Measuring the Future

[LateForLunch]

It does go a bit their way - Tamarack need fire to seed, but offset that by the millions of acres that are beetle-killed - premium blue-pine lumber by the way - That could have been controlled by logging the infestations, and the management style is stunningly out of order. The north fork of the Flathead River largely burned down because of the dead standing beetle-killed trees. All that premium, easy-access lumber, up in smoke. Cross that up with air quality concerns sometime.

There was a political event recently which might address and ameliorate this in time.

[roamer_1]

There was a political event recently which might address and ameliorate this in time.

I find that to be wholly unbelievable.

[LateForLunch]

I find that to be wholly unbelievable.

Why? One of the platforms of the Republican party this year was reform (or God-willing the complete eradication) of the EPA. That would go part and parcel with that endeavor.

Another incidentally would be an end to the odious handouts of billions of tax dollars to rich, politically powerful multinational and private special interests embodied in the insanely-wasteful pork-barrel government agricultural subsidy programs administrated by both Dept. of Interior and other federal agencies, to which the president elect is not beholden because he did not accept significant contributions from them.

Sarah Palin is reportedly one of those who is being considered for Dept. of Interior and she is also known for her proclivity to feisty refusal to tow the corporate line or to bow to pressure from lobbyists (Gov. Palin enacted significant reforms in Alaska despite pressure from both of those groups). 

Of course, the PE has an uneven history on this in regard to the ethanol industry, so you certainly have legitimate cause for concern (as does every genuine conservative).

Incidentally, ever read, "A Walk in the Woods"? Even though the movie made about it was a farce (one of the worst movies of its time according to Rotten Tomatoes) it documents the long list of things the federal government does wrong and the very few things it does right in regard to environmental safeguarding.

Not the least of those was something very similar to this forest mismanagement issue - when the brilliant feds tried to eradicate an encroaching species of fish by DELIBERATELY POISONING AN ENTIRE RIVER, which ended up wiping out EVERY SPECIES EXCEPT THE ONE THEY TARGETED.

[Smokin Joe]

Why? One of the platforms of the Republican party this year was reform (or God-willing the complete eradication) of the EPA. That would go part and parcel with that endeavor.

Another incidentally would be an end to the odious handouts of billions of tax dollars to rich, politically powerful multinational and private special interests embodied in the insanely-wasteful pork-barrel government agricultural subsidy programs administrated by both Dept. of Interior and other federal agencies, to which the president elect is not beholden because he did not accept significant contributions from them.

Sarah Palin is reportedly one of those who is being considered for Dept. of Interior and she is also known for her proclivity to feisty refusal to tow the corporate line or to bow to pressure from lobbyists (Gov. Palin enacted significant reforms in Alaska despite pressure from both of those groups). 

Of course, the PE has an uneven history on this in regard to the ethanol industry, so you certainly have legitimate cause for concern (as does every genuine conservative).

Incidentally, ever read, "A Walk in the Woods"? Even though the movie made about it was a farce (one of the worst movies of its time according to Rotten Tomatoes) it documents the long list of things the federal government does wrong and the very few things it does right in regard to environmental safeguarding.

Not the least of those was something very similar to this forest mismanagement issue - when the brilliant feds tried to eradicate an encroaching species of fish by DELIBERATELY POISONING AN ENTIRE RIVER, which ended up wiping out EVERY SPECIES EXCEPT THE ONE THEY TARGETED.

Considering the Feds (Corps of Engineers) killed the estuary I grew up on, and actively prevent the restoration of that ecosystem, by law, I have absolutely no faith in Federal Programs to "fix" anything as far as the environment goes. That was not the river of which you speak, but a tidewater estuary in the late 1960s. Leave management of local ecosystems to the people who live there, who derive their living from the land. They will have a vested interest in those resources and are far more likely to engage in sound practices which will keep those resources viable. Get the Government out.
And yes, the PE's comments in Iowa supporting the use of the EPA ..."to the fullest extent of the law", were the first of many reasons I could not support him as a candidate.

