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Well, to start with, it's bad enough that $2.5 million in national park entrance and recreation fees that were intended to improve parks will be used on the parade instead. Then we learn that "By comparison, according to former Park Service deputy director Denis P. Galvin, the entire Fourth of July celebration on the Mall typically costs the agency about $2 million.https://www.washingtonpost.com/polit...=.91ffb6d94040. But then, on top of it all, there's this little thing: "that $2.5 million is "just a fraction of the extra costs the government faces as a result of the event", so that's going to be one expensive parade.
But hey, it's only money. Why would we want to miss out on a chance to see the draft-dodging, bone spur-faking grifter twist the meaning of a national holiday to his purposes?
Democrats are on the path to spend trillions on their socialist programs and people complain about a few million to celebrate the prosperous birth of the nation !!! No wonder people don't take the anti-America haters serious !!! They are laughable !!!
People know what is going on !!!
Democrats and the hate America mob have politicized all ideals and symbols of America !!!
Then they want to blame Trump for it when he wants to celebrate and support America !!!
Trump caries the voice of the people that elected him !!! The people the hate mob wants silent !!!
The hate mob can't claim the 4th should be nonpartisan when they politicized it in the first place !!!
It will be good to see our men and women in the military getting the recognition they deserve Thursday. Sad to see that makes leftist's little heads explode.
Wow, how many heads does that one leftist have?? Sounds Hydra-esque!
Once again - the line of defense for Trump's inappropriate actions -- pointing fingers.
Let's not judge Trump's actions on the past or what might happen in the future.
If you support tax payer money being used by Trump to throw a rally for himself then just say that.
But don't try and excuse his choices because someone did something once or someone may do something in the future.
You see -- for those of us that are likely to vote different ways at different times, the tribalism defense of the other tribe did or wants to do worse does little to dismiss the inappropriate policy/actions of this Presidency.
A few rooms left at Trump's hotel in DC if you're coming to celebrate America. $895 for a room there, it's supposed to be nice and it's in the middle of the celebration.
I know some kids down at the border who would love to stay there...wanna help 'em out?
See RAICES. Give if you can, to help process LEGAL requests for asylum more quickly and to break up the human log-jam at the border..
There is literally nothing he could do other than drop dead that the left would applaud. Even then they would be pissed at trump for making Pence president.
To also be fair the right did the same thing with Obama.
That is the state of our political discord in America.
I visited both the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Blue Ridge Parkway a couple of weeks ago. Both were thronged, especially the Smokies, with both Sugarlands and Oconaluftee Vistor Centers jammed with visitors, many families with young children. Campgrounds were also full, as was the parking lot at Newfound Gap. The education center at Tremont was serving large numbers as well.
In light of the current crisis, and in view of the drastic cuts to national park funding by this administration, I joined the Friends of the Smokies as well as put a couple of twenties in to the donation bins. The Smokies are well-worth it.
In addition to the very dedicated, enthusiastic, and intelligent park rangers and other employees who interact with the public regularly, I noticed a good number of volunteers, many of whom appeared to be retirement age, assisting throughout the park in various ways. This is all good - but public donations and volunteers do not make up for the low priority of the national parks system, and the regular theft of its budget for partisan activities such as Trump's July 4 travesty on the Mall.
The Great Smokies suffered a terrible fire (due to arson plus the perfect storm of dry forests and very high winds) just a couple of weeks after Trump was elected. That was a very bad time for me, and for many others, and the damage is still very apparent. Additional government funds should have been made available to help with fire recovery - the public rose to the occasion and donated and volunteered time and materials to help.
But it's not sufficient. These are our parks, our land, our treasures, and they deserve to receive their fair share of our tax dollars. That is not happening, and tomorrow's events on the Mall are a clear indication of Trump's ignorance, vanity, and priorities.
