A NATION AT RISK..... Washington, D.C., (1983)

Ok... so, it has been more than a month since I last published on this blog...  But, like many of you, I was distracted with other matters, far more urgent and requiring attention in the moment.  Trumpers - along with Trump himself - have been very active in their continuous and lamentable effort to erode our democracy and its normative traditions.  From the outset of the Trump campaign in 2016 to his most recent "tweets", our President has done more to dismantle our national institutions and call into question both the stability of our constitutional government as well as its institutions.

As a retired teacher, professor, and educational advocate, the current circumstance called to mind a commission report issued in 1983 - "A Nation at Risk."  This report, compiled by the National Commission on Excellence in Education, was released in 1983 in Washington, D.C.  The shocking conclusion of the report - some 34 years ago - was that the United States, as a nation, as an economy, and as a society, had experienced a decline in the quality of our educational institutions and, as a result, the equality of the education received by our young citizens.  Once the envy of the world, the quality of the American school system was eroding and was falling behind other educational systems around the globe.  The Commission stated that if such a condition was not addressed - and soon - the United States would fall further and further behind and would lose ground in the global economic competition of the future.  That 1983 report shocked the nation and sparked a series of educational debates and reforms that continue to this day.  From increased federal student aid to the more recent "No Student Left Behind" initiatives, focus on reform and getting back on track toward excellence became a major policy focus of administrations since that time.  My point is, that when a major existential threat to the future of our nation is identified, the time has come to act.

                "The penalty that good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled
                  by evil men."                               PLATO

                "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is that good men do nothing."
                                                                      EDMUND BURKE

                "The world is in greater peril from those who tolerate or encourage evil than
                  those who actually commit it."   ALBERT EINSTEIN


I write today, not to focus the mind on one specific topic, policy, proposal, or event, but to encourage good women and good men to act.  2018 is the time that - ALL OF US WHO CARE FOR AND CHERISH OUR AMERICAN DEMOCRACY - must stand up and be counted.  In this coming year of great consequence, we cannot afford to stand idly by, to be silent, and "do nothing."  Plato, Burke, and Einstein quoted above - from different periods in history and from different perspectives - all raise the same warning.  Inaction leads directly to the
"triumph of evil."
That evil is DONALD TRUMP.

Following the 2016 shock of learning that Trump received enough Electoral votes to lay claim to the American Presidency, the RESISTANCE was born.  From the WOMEN'S MARCH ON WASHINGTON on January 21, 2017 to the growth of "Indivisible" groups and chapters across the nation and the many protest marches and demonstrations that took place over the past year, the seeds of resistance have been sown.  Issues like women's rights, educational opportunity, provision of health care for our citizens, saber-rattling on the world stage and diminishing America's international standing as a global leader, discrimination in immigration based on religious preferences, appointing ultra-right judges at the Supreme Court and at other federal courts, re-shaping US Tax policy to favor the ultra-rich and wealthy corporations who need tax relief least and increasing the tax burden on those who can least afford to do so - working families and the middle class....  These, and many other actions - from shrinking the national park treasures held in trust for future generations and destroying environmental protections both at home as well as globally through the abandonment of the Paris Climate Accords - and much more, make DONALD TRUMP the greatest existential threat to our nation since the dawn of the nuclear age and the Cold War. 

History teaches us that to do nothing in the face of evil is not an option.  Like me, many of you have already taken a stand, participated in a march, demonstrated, made phone calls, sent letters, attended meetings, and crafted e-mails.  And, like me, you took some pride in the successful defense of the ACA.  However, the recent passage of the Trump Tax legislation, the suspension of DACA and the failure of the Congress to act on a replacement measure, the failure to adopt the necessary "fixes" for healthcare or to extend the CHIP program for 9 million youngsters dependent on this bi-partisan program for their health security, and the growing instability of our foreign policy - both in trade practices and in military-brinkmanship, all raise perilous warning signs about the future of our communities and their people. This cannot continue.....

Perhaps worst of all is the Trump and Alt. Right assault on the truth.  From the invention of "alternative facts" and "fake news", to the constant attacks on free press and free speech complete with threats of exclusion, retaliation, Congressional or Department of Justice investigations of those who do not follow the Trump "line" and/or heap praise of our "glorious leader," reliance in policy debate on actual facts, science, expert testimony and reasoned debate have been replaced by dogma, made-up "facts", and blind obedience to the pronouncements of the "leader" through ever-present tweets.  And, then there is his obvious racial animus as revealed in his comments regarding the White Supremacists and Nazi sympathizers after the outrage in Charlottesville.   

