Flat tax

The idea of a flat tax to replace income tax is once more in the news. The proposal is an 18% flat tax on all purchases with a $35,000 personal exemption for a family of four. Right now, a family of four with and income of $75,000 pays zero income tax. Subtract $35,000 and 18% of the remaining $40,000 would be $7,200 in taxes. Now compare that to family earning $1 million. Under current law they would pay $261,000 in federal income tax plus state income tax. Using the flat tax this family would pay $180,000 assuming they spent the entire one million. The higher the income goes the greater the disparity between the rich and the non-rich. This plan is not likely to garner enough support to become law.

Democrat policies

The democrats, being the out of power party, see their job as keeping Trump under control. As the outs they see their job as pointing out failures and not being responsible for solutions. This is the norm for US politics. If the democrats had to lay out policy it would be simple and straight forward and based around redistribution of income and wealth. They would use the progressive tax system to equalize income and a wealth tax to close the wealth gap. They would be responsible for taking money from one group and giving it to another with them maintaining control over who gets what, when and how. This puts the power of the purse strings under their control. A glimpse of this can be seen in the policies of NY Mayor Mamdani. He plans to increase taxes corporations and high-income residents along with a wealth tax on luxury homes. With this money he plans to offer free bus service, build city owned grocery stores, build 200,000 homes and provide universal childcare. In addition, he plans to freeze rents and a $30 minimum wage. He has not proposed any plans to grow the economy and create new jobs. He faces a $5 billion dollar deficit this year but continues to spend $4 billion per year on illegal migrants including food, shelter and medical. This is considered a compassionate and caring way to help the poor.

Trump policies

While the news tends to concentrate on the various quirks surrounding Trumps words and personality oddities, his policies remain out of the news. What are these policies and what do most people think of them? He wants to bring back manufacturing meaning better paying jobs. He wants to double the industrial capacity using domestic and foreign investments. He wants Europe to pay more for their national defense and rely less on America He wants to secure the border and deport illegal migrants. He wants to combine the power of Saudi Arabia and Israel to rebuild Gaza. He wants reciprocal tariffs. The US rate equals the rate of others. He wants nuclear power to replace fossil fuels. He wants to get rid of critical race theory (CRT) and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) He wants to keep biological males out of women’s sports and locker rooms. He wants to get rid of gender surgery on children. He wants NATO and world groups like the UN, WTO and WHO to pay their fair share. He wants the US to be energy independent. He wants lower taxes He wants a peaceful end to the Ukraine War. He wants to prevent Iran from terrorizing the world. He wants a strong military and is willing to back local police.

Trump ways

The controversy surrounding Trump can be explained in many ways, one of which, is often stated as he is not presidential. There is no doubt that he is different from the normal president but the question is, in what ways. One way to better understand this is to look carefully at other politicians, especially other democrats. Many Democrats are actively trying to appear more authentic and "normal," aiming to bridge an "authenticity gap" that critics say has made them seem out of touch with average Americans. While it seems odd to speak about learning to be authentic, in this case it means overcoming the habits of people-pleasing and fear-based thinking. A recent news report stated they were trying to find their own Joe Rogen a person who exemplifies authenticity. Trump is the poster child of authenticity and this is seen as an asset by some and a fatal flaw by others. Once again, a good way to understand this is by comparing him to others and the best example is former President Obama. When Obama speaks, he mentally considers every word before he speaks. The long pauses between sentences and often times between words give the impression that he is trying not to say something that could be misinterpreted. Trump is just the opposite, much to the dismay of some of his followers, who often say Trump is his own worst enemy. In a recent rally he said, “I hate my enemies”, and people gasped. Many politicians may feel that way but they would never say it that way. There have been many times over the past years that Trump has made un presidential remarks and the press considered them as career ending but he survived. In his own crude and un presidential way he is authentic. He just comes out with it and opens himself up to harsh criticism but he doesn’t change.

Seats

The redistricting plan for Virginia is in the news primarily because of Arlington County which is where most of the people who work in DC live. The county votes 80% democrat. This is understandable because republicans are always preaching small government while the democrats push to enlarge government. A person who works for the federal government sees republicans as a threat to their job security. Based on data from early 2026, the second Trump administration has significantly reduced the federal workforce, cutting roughly 220,000 to 355,000 positions by April 2026 through hiring freezes, buyouts, and structural changes. Some republicans are upset with the Indiana which has as republican governor and a super majority in both house and still refuses to redistrict between censuses. The republicans expect to gain seats in the 2030 census since people are leaving red states and moving to blue states, often because of high taxes and high cost of living. These population shifts are expected to cost the democrats ten seats in the upcoming 2030 census.

Education

Over the past 50 years test scores in K-12 education have not improved but the cost per student has quadrupled in real dollars. Teacher salaries have kept ahead of inflation and class size has been reduced from 22 to 15. During these years the experts have tried things like No Child Left Behind and Race To The Top but these have only made things more complicated for teachers. Some have proposed that student discipline problems have disrupted the system and others go even further to suggest that this is because of the lack of fathers in the home. Teachers are being asked to take on the responsibilities of parenting. Students who receive private tutoring show marked improvement and this leads to the question of using AI as a one-to-one student/teacher program. Something different is needed.

More tax on the rich

Since the end of WW 2, government intervention in the economy has expanded social safety nets characterized by increased regulation, growth of entitlement programs and increased popularity in ideas like universal healthcare, childcare and free college. The number of federal government regulations have increased from 400,000 in 1970 to over one million today. Government spending increased from 31% of GDP in 1980 to 120% of GDP today. Where did the money go? Between 1989 and 2026 the top one percent gained $21 trillion in assets while the bottom 50% lost $900 billion. The rich got richer and the poor got poorer. During these years and continuing today the cry of tax the rich has been heard and in 1980 the top one percent of earners paid 19% of all income tax and today that number is 38%. The concept of income redistribution sounds reasonable but is not working. As the rich paid more the gap widened. The same can be said for the education gap. In 1970 the cost per student was $4,000 per year (inflation adjusted) and by 2020 it was $15,000. In 1970, 39% of high school grads were reading at grade level and in 2020 that number was 37%. Once again, money is not the answer. Perhaps it is time to try a new approach. This will be difficult because the cry of tax the rich sounds so good. As a matter of fact, tax anyone but me sounds good to most people.

Tests

When new products and procedures are introduced to the general public the government often times will vouch for the safety of these things. Recall between 1951 and 1962, one hundred above ground nuclear bombs were tested in the Navada desert. At the time the government allowed many soldiers, along with scientist and press people to observe these tests. Over the years about 400,000 soldiers witnessed these tests and they were told there was no danger. Studies later showed that these tests led to health problems that are still happening today. There are statistically higher rates of leukemia, thyroid cancer and respiratory cancers. A 1997 study estimated 10,000 to 75,000 potential thyroid cancer cases from fallout.

State debt

Many states in the US are facing long term debt problems which are adding to the cost of living and causing people to move to states that are not affected by this. A good example is Illinois. For more than 50 years state workers watched their pension benefits grow and the state failed to prepare. As the population ages and more people retire the problem gets worse. The state then has to raise taxes to cover the debt which means young working people will leave the state leaving fewer people to tax. Thus, taxes must be raised again and more people leave and leads to a death spiral. Illinois is trapped in the worst pension crisis in the nation. The state’s five pension systems carry about $144 billion in unfunded liabilities. Illinois families pay the highest effective property taxes in the country, with most of those dollars being spent to keep up with overpromised pensions rather than to create better schools, safer streets or improved services. In the past Illinois has diverted pension funds into the general fund. Illinois lost a congressional seat in the 2020 census and is scheduled to lose another seat in the 2030 census. This means fewer federal dollars coming in. New York and California are in similar situations. It is easy to hand out benefits today that you don’t have to pay for until later but later has arrived.

