Category: Uncategorized

Bette Midler, who splits her time between Hollywood and New York City, is so mad at Senator Joe Manchin she proclaimed that the West Virginians he represents are “poor, illiterate and strung out.”

She and so many other harsh critics of Democrat Senator Manchin of West Virginia think there are only 50 Senators. They know better, most of ‘em, but they choose to ignore 50 Republican Senators and believe the 50 Democrats should run Congress. Bette Midler might be surprised to learn that people in 28 states elected at least one of those 50 Republican Senators who also oppose the $5.0 Trillion Build Back Better bill (advertised as $1.75 Trillion). I hope she doesn’t believe all those voters are poor, illiterate and strung out, too. And, surprise, surprise, surprise, more West Virginians know how to read and write than people in California and New York, according to Newsweek and other sources. And, like Sen. Manchin, they know from 4^th grade Arithmetic that 5.0 is greater than 1.75.

Thinking of TRILIONS… 6 years ago, on December 25, 2015, I wrote: “The Republican Congress passed a Democrat budget bill. Instead of trying to reduce our $19 Trillion debt, Congress and the President are adding another half Trillion dollars. The bill was loaded with Christmas presents for practically everybody that votes.” In 2021, our debt is $30 Trillion, and half a Trillion is loose change.

I was at my local Ford dealer for routine maintenance on my F-150. The work took much longer than usual because they are short six mechanics. They can’t get new vehicles either; only about 15 percent of their usual inventory is on the lot, mainly because of a lack of computer chips from China. (Henry Ford would have manufactured his own chips for the Model T right here in the U.S.) The bill for the same routine maintenance as a year ago on my F-150 was 11% more.

Mr. President, the supply chain and employment issues have not been solved. And don’t say, “pay ‘em more.”

Let’s look back at major News stories from 2021. Note that it makes a difference where you get your “News.” As Will Rogers said many times, “All I know is what I read in the newspaper.” And July 27, 1932, Will wrote, “Any person that don’t read at least one well-written country newspaper is not truly informed.”

If you get most of your national news from TV news channels, here is a random sample of prominent stories I recall from Fox, MSNBC, and CNN.

First, from Fox: Open border. Illegal immigrants. Illegal fentanyl. Botched exit from Afghanistan. Inflation. Communist Chinese Covid. Supply chain. Hunter’s laptop. Hunter’s $500,000 paintings. Fewer workers. Unfilled jobs. Voter ID. Russia’s ready to invade Ukraine. China harasses Taiwan. Super Bowl Tampa Bay. World Series Atlanta Braves. Parents slammed over CRT. The $5 Trillion Build Back Better bill. More Covid deaths under Biden. President Biden’s low approval ratings. VP Kamala Harris’s are even lower. Let’s Go Brandon.

Next, from MSNBC and CNN:  January 6th Insurrection ordered by President Trump. The Big Lie. January 6th caused 5 deaths. Capitol policeman killed with a fire extinguisher. Voter suppression. NY Governor Cuomo is a hero. Trump demands recounts in Georgia and Arizona. BLM and Antifa harassed by police. Russia, Russia, Russia. Senators feared for their lives on January 6th. Mounted Border Agents horsewhip immigrants. $3.5 Trillion BBB will cost zero. Trump failed to call off his armed Insurrectionists. Steve Bannon and Trump try to destroy democracy. Mark Meadows in contempt of Congress over January 6. Biden’s approval ratings are lower. Gasoline prices drop 2 cents. Kyle Rittenhouse guilty of racist murders. Jussie Smollett unjustly accused.

Of course, you can add dozens of other stories, or subtract from the ones I recalled. It’s a bad sign for the future when your view of the country and the world depends so much on which channel you watch or what newspaper you read. And if all your News comes from social media, Lord help us.

Omicron has invaded almost every country.  Except one. You’ll never guess the one significant country in the whole world where the Omicron variant of the Communist Chinese Covid virus has not reached.  China.

