James Edwards Middle class households beginning to erode

May 12—America became a great nation by developing the largest middle class of any country in the world.

President Donald Trump added to the ranks of the middle class with a huge tax cut, approving construction of the oil pipe line, authorizing construction of the southern border wall, renegotiating unfair trade agreements in order to protect American workers, and convincing American manufacturers to return production facilities to the U.S., just to mention a few.

But the pandemic, the massive lock downs, and the misguided policies of the socialist Democrats are beginning to erode middle class households. Now America's middle class is disappointed and they are angry because their standard of living is dropping.

They are scared and pessimistic that their jobs, if they haven't already disappeared, seem insecure.

Loyalty to employees no longer seems to count for much and the struggle to make ends meet is putting a stress on the family and casting doubts on traditional values.

You don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out why this is happening. More and more Americans are beginning to see the socialist Democratic president as the culprit rather then the solution.

A tsunami of executive orders canceling the oil pipe line, stopping construction of the southern border wall, opening the wall to millions of illegal immigrants, adopting a trillion dollar infrastructure bill, and a trillion dollar COVID-19 relief bill.

The majority of these funds are devoted to special Democratic projects to assist their re-election. Add to that the gradual shutdown of fracking.

Middle class Americans are blaming the Democrats for stealing the American dream by trying to cancel trade agreements that protect American workers, by permitting a huge influx of immigrants into an economy that cannot assimilate them and by proposing huge personal and corporate tax increases we will be forced to live under.

The corporate tax increase will result in manufacturing returning to China or Mexico.

There is always the fear of losing their jobs, being unable to pay for their kids education, wondering what will happen to their parents, and the fear of losing their home and everything they worked so hard for.

But how much longer will ordinary Americans remain passive? How much more will middle class Americans take until they start responding to these drastic problems? There are only three winners in this economic revolution — the fat cat high tech industries, international fat-cat corporations, and the growing segment of the super rich. The super rich claim the middle class have only themselves to blame.

They failed to retrain, to get enough education, didn't work hard enough, and didn't realize companies are not in business to give them lifetime employment.

But it is the socialist Democrats, not average Americans, who have failed. Because of their passionate and endless efforts to destroy Trump's initiatives, there are 100 million Americans, mostly working families, blue collar and professionals, are being treated as expendables.

You remember what Hillary Clinton called them. You can thank the socialist Democrats when you are hit with lagging earnings, the growing gap between the haves and have-nots, a failing standard of living and a bleak future for our children and grandchildren.

The Democrats don't understand they are cutting their own throats. The growing level of anger, frustration and hostility is astonishing. If the Democrats don't soon get the message that they are slowly destroying the American dream, it will get ugly before it gets better.

James M. Edwards Sr. is a retired president and CEO of WJAC Inc. and the Johnstown Chiefs, and general manager of WJAC-TV.