As for the Blue Ridge Parkway, the stretch I took from Cherokee, NC to Mt. Pisgah lost a good many of the wooden signs identifying the many overlooks several years ago due to theft and vandalism. Many of these signs, which appear to be handmade (weathered wood with indented white-painted names of places visible below) are still missing. Why have they not been replaced?
Mowing seems to be happening less often along the BRP's edges - I really don't mind this to a certain extent, as it gives the meadow wildflowers a better chance - but safety concerns should determine this, especially given the many blind curves that can be visually narrowed by tall grasses on the road's verge.
Fortunately, I still have an old BRP brochure from the 1970s which is far more informative than the current ones are - it shows altitude for the entire length of the parkway, featured stops with well-written, interesting commentary about each one, and while it's printed in blue and black and grays, not the flashy full color of the present-day official folder, it is much more functional.
A year or so ago, I took this folder to the Parkway Center near Asheville, where the staff had never seen it before and asked if they could photocopy it. Of course I said yes, and I also said I'd love to see this folder reappear, though it would likely need to be sold rather than given away these days.
It seems our government did a lot better in terms of maintenance and public education a few decades ago, on a lower budget - but no other president has blatantly robbed the already insufficient National Parks System's budget for their own narcissistic purposes previously, either.
They are the true enemies aren't they. All societies are eventually destroyed from within if allowed. This is why Progressives hate these shows of patriotism, and honoring America so much.
It's not what I would call patriotism, nor does it honor America.
Nor am I a "true enemy". I love my country, to which my forebears came long before the American Revolution and which many of them fought to preserve.
The Fourth of July is every American's holiday and time to reflect and celebrate freedom and the sacrifice of those who came before us to ensure that freedom. It is not meant to be a giant rally for Donald Trump and his ilk.
Trump dishonors this country and its heritage daily and his using our public land, the National Mall and the Lincoln Memorial, at public expense and by diverting funds intended for the National Park System for his own partisan and arrogantly narcissistic purposes is despicable. There is nothing patriotic or traditionally American about it. Or about Trump, himself.
So I'll be celebrating in my own home town tomorrow instead, just as I usually do. Yes, there will be politicians aplenty at our July 4th Festival, but they will be of all stripes and the celebration itself will remain non-partisan and open to all, as it always has been and should always be. And our local government won't be robbing the National Parks to host our celebration, either.
It's not what I would call patriotism, nor does it honor America.
Nor am I a "true enemy". I love my country, to which my forebears came long before the American Revolution and which many of them fought to preserve.
The Fourth of July is every American's holiday and time to reflect and celebrate freedom and the sacrifice of those who came before us to ensure that freedom. It is not meant to be a giant rally for Donald Trump and his ilk.
Trump dishonors this country and its heritage daily and his using our public land, the National Mall and the Lincoln Memorial, at public expense and by diverting funds intended for the National Park System for his own partisan and arrogantly narcissistic purposes is despicable. There is nothing patriotic or traditionally American about it. Or about Trump, himself.
So I'll be celebrating in my own home town tomorrow instead, just as I usually do. Yes, there will be politicians aplenty at our July 4th Festival, but they will be of all stripes and the celebration itself will remain non-partisan and open to all, as it always has been and should always be. And our local government won't be robbing the National Parks to host our celebration, either.
You said it. This hijacking of what should be a non-partisan and unifying celebration of America's birthday has nothing to do with patriotism. It's all about stroking the ego of one vain, petty, and narcissistic little man.
You said it. This hijacking of what should be a non-partisan and unifying celebration of America's birthday has nothing to do with patriotism. It's all about stroking the ego of one vain, petty, and narcissistic little man.
You said it. This hijacking of what should be a non-partisan and unifying celebration of America's birthday has nothing to do with patriotism. It's all about stroking the ego of one vain, petty, and narcissistic little man.
I guarantee you Trump will not bring politics into his speech, and just praise the military, and our country's freedom and liberty. He is President. I know that angers all of you, and this is just another example of Trump Derangement Syndrome. He's the President. His job is to lead these type of events and talk about the positives of this country and its CITIZENS.
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