High Truths and Low Lies

In case you missed it!

March 16, 2025

“There are three things that never lie-very young children, drunks, and yoga pants” Anonymous.

President Trump is right about DEI. He signed an executive order removing DEI practices, offices and programs from all federal agencies and federally funded programs. The US. Dept. of Education spent $3 billion on DEI over the last several years. That is incredible.

Regrettably, DEI activities developed in North Carolina schools, especially under the Biden era. So, this month, the NC State legislation, led by Republicans, is passing a new bill to stop the DEI programs and teachings in public schools. I support this bill.

Of course, our local “fish wrap,” the Charlotte Observer, published a full-page story about this situation, condemning Trump, yet highlighting the details of the proposed NC bill. As crazy as it sounds, here are some of the details of what the new law would ban in schools:

– the teaching of divisive concepts

-that one race or gender is inherently superior to another race or gender

-an individual, solely based on his or her race or gender, is inherently racist, sexist or oppressive. Can you imagine a 3rd or 4th grader being taught these concepts????

-an individual, based solely on his or her race or sex, bears responsibility for actions committed in the past by members of the same race or sex. How does an 8-year-old girl deal with those accusations?

-character traits, values, moral and ethical codes, privileges, or benefits should be ascribed to a race or gender or to an individual because of the individual’s race or gender.

-a meritocracy is inherently racist or sexist. What a troubling notion to teach children. Who is qualified to explain this outrageously flawed view to elementary students?

-the United States was created by members of a particular race or gender for the purpose oppressing members of another race or sex.

-lastly, the new bill would ban the teaching of white privilege, systemic racism, and that white people have unfair advantages due to their race that comes at the expense of people of color.

The teaching of all DEI related subjects must end in our public schools. Focus instead on Math and Science and Reading. NC schools rank 43rd in the US compared to all the other states in education.

News Stories you might have missed!

February 24, 2025

“We’ve got some hogs with all four feet and their snouts in the trough, and we have to find out who they are!” Senator John Kennedy, Republican-Louisiana.

NYT released lengthy study on Planned Parenthood citing poor conditions, bad employee training and rundown conditions. Their pay salaries are so low the employee turnover is 50% and many staff come from Medicaid and federal food assistance ranks. There are even reports of shortages of pain meds and IV solution. Planned Parenthood spends huge sums on political issues, campaigns, consultants, and defending itself against patient lawsuits. According to the NYT study, over the last 5 years PPH has distributed $899 million to its affiliates, but none of it went directly to patient care. PPH has 600 locations covering all 50 states.

US trade imbalance hit record high in 2024. Americans purchased $4.1 trillion of goods and services from outside the US. Much of this was car parts, weight loss drugs, computers, and food. The US shipped $918 billion to other countries leaving a trade deficient of $1.2 trillion. That was a 17% increase from 2023. China represents 1/3 of this imbalance, Mexico and Vietnam also have huge trade imbalances with the US. This is exactly what Trump is talking about.

Many presidents from universities across the country have announced the school’s policy on cooperating with ICE. The policies are to not hand over students who are criminal illegal immigrants to ICE. I cannot disagree more with this policy. Criminals should not be protected just because they are on a college campus. Can you imagine a US citizen suspected of rape being “sheltered” in a dorm? This is madness and will lead to a dangerous situation on campus. And-what about a suspected terrorist?

Trump fired the General Counsel of the National Labor Relations Board. Her name is Jennifer Abruzzo a Biden appointee. See picture above. Trump also fired Gwynne Wilcox, a Black women from the NLRB Board. Both women were extreme liberals and drove the Board to overreach its powers, including forcing companies to support Black Lives Matter. The Board’s charter is to protect worker’s rights to form unions, not push social and racial policies.

Illegal immigrants are causing a sharp rise in infectious disease cases in the US. Kansas City reports 67 cases of Tuberculosis, the largest outbreak in recent history. Charlotte NC has experienced 31 active cases of TB. Studies indicate the cases involved foreign-born patients. Texas has reported 100+ case of measles, a highly dangerous virus. The FDA has said the disease in very dangerous with 30% cases requiring hospitalization. Thanks Joe Biden.

Colleges across NC and many other states have announced free tuition programs for low-income families. Duke University is providing free tuition to students from families with incomes below $150,000. Wow!!! With an income level like that I would think the parents could save for college. UNC Chapel Hill sets the family income at $80,000 for free tuition. This is another way of getting low-income students enrolled in college and a direct result of the recent Supreme Court ruling regarding race being used for college admissions. Tuition free students must be qualified for college study, or this program will fail miserably.

Equity-what it means!

