link.

BOO HOO: Rural Trump Voters 

SHELLSHOCKED By W.H Budget That Cuts 

Programs They Need To Survive

Many rural Trump voters are now feeling betrayed by their president 
after he released…

MEANLEFTHOOK.COM

BOO HOO: RURAL TRUMP VOTERS SHELLSHOCKED BY W.H BUDGET THAT CUTS PROGRAMS THEY NEED TO SURVIVE

By

 Joe Clark

 -

May 24, 2017

Many rural Trump voters are now feeling betrayed by their president after he released his budget proposal on Tuesday.

Trump’s budget calls for massive cuts on popular programs aimed at helping people in rural areas across the country. Programs like crop insurance, Medicare, food stamps, and rural airline subsidies all face drastic cuts if not outright elimination.

Raw Story reports, that according to network polls, November Trump voters in rural areas voted in his favour 61-34 percent over Hillary Clinton. Voters in Kansas alone voted for Trump by a margin of 56-36.

Republican Kansas Senators Jerry Moran and Pat Roberts both vowed to fight Trump’s budget. Roberts chairs the Senate Agriculture Committee, and as a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Moran helps set federal spending levels.

Both men are appalled by Trump’s proposed cuts which include reducing crop insurance by $28.5 billion over the next ten years, a 36 percent cut which is much more than former President Barrack Obama ever proposed.

Roberts was clearly annoyed saying that Trump’s cuts are “not viable” and “very troubling” for his state.

“We’ve had a freeze, and we’ve had a historic prairie fire, and then we had another freeze and we’ve lost about 40 percent of the wheat crop,” he said. “How on earth are those farmers supposed to stay in business without crop insurance?”

Donn Teske, president of the Kansas Farmers Union and vice president of the National Farmers Union, view the cuts as a betrayal to promises Trump made to farmers.

“We’re in the middle of a farm crisis with no end in sight and they look at what the president’s proposing and they don’t see any help. They see a slap in the face,” said Teske, who runs a small family farm in Wheaton, Kan., that grows soybeans and raises cattle.

Moran called Trump’s attempt to eliminate rural air subsidies “very concerning.”

“The ability to keep rural America alive and well revolves around our ability to connect to the rest of the world,” he said. “That air service matters.”

Meanwhile, Claire McCastkill, Democratic Senator from Missouri who’s currently running for re-election in a state that went for Trump by 19 points last November, said she’s perplexed by why Trump would approve a budget that placed such a heavy burden on the very voters who put him in the White House.

“I mean is it possible that he doesn’t understand it?” McCaskill said. “I don’t know. I think if he doesn’t, somebody needs to get word to him quickly that he’s devastating the very communities that showed the most support for him.”

McCastkill said she didn’t know whether or not Trump was listening to the counsel of Republican lawmakers from rural states.

“But if they’re not listening to Pat Roberts, that ought to really have everybody scratching their head,” she said.

Rural Trump voters and their elected representatives are learning the hard way that Trump only pays attention to the last people who kiss his ass the hardest. Explaining anything to Trump is pointless unless you have the final word, and with people like Steve Munchin and Steven Bannon in his ear, that’s all but impossible.

The good news is that it’s highly unlikely Trump’s budget will ever see the light of day, as Republican lawmakers are already writing their own budget plan, one which Trump is sure to claim credit for once they’re finished.

The bad news is that it will still be a Republican budget that will likely still hurt the same disadvantage voters who put their faith in Trump and the GOP.

http://meanlefthook.com/2017/05/boo-hoo-rural-trump-voters-shellshocked/

Progressive Breakfast: Of Budgets and Beatitudes: The Pope Meets the Donald

MORNING MESSAGE

Richard Eskow

Of Budgets and Beatitudes: The Pope Meets the Donald

Contrary to what some might have expected, the universe did not explode in an antimatter fireball when Pope Francis and Donald Trump came together. Nevertheless, the Pope’s dissatisfaction, and their different views of justice and compassion, are plain to see.

Lies and Rounding Errors

White House denies “egregious” $2 trillion math mistake in budget. BBC: “Former US Treasury Secretary Larry Summers pointed out the spending plan double-counts $2tr… but White House budget director Mick Mulvaney told reporters: ‘We stand by the numbers”… The budget forecasts about $2tr in extra federal revenue growth over the next 10 years, which it uses to pay for Mr Trump’s ‘biggest tax cut in history’. But that very same $2tr is then used to reduce the budget deficit. ‘My observation is that there appears to be a logical error of the kind that would justify failing a student in an introductory economics course,’ Mr Summers wrote.

