Letters to the Editor | Week of March 31-April 5, 2025

President reviewed

How about a review of a few of Donald Trump’s greatest hits to date?

When Biden left the White House, inflation was at 2%, and eggs at $4.10 per dozen. Trump insisted he could do better immediately. But inflation is now at 3%; eggs at close to $5, or even double that in some places, and breakfast chains are beginning to put a $1 surcharge on each egg ordered.

So much for “immediately.”

More concerning is the firing of the CDC researchers working on remedies for the avian flu, which is devastating egg-laying flocks and thus the production of eggs. Unless the researchers are brought back, this means prices will only rise for the foreseeable future.

Nearly 16 million jobs were added during Biden’s tenure. The Elon Musk/Trump team wants hundreds of thousands of federal workers around the country fired. Their lack of income will severely affect the communities around them, especially in smaller, more rural areas that are largely Republican. Unemployment will rise there, too.

Trump claims the greatest danger to America is “the enemy within.” But on his first day in office, he pardoned nearly 1,600 insurrectionists and rioters involved in the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. The Proud Boys and the Oath Keepers are now back on the streets, quite likely threatening the witnesses, lawyers and judges who convicted them. Meanwhile, the top six people in the FBI have been fired, and the Trump Department of Justice has demanded a list of thousands of agents who worked on the Jan. 6 investigations, also with a view to firing them.

This despite the Civil Service Reform Act (1978) that requires “cause” to fire anyone. This seems to be a snag of no consequence to Trump/Musk. Court rulings could take months, so who cares?

The CIA has offered buyouts to its entire work force to align with Trump’s “priorities.” Cartels, gangs, hackers, spies and terrorists on the march: everyone feel safe?

Trump’s slogan since 2016 has been “Make America Great Again.” But right now he is insulting and denigrating our NATO allies while he cozies up to Vladimir Putin, even asserting Ukraine provoked the Russian invasion. How much territory would Ukraine have to concede to appease the Russian bear?

Thinking anything would work any better than Neville Chamberlain giving into Hitler in 1938 is patently ludicrous. Putin’s avowed goal is to get all the old “socialist republics” back under his control.

No one anywhere in Europe will be safe.

Debatable at this point is the U.S. role, and on whose side. With greedy eyes affixed on Taiwan, China’s Xi is watching closely.

Much of the power and influence the U.S. earns around the world has been through the work of USAID, which consumes just over 1% of the U.S. budget. Now medicines expire and food rots and American farmers have lost a key buyer of their products because Musk/Trump think losing good will around the globe is less important than that 1% expenditure.

It is truly pathetic when the richest man in the world and his bff aim to grant tax cuts to themselves and their wealthy cronies at the expense of the destitute, disease ridden, starving and dying of the planet. Cavorting around the CPAC stage, Musk gives a whole new meaning to “chainsaw massacre.”

V.L. Bunderson

Brownsville

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