Stop Pulling the Wagon

The Toronto Star

“WINK – WINK”

A MAN ASKS HIS FRIEND: “HAVE YOU BEEN SLEEPING WITH MY WIFE?”

HIS FRIEND ANSWERS: “NOT A WINK”

The one thing in this world that is often more damaging than an outright lie is a partial truth which is in reality a lie covered with the lipstick of a misleading truth.  For example: Our President recently said that illegal border crossings had decreased by 97 percent from three countries.  What he did not say was that illegal border crossings from the other 101 countries invading our southern border had actually increased. 

But, he is not alone.  Politicians, Advertisers, Attorneys and many others in our human race do the same thing.  Sometimes it is to get you to buy their product.  Sometimes it is to escape punishment for a misdeed.  Sometimes it is simply intended to misdirect your attention just as a magician gets you to focus on the shiny object in his right hand while his left hand picks your pocket.

With politicians it has become a true “Art Form”.   Politicians send  spokespersons out with a line like:  “Senator Foghorn” is aware of the tax burden you are suffering from and has his team working on a solution to hold down your taxes by having those greedy rich corporations pay their “fair share”.   Senator Foghorn is fully aware that corporations don’t pay taxes…..  their customers do.  If you raise corporate taxes the corporation must raise the price on the shampoo they sell to pay the taxes.  Ultimately the customer pays those taxes in the form of higher prices.

Advertisers do much the same thing with “weasel words” in their ads.  Phrases like “Big Beefy Taste” (no Beef) or “Chocolatey” (no chocolate).

A good example of a government “spin” is the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.  The name of the act is itself a “spin” because it will not only not reduce inflation, it will cost 20 Billion Dollars in new taxes and will actually increase inflation. 

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 innovated 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”.

Bob Bandy – March 2023

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

In the news last week it was announced that not one student

in any school in Baltimore was proficient at grade level math.

Reminds me of the United States Congress

Back in February 2011 I wrote an article, which I intended to be humorous, about a plan to destroy the U.S. economy and impoverish we citizens.  At that time, just 12 short years ago, the National Debt stood at 14.1 Trillion Dollars.  Today our Nations Debt stands at 31.5 Trillion Dollars.  We have added 17.4 Trillion Dollars to the debt we will be leaving our children and grandchildren in those 12 years.   

Just announced, The Congressional Budget office projects a National Debt of 52 Trillion Dollars by 2033.

It seems Congress used my instructions as a blueprint for action and unfortunately what I wrote as a spoof is happening.  Sorry!

This is what I wrote in that article back in 2011

“If  I wanted to destroy the United States economy and impoverish its citizens here is what I would do in five steps:

Step 1.  I would seek out and recruit incompetent people to infiltrate and take charge of our government.  Next, I would split them into two groups, which I will call, lets see, how about “Congress” and “Administration”.  The folks chosen  need not be co-conspirators,  just big spenders with big egos and no common sense.  All of these folks would be given unlimited borrowing and spending  power and the bills would be sent to the taxpayers.

Step 2.  I would have laws and regulations passed to make it nearly impossible for any individual or company to drill, mine, extract or in any way acquire any of the natural resources we need as a nation, within the physical boundaries or territorial waters of the United States.  All such needed materials would be required to be imported, preferably from countries not friendly to us.  This would be done in the name of protecting the environment.

Step 3.  I would have the government pass laws and regulations to punish hard work and financial success either by individuals or companies with a combination of regulations, fees and  confiscatory taxes.    For whatever “profits” were left over after the fees and taxes were paid I would unleash packs of morally bankrupt, ravenous Trial Lawyers to file endless lawsuits and litigation.   This would encourage any individual or company to move production (and jobs) out of the U.S. to places with more friendly environments to manufacturing and employers.

Step 4.  I would have “my” government reward laziness, incompetence and failure with government handouts, grants, promotions, do nothing projects and various “freebies”.  These same people could later be hired into government “make work  jobs” in a variety of government agencies and departments  where nothing useful or productive is accomplished or expected.   That way they could continue to get paid for producing nothing and retire to fat lifetime pensions and benefits .  They would fit right in.

