PREDICTIONS ARE PERILOUS, AND THIS SHOWS JUST HOW PERILOUS
WATCH THIS: https://www.youtube.com/shared?ci=7jq012C-_lc and be ready to grin in amazement at how many politicians and celebrities could be so wrong. You will understand the Democrats and their entertainment stars dismay and desperation. When are those who said they’d leave the country going? I’m waiting.
A year ago, who would have predicted that
1) Donald Trump would be president,
2) the Cubs would win the World Series (over the Indians!),
3) Brexit would win, the UK dumping the Euro-zone
4) the Dow would hit 20,000 in Jan. 2017
5) GOP would have majorities in the House, the Senate and 60% of State Governors (33) and Legislatures (32)
I LOVED IT AS DEMOCRATS IN SENATE AND MEDIA MARVEL THAT TRUMP’S CABINET PICK ACTUALLY CAN DISAGREE WITH HIM (Never could happen with “King Obama”)
It is comforting to know that Trump is secure enough and smart enough to pick qualified people who actually have a mind of their own. Obama never did that, because he had to be “the smartest person in the room.” How do you do that? Surround yourself with “yes men” and/or mediocrity.
SENATE IS SLOW WALKING CABINET APPROVALS AT A RECORD PACE…BUT NOT GENERAL MATTIS
When asked what he thinks about General Mattis being Secretary of Defense, Rob O’Neill (the man who killed Bin Laden) said,
“General Mattis has a bear rug in his home, but it is not dead. It’s afraid to move.”
HOORAY FOR MITCH MCCONNELL DECLARING A NEW RULE TO DEAL WITH DEMOCRATIC COMMITTEE NO-SHOWS
If Democrats refuse to attend the committee hearings on cabinet nominees, then by that very action, they abdicate their rights to render their opinions and ask their question (they thought it would just hold up the proceedings because the old rules said that one member of the minority party had to be present for the committee to vote. It was refreshing to see Mitch McConnell lead the Senate to change the rules about Committees not being able to recommend someone unless at least one Democrat was present. … Good for them.That was a simple “rule” posed by the Senate on its committee proceedings, and subject to change by a majority vote on committee matters.
DON’T CALL IT THE NUCLEAR OPTION; CALL IT THE “HARRY REID OPTION”—APPROVE SCOTUS NOMINEE BY A SIMPLE MAJORITY (REID WIPED OUT THE FILIBUSTER)
After the Democrats and the Liberal Mainstream Media get done having their juvenile temper tantrum, if they fail to get down to the business—their duty—to advise and consent to nominees for the SCOTUS, then its time to approve Judge Gorsuch. IF the GOP can’t muster up 51 votes to support Trump’s nominees, shame on them.
DEMOCRATS AND HOLLYWOOD LIBERALS = PETULANT CHILDREN
Ultimately, Trump should turn their own weapon (Harry Reid option) on them and pass them with 51 votes in the Senate (assuming he can get 51 votes, with GOP Senate egos in the room.) How Trump would never be president according to famous politicians and entertainers: https://www.youtube.com/shared?ci=7jq012C-_lc
Now is the time to hold your members of Congress accountable. Will they get on board and help the president make things happen?
CALIFORNIA VOTE MARGIN WAS MORE THAN THE POPULAR VOTE MARGIN FOR HILLARY—WITHOUT IT, HILLARY GOT SMASHED
THE LIBERAL MAINSTREAM MEDIA WON’T TELL YOU THIS.
(IF POPULAR VOTE WINS THE ELECTION, DONALD TRUMP WOULD HAVE CAMPAIGNED IN CALIFORNIA—AND STILL WON)
A HISTORY LESSON FOR THOSE WHO DON’T TRACK IT—(and a new word “intransigence.”)
The so-called “stolen seat” is a pure fabrication of the liberal Democrats and hysterical media. When the Senate declined to hold hearings on President Obama’s nominee Merrick Garland, during the last year of Obama’s term, it was simply following the precedent set years before by…wait for it…Senator Chuck Schumer in 2007 and…wait for it…Senator Joe Biden inn 1992. In both cases these two Democratic hypocrites seem to have forgotten their prior decisions.
