On Wednesday, after Mr. Trump became our next president, I was in the crappiest mood I’ve been in since forever. The results of the election were a disappointment for more reasons than I can list.
As you kids know, I try to write things that will help you live a healthier, happier, fuller and more prosperous life. I believe the policies of this new administration coupled with a Republican House and Senate are a real threat to that in the following ways.
- Trump indicated he does not believe in climate change.
- Trump believes in arming more countries with nuclear weapons.
- The Republican Party wants to privatize Social Security
- The Republican Party and Mr. Trump want to throw out the Affordable Care Act leaving about 20 million of you without health insurance. (Note: The affordable care act was far from perfect and needed tweaking.)
- Trump and the Party want to get rid of the very regulations that help keep your drinking water safe, the air you breathe clean and the food you eat safe. Under regulated corporations increase profits.
Kids, I understand your frustration and anger over a broken government that appears, for the most part to be bought and paid for by Wall Street.
I understand your frustration at seeing college become increasingly unaffordable.
I understand the struggle many of you face day today just trying to survive.
I understand your frustration with a public school system that is failing our kids.
The big question is how much of what Mr. Trump stated while he was campaigning is true. That’s hard to say.
Here’s what we know about Mr. Trump based on his actions:
- He has donated to the political campaigns of both Democrats and Republicans.
- When he wants to accomplish something, he will do and say whatever is necessary to get it done.
- People that know him very well state that the person we saw during the campaign is not what he is really like. They tell us he is a warm amiable person.
- We know, relative to other billionaires, he tends to be less generous. However, there was a story about how Mr. Trump paid off the mortgage for a Good Samaritan that changed a tire on his car. (I haven’t verified this story.)
- He doesn’t hesitate to use the tax system at his disposal to advance his financial interests. (He’s far from alone doing this.)
- According to USA Today investigative reporters, he has 75 pending lawsuits against him.
- By having his kids run his business while he’s in office doesn’t eliminate the potential conflict of interest in setting policies.
- His bankruptcies indicate he doesn’t care about making good on the people he has promised to pay.
- He is a TV celebrity
- He is a billionaire
It will be all too easy for you to see him as the knight in shining armor if his policies manage to get you a good job. However, you must realize that Republicans thwarted all efforts by Obama to get the country on track to increase jobs. Had Clinton been elected I believe they would have been equally obstructionist.
That tells me that the Republican legislators don’t really care one whit about you. They used to care, but something has changed. I think that’s sad.
Here’s what I believe you deserve:
- The right to have clean air to breathe
- The right to have clean water to drink
- The right to have enough healthy food to eat
- The right to a minimum wage sufficiently high to cover your cost of living
- The right to have excellent health care even if you’re financially disadvantaged
- The right to an excellent education from K through college regardless of where you live
- The right to a free or at least affordable college education
- The right to pass on a healthy Earth to your children and grandchildren
That’s what I want for you.
Will Mr. Trump deliver on those things?
We’ll see.
Until then, my hair will stay on fire.