Time and money

Financial advisors often speak of the miracle of compound interest and use an example to illustrate the point, to encourage young people to save early. The first person, starting at age 25, saves $1,000 per year at 5% interest for ten years at which time he has $12,577 and then he lets that accumulate at 5% for the next 20 years and has $33,066. The second person saves $1,000 per year for 20 years starting at age 35 and in 20 years has $33,370. The second person set aside $20,000 and had only $300 more than the first person who set aside $10,000. The moral is to start early.

Migrants

The latest figures show that during the Biden years, 8 million illegals crossed the southern border along with 1.5 million got a ways. About 40% of these paid coyotes to help them and the cost varied by location. From Cost Mexico 7000 to 10000 Central America 16000 to 18000 Asian 40000 to 75000 If the average was $12,000 that comes to over $100 billion dollars. While the border patrol spent time on the illegals there was less time to interdict drugs and OD’s increased as did the number of drugs that were missed by border patrol. Many of these migrants were convicted felons and 300,000 children became unmonitored, meaning lost. The government approved $170 billion to deport illegals and the process caused protest across the country. There were many reasons why these migrants were allowed entry but one of the most important is that US citizens were concerned about the safety of the migrants.

Income gap

As the income gap becomes wider the cry to raise taxes on the rich becomes louder. The top 20% earn an average of $300,000 while the bottom 20% earns only $18,000. The top one percent earns $750,000. Most people see a difference between a person who starts a new business and earns a high-income vs those who work for a company and earn a big salary. The average salary for a CEO in the top 500 companies is $20 million per year. When the CEO salary is high then the underling VP’s get higher incomes. Salaries include base pay plus bonus and are tied to performance (stock price).

China

Modern day China had its beginnings in 1978 when Deng Xiaoping became leader. This followed the revolution under Mao Zedong that killed 40 million plus another 40 million who died of hunger between 1949 and 1976. This type of government called Maoism was revolutionary communism, emphasizing peasant led insurrection to transform society to agrarian socialism. The goal was that everyone was equal in all ways and this appealed to the poorest of the poor. After Mao died, Deng Xiaoping took control and opened up the economy to a quasi-free-market business system called party-state capitalism which allows individuals to thrive. The per capita GDP which had hovered around $100 per year during Mao’s time began to rise doubling by 1982 and doubling again by 1992. When China entered the WTO in 2000 the per capita GDP was at $1,000 and rose quickly to $12,000 by 2020.

16th

The 16th amendment was ratified in 2013 and it allowed the federal government to tax income. Prior to that the federal government got income from tariffs and excise taxes (liquor and tobacco). The citizens felt that these taxes fell mostly upon the poor working people and they saw the progressive income tax as way to shift the burden to the rich. The result was that within four years the income tax replaced tariffs and excise taxes. The first tax brackets were one percent of income over $3,000 and up to 6% for higher earners. At that time the average family income was $700. Thus, the new income tax only effected 3% of the population.

GM stock

Mary Barra became CEO of GM in 2016, a few years after the government had to bail out the company through a Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Her salary was $22.6 million and she pushed the company to develop electric vehicles. In 2025 the company had to write down $7.6 billion in charges due to a slump in EV demand. Then in early 2026 they recorded another $9 billion write downs because of EV’s. She is still CEO and her salary has increased to $29.5 million. Here is a quote from the beginnings of the EV switch. General Motors CEO Mary Barra has heavily promoted electric vehicles (EVs), positioning them as GM's "North Star" and the company’s long-term "end game Mary Barra remains CEO of General Motors despite significant EV-related costs primarily because she has delivered record financial performance for the company overall, driven by high-profit gas-powered trucks and SUVs, and has maintained strong investor confidence through stock buybacks. The keyword is buybacks. This strategy has propelled GM stock to all time highs reaching $80 by the end of 2025. The profits could have been much higher without the write downs but keeping the stockholders happy is the name of the game.

New fraud bill

A citizen reporter named Nick Shirley investigated and uncovered government fraud in MN and then moved on to California doing the same thing. In response California is not thankful for the fraud that Shirley exposed but are trying to restrict any further such behavior. California is considering a bill, AB 2624, nicknamed the "Stop Nick Shirley Act," that critics argue would restrict independent or citizen journalists from conducting investigative work on taxpayer-funded organizations. The bill aims to protect immigration support providers by restricting the publication of their personal information and images, but opponents fear it will be used to silence journalists. The objection is based on privacy. Anyone being investigated can sue the investigators who publish their images on social media, to protect their privacy. If this passes it will deter investigations by cub reporters.

TIPS

India thorium

India moves toward thorium in a three-stage long term program to achieve carbon free energy independence. Stage one starts with pressurized heavy water reactors and moves to stage 2 fast breeder reactors to produce plutonium to breed uranium 233 from thorium and finally to advance thorium-based reactors. Step one became operational on April 6, 2026 when 500 Mwe went into service. India not only has the world’s largest supply of thorium but fast breeder reactors can use up stored nuclear waste. Thorium is not by itself fissionable but is changed into uranium 233 and then converted to energy. India will become energy independent by using its vast supplies of thorium.

Anti Jew

When Israel invaded Gaza in response to the Oct 7, 2023 attack on Israel demonstrations broke out in the US. By Dec 5, more than 1 million Americans had participated in protest over the conflict, across 2,600 events: 442 in support of Israel and 2,100 in support of Palestine. Worldwide when the US/Israel invaded Iran there were 3,200 demonstrations in the first month. By contrast, there were 3,700 demonstrations in the first month when Russia invaded Ukraine and 6,100 in the first month of the Israelis war on Gaza. There is a difference between the way the people of the world, including the US, react when it comes to Israel. The historical dislike toward Jews is alive and well.

Speech

Starting about ten or fifteen years ago, certain people in government and others in the news business came to the conclusion, that the average American could no longer determine what is their truth because of misinformation. Because of the vast amount of information available to the citizenry, people would be overwhelmed and easily misguided to believing things that according to government were not true. Then pressure was put on social media to begin censoring and removing what was called misinformation or disinformation. This was a direct attack on the first amendment. Many countries have free speech in their constitutions but most have exceptions for hate speech which means they don’t have free speech. While many countries in Europe and elsewhere criminalize hate speech, harassment, or defamatory language, the U.S. protects most speech, even if it is considered offensive or hateful.

Tax for wages

Normally when the government increases taxes on corporations, they can absorb this additional cost from profits (pay less to stockholders) or raise prices. If corporate taxes increase 5% with the condition that the company could either pay the tax or increase wages it might encourage companies to pay the money to the employees and this would help to reduce the income gap. Here is what Google AI says: The government could structure tax policy this way, effectively creating a "tax-or-raise-wages" option. This could be implemented by raising the headline corporate tax rate while offering generous tax credits or deductions specifically for increasing employee compensation. The goal would be to encourage investment in labor over paying higher taxes, though such policies often face complex economic trade-offs. This would encourage thinking out of the box for ways to help increase wages.

