From: Richard Gold
Columbus
Some friends, colleagues and folks I respect are struggling with whether or not to re-up for four more years. I work to listen carefully. “They’ll take away my guns. Democrats are socialists. More regulation. Lawlessness. They’ll kill jobs.” It’s the unsubstantiated politics of fear.
But the facts are undeniable: Four years makes a two-time winner out of Putin and Xi; and losers of the American people, our kids and grandchildren. Why?
- Support of the Constitution and democracy: Trump-Pence have gone after the free press to muddy the truth, verbally assaulted the judiciary/judges, arrogated powers of Congress shifting money wrongly, moved Pentagon dollars to build a made-for-TV wall, violated the Hatch Act, and gutted the post office. The list is far longer than 500 words allow. Destroying the pillars of democracy is not patriotism.
- Support of the military: “Suckers and losers.” “McCain…was a war hero because he got captured. I like people who weren’t captured.”
- Healthcare: 215,000 dead from COVID-19 and no healthcare plan after four years other than to destroy one that serves millions of Americans who couldn’t otherwise get coverage.
- Economy: Epic incompetence on COVID-19 comes with a sidebar — an economy that can’t heal until we improve our response to the virus. Jobs are the currency of politics. We are net negative under Trump-Pence. There is NO Federal COVID-19 leadership. Local government has produced the only positive results.
- The Tax Cuts/Jobs Act delivered almost nothing to the average American and none of the growth it was sold on. The real cost is that at the height of economic activity last year it generated a $1 trillion deficit, doubling under this administration. It removes cushion to support the vulnerable in COVID times, and burdens the next generation immeasurably. Six bankruptcies with no personal consequences. Let’s hope the seventh is not Uncle Sam.
- Economy: How do tariffs work for you? They destroy markets for our farmers who now are paid tax dollars, and the consuming public pay more for tariffed goods. This is called a consumer tax increase.
- Climate change: The biggest legacy issue next generations face. Undermining/ignoring the science, leaving the Paris accord, slowing renewable energy, emphasizing coal all drive rising water, more fires, more violent storms, dirtier air and water and global damage. The human and economic toll is already enormous. We need to lead, not abdicate.
- Foreign policy: We’ve alienated our neighbors and our best friends in Europe. We’ve embraced murderous and repressive dictators around the globe – Putin, Prince bin Salman, North Korea’s Un. Putin is the guy who put a bounty on killing American soldiers.
- Civil unity: We are as divided a country as we’ve ever been. Race, religion, and social issues rage. We need a unifier, not a fire accelerant who “stands by” with the Proud Boys and sends the military to quell peaceful demonstrations in the capital. Less reason to protest is the bottom line, and that comes from leadership that works to listen and unite; and address the real root causes of issues.
It’s time for solutions, not more division.
Editor’s note: This letter is paid political content. It is not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.
