May 4, 2025 Editor, The News-Gazette: According to Mike Lowry’s recent commentary, “many major national and international firms (were) announcing major expansions or new investments in manufacturing since Trump took office.” N ow, t his a ssertion is neither dated, detailed, nor documented. He goes on to include a long and impressive – but, again, not documented – list of companies that have made, or are going to make, such investments post Jan. 20. We know nothing of the details of these transactions.
Mr. Lowry asserts that the fact that such an “industrial boom” has not been covered by “the (mainstream) media” is either “clearly media bias” or “a general lack of economic understanding by the media and the public in general.” So, those in the media who do this work for a living do not understand all this, but Mr. Lowry does.
The word that Mr. Lowry mentions but once is “tariffs.” He states that Trump is “currently tackling the negative balance of payments using tariffs.” It would have helped if Mr. Lowry had unpacked this statement particularly with regard to the “balance of payments” to which he refers. What he appears to fail to grasp is how tariffs affect USA-based businesses and the subsequent impacts on their customers – as is seeming to be happening right now.
To anyone who writes to the editor, please make sure to document any references to sources of data/information which are used to substantiate any assertions mentioned in the letter. DAVID DAX Lexington
