by Pa Rock
Taxpayer
Robert Reich, a lawyer and professor who served as Bill Clinton's Secretary of Labor, posted a cartoon by artist Jesse Duquette on Bluesky this week which I felt gave a clear insight into the economic inequalities at play in America. It featured a list of expenditures in large, bold lettering that read:
- $170 billion for ICE
- $117 billion in tax cuts for the rich
- $40 billion for Argentina
- $250 million for a vanity ballroom*
- $230 million in DOJ payments to Trump
- $172 million for Kristi Noem's jets**
- $100 million for (presidential) golf
Standing below that list and off to the side were two men wearing red ball caps, and one was saying: "Yup. Food stamps are definitely the problem."***
*(Yes, the price of Trump's vanity White House ballroom has risen to over $300 million, but Trump says not to worry because he will pay for it himself by passing the hat among his billionaire friends, all of whom regularly seek favors involving taxpayer funding from our government. Lucky us.)
** (The cost of Noem's two private (government) jets has now risen to $200 million.)
*** (Jesse Duquette's brilliant cartoons are available on Substack.)
I was disappointed that the luxury jumbo jet which the Qatari royal family gave Trump for his personal use was not included on the list. While the gift was "free" to Trump, he quickly turned it over to the US Air Force so they could upgrade it to an Air Force One, even though two new Air Force Ones have been ordered and are already in production. The Air Force upgrade will cost taxpayers north of one billion dollars, and then the plane will be returned to Trump for his own private use after he leaves the White House, and it will eventually go to his library when Trump dies.
One billion dollars would feed a lot of hungry kids - but feeding Trump's ego is always the top priority.
The Trump administration takes care of their boss first, themselves second, the world's billionaire class third, and fourth . . . well, there is no fourth.
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