tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-248634062024-03-17T22:02:30.967-05:00Swick SpeakA blog devoted to political and economic topics in today's society.Bob Swickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04474657552346869425noreply@blogger.comBlogger1088125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24863406.post-18569735618502976462024-03-16T04:02:00.000-05:002024-03-16T04:02:26.760-05:002024: The Surrendering And Abuse of Your Personal Data for the New Order of Patriotic Obedience<br />In the post Covid-19 apocalypse, the government has figured out new ways for you to provide your service to it. One way is by mining and selling your most personal data without your knowledge or consent. Why is it important that Connecticut swipes our data? Why has it sold our data to different businesses? Why has our Federal Government started buying our personal data without our knowledge? Isn't this illegal and a violation of Federal law? Whatever happened to our privacy as private citizens? Are we being spied on with no repercussions and with no ability to legally challenge any government agency either on a state or federal level for doing this? Why is this allowed? Why is our entire political establishment coldly and icily silent on this issue? Why has the State of Connecticut suffered several major data breaches over the past several years but has acknowledged none? Further, why does corporate and/or state-run media run away from the findings of data sales or breaches even when irrefutable facts are made known to the public? <br />My friend and colleague Tony De Angelo has been chronicling the egregious situation of data abuses and misuses in Connecticut for the past several years including (but, not limited to) the cover-up of the global 2020 Department of Health breach and the subsequent MOVE-IT file transfer breach, known as “The Hack of The Year” by Tech Crunch Magazine in 2023. Tony is fond of calling Connecticut the “data insecurity” state. But as terrible as that is, we know we have at least two major documented issues in Connecticut with the selling of our personal data with no questions asked by any political or state-connected media sources. First, what has happened with the swiping of the personal genomic data of children that went to Sema-4 under the guise of “testing” during the Covid-19 state crisis? Secondly, whatever has become of the personal data that was given to Boston Consulting Group by then-Chief of Staff Josh Geballe by contract during the Covid-19 state crisis? Has any elected official been concerned with this even after being notified in no uncertain terms that a crime had been committed by the state against its citizens? <br />Concurrently, has any Connecticut elected Democrat United States Senator or Representative questioned and/or informed his or her constituents as what has been done with the data bought by our National Intelligence agencies with our United States Taxpayers monies? For example: "The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention bought personal data from tens of millions of cellphones to check obedience to COVID lockdown and curfew decrees. A California county paid for information revealing how many people attended each church during COVID lockdowns. The Internal Revenue Service purchased location and tracking data from a private firm that sells data harvested from dating apps." (<a href="https://nypost.com/2023/06/19/feds-are-buying-your-life-with-your-tax-dollars">https://nypost.com/2023/06/19/feds-are-buying-your-life-with-your-tax-dollars</a>). Aren't these purchases a direct violation of our Fourth Amendment of due process to the United States Constitution? Or is the United States Constitution just something that should be ignored by the Democrat Party and its operatives and enablers in our government? And this was done last year, so why has little been mentioned about it since then. Why? <br />Apropos of the above, the week of March 10, 2024, will go down as the week that the U.S. House of Representatives voted to ban the social media app “TikTok” from the United States of America due to reported data transfers and purported election interference by evil Communist actors. Notwithstanding First Amendment issues regarding this proposed ban, a genuine impulse to protect the public from harm is admirable. However, more than one politician has been on record saying there would be “no issues” if TikTok were owned by an American company. Since the data of American citizens is involved with TikTok, the telling nature of these blatant statements by politicians are simply starkly indicative of this entitled attitude that we are all too well aware of. <br /> Law abiding, legal Americans and American Taxpayers legally have a right to our privacy. Since the Covid-19 crisis, we seem to have been stripped of this legal right under the guide of “it's for the greater good”. And at the same time millions of illegal immigrants can parade right through our country with no questions asked and legal American Taxpayers are now required to support them. Is any data being compiled on the massive amount of terrorist, drug and human smugglers and criminals who are welcomed to our country daily by the Biden Administration? This is yet another example of the total disrespect and humiliation of the legal United States citizens and American Taxpayers who must fund this treacherous disregard on all levels of government for the laws of our country for their own financial and political gains. <br /><br />Demand of all your elected officials that this heinous behavior stop now.<span class="yiv7411621455ydpacf25940EOP yiv7411621455ydpacf25940SCXW89874240 yiv7411621455ydpacf25940BCX8" style="font-family: Aptos, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 32.55px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></span>Bob Swickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04474657552346869425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24863406.post-90418395037040910372024-03-09T06:38:00.001-05:002024-03-09T06:39:05.575-05:00About Taxes: The Lies They Taught Us in Connecticut Schools.<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><br /><br />If you attended a Connecticut school prior to the Millenium, you were taught that taxes were the obligation of a free people in order to defend freedom, educate children, and to keep peace and order in society. You were also taught that we, the people, had rule over government as we were able to vote people in and out of office and to determine how our money was spent. Although no system is perfect, the tax system we all understood worked remarkably well in funding the many interests of a vibrant and varied society. <br /><br /> However, in recent years, the Connecticut power to tax its citizens has become a license to oppress the rights of Connecticut citizens and to dilute their power by taking away their substance. The new mantra from Connecticut Government is: Do as I say and do not question what I say, since you are a mere vassal. If you question my ruling powers, I will then try to limit everything you say and/or do by deeming it offensive or calling it disinformation or (pray-tell), racism, especially if you use social media and/or question my infallible judgment during a supposed pandemic. <br /><br />Sounds bizarre? Think again. This is now the reality of life in Connecticut. Connecticut's state government continues to act like a big bully you hated in school, always busy picking on someone and making them miserable. If you are a small business owner with no political ties, you have no voice or choice and may have lost everything you worked for during the pandemic and the daily dictates given by the Lamont regime to “keep you safe from harm.” If you dare to challenge or criticize an elected official or an unelected highly compensated bureaucrat publicly or on social media, be prepared to be punished, ridiculed, and/or silenced. If you have been robbed or have had a family member murdered, you need to understand that the criminal is the victim while you have been made to be the criminal in voicing your outrage against your injustice and the lawless act committed against you and your family. If you have had a family member die of an illegal drug overdose, there is nothing you can do about since your government endorses a fully open border with the free flow of illegals and illegal drugs to come into our country and state to help murder more Americans daily while an entirely out-of-control state blathers drivel and continually promises to “do something” as “it cares about the people”. <br />So, let us return to the textbook definition: Taxes are defined as "a mandatory payment or charge collected by local, state, and national governments from individuals or businesses to cover the costs of general government services, goods, and activities." (taxfoundation.org). Do the costs of general government include eliminating dissenting opinions? Do the costs of general government include eliminating freedom of speech and constitutional rights? Do the costs of general government include eliminating political opposition and interfering with elections as we are currently seeing with President Trump? Do the costs of general government include supporting the information machine of the elect at taxpayer expense? Do the costs of general government include eliminating the rule of law and order? Do the costs of general government include eliminating medical and personal freedoms as we saw with the reported pandemic? Does the costs of general government include the complete eradication of ethics in government through a never-ending profit chain for King Ned Lamont The Unaccountable’s family hedge funds during the entire time he has been in office? Do the costs of general government include eliminating any form of transparency in government and the continual funding of a perpetually-inept ethics office causing this behavior to continue endlessly? Do the costs of general government include the elimination of a free market economic system in favor of a bribe-type of economy favoring an elect few using the hoax of <br />“economic development dollars”? Do the costs of general government include the free flow of illegal drugs into our country? Do the costs of general government include eliminating a legal border and to allow criminals and terrorists in with no questions asked? Do the costs of general government include the public safety disaster that is now either a Connecticut city or interstate highway? Since the state and our country are such an economic and social nightmare why are our taxes being collected and used in this manner of rack and ruin? <br /><br />Many also believe our state and country are at a breaking point. The regime-like atmosphere in Hartford and Washington has bred a massive decline in our society. A ridiculous and abusive State of the Union address made by a pathetic and corrupted Democrat President Biden only reinforces his hatred of any and all expressing opposition to the Democrat Party New World Order of deception and totalitarian rule. Connecticut's elected demigods, ruling with an iron fist, have helped nurture the decline in the state for many years with the net result of a state saddled with $125 to $150 Billion dollars in short- and long-term debt along with unfunded liabilities. It is also comical to note that there is no plan whatsoever to pay down this debt, ever, and no elected official of any party ever raises this highly cautionary point. American and Connecticut Taxpayers are sick of runaway inflation, runaway crime, and runaway taxes to support this debris and waste being served to us a supposed elected government. <br /><br /> There needs to be a real change in both our elected officials and our government. Enough of this horrific path to economic and social destruction. Our taxes need to start going to a real democracy again to serve the citizenry, and not a socialist, oppressive, failed system of ruthless control of the masses while benefiting the politically collected reign of the chosen and the few. We, The People of our great state and country are no longer being represented, the time for a change is today. For failure to make these most critical changes would result in the destruction of the State of Connecticut and the United States of America.</p>Bob Swickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04474657552346869425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24863406.post-80690048715311973472024-03-02T06:05:00.001-05:002024-03-02T06:13:02.651-05:00The Church: Just One More Vehicle For The Connecticut Democrat Government To Use Against The Taxpaying Citizens Of Connecticut<span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><br /> Holy Bible: Matthew Chapter 16, (Verses 18-20) <br /><br /> 18 And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. <br /><br />19 And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. <br /><br /> Over two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ of Nazareth declared to the Apostle Peter his design and vision for the Christian church. This vision was founded under the design of the Jewish Temple in the Old Testament and brought forward by Jesus. The objective was for the church to be an anchor and support for the believer to learn, grow, to have fellowship with one other, and to learn about the power and authority God grants to every child and believer to be strong in independence and God’s grace. Even to this day, churches and religion still play an important part in our society. <br /><br /> However, for many churches in Connecticut there has been a major shift in their role and political beliefs even though there is a supposed separation from church and state in our country. The separation is a necessary firewall so that churches cannot taint the Gospel mission with political causes. But for some Connecticut churches today, this rule is no longer in the book. These churches have seared their consciences and have consumed the pitcher of Democrat Kool-Aid to embrace whatever partisan-ism, electioneering and socialism handed to them provided there is some Democrats waving taxpayer dollars. In many cases, complaints of these unscriptural and illegal practices are often met with shaming and derision directed most aggressively against others by the very churches “benefiting” from these same practices. <br /><br /> Unfortunately, the Democrat political machine (enabled if not encouraged by Republican silence in many cases) has found a whole new profit center in co-opting obeisant churches and destroying the integrity of their doctrine and the vision of Moses and Jesus. This new profit center is based upon massively importing and housing illegal immigrants into the U.S.A in exchange for seemingly plentiful government cash. This crisis has caused a great upheaval in what the role of the church has become in this Democrat debacle in Connecticut, and throughout our country. <br /><br /> Of course, inept Connecticut needs one more social crisis as much as General George Armstrong Custer needed more hostile Indians in the massacre of Little Big Horn in 1876. For in Connecticut, we are all too aware of the past 34 plus years with massive crime, massive illegal drug problems, massive homeless problems, and massive taxes and debt. Of course, these problems have compounded into the nightmare conditions the state has today. Churches have echoed their desires to help but their desires have been perverted in many cases to become appendages to the state and local governments as political tools attempting to address the problems that the same state and local governments have created and expanded on over the years. More money thrown at these problems to any observer seems to do nothing other than to exacerbate the problems and make them much worse. <br /><br /> Sadly, many Connecticut churches today have become even more useful appendages for the Democrat design to destroy Connecticut cities and towns by parroting the new Connecticut government mantra of affordable housing especially by destroying local zoning decisions and alternatively setting up state-controlled transit center hubs that will have supposed affordable housing developments which somehow will inexplicably create this housing heaven on earth. It is fascinating to see how much profit becomes involved as politically connected developers and glad-faced hangers-on are all clamoring for a cut of the action by hoping to strip away zoning laws from state towns and cities to promote this agenda. Seeing parallel visions of state cash, some state churches are offering use of their church campuses and land to house the homeless and/or the undocumented and illegal. While being lauded by the political machine for this apparently honorable and righteous act, the sometimes well-meaning but always misled church leaders quickly realize that whatever commitment they have had to their founding doctrine or plain old right and wrong must now be extinguished in order to maintain their allegiance as satellites to the Democrat political objective. Instead of the illegal harboring of illegals, I submit to the affected churches that if they followed their ordained doctrines, they would provide comfort to the afflicted while then proceeding to tell the authorities to return their people to their rightful lands. For to do otherwise is to completely disregard the value of their very doctrines of self-determination that provided incalculable benefit to their devoted flock over time along with providing the life to their initial founding. <br /><br /> Other than destroying their ordained mission, nothing whatsoever resolves the long-term problem of why housing is so expensive compared to incomes in the high taxed and poisonously regulated state of Connecticut. Nothing whatsoever proposed by these political characters solves the transit issues in the state nor does it make the state subsidized bus fleet any safer to use since there is rampant and unchecked crime on state buses. Recently a man was stabbed in Hartford recently on a Connecticut Transit bus (https://www.ctinsider.com/capitalregion/article/hartford-stabbing-ct-transit-bus-18688425.php). Is this stabbing an example of why one would want to move to these affordable housing hubs around transit centers that have been subsidized with Taxpayers monies? Isn't crime down in the state according to the Connecticut Democrat Party? Does not the state administrate better than anyone on the planet and know what is best for all? <br /><br /> Unfortunately, the State of Connecticut buying and bribing of the churches continues. The state recently offered $5,000,000 of your money for “places of worship” and non-profits to help with their security. Thus, rather than enforcing and/or increasing legal punishments and incarcerations for these same crimes, the state must use Taxpayers monies in a faux prop effort to “combat” these crimes. Unfortunately, this reliance on government rather than self and the principles that Jesus and the prophets gave us, churches are not safe havens for prayer and worship anymore, especially those churches who have subscribed to full-scale political sellouts. Also, rampant violence is now the norm for Jewish synagogues that have been recent targets of the new “chic” pro-Hamas and Palestine protestors. Why are Hamas terrorists being "worshiped" by liberals in general and why is hatred being taken out on innocent Jewish worshipers? Where are the politicians decrying this sectarian violence? Is terrorism now “woke”? Are assaults against those believing in the God of Israel, now “cool”? <br /><br /> Of course, as some churches stray farther from their doctrines and into the will of politicians, they become mere tools in “voter engagement” efforts. Now addicted to government cash, these churches act like trained dogs in ballot harvesting and carrying out government marching orders to obtain more governmental funding and cheap favors from politicians. The sham election in Bridgeport certainly comes to mind as those close to the ground in the city have explained how the bread is buttered there, and the mess is anything but pretty. The endorsements that convicted felon Mayor Ganim seem both ridiculous and sickening in nature especially after the voter fraud that took place during this and previous elections. Moreover, it is puzzling to me that I have not seen any Bridgeport clergy to date protest the ostensible lack of a free and fair election and self-determination for their parishioners and their city. <br /><br /> In 2024 our economy and societal norms are unraveled in every stratum of American life. The biblical Book of Timothy is being actualized this day in that truth is now a lie and lies are truth. Theft is acceptable, if not encouraged. Boys are now girls, and girls are now boys. One must accept beliefs that defy logic or be condemned and canceled by the ruling elite. The house of worship was designed by Moses and later by Jesus to be an escape to one's faith and well-being, nurturing spiritual strength, personal development and empowerment and guidance. However, some churches in King Ned Lamont The Unaccountable’s Connecticut are following paths to ruin and destruction by accepting moral and spiritual destruction in exchange for cash. The church and state need to separate again. The clergy must divorce itself from politicians. The church should not encourage illegal behavior in any way. Religious freedom need not be questioned or vilified. This path to destruction needs to stop today. <br /><br /><br /></span>Bob Swickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04474657552346869425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24863406.post-88071702017050202432024-02-24T04:43:00.000-05:002024-02-24T04:43:35.734-05:00Reimagining Patriotism- The Embracing of Illegal Immigration <br />Over 7,000,000 immigrants have illegally come into the United States since the impaired and dysfunctional Democrat President Joe Biden has taken office. The rationale for this egregious disaster is unknown as to why the President wants open borders. Our country has been forced to take in this substantial number of illegal immigrants, and the consequences have been severe. In addition, there has been no comment from the Biden Administration regarding approximately 300,000 unaccompanied children that have been let in at the border and then reportedly placed with American sponsors. It is important to note that many of said children come to the United States through cartels, human smugglers, and coyotes. It is a well-known disregarded fact by the Biden Administration that parents will pay these perpetually evil actors a great deal of money to bring their children to our country. Unfortunately, many of these children unfortunately have been "lost" by our administratively incompetent U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Who were the children's sponsors? Were the sponsors investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services? Are the children now being abused, sold into sex trafficking, working in slave labor conditions, being held hostage, or dead? Why is the Biden Administration hiding this