President Donald Trump

[cardboardbox]

What I can support, is finding a way to get him out of office sooner rather than later. And hope the next guy undoes whatever he is able to push through.

maybe if the dems nominate (anoint?) a better candidate next time.

[revo]

maybe if the dems nominate (anoint?) a better candidate next time.

Well, that's almost 4 years from now, so there has to be another way!

[Sour Masher]

Neither guy is a dope, in fact, both are well educated, both are mid-50s to early 60s males, with advanced degrees from Big 10 schools (one was summa cum laude at the "Ivy League of the Midwest," Northwestern). Neither one is a blatant -ist or -phobe or whatever the Dems like to throw at Trump supporters. Both are just guys who have worked hard, one having served his country in the military, and both felt left out by the last 8 years. That is a fairly common feeling among the rank and file within the Banking industry, based on the harsh changes experienced post-crisis.

But then again, elections have consequences.

I can wrap my head around the notion that many (I hope most) Trump VOTERS are not ists or phobes, and I get that a lot of folks voted for him out of sheer frustration with the status quo, or repulsion from the alternative. It is much harder for me to "forgive" actual hat-wearing Pro-Trump cheerleaders and apologists, especially well-educated, smart ones like the fellows you describe. It seems they consciously and knowingly overlooked or dismissed all the ists and phobes Trump and his policies embrace in order to reap a specific, narrow benefit for themselves professionally. And those same regulation concerns that allowed them to support a clear ist and phobe would have also been addressed in their favor by just about every other GOP candidate, in some capacity, so the actively chose, early on, it seems, to support the vilest option, and that, to me, says something about them.

[TranaGreg]

maybe if the dems nominate (anoint?) a better candidate next time.

He said he was a registered repub ... I think he's more concerned with who the repubs nominate.

[baldgriff]

I found it really interesting that Piers Morgan actually said that Trump has it right on the Muslim ban. He and Tucker Carlson had a very interesting conversation about a number of items. Interesting conversation. I dont think I have agreed with much of what Piers said in the past - much of this I found interesting.

Morgan stating that the media was in the tank for Clinton and the medias attempt to bring Trump down.

[gcstomp]

truly dont get why one would repeat that line, over and over as if you are saying something to someone new, about maybe if dems had a better candidate. This, R voters who wish they had a better R person in office, and are wishing the President would stop tweeting or maybe having an idea what id in the EO he signs, such as promotion of Bannon, or wish he would maybe not insult allies on what should be routine calls.

Lets move on, I will assume some cant help themselves and still think there is an election. Dems lost is one way to look at it, and it took FBI and Russia interference along with good old sexism which would never allow someone from some areas to view a woman as equal to a man in leadership role, lets call it family values. Also a good portion of pop just flat out hated D candidate, proudly posting sickening HRC avatars, and insisting she was unapologetic or various forms of in pocket of big banks and would do something ludicrous like fill cabinet with Goldman Sachs execs.

But there are no Dems, lets talk like Dems dont exist, poof all gone, there is no election coming up, we have the very beginning of Trump. We have an R now who is unhinged, and the prototypical ugly american, quick to anger at every perceived slight, loud, arrogant, demeaning, thoughtless, ignorant, and ethnocentric. His daily briefings are being filtered thru Bannon, lets call him an alt right nationalist rather than what that really means, and Trump is doing his level head best with that info to be the great President he wants to be.

I am interested in how it is possible for level headed, well educated people (again, not R or D, we are just people) can be supportive of these impulsive tweets, or Trump insulting allies in what should be routine phone calls. Do people simply read this stuff and laugh and do not take them literally, or are they proud to have a leader who routinely flys off handle and punches down at say judges who rule in a way Trump does not like.

[baldgriff]

I dont use Twitter - its a waste of time

[Judge Jude]

I dont use Twitter - its a waste of time

the quality of one's experience on it is entirely up to the individual. anyone can pretty easily create a feed that they find enjoyable - such as musicians they like, or baseball reporters, or TV stars. anyone who tweets stuff that you don't like, you drop. if you find someone exceptionally useful, look up who they follow - there may be gold in that list.

it's not like Facebook, which I am told is complicated because it's tricky to navigate with friends and family members. with Twitter you can easily have an entire feed of people you have never met, but who make you smile or laugh or think or smarter.

[Fresno Bob]

That's a cute answer, intellectually dishonest, but cute. And, its completely incorrect. They guys that left my buddies and the community Banking industry out are to a large degree still in Congress! And, while I am not excited about much of Trump's actions to date, finally someone recognizes the need to take a hard look at unintended consequences of Dodd Frank (both Dems by the way) and the broad overreach of Senator Warren's pet project, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Dodd Frank didn't screw your buddies, the leaders of Goldman Sacks, B of A, Wells Fargo did. They took home millions while the global financial system was on the brink of collapse.

[Hornsby]

I dont use Twitter - its a waste of time

Twitter Is great resource, you choose who and what to follow, as JJ said. And it's as good and simple a link to news, sports, and other interests as you can find. It's as good as the user is. Now facebook on the other hand...

[Hornsby]

To me, the saddest thing is the chipping away of hard earned rights that people have gained. The environment is already taking a serious hit with the rollback of information gathering and pushing business agendas without thinking of the consequences. Today he ordered the Dakota pipeline project to go ahead, telling the Army Corps to essentially disregard the new impact statement that was ordered by the Obama administration. Now, I'm not a lawyer, and I really don't know if he has the authority to do that, but it's again telling that he's more than happy to put money into the pockets of business without much thought.

And there's the bully aspect of trump that's also disconcerting, and unpresidential. Today he was in a meeting with local sheriffs from around the country and a fellow from Texas told a story about a Texas state Senator that was putting up legislation that the sheriff believed was not in the best interests of the state. Here's what Trump said:

“Who is the state senator? Do you want to give his name? We'll destroy his career," Trump offered.