Historic quotes by Will Rogers:

“The neckties were all red and the socks were all too small. There is practically nothing I can do but just sit and wait for another holiday.” DT# 441, Dec. 25, 1927

“Well, Christmas has passed. I was just thinking if there was some way to make the Christmas spirit continue during the other days of the year, why we would be the most happy and wonderful Nation on Earth. Gosh, if all of us that was able would just feed and do things for folks without waiting till Christmas. I think we mean well, but we just sorter got in our heads that about one day a year pays our obligations off, then we swell up and hide our Conscience till the next gift day comes along.” WA #628, Jan. 6, 1935

I was thinking of going to San Francisco to pick up a couple of nice Christmas gifts at Louis Vuitton. After hearing the mayor of San Francisco yesterday get tough on store theft, I may as well shop here since I’ll have to pay for ‘em.

President Biden’s prize package, the Buy Back Better bill, (sorry, I meant Build Back Better), is down the drain. Fifty Republican Senators and Sen. Joe Manchin outnumber 48 or 49 other Senators. Joe Manchin, who represents West Virginia, said today, “I can’t vote for anything I can’t explain to West Virginians.”

Let me give you just two questions about the bill that Manchin can’t explain. Why is it advertised as costing $1,750,000,000,000.00 over ten years when it will actually cost about $5,000,000,000,000.00? And if the bill includes early childhood education for 3-and 4-year-olds, why must the educators be members of a teacher’s union? Does this exclude funding for moms, aunts and grandparents, and even organized child care provided by churches and small business?

And here’s one claim by the President that NO ONE can explain. With inflation above 6%, how could adding TRILLIONS in debt reduce inflation?

Maybe it’s time for a few other Senators to speak up about Build Back Better. For example, Sen. Brown of Ohio and Sen. Kelly of Arizona have been silent. Do they stand with Manchin, or are they more aligned with Chuck Schumer, Adam Schiff, Congresswomen Omar of Minnesota and Cori Bush of Missouri?

Texas decided to build their own wall.  Disgusted with President Biden’s open border policy, they are protecting their own ranches and property. The President is so biased against any deterrent, that he refuses to let Texas buy and use the Billions of dollars’ worth of unused 30-foot steel wall sections laying along the Rio Grande. Maybe Biden is holding onto the wall sections with plans to sell them, at ten cents on the dollar, to Ukraine to keep out the Russians.

It appears Russia and China will team up against the U.S. Don’t be surprised if they bribe Iran to launch a full attack on Israel. And while Washington is deciding whether to defend Israel, Putin and Xi will invade Ukraine and Taiwan. Now, that’s not a prediction. And I hope it never happens. Someone in the White House had better be ready with a quick, solid answer if the phone rings at 3 a.m.

Merry Christmas. Despite the issues mentioned, don’t let ‘em interfere with the Christmas spirit. The spirit of Christmas is not reserved only for Christians either. Joe Manchin is not a Grinch even if he stopped Joe Biden from playing Santa Claus to America. Texans aren’t against immigrants; half of ‘em along the border have Mexican roots. And a growing number in the rest of the state immigrated from California. What about Putin and Xi? No comment.

Historic (Christmas) quotes by Will Rogers:

“I am too busy replacing presents to write today. I bought some mechanical and electric things for the kids and wore ’em out playing with ’em myself.”  DT #120, Dec. 23, 1926

“Merry Christmas, my constant readers, both of you…. Men, act surprised this morning as if you didn’t know the tie was coming.”  DT #121, Dec. 24, 1926

“Well, tomorrow is ‘wish’ day. Everybody is ‘wishing’ somebody something, and I guess it’s just as well everybody don’t know what they are being ‘wished.’ But, generally speaking, we do have good cheer in our hearts on Christmas. ‘Course, we can’t hardly wait till the day is over and to get back to our devilment again.” DT # 1379, Dec. 24, 1930

A string of horrible tornadoes rained death and destruction across several states from Arkansas to Kentucky. Mayfield, KY was almost wiped off the map by the ferocity and width of the tornado. My comments can’t compare to pictures you are seeing on TV news reports.

