Letter: Fact checking Thomas Ceruzzi

Thank you to Thomas Ceruzzi for another factually incorrect letter (Aug. 30).

Mr. Ceruzzi stated that when President Trump left office, the inflation rate was under two percent (true), and it is now three times that (false, it is currently under three percent). But his statement ignores many facts and factors. Trump was not the reason inflation was low, and Biden was not the reason inflation was high. The largest factor in low prices at the end of Trump's term was the loss of demand due to the pandemic. Trump mismanaged the outbreak, contributing to a 15% unemployment rate and a loss of consumer confidence. Prices were low because people were only buying essentials. Once the economy adjusted and unemployment fell below 6%, demand rose as people shifted to buying more goods. Increased demand, pandemic-related supply chain issues, and corporate profit-taking became the driving factors of inflation. It's just basic supply and demand.

Mr. Ceruzzi also claimed that I "tried to justify our high inflation rates by looking around the world—typical Democratic reasoning." Yes, we are part of a global economy with interconnected supply chains. The U.S. does not exist in a vacuum. If every country is suffering from inflation, the root cause is likely not a single president.

Mr. Ceruzzi’s facts about the Keystone XL Project are also wrong. He claimed that canceling the Keystone pipeline caused a loss of 30,000 jobs for Pennsylvania; however, the pipeline was supposed to go from Alberta, Canada to Nebraska, nowhere near Pennsylvania. It would have only provided 10,000 temporary jobs between the U.S. and Canada. Also, the pipeline would have imported tar sands oil, the dirtiest and most environmentally damaging oil in the world. Perhaps Mr. Ceruzzi is unaware that in the two years since Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act into law, companies have announced $265 billion in clean energy investments, creating over 330,000 new jobs across the country (according to the Treasury Department). This is a far more significant and beneficial impact than the pipeline. To quote Mr. Ceruzzi, “I hope those people…know who to vote for.”

Mr. Ceruzzi claimed that we are buying oil from Venezuela. The Trump administration-imposed sanctions were temporarily eased under the Biden administration in 2023 with the promise that the Venezuelan government would hold fair and democratic elections. That led to the U.S. importing a very small amount of Venezuelan oil again. But the U.S. rescinded the sanctions waiver in April 2024 when Maduro’s government refused to register the leading opposition candidate for the next election. So, we are back to no more imports of Venezuelan oil.

Mr. Ceruzzi claimed that Biden is responsible for the rushed withdrawal from Afghanistan and the deaths of 13 American soldiers. But it was Trump, not Biden, who negotiated directly with the Taliban terrorists and excluded the Afghan army. Trump, not Biden, drew down U.S. forces from 13,000 to 2,500, making them vulnerable to attack. Trump, not Biden, ordered the release of 5,000 Taliban fighters from prison, one who would become the new leader of Afghanistan. Trump, not Biden, committed to a May 1 exit from Afghanistan, although Biden delayed it. Trump, not Biden, shut down every airbase in Afghanistan except one, crippling the U.S.’s ability to extract its assets safely. Mr. Cerruzi and I agree that the withdrawal from Afghanistan was a disaster and should have been handled better without the loss of life. But Mr. Ceruzzi needs to pay attention to facts: Trump’s mismanagement and commitments to withdraw were largely responsible for the situation in Afghanistan.

Mr. Ceruzzi’s statement that “illegals cause less crime than U.S. citizens…because there are more citizens than illegals” is a ridiculous misreading of the studies I cited, which were based on the crime rate as a percentage of the relative populations. That is, immigrants have a lower crime rate and are 60% less likely to be incarcerated than U.S. citizens, relative to their populations. So Mr. Ceruzzi is not “reading it right.” He is ignoring basic facts and basic math.

Mr. Ceruzzi resorted to name-calling and fearmongering again by incorrectly labeling Kamala Harris and Tim Walz "socialists." Neither Ms. Harris nor Mr. Walz has advocated for socialism. The U.S. has an overwhelming capitalist economy coupled with numerous socialist-like programs paid for by taxpayers. These programs include the military, our police and fire departments, our courts, our schools, the VA, and every other governmental program. Does Mr. Ceruzzi not support our military, police and firefighters? Does he think we should dismantle the VA? Socialism is a political and economic system that is based on the idea that the community should own and manage property and resources rather than individuals. There are many taxpayer-funded programs that benefit Mr. Ceruzzi and the rest of us, and I expect he would like our society to continue funding them. Does this make him a socialist?

Finally, Mr. Ceruzzi considers me a liberal, like that is a bad thing. I was a registered Republican for 35 years until I, and many others who identified as Rockefeller Republicans, were no longer welcome in the GOP. I switched because the Democratic party seemed to align with my beliefs more closely—promoting individual rights, civil liberties, democracy, and free enterprise. I am willing to respect and accept behavior or opinions different from my own and am open to new ideas. This requires awareness, an enlightened mind, and exposure to different cultures and different types of people. It requires maturity to realize that not everyone looks or thinks like you and that’s okay. I am willing to change my stance when presented with new information, while Mr. Ceruzzi seems entrenched in his thinking and bends the facts to fit his perspective. Being a liberal is the antonym of being ignorant. So, thank you to Mr. Ceruzzi for considering me a liberal; I proudly wear that badge.

Mr. Ceruzzi and I clearly disagree on many things. Perhaps we can agree that to progress as a society, we should focus on improving things, not going backwards. What was the good old days for some may not have been good for others. I would encourage everyone to be critical of all our political leaders and their rhetoric because most politicians spin stories on both sides of the aisle. We must be critical of what people call “facts” and do our own research from multiple sources to be properly informed.

One final comment. While I enjoy a good back/forth, I do not intend to continue to respond and will let Mr. Ceruzzi have the last word if he so chooses. Let’s just stop the name-calling and get the facts right.

Eric D. Berger

Rye Brook