Connecticut's Democrat Logic. It Does Not Exist.

Logic is an interesting word.  Logic is defined as: "a particular way of thinking, especially one that is reasonable and based on good judgment".  Logic is my opinion seems to be in short supply in Connecticut for many years now.  The lack of logic is quite explainable especially since Connecticut is run exclusively for and by the Connecticut Democrat Party and its assorted enablers. The Connecticut Democrat Party continues to help make the state rank at (and/or) near the bottom of the country in most economic categories, while having some of the highest taxes in the country.  It helps to make crime a massive problem in the state.  It helps to make businesses move out of the state.  It greatly helps to create a net migration of population out of the state.

I fail to see any logic whatsoever in Connecticut with the supposedly "logical" issues that are force fed to legal Connecticut Taxpayers seemingly year-in and year-out.  Is it logical that when the state has a massive illegal drug problem that marijuana becomes legalized in the state?  Could this legalization just possibly create more harm than good from the sacred tax revenue that it creates? It is highly unlikely that Connecticut Taxpayers will see benefits from it.  Is it logical that Connecticut wants to become an "abortion getaway destination" state providing plentiful and cheap abortions?  Some in the state desire legalized full term abortions, and abortions on demand, somehow stating that it is a healthcare right guaranteed by state government.  What is the logic in deaths of the unborn?  Where is the logic in a state that states that the death penalty is inhumane, while the death of an unborn infant is not humane?  Is it logical for a state that has a massive crime problem to further lessen laws to protect the innocent while allowing criminals to run free in the guise of social equity?  Where is the logic in destroying private property rights for law abiding citizens?  Why is it logical to tell a victim of crime you have no rights but the perpetrator has rights?  Is it logical to constantly increase yearly state spending on state employee salaries, benefits and pensions while raising taxes and adding to a mushrooming issue of short and long term debt, along with unfunded liabilities?  What is the logic behind the state spending well over 40 cents of every budget dollar on state employee salaries, benefits and pensions and another 10 cents of every budget dollar on debt service?  What is the economic logic of multi-million taxpayer paid settlements due to state employee malfeasance without any apparent discipline or accountability on the part of those directly responsible? What is the economic logic behind all of this?

Where is the logic of only having one party representing the citizens of Connecticut?  With the stale Connecticut Democrat One Party Rule for many years now why is it logical to try to pass a bill forcing voters to vote in each election or face fines, penalties and or prison?  What is the logic in the illegal and immoral suppression of freedom of speech by not allowing criticism of public officials in various public commentary areas?  How is it logical that Governor Ned Lamont earned $54 million dollars in income without any explanation?  Is it logical to assume now that transparency in government is not allowed in the state?  Where is the logic in the lack of respect shown Connecticut taxpayers when they ask for information and or answers to their questions by state officials?  Where is the logic of continued public relations disasters of silence when grievous errors are made by political figures? Is it logical then to assume that Connecticut taxpayers have no rights living in the state? 

In my opinion, the Connecticut State Government is entirely bereft of logic. Logic seems to be a twisted, incoherent, and unwanted concept for Connecticut.  The lack of logic and the lack of truth in state government has helped to destroy a once economically powerful and family friendly state.  Years of stoic and long-suffering Democrat rule has helped to redefine what logic actually is in Connecticut.  Sadly as the daily lies are bastardized as daily truths in the state, the state fully declines in many areas.  From rampant crime, murder, thefts to an "abortion vacation" getaway, to a failed politically correct public school system and a never ending drug problem-Connecticut's logic is astounding.  It is also wrong.  Logic needs to be revisited in 2023 for Connecticut's state government as the similarities to 1776 grow day by day.  Logic from 1776 might be a nice change of pace from the illogical garbage spewed in 2023.

 

Freedom Of Speech? Freedom Of The Press? Is There Any Real News Being Reported Today?

I remember when news came from a variety of sources.  One could get the news from daily newspapers, weekly and monthly news magazines, by listening to the radio and all news stations, and watching a morning and evening newscast on local and national television.  Many daily newspapers had both a morning and evening edition that was filled with actual news articles that really covered news events, state news and local news, broken down by the towns where you bought the paper and/or where your paper delivered right to your home.  The newspaper had several sections to it including the actual world, national, state and local news, sports, and sections about the areas of home, garden, food, entertainment, comics, (remember those?), want ads of all types, and puzzles such as the daily crossword puzzle.  The newspaper provided a means of learning and being aware of the current events surrounding our world.  Opinion was kept to an Editorial page that also included citizens "Letters to the Editor"  where one could mail in a letter for publication expressing your opinion.  I wrote and had published my first letter to the editor back in 1973 in the old New Haven Register afternoon paper, when I was 15 years old.  Weekly news magazines such as US News and World Report, Time, and Newsweek were published, providing more in depth coverage of news events from the week.  National Review and New Republic were magazines stating a conservative and liberal viewpoint in their pages.  Business and investor news was reported in depth from publications such as Barron's, Business Week and Fortune.  To me it was a glorious time for getting news and information from a variety of sources that one could learn from, and more importantly understand current events happening in the whole world. 

Sadly as the years have progressed, print media has basically been eliminated in the name of all things "green" and non polluting, thereby shifting to the supposed "green" and non polluting online, computer-based electronic paywall media that entraps our minds and opinions in 2023.  Holding a newspaper in your hands and or a print magazine is frowned upon.  We are led to believe that all of your sources of news should be bought via your Apple Pay and or some other online payment system, while you are offered select and targeted "news" that these mega-media giants want for you to see.  And what you read today is mostly incoherent liberal gibberish, with the exception of a handful of news sources.  Both sides of a story are not reported.  We are force-fed what the state run media wants us to view.  It is a strange new world of what "journalism" is in 2023.  It is radically different than when I received my Bachelors Degree in Journalism way back when in 1980.  43 years later I see little if any type of news reporting actually taking place.  Fast-forward 43 years later, and I see a Democrat President's Press Secretary make a complete fool of herself daily with her dribble, serial incompetence, and nonsensical statements spewed as fact, much of which dribble is read emphatically from a prepared book.  43 years later, I see Connecticut giving its state media darlings $72 million dollars of Connecticut taxpayers' monies for the purpose of stating daily the failed Democrat Party liberal narrative that continues to lead the state to economic ruin.  43 years later, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, I see and hear liberal news stations blare their incomprehensible, illogical and rambling lectures on why they are always right and you are always wrong.  43 years later, news reports seem to have be approved before they can be reported.  Just examine the nightmare of the indefensible misinformation force fed to us during the Covid-19 crisis.  Or how about the Biden Family corruption scandal?  Or how about spy balloons?

