My Whole Expanse I Cannot See…

I formulate infinity stored deep inside of me…

Oct 4

He’s a genius?

So, the Trump campaign is trying to spin his near-billion dollar business loss in 1995 and subsequent legal dodging of taxes as pure genius. They’re calling it a true American comeback tale. Ol’ Donald took a hit, pulled himself up by his boot-straps and ultimately prospered. It’s a great story, a story that people need to look at more closely.

Let’s take the biggest chunk first. Trump had this idea to build casinos and what-not, but it was obviously a really bad idea. When you lose almost a billion dollars in a single year, you did bad business. You screwed up. So, his “comeback” started after a giant mistake.

Now, let’s look at that billion dollars, where it came from and who really lost it. That billion dollars wasn’t Donald Trump’s, he didn’t bet big on his dream with his money and lose. No, Donald Trump went to banks, to private investors and he asked them to fund his dream, to trust him with THEIR money. The banks lost, the investors lost, Trump made out just fine. He wrote it all off as one huge loss for himself, so he wouldn’t have to pay Federal income tax for potentially the next eighteen years. Did he take full advantage of those eighteen years? We don’t know, he won’t release his tax returns to prove things one way or another. Still, given his KNOWN business practices, his KNOWN personal philosophy, and given that he absolutely does not want the American people to see his tax returns, I’d bet my own money he took those eighteen years whether he needed them or not. Why? As Trump always says, “It’s good business.” If you’re not paying income tax, your profits are higher, that’s what business is all about! The write offs were perfectly legal. The thing is, just because something is legal doesn’t mean it’s right to do. First, if he’s the billionaire he claims to be, he didn’t need eighteen years to be made whole again, but whenever we get a glimpse of his income reporting, it’s always really low. So, he’s either not ultra-rich, or he’s gaming the system to avoid paying taxes. Second, many people, particularly the very wealthy, know that they COULD game the system, could use every single trick in the book, but they don’t. People understand that taxes are what fund roads, bridges, the military, care for veterans, everything Trump says is a “disaster,” yet won’t pay his fair share to help make better. Paying your fair share is just the right and ethical thing to do.

Morality and ethics are nothing to Donald Trump, all he cares about is profit, personal profit. He pulled off his great American comeback by making the American tax payers bleed for him. He got his second chance, but rather than give back to the country that has given him so much, Donald Trump takes and takes and takes. His textile business does its manufacturing in China. He buys inferior Chinese steel for his construction projects. He stiffs small businesses that provide the materials and labor for his luxury hotels. He has built his empire by cheating the little guy, by cheating America.

Donald Trump is not a genius. He’s a ruthless, unethical con who only cares about himself. Why would he suddenly change after he’s elected President? The answer is, he wouldn’t. He doesn’t belong anywhere near the Oval Office, he lacks even the most basic qualities inherent to public service. That’s what the President is, a public servant, someone who puts their own needs last. Donald Trump is a servant, but only to his own desires. Our great nation cannot suffer such a man to be President.

1 comment

1 Comment so far

  1. Shawn October 5th, 2016 10:45 am

    Well, I completely agree with you, Mike. I just hope enough people agree with us to be sure Trump cannot win.