information? This Administration created the issue they need to address it. Ostensibly, it apparently is perfectly acceptable to abuse innocent children with the blessings of the Pathetic and Corrupt Biden Administration. <br />Where do over 7,000,000 immigrants that have come into the United States illegally live? As we can see in wholesome, well run, and Democrat-led sanctuary cities, illegals live anywhere they can possibly fit. Illegal migrants can be housed with American Taxpayers monies in tent cities, in motels and hotels, in public schools, and in community centers in poorer neighborhoods driving out peoples of color. But cracking under the weight of their own stupidity these same wholesome, well run, caring and Democrat led sanctuary cities are now asking for private citizens in the suburbs to sponsor and house illegal immigrants and families as their social act of patriotism. Further, King Ned Lamont The Unaccountable’s Connecticut is proud to host four sanctuary cities; New Haven, Hartford, New London and Windam. It is unknown how many of the current 7,000,000 immigrants can be found in these four cities and or throughout Connecticut. Apparently, there are over 113,000 undocumented immigrants in the state currently (if not more). How many more can the state hold? One wonders about the recent Connecticut uptick in crime along with the non-stop illegal drug crisis that is crippling the country and parts of Connecticut. It is interesting to point out this fact: "Between October 2022 and April 2023, Customs and Border Protection seized more than 17,000 lbs. of fentanyl at the southern border. In fact, from March of 2022 to March of 2023, CBP seized enough fentanyl to kill every single American 14 times over." (<a href="https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/biden-border-crisis">https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/biden-border-crisis</a>). Fentanyl overdoses are the norm in 2024, with silence again from the Pathetic and Corrupt Biden Administration along with the complicit and inept Connecticut political establishment. <br />Of course, bad policy begins with the United States Congress. In this connection, the entire Connecticut Democrat Congressional delegation approves of over 7,000,000 immigrants that have come into the United States illegally. Many may wonder how many illegals are being housed by United States Senators Blumenthal and Murphy? Many may wonder how many illegals are being housed by United States Representatives DeLauro, Hayes, Himes, Larson and Courtney? Their silence is deafening through this crisis that the Pathetic and Corrupt Biden Administration has created. Maybe Democrat Senator Murphy would not be as lonely as he is apparently if he would just house some of the illegal migrants in his home. Or maybe Democrat Representative DeLauro could be a real role model and house some illegals in her mansion sized New Haven Sanctuary city home. I submit to the reader that these requests to our Connecticut Congressional delegation are apropos given their support and endorsement of their policies of illegal immigration. <br />Connecticut in a new legislative session and the illegal immigration crisis I am sure will be talked about and debated at length by the controlling state liberal Democrat Party. Meanwhile, the Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution referencing power to the state should be sending fear and chills to every poor taxpaying resident of the State of Connecticut. Given the delusional and irrational nature of the Legislature, will decisions be made by Democrat and Democrat-Lite legislators to encourage (or compel) homeowners to house illegals in their homes under a self-perpetuated “Public Health Emergency?” Of course, more money is needed to house, feed, educate, and give medical care to these people. And after all, they have to live somewhere! <br />Maybe Republicans in the Connecticut Legislature could finally exhibit some much-needed courage against this onslaught and start calling out the Democrats for the nightmare they have created with the over 7,000,000 immigrants that have come into the United States illegally. Even so, I submit that every elected official of whatever persuasion should be asked repeatedly if he or she supports this new form of Patriotism in the form of voluntary or compulsory housing of illegals. For, what an absolute nightmare legal Americans must face daily with this Democrat Party manufactured crisis. And to add insult to injury what is the actual cost to American Taxpayers with this Democrat Party manufactured crisis? How many billions of dollars must be wasted? <br />Enough of this woke madness. Enough of illegal immigration. Enough of this garbage rhetoric being force fed to the American public by an incoherent Democrat Party and its enablers. Enough of the incoherent gibberish of failed socialism that the American public is supposed to embrace because of the power grab that the Democrat Party wants to make to take over our country and make it a totalitarian state. Legal immigration worked at one time in our country. But to the current insane and delusional people who rule the Democrat Party, anything legal should be shunned for their failed new country Utopia. It is time for this insanity to stop now or our country will not be a country anymore. Bob Swickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04474657552346869425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24863406.post-70274747191706170822024-02-17T05:12:00.000-05:002024-02-17T05:12:21.563-05:00What Exactly are the Connecticut “Fiscal Guardrails?” <br />For a number of years, Connecticut taxpayers have heard many statements out of the mouths of politicians and in media about “fiscal guardrails.” This buzz-phrase had its origins during the 2017 state budget negotiations and ever since has been trumpeted as a security system of sorts against fiscal recklessness and insanity in the State of Connecticut. However, since the onset of the 2024 Legislative session, this term has been used increasingly as a term equivalent to a gold standard of ensuring against fiscal ruin. To this end, I have felt it incumbent upon me to strip the concepts to bare metal and describe what the Connecticut “fiscal guardrails” really mean, and as to if the basis they have in actuality. <br />To understand what the guardrails are is amazing look at the creative “funny money" accounting of Connecticut's government going all the way back to 1991. Unbelievably a "spending cap" was enacted as part of the agreement to give Connecticut a State Income Tax in 1991. That "spending cap" was summarily ignored by careless feel-good legislators on both sides until said cap was rebranded as the "fiscal guardrails" in 2017 as the state was entangled in excessive spending, borrowing, bonding and ignoring all of its long term unfunded liabilities including (but not limited to) the bulbous state pensions paid to retired state employees and state legislators (with many checks sent to low/no tax states where these people now live). Therefore, rather than dealing with sharp fiscal controls, expense reduction, and eliminating the waste, fraud, abuse, and oppressive administrative state redundancy in Connecticut, these "fiscal guardrails" were instituted to accomplish a mere three restraints on spending, being, a spending cap of a base percentage tied to the inflation rate, a volatility cap that forces excess revenue from variable revenue sources to go first to the budget reserve and then to underfunded pensions, and a revenue cap that limits state spending in order to create the illusion of a surplus. Trying to understand these "fiscal guardrails" since 2017 is a colossal study of a vague theory never quite catching up with the reality of the fiscal wreckage and spending horror that unfortunately, is the Nutmeg State. <br />To make the weakened “fiscal guardrails” concept example even more clear, let us take a step back to reflect on basic fiscal realities. In 1991, the Connecticut State Budget was $7.7 billion dollars. In 2024 Connecticut is sporting a $26 billion dollar budget. That is a 335% increase in state spending. Adjusting that figure for inflation, we see that it has increased roughly 135%. In that same period, Connecticut's population has stagnated by increasing between only 5% and 9% depending on what you read and or believe and state GDP has cratered with rampant business departures and the loss of professional and high paying occupations. Thus, state spending has accelerated to an incredible level with little increase in its population. And Connecticut proudly boasts one of the highest property tax rates in the country in addition to one of the highest state rates in the country while being a constant bottom five states in business categories in one of the most business-unfriendly and avoided states in the union. Also, Connecticut has $100 to $150 billion dollars in short- and long-term debt along with unfunded liabilities (such as the state pension fund). Contrary to the rhetoric of King Ned Lamont (aka “the Unaccountable”), his Democrat Party, and his state-run media spokespeople, legal and productive citizens and new businesses are not flocking to the state, nor have they been coming in since 1991, going all the way back to the enactment of the first state income tax. <br />In 2024 like past years, cries from liberal sources spew their hatred against all "fiscal guardrails", as incomplete as they may be. From liberal/socialist Democrat State Representatives and State Senators to the insatiable SEBAC-state government union groups, to the money that is never spent on children and for the perpetual deficit of state higher education, we will hear the shrieks of “more spending” is essential for Connecticut to survive! It is borderline miraculous as to how Connecticut has survived since 1991 in overspending and overtaxing its dwindling business and legal citizens for 33 years. <br />But where is the improvement of over three decades of reckless spending? One may notice that there is massive crime, a decaying infrastructure, shameful cities, massive state debt, massive taxes, and a migration out of the state even with these minimal "fiscal guardrails" that are a battle cry to Democrat Party socialists who wish to end them. In fact, if more money is the answer to all the problems stated above, then why isn't Connecticut flourishing in 2024? Why has Connecticut now become dependent on tax revenues from public safety and societal hazards such as legalized gambling of all forms and now legalized marijuana sales? What is next for the state; legalized taxed prostitution? Legalized heroin? Psychedelic mushrooms? I am now of the belief that there is no limit to the lows where this can all go. <br />In addition, many wonder how these "fiscal guardrails" are working in the least when the state somehow magically saves $20 billion dollars in 25 years by making payments to its underfunded pension fund. If indeed true, will this $20 billion dollar windfall be used to lower taxes in the state? Or will it just be used to throw more many at failed social programs that do little for the state? Why cannot state government fiscal restraint be the norm as it is for Connecticut families and businesses who are fighting for their economic survival in 2024? <br />So, while there may be some partial benefit in the concept of the "fiscal guardrails", said concept is not nearly adequate for the fiscal out of control wreckage that is Connecticut. Real, honest-to-goodness guardrails would be an effort towards consolidation and fiscal transparency while removing the Connecticut cancers of waste, fraud, abuse, and redundancy. Instead as we stand, the wonders of Connecticut government are akin to placing hard working legal Connecticut Taxpayers in an ill-equipped electric vehicle gasping down the wrong side of a potholed highway to a slow and painful fiscal death. But The Connecticut Democrat Party cannot wait to rail that any sort of "fiscal guardrail", even limited ones, be dismantled and destroyed for the last time. <br clear="none" /><div dir="ltr"><br clear="none" /></div><div><br clear="none" /><br /></div>Bob Swickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04474657552346869425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24863406.post-81677205297327099352024-02-10T05:06:00.002-05:002024-02-10T05:11:41.946-05:00The 2024 Illusion of The State Speech, by Connecticut's King <p><br style="white-space: pre-wrap;" /></p><br /><br />In the annual illusory pageant called the opening day of the Connecticut State Legislative session, it is surprising to see the wan and pale King Ned Lamont (aka “the Unaccountable”), wearing a tie. But, he was. For some strange reason be it is an election year and/or to give himself a break from his usual disheveled and unkempt appearance, Lamont gave an incredible and unbelievable Utopian cure-all to the peons, alluding (but not limited to), affordable housing, electric car mandates, climate change control, and fiscal stability. However, if you think this projection of governmental Nirvana was to continue unabated, it turns out that the standard political theater was in effect. Side bets were made as to when the planned and confused “Pro- Palestinian” protesters would come in to disrupt the speech, and they did, crying "Cease Fire!" Ensuring they would be heard and to be shown on all the local state-run newscasts later, the planned cries worked wonders to help hide the Unaccountable’s trips to Israel and/or to Gaza on at least three occasions over two years for whatever reason he went there for. (And he was indeed wiser since his horrific performance during New Haven’s protest a month ago, as he made no mention of the same). <br />Lamont’s speech was a tall tale to everyone and anyone who was willing to listen. It highlighted most, (if not all) of the failed Democrat Party policies that have brought America to its knees both socially and economically. The speech was heavy on giving away Connecticut Taxpayers’ monies to the Democrat Party constituency via programs such as affordable housing that will be controlled by profit making Lamont type companies and will eventually push electric vehicle mandates to combat the incredible global warming/climate change naturally occurring since the beginning of time. Of course, climate change will now be successfully controlled by profit making Lamont type companies. The speech was huge on feel good programs and vote-buying while being noticeably short on the specifics on how everything will be paid for. But what difference does any of this make? This is the usual rhetoric that Connecticut Taxpayers hear year in and year out. They will pay in the final summary as they do each year while many delusional legislators and simpatico nonprofits claim taxes are too low, and taxpayers must pay more to support the government charade. <br /> Affordable housing is really big in Connecticut now. It is so big, that there is now a war against the evil, racist Connecticut homeowner. Even though you may have worked extra jobs and saved up enough money to purchase a home and paid your mortgage and property taxes consistently, you are now the problem and evil equivalent of pond-scum in Connecticut. But in the happy delusional world of The Unaccountable and the legislature, there are no real issues in this vein and Connecticut is a desirable jewel that people cannot wait to move to. Lamont stated: "And people are noticing. Unlike our neighboring states which are losing population, Connecticut has gained population over the last few years. Today we have more people working, more people starting businesses, more people joining labor unions with better pay and better benefits, more of our graduates staying in Connecticut, and more out-of-staters wanting to move here. One warning sign: we have too many people who cannot find a place to live – it is not available, or it is not affordable. Our biennial budget doubles our investment in housing – workforce housing, affordable housing, supportive housing, elder housing, and downtown apartments." He further stated: "If you already own a home, you may be doing great, but a lack of housing drives up costs for everybody else and increases the risk of homelessness." (<a href="https://portal.ct.gov/Office-of-the-Governor/News/Speeches/Governor-Lamont-2024-State-of-the-State-Address">https://portal.ct.gov/Office-of-the-Governor/News/Speeches/Governor-Lamont-2024-State-of-the-State-Address</a>) As an economist reviewing this delusional diatribe, I wonder why the actual laws of supply and demand are not at work in Connecticut's housing market? Who (or what) controls "affordable housing"? Why do Lamont and his political operatives want to control zoning in all towns and cities while offering their preferred crony developers to get the work to create this new and somehow affordable housing? <br /><br />Always bear in mind that Connecticut Raised Bill H.B. No. 6890. "(i)s a scary and hideous eight-page law proposal, whereby any clear-thinking person can quickly perceive its mission to remove local cities and towns from oversight of their zoning laws and regulations. It should alarm most local taxpayers as to what they will have to look forward to in their communities. This Bill, also known as "Work, Live, Ride" will give incentives for what is known as “transit-oriented development” within a half mile of bus and train stations. This horrific plan would be executed under the auspices of an autonomous new "Coordinator "working in the new "Office of Responsible Growth" within the Intergovernmental Policy Division of the Office of Policy and Management. This position creates a non-elected state bureaucrat "Zoning Czar" to override local zoning laws within the areas of bus and train stations for the purpose of promoting grant-subsidized housing" (<a href="https://swickspeak.blogspot.com/2023/03/zoning-law-blues-in-democrat.htm">https://swickspeak.blogspot.com/2023/03/zoning-law-blues-in-democrat.htm</a>) <br />“Desegregate Connecticut" being a suspect organization that still backs this type of illogical development, has a main financial source backed by several large corporate interests that would profit from this type of development near these locations, and also will be subsidized by Connecticut Taxpayers. Is this then the type of "affordable housing" Lamont is pushing for in 2024? To strip local zoning laws from towns and cities and further destroy what once were excellent communities? <br />However, despite all of the platitudes of the “fiscal guardrails” that we hear bandied about state media, there was no mention in The Unaccountable’s speech as to the brutal realities of Connecticut being one of the highest taxed states in the country, a bottom five state in most business categories, and still having between $100 to $150 billion dollars in short and long term debt along with unfunded liabilities. However, Lamont stated: "okay, in addition to making our regular payments to the pension fund we have paid down an extra $8 billion, saving taxpayers about $800 million every year for the next 25 years that can be dedicated to critical services, and we have added thousands of new taxpayers, which further strengthens our budget and our future." How Lamont magically saved over $20 billion dollars in 25 years should astound any finance/accounting/economist in Connecticut as to the inner-workings of this magical transformation. <br />However, according to members of his own party such as State Senate President Martin Looney the Lamont speech fell short: "Looney, a New Haven Democrat, believes the state must do more to provide for the middle and working classes. He has floated possible changes to the current “guardrails” regime to fund increased state investment in childcare, mental health services, higher education, and other social welfare programs..." (https://www.wtnh.com/news/connecticut/hartford/connecticut-legislators-react-to-gov-ned-lamonts-2024-state-of-the-state-address) How much more investment is needed is unknown and since Looney has been in office for a mere 30 plus years, it seems that no amount of money can solve these issues. Moreover, is not Looney a large part of the problem as he has overseen a massive decline in Connecticut since he assumed office back in 1992? <br />Thus, the State of the State speech in 2024 is no different than since Dan Malloy bellowed his rhetoric in 2011. <br />These days, Connecticut has enormous social and economic problems with unchecked crime, unaddressed in the speech. Sadly, it is the same chorus of more money solves all problems, more and larger state government solves all problems, and one must follow the path of giving up personal freedoms for the sake of an omnipotent state Democrat Party that rules by force and decree, and now, legalized robbery of taxpayers. <br />Nothing really changes in the sad state of Connecticut. Bob Swickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04474657552346869425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24863406.post-54286456518630707352024-02-03T06:49:00.000-05:002024-02-03T06:49:09.954-05:00Connecticut's Corruption and High Taxes <p>Regardless of the whitewashing and fawning pap one may hear or read at the onset of another legislative session, Connecticut nonetheless continues its descent into economic and social senselessness via an administrative state fiat aided by a lapdog "elected" state legislature. As just two examples of the pride of King Ned Lamont the Unaccountable and his Omnipotent one-party ruling class, are the recent sham election of Bridgeport's Democrat convicted criminal Mayor Joe Ganim and his magically appearing absentee ballots, and the excessively high salaries paid out by the secretive State Family Leave department funded by Connecticut Taxpayers for this money draining program. <br /></p>The City of Bridgeport, once a proud working-class industrial city, is now an absolute, unspeakable mess run by a powerful Democrat Party political machine that makes the old New York Tammany Hall Democrat political machine look like a nursery school. The hatchet job Ganim and his minions did to the voters of Bridgeport in his "re-election" in his crime filled city would be the plot for a Woody Allen movie if it were sadly, not reality. One must remember Ganim was convicted of racketeering, extortion, and other crimes. He spent seven years in prison beginning in 2003 before he amazingly enough voted back as mayor of Bridgeport in 2015. One can also argue that crime does pay in Bridgeport as one may wonder why a convicted felon who ripped off the city is allowed back in? Obvious voter and ballot fraud was committed when Democrat official Wanda Geter-Pataki (who also was accused in 2019 for basically the same thing), apparently stuffed absentee ballots into a drop box outside of the Margaret Morton Government center in a surveillance video. John Gomes, who was running for Mayor against the Ganim machine in the primary, filed 22 (twenty-two) separate complaints of voter fraud against the Ganim campaign. To make this sick and sad situation even worse, the Gomes campaign was apparently caught on video tape doing the same ballot