President Trump orders a federal government hiring freeze

And it’s not going over well with the government workers union.

The New York Times reports:

WASHINGTON — President Trump on Monday ordered an across-the-board employment freeze for the federal government, halting hiring for all new and existing positions except those in national security, public safety and the military.

In the two-page order, Mr. Trump said the directive is a stopgap way to control the growth of government until his budget director recommends a long-term plan to significantly reduce the federal work force through attrition.

“In carrying out this memorandum, I ask that you seek efficient use of existing personnel and funds to improve public services and the delivery of these services,” Mr. Trump wrote in the memorandum, one of his first acts as president. “Accordingly, this memorandum does not prohibit making reallocations to meet the highest priority needs and to ensure that essential services are not interrupted and national security is not affected.”

The largest public employees union blasted the president’s action, saying it will force federal agencies to rely on more expensive contractors to deliver the services that Americans have come to expect from the government.

“This hiring freeze will mean longer lines at Social Security offices, fewer workplace safety inspections, less oversight of environmental polluters and greater risk to our nation’s food supply and clean water systems,” said J. David Cox Sr., the president of the group, the American Federation of Government Employees.

Mr. Trump’s memorandum addressed that point directly by saying that “contracting outside the government to circumvent the intent of this memorandum shall not be permitted.”

On one hand, I think it’s great that Donald Trump is trying to cut spending by doing this and slowing down the growth of government. On the other hand, I think that it’s going to cost some minor inconveniences and force people who do rely on the government for their services. This could cause problems in various areas, such as enforcement at the Federal Communications Commission. Enforcement of the Department of Transportation, namely the weigh scales. Things like that, it’s going to cause problems in the short-term. But, it’ll save a lot of money in the long term. I can see both sides of it and I can see the desire of those who want to see spending slashed; but I also can see the other side of it as well. So, it’s a double-edged sword.

Honestly, if I think Donald Trump wants to see our nation’s standing in the world. He ought to get to work to renegotiating NAFTA and TAFTA and all the other trade agreements and if those who were going to go negotiate with won’t accept our terms, we simply walk away and impose strict tariffs on those who want to import goods and or country. That will help replenish this country’s monetary supply; not doing what he’s doing now. That’s a short-term solution, but the long-term is to increase the revenue into this country. That will only occur if we begin to charge those who want to import their goods into this country.

Bruce Ashford is right, Christians should give President Trump a chance

I saw this over at Fox News Channel and I must say, that I do agree with it.

Bruce Ashford writing over at Fox News Opinion says this:

We owe President Trump the benefit of the doubt. For Christians who supported his candidacy, this imperative can be taken for granted. But for others of us who did not support his candidacy, this imperative is a necessary reminder.

During the election cycle, we opposed Mr. Trump’s nomination and candidacy for a variety of reasons, including reservations about his ideological framework, policy stances, temperament, and rhetoric. Yet Mr. Trump was victorious, and after his inauguration, our pride might be tempted to justify our pre-inaugural opposition. It may be easy to interpret his post-inaugural words and works in a worse light than the evidence demands and, in doing so, say “See, I told you so.”

But we owe it to President Trump and to our fellow citizens to hope that he does well, to give him the benefit of the doubt, to affirm him and his Cabinet when they do well for our nation. We owe it to President Trump because he is our President, and one of the Bible’s few political imperatives is to give leaders the respect that is due to their office (Rom 13:1-7). We also owe it to our fellow citizens not to perpetuate the dishonest, disrespectful, and even toxic nature of this year’s political discourse.

He also writes:

We owe President Trump our honest criticism. Christians who opposed his candidacy will probably have no trouble recognizing the merits of this imperative. At the same time, Christians who cheered his candidacy might be tempted to ignore it, to their own detriment and to the detriment of our nation.

