Census data

There is a bill before congress asking that only citizens be counted in determining the distribution of federal dollars. If illegals are not counted separately they will count in getting federal dollars. While most are concerned about the political ramifications of this bill there are also significant economic issues. Census guidelines determine how $500 billion in federal dollars are distributed. That equates to $930 million dollars per electoral vote. There are an estimated 11 million undocumented (not citizens) and this is 15 electoral votes or $14 billion dollars.

Bipartisanship

The time is ripe for bi-partisanship. Prison reform. Get rid of the Clinton 3 strikes policy. Make penalties for crack and powered cocaine the same. Infrastructure. Set up programs using 2/3rds federal money with 1/3rd matching state or private money. Immigration. Stop family based immigration and build wall while setting a path to citizenship for the dreamers and their parents. Taxes. Lower taxes on middle income people and raise taxes on the top one percent. Healthcare. Medicaid free for all earning less than 4 times the poverty rate and retain company healthcare plans. There are no pre-existing conditions in Medicaid Work toward getting rid of import taxes for all who do business with the USA.

Helping the poor

Almost half the worlds populations, 3 billion people live on less than $2.50 per day. This population increases by 40 million each year. Another 2.5 billion live on less than $10 per day and they increase by over 30 million per year. The US has a legal immigration of one million per year so using immigration to solve world poverty will not work. They must be helped where they live and free market capitalism is the key. The successfully developed countries must purchase goods from third world countries to help these people. The best example is how Americans helped the poor in China move to higher incomes. A growing US economy does more to help the world's poor than any government or charity.

Tax breaks

The tax cuts from the 2017 tax bill are composed of individual tax breaks and corporate tax breaks but the individual breaks will sunset in 2025 while the corporate breaks continue. In the first 8 years 20% of the savings goes to the top one percent of earners. In 2017 the top one percent earned 20% of the money and paid 40% of the taxes. It is only after the sunset that the top one percent gets 83% of the tax savings. This 83% figure is often quoted in the press as if that is what is happening now without the explanation that it will only happen in 2025 when the individual breaks end. Congress will try to make these individual tax breaks permanent in the coming session so that will not happen. The 83% figure has been quoted so often that most people believe that is happening now.

Business approach

It is often said that Trump is a business man and not a politician and this idea will be tested now that the democrats have taken control of the house. While politicians are credit oriented and thus prefer party over country, a businessman is results oriented and does not concern himself with credit. Trump can now set up programs that will benefit the country by giving congress the credit. He can increase taxes on the higher incomes and lower taxes on middle incomes. He can use federal money to set up new infrastructure plans since democrats are not concerned about deficits and agree to a path to citizenship for dreamers and their parents for a border wall. In each case he can praise the congress for its forward thinking and cooperation. This will give Pelosi a legacy to retire with and congress some achievements to run on in 2020. While all of this domestic activity is happening Trump can continue his strategy regarding tax free trade agreements.

News conferences

One of the many differences between Trump and other presidents is the way he has press conferences. Typically the press is given advanced notice and the conference is held in the White House. Presidents typically spend a lot of time answering questions so the total number of questions is limited. Trump has unannounced conferences and answers questions in rapid fire sequences. The news reports that Trump has given only half a many formal new conferences as Obama but what is not reported is the number of questions Trump answers. Trump engaged reporters in 170 short question and answer sessions during his first 465 days in office, a window that ended Tuesday, compared to Obama’s 55 short Q&As, which generally are with members of the White House press pool.

Felons voting

Minnesota has long faced the dilemma of how to deal with convicted sex offenders. The current system says that when a sex offender has complete his sentence he must then go to another prison based on the concept of something he might do. Experts have currently determined that these offenders will once again offend if given the opportunity. Common sense dictates that you should not be sent to prison for something you might do based on some experts opinion but that is where the law stands. Florida approved voting rights for convicted felons who have served their time except for those convicted of murder or rape. Is this based on some data that says they will murder or rape again and if so should they be released. Will some convicted murderer go to court over the equal protection of the 14th amendment?