Freedom of the Press is an important right to any democracy.  Believe it or not the First Amendment to the United States Constitution guarantees it.  It also guarantees Freedom of Speech, something that seems to be annoying to President Biden and his Democrat Party and its aligned sympathizers especially in Connecticut, where certain legislators think they are doing God's service by making news reported other than by a "state verified journalist" to be illegal under state law.  Why has our news collapsed into a heap of opinionated bias that is stressed as facts to its readers and viewers?  When in reality, contrary to what we are led to believe, there are still two sides to every event in our world.

 

There are still pockets of resistance in the world of journalism or what's left of it.  One must seek them out and find them.  They are limited in my opinion.  I can envision a regression back to the days of a town crier calling out news in a town or city when he or she comes upon it.  The lack of real news today, in my opinion corresponds to the total lack of transparency in government at all levels especially looking at our federal government.  Just look at the United States Senators who supposedly represent us like 89 year old  California Democrat Senator Feinstein and Democrat Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman.  Comical and sad isn't it?  I see little if any news being reported in 2023-not like it was in 1776.  Remember 1776?  Our Founding Fathers are turning in their graves seeing their hard work being squandered by a small group of real insurgents and pampered malcontents despising our freedom.

Democrat Connecticut Has Massive Budget Increases Year In And Year Out-Why?

Over the years, I have been asked why a state as small as Connecticut with as little population as it has spends as much money as it does each year?  Unfortunately, It is a very difficult question to answer.  Back in 1991 Connecticut's budget was under $8 billion dollars a year.  The new proposed budget for FY 2023-24 by Democrat Governor Ned Lamont plans to spend over $25 billion dollars each year for a new $50.5 billion bi-annual budget, including another $1 billion dollars or so in new bonding yet again.  If one does some quick math, state spending has increased roughly by 312% in 32 years, or a minimum of 10% per year. When short and long term debt and unfunded liabilities are taken into account, Connecticut's fiscal ditch can be estimated to be roughly $150 billion dollars.  Part of the reason why the state spends as much as it does is because of the fiscal narcotic state income tax available to it along with the over market value and over paid state employee benefits, salaries and pensions it is committed to pay.  Connecticut has seen a net decline in its population and many higher income earning workers flee the state over the past 32 years.  Contrary to the Democrat rhetoric of how great the state is, Connecticut still ranks last and or near last in most business and economic climate categories in the country, while having some of the highest tax rates in the country. 

The new budget sees a similar trend of the past 32 years.  Spending is increased, various taxes have minor cuts while other taxes remain the same and or are increased, while different state groups, local groups, cities, towns, state departments and other advocacy groups complain they need more money and or are not getting enough money to function.  This budget offers some middle class workers a cut in their income tax rates that may save them on average $300 for single filers and a whopping $600 for couples.   Lamont's new budget also offers massive pay raises of 5.5% pay hike in the first year and 4% in the second for judges, that he claims would aid with judge recruitment and retention of these same judges.  I did not realize that judges were so hard to find in the state since they are mostly political appointments.  Thus this years budget follows the narrative that Connecticut's economy has never been better, taxes are being cut by roughly one tenth of one per cent in proportion to the $50.5 billion dollar budget for individual taxpayers, more laws limiting personal freedom will be enacted and the cycle to economic Armageddon has once again been adverted.  In my opinion, truths, lies and deceptions are the yearly norm when it comes to the state budget while obviously throwing more Connecticut taxpayer's money at everything and anything. Again, this standard mode of operating will correct any negative social or economic situation permanently. It always does. 

Reality paints a much harsher picture of the social and economic Utopia called Connecticut.  The state has many long-standing social and economic issues that it just can not shake.  I might be in the minority for calling this out as I see the same problems the state has had year in and year out for well over 30 years now, continue.  One of the biggest issues the state has since it has now accepted permanent Democrat one-party rule is that is has an unsustainable debt and unfunded liabilities funding problem that has never been addressed. How much more will borrowed and never be paid back?  I know the yearly calls for living 

within the budget and other incoherent economic gibberish spewed by elected officials have grown stale.  In my opinion Connecticut spends an excessive amount of money for a state as small as it is with a population as small as it is.   It has an enormous debt problem along with horrifically Democrat run cities that are unsafe economic wastelands and offer little economic freedom for those who live in them.  There are really two different Connecticut's.  The Connecticut that the working middle class must fight daily that offers illogical laws, poor politically correct public education, social unrest, high taxes and crime throughout the state.  The Connecticut that the politically connected and wealthy live in avoids all of this at all costs, for these problems are for the peons who must toil to support the excesses of state government, and not theirs.

It is imperative for Connecticut to cut state spending.  Connecticut needs to address its short and long term debt and unfunded liabilities.  Connecticut needs to address the rampant crime, theft and murders that occur on a daily basis.  Connecticut needs to address its public education crisis.  Connecticut needs to address its infrastructure problems.  Connecticut needs to address its illegal drug crisis.  Connecticut needs real action and not laws that allow for illegal people to vote in its elections nor for legal citizens to be silenced when questioning an elected official on social media.  Connecticut could really use real, honest, and ethical governmental leaders to run the state and not the current profit driven Governor who has skillfully eliminated transparency in his administration.  Connecticut has massive budget increases year in and year out with little to show for it.  It is the Connecticut Democrat Party's debacle to forced social and economic ruin.  And it is 1776 all over again.

Some Of The Horrific Connecticut Democrat Legislative Bills For 2023.

 When things seem unable to get any worse for Connecticut, they somehow do thanks to the Ned Lamont Connecticut Democrat Party's proposed bills coming up for this new Legislative session.  In a state that is last, (and/or near last) in all business/economic categories, including high unemployment, one of the highest tax rates in the country, rampant crime and theft, an illegal drug crisis, an energy crisis along with $150 billion dollars in short and long term debt and unfunded liabilities, below are the "real" issues that the Ned Lamont Connecticut Democrat Party is focusing upon.

1. Proposed Bill 6410

AN ACT CONCERNING GUIDELINES FOR THE REPORTING AND
ENFORCEMENT OF ONLINE HARASSMENT OF STATE AND
MUNICIPAL ELECTED OFFICIALS

Ostensibly, this bill limits comments in social media and other public places in your discussions and criticism of elected/public officials.  Apparently the Democrats will now unconstitutionally redefine defamation of character and put a lid on freedom of speech and expression, especially when you are disagreeing with them.

 

2. Proposed Bill 938 

AN ACT CONCERNING UNEMPLOYMENT BENEFITS FOR STRIKING
WORKERS

 This bill provides unemployment benefits for workers who have been on strike for two weeks or more.  Why?

3. Raised Bill 6588

AN ACT CONCERNING RENT STABILIZATION

 

This bill basically takes away the right of landlords in raising rents.  Landlords would be forced to follow state laws as to how much they can raise their rents and at what time of the year.  If the landlord did not follow these laws, they would be subjected to fines and penalties.  In my opinion, the Connecticut Democrat Party, in this law basically has made private property their own state public property. Is the reason for this law to cause private landlords to foreclose on their buildings so that government can install public housing and union construction in its place?

