Monthly Archives: March 2025

Getting Rid Of The Department Of Education

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On Friday, Just the News reported that Ohio Republican Representative Michael Rulli will introduce legislation to allow President Trump to shutter the Department of Education through Congress. I can’t imagine that legislation going anywhere, but it’s a great idea.

The article reports:

Trump on Thursday signed an executive order that directed Education Secretary Linda McMahon to begin taking steps to close the department. However, dismantling a federal agency requires an act of Congress.

Rulli told Fox News Digital Thursday that he would be introducing the legislation soon but didn’t specify when. 

He said his legislation would allow funding for resources for children with special needs, Title I programs and Pell Grants to come from other federal departments.

A website called Intellectual Takeout reported the following in 2019:

Federal “Highly Qualified Teacher” mandates. Adequate Yearly Progress requirements. Smaller learning communities. Improving Teacher Quality State Grants. Reading First. Early Reading First. The dozens of other federal programs authorized via No Child Left Behind. School Improvement Grants. Race to the Top. Common Core.

All of that has been just since 2000. Over those past two decades, while federal policymakers were busy enacting new federal laws, creating mandates for local school leaders, and increasing the Department of Education’s budget from $38 billion in 2000 (unadjusted for inflation) to roughly $70 billion today, the math and reading performance of American high school students remained completely flat. That is to say, stagnant.

The U.S. is now above the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development average in reading, but alas, not because U.S. reading performance has improved. Rather, other countries have seen declines in reading achievement, despite increases in education spending.

In mathematics, however, U.S. performance has steadily declined over the past two decades.

Those are the findings from the Programme for International Student Assessment, or PISA exams, released last week.

It seems that the formation of the Department of Education has not resulted in the success of American students.

The article at Intellectual Takeout concludes:

Federal government efforts to improve education have been dismal. Even if there were a constitutional basis for its involvement – which there isn’t – the federal government is simply ill-positioned to determine what education policies will best serve the diverse local communities across our vast nation.

The sooner we can acknowledge that improvements will not come from Washington, the sooner we’re likely to see students flourishing in learning environments that reflect their unique needs and desires.

It really is time to get rid of the Department of Education. They have not fulfilled their purpose, and they are simply a financial drain on the American taxpayer.

The Past Actions Of Judge James Boasberg

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History predicts the future. When you look at some of the cases that Judge Boasberg has been involved with in the past and his decisions, the fact that he is doing everything he can to prevent President Trump from carrying out his campaign promises should not be a surprise.

In an article posted at director blue’s substack account on Thursday, Doug Ross reminds us of the judge’s history:

1. Blocking Trump’s Use of the Alien Enemies Act (2025)

2. Ordering Deportation Planes to Return (March 2025)

3. Conflict with Trump Administration Over Deportation Flights

4. FISA Court Role in Carter Page Surveillance (2014-2021)

5. Light Sentence for Kevin Clinesmith (2021)

6. Hiding Archey Declarations (2018) (high-profile government misconduct case)

7. Ruling on Clinton Emails (2016)

8. Dakota Access Pipeline Shutdown (2020)

9. Jan. 6 Grand Jury Oversight (2023)

10. Mike Pence Testimony Order (2023) (narrowed scope of executive privilege)

11. Ray Epps Probation Sentence (2024) (unusually lenient sentence)

12. FISA Court Presiding Judge During FBI Criticism (2020-2021)

13. Osama bin Laden Photos Ruling (2012)

14. Asylum Seeker Detention Limits (2018)

15. Medicaid Work Requirements Block (2019)

16. Alleged Bias in Jan. 6 Cases

17. Trump Impeachment Threats (2025)

18. Conflict of Interest Allegations (family connections to immigration NGOs)

19. Observation of Trump’s Court Appearance

20. Historical Precedent Rejection (2025)

For further details, follow the link above to read the entire article.

If I had gone judge shopping for someone to oppose President Trump’s policies, this would have been a judge I seriously considered. His track record is not one of rulings that represent equal justice under the law.

The article concludes:

It is time that:

(a) President Trump strips Boasberg of his security clearances for his FISA abuse failures;

(b) Congress compels his testimony regarding his conflicts of interest, his longstanding political activism, and years of failing to adhere to the Code of Conduct for United States Judges.

Congress should impeach him, but with a divided Congress, that is unlikely.

View From The Lair

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Classical Insanity

“It was the best of times; it was the worst of times.” A more apropos description of today has never been written. For us conservatives it is absolutely the best of times. We are experiencing the greatest change in government and technology since FDR and World War II

And it is breathtaking.

Fortunately, the governmental change is in the right direction. President Trump has embraced the concepts and vison of our founding fathers as a country being a representative republic rather than a bureaucratic dictatorship.

While the technology of WWII was breathtaking it was more visible. Planes, tanks, ships, and weapons were visible at least by newsreel If not in person. Our technology is hidden within our cars, delivered from vast data centers, contained within virtually every device we interact with. Rocket ships land within the grasp of mechanical arms! A stunt of technology? Certainly. And an astounding one.

For the Marxists, however, it is the worst of times. Living in a fantasyland of their own devise, they have isolated themselves from the populace and their supporters instead relying on their own warped imagination to provide a foundation for their direction. A foundation residing on quicksand.

Doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is the classical definition of insanity. Today it is the domain of the Marxist dummycrat party. The Lame Stream News outlets expound on the efforts of the stupid, displaying for all to see how disconnected they really are.

When Donald J. Trump began to demonstrate that not only was he serious about becoming president but he could do it, his “mean tweets” and dismissive attitude toward his political opponents generated Trump Derangement Syndrome. He wasn’t acting “presidential.” I, too, was first turned off by him. Then I recognized his strategy. He was keeping his opponents off balance. And doing it extremely well. And is still doing it. They didn’t like his demeanor. And da meaner he got the better I liked him. (da bump crash!)

