High Truths and Low Lies

My Weekly Highlights

May 14, 2023

Henry Ruggs III is going to jail. The ex-NFL player killed a woman while driving 156mph on a city street. Her car burst into flames. He pleaded guilty to drunk driving.

White, ex-Marine was arrested for manslaughter in NYC resulting from an incident on the subway. The Marine restrained the man with a choke hold while waiting for the police. The man was threatening passengers and had 40+ prior felony arrests. The man died. If the deceased were white, or the Marine Black, no arrest would have been made.

For 2.5 years the southern border has been overrun with illegal immigrants. About 5-6 million people have crossed into the US, unvetted. Over 1500 have died. 100+ are on the terrorist watch list. This crisis is completely manufactured by Biden and the democrats. Their plan is to get 5-6 million more voters, especially in Texas and a few other red states. Biden has said he wants amnesty for these illegal immigrants. Voting rights. In total, this is the most destructive act by any US President.

Biden used a fake document during his last debate with Trump. He claimed that 51 intelligence agents signed a letter that claimed the Hunter laptop story was bogus. Biden needed a “talking point.” This is election interference, same with the FBI telling Twitter what info. to censor. All in favor of the democrats. Trump never had a chance!

The FAA has reported a record high number of unruly passengers over the last 2.5 years. The airlines reported 5,960 cases in 2021, and 3000+ in 2022. This year the incidents are slightly lower. Why the increase? These passengers are new to air travel and do not know how to behave. Mayor Pete should solve this problem before we have a tragedy.

Slave reparations are being proposed in California. Current price tag is $800 billion. The plan is political and illogical. And-another welfare scheme. Where is that money coming from?

Coach Prime at Colorado U. is losing players. Seems like a buffalo stampede. I hope he knows what he is doing.

I do not support giving illegal immigrants driver’s licenses. I think it is a step in the wrong direction, and further incentivizes more illegals. The vast majority of immigrants crossing our southern border have the equivalent of 8th grade educations. Many are criminals, and almost all receive social welfare benefits, including free healthcare and education. And regrettably, almost all are unvetted. We do not know who they are. So-granting them driving privileges seems dangerous. Proponents say granting licenses will reduce hit and run accidents. What? I got my driver’s license at age 16 after taking driver’s ed. and passing a driving test. Same with my children. And-I carry auto insurance. Nothing less than this should be “granted” to illegal immigrants.

LGBTQ+ is confusing!

May 10, 2023

Our local paper, the Charlotte “Fishwwrap” ran a large article about the gay community in NC. The headline was “A harsh new anti-LGBTQ bill is coming to NC.” Readers might think that somehow a new law will oppress or criminalize the gays in NC.

The headline was unnecessarily inflammatory, published to keep gay issues stirring.

The LGBTQ community is about 7% of the population. For residents in NC older that 55, that percentage is 2%. I support equal rights for gays, but the information I read is confusing. Here is an example:

The “harsh” new bill being proposed would prohibit public schools from teaching gender identity, sexuality, and sex activity to children in K-6 grades. I agree! But do not understand why this action is so “harsh” against the LGBTQ group. Parents do not want a 25-year-old kindergarten teacher to show sex acts to 5- and 6-year-olds. Who could possibly support this madness? Imagine trying to teach a 5-year-old about non-binary or reverse trans trending genders??

The local media just wants headlines, and newspaper sales! The gay community is being used.

“Cream Skimming” or Not!

May 6, 2023

Milton Friedman, Noble Prize winner in Economics, first proposed the concept of school vouchers in 1962. He felt the program would create a competitive environment between public and private schools, and thus raise the quality of education in the US. Other economists have added the concept of “Acquiring Human Capital” to the school voucher discussion. High quality education builds human capital which leads to employment, income and wealth. It is that simple.

School vouchers provide state funding to parents so they can choose which schools their children attend, public or private. The money follows the child.

Regrettably, many public schools have poor ratings, especially in our large cities. Baltimore currently has 23 city schools with 0 students passing the math proficiency test. Parents from those schools could send their kids to private schools using the school vouchers. Parents have a choice. Private schools often, but not always, record better student achievement. The reasons are the admissions policy, and the discipline process. Disruptive students are kicked out. Not so in public schools! Ugh!

It is true that better students, the cream, often leave the underperforming public schools. The parents realize the importance of education and they have a choice!

Lastly, low income and minority families are most impacted by school vouchers. Most states target this group to help those children get a better education. Vouchers are paid in higher amounts to low-income families. This is very similar to the Federal Pell Grants for college, currently at $7,400 per year. Most of the Pell grants go to minority and low-income families.

I support the school voucher programs. Give parents a choice.

Weekly Highlights!

April 27, 2023

My wife and I were on vacation in the Dominican Republic for 10 days. What a beautiful country! So, I am slightly behind in writing. These are my comments for the past week:

-I had to travel with a passport and complete immigration papers to get into the DR. I also had my picture taken. All my travel luggage and carry-ons were X-rayed. Migrants illegally crossing the US. southern border just walk in!

