Monthly Archives: February 2025

How Much Are They Actually Saving?

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On Wednesday (updated Thursday), The Epoch Times posted an article detailing how much government waste the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has uncovered.

The article reports:

A new list from the White House assesses the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE’s) financial impact so far at more than $3.4 billion, with substantial savings realized through cuts to the Department of Education.

The latest numbers, provided to The Epoch Times on Feb. 11, include $59 million that Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) staff sent to house illegal immigrants in New York City hotels. The White House has sought to claw back that money.

The list also includes a variety of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) contracts and grants, many in the Department of Education, as well as moves against DEI-related directives and policies deemed as out of step with the new administration’s priorities. On the first day of his new presidency, President Donald Trump issued an executive order against DEI in the federal government.

The article includes the following:

That’s pretty good for a couple of weeks’ work.

The article concludes:

One lawsuit over DOGE employees’ access to Treasury Department payment systems data resulted in a court order from Judge Paul Engelmayer on Feb. 8, temporarily preventing DOGE employees from looking at that data and requiring that they destroy any of it they may have obtained.

On Feb. 11, in response to a Justice Department filing that challenged Engelmayer’s order, Judge Jeanette Vargas maintained the DOGE employee prohibition while clarifying that the ban did not prevent Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent from accessing his own department’s data.

Vargas will preside over a hearing on the DOGE case on Feb. 14.

In the Oval Office on Feb. 11, Trump questioned Engelmayer’s order.

“How could a judge want to hold us back from finding all of this fraud and finding all of this incompetence?” he asked.

This is NOT a Constitutional crisis–this is the American voters making their voices heard.

View From the Lair

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Where does the Rabbit Hole Lead?

We’ve all seen – some have marveled joyously, others sobbed bitter tears (but not enough yet) while watching DOGE do their thing.  President Trump is rolling through the swamp like a bulldozer, spreading fear and panic among the leftist bureaucrats and congress critters alike.  News agencies have been revealed to have been supported by tax dollars through subscriptions. These aren’t simple magazine subscriptions – site access running as much as $20K per month. PER SUBSCRIPTION! Not that such largess would lead to any bias towards the woke flunky who approved of such graft.

We’re discovering that USAID spent billions – yes BILLIONS on woke Marxist causes around the world.  Some of my Facebook “friends” (yes, I do occasionally go there) are bemoaning the loss of money for all of the food and sustenance support that USAID delivers. Like support for terrorists. It’s understandable that the leftists would want the graft to continue, after all that is their whole justification for advancing their socialist agenda. Let Uncle Sugar pay for his own destruction.

But is that the only reason that congress critters and NGO’s are upset? Yes, loss of influence is important. But what if there is more?  Maybe much more? The leftists in congress are proud of the $200 billion in aid that they have sent to Volodymyr Zalenskyy for his futile war against Russia. Never mind that it could have -and should have- been ended three years ago. But Zelenskyy claims that Ukraine only received $100 Billion. So what happened to the other half of the grift? Did resident Brandon collect his 10%?  Or …maybe more?  Where did the money go?  Did Zelenskyy and his pals spirit it off to a bank in the Caymans?  Or Switzerland? Did some of it find its way back to the pockets of some well-placed government benefactors?

DOGE is finding that there were NO restraints on whomever was doling out big bucks. It didn’t matter if the recipients were terrorists, whether they had a SS number, or if they were in the country legally or not. Just pay ’em.

Resident Brandon made sure to pardon almost everyone he (or someone) could think of that might have committed an indiscretion. Except himself. But what about possible crimes committed since then? Fair game. Did Fauci benefit more than he revealed? For that matter, what has he even revealed? Did any of the money that was sent to Wuhan come sneaking back to its benefactor? Were all of the royalties he received (and what was it he did to earn them?) Was all of the taxable income reported? And paid?

How many are really upset because their gravy train has been derailed? Mayor Pete to the rescue! Finding out how much money was spent -and subverted – is extremely important. But once the funds are accounted for (as much as it can be done) then it’s time to follow that money. Both to find out who was responsible for spending it and to find out to really received it.

Ciao,

The Snark

Down The Rabbit Hole With Alice In Wonderland

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Sometimes the media spin is just so ridiculous it is funny. I am still trying to figure out how a President reining in government spending is a threat to the Constitution. It seems to me that President Trump is simply doing what he was elected to do.

On Tuesday, Breitbart posted the following:

Establishment media outlets appear to be laying the groundwork to impeach President Donald Trump and perhaps a few of his team members, based on the president’s purge of the so-called “deep state” or administrative state.

Reporters and pundits’ portrayal of Trump’s actions appears to be a signal for what is perhaps to come if Democrats gain control of the House in 2026.

Legacy media and Democrat operatives appear particularly upset that the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) gained access to the federal payment system at the Treasury Department to monitor outflows of taxpayer funds. They are also angered about Trump’s decision to essentially defund many agencies, such as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), and fire rogue and corrupt actors within the administrative state.

These allegations, bolstered by think tank “experts,” caused some Democrat lawmakers to publicly demand the impeachment of Trump, the chief executive of the federal branch. Other Democrats, like Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), suggested they should start by impeaching the president’s director of DOGE, Elon Musk.

Considering that President Trump’s approval is about 60 percent and the Democrats’ approval is hovering around 30 percent, the Democrats might want to rethink their strategy. Is fighting fiscal responsibility a hill they are willing to die on?