stuffing thing. After hearing the testimony, a judge allowed for the general election to continue on November 7, 2023, whereby Ganim won by a mere 175 votes! Inexplicably, the Judge also ordered a new primary to take place on January 23, 2024, and surprise again Ganim won! Whether yet another election will take place in February remains to be seen at the time of this writing. Needless to say, this corruption is blessed by the incompetent and un-serious Democrat Secretary of the State Stephanie Thomas who famously stated that “Election integrity is essential for public trust, and I would like to affirm my confidence in our state’s overall election security,” “This situation is not about partisan politics, it’s not about a broken electoral system, this isn’t even about absentee ballot systems. It is about a few bad actors and an under-educated electorate.” (<a href="https://insideinvestigator.org/sots-bridgeport-ballot-scandal-result-of-bad-actors-and-under-educated-electorate">https://insideinvestigator.org/sots-bridgeport-ballot-scandal-result-of-bad-actors-and-under-educated-electorate</a>). Therefore, the problem of corruption in Bridgeport is because of "an under-educated electorate" where fraud, incompetence, and denial have nothing to do with it. (Get that). <br /><br />Further, the obvious question then becomes as to why seemingly no one in the political universe seems the least bit interested in calling the election process fraudulent and aggressively crying out for the arrests and prosecutions of bad actors involved. The Unaccountable and several Democrats are even now urging John Gomes to give up all together. "Joe Ganim has won three times. At some point you gotta get back to governing. That would be my advice," Lamont said on January 30, 2024. But of course, Ned needs Wanda and her counterparts in the cities to manufacture continued gubernatorial victories and all the fraud, illegal absentee ballots cast, and irregularities about both the primary and election can be quickly and promptly disregarded. We disregard all, since Joe Ganim is the Supreme Ruler of Bridgeport, a ruler that Bridgeport Taxpayers must yield to by giving up their right to vote and to self-govern. It is a typical Connecticut Democrat Party mess and is naturally blessed by the Connecticut Democrat Party. <br /><br />Of course, Connecticut would not be Connecticut without tax-sucking administrative state programs and bureaucracies. While state-run media churns faux and puffy stories of “Connecticut Fiscal Stability” one can never (ever) pay enough taxes in Democrat Connecticut to support this "stability". A prime example of this failure is The Connecticut Paid Family Medical Leave Act. For this program, the Tax is .05% of your earnings, up to $160,200. For this tax, there is no reimbursement for employees close to retirement nor for employees who never utilize the CT Paid Leave program. Further, the privileged class of state workers does not contribute to the fund. So, the rest of us must pay, and shut up. <br /><br />The plan pays for up to 12 weeks of leave at a maximum weekly benefit of $941.40 as of 2024 according to their website (<a href="https://www.ctpaidleave.org/?language=en_US">https://www.ctpaidleave.org/?language=en_US</a>). AFLAC is the third-party claims administrator for the program, yet the actual Paid Family Medical Leave Authority employs 40 people as of 2023 at a payroll of a mere $3.9 million dollars, mind-boggling when an administrator is already in place: (<a href="https://openpayroll.ct.gov/#!/year/2023/department/Paid+Family+Medical+Leave+Auth">https://openpayroll.ct.gov/#!/year/2023/department/Paid+Family+Medical+Leave+Auth</a>). <br /><br />What is even more interesting with this questionable program is a well-hidden report dated July 2023 that presents some amazing information (https://www.cbia.com/resources/hr-safety/connecticut-paid-leave-2023-annual-report). For example, on Page 22 of this report it shows a beginning fund balance of $446.3 million dollars, Contributions earned of $443 million dollars, investment income of $16.5 million dollars, incurred claims of $318 million dollars, other expenses of $45.8 million dollars and a net fund balance of $542 million dollars. Analyzing the figures in another way one can argue that those individuals who are paying this tax are being overtaxed if there is such a high fund balance at the end of this apparent fiscal year projected report. Why does this fund have this much money in it? Why is $542 million dollars taken out of Connecticut Taxpayers pockets? It is clear that the .05% tax is excessive given the small amount of claims that is being paid out and for the amount of private plans/self-insured plans that have been approved by the state. Ostensibly a large part of this rate goes to support a number of state employees in duplicative nonjobs, standard for the course in the Kingdom of Ned, the Unaccountable. Once again, hardworking Connecticut taxpayers who are diligent in their employment and not prone to take off time subsidize an entire legion of political appointees, bureaucrats, and a fair number of excuse makers and slackers, because this is the Connecticut way. <br /><br />These are just two examples many that one can offer about a Democrat ruled state that embraces and encourages economic sloth, waste, and social senselessness. Elected leaders (or “Elected” leaders) take no constructive action other than to continually march to both economic and social ruin wanting the taxpayer to pay and be proud of the destruction they do on a daily basis. Think about losing your right to vote as we see in Bridgeport with a sham election. Think about how this same voter fraud in cities has been the defining factor in close statewide elections. As you listen to the endless blandishments from both parties praising The Unaccountable for “adhering to (fictional) fiscal guardrails” think about all of the increasing taxes you pay in Connecticut to support the continued Connecticut path to spending and failure as you struggle to survive economically. And just think about how the Connecticut Democrat Party's omnipotent one-party rule has made a once great state a cesspool of corruption, crime, sexual perversion, child abuse, incoherent gibberish, and excessively high taxes that you must accept as an obedient slave to King Ned Lamont the Unaccountable and his Omnipotent one-party ruling Democrat Party. <br /><br />Once again, taxpayer, be damned. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> <br /><br /><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="yiv8575916436ydp930e3e26card-wrapper yiv8575916436ydp930e3e26yahoo-ignore-table" style="max-width: 400px;"><tbody><tr><td colspan="1" rowspan="1" width="400"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="yiv8575916436ydp930e3e26card yiv8575916436ydp930e3e26yahoo-ignore-table" style="border-color: rgb(224, 228, 233); border-radius: 2px; border-style: solid; border-width: 1px; max-width: 400px; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td background="https://ecp.yusercontent.com/mail?url=https%3A%2F%2Fs.yimg.com%2Flo%2Fapi%2Fres%2F1.2%2FAfUb5gIFr9S7guOwAJiWDA--%7EA%2FZmk9ZmlsbDt3PTQwMDtoPTIwMDthcHBpZD1pZXh0cmFjdA--%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.cbia.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F02%2FCT-Paid-Leave-logo-021423.png.cf.jpg&t=1706869261&ymreqid=82e5ec51-5a7c-40b3-1cf4-e608e6011a00&sig=_Nx210m1Uy4EZn4RWeonxw--~D" bgcolor="#000000" class="yiv8575916436ydp930e3e26card-primary-image-cell" colspan="1" height="175" rowspan="1" style="background-color: black; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; border-radius: 2px 2px 0px 0px; min-height: 175px; position: relative;" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="yiv8575916436ydp930e3e26card-overlay-container-table yiv8575916436ydp930e3e26yahoo-ignore-table" style="width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td background="https://ecp.yusercontent.com/mail?url=https%3A%2F%2Fs.yimg.com%2Fcv%2Fae%2Fnq%2Fstorm%2Fassets%2FenhancrV21%2F1%2Fenhancr_gradient-400x175.png&t=1706869261&ymreqid=82e5ec51-5a7c-40b3-1cf4-e608e6011a00&sig=5hZVZJqP8_wifjXkiv7iEg--~D" bgcolor="transparent" class="yiv8575916436ydp930e3e26card-overlay-cell" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="background-color: transparent; border-radius: 2px 2px 0px 0px; min-height: 175px;" valign="top"><table border="0" class="yiv8575916436ydp930e3e26yahoo-ignore-table" style="height: 175px; min-height: 175px; width: 100%;"><tbody><tr><td class="yiv8575916436ydp930e3e26card-richInfo2" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="padding: 15px 0 0 15px; text-align: left; vertical-align: top;"><br /></td><td class="yiv8575916436ydp930e3e26card-actions" colspan="1" rowspan="1" style="padding: 15px 15px 0 0; text-align: right; vertical-align: top;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>Bob Swickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04474657552346869425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24863406.post-6154671463219957952024-01-27T06:37:00.002-05:002024-01-27T06:37:19.061-05:00The Failures of Joe Biden and His Corrupt and Perverted Democrat Empire <br />Leadership is the most critical tenet within any sort of organization, especially organizations calling themselves political parties. The old Jewish prophets would claim that the apple does not fall far from the tree. Old country preachers would often remark that what we see in the pulpit, we see in the pews. Many people are familiar with the term “like father, like son.” However, I submit to the reader that never in the history of American government has there been an epic failure of management, example, and leadership to the level of the corrupt and perverted Empire of the 46th President of the United States, Joseph Robinette Biden <br />It is my belief that the clear headed and legitimate population of the United States of America are completely fed up with the incoherent and obnoxious administration of Democrat President Joe Biden, despite what we are led to believe by an obedient and compliant state-run media. Over time, I have had many ask me if he has been the worst President in my lifetime, a lifetime that has seen Presidents Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush I, Clinton, Bush II, Obama, and Trump. Unfortunately, Joe Biden has no equal in the negative category. The destruction that Biden, his family, and his incompetent Administration have done over three years is more damage than anything I could have imagined to our country since his regime started. <br />It is difficult to even begin to sort out the sheer number of failures of this Administration as there are too many to recall. The fully open borders that America must be forced to accept create no benefit for our country. Since the start of the administration in January 2021, well in excess of 6.4 million illegal immigrants have crossed our unprotected border with ease bringing no value and unascertainable dangers to our economy and society. Are the illegal immigrants all employed and self-sufficient? Are they not costing the American Taxpayer billions of dollars to house, feed, clothe and give medical care to? Are they just pawns in the never-ending Democrat Party game of elitism over our society, or a modern-day slave class imported to provide veritable slave labor for the benefit of a ruling elite? <br />A bigger disaster of the corrupt and perverted Biden regime is foreign affairs. To this end, Biden-esque foreign affairs are a comical game of corruption and lies assisted by the abuses and myriad corruptions of anointed regime son Hunter Biden and company with the President’s approval. Is this an example of a new standard of ethics for our government and Democrat Party members? Is corruption by a Vice President who then becomes President accepted without question and void of any laws that govern those offices? Is the selling of an elected office as Vice- President and President for monetary reward a part of the oath of those offices? Are the FBI, CIA, and the Department of Justice only in existence now to cover up the ruthless disregard for law exhibited by the Bidens and to persecute private citizens? Meanwhile, the FBI, CIA and the Department of Justice spend every available second trying to destroy President Trump and his family who apparently are evil corrupt crooks for the committing of dubious legal infractions while the Biden's are portrayed as approaching Sainthood. It is doubtless that we have a two-tier justice system, being one for the Democrats and one for everyone else that is now presumed guilty and must prove innocence. <br />It is inarguable that our world itself is now very unsafe under the Biden Administration. Why did President Biden pull United States forces out of Afghanistan and give the Taliban $50 billion dollars' worth of American Taxpayer funded weapons and supplies? Why were innocent service members and service animals left to be murdered, and/or starve to death? Why are we now supporting the Taliban, Hamas, and Iran with American funds, which are all sworn enemies of the United States? Why have we turned our back on Israel, being one of our strongest allies in the world and are choosing to support a hateful violent group that takes pride in the beheading of innocent, defenseless babies to murder them? <br />Economically speaking, the USA is in grave difficulty. Our economy remains in shambles with the convoluted, debt-creating, irrational, and incoherent "Bideonmics" economic program that places America last is so many categories such as energy with a failed and farcical green energy program and forbidding the use of plentiful fossil fuel energy supplies in our economy. "Bideonmics" ignores the problems of supply chain inventories and the restocking of essential goods needed for our economy. "Bideonmics" picks the winners and losers for our economy. "Bideonmics" chooses winners who have paid their tithes to the Democrat Party machine while disposing of those who disagree with them. "Bideonmics" has pushed our country to a $33 trillion-dollar national debt with no end in sight but bankruptcy and or even more runaway inflation. "Bideonmics" is a degraded and deplorable economic program without rhyme nor reason. Needless to say, you are not better off than you were in November 2020, contrary to what the obedient, state-run media is trying to portray to you. <br />Want to run for office? Please check with the Biden Administration and their operatives if you are even allowed to run. After all, apparently a small minority of American voters wish for him to go four more years as a feeble part-time President who knows little if anything going on in his own pathetic and corrupted Administration of fools and evil people that are in it. Even well intentioned candidates of the Democrat party wishing to primary Joe Biden are either discouraged or put into grave physical risk.<br />Regrettably, the poor and pathetic leadership examples of the Biden Democrat Empire have been emulated by states and cities near you. Names like Newsom, Hochul, Murphy, Healey, and Pritzker have brought state governments to new lows featuring rampant homelessness, crime, out-migration, business departures, decaying cities, and illegal uncontrolled immigration. Not to be undone in this genre is Connecticut’s King Ned Lamont, The Unaccountable, presiding in physical presence over a state called Connecticut, now world famous for legal marijuana, corrupted voting, abused finances, and a nationally laughable reputation. Obviously, Connecticut does not want to be left behind in its quest to be the lead acolyte in the Biden corrupt perverted empire. <br />Unfortunately, one could go on forever with the failures of Joe Biden as a President with his ridiculous policies, unprepared Vice President, and his cast of political wanna be’s, warmed over Communists, and has beens that claim intellectual and real-world superiority and dictate to the over 330 million people in our country what they can and cannot do. Their mannerisms and directives grate at decent Americans daily, along with their condescending commands and dictatorial posture.<br />In 2024 we have a chance to restore America to greatness, self-sufficiency and to be a world leader for freedom. Or we can keep the Biden-esque losers and Marxist oppressors and become a fully socialistic regime with a failed liberal agenda that hates all things normal in our society. The choice is yours. The choice can't be Joe Biden and his band of Democrat misfits and acolytes. Bob Swickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04474657552346869425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24863406.post-47487968618782781762024-01-20T06:56:00.000-05:002024-01-20T06:56:13.969-05:00The Dawn of Connecticut's Coming Stone Age Is Arriving <br /><br />Last week, we discussed the fantastic incoherent world that King Ned Lamont The Unaccountable and his Omnipotent one-party ruling Democrats have designed Connecticut to be. This week, I would like to examine the grievous realities that Connecticut Taxpayers will be subjected to with the impending Electric vehicle (EV) mandate. You may remember that I previously wrote about this mandate back on 11/25/23. <br /> <br />Kindly be advised that the economically incoherent Electric vehicle (EV) mandate is to be pushed through in a special sham legislative session being called by the same Ned Lamont. The Democrat Party intends to implement the "Advanced Clean Cars II, ACC" initiative (the “Act”) in this special sham session, requiring that all light duty vehicles sold in the state be Zero emission vehicles by 2035 and that medium and heavy-duty trucks reduce their extant "emissions" by 75% by 2035 as well. Truck fleets of 50 vehicles and over will be required to report to the draconian and imperious Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (“DEEP”) for "prioritization" of these fleets to electric vehicles. The Act also will create "superior warranty provisions and protections". It still has not been explained to me as to what this particular term means, in addition as to how the Act will work and as to whom will pay for it (<a href="https://portal.ct.gov/deep/air/mobile-sources/ct-proposed-emissions-standards-for-cars-and-trucks">https://portal.ct.gov/deep/air/mobile-sources/ct-proposed-emissions-standards-for-cars-and-trucks</a>). Further, there is no public testimony nor pushback permitted in this special sham session, so in fact, these political wonders do not care one bit about what you may think. <br /><br />The Act will result in a law that will compel citizens to follow California emissions rules and regulations which effectively eliminate gas powered vehicle as we know and use them, and replace it with the unaffordable and unreliable EV that will keep most people home during a cold and long snowy Connecticut winter. Please keep in mind that there still has been no cost analysis to this bill, but it is well-settled by many analyses that the environmental costs and environmental impact of generating mass vehicle E-power is far worse than the supposed benefit from abstention from fossil fuels. There are questions that have yet to have been answered by the untouchable administrative state bureaucracies. For example: Who will be paying for these vehicles, extended warranties, electric charging stations (that apparently will use no fossil fuels?), or EV batteries? Who is liable for damage when there is a fire in an electric vehicle and/or when an EV is in an accident? Will drivers be tracked by the DEEP or Revenue Services as to their travel? Will car electric charges be denied to those to be socially or politically unfavorable? In addition, what are the economic costs of the massive amount of gas/diesel stations/pumps closing, the economic costs of the massive layoff of gasoline/diesel mechanics due to a lack of work, the economic costs of parts supply houses/dealers going out of business since parts for gasoline/diesel vehicles will no longer be able to be sold? These are legitimate questions that need to be asked well before this Connecticut taxpayer funded special legislative session is called upon. As is par for the Connecticut course, all that is received is deafening silence. <br /><br />Needless to say, there is the inevitable connection as to what (and how much) profit can be made by Ned Lamont's family hedge fund Oak HC/FT and the mandate for EV's in the state. The passage of this law will successfully open up yet another profit stream for Oak HC/FT along the lines of where investors immersed in the glamour of e-cars and the Lamont-connected Saudi-based Saudi Public Investment Fund, will profit once again as the Saudi involvement in E-cars has been covered in multiple recognized news outlets such as Reuters, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, and The Jerusalem Post. How this blatant self-dealing by the Lamont family is legal and unquestioned by elected officials of all stripes is simply, beyond belief. Further, why this issue is never questioned by anyone in the state-run media adds to the total disrespect that Lamont and his Democrat Party have for Connecticut taxpayers. As my colleague Tony De Angelo famously says on his weekly segment on the Lee Elci Show (WJJF FM 94.9), Connecticut is the Lamont Hedge Fund disguised as a state. Of course, taxpayer be damned as usual. <br /><br />In a respectful and fair world, Connecticut Taxpayers should be allowed to make their own decisions whether they wish to purchase an EV, and neither Ned Lamont, the Connecticut Democrat Party nor the failed economic state of California should be making that decision for them. The market laws of supply and demand should be at work for private transportation. Take just one look at the debacle of trying to run and charge EV's in cold weather as seen throughout our country. Better yet, picture a state like Connecticut that mandates EV's for all emergency vehicles, police cars, and food delivery trucks. Picture an ambulance on the way to an emergency call that runs out of battery power or catches fire. Picture an individual who dies because of this situation. Picture a baby that starves to death for want of baby formula. Picture a woman battered to death by her boyfriend because the police are busy charging their car battery and could not arrive on the scene in time. All of the above scenarios are brought to you in the failed vein of green energy, irrational and incoherent bureaucrats, consultants and elected officials, vapid climate change “activists” and the total disregard for common sense when it comes to this utterly ridiculous law and mandate. <br /><br />This scenario in the opinion of many is the future with the horrific and incoherent "Advanced Clean Cars II, ACC" initiative. Profits over people. Profits over human life in The Unaccountable Ned Lamont's personal hedge fund disguised as the former great state of Connecticut. <div class="yiv4627662475ydp6c5358f1OutlineElement yiv4627662475ydp6c5358f1Ltr yiv4627662475ydp6c5358f1SCXW210747633 yiv4627662475ydp6c5358f1BCX8" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: black; cursor: text; direction: ltr; font-family: Segoe UI, Segoe UI Web, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><p class="yiv4627662475ydp6c5358f1Paragraph yiv4627662475ydp6c5358f1SCXW210747633 yiv4627662475ydp6c5358f1BCX8" style="background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span class="yiv4627662475ydp6c5358f1TextRun yiv4627662475ydp6c5358f1SCXW210747633 yiv4627662475ydp6c5358f1BCX8" lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 31.2958px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span class="yiv4627662475ydp6c5358f1NormalTextRun yiv4627662475ydp6c5358f1SCXW210747633 yiv4627662475ydp6c5358f1BCX8" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></span></span><span class="yiv4627662475ydp6c5358f1EOP yiv4627662475ydp6c5358f1SCXW210747633 yiv4627662475ydp6c5358f1BCX8" style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 18pt; line-height: 31.2958px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"> </span></p></div><br clear="none" /><div dir="ltr"><br clear="none" /></div><div><br clear="none" /></div>
