Editor, Manteca Bulletin,
On the anniversary of the Farewell Address of our first President, we should consider his warning about factions: “… (T)he chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty.” (9/19/1796)
It is time for my Republican friends to join “Washingtonian” conservatives like Leslie Wexner: “I just decided I’m no longer a Republican. I’m an independent, I won’t support this nonsense in the Republican Party.” (9/13/18) Wexner is showing the courage of our political founders: “An elective despotism was not the government we fought for, … which the powers of government should be so divided and balanced … , as that no one could transcend their legal limits, without being effectually checked and restrained by the others.” (Madison, 2/1/1788). Democrats need to be in control of Congress to check Trump’s factionalism.
Current Representative Denham does not provide such a check. He has supported President Trump’s ruining of liberty by voting his way 97.8% of the time (FiveThirtyEight). This is not governing representatively for a district that voted for Secretary Clinton. Jeff Denham’s votes for weakening insurance protections for preexisting conditions, for a tax cut now estimated by the CBO to grow the deficit’s interest to 7.1% of GDP by 2028 and for protecting the Twin Tunnel project from lawsuits along with many other “Trumpian” votes do not address our district’s needs.
President Trump is also ruining public liberty by undermining respect for the truth by averaging 7.8 falsehoods a day. (The Fact Checker 8/1/18) Recently Frank Aquila repeated many of those falsehoods. The truth is out there if we look:
“According to a survey of small business owners …, 48% of respondents said the tax bill wouldn’t benefit their businesses, while 20% actually cited it as their top obstacle for the year, second only to the 27% who cited “the health of the national economy.” (5/24/18,
“Most of the social science research on the border has confirmed that the decision to come to the United States illegally is driven by factors such as economic and political conditions and violence, not by changes in U.S. immigration policies.” (Miriam Valverde, 7/19/18, Politifact)
”(A) Defense Department Inspector General’s office report includes a Pentagon estimate that puts the numbers of fighters still in Iraq alone at between 15,000 and 17,100.” (Jeff Schogol, 8/17/18, Task & Purpose)
“The US gained the same promise North Korea has made since 1985, without a single specific about how to accomplish it. There’s no agreement on inspections. North Korea doesn’t have to declare the facilities it has, much less dismantle them, to say nothing of destroying actual warheads.” (Brian-Barrett, /6/12/18, Wired)
value the same Bible as Frank Aquila. The truth is also there if we look: “But you should choose from among all the people competent (persons) who are God-fearing, honest and incorruptible to be their leaders.” (Exodus 18:21, CJB) The Trump administration does the opposite: “There is one Trump scandal. Singular: the corruption of the American government by the president and his associates, who are using their official power for personal and financial gain rather than for the welfare of the American people, and their attempts to shield that corruption from political consequences, public scrutiny, or legal accountability.” (Adam Serwer, 5/21/18, The Atlantic)
The truth is that District 10 needs to vote for Josh Harder who will work to rebuild public liberty by being representative of our local needs.
Léo Bennett-Cauchon
Manteca