The article concludes:

The term “deep state” or “administrative state” describes the phenomenon of unaccountable and unelected administrative agency personnel, including the national security apparatus, exercising power to create and enforce their own rules. The administrative state uses its rule-making ability to essentially usurp the separation of powers between the three branches of government by creating a so-called fourth branch of government not formed by the Constitution.

Many unelected bureaucrats within the administrative state also use their position to inflict their own agenda on citizens. For instance, after the “laptop from hell” story broke in 2020, 51 intelligence officials signed a letter that insinuated Hunter Biden’s laptop was Russian disinformation. Politico peddled the letter under the title, “Hunter Biden story is Russian disinfo, dozens of former intel officials say.” The 51 signatories seemingly knew the Politico story was false at the time because the FBI had the laptop that Hunter abandoned at a Delaware computer repair shop. Former President Joe Biden cited the story during a 2020 presidential debate with Trump to discredit the laptop’s contents. The story was allegedly planted by former Secretary of State Antony Blinken for Biden to use during the event.

It’s time to go back to government of the people, by the people, for the people.

The Trump Effect Overseas

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On Tuesday, MSN reported that Marc Fogel, an American teacher, held prisoner in Russia for three years has been released and is returning to America.

The article reports:

The Trump administration secured the release of Marc Fogel, an American teacher detained for more than three years in Russia, in an “exchange,” the White House announced Tuesday.

The deal to release Fogel, who was designated as wrongfully detained by the US State Department, was negotiated by President Donald Trump, Special Envoy for the Middle East Steve Witkoff, “and the President’s advisers,” according to a statement from national security adviser Mike Waltz.

The statement did not provide any details about the “exchange,” other than to say it was “a show of good faith from the Russians and a sign we are moving in the right direction to end the brutal and terrible war in Ukraine.” The National Security Council declined to offer further details.

In an extraordinary move, Witkoff personally went to Russia to bring back Fogel, the statement indicated. There has been no known high-level US travel to Russia since the start of the war in Ukraine in February 2022.

The article concludes:

Fogel’s family said Tuesday they “are beyond grateful, relieved, and overwhelmed that after more than three years of detention” he is coming home.

“Thanks to the unwavering leadership of President Trump, Marc will soon be back on American soil, free where he belongs,” Jane, Ethan and Sam Fogel said in a statement.

“This has been the darkest and most painful period of our lives, but today, we begin to heal,” the family said. “For the first time in years, our family can look forward to the future with hope.”

America’s position on the world stage has obviously changed.

Quotes Of The Week

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I can always depend on Senator Kennedy of Louisiana to provide some good quotes. On January 29, The Media Research Center posted a few:

Kennedy warned that the U.S. is “headed for a multiple-vehicle pileup” caused by the mutually essential needs to extend the tax cuts enacted during President Donald Trump’s first term while also cutting federal government spending.

If the Trump tax cuts aren’t extended, taxes will go up by $4.3 trillion, with 60% of the increase hitting middle class and lower income Americans, Kennedy cautioned.

Meanwhile, the U.S. national debt has topped $36 trillion, or $102,000 per citizen, the senator noted, stressing the need to spur economic growth.

“I don’t want to blame it all on President Biden, but, if the shoe fits, wear it, Cinderella,” Kennedy said, regarding the nation’s unprecedented debt fueled by wanton spending.

The article concludes:

“So, I hope all the folks today will go home and take off their Batman t-shirts, wash them [because they’re] probably a little sweaty.

“I hope everybody will go home – those who drink, have a cocktail – take their meds and put this all in perspective. That’s what that OMB memorandum (on excessive spending) was all about.”

Kennedy then closed with his vehicular warning:

“If you don’t believe we’re going to have to cut spending substantially, then you shouldn’t be driving.”

He is right. If we don’t cut spending, we will totally tank our economy.

Protecting Americans From Ridiculous Expenses

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On Sunday, Townhall posted an article about the ongoing recovery efforts in California after the disastrous fires. A little sunlight brought into the recovery will result in charitable contribution money being spent on those impacted by the fire–not on administrative costs.

The article reports:

Steve Soboroff, Los Angeles’ “Recovery Chief,” agreed to work without pay after Special Envoy Ric Grenell, Trump’s White House representative in California, exposed his $500,000 salary. The revelation sparked public outrage, prompting Soboroff to forgo his compensation in a bid to quell the backlash. The controversy comes as Soboroff oversees the city’s recovery efforts, with many questioning the large salary in light of residents’ ongoing challenges.

The salary was going to be for three months of work.

The article notes:

Facing criticism over his hefty $500,000 salary for just 90 days of work—money he would have earned from the misfortune of L.A. residents—Soboroff has backed down and agreed to work for free. Democrat L.A. Mayor Karen Bass confirmed he would receive no compensation, which would have been funded entirely by charitable organizations.

“Steve is always there for LA. I spoke to him today and asked him to modify his agreement and work for free. He said yes. We agree that we don’t need anything distracting from the recovery work we’re doing,” Bass said in a statement.

Soboroff, appointed last month as Bass’s wildfire recovery czar, was brought in to boost Bass’s political career after her initial response to the emergency drew nationwide criticism. Although the mayor’s office declined to disclose which organizations would fund Soboroff’s salary, critics found it “infuriating” that Bass had even considered that option.

