No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth!

Ronald Reagan

Back in February of 2015 I wrote a satirical article titled “Paperwork Reduction” with the goal of showing how a good idea can lead to a sprawling government “make work” department that starts out with a noble goal and metastasizes  into a “forever” deep state bureaucracy.  The people working in this bureaucracy are not evil.  Mostly good folks like you and I doing a job to make a living and hoping the job will never go away and they can retire to a comfortable old age. 

What gets lost in the process is what is actually being accomplished and what is the end result of their efforts in the way of practical “stuff” that benefits the lives of we citizens?  Our governments, federal, state and even local have many such departments, agencies, bureaus etc. which started out with a perceived need to solve a problem and have grown into behemoth monsters that consume huge amounts of tax dollars to operate and produce little or no tangible results from their original goal and charter.

Just to mention a couple:  1. The 158 Billion Dollar a year Department of Energy  which was formed in 1977 and was originally tasked with making the United States Energy independent.  After 40+ years of effort, we achieved energy independence for only a short period of time when the department got out of the way of private enterprise.  2. The 88 Billion Dollar a year Federal Department of Education was formed in 1980.  Why do they exist?  Education should be a state function.  There are many others.  Many of these departments and agencies have budgets in the Tens of Billions of Dollars and employees in the Tens of Thousands or more.  Ever wonder why our nations “Debt Clock” is at 32 Trillion Dollars and growing?

Do any of the above noted government departments put groceries on our table, gas in our tanks or pay our rent?  You can say yes if you get your paycheck from them.  Otherwise the tax money they take from you to run these agencies only makes the cost for these necessities of life more expensive for you.  Remember, these agencies and departments don’t make anything you wear, eat or drive around in.  They don’t have to make a profit or justify why they are there.

So, just for fun, and keeping the above in mind, I again share the following “oldie but goodie” asking only if you can justify, beyond keeping some folks employed, what this imaginary department actually accomplishes “at the end of the day” as far as the stated goal for its existence?

PAPERWORK REDUCTION

Just imagine: 

Last night I dreamed that I was working in the California State Department of Paperwork Reduction.

A wonderful place to work that was a model of diversity.  We had one of every race, creed, gender, nationality, religion, mental and physical handicap and everything else you can imagine.  Even different political parties were represented though it was rumored that the token Republican had not been seen in a while and was possibly in a 24 step recovery program.  This is California after all.

We also had employees whose only job was to act as interpreters for employees engaged in conversations in different languages.

The mission of our department is to reduce the excessive use of paper within California to help in the war against Global Climate Change.  Three Hundred and Fifty, dedicated to the cause employees occupying four floors of a state office building in Sacramento.  Working diligently three, sometimes four days a week depending on holidays, vacations, jury duty, sick leave, comp time etc.

To fulfill our mission our job is to produce a 172 page workbook every year that is to be mailed to every place of business in California.  The title of this workbook is: YOUR PLACE IN PAPERWORK REDUCTION.

Within the information packed workbook will be a snap out set of forms (12 pages) which is to be copied and distributed to every employee at each place of business. Each employee is to fill out the 12 page questionnaire, sign it, copy it and then mail back the original to the California State Department of Paperwork Reduction for tabulation and completion of a 1500 page report which is to be distributed annually to all other State Departments.

In addition a copy of the 1500 page tabulated “Final Report” will be sent to each of the businesses within California who participated.

What could possibly go wrong?  This is government at work.

Just for fun,

Bob Bandy – August 2023

The Fall of California – Ikon London Magazine

EVER WONDER WHY GOVERNMENT HOMELESS PLANS DON’T WORK?

IT IS GOVERNMENTS FIRST RESPONSIBILITY TO PROVIDE IT’S CITIZENS WITH A SAFE, CLEAN ENVIRONMENT – SO WHY DO THEY FAIL IN THE FACE OF A HOMELESS EPIDEMIC?

