Hot Button - Race

Racism has become a  hot topic since the tragedy in Charlottesville. There is widespread agreement that time has come for a dialog on race and racism. I am certain that this is an issue that is far too complicated for an 800-word column. So, I will be doing a series on this issue alone.

Let’s start with the concept of race itself. What is a race? Well, you think you have the answer. Obviously, there is a visible difference between black people, Asians, American Hispanics, and American Indians. There are also dark skinned and light skinned people of India. Are these different races?

There are Jews throughout the world, each with different outward appearances. For the most part, the outward appearance of most Jews is indistinguishable from the others living in a given location. Is there a racial difference or merely a religious difference?

Many Muslims have olive skin. Ah, but many Italians also have olive skin. How do you define that racial difference? What about the light skinned Muslims, or even the black Muslims?

These people are all different, they are all individual, and they have different backgrounds and cultures. But are they racially different? In the November 1997 edition of Anthropology Newsletter, a piece titled ORIGIN OF THE IDEA OF RACE by Audrey Smedley said this:

    "Contemporary scholars agree that 'race' was a recent invention and that it was essentially a folk idea, not a product of scientific research and discovery. This is not new to anthropologists. Since the 1940s when Ashley Montagu argued against the use of the term ‘race’ in science, a growing number of scholars in many disciplines have declared that the real meaning of race in American society has to do with social realities, quite distinct from physical variations in the human species. I argue that race was institutionalized beginning in the eighteenth-century as a worldview, a set of culturally created attitudes and beliefs about human group differences."

So, if there is no actual scientific distinction defining race, what is it? Here is what science does know. Around 200-thousand years ago There were different species of anthropoids roaming the earth. There were Australopithecus,  Homo Erectus, Homo Habilis. Homo Neanderthal and Denisovans. Suddenly a much more refined skeletal group,  Homo Sapiens Sapiens appeared. While Neanderthals were more robust and had a larger brain case, Homo Sapiens grew to be a more technologically and culturally advanced species. Evidence has recently been discovered that Homo Sapiens may have appeared in more than one place, but the traditional school is that they first originated from a single place in Africa. Regardless of exactly where in Africa they first appeared the origin is still African.

Over the millennia, wanderlust spread these people to all points of the earth. Although DNA testing has shown that Homo Sapiens likely mated with Neanderthals, the predominant species trait remained that of Homo Sapiens. Yes, folks, we are all Africans. It doesn’t matter if your ancestors are Scandinavian, Asian or South American, THEIR ancestors were ALL African. We look different because of genetic mutations in our single species due to location. DNA analysis and global testing have identified locales where genetic mutations have occurred and can identify your recent ancestry, but the basic human genome is, for the most part, the same for every human. We all evolved from the original African ancestor.

Our characteristic differences are in fact mostly mere cultural differences and have nothing to do with actually being different humans. Race is, if anything, merely a cultural trait. So let’s quit calling it a racial divide and identify the true culprit, culture. 

Throughout the world, culture has levels of economic distinction. In Europe, you have a culture of the nobility and a distinctly different culture of the low-born. While much of that difference has been slowly and painfully erased, there is and may always be a distinct cultural difference between rich and poor anywhere in the world. So now we can identify culture and economic status as the driving force for the divide we call race.

It could also be argued that education may also lead to those cultural differences. In fact, education leads to economic differences, which in turn leads to cultural differences. So we are still stuck with the cultural distinction in our differences.

In the “great melting pot” of America we have assimilated many cultures. Poor Irish and Italians came to America bringing the traditions of their homeland.  They were ostracized until both they and the rest of the country assimilated this new culture. Asians came to this country bringing an entirely foreign culture. Again assimilation became the key to acceptance. 

Freed slaves were the poorest of the poor. These people who had themselves been considered property suddenly found they had no property or wealth. The contentious slavery issue that had divided the country would not be settled with the Emancipation Proclamation. Those who had fought to free the slaves had no plans beyond emancipation. They weren’t about to take responsibility for feeding, housing, and educating the millions of former slaves. The slave culture was entirely foreign and repugnant to those who had never lived that kind of life. Free Americans weren’t about to assimilate that culture into theirs. Blacks, former slaves, were left to fend for themselves in a land that had no use for their class.

Fast-forward a hundred years and things began to come to a head. The civil rights movement was in high gear. Segregation was outlawed, schools were integrated, workplace equality was mandated, quotas and priorities are now granted to people of color. Yet, their economic and educational level still remains predominantly below that of other cultures. And although they are making gains, there is still an attitude that “we” aren’t doing enough for the blacks. In the black homeland of Africa, you have the same economic and cultural divide and it has nothing to do with “race.” 

Okay, let’s quit calling it a “racial” divide and give it a more logical nomenclature, “cultural” divide. When viewed from this standpoint it may give us a handle to address the “divide” portion of the problem. Next, I will attempt will cover the concept of racism and racists, why it exists, who practices it, and, hopefully,  how to end it.

Erasing History and Other Tragedies

By now I’m sure you have seen the tragedy in Charlottesville, Virginia. In case you were on vacation at the South Pole and happened not to hear about it, let me bring you up to date. Keep in mind that I was not personally there and have no first-hand knowledge of the event happenings. Most of what I know has been from the left-leaning, Trump-hating media. Unlike most Americans, I have also sought out other reports as well. 

At the center of the Charlottesville, tragedy is a “larger than life” statue of Confederate General Robert Edward Lee. It was erected in the city park in 1924 and had stood peacefully for nearly a century to remind people of not the travesty of the Civil war but the proud Virginian who became superintendent of the US Army Academy at West Point and was asked by President Lincoln to head the Union Army. 

Lee disagreed with slavery and believed that secession was unwise. He wrote: “I can anticipate no greater calamity for the country than a dissolution of the Union. It would be an accumulation of all the evils we complain of, & I am willing to sacrifice every thing but honour for its preservation...”

He viewed his service to the South not as a fight against the Union, but as a defense of Virginia. Declining President Lincoln’s offer Lee said,“I shall never bear arms against the Union, but it may be necessary for me to carry a musket in the defense of my native state, Virginia, in which case I shall not prove recreant to my duty.” Confederate States President, Jefferson Davis commissioned Lee General of the Army of Northern Virginia.  

It is indeed sad that the memorial to a man of this stature has become entangled in the craze for removal of Civil War history. It seems clear that there are those who would entirely erase the Civil War from the history of the United States. Arlington Cemetery was once Robert E. Lee’s home; should we dig up all of the American heroes buried there and plow under the cemetery ground? Will we eventually eliminate all images of those great men who happened to own slaves? Jefferson’s pictures will be wiped from the face of the earth, Washington will no longer be on the dollar bill. Should we rename Washington state and Washington DC? Oh, but the Washington Monument will just have to go. Where does this insanity stop? History is like yesterday’s football score; you may not like it but you can’t undo it.

