Realism vs. reality
For readers, who believed Trump’s campaign promises, here is some realism: Trump, paraphrased — 1) The repeal and replacement of the AHCA will be easy, immediate, more comprehensive, and cheaper for all Americans.
In reality, the healthcare bills passed by the Republican House, proposed by the Republican Senate, and both bills supported by Trump were really $800-plus billion tax cuts for the rich, and were so bad they would have removed healthcare for millions of citizens, including most (?) in Trump’s voter base.
Question? Is Trump two-faced? Millions of Americans today owe their continuing healthcare to three courageous of, by, and for-the-people senators (Lisa Murkowski/Alaska; Susan Collins/Maine and John McCain/Arizona), who voted against 49 other self- and rich donor-serving Republican politicians and Trump/Pence.
2) Trump: I will bring back to the U.S. good paying manufacturing jobs lost to other countries.
In reality, there are many unfilled manufacturing jobs available now in the U.S. but few are qualified to fill those jobs without additional training and/or education.
But most U.S. manufacturing jobs will be taken by machines, e.g., robotics, artificial intelligence, and other technologies. Advantages: After the initial costs for robots and installation, there are no employer costs for training, education, sick leave, smoke/coffee breaks, maternity leave, drug testing, Social Security taxes or health care insurance, and no human salaries except for robot maintenance, while the robots exceed human work efficiency, reliability and performance.
There were many other Trump campaign promises, e.g., coal jobs, a costly 2,000-mile Mexico border wall, a Muslim immigration ban, global warming is a hoax, great, new trade deals, and the list goes on.
As Ted Cruz said, “Trump is a pathological liar” — and we, the people, are the losers in this sordid affair.
Richard Hahn
Sequim
What’s next, taxing toilet paper?
Now it’s bottled water. As of (Aug. 1) you started paying 20 cents to 30 cents per bottle on each refreshing bottle of water you purchase. What’s next: toilet paper taxed by the square?!
Bob Lampert
Sequim