After his Zoom call with Russia’s Putin, President Biden was asked if he set a “red line” concerning Putin’s looming aggression toward Ukraine.  I don’t think Biden mentioned a concrete red line, but he did say sanctions would be severe.

I think the President missed a chance for a direct, simple answer, “The red line is the Ukraine border.” And while he’s on the subject, he could have stated firmly, “I’ll draw a red circle around Taiwan.”

You may doubt that we could enforce both red lines at the same time. You may be right. But if one red line is absolutely enforced, with no wishy-washy whispering, the other might fade away.

While we’re talking red lines, how about setting one on our border with Mexico. That red line should be 2000 miles long and 30 feet high.

Another jury came through with a just verdict. Jussie Smollett fooled three-fourths of the media (and President Biden and VP Harris) with his well-rehearsed story. Jussie claimed he suffered a race-based attack by Trump supporters with a noose at 2:00 a.m. on a frigid night in Chicago. Those journalists and television commentators may have believed him because they admired him as a famous, million-dollar actor on a TV show called Empire.

But I had never heard of him, or his show. Had you? But Smollett fooled so many people because he’s a good actor. He should receive an Emmy award for “Best Actor in a Hoax.” He can accept it from prison.

Another Emmy might have been earned this week for “Best Dramatic Reading in a Losing Role,” by Hillary Clinton.

Historic quotes by Will Rogers:

 “You read about the disaster [tornado] in St. Louis and what the Red Cross did. No matter what happens or where it goes to happen, they are the first there.”  DT #372, Sept. 30, 1927

“One thing that a Communist can do is explain…  Communism to me is one-third practice and two-thirds explanation.” There’s Not a Bathing Suit in Russia, 1927

“Oftentimes you have been made to suffer by Actors.  So, you will be tickled to death to read about an Actor who suffers, and the more continuous he suffers, the more you will like it.” Ether and Me, 1927 (Will wrote this about himself, suffering through gallbladder surgery.)

 

In basketball, it would be called a “2 on 1 fast break.” In pursuit of global dominance, China and Russia are preparing a 2 on 1 break against us. It’s more of a slow break; Russia is slowly moving 175,000 Army forces into position to invade Ukraine, and China is threatening to attack Taiwan. Neither Putin or Xi are in a hurry, as long as they make their move while President Biden is still in office.

You don’t need to be reminded about the value of Taiwan’s booming economy. It’s the18^th largest economy in the world, which is amazing considering it is the size of Maryland.

Ukraine used to be part of the Soviet Union. Putin is determined to get it back in Russia’s sphere, along with other countries that used to be behind the Iron Curtain. Ukraine is blessed with fertile soil. Considering only the absolute best soils in the world, the U.S. has about a fourth (mostly in Iowa, Illinois and nearby states), Russia has a fourth, and Ukraine has a fourth. This soil in Ukraine is so great that during World War II, Hitler invaded and had trainloads of it hauled to Germany. Now, you know that our trains haul coal, corn, cars, oil and other valuable goods. But dirt? Putin has other selfish reasons to control Ukraine, but do we want him to control almost half of the world’s best farmland?

China’s Communist leaders found another way to bash the United States. President Biden will host a global summit this week to promote democratic governments. Over 100 countries plan to attend the virtual conference. The Communists in China, where Covid-19 originated, criticized the U.S. and other democracies for “botching the response to Covid.”

Wow! The one that botched a response to Covid was China. The Communist Dictator Xi Jinping, who appointed himself president through 2035, deliberately caused the virus to spread globally while restricting travel within China. Covid could have been controlled within the Wuhan region, but Xi chose to let it out, intending to disrupt the thriving economic conditions around the world. Killing a few million people was no concern to him or other Communist Party leaders.

This Democracy Summit gives President Biden, with full support from those other countries, the opportunity to condemn the Chinese Communists. He needs to speak with the same tone he used to denounce our citizens who object to rewarding any illegal immigrants with $450,000.  Either that, or appoint the NBA basketball player Enes Kanter Freedom, our newest American citizen, to deliver the message to Xi.