 4.Raised Bill 6593

AN ACT CONCERNING HOUSING AUTHORITY JURISDICTION

This bill basically redefines what a "housing authority" is, and can do and will allow them to expand their authority to include other municipalities. Why?  How can towns lose control of their own towns by state decree?

5. Raised Bill 5917

AN ACT IMPLEMENTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF

 THE VISION ZERO COUNCIL

The bill contains recommendations from the non elected Vision Zero Council that was established by the General Assembly in 2021. If this passes, the Commissioner of CT Department of Transportation will have the unconstitutional ability take any land it finds necessary for the layout, alteration, extension, widening, change of grade or other improvement of any bicycle lane or multi-use-trail. The law provides for the Commissioner to purchase any land and take a deed thereof in the name of the state.  Again the Connecticut Democrat Party, in this law basically has made private property their own state public property, in my opinion. 

6.  Proposed House Joint Resolution No. 12

RESOLUTION PROPOSING A STATE CONSTITUTIONAL
AMENDMENT CONCERNING VOTING RIGHTS FOR CERTAIN
RESIDENTS OF THE STATE

This bill would allow illegal immigrants the right to vote in the state.  How is this possible and/or legal?

These six bills are just a sampling of the total disrespect, disregard, and disdain that the Ned Lamont Connecticut Democrat Party has for legal Connecticut voters and taxpayers.  There are many more proposed bills that I have not mentioned.  You can look them up yourself and see how the totalitarian views and demands that are being spewed from the Ned Lamont Connecticut Democrat Party.  Check out Senator Looney's Senate Bill 96 where if you die in a motorcycle accident, not wearing a helmet, your body organs automatically get donated even if you are not a donor.  How can it be possible to lose legal rights to your own remains, which belong to your next-of-kin by codified and common law? 

Connecticut taxpayers must reeducate themselves to realize that it is crime, theft, murder in broad daylight, an out of control life-ruining illegal drug crisis, runaway inflation (especially for energy costs), a lack of jobs, a public pension crisis, and a public education system that no longer teaches anything remotely connected to a career based, self sufficient life style, are the most critically important state issues in 2023. It is not socialism and control by an incoherent out-of-control state government being the most important issues in 2023 as Connecticut residents are continually told, and forever gaslighted.  Sadly Connecticut Taxpayers must continue to support an economically illogical and socially degenerated state dictatorship that is passed off as a "state government" that somehow is representing the people of the state.  It is 1776 all over again.

 

More Connecticut Taxpayer Cryptocurrency Losses

 Cryptocurrency is unique.  From my view as an economist it is illogical to me.  Because why would I want to take my dollars and or Euros and convert them into an unknown virtual currency that is secured only by cryptography. This is what cryptocurrency really is.  It has no backing by any government, and has no oversight by any governing agencies.  It is unique in its difficulty to understand, and when you cash in cryptocurrency you apparently get your American dollars and or Euros back.  And you can just as easily lose money in your investment.  Just ask the Connecticut Taxpayer.   Because the taxpayer seems to have lost a great deal of money with Democrat Governor Ned Lamont's "unique" job creating indirect investment into the now bankrupt cryptocurrency giant, FTX.  How so? You may have read along the way that The State of Connecticut was very generous with Connecticut taxpayers monies by pledging $5 million dollars to Digital Currency Group ("DCG") to fictionally "move and grow" 300 jobs to Stamford, CT.  DCG now has had a great deal of its capital worth diminished to the implosion of FTX and its investments therein.  To further thicken the plot, the Lamont family Hedge Fund (Oak HC/FT) was an admitted "early investor" in Digital Currency Group  but Lamont maintains they divested of the investment before this sweetheart deal took place, even after trade-source verified multi-million dollar investments were uncovered by this fund, immediately after the election in November.  It is another episode of perfect timing for the Lamont family and the Connecticut Democrat Party. 

Once again in his weekly segment on the Lee Elci show on WJJF 94.9 this past Tuesday 1/24/23, Tony De Angelo has uncovered even more stunning Lamont connections to cryptocurrency.   The latest scandal again involves an even more complex connection between the the Lamont family Hedge Fund ("Oak HC/FT"), DCG, and its Genesis subsidiary's unregulated "Crypto" lending bank known as "Gemini Earn".  This lending bank is the latest casualty in the industry contagion caused by the collapse of FTX and a devastating blow to a business once at the heart of Barry Silbert’s DCG.  The company listed over 100,000 creditors in a massive  bankruptcy filing, with aggregate liabilities ranging from $1.2 billion to $11 billion dollars, according to bankruptcy documents.  How much money will Connecticut Taxpayers lose due to this bankruptcy?  Apparently, new and extremely questionable investments by Oak HC/FT were made right before the bankruptcy of Genesis in a major capital infusion of $25 million dollars to the bankrupted DCG on December 1, per reliable industry sources.  This happened one day after withdrawals were stopped from the Genesis "Crypto Bank" by DCG. Isn't limiting a depositor while using cash to benefit others a violation of what securities laws are supposed to be for?  Why was this done and how is this legal according to my limited understanding of SEC and banking laws?  Is there not a grave conflict of interest with a Democrat Governor who earned $54 million dollars in income (of which no one is allowed to see its source) having his family's hedge invest in companies that received Connecticut Taxpayer funding, especially at the onset of a bankruptcy?  

There is a huge ostensible disconnect in our political system.  Connecticut is a good example of the disconnect and reveals a gaping lack of transparency and any credibility in state government especially when looking at the finances of Democrat Governor Ned Lamont.  Connecticut taxpayers still have no clue how he made a mere $54 million dollars in income as Governor.  I truly wonder how much was made from companies that Connecticut Taxpayers were forced to invest in that are owned by his family's hedge fund?  I wonder how much was made by his investments in cryptocurrency during this FTX/Digital Currency debacle.  I also wonder how much money Connecticut Taxpayers have lost by investments made both in public and in secret by the Connecticut Department of Economic Community Development ("DECD"), Why isn't this information made public in a state as small as Connecticut that has over $150 billion dollars in short and long term debt along with unfunded liabilities? Why does no known political figure whatsoever call for dissolving DECD? In my opinion DECD is just as corrupt as Governor Ned Lamont, and should be shut down.   

The seeds of economic discontent are constantly sown for Connecticut taxpayers who must shoulder the economic burden of this political corruption that is a given daily event.  Think about your hard earned tax dollars being given free of charge to the DCG and others like SEMA4 and the infamous "First Five" that will never be seen again.  Think about the continuing silence from Connecticut's state run media on these dealings.  And yet think about how true the truths of 1776 resonate louder than ever in Connecticut at this time with all of its filth, waste and deception that is proudly called state government. 

