Month: January 2019

Universal Health Care Is Not Feasible

/ softballpolitics / Leave a comment

Democratic socialism is all the rage across the country. Liberal presidential candidates are stirring up the electorate by proposing entitlements that are not financially feasible. Unfortunately the associated costs of these types of giveaways are never revealed. This essay will address the costs of the largest proposed entitlement- single payer health care.

How much will universal health care cost? Gerald Friedman, an economist at the University of Massachusetts estimates the program will cost $1.38 trillion in the first year. On the high side is Kenneth Thorpe of Emory University who believes the figure will be more like $2.4 trillion. For this exercise I will use the midpoint of these high and low estimates, or $1.9 trillion.

Proponents of universal health care say that it is prudent to assume savings from lower prices the federal government will negotiate with doctors, hospitals and pharma companies.

I would challenge this assumption only by saying that the federal government is not and has never been capable of effectively controlling costs. Certainly it is not more efficient than private industry. Consider the abuses in defense spending and cost overruns for all types of federal projects.

The program being proposed will provide health care coverage to every American, and so, current plans paid for and/or subsidized by companies will end. This will create any number of serious consequences. Some include an inability to choose doctors, waiting for services, poor quality of service and huge start up costs. Additionally thousands of people currently working at insurance companies that are providing health care coverage will lose their jobs.

Assuming efficiencies in a federal government operated system is folly. The program will be bureaucratic and many Americans will be impacted. Moreover increases in the aforementioned costs are indeterminable. Certainly they will increase, so saying that the cost of the program over ten years will be $19 trillion ($1.9 trillion times 10) is a low-ball number.

The Congressional Budget Office and Department of Veterans Affairs indicated the federal budget includes about $1 trillion for Medicare and Medicaid. This cost would be eliminated so that the net impact in the first year on the budget would be $900 billion, excluding startup costs, which would easily top $100 to $200 billion. If the cost of the program increases by 5% annually, the total incremental increase in health care costs would be $12 trillion.

Liberals, too often, suggest major structural changes that include unidentified increases in costs. Why wouldn’t the average American want free health care, or a free house? Naturally when politicians promise more giveaways the electorate is stoked.

But this is only one side of the analysis. One must consider the current level of budget deficits and the total debt of the country. A new entitlement that increases the need to borrow more money is a ridiculous proposal for our country. Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren understand this, yet they continue to push their crazy ideas.

Michael Bloomberg and Howard Schultz have said the universal health care proposal is not feasible. The electorate should listen to these knowledgeable men.

 

Socialism Is Not Viable For America

/ softballpolitics / 1 Comment

America is at a political crossroads. Emboldened by a failed effort by Republicans to clean up the Washington swamp, Democrats are gearing up to experiment with an anti-Trump ideology. It’s known as socialism.

The left should give credit to Bernie Sanders for planting this seed during the 2016 Election. Against all odds Sanders convinced many young voters that the philosophies of Marx, Engels, Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Castro, Guevara and Trotsky were viable alternatives for America. Clinton operatives cheated Bernie, and Hillary was then shellacked by Trump.

In the end it was obvious that America wanted great change, but socialism was too extreme. Cooler heads prevailed as the American people realized that socialism has never been successful for an extended period of time. Every far-left leaning country has failed. Even China and Russia have moved towards western capitalism led by their despotic leaders.

It’s sad that so many younger Americans believe that economic prosperity and exceptionalism are not good for the country. The leaders of socialistic movements always target the affluent and the most successful members in society. Budding socialists in the US want to abscond the assets of the wealthy even though the vast numbers of prosperous individuals in this country were self-made. The belief that most 1%ers were gifted money from their mommies and daddies is total crap.

Have-nots lead the charge to over tax the haves. Why not? The problem with this philosophy is that over taxation dis-incentivizes entrepreneurship, innovation and leadership. Socialists cede their futures to a few leaders who eat like kings while their supplicants eat cake.