January 25, 2025

“There will always be the lower 20% in any population.” Thomas Sowell, Economist.

We all believe in equal opportunity, but equity is different. Equity means equal outcomes. Examples of equity might include-all applicants admitted to Harvard. All Iowa farmers raise the same amount of corn. All 6 graders score the same on a math test. All employees paid the same, all cross-country runners cross the finish line at the same time, everyone is promoted together, etc. See how foolish this concept is?? Would you fill a basketball team roster with all the same height men??

The capabilities of people are not the same. Some are much more intelligent than others, some work harder. Some people are just great in math, others are great in art or music. Some people are physically stronger. Of course, some people are short!

Some people are lazy! They do not apply effort to work or life. Some people are brave and have courage, others are weak.

To pursue equity means directing resources to people so they might reach the higher outcomes of others. Sadly, it can also mean lowering the level of outcome for all. To get to all A’s on a 6th grade math test, the teacher might make to test “extra easy.” But-many in the class will not be challenged and/or study extra hard. The result, in this example, is mediocracy. Cross country runners in the front have to slow down to wait for the rest of the team. Ugh!!

For 2-3 centuries, in most prosperous countries, the fundamental economic principle was to direct scarce resources to those people with the brightest ideas, innovation, and proven track records. Banks should never make loans based on equity. The best method to help underachievers is to live in a thriving economy with opportunities for all.

While teaching college 6 years ago, my university changed admissions criteria to include “life’s struggles” as a major factor in admissions. Sounds noble, but HS grades and SAT’s were not equally considered. Sadly, the students admitted using this new set of criteria failed miserably and most dropped out, many with student loans. Ugh! I wondered about the students that were not admitted because they did not have a “struggle” to report.

The pursuit of “equity” is just a bad and outdated social experiment.

Lastly, a word about diversity! In the business world, diversity means granting jobs, promotions, pay increases, bonuses, and other “rewards” based on race and sex. Therefore, merit is not a factor. This is analogous to “butting in line.”

Costco’s Magazine

January 21, 2025

“It is not true that Congress spends money like a drunken sailor, a drunken sailor spends his own money, Congress spends our money.” Economist Art Laffer

Costco has 134 million members which includes me. I like shopping at Costco because of their pricing and quality. I have even booked trips through Costco Travel. You just can’t beat their $4.99 rotisserie chicken and the $1.50 hotdog with drink.

Costco has 891 stores worldwide with 600+ in the US, and total sales worldwide of $250 billion in 2024. Wow!!!!

Costco also has a member magazine which is mailed to the homes about once a month. The January 2025 issue has 124 pages loaded with advertisements for their health and beauty products. There are also numerous articles about a how to live a healthy and active life.

Sadly, the January issue also contains a full-page article written by a “leadership coach” named Pete Walsh. He is advising leaders to build a multigenerational team with up to 5 generations of employees. Hogwash!!!! Doing the simple math, a woman in high school would have to give birth at age 18, then for the next 4 generations her daughter, granddaughter, great granddaughter, and great great granddaughter would have to do the same. That would make the original woman 90 years old, and her daughter would be 72 and so forth until all 5 generations are working. I would not recommend building teams with 90-year-olds or even 70-year-olds. There is no evidence proving ” multigenerational teams are high performing! The author is a hack trying to sell articles to a naive editor.

Also in this month’s issue is an article about various individuals and their outdoor activities. One of the featured persons is a 65-year-old hang-glider. She is pictured in the magazine high above the land in England with a small child in tandem. It appears the child is about 6-7 years old. Perhaps that might be newsworthy, but I think it is very dangerous and close to child endangerment. Can you imagine hang-gliding with a small child?

I think Costco should re-think the magazine and the tenure of the editor.

In Case You missed It

January 11, 2025

“If criminals place little value on the long term, then doubling police patrols might be a more cost-effective way to reduce street crime than doubling the jail sentences.” Author Andrew Leigh, Australian Economist.

Recently, I have watched a lot of football on TV, both college and the NFL. But two things bother me about the broadcasts, one-the same old commentators are on the shows. I am tired of watching Terry Bradshaw, Howie Long, Coach Cowher, Jimmy Johnson, Tony Dungy, Rodney Harrison, Boomer Esiason, Phil Simms, Chris Berman, and all the others. The broadcasts need new talent and not DEI hires, please. And another thing-why do players have mouth guards attached to their face masks, but not in their mouths?

Pleased to see punks arrested for “illegal street takeovers.” Gangs of youths block city intersections and race around the area “burning rubber.” Citizens and residents can’t get through. This is an easy crime to prevent, just arrest those involved, suspend their driver’s licenses, impose heavy fines, and impound the vehicles. Don’t wait until some teenager is run over or shot to death.