Okay, back to Charlottesville. As with any action, there is always a reaction, both in physics and any other action. It was inevitable that there would be protests against the removal of the statue. Many people are not happy with this drive to remove relics of the Civil War. It is truly lamentable that the protest against removal included some of the worst organizations of our society. It is also sad that members of these organizations stood shoulder-to-shoulder alongside good citizens whose only wish was to bring to light the disappointment at the decision to remove Lee’s statue. 

Action-reaction, of course, a protest of this nature was bound to bring out anti-protesters, supporters of removal. Given the heated nature of this subject, it should also have been clear that there would be clashes, even violence. You can’t mix KKK, and Neo-Nazis with Black Lives Matter and Antifa and expect all to be calm and collected.  Of course, there will be clashes. It is the job of the police to see that clashes don’t turn violent. The best way to ensure that is for both sides to be separated by distance.  The Charlottesville police failed to adequately separate the two groups. Adding to the injury, there are reports that the Charlottesville mayor told the police to stand down when violence first broke out! If these reports are true, that mayor should be removed and prosecuted for inciting a riot.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not in the least supporting either the protesters or the anti-protesters. The violence was wrong. It was wrong for outside groups to become involved in a local matter. It was tragic that a crazed idiot took it upon himself to run down people with his car. Racism is the scourge of this country and of our planet.

Well, to no one’s great surprise President Trump was blamed, both by the media and many legislators. It’s strange that I haven’t heard anyone reveal that Trump invited White Supremacists groups or even David Duke to the rally. He probably wasn’t even aware that there would be a protest in Charlottesville. Does he even have a hotel there? I think not. Maybe he didn’t even know where Charlottesville was.

After the tragic incident of some crazed idiot plowing into the crowd -- incidentally, he may not have even known who all was in that group he hit; there could have been some of those he supported in it -- the President decried the violence and clash of racists “on both sides.”

Not good enough the Trump haters said. Okay, on Tuesday he expanded his condemnation saying “racism is evil” he proceeded to  include groups by name and continued, “and those who cause violence in its name are criminals and thugs, including the K.K.K., neo-Nazis, white supremacists and other hate groups that are repugnant to everything we hold dear as Americans.”

For eight years President Obama stirred the fires of division and discontent every time a race riot broke out. At Ferguson, Missouri, and Baltimore all he could do was blame the white police. He praised Travon Martin, even saying that if he had a son he would look like Martin. What did the media do? Not much. They threw as much support to Obama and the other race-baiters as the possibly could.

Finally we have a president who doesn’t cow-tow to the media and says what’s on his mind and not what is politically correct for the moment. He doesn’t deserve the deplorable press he is getting on this and any other matter. Donald Trump isn’t a supporter of the Alt-right. He doesn’t even know what that means. Come to think of it neither do I.

The Great California Lifestyle

I have had friends ask why I don’t write much about California government. After all, I do live in Southern Cal. Well, what can I say that everyone doesn’t already know?

We all know the state is infested with Demoncrats. We know the Demoncrats have a super-majority vote in our state government and can do all the damage their evil heart's desire. We know that Proposition 13 was merely a speed bump for Democrat taxing; they simply rename taxes to fees and keep on digging into our wallets.

But, wasn’t there a proposition that limited the state’s ability to raise taxes without a referendum? Ah, yes, another speed bump. And again, they have managed to get around that with the “fee” gambit. Oops, there was a loophole in that proposition, that Jerry Brown just drove his bullet train through. They forgot to limit sales taxes and fuel taxes! So be prepared, friends and neighbors, starting July you will be seeing sticker shock at the pump -- and it won’t be the oil industry’s fault this time.

Okay, what about our California lifestyle? Isn’t is the greatest place to be living? Our home values are going up, the weather is great, we no longer suffer from water shortages, we have Disneyland.

Yes, our home values are going up. But don’t celebrate just yet. Your property taxes just went up too. And that drought thing here’s a secret they don’t want you to know ... it will be back.

As for lifestyle, check out the crime rate. Yep, it’s up. Why? I guess that’s what we should have expected when they opened the jail doors and shortened or commuted sentences for felons. And that death penalty we overwhelmingly voted to keep, well, those sentenced to death are still dying ... of old age. It seems that since we voted to speed up the process for death sentences, the bleeding-hearts in government can’t seem to figure out how. Maybe Jerry Brown can pardon them all on his way out when his term is up.

Speaking of our illustrious four-term governor, how the hell did he ever get back in the governor’s mansion? Wouldn’t you think the people of this state would have had enough of Governor Moonbeam after his first two terms? When he campaigned for his comeback third term he told us not to worry about having to put up with him for a forth because he was too old. Yet, another campaign promise was broken.

After the last election, our state became the political outsider. Sacramento Democrats are working overtime to thwart any and all presidential actions. Trump and the Republicans want to dump the ACA (Affordable Cara Act, aka Obamacare). Well, the geniuses on Sacramento have decided to do the socialist thing on their own and give everyone -- and I do mean everyone, citizens, illegal immigrants, and anyone else on California soil -- “free” healthcare. Of course, they haven’t said just how the state will pay for this freebee. I think we all know who will get that bill. It won’t be the elves digging up California gold, or the Hollywood millionaires who cater to these Demoncrats.

Yes, folks, life is great in this fine state. Even better if you speak Spanish, the unofficial second and soon to be the first language of California. Oh, and Disneyland, if you happen to have a small fortune laying around that the government hasn’t managed to get a hold of, you might be able to visit that tourist paradise and stand in the long lines for hours. But hey, the weather is nice ... mostly.

Trump the Climate Change

On June First, our president continued his pledge to undo the damage Barrack Obama did to our nation. This time President Trump announced the United States would withdraw from the Paris Climate Change Agreement. Well, almost withdraw. Under terms of the agreement, we will not actually be able to completely withdraw until 2020, after Trump’s first presidential term. Until then the US will still be expected to be an active member, as well as a significant financial contributor.

Even though we won’t actually abandon the Paris accord, the Democrats, and their lap dogs, the mainstream media continue their campaign to discredit President Trump. Of course, this should not be much of a surprise. Our President can’t go to the restroom without the media throwing a negative spin on it and the Democrats calling for an investigation of the smell.

It is no secret that President Trump believes climate change is a hoax. He has said that on several occasions. But what, exactly, does that mean?

There can be no denying that the climate is changing. The climate has been changing since this planet finally cooled enough for there to be a climate. We have gone through extreme cold ice ages to warm, dry desertification periods like the one that created the Great Sahara.

Ah, but scientists have identified humans as being the cause of our latest climate change. Okay, maybe not all scientists. In fact, those that have condemned humans for creating the “greenhouse effect” have been revealed for creating slanted, if not actual false, data to support their cause.

Here are a few points to consider. First, the greenhouse effect is real ... thankfully. Without the greenhouse effect, we would be fried crisp, life could not exist on this planet. But did we cause it, and more importantly, can we control it?

