as Americans buy SUVs and trucks”:
I was excited to read the news that Kia is launching the new K4 compact in the US. However, I was disappointed to learn that the “compact” was over 6 feet wide. Automobiles have been getting bloated for decades. Compact and subcompact options are very limited in the North American market. Sport utility vehicles and trucks cram into parking spaces and block narrow roads. Large vehicles contribute to the increase in traffic fatalities. On the other hand, European and Asian drivers can zip around town in their Honda His Jazz or Toyota His Go, which are about five and a half feet wide. Savvy European consumers have access to even smaller city cars.
Light regulations are usually better, but North American vehicles are too large for existing roads. Smaller cars put less strain on infrastructure and are agile enough to avoid accidents with larger vehicles. It’s time for the Department of Transportation to encourage automakers to open up the North American market to smaller, narrower, shorter cars that are available to consumers in other regions.
