The Way Forward for Our New President

Donald J. Trump has now been our president for nearly three
weeks, and he has hit the ground running. Right away he has
issued executive orders to undo those made by his unconstitutional
predecessor. A good start, to be sure. But President Trump
and the country have merely taken the first few steps together
on what will be a long, winding, and challenging journey.

For a start, Democrat party leaders are calling his election
illegitimate, and with it his presidency. Their pals in the
laughingly termed mainstream media are waiting like
vultures for Trump to make a misstep which will, if not
unravel his presidency, then at least cripple it, and therefore
his ability to govern. But these gathering dark clouds also
bear the silver lining of opportunity for our new president.
By working smoothly with Congress Trump can explode the
left-wingers' predictions of his giving rise to fascism and
other similar blather. In the process, President Trump can
give us tax reform, both for individuals and businesses,
refurbish our infrastructure, replace President Obama's
anything-but-affordable ACA with a truly affordable, market-
based health care program which will also give people more
variety of choices for coverage, and prosecute a faster, more
serious campaign against ISIS and their allies. His voters
will be not only satisfied, but pleased that their confidence
in candidate Trump is being rewarded by President Trump.

Our 45th president can also direct his economic efforts to
further policies which will heal and rebuild the American middle-
class, which was trashed by Obama's policies. Removing
Obama's barriers to growth which has hamstrung businesses
would make for more jobs, which would certainly help the
heretofore middle-class workers who lost their jobs due to
Obamanomics. If Trump lightens the yoke of regulation and
creates a more reasonable tax code, the middle-class will get its
life-saving healing. He must, however, abandon his fervor for
tariffs and embrace a pro-trade growth program in order to
open up markets for U.S. goods and widen existing markets
for same. When tariffs are enacted, the costs are always passed
along to the consumers when they buy the goods.

Tightening and preserving our borders are an imperative. A
nation that will not protect is borders will soon cease to be a
nation, and lawlessness and chaos would predominate; see
what has been happening in cities such as San Francisco
and Chicago whose municipal governments have declared
themselves "sanctuary cities", enabling illegal aliens, even
those with criminal histories, to reside in said cities free to
wreak havoc with the protection of these cities from ICE
(Immigration Customs and Enforcement). Trump has
promised to make these cities give up their sanctuary statuses
and follow federal immigration law regarding illegal aliens,
using as a cudgel the threat of withholding federal funds.
And Trump has promised to build a fence along the southern
border to prevent such aliens from sneaking over in the first
place.

President Trump needs assistance in getting his initiatives
legislated into law. This means that he must work hand-in-
hand with Congress that, although both its chambers are
in Republican hands, has many members in the GOP that
still cast wary eyes on Trump. If he can soothe worries and,
in some cases, mend fences with them, Trump's presidency
could be a grand success. If not, the Democrats will happily
step back in. pick up the pieces, and pick up where Obama,
Pelosi and company left off in transforming our country into
a great big socialist backwater. He can do these things; all he
needs to do is to keep his cool and his sense of perspective
and proportion.

It's all in your hands, Mr. President. A supportive but watchful
nation awaits.


MEM