EDITORIAL: Trump’s proposed budget is unaffordable and unfair
President
It is a budget that is just as heedless of the deficit as
It proposes deep cuts in environmental protection and the "soft-diplomacy" work of the
Despite the proposed cuts, the budget also would add
Many of those who supported Trump trusted him when, as a candidate, he promised crowds of ordinary citizens that "I'm going to take care of everybody. I don't care if it costs me votes or not." He promised "no cuts" to Medicare and Medicaid, and even chastised
Now the real vision emerges. It is one in which corporations and those with the highest incomes enjoy deep tax cuts even as others fight to hold onto an ever-shrinking safety net. Hundreds of thousands of Minnesotans depend on food assistance, in cities and rural areas alike, mostly families with young children, the disabled and seniors. At least a third work but make too little to buy all their food on their own. It is folly to think this state could afford to fill every hole left by the absence of federal funding.
Under Trump's plan, even the simple dignity of choosing one's groceries would be denied. He would cut food assistance by nearly a third over 10 years and offer prepackaged bundles of canned and processed foods. Fresh milk, vegetables, fruit and meat would be luxuries under this plan.
The one big area of spending for Trump remains the military -- even though the
Trump also finally unveiled his infrastructure plan, which has some elements worth pursuing but mostly is a sham wrapped in illusion. That's because he backs it up with so little money:
As a candidate, Trump was the builder who would lay down a shiny network of updated roads, bridges, rails, airports and waterways that would make this nation the envy of the world. The reality is that already-struggling states and local governments would have to front most of the costs. That may be one slim area where
The nation deserves a fairer and more responsible budget from its president, one that speaks to long-standing efforts to provide equal opportunities for Americans to pursue the best this country has to offer.
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