If President Musk and his DOGE team really want to root out waste, fraud and abuse within the Federal Government, I suggest they start by pink-slipping Congressman Jack Bergman and staff. Aside from not having held a constituent town hall for over eight years, they’ve delivered little to Northern Michigan.

Agencies and services critical to our safety and welfare are being axed. Meanwhile, Bergman blindly defends the carnage left in the path of DOGE cuts.

Alpena and the surrounding area depend on local VA programs, an accessible Social Security office, a reliable and secure postal service, and Forest Service fire crews. Where’s Bergman?

Beyond the loss of the Marine Sanctuary research and preservation facility in Alpena, NOAA’s workforce cuts impact weather predictions and warnings issued from their Gaylord station. Aviators, boaters, municipalities, and drivers rely on their forecast to protect lives.

Canceling the Fish and Wildlife Service and US Geological Survey’s sea lamprey control program will destroy trout, salmon, and whitefish populations in the Great Lakes and kill its commercial and recreational fishery. Cuts also affect the Hammond Bay Biological Station near Rogers City.

Bergman defends these cuts and more. It’s time he and Musk are fired!

JOE LUKASIEWICZ,

Greenbush