Trump, Musk Threaten Social Security

 By Mildred Robertson

The Trump administration is threatening to shut down the Social Security Administration (SSA), a benefits program that has served American retirees for the past 90 years. As part of the New Deal enacted in 1935 by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the SSA uses funds collected from workers’ paychecks to pay small monthly checks to retirees, the disabled, and other qualified recipients.  In its pledge to destroy the “deep state,” the Trump administration appears poised to ignore a court order that would stop Elon Musk’s DOGE from continuing to access sensitive Social Security data and go after SSA. This is contrary to his campaign pledge to leave SSA out of his agency-busting agenda. 

 Leland Dudek, recently selected to head this vital organization, appears to have sown chaos and destruction in the SSA during his short tenure.  Dudek has granted complete unconstrained access to American citizens’ most personal sensitive data to Elon Musk’s Department of Efficiency of the Government (DOGE).  As part of its cost-cutting plan, DOGE recently announced the closure of Social Security offices in 18 states. This initiative follows the release of a list detailing nearly 800 federal lease contracts set for cancellation. In addition, significant layoffs and financial adjustments across various federal agencies will alter the landscape of social services nationwide.  

While allegedly focusing on cost savings, federal agencies are being decimated by office closures and staff reductions that DOGE claims will result in lower operating costs. The potential challenges that staff reductions and office closures pose to beneficiaries unable to access services seem to garner little attention. Among those states currently under threat of closure of Social Security offices are New York, West Virginia, California, North Carolina, Arkansas, Ohio, Michigan, Texas, Wisconsin, and Nevada, among others.

In an unsubstantiated claim, DOGE alleges that millions of dead people are receiving Social Security benefits. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates 101,000 centenarians live in the U.S.  It also notes that, although there are 18.9 million people aged 100 or more without death information in the agency records those deceased individuals are not receiving benefits.

Musk claims that Social Security is a “Ponzi Scheme.” However, those receiving Social Security payments have paid into the system, thereby safeguarding their retirement security. The Trump administration’s move to eliminate this retiree-funded payout will adversely impact the most vulnerable among us.  

Musk overlooks all these disadvantages and suggests that recipients who cannot access their data online may soon be required to visit their local agency to prove their identity. In-person visits will be exacerbated by downsizing and office closures. It will likely result in longer wait times and a need for recipients to travel a great distance to find an office that can service them.

This will be particularly burdensome for the low-income, the elderly, and those with disabilities. According to reports from USA TODAY, the memo estimated that between 75,000 and 85,000 more people would need to visit Social Security offices each week if phone services weren't available. The Trump administration's solution is to close offices and lay off staff.

 Is this what the American public voted for? I think not; and what about the cost of eggs?

DOGE Threatens Democracy

 

By Mildred Robertson

Let’s start this conversation by discussing what DOGE is and is not.

Trump established The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) by Executive Order on January 20, 2025. It is supposed to modernize federal technology and software for maximum government efficiency. Instead, DOGE has taken a chainsaw to government agencies by decimating the workforce, shutting down offices, eliminating or reducing resources, and generally wreaking havoc throughout the federal government.

Many say an agency such as DOGE would need congressional approval. However, Trump created this entity through an Executive Order. He has no authority to allocate funds, so where does this agency get its resources? That power belongs to Congress.

While they appear not to have legal authority to do so, I don’t see it as bad that they purged the social security database of individuals no longer alive.  However, saying those people were actively being paid has been proven to be a lie. If a name is listed on a payroll account but that person is not receiving payment, then that is NOT government waste. An apt comparison would be if you found a match in a drawer as you cleaned the house, it would not mean the house is on fire. Accordingly, you cannot say you are recouping government funds when none are being spent. You are simply cleaning the database. 

That is what DOGE has done with social security. They have found some inefficiencies, but not widespread fraud or corruption. Are there individuals receiving social security payments to which they are not entitled? I am sure there are. A system as big as Social Security will likely have some discrepancies. It is good to look for and eliminate those discrepancies. But to trash the system that millions of Americans have paid into and rely on to secure their retirement is insanity. 