Obviously, we didn’t create the greenhouse effect. Have we placed the greenhouse gasses out of balance? Climate change believers say we have. The primary greenhouse gasses are, in order of magnitude, water vapor, carbon dioxide, methane, and ozone. There are others but these are the major contributors.

Water vapor makes up the largest portion of greenhouse gas, from 36% to 72%. This is a very effective component, as evidenced by the effect of clouds. Has water vapor increased? How can that be quantified? Can we control it? If we could control -- create or reduce -- water vapor in the air, there would be no droughts. No, we aren’t creating water vapor, nor can we control it.

Carbon dioxide makes up anywhere from 9% to 26%. There is no doubt that humans are generating carbon dioxide. But we are not the only contributor of this gas. At any given time there are on average anywhere from 50 to 70 volcanic eruptions every year. Besides the caustic gasses and lava spewed out by these beasts, there is a significant amount of carbon dioxide emitted into the atmosphere. Then there are also thousands of wildfires raging continually throughout the world all generating, guess what, carbon dioxide. Do we contribute to this greenhouse gas? Undoubtedly, but how significant is our contribution within that 9 to 26 percent range?

Next, comes methane making up from 4% to 9% of the greenhouse gas. Methane is a natural substance on our planet. There are massive glaciers of methane in the oceans. It also rests in fissures within the earth’s crust. In fact, methane, aka natural gas, is being promoted by the Green people as a viable alternative energy source. But true to form these Greens point to the smelly methane in the flatulence of cows as the source of the nasty greenhouse gas. C’mon, cows? What about beans? They always give me gas. Should we do away with beans?

Rounding out the greenhouse gas is ozone, which makes up from 3% to 7% of the total. Remember a few years back when the lack of ozone created hysteria about a hole in the ozone layer over Antartica? The whole world had to change refrigerant to keep from killing the ozone. Now we have too much of it? C’mon, you can’t have it both ways. We either have too much or too little ozone. Take your pick.

Climate change is a natural occurrence and has been throughout the history of this planet. With or without humans the climate will change. Wouldn’t a wiser strategy be to devise ways to adapt to those changes? When the ice age was upon us, humans adapted to the cold by donning clothing and heating with fire. When the heat became overbearing, humans invented air conditioning and refrigeration. When glaciers melted and formed lakes and rivers, people moved to drier land. When the lush, verdant savannas of the Sahara turned to desert, most of the inhabitants moved to a friendlier climate. Those that remained learned to adapt to the hot, dry climate.

Humans are masters of adaptation. Yet we deplete our economies and stifle businesses in a futile effort to control the climate -- to change nature. We should be placing those resources in measures for adaptation to the changing climate. The Paris accord has no provisions for adaptation. We are wise not to be part of an enterprise that is doomed to failure.

Our Shadow Government

In 2008, Barrack Obama was elected President of the United States. As an avowed socialist, he did much that aggravated conservatives. Obama arguably even worked against several constitutional requirements and on more than one occasion disparaged that august document. 

All during Obama’s two terms, the news media gave him a pass for every action he did against the interest of our country. When he went on an international apology tour, the media was silent. When he bowed to foreign dignitaries, the media was silent. When he issued illegal executive orders countermanding immigration law, the media glossed it over. When the IRS, under his administration, sought to punish conservative organizations, the media winked as they reported it. For eight years the only public condemnation of actions by this anti-American president came from social media and Fox news.

What a difference there is when the shoe is on the conservative foot. There seems to be a shadow liberal government formed by the media and Democrats. Every action our duly elected president, Donald J. Trump, does brings down immediate condemnation in the media and instant rejection and retribution by Democrats. It seems our president can’t go to the bathroom without the media crying foul over the smell for weeks and some Democrat congressman or senator threatening an investigation.

Liberals -- okay, progressives, socialists, communists or whatever they choose to call themselves at the moment -- have become masters of intolerance. I get that they didn’t vote for Trump; I get that they have a heightened personal dislike for Trump; I even get that they are peeved about Trump thwarting their dream of creating a socialist utopia in this country. But by their absurd rejection of Trump’s every waking hour they are merely driving the wedge that Obama created between liberals and conservatives deeper. Perhaps at no time in the history of this country since the civil war has the divide been more pronounced than now.

The fires of dissent are being fueled by Obama’s “shadow government.” That’s right folks, our ex-president’s Organization for Action (aka: OFA) may well be behind this division. Funded by the likes of the noted subversive billionaire, George Soros, Obama has created and distributed a manual for resistance and disruption at any Republican meeting or Town Hall. The mainstream media have always leaned left. I’m sure it wouldn’t take much effort for the OFA to coordinate media disruption of the Trump administration. 

We only saw sporadic demonstrations -- freeway blocking, women’s march, a few protest movements, California’s threat to secede -- in the beginning, but the news media seems to now be on board with Obama’s OFA. Every time President Trump does or says anything, even the most benign things, the media casts it in a negative light. Several states and local governments are actively working against presidential and congress on things like immigration and climate change. There always seems to be a convenient liberal Federal Judge to thwart Trump’s executive orders. Although I can’t remember any conservative judge blocking any of Obama’s illegal executive orders. 

The fact is our president is doing exactly what he promised. No, that is not expected to appease those who didn’t vote for him. On the other hand, the half of the country that did vote for him are getting exactly what they asked for. By not recognizing that fact, the left is creating a massive us-verses-them environment and in the process not doing this country or it’s citizens one bit of good.

Yes, there is a very real shadow government that is actively out to subvert any and all actions by our legally elected president. And for what purpose? Nearly half of the voters in this country are conservative. This shadow government is driving the wedge deeper and hardening the conservative stance. These liberals aren’t going to win converts to their cause, certainly not this way. States like Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming are tending ever more toward the conservative cause, while California and New York are leaning further toward the socialist edge. Our country is experiencing a de facto Mason-Dixon line once again. The last time this occurred there was a civil war. Could this be in our future once again?

Just Plain Fed Up

To say that Donald Trump’s election was a surprise would be the understatement of the century. The democrats and Mainstream News Media were astounded, world leaders were flabbergasted, and  Hillary Clinton was devastated. Even republicans, especially those who lost in the preliminary election were surprised. Perhaps the most surprised person in the whole process was Donald Trump. This was evident the other day when at a televised outdoor meeting in the White House rose garden, he said in astonishment, “I’m president! Can you believe that?”

Meanwhile, political pundits and analysts keep poring over election results and shaking their heads. Columns and papers are published with a profusion of reasons for the election results. So far, none that I have read have even come close to revealing the true reason for Clinton’s loss and Trump’s win.

Did Hillary lose because of her gender? Well, she did garner some 2 million votes more than Trump. Did the Electoral College do her in? Nope, the electoral college merely leveled the field to give the less populous states a fair shake in the election.

