Washington Speak!

"So once again we find ourselves in 'kick the can down the street' land. The Wall will not be funded, and the government will limp along on continuing resolutions. Just the kind of crap we all hate - especially Donald Trump." 

It you listen very closely, some very typical Washington Speak slipped out yesterday. It was uttered by one of the best purveyor of Washington Speak himself - Senate Leader Mitch McConnell. It had to do with the subject of funding for the Wall. Mitch said, "Don't worry, we are not going to shut the government down. We will address the Wall funding at the same time we address the DHS funding, and we hope to have that done before the election."

There it was. Subtle, but there. The Washington Speak was simply this - we ain't going to have the GFY 19 budget done by October 1st, so it looks like another CR is in the offing. How do I know? If the DHS funding is not going to be done until the election (early November), the current budget runs out at 11:59 pm on September 30th. If my memory serves me correctly, the President also said he would NEVER, EVER sign another CR to keep the government open.

This fall is going to be very interesting to say the least. Not only are we going to have a midterm which could have seismic consequences, we are also going to be without a finished budget on October 1st. The concern by the establishment Republicans is simply this - if we shut down the government right before the election, it could morph the "Red Tsunami" into the "Blue Wave". 

Without knowing the President, I do know enough about him that this issue drives him nuts. A five week vacation for the House? Are you kidding me (he must be thinking)? Then when the House returns to work after Labor Day (all tanned and rested), they have only a handful of days until the current year's budget runs out. I know the Senate Leader is keeping the Senate in session for most of the summer, but the real action right now is in the House. The only advantage of having the Senate in session, is it ups the chances of an early confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh.

So once again we find ourselves in "kick the can down the street" land. The Wall will not be funded, and the government will limp along on continuing resolutions. Just the kind of crap we all hate - especially Donald Trump. 

As much as the President respects our Democratic process, I do think he would like to be King for one day, and one day only. Why? As King, he could utter those two words he often used while on The Apprentice - "YOU'RE FIRED!" 

Medicare for all!

"In any event, it will be interesting to see how this plays out. I am chomping at the bit to hear the details from the socialists on how to pay for single payer. Stay tuned folks - this show is about to get real good, real fast."

Like the sound of that? I sure would if I were stuck in a ObamaCare exchange with $1,400 monthly premiums, an $8,000 family deductible, and co-pays. What a back breaker! So the socialist faction of the Democratic Party has come up with a whopper of a solution - Medicare for every citizen. Heck, why should just the old farts get Medicare? Expect as we get closer to November, to hear that clarion call - over and over and over again.

Okay Bird - you stingy old man! What is wrong with Medicare for all? Well, money for one. Like (and I really hate to bring this one up), who is going to pay for it? Right now, Medicare is on pins and needles. The plan which FDR thought would be a springboard for something much better in fifty years, has turned out to be a lemon. And it is going broke at breakneck speed.

How broke? Like 2026 it will be out of money. Not totally, but more money will be going out than coming in. Then every year it will get worse. Did I mention that 2026 is only 7 1/2 years away? Now if (as an example), we threw millions of more of folks on the Medicare roles in 2019, I wonder what the new date would be? 2020? Maybe even 2019.

Folks on Social Security should not feel that smug. Even though in better shape, Social Security only has eight more years of life beyond what Medicare has. In other words, in 2034, the party is over. And that party could end quicker if the "universal income" folks get their way. I can see it now - in addition to Medicare for all, they would want Social Security for all. 

Because I am getting up there in years, I remember stuff. This warning about Medicare and Social Security just not just happen - it has been going on for decades. "Some day, we are going to run out of money, and then there will be trouble". Yes, yes. Been hearing that for years. Well guess what? That some day is just a bit beyond than tomorrow. 

The timing for these socialist nitwits could not be better. "Medicare for all!" the same time the Government is shouting "Medicare going broke!" However some socialists, like that gal from New York who just won her primary, have rock solid solutions - defund the military and tax the rich. Make the rich pay their fair share. 

Fair share? Just to get this straight, according to Market Watch, the bottom 45% of income earners pay $0 federal income tax, and the top 1% pay almost half (according to CNBC). I guess I agree with the socialists. Everyone should pay their fair share. When I look at those stats, they certainly are NOT fair. Everyone paying 10% (as an example) would be fair. Or better yet, a Fair Tax (consumption tax).

In any event, it will be interesting to see how this plays out. I am chomping at the bit to hear the details from the socialists on how to pay for single payer. Stay tuned folks - this show is about to get real good, real fast.

The Bear, the Dragon, and the Eagle

"My bet is in on a contest between the Bear, the Dragon and the Eagle - it has always been on the Eagle - and always will be."

I guess the old Sino-Soviet block must be stocking up on Viagra, as they are now ready to "strut their stuff". What kind of stuff? Like I had mentioned many times before, when Barack Obama put America in a trance (during his eight years), China and Russia went to town. With no "sheriff" in town, holy smokes, did they develop and build some nice stuff. How nice? Nice enough to "strut their stuff", once again.

Recently, the Cold War was relived when Putin on a parade of his most modern and lethal weaponry on Red Square. In particular, Putin wanted to show off his brand new "hyper-sonic" missile. The one which could hit you had the chance to could say, "I surrender!". There were other goodies also, but the star of the show was Putin's hyper-sonic weapons.

Then the Red Dragon said, "Hold on! Wait until you see what I have!" Like what, one might ask? Aircraft carriers! Big ones! Okay - maybe only one. And it is not to be commissioned until 2020. Once that is commissioned however, the total number of carriers between Russia and China will be - 2. The number of carriers of all types the United States will have have, will be  - 20.