It also appears that DOGE has identified payees whom they claim are dead, who are alive and well, and dependent upon those payments to live. So, mistakes happen, right? Further, even if DOGE were more competent and efficient than the agencies under attack, it has no authority to shutter them.  Agencies established by Congress cannot be eliminated by the stroke of a pen. Federal workers cannot be summarily dismissed without following personnel procedures.  And, unelected officials cannot enact policies and procedures for the federal government.

At the end of the day, we will know whether our constitution is sufficient to maintain our freedom. We will see whether DOGE will be allowed to freely move forward, swinging its chainsaw throughout the federal government. We will see whether Congress and the judiciary will withstand the onslaught of a rouge administration.

If they do not, whether millions of Americans receive their unemployment benefits will be the least of our worries.

Threat of Violence Taints American Politics

 NC Senator Thom Tillis Targeted with Death Threats

By Mildred Robertson

This is despicable behavior. This is not the way politics is supposed to work. I hope that he and his family remain safe. In this hot political atmosphere, many must cope with threats on their lives and the lives of their families. There are judges, politicians, lawyers, media, and countless others who have found themselves in the crosshairs of violent individuals who feel they have the license to intimidate folks who disagree with them politically. 

While many politicians hide from their constituents behind form letters and Zoom calls, this is not the time for politicians to be cavalier in response to the voting public. However, these practices appear to be the chosen response to the constituent's concerns. Those letters likely only serve to heighten the political temperature. Constituents want to be heard.

I am a Democrat, but once the election was completed, I expected that my legislator would still want to hear from me and consider my input regardless of my party affiliation. When I contacted Tillis on legislation or political issues across the country, his response made it abundantly clear that the conversation was one-sided, and he only wanted YOU to hear his thoughts on the subject. He missed the point that he works for us.

If constituents take issue with his legislative agenda, he should take the time to truly listen and respond authentically instead of sending out form letters. I would prefer to get no response than receive the missives sent in response to my inquiries and complaints. (Tillis' responses at least attempt to imply that he hears you, unlike North Carolina Sen. Ted Budd's delayed and belittling responses.)

I reiterate, that although I disagree with almost every position Tillis holds, threats of violence should not be part of our political process. Unfortunately, our politics is inhabited by people who are either evil, unwell, or both. The mean, spiteful, and threatening discourse that leads to violence has been perfected by the man who currently sits atop American politics.

So I am sorry that Tillis and his family live under the threat of violence. He is not alone. Many progressive and conservative politicians currently experience this hateful turn in our political landscape. I wish for his safety and for others who have come under similar threats such as Nancy Pelosi, Kamala Harris, Joe Biden...

While I wish for his safety; I also wish for his wisdom and strength of character. I pray that he stands on what is right and not just what is expected by his Party and the man who would be king.

Fighting for Democracy

By Mildred Robertson

For almost every living creature, there comes a seminal moment that impacts the course of our lives. It may be choosing the love of your life or the college or university where you wish to pursue your education.  It might be who you vote for in an historic election, or perhaps more aptly, what you do when that election goes horribly awry.

I was born in 1952 on the cusp of the Civil Rights movement. In 1965 in the heart of that movement, I was not in control of my actions. My desire would have been to hop on a bus and head back to Mississippi to take an active part in wresting my liberty and that of my people from the hands of hateful racists. But my father had taken great pains to move our family from the heart of Dixie so that we would not be trapped in a racist community that would clip our wings and possibly take our lives. He had not been quiet in that environment, and he knew neither would we.

I am glad that he made the move. It was a loving and protective thing to do. But I remember sitting in front of the T.V. watching the marches in Selma and Montgomery. I can recall being inspired by the words of Doctor Martin Luther King. I also recollect being in awe of those people who laid their bodies down in front of hatred and danger, choosing to sacrifice their mortal selves just to be free. I envied them. Their strength. Their courage. I fantasized about whether I would have that same strength and courage…and envisioned that I would.