<div class="jb_0 X_6MGW N_6Fd5"></div><div class="I_ZkbNhI D_FY W_6D6F" data-test-id="message-view-body"><div class="msg-body P_wpofO mq_AS" data-test-id="message-view-body-content"><div class="jb_0 X_6MGW N_6Fd5"><div class=""><div></div></div></div></div><div class="jb_0 X_6MGW N_6Fd5"></div></div><span class="em_N en_N"></span>Bob Swickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04474657552346869425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24863406.post-1043894812004295222024-01-13T04:43:00.000-05:002024-01-13T04:43:44.055-05:00This Is Connecticut? (Really)<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <span class="yiv8134963962ydpc291d966EOP yiv8134963962ydpc291d966SCXW228810970 yiv8134963962ydpc291d966BCX8" style="line-height: 30.2167px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></span></span></span><br /><br />On Monday January 8, 2024, Governor Ned Lamont switched into full campaign gear in order to offset the economic and social nightmare that Connecticut has become under his non-transparent and profitable tenure in office. In shifting into this gear, King Ned the Unaccountable wrote a fantasy tale of what Connecticut has become under his iron fisted omnipotent one-party Democrat rule. The article can be found here:(www.wsj.com/articles/connecticut-is-leaving-the-welcome-mat-out-housing-taxes-families-95ae3567?mod=letterstoeditor_article_pos8) <br /><br />The letter is fascinating to me as the Governor, who last recorded an income from 2021 of $54 million dollars of unknown sources, writes that, "Republican orthodoxy says our migration is all about taxes. We recently enacted the largest tax cut in state history, eliminating the income tax for most working families and taxes on pensions for most seniors. Democratic orthodoxy argues that families are moving to Connecticut because we are a family friendly state, with paid-family leave, expanded daycare and one of the country's best education systems." It is confusing as to how Connecticut is a "family friendly state, with paid-family leave". The Governor does not explain to the reader that the "paid-family leave" is engendered by a tax upon income for non-municipal workers in the state. The tax is levied at .05% of personal income up to $160,200 a year for a maximum of $801 in taxes one must pay to support this program. If you never use this program, you will get zero back from it. Simple high school math (which is out of the range of most local politicians) indicates that the fund cannot sustain itself due to the payout benefits it offers. Therefore, it is inevitable to assume that this tax will increase in the near future. Budgeting, payouts, and revenue for this program seemed locked in constant secrecy but that is normal for Connecticut state programs. It is ironic to note that those who have massive levels of income at the income levels of the Governor only pay $801 a year while an individual who actually works and earns $160,200 or less, pays the same amount for this tax as a high-income earner would. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Connecticut also has had a net migration of people moving out of the state and is ranked by U-Haul as the #42nd state that people are moving to (www.uhaul.com/Articles/About/U-Haul-Announces-Top-Growth-States-Of-2023-30660/). I guess being ranked in the bottom ten states that people are moving to is viewed as a great accomplishment by the Lamont run Democrat Party of Connecticut and somehow inexplicably shows families are "moving into" the state by moving out. <br /> <br />Lamont states also; "For most of our citizens, our income tax is lower than the Sunbelt states. In Connecticut, we have reversed the budget deficits and trends of the past, in part due to the new families and higher-income taxpayers who now call Connecticut home." Lamont seems to be either confused or duplicitous as Connecticut is still burdened by $125 to $150 billion dollars in short- and long-term debt along with unfunded liabilities. There is no plan whatsoever to pay down this debt, nor does one know supposedly how much these "higher-income taxpayers" are paying in taxes to pay down this $125 to $150 billion dollar in short- and long-term debt along with unfunded liabilities. The taxfoundation.org ranks Connecticut 47th out of 50 states on their 2024 State Business Tax Climate Index. Connecticut is the 4th-worst state in the nation for taxes. Simply put, Connecticut continues to be a bottom feeder in most business and economic categories. I do not see new businesses and industry are flocking to the state unless they have some sort of economic tie to the Lamont's family hedge fund Oak HC/FT. Of course, Connecticut Taxpayers still have no clear answers to many questionable investments and arrangements tied to Lamont through Sema-4, Digital Currency Group, and its affiliates, ADVANCECT, 4-CT, Boston Consulting Group, UNITE US, Mt. Sinai Genomics, “The Horsebarn Hill Investment Fund”, Tidal River Fund, McKinsey, and the Lamont-based Cayman Islands shell companies. Needless to say, it is quite curious as to why Lamont did not mention these connections in his letter. <br /><br />The fables in the letter continue with Lamont on the environment: "On the regulatory front, I won’t apologize for Connecticut enforcing environmental standards to better protect our air and water, but we’re also making the regulatory review and approval processes more efficient." Lamont fails to state that he is a driving force along with unelected and irrational highly-paid bureaucrats in following California environmental laws to eliminate all gasoline powered vehicles by 2035 forcing people into electric vehicles, nor did he mention how the Saudi Public Investment Fund (an investor of his family’s hedge fund Oak HC/FT) is a major producer and player in the e-car space. I wonder if people moving into the state know this. Further, Lamont travels around the state in a large fossil-fuel vehicle with several state paid attendants in tow. (I wonder as to how many new residents know this fact, as well). <br /><br />Personal hypocrisies notwithstanding, Lamont and his Democrat Party also wish to eliminate most fossil fuels relying upon nothing in particular in order to generate electricity and heating/cooling sources in the future. If the state regime wishes to protect our air and water, why is there a massive push to complete the hopelessly corrupted marine life-killing New London State Pier project of "clean" wind turbines at a cost of nearly $400 million Taxpayer funded dollars featuring cost overruns of roughly 330% from initial cost estimates? What politically connected individuals made a profit off this economic debacle? (insideinvestigator.org/in-the-wind-the-escalating-cost-of-connecticuts-state-pier/) <br /> <br />In addition, why has the state commandeered local zoning and the building of apartments and housing, thereby eliminating a system that has worked well for years? As is standard for The Unaccountable, his Wall Street Journal letter is economically incoherent and illogical especially while his political operatives push to gain the upper hand in this battle by taking away local zoning laws and regulations from towns and cities and placing them directly in the hands of these same sycophants and operatives. He stated; "As for housing costs, our state gets an incomplete. We have a shortage of housing supply, and more people are trying to move into our state, driving up prices. We are working aggressively to speed up the zoning process and double the state’s investment in housing. We are building multifamily homes in our cities. Parking lots and old commercial buildings will be transformed into livable communities that are a short walk to a train station, park or great restaurants." Sadly, Connecticut residents endure this nonsensical “housing shortage” blather continually, in a state where being a landlord has been made into hell by a shortsighted and incompetent legislature, and a state with decaying cities ranked #42 by the U-Haul hard dollar indicator of net outmigration from the states and fourth worst in national tax policies. <br /><br />If you are thinking of moving to Connecticut please think twice. The Utopia described by Lamont is much different than the harsh social and economic reality of a state that is in a constant state of economic and social decline and danger. Crime runs rampant in the state, yet we hear little about that since it does not affect the Governor and his ruling elite. We are somehow led to believe that it is "Crime Free Democrat Connecticut" even though the opposite is true especially with car thefts. Since the beginning of the Lamont Administration to today the Lamont ruled Democrat Party places their profits over people especially over Connecticut Taxpayers. I simply puzzle as to how the fine publication known as The Wall Street Journal simply repeated the pap and blatant falsehoods espoused by His Royal Con-Man King Ned Lamont the Unaccountable without any due diligence as to the veracity of his statements. <br /><br />If you are considering a move, it would behoove you to move to one of those terrible Republican states that actually have a strong business climate, lower taxes, less crime, and a better way of life for you and your family. Sad to say, this is not Connecticut by any means. </div>Bob Swickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04474657552346869425noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24863406.post-65055101234453527812024-01-06T06:22:00.000-05:002024-01-06T06:22:46.979-05:00Why does Connecticut need the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development? (aka, the “DECD”) <p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">One of the best kept secrets of failure in the land of His
Royal Con Man King Ned Lamont The Unaccountable is
the DECD. According to the current state budget, here is
a parsing of the Mission Statement as to what the DECD supposedly
does: </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">"Agency Purpose" "To develop and implement strategies
to increase the state’s economic competitiveness. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">To foster a productive business environment that
enables businesses to grow in the state and compete in
the global economy. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">To advance job creation and retention. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">To set and execute strategies that will create a talent
ecosystem that attracts and motivates students, career
builders, and companies alike. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">To support the quality of life and economic sustainability
of our local communities. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">To promote, encourage, and implement responsible
growth principles and practices through brownfield
redevelopment and other local initiatives. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">To brand and market Connecticut to bolster its
reputation as an innovative business location and
tourism destination. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">To preserve and promote Connecticut’s cultural and
tourism assets in order to enhance the quality of life and
economic vitality of the state. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">To coordinate the activities of all state agencies in
advancing economic development
opportunities."(https://portal.ct.gov/-
/media/OPM/Budget/2024_2025_Biennial_Budget/Budg
et_WebPage/GovBudget_2024-25_Final-WebVersion.pdf p.B-40,41) </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">To show how perspicacious the DECD is in innovative
future business trends, the new FY 24-25 budget
provides a mere $10.5 million dollars of Connecticut
Taxpayers monies to "Provide Funding for Regulation of
Recreational Use of Cannabis by Adults”. Since the
regulatory costs of cannabis legalization were previously
omitted by this top-flight organization, this proposal
explicitly provides funding to ensure implementation of
this meaningful “policy initiative.” </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">In
addition, this
expenditure of taxpayer funds is allocated to “provide
positions and funding to support the “Social Equity
Council” (SEC) as well as to make the Cannabis Social
Equity and Innovation Fund an appropriated fund. The
amount available to the SEC is based upon projected
revenue." (https://portal.ct.gov/-
/media/OPM/Budget/2024_2025_Biennial_Budget/Budget_WebPage/GovBudget_2024-25_Final-WebVersion.pdf
p.B-40,41) That is a lot of money spent on
supposed "social equity" from legal drugs. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Leaving aside any semblance of economic realities or
morality as Connecticut is often wont to do, one queries as to
why the state is involved in the Cannabis business in the
first instance. The long-established illegal market,
unburdened by taxation and regulation, as much nimble as
the state is inept, and further enabled by diluted law
enforcement continues to flourish as the state Cannabis
industry flounders and bears the increasing burdens of
new union contracts and added costs. Any reasonably sane person wonders why
this fool’s errand, continues. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Moreover, the DECD spends a mere $825,000,000 to
$900,000,000 million dollars of your taxpayer dollars
(depending on how one interprets the astounding
accounting methods of the state), while employing 94
people. Further as my friend and colleague Tony De
Angelo has reported for many years now on 94.9’s Lee
Elci Show, taxpayers have no idea how much money has
been lost by the DECD in bad loan write offs and "free"
money grants monies since the inception of this agency.
Just the known trashing of taxpayer funds (such as by
Sema4, Digital Currency Group, and UniteUs) are
staggering. Never forget that Connecticut is a state that
is a continual bottom feeder in all economic and business
categories with $100-$150 billion dollars in short- and
long-term debt along with unfunded liabilities. On many
segments, Tony has pointed out the Lamont family hedge
fund ties, waste, auditable offenses not resolved,
“backdoor” rackets with state vendors and questionable
grants this agency has contributed to over the past
several years. I have discussed the horrific grants given
to "Infosys" over the past two weeks. And for four years
starting with the 2020 Covid-19 debacle, we still do not
have any answers to Ned Lamont's family hedge fund
(Oak HC/FT Partners) from associated companies relating
to the Covid-19 crisis that include "Thermo Fisher
Scientific", "Sema 4", " Core Infomatics", “Centrellis”.
"Ocrulus", "Urjanet", "1life Healthcare", "Galileo Health",
"Castlight Health", "Paladina Health", and "VillageMD" to
name several that appear to have received cash or other
like favors via the DECD and its cohorts. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Why does Connecticut need the Connecticut Department
of Economic and Community Development? I and many
others wonder why also, but one apparent purpose for it
is to be a slush fund for the myriad family deals of The
Unaccountable. If Connecticut could lower the
horrendous regulatory burdens and excessive taxation on
businesses and perhaps provide something close to a
semblance of public safety, maybe, (just maybe),
businesses would want to move into the state rather
than move out. But then what would happen to the cash
gravy train that flows between the DECD and the Lamont
family? The state could actually spend $1 billion dollars
less each fiscal year and see greater economic growth
without the DECD just by that money saved alone. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The elimination of the DECD would be a dream come
true for many thus it will never happen. Connecticut
Taxpayers must continue to toil as indentured servants
to support monolithic and economically incoherent
agencies such as the DECD so that other politically
aligned giants can profit. It is just more of the same
failures economically that define the vast economic
wasteland know as One-Party Democrat Rule
Connecticut. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">In closing, I propose that the new motto for Connecticut
should now be the "unconstitutional" state (or the
“waste management state”) as a much more accurate
reflection as to how business is done in 2023.</span></div>Bob Swickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04474657552346869425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24863406.post-45158301314823961502023-12-30T05:39:00.001-05:002023-12-30T05:40:29.251-05:00The Continuing Scam of Ned-O-Nomics: The Infosys Economic Giveaway (Part 2) <p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">In my second part of
my analysis of the debacle of the Connecticut Department of Economic and
Community Development (aka “DECD”) providing an $18 million dollar contract of
taxpayer money to purportedly bring 1,200 jobs to Connecticut over an either
six- or eight-year period (depending on clarifications to this secret
agreement), along with a $20 million dollar contract for supposed maintenance
and support services to the Office of Early Childhood and Connecticut’s Health
Insurance Exchange known as “Access Health CT”, we will look at several
more highly questionable situations with respect to Infosys Systems (aka “Infosys”)
and their dealings with other cities and states and employees in our country.As my friend and
colleague Tony De Angelo is fond of saying on 94.9 “Lee Elci Show,” if you like
peanut butter, you are going to love Skippy once you review these debacles.</span></span></p>
<p class="yiv6182291564ydp648eb597MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Recently Indianapolis, Indiana is wondering where $56 million in grant
monies have gone for supposedly "3,000 new jobs". The following
news report speaks volumes: "In 2018, India-based Infosys, a technology
information service provider, announced to great fanfare that it was going to
build a $245 million campus near the site of the former Indianapolis
International Airport terminal on South High School Road just off Sam Jones
Expressway and I-465. A potential $100 million in state and local
incentives, grants and tax breaks helped seal the deal." "Three
thousand people by the end of 2023, according to a $56 million grant contract
signed with the Indiana Economic Development Corporation." "City
County Councilor Jared Evans is still waiting for that new day to dawn on
Indianapolis’ westside.” I’d like to know where the three thousand jobs are
at,” he said. “I don’t think all of them are at One America Tower, and they’re
certainly not out there, so, where are they?” "Infosys has a headquarters
in downtown Indianapolis and has completed construction on a training center as
the centerpiece of its proposed campus that on most days appears nearly empty
judging by the number of vehicles in the parking lot." "Evans and
westside business leaders tell Fox 59 News that Infosys has rejected attempts
to participate in community events and organizations despite promises to be a
good neighbor."
(https://fox59.com/indiana-news/city-and-state-await-payback-from-infosys-expansion).
Again, please remember that Connecticut is giving $18 million dollars to
Infosys for supposedly 1200 "new jobs".</span></span></p>
<p class="yiv6182291564ydp648eb597MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Or
how about this issue with California? "Infosys will pay
California $800,000 to resolve allegations that between 2006 and 2017,
approximately 500 Infosys employees were working in the State on
Infosys-sponsored B-1 visas rather than H-1B visas, California Attorney
General
Xavier Becerra said. This misclassification resulted in Infosys avoiding
California payroll taxes such as the unemployment insurance, disability
insurance, and employment training taxes."
(https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/infosys-fined-800-000-for-worker-misclassification-tax-fraud-in-us-119121800136_1.html)</span></span></p>
<p class="yiv6182291564ydp648eb597MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">In trying to find any information as to the actual amount of jobs Infosys
has created in our country, regrettably, one is unable to get any information
with regards to this critical information. Instead, we see the company
has been fined millions for violating Visa laws. Infosys paid a record
$34 million dollar penalty for immigration fraud in 2013, per the following news
report: "Infosys, a Bangalore-based outsourcing company, agreed to pay a
civic settlement of $34 million for “systematic visa fraud and abuse” as
announced by Texas prosecutors after two years of investigation. This serious
offense constitutes the largest fine in history for an immigration law
violation. Misuse of B-1 visas was not the only serious and blatant violation
of immigration law, Infosys also had other less obvious, but equally
significant infractions in regard to I-9 compliance. It turns out that Infosys
failed to maintain I-9 records for many of its foreign nationals in the United
States in 2010 and 2011 as required by law; 80% of all I-9s from Infosys
contained <i>substantive violations." </i>(https://visawolf.com/infosys-pays-34-million-for-abuses-of-immigration-law)</span></span></p>
<p class="yiv6182291564ydp648eb597MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Infosys
was also the subject of a massive discrimination lawsuit. "The
plaintiffs, four IT workers from around the U.S., brought their
discrimination
lawsuit against the India-based IT services giant in 2013. This week,
they
filed a motion seeking class-action certification from 2009 and say the
potential pool of plaintiffs may be as large as 125,000." "The
lawsuit alleges that the India-based firm was engaged in "ongoing
national
origin and race discrimination," and claimed, at the time the lawsuit
was
filed, that the Infosys U.S. workforce was roughly 90% South Asian. One
plaintiff was hired by Infosys to work on a $49.5 million Affordable
Care Act,
government-funded development project for the District of Columbia.