Step 5.  I would make sure the government kept increasing the national debt to the point that even paying the interest on the debt became impossible.  They could then destroy any remaining wealth in the country by hyper-inflating the currency,  just as Germany did following World War I.   In Germany at that time it got to the point that it took a wheelbarrow full of money to buy a loaf of bread.  For a more recent example one need only look to Zimbabwe where inflation reached 79600000000% per month in just the last couple of years.” 

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

As a reference point, if “we” pay 5% interest (less than our current rate of inflation) on “our” debt of 31.5 Trillion Dollars the interest cost for 2023 would be 1.575 Trillion Dollars.  The United States Federal budget for 2023 is 1.582 Trillion Dollars – This is the “so called” discretionary Budget as the rest of Federal spending is on “auto pilot”.  The expected “shortfall” deficit in this budget is 1.4 Trillion Dollars which will have to be either covered with the printing press or added to the deficit.  There is not enough Dollars in this Federal Budget to even pay the interest on the debt at todays interest rates.  There would also be no money for any of the other things our government does.  Soooooooo…..  what will the government do.  They will, with some smoke and mirrors, continue to run up the debt and print money which will cause inflation.  Inflation is a tax that affects all of us.  We are experiencing inflation now; have you been grocery shopping lately?  Buckle up!

And to those who say we can pay for it all if we just tax the rich more:  If you taxed all the “rich” at 100%, and you could do it only once, after that there would be no more rich to tax and, it would not begin to fund our governments spending for more than a couple of months.  Then what?

I can lay out a 5 Step plan to turn the corner on the exploding debt and put us on a disciplined plan to fiscal recovery but will absolutely guarantee that those in our government will never put such a plan to work.  Government lacks the desire, the will or the discipline to do what would be required.  They would prefer to “saddle” our children, grandchildren and great grandchildren with crushing inflation and fiscal ruin.

Like most everyone else I prefer an optimistic outlook but fiscal mathematics and debt are like gravity, which does not care what my or your preferences are. 

As I follow the daily news I am thinking the wheels may be starting to come off the wagon.

Bob Bandy – February 2023 

IN THE NEWS:  GOVERNMENT HAS RUN OUT OF BORROWING AUTHORITY

AND NEEDS TO RAISE THE DEBT CEILING – AGAIN

OUR GOVERNMENT REMINDS ME OF A POORLY RUN CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE

With the nations debt having surpassed 31.5 Trillion Dollars the Administration is demanding that Congress raise the debt ceiling “again”.  Like demanding that VISA raise the limit on your credit card after your interest payments on your current VISA balance exceed your ability to pay even the interest on the debt you already have.  Similarly, government is unable to pay current interest rates on the nations debt and uses “smoke and mirrors” to say they are paying a reduced rate.

Looking at our 2023 current annual Federal Budget shows that 23 percent of the $1.7 Trillion Dollar budget is going to pay Social Security Benefits.  That’s $391 Billion Dollars.  But wait……  Social Security was founded as a sort of IRA (Individual Retirement Account) funded by your working career payments, along with employer contributions into a Government “protected” Trust Account which would earn interest over the years and provide you with an income on retirement.  So what happened?

Nearly Four Years Ago I Wrote The Following Article 

True Then – True Now

SOCIAL (IN)SECURITY PONZI SCHEME

GIVING YOUR MONEY TO CONGRESS TO INVEST

IS LIKE GIVING WHISKEY AND CAR KEYS TO A TEENAGER

When I was young and gullible I once believed the Social Security Administration maintained an investment account in my name into which they put my, and my employers Social Security contributions and then added interest during my working career.

This was the BIG LIE we were all led to believe.

What was really happening was all this money was being stolen by Congress to spend as they saw fit and they were replacing the money in the Social Security “Ledger” with worthless I.O.U.’s to be paid out on a supposedly “Pay As You Go” basis from “future” anticipated revenues.  This is the textbook definition of a Ponzi Scheme which they would put us in jail for if we put in practice on others.

