President Donald J. Trump announced on Truth Social that the U.S. entered into an Agreement with the Country of Venezuela an oil deal that would “MORE THAN DOUBLES American Oil Reserves, greatly increases our Oil Supply, and will substantially lower Gas Prices for all Americans, long into the future, while helping to continue to set Venezuela on a course toward Tremendous Success and Great Prosperity.”
As usual, President Trump’s remarks contain more wishful thinking than actual facts.
The U.S. has Strategic Petroleum Reserves (SPR), which is oil stored in underground caverns. The SPR currently has a total of 290 million barrels (289,726,000 as of 08/21/26), down from 394 million barrels when President Trump took office. The 290 million barrels is the lowest level the SPR has been at since November of 1982.
The difference between U.S. oil reserves and the oil reserves President Trump is bragging about in his Truth Social post is that our oil is in a liquid form ready to be utilized. The 65 billion barrels in Venezuela are untapped oil reserves meaning they are still in the ground.
More than likely it will take years and billions of dollars for the oil in the fields in Venezuela to get into our SPR caverns.
Not everyone in Venezuela thinks it’s a great idea for their President to offer ⅓ of their proven oil reserves to the U.S. According to an unnamed source the U.S. has a 100-year lease and it just may take that long to drill for oil.
Earlier today I read the U.S. had removed all the mines from the Strait of Hormuz. Is this a fact or another Administration dream? Is the Strait of Hormuz really free of mines, or is this just another Administration fantasy designed to pull the wool over voters eyes before the mid-term elections?
The fact is right now we have the lowest SPR balance in over 40 years and we have also severely depleted U.S. missile and interceptor stockpiles.
What really is the ultimate goal of this Administration?
The Kennedy Center glows beside the Potomac River as Washington, D.C., lights up at dusk.
By Patricia L Johnson
I remember November 22, 1963 like it was yesterday. I was working at the Distribution Center for Dr. Seuss books and had been posting payments to clients cards when my boss’s telephone rang. She answered the phone and called me over to her desk. I had been working at this company for the past year and had never received a telephone call so I immediately knew something was wrong.
My mother was on the phone to tell me that our beloved President John F. Kennedy had been shot. I immediately told my boss, who told the Manager of the Company. Shortly thereafter he announced over the loud speaker that we could all leave early for a prayer vigil at the local church. There was not a dry eye to be seen anywhere. President John F Kennedy was loved by everyone, Democrats, Republicans, Independents, Black, White, Hispanic, etc.
I don’t remember much after that day other than being glued to the TV set for what may have been days afterwards. President John F. Kennedy was so well respected by “we the people” The entire country grieved our loss.
A new cultural center was in the planning stages for Washington D.C. and on January 23, 1964 Public Law 88-260 was signed by President Lyndon B. Johnson. Public Law 88-260 is the U.S. joint resolution officially renaming the planned National Cultural Center as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. The Kennedy Center would be a living memorial to our late president.
“NATIONA L MEMORIAL “SEC. 11. The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, designated by this Act, shall be the sole national memorial to the late John Fitzgerald Kennedy within the city of Washington and its environs.”
In early February 2025 President Donald J. Trump dismissed 18 members of the Board of Trustees of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts and replaced them with 14 of his allies. The Chairman of the Board of Trustees was also dismissed and the new board elected Donald J. Trump as Chairman.
This is the same board that voted to put Donald J Trump’s name on the Kennedy Center. When that was ruled illegal and Trump’s name removed from the building, the Board of Trustees passed two resolutions. The first to add the words “Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump” and the second to rename the campus grounds “President Donald J. Trump Plaza”. They are now threatening to demolish the building if the changes aren’t approved.
Unless President Donald J. Trump is personally paying for the restoration and renovation of the Kennedy Center, the resolution should read “restored and renovated by WE THE PEOPLE.
President Donald J. Trump could add his name to every building in Washington D.C. (or the entire country for that matter), put his name on every piece of U.S. Currency, or anything else and he will never be provided with the same love, honor and respect that the people in this country had for the late, great John Fitzgerald Kennedy.
L – R, Croix – age 6, Colton – age 5, Ellie – age 13. School starts next week but that’s not stopping this threesome from having a good time this week.
Operation Epic Fury, OEFU, began on February 28, 2026 and by July 26, 2026, 148 days later, we have the following numbers – 14 of our military members are dead and 417 are wounded. What is a very sad statement of fact is of the 14 deceased, eight were officers, which is 57 percent. Only 13 names of the fallen have been listed as of July 25, 2026.
The problem I see with the 13 names listed is the dates of death. All 13 died in the month of March 2026. There are no names listed for the months of April, May, June and or July 2026 that I’m able to locate on the DCAS website
So how many military members have actually passed away during Operation Epic Fury?
According to the Defense Casualty Analysis System, so far in 2026 there have been 454 military members die; with 113 members dying from self-inflicted wounds.
In other words nearly 1/4 (24.8%) of our deceased military members that have died so far in calendar year 2026, died from wounds they inflicted upon themselves. The problem with that percentage is there are still 154 deaths in 2026 where the cause of death is still pending. The 1/4 could easily double as the cause of more deaths are being determined.
You may confirm my numbers at one of the two following websites:
It appears the only way to stop the death and destruction that is going on around the world, due to our current foreign policy, is to cast your vote in the mid-terms.
If you’re satisfied with the country we have become, vote for whatever Republicans you choose, but if you want to change the future, vote for Democrats. If Democrats cam gather enough votes to take over the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, we may be able to stop the war in Iran and save the lives of both our brave military members and the people of Iran.
Very Brave Croix hanging on tightly with a bigfoot Zipline Employee
Colton, not only the youngest, but obviously the smartest by choosing to play miniature golf with Grandma and Papa rather than hang by a thread over a valley of unknown depth.
Sometimes in life we are faced with candidates that we don’t feel are qualified for the position so we cast our vote for a third party. The 2024 Presidential election is an excellent example.
1.88 Percent of the votes cast in the 2024 Presidential election were cast for third party and/or write-in candidates. The 1.88 Percent came to a total of 2,918,109 votes. The largest number of votes cast for a third party candidate was 862,049, but the 862 thousand votes only amounted to 0.56 % of the total votes cast. In other words, the third most popular candidate received less than one percent of the entire votes cast.
Jill Stein was the candidate that received the 862,000 votes. Think about something, Jill Stein has been running for President of the United States since 2012. After three separate elections she has only been able to obtain less than one full percent of votes cast? The problem is, had she received 45% of the votes cast it wouldn’t have made any difference.
Presidential votes are not cast for the most popular individual running, they are cast as part of our electoral system and the ONLY way a candidate can win the office of President of the United States is by winning 270 electoral votes. Donald J Trump won 312 electoral votes while Kamala Harris received only 226 electoral votes.
Electoral votes are cast indirectly by registered voters. Prior to an election, the political parties choose potential electors. During the election, registered voters vote for the elector of their choice by casting a ballot. That elector then votes, supposedly, for the candidate receiving the highest number of votes in their state.
The difference in the number of popular votes cast for Trump and Harris in the 2024 election was only 2,284.967. We already know the number of third party (non-count) votes cast in the 2024 election is 2,918,109.
I wonder where we would be today if the 2.9 million third party votes cast would have been cast for either Trump and/or Harris?
Would we have taken over the country of Venezuela? Would we be threatening to take over the country of Greenland? Would we still be in a war with Iran?
We will never know the answer to those questions. What we do know is there is a mid-term election coming up in November and it’s very important that registered voters vote only for the Democratic and/or Republican candidate of choice so their vote is not wasted.
The one question that does need to be answered is what are our schools teaching that almost 2% of the registered voters in this country that voted, voted for an individual that had absolutely no chance of winning in the 2024 election?
In accordance with the United States Constitution there are three branches of Government in the United States, each having their own separate set of powers. Their functions are spelled out in the first sentence, in the first three Articles of the Constitution as follows:
United States Constitution, Article I §1
“All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.”
United States Constitution, Article II §1
“The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.”
United States Constitution, Article III §1
“The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court, and in such inferior Courts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish.”
Constitution of the United States (from Senate.gov)
In simple terms, Congress is authorized to make the laws, the President is authorized to execute the laws made by Congress, and the Supreme Court is authorized to judge the laws.
What is interesting is the order of the core functions. The very first listing is the Congress, not the President, which makes sense. Our current Congress is made up of 535 individuals, 435 Members of the House and 100 Members of the Senate. These 535 individuals were elected by “we the people” to make laws based on what the majority of voting individuals wanted in their respective districts.
In addition to making laws, our Congress is also responsible for oversight. The following statement is from the Congressional Oversight Manual:
“Congress’s lawmaking role does not end when it passes legislation. Oversight is fundamental to make sure that laws are working as intended and are being administered in an effective, efficient, and economical manner. The information that oversight can bring to Congress is essential as the body grapples with the complexities of American government and society.”
On February 11, 2025, Attorney General Pamela Bondi was called on to testify before the full Committee on the Judiciary at a hearing on oversight of the Department of Justice. The Congressional hearing was entitled “Oversight of the Department of Justice” and a video of the hearing follows the bottom of the page.
Bondi’s testimony left more than a little bit to be desired. Her attitude towards the majority of Democratic members asking questions could only be described as unnecessarily rude and arrogant.
When you testify at a congressional hearing you are required to testify, in her case under oath, to the questions asked to you by the various members of Congress. The entire goal of the hearing is to obtain answers to questions.
Instead of answering the questions asked, Bondi would continually bring up what was done in former administrations, go on and on about how President Trump is doing such an incredible job, and/or criticize the Democratic members for doing their job. Very few questions posed were answered by the Attorney General. The entire hearing could probably be described as a total waste of time for Congressional members.
Bondi has described Americans as ‘domestic terrorists’ that attempt to impede ICE employees from doing their job which is exactly what she did. It was her job as the head of the Department of Justice to answer the questions asked of her honestly and truthfully during the hearing, yet she did everything she could possibly do to avoid answering. Her lack of understanding about how an oversight hearing is supposed to work is more than sufficient evidence to call for her resignation. Her lack of manners toward the men and women attempting to do their job is unacceptable.
You may judge for yourself by listening to the following video.
Please call or write your member (s) of Congress to express your thoughts about Attorney General Pam Bondi’s appearance at the hearing and/or any other subject on your mind. Our officials don’t know our thoughts unless we tell them.
Recently I have been receiving a lot of email from a place offering various coins and bills having a patriotic theme. The last email I received caught my eye as the ad was indicating it had just come from the Mint. Authentic products available from the United States Mint are only available through the U.S. Mint, or U.S. Mint distributors. An authentic U.S. Mint coin will contain a distinctive mint mark P.D.S. or W, indicating where it was minted within the U.S.
Every once in a while I’ll read something and simply shake my head in disbelief. H.R. 2701 basically falls into that category. Before I continue, it’s necessary to explain my thoughts on death. I don’t want anyone to think I’m anti-semitic because I’m not, I’m simply anti-death.
In my mind, when someone passes away they go to Heaven and their Guardian Angels take over from that point. While they are here on earth their family members, hopefully, take care of their needs. Within a 2-year period of time I had 13 members of my immediate family and/or friends pass away so I’ve had enough ‘death’ to last the rest of my life.