Our nation’s political discourse has broken down, in part, because many citizens and commentators have given up on politics. They’ve given up on the idea of politics as a bipartisan attempt to achieve the common good. In the place of it, they’ve embraced a winner-takes-all mentality that demonizes the opposition and lionizes one’s own party or candidate. Pro-Trumpers could be be lured into embracing everything Trump does, and agree with everything he says.

Just as the kings of Egypt and Persia needed Joseph and Daniel to speak hard truths to them (Gen 41; Dan 2), so President Trump needs us to speak our minds with honest criticism. The Proverbs remind us that we should speak the truth, even when the truth hurts, and that our truth-telling will bring healing (Prov 12:16-18). Because we are Christians who are committed to truth, and because we are citizens of a democratic republic in which we are encouraged to speak up for the common good, we owe him our honest criticism.

I believe this to be very much true; this blog exists for that purpose. I do not intend this blog to be a Trump defense site at all. I have blogged since 2006. I began as a left of center blogger; and ended up where I am now. I started blogging, because I was very unhappy at the way President Bush was managing with Iraq War back then. I was not then, nor am I now, a partisan blogger. I do not allow my political opinions to be swayed by emotion or by popular trends. I am man of principles. Some might disagree with those principles; but I do intend to stick to them, whether I have many hits on this blog or none. I will be compromise my principles for the sake of being popular.

Let me also add that we can criticize the President, without being personal about it and without the gutter sniping. I did criticize President Obama and Bush. But, I never said a WORD about their wives or their Children. There are bloggers who do this; and it is immoral. Just as well, if I have something to write about Trump, when I disagree with his actions; I will keep that criticism about policy, never about the man.

Most importantly ALL Christians of all stripes should be doing this:

For those of us who are interested in our nation’s politics, it’s easy to forget the importance of prayer. Ask yourself: when is the last time you prayed for President Obama, or for members of Congress? When is the last time you prayed for Mr. Trump or his incoming Cabinet? For many of us the answer is, “not very often” or “never.”

But the Bible is clear that Christians should seek God’s guidance for those in authority. The apostle Paul wrote to his protégé, Timothy, “Therefore I exhort first of all that all supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence” (1 Tim 2:1-2). That’s a direct command, one of the few clear imperatives the Bible gives us concerning government and politics.

We should be careful not to get so caught up in discussion and debate that we forget to appeal to the King who rules over the world’s rulers. “A king’s heart is like streams of water in the Lord’s hand: he directs it wherever He chooses” (Prov 22:1). Rather than trusting in a new President or in an opposing political party, we should be trusting the One in whose hands they govern.

I think sometimes it is easy to forget that God puts leaders in their place for a reason. It is the duty of the Christian believer to keep those leaders in our prayers, at all times; whether we agree with them or not.

The world worries about Trump

 

I believe, if anything, this is a sign that America’s globalist policies have been in place for far too long.

VIA Time:

President Donald Trump’s iaugural speech promised “America first” policy led by a forceful executive, in contrast to the coalition building and international conferences which have featured strongly in past administrations.

The billionaire businessman and reality television star — the first president who had never held political office or high military rank — promised to stir a “new national pride” and protect America from the “ravages” of countries he says have stolen U.S. jobs.

“This American carnage stops right here,” Trump declared. In a warning to the world, he said, “From this day forward, a new vision will govern our land. From this moment on, it’s going to be America first.”

Of course, around the world the reactions are of utter horror. This is because America’s hand been out feeding the rest of the world, instead of taking care of ourselves, for far too long.

Consider some of these examples:

SPEECH RESONATES IN MEXICO

 

Perhaps no country was watching the speech more closely than Mexico. Trump has made disparaging remarks about immigrants who come to the United States illegally and sought to pressure companies not to set up shop in Mexico by threatening a border tariff on goods manufactured there and exported to the United States.

 

So Trump’s talk of “protect(ing) our borders,” ”America first” and “buy American and hire American” had particular resonance in America’s southern neighbor.

 

Ricardo Anaya Cortes, president of the conservative opposition National Action Party, called for “the unity of all Mexicans, unity in the face of this protectionist, demagogic and populist speech we just heard. Unity against that useless wall, against deportations, against the blockade of investment.”

