Trump failures should be exposed

I’d like to thank the author of a letter a few weeks back in which he validated the passions and how committed so many of us are of both parties, including moderate Chester County Republican voters, to exposing a President who is more popular among the KKK and white nationalists than he is many congressional members of his own party.

Also interesting is how the writer exposes the hypocrisy of his Republican party whose far-right, me-first tea party crowd had similar passions 8 years ago, when they accomplished exactly what Republicans know is likely to happen in next year’s mid-terms - a strong repudiation of the extremist agenda of those in power, now the White House billionaire and the Freedom Caucus.

Theirs is an agenda that repudiates climate change, proposes to change tax laws to benefit the super-wealthy, seeks to overturn health care protecting those with pre-existing conditions, blocks internet privacy (what happened to keeping the government out of our personal lives?), overturns fuel-efficiency standards, allows financial service professionals to put their own interest ahead of their clients’ and has made it easier for individuals with mental health conditions to buy firearms.

And of course, 8 years ago, the far right was trying to send a message to a young President who ended up rescuing the country from economic collapse and eventually accomplished so much in his Presidency, as opposed to what this new President has done, which is a historic disaster in his first 100 days, unless one counts piling up the most strokes on a golf course.

This is a President who has been in office 3 months and hasn’t even named a Deputy Secretary for Defense or State.

But he has had time to send out close to 900 tweets, so he’s got that going for him.

That and dozens of executive orders, most of which run completely contrary to what most clear-thinking voters want from the White House.

I’m old enough to remember when Republicans thought executive orders were unconstitutional, like 100 days ago. Jamie McVickar West Vincent Township

Restore Penn Vet funding

Many Pennsylvanians trust their beloved pets to the care of their local veterinarian because they know veterinarians provide compassionate care for companion animals.

However, fewer Pennsylvanians are aware of the important role veterinarians play in protecting the food supply and supporting public health.

Whether caring for a family pet or eradicating disease that would adversely impact the food supply, your Pennsylvania veterinarian was likely educated at the only veterinary school in the state – The University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine (Penn Vet).

Since its inception, Penn Vet has received funding from Pennsylvania that is until the most recent state budget proposal.

That funding has supported the education of students like me, who face significant financial barriers.

We must restore funding to Penn Vet immediately. Here’s why: The protection of our food supply is critical.

Penn Vet’s swine disease surveillance programs cover 1.29 million hogs on 547 farms, reducing the spread of disease. Nearly 300 dairy herds in Pennsylvania utilize Penn’s Dairy Analyzer computer program, increasing the amount of milk produced to between 23,000 to 32,000 pounds of milk (significantly higher than the 20,000-pound average), which is critical in a world with more mouths to feed and fewer animals to produce that food.

Finally, the $10,000 annual subsidy provided to Pennsylvania students like me helps to reduce the average of $193,570 in debt faced by veterinarians upon graduation.

These are just a few examples. Let’s take the proper steps to ensure we have a safe and healthy food supply for all Pennsylvanians and that we continue to have the veterinarians needed to protect that food supply.

Our legislators must restore Penn Vet’s 2017-18 funding in the state budget. Bernadette Lynn

Downingtown