The core of Donald Trump is built on and littered with LIES.  The constant, daily LIES that come directly from Trump's warped view of the world - from the "birther" movement, to Ted Cruz father's role in the assassination of JFK, to lying about his businesses, collusion with Russia to influence the election by his campaign, to the more recent bold-faced lie that the tax bill that he signed last week would cost him and his family "a great deal of money!"  Trump claimed over and over that the bill would not benefit him at all - "believe me."  Yet, the measure saved him millions on his signature in Alternative Minimum taxes that would otherwise be due AND an estimated 4 BILLION DOLLARS for his heirs through the changes made to the Inheritance Tax.  He, his family and his donors are smiling all the way to the bank while average Americans wonder whether or not their health insurance will be there when they need it or if their taxes will go up in support of the cash give-away to the wealthy, or if they can count on Medicare and Social Security that Paul Ryan said would be his 2018 objective because "we can no longer afford to carry such a deficit in spending."  I guess that he is ignoring the fact that his tax legislation just added yet another $1.4 TRILLION to the deficit....  and he didn't even blink! 

Trump pledged to protect the environment.....  LIED.  He promised to never cut, Medicare, Social Security, or Medicaid.... LIED.  He swore that his tax cuts would be focused on the Middle Class.... instead as much as 80% of the benefits go to the top 1% of the wealthiest in the nation..... LIES. He promised to "drain the swamp".... instead he loaded up his cabinet with Wall Street leaders from Goldman Sachs and a Treasury Secretary who made his fortune through home foreclosures during the Bush crash.... LIES. After admitting his sexual harassment and assaults he now claims that the taped voice isn't his.... MORE LIES. He has obstructed justice through numerous lies and schemes including the firing of the Director of the FBI for failure to take a loyalty oath to Trump and promising to drop the investigation into General Flynn. He said that he would withdraw from his business interests to comply with the constitutional requirement, yet he has not done so..... LIES. 

The lies continue... and, now he has unleashed his minions to attack Special Counsel Robert Mueller, a life-long Republican and Bush appointee and the entire FBI because the Russia investigation is edging ever closer to the Oval Office. 

The time has come to stand up and    be counted.  2018 is the year that we can extinguish this administrative abomination through taking our nation back from the brink.  And, we accomplish that by RESISTANCE.  Organize, act, and win.  Move On, Indivisible, Women's March units, Flipable and many others will be engaged in a massive effort to save America from this Trump outrage. We have come a long way since the doldrums of fall, 2016.  With wins here and there across America in special elections and having elected a Democrat as US Senator from Alabama for the first time in 25 years, the mission can be accomplished.  But, it cannot be done without you.  Tired as you may be from the struggles of this past year, all of us need to re-commit to the 2018 effort.  We CAN take back the HOUSE... and, we are within 2 votes of taking the SENATE.  No, this will not be easy and the effort will need to be sustained from now through the November elections.  The stakes are high indeed.  Our future, the future of our children, and the very future of our country is at stake. We are indeed, A NATION AT RISK.  And, as observed by thinkers throughout history, in order to defeat evil, it will take good women and good men to engage, to march, to demonstrate, to speak out, to write and e-mail, and to MARCH ON!

HAPPY NEW YEAR.....  See you on the picket lines.....

Bobby J    

THE TAX MAN COMETH.... THE TRUMP TAX FRAUD AND THE WORLD TURNED UPSIDE DOWN....

Just today, while savoring the “blue wave” that swept the nation on Election Day, I checked my FB page to discover that the BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE was encouraging readers of FB to contact their Members of Congress to encourage their fast adoption of the Republican Tax plan!  Their argument is that the bill will benefit “every American.”  I WAS IN SHOCK!  Needless to say, I left a comment – which was promptly deleted…..  So, here it is…

Trump and his ilk designed their tax plan benefits to go to the uber wealthy in the form of eliminating the estate tax, the Alternative Minimum Tax, and changing the tax rules for LLCs (Limited Liability Corporations), allowing the personal earnings of LLCs to be taxed as corporations instead of as personal income, which it most certainly is.  That sort of LOOPHOLE is referred to as “pass-through earnings.”  “Pass-through earnings” are income that simply passes through the legal fiction of an LLC, designed to limit liability to the paper company only, and right into your bank account – at a lower tax rate than would otherwise apply if you were a salaried or hourly wage worker. That cost the US Treasure – BILLIONS OVER 10 YEARS!  

What about the working families?  They get to lose healthcare supports, the CHIP program aimed at children’s health care that expired on September 30^th,  food stamp cuts, Medicaid cuts, and reductions in student loans to name a few.  What a deal…..

Middle class families lose the ability to deduct certain mortgage interest. All of us could no longer deduct state income taxes paid – especially painful for those in NY State and other states that collect income and sales taxes. Only 7 states do not collect income taxes presently… the other 43 states have an income tax and are, thereby, impacted by this measure.  Middle class families also lose the ability to deduct certain property taxes as well.  In fact, for most Middle Class families, the largest federal tax deductions that they file each year are: 1. real estate taxes on their primary home and one second residence; 2. state income taxes paid; and, 3. Mortgage interest paid. Also eliminated are deductions for interest on student college loans.  Interesting that these deductions for state taxes and local real estate taxes will continue to be allowed for corporate filings, including LLCs. Would you be surprised to discover that Trump himself has more than 500 LLCs? Of course, these are just a few elements of this wholly imbalanced Republican tax scheme.  