Ric Grenell posted on X that he was glad there will be strings on federal money for California.

Working Against The Government You Are Part Of

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On Sunday, The Conservative Treehouse posted an article about the recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) raids in California.

The article reports:

This is remarkable. Truly alarming, quite stunning and a clear example of how corrupt the FBI agency is.

There was a very disturbing article in the Los Angeles Times, warning criminal aliens of a pending ICE operation sweep that was coming to the LA area.  The source for the advanced tip-off were indicated within the reporting to be FBI officials in Washington DC.

Today, it appears that Dept of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is confirming the leak came from the FBI as she says, “The FBI is so corrupt. We will work with any and every agency to stop leaks and prosecute these crooked deep state agents to the fullest extent of the law.”

The head of the DHS is saying the FBI is “corrupt.”  We know it is. All evidence has always pointed to this; however, it is remarkable to see the DHS Secretary saying this publicly.

It is amazing how much government garbage has come to light in the past three weeks. The people who did the leaking need to be fired.

Taking Economic Action Against Iran

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On Friday, The Jewish News Syndicate reported that the Trump administration has put sanctions on Iran’s oil shipments. The money from Iranian oil has been used to fund terrorism around the world. Iranian oil paid for the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.

The article reports:

The U.S. Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Thursday on an oil smuggling network generating hundreds of millions of dollars for Iran.

Iran’s Armed Forces General Staff used front companies to ship oil and used the revenue to fund terrorist groups, including Hamas, the Houthis and Hezbollah, according to the department.

“The Iranian regime remains focused on leveraging its oil revenues to fund the development of its nuclear program, to produce its deadly ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles and to support its regional terrorist proxy groups,” stated Scott Bessent, the U.S. treasury secretary. “The United States is committed to aggressively targeting any attempt by Iran to secure funding for these malign activities.”

Thursday’s action is the first round of new sanctions on the Islamic Republic since U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday re-imposing a policy of “maximum pressure” on Iran.

The sanctions target part of Iran’s “shadow fleet” of oil tankers and shell companies that help Iran smuggle oil and ultimately sell it to China.

When President Trump left office in 2020, Iran was collapsing financial because of the sanctions the Trump administration had put in place during President Trump’s first term. Unfortunately, one of the first things President Biden did was remove those sanctions. We may have missed a golden opportunity for regime change in Iran. Hopefully, the new sanctions will have the same impact the old sanctions had.

Why Greenland?

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Author:  R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D.   

President Trump has started his second term off with a flourish not seen by any other president in my lifetime. Only a true businessman could take over and rapidly make all the changes he has initiated. While most of his actions were anticipated based on election speeches, his comments about Greenland were quite surprising. It does show how wide ranging his thoughts are and his concern to do everything in his power to ensure the security of our nation. Let’s take a look at what is at stake with Greenland; it may surprise you.

Seemingly out of touch with reality, the European discoverers named an ice-covered island Greenland.  Actually, when discovered in 985 AD by Erik the Red, the climate in the northern hemisphere was in the midst of a warming period. Consequently, it is certainly probable that the vegetation in southern Greenland at that time was sufficient to warrant that label. Recent glacier melting has exposed numerous tree trunks and other evidence of vegetation that have not been able to grow there in hundreds of years. Recent ice melting bodes well for a future of a more livable climate.

Since Greenland is a part of North America and is in a very strategic location from a U.S. security perspective, efforts have been made to secure access for the U.S. military.  In 1951, at the beginning of the Cold War with Russia, then President Harry Truman offered to buy Greenland from Denmark for $100 million dollars in gold.  Denmark declined but Truman was able to work out an arrangement where the U.S. could install and operate military bases.  As a result, Thule Air Base, still operational by the way, was built and has served as a vital defense base against Russian aggression.  In fact, in 2019, President Trump offered to buy Greenland from Denmark, but the offer was not accepted.  Greenland is a semi- sovereign country that is closely aligned with Denmark.  In 2009, Denmark altered its agreement with the residents of Greenland; allowing them to terminate their dependence on Denmark by passing a referendum to that effect.  A recent poll showed that a majority of Greenland’s citizens would welcome closer ties to the United States.

There are several issues that make Greenland important to the U.S.  First of all, 40% of Greenland is above the Arctic Circle, giving it a critical location for defenses against Russia and China.  The Thule Air Base is 695 miles above the Arctic Circle and 947 miles from the North Pole.  Second, it is the largest island in the world; and at 836,000 sq. miles, it is far larger than Alaska, which is 663,000 sq. miles.  It contains enormous natural resources such as lithium, uranium, coal, oil, and natural gas.  China and Russia would love to get control over these resources, which would greatly shift the balance of power into the hands of communist oligarchs.  China’s moves around the world to control natural resources, called the Belt and Road Initiative, must be taken seriously.  The melting of the ice around the Arctic is making shipping much more feasible and allowing access to previously difficult areas.  Russia currently has a large fleet of diesel- and nuclear-powered ice breakers that can crush ice up to 14 ft. thick.  Our most powerful ice breaker, the U.S. Healy, can only manage ice 4 ft. thick.

Recently, the government of Denmark admitted that it is incapable of defending Greenland.  It is past time for us to take this threat seriously.  At least President Trump is concerned and likely to take needed action.  Look at all the money the Biden administration has spent on the USAID (aide to foreign countries) for such nonsense as transgender surgeries, DEI, providing condoms to Hamas, etc.  Thankfully, we finally have an adult in charge, so there is hope for the future.