In the past, socialistic revolutions nobly and righteously brought down despotic monarchies that stole from the people. The Czars of Russia and the kings of France were noteworthy targets. They were corrupt and didn’t share economic prosperity with their people. Moreover the people were encouraged not to be great. They just followed or were punished.

France and Russia briefly, in historic terms, became socialistic countries. France went down the same path as the US and ultimately became a republic. Russia gave up its hard core socialistic ideals after Ronald Reagan effectively bankrupted America’s worst enemy. Now Russia pretends it is democratic, led by a man who dreams of returning Russia to its glory days. Although Putin leads with an iron hand, he is wary of the desire of his people to participate in the selection of its leaders, but it’s a sham.

In recent days a lengthy conga line of Democrats have been blathering about the benefits of socialism. They want to deconstruct the banking system, which is critical to any successful economy. They want to provide free health care to everyone and eviscerate medical coverage provided by corporations. They want to give students free college education. They want to have open borders and believe that illegal immigrants somehow will make America greater. They want to dismantle the immigration protection provided by ICE. They want police to have less power and authority to fight crime. They want convicted felons to serve less time for heinous crimes and to have the right to vote. They want to spend less on defense of our country.

The 64 thousand dollar question is— How the hell is the US going to pay for all these benefits, entitlements and giveaways? The left says they are going to tax affluent people up to 70% (now that’s a unique idea). If any of these politicians knew how to add, they would realize that there is no tax rate that can pay for the things they want to do.

The platitudes and false hopes being spread by liberals are intoxicating to many who suffer every day trying to make ends meet. But there is no elixir to fix the problems. Americans must work hard to become educated, find good jobs and take care of their families. Every person in the country should have a realistic shot at the American dream. Everyone should have a rewarding life filled with challenges and successes.

In the meantime Americans must be secure in the face of foreign and economic issues, illegal immigration, domestic crime and global pollution. Capitalism and hard work can make this happen.

In two years Americans will go to the polls to vote. I recommend leaders selected be experienced, pragmatic, empathetic and truthful. These four metrics will eliminate many of the current leaders we have and the new flock that is trying to bamboozle America.

Trump And Pelosi Are Lousy Negotiators

/ softballpolitics / Leave a comment

Thankfully the government standoff between President Trump and Speaker Nancy Pelosi has ended. Both of these elected leaders represent the worst of American politics, not to mention their pathetic negotiating acumen. For a paltry amount of money, the Speaker made it impossible to craft a settlement before thousands of government workers were tormented for two months.

Trump should have declared a national emergency on our southern border. After all, the situation in Texas and other places abutting Mexico has become a huge threat, and the furlough of critical workers was making airline travel hazardous.

What did Trump have to lose? He could have taken money from the Defense Department and continued work on the wall. He could have been a hero to furloughed workers with no help from liberals in the House or Senate. As a bonus the president could have given DACA children a 90-day reprieve.

Lawmakers from both parties would have been screaming holy hell, as the president circumvented their responsibility for funding the government. By the way average Americans wouldn’t have given a hoot about any so-called abuse of power. They already think their representatives in the White House and Congress are incompetent and that many of them really should retire. In 2020 voters should weed out the dinosaurs and bring some new blood into US politics.

The situation should never have reached the point it did. Yet, there’s now a growing realization that many Americas have very little savings and are unable to survive any deferral of their pay. Some experts say that about 57% of adult Americans have less than $1,000 to their name. So when emergencies arise, these people have nothing to fall back on. During the recently ended furlough many workers could not come to work because they didn’t have the money to pay for gasoline.

More affluent Americans are also cutting it close. As one earns more money in this country, expenditures for disposable items and entertainment increase. This is one reason why so many parents have not been able to help their children with college tuition payments. Too few are inclined or able to squirrel away money for important purchases.

In urban centers how many individuals have a nest egg? Does any one have one year’s salary socked away? Not many. So when a medical emergency or a furlough occurs, or any one is fired, the family has to sign up for food stamps or other types of aid.