[Bigun]

Considering the Feds (Corps of Engineers) killed the estuary I grew up on, and actively prevent the restoration of that ecosystem, by law, I have absolutely no faith in Federal Programs to "fix" anything as far as the environment goes. That was not the river of which you speak, but a tidewater estuary in the late 1960s. Leave management of local ecosystems to the people who live there, who derive their living from the land. They will have a vested interest in those resources and are far more likely to engage in sound practices which will keep those resources viable. Get the Government out.
And yes, the PE's comments in Iowa supporting the use of the EPA ..."to the fullest extent of the law", were the first of many reasons I could not support him as a candidate.

   in my view there is NO doubt about it!

[roamer_1]

Why? One of the platforms of the Republican party this year was reform (or God-willing the complete eradication) of the EPA. That would go part and parcel with that endeavor.

@LateForLunch

I'm late to the party... @Bigun  and @Smokin Joe already said my piece.
The Republican party hasn't used it's platform for anything other than election year bullsh*t for so long that I can hardly remember when it did. Reagan, maybe... the 94 congress, perhaps...

Not the least of those was something very similar to this forest mismanagement issue - when the brilliant feds tried to eradicate an encroaching species of fish by DELIBERATELY POISONING AN ENTIRE RIVER, which ended up wiping out EVERY SPECIES EXCEPT THE ONE THEY TARGETED.

Oh they've done it over and over around here.

The Mycinae shrimp they purposefully added to the Flathead drainage wiped out the salmon run... They used to run so thick in the river you could dang near walk across it on their backs... So many the river turned color where they were... As a lad, I can remember many a time filling two 5 gallon buckets, packed full, with snagged salmon.

Now snagging is illegal almost anywhere around here, and you can't even tell the salmon are in the river when they come...

[Smokin Joe]

No changes, just a 100 days bump.

[bigheadfred]

No changes, just a 100 days bump.

Is it me? Yeah, it is me. I was taught that if you were invited to a black tie party wear a black tie. Don't attend in a pair of one size too small gym shorts that shows you're nuts.

[Smokin Joe]

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[mystery-ak]

First, congratulations to Donald Trump, Mike Pence, and their supporters on this presidential election win. Hillary Clinton has been defeated, and the waning days of the Obama Administration are all that stands between America and a different political future.

As that torch is passed, let us not slip into that post-election somnolent euphoria that seems so common among those who would change the directions of governments and nations. Rather, let's recall the things which were promised to the electorate who elevated this man to the highest office in the United States of America, as a reminder that this is, after all, what the electorate has been told to expect in exchange for their support, their contributions, and their votes.

It is not enough to measure a Trump Administration by being 'not Hillary', nor is it valid to justify the actions or inaction of such with comparisons to assertions of what she might have done, given the opportunity. No, in order to measure the performance of the new administration, it becomes necessary to establish a new metric, one which cannot be distorted by the pressures of situational ethos, but which remains as well rooted and solid as the very tower which bears his name.

Rather than impose the unfair yardstick of the desires of those of us who did not support Mr. Trump for whatever reason (often because he was not conservative enough in our opinion), or to even impose our arduous criteria in terms of conduct, governance, or even policy, a better metric must be found.

What better guide to the performance of this budding administration than the very promises of the candidate himself as he traveled and sought votes and support? Those promises of action, inaction, policy, revocation of policy, regardless of this writer's opinion of them, form a roadmap of the path by which he has led his followers to support him, and the roadmap of stated intent of his administration. By this he has established a list of goals to be accomplished, and by which he can be measured without the inconvenience of having others place demands upon him he, himself, did not embrace.

Certainly, some of those demands are immutable, codified in the Constitution and other laws, and will be expected to be adhered to as the oath of office requires. These, however are the intonations of policy to which we were treated and by which we were entreatied for support. Let them now become the metric by which his performance is measured.

