cybersecurity – Jean's Writing

You can’t open a newspaper, check social media or turn on the TV without news about the shutdown. People are hurting because our government is not doing their job.

Union Members protest — …workers rally to end the government shutdown at the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill. (Salwan Georges/The Washington Post)

I fail to understand why this shutdown is dragging on when the latest poll indicates only 7% of voters want this wall.

Thursday, 1/24/2019, Mitch McConnell is supposed to bring to the Senate Floor, at long last, two bills to end this ridiculous standoff. I do hope he presents both. Up until now, Senator McConnell has refused to present any bill from the House of Representatives.

I guess we will soon see.

Lots of people have an opinion on the shutdown and the wall. So, I’d like to share mine along with a few facts. You may not agree with my opinion, but facts are facts.

About the shutdown:

800,000 plus workers going without pay.
- I don’t know how they are managing but President Trump doesn’t seem to understand how much this is hurting ordinary people.
The shutdown is beginning to hurt the economy.
- The cost so far 4 Billion dollars.
9 agencies are impacted by the shutdown and putting us at risk.

List of 9 agencies impacted by shutdown — By Javier Zarracina and Li Zhou

About the wall:

President Trump has demanded Congress pony-up 5 Billion to build the wall.
- 5 billion dollars is just the beginning.
- The Brookings Institute estimates the total cost could exceed 20 Billion.
- That’s billion, with a B. An outrageous amount for a wall for which the majority of Americans do not want.
The land must be taken from owners using eminent domain.
- This process will cost millions in court and attorney fees.
Working through the process of securing the land can take up to 10 years.
- Landowners do not want to relinquish any part of their farms or ranches.
- Bring in the lawyers.
- Lawsuits will drag on for years, lining the pockets of only attorneys.
The majority of American voters do not want a wall.
- The latest poll indicates that only 7% of voters want this wall.

I can think of plenty of things our country needs now. Not in 10 years.

If the government has an extra 5-20 Billion dollars burning a hole in their pocket, how about spending the money on things the people need and want. I think 5 billion dollars can go a long way to meet the needs of the people.

Where to spend 5 plus billion dollars:

Repairing our crumbling bridges and roads.
Update our electrical grid.
Invest in cybersecurity.
Repair antiquated schools or build new.
Assist our veterans as they return home.
Raises for underpaid teachers and invest in better education.
Hire additional foster care workers.
Provide shelter for the homeless.
Provide health insurance for uninsured children.
Aide medical research.
Hire more immigration officers and agents.
Hire more immigration judges.
Invest in streamlining the immigration process.
Invest in technology to protect our voting system.
Invest in technology to assist border agents.

The list for better ways to spend 5-20 Billion dollars, is endless.

Should Congress succumb to pressure and hand over 5 billion dollars to begin such a wall, I have one last question.

How long before other countries begin to chant, “tear down this wall,” shaming the USA as President Reagan shamed the leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev?

I did my best to stick to facts but as with most writers, I’m sure my opinion came through too. But facts don’t lie and we need to end the name calling and act like adults. We are all Americans in the same boat.