Is the government supposed to provide a safety net for these contingencies? It’s not prepared or financially able to do so. The financial condition of the country is worsening every year plagued by deficits and entitlements that never end. We save nothing for inevitable hardship. The pols that spend our tax payments are not fiscally responsible. Our government has only rarely generated enough revenues to pay for out-of-control expenditures. And old programs live in perpetuity.

Foreign countries are in the same boat. Most are bankrupt. They must borrow to meet their obligations. When socialists take over governments the situation spins further out of control. Every citizen demands more government support and fewer work hours. France is a perfect example of this untenable phenomenon.

In the US pols like Alexandria Ocasio Cortez are spewing their socialistic crap, and too many actually think this 29 year-old bartender from the Bronx has any idea what she’s talking about. Socialists want free college tuition, universal health care, 70% tax rates, increased aid to able bodied Americans who rather not work, more services for illegal aliens and voting rights for convicted felons. It’s unbelievable. If these pols ever gain any real power, the country will go down the drain.

At a cocktail party I attended a learned scholar announced that Nancy Pelosi is a hero for her role in shutting down the government. Really? She orchestrated it for a small amount of money. She didn’t realize that Trump would have jumped through hoops to get $5 billion for his wall. Pelosi was in a position to take care of the DACA children and even begin to pave a road to citizenship for the 15 million illegals already in America. The naysayers are adamant that Trump would not have caved. I disagree. He was desperate. Why would he ultimately open the government for nothing in return? They’re both lousy negotiators.

Be prepared for Trump to use his powers to declare an emergency. He’s not going to back off from his mission to build the wall.

A $5 Billion Wall Has Paralyzed Congress

/ softballpolitics / 1 Comment

The Senate is going to vote on a proposal this week to end the government shutdown. It includes about $5 billion for Trump’s wall (fence or barrier) and an extension that protects DACA children.

Even before the proposal was made to Senate lawmakers, Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the House, said the bill was dead on arrival. She reiterated that she would not compromise or accept any Trump proposals until government employees were brought back to work.

The ability of McConnell, the Senate Leader, to find 60 votes to end a filibuster is dubious. He needs 7 senate Democrats to vote with his Republicans. There are a few Democratic members who will likely take heat if they don’t support the bill, but it’s improbable that a deal is going to be approved. In the meantime hardship for government employees on furlough is increasing.

When you think about the current roadblock in Congress, you have to scratch your head and ask why each side is so obstinate about negotiating a compromise. It’s easy to find fault with the combatants.

The first thing that comes to mind is why Trump continues to use government shut downs to try to get his way. Too many Americans rely upon the efficient operation of the government for jobs, security, air travel and a thousand other things. Trump thinks Americans will endorse this tactic, but he’s wrong. He should end the standoff and open all government offices immediately.

The Dems have dug in their heels and refused to compromise when the issue at hand is mere chump change for the US government. Congress pisses away far greater sums of money with stupid, ill-conceived and ineffective entitlements every week they are in session. So what’s driving the Democrats?

It’s simple- they don’t want to give Trump any legislative victories. They believe that by acting in such a manner, it will increase the chances of defeating Trump in 2020. Frankly it’s a little early to think that a $5 billion face off now is going to move voters from red to blue in two years.

Also Dems have supported and approved appropriations for walls on the southern border in recent years. Obama was president and signed off on many billions that were used to construct barriers to stop illegal immigrants. Now Pelosi and others are saying the wall is immoral and racist.

As discussed in earlier blogs Democratic endorsement of illegals in the country makes no sense. They want to create sanctuary cities and states where people who entered the country illegally can be safe from immigration officials. Not since the Civil War have Americans broken the law to protect a class of people. But at the time it was to protect African Americans citizens, not foreigners.