President Biden was asked about the supply chain problems delaying Christmas presents. He said he’s not concerned about dozens of container ships from China waiting weeks to unload, “We can count on Santa Claus.”  One of my professional speaker friends said, “And he expects inflation to be solved by the Easter Bunny.”

We have two recent examples showing the value of the Judicial system in a democracy. A jury in Kenosha, Wisconsin set a teenager free by way of self-defense, and one in Brunswick, Georgia convicted three men of first-degree murder.

Historic quotes by Will Rogers:

“Tomorrow I am trying out Russia’s commercial aviation, flying down through the Ukraine to the Black Sea.” DT #2518, Aug. 30, 1934

“(The Communist Karl Marx) was like one of these efficiency experts.  He could explain to you how you could save a million dollars and he couldn’t save enough himself to eat on.” There’s Not a Bathing Suit in Russia, 1926

“On account of us being a democracy and run by the people, we are the only nation in the world that has to keep a government four years no matter what it does.” DT #1116, Feb. 21, 1930

Did the Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttigieg, actually suggest we could get out of gas-powered cars and trucks AND electric vehicles? I heard him highlight other methods of individual transportation including bicycles, scooters and even wheelchairs.

But I did not hear him mention another option for individual transportation, one that was quite popular, especially out West, before Henry Ford invented the Model T.  Maybe Sec. Buttigieg and the entire Biden Administration will buy into my idea because it can help eliminate our use of oil with the added bonus of millions of new jobs, many of them union jobs.

So, what is my great addition to the Secretary’s list? Horses. Yes, horses.

Now, I love horses. Back in 1924 I wrote, “A man that don’t love a horse, there’s something the matter with him.” I think Sec. Buttigieg might get behind this idea because horses thrive on oats, grass and hay. All horse feed is fueled with solar energy. Not a drop of oil in a horse diet. Why, this might even propel him to the Democratic nomination for President in 2024.

Switching to horses would eliminate the problem of farmers producing too much grain which has to be exported. No, millions of acres of corn, soybeans and wheat would be converted to raising feed for horses. Instead of expensive solar collectors sprawling across farmland to fuel electric vehicles, our pastures, meadows and vast fields of oats would convert sunlight into fuel for horses.

Just imagine, with millions of horses traveling our roads and streets every day, all the jobs that would be created for workers in… sanitation. Yes, our 7,000,000 unemployed are hankering for a job shoveling, sweeping, and loading the “by-product” into horse-drawn wagons. The guys and gals driving those wagons would, of course, be members of the Teamsters Union.

Here’s another benefit. While these horses are in town, they’ve got to eat. That would solve another major problem for the climate: gas-guzzling lawn mowers. While you’re working 9 to 5, your horse can be turned loose in a city park to graze. Or a homeowner who lives near your office building might pay for your horse to graze their yard. Not just graze, but fertilize. Instead of the cost of parking, you get paid for lawn service.

Of course, this is silly. We’re not regressing 150 years.  Horses today are mainly for pleasure riding. Rodeos, horse races, and horse shows entertain millions who have no desire to ride one a few miles to work every day. Mr. Buttigieg prefers to ride a bicycle to work, at least the last mile of his daily commute.

Meanwhile in the news, Covid-19 keeps running into new variants. Just as we seem to be getting past the one from India, we’re hit with one from Africa. I don’t think it’s fair to blame these countries or a whole continent, even substituting Greek names for ‘em.  No matter how many variations of this deadly disease show up, they all started two years ago in China.

We’re not blaming the Chinese people, no sir and no ma’am. Even if we contributed to the “gain-of-function” that created the virus, the blame for the spread rests on the Communist Party leaders of China. They are the ones who let this disease spread from their Wuhan Lab. Not only let it spread, but encouraged it.  Encouraged the spread everywhere except to the rest of China. So, from now on, we need to stick with one name: Communist Chinese Covid. And the one Communist in charge of all this misery and destruction is named Xi Jinping. Now, he probably has a few good traits. Probably kind to his wife, children and grandchildren. After all, he didn’t let THEM die from Covid.