I was a child then with others to decide for me. That is not to say that we were not on the battlefield in Missouri, doing what we could to make a change. My older sisters led the local NAACP Chapter and fought housing discrimination in the 60’s. I remember passing out flyers and going to rallies. I might have been subject to racism; but not bodily harm or death. Our family continued to be active in civil rights and one sister actually acquired a seat on the national board of the NAACP. Today she still fights the battle through that organization.

Our nation is under threat of tyranny. Not only are we in danger of losing all those hard-fought victories of the Civil Rights Movement, but also the laws and policies that protect the diverse amalgamation of humans, male and female, Black, Brown, Asian, and White that make up this nation. It is our diversity that makes us strong. If we allow that to be destroyed, we will destroy America as we know it.

As I look back at that history, and see the sacrifices that others made I am led to consider the sacrifices necessary today. You see now America faces that same kind of seminal moment that our forbearers faced in the South. It is a moment when we must decide what kind of country we will be. It is a moment where we must determine whether our Constitution is just words on paper, or whether they are words worth fighting and dying for. Some things are.

Back in the 60’s people across America rose up to say “This is NOT who we are.” Together, Black and White, we met the moment. Now, as we face another such moment, each of us must consider what WE are willing to do to save our country. Are you willing to make the sacrifice?

Democrats Bring a Knife to a Gunfight

 By Mildred Robertson

Quiet and non-confrontational. That is what Democratic leadership called for during Trump’s 2025 State of the Union Address. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries wished for a “strong” and “dignified” presence at Trump’s speech.  However, Rep. Al Green could not hold his peace and disrupted Trump’s address. For that, he was escorted out of the Chamber and censured, even though Marjorie Taylor Green’s outburst during the Biden speech in 2024 went unpunished.

 

Several legislators walked out midway through Trump’s marathon fuss-fest, shedding their jackets to expose anti-Trump slogans. This act went mostly unnoticed as cameras didn’t bother to capture the “dignified” protest. 

But at least they did SOMETHING.

Al Green's protest resulted in censure by the chamber. Surprisingly 10 Democrats joined Republicans to censure Green.  This is in sharp contrast to the Republican response in 2024 When Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) yelled at Biden during his State of the Union address.   And let’s not forget Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.) who shouted, “You Lie!” during President Obama’s 2009 speech to Congress. While Wilson received a reprimand, he was not escorted from the Chamber. Nothing happened to Taylor-Green.

 

Clearly, a dignified State of the Union is preferable to chaos. However, there was no dignity in the marathon speech Trump delivered before the Joint Chamber. It was full of lies regarding the crisis on our southern border, trade tariffs aimed at former allies, the abandonment of Ukraine in its war against Russia, and the implementation of government efficiency headed by an unelected partisan.  This administration is busy disassembling American democracy.

While it is not time to be “strong” and “dignified” it IS time to be STRONG. This nationally televised address would have been the perfect time for the Democrats to implement a unified strategy that speaks to the jeopardy our country faces. There comes a time when you need to pull off your earrings, pull your hair back in a ponytail, kick off your shoes, and invite your opposition to “meet me outside.” 

I don't know, perhaps Democrats should have invited constituents to come to Washington D.C. to hold a rally during the speech. Maybe they should have staged anti-state-of-the-union protests in all fifty states and the territories. Perhaps they should have asked constituents to donate a dollar for every lie Trump told. Maybe they should have asked their supporters to simply turn the television off during the speech. 

It seems Democrats have gotten the dignity part down. But the strength part; that seems in short supply.  You just don't bring a knife to a gunfight. 

TRUMP'S POLARIZING INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMACY

 By Mildred Robertson

Since Donald Trump’s first term in office, he has undermined the alliances that have kept America safe since 911. He has belittled nations on both our northern and southern borders, threatening to make Canada our 51^st state, and vowing to reclaim the Panama Canal from the Panamanian government. He also has inquired whether he could make Greenland part of America in exchange for Puerto Rico.  And of course, there is the now infamous claim that the Gulf of Mexico is the Gulf of America.