 

“The challenge is enormous. … We demand the federal government leave aside tepidity, that it tackle with absolute firmness and dignity the new relationship with the United States,” Anaya said.

 

The United States is by far Mexico’s largest commercial partner, buying some 80 percent of its $532 billion in exports in 2015. Mexico is the second-largest market for U.S. exports.

 

“At least the word ‘Mexico’ was not heard in the speech. Nevertheless one can expect the United States to launch a hyper-protectionist project,” said Ilan Semo Groman, a researcher at Iberoamericana University.

 

If Trump truly moves to block or drive away U.S. investment in Mexico, Semo said Mexico should focus its commercial efforts on other countries.

 

“There are very clear possibilities,” Semo said.

 

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto sent three tweets after Trump’s inaugural speech Friday:

 

— “I congratulate @realDonaldTrump on his inauguration. We will work to strengthen our relationship with shared responsibility.”

 

— “We will establish a respectful dialogue with the government of President @realDonaldTrump, to Mexico’s benefit.”

 

— “Sovereignty, national interest and the protection of Mexicans will guide the relationship with the new government of the United States.”

 

___

 

CONCERN IN TOKYO

 

Some Tokyo residents are worried that Trump’s “America first” policy will usher in an era of populism and protectionism at the expense of the rest of the world.

 

Tadashi Gomibuchi, who works in the manufacturing industry, recorded Trump’s inauguration speech overnight as he was keen to hear what the new president had to say.

 

“Trump is trying to make big changes to the way things are. Changes are good sometimes, but when America, the most powerful, loses stability … it’s a grave concern,” he said. “If you take his words literally, it may destabilize the world going forward and I’m really worried. I hope things will lead to a soft landing.”

 

Retiree Kuninobu Inoue, who lived in the U.S. during the 1990s, is concerned about trade frictions between Japan and the U.S, citing Trump’s decision to withdraw from the 12-nation Trans Pacific Partnership.

 

“Japan-U.S. relations are not just about security. Our good relations rely so much on trade,” he said.

 

Protectionist policies such as the withdrawal from TPP and renegotiation of NAFTA will have a negative impact on the global economy including Japan’s, said Akio Mimura, head of the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

 

“These policies only enhance protectionist and populist movement spreading around the world, and could largely shake the free trade system that has supported global growth,” he said.

 

In his congratulatory message to Trump, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe stressed the importance of the Asia-Pacific region as a source for growth but also tensions.

 

“In the 21st century, while the Asia-Pacific region is the source of the global economic growth, the security environment of the region is becoming more severe,” he said.

 

___

 

CHINA BRACES FOR TROUBLE AHEAD

 

A Chinese state-run nationalist tabloid, the Global Times, says President Trump’s inauguration speech indicates that the U.S. and China would inevitably face trade tensions.

 

The newspaper said in a Saturday commentary following Trump’s inauguration that “dramatic changes” lay ahead for the U.S. and the global economic order.

 

“Undoubtedly, the Trump administration will be igniting many ‘fires’ on its front door and around the world. Let’s wait and see when it will be China’s turn,” it said.

 

The paper noted that Trump blamed foreign trade policies for failing to put “America first,” and said trade tensions between the U.S. and China seemed “inevitable within the four years ahead.”

 

The paper says it expects that the Trump administration, in seeking to bring factories back to the U.S. from China, will use the U.S. government’s relations with Taiwan as “merely a bargaining chip for them to put trade pressure on China.”

 

In Beijing, Independent scholar and commentator Zhang Lifan drew a contrast between Trump’s focus on domestic issues and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s emphasis on international cooperation.

 

“The new U.S. administration’s policy toward China is not clear now. In my view, Trump will deal with China like a businessman, especially on trade negotiations,” Zhang said.