Soon Connecticut Democrats Will Own And Raise Your Children From Birth

I can remember a few things from when I was 12-years-old.  I remember that I had a Mother and Father, who loved me and took care of me.  I also had an older sister who until this day I am still close to.  My parents provided me with a home to shelter me that my Father helped to build with his own hands, clothing and food to eat.  My Father worked full time as a Tool and Die Maker to support our family and I was expected to do work around the house and yard to help with the chores.  We did not have a house cleaner, chef, meals to go, lawn services, and or any extras at that time so we pretty much did everything ourselves.  I went to school, studied, played sports with my friends, read books from the library, went grocery shopping with my Mother and visited my Aunts, Uncles and Grandmother during the year. 

I can see that my life growing up at 12-years-old is much different than those children the same age in 2023, especially in Connecticut.  For if I had a child who was 12-years-old today, I would move out of Connecticut as quickly as possible given the conditions, possible laws and propaganda being force fed to my child on a daily basis.  Personally, the nail in the coffin is the proposed bill that would allow 12-years-old children to get vaccinations of any kind without getting a parent’s or guardian’s consent.  This nightmare of a bill (H.B. 5480) being put forth by Democrat State Representative Kevin Ryan, is “an act allowing children 12 years of age and older to receive a vaccination without the consent of a parent or guardian.”  I wonder if this passes, which it very well may, will open up many more laws giving up parental rights in Connecticut and ceding them to the state government.

Given the acuity level and the lack of forward thinking on the part of most Connecticut legislators, I can envision the following bills becoming law in progressive Democrat-led Connecticut in the future:  State-mandated gender change for all children, no matter what age level and without parental permission, to be paid for by health insurance companies and or state funds.  Mandatory Critical Race Theory being taught starting in preschool classes, with those preschool classes being mandated by law for children three-years-old.  Mandated teaching of alternative sexual lifestyles in grammar school.  How about "Why legalized drugs are good for you and should be bought by all children at their local legal marijuana state store?".  Or as an elective,  let's have kids take "The in's and out's of legalized abortion as the right choice when getting pregnant".  The possibilities of brainwashing your children is endless if this bill gets passed in my opinion. 

Connecticut parents now have a new fight on their hands when it comes to their children.  Never mind the issues of dealing with runaway inflation, unchecked crime and murders, a massive legal and illegal drug problem, forcing your children to wear masks in school, taking your children out of the classroom with remote learning during the never ending pandemic, and an incoherent, illogical and biased public school curriculum that will not prepare them for much of any type of functional skills and or career when they graduate thus becoming more dependent on the state.  They must now fight against this utterly demeaning piece of socialistic health legislation taking away their parenting rights, while it steals their children from them by an out-of-control socialism cancer that has help to ruin Connecticut endorsed with the blessings of the Connecticut Democrat Party.

I have to hand it to the Ned Lamont led Connecticut Democrat Party, as in my opinion and many others, they have absolutely no ethics, morals, shame, or regard for the truth when it comes to ruining an economy and society.  This bill along with many others they have developed is a demeaning rape of Connecticut parents in raising their children.  Children who by the way according to state law become adults at age 18.  Not at age 12, not at age 8, nor at age 3.  Not by state decree.  This is a sickening power grab of parent's rights.  And it should never be allowed  by any sane adults. And it is truly 1776 all over again.

Ned Lamont's Democrat Led Connecticut Loves Vices Like Legalized Marijuana

 

I really believe Ned Lamont's Democrat-led Connecticut loves vices.  I know in actuality a majority of legal state taxpayers and citizens deplore them. But with the state-run media in step with the Lamont-led Connecticut Democrat Party, vice and corruption is now an accepted way of life and doing business in once was known as the "Constitution State".  With the new legalized marijuana taxed sales, all will be well with both state finances and for addiction to drugs in general. 

Legal marijuana sales is the new quick fix to solving Connecticut's now 34th year of economic decline and decay just like the state income tax was, the legalization of casino gambling was, the extension of lottery sales 24/7/365 was, the massive taxes on cigarettes were, and that online gambling was and many other nuisance taxes/fees were.  Vice taxes are essential to a state as small as Connecticut to help them continue to spend over $21 billion dollars a year while maintaining a mere $150 billion dollars in short and long term debt along with unfunded liabilities. 

The new euphoric legal marijuana tax is a mere 6.35% state sales tax, a 3% municipal tax, and about 10-15% state cannabis tax based on THC content.  The THC content is a complex formula that is computed at 0.625 cents per milligram of total THC for cannabis plant material, 2.75 cents per milligram of total THC for cannabis edible products and 0.9 cents per milligram of total THC for cannabis, other than cannabis plant material or cannabis edible products (whatever this gibberish means).  I really wonder how these guidelines will be enforced as they make little economic sense to me and I am sure is as confusing as possible for the "legal" sellers.  For Connecticut Taxpayers none of this money will going to any type of debt relief and or lower taxes. 

For fiscal years 2022 to 2023, 100% of the taxes will go to the "Cannabis Regulatory and Investment Account".  This account will then pay the new state legalized marijuana bureaucracy to help pay costs that the involved state agencies are spending for the implementation of the new law.  I wonder what happens if there is not enough money to cover these new costs?  However, things improve in fiscal years 2024 to 2026 as a whopping 15% of the tax goes to the bottomless pit slush fund of state government known as the "General Fund", while 60% goes to the "Social Equity and Innovation Fund", a fund that is a favorite of Ned Lamont and his political hierarchy giving  cash for business capital, technical assistance for business start-ups and operations, workforce education, and community investment, etc. of a predetermined class of people, and lastly 25% goes to the "Prevention and Recovery Services Fund" to help substance abuse programs deal with future societal wreckage as apparently legalized marijuana will help to create new drug abuse and abusers for the future.  Diminishing monies go into the General Fund until 2029 when then, it receives zero tax revenue while the bulk of tax monies reverts to this "Social Equity and Innovation Fund".  But Connecticut even does "wrong" worse than any other state, let alone doing "right!" in comparison to surrounding states that have started recreational marijuana sales, Connecticut has the highest taxes in the area. (https://portal.ct.gov/cannabis/Knowledge-Base/Categories/Business-Information/Retail-Sales).

Thus from an economic view I really do not see how the negative social and medical effects will not outweigh the hypothetical economic benefits for these sales/taxes.  Taxes being collected from legalizing marijuana sales apparently are going into secretive and hidden sources that will once again pick winners and losers in the state economy in the usual Connecticut/Lamont way that we have all come to know. If legalized marijuana sales are so great for the state economy and public welfare, why is money being funneled into substance abuse programs?  Isn't it logical to think that in state that already has a massive illegal drug problem, how does legalizing this drug not help to create a new legalized drug problem and far worse parallel consequences?  Connecticut Taxpayers once again get the short end of the stick with legalized marijuana sales. 

