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 

THIS IS NOT A PAID ADVERTISEMENT FROM FOX NATION

THIS IS A NON-PAID 100% ENDORSEMENT  FROM ME

AMERICAN REQUIEM  is a three part series available on Fox Nation either streaming on the internet or through your cable provider – in my case Comcast. It is also available through You Tube.  Fox Nation is a subscription service of Fox News and is very reasonable in price.  If you are a veteran like me they have service available for “free trials” or a couple of dollars a month through the internet and service through your cable provider with a cost for Fox Nation of about $5 or $6 a month.

In my opinion, and that of others, this is a must see documentary series. Further, it is also my personal belief that it should be required viewing in our schools. Their are three episodes and viewing time for all three is about 2 hours.  There are no commercials (when viewed on Fox Nation). 

The three episodes are fascinating, informative and definitely not boring though some of the information provided will likely make you angry at what is happening to America before our very eyes.

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

Carol Swain

America is dying before our eyes. Our economy, culture, and foreign policy
are in decline with few signs of a backlash. The Biden administration and Democrats have
destroyed the country, divided the nation, and surrendered to our enemies.

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

Ronald Reagan

“In [his] farewell address, there was a warning. Reagan said this – all of our accomplishments could vanish into the ether if we forget American history and our heroes, and I think we’re still in the situation that Reagan described in 1989,” Charles Kesler, “Claremont Review of Books” editor, said in the new Fox Nation series, ‘American Requiem.’

“The moral fabric of our country is frayed. It is strained. It is at its breaking point,” he added, pointing to today’s counter-cultural entertainment.

The three-part series available for streaming on Fox Nation delves into the takes of historians, writers and educators who look to America’s past, at its present and into the future to determine its trajectory.

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

Victor Davis Hanson

“Evil is ancient, unchanging, and with us always. The more postmodern the West becomes — affluent, leisured, nursed on moral equivalence, utopian pacifism, and multicultural relativism — the more premodern the evil among us seems to arise in nihilistic response.”

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

The presentation is by many noted and respected scholars, historians and professionals like Victor Davis Hanson, Carol Swain and a good many others.  The series is based on documented facts and not hyperbole.  If you want to know what is happening to the America most of us love this is a MUST SEE series!

Watch the series, tell others about it, share this article with friends, neighbors and relatives.

Bob Bandy – February 2023

UNDERSTANDING THE NATURE OF THE “BEAST”

I would like to preface this piece with a statement.  First, I do not believe the vast majority of those who work in “public service” are evil.  Most are just folks like you and me.  They have families and bills to pay and desire some quality of life with safety and as much financial security as possible. Secondly, some government services are essential, whether performed by employees or contractors:  Safety, Fire Protection, National Defense, Infrastructure Integrity, Education and availability of Health Care for example.

The problem with the “Beast” is that we are all human and desire guaranteed security and do not want to “work ourselves out of a job” so that our services are no longer needed. Many, maybe most, government “services” and agencies were created to solve a problem, but,  if the problem they were created for were ever solved, the agency or department  would no longer be needed.  Example:  If poverty were eliminated there would be no need for a welfare system or the bureaucracy that supports it.  Hence, there is an incentive to prolong the “problem”, even expand it to make it grow.  And, for most employees, they acquire lifetime benefits and retirement pay in a job they can’t be fired from and will never go away.  All paid for by the taxpayers.  Tell me, if you are a career bureaucrat working in that department what incentive do you have for poverty to vanish?

Another example would be the U.S. Department of energy – an article from 2012 follows below.

Ronald Reagan once said: “Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth!”  

An anonymous story of how government programs become “eternal”

Once upon a time the government had a vast scrap yard in the middle of a desert.  Congress said, “Someone may steal from it at night”.  So they created a night watchman position and hired a person for the job.  Then Congress said, “how does the watchman do his job without instruction?”

So they created a planning department and hired two people.  One person to write the instructions, and one person to do time studies.  Then Congress said, “How will we know the night watchman is doing the tasks correctly?”  So they created a Quality Control department and hired two people.  One was to do the studies and one was to write the reports.

Then Congress said, “how are these people going to get paid?”  So they created two positions: a time keeper and a payroll officer, then hired two people.  Then Congress said, “Who will be accountable for all of these people?”  So they created an administrative section and hired three people, an Administrative Officer, Assistant Administrative Officer, and a Legal Secretary.

Then Congress said, “We have had this command in operation for one year and we are $918,000 over budget, we must cut back.”

So they laid off the night watchman.

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

A Real Example

The United States Department of Energy

A Blueprint For Building A Monolithic “Forever” Department Of Waste

Back in April 2012 I wrote an article which included the following illustration of a very real government agency and its history of growth and “achievement”:

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) ……   Update: for 2022 the Department of Energy budget has grown to $44.988 Billion Dollars and we are again importing oil though we have been, for a short time and could again be energy independent if the government would get out of the way.

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

Many other examples of wasteful government spending which grew out of the pregnant thoughts of some bureaucrat to solve real or imaginary problems could be given.  For a humorous look at similar non-problem solutions you might want to  read about California’s Paperwork Reduction Department which I dreamed up back in 2015.  Just type Paperwork Reduction in the search box (left column).  While the illustration is intentionally “over the top” the principal can be seen at work in many government agencies at all levels, especially State and Federal.

Here is one to think about:  Why do we need a $637.7 Billion Dollar Federal Department of Education?  Education should be a State function.  There are so many others.

