Trump’s idea of cutting the fat out of government spending looks like it will mean axing the following incredibly important 17 programs that nurture education, arts, culture for your children; protect women; invest in disenfranchised minorities and small businesses; oversee civil rights; and protect the environment. Many of these programs you might already know and love.

1. Corporation for Public Broadcasting
2. National Endowment for the Humanities
3. National Endowment for the Arts
4. Minority Business Development Agency
5. Economic Development Administration
6. International Trade Administration
7. Manufacturing Extension Partnership
8. Office of Community Oriented Policing Services
9. Office of Violence Against Women
10. Legal Services Corporation
11. Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department
12. Environment and Natural Resources Division of the Justice Department
13. Overseas Private Investment Corporation
14. UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
15. Office of Electricity Deliverability and Energy Reliability
16. Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
17. Office of Fossil Energy

These programs are not extraneous fat; they help make a country, a civilization! More stunningly, the COMBINED 17 programs cost us each $1.86 a month! So much for cutting the fat out of government spending. In contrast, wars since 2001 have cost taxpayers $8.36 million AN HOUR, and there, Trump promises to increase spending by billions more.

Cut pennies from the peace building and put billions into war spending is Trump’s idea of budget reform.

P.S. In yet another Orwellian twist, the White House website Petition for demanding that these programs not be cut is magically not working. Thousands of people signed it, and it still says only 44 signed it. I signed it myself and the counter did not change.

#StayInformedMyFriends