It is pathetic to see the downward social, economic and spiritual trajectory for Connecticut with these new Utopian legalized marijuana drug sales taking place. I really wonder how many elected officials of any party actually read the law and understood the taxing payments, tax policies and where the tax revenue actually goes when they voted on the bill.  But in a state where crime reigns supreme, political corruption and nepotism is a way of life, and an incomprehensible, massive and not sustainable state debt and unfunded liabilities crisis rolls on daily with some of the highest taxes in the country and a pitifully decaying infrastructure, why would Connecticut Taxpayers expect anything different?  Of course not, as an endless, omnipotent, terminally inept, and ruthless one party rule of Ned Lamont and his Connecticut Democrats continues unchecked while their Socialistic makeover of the once proud and independent "Constitution State"  keeps rolling on.  Enough is enough.

0.9 cents per milligram of total THC for cannabis, other than cannabis plant material or cannabis edible products.

Nothing Has Changed From Last Night. The Democrat Party Owns Crisis After Crisis.

 Nothing has changed in America since last night.  Americans on a daily basis deal with multiple crises that the Biden Administration and his Democrat Party have created and nurtured over many years now, that continue to damage both our society and economy.  

Americans deal with runaway energy prices due to the manufactured Democrat Party energy crisis.  In addition, the closing of American sources of energy by the befuddled and economically incoherent Biden Administration in the name of green energy, defies logic.  Because of their actions, the Strategic Petroleum Reserve has been drained to dangerously low levels, diesel fuel/heating oil has tripled in prices in some cases and is in short supply, electricity costs especially in Connecticut, have gone up over 50% in some areas and green energy is still not an affordable alternative for the country.  We must remember that during the Trump Administration that we had stable, low energy prices and were energy independent.  We are now energy dependent on a ruthless dictator's oil for survival.  What is the point of green energy anyways?  Electric cars still need to be charged with a base source of power that involves fossil fuels.  By making fossil fuels too expensive for the working middle class as in the example of $6 a gallon home heating oil how does this help our economy?  Can a Democrat explain this to me? 

Americans deal with a massive loss of economic wealth as a Biden-induced economic recession, coupled with runaway inflation intensifies in our economy on a daily basis.  Americans also deal with a daily supply chain crisis especially for food, that continues to grow with the lack of response by the Biden Administration. No matter which way the Biden Administration tries to spin the "lack" of inflation in the economy and/or the economically illogical reasons why inflation is occurring in our economy, inflation is damaging our economy daily.  And inflation is causing a massive loss of personal wealth for economic classes especially those citizens who are retired and living on a fixed income.  Why are there shortages of baby formula, food and medicines in the richest economy in the world?  In my economic opinion we would not be having a recession at this time in our economy if we had a cogent and orderly immigration policy and not the border crisis that the Biden Administration is responsible for.  We also would not be having supply chain issues if the Biden Administration did not reward non productivity in our economy through their massive debt fueled spending programs that yield little (if any) economic value to our economy.  We also would not be having a recession if we did not have the incomprehensible energy policies force fed to us by the Democrat Party.

Americans deal with a rampant crime crisis in our country on a daily basis thanks to the muddled legal system that protects the criminals and treats crime victims as the criminal.  Personal property rights seem to be disregarded by our legal system and by liberal District Attorneys who feel that they create laws, and not enforce them.  Law enforcement and the respect of our police men and women whose job it is to protect us from crime has become a farce in our country due to the Democrat Party's hatred of rules, laws and law enforcement for some incoherent liberal reasoning.  Crime and murder does not go away by not enforcing laws.  Crime and murder does not go away by eliminating the bond system.  Americans should not be living in fear when they go to a grocery store and or when they need to buy gasoline for their vehicles.  Americans still have private property rights, contrary to what the Democrat Party wants.

Democrat President Biden along with his amateurish, helpless and unqualified Administration have created these crises that Americans, especially in Connecticut, must now deal with on a daily basis.  Whether it is runaway inflation, a massive national debt crisis, a massive loss of personal wealth, an energy crisis, a border crisis, an illegal drug crisis, a crime and murder crisis, and or a total lack of good/effective government crisis at a local, state and federal level, the Democrat Party owns these failures.  Americans need and deserve a much better economy, government and crime free society for the enormous amount of local, state and federal taxes that they must pay to keep these incompetent,  inefficient and useless government officials employed who have in essence ruined our economy and country.  Truly we are reliving history as it is 1776 all over again for America or what is really left of it.  Enough is enough.

Ned Lamont's "No Salary" For His Second Term. But He Made $54 Million Dollars in 2021?

Democrat Governor Ned Lamont is once again not taking a salary for being the ruling by decree Governor of Connecticut for his second term.  Connecticut Taxpayers paying one of the highest amounts of state and local taxes in the country can all rest easy tonight knowing their Governor has once again declined his salary for 2023-2026.  Lamont was scheduled to earn $226,711 next year but once again has declined it.  Lamont made $54,000,000 in income for 2021 according to his feeble and disguised representation of his income taxes.  One has to wonder how Lamont made so much money since Connecticut Taxpayers were not allowed to view his tax return, but were told most of his income was made through investments. 

Connecticut Taxpayers do not know how much Lamont paid in federal and state income taxes on this $54 million dollars in income for 2021 if any taxes were paid at all, since he has SEC documented ties to offshore tax havens.  A question that has to be asked by Connecticut Taxpayers since neither the Connecticut State run media nor the Legislature will ask, is through what investments is Ned Lamont earning this money, and where are these investments located?

Was this investment income made through the basically now worthless stock of Sema-4?  Was the investment income made through the multi-million dollar state loans given to Sema-4 that were forgiven by the state?  Was the investment income made through the loans and/or sweetheart deals made by the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development to Lamont family hedge fund companies?  Was the investment income made through cryptocurrency companies such as Digital Currency group and its affiliates that were subsidized by the state?  Was the investment income made through the all new "non profit" ADVANCECT?  Was it made through the selling of citizen data via Boston Consulting Group, Mt. Sinai Genomics and/or McKinsey? Was the investment income made through the Lamont-based shell companies that were formed in the Cayman Islands and other tax havens? 

As usual it is business as usual for Democrat Governor Ned Lamont's various investments and companies that are just too plain hard and economically complex to be questioned or digested in any manner  by Connecticut's State run media.  Yet, we have seen a constant condemnation of all of Republican President Trump's companies and investments even though he has been audited yearly since 2009 with no issues found from these audits resulting in additional tax assessments.  So much for transparency in the Democrat Ned Lamont profit making Administration.  Will Democrat Governor Ned Lamont ever be audited?  Will Democrat Governor Ned Lamont come clean on his investments?   It is also comical to note that Connecticut still has $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.  I guess that $226,711 in salary saved by Lamont will go a long way in paying down $125 to $150 billion dollars in debt and unfunded liabilities.

