We recently received exciting news that we will become grandparents for the first time. However, our joy is tempered by the “live for today” attitude espoused by the current Trump administration.

First of all, we are spending our way to a fiscal disaster. The recent tax cut for the wealthy will add a trillion dollars to the deficit, and the CBO says our $21 trillion debt will spike to $33 trillion in 10 years. It will reach levels that could spark a debt crisis, in spite of Mr. Trump’s wild notion that the tax cut will pay for itself. The burden of solving this crisis will be laid at the feet of our children and grandchildren.

Secondly, our planet is in dire shape and this administration does not care. Mr. Trump is deregulating and scrapping environmental protections for the sole purpose of creating more jobs. He has gutted the EPA, pushed the use of coal, rolled back fuel mileage standards for cars, suspended the Clean Water Rule and withdrew from the Paris Climate agreement. The recently released UN scientific panel on climate change report describes a strong risk of crisis as early as 2040 if we fail to act.

If I do the math, my hope is that this child will live into the next century. But to have a chance to live a long and healthy life, we must elect leaders who genuinely care about future generations, and take the necessary and painful steps to save our country and our planet. Prayer couldn’t hurt either.

Michael Yeager
Scott

First Published: October 21, 2018, 4:00 a.m.