The President appointed his Director of Management and Budget Mick Mulvaney as acting director when the bureau’s director resigned. Mulvaney is a former Congressman who fought the creation of the bureau.

His first act was to put in place a 30-day hiring freeze, payments to consumers freeze and new regulation freeze.

Business before international relations?

Applying a business philosophy to international relations represents a shift away from USA leadership and is alarming many who were involved in the art of international relations in the past. President Trump and his appointed secretary of state, Rex Tillerson — the former CEO of Exxon International — introduced this new approach for international relationships.

Like the other agency heads, Tillerson did not fill vacancies, claiming a desire to streamline the Department of State. Former employees, other countries and international relations observers have noted a decline in access, relationship and influence with the U.S.

The President and Secretary of State do not believe that it is America’s business to meddle in the internal affairs of the country even if it involves violating human rights, jailing opponents and destabilizing regions. Resulting refugees are seen to be someone else’s problem.

They support doing business with other countries that in their view have a favorable business climate, even countries known for the above or countries who would like to destroy our faith in our democracy or gain economic dominance over the United States.

Natural business alliances form wherever money and mutual interests flows regardless of the adverse outcomes for the populace, theirs or ours. Welfare of people are not the business of business.

The apparent examples are Russia in the former and China in the latter. Both are known to finance Americans when U.S. banks no long approve individuals. What’s not to like?

I believe it is so normal for some individuals to get favor for their businesses in another country, that they don’t even think of appearances.

Business of government for, by the people

I am not anti-business. I would like businesses to share the pain of infrastructure and community development in civic responsibilities such as paying a fair share of taxes. I would like businesses to have social responsibility and national interests somewhere in their core.

I don’t want my government to be anti-business, but I do want our elected officials to remember that it is the people’s House, the people’s Senate, the people’s President.

Check the preamble to the constitution. It doesn’t say “promote the general Welfare and secure the Blessings of Liberty to” corporations and businesses so their magnanimity can trickle down to the people.

Our President and Republican elected officials want us to believe it’s all about jobs and, that if we don’t buy off businesses with tax and regulatory breaks and expect little support from the government, we won’t have jobs.

The argument is stunning in its manipulation human fears and aspirations.

A democracy deserves better.

Bertha D. Cooper is retired from a 40-plus year career as a health care administrator focusing on the delivery system as a whole. She still does occasional consulting. She is a featured columnist at the Sequim Gazette. Reach her at columnists@sequimgazette.com.-