How important is our military to our current President? He will put our spending in the deep red if he has to. By the end of his second term, it would not surprise me to see an operational rail run (on ships) and laser or particle beam weapons on aircraft as well as shore side.

As a former VLS contractor, I can tell you this with certainty - don't underestimate our fleet. They are protected from below the wave tops to the azimuth. And each month, each year, that protection grows even tighter. Soon, with Space Force, the azimuth will get a whole lot higher.

The brand new USS Gerald R. Ford will replace the new USS Enterprise - but not for long. For you Trekkie fans, the Enterprise is coming back. Not tomorrow, but soon after. The CVN - 80, will be ready for duty in the middle of the next decade. And that will be the USS Enterprise. However before then, will be the John F. Kennedy. All three of the new Ford Class will be lethal and almost invincible. 

So Russia? China? Do you want to see who has "little hands"? It ain't us. Regardless of what Obama did to our military, we are back, and back big time. My bet on a contest between the Bear, the Dragon and the Eagle - it has always been on the Eagle - and always will be.

  

When will it ever stop???

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"Well phooey! So much for the once revered Fourth Estate. To me that name means nothing anymore."

I was going start out this article by telling you all how SICK TO DEATH I am about hearing some facets of the so called "media" go on and on and on. Every day they blather about how this President did something wrong enough to get him kicked out of office. I am ready to pull what little hair I have remaining out of my head!

I swear, this is the tale of two realities. One reality, which is nothing more than a false narrative, has this cheating, lying SOB in bed with Russia's Putin. Together they "stole" the election from the heir apparent, Hillary. And for that, the Left will NEVER forgive him nor leave him alone.

The other reality, is real. It is about a President, a business man, an outsider to Washington, who from the beginning, sensed what is broken. From the time he took his hand off the Bible, he hit the ground running. Like a fireman who runs into a fire to save the day, Donald Trump ran into the Washington swamp. This 72 year old man, is out working, out performing, out doing, most of the entire Washington establishment combined. And not just working, producing tangible results. Stuff is getting done. Important stuff.

I have said this before. If the economy has been this robust under Obama, if Obama had gone to North Korea and struck a historic deal to get them to get rid of their nukes, if the United States became an energy exporter under Obama, if unemployment for minorities dropped to almost an all time low under Obama, If GDP hit 4.1 under Obama, they would be prepping Mount Rushmore for one more face. But with President Trump, not so fast. In fact, if you turn on the highly unwatchable CNN or MSNBC, all you hear is Russia, all the time. Is that ever going to STOP???

Well phooey! So much for the once revered Fourth Estate. To me that name means nothing anymore. After all, it started out in England with some nebulous underpinnings. From there, the term came to America and has gained far more credibility than it deserved. In fact, some have given it the honor of the being the paragon of truth. Ha! In reality, all this Fourth Estate has done by demonstrating its dereliction of duty, is give rise to the Fifth Estate.

Fifth Estate? What are you talking about Bird? There is no such thing. Oh, yes there is. It is the non-traditional way to get the news out. The "new media" some are calling it. You Tube, podcasting, social media (to an extent), and yes - blogging. This article you are reading right now is a part of this Fifth Estate.

I am going to finish this up with a very dire warning. And it is an answer to the question I first started with - when will it stop? It will stop in a civil war. I am convinced that if the Democrats, along with the corrupt media, are successful in driving this President out of office, after all the good things he has done for this country, all hell is going to break loose. 

The citizens and the patriots will not stand for that kind of travesty of justice. THAT will for sure be the match which starts the nation on fire. And after the fire stops burning, all the media need to do is look in the mirror to see the cause.

  

Giving away our seed corn

"Any cyber expert will tell you the attacks are getting more frequent and much more sophisticated. Whether it is your personal information at home, or company information you are tasked to protect, you cannot be too cautious." 

Interesting article this morning about how this country continues to hemorrhage our national treasure due to intellectual property theft. And how does that happen? For starters, blame the ubiquitous "cloud". Okay - maybe that is too harsh. Cloud computing and storage have not been around forever. But intellectual theft sure has. Which begs the question, what is intellectual theft, anyhow?

Back in my working days, one of the things I was tasked with besides negotiating and administering contracts, was the control of the company's intellectual property. Not all of it, just what was within my purview. In fact, while at my last two companies, I was also asked to give intellectual training to organizations we were dealing with. Ones we traded, under the aegis of a proprietary information exchange agreement, certain trade secrets with.

When I first received my intellectual training from the corporate attorney at the company I worked at in the 1980's, his definition of intellectual property was very clean and easy. He said there are two types of markings which should denote the distribution on any piece of company correspondence. "Company (the name of your company) Confidential", for all information which needs to "stay inside the tent". In other words, in no way should that information ever get outside the company confines unless protected by an iron clad information exchange agreement.

An ever more restrictive marking is "Company (the name of your company) Restricted". That document should NEVER go outside the company tent. Ever. And the "restricted" is for only a finite set of names.

Back to the theft of our intellectual property. Once a design is complete on some new product, the drawings (usually down to level 3) are stored electronically. All the product development costs which went into those drawings are now at risk. What I can't understand is this - in this day of state of the art encryption and decryption, why we can not get "military type" encryption to protect this information.

However, even the best encryption cannot defeat sloppy handling of information. If does take much - only one misstep and the most valuable of information can end up "in the wind". And once it is "in the wind", you must assume it has been compromised.

Any cyber expert will tell you the attacks are getting more frequent and much more sophisticated. Whether it is your personal information at home, or company information you are tasked to protect, you cannot be too cautious. As much as I hate to say it, the bad guys are out there, and their numbers are growing. Where do they hide? Either in plain sight, on cyber farms, or in the dark web. Have a care folks, have a care. 