Hillary blames former FBI director James Comey for the ‘October Surprise’, but now that he has been fired he is no longer the goat, he is a martyr. How about the WikiLeaks factor? C’mon now, everybody knows that politicians -- especially democrats -- are masters of shady deals. Was it really surprising that the Clinton campaign was out to do Sanders in and the DNC was in collusion with that strategy?

How about those pesky Russians? It looks like the democrats are going to ride this one out for every penny’s worth. But even if the Russians were behind the hacked campaign chair emails, did it slant the election? No, it only revealed what everyone already knew, Clinton was running a crooked campaign.

No, my friends, the real reason Donald Trump is sitting in the Oval Office today is because he is not and has never been part of the Washington political scene. People are simply fed up with politicians.

Ask any person who voted for Trump why they did so and you are likely to hear, “because he’s not a politician.” Right, as arrogant and bombastic as he is, Trump is no politician. And over the last 100 some days that has become painfully evident.

When asked a question, most experienced politicians will hesitate while weighing the politically correct answer for the moment then either double talk some political blather or dance around the answer and completely avoid the question. Trump has no filter on his mouth. What comes out is something regurgitated from his gut while bypassing his brain headed straight to his mouth. In truth, even he must be surprised at what he says sometimes. 

Well, there you have it. We were fed up with Washington politics, elected an outsider, and wound up with an amateur president. The only thing I can say about that is that the change is both entertaining and refreshing. One can only hope that his on-the-job training period ends before he does himself in. His ideas and intentions are all in the right direction. His execution of those ideas needs a good bit of polishing -- and maybe a zipper on his mouth.

Fly the Unfriendly Skies?

United Airlines has been on my no-fly list for decades, but the latest fiasco only serves to fortify my resolve to walk before flying that airline.

Back in the last century, I had the unfortunate experience of being booked on a United flight from Pittsburgh. In those days, the hub for United was in Chicago. Most flights across the country connected there. Everyone knows the weather in Chicago in the spring is dicey, but I had no choice in the matter. The flight was booked for me.

Now, I had flown on United before and wasn’t real fond of their service. Like I said, I had no choice in time, place, or carrier.

We boarded the flight in Pittsburgh expecting to be in Chicago in a few hours and routinely catch my connecting flight to Los Angeles. Five hours later we were still sitting in the aircraft on the tarmac in Pittsburgh. The Chicago area was under a tornado warning.

We were offered no refreshments or even water. We simply sat in our seats for five hours until finally, the plane fired up and we were on our way to Chicago. Of course, my connecting flight was long gone.

At the United counter, I asked how they were going to get me home. “You missed your flight”, the agent said. I think his name must have been Captain Obvious. I can’t repeat what I said, but eventually, a manager appeared. After a few more unprintable words, they finally booked me on a flight that would leave the next day. Whoa Charlie, now I have to be here overnight? Who’s going to pay for that?

After a few more choice words, the manager found me a room in the Airport Ramada hotel where the United Airline personnel stay. I said room, well, it did have a bed … and a shower. My room was in the basement of the building, but what the hey, it was better than sleeping in the terminal. And that shower was just what the day called for. Of course, some towels and soap would have been a nice touch. I would have called the front desk but there was no phone in the room.

The rest of the trip was relatively uneventful, but that was the last time I would ever fly United Airlines, friendly skies or not.

I have since heard horror stories of others that flew on United. Never could I even imagine any airline would beat and drag a person off the plane so one of their people could have a seat. Unfathomable draconian acts of this nature don’t even happen in third world countries.

Now the CEO of United Airlines has bent over backward to apologize to the doctor they beat and literally dragged off the plane. He even offered to compensate all the passengers that were on the plane. I hear that two of the security personnel responsible for this tragedy have been fired. Well, that makes it okay! Not hardly!

Far be it from me to even try influencing others in their flying choices, but I won’t be flying United’s unfriendly skies any time in the future.

Tax and Not Spend Democrats

California Governor “Moonbeam” Jerry Brown once declared that California leads the nation. Well, yes, it does. Most of the weird, wacky, political nonsense originates in this state. Take for instance Brown’s latest propaganda, the gas tax necessity.

Are California’s roads in need of repair? Of course they are. The whole nation’s roads are in need of repair. President Eisenhower created this wonderful Interstate transportation system but was a little shortsighted on funding the cost for maintaining it. If you think California’s roads are bad, you should try driving in the Chicago area some time. Repair crews constantly block those roads. They call it a constant state of destruction.

But our roads are not the only poorly maintained infrastructure. Many of our bridges are rated as dangerous too. Should we be taxed – again – for this maintenance, though?

We currently pay 18 cents per-gallon in gasoline taxes. Those taxes are supposed to be earmarked specifically for road maintenance. In addition, we have vehicle license “fees” that are supposed to go into the maintenance fund. In reality, that money is thrown into the general fund and spent on everything from the Bullet Train to nowhere to illegal alien assistance in this sanctuary state. Lord only knows how much is actually spent on road maintenance. I suspect it is in the neighborhood of hundredths of a cent per-dollar.

Now our not-so-illustrious governor and his Demoncrat cronies want to increase the gasoline tax from 18 cents to 30 cents per-gallon. It doesn’t stop there, though. If you drive a diesel, you are now paying 16 cents a gallon but that will go to 36 cents with this new tax. And… that tax will be adjusted annually for the cost of living just to make sure you don’t get a break if you get a COLA increase. Even after paying that extortion, you still aren’t out of the woods. Your vehicle fee will increase anywhere fro $25 to $175 depending on the value of your vehicle. This is on top of the monstrous registration fee increase we saw a couple of years back. And these are PERMANENT increases.

Altogether Governor Moonbeam wants an additional 5.2 billion dollars a year in taxes. What is not being said is that those funds are likely to go into the general fund too!

My question to these tax hungry politicians is, how do we know the money will be spent for road and bridge repair? Wasn’t that what the current gas tax and increased vehicle registration fees were supposed to be used for? What did you do with that money? Now you want more? I say not just no but hell no!

Why not take the billions yet to be spent on Brown’s folly, the bullet train-to-nowhere that no one will ride, and spend it on road repairs? Quit subsidizing illegal aliens in this state and deport them as the law requires. That would save a huge chunk of change. Better yet, spend the existing gas taxes and registration fees on what it is intended. Wow, what a concept!

It is a simple fact of life in our democracy that if you give a politician a dollar he will soon be back for five more… and still not spend it on what he promised.

Grilling Time

Well, Spring has finally arrived, time to drag out the barbecues. The US Senate Judiciary Committee has its own form of Spring barbecue; they threw Neil Gorsuch on the grill.

Our pistol-packing Senator, Dianne Feinstein set the tone for the hearings by denouncing the Republican’s denial of a hearing for Obama’s nominee, Merrick Garland. In effect, she was placing the committee on notice that the Democrats will do everything in their power to discredit Judge Gorsuch at every opportunity.

