How Much is the Federal Government Worth to You

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2/27/25

We consumers are making decisions on what to buy every day. Do I get the premium brand ice cream of the store labeled one? Do I drive 4 more blocks to save a penny per gallon on gas? Can I afford that vacation or should I save the money for my retirement? These are real decisions that are made every day across America and by folks in every socioeconomic stratum. The lack of information available has thwarted our ability to make the same decisions when it comes to our federal government? DOGE has changed that.

Any discussion of value must begin with the service/product being provided. Just what is being offered for “consumption”? In the case of the federal government, it is supposed to be spelled out in the Constitution. Clearly outlined in the preamble are the two things; personal safety including defense of our territory, and coordination of economic activity. While the particulars of these two delineated functions are left to the interpreter, it is clear that over the course of our nearly 250 years as a country, the definitions have been severely expanded.

Most Americans understand the need for money to be spent on our “defense”. Does that include sex change operations for servicemen and women? What about funding of United Nations  “peacekeeping” forces stationed in remote African countries? CIA activities in Panama? Is healthcare a “right” that the government is bound to provide? Is personal economic success (ex. universal income) part of the promotion of general welfare? We voters only get to answer these questions through our elected Representatives who may, or more likely, do not have any clue on whether these are proper expenditures. They are relying on bureaucrats who are “experts” on the situations. Many of whom are employed because we are spending the money so as to be heavily biased.

Through DOGE, we are seeing more clearly how far afield of the Constitutional dictates we have veered. A return to basics where we question every dollar can help voters gauge which candidates are being better stewards of their money. With the findings being presented through DOGE, voters must ask the question, “Do you support this expenditure and if so, why?” Through the revealing of each check being signed by our government, we better understand the worth of that purchase against our value proposition. We can then apply it to the representative’s/candidates’ answer.

Instead of choosing who to represent you by which color lawn sign they use, the light of knowing where your tax dollars are being spent will provide more substantial reasons on which to make your selection. How much is that worth to you?

OMG! What if he didn’t Win

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2-18-25

When you see the depth of integration of critical race theory and its offshoot, diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), you realize how close we were to losing our country. Talk about the end of democracy! The listing of contracts now cancelled, that were devoted to “educating” our teachers, administrators and government workers is staggering. (See doge.gov) I suspect that there are tenacles yet to be uncovered and some  have taken root requiring diligence to make sure that weed does not grow or return.

With all the gnashing of teeth on the left, you had to know that there was much to lose and right they were. Their whole effort of inculcating our society with the divisiveness of DEI is being shuttered. Apparently, the democrats were all in and now that it is being destroyed, so is their one plan. With no plan B, they are resorting to a “your mother wears combat boots” arguments.

Making some of the DOGE’s work stick will show the true colors of our supposed conservative republicans. As I wrote many months ago, it’s all fun and games until you’re talking their sacred cows. Those nasty little earmarks have a way of showing up at the most inopportune times. Even if our esteemed congressmen and women don’t follow through on making these “adjustments” permanent, there should be substantial savings sufficient to offset at least a sizable portion of the expected tax policies. Watch the red ink flow when we get to that fork in the road.

At least for now, there is a bending of the curve in a positive direction rather than a deep dive on our way to oblivion.

Concentration of Risk

publius9111 Comment

2/1/25

While the air tragedy at Reagan International Airport is still being investigated, one issue that has to be considered is why we have our entire center of government located in one geographically dense area? The airport has the busiest runway in the country because many of our federal leaders and employees use it for its convent location to their offices. In my business days, we evaluated the concentration of risk. That is, did we have too many customers and their properties in one area such that an event that affects them would cause the company financial harm. Apply that to our federal government, and the easy decision would be to minimize the risk by dispersion. It is ironic that the helicopter involved was on a training run to react to getting our leaders to a safe spot in the event of an attack, the most prominent, though not the only risk.

Indeed, there has ben much conversation about moving the federal bureaucracy closer to the people and areas they oversee. Agriculture to Nebraska, FBI to Detroit, Energy to Texas etc. have all been raised previously. With the understanding that we now have the technology that facilitates this kind of physical organization, it is incumbent upon our leaders to start the process of de-risking our exposure to a single event that could wipe out our entire federal government. There is no better time than now to give placing whole departments and agencies throughout the states. DC real estate is already devoid of employees who are working remotely. There is a concerted effort to decrease the size of the federal workforce and a move to another location could prompt many to seek employment elsewhere. All of the money that goes into the DC area can benefit those recipient locals and create economic growth while the DC area remains vibrant with its myriad of lobbyists and NGOs.