How I hate thee? Let me count the ways...

"Where do we go from here? I have no clue. I do know this. Most of us right now feel like we need a shower every night, even though we took one in the morning."

Many of us remember from our school days, learning the very famous Sonnet 43 by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, How do I love thee? Actually, most remember it by the first two sentences of that sonnet, How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. It was a gushy and heartfelt poem, penned during the Victorian Era. In high school, if you really wanted to impress and or woo your date, you just needed to quote a bit of Sonnet 43 to her.

Today however, is a different story. Love seems to be in short supply, forgiveness is unavailable, and compromise is the longest four letter word in our lexicon. We have forgotten all the teachings we had in confirmation on how bad "hate" is, and now freely throw that word around with great abandon. 

How did we get from Sonnet 43 to the visceral hatred which comes out of the mouths of Maxine Waters, Alex Jones, and "Whoops" Goldberg? When my girls were growing up, I would frequently counsel them on escalation. Never let an discussion turn into an argument and then escalate from there. Once the escalation starts, it is almost impossible to de-escalate without damage being done to a relationship. Today however, it is who can yell the loudest. Who and swear and use the most foul of language. Who can hate with abandon, and feel good about it afterwards. 

This is not just Red vs. Blue issue. Oh no. It was at one time, but we passed that marker miles ago. Now it is hatred within the same political party. I have seen it. I have felt it. And it does not feel good. To make matters worse, nobody seems to know what to do about it. Except hate even deeper.

I really did not think our country could be more divided after Obama. I really didn't. I thought we were at the bottom of the well. But the hatred I see towards this President (and many who support him), is an order of magnitude more than anyone who hated on Obama and his minions. I just read the other day, that people are taking their Trump bumper stickers off their cars. Why? They don't want to get "keyed". So much for the First Amendment.

Our goal right now, is to make life as uncomfortable as possible for our fellow citizens. Harass them at work, drive them out of restaurants, swear at them in public, hassle their kids, damage their property, try to get them fired from their jobs, and so on. This is how our political disagreements have escalated. Turning the other cheek has morphed into hitting them back even harder.

Where do we go from here? I have no clue. I do know this. Most of us right now feel like we need a shower every night, even though we took one in the morning. We can only be exposed to so much hatred every day, before we can feel the stench of it all over ourselves. Sadly, even a shower does not help us feel any better.     

Water World

"I say this to our Administration - looking for infrastructure projects? Forget mass transit, and focus on water. The payoff in the future will be tremendous, and unlike the LRT, water will not become obsolete in a few years."    

Years ago there was a movie out called Water World. It was some nonsense about our planet being flooded with water with very little land remaining. Lots of fights and battles between good guys and bad guys on open water. Like I said - nonsense. But we do really live on a water world. More water than one could shake a stick at. We have 333 million cubic miles of water, comprising 71% of the Earth's surface.

So what is happening out west right now? Out there, it seems that water has become as precious as gold. Just heard on the news this morning that Yosemite National Park was closed due to the wildfires. California now has a large wildfire (one of many) which is the largest in state's history. Colorado is having its third biggest fire in state history, and because it is still burning, could grow into the second or the first.

I have said this in the past, so now I will say it again in common man's vernacular. We suck at water management. We really do. An average thunderstorm in Minnesota can easily produce an inch of rain. That equals over 17 million gallons of water every square mile. Some goes into the ground to hydrate crops, plants and trees. Some continues further into the ground to replenish ground water. And some ends up in run-off. The run-off, is where we are missing a valuable chance to reclaim and redirect fresh water.

Sure we can always build plants to desalinate ocean water. Although pricey, we have the shoreline and the technology to do it. However with runoff water, it is already fresh. Not potable, but fresh. The technology challenge we have then, is how to get excess runoff from the Midwest and east, and pump it out west. 

I have been reading up on the proposed Mars missions. Their biggest challenge? Water. Can't bring much with, as water weighs over 8 pounds a gallon. So every drop on board the space craft is like precious metal. Yes, even urine. Every drop is precious.

Why bring up Mars? Back on Earth, we are terrible at water management. We waste water - good water, for the strangest of reasons. My hope is that in the 21st century, we can fix this vexing problem. We could get the desert southwest to bloom in green from water abundant, regardless of what the weather does. With the climate hoax folks thinking the sea levels are going to rise, running out of sea water to convert to fresh water will never happen. 

I love traveling out west. I believe it is a jewel of this country. When I was in the working world, I traveled out east due to necessity. I traveled out west due to desire. I hate to see our great western lands suffer under this water shortage. Our remaining wild stallions are also at risk. 

I say this to our Administration - looking for infrastructure projects? Forget mass transit, and focus on water. The payoff in the future will be tremendous, and unlike the LRT, water will not become obsolete in a few years.    

Fair trade, fair tax, fair deal...

"Because he can walk, chew gum, and a few other things at the same time, he is going to work on trade, get ready for Putin, keep the pressure on Iran, and make sure the North Korea deal stays on track. Oh yes - he will still have time for a round or two of golf this weekend." 

It seems the EU is coming over to see the Yanks. Why? To straighten out this trade mess. BTW - Donald Trump is SPOT ON when it comes to our trade with the EU. It sucks. It is anything but fair. In fact, when I started reading about some of the disparities, I was shocked it ever got to such a place. But it did, and our current President does not like it. "Fair trade or no trade" seems to be the new clarion call. 

Nobody seems to be capable of explaining why we have a 2 1/2% tariff on cars coming in from the EU, and they slap a 10% tariff on our cars going over there. However, our President does his homework, and is no patsy. He would love for the EU to agree there should be no tariffs on any car from either side. But if they refuse and want to keep the tariffs where they are, Trump has suggested he might ratchet our tariffs up on their cars by a factor of 8. Then while they put a 10% tariff on our cars, we will put a 20% tariff on theirs. 