Income gap

Rich people use their money the same as the poor, they spend it, invest it, save it and give it away. Any of these four options promotes economic growth. The difference is that the rich generate a larger share of the income from investments, meaning they earn their money from capital, while the poor earn money from labor and over the years capital has grown faster than labor, thus the income gap keeps getting wider. If it is assumed that the income gap is too large then what steps can be taken to change. The obvious is to raise taxes on the rich and to increase wages for the poor. What can be done to encourage business to increase wages without increasing prices. Invest in new technology to improve productivity. Offer profit sharing to encourage employees to work more efficiently. Allowing remote work to save on office space. Reduce turnover to cut recruiting and training cost. Invest in new training to enhance employee skills including company and outside programs. Offer benefits like vacation time, sick leave, maternity leave, childcare, healthcare, pensions, life and disability insurance, and personal days. These benefits give employees more disposable income. Multiple studies demonstrate that employees with good wages and benefits perform better. Higher compensation improves motivation, increases productivity, and attracts better candidates, while comprehensive benefits boost retention, loyalty, and overall job satisfaction. Research indicates that "good jobs" often pay for themselves through higher output and decreased turnover.

Mejia

Analilia Mejia is running for congress in New Jersey and she represents the progressive wing of the democratic party. She has solid democratic bona fides after starting as a union organizer, she was political director for Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign and in the Department of Labor under President Biden. Her platform includes canceling student loan debt, abolition of ICE, Medicare for all, guaranteed sick leave on a federal level, impeachment of Justices Thomas and Alito, $25 federal minimum wage, regulating AI data centers and Big Tech companies, says Israel is committing genocide, childcare for all, increase taxes on the rich and supports defund the police. Some of these ideas are unpopular but most would help reduce the income gap particularly if she helped strengthen unions. She is the favorite to win since democrats currently hold the governorship, both houses and all state wide offices. New Jersey currently has the second highest debt per capital at $23,000 just behind Connecticut. If Mejia can increase taxes on the rich to cover some of the spending she is proposing, it could help the working people.

The new way

The income gap between the rich and everyone else has been increasing by every major measure for more than 30 years. Much of this has been caused by globalization but that is coming to an end. One way to understand this disparity is to compare CEO salaries. In 1950 the average CEO earned 25 times as much as a factory worker and today it is 300 time more. The way to reverse this trend is to do a couple of things each year. This year the government should start taking social security tax from all earned income instead of stopping at $184,000. Second increase the child tax credit from $2,200 to $4,000. Collecting SS tax on all income would bring in $475 billion per year and increasing the child tax credit would only cost the government $100 billion. This would mean a family of four earning $100,000 would pay zero income tax or $3,000 less than they now pay. Some states are implementing state income taxes on millionaires. For this to be effective it must be national otherwise people will just relocate to another state. A 5% surtax on all earned income over $1 million per year would bring in $80 billion.

Income gap

The income gap between the rich and everyone else has been increasing by every major measure for more than 30 years. Much of this has been caused by globalization but that is coming to an end. One way to understand this disparity is to compare CEO salaries. In 1950 the average CEO earned 25 times as much as a factory worker and today it is 300 time more. The way to reverse this trend is to do a couple of things each year. This year the government should start taking social security tax from all earned income instead of stopping at $184,000. Second increase the child tax credit from $2,200 to $4,000. Collecting SS tax on all income would bring in $475 billion per year and increasing the child tax credit would only cost the government $100 billion. This would mean a family of four earning $100,000 would pay zero income tax or $3,000 less than they now pay. Some states are implementing state income taxes on millionaires. For this to be effective it must be national otherwise people will just relocate to another state. A 5% surtax on all earned income over $1 million per year would bring in $80 billion.

REE

China uses acid solvents to extract rare elements (REE) and this presents an environmental hazard. The result is that the ground water is now contaminated to the point that the Yellow River, water supply to 150 million people, is now unsafe. A new company, Phoenix Tailings is much cleaner. First off, instead of mining the rare earths, Phoenix uses tailings from existing mines, along with coal ash from closed down power plants as the source of rare earths. In processing they do not rely on chemicals but instead use electrolysis to separate out the different metals. This will allow them to catch up with China much sooner and do so in a more environmentally favorable way.

Rare earth elements

The big mistake the US made was in the mining and processing of rare earth metals. The United States was the world's leading producer of rare earth elements (REEs) from the 1960s through the mid-1980s, largely driven by the Mountain Pass mine in California. This was closed down in 2002 because of environmental concerns. Meanwhile the Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping realized the importance of these metals and famously said, The Middle East has oil, China has rare earth. After a series of bankruptcies, MP Materials acquired the California site in 2017 and is now mining and processing rare earths. Over the past 30 years China continued its production without any environmental concerns and today mines 65% of all rare earths and processes 90% of the world supply. The US is now scrambling to catch up and China is using their rare earths as a bargaining chip in negotiations with the US.

Deportations in Europe

Starting about ten years ago, European countries began to realize that they had a shortage of young people, the group that represented both the producers and consumers. In an attempt to alleviate the problem, they opened the door to immigrants. The result was increases in crime, drugs and gangs. The welfare system was overwhelmed and schools and medical facilities were over crowded. The result is that countries have undertaken massive deportation programs where over 500,000 are forced to leave each year. It was one more example of good intentions going awry. The same thing happened to Canada and they too are deporting.

Spending

Using states as experiments to determine national policy is considered helpful in setting up national policy. The "laboratories of democracy" concept, popularized by Justice Louis Brandeis, allows U.S. states to test innovative social and economic policies without risking the entire nation 39 states currently have one party control of the governor, state senate, state house and all state wide offices, 23 Republican, 16 democrat and 11 with divide government. The biggest three democratic states by population are California, New York and Illinois and the biggest republican states are Texas, Florida and Georgia. The three democratic states have a combined total debt of $2.4 trillion and the three republican states at $130 billion about 1/20 as much. The current budget for the three democratic states is $658 billion and the three republican states add up to $324 billion. Both groups have similar populations with the democratic states at 71 million and the republican states at 66 million. The top income tax rate in the three democratic states averages 9.4% and the average for the republican states is 2%. The federal government with a $37 trillion debt is much like the democratic states. This is the result spending more than income.

Veterans

When an active-duty military person dies they are eligible for government benefits and the amount depends on rank and time of service. For an E-3 with two years and a base salary of $2,836 per month the Disability and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefit is $1,700 for the spouse and $420 for each child. In addition, social security would provide $1,200 per month for the spouse and another $1,200 per child. For example, a young soldier age 30 with two years of service and rank of E-3 dies leaving a wife and one child. His family is eligible for $2,120 from DIC benefits and $2,400 per month from social security for a total monthly income of $4,520. The SS benefit ends when the child is 18 but starts up again when the mother is age 60. His family receives a onetime tax-free payment of $100,000. The family will continue to receive the other benefits associated with active-duty service things like subsidized housing and GI bill and most importantly healthcare. The GI bill is available for spouse and children. Veterans on partial disability can collect their disability checks and SS but not the DIC benefit. The disability benefit can be partial or full salary depending on the severity. Most of the other benefits continue other than the $100,000 tax free cash.

Work or not

What is life like in American for low-income families and zero income families. With zero income a mother with two children receives $250 per month from WIC, $785 per month from SNAP, TANF in MN $1,200 per month, SSI $2,000 per month, two meals per day during the school year, free healthcare through Medicaid. This comes to $4,235 per month or $50,820 per year. If the mother could get some help with baby sitting and earn $2,500 per year, she would be eligible for $2,000 per year from EITC and $4,400 per year in child tax credit so her annual income would be $59,720. Some mothers choose to take in a baby for 20 hours per week and they earn $400 per week. This would cause some of their benefits to be reduced but their EITC would increase to $7,000 per year which is designed to offset any loss of public assistance. This would bring her annual income to over $60,000 per year. There are also programs to help with utility cost. Some mothers can get Grandma to baby sit which allows them to work full time at Walmart earning $20 per hour or $40,000 per year. She would then qualify for $10,000 per year from EITC and child tax credit bringing her income up to $50,000. Even under these circumstances many would prefer not to work. This is why some say the only real poor in America are the people living on the street who mostly have drug or mental problems.

