I am fed up with ignorant, bigoted, intolerant individuals who continually bash the Somali (or other immigrant people) and the church groups that bring them here and support them, claiming the immigrants are just welfare abusers.

I recently reminded such an individual that there are people who make millions of dollars bringing in drugs, etc., into this country and into local communities and who, with their distributors, sell it to drug users. Those people don’t pay taxes. They destroy families and create addicts who become burdens to society, utilizing the health care system for free over and over again by overdosing, getting treatments repeatedly and then going back to get high after being released. There is an epidemic drug crisis in this country, and everyone is paying for it. When drug abusers are caught, they are also provided free housing and meals.

The majority of Somali and other immigrants are good people who end up paying payroll and income taxes and they contribute to the economic well-being of local communities and deserve respect.

I have worked for more than 50 years as an accountant in private, public and government entities. I could write a book on how some wealthy people abuse the “system” to avoid paying taxes, cut corners to increase profits and avoid paying their employees just wages and benefits so they can make more money. Those people are the greatest abusers of America’s economic system. They create the “welfare system for the rich.”

Donald Michaud, Auburn

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