Category: My Bad Opinions

US Accounting Office States FEMA is Almost Out of Money – Let’s Review

FEMA’s 2013 budget was $13,559,716,000.  So, for the sake of argument, let’s say the 2017 budget is $15,000,000,000.  $15B almost absorbed through August 2017 with Hurricane Harvey not helping any.

FEMA is an agency to assist the American Tax Payer during time of crises.  Funded by the tax payers for the benefit of the tax payers.  It should not have a budget, it should not have a ceiling, cap, or anything else that monetarily restricts the provision of aid to American citizens in their time of need.

Now, there are those ultra right wing conservative nuts who will proclaim this is an “entitlement” program (until their state got hit with a hurricane and now they’re first in line for recovery benefits) but we all know it is not.

I get the concept that every line item needs a budget constraint.  So, where will this money come from?  Hmmm, anyone?  Anyone have any idea?  Don’t make me say it !!! Ok. I guess I have to say it….. how about taking it out of the budget for FOREIGN AID????!!!!  That’s right, the countries and citizens of those countries who have never contributed anything to American society except for mentions on a line item budget in the foreign aid category.

FEMA should not be running out of money.  Foreign aid needs to be running out of money.

And, here comes Hurricane Irma.  Oh, but don’t worry, all those countries receiving our foreign aid are just lining up to help us in our time of need.  NOT.

 

Watching the Conservative Hypocrites in Texas This Weekend

Hurricane Harvey, a category III hurricane, is about to slam into south eastern Texas.  It’s more severe than any Texans thought it would be.  Harvey will then stall for several days and this will lead to catastrophic flooding in parts of Texas.

Having lived on Long Island for 41 years, I know how scary and dangerous this is going to be.  My heart goes out to the few who may lose their lives and to the many will be suffering catastrophic personal property and real property losses.

I recall that Texas has hundreds of thousands if not millions ulta right wing conservatives who don’t believe in social welfare.  They refer to those benefits as entitlements and they are against them because their hard earned tax dollars go to support those less fortunate.

So, I expect that not one of these people will be asking for nor accepting a penny of financial aid the federal government will ultimately release so they can rebuild their lives.

Oh, but wait, they say.  This is different.

Indeed, the only difference is before you didn’t want your tax dollars going to help anyone else.  Now, it’s ok because its everyone else’s tax dollars going to help you.

 

Please Don’t Prosecute

While we’ve all been distracted by the recent Trump ravings and white suprematist rallies, we’ve forgotten about the “Russia thing”. But, Robert Muller hasn’t and he is forging ahead.

If he has enough evidence against Trump senior, which, frankly, I don’t think he ever will, he should provide that to Congress and the Senate to initiate articles of impeachment. (I admit, I have no idea how that goes down.) Trump can’t pardon himself from impeachment.

But, he can pardon his son if charges are brought and he is tried and convicted.

So, when enough evidence is gathered to charge Junior PLEASE don’t do it until 12:06pm of the next swearing in ceremony.

THE BARRY BLISS QUESTIONNAIRE

I just read Barry Bliss’ 42 questions for Liberals.  He points out Liberals “said” nothing when Obama did this and Obama did that.  I agree with his thought process regarding silence from the Liberal side when the prior administrations actions seemed questionable.  However, some of the allegations made are irrelevant – Obama gave 47 jobs to campaign fundraisers.  So what, that’s what campaigns do, even our fellow Republicans?  Some of the allegations are outright false like alleging the George Soros paid protestors to burn Ferguson, Missouri.

Again, I agree with his thought process regarding silence from those in the majority when their administration is clearly “in the wrong”.

And THAT’S where his argument falls apart.

Current REPUBLICAN majority members are either remaining silent or outright supporting some of the policies and insane things the current head of the administration is making.  To suggest that it is alright to do so because members of past administrations did so is one of the classic fallacies of logic.  That is, an argument that provides NO support for your position.  For example, “Joe Blow, did you shot that man for no reason?”, “Yeah, but that guy in Chicago killed someone for no reason too”.  So what, what the hell does one persons actions have to do with yours?  Are you thinking it’s alright to commit a crime because someone else did?

Tu quoque, or you too, is an argument made by those who have no reasonable explanation for their actions and is more commonly used to deflect blame to another party.  I note some of my fellow Republicans are always quick to lash out in advisement to remember Liberals “lost” the election and should get over it, stop being cry babies, and move on.  Hmmm, first: Liberals didn’t lose anything, Hillary did.  And, Trump LOST the popular vote, but I digress; second: then how come every justification for Trump’s unstable actions and rants starts off with, “Well, Hillary did this” or “Well, Obama did that”.  It seems it is us Republicans who can’t let go of the past.

Now, let’s get back to Mr. Bliss’ questionnaire.  Every single one of his 47 questions can be answered as follows: “What does this have to do with Trump?”    