In summary, billions given away to wealthy corporations which are awash in cash profits, much of it held overseas to avoid paying legal taxes on it.  And, billions more given away to the top 1% wealthiest Americans who, compared to everyone else in the income scale from top to bottom, need such largess least.  We pay for it by slashing social and economic supports for struggling working families and the long-forgotten middle class families as well.  And, when that isn’t enough to add to the bottom line of the wealthy and top companies, then we will just borrow it and add to the national debt – by $1.7 TRILLION over 10 years according to the Congressional Budget Office. 

 And, the reasoning is that all of this will “trickle down” to the rest of us and lift all boats and not just corporate and personal yachts. Well, except, we have tried that before – under President Reagan and President Bush.  Both times, it trickles right into the pockets of wealth, into the securities markets, into the pockets of CEOs and members of the corporate boards….while wages and income for the rest of us remained stagnant.  We have been here before – and we know that “trickle down economics”, once described by  the first President George Bush as “voo-doo economics”, does not work at all.

I am confident that like most Americans, you would agree that growing the bank accounts and stock holdings of the already wealthy should not be our goal.  Lifting up working families and providing opportunity and relief for the hard-pressed middle class should be the objective.  Investing in our future through renewal of our infrastructure and expanding public systems should be the goal.  Investing in our citizens through educational opportunity with increased access to advanced training and education including student aid and reduced or free tuition for post-secondary training for young and old alike and, thereby supporting the job marketplace of the future, should be our agenda too. And, in the meanwhile, we need to provide for those who struggle to catch up through affordable healthcare, and social supports in housing, food, and job training.  If we expect people to pull themselves up by their boot straps, they need to have boots.  

Trickle down has never worked and - right now - is a flaming failure in Kansas. And expanding the deficit to further enrich the already wealthy is not the answer.  And, neither is borrowing from an uncertain future only to burden the next generation – WHEN WE DO NOT NEED TO DO SO.  Building a community together, hand-in-hand, and working toward a better future for all of us should be our goal.  To borrow from our founding Constitution, we should be all about taking actions and passing laws “to promote the general welfare” and not just the welfare of a few.  

So, in response to the BUSINESS ROUNDTABLE request to call my Member of Congress (Faso) to provide my input on the tax plan, I will do what they have asked and make the call... maybe many calls.....  but, the message will be to OPPOSE THE REPUBLICAN TAX PLAN. Its adoption would be a disaster for the nation and a billion dollar benefit to the Trump family and their Country Club Oligarch friends.  

THE BIG NEW YORK "CON" - THREE CARD MONTE AND THE CONCON.....

RISKY BUSINESS

In general, I have always been an optimist.  I expect the best of everything and everyone.  That would usually make me a good prospect for hustlers, fraud artists, phone and internet sales pitchmen, and the Fuller Brush door-to-door salesman.  It would also attract me to the roulette wheel, the blackjack table, and the slot machine.  And, on the streets of New York, a real sucker for three-card monte.

Like other games of chance, three-card monte is a street game often seen in NYC that pits the operator and the player in a contest to find the selected "card" (though it might be a pea under a cup or shell).  If the player selects the right card or cup, the player wins.  If not, then the operator (often called the dealer), wins.  In this game, there are few moving parts - just 4 - and only one objective - find the hidden card or pea.  Risk as much as you want in this contest.  And, of course, you can walk away with just a small loss if you prefer to do so.  Optimists like me often get caught up in the belief that sooner or later, we are bound to be skilled enough or lucky enough to win. The same hold true for slot machines, blackjack, and roulette.  After all, if you are a pessimist and think that you cannot win, then why buy that lottery ticket, right?  The optimist believes that that they will win, so will play; the pessimist thinks that they will lose, and refuses. Risky business... But, I am an optimist.

Politics is sort of a risky business too. As an optimist, with deeply held progressive beliefs, I felt pretty good one year ago this month.  As a long-time activist Democrat, Liberal, and Progressive, I was happy to see that the American voters twice elected Barak Obama as our first African-American President and that the progress that was made over those 8 years would become the base for further progress in social justice and economic opportunity in the years ahead.  And, I just could not wait until election 2016 took place so I could cast my vote for yet another historic first - the election of the first woman President, Hillary Clinton.  After all, with the Republican candidate being a neanderthal narcissist with orange hair and a nasty attitude and the poll data consistently indicating that he would lose by a substantial margin, I was almost giddy and my optimism was through the roof.  When election day arrived I was ready for a great celebration..... and, then, reality came crashing down.  That pesky pea was NOT under the cup that I had selected. Donald Trump had - somehow - been elected....  Like many others, I was numb with disbelief.  But, that sometimes happens with optimists.

