Trump Slump: Decline in inbound U.S. tourism!

"After the announcement of the first two travel bans in January and March, the number of international travelers arriving in the U.S. has dramatically dropped, according to ForwardKeys, a European travel-prediction firm."

"Experts expected to see falling arrivals following the first executive announcement in January, when European interest in visiting the U.S. fell 12% but to see the number of arrivals impacted so quickly is startling."

“The confusing and convoluted travel bans have done nothing but worsen the country's reputation around the world,” said Lee Abbamonte, an American travel expert who has been to every country in the world, in an email. Although he believes there should be a vetting process, he says that as it stands now, it is too stringent, and confusing for many international citizens.

Full article @ Forbes!

My plan is for working people. It won't benefit me!

For details and the facts...check out Politifact!

The Donald's Imported Products! Hello China!

The Wealth Gap in America

A new Pew Research Center analysis of wealth finds the gap between America's upper-income and middle-income families has reached its highest level on record. In 2013, the median wealth of the nation's upper-income families ($639,400) was nearly seven times the median wealth of middle-income families ($96,500), the widest wealth gap seen in 30 years when the Federal Reserve began collecting these data.

In addition, America's upper-income families have a median net worth that is nearly 70 times that of the country's lower-income families, also the widest wealth gap between these families in 30 years.

Taking Flight! & Ripping you off!

"In recent years, carriers around the world, especially in the U.S. and Europe, have added or raised fees for everything from checking bags to printing out boarding passes.   It has added to the bottom line of nearly every airline in the world."

ps...I don't check bags!

Source: CNBC

Negotiate Obamacare? WTF!

I watched this one on Sunday and big Kudos to Bob Schieffer!

I'm shutting down!

Members of Congress will have no dilemma about the future of their own finances this week because the 27th Amendment to the Constitution specifically stipulates that the salaries of the House and Senate cannot change until a congressional election has come and gone.   Members of both chambers currently make $174,000.   I don't know about you, but I don't make anything near that!   Let's shutdown congressional pay too!

I think we all need to SHUTDOWN at midnight and see where that takes us!   Ted Cruz gets $174K!   You gotta be kidding me!

Givers versus takers!

This is old news (from the 2012 elections).   Illustrated below (in red) are the 10 states with the highest percentage of non-taxpayers in the country.   Except for New Mexico and Florida, all the other "red" states voted for Romney!   Were these other 8 states part of Romney's 47% "and living on government handouts"?

Yes they were...but they just didn't know it and voted for Romney anyway!   I'm just sayin'!

Those states highlighted in light blue have the lowest percentage of non-taxpayers.   Maybe it's time to leave Connecticut and move to Florida or New Mexico?   I'm just sayin'!

Mitt 47%? Here’s the math!

• 53.6% - pay federal taxes
• 28.3% - are working, no federal tax, but do pay payroll taxes
• 10.3% - are the elderly living on Social Security
• 7% - have income under $20K and pay no federal taxes
• < 1% - students and high income folks (that would include folks like YOU!)

My mistake…you’re not in the 1%.   You say you did pay 13% last year!   By the way...how much did you pay in 2010?   Just curious?

Cartoon source here

Paul Ryan's Congressional Deficit Contribution!

He voted for all of this stuff!

• $1.7 trillion = Bush tax cuts in 2001 & 2003
• $180 billion = Medicare Part D
• $224 billion = TARP bailout (Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac)
• $806 billion = IRAQ war "supplementals?

...and he just recently voted for another $630 billion for the extension of the Bush tax cuts!   And he's bitchin' about the deficit!   This really bothers me...because the folks that support or believe in Mr. Ryan...are either ignorant or won't accept these facts!

Ryan: "Obama Closed the GM plant!"

The GOP Vice Presidential nominee took Federal $$$$ to help with the Bush-era 2008 plant closure that he blames on President Obama.

"And as it became clear in early-fall 2008 that GM wouldn't relent, Ryan publicly touted the federal tax money he secured to help displaced workers -- a use of funds that would seem at odds with his limited-government, fiscal conservative image."

Full story at the Huffington Post.

I need to check my facts...but I think Mr. Ryan was on the House Budget Committee when Mr. Bush decided to invade Afghanistan and go after "Weapons of Mass Destruction"...neither of which were in the budget.   But now he's a deficit hawk!   Unbelievable...but given the intelligence of the American electorate...still electable!

6 27 46 51 56 Powerball = 21

Those are the winning Powerball numbers.   Those numbers had a cash value of $241 MILLION DOLLARS!   As you can see from my $20 worth of tickets below...I had ONE number, yes ONE...the number SIX!   My tickets were worth nothing!   Nada!   Someone in Lapeer, Michigan (population 9,000) walked away with it all!

Had I won, I would have chartered a cruise ship…the entire ship.   I would have invited all my family and friends.   Would fly all of them, first class, to our port of departure.   Would give each of them $100 GRAND!   And that’s just for starters!   Did I mention a few million to each of my, and my wife’s, siblings and really close friends...really close?

But I didn’t win anything.   Like I said...NADA!   So nobody ain’t getting’ nothin’ (I know…triple negative)!

The Housekeeper...

She knocked on the door and announced "housekeeping".   We just needed the bed linens changed and the soiled towels replaced.  We asked if we could stay in the room while this was being done.  "Of course" she replied.  "Should only take about 10 minutes".