 

Democrat Governor Ned Lamont may now enjoy four more years of unchecked and non-audited investment profits and income beginning on Sunday, January 1, 2023.  Democrat Governor Ned Lamont can use Connecticut Taxpayers for four more years as his personal piggy bank for complex, secretive financial companies, and byzantine schemes throughout the world for his personal financial gain with no oversight whatsoever.  Connecticut taxpayers of all political persuasions should take note of that, as they struggle to survive and live in the corrupted, inept, incompetent economic wasteland known as the "Constitution State" Connecticut. Some do realize that is truly is 1776 all over again.

The Democrat Party's Horrific $1.7 Trillion Dollar Economic Failure

Hey! What's another $1.7 Trillion dollars when it is not your money especially if you are an elected United States Senator and or Representative?  And it really helps, when that money can buy you political favors and you can pay back the political hacks that helped to put you in office in the first place!  You as an elected United States Senator and/or Representative really only have an obligation to those who really help you.  You as an elected United States Senator and/or Representative really have no obligations to the peons of the middle class who go to work every day following the laws of society and pay their taxes in your district and or state.  Nor, do do you really care about the crisis you and your incompetent and incoherent President and his administration helped to create such as runaway inflation, runaway national debt, an energy crisis, a border crisis, an illegal drug crisis, a crime and murder crisis, and a massive loss of wealth for retired Americans.  That is not your concern as an elected United States Senator and/or Representative since your full time job seems to be fund raising and constantly running for re-election daily.  Or if you are Democrat/Communist Connecticut United States Senator Richard Blumenthal, you are having a daily press conference in front of your state run media screaming about some gibberish that offends you and pledging yet another investigation to resolve it.  However, Democrat/Communist Connecticut United States Senator Richard Blumenthal offers no opinions or solutions to runaway inflation, runaway national debt, an energy crisis, a border crisis, an illegal drug crisis, a crime and murder crisis, and a massive loss of wealth for retired Americans.  That has no meaning or concerns to our multi-million dollar Senator.  

The new $1.7 Trillion dollar spending bill is 4,155 pages in length.  It seems that few if any of our elected United States Senators and Representatives have time to read this bill because sadly the United States Government having a $31 Trillion dollar national debt, is running out of cash.  It is fascinating to see what has been shoved into this bill behind closed doors and truly out of the hands of hard working American Taxpayers.  For example, we should consider the Ukraine as being America's 51st state at this time since we are financing the bulk of their war with Russia and the operations of their government.  There is $524 million dollars for the National Institutes of Health to fund a subdivision focused on “minority health and health disparities research" (whatever that means).  There is $410 million dollars to reimburse Jordan, Lebanon, Egypt, Tunisia, and Oman for tighter border security.  There is $65 million dollars “for necessary expenses associated with the restoration of Pacific salmon populations" (as quoted from the bill). There is $3.6 million dollars for a hiking trail named after Michelle Obama.  There is $200 million dollars that will be spent on "gender equity".  There is much more wasteful spending, pork spending, political nepotism spending, serial incompetent support, and outright economically damaging spending in this bill that it is sickening to read.  Americans Taxpayers will be responsible for this horrific bill for the rest of their lifetimes to finance it.  But again if you are an elected United States Senator and or Representative, you love a bill like this as it represents your pay offs to be in power over American Taxpayers.

It is too bad that proper consideration and the ability to read, debate and amend this bill will not be happening any time soon.   Republican United States Senator Mitch McConnell along with 17 Republican Senators obviously have joined the Democrat Party with their vote in favor of this bill.  This is a classic backroom deal. If an elected United States Senator and or Representative wants to oppose this bill they are immediately considered anti-American and or radical. I guess this is the way we now must run our government.  We must run it as a radical, third-world status, banana republic type atmosphere stealing from American Taxpayers on a minute by minute basis.  No other explanation is possible.

For American Taxpayers this $1.7 Trillion Dollar spending bill is supposedly an early Christmas present.  Many of your elected United States Senators and Representatives can't wait to dump this on you and run home and celebrate the holidays on your dime.  For the American Taxpayer,  your Christmas and New Year will continue to consist of runaway inflation, runaway national debt, an energy crisis, a border crisis, an illegal drug crisis, a crime and murder crisis, and a massive loss of wealth for retired Americans.  You as an American Taxpayer have pretty much reached your economic breaking point and this spending bill should be able to break you.  But this Christmas and New Year you are also thinking about American history.  You are thinking about what happened in 1776 as brave colonists declared their independence against "Taxation without Representation".  And will 2023 be like 1776?  Will the American Taxpayer 247 years later declare their independence against "Taxation without Representation"?  It is coming, just wait and see.  

Merry Christmas America.  I pray for our survival as a country against this tyranny called government.

 

Swick Speak's 2022 Christmas List For America

It is the Christmas season.  And it is time for the Swick Speak Christmas list.  A list of gifts that I hope America gets this year.  It is a tough list, as the majority of Americans dislike the direction that America has taken since a failing, feeble and incoherent Democrat President Joe Biden and his incompetent administration took over in 2021.  And Joe Biden will rank as one of the bottom five worse Presidents that our country has ever had once he is mercifully gone from office.

Here we go:

1. Americans want a closed and secure border around their country.  They do not want a free flow of illegal immigrants coming into their country, contrary to what the Democrat Party wants to see.  They do not want drug cartels, murderers, human traffickers, and terrorists coming into our country by the millions.  They want a closed border with legal limited immigration.

2. Americans want the energy independence that they had under President Trump.  They want all of the Keystone pipelines to be opened and flowing providing energy to our country at reasonable prices.  They do not want American dollars to be flowing to OPEC countries and the regime of Venezuela to support these countries and increasing our bloated balance of trade deficits.  They do not want to have the Strategic Petroleum Reserve drained to buy votes for the Democrat Party but to be used in a real emergency.  They want a realistic time frame to see if and when green energy becomes economically viable and functional for the country.  They want stable electric prices.  They want lower heating oil prices and a dependable supply of heating oil to heat their homes.  They want American energy sources to be used and supplied to our country.

3. Americans want an end to the Democrat induced runaway inflation of the past two years.  They want an end to the endless supply chain crisis that makes our store shelves look like 1970's Russia.  They want an end to the endless spending of Taxpayer dollars by all levels of government to pay people not to work and not to be productive in our economy.  They want price stability and to be able choose and buy American products in their stores.  They want solutions to the nation's debt crisis that our elected officials have created by their reckless spending on failed programs and the continual propping up of political hacks and serial incompetents at all levels of government.

