One Old White Guy Talks

Trump’s temporary spending on all federal funding, might be welcomed by many, but the implications for red states could be devastating. Republican senators and representatives should be up in arms depending on how the process shakes out. The action also puts into question the powers of each branch of government. Can the executive discount Congressional budgets? If so, the President is, in effect, a dictator.

Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul should examine the proposal closely because almost 45% of Kentucky’s funding comes from federal dollars. Wyoming gets 56% of its budget from federal sources; Louisiana gets 52%; Mississippi gets 47%; and West Virginia gets 45%. If COVID funding is eliminated, California, New York, Washington, Massachusetts, and Connecticut get less funding than they contribute to the federal revenue pool. 

The action reminds me of corporate raiders. Many of these individuals or groups buy up or merge troubled companies. Slashes are made to personnel and in other cost categories, stock prices and dividends rise, and the raiders sell off their assets generating a nice profit. In the long term, the organization can’t sustain the cuts and the business fails. Trump’s casinos and other endeavors are examples of fleecing investors. His cryptocurrency might follow the same course.

Will Republican speak up? Odds are against it because Trump will dole out funds to his friends and backers. “Hey, Senator Hawley, what do you need to keep you in the fold? No problem, we’ll take care of it.”