-NC elections laws are being changed. No more late ballots and drop boxes. Good idea.

–Narcan has been approved for OTC sales. Narcan is a nasal spray used to reverse opioid overdosing. Sales to begin this summer. This drug will save lives, but also increase opioid use. Closing the southern border will save more lives.

Bud Light lost its Marketing VP. She selected a trans man as the national spokesman. Sales for that Belgium Company owned beer dropped through the floor.

Biden needs to focus on China’s mineral supply chain. China processes 68% of the world’s nickel, 59% of lithium, 73% of cobalt, and 40% of the world’s copper. China has mines all over Africa. The Biden administration is more focused on diversity and racial justice.

Cal-Maine is America’s largest producer of eggs. That company produces about 12 billion eggs per year. Egg prices have risen from $1.80 to $4.25 in the last 15 months. Avian flu, fuel prices, feed prices and labor costs resulted in this increase.

Gas prices are back above $4.80/gal. See Chart below. Thank You Joe Biden.

The 3 major credit bureaus in the US. have removed most medical debt from consumer credit reports after pressure from the Biden Admin. Currently, forty-three million people owe a total of $88 billion in medical debt. The federal spokesperson said, “medical debt is really not debt.” Debts under $500 are targeted for removal from credit scores. Can you imagine what will happened to those unpaid debts?

Lastly, Biden pledged $500 million of taxpayer money to help end the de-forestation of the rain forest in Brazil. I say let Brazil handle that problem. The country has grown rich from the sale of timber and has a GDP of $1.6 trillion.

Rent Control

April 21, 2023

A foolish State Senator in NC introduced a bill that would “allow” local municipalities to enact “rent control.”

Currently, NC is one of many states that prohibit rent control. See Chart. Notice that only 5 states (Democrat lead) currently allow rent to be controlled by local governments.

Rent control allows cities to dictate what a landlord can charge a tenant for rent.

In the study of Economics “rent control” is a form of Price Ceiling. That concept means the price of a product or service is controlled by a government. The government sets the price, below the market, and not subject to laws of supply and demand. This is, of course, tampering with the free market.

Landlords take on all the risks, borrowing money at floating interest rates, hiring builders, insuring the property, attracting renters, issuing contracts for rents/leases and collecting rent payments. Landlords also bear the risks of unpaid or late rent payments. They also are responsible for all repairs and upkeep.

“Rent Control” means the landlords would be limited as to what level of return they can receive for their investment and the risks. All notable economists know that price ceilings always lead to a decline in supply. Investors stop building rental property. They are unsure if they can cover all their costs and risks. Period.

For NC, rent control is a very bad idea.

My Weekly Musings!

April 2, 2023

These are my comments for the week:

–I don’t care anymore about Brittney Griner. She’s lucky to be back in the US.

–Dawn Staley’s Gamecocks lost to Iowa. Staley said she was going to help basketball players that looked like her. Hmmm!

–NC Gov. Cooper issued executive order help reduce unfilled state job vacancies. Order will remove the requirement for college degree in many jobs. Of course, this will help Blacks and Hispanics. Probably a good idea but let’s be very careful. This will hurt HS academics, college enrollments, and job progressions to higher levels. China is pushing more academics, especially in technical fields.

As reported by me recently, NC schools are reporting record levels of crime in the schools, mostly assaults. In Chalotte, an average of 9 assaults occurs per school day. Legislators are trying to pass a new law calling for stricter penalties for assaults, including expulsion. Opponents feel the new law will disappointedly affect Black students. Currently, it is ok for students to be involved in “minor physical altercations” What? Can you imagine a teacher getting pushed by a student?

Evanston, IL. is the first city to pay “slavery reparations.” Black residents are getting $25,000. But the residents are upset, and some claim that it “does more harm than good.” The total fund is $10 million raised from the sale of weed. You can’t make this stuff up!

One of our big malls is struggling to stay open. Big retail chains like Macy’s, Starbucks, Bath and Body Works, and Toys R Us have closed. About a month ago, the Apple Store closed in the middle of the day. The day before, the mall experienced the third shooting in three months. Store employees are scared.

NC local NAACP chapter is fighting with the national organization. The State organization has been in trouble since 2013 for “questionable spending practices.” The local treasurer was suspended. Sadly, the State organization has an “executive committee” of 47 members. How does anything get done?

A recent WSJ poll shows Americans are very unhappy and pessimistic. The poll compared the same questions from 25 years ago. Patriotism is also low. Americans feel “things are broken.” I would add “angry” to the list!

Nashville police represent the finest of the fine.

Disparities and Outcomes

March 24, 2023

Political activists and social justice pundits regularly use “outcomes” to promote and justify their positions and actions. These activists cite government published data, newspaper articles, and quotes from “experts” to claim the “outcome” demonstrates their position. But these activists fail to report the total picture and more significantly the major dynamics behind these “outcomes.”

