August 3, 2019
Once again the mainstream media and Democrats are skewing President Trump’s brutal honesty as racism. Apparently any negative remarks, even if it’s factual, of a “person of color”, by the president is racist.
Never before in the history of our county has a president been as transparent and communicative with the American people. This unique access to the President benefits all Americans. However, it also provides an opportunity for those who want to destroy his presidency and/or prevent his reelection to spin his words to have nefarious meaning.
Trump’s latest offense was publicly questioning Elijah Cummings’ priorities. Cummings has been a vociferous critic of border patrol agents. When Kevin McAleenan, Acting Secretary of Homeland Security, appeared before his committee last week, Cummings unleashed an emotional tirade, accusing the agents protecting our border of indifference to human suffering. Further, in his role as Chairman of the Oversight committee, Cummings is continuing with the endless investigation into the President, even extending it to Trump’s family. Last week Cummings authorized the issuance of subpoenas for the White House communications of Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner, as well as former advisor Steve Bannon.
In a series of tweets Trump made the factually accurate point that while Cummings is devoting a significant amount of time castigating border patrol agents, and continuing the investigation in search of evidence for impeachment, his district is in dire condition. Of course, President Trump used more descriptive language, stating that Cummings’ district was “disgusting” and “rodent infested”. Trump aded that Cummings should spend more time helping his constituents.
Apparently the word “infested” now has racial overtones. Many in the media seemed particularly incensed over this word. Never mind that in a 1999 congressional hearing Cummings said, “This morning, I left my community of Baltimore, a drug-infested area.”
It can not be disputed that Cummings’ district has many areas of garbage strewn streets rife with vermin. It was also ranked “the nation’s most dangerous city” in 2018, according to USAToday . Baltimore has the highest per capita murder rate in the nation. Almost a quarter of the population in Baltimore live at or below the poverty rate. Not surprisingly, Baltimore has been run solely by Democrats for over the last 50 years. Cummings has represented his Baltimore district since 1983.
Clearly, Cummings cares more about achieving a political win against the President, than he does about the blight and poverty in his district. If this weren’t the case, rather than continue where the Mueller probe failed, he would work with the president for the good of his constituents.
Trump’s Economic Policies Have Lifted All- Especially Black Americans
If the left wasn’t so consumed with their hatred for Trump; and their fixation with seeing racism everywhere, they would recognize that Trump’s policies have benefitted all Americans, especially Black Americans. Thanks to the tax cuts along with massive deregulation, the U.S. economy has flourished during Trump’s tenure. For the first time in thirteen years the economy has achieved greater than 3% GDP growth.
Contrary to the mainstream media talking point, Trump’s policies have benefitted all, not just the top one percent. Wages are rising at the fastest rate in over a decade for all Americans, at every income level, but especially those at the lower end.
The Economic Policy Institute, a left-leaning think tank that advocates for the poor said in a 2019 report, “From 2017 to 2018, relatively fast growth continued at the top (2.7% at the 95th percentile), but the 20th and 30th percentiles saw the strongest growth at 4.8% and 3.7% respectively.”
Further, the unemployment rate is at the lowest level in 50 years. Among black Americans it is at its lowest in recorded history. According to a recent op-ed in the Wall Street Journal,
“Unemployment has fallen twice as much among blacks as whites since December 2016. Nearly one million more blacks and two million more Hispanics are employed than when Barack Obama left office, and minorities account for more than half of all new jobs created during the Trump presidency…the Trump Administration’s…policy mix of deregulation and tax reform has unleashed more private investment and job creation that has lifted productivity and wages for the non-affluent . The result has been faster growth and less inequality.”
Opportunity Zones
Many Trump critics have countered that rather than criticize Cummings for failing his district President Trump should work on plans to improve the lives of the residents in Baltimore. However, Trump has already implemented policies to uplift those living in poverty.
A provision in the Trump administration’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 was created to stimulate investment in economically distressed communities, which have been defined as “Opportunity Zones’. There are almost 9,000 designated Opportunity Zones throughout all 50 states.
The Opportunity Zones incentive aims to encourage long-term investment in low-income communities by making it substantially cheaper to back real estate projects or businesses in a qualified Opportunity Zone. When investors put their capital into an Opportunity Zone they are rewarded with tax savings.
There are 42 Opportunity Zones in Baltimore. Ben Seigel, the Opportunity zones coordinator at the Baltimore Development Corp estimates that there are 50 projects across Baltimore which he calls “Investment ready”.
According to the Baltimore Sun, “In the past six months, Baltimore has indeed seen increased interest from investors, according to city officials and others who have been tracking the tax incentive’s impacts.”
One of the most prominent Opportunity Zone project is the Port Covington redevelopment project proposed by Under Armour CEO, Kevin Plank. Plank’s plan is to remake South Baltimore, over the next two decades “with offices, homes, shopping, restaurants, waterfront parks and a new state -of -the- art campus for Under Armour.” The plan is projected to generate 35,000 permanent jobs when fully built.
In addition to passing legislation to spur economic development, the Trump administration has also given Elijah Cummings’ district almost $16 billion dollars since last year in community development grants. The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, also known as the the Obama stimulus, poured $1.8 billion into Baltimore. Disgracefully this massive infusion of tax-payer dollars has had no discernible effect on the crime, poverty, or the blight that pervades Baltimore.
Lynne Patton, regional administrator for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development said on FoxNews last week-
“We have given more money in homeless funds to Baltimore than the last administration. We have given more money in community development grants that the last administration to Baltimore. My question to you guys is this, what are you actually doing with the money so that it benefits residents in the community for once instead of deep-pocket crooked politicians.”
First Step Act
For years lawmakers have attempted to pass criminal justice reform. The first black American president never made this reform a priority. However, President Trump did. In December 2018 he signed into law the First Step Act, giving non-violent offenders a chance to renter society. More than 90% of those released since the law went into effect have been black. To date nearly 3,100 federal inmates have been released back into society.
Van Jones, a liberal activist, and former member of the Obama administration, along with Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in -law and advisor, were instrumental in achieving this legislative win, which has given many black Americans a second chance in life. This is an example of what can be achieved when the left prioritizes the welfare of the American people over destroying the President and preventing his reelection.
If only the media and Democrat lawmakers turned their focus on solving our nation’s problems, rather than engaging in endless attempts to destroy a duly elected president, the citizens of Baltimore, as well as the rest of the country, would all benefit. Neither the lives of the residents of Baltimore, nor any other majority black American impoverished city, are improved by the partisan attacks on the president. Unfortunately, Elijah Cummings and his fellow Democrats have prioritized a political win over the welfare of their constituents. This, not a politically incorrect tweet by the President, is the real travesty.
