The Horrors and Destruction that Donald Trump Has Imposed On America...Just Kidding! Part 5

Before we start today’s discussion, let’s review my voting history: 

• I have never voted for a Republican for President in my life. 
• Thus, I did not vote for Trump. 
• I have rarely voted for a Republican for national office in my life. 

A year ago, many liberals, Democrats, and millenials were besides themselves with grief and fear because their pre-ordained queen, Hillary Clinton, was not elected President. Instead, Donald Trump was elected, an individual that these same people despised, hated, and feared, an individual they felt would endanger and possibly destroy the country and our democracy. For the past year they fretted, worried and lashed out at anything or anyone that even remotely smelled of Donald Trump.

Given that Trump has been in office for a year, I thought, that as someone who did not vote for him, it would be a good idea to review the horror, trauma, and terrible things that Trump has subjected the country to in just one short year. The four previous posts we did on this topic identified 100 good things that have happened since Trump became President:

https://loathemygovernment.blogspot.com/2017/12/the-horrors-and-destruction-that-donald.html

https://loathemygovernment.blogspot.com/2017/12/the-horrors-and-destruction-that-donald_31.html

https://loathemygovernment.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-horrors-and-destruction-that-donald.html

https://loathemygovernment.blogspot.com/2018/01/the-horrors-and-destruction-that-donald_27.html

I wanted to do another update to the good things that have come about during the first year of the Trump Presidency, something that Democrats and liberals never thought would happen. Today’s discussion is based on an analysis from the Americans For Tax Relief (ATR) website at:

https://www.atr.org/list

ATR has been compiling the number of companies that have given back to their employees, customers, customers, and shareholders as a result of the Trump tax cuts. Their analysis identified the following benefits of Trump’s tax cuts:

• Over 340 companies have already announced benefits to employees, charities, customers, and shareholders as a result of the tax cuts.
• Many of these companies have given their employees one time benefits ranging up to $3,000 per employee.
• Many of these companies raised the hourly wage levels of their employees.
• Many of these companies decreased the cost of health care that their employees and their families have had to pay.
• Many of these companies increased the amount they are contributing to their employees’ 401k plans.
• Many of these companies have given free stock shares to their employees.
• Many of these companies have increased the amount of investment they invest for employee training and education.
• Many of these companies have announced new hiring plans for their companies.
• Many of these companies have increased the amount of money they will be donating to charities.
• Many of these companies are passing their tax savings along to their customers.
• Many of these companies have done multiple things from the above list, e.g. increased wages, gave bonuses, AND increased charitable giving.

These benefits ranged from small companies to large companies, from local businesses to multinational companies, from publicly owned companies to privately owned companies, from manufacturing companies to service companies to banks.

Some of the companies giving back to their employees and the economy that ATR identified include:

- 1A Auto, Inc. (Westford, Massachusetts) -- bonuses for all full-time employees

- 1st Source Corporation (South Bend, Indiana) -- 10 shares of stock; base pay increases, higher tuition reimbursements.

- 1st Summit Bank (Johnstown, Pennsylvania) – $1,000 bonuses to full-time employees; salary raises; increased charitable donations.

- AaLadin Industries, Inc. (Elk Point, South Dakota) – Bonuses of $250 - $1,000 based on length of service; base wage raised; increased capital expenditures.

- AAON (Tulsa, Oklahoma) – this heating and cooling firm gave $1,000 bonus checks to 2,000 employees.

- AbbVie, Inc. (North Chicago, Illinois) -- permanent salary increases for all non-executive employees; increased profit sharing for employees; one additional holiday for U.S. employees.

- AccuWeather (State College, Pennsylvania) – year-end bonuses to all employees. (Approx. 450 – 500 employees)

- Adams Community Bank (Adams, Massachusetts) -- $1,000 bonuses for full-time employees; $500 bonuses for part-time employees; base wage raised to $13.25 per hour; other wage increases; increased charitable contributions, increased capital expenditures, reduction in employees’ cost of medical and dental costs.

- Advance Financial (Nashville, Tennessee) – increase in 401(k) match; increase in profit sharing; increase in charitable donations.

- Advanced Sciences and Technologies, LLC (Berlin, New Jersey) – increased 401(k) match for employee.

