Trump reverses position on Great Lakes restoration
By Todd Spangler Detroit Free Press
Facing a potentially tough re-election effort in Michigan next year, President Donald Trump returned to Grand Rapids on Thursday, promising to fund a Great Lakes restoration program that his administration has threatened to cut the last three years.
Trump told the crowd that he has “always” supported the Great Lakes.
Making it sound as though he was restoring money that had been taken away by someone else — when it was his administration that proposed to eliminate or virtually end the $300 million Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
“I’m going to get, in honor of my friends, full funding of $300 million for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, which you’ve been trying to get for over 30 years,” he said.
“It’s time.”
Oh, yes, suckers. I tried to take away what you already had, and now that a few of you have caught on to my bullshit, I won’t take it away. Instead I’ll tell you it’s a gift from me.
And you’ll believe me, just like you suckers always do
You suckers will believe me, just like my three wives did.
It was the second major reversal for the administration on Thursday:
On his way to Michigan, facing bipartisan backlash over the budget plan to cut $18 million in funding for the Special Olympics, Trump said he would restore that funding after Education Secretary Betsy DeVos spent several days being pilloried for the move.
Hey, suckers, it was all Betsy’ fault for doing exactly what I told her to do.
Gee Betsy, I hope it’s not too uncomfortable under that bus. It is, after all, your job to take the blame for my lies, isn’t it?
Trump has also taken heat for a budget that cuts Medicare, a program the president had steadfastly promised not to touch.
Of course, I want to cut Medicare. What did you think? Did you suckers really buy into my bullshit? Wow, you really are even more stupid than I thought.
Let me explain it, even though you still won’t get it: I want to cut Medicare, Obamacare, Social Security, and all poverty aids, to make you financially desperate.
Then, my wealthy business owner pals and I can pay you peanuts, and force you to work into your 80’s — maybe even longer — because I won’t let you save enough to retire.
My old trick was to screw immigrants out of their wages, but screwing you legally is much better — less hassle.
My best buds
But you’re so stupid, all I have to do is say, “Socialism, socialism,” and you’ll vote against your own best interests.
Meanwhile, I’ll make millions in personal deals with the ultimate socialists, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong-un and that rich Saudi prince, whatever his name is.
Thankfully, I don’t have to worry about you figuring this out. There’s a sucker born every minute.
Remember, I’m your savior, honest Donald J. Trump. I would never lie to you.
The most important problems in economics involve the excessive income/wealth/power Gaps between the richer and the poorer.
Wide Gaps negatively affect poverty, health and longevity, education, housing, law and crime, war, leadership, ownership, bigotry, supply and demand, taxation, GDP, international relations, scientific advancement, the environment, human motivation and well-being, and virtually every other issue in economics.
Implementation of The Ten Steps To Prosperity can narrow the Gaps:
The debt hawks claim to be concerned about your children and grandchildren, but their proposals actually will punish your heirs. The debt hawks say future taxpayers will pay for today’s federal deficit spending. This is factually wrong. Unlike state and local governments, the federal government does not spend tax money. It, in fact, destroys the tax money sent to it, and it creates new money, ad hoc, when it credits the bank accounts of creditors.Federal spending is not limited by, or related in any way to, federal taxes.Thus, taxpayers never have, nor ever will, pay for federal spending.
What the debt hawks fail to mention is that their solutions (raising taxes and cutting federal spending) to this non-existent problem will impoverish you, your children and your grandchildren. Here is a sampling of debt hawk proposals. Read them carefully, and think about each proposal’s effect on current and future generations.
Retirement:
Raise the normal retirement (Social Security) age to 68
Reduce scheduled Social Security benefits
Reduce Social Security spousal benefits
Increase taxes on Social Security benefits
Health care:
Tax insurance benefits
Tax employees for employer-paid premiums
Cut Medicare payments
Cut Medicaid payments
Raise Medicare premiums
Cut spending on graduate medical education
Raise the Medicare retirement age (again)
Cut federal Medicaid funding to states
Jobs:
Do not enact a new jobs bill
More taxes; higher taxes
Raise taxes on higher incomes
Increase the inheritance (“death”) tax
Increase the gas tax
Enact a VAT tax
Increase the payroll tax (FICA)
Eliminate the mortgage interest deduction
Eliminate state and local tax deductions
Tax life insurance benefits
Eliminate EITC (Earned Income Tax Credit for low and moderate income workers
Eliminate the $400/person making-work-pay credit
Eliminate the “American Opportunity” college tax credit
Add and excise tax on high-cost health plans
Military and Security:
Reverse the “Grow the Army” initiative (fewer paid soldiers)
Reduce purchases of weapons systems
Reduce veterans’ income security benefits
Reduce Homeland Security spending
Aid for the poor:
Cut food stamps
Cut average unemployment benefits
Cut temporary assistance to needy families (TANF) program
Cut funding for adoption and foster care
Education:
Cut federal funding of K-12 education
Cut school breakfast programs
Cut funding for the education of disadvantaged and disabled children
Infrastructure:
Cut federal highway funding
Cut funding for bridge repair
Research & Development:
Cancel NASA missions to the moon and Mars
States and Cities:
Cut mass transit funding
Cut federal funding to the states and cities
This is the world — a world of higher taxes and fewer benefits — the world the debt hawks propose for you, your children and your grandchildren.
And what is the federal debt the debt hawks worry over? The federal government spends by crediting the bank accounts of its vendors. Every credit demands a debit, and this debit on the government’s balance sheet is called “debt.” It more properly should be called, “money,” because the way the government creates money is by crediting bank accounts. That balance sheet merely is a score sheet, showing how much money the government has created.
You don’t owe it, nor do your children and grandchildren. It’s just a score sheet.
#Monetary Sovereignty - Mitchell 