High Truths and Low Lies

It’s Friday morning so I want to reflect on this week’s horrible political scene coming from Washington. like many, many Americans, I cannot understand how any sane, intelligent person can support Biden and the Democrats!

American families are much worse off today than just 1 year ago. The reasons for our decline in living standards are directly related to Biden and the Democrats. Here is a list of the major blunders/decisions/policies imposed on us:

Open Borders allowing 2+ million illegal immigrants to enter our country. Inflation rate of 7.5% (highest in 40 years) costing every American family more $$$ for everyday expenses.

Record levels of crime everywhere. Homicides, car jackings, assaults, rapes, burglaries, home invasions, hate crimes, child abuse and domestic violence. Career criminals are being released posting no bail. And-stores are being looted by thugs! Democrats de-funded the police.

Biden’s utterly disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. Americans watched in horror as the Kabul airport was overrun by the Taliban. Afghanistan is now in the hands of a terror organization. 13 US servicemen and women were killed. The world watched our pathetic withdrawal leaving 1000’s of US supporters behind. And $68billion in high-tech military equipment.

Covid-mask mandates, vaccine mandates (struck down by the Supreme Court), schools closed, businesses shutdown, test kits not available, etc. And more US deaths in 2021 than in 2020. Way to go Joe!

Energy independence ruined, record Federal spending on “pork,” calling our US highway system racist, and teaching are kids that white people are evil. it’s no wonder why so many people are angry.

Biden is the worse US President in history!

There are 32 teams in the NFL. Each team can have 53 players on their roster, making the total players in the NFL 1,693. As of 2021 70% of the active players, or 1,187 were black. This is an outrage! And-it does not represent the population of the US. Numbers as blatant as these can only indicate systemic racism against whites and Hispanics. The population of the US is 70% white, including white Hispanics. Blacks make up 12% of the US population.

This is an intolerable situation for the NFL. America deserves better. Leaders in the NFL must remediate the problem effective immediately. These are some of the actions the NFL must take:

1.Accept responsibility for this racial injustice.

2. Develop specific goals to bring the percentages in line with the racial goal of equality. The league must overhaul its drafting practices to recruit more whites and Hispanics effective immediately. Each team must be required to set racial goals for player representations based on race.

3. The league must develop specific programs at the high school and college levels to encourage and mentor white and Hispanic players. Summer camps, mentoring programs, funding for training and development of white and Hispanic players must be implemented.

4. Critically review player skills tests at events like the NFL Combine to remove racial bias. Black players perform better than whites and Hispanics on many of the skills tests. The data is clear and shows inherent disparities within these tests. Whites and Hispanics are being marginalized. Since the % white and Hispanic players invited to the Combine and participating in the skills tests is grossly underrepresented, the NFL must take action to significantly increase the number of white players.

5. The NFL must implement training programs regarding the inclusion of white and Hispanic players and to improve the league’s understanding of the white and Hispanic cultures.

6. The hiring practices for NFL coaching staffs must also reflect the US population. The league should require NFL owners to hire 70% white coaches and 12% black coaches. The remaining coaching slots should go to other marginalized groups.

I will send the NFL Commissioner, Roger Godell, my findings, notes and suggestions. I hope he will take action.

FOOTNOTE: Or- the NFL can continue to use merit for player recruitment and coaching hires! Merit will always trump other considerations and produce the best quality outcome!!

Captain Munnerlyn was arrested on January 10th for allegedly assaulting, straggling and “super” kicking a woman in the face. He is out on a $7,500 bond.

Munnerlyn is from Alabama. He was drafted by the Carolina Panthers in the 7th round of the 2009 NFL draft. He was the 216th player selected that year. He played 7 years with the Panthers and 3 years with the Vikings. His career earnings were $25 million, including $7 million in signing bonuses.

According to accounts, Munnerlyn has had a “hard time” since leaving the NFL in 2019. I wonder how hard life could be with $25 million in earnings in 10 years. He is married to a woman named lakisha, and has 3 children. I hope they are ok!

Footnote: a “super kick” is a term used in martial arts to describe a high, side kick to the opponent’s face or chin!

Our local “fish wrap,” the Charlotte Observer ran an editorial about Biden’s announcement to appoint a black woman to the US Supreme Court. The article said a black woman as the new justice would “strengthen” the court. How does the newspaper know that?

By announcing a black woman pick to the Court, Biden is automatically eliminating 92% of the American population to this land’s highest court. And it falsely presumes that a black woman is automatically better qualified than all the others. And- more dangerous is the notion that all black women think the same.

Our local newspaper insulted our current Supreme Court stating that a new pick for the Court would “strengthen” the Court. Currently, there are 9 Justices on the Court with many years of experience. Any new Justice would have to learn and take guidance from the long serving Justices. Period.