How can any American defend and support elected US officials, governors, senators or congress people that provide safe havens for illegals and demand that immigration officers be terminated? Beats me. In the meantime the money being spent on providing services for illegals is not available for destitute Americans.

The situation in Washington is so horrible because individuals on both sides of the immigration issue are incompetent and incapable of seeing what is best for our country. Too many lawmakers are relics of the past, unable to make tough decisions. In the meantime Trump is tweeting away while Washington is burning.

Our country has so many other critical issues that need attention. We are being assailed by terrorists, who would like to kill us and bring down our high tech infrastructure. Our environment is worsening every day. Our roads and bridges are crumbling before us. Our health care system is teetering. And our children are not being educated adequately.

In the meantime we fight about a paltry $5 billion installment on a wall.

 

The Most Immediate Threats To America

/ softballpolitics / 1 Comment

There’s no question that President Trump’s vision of government coupled with his overzealous attitude towards opponents is a primary reason why our leaders have been unable to do their job and keep the nation on track.

It’s criminal that our elected officials have not yet crafted a resolution to the current government shut down. And now the most vulnerable among us will suffer indignities and may not be able to cope with, what should be, totally avoidable financial pressures.

There are plenty of guilty parties associated with the current state of affairs. Most notably Democrats have responded to Trump with a tit-for-tat attitude and total obstruction of any and all proposals by the president.

It could not be clearer that Trump is on the way out even if he refuses to recognize it, unless the Dems pick a presidential candidate that’s equally unaligned with the mood of the country.

Unfortunately liberals are moving towards a person who is just as far left, as Trump is far right. If this country really wants to forget about the unfortunate Trump experiment, both parties need to cultivate experienced, statesman-like, intelligent and empathetic candidates. America doesn’t need another rebel rouser who is the left wing version of the current president.

For the most part Democrats vying for their party’s presidential nomination are left-wing radicals or their rhetoric sounds that way. The old adage, be very left or right to win a primary is on display. But Dems should remember the second part – you must move to the center to win the election.

The proposals by current Democratic contenders are off the wall. It’s fashionable for lefties to say all our problems are affiliated with affluent, white, educated and successful Americans. It’s exciting to demand that rich people pay his or her “fair share,” even when nobody really takes into account how much 1%ers already are paying.

It feels good for proclaimed have-nots to target the most accomplished among us, and demand immediate income, racial, social and educational equality. It’s as if one can wave a magic wand and cure all social evils. Socialism feels good to those that portend to be stymied and abused by current conditions in the country, with no regard to their own efforts to improve their situations.

Socialism has proven to be a road to governmental failure. Immigrants and capitalists made the US great. To demand the government stifle entrepreneurship, innovation and exceptionalism will have dire consequences. History has proven this to be the case.

The most recent demands by left-wingers will result in the collapse of the financial system in the country. One hundred percent taxation would not be enough to fund the socialists’ intentions of the current crop of Democratic proposals. It would be great to have universal (and quality) health care, free college for everyone, forgiveness of student debt and open admission to the greatest schools in the country. The problem is that by trying to move to fast to accomplish noble objectives our country will not be able to defend itself from those that want to kill us or destroy our lifestyles.

Changes take time, collaboration and careful consideration. Revolutions will bring us back to the Stone Age while China and Russia streak past us militarily and economically.

Our country needs to effectively raise more capital to build businesses and provide more high paying jobs. We need to inspire our young people to get educated and lift themselves out of poverty. We need to focus more on the needy in our country and stop dedicating resources to those who enter our country illegally.

A lot of work needs to be done to make America a perfect place. In the meantime Americans should recognize that our country is the greatest in the world, and the place where most people want to live. We are the only country that offers others the American Dream.

Selecting new leaders and ridding ourselves of all the old-time, negative and confrontational dinosaurs in Congress is the first step towards a better society and more prosperity. Going backwards with revolution and socialism will weaken us.