Misjudgements

Three times in the past 60 years, major misjudgments were made by elected officials because 95% of congress lacks any scientific background. This has allowed them to be misled and sometimes manipulated. The first started in the 1960’s with groups like Greenpeace. Using fear as their weapon, they convinced the general population that nuclear power was dangerous and had to be stopped. They used the fear of a melt down that could lead to a release of radioactive materials into the atmosphere, some even suggesting a possible nuclear bomb explosion. They followed this up with exaggerating the problem of storing waste material in unsafe ways across the country. This led to over regulation to the point where the 100 reactors that were scheduled to be built were cancelled and not one new site was constructed over the next fifty years. The activist had won. The second mistake was also promoted using fear and that was global warming. In this case, the activist joined forces with certain scientist who profited from the fear, to convince the people that fossil fuels were the cause and set a goal of zero carbon by 2030. The UN and the Paris Accords added to the fear and promoted the idea of zero carbon. Important elected officials led by Presidents Obama and Biden called climate change an existential threat and laws were passed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions. The experts saw the solution to the problem was to replace fossil fuels with wind and solar. This was pushed by the new green deal, that combined social programs with the production of solar panels which opened the door to campaign contributions by way of government subsidies. Once the program became political it automatically had support of half the population and the promoters were well aware of this fact. The third big mistake was the subsidizing of electric vehicles. Once again this became a political issue and government subsidies followed. The fact that the cars needed long charging times, that there were very few charging stations and that many of the stations got their power from fossil fuels did not dampen the enthusiasm for EV’s. The excitement caused car companies to invest billions before they realized the consumers did not want the hassle of dealing with these cars and they are now writing off loses totaling tens of billions. This was a classic case of putting the cart before the horse. Common sense is slowly taking over and nuclear power is seen as the solution to climate change. It has taken almost a hundred years to recover from these mistakes but help is on the way.

Virtue signaling

Virtue signaling is not limited to individuals but applicable to countries and even continents. Europe is in an economic decline that started 30 years ago. They decided to join the zero-carbon fad. The results can best be seen by looking at Germany and more specifically at BASF the largest chemical company in the world. Germany set upon a path of going green by closing down the coal plants, closing down the nuclear plants and refusing to frack. They believed they could survive on wind and solar using natural gas as a go between while they changed. The Ukraine War disrupted these plans and the cost of energy quadrupled. Now BASF is shifting production to China where energy costs are lower because China gets 60% of their energy from coal. This is a kind of bait and switch which allows Germany to say they are going green by shifting their air pollution to China. This is an example of corporate, country and continent virtue signaling. In order to save face Germany is secretly planning on reopening its coal plants. Interestingly enough Canada is now following the same path as they increase their wind and solar while exporting 4.5 million barrels per day of oil to the US.

Differences

Looking back over the last hundred years or so many cultural norms have changed. Not too long ago marrying outside the faith was traumatic for some families. The same was true for ethnicity. Remember the movie about the Greek Wedding. In time things progressed to interracial marriage and gay marriage. As these changes take place some people are more willing to accept the new ways than others. This is understandable as humans are that way. One area of concern is how people judge one another based on how far along they are in adjusting to the new ways. Often times people who view themselves as the more tolerant begin to feel morally superior. Sometimes a White couple can accept their daughter marrying a Black man without any reservation. Sometimes a straight couple can accept their son marrying another man without much concern. Other couples will have great difficulty in adjusting to these new circumstances. In many cases there are people willing to adjust without a full commitment but their love for their children allows them to except the change. In their hearts there is a small voice saying, I wish things were different. It is probably wise not to pass judgement too quickly. One way that some use to allay the stress with these types of circumstances is to follow the rule, hate the sin but love the sinner.

Thorium power

The most efficient path to carbon free transportation comes by way of small thorium reactors. These are built in factories, assembly style and shipped to the use point. At scale they produce almost endless quantities of electric power and at low cost. This power is used to separate water into hydrogen and oxygen and use the hydrogen for fuel, the only by product being water. Hydrogen can then be combined with carbon dioxide taken from the air to synthesize diesel and aviation fuel. When this is burned the CO2 returns to the air in a neutral cycle. Cars and trucks can still be driverless as technology allows. Thorium is four times more abundant than uranium, produces less dangerous by products and offers walk away safety which prevents melt downs. China has been operating a thorium reactor for the past two years.

EV's and weight

Most articles about EV’s, recognize that the power source must be green, or the whole purpose of the car is lost and they lead off with how the cost of solar panels have come down over the past 20 years and this is a fact. What they don’t write about is the materials needed to produce EV’s which include lithium, nickel, cobalt, manganese, graphite and copper along with rare earths neodymium, praseodymium, dysprosium and terbium. These are left out because of the environmental harm caused by the mining, processing and disposal of these elements. The second area left out is how airplanes and heavy equipment will operate on batteries. Both military and commercial planes are jets and ocean liners, tanks, bull dozers and large farm equipment need more power than batteries can supply. A Tesla long range semi-truck weighs 23,000 pounds including the 11,000-pound battery. An Abrams tank weighs 128,000 pounds and would require a 61,000-pound battery. When out on the battle field where would the charging station be. A diesel locomotive weighs 450,000 pounds and would need a 215,000-pound battery. When it comes to ocean liners and oil tankers the numbers are out of sight. Overwhelmed by the excitement of EV’s many of these problems are ignored. The problem of building EV’s before charging stations are installed and these cannot be supported without updating the grid is just putting the cart before the horse.

Pollution in China

China mines 70% of the world’s rare earths and processes 90% which is where most of the contamination comes from. Mining and processing rare earth elements (REEs) in China have significantly contaminated the Yellow River and surrounding environments. Chinese people, particularly those living along the Yellow River basin, have been and continue to be adversely affected by the river's condition, with issues ranging from historical catastrophic floods to modern-day severe pollution and ecological degradation. Cancer rates—particularly digestive tract cancers—are elevated and, in some cases, rising in rural areas near the polluted middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. Environmental contamination, specifically polluted drinking water, is considered a key factor, with high-incidence "cancer villages" identified in these regions. In spite of this China continues to manufacture solar panels and parts for wind mills and selling them to the US. In addition, the West is the biggest manufacture of high-tech products that need these rare earths. Not only do they have to contend with bad water but as of April 2026 air quality in China remains poor, with some major cities experiencing air in the unhealthy range posing serious risk to residence especially children and elderly. These problems are rarely reported in the West.

Investment income

The two main tax advantages for rich people are capital gains and maxed out social security contributions. Compare a person working for wages earning $180,000 per year vs a rich investor earning $2 million per year from investments. The person earning $180,000 will pay $34,000 in federal income tax and $9,000 in state income tax plus $13,775 in social security and Medicare tax leaving him with $133,000 or 73% of his gross. The capital gain tax on $2 million is $369,000 leaving him with 82% of his gross. This is because there is no social security tax on investment income. A single person earning $180,000 per year from investments only would pay $20,317 in total taxes netting him $160,000 or 88.7% of gross. This is why Warren Buffet once said that his secretary pays a higher tax rate than he does.

