Dear Editor:

Here we go again; Congress has just passed a massive tax cut, which will benefit mostly the wealthy. It will also vastly increase our national deficit. Have Republicans forgotten that they hate deficits, which they always blame on fierce spending liberals. Also, with the economy prospering and unemployment down, why do we need it.

Has everyone forgotten things would not be this good if President Obama had not pulled us out of a potential depression? Now his administration is being blamed for everything that did or might go wrong. True, some of this prosperity could be due to deregulation, much at the expense of our environment. China and India both went that route and now have air they can’t breath and water they can’t drink. Is that what we want? Opening our coastal waters to oil and gas drilling is opposed by governors of all affected states, including our own.

While Trump’s wealthy friends prosper, the rest of us, many of whom can least afford to, suffer. There is a degenerating environment, a reduction in social services (fuel assistance among them), and a rise in state and local taxes, as other agencies scramble to make up for decreased federal funds. No doubt, also, an increase in inflation caused by the unnecessary stimulus.

Well-meaning members of the Christian community excuse the Trump administration because of a conservative Supreme Court justice and because they are pro-life. As one astute member of the Catholic sisterhood said, “They are pro-birth, not pro-life.” They want the child to be born but as soon as he or she takes their first breath, they are someone else’s problem. Neither they nor their parents can expect any help.

Our president speaks and acts in vulgar and disrespectful ways toward women. He discriminates against minorities and the vulnerable. He refers to developing countries as “s__ holes” and has a dismissive attitude toward longtime allies. At the same time, he has yet to say a bad word or cast any blame on Russia, our adversary for 50 years.

We, as Christians, should refuse the “Kool-Aid.” We should remember Jesus’ words and hold him accountable.

Frances Bredeau

Boothbay Harbor