The dearth and death of California

Who ruined California? The voters.

What a mess. Today on the national news, was a story about the growing tent cities which are springing up in LA. So much so, LA is starting to look like San Francisco. The city leaders of both of those cities would like to clean up this unsightly and dangerous situation, but (you will love this one) - the 9th Circuit will not allow them to do so. The tents, the filth, the defecation, the trash - must stay where it is. The fact the 9th Circuit is behind this hot mess, is nothing less than karma.

Mix in 3,000,000 illegal aliens, people with untreated mental illness, unchecked drug usage, and you have a toxic stew. How so? Both LA and San Francisco are now developing third world diseases on the streets. Like Plague and Typhoid Fever. Some of the cities have cops who have been infected with these dreaded diseases. My advise to those living in other states? Stay away from visiting there, and keep an eye on your own blue cities. They might be next.

With a population of just under 40,000,000 residents, California has the largest debt in the nation. It is one of the most heavily taxed states, with the highest income tax rate. Even with all that revenue, it continues to spend more than it takes in. By a lot. In short, California does not have the money to get into its major cities and really fix the problem - even if the 9th Circuit would allow them to do so. So the cities fester. And the people who can leave - are leaving the state - only to be replaced by more illegals.

Did I mention the bullet train? The $77B nightmare, which after spending billions to build part of it, is now abandoned. It was a "ready, fire, aim" type of typical bureaucratic fumble. Minnesota has seen fumbles like that on a much smaller scale with MNSure and MNLars. Putting incompetent people in charge of complicated projects awash with unlimited taxpayer money. Most of us have seen that movie many times. 

Come on Bird! Lighten up! Say something nice about the once "Golden State". Like how about those beautiful national parks? Good question. Today in the paper was an article about the pollution in many of our national parks. Where were some of the most polluted parks? California. I am glad I visited them when I was younger.

We all know what happens to many of our blue cities after a while. They start to die. They become hollowed out. Now we are seeing what happens to blue states. States like New York, Illinois, and California. Tax the socks off the residents, elect statist idiots, and spend much more than you take in. Stir in some sanctuary BS, high welfare costs, and you are well on your way to dearth and then death. 

Who ruined California? The voters. The elected Pat Brown (bad), then had the sense to elect Ronald Reagan who fixed some of the broken (very good), then Pete Wilson (RINO), the Terminator (worse than a RINO), Moonbeam (horrible), and now Newsome (Moonbeam on steroids). Throw in the fact the state government is almost all Leftie Democrats, and you have one hot mess.

Soon California will be the Mexico of the United States. A state rich in natural resources, but mired in poverty and crime. All because they loved the color blue much more than red. In the case of our politics, it really is better to be red than having your city or state become dead.  

The Pelosi Kerfuffle

"One problem. Because Nancy is almost 102, and been in Congress since FDR, she knows what the effect of a botched impeachment is." 

Oh, just do it! Get it over with! The fat little guy wants to do it. So do most of the clowns who are running for President. Come on Nancy girl! Show some guts! The President is even ready for this ruse to play out. Start the impeachment proceedings so we can get on with the final act of the Democrat Party before it dissolves in nothingness. But - most of us out here in fly over land are anxious to find out what you are going to impeach the President on. At least with Slick Willie, we had proven lies, lies and more lies about sullying that intern and her blue dress. Let's go!

One problem. Because Nancy is almost 102, and been in Congress since FDR, she knows what the effect of a botched impeachment is. Heck, Slick Willie, who we had dead to rights, was impeached by the House and then passed over by the Senate. Once it was over, he continued to be President with a 7 point bump in his approval rating. 

Let's play this out. Pelosi's House will lay out a convincing argument that Trump is guilty of beating Hillary in the last election. After all, this is what this has been about since the get go. Did the Russians meddle? Sure did. Did they favor Trump? Yep. And why? Because Putin hates Hillary for what Hillary tried to do to him when she was Obama's SOS. Putin really did not give a wit about Donald Trump - he just wanted Hillary to go down. And then the clown show followed. The one which tried to tie Trump and Putin together. Oh, that was great entertainment for the Kremlin.

Anyhow, so the House will impeach based on nothing, and then kick it over to the Senate for trial. There it will die a quick death, and FINALLY, the House can get back to the business of governing, rather than investigating. Or will it? Probably not. Losing the chance to have the President removed to office, will take their seething hatred up to a boil. They will subpoena everyone in the President's life, including his third grade teacher. Tax returns going back to when he was 25. Heck, they will probably even subpoena Barron to see if he ever skipped school.

Truthfully, the way Pelosi has run the House has been great for the Republican Party and terrible for the country. When the Republicans were in charge, they hit their share of potholes. But the Pelosi House has been a full on train wreck. It is embarrassing for other countries to see what a shambles our governance has become.

So, Ms. Nancy, if you are going to do the "I" word, do it quickly, The country has stuff to do. But you don't really care about that, do you. If you do, you hide it well.  

About those flying "Tic Tacs"...

"The government is prepping us for full disclosure of what they know. Otherwise, all these Navy sightings would be classified TS or higher. Do they present danger to us? Unknown - but they have not harmed any of our Navy assets to date." 

Move over Rod Serling. Move over X-Files. Move over Stranger Things. We have a real life "stranger thing" happening right now which is slowing being revealed to John Q. Public. For just about a week now, the United States Navy has been "coming clean" about what the what has been going on off our coast lines. For reasons unknown to most, these "things" have been sighted since 2004, and are now just being revealed. What are they? Some are calling them "flying Tic Tacs". Others just call them UFOs.

