First, thank you to Larry Phillips for his intelligent letters recently.

Letter writer John Kronenberger is correct concerning how industry operated in the late 1800s and the first part of the 1900s.

Unions had their place at one time, but for the most part that time has gone. Yes, I have worked in unions as has my family. For brevity I will stick with my main counterpoint to his letter.

Kronenberger is so sadly mistaken and has bought into his party's nonsense about Republicans and conservatives wanting to return to the days of no regulations on anything. I am sorry he and his kind are so ignorant of the facts. Tell us, who has said such nonsense? Let all of us know so we can get them out of the tent and stifle a line of lies.

I am an original Tea Partier, having been at one of the first gatherings in the country on the riverfront several years ago. It would be wise of Kronenberger to understand the Tea Party and our kind are all about smaller federal government and the states regaining their constitutional rights under the Tenth Amendment.

I suggest he read the Constitution and become informed. Learn facts before spouting inane talking points and rhetoric.

Gene Cheatham

Belleville