But Xi Jinping runs the country and deserves the blame for killing over 5,000,000 in 200 countries around the world. I realize killing 5,000,000 innocent people is not unusual for Communist rulers. (They’ve killed about 100,000,000.) We have battled against this slaughter by Communists for a hundred years, and it’s time for the slaughter to STOP. Xi needs to be X-ed out.

Historic quotes by Will Rogers:

“Horses raise what the farmer eats, and eat what the farmer raises.” DT #1967, Nov. 23, 1932

“The country has gone sane and got back to horses.” DT #2112, May 11, 1933

“If everybody [traded their car for a horse], they would be out of debt in a couple of years. Just think, no gas, no tires, no roads to pay for.” DT #2043, Feb. 20, 1933

“Where is your old automobile? There will never be a time when the old horse is not superior to any auto ever made… They used to take your horse and if they was caught they got hung for it, now they take your car and if they are caught it’s a miracle.” WA #507, Sept. 11, 1932

“It seems the whole idea of Communism is based on propaganda and blood.”  There’s Not a Bathing Suit in Russia, 1926

 

The murder trial ended in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The 17-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse (now 18) was found not guilty of shooting 3 white men because of self-defense during rioting 3 nights after police shot a black man armed with a knife. Actually, videotapes and a witness proved he was innocent and should never have been put on trial. But you would never know it by listening to many of the news commentators or even President Biden.

So, a white person shoots 3 white men in self-defense, is found not guilty by a jury, and the verdict is blamed by many in the media on White Supremacy and racism. The jury decision in Wisconsin, resulted in protest marches and looting… in Portland, Chicago, San Francisco, and Brooklyn.

President Biden stuck to his opinion as stated in August 2020 that Kyle Rittenhouse is a White Supremacist. The 3 “victims” had criminal records and were WHITE.

Now President Biden is in a bind. Should he admit he was wrong to call Rittenhouse a White Supremacist for political purposes in 2020 or should he satisfy Democrats who still want to use race with regard to the trial outcome?

Instead of waffling about the jury decision, Biden should have immediately gone on TV telling people to NOT PROTEST. After all, he lambasted the previous president for not stopping a protest.

Will our elected officials finally agree that bringing in extra police (including the National Guard) is a good way to prevent rioting, looting, burning buildings and injuring people? If these hoodlums feared getting shot or locked up it might prevent millions of dollars in damage.

I heard last week that a prominent university is updating the list of general education classes. Those are classes that ALL students, regardless of major, must choose from for a well-rounded education. One set of proposed classes was rejected because they had “too much math and science.” Yep, that’s what we need: more college graduates, voters and politicians who don’t know a lick about math or science.

Somewhat related, the House of Representatives passed a huge social spending bill last week. Listed at $1,750,000,000,000.00, it will cost more than $4,000,000,000,000.00 despite claims it will cost us $0.00 because corporations and billionaires will “pay their fair share.” What about inflation? Today an economic advisor to the President insisted that instead of causing more inflation, the bill will eliminate the 6 percent recent increase. Must be Biden Math.

If one or two Democratic Senators oppose this massive bill it would save hiring 87,000 new IRS agents. What this country needs is more truck drivers, not more tax collectors.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Historic quotes by Will Rogers:

          “Congress, with an eye, not on the budget, but on November, put a tax as high as 72 percent on some incomes.… The crime of taxation is not in the taking it, it’s in the way that it’s spent.” DT #1764, March 20, 1932

In the beginning days of Thanksgiving, its founders were willing to give thanks for mighty little. Because mighty little was all they expected. But now neither government or nature can give enough but what we think it’s too little. Those old boys in the Fall of the year, if they could gather in a few pumpkins, potatoes and some corn for the winter, they were in a thanking mood. But if we can’t gather in a new Buick, a new radio, a tuxedo and some government relief, why we feel like the world is agin’ us.” DT #2594, Nov. 28, 1934

Have you seen all the apologies from major newspapers (the NY Times and Washington Post received Pulitzer Prizes in 2018) and TV networks for headlining the Clinton-funded Steele Russian-Trump Collusion story? Did you hear that James Comey, Andrew McCabe, John Brennan, James Clapper, Jake Sullivan, and Congressman Adam Schiff called former President Trump to beg forgiveness?