The Navy has seen them off our east coast and west coast. At first uncommon, now the sightings have been very common. Like every day common. And every pilot who sees them, all report the same way. These are not aircraft like they are familiar with. How so? Hyper-sonic speeds in an instant. No wings, no vapor trail. They can zip between the upper atmosphere, to just off the surface of the ocean, to under the ocean in a heartbeat. They also can turn on a dime - a maneuver which would crush a Navy pilot. 

What is the Navy the most fearful off right now? That these things are being flown by E.T.'s cousins? Nope. That they are a new technology which has been developed by a hostile country. If that be the case, we would have zero defense against them. They make our fastest F-18 fighter jets look like they are standing still. 

However, the chance that any nation on Earth could have come up with a device which is centuries ahead of current technology, without being noticed, is about nil. Then what are they? Does our government know more than they are letting on? Duh! My belief (and please, no butterfly nets), is our government has known about these things since Roswell. Since Cape Girardeau. Since the Washington D.C. incursion of 1952. Since the never explained "Phoenix lights" event of 1997.

Let's face facts. There are just things out there which we do not understand. Heck, we still don't know what caused the now infamous "Foo Fighters" from World War II. What could these "flying Tic Tacs" be? Take your pick on theories. They are all over the internet. If not some super secret Russian flying machine, they could be extraterrestrial. Or come from Nazi bases buried deep under Antarctica. Or "us" from years in the future, after we learned the art of time travel. Or another race of beings who live deep in our unexplored oceans.

But we do know one thing. As the old west expression goes - "They ain't nothing!" Numerous pilots have seen them on numerous days. They have been "painted" on our radar screens. So they are something - and not "swamp gas" like the government told us years ago when there was another mass UFO sighting. 

The government is prepping us for full disclosure of what they know. Otherwise, all these Navy sightings would be classified TS or higher. Do they present danger to us? Unknown - but they have not harmed any of our Navy assets to date. In any event, stay tuned to this one. Whenever we find out the truth about these "Tic Tacs", it might be stranger than anything you watch on the SciFy Channel.

  

A most complicated dance...

"How do I think this trip went? They are popping the corks at Lockheed Martin today. 105 F-35 jets is worth a whole bunch of cheddar." 

In early June, we will be coming up on the 75th anniversary of D-Day. A huge day in our history. Meanwhile, while D-Day was taking place in Europe, we were also at war with Japan in the Pacific. America and her allies were stretched very thin, and the fate of the world hung in the balance. Japan, like Germany were hated foes. Flash forward to today. The United States, Germany and Japan are friends, allies, trading partners. And our President has just wrapped up a trip to visit one of his new best friends - Prime Minister Abe of Japan.

They are friends - right? More or less. Right now, Abe is shaking in his shoes about the trade issue. Why? Japan has made out nicely for years with the trade imbalance between our two countries. Enter Donald Trump. In 2018, our trade deficit with Japan was almost $60B. Trump says that is too high. He want a new trade agreement with Japan which will whittle that deficit way down. If Abe balks, get ready for a 25% tariff on Japanese cars. That would really be a zinger for a country which is having some economic problems.

Then there is North Korea. For the most part, Trump and Abe are on the same sheet of music. BUT - Trump is still trying to woo Kim, despite his recent bad behavior. Abe wanted more of a stern response from Trump after Kim fired those short range missiles. From press reporting, that issue with North Korea was a sticky wicket between them in their talks. 

BUT - what Trump has been doing in the background, is really beefing up the defenses of South Korea and Japan. How much so? Over the next decade, Japan is going to buy 105 F-35 fighter jets. In fact, both South Korea and Japan are going to get a slew of these bad boys. And stand by - current projections are by the time the final jets are delivered, the variant of the F-35 at that time could have the new laser weapon included. The on board laser which will be able to knock down not only enemy planes, but also missiles. 

If the trade talks go south, how in the world could we be in a trade war with Japan and selling them our latest and greatest jets at the same time? That is why the dance between the two countries is so complicated. Fixing out trade imbalances is LONG overdue, and President Trump is committed to it. He is also committed to helping our allies become more self sufficient from a defense standpoint. No more being the only policeman in the world. He wants our allies to step up to the plate and be able to defend themselves better.

How do I think this trip went? They are popping the corks at Lockheed Martin today. 105 F-35 jets is worth a whole bunch of cheddar. I believe that our relationship is so very important to Japan, they will acquiesce on the trade issue. Might not get down to zero, but it will improve. Plus, Abe said he would meet with Iran and try to get some talks going between the US and Iran. I call that a win.

I love Japan. I love the people there. After living there for 18 months, I grew to understand their culture. My hope for the future is we can have the same type of relationship with Viet Nam, that we now have with South Korea and Japan. Maybe...maybe,,,,even North Korea some day. 

The Walz carpet bombing session

"Taxing Timmy, the retired Army National Guardsman, did a classic military maneuver on the Senate Republicans. He carpet bombed them. It was an all out saturation attack." 

Ever take a shower with your raincoat on? Me neither. But I think we all can imagine what it would feel like. Like not taking a shower at all. Even though the force of the shower was hitting us, we would still not get wet. Nor clean. That is how many on my side of the street are feeling after this first session. In particular, what our Nebraska boy, Taxing Timmy Walz, did to us. Even though for two days in a row now, the local paper has been lauding praise on Taxing Timmy for what a wonderful and masterful job he did in orchestrating this past session, I still feel like my raincoat is still on.