‘It’s frankly a lie’: GOP lawmaker on Trump’s budget math. WaPo:“Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney heard plenty of criticism of the blueprint — mainly from Democrats, with one outspoken exception. Republican Mark Sanford — a fellow South Carolinian who belongs to the House Freedom Caucus, the hard-right group Mulvaney helped found — used his five minutes of questioning at the hearing to sharply challenge the bedrock of the Trump budget: an economic growth assumption of 3 percent…’I have looked every which way at how you might get there, and you can’t get there, Sanford said… ‘I think it is just disastrously consequential to build a budget on 3 percent growth. The Bible says you can’t build a house on a sandy foundation. What it does is it perpetuates a myth that we can go out there and balance a budget without touching entitlements. It’s not only a myth, it’s frankly a lie, and if it gets started at the executive branch level it moves from there.'”

The five major economic lies of Team Trump. WaPo:“Between the health-care plan it supported, its tax-reform outline and its budget, the Trump administration has demonstrated an unusual degree of intellectual dishonesty… it is rare to see a team of advisers so blatantly and ineptly trying to conceal what they are up to. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin’s recent testimony in front of the Senate Banking Committee… and an interview with CNBC reveal the five major head fakes the Trump administration is trying to pull off.”

CBO Countdown

CBO scores Zombie Trumpcare: 23 million uninsured in ten years, but the House doesn’t have to revote. DailyKOS: “The Congressional Budget Office has released its score of Zombie Trumpcare, slightly revising the number the bill would make uninsured by 2026 as compared to current law – Obamacare – from 24 million to 23 million, which adds up to 51 million total uninsured by that year including those who would remain uninsured even under current law. They estimate it would reduce the federal deficit over the next 10 years by $119 billion, $32 billion less than the savings estimated for the original Trumpcare bill. That savings means that the House won’t have to revote and can send the bill on to the Senate, which is doing its own thing anyway. As far as the stability of the insurance markets and premium increases, they predict prices would come down for healthy people because the sick people would be driven out of the individual market.”

Get Ready to Rumble

Montana GOP candidate charged with assault after body-slamming reporter for asking about CBO count. Guardian: “The Republican candidate for Montana’s congressional seat has been charged with misdemeanor assault after he is alleged to have slammed a Guardian reporter to the floor on the eve of the state’s special election, breaking his glasses and shouting, ‘Get the hell out of here.’ Ben Jacobs, a Guardian political reporter, was asking Greg Gianforte, a tech millionaire endorsed by Donald Trump, about the Republican healthcare plan when the candidate allegedly ‘body-slammed’ the reporter.”

Democrats flip two GOP districts, building excitement. Common Dreams:“Two districts in New York and New Hampshire that voted for President Donald Trump on Tuesday elected Democrats to state seats, a promising signal that red areas are ready to be flipped as congressional special elections and midterms approach.”

More from OurFuture.org:

The Great Betrayal: Donald Trump’s Budget. Bob Borosage:“Donald Trump’s FY 2018 budget raises a long, fat middle finger to the working class voters who helped to put him in office; it’s a stunning betrayal. Far worse is that it opens the door for Republicans in Congress to do extreme damage.”

What Betsy DeVos Calls Education Transformation Is Actually Public Theft. Jeff Bryant:“Betsy DeVos wants to give your tax dollars to private schools and businesses, and tell you it’s an education “transformation.” She’s eager to “get Washington and the Federal bureaucracy out of the way,” but she wants you to pay for it.”

Progressive Breakfast is a daily morning email highlighting news stories of interest to activists. Progressive Breakfast and OurFuture.org are projects of People's Action.more »

MASSterList: Reality check | Innocuous responses | Dersh's defense

Subscribe  Archives

By Jay Fitzgerald and Keith Regan 05/25/2017 Reality check | Innocuous responses | Dersh's defense

Happening Today

Harvard commencement Attorney General Maura Healey acts as chief marshal for Harvard University's 366th commencement, where Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg will speak, Wadsworth House, Harvard University, Cambridge, 8 a.m.

North Shore Technology Council Gov. Baker delivers remarks at the North Shore Technology Council, Boston Marriott Peabody, 8 Centennial Dr., Peabody, 8:30 a.m.

