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I know many voted for Trump because of the high cost of most items, especially groceries and the huge influx of immigrants. Trump promised he would bring down the price of food immediately. This has not happened. We are not saving any money on the deportees to El Salvador, as we are paying millions for the use of the prison and the feeding of the prisoners.
Trump has turned Elon Musk loose to destroy all of our institutions with mass, indiscriminate and illegal firings. Both Musk and Trump claim they are rooting out fraud and waste. What they want is to find trillions of dollars to justify continuing the huge tax breaks to millionaires. If they fired every government employee in the whole U.S., this is only 4% of the U.S. budget and they wouldn’t gain much. To do this they are ousting senior, experienced and devoted civil servants. He plans to fire at least 50% of the federal work force. Things we all take for granted will be gone.
Some immediate effects we are seeing are: USAID was halted, employees fired and contracts already fulfilled were not paid. This caused millions of tons of U.S. produced grains to rot in warehouses while people starved, vaccines not given causing people to die, the fight against AIDS was disrupted, but most of all, the U.S. pulling out has allowed China and others to fill the void. I used to be among the voices criticizing our government for sending money overseas while we have needy here. After learning more about it, I believe USAID is a necessary part of our foreign policy. It was reported that USAID funds were being improperly used for controversial programs. The target should have been those identified programs, not dismantling the entire program.
The recent Federal Budget Extension Bill will cut billions from Medicaid. Children, disabled and the low-income will be without medical care. We can expect to see more hospitals and nursing homes close in Iowa and around the country.
Kennedy, the secretary of health and human services, stated in his hearing that he intends to privatize Medicare. That means it would all be run for-profit. The Trump Administration wants to destroy the system to the point that they convince every one it must be privatized.
Musk has fired or bought out 7,000 of the 57,000 Social Security employees. They are planning on cutting phone service for it and requiring everyone to do business via the internet or at an office. But wait, DOGE plans to close six of the 10 field offices. Then they will say, “Look, the government can’t run it so we must privatize it.” Seventy-two million people rely on Social Security and for 40 or 50%, this is their only income. The Commerce Secretary stated that if a few months checks are missing, only the scammers will complain! Both Trump and Musk have stated that the cuts to workers could delay Social Security checks.
Musk has fired all probationary personnel from the VA and imposed an indefinite hiring freeze. They were already backlogged on disability and death claims. This includes workers in the VA healthcare system. Many fired were veterans.
The inspectors general have all been fired. They were the watchdogs of each agency. Now there will be no oversight.
The Consumer Protection Agency has been dismantled. It had the job of protecting citizens from fraudulent banking and loan practices.
Trump has called himself a king. His actions are those of a dictator. Citizens please beware as he is following Hitler’s playbook.
Trump stated that the U.S. must have Greenland and will not rule out military force to get it. He also plans on taking Panama and Canada. I don’t think Trump voters planned on the U.S. becoming an empire by force.
Trump is threatening colleges and universities to pull federal funding if they don’t drop courses or policies he doesn’t agree with. He wants DEI to go beyond hiring to include rewriting history and removing any negativity about race, Native Americans and women.
He has removed much of the info from government websites including the Constitution and any mention of gay or transgender. He even removed mention of the Enola Gay (plane which dropped the atomic bomb) as it contained the word “gay.” He wants all books banned that even have mention of gay or transgender.
He has not fired people whose group chat endangered our national security. In fact, he stated that the chat we have all witnessed proof of was fake news and a witch hunt.
The Voice of America, which gave real facts to countries around the world, has been dismantled and shut down. This was effective against the propaganda of dictatorships.
The law offices that were involved in any of his court cases or worked for anyone who opposed his ideas have been threatened with loss of security clearances and banned from federal buildings unless they commit to millions in pro bono for him.
He is doing away with the Department of Education. This will adversely affect many rural and small-town schools. It is estimated that Iowa will lose $53 million in help with special education and other programs.
He has targeted judges who worked on any case involving him to the point of having their lives and their family members’ lives threatened.
He has Senator Chuck Grassley proposing a bill in the U.S. Senate that would stop federal courts from ordering injunctions or holds on any of Trump’s executive orders. Grassley should know our Constitution gives us three equal branches of government. This is actually one of the jobs of the federal courts.
He is disappearing people from the streets and deporting them without due process. He admitted ICE made a mistake but claims he can’t fix it. That is what the SS did for Hitler.
He is planning on privatizing the U.S. Postal Service. Rural areas would be devastated as private companies would not find it profitable. How many of you get a daily newspaper?
He had mention of heroes whom he considered DEI people removed from Arlington National Cemetery.
He has ordered an end to the lawn services at all our national cemeteries. The national cemetery in Keokuk uses a lawn service and it is beautiful. I am assuming that will be discontinued.
He is now attacking the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, D.C., as he wants any negative history or artifacts relating to race, Native Americans or women removed. He said it might hurt Americans’ view of America.
He has said that he has people working on getting around the U.S. Constitution so he can run for a third term as president.
His tariffs are causing chaos in the stock market and causing distrust of the U.S. around the world. Tariffs are a tax on you while DOGE cuts all your services.
No matter your politics you need to be paying attention to what Musk’s DOGE and Trump are doing. Did you vote for this disruption of life? If not call your Congress people now.
Shirley Deck, Fort Madison
Why? We as a society have had a blessed life in that we have always progressed slowly but surely. However, there is now a wrecking ball being taken to our rights, freedoms and financial well-being. Our progress is being pulled back by a century.
There are so many unintended consequences to the decisions being made by elected and unelected officials. One of the worst is the decision of our elected officials to just let it fly. What do I mean? Well, the fact that our elected representatives are sitting back and allowing the unserious and unqualified heads of our government departments to kill (literally) people with this wrecking ball to government services and economy.
The rapid demolition of programs are coming so fast that we cannot keep up. The uncertainty of the tariffs on and off is killing our ability to plan for the future.
We the people hold the power to speak out and step up to let our voices be heard. Find something that you are passionate about (there are many). Silence is not an option!
Cheri Shatto, Fostoria
Normally I would refer to our senators and representatives as honorable, but they are not! When they were elected, they took an oath to the Constitution and to We the People. They have demonstrated that they represent one man, the leader of the Republican Party. All but Charles Grassley has refused to come to town hall meetings to discuss the current state of our nation and how it affects We the People.
We are their constituents and they refuse to talk or listen to us! Shame on every one of them! So, logic dictates what We the People should do next. It is time to call for every one of our senators and representatives to resign so we can have special elections in order to find someone willing to save our country!
Rick Brown, Cedar Falls
Thanks for the article on Buena Vista College’s Old Main burning. I was very young (two years, two months) but remember that night. Our whole family went to the fire. My mother, sister and I sat down where the old arch was (but hadn't been constructed, of course) near Edson Hall. My father and older brother went up to the building and helped remove records and valuables until it became too dangerous. In today’s world, those actions of the town’s men would never be allowed.
If you want another little bit of nostalgia, look back at who played the dedication game for the “new” high school gym.
Tom Owen, Albuquerque, N.M.
Jim Walters’ letter in the April 11 edition quoting the quite quotable H.L. Mencken got my head nodding. Wikipedia describes Mencken as “an American journalist, essayist, satirist, cultural critic and scholar of American English.” A list to which might be added “political prophet.”
Mike Wellman, Des Moines
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