Taking Action Against Medical Fraud

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On Friday, The Gateway Pundit posted an article about the Department of Government Efficiency’s (DOGE) next target.

The article reports:

Elon Musk, who is leading the charge under President Trump’s newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), announced on his social media platform X that the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) wasted a staggering “$100 billion of taxpayer money.”

On Wednesday, Musk’s team, along with two senior veterans from the agency, has been meticulously reviewing the CMS’s payment and contracting systems, which are crucial for managing health insurance for approximately one in every four Americans, according to far-left USA Today.

“CMS has two senior Agency veterans – one focused on policy and one focused on operations – who are leading the collaboration with DOGE, including ensuring appropriate access to CMS systems and technology,” the agency said in a statement to Reuters.

The DOGE team was granted read-only access to the system.

The article concludes:

Medicare currently covers about 68 million Americans, primarily those over 65 and individuals with disabilities, while Medicaid serves approximately 73 million low-income citizens.

According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), from June 2024 through October 2024, CMS suspended 850 agents and brokers’ Marketplace Agreements for reasonable suspicion of fraudulent or abusive conduct related to unauthorized enrollments or unauthorized plan switches. These agents and brokers are now prohibited from participating in Marketplace enrollment, including receiving related commissions.

The Department of Justice has also been active in combating healthcare fraud.

In recent years, the average loss associated with the schemes prosecuted by the Health Care Fraud Unit has steadily risen.

In June 2024, the Department of Justice announced charges against 193 defendants, including 76 medical professionals, for their alleged involvement in fraudulent schemes amounting to approximately $2.75 billion in false claims.

Since 2007, the Health Care Fraud Unit has charged more than 5,400 defendants with fraudulently billing Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurers more than $27 billion.

It’s amazing what young computer wizards can find!

This May Change Quickly

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On Saturday, Manhattan-based District Judge Paul Engelmayer issued a sweeping emergency injunction essentially removing the authority of Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessett over the Treasury Department. The injunction blocks the Secretary and any political appointees from accessing records within the Treasury Department. The injunction also blocks any ‘special appointee’ of President Trump from having access records within the Treasury Department and demands that all information previously extracted be destroyed. What the judge is essentially saying is that the Treasury Secretary is not allow to look at the Treasury records nor is he or the President allowed to hire anyone to look at those records. This is an amazing combination of chutzpah, arrogance, ignorance of the U.S. Constitution, and stupid. I expect the ruling to be overturned quickly.

On Saturday, Legal Insurrection reported:

It was an unusual procedural context. I’ve reviewed the court’s electronic docket, and it appears to have been ex parte. There’s no indication of notice to the government and opportunity to be heard before the Judge ruled. The procedure was a Proposed Order To Show Cause including a Temporary Restraining Order. It’s the type of procedure used in only the most extreme emergencies (the OSC is not unusual, but including an ex parte TRO is unusual).

What was the emergency that couldn’t wait until the next day for the government to have a chance to be heard?

It was a Friday night move to deny access that, by the papers submitted, had been going on for over two weeks. The 60 page Complaint, and 40 Page Memorandum (plus a short Affirmation) obviously took a long time to prepare, arguing against an emergency so dire and time sensitive on a Friday night the court couldn’t even wait until the next morning for the government to be heard. It also reeks of judge shopping, because plaintiffs would have known who was the emergency duty judge so by going in on a Friday night they evaded the normal random assignment system for this purpose.

Whatever the ultimate merits, depriving the Secretary of Treasury of the ability to run the Department of Treasury as he deems proper is not something that should have been decided this way, even temporarily. I understand that litigants play these games, but it’s a bad look that damages faith in the judiciary when a court allows it.

The short version of the complaint and claims is that Secretary Bessent violated various procedural requirements and that there is a threat that sensitive private information could be exposed. Considering that the Chinese government thoroughly hacked the Treasury computer systems under Biden, it’s odd that the mere possibility that DOGE might mishandle the information required a Friday night court intervention. I think there are serious ‘standing’ issues with the states bringing the case as well as the harm being speculative.

The article also notes:

I can’t really assess the underlying merits on such short notice, other than it seems like what it is, a political objection in search of a legal theory. The Executive Branch gets to run the Executive Branch, and this seems like an overstep by a different branch of government.

This seems to be a repeat of 2017, where the Resistance had good luck with District Court Judges, less luck with Appeals Court Judges, and very little luck with Supreme Court Justices. But that’s besides the point, this is all about slowing down the Trump agenda, and wasting months or years before a final resolution is reached. Democrats don’t have to win in the end to achieve Democrats’ goals.

It is telling that there was less fuss when the Chinese hacked into the system.

Where We Were Before The Courts Got Involved

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Author: Raynor James

A funny thing happened recently while I was cleaning our refrigerator.  I turned on “rumble” and listened to it like listening to the radio.  I got a guy I’d never heard before, and what he said got interesting.

He talked about Elon Musk and something he’s doing with his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) assignment.  Apparently, a team he has assembled took over an office building in Washington, D.C. that previously housed folks who handled the cash flow from the U.S. Treasury Department.  Elon’s team has reportedly changed the codes to the locks on the building and changed the access codes to the computers in the building.  Elon’s team had control of the check book.”

