The eyes are the windows to the soul. That’s mostly true, I think. The idea behind that adage is that to truly see a person’s character you must ignore what they’re saying and look into their eyes.

For Presidential administrations, the budget is the window to their soul. If you want to see the unadorned vision and mission of a government, check out their budget. As Woodward and Bernstein learned from Deep Throat, if you want the truth “follow the money”. During the campaign, Trump did not consistently (hah!) espouse the classic conservative philosophy of bigger military and smaller government. Though he continually promised less regulations for business, candidate Trump also promised equally fervently to take care of the poor, the elderly, and people in the inner cities. Of course, we knew all the while that his promises were empty, but, it seemed reasonable, that President Trump would attempt to fulfill some of his many promises to the people who blindly elected him.

Hope for such accommodations began to fade when we saw his cabinet officers and senior White House staff. Never has America witnessed such a collection of small minded, inexperienced, idealogues being handed the reins to the most powerful country on earth and told “do your worst”.

Well, this budget is their worst. This administration’s spending plan for the nation reflects their view of society and government’s role in that society. The message is unmistakable. The role of the Federal Government is defense and immigration control. Period. The poor, the disabled, the elderly, and children will fend for themselves or look to charity. They’re really not our problem. Government has no role in ensuring clean air and water or livable communities. Forget visions of conquering cancer or curing diabetes, not our job. Industries will regulate themselves. Goodbye Big Bird. This budget accurately envisions the Tea Party ideal for America and it is a Dickensian future, indeed.

The Trump/Republican budget eliminates federal support for the grant that funds Meals on Wheels. I know this is the headline grabber and, perhaps, it should be. Why would anyone with a conscience cut a program that relies almost entirely on volunteers and provides nutritious meals for poor, elderly Americans? To save less than $3 million? One more point, I have found 4 studies that looked at Meals on Wheels and every one found it to be an overwhelming success for not only the meal recipients, but also for the volunteers based on a number of different metrics. It works and it works well.

Trump’s budget cuts the National Institutes of Health by $5.8 billion (20%). Just to be clear, the NIH is the primary funder and initiator of medical research in the world. No other organization will be able step forward and accept NIH’s mantle. There will be significantly less research on disease cause and therapies under this administration. The resulting setback in biomedical research will require decades to recover, if ever.

To increase a bloated Pentagon by $54 billion.

The EPA will be slashed by 31%. Please don’t sit back and think that’s ok because regulations cost jobs. The scientists and technicians at EPA are doing critical work in keeping our air, water, and communities safe and clean. That confidence you have when you turn on the tap? The pleasure you get from clean rivers and streams? The dramatic reduction in lead and mercury levels in America’s children? Cleaner urban and suburban air and significant reductions in carcinogens in our air? Don’t thank industry. Thank the EPA. The proposed cuts in the EPA budget represent a crisis that too many people don’t recognize.

If you know how this world really works, not some cartoonish simplification, cutting the State Department by 30% while increasing the Pentagon by $5.4 billion is just foolish. This White House has no idea of the importance that the State Department and the art of diplomacy play in the current world at large. Trump’s people have ill-advisedly held senior diplomats at arms length throughout their first 2 months and made a hash of every international interaction.

Remember Trump’s repeated promises to aid the inner cities? The HUD budget eliminates the $3 billion Community Development Block Grant. Doesn’t reduce it. Eliminates it. Also,  although natural disasters have increased precipitously over the last 2 decades in this country, Trump cuts support for FEMA’s disaster mitigation fund.

The list is nearly endless. Almost every domestic agency is facing double digit cuts with no rhyme nor reason. Remember, the Pentagon did not request $54 billion. Trump and his flying monkeys pulled that figure out of the air and then, apparently, told OMB to cut that much from domestic programs. When you give such a marching order to a Tea Partier like Mick Mulvaney, this is the budget you end up with. Trump’s budget either cuts or totally eliminates funding for school lunch programs, low income energy assistance, legal services for the poor, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, among others.

The Trump administration view of America is bleak. The society that will result is dystopian. The poor, the elderly, and children will suffer the most. As will communities and states that gave this candidate some of his most ardent support. There is no role for government to help with nutrition, medicine, early education, training, or the environment. The American Dream will further erode for millions of families because so much of America, particularly higher education, will be out of reach. Our air, rivers, streams, and beaches will be polluted at levels not seen for a half century. America will continue to rely on fossil fuels and fall further behind the world in sustainable energy technologies.

Combine this budget with the Republican health plan and being poor and elderly will be brutal. What kind society does this?

Well, at least we’ll have a military on steroids, a super rich ruling class, and a Wall.