Monday, April 22, 2024

April, 2024, Part 2, Political Class Insanity:Politicians Continue To Waste Taxpayer Wealth, Politicians Continue To Not Protect Lives and Property, and Wealth Goes D\own The Toilet In San Francisco

 Every month we devote posts to just general political class insanity that is running rampant through the country. The members of the American political class continue to show that they are incapable of efficiently operating any level of government in this country. 


Even their best efforts are almost always ineffective at resolving any problem facing Americans. They spend a great amount of time not trying to improve the lives of their citizens but continually ensuring their reelection and enriching themselves, their families, and their friends in the process, all at taxpayer expense.


1)Over the years we have pointed out way too many times when the Federal government and the politicians that operate it wasted untold billions and billions of dollars on stupid and ineffective programs that help no Americans except for the family, friends, and political donors of those same politicians.


But it is not just the Washington politicians who can waste gobs of money on stupidity, as we see for the latest insanity out of that failing city, San Francisco:


  • The city politicians have oversaw the development and construction of a $1.7 million for a single public toilet.

  • Yes, a $1.7 million toilet was installed in the city’s Noe Valley neighborhood.

  • Fortunately, it only cost the city’s taxpayer $300,000 since two companies involved with the construction donated  materials and labor.

  • And yes, $300,000 is still way too much taxpayer money for a single toilet.


How do these people sleep at night, using hundreds of thousands of dollars to build a single public toilet? No respect for the taxpayer who funded this travesty.


2)One of the most basic functions of any government entity is to protect the lives and property of the citizens it serves. Unfortunately, as we have pointed out way too many times, it seems that the current crop of American politicians do a very poor job of fulfilling this basic responsibility. Consider what is going on in Oakland:


  • In the past year, robberies in Oakland are up 38% in a single year.

  • Burglaries are 23%.

  • Carjacking is up 44%.

  • Crime has gotten so bad that even the governor, Gavin Newsom, cannot ignore it any more since he actually is sending 120 California Highway Patrol officers into the city to help combat the rampant crime: “What’s happening in this beautiful city and surrounding area is alarming and unacceptable.”


Unfortunately, Oakland is not the only city in this country that is being overrun by criminals as American politicians continue to fail to protect Americans.


3)While American politicians do a terrible job protecting the lives and property of Americans, they do an excellent job wasting taxpayer dollars and wealth as a new report from the Public Buildings Reform Board (PBRB) recently found a novel way that taxpayer dollars are being misused:


  • Apparently a whopping 90% of the Federal  building office space in Washington D.C. is vacant, vacant  space that is paid for by American taxpayers.

  • The detailed findings are quite disgusting.

  • For example, the Department of Agriculture building has space for over 7,000 employees but there are only 456 people working in the building.

  • The General Services Administration has a building that could accommodate over 2,500 employees but is currently being used by only 359.

  • Buildings operated by other Federal agencies also have occupancy rates low like these, some using less than 10% of the space available.

  • A lot, but not nearly all, of the vacancies can be tracked back to employees working from home during the pandemic and never returning to their offices once the pandemic was over.

  • Efforts are underway to  fix this atrocious misuse of taxpayer wealth but given that the powers to be let it get this bad at this point in time, it strains the bounds of believability that the Federal government bureaucrats and politicians can fix this wasteful situation.

  • In fact, Biden’s budget for 2025 calls for an additional $425 million be spent by the government to fix the situation and “reconfigure and renovate federal buildings to better utilize space and to expedite the disposition of unneeded federal facilities.” 


How many  billions of dollars were wasted by this federal  government screw up?


4)We have often discussed the reality that Washington politicians care more about themselves and foreigners than they do about regular American citizens:


  • With the latest war funding for the Ukraine, American taxpayers will have spent almost $200 billion to fight the conflict while at any time there are about 600,000 homeless American citizens including kids and veterans, living on the streets in this country.

  • While continuing to spend billions and billions of dollars to feed, shelter, educate, and provide medical resources to millions of illegal immigrants, millions and millions of Americans are finding it more and more difficult to feed their families, given Biden’s inflationary economic policies. while millions cannot afford the medical attention that illegal immigrants get without a problem.


We discussed these and other similar issues and neglect of Americans in detail in the following post:


https://loathemygovernment.blogspot.com/2024/03/we-all-now-live-on-tax-farm.html


And  while this post gives out a lot of detailed information of how the Washington political class has betrayed the American taxpayer, the lady featured in the following link does a much more “colorful” job describing the same sad reality of being neglected by Washington [caution: profane language throughout]:


https://www.bizpacreview.com/2024/04/21/this-woman-nails-it-dear-mike-johnson-and-the-rest-of-you-ssholes-in-congress-1454049/?utm_campaign=bizpac&utm_content=Newsletter&utm_medium=Newsletter&utm_source=Get%20Response&utm_term=EMAIL


We live on a tax farm that uses our wealth for everyone else’s benefit but the people paying the taxes.


That will do it for today’s insanity: politicians continue to abuse taxpayer wealth, politicians continue to not protect the lies and poverty of its citizens, and taxpayer wealth goes down the toilet in San  Francisco.