There were
about one hundred Infosys employees working on the healthcare project,
but only
three were American, the lawsuit claimed. The plaintiff alleged
harassment, and
was denied promotion, the complaint said. Neumark brought a statistical
analysis to the discrimination claim. Specifically, the economist wrote,
"from 2009 through 2015, 89.39% of Infosys' United States workforce was
South Asian while only 11.45% of the United States' Computer Systems
Design and
Related Services industry was South
Asian."(https://www.computerworld.com/article/3137500/infosys-u-s-workforce-is-mostly-south-asian-and-no-accident-plaintiffs-allege.html)</span></span></p>
<p class="yiv6182291564ydp648eb597MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">The Biblical premise of finding out if information is true is the law of
this information being repeated “in the mouth of two or three witnesses.” <span> </span>To
this end, we have viewed several examples
of this worldwide company and how it apparently operates in the United
States. From an economics perspective I do not see how Connecticut
Taxpayers benefit from two separate taxpayer funded contracts to Infosys
that will
transfer $38 million dollars to them. For what? Mythical job
creation? Mythical upgrades to a computer system and program? Another
profit source for the Lamont's family hedge fund Oak HC/FT based upon
the
documented common investments between Oak HC/FT and Infosys? More state
crony-based
DECD “economic development training?” To help eliminate more jobs for
United States born and raised Information Technology workers? Another
"throw your money in the street DECD/Ned Deal" just to show how fast
taxpayer money can disappear and how inept people can be? All of this
puts one at a complete loss. <br clear="none" /></span></span></p>
<p class="yiv6182291564ydp648eb597MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Please consider the following: It has been four years starting with the
2020 Covid-19 debacle and we still do not have any answers to Ned
Lamont's family hedge fund (Oak HC/FT Partners) investments to Rapyd, a
global Fintech-as-a-service provider and Unqork, both having documented
common-investment ties to Infosys. Nor are any answers forthcoming from
associated companies relating to the Covid-19 crisis that include "Thermo
Fisher Scientific", "Sema 4", " Core Infomatics", “Centrellis”.
"Ocrulus", "Urjanet", "1life Healthcare",
"Galileo Health", "Castlight Health", "Paladina
Health", and "VillageMD" to name several. </span></span></p>
<p class="yiv6182291564ydp648eb597MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Thus, the rip off of
Connecticut Taxpayers and many other Taxpayers throughout our country continues
with the economic grants given freely to Infosys. Many more examples
exist as to why Infosys (and the DECD) should not be funded any more, at all. Yet, poor vassal taxpayers’
monies are freely given in the rhetoric and drivel that is defined as
"economic development" which is a game that government likes to play
with taxpayer substance, especially in the non-transparent state of
Connecticut. </span></span></p>
<p class="yiv6182291564ydp648eb597MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Since there has been
scant government outcry to this egregious situation, one only prays that there
will be a chorus of taxpayers who will first call for the breaking of ties with
Infosys, followed by the defunding of the DECD. Jobs are not being
created especially for Connecticut Information Technology workers. This
is a sham and a shame and should be called out as such. But with Annie
Lamont of Oak HC/FT spouse of the stalwart Connecticut Governor His Royal
Con-Man, King Ned Lamont the Unaccountable, aided by the corrupted Democrat
Party in an iron grip control of the state and bankrolled by an economically
irrational DECD calling the shots, it is business as usual in the state.
Connecticut Information Technology workers be damned. Connecticut
Taxpayers be damned. And any reasonable economic fairness and decency in
Connecticut can go to hell as well. Nothing changes in a state that is a
bottom feeder in all economic categories with $100-$150 billion dollars in short-
and long-term debt along with unfunded liabilities. </span></span></p>
<p class="yiv6182291564ydp648eb597MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Connecticut
will
soon be accelerating its trip into the economic and social gutter with
the help
of this horrendous and illogical Infosys economic grant. Its up to you,
my reader, to cry out and finally put a stop to this mess.</span></span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"><br clear="none" /></span></span></p>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: 18pt;"></span>Bob Swickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04474657552346869425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24863406.post-91825052023120264962023-12-23T06:48:00.000-05:002023-12-23T06:48:38.907-05:00The Continuing Scam of Ned-O-Nomics: The Infosys Economic Giveaway (Part 1) <p style="text-align: left;">Just about all poor vassal taxpayers in the State of Connecticut are aware of the saga of Sema4, a flagship equity investment promoted by Oak HC/FT, Oak HC/FT being the hedge-fund partnership partially owned by Annie Lamont, spouse of the stalwart Connecticut Governor His Royal Con-Man, King Ned Lamont The Unaccountable. We followed Sema4 through its journey from "no-bid" Covid testing and documented its personal data theft of children to the “pump” of its IPO in 2021, down through the aftermath of its subsequent “dump” leading to the withdrawal of its in-state presence in 2022. During this time, the Lamont-related ownership interests greatly benefited by leveraging millions of incredibly cheap “economic assistance” dollars to a backdrop of almost total political silence and a concerted corporate media effort to look the other way. <br /></p>If we lived in any sort of a rational world instead of Connecticut, the picture we would be seeing today would be far different than the one now existing. That said, my review of a “responsive information” disclosure this past week concerning the same players but a different equity made it quite clear that other shifty “Ned Deals” were occurring during the identical time frame of Sema4, and unfortunately, no one was the wiser. <br /><br />To this end, Infosys Limited (aka "Infosys”) is a worldwide company that over the past five years has been able to and will acquire, a mere $38 million dollars of Connecticut Taxpayers monies. How, you ask? From the generosity of the (should-be abolished) Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (“DECD”) via an $18 million dollar contract to bring 1,200 jobs to Connecticut over an either six- or eight-year period (depending on clarifications to this secret agreement). $2 million dollars of this grant was purportedly used for "job training", however that is defined and what actual job training was provided is a mystery also according to the disclosure. These 1,200 jobs cost Connecticut Taxpayers $15,000 for each job. <br /><br />Whom Infosys can hire to meet this nebulous quota is also confusing to many. Apparently "green card" permanent residents can be hired and will qualify for meeting this jobs quota. Jobs can be done remotely from home and apparently from out-of-state employees so long as they in theory somehow pay a Connecticut State Income Tax on their wages. Salaries that need to be paid qualifying to meet this quota are equally hazy. Further, there is no study in the disclosure to exactly ascertain how much tax revenue Connecticut will get back from this $18 million investment. Regrettably, a review of these documents tells us it will take many years for the state to get back this massive amount of money given freely to this out-of-state worldwide company, if anything ever gets returned at all. <br /><br />That said, if we feel the above is bad, things become much worse: In 2022, Infosys also received a "sweetheart" $20 million dollar Connecticut Taxpayer- funded contract for maintenance and support services to the Office of Early Childhood and Connecticut’s Health Insurance Exchange known as “Access Health CT”. This ostensibly undeserved gift, along with the proviso of additional services for the Department of Social Services were a part of this contract. It seems like this was a pre-planned contract even though it went through a state bidding process and amazingly enough was awarded to this foreign company that uses "green card" permanent residents and out-of-state employees in what has been publicly represented to corporate media as a “local” economic development program. <br /><br />Trying to understand the complexities of this worldwide company is made to be intentionally difficult. And why this company was given this money is questionable. For example, the global revenue of Infosys amounted to about $18.2 billion U.S. dollars for Fiscal Year 2023. (https://www.statista.com/statistics/900303/india-infosys-revenue). It looks on paper as a highly profitable company worldwide. The operative question then becomes as to why a company that has this type of revenue need this $18 million dollar pittance of Connecticut taxpayers' monies? We still do not see nor understand how this grant benefits the state at large. But regrettably, (or thankfully) those of us that have dutifully followed the saga of The Unaccountable and his spouse in this state discovered the inevitable tie-in food chain between Oak HC/FT and Infosys. <br /><br /> As just several examples:<br />• In 2019 Rapyd, a global Fintech-as-a-service provider, received $100 million dollars in financing that was led by Oak HC/FT. Rapyd and Infosys partnered together to create and enable a functioning local payment system and methods for their global clients. <br /><br /> • In 2020 Infosys partnered with a company called Unqork. Unqork creates "Codeless Architecture". Unqork received funding from Oak HC/FT. <br /><br />These are just a several examples of the Lamont-Oak HC/FT modus operandi of using Connecticut taxpayer monies to prop up questionable investments made by Oak HC/FT thus facilitated via the uncontrolled and secretive DECD cash spigot leading to either taxpayer-supported profit or risk-free loss. Followers of my blog and of Tony De Angelo on 94.9's "Lee Elci Show" are well-familiar with this Lamont shell game. However, while the above is both shocking and disgusting (if not, larcenous) no one seems to care about these new founded investments nor do we still have any answers to Ned Lamont's family hedge fund (Oak HC/FT Partners) investments to associated companies relating to the Covid-19 crisis that include "Thermo Fisher Scientific", "Sema 4", " Core Infomatics", "Ocrulus", "Urjanet", "1life Healthcare", "Galileo Health", "Castlight Health", "Paladina Health", and "VillageMD" to name a few. It is yet more of the same with Infosys and the Lamonts, as he continues to be the darling poster boy of the state to the point where more than one state politician (including some Republicans) cannot wait to grab a “selfie” with him. <br /><br />Complex larceny is one thing, but lousy employee management is another. Infosys has a checked history when it comes to employee retention especially for United States workers. Looking at reviews that employees have entered at the website glassdoor.com one can see major issues. You can review some of this data brought to us by the diligent efforts of “CT Techworkers” This group has compiled a pdf of some of these reviews that are horrific. I suggest you read this document: (https://cttechworkers.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/glassdoorreviewshartfordinfosys.pdf) An example from this pdf on page 4; "I left the company back in August 2020 and to this day (2/1/2021), I am still dealing with HR issues and HR no longer responds to my emails. The company had me listed as a resident of two different states, therefore I was paying income tax for both states-it was never corrected despite many different tickets submitted." My thoughts regarding this would Infosys Limited being counting this employee with two different state grants it received, being Connecticut and another state? Regardless, this would be a bookkeeping system in which millions of state tax dollars are channeled through.<br /><br />What's another $38 million dollars of Connecticut Taxpayers monies? A “mere bag of shells” according to bus driver Ralph Kramden of “Honeymooners” fame, especially if the “key people” of the state are being buoyed by the funding. Again, this past budget featured over $823 million dollars spent for "economic development" in the 49th worst economic state in the union, and it looks that Connecticut has nothing to show for almost $1 billion dollars being spent by the DECD. However, this example presented with Infosys in conjunction with profits being made by Ned Lamont's family hedge fund Oak HC/FT represents again, a complete and total disregard for both Connecticut Taxpayers and for legal Connecticut citizens who work in the IT field and pay taxes to the state. <br /><br />My second part to this issue will be forthcoming next week. Suffice it to say these situations are a farce and a rip-off against state taxpayers while an entire political and media system remains silent. But as you struggle to piece together a holiday meal for your family do keep in mind that others closer to the inner-machinery of the farce that is called Connecticut government, do not struggle nearly as much as we may.Bob Swickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04474657552346869425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24863406.post-2224312691173778752023-12-16T04:49:00.000-05:002023-12-16T04:49:15.737-05:00The Destruction of Connecticut, as Brought to You via the Department of Economic and Community Development<p><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></p><p class="yiv5578245735ydpc3e629baMsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>A question for the upcoming 2024 Connecticut state election that must be
asked to elected officials and candidates is how much taxpayer money has been
lost or written off by the economic sieve known as the Connecticut
Department of Economic and Community Development? (“DECD”) And the next
question must be when will the DECD offenses of malfeasant behavior that have
been noted since 2017 be addressed and corrected with proper reimbursements
paid back to the state? This past budget featured over $823 million
dollars spent for "economic development" in the 49<sup>th</sup> worst
economic state in the union, and it looks that Connecticut has nothing to show
for almost $1 billion dollars being spent by the carefree, unaccountable, and politically
connected Cracker Jack box known as the DECD. </span></span></p>
<p class="yiv5578245735ydpc3e629baMsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>In the past, I have written with regard to the failed state
audits of this agency as performed by the Connecticut Auditors of Public
Accounts. My colleague Tony De Angelo continually points out that these audits
are fine work with no teeth as nothing here is ever legislatively acted upon. In
this connection the DECD, being an agency that spent almost $2 billion dollars
during 2011-2017, did not even have its first audit until 2017. Why did
it take that long? Connecticut Taxpayers are still waiting for a response
for that issue while during that same period job growth was the slowest in the
nation and Connecticut was last or nearly last in most business and economic
categories in the country. Job growth was last or near last in the nation
and Connecticut was last or nearly last in most business and economic
categories in the country for the subsequent years 2018 to 2022 also. This
all was taking place while nearly $1 billion dollars is poured into the DECD
yearly with these results. There is no clear ascertainment to this day
with the overstatement of the number of jobs created and/or retained along with
the financial and economic impact of these same programs, further, there is scant due
diligence of business borrowers, and in some cases there is no explanation for second
loans granted even though the companies did not meet job creation requirements and/or
were not making payments on their initial loans. What are the real goals of the
DECD? To pay off Democrat Party politically connected businesses? To buy
votes at taxpayer expense? To glad-hand and photo-op in the inner cities where
money is only a temporary balm and false hope for these poor people that never fix
the burn as politicians and panderers continue to lie right between their eyes?
Truly, no one seems to know. (And worse, no one seems to care).</span></span></p>
<div class="yiv5578245735ydpc3e629baMsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>As
wretched as the above record is, please bear in mind
that the last state audit of the DECD covered the period prior to the
reign of
His Royal Con-Man, King Ned Lamont, the Unaccountable. To that point, we
still
have no answers to Ned Lamont's family hedge fund (Oak HC/FT Partners)
nor to
their associated companies relating to the Covid-19 crisis include
"Thermo
Fisher Scientific", "Sema 4", " Core Infomatics",
"Ocrulus", "Urjanet", "1life Healthcare",
"Galileo Health", "Castlight Health", "Paladina
Health", and "VillageMD" to name some, and we have no disclosure
of how many Lamont cronies are sampling treats from the DECD candy box
via means of loans and grants. But for
Tony’s dogging the DECD, we would have never heard the real facts of the
$15,000,000,
2% (two percent) “disappearing sweetheart” loan to Lamont-family
connected Sema-4
with no collateral or guarantee of repayment, and these documented facts
are contrary
from what Sema4 has ever shared with corporate media. Further, we have
never heard accountability for the $5 million dollars given to Lamont
family-connected Digital Currency Group to (in theory) "move" 300
jobs to Stamford, CT? Also, we never (ever) hear about the profit train
that is
forthcoming with the banning of gasoline cars for Lamont and family with
their
EV investments tied directly to the Saudi Public Investment Fund as
major financial
news sources such as the Wall Street Journal have repeatedly reported.
Think about how much cash
will be going to Oak HC/FT Partners from this “green energy” effort
while
Lamont continues to travel the state in his huge Beast vehicle with his
state-paid
attendants and flying with state paid fossil jet fuel while he demands
we drive
cars fueled by propellers. Sadly in the perspective of the Connecticut
taxpaying vassals, the only "green energy" taking place is cash rapidly
flowing into Lamont-related coffers. <br clear="none" /></span></span></div>
<p class="yiv5578245735ydpc3e629baMsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>Further, one puzzles as to what actually takes place at
the DECD and as to why seemingly there is no political will anywhere to clean house. The
DECD has had three Commissioners over a two-year time limit thus indicated managerial and leadership crises. Politicians and
candidates of whatever party always seem to line up and support the people in
charge. One can only conclude that the political will to throw money as a
feelgood by a Connecticut official is far greater than the political will to
exercise proper fiduciary responsibility by that same individual. But this type
of glad-handing practice is standard operating procedure in Connecticut.</span></span></p>
<div class="yiv5578245735ydpc3e629baMsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>In closing, let us conclude by having a real moment. Connecticut
still has $150 billion dollars in short- and long-term debt and unfunded
liabilities. It is a bottom feeder state with high taxes, poor
infrastructure, economically incoherent state union labor agreements, legislative Communist
aspirations, high crime, theft and murders, rampant illegal drug trafficking
and drug abuse, and a lack of any ethics or accountability from its Governor's
office. It is high time for a complete and full audit of the DECD from
its inception and a full accounting of all of its bad deals and the true costs
to Connecticut taxpayers, followed by fines, liens and prosecutions for perjury
and larceny where warranted. How much of Connecticut Taxpayers monies
have been wasted since 2011? What is the DECD really? Connecticut’s
government does not want you to know. I guess 2024 will be another $1
billion dollars or more in Connecticut Taxpayers monies being spent for
"economic development" while the state roils further in economic
chaos. And concurrently Ned Lamont's family hedge fund soars to new
profitability. </span></span></div><div class="yiv5578245735ydpc3e629baMsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span><br clear="none" /></span></span></div><div class="yiv5578245735ydpc3e629baMsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Things seem to never change for the destruction of
Connecticut via the DECD and by those benefiting from the destruction. </span><span style="font-size: 18.0pt;"> </span></div><div class="jb_0 X_6MGW N_6Fd5"><br /></div>Bob Swickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04474657552346869425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24863406.post-70964610848448426462023-12-09T06:37:00.000-05:002023-12-09T06:37:58.115-05:00Connecticut's Perpetual Pension Crisis<p class="yiv3349343922ydpaa33f4e2MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Connecticut
has a Perpetual Pension Crisis. It is a crisis of its own making and State
government is responsible. There are several reasons why Connecticut is
in such a mess with its pensions. These reasons include horrific and
sometimes nonexistent returns on its pension investments, as Connecticut
recently ranked next to last out of all fifty states in the country. However,
keep in mind that this crisis has been years in the making as appointed and skill-less Connecticut
State Treasurers have picked pension managers with more regard to political
patronage rather than their ability to invest money with greater returns, and the
taint has spread to about all political actors responsible across the aisle.
