1) because I’ve read numerous projections indicating it won’t save enough money to cover the costs of building it. And your right I don’t have a problem with him redirecting funds already appropriated. From the military. If they are re appropriated from programs to help struggling Americans I will have a problem.How can you say there would be no ROI on building the wall? According to the CBP and ICE agents on the ground, the sections of all that have been built or renewed are already making a positive impact. Once people are redirected to legal points of entry, it is easier to list them, track them, do background checks, direct those deserving asylum to the appropriate depts., and deport those who do not deserve entry, be it for previous criminal behavior in or outside of the US.
The Supreme Court just announced a decision that it is legal for the administration to use military funds for construction, something I would imagine we can all agree upon. Constitutionally speaking, protecting our sovereignty and borders is one of the most basic jobs with which the federal govt is charged, so it has been quite surprising, disheartening and frustrating that the Blue team has spent so much time and political energy to Not to do so, and then acting like they're doing us some big favor. It's disgusting.
As for tariffs, I think one has to look at a longer-term picture. Sure, they are uncomfortable in the immediate "Omigod I have to pay 50 cents more at Walmart!" sense. But realistically, govts. go back and forth on this stuff all the time, and have done so since history began. God forbid we have to import that flimsy fast fashion or those plastic do-dads from Indonesia or Guatemala instead of China, and those economically deprived countries benefit from our insatiable materialism. (Insert eye-roll here.)
But the negotiations have already begun. Not just with the Chinese, but countries from all over are lining up to make or renegotiate trade deals with us, from Mexico to Africa to India. There is so much going on behind the scenes, and certainly not showing up in the MSM, it's hard to even keep track! I think economists of the future will look back on this time period, from 2017 onward into the next 10 years and think "Gee, why didn't they do that sooner?"
2) the problem with tariffs isn’t solely or primarily the extra 50cents I’m going to have to spend at Walmart. It’s the 14.5 billion dollars in aid we now have to give farmers while cutting the food stamp budget 3 billion claiming we have no money. It’s the jobs that will be lost if this goes on for more than an extremely short term basis. And then it’s the 50 cents extra we will have to pay because a lot of families can’t afford 50cents extra. They are already underwater.
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