The system is structurally Bankrupt and “benefits” (more later) are being paid through a “smoke and mirrors” accounting trick using borrowed deficit spending.  

Instead of an “investment account” maintained in our name, Congress now calls the Social Security “payback” an Entitlement Program as if it was like a Welfare Program.

HEY CONGRESS!  This was money taken out of our checks, at gunpoint when needed, and put into an account supposedly in our name and into which an equal share was paid by our employers – money they could have given to us in salary if it was not being confiscated by the Federal Government.

It is not like these elected “Clowns, Criminals and Lunatics” don’t know what an Actuarial Table is.  They do.  But, they would prefer to treat us all as if we are stupid and not aware of their little “slight of hand” maneuvers with OUR money.

At the present time the Government withholds (confiscates) 6.2% of your gross paycheck for Social Security AND your employer pays to them an additional amount equal to 6.2% of your gross pay.  There are some “thresholds” (upper and lower) on this but for the vast majority of us these numbers apply.  Don’t forget that if your employer was not required to pay this to the Government, they could give it to you in salary.  That totals 12.4%.

Just for fun I took an Actuarial Table (readily available on line – Google) and did a sample based on an average 40 year working career – that is like going to work at 25 years old and retiring at 65 years old.  Some folks make more and some folks make less but for this example I assumed an average annual salary of $50,000 with no increases over the 40 year period.  That would be an average monthly income of $4,166 (and some change).  12.4% of  $4,166 is $516 (rounded down).  If you “plug in” $516 into the Actuarial Table for the first month and then add that amount to your account monthly over a 40 year period  at 4% interest (chump change to a competent Investment Firm) you will end up at the end of your 40 year period with…..  are you ready….. $614,474.00  

But don’t trust me.  Run you own numbers.  At 5% interest that number jumps  to $794,504.00.

You could easily live out the rest of your years when you retire with a nice income and leave the rest to your family or favorite charity.

HELLO CONGRESS!  Where’s my money.

Something to think about.

Bob Bandy – Right Again 🙂 January 2023

one of my better days

THIS IS NOT MY USUAL POSTING

I have posted more than 200 articles over the last 13+ years on many subjects.  Obviously some are better than others and on those articles, where comments were or are allowed, I get a variety of comments and feedback.  Sheer volume of comments keeps me from reading all of them.  I normally gravitate to the shorter “pithy” ones.  Some of my better (in my mind) receive few, and sometimes, no comments.  Others amaze me with the numbers I receive. For example one article I wrote 2 1/2 years ago will today still receive sometimes 30-50 comments in a single day (one day I received 73) and I have received thousands of comments since publishing it.  Keeping in mind that articles are often shared, reposted on other sites, etc. that is an amazing number of comments on a 30 month old article.  

In the left column of the home page there is a “Search For Articles” box.  The Search Box is not case sensitive. You can simply type in a title, a subject or even a key word and then click enter on your keyboard and the search feature will bring up an article or articles on that subject.  For example if you type  Clinton  in the search box it will bring up any and all articles regarding the Clinton Crime Duo.  

Since beginning my writings many thousands of readers have either subscribed or follow my meandering on a Bookmark, RSS Feed or other means.  Trying to find all of my articles – including the not-so-good ones – on a Back – Back – Back basis at the bottom of each page can be a time consuming task. 

Consider the following an exercise in using the “Search” feature.  To repeat the above, just pick a title from the following list, type it, or copy and paste it, from the list in the Search For Articles box and press enter on your keyboard.  The list is purposefully in no particular order and represents an effort to sample some of what I deem better pieces I have written based on either reader feedback or my own judgement.  You are encouraged and free to enjoy or reject them, share them, save them, print them or whatever your choose.  You might even want to print this page/list out  and use it as a checklist in your own “quest for the best”.  For your reading entertainment. 