Senate budget, Day III The Senate continues deliberations on the Senate Ways and Means Committee's $40.3 billion fiscal 2018 budget, Senate Chamber, 10 a.m.

Military heroes honored Ahead of Memorial Day, the Massachusetts Military Heroes Fund will honor 37,000 fallen military members from Massachusetts with a sea of American flags on the Boston Common, with Gov. Baker, Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito, Secretary of Veterans' Services Francisco Ureña, Mayor Walsh, House Speaker Robert DeLeo and Treasurer Deborah Goldberg expected to attend, near the Soldiers and Sailors Monument, Boston Common, 10:30 a.m.

Health Care For All Health Care For All, 1199SEIU and other advocacy groups hold a press conference to highlight the human impact of the American Health Care Act and thank Gov. Baker ‘for his commitment to protecting health care coverage in Massachusetts,’ outside the governor's office, Room 360, 12:30 a.m.

MBTA announcement Gov. Baker, Lt. Gov. Polito, Secretary of Transportation Stephanie Pollack, MBTA Acting General Manager Brian Shortsleeve, and MBTA staff gather to make an announcement related to the MBTA, Room 157, 2:00 p.m.

‘City of Millennials’ report Boston Foundation and Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce host an event to release a new report, ‘City of Millennials: Improving the Future Prospects of Our Region and Its Young Adults,’ 75 Arlington St., 10th floor, Boston, 6 p.m.

Dem governor candidates Democratic gubernatorial candidates Jay Gonzalez, Setti Warren and Bob Massie attend the Newton Delegate Social, Social Bar and Restaurant, Crowne Plaza Hotel, 320 Washington St., Newton, 6 p.m.

Today's News

House votes to ban inmate use on Mexican wall, retreats on another immigration bill The Democratic-controlled House yesterday voted to prevent the use of inmate labor on out-of-state projects, a direct slap at Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson’s offer to provide prisoners to build President Trump’s anti-immigrant Mexican border wall, reports Katie Lannan at SHNS. Hodgson is not happy with the vote. Still, the House failed to take action on a companion bill that would prevent state money from being used to execute agreements between local and federal law enforcement on some immigration issues. A few House members had questions about the bill, Lannan reports. Translation: Some Dems are nervous about the bill being seen as a backdoor “sanctuary state” declaration. SHNS (pay wall)

Former Rep. John Keenan tapped to lead Salem State University Former state Rep. John Keenan, a Democrat who served nine years on Beacon Hill representing Salem, has been tapped by trustees as the new president of Salem State University, reports William Dowd at Wicked Local. The recommendation must still be approved by the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education. The Globe has more on the appointment. Wicked Local

Setti delivers innocuous response to Baker’s innocuous response The mystery is over: Apparently eager to land a punch on Republican Gov. Charlie Baker (similar to how his Dem guv rival Jay Gonzalez has been successfully landing punches on Baker), newly minted gubernatorial candidate Setti Warren yesterday held a press conference to deliver an innocuous response to an innocuous Baker response about constituents. SouthCoast Today’s Wesley Sykes has more. One gets the impression that Warren wanted to say or imply more, but if he won’t say or imply more, neither will we. SouthCoast Today

More cuts, Part III: Trump’s DOA budget, CBO's reality check, etc. The NYT’s Carl Hulse has a good piece on how President Trump’s ‘Taxpayer First’ budget is actually dead on arrival on Capitol Hill, but he notes “its most consequential effect may be to push authors of House and Senate budget and spending bills to the right.” At WBUR, Steve Brown writes how local advocates of the poor are lambasting the president’s proposed budget cuts.  Meanwhile, the Globe’s Victoria McGrane reports on a new CBO report that says Republican legislation to replace the Affordable Care Act would leave 23 million more Americans without health insurance over the next decade. The CBO report, needless to say, doesn't exactly back up House GOP claims about the impact of gutting ObamaCare. Finally, Jim Braude’s ‘Greater Boston’ earlier this week tackled Trump’s ‘Taxpayer First’ budget and its potential impact on Massachusetts – at WGBH (with video). NYT

Dershowitz: I am not a closet Trump supporter Alan Dershowitz, the famous defense lawyer, free-speech advocate and Harvard Law prof, is on the defensive these days for daring to defend President Trump’s rights on key issues, including the Russian-meddling controversy now consuming the White House, reports Nestor Ramos at the Globe. “I’m not standing up for Trump,” Dershowitz said, noting it’s about principles and emphasizing he “proudly” voted for Hillary Clinton. Many liberals aren't buying it. Boston Globe

