2017 June 1^st

Lena Epstein is going to run for the Unites States Senate against incumbent Senator Debbie Stabenow. Ms. Epstein is a co-owner of Vesco Oil Corp. Vesco doesn’t find oil, it just distributes lubricants and other automotive products. The local daily paper has informed us of Ms. Epstein’s intentions and of her platform of tax cuts. She has impeccable credentials for a Republican. Detroit Country Day School, Harvard College, Magna Cum Laude, U. of M. MBA, and, most importantly, co-chair of the Trump campaign in Michigan. She remains a very strong supporter of Trump and of his policies.

Mr. Trump did not exactly dominate Hillary Clinton in Michigan in the 2016 election. He did win but by a margin of just 10,704 votes of of 4.8 million votes cast. How does Trump fare with Michigan voters today, six months later?  Now that Michigan voters have had a close look at his governing style he isn’t all that popular. As of May 20-24, 61 percent of Michigan voters disapprove of him and only 39 percent approve. Ms. Epstein plans to run as a Trump clone. Her support for Trump probably means Senator Debbie Stabenow is in no danger.

Ms. Epstein core platform consists of tax cuts. I mean really serious tax cuts, ten percent across the board: although the very top bracket will drop from 39.5 percent to 35 percent. Even without my calculator and with no MBA, that sounds like more than a ten percent drop for those at the top end, and that includes her family of course; are we surprised? Hey, the woman is running as a Republican.

It is standard procedure for politicians to buy votes and that is just what Epstein proposes to do. She is running on a tax cut platform. It might work but someone should ask her to list the services she will eliminate to pay for these enormous cuts. Maybe we’ll get the standard answer that 3+ percent growth will spur the economy and that will pay for it, or she’ll stamp out “waste fraud and abuse,” that’s always a good phrase to use. It is more likely that environmental protections will be cut, programs for the elderly, Medicaid and similar social programs will go unfunded. We’ve already seen a 97percent cut in funds to protect the Great Lakes so soon we’ll have Asian carp spawning in the Great Lakes tributaries. Lake Michigan is the warmest on record and that will continue providing a welcoming environment for Asian carp. If Epstein becomes Senator, does anyone suppose she will worry about that?

Now we have President Trump withdrawing from the Climate Accord, a voluntary, non-binding agreement accepted by most nations with the notable exception of Syria and Nicaragua. What splendid company Trump wants us to keep. The man is obsessed with negating everything President Obama achieved. He can’t of course. When Obama first appeared in Europe after his election it was to wild and enthusiastic cheers. Trump is snickered at by Europe’s leaders and ignored by their ordinary citizens, and there is nothing he can do about it except pout.