Stay tuned. We are going to see this dance done over and over and over again. Mexico, Canada, China and others. Donald Trump is in his element. Honest people will agree with our President. We have allowed our trade imbalance to become obscene. He promised the American people when he was a candidate he would fix it, and fix it he will. 

As much as I would love to have President Trump get our screwed up trade imbalance squared away, I would love more for him to really put a fork in our criminal tax system. Wait a minute Bird! Have you been asleep at the switch? President Trump just gave us a huge tax cut! Yes he did, and I am thankful. But our tax system still is not fair. Way, way too many people pay nothing, and only a few at the top pay most of it. We need a fair tax - not a flat tax, a fair tax.

Why fair instead of an income tax? First off, we can take the politically driven IRS and put it out to pasture. Done, gone, finished. All our revenue would come from consumption. Everyone pays the same. If there is a 10% tax on a loaf of bread, everyone would pay that 10%. That is fair. No games, no deductions, no cheating, just a consumption tax.

Some think that both balanced trade and a fair tax might be a bridge too far for America. Maybe we will never get there - or maybe we will almost get there. I do know this. For the first time in a long time, we have a visionary - not a dreamer, but a visionary, leading our country. Walter Middy was a dreamer. That is all he ever did. Visionaries however, give us results. 

As the Democrats and the media keep nipping at the President's heels, he just continues to perform. And because he can walk, chew gum, and a few other things at the same time, he is going to work on trade, get ready for Putin, keep the pressure on Iran, and make sure the North Korea deal stays on track. Oh yes - he will still have time for a round or two of golf this weekend. 

F-35 at the White House?

"Thank you once again President Trump, for putting America first. I know the headwinds have been strong against you sir, but you are on the right track. Least wise, the patriots and citizens believe so. MAGA!"  

It is no secret that Donald Trump loves airplanes. He has had his own private jet for years. It is also no secret that Donald Trump loves this nation's military. He loves the superior military equipment which is made here. One of his favorite platforms, is the F-35 Lighting which is manufactured by Lockheed Martin. Yes, it is one heck of an airplane.

Before I go much further, a few words about this magnificent airplane. It has been in service since 2015 (Marines), 2016 (Air Force), and plans to be in service this year for the Navy. The life cycle cost for the 2,663 planes to be built and maintained until 2070, is a whopping $1.5T. Do I think the F-35 will last until 2070? Heavens no! It will be replaced with a hyper-sonic, almost invisible, "no pilot required" platform. At that point in time, the F-35 will have gone from "super duper" to a relic of aviation history.

But right now in 2018, it is still "super duper". And like I said, the President loves this thing. Yesterday, the President wanted to have a "Built in America" showcase event at the White House. Why? To show off some of the wonderful things this country builds. So, he asked Lockheed Marin to bring over one of the new F-35 fighters. Why did he really do it? To blunt some of the fears that a trade war will be harmful to our country. 

Well, the F-35 looks pretty, but does it work? This year, for the first time, the F-35 saw combat. One of the our allies which bought the F-35 is Israel. The IDF has used this platform in combat and the reviews coming back from the field have been stellar. At this point in time, the F-35 has absolute air superiority. 

Getting back to the "Made in America" show from yesterday. There is nothing wrong with buying more items which are made in the USA. Many, many years ago (some oldies might remember this), when Japan started flooding our market with cars, Detroit started to feel the pain and the pinch. Bumper stickers were made which said "Buy a foreign car and help 10 Americans lose their jobs". Although mostly UAW folks who displayed that bumper sticker, some non-union folks had them also.

I don't want to sound like an isolationist, but I sure the heck am not a globalist either. I like buying American goods. Maybe a bit more pricey than buying foreign (China) goods, I have yet to be burned by poor product quality when doing so. The quality problems American manufacturing once had, have been cured by many years of Deming and ISO-9000 type training. 

Thank you once again President Trump, for putting America first. I know the headwinds have been strong against you sir, but you are on the right track. Least wise, the patriots and citizens believe so. MAGA!  

Yank that dang clearance!

"I am reminded of that old saying (if I may butcher it a bit) - 'If you plan to kill the King, make sure you don't just wound him.' Donald Trump took a minor wound from the Deep State, and now he is on the attack."

Oh boy! Did Sarah Sanders ever step in it today with the press corps during the daily briefing! The Trump Administration has the the gall, the supercilious, malicious, audacity, to threaten to pull clearances of people who no longer need them! Who no longer work for the government. I have never heard of such of thing! Oh wait - maybe I have. Like every time someone retired from the Navy (including me), their clearance went inactive. If it were never re-activated (for employment purposes usually), it would simply lapse.

Why the three stooges of Comey, Brennan and Clapper still have clearances is way beyond me. From my viewpoint, the only thing they have done with their clearances since their former boss left the White House, is hassle our President. Now if President Trump said he wanted to freeze their retirements, that would be harsh. Harsh, yet justified. But the clearance? Who gives a rat's bottom? After working for the government as well as the Deep State, their pockets are probably nicely lined. They do not need a part time gig.

Also (and this is the kill shot), when I first received my TS SCI clearance, the chief who was doing my indoctrination told me, "Getting a clearance is like getting a driver's licence. Only it is more of a privilege than getting a licence. If you abuse your driver's licence, the state will revoke it. For a clearance as high as yours, the bar is very high to keep it. Screw up even a little bit, and it will be gone." 

Bingo! Having a high level clearance (and the three stooges are a whole lot higher than mine was), is not a right, it is still a privilege. As far as I am concerned, if they these guys can get out of town with only losing their clearances, they will be lucky. 

