To the editor:
President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet appointments threaten the agencies that protect us.
Trump appointed Andrew Puzder, the millionaire CEO of a fast-food burger chain. Puzder makes $4.4 million, 291 times his average worker. He wants workers replaced with robots. He opposes federal minimum wage, overtime pay, sick days and health care benefits. The Secretary of Labor should protect workers, but Pudzer threatens the average worker.
Jeff Sessions’ racism disqualified him as a federal judge, but as attorney general he will protect our civil rights? He wrongly prosecuted black activists for voter fraud and opposed the voting rights act. The Japanese American Citizens League, the anti-defamation league, the NAACP and other human rights organizations oppose Sessions’ confirmation. This appointment threatens legal rights for all citizens.
Trump appointed Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. Pruitt is suing the EPA over the agency’s Clean Power Plan, and to remove regulations of methane emissions, a powerful greenhouse gas. As an energy industry ally, he defended ExxonMobil for misleading the public on climate change. He has no scientific credentials, but doubts over 98 percent of all climate scientists who state that climate change is a manmade problem. This appointment threatens clean air and water, and the future of our planet.
Dr. Ben Carson will head the agency responsible for assisting the elderly, disabled and poor with housing. A spokesman for Dr. Carson said, “Dr. Carson feels he has no government experience. He’s never run a federal agency.” Carson also said he doesn’t believe the department should strive to achieve its mission. This appointment threatens fair housing.
Trump’s other nominees show the same pattern of disregard for the public good, with the education secretary vowing to dismantle public education and the proposed head of our public health care system proposing the destruction of federal Medicare, Medicaid and Obamacare.
Trump picks for his cabinet show a pattern: Unqualified nominees who vow to not enforce the mandate of their agency. The threat is enormous: Our government is being summarily dismantled, our rights denied, those in need further marginalized, and our climate destroyed. We should fight for our future!
We don’t have to sit back and watch the country we love be destroyed. You can make a difference. Call Senator Joe Donnelly at 202-224-4814 and tell him to oppose the cabinet nominations.
Take part in demonstrations. Demonstrations are now being organized in downtown Indianapolis and Bloomington for inauguration day.
Write letters to the newspapers, keep friends and family up-to-date on Trump’s misguided policies aimed at lining his own pockets and trampling our rights. Let’s pull together to save our Republic.
Denny Kubal, Brown County
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