NC Governor Cooper granted clemency to 15 death row inmates on his last day in office. Why wait until the last day-afraid of the backlash from victim families and/or law enforcement? How can this be morally right? The governor is a coward!

This is an arrest photo of Dana Stubblefield, ex-NFL star. He is 6’2″ tall and weighs 290lbs. He was convicted of raping a disabled woman at gunpoint and sentenced to 15 years in prison. This week an Appeals Court overturned the conviction citing racial language used in the trial was in violation of the state’s new Racial Justice Act of 2020. Apparently, the prosecutors used inappropriate language in the closing argument. He can be re-tried if the California prosecutor makes that decision. The victim was in Stubblefield’s home being interviewed for a babysitting job.

Over the last 5 seasons, the Carolina Panthers football team has the worse win/loss record in the NFL. The team’s record is 24 wins 60 losses for a .285 winning percentage. During the recent season the Panthers set a new NFL historical record for allowing 534 total points while on defense. Yet, their head coach, Dave Canales (his record is 5-12) assured the fans that his defensive coordinator, Ejero Evero, will return next season. How is that possible?

A recent report by the US Dept. of Education showed that 100+ colleges closed their doors in the last year 2 years, with more scheduled to close this year. Almost all are small, private, liberal arts colleges. This situation is a good example of “survival of the fittest.” I have never had a strong positive view of small, liberal arts schools. Most are very expensive and have less than 2500 students. I do not believe the quality of education is worth the cost, nor is the quality of the student body. So, student enrollment is down. These schools get their funding from tuition and fees. However, many enroll students with Pell Grants (low income) so colleges can’t just raise tuition. And-colleges get $$$’s from alumni donations, which are almost non-existent from Pell students and/or students not being able to find jobs with liberal arts degrees. So, without enough students and donations, the colleges are forced to close. I also believe the dubious on-line colleges compete for students. Their tuition is cheap and so is the quality of the education.

My Highlights for the Week

December 26, 2024

” My own feelings were sad and depressed at the downfall of a foe who had fought so long and valiantly, and had suffered much for a cause, though the cause was, I believe, one of the worse for which a people ever fought.” General Ulysses S. Grant in reference to General Robert E. Lee.

This full-size poster below, was displayed at the entrance to Belk’s Men’s department in the South Park mall. Thousands of men, women and children pass by this display. The picture is disgusting, inappropriate, and lewd or was that the point?

According to a recent report released by the US. Census Bureau, Charlotte, NC has 186,000 illegal immigrants. That number has doubled in the last 6 years. The large increase is straining the housing market, schools, social services, and hospitals (Atrium Health reports 35% non-payers). What worries me is drivers with no insurance or driver training, crime, money flowing back to South America and not spent locally. No federal or state income taxes paid. This is wrong!

The US Mint announced 5 new quarters to be issued in 2025. George Washington is being replaced by 5 women. Hmmm??? Seems a stretch to me. Of course, the women chosen are minority activists often called “trailblazers.” One woman was a tennis player (Althea Gibson), another was a Native American activist, and one woman was a civil rights activist. I never heard of any of these women. But have head the names Washington, Lincoln, Jefferson, Grant, Hamilton, Jackson, and Kennedy.

The European countries like France, Spain, Poland, and UK have allocated $118 billion in aid to the Ukraine over the last 22 months. The US has spent $85 billion, roughly a 60: 40 ratio. I want Trump to cut funding immediately and end the war. And-I want the Ukraine to allocate its natural resources to the US.

Northvolt, Europe’s premier battery company has filed for bankruptcy. Investors included the governments of Canada, the EU, Germany, Poland, and Sweden. Other investors included Goldman Sachs, Blackrock, BMW, and Volkswagen. JP Morgan also lost millions. Northvolt lost $1.2 billion in 2023. The leaders of Northvolt were incompetent. A complete disaster. The picture above is Northolt’s major factory in a remote area of Sweden.

Last New Year’s Eve in Charlotte a man named Daevion Crawford, age 19, shot 5 people gathered to celebrate the New Year. He was arrested and charged with 5 counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill. Judge Carla Archie (above) accepted a plea deal and sentenced Crawford to 1 year, 9 months. Sadly, a 35-year-old man from Kannapolis was sentenced to 3 years, 2 months in Federal prison for his part in the Jan. 6th riot in Washington. He was found guilty of obstructing law enforcement and assault. He had no weapon. I hope Trump’s new Attorney General reviews the Jan. 6th convictions. The FBI had 26 operatives in the crowd on Jan. 6th. They knew in advance the riot might happen but did nothing to protect the Capitol. I saw the videos; the Capitol Police pulled the barriers back and allowed the rioters into the Capitol. The police chief resigned the next day.