Clark takes on DeVos over school discrimination U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark blasted U.S. Secretary of Education Besty DeVos in a hearing Wednesday after DeVos insisted that decisions about withholding federal funding from schools that discriminate against students should be left up to states, Erica Green of the New York Times reports. “I’m shocked that you were unable to find one example of discrimination against students that you would be willing to stand up to,” Clark told DeVos. NYT

As Wolfeboro goes, so goes the nation? Dems hope so A small legislative victory in Wolfeboro, N.H., a Republican enclave perhaps best known for being the summer vacation home of former Gov. Mitt Romney, has Democrats dreaming of big party gains to come in the age of Trump, reports the Globe’s Felice Bellman. Boston Globe

Rep. Madaro: State’s tunnel-traffic changes have turned Eastie into a parking lot State Rep. Adrian Madaro, an East Boston Democrat, has written to Stephanie Pollack, the state’s transportation chief, about his “extreme frustration” with new traffic patterns at the old Sumner Tunnel toll plaza, changes he says have created nothing but traffic gridlock in Eastie. Madaro’s letter is below. Item via Universal Hub. Facebook (Madaro)

Flying somewhere for the holiday? Add an extra hour or two Speaking of transportation headaches: Due to reconstruction of one of Logan Airport’s main runways, the number of flight delays – sometimes as long as three hours – has risen sharply over the past week at New England’s main international airport, reports Adam Vaccaro at the Globe. Adam has more details on how long the delays will last. Boston Globe

Regulators make it easier to top off growlers Thanks to an advisory released yesterday by the state’s Alcoholic Beverages Control Commission, consumers can now use their same “growler” bottles at any brewery they want, not just where they bought the suds container. But there are some key stipulations, as there always are with alcohol-related rules, reports Jessica Bartlett at the BBJ. BBJ

Kerry can’t help himself at Harvard, rips into Trump Declaring that this is “not a normal time,” former Secretary of State John Kerry yesterday “excoriated President Trump and the nation’s political discourse in one of his most political speeches since leaving office,” writes James Pindell at the Globe. Meanwhile, former Vice President Joe Biden, speaking elsewhere at Harvard, told graduates not to “fool yourself into thinking that disengaging from the system that you think is broken will hold you harmless from the system’s failure,” reports the Herald's Brian Dowling.

Indicted City Hall aides sweating it out on full pay From the Herald’s Joe Battenfeld: “Tourism chief Kenneth Brissette and intergovernmental affairs director Timothy Sullivan have been receiving their full salaries since being charged a year ago with extortion and conspiracy, even though state law allows for them to be suspended from their jobs.” It’s costing the city hundreds of thousands of dollars. Boston Herald

FERC to Markey, Warren: No, we’re not stopping the Otis pipeline work Well, at least they tried. From Mary Serreze at MassLive: “The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission has informed U.S. Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Edward Markey that construction of the natural gas pipeline   in Berkshire County will continue, despite their request for a stop work order.” Serreze has more on interim FERC chairman Cheryl LeFleur’s response to Markey and Warren’s concerns. MassLive

Civility breaks out at sanctuary cities event Here’s a rarity: Civility apparently broke out last night between conservative and liberals as they discussed the thorny issue of illegal immigrants and sanctuary cities, reports the Herald’s O’Ryan Johnson. And, yes, Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson was also there. It should be noted that mayoral candidate Tito Jackson is getting some flak for his call for “sanctuary schools” in Boston, as the Herald reports. But it appears, for now, to be a somewhat tame skirmish.

House adds $45M to budget despite giant shortfall As the Senate continues its week-long deliberations on the new state budget, the House yesterday unexpectedly added another $45.5 million to the spending bill, to pay for the Department of Corrections employees, winter road-clearing costs and Department of Conservation and Recreation summer pools, reports Michael Norton at SHNS. The move comes as the state faces a nearly half-billion dollar budget shortfall. SHNS (pay wall)

Senate adds workforce alignment czar to budget As part of its marathon budget amendment actions, the Massachusetts Senate has earmarked $75,000 to create the position of ‘workforce alignment czar’ to help match workers and jobs in the western part of the state, Patricia LeBeouf of the Berkshire Eagle reports. The amendment was proposed by state Sen. Adam Hinds of Pittsfield, who made his first speech on the Senate floor in support of creating the position. Berkshire Eagle

