To the editor:

The Biden Administration is forcing vaccine mandates across America. The media is already complaining about shortages causing late Christmas gifts and a possible shortage of turkeys and ham for the holidays.

Instead of talking to all the states for possible solutions, the Biden administration so far has worried about the major ports where there is already a major labor shortage. A possible solution would be to put new ports where they have not been — in rural areas where jobs have been few. An example of this is the Mississippi River. There are plans to deepen the river to allow cargo vessels to go 50 miles upstream, but the project has not even started yet and is behind schedule. The plan is to start sometime in 2023.

The Administration needs to put this on the fast track and give low-interest loans to companies building the docks and to states to upgrade roads in that area because of increased traffic it will cause. Florida’s governor suggested using his state ports because they’re not being used since the slow travel industry.

What is the answer from the left?

California limits the truck size and weight limits, and it is a crime to drive older trucks because of pollution and mileage issues.

Meanwhile, the vaccine mandates that cost many people in the US their jobs are about to do it again. As many as 20 percent of truckers are ready to quit their jobs over it. This will make a bad problem worse.

The argument that the whole country needs to be 85-90 percent vaccinated is a bad argument. Until we get the rest of the world vaccinated, international travel is often not safe or even possible.

Acquired immunity needs to be around 75 percent for most diseases. Without that, new variants will be created. Right now in the US acquired immunity at about 58 percent as of October, and it is estimated nearly half of the US has natural immunity. Even if everyone were vaccinated, they’re not 100 percent protected. Biden is doing more damage than good.

Paul Vanmeveren

Balaton