The arrest of Donald Trump last week created a “made-for-TV” spectacle. He flew from Mar-a-Lago to New York City on his private jet, stayed overnight, appeared briefly in court, and flew home. Newscasters reported Trump and his Boeing 757 drew more viewers than O. J. Simpson and his Ford Bronco.
You may be thinking Trump’s round trip flight was expensive. But the cost is small compared to the $4,000,000 it cost New York City taxpayers to pay for police protection for those 24 hours.
After arresting Trump, District Attorney Alvin Bragg triumphantly announced, “We cannot and will not normalize serious criminal conduct.” Interesting that he ranks a payoff to a porn actress as serious, but not conduct that is increasingly normal in his district, including car-jacking, flash mob robberies, rape, and murder.
In Chicago, you may remember a month ago the voters kicked out Mayor Lori Lightfoot because she let crime get out of control, big companies and wealthy residents are leaving the city, and schools are a disaster. Last Tuesday, in the runoff election, voters picked Brandon Johnson who campaigned on higher taxes for businesses, fewer police, and higher salaries for teachers. He is a community organizer and he had the support of teachers, government workers and other union members. They provided all the votes he needed since only a third of the people voted. (Will Rogers wrote this about Congress, but it applies here: “Have you noticed that no matter who we elect, he is just as bad as the one he replaces?”)
You can’t blame the teachers for supporting a man who promised to raise their salaries. But what about the parents? I read that 95% of Chicago students are far behind their grade level. But if you’re teaching Freshman English you sure don’t want to upset a bunch of 220-pound 17-year olds by correcting their punctuation. Some of them are armed!
As Will Rogers wrote in 1926, “Playing [speaking in] Chicago tomorrow night, perhaps. Hope I reach the stage before the machine gun bullets lay me low.” If Chicago continues its decline, will it become the next Detroit? On Easter Sunday, we can hope Chicago can be resurrected. But it will take a savior who adopts strict rules like Rudy Giuliani’s “broken window” policies on small crimes in New York several years ago.
Russia’s War on Ukraine continues. Many Americans are wondering why we keep sending Billions of dollars to Ukraine with President Biden’s promise to continue “as long as it takes.” I’ve already told you my view: help defeat Russia (Putin) “as soon as possible.” My top reason is seldom mentioned by others: Ukraine has about 20% of the best farm soil in the world. And Russia has about 20%, right across the border. (The US has about 20% of this rich, black soil also, some of it 6 feet deep, mainly in Iowa and Illinois.) You may remember, for decades Ukraine was called the “Breadbasket of Europe.”
Western Europe learned how dangerous it is for Russia to provide all their natural gas. If Putin wins control of ~40% of the most productive farmland in the world, their food supply could also be in jeopardy.
Speaking of natural gas for Europe, Senator Joe Manchin, D-WV, continues to get shafted by Congress, the Biden Administration, and now, the US 4th Circuit Court. Manchin was tricked into supporting the (falsely named) “Inflation Reduction Act” last summer with a promise that essential natural gas pipelines would get federal approval. The Mountain Valley Pipeline is 90% complete, but the judges agree with environmental activists who, according to Manchin, “seem hell-bent on killing any fossil energy that will make our country energy independent and secure.” One purpose of this pipeline, and others, is to transport natural gas from the “Shale Crescent” (Ohio, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania) to the East Coast where part of it would be cooled to Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and shipped to Europe to replace Russian gas.
I hope you had a blessed Easter. I’ve seen several lovely photos on Facebook of families all dressed up in their Easter finery. In 1929, Will Rogers wrote, “I believe I discovered a way to aid preachers in getting people to church. Publish their pictures in the papers every Monday, instead of just on the day after Easter. There is no reason why people should have to wait from one Easter to another.”
Historic quote by Will Rogers:
“There was no shooting in Chicago election day, but it will drop back to normal right away.” DT #219, Apr. 6, 1927