Trump 1.0 was unprepared for his reception. Trump 2.0 found the opposition to be woefully unprepared for him. The continued lawfare is a temporary speedbump. And the speed with which he is demolishing the bureaucracy is delicious and exciting. No more Department of Education. Hopefully the Department of Energy is next. Neither department has done ANYTHING to improve the success of either education nor energy.  Fortunately, I was educated before the DOE. Unfortunately, our daughter was not. Nor were far too many victims of government overreach and the tentacles of the NEA.

We can be sure that the Marxists will never quit. They will attempt a comeback. But if they continue like they are, we can hold on to our support, siphon away theirs and perhaps have a true USA within my lifetime.

ciao,

The Snark

A Good Start With Energy

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Author:  R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D.

President Donald Trump is fulfilling all of the promises he made during his campaign for the presidency. He is truly a man of his word. Now if we can get the leftist, activist, federal judges appointed by Obama and Biden to act according to their oaths to uphold the law and constitution instead of following their leftist ideology and agenda, the country could be restored as all true Americans desire.

One of President Trump’s most important campaign promises was to stop the destructive implementation of green energy initiatives and mandates.  He has already taken significant steps at the federal level to save our economy from excessively restrictive and costly wind and solar electricity generation which will help with reducing electricity costs. It is now time for the North Carolina General Assembly to step forward and do likewise.

In this regard, there was very good news this past week when the Republican controlled Senate passed Senate Bill 261 that removes the requirement that electrical energy producers in North Carolina (essentially Duke Energy) reduce C02 carbon emissions by 70% by the year 2030. This mandate was originally passed in 2021 and was much debated and ill advised to say the least. A study by the Public Staff of the N.C. Utilities Commission reported that the mandate was impossible for the electrical energy producers in North Carolina to meet, and if the effort to do so was continued that the estimated cost to consumers was estimated to be a whopping 13 billion dollars! As expected, a group of Democrats voted not to remove the mandate in spite of this horrendous cost. For now, the mandate that electrical energy generation in N.C. reach a net zero carbon emissions standard by 2050 was left in place. Let’s hope the General Assembly removes that ridiculous mandate in the near future.

Interestingly, a resolution to remove the C02 emissions standard was passed by a local party precinct last year and may have had an influence on this legislation. Shows that local activism can have an impact.

However, more needs to be done. State tax subsidies are being used to significantly expand solar farms and wind turbine generators here in North Carolina to the financial benefit of specific individuals and corporations. For example, ex-governor Roy Cooper and his brother reportedly built a 1500-acre solar farm near Rocky Mount, of course, aided by tax subsidies paid by the average tax payer. The old saying “follow the money” is appropriate here. Another area of concern is another Cooper initiative, to allow construction of off shore wind farms along the North Carolina coast. By the way, not only do wind turbines kill birds, but off shore windmills can disrupt and kill sea creatures like whales. These green energy scams not only hurt the taxpayers, but they are enriching our adversary China which produces these products. The bottom line is that the General Assembly should take immediate steps to end all North Carolina tax subsidies for wind and solar projects and cancel any and all offshore wind turbine permits.

This first step by the Senate to remove C02 mandates is encouraging and hopefully will be passed in the House of Representatives. A veto by Governor Stein can be expected. Let’s hope that there is one Democrat in the House who will vote to override the expected veto and protect the interests of North Carolina citizens rather than the interests of the green energy profiteers.

When Common Sense Takes A Vacation

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On Friday, The Gateway Pundit posted an article about the fake news posted by The New York Times about Elon Musk receiving a security briefing on top secret war plans. He did not  receive such a briefing. First of all, Elon Musk is seriously involved in America’s space program (some might argue that he is America’s space program). What kind of clearances might he have because of that involvement? I realize that classified information should be given out on a ‘need to know’ basis, and there might not be a case for Elon Musk to know about China policy, but I do believe this is much ado about nothing.

The article reports:

The deep state was has been in full meltdown since Thursday night’s leaked report by the New York Times that DOGE chief Elon Musk would be visiting the Pentagon on Friday for an alleged briefing on top secret U.S. war plans for communist China.

Notice it was a leaked report. Who leaked it? We can guess why–anything to make the Trump administration look bad. The person who leaked it needs to face consequences. That is how you stop the leaks.

The article notes:

Trump addressed the controversy with reporters in the Oval Office midday Friday with Hegseth by his side, saying he would not authorize such a briefing for Musk given his business ties with China. The purpose of the Oval Office meeting with Hegseth was to announce the selection of Boeing to build the military’s new Next Generation Air Dominance fighter jet, the F-47.

The article includes the following quote by President Trump:

““Elon Musk will be briefed by the Pentagon about the USA’s top secret plans against China should there be a War,” according to the Failing New York Times, one of the worst and most purposely inaccurate newspapers anywhere in the World. Their FAKE concept for this story is that because Elon does some business in China, that he is very conflicted and would immediately go to top Chinese officials and “spill the beans.” RATINGS CHALLENGED FAKE NEWS CNN immediately picked up on this absolutely ridiculous and false story, which is probably libelous, and went heavy with it. Fortunately, nobody was watching! Maggot Hagerman, the really dumb “scammer” who constantly writes about me for the Times, using anonymous, made up (nonexistent!) sources, and who I haven’t spoken to in ages, is a big part of the Scam. She lead the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, only to realize that she was duped and got it wrong. She owes me a totally discredited Pulitzer Prize for her bad reporting. The Fake News is the ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE…And Elon is NOT BEING BRIEFED ON ANYTHING CHINA BY THE DEPARTMENT OF WAR!!!”

How many Americans still believe the fake story? That is the scary part.

Let’s See Some Action To Go With The Hearings

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The Republicans in Congress are really good at holding hearings. Look at all the hearings they held investigating the Biden family and other corruption. Also look at the fact that none of these hearings have resulted in anyone being charged with anything or held accountable in any way. Well, they are holding hearings again. Let’s see what happens.

