In Nicaragua, once the long defeated Sandinista Party pretended to become “moderate “ and got back in power, they never had a free election thereafter.
I think we’re heading into something similar. Media-D Party-D judiciary collusion and perfidy, of which we have seen much lo these many years.
If Trump loses to the worst to the most inept and corrupt(able) Democrat candidate in history, the door will be closed to any further fair elections. Illegals will be voting in the tens of millions in 2028. The electoral college may well be gone along with various other unpleasantries of the Constitution. Voter ID will be dead. National popular vote will determine future contests. SCOTUS will be packed with Progressives. D.C. and Puerto Rico possibly states, reliably Dem voting. The filibuster could disappear. We will be executive-actioned, audited, investigated and attacked into oblivion.
Yupppp, and drill baby drill. John Cochrane at The Grumpy Economist had some great economic suggestions for both Presidents on getting rid of subsidies etc
1. President does need to downsize the government. Return to the states the job of education and leave the tax dollars that go to the education department in the states to spend as they choose.
2. I read most of the 2025 wish list and while not agreeing with everything, I didn’t find it so radical actually I found it consistent with our founding principles. A friend asked me if the document recommended a particular policy. I easily did a search of the PDF of the document and found it didn’t even discuss the issue. She was surprised because it was reported “on TV”.
3. Disperse the federal government throughout the blue states because the workers aren’t in their offices anyway.
4. Give the land not directly used by the Federal government back to Maryland. The Virginia land was set aside for the federal district was returned. Washington will become part of a state thereby giving the residents voting rights and no need for a state of their own.
5. A vast amount of money was used to support Antifa and other violent groups. Use the RICO laws to go after those supporting violence. Some will say small donors didn’t know that was what the money was used for. That is why we have a jury system. But let’s have the trials in rural counties. Maybe in Wyoming or Montana, not DC or NY.
6. Deport any foreign student who riots or acts in a way that impedes the rights of others. If laws are broken they are no longer welcome guests in this country. Of course a minor infraction such as a speeding ticket is not what I am referring to.
Just a few of my ideas after praying for a new morning in America and asking for G0ds grace.
Point 4. Rather than shrinking DC I would look at expanding DC to encompass the commuter suburbs. Take congressional and senate representation away from (most) of the government workers and clingers. It's almost as bad as public unions. No one working for the US government is interested in reducing it.
A lot to like and nothing to dislike, but two unmentioned concerns occur.
First. If post-election things get extremely-whatever that is-contentious, how long before someone tries to drag the Supreme Court into the fray? If so, what does it do? It was decisive in 1980(?) but punted in 2020. Was 2020 because of flawed legalese-logic or wording-in Texas' motion or did the Court just (really!) see no indication of fraud, nothing actionable?
Second, immigrants. The border and the criminal element are relatively easy; how to handle the other ten million who aren't criminals and dealing with the Dreamer issue are different matters.
Then, there's the budget. That wasn't mentioned because our current, terrible legislatures have to address that before January 20th.
P.S. Send the IRS and FBI to MN or MI; we have enough problems here in NY without adding another nest of snakes.
Vote reform FIRST. In any federal election: registration must close X days prior to prevent last minute shenanigans, window for early voting is limited, no unmanned/unsecure/unmonitored voting boxes, ID must be required, mail-in ballots not permitted except for specific need and documented and must be received by day of vote, paper backup for all votes, tally must be day of voting and no later, and voter rolls must be updated and cleaned every two years at least 6 months prior to an election for any federal office.
Tom Fitton as a special prosecutor with a very broad mandate. Keep the tens of thousands of new IRS agents, but limit their scope to those who have been on the payroll of government, lobbyists, and the infotainment business. Massive tax increases on copyright royalties so that those celebrities who want the rich to "pay their fair share" get the chance to do so.
I’d like to hear a discussion about banning cost-plus contracts. These are a mechanism often used in DOD procurement whereby the government agrees to pay the contractor’s costs, plus some vig on top. Typically, the contracts are bid competitively, and include bonuses for meeting milestones on time. This is often used on large, technical procurement contracts.
This contracting structure strongly encourages contractors to massively overrun the budget.
Under these terms, the contractor low-bids the initial proposal to win the contract. This ensures the project overruns budgets and schedules.
