I was #NeverTrump. I’ve changed my mind.

[Root of Jesse]

In fiscal year 2016 there were 19,828 Border Patrol Agents.

In fiscal year 2017 there were 19,437 Border Patrol Agents.

How is a net loss of 391 Border Patrol Agents “expanded”? is it Trump Math?


https://www.cbp.gov/sites/default/files/assets/documents/2017-Dec/BP Staffing FY1992-FY2017.pdf

Are they hiring? It takes time for government to hire agents and train them.

 

[Root of Jesse]

When I hear that I am reminded of the American Tourister suitcase commercial where a gorilla beats up luggage.

Better than limp-noodle Obama...

 

[wing2000]

Are they hiring? It takes time for government to hire agents and train them.

...the Border Patrol has struggled for years to fill their allocated positions:

CBP has already struggled to fill available positions. It had 19,828 Border Patrol agents in fiscal year 2016, according to the most recent data available. That was 1,542 fewer than the 21,370 available Border Patrol positions that year.

"It's a tough job, it requires long hours, and it requires people to live in areas that are more remote and might not be as desirable, so there are a lot of reasons why the agency has had difficulty keeping up with hiring levels," Hipsman said.


https://www.azcentral.com/story/new...gration-border-agents-cost-billions/98651772/

 

[RustedBeef]

Thanks for your questions. You asked, "what do mean by his unrighteousness or ungodliness". Of course, all men sin – I know I do. Eric Metaxas wrote a book entitled 7 Men and he just did another entitled 7 Women. The overall character of the people he wrote about is inspiring. The character of these people is reflected over their lifetime. President Trump doesn’t have that legacy. No, we did not vote for Pope or a Priest, but I would like the character and legacy following the chief executive our nation into the Oval Office to be someone that could be written about like this. In addition, as a Christian, I want the examples I point to in such powerful positions to at least uphold the ideals of the republic; ideals such as faithfulness, humility, valor, and compassion. President Trump’s 70 years on this planet has a legacy of wealth, power, control, and winning by making deals in this world. He has been married 3 times and his public persona regarding chivalry, courtesy, courteousness, politeness, and graciousness toward women HISTORICALLY speaking, leaves much to be desired. This is simply a value system I don’t want as a model. Why can’t someone be bold and strong AND ALSO humble and loving? Speak softly but carry a big stick… you know!

Thus, it has nothing to do with the “…many things he's done and said that align with Christian values.” It’s the many overt things that don’t, over the course of the last 50 years of his adult life. Again, we all sin, just like the 7-Men in Metaxas' book, but those 7 are known, not for their sins, but for their character, values, and strong stances. President Trump is also known for his character, values and strong stances - there are no secrets.

Also, I don't have anything against the President about his views on war. I just don’t want us as a nation to provoke violence inadvertently. For example, I don’t care where our Embassy in Israel is placed – but if the President and his advisors move it from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, I hope they are aware of and sensitive to the unrest and bloodshed that has already and may continue to result. No, it’s not our nor Mr. Trumps fault that evil people do evil things like riot and kill in the middle east. But wisdom and careful strategic action really do need to take such things into account. I hope they have – but like I said, I don’t care where the Embassy is (thus, leaving it in Jerusalem would have been fine with me) But, if it’s important to move it, just count the cost. You and I are not in those meetings, so we simply don’t know what is discussed and planned. Yet, wars that our nation have been drawn into in the past have been sparked by other such actions. Human beings are so fickle!

Finally, regarding the draft – my statement has nothing to do with what The President has said. It is simply an acknowledgment that all young people register in the selective service and thus, can be drafted if needed. The world is on edge right now. ISIS, hopefully, will be dealt with soon and the President has continued (I’m sure with military advisors) to fight them where needed. North Korea and Iran are hot-beds for who-knows-what! The tensions around the world are high. I just hate violence, war, and death. I pray that cool heads and capable diplomats keep these areas of intense unrest from exploding into something that we as a nation can’t avoid.

You can continue to defend the President. I, too will defend him as appropriate. My point was that I cannot change my position because it was based on a 50-year track-record that is not godly, not even superficially, and I would have preferred a Chief Executive that at least had the veneer of a godly character for the past 30, 40 or 50 years of their life.