Worcester’s recovery high school sees enrollment drop Rockdale Recovery High School, which serves Worcester area young people recovering from drug addiction, is experiencing much lower enrollment, a trend that could eventually threaten the school’s survival, Scott O’Connell of the Telegram reports. The school now has 18 students, down from 31 at its peak last year.  Telegram

Framingham public schools issue pink slips The Framingham School Committee says it will issue pink slips to an undetermined number of educators, a move the district hopes will be temporary and last only until issues with a federal grant can be addressed, Susan Petroni reports on Framingham Source. The layoffs affect Title 1 ‘interventionists’ at the town’s elementary schools.  Framingham Source

Today's Headlines Metro ICE spokesman slams Tito Jackson’s sanctuary school act as ‘policy for a non-issue’ - Boston Herald Boston is thriving—and that’s a problem for millennials - Boston Business Journal Signatures are in and city ballot filling up - Dorchester Reporter Massachusetts Seven more rural hill towns get state broadband grants - MassLive Keenan named president at Salem State - Salem News Petition against ‘sanctuary’ ordinance survives - Salem News Councilors criticize Quincy’s traffic, parking efforts - Patriot Ledger Proposed Army Corps solar project on Cape Cod Canal first of its kind - Cape Cod Times ICE agents visit Northampton as part of ‘routine enforcement action’ - Hampshire Gazette Mansfield residents complain about clogged side streets due to concert-goers - Sun-Chronicle SJC says drug court judge cannot select lawyers who can appear in his court - Boston Globe Group pushes for 4-year mayoral term for New Bedford - Standard-Times Framingham public schools issue pink slips - Framingham Source Nation Trump’s budget based on a $2 trillion math error - New York Magazine Trump said he would save jobs at Carrier. The layoffs begin July 20 - Washington Post On eve of election, Montana GOP candidate charged with assault on reporter - NPR

To view more events or post an event listing on Beacon Hill Town Square, please visit events.massterlist.com. Beacon Hill Town Square MAY 23 2017 12:00 PM Author Talk and Book Signing with Gregory N. Flemming Hosted by: State Library of Massachusetts Author talk and book signing with Gregory N. Flemming, author of At the Point of a Cutlass: The Pirate Capture, Bold Escape, and Lonely Exile of Philip Ashton More Information Share on Twitter Share on Facebook MAY 23 2017 5:30 PM Space Spotlight at Clarks Americas, Inc. Hosted by: NAIOP Massachusetts Join NAIOP Massachusetts for a tour of the new Clarks headquarters in Waltham! Hear from Tammy Diorio of Clarks Americas, Inc., Jim LaValley of Stantec, and Steven Kelly of Timberline Construction as they discuss Clarks’ vision for the space, real estate considerations and challenges, and the design and construction process that brought this space to life. More Information Share on Twitter Share on Facebook MAY 24 2017 8:00 AM The New England Employee Benefits Council’s Annual Employee Benefits Summit & Trade Show Hosted by: New England Employee Benefits Council Get insight/guidance on the hottest topics in employee benefits. Register early! Last year’s event sold out. Featuring Dr. Tuckson, one of the 50 Most Influential Physician Executives in Healthcare. More Information Share on Twitter Share on Facebook MAY 25 2017 7:30 AM Update from Governor Baker: Technology and Economic Development in Massachusetts Hosted by: North Shore Technology Council Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker addresses the North Shore Technology Council to share his administration’s economic development successes to date and the future of the technology sector in Massachusetts. More Information Share on Twitter Share on Facebook MAY 25 2017 11:30 AM Salute to Veterans Hosted by: Boston Business Journal The Boston Business Journal presents a new program to recognize veterans and organizations that are making employment and advancement strides with veterans as the nation nears Memorial Day. More Information Share on Twitter Share on Facebook MAY 25 2017 1:00 PM Looking Under the Covers at UTEC Mattress Recycling Hosted by: UTEC and The Boston Foundation At UTEC Mattress Recycling, tearing apart beds and recycling steel and foam is just part of the story. Come learn about the world of mattress disposal and how UTEC is teaming up with the state and other institutional partners to divert tons of materials away from the waste stream. Special guest: Secretary of Energy & Environmental Affairs Matthew Beaton. More Information Share on Twitter Share on Facebook