Something You Don't Know About Trump--His Policies!

I will be so happy when I can get back to writing mostly humorous columns that make you smile.  To me, the threat of Donald Trump being Commander-in-Chief of our military and President of our great country terrifies me.  I find little humor in anything having to do with him.  Yes, he says a lot of crazy things that ordinarily would make me laugh.  However, I am reminded of his unfitness to be President and that sucks all the joy right out of me.

We’ve heard everything else but we have heard very little about his policies. We can all recite Trump’s big lies, his bigoted remarks, his misogynistic attitudes, the details of the Trump University fraud, his remarks about John McCain, the Khan family, and now Alicia Machodo.  Other than building the wall and rounding up Mexicans, what do we really know about his policies? 

I decided I would hold my nose and go to his website and check.  All the issues are lacking one thing.  Details.  And what I like to call do-ability.  The issue with the most detail is CHILD CARE.  This one was the brainchild of Ivanka Trump.  I might add, a woman who has 24-hour nannies and never worried about maternity leave.  First of all, the plan is to change the current “tax credit” to “tax deduction.”  There’s a big difference for people trying to make ends meet. Tax credits go directly in your pocket if you’re lucky enough to get a refund.  I recall many years when my children were in Day Care, our childcare tax credit made the difference in whether we could buy that new refrigerator or get new tires for our car when our refund arrived.  A raise in the tax credit would be more helpful to those struggling and need it the most.

The other detail in Trump’s Child Care policy has to do with six weeks of maternity leave.  He proposes that this maternity leave will be paid for by Unemployment insurance that is carried by the employer.  That was qualified by, “Employers shouldn’t eliminate company paid maternity care in a competitive job market.”  (Notice it didn’t say they could not). The plan also states that it should not harm employers’ taxes because it would be paid for by cutting out unemployment fraud to the tune of $5.6 billion dollars annually. Wealthy people always think there is fraud in unemployment usage. Folks, you need to call Commissioner of Labor Mark Butler and ask him how much fraud in unemployment payments is going on here in Georgia. 

Have you heard anything about Trump’s EDUCATION PLAN?  It’s a doozy!  School Choice for every student K-12.  The plan states that $20 billion would be an additional investment by Federal government and $110 billion from the states.  This is on top of the $620 billion we already spend.  Since most states are already stretched thin, it wasn’t explained where the states would come up with this money, or what services would be cut in Federal Government to supply the $20 billion. Trump will allocate $12,000 per student and the money goes with the student to any school of their choice.   The current spending per student is $12,239. That is a shaky plan for such high stakes.

Trump’s education plan is a total destruction of public education, as we know it, except that we will pay for it.  This is what wealthy Republicans have always dreamed about.  They can send their children to elite private schools and not have to pay for it.  People who live in poverty and in rural areas will still be in the same boat they are in now, unless a massive bus system is created.  And who decides the selection process for the new privatized charter schools that will be built?  Will the students relegated to the schools in the take-over by Governor Deal have a choice if Amendment 1 passes and Trump is elected?  

VETERANS HEALTHCARE.  Trump has a 10-point plan for reforming VA Healthcare.  I was struck that 5 out of the 10 points are punitive in nature.  Points 2 thru 6 are all about disciplining VA employees, terminating VA employees, investigating fraud, cover-ups and wrong doings, rewarding employees who report other employees and taking away bonuses.  Number 10 is choice between VA or a provider of their choice.  This one comes under the heading of “undoable.”  Unless he is going to socialize medicine so he can control doctors, neither the President nor the VA have the power to tell doctors and hospitals they have to take patients at a reduced cost.  Currently, the VA has a Choice Program but doctors are largely deciding not to participate. 

Trump has stated that he plans to privatize the VA Healthcare.  Clearly, a vote for Trump is a vote against veterans’ healthcare.  There is not a single congressionally approved Veterans Service Organization that has endorsed Trump’s plan on privatization.

I hope you’re not voting for Trump based solely on the emotion he evokes in you.  I ask you to examine his policies and Hillary’s and factor in what you learn into your decision-making process.