These absurdities are nothing new on Trump’s part. He was a polarizing force in international diplomacy dating back to his first term starting in 2017.  According to the Pew Research Center, a sizable majority of respondents across 34 countries felt that Trump could not be trusted to do the right thing. A median of 69% of respondents found the then-president to be unreliable.

Not much has changed as he embarks upon his second term, wreaking havoc on the federal government, the military, domestic and international social programs, and international diplomacy. He has sidelined Congress, subverted government agencies, and intimidated Republicans into silence. The only remaining leg of the three-legged stool that represents our democracy also flounders in futility as Trump ignores Court rulings. This president has used his first 100 days in office to set the stage for a transactional America that only cares for its own bottom line. He shows disdain for the rule of law, and those meant to enforce it.

While American leadership appears to be cowering in Trump’s shadow some world leaders have had enough and are finally finding their voices. British Prime Minster Keir Starmer corrected the president during a joint press conference when he stated that America has “given” aid to Ukraine while European countries have only loaned to the embattled nation.  He further implied that America might not come to Britain’s aid if Russia were to attack and asked whether Britain could defend itself.

While taken aback by the question, during a Q&A with the media Starmer corrected Trump’s claim that European countries supporting Ukraine would “get their money back”. In a press conference with French President Emmanuel Macron Trump falsified the dollar amounts contributed by European countries to the war effort, stating that the United States had spent $350 billion in aid to Ukraine while Europe had only spent $100 billion.

On February 28, in a face-to-face meeting in the Oval Office, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky fell under attack when he balked at a bilateral mineral deal with America to maintain U.S. military support for his war effort. President Trump and his sidekick JD Vance tore into Zelensky, painting him as ungrateful for requesting security guarantees in return for the mineral rights the U.S. demanded in return for the possibility of continued support in the war effort. Trump suggested that he was capable of ending the war. 

Zelensky held his ground noting that Ukraine was at war with Russia and that it would be Russia and the Ukrainian people who would be at the negotiating table, with the U.S. and Europe as partners. Both Trump and Vance lectured the Ukrainian leader, calling him disrespectful for speaking up for himself and his country. During this exchange Trump bullied and mocked Zelensky, cursing and shouting at him. Ultimately, in a Truth Social post, it was noted that the deal was off. Zelensky left the White House and canceled a speech at the Hudson Institute. He appears to have had enough.

And he is not alone. All these leaders appear to have concluded that Trump is beyond reason and diplomacy is futile.  Therefore, they must prepare to face a world crisis without the United States, perhaps even AGAINST the United States. That is a scary proposition because that means that America will be left standing alone.

Serena Williams - Can't Dim Her Shine

Okay, total disclosure. I am not a football fan. I didn't watch the Super Bowl halftime in real-time, and I could not name one song by Kendrick Lamar or Drake. But I certainly know who Serena Williams is. 

This young woman has used her God-given talent to take her from the streets of Compton, CA to the heights of international dominance in her chosen field. Her task was not easy; complicated by the world-class athletes whom she handily defeated, to the systemic racism that placed obstacles in her path to domination of women's tennis worldwide.  

To belittle her Superbowl performance as a "get-back" at a former lover is an example of the lengths people will go through to besmirch this iconic athlete, entrepreneur, mother, wife, and yes, world-class champion. I saw her performance as a tribute to her roots. 

It amazes me that a woman who has conquered the tennis world, won 4 Olympic Gold Medals, launched the multimedia company "Nine Two Six Productions" and is entering a licensing deal with Wyn Beauty cosmetics still must fight the petty battles that society lays in her path. She has endorsement deals with over a dozen brands and is an active investor in a venture capital firm, Serena Venture. She is a co-founder of Will Perform, a startup that creates products for topical pain relief, and skin care. As though all of that were not enough, she released a children's book in 2022 and is part-owner of the Miami Dolphins. This young woman is prolific. 

I said that to say this. Serena Williams is likely not checking for a former lover. Her eyes are undoubtedly focused on a much higher target than a simple slap back at an ex who may be thinking right now that he probably should have kept her.  Her Superbowl performance was a get-back, but not at Drake. 

She let the world know that no matter how people try, they can't dim her shine. 

Shine on, queen!