Finally, I watched a few NFL games this week. One game had 22 accepted penalties, including delay of game, illegal formation, lining up in the neutral zone, illegal shift, too many men of the field, false start, offside, and of course, holding. And they call this “professional football.”

Tren de Aragua-criminal gang

December 6, 2024

“Your Rights end where my nose begins.” President Lincoln and Oliver Wendell Holmes 1860.

Tren de Aragua is an international criminal organization from Venezuela with about 5,000 members. Most of its members are convicts. The organization traffics drugs, sex slaves, gun smuggling, human smuggling especially women and children, and specializes in kidnapping. Unfortunately, the Biden/Harris administration allowed this criminal “prison” gang into the US. According to law enforcement, they have established a presence in 17 US cities and are currently setting up headquarters in Denver.

Denver Mayor, Mike Johnston, has said the city will not cooperate with ICE. Can you imagine? Johnston is an ex-teacher, married to an attorney, a liberal and has been in office 16 months. How long will it be before a murder or rape occurs in Denver? We all saw the video of gang members breaking into apartments and openly carrying weapons. Is Johnston afraid?

The presence of Tren de Aragua in the US is a disgrace and obviously very dangerous. The prison gang recruits members from the illegal migrant housing centers and forces young girls, some a young as 10 years old, into prostitution.

The Trump Administration will make the removal of Tren de Aragua a priority. It is a matter of public safety.

Further, the US spent $150 billion of taxpayer’s money on illegal immigrants in 2023. This is why President Trump has appointed Elon and Vivek to run the new Department of Government Efficiency.

In Case You Missed It!

December 2, 2024

“All peoples who live communally must first find some way to get along together harmoniously and with a measure of decency and order.” Ella Deloria, Sioux Indian anthropologist.

Walmart had $611 billion sales revenue in 2023, while employing about 2 million people. Walmart is the world’s largest retailer. This week the company announced the end to their DEI program. No more supplier contracts based on race/gender, no more mandatory staff training on racial equity, and no more LGBTQ rankings. The Company is also eliminating sexual and transgender products marketed to children. Recent lawsuits show DEI programs discriminate against White men.

The United States have roughly 4 million teachers (k-12), and turnover continues to be a problem. In NC there are 90K public school teachers and the turnover rate is 10-11% which is significant. Surveys indicate teachers are leaving the profession for many reasons like pay, childcare support, and lack of mentoring, but if you ask a group of teachers they will say “disruptive students” is their biggest challenge. Local laws have been so relaxed that even “putting hands on teachers” is allowed. Can you imagine???

NC lawmakers passed HR Bill 10 (over the veto of Dem. Gov. Cooper) that requires county sheriffs to cooperate with ICE by detaining arrested individuals suspected of being in the US illegally. The new law pertains only to those arrested for serious crimes. If a murder suspect or alleged rapist is arrested and can’t prove their citizenship, the sheriff will be required to contact ICE. I can’t imagine anyone not supporting this new requirement.

Britain’s prisons are so crowded, officials are letting prisoners out. In September, 37 men were let out by mistake, one committed rape on the same day of his release. Repeat offenders equal 90% of the current inmate population. The costs of incarnation, (building new prisons) is the problem. There is also a problem with prison staff turnover. Across Britain, prison staffs experienced 10,000 assaults in 2023. Most new hires leave within 2 years.

Vietnam has a population of 100 million people, roughly about 28% of the US. In 2023 Vietnam had a trade surplus with the US of $110 billion. Which means Vietnam sold $110 billion more goods and services to the US than that country bought from the US. Of course, the average monthly pay in Vietnam is $700. The government also supports businesses, especially developing new industries. This is a good example for a form of US tariffs. Our mfg. companies cannot compete with Vietnam without government help.

Finally, last year Chinese (government supported) companies bought/ invested $16 billion in mines around the world. The Chinese mining companies now control a large and growing share of the world’s minerals including copper, nickel, cobalt and lithium. The Chinese control 50+% of the world’s nickel, 40% of the cobalt and a large share of the world’s supply of rare-earth elements. Controlling the mineral base enables China to dominate the battery, electrification, and solar power industries. Another mess for Trump to address!

My Thoughts about Trump’s Cabinet

November 21, 2024

“Keep every stone they throw at you. You have castles to build.” This quote was provided by the medical Staff at Atrium Health Dermatology, South Park. A very good group of people!