Taxing Timmy, the retired Army National Guardsman, did a classic military maneuver on the Senate Republicans. He carpet bombed them. It was an all out saturation attack. Throw everything at the Republicans but the kitchen sink. See what sticks to the wall once the barrage is over. And it worked to a tee. Even though some of Timmy's "false flag" initiatives (like the gas tax) went down in flames, other more subtle tax increases made it through.

The fact that the gun grabbers got "red flag" legislation to pass the House was a shocker. That portents bad things for next session. Why? Now the grabbers are emboldened. Like bad pennies, they will keep showing up. In fact, should the Republicans lose the Senate this next election, even by one seat, it will be Katy bar the door. Carpet bomber Walz will take out simply everything good in what is left of our government. He has learned much from his buddy AOC. In fact, look for some of that good old socialism to hit home if we lose the Senate and don't retake the House. 

I know, I know. Considering the shellacking the Republicans took in the last election, it is amazing Walz did not skin us more. Thank goodness for small favors. Even though the Governor outplayed the Senate Republicans with the carpet bagging, the session could have ended a lot worse for the Red Team. But the bottom line is this - government STILL GREW.

So that is it for a while with state politics. That is, unless something unplanned happens. After today my main focus will be the national scene and technology. There is a ton of stuff going on in both those areas. 

The weather today calls for a lot of rain. Time to take this raincoat off and stand outside. Maybe then I can get clean, and remove the stench of this session's carpet bombing. 

  

From sea to shining sea

"Freedom is not free. Our enjoyment of this country, our freedoms, our liberty, came at a cost - a cost borne by millions of service people who never came home."

America. Freedom. Liberty. What exactly is it? This thing which for years has called our young men and women into the service of their country. Knowing that whenever, or where ever you serve in the Armed Forces of these United States, you could find yourself deep in harm's way. And when some of these young men and women did find themselves in harm's way, some did not make it out. They gave all, for this wonderful and free country. To put it differently, they did it for us. Now, and generations to come.

There are some as of late, who have been offshore and talked about what is wrong with America. How we have really screwed things up in the past. I am not one of those people. I have a deep, abiding love for this country, warts (all be them very few), and all. These United States truly are the fruited plains, the golden pastures, the majestic hills and mountains, which stretch from sea to sea. 

This country, this great American Experiment, has been a blessing for mankind in the 20th century. Yes, without the United States, and the unquenchable thirst for freedom of the people who live here, the world would be a much different place today. American blood has been spilled in just about every corner of the world. Why? No matter the generation, young men and women knew the preservation of liberty and freedom was more important than life itself. 

Memorial Day is always a humbling time for me. We can never personally thank the ones who gave this gift of freedom to us. We can never thank them in person, but we can thank them by simply doing this - continuing to pay it forward. Preserve this great land. Preserve our freedoms. Our great republic. 

There is one more thing which I am convinced of. If voices could be heard coming from our national cemeteries, they would be telling us to do this - enjoy what we have. What they died for. In other words, never feel guilty on Memorial Day weekend when you head up north. Have a picnic. Go fishing. Whatever you want to do for enjoyment by living in this great land. But they would want us to also remember one important fact. Freedom is not free. Our enjoyment of this country, our freedoms, our liberty, came at a cost - a cost borne by millions of service people who never came home.

Yes, this is America. Home of the brave, and land of the free. As Bono the musician once said, "America is not so much a place as it is an idea. And that idea has now been shared with the world." Bingo. From sea to shining sea, America continues to be that shining city on the hill. A beacon of hope for the hopeless. May God continue to bless this great country.  

Thoughts from a year ago...

"This state is a mess, and now it will be messier. The smart people who can fix this mess, are being driven out of state by the clowns. Soon, Minnesota will go from deep blue to hollowed out."

Wow. What a year. A year ago, who would have thunk it. It was getting close to state convention time, and MN GOP had the chance to go into this convention and nominate a group of candidates which were absolute top notch. And during the convention, they did. Because I worked on Jeff Johnson's campaign two elections in a row, I got to know Jeff both personally and politically. I got to know his running mate Donna Bergstrom. This was the Governor/Lt. Governor ticket like never before. A real game changer for Minnesota.

Well, the rest is history - and a sad history at that. The candidates who should have been nominated at the convention, were nominated. All was good. Everyone left Duluth feeling energized, hopeful and united. We were going to have a REAL conservative Governor in Jeff Johnson, a REAL (and honorable) Attorney General in Doug Wardlow, and a REAL live auditor in Pam Myrha. Still had to go through a needless primary, but for the most part, the ticket was set. 

Minnesotans, for the first time in forever, will have a government which will change the trajectory of this state. No more wasteful taxing and spending. Wise spending, with an eye on results, not effort. There was no way the voters of this state would elect a DFL carpetbagger from Nebraska. All he was promising was to double down on what Dayton was doing. And Attorney General? An alleged domestic abuser?  An alleged Louis Farrakhan devotee? No - from simply a talent and ethics standpoint, we had this election in the bag. 

We were wrong. Seems that the people of Minnesota did want more of the same. For some reason, they did not give a whit about welfare fraud. Nor the MNSure debacle. Nor the MNLars mess. The minions who live here who pay little or no taxes, were just fine at throwing good money after bad. So they voted out a bunch of VERY GOOD representatives from the suburbs, which tossed the house over to the foul mouthed Melissa Hortman. The GOP barely held on to the Senate, and to make matters worse, lost ALL our fine state wide candidates to the DFL clown car.