Grades

What happened to higher education. Back in the 1950’s universities like the Ivy league, Stanford and MIT accepted students based on academic performance. This meant that students from elite high schools and student who took advanced placement (AP) courses would have an advantage. Thus, when they were in college they competed against other students with rigorous training. After affirmative action started in the 1970’s, students with less vigorous training were admitted. This made it difficult for students who came in, having taken less strenuous course work, to compete. Studies are mixed on this, some showing it had little effect and other showing higher drop out rates. Professors were uncomfortable with the new admissions because they witnessed students having a difficult time. One result was grade inflation. In the early 1990’s Harvard students received an A grade about 25% of the time and today that is 60%. Teachers responded to struggling students by lessening the work loan and offering higher grades. Companies hiring Harvard grads are coming to understand that they no longer have the same academic abilities they had thirty years ago.

Intel stock

As part of the Biden Chips act, Intel was to receive $11.1 billion which included $5.7 billion in cash and the rest in grants. Trump intervened and instead purchased $8.9 billion in stock which included 433 million shares at $20.47 per share. Yesterday Intel stock closed at $62 meaning a paper profit to the US government of $10 billion. This purchase is not without controversy. Here is from Google AI. Whether the government's 9.9% non-voting stake in Intel constitutes "socialism" is a matter of political and economic debate. Critics label it a "step toward socialism" or [right-wing nationalization], while others, including supporters, argue it is pragmatic industrial policy and a form of [state capitalism] aimed at protecting strategic technology interests The average voter would see buying the stock as a better deal for the government than just handing out money, especially since it was non-voting stock.

More taxes

Over the past fifteen years and increasingly so in the last five years, the movement of people and companies from high tax states to lower tax states has been in the news. One example that illustrates the point, is the trend of the financial industry moving from NY City to Dallas, TX. These moves are not just for tax savings but include a much lower overall cost of living. This is from Google AI: Overall, the cost of living in Dallas is significantly lower than in New York City, with expenses, particularly housing, roughly 50-60% less in Dallas. Average monthly rent $3,698 vs $1,295, Home prices $3 million vs $460,000, income tax 12% vs 0, corporate tax 22% vs zero. Big financial companies are moving there businesses out of NY City. Led by Apollo Global Management, Alliance Bernstein, Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan now have more of their business outside of NY City. Texas has surpassed New York in total financial service employment as of 2025. Since 2021, New York State has applied higher tax rates for individuals earning over $1 million, $5 million, and $25 million. As of April 2026, there are active, popular proposals for an additional 2% city income tax increase on residents earning over $1 million annually to address budget gaps. As taxes are raised on the rich, more move out and this creates more taxes on those who remain.

Iranian women

While no government is without faults, some are much better than others. This is the case when comparing Iran before the 1979 revolution and after. Under the Shah, who ruled from 1925 to 1979, there were heavy restrictions on political freedom, freedom of the press and assembly with the state cracking down on dissidents and labor unions. During his rule Urban areas, like Tehran, were cosmopolitan with modern cafes, cinema, music and Western fashion. Women were active in public life, including serving as doctors, judges, and ministers, and were allowed to wear what they chose, including Western-style clothing. The "White Revolution" aimed for rapid industrialization, land reform, and increased literacy rates. One stark difference was the Family Protection Laws of 1967 and 1975. These laws restricted a man from taking multiple wives without court permission and the consent of the first wife, making the practice rare in urban areas. In addition, they modified patriarchal interpretations of Shari’s law which put men in dominant positions in regards to families, things like divorce and child custody. At this time when women in Iran risked standing up to these injustices, women in the West remain silent. Some feel this is the time for Western women to protest the male dominated society in Iran but they remain quiet.

Food scam

During the pandemic, the USDA waived several standard oversight requirements for child nutrition programs to ensure children were fed while schools were closed. The conspirators used these loosened rules to rapidly open sites that were not subject to rigorous verification. The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) obtained the funds for the Feeding Our Future program from federal COVID-19 relief money allocated to the Federal Child Nutrition Program, specifically through waivers approved during the pandemic. Feeding Our Future expanded exponentially, growing from handling approximately $3.4 million in federal funds in 2019 to nearly $200 million by 2021. The Minnesota-based nonprofit used the pandemic-era expansion of federal nutrition programs to sponsor over 250 sites, ultimately, over $240 million in fraudulent funds were disbursed through their scheme. Fake businesses enrolled and created fake meal sites, including invoices, and list of children to receive reimbursement for meals not served. They used Excel formulas to assign random ages (between 7 and 17) to the fake names on rosters. Money was laundered through shell companies disguised as "consulting" or "maintenance" firms. Many of the participants were related and most of the 65 people convicted so far are Somalis.

Government funds

In 1998, the states were given $200 billion as settlement for the law suit against the tobacco industry over false claims about the health hazards from smoking. Much of that money was redirected to cover general operating expenses. Many states have used funds from the 1998 Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement (MSA) to pay for general operations, plug budget holes, and pay off state debt rather than for tobacco prevention or health programs. While the settlement was intended to help states recover Medicaid costs from smoking-related illnesses, most of the money has been used for non-health purposes. Something similar is happening with money given to the states from the infrastructure bill passed in 2021. Some states and local entities have used or are considering using federal infrastructure funds—specifically those from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) and previous COVID-relief packages—to help cover general operating expenses and address budget deficits. The tobacco payouts were designed to take place over 25 years but many states couldn’t wait and accepted a lower amount to get the money up front. Spending is the key to reelection for local politicians. Many states used Covid money for general operating expenses. Many states used federal COVID-19 relief funds, particularly from the American Rescue Plan's State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF), to cover general operating expenses and replace lost public-sector revenue.

Uranium

The concern over the 1000 pounds of 60% uranium that Iran has is somewhat bewildering. Russia, their ally holds 680 tons of 90% enriched uranium and could easily send some to Iran. Russia controls 44% of the world’s supply of bomb grade uranium. Would the US risk the lives of American soldiers to retrieve the uranium if it could be quickly replaced?

GM

There was a time in the US when tariffs could have benefited the country. The big auto companies led by GM were unionized and had defined pension benefit plans. In 1980 these plans were enhanced to include the 30 year and out feature. This meant you could start at age 18 and received retirement benefits at age 48. By the time Japanese imports became popular in the 1980’s, GM had 210,000 retirees that was costing about $1,500 per car. By 2003 that number had risen to 460,000. Toyota came to the US and built non union plants with no retirement cost because it would be many years before any of their employees were eligible for retirement. Their plants were new and more efficient meaning more productive so their profits were higher. This was the time the company could afford a tariff and make for more fair competition with American companies. These retirement costs were a major factor in the 2009 GM bankruptcy. For many the Toyota’s were a better-quality car which was a management failure at GM.

Hostages

It is often said that Trump doesn’t act presidential and that stems from the fact that he is not a politician. This can be seen in his Iran policy. All presidents since 1979 have pushed the Iran problem down the road and into the lap of the next president. This was the safe thing to do politically but Trump, of course, is different. Some today ask the question, would Trump do the same if he could back up 6 weeks and many say the answer is yes. They repeat the news that for more than four-decades, Trump has called for invading Iran, seizing its oil, and preventing it from gaining a nuclear weapon. In an interview with NBC in 1979 he said that the Iran hostage crisis was a sign that America no longer commanded international respect. When asked if the US should invade and bring the hostages home, he said, “I absolutely feel that, yes”. Now, in retrospect, some feel that invading Iran over the hostage situation might have solved a problem before it became one but that is just conjecture. The what if game is rarely productive.

