Dear editor:

Some ask why we should vote for Democrats, other than for hating Trump. True, many won’t vote for Trump because they “hate” his dishonest character, financial corruption and erratic actions. He treats America like a closely held corporation, with total control as president. This “totalitarian” approach to law and order — "what I order is the law" — remains fundamentally un-American.

But many voters don’t hate Trump, just his policies. Trump imposed a national sales tax (tariffs) and gutted food and healthcare programs so the wealthy (mostly) could extend their 2015 tax cuts. This is reason enough to not support Republicans when the national debt also increased by $2 trillion with their “rich-get-richer” policies.

Predatory capitalism remains unacceptable to many voters. Democrats could return all tariffs to January 2025 levels. Democrats can pass laws restricting presidential and congressional stock trading. They could place a small tax on every Wall Street stock trade, with revenue used exclusively to reduce the national debt.

Democrats can help end Putin’s illegal war by rejecting Trump’s political and financial support of Russia with his unimposed sanctions. They cannot stop Trump’s moral support for Russia, nor his narcissistic desire for totalitarianism. Democrats could also end funding the Iran war while demanding a multi-national treaty reopening the Strait and allowing supervised civilian nuclear power.

Democrats could create a somewhat independent arm of the Department of Justice to investigate political leaders using due process, the rule of law and normative practices (not retribution or revenge). They could create an agency that properly does the necessary work of ICE. On the state level, Democrats could apply more nonpartisan principles when redistricting.

Democrats can install moderate Supreme Court justices by requiring a 60-vote threshold for confirmation and 20-year term limits. They could file lawsuits stopping Trump’s unchecked, gaudy, botched facelift of the White House and the Washington, D.C., area.

Democrats could regulate cryptocurrency and artificial intelligence, both of which rely on data centers. They could consider a tax scheme like the 1950s. At that time, yearly income over $2.5 million (in today’s dollars) was taxed at 90%. Democrats could end loopholes and start some form of communal capitalism.

Just returning to the ethical, financial, civil and political norms (by voting for Democrats) would make America great again.

Dennis Reuter

Powell