1) Biden was ChaIr of the Senate Judiciary Committee when he said, in June of 1992, in George H. W. Bush’s final year that the President “should consider following the practice of a majority of his predecessors and not name a nominee until after the November election is completed.”
2) In 2007, the forgetful Sen. Schumer declared, “We should not confirm any Bush nominee to the Supreme Court except in extraordinary circumstances.”
These are two of the leading spokesmen for a Democratic party that is now calling the Senate’s unwillingness to consider Garland’s nomination as “stealing the seat.”
What absolute nonsense! It makes you wonder how supposedly intelligent men would try such obvious and irresponsible tricks.
Judge any form of media that ignores this obvious intransigence, as guilty of “ignorance!”
NOW FOR SOME TOUGH FACTS AND INFORMATION
JOBS—NO EASY TASK
Bringing jobs back the USA is not so easy. The jobs that left were low skill (hence low wage value) jobs, that even in China and elsewhere are not being replaced by higher skill or more technology-based jobs of higher wage value—hence the shortage skilled labor in coastal regions of China where the more technically sophisticated manufacturing is done. Uncertainty about what the anti-business Obama-led government would do next made investing risky and undesirable. That and tax policy’s $2+ Trillion (a very big number) is stranded abroad. Companies who want to bring it home to use, would pay an additional 1/3 of it in taxes (second time, having paid taxes when it was earned in the first place)(.
To bring jobs back to the USA really means creating new jobs of the kind that create value now….using current technology. This is why it is imperative the companies, not the government, decide which jobs to bring to the USA. The companies know which jobs allow them to compete profitably. Government can only “theorize.” It also assumes that the Trump administration and Congress will fix the stifling over-regulation and anti-business hangover from Obama’s 8-years, which now includes a badly needed tax reform to stimulate private investment.
Cut regulations. Cut taxes. Encourage investment. Rebuild the US infrastructure. How to pay for it? Wring the massive “stupid spending” and “wasteful spending” out of the US budget. Congress also needs to use the Congressional Review Act, which lets Congress throw out the prior 60 days of regulations with a single action.
Quit giving money to other countries while the US suffers. SEE A LONG LIST OF SAVINGS COMPILED IN 2011 BY CONGRESS…ABOUT WHICH LITTLE OR NOTHING WAS DONE.
Risk of investing in job creation, and must be reduced. During Barack Obama’s 8 years, the national debt doubled.http://crfb.org/blogs/has-president-obama-doubled-national-debt Was it all his fault? No. Was it mostly his fault? Yes. Read the link to see why it’s complicated, but capital investment was shove aside by public debt (and the Fed “printing new money”) , so private investment (for jobs, expansion, etc.) stayed out of the markets.
To bring jobs back the USA requires people to fill those jobs. Too many people, mens especially, in the prime 35-54 ages have abandoned the workplace, lacking either the skills or the motivation to find jobs, when the Obama welfare state pays them so well to stay unemployed, fake disabilities, or simply loaf and collect from the many forms of welfare paid for by the hard working, but shrinking group Americans. As far as the argument that they lack the technical skills, that is “bunk.” I’d bet most of these so called under-skilled workers have smart phones or tables, streaming TV, or cable or satellite TV and they do just fine texting, emailing, snap chatting, tweeting, and watching video content, taking photos, sending them around, posting on Facebook, etc. Lacking the skills, my foot. They are just lazy…unmotivated people…living off the working folks. Obama cultivated them and of course their ranks grew hugely.
New kinds of jobs
Bioelectronics are a big and likely to grow bigger field. implantable, smart devices, microchips, self-destroying ingested or applied medications that disappear when used up, printing of products from digital 3D image files, the “internet of things” (smart refrigerators, thermostats, cars, etc. etc.) are all sources of new jobs that do not rely on cheap Asian labor, but rather depend on ingenuity, entrepreneurship, initiative, and can be made here in the USA. As construction recovers, most materials it uses are made in the USA. So are our “weapons of war,” on which spending will likely increase.
