Donald Trump as Absolute Ruler

Donald Trump seeks to make himself an absolute ruler of this nation in a form similar to Vladimir Putin in Russia. His objective is to end all opposition to his goal. The evidence is everywhere. Trump’s claim of massive voter fraud and his demand for voter information was his first step. A warrant seeking the names and personal information of those viewing the anti-Trump website Dreamhost is a perfect example of the behavior of Putin or Turkey’s president Erdogan. Trump’s threat to deny licensing for NBC is further evidence of his desire to have absolute control over the media. Erdogan like Putin now has authority to issue law, declare a state of emergency, dismiss parliament and to appoint ministers, public officials and judges. There is no limit to the number of times they can be elected to office. Trump has two dictator/ presidents to emulate. Too many Americans seem willing to surrender their freedom to an autocrat. However many of us, like the Von Trapp family in Austria, will be wise enough to depart before Trump reaches his objective.

Black Monday Coming Soon?

October: The Month Of Market Crashes?

In finance, Black Monday refers to Monday, October 19, 1987, when stock markets around the world crashed, shedding a huge value in a very short time. The crash began in Hong Kong and spread west to Europe, hitting the United States after other markets had already declined by a significant margin. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) fell exactly 508 points to 1,738.74 (22.61%). In Australia and New Zealand, the 1987 crash is also referred to as “Black Tuesday” because of the time zone difference.

The terms Black Monday and Black Tuesday are also respectively applied to October 28 and October 29, 1929, which occurred after Black Thursday on October 24, which started the Stock Market Crash of 1929.The events that have given October a bad name span 80 years.

They are:

The Panic of 1907 (October 1907)
A financial panic threatened to engulf Wall Street, mostly owing to threats of legislative action against trusts and shrinking credit. There were multiple bank runs and heavy panic selling at the stock exchange. All that stood between the U.S. and a serious crash was a J.P. Morgan led consortium that did the work of the Fed before the Fed existed.
Black Tuesday, Thursday and Monday (October 1929)
The Crash of 1929 was bloodletting on an unprecedented scale because so many more people were involved in the market. It left several “black” days in the history books, each with their own record breaking slides.
Black Monday (October 1987)
Nothing says Monday like a financial meltdown. In 1987, automatic stop-loss orders and financial contagion gave the market a thorough throttling as a domino effect echoed across the world. The Fed and other central banks intervened and the Dow recovered from the 22% drop quite rapidly.

The S&P 500 has risen from 2083.79 to 2559.47 in the past 12 months. That is a 22.83% increase. It may feel good but fast rises can also result in fast declines. Historically a significant recession has occurred about every ten years during the past 100 years. While there have been declines since the Great Recession (Dec 2007 – June 2009) none have resulted in a major impact on the economy. I suspect we are due to have another decline in the near future. My thought that could be within the next year or two.

Are you ready?

Would It Kill You To Call?

Is Age a Criteria for Holding Public Office?

U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein ended months of speculation Monday when she said she was running for re-election in 2018. “I’m all in!” she tweeted and wrote in a Facebook post. At age 84, is Feinstein too old to run again? (If she won, her term would extend past her 91st birthday.)

My question is why should she be denied another term in office because of her age? I have seen her on many Sunday morning news shows and she is obviously able to hold her own against those that question her on the topic of the day. Her big issue is gun control and her responses to Chuck Todd on Meet the Press and Chris Wallace on Fox News Sunday are always very well spoken.

Robert Byrd was the longest-serving Senator in United States history. In addition, he was, at the time of his death, the longest-serving member in the history of the United States Congress. That record was later surpassed by Representative John Dingell of Michigan. Byrd died at 92 still holding the office of senator from West Virginia.

Age should not be a criteria for holding public office. Donald Trump is now 71. If he holds office for eight years he will be 79 when he departs Washington. Ronald Reagan was 69 when he was inaugurated.

Canadian Health Care

This is real personal for me. I have a daughter with a very serious gastro intestinal disease. She has a Blue Cross independent medical plan that currently costs about $5,000 per year. The deductible is $4,000 annually. Until that deductible is paid Blue Cross pays about 50% of each doctor’s visit. The plan DOES NOT cover all medications. Consequently the medication for her disease IS NOT covered despite a doctors presentation explaining her need for a special medicine that has no generic substitute. The consequence is that the medication is bought from a Canadian pharmacy at 1/3 the cost in the United States. The cost of the medication is $250 for a 90 day supply from Canada or a 30 day supply in the USA.

5 DACA Myths Debunked

Summary from CNN

Myth 1: It’s a pathway to citizenship

DACA gives beneficiaries a temporary reprieve from deportation, allowing them to stay lawfully in the country, granting them work permits and allowing them to obtain driver’s licenses. And it stops there.

“This is not amnesty. This is not immunity. This is not a path to citizenship. It’s not a permanent fix,” Obama said when he announced the program five years ago. “This is a temporary stopgap measure.”

Myth 2: They don’t pay taxes

DACA recipients have paid about $2 billion in state and local taxes, the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy estimates. If they work they also pay income tax.

Myth 3: They get Medicaid and Obamacare

Some types of immigrants living in the United States have health insurance through the Affordable Care Act, but under DACA, Dreamers are not eligible. DACA grantees cannot get Medicaid, either.

The only way for Dreamers to get health insurance is by receiving it from an employer, being a spouse’s dependent, going to a community clinic or purchasing it on their own outside the exchange, paying the entire premium.

Myth 4: They are going to college for free

It depends. DACA opened the doorway for undocumented immigrants to enroll in college, pay in-state tuition and, in some cases, gain access to financial aid packages.

While DACA students are not eligible for federal financial aid, some states let them pay in-state tuition, and a few offer them state-sponsored aid.

Myth 5: They are stealing jobs from American citizens

There’s actually a shortage of qualified workers in the United States, the Federal Reserve said in a survey of businesses across the country released in July.

Sofia Vergara at 45

Ladies you don’t have to look. Men of all ages will look. It is the nature of men. I have been a fan of Modern Family from its inception because the concept is so damn real in the 21st century. Ed O’Neill as Sofia’s husband must love that part. The program must make lots of older men believe that there is still a chance that they may have a gorgeous young wife. Unless you are the owner of a very successful business (as Jay Prtichett is in the story), forget it. It doesn’t hurt to dream!