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

ideal.com

DIVERSITY – EQUITY – INCLUSION

This is the “battle cry” of the “Woke” crowd and on the surface these words sound harmless, even desirable.  I certainly enjoy diversity in my relationships with others.  I want everyone to have equity in their opportunity to succeed.  I am enriched by the inclusion of family, friends, co-workers and neighbors with diverse backgrounds, interests and ideas. 

DIVERSITY – INCLUSION

The “problem” I find with the “Woke” generation is in their application of these ideals.  I think most of us can see the similarities in “Diversity” and “Inclusion”.  In many ways two sides of the same coin.  To demonstrate:  discussions of political and religious views often includes both inclusion and diversity.  For example: The Christian faith includes a diversity of churches: Catholic, Baptist, Lutheran, etc..  However, in the “Woke Culture”  if a conservative or religious speaker wants to make a presentation at say, Harvard or Cornell University, two bastions of “Woke-ness”. They are shouted off stage, often pummeled with debris, even chased off campus.  In doing this we see the “Woke” crowd demonstrating their hypocrisy to a high degree.  Ideas that do not agree with theirs are not included in their definition of “Diversity” and “Inclusion”.  Religious Faith and Conservative Values are not in their lexicon.  At one time our Colleges were considered Citadels of  “Free Speech”.  No more!

On another front, in their demands for “Diversity” and “Inclusion” the more militant elements of the “Woke” LGBTQ culture are stealing the innocence of our children and the joys of their childhood. In the process these militant “Woke true believers” pursue their own agenda to recruit these young ones into a sexual lifestyle of “Gender Fluid”, choices, that as children, they are unprepared to make.  The  “Wokies” are also encouraging pubescent young men to “choose to become” (??) “Transgender” so they can share showers and locker rooms with young girls and then compete unfairly with them in athletic competition. This, and the encouragement of so called “Drag Queens” performing suggestively in front of young children, are all elements of the destructive path these militants are on in their attempt to indoctrinate the most innocent of our youth.

EQUITY

I am a believer in true equity and define it as equality of opportunity.  Just to be clear.  Equal opportunity is already the law in America.  The “Woke” crowd are demanding something else.  They want equity as defined by equality of outcomes.  You cannot legislate “equal outcomes” that will work.  Below is a short piece I shared some time ago about a professor who wanted to teach his students about equal outcomes.  This is followed by an article I wrote some nine years ago about  our government “Fixing Income Inequality”. 

THE PROFESSOR

“A group of students go to college.  Some students work hard,  study diligently and get all A’s & B’s.  Other students party, skip classes, do not study, attend marches and protests for “causes” and get D’s & F’s.  Their Professor says that in order to be “fair” to all students he has decided to “tax” the hard working students A’s & B’s  and share those grades with the lazy students who got the D’s & F’s.  In this way all students can average out at a “C” grade.    Some of the students are going to love this idea and others will likely hate it.  Can you guess which ones will love it?” 

FIXING INCOME INEQUALITY

The government says it wants to “fix” the problem of unequal pay and income.  They say too few are paid too much (the evil rich) while too many are not paid enough (victims of the rich).  The goal of the government is to equalize pay for all citizens.

Based on the governments track record of “fixing” things like the War on Poverty, our Public Education System, the Postal Service, Amtrak, and the growing National Debt, I am not sure we want them to try to “fix” income equality.  Or anything else.

I have a vision of what a likely government “fix” will look like.

First they will establish what is a reasonable amount for everyone to be paid. For sake of  this discussion lets say they decide on $60,000 a year.  That would be $5,000 a month.

Here is a plan that I am sure would appeal to every bureaucrats heart.  All residents of the United States of working age (18?) would receive a “salary” of $5,000 per month from the government who would function as the payroll department for all employers.  A “single payer” system under complete control of the government and IRS.   We could all become cogs in the wheel of the Proletariat masses.

Don’t worry, if you like your current job, you can keep it.  That’s a promise.

Your education does not matter.  Your age does not matter.  Race, religion, political party, type of work, skill level, work ethic, level of responsibility, or experience. None of these matter.  Unions could be eliminated, you wouldn’t need them.  No merit or performance pay, everybody gets paid the same.  Movie stars, Presidents, Barbers, Plumbers, Soldiers, Dog Catchers, Burger Flippers, Brain Surgeons, etc.

Visualize a Baseball Team under this system.  The owners, the managers, star players, beginning players,  bat boys, groundskeepers, peanut vendors, everybody gets exactly the same pay.

As desirable as this sounds in providing equal pay for all of us it would have the added benefit that the IRS could withhold their “fair share” before we see our paycheck with no need for us to ever file an annual return.  Who could possibly object to such a fair and equitable solution?   Consider this,  we would all get paid the same no matter how lousy a job we do.  Just like members of Congress.

If every citizen received the same amount of pay every month, do you think we would all have the same bank account at the end of the year?  Or would some have a fat bank account, another a new car and still another a giant hangover?

Perhaps government’s next task is to require equal outcomes for all of us?  It should be easy.  A plan to devolve all of us to the lowest common denominator.  Call it government approved cookie cutter equality.

An American melting pot filled with glassy eyed, average room temperature IQ automatons.

OPPORTUNITY CREATES WEALTH – EQUITY CREATES POVERTY

Bob Bandy – January 2023

Please share this with the share tab of your choice