In a simple (but brilliant) maneuver, Elon got his team to agree to be on location 24/7.  That included swinging into action on the week-end, quickly blocking the previous team out, working 12 hour shifts, and living and sleeping on site.  It’s said that they are to be well compensated for putting their normal lives “on hold” until they have uncovered what is being spent for what, and whether they are appropriate uses of our precious, hard earned taxpayer dollars.

That makes sense, doesn’t it?  It makes common sense that people who make a deep commitment to accomplish their mission can achieve a huge amount more than a workforce who works 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, and many of whom seldom, if ever, report into the office.

What has Elon’s team found out?  (You are up to date on your blood pressure medicine, aren’t you?)   For starters, the previous keepers of our national check book were under instruction to NOT DENY ANY CLAIM.  Really?  Yup!  NOT EVEN IF THEY KNEW IT WAS A FRAULENT CLAIM, and NOT IF THEY KNEW THE PEOPLE MAKING THE CLAIM WERE ACTIVE TERRORISTS.  What’s more, they followed their instructions!

It’s reported that Elon Musk is amazed at the amount of money flowing out of our collective piggy bank has continued to be money that the disbursers knew to be in those aforementioned categories, and they continued to do it anyway — until Elon and his team shut them down.  Go Elon!  Go team!

On his “War Room” programs, Steve Bannon has made many references to Elon Musk’s having managed to “cut off the check book.”  However, he is still distressed about members of the House of Representatives’ who talk a conservative line but who are squishy about cutting expenses THIS YEAR.

This Might Explain Some Of The Hysteria

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The attacks on Elon Musk and DOGE have dominated the news in recent days. Americans wonder why some of the people supposedly in charge are so upset about cutting federal spending. Some of the people in charge have claimed for years that they wanted to cut federal spending.

On Saturday, Red State posted an article that explains some of the hysteria.

The article reports:

Congress illegally spent at least $516 billion in 2024 on programs for which there was no authorization. Yes, billion, with a “b.”  A stunning report by the Congressional Budget Office underscores the reason for the legal assault upon President Trump’s right to audit payments by the Treasury Department.

In a report titled “Expired and Expiring Authorizations of Appropriations for Fiscal Year 2024,” the CBO observes: “Historically, House and Senate rules restrict lawmakers from considering an appropriation if it lacks a current authorization.” Nevertheless, “CBO estimates that $516 billion was appropriated for 2024 for activities with expired authorizations, which the agency identified for each House and Senate authorizing committee and appropriations subcommittee.” That $516 billion in illegal payments cover “1,264 authorizations of appropriations that expired before the beginning of fiscal year 2024 and 251 authorizations of appropriations that were set to expire by the end of fiscal year 2024.” The legal authority for some of these payments expired 40 — that’s not a typo — years ago.

The article includes a chart of the expenditures.

The article concludes:

Making this all the more intriguing is that it would seem that the President could stop those payments without worrying about violating the Impoundment Control Act as they are not legal appropriations by Congress’s rules.

I will guarantee you that when DOGE really digs into this, they are going to find other ongoing illegal payments on a Biblical scale.

I think we are learning why most Americans who pay taxes spend at least 33 percent on taxes, including state and local taxes.

Heading Back To Energy Independence And Prosperity

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On Tuesday, The Washington Free Beacon posted an article about the recent actions of newly-confirmed Interior Secretary Doug Burgum.

The article reports:

In a series of orders Monday evening, Interior Secretary Doug Burgum revoked Biden-era actions that blocked drilling across 625 million acres of federal waters nationwide—an area that is equivalent in size to a third of the continental United States—in the 19-million-acre Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska and in the state’s 23-million-acre National Petroleum Reserve.

The actions, while expected, signal an abrupt change in how the Interior Department will approach oil and gas leasing issues during the Trump administration. Under Biden-era interior secretary Deb Haaland’s leadership, the agency pursued an aggressive climate strategy, severely restricting oil and gas drilling and mining while expanding green energy production on public lands and waters.

“We are committed to working collaboratively to unlock America’s full potential in energy dominance and economic development to make life more affordable for every American family while showing the world the power of America’s natural resources and innovation,” Burgum said in a statement.

Burgum unveiled a six-pillar plan to implement President Donald Trump’s energy agenda: address the national energy emergency, unleash American energy, deliver emergency price relief for American families, revoke former president Joe Biden’s offshore drilling bans, roll back regulations, and unleash Alaska’s resource potential.

The article notes:

And as part of the department’s new effort to roll back regulations, the Interior Department will eliminate at least 10 existing regulations for every new one introduced and “ensure that the costs of new regulations are offset by removing the costs of previous ones.”

“These actions will align U.S. energy policy with the nation’s current and future needs,” National Ocean Industries Association president Erik Milito said on Tuesday. “They will enhance energy security, bolster national defense, grow our economy, and keep energy affordable for every household and business, reducing reliance on foreign adversaries.”

Financial relief is coming for America’s families.

The Art Of The Deal In The Presidency

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On Wednesday, Breitbart posted an article about a recent development concerning the Panama Canal. The government of Panama has already agreed not to extend its Belt and Road agreement with China and may possibly end it early. But there’s more!

The article reports:

The Department of State announced on Wednesday that United States government vessels would be allow to travel through the Panama Canal without facing “charge fees.”

