Saturday, March 16, 2024

A perfect example of the government "helping"

Reason: "Seattle Law Mandating Higher Delivery Driver Pay Is a Disaster - Just two weeks after the law went into effect, Seattleites had to contend with $26 coffees and $32 sandwiches." 

In other words, while the ordinance theoretically raises driver earnings to over $26 per hour—a number that ironically far exceeds Seattle's $19.97 standard minimum wage—drivers are barely logging any hours as a result of the drastic decrease in demand for food delivery. As one Seattle driver summarized: "It was dead. Demand was dead." A second driver put it more bluntly: "I've got nothin'. I'm not gonna sit here for hours for one frickin' order."

Great job, Seattle.  But good intentions, amirite?

So...more taxes

Here's the Boston Globe jumping into the fray: "How to fix Social Security."

I'll save you the trouble of reading: it's automatic tax increases.  And while the article hints at pairing tax increases with benefit cuts to bridge the gap, that latter measure floats away like a feather in the wind.

Friday, March 15, 2024

We simply cannot have an honest discussion about Social Security

In today's NY Times, their tendentious resident economist Paul Krugman writes: "Social Security and Medicare Are on the Ballot."

If you're accustomed to either Krugman's style or typical discussions on Social Security, you'll be unsurprised to find that this argument is long on emotional appeal and short on numbers:
All of this has, I believe, encouraged Biden and his officials to stake out a firm position opposing cuts to America’s social safety net — indeed, calling for increased benefits, to be paid for with increased taxes on corporations and high-income individuals.
Yeah, baby!  Is there anything easier than asking somebody else to pay for your benefit?  But as I've regularly noted: Social Security is (by law) a universal program that requires benefits to (roughly) equal the amount of money paid into the system (by law).  Is Krugman OK with Bill Gates receiving a monthly million-dollar benefit check?

To ask is to answer.

Even the Congressional Budget Office admits this would happen under current law:
Because Social Security benefits are tied to the amount of earnings on which taxes are paid, however, some of that increase in revenues would be offset by additional benefits paid to people with earnings above the maximum taxable amount under current law.
Also: how long would we extend the solvency of Social Security with these huge tax increases and unprecedented changes to the program?  Answer: 13 years until we're facing insolvency again:
The first alternative, which would increase the taxable share of earnings from jobs covered by Social Security to 90 percent, would delay the exhaustion of the combined trust funds by 4 years, until calendar year 2037. The second alternative, which would apply the 12.4 percent payroll tax to earnings over $250,000, would delay the exhaustion of the combined trust funds by 13 years, until calendar year 2046.
Having destroyed the universality of Social Security, what will be the next gimmick?  Do Paul Krugman and the NY Times even care?  Nope: we're just trying to get past the next election.

Thursday, March 14, 2024

And then everyone clapped

Ace: "Biden: I Can Remember In College A Math Professor Put Up an Equation He Said Was Unsolvable and I Solved It While On Break from My Job as a Janitor."

Dementia Joe literally recounted an obviously fake story that resulted in a standing ovation from his classmates.  It's like an internet meme come to life.  The media is rushing to protect Dementia Joe but anybody who reads the official transcript will find a guy with bad memory who constantly has to be guided back to the questions at hand after lengthy tangents about his Corvette and archery skills.

Props for the Seinfeld reference

Federalist: "Stuff Your Sorries In A Sack, Janet Yellen." 

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

The post-SOTU polls are in

Newsweek: "Joe Biden's Approval Rating Falls to All-Time Low After SOTU."


I don't understand. Didn't America see the fiery vigor from Old Yeller?


Tuesday, March 12, 2024

He lies about everything, all the time

Federalist: "Turns Out Biden Lied About Hur, Beau, And Why He Pilfered Classified Documents."

