Dear Mr. Trump:
I watched last night's debate with interest because I am one of the many in the 'silent majority' who are distressed by the interchangeability of the Washington insiders. No matter on which side of the aisle the individual sits, they are no different than those in the other banks of seats when you dig past the outer layer of skin. Even watching the candidates on the stage last night I could see both sides of their mouths working. The right side saying what they think potential voters want to hear, instead of saying what they actually think and would do.
Having someone who is as direct, as outspoken and as unapologetic as you seem to be in the race is refreshing. I cannot speak for anyone else, of course, but when you say something I know it's honest and from the heart - good, bad or ugly - it is you. With that said, however, I must also say that the empty platitudes are wearing thin.
Regarding Putin and your declaration of 'He's going to like me.' Why? How do you know? I recognize that an arrogant bully such as Putin will respect someone of equal strength and determination, but how will you confront him? How will you position yourself, as President of the United States of America, to go toe-to-toe with him?
The repetition of 'terrific' may well be true, but why? 'He's terrific.' 'She's terrific.' 'They're terrific.' That's all wonderful, but why? What makes s/he / they terrific? Are they nice or smart or... what?
I recognize full well that you are a capable manager. There is no question that you are smart, probably sometimes brilliant in your insights and understanding of the business world. That is proven by your track record. A capable manager, a successful manager must know what they don't know and must fill those gaps by surrounding themselves with strong, smart, capable people who do know. In that position, then, you need to set your staff to work on filling in the blanks you obviously have on international politics and policies. The lack of knowledge was painfully apparent on the stage last night. Generalities don't cut it at this point.
I know the election is more than a year off, but you need to impress us now. It is imperative that we, the American public who is looking for someone to make America Great Again, have confidence in the ability of our candidate to meet the challenges. Not just in the public speeches and debates - but in the larger and far more important (dare I say crucial?) realm of policies and politics.
You're a negotiator. It's your stock in trade and it's something you do exceptionally well. That's in your favor, but you have a wide swath of the country to convince that you are capable of not only negotiating, but of administering.
How will you fix the Veterans Administration?
How will you solve the problems facing this country in the realm of health care? What is your plan to replace Obamacare once it's disassembled?
How will you work around the Commerce Clause and make healthcare portable across state lines?
How will you fix the tax system that's so broken it takes a PhD to figure it out?
Personally, I am dead set against the Progressive tax system that penalizes hard work and rewards laziness. Just look at the percentage of hard working people in this country, me included, who get up every day, who go to work every day, and then see our tax dollars taken from our paychecks so they can be handed over to people who choose not to work, or who work just enough so they re-qualify for unemployment benefits. I work in manufacturing and I know that kind of thing goes on.
I would much rather see a point-of-sale flat tax based on consumption. Eighteen percent. Two percent to the local municipality. Two percent to the county. Three percent to the state and the balance to the Federal government. That way everyone pays their freight because if they buy a stick of gum or a can of beans or a Lamborghini, they pay for it right then and there.
How will you solve the problem of 'anchor babies' given the Supreme Court's past findings on the subject?
How will you resolve the issue of illegals in this country once the border is sealed? Will you dedicate resources to tracking them down, which would be wildly expensive and ridiculously inefficient? Or, will you allow local law enforcement to pick them up as they come to the attention of authorities in the course of day-to-day activities?
These are just some of the questions that have been raised in the past week for me.
As for filling in the gaps in your abundant knowledge, I suggest that you set a number of your trusted people to prepare executive summaries across a variety of sources. Read widely as you have time - even five minutes at a stretch would benefit. Prepare yourself better than you have thus far because, frankly, if you don't, I am afraid that you will be the flash in the pan that was predicted months ago.
As someone deeply concerned about this country, the direction it's heading, the political duty our current elected "representatives" owe to the PACs and unions and special interest groups and utter lack of true representation of the grass roots individual in Washington, I want someone I can trust in the White House.
You may not be the nicest person on the planet with your pointless continued ad hominem comments, but I don't need 'nice'. I need strong and trustworthy. But strong and trustworthy must be balanced by knowledgeable - and that's what has me, and I think a lot of others, concerned.
I hope you or a staffer see this and take a moment to read it, to think about it, and to address it.
I wish you all the best.
Philippa
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/PhilippaStories
No comments:
Post a Comment