Letters to the Editor | June 5, 2025

Monday’s Inquirer article about Raystown Lake campground closures mentions President Donald Trump once. Tuesday’s editorial spends 20 paragraphs talking about Elon Musk’s tenure at the Department of Government Efficiency before mentioning that “he had the full backing and support of Donald Trump.” DOGE was not a rogue agency, running on the whims of tech billionaire Musk. Trump is in charge, and he is responsible for his administration’s cruel policies. No more Musk did this and DOGE did that. Trump did it all. Name him and blame him for what he is continuing to do.

Michael Cramer, Philadelphia

Thank you for your excellent editorial “Elon Musk is putting the DOGE chain saw down, but the damage has been done.” However, the Editorial Board writes that “after all the chain saw waving, [Musk] cut only $160 billion.” But it is the Department of Government Efficiency itself that claims the $160 billion figure! CNN reported on May 30 that less than half that figure (then a claimed $175 billion) “is backed up with even the most basic documentation.” Judd Legum’s carefully itemized DOGE Tracker currently states that DOGE’s verifiable savings are a mere $16.3 billion, a full order of magnitude less than DOGE’s current claim, and a paltry 0.23% of the $7 trillion federal budget. Why, in June 2025, does the Editorial Board uncritically accept an accounting claim from our current government?

David S. Wiedner, Manchester, N.H.

With the estimated 275,000 extra cars on the road per day due to SEPTA cutbacks, the daily toll is measured in minutes and percentages and aggregated annual totals. These additional minutes are easily absorbed by streaming music, podcasts, audible books, and the occasional phone call. What was not presented in The Inquirer tally is the effect of the parking spaces required at the destinations. Parking fees and availability can significantly add to the cost of using autos both in dollars and the additional time required to park. Total costs should also include the cost of car use per mile or even the switch to Uber or Lyft. SEPTA funding needs should be reconsidered and include the actual, real costs borne by the traveling public.

Jim Simon, Philadelphia

There is a lot of trepidation about artificial intelligence. We may lose our current jobs. We may be losing our ability to decide things. We won’t be in control anymore. I say: That is fine. Look at the decisions our leaders are making. Economists agree tariffs are bad, but we have a president who is pushing them through anyway. Diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts are being banned, but nepotism and stamping out alternative ideas are embraced. Racism is promoted by anti-DEI efforts and under the guise of denouncing antisemitism. Have you ever seen as much concern over anti-Black or anti-Asian actions?

Jobs will always be there. AI needs people to survive. There may be some realignment, but don’t fear the future. Let AI be free. It can’t be any worse. AI works on logic. Hopefully it doesn’t draw on the fear and hateful words of the Republican Party, nor the misconceptions of the Democratic Party. It’s a gamble that we need to take, given the mess that we are in. To columnist Will Bunch, I say: embrace AI. It can only get better. Hallucinations can’t be as bad as what our current president and his cabinet are doing.

Barney Heller, North Wales

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