I understand, but you have to remember to keep your view in perspective relative to alternate options. I'll keep this short since I'm busy now, but yes, Trump has said things distasteful, but how do you balance that against the things the other candidates, say Hilary, has said and the this things they've done? Hilary, as far as I understand cheated to edge out her competition by getting Bernie sabotaged and she said all people who didn't vote for her were deplorable people.

But beyond that, I don't think it's wise to dismiss the many political issues you have when the topic is one of a political nature. You bring up the idea that we didn't vote for a new priest. Well, pretend we were voting for a new priest in our church and the attributes about this person we were taking into consideration. Surely his godliness and kindness would be a vital one, but would it be reasonable to consider his stance on tax reform? I don't think so. And certainly you wouldn't go so far as to say his ideological views were irrelevant to your decision.

My point is I think you saying you don't care about all these political issues as they relate to your opinion of the president and placing a larger importance on his general cleanliness from sin (for lack of a better description) isn't rational, just as as it would be irrational to ignore the ideological components in favor of the political ones when electing a new pastor.

 

[JGG]

I was #NeverTrump. I’ve changed my mind.

What ended up doing it for me is the body of work he’s accumulated without the help of Congress. I’m no fan of executive orders, but after a flurry of mostly righteous orders in the beginning that reversed many of Obama’s failing orders, he started calming down. The ones he ended up putting in place, from the various travel bans to pulling back on Obamacare to trying to cutting the bureaucracy down to size were all positives. I started saying fewer and fewer bad things about him because he simply wasn’t doing very many things worthy of complaint.

Then, there was Jerusalem. That’s what sold me. He did what every President should have done since 1967. This isn’t a 22-year-old endeavor. It’s a five-decade-old series of failures by American Presidents, including Ronald Reagan, that Trump finally corrected.​

Wait'll he gets a load of me.

 

[Aryeh Jay]

Better than limp-noodle Obama...

Limp noodle Obama, who had Osama Bin Laden killed. Who did Trump have killed on his SEAL Team raid? An 8 year old girl who was an US Citizen.

 

[Root of Jesse]

...the Border Patrol has struggled for years to fill their allocated positions:

CBP has already struggled to fill available positions. It had 19,828 Border Patrol agents in fiscal year 2016, according to the most recent data available. That was 1,542 fewer than the 21,370 available Border Patrol positions that year.

"It's a tough job, it requires long hours, and it requires people to live in areas that are more remote and might not be as desirable, so there are a lot of reasons why the agency has had difficulty keeping up with hiring levels," Hipsman said.


https://www.azcentral.com/story/new...gration-border-agents-cost-billions/98651772/

Yeah, why would someone want to be hired for a job, and then told not to do it, as in the Obama administration?

 

[inquiring mind]

...who is to say they don't have a free hand today? Last time I checked, the poppy trade was thriving in Afghanistan. The Soviets were smart to get out of that country...how many decades will it take before we learn that our military can not nation build or control outcomes?

I agree and wish there was another way too, but I’m sure ‘those we cannot speak of’ would be glad to see us go... we’d probably get to see them doing public executions and parading around in new Humvees again.

 

[Root of Jesse]

Limp noodle Obama, who had Osama Bin Laden killed. Who did Trump have killed on his SEAL Team raid? An 8 year old girl who was an US Citizen.

Anyone could command that someone be killed, the real man was the one who did the work. The best Obama can claim is that he gave a green light to do the job.

 

[ViaCrucis]

I'm actually glad Trump is more focused on making Israel great again instead of America.

Like a reverse King Midas, everything he touches seems to turn to, well... not gold.

I wouldn't want the swamp king's curse to negatively impact anyone, neither Israelis or Palestinians could benefit here.

-CryptoLutheran

 

[RustedBeef]

Limp noodle Obama, who had Osama Bin Laden killed. Who did Trump have killed on his SEAL Team raid? An 8 year old girl who was an US Citizen.

