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.