The Senate Judiciary Committee is made up of nine Democrats and eleven Republicans. Senator Chuck Grassly (R: Iowa) is the chairman and Dianne Feinstein is the “Ranking Member”. Other Democrats include Patrick Leahy (Vermont), Richard Durbin (Illinois), Sheldon Whitehouse (Rhode Island), Amy Klobuchar (Minnesota), Al Franken (Minnesota), Christopher Coons (Delaware), Richard Blumenthal (Connecticut), and Mazie Hirono (Hawaii).

The Republicans on the committee include Orrin Hatch (Utah), Lindsey Graham (South Carolina), John Cornyn (Texas), Mike Lee (Utah), Ted Cruz (Texas), Ben Sasse (Nebraska), Jeff Flake (Arizona), Mike Crapo (Idaho), Thom Tillis (North Carolina), and John Kennedy (Louisiana).

It is going to be hard for even the likes of Feinstein and Al Franken to assail the character and integrity of a man of Neil Gorsuch’s proven record, but they are determined to try their worst. Feinstein is concerned that Judge Gorsuch is an “originalist”. In other words, she fears that he will not read between the lines of the constitution to find meanings that are not there. Apparently, Feinstein believes the original wording of the constitution no longer applies in today’s society.

Gorsuch may be not just qualified for the Supreme Court seat but the most qualified person in the land for that seat. He has degrees from University College, Oxford, Columbia University, University of Oxford, Harvard University, and Harvard Law School. His Senate confirmation for the 10^th Circuit Federal Appeals Court was unanimous. His work history may be the most impressive of any person nominated to the Supreme Court. He has clerked for the likes of Supreme Court Justices Justices Byron White and Anthony Kennedy and was a Deputy Associate Attorney General at the U.S. Department of Justice. Also to his credit, he has tried 2700 cases in the 10^th Circuit Appeals Court.

In his opening statement, Gorsuch affirmed his commitment to leaving the law making to the legislature and merely passing judgment on the laws as they are written. It’s going to be hard for the Democrats to discredit a man of this caliber. But I’m certain that won’t stop them from trying.

While the Senate Judiciary Committee may be a thorny patch to transcend, the full Senate will be the real test. Democrats know it will take 60 votes for confirmation. They will try to coerce as many of their party to vote no, but they also know that Harry Reid set a precedent for the “nuclear” option – simple majority vote – to get confirmation for Obama appointees. Although Supreme Court nominees were specifically exempted from Reid’s nuclear option, it would not be unthinkable for Senate Majority Leader McConnell to extend it for this confirmation.

The appointment of Neil Gorsuch to the Supreme Court may be one of the most important actions of the Trump term. It may even be the most important action of the century. Many of the Trump plans are destined to depend on judiciary review. We have already seen that in the two travel bans the Federal Courts have held up. The Progressives and Obama’s paid agitators are more than willing to subject any actions from the Trump White House to litigation. The Supreme Court is certain to have the final say, though, making it essential to have an ideologically balanced court. The addition of Judge Gorsuch to that court would bring it back to the days when Antonin Scalia sat on the bench.

The View From Across the Pond

My wife and I periodically visit relatives in Germany. Since we just returned from the latest trip, I thought it might be informative to share the view from that perspective.

The March 9^th edition of Rheinishe Post had an interesting piece on the front page headlined “Now 1600 Dangerous Islamists in Germany”. Well, gee, imagine that. German Chancellor Angela Merkel welcomes a million “refugees” into the country with scant or non-existent vetting and they now find there are some 1600 dangerous people among them with the potential for mass terror attacks. What a surprise.

This seems to be a lesson lost on the open-border advocates in this country. You know, the ones paid to protest every policy our president tries to implement.

Our last trip to Germany was in October. The difference in customs procedures when returning to the US on our current this trip was amazing. Even with automated passport processing for US citizens and green-card holders we still had to stand in lines and show our passports a number of times. While this may seem to be an inconvenience, at least our government is finally cracking down at the ports of entry.

In this country, we hear about unfettered “refugee” immigration throughout Europe. The reality is that many, if not most, of those “refugees” are in fact “asylum” seekers whose homeland is nowhere near a conflict area, Romania, Bulgaria, Azerbaijan, Nigeria, Serbia, Kenya, Sudan, and Somalia, are only a few. Their only real claim for asylum is one of economic hardship. They come to Europe to take advantage of the supposed worker shortage in Germany, France, and England only to wind up on welfare and government subsistence because they have no skills to offer. They live in government provided enclaves and spend the day loitering in gatherings while wearing expensive sneakers and clothes. The women have numerous babies, new clothes, high-tech baby strollers, and free travel on buses and trains, all paid for by the working class in their host countries.

With all of this goodwill provided by host countries, you might think these “refugees” would want to assimilate into the culture of those footing the bill. No way! On the contrary, these asylum seekers who are fleeing the oppression in their homelands demand their new hosts bend to their “culture” and languages. The Muslims in the country demand to be governed solely by Sharia law. The bottom line seems to be that they want to create another crap-hole just like the one they left.

If any of this sounds familiar, it’s only because this is also happening in our country. Muslim migration is described in the Quran, Surah 4:100, "And whoever emigrates for the cause of Allah will find on the earth many locations and abundance, and whoever leaves his home as an emigrant to Allah and His Messenger and then death overtakes him, his reward has already become incumbent upon Allah." It’s called Hijrah, and in effect, directs Muslims to spread their religion through invasion of other countries.

But as we are seeing, this is not simply a matter of Muslim invasion, people from many other countries are coming here and demanding we bend to accommodate the same conditions they left.

America may be “the great melting pot” – and many great customs and traditions have been imported with immigrants – but do we really want open sewers running down our streets and run-down shacks with dirt floors in our neighborhoods? Do we want young girls to be forced into marriage or women going around in burqas? Do we want to allow young girls to have their genitals forcibly mutilated simply out of cultural tradition?

The lesson is there if only our leaders would care to see. Open, unregulated, migration is not what made this country great. You can’t make a country great by forcing third-world values and traditions on it. It is a lesson those in Europe are painfully experiencing.

A Lingering Odor

You know that bad smell that lingers in the bathroom after flushing the toilet? That seems to be the case with the Obama presidency. It’s gone, but the smell still lingers.

Have you heard of the Organization For Action or OFA? No? That’s not surprising. The mainstream media, aka “Lying Media”, wouldn’t dare report this.

Keeping true to the only real job he knew, former community organizer Barrack Obama created yet another subversive non-profit 501 (c) 4 organization called the Organization For Action. I call it subversive because that is exactly what it is. The entire charter of this organization is to undermine the Trump presidency.

