I read a recent letter in the East Oregonian newspaper and was inspired to respond. This person lives in Baker City and is truly a stranger in a strange land. Most of Baker City’s population vote conservative so he is in the minority.

In his criticism of our current administration and the DOGE Team, he might not remember that Elon Musk, Tulsi Gabbard, John F. Kennedy Jr., and all the “oligarchs” that he mentioned (Jeff Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos) were ALL Democrats until the apex of the Biden administration that was taking our country into anarchy and bankruptcy. What appeal did Donald Trump have that they abandoned the party affiliation they held for decades? Were they all stupid? Were they all Nazis? I think they had the wisdom to see that something very significant had to be done to save our nation. By the way, both Donald Trump and Elon Musk are performing their jobs free of charge; Trump donates his annual salary to a number of organizations, all of which can use the funds. In short, they are working for all of us at no cost.

If the gentlemen who wrote the letter pays taxes, I think he might be happy that someone is finally watching the store, so to speak. In fact, Musk has suggested to the president the option that the government provide every tax-paying citizen a $5,000 rebate check to be paid from all the money that is being saved. That money only represents 20% of all the money that has been saved so far, and there are a lot more savings to come. Whether or not that happens remains to be seen.

Before the election, I wondered if the country had fallen far enough into the hole, that they would vote for a change. I was very happy that most of the country decided that we had.

Trump Derangement Syndrome is a real condition. I didn’t think so the first time I heard it. But empirical evidence suggests that it really exists. Change can be disorienting to many, even if the change is positive. Give yourself a little time to adjust and absorb. You will be pleased in the end.

As of this writing, Trump has been in office exactly 30 days. You will see even more positive changes in our government and in our society as time goes on. By the end of this year or sooner, you will see interest rates decrease, food and fuel prices go down and wars coming to an end. I know that Democrats won’t like that because it will be Trump that orchestrates it. But you will enjoy the benefits of all those conditions anyway.

Jim Lahm

Baker City