In a post on X, the Department of State highlighted how, since U.S. government ships would no longer face fees, this would save the U.S. “millions of dollars a year.”

“U.S. government vessels can now transit the Panama Canal without charge fees, saving the U.S. government millions of dollars a year,” the Department of State wrote.

The announcement from the Department of State comes as President Donald Trump has remained adamant about the U.S. retaking control of the Panama Canal. In December, Trump threatened to retake the Panama Canal, and has accused Panama of ripping off the U.S. and charging U.S. ships “exorbitant” transit fees.

Trump has also accused Panama of allowing China to have control over the Panama Canal.

Giving away the Panama Canal was a mistake made by a weak President with bad advisors. This compromise may be the solution to the Chinese encroachment on the canal.

Some Of These Court Cases Are Going To Be Fun

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The Democrats seem to have decided that the only way to stop President Trump from actually doing what he was elected to do is through the courts. Unfortunately, they seem to be unaware (or assume the public is unaware) of the precedents for what President Trump is doing.

I found this amazing letter at The American Presidency Project:

April 04, 1995

More than 2 years ago, I promised to fix the Federal Government. I was firmly convinced that we could do more with less, that we could create a Government that was leaner but not meaner, and that we could make Government our partner rather than a problem.

I established the National Performance Review and put Vice President Gore in charge. He and his team have helped to transform Government, to cut bureaucracy and redtape, and to find ways to give the American people the service they deserve. At the same time, my economic plan is bringing down the deficit by more than $600 billion, and we are proposing another $81 billion in deficit reduction in the budget I recently sent to Congress.

A major element of my strategy was my commitment to streamline and cut the Federal work force. For too long in Washington, we have had too many layers of bureaucracy, too many workers whose main job was to check on the work of other workers rather than to perform useful work themselves. As the National Performance Review noted, we had good people trapped in bad systems. I promised to cut the work force, and that’s what I’m doing. Through our efforts, we have already cut the work force by 102,000 positions and we are on track to cut it by a total of 272,900 positions, bringing it to its smallest size since John Kennedy was President.

While committed to cutting the work force, we want to do it in a humane way. We faced the same dilemma that confronted many private companies; they needed to downsize but wanted to avoid firing large numbers of loyal employees. Many of them have given people an incentive to leave by offering “buyouts.” We wanted to do the same.

Early last year, Congress approved my request to allow non-Defense agencies to offer buyouts of up to $25,000 a person. The Defense Department and a few other agencies already could offer buyouts under existing law. Because normal attrition will help us downsize in the future, we offered buyouts only until March 31, 1995, which was last Friday.

Looking back, I can safely say that our buyout program has been a huge success. It achieved what we had hoped: to help us cut the work force in a fiscally responsible and humane way.

To reduce the work force by 102,000 positions by the end of fiscal 1994, we offered about 70,000 buyouts. Several non-DOD agencies have offered deferred buyouts that will take place between now and March 1997. Defense will be using buyouts as it continues to downsize through 1999. Counting those, we expect to buy out another 84,000 workers through 1997 as we reduce the work force by a total of 272,900 positions.

The buyouts were not offered in a random fashion, however. We targeted them to reduce the layers of bureaucracy and micro-management that were tying Government in knots. We made sure that departments and agencies tied their buyout strategies to their overall plans to streamline their bureaucracies. As a result, almost 70 percent of our buyouts in the non-Defense agencies have gone to people at higher grade levels, such as managers.

I’m proud that our buyout program was so successful. It shows that we can, in fact, create a Government that works better and costs less.

William J. Clinton, Statement on the Buyout Program for Federal Employees Online by Gerhard Peters and John T. Woolley, The American Presidency Project https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/node/221790

President Trump is obviously much more generous than President Clinton was, although I suppose the value of $25,000 was significantly more than it is today.

The Money Went Where??!!

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On February 6th, Hot Air posted an article the Democrats’ battle to save the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Aside from the fact that most Americans would like to cut government spending somewhere, the spending cuts the Democrats are protesting would probably be spending cuts most Americans would approve. This is not a smart battle on the part of the Democrats.

The article lists some of the specifics of the spending:

Here are a few more of the ridiculous projects on which they spent YOUR money:

— $7.9 million to teach Sri Lankan journalists how to avoid “binary-gendered language”

— $20 million for a new Sesame Street show in Iraq

— $4.5+ million to “combat disinformation” in Kazakhstan

— $1.5 million for “art for inclusion of people with disabilities”

— $2 million for sex changes and “LGBT activism” in Guatemala

— $6 million to “transform digital spaces to reflect feminist democratic principles”

— $2.1 million to help the BBC “value the diversity of Libyan society”

— $10 million worth of USAID-funded meals, which went to an al Qaeda-linked terrorist group

— $25 million for Deloitte to promote “green transportation” in the country of Georgia

— $6 million for tourism in Egypt

— $2.5 million to promote “inclusion” in Vietnam

— $16.8 million for a SEPARATE “inclusion” group in Vietnam

— ~$5 million to EcoHealth Alliance, one of the key NGOs funding bat virus research at the Wuhan lab

— $20 million for a group related to a key player in the Russiagate impeachment hoax

— $1.1 million to an Armenian “LGBT group”

— $1.2 million to help the African Methodist Episcopal Church Service and Development Agency in Washington, D.C., build “a state-of-the-art 440 seat auditorium”