Population & education trends reduce the number of new workers available. For a country to grow at more than 2%, it helps if the workforce can grow at more than 2%. Right now, it hasn’t been, and maybe it cannot! Population growth in the USA is now under 1%, and only immigrants keep it from being negative. Students are “graduating” from schoolschools less prepared than ever to enter the world of work. They have been raised to think they are special and the world “owes them.” Plus they ran up huge debts, which they fail to even realize is “real indebtedness.” That limits their ability to form households, buy homes, etc. Marriage is now only one of many, flexible, reversible options. Having children is an undesirable risk since it means “accepting responsibilities,” something many of them have NOT been trained how to do. The coming generation is woefully bereft of responsible adults, regardless of what they think or claim they are.
How do you think so many youth can be out grieving Hillary’s loss and demonstrating against President Trump (or anything else their liberal educators brainwashed them into believing)? They have no jobs. They find comfort among their outraged peers, who also think they are always right… and the world owes them…something.”
FACT: NOBODY REALLY KNOWS HOW TO RETALIATE TO CYBER ATTACKS
The ability to disguise or hide the origination of cyber-attacks is great, and the ability to follow the “bread crumbs” back to the origin is poor. Only if the cyber attacker (hacker, etc.) is not very competent or thorough is there a trail to follow. Even when there is a trail, it often leads back to an individual computer, which may have no relation to the entity who inspired or ordered the actions. Further, there are multiple kinds of cyber attacks. Some seek to make money (stealing credit card or bank account info) Some a malicious and seek to disrupt the target’s world (shutting down critical systems, demanding “ransomware” to use them again). Some are mischievous, seeking to show what can be done, just because (hacking email accounts, databases—like the millions of names on the government’s Office of Personnel Management (https://www.wired.com/2016/10/inside-cyberattack-shocked-us-government/). Still others are to target companies or institutions for reasons of disrespect, anger or retribution (The Sony — https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2014/12/18/the-sony-pictures-hack-explained/?utm_term=.dfbaa1b34220, and Target — http://www.ibtimes.com/target-hackers-had-access-all-chains-us-cash-registers-2013-data-breach-report-2106575, hacks to name just a couple. CLICK ON THE LINKS TO LEARN A LOT MORE.
TALK IS CHEAP BUT ACTION TAKES REAL KNOWHOW—AND GUTS
For a long time, none of the most competent anti-malware companies wanted anything to do with helping the government. Barack Obama finally took action to try elevating the role of anti-cyber functions in his administration. However, his pervasive “anti-business” tendencies were still a turn-off to many of those whose help was most needed. Obama talked a good game (his normal skill) but his actions were far from reassuring that he wouldn’t take what the private sector experts brought and then “privatize it.” Finally, it seems that Donald Trump has elevated the top Cyber-security person: https://morningconsult.com/2016/12/27/tom-bossert-counterterrorism-adviser-donald-trump-administration/ . READ ABOUT IT.
OBAMAS CONTINUE TO LIVE OFF THE AMERICAN TAXPAYER…EVEN THEIR EXTENDED FAMILY
“First Grandma to Receive $160K Lifetime Pension."
Marian Robinson is Michelle Obama's mother. When the Obamas moved into the White House in 2008, Grandma Robinson came along to care for her grandchildren, Malia and Sasha.
When the Obamas leave the White House in January 2017, for her eight years of “ Service” -- caring for her own grandchildren-- caring for her own grandchildren, for God's sake -- she will receive a lifetime pension of $160,000 per year -- -- she will receive a lifetime pension of $160,000 per year -- of our taxpayer dollars. (The Boston Tribune, October 17, 2016 article states that it confirmed this information through a Freedom of Information request.)
A FIRST? MAYBE:
Since Trump won the election iT may be the first time in history that a billionaire moved into public housing vacated by a black family!
Best, JOHN
***HOW TO SAVE MONEY IN US FEDERAL BUDGET
A List of Republican Budget Cuts From back in 2011—Notice SS and the military are NOT on this list.