Exit tax

As states like Washington, Minnesota, California, Massachusetts, New York and Illinois adopt different types of wealth taxes, they find companies and individuals leaving their states and moving to lower tax states like Texas, Florida and Tennessee. They are responding by installing exit taxes, meaning when you leave the state you will have all of your assets evaluated and pay an exit tax on the total. Some assets like stocks and bonds can be easily assessed but others like personal property are more difficult. This will lead to moving assets out of state before moving while using other methods to avoid counting assets. The income gap is wider today than any time in the past hundred years so this is the time to tax the rich. Combine this with higher paying jobs as manufacturing comes back home and it would be a way to reduce the gap.

Using nukes

The concern over Iran getting a nuclear weapon is not that they would send an ICBM over New York but that it would prompt other countries, particularly in the Middle East, to acquire nukes. With Iran’s long-time pledge to irradicate Israel, the clock would be ticking for the next all-out nuclear war. The US would not fear Iran anymore than North Korea. North Korea is aware that if they fired off a missile toward the US, before it landed, two hundred nuclear weapons fired from an Ohio class submarine a few miles off the coast would hit with an average power of 300 kilotons each, more than 15 times larger than the bombs used in WW 2. This would mean the destruction of the 200 largest cities in North Korea in less than 30 minutes. They use their nukes to keep from being attacked not to use offensively against the US. Iran is a different story for some experts see them as willing to lose their country to achieve their objective of destroying Israel. This is based on their religious beliefs. This is from Google AI: The ruling elite of Iran’s Islamic regime, guided by a Shiite apocalyptic vision, believes that destroying Israel is a theological imperative to hasten the return of their messiah, the Twelfth Imam (Mahdi)

Wars and more wars

The news is out and once again America loses a war but the good news is that the US is losing faster. The Korea War lasted 3 years and 35,000 American soldiers died but North Korea was still standing. Vietnam cost 50,000 lives and lasted 19 years and North Vietnam was still standing. Afghanistan lasted 20 years with the loss of 2,400 soldiers and the Taliban remained. The second Gulf War lasted 8 years and 4,500 US soldiers died and it spawned ISIS. Finally, the Iran War lasted 6 weeks and 13 soldiers died. The trend is clear, the US is getting better at losing. The last war that American won was WW 2 and the major difference was the killing of civilians with fire bombing cities and the use of two nuclear bombs. This change in tactics was prompted by the rules of war as laid out in the 1949 Geneva Convention. Following these rules means there will always be losers in war but not winners. The winners win when they rise from the rubble and say we’re still here. Even the 45-year cold war ended when the USSR changed its name to Russia and the same leadership remained. Strange as it may seem this has to be considered progress when it comes to war. In mankind’s relentless search for self-destruction the world will have to wait until the next combatants go after each other with nuclear weapons, which will not be able to segregate the civilians from the soldiers and there will finally be a real winner again. Will Iran rise like the phoenix from the ashes to start the long-anticipated WW 3?

Candidates

The candidates that run for political office who have the best chance to win are those who run for a purpose and lay out a plan to achieve that goal. Many democratic candidates are missing this concept. Instead of laying out plans on how they will accomplish their objectives, they are wasting time attacking Trump. A winning candidate will have a strong internal commitment to lower taxes on middle income groups, to provide safe neighborhoods and to improve test scores. It cannot be some goals that evolve from polling but must come from the heart. This is what authenticity is all about. A burning desire built around specific goals will allow the person to inspire voters. Does this fit the profile of any of the potential 2028 hopefuls?

Win or loss

In the high-tech world of today the new MBA’s are scientist and engineers. Case in point is Gwynne Shotwell, President and COO of Space X. She holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering and a Masters of Science in Applied Mathematics. Working for Elon Musk she follows his business strategies one of which is using Parkinson’s Law. This states that, “work expands so as to fil the time available for its completion”. She pushes new developments to the limits when setting a date of 2030’s for a human landing on Mars and 2040’s for establishing a city on Mars. The only down side to this is facing ridicule in the press for failing to meet the predicted time line. The upside is that things get done in accelerated manner. This is similar to the way Trump operates. He sets almost impossible goals and often times fails to reach them but he advances further than most expect. He does face the negative press but he sees beyond that. Most politicians take the safe road and try not to promise too much but Trump is a businessman not a politician. In the Iran conflict the press will say he didn’t accomplish all of his objectives so he lost but Trump will look at how Iran’s program was set back and see a win.

Policy on Iran

The Powell Doctrine regarding war includes the statement, using overwhelming force to ensure a quick victory. In laymen’s terms one interpretation is, if you are going to war, go to win, or otherwise stay home. When to go to war is not always easy to determine and sometimes requires a change in plans. When President Wilson ran for his second term his campaign slogan was, “He kept us out of war”. He took office on March 4, 1917 and declared war on Germany on April 2, 1917 just 29 days later. When Trump campaigned for his second term, he was quite clear on Iran. Trump doesn’t even pretend to have human rights or democracy concerns with Iran, just as he doesn’t with the rest of the world. He squarely restricts his demands on Iran to a change in its nuclear and foreign behavior. His position was modified after he was elected to: Based on 2026 reports, Donald Trump has expressed vocal support for Iranian protesters, warning Iranian authorities against killing demonstrators and urging the population to take over their government.

Why Iran and why now

During the Revolutionary War which lasted 8 years, 25,000 soldiers died and that would be the equivalent of 350,000 dying today based on population. This was a fight for freedom and was against a far superior force. The war today is seen by many Iranians as their fight for freedom but they have no weapons. Trump says that the people want the US to help but there is no confirmation from inside Iran to support this. What we do know is that the people were protesting in the streets. This is from Google AI as reported by Al Jazeera: Protests erupted in Iran in late 2025 and early 2026, driven by a severe economic crisis—including skyrocketing inflation, high food prices, and a crashing currency (the rial)—and long-standing frustration with systemic corruption and authoritarian rule. These nationwide demonstrations escalated into broader political demands for the removal of the clerical leadership and greater freedoms, particularly regarding women’s rights. In 2011 the US intervened in Libya to stop Gaddafi from attacking civilians, protect human rights and support rebels, ultimately leading to a regime change. Hillary Clinton Susan Rice and Samantha Powers convinced Obama to attack Libya based on the “Responsibility to Protect” rule. The Responsibility to Protect (R2P or RtoP) is a global political commitment endorsed by the UN in 2005 to prevent genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity. It mandates that states protect their populations; if they fail, the international community must intervene via diplomatic or, as a last resort, military action.

War crimes

Iran specifically targeted power generation in Kuwait, Bahrain and the UAE with little notice in the press but Trump announce such a strategy and some in the US said this would be a war crime. Going back to the Gulf War in 1991 and a half dozen times since the US has attacked the electric grid infrastructure in foreign countries. This was also used extensively in WW 2. During WW 2 this was only part of attacking civilian areas. Cities with no military bases or weapons facilities were bombed and millions of civilians were killed and injured. This was a deliberate attempt to demoralize the enemy which was considered the best way to win the war. Far more people in Japan were killed by firebombing cities than were killed by the two nuclear bombs. The threat to bomb power plants posed a new problem, when Sen Jeff Merkley condemned Trump’s threat to bomb power plants and urged US service members to refuse any orders to do so. This was reminiscent of when Gen Milley back in 2021 called China and said: In the calls, Milley sought to assure Li the United States was stable and not going to attack and, if there were to be an attack, he would alert his counterpart ahead of time, the report said.