Now it is one year later. The DFL juggernaut has just run over the Minnesota taxpayers once again. How is that fix to Social Security coming for our seniors? Oh, that got tossed under the bus, once again. State government continues to grow, we continue to fund a failing education system, and we have idiots running the Met Council. Instead electing a "fixer" like Jeff Johnson, we got stuck with an enabler like Taxing Timmy. 

It really pains me to say this - it really does. But someone has to say it. Minnesota really does have some STUPID voters. To pick the candidates they did last November, belies any meaningful intelligence. It is like many of our inner city voters have spent so many years in the DFL mind meld, they have become brain numb.

Why do I say this? This state is a mess, and now it will be messier. The smart people who can fix this mess, are being driven out of state by the clowns. Soon, Minnesota will go from deep blue to being hollowed out. A Midwestern California or New York. And we will have NOBODY to blame but ourselves.   

Trump scores once again!

"Most all of the deportations and detentions we have had on the southern border have their roots in this twenty year old law. However, one very simple nuance in this law has never been enforced."

Did you know (I sure did not), that during the Clinton Administration, there was a bill passed by Congress, and then signed into law by Bill Clinton, which has never been fully enforced? And because it has never been fully enforced, the cost to this country has been enormous. Plus, it has given us a flood of immigrants. Donald Trump is now decided to enforce this law. Get ready folks. You are about to hear the squealing and caterwauling from the Loony Left.

In 1996, then President Bill Clinton signed into law the Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act. No AOC. No Speaker Pelosi. No Senator Schumer - Donald Trump did not create this border mess. Nor did Barack Obama. Nor did Bill Clinton. But Bill Clinton could see this mess becoming a mess. So he signed into law this very harsh bill regarding immigration. And Barack Obama used this law to deport thousands of immigrants.

Our immigration enforcement today has its roots in this Clinton era law. GASP! WHAT? Somebody better tip off the media about this! They have been telling EVERYONE, EVERY DAY, that President Trump has caused the mess on the southern border. However, the facts don't back that assertion up. Not even close. 

Most all of the deportations and detentions we have had on the southern border have their roots in this twenty year old law. However, one very simple nuance in this law has never been enforced. And Donald Trump is now aware of that nuance, and WILL start enforcing it. Heads up Lutheran Social Services, Catholic Charities and any other immigrant sponsoring agency. This one is going to hurt a bit. 

It seems when you sponsor an immigrant to come into this country, they are not to be a perpetual welfare cases (as many are now). The sponsoring agency is to take full financially care of the immigrant, until the immigrant is self sufficient. SHOULD THE IMMIGRANT NOT BE SELF SUFFICIENT, any monies the government has used to support the immigrant, needs to be repaid to the government by the immigrant's sponsoring agency. BAM! That one is going to leave a mark! 

What could the enforcement of ALL aspects of this law do to our crisis on the southern border? First off, this law has teeth in it, which have not been fully used as they should have been. Next, this has cost this country billions of dollars which it should not have been. How example, how many Somalis living in Cedar Riverside are "on the dole"? Quite a few, I would imagine. Someone (who sponsored them coming here) is going to receive a king size bill.

Before we pop the corks, be aware that the 9th Circuit is probably itching to have this law throw out, for a variety of reasons. Translation = this might have make it to the Supreme Court for final adjudication. In any event, it was a ray of sunshine in this otherwise bleak immigration issue. Stay tuned on this one folks. 

Time to spank China

"China is a bad actor. Not to be trusted. What the President is doing with China right now on trade is long, long overdue. They need to be taken down a peg or two. No longer can they act like a rogue nation if they want to be considered a major player on the world stage." 

A very bad actor. I know, we need to trade and deal with this country. But let's put our cards on the table, shall we? The ChiComs of yesterday, are still pretty scary, and way out of control. Only today, they are dangerous. Dangerous, with not so much their military (although their blue water Navy is getting more formidable), but something else. It is what they are doing to the atmosphere. Whether you believe in man-made global warming or not, every day they throw a lot of junk up into the air - more than anyone else.

According to UN data, in 2017 China accounted for over 27% of all the CO2 emissions. How big of a deal is that? That is more than United States, India and Russia (and almost Japan) combined. Even though many statists and globalists always point the finger at the United States as being the bad guy on pollution, we are minor league compared to China. And China always seems to get a pass. But hold on - the story gets much worse.

The Montreal Protocol of 1987. Scientists worldwide had come to agreement that Chlorofluorocarbons (CFC) were the main culprit in the depletion of our ozone layer. So the Protocol was an agreement of nations to ban the production and use of such. Initially, not all countries signed on. But by 2015, just about every country in the world, including China and India, had signed it.

Hold the phone! Scientists have noticed this now banned chemical is still getting into the atmosphere! How can that be? Doing some scientific sleuthing, they found the source. Hard to believe, but it is the same country who is stealing our intellectual property. Yes China, one of the signatories on the Montreal Protocol, is the villain. They are cheating (gasp!). Eastern China to be exact is the source of this pollution. Because of China's cheating, the self healing of our ozone layer could be delayed another decade or so. But who cares? Right China?

China is a bad actor. Not to be trusted. What the President is doing with China right now on trade is long, long overdue. They need to be taken down a peg or two. No longer can they act like a rogue nation if they want to be considered a major player on the world stage. 

Next time a "greenie" comes up to guilt you about your SUV or truck, and how much environmental damage you are doing, point your finger eastward. Tell that useful idiot to write a letter to China instead. Russia at one time was the chief bad guy in the world. I think that title may have changed hands to China.