I try to remember my loved ones, as they were; not lying in a casket with people standing around saying how good they look. I mean, seriously, how good can you look if you’re dead?
But back to the subject at hand. H.R. 2701 Fallen Servicemembers Religious Heritage Restoration Act was introduced in the House on April 7, 2025 by Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Representative Wasserman Schultz is a Democrat representing the 25th District in Florida.
Her bill passed the U.S. House on September 15, 2025 with 41 cosponsors; 21 Republicans and 20 Democrats. The fact more Republicans signed onto this bill than Democrats is what originally prompted my interest in it.
On September 16, 2025 it was received in the U.S. Senate. On December 9, 2025 the bill was read twice in the Senate and placed on the Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders; Calendar No. 292.
When this bill passed the U.S. House, the rules were suspended and there was no roll call vote to indicate the names of the individuals that voted for this bill to pass during a voice vote. Just the numbers; 21 Republicans and 20 Democrats.
The bill indicates there are approximately 900 U.S. Jewish-American soldiers killed in World War I and World War II buried in overseas American military cemeteries with a Latin Cross on their tombstone, instead of a Star of David (Emblem 3) or other appropriate marker offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs.
The purpose of this bill is to provide the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC) with the funding necessary to hire outside nonprofit experts to research which Jewish American service members are buried with incorrect markers on their graves.
An excerpt from the bill:
The cost of this undertaking is estimated at approximately $3 million dollars. ABMC will hire an outside nonprofit contractor to be paid $500,000.00 once a year for a period of five fiscal years (from date of enactment) to identify and contact the survivors and descendants of deceased Jewish American servicemembers buried with incorrect headstones.
I thought WWII ended in 1945, almost 80 years ago, wouldn’t the survivors of these Veterans have already complained loudly about the erroneous markers?
ABMC has already been doing something along these lines, working with nonprofit organization Operation Benjamin as their website indicates the following from 2020:
The American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), in coordination with Operation Benjamin, today replaced the Latin Cross headstones marking the graves of five Jewish US soldiers buried in the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial with Star of David headstones.
These actions correct errors that had persisted for nearly 75 years until they were discovered by Operation Benjamin, a U.S. based organization whose mission is to ensure that Jewish American soldiers, who made the ultimate sacrifice during World War II, are buried under headstones that correctly reflect their faith.
I have mixed feelings about this bill. On one hand, I think every servicemember that’s served, wounded and/or died for this country during wartime should receive every honor and benefit that could possibly be accorded to them, but at what cost? What would the deceased Veterans want? Would they want new markers or would they want the Veterans in Nursing Homes to be paid their full Pension?
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated this would have a total cost of $3 million (the actual cost of $2,500,000.00 is rounded up). That cost is going to be offset by an extension to the reduction in pension payments to Veterans that are in Medicaid paid Veterans Affairs nursing homes for the two-month period beginning November 30, 2031 to January 31, 2032. That’s a total of 63 days.
The Veterans will be paid a total of $90 per month.
The total amount the two months will save the Department of Veterans Affairs is $20 million dollars, or $10 million per month, but this bill also affects Medicaid. Because the reduction affects the Veteran’s total income, the Medicaid calculation changes and Medicaid is forced to pay more for each Veteran that’s in a Veterans Affairs nursing home.
Medicaid costs will increase by $6 million for each month for a total cost of $12 million dollars. Deducting the $12 million from the $20 million leaves a savings to the Federal Government of $8 Million dollars and an Increase to State Medicaid payments of $12 million dollars.
What boggles my mind on this bill is the fact the total five-year cost of $2,500,000.00 would be covered during one month, it wouldn’t take two.
We have a Veterans Affairs Nursing home within driving distance from our home and the Veterans in that facility have access to many different areas where they are able to spend money. Specialty coffee drinks, a cafeteria, numerous vending machines, a gift shop, home-made items brought into the facility from various providers, newspapers, magazines, and every type of food available that you can order to be delivered.
What will $90 a month purchase for these men and women?
Write pr call your member(s) of Congress and tell them to give the Veterans in VA Nursing homes back their full pension. If the Veteran doesn’t thank you, your State will for their Medicaid Savings!
President Donald J. Trump increased the National Debt of the United States by $7.8 trillion dollars during his four years in office or a total of $1.95 trillion dollars per year.
Donald J. Trump was our 45th President, in office from January 20, 2017 through January 20, 2021. When he began his term as President of the United States our National Debt was $19.9 trillion dollars [$19,947,304,555,212.49]. When he left office on January 20, 2021, our National Debt was $27.7 trillion dollars [$27,751,896,236,414.77].
His second term in office as President of the United States began January 20, 2025 with a National Debt of $36.1 trillion dollars [$36,100,000,000,000.00]. By January 20, 2026 Trump had already increased our National Debt by $2.3 trillion dollars to a total of $38.4 trillion [$38,484,705,102,35.33].
On December 31, 2025 the U.S. Total Debt Outstanding was $38.5 trillion dollars, which consisted of $30.8 trillion debt held by the public and $7.7 trillion in intragovernmental holdings.
Members of the Joint Economic Committee of the U.S. Congress released the following data as of January 7, 2026:
The Joint Economic Committee goes on to list forecasted interest rates on the public debt as if interest rates are the main reason our national date is so out of control.
There is no doubt interest rates are a major factor in our unprecedented national debt growth, but consistent budget deficits are equally to blame. Whether it’s an individual or the greatest country on earth, you cannot continue to spend more money each month than what you have coming in, in revenues.
The last time this country had a budget surplus was in 2001, a quarter of a century ago. That was the first year George W. Bush was President and the surplus wasn’t due to any policies put in place by him, but a carryover of the Willian J. Clinton policies. Clinton’s prior two years in office also ended with budget surpluses. Something we have not been able to see under Republican leadership.
In fact, the incredible number of tax cuts in EGTRRA put in place under George W. Bush is a main reason why this country has been experiencing national debt growth over the past twenty five years.
The tax cuts in EGTRRA were so dramatic that by the time the CBO completed their 10-year projection in January of 2002 [for the period of 2003-2012] the surplus had dropped from $5.6 trillion to $1.6 trillion. Although the $4 trillion dollar reduction was made up of several items, the major factor affecting this reduction was the EGTRRA tax act alone, reducing the projected surplus by $1.275 trillion dollars.
Tax cuts affect budget projections in three separate ways. They reduce the amount of revenues going into the treasury, they increase the amount of outlays, and if there is a deficit they increase the amount of interest to be paid by increasing the deficit, also known as debt service.
How do they increase outlays? Many tax cuts include what is known as a tax credit, meaning the taxpayer can reduce the amount of taxes owed by the credit, or if no taxes are owed the treasury sends a tax refund to the taxpayer.
Why did this one tax bill have such a major impact on the deficit? The tentacles of this one tax act stretched far and wide from simple tax rate percentage changes for the average Jane and John Doe to excise tax relief, to changes in tax treatment of restitution payments to Holocaust victims, to major tax loopholes for the ultra-wealthy.
EGTRRA contained nine major sections as follows:
Due to the fact this particular tax bill was deficit financed; this one bill alone added an estimated $1.4 trillion dollars to the deficit.
When a tax law is enacted it goes into effect on a specific date and it may or, may not, have an expiration date. EGTRRA had expiration dates, but were extended as part of the agreement on increasing the debt limit. As a result of these extensions, EGTRRA continues to add to the national debt each and every day and this law is just one of many. During the 107th Congress [January 2001-January 2003] alone there were more than 10 different bills passed affecting our tax laws, our budget deficit and subsequently our national debt.
Understanding the impact these laws have on our lives is difficult at best, due to the complexity of the issue, and the fact these taxes went into effect decades ago.
The following chart is based on estimated deficit data from the Joint Commission of Taxation estimates for the period of 2001 through 2012, based on the implementation of EGTRRA. Please note that the highest revenue deficit was estimated to be in 2010, two full years after Bush left office, and a full nine years after the implementation of EGTRRA.
On July 4, 2025 PL 119-21, referred to as the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” was signed into law by President Trump and included a $5 trillion dollar increase to the U.S. statutory debt limit. This brought the statutory debt limit to $41.1 trillion dollars.
On December 31, 2025 our statutory debt had risen to $38.3 trillion dollars, leaving a balance on the statutory debt limit of only $2.8 trillion dollars.
How can that be? Since Donald J. Trump has been in office, there have been major cuts to hundreds of U.S. and foreign programs, over 200,000 government employees have lost their jobs, supposedly, this country is hauling in tons of cash due to tariffs, yet as a country we are going to be very close to hitting the new statutory debt limit in a month or two.
Are we going to wait until our country is totally broke before we pay attention to what is going on around us, or are we going to replace the political party in office that is creating deficits and subsequent debt?
United States tax dollars is what keeps our country operating, As poll after poll has indicated the majority of U.S. citizens are not satisfied with the direction our country is headed in a lot of areas, but mostly when it comes to the Department of Homeland Security, DHS.
DHS is run by Kristi Noem, the cabinet member responsible for all components of DHS. As you can see by the following organization chart, ICE is a component of the DHS.
The most recent New York Times/Siena Poll released January 22, 2026 indicated a majority of registered voters disapproved of the manner in which the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement , ICE is handling its job. 55 percent strongly disapproved, while 8 percent somewhat disapproved for a total disapproval rate of 63 percent.
The poll was taken between January 12, 2026 and January 17, 2026. Renee Good was shot by the ICE agent on January 7, 2026 so this poll is representative of voters opinion of ICE shortly after her death. Statements made by DHS personnel on how the shooting happened have been contradicted by the videos released by news media.
On Saturday, January 24, 2026 Alex Pratti was shot and killed by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents. CBP is also a component of DHS, run by Kristi Noem.
Once again, the statements made by DHS personnel surrounding this killing were contradicted by videos taken at the scene. At no time did Alex Pratti remove his weapon from his holster. The firearm was removed from his holster by a CBP agent and after the removal Alex Pratti was shot numerous times by CBP agents. Future polls will probably indicate a much higher disapproval percentage for DHS.
Our government is out of control and needs to be stopped. Normally, registered voters could change the way our government works by voting, notifying their congressional leaders of views, and/or protesting. The goal of protesting is designed to show congressional leaders changes need to be made.
Unfortunately, we currently have a House of Representatives and Senate that are controlled by Republicans who consistently follow the wishes of President Trump out of fear. They don’t always agree with the President’s views but are placed in a bad position. If they oppose what Trump wants they are blackmailed into agreeing with him, by threats of Trump backing their opponent in the next election.
Blackmail is the same tactic Trump has used on our Universities, Law Firms and the Media as well as other entities to have them do his bidding. Perhaps we should follow his lead.
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) designated Monday, January 26, 2026 as the opening date of the 2026 tax filing season. This designation was issued January 8, 2026 on IRS News Release IR-2026-02
Every U.S. taxpayer has the right to request an extension on paying the taxes due April 15, 2026 without exception. The difference is, if your taxes are not paid by the date due the taxpayer is subject to interest and penalties for nonpayment.
How much are you willing to pay to change the way our government is being run?
If all tax returns were filed by April 15, 2026 for individuals that have a refund coming, and all individuals that owe taxes waited until after April 15, 2026 to file, we would definitely get our point across without the violence currently being seen in the streets of America.