Tim Murphy at Mother Jones has started the process, as pointed out to me by @Resp3 and the link to Tim's article is here http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/09/donald-trump-first-day-in-office for those who would like to read it in its entirety. It also has links which back up each of the bullet points below, which are a brief summary of the things Mr. Trump has promised. It is messy, but supporting links are provided to each, and I won't take credit for any of that, it is Tim Murphy's work, presented in blue.

    :blank: "Repeal every single Obama executive order."
       http://www.dailypress.com/news/politics/dp-nws-pence-20160920-story.html
      (He has also pledged more specifically to "eliminate every unconstitutional executive order.")
       https://www.donaldjtrump.com/press-releases/trump-speech-clinton-email-corruption-disqualifies-her-from-seeking-preside

     :blank:"Repeal Obamacare."
        http://www.dailypress.com/news/politics/dp-nws-pence-20160920-story.html
       (On Trump's campaign website, he's less bullish, promising only to "ask Congress" on day one to repeal Obamacare
        immediately.)

     :blank:"End the war on coal."
       http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/presidential-races/290798-pence-trump-will-end-the-war-on-coal

     :blank:"Begin swiftly removing criminal illegal immigrants from this country." (More specifically, Trump has promised to do this in his
       "first hour" in office, "day one, before the wall, before anything.") https://www.washingtonpost.com/video/politics/trump-says-on-day-one-he-is-removing-criminal-illegal-immigrants/2016/08/27/a0a546d6-6c98-11e6-91cb-ecb5418830e9_video.html

     :blank:"Begin working on an impenetrable, physical, tall, powerful, beautiful, southern border wall."http://www.nbcnews.com/video/trump-touts-technology-plan-for-border-wall-755544643686

     :blank: Meet with Homeland Security officials and generals to begin securing the southern border.http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/05/us/politics/donald-trump-president.html?_r=0

     :blank:"Notify all countries that refuse to take back dangerous illegal immigrants who have committed crimes in this country that
       they will lose access to our visa programs if they continue to do so."https://www.donaldjtrump.com/press-releases/trump-speech-clinton-email-corruption-disqualifies-her-from-seeking-preside

    :blank: Convene his top generals and inform them they have 30 days to come up with a plan to stop ISIS.http://www.politico.com/story/2016/09/donald-trump-isil-isis-227807

     :blank: Fix the Department of Veterans Affairs.http://www.dailypress.com/news/politics/dp-nws-pence-20160920-story.html

     :blank: Call the heads of major companies who are moving operations oversea to inform them that they'll face 35 percent tariffs. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/05/us/politics/donald-trump-president.html?_r=0https://soundcloud.com/rightwingwatch/trump-on-day-one

     :blank:"Defend the unborn."http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/pence-trump-administration-will-begin-fight-against-abortion-rights-day-one

     :blank:"Withdraw from TPP."http://dailycaller.com/2016/06/28/donald-trump-gets-to-specifics-during-trade-speech/http://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2016/02/24/preview-gop-debate-one-day-to-go-mattingly-lead-dnt.cnn

     :blank: Suspend Syrian refugee resettlement.http://indianexpress.com/article/world/world-news/us-presidential-elections-2016-if-elected-it-would-be-busy-first-day-at-white-house-donald-trump-3017760/

     :blank:"Notify our NAFTA partners of my intention to renegotiate the deal."https://www.donaldjtrump.com/press-releases/trump-speech-clinton-email-corruption-disqualifies-her-from-seeking-preside

     :blank:"Designate China as a currency manipulator."https://www.donaldjtrump.com/positions/us-china-trade-reform

     :blank:"Direct every agency in government to begin identifying all wasteful job-killing regulations, and they are going to
       be removed."https://www.donaldjtrump.com/press-releases/trump-speech-clinton-email-corruption-disqualifies-her-from-seeking-presidehttps://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/01/08/donald-trump-i-will-get-rid-of-gun-free-zones-on-schools/http://www.breitbart.com/2016-presidential-race/2016/08/31/donald-trump-throws-down-in-phoenix-champions-10-step-immigration-reform-plan/