 

___

Again, these countries that I quoted; are ones that have stolen our jobs, robbing us of our manufacturing base, by the importation of their products on the cheap…instead of having to actually pay to put bring them into this country. Of course they’re going to be threatened. So, it should be interesting to see what goes on under a trump administration. Because I truly believe that these so-called trading partners, that we have, are going to feel the pinch once Trump gets in there and begins to renegotiate the trade agreements, that we have with these countries. Quite frankly, it’s about time that they started paying their share, for taking our jobs and bringing their products into our country.

Of course, I find it kind of humorous that the hand-wringing that is going on in those countries and here at home as well. There are some who are acting like Donald Trump is the 21st century incarnation of Adolf Hitler, which is laughable at best; because we have too many safeguards in our country, to prevent something happening here, like what happened in Germany in the 1930’s.

Needless to say, the next 4 to 8 years, is going to be very interesting in this country and I look forward to covering it here on this blog. I am proud to say that I voted for Donald Trump and I’m also going to take great pleasure in taking down the liberal-left narrative on this blog. I’m not necessarily a Donald Trump propagandist; not by a long shot. Because I don’t do Party politics and I’m not a partisan. However, I am someone who stands by a set of principles that I strongly believe in…and as a result I will praise Donald Trump when it is needed and I will also criticize him, when I feel it is warranted. But, I will write against any sort of false narrative that’s being pushed about our president.

There are some on the right that compare the left’s derangement about Donald Trump, to that derangement, that was aimed at George W Bush. Let me say this as someone who used to be on that side of the fence; this is much much worse with George W Bush there was a war that many on the left, felt was unjustified and in some cases illegal. This is none of that; this is derangement against a man, who was put in office by the Electoral College; which was totally legal and constitutional and he was elected by the majority of the American people.

This derangement that comes is basically because he is white,  because he is wealthy and because he is a Republican. That’s all it is, there is nothing else of substance that has people against Donald Trump. It’s simply is because he is a wealthy white man and the Democrats are feeling butthurt, because their candidate a rich white woman lost sure she got the popular vote; which can be tampered with, by the way, but the Electoral College does not lie… American conservatives came out and voted for Donald Trump and he won and the Democrats are powerless to stop that, he has committed no crime, therefore they cannot impeach him as much as the Democrats would like to. So, this derangement is worse than George W Bush’s derangement syndrome of the left. This is just simply an unprincipled derangement and it will come back to haunt the Democrats let me assure you of that.

 

John Kerry gone to the dogs

No, really.

Via Time:

Former Secretary of State John Kerry joined the Women’s March on Washington on Saturday, walking with his dog amid crowds of protesters.

Kerry is the only member of former President Barack Obama‘s Cabinet who has been spotted participating in the march, which comes the day after Donald Trump’s presidential inauguration. Hundreds of thousands of women and men descended on Washington D.C., wearing “pussyhats” and carrying signs that criticized Trump’s rhetoric and policies.

This is probably because the rest of the people that served in Obama’s administration probably see those people as a joke. Besides all that, those people are what the Democrats normally referr to as the commoners. They don’t care about those people, they just want their votes.

Quite frankly way I see it it’s the dogs, with the dogs. if you know what I mean.

 

The New York Times reeks of liberal butthurt

I stand in amazement that there are actually people out there that believe that the New York Times is an unbiased newspaper. Want a perfect example of this? Please check out this article here, the butthurt is almost palatable.

I would quote the article. but seeing that the New York Times has resorted to Gestapo tactics which prevent bloggers from quoting their content. I have to just give you the link and you’ll have to trust me on it. I’m writing this on a tablet that I recently purchased and because of that I cannot copy the text over and quote it. So, you’ll have to go over and look at it. But man the butthurt is wreaking in this article let me tell you.

The real funny part is a good part of this article is inaccurate. They act as if no one was at Donald Trump’s inauguration at all. But anyone that actually watched it on TV, seen that there was a huge turnout of people there. It just seems like the New York Times and the rest of the leftist media s since Hillary Clinton has lost the election; has went into an alternative reality tailspin and it seems now that the Democrats are just not feeling the love of the nation, of the political process or of Donald Trump.

