Letter: Forecast for democracy

Published 12:15 am Tuesday, July 30, 2024

Oregonians appreciate the online and on-air weather forecasts for our changeable coastal weather. Those free forecasts could end if former President Donald Trump wins in November.

Project 2025 would end free National Weather Service reports and curtail the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Even more alarming, Project 2025 says, “The preponderance of its climate-change research should be disbanded.” Speaking of climate, Project 2025 calls for expanding oil and gas lease sales onshore and offshore, and opening large parts of Alaska to oil and gas exploration and development.

Project 2025 would give free rein to big polluters from the oil, gas and petrochemical industries.

Project 2025 attacks health, education and civil rights, including LGBTQ+ rights. Among other things, it would threaten access to abortion and lifesaving drugs like mifepristone and emergency contraception. It would privatize Medicare, depriving affordable health care for millions of Americans.

Despite the GOP’s frantic denials, Project 2025 is an anti-democracy blueprint calling for big-government authoritarianism. See for yourself at its website, project2025.org. Browse the table of contents.

Many people are already working to stop Project 2025. Get active now to defend democracy by defeating Trump, a convicted felon, sexual abuser and leader of an insurrection against our country.

The short-range forecast for America is stormy, but clearing after the election if voters choose democracy.

LAURIE CAPLAN

Astoria