Remember if you owe taxes on your 2025 income tax return and fail to file by April 15, 2026 you will be liable for both interest and a penalty on the amount due. You must complete IRS form 4868, Application for Automatic Extension of Time to File U.S. Individual Income Tax Return. Completion of this form extends your filing deadline to October 15, 2026, but does not extend the payment date.
You will be charged interest and penalties for late payment.
There is the possibility that if enough taxpayers withhold payment, members of the House and Senate will realize taxpayers are demanding change now, not waiting until the midterm elections and will pass a bill to waive the interest and penalties due on 2025 tax returns. Thinking our legislators might do the right thing may be wishful thinking at this point, but if enough taxpayers fail to file they may find the guts to do what’s right.
Withholding tax returns is a form of protest that most Americans will think is too radical an approach to the problem at hand, but what other choices are there? Can we really continue to allow, what appear to be untrained, members of DHS to treat protestors as domestic terrorists and kill at will?
For the past twenty years I have been writing articles off and on about the employment situation in this country and, without a doubt, I have never seen numbers as pitiful as the number of jobs created in 2025 by Donald J. Trump.
In the entire year of 2025 there have only been 584,000 jobs created under the Trump Administration. That amounts to 48,666 jobs created monthly. A disgraceful number.
On a comparative basis there were 2,012,000 jobs created in 2024 under the Biden Administration which amounts to 167,666 jobs created monthly.
The nonfarm employment jobs report is created by the Bureau of Labor Statistics each month and following is a table prepared by their site indicating the number of jobs created monthly over the past 10 years.
The only other time in the past 10 years that employment numbers have been so pitiful is the last time Donald J Trump was in office. During his four-years in office he managed to lose a total of 2,860,000 jobs. On a comparative basis during the four-years Joseph R Biden was in office he gained 16,394,000 jobs. You may go to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics website to confirm my numbers and or prepare your own tables.
Can this country afford to have this President in charge of US job creation for another three years?
In his recent newsletter, Tucker Carlson asked the question “How come so few conservatives are viewing this story through a human lens?” Carlson was referring to the ICE shooting of 37-year-old Renee Good in Minneapolis.
All of us have heard the term “trickle-down” when referring to economics. That term also applies to real life. The individual holding the highest office in this country appears to have no respect for life, or laws. For whatever reason, he believes he is above the law and his words are no less than a command from the big guy in the sky.
Time will tell whether or not he is, indeed, above the law. Eventually, our legislators will file the necessary court documents to determine whether or not President Trump was entitled to take military action against Venezuela, whether or not he’s entitled to keep Venezuela’s oil, whether or not he can “buy” Greenland, whether or not he can take military action against Columbia, Mexico, Cuba and any number of other countries.
The perverse attitude of our President has trickled down to cabinet members as well as some Maga followers. The ICE officer that shot and killed Renee Good had apparently been in a position where he was dragged by a vehicle in the past, causing injury. When presented with a similar situation the officer may have been so fearful of being dragged again, that he didn’t give a second thought before shooting and killing Renee Good.
On the other hand, Renee Good may have been absolutely terrified when the ICE agents approached her vehicle and tried her best to leave the scene. Should she have stopped when the officers demanded, yes, of course. But, should she have been shot at when she attempted to leave the scene? Not according to DHS and Justice Department policy 044-05, Homeland Security Department Policy on the Use of Force.
The Department of Homeland Security and Justice Department policy on deadly force generally prohibits officers from shooting at a moving vehicle solely to disable it or prevent escape. Shooting at the driver of a moving vehicle appears to be allowed only if someone in the vehicle is using deadly force other than the vehicle itself.
President Trump was voted into office in 2024 to do what he promised he would do, if elected President, he has not done that. Members of Congress, both House and Senate, were voted into office to meet the needs of “we the people”. They are not doing their jobs, probably due to the fact they are being threatened by the Administration that if they don’t do this or that, the POTUS will make sure they are not reelected to their offices.
The United States of America is not governed by threats, but by the will of the people. When people like Marjorie Taylor Greene and Tucker Carlson start questioning the actions of the GOP you can bet something is not as it should be.
Fear is what appears to have caused this terrible tragedy, and will continue to cause tragedies all over this country until such time as our POTUS changes his attitude toward the citizens of the United States. When President Trump starts showing respect to the citizens of the country, his cabinet might follow his lead. It’s also possible that when US citizens are treated with respect by those in authority they will attempt to act accordingly and it may turn into a win-win situation for all.
One thing is for sure, if we all followed Robert Fulghum’s “All I Really Need to Know, I learned in Kindergarten” we might be able to get along better in life.
Following is an A1 Summary of the 255-page deposition listed above:
The document is a transcript of a deposition of Jack Smith, a former special counsel, conducted by the House Judiciary Committee regarding the oversight of the Biden-Harris administration’s use of the Justice Department for political purposes.
Deposition Overview and Context
The deposition of Jack Smith, former special counsel, took place on December 17, 2025, before the House Judiciary Committee.
The committee is investigating the alleged weaponization of the Justice Department under the Biden-Harris administration.
Legal Framework and Procedures
The deposition follows House regulations, allowing for questioning by committee members and staff.
Witnesses must provide truthful answers, with legal restrictions on discussing certain confidential materials.
Jack Smith’s Statements and Testimony
Smith asserts strong evidence against President Trump regarding election interference and classified documents.
He emphasizes his commitment to impartiality and adherence to legal standards throughout his investigation.
Meeting with the Attorney General
The meeting occurred in June 2023 to discuss potential indictments.
The Attorney General had the authority to countermand the decision but did not explicitly advise against proceeding.
Discussions primarily focused on the elections case, as the classified documents case had already been indicted.
Concerns Over First Amendment Rights
The Attorney General expressed concerns about potential First Amendment implications of the proposed indictment.
The prosecution aimed to clarify that the case was about fraud, which is not protected by the First Amendment.
The witness emphasized that knowingly false statements targeting lawful government functions are not protected.
Witness Intimidation and Gag Orders
Gag orders were sought due to threats against witnesses and court staff from President Trump’s statements.
The courts found that Trump’s actions could intimidate witnesses and chill future cooperation.
The witness noted that the gag order was narrowed by the appeals court, allowing some statements.
Investigative Techniques and Congressional Records
The Special Counsel’s Office used subpoenas for toll records but did not seek search warrants for content from Members of Congress.
The witness acknowledged the Speech or Debate protections but believed noncontent records did not violate these protections.
The process for obtaining nondisclosure orders was discussed, emphasizing the risk of obstruction of justice.
Witness Testimony on Guilt and Prosecution
The witness believes Mr. Nauta and Mr. Oliveira were guilty of the charges against them.
They felt confident in their proof beyond a reasonable doubt for convictions at trial.
The witness sees no reason for the case to have been dismissed under DOJ protocols.
Volume Two of the Report
The witness cannot discuss Volume Two due to a judge’s injunction.
They have not reviewed Volume Two since submitting it to the Attorney General.
The witness emphasizes the importance of adhering to the injunction to avoid any violations.
Witness Intimidation and Its Impact
Witness intimidation is described as corrosive to the rule of law.
The witness has encountered intimidation in various cases, including murder and domestic violence.
Precautions include moving witnesses to safety and expediting cases to limit intimidation opportunities.
Special Counsel Appointment and Investigation Scope
The witness was appointed as special counsel on November 18, 2022, by the Attorney General.
Their investigation focused on election interference and the handling of classified documents.
The witness asserts they would have accepted the role regardless of the political affiliation of the President involved.
Coordination with State Officials
No proactive coordination with Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes or Fulton County D.A. Fani Willis.
Limited communication with other state officials, including Michigan and New York.
Requests for information were received from some states, but no significant outreach initiated by the special counsel team.
Investigation of January 6 Events
Extensive contact between Trump and Members of Congress before and on January 6.
Evidence showed Trump was aware of the false nature of his claims regarding election fraud.
Key witnesses included Republican officials who pushed back against Trump’s assertions.
Evidence of False Claims
Trump made knowingly false claims about voter fraud, including allegations of dead and underage voters.
Evidence indicated Trump was informed by trusted allies that these claims were false but continued to promote them.
The investigation highlighted the importance of party loyalty in Trump’s outreach to officials.
Role of Fake Electors Scheme
Trump attempted to implement a fraudulent elector plan in several states, including Pennsylvania.
Some Republican electors rejected the scheme, leading to the need for replacements.
The scheme lacked proper procedures and consent, raising legal concerns.
Testimony on Election Fraud Investigation
The witness discussed the Pennsylvania fake electors and their claims that they were misled about the use of their certificates.
There were meetings and events, such as the Four Seasons Landscaping press conference and a hotel hearing in Gettysburg, aimed at promoting false claims of election fraud.
The witness emphasized the importance of testimonies from individuals who opposed the fraudulent actions.
Pressure on Vice President Pence
Donald Trump pressured Vice President Pence to reject lawful elector certificates and declare Trump the winner.
Pence resisted this pressure, prioritizing the country over party loyalty, which the witness deemed courageous.
The witness noted that Pence’s refusal to comply may have altered the course of history.
First Amendment and Fraud Claims
The witness clarified that fraudulent speech is not protected under the First Amendment.
The case involved evidence showing Trump knowingly spread false claims about the election.
The witness compared the situation to affinity fraud, where trust is exploited for deceitful purposes.
Principles of Law and Justice
Emphasizes the importance of following the law and treating everyone equally.
Highlights the complexity of applying these principles in cases with significant consequences, such as war crimes versus domestic violence.
Impact of DOJ Actions on Democracy
Discusses the negative effects of firing DOJ prosecutors and FBI agents involved in high-profile investigations.
Argues that loyalty to political figures over merit leads to corruption and incompetence in government.
Role of Public Integrity Section (PIN)
PIN was established post-Watergate to handle complex corruption cases and ensure proper investigative procedures.
Concerns raised about the dismantling of PIN affecting public corruption prosecutions and investigations involving Congress members.
Classified Documents Investigation Overview
Details the indictment against Donald Trump for mishandling classified documents and obstructing justice.
Describes the evidence of concealment and attempts to delete security footage related to the investigation.
Access to Classified Information and SCIF
Discusses the implications of President Trump’s access to classified information and the potential for a recommissioned SCIF at Mar-a-Lago.
Stresses that all individuals, regardless of status, should adhere to the same legal standards regarding classified information.
Discovery and Trial Preparation Challenges
The defense faced the daunting task of reviewing 13 million pages of documents and thousands of hours of video footage.
The proposed trial date was deemed reasonable despite the extensive materials to digest.
The defense’s ability to review documents was questioned, with estimates suggesting they would need to process 100,000 pages daily.
Prosecutorial Conduct and Fairness
The prosecutor asserted adherence to principles of fairness and justice in handling the case against President Trump.
The prosecutor emphasized the importance of a speedy trial for public interest, not just the defendant’s rights.
The prosecutor believed their schedule was appropriate and did not reflect any lack of kindness.
Impact of Presidential Pardons
President Trump pardoned individuals involved in the January 6 Capitol attack, including those who assaulted law enforcement.
The pardons were viewed as detrimental to public safety and law enforcement morale.
The prosecutor expressed concern that pardoning violent offenders could lead to further crimes.
