Reality - No concepts

Dear Editor,

I recently had some local folks come to my door promoting a Democratic candidate.  She proclaims (without a detailed plan) the same “Goals” as Kamala Harris.  The first of their talking points was Project 2025.  Dozens of FORMER Trump administration officials have contributed to the think tank's proposals, providing Democrats with an attack line against the former president. The backlash against some of the more radical proposals in Project 2025, conceived by the conservative Heritage Foundation think tank, has been intense.

The project's director stepped down after criticism of the plan from Democrats and anger from the Trump campaign, which accused Heritage officials of trying to exaggerate their influence over the former president.

So, who wrote Project 2025?

Donald Trump didn’t write it. 

The Republican party didn’t write it.

The Heritage Foundation wrote it.

The Heritage Foundation is one of Washington's most prominent right-wing think tanks. It first produced policy plans for future Republican administrations in 1981, when Ronald Reagan was about to take office. It has produced similar documents in connection with subsequent presidential elections, including in 2016, when Trump won the presidency.

That's not unusual - it's common for US think tanks of all political stripes to propose policy wish lists for future governments. The Project 2025 report was unveiled in April 2023 (BEFORE President Trump was a candidate), but Democratic opposition to the document has ramped up as this year's race has intensified.

Democratic politicians have launched a "Stop Project 2025 Task Force" and even set up a tip line to collect insider information on Heritage's activities, claiming there is a "secret" part of the agenda pushing a list of executive orders.  The Harris campaign and its surrogates have consistently brought up the project in interviews and speeches. And if you listen to TV ads, “Trump is probably gonna outlaw IVF (In-Vitro Fertilization).”  Who made up that one? They want to preserve life but want to ensure your right to terminate it.   

Reality -  Donald Trump didn’t write it, these are NOT his policies.

They’ll Reduce Food Costs

But then Kamala Harris and many others are going to reduce prices so I asked how?  The door to door folks don’t know.  They’ll stop PRICE GAUGING was the answer.  I said grocery stores and restaurants typically live off a 1-3% profit margin as do many or their suppliers and producers.  So, you can cut prices 3 ways.

Reduce costs.  Costs are labor and materials.  Cut labor costs?  This means either lower pay or less benefits.  Which do you want?  Materials are also based on labor and raw materials.  Maybe more material from China where they pay slave wages.  Sorry, there goes your job.

Or, we can cut profits.  Are you going to bust your hump running a company for less profit than you get on a CD or money Market?  Shut the doors (like my previous employer did after they outsourced materials from China. 

Either way, you’re out of a job (food better be free) and delivered as you won’t have money for gas (or a car)

Safety

Harris was for defunding the police and said “Just because you LEGALLY possess a gun in the sanctity of your locked home doesn't mean that we're not going to walk into that home and check to see if you're being responsible.”  Then they’ll decide if you get to keep your Constitutionally guaranteed firearms.

John P. Curran

Dodgeville, WI