- Aflac (Columbus, Georgia) – increase 401(k) match from 50% to 100% on the first 4% of compensation plus one-time $500 contribution to every employee’s 401(k); $250 million increase in overall U.S. investment.

- Alaska Air Group (Seattle, Washington) -- $1,000 bonuses for 23,000 employees:

- Albert Lea Public Warehouse (Albert Lea, Minnesota) – $2,000 bonuses for all 12 employees.

- Ally Financial Inc. (Charlotte, North Carolina) -- $1,000 bonuses to employees and increases to charitable donations by $6 million.

- Altria Group Inc. (Richmond, Virginia) – $3,000 bonus to approximately 7,900 non-executive level employees, a total of $24 million in bonuses and increased charitable contributions.

- Amarillo National Bank (Amarillo, Texas) – $1,000 salary increases for over 300 employees and investment in current properties..

- Ameren Illinois (Chicago, Illinois) – the utility requested that tax savings be passed onto customers.

- Americollect (Manitowoc, Wisconsin) $300 - $500 bonuses for 250 employees

- American Airlines (Ft. Worth, Texas) -- $1,000 bonuses for every employee (excluding officers). The bonuses will total $130 million. AA had 127,600 employees as of Sept. 2017. It will also increase investment in its facilities.

- American Bank (Allentown, Pennsylvania) – $1,000 bonuses for 60 employees.

- American Community Bank & Trust (Woodstock, Illinois) -- $500 bonus to each employee; additional employees will be hired

- American Express (New York, New York) -- $200 million additional investments for customer-facing growth initiatives; increased contributions to employee profit-sharing plans; $200 million higher investment.

- American Family Insurance (Madison, Wisconsin): 11,000 workers will receive a $1,000 bonus and the company will increase charitable donations.

- American Savings Bank (Honolulu, Hawaii)– $1,000 bonuses to 1,150 employees; base wage increase from $12.21 to $15.25.

- AndyMark, Inc. (Kokomo, Indiana) – This mechanical and electrical parts supplier will be able to expand the business and hire more employees thanks to tax reform.

- Anfinson Farm Store (Cushing, Iowa) -- $1,000 bonuses and 5% pay raises for employees.

- Anthem -- $1,000 in extra 401(k) contributions for 58,000 employees.

- Apple (Cupertino, California) -- $2,500 employee bonuses in the form of restricted stock units; $30 billion in additional capital expenditures over five years; 20,000 new employees will be hired; increased support of coding education and science, technology, engineering, arts, and math; increased support for U.S. manufacturing.

- APPS Portamedic (Bellevue, Washington) – employee bonuses.

- Aquesta Financial Holdings (Cornelius, North Carolina) -- $1,000 bonuses to 95 employees; base wage hike to $15 per hour

- AR-15 Gun Owners of America (Warner Robins, Georgia) – tax reform bonuses; increased salaries for all employees.

- Arizona Public Service (Phoenix, Arizona) -- the utility requested a $119 million bill reduction for customers due to tax reform:

- Associated Bank (Green Bay, Wisconsin) – $500 employee bonuses (exact number receiving bonus unknown at this time); base wage will rise from $10 to $15 per hour.

- AT&T (Dallas, Texas) -- $1,000 bonuses to 200,000 employees; $1 billion increase in capital expenditures.

- Atlantic Packaging (Wilmington, North Carolina) -- $1,000 bonuses for 1,000 employees.

- Atlas Air Worldwide (Purchase, New York) -- $1,000 bonuses to 3,100 employees.

- AutoNation – doubling of 401(k) match; launch of cancer benefit program and a $5,000 cash benefit if an employee or family member gets cancer.

- AVANGRID (Orange, Connecticut) – the utility is passing savings from tax reform to customers.

At this point we got tired of listing the hundreds of companies that ATR identified in its tracking and analysis. As you can see, we stopped at the letter “A”, the ATR website article went on to list companies that began with “B” to companies whose name started with a “Z”. You can go to the ATR website listed above where you can also read the press releases that most of these companies put out describing how the Trump tax cuts were the driving force for all of these good outcomes for Americans and America.

