Donald Trump signed the tax bill today. And, for the first time in my life, I registered as a Democrat.
I was an active Republican for decades when the party stood for fiscal conservatism and reducing the deficit. I've been unaffiliated for about 20 years since the GOP changed its focus to cutting taxes without regard to the deficit. I found much to dislike in both parties, and still do, but this tax bill has pushed me across the line. The Democratic Party, flawed as it is, seems the best option for resisting the self-serving cynicism and profligacy of the GOP. Surprisingly, Democrats have become the party of (relative) fiscal restraint.
I am embarrassed and saddened by the massive debt we are leaving for the next generation to pay. Jonas Salk once said, "Our greatest responsibility is to be good ancestors." My generation has failed, and the Republican Party had failed dramatically.
Robert Nunn, Southwest Portland