What do any of your questions have to do with the unprofessional, unstatesmanlike, immature, incompetent, unstable actions and comments Trump makes everyday?  Nothing.  And, that’s why your questionnaire is a waste of time bullshit.

 

Facebook Venting?? Talk about “cry babies”…..

I’ve been seeing a lot of posts about “venting” and “not being ashamed” so in response to those who “offer no apology” for supporting him. I’m gonna vent too.

I’ve also lived during the same presidential time periods you mentioned.  But, none of us, including you, can remember anything through from the early 60s to the Nixon Administration and I doubt you have any recollections of political happenings until, maybe, Clinton.  So knock off your bullshit.

Although presidents are scrutinized all the time, the reason why you’ve never “seen or heard” of anything like this before is BECAUSE of what comes out his mouth.  It is he who humiliates members of the public and the press; it is he who threatens to hurt people – well, that might be too strong, but he does use language and phrases encouraging violence against those who speak out against him; and stop crying for his “children”.  His “children” are adults and part of his administration.  One of them is a traitor who tried to collude with our enemies and outright sought their “information” on the other candidate.

Don’t be ashamed of your fellow countryman, be ashamed of the man who has no ethics, no manners, no semblance of statesmanship, no credentials nor ability to lead our nation.  Be ashamed of the boldness and uneducated comments you make in his support.  Be ashamed of your outright disregard and lack of recognition of the TRUTH.  Be ashamed of your “interpretations” of what he says – oh, he was only kidding; oh, what he says in public isn’t how he really feels – no, he means what he says.

I find it hypocritical for you to criticize members of the media for lying (Side note, those who do should be fired.  Someone should start a fake news section and have these trouble makers listed one by one.) when your guy outright lies almost everyday, and gets caught doing it.

If it is your contention that every other president wasn’t on the news 24/7 then you simply fail to realize your guy gives the press and comedians material every day.  He is on social media everyday.  Hey, I’ve got an idea – stop your foolish Twitter posting and get to running the country.

He has no filters, he has an inability to ignore the petty, almost childish arguments he gets himself into.  He has a shockingly high level of immaturity.

He is disrespected because he is disrespectful.  His administration is a joke and people  from other countries outright laugh at us when we visit their country.  I was just in Canada and someone actually laughed when I said where I was from.

You say enough is enough, I agree -enough is enough. He needs to be removed from office due to his incompetence and unstableness. Hopefully the 25th Amendment will relieve this country of the danger this man puts us in every day.

You People Just Need to Get Over It – You Lost !!!!!

“You people just need to get over it – you lost!!!!”  That seems to be the anthem of the Neo-Nazis, alt-right, KKK, rebel flag waving wannabes.  What they don’t seem to realize is that  I didn’t lose anything.  Maybe the person running in the election lost, but I have nothing to do with that.  I wasn’t “on the team”.

And, the hilarious thing is, it is THEY, who have to get over it.  Not only did they lose, we kicked their ass.  First in the mid 1860’s and then in the mid 1940s.  Joe Blow Americans drew a line, took a stand, and said, “We’re going to stop you”, and we did.  Complete, unconditional surrender was secured from the white supremacy clowns and Nazis in real wars !!!!

Now I can just barely, and I’d have to choke on it, understand the rebel South’s gonna do it again attitude.  Maybe someone’s great grand father fought in the Civil War and served with distinction, but I don’t know of one single person remotely related to a WWII vet who support the Neo-Nazi bozos.

At the end of day, there is a huge difference between the populations held under suppression in the 1860s and 1930s – 1940s – today we have a well armed opponent (the American population who participate in their 2nd Amendment Rights) who will stand up to the alt-Right, KKK, Neo-Nazis violent ways and meet them head on in the street.

Unfortunately, there are signs that the leader of the current administration revels in internal discourse under the belief that infighting, back stabbing, and only the strongest survive creates a strong business.  But, that doesn’t work in real life.  All it will do is create a civil war.  And, it won’t be a matter of only strongest survive.  It will be an open invitation for all of our enemies to walk right in and start cutting up pieces of the American Pie.

 

 

Core Support Gets Their Ass Kicked

Fascists were able to take over their countries through violence, think Italy and Germany in the 1930s and early 1940s, because no one stood up to them.

Yesterday, our fellow citizens, took to the streets and took the threatening violence head on.

Trumps core support of unemployed, uneducated, ultranationalist bigots went on a march with the full intention of starting a physical confrontation. They had helmets, riot shields, clubs, bats, pepper spray and varied signs (also used as weapons) with slogans displaying their ignorant hatred. But the rest of the population didn't run and hide nor cower.

It is sad and embarrassing for this country to have to stoop down to the level of might is right. But I bet it pleases Trump to see his country gearing towards a civil war. It probably pleases our enemies even more to see our country getting weaker and weaker every day under Trump's lack of leadership skills and his desire to always have people fighting against one another.

