Yesterday I ended up working a six hour shift on my day off due to increased business at my day (well evening) job. I’m told that this overtime will likely be offered for the next month during what is traditionally our dead period before Black Friday.
Remind me how bad that Trump economy is?
Watched the two town halls yesterday before the lifestream three quick points
When you’re electing a leader to face a tough world you want one who can handle opponents playing hardball
It’s clear Joe Biden’s battery is winding down as he got slower as the event went on, one might think they were winding him up between breaks.
The contrast between fixers in the crowd (including an Obama speechwriter asking questions) for Biden and the way the two candidates were treated in real time is the real contrast that the media wanted to avoid.
If you agree with Joe Biden that Donald Trump deserves very little credit for peace in the middle east, ask yourself this question:
Surprise: Majority of Arabs back Trump Middle East peace plan, 79% of Saudis.
Did you ever think you would read those kind of poll number concerning peace with Israel in your life outside the Babylon Bee?
Went to lunch with DaWife yesterday at the 99 Restaurant as Happy Jacks is still not opening for lunch during the semi lockdown.
They have worked hard to earn our business so I suspect we will alternate between Happys and the 9’s when they reopen, that’s called treating your customers right.
Twitter might not care all that much right now but I’ll wager that the IE people weren’t all that worried about Firefox when it launched either.
Finally Tralfaglar the only pollster who got 2016 right is predicting a Trump win, albeit in the mid 270’s.
That seems pretty low to me, but in fairness last time the Democrats didn’t see him coming and their vote fraud apparatus was only active in a couple of states with key races (read NH) so perhaps they are adjusting for the need to win beyond the margin of fraud.
I ended up betting another $100 on trump on twitter with an individual yesterday which is $100 beyond what my limit was but frankly if I was richer I’d literally bet the house I first lived in when we got married on this result.
Prediction: The realization that Biden is going to lose and lose big is going to hit the left very soon, once it does things will get very interesting.
Posted: September 22, 2020 by chrisharper in economy
By Christopher Harper
As the Ragin’ Cajun James Carville put it: It’s the economy, stupid!
Despite the whack-a-mole strategies put forward by Biden and his team, voters in crucial swing states say the economy is their top issue for this election.
Keep in mind, 2019 was a record-breaking year for the U.S. economy. Median income hit its highest level ever, and the poverty rate dropped to a 60-year low. The pre-coronavirus economy under President Trump was the strongest in decades. Hispanics, Blacks, Asians, and women all saw their incomes rise faster than the national average.
As a result, it’s also clear that Trump is the best choice to lead the post-pandemic comeback for the economy.
On the other hand, Biden has promised higher taxes and a massive amount in federal spending—a combination that’s likely to turn the economy into an absolute mess.
As Olsen noted, the Manhattan Institute estimated that Biden’s plans would cost more than $8 trillion over the next 10 years. Analysts from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School put the increase in federal spending a bit lower at $5.4 trillion over the next decade.
Either figure means the federal government’s share of the economy would expand dangerously. Penn’s model implies that Biden’s plans would make federal spending roughly a quarter of gross domestic product by 2030, the highest figure outside of the post-recession budgets in 2009 and 2020 in more than 50 years. With local and state governments adding 15 percent to that slice of GDP, the public sector would account for 40 percent of the U.S. economy.
That’s as close to socialism as the nation has ever been.
Biden’s plan also doesn’t pay for itself even though it would significantly increase taxes. The competing analyses agree that Biden’s tax proposals would raise about $3.5 trillion in new revenue.
That’s a shortfall of somewhere between $2 to $4.5 trillion. Federal budget deficits are dangerously high and unsustainable, particularly after the outlays for the pandemic, and Biden would make the situation much worse.
As Olsen notes, Biden’s proposals would be among the largest in decades—more than former Democratic nominees John F. Kerry, Barack Obama, and Hillary Clinton combined.
Not surprisingly, few Democrats and media types have pointed out the obvious: Biden’s plans would be an economic disaster.
Maybe it’s time to roll out Carville to preach to the choir.
I’ve been writing here about the Illinois Exodus for several years. The COVID-19 outbreak, as it has many other societal trends, is accelerating the people drain. But two rounds of riots and looting, one after the homicide of George Floyd, and the second last month, after false rumors that Chicago Police had killed a man now charged with murder, are gut punches that the city will not quickly recover from.
In my DTG post-second riot post about the decline and fall of the city, Welcome to Detroit, Chicago, I wrote, “But when Chicago’s downtown area is dominated by boarded up store-fronts with signs declaring ‘Move in now–lease rates reduced again–first month free!’ you’ll know the downtown descent is well under way.” The vacancy rate for luxury units in downtown Chicago are at their highest level ever recorded according to Mike Flannery (more on him in a bit).
