Expectations for 2017

Although you didn't ask, I feel oddly compelled to share my expectations for 2017, realizing you likely have plenty of your own.

First, our middle-of-the-SEC pack football Razorbacks will again go 7-5 at best. No further explanation necessary.

The national mainstream media (you well know the TV channels and newspapers after this election), a disgruntled Democratic Party and Hollywood multimillionaires will continue to slice away at incoming President Donald J. Trump with every tweet and decision he makes.

Their hope will be to bleed him to death from a thousand paper cuts. This includes overplayed headlines, overblown story placements and obviously slanted language in "news" stories along with a steady stream of legal actions designed to thwart Trump's goals for the nation.

The populations of most states, wisened by this media onslaught they've witnessed, will remain wise to their sport while choosing to evaluate for themselves the new president's successes and failures, much as they did in electing him against all odds.

Trump's family also will be equally hounded by various biased media with every action and comment.

The new president will continue trumpeting personal tweets directly to the nation, despite the enduring criticisms. It's become deeply ingrained in his nature to speak directly through 140 characters even though lots of Americans (including me) wince when he lowers himself to react that way.

Outgoing President Barack Obama will be continually quoted in the same mainstream media that has nurtured and protected him for more than eight years. He will be quoted favorably on every major decision Trump makes in the continuing effort to undermine and delegitimize the new president.

However, I don't expect this now-familiar biased tactic to carry meaningful influence outside political circles that have predictably favored Obama and his policies.

Construction on the wall separating our nation from Mexico will begin. A lot of criminals from other countries here in violation of our federal law will be discovered and deported. As he clearly stated in his address at Gettysburg last summer, Mexico will reimburse us for building it, much like the wall Mexico has on its Southern border.

Radical Muslims on "jihad" sadly will continue to inflict injury and death within the borders of our nation. The same mainstream media will still downplay their obvious affiliation, calling the murderers lone wolves as if their rampages against our innocent citizens become lessened by intentionally vague terminology.

Regrettably, innocent and peaceful Muslims in our nation also will continue to pay a price for the actions by the largely unvetted radical followers of their chosen faith bent on killing and maiming the innocent.

Social unrest sponsored and fomented by not-so-dark political funding (and the likes of Al Sharpton) will continue.

So-called sanctuary cities that flagrantly violate federal immigration laws will pay a financial price for their decision. Trump will face a showdown with the federal workers' union much as Ronald Reagan did with the air traffic controllers union.

The newest Supreme Court justice who believes in and follows the rule of law over ugly partisan favoritisms will be seated by spring at the latest. If necessary, the Senate will employ former Sen. Harry Reid's nuclear option.

Obamacare will be repealed and replaced with a health-care plan that doesn't inflict punishment on Americans who choose not to subscribe.

Care for veterans will be meaningfully reformed.

At least a dozen will perish in needless head-on collisions across Arkansas. It still amazes me how many drivers can't seem to navigate their vehicles within the confines of their own lanes.

This newspaper will continue to be, especially in the eyes of many who've lived elsewhere, among the finest in the nation while other media with political agendas dwindle.

Many jobs will return to the United States or be prevented from leaving by reforms in the tax codes, which will benefit a large percentage of the middle class. Small businesses will begin to bloom by lifting onerous and hamstringing regulations.

Closer to home, the hog factory our state so wrongheadedly allowed into the ecologically fragile Buffalo National River watershed will continue to get protection and special treatment from our state's "environmental quality" (cough) agency.

That includes the fact that maintaining this factory in the sacred watershed is costing taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars to supposedly monitor its waste emissions.

Relatedly, I expect the coming Buffalo River Watershed Alliance event featuring five bands (including the Cate Brothers) at George's Majestic Lounge in Fayetteville on Jan. 29 to be a rousing success. The event begins at 4 p.m. and many who genuinely care about the welfare of the country's first national river will show up.

------------v------------

Mike Masterson's column appears regularly in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Email him at [email protected].

Editorial on 01/14/2017

Upcoming Events