Now, the sheriff was smart enough to just chuckle and not give the name, but it's pretty clear that Trump was serious...this is a man who is willing to blame a Federal Judge if any "terrorist" attack happens in the future.

Add in the continued lies, the media is fake, they don't cover terrorist attacks, the continued twitter rants, and you have a man, who, IMO, is pretty dangerously unhinged. Today, crazy mouthpiece KellyAnne Conway actually said that "many of the things that Trump says are true". You can't make up the crazy of this administration to date.

We'll survive this, we've survived worse. But the damage that he and his cronies do in the meantime will take years, if not decades, to clean up.

[Hodor]

To me, the saddest thing is the chipping away of hard earned rights that people have gained. The environment is already taking a serious hit with the rollback of information gathering and pushing business agendas without thinking of the consequences. Today he ordered the Dakota pipeline project to go ahead, telling the Army Corps to essentially disregard the new impact statement that was ordered by the Obama administration. Now, I'm not a lawyer, and I really don't know if he has the authority to do that, but it's again telling that he's more than happy to put money into the pockets of business without much thought.

And there's the bully aspect of trump that's also disconcerting, and unpresidential. Today he was in a meeting with local sheriffs from around the country and a fellow from Texas told a story about a Texas state Senator that was putting up legislation that the sheriff believed was not in the best interests of the state. Here's what Trump said:



Now, the sheriff was smart enough to just chuckle and not give the name, but it's pretty clear that Trump was serious...this is a man who is willing to blame a Federal Judge if any "terrorist" attack happens in the future.

Add in the continued lies, the media is fake, they don't cover terrorist attacks, the continued twitter rants, and you have a man, who, IMO, is pretty dangerously unhinged. Today, crazy mouthpiece KellyAnne Conway actually said that "many of the things that Trump says are true". You can't make up the crazy of this administration to date.

We'll survive this, we've survived worse. But the damage that he and his cronies do in the meantime will take years, if not decades, to clean up.

I agree that he's an asshat of but what damage can be done, which cannot be reversed or resolved in 4 years?

[Hornsby]

I agree that he's an asshat of but what damage can be done, which cannot be reversed or resolved in 4 years?

30 potential years of Supreme court decisions involving Trup appointees? Environmental damage that may take years, if not decades to undo, if it can ever be undone? Changes in the way the banks work, the huge financial houses being allowed to go back to their old ways of benefiting only themselves? Rolling back Roe v Wade in small, insidious ways? Rolling back gains by LGBTQ folks over the past several years? Appointing many, many conservatives to federal judgeships since there are a LOT of openings?

The problem is that he's got both houses of Congress, and neither one seems to be in any mood to reign either Trump, or themselves in.

[Bernie Brewer]

Dodd Frank didn't screw your buddies, the leaders of Goldman Sacks, B of A, Wells Fargo did. They took home millions while the global financial system was on the brink of collapse.

Well, that's an Opinion, no question about that! But, suffice it to say, it's one with which I don't agree.

[chancellor]

The environment is already taking a serious hit with the rollback of information gathering and pushing business agendas without thinking of the consequences. Today he ordered the Dakota pipeline project to go ahead, telling the Army Corps to essentially disregard the new impact statement that was ordered by the Obama administration.

LO-freaking-L. Now you've degenerated into full Trump Derangement Syndrome. Let's talk Dakota Pipeline first, as this is such a slam dunk that I'm shocked your powers of ratiocination have been diminished that far.

1. The 33 Section 408 permits for crossing federal waterways was approved in 2012. Now, I'm not sure which administration you think that was in, but by my history books, that was the Obama administration.
2. The 33 Section 408 permit approvals were challenged in court and upheld in 2013. Again, I'll challenge you to note which administration that falls under.
3. The final No Significant Impact and Final Environmental Assessments were accepted on...wait for it...July 26, 2016. Still the Obama Administration.

The only reason the Obama Administration backed off on all the years of accepted permits and assessments was...well, I'll leave you to state your opinion, but it's clear as day to me that the only reason they backed off and issued a "new" environmental statement was due to political - not scientific, or real environmental engineering information. There's at least four years of work - more likely six - during the Obama administration that all indicated the pipeline was safe and environmentally sound. But as was his wont, once the political heat was turned up, Obama - not Trump - wilted and caved.

All Trump did was reinstate the original Obama Administration approval of the No Significant Impact and Final Environmental Assessments.

Now, on to round 2 - Prevention of Significant Deterioration Air Modeling, or as we know it in industry, PSD Modeling. Air modeling is the backbone of all BACT (Best Available Control Technology) that is required for new installations or significant rebuilds/upgrades. The Bush administration had put forth significant effort to determine the requirements for upgrading the modeling software, which dates from the 1970s, and, I kid you not, is written in FORTRAN. By 2007, this work was completed, with detailed recommendations on use of modern air dispersion software, 3-D modeling, and vastly better background data. By 2009, the Obama administration had completely torpedoed this project. So we remain saddled with air modeling software that was almost out of date when I was in college (and that was a loooooong time ago), with inferior results, and much poorer health impacts.

And, the coup de grace, let's talk the Gold King Mine fiasco. The Trump administration doesn't have anything to compare to the environmental fiasco this disaster was. Not only was the EPA responsible for lining almost entire river systems with toxic heavy metals, through negligence and cover-up they almost caused a lake to suffer the same result. And even though the EPA failed in its responsibility to properly test a pressurized water source (standard environmental engineering, I will add), they have declined to accept financial responsibility for damage based on sovereign immunity. And to top it off, and even The Onion couldn't have come up with this, the EPA environmental lead for the Gold King Mine is Mr. Griswold.