As just one example, we can look back at the scandal involving former Connecticut State Treasurer
Paul Silvester as an example and his subsequent prison sentence for
kickbacks. Connecticut also pays out some of the highest pensions in the
country in all categories including teacher pensions, municipal pensions, and
state employee pensions. Some who are retired from the state even get
their Medicare premiums reimbursed by the state. Further, state representatives
and state senators have become masterful over time in laying low to play out
the clock to the pension vesting line. Viewing this myriad of ills, legendary fraudster Charles
Ponzi could not design a financial mousetrap as precarious and unsure as the state
pension plan of Connecticut.</span></span></p>
<p class="yiv3349343922ydpaa33f4e2MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">The fundamental
problem with these generous pensions is that they are constantly
underfunded. However, the amount of unfunded pension liabilities
seems to vary. I have written at length in the past that Connecticut has
$100 to $150 billion dollars’ worth of short- and long-term debt along with
unfunded liabilities. Other estimates range that the amount of unfunded
pension liabilities is from $30 to $50 billion dollars with an accepted amount
being roughly $40 billion dollars. Connecticut has seen this figure rise
dramatically over the years while economically illiterate Connecticut Democrats
feel that $7.7 billion dollars paid into the fund to pay down the enormous debt
has gone a long way to fixing all ills. Figures that have been thrown at the
poor sucker Connecticut Taxpayers responsible for all of the debt in the state
now show budget surpluses being shrunken in part to the ending of Covid-19
funds and the severe economic recession we endure caused by massive runaway
inflation occurring due to the economically incoherent and ridiculous economic
policies of the Democrat Biden Administration.</span></span></p>
<p class="yiv3349343922ydpaa33f4e2MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">I
submit unto
you that Connecticut has a spending problem as it cannot tax enough
aspects of
our personal and business lives to cover that same spending. Budgets
always
come and go with a maximum increase in state spending as the almost
comical "fiscal
guardrails" consisting of spending caps implemented over the years kick
in. However, to work around this fictional safety net, money spent on
many
occasions just falls off budget and is forgotten until the time comes
for
Connecticut Taxpayers to pay for it through yet even higher taxes and
for added
items, services, and crony support. Therefore, spending cap in my
observation
is normally ignored. Much more egregiously, Connecticut has a habit of
spending to excess with pensions. Connecticut Taxpayers are forced to
live
within their means and a strict budget especially during these Democrat
Party
induced runaway inflation times. However, State government fights
fiscal
restraint at every turn since political patronage spending is built into
the
state budget, followed by the continual progression of handing state
jobs and nonjobs
to the politically favored, thereby growing the pension deficit to new
stratospheres.</span></span></p>
<p class="yiv3349343922ydpaa33f4e2MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Unfortunately,
little can be done to undo the commitment of past pension obligations, but there
are several things Connecticut can do to make the future brighter. The biggest
solution that can be afforded Connecticut's constant pension crisis is to
properly fund it and hire a non-politically affiliated investment company that
has proven results in their investment returns. Also, our fintech “businessman”
Governor (his Royal Con-Man King Ned Lamont the Unaccountable) could call for a
full real time and coherent disclosure of all pension business, so that crony
dealings (such as his wife’s assets being placed into the pension via manager Hamilton
Lane) can come to immediate light. Also, will we ever live to the day when we
will see any one legislator have the courage to advocate for “defined
contribution” Section 401(k) or 403(b) pension plans for new hires instead of
the current bankrupting system? Further, as much as there been some recent
increases by new hire state employees to increase their required payments into
the fund, it as a drop in a bucket. Connecticut's pension still is unfunded by
roughly 50%. Cut spending and invest pension funds wisely. But with
all of the fingers in the pie, we know this type of courage and reform will
never happen in Connecticut. </span></span></p>
<p class="yiv3349343922ydpaa33f4e2MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">When
Connecticut Taxpayers run out of money and the state's debt escalates to the
point of no return, maybe we will then hear reform is needed. Do not
count on it. Also do not count on any politically connected individuals proposing
solutions to the pension Armageddon being laid across the backs of Connecticut
vassal-like taxpayers. Debt is the solution of constant omnipotent Democrat
party control and power in Connecticut forever. </span></span></p><p> </p>Bob Swickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04474657552346869425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24863406.post-85931544671441617352023-12-02T05:45:00.001-05:002023-12-02T05:46:25.130-05:00Connecticut's Profit Driven Democrat Party: Democrats Profit at People’s Expense<p><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></p><p class="yiv0989704831ydpe98be58MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>It has become increasingly evident over time that most of Connecticut's
Taxpayer funded programs and policies are somehow related to Democrat
politicians and their ability to earn a personal profit or benefit from
it. Since the advent of the completely non-transparent Administration of
His Royal Con Man King Governor Ned Lamont the Unaccountable, we know little to
nothing about the many deals that are made almost daily to help the profits of
the Lamont's family hedge fund and the deals of other assorted Democrats. Again
and again, be it Lamont, or his wife Annie Lamont (aka “Saudi Annie”) and their
myriad family private equity partnerships such as Oak HC/FT, Connecticut
Taxpayers still have no clear answers to many questionable investments and
arrangements tied to Sema-4, Digital Currency Group and its affiliates,
ADVANCECT, 4-CT, Boston Consulting Group, UNITE US, Mt. Sinai Genomics, “The
Horsebarn Hill Investment Fund”, Tidal River Fund, McKinsey, and the
Lamont-based Cayman Islands shell companies a number of years later. The list
seems endless, and we see absolutely no research, acuity, or initiative from
our state-run media in investigating any of it. </span></span></p>
<p class="yiv0989704831ydpe98be58MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>In any event the “Ned Gang” experienced a small loss this past week on
the adopted California edict to outlaw gasoline powered vehicle sales in 2035 but we have
no delusions in that the same gang will be back with retaliation in the form of
a bill that buries this "Advanced Clean Cars II, ACC" initiative in
it, possibly with a cuter name designed by either McKinsey or Boston Consulting. When this initiative is then buried in a
“rat” bill at 3 am at the close of the legislative session for passage, this
successfully opens up yet another profit stream for Oak HC/FT along the lines
of where investors vested in e-cars (such as the Lamont-connected Saudi-based
Saudi Public Investment Fund), will profit once again off of the backs of
non-politically connected minion and serf-like taxpayers.</span></span></p>
<p class="yiv0989704831ydpe98be58MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>Again, please do not delude yourself and do understand
that the Electric Vehicle mandate is still very much in play. But truthfully
after the revolt against this farcical debacle was engineered at the hands of
citizens, intrepid independent journalists, radio commentators, social media contributors, and not
politicians (regardless of what they tell you), has the day finally dawned that
Connecticut Taxpayers, state businesses and individuals who are tired of supporting
the profit driven Democrat Party (whether it is corrupt Bridgeport, <span> </span>drug-addled-bullet-ridden New Haven or
state government in Hartford) are finally fed up with writing checks for these
economically incoherent programs that are being mandated by non-elected
Democrat career bureaucrats? </span></span></p>
<p class="yiv0989704831ydpe98be58MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>In addition, it is quite interesting to me that the
bureaucracies propounding these programs almost always escape any criticism or
challenge from any elected officials whatsoever, perhaps because these officials are pining for similar
cushy state employment that some of their predecessors have already attained? Could it be
possible that Connecticut Taxpayers, the businesses, and individuals who are
supporting the profit driven Democrat Party are now wondering once again how
their humanitarian Governor earns $54 million dollars a year even though he does not take
his salary? Could it now be possible that Connecticut Taxpayers, the businesses,
and individuals who are supporting the profit driven Democrat Party do not wish
fund this incoherent economic gibberish called “government” that is rammed down
their throats and pocketbooks any longer? </span></span></p>
<p class="yiv0989704831ydpe98be58MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>Maybe and finally the outcry against this wretched
E-Car Act requiring that all light duty vehicles sold in the state be Zero
emissions vehicles by 2035 and that medium and heavy-duty trucks reduce their
"emissions" by 40 to 75% by 2035 and requiring Truck fleets of 50 vehicles and
over to report to the DEEP for "prioritization" of
these fleets to electric vehicles, has broken the Democrats back with regards
to their incessant march to economic Armageddon for the state. Still, many
Democrats in the state are shocked at the outcry to the rejection of this piece
of legislation even though behind the scenes tradeoffs/lobbying and bribing
were being offered for a yes vote. Could this now possibly mean that
Connecticut Taxpayers have had enough?</span></span></p>
<div class="yiv0989704831ydpe98be58MsoNormal" dir="ltr" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>However, keep in mind that these logically incoherent bureaucrats try to guilt,
propagandize and shame state taxpayers to embrace their twisted vision, they
will never tell you this entire “effort” has a hideously dirty little secret. As
just one example, we are browbeaten by the delusional Connecticut Department
of Energy and Environmental Protection (headed by the $175,000 taxpayer-paid
Commissioner Katie Dykes) and her wish to protect us from all causes of pollution
wheresoever. However, this "vision" gives absolutely no consideration to the abuses of people and children
of Color caused by the serial mining of the minerals in order to produce E-Car
batteries: </span><a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2023/02/01/1152893248/red-cobalt-congo-drc-mining-siddharth-kara" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" target="_blank"><span>https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2023/02/01/1152893248/red-cobalt-congo-drc-mining-siddharth-kara</span></a><span> (inter-alia). This issue is well-known and well-settled. That said, I am
of the belief that the very woke-liberal- environmentally sensitive and happily
bureaucratic walking among us in Connecticut could care less about the generational damage
done to these helpless people and to the earth as a whole by mineral mining, provided that they have
their neat little Subaru or Volt car to plug into a charging station and chat about how hip they are to the cause of clean air.<br clear="none" /></span></span></div>
<p class="yiv0989704831ydpe98be58MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>Since the beginning of the Lamont Administration to this day the Democrat
Party places their profits over people especially over Connecticut
Taxpayers. A new war over town zoning has begun that will drive Democrat
profit streams in the future, create unaffordable and nonsensical housing,
raise property taxes even higher, eliminate wetlands and wreak environmental
destruction (sort of like the EV mandate coming in 2035), and help destroy
Persons of Color far away while Middle Easterners tied to the E-Car industry
keep trying to force feed the misguided products onto the driveways of citizens.
Connecticut has the modern day "Robin Hoods" although with a twist as
the current Democrat Administration of His Royal Con Man, King Ned Lamont the
Unaccountable, his wife Ann Lamont (aka “Saudi Annie”) and their family private
equity partnerships such as Oak HC/FT seem to rob the middle class Connecticut
taxpayers to help make them become poor and then giving to the rich, to make
them even more wealthy in the vast economic wasteland known as
Connecticut. </span></span></p>
<p class="yiv0989704831ydpe98be58MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>In consideration of all the above, perhaps “Robbing Hoods” is a more apt
term for these connected characters. And again, it is truly Democrat Profits
over people in 2023.</span></span></p>Bob Swickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04474657552346869425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24863406.post-15405141738429775692023-11-25T06:44:00.001-05:002023-11-25T06:44:38.781-05:00Connecticut's Democrat Party’s Quest to Go Back to The Stone Ages <p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;"> </span></p><p class="yiv5390916010ydp824cafdbMsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">“Back to the Stone Age” should be the new
slogan for the state of Connecticut in the future, as it is certainly more apt
and accurate than “Make it, Here”. There will be no Back to the Future,
nor any type of functional advancement economically, socially, or
environmentally with the Draconian "Advanced Clean Cars II, ACC"
initiative (the “Act”) requiring that all light duty vehicles sold in the state
be Zero emissions vehicles by 2035 and that medium and heavy-duty trucks reduce
their "emissions" by 40 to 75% by 2035 as well. Truck fleets of
50 vehicles and over will be required to report to the DEEP for
"prioritization" of these fleets to electric vehicles. The Act
also will create "superior warranty provisions and protections"
although there is no mention from what I can gather as to how this will happen
and who will pay for it
(https://portal.ct.gov/deep/air/mobile-sources/ct-proposed-emissions-standards-for-cars-and-trucks). Sadly,
the poor citizens of Connecticut know that these vague and inept policies are
par for the course in the land of King Ned Lamont the Unaccountable, but no one
in said kingdom ever seems to care.</span></p>
<p class="yiv5390916010ydp824cafdbMsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">The Confused Connecticut Commissioner of
the Connecticut Department of Environment and Energy Protection (“DEEP”), Katie
Dykes, stated that support for this Stone Age bill was overwhelming even though
the massive investigation by David Flemming of the Yankee Institute showed the
majority of comments sent to the DEEP were overwhelmingly against this
economically incoherent piece of legislation
(https://ctmirror.org/2023/11/22/ct-gas-car-ban-deep/?mc_cid=ccfa588631).
Dykes obviously did not really research and/or apparently read the negative
comments as Mr. Flemming noted from his article that <i>"while DEEP did
receive more than 4,000 comments, over 900 had identical email usernames and/or
domain names, as I discovered in my research for the Yankee Institute.
Therefore, it is a good bet that fewer than 4,000 people Actually commented.
Nevertheless, because duplicates from the “support” and “oppose” camps were
evenly distributed, this would not impact the tally of comments on a percentage
basis. " </i>Thus, as in Democrat run Bridgeport with the stuffing of
absentee ballots for Mayor, the state's comments are skewed with 900 identical
robo emails flooding the comments box. Simply put, if one removes these
comments, one sees there is overwhelming opposition to this bill and Act by the
legitimate Taxpaying public. But why let hard figures such as that bother
the highly paid DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes (whose salary is well over
$175,000 a year) and other math-deniers in government? Ostensibly, this crowd
has signed up with the “all math is racist” crowd in their exercise of non-analytical policy double-speak, (but I digress).</span></p>
<p class="yiv5390916010ydp824cafdbMsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">The
Act also has had absolutely no
cost benefit analysis to it. Who will be paying for these vehicles,
extended warranties, electric charging stations (that apparently will
use no
fossil fuels?), batteries, liabilities for damage when there is a fire
in an
electric vehicle and/or get in an accident with one, the economic costs
of the
massive amount of gas/diesel stations/pumps closing, the economic costs
of the
massive layoff of gasoline/diesel mechanics due to a lack of work, the
economic
costs of parts supply houses/dealers going out of business since parts
for
gasoline/diesel vehicles will no longer be able to be sold since
liability
issues are unclear in the Act. Connecticut will be embracing a complete
dismantling of the pathetic remains of its economy to embrace this new
beloved
"Stone Age." In addition, it is well-settled that the environmental
costs of generating E-power are far worse that the supposed benefit from
abstention from fossil fuels.<br clear="none" /></span></p>
<p class="yiv5390916010ydp824cafdbMsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Thus, Connecticut Taxpayers will be spending a great deal of money trying
to get anywhere wheresoever in the state especially those few who will still
have jobs and must commute to work. What law is coming next? A ban on
all driving in the state? I can see that coming especially with the
shoving down the throats of this true debacle of legislation for EV vehicles
being the only cars sold in state. The laws of supply and demand in a free-market
economy seem to be hated by the Profit Driven Ned Lamont multimillionaire
Democrat Party of 2023. It is really no big deal to them as we know
profits are being panned out now by the ruling elite, and a new Stone Age is
embraced by the environmental police state that we all know is
Connecticut. </span></p>
<p class="yiv5390916010ydp824cafdbMsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">If you are not particularly fascinated by high-level governmental machinations,
and you are just doing your best to get along from day to day, allow me to boil
this down for you: A bunch of elitist eggheads and idealogues in Connecticut
government are forcing you to pay money that you will never have to purchase
undependable skittish electric cars and trucks that are far too expensive to
charge and may not even run if the power goes out and if the weather dips below
a certain temperature. Also, if your family is hungry and you need necessary
supplies, the large trucks forced to use this so-called technology delivering these critical goods might become
inoperative as they will become too heavy for roads and bridges. So, as you
cannot get your car started and your family is going hungry and you cannot work,
you want to scream at your government, but your government really does not care,
and to make things worse, your governor is tied to a large family investment in
E-cars made by a Middle Eastern country interested on pushing this E-car mess
upon you, come Hell or high water.</span></p>
<p class="yiv5390916010ydp824cafdbMsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;">Do you still have a problem with this? Be obedient to the party line. <span> </span>And start walking today and shut up about it.</span></p>Bob Swickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04474657552346869425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24863406.post-4660129952158847612023-11-18T06:50:00.002-05:002023-11-18T07:27:20.060-05:00“Saudi Annie” and Her Saudi Profits<p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Political scandals are woven into our everyday life, especially in
Connecticut. With the current Democrat Administration of His Royal Con
Man, King Ned Lamont the Unaccountable, his wife Ann Lamont (aka “Saudi Annie”)
and their family private equity partnership Oak HC/FT, Connecticut Taxpayers
still have no clear answers to many questionable investments and arrangements<span> </span>tied to Sema-4, Digital Currency Group and its
affiliates, ADVANCECT, 4-CT, Boston Consulting Group, UNITE US, Mt. Sinai
Genomics, “The Horsebarn Hill Investment Fund”, Tidal River Fund, McKinsey, and
the Lamont-based Cayman Islands shell companies even years later. To make
matters even worse, not one political person to date has aggressively pursued how
these arrangements impact the state, especially when all the homework has been
previously completed for them to proceed.</span></span></p>
<div class="yiv7398205038ydpd35f1439MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Now
let us add to that menagerie of companies and
arrangements above the new Saudi Arabian connection as has been
discovered and
made public knowledge through the hard work of Journalist George Colli
https://thectcapitalist.com/2023/07/31/saudi-annie-days-1-10/)
and continually followed up by Tony De Angelo on his weekly segment on
the Lee
Elci show (94.9 FM). There is a disclosed investment of undetermined
sum by
the Saudi Arabia Private Investment Fund into its investment arm Sanabil
Investments which in turn is investing in numerous United States venture
capital firms including Oak HC/FT. Again, Oak HC/FT is the Lamont
family equity
partnership. Why are the Lamont's accepting investments from a country
that has numerous ties to the slaughter of its enemies, terrorism,
control of
natural resources worldwide, control of the "green" electric vehicle
markets and its batteries, and its atrocious human rights record
especially with
non-heterosexual people? Since the Lamont’s have no comment whatsoever
on this investment one must assume that they approve of it since it will
likely
bring more profit to the egregious Lamont family financial record. How
does it benefit our country when an elected Democrat Party official is
allowed
to gain profit for its' family by partnering with an enemy to our
country? How much of Connecticut Taxpayers monies were involved in this
latest economic investment by Oak HC/FT? Why is this information hidden
from taxpayers? Why is the ethics system and financial disclosure system
<span><span> in Connecticut</span></span> a total and complete failure with respect to providing disclosures in these matters?</span></span></div>
<p class="yiv7398205038ydpd35f1439MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Since “The Unaccountable” has never made a state financial policy decision
that somehow did not benefit his family coffers, the obvious (but not pursued)
question is how will this “Saudi Annie” deal imperil state policy? Will “E-Car-2035”
be codified to the point where gas powered vehicles will not be allowed in
state? After all, the Saudi Public Investment Fund is a huge investor in the genre (<a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/lucid-electric-vehicle-losses-51035f63" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" target="_blank">https://www.wsj.com/articles/lucid-electric-vehicle-losses-51035f63</a>). Will
all state vehicles now be electric to help bail out Lamont family
investors that are losing money hand over fist in E-Car investments?