The “fish wrap” also assumes a black woman justice would represent black women on Supreme Court rulings. Justices don’t “represent” anyone. The Supreme Court rules on matters regarding the US Constitution. Justices do not rule based on their race or gender.

Biden continues to be manipulated by the far left. A president should never single out a gender or race when selecting appointees. Biden should have asked his staff to assemble a list of the top high-ranking judges based on merit. Period!

ONE LAST THOUGHT: If I was chartering a small private plane, I would not insist the pilot to be a black woman. If I had to have heart surgery, I would not insist the surgeon be a black woman; same if I had to have a root canal. I would get a referral to the best in all three situations. If the best is in fact a black woman…. so be it!!! Merit has to prevail in important decisions.

Mandates + $$$$ = labor shortage = supply chain crisis + cheap money = Inflation

Biden’s policies are the major contributing factor to our record inflation rate. Here is a partial list of those policies:

1. The Biden administration and many democratic states have continued to keep the US locked down due to Covid. Workers are told to get vaccinated or get fired. Masks are required, even outdoors. People do not like wearing masks for 8 hours at work. Test kits are not available. Antiviral drugs are not approved and/or not widely distributed. Often, doctors do not have the drugs needed to fight Covid. All these factors have caused a labor shortage. The good news is that the US Supreme Court recently struck down the Biden workplace vaccine mandate.
2. Many public schools were closed for 2 years! Kids are trying to learn from home. Parents had to stay home to help teach their children and thus could not go back to work. Another cause of the labor shortages.
3. Biden continues to payout “Covid relief” money. This comes in many forms, like direct cash, rent relief, a “pause” on student debt, enhanced food stamps (SNAP), child tax credits, and many others. Millions of people have dropped out of the US workforce. They do not have to work. All major internet job search sites report significant declines in search activity when government checks arrive. People stay home. This has caused a huge labor shortage.
4. Labor shortages have caused supply chain issues. Durable goods are in high demand, but producers do not have enough workers to meet the demand. Same with food. This causes high demand for goods which push prices up. That is simple supply/demand economics. Inflation is often defined as being “higher demand for goods than the supply.” Also, our transportation system is short workers. Truckers were forced to get vaccines and wear masks. Many refused, and thus are not working. Our economy “runs” on trucking. Truckers are essential workers. Truckers also received “free stuff” from Biden and are not working!
5. Biden killed the Keystone Pipeline providing the US with oil from Canada. Biden also issued new regulations on nuclear power plants and coal fired power plants. Biden also stopped oil exploration and drilling on federal land. Now the US is dependent on oil and gas from outside the US. The price of oil has risen from $37/barrel when Biden took office to $89/barrel today. Biden’s policies caused the energy sector to stagnate production domestically and thus we were forced to import fuel from aboard. Fuel prices affect prices of all goods and services. This is especially true for food. Period!
6. Mega (trillions) spending bills passed by the democrats under the guise of Covid relief and infrastructure created “free” money flooding the US economy. Cheap money causes inflationary pricing. When the Federal government is funding mega projects, the prices of goods and services go up! It also creates higher demand for labor, which causes wages to go up. Wage increases are usually passed along to consumers in the form of higher prices. Period!
7. The Federal Reserve has kept interest rates at record low rates. Again, “free” money or low-cost money. Low interest rates “falsely” create high demand for cars, housing and even leads to credit card debt. Of course, the Fed has to raise interest rates this year, but Biden and the democrats are opposed to that. Economists know that a raise in the interest rates must happen soon, but it will slow down the economy and slow economic growth. 2022 is an election year and the democrats need favorable economic trend data. This will not occur. The Fed will raise interest rates in 2022 perhaps 2-3 times. Too bad for Biden!

Damon Arnette was arrested Friday night, January 28th, just 8 days after being signed by the KC Chiefs. Arnette is charged with 2 counts of assault with a deadly weapon, carrying a firearm without a permit, and possession of a controlled substance. He was arrested in Las Vegas.

Kansas City is in the NFL playoffs and will play Sunday afternoon against the Bengals. The Chiefs gave Arnette another chance after the LV Raiders cut Arnette in November after a video emerged showing Arnette threatening a man with a gun!

Arnette originally signed with Las Vegas in 2020 as a first-round pick! Arnette was picked 19th overall in the draft and signed a four year $13million contract with a $7million signing bonus. He played a total of 13 games with the Raiders in 2020 and 2021.

Damon Arnette is a reckless fool. He re-signed with an excellent football team as a second chance and 8 days later he is arrested on multiple felony counts. I say good riddance!