ICE on the rocks?

"It is time to go to war. Sanctuary city or state elected representatives, who protect illegals and refuse to cooperate with ICE, need to arrested and charged with obstruction. Not some of them - all of them. What they are doing borders on treason."

At what time in our recent history, has ICE, a three letter acronym, become more like a four letter invective? ICE, which stands for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, is a law enforcement agency of the United States government. It is the abrogator of our constant game of "who's, who" in this country. And yet, they are ground zero in this senseless war between sanctuary cities and the federal government. In fact, some malcontents in Congress are trying to get them de-funded or de-certified as an agency.

Let's look at recent history. This week there was a story in the news about some east coast sanctuary city. Two MS-13 thugs in custody, were released by the police. These two were not only illegal, but very bad news. Once released, they kidnapped and killed (I won't go into detail how they killed, as this is a family friendly blog) a young girl. Where are these two low life's right now? In the wind. Gone. Instead of turning them over to ICE for immediate deportation, the airheads who run this sanctuary city thought it best to let these young boys go. And now a girl has been brutally killed.

At some point in the recent past, illegals, criminals included, have garnered more status and rights than United States citizens have. What? How? Democrats. I mean, this makes no sense. None. But they have. Ask Kate Steinle's family. And now California wants to shower illegals with even more cash, benefits, and status. All of that, for just breaking the law. 

I, like many patriots, am very grateful for ICE. I am very grateful for local sheriffs and their deputies. I am very grateful for any law enforcement who protect and serve us. That is where it ends however. Now - it is time to go to war. Elected officials in sanctuary cities or states, who protect illegals and refuse to cooperate with ICE, need to be arrested and charged with obstruction. Not some of them - all of them. What they are doing in protecting illegals, borders on treason.

Yesterday some misguided seniors from a UCC church in a northwest suburb, protested the county jail which houses illegals and cooperates with ICE. These are some of the misguided liberals who think ICE agents are the villains, and illegals are saints. Up is down and down is up. I would have loved ask the pastor of this UCC church if her congregation would like to financially support any illegals which ICE lets go. Of course they would not! They want US to pay for them, and suffer the consequences when the bad apples let go get violent. ENOUGH!

Is ICE on the rocks? Yes, only with America haters. But with patriots and citizens it is not. I am very grateful we have ICE. I am very grateful our local sheriff departments work so well with ICE. As far as sanctuary cities and states go - I hate them. And hate is a word which I use very infrequently. But sanctuary cities and states are wrecking the country I love. And in my book, that deserves the "hate" word. 

Played, played and played again...

"The nagging question remains - what do we do about it? The courts are against us, and the Democrats have proven to be enemies of the state. If anyone has an answer to this question, please let me know."

Oh, this illegal immigration thing. It is the headache which will not go away. A Democrat Party self inflicted wound. Democrat? Yes - for more votes, they will do ANYTHING, up to and including wrecking the country. As incredible as it sounds, the Democrat Party of fifty years ago, once a loyal opposition party, has now turned into "barbarians at the gate". Or should I say - inside the gate. 

It sure did not take long for the story of our southern border to spread near and far. The story was not complicated. The United States has turned into a nation of patsies. They can be played. And played. And played. Come north to the southern border, and traffickers will fix you up with some unattached kids. These kids will get you over the border, and then once you plea for asylum and have been given a court date, ditch the kids, and be on your merry way. In fact, the Border Patrol thinks some of these kids have been used over and over again on this ruse.

The Border Patrol has finally been allowed to use a quick check DNA test on families coming over the border. Here is a shocker - over 30% of the DNA tests have proved false. In other words, nobody knew who these kids were. The sure don't belong to the adults they were with. 

Once someone comes over the border WITHOUT kids, Customs and Border Patrol can keep them indefinitely. However, with kids, only 20 days can they be held. And that ladies and gentlemen, is how border states have become overrun with some very unsavory characters. 

Could Congress fix this issue in a New York minute? Absolutely! All we need do is get rid of all the Democrats. Trust me, they fully understand what is going on in the southern border. They fully understand this is a crisis. They fully understand this is getting worse every week. So what is the problem? They don't care. First, they want the votes of these illegals. Second (and almost as important), they will do ANYTHING, up to and including wrecking the country, to jab at Donald J. Trump. Sickos, all of them.

Here we are, with over 18 months before a new Congress can be sworn in. In that 18 months, we could have another million or so illegals coming over our border. When President Trump explained we needed a merit system of immigration similar to Canada and Australia, he was all but booed off the stage by the Democrats. "That is not who we are!", they shouted! In other words, we can take in as many of these instant welfare cases as the Democrats want. How will we be able to afford them? Who cares?

That is where we are as Memorial Day approaches. I have told most of you, nothing you do not already know. The nagging question remains - what do we do about it? The courts are against us, and the Democrats have proven to be enemies of the state. If anyone has an answer to this question, please let me know.

A half a loaf - or less...

"Sorry I could not put a smile on this session. It was just another "nothing burger". Could it have been worse? Heck yes - it has been in the past. We could have come out with no loaf instead of a half." 

Well the long, drawn out negotiations are now over. How do I feel? Like we got a half a loaf - or less. The Governor said he was negotiating for the "people of Minnesota". The Senate Leader said he was negotiating for the taxpayers of Minnesota. Me? I am on the side of the taxpayers, thank you. The "people" already have such high services, this state is a magnet for Somalis and welfare cases from the upper Midwest. The wagon has become very, very heavy - as is.

