To the editor: Angry about Trump’s no-bid contracts? Say something

Anyone who is struggling to pay for gasoline and groceries these days might wish to reflect upon the fact that President Trump just made a deal with Finland to purchase 11 icebreakers (more than twice the number of vessels the Coast Guard says it really needs) for over $6 billion via no-bid contracts.

Apparently, it will take several billion dollars more to provide the infrastructure and crews to operate these behemoths.  This, of course, is on top of a $1.3 billion no-bid contract to build an immigrant detention center and over $16 million of taxpayer money Trump squandered on the no-bid contract for the reflecting pool fiasco in Washington, D.C.  By the way, the same company that botched that job has another no-bid contract to try to repair the mess they initially made.

Selectboards in Vermont are prohibited from awarding no-bid contracts, except in extraordinary circumstances.  Trump and the executive branch should be similarly constrained.  The Constitution gives Congress, not the president, the authority to determine how our hard-earned tax dollars are spent.  Trump, with the support of his Republican sycophants, is ignoring such restraints.

If this bothers you, raise your voice.  Join anti-Trump demonstrations.  Write to your representatives in Congress.  Only an uproar from millions of people will stop this waste and fraud.

Bill Dunkel
Windham