Today's Nero

 

by Pa Rock

Citizen Journalist

The Trump administration is pushing a formidable agenda of physical renovations for Washington, DC, including a 90,000 sq. ft. ballroom next to the White House at a cost of somewhere around $600 million, a problematic, multi-million dollar upgrade to the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, the construction of a 250 ft. tall "Independence Arch" at Memorial Circle in a location that would, according to an independent review, "obstruct and dominate the historic line-of-sight view between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial, and a major remodeling of the Kennedy Center.   Despite all of that, the Trump administration announced plans yesterday for the essential rebuilding of the terminal at Dulles International Airport in Washington, DC, at an estimated cost to taxpayers of $22.5 billion.  Not surprisingly, the Trump administration is also floating the idea of changing the name of that airport to "Trump/Dulles International."

That's right.  We are mired down in an international war that we started, standing by helplessly as the costs of gas and groceries rise daily, witnessing the closure of hospitals, medical clinics, and schools - particularly in rural areas, and suffering though a myriad of hardships that competent national leadership should be addressing - but we are stuck with Donald John Trump who is almost totally consumed with remodeling our nation's capital, putting his name on things, and exacting revenge on his enemies - or states that didn't vote for him.

We are living through the modern day equivalent of Nero fiddling while Rome burns.

Americans don't need a grand ballroom, an eyesore of a giant arch, marble arm-rests for the seats at the Kennedy Center, the current President's image and signature on our money and passports, or endless wars.  We don't need a masked gestapo knocking down doors in the middle of the night and hauling our friends and neighbors off to foreign (or domestic) gulags.   We don't need the constant chaos that emanates from the White House.

We need a government that works for us - all of us.

We need affordable healthcare, housing, and childcare.   We need more and better schools staffed with well-trained and better-paid teachers.  We need well-trained and better-paid police officers on the streets to fight crime and ensure public safety.  We need to be respected, heard, and acknowledged by our elected leaders - and they need to work for us before they work for themselves and their wealthy donors.  

We do not need a government or a President focused on self-enrichment, vanity projects, and petty grievances.

Put down the fiddle, Donbo, and address the fire.