4. Americans want an end to unchecked crime, theft and murders in our country.  They want a functioning set of laws that are adhered to and enforced for everyone.  They do not want laws that no longer prosecute thieves for only stealing $1,000 or less in products from stores.  They want private property rights to be restored and laws that allow for private property rights to be enforced.  They do not want their cars to be stolen in broad daylight when pumping gas.  They want a legal system that prosecutes criminals and not make victims of crime be treated as the criminal.  Americans want an end to the current deluded bleeding heart liberalism of making these transgressions be accepted as normal and right.  

5. Americans want a public education system that once again teaches our youth real subject matter that will provide the skills essential to them to earn a living in the future.  They reject the complete brainwashing that is currently going on in the classroom with a failed, woke, and incomprehensible curriculum of gender identity, sex changes at an early age, incoherent life styles and a rejection of parental guidance and love in their lives.  Parents are responsible for their children, and not a public education system full of deceptions, distortions, and lies.  They want educators to teach not campaign nor indoctrinate.

6. Americans want an end to the corruption of Federal, State and Local governments.  Americans want an end to being slaves to government at all levels by the waste and misuse of Taxpayer's hard earned monies.  They no longer want to pay for Taxpayer funded programs that secretly channel money to political allies, political donors, and family friends.  They want honesty, transparency, and truth to be restored to a government that they are paying for.  They want the United States Constitution to be adhered to and followed not rewritten to the liking of the politically-connected few.

 I know America is asking a great deal this Christmas.  But isn't what is being asked for is what America once was and stood for?  How did America turn into this shell of itself that millions of Americans died for in wars since 1776?  And why must the majority of Americans accept this debris, filth and muck being force fed to them on a daily basis by a total biased and state run media?  Enough is enough.  It is time for real Americans to take back our country this Christmas season from this invasion of wrongs that are being sold as rights that are damaging our country's foundations of liberty and freedom.  Americans have had enough of this failed political experiment.  Americans see that it is truly 1776 all over again as the fight for personal freedoms and real democracy begins anew in 2023.

How Much Taxpayer's Money Was Wasted During The Covid-19 Crisis?

 I really wonder how much of Connecticut Taxpayers' money was wasted during the Covid-19 crisis?  According to the covidmoneytracker.org website a mere $11 trillion dollars has been spent in various programs, loans, grants, direct aid and other programs to apparently save the country from this man-made virus.  I will point out immediately that America's National Debt is now well over $31 trillion dollars with no plan whatsoever forthcoming  to address it and or pay it down on the future.  Our National Debt at this time is at its highest level ever in nation's history and plays a role in the recessionary/inflationary economic nightmare of an energy crisis, runaway inflation, an open border crisis, an illegal drug crisis and unchecked crime that we live in from day to day.  Depending on how it is both reported and analyzed, Connecticut's short and long term debt along with its unfunded liabilities is between $100 and $150 billion dollars, and that is only the part that is not hidden from view. 

It is difficult to understand what America received for that $11 trillion dollars of Taxpayer's monies spent.  It is more difficult to understand how much Connecticut got and where it was spent in the state.  These facts and figures are difficult to find and understand from an economics viewpoint.  We do know that if states continue to declare "states of emergency" due to the Covid-19 crisis, they continue to receive financial support for certain programs as of today even though there is no more pandemic.  Connecticut initially received over $1.3 billion dollars in federal Taxpayer monies in 2020 for various relief programs.  Connecticut received funding from the CARES Act, and a host of other catchy named programs to offset the incredible economic damage that was forced upon the state during the pandemic by Connecticut's Ned Lamont's Democrat led state government/Kingdom.  Lamont's continual emergency powers granted to him by a non operational state legislature allowed for a steady stream of funding to go into the state while the state's economic productivity, viability and work force sat idle.  But where did all that money go?

Connecticut lost many businesses during the pandemic.  They shut down never to open again as many businesses that were deemed "non essential" by Ned Lamont (and/or his highly paid consulting group lackeys) were closed.  What was "essential" was the continuous operations of Ned Lamont's family hedge fund and several of their holdings especially Sema4.  One company that should have been investigated and still to this day needs to be investigated is Sema4.  This company received a 2% "sweetheart" state loan and funding. Recapping again what happened, $45,150,000 is what Sema4 has been able to obtain with little to no oversight in Covid-19 and Genomics testing from the State of Connecticut.  Further, there are loans and unknown billings and payments that in many cases continue not to be reconciled nor disclosed as of today. To date, Connecticut State-run media has never reported there was a Third Amendment to a state support agreement signed on April 14, 2021, between the State, the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development and Mount Sinai Genomics/Sema4 amending the original support agreement made between these parties back in 2018.  In the 2018 original agreement, Mount Sinai Genomics guaranteed payment of $9.5 million of the $15,000,000 state-funded loan to Sema4.  However, this Third Amendment releases Mount Sinai Genomics from the loan and its guarantee, leaving faltering Sema4 to pay its own debts, and if that does not work, the loan then becomes a casualty to taxpayers.   Sema4 shut down operations in the state and is on the verge of bankruptcy with its nearly worthless stock.  We still do not know how much in profits did Lamont and family gain off this deal and their dealings with the state.  We know that Connecticut taxpayers will foot the bill for this deal in the future.  My good friend Tony De Angelo on his weekly segment on the Lee Elci radio show on 94.9 WJJF New London, CT has been talking about these payments for over two years now and I have written about them on several occasions. Mr. De Angelo this past week stated there needs to be a complete audit of where this money went and where did all the pandemic funding go to.  I agree.  However, we do know one Democrat slightly fallen from grace is former State Representative Michael DiMassa who pleaded guilty to stealing $1.2 million dollars of Covid-19 relief funds from the Democrat-led city of West Haven.  How many more cases are still out there waiting to be uncovered in terms of theft of Covid-19 relief funds?  I guess Taxpayers do not really need to know.

I personally hate to see government at any level rip off Taxpayers.  However it seems to be happening on a daily basis.  To see the absolute destruction of state economies such as Connecticut due to their draconian and incoherent decrees in the name of saving lives due to Covid-19 is sickening.  We can look back since March, 2020 and see a ridiculous and frightening abuse of governmental power that profited some well connected elitists in our economy while bankrupting many hard working Americans.  Those who were most vulnerable to Covid-19 were discarded and made to die a lonely death in isolation from their loved ones, treated as some sort of social leper.  And we really need to know how much Taxpayer's monies were wasted in this man-made, abuse of governmental power, profit-mad crisis called the pandemic?  Our questions still do not get answered by "our" government as we continue our journey daily back to 1776. 

