Tag Archives: MRCTV

The Growing Federal Budget Deficit

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On Friday, MRCTV reported that the federal deficit has grown dramatically during the first eight months of Fiscal Year 2023.

The article reports:

The federal budget deficit was $1.2 trillion in the first eight months of fiscal year 2023 (FY23), nearly three times higher than it was in the first eight months of fiscal year 2022 (FY22), the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reported Thursday.

From October 2022 through May, the FY23 federal deficit was $1.161 trillion – $735 billion higher than $426 billion shortfall recorded the previous year, even after $63 billion of expenditures were shifted into FY22.

In May alone, the federal deficit was $236 billion, CBO estimates – $170 billion higher than the amount recorded in May 2022. Revenues were $81 billion lower this May than they were in 2022. Outlays increased by $89 billion.

In the first eight months of FY23, revenues were 11% lower and expenditures were 9% higher than in the same period year-earlier. Receipts were $380 billion lower (a larger decline than the CBO says it expected), while expenditures were $355 billion higher.

“Outlays for the largest mandatory spending programs increased by a total of $193 billion,” a 12% increase, the CBO reports.

In particular, interest paid on the public debt rose by $112 billion (up 34%), “mainly because interest rates are significantly higher.”

Expenditures rose in other key categories, as well:

    • Spending for Social Security benefits rose by $85 billion (11%),
    • Medicare outlays increased by $77 billion (17%),
    • Medicaid outlays increased by $31 billion (8%),
    • Outlays of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) rose by $53 billion, as a result of facilitating the resolution of bank failures in the spring of 2023.

On the revenue side, federal government collection of individual income and payroll (social insurance) taxes together declined by $299 billion (10%) and collections of corporate income taxes increased, on net, by $5 billion (2%).

The Biden administration’s economic policies have been a disaster for the government, the private sector, and the American citizen. Americans are dealing with rampant inflation, corporate layoffs, and rising taxes. Meanwhile, cities are trying to cope with inflation without imposing crippling tax hikes. Unless something changes, America’s economic future does not look good.

Would Anyone Actually Want This Job?

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On Tuesday, MRCTV reported that the United Nations has an interesting job listing on its website. The listing is for a “Partnership Specialist” to bring gender equality to Afghanistan.

This is a portion of the listing:

UN Women, grounded in the vision of equality enshrined in the Charter of the United Nations, works for the elimination of discrimination against women and girls; the empowerment of women; and the achievement of equality between women and men as partners and beneficiaries of development, human rights, humanitarian action and peace and security.

UN Women is dedicated to advancing gender equality and women’s empowerment in Afghanistan. Staff and consultants of the Afghanistan Country Office (ACO) are expected to contribute to a professional working environment in which the strengthening of national capacities and human potential is prioritized. Respect for diversity and human dignity is required, as is the active pursuit of a collaborative and inclusive approach to both internal and external stakeholders, including colleagues and partners.

Under the direct supervision of the Country Representative, the Partnerships and Reporting Specialist will be responsible and accountable for the effective and efficient provision of donor-related support services to senior management, programmes and operations units within the Afghanistan Country Office (ACO). The donor related support services include external relations and resource mobilization coordination, coordinating the preparation of proposals and donor reports and maintaining a working relationship between UN Women and donors.

The duties and responsibilities include:

Build and maintain effective external relations, strategic partnerships and support resource mobilization:

    • Develop the resource mobilization strategy/plan for the Afghanistan Country Office (ACO) and coordinate implementation;
    • Undertake ad-hoc donor studies, research, and other activities to identify funding opportunities; update the resources mobilization strategy as needs emerge;
    • Develop a prospective donor profile database that includes prospective donor funding areas, geographical and sectoral preferences, criteria, and policies with a view to identifying funding opportunities;
    • Monitor calls for proposals related to UN Women ACO mandate;
    • Initiate Resource Mobilization meetings and presentations to prospective donors in Afghanistan and outside, including preparation of briefing notes;
    • Design and implement effective advocacy strategies and methods for proactive and strategic targeting of partners and donors.
    • Convene and facilitate donor working group on gender to
    • Manage and coordinate relationships with key partners; provide technical inputs to senior management’s efforts to develop new and innovative partnerships;
    • Develop and implements strategies for maximizing potential for existing trust funds and regional projects and other sources;
    • Provide technical support the drafting and review of partner-specific Framework Arrangements and Cost Sharing Agreements.

The job posting notes:

Note:

In July 2010, the United Nations General Assembly created UN Women, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The creation of UN Women came about as part of the UN reform agenda, bringing together resources and mandates for greater impact. It merges and builds on the important work of four previously distinct parts of the UN system (DAW, OSAGI, INSTRAW and UNIFEM), which focused exclusively on gender equality and women’s empowerment.

MRCTV notes:

The members of the Security Council called for an immediate end to the violence in Afghanistan, the restoration of security, civil and constitutional order, and urgent talks to resolve the current crisis of authority in the country and to arrive at a peaceful settlement through an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned process of national reconciliation. They underscored that a sustainable end to the conflict in Afghanistan can only be achieved through an inclusive, just, durable and realistic political settlement that upholds human rights, including for women, children and minorities. The members of the Security Council called on parties to adhere to international norms and standards on human rights and put an end to all abuses and violations in this regard.

Somehow I don’t think the actions of the United Nations Security Council will have any results. You really can’t make this stuff up.

The Woke Crowd Is Targeting Monopoly

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MRCTV reported yesterday that the woke police have gone after the Monopoly game.

The article quotes a Fox Business article:

Hasbro will change all 16 of Monopoly’s “community chest” cards to remove outdated concepts. The company said the classic versions of the cards, which included prompts referencing beauty contests and holiday funds, were “long overdue for a refresh.”

New community chest cards will focus on topics that emphasize “community.” Hasbro asked the public to vote on potential replacements, with rewards for in-game actions such as rescuing a puppy or shopping local among the options. Other cards would penalize players for forgetting to recycle or blasting music too late at night.

The only good thing I can say about this is that it will make the game more relatable for younger generations who did not grow up playing the game. However, how many of the younger generation still play board games instead of video games?

 

This Is Not A Surprise To Most Of Us

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MRCTV is reporting today on an interesting choice of words by Vice-Presidential candidate Kamala Harris during a broadcast targeting Hispanic voters in Arizona.

The article reports:

Kamala Harris may have just let out a Freudian slip – and if anyone’s upset by it, it won’t be her political opponents.

The California senator, who is running to be Joe Biden’s vice president should the pair win the election in November, seemed to momentarily place herself at the top of the ticket in an odd moment during a virtual round table Monday, encouraging voters to cast their ballot for “A Harris administration, together with Joe Biden.”

“A Harris administration, together with Joe Biden as the president of the United States…the Biden/Harris administration will provide access to $100 billion in low-interest loans and investments from minority business owners,” Harris awkwardly claimed.

If Joe Biden is president, why is it the Harris administration? Who is pulling the strings?

Steven Hayward at Power Line Blog notes:

I’m betting the Secret Service is taking resumes of food tasters right about now.

The article at MRCTV concludes:

Harris’ mix-up between herself and the man who is actually running for president is also in line with many concerns on the right over Biden’s age, mental acuity and physical ability to do the job of POTUS, with many saying that a vote for Biden is really a vote for Harris if and when Biden becomes unable to hold the office.

When you consider Kamala Harris’ record as California Attorney General, the thought of her in the White House is troubling. Her prosecution of cases was very uneven and often appeared to be politically motivated.