Retaliation Against Legal Counsel
President Trump issued an executive order targeting the law firm representing the special counsel, seeking to suspend security clearances.
This action was perceived as an attempt to intimidate and retaliate against those associated with the special counsel’s investigation.
The prosecutor indicated that such actions could chill legal representation for individuals involved in high-profile cases.
It appears the US Treasury department showed us the best way to push a rumor that individuals in the United States, suffering from the changes put in place by the Trump Administration economic policies, is to issue a press release on the US Treasury website indicating checks are forthcoming.
Unfortunately, the press release indicated on the front page of the United States Treasury website is from December 30, 2020.
The attached is an image of the U.S. Treasury website as of December 31, 2025, but it may have been corrected by now.
Historically, President Donald J. Trump has battled the truth, so it’s no wonder members of his staff have followed his lead. The following websites fact check politician distortions of the truth:
The US Treasury estimated the fourth quarter of 2025 (October through December) would have an end-of-year cash balance of roughly $850 billion U.S. dollars. Apparently, even the U.S. government has overspent as it appears Treasury will need to borrow $569 billion in privately-held net marketable debt, to meet their goal.
Where is all the money going? Where are all the billions going the U.S. is collecting in tariffs?
The first U.S. strike against the people of Venezuela was on September 2, 2025 when 11 people were killed in Operation Southern Spear. President Trump claimed the Tren de Aragua (TDA) gang was using the vessel to smuggle drugs. He went on to claim “TDA is a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, operating under the control of Nicolas Maduro, responsible for mass murder, drug trafficking, sex trafficking, and acts of violence and terror across the United States and Western Hemisphere”.
If the goal of the United States Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) is to “crush” drug cartels it seems we should be attacking boats carrying drugs from the country that supplies the majority of drugs to the U.S., which is not Venezuela. The United Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) doesn’t appear to even list Venezuela as a country that has a cartel.
The majority of illegal drugs (cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl) that come into the United States all come through Mexico from the Sinaloa and CJNG drug cartels.
Venezuela may not have the drugs, but they do have something the entire world uses and that’s oil. Venezuela has the world’s “largest proven oil reserves”, estimated at 303 Bbbl (billion barrels) in 2024. “Proven oil reserves” is a measure of the quantities of crude oil that are economically recoverable with current technology. Saudi Arabia is second with 267.2 Bbbl, Iran comes in 3rd with 208.6 Bbbl and Canada 4th with 163.6 Bbbl. In comparison, the United States is oil poor with only 55 Bbbl. In addition to oil, Venezuela also has the second largest natural gas reserves in the Western Hemisphere. What more could you possibly want?
The following are now located off the coast of Venezuela:
The USS Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group.
Several destroyers, cruisers, and amphibious assault ships.
At least one nuclear attack submarine.
F-35 fighter jets, B-52 bombers and other support planes
Approximately 12,000 – 15,000 troops.
It does not appear as if there is a legitimate reason for our military force to be off the coast of Venezuela.
An August 14, 2025 Homeland Security Press Release states “The American people are generously offering illegal aliens $1,000 and a free flight to self-deport now.” I didn’t vote for illegal immigrants to be provided with free flights and a $1,000 exit bonus, did you?
CBP Home Mobile App to self-deport offers the following incentives for illegal aliens in the United States:
A $1,000 exit bonus
The exit bonus will be provided upon confirmation through the app that return has been completed.
Travel assistance
Illegal aliens who register for voluntary self-departure through the CBP Home Mobile App will receive travel assistance, such as arranging travel for their children or extended family or obtaining valid travel documents. Aliens requesting assistance will have a timely departure arranged for them (estimated departure to be within 21 days of approval). Illegal aliens in need of assistance should take extra care to ensure they provide accurate contact information and are responsive to outreach attempts.
Forgiveness of any failure to depart fines.
Leaving voluntarily may improve future immigration options.
De-prioritization for enforcement actions, detention and removal by ICE
Once illegal aliens submit their intent to depart through the CBP Home Mobile App and pass vetting, they will be deprioritized by ICE for enforcement action, detention and removal before their scheduled departure.
That is an extremely impressive number until you read the fine print. Of the 2 million plus illegal immigrants that were supposedly removed from US soil in less than 250 days, 1.6 million or roughly 80% voluntarily self-deported. The other 527,000 were deported by US personnel.
The October 22, 2025 Department of Homeland Security Press Release made a point of individually listing five persons as being the “worst of the worst”, due to criminal convictions. Congratulations to the Department of Homeland Security for capturing these people, but their arrest leaves some unanswered questions. If they are the “worst of the worst”, why weren’t they already behind bars once they were convicted of the crimes committed? Or were they? Where were the five at when they were taken into custody by the Department of Homeland Security?
The DHS press release did not list any details regarding the arrest of any of the five, other than minimal details as follows: “Angel Gabriel Ramirez-Robles, a criminal illegal alien from Mexico, convicted for sexual assault of a child in Hidalgo County, Texas.” Research indicated there are no court records listed in the Hidalgo County TX Court for the individual listed by the name of Angel Gabriel Ramirez-Robles. If you can find any court records for this person in Hidalgo County TX, please add to the comments section of this post. Thank you.
Our Department of Homeland Security is making history with all the individuals that have been arrested and/or deported, but are they arresting and deporting the correct individuals?
Whether the tradition began in the Americas with the Green Corn Dance of the Cherokees, or on May 27, 1578 in Newfoundland, or in 1607 in Popham Colony in Maine, or with the Pilgrim’s Thanksgiving Feast of 1621, the day of giving thanks is just around the corner. President George Washington originally signed a proclamation on October 3, 1789 “to recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer” to be observed on November 26th.
The day of giving thanks was changed several times by subsequent Presidents until a Joint Resolution issued by Congress on October 6, 1941 declared the last Thursday of November as the National Holiday.
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Statistics has a tremendous amount of interactive material on their website, providing information. The site may be reached at ice.gov/statistics
The following data was taken on November 19, 2025 at 1:36 PM CST which indicated total removals of 616,657 for the five fiscal years beginning 2021 and ending with 2025. Of the 616, 657 illegal immigrants removed from the US during that five year period, 220,040 were convicted criminals.
Of the total 220,040 removed, 22,654 were removed by the Trump administration, while 197,386 were removed during the four fiscal years of the Biden administration (based on ICE statistics). In order to see the actual numbers on the above ICE chart, tap the various components of the chart on your phone, tablet, or computer and the following will appear (the data won’t appear on the chart above, due to it being a screenshot.) Screenshots of the data as it appeared on the date and time listed earlier follows:
Remember a fiscal year begins on October 1st and ends on September 30th of the following year as follows:
FISCAL YEAR
BEGINNING AND ENDING DATES
IA’S REMOVED WITH CRIMINAL CONVICTIONS
ADMINISTRATION
2021
10-01-2020 – 09-30-2021
39,149
Democrat Joseph R. Biden 75% = 29,361
2022
10-01-2021 – 09-30-2022
38,447
Democrat Joseph R. Biden
2023
10-01-2022 – 09-30-2023
57,021
Democrat Joseph R. Biden
2024
10-01-2023 – 09-30-2024
68,266
Democrat Joseph R. Biden
2025
10-01-2024 – 09-30-2025
17,157
Republican Donald J. Trump 75% = 12,868
TOTAL
220,040
Biden = 197,385 Trump = 22,655
In fiscal years 2021 and 2025 the Administration listed was only in power for three of the four fiscal quarters. Therefore, a minimum 25% of the illegals removed should be applied to the opposing party.
Politicians may exaggerate the truth on a regular basis, but as the old saying goes “the proof is in the pudding”.
Adelita Grijalva is the Member-Elect of the US House of Representatives for the 7th Congressional District in the State of Arizona.
On March 31, 2025, Grijalva announced she would pursue the Democratic nomination, in a special election, for Arizona’s 7th congressional district. On July 15, 2025 Grijalva won the Democratic primary. On September 23, 2025 Grijalva won the special election by 40,000 votes.
With 100% of all district 7 precincts reporting, Cochise, Maricopa, Pima, Pinal, Santa Cruz and Yuma, Grijalva won the election with 70,148 votes, with the Republican candidate receiving 29,944 votes; or a difference of 40,204 votes more than her Republican opponent.
On October 14, 2025 the results of the Special Election for Arizona’s 7th Congressional District were certified by Governor Katie Hobbs. Attorney General Kris Mayes and Secretary of State Adian Fontes.
US House of Representatives James Walkinshawa, Jimmy Patronis and Randy Fine won special elections and were sworn into office within days of their elections, whether or not the House was in session, so why is Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson refusing to swear Member-Elect Adelita Grijalva into office?
He claims it’s because the House isn’t in session, but we know that’s not the real reason based on the fact he has sworn other members into office when the House was not in session.
Speaker of the House Johnson is not doing his job, the entire House of Representatives is not doing their job because they are not in session. Are they getting a paycheck?
All we have heard from this administration for months is how much money is being brought in by the Tariffs imposed by this President. So where is the money?
We don’t have money to pay our troops, our air-traffic controllers, or any number of other government workers who are working without pay, yet we can pay the U.S. House of Representatives for doing nothing for almost an entire month and we can find an extra $20 billion to assist Argentina with their problems?
In accordance with the United States Constitution there are three branches of Government in the United States, each having their own separate set of powers. Their functions are spelled out in the first sentence, in the first three Articles of the Constitution as follows:
United States Constitution, Article I §1
“All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives.”
United States Constitution, Article II §1
“The executive Power shall be vested in a President of the United States of America.”
United States Constitution, Article III §1
“The judicial Power of the United States, shall be vested in one supreme Court,and in such inferior Co0urts as the Congress may from time to time ordain and establish.”
In simple terms, Congress is authorized to make the laws, the President is authorized to execute the laws made by Congress, and the Supreme Court is authorized to judge the laws.
What is interesting is the order of the core functions. The very first listing is the Congress, not the President, which makes sense. Our current Congress is made up of 535 individuals, 435 Members of the House and 100 Members of the Senate. These 535 individuals were elected by “we the people” to make laws based on what the majority of voting individuals wanted in their respective districts.
Our forefathers apparently wanted our Congress to legislate according to the desires of the people; but that doesn’t appear to be what is happening in our current administration. Our current Congress appears to be taking their legislative direction from the President, instead of their constituents. Were they elected to blindly follow the wishes of one person?
Our country is currently at a standstill due to a government shutdown. How is that even possible? The Republicans control the United States House of Representatives, the United States Senate, and the Presidency. In other words, Republicans are the Government of the United States so why is the Government of the United States shutdown?
The Federal Register is the Daily Journal of the United States Government.
It is the legal record for proposed regulations, executive documents (executive orders, proclamations, etc.) public notices, and administrative regulations. The Federal Register is the place where the public can view changes that may affect your future and submit comments on some proposed regulations.
The current, Wednesday, September 24, 2025, issue of the Federal Register consists of the following:
The three Presidential Documents recorded consisted of one notice, one proclamation and one Executive Order as follows:
The title of the Executive Order “The Gold Card” caught my eye so I checked into it further. President Trump’s distaste for immigrants apparently does not apply to wealthy immigrants. This particular Executive Order sets up procedures for allowing aliens into the country if they are able to pay the million dollar entrance fee.