The Democrat Party Crime Crisis

 Bad is good.  Good is bad.  Make America worse not better.  Make America hurt.  Contrary to glowing Democrat Party propaganda America, especially in Democrat-led states, has a crime crisis of horrific proportions.  Cities such as Chicago, Portland, Oregon, New York City, Philadelphia, and Ned Lamont's Hartford, Connecticut to name a few, are epicenters of unchecked crime and murders.  Enormous amounts of economic and taxpayer's resources are spent daily in these same Democrat cities for barely functioning and understaffed police departments who must daily battle a war against career criminals who laugh at a failed judicial system and District Attorneys who shut their eyes against the malefactors and their victims.  Why has this happened, and why is it continuing are valid questions that get ignored when asked.  

One element that our society and economy has is based on is private property rights.  Private property rights are the basis for many legal systems as well as capitalism.  We, as members of our society have a legal right to ownership of our property.  For example when we buy a home or condo, we obtain a legal ownership of the property that can not be taken away from us.  The same can be applied when owning a car or truck, we own the car or truck.  The home, condo, car or truck is not owned collectively by everyone in society.  I cannot claim ownership of your vehicle nor can you claim ownership to my vehicle.  If we once again see crime as a rape of private property rights (as it truly is) in our society, and if our legal system could start to once again enforce the legality of private property rights, then crime and criminals would decrease in our country.  As it stands today with bonds not being required for criminals who are caught, an epidemic of juvenile delinquency especially with stolen vehicles and repeat offenders constantly being returned to the street, crime will never subside.  Why is our private property rights being violated in this manner by criminals with the full blessings of the Democrat Party?  What gives a criminal the right to my personal property?  What gives a criminal the right to loot, pillage and steal from privately owned businesses?  I am waiting for an answer from any elected Democrat official to rationally explain to me and many others how this "cures" crime and theft in our society?  Because it does not, and is beyond idiotic to make claim to the contrary.

Murder continues to go unchecked in our society.  Due to the horrific open border policy of the incoherent Democrat Biden Administration, America has become much less safe.  We now have drug cartels and gangs running free in many parts of our country poisoning our youth and others with their illegal drugs.  They cause violent crimes and murders on a daily basis with turf wars for the illegals drugs they brazenly sell.  Why has the Democrat Party allowed this to happen?  Why do these illegal drug cartels exist in our country especially when our legal system is supposed to protect our health and well being?  Again, why can't our legal system enforce laws any more especially at the border and especially in Democrat led cities?  Are Democrat elected officials being paid off by these same cartels?  One has to wonder why the Democrat Party wants to put our entire country at risk by their hatred of laws and our legal system that should be protecting us?  What does it prove?  Who really benefits?  An elite out of control Democrat Party? Certainly, not you or I.

Americans want their private property rights returned to them.  Americans want to be able to get out of their vehicles and not have them stolen at gunpoint.  Americans want to be able to walk down a city street and not be mugged or murdered in cold blood in broad daylight.  Americans want a functional legal system to enforce the current laws that have been written.  They no longer want their cities burned, their stores robbed, and their children murdered.  The seeds of discontent continue to be sown by deplorable Democrat Party policies that defy logic.  America should not be a testing ground of an incomprehensible socialist experiment force fed to us by these demigods.  We need to take back our country from the grips of an insane logic propelled upon us by a failed and corrupted Democrat Party.

The Democrat Party Cryptocurrency Crisis

 To me it is fascinating to me see how much money was spent in this past 2022 Midterm election by political parties, special interest groups and a host of committees.  In my opinion all of this money can be viewed as both productive and non productive.  It is economically productive in the view of the printing companies who print signs, campaign literature and the like.  It is especially productive for media outlets and political consultants who sell advertising and "advise" candidates on what they should or should not do, regardless of the disastrous results in many cases.   It is non productive in my opinion because it seems that the candidates with the greatest amounts of cash and or personal wealth are now the perpetually elected officials that Taxpayers are stuck with each election.  A great example of this was the battle of the millionaires for Connecticut's Governor; Democrat millionaire Ned Lamont and Republican millionaire Bob Stefanowski with the incumbent millionaire winning.  Each candidate poured millions of their own cash into their campaigns to buy the office.  It is also non productive because it seems that people who are the remaining working middle class of America have little if any representation in any level of government due to the amount of cash that is being used to buy political offices since many offices are held by individuals with incredible wealth.  These same office holders have little if any concept of what it is like for the working middle class to raise a family, not have their children brainwashed in public schools, work hard for a living with few if any raises, and struggle to survive because of the incoherent economic and social policies these same paid-for millionaire elected officials dictate to them.

Even more troubling has been the recent disclosures of former cryptocurrency giant FTX and its founder Samuel Bankman-Fried who gave a mere $70.1 million dollars to mainly Democrat Party causes in the 2022 Midterm races.  FTX was the third largest campaign contributor in this election.  (opensecrets.org) FTX recently filed for bankruptcy losing an estimated $30 billion dollars plus of investors cryptocurrency.  For those who do not understand cryptocurrency (which are many) one must use a fiat currency such as the United States Dollar or Euro to buy this concept or digital currency that only has value by the non- governmental authority issuing it.  You may wonder as I do, why you would take a legitimate currency you use every day and give it to a centralized authority (that many have no idea who or what it is) to get this digital currency that has no assurances that it will be operational from day to day and has limited use in buying items and or services in our everyday economy.  My question is them how did Bankman-Fried lose all this digital currency?  Did some computer somewhere blow up and eliminate it?  How did he gain all of his wealth to spend on this past election cycle? It seems all this is happening out of thin air.  And since I am an economist who still does not buy into the concept of cryptocurrency, why are some governmental and state pension funds invested in it?  What happens to this money?  Do the same working middle class Taxpayers now get to bail out Bankman-Fried and his Democrat friends? 

Connecticut Democrat Governor Ned Lamont seems to be invested heavily in cryptocurrency.  The State of Connecticut was very generous with Connecticut taxpayers monies by giving $5 million dollars to Digital Currency Group to fictionally "move" 300 jobs to Stamford, CT.  The Digital Currency Group now has many issues to deal with due to the implosion of FTX.  In my opinion, they will be bankrupt very soon.  The Lamont family Hedge Fund (Oak HC/FT) was an early investor in Digital Currency Group but Lamont maintains they divested of the investment before this sweetheart deal took place, even after trade-source verified multi-million dollar investments were uncovered by said fund immediately after the election!  And why is Connecticut's state run pension invested in cryptocurrency in the first place?  Is this not an enormous risk now with the meltdowns of the cryptocurrency markets?  How many other elected Democrat officials are invested in FTX?  How many government run pension funds are invested in the cryptocurrency markets?  Once again Tony De Angelo in his weekly segment on the Lee Elci show on WJJF 94.9 was the first to disclose these most recent stunning Lamont connections to cryptocurrency.  

Regardless, since the crypto-fueled Democrat Party is now broke, it could have fundraising bake sales at the empty retail storefronts they helped to put out of business during their Covid-19 crisis?  