Shall we talk about whose ox was gored? Who made out and who did not? I, like many other seniors, had only one small request. Leave our Social Security alone. That is it. Other states have managed to do that without going belly up, why not Minnesota? Because seniors have no lobbyist, other than themselves. We just line up and take it, session after session. Oh sure - there was some tepid talk about the unfairness of taxing our seniors. But no action. It sure the heck is not in the deal, unless hidden very well.

This state spends scads on money in taking care of illegals. Showers them with benefits as they live in our sanctuary cities. Immigrants, refugees and illegals all do well in Moneyapolis. And the welfare fraud they cause is enormous and out of control. Seniors on the other hand, who have worked all their lives here, paying taxes, continue to take it in the shorts. Again - no lobbyist.

My spider sense tingles when I see how easily the Governor gave up on his "must have" 20 cent a gallon gas tax. He told us for months that our roads and bridges were failing. Then at the end, he gave it up with a big smile on his face. It was a ruse. "Click-bait" to keep from giving up real territory. Now the Republicans are slapping themselves on the back for killing that BS gas tax. Meanwhile, the size of our bloated state government continues to grow.

Who were the losers besides the seniors? The kids who are stuck in government schools. Oh the statists were sure thrilled they got their 2% per year additional funding - but not one scintilla of reform (congratulations Education Minnesota). Nada. The failure centers in our inner cities will continue to pump out young people who either flunk out, quit before graduation, or graduate semi-illiterate. 

Oh - one more group who came up short. The unborn. Since this issue is evolving into a state's right issue (where it should have been all along), it was time for Minnesota to step up to the plate. Some Republicans tried, but no cigar. So the death mills run by Planned Parenthood will keep chugging along. Killing our seed corn.

Sorry I could not put a smile on this session. It was just another "nothing burger". Could it have been worse? Heck yes - it has been in the past. We could have come out with no loaf instead of a half. 

Requiem for the unborn

"If this is not the most important issue for the church today, I would be amazed. The killing of babies is horrific - the blind acceptance of it by the people of God is almost just as bad."  

For those who are venturing out to church on this rainy morning, it will be interesting to see how many hear anything preached from the pulpit about our "war on the unborn". Why talk about it in church? This is not as much a legal issue, as it is a moral one. And to see how the states are evolving (or devolving) on this issue is more than interesting. 

Abortion. One of the great divides in our great nation. The killing of the unborn. I know - many say this is not really killing of anything, as the fetus is not yet viable. Not yet a baby. A human. Then there is the other side which takes extreme exception to that viewpoint. Who believes that life begins at conception. And somewhere between conception and birth is where many states are staking their claims at the present time.

It seems the states which have recently stated that fourth term abortions (infanticide) would be okay, have set off a backlash in some of the southern "red" states. Hold on just a second before we go any further! What about Roe v. Wade? Who cares what each state thinks? The Constitution cares. Seems Roe should have never been tried by the Supreme Court. It is a violation of the 10th Amendment. A states rights issue.

Anyhow, a handful of southern states have passed "beating heart" laws. If a beating heart is detected prior to an abortion, then the abortion is murder and the doctor performing the procedure could be liable for murder, punishable by decades in prison. Another proposal is the ultrasound proposal. Whereas before an abortion is performed, an ultrasound is performed and then shown to the mother. Why? Many times it is the slap of reality for what the mother is about to do. Kill her own baby.

Many of us feel that abortion has been the scourge which has tainted our land. Yes, as bad as slavery was, abortion is far worse. This killing of the unborn continues today. A large portion of whom are black babies. Some know that, some do not. Where is the "black lives matter" movement? Buckle up for this one. Pro-Michigan estimates that 19 million black babies have been aborted since 1973, the year Roe was adjudicated. That is like the total population of Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, and the Dakotas combined. 

By the way - I have mentioned this before. Muslims do not believe in abortion on demand. That is - for Muslims. If we cull our own, they could care less. Every time we kill one of our unborn, we take one of our seed corn away. Forever. Gone. Not to mention that God created that person who never had a chance to be born for a purpose. A purpose now unfulfilled.

If abortion is not mentioned this morning, the next time you see your pastor or priest, ask why not. If this is not the most important issue for the church today, I would be amazed. The killing of babies is horrific - the blind acceptance of it by the people of God is almost just as bad.  

The return of "Dr. No"

"Remember this in November of 2020. We lose our Senate majority in the next election, then even having a 'Dr. No' in the Senate will not help us. Time for us to help ourselves."  

A few years ago, and I can't exactly remember who did this (it might have been Rush), something very interesting happened. There was the usually wrangling in the United States Congress. The Democrats wanted to spend like drunken sailors, and the Republicans wanted some kind of fiscal restraint. It got so bad with the acrimonious name calling, that some conservative set up a fund on the internet. It was called the "I want to pay more taxes fund." It was felt since the Democrats thought we were not taxed enough, this would be a perfect chance for folks who wanted, to "pony up". After a few months the fund was closed down - with only $5,000 collected.

Why bring this up? This story never ends. Last night on Almanac, some of the top Dems and Republicans got together to debate the budget in front of the cameras. Ryan Winkler was very insistent that to save this state from fiscal ruin, we need more "investments". Oh, he did a great job in tugging at the heart strings (play # 1 from the Democrat play book). Our best state-wide "Dr. No" (Senator Roger Chamberlain), kept rebuffing these tales of woe with one short statement - "It will break the state".

