ArcaMax

It’s a bit early for spring cleaning but that’s what President Trump and his faithful companion Elon Musk appear to be doing.

When I was a child, every spring my mother would open closets and check the attic and basement for clothes and other items that could be discarded or given to charity. Sometimes it was difficult to part with them, especially if they had sentimental value, but generally we went along with most of it because clutter was regarded as unnecessary and taking up space that could be used for other things.

Today’s cable shows have programs about what they call “hoarding” that gives you a flavor of what I mean in case you are not old enough to share my memories.

“Who voted for Musk?” is the cry by some Democrats who are resisting his and Trump’s effort to downsize government, something Trump promised to do during his campaign. Does any politician want to say the government is too small, costs too little and that we need more regulations? Maybe some on the fringes of the Democratic Party (and we know who you are), but probably no one else.

The pathetic image of a few radical politicians showing up at the Department of Education (DOE) and getting blocked from entering the building by what appeared to be a security guard, was only the latest example of how Democrats have run out of even bad ideas. What were they protesting? The guard asked them, “What is your business here?” No one answered because the protest was the endgame. They couldn’t even tell the guard who they wanted to see.

One of the showboating protesters at the DOE was Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), whose district includes Los Angeles public schools.

According to U.S. News and World Report: “Los Angeles Unified School District spends $19,576 per student each year.” And what are taxpayers getting in return? The publication reports that in math elementary students are at just 33 percent proficiency. By middle school the number drops to 25 percent. It declines further to 18 percent by high school. It’s not much better with reading where the numbers are 40 percent, 38 percent and 46, respectively. Perhaps Rep. Waters ought to focus on the schools in her district rather than engage in bad political theater in Washington that helps no child.

Once again, we see how money and education achievement are unrelated. If they were, these proficiency levels would be much higher. It’s a major reason school choice is winning approval in increasing numbers of states, thanks to an executive order by President Trump, perhaps soon at the national level.

Back to the main reason Democrats, the party of big government, are apoplectic when it comes to Musk. Their main criticism is that no one elected him.

Who “elected” the people responsible for these wasteful, fraudulent and in many cases, unnecessary and duplicative programs? The answer is no one. They are mostly appointed or hired bureaucrats and regulators who have made life (and the cost) worse for America. Sometimes it takes a chainsaw, instead of a scalpel, to get a job done.

So far, voters who put Trump in office for a second term appear to be pleased with his (and Musk’s) performance. According to the latest YouGov poll: “Slightly more Americans strongly or somewhat approve of Donald Trump's job performance (46%) than disapprove (44%).” The breakdown by party shows approval by “90% of Republicans, 38% of Independents, and 10% of Democrats.”

Democrats claim that cutting or ending some U.S. foreign aid will cause poor children to starve. Some news organizations, who have lost credibility among many Americans, follow suit. Much of the public seems not to be buying what they are selling.

Three weeks into Trump’s second term, Democrats have nothing new to offer the country and that’s where Trump and Musk would like them to stay while they continue making cuts.

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Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com. Look for Cal Thomas’ latest book “A Watchman in the Night: What I've Seen Over 50 Years Reporting on America" (HumanixBooks).

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