On Friday, The Daily Signal reported:

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said he would be holding hearings as early as next week on recent judicial rulings against actions undertaken by the Trump administration.

The announcement comes as several members of Congress are filing articles of impeachment against the federal judges who have stepped in to prevent Trump administration policies from taking effect. 

Rep. Andrew Clyde, R-Ga., announced last month that he will be filing articles of impeachment against Chief District Judge John McConnell Jr. for the District of Rhode Island. McConnell has blocked an Office of Management and Budget order that would have frozen all federal grant, loan, and financial assistance programs. 

Since when does the judiciary control the executive branch. This needs to go to the Supreme Court (even though I don’t trust the Supreme Court).

The article notes:

Boasberg (Chief District Judge James Boasberg for the District of Columbia) ruled that the Trump administration had to return Venezuelan migrants that had been deported. Gill contended in a press statement that Boasberg, who was appointed in 2011 by Democrat President Barack Obama, is seeking to prevent the president from enforcing the Alien Enemies Act.

“Judge Boasberg has gravely overstepped his authority, usurping the constitutional power of the commander in chief. President Trump is securing America’s neighborhoods; restoring safety for men, women, and children who call this nation home. We will not tolerate radical, politically motivated judges illegally and unconstitutionally stopping the president from carrying out his mandate,” Gill said in a press statement.

Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., told The Daily Signal that the judiciary was not responsible for making public policy.

“The judicial branch is not the [human resources] department of the federal government, nor does it set national or foreign policy. It solely interprets the law, and certainly should never engage in judicial insurrection,” Perry said.

This is ridiculous.

The Lies Told In The Quest For Clean Energy

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On Tuesday, The Daily Caller posted an article about a study of the carbon footprint of liquefied natural gas (LNG).

The article reports:

The Biden administration deliberately buried a final draft version of a study that would have undermined its January 2024 decision to pause approvals for liquefied natural gas (LNG) export projects, according to four Department of Energy (DOE) sources.

Former Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm and former President Joe Biden announced the LNG freeze in January 2024, stating that it would remain in place until the DOE could conduct a fresh study of the climate and economic impacts of LNG export growth. The Biden DOE finalized a draft of the study in 2023 and subsequently buried it because the initial version’s findings would have contradicted the administration’s rationale for the LNG freeze, according to four sources inside the Trump DOE granted anonymity by the Daily Caller News Foundation to freely discuss a sensitive matter.

“The Energy Department has learned that former Secretary Granholm and the Biden White House intentionally buried a lot of data and released a skewed study to discredit the benefits of American LNG,” one DOE source told the DCNF. “They were prioritizing their own political ambitions over the interests of the American people, and the administration intentionally deceived the American public to advance an agenda that harmed American energy security, the environment and American lives.”

The article notes:

While the September 2023 and December 2024 versions of the paper bear the same name, the final version released to the public did not include a specific type of analysis of LNG exports known as the consideration of market effects, Trump DOE sources told the DCNF. That particular analysis — included in the buried September 2023 version of the study, but not the final product — found that U.S. LNG exports would bring down global emissions by displacing more polluting sources of energy abroad, and its absence from the December 2024 version allowed the Biden DOE to skew the final report’s findings against increasing LNG exports.

This report is interesting considering the fact that according to Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, President Biden was unaware that he had shut down LNG exports (article here). According to Speaker Johnson, the President was only aware that he had ordered a study. It is becoming obvious that in recent years, our government has lied to us about a number of things.

An American Prisoner Returns Home

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On Thursday, The New York Post reported that George Glezmann, who had been kidnapped by the Taliban in December 2022 has been released and is on his way back home.

The article reports:

A Georgia man held by Afghanistan’s Taliban rulers since December 2022 was on his way back to the US Thursday after Trump administration negotiators secured his freedom, a diplomatic source told The Post.

The Taliban kidnapped George Glezmann, 65, while he was visiting Afghanistan — but he has just been released following negotiations brokered by Trump special hostage envoy Adam Boehler, Taliban officials and Qatari officials.

Boehler and former US envoy to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad met with Qatar’s foreign ministry spokesman and senior adviser to the prime minister Majed Al Ansari as well as Afghanistan foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to finalize Glezmann’s release earlier Thursday.

Glezmann later left Kabul en route to Doha following weeks of three-party talks.

It is wonderful that he is being returned, but why was he visiting Afghanistan? There are better places to go on vacation.

The article notes:

Former Secretary of State Antony Blinken testified before Congress in 2023 that at least 175 Americans remain stranded in Afghanistan, though he didn’t divulge how many were being wrongfully detained by the Taliban.

Qatar is taking the lead in providing support for Glezmann’s immediate repatriation and any necessary medical assistance as he flies back to be reunited with his family.

President Trump “has made the freedom and homecoming of Americans held abroad a high priority,” Khalilzad said on X. “It is an honor to assist in this important effort.”

“We extend our deepest appreciation to the State of Qatar, who’s steadfast commitment and diplomatic efforts were instrumental in securing George’s release,” added the State Department in a statement.

“Qatar has consistently proven to be a reliable partner and trusted mediator, facilitating complex negotiations,” the department added.

“George’s release is a positive and constructive step. It is also a reminder that other Americans are still detained in Afghanistan. President Trump will continue his tireless work to free ALL Americans unjustly detained worldwide.”

The work to return all overseas hostages to America needs to be a priority. American citizens need to have the full force of the government behind them when they travel overseas.

Stopping The Drugs Entering America

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On March 20th, The Gateway Pundit reported that the Coast Guard intercepted more than 45,000 pounds of illegal drugs valued at over $500 million at Port Everglades in Florida.

The article reports:

Noem (Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem) said during remarks to reporters, “In the first 100 days of President Trump’s administration, he has already delivered on his campaign promises of making America safe again and to help the American people to be more secure as well.”