1. The democrats and Biden desperately need a win, so they “urged” Justice Breyer to announce his retirement from the Supreme Court. Immediately, Biden announced that he will pick a black woman to fill the vacancy. Imagine… that gender and race are the selection criteria for the United States’ highest court! How many white men and white women will not even be considered? Same with Hispanic. One loon TV pundit said, “it is time that the Supreme Court had a black woman to represent this nation’s black women.” I laughed and cried! The Supreme Court does not and should not represent anyone. They rule on landmark cases. They do not have constituencies that elected them! Selection to the Supreme Court must be based on merit, not diversity. Period.
2. A young man is swimming on a women’s swim team in PA. That man is winning everything and setting records. The NCAA and the national swimming association do not have the courage to dis-allow this man. Where are the women’s rights groups?
3. The Dept. of Homeland security is flying illegal immigrants (mostly single, young men), at night, in private jets to many US cities. These unvetted and unvaccinated men from over 120 countries are illegally crossing our southern border, then being bussed to small, local airports, then flown via private jets to cites in the US. Why is the Biden administration doing this? The only possible reason I can fathom is for future votes. This is despicable. And illegal!
4. All recent polling in the US show about 80% of Americans support voter ID laws. People want integrity in our elections. Only US citizens can vote. Yet, the democrats have pushed a bogus election bill which would give the Federal government control over our elections and not require voter ID’s. Can you imagine political appointees and federal bureaucrats running elections in NC??? The Federal government can’t even run the post office.
5. Our current Secretary of Transportation announced he will use the $1.2 Trillion infrastructure bill to promote equity and climate change. What the hell does that mean? Earlier he said our bridges and roads are racist. I would like for him to cite 3 or 4 examples of that! Pete–just make a list of the bridges and roads that are in the worse shape and start there. Same with rail lines and airports. And-hire contractors based on merit. And-focus more energy on the supply chain mess. Shelves are empty in many stores.

Lastly, all Americans should be saddened by the deaths of police officers killed in the line of duty. In January, at least 13 officers have been killed across America. The main reason for this horrible fact is liberal criminal justice reform. Period. Anyone that commits a violent crime should not be allowed on our streets!!! God bless those fallen officers and their families.

Baltimore is a dangerous city!! As of 2021, Baltimore has the 3rd highest rate of violent crime in the US. Only Detroit and St. Louis have higher crime rates. For six years, Marilyn Mosby has been the city’s top prosecutor.

Baltimore also has a rapidly declining population. As of the 2020 census, Baltimore has 573,000 residents, a decline of almost 6% over the last decade. Baltimore’s current population is at a 100-year low! The crime rate played a large role in that decline, especially among the black residents.

Mosby was elected to State’s Attorney for Baltimore and took office in January 2015. She is a Democrat. Baltimore’s crime rate in 2014, the year prior to Mosby’s swearing in was 1338 per 100,000 residents. In 2021 that number rose to 1859, which equals a 39% increase in crime. Baltimore’s crime rate is currently 406% of the national average.

In April of 2015 a black man named Freddie Gray died while in police custody. Mosby quickly charged 6 Baltimore City police officers with second-degree murder and involuntary manslaughter. Riots broke out across Baltimore. Businesses were looted and burned, including an affordable housing center for seniors. Fifteen police officers were injured during the riots, including 6 seriously. The Governor of Mayland called in the National Guard. US Attorney General Lorreta Lynch called the riots “senseless acts of violence.”

Mosby was harshly criticized for her prosecution of the 6 police officers. Legal scholars called her “unethically reckless and incompetent.” Mosby was also accused of circumventing normal procedures to “step into the national limelight.” After the officers were charged, Mosby went around the country speaking at events. She even appeared on-stage during a Prince concert!

Baltimore Inspector General, Isabel Mercedes Cumming, was asked to investigate Mosby’s travel for speaking engagements and found Mosby was out of town for 144 workdays in 2018 and 2019.

The six police officers went to trial. One trial ended in a mistrial (hung jury); two other officers were acquitted on all charges. The charges against the remaining three officers were dropped. A complaint was filed against Mosby for allegedly withholding evidence during these trials. Of course, when complaints were filed against Mosby, she played the gender and race card!

In 2020 the IRS filed a $45,000 tax lien on Mosby’s property for unpaid taxes for the years 2014, 2015 and 2016.

Finally, on January 13, 2022, Mosby was indicted by a Federal Grand jury on 4 counts, including perjury, and making false statements on two mortgage applications. Apparently, Mosby claimed “financial hardship due to Covid” when withdrawing $40,000 and $50,000 from her deferred compensation plan. She used provisions from the CARES Act to make these withdrawals to purchase two vacation beach homes in Florida. She failed to disclose the IRS lien when making these mortgage applications.

