Reimagining Patriotism- The Embracing of Illegal Immigration

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.
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." (https://www.cornyn.senate.gov/biden-border-crisis). 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.
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.
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!
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?
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.

What Exactly are the Connecticut “Fiscal Guardrails?”

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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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?
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.

The 2024 Illusion of The State Speech, by Connecticut's King

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).
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.
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." (https://portal.ct.gov/Office-of-the-Governor/News/Speeches/Governor-Lamont-2024-State-of-the-State-Address) 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?

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" (https://swickspeak.blogspot.com/2023/03/zoning-law-blues-in-democrat.htm)
“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?
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.
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?
Thus, the State of the State speech in 2024 is no different than since Dan Malloy bellowed his rhetoric in 2011.
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.
Nothing really changes in the sad state of Connecticut.

Connecticut's Corruption and High Taxes

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.

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.” (https://insideinvestigator.org/sots-bridgeport-ballot-scandal-result-of-bad-actors-and-under-educated-electorate). 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).

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.

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.

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 (https://www.ctpaidleave.org/?language=en_US). 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: (https://openpayroll.ct.gov/#!/year/2023/department/Paid+Family+Medical+Leave+Auth).

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.

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.

Once again, taxpayer, be damned.