Instead of being called what it is, it is being referred to in the EO as a “voluntary financial gift to the Nation”. That’s the cost for an individual. Should a corporation or similar entity choose to buy entrance into our country, on behalf of a particular individual, the voluntary financial gift to the Nation doubles to two million dollars.
This approach to the United States immigration problem seems a bit hypocritical, but when a country is running a current account deficit of -251.3 billion dollars [Q2 2025] anything goes.
Kacey and Croix are at it again catching one whopper of a fish. The fishing trip to Eagle River was six-year-old Croix’s bithday gift from mom and dad. His younger brother, five-year-old Colton, also had a birthday this month so it was an extra birthday gift for both boys. The fish (maybe a Northern Pike) was caught on a jig, with a minnow, in Meta Lake, Eagle River WI. The fish is 41 inches long. If this is a Northern Pike, the record for the longest Northern caught in the State of Wiscsonin is 46.25″. That Northern was caught on September 7, 2018 in Green Bay, Oconto County, Wisconsin.
I wonder if the boys will catch a record-breaking trophy fish this trip? GOOD LUCK!!!!
Preliminary analysis of the distribution effects by the Congressional Budget Office from cbo.gov
Letter from Congressional Budget Office Director to U.S. House of Representatives detailing the major changes that would occur under the bill, as it exists, for the 2026 through 2034 period of time.
“CBO estimates that if the legislation was enacted, U.S. households, on average, would see an increase in the resources provided to them by the government over the 2026–2034 period. The changes would not be evenly distributed among households”.
U.S. House of Representative Republicans will probably be repeating the above statement from the CBO estimate to gain support for the bill. Unfortunately, the increase in resources will not be equal because most budget cuts are directed towards the less fortunate. Some of the cuts follow:
Please read the complete letter the Congressional Budget Office sent to the U.S. House of Representatives based on the estimates completed by the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation.
This one bill is going to affect many millions of Americans with the least amount of resources over a long period of time whenever it is passed in whatever form.
All of us need to pay attention to what is happening with the bill. If you intended for your 2024 vote to reduce Medicaid programs for those in need, and spend less on SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), do nothing.
If that wasn’t your intent, please contact your members of Congress and voice your concern. Click to find your members of Congress [U.S. House and U.S. Senate]
The April 15, 2025 income tax payments have been made, with individuals paying $537 billion and corporations paying $94 billion. On a comparative basis, individuals paid $185 billion in March 2025, with corporations paying $18 billion. Our tax system was originally set up in 1913 after ratification of the Sixteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. At that time, there were seven tax brackets, with a minimum tax rate of 1%, and a maximum tax rate of 7%. We currently still have seven tax brackets, but the minimum tax rate is now 10% with a maximum rate of 37%.
While the less fortunate in this country supposedly pay a lower tax rate, the wealthy in this country have legal tax loopholes to greatly reduce their income tax burden.
Look at Berkshire Hathaway’s Warren Buffett who has stated in past interviews that his effective tax rate is about 17.7% while his staff pays an average of 32.9%. The difference is due to much of Buffett’s income coming from Dividends and Capital Gains, which are taxed at a lower rate than salaries. Buffett is fully in favor of higher taxes for the wealthy. Did you pay more than 17.7% in taxes this year?
The current administration is wanting, once again, to lower the tax rate of the wealthy in this country, which may turn out to be double-taxation on the poor. If tariffs are continued it is also a tax on those less fortunate as most of us will supposedly be paying more for the items we need on a daily basis. We are now looking at tariffs on most countries we purchase goods from, along with a potential increase in the lowest tax bracket.
Prior to 1913 federal income was derived mostly from tariffs and excise taxes and the tariffs were discontinued due to the fact they supposedly cost poor taxpayers more.
Is that what our forefathers wanted when they set up our current taxing system?
Last night the subject of media bias came up in relation to Associated Press reporting. Earlier in the day I read an Associated Press article and was relaying the information to my husband and a visitor.
Both gentlemen immediately accused me of reading a far left publication that could not be believed due to its extreme bias. Personally, I have always considered AP as being an accurate source of information so I decided to check out their claims.
Imagine my surprise when I looked at the AllSides Media Bias Chart and at the top of the LEFT category was AP. I didn’t just fall off the turnip truck yesterday so I decided I needed to spend a bit of time checking out “AllSides” to figure out where their questionable data was coming from. I didn’t need to look far. At the top of the Media Bias Chart is the following statement:
“Ratings based on online, U.S. political content only – not TV, print, or Radio. Ratings do not reflect accuracy or credibility; they reflect perspective only.”
Just out of curiosity, if the ratings don’t reflect accuracy or credibility why are they being published?
Bottom line, we live in an era where we are provided misinformation on a second-by-second basis and it’s up to each individual to search for the truth.
A more accurate gauge of media bias, IMHO, is Ad Fontes Media which gives AP a Bias rating of Middle and a Reliability rating of Reliable, Analysis/Fact Reporting. In addition to explaining how it came to its rating for AP, and all other media, Ad Fontes provides a listing of approximately 25 recent sample articles for each with Bias and Reliability rating scores for each.
If we made the statement that the majority of U.S. Citizens are familiar with the Declaration of Independence most folks would consider that an accurate statement, but is it true? Let’s take a trip back in time and find out.
The Second Continental Congress created a five-member committee on June 11, 1776 to complete the task of composing the declaration, declaring that the Thirteen Colonies in North America no longer belonged to Great Britain, but were independent states. The committee consisted of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Robert R. Livingston and Roger Sherman.
The committee chose thirty-three-year-old Thomas Jefferson to compose the draft. Thomas Jefferson completed the draft, but prior to submitting to the full committee he sent it separately to Dr. Benjamin Franklin and Mr. John Adams requesting corrections.The revised copy was sent to Congress on June 28, 1776. Even though there are six copies of the draft, there is only one “original rough draft” with edits by Franklin, Adams and Congress and it is located in the Jefferson Papers at the Library of Congress. The Declaration of Independence was ratified on July 4, 1776.
Although the document is fairly legible, Thomas Jefferson’s handwriting does leave a bit to be desired; therefore on July 19, 1776, Congress ordered the document to be formally handwritten on parchment and the title changed to The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America.
Timothy Matlack, assistant to Charles Thomson, engrossed [formally handwrote] the document and on August 2, 1776 most members of the Continental Congress met in Independence Hall and the document was signed and is on display at the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington D.C.
One of the most important documents related to the history of the United States had to be re-written by someone with better penmanship than the originator, and yet our country has chosen in the last decade or two to place handwriting on a back burner due to cursive no longer being taught in many of our schools. Our forefathers took tremendous pride in their work on the Declaration and if you look at it closely you can see the pride Timothy Matlack took in writing each word in the Declaration with perfect penmanship.
Is not teaching writing a grand plot to subjugate the rest of us? Has cursive just been eliminated from the poor and middle class schools or has it also been deleted from the schools wealthy children attend? Will the new crop of doctors, lawyers and judges be able to sign their name in cursive, or will everyone’s signature now become the letter X?
The future of the United States is not in the hands of our politicians, it’s in the hands of the children in this country and their education will determine how successful we are in the future. The 3 r’s of Education are Reading, Writing and Arithmetic. Do you want your children to learn the basics or are you willing to ignore what is going on in schools and allow the politicians to place learning emphasis on critical race theory, woke culture, or sexism, etc.
The United States came in 21st in a 2022 US News ranking of countries with the most educated population. That’s 21st out of the 85 countries in the survey. While education is our future, politics is our downfall.
What has happened to a country where a former President can demand his followers protest the fact that he may be arrested for allegedly breaking the law of the land? On the other end of the spectrum we have Florida House Bill 1069 which, if passed, will restrict 4th and 5th grade girls from talking about their menstrual cycle. Do they also have a bill in place to restrict 4th and 5th grade boys from talking about whose penis is bigger?
Have we completely lost our way as a country or is this truly a concerted effort, that has been planned for a decade or more, to do whatever can be done to tear the citizens in this country apart for the sole purpose of dumbing-down the population in order to exploit our unrest and dominate our thoughts and feelings?
Our future is at stake. If you truly care about your country, find out what your students are being taught in school and if it’s not an education that includes the 3 r’s, and will benefit both the student and our country in the future, protest their teachings.
Richard E Walrath is a former Ohio State Budget Analyst currently residing in Central Ohio. Patricia L Johnson is a former special assignment writer/photographer.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Statement on the Second Anniversary of the January 6 Attack on the Capitol
Friday, Jan. 6, 2023, will mark 24 months since the attack on the U.S. Capitol that disrupted a joint session of the U.S. Congress in the process of affirming the presidential election results.
Under the continued leadership of the Justice Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the FBI’s Washington Field Office, the investigation and prosecution of those responsible for the attack continues to move forward at an unprecedented speed and scale.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland made the following statement:
“Two years ago, the United States Capitol was attacked as lawmakers met to affirm the results of a presidential election. Perpetrators attacked police officers, targeted and assaulted members of the media, and interfered with a fundamental element of our democracy: the peaceful transfer of power from one administration to the next.
“Since then, countless agents, investigators, prosecutors, analysts, and others across the Justice Department have participated in one of the largest, most complex, and most resource-intensive investigations in our history. I am extremely grateful for the dedication, professionalism, and integrity with which they have done this work. This investigation has resulted in the arrest of more than 950 defendants for their alleged roles in the attack. We have secured convictions for a wide range of criminal conduct on January 6 as well as in the days and weeks leading up to the attack. Our work is far from over.
“We will never forget the sacrifice of the law enforcement officers who defended the members of Congress and others inside the Capitol that day. And we will never forget the five officers who responded selflessly on January 6 and who have since lost their lives: Officer Brian Sicknick, Officer Howard Liebengood, Officer Jeffrey Smith, Officer Gunther Hashida, and Officer Kyle DeFreytag.
“The Justice Department remains committed to honoring them. We remain committed to ensuring accountability for those criminally responsible for the January 6 assault on our democracy. And we remain committed to doing everything in our power to prevent this from ever happening again.”
***
Based on the public court documents, below is a snapshot of the investigation as of Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2023. Complete versions of most of the public court documents used to compile these statistics are available on the Capitol Breach Investigation Resource Page at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/capitol-breach-cases.
Arrests made: More than 950 defendants have been arrested in nearly all 50 states and the District of Columbia. (This includes those charged in both District and Superior Court).
Criminal charges:
More than 284 defendants have been charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers or employees, including approximately 99 individualswho have been charged with using a deadly or dangerous weapon or causing serious bodily injury to an officer.
Approximately 140 police officers were assaulted Jan. 6 at the Capitol, including about 80 from the U.S. Capitol Police and about 60 from the Metropolitan Police Department.
Approximately 11 individuals have been arrested on a series of charges that relate to assaulting a member of the media, or destroying their equipment, on January 6.
Approximately 860 defendants have been charged with entering or remaining in a restricted federal building or grounds. Of those, 91 defendants have been charged with entering a restricted area with a dangerous or deadly weapon.
Approximately 59 defendants have been charged with destruction of government property, and approximately 36 defendants have been charged with theft of government property.
More than 295 defendants have been charged with corruptly obstructing, influencing, or impeding an official proceeding, or attempting to do so.
