To the Editor:
Re “Creature From the Green Lagoon,” by Maureen Dowd (column, June 21):
Ms. Dowd astutely identifies the Reflecting Pool project in front of the Lincoln Memorial as the perfect metaphor for Donald Trump’s presidency.
The big beautiful Reflecting Pool (which turned from green to blue and back to green) provides the same pattern we see over and over again with other challenges the administration has faced, from Covid in the first term to wars in Ukraine and Iran in the second.
First, Mr. Trump brags that he can solve the problem on Day 1 or very easily. He says past administrations (Barack Obama and Joe Biden’s) were a “disaster.” It turns out that all of his promises are empty.
Like the pool itself, Mr. Trump has provided a moment of sparkle with no substance. The problem that existed before he got involved ends up being worse.
Mr. Trump thoughtlessly spends taxpayer money by handing the job over to people who don’t know what they are doing, he ignores the advice of experts, and he underestimates the complexity of the problem.
When things go wrong, he will not accept any responsibility. For some reason, most Republicans in Congress keep falling for it.
Adam Michels San Francisco
To the Editor:
Re “Firm Hired to Rid Pool of Algae Is Tied to Trump Donor” (front page, June 20):
I hope someone in Congress is keeping track of the Trump administration’s wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars.
There are the vanity projects: the failed restoration of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, the takeover of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, the proposed triumphal arch, the demolition of the East Wing of the White House, the modifications to a Boeing 747 that Qatar gave to the U.S. government. This is a partial list, to be sure.
Then there are the big-ticket items: the Defense Department spending on the president’s war in Iran, the added burden of higher gasoline prices on the American people as a result of the war and the added cost of living placed on the American people because of the president’s tariffs, to name a few examples. The higher gas prices and tariffs on imported goods are nothing more than hidden taxes, unapproved by Congress, imposed on the American people.
This information should be collected and shared with the American people before the fall elections. These are the president’s initiatives, but the Republicans in Congress are complicit; they sat by and did nothing, allowing the president to spend taxpayer dollars without meaningful oversight.
David Baldwin Petaluma, Calif.
To the Editor:
There is not a single painted public pool I have ever been to where a visitor could cause significant peeling or surface damage merely by touching it, unless the coating had already been improperly applied or had long suffered from inadequate maintenance.
The condition of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool suggests a problem that predates any individual’s visit. Peeling paint and persistent algae growth are typically signs of deterioration that develops over time, not the result of a momentary encounter by a member of the public.
Government officials should be addressing the quality of the work performed and the adequacy of maintenance rather than trying to shift responsibility onto a visitor. Public facilities belong to all Americans, and accountability for their condition should rest with those charged with maintaining them.
President Trump selected the people providing the inadequate maintenance. He should look at his questionable capacity to properly identify competence.
Stephen Somerstein San Francisco
The Politics of Fine Dining
To the Editor:
“Thai Hot Spot in Philadelphia Tops Honors” (Food, June 17) noted that this year’s James Beard Awards ceremony was “infused with plenty of politics and local pride.”
To those who don’t want to hear about politics or so-called D.E.I. in the food and dining industry, I’d ask, Who exactly do you think is making it possible to eat at these great restaurants? Who do you think is picking your Little Gem lettuce, your organic strawberries, your endive salads and blood oranges?
Who is setting your dining tables with bespoke silverware, wiping your crystal wine glasses and whisking away the detritus of your succulent meals? Who is washing, mopping and, yes, cooking in these immaculate temples to gastronomy?
Immigrants, that’s who.
Susan Deutsch Venice, Calif.
Learn Something New
To the Editor:
Re “A Choice Between Comfort and Novelty,” by Melissa Kirsch (Inside The Times, June 15):
At age 92, I was looking for a project — something besides lunches with friends, canasta, etc. — so I started studying Hebrew. It is hard work, but it keeps me busy with memorization and repetition. And it is exciting. Learning anything is thrilling.
Shalom.
Shirley Smithberg New York
The post The Pool That Reflects Trump’s Presidency appeared first on New York Times.