So for those of you that feared the end of the world with Trump’s election, here is a list of many companies that benefited from Trump’s tax cuts in addition to the over 100 other benefits we listed in the four previous posts on this topic. Let’s be honest Trump haters, he has done a pretty good job in just the first twelve months of his term.

Given your gross error in judgment relative to Trump, let me ask that you to do us all a favor by implementing the following changes in your behavior and attitude:

• Chill out, tamp down your TDS affliction. No matter how much you hate Trump on a sexist, personal basis, get over it. He is the legally and duly elected President, he will be around for a while so refocus your hatred on more constructive issues and matters. You will live a lot longer if you take your hatred out of your heart and soul and devote it to something positive.
• I would really appreciate it if some of you would apologize to the Trump voters you have disrespected in some of the grossest terms possible over the past year. You have called millions of voters racists, ignorant, stupid, Nazis, KKK members, and other horrible names simply because you disagreed with their voting choice. No American should be called such disgusting names simply because they exercised their Constitutional rights to the best of their abilities. Plus, slandering over 60 million Americans is no way to unite the country and get it focused on the real issues facing us all.
• More personally, I would like, no I am demanding, an apology from some of you for your slanderous and disgusting name calling because in doing so, you insulted and disrespected my sister, my family members, my friends, and my co-workers who simply voted their conscience. I will defend their right to vote anyway they wanted and will no put up with your childish and vicious venom and bile directed at them, very important people in my life
• And finally, I challenge you to read the following blog post, a post that shows quite clearly that it was hateful people like some of you and your silence during the Obama years that actually caused Trump to be elected. Thus, the people you hate for voting for Trump are actually looking back at you in the mirror:

https://loathemygovernment.blogspot.com/2016/03/how-american-liberals-and-washington.html

If you were silent in the dozens of instances listed in this post then you were responsible for the very thing you hate: a Trump Presidency. Or put another way, a so far successful and productive Trump Presidency. Over 100 accomplishments in less than a year is not too shabby despite many of wanting both Trump and the country to fail.

Our book, "Love My Country, Loathe My Government - Fifty First Steps To Restoring Our Freedom And Destroying The American Political Class" is now available at:

www.loathemygovernment.com

It is also available online at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Please pass our message of freedom onward. Let your friends and family know about our websites and blogs, ask your library to carry the book, and respect freedom for both yourselves and others everyday.

Please visit the following sites for freedom:

Term Limits Now: http://www.howmuchworsecoulditget.com
http://www.reason.com
http://www.cato.org
http://www.bankruptingamerica.org
http://www.conventionofstates.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08j0sYUOb5w

The Horrors and Destruction that Donald Trump Has Imposed On America...Just Kidding! Part 3

Before we start today’s discussion, let’s review my voting history: 

• I have never voted for a Republican for President in my life. 
• Thus, I did not vote for Trump. 
• I have rarely voted for a Republican for national office in my life. 

A year ago, many liberals, Democrats, and millenials were besides themselves with grief and fear because their pre-ordained queen, Hillary Clinton, was not elected President. Instead, Donald Trump was elected, an individual that these same people despised, hated, and feared, an individual they felt would endanger and possibly destroy the country and our democracy. For the past year they fretted, worried and lashed out at anything or anyone that even remotely smelled of Donald Trump.

Given that Trump has been in office for a year and we are at the end of that calendar year, I thought, that as someone who did not vote for him, it would be a good idea to review the horror, trauma, and terrible things that Trump has subjected the country to in just one short year. The first two posts we did on this topic identified 62 things that have happened since Trump became President:

https://loathemygovernment.blogspot.com/2017/12/the-horrors-and-destruction-that-donald.html

https://loathemygovernment.blogspot.com/2017/12/the-horrors-and-destruction-that-donald_31.html

The following list adds to those initial 62 successes:

1) After a two year increase in big city murders in the last two years under the Obama administration, the country’s overall murder rate in big cities declined in 2017 under Trump with New York City experiencing 290 murders, the lowest number since 1951, and Los Angeles having its 8th consecutive year in which murders were under 300.

2) Under the Trump economy, the African American unemployment rate has fallen to the lowest level in at least 45 years, 6.8% according to CNBC reporting and the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

3) According to Reuters, the US economy in Trump’s first year as President added 2 million jobs despite the depression of job creation because of the hurricanes of 2017.