Cities, Counties and States keep coming up with multi-million dollar plans to “Solve the Homeless Crises” but invariably after all the dollars  are spent,  the money disappears and there are more, not less homeless on the streets.  Why?

The easy answers as to why Government Homeless Programs don’t work are well known and I will get them out of the way first.  First, Government always seems to want to solve problems by throwing money at them, most of which gets eaten up in bureaucracy, waste and a lack of accountability.  Second, Government programs invariably fail to truly deal with the underlying cause of the problem and instead use these programs to say “Look how much I care by helping create this big pool of money to fix the problem”. 

The real reason these programs invariably fail is because politicians; Mayors, Governors, Legislators and City, County and other “Public Servants”, have no real personal incentive in solving the problem.  Creating media coverage and authorizing huge amounts of money to be doled out to their political supporters through the Multi-Million Dollar “Programs” makes their supporters rich and some of that money finds its way back into their own political coffers.  Most of the money gets paid out to “Consultants”, “Experts”, “Contractors”, “Specialists”, “Administrators”, “Staff”. etc. etc..  A year later the money is all gone, there are more homeless than there were before the program began and the politicians are back saying “We just didn’t spend enough to solve the problem and here is our new plan which will cost a “Gazillion” more Dollars but this time it will work.”  “Trust us”.

Understand, these “programs” are “Cash Cows” and if their plans worked we wouldn’t need to fund their next “Program” because the problem has been solved and so…..  no more endless pool of money for their supporters and benefactors to draw from.  The “Cash Cow” dies.  Rule #1 for “Smart Politicians” is NEVER kill a “Cash Cow”.

This is happening across the country, from Seattle to New York and up and down the State of California including San Francisco, Los Angeles and many other cities.  I live near Sacramento and we have had several years of multi-million dollar plans, all of which have not worked.  Intentional or unintentional, all these plans are a scam which costs the taxpayer without solving the homeless problem.

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JUST FOR CONTRAST HERE IS BOB’S PLAN TO REDUCE HOMELESSNESS 

1.  City streets, sidewalks and all public areas to be safe, clean and sanitary at all times.  Hosed down/washed clean on an unannounced irregular schedule as needed.

2. Strict law enforcement against public drunkenness, drug use, urination, “defecating”, aggressive “panhandling” and obscenity (nudity).

3. No general welfare funds without verifiable certificate of being tested drug free or active, current certification in rehabilitation drug or alcohol program. No exceptions.

4. If you don’t like my rules, leave town and look for greener pastures somewhere else.

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As an example of typical “Government” solutions  I am including below an excerpt from an article I posted back in August of 2021:

The Mayor’s 100 Million Dollar Homeless Plan

from August 2021

Almost two years ago Sacramento, California Mayor Darrell Steinberg and the City Council approved a 22.5 Million Dollar one year plan for Sacramento’s homeless.  The plan was to provide housing and beds for some 750 homeless.  (Search “Tweedledum & Tweedledee” on this site) At the time I calculated that the cost per proposed homeless recipient to be $29,605 per person assisted and questioned if any of these decision makers owned a calculator.

“Mayor Steinberg also approved tiny apartments in a renovated old downtown hotel, which cost more than $445,000 per unit for about 250 square feet of living space, as the Globe reported. This project only benefitted the union contractors.” (see California Globe Aug. 6, 2021)

The homeless problem has continued to grow worse, not better.

Now Major Steinberg and the City Council has approved a 100 Million Dollar plan on a unanimous City Council vote.

This plan is targeting about 9,000 people living on the streets and byways of downtown Sacramento.

A SPIN CITY NARRATIVE

Conrad Blowhard is the Mayor of Spin City, California.  His city has become infested with homeless encampments and vagrants numbering in the thousands.  To some this would seem a problem but Mayor Blowhard sees an opportunity.  

