What Have We Got to Lose 

By Suzanne Timian

We are all losing more than we ever imagined as Trump, Elon Musk with his team of DOGE is cutting the government.  

1. Social Security Administration employees have been reduced, and offices are closed. As a result, payments are delayed. Seniors depend on these payments for our monthly expenses. As everywhere in the country, many in the Mohawk Valley have   Social Security as their only source of income. 
2. People working in the Department of Defense are losing their jobs. The danger that this puts our country in cannot be overstated.  
3. DOGE has eliminated many IRS employees. Don’t expect that your tax returns will arrive on time. 
4.  DOGE employees have had access to information on all Americans. I’m not comfortable with unvetted employees having free reign of my personal information and I’m sure that no one else is either. 
5. USAID has ended by DOGE. This humanitarian organization brings much needed food supplies to poorer countries. Do you really want to see starving people not getting lifesaving food? 
6. The National Health Institute’s cuts seriously reduces disease research. Milestones have been made in prevention and treatments, and now research will be halted. Most of us have or will have someone close, hoping for cures. 
7. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) has been eliminated by Donald Trump in the Federal Government and military. Many businesses and colleges have adopted the end of DEI as a result, so a white male will have more advantage than nonwhites and women, taking us back before The Civil Rights Act of 1964. 
8. Donald Trump has eliminated the Department of Education which will take away needed funds to schools and the end of programs for students with special needs. States are not able to take over this funding. 
9. We have lost the trust of our allies with Trumps’ threatening tariffs on Canada and threats to take Canada, Iceland, Greenland and the Panama Canada as part of America. We lost our allies trust when Trump and Vance made it clear in the White House meeting, that the US would no longer aide Ukraine in their fight to keep Russia from overtaking their country. The US sided with Russia, China, and North Korea in ending UN resolutions condemning Russia’s actions on Ukraine. I am appalled to see the USA name on the side of dictators and against our European allies. 

We are turning into an autocratic country under the leadership of Donald Trump. We’re on our way to totally losing our democracy that we have all known and loved with the freedoms that have been given us. He’s following Hitler’s playbook!  I am terrified for our children, grandchildren and future generations. If we allow this autocracy to continue, it will be years before future generations will see democracy again. Call your elected officials every day, write letters to the editor, join rallies for freedom. We have too much to lose! 

Suzanne Timian 

Clinton, NY