Trump Should Quit And Make Way For Haley Or Romney

/ softballpolitics / 1 Comment

Why have American voters been so gullible in recent elections? We’ve allowed ourselves to be bamboozled by Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders. All of these presidential wanna-bes are/were not experienced enough to be commander-in-chief. It’s too bad some of them actually were elected. They have denigrated the presidency and hurt the reputation of the US globally. In every case the person proved that he or she was not up to the job.

Now a new crop of crap is rising to the top of the Democratic Party and spewing pie in the sky platitudes and giving Americans false expectations. Some want to end capitalism, some want immediate income equality, some want universal health care, some want to terminate immigration officers and some want open borders.

The group includes Joe Biden (who at least was a senator for a gazillion years), Elizabeth Warren (who wants to eviscerate financial institutions and their CEOs), Bernie Sanders (who dreams of a socialistic society), Kamala Harris, Kirsten Gillibrand and Corey Booker (all neophytes).

My favorite newbie is Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a 29 year-old former bartender, who has taken Washington by storm after defeating a powerful Democratic representative. Ms. Ocasio-Cortez has a boatload of crazy, socialistic ideas (she worked for Bernie Sanders) that are not new, but are unattainable according to most experts. The new congresswoman is driving the mother hen of the House, Nancy Pelosi, insane, along with every other more experienced Representative in the House.

Ocasio-Cortez wants to start a revolution as she pretends to represent her constituents. The country can be amused by her exuberance and ability to get in front of TV cameras, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. AOC still has a lot to learn. Really a lot.

This mob of radical left-wingers is attempting to appeal to the electorate by proposing to ravage our country with more taxes. It’s the only strategy Democrats have- raise taxes on the rich. They want to use increased revenues to pay for health care for everybody, free college tuition and more illegal aliens that they will defend in their sanctuary cities and states. If they taxed Americans 100%, it wouldn’t be enough to pay for their outrageous and populous give-a-ways.

Progressives are already adopting programs that will serve to bring America down another notch. This group actually wants to save Obamacare. You recall this entitlement in which you are “able to keep your existing doctors” and promised lower costs and lower deductibles. Didn’t happen.

The US is expected to spend $1.34 trillion over the next ten years on this ill-conceived, legacy deal of Obama. The initiative was so bad that after enactment and several months into his first term, Obama lost control of Congress and was a lame duck for the balance of his eight long years in office.

The reason why laws like Obamacare are passed is because our leaders are not experienced enough, naïve and overly self-confident to a point that it infuriates and motivates the opposition. The new crap (I mean crop) of Dems is more of the same. Any one of these people will destroy the US for a decade.

The irony is that it’s possible that Trump can defeat anyone in the Democratic lineup. That’s how pathetic the group is, and how left leaning the members are.

I’m so frustrated by the tactics of the Democrats that I would even support a Clinton-esque candidate, sans the misogyny thing. That’s saying a lot.

Republicans have a once in a lifetime opportunity to really put it to the opposition. The only hurdle is good old Donald. He needs to get the hell out of the way and support one of the two most eligible candidates for the presidency- Nikki Haley or Mitt Romney.

Haley has it all. She’s an incredibly successful woman who has been an administrator (Governor of South Carolina) and a diplomat (Ambassador to the United Nations). She’s conservative, but not a zealot. She’s highly intelligent, well informed, but not averse to listening to qualified advisors. Haley spent enough time with Trump to understand how not to build a presidential administration.

Romney turns off some people because he got trounced a few years ago. I look at it differently. Mitt is a seasoned veteran. He made mistakes. He admitted that some of his strategies and perspectives did not sit well with the electorate. He learned how to be a good candidate. Romney is one of the most successful businesspeople in the country. In addition he was elected Governor of Massachusetts and senator of Utah. He knows how to win elections.

The fly in ointment is Trump, and tradition. Trump could decide to go rogue and ruin everything for Republicans, or he can man up, step aside and support someone who can win in 2020. This needs to be done immediately so the new candidate can build an organization. Haley and Romney have indicated that they would not challenge Trump. Why? Tradition. Politicians never run against a sitting president of their own party. Yet, neither potential candidate has any love for Trump.