Approximately 50 defendants have been charged with conspiracy, either: (a) conspiracy to obstruct a congressional proceeding, (b) conspiracy to obstruct law enforcement during a civil disorder, (c) conspiracy to injure an officer, (d) seditious conspiracy, or (e) some combination of the four.
Pleas:
Approximately 484 individuals have pleaded guilty to a variety of federal charges, many of whom faced or will face incarceration at sentencing.
Approximately 119 have pleaded guilty to felonies. Another 364 have pleaded guilty to misdemeanors.
A total of 52 of those who have pleaded guilty to felonies have pleaded to federal charges of assaulting law enforcement officers. An additional 22 individuals have pleaded guilty to felony obstruction of law enforcement during a civil disorder. Of these 74 defendants, 41 have now been sentenced to prison terms of up to 90 months.
Four of those who have pleaded guilty to felonies have pleaded guilty to the federal charge of seditious conspiracy.
Trials:
40 individuals have been found guilty at contested trials, including three who were found guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Another 10 individuals have been convicted following an agreed-upon set of facts. 16 of these 50 defendants were found guilty of assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers, a felony, including one who has been sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Sentencings:
Approximately 351 federal defendants have had their cases adjudicated and received sentences for their criminal activity on January 6. Approximately 192 have been sentenced to periods of incarceration. Approximately 87 defendants have been sentenced to a period of home detention, including approximately 14 who also were sentenced to a period of incarceration.
Public Assistance:
Citizens from around the country have provided invaluable assistance in identifying individuals in connection with the January 6 attack. The FBI continues to seek the public’s help in identifying approximately 350 individuals believed to have committed violent acts on the Capitol grounds, including over 250 who assaulted police officers.
Additionally, the FBI currently has 14 videos of suspects wanted for violent assaults on federal officers and one video of two suspects wanted for assaults on members of the media on Jan. 6 and is seeking the public’s help to identify them.
Some of the violent offenders about whom the FBI is seeking public tips to identify and locate Evan Neumann, Jonathan Daniel Pollock, AFOs #91, #292, #371, and #383. AFO #91 uses what appears to be a stick to strike multiple officers numerous times while in the doorway of the Lower West Terrace, commonly referred to as the tunnel. AFOs #292, #371, and #383 are all shown on video charging at and assaulting officers, and they appear to grab and attempt to take possession of the officers’ batons.
Social Security Announces 8.7 Percent Benefit Increase for 2023
Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) benefits for approximately 70 million Americans will increase 8.7 percent in 2023, the Social Security Administration announced today. On average, Social Security benefits will increase by more than $140 per month starting in January.
The 8.7 percent cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) will begin with benefits payable to more than 65 million Social Security beneficiaries in January 2023. Increased payments to more than 7 million SSI beneficiaries will begin on December 30, 2022. (Note: some people receive both Social Security and SSI benefits). The Social Security Act ties the annual COLA to the increase in the Consumer Price Index as determined by the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“Medicare premiums are going down and Social Security benefits are going up in 2023, which will give seniors more peace of mind and breathing room. This year’s substantial Social Security cost-of-living adjustment is the first time in over a decade that Medicare premiums are not rising and shows that we can provide more support to older Americans who count on the benefits they have earned,” Acting Commissioner Kilolo Kijakazi said.
Some other adjustments that take effect in January of each year are based on the increase in average wages. Based on that increase, the maximum amount of earnings subject to the Social Security tax (taxable maximum) will increase to $160,200 from $147,000.
Social Security and SSI beneficiaries are normally notified by mail starting in early December about their new benefit amount. The fastest way to find out their new benefit amount is to access their personal my Social Security account to view the COLA notice online. It’s secure, easy, and people find out before the mail arrives. People can also opt to receive a text or email alert when there is a new message from Social Security–such as their COLA notice–waiting for them, rather than receiving a letter in the mail. People may create or access their my Social Security account online at www.ssa.gov/myaccount.
Information about Medicare changes for 2023 is available at www.medicare.gov. For Social Security beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare, their new higher 2023 benefit amount will be available in December through the mailed COLA notice and my Social Security’s Message Center.
The Social Security Act provides for how the COLA is calculated. To read more, please visit www.ssa.gov/cola.
NOTE TO CORRESPONDENTS: Here is a fact sheet showing the effect of the various automatic adjustments.
To get more Social Security news, follow the Press Office on Twitter @SSAPress.
Emergency crude oil is stored at the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) in underground salt caverns at four major oil storage facilities in the Gulf Coast region of the United States, two sites in Texas (Bryan Mound and Big Hill), and two sites in Louisiana (West Hackberry and Bayou Choctaw). Created deep within the massive salt deposits.https://images.app.goo.gl/1pHJDH66potT9toJ9
By Articles and Answers 2020 Staff Writers, Patricia L Johnson and/or Richard E Walrath
One of the most difficult tasks U.S. voters will face this election cycle is trying to determine whether the news we are reading is accurate.
Back in 2018, we published an article “How in The Hell Did We Get to Where We Are Today?” where we attempted to explain how we came to have so much false information at our fingertips. Since 2018, the situation has only gotten worse, for every true article there are ten false articles. How do you tell the difference?
Let’s begin by looking at a relatively recent claim against the current administration by the opposition party.
“At a time of skyrocketing inflation and record gas prices, and with SPR drained to its lowest level since 1986, it is reckless and inexplicable that President Biden would allow oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to be exported to China. This practice poses a direct threat to American national security, not least of all because the Chinese Communist Party is currently stockpiling oil for strategic use, and the Biden administration is aiding their effort,” said Cruz.
What is truly sad about this claim is the fact that eight prominent names in the Republican Party do not seem to be aware of the rules covering our Strategic Petroleum Reserves.
WASHINGTON, DC – Senator James Lankford (R-OK) joined Senator Ted Cruz (R-TX) and their colleagues to introduce the No Emergency Crude Oil for Foreign Adversaries Act to ensure that reserves sold from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) are not exported to adversarial nations like China. Joining Lankford and Cruz in the bill’s introduction were Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Joni Ernst (R-IA), John Kennedy (R-LA), Roger Marshall (R-KS), and Jim Inhofe (R-OK
The first step in being able to read the news and determine fact from fiction is common sense. Does it make any sense for the President of the United States to send oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserves to a foreign country when gasoline prices are so high in this country?
Since the answer to that question is a resounding “no”, what really happened?
This 21-page report was written by the Congressional Research Service in 2020 and has been available to all members of Congress, including the above listed Republican Senators, since it was written.
On April 1, 2022, the Department of Energy (DOE) issued a Notice of Sale of 30 million barrels of SPR crude oil, with 16 companies responding. 126 bids were submitted for evaluation and the contracts were awarded to 12 companies with the highest bids. Included in the 12 companies was Unipec America, who received a contract for 0.95 million barrels of the 30 million barrels offered. Unipec America is a Houston based company, but it’s owned by China Petroleum and Chemical. The Notice of Sale was published on the DOE website April 22, 2022.
“Congressionally mandated drawdowns are required by law and require the SPR to sell crude oil in a competitive auction to the highest bidder.”
Please remember that a requirement for a company and/or customer to be on the Strategic Petroleum Reserves is they must be registered with the United States.
Not sure how it appears to you, but it looks to us like the Republicans closed the barn door after the horses already left the barn.
Step one in learning whether a particular claim is true is research. You can’t just read something, comment about how awful it is on Twitter and then pass it on as gospel. There’s a huge difference between gospel and gossip.
There are numerous fact-checking sites available, so if you read a story that seems questionable, question the facts, question the source, and most of all use your own common sense.
Treat fact-checking sites the same as an article, don’t readily accept what one says, research the facts until you’re sure of them.
Patricia L Johnson is a former special assignment writer/photographer residing in Northeastern IL. Richard E. Walrath is a former Budget Analyst for Ohio State University, residing in Central Ohio.
It’s amazing how many people in this country blame rising prices [inflation] on our President. Since inflation is a global problem, blaming our current President makes about as much sense as blaming Donald Duck or Mickey Mouse for the economic downturn the entire world is experiencing.
U.S. inflation for the month of June 2022 was 9.1%, but if you look at the balance of G20 [group of 19 countries, plus the European Union] for June 2022, you’ll note that only five were under 7%, eight came in between 7.01% and 9%, while the last seven were between 9.1% [United States] and 78.62% [Turkey].
According to Congressional Research Service Insight Report IN11926 current worldwide inflation is due to many factors as follows:
Disruptions to global supply chains
Labor shortages
Temporary business disruptions due to Covid-19
Commodity shortages due to Russian invasion of Ukraine
All through the pandemic the labor force participation rate has been incredibly low leaving companies unable to fill job openings. The seasonally adjusted labor participation rate for the month of June 2022 was 62.2% (published July 8, 2022). There has been a worldwide chain reaction to delays and disruptions that has had a negative impact on all countries involved.
Without labor there is no increase in productivity and without an increase in productivity, there is no increase in wages. There isn’t even an argument about it because there is no way to pay for an increase. As to how to divide productivity gains, there would be nothing produced at all without labor – not to mention nobody to buy the goods and services produced. Millions of jobs alone have been exported overseas over the past decade (s).
Many citizens in this country are too quick to try to place the blame for what is happening to us on one particular person, or one particular party, group or country. Numerous factors have led to the current inflation rate both in this country and around the world so there is more than enough blame to go around.
Patricia L Johnson is a former special assignment writer/photographer residing in Northeastern IL. Richard E. Walrath is a former Budget Analyst for Ohio State University, residing in Central Ohio.
Article III, §1, of the Constitution provided for the creation of a Supreme Court. Our forefathers considered the creation of this court such a high priority that the very first bill introduced in the Senate was the Judiciary Act of September 24, 1789 (1 Stat. 73). Our newly formed Supreme Court met on February 1, 1790 in New York City, the Nation’s Capital at the time.
The ultimate responsibility of the Supreme Court of the United States of America is to provide the American people with the promise of EQUAL JUSTICE UNDER LAW and currently consists of nine individuals, a Chief Justice of the United States and eight associate justices. The total number of associate justices is determined by Congress (28 U. S. C. §1) and has been changed six times before settling on a total of nine justices in 1869.
Our current Supreme Court consists of the following individuals:
John G. Roberts, Jr.
Chief Justice of the United States
W
M
Clarence Thomas
Associate Justice
B
M
Stephen G. Breyer
Associate Justice
W
M
Samuel A. Alito, Jr.
Associate Justice
W
M
Sonia Sotomayor
Associate Justice
H
F
Elana Kagen
Associate Justice
W
F
Neil M. Gorsuch
Associate Justice
W
M
Brett M. Kavanaugh
Associate Justice
W
M
Amy Coney Barrett
Associate Justice
W
F
W = White 77.8%
B = Black 11.1%
H = Hispanic 11.1%
M = Male 66.7%
F = Female 33.3%
Based on the above percentages our current Supreme Court is not at all reflective of the diverse population of the citizens in the United States, which follows. Without a doubt the next appointment to the Supreme Court should be a female, but would increase the Black composition of the court to 22.2%.
The Census Bureau indicates the following data for July of 2021 as far as percentages of the three major races and sex:
60.1% = White Only
13.4% = Black Only
18.5% = Hispanic or Latino
Female = 50.8%
Females now represent more than ½ of the citizens in this county and for decades females have been underrepresented in the Supreme Court, but should a lifetime appointment to the Supreme Court ever be based on anything other than qualifications?