He will convince his City Council that in an effort to help the homeless and decrease their numbers on the cities streets and alleys he would like them to pass a funding bill in the amount of 80 Million Dollars with the proceeds dedicated to renovating a dilapidated, nearly abandoned hotel down on “Skid Row” and convert it’s 80 rooms into housing for the homeless.  The City Council passes the funding request and pats themselves on the back for “caring” about the homeless.

Closed bidding contracts are let out to major contractors who are supporters and donors to the Mayor for the work to be done.  A ceremonial event is held at the Foggy Bottom Hotel with the Mayor swinging a sledge hammer through a faded door of a shoddy 200 square foot room in front of live television cameras.  Everybody applauds.

Work begins.  Some effort is made to rid the building of most of the rats, termites and other vermin which infest it.  The leaking roof is patched.  Contractors workers “freshen up” the rooms with new paint, carpet, updated (cheap) fixtures from China and new window coverings.  Cost per room renovated is $400,000.  In addition, the hotel gets a new name:  “NEW BEGINNING’S” and a single fresh coat of exterior paint. 

Grand Opening Day arrives.  Brass Bands and Ribbon Cutting.  Mayor Blowhard and City Council members make grandiose speeches about how they have solved the cities Homeless Crisis.  A few ragged homeless people are seen entering the building to take occupancy of their renovated 200 square foot “apartments”.

The Mayor’s handpicked contractors, sub-contractors and suppliers go out and spend their profits on new boats, sports cars and luxury vacations but not forgetting to “tithe” back some of those profits to the Majors campaign re-election coffers.

The 80 “new” tenants of the once dilapidated hotel settle in and begin the task of de-renovation on the hotel to turn it back into a Skid Row Manor.  

The whole process is “spun” as a huge success and praise and credit is layered on all who participated in the project.  What could possibly go wrong.  Housing was provided, at least temporarily, for 80 homeless people for only 80 Million Dollars.  “WINK – WINK”.

P.S. I would like to give inspirational credit to Michael J. Fox and his long ago television series “Spin City”.

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TOO MANY POLITICIANS SEE HOMELESSNESS NOT AS A PROBLEM BUT AN OPPORTUNITY.

Bob Bandy – July 2023

Ronald Reagan

“…… government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem.”

 For regular readers of my articles, many might get the impression that I dislike government in general and also those who work in government.  This is not the case.  Most of the people who work in government are like you and I; working at a job to support our families with a hope of someday a comfortable retirement in our “golden years” with an adequate pension for our needs.  Most government workers endeavor to do a good job and should be thanked for doing so.  They are not the problem.

The “problem” with most government agencies is structural.  I will explain:  In my perfect world government should be responsible for National Defense, limited International Diplomacy and as a mediator to provide cohesion in those cases where there are conflicting interests between the individual states.  (Move the United Nations Headquarters to North Korea and cancel our membership).  Almost all other matters should be handled by the individual states and many of their functions should be contracted out with specific requirements, results and limitations – not the “blank checks” we often give to Government Departments and Services.  Police and Fire Protection, Public Education, Health and Sanitation services,  Emergency Services, Highway Maintenance, Water and Waste Management Services etc.

With government, not just Federal but all too often State and Local, a perceived problem is not handled with a meeting, finding a solution and then a plan to solve the problem on a contract basis at a specific cost within a specified time period by an independent contractor.  Government invariably decides the “problem” is a crisis that demands the creation of a whole new Branch of Government headed up by a Czar or Cabinet Secretary, a big new budget, buildings, employees, office furniture, a fleet of vehicles,  endless new regulations, an annual budget with a built in annual increase of usually 10% or more.  To paraphrase Ronald Reagan, “A Government Agency is the nearest thing to eternal life we will experience on earth”.  Once such a Branch of Government is created it has no incentive whatever to actually solve a problem and put all these people out of work.  That does not make them evil, just self serving which is a natural human trait.  The end result is horribly inefficient and these agencies end up going on year after year, growing in size and budget and too often not producing any tangible result.