Actually, to put an end to all this needless arguing about money, I like my solution the best. For example, when you get to the gas station, each pump will have two different settings to choose from. Those who feel compelled to put more money into our roads and bridges, can opt to pay an additional 20 cents a gallon. Those who believe Senator Gazelka, when he tells us we have plenty of money in our highway fund to cover all expenses, can pay the normal price per gallon. Let's see how that works!

Of course the Governor has weighed in numerous times. He cannot understand how the party of fiscal responsibility in the past, can be so irresponsible today. He just does not get it. In the mind of this carpetbagger from Nebraska, the minions of this state should be jumping for joy that someone has been elected to show us the promise land. Where we cannot only be one the highest taxed states in the union, we might just end up in the number one spot. However, there is one minor down side.

Back to one of my favorite Senators, Roger Chamberlain. "It will wreck the state". Yes Senator Chamberlain, it will. You are not so much a "Dr. No", as a Dr. "Reasonable". Seniors will continue to flee this state, as we continue to tax their Social Security. Businesses will flee across the border, as many close by states are not run by morons. And the high income earners will be looking for greener pastures - not bluer states.

I will say again. If not for three Republican Senators, the taxpayers in this state would be "screwed, blued and tattooed", as we would say in the Navy. Wisconsin and South Dakota would start looking like Florida, in that Florida has become a haven for the exodus of taxpayers from northeast blue states. 

And if not for people like Roger Chamberlain and other patriots? What would happen to Minnesota? It would become hollowed out. A mecca for the continuing wave of immigrants from Northern Africa. There would be no money (as it would have left), lots and lots of welfare, and then fiscal ruin. This once great state, ruined by Democrat greed and stupidity. 

And what about the return of "Dr. No"? Thank the Good Lord, is what I say. Remember this in November of 2020. We lose our Senate majority in the next election, then even having a "Dr. No" left in the Senate will not help us. Time for us to help ourselves.  

Drugs, drugs, and more drugs

"What is happening on the southern border is a self inflicted wound. Remember this in November of 2020. If you want morons to keep wrecking the country, just keep voting DEMOCRAT." 

The plan is working out to perfection. All the cartels needed were some useful idiots just north of the border. Then they discovered the DEMOCRATS in the US House and Senate. They knew then, their plan was in like flint. So - send in the drugs! The Americans seem willing enough to buy them, and the profits have made the cartels very rich and powerful indeed!

No, this is not an allegory or fiction. This actually happening right now, as this is being penned. Invade our border with tens, maybe hundreds of thousands of illegals. Some legit who are seeking asylum, most not. Make sure there are a bunch of kids in the mix also, accompanied or not.

Because of the way our laws are written, and the refusal of the DEMOCRATS to help fix them, our brave men and women of the Border Patrol have become defacto baby sitters. And when they are all tied up with this wave of people, guess what else is happening.

Our southern border, which stretches for almost 2,000, has many areas where one could just walk from Mexico to the United States with no hindrance. The border is just a line on the map. Our only chance of controlling that very long stretch of border is our Border Patrol. But guess what? They are now baby sitters. So the cartels have a clear path to victory. They don't have to worry about some of their drugs being caught at normal border crossings - they can just use the areas which are not being monitored. 

When the DEMOCRATS are confronted with this fact, they go right back to the playbook. "We have a humanitarian crisis on the border, brought on by this Administration. We are a nation of immigrants, and should allow asylum seekers in." They do not acknowledge that most are not real asylum seekers. For most, this is a ruse. Many are sick. Most are poor. Most have no skills nor can speak our language. They are welfare cases just waiting to happen. The DEMOCRATS however, don't give a rip. All they can see are votes.

In my adult life, this is the biggest cluster I have seen. Ever. Big cities are crying out for help due to a growing MS-13 gang problem. Our young people are dying with needles stuck in their arms. Kids are being trafficked. And yet, all the DEMOCRATS can do is obstruct. 

How will this end? I have no clue. I do know this however - we have nobody to blame but ourselves. Nobody. What is happening on the southern border is a self inflicted wound. Remember this in November of 2020. If you want morons to keep wrecking the country, just keep voting DEMOCRAT. 

How to become a high tax state

"Another way to become a high taxed state is to take a cavalier attitude about holes in the budget. In particular, fraud, waste and abuse." 

Listen up you westerners from South Dakota and Wyoming. You also Nevada, Texas and Florida. Plus anyone else who lives in a low or no tax state. Becoming a high tax state is not very hard at all. All you need do is take your foot off the brake and hit the accelerator as hard as possible. Then you need a soulless, shameless home town news rag which keeps reminding the minions we are a "high tax AND high service state." What does that mean? Stay tuned.

For a Democrat, becoming a high service state is simply handing out money like candy. Ever wonder why this state has become a mecca  for 150,000 Somalis? Hint: It ain't the weather. Ever wonder why when some crime gangster gets busted, he or she often times has come here from Detroit or Chicago? The reputation of our largest city in neighboring states is in the nickname - "Moneyapolis". That once fine city has become such a welfare magnet, a drive through the Cedar Riverside area is like a drive though a different country.

I know, I know. We spend most of our money on education. How is that working out? Never seems like enough, and since most districts have trouble with math when it comes to budgeting, the hand is always out for more. And more. And more. What the state does need is a re-do on how we educate. Better product for less money. GASP! Yes, that is blasphemy in a state which is controlled and run by Education Minnesota.

Another way to become a high taxed state is to take a cavalier attitude about holes in the budget. In particular, fraud, waste and abuse. One fine Democrat law maker, when confronted by how much health and human services money seems to vanish into thin air every year, was non-pulsed. "Oh there is fraud in everything these days. We can never control all of it." With that, she went on her way. I wonder if she would feel the same if someone was phishing $100 out of her checking account each month.