I'm trying to look up info on that, but from what I can tell it sounds like a stray bullet hit her in the neck. Although, I read a page where it said the Seals killed everyone in a (different?) house in search of someone. Also, Obama ordered a drone strike to assassinate the girl's dad who was an Al-Quada leader.

But I don't measure Obama's limp noodleness on his kill count (which is huge), but rather on his public stance against Islamic terrorism. At least Trump actually says who they are.

 

[inquiring mind]

...the Border Patrol has struggled for years to fill their allocated positions:

CBP has already struggled to fill available positions. It had 19,828 Border Patrol agents in fiscal year 2016, according to the most recent data available. That was 1,542 fewer than the 21,370 available Border Patrol positions that year.

"It's a tough job, it requires long hours, and it requires people to live in areas that are more remote and might not be as desirable, so there are a lot of reasons why the agency has had difficulty keeping up with hiring levels," Hipsman said.


Trump plan to hire 15K immigration, border agents could cost billions, take years

Maybe the president figures it will take less positions with the new wall.

 

[Allandavid]

THIS is what got him the presidency (from the linked article):
....
“I have joined the political arena so that the powerful can no longer beat up on people that cannot defend themselves. Nobody knows the system better than me, which is why I alone can fix it.”

THIS is why the political machine hates him.

And THIS is turning out to be one of his biggest lies...!

How does his tax bill, his only piece of substantive legislation, protect the little guy from ‘being beaten up on by the powerful’...?

 

[LoAmmi]

Maybe the president figures it will take less positions with the new wall.

A wall is a delaying mechanism. You still need monitoring and people who can get to the place where someone is trying to go over.

 

[RustedBeef]

And THIS is turning out to be one of his biggest lies...!

How does his tax bill, his only piece of substantive legislation, protect the little guy from ‘being beaten up on by the powerful’...?

I don't know about you, but I'm one of the little guys working a regular ol job. I've recorded my last few tax deductions from my pay checks and I'm going to compare them to the taxes on my paychecks after the tax bill goes into effect. I'll let you know if I've been pummeled.

 

[wing2000]

Maybe the president figures it will take less positions with the new wall.

If that were the case, why was Trump pushing for 15,000 more agents and the wall?

 

[Aryeh Jay]

I'm trying to look up info on that, but from what I can tell it sounds like a stray bullet hit her in the neck. Although, I read a page where it said the Seals killed everyone in a (different?) house in search of someone. Also, Obama ordered a drone strike to assassinate the girl's dad who was an Al-Quada leader.

But I don't measure Obama's limp noodleness on his kill count (which is huge), but rather on his public stance against Islamic terrorism. At least Trump actually says who they are.

The troops in the field I was with never called them “Islamic Terrorists”. The word used would result in a ban so I will not post it.

Trump also said that the US Embassy is in Jerusalem but the last time I checked, it was still in Tel Aviv.

In fact, after doing his speech, he signed the waver that all the other cowardly presidents before him singed to delay the move.

After Jerusalem recognition, Trump signs waiver delaying embassy move

 

[Allandavid]

If you're referring to the tax cuts, it's important to realize that tax revenue isn't a 1 to 1 ratio. Raising taxes doesn't always mean more tax dollars because people are reactive. If you raise the price of BigMacs, people may simply buy less of them. Similarly, if you lower taxes more people may enter the workforce because employers pay less taxes and can afford more employees, and on the other hand more people may work extra hours because they won't be afraid of being pushed into higher tax brackets.

There is no evidence to support the theory that tax breaks for corporations = more jobs. That’s part of the con...

 

[RustedBeef]

The troops in the field I was with never called them “Islamic Terrorists”. The word used would result in a ban so I will not post it.

Trump also said that the US Embassy is in Jerusalem but the last time I checked, it was still in Tel Aviv.

In fact, after doing his speech, he signed the waver that all the other cowardly presidents before him singed to delay the move.

After Jerusalem recognition, Trump signs waiver delaying embassy move

Welp, there goes that. At least he's ordered "preparations for the move."

 

[inquiring mind]

If that were the case, why was Trump pushing for 15,000 more agents and the wall?

He doesn't go by that 'can't change anything' rule, even if a better way is found. That's the established politicians' way.