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If you agree that we need to deseat every member of Congress for their lack of success and accomplishment, then please consider going to the following petition link to help the cause:


https://www.change.org/p/deseat-congress-reset-freedom



**********************


Our book, "Love My Country, Loathe My Government - Fifty First Steps To Restoring Our Freedom And Destroying The American Political Class" is now available at:

Thursday, April 18, 2024

April, 2024, Part 3, By The Numbers: Biden Does Everything But Be President, Measles Makes a Comeback, Fentanyl Floods the Country, and More

 On a periodic basis we do some posts that fall under the theme of “by the numbers.” Rather than trust what the American politician tells us about reality, we like to examine the real numbers and the real reality in the world to understand what is actually going on. Relying on politicians, and their cohorts in the media, to tell us what is reality is always a sucker bet. They have their own agendas and goals, usually centering around their needs and self-enrichment. So we need to look at the reality of the numbers to determine what is really going on.

Previous analyses of “by the numbers” can be accessed by entering the phrase in the search box above. This is the third and final post this month where we look at the numbers to truly find out how good, not likely, or bad, most likely, the American political class is doing in managing our tax dollars, protecting our freedoms, and resolving major issues that affect all of us.


1)Inflation is raging, Israel and Iran are getting very close to an all out war, Russia and Ukraine are still fighting, crime is rampaging through the nation's liberal cities, and this is Biden’s number over a recent 9 day period:


  • 1 day working at the White House.

  • 3 days political campaigning.

  • 5 days vacationing in Delaware.


Obviously, the numbers point out his priorities and it does not include the safety and lives of Americans.


2)One of the biggest issues that Biden has inflicted on the nation is the unfettered entrance of over 8 million unvetted and unvaccinated  illegal immigrants into the country As a result, a disease that had been eliminated in this country about 25 years ago, measles, is making a comeback as a result of unvaccinated folks:


  • According to the CDC, in the first quarter of 2024, 97 cases of measles have been identified.

  • In the first three months of the previous four years, 2020 to 2023, 5 cases in total had been identified.

  • Thus, in the first quarter of 2024, the incidents of identified measles cases have grown almost 20 fold.

  • The 97 cases represent 29% of ALL measles cases  found from January 1, 2020 through March 28, 2024, 338 total  cases.

  • 68% of the cases over the past four years were found in unvaccinated victims.

  • 96% of the 338 cases come from people that have traveled  outside of the country.


Yes, the numbers are not (yet) catastrophic. But pandemics always start with low numbers. Another Biden failure.


3)One of the horrible side effects of Biden’s failed immigration policies is the flooding into the country of untold tons of illegal drugs. These drugs eventually end up on our streets and eventually kill thousands and thousands of Americans. One set of numbers from California illustrate how prevalent the drug supply has become:


  • According to California governor Gavin Newsom, a recent operation by the California Highway Patrol resulted in the seizing of a massive amount of the deadly drug, fentanyl, amount equal to about 9.6 million lethal doses.

  • Those 9.6 million doses could kill the entire population of 40 individual states.

  • Those 9.6 million doses could kill the TOTAL population of the ten least populated states in the country.

  • The operation also resulted in 6,044 citations, 496 arrests, and 15 guns being confiscated.


I dread to see what the final count of overdose deaths in the  country will be in 2023 when the numbers become available. I  would not be  surprised, given all of the fentanyl flooding over Biden’s borders, that the overall overdose death rate breaks 150,000, up from almost 108,000 in 2022.


4)We have always supported a concept laid  out in our book,  “Love My Country, Loathe My Government,” that the Federal government should not spend a penny of Federal tax dollars on any project that does not significantly affect the residents of at least five states. This simple rule would certainly curtail wasteful and local spending and would help get Washington's appetite for stupid and wasteful spending under control.


If a state needs a new road, let the taxpayers in that state pay for it, not have the taxpayers in 49 other states chip in. If a city needs a new opera hall, let the local  taxpayers pay for it, not the rest of the country.


Without that simple concept in place, the Federal  government continues to waste our taxpayer dollar on faraway and local projects:


  • Apparently under current Congressional  rules, every member of Congress can request funding for up to 15 local projects in their states and Congressional districts.

  • Thus, simple math says that every year at least 7,500 projects that should not be funded by the Federal taxpayer are actually funded by the Federal taxpayer.

  • $850,000 of Federal tax money is earmarked for a community center in  Minneapolis near where George Floyd died.

  • Under our rule, Minneapolis would pay for this community center if it wanted it, not the rest of us living outside of the city.

  • $1.7 million will be  spent for a “Green Tech Park”  in  New York to  “help marginalized communities in preparing for climate change’s adverse effects.”

  • $500,000 of Federal taxpayer wealth will be used to create an  oyster reef to “address long standing environmental justice inequities facing underrepresented communities in  Queens [New York],” whatever that gibberish means.

  • That same Congressional  district will get $1.2 million of Federal taxpayer money for the Muslim Women’s Community Center.

  • Keep in mind that while DC politicians are spending money on these useless projects, millions of Americans are still homeless, hungry, drug addicted, and in need of medical attention but hey, that oyster reef sounds like a great idea.