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A True Example from an article I wrote and originally published in 2012

(April 2012) Does anybody remember the reason given for the establishment of the Department of Energy during the Carter Administration?  Bottom line is, we’ve spent several hundred billion dollars in support of an agency…. the reason for which not many who read this can remember!

The Department of Energy was instituted on 8/04/1977,  TO LESSEN OUR DEPENDENCE ON FOREIGN OIL.   Now it’s 2012 —- 35 years later —- and the budget for this “necessary” department is $24.2 Billion a year.  It has 16,000 Federal Employees and approximately 100,000 contract employees and look at the job it has done!  35 years ago 30% of our oil consumption was foreign imports.  Today 70% of our oil consumption is foreign imports…..  Great job!   Good old Federal bureaucracy.  (And we could supply all our oil needs from the USA)…. 

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(2023 update) The Department of Energy proposed budget for 2023 is $48.2 Billion Dollars and it has 14,000 full time employees.  

Let us assume as a given that all 14,000 of these Department of Energy employees (and their families) are all wonderful, dedicated to the Departments Mission of making the the United States Energy Independent and you would just love to live next door to them and share a Bar-B-Que on the weekends. Ever wonder what these 14,000 employees do every day? Is there power flowing out of the Department of Energy Headquarters Building into the nations power grid?  Maybe you could ask them at your next Bar-B-Que? 

The Administration is now running around the world begging for oil from Saudi Arabia, Venezuela, Mexico, Canada, “whoever”, while our current Administration has sold a million barrels of oil out of our National Strategic (Emergency) Oil Reserve to China.

The Department of Energy was formed in 1977 with the mission to make the United States less dependent on Foreign Oil.  If we kind of average out their annual budget over the last 46 years they have spent something in the lofty neighborhood of a Trillion Taxpayer Dollars and the U.S. is now going “hat in hand” to unfriendly nations begging for them to produce more oil for us.  This despite the fact the United States has enough energy reserves to supply our needs for at least 200 years.  We just need to pump it out of the ground.  This appears a little too complicated for these 14,000 employees to figure out.  Guess they will need to write a few more hundred pages of “Regulations”. 

In all those near 46 years the United States reached Energy Independence for a brief period of time near the end of the Trump Administration when the Government got the, excuse me, “hell out of the way”, and gave the nation’s energy producers a window to produce not only enough energy for our own use but also excess energy we could export to the world.

I’m still waiting to hold in my hand the bright, shiny thing produced for me by the Department of Energy!

This is your Government at Work.  How do you like it so far?  Want more Government Agencies on a “Mission”?

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OTHER GOVERNMENT “SUCCESS” PROGRAMS

Government Poverty Programs have produced, you guessed it, Poverty.   In California programs for the Homeless have, you guessed it again, produced more Homelessness.  

In FY 2023 total US government spending on welfare — federal, state, and local — is “guesstimated” to be $1,494 billion, (That is near 1 .5 Trillion Dollars) including $890 billion for Medicaid, and $604 billion in other welfare.  Have we seen any improvement in our inner-city ghettos, homelessness, reductions in crime or drug use?

In the meantime our $68 Billion Dollar Federal Department of Education Public Schools programs are focusing on Indoctrination and not Education. While children in China are learning about math and science our children are being taught about personal pro-nouns and being groomed for trans-gender medical procedures  in the third, forth and fifth grades by activist teachers and a curriculum that their parents are denied access to. 

I could go on and on.  So you see, it is not the people who work in government, it is just the nature of too many available/deficit borrowed  taxpayer dollars and not enough fiscal discipline and common sense.

Bob Bandy – June 2023

Waiting Your Turn 

A Diesel Powered Charger

A good friend of mine recently returned from a visit to his brother in Arizona and related to me that the Electric Vehicle Charging Station in Baker, California was 100% in use with a long line of electric vehicles along the highway waiting to get into the station for a re-charge before crossing the desert.  Sounds like fun doesn’t it.  Waiting for perhaps 1-3 hours to recharge your vehicles battery while you roast in the sun. 

