Month: June 2026

Just What DC Needs

There are approximately 15oo lobbyists on K Street and now the DoD is trying to make it easier for more corrupting money to be available….

As it pushes for a record breaking $1.5 trillion defense budget, the Department of Defense wants lawmakers to water down restrictions on the infamous revolving door between the Pentagon and industry, inviting more undue influence from the defense sector.

The DoD’s legislative proposal, submitted to Congress for consideration in the FY 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), tosses out key lobbying restrictions introduced by the late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) in 2017. It remains unclear whether the proposal will be included in the base text of the Senate version of the NDAA, which has not been released.

The McCain restrictions prevented recently departed officials from lobbying the Defense Department or Armed Forces for two years following retirement. But the new DoD provision would only impose this two year “cooling off” period on former defense officials who want to lobby in the specific military agency or Pentagon office where they used to work.

The DoD claims it needs to do this because the limits now in place “may restrict the Department’s access to the knowledge and expertise of its former personnel” and thus could have an “adverse effect on [the department’s] recruitment and retention.”

As such the bill also eliminates McCain’s two-year cooling off requirement for “behind-the-scenes” activities, which include the “preparation and planning activities, research and other background work” that can support a company’s lobbying activities. The DoD asserts that measures restricting these behind the scenes lobbying efforts are difficult to enforce.

Ben Freeman, the director of the Quincy Institute’s Democratizing Foreign Policy Program, calls the Pentagon’s rationale a “cop-out.”

https://responsiblestatecraft.org/revolving-door-pentagon/

This admin will do anything to make the corruption more intense….

Personally I think the cooling off period should be at least 5 years with 10 being the best idea.

We have enough criminals with buckets of money for Congress and the admin….it is time to close that corrupting appendage of government down for all time.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

That ‘Secret’ Autopsy

The DNC has seen to the exposure of the public in the reasons why they were so beaten in 2024….my thought it is decaying corpse of a political party.

The 2024 election “was a punch to the gut, and people were pissed off,” Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Ken Martin wrote Thursday in a statement accompanying the report’s release. “How, we all asked, could Democrats have lost to Donald Trump again? How did we blow through billions of dollars? And where do we go from here?”

The resulting report paints a bleak picture for Democrats. “We must admit and accept some hard truths about our Party,” it cautions. “Since the high point of the 2008 Obama landslide…the Democratic Party has vacillated between stagnation and retrogression. In doing so, we have lost the confidence we once received from everyday Americans—and election results show it. In the sixteen tumultuous years since that historic election, Democrats have lost ground at every level of government.”

This is actually the first time in more than a decade that Democrats have publicly taken any such introspection.

https://reason.com/2026/05/22/democrats-tried-to-bury-2024-election-autopsy/

The party did not need this ‘autopsy’….The party had the wrong candidates, the wrong issues, and were controlled by special interests….see how hard was that?

Come on let’s be honest…..the Dems were and still are….pathetic….

Well, the much-ballyhooed autopsy on the 2024 election has arrived from Democratic National Committee’s headquarters, and it is a shame it didn’t stay buried in a trashcan in one of their offices deep inside the Beltway, and as far away from real people as possible.

Before moving on just as quickly as I can, from this unmitigated mess of typos, redactions, double-talking and sniping — and better yet, the leadership who allowed it — I want to underline some finer points, and hard-earned lessons we can take from it, and the disastrous 2024 campaign season.

First, given all the unprofessionalism, money-wasting, bickering, and out and out dysfunction in the party, it’s a wonder Kamala Harris didn’t lose by 25 points. It is clear that because of a series of self-inflicted wounds, the Democrats were not ready to do battle during the most important election in U.S. history.

https://www.alternet.org/dem-autopsy/

Now the DNC is scrambling….but it matters not for they will continue to lose….the DNC purged any and all members that had good sound ideas that conflicted with the special interest agents that now dwell within the DNC.

A new election is on the horizon….does anyone see anything that will lead us to believe that the Dems are capable of winning a national election?  So far most of the Dems have done nothing but complain….that will not fly in the next election.

I do not see it….do you?

Time to find a political party that will actually treat you and the rest of us with some sort of respect.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

“I Love Inflation”

Words uttered by our dear clueless leader when he heard the new report that inflation is at a 3 year high……

… data released by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on Wednesday showed overall prices in May posted a yearly increase of 4.2%, marking the highest rate of inflation since 2023. Core inflation, which excludes food and energy costs, posted a yearly increase of 2.9%, the highest rate since September 2023.

