By Robert LaRosa
Republicans are right when they say it’s important to support newspapers, especially local papers. But I wonder if they’re aware that in March, President Trump imposed a tariff of up to 30 percent on Canadian uncoated paper.
That raised the price of newsprint, making it difficult for cash-strapped newspapers to circulate their work. As if limiting economic freedom weren’t enough, President Trump is undermining Americans’ freedom of expression with this needless tax on journalism.
Freedom of the press is in President Trump’s crosshairs. Why? When local newspapers aren’t there to hold governments accountable, corruption, scandals and costs increase due to a lack of scrutiny. Truth, facts, reality? All offensive to Trump supporters.
But that’s not all President Trump is up to. He wants to lower fuel standards imposed on automakers by President Obama. Increasing pollution while decreasing MPGs. And this fool says it will save lives. How?
He claims that if consumers have to pay more for gas, they will travel less, thus decreasing their chances of being involved in an auto accident. Brilliant. Once again, President Trump supports Big Oil over Americans. All Americans will benefit from the greater choice of low-mission vehicles. And our children and their children will benefit from the less polluted, more sustainable planet we leave behind.
Not to mention the jobs and economic development that go hand-in-hand with an innovative, technology advanced auto industry.
Want more? At a meeting of the World Health Assembly back in May U.S. delegates appointed by the Trump administration opposed an international resolution that supported breast feeding. The resolution was going to be introduced by Ecuador but they dropped their support after the U.S. threatened to unleash punishing trade measures and withdraw crucial military aid.
All this to stop the promotion of breastfeeding? Why? Because the United States delegation is embracing the interests of infant formula manufacturers.
Translation: Corporate profits are more important than the health of infants. And let’s not forget the new proposed tax cuts for billionaires.
As for the poor people being devastated by wildfires in California, they needn’t worry. President Trump is on his way with truckloads of paper towels to throw into the flames.
P.S. To any Trump supporters who are worried about the disappearance of newspapers, fret not. You’ll still be able to keep up with the current racists supporting Trump and spreading the garbage they refer to as Fox News on Facebook.
Robert LaRosa
Whitestone