America needs a real player to take charge in 2020. No more experiments. No more socialists. No more political correctness obsessiveness. Republicans need to recover from the 2016 disaster. They need someone like Haley or Romney.

 

Ronald Reagan Supported Legal Immigration

/ softballpolitics / Leave a comment

In his last speech as president Ronald Reagan sent a “lover letter to immigrants.” He said, “You can live in France, but you cannot become a Frenchman. You can live in Germany or Turkey or Japan, but you cannot become a German, Turk, or Japanese. But anyone from any corner of the Earth can come to live in America and become an American.” Here is a link to the entire speech.

For many months I have been fulminating about the incompetence of our leaders regarding immigration. I queried, how could so many people be allowed to enter the US without authorization? It’s a travesty that over 15 million were not processed the way my grandparents were at the turn of the Century over 100 years ago.

My rhetoric concerning immigration is not a condemnation of immigrants or what they have done to make my country the greatest in world. I am not a xenophobe, a racist or intolerant. I believe immigrants bring with them fresh perspectives that are beneficial to our culture and our daily lives. They bring a sense of hope for us that sometimes wanes when times get tough. They appreciate our democracy and the freedoms that Americans sometimes take for granted. They remind us that the US is the best place in the world to work, raise a family and enjoy an American dream.

Nevertheless the US has standards and protocols that must be adhered to. By doing so we can protect our country from the small number of those that want to export hate and violence. And immigrants must be prepared to assimilate and be part of our society. We should not accept those who want to establish ghettos consisting of their own kind, who are unwilling to adopt our language or who are not prepared to obey our laws. Vetting of immigrants insures that most immigrants will, in fact, contribute to our way of life.

Allowing so many illegals to enter our country over the past 20 years was a serious mistake. Porous borders are not good for America. Now 15+ million illegals are in our country and we have no alternatives. We must integrate them to avoid chaos, but we should do so in an orderly fashion that ensures our way of life. There must be conditions to citizenship.

New illegal immigration must not be allowed. Leaders of today should not permit interlopers who flaunt our laws to gain entry. We must vet, and we must be strong as we accept new applications for immigration, asylum or for any other kind of issue.

The people who have entered the country are using resources that should be directed towards American citizens in need. This diversion is an outrage. The people who legally live and work in America should not become more destitute because others are breaking the law. Nor should our leaders turn the other way and allow this travesty to continue. Whether you want to recognize it or not, most illegals take more than they contribute. In fact this disparity has been estimated at over $100 billion each year.

The solution to the current immigration problem is not really that complicated. We must resign ourselves to the fact that the group already in the country should be given a path to citizenship that includes a vow to comply with our laws prospectively and to assimilate into our society. It would be inhumane to round up millions and ship them out of the country. The only quid pro quo is that new illegal immigration end immediately. If the wall expedites this objective I’m in favor of it.

Let me repeat myself. I am totally supportive of immigration into the US just as Ronald Reagan was. It must be legal and orderly. I am not in favor of porous borders that result in immigration that taxes every level of our government. The US cannot be the repository of all individuals throughout the world who seek a new place to live.

 

 

The Art Of Not Making A Deal

/ softballpolitics / 1 Comment

Congressional Democrats have created a gigantic sh–storm by refusing to approve a relatively minor installment on Trump’s immigration wall.

Opponents of the president will do anything they can to embarrass the president even if the country suffers for it. When Obama was in office conservatives never wanted America to fail, in any regard, to gain a political advantage. It’s un-American to do so.

Sen. Schumer and Speaker Pelosi can’t quite grasp the current state of play in the negotiations. Trump is looking for a way to appease his constituents at virtually any cost by moving forward with his wall. If Democrats approve a $5 billion appropriation for it, the president will do just about anything in return.

