The nation and the world join in seeing the end of the dismal year 2020. There have been 1.8 million COVID deaths world-wide, and over 354,000, and rising, US deaths. Our 4% of world population with 19% of the world’s deaths speaks to total failure of the Trump administration that had dismissed this raging pandemic as a hoax.
The US unemployment rate hovers around a dismal 6.7%, with food insecurity not seen since the Great Depression of the 1930s. People who never conceived of having to depend on public assistance for food, small businesses closed with many never to reopen, and low wage employed workers risking their lives for income barely sufficient to pay their bills — all are stark evidence of an economy that is not functioning to serve a large share of our people.
Against this dismal situation, major financial indices hit record highs at the end of 2020. This sounds good for those fortunate enough to have stocks and retirement funds. But many do not. The nation’s billionaires have further increased their wealth during 2020. With this, financial gurus on Fox News gush over how Trump is handing over to the Biden administration a “strong economy.” This disparity in views is symptomatic of national division on just about everything.
Growing inequality of income and wealth has been with us for decades. But the pandemic along with the Trump administration’s regressive policies have exacerbated it. Clearly, the major task of the Biden administration is to get this pandemic under control, led by rapid vaccination, testing, and tracing. But opening up the economy is just the beginning. Income inequality must be addressed, including insuring affordable health care for all, and a more equitable tax system.
Clearly, Biden will have a full plate as the administration must also deal with racial strife, including criminal justice reform and expanding the ability of police forces to deal with drug problems and domestic disputes; immigration issues; foreign affairs; climate change; and environmental issues, including those that require world-wide cooperation. Trump didn’t invent these problems, but his sheer ignorance and bull-in-a-china closet approach to these problems has set the nation back.
Another worrisome cloud is the effort of Trump and his fawning sycophants to overturn the results of the election and delegitimize the Biden presidency. Even the most cynical among us could not have imagined powerful leaders of a major American political party insisting that the Vice President, in a traditional ceremonial exercise, has the power to deny election results that have been counted, re-counted, audited, verified, litigated, and certified by the states.
Vice President Pence’s role in the ceremonial congressional exercise of formalizing the election results is akin to the emcee of Hollywood Oscar awards opening the envelope, not to decide, but merely announce, the winner. Pence certainly realizes that such unprecedented congressional dissent is damaging and will not affect final result. But with his typical obsequiousness, rather than further enrage Trump he “welcomes” the dissent.
Among the most ignorant Senators toadying up to Trump is Wisconsin’s Senator Ron Johnson. His babbling incoherent performance on the January 3 edition of “Meet the Press” was a total embarrassment. Other dissident Republican senators were savvy enough to decline invitations to show up on that program to defend the indefensible.
With circular logic, create dissention and insist that the election was rife with fraud. Then when constituents pick up the line, insist that we must investigate “to satisfy the public.”
Adding to the difficulty of the Biden administration is the common tendency of Democrats to be more effective at tearing each other apart than battling Republicans. No matter Biden’s efforts, it will be impossible to satisfy all Democrats with whatever combination of ethnic, gender, experienced vs. new, and moderate vs. progressive nominees he names to his administration
In contrast to cooperation with incoming presidents by previous Democratic and Republican presidents leaving the White House, the Trump administration is predictably exercising obstruction, making the transition as difficult as possible. But Biden can’t control that; he will have to use his experience and talent to work through it, proving that with assistance of his team that it can be done. Biden is not of the ignorant “I, alone, can fix it” mentality. Competent administrators rely on the advice and assistance of the most qualified and talented.
In this, there is reason for some hope and optimism. Those named to Biden’s economic team are experienced, competent economists, including the widely respected former Fed chief, Janet Yellen as Treasury Secretary.
Former Michigan governor, Jennifer Granholm, now an adjunct professor at UC Berkeley, has long been a student of energy. She will be Secretary of Energy.
Former Iowa Governor, Tom Vilsack, knows agriculture. His previous experience as Secretary of Agriculture, including a glitch, has made him savvier, and unlikely to make political mistakes.
Nominee for Secretary of Interior is New Mexico Congresswoman, Deb Haaland, making history as the first Native American named as a cabinet head. She will end the rape of public lands by Trump and the energy companies.
Biden’s nominee for EPA Administrator, Michael Regan, has a solid environmental record of achievement in conservative North Carolina.
Biden’s selection for Director of Office of Management and Budget, Neera Tanden, is superbly qualified. Republicans consider her to be “too partisan.” Trump’s OMB Director, Mark Meadows, is very partisan, but as is customary with today’s Republican Senators what’s good for the goose is not necessarily good for the gander.
Biden’s selection for domestic policy advisor, Susan Rice, is smart and tough. As she doesn’t sit still for their cheap shots, Republicans despise her. Unfortunately for carping Republicans, that position doesn’t require Senate confirmation.
The key position of Chief of White House Staff will be held by the experienced and widely respected Ron Klain.
In contrast to Trump’s incompetent and all too corrupt team, these early nominees are men and woman of experience, intelligence, and integrity. And they actually believe in the missions of their respective departments and a positive role for government.
— John Waelti of Monroe, a retired professor of economics, can be reached at jjwaelti1@tds.net. His column appears Saturdays in the Monroe Times.