HAVE FUN:  

Pick a title and type (or copy and paste) into the Search For Articles box

The Nearly Perfect Nation Of Bob – Kingdom of the Locust – Momma Tried – Gender Studies – Critical Bob Theory Boundaries – The Drums of Equity – Go To Your Room And Stay There – Junk Science Ala Carte – The Great Green Race II – You Can’t Make This Stuff Up – Fair Share Taxes and Global Climate Change – Erasing History – Equity Policies and Guaranteed Outcomes – What is a Fair Share – California High Speed Rail 2.0 – The Borg Initiative – The Garden – Oximorons Non Taxpaying Taxpayers – Two Graves – Survival in an Idiocracy – Storage Wars and Government – Clipboard Freedom – Paperwork Reduction – The Social Security Ponzi Scheme – Tipping Point – A Journey to the Dark Side – Was Is Will Always Be – Fixing Income Inequality – Bring On The Clowns – Mark of the Beast – Third Grade Math Party – Vote For Me – Pull The Plug – Protecting The Most Vulnerable – Little Red Hen Oil Company – Boiling The Frog

Don’t forget you can also experiment with a search word of your own choosing, like Frog or Barbarian or ?????

Have Fun and hope some of these articles make you think, whether you agree with my thoughts or not.  My goal has always been to stir thought, not agreement.  I’m not with the Kool Aid drinking crowd.  I am also “WOKE” Free and proud of it.

Bob Bandy – November 2022

Pancho Villa and His Army of the North

Recently I was thumbing through some old Mexico Revolutionary currency I have and came across the below 20 Peso Currency Note which reminded me of a colorful and  interesting piece of historical trivia .  It inspired me to write the following, hopefully poignant bit of possible conjunction of purpose by rulers and leaders with similar goals. 

Pancho Villa had a long and colorful career and there are many stories and contradictions in his biography.  There are numerous  books available and even a Google search is rich with different accounts of his life.  Records of his early life are at best sketchy and often contradictory.  It does appear that in his formative years he worked at various jobs from mining to being a Mule Skinner to soldier in the Mexican Army.

He was an early supporter of Mexican President Francisco Madero,  a successful General, a ruthless Revolutionary Leader, a “Bandit”, for a time supported by America, later renounced by President Woodrow Wilson, pursued by American General Pershing (unsuccessfully), Train Robber, “Robin Hood”, “De-facto” Governor General of the State of Chihuahua,  Commander of his Army of the North, etc. etc..  His complete history is diverse to say the least.

Historically many considered him a hero of the Mexican Revolution, others a vicious outlaw who considered himself a sort of Robin Hood.  He led his armies to many victories including the famous battle for Zacatecas against a seemingly overwhelming Federal Army force.  He also robbed trains for the Silver Bullion they carried and in at least one case his forces killed all but one person on a train including a sizeable number of innocent civilians.

So, depending on your sources and viewpoint he was either a “good guy” Robin Hood or a vicious, heartless “Bandit” killer.  After the Revolution was over the Mexican Government “retired” him to a large Hacienda Rancho which they gifted to him.  He was assassinated in July 1923 in his 1919 Dodge on his way back to his Rancho.

I give to you this very brief and limited biography by way of introduction to an often reported story of how he sometimes raised money to pay for his “Army”.  His troops wanted to be paid in gold and silver because Mexico was “awash” in paper money of little value.  Pancho Villa and his troops would ride into a town or village, go into the local bank and demand all their gold and silver but then tell the “victims” of their visit that “We are not bandits and are not stealing from you.”  “We are paying for your gold and silver with this money” and then leaving the banks with bundles of currency printed under the authority of his “Army of the North” for the State of Chihuahua.  They created virtually bales and bales of this currency and it was, as you can guess, worthless.  You could say it was Pancho Villa’s way of “laundering” money – bad for good.

I find some humor in this story because at one time the United States was on a Gold and Silver Standard and currency was issued and payable at the United States Treasury in real Gold and Silver.  The United States went off the Gold Standard in 1933 and officially ended the Silver Standard in 1935 though they continued minting 90% Silver coins until 1964 and “Silver Certificates” were then discontinued and no longer redeemable in Silver the following year.  What followed was a “fiat” currency and coinage backed up by a Federal Reserve system. 