In effect, Obama has set up a shadow government. According to WND (http://www.wnd.com) news reporter Paul Sperry, “Obama will be overseeing it all from a shadow White House located within two miles of Trump. It features a mansion, which he’s fortifying with construction of a tall brick perimeter, and a nearby taxpayer-funded office with his own chief of staff and press secretary.”

Also in the New York Post, “An Obama-tied activist group [OFA] training tens of thousands of agitators to protest President Trump’s policies plans to hit Republican lawmakers supporting those policies even harder this week, when they return home for the congressional recess and hold town hall meetings and other functions...”

Obviously, this is not something George Soros could pass up. He is not only funding OFA, as he has Black Lives Matter, Moveon.org, and other anti-American organizations, he is working with Obama to ensure complete gridlock in the functioning of our country’s government.

Democrats aren’t one bit happy about this either. They have charged Obama with creating a shadow party that circumvents state Democrats. “This is some GRADE A Bull[*]hit right here,” Stephen Handwerk, executive director of the Louisiana Democratic Party, wrote in a private Democratic-listserv email obtained by The Daily Beast. “Yes, it sure is,” Katie Mae Simpson, executive director for the Maine Democratic Party, replied. WND says, “Two Democratic operatives recently called OFA ‘The Devil.’”

The irony is astounding. These are the people who gave us Obama in the first place and again tried to foist Hillary Clinton on us. Now Obama is “the Devil?”

Well, what did we expect? Did we think Obama would do what other good presidents have done and just quietly advise his successor? We are talking about a man who made a career out of apologizing for America, one who hates American values and tried to circumvent the US Constitution with executive orders. This is the guy who rallied Democrats in congress to jamb socialism down our throats.

The next time you see a bunch of people protesting at a rally, town hall meeting, or blocking the streets, just remember who has trained and paid for them. In Weimar Germany they were called Brown Shirts, here they are merely paid minions of Obama’s OFA. Would someone please light a match and make that smell go away.

The Importance of the Trump Presidency

Yes, I admit it. I voted for Donald Trump. Actually, it’s not so much that I voted for Trump as that I voted against Hillary Clinton. There is much I don’t like about Trump, but there was far too much I disliked about Clinton.

Trump campaigned on a promise to undo much of the socialist damage eight years of the Obama administration had inflicted on our nation. That was a good thing. So far, he has mostly kept that promise, another good thing. It’s not often that politicians keep their campaign promises once they are in office.

Clinton… well, what can I say that hasn’t already been said. Suffice to say she would have been a total disaster as President.

Trump is crude, bombastic, rude, abrasive, pugnacious, and perhaps even unwise in much of what he says and does. All true, but this man took a small fortune and worked it into a huge multi-billion dollar enterprise. He manages or has managed, an enormous business empire. I suspect he probably knows what he is doing regardless of his personality.

On balance, all of this may have been enough reason for me to vote for Trump. What really pushed my vote into the Trump column, though, was the death of Supreme Court Justice, Antonin Scalia.

I think it was safe to say that up to that point the Supreme Court was in large part balanced. Many decisions had gone both toward the left and toward the right, often hinging on decisions made by Associate Justice, Anthony Kennedy. Although Kennedy was appointed to the bench by our conservative icon, Ronald Reagan, he often sided with both the conservative and liberal justices and could not be counted on to always take a strong conservative position on cases.

For most cases, the nine judges of the Supreme Court usually split evenly with four conservative judges and four liberal judges, leaving Kennedy to tilt a decision one way or the other. The absence of Scalia actually gave the liberals an advantage or could place a decision in deadlock. Since the Supreme Court is the final arbitrator of the Constitution, it is imperative to have Justices that understand their role as upholding the Constitution as it was worded and not try legislating from the bench.

Hillary Clinton would most certainly have appointed a replacement for Scalia that would have permanently tilted the court towards her liberal, socialist policies. That would have given the green light to those liberals already on the bench to interpret the Constitution far beyond the actual wording in that revered document. Obviously, one of, if not the first, target for revision would be the second amendment. Clinton had already bashed Supreme Court decisions that stated the wording in the amendment clearly said that all citizens had the right to own firearms.

President Trump has forwarded to the Senate the name of Neil Gorsuch to fill the vacancy created by the death of Scalia. It takes 60 votes in the Senate to confirm Judge Gorsuch. There are only 52 Republicans in the Senate, which means eight Democrats would need to vote to confirm this appointment. Of course, now that Harry Reid set the precedent for using the “nuclear option” to elect most appointees with a simple majority vote, this may come home to bite the Democrats in the butt. If things begin looking bad, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell always has the recourse of invoking that “nuclear option” for this appointment.

Yes, this Supreme Court appointment was the single most important reason that I voted for Donald Trump. Had Scalia not died during the election campaign, I probably would have voted this way anyhow. This merely made Trump a crucial choice for me.

Borders

Good fences make good neighbors – 17^th Century Proverb

If you own real estate, it’s a good bet you have it at least partly fenced. New housing developments nearly always come with fencing these days. Maybe you want to keep your animals from wandering off or want to create a safe, private zone for your kids to play. It might even be for your own privacy, or to keep your neighbor’s animals or kids from indiscriminately using your land. In any event, that fence or block wall delimits the boundary of your property. It is a physical statement for others to keep out.

That fence denotes your sovereign right as a property owner to use that ground for your own exclusive purposes. You alone may decide who can enter that ground. Any unwanted intruders can be subject to arrest and removal. Your home is your domain.

Countries too have boundaries. Their borders denote the extent of their sovereign land. They have the right, even duty, to decide who can enter. Unwanted intrusion is called invasion and can rightly be repelled by force. Those entering without proper authorization can and must be expelled – and for the same reason you would have the police expel an intruder on your property – they are unwanted and do not belong there.

In this country, the individual states somehow abrogated the right to determine residence to the federal government. It is up to the federal government to determine suitability for individuals to reside here. As a matter of safety, security, and national well-being, our government has the duty to make every effort to ensure that any person entering the country will not become a burden, commit a crime, or inflict harm on this nation or its citizens. This is the same procedure you probably use when inviting someone into your home.

Those who advocate open borders would have you remove your doors, take down your fences, and let anyone do whatever they like on or in your property. How long do you think your possessions would remain safe? How long before those unwanted guests begin to fence you from your own property? Why should you pay a mortgage and maintain insurance for property you have no control over? How long would it be before total anarchy reigns supreme on the land you own?

In the United States, we have codified into law the requirements for entering this country. The United States Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) has the responsibility and authority for enforcing and maintaining Title 8 of the Code of Federal Regulations. This code clearly defines the qualifications and quotas for every form of entry into this country. These include, reason for visit or stay, health certification, means of return to place of origin, criminal history, and determination of intent to not do harm while here. For long-term residence, the vetting is necessarily deeper and takes longer to make a sound determination of an individual’s suitability for life in this country.

Quotas ensure that immigrants from a single country do not flood into the country and reduce the ability to take in people from another country. Quotas are also necessary to ensure that our citizens are not impacted by people coming here that cannot find jobs and be productive members of our society.