It got me to thinking of  a satirical spoof article I wrote some 5 1/2 years ago about living in California with a far out in left field governor prepared to destroy the state in his quest to pursue the Climate Change Scam being forced on our states citizens.  And, he wonders why the exodus from California continues and is gaining momentum.  As Bugs Bunny used to say:  What a maroon.  This while he blows past 100 Billion Dollars on California’s High Speed Rail to nowhere which has never carried a single passenger a single mile.  (in search box type – California’s High Speed Rail 2.0 and hit enter). 

My 2017 article follows below.

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FAIR SHARE TAXES AND GLOBAL CLIMATE CHANGE

I have information from reliable but nameless and secret sources that the State of California is very near announcement of a two fold plan for a Fair Share Universal Tax to help fund the War on Global Climate Change.

First, in recognition that exhaling releases carbon dioxide gas which is a contributor to Global Climate Change,  every resident or visitor to the State of California will be required to have a micro chip implant that will both monitor and report each time they exhale to the State of California.

This data will be forwarded to the Franchise Tax Board who will calculate the tax due and be responsible for collecting the scheduled tax from “Breathers”.  At the time of this writing the tax rate being considered is one tenth of a cent per exhale.  This may seem  a paltry sum until one calculates that the average adult respiratory rate is about 15 times per minute or 900 times per hour.  Do a little math and the average cost of exhaling in California will be about 90 cents an hour or $21.60 a day.

This tax can be avoided by simply no longer exhaling and residents and visitors can take comfort in the fact that inhaling is still free.  At least for now.

For the Second phase of this battle consideration is being given to the fact that methane is also a contributor to Global Climate Change and it is the responsibility of all of us to pay our Fair Share Tax in the battle to monitor and reduce the release of this gas into California’s breathable air resources.

It is also a scientific fact that flatulence is a major contributor to the release of methane into the atmosphere. Therefore, California is creating a new agency to monitor and tax the unwanted release of this gas.  To fund this Board and its employees a new source of revenue will be created through the establishment of a Flatulence Air Resource Tax.  (the acronym for this is  “California F.A.R.Tax”)

Under development is a new monitoring device to be worn by all residents and visitors on the rear upper portion of the thigh which will sense, tabulate and report to the Board all releases of methane gas by the wearer.

The Board will then forward this information to the California Franchise Tax Board who will be responsible for billing and collecting the approved tax.  At this writing a rate of $1.00 per release is under consideration.  Think of it as an exhaust gas tax.

Taxpayers can avoid this tax by simply not releasing any methane gas through the monitored process.

The State agency for this Board is reporting some difficulty in recruiting, hiring and training workers who will be responsible for checking and monitoring individuals at random to be sure they are wearing the methane release and sound monitoring device and that it is working properly.

Formal announcement of this new Fair Share Tax and implementation of monitoring should be released through the media within the next 60 days.

All tax rates are subject to review and increase depending on Battlefield Assessment Reports from the ongoing War against Global Climate Change and subject to review and correction by former Vice President Al Gore.

What could possibly go wrong? ( Bob Bandy – Nov 2017)

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And the governments Climate Change Follies continue at a state and federal level.

Bob Bandy – April 2023

Central Bank Digital Currency

The risks associated with a CBDC are endless because government’s authority will grow stronger.  It is all about control.

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…..So they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name.  Revelations 13:17

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FACT

AT SOME POINT IN TIME, DATE TO BE DETERMINED, ALL THE COINS AND CURRENCY IN CIRCULATION WILL HAVE TO BE SURRENDERED TO THE GOVERNMENT AND EXCHANGED FOR DIGITAL ONLY CURRENCY.  ANY PAPER MONEY OR COINAGE NOT EXCHANGED BY THAT DATE WILL BE WORTHLESS AND NOT SPENDABLE IN COMMERCE.  IT WILL BE JUST SO MUCH SCRAP PAPER AND JUNK METAL.

