Plenty of important News this week. A government shutdown is looming Sept. 30. Republicans want to continue the same budget for a few more weeks, postponing a shutdown. But Senator Schumer insists on adding an extra Trillion to cover, among other expenses, Medicaid for illegal immigrants.
Meanwhile, mayors in several cities, including Chicago, Portland, New York City, and Boston, (plus Gov. Newsom of California) are determined to keep all of their illegal immigrants, including known criminals.
These mayors and Sen. Schumer have a plan. Stores and banks have to hire guards to keep from being robbed. If thousands of immigrants are sickly, more Medicaid dollars pay doctors and nurses. Police are leaving, frustrated because anyone they arrest is set free. These mayors are smart; more tax dollars flowing into city coffers and paying fewer police means more money is available to raise their own salaries.
If Congress can’t agree on a budget, don’t be overly concerned. Essential employees will be working, continuing essential services. Any that are laid off for a few days or weeks will get all of their salaries. A shutdown always costs money instead of saving it. They waste a lot of time preparing for a shutdown.
The ones hurt are private citizens or businesses who have “non-essential” contracts providing goods or services to the government.
Now, I don’t pretend to know all the details about shutdowns and ICE removing criminal illegal aliens. I wish there was more common horse sense in Washington and “sanctuary” cities and states. Politicians are riling up radical protesters to keep ICE agents from arresting criminals. I doubt there were any protesters decades ago when the federal “G-men” were tracking and taking out John Dillinger, Al Capone, and Bonnie and Clyde.
Former FBI Director, James Comey, has been indicted on two federal charges. It’s strange. Instead of charging him with actions that affected Presidential elections since 2016, he is charged with lying to Congress related to those actions. This trial won’t go anywhere because juries know that everybody lies to Congress. And Congress turns around and lies to everybody.
In case you older folks are wondering, J. Edgar Hoover, FBI Director for 48 years, did not directly lie to Congress, but he often misled them.
Farmers are hurting financially. This may be a surprise because you’ve seen the meat case with steak at $20 a pound and hamburger at $7.50. Widespread drought for a few years has reduced the cow herd. And a dangerous insect called a screwworm in Mexico is also reducing the amount of beef for sale.
The farmers hurting the most are growing corn, soybeans, wheat or cotton. Those commodities are selling for bargain prices while the inputs these farmers buy (fertilizer, seed, machinery) are all expensive. By the way, the corporations and local businesses serving these crop farmers are also hurting.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is trying to help. President Trump faces the same quandary President Coolidge had in 1923, “He wants ‘help for the farmers.’ But don’t want anyone to have to pay more for their food.” (WA #53)
Historic quote by Will Rogers:
“If I was [Secretary of Agriculture] Wallace I would say, ‘Boys, you all are just too good farmers. You just raise too much. If you just wouldn’t be so expert for a few years… Your efficiency is driving you to the poor house. So please don’t be such good farmers.’” DT #2439, May 28, 1934