Government Reform Must be Purposeful or It Becomes an Empty Cruel Platitude

What we see, hear, and usually get with GOP-run government
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President-elect Donald Trump cabinet nominees consist of people about to take over departments they have shown a dislike for to include wanting to dismantle them, sue them, or eliminate them entirely. 

Examples:

He has nominated Scott Pruitt, the OK AG to head the EPA. That signals a move for a full frontal assault on President Obama’s climate change and environmental legacy. 

Why? Pruitt has spent much of his energy as the OK AG fighting the EPA, including this from him:

Two years ago, at an event convened by the conservative Federalist Society, Pruitt joked about a competition of sorts he had going with the Texas AG over the EPA and lawsuits, saying: “When I came into office, I think he had roughly 13 lawsuits [in Texas] against the EPA. I’m trying to catch up — we only have, I think, six or seven.”

Pruitt becomes Trump’s third nominee who will have key philosophical differences with the missions of the agencies they have been tapped to run.

Earlier, he nominated rival Ben Carson to run HUD. Carson has expressed a deep aversion to the social safety net programs and fair housing initiatives that have been central to that agency’s activities for decades.

He also nominated Betsy DeVos (from the the Amway billionaire family) for Education Secretary. She has a passion for private school vouchers paid for with tax dollars and massive overhaul of public education.

More about her: She is a former Republican Party chairwoman in Michigan and chair of the pro-school-choice advocacy group American Federation for Children. She has been a shining light to members of the movement to privatize public education by working to create programs and pass laws that require the use of public funds to pay for private school tuition in the form of vouchers and similar programs. She has also been a force behind the spread of charter schools in Michigan, most of which have recorded student test scores in reading and math below the state average. More on DeVos is here and here and here. Most of it is pretty scary stuff, to say the least.

These nominees are troubling to the say the least and all on top of statements by others in key slots like Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) and his views and statements and voting record is here such as “reform” of Social Security and Medicare; opting out programs, vouchers, block grants, and outright funding reductions in food stamp program (SNAP and WIC) and others.

Then add in Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), GOP Senate Majority “leader” and well…a receipt for I think near if not total disaster ahead. His views and voting record are here – harsh to say the least.

Is this what we truly want to stand for: to try and compete like a third world country ignoring our most-needy and looking past them the other way?

This is not the country I know, or the country that I have grew up in and experienced hardships as well, or the country I supported and defended and served for over 40 years, or the country that I want to see for our future. Do you?

All this comes from Republicans mostly in their so-called “Anti-social programs or anything else conservative wing.” 

So, I observe and honestly ask: “Are there no Republican constituents who have never been down and out and in dire need for help. Do none of them pay into and benefit from Social Security and rely on Medicare in their lives?”

That is hard to believe that they do not exist, isn’t it? Hard to believe and also very hypocritical. Rough times lie ahead and I emphasize (lie) ahead. 

So, hang on tight and thanks for coming by.