Why would any president say such bullshit when most of the country is struggling under the pressure of this number?

President Donald Trump on Wednesday said, “I love the inflation” after being asked if he was concerned about new consumer price index data that showed the annual inflation rate at 4.2%, a three-year high.

Trump, speaking with reporters in the Oval Office, also predicted that inflation is “going to come down like a rock” after the United States’ war against Iran is over.

The president linked that prediction to a confusing statement about the U.S. “taking” oil and ships.

“No, I love it, the numbers were great,” Trump said when a reporter asked him about the CPI number issued earlier in the morning by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

“You know what I really love? I love the inflation. You know why?” Trump said. “Because as soon as this war is over, you know I can say it now … you know we’ve been taking out millions of barrels of oil.”

“Nobody knows it. You know who doesn’t know about it? Iran, until right now,” Trump said.

(cnbc.com)

Donny thinks the numbers will come down once he figures out how to end the war with Iran.  (Don’t hold your breath that could take awhile)

Trump predicted that inflation would “come down like a rock” when the war was over, CBS News reports. Trump claimed the US had reached “the best economy we’ve ever hit” before the conflict, citing record stock market highs.

So much manure spread and the worse part about it is there are those the believe this stink.

Just a reminder….“Trump promised repeatedly that he would ‘end inflation’ starting on day one but by almost every measure, he’s failed to achieve those goals,” Beyer said. “And far from lowering costs, his tariffs have only made the affordability crisis worse for the American people.”

Is his plan working?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

City Owned Grocery Stores

Last Friday I posted the plan from NYC mayor to open city owned grocery stores to try and help struggling people get the food they need.

This is the post to which I refer….

Those City-Owned Grocery Stores

Of course there are those among us that think this is a good idea (I am one of those people) and there are those that want to crap on the idea by saying big box stores will kill the idea or they just do not want cities trying to solve a problem that the national government helped create.

I say good for those that will try to find a solution or part of one….

First thoughts from a magazine that caters to the food industry….although it is not as condemning as I had thought it would be….

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani took to Instagram to reaffirm his commitment to opening five city-owned grocery stores, one in each borough. Intended to “take on the affordability crisis” as grocery prices soar, this campaign promise is moving closer to reality: La Marqueta in East Harlem was announced as the first site for the municipal grocery store model and is expected to open in 2029. (Other to-be-announced sites will open before La Marqueta, as soon as next year.)

What does it mean for the local government to own a grocery store, and what’s it actually like to shop at a municipal supermarket? This isn’t the first time a city has opened its own grocery store, and similar models — along with Mamdani’s proposed plans — offer a clearer sense of what to expect.

https://www.foodandwine.com/how-government-run-grocery-stores-work-11975917

Those that criticize this plan do not understand how this concept works….they are shooting from the hip because some MORON has called in socialism.

Contrary to the public outcry from critics, city-owned grocery stores are not a novel or radical idea in the United States. The United States military already operates a network of publicly owned grocery stores; rural communities in Kansas have successfully experimented with municipally owned supermarkets; and big cities are exploring their potential and charting plans.

City-owned grocery stores are a promising solution for communities who suffer from the hunger and food insecurity that comes from living in food deserts, urban or rural neighborhoods with limited access to healthy and affordable groceries.

Food deserts exist in part because of misaligned profit motives for private sector grocery companies. Large corporate retailers like Kroger and Whole Foods do not bother to invest in certain communities because, despite demand, low-income neighborhoods lack the infrastructure and purchasing power to sustain their for-profit business. Instead, retailers concentrate or relocate their grocery stores to areas where they can expect a higher rate of return, like wealthier suburban neighborhoods.

That profit incentive creates a harmful cycle that perpetuates a phenomenon known as “supermarket redlining” that leaves thousands of communities underserved.

New York City is home to more than two dozen neighborhoods that are classified as food deserts. These localities are predominantly Black and Hispanic and rely on both bodegas and dollar stores for their grocery needs, creating “food swamps” where unhealthy food options vastly outnumber nutritious ones.