     :blank: Learn the difference between Hezbollah and Hamas.http://www.hughhewitt.com/donald-trump-on-the-day-he-took-the-pledge/

Again, this list and the link roundup (the blue text above) was done by Tim Murphy at Mother Jones, and he should get the credit for that, after all, it's his work. Here's a link to that article: http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2016/09/donald-trump-first-day-in-office


Now, these are just a few of the things which have been promised, and in fairness, some of these were promised by Mike Pence, but I think this is a good place to start. Feel free folks, to add others and please provide links to the statement or source for future reference.

By the way, while these were promised on 'day one', for the most part, I'd be quite content to see those I agree with which would not overextend the authority vested in the Office of President of the United States of America by the Constitution accomplished in the first year.

While some of these do exceed the authority of the Office of President, and would require (at a minimum) Congressional cooperation, it is an often noble list of aspirations. My problems with Mr. Trump were not wholly on stated policy, but primarily on credibility and actual intent.

This is not an attack, any more than a scorecard is an attack on a golfer or a maintenance checklist is an attack on an airplane, but presented as his own list of goals. I have even said I'd give him 364 extra days to git 'er done.

Please feel free to add others, if you so choose.

Edit: See post 27 for additional campaign promises.
Edit on November 23, 2016: This was done to copy post 27 (and the list therein onto the list above. No effort will be made to remove redundancy in order to preserve the original lists as they were quoted from their sources. Colors will be changed to red for apparent reneged promises or serious modifications thereof, orange for confirmed  broken promises. Those kept or pending will remain blue.

Quote

    More promises: Compiled by Jenna Johnson, in the Washington Post article at the link Additional commentary and links are available there. Note: These may overlap the ones in the initial post. Again, this is done in the spirit of being able to compare stated goals with performance, and is not intended to commend nor decry Mr Trump, the President-elect.

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/01/22/here-are-76-of-donald-trumps-many-campaign-promises/

    Quote

        1. Build a wall along the southern border that's taller than the arenas where Trump holds his rallies, taller than any ladder and one foot taller than the Great Wall of China. This "artistically beautiful" wall will be constructed out of hardened concrete, rebar and steel, and it will be "the greatest wall that you've ever seen" -- so great that the nation will likely one day name it "The Trump Wall."

        2. Make Mexico pay for the wall. If Mexico refuses, then the United States will impound all remittance payments taken from the wages of illegal immigrants, cut foreign aid, institute tariffs, cancel visas for Mexican business leaders and diplomats, and increase fees for visas, border-crossing cards and port use.

        3. "If I become president, we're all going to be saying 'Merry Christmas' again."

        4. Get rid of Common Core because it's "a disaster" and a "very bad thing." Trump says he wants to give local school districts more control and might even eliminate the Department of Education.

        5. The Environmental Protection Agency might also disappear.

        6. Get rid of Obamacare and replace it with something "terrific" that is "so much better, so much better, so much better."

        7. Knock down the regulatory walls between states for health insurance, making plans available nationally instead of regionally.

        8. Rebuild the country's aging infrastructure -- especially bridges and airports that look like they belong in a third-world country -- for one-third of what the United States is currently paying for such projects.

        9. Save Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security without cutting benefits.

        10. Defund Planned Parenthood.

        11. "I will take care of women, and I have great respect for women. I do cherish women, and I will take care of women."

        12. Frequently use the term "radical Islamic terrorism."

        13. Temporarily ban most foreign Muslims from entering the United States "until our country's representatives can figure out what is going on." Trump would allow exceptions for dignitaries, business people, athletes and others who have "proven" themselves.

        14. Bar Syrian refugees from entering the country and kick out any who are already living here. Trump says wealthy Persian Gulf nations like Saudi Arabia should pay to set up a heavily guarded "safe zone" in Syria.

