Congratulations on being elected President of the United States. It is remarkable, to say the least, that an individual with no prior experience in public office can run for the highest in the land and win it. America is known as a land of opportunity, and I hope that citizens of all ages, backgrounds, and political persuasions are motivated by your election to step out of private life and into public service. A healthy, effective government demands that citizens be willing to serve and you have certainly demonstrated your eagerness to step forward. Now, you have the opportunity to guide our nation.
I watched your speech on election night and I was encouraged by what I heard. It is my sincere, heartfelt desire that you will maintain that same tone and that you will put those same words into action as you serve as President for all Americans. It is no secret that this past campaign contributed to and laid bare great divides that exist within our nation. You, more than any one individual, can take steps to close that divide. I pray that you do.
One way to move our country forward is to seek out common ground and priorities. Your campaign web site discusses, among many topics, the importance of creating jobs, reducing poverty, reversing inequities in education, and investing in infrastructure. I think most every American would agree that these are important steps to take. If you want to make a significant impact quickly, then I encourage you to look carefully at our nation’s communications infrastructure.
Having a connected and informed citizenry is a must for the new American economy. A fraction of the $1 trillion you hope to make available for infrastructure would go a long way towards getting every American online and up-to-speed in today’s new economy. Broadband Internet connections fuel jobs, education and healthcare. Do you want to energize rural economies? Are you interested in transforming inner cities? Are you hoping to slow the growth in healthcare costs? Investing in telecommunications infrastructure will yield returns in all of these areas; plus, these are among the most “shovel-ready” projects available to you. By tweaking existing programs, eliminating a few layers of red tape, and allowing programs to work more effectively together, by next summer you could be investing billions of dollars into infrastructure that immediately impacts the daily lives of working class men, women and children in every corner of the United States. And you could do all this efficiently and without having to reinvent the wheel or create new bureaucracies.
President-elect Trump, you have been given an opportunity that few individuals will ever experience. This is your chance to enrich this great nation, and in doing so win over your critics. As President Obama so aptly put it, “If you succeed, the country succeeds," and I sincerely hope that you do.