What might these things be? For one, the DACA kids could put on the road to citizenship immediately. Second, in terms of immigration policy, the road to citizenship for all 15 million illegals in the country can be paved. There need be only one proviso, no more new illegals, which the wall will help to accomplish.

Democrats are missing an opportunity to hit a grand slam homerun on the immigration front because they don’t understand how to negotiate effectively, and they are blinded by their animus towards the president.

Americans who are following this story should take note of two interesting facts. One is that the $5 billion ask by the president is a drop in the bucket as it relates to our national budget of several trillion dollars. Second, all the whining about federal employees not receiving a paycheck is bluster. The Senate has already offered a bill that guarantees these people back pay lost from the furloughs. The House will surely follow suit.

Democratic leaders need to rein in their new electees who are screaming for impeachment. This country does not need another three-ring political circus and constitutional crisis that leads to nowhere and only serves to divert our lawmakers. The House can impeach with its majority. But there is no way the Senate will convict with a required 2/3 vote.

I suggest the liberals start focusing on China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan, health care, education, terrorists, human rights, climate change and disease control and forget about small potatoes like the wall.

This is not so say that immigration is an unimportant topic. Fifteen million illegals are roaming around our country utilizing services that cost our taxpayers $125 billion each year. We need to deal with this problem now and stop it from growing any larger. Build the damn wall already. It will stop a huge number of new interlopers from entering the country.

Let’s use some smart negotiating tactics and get our government back to work for us.

Why Not Build A Wall?

/ softballpolitics / Leave a comment

The immigration controversy in America is taking a huge toll on our government. President Trump has shut down several agencies in an effort to force Democrats to work with him and to fund a wall that is supposed to prevent more illegal immigrants from entering the US.

Many Americans including the author of this essay are befuddled why the objective of stopping illegal immigration isn’t a noble cause. Why would Americans want the number of people living illegally in our country to increase any further?

It would be another story if this group of interlopers were meeting some sort of important need, or providing the US with a way to increase population in the face of lower birth rates. Rather, immigrants from the south, for the most part, are entering the country with no prospects of employment, without a place to live and creating financial chaos educationally and medically. Some analysts estimate that the net effect of 15+ million illegals is costing taxpayers about $125 billion per annum.

This money is being redirected from legitimate needs of American citizens and creating great strains on neighborhoods across the country.

How can we manage the affairs of our country with porous borders that allow undocumented people to enter the country with no barriers? Many of these individuals are destitute and are accompanied by minors, which serves to exacerbate an already terrible problem. Many claim that they seek asylum from some sort of persecution. The US has a process for this type of immigrant, which being ignored.

It’s heartbreaking to see that so many who want entry into the US are suffering, are hungry, are homeless. The world is a cruel place. But the US cannot be a repository for all those that are less fortunate than we are. It should be noted that many western countries are trying, just as unsuccessfully as the US, to help needy people.

Liberals, in their altruistic zeal, want to help the masses of people that are continuously entering our country illegally. This puzzles many Americans and has created a great divide. In fact some cities and states are breaking the law by setting up “sanctuaries” to shield illegals from our own immigration officials. These faux do-gooders have spurned the very people that protect their homes and provide safety against strangers who might be dangerous.

The security of our country is at stake. Grave mistakes in judgment over the past few decades have created a problem that is nearly insurmountable. Even with about 15 million illegals already ensconced among us, liberals are not willing to do what is necessary to stop the flow of more interlopers. This has occurred even though many who object to the presence of illegals in the country have agreed to allow them to stay and become citizens if they assimilate legally into our society.

The current situation is untenable. The president proposed a wall that will impede the flow of illegals into the country. It will not stop every attempt to do so. Many have criticized the wall saying it is too expensive and will not be effective. This commentary makes no sense. If illegals want to enter the country and they must scale over or dig under a 30-foot high wall, many will be unable to do so. The alternative is another 15 million illegals in the country over the next decade, which will increase the burden on taxpayers by another $100 billion each year.

