Weekly Beat Issue 8: March 14, 2025
- Voice for Values
- Mar 14
- 4 min read
A Note From Our Founder, Judy Stahl:
Democracy: Living, Evolving, Transforming
I do not have to tell readers of the Weekly Beat that our US Constitution is an incredible document. Written in 1787 and ratified in 1788, our forefathers could hardly have imagined what life would look like in 2025. Nevertheless, the thoroughness of their writing reveals remarkable insight, a clear-eyed understanding of the frailties of the human condition, and a firm grasp of the difficulties involved in simply attempting to get human beings to work together.
There have been 27 Amendments to the Constitution since then. If we survive the current assault on our Democracy, there will certainly be more in our future. Personally, I am confident that we will weather the current storm. However, I am just as confident that things will look very different than what we may have assumed they would, even 10 years ago. The more perfect union that our forefathers envisioned, and that we all desire, is transforming before our eyes. The ugliness of human nature is showing itself in the corrupt and criminal leadership of our country right now. There are, and will be more, casualties of the cruelty and brazen lawless leadership by damaged people running amuck through our federal government. I believe that as we shine a light on this low point, we will see our way forward through this mess.
It will be the courage and leadership of We the People that will guide our Democracy to our future. It will not be whoever sits at the top of the Executive Branch, nor will it be the Speaker of the House or Senate Majority Leader, nor the current distinctly Un-Supreme Court. It will be the people. The people must communicate. We must be authentic. We must display a genuine desire to connect with each other. This is the ONLY WAY that we will create a future where we all can feel safe, heard, and respected. I repeat: communication, connection, authenticity, these qualities are essential to the way forward!
Please communicate with us at Voice for Values. We want to hear what matters to you. I will gladly post stimulating comments from you in future columns here in The Weekly Beat. You can reach us at info@voiceforvalues.org.
In the meantime, contact your elected leaders. Speak to your family. Speak to your friends. Speak to your neighbors. Speak to those who disagree with you. Hold your tongue and hear what they have to say. Even if you disagree, do so without violence, do so with a desire to find common ground. Our Democracy is a living entity, evolving and transforming before our eyes. Our Democracy IS We the People. Leaders rise up to meet the moment when they are called forth from the voice of the People. Let us embrace this awesome experience! No matter the challenges, these are the days we were made for.
For the future,
Judy
Main Story This Week: The Trump 2.0 Economy
When Trump took office he inherited a stable economy. Stock levels were on the rise and projecting high year-round returns, and consumer confidence was stable. Were prices high? Yes, but inflation was on the decline, which indicated future price stability.
Then, Trump started a trade war.
You might be wondering: what is a tariff? A tariff is a tax imposed on goods entering the U.S. from other countries. The cost of these taxes are almost exclusively passed to the consumer in the final pricing of goods once they hit the U.S. markets. In summary, everything is about to get a lot more expensive.
Because the bulk of our imports come from China, Canada, and Mexico, everyday essentials including produce, clothing, medication, energy, and more are going to be impacted. Due to supply chain issues created by the tariffs the costs associated with building housing and infrastructure are projected to rise as well.
Early estimates indicate that the tariffs are likely to cost the average American household upwards of $830 per year. Furthermore, the Tax Policy Center predicts that the tariffs on Mexico and Canada exclusively will reduce American incomes by 1% over the course of a year.
But wait, it gets worse!
Now Canada and Mexico have imposed reciprocal tariffs. With China and EU planning the same in the near future, American exports are likely to be reduced as well, which will have serious implications for the labor force, as companies are likely to try to make up for the reduction they see in revenues through layoffs and wage cuts.
Our Take
Trump’s trade war is putting the American & global economies in jeopardy. Limited tariffs can help make American made products more attractive to consumers, but the broad scope of the tariffs currently in place will undoubtedly result in reduced incomes and higher costs for most Americans.
Take Action: Demand Congress Stop The Trump Trade War
Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution grants Congress the authority to impose AND retract tariffs. It also enables Congress to grant limited powers of taxation to the executive branch. In 1974, Congress did just that, granting the President the ability to enact retaliatory tariffs in response to “an act, policy, or practice of a foreign country … {which} violates, or is inconsistent with, the provisions of, or otherwise denies benefits to the United States under, any trade agreement, or … is unjustifiable and burdens or restricts United States commerce.”
This language is in Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, and has been the basis of Trump’s defense of the current trade war. So, our proposal for Congress now is two-fold.
Repeal section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974.
Restructure the current tariffs to exclude everyday essentials.
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