I haven’t been downtown since that “Detroit” entry, but on my own blog, Marathon Pundit, an automated Google Ads banner from a downtown Chicago apartment building offered this promo, “First two months rent free.”
Decline and fall.
And keep in mind that over seventy percent of Chicago’s economic activity comes from the downtown area. And Chicago is of course Illinois’ largest and most important city.
Downstate things aren’t much better. AP is reporting on three towns in St. Clair County, which is across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, that are considering merging because of “severe population decline.” St. Clair County, like Chicago and Cook County, are Democratic strongholds where corruption is widespread.
The Prairie State has lost population for six straight years. It’s a safe bet that when the counting is over for 2020 it will be seven.
On the usually-worth watching–Fox Chicago’s Flannery Fired Up, three cheerleaders for the city and one moderate skeptic talked about its descent and for the most part, it’s quick bounce back. But this weekend’s episode was an aberration. The show sucked. It was up to the host, Mike Flannery, to bring up the two 800-pound gorillas in Chicago’s otherwise looted basement: rampant corruption and the worst-funded municipal pensions in the nation.
Since 1973 over thirty members of Chicago City Council have been sentenced to prison. At one time he was the city’s most powerful alderman, but now Ed Burke is under indictment for allegedly shaking down a fast food franchisee. Do you want to bring your business to Chicago? You may have to endure having your pockets picked by a pol. Or by several of them.
Where do I sign up?
Burke has been an alderman since 1969. Chicago needs term limits. And so does Illinois. Boss Michael Madigan, who is from the same part of the city as Burke, has been speaker of the state House since 1983 except for two years in the 1990s when the Republicans had a majority in the lower chamber. Madigan is also a Chicago ward committeeman. He’s been chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party since 1997. Illinois’ most powerful Dem is also currently under investigation as part of an evolving federal corruption probe that has already ended the careers of several Chicago and suburban politicians.
There is no way out of Chicago’s pension bomb other than a municipal bankruptcy, one that may also force many city vendors to go under, or a federal bailout. Even if the the Democrats capture the Senate and the White House in November, such a rescue for irresponsible spending, a backhanded reward really, faces tall odds in Washington. But under current Illinois law, government bodies are prevented from declaring bankruptcy.
The “moderate skeptic” on Flannery Fired Up mentioned transportation as a city selling point. While O’Hare is one of the world’s busiest airports–it used to be ranked first in traffic–and Chicago is a rail hub and it has many miles of interstate highways, that “expert” needs to drive on Chicago’s streets. They are falling apart.
And if you don’t own a car and you use your feet to get around? Watch out, walking on crumbling sidewalks often requires strong ankles and a steady balance.
Violence in Chicago was declining over the last few years but shootings are way up since the pandemic was declared.
As I’ve mentioned before, like an alcoholic, Chicago’s cure won’t begin until it admits complete and utter defeat.
That point has not been reached. But it’s probably coming soon.
As it is for the rest of Illinois. The state’s pension programs are almost as poorly funded as Chicago’s.
Overslept today after putting in some extra time at work and I have to go in early today as well so no time to post so here are some very quick thoughts.
A Quick reminder, remember when the media was united in declaring the Tea Party and the various Tea Party protest a bunch dangerous violent agitators?
You can count the number of Tea Party events over the year that became riots d on the fingers of one hand, in fact you can likely do so on the thumb of one hand or no hands
I think the Nancy Pelosi Salon story combined with the news concerning city gyms in SF offer the best single chance for her GOP challenger in decades.
People don’t like be played for fools and even leftists know that if they punish her on election day they’ll get the seat back fairly quick.
When I was younger I was always amazed at the rise of the Nazi’s in Germany and the Communists in Russia (although less so the latter given serfdom and the Czars). After watching the left over the last several months and the reaction of the public I am much less amazed.
The smartest thing our enemies ever did was to go after our colleges. People are so much easier to buy.
If I was the Pope I would order a coordinated set of Eucharistic Processions led by the local Bishops or Cardinals of sees in October in Reparation for sins. I’d Choose Saturday October 17 the feast day of St. Ignatius.
Either we believe in the Power of Christ in the Eucharist or we don’t, if we do let’s not be shy about it.
Finally a reminder that tomorrow’s Podcast will be at 11 AM rather than at 3 PM.
This is because the Trump Economy is so bad that I have to work on my day off along with going in early yesterday and today to keep up with all the work we don’t have because the Trump economy is so bad
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