…“Today is a historic day. Here at Port Everglades, over 22.5 tons, or 45,000 pounds of cocaine and 50 pounds of marijuana, are valued at over a half a billion dollars, are going to be offloaded and taken out of circulation.”

“This is an unprecedented seizure of illicit drugs that is the result of 14 different interdictions of drug smuggling vessels off the coasts of Mexico, Central, and South America, by the crews of the Coast Guard Cutter Stone and Coast Guard Cutter Mohawk. They’ve done incredible work here with their crews to remove these drugs out of the system so they can be destroyed.”

“These efforts were coordinated with the helicopter tactical squadron aircrews that you see with us today as well as Tactical Team Pacific, law enforcement detachments that were involved, and partner agencies that are operating in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.”

We won’t really end drug trafficking until we end the demand, but this is definitely a step in the right direction. We need to find ways to help addicts recover and reduce the demand for illicit drugs in this country.

Good Economic News

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On Tuesday, Breitbart posted an article reporting that housing starts increased more than 10 percent in February.

The article reports:

New home construction surged in February, as housing starts jumped 11.2 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 1.5 million, far surpassing expectations. The increase was led by a strong rebound in single-family homebuilding, a sign that builders are responding to demand despite lingering concerns over mortgage rates and supply constraints.

Single-family starts rose 11.4 percent to an annualized 1.11 million, the fastest pace in a year. Multi-family construction also posted a 10.7 percent increase, though that segment has shown more volatility in recent months. The strength in February’s report follows a period of stagnation in housing construction, particularly in the final years of the previous administration when builders faced high interest rates, rising costs, and regulatory uncertainty.

The article concludes:

The increase in new home construction also stands in contrast to some of the more downbeat economic indicators in recent weeks. While reports on consumer sentiment and retail sales have pointed to some lingering uncertainty, the housing sector’s strength signals that parts of the economy are still expanding.

With single-family home construction picking up pace and builders pushing forward despite higher costs, the February report suggests that the long-stalled housing market may finally be regaining its momentum.

Democrat administrations have attempted to control local zoning since the Obama administration with the goal of eliminating single-family housing. Owning a home is not only part of the American dream, it helps stabilize neighborhoods and create generational wealth.

In 2015, Investor’s Business Daily reported:

Under a sweeping new federal housing mandate, the Obama administration threatens to withhold funding for cities and counties that fail to remove local zoning laws and other potentially “discriminatory barriers” that restrict low-income housing in wealthy neighborhoods.

More than 1,200 municipalities will be impacted by the highly contested rule, which the Housing and Urban Development Department put into effect Wednesday.

The agency seeks to combat discrimination in affluent suburban areas, while also desegregating poor urban areas where it says too many minorities lack access to good schools and jobs.

“A ZIP code should never determine a child’s future,” HUD Secretary Julian Castro said.

The massive 377-page regulation requires local authorities to take “meaningful actions” to diversify neighborhoods. Municipalities that don’t comply risk losing millions in federal grant money. Some could face federal housing-bias probes.

That idea is still part of the Democrat Party playbook, so it should not come as a surprise that the housing market does well under a Republican President. All Americans need to be aware of the fight to federalize zoning and be ready to fight it whenever it is introduced. When the Democrat Party regains power, federalizing zoning will be reintroduced.

 

Would You Support This?

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A lot of questionable things have happened as a result of the transgender movement. For me, the bottom line is that there are certain places that should be reserved for biological women only–restrooms and locker rooms are an example of these. Men pretending to be women do not belong in women’s sports–that is not a level playing field. Men cannot become women–gender is determined by x and y chromosomes. Anything else is the result of major surgery and continuous drug use. One of the more egregious things the transgender movement has resulted in is teenage boys in teenage girls’ locker rooms at school.

On Monday, The Daily Wire reported:

The mother of a girl attending an Illinois middle school said that after her daughter refused to change her clothes in front of a biological boy who identified as a transgender girl, school officials stepped in and forced her to do so.

Nicole Georgas told the story of what she said happened to her 13-year-old daughter and other girls at Shepard Middle School while speaking at a Deerfield School District 109 School Board meeting on Thursday, National Review reported. Deerfield is a suburb of Chicago. Georgas said her daughter came home upset on February 5, saying a boy was using the girl’s bathroom.

According to Georgas, the girl was then told by school administrators that the boy was allowed to use the girl’s locker room and bathroom because he identified as a girl, and the school’s “inclusive” bathroom policy allowed him to use whichever locker room he wanted. Georgas said she spoke to school administrators and told them they were violating President Donald Trump’s executive order that prohibited males from using female locker rooms and participating in girls’ sports. The school stood its ground, citing the district’s legal counsel.

After this exchange, Georgas said Thursday, “the situation went from bad to worse.”

“A few days later, the male student was present in the girl’s locker room. Feeling violated, the girls made the choice not to change into their PE clothes with the biological male student present,” Georgas said.

The mother said that school administrators then supervised the girls’ locker room to make sure that the girls changed their clothes in front of the transgender-identifying boy without protest. She identified the district’s assistant superintendent for student services, the school’s assistant principal, and the director for student services as the administrators who forced the girls to change in front of the boy, according to the Lake County Gazette.

The article concludes:

Georgas said she filed a civil rights complaint with the Justice Department.

This is sick.

Something Every State Should Do

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On Thursday, The Federalist posted an article about ranked-choice voting. This is a method of voting where voters choose three candidates in the order they prefer them.

The article explains it this way:

Often referred to as “rigged-choice voting” by its critics, RCV is a system in which voters rank candidates in order of preference. If no candidate receives more than 50 percent of first-choice votes in the first round of voting, the last-place finisher is eliminated, and his votes are reallocated to the voter’s second-choice candidate. This process continues until one candidate receives a majority of votes.

The article notes that a few more states have outlawed this practice:

West Virginia and Wyoming took major steps toward securing their elections by passing prohibitions on the use of ranked-choice voting (RCV).