Will this create a needless public safety crisis given the nature of
E-vehicles? How about more wind power installations as the Saudis are heavily invested in
that as well? How about the installation of Saudi- style “economic cities” in place
of our poor pathetic wrecked Connecticut ones? All seems quite likely, but no
questions are ever asked by those close to the Lamonts. This is a sickening and
shameful indictment on the political system especially given the Lamont track record.</span></span></p><p class="yiv0667402735ydpd35f1439MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>There is a strong possibility that Connecticut's
Democrat/Socialist/Communist United States Senator and former faux Vietnam Combat
Veteran Richard Blumenthal will actually get some answers to his recent probing
of the Saudi's fund since he became very upset by their investments in golf in
our country. Will his newfound enthusiasm in actually finding truth in
something actually uncover some harsh economic realities that paint the
industrious spouse of Connecticut's Governor in a corrupted light by accident?
</span></span></p>
<p class="yiv0667402735ydpd35f1439MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>The bigger question here that all Taxpayers must be
asking themselves is why their hard-earned tax monies are going to sworn
enemies such of our country? Why are our elected officials allowed to
invest in the antagonists and foes of America? Did we not learn anything
from history? It seems we have long forgotten 9/11/01 and now 10/7/23 in
Israel. </span></span></p>
<p class="yiv0667402735ydpd35f1439MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span>Many people want answers to the Lamont's investments. It would be
nice to actually see accountability in Connecticut's state government. It
would be nice to see elected officials from both sides of the aisle demanding
answers to these investments. Ethics in government really do not exist anymore.
Just look at Joe Biden and his family. But more importantly just look at
His Royal Con Man, King Ned Lamont the Unaccountable, and his wife Saudi Annie
and their resulting actions, where continual spin and avoidance are the orders
of any day. Those are all the answers you'll need to understand the
complete breakdown of morals and governmental ethics in 2023.</span></span></p><p class="yiv7398205038ydpd35f1439MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></p>Bob Swickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04474657552346869425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24863406.post-76786741087157255782023-11-11T04:41:00.003-05:002023-11-11T04:41:35.636-05:00Connecticut Elections Do Matter<p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Elections do matter. No matter what you might hear or see,
they do matter. They matter more than you can imagine. Unbelievably
they also matter in Connecticut. I still wonder why any sane person would
vote for a Democrat, yet they did in droves this past Tuesday. On
election night, I commented that there has been a mass exodus of people from Connecticut
who in many cases were Conservative and voted Republican in local
elections. As we saw during the pandemic, many people moved from New York
and New Jersey into Connecticut replacing those conservative traditional voters
and appear to have embraced the failed social and economic policies they fled
from those states. As such, several towns and cities leaned Democrat on
election day for the first time in years. That should be no surprise to
the faux-Rockefeller-type moderate <span><span style="line-height: 107%;">feel good</span></span> Connecticut Republican Party that pompously runs against all things President Trump. If one mentions his very name to some in
the party, they will transform in front of your eyes into Democrats.
However. there are still some conservatives in the Republican Party who hold
the line and deemed "hard right" (whatever that term means to
liberals and socialists and why it is so offensive to them). These same
"hard right" conservatives are immediately written off by the party
as being not electable yet are popular with like-minded citizens and are
elected in some towns and cities.</span></span></p>
<div class="yiv1516704394ydpa6ab92c8MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Bridgeport is a vile and corrupt Democrat led city that
continues to be an economic failure and a national laughingstock. The
city is a cesspool of Democrat corruption. It is hard to believe that
Mayor Ganim somehow found enough absentee votes to amazingly win his
election<span><span style="line-height: 107%;"> once again</span></span>. The obvious absentee ballot stuffing that took place on camera
should have been enough evidence to have postponed the election entirely and
voided all absentee ballots that were "delivered". </span></span></div><div class="yiv1516704394ydpa6ab92c8MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><br clear="none" /></span></span></div><div class="yiv1516704394ydpa6ab92c8MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">What
happened in Bridgeport was a stolen election, as it was illegitimate any
way it
is sugarcoated and spun. What happened was illegal and still needs to
be addressed,
especially given its farcical nature. And predictably, the leadership
position of His
Royal Con Man, King Ned Lamont the Unaccountable, is that the system
worked simply
fine in Bridgeport and anything untoward was caught. Anyone with just
minimal common sense would know that the wretched situation in
Bridgeport cannot be an isolated incident in any way and that the Lamont
position is an insult to any responsible citizen of the state.<br clear="none" /></span></span></div><div class="yiv1516704394ydpa6ab92c8MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><br clear="none" /></span></span></div>
<div class="yiv1516704394ydpa6ab92c8MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Through it all, there are towns in Connecticut that remain
strong Republican and have been for years. Look at the strengths of
the Republican Party in Wallingford. Look at the strengths of the
Republican Party in Shelton. Look at the strengths of the Republican Party
in Orange. Look at Bristol and some small towns in the state. Look
at what happened in Greenwich, where a well thought out, comprehensive
Republican campaign took place that also addressed each lame attack from the
Democrats running. The Greenwich Republican plan should be adopted by the
state Republican Party as a blueprint for success in future elections. However,
it sadly will not as infighting between the Rockefeller-lite and conservative
parts of the Republican Party will continue in the massively important election
of 2024. </span></span></div><div class="yiv1516704394ydpa6ab92c8MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"><br clear="none" /></span></span></div><div class="yiv1516704394ydpa6ab92c8MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">To run as a Connecticut Republican in 2024 will a prerequisite
to do so be the condemnation and renunciation of President Trump and all of the policies
he stands for? These policies brought border security, energy
independence, stable food prices, small business growth, and Middle East stability. This weakness cannot continue if the
GOP ever hopes again to be a force in the state or the country.</span></span></div>
<p class="yiv1516704394ydpa6ab92c8MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">There are many conservative Republicans who live in
Connecticut and are fed up with their state leadership and constant
losses. They will vote for President Trump in 2024 regardless of anyone
wanting to influence them otherwise. They are fed up with the destruction
of America's economy and society by a corrupt, pathetic Democrat President and
his incoherent handlers. They would also be drawn to service should they see a
party modeled on policy and principles rather than accepting defeat in the name
of victory.</span></span></p>
<p class="yiv1516704394ydpa6ab92c8MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Connecticut after Tuesday successfully continues its path
towards socialism and communism with the burdens of several new towns that will
now be controlled by an omnipotent state Democrat Party. The further
erosion of these towns and cities will be embraced through higher taxes, yet
even more crime, more economic turmoil, homelessness, cluelessness, incompetency, Marxism, addiction, more
businesses closing and moving out of state, less practical teaching with much
more educational brainwashing and indoctrination of false premises, ideas, and
political ideologies. There are two vastly different and unique paths
politically in Connecticut. Let us hope and pray that the demolition and
ruination of this once great state stops at some point with ethical and honest
leaders stepping forward to lead once again. Connecticut simply cannot go on
like this.</span></span></p>
<p class="yiv1516704394ydpa6ab92c8MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></p>Bob Swickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04474657552346869425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24863406.post-55975243813255867802023-11-04T05:21:00.001-05:002023-11-04T05:26:02.783-05:00Why Would Any Sane and Free Person Vote Democrat on November 7, 2023? <p><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">I truly wonder why anyone would vote Democrat on Election Day, especially
in Connecticut? Sadly, we do see groups who are owned by the Connecticut
Democrat Party being forced to vote Democrat. They include Communist-driven
state labor unions, state and local teachers’ unions, businesses that are
politically connected to the Democrats, and incoherent and unserious liberal lackeys
and sycophants that are entirely ignorant concerning the economic and social wreckage
of Connecticut and of our country. I believe the majority of Connecticut
Taxpayers and United States citizens have had enough of the obfuscating lies
that the Democrat Party force feed us daily in economic, social and world
affairs. President Biden and his incompetent Administration are deliberately trying
to destroy our country with their spew of incoherent economic and social
gibberish. Even so, I believe that the majority of Connecticut Taxpayers
and United States citizens will be voting based on the severe economic
nightmare we are living in that has been created by the Democrats.
Voters will state on Election Day that they have had enough of the Democrat
Party and its lies. </span></span></p>
<p class="yiv9959275020ydp36f9179dMsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">The state run media continually
supported by the Democrat Party are doing their best every day to hide crime,
murders, theft of vehicles, unchecked illegal immigration, runaway inflation, energy
horrors, food left rotting due to its high costs, fake climate change, an
illegal drug crisis, a suicide crisis especially among our youth, a public
school system only concerned with gender change/political indoctrination, barbaric
abortion laws, a war in the Ukraine, a never ending Covid-19 crisis, and for
dessert, the weekly fraud by His-Royal Con-Man King Governor Ned Lamont the
Unaccountable and his wife Annie propping up family-related investments by using
Connecticut taxpayer's dollars. As just one example, the seven-count conviction
of crypto fraudster Samuel Bankman-Fried this past week and his direct ties to Ned and
Ann Lamont, the Digital Currency Group and the should-be-abolished Connecticut Department
of Economic and Community Development’s secret trashing of taxpayer dollars
went entirely unreported in-state. But this economic event worthy of National
news is not their fault! <span> </span>The Democrat
Party constantly blames any problem somewhere else other than themselves, with most
blame thrown especially upon former President Trump. I believe the
majority of Connecticut Taxpayers and United States citizens have tuned this
Democrat propaganda machine out and are beyond their breaking point in more
ways than the Democrat party and its associated operatives could
imagine. Most Voters see Election Day as a way to dispose of a
political party whose hatreds, insecurities, lies, shaming, insults, and malicious
and harmful actions have brought Connecticut and a free America on the verge of
ruin. The Democrat Party is incapable of any credible leadership or
following the rule of law. Voters have had enough of this mess, let alone any thinking
person with a clear and working brain.</span></span></p>
<p class="yiv9959275020ydp36f9179dMsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">It is time in 2023 for a change in
Connecticut and in America as to our government is managed. We as the
Taxpayers of our country have been forced to accept poorly run, economically
incoherent and corrupt local, state, and federal governments and the broadside
of taxes that are paid out daily. Look at Bridgeport. Look at New
Haven. Look at Hartford. Possibly, a worse example is New London. Why must this
economic and social debacle continue? Why must Connecticut Taxpayers and
United States citizens be treated in such a horrific manner? United
States citizens did not vote for a communist/socialist form of government
contrary to what the Democrat Party thinks. We still have a Constitution
and Bill of Rights that are legally binding in America in 2023. Do we not?</span></span></p>
<p class="yiv9959275020ydp36f9179dMsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Why would anyone vote Democrat on this
Election Day? Why? I still believe in the greatness of our
country. I also believe that Voters will reject in full force the lies,
deceptions, corruption and evil that the Democrat Party represents in
2023. We all have had enough of this destruction.</span></span></p>
<p class="yiv9959275020ydp36f9179dMsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;"> </span></p>
<div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br clear="none" /></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br clear="none" /></span><br /></div>Bob Swickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04474657552346869425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24863406.post-66116861187140511062023-10-28T05:17:00.000-05:002023-10-28T05:17:48.342-05:00Philanthropic Hypocrisy- The Lamont’s’ Innovative New Profit-Making Game.<p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Money is made in Connecticut. Especially if you are His
Royal-Con-Man King Ned Lamont the Unaccountable, and his wife Annie Lamont. Especially
when you know you will never be questioned nor investigated by the Legislature
nor from your state-supported “journalists” about what you have done, how your profits
were made, how much of Connecticut Taxpayers monies have been invested in
companies you own, and as to why your income tax statements are forever hidden
from Connecticut Taxpayers. You take comfort in the fact that there are still
no state media questions to your issues and involvements with Sema-4, Digital
Currency Group, and its affiliates, ADVANCECT, 4-CT, Boston Consulting Group,
Digital Currency Group, UNITE US, Mt. Sinai Genomics, “The Horsebarn Hill
Investment Fund”, McKinsey and the Lamont-based Cayman Islands shell
companies. Ned and Annie Lamont need not be transparent to Connecticut as
they own Connecticut, and they are continually held to be unaccountable by all
for whatsoever they may do.</span></span></p>
<p class="yiv4479417571ydp414d4da2MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Con artists and grifters are continually in search of new marks. The new mark
and obvious profit-making machine are Annie Lamont and her new “Tidal River
Fund”. The Tidal River Fund is yet another new state-driven startup for
women and minorities for financing “early-stage startups of businesses”.
How and why this fund/program is any different than the myriad of State of
Connecticut programs for women and minorities no one can explain. However,
the branding on the Tidal River Fund is that Annie Lamont founded it along with
former Democrat Governor Dan Malloy's niece Alison Malloy, who just happens to
be also the managing director of the state’s questionable secretive venture
capital arm, “Connecticut Innovations”. The spin on Tidal River is also
that there are 21 (twenty-one) first time investors who have invested $25,000
in the fund. It is important to note that there has already been a
$100,000 investment by another cloistered state entity named “CTNext” to this
fund. Both Connecticut Innovations and CTNext are supposedly investing
heavily in Tidal River but many fund investments will show little (if any)
results once the “winners” are segregated from “losers” and the “winners” are
picked for funding. Possibly one reason the new Tidal River
Fund is different than other investments is that is has the Democrat pedigree
of the relatives of two of the worse Governors in the state's history, Malloy,
and Lamont The Unaccountable. But by these people appearing magnanimous, this endeavor will
never come to full transparency with respect to its reason for existence, and its benefit to the state as a whole.</span></span></p>
<p class="yiv4479417571ydp414d4da2MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Investments
by the many state/private nonprofits for job
creation and business formation are vast in the state and are
intentionally
made difficult to follow. The Lamonts’ plea of ignorance as to the
number
of investments made with Connecticut taxpayer's monies into Oak HC/FT
hedge
fund companies would be funny if it were not so ridiculous and sick.
One
should be reminded of the atrocious economic record of Connecticut even
though
billions of dollars of Connecticut Taxpayer's monies are dumped yearly
to prop
up the economic ventures and failures of Democrat Connecticut political
operatives. Even so, Connecticut continues to rank last and or near last
in
many business categories and ranks at the top of the highest taxes in
the
country. Do keep in mind that Connecticut has $100 to $150 billion
dollars in unfunded liabilities along with short- and long-term debt,
with no
endgame in sight nor any plan to satisfy the debt.</span></span></p>
<p class="yiv4479417571ydp414d4da2MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">In addition, please keep in mind that Connecticut is a state without
any ethics or firewalls operating in a continual state of moral bankruptcy.
My friend and colleague Tony De Angelo from the Lee Elci Show (WJJF 94.9 and THIRTY
WITH TONY) took one look at this arrangement and said “Bob, this is a wonderful
way for the Lamont family to scout companies with potential and invest in what they
want and/or direct others to invest under a cloak of philanthropy. What is even
better is that they and their cronies get to be observant “venture capitalists”
without “venturing” one red cent. There is no written agreement against
self-dealing in these start-ups. Nothing whatsoever prevents them from doing
whatever they want, especially as they know they will never be questioned, and
given their past track record it is shameful and sick that no one is
questioning them”. Tony’s observations are barometer as to how business gets
done by the politically connected in the once proud Nutmeg State</span></span></p>
<p class="yiv4479417571ydp414d4da2MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">So, it is another year, and it is another innovative and
racket-style Lamont Family economic plan for personal profit while inane
marketing gimmicks like the "Make It Here" campaign (if you are not
taxed out of business, robbed at gun point, or have your vehicles stolen), are
to suffice for the rest of us. More of the same rhetoric and more of the
same results by the profit driven team that leads Connecticut. </span></span></p>
<p class="yiv4479417571ydp414d4da2MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"> The power-hungry Democrat Governor and his wife are the first
couple of their kingdom in so many ways. This should sicken the state-but never
will. It’s profit (and now philanthropic hypocrisy) over people,
especially in Connecticut. </span></span></p>
<div><br clear="none" /></div><div dir="ltr"><br clear="none" /></div><div><br clear="none" /><br /></div>Bob Swickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04474657552346869425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24863406.post-35063398743552496592023-10-21T03:48:00.000-05:002023-10-21T03:48:07.411-05:00Reality-Based Solutions for Eliminating Crime in Crime-Free Democrat Connecticut <p><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></p><div class="yiv1811911907ydpcb2b213eMsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Law abiding
Connecticut citizens have reached their breaking point in Crime-Free Democrat
Connecticut. Every day they live in constant fear of stolen cars, (some
even at gunpoint), robberies in grocery store parking lots, home invasions,
murder in cold blood as innocent bystanders, bank robberies, constant
shoplifting in retail stores and a whole lot more. Every day there are numerous
reports of criminal cartels running massive car theft operations as there is no
fear of arrests or being stopped. </span></span></div><div class="yiv1811911907ydpcb2b213eMsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br clear="none" /></span></span></div><div class="yiv1811911907ydpcb2b213eMsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The economic criminal profit potential of Crime-Free
Democrat Connecticut is enormous when one thinks of it. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;">Due to little or no risk, criminals as young as 12 are working part time profitable
jobs breaking into vehicles by smashing windows and driving away without
pursuit. These young criminals are being well compensated by crime
cartels and/or other illegal tax-evading entities for the services they provide
to these same equally disgusting criminals that chop up the stolen cars for
parts, and liquidate the other valuable items in them. If you choose to
defend your vehicle, you can expect to be shot at like what recently happened
to a private citizen in Northford, CT. With such a blasé’ attitude towards crime
enforcement in Connecticut we have the impression that our personal property is
not our own in Crime-Free Democrat Connecticut. Legal private property
rights seem to be outdated. </span></span></div>
<div class="yiv1811911907ydpcb2b213eMsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">In reading this, liberal panderers and starry-eyed delusional supporters of His Royal
Con-Man King-Governor Ned Lamont The Unaccountable will be quick to point out
recent state-generated reporting stating that “crime is down” in Connecticut.
However, since a large part of Connecticut city-originated crime goes unreported,
the statistics given are tainted, at best. Even in a good light, such state-driven statistical
compilations are agency-centric rather than locality centric, so one cannot
tell what is happening in a specific locale. Instead, try a dollar-driven site
such as <a href="https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" shape="rect" target="_blank">https://www.neighborhoodscout.com/</a>
that compiles hard data provided by actual real estate purchasers and investors.