Democrats and liberals have not proposed an alternative strategy to the wall. Trump is the only president in history that has directly addressed the proliferation of illegal immigrants. It’s a very difficult problem. The status quo is going to make the situation direr.

The current tab for construction is $5 billion (out of a multi-trillion dollar budget). Why not let Trump have his wall? It’s a relatively small price that may stem the tide of immigrants into the US.

Resources for the needy are limited and are becoming sparser every year. Why spend more on non-citizens Let’s move forward with the wall and see if it’s successful.

2020 Presidential Choices

/ softballpolitics / 1 Comment

Americans are going to have three presidential options in 2020. They are: Donald Trump, another Republican if Trump resigns or a Democrat.

The Trump option is becoming more remote with each passing day for two reasons. One, the Donald could resign because he’s unable to deliver on one or more of his most significant campaign promises. Two, Robert Mueller, the special counsel may be gearing up to deliver a knockout punch to the president relating to interference in the 2016 election and/or obstruction of justice.

The construction of a wall to keep illegal aliens from entering the US may be a bigger political issue than anyone thinks, as Trump has gone all-in, by closing down parts of the government until Congress agrees to fund the wall’s construction costs. If the president backs down he will lose all credibility with his base.

Interestingly the wall is not really so important issue from a financial perspective. We’re only talking about a relatively small installment of $5 billion in a multi-trillion dollar budget. Why all the “strum und drang?” It’s not so long ago that the Obama administration wasted $2 trillion on a pathetic, expensive and ill-conceived health care initiative.

Sen. Chuck Schumer, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and their minions needed an issue on which they could hang their hats. They picked the wall and characterized it negatively by saying it’s racist, xenophobic, too expensive (keep in mind the US spends over $100 billion each year for services benefitting illegals) and not an effective way to stem illegal immigration. The total cost of the wall of about $50 billion won’t break the bank, and it just might prevent thousands of more illegals from coming into our country. Every new offender costs taxpayers more money for medical, educational and security services.

Nevertheless Democrats are standing tall against the $5 billion ask, even while certain employees of our government are not being paid.

If Trump is unable to get Democrats to relent, his political base may crumble. This would be great impetus for Trump to give up and retreat to his Tower in NYC.

The second presidential possibility is a run by Nikki Haley or Mitt Romney. Both have said they would not consider moving ahead if Trump decides to run for reelection. This is not the first time that Softball Politics has brought up the candidacies of these two outstanding politicians.

Republican-leaning woman who are disillusioned by Trump would jump on the Haley bandwagon, a former governor and legislator in South Carolina and Ambassador to the United Nations. Wouldn’t it be ironic if Haley were to become the first woman elected president of our country? She is eminently qualified and has political perspectives that a wide range of voters would respond to.

Romney is more of a wild card. He made plenty of errors in his previous bid for the presidency, but surely learned a lot that would serve him well in another campaign. Romney is well qualified as a super star businessperson and a governor of Massachusetts, a liberal stronghold. Recently he won election to become the junior senator from Utah. His integrity is second to none, a rare quality in current political circles.

The final option is the most disturbing. Democrats, many of them, are flocking to join the race for the presidency. Unfortunately it’s a contest in which each political hopeful in the group is trying to lean further left than the other.

Joe Biden is the only legitimate player. At least he has the experience to lead the country. Although he comes across a buffoon too often, is ancient (age wise) and is a relic of the failed Obama administration.

All the other contestants are lefties who want to raise taxes, allow more illegals to enter the country, provide extremely expensive universal health care, offer costly free college tuition and so much more. The country cannot afford to elect free spending socialists. It’s time for carefully thought out proposals that will not deter economic growth.

Yet, if Trump runs again, the possibility of a radical left wing socialist in the White House increases exponentially. Republicans’ only chance of regaining total control of the federal government is for Trump to resign and make way for one of two really attractive conservative candidates.