On Tuesday, West Virginia Gov. Patrick Morrisey signed into law SB 490, which stipulates that “[n]o state, county, or local elections office may use ranked choice voting or instant runoff voting to conduct an election or nomination of any candidate in this state for any local government, statewide, or federal elective office.” Any “existing or future ordinance” adopted by a local government promoting the use of such a system would be declared void under the measure.

Every state needs to do this.

Out of Control Judiciary

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Author:  R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D.  

The traditional view of a judge is someone who puts aside personal prejudice and opinion, and rules on cases based on facts and a commitment to the meaning of written law and the constitution.  It is increasingly clear that judges in this country can no longer (if ever) be relied upon to follow this traditional ideal.  Not only do lawyers “judge shop,” meaning that they seek to bring cases before judges who they can rely on to rule in a certain direction, but as we are seeing, since President Trump was inaugurated, federal judges are blocking the president from carrying out the legitimate wishes of the people who overwhelmingly voted for him and his agenda.  This cannot be allowed to continue and represents a serious threat to our country.

One of the main problems is the ability of minor federal judges in local districts to make rulings that apply to the entire country.  The founding fathers established three branches of government:  the legislative, executive, and judicial.   They also firmly believed that the source of power in America is the people, expressed through the voting process.  In many ways, the three branches are considered co-equal.  However, the notion of lifetime appoints that apply only to the federal judiciary insulates judges from the power of the people.  Once appointed, they are essentially immune to rebuke or removal.  Let’s apply some common sense to what has been happening.  The president of the United States is elected by the people and has broad authority to manage and control all federal agencies since he is the head of the Executive Branch.  When, as in Trump’s case, he issues an executive order such as removing illegal criminal aliens, and a single judge in a single district overrides his order, I consider that an unacceptable overreach of the Judiciary Branch of government.  It would be like some low-level employee overriding the CEO of a major corporation.  Now, if the U.S. Supreme Court, which is the highest-level authority of the Judiciary Branch, overruled the highest authority of the Executive Branch (i.e. the President), that would make more sense.  However, allowing a minor appointed federal judge, who may have been a judge for just a few weeks, to control the actions of a duly elected president is unacceptable, especially since that judge is not elected or answerable to the people.  Solution:  only the Supreme Court as the highest authority in the Judicial Branch should be allowed to overrule the president who is the highest authority in the Executive Branch.

Lifetime appointments are another problem.  As we have seen, certain judges appointed to the Supreme Court, once on the bench, begin making rulings inconsistent with the principles and expectations of the president who appointed them.  For instance, judges that are expected to make decisions by closely following the constitution who instead show a disregard for the constitution as written in their rulings should be capable of being replaced by the president who appointed them.  Now this may only be feasible for the duration of the appointing president’s time in office, but would provide some degree of control which is now totally lacking due to irreversible lifetime appointments.

Another way of providing some control over the Judiciary would be through legislative action.  Right now, in a close Supreme Court decision, the vote of one judge can exert power over the entire country as shown in many 5-4 decisions.  This is not consistent with the power of government residing with the people, especially since the judges have lifetime appointments.  This is government by oligarchs.  A solution that would return the power to the people would be a process that would allow Congress to override a Supreme Court decision if they were able to obtain a two-thirds, or even a three-fourths vote in Congress.

Now, I will admit that these are radical ideas.  I can hear the howling from the judges already.  However, allowing these federal judges to usurp the authority of the president must be stopped.  Even when these lower-level judges are overruled, considerable damage can be done by delaying the implementation of the president’s actions.

How Much Did The Inflation Reduction Act Actually Cost?

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On Monday, Just the News posted an article about the actual cost of the Inflation Reduction Act. The Inflation Reduction Act was not about inflation–it was about subsidizing green energy.

The article reports:

When former President Joe Biden’s signature Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) passed in 2022, it did so along party lines with not a single Republican voting for it. At the time, a Senate one-pager summarized the law as costing taxpayers $369 billion, based on Congressional Budget Review (CBO) estimates. 

A new study from the Cato Institute finds that the law could cost as much as $4.67 trillion by 2050. That’s roughly 12 times the stated cost. The study also concludes that the subsidies are undermining innovation and driving investments toward subsidy farming rather than satisfying consumer demand. 

“The government should not have a hold on the economy in such a way that it can truly distort entire markets, and that’s what the Inflation Reduction Act is,” Joshua Loucks, research associate with Cato Institute and co-author of the analysis, said in a video explaining the study. 

…The subsidies for the IRA come in two forms — production tax credits (PTC), which provide tax credits per unit of energy produced, or investment tax credits, which provide tax credits for various investments in carbon-free energy. Which one developers take depends on the project and their business preferences. With the ITC, the subsidies provide an infusion of cash up front, whereas the PTCs provide payouts over time. 

Some of these are not capped, and others are only phased out when certain greenhouse gas emission reductions are met. Using models from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, the study shows there’s little likelihood that these reductions will be met in the next 25 years, meaning the subsidies have no meaningful end date. 

The article concludes:

The study’s authors argue that, in light of the IRA’s actual costs, a full repeal of its energy subsidies is needed. If a full repeal isn’t possible, Congress should limit taxpayer liabilities by placing caps on the dollar value of the subsidies, add expiration dates instead of emission reduction targets — or both. 

“Delaying action only strengthens the political and economic interests tied to its subsidies, making reform even more difficult as the web of government handouts expands,” Loucks and Fisher warn in an article on “The Fishtank,” Fisher’s Substack. 

Repealing the energy subsidies in the IRA is a wonderful idea. This is another budget cut the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) needs to look at.

It’s Time To Stop The Insanity

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We need to find the person who put this questionnaire together and make sure they are never again involved in public policy.

On Monday, Yahoo News reported that parents of newborn babies born in New Jersey are legally required to fill out a form that has an option of listing the child as transgender.

Here is a screenshot of the form:

What manner of insanity is this?

