Thursday, October 1, 2026
I’ve just finished watching a three-hour documentary on the life of President Franklin D. Roosevelt titled “Rendezvous With Destiny.” It highlights the accomplishments of one man and provides us with a refreshing reminder of a time in history when our leaders led and the people benefited from their selfless labors.
When you have sat through hours of commentary by brilliant historians and seen the priceless film footage, it’s impossible not to think about the current state of our country and its leadership. I’ve had the good fortune to spend 29 years in public service at the local and state levels. I’ve rubbed elbows with some of our nation’s most gifted politicians, and witnessed their accomplishments as a spectator and firsthand.
The more you witness the history of our multiple governments, the more you realize how our current government is no longer capable of serving the people who desperately need it. I have no issue with the people from both parties who provide us with services in our counties, towns and villages. But I am saddened by our federal system, which serves only itself.
The U.S. Congress is trapped in a state of gridlock. Years go by and not one bill is passed that helps the people who need it. The House and Senate managed to pass a bill that provides tax relief to the wealthy and robs the poor of health care coverage and food benefits. Members of Congress who voted for the so-called Big, Beautiful Bill try to portray it as a tax-cutting law, but on closer examination, it helps only those who need no help.
One provision of the bill provides some tax relief for suburban homeowners by raising the cap on deductions for state and local taxes from $10,000 to $40,000 through 2029. Many members pledged to stop Congress from insider stock trading, but the bill failed to even get a floor vote, thanks to pressure from some of the more senior members. The voters took note of the failures of Congress in recent months by kicking 16 members from both political parties off the ballot.
We are six months into a war with Iran that has robbed us of our extensive inventory of key weapons and put us in danger if we were to have any conflict with China or Russia, our sworn enemies. We have insulted our NATO allies, who are being criticized for failing to join the battle in Iran, even thought they were never consulted. The price of gasoline continues to spike due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to commercial traffic. There is little or no chance that there will be any compromise before Election Day, and some incumbents will suffer for this travesty.
With prices still high, health benefits being cut for 12 million people and another 7 million losing the benefits of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, President Trump keeps insisting that affordability is a Democratic hoax. In the midst of this national economic crises, the president has ratcheted up his personal war with Canada by imposing 50 percent tariff on Canadian goods. Tariffs work both ways, and American consumers will pay more for toilet paper, plywood and other crucial products.
While our country faces crisis after crisis, our ally Ukraine is being bombarded by hundreds of Russian drones. The Ukrainians have waged a successful four-year battle against the Russian invasion, but they now faces the possibility that North Korea will enter the conflict with thousands of troops. Europe is doing its share, but it appears that Trump doesn’t want to offend Russian President Vladimir Putin by offering Ukraine more assistance.
Our nation is being forced to juggle numerous challenges, but the president is fixated on building his White House ballroom as well as a ceremonial arch near Arlington National Cemetery. He is also accelerating his efforts to put his name on our currency and a number of public buildings.
The more we watch documentaries on Roosevelt and former Presidents Lyndon Johnson, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton and Barack Obama, the more we are struck by the contrast between what government once was, and still should be, and what it is now.
Jerry Kremer was a state assemblyman for 23 years, and chaired the Assembly’s Ways and Means Committee for 12 years. He currently chairs the Capitol Insight Group, a government relations firm. Comments? jkremer@liherald.com.
