As always, let’s begin with an introduction to the author. Karen Kerrigan has served as president and CEO of the Small Business & Entrepreneurship (SBE) Council since 1994, and is a founder of Women Entrepreneurs, Inc. She regularly testifies before Congress on key issues impacting small business and the economy. Per the Center for International Private Enterprise (CIPE), Kerrigan has been appointed to numerous federal advisory boards, has presented at several Presidential economic summits, and has been called America’s “entrepreneurial envoy."

[Let me lay all my cards on the table immediately: I didn’t even know this thing existed. But my inner nerd wanted to learn, so let’s get started.] We’ll start, as always, with the authors. Did you see that? Authors – plural! This is one of only two sections of Project 2025 that offers two opposing perspectives: EXIM should be abolished vs. EXIM should not be abolished. What fun! We’ll begin with the call to abolish EXIM, authored by Veronique de Rugy.

Project 2025 should be viewed as the Heritage Foundation’s transitional roadmap to socially and economically return America to the mid- 19th and early 20th centuries when there were no personal income or corporate taxes, no “job killing” business regulations, no labor laws, no worker or child labor protections, no social safety net programs such as Social Security and Medicare.  In other words, it was a period of unfettered classic capitalism on steroids.

With comments by Ken Stromborg, Ph.D., Wildlife Biologist

I have no personal expertise in the area of “the interior,” so I entered this section of the Mandate for Leadership with eyes wide open, ready to learn. For some reason, though, I found this chapter of Project 2025 particularly challenging. I am happy to report, however, that I had an expert by my side, and he will interject his comments as we go; I believe his perspective will clarify yours. Now I will summarize for you what I found, along with astute commentary by Dr. Ken Stromborg, Ph.D., certified Wildlife Biologist. Dr. Stromborg, a much-published scientist, served the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as a Fish and Wildlife Biologist from 1985 to 2007; he served also as the Environmental Contaminants Specialist for Green Bay. Then he volunteered with the same agency at the Horicon Marsh from 2007 to 2013.  Now, let’s launch our summary.

This department is, of course, close to my heart, as I was a teacher over many years, across five states, and I currently serve on the local Board of Education. Still, I will strive to provide my readers a thorough, objective – but dramatically shortened – summary of this section, which occupies 43 pages of the original mandate. Following the summary, you'll find comments by two local experienced educators.

I carefully studied Project 2025 simply because I wanted to understand what people were talking about; I had no idea what to expect. Halfway through the 920-page document, I realized how much I have to learn about the executive branch of our federal government, responsible for enforcing the laws of our country. By the time I came to the final page, though, I was crystal clear about one thing: Seething hatred and unbridled anger are lurking in those pages, suggesting an absolute dichotomy between “good” and “bad.” It seems I might have stumbled upon the nest where our nation’s bitter polarization thrives.

Hey! It’s only 920 pages!

… but who’s counting? After about a month of careful reading – and copying/pasting sentences and phrases I feel must be captured verbatim for full understanding – I have about 50 pages of notes and am 40% finished reading the document. Understand: I am not scanning or skimming. I’m seeking actual comprehension to the point that I can communicate to others the meaning supported by legitimately quoted passages. Call me a nerd – because that’s exactly what I am – but I find the process of careful reading and then explaining what I’ve read to be an actual learning experience. (And nerds like me would rather learn than do pretty much anything else.)

So, I’m taking a break from the project for a few hours now with the intention of offering to the public some background information; call it a bait, if you wish, thrown into the water to keep you circling my hook. (grin) I hope you find it a good start on an important learning experience.