THE FINAL AND VERY PERSONAL POST - August 10, 2024

(Yes, this is long, but please bear with me)

WHAT I DID
After hearing so many references to PROJECT 2025, I decided to read the entire 922 pages of its text and provide a synopsis—using its own words only—without commentary. Over a period of 37 days, I read 60% of the text and created 25 posts on https://whatisproject2025.blogspot.com. It was referenced and publicized on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X. I had over 1,000 views.

 

WHAT I LEARNED
PROJECT 2025 STATED INTENTIONS FOR JANUARY 20, 2025 – DAY ONE
Creation of a plan for Federal governmental guidance – Republican Platform.
Creation of a vetted database of future political personnel.
Creation of a Presidential Administrative Academy to train personnel.
Creation of pre-assigned organizational teams.

 

PROJECT 2025 OBJECTIVE TAKEAWAYS
Repeal and remove
Inflation Reduction and Jobs Act; Infrastructure Act; regulations on energy and all green energy initiatives; all “woke” policies; environmental standards and start all over.
 
Eliminate
Department of Education; Department of Homeland Security; unions in the federal government; Cybersecurity oversight for elections; current salary and benefits structure for civil servants; current structure of civil service; monies for Planned Parenthood, Public Broadcasting and National Public Radio.

 

Family and gender issues
End “social engineering” in DOD and fire generals who advocate for it; end gender regulations and gender affirmation care; remove all armed forces members with “gender dysphoria”; remove federal support for LGBTQ+; remove all funding for or reference to abortion services; establish standard that “family” refers to mother-father-child(ren).
 
Military
Increase production/sales of weapons; prioritize China as main enemy; let Europe control NATO forces but nuclear for US; increase the development/deployment of new nuclear warheads; increase production of plutonium; reject ratification of Nuclear Test Ban Treaty; expand US presence in Arctic and Space; create missile defense system; end Marxist indoctrination in all military schools, courses, etc.

Political

Install political appointees throughout civil service; create immediate leadership by designation of “Acting” rather than wait for Senate confirmation; FBI overhaul; vest all executive power in the President and all cabinet departments function subservient to him; control flow of information to public and Congress; create a new department for Border and Immigration; reinstitute 100s of previous Executive Orders; restructure federal educational monies to individuals for personal use, including schools sponsored by/affiliated with religious denominations.

WHY I STOPPED READING IT

    I really didn’t have a choice.

    In 1982, I was diagnosed with depression. It is invisible, invasive, and insidious. On the best of those days, I lived with the fear that depression would sneak up on me and smack me over the head with a psychic 2x4. I tried everything short of shock therapy to hold it at bay - meds, ketamine, transcranial magnetic stimulation - nothing. Over the last decade, though, with amazing therapy, the support of my children, and the fierce love of my wife, Annie, my life has turned into the one I have always wanted.

    Reading PROJECT 2025 threatened that balance. I felt my depression returning, hovering, intruding. The 2x4 seemed inevitable.

    So, I stopped.

    Looking at PROJECT 2025 objectively was exhausting. Worse yet, I felt a growing sense of anger. I don’t do well with anger. It frightens me. So does PROJECT 2025.

    As a political document, PROJECT 2025 is straightforward. It makes Donald Trump’s comment about being “a dictator for only one day” on January 20, 2025, absolutely possible. After he finishes the oath of office, PROJECT 2025 is fully activated. Trained, vetted, political appointees assigned to specific governmental departments start working. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of Executive Orders – pre-written, auto-signed – will be issued, as will legislative bills repealing and restoring. PROJECT 2025 clearly talks the talk. Americans must keep it from walking the walk.

    I believe in the power of goodwill. PROJECT 2025 demands anger.

    I believe in the richness of diversity. PROJECT 2025 demands exclusivity.

    I believe in compassion. PROJECT 2025 seems unable to conceive of it.

    I believe in reaching out. PROJECT 2025 pushes away.

    I believe women’s lives are their own. PROJECT 2025 rejects that truth.

    I believe in fair elections and the Constitution. PROJECT 2025 bends the knee to a king.

    I believe we should be the “Land of the Free.” PROJECT 2025 readies the shackles.

    I believe we should be the “Home of the Brave.” PROJECT 2025 is “Home of the Cowards.”

 

    And that’s it in a nutshell. The Republican Party, The Heritage Foundation, PROJECT 2025, and especially Donald Trump are cowards. 

 

    We are approaching an incredible national milestone – 2026 – the 250^th anniversary of a dream become a force in the world. In 1976, on our 200^th anniversary, could we possibly have conceived of the changes we would face in fifty years – for good or for evil? Whatever awaits us in 2076 will take hope and encouragement, not hate and discouragement.
   At least, that’s what I think. 