“WE ARE YOUR GOVERNMENT AND ARE HERE TO HELP YOU”

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A WHIMSICAL AND EVEN CYNICAL LOOK AT WHAT WE CAN EXPECT FROM OUR LORDS IN WASHINGTON IN A REAL WORLD COMING EVENT

We are being told that we are within perhaps months of our government converting most of us (ruling class excepted)  to a digital currency and cashless society.  All of us would have an individual digitized sort of “pre-paid” “debit” card.  At some point in the future it is planned that you will no longer need to carry a card, your number could simply be implanted by tattoo in your forehead. 

Digital currency is already being launched in Europe and will likely be implemented here in the U.S. in a similar way.  In at least one country it is being introduced with transactions above $1,000 being allowed only with digital “currency” during the initial phase.  No cash, no checks, no paper currency, no magic beans, no IOU’s, zero, zip, nada.  Only digital transactions.  During the introductory period “regular” cash, checks and credit card transactions will be permitted for transactions of less than $1,ooo.

HERE IS WHAT WE IN THE UNITED STATES CAN EXPECT

First: A Government announcement which will sound something like this: 

Your government has put together a carefully selected diverse committee to implement a transition and evolution from a tired and failing system of coins, currency and checking accounts to an equitable and inclusive 21st Century method of handling all your financial needs. 

This committee was comprised of carefully selected and  trained experts in financial management in a Diverse, Equity and Inclusive environment and whose members had previously honed their financial skills at the Silicon Valley Bank in California.  Heading up this committee was the Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris, to share her own skills, expertise and articulate style to fine tune the conversion plan.  

Also joining the committee were members of the Treasury Department and Federal Reserve to share their expertise in proper money discipline and management with their years of experience in managing and growing the nations 31+Trillion Dollar Debt.  A further addition to the team was  Congress person Alexandria Ocasio Cortez with her degree in Math and Finance.  One of the committee members was overheard welcoming “AOC” to the committee, adding something about a fish needing a bicycle.

In her opening statement to the committee Vice President Harris stated that it was her intent to lead them as they plan their work and work a plan and then implement the plan to work with the American people on a financial plan in a planned way that will work for them as they plan their financial futures.  Also something about a yellow school bus and craters on the moon but not all of it was caught in the recording.  The Vice President also shared with them her personal six ‘P’ guide for success: 

“People Planned Plans Provide Plan Performance” 

Rollout of the approved plan is expected as soon as the Committee’s chosen Digital Currency Czar and Administrator, former Congress person “Fast Freddy Finegold” is released from prison on his conviction for Racketeering and Credit Card Fraud.

Second:  Expect Government to roll out a carefully crafted introduction to sell you on this new Digital Currency by pointing out all the benefits of the plan.  For example; you will no longer need to plan your own finances, handle filthy currency, write checks or even make sometimes difficult buying decisions.  Since all of your information, supplied by metadata algorithms from Google, including medical history, past purchase records, food preferences, etc. etc. will be stored on your new digital money card.   A no name, faceless bureaucrat in a cubicle in Washington D.C. or perhaps an A.I. Robot, will be able to “help you” discipline your spending with a few keystrokes by activating or deactivating your digital currency for certain items.  Limit or prohibit your purchase of gasoline for your car for example. They/it can even allow you to purchase only certain WOKE approved products from certified WOKE approved companies.  This will make your shopping decisions much easier.  Feeling better already aren’t you!

Third: Expect the government to extol the potential crime reduction possibilities by making it more difficult to engage in criminal activities.  In concept, if you do not have any cash available, your street corner seller of illegal drugs is not going to sell to you.  However, not to worry, the criminal element will always find a way around any laws.  Your local dealer might not be able to sell you Crack Cocaine but he can sell you a bag of dried fish or whatever (wink – wink).  The same with all other criminal endeavors.  You don’t really think the drug cartels, organized crime or disorganized crime will simply go out of business do you?  Remember Prohibition?

