1. United States
2. Mass.
3. Letter

We’ve seen the same story play out time after time with this regime. Trump wants to punish or pressure “blue America” so we’ll fall in line. He holds hostage federal funding we’re owed for child care or health care or schools or emergency services. We run into court to fight back. We endure a long legal battle with his sword hanging over our heads. We’re getting bullied and cheated with our own hard-earned money. Enough! Trump is acting like a deadbeat. Let’s treat him like one. A number of legislators have proposed allowing the state to hold back payments to the federal government and placing liens on federal property if the administration is ruled to have illegally withheld our funds. Let’s make that law in our state. It’s a way to cover for what he steals, so we can keep our programs and services running. And it lets us punch back at the weaponization of our tax dollars against us. We protect our people and we don’t let ourselves get blackmailed. This regime is playing by their own set of rules. We should play by them, too.