PROJECT 2025 –  #23 – August 6, 2024 - Department of Energy 

BLOG DISCLAIMER
New more concise, simplified format. This blog was created as a public service. It is a Cliff’s Notes version of the actual 900 pages of text found in PROJECT 2025. It is not a commentary. Most importantly - It DOES NOT reflect my opinion in any way

DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Underlining Assumptions:
American energy crisis are based on “green” policies.
Repeal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act
Repeal Inflation Reduction Act
Refocus DOE on energy security and advanced science.
End government interference in energy decisions, including nuclear.

Restore Manhattan Project and Cold War nuclear sites to develop new nuclear weapons and naval reactors

Create nuclear waste disposal policies

Eliminate political and climate-change interference in liquified natural gas exports

review all federal science agencies to measure, prioritize, and consolidate DOE programs based on national security; energy security (cyber but also international aspects); and importance to scientific discovery/advancement. 

Fund design, development, deployment of new nuclear warheads and production of plutonium

Focus on energy grid reliability but eliminate testing of grid-enhancing technologies

Reduce regulatory obstacles to nuclear energy
 
Eliminate carbon capture and storage

 Pursue critical minerals from coal waste products

End focus on climate change and green subsidies

Eliminate energy efficiency standards for appliances

Eliminate Grid Deployment Office which studies the electric grid to address congestion, enhance reliability and promote clean energy.

eliminate ARPA-E – which brings technology from idea to commercialization

 eliminate clean energy corps

stop climate reparations

Commit to US science dominance in new natural resource development technologies, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and space are properly contributed to private sector

 Reject ratification of Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, indicate a willingness to conduct nuclear tests in response to adversary nuclear developments 

Limit decision-making on natural gas pipeline certificates to the question of whether there is a need for the natural gas. 

Should not use environmental issues like climate change as a reason to stop LNG projects. 

Expedite the review and approval of license extensions of existing reactors

Set clear radiation exposure and protection standards by eliminating ALARA (“as low as reasonably achievable”) as a regulatory principle and setting clear standards according to radiological risk and dose rather than arbitrary objectives. 

Next up - Environmental Protection Agency

 PROJECT 2025 –  #22 – August 1, 2024 - Department of Education - Part 2

BLOG DISCLAIMER
New more concise, simplified format. This blog was created as a public service. It is a Cliff’s Notes version of the actual 900 pages of text found in PROJECT 2025. It is not a commentary. Most importantly - It DOES NOT reflect my opinion in any way

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[KEY ELEMENT - as the federal government administers education programs for District of Columbia, Department of Defense facilities and Native Americans, DOE will basically mandate many of the changes and then encourage states to adopt them]

21. Prevent teaching of critical race theory 

22. school officials should not require students or teachers to believe that individuals are guilty or responsible for the actions of others based on race or ethnicity. 

23. Work to pass a federal. Parents Bill of Rights that restores parental rights to a “top tier” right. Such legislation would give families a fair hearing in court when the federal government enforces any policy against parents in a way that undermines their right and responsibility to raise, educate, and care for their children. The law would require the government to satisfy “strict scrutiny”—the highest standard of judicial review—when the government infringes parental rights

24. Work with Congress to provide parent and students over the age of 18 years with a private right of action to seek injunctive and declaratory relief, together with attorney’s fees and costs against educational institutions and agencies that violate rights enshrined in these statutes.

25. No public education employee or contractor shall use a name to address a student other than the name listed on a student's birth certificate, without the written permission of a student's parents or guardian

26. No public education employee or contractor shall use a pronoun in addressing the student that is different from the students biological sex without the written permission of a student's parents or guardians.

27. No public institution may require an education employee or contractor to use a pronoun that does not match the person's biological sex if contrary to the  employees or contractors religious or moral conviction

28. Based on the funding spent in DC Public Schools ($22,856 per child) - Congress should expand voucher programs to all students, regardless of income or background; All families should be able to take their children's taxpayer funded education dollars to the education providers of their choosing, whether it be public or private school; A portion of a child’s federal education spending should be deposited in a private spending account that parents can use to pay for personal tutors, education therapists, books and curricular materials, private school tuition, transportation and more

29. Over ten years, phase out federal funding for low-income families and turn over to states.

30. Allow states can opt out of federal programs

31. Prohibit accreditation agencies from mandating diversity, equity, and inclusion policies.

32. Protect the sovereignty of states to decide governance and leadership issues for state-supported colleges and universities by prohibiting accreditation agencies from intruding upon the governance of state-supported educational institutions.

33. Protect faith-based institutions by prohibiting accreditation agencies from requiring standards or criteria that undermine religious beliefs.

