For the past several months, the political rhetoric has swirled in all directions with the aid of the “mainstream media.”

Recently, the two primary issues have been the passage of the Trump tax reform plan and the shutdown of the federal government. Let’s examine the tax reform issue first.

Across the country since the passage of Trump’s tax plan, over 160 companies of all sizes have announced bonuses, wage increases or increases in benefits such as IRA benefits. In Maine, the Camden National Bank has announced bonuses for both full- and part-time employees as well as wage increases.

I strongly believe this is just the beginning with more to come as money and investments return to the United States.

The largest company to announce a program of bonuses is Walmart, which employs over one million workers. Apple is bringing back from overseas over $350 billion to invest in the economy and has announced the hiring of 20,000 new employees. AT&T, Southwest Airlines, and dozens of other companies are doing things of this nature.

This is reality.

On the other hand, the minority leader in Congress, Nancy Pelosi has called the passage of the tax reform bill a financial Armageddon. Other Democrat leaders have uttered similar messages of doom. I suppose that since almost none of the Democrats have signed the front side of a paycheck, they simply do not understand the basics of economics.

Unfortunately, these economic naivetes are cloaked in fantasy. The ever so reliable “mainstream media” has followed the line of their Democrat mentors and has made every attempt to convince the public that the tax reform plan is a loser.

Initially their efforts were having a positive result for them as the public swallowed their story. However, this has now been reversed and the rejection of this narrative will grow stronger in February, when workers all across the nation will begin to have increased take home pay.

Remember the words of Nancy Pelosi, who said take home increases of $2,000 were breadcrumbs. I suppose this is true for Mrs. Pelosi, whose net worth is estimated to be $74.1 million, but not for middle class families.

Let’s not forget that Rep. Pelosi crowed about a supposed $2,500 “savings” that every family would get from Obamacare, when the reality of it was a large increase in health insurance costs to most families and individuals.

Now let’s turn our attention to the Schumer Shutdown.

Sen. Schumer has led the hard left-leaning Democrats into a genuine political dead end. The average individual does not believe that undocumented illegal aliens have more importance than our military, our first responders, or needy children who benefit from the CHIP program.

This is reality.

Sen. Schumer blinked and the shutdown was over. Despite the new three-week window, a budget must be passed to ensure that necessary programs move forward.

All agree that the unconstitutional DACA measure needs some sort of resolution, but not blanket amnesty, though not without strengthening our southern border against widespread infiltration and ending all chain immigration and the lottery loophole.

Our future immigration policy needs to have guidelines that will bring individuals with the skills we need in our economy. The Democrats, in their quest for more dependent and subservient voters, are exceptionally interested in having more unskilled and dependent immigrants that they can control.

This to me is more of the left wing outlook of fantasy.

Reality or fantasy, what is your choice?

Another View is a weekly column written collaboratively by Dale Landrith of Camden, Ken Frederic of Bristol, Paul Ackerman of Martinsville and Jan Dolcater of Rockport.