CONCON IS A GIANT GAMBLE

The NY State Constitution provides that a referendum be held every 20 years offering the electorate the opportunity to hold a constitutional convention to amend, reshape, or re-write the entire state constitution.  Heady stuff.  And, given the problems that we currently face, the prospect for making additional progress (winning) is very attractive - especially for progressive optimists.  Issues like gerrymandering, money in politics, special interest influence, political corruption, criminal justice reform, expanded and affordable access to education including college, women rights, gender equality, equal pay, minimum wage, unfunded mandates, expanded individual rights, increasing affordable housing opportunities, protecting the environment - air, water, land, open space, preventing fracking, regulating pipeline placement and  many other issues could be addressed!  While all of that and more is possible.... but... is it likely?

New York state, like California, is a progressive state.  We enjoy one of the best Medicaid programs in the nation, especially for those requiring nursing home level of care.  We opted into expanded Medicaid too.  We are one of the few states that expanded gun control through the adoption of the Safe Act in January 2013 after the tragedy at Sandy Hook.  NY has strong labor protections, a rising minimum wage, and constitutionally protected pensions for state/public workers. We have environmental protections in place, and lands protected from development as open space by "forever wild" and "forest preserve" designations.  Women and minorities are protected and are assured of equal treatment either under law or in the constitution.  While these laws are not perfectly enforced and we have a long way to go, the legal basis for enforcement is in place. In addition, a woman's right to control her own body is assured in NY State law. Can these embedded rights and protections be altered or eliminated?  Can educational funding be reduced?  Can women's rights be eroded?  Can the Safe Act be reversed or erased? Can protected lands be released for development?  Once the NY State Constitution is opened up, anything can happen.  

As you can see, we have a great opportunity to make substantial progress... or, are at great risk of losing ground.  Which is more likely to happen? You might say that the NY electorate has demonstrated time and again that it leans liberal and is a reliable blue state that Trump lost to Hillary just last year. Or, you might be concerned about the "dark money" that could be used - without any restriction or cap whatsoever - in electing delegates to a constitutional convention.  So, one might ask, does the process make me more or less concerned in protecting the progress already made or making further progress forward? Could the deck be stacked?  Let's look.

As you know, Trump, Bannon, the Mercers, the Koch brothers and many other monied interests have been chasing a strategy of dismantling the "deep state."  As a part of that strategy, the Mercers invested millions in Trump, Faso, and others in NY State.  Post election 2016, the Mercer family has spent buckets of cash in support of a scheme known as "Reclaim New York."  They mean to re-claim NY from US! 

The right-wing goal is to dismantle the progressive laws in NY State, reduce taxes on the wealthy, retreat on health care and education, repeal the medicaid expansion, expand public funding to private schools, eliminate environmental regulations like those that prevent "fracking", and make casting a ballot more difficult instead of more inclusive.  Should the CONCON question #1 get a majority, an election for delegates - 3 from each of the state's 63 senate districts - and 15 at-large delegates will be elected in November, 2018.  Those 204 delegates will gather in April, 2019 in Albany to determine the changes they wish to debate and make -  either amending the present document or trashing it altogether and starting anew.  The resulting draft document will be submitted to the voters in a referendum calendared for the fall election of 2019. Simple, right?  What could possibly go wrong?

DELEGATE ELECTION:  As bad as the current campaign finance laws might be, the rules that apply here are worse.  Unlike other elections - say, for Governor, State Senate or Assembly, or your local offices, there are no disclosure laws and no caps on individual expenditure or contributions that apply to constitutional convention delegates. That means, that these seats could literally be bought by the highest bidder.  Give 10 points to the Mercers and the other billionaires. 

TINKER OR TRASH:  If the Mercers and their ilk elect the majority of delegates, would they tinker or trash the current document?  I think that you know the answer to that question.

WHAT WOULD THEY LIKELY DO?;  You already know where they stand.  Lower taxes for the wealthy and corporations and dismantle programs and policies that assist you.  Erode workers rights and rights for women and minorities. Under-fund public schools and send that money to the private sector.  Increase criminal penalties for non-violent violations to re-populate the jails and then privatize prisons to maximize corporate profits. Reduce or eliminate pensions for workers. Reduce healthcare coverage and use the savings to reduce taxes on wealth. Weaken voting rights, suppress voting - especially among minority communities - and gerrymander election districts here as they have done in state after state across the nation, to cement in Republican control of the levers of power in the state. 

