Letters: Listing Biden’s accomplishments; Vaccine creates safe environment for seniors
Listing Biden’s accomplishments
Thank you, President Biden.
You increased affordable housing, canceled student loan debts, increased food stamps 25%. American Rescue Plan provided $1.9 trillion economic relief. Legal representation expanded for poor and federal minimum wage increased to $15/hour. Directed $2.5 billion for mental illness, a 15% increase in SNAP children lunches, increased health care with decreased costs. Four billion in debt relief to disadvantaged farmers, restored civil rights to DOD employees, reunited immigrant families and eliminated that border wall.
Lowered emissions limits in new cars, allocated $5 billion to FEMA’s climate disasters, revoked Keystone XL pipeline, and blocked Arctic oil/gas drilling. Rejoined the Paris Climate Accords and UN Human Rights Council. Extended fair housing to LGBTQ Americans. More women and minorities working in the White House. Required Head Start teachers to be vaccinated along with federally funded nursing homes. Accelerated vaccine development, delivered 25 million masks to food pantries/health centers, earmarked $4 billion for vaccine distribution overseas.
Awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor to Capitol Police responding to the failed coup attempt at our U.S. Capitol on January 6th.
Told Vladimir Putin that America will no longer roll over in the face of Russian aggressions. Sanctioned Putin for election interference, the SolarWinds hacking attack and the poisoning of Russian opposition candidate Alexei Navalny.
Biden is an experienced leader, a tough and busy man correcting our last four years of problems. We have a chance, a new opportunity for a better future for all of us and our families.
Vaccine creates safe environment for seniors
As a leading provider of quality long-term care, Juniper Communities agrees with Gov. Tom Wolf’s administration to push COVID-19 vaccination rates of Pennsylvania’s nursing home workforce. Back in December, Juniper was the first to announce that receiving the COVID-19 vaccine would be a condition of employment at all its locations to protect the well-being of residents and associates. Juniper Village at Brookline located in State College, 98% of associates have been fully vaccinated, and 99% of residents across the campus are vaccinated.
That stands in stark contrast to staff vaccinations in many facilities in the state. According a recent article in the CDT, only 60% of the state’s nursing home workforce is vaccinated, which a state official called “embarrassing and, quite frankly, very frightening to residents and their loved ones.”
The industry has feared that vaccine mandates would spur a mass exodus of workers. At Juniper, we never used the word mandatory. Everyone has a choice whether they get vaccinated or not; we wanted to make clear that your choice to be vaccinated is your own. As a result of its COVID-19 vaccine condition of employment, Juniper Village at Brookline experienced a 2% staff loss in January.
Juniper continues to strongly urge all our community members, residents, associates, and ancillary providers who regularly come to the community to get the coronavirus vaccine and appropriate booster shots. Both the CDC and CMS issued new guidance stating that with vaccination rates high, creating a safe environment for family visits is now possible.