34. Encourage the establishment of new accreditation agencies.

35. Especially directed towards China, reinforce Federal laws directing colleges and universities to report gifts from sources outside the US worth $250,000 or more.

36. Require the Secretary of Education to allocate at least 40% of funding to international business programs that teach about free market and economics, and require institutions, faculty, and fellowship recipients to certify that they intend to further the stated statutory goals of serving American interests.

37. The President should issue an executive order stating that a college degree shall not be required for any federal job unless the requirements of the job specifically demand it.

38. The president should issue an executive order removing the list of educational institutions claiming religious exemption from the Office of Civil Rights at the Department of Education.

39. The president should issue a series of executive orders requiring an accounting of how federal programs/ grants spread DEI/ CRT/ gender ideology.

40. The president should issue an executive order pursuing antitrust against college accreditors, especially the American Bar Association.

41. Cut bloc grants to states by 10%

42. graduate student loans and loans to the parents of undergraduate students, should be eliminated 

43. end student loan forgiveness programs

 PROJECT 2025 –  #21 – July 30, 2024 - Department of Education - Part 1

BLOG DISCLAIMER
New more concise, simplified format. This blog was created as a public service. It is a Cliff’s Notes version of the actual 900 pages of text found in PROJECT 2025. It is not a commentary. Most importantly - It DOES NOT reflect my opinion in any way

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[KEY ELEMENT - as the federal government administers education programs for District of Columbia, Department of Defense facilities and Native Americans, DOE will basically mandate many of the changes and then encourage states to adopt them]

1.    Limit federal involvement and eliminate DOE 

2.    education programs funds block-granted to states without strings, 

3.    student loans/grants through private sector 

4.    many institutions of higher education that are hostile to free expression, open academic inquiry, and American exceptionalism 

5.    Rather than college, focus far more on bolstering the workforce skills of Americans who have no interest in pursuing a four-year academic degree 

6.    Redirect education funding for military, DC residents and Native Americans 

7.    Borrowers of federal funds should repay them 

8.    Enforcement of civil rights should be based on a proper understanding of those laws, rejecting gender ideology and critical race theory. 

9.    Move office of civil rights to DOJ 

10. Review student meal and income-driven student loan programs

11. Rescind laws against and bolster charter schools

12. Stop collecting data on “nonbinary” students for sports

13. Rescind attempts to undercut Florida’s University Flexible Accreditation program

14. Title IX – redefine sex as biological at birth, strengthen protections of faith-based institutions

15. Facilitating social gender transition without parental consent increases the likelihood that children will seek hormone treatments, such as puberty blockers, which are experimental medical interventions

16. Stop federal intervention in school discipline policies.

17. Eliminate negotiated rulemaking procedures

18. no conclusive evidence that more taxpayer spending on schools improves student outcomes

19.  Rescind charter of National Education Association and determine how much taxpayer money has been used for radical causes favoring the Democratic party.

20. no teacher or student in Washington, D.C., public schools, Bureau of Indian Education schools, or Department of Defense schools should be compelled to believe, profess, or adhere to any idea, but especially ideas that violate state and federal civil rights laws.

 PROJECT 2025 –  #20 – July 28, 2024 - New more concise, simplified format.

=> Over 1/3 of the way through it!!

BLOG DISCLAIMER
This blog was created as a public service. It is a Cliff’s Notes version of the actual 900 pages of text found in PROJECT 2025. It is not a commentary. Most importantly - It DOES NOT reflect my opinion in any way

Chapter 10: The Department of Agriculture (USDA)

1.    USDA should focus on removing barriers to food production

2.    Denounce efforts to put climate change ahead of productivity and affordability

3.    Repeal sugar subsidy program

4.    Reduce taxpayer cost for federal crop insurance premiums

5.    Move non-agricultural programs to other departments (eg. SNAP, WIC, lunch/breakfast programs, etc.)

6.    Implement work requirements for food stamps and reform WIC

7.    labeling regulations and regulations that unnecessarily delay the manufacture and sale of baby formula should be re-evaluated

8.    Re-implement Federal meal programs for K–12 students to provide food to children from low-income families only while at school (not summers)

9.    Promote legislation to allow state-inspected meat to be sold interstate.

10. counter scare tactics regarding agricultural biotechnology and adopt policies to remove unnecessary barriers to approvals and the adoption of biotechnology. 

11.  work with Congress to repeal the federal labeling law, while maintaining federal preemption, and stress that voluntary labeling is allowed

12. US Forest Service – thin out trees rather than burn them; increase timber sales

13. Repeal and reform dietary guidelines

Stay tuned for # 21 - Department of Education - July 30

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