And at the end of the day the core of uneducated bigots came looking for a fight, found one, and got their asses kicked.

Gary Cohen, Gary Cohen – Why Is That Name So Familiar

Recently, the new administration took aggressive steps to roll back Dodd Frank – legislation meant to protect consumers from aggressive banking practices.  Not being any expert, at all, on Dodd Frank I did figure out one thing – part of it mandated the retention of certain level of funds to protect the bank from going under, and from us losing all of our savings.  I did note that it appears this regulation wasn’t really good for anything other than another banking calamity.

Let’s look back to the banking / real estate collapse of 2008.  Here we have people lying to get loans; underwriters on commission playing loose with the rules; bankers who would take any loan and then sell it off, and bank regulators who turned a blind eye to it all.

Goldman Sachs, a main player in this mess, made a huge fortune.  Then, bang they were about to go out of business.  What??  One of the world’s largest banking institutions soon to be defunct.

Oh no, no, no says the government.  We can’t let a cornerstone of our financial industry go down (why not, I ask).  So, let’s give them 10 billion of tax payers hard earned money to bail them out.  You know, when you have to work two jobs just to pay that mortgage and still have your taxes paying it too.

Gary Cohen, the head of Goldman at the time, would make roughly $9.1 million in compensation.  That’s right, your tax dollars used to save this “institution” and give him a nice little bonus.

Fast forward to last week.  Trump beaming with his new National Economic Counsel advisor.  And rather than bolstering Dodd Frank to support weaknesses in the regulation, he dismantles it and leaves us all exposed to another 2008.

And smiling behind him is that new National Economic Counsel advisor – Gary Cohen.

So, Let’s Think This Through (Vouchers and the New Secretary of Education)

Our new secretary is all about vouchers and charter schools. Her argument is lower income families will benefit by bringing their tax dollars with them to a school of their choice. 

My counter argument / thought: (all figures made up for this example) let’s say my real estate taxes include school funding at $3,000 per year for my district. Let’s also assume real estate taxes at another district are $1,500. Why am I being punished by having to pay $1,500 more for the same service?  

Potential solution: the tax carrying student has to pay $1,500 out of pocket to attend a school in my district. 

Is that what the voucher is?  The missing $1,500 that comes out of my general taxes?  So, I get double taxed??  How is that fair?

And now, charter schools. Again, all numbers made up. Let’s say my district calculates it costs $10,000 per year to educate a single student. If charter schools, FOR PROFIT entities, are going to educate that same student, how are they going to do it for less?  The only way is to slash and I mean slash expenses. Our new secretary already admits she was unfamiliar with federal regulations regarding special education.  What programs, classes, accommodations etc are going to be slashed?  What poor teacher is going to have to work at a cut rate salary with limited benefits because of these slashed expense initiatives?  There is no counter argument – unless the parents are paying costs and fees to make up the amounts between the $10,000 and the slashed budget, that child is not being properly educated. But don’t worry, the corporate owners and paid chronie board member friends will make out just fine. 

But wait, isn’t that what these super rich, company empire owners want??? – an uneducated work force that ends up being indentured servants!!!

Let’s not go around saying we have the best education system in the world. We don’t. And I’ll be happy to debate anyone who says different. 

Hmm, Just Like You and Me

I live in Arizona. I am one of the most viral anti-illegal immigration people you will ever meet. HOWEVER, here is my personal experience regarding encounters and observations of this populace:
1. I never see them sitting on a traffic corner begging for money. I see them standing in home improvement parking lots seeking out work.
2. I see them take their entire family to church on Sundays. Very family and religiously oriented.
3. They are profoundly respectful.
4. They can take a joke – i.e. when you try to speak Spanish and end up offering them “squid salad on the roof of my dog’s head”.
5. I never see one guy working while five others stand around leaning on their shovels. They work their ass off.
6. They, like MY ancestors before them, take lower skilled, perhaps even, menial jobs to support their families.
7. They absolutely help our economy. After all, who can you get to cut down a tree, break it up, and haul it away for $100 bucks. They just saved you $400 bucks and now you can buy groceries and gas for another week, maybe two.
8. Finally, they’re actually very nice people just trying to make it through another day. Hmmm, sort of like you and me.
Here is my solution to the illegal immigration / illegal “staying here” situation. Like everything else in our society money talks. Let them pay a fee to get EXPEDITED green cards or citizenship. I don’t know what that fee should be. People will argue they are too poor to pay a fee. Well, 1. let’s make the fee reasonable and 2. if they are willing to pay some piece of shit mule thousands of dollars, they can afford our fee and cross the border safely rather then 120 degrees in the desert. Finally, a path to citizenship makes them tax payers, contributors to our society, loyal to our country and based on my observations above: brings back a strong work ethic, strong family ties, nice neighbors.
Just a thought.