President Trump likes to put his name on things

Dear Editor,

Our Felon and Chief must enjoy entertaining; he is building a banquet hall adjacent to the White House. His first proposal was a hall designed to seat 600 at a cost of $200 million. He must have found some new friends; he then proposed a larger venue (90,0000 sq. feet) that would seat 999 close friends and suck-ups at a cost of $350 million; all donated by friends who will need favors in the future. Trump assured us the East Wing would not be disturbed; the banquet hall would stand alone. Apparently, the property isn’t large enough to accommodate a structure of that size; as a result, the East Wing was demolished to accommodate Trump’s folly. Trump lends credence to an old joke I once heard “How can you tell if a politician is lying? His lips are moving.” When you have total immunity granted by the highest court in the land, there is no need for the standard application process for permits or discuss demolition of the East Wing with the Historical Society. Last week Trump fired all six members of the Commission of Fine Arts which was to review the project. People who have reviewed the plans and drawings of the hall say it’s gaudy and looks like a banquet hall in a 3rd world dictatorship. They will have a heck of a parking problem. Those billionaires will arrive in limousines (they require three times the parking space of a normal car). Will we have to demolish the West Wing and build a multi-level parking structure? Will this hall be rented out for weddings and such? That would help defray the cost of maintenance and utilities.

It’s said Trump has replaced all the paintings in the White House with portraits of himself. His image is displayed frequently around Washington. Trump likes to put his name on things; his name is on the border wall. Will he put his name on the $350 million banquet hall? He wants the name of the Washington Commanders football stadium changed to Trump Stadium. Trump wants to change our coinage. He has eliminated the penny, they cost more to stamp than they’re worth. That was a good idea. In place of the penny, he is proposing a one-dollar coin with his image on it. What would you suggest we put on the reverse side of that coin? The law is clear on this matter. Only images of dead people can be struck on our coins or printed on our currency. James Madison said, “A live image smacks of a monarchy.” Would you like the image of a convicted felon alive or dead on our coins? Do you remember the Susan B. Anthony dollar coin?

There is talk he wants his image carved into Mount Rushmore. Would you like to see Trump’s image carved next to President Lincoln’s? The President who guided America through the civil war, keeping the union intact and ending slavery, he gave his life doing it. Those four presidents were men with morals, integrity and vision. Do you feel, carving the image of a convicted felon next to President Lincoln, would add or detract from the stature of Mount Rushmore as an iconic national monument? There is a word that describes a person who is in love with himself. But I can’t recall it.

— Tom Janicki
Almont