I am not a young thing anymore nor am I naive. I have lived long enough to have seen dirty tricks in politics, in government and in political life in America. That being said, I do not remember a more vicious election cycle than what we have just lived through. It is with some trepidation that I make comments about matters political. Regardless of who you voted for, whether you are a party loyalist for this or that party or have hot button issues that jump off the page at you, I would ask you to read what I have written. If you have ever read another blog post of mine and found something decent or thoughtful in it, I would ask that you read this post as well. Regardless of what you think about this blog post, I remain happy to receive comments from you supposing you to be a person of goodwill, regardless of your political views.

As I have often said, social media, particularly Facebook, is a place where you learn a lot about the people you thought you knew. I have had dear friends of thirty-years-standing, as well as family members, say some hateful or dismissive things about people like me. The authors of those remarks may not know that they are saying them about me. They are blanket statements meant to castigate a group of people. People are people. Not everyone who disagrees with you is ignorant, hateful, lazy or bigoted.

There was a time when news reporters strove diligently to give a balanced reporting of both sides of stories. This election, more than any other, shows how often that no longer applies. If all of your beliefs, statistics, news stories, research and political commentary come from the same source, how can you trust everything you read? I come from parents who were readers. I am also a researcher by training. I never only watch or listen to one particular party platform or one news outlet. I have read history and always try to vet claims that are made in the public forum.

In the various primaries, I did not choose to vote for either President Obama or President Trump. However, when President Obama was elected to office, I do not remember people rioting, breaking windows, or setting vehicles on fire.  Instead, I hoped and prayed that he would do what was good and right for the United States of America.

Although the rhetoric sounded nice, I did not personally enjoy the Hope and Change that President Obama promised.  Rather, I witnessed a further decline of the middle class in America. Despite the statistics saying how many people had joined the workforce, I noted that there was a cherry-picking of the statistics that were used to portray everything in the best light. When news agencies were telling about how many new jobs were added, they failed to provide the statistics regarding the numbers of people who had dropped out of the workforce altogether because they were unable to find work.

I personally am thankful that President Trump has been elected. He wasn’t my choice by any means. However, when all the people I hoped might win the nomination failed to win the primary, I voted for Mr. Trump. I find many things about him irritating.  Nonetheless, he is a results person. One of my nephews remarked on Facebook that Trump will only help the rich. I do not believe that. Mr. Trump does not need money. I believe that to be one of the reasons why people on both sides of the aisle have feared him. He can’t be bought.

Personally, like many of those who have been forgotten, I believe President Trump when he says that he intends to make America the kind of place where ordinary people can flourish again. I believe that he is tired of seeing Americans kicked to the curb. He remembers a time when America had a Can-Do attitude. He remembers when the “Rust Belt” was full of factories making products that helped keep American families working. Seventy-thousand (70,000) factories have shut their doors in America since 2001. This morning President Trump is talking with business leaders about ways he will encourage the building of factories in America once more.

To repeat, I am one of the ones in the middle class who feel as if they have been forgotten. I have held professional jobs and have a college and post-graduate degree. But our financial situation has grown much worse over the last eight years. I have many remnants of my middle-class life. Yet the list of basic maintenance that can’t be afforded keeps getting longer. Our sofa has gaping holes in the fabric, my piano hasn’t been tuned for years, our clocks and watches need repair, we need to ration grocery and gas purchases.

I would urge you to look at this article, published October 24, 2016, by the Associated Press. It states how the Affordable Care Act rates have jumped in many parts of the country, and how in our state of Arizona over 116 percent in some cases.  It also tells how choice has dwindled.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/its-official-double-digit-rate-hikes-for-obamacare/

I am excited about the prospect of insurance under President Trump. I don’t know exactly what health care will look like under the plan that they put together to replace the Affordable Care Act, but there have been many good proposals put forward. This morning, his first weekday in office, he has already done something for the little person. He has informed the IRS that they can no longer issue fines to the people who could not afford and didn’t have health insurance. What a blessing!

I provide a link to Candidate Donald Trump’s web site and what he had suggested there looks more affordable health-care-wise and has some innovative ideas, such as being able to deduct the cost of health care from your taxes. It also fixes some of the problems that caused the death spirals of some of the insurers in the ACA. You can read about it here:

https://www.donaldjtrump.com/positions/healthcare-reform/

So while Donald Trump was not my first choice, I am not afraid nor do I believe, like some of my family and friends, that what he does will only support the rich, or that he is some closet Fascist or hater. I believe he honestly wants to help every American including the lost and forgotten. President Trump isn’t in this for the money. He isn’t in this for the fame. He can’t be bought. I believe he is doing this, surprisingly, for the very reason he stated. He wants to see America thrive again. I think he may just succeed.