I am reminded of that old saying (if I may butcher it a bit) - "If you plan to kill the King, make sure you don't just wound him." Donald Trump took a minor wound from the Deep State, and now he is on the attack. My opinion if I were one of these three guys? Hope and pray that President Trump stops at removing only the clearance. If you know what I mean.

Heading for a shutdown

"Since next week the five week summer vacation starts for Congress, ask your Congressman or woman when you see them on the campaign trail how the budget is coming." 

The sky is blue, the summer breezes are cool, and sweet corn has started showing up at roadside stands. Campaign season is in full swing, so everyone is either busy, having a good time, or both. What could possibly go wrong? For starters, even though it may not feel like the end of the year is approaching - it is. The government fiscal year. And the House of Representatives, which under Article One of our Constitution, plays a pivotal role in funding our government, only has 15 working days until October 1, 2018. 

Since everyone has been so busy investigating everyone else, I dare say not much has been done on our GFY 2019 budget. Well some, but a ton of work remains. Why is that so dog gone important to have this budget done? First off, it takes two to tango. President Trump has already informed Speaker Ryan (more than once) that he is DONE signing continuing resolutions (CR's). Because of that, if the President does not have a sign-able budget document on his desk by 12:01 am on October 1, 2018 - the government shuts down.

There is one more thing which needs to be addressed about this budget before the President will sign it. "The Wall" - or should I say, border security. The President had to bite his cheek last year by only getting a small portion of the needed funding. But he signed it, as it had the right amount of funding to start rebuilding our military. This time, there will be no such hammer. No border security, no signature.

One more thing worth mentioning. The Democrats knew they had the President over a barrel last time around. They threw everything into the GFY 18 funding except the kitchen sink - on second thought, that might have been included. Once again, to get the much needed military funding, Trump had to sign this bloated pig of a bill. "Never again" he said as he signed it. I truly believe he meant it.

I would like to say I am a soothsayer, but I am not. I can only tell the future of our GFY 2019 funding bill because this is so predictable. Like in the past five years, of the twelve funding bills portions needed each year, only one out of 60 has been done on time. Yes, we have seen this movie dozens of times. The bill is not done in time, a CR is prepared, then signed, and the can is kicked down the street. Wash, rinse, repeat. Only this time the President has told Congress they have used up their mulligan. Election year or not, he will shut the government down on October 1st, if he does not have a good budget.

Truthfully - if we had good governance, this budget bill would be signed, sealed and delivered by now. On October 1st, the new funding would kick in. Easy peasy. But we do not have good governance. And Congress is going to end up looking like the Keystone Cops once again.

Since next week the five week summer vacation starts for Congress, ask your Congressman or woman when you see them on the campaign trail how the budget is coming. Should be an interesting answer. They can't shift the blame - the Constitution does say the buck stops with Congress on this one. 

A trail well traveled

"One more thing before I hang this one up. Ever wonder why the Democrats are already focusing their fire on Jeff's opponent? Is it because he is expected to win? Maybe and maybe not. It might just be there is no dirt on Jeff to dig up."

Today, my wife and I were with Jeff Johnson (again) on the campaign trail. The percentage of time we have spent on the trail with Jeff and Donna Bergstrom is probably less than one percent. Donna and Jeff are all over the place, all the time. And there is a HUGE reason for it.

Jeff's competitor (who for the sake of this posting will remain nameless), loves to point out that Jeff Johnson lost two statewide elections. When Jeff hears that accusation, he does not bow his head in shame. There are two very good reasons why he lost, and he does not mind discussing them. 

In 2006, once Mike Hatch decided not run again, the Attorney General's seat was open. Well, that is not really true. Since the AG position has been held by Democrats since before I started to shave, it was somewhat of a long shot to get a Republican elected. However, Jeff has an impeccable legal resume. After he triple majored at Concordia in Moorhead, MN, he was accepted to the Georgetown Law School in Washington, DC. After that, he practiced law with some well known law firms.

But (and this is a big one), old habits are hard to break. Even though Jeff was parsecs more qualified than Lori Swanson in education and experience, she had the (D) behind her name. Jeff lost, and the Republican drought for that position goes on. Please Doug Wardlow - put and end to this drought!

Then there was the last Governor's race. After Mark Dayton, for reasons yet unknown, beat the highly respected Tom Emmer in the 2010 election, Jeff made a decision. Jeff decided (in a very crowded, and competitive field), to have a go at Mark Dayton in 2014. Jeff was better than Dayton in every metric known to man - except one. Because Dayton was a former US Senator (although a lousy one), PLUS a sitting Governor, his name recognition was state wide. Jeff's was not. Jeff did what he could to close that name recognition gap, but simply ran out of time. If the race lasted two more weeks, he might have won it. But that was the lessons learned. That would NEVER happen to him again! Lack of name recognition would never again be his demise.

Jeff's primary competitor, who really has no new news, no new platform, is relying on his name recognition (like Dayton did) to win the day on August 14th. "Not so fast, sir", saith Jeff and his team. "We know how this is played." Rather than relying on negative and false TV ads, Jeff is out MEETING the voters face to face, shaking hand by hand, and talking and listening to them. Is he talking trash about any Republican primary opponent? No - not really. I have heard him. I have been with him. He mostly talking about a better Minnesota. One which is within our grasp, should we decide to get rid of the status quo.

I don't know if Jeff likes this or not when I say this, but since it is my blog, I will say it anyhow. Jeff Johnson is a decent man. Not a weak man, a decent man. He wants decent government in Minnesota. There is SO MUCH wrong right now with how this state is run, Jeff will be like a kid in a candy store fixing the broken. Yes, there are areas which are really that broken. That is why our taxes are so high, our government so huge, medical insurance payments out of sight, and utility bills going up and up. 

