Topics

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General Comments / ERIC-Is the GOP really interested in stopping voter fraud?

« on: March 07, 2023, 08:10:44 AM »

I've been reading about this over the last week or so.  I found some vague conspiracy theories that ERIC was a tool of the left but nothing suggesting how the data was being manipulated or what purpose it would have.  WIKI describes it as:

ERIC's technical staff matches that data against data from all the other member states and Social Security death data. ERIC identifies voters who have moved, voters who have died, and voters with duplicate registrations within a state's database.

The GOP is constantly mentioning dead voters or voters from other states.  How are they going to monitor this information that seems critical to catching fraud without a system that produces the information?  Does the GOP really care about voter fraud or is it just lip service to provide plausible deniability when a candidate loses?

https://www.npr.org/2023/03/06/1161374479/electronic-registration-information-center-eric-florida-missouri-west-virginia

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General Comments / 2024

« on: December 13, 2022, 12:35:42 PM »

Since we have finished the 2022 election cycle it is time  to start thinking about 2024.  Who do you think will run in the primaries for both parties?

GOP

Trump - if he has not been convicted of a crime that prevents him running.  I am not convinced that the powers that be will not sacrifice him now that he seems to be losing his broad appeal.

De Santis - If he doesn't do anything stupid I see him as the GOP front runner but a lot can change.

MIsc. MAGA replacement like MTG, Lake, or Gaetz.

Romney - If the party wants to move back towards stability.

DEMS

Biden - He has signaled that he will run but unless things change drastically with the economy or Trump runs or acts as a spoiler he is a weak choice.

Bernie - Pretty darn old but still popular.  Might be able to squeak out a primary challenge against Biden.

Harris - if Biden doesn't run.  I doubt she can win the primary.

Abrams - She might be able to pull it off.

Warren - Another old timer who might try one more time.

I am sure I am missing some but those are the ones that immediately come to mind.

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General Comments / Inflation, Gas Prices, and what have you.

« on: April 21, 2022, 04:45:26 PM »

I was reading the We gotta talk about Uncle Joe thread and Cherry mentioned the term political feeblemindedness.  It started me thinking about What Biden is doing wrong and what I would change.  First,  Lets be fair.  Biden has had a lot to deal with.  Covid, inflation, and Ukraine are biggies.  I certainly don't envy him having to try and juggle these and keep as many folks in the US happy.

There is a whole thread on the Ukraine and I guess history will tell us whether the right choices were made.

Covid-  At the beginning of his presidency I wish he had backed off and had the Surgeon General step up to take the lead.  I am sick of the messaging on Covid coming from politicians rather than from medical professionals. One of the few Trump statements that I agreed with was when he stated we were at war with Covid.  Rather than follow though with his war he proceeded to undermine his own programs to stop it.  I was hoping that Biden would step up on it however while he has promoted a more scientifically based agenda the leadership is still missing.

Inflation-  There are a number of factors impacting inflation and most of them are outside of Biden's control.

Currently about 18% of housing is being purchased as an investment driving up the demand and cost for home buyers. 

https://www.fool.com/real-estate/2021/12/08/investors-buy-almost-one-fifth-of-all-houses/#:~:text=In%20the%20third%20quarter%20of%202021%2C%20investors%20made%20up%2018,be%20used%20as%20rental%20property.

While claiming the need to raise prices corporations are raking in record profits.

https://fortune.com/2022/03/31/us-companies-record-profits-2021-price-hikes-inflation/

Gas peaked a couple of weeks ago at it's highest level ever however it is not much higher than it has been in the past.

https://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=pet&s=emm_epm0_pte_nus_dpg&f=m

Speaking of gas prices I was trying to figure out why Biden was not pressuring OPEC to increase production.  It seems like he has been but has not had much success.  It appears that during the height of the lockdown when prices were at record lows the US brokered a plan leading to significant production to bolster the price of oil.  Basically w asked them to cut their own earnings to promote production in the US.  Now we are asking them to cut profits to make fuel cheaper in the US.  I'm not sure I'd be keen to jump at Washington's request.

https://www.foxbusiness.com/markets/trump-saudi-arabia-russia-opec-oil-deal-role

My biggest disappointment with the price of fuel is that it seems Biden lacks the vison to use it to sell electric to the American people.  During the 70's when the first big crisis hit Carter took the opportunity to create significant tax breaks for alternative development as well as government investment in R&D.  Unfortunately Reagan removed most of them as wasteful of taxpayer money. 

Are there other opportunities that Biden is missing?