Leaks

Trump announced today that someone leaked the fact that one of the pilots downed over Iran was not rescued. Then Iran ordered all people to be on the lookout for this pilot. This of course, put this airman in danger. Something similar happened when the US was looking for Osama bin Laden It is widely believed that media reporting on U.S. intelligence capabilities in the late 1990s—specifically a 1998 Washington Times article—disclosed that the U.S. was monitoring his satellite phone usage, leading Osama bin Laden to stop using it and go "off the grid". This made it more difficult for the US to capture him. Is it acceptable for the press to publish info that may be harmful to US troops? This is a question of free speech and is not easily resolved. Back in WW 2 the saying was loose lips sinks ships.

Vote for

Senator Van Hollan has proposed the Working Americans' Tax Cut Act" (WATCA). It will eliminate federal income taxes for individuals’ earnings under $46,000 and for married couples under $92,000. The tax relief is phased out for marrieds up to $153,000. It will be paid for by a tiered surtax on income over $1 million for singles and $1.5 million for marrieds. In addition, it increases the child tax credit up to $3,600 for children 6 and older up to age 17 and $4,320 for children under 6 with a baby bonus of $6,360. Senator Cory Booker has a somewhat similar plan. This is interesting from two standpoints. First it will help reduce the income gap and second it is a proposal by democrats instead of just opposing Trump. It gives people something to vote for.

Obama removals

Obama’s border policy while he was in office. He emphasized that border security must be strengthened and stated that those who cross illegally should be held accountable. He deployed more agents and technology to the southern border. His administration focused on deporting individuals apprehended at the border, as well as those with criminal records. During his two terms he deported 3 million and turned back another two million at the border. About 75% of deportees were removed via, non-judicial removals, meaning without a judge to determine asylum status.

China or Mexico

Mexico is becoming the new China. Starting after the end of the cold war in 1990, China began its rise as the newest manufacturing model. Their big draw was low wages and companies from the West were willing to invest large sums to make products in China and sell them in the West were the consumers with money lived. The government of China, while maintaining its communist political side, recognized that the true economic growth was based on selling products to the West and in particular the US. They set up a pseudo free market and set government policies to encourage exports. It was a resounding success and the GDP of China went from $400 billion in 1990 to $11 trillion in 2015 a staggering 24% annual increase. The first signs of trouble came when US relations began to crumble. The West realized that shipping all of their production to China was a national defense problem. During this period labor cost in China tripled and by 2019 the average wage in China was $4.50 compared to Mexico at $3.95. Thus started the great process of near shoring and reshoring. During this time period the cost of the standard 40-foot shipping container from China to the US increased from $3000 to $18000 or a six-fold increase. People became concerned that important products like pharmaceuticals were no longer made in America. Trade deals with China and Mexico gave a big edge to Mexico. The US has now undertaken steps to reduce the drug traffic from Mexico and offer safety to trade routes. The trade deficit with China declined from $295 billion in 2024 to $202 billion in 2025 while the deficit with Mexico increased from $175 billion in 2024 to $197 billion in 2025. This trend is expected to continue as the US builds up its industrial base as it brings back manufacturing jobs back home. This process of America First is taking place in many industries where the US can no longer rely on foreign countries for necessary goods.

Excise tax

Washington State has no state income tax at least up till now. Washington enacted a 9.9% tax on household income over $1 million (SB 6346) in March 2026, targeting high earners. Signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson, this tax on annual income above $1 million takes effect in 2028, with initial payments due in 2029. It affects roughly 21,000 residents and aims to fund tax credits, child care, and school meals. This is an example of what is called luxury beliefs. It is highly unlikely that this new tax will affect any of the legislators who enacted the law. Most people do not object to taxing the other guy. The Washington State constitution prohibits state income tax so this will be called an excise tax. This will be an uphill battle because: Excise taxes are indirect, consumption-based taxes levied on specific goods (gasoline, tobacco, alcohol) or activities, usually paid by businesses and passed on to consumers, making them often hidden. In contrast, income taxes are direct taxes imposed on personal or corporate earnings, generally proportional to wealth and paid directly to governments

Spending

Governments like big corporations can get too big over time. At the height of WW 2 there were 2,000 active-duty flag officers (generals and admirals) with an active-duty force of 12 million. This is one flag officer for every 6000 soldiers. Today there are 848 flag officers and 1.8 million active-duty troops or one flag office per 2122 troops. Since the end of WW 2 the average inflation rate in the US has been 3.5% while government spending has increased 7.5%. Part of this spending can be seen in the military budget and it is the same in social spending.

Bernie Sanders

Senator Bernie Sanders about a decade ago represented the left in this country when he opposed President Obamas TPP. In 2015, Bernie Sanders opposed the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), arguing that reducing tariffs through such deals hurts American workers, lowers wages, and fuels job outsourcing. He consistently advocated for fair trade over free trade, blaming previous trade deals for the loss of U.S. manufacturing jobs He was for tariffs back in 2008 In 2008 and around that period, Bernie Sanders was a staunch critic of U.S. free trade policies, advocating for protectionist measures like tariffs to counteract the loss of manufacturing jobs to countries like China and Mexico In his 2016 campaign he opposed open borders. In 2015, Bernie Sanders opposed open borders, calling the concept a "Koch brothers proposal" that would depress wages for American workers. During his 2016 presidential campaign, he argued that an open-border policy would make the US poorer and argued that a nation-state requires controlled borders Today his big push is redistributing the wealth Bernie Sanders' 2026 plan to redistribute wealth, introduced as the "Make Billionaires Pay Their Fair Share Act," proposes a 5% annual tax on the net worth of Americans with over $1 billion. This tax on approximately 938 individuals aims to generate trillion over a decade, funding direct payments to families earning under $10,000.

Dream

In the late 1800’s and early 1900’s immigrants poured into the US by way of Ellis Island. They came with few possessions but the dream of a better life. They were willing to work long hours for low pay with the goal of providing a better life for their children. That is still possible today. Juan and Marie both 18 arrive in America. They have the dream. They get a full-time job of stocking shelves at Walmart on the night shift for $15 per hour. They each work 20 hours per week at a fast-food restaurant. They attend night school to improve their English two hours a day, five days per week. They are earning $1,800 per week and in four years they have saved $200,000. They lived the life style of the earlier immigrants where all they did was work, learn English, eat and sleep. At age 22 they have enough for a down payment on a small home. Walmart promotes from within and 75% of managers started as hourly employees. Their attitude about work is you never complain about going to work just be glad you’re able to go and when you get there, always do more than your share. These hard-working young people would soon catch the eye of management. They asked to be moved to different departments and express interest in management and soon opportunities come up and they are on their way. Marie as a department manager and Juan enrolls in the Walmart Truck Driver program. Moving up the ladder at Walmart, where roughly 75% of management started as hourly associates, requires high performance, initiative, and building relationships. Key strategies include mastering your current role, seeking opportunities in different departments, finding mentors, expressing interest in promotion to management, and being willing to relocate By age 30 this couple is on their way to achieving the American Dream.