4) Many of the new jobs were in higher paying industries such as construction, professional and business services, and manufacturing vs. lower paying retail industry which saw a slight loss in jobs.

5) According to Paul Bedard, reporting for the Washington Examiner on January 4, 2018, the number of companies that have given bonuses to their employees, increased their charitable donations, or reinvested into their company as a result of the Trump tax cut is now over at least 100 companies including, but limited to:

1. We have previously covered how AT&T, Boeing, Fifth Third Bank,Wells Fargo, and Comcast have given employees and charities billions of dollars from the Trump tax cuts.
2. AAON — $1,000 bonus checks to 2,000 employees.
3. AccuWeather – year-end bonuses to all employees. (Approx. 450 – 500 employees)
4. Aflac – increase 401(k) match from 50% to 100% on the first 4% of compensation plus one-time $500 contribution to every employee’s 401(k); $250 million increase in overall U.S. investment.
5. American Airlines — $1,000 bonuses for every employee (excluding officers). The bonuses will total $130 million. AA had 127,600 employees as of Sept. 2017.
6. American Bank – $1,000 bonuses for 60 employees
7. American Savings Bank – $1,000 bonuses to 1,150 employees; base wage increase from $12.21 to $15.25
8. Americacollect – $300 - $500 bonuses for 250 employees
9. Aquesta Financial Holdings — $1,000 bonuses to 95 employees; base wage hike to $15 per hour
10. Associated Bank – $500 employee bonuses (exact number receiving bonus unknown at this time); base wage will rise from $10 to $15 per hour
11. Bank of Hawaii – $1,000 bonuses to 2,074 employees; base wage increase from $12 to $15
12. Bank of the Ozarks – Bonuses of up to $1,200 for 2,300 employees
13. BB&T – $1,200 bonuses for 27,000 employees; base wage will rise from $12 to $15 per hour; $100 million in charitable donations
14. Canary LLC – due to tax reform, the company will hire more employees and increase capital spending.
15. Central Pacific Bank – all 850 employees will receive $1,000 bonuses; base wage will rise from $12 to $15.25
16. Citizens Financial Group — $1,000 bonuses for 12,500 employees and $10 million for charitable donations
17. Comerica Bank — $1,000 to 4,500 non-officer employees; base wage increase to $15 per hour
18. Community Trust Bancorp — $1,000 bonuses for full time employees and $500 bonuses for part-time employees (exact number receiving bonus unknown at this time)
19. Copperleaf Assisted Living – $200 - $600 bonuses for 175 employees
20. Dayton T. Brown Inc. (engineering/testing company) — $400 bonuses for each of the 210 employees
21. Delaware Supermarkets Inc. — $150 extra bonuses to 1,000 non-management personnel.
22. Express Employment Professionals — $2,000 bonuses to more than 200 non-executive employees
23. First Hawaiian Bank – $1,500 bonuses to 2,264 employees; base wage increase to $15
24. First Horizon National Corp. – $1,000 bonuses to 4,000 employees
25. Gate City Bank — $1,000 hand-delivered bonus checks to 538 non-management personnel; $500,000 higher charitable giving; $500,000 worth of free home appraisals.
26. INB Bank — $500 bonuses to 200 employees. The bonuses will exclude the Senior Management Team. The base wage will be raised to $15 per hour
27. Kansas City Southern — $1,000 bonuses. (Exact number receiving bonus unknown at this time; the company employs 6,485)
28. Melaleuca – all 2,000 employees will receive a $100 bonus for each year they have worked at the company
29. National Bank Holdings Corporation – $1,000 bonuses for employees making less than $50,000 (exact number receiving bonus unknown at this time)
30. Nationwide Insurance — $1,000 bonuses to 29,000 employees; increased 401(k) matching contributions for 33,000 employees
31. Navient – 98% of Navient’s 6,700 employees will receive a $1,000 bonus (approx. 6,566 bonus-eligible employees)
32. Nelnet — $1,000 bonuses for 4,100 employees
33. OceanFirst Financial Corp. – base wage increase to $15 per hour
34. Ohnward Bancshares — $1,000 bonuses for all 260 employees
35. Pinnacle Bank — $1,000 bonuses for 1,007 employees
36. PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. — $1,000 bonuses to 47,500 employees; an additional $1,500 in employee pension accounts; base wage hike to $15; $200 million charitable contribution
37. Regions Financial Corporation – base wage increase to $15 per hour; $40 million in charitable donations; $100 million in capital expenditures
38. Rush Enterprises – $1,000 bonuses for all 6,600 employees
39. Sinclair Broadcast Group — $1,000 bonuses for 9,000 employees
40. Southwest Airlines — $1,000 bonuses for all 55,000 employees; $5 million additional charitable donations
41. TCF Financial Corporation — $1,000 bonuses for full time employees; $500 bonuses for part time employees (exact number receiving bonus unknown at this time);
42. The Flood Insurance Agency — $1,000 bonuses for 17 full time employees
43. Territorial Savings Bank — $1,000 bonuses to 247 employees; base wage hike from $11.25 to $15.00 per hour
44. Turning Point Brands, Inc. — $1,000 bonuses for 107 employees
45. Unity Bank – all 200 non-executive employees will receive a $750 bonus
46. U.S. Bancorp – $1,000 bonuses for 60,000 employees; base wage hike to $15 per hour; $150 million charitable contribution