4

General Comments / Airlines and 5G

« on: January 19, 2022, 04:04:42 PM »

I have not had a chance to research 5G in depth but I have to wonder why it appears to be such an issue with the airlines in the US but Asia has been using it for over a year.  Is there a real issue or is it being used as an excuse to cover for the other issues they have been experiencing?  Thoughts?

https://apnews.com/article/technology-business-dubai-middle-east-united-arab-emirates-bcac403626879062f8d07080f87e5880

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General Comments / Trump's Taxes

« on: September 30, 2020, 02:20:00 PM »

I don't find anything especially surprising in the amount of personal income taxes Trump paid but I am interested in the 28 Million he paid in consulting fees.  It appears that 700K plus was paid to Ivanka while she was working for and getting paid by the Trump Organization.  I have to wonder who got the rest of the 28 million and were they also family members or other employees?  It sounds to me like money laundering but I'm no expert.

6

General Comments / ICE Raids

« on: August 12, 2019, 11:58:35 AM »

I am wondering what everyone's view is on the recent ICE raids in Mississippi.  It appears obvious that the processing plants could not be unaware that nearly 700 of their workers were in the country without documentation.

We can discuss the problem of individuals working in this country illegally but I think that has been covered in detail.  What I am interested in knowing is why no one is being held responsible for hiring them to begin with?  Even on the rare occasions where a company is fined the amount comes no where near matching the gains the company makes.

This pattern seems to be true in nearly all industries.

Personally if we are going to call illegal immigrants criminals than the same should apply to those who hire them rather than condone the behavior by turning a blind eye to it.

Thoughts?

7

General Comments / And this is a good idea why?

« on: March 11, 2017, 08:10:23 AM »

Can anyone explain to me why the GOP thinks this is a good idea?  All I see is a massive intrusion into privacy.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/03/11/gop-sponsored-bill-may-help-companies-obtain-your-genetic-information.html

Hypothetically my company finds out I carry a gene that increases my risk of a cancer that is extremely difficult and expensive to treat.  Since that could potentially increase the company's insurance costs I am now a liability.

8

General Comments / The Trump Organiztion

« on: September 14, 2016, 01:40:48 PM »

Newsweek released an article today that looks at the Trump financial empire and asks the question is it possible for him to ethically act as president with all of his international business ties.  Critics have attacked Clinton on her Wall Street and insider ties.  Should international monetary ties be equally condemned?  Is there a way that Trump can distance himself from the Trump Organization while President?

http://www.newsweek.com/2016/09/23/donald-trump-foreign-business-deals-national-security-498081.html

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General Comments / Pardon My Ignorance

« on: July 23, 2016, 09:58:55 AM »

While it is obvious to me why the Right hates Hillary (she's been a target sometimes rightly sometimes wrongly since Bill's candacy).  What I don't get is how so many who attack her for lying and misleading the public completely ignore the same traits in Trump.  Yesterday the judge refused to throw out the Trump U fraud case (it may be acquard if he is convicted).  There is currently a long list of creditors who claim Trump failed to fulfil his obligations to pay them.  A civil lawsuit is underway for rape.  On a number of occasions he has pledged the proceeds of his products to charity and has not followed through.  He purchased sports memorabilia with money from Trump Charities.  He has been a supporter of LGBTQ rights, divorced and remarried, supported abortion rights......There is plenty more but you get the picture.  Following Snopes he had more "Pants-ON-Fire" lies than all of the other GOP candidates combined.

I get the fact that people in general tend to overlook the flaws in their chosen candidates but this seems beyond the pale.  He certainly has more charisma than Clinton and as mentioned above she has been a GOP favorite target for years.

I personally will vote for Clinton for the same reason many others will.  The next POTUS will be appointing at least two members to the SCOTUS. I am a moderate and while I was not particularly happy with some of the 5-4 decisions at least the balance was close.  The idea of a 6-3 court scares me.

So while I dislike Hillary and wish a better option existed she is a known factor and basically a place holder while Trump is a loose cannon who has the potential to do devastating harm.

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General Comments / Why are we not hearing more?

« on: April 08, 2016, 09:22:28 AM »

Right before the Panama Papers scandal broke there was another multi billion dollar scandal uncovered that seems to have been almost ignored in the US.  Each year as part of our corporate compliance training we get to learn all about international bribery and the laws created to prevent it.  Last week Huffpost reported on a company located in Monaco that appears to have been used by big oil to procure contracts in the Middle East.  There appears to be evidence of significant bribery involved in winning these contracts.

I am generally not a conspiracy theorist but this appears to be a case where big oil may be squelching the news.  How else do you explain the fact that we are not seeing this in the headlines?

http://www.reuters.com/article/oil-companies-corruption-idUSL3N1742NH
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/unaoil-scandal-explained_us_56fbd2f0e4b0daf53aee0cff
http://www.theage.com.au/interactive/2016/the-bribe-factory/day-1/the-company-that-bribed-the-world.html