When the contractor overruns the budget and schedule, they will lose their bonuses. As punishment, the contractor continues making a handsome profit. Because it is ‘cost-plus’, the contractor continues work and bills taxpayers for their continued expenses and the vig.
These overruns can last years, and the additional vig over this extended time can add up to dramatically more than the lost bonuses.
These need to be replaced by firm-fixed-price contracts, in which the cost is negotiated up front and is inflexible. This would strongly incentivize contractors to determine the cost accurately up front, because overruns are footed by the contractor, not the taxpayer. Bidding firm-fixed-price contracts competitively we force the contractors to keep their proposed cost low.
Opponents might point to the Boeing Starliner debacle because it was a firm-fixed-price contract, and it went wrong. However, it is actually a success because Boeing is being held accountable for their own incompetence instead of taxpayers bailing them out. They are still on the hook to deliver a functioning spacecraft.
Republicans have a rare opportunity to significantly reduce the size of government and do it before the end of January. First, let the government shut down at the end of the continuing resolution on December 20th. Why let a lame duck Senate drive an omnibus bill? Just wait until January 3rd and Republicans will likely control both chambers. Will the country survive the Christmas holidays without a functioning federal government? Will the country even notice? And remember, the House passed five appropriations bills in 2024, including Defense, State and Veterans. Simply have both houses repass them and send them to President Biden. What will he do, veto them? President-Elect Trump can say that he will sign them on Inauguration Day. For the rest of the budget, I'm sure that Senior Advisor to the President-Elect Musk can provide suggestions. Thoughts?
He should federally mandate the return McDonald’s all day breakfast. Which I still think is the biggest COVID casualty
Put this genius on the transition team!
And beef tallow French fries
Seconded.
In Nicaragua, once the long defeated Sandinista Party pretended to become “moderate “ and got back in power, they never had a free election thereafter.
I think we’re heading into something similar. Media-D Party-D judiciary collusion and perfidy, of which we have seen much lo these many years.
Fascism perfected.
I dont know why nobody mentions Tom Cotton as a presidential contender. I think he's pretty great.
Tom Cotton is great, but I rather see him as Senate Majority Leader
"If Trump loses..."
If Trump loses to the worst to the most inept and corrupt(able) Democrat candidate in history, the door will be closed to any further fair elections. Illegals will be voting in the tens of millions in 2028. The electoral college may well be gone along with various other unpleasantries of the Constitution. Voter ID will be dead. National popular vote will determine future contests. SCOTUS will be packed with Progressives. D.C. and Puerto Rico possibly states, reliably Dem voting. The filibuster could disappear. We will be executive-actioned, audited, investigated and attacked into oblivion.
Let's pray Trump doesn't lose.
Yupppp, and drill baby drill. John Cochrane at The Grumpy Economist had some great economic suggestions for both Presidents on getting rid of subsidies etc
"MAKE THEM PAY"
A few thoughts
1. President does need to downsize the government. Return to the states the job of education and leave the tax dollars that go to the education department in the states to spend as they choose.
2. I read most of the 2025 wish list and while not agreeing with everything, I didn’t find it so radical actually I found it consistent with our founding principles. A friend asked me if the document recommended a particular policy. I easily did a search of the PDF of the document and found it didn’t even discuss the issue. She was surprised because it was reported “on TV”.
3. Disperse the federal government throughout the blue states because the workers aren’t in their offices anyway.
4. Give the land not directly used by the Federal government back to Maryland. The Virginia land was set aside for the federal district was returned. Washington will become part of a state thereby giving the residents voting rights and no need for a state of their own.
5. A vast amount of money was used to support Antifa and other violent groups. Use the RICO laws to go after those supporting violence. Some will say small donors didn’t know that was what the money was used for. That is why we have a jury system. But let’s have the trials in rural counties. Maybe in Wyoming or Montana, not DC or NY.
6. Deport any foreign student who riots or acts in a way that impedes the rights of others. If laws are broken they are no longer welcome guests in this country. Of course a minor infraction such as a speeding ticket is not what I am referring to.
Just a few of my ideas after praying for a new morning in America and asking for G0ds grace.