        15. Heavily surveil mosques in the United States. Trump has said he's open to the idea of closing some mosques.

        16. Create a database of Syrian refugees. Trump hasn't ruled out creating a database of Muslims in the country.

        17. Never take a vacation while serving as president.

        18. Prosecute Hillary Clinton for her use of a private e-mail server while serving as secretary of state.
        http://www.gopbriefingroom.com/index.php/topic,235298.0/topicseen.html pending verification.


        19. Make medical marijuana widely available to patients, and allow states to decide if they want to fully legalize pot or not.

        20. Stop spending money on space exploration until the United States can fix its potholes. Encourage private space-exploration companies to expand.

        21. Pick Supreme Court justices who are "really great legal scholars."

        22. Ensure that Iowa continues to host the nation's first presidential nominating contest.

        23. Strengthen the military so that it's "so big and so strong and so great" that "nobody's going to mess with us."

        24. Be unpredictable. "No one is going to touch us, because I'm so unpredictable."

        25. Allow Russia to deal with the Islamic State in Syria and/or work with Russian President Vladimir Putin to wipe out shared enemies.

        26. "Bomb the s--- out of ISIS." Also bomb oil fields controlled by the Islamic State, then seize the oil and give the profits to military veterans who were wounded while fighting.

        27. Target and kill the relatives of terrorists.

        28. Shut down parts of the Internet so that Islamic State terrorists cannot use it to recruit American children.

        29. Bring back waterboarding, which the Obama administration considers torture. Trump has said he's willing to use interrogation techniques that go even further than waterboarding. Even if such tactics don't work, "they deserve it anyway, for what they're doing."

        30. Leave troops in Afghanistan because it's such "a mess." Protect Israel. And increase U.S. military presence in the East and South China Seas.

        31. Find an "out" clause in the Iran deal and then "totally" renegotiate the whole thing.

        32. "I promise I will never be in a bicycle race. That I can tell you." (This promise is connected to criticism of Secretary of State John F. Kerry, who was injured while riding a bicycle amid the Iran negotiations.)

        33. Refuse to call Iran's leader by his preferred title. "I guarantee you I will be never calling him the Supreme Leader... I'll say, 'Hey baby, how ya doing?' I will never call him the Supreme Leader."

        34. Negotiate the release of all U.S. prisoners held in Iran before taking office. > snip <

        35. Oppose the killing of journalists: "I hate some of these people, but I would never kill them."

        36. Find great generals -- like the next Gen. Patton or Gen. MacArthur -- and do not allow them to go onto television news shows to explain their military strategy: "I don't want my generals being interviewed, I want my generals kicking a--." > snip<

        37. Drop that "dirty, rotten traitor" Bowe Bergdahl out of an airplane into desolate Afghanistan without a parachute.

        38. Fire "the corrupt and incompetent" leaders of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and dramatically reform the agency. Allow veterans to take their military identification card to any medical facility that accepts Medicaid patients to receive care. Embed satellite VA clinics in rural hospitals and underserved areas, and ensure than every VA hospital is permanently staffed with OBGYN doctors.

        39. Invest more heavily in programs that help military veterans transition back to civilian life, including job training and placement services. Also increase funding for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries and mental health issues. Veterans who apply for a job at a VA facility will have five points added to their qualifying scores.

        40. Bring back jobs from China -- and Mexico, Japan and elsewhere.

        41. "I will be the greatest jobs president that God ever created." Trump says cities like Reno, Nev., will "be a big fat beautiful beneficiary" of these new jobs.

        42. Students at Wofford College in South Carolina, where Trump attended a town hall, will all have jobs at graduation.

        43. Aggressively challenge China's power in the world by declaring the country a currency manipulator, adopting a "zero tolerance policy on intellectual property theft and forced technology transfer" and cracking down on China's "lax labor and environmental standards."

        44. Rather than throw the Chinese president a state dinner, buy him "a McDonald's hamburger and say we've got to get down to work."