THE PUBLIC VOTES, RIGHT?: Sure.  Whatever the convention produces, the electorate votes on November 5, 2019. 2019 is an off-off year election here - no presidential, no congressional, no governor or legislature... and, that means low-low turnout.  A very low turnout, in turn, means that money in the campaign weighs heavily on the outcome.  TV ads, spin, campaign mail, radio and all the rest will greatly influence the outcome.  And, I remind you, that this race is peculiar and different from other candidate campaigns because wealth will matter greatly... and the Mercers, Kochs, and the Trump crowd know that.  I am not so confident that those who turn out that year would be reflective of the usual voting profile for NY State.  Instead, the turnout could be responding to the clarion call of Trump rallies, Bannon bulls$@t, and a massive financial effort to suppress some votes and buy others (not to mention Russian Facebook ads....), and vote to change a constitution that they desperately want to change and, if they succeed, could not be fixed for another 20 years!  OUCH! 

"SO, ASK YOURSELF ONE QUESTION - DO I FEEL LUCKY TODAY", 

 Clint Eastwood, Dirty Harry, 1971

 "Pick a card.... any card at all."  "Find the pea."  "Place your bet." As I mentioned up front, I was an optimist....until last fall one year ago. Those in favor of the convention process seem to hope that goodness and mercy will prevail and that the delegates will be pure of heart. I saw that optimism go up in smoke on election night 2016, sacrificed to the combined powers of Trumper anger, Bannon hate and bravado, and Mercer family money.  Since then, we have paid dearly as a nation and as a community of people. Immigrants, working families, minorities, and the middle class have been under attack since that night and the assault continues. As the US Army saying goes, hope is not a plan. I cannot let my innate optimism lead me into yet another Trump-trap. The risks are too great, the protections and programs too precious, and costs too much to roll the dice. My new-found pessimism tells me to walk away.  

VOTE NO ON QUESTION #1: CONCON.

\MO'-RON : a very stupid person; a person affected with mild mental retardation; adj. "moronic."

 

Miriam Webster:  MORON: (noun): a very stupid person.  

Secretary Tillerson, former head of Exxon, is certainly not a "moron."  You can see in the cartoon above that he has mastered speaking in "code" to those who possess the de-coder ring! However, what he is doing in the administration of the dumbest ass that has ever occupied the office, is indeed a mystery.  Tillerson should know better.  But, then again, so should Mattis, Kelly, McMaster and others.  OK... so, we do have some examples of the "Romper Room" occupants - "Spicey" Spicer, the "Mooch", Sarah (know-nothing) Huckabee, and, our favorite Kelly Ann (alt. facts) Conway.  Foot-in-mouth family members - including Ivanka, Donald Junior who publicly spilled the Russian meeting beans, Eric (I don't know nothin'), and son-in-law Jared (another real estate bankruptcy in the family future?) Kushner - have all added to the high risk of being in close proximity to the Trump cabal. Perhaps the Russians added some special additive to the White House water supply that results in the dulling of the senses and enfeebles those who partake of the Trump kool-aid. 

Republican Senator Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), partner to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, described the Trump White House as an "adult day care center," essentially inferring that Trump is long gone into LaLa land.  After being attacked in yet another twitter assault by our petulant President, Senator Corker commented that "someone obviously missed their shift this morning."

Although one might get a chuckle from this exchange, the consequences are far more serious and, in fact, dangerous.  Corker warned that the President's odd and unpredictable behaviors, threats, and tweets, could "put us on a path to World War III." Obviously, those who see the danger certainly are not laughing. Some might say that these tirades make Trump the "most dangerous man in Washington!"  And, with his access to the nuclear codes and his finger on the atomic button, in a real sense, he is. Others, however, are counting on Mattis, Kelly, McMaster and a few others to make sure that Trump's worst destructive tendencies are "controlled" - by force - if it comes to that.

Meanwhile, others see someone else as the "most dangerous" person on Capitol Hill.  Rick Perry?  He is in charge of the nuclear stockpile after all.... Kushner who keeps meeting with Russians?  Jeff Sessions who dismantles gay, bisexual, and transgender rights, not to mention voting rights?  Scott Pruit at EPA unleashing climate disaster, or Ryan Zinke at Interior selling off national monuments and treasures? Or, is it Budget Director Mick Mulvaney and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin who have crafted a disastrous budget and tax plan that would wreak havoc on the working men and women of America and further burden the middle class while benefiting the wealthiest people and companies in the US? OK... so, the budget increases military spending by $72 Billion....  and, although we have more military assets in place - manpower and munitions (including nuclear weapons), planes, and naval vessels than the next 6 nations added together - lets assume that we actually need additional assets.  I should note here that the Department of Defense budget DOES NOT INCLUDE a number of substantial outlays that are military in nature.  In fact, half of all military spending isn't in that budget element.  This includes $3 TRILLION for the Iraq war, military operations in some 90 countries around the globe, the $1 TRILLION nuclear weapons upgrade in the DOT budget, $90 Billion for the Veterans Administration, and the &180 Billion for the CIA, NSA, and Homeland Security funding.  Together, these resources come to more than $1.3 TRILLION ANNUALLY! 

