Letters to the Editor | December 9th, 2015
To the editor:
Late one night in December 2014, Congress decided in the blink of an eye to take away 400,000 seniors hard earned pensions rights when they passed the Multi-employer Pension Reform Act. I believe they did this without most of Congress even knowing what they were voting on. This gut-wrenching decision is having serious consequences to the 400,000 people affected by the bill’s passage. I am one of those 400,000.
I worked at UPS for over 30 years. I worked hard, causing harm to my body, but I did it knowing that I was assured a stable income for myself and my family even when I retired. A few weeks ago, I was given a letter telling me I would be losing half of my pension next year. Similar letters were sent to everyone detailing the new reality we all would be faced with.
Congress cut our pensions, and our stability without even the dignity of a real debate, we were given no opportunity to weigh in, to tell our stories. As a partially disabled senior who no longer worked a regular full time job, I now have to re-examine what I thought was secure, and answer questions, Do I need to go back to full-time work? What expenses can I cut out? Where is the caring and compassion for seniors? Where do we expect them to go and what do we expect a 65-75 year-old to do when you cut his or her monthly benefit from $1800 to under $800 as has happened to a friend of mine and he can no longer work?
This is an incredible travesty of justice. Congress needs to take up this bill again, and this time they need to give it the honor it deserves. They need to hear from us, and how this will affect our lives and really think about what cutting the livelihood of almost half a million people does.
Dennis Kooren
UPS Retiree
January 24th 2026
December 18th 2025
August 19th 2025
June 19th 2025
June 2nd 2025
_(1)_(1)_(1)_(1)_(1)__293px-wide.jpg)
_(1)_(1)_(1)_(1)_(1)__293px-wide.jpg)
_(1)__293px-wide.jpg)
_(1)__293px-wide.png)
By Bryce Vincent Haugen By his own account, Edwin Chinchilla is lucky to still be in the United States. As a 12-year-old Salvadoran, he and his brother were packed into a semi with a couple dozen other people and given fake…
By Michael M. Miller Rev. Salomon Joachim, pastor of Zion Lutheran Church, Beulah, North Dakota., delivered an address to the Western Conference of the Dakota District of the American Lutheran Church in 1939. His presentation was…
February 21, 6-8 p.m.Turtle River State Park, Arvilla, NDEnjoy a self-guided hike in the picturesque woods of Turtle River State Park. The trails will be lit with luminary candles. After the hike, warm those bones by the fire at…
By Sabrina HornungThe quote, "The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command” from George Orwell’s iconic novel “1984” has come up in conversation more times than…
By Ed Raymond‘Dakota Attitude’ should be read by all North Dakota studentsI have been meaning to write about this book by James Puppe for several years, but the world has been in such a mess I thought I should write about …
By Rick Gionrickgion@gmail.com Holiday wine shopping shouldn’t have to be complicated. But unfortunately it can cause unneeded anxiety due to an overabundance of choices. Don’t fret my friends, we once again have you covered…
Friday, March 13, 4-10 p.m.Brewhalla, Fargo, 1702 1st Ave. N., FargoPolish up those dancing shoes and come hungry for this ticketed event you won’t want to miss. Expect unlimited samples paired with wine and beer from 20+…
Saturday, March 7, 7:30 p.m.Fargo Theatre, 314 N. BroadwayFM Opera’s Artistic Director and tenor Joshua Kohl will be sharing the stage with internationally-renowned tenors Anthony Ciaramitaro and Luke Norvell to perform a variety…
By Greg Carlson The great documentary filmmaker Laura Poitras had to work diligently to convince Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Seymour Hersh to be the subject of one of her films. Most accounts and reviews of “Cover-Up,”…
Saturday, March 7, 4-8 p.m.Swing Barrel Brewing, 814 Central Ave., MoorheadEmpty Bowls is a nationwide, grassroots, artist-led movement to support hunger related organizations in their communities. On March 7, prepare to fill your…
Saturday, January 31, 6:30-9 p.m.Transfiguration Fitness, 764 34th St. N., Unit P, FargoAn enchanting evening celebrating movement and creativity in a staff-student showcase. This is a family-friendly event showcasing pole, aerial…
By Annie Prafckeannieprafcke@gmail.com AUSTIN, Texas – As a Chinese-American, connecting to my culture through food is essential, and no dish brings me back to my mother’s kitchen quite like hotdish. Yes, you heard me right –…
By Sabrina Hornungsabrina@hpr1.comNew Jamestown Brewery Serves up Local FlavorThere’s something delicious brewing out here on the prairie and it just so happens to be the newest brewery west of the Red River and east of the…
By Ellie Liverani In January 2026, the 2026-2030 dietary guidelines for Americans were released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. They are supposed to be revolutionary and a “reset” from the previous ones.…
January 31, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.Viking Ship Park, 202 1st Ave. N., Moorhead2026 marks 10 years of frosty fun! Enjoy sauna sessions with Log the Sauna, try Snowga (yoga in the snow), take a guided snowshoe nature hike, listen to live…
By Vern Thompson Benjamin Franklin offered one of the most sobering warnings in American history. When asked what kind of government the framers had created in 1787, he replied, “A republic, if you can keep it.” Few words…