Often, the “outcome” cited is referring to a particular group of people usually by race and/or gender. Black people as a group are used most often. Activists cite an “outcome” like average income per household showing Black family income on average to be below the income of white families. To the racial activist, the data clearly shows racial oppression, almost always placing the “blame” on whites. Income is affected by many factors especially education and family structure. Black families in NC are 76% single-parent households. Single wage earner as well. White families are 24% single parent, meaning white families often have (50% to 76%) dual incomes. This explains the disparity in “outcomes.” It is not oppression from the whites. The Black marriage rate has significantly declined over the last 30-40 years. See chart above. Compared to whites, the Black marriage rate is almost half.

Important events for the Week

March 19,2023

Life in the United States is disturbing. There is madness everywhere. Here are some troubling news events:

-China leader Xi Jinping is traveling to Russia to show support for Putin. This is perhaps the most dangerous alliance in 80+ years (WW11).

–French government raised retirement age from 62 to 64. The French citizens consider this an outrage. Deadly riots are occurring everywhere. The French economy is in a slump growing at 1% over the last 9 months. The French government had budget deficits for each of the last 50 years. Its debt ratio is 119% of GDP!

–I did not watch the Oscars, too many rich people complaining about oppression. Blacks are also complaining because they did not win. Black actor, Djimon Hounsou, net worth $8-$12 million is unhappy about his pay.

–VP Harris got booed at the NCAA Tournament watching her alma mater, Howard, lose in the first round. Her husband will blame “toxic masculinity” whatever the hell that means. UNC did not make the tournament. New coach.

–A $32 million US. drone was shot down by Russia while flying over international waters. This is a matter of respect for our country.

–Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google and Microsoft pledged $5 billion toward racial equity since the riots of 2020. But the current business environment has caused these companies to fire employees. Amazon 18,000 employees, Facebook 10,000, Google 12,000, Microsoft 10,000. Apple is getting ready to announce layoffs.

-California is pursuing “slave reparations” with payments as high as $5 million per person. California was not a slave state and slavery ended 150 years ago. Blacks in that state have already received billions in social welfare programs. There is no race or group of people in the history of the world that has received more government/private $$$$’s than the Blacks in America. And, at least 15 countries in Africa sold their people as slaves to countries like Portugal, Spain, UK, and France.

–Some NC sheriffs are not cooperating with ICE. These sheriffs do not hold a prisoner arrested for a crime that cannot prove US. citizenship. Guess they are released back into our communities. Being in the US. illegally is a crime.

Charlotte area schools reported 1,531 acts of violence committed on school property last school year, an average of 9 assaults per school day! This is a 50% increase over the last 3 years. During my K-12 school years, I never witnessed an act of violence.

Lastly, I read a story about a 72-year-old-man that took out a student loan for $5,250 in 1977. That was 46 years ago, and he is still paying on the loan. Over 46 years, his loan payment would be $5,250/46 = $114 per year or $9.50 per month. Guess repaying the loan was not his priority. Half of the current student debt is for med and law schools.

“Baby Bonds”

March 15, 2023

Another ridiculous welfare scheme. Price tag $650 billion.

The Democrats are proposing another welfare scheme, “Baby Bonds.” Under this scheme, newborn babies would receive $1000 at birth and every year after until age 18. Babies born to low-income families could receive $2000 each year!

At age 18 the child could have $46,215 in the account. See chart above. Babies born to illegal immigrants would qualify. Baby Bonds might encourage low-income families to have more children, and to save less. Sad but true.

The progressive left wants to “narrow” the wealth gap by “giving” low-income children $46K. Allegedly, the $$$$’s must be spent on education, starting a business or buying a house. Clever!

There is a wealth gap between whites and blacks. Whites typically live in 2 income families, have better education, save, and invest their money. Blacks’ income is lower per household. There is not a wealth gap between Asians and whites.

Blacks need to embrace child education starting at age 3-4 and continuing through college or trade school. It is unacceptable to have poor performing schools in Black neighborhoods, especially in large cities. Use federal $$$’s to fix that problem. Start in Baltimore, that city has 112 poor performing schools which is 75% of the schools in the city. Disgraceful. And, that city has been run by Democrats for decades.

Education=Employment=income=wealth! There is no other way.

“Baby Bonds” would cost the taxpayers $650 billion in the first 10 years. “Free stuff never works.” A behavior and culture change are what is needed.

Wisdom from the Military

March 12, 2023

I read a series of essays taken from the US. military. The key learnings directly apply to civilian life. Here is a short list of my favorites.

-“There are bold pilots and old pilots but, very few bold, old pilots”

-“Never tell the Platoon Sergeant that you have nothing to do”

-“don’t draw fire, it irritates people around you”

-“if your attack is going well, you have walked into an ambush”

-“a good landing is when you can walk away from the plane; a great landing is when you can reuse the plane”

-“the only time you have too much fuel is when you are on fire”

-“aim toward the enemy”

-“any ship can be a minesweeper, once!”

-“if you see a bomb technician running, try to keep up”

-when in doubt, empty the magazine”