DFL

Of the 13 members of the Minneapolis City Council, four identify as democratic socialist and members of the Democratic Socialist of America (DSA). Ther are Robin Wonsley, Jason Chavez, Aisha Chughtai and Soren Stevenson. These are citizens who took an active role in politics based on helping minorities to gain some power over their lives. Jason Chavez was elected in 2021 and is the first LGBTQ Latinx to serve. Aisha Chughtai was the former Campaign Manager for Congresswoman IIhan Omar. Soren Stevenson fighting for homeless and pushing for diversity, equity and inclusion. Robin Wonsley was a community organizer and one of the leaders behind the George Floyd moment. All 13 are members of the Minnesota Democratic Farmer Labor Party as is the MPLS Mayor

Good old days

As WW 2 came to an end, Rosey the Riveter returned to the home and the service boys took over the jobs. They needed a job and a home so they could start a family. The cities were already densely packed so everyone looked to the suburbs. What was once a corn field, became a housing development. Houses were small, less than 1,000 sq ft and family size was 3.5 kids instead of 1.5 today. Many of the returning service men went to school on the GI bill which paid $500 per year for tuition and $90 per month. This meant working while going to school and that is what most did. The women were the homemakers and the men went to work. Families lived on one income and very little credit except for a home loan and one car. Mom had time for the kids and time to prepare home cooked meals so the families rarely ate out. Entertainment for the kids was mostly free since they just played outside with neighbors’ kids without any coaches or rules. Families ate their evening meal together, often times on TV trays, sitting around the one console TV in the living room. On Sundays many families went to church and on some special occasions went for a picnic in the park. As TV programs increased fewer families went to movies that meant a drive into town. Many men worked in factories where the pay was a living wage and offered healthcare. People visited friends and neighbors and read magazines, newspaper and books and rarely took extended vacations, preferring weekend trips to the lake. The result was the baby boom where 70 million babies were born between 1946 and 1964 the largest population growth in the history of the country. This is what people my age call the good old days.

Luxury beliefs

Europe, and to some extent in the US, decided that wind and solar could replace fossil fuels and they took steps to move in those directions without thinking things through. The result in Europe was energy cost that increase four-fold and caused steel, chemical and auto companies to curtail production and move to China and the US. One of the reasons this happened is called, “Luxury Beliefs”. Rob Henderson defines "luxury beliefs" as ideas and opinions held by the affluent and educated elite that confer social status, but inflict costs on the lower classes. Here are some examples of luxury beliefs. Wealthy people living in gated communities far from high crime areas suggest decriminalizing drugs and reducing police funding. Environmentalist demanding reductions in fossil fuel without adequate replacement. Beliefs that challenge the traditional models of marriage and the nuclear family. People should prioritize their career over other aspects of life pursuing personal advancement and success as the ultimate goal. The belief that a traditional four-year college degree is the only path to success. The Healthy at Every Size movement promotes the acceptance of all body sizes and challenges the conventional health paradigms related to weight. As an example of how this can hurt the general public, look at Europe’s refusal to frack. Europe has large amounts of natural gas but they choose to import at cost much higher than fracking. Germany is losing its industrial base because of high energy cost. Consumers in Germany pay four times more than in the US and this primarily hurts working people.

Mural

On Aug 2025 Iryna Zarutska was murdered on the subway in Charlotte, NC. She was stabbed three times from behind while reading. The assailant Decarlos Brown was arrested leaving the train and charged with first degree murder. The 34-year-old Brown had been arrested 14 times with criminal charges dating back to 2007. He was found guilty of breaking and entering, possession of a firearm and armed robbery and spent 5 years in prison. An artist in Providence, RI decided to paint a mural of Zarutska to honor her death. This turned political and local authorities order the mural removed. Local authorities said, we are committed to fostering unity, safety, and care for all members of our community. We want to make sure that every member that calls Providence home feels safe and the mural does not reflect our values.

EU and USA

President Trump, in his usual blunt manor, told the rest of the world to go and get their oil through the straits but their response is, you broke it, you fix it. Iran assumed they had the straits to bargain with the US but Trump pointed out that the US did not need the gulf oil. European countries make a habit of taking action in their own behalf and expecting the US to side with them. When the English went into the Falklands, they ask for our help with fuel and missiles and we helped even though the US was trying to improve relations with South America. When the French went into Chad they wanted refueling and reconnaissance and the US helped. When the French and British bombed Libya they asked the US to lead the way and the US helped. When Europe wanted to bomb Serbia to protect Kosovo the US did the bombing. When Russia invaded Ukraine, the EU asked for US help and got it. Now the US is asking Europe to step up and help and they are wavering. The US military has protected Europe since WW 2 and paid more than a fair share of NATO and the UN. It is time for the EU, with their 450 million people and $22 trillion GDP to start carrying their own weight.

Grandchildren

The average price of a home in MN is $335,000. With 3% down ($10,000) a 30 fixed interest loan would cost $1991 principal and interest, $300 property insurance, $79 for PMI for a total month payment of $2,627. A young family with two incomes earning a gross of $100,000 and good credit with minimal other debt can qualify for a bank loan. Your granddaughter recently married and would like to purchase a home but they don’t have the down payment. She and her husband earn $50,000 each and qualify to purchase a $335,000 home. You can make them a gift of $10,000 or you can hold onto the money and give it to them years later after your dead. Something to think about.

Medicaid trust

John, age 80 is a widower living alone in his home. His income is $2,400 per month from social security, a $1,200 per month pension and interest income from $200,000 in savings. John’s brother was in a nursing home for 6 years at a cost of $100,000 per year and John would like to avoid that situation. His main asset is his $400,000 home. If he takes no action and goes into the nursing home for 6 years like his brother, he could face the following. The nursing home would get his $3,600 per month SS and pension. The remainder of the $6,400 ($10,000 per month average cost of nursing home) to cover his expenses would come first from his savings and then from the house. In 31 months his $200,000 saving would be use up and the house would be sold. Over the next 29 months, assuming he dies after 6 years in the home, he will use up $185,000 from the sale of his house and his heirs will receive $215,000. John decides to purchase a Medicaid Asset Protection Trust (MAPT) to keep his assets safe from nursing care cost. He puts the home in the trust along with his $200,000 savings and after a five-year waiting period these assets are exempt from Medicaid. During that five-year period, he can continue to receive the interest from the $200,000. He is the trustor, sometimes called the grantor, and his two children are the trustees and the beneficiaries. He cannot benefit from the trust as he is no longer the owner of the assets but he can change the trustees and beneficiaries if he desires. He goes into full care and the nursing home receives his SS and pension but his assets are protected. The house can be rented out or sold and the proceeds remain in the trust until John dies at which time the assets pass to his heirs (children) as stated in the trust and most common is in equal shares to my children. Using a qualified eldercare attorney, the cost of such a trust is about $8,000.

Women's rights

Women’s rights in Muslim countries vary but Saudi Arabia is considered one of the most liberal but in practice this is not the case. In 2018 there was much fanfare when the Saudis allowed women to drive cars but four years later only 2% of drivers, were women. Women’s lives are closely monitored and regulated through the implementation of Shaira law. Many women are in prison for not wearing the hijab or for dancing in public or tweeting their opinions. Two years ago, the government enacted the male guardianship system into law despite being one of the most deeply ingrained cultural mechanisms for oppressing women. Under the law, the husband’s financial support is expressly contingent on his wife’s obedience and she can lose her right to such support if she refuses to have sex with him without a “legitimate excuse”. This was enshrined into law in 2022 on International Women’s Day. The enforcement of dress codes like the hijab is an issue. Women who choose not to wear the hijab or wear it loosely risk facing fines, arrest, or even imprisonment. This past weekend many US women joined in the No Kings protest but many wonder if there will be any protest about the way women are treated in Iran. Prior to 1979 Iranian women experience legal and social advancements including the right to vote and expanded family rights under the 1975 Family Protection Law. This restricted polygamy and increased divorce/custody rights. Western style reforms in education and public office became more common. All that ended when the religious leaders took control in 1979 and the movement for women’s rights have been going backwards ever since. Men are allowed to have four wives in today’s Saudi Arabia and Iran.