Let us take this opportunity to finally act on a long envisioned effort to put our government closer to those it is supposed to serve while the same time improving our ability to withstand a catastrophic event.

Turning the Light Back On

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12.11.24

The best way of securing lasting change is through persuasion. To draw someone to your position, It is far better to convey something they desire than to impose it. Human beings naturally seek comfort and the freedom to pursue that which they desire. Nowhere in the history of the world has that been easier to achieve than in the United States of America. Indeed, it is those attributes that has born the USA moniker, “the shining beacon on the hill”. It is time for the US to turn that light back on.

Rather that foist our way of life on others, we should extol and exhibit our long referenced but rarely articulated, American values. For me, those values are, we derive all our freedom from God; the inalienable right to life, to speak freely, to pursue those things that satisfy one’s desires and the personal responsibility to consider others in that pursuit. These values manifest themselves in a governance system that intrudes lightly and only exists to defend its people and inalienable rights. It bends to the will of the people who are the source of its authority.

Previous attempts to “spread democracy” have failed in most cases because it was forced. Other cultures do not hold the same foundation of inalienable rights contained in our Declaration of Independence that is the basis of our Constitutional Republic. Rather, we should succeed domestically beyond expectations and create the proverbial light to which the moth is attracted. People around the world should see our success in economics and personal freedoms as so attractive that they insist they too realize those same things in their countries.

By showing the world once again of the might of our system through economic prowess and a highly satisfied citizenry, other leaders would be foolish to ignore seeking ways to emulate the USA. The “experiment” started 250 years ago proved to be the most powerful force moving people from bondage and poverty to freedom and prosperity. It is high time to show the world, and not force it, that the capitalistic economic system, girded by strong underlying values, is the brightest path to realizing the dreams of human being everywhere.

Turning the lights back on will require a return to a more responsible governance system. Many ox will need to be gored to shift  the power center from the state back to the people. Growth of the state has undercut both individual and commercial responsibility. Both have become overly dependent on the state for their well-being, if not their very survival, in contravention of our underlying values. We need to instill in our young that they must be responsible for their own well-being. That they have a responsibility to be productive and contribute to the whole of society through their independence. Companies must understand that they too have an obligation to conduct their activities knowing that failure rests on them and no calvary is coming to bail them out if they fail.

The state must see that in the creep in the size and scope of  its reach has exceed well beyond its documented role. Putting the genie back in the bottle will yield a great example of what unleashing the power of people can do for prosperity and happiness. Doing less will actually yield much more and turn the light on brighter than ever.

Unforced Error Number 2?

publius9112 Comments

11/25/24

With the pick of Lori Chavez-DeRemer for Labor Secretary, Trump has made another tactical mistake. Her voting record  speaks volumes to her position as a labor advocate/activist. Most glaring is her support for the “Protecting the Right to Organize Act” in 2023, one of only 3 republicans that did so. This legislation would have outlawed right-to-work legislation in the states, and  provided unions with untoward tools that favor them and handcuff management in organizing efforts. It would have furthered the strength of public unions which counters the stated efforts to curtail the behemoth federal government. Is it going to be resurrected?

How this selection squares with DOGE is lost on me. Both Musk and Ramaswamy anticipate struggles with unions on reductions in force. Their intentions are put against the backdrop of greater numbers of federal employees who increasingly join unions.

 “According to new numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), more federal workers joined unions last year.  Federal density in 2023 was 25.1%, up from 24.4% in 2022.” (https://www.afge.org/article/union-membership-in-federal-sector-went-up-in-2023/)

So why put in place a person who will likely, based on past performance, be a hinderance to Trump’s state objective of “draining the swamp”? Why the nod to Union Leader Sean O’Brien simply for speaking at the RNC convention? History has shown that every time we acquiesce to the left, they simply push for more. Right-to-work laws are at the heart of personal freedom. That they can be taken away by this incoming administration is an affront to those who support a vastly reduced influence of large labor groups on our federal, state and local governments and overall economy.

I suspect that hoards of federal employees will seek to join unions looking to preserve their jobs. They are hoping to hide behind antiquated rules put in place to by those who drink at the union trough. With a swamp subservient Washington DC court now packed with a majority of left wing Democrats, the resistance needs no more help. Certainly, not from someone who has the bully pulpit and power to make significant positive change.