Again, if these local  communities need an oyster reef, a community center, etc. then they should pay for it. The Federal government and the Federal taxpayer should only be using Federal tax money for projects that affect wide swaths of Americans,  i.e. projects that affect people in more than  five states. 


Otherwise you may end up with almost $35 TRILLION in Federal  government debt. Oh yeah, we have almost $35 TRILLION in Federal government debt. But at least we will  have a new New York City oyster bed.


That will do it for today’s insanity: Biden does just about everything but be President, measles makes a comeback, fentanyl floods the country, and Washington politicians waste money on local, stupid projects.


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If you agree that we need to deseat every member of Congress for their lack of success and accomplishment, then please consider going to the following petition link to help the cause:


https://www.change.org/p/deseat-congress-reset-freedom



**********************


Our book, "Love My Country, Loathe My Government - Fifty First Steps To Restoring Our Freedom And Destroying The American Political Class" is now available at:

Monday, April 15, 2024

April, 2024, By The Numbers, Part 2: Biden's Failed Economic Policies and Record Inflation and New York Is About To Tax Itself Out of Existence

 On a periodic basis we do some posts that fall under the theme of “by the numbers.” Rather than trust what the American politician tells us about reality, we like to examine the real numbers and the real reality in the world to understand what is actually going on. Relying on politicians, and their cohorts in the media, to tell us what is reality is always a sucker bet. They have their own agendas and goals, usually centering around their needs and self-enrichment. So we need to look at the reality of the numbers to determine what is really going on.


Previous analyses of “by the numbers” can be accessed by entering the phrase in the search box above. This is the third and final post this month where we look at the numbers to truly find out how good, not likely, or bad, most likely, the American political class is doing in managing our tax dollars, protecting our freedoms, and resolving major issues that affect all of us.


1)As we have  discussed so many times in this blog, Biden’s economic expertise and programs  have been an inflation disaster for every American. Nowhere does that reality hit home than in your local supermarket:


  • According to a Wall Street Journal analysis, grocery prices are almost 40% higher today than in 2019.

  • The actual  increase was a weighted average of 36.5% across all food categories.

  • Eggs cost 63% more than 2019 and sports drinks cost 80% more on average.

  • The vast majority of the five year inflation came from the past few years, i.e. the Biden years, with inflation jumping a whopping 10.2% from February, 2023 to February, 2024.


The cost of existing, i.e. taking nourishment, is getting more and more expensive and  difficult, thanks to Biden and the  economic idiots in Washington.


2)Getting away from food inflation, the overall inflation rate for everything continues to march upwards:


  • Consumer prices went up 3.5% in March, higher than expected.

  • A lot of the price increase was driven by higher costs of energy and shelter with the cost of shelter on average up a whopping 5.7% on a year over year basis.

  • Other drivers of the overall increase in inflation were gas, clothing, car repairs, and groceries.

  • Not unexpectedly, Biden refused to take responsibility for this insulting inflation, actually  blaming Republicans and business leaders’ greed, anyone but himself.


Keep in mind that inflation was well  under control when Trump was President and yet Biden blames everyone but himself. Insanity.


3)Let’s keep the inflation wagon rolling:


  • Gas prices across the country recently hit a six month high reaching an average cost of $3.60 a gallon.

  • This is more than a 50% increase since Biden took office.

  • The average price for gas when Biden took office was $2.38 a gallon.

  • The average price is up $.20 per gallon in the past month.

  • And even worse, Goldman Sachs thinks gas could hit $4.00 a gallon by May and some other “experts” claiming that $5.00 a gallon could be in our near term future.

  • Fortunately, most of us do not live in California where the average price is already a whopping $5.50 a gallon.


More expensive to travel, more expensive to eat,  more expensive to live, welcome to Biden’s economic dystopia.


4)We have often made the assertion that a state government or two will likely go bankrupt in the not too distant future. They have raised taxes so high that residents and businesses have started to  migrate out of these states, taking their tax  revenue with them, to find less onerous tax burdens for themselves, their families, and businesses. 


A number from a recent Wall Street Journal article shows why we think New York might be that state government to go bankrupt: “One reason why New York resorted to congestion pricing is it had squeezed the tax turnip dry. All in - federal, state, city, payroll tax surcharges - New York City’s top marginal rate exceeds 50%.


Think about it: in certain situations, a resident of New York could be sending over half of their income to some level of government. If that number does not disgust a freedom loving American then they do not know they are no longer free since personal freedom is impossible if one does not have economic freedom. And giving government bureaucrats and politicians half of your earnings is not economic freedom.


That will do it for today: Biden’s failed economic policies and the resultant inflation impacts all of us and  New York’s taxation fetish is out of control and will  eventually lead to the collapse of the state government's finances.


**********************

If you agree that we need to deseat every member of Congress for their lack of success and accomplishment, then please consider going to the following petition link to help the cause:


https://www.change.org/p/deseat-congress-reset-freedom



**********************


Our book, "Love My Country, Loathe My Government - Fifty First Steps To Restoring Our Freedom And Destroying The American Political Class" is now available at: