The odd and logical Trump cabinet choices
December 13, 2016
In January, President-elect Trump’s administration will take over the White House. Thus far there have been many questionable picks for his cabinet.
There has only been thirteen appointments since Trump was declared the winner. Many staff picks include Dr. Ben Carson, Gen. James Mattis, Sen. Jeff Sessions, Com. John Kelly, Gov. Nikki Haley, and Reince Priebus.
A lot of the names sound familiar enough, but do they have the experience to match it? As far as these picks go, I would say, like Montgomery Gentry says, that there is “one in every crowd” who would be considered ill equipped.
One of these picks is Dr. Ben Carson for the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. This brain surgeon was a presidential hopeful during the Republican primary who dropped out and threw his weight behind Trump.
Earlier in the month when asked if he would accept a cabinet position, an aide said “Dr. Carson feels he has no government experience; he’s never run a federal agency.”
However, following that statement, Carson accepted the nomination.
What experience does Carson hold in housing and urban development? The New York Times said, “he [Carson] has no expertise in housing policy.”
The Housing and Urban Development budget is well over $47 billion that helps individuals with housing vouchers and renters insurance, among many things. Carson said, “what I do want to do is create ladders of opportunity, so that people don’t have to be dependent. Government should not keep people in a dependent state. It should be used as a springboard, and not as a hammock.”
Another questionable choice is Gov. Nikki Haley of South Carolina. Tapping her was a surprise to many as she was a vocal critic of Trump and it was thought she was passed over as a possible Vice President pick.
NewsWeek said, “Haley, considered a rising star in the Republican Party, was elected to serve as governor of the Palmetto State in 2011. She is the first female and the first minority to hold the post.” Trump tapped her according to The Post and Courier, for “the governor’s work abroad centers mostly on her negotiations with international companies looking to move into the Palmetto State. She’s also led seven trade missions overseas during her time as governor.”
One of the more odd choices so far is Scott Pruitt for the Environmental Protection Agency. Pruitt is a vocal opponent to President Barack Obama’s climate change initiatives and labeled a friend of the fossil fuel industry.
The New York Times said, “Mr. Pruitt, 48, is a hero to conservative activists, one of a group of Republican attorneys general who formed an alliance with some of the nation’s top energy producers to push back against the Obama regulatory agenda. Fossil fuel interests greeted Mr. Trump’s selection with elation.” This is a concern for many that the EPA’s environmental progress will drawn back, opening the country up to lessened sanctions on the fossil fuel industry.
Not all the appointments thus far have been as odd, many making sense. These include Reince Priebus for his experience in the party, James Mattis for his experience as a military general, etc.
The hope is that Trump will make more respected decisions and that we, as Americans, make our voices heard. Contacting government officials and writing letter to the editor are just some of the ways to become more engaged in this process.
Our voices should be heard, good and bad, and the Trump administration should take every measure to insure that we are all heard.
Perhaps having more suitable candidates such as Rep. Paul Ryan, Gov. Mitt Romney, or even Sen. John McCain would be more well equipped to help led the country.
Phix Staleman • Jan 19, 2017 at 3:05 pm
Oh Dusty, here you go again using your position within the school to spread lies, fake news, and political bias to the readers. Donald Trump’s staff picks are some the best people for the jobs that they are positioned for. You left out just a crucial detail, all of the picks are government people, but people who want to make a change, people who won’t spend their life in government, people who care.
Let’s begin with Ben Carson. A man who grew up in slums and poor city of Detroit, MI. He pushed his way to the top of his field and is today known as one of the most popular medical doctors of his kind. When it comes to restructuring the blacks and the poor, nobody out there would understand them as well as he does and understand how to fix it. He grew up understanding and knowing what is wrong with the housing district.
Nikki Haley, while against Trump, was sent to the UN where her career will be spent most of the time in a headlock battling out some environmentalists for little gain. She’ll use her southern skills and republican mind set to do some change, but in the end she’s get the job done just as well as anybody else.
I want to tell you something about Scott Pruitt. Pruitt has made it is life goal to fight and dismantle the EPA; an organization that has done nothing for this country and has taken tax payer funds to be given away for no gain. Don’t you see this Dusty? Scott Pruitt isn’t there to change the EPA, he’s there to dismantle it. Just like we should have done the day it was created. More oil, coal, natural gas, and nuclear energy is the future, not the bird killing wind mills that are a waste of funds for the energy gained.
Lastly, I love to read your comments on who Trump should have picked for his members. I’d imagine you read a lot of CNN and MSNBC, because you sound just like them. We all see the truth, Dusty, and to make these claims, it’s like you type it with a little smirk on you. Paul Ryan, Mitt Romney, and Sen. John McCain are all RINOs and disguised democrats. Wouldn’t you love it if they were in change of something? You would because as they’ve shown, they don’t change any current policies, they just ride it out for the fame or make it worse for us all.
Perhaps read other news stories from Fox News or Breitbart and understand the picks before posting an opinion based article for the school. The Royal Purple may be loaded with liberal ideology, but when you write about it, it just degrades the school for other students.