The Trump trickle down is here

On Jan. 20, Donald Trump started his second presidency with 26 executive orders. Now, 100 days into his term, he has signed 142.

In February and even March, Americans like myself waited anxiously for the effects of these drastic measures to hit. Those who live near the border or university students have been feeling this impact for awhile, but we are just starting to get the full effect.

Farmers were some of the first in Iowa to feel the pressure, much of this stemming from funding freezes and tariffs.

Farmers who invested in climate-friendly infrastructure under the assumption it would qualify them for assistance based on programs started in the Biden administration. With Trump’s cancelation of these policies, farmers are now stuck with the bill and are receiving nothing in return.

I attended a virtual town hall between the Iowa Farmers Union and Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley. He spoke plainly about his desire for free trade, saying he would not stop fighting for the importance of free trade, especially in agriculture.

None of this is a surprise — it’s been in the news for months.

As a non-farmer, this doesn’t have a direct impact on me. Most of the orders I disagree with don’t impact me directly.

The DEI cuts, position eliminations and LGBTQ attacks are things I stand staunchly against though they don’t impact my day-to-day life.

For many people, the concern lies solely in “what will affect me?” Not only is this an apathetic response, it lacks foresight. It may not impact you now, but it’s only a matter of time.

I am bracing for the biggest hit to myself thus far, something that will impact my ability to read and listen to books for free.

I am extremely fortunate to have both the ability and the desire to purchase books. I have nearly 300 in my personal collection.

But I know what it’s like to not have the freedom to purchase books, and I still read more than I buy — or at least I try to.

Because of my large collection, I don’t typically check out physical books from the library. That being said, I am a big user of Libby, an app the Gibson Memorial Library supports to check out audiobooks.

This app, and Hoopla — one other libraries support, are at risk of extinction because of the Trump administration.

On March 14, President Trump issued an executive order intended to dismantle the only federal agency dedicated to funding library services, the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The order directs it to be eliminated to the maximum extent of the law, and agencies are ordered to reduce their services and personnel to the minimum amount required to perform the functions required by law.

Libby is one of the areas funded by the IMLS, but it’s not the only area libraries will suffer.

The Interlibrary Library Loan system allows readers to borrow books their home libraries don’t have, facilitated by the library.

As a kid, I remember thinking how magical that I could ask for any book in the whole world and they could find it for me. This magic is in jeopardy.

The program funding State Library Administrative Agencies is the largest grant program run by the IMLS.

This abrupt order has resulted in dozens of federal grants nationwide being terminated mid-year, sometimes after the money has been spent.

These cuts will impact rural libraries more than others, especially when it comes to the vital services they provide.

In Iowa, IMLS funds summer reading programs, All Iowa Reads, website and technology assistance, digital databases and more. These aren’t specific to the Gibson Memorial Library. We have yet to know how exactly our local library will be impacted, but without these federal funds, the library will surely be affected.

We are talking about $211 million, .003% of the federal budget and programs used by more than 1.2 billion people per year.

If this still doesn’t impact you, you’re simply in the queue waiting for your turn.