        45. Replace "free trade" with "fair trade." Gather together the "smartest negotiators in the world," assign them each a country and renegotiate all foreign trade deals.

        46. Put billionaire hedge fund manager Carl Icahn in charge of trade negotiations with China and Japan, and pick an ambassador to Japan who is "a killer," unlike the current ambassador, Caroline Kennedy.

        47. Tell Ford Motor Co.'s president that unless he cancels plans to build a massive plant in Mexico, the company will face a 35 percent tax on cars imported back into the United States. Trump is confident he can get this done before taking office. (Last year he incorrectly said this had already happened.)

        48. Force Nabisco to once again make Oreos in the United States. And bully Apple into making its "damn computers" and other products here.

        49. Impose new taxes on many imports into the country. Numbers thrown around have included 32 percent, 34 percent and 35 percent.

        50. Grow the nation's economy by at least 6 percent.

        51. Reduce the $18 trillion national debt by "vigorously eliminating waste, fraud and abuse in the federal government, ending redundant government programs and growing the economy to increase tax revenues."

        52. Cut the budget by 20 percent by simply renegotiating.

        53. Get rid of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act.

        54. Simplify the U.S. tax code and reduce the number of tax brackets from seven to four. The highest earners would pay a 25-percent tax. The corporate tax rate would fall to 15 percent. Eliminate the "marriage penalty" for taxpayers and get rid of the alternate minimum tax.

        55. No longer charge income tax to single individuals earning less than $25,000 per year or couples earning less than $50,000. These people will, however, be required to file a one-page form with the Internal Revenue Service that states: "I win."

        56. Ensure that Americans can still afford to golf.

        57. Allow corporations a one-time window to transfer money being held overseas, charging a much-reduced 10 percent tax.

        58. Get rid of most corporate tax loopholes or incentives, but continue to allow taxpayers to deduct mortgage interest and charitable donations from their taxes.

        59. On his first day in office, Trump would get rid of gun-free zones at military bases and in schools.

        60. Use "common sense" to fix the mental health system and prevent mass shootings. Find ways to arm more of the "good guys" like him who can take out the "sickos." Get rid of bans on certain types of guns and magazines so that "good, honest people" can own the guns of their choice.

        61. Impose a minimum sentence of five years in federal prison for any violent felon who commits a crime using a gun, with no chance for parole or early release.

        62. Fix the background check system used when purchasing guns to ensure states are properly uploading criminal and health records.

        63. Allow concealed-carry permits to be recognized in all 50 states.

        64. Sign an executive order calling for the death penalty for anyone found guilty of killing a police officer.

        65. Provide more funding for police training.

        66. And provide more funding for drug treatment, especially for heroin addicts.

        67. On the first day in office, terminate President Obama's executive orders related to immigration. This includes getting rid of "sanctuary cities" that Trump says have become refuges for criminals.

        68. Deport the almost 11 million immigrants illegally living in the United States.

        69. Triple the number of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.

        70. Continue to allow lowly paid foreign workers to come to the United States on temporary works visas because Trump says they are the only ones who want to pick grapes.

        71. End birthright citizenship.

        72. Say things that are politically incorrect, because the country does not have time to waste with political correctness.

        73. Make America great again -- and strong again, as it has become too weak.

        74. Be a cheerleader for America and bring the country's spirit back. "Take the brand of the United States and make it great again."

        75. Bring back the American Dream.

        76. Start winning again. "We're going to win so much -- win after win after win -- that you're going to be begging me: 'Please, Mr. President, let us lose once or twice. We can't stand it any more.' And I'm going to say: 'No way. We're going to keep winning. We're never going to lose. We're never, ever going to lose."

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[Oceander]

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You passed. 

[RoosGirl]

Is it me? Yeah, it is me. I was taught that if you were invited to a black tie party wear a black tie. Don't attend in a pair of one size too small gym shorts that shows you're nuts.

Well thank goodness someone taught you that!

I missed this article the first time around @Smokin Joe Thanks for the work of putting it all together in one place!