How City-Owned Grocery Stores Can Tackle Food Insecurity

Personal opinion….this idea should be in place already….with the idiots in DC passing judgement on the poor and corporation slobbering over the profits being made on screwing the public….it is time for some real programs to come to the light.

I Read, I Write, You KNow

“lego ergo scribo”

A Personal TomDispatch Farewell (of Sorts)

There are many of us that are critics of the Donny bunch that read TomDispatch….op-eds written for those of us that still think for ourselves….

There is some sad news….Tom Englehardt is stepping down as editor-in-chief….

 

https://original.antiwar.com/engelhardt/2026/06/07/a-personal-tomdispatch-farewell-of-sorts/

 

I for one will miss his insights….these are big shoes to fill and I wish Nick Turse good luck with the new gig.

I Read, I Write, You KNow

“lego ergo scribo”

NYC Does It Again

I recently wrote about a policy that the new mayor of NYC will pursue…..city owned grocery store….personally I think it is a great idea and more cities should be so concerned.

The mayor has yet another plan for the city….this time it will help city employees with child care….

Tucked in New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s sprawling universal childcare plan is a little-talked-about milestone: In September, the city will open what appears to be the first free daycare for municipal workers in the country.

The center, called The Little Apple, is a pilot program that could prove to be a model for cities across the country that are childcare curious, but not ready to take the big universal swing.

Housed in a renovated space on the first floor of the David N. Dinkins Municipal Building in Manhattan, home base for more than 2,000 city workers, the Little Apple will offer free care to the kids of full-time staff. All workers in the Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS), a city government support agency, can also take advantage of it regardless of their work location.

The center will be small — just 40 seats for children ages six weeks to 3 years old. To pay for it, the city budgeted about $1.5 million, or $35,000 per child.

“This is what Wall Street could call a good investment,” Mamdani said in a press conference announcing the new center. “We know that after housing, the cost of childcare is what is pushing working families out of this city.”

DCAS Commissioner Yume Kitasei told The 19th said the solution came about as a retention strategy, responding to the needs workers shared. In surveys, workers enthusiastically embraced the idea. One worker described access to free childcare as “life-changing.”

https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/under-mamdani-new-york-will-be-first-to-open-free-childcare-center-for-city-workers/

So far this man has done just about everything he said he wanted to do….he has my vote of mayor of the year.

Right after the first of the year the mayor first major proposal was a tax plan….

A number of new taxes have been proposed this winter and spring to address the City’s structural budget gap. They range from a surcharge on high-income Personal Income Tax filers, to a partial recapture of the federal tax benefits accruing to Pass-Through Entity Tax filers, to higher rates for the City’s business income taxes, to higher real property transaction taxes on luxury properties at time of sale. One of the most likely, and possibly only, new tax revenue to be included in the FY 2027 State budget is a tax on pied-à-terre properties in New York City.

To date, details on the proposed tax have been hard to find, but Governor Hochul announced a revenue estimate of $500 million from 13,000 “second homes” with market value of at least $5 million.  The lack of further information has spurred wide-ranging conjectures regarding which properties might be subject to the tax and how much they might pay.

In this Fiscal Note we use previous pied-à-terre tax proposals to estimate potential revenues and highlight areas of uncertainty. Based on the parameters chosen for the analysis, tax revenues are critically dependent on the share of targeted properties that are rented and on the behavioral responses to the tax. We find that, before adjusting for these factors, our choice of tax rates and brackets could raise almost exactly $500 million from a little over 11,200 properties. However, revenues could be reduced to between roughly $340 million and $380 million based on assumptions on exclusions for rented units and behavioral changes following the imposition of the tax.

The Pied-à-Terre Tax and Its Potential Revenues

Another policy that meets with my acceptance….

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

The Real Political Power

This is a look at the real political power in American elections…..AIPAC.

A PAC that has buckets of cash to influence our elected officials in favor of everything Israel.

 

https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/defending-aipac

 

This PAC should be broken down for what it is…..foreign money in our system for the influence of corrupt politicians.

I believe that AIPAC is too influential and has its tentacles in all aspects of our government…..this can no longer be acceptable.

Any thoughts?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

If Not Greenland Then Chagos?

Another debacle from the ‘brilliant’ mind of Donny.

There was a time when Donny thought he could buy Greenland from Denmark….well that did not work out well for the idiot…..and now he is setting his beady eyes on Chagos Island.

Chagos?

