“Cheat on your taxes, don’t be a fool; Now what was that they said about a golden rule?”
“Well, never mind the rules, just play to win; And hate your neighbor, for the shade of his skin.” — Jimmy Dean.
I am a traditional, “I like Ike” Republican, one of the few left standing. I also like old time country music. The other day, I was listening to the “Skip A Rope” lyrics above. It made me think about what is going on in our White House and why I am so disappointed with Trump.
During his campaign, it became clear to me that he was no man of the people. He was a charlatan, a billionaire posing as a populist.
Nowhere was this fact more obvious than his position on his taxes.
First of all, even Nixon released his taxes. Why won’t Trump?
The answer is clear. He doesn’t pay any. In fact, not surprisingly given his arrogance and belief that the American people are malleable sheep to be herded by him, he says he is “smart” for not paying any.
At the same time, his budget significantly increases military expenditures, which are already equal to the next seven nations combined. Who is paying for this unneeded expansion? Clearly, it is the fools (many of whom voted for this modern-day P.T. Barnum) that Jimmy Dean sang about.
Furthermore, with the ongoing investigation of Russian influence on our government, the public needs to know the extent of Trump’s business dealings in Russia and elsewhere. That is clearly another reason why he will not release his taxes.
His tax plan is outrageous, a reverse Robin Hood give away from the poor to the rich. We know from prior Presidents that the trickle-down theory is only good for the rich. That is the main factor driving the stock market surge. Plus, his tax policy is the exact opposite of what he promised us per his populist rhetoric.
Likewise, his healthcare plan, which even one GOP Congressman said was more of a tax plan than a health insurance plan. Trumpcare gives the wealthy a $600 million tax break while taking insurance away from 21 million of us.
On top of all that, Trump has promoted an alt-right philosophy which is nativist and racist. It is no wonder that attacks against Muslims, Jews and Blacks have noticeably increased since he took office.
Trump won because Hillary was clueless to the plight of the working man and Comey was clueless as to the political ramifications of his acts.
The last election was a fluke, although predictable. Michael Moore had it right all along. However, it is clear that the Dems will not be that ignorant again and that their next candidate will push an agenda designed to return the hard hats and blue collar workers to the Democrats.
The bottom line is will my party wake up to the truth before it is too late?
Jack Bernard
Peachtree City, Ga.