— $1.3 million to Arab and Jewish photographers

— $1.5 million to promote “LGBT advocacy” in Jamaica

— $1.5 million to “rebuild” the Cuban media ecosystem

— $2 million to promote “LGBT equality through entrepreneurship” in Latin America

— $500K to solve sectarian violence in Israel (just ten days before the Hamas October 7 attack)

— $2.3 million for “artisanal and small scale gold mining” in the Amazon

— $3.9 million for “LGBT causes” in the western Balkans

— $5.5 million for LGBT activism in Uganda

— $6 million for advancing LGBT issues in “priority countries around the world”

— $6.3 million for men who have sex with men in South Africa

— $8.3 million for “USAID Education: Equity and Inclusion”

— USAID’s “climate strategy” outlined a $150 billion “whole-of-agency” approach to building an “equitable world with net-zero greenhouse gas emissions.”

The article notes:

For decades, USAID bureaucrats believed they were accountable to no one — but that era is over.

President Trump is STOPPING the waste, fraud, and abuse.

This is definitely a get-out-the-popcorn moment.

This Needed To Be Done

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There is some serious concern on the part of Democrats about the investigation and possible demise of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). On Tuesday, The Gateway Pundit posted pictures of Democrats demonstrating outside the Treasury Building to protest the investigation into USAID.

The article notes:

Democrat Reps. Ayanna Pressley and LaMonica McIver called for violence during the “Nobody Elected Elon” protest outside the Treasury Department.

“We will not take this!” Rep. LaMonica McIver shouted before attacking Elon Musk. “We will fight back! And goddammit shut down the Senate! We are at war!”

Sounds like insurrection to me.

But the story gets more interesting.

On Wednesday, Hot Air reported the following:

USAID has been funding terrorism–even our most dangerous enemies–and the USAID Inspector General in January warned that the agency was a danger to US national security.

…That’s not exactly a newsflash for anybody who has been following the revelations that have come out over the past few days, but it puts an exclamation mark on them. 

Just days before Elon Musk began a purge at the U.S. Agency for International Develop (USAID), the foreign aid agency was warned in a stinging memo from its own internal watchdog that it had created serious “vulnerabilities” by doling out billions of tax dollars to overseas countries and groups without fulling vetting for terrorists and fraudsters or demanding transparency from recipients of America’s largesse.

The memo, which was published by the Inspector General of the U.S. Agency for International Development in late January, details some long-standing concerns about how safeguards against misuse of funds and the proper authorities to hold violators accountable are missing from the Office of Inspector General’s toolbox. 

The article at hot Air includes the following post on X:

USAID needs to go away.

  View from the Lair

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Time for the Wolves

I suspect that most of you reading this blog are conservatives. It is possible that a few are masochistic socialists (pardon the redundancy.) I also suspect that most of you vote Republican (save for the aforementioned idiots.)

If you haven’t noticed, it’s February. And if you live in North Carolina (God’s Country) an important process is beginning. February is when the NC Republican Party begins preparations for the coming year. Precincts hold annual meetings to select officers and register delegates and visitors for the county, district, and state conventions.

Here’s the rub:  too many conservatives and Republicans are ignorant of the precinct system. The precinct is a geographical delineation of where you vote. On election day you vote at the polling place in your precinct. Early voting is a different pile of “stuff,” so I’m not discussing it here. Every precinct has an organization to help educate and organize like-minded individuals to energize party members and attract new ones. If you like what happened last November 5h, that result came from grass roots effort in the precincts.

Republicans and conservatives (they are NOT mutually inclusive) present a unique challenge. For the most part they are individuals who like their privacy and independence. I certainly do. Socialists, like dummycrats, tend to gather together like sheep waiting for a border collie to tell them what to do. Socialist party conventions tend to be little more than social cheering rallies to support whatever stupid idea their elite border collies tell them to. Republican conventions tend to be more argumentative, sometimes boisterous affairs, where we grudgingly come together to meet agreement. They aren’t always fun, but usually entertaining. The challenge is getting private individualists to come together regularly to do the work necessary that results in conservatives getting elected and keeping our community safe for ourselves.

If you don’t know what precinct you live in, go the election board website. If you live in Craven County, NC, go CravenGOP.org. You’ll find a wealth of information there. Then go to your precinct meetings. Participate. Learn something about your community, your elected officials, and how you can actually help. NOTE:  they don’t twist your arm for money at the meetings. But you might find out how to participate in an entertaining fundraiser.

I have used the comparison about the socialists being sheep (sheeple.) I have used the comparison that conservatives being like lone eagles. But NOW is the time for conservatives to be Republicans (and vice versa) and transform into what president Trump has revealed himself to be. It is time to join the pack and become wolves. The sheeple are in disarray.  It’s time for lunch.

ciao

The Snark

When Your Past Actions Come Back To Haunt You

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We all remember when in 2022 fifty illegal immigrants showed up on Martha’s Vineyard and were escorted off of the island in record time. The residents of the island claimed that it was a ‘humanitarian crisis’ that they were there.I guess being a sanctuary island only works when no one can get to you easily. Well, the actions of the residents of the island need to be remembered in light of recent events.

On Tuesday, Red State posted an article explaining that the residents of the Island are now planning to resist President Trump’s efforts to send illegal aliens home.