Dementia Joe had an $8 million payday coming for his ghostwritten book, so he needed those classified documents for his story.  Biden is on tape telling his ghostwriter to check out the classified material:
When Hur asked the president about the classified papers in his possession, the president contended that he “had no purpose for them, and I think it would be inappropriate for me to keep clearly classified documents.” But Hur, in his prepared testimony for Congress, says: “We also identified other recorded conversations during which Mr. Biden read classified information aloud to his ghostwriter.”
Looking back on Biden's hastily-assembled press conference on February 8th, it's now clear that almost everything he said was a lie:
Q    Mr. President, why did you share classified information with your ghostwriter?

THE PRESIDENT:  I did not share classified information.  I did not share it.

Q    With your ghostwriter?

THE PRESIDENT:  With my ghostwriter, I did not.  Guarantee you, I did not.  What the —

Q    But the special counsel said that —

THE PRESIDENT:  Well, no, they did not say that. 

Q    Okay.

THE PRESIDENT:  He did not say that.
Oh he most certainly did.

Vroom vroom! BrrrrRRRRRRRR!!!!

Twitchy: "The Adults Are Back in Charge: Transcript Shows Biden Made CAR NOISES During Interview With Robert Hur."

It's not dementia...he's fine.

Monday, March 11, 2024

Unraveling the cover-up

National Review: "Exclusive: Jim Jordan Threatens to Hold FBI Director in Contempt over Hunter Biden Laptop Story."

Here's more from the (paywalled) NRO article over at Ace:
"During her transcribed interview, Ms. Dehmlow revealed that the same FBI personnel who were warning social media companies about a potential Russian 'hack and leak' operation in the lead-up to the 2020 election knew that the laptop belonging to Hunter Biden was not Russian disinformation," the letter reads.

"After the New York Post published a story based on the contents of the laptop about Biden family influence peddling, the FBI made the institutional decision to refuse to answer direct questions from social media companies about the laptop's authenticity," the letter adds.

IRS whistleblower Gary Shapley, an IRS agent with years of experience on the Hunter Biden tax case, testified to the House Ways and Means Committee last year that the FBI verified the authenticity of the contents of Hunter Biden's laptop in November 2019.
They knew.  But tell me the story again, Papa, about how the government was almost overthrown by a bunch of middle-age guys with selfie sticks.

Sunday, March 10, 2024

Priorities

 

Because of course they did

Federalist: "Exclusive: Liz Cheney, January 6 Committee Suppressed Exonerating Evidence Of Trump’s Push For National Guard." 

There was plenty of material to criticize Trump that day but when the J6 committee suppressed his "peacefully and patriotically" comment and then highlighted that ridiculous story about him grabbing the steering wheel of the Presidential limo, they committed themselves to a Soviet show trial. 

Saturday, March 09, 2024

The 24/7 job of a Biden minder

I got a chuckle out of this scene from the NY Post: "Biden blames ‘eavesdropping’ media after Netanyahu needs ‘come to Jesus’ moment hot-mic snafu."
The president, 81, made the awkward comment about the Jewish state’s head of government while mingling with lawmakers following his State of the Union address — asking Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) to keep what he said confidential.

“I told him, ‘Bibi’ — and don’t repeat this, but [I said] ‘You and I are going to have a come to Jesus—’,” Biden began as an aide rushed over to stop him from saying more, exclaiming “Sir!” and whispering in his ear.

“I’m on a hot mic here,” Biden said out loud after the aide conveyed his message, adding sarcastically, “Good. That was good.”
Who would have expected that a guy couldn't have a private conversation in the well of the House of Representatives with a hundred people milling around?  Sheesh. 

Remember this classic moment of White House aide panic?


Friday, March 08, 2024

The lie that cannot die

Hot Air: "Biden's Discussion of Billionaire Tax Rates Is a Lie He's Been Telling for Years."

Dementia Joe has repeated this false claim dozens of times, including last night, despite being called a falsehood by no less than the New York Times, the Washington Post, FactCheck and even Politifact.

For some reason, he's never been confronted with this lie so he just continues on his merry way.  I guess that's what happens when you never sit down for interviews or do press conferences.