Vice President Mike Pence wrote a love letter to President Donald Trump and his party that graced the Opinion Exchange page of the Star Tribune on March 28 (“Our tax, energy and trade policies are working for Minnesotans”). The article was misleading in a variety of ways, but particularly so for low-information voters.
Here’s Pence describing how Trump’s policies are “working for Minnesotans”:
“We’ve rolled back the heavy hand of government by eliminating 22 regulations for each new one we’ve issued. Working with Minnesota’s Republicans in Congress, our president has also signed more laws rolling back federal red tape than any president in American history.”
I find that statement downright offensive. Not only was Pence cheerleading raw partisanship, but the so-called “red tape” he so easily dismisses represents lifesaving rules and safeguards put in place for a reason, not the least of which is to save lives. Sure, the CEO or board member concerned about quarterly profits may be smiling in approval, but how about the parents of an asthmatic child or the employee forced to handle hazardous chemicals? Regulations are needed if we don’t want polluters to do whatever they please while leaving the public to suffer the consequences. The policies that Trump and Republicans in Congress are pushing will result in ravaged land, dirtier air and water, and a food supply that is less safe for everyone. Unlike Pence, his president and the trio of local U.S. representatives touted in his article (Erik Paulsen, Jason Lewis and Tom Emmer), we Minnesotans simply cannot allow the interests of Wall Street, the polluters and big business to be placed above the health, safety and security of Americans.
Stephen Monson, Golden Valley
StarTribune, March 29, 2018