Project 2025 spelled out Trump’s plan. Is the draft next? | Opinion

What’s next, the draft?

The public actions of the current president are a distraction from a clear and dangerous agenda: Project 2025, a nearly 1,000-page blueprint by the Heritage Foundation, is being implemented for all to see.

This plan aims to replace non-partisan civil servants with political loyalists, dismantle key government departments and roll back environmental protections. It seeks to restrict reproductive rights and use federal power to punish dissent.

Perhaps most alarming is the call for a “mandatory” Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery Exam for all high school students in “federally funded” schools, disguised as a recruiting tool but is considered a direct step toward a military draft or civic duty. History tells us the sons and daughters of minorities and the poor will be sent to the front lines, while the wealthy pay for their bonespur deferral(s).

The administration is not acting on a whim but on a detailed, pre-written plan. The public persona is the showman, but the real policy is being guided by a powerful, private think tank: The Heritage Foundation.

We were warned.

It’s time to stop reacting and start proactively fighting this blueprint before its anti-democratic goals are fully realized.

Gregory Magoc, Bremerton

Thanks to Kensington Gardens

My name is Susan McMullin, daughter of two residents of Kensington Gardens, where my siblings and I moved our parents last September. It has been the smartest decision we could have made. After meeting Kelly and Mark, whose vision is to create a loving, home-like setting for the elderly and disabled, we knew this was far better than the crowded, impersonal facilities we had seen.

My parents are ordinary, hardworking people. My father is a retired military veteran. They spent their lives giving to others, and they deserve to live their later years with dignity, comfort, and joy. The staff know them personally, and adjust as their needs change. They treat them like family. My dad’s cognitive ability has even improved in the warm, social environment.

The residents enjoy family meals, outings and activities, all in a setting that honors the rural life they have always loved. Mark and Kelly are truly kind people who treat each person like family. It’s exactly the kind of home everyone wants for their loves ones. The residents of Kensington Gardens have as much right to live here as anyone — and they are thriving.

Susan McMullin, Camas

Rural separator a good idea

Terry Wise supports Zoning Rural Separator. An RS is a nature corridor extending from the Puget Sound along the Waller Road area out to Brookdale. It is limited to one house per 2.5 acres. It is a support system for wildlife. Wise is a supporter of wildlife.

Cutting red tape is a common battle cry from the right. It’s rare a Republican spells out specifics. Wise worked in Land Development for forty years. He explains how large plats can take 4-5 years. Carry costs run into millions. The developer will design and engineer the project, then Pierce County conducts full re-engineering, adding costs, time delays. Original engineering that was submitted comes with insurance and bonding, guaranteeing a good finished product. Wise believes this is redundant and wasteful. Get finished homes to market in two years, lower price.

Wise is an advocate for tiny housing. Get the homeless housed then move in with counselling for work and drug rehab.

Kenneth Enslow, Lakewood