The article reports:

Inspira claims that it created the questionnaire to comply with a New Jersey law requiring healthcare providers to “collect race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and gender identity in a culturally competent and sensitive manner”.

The questions are intended to “provide a safe and compassionate experience” and “comply with recently-enacted state legislation”, the form states.

Republican State Senator Holly Schepisi told the Post: “The entire thing lacks such common sense, and serves no purpose whatsoever.

“As a mom myself, I know you’re exhausted after giving birth, you’ve got a crying newborn and you’re trying to figure out how to feed it. To be handed that sort of form in the midst of all that has no medical value, it makes no sense.”

She added that she would introduce a bill next week to revise New Jersey law to limit the data collection to patients aged over 16 years.

The article concludes:

Inspira Health told The Telegraph that it was “required by New Jersey law” to “request their patients provide their race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and gender identity”.

It continued: “Patients are permitted to decline to provide this information.

“Per recent guidance from the New Jersey Department of Health stating that health systems can collect that data in a clinically appropriate and culturally competent manner, Inspira Health will request this information from adults.

“This update in protocol remains compliant with the law, and we respect patients’ right to decline to respond.”

He added that the company had sought a waiver from the state but that it had not been granted.

I don’t have a problem with the government collecting basic birth statistics. However, this is ridiculous. Babies know how to eat, cry, smile, and make messes. Their intellectual capacity in other areas is very limited.

The President of El Salvador’s Statement About The Prisoners Returned To His Country

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There was a bit of a dust-up over the weekend when a U.S. District Judge attempted to stop President Trump from flying some Venezuelan Tren de Aragua members to El Salvador to be imprisoned there. The Trump administration says it disregarded a judge’s order to turn around two planeloads of criminals because the flights were over international waters when the order was issued and therefore the ruling did not apply, I have no idea whether that is valid or not, but the criminals were here illegally, they were violent, and they needed to be in jail somewhere.

On Monday, Townhall posted a statement by El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele.

This is the statement:

Today, the first 238 members of the Venezuelan criminal organization, Tren de Aragua, arrived in our country,” he said, They were immediately transferred to CECOT, the Terrorism Confinement Center, for a period of one year (renewable).

The United States will pay a very low fee for them, but a high one for us.

Over time, these actions, combined with the production already being generated by more than 40,000 inmates engaged in various workshops and labor under the Zero Idleness program, will help make our prison system self-sustainable. As of today, it costs $200 million per year.

On this occasion, the U.S. has also sent us 23 MS-13 members wanted by Salvadoran justice, including two ringleaders. One of them is a member of the criminal organization’s highest structure.

This will help us finalize intelligence gathering and go after the last remnants of MS-13, including its former and new members, money, weapons, drugs, hideouts, collaborators, and sponsors.

As always, we continue advancing in the fight against organized crime. But this time, we are also helping our allies, making our prison system self-sustainable, and obtaining vital intelligence to make our country an even safer place. All in a single action.

May God bless El Salvador, and may God bless the United States.

We are fortunate to have a President who removes violent criminals from our country.

Moving Forward To Secure Our Borders

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On Sunday, The Daily Caller posted an article about the construction of the border wall on America’s southern border.

The article reports:

The first border wall contract of President Donald Trump’s second term, valued at approximately $70 million, was announced Saturday.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said it awarded the contract, worth $70,285,846, to the Watsonville, California-based Granite Construction Co., mandating the company to erect “approximately seven miles of new border wall in Hidalgo County, Texas, within the U.S. Border Patrol’s (USBP) Rio Grande Valley (RGV) Sector.”

The areas the new wall is expected to close off were “critical openings in the border wall that were left incomplete due to cancelled contracts during the Biden Administration,” according to CBP.

Many illegal migrants, human traffickers and drug smugglers exploited the RGV sector — a situation which necessitated completing the border wall there, CBP said.

The article concludes:

The Trump administration announced the completion of 450 miles of “new border wall system” in early January 2021, shortly before the Biden administration took office, the Department of Homeland Security noted at the time.

Former President Joe Biden terminated Trump’s 2019 declaration of a national emergency at the southern border and paused construction of the wall, dismissing walling off the entire stretch of the southern border as “not a serious policy solution” and the national emergency as “unwarranted”.

Missouri and Texas immediately sued the Biden administration, and Missouri obtained a court order compelling Biden to restore the $1.4 billion funding for the construction effort.

Congressional investigators later ruled the suspension of the border wall contract was legal — but the ruling drew objection from Republican lawmakers, according to CBS News.

Encounters at the southern border plummeted to lows not seen since the 1980s by the second month of Trump’s second term.

As President Trump said in his March 4th speech:

The media and our friends in the Democrat Party kept saying we needed new legislation. We must have legislation to secure the border. But it turned out that all we really needed was a new president.

We are moving toward a safer America.

Why Would This Even Be An Issue?

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On March 14th, the Senate voted to pass the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act.

According to the Senate Judiciary Committee:

This is a much-needed weapon in the current drug war.

These are the Democrat Senators who voted against the bill:

I understand the need for an ‘opposition party,’ but the Democrats really need to do better at choosing exactly what they oppose.

The Cost of War

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War is expensive. It costs lives, loss of infrastructure, problems with the food supply, and a basic disruption of everything when it occurs. Unfortunately, it is also profitable for some people. It should also be noted that those who declare war are rarely the people called to fight the war they declare.

Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Since that time, America has given roughly $175 Billion dollars to Ukraine to fight that war. President Trump is now in the process of attempting to end that war.

Who is profiting from that war? Obviously, the defense industry’s weapons making business is doing well—they have to replace the weapons being used. But there seem to be other people profiting from the war as well. President Zelensky claims that Ukraine has only actually received $75 Billion. I have heard reports that the difference is simply a bookkeeping technicality, but I am not necessarily convinced of that.

