Shortly after the inauguration of Donald J. Trump, the Republicans in Congress went to work and quickly eliminated Obamacare. The replacement was in keeping with Trump's statements, insurance for all. In other words, everyone in the United States would automatically have insurance except illegal immigrants. Illegals would have to pay full price for any medical services or leave the country for them. The plan would be paid for out of payroll taxes similar to Medicare covering both medical and pharmaceutical expenses fully with minimal co-pay. In other words, they passed a healthcare bill for a single-payer insurance system, just like Bernie Sanders and other progressives had proposed.

Soon after President Trump signed the bill into law, his approval rating jumped to 90% the highest of any president in history. The Republicans, who had held out against the Democrats for any single-payer plan, had now reversed the tables and taken credit for something that every American wanted and needed. It was immediately recognized that this would cost more, but Mr. Trump's tax plan would pay for it.

And, almost immediately as well, a bill passed that gave trillions to infrastructure improvement: freshwater projects, restoration of roads and bridges, airports, nuclear plants, inter-and trans-continental high-speed railways, strengthening and updating the electrical grid against hackers and natural threats, extending the grid to reach windfarms and solar projects, and massive funding for wind, solar, tidal and geothermal research and industries. Funding also included reclaiming polluted landscapes, removing dams, and restoring forests damaged by pine beetles, drought and fire. Mr. Trump assured everyone that this was his jobs program and his tax program along with the increased economic growth that the program would generate would pay for it.

There was overwhelming relief throughout the country right after Trump signed the infrastructure funding into law. Private contracts were let. Good job prospects appeared everywhere and Mr. Trump's approval rating shot to 95%. The Democrats complained that they had proposed the same measures throughout the Obama administration but were blocked. Republicans just snickered and said, "It's our turn now. You had your turn and you failed."

My dream ended there. Certainly, concerns about immigration, education, inequality, civil, human, ethnic, women's and LGBTQ rights, as well as international relations and global warming were not addressed. But, improving the economy and giving every American an 8% per year income increase covers a lot of sins unattended. In order for this to work, President Trump would have to make good on bullying international corporations to pay up to the United States what they had taken away. He would also have to make good his removal of tax loopholes for the rich, including landlords like him, so they would actually pay 33% on net income. If that came true, my dream would be true and the ultrarich would pay for everything.

With a prosperous United States economy, the rest of the world would probably prosper as well and the need for pouring more money into the military would probably decline in favor of treating our veterans right.

Shakespeare wrote, "Life Is but a Dream." I sure hope so. But someone probably will complain that the Republicans had become socialists for all the government spending. After all, we all have to have something to blame for good things happening.

Copyright 2017 © Ronald W. Hull

1/18/17