NEWS FLASH: Four years or more of Jeff Johnson could change this state - forever. We have already tried eight years of his primary challenger. What did we get? More of the same. More taxes, more growth, more Met Council, more fees, and more status quo. That is Obama type of hope and change. 

One more thing before I hang this one up. Ever wonder why the Democrats are already focusing their fire on Jeff's opponent? Is it because he is expected to win? Maybe and maybe not. It might just be there is no dirt on Jeff to dig up. I can't wait to see the ads which start appearing on August 15th. The ones trying to rip Jeff to shreds. Good luck on that one. Jeff has a record he proudly stands behind. 

The "growing" problem with 2040

"Is there still hope? Is there still time? Yes, barely. Wake up from your stupor, take the red pill instead of the blue one, and vote for Jeff Johnson for Governor. One of the first things he will do is drive a knife in the heart of the Met Council." 

Today I almost wanted to rename the op/ed section in the newspaper to be the humor section. Why? It was funny. No, hilarious. It was all about Thrive 2040, that POS document the Met Council came up with to dictate how we all will live in the year 2040 and beyond. For the those who have been paying attention to this statist boondoggle (like myself), we have been all over this mess for years. For the "blue pill" (as in The Matrix) folks living in the core of Minneapolis, they are just now finding out the stark reality of this toxic document. And they don't like it - not at all.

Why was this so funny to me? First off, it won't affect me. Heather whats-her-name, who is trying to peddle this garbage to the masses, had some great lines which were quoted in the paper this morning (slightly paraphrased). "Okay - we blew it in Seattle. We blew it in Portland, And we blew it in San Francisco." Blew what, dear Heather? Oh, yes - this density thing. The "city planners" in those western blue cities, have made them all but unlivable. 

Anyone with a half a brain has seen or read about what has happened to those cities (as well as others) where density planning has gone amok. Expensive homes, unlivable neighborhoods, loss of city culture, and huge areas of homelessness. What? In today's economy, how in the world could that happen? Simple. Just let a bunch of idiot bureaucrats with almost unlimited authority (hello, Met Council), get in and tinker with the gears. The next thing you know, you have a city in deep, deep trouble. 

The town halls discussions in Minneapolis have not gone well. The city planners start off by telling folks that Minneapolis had more people living in there in 1950 than it does now. They go on to tell folks that "if we could be denser back then, we sure can in 2040". What they are not taking into consideration is things were a whole lot different back then. Things were not vertical, as the planners want to make them today. Small shops and stores were close to every neighborhood. Now planners want big vertical housing downtown, and fourplex housing in every neighborhood. "Ah, no thanks", many of the residents are saying.

Ever wonder why so many of us liberty minded patriots are so death on the Metropolitan Council? These people are a renegade bunch of un-elected, un-accountable, un-repentant statists. If this group had been elected by, and accountable to the people, citizens in Minneapolis would not have been turned into subjects. But it is not. That is why this monolith, this juggernaut, called Thrive 2040 is coming rolling down the hill. You don't like it? Suck it up buttercup! As the lovely Heather said, "This is not about you - it is about the next generation."

Note to the subjects who now helplessly reside in the once fair city of Minneapolis. You did this to yourself. You kept electing statists and greenies. And each election cycle, they became more socialist than the last. Finally you end up with this - tryanny. Freedom? Gone. Choice? Gone. Republicans or Libertarians? Long, long gone.

Is there still hope? Is there still time? Yes, barely. Wake up from your stupor, take the red bill instead of the blue one, and vote for Jeff Johnson for Governor. One of the first things Jeff has pledged to do is drive a knife in the heart of the Met Council. Or - you can keep voting for the status quo. After all, living in some cramped quarters on the 42nd story of some high rise might not be that bad after all.  

Why is it so broken?

"Right now, education in this country (especially in this state) is little more than a money trap. Sure, we are getting some kids out of high school, then out of college who are quite bright. But not nearly enough." 

I am going to start this out with a slew of statistics:

• Nationwide, 84% of all high school students graduate with a traditional diploma in four years.
• About 65% of those high school graduates go on to college.
• 60% of the kids starting college, need some kind of remedial education before college credits can be earned.
• 40% of kids starting college graduate in four years; 60% graduate in six years.
• In 2017, the average student loan incurred for a four year degree was $40,000 (public and private schools).

Okay Bird - you have now buried us in statistics. Why? What does this all mean? It means simply this. If this were a business model, the venture would never get off the ground, It would have been considered a failure from the get-go. But in Minnesota, where 1/3 of our state taxes and a bunch of our property taxes go into education, we are getting screwed. We are the shareholders, and our ROI for education is simple terrible.

At the local Big 10 University which is located in Minneapolis, how is this problem being addressed? To start with, the administration at the University is all tied up in knots trying to figure out who are boys, who are girls, who are both, who are neither. Some might scoff at this this and think it is just blog humor, but sadly, it is true. It is PC run amok instead of worrying about education the youth.

Let me come with this premise. I like many of us, have worked with some sharp folks. I have also worked with my share of educated idiots. To become an educated idiot, it all starts in our failed government school system. It is the same old, same old, every year. The fact that 60% of the kids who manage to graduate STILL need remedial classes in college, should be a bell ringer. Plus the fact that a kid can graduate from college, tens of thousands of dollars in debt, and STILL not know much, should be a louder bell ringer.

Now I am not an educator. I am a retired business guy. I do know how to read stats. I do know good stats from bad stats. And these are bad stats. Most astute CEO's, seeing metrics like these in his or her organization, who do an immediate reclama. In other words, stop what you are doing, get out of the ditch, and find a better way.