As a female, there is nothing I would like better than to see another woman appointed to the Supreme Court because that is the fair and just thing to do, but as a citizen I also have to live with the decisions made by the court and I think I would prefer to see the most qualified individual appointed, rather than an appointment to make up for past wrongs, or to fulfill a campaign promise.
They received Star Wars: The Mandalorian, The Child – GROGU, aka “Baby Yoda” LEGO building kit with 1,073 pieces as a Christmas gift and had it completed by the day after Christmas. AMAZING!!!
Part one of this series dealt with an excellent solution for dealing with the extraordinary income equalities we are now facing in this country. The solution was offered by Economist, Milton Friedman, in his “Negative Income Tax” theory published in 1962 in his book titled “Capitalism and Freedom.”
Friedman’s theory was to provide each poor family with a guaranteed income that they could spend on whatever they wanted. This would eliminate the need for welfare payments, and food stamps, rent subsidies, etc. It would also give poor families more bang for their buck because the money would go directly to the family via an IRS payment, vs., going through the various organizations that now provide assistance.
The problem with Friedman’s theory was it was so simple and logical and would have saved taxpayer funds while helping to reduce the number of destitute families that it never got off the ground. It was never implemented by those at the top.
But it apparently did not go unnoticed by members of the Republican Party because NIT became the deal of the day under Republican administrations. If more money would help bring destitute families out of poverty, what could it do for the well-to-do?
From President Reagan through President George W Bush, each time this country had a Republican President, taxes have been lowered on the rich. The end result is recessions, government stimuli to get the economy moving again so the Republicans can pass another tax cut for the rich so we can have another recession. It’s a vicious circle that has resulted in income inequality in this country that will take decades to reverse. We are now at a point in time when a guaranteed annual income may eliminate all that nonsense and get us back on the right track.
The following charts were prepared for “Un bon croquis vaut mieux qu’un long discours,” one of our articles on the economy written in 2011. Charts for the Obama and Trump terms will be prepared for a follow-up article.
The four separate charts cover a period of the 28 years, from 1981 through 2008 and are separated by each Presidents term of office. As you can readily see we had Republican presidents for 20-years and a Democratic president for a period of 8-years.
Without a doubt this is an instance where if “A picture is worth a thousand words” the four charts have to be worth a few trillion.
Republican presidents are consistent from one administration to the next – they create deficits, each and every year they are in office, the only exception in the 20 years of Republican leadership is 2001, when there was a surplus.
Why? The answer is simple, Republicans cut taxes which create deficits, and those deficits are then added to the National debt. When Democrats take over, they have to raise taxes in order to break even. Fiscal year 2020, the last year our former Republican president was in office had a budget deficit of $3.1 trillion dollars. No one wants higher taxes, but let’s face it, our founding fathers did not set up a tax code for the sole purpose of making the rich richer, and the poor poorer.
The tax cuts, which were primarily directed towards the rich, are part of the reason why people are poor. Instead of tax cuts for the rich, we need tax increases to replace our rotting, decaying and worn-out infrastructure. The recent disaster with the Texas electrical grid is a prime example of what can happen in any state.
Our founding fathers set up the tax code with a 7-1 ratio. They intended those at the top paid to pay 7 times as much in income taxes as those at the bottom. For additional information on this subject click the following What Was the Intent of Our Founding Fathers on Taxes for the Rich? or type any of the following words in the Articles and Answers search box; taxes, deficit, national debt, economy, etc.
Patricia L Johnson is a former special assignment writer/photographer residing in Northeastern IL. Richard E. Walrath is a former Budget Analyst for Ohio State University, residing in Central Ohio with his family.
There are numerous types of inequality in this country. We have ‘economic’ inequality which generally refers to ‘income’ inequality, “opportunity” inequality, and inequality of “rights”. No matter what you call it, it all seems to boil down to one word “money”. If you have money, you generally have a place to live, food on the table, education choices and work choices.
When you are poor and do not have a sufficient amount of money, you may end up homeless, uneducated and without a future. All too many of our fellow citizens are currently in this position and something has to be done to change the path they’re following.
In 1943 Psychological Review published Abraham H Maslow’s “A theory of Human Motivation” which set up a hierarchy of human needs.
Basic needs such as air, water, food, sleep, clothing and shelter must be met before the person could move on to safety needs, which included personal security, emotional security, and financial security. Once these needs were met, the individual could then move up the ladder to psychological needs, self-fulfillment needs, etc.
As long as we continue to have a ‘poor’ population and fellow Americans out of work, basic needs of US citizens are not being met.. As long as we have individuals that are homeless, do not have health insurance and are living hand to mouth, US citizens needs are not being met.
What is the answer?
The 1976 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics winner, Milton Friedman had the answer a long time ago and he was a Republican. Guaranteed annual income. Not out of the goodness of his heart. He saw that the economy needed more spending. The poor spend all they have and it is not enough. The rich have five or six of everything they will every need and don’t have room for anything more.
You may read the pros and cons of Milton Friedman’s “Negative Income Tax” theory (explained beginning on page 5) of the June 2003 paper prepared by our National Bureau of Economic Research.
His proposal, which he called the negative income tax, was to replace the multiplicity of existing welfare programs with a single cash transfer — say, $6,000 — to every citizen. A family of four with no market income would thus receive an annual payment from the I.R.S. of $24,000. For each dollar the family then earned, this payment would be reduced by some fraction — perhaps 50 percent. A family of four earning $12,000 a year, for example, would receive a net supplement of $18,000 (the initial $24,000 less the $6,000 tax on its earnings).
Mr. Friedman’s proposal was undoubtedly motivated in part by his concern for the welfare of the least fortunate. But he was above all a pragmatist, and he emphasized the superiority of the negative income tax over conventional welfare programs on purely practical grounds. If the main problem of the poor is that they have too little money, he reasoned, the simplest and cheapest solution is to give them some more. He saw no advantage in hiring armies of bureaucrats to dispense food stamps, energy stamps, day care stamps and rent subsidies.
As always, Mr. Friedman’s policy prescriptions were shaped by his desire to minimize adverse economic incentives, a feature that architects of earlier welfare programs had largely ignored. Those programs, each administered by a separate bureaucracy, typically reduced a family’s benefits by some fraction of each increment in earned income. Rates of 50 percent were common, so a family participating in four separate programs might see its total benefits fall by $2 for each extra dollar it earned. Under the circumstances, no formal training in economics was necessary to see that working didn’t pay. In contrast, someone who worked additional hours under Mr. Friedman’s plan would always take home additional after-tax income.”
Why is a plan that contains so much common sense not being utilized in this country?
Richard E. Walrath is a former Budget Analyst for Ohio State University, residing in Central Ohio with his family. Patricia L Johnson is a former special assignment writer/photographer residing in Northeastern Il.
Senator Pat Toomey (R-PA) must be talking about a different country’s economy because he certainly cannot be commenting on the US economy. Even with a stimulus, should they ever get it passed, our economy is not going to come roaring back. The policies of the prior administration, along with the COVID-19 pandemic have ensured the fact that our economy needs a massive influx of cash for an extended period to come “roaring back”. In January, Toomey claimed that Biden’s stimulus plan would “likely slow down a recovery in employment,”
It would be pretty near impossible for employment to “slow down” anymore than it has already. 49,000 jobs created for the month of January 2021 is quite simply unacceptable.
Our country has a population of approximately 329 million people. Of the 329 million, only 150 million are employed, giving us a Labor Force Participation Rate of 61.4 percent [the labor participation rate is the number of people working (or seeking work) as a percentage of the working population]. Note: If a person stops looking for a job, they are no longer considered part of the labor force.
Of the 150 million persons employed in this country, only 125 million have full-time jobs. The other 25 million are all part-time workers and in many cases are working more than one job.
Numbers are meaningless unless you have something to compare so let’s compare the US Labor Participation Rate to a few other countries. We’re at 61.4%, the UK is 79.3%, France is 71.6% and Australia is 66.2%. Let’s remember the COVID-19 pandemic hit all the countries with the same force so why is the US so far behind the rest of the world in providing jobs for residents?
The Pandemic Unemployment Assistance claims for the week ending February 6, 2021 were 334,524. That means 335,000 of your friends, neighbors or coworkers that are out of work applied for PUA last week. Who are these people?
They are folks that have exhausted their rights to regular Unemployment Compensation, or have no rights to Unemployment Compensation due to the fact they are self employed workers, freelancers or independent contractors.
Since many members of Congress feel the Biden proposed stimulus plan is over the top, it seems the only way they’ll be able to relate to their fellow citizens is to paddle the same boat.
Immediately, their salaries should be withheld so they have no income, and then perhaps they would be able to comprehend the necessity of providing assistance to those in need.
Richard E. Walrath is a former Budget Analyst for Ohio State University, residing in Central Ohio with his family. Patricia L Johnson is a former special assignment writer/photographer currently residing in Northeastern IL.
This tribute would not be complete without adding the name of a Very Special Marine Veteran, Patrick John, deceased May 6, 2002. THANK YOU PAT!!!!!!!!! WE LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU SO MUCH!
At 5:45 PM EDT, on April 2, 2020, John Hopkins CSSE released the following Coronavirus numbers for the United States:
Confirmed Cases: 238,820
Deaths: 5758
This is only day number 71 of the Coronavirus pandemic in the US and US cases are more than DOUBLE what the world cases were on day 71. The first reported case of Coronavirus in the United States was on January 23, 2020. On the other hand, the first reported case of unknown pneumonia cases in China were first reported on December 31, 2019. So what happened 71 days later on March 10, 2020 in China:
We all should know the reason (s) WHY* the United States has more than double the Coronavirus cases, but the question remains, What are you personally going to do about it? Doing nothing is not an option.
Many Southern states started off with fewer cases than Northern states, but they are rapidly catching up as they ignore keep your distance rules.
Some Evangelical churches continue to hold services, helping to spread the virus. Roman Catholic churches on the other hand are closed. No where is it written that you have to be in a church setting to practice your faith.
Many thousands will die, unnecessarily, if we do not ALL do our part to contain the virus, and that means following the rules and encouraging others to do the same.
In a crisis in the past, the United States has been a leader. This time it is bringing up the rear and our children’s, grandchildren’s and every other living persons life in this country is now in the hands of an administration that cannot seem to get their ducks in a row, no matter how hard they try.
*Brookings Institution released a report on March 31, 2020 listing the government timeline in responding to this crisis. It’s a short read that’s very informative.
Richard E Walrath is former Budget Analyst for Ohio State University, currently residing in Ohio with his family. Patricia L Johnson is a former special assignment writer/photographer located in the Midwest.
The Stock Market goes up when there is news about the US and China getting together on trade talks. Then it goes down when this Administration cancels the talks. This produces a yo-yo effect on the market, up today, down tomorrow, but otherwise the trend would probably be down. The market as it exists, under this Administration, is far too volatile.
It all began in the late 1800’s, when Charles Dow and Edward Jones launched the Dow as a simple means of determining a measurement of 12 companies contributing to America’s economy. By 1928 the Dow Jones Industrial Average had grown to 30 stocks and has remained at that number since.
