Jan 27, 2019 5 min read

Elections are about results. President Trump is delivering results.

President Trump’s economic policies continue to drive a robust economy. The national economy added 312,000 jobs in December. Working Americans benefitted from the vibrant economy directly as average hourly earnings increased 3.2 percent over the previous year. This is the third consecutive month that wages have risen more than 3 percent showing that this economy is delivering for workers.

Because of the great economy and low unemployment, many companies are struggling to fill available jobs.

Looking at the president’s accomplishments since his election produces an impressive list.

Economic growth was 4.2 percent in the second quarter of 2018 and, for the first time in a decade, the economic growth will exceed 3 percent for the entire year.

The job picture, where American workers see the economy most clearly, is very bright. Four million jobs have been created since Trump’s election and more than 3.5 million since he took office. Today, more Americans are employed than there have been in our history. Job openings continue to increase and, for the first time in our history, outnumber those looking for jobs.

African-American, Hispanic and Asian-American unemployment rates are all at record low numbers. Women’s unemployment has reached the lowest rate in 65 years. Youth and veterans’ unemployment have also reached multi-decade lows.

Eighty-five percent of blue-collar workers in a recent poll believe their lives are headed in the right direction. Blue-collar jobs grew at the fastest rate in 30 years. Workers, as a group, are feeling pretty good, with job satisfaction at its highest level since 2005 and optimism about the availability of good jobs has grown by 25 percent.

Along with job growth, American workers have also experienced significant income growth. Median household income has risen to $61,372, a post-recession high. Worker pay increased 3.3 percent between 2016 and 2017. Poverty rates for African-Americans and Hispanics are at their lowest levels on record.

Consumer confidence is at an 18-year high. In a recent survey, 51 percent rated the economy as good or excellent, a two-decade high.

The president’s tax cut plan, nearly $5.5 trillion in gross cuts, with 60 percent of that going to families, is working. Standard deductions have been doubled for individuals and corporate tax rates have been lowered, making America’s companies again competitive in the world market. As a result of these and other tax reductions, 90 percent of American workers will see an increase in the paychecks and 89 percent of companies plan to increase worker compensation.

Considering all the above, it is impossible to say that the president’s economic policies are anything short of outstanding. They work for all of America. Americans are doing well, and they are optimistic about the future.

With all that is going right, one might ask, “What can go wrong”? The answer is that the Democrats took control of the House in January. The question now is who took control of the Democrats?

We are not a month into the new Congress and already it appears that a major internal battle is shaping up within the Democratic caucus. Nancy Pelosi is back as speaker, barely, and more determined than ever to appear tough and resolute with her “Hate Trump” mantra. She has a big problem. A large portion of her caucus isn’t respecting or listening to her. The Democratic Party is greatly divided between left, more left and way left. The incoming new representatives are decidedly brash, bereft of civility and committed to socialism. Pelosi can’t contain them.

The Democrats have been on a sharp leftward journey for some time. In the 2018 mid-terms, a whole new element emerged: a large contingent of the radical left. These are the Democratic-Socialists exemplified by ideologues like Sandy Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar and Rashida Tlaib. They are not interested in running a government but in ruining it, converting it into an engine of socialist revolution. They don’t know or care how their pie-in-the-sky programs can be financed because they can’t.

The things that Trump has done to restore a vibrant economy in the United States – lower taxes, slash onerous regulations, promote a free market, enable manufacturing and move toward energy independence – are antithetical to the radical left. The socialists are focused on income redistribution and nanny state government control.

The incoming radical leftists have already stated that it is their intent to wage primary battles against moderate Democrats in an attempt to move their party even further left.

The new radicals have put forth an array of proposals that are really frightening in their disconnection from what America is and from fiscal reality.

Proposals have been made to repeal Trump’s tax cut, provide free college for all, provide universal Medicare and single-payer health care, institute an open border, increase maximum tax rates to 80 or even 90 percent, a federal jobs guarantee, slash defense spending, and dump hundreds of billions of dollars into a useless “Green New Deal.” The Medicare for All proposal alone would cost $32 trillion over a decade. Democratic sage Ocasio-Cortez blithely says we can pay for this by “taxing the rich” and “making corporations pay their fair share.” If the “wealthy” paid 100 percent taxes, it would not come close to funding even a portion of this. It is estimated that these proposals would increase the federal deficit to $4.6 trillion a year. Lunacy.

Except for the extremes, voters want solutions that work for them, not a socialist revolution. Few voters want extreme ideological rhetoric. They want jobs, security and a good future. We have a national spending problem that needs to be solved by both sides deciding what we really need to do for America.

Voters want results that make their lives better. The question is which party will put solid solutions forward to do that. That party will win. I like the Republicans’ chances in that contest.

Dave Ball is vice chairman of the Washington County Republican Party and a Peters Township councilman.