Let’s look at some of the things that made it possible for Russia to invade Ukraine. Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. The price of a barrel of oil in February 2022 was $107.69. To provide some perspective, in January 2021, when President Biden took office, oil was selling for $63.68 a barrel. Because of the Biden administration’s energy policies which ended American energy independence, by February 2022 the price of a barrel of oil was $107.69. The Russian economy is dependent on oil exports. Oil prices are determined internationally. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) has some control over oil prices, but that control lessens when America is exporting oil. Because the Russian economy is dependent on oil exports (and thus dependent on the cost of a barrel of oil), when the price of oil falls, Russia experiences fiscal deficits, a weaker economy, and a weaker currency. When President Trump was in office, the price of oil was low, and Russia could not afford to invade Ukraine. The invasion of Ukraine had to do with a weak President (President Biden), but it also had to do with the escalating price of oil. That is no longer the case. Oil prices today are roughly $70 a barrel.

It is quite possible that we will see the war in Ukraine end in the coming weeks. To some degree that is due to the negotiating skills of President Trump, but it is also due to the economic and energy policies of President Trump. We are learning that putting a man in the White House with business skills will help all Americans economically as well as pave the way for peace by using economic leverage.

View from the Lair

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Senate Stupidity

Just how stupid are the Marxists in the Senate? Note I didn’t ask how stupid can they get. The first question (somewhat rhetorical) prescribes a measurement, the second is usually taken as a challenge.

If using intelligence as a basis, likely many of them will show up in negative numbers. Others will perform around room temperature, typically that of a walk-in cooler. The HALT (Halt All Trafficking of Lethal Fentanyl) passed the senate with 16 members voting “nay.” This bill closed the loophole on trafficking fentanyl analogs that are similar in effect and chemical composition but not precisely fentanyl. This prevents traffickers from skirting the law by selling something that is just as lethal as the original but technically legal.

The 16 included all of the usual suspects: Cory Booker (Dummy, NJ), Adam Schiff (Dumber, CA), Raphael Warnock (Stupid, GA), Fauxcahauntas (Delirious, MA), and  Mazie Hirono (Dumbest, HI.).

Their excuses for not supporting the bill? It would “disproportionately affect minorities”. It wouldn’t allow for research to be sure that some analogs might have beneficial properties (The bill DOES provide for that, proof that not only some are stupid but also illiterate. Or too lazy to actually read the bill. Or DO THEIR JOB! Please excuse the shouting. My patience with stupidity is wearing thin.)

Another excuse is that it actually wouldn’t reduce the availability of the drugs. While that statement is true, that isn’t the purpose of the bill. The purpose is for law enforcement to arrest the traffickers without them having a lethal loophole. They claim it will lead to “mass incarcerations”. No one, however, mentioned that this is the same bill that was passed in 2018, due to expire this month. Did they cite the “mass incarcerations” that resulted since 2018? Another rhetorical question, apparently.

So, what is the real reason for opposing the bill? Just to be contrary? Likely. To display their “social justice” bona fides? Rather than “real justice” bona fides? Or has the collapse of the Act Blue fund-raising scam threatened to reveal another source of indirect funds, such as the very cartels that smuggle this poison into our country? Or the Chinese manufacturers of the raw materials that deliver them to the cartels? Certainly, such honorables as US Senators would be above accepting money derived from such nefarious sources.

Wouldn’t they?

Wouldn’t they?

ciao,

The Snark

TRY SAYING “HO-HO-HO” WHILE GRITTING YOUR TEETH 

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Chronicling The Battle With Dementia

Author:  Jerry Schill

I ended last month’s post with Pam “surrendering” her car keys, which means I’m now a chauffeur for shopping, doctor appointments, and so on. Getting groceries was an interesting experience as she would reach for items we didn’t need. At first I didn’t notice because she would put them in the shopping cart while I wasn’t paying attention. Rather than creating a scene I would just leave it go. I think at one time we had a half dozen jars of olives in the pantry! I started paying more attention when we shopped, and at first would let her know we don’t need what she put in the cart, but that would sometimes lead to “unhappiness,” so I would just put the item back on the shelf when she wasn’t watching. Most of the shopping now is done when a caregiver stays with her. I’m not one that likes to “shop.” Rather, I got to buy what I need and get out of the store. There are times when I reflect on the “good ‘ol days” when Pam would drive to the store and do all of the shopping.

In January 2023, after family discussions and advice of her primary physician, she started additional testing including oral memory tests, blood work and brain scan over a period of several months. The waiting time was a bit long to see the neurologist, so that was in July. I thought it interesting that I could surmise what the diagnosis was by looking at her patient portal in advance of the appointment with the doctor. The new diagnosis was Alzheimer’s. Labels don’t really mean much. The official diagnosis does not change your experiences in dealing with it.

I am going to revert back to the spring of 2011, or 3 years prior to us noticing Pam’s memory loss. That was the year our daughter and son in law, Sarah and Butch Midgett opened a retail toy store in Nags Head, NC. Pam and I help them prepare the store doing some painting and using our truck and trailer to deliver store fixtures. Their grand opening was in April and sometime in the summer they asked if we would portray Santa and Mrs. Claus after Thanksgiving. Why not? We both had the right hair color! They rented the outfits so the Saturday after Thanksgiving we were the Claus couple for about 4 hours. We enjoyed it so they purchased the outfits for us for 2012. Over the next several years we wore the suits at the toy store and a few events in Craven and Pamlico Counties. We purchased new outfits and had a great time. Pam was an excellent Mrs. Claus, with children reaching for her when they were too frightened to go to that scary Santa.