As time passed various companies were replaced by others, but the number of companies has remained at 30. The total DJIA reported on a daily basis is a price-weighted average of the total of the 30 stocks; divided by the Dow Divisor, making the value of this particular economic indicator questionable from the onset.
For each $1 change in the value of the of the 30 stocks in the DJIA, the market goes up or down by a point spread. We’ll use the Dow Divisor as of April 2, 2019 as an example. The divisor was 0.14744568353097 divided by 1 = 6.792 points. So, if one of the 30 stocks was to go up by $1, the DJIA average would have increased by 6.792 points.
The entire problem with this method of determining an average, is a $1 loss on a $10.00 stock is far more significant on a percentage basis than a $1 loss on a $100 stock, and that difference is not taken into consideration in the methodology.
On June 26, 2018 Walgreens Boots Alliance [WBA], replaced General Electric [GE] as one of the 30 stocks in the DJIA. GE, by the way, was one of the original 12 stocks in the DOW and has remained in the average until Walgreens stock was added. Walgreens stock trades around $52.56, while GE stock is going for $8.71. Seems like replacing one stock with another that’s worth six times as much, is a relatively simple way to increase the total market value. If you go one step further and multiply the number of outstanding shares of GE stock by six, you might be looking at some pretty hefty numbers.
It seems fair to say that when it comes to the stock market, there’s only one number that matters and that’s the average return. As you can see from the following, 2016 was a good year, 2017 was an excellent year (remember the former Administration economic policies were still in effect for the majority of 2017) while 2018 was the worst year for stocks in a decade.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average did not return 13.54% in 2016, although that is probably a number that you’ll see quoted. Adjusted for dividend reinvestment, the 2016 Dow Jones Industrial Average Return was actually 16.47%. That’s a full 2.93% points higher due to reinvested dividends.
2017 Dow Jones Industrial Average Return. The Dow Jones Industrial Average returned +24.39% in 2017. Using a calculation which includes dividend reinvestment, the Dow Jones returned +28.11%.
2018 Dow Jones Industrial Average Return. The Dow Jones Industrial Average returned -5.97% in 2018. Using a calculation including dividend reinvestment, the Dow Jones returned -3.48% in 2018.
There are two economic numbers the majority of Americans are familiar with; job creation and the stock market. The number of jobs created under this Administration are definitely questionable, and the market ups and downs definitely appear to be manipulated.
If you’re a parent, you know what it’s like for your kids to come home from school advising they need to sell xx number of candy bars for this or that school project. Being the good parent you are you call your friends, neighbors and co-workers and invite all of them to purchase the candy.
Is this Administration doing the same thing? When the majority of your cabinet members are wealthy, when you own numerous golf courses in the US where most of us couldn’t afford the entrance fee, how difficult is it for you to ask John Doe or Jane Smith to buy a little more stock in this company or that company? How difficult is it to actually manipulate the ups and downs of 30 stocks?
Over the past nineteen years there have been several occasions when we have experienced large increases or decreases in the DJIA in any given day. The Great Recession is an excellent example. During 2008 and early 2009 there were six instances where there was a large increase and four instances of a large decrease in the daily DJIA.
The Great Recession was a catastrophic event and major upsets were expected. We have not had any catastrophic events in 2018 or 2019, yet the DJIA had six instances in 2018 with large increases and seven instances with large decreases. So far in 2019 there have been three instances of large increases and five instances of large decreases.
Without a doubt there is something not quite kosher with this particular index.
Richard E Walrath is former Budget Analyst for Ohio State University, currently residing in Ohio with his family. Patricia L Johnson is a former special assignment writer/photographer located in the Midwest.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics released their report for the month of August 2019 on September 6, 2019 indicating August Nonfarm Job Creation of 130,000 jobs, which in one word is pitiful.
25,000 of these jobs are for temporary employees hired by the US Government for the 2020 Census count.
The problem with the jobs report, under this Administration, is the fact the numbers are revised on a regular basis after they are released. Which isn’t at all unusual. We have always had revisions to the jobs report after release. The difference is the Revised numbers from this administration are lower than the originally reported numbers, in five of the past seven months. March, April, May, June, and July 2019 have all been revised downward by a total of 154,000 jobs, or a downward revision of 30,800 jobs per month for the past five months.
Why? What games are being played with the jobs report? Perhaps your response to that question, is we’re grasping at straws. We don’t think so. Going back through prior years, there have been revisions, not every month, and certainly not trending downward on a regular basis.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics does an excellent job of reporting accurately; therefore, the only conclusion that can be reached is the private sector is turning in late and/or erroneous data to the BLS. When all is said and done there were only 96,000 nonfarm jobs created by the private sector in August of 2019. Do you consider that evidence of a booming economy?
Jobs and the stock market are about all people pay attention to regarding the economy. Monetary and fiscal policy interest rates and the Federal Reserve are not table talk topics. This Administration knows this and is making excellent use of the information. If the economy is not creating many jobs, the next best thing is creative reporting followed by later reports reducing the number of jobs previously reported.
Add that to the Benchmark Revision that will be made in February of 2020 for calendar year 2019 of -501,000 jobs and it’s crystal clear the only change that needs to be made is a change in Administrations.
The economy will decide next year’s election which is still over a year away. That is a long time to keep the economy propped up with puffed up jobs’ reports followed by downward corrections.
Patricia L Johnson is a former special assignment writer/photographer located in the Midwest. Richard E Walrath is former Budget Analyst for Ohio State University, currently residing in Ohio with his family.
The news coming out this week about our GREAT economy is bordering disaster.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics indicated a preliminary revision to the number of non-farm jobs created by this Administration, during 2018 and early 2019, of a whopping 501,000 jobs.
The preliminary revision by the BLS is completed each year at this time, while the final report will be issued in February of 2020. What is most unusual about this report, besides having overstated the number of jobs created by this Administration by half a million jobs, is the sheer percentage of jobs lost at -0.3 percent.
Annual benchmark revisions over the past ten years have averaged in the plus or minus two-tenths of one percent of total non-farm employment, while this revision is a reduction of a full three percentage points.
Other major economic happenings during the week ending Friday, August 23, are:
the volume drops in MBA Mortgage Applications, which have averaged 0.50 percent from 2007 until 2019, dropped from 21.7% for the week ending August 14, 2019 to -0.9 percent for the week ending August 21, 2019.
The IHS Markit US Manufacturing PMI dropped to 49.9 percent. This is the first time PMI (Purchasing Managers Index) has contracted with new orders falling the most in a decade (since September 2009).
A revision as large as 501,000 does more than just raise eyebrows. It smacks strongly of cooking the books. The Trump economy was never great. It was propped up by ballyhoo and false statistics. Now a trillion-dollar deficit looms.
Richard E Walrath is former Budget Analyst for Ohio State University, currently residing in Ohio with his family. Patricia L Johnson is a former special assignment writer/photographer located in the Midwest.
What is it going to take for the voters in this country to pay attention to the major problems this country is facing, rather than listening to the latest gaffe by former V.P. Joe Biden, or reading the most recent tweet written by our current President?
The most recent Monthly Treasury Statement was released by the Department of the Treasury on August 12, 2019, indicating a one month budget deficit for the fiscal month of July 2019 of $120 Billion. That’s an additional -$120,000,000,000.00 in the hole in one single month under this administration.
Anyone that thinks our economy is running at top speed simply doesn’t understand the facts. The facts are in July of 2019, we received $251 billion in receipts, while we spent a whopping $371 billion, resulting in the -$120 billion deficit.
The majority of us don’t work in billions so let’s look at these numbers realistically. Let’s say you earn $251 dollar a week. The current Federal minimum wage is $7.25 [although some states have opted to pay their workers more per hour. At minimum wage, a worker would earn $290 for a 40-hour week].
Our worker only earns $251 dollars a week, but he/she spends $371 dollars a week. That leaves our worker with a shortfall of -$120 each and every week, so as each week goes by our worker gets further and further in debt.
That is exactly what is happening with our country under the current administration. With each month that passes we become further in debt, with no end in sight, and the situation has worsened with time.
Donald Trump became President in January of 2017. In July of 2017 we had a budget deficit of -$43 billion, with $232 billion in receipts, and $275 billion in disbursements (please recall we were still operating under the previous administrations budget in July of 2017). Historical data located at U.S. Treasury
In July of 2018 we had a budget deficit of -$77 billion with receipts of $225 billion and disbursements of $302 billion. The deficit nearly doubled under the current administration.
Now we are up to the current year with a July 2019 budget deficit of -$120 billion. All the claims of how our receipts were going to skyrocket are nonsense. Receipts have only increased a mere $19 billion from July of 2017 [$232 billion] compared to July of 2019 [$251 billion] while disbursements have increased $96 billion [$275 billion compared to $371 billion].
Do you have anything at all to show for the $96 billion additional spending? Have your medical costs been reduced? Has your income increased dramatically? Has the value of your property increased tremendously? Do you have piles of money sitting around waiting to be taken to the bank? Are your children all attending college for free? Have all the bridges in your area been completely restored? How about the highways? How about your food costs? Have they decreased to the point where you’re not concerned about where your next meal is coming from? How about transportation. Do you have high speed train service in your area? Do you have ANY train service in your area? Do you have needs that could and should be met by our government?
More than likely the answer to all the above questions are no. This administration has done little to assist the average person, but the major problem is this administration has done absolutely nothing to improve our economy. Our GDP Growth Rate for the second quarter was down a full percentage point see The Great U.S. Economy, that isn’t released on July 30, 2019.
We are now in the 11th month of our fiscal year. 10 months of data has been released and out of the 10 months of budget data, there have only been two months where we have had a budget surplus rather than a deficit. We had a small surplus in January, and a surplus in April when taxes are due. Each of the other 8 months of the fiscal year have shown a deficit, with the deficits rising due to the uncontrolled spending by this Administration.
Closing out the economic picture is the question of the Trump not so “EASY TO WIN TRADE WARS”. How much have they cost the U.S. and the World? They are bringing on the recession sooner. DJIA is down 700 today [when this article was written and this could be the beginning of “The Great Unraveling: Losing Our Way in the New Century”, to borrow the title from Nobel Prize Winner, Paul Krugman.
Someone please tell us what this Administration is doing with the money, since they aren’t spending it on improving our lives, or improving our economy.
Patricia L Johnson is a former special assignment writer-photographer. Richard E. Walrath is a former Budget Analyst for Ohio State University, residing in Central Ohio with his family.
U.S. Presidential Election Obama v. RomneyNovember 6, 2012
There are a total of 538 Electoral Votes with 270 needed to win. Barack Obama received 332 electoral votes while Mitt Romney received 206 electoral votes. Barack Obama received a total of 65,899,660 votes, while Mitt Romney received a total of 60,982,152 votes. Turnout was 54.9%
Election 2016
U.S. Presidential Election Trump v. ClintonNovember 8, 2016
There are a total of 538 Electoral Votes with 270 needed to win. Donald Trump received 304 electoral votes while Hillary Clinton received 227 electoral votes. Donald Trump received a total of 62,984,828 votes, while Hillary Clinton received a total of 65,853,514 votes. Turnout was 55.7%
Congress Daily Digest
ARTICLES and ANSWERS 2020 