No, we haven’t seen or heard any of that although the investigation by special counsel, John Durham, implies they should retract the stories and apologize.

According to the Durham ongoing investigation (which should have been completed two years ago), the entire ‘Steele Dossier’ that conclusively tied the Trump campaign in 2016 to Russia was an elaborate $10,000,000 scheme funded by Hillary Clinton with full cooperation from FBI leaders and the CIA director.

This isn’t the first time political shenanigans have swayed an election. “I give you the real inside dope on our hired help in Washington. I know more scandal than a White House cook.” (Oct. 4, 1925)  Even though these shenanigans failed to get Clinton elected in 2016 (barely), with the ensuing Impeachment trials and continuing accusations about Russia, China and Ukraine, Trump was defeated in 2020.

In Kenosha, Wisconsin, where the murder trial of Kyle Rittenhouse is about to conclude, 500 National Guard troops have been activated to protect the city from a potential riot. Oddly, the accused and the victims are white. If he is found not guilty, who will be rioting? And why?  Let’s give the Governor credit for being prepared this time. If he had called in National Guard and police reinforcements immediately to stop the original riot in August 2020, the city would not have suffered $50,000,000 in damages. And no one would have been shot by Kyle Rittenhouse.

Prices increased 6 percent in October for goods and services. Is that any surprise? We have 3 million fewer people working (including truckers, pilots, and workers in factories and the oil and gas business) and trillions of dollars given to people to spend because of Covid. Don’t you agree that more dollars chasing fewer goods causes prices to increase? (see second quote below)

The Climate Summit ended in Scotland without any major changes from China or India. Everybody flew home except for Greta Thunberg who is probably sailing back to Sweden. President Biden personally demonstrated his commitment to “wind power” to Prince Charles’ wife, Camilla. He never mentioned the human contribution to the level of methane in the atmosphere.

Historic quotes by Will Rogers:

“Honor in politics is just as much lost as John W. Davis’s platform of ‘honesty’ was in 1924… In politics practically everything you hear is scandal, so a thing has got to be mighty scandalous to be worth repeating.” Life magazine, Oct. 12, 1928

“What this country needs is more working men and fewer politicians.” WA#95, Oct. 5, 1924

(I attempt to write with Will Rogers’ style and philosophy, poking fun at issues and political decisions. As an agricultural engineer I also try to offer solutions and apply common sense.)

 

By now you’ve probably heard about a Billion-dollar lawsuit filed on behalf of thousands of illegal immigrants separated from their children when they got arrested for entering illegally.

See, instead of throwing the entire family into a jail cell, our Border officials figured it would be better to only jail the adult illegal immigrants. After all, if your local sheriff arrests a man and woman for selling drugs out of their house or apartment, they don’t put their kids in the cell with ‘em.

But some shyster lawyers came up with a plan to “get rich quick” by suing the government for putting these innocent children some place other than prison with their mom or dad. And to make it worthwhile these lawyers decided their share for each separated kid should be $150,000. They rake off a third which explains why they are demanding $450,000. That’s $450,000 for EVERY child. I bet any that got separated before January 20, 2017 aren’t eligible, and any child separated since January 20, 2021 ain’t either.

Was this fake news? Did they accidentally add three zeros when they meant $450? Today is a time for Halloween pranks, but this is more like an April Fool’s joke.

But the lawyers in the Biden Administration are taking the lawsuit serious! Now that’s scary. We never give any amount like this to children of murdered police officers, firefighters who die, or health care workers who died of Covid.

In July 1935, the American Bar Association invited “me” to speak at their convention in Los Angeles. They proudly said they were gathered ‘To save the Constitution and preserve State’s rights.’ But I told those 3500 lawyers, “What they ought to be here for is to kick the crooks out of their profession… They seemed to kinder doubt just who would have to leave. Pretty serious, some of ’em. But the big percentage are regular guys.”

