We the People: Developing a plan for governing all the people

New Yorkers fear what the election of Donald Trump, a fellow New Yorker, will do to their lives. The emotional reaction to the election of the candidate who employed polarizing rhetoric during his campaign is understandable since nearly 40 percent of New York City’s population is foreign-born, and millions more are first or second-generation Americans.

Mr. Trump has moved from his fiery rhetoric of ending “sanctuary cities” or building a wall and it seems that it was more of a plan to get elected rather than a blueprint to govern.

Trump supporters should understand that many African Americans, Hispanics and Muslims have trepidation that Mr. Trump will embolden the intolerant Americans in our nation, and work with Hillary Clinton supporters unwaveringly against discrimination.

Mr. Trump’s divisive campaign rhetoric does not mean his presidency must be one of hate and recrimination. The people protesting his election believe that the next four years will be a nightmare but the protest energy would be better spent to fashion an effort to remind the legislature and the judiciary to uphold their part of the contract of government.

Mr. Trump has already moved away from some of the strong language he unabashedly used to win office. That is a good thing.

Mr. Trump did not win a mandate on Election Day. He received fewer votes than Mitt Romney when he lost in 2012, but was successful because enough manufacturing and blue collar workers in the Rust Belt chose a real estate tycoon from Manhattan over Hillary Clinton, who actually won the popular vote.

She lost because her monumental unpopularity with voters caused her to get six million fewer votes than Barack Obama in 2012. The millennials who seem to enjoy a good protest rewarded Mr. Trump when they failed to support Hillary Clinton by more than 10 percentage points compared to the votes they gave Mr. Obama in 2012.

The election is over and it is time to make sure that Republicans who control Congress and the White House govern well. Our state legislature may need to stand up for New Yorkers on the national stage if necessary.

Mr. Trump’s win was based more on Hillary Clinton’s unpopularity than anything that he said or anything that she did. Mr. Trump did not gain the support of the mainstream GOP so he should be able to eschew partisan bickering completely and ignore demands from “his” own party.

A strong dollar, tariffs and trade wars will not restore America’s manufacturing sector but good deal-making, reduced federal spending and some sensible support for manufacturing especially in high tech industries will help the United States.

If he cannot deliver a reduction in spending, a reduction of paperwork and an end to the gridlock that typifies Washington D.C., then his campaign promises were no better that the promises made to Trump University students. Mr. Trump wisely settled all outstanding fraud claims from Trump U. for $25 million dollars.

Mr. Trump has promised to drain the swap of Washington D.C. and buck the bureaucracy that has reduced the federal government to a cycle of election and reelection, and taking care of corporate interests.

He must concentrate on creating opportunity and positive change rather than eliminating legislation already passed. People forget how Ronald Reagan promised to eliminate regulation, and lifted limits and restrictions on banking by savings and loan organizations that presaged a collapse of the thrift institutions followed by a federal bailout.

Some regulation is essential, some is good and some is onerous.  It is easier to improve or enhance regulations that have already been put in place than to eliminate rules completely and let chaos fill the vacuum.

Mr. Trump will be President Trump whether we like it or not and since that is a fact, the sooner all Americans can do something to ensure he gives the challenge his best effort, the sooner we can work on the problems that affect us all.

So far, since Election Day, Mr. Trump has tempered his divisive and emotional language and concentrated on his promises to manufacturing workers and reforming the culture of government in Washington, D.C. which should be a good thing for New York and America.

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