Right now, education in this country (especially in this state) is little more than a money trap. Sure, we are getting some kids out of high school, then out of college who are quite bright. But not nearly enough. The rest are left to wander, living their lives, carrying a huge a debt on their backs. The taxpayers? They are left with less money for their families, as this broken education system continues to limp along.

It is sad that in 2018, we are still so stymied by this failed system. It really should not be that hard to fix. If we could get rid of the NEA and Education Minnesota, that would be a great start.Turning Minnesota red would be the next step. We can fix it now, or wait four more years when it is a whole lot harder to fix. The choice is ours. 

The worst job in the world

"The hate towards candidates or elected officials is deep, wide and thick. Oh yes, the haters have to hate.  I have seen the best of people accused of doing the worst of things. Some true, mostly false. Not just in private - in public."

I have a confession to make. During the past five years, I have been asked about as many times to run for some kind of office. Was I tempted? A bit. Never been on my bucket list, but it is never too late to add something. But each time, I declined. Why? I have a few skeletons in my closet, but not too many. It is mostly the hate which would be engendered by the other side. My wife is sort of okay with what I do now in politics, but if the hate barbs started coming into the family, that event would be over, and now. 

The hate towards candidates or elected officials is deep, wide and thick. Oh yes, the haters have to hate.  I have seen the best of people accused of doing the worst of things. Some true, mostly false. Not just in private - in public. The hate would become very visible, where the candidates or family could see it. Also, where friends or co-workers could see it. Even if you were as close to a saint as Mitt Romney was - it will not save you.

Remember the narrative the Left had on Mitt? He had "folders full of women" (for employment interview purposes only). That common management practice got Mitt the instant reputation of being a sexist and a misogynist.

Here is my question. How as a conservative, do you run a decent campaign without getting  harpooned by the Left and the media? Without getting your family harpooned? Simple answer - you don't.

To be fair, I need to ask this next question. How does a progressive, who follows the Constitution, keep from being harpooned from the Right? Hint: It would never happen. It would only happen to a progressive who did NOT follow the Constitution. And it would not be a "harpooning" - it would be a condemnation of policy.

But we are where we are. I ask each and every person who is aspiring to help his or her community, state, or great country, if they know what they are getting into. In some respects, it is the greatest job in the world. In others - the worst. This is not new. Back in the beginning, Thomas Jefferson said to John Adams, "Politics is a subject I never loved, and now hate." It should not have to come to that, but it does.

If you have never worked on a campaign, put it on your bucket list. It will give you a chance to see the tireless work most candidates go through. The physical and mental stamina required is simply off the charts. It is hard on the family, friends, employer and so forth. Then why do people do it? Simply put - to serve. No matter at what level of government. 

For those out there on the campaign trail, and for those who are serving - many in the community say "thank you". You are aspiring to what should be one of the best jobs in the world, but now can be one of the worst. Good luck, and God's speed.

Laying on the tracks, waiting for the next train to come...

"We control the future. We control the outcome. If we win, things will be like never before. However, if we lose, we might as well be laying on the tracks, waiting for the next train to come..."

I have already painted a picture of what Minnesota would look like with Jeff Johnson as Governor, Donna Bergstrom as Lt Governor, Doug Wardlow as AG, John Howe as SOS, and Pam Myhra as State Auditor. The state would run like never before. And with the addition of Pete Stauber, Jim Hagedorn, and Dave Hughes in Congress as well as Jim Newberger and Karin Housley in the Senate, our Washington representation will go from good to excellent!

Today however, I am going to be Dr. Storm Cloud once again, and lay out the other end of the spectrum. How this state would be without this dream team. Putting it succinctly, it would be the beginning of the end.

Picture the Erin and Erin team at Governor and Lt. Governor. Their number one priority would be to "fix" our unfair tax system. Raise the rates on the wealthiest to allow more lower income people to go un-taxed. They would make us a sanctuary state. They would advocate open borders. Then they would be after our already numerous gun laws. The gun grabbers in the state would be in their glory as our slippery slope of losing gun rights would suddenly become very steep. Soon, we would have the same gun rights as citizens of Chicago. That would be none at all. 

To help with all the above, Attorney General Keith Ellison would be in his glory. He would have every lawyer in the AG office filing suits against every part of the Trump Administration, as well as every large company in Minnesota. Minnesota would quickly be known as the most business unfriendly state in the Midwest (yes - worse than it is now!). Between the additional taxes and increased regulations, it would be a foot race to see who could get out of this state faster - seniors or business owners.

Let's us not forget our Congressmen and women. With Ellison leaving CD 5, it clears the path to elect the even nuttier Ilhan Omar. She would get along very well with the other new female freshman from Minnesota - Angie Craig. I think we could all imagine what the agenda would be like. Especially working with our newly re-elected Senators, Amy and Tina, To say this would be a nightmare scenario in Washington, would be a vast understatement.

This is a future for Minnesota none of us want. Yet, it is indeed possible. The Lefties are energized to "right the wrongs" which happened in 2016. The lap dog media will be more than willing to help make this worst case scenario happen. Is there anything which can be done to avoid it?

VOTE! INFORM! DONATE! HELP! Taking a pass on this election would be ceding this state to the Toxic Blue Tide. It would kill the state. Vote for ALL endorsed candidates on August 14th and then vote again for ALL our endorsed candidates in the general election. We have the chance to make Minnesota great again. Or, we can be spectators and watch it dissolve into progressive misery.

We control the future. We control the outcome. If we win, things will be like never before. We can be a mecca for business and seniors. However, if we lose, we might as well be laying on the tracks, waiting for the next train to come...

How is your Social Security doing?