Not sure where those are located…..think Diego Garcia….

The White House is considering a plan to buy the Chagos Islands, potentially sinking Sir Keir Starmer’s plan to cede the territory’s sovereignty to Mauritius.
US officials have drawn up a proposal to bypass Britain and make its own deal to take control of Diego Garcia, the strategically important UK-US military base, amid uncertainty about its future, The Telegraph understands.
It is among several options drafted by Donald Trump’s administration in a paper aimed at providing alternatives to the Prime Minister’s plan, which would hand control of the islands to Mauritius, an ally of China and Iran.
The White House has been in regular discussions with Downing Street about securing the future of Diego Garcia, one US official with knowledge of the discussions told The Telegraph.
While purchasing the islands is not the leading solution for the White House, the idea has been raised directly with Scott Bessent, the US Treasury secretary, who has brought the matter to the president’s attention, sources said.
The war in Iran and China’s rising naval power have reignited calls to maintain a global chain of strategic military bases.
There is a lot of sensitive shit going on on Diego Garcia….the US is in a panic because of so many things…..island location is perfect for conducting war in the region…..special ops has a large holdings…..espionage especially espionage.
I am sure we will hear more of this brain fart from Donny….and Little Marco…..and Pistol Pete….it ain’t over until the fat prez sings.
Whatcha think?  A good idea or just another brain fart to go wrong?
I Read, I Write, You Know
“lego ergo scribo”

Rep. Massie Is The Only Hero To Tackle The USS Liberty

This is a video of a speech given on the House floor by Rep. Massie…watch the speech and learn something.

Thomas Massie: June 8, 2026 Speech in Congress Blows Up 1967 U.S.S. Liberty Crime Scandal.

It is about damn time that the US demand Israel stand up and take responsibility for killing and injuring American sailors.

Israel has gotten a free ride for over 50 years and now is time for them to be held accountable for their actions on the day.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Freedom To Worship?

Not according to Pistol Pete.

I do not normally post on religion for to me it is a personal decision and should stay that way….because I do not care how you choose to worship because it is a personal thing and should stay that way.

We have the freedom to worship as we see fit….well that is not exactly true you must be part of the ‘qualified’ religions…..

The Department of Defense announced on Friday a significant reduction in the number of religious affiliations it officially recognizes. The new list of 31 is down from more than 200 previously recognized traditions that troops could choose from. The list no longer includes atheists, Unitarian Universalists, pagans, or Wiccans, the AP reports. “This decrease in religious affiliation codes is not designed to make any claims on the legitimacy of any faith or religious belief, nor is it intended to provide a list of ‘officially approved’ religions,” Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said in a statement. The move is intended to help chaplains quickly assess the religious composition of their units to allocate resources, he added.

The list creates broad categories of some Christian traditions—Baptist, Presbyterian, Methodist—without specifying denominations within those traditions, which can span the theological and ideological spectrum. Service members can choose to identify as “no religion,””other religions” or agnostic. Also included are Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Sikhism, the Baha’i faith, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Unitarian Universalist Association, which was cut from the list, said in a statement, “This may make it more difficult for our uniformed UUs to access the spiritual care that they need.” The denomination said it is working on a strategic response to support its adherents in the service.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced the impending changes in December, saying the number of faith codes had become unmanageable. “Secretary Hegseth is not ‘streamlining’ anything. He is elevating one narrow religious worldview from the top of the chain of command,” said the Rev. Paul Raushenbush, a Baptist minister and head of the progressive Interfaith Alliance. “The First Amendment does not allow the government to create a hierarchy of faiths, and it certainly does not allow the Pentagon to decide which beliefs are worthy of recognition.” Nearly 70% of troops identify as Christian, a 2019 congressional report said. Almost a quarter of troops were listed as other, unclassified, or unknown. “As a member of a minority religion, I think it’s really important that we be counted,” said Irene Glasse, a pagan religious professional and Marine veteran. “It erases us, and so many of us have served so proudly, so well, and so honorably.”

This is such BS….just more of Pistol Pete’s religious crap.

Here is a list of what Pete says are not recognized religions….

Complete List off Faiths That Just Got Dropped From the Pentagon’s Recognized Religions List

This should go to SCOTUS….they may side with Pistol Pete but at least make an effort to right this damn wrong.

Any thoughts?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“leho ergo scribo”