These are all the programs that the new Republican House has proposed cutting. Read to the end.
TOTAL SAVINGS: $2+/- Trillion over Ten Years. The question is, what is all this doing in the budget in the first place
- Corporation for Public Broadcasting Subsidy -- $445 million annual savings.
- Save America ’s Treasures Program -- $25 million annual savings.
- International Fund for Ireland -- $17 million annual savings.
- Legal Services Corporation -- $420 million annual savings.
- National Endowment for the Arts -- $167.5 million annual savings.
- National Endowment for the Humanities -- $167.5 million annual savings.
- Hope VI Program -- $250 million annual savings.
- Amtrak Subsidies -- $1.565 billion annual savings.
- Eliminate $1.3 billion annually in duplicating education programs — was H.R. 2274 in prior years’ Congress), authored by Rep. McKeon,
- U..S. Trade Development Agency -- $55 million annual savings.
- WoodrowWilsonCenter Subsidy -- $20 million annual savings.
- Cut in half funding for congressional printing and binding -- $47 million annual savings.
- JohnC.StennisCenter Subsidy -- $430,000 annual savings.
- Community Development Fund -- $4.5 billion annual savings.
- Heritage Area Grants and Statutory Aid -- $24 million annual savings.
- Cut Federal Travel Budget in Half -- $7.5 billion annual savings
- Trim Federal Vehicle Budget by 20% -- $600 million annual savings.
- Essential Air Service -- $150 million annual savings.
- Technology Innovation Program -- $70 million annual savings.
- Manufacturing Extension Partnership (MEP) Program -- $125 million annual savings..
- Department of Energy Grants to States for Weatherization -- $530 million annual savings.
- Beach Replenishment -- $95 million annual savings.
- New Starts Transit -- $2 billion annual savings.
- Exchange Programs for Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and Their Historical Trading Partners inMassachusetts -- $9 million annual savings
- Intercity and High Speed Rail Grants -- $2.5 billion annual savings.
- Title X Family Planning -- $318 million annual savings.
- Appalachian Regional Commission -- $76 million annual savings.
- Economic Development Administration -- $293 million annual savings.
- Programs under the National and Community Services Act -- $1.15 billion annual savings.
- Applied Research at Department of Energy -- $1.27 billion annual savings..
- Freedom CAR and Fuel Partnership -- $200 million annual savings..
- Energy Star Program -- $52 million annual savings.
- Economic Assistance to Egypt -- $250 million annually.
- U.S.Agency for International Development -- $1.39 billion annual savings..
- General Assistance to District of Columbia -- $210 million annual savings.
- Subsidy for Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority -- $150 million annual savings.
- No funding for federal office space acquisition — $864 million annual savings.
- Eliminate Mohair Subsidies — $1 million annual savings.
- Eliminate taxpayer subsidies to the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change -- $12.5 million annual savings.
- Eliminate Market Access Program — $200 million annual savings.
- USDA Sugar Program — $14 million annual savings.
- Subsidy to Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) — $93 million annual savings.
- Eliminate the National Organic Certification Cost-Share Program — $56.2 million annual savings.
- Eliminate fund for Obamacare administrative costs — $900 million savings.
- Ready to Learn TV Program — $27 million savings..
- IRS Direct Deposit: Require the IRS to deposit fees for services it offers (e.g., processing payment plans for taxpayers) to the Treasury, instead remaining in its budget — $1.8 billion savings over ten years.
- Require collection of unpaid taxes by federal employees -- $1 billion total savings.
- Prohibit taxpayer funded union activities by federal employees — $1.2 billion savings over ten years
- Sell excess federal properties the government does not make use of — $15 billion total savings.
- End prohibitions on competitive sourcing of government services.
- Repeal the Davis-Bacon Act — More than $1 billion annually.
See my my latest commentary at
http://mariotti.blogs.com/my_weblog/ and prior commentary at http://www.brennerbrief.com/author/johnmariotti/ and my current ones at http://thedailyjournalist.com/?s=John+Mariotti&x=0&y=0 and
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