President-elect Donald Trump made faster economic growth one of his major campaign themes and the direction of Trumponomics is already beginning to take shape. His major cabinet choices so far auger well for the fundamental changes which are needed to speed up economic growth:
- Steven Mnuchin for Treasury. Mr. Mnuchin says that “the number one problem with Dodd-Frank is that it is way too complicated and cuts back lending.” Making loans is “the engine of growth to small- and medium-sized businesses.” He also believes that 3% – 4% GDP growth is possible with tax and regulatory reform.
- Tom Price for Health and Human Services. Mr. Price has some excellent ideas for getting American healthcare straightened out, in order to make it more consumer-oriented as well as less costly for individuals, businesses and the government (i.e. the taxpayers).
- Scott Pruitt for the Environmental Protection Agency. Mr. Pruitt is a lawyer who has fought EPA overreach as the Attorney General of Oklahoma. Mr. Pruitt will end up improving the environment because “he will make sure that the rules issued by the EPA are rooted in law and thus won’t be overturned in court.”
- Betsy DeVos for Education. Ms. DeVos, a school reformer from Michigan, is a strong supporter of vouchers and charter schools. K-12 school reform is absolutely essential to better prepare low-income and minority students for the high tech and global economy which awaits them after graduation.
- General James Mattis for Defense and Senator Jeff Sessions for Attorney General are also excellent choices for strengthening America’s national security and moral fabric.
Conclusion. I have been advocating fundamental changes in fiscal and economic policy for years now and, thanks to the election of Donald Trump, things are moving rapidly in this direction. It is a good time to be optimistic about the future of our country.
It Does Not Add Up 
Jack,
I don’t believe our political views could be in greater opposition to one another. But I am glad that I know and like you. I follow your political philosophy; however, for the life of me, I do not see how you integrate your moral notions of helping one another with your political-economic judgments. For example, how would or could any of those members selected be of help for the students you help at Wakonda? I know of no charter school that has consistently done well with that group of minority and lower class children. Second, how could one make a profit be feasible for helping these children? Third, who could or would pay for the time and effort needed, knowing full well the amount of time, patience and effort required?
And finally ,is there a ‘Tiny Tim’ present in Trump or any of his associates? In short, may the spirit of Christianity reach their hearts!
Doug
The fact is that some charter schools, not all but SOME, are doing very well. See, e.g. http://www.wsj.com/articles/a-bay-state-referendum-on-charter-schools-1474932876
More tomorrow!
Jack,
I read the opening remarks. But come on. A newspaper article is hardly social scientific proof. I have not run across any long term studies that indicate any greater success than most public schools. And then usually it is the opposite. I am looking for journal articles from the academic world. Only there are we going to find some sense of fairness or balanced research.
Doug
See my latest post for an academic reference on charters.
Jack,
I don’t know how to go back on this website. But I think as we proceed in our Tuesday night groups, this question of education will come up in future meetings. There are so many problems in the school systems that neither system public or private knows how to address the severity of the problem. If you can identify a particular study that shows the overall effects of either approach, I will be glad to pursue it.
Doug
The CREDO study linked to in my post:https://itdoesnotaddup.com/2016/12/13/do-charter-schools-improve-k-12-education/ is a good general study on charter schools.
My basic attitude is that since public schools are failing in so many big cities, it is just natural to try alternatives such as charter schools in these places. They can’t hurt and they may help a lot. Give families a choice and let them decide what works best!