I hope the Bar Association will track down these shysters who filed the lawsuit and disbar them. That is if they are American citizens. If any of them are here illegally, kick ‘em out of the country.

Now, you and I both know there are more important problems facing this country than trying to please a gaggle of lawyers. That’s why I’m still suspicious of this news story. Could it have been leaked so we wouldn’t notice how many Trillions of dollars our President will promise countries at the Climate Summit this week to deal with rising sea levels and warmer temperatures? Or maybe the rising cost to heat our homes this winter? Do they want us to forget about the hundreds of Americans being held by Taliban terrorists in Afghanistan?

Historic quotes by Will Rogers:

“American Bar Association yesterday come out very strong against unethical and shyster lawyers. Looks like I been vindicated.” DT #2793, July 18, 1935

“Say, did you read about 300,000 grown folks in Chicago [on] Halloween? They tore down a [World’s] fair that it took ’em two years to erect… It’s just the old kittenish Chicago spirit. They just love pranks, shooting each other or something, then too, modern plumbing has about done away with Halloween fun anyhow.” DT #2570, Nov. 1, 1934 [in the old days outhouses were often overturned for “fun”]

(I attempt to write with Will Rogers’ style and philosophy, poking fun at issues and political decisions. As an engineer I also try to offer solutions and common sense.)

President Biden is insisting that Congress pass the multi-trillion-dollar bill, including all the “Green Energy” guarantees, before he heads to the Climate Change Summit in Glasgow, Scotland. Senator Joe Manchin of West Virginia is standing in his way. (He knows his constituents better than Biden or Sen. Bernie Sanders does.)

Actually, President Biden does not need this bill to show our progress on climate. When he is called on to speak at the Summit, with the other two hundred nations eagerly waiting to see how many trillions of dollars we will provide them to cut emissions, he should simply utter two sentences, “Since 2005, we cut our carbon emissions by 15 percent. When you other countries, especially China, India and Russia, cut your carbon emissions by 15 percent, we’ll talk.”

Biden must then walk out the door, taking his 13 Cabinet Secretaries with him, and fly home. By leaving Scotland a week early, Biden (and several of those 13 Cabinet members) will have time, finally, to visit our border with Mexico.

President Biden reminded us he HAS been to the border. In 2008, he landed in El Paso and headed north into New Mexico. Maybe he is afraid to return to “El Paso” because, like the Marty Robbins song in 1957, “Off to my right, I see five mounted cowboys, off to my left ride a dozen or more. Shouting and shooting, I can’t let them catch me.” For Biden, those “mounted cowboys” are Republicans and disgruntled Democrats and Independents.

President Biden continues to promise that if his $3,500,000,000,000.00 proposal passes, no one with family income under $400,000 will pay more. Considering recent inflation price increases, this will be tricky. For this plan to work everyone in that “Under $400,000” income group would be given a special “Biden 2020 Discount Card” similar to your Covid vaccination card with a personal barcode.

Here’s how it would work. For example, buying gasoline at the pump, scan your barcode and the price will instantly drop to what it was at the end of 2020. Instead of paying, say $3.49 a gallon, the price will drop to $2.33. At the grocery store, you’ll pay only $5.00 a pound for bacon, not the list price $8.00. Buying a new vehicle, you’ll automatically get a $6000 discount without having to buy electric.

Of course, this is ridiculous. We’re all going to pay.

So, according to President Biden, who will pay the $3,500,000,000,000.00? The latest strategy is to tax the accumulated wealth of billionaires without waiting for ‘em to die. According to Forbes magazine, we have 753 billionaires in America. If the IRS took every dollar these folks have accumulated it would not cover the cost of this “human infrastructure” bill over the next decade.

Former President Donald Trump is one of those 753 billionaires. In 2017 he was worth $3.5 Billion. How much is he worth today? I recall asking in a “Weekly Comments” if readers thought he would have more wealth, the same, or less wealth when he left the Presidency. Many figured he wanted to be President so he could build his empire. Do you remember the new Trump International Hotel in DC where visiting dignitaries and lobbyists were staying? And the many government-sponsored conferences at various Trump properties around the world?