It’s a sad thing to see; it’s worse than it was when George W Bush was in office. It’s much worse they were in emboldened by the election of Barack Obama and you think they were deranged back in the bush days? You wait till Donald Trump starts his presidency…things are going to get downright crazy in politics.

 

 

 

Churchhill Bust Returns to the oval office

Looks like Trump is starting things off right.

From politco:

President Donald Trump has returned a bust of Winston Churchill to the Oval Office—undoing former President Barack Obama’s most contentious interior decorating decision.

The Oval Office was redecorated in the hours between Obama’s exit from the White House and Trump’s arrival, and as always, the choices reflect the new president’s interests and priorities.

The Churchill bust had become a source of huge Republican outcry through the Obama presidency, with critics charging that then-president was turning his back on history and insulting America’s strongest ally. There were claims that Obama had put it in storage or returned it to the British government as a metaphor for his changing worldview—but none of those were true. He had moved it to a different place in the White House, in the Treaty Room on the second floor, which is in the residence, out of public view.

But that didn’t satisfy critics, including now-British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson, who last spring used its supposed removal as a proof point in explaining why in his opinion Obama had distanced himself from the British and should stay out of warning against Brexit.

Trump promised Brexit leader Nigel Farage during the campaign that he’d return it to the Oval Office, and doing so has now become one of his first acts as president.

Trump also added a bust of President Theodore Roosevelt to a bookshelf. He’s removed a special carpet Obama had made which was ringed with favorite quotes from historical figures and replaced it with a simpler one. Some of the artwork on the walls has been changed. The curtains behind the Resolute Desk, crimson on Friday morning as Obama left, are now gold.

The countdown to someone referring to this as some sort of a racist act by Donald Trump is in full swing. 😒

It’s a new dawn….

President Donald J. Trump being sworn into office on January 20, 2017

That’s all I have. There is really nothing else to say. It’s a new dawn, the Obama era is over. I voted for him, and I hope he does a good job as President.

Of course, this blog won’t become a Trump propaganda site. I will criticize where I feel it is due and I will praise, when I feel it is due too.

But, for once, I feel good about America again.

Trump takes the bait of the race-baiting left

Donald Trump is about to learn the price of taking the bait of the race-baiters of the left.

So, what happened is that John Lewis, a partisan and professional race-baiter, said that he did not feel that Donald Trump’s winning the election of 2016 was in his words, “Legit”.

Well, Trump was having none of this:

Now, based upon the reaction of the leftist media, you would have thought that President-elect Trump donned a Klan uniform and burned a cross on the White House lawn. But, he didn’t. He basically told Lewis to clean up his own backyard, before criticizing him.

President-elect Donald Trump is about to learn a cold, hard lesson in Washington politics, when it comes to race. There are scared cows that you do not tip, and John Lewis is one of them. In fact, half of the Democratic in D.C. won’t be there for his swearing-in.

It is sad really, and it is an example of how bad politics in this century has become.

Others, your mileage may vary:  New York Times, ThinkProgress, Common Dreams, No More Mister Nice Blog, Balloon Juice, Political Insider blog, Lawyers, Guns & Money, TheBlaze, alan.com, Mediaite, New Century Times, BizPac Review, The Daily Caller, The Week, twitchy.com, Talking Points Memo, Politico and NBC News, ThinkProgress, NBC News, Political Insider blog, Politicus USA, alan.com, The Hill, BizPac Review, The Week and twitchy.com, Vox, New Century Times, Talking Points Memo, CBS New York, TheBlaze, Shareblue, CNBC, Politicus USA, Raw Story, Gothamist, The Gateway Pundit, The Daily Caller, Occidental Dissent and Washington Times, Hot Air, NPR, Jamie Dupree and The Ring of Fire Network, New York Times, Mashable, BizPac Review and Occidental Dissent