To the Editor:

Occasionally, NCN has printed an opinion letter with dubious claims and "alternative facts". These have not been limited to one end of the political spectrum or the other. The most recent one, 'The American People Deserve Better', prompted me to write a letter of my own. In his letter, Mr. Willard claims that the Biden-Harris administration has "failed to secure our border, they've allowed dramatic increases in crime, and they've failed to provide a stable economy."

In fact, according to the latest statistics from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, "Border Patrol encounters between ports of entry were 29% lower than in May 2024 and were the lowest monthly total for the Border Patrol along the southwest border since January 2021 as well as lower than the number of encounters between ports of entry in June 2019, the last comparable year prior to the pandemic." (https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/national-media-release/cbp-releases-june-2024-monthly-update)

According to the Pew Research Center, Americans tend to believe crime is up, even when the data shows otherwise. In fact, violent crime and property crime rates have plummeted since the 1990's according to both the FBI and the Bureau of Justice Statistics. (https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/04/24/what-the-data-says-about-crime-in-the-us/)

And finally, according to the International Monetary Fund's update at the end of June, the U.S. economy has been remarkably strong: "Activity and employment have exceeded expectations and the disinflation process has proven less costly than most feared.  The U.S. is the only G-20 economy whose GDP level now exceeds the pre-Pandemic level.  This is good for the U.S., and it is good for the global economy." (https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2024/06/28/tr062824-usa-transcript-of-art-iv-press-briefing)

I'd like to encourage readers to find reliable sources and fact check claims that are made without citing any source. This happens all too frequently, and false information spreads like wildfire, thanks to social media.

Renee Stauffer
Nicholville