There are no qualifications in Title 8 or any other immigration or visitation policy that would deny entry of an individual based on their religious preference.

Of course, criminals, terrorists, unskilled labor, unemployable people, or undesirables are and should be excluded from entry, and those here illegally should be expelled. You would expect the same for your own property. That is why you have locks on your doors, fences on your property and police to enforce your right to your own property.

A Promise is a Promise

Politicians are terrible at keeping campaign promises. I think we have actually grown to expect that from politicians. Donald Trump is no politician. We knew that when we elected him. We also knew the promises he made to “Make America Great Again.”

So why are so many people surprised that he is actually doing what he promised? Sure, the Democrats didn’t like his campaign. They didn’t like his stands on issues like immigration, trade agreements, the XL pipeline, energy policy, climate change, plans to defeat ISIS, accepting refugees, and national security, to mention just a few.

That was not what the campaign was about, however. The campaign between Clinton and Trump was mostly lacking in debate about issues and devolved into a campaign of personalities and the need to elect a woman as President. Why the Democratic Party chose to run one of the most untrustworthy persons available is a mystery that may never be revealed. In classic Donald Trump style, he managed to push her buttons and shift focus from his bombastic statements to force the campaign into a battle of personalities.

Were Clinton’s campaign advisers listening when Trump would blurt out promises that were completely anathema to their “Progressive” platform? If so, why did they not force debate on those issues? Instead, they seemed to think that no one would ever accept such outrageous position in a President, and simply let those statements pass with only cursory acknowledgment of them.

Now, yes only now, do they amass in protest at the actions our duly elected President takes on those “outrageous” promises he made on the campaign trail. That those promises were made completely devoid of detail was never brought to the attention of the public. The sound bites and hollow promises had an appeal to those fed up with “Progressive” platitudes and political correctness.

We knew Donald Trump was not politically correct when we voted for him – probably why we voted for him. Why, then, is it such a surprise that he is keeping those hollow promises? Why are there such protests now? It’s too late folks; Trump is our President!

I watched on television when President Trump signed his executive orders. They appeared to be written on a single sheet of standard sized paper, in large font, with very few words. Well, that might be expected from a man whose campaign and public announcements are mostly limited to 140 characters on Twitter.

Unfortunately, orders of that size are bound to leave out much in the way of detail, and, as they say, the devil is in the details.

Can we simply chalk this up to the act of an inexperienced Chief Executive? Maybe, but Trump is not an inexperienced Chief Executive. He has managed a huge, successful enterprise for a very long time. Perhaps this is just his management style. Not being familiar with the Trump company, I can’t say with certainty, but perhaps his style is to issue top level orders and let those under him flesh out the details. I call this focusing on the big picture and is common in top-down leaders. This seems to be what he has done with his recent Executive Orders.

Sadly, focusing on the big picture alone is not focusing at all. An executive – any executive – must understand the minutia of the details before placing a stamp of approval on the idea. Sound bites and  “tweets” do not make for good Executive Orders.

While I wholeheartedly approve of the principal Trump’s orders are based on, the development and execution of those orders leave very much to be desired.

Obama sowed the seeds of discontent and racial divide. Grown in poisoned ground fertilized by long decades of progressive socialism, those seeds are now growing into monstrous trees ready to bear evil fruit. The slogan “Make America Great Again” is about chopping down those evil-fruit trees and removing that poison ground. Those who voted for Donald Trump believe he can and will reverse that evil trend toward progressive socialism.

Can Trump get that job done? I dearly hope so, but he’s not off to a very good start. Let’s hope and pray he can get things turned around. After all, a promise is a promise, and it is obvious President Trump intends to keep his promises.

Cry Me a River

I am writing this on the day before Donald Trump’s inauguration as out 45th President. According to news reports, some 65 Democratic members of Congress will not be attending the event. I’m sure that has the President-elect heart-broken.

Actually, our tweeter-in-chief said he is relieved they won’t be there; he needs the space for the thousands of supporters that will be attending.

This all started when race-baiter and Georgia Representative, John Lewis called Trump an “Illegitimate President” and declared his intention to boycott the inauguration. In usual Trump style, he shot back that Lewis should stay in his district and maybe fix some of its problems.

Well, gee; Lewis didn’t attend the inauguration of George W. Bush either. Look, how well that turned out. I doubt anyone missed him.

I guess the boycott virus must be going around. Our own Mark Takano won’t be attending either. I’m sure that news made Trump’s day. At least he won’t have to listen to Takano’s whining during the celebration.

In 2009, Barrack Obama was sworn in as the country’s 44^th President, yet I don’t recall a lot of bellyaching and crying at this event. Many Republicans were saddened at the prospect of a socialist being President, and even at the time, it was not clear whether he could be a legitimate president because of a questionable birthplace. Do you remember the massive protests and boycotts? That’s right, there were none. That only happens when a Republican wins.

Oh yeah, there are reports that thousands of protesters will attend Trump’s inauguration. Several news outlets were actually paid to advertise the gatherings. Paid by whom we were not told, but is that the stink of Soros money I detect in the air? Why not? He funds Black Lives Matter and Move-on.org, among other subversive activities. This seems like just the sort of thing he would jump at the opportunity to stir up.

Let’s see, who else won’t be attending this inauguration? Right, 95-year-old President George H. W. Bush and Barbara Bush won’t be there. He has pneumonia and she is not well either. But President and Mrs. George W. Bush will be there with bells on. I haven’t heard whether the Clintons will make the event. That should be interesting. If they do come, I would love to be a photographer and catch the expression on Hillary’s face as The Donald is sworn in.

Ever since the election results became official, there have been some really strange goings on. College kids have been traumatized by the outcome; Democrats have tried to coerce electors to change their votes; Californians started a movement to succeed from the Union; Illegal aliens all over the nation are bracing for massive deportations; California’s one-Party government is bracing for cuts in federal funding; Disenchanted Clinton supporters are blocking roads and freeways. And you can hear the wailing of the left as they cry like newborn babies. That’s rich since all this comes from the very same people who insist that Donald Trump will drive the nation into deeper division. Yep, the same people who berated the prediction that Trump wouldn’t accept the result of a Clinton win. Go figure!

I think I’m going to look into investing in crying towel companies stock. There’s going to be a run on them.

The Big Hack Attack

The Russians are hacking our computers; the sky is falling! Such hysteria over nothing.

I don’t know who actually hacked the DNC email server and sent John Podesta’s emails to Julian Assange  . . . and I doubt the best minds of our intelligence do either. Frankly, I doubt it even matters who did the hacking. What matters – and not much – is that Podesta and/or the DNC didn’t bother to place sufficient safeguards on their server to prevent hacking. It doesn’t matter much because most of the 20,000 emails were just run-of-the-mill day-to-day minutiae of a normal campaign. I tried going through those emails until I became bored out of my skull.