Chavez-DeRemer should follow the route Matt Gaetz took. Take a walk through the Senate offices and gauge the sentiments for her appointment and once done, bow out gracefully saving Trump from yet another embarrassing failed appointment.

Ignorance is Bliss

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11/8/24

Lo and behold, the sun came up on November sixth despite the rantings of those with the malady, “Trump deranged syndrome”. They are not seeking treatment so the ranting will continue unabated and therefore, we have a choice to make. Do we continue to listen to their arguments so that we are educated sufficiently to know how to counter them, or do we simply ignore them? I’m choosing the latter.

I religiously digested leftist information. I read Politico, Huffington Post, Daily Beast, The Atlantic et al. I watched Morning Joe,  Jake Tapper, Nicolle Wallace and even Rachel Maddow (on occasion). I thought it imperative that I learn what the left thought in order to better understand my own positions. Truth is, I had a very hard time doing this and I question if I really retained much other than, “these people are crazy”. Invariably, I came away thinking everything they are saying about “us” is really commentary on themselves. They were the threat to democracy.

Thankfully, we had the outcome we did last Tuesday. It freed me from the grip of needing to know. I no longer have to understand the other side. They’re losers and continuing to wallow in their mire does me no good. I don’t care what they have to say anymore. The spewing of lies and general vitriol is no longer necessary as we now hold the keys to the kingdom. I will turn my full attention to the machinations of our new government where, as I have in the past, stayed abreast in order to assure that they too, do not get full of themselves. Yes, bye-bye leftist media. Go ahead and shout into the wind. I choose to be blissfully ignorant of your rants.

A Case for Tariffs

publius911Leave a comment

9/27/24

Tariffs are as old as countries. Every nation has used them to some extent. In some cases, it was punitive to countries selling products they either sold at less than cost or subsidized. In others, it was to protect a domestic industry deemed important to the country. Think, businesses that employ large numbers of workers. The tariffs that seem to find a way to stay in place through both party’s administrations are those that are imposed for “national security” reasons.

Tariffs are being labeled as inflationary because they pass along the cost (tariff) to the consumer. Of course, the collected tariff goes to the state. But wait a minute! What if tariffs are coupled with tax policies that offset the additional cost of the increased prices?

If more goods are produced domestically, even at higher costs (labor primarily), those workers are earning income, paying taxes and contributing to the overall economy. When coupled with tax policies that reward domestic production, the net effect can actually be growth in both per capita income and revenue for the state. Such was the case during Trump’s first term.

When the issue involves a national security item, it is incumbent that we take every action to perform the single most important duty of the federal government, secure our nation. It requires sourcing materials, establishing redundancy and assuring adequate production capabilities. Think WWll mobilization. Determining national security items can be daunting but at the basest level, must include raw materials for materiel and armaments and manufacturing capabilities to produce them.

The final case for protectionist policies like tariffs is we have the most desirable market in the world. Every entrepreneur would love to have access to our  market. Yet, other countries restrict our access to their markets. For example, China was given entre to the world economy through membership in the World Trade Organization in 2001. The thinking was that under then leader Xiao Ping, businesses would have unfettered access to the billions of Chinese consumers. Comparative advantage would find equilibrium where goods and services would flow to the country positioned to offer the best value. That held while Ping was opening up the China market but now under XI, we find how one-sided the trade has become.

Many countries, including some of our allies, have market practices that are similar to those of China while we remain a bountiful basket for them. The use of tariffs, helps to even the playing field and, importantly, when coupled with other fiscal practices, can lead to greater prosperity for our country. It is high time for the USA to treat its market place like the jewel it is and only allow for fair traders to have access. If tariffs are required to get their attention, so be it.

Give Me that Back

publius9113 Comments

9/16/24

Our year end golf outing had more than the normal amount of controversy this year. While disputes over handicaps, rulings on the course and other inane issues were raised, the real problem was final tallying. Score cards were calculated and winners were announced and paid. Unfortunately, one of the groups neglected to turn in their score card on time and therefore, all the scores had to be re-calculated. Sure enough, there were significant changes. Our organizer had to ask for the money back. Fortunately for him, this was a friendly crowd who understood the fairness of it all. That will not be the case across the globe when governments start asking for things back.

The inescapable truth of fiscal policies across the world is they are not sustainable. Guns and butter arguments have favored butter for decades and now with a violent world erupting, the need for guns is running head long into where does the money come from? Europe is the tip of the spear where socialistic programs have rendered limited investments in defense that now are desperately needed. Recent immigrants receiving social benefits only added to the imbalance.