"Tick, tick tick goes the clock. We have sixteen short years until things in the Social Security fund get real bad, real fast." 

How is the biggest Ponzi scheme in the world going right now? Oh, you must mean Social Security. The program, NONE of us had the choice to get into or not. Then for our entire working lives, we (if we worked for someone) and our employers kicked in 12.4% of our wages up to a limit of $118,500. This flow of money would sustain us in a rich and relaxing retirement. Except this is not true. This was a false narrative.

This year the fund is paying out more than it is taking in. That trend is expected to continue. If Congress does nothing on this issue (and they have been very good at that for decades), the fund will run out of money by 2034. Totally broke? No - but broke enough to cause a cut in benefits. 

So, what do we do? What can Congress do? First off, Congress can do plenty, if they have the courage. First off, be truthful. This wonderful program created by FDR is flawed. It always has been. If we had a ton more workers kicking in to the fund than receiving benefits, we would not have a problem. But we now have a ton more receiving benefits than kicking in. The fund is like Lake Meade in the middle of this historic drought. Every year, the lake level gets a bit lower.

The next thing I would do is take the cap off of earnings. While working, you continue to pay in no matter how much you make. I know, I know. That is not fair. It gets worse, and here comes the tough part. If you are under age 40, rather than you and your employer kicking in 12.4%, that amount should go up .1% every year until that amount hits 15%. Since 3 out of 5 Americans get most of their retirement money from Social Security, that increase should be an adequate amount to keep the fund alive for a few more decades. 

The Baby Boomers will luck out and be at the end of their run before the fund shrinks into trouble. That is if Congress continues to do nothing. Young people take notice. You are the ones who really need to be climbing all over your Congressmen or women when they are in their home districts. Ask them what the plan is right now. Demand action be taken. Trust me - they all know what the current status is. But as we all know, there is a big difference between knowing and doing. 

Tick, tick tick goes the clock. We have sixteen short years until things in the Social Security fund get real bad, real fast. Right now, Congress is concerned more with Russia and our elections than it is maintaining Social Security. They need to walk and chew gum at the same time.

One financial expert I heard a few years ago had a dire warning for us all (if I may paraphrase a bit) - "There will be pain in the fix. Every year we wait to start the fix, the pain will get worse. But if we do nothing, the pain will be unbearable."

That paraphrased quote was from the Simpson - Bowles Debt Commission in 2012. Right now it is 2018. We are six years deeper in painful resolution to our Social Security problem. Get the picture? Next year in 2019, the pain will be even worse. Just saying. Talk to your congressional representatives. And sooner, rather than later. 

First Wednesday at 1:00 pm

"My point? We need to do a MUCH better job in alerting the citizens in case of emergency. What we have now is not sufficient - not nearly enough."

Ben Willis had just come back from an early lunch at the local fast food Thai restaurant. It was only two blocks from the Sears Tower in downtown Chicago, so if you went early enough, you had only a very small line to put up with. But - if you wait too long - you were screwed. Then it is a very quick trip, to a not a very quick McDonald's. 

Since his company (United Holding, parent company of United Airlines) moved to downtown Chicago, and yes in the iconic Sears Tower, his job satisfaction had gone up "about 10 percent or so". As a financial analyst, Ben always thought in numbers and percentages. Back when he was at Wharton, he seriously thought about becoming an Actuarial. But after a few quarters, he found out that was way, way too much stats. Switching to finance, was the right thing for his skill set - and temperament. 

As Ben was sitting back in his chair planning out the rest of the day, his eyes gazed out of one of the massive windows the Sears Tower. Trying to think of work, his "Id" came into play. Yes, he was thinking golf. Just as he started to win the war of what he should do, compared with what he wanted to do, the tornado sirens went off. After all, it was the first Wednesday of the month.

At one time, when the tornado sirens went off (formerly known as the civil defense sirens), the old (and getting older) Baby Boomers, would have a fit. Why? Those awful "duck and cover" days were not forgotten. These days, unless you live in tornado alley, the first Wednesday of every month at 1:00 becomes siren time. Other than that, sirens are rare. Get used to it folks - it happens every month.

Only this time it was not 1 pm. It was 12:35, shortly after lunch. And after they started, they would not shut off. They kept going on over and over and over again. Just as Ben was getting aggravated was thinking, "Why can't they shut those damn things off? It is bad enough they went off too early, but then they forgot how to shut them off?"

Just then, the door to his companies office burst open and three security guards ran in. "Folks, please listen up! This is not a drill! We need to get you out of here, and down to the sub-basement, pronto - if not sooner. There are missiles headed in our direction. And Chicago might be one of the tar..."

The security guard never finished her sentence. As Ben was listening in total disbelief, the room suddenly became bright white, and then - nothing. In a blink, the huge part of the center of the city of Chicago was all but gone.

Why do I bring this up? You need to ask your civil defense representatives how much notice we would have in the event of a major accident. Like a terror incident at our closest nuke facility. Or if a stay meteor which escaped our detection? And the worst fear ever - what about a rogue missile launch? What are our warnings?

Good question. Time to ask your county boards or county sheriff the same question. Back when the Baby Boomers were in school, there were three different alarms. One for fire, another for storm, and yet another for attack. The response to all three were quite different. Today for the citizens, we only have the tornado sirens. When it goes off, no matter what time, most folks are looking at the sky, or their internet radar. Seeing nothing, most will go back to what they were doing, just waiting for the "false alarm" to be shut off.

My point? We need to do a MUCH better job in alerting citizens in the event of an emergency other than severe weather. What we have now is not sufficient - not nearly enough. Think about that before your next county meeting. We got rid of all our Cold War alerts maybe much, much too soon. I think this needs to be fixed, so let's fix it.