Finally, take comfort in the fact that the Committee had the complete plan and all its details declared “Top Secret” and the “Eyes Only” Document securely placed in a half empty case of “Bud Light” stored on a shelf behind President Biden’s Corvette in his Delaware residence garage.  Further security is provided by a $4 Chinese combination padlock on the garage door with only the President, his son Hunter and one un-named business associate having the combination to the padlock.  That should do it.

“The Plan” of course excludes the Ruling Class. Their “Digital Currency Cards” will have no spending limits, no “disciplined” bureaucratic monitoring, no tracking of what they buy,  just unlimited buying power without explanations or consequences.  

What could possibly go wrong.  Your Government at work.

Bob Bandy – April 2023

SILICON VALLEY BANK

R.I.W.P.

(Rest In WOKE Peace)

To steal an old saying:

Giving Tens of Billions of Dollars to a bunch of WOKE Bankers

is like giving whiskey and your new car keys to a teenager.

The collapse of the Silicon Valley Bank has created some level of chaos in the Financial Markets.  I am no expert on banking and my own experience over the years has been that my own bank is not my friend and the most I can hope for is that they would keep my meager savings safe from robbers. 

We are told now that those who had money in Silicon Valley Bank will be reimbursed by the Federal Reserve even if their deposits exceeded FDIC Insurance limits.  The fact that many of these depositors were heavy Democratic Donors and had Millions of Dollars on deposit at SVP is, I am sure, a coincidence and had nothing to do with Joe Biden’s decision.  Our President has said this will happen without impacting taxpayers.  This is code speak to say the Federal Reserve with some smoke and mirrors will fire up the printing presses and simply print the Billions of Dollars to cover the losses of the banks failures.

It is widely reported in the media that the Silicon Valley Bank was proudly WOKE and practiced “Diversity – Equity – Inclusion” as a corporate theme.  I believe their resultant failure is what happens if you let your political and social agenda take priority over a sound business agenda.  Gets me to thinking……..

A new baseball season is starting and teams are forming.

Manager number one calls in his recruiters and scouts and gives them the following instructions:   Go find me players who want to play on a winning team.  Players who are focused on being the best and work hard at it for the good of the team and their fans.   We want players who can excite the crowd with their excellence on the field that will bring the fans back game after game wanting more.  I don’t care what color they are, what their nationality is, what their religion is, what they do in their free time, what their politics are or their sexual orientation.  Keep all that off the field.  Whether we are at practice or in a game we are a team and play as a team with a common goal.  Never lose sight of the fact that we are on that field to play Baseball, not make political statements.

Manager number two calls in his recruiters and scouts and gives them the following instructions: This is the 21st Century and we want to build a team that “looks like America”.  Find players who are an obvious cross section of our Diversity – Equity – Inclusion goals.  Recruit equal numbers of  Black, Brown and White players and be sure to include a token Asian.  We want to show fans a cross section of Transgender, Gay, and physical diversity.  At the end of each inning have the players rotate to new positions so they get the full benefit of “Inclusiveness”. All practice sessions will include Critical Race Theory training as well as Gender Options Studies and, of course, lessons in Diversity, Equity and Inclusiveness.  We want players who are socially involved.  Players will be excused from practice to attend important events such as “Climate Change”, Black Lives Matter and similar rally’s.   Players should be encouraged to promote their “Diversity” on and off the field and especially when interfacing with the media.  Players need to understand that it’s not important whether we win or lose a game.  Our goal is to showcase “Diversity – Equity – Inclusion” to educate fans attending the game.

Which team do you think has the best chance to win a championship?

Now apply these same principles to our Military and other public service where real teamwork and common goals are critical.  If your first priority is having a WOKE agenda of Diversity – Equity – Inclusiveness what you end up with is what we in the military used to call a group of monkeys playing football. 

Are you scared yet.

Bob Bandy – March 2023