And, if those outlays were made from additional resources, increased revenue, growth in GDP, increased tax collections on wealth or "surplus" cash-on-hand, that would be one thing.  For many, however, even if the deficit was increased, military spending increases could be justified.  But, thanks to Mulvaney and Mnuchin (the MMM twins - "Money Means Military"),  the plan is to not only increase the deficit but to also gut dozens of programs that presently are the mainstay supports of middle class and working families. The plan cuts $5 Billion in non-defense program spending. And, on top of all that, the House panel (Homeland Security Committee) just passed a border security bill that dedicates $15 BILLION for the promised southern border wall and related port improvements, adding 5000 Border Control and Customs agents as well. As with other spending provisions of the Ryan House Budget Bill, this one does not identify a new and/or separate revenue source to fund the effort.

What the MMM budget bill does contain are massive reductions to programs that are designed to assist those of moderate or modest means while permitting the deficit to grow to new and higher levels. These reductions are planned over the 10-year horizon of the budget plan and would severely impact or completely gut many activities and/or program elements The cuts include reductions to Medicare of $473 Billion; Medicaid cut by $950 Billion; $150 Billion in cuts to the SNAP Program - formally Food Stamps; PELL grants for education cut by $100 Billion and student loans reduced by $120 Billion; Affordable Housing resources reduced by $37 Billion; the WIC (Women, Infants, and Children) program cut out; and reductions to Head Start of $3 Billion. Cuts are included for school meals, SSI, the Child Tax Credit, rental assistance, and job training.  Child care, foster care, adoption assistance, and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) are also on the chopping block. 

The House vote was 219-206 with 18 Republicans voting against the measure.  Speaker Ryan smiled at all of the program blood that covered the House floor.... along with the smashed dreams of the children of immigrants, the working poor, and the middle class.  These - and more - are being sacrificed on the altars of wealth.  Overall, low-income discretionary programs would be cut a stunning a WHOPPING 55% after adjusting for inflation, over the 10-year period. And, the national resources devoted to assisting low and middle-income families would fall off dramatically. According to the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, these programs currently spend approximately 2.1% of GDP - close to the 40 year average of 2.0% - on programs that assist qualified poor and middle class families.  Under the Ryan House Budget Plan, this multi-generational investment in people will fall to a new historic low of 1.0 % of GDP by 2027 - the lowest percentage since 1966, when many of these programs - like student grants and loans - didn't exist!  

Past major bipartisan budget reform plans took a more balanced approach. In 2010, the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform (the Bowles-Simpson Commission) accomplished significant deficit reduction by both increasing revenues and reducing expenditures. The plan avoided cuts in programs for low-income people altogether.  Erskine Bowles and Alan Simpson, co-chairs of the Commission, committed to a simple principle - deficit reduction should not increase poverty or inequality.  Sadly, the Ryan House Budget would do just that - massive benefits for the wealthy and substantial losses for the poor and the middle class - increasing poverty AND inequality as well. Who would do that?  Only a MORON would steer that course, especially since he pledged never, ever, to do something so destructive and mean-spirited to those who have the greatest need.  You might just have to go back in history... to, say ... 1920 to find the answer... or, is it just prophecy?

    

"THINGS FALL APART" - Chinua Achbe's 1958 book.... and, the TRUMP IMPLOSION.... IS TRUMPWORLD COMING APART AT THE SEAMS?

OK.  So, I have chosen a rather obscure book title, "Things Fall Apart" by Chinua Achbe, published in 1956 as the jumping off point for this article. Donald Trump was only 10 years old then, so how could this have anything to do with President 45 today?  Let me explain.....

I first encountered this work as a young social science/history teacher around 1970.  The Department Supervisor, Fred Engelken, taught a class in comparative cultures at that time, and used this book in his class to illuminate the impacts of cultures as they collide. The book title was taken from the first verse in the poem, "The Second Coming" by W.B. Yeats (1865-1939), an Irish poet and dramatist:

      "Turning and turning in the widening gyre
The falcon cannot hear the falconer;

       Things fall apart; the center cannot hold;

      Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world,

                      The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere

      The ceremony of innocence is drowned;

              The best lack all convictions, while the worst

                                                     Are full of passionate intensity." 

                                                                                                     (Yeats, 1919)

Yeats describes an apocalyptic vision in which the villagers world collapses into anarchy.  The Achbe book is focused on a Nigerian village society, the Igbo, which isn't able to withstand the onslaught of western colonization during the colonial period in Africa.  The Umuofia community is invaded, teeters on the brink and, finally, falls apart. The book's hero, Okonkwo, the village's respected leader and local hero, is exiled from the village for 7 years as punishment for violating a number of traditional village norms and mores.  He later returns to find that Europeans have arrived and want the local people to adopt European religion, behaviors and beliefs, and culture.  Facing the choice of submission or resistance, Okonkwo leads a resistance.... but, discovers that he is a leader with few followers.  After beheading a white overlord, he realizes that the people of Okonkwo are not going to fight to protect themselves.  Okonkwo hangs himself to avoid being arrested and tried in a colonial court.