About 2016 we noticed changes in how she portrayed Mrs. Claus as she would be vocal, times if a child was not behaving or if one in diapers needed a diaper change. Let’s just say Mrs. Claus was not very jolly at times. Santa is supposed to be a jolly old elf and Mrs. Claus is expected to be so as well. In 2017 Santa was solo at the toy store while our son took Pam out for lunch and shopping. It might not sound like a big deal but that took an emotional toll on me because it forced me to realize things will never be the same. We were Santa & Mrs. Claus in downtown New Bern for a couple of years as part of Beary Merry Christmas, but her last year there was 2022. While I no longer go downtown, I continue as Santa at churches, community events, an occasional parade and home visits. The kids help out a lot in the Christmas season taking care of their Mom, and when they cannot I depend on paid workers or volunteers to stay with her.

The combination of looking like Santa even without the red suit during the Christmas season and dementia adds a bit more pressure. Santa is expected to be jolly at all times with no exceptions, so when things get challenging out in public, one needs to be aware of who may be watching! It’s hard to exclaim “Ho-Ho-Ho” while gritting your teeth!

Next month we’ll write about the challenges with the care-giving issue.

The Actions Of A Nasty Little Man

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On Saturday, Townhall posted an article illustrating one way the Biden administration was involved in the lawfare against President Trump. There were many aspects of the actions of the Biden administration that were clearly illegal.

The article quotes Fox News:

The Biden White House turned over government cellphones belonging to President Donald Trump and former Vice President Mike Pence to the FBI in May 2022 as part of a bureau probe into the aftermath of the 2020 election, tying Trump to that investigation without sufficient predication, Fox News Digital has learned.

The FBI did not need a warrant to physically obtain the government phones from the Biden White House.

But after acquiring the devices, agents began drafting a search warrant to extract the phones’ data, sources familiar with the investigation told Fox News Digital.

“The Biden White House played right along with the FBI’s ‘gotcha’ scheme against Trump,” a source familiar with the investigation told Fox News Digital. “Biden’s Office of White House Counsel, under the leadership of Dana Remus and Jonathan Su, gave its blessing and accommodation for the FBI to physically obtain Trump and Pence’s phones in early May 2022. Weeks later, the FBI began drafting a search warrant to extract the phones’ data.”

The phones were obtained and entered as evidence as part of the FBI’s original anti-Trump 2020 election investigation, which eventually was taken over by special counsel Jack Smith. That case was known inside the bureau as “Arctic Frost” and was opened April 13, 2022, by anti-Trump former FBI agent Timothy Thibault.

Thibault, according to whistleblowers, broke protocol and played a critical role in opening and advancing the bureau’s original investigation related to the 2020 election, tying Trump to the probe without sufficient predication. Thibault broke protocol by taking action to open the investigation and involve Trump despite being unauthorized to open criminal investigations in his role. Only special agents have the authority to open criminal investigations.

There were a lot of rules and policies ignored in the treatment of President Trump during the Biden administration. It would be nice to see the people who ignored those rules and policies held accountable. Unfortunately, if the case of Former FBI attorney Kevin Clinesmith is any indication, there will not be serious consequences for their actions. Clinesmith lied on the FISA (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) application. His lie resulted in the illegal surveillance of President Trump and his campaign and to the Russia Hoax. Clinesmith in August pleaded guilty to “one count of making a false statement within both the jurisdiction of the executive branch and judicial branch of the U.S. government, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years and a fine of up to $250,000.” He was given 12 months probation, 400 hours of community service, and no fine.

Accountability in Public Schools

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 Author: R. Alan Harrop, Ph.D.

Let’s face the truth. The public school system in this country (including North Carolina) is not meeting reasonable expectations. For example, recent reports show that nationally reading proficiency is being met by less than 40% of students in public schools:  4th grade, 31%; 8THgrade, 30%; and 12th grade, 37%. The results for basic math proficiency are equally discouraging. This in spite of the cost per student of public education in this country being one of the highest, if not the absolute highest, of any other country, at a shocking average of $17,187  per year. With, say an average of 20 students per class, the cost is $242,740 per class per year. I would be happy to sign up as a tutor for that kind of pay. Proficiency in reading is such a basic and fundamental component of education; that overall educational achievement, must be profoundly negatively affected. Another shocking statistic is that of the approximate 10 million staff working in public education in the United States, less than 50% are teachers!

There are only two possible explanations for the poor performance:  either the people in charge of public education in this country, do not know how to teach or are not motivated to ensure that effective teaching practices are being followed. Obviously, there is no effective accountability in the public school system, and throwing more money at the problem will not fix it. No private business could afford to operate this way, unless like the public schools, they had no effective competition.

The NC General Assembly will be considering a bill this session that is designed to increase teacher pay. While increasing pay may be positive for teacher recruitment and retention; the question is, will it improve the academic performance of the students, which of course should be the main objective? Here is where the concept or meritocracy enters the picture.  Should pay increases be granted to existing teachers across the board, or rather, depend on the teacher’s effectiveness instructing their students?  Most private businesses award pay increases and bonuses based on an employee’s demonstrated ability to do their job. When I first started working for the N.C. Department of Correction in the 1970s under Republican Governor James Holshouser, supervisors could only grant pay increases to a percentage of their employees and were required to rank order the employees based on job performance. When Democrat Governor Jim Hunt was elected that system of awarding pay increases based on merit was eliminated and replaced by across-the-board salary increases. Supervisors were no longer able to reward their employees according to their work performance.

Human nature being what it is, workers are much more likely to be motivated to do a good job if their pay depends on their performance.  Actually, the school system could easily initiate a performance-based pay system since student learning is assessed using standardized tests.  Any fair system would have to take into account the existing differences between students’ proficiency. This could easily be done by testing all students at the beginning of the school year and then using year end testing to evaluate their level of improvement. This difference would provide a reliable measure of the effectiveness of individual teachers and serve as the basis for salary/bonus increases. Such a system would encourage teachers to improve their own teaching skills as well as experiment with new instructional techniques.  Not only would the teachers be accountable and rewarded for their performance, but school principals and administrators could be evaluated in a similar fashion.

Accountability and rewarding the effort and effectiveness of teachers is critical to improving a public school system that should not be allowed to continue failing.