Minnesota can serve as an example - a bad example. This state is ripe for change, for a new direction. But so long as you have statists and socialists running the legislature, we will be stuck in the tax and spend ditch. Are we getting a good bang for the buck in this state? Not a bit. The "bang" is more like a soft "pop". 

  

False flag, or red flag

"We no not want war. But if the Dogs of War are itching to get out in Iran, bring it on. We will make it quick, but maybe not that painless."

Okay. After listening to Fox News on the way home from more flower and plant shopping, I was a bit taken back. It seems our State Department has issued a "get out of Dodge" warning for any American (other than combat ready assets), who is living in Iraq. Why? It seems that intel (which we are not privy of), has exposed a threat of the gravest danger. In fact, the warning from the State Department stated, (my paraphrase), "leave or be kidnapped or killed". Wow! From Iran!

We are going to war! We have the USS Lincoln task force, a bomber wing composed of the ancient, yet effective B-52's, in the theater. With all that fire power, we are ready to kick butt and take names! Only one small problem however - the Brits say there is no threat. And the Democrats in the House agree with the Brits.

Not to bring this up again, but as a retired Naval Officer with a high level security clearance, when there is a bunch of smoke, there usually is some kind of fire. We (the public) knows about 10% (or less) of what is going on. The rest (if real), the government knows.

The Iranians believe this is a False Flag, put up by the Americans. My take - maybe, but doubtful. Too many leaky wickets to go through in our government to let this remain a ruse (or False Flag). My feeling - where there is a whole lot of smoke, there is at least some smoking timbers. 

Was this some kind of trap to lure one of our prized carriers into an ambush? I know of some of the ship defenses for the carrier group, but not all of them. Even the ones I know of could be a good deterrent for anti-ship missiles, hyper sonic or not. But even if they landed a punch, knock out, or whatever - the return volley would put an end to the land once known as the Persian Empire.

Back to the question. False Flag or Red Flag. It is unlikely the United States would pull this kind of ruse on our allies and the world-wide media. Possible? Yes. Probable? No. My advice is to stay close to the news the next day or so. If there is smoke under those embers, they will ignite fast. If if is just a False Flag, it will soon fade into history.

What I would give to have my clearance back (if I had the right ticket). Do I think we are going to war with Iran? Not unless they are nuts. But we have seen once the Shah was deposed - they can be nuts. 

We do not want war. But if the Dogs of War are itching to get out in Iran, bring it on. We will make it quick, but maybe not that painless.

The needle in our arms...

"Would we be paying more for things made here rather than in China? Absolutely. But they would NOT be made by kids in a sweat shop."

Relax folks - this has nothing to do with drugs - sort of. Unless you consider our dependence on China a drug. Flash back in time about 40 years or so. Some folks had a bumper sticker which read "Buy a foreign car and help 10 Americans lose their jobs". Back then it made some sense. Toyota and Honda were made in Japan. Euro brands were made in Europe. American cars were made here. Today however, that bumper sticker would make little sense, as parts of cars are made in many parts of the world.

Flash forward to now. Over the years, the globalist tug has been for us to be massive world traders. Only one small problem. We allowed the playing field to be very tipped. We allowed much of our manufacturing to be outsourced to developing countries who were hungry for it. As such, we started to develop trade deficits. First smallish, then not so smallish. China, who was the receiver of much of our outsourcing, developed a HUGE trade surplus with us. And they were just about as happy as a clam in doing so.

All of a sudden, when we look around our houses, our places of business, our whatever, and we can see one common sight - "Made in China". Having Chinese "stuff" has become a drug for us. A needle in our arm. And because China comes outside out OSHA rules, it has been thought for years that China uses child labor in modern day "sweat shops." Plus, they are world class polluters. Bottom line? We get lots of stuff very cheap. Not very well made at times, but cheap.

Besides developing one heck of a trade surplus with us, there was another benefit for China. Out and out theft. First let me say this. When a company comes up with a better mousetrap, it is covered by patent. It is fair game for others to try and reverse engineer parts of it, so long as the patent is not infringed. HOWEVER - when level 3 drawings (which is the recipe for how to make an item) are sent to China and then copied or stolen - that is a different story. China has been doing this to us for years, and we have complained at times - but little else.

Enter Donald Trump. He has seen this needle in our arm for years, and hates it. Does he hate China? Not a bit. He would like to trade with China - it is after all, a huge market. But he wants fair and reciprocal trading. He sent our best and brightest to try and broker a fair trade agreement. We almost got there, but all of a sudden, China reneged on some very important points. So it fell apart, and we ended up putting tariffs on each other.

The other day, I put something on social media which drew some fire. I said I liked buying American goods made in America. That got me taken to the woodshed by some friends. One person told me I did not know what I was talking about, as the pain for some small companies will be intense - maybe fatal. No doubt it will be. But I think most former drug addicts will confess that going cold turkey to get the "needle out of the arm" can be painful. Necessary, but painful. 

Would we be paying more for things made here rather than in China? Absolutely. But they would NOT be made by kids in a sweat shop. Or they might be made in another country with better labor conditions and a more fair trade agreement. Or they could still be made in China, once we strike a better trade agreement. 

How will this saga end? Stay tuned folks, history is once again being made right in front of us. I think the President will do everything possible to mitigate the pain on our businesses. But we HAVE TO get this needle out of our arm, for once and for all.