In a way, we are bearing witness to the dissembling of our traditional political culture.  The Trump candidacy broke all of the established rules and "invaded" the traditional Republican Party, defeating the best of their candidates from both the right and the moderate/corporate wings.  The Trump nomination represented a hostile takeover of the modern Republican Party.  Still, for the most part, they fell in line in the hope that they could direct the legislative agenda should he win against the formidable candidacy of Hillary Clinton.  Then, in a shocking end to a tumultuous campaign, Trump collected enough electoral votes to win the presidency in spite of losing the popular vote to Clinton by more than 3 million votes.  In fact, Hillary Clinton received more popular votes than any other president in US history, except for Barak Obama, in the race but conceded the loss when enough electoral votes had been amassed by Trump to win the day.  In that way, the Trump Train continued to dismantle the political "establishment" - first the regular Republican Party and then the Democrats as well.  Trump became king of the political hill with a promise of "Making America Great Again (MAGA), and draining the "swamp", providing health care to "everyone", better and at lower costs, not disturbing Medicare and Medicaid, lowering taxes on working families and the middle class, strengthening the military, a "massive" infrastructure program, and, of course, building "that wall." The Trump Train had invaded Washington indeed. 

And, so here we are nearly one year after the 2016 election and some 9 months into the Trump era.  You know how the healthcare debate unfolded.... massive cuts to Medicaid, the proposed loss of coverage for millions of Americans, rising premiums for seniors, lost subsidies for lower income families, threats to pre-existing condition coverage, and massive opposition by every healthcare advocacy group and the vast majority of the American public.  Every attempt that the Republican leadership put forward failed for lack of votes.  Even worse, each bill was not anywhere near what Trump had promised along the campaign trail.  Medicaid was to be severely reduced and millions of us removed from the rolls and left without coverage and, in the last attempt, healthcare coverage was to be changed into state block grants, capped, and pre-existing conditions exposed to massive rate increases state-by-state.  

Korea - and foreign affairs in general - from the Russian collusion suspicions to nuclear brinkmanship with North Korea, from Trump's embarrassing UN speech and further inappropriate behavior at the G-20 meetings - American foreign policy seems to be headed right off the rails.  Yet another crack in the consistent granite of American foreign policy.  Trumps speeches, tweets, and seat-of-the-pants policy pronouncements have undermined the work of decades and eroded America leadership around the globe.  Imagine the delight in the Kremlin as NATO shivers and attempts to reorganize in a new world of shaky American "leadership." Meanwhile, our Asian allies - Japan, South Korea, and others - wonder if  "loose lips" or "twitter slips" might bring on nuclear Armageddon! 

Of course, these issues - healthcare, North Korea, Iran, Russian investigations, and an absurd budget and tax plan that benefits the wealthiest in America and rewards corporate greed, not to mention the President himself, his companies, and his family (subject to another article to follow), capture all of the headlines and suck all the oxygen out of the room.  Appointments, resignations (remember the "Mooch" and "Spicey"?), rumors and the ever-present presidential tweets, all distract from the many other issues happening behind the smokescreen and misdirection that Trump has inflicted On us all. Yet, many other "things" are falling part or being pushed over the cliff by the Trump Squad of toadies that are intent on turning back the clock to the 1950s or perhaps even further. Here's a list of some other other recent actions that have been made to "Make America Great Again"... yet another lie. 

US ATTORNEYS:  You recall that the Donald fired 46 US Attorneys, 22 males and 24 females, causing the wheels of justice to grind to a halt for a time.  So far, President Trump has nominated 42 US Attorneys.  Only one is a woman, and 40 are white men. 

NATIONAL PARKS AND MONUMENTS:  Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, no stranger to
travel on the taxpayers dime, has recommended to President Trump that he "modify" 10 national monuments created by Barak Obama, including shrinking the boundaries of at least 4 western sites and to open these sites to coal mining, logging, grazing, and drilling., what Zinke describes as "traditional use." Just another destruction by demolition man Trump. 

DACA:  After promising that he loves "all people" and "especially the blameless children", Trump ordered the end of the Dreamers Act.  The result is that 800,000 immigrants, largely from South America" who are in school, working, in the military, and all paying US taxes, will be deported in 6 months unless the Congress acts to pass a Dream Act permitting these folks to stay in some status.  President Trump said that he supports such an action but has said or done little to make it happen.  The clock ticks for these lost souls, many of whom have known no other country but ours.

