Budget plan reveals different set of priorities

A funny thing happened to all those people who supported Donald Trump as he turned the political world upside down and captured the White House.

They won the election, but they may have lost the war.

Trump the president does not seem to remember those he appealed to as Trump the candidate. Or so it seems. Trump gave a voice to those who felt disenfranchised, those disillusioned with the system, those who felt they no longer had a voice, who believed those in power did not listen to them any more.

How’s that working out for you

Trump promised to Make America Great Again, an appeal that resonated to the largely white, middle-class, rural voting bloc who firmly believed their elected officials, the so-called elite, literally looked down on them from their perches in the urban centers of the East andWest Coast.

President Trump has not wasted any time in following up on his campaign promises.

But on two key issues, it is those very disillusioned voters who seem to be the target, not the beneficiaries, of his wrath.

Trump and Republicans vowed that Job One once they took over the White House would be the dismantling of the hated signature legislation of President Obama.

They vowed to quickly repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, which they constantly derided as Obamacare.

When House Speaker Paul Ryan rolled out the American Health Care Plan, a couple of things became immediately clear: This was not repeal. Conservatives actually blasted the plan as ‘Obamacare Lite.’

And it would not exactly be beneficial to a lot of those citizens who backed Trump.

The plan would allow insurers to boost the costs for senior citizens, leading Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf to brandish it as little more than an “age tax.”

Then the president got serious. He rolled out a budget blueprint that gave new meaning to the word “draconian.”

But it was not only the size and the scope of the proposed cuts, it was who stood to be hurt: All those proud Trump supporters in their red Make America Great Again hats.

For instance, Trump is seeking to eliminate funding for the Appalachian Regional Commission, which for half a century has been a lifeline for a better life in one of the nation’s most impoverished regions. A region that voted overwhelmingly for Donald Trump.

Community Development Block Grants? Gone.

By the way, Delaware County received $3.5 million in CDBG funds last year. Chester County got another $2.3 million.

Maybe one of the most heartless excisions would serve up Meals on Wheels on the Trump sacrificial budget platter. It’s an essential social service that has provided a lifeline – both physically and mentally – to elderly and needy Americans.

Very often it is the only decent meal and social interaction these seniors get. President Trump wants to dump it.

The Environmental Protection Agency? Which guarantees clean air and water?

Trump would slash their funding by 30 percent.

Agriculture? A 21 percent hit

How do you think that will play in rural America, where so many voters believed a vote for Trump was a vote for change. This is not likely the change they had in mind.

The big winners under the Trump plan? Not surprising it’s defense and national security.

Luckily for Trump Nation, the real estate tycoon and reality TV host does not get the final decision on the budget.

He recommends a spending plan. But the purse strings are controlled by Congress.

Even moderates like U.S. Rep. Pat Meehan, R-7, who represents parts of Berks, Montgomery, Delaware and Chester counties, were taken aback.

“Budgets are about priorities, and the budget request submitted to Congress reflects a different set of priorities than ones I’ve set,” Meehan said.

“The Constitution gives Congress the power of the purse. As the budget process continues, I’ll keep on fighting to ensure we’re both making good use of taxpayer dollars and funding the services and programs important to Pennsylvania families.”

All those folks who thought their vote was going to make America great again no doubt would appreciate that.

They might be thinking they heard it wrong.

They might be thinking Trump was merely going to make America grate again.