The Scourge of Irresponsible Government Economics

This state legislature is demonstrating another failure to apply economic common sense. The government is expected to spend only the money it has available and not go into economic debt. When the government spends more than it has, a budget deficit is the result. To cover that difference government doesn’t cut back, but instead raises more money through taxes. This Democratic state legislature has been an economic failure in the face of serious economic reality. Instead of finding ways to cut back on expenditures and limit spending to the money available,  they have been finding new ways to create more taxes. They are doing this to taxpayers who are already economically stressed and unhappy. The record-setting estate tax it passed in the last session has driven people with money to change their residency and corporations to move their businesses out of state. The “ millionaire tax” is a classic example of political incompetence. Even Republicans recognize the reality that once any income tax is passed, whether limited to one group or not, it will lead to an income tax that applies to everyone. The political reality is that even after the money is generated by this tax, it will not mean the reduction of other existing taxes, particularly the gasoline tax.

This Legislature and past ones have been reckless in their failure to maintain government spending within the amount of state income, instead of finding new ways to increase taxation.  It’s going to reach a point where Democrats and others will not vote for school funding assessments against their property, or for other worthwhile projects that result in property tax assessments. Increasing sales taxes impacts everyone. People of both parties will react to taxes that impact them personally in their daily lives. Increases in the cost of living for the ordinary person are an invitation for them to vote Republican or for anyone else who promises to reduce their cost of living. The taxation situation has reached a tipping point for the majority of voters. My fellow Democrats should urge the state government to change its reckless taxation madness before voters make a major change in the politics of this state.

The United Stgtes Begins A Suprise War 

On December 7, 1941 Japan’s sudden bombing of Pearl Harbor was described as: “JAPS KILL 350 AMERICANS IN SURPRISE PLANE ATTACK,” and  President Franklin D. Roosevelt labeled the date as one that will “live in infamy”. Yet we use a submarine to suddenly torpedo an Iranian ship returning from a peacetime naval exercise in India with a crew of 180 sailors, without any warning, killing innocent people on board.  Our national incompetent defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said at the Pentagon, “it was sunk by a torpedo. Quiet death.” No one protests this sneak attack on a ship killing multiple people and not involved in the unauthorized war Trump started.

This is the kind of war we got involved in with Iraq. This kind of war in Afghanistan lasted 20 years, as did the same kind of war in Vietnam.. How long will this one last, since it involves century-old religious hostility and conflict? What does this stupidity do to the national debt and our economy?

There is no question about the evil of Iran’s ruling regime in its oppression of its own people, suppression of freedom, and its use of violence and intimidation at home and abroad to maintain power. We know the evil of Iran’s regime in its repression of dissent, abuse of human rights, and willingness to use fear, violence, and ideological control to dominate its own citizens and threaten others. We know that, for many years, Iran has been the source of terrorism around the world. The world is better off without the leadership that has been in charge of Iran for many years. The frightening truth is our sudden involvement in declaring war with little or no previous notice, preparation, organization, and planning. Once started, there is no way of controlling how long it will has a economic drain and safety threat around the world.

The elections may be too late to save this country, assuming Trump hasn’t destroyed the integrity of the election process by then. All those Trump supporters and cult members can thank themselves this situation, but the true culprits are the members of Congress who put self-interest before responsibility and the Supreme Court members who dishonored their duty of judicial integrity. I’m glad I’m 91 years old.