Point 4. Rather than shrinking DC I would look at expanding DC to encompass the commuter suburbs. Take congressional and senate representation away from (most) of the government workers and clingers. It's almost as bad as public unions. No one working for the US government is interested in reducing it.
The DC suburbs have corrupted Virginia politics.
A lot to like and nothing to dislike, but two unmentioned concerns occur.
First. If post-election things get extremely-whatever that is-contentious, how long before someone tries to drag the Supreme Court into the fray? If so, what does it do? It was decisive in 1980(?) but punted in 2020. Was 2020 because of flawed legalese-logic or wording-in Texas' motion or did the Court just (really!) see no indication of fraud, nothing actionable?
Second, immigrants. The border and the criminal element are relatively easy; how to handle the other ten million who aren't criminals and dealing with the Dreamer issue are different matters.
Then, there's the budget. That wasn't mentioned because our current, terrible legislatures have to address that before January 20th.
P.S. Send the IRS and FBI to MN or MI; we have enough problems here in NY without adding another nest of snakes.
Even if the Supremes saw fraud, they couldn’t do anything about it. They can only rule on matters of law , not fact.
I would like to put all of this on my wish list, please and thank you.
And thank God we can watch television without political ads starting Wednesday.
Punch back thrice as hard!
Although it's a bit below his stature, DeSantis would be great as head of FEMA.
"Do for the nation's disaster readiness what you have done for Florida's"
Vote reform FIRST. In any federal election: registration must close X days prior to prevent last minute shenanigans, window for early voting is limited, no unmanned/unsecure/unmonitored voting boxes, ID must be required, mail-in ballots not permitted except for specific need and documented and must be received by day of vote, paper backup for all votes, tally must be day of voting and no later, and voter rolls must be updated and cleaned every two years at least 6 months prior to an election for any federal office.
Listen, interesting the Aggressively Rd., Trump map isn’t quite as pro Trump as the real map came out today
Tom Fitton as a special prosecutor with a very broad mandate. Keep the tens of thousands of new IRS agents, but limit their scope to those who have been on the payroll of government, lobbyists, and the infotainment business. Massive tax increases on copyright royalties so that those celebrities who want the rich to "pay their fair share" get the chance to do so.
The Donald being an effective president seems as unlikely as the electoral map at the top.
Sorry I’m late to the party.
I’d like to hear a discussion about banning cost-plus contracts. These are a mechanism often used in DOD procurement whereby the government agrees to pay the contractor’s costs, plus some vig on top. Typically, the contracts are bid competitively, and include bonuses for meeting milestones on time. This is often used on large, technical procurement contracts.
This contracting structure strongly encourages contractors to massively overrun the budget.
Under these terms, the contractor low-bids the initial proposal to win the contract. This ensures the project overruns budgets and schedules.
When the contractor overruns the budget and schedule, they will lose their bonuses. As punishment, the contractor continues making a handsome profit. Because it is ‘cost-plus’, the contractor continues work and bills taxpayers for their continued expenses and the vig.
These overruns can last years, and the additional vig over this extended time can add up to dramatically more than the lost bonuses.
These need to be replaced by firm-fixed-price contracts, in which the cost is negotiated up front and is inflexible. This would strongly incentivize contractors to determine the cost accurately up front, because overruns are footed by the contractor, not the taxpayer. Bidding firm-fixed-price contracts competitively we force the contractors to keep their proposed cost low.
Opponents might point to the Boeing Starliner debacle because it was a firm-fixed-price contract, and it went wrong. However, it is actually a success because Boeing is being held accountable for their own incompetence instead of taxpayers bailing them out. They are still on the hook to deliver a functioning spacecraft.
Republicans have a rare opportunity to significantly reduce the size of government and do it before the end of January. First, let the government shut down at the end of the continuing resolution on December 20th. Why let a lame duck Senate drive an omnibus bill? Just wait until January 3rd and Republicans will likely control both chambers. Will the country survive the Christmas holidays without a functioning federal government? Will the country even notice? And remember, the House passed five appropriations bills in 2024, including Defense, State and Veterans. Simply have both houses repass them and send them to President Biden. What will he do, veto them? President-Elect Trump can say that he will sign them on Inauguration Day. For the rest of the budget, I'm sure that Senior Advisor to the President-Elect Musk can provide suggestions. Thoughts?
I like this idea.