Now, the United States is considering a “digital” currency which would be “loaded” on a credit card like instrument for wallet or purse.  This digital currency would be monitored electronically and under the complete control of the government who could leave you “penniless” with a few keystrokes on a computer by a bureaucrat should you anger the government in any way.  I wrote about this in a previous article: “A Joe Biden Digital Currency Future?”  If this happens there would be a date certain that all remaining paper currency in circulation would be de-monetized and no longer “legal tender”, i.e. as worthless as Pancho Villa’s State of Chihuahua paper notes.

So.  What is the difference in what Pancho Villa did and what the U.S. Government is in the process of doing?  Has our own Federal Reserve System and Treasury simply studied history and set a path to “rob” the citizenry using a method perfected by Pancho Villa?

Not so funny:  Could there be a time in the not too distant future when a well armed FBI or IRS “Army” rides up and knocks on your door to tell you it is no longer legal for you to own gold or silver (which you control) because the government needs it in the interests of “National Security”.  But, not to worry, they are not stealing your gold and silver and will pay you for it with “Digital Dollars” (which they control).  Hmmmmm.  You think it can’t happen? 

Something to think about.

Bob Bandy – September 2022

I seem to be in a retrospective period at this time and with all the madness and destruction coming out of both Washington D C and Sacramento, California I find myself looking back to a time when I saw more humor in the “Tragi-Comedy” chaos being imposed on our lives by our “leaders”. 

I also get requests from readers to republish “favorite” articles from the past that are still relevant today.  The following is a piece I wrote some 11+ years ago in an attempt to provide some humor to salve the pain of the damage being done by those we elect to “protect & serve” us in public office.  

SOMETIMES SATIRE IS MORE INSTRUCTIVE THAN ANGER

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

MOTHER OF ALL CONSPIRACIES

If  I wanted to destroy the United States economy and impoverish its citizens here is what I would do in five steps:

Step 1.  I would seek out and recruit incompetent people to infiltrate and take charge of our government.  Next, I would split them into two groups, which I will call, lets see, how about “Congress” and “Administration”.  The folks chosen  need not be co-conspirators,  just big spenders with big egos and no common sense.  All of these folks would be given unlimited borrowing and spending  power and the bills would be sent to the taxpayers.

Step 2.  I would have laws and regulations passed to make it nearly impossible for any individual or company to drill, mine, extract or in any way acquire any of the natural resources we need as a nation, within the physical boundaries or territorial waters of the United States.  All such needed materials would be required to be imported, preferably from countries not friendly to us.  This would be done in the name of protecting the environment.

Step 3.  I would have the government pass laws and regulations to punish hard work and financial success either by individuals or companies with a combination of regulations, fees and  confiscatory taxes.    For whatever “profits” were left over after the fees and taxes were paid I would unleash packs of morally bankrupt, ravenous Trial Lawyers to file endless lawsuits and litigation.   This would encourage any individual or company to move production (and jobs) out of the U.S. to places with more friendly environments to manufacturing and employers.

Step 4.  I would have “my” government reward laziness, incompetence and failure with government handouts, grants, promotions, do nothing projects and various “freebies”.  These same people could later be hired into government make work  jobs in a variety of government agencies and departments  where nothing useful or productive is accomplished or expected.   That way they could continue to get paid for producing nothing and retire to fat lifetime pensions and benefits .  They would fit right in.

Step 5.  I would make sure the government kept increasing the national debt to the point that even paying the interest on the debt became impossible.  They could then destroy any remaining wealth in the country by hyper-inflating the currency,  just as Germany did following World War I.   In Germany at that time it got to the point that it took a wheelbarrow full of money to buy a loaf of bread.  For a more recent example one need only look to Zimbabwe where inflation reached 79600000000% per month in just the last couple of years. 

What’s that you say?   I’m too late?  Somebody stole my idea? 

(From February 2011)

Bob Bandy – August 2022