Voila! Someone actually did find some juicy tidbits, though. The BBC reported there were 18 interesting emails that cast light on some questionable dealings of the Clinton campaign. They must have had dozens of people poring over these emails on overtime to actually find these tidbits, but what they did find is moderately interesting.

Some of the emails did reveal a bit of infighting in the Clinton campaign. But those looking for a smoking gun on the relationship between the Clinton campaign and the Clinton Foundation weren’t going to find it here, although I did find many emails relating to the Clinton Foundation.

Podesta’s emails did show that Hillary did receive the CNN debate questions in advance from Donna Brazile. The emails also showed New York Mayor Bill De Blasio was having a hard time defending Hillary’s refusal to release the contents of her speeches to Wall Street bankers.

While these are not real scandal quality, they do give some insight into how Clinton and the DNC ran their campaign. I’m not saying Trump did any better, but we will never know because his emails didn’t make it to Wikileaks.

Did the Russians do it? Well, if they didn’t the Chinese would have. Here’s an excerpt from Politico of one of the leaked emails:

Chelsea Clinton confessed to John Podesta that her technology was "compromised" during a trip to China, according to a hacked email published Monday by WikiLeaks.

According to the message, Clinton in late 2011 wanted Podesta — formerly Bill Clinton's chief of staff and currently Hillary Clinton's campaign chairman — to meet with her mother's inner-circle the week of Thanksgiving.

After a couple of days corresponding, Podesta didn't respond to the former First Lady's daughter for about a week, according to an email chain released as part of the latest batch of purported messages from Podesta's Gmail account that WikiLeaks has been dumping each day.

"Sorry for the delay. I was in China and not accessing this account for security reason," Podesta replied on Nov. 20.

"That makes good sense to me," Clinton replied.

"Our technology was all compromised while we there (if we've time, I'll regale you with rather hilarious anecdotes of our tour guide cum spy). Hope you had a great trip."

The “technology” they were referring to is obviously email.

I’m not defending Wikileaks or Julian Assange. In fact, I believe Assange may be the devil incarnate. He has proven repeatedly to be highly anti-American in his dealings. What cannot be contested, though, is the accuracy of his leaked information. Even though neither Podesta nor anyone from the DNC will verify the contents of these leaked emails (surprise), they do not deny the accuracy.

So, someone hacked the DNC server and got John Podesta’s emails – 20,000 of them! We do know, because of these same emails that Podesta opened a Phishing attack email. Phishing is a fake email used to obtain your email password. Supposedly, he changed his password after this was revealed.

Did the Russians send the Phishing email; was it the Chinese, Iranians, North Koreans, or some 14-year-old in his mother’s basement with his laptop? Does it matter?

What should matter is the contents of those emails more than the fact that they were hacked. Did these emails have any effect on the Presidential campaign? Given the contents of these emails, it would be asinine to believe they might have.

Then too, this was not some super sensitive government server or our power grid. It was a private email account on a private server – exactly like the ones Hillary used as Secretary of State.

Calexit or not Calexit

Yes, I live in the “land of fruits and nuts”, or as former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger calls it, “Caleefornia.” It is a place where Republicans are high on the endangered species list. And conservatives, well, have you ever seen a video of salmons jumping up a waterfall . . . only to be eaten by a bear at the top? Yep, that’s how it feels to be a conservative in this state at the far left of the US, geographically and politically.

If this state were a person, psychologists would declare it neurotic or maybe even schizophrenic. Well, maybe, but what is certain is that California is not like any other in the nation. Besides the climate, the state is, at present anyway, far more left politically than any other. It is a true one-Party state with Democrats being in the super-majority since 2013. I remember one Republican deciding not to run for re-election saying to the effect, why bother, the Democrats are going to do whatever they want.

But is it a true one-Party state, or does it seem that way because Republicans mostly live outside of the two largest cities in the state, Los Angeles, and San Francisco (including the Silicon Valley).

Ever since 1859, when State Assemblyman Andres Pico introduced a bill to create the state of Colorado out of the counties of California south of Big Sur, there have been attempts to break up the state. Understandably, that bill was dropped when the Civil war broke out; it seemed that there were a few more pressing issues at the time. But that was not the end of discontent with the size and makeup of the state. There have been reportedly over 200 attempts to partition the state. The latest came in 2011, when then Riverside County Supervisor, Jeff Stone suggested a six-way split. Personally, I thought a six-way split would be a great start. Unfortunately, that idea too seemed to peter out.

Why is there this constant fragmentation drive? The answer is simple, politics. Those living outside of the three major metropolitan areas don’t like being driven by policies of San Francisco or Los Angeles politicians. The third metro area, San Diego, seems to mostly be in accord with the more rural areas, or maybe it’s just that they aren’t in lockstep with those in the other two metro areas.

The 2016 Presidential election, arguably the most contentious in US history, left the Democrats with mouths agape. How could Donald Trump have possibly won the election when Hillary Clinton got a whopping 61.7 percent of the votes in the state and even won 55 electoral votes? Trump only got 31.6 percent of the votes!

Never ones to be counted on as good losers, Democrats and “Progressives” have decided to just leave. “Trump isn’t my President”, is the saying on protest signs. Apparently, there are those who would take it even further and say the United States isn’t my country. A group calling itself “YesCalifornia” is circulation a petition to secede from the United States. Supposedly they have some 12,000 members and plan to get the initiative on the 2018 ballot. If passed, California would become an independent nation in 2019.

Just how this new country is to survive without the support of our federal government is not something YesCalifornia is saying. At one time, I read that if California were a separate country, it would have the 7^th largest economy in the world. Well, maybe, but all of that would depend on the free trade we now have between states. If the US imposes import and export fees on California goods, where would that leave this booming California economy?

Here’s another big factor. How can this new country survive under a socialist government? Oh, yes, that is very much what California government would be following secession. That is largely what our state government is today. Since Jerry Brown has driven out most manufacturing, what will be the economic basis for the new California? The major portion of the California state economy is based on shipping through the state ports. If Trump’s administration imposes import and export fees on goods to and from the new California, what will be left for the economy?

Of course, this state does have maybe more rich people than most other states. Maybe the new California government can confiscate, er  . . . tax, their wealth? Right, like that would ever happen. Even if it did, it would not likely produce enough revenue to maintain this new country.

Although, I am sure, most of the other more reddish colored states wouldn’t mind losing the far-left, whacked out, influence of this land of fruits and nuts. Good riddance Nancy Pelosi, Dianne Feinstein, and Kamala Harris. By-bye Governor Moonbeam, Gavin Nuisance, San Fran Whacko, and Hollyweird. Asta Lavista, babies. Al least those Hollyweird celebs will be able to keep their promise to move from the US.

Me? Well, there are still 49 states that will maintain the American dream. I’m sure I won’t have trouble fitting into a nice red one.