If we review that site (inter-alia) we see that Connecticut cities are worse than
78% of the rest of the country by way of crime. Further research on real
numbers tells even the casual reader that the crime results are not good. </span></span></div>
<p class="yiv1811911907ydpcb2b213eMsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There truly are solutions to the crime wave in the state. However,
these solutions do not conform to the Socialist Connecticut Democrat Party
agenda of destroying any sense of personal or economic freedom and police
protection under an incoherent judicial system using weak laws governing crime
and theft. But if unserious and woke Connecticut ever chose to be serious about crime, here
are several solutions that would start to take the bite of out crime in the
state.</span></span></p>
<p class="yiv1811911907ydpcb2b213eMsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Car theft: For the few individuals who are arrested for this crime, bail
should not be offered and/or offered at a $1,000,000. or more, value. A
sub court system could immediately be created, offering 24-hour hearings and
subsequent charges/convictions. First offense sentences for car theft
would no longer be thrown out and/or probationary. A one-year prison term
with no time suspended would be mandatory. Each additional offense would add 6
months more to the one-year term. Therefore, if a criminal has already
been convicted with five thefts under these new laws, he or she would serve 30
months in prison with no time suspended. With this law, the owner of the vehicle stolen,
and insurance companies would have a greater ability to fast track or attach
any property or wages of the criminal for monetary damages of the value of the
car no matter how expensive or inexpensive it was. Sounds harsh? That
is the idea. It is, and it might possibly make some criminals think twice about
stealing cars. </span></span></p>
<p class="yiv1811911907ydpcb2b213eMsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Robbery of an individual: There are robberies of distracted and
defenseless women have their wallets/pocketbooks stolen after placing their
groceries in their cars. Shoplifting is rampant as well. For the
few individuals who are arrested for these crimes, bail should be offered and
or offered at a $1,000,000 or more value. Again, first offense sentences for
robbery would no longer be thrown out and/or be probationary. A one-year
prison term with no time suspended would be the minimum. Multiple
offenses would add 6 months more to the one- year term. Victims of
robbery would be able to sue the criminal for their losses and/or medical
treatments generated during the crime, while retail stores/shops would be able to sue for
monetary losses of the merchandise stolen.</span></span></p>
<p class="yiv1811911907ydpcb2b213eMsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Murder: Murder takes away another person's life. Many
innocent people have been murdered, especially by drive by shootings. Do
their lives matter? Does it make any difference if they are Black lives? Or Asian lives? Or white
lives? <span> </span>No lives matter in Crime-Free
Democrat Connecticut. Life in prison does not seem to defer murder in the
state. The death penalty should be restated.</span></span></p>
<p class="yiv1811911907ydpcb2b213eMsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Who pays the costs
of these crimes? We do, of course, through higher retail store prices and
much higher auto insurance rates due to the onslaught of these criminal
activities. Crime in Connecticut is at all time high even though the
massaged "statistics" show otherwise. The Connecticut Democrat
Party has been in denial of this for many years. A local election is in a
few weeks in the state. In Democrat-run towns and cities, crime seems to
be a forbidden topic to discuss. Of course, there the pleas for the usual
choir of more money will solve all the problems of any Democrat run city.
But when you look at Bridgeport which is a cesspool of corruption, New Haven
that is a tale of two cities and Taxpayer-supported Chicago-aspiring Hartford,
nothing has changed over the years. They are still vast economic
wastelands that nurture a hopeless economic future for those trapped living
there. So called “leaders” cannot make the painful decisions to say “No”
to the complete political failures of years of omnipotent Democrat-driven rule
and deception. Maybe voters should really think about why the state's
Democrat Party really can't solve any problem whatsoever, especially crime,
while they figure out new ways to rip off the Taxpayer who must live in fear in
any activity he or she may do. </span></span></p>
<p class="yiv1811911907ydpcb2b213eMsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Crime
can be
solved. It takes ethics, leadership, and respect for human life. It
also takes courage, which is an especially scarce commodity in all areas
of
Connecticut government. It does not take another "crime task force"
However lets be clear. The major player in this sick psychodrama is
the Corrupt Unethical Connecticut Democrat Party. They own this
self-made
crime crisis in the state.</span></span><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: small;"> </span></p>
<div><br clear="none" /></div><div dir="ltr"><br clear="none" /></div><div><br clear="none" /><br /></div>Bob Swickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04474657552346869425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24863406.post-21415491870056546842023-10-14T06:00:00.000-05:002023-10-14T06:00:30.695-05:00The Lack of Accountability in Today's Government<p class="yiv6261130944ydp24bf6e65MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">One thing that
I can no longer tolerate is the blatant disregard for accountability, ethics,
laws, rules, and truth that many elected politicians and appointed officials
have for their office and their constituents. At all levels of government,
day in and day out, corruption, lies, and theft are passed off as normal.
Cheerleaders and activists calling themselves “journalists” work in tandem with
newscasters from the state-run media to support this debacle with their
nonsensical incoherent gibberish packaged as “news reporting” in order to help
support government policies. </span></span></p>
<p class="yiv6261130944ydp24bf6e65MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">On a federal
level, the continued failures of the Democrat Biden Administration are seen
daily, regardless of how hard these “media partners” work to try to conceal
them. Our economy is in grave trouble with runaway inflation, a massive
loss of economic and retiree wealth, a loss of real purchasing power due to
runaway inflation, and a massive increase in personal debt due to inflation.
Inflation is a tax whether the Democrat Party believes it or not. The
United States has a border crisis with untold millions of illegal immigrants
walking through our unsecured and porous border. American Taxpayers get
to support these individuals through massive social welfare programs. The new
energy crisis of our Pathetic President has increased all energy costs for
Americans due to his irrational hatred of fossil fuels and energy independence
for our country. We now must surrender our dependable gasoline powered cars
for Utopian electric vehicles in the name of environmental lunacy and
irrationality. </span></span></p>
<p class="yiv6261130944ydp24bf6e65MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">We now have
a national security crisis evidenced by the horrific and deadly pull out from
Afghanistan, the untold economic support given to our enemy Iran, and now the
horrific nightmare unfolding for Israel where innocent Americans were murdered
in cold blood. Crime in America is the norm with the victim of a crime
being viewed as the criminal and the criminal being the victim. It is
undeniable that America has turned into a hell hole of Democrat Party induced
violence, crime, murder, and theft.</span></span></p>
<p class="yiv6261130944ydp24bf6e65MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">On a state
level, Connecticut's march to socialism continues unabated under the reign of His
Royal Con-Man, the corrupt and unaccountable Democrat King Ned Lamont. The King
is continually lauded and embraced by the star-blinded state-run media
followers. We see enormous of profit made in spectacular fashion by a
Democrat Governor and his humble wife through their hedge fund through
unquestioned investments in companies that were given via Connecticut Taxpayers
funds to do whatever they wished with the cash, and with no oversight or
accountability. There are still no answers given to the issues and involvements
with Sema-4, Digital Currency Group, and its affiliates, ADVANCECT, Boston
Consulting Group, UNITE US, Mt. Sinai Genomics, McKinsey and the Lamont-based
Cayman Islands shell companies, inter-alia. There is no transparency as well for Ned
Lamont and his robber barons. </span></span></p>
<p class="yiv6261130944ydp24bf6e65MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Crime is non-
stop in the state, as daily car thefts, robberies and muggings are the new
normal for Connecticut taxpayers. And please do not bother Democrats in
the state about having a constitutional right to defend yourself, for you, the
law-abiding citizen, are the problem. Just continue to give away your private
property to the career thieves of the state, and shut up and enjoy
it. </span></span></p>
<p class="yiv6261130944ydp24bf6e65MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">On
a local
level, Democrat run cities are sewers of economic and social ruin and
despair with
open air drug dens, daily murders, and much more social rot and decay
than one
could ever have imagined. Democrat City District Attorneys have
forgotten
what laws are and mean, as their only concern is to damn all things
Republican, Conservative, or Judeo-Christian. Throw in the fact that
your vote does
not count as you see with the Bridgeport voting scandal. while all is
hailed as
wonderful in that socially decaying and sad city that Taxpayers
support. <br clear="none" />
</span></span></p>
<p class="yiv6261130944ydp24bf6e65MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"> Politicians
at all levels of government must stop ripping off their constituents by forcing
them to fund this destruction of our country. Accountability is lost at
all levels of government. News reporting must become truthful and objective
again instead of being a force fed biased liberal brainwashing of anything that
stands in the way of a perfect socialist Marxist utopia. America needs true
ethical political leaders to emerge again at all levels of government.
The political swamp and cesspool of corruption and lies needs to be drained,
once and for all. With too many things happening in this world, Taxpayers
need to de-fund this garbage dump called government. </span></span></p>
<p class="yiv6261130944ydp24bf6e65MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 107%;"> Americans
are truly tired of being ripped off by politicians. The ruling elite ignores this fact as
it is 1776 all over again.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></p>Bob Swickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04474657552346869425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24863406.post-69356683841185070012023-10-07T03:18:00.000-05:002023-10-07T03:18:14.903-05:00Ban Connecticut's DEEP Rather Than Gasoline Powered Vehicles<p class="yiv7279497015ydpd5241634MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">One can be easily
confused in reading what the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental
Protection (“DEEP”) actually does in the state. I do not see anywhere in its
website where it, and/or Connecticut Taxpayers are legally bound to follow
the environmental rules of California. According to the State of
Connecticut government portal (portal.ct.gov): "The Connecticut Department
of Energy and Environmental Protection is a state agency in the U.S.<span> </span>State of Connecticut. The department oversees
the state's natural resources and environment and regulates public utilities
and energy policy." Also, "The mission of the Department of Energy
and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is to conserve, improve and protect the
air, water and other natural resources and environment of the State of
Connecticut while fostering sustainable development. The agency’s mission
includes the goals of reducing electrical rates and decreasing costs for
Connecticut ratepayers, ensuring the reliability of the state’s energy supply,
increasing the use of clean energy, and developing the state’s energy-related
economy for conserving natural resources, thereby enhancing the quality of life
in Connecticut. DEEP’s programs preserve and protect from pollution the state's
waters, air, land and other natural resources." </span></span></p>
<p class="yiv7279497015ydpd5241634MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> However, Proposed
section 22a-174-37, Low NOx and ACT Regulation (PR2023-020) and Proposed
section 22a-174-36d, Advanced Clean Cars II (PR 2023-023) follow the rules of
California to eliminate the sale of gasoline powered vehicles in state by 2035 and,
forcing all Connecticut Taxpayers/Drivers to use electric vehicles if they hope
to go anywhere at all.</span></span></p>
<p class="yiv7279497015ydpd5241634MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">While
at it, why not ban all fossil fuels and their products as well? How you
might
heat your homes is totally irrelevant to the environmental and unelected
political elitists that are not accountable to
Connecticut Taxpayers while dictating these insane policies and
laws. Heating your homes with heating oil or natural
gas? Both are environmentally friendly but forget that, you must ban
them. So what, that you risk freezing to death and/or having your pipes
burst when frozen? We all know that His Royal Con-Man King Ned Lamont
the
Unaccountable and his Connecticut Democrat Party can use any type of
energy
they want to while living in splendor off the labors of the Connecticut
Taxpayer
supporting their incoherent economic environmental gibberish. You must
be
made to understand that you are not a member of this ruling class, but
merely a
subject with no voice or no vote. Obviously, the environmental mecca and
liberal
wasteland known as California is what Connecticut Taxpayers must obey.
</span></span></p>
<p class="yiv7279497015ydpd5241634MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">Maybe Connecticut Taxpayers should ban the Department of Energy and
Environmental Protection? Maybe Connecticut Taxpayers should de-fund
it? Maybe Connecticut Taxpayers should realize that they no longer have
any say whatsoever in what the Department of Energy and Environmental
Protection wants to do, can do, will do, and will do at whatever cost that its
denizens of the Connecticut Administrative State shall determine in their sole
and absolute discretion. First the ban will be on gas cars and soon after
furnaces, air conditioning units and afterwards, all of the plastic products in
your bathroom will be banned as they are made with petroleum derivatives. Life as
we know it will be banned in the guise of this Utopian zero emission
endeavor of economic despair, discouragement, and destruction. </span></span></p>
<div class="yiv7279497015ydpd5241634MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;">The Department of
Energy and Environmental Protection is overreaching its "governance"
with this totalitarian decree. Who is going to pay for all these supposed
subsidies for electric vehicles that are no way economically affordable in a
high tax, high cost-of-living state like Connecticut? I forgot; the
Connecticut Taxpayers will get the bill as they are continually shafted by all
the various corporate welfare gimmicks Connecticut's state government force feeds
to them. An economy needs the basic laws of supply and demand to function
daily. Connecticut seems to be an example of a command economic system
dictated by the ruling Democrat Party elite by forcing Taxpayers to buy
vehicles that they do not want and cannot afford. And there is not yet one
legislator speaking out to call this entire hallucinatory and fantastic “policy" pipe
dream a farce, and calling for the free market to take over as to what vehicles Taxpayers wish to drive. </span></span></div>
<p class="yiv7279497015ydpd5241634MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman, serif;"> This is just another
example of Ned Lamont's Democrat Party economics and economic failure that
Connecticut Taxpayers will pay for. It is 1776 all over again.</span></span></p>Bob Swickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04474657552346869425noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24863406.post-66151454107463813782023-09-30T04:43:00.000-05:002023-09-30T04:43:14.823-05:00The Serious Problems of Unserious Democrat Connecticut <p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Ned Lamont's
Democrat Connecticut has many serious problems. Economically, the
state has lost a great deal of major businesses and corporate taxpayers that
have moved to lower taxed and better-run states. Aetna, General Electric,
Edible Arrangements, Pepperidge Farms, MassMutual, Unilever, UTC, Carrier,
Lego, Frontier, Stag Arms, and Alexion Pharmaceuticals are just few of the
companies that have moved out. Quality jobs are hard to come by, even
though Ned Lamont's Democrat Connecticut has funneled plenty of money to his “winners”
in his family's hedge fund. Connecticut Taxpayers still have no official answers as
to investments made and Lamont relationships with Sema-4, Digital Currency Group and
its affiliates, ADVANCECT, 4-CT, Boston Consulting Group, Digital Currency
Group, UNITE US, Mt. Sinai Genomics, McKinsey and the bulbous Ned Lamont-connected
Cayman Islands Limited Partnerships that remain a secret via a huge blanket of cover
from state-run media. Connecticut's economy constantly trails the rest of
the country due to high taxes, high state debt, high workers compensation
insurance costs, a poor infrastructure and rampant crime all being factors. </span></span></p><div class="yiv4910966523ydp62a6b6b2MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Money is serially thrown at businesses that are politically connected with no
accountability whatsoever as to repayments of loans. This past budget featured
over $823 million dollars spent for "economic development".
Connecticut does not have practically anything to show for almost $1 billion
dollars being spent by the (should-be-abolished) CT Department of Economic and
Community Development. This is a serious problem that is not treated at
all as serious by the unserious Connecticut Democrat Party.</span></span></div>
<p class="yiv4910966523ydp62a6b6b2MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Pervasive
voter fraud enabled by the insecure and comical "ballot boxes" spread
throughout the state nurture the feelings that your vote really does not count
in Connecticut, especially in Bridgeport. How difficult is it to
investigate ballot fraud in Bridgeport? Ostensibly it is exceedingly difficult
since fraud is still being investigated from 2019. The Democrat Ganim regime
must control the city at all costs! The latest ballot stuffing incident
is apparently no big deal. Restating what I wrote from last week: Connecticut's
unserious Democrat Secretary of State Stephanie Thomas condescendingly stated
that: "This situation is not about partisan politics, it’s not about a
broken electoral system. This isn’t even about absentee ballot systems,” Thomas
said. “It’s about a few bad actors and an undereducated electorate.”
(https://insideinvestigator.org/sots-bridgeport-ballot-scandal-result-of-bad-actors-and-under-educated-electorate)
Yes voters! You are considered uneducated since your vote obviously does not
count in Bridgeport unless you vote for the corrupted Democrat machine! I
am confident that this current ballot fraud will be swept away again, and Joe Ganim
and his pattern of incoherent gibberish will be able to do two more years of
damage to the city. It is a serious problem that is not treated at all as such by
the unserious Connecticut Democrat Party.</span></span></p>
<p class="yiv4910966523ydp62a6b6b2MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Crime
in
Connecticut is at all time high even though "statistics" show
otherwise. Connecticut Taxpayers must live in constant fear of stolen
cars, (some even at gunpoint), robberies after placing their groceries
in their cars, home invasions, murder in cold blood as innocent
bystanders,
bank robberies, constant shoplifting in retail stores and much more.
Even
new books from public libraries are being stolen. Criminal convictions
are
down, as there seems to be no sense of urgency to convict criminals
especially
juvenile delinquents who in some cases are already career criminals.
Who
pays the costs of these crimes? Connecticut taxpayers will of course
through higher retail store prices and much higher auto insurance
rates.
Legal private property rights seem to be outdated. And do not forget
the
shortages and de-funding of police departments. Criminals are the
victims,
and the victims are treated as the criminals. All are serious problems
that are not treated at all as such by the unserious Connecticut
Democrat Party.</span></span></p>
<p class="yiv4910966523ydp62a6b6b2MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">Debt
is still
an overwhelming issue in the state. Swept under the rug and no longer
mentioned is the massive, short- and long-term debt along with unfunded
liabilities of anywhere from $100 to $125 billion dollars. State
spending
increases each year with no accountability and/ or positive economic
results. More cronies and hangers-on appear every week in state
government.
It is a serious problem that is not treated at all as such by the
unserious Connecticut
Democrat Party.</span></span></p>
<p class="yiv4910966523ydp62a6b6b2MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="line-height: 107%;">There are
many serious problems in Connecticut. In most cases they are ignored,
dismissed as being irrelevant, shunned, and forgotten about in the perfidious regime
of His Royal Con-Man, King Ned Lamont, The Unaccountable. Unpaid citizen
journalists giving their honest best are admonished, berated, and reprimanded
for bringing up the daily news of crime, corruption, and the general lack of
ethics our elected officials have in the state. There are serious
problems that will never be treated at all as such by the unserious Connecticut
Democrat Party. They do not want to acknowledge the decay, filth and rot
they turned Connecticut into as it fast approaches the new dynamics of 1776 all
over again.</span></span></p>
<div><br clear="none" /><br /></div>Bob Swickhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04474657552346869425noreply@blogger.com0