This list does not include the hundreds if not thousands of small and medium sized businesses that are also rewarding their employees, their charities, and their operations with increased benefits and rewards. And remember, these bonus payments are also in addition to the lower tax levels that the Trump tax cuts will incur for over 100 million working Americans and their families.

To see Mr. Bedard’s entire article that also includes the press releases praising the tax cuts go to the following link:

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/over-100-companies-giving-trump-bonuses-after-tax-victory-tsunami-building/article/2644944
So for those of you that feared the end of the world with Trump’s election, here is a list of more 49 Trump benefits and accomplishments to go with the list of 62 accomplishments we published a few days ago. Let’s be honest Trump haters, he has done a pretty good job in just the first twelve months of his term.

Given your gross error in judgement relative to Trump, let me ask that you to do us all a favor by implementing the following changes in your behavior and attitude:

• Chill out, tamp down your TDS affliction. No matter how much you hate Trump on a sexist, personal basis, get over it. He is the legally and duly elected President, he will be around for a while so refocus your hatred on more constructive issues and matters. You will live a lot longer if you take your hatred out of your heart and soul and devote it to something positive.
• I would really appreciate it if some of you would apologize to the Trump voters you have disrespected in some of the grossest terms possible over the past year. You have called millions of voters racists, ignorant, stupid, Nazis, KKK members, and other horrible names simply because you disagreed with their voting choice. No American should be called such disgusting names simply because they exercised their Constitutional rights to the best of their abilities. Plus, slandering over 60 million Americans is no way to unite the country and get it focused on the real issues facing us all.
• More personally, I would like, no I am demanding, an apology from some of you for your slanderous and disgusting name calling because in doing so, you insulted and disrespected my sister, my family members, my friends, and my co-workers who simply voted their conscience. I will defend their right to vote anyway they wanted and will no put up with your childish and vicious venom and bile directed at them, very important people in my life
• And finally, I challenge you to read the following blog post, a post that shows quite clearly that it was hateful people like some of you and your silence during the Obama years that actually caused Trump to be elected. Thus, the people you hate for voting for Trump are actually looking back at you in the mirror:

https://loathemygovernment.blogspot.com/2016/03/how-american-liberals-and-washington.html

If you were silent in the dozens of instances listed in this post then you were responsible for the very thing you hate: a Trump Presidency. Or put another way, a so far successful and productive Trump Presidency. Over 100 accomplishments in less than a year is not too shabby despite many of wanting both Trump and the country to fail.

Our book, "Love My Country, Loathe My Government - Fifty First Steps To Restoring Our Freedom And Destroying The American Political Class" is now available at:

www.loathemygovernment.com

It is also available online at Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Please pass our message of freedom onward. Let your friends and family know about our websites and blogs, ask your library to carry the book, and respect freedom for both yourselves and others everyday.

Please visit the following sites for freedom:


http://www.reason.com
http://www.cato.org
http://www.bankruptingamerica.org
http://www.conventionofstates.com
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08j0sYUOb5w