President-elect Trump is wasting no time picking his Cabinet. He wants to spring off the starting blocks. Actually, he is already getting some things done.

To date, he has named 16 people to key roles in his administration and his picks are curious. I flinched slightly when some of the names were released. But then I realized he is putting together a team of “Action Figures.”

President Trump wants action! He wants to change Washington, and he’s picking a team to carry out his plan. No more career bureaucrats, and no more massive Federal spending.

That is exactly what I would do. If the US Federal government is “downsized” then the Federal budget will be reduced, and spending will shrink. That is the way to lower our taxes and reduce our federal debt.

If the size of Federal employment is reduced (Example-USPS has 512,000 employees) then those people will move to the private sector filling the much-needed vacant positions. Currently, the vast array of Federal buildings in DC are vacant, employees are working from home, yeah right! The savings will be massive.

President Trump’s Cabinet picks are going to shake things up. First, there is Elon Musk and Vivek. Both are charged with “government efficiency.” I read a report highlighting $500 billion in fraud alone within the federal spending, Start there.

Bondi as the AG, she’s tough and will go after the gangs. Hegseth will re-establish merit in the military. Kennedy will make America healthy. Susie Wiles as Chief of Staff will run a great White House. And of course, Tom Homan to lead ICE. Great pick! He will rid the US of South American gangs.

Trump’s picks for Treasury, OMB, EPA, and National Security are experienced, smart and tough. it should be interesting.

In Case You Missed!

Abortions, The Sudan, Weed, Blacks in the Outdoors, Violent immigrants, Pizza Hut, and other subjects.

November 7, 2024

“If you can’t be right, be wrong at the top of your voice.” Lucy

Roe versus Wade was overturned by the Supreme court in June 2022. The Pro-Choice groups and the Democrats predicted a catastrophic effect on abortions in the US. The individual states now decide, and many have passed new laws regarding abortion. The Democrats and the far-left pundits were wrong. Abortions have actually increased in the US in the last 3 years, with 87,000 abortions in the first half of 2024. That’s a 12% increase over the same period in 2023. In the 13 states that have passed new laws regarding abortion, abortions have increase in all but 3, including Texas that saw a very small decrease. The states that passed new, more restrictive laws saw huge increases. According to a recent study, the new state laws have enabled abortions.

The Sudan is a large African country in northeast Africa. See map below. For the last 2-3 years two different military groups have been fighting for control of the country. Approximately 11 million people have fled the country in the world’s largest civilian crisis. There are graphic reports of mass violence against women and children, ethnic cleansing in many sections, mass graves, suicide and famine. The Sudan is the world’s most troubled country. Death toll is 15,000 to 20,000 so far!

I read an article in our local “Fishwrap” about Blacks in the outdoors. The author reports that Blacks do not enjoy the outdoors, and many groups are being formed to encourage Blacks to hike and camp in our great state and national parks. Sounds like a great idea to me. But, according to the author, Blacks are afraid of trees! To Blacks, standing near trees conjures up an historical DNA fear of lynching. Apparently, according to the author, Blacks don’t like the word “picnic” for the same reason. Lynchings did occur in the US about 150 years ago and Blacks represented about 2/3 of the deaths. I am not convinced how the lynching of 2000 to 3000 Blacks (despicable act) generations ago can impact the lives of the nation’s 50 million Black residents.

New studies have shown the use of marijuana by youths is linked to lesser outcomes in school. According to the studies, chronic use of weed in adolescents is linked to long-term changes in brain architecture. Results show 39% lower grades, 50% less chance of HS graduation, 31% less chance of college degree, and 50+% chance of dropping out of HS.

On September 25,2024, US Immigration and Customs Enforcement released a letter to Congress that revealed more than 425,000 illegal immigrants convicted of crimes are roaming the US. Alarmingly, this includes 13,100 illegal immigrants convicted of homicide. Plus, another 1,900 that are facing homicide conviction. Excluding Hawaii and Alaska, this means an average of 8,800 illegal immigrants convicted of crimes are now in each state. Trump has to clean up this mess created by the Democrats.

I like Pizza Hut. For decades we have taken our family to that restaurant chain. So, I was saddened to hear a location near me is closing. The company says that crime, vagrancy, litter, drug-dealing and gun violence are the reasons for the store closure. The restaurant chain was fearful for its employees. Jobs for 20-25 people are gone.

Lastly, Kamala Harris and the Democrats spent $1 billion on the presidential campaign. including $1 million to Oprah Winfrey for interview with Harris. Harris had to pay celebrities for their help with her campaign. What a waste!