The article quotes Breitbart:

Residents of the wealthy, liberal enclave … defended illegal aliens as the Trump administration has ramped up deportations.

Several older residents of Martha’s Vineyard reportedly attended a rally, with some people holding signs that read, “I pledge to resist,” and “Protect people, resist hate,” according to the MV Times. 

[…]

One rallygoer, Marina Kaufman told the outlet that they “have to protect” illegal aliens, citing how “they are part of the workforce of the Vineyard.”

“We have to protect these people because they are part of the workforce of the Vineyard,” Kaufman said. “And they’re human beings. They have children in schools, they’re scared. And it breaks my heart, it really does.”

They are resisting what they actually did a few years ago! They only want to protect illegal aliens when they are not on their island!

The article notes:

Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters last Tuesday that all illegal aliens are criminals because they illegally entered the United States after a reporter asked, “How many have a criminal record versus those who are just in the country illegally?”

Leavitt responded:

All of them because they illegally broke our nation’s laws, and therefore, they are criminals, as far as this administration goes. I know the last administration didn’t see it that way, so it’s a big culture shift in our nation to view someone who breaks our immigration laws as a criminal, but that’s exactly what they are.

We seem to have forgotten that breaking the law should involve penalties. Otherwise, what incentive is there to follow the law?

A Mystery That Remains Unsolved

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It is interesting to see what files the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is refusing to turn over to the Trump administration.You would think that now that President Trump is head of the Executive Branch of our government, everything would be handed over. Well, it’s not working that way.

On Wednesday, The American Thinker reported:

Seth Rich was a DNC operative. He was “mysteriously murdered in the summer of 2016” just “weeks before” Wikileaks released the results of its investigation into Hillary Clinton’s emails. The matter of who leaked Clinton’s emails to Wikileaks directly pertains to the Russian Collusion Hoax that was perpetrated against President Trump. The murder is still unsolved. And the FBI still refuses to turn over records pertaining to the case to attorney Ty Clevenger, despite a federal judge ruling that the agency must do so way back in November of 2023. Even earlier, in September of that year, a judge demanded that the FBI and DOJ provide everything they had regarding Seth Rich to Clevenger.

The FBI responded by requesting another 66 years before they’d be required to release the information.

66 years?! “If we put our best people on it, and maybe work a little overtime, I think we should be able to get our notes and emails together for you in, say, 66 yeas.”

What the hell?! How can they get away with this preposterous intransigence? 66 years is essentially the span of time from the invention of the automobile until we landed on the friggin’ moon! They should be able to get any and all materials relevant to this investigation together in 66 hours! 66 days, tops.

This is just another example of a massive DNC-weaponized agency protecting itself…and the Democrat party…from a catastrophic public relations disaster and any subsequent accountability or penalties.

The quickest way to start a conspiracy theory is to withhold information on an event. Unfortunately, we are running out of conspiracy theories because too many of them are turning out to be true! It is time to tell the truth.

The Flak Is Always Thickest Over The Target

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The first two weeks of the Trump administration have been a whirlwind. That is probably because the President realizes that he needs to act quickly to prevent a major crash of the American economy. The best way to cut taxes is to cut government spending, and that is happening at breakneck speed. Not everyone is happy.

On Tuesday, Hot Air posted an article about the hill the Democrats are prepared to die on.

The article reports:

Of all the things Donald Trump is doing to upend the old order in Washington, it turns out that closing USAID, even temporarily, is the one thing that all Democrats can agree is egregious enough to go to war over.

Here are a few X screenshots from the article:

The article concludes:

Democrats are making it clear that they will fight like cornered rats to keep control of USAID and its massive funding stream.

We all know why, which is why Trump needs to win this battle one way or another.

This is a major step toward cutting government spending and lowering taxes for the American people.

Exactly Who Is Supposed To Be Running Our Government

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President Trump is the head of the Executive branch of our government. He is in charge of the agencies in the Executive branch. They are not separate entities–they are under his authority. However, some members of these agencies don’t seem to understand that they are actually accountable to someone.

On Monday, The Post Millennial posted an article about some recent comments by a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official.

The article reports:

A Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official was caught on undercover video admitting that the agency intends to defy the directives of newly confirmed DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, according to footage released by James O’Keefe’s O’Keefe Media Group.

Brandon Wright, Platform Services Manager for DHS, was recorded saying that the agency’s career bureaucrats do not allow political appointees to interfere with their operations. He told the undercover reporter, “Kristi Noem? I f*cking hate her.”

In the corporate world, that would be insubordination, and he would be fired. Brandon Wright has been placed on administrative leave. That is the appropriate response. This is actual insurrection, which can be defined as the act or an instance of open revolt against civil authority or a constituted government. The video of these statements is embedded in the article.

The article concludes:

Noem, the former governor of South Dakota, was confirmed as DHS Secretary on Saturday in a 59-34 Senate vote. Before her confirmation, she vowed to shut down the CBP One App, which was then deactivated prior to her assuming office. Noem replaces Alejandro Mayorkas, who served as DHS Secretary under the Biden administration and faced widespread criticism for his handling of the southern border and failure to curb illegal immigration.

Following her confirmation, Noem posted on X: “My mission as Secretary of Homeland Security is to keep America safe. Under my leadership, DHS will protect the American people with integrity and honesty. President Trump is putting Americans’ safety FIRST.”

There should be no doubt that she is in charge.