During those 10 minutes we learned that she arrived in this mid-western city two months earlier.  Her hometown was several hundred miles away.  She had fled an abusive relationship.

A relationship that made her decide to pack a suitcase and get on a Greyhound bus at 3:00 AM.  She left her car behind.   She told no one.  I repeat...no one...not even her Mom or her best friend that she was planning to leave or where she was going.   She feared that if "he" found out he would track her down...and she didn't want to think about that outcome.

After several hours on the bus, she arrived in another state not knowing anyone and with no place to stay.   She found refuge in the local homeless shelter.   She started this housekeeping job just a few days after her arrival.

She was really pleasant and polite.   She smiled often.   We asked if she would ever go back.   Her reply..."NEVER!"   "I had to get away and start a new life while I could...before it was too late!"

She couldn't have been a day over 20.   Her pleasant disposition and escape from abuse really touched me.   I thought about my own daughters.   I also thought about how fortunate I am and how the majority of us have no clue about her and so many other folks in her situation.   I will never forget her story.

Independence Day in America!

OK America, on this Independence Day, perhaps it’s time for a re-assessment of our claim as the greatest country on earth.   Don’t get me wrong, I love this place, but we are not without flaws!

Given the Republican primaries, among other things, I’ve revisited the concept of America’s greatness.   C’mon!   If for nothing else, the fact that so many Americans actually voted for Bachmann, Santorum, & Cain & Perry or believed that “birther” Trump was worthy of the office of the Presidency continues to scare the sh*t out of me!   Did I mention Newt?   Add to that, 47% of the American electorate thought that Sarah Palin qualified to be a heartbeat away from the Presidency still has me shaking in my boots.

America is a leader among the world in religious beliefs, incarceration and defense spending!   Is that greatness?   Sadly enough there are some Americans that still believe that President Obama is a Muslim born in Kenya.   But American intelligence is a whole ‘nother matter.   I’m certain that many Americans probably couldn’t pass the test to become a naturalized citizen.   These are the very same people that are probably fighting immigration reform tooth and nail.

America is a divided nation.   Some have said it’s the college educated, the minorities and the young…versus everyone else.   Red state versus blue state!   Our issues are many and they add to this divisiveness:

• healthcare
• tax policy
• racism
• marriage equality
• immigration reform
• unemployment
• and finally…laying blame for all of the above!

In spite of all of this, I do believe that America can lay claim to the title of “Land of Opportunity”.   I love this country and most…but not all...of its people.   But given the current climate and state of affairs…I question its greatness.

Mr. Romney…I need some answers!

• How many on-shore AMERICAN jobs did you actually create while at Bain Capital?
• During your Bain years, did you really invest in Stericycle, a medical research firm that disposed aborted fetuses?
• Do the teabaggers know about your Stericycle investment?

• Is it true that you have a Swiss Bank account?
• Is it true that you have money stashed away in the Cayman Islands?
• Please let me know the primary difference between Romney Care versus the Affordable Care Act (aka…ObamaCare). OK…aside from the state versus Federal mandate stuff…I really need to know & understand the difference!

• Given the religiosity of this country…do you think that the Southern Baptists or the Evangelicals will actually vote for a Mormon?   But then again…this is America and a Mormon versus a Muslim nigger (sorry Oprah) from Kenya…who knows!
• Did you really tie your dog to the roof of your car?

I’m just askin’.

Is IBM moving it's HQ from Armonk to Bangalore?

Mr. Palmisano (then IBM CEO in January of 2009) serves up all the “goodness” about America, about the need for job creation in America and about developing a “more competitive infrastructure for the long term"!   Practically whispering “sweet nothings” into President Obama’s ear!   And…he even gets a plug in for IBM’s “Smarter Planet” campaign.

Meanwhile, fast forward one year to 2010, and according to the India Times, IBM became the second largest private sector employer in India.   “The fact that IBM has over one lakh (100,000) people on its rolls in this country is one of India Inc's best-kept secrets.”   Today, India is home to 1/5 of IBM's worldwide workforce!

Postscript:
I worked for IBM (on and off) for over 35 years.   Overall…especially during those first 20 years…IBM was very good to me.   Towards the end…I began to realize that it was no longer “your father’s IBM”!   Rest in peace Mr. Watson!

According to the lastest issue of Time Magazine...this is the total estimated direct cost of the U.S. war in Afghanistan from 2001 through the end of next year!   Did I mention that almost 2,000 Americans and over 1,000 coalition forces have lost their lives in the mess to fight off the Taliban!

I've already posted my own recommendations on how to handle this!   That post was back in 2010, almost 2 years ago and the tally then was $277 BILLION!

Federal Spending?

I don't know why this isn't in every one of President Obama's campaign ads.   I'm so sick of the Rethuglicans lies and distortions. Where were they when GW ran this country into the ground?   Unfunded wars!   Weapons of mass destruction!   Tax breaks for the rich!   Mission F*cking Accomplished!

I'm so sick of them!   When I see Mitch "The Turle" McConnell or "Bonehead" Boehner on TV...I have to change the channel!

The deal on the debt! Hello George!

Who caused the deficit?

This chart should accompany ALL discussions of the deficit!



more details here