Well, Forbes has the answer. Trump’s wealth did not stay the same. During his four years in office, the Trump family lost $1 Billion. Yes, he still has $2.5 Billion. And he lives at a south Florida resort protected by a wall built at taxpayer expense.

Just for fun, you might plan to check on President Biden’s wealth (and Hunter’s) when he leaves office in 2025 compared to when he became Vice-President in 2009.

Historic quotes by Will Rogers:

“An inheritance tax… on an estate of say $10 million, why the government will take about 90 percent of it, and then giving the off-spring 10.  And then on estates of a 100 million, 200 million, a billion, and like that, well, the government just takes all of that and notifies the heirs, ‘Your father died a pauper here today.’” Radio, Apr. 28, 1935

“The whole trouble with the Republicans is their fear of an increase in income tax, especially on higher incomes. They speak of it almost like a national calamity.” DT #1435, Feb. 27, 1931

“The crime of taxation is not in the taking it, it’s in the way that it’s spent.” DT #1764, March 20, 1932

Higher fuel prices and empty shelves in stores have let all of us know we have a problem. An economist wrote last week, “Don’t blame solar and wind energy.” Right. So, who (or what) is to blame?

President Biden came out against our fossil fuel production on his first day in office. He cancelled the Keystone XL pipeline and placed restrictions on new drilling. As a result, our oil production has gone down and gasoline and diesel prices increased at least a dollar a gallon. Natural gas prices are predicted to cost 30 percent more this winter. Instead of exporting oil and gas, we depend on Saudi Arabia and others for imports (the same OPEC countries that started the 6-month oil embargo on this date in 1973).

Unbelievably, after forcing a scarcity in American oil and gas, the President asked the producers to cut prices. Senate Leader Chuck Schumer agrees with the President and claims that higher prices this winter will force poor and middle-class people to decide whether to feed their families or keep warm.

On the supply chain issue, the person most directly responsible for working on it is the Secretary of the Transportation Department, Pete Buttigieg. You might be surprised to learn he has been on a 12-week paternity leave (on full salary) because he and his husband decided to become “birthing persons” through adoption. Now, I’ve got no objection to the adoption. But how can the person in charge of Transportation, reporting directly to the President, take off 3 months while the country faces the worst supply chain crisis in our history.

The ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles seem to be the epicenter of the crisis because 40 percent of all container ships arrive and depart there. The lack of trucks to transport containers has been blamed. Well, the brilliant minds in charge of California state government ruled that only trucks built in the last 10 years are legal. And the state prohibits non-union drivers. How can vehicles (and drivers) that are legal throughout the country be prohibited in California? Instead of attacking this problem head on by telling Governor Newsom to relax their rules, President Biden simply asked that ports unload container ships around the clock, 7 days a week.

Here’s another self-inflicted problem for California. They are banning lawn mowers, chain saws, and any other machine powered by a small gasoline or diesel engine because they don’t have expensive emission controls like cars and trucks. (Actually, they would prefer to ban all lawns; they have almost banned tree cutting and brush clearing.) All such devices will have to use electric power in the future even though the state is tight on electric availability and residents must deal with frequent rolling blackouts.

The weirdest item on the list of banned gasoline engines is a portable generator. Let that sink in. From now on, only generators powered by electricity will be available for emergencies when the electricity goes off. They’ll have to run an extension cord to Nevada.

I started with a question about blame. Well, instead of placing blame, let’s use logical thinking and common horse sense to find solutions.

Historic quotes by Will Rogers:

“You all know we struck oil here in southern California. But did you let anybody else know? No, you didn’t say a word about it…  you are so darn modest you won’t let the world know what we have.” WA #47, Nov. 4, 1923

“John D. Rockefeller says: ‘Love is the greatest thing in the world.’ You take a few words of affection and try and trade them to him for few gallons of oil, and you will discover just how great love is.” WA #59, Jan. 27, 1924