Here in the US, we find ourselves living in the nightmare Milton Friedman warned of. You cannot have both a welfare state and open borders. Human nature will always cause people to seek out fortune using the easiest path. Currently, for many around the world, that is entry into the USA where the streets are paved in gold….for now. With astronomical debt of $35,000,000,000,000 and rising at a furious clip due to annual budget deficits of trillions more, the day of reckoning is upon us. Social programs require drastic changes including reductions and curtailments of benefits. We’ll see if those affected will be as kind to give up their bounty.

History does not treat their leaders very well when they attempt to claw back things the proletariat have come to expect. So it is that politicians  keep feeding the monster rather than put it on a diet even if it is for their own good. Once you provide or subsidize food, housing, transportation and health care, they become “rights” in recipients’ minds. Any reduction or curtailment will have their proponents in courts, on the street protesting and slinging rhetorical arrows at those brave enough to tell the truth.

True leaders will bring home the facts that most people, even those on the dole, understand. Still, cutting off those who rely on these programs will only blow up the issue. Rather, gradual and incremental reductions leading to elimination in some program’s cases, is desperately needed and now. Rasing the retirement age to reflect increases in average life expectancy is a no-brainer for example. Review and strong enforcement of eligibility requirements for Medicaid, Affordable Care (Obamacare), and SS disability as well as every other social program….and there are many, can help swing the curve. We should not wait for a catastrophic event like a major conflict or natural disaster to force the situation.

Of the Democrats, by the Democrats and for the Democrats…California Government

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6/21/24

With the Supreme Court of California now solidly Democrat/Marxist, (owing their fealty to the Governor who appoints them) the totalitarian California governments, (state and local) can thwart the will of the people summarily. Forget the voter initiative that garnered way more than the necessary signature to get on the ballot. What do these peons know about governing? No, we in power know best. That is, you can’t have a say in how much of your money we can take.

The ruling was presented as it would “substantially alter our basic plan of government”. Forget that California initiatives were supposed to give the people the power to control the government. In this ruling, the Justices have turned that on its head showing how solidly this state is in the control of one group.

The most famous initiative, Proposition 13, is now 40 years old. It limited property taxes and required two thirds approval of increases in state and local taxes. That voter instigated requirement turned out to be a mere speed bump for this totalitarian state. Most legislative bodies in the state are well beyond the 2/3 Democrat/Marxist level hence, no increase is ever in question.

This is what happens when you get total control. The noose gets tighter and tighter. You think you have rules that will allow you to put up a fight but then, those interpreting the rules are found to be on the other side. Then, rather than have a public display of their impunity, the rules get changed to better squelch any resistance. The next thing you know, you live in California and you have no rights….unless you’re an illegal immigrant.

The Ultimate Bait and Switch

publius9111 Comment

5-22-24

The classic “bait and switch” charade involves promising one thing but providing something different. Its against laws when concerning commercial transactions but no such impediment is present in politics and it happens all the time. Biden as the great unifier only being one of the latest examples. But yet, a new one is on the horizon and it’s a whopper. Knowing Biden is a loser and his backup, an even worse alternative, the Democrat cabal is working feverishly to position and execute the following ultimate bait and switch.

Kamala Harris will be approached by the Biden handlers and told she will not be on the ticket come November. In lieu of this, she will be “given” the Governorship of California in a swap out of her for Gavin Newsome. The California single party totalitarian regime, will easily install her through a special election. Newsome now on the ticket boosts the chances of a Democrat win as they surreptitiously whisper out loud that Joe will magnanimously step aside soon after inauguration allowing Newsom to become President.

This kind of chicanery reflects poorly on the ethics and morals of those involved but then, they’re Democrat politicians. Its what we have come to expect. Nothing is out of the realm of possibilities when it comes to securing and expanding their hold over our lives. Now internally overtaken by Marxists, they have co-opted the once blue collar leaning Democrat party and morphed it into an elitist junta wanna be that will stop at nothing, including stealing an election, to obtain the levers of power.

Look for the October surprise to happen before the “convention” that may or may not even take place. Serious conversations are taking place and the drum beat for making changes is growing louder and louder. The MSNBC crowd won’t lie down on the chance of their losing power and will pull out all the stops, including rigging another election. Hell, they already have opened up the treasury (student loan “forgiveness”, strategic oil and gas reserves). Nothing is out of the question when you are committed to achieving your goal with an “ends justify the means” mentality. Make no mistake, the Democrats will do whatever it takes to win including back door electing a new President.