TRANSPORTATION:  Of course, other than promising a substantial investment in infrastructure, the Trump budget doesn't contain any indication of such a program.  Bridges, tunnels, new stations, trains, airports, ports, and highways are all in desperate need of attention or expansion.  But, there is little evidence of commitment to these long overdue projects - and the millions of construction, engineering, and production jobs that would be the result.  Without action - and soon - we will fall into the category of a third-world infrastructure network and lose a substantial competitive edge over our trade competitors.  In fact, Trump's first budget released this past spring, not only does not contain increased funding for transportation projects, but SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCES investment in transportation infrastructure!  The budget features cuts to Amtrak, transit, commuter rail, and air service to rural towns - the very places that gave him the votes to put him into office.  Trump has proposed the elimination of Amtrak's long distance trains and by doing so, further isolates rural America from the markets that sustain small town economies. The proposed cuts - $2.4 billion from transportation - a 13% reduction from the last year - totally eliminates $2 billion from the FTA "New Starts" Capital Investment program, crucial to launching new transit, commuter rail, and light rail projects, and the elimination of all funding for Amtrak's national network trains which provide the only national network service to 23 states and the only nearby Amtrak service for 144.6 million Americans, according to the National Association of Railroad Passengers report (April 4, 2017).  

ENVIRONMENT:  Aside from withdrawing from the International Paris Accords on Climate change, the Trump crowd has done substantial damage behind the curtain.  Scott Pruit as EPA Administrator has attempted to roll back numerous environmental regulations designed to protect folks from environmental contamination.  In an about face, the Trump EPA dropped restrictions aimed at the Pebble Mine in Alaska paving the way for the company to seek permits to start production without regard to contaminated mine waste in spite of a three year study published in 2014 and peer reviewed twice that concluded that this colossal open-pit mine, as deep as the Grand Canyon, that will generate 10 billion tons of mining waste, would create a "catastrophic" risk to the Bristol Bay watershed.  More than 80% of the local residents oppose the Pebble Mine.  The Natural Resources Defense Council and a coalition of grassroots organizations with other environmental associations will continue to oppose the Pebble Mine.  This time, however, their opponents include the mine ownership AND the EPA.  Perhaps the name should be changed to the MPA (Mine Protection Administration). 

   * In July the Federal Court reversed the EPA in their attempt to allow the oil and gas industry to release methane and other gases into the atmosphere.  The EPA also agreed to reinstate a rule that would have allowed tons of mercury pollution from dental offices into the waste stream but did not agree to rescind their permission for mining to discharge mine wastewater into local streams. 

   * The Trump administration has refused to ban a dangerous pesticide - chlorpyrifos - sprayed on apples, oranges, broccoli, almonds and some other food crops, evading a federal court order to do so.  This is in spite of EPA's own research that indicates the chemical is linked to learning disabilities in children and exposures greater than 140 times the EPA safety limit of exposure. 

   * Trump is seeking to lift the permanent drilling ban in the Arctic and Atlantic Oceans opening up 120 million acres to drilling.  EPA's own study of the implications of such a decision indicate that there is a 75% chance of a major oil spill in the Arctic Sea and would wreak havoc on Atlantic fishing and beach tourism.  Fortunately, the law does not allow the President to undo the permanent protection of offshore waters.  Environmental groups are on the alert, however, to be sure that violations are brought immediately to the federal courts.

   *  Can you believe it?  President Trump has nominated long-time climate denier and racist talk radio commentator Sam Clovis to be the US Department of Agriculture CHIEF SCIENTIST! The 2008 Farm Bill requires that the "chief scientist" be selected from among distinguished scientists with specialized training or significant experience in agricultural research, education, and economics."  Clovis, aside from being a climate-change denier saying that climate-change science is "junk", HE IS NOT A SCIENTIST!  In fact, Clovis has no policy expertise in food, agriculture or any experience in hard science at all.  Still, President Trump nominated him for the post.... just as he nominated Jim Bridenstein, a member of Congress and a climate-change denier - also NOT A SCIENTIST and without any experience in space at all, to head NASA.  As they say, send in the clowns...

Are you buying any of this?  Like the villagers of Umuofia of the Igbo society, you also have a choice - to quietly accept and comply or to resist.  "Things" are truly "falling apart" as Trump and his administration are dismantling decades of progress and hundreds if not thousands of laws and regulations designed and adopted - by Democratic and Republican administrations alike - to
protect American's health, safety, resources, and environment from the potential excesses of corporations perpetrated in the pursuit of profit.

As one American, I choose the path of resistance... the path of Okonkwo in Achbe's book.  I choose to fight.  I encourage my fellow Americans to join with me in a battle FOR the future, not a retreat into the imagined "glories" of the past.  Perhaps, like Okonkwo, I will fail in the effort.  But, the fight is well worth it because progress toward a better future is worth it. Preventing war and incalculable carnage is worth it. Protecting our environment is worth it because there is no planet "B".  And, the promise of America is worth it - for ourselves, our children, and those who dream of joining us in the greatest experiment in freedom, in human dignity, and in democratic self government that the world has ever seen.  Choose to stand up!  Choose to speak out!  Choose to march and be heard!  Or, as Benjamin Franklin once famously said, "If we do not hang together, we will surely all hang separately."