Baltimore needs a new “top cop.” Mosby is reckless, self-serving and dishonest. She is up for re-election in November. I hope Baltimore gets a new City Attorney that helps the police lower the crime rate! In 2021, Baltimore had 337 murders. Wake up Baltimore!!

Clinton Portis is a 40-year-old black man currently living in Fort Mill, SC. He played 9 seasons in the NFL as a running back. His combined salary for those years was $43 million, or approximately $840,000 per game.

Last week he was sentenced to 6 months in jail and 6 months home confinement for filing false insurance claims. The NFL provides medical insurance for ex-players through Cigna. Portis and 14 other ex-NFL players filed phony medical expenses.

Some people might say Portis needs help. Or, that he needs counseling. Hmmm! I think he was a talented athlete but had no sense of personal responsibility or self-control. Here is some history on Portis:

1. Portis grew up in Gainesville, FL and was a star athlete in football and track. He was offered a football scholarship to USC, but that scholarship was withdrawn after Portis got into a fight in high school.
2. Portis played football for U. of Miami and was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the 2nd round in 2002. In 2004, Portis was traded to Washington and signed a $50 million eight-year contract. Portis was a star running back but suffered several injuries which impacted his playing time.
3. In 2008 Portis signed a re-structured contract with Washington with $15 million guaranteed and a $9.3 million signing bonus. Injuries continued to plague Portis and in 2010 Portis was released by Washington after both sides failed to reach a new contract. Portis retired from football in 2012.
4. In 2015 Portis filed for bankruptcy. Records indicate he owed $412, 000 for domestic support to four women (he has 4 children), $390,000 to the IRS, and $287,000 to the MGM Grand Casino. Portis was arrested that same year for owing one of those women $150,000 in child support. According to court documents, Portis made bad investments, spent money at casinos and lived a lavish lifestyle.
5. Portis again filed for bankruptcy in 2017. That same year, Portis filed his first bogus insurance claim.
6. Portis was finally arrested in 2019 for insurance fraud. It was reported that he had less than $150 in his checking account.

Clinton Portis seems to be a very reckless man, without the sense to control himself or be aware of the consequences of poor decisions. He made a string of bad decisions, most, probably hurt many others. He’s only 40 years old, he still has time to live a better life. While in jail, I suggest he pursue his college degree and study Finance. I wish him well.

Here is a simple formula: Education = knowledge and skills = Employment = Income

So, get the best education you can. Your life starts there. For college, get into the best university you can. There are hundreds of wonderful and affordable choices. But do not choose an online college or university. Those programs are a scam! What kind of an education will you get for free or $100 per class?

I am a retired corporate executive (37 years) and current university professor. I have hired 100’s of college graduates in the US, UK, Japan, China and South America. And I have managed teams of salaried professionals. The vast number of these people became highly successful and well paid. None graduated from online universities.

For about 2 years I have studied the various programs offered by online colleges and universities, especially the business schools. Here are my observations:

• The course curriculums are “fluff” without hard skills or technology. As an example, “Business Ethics” is offered by many. Sure, this is important, but not deserving of a whole semester class. Another listing I see is “Marketing Communications Strategy.” I am not sure what is presented for an entire semester. Perhaps deserving of a few lectures at best. Another course I frequently see is “Leadership!” Again, what is taught for 13 weeks? Perhaps good examples of leadership. OK, that might be interesting and helpful, but for a whole semester?
• Curriculums for business schools must include 2 years of accounting, 1 year of economics, 1.5 years of finance, some statistics/analytics, operations and supply chain management, 1 year of law, marketing, strategic planning in business, money and banking, risk management, and case studies in business. No fluff.
• Person to person classes- Zoom instruction is not effective. Every professor I know hates the online instruction process. Compared to face-to-face learning, the average grade per class declines by 10-15 points. Ugh! Student learning is much lower. There is no real discussion or student engagement. Frankly, the classes are boring.
• The faculty at most of the online schools have thin credentials. Most do not have advanced degrees and/or years of experience. This is very important. College professors must be able to explain complicated concepts in multiple ways and provide excellent real-life examples. Examples are critical to student learning! At online colleges, the student is often reading class materials and writing papers.
• The Honor Code is very hard to enforce during online classes. Students take exams while at home. Ugh! Their notes are available, same with textbooks (if any?). Students do not study as hard when they know their notes are available. Lack of studying leads to lack of retention! Ugh!
• Online colleges and universities lack accreditation, mostly for the reasons above. Online colleges often rank themselves against other online collages. I am unaware of any online college or university ranked in the top 500 of colleges in any category.

Online colleges and universities are not worth pursuing. Period.

FOOTNOTE: The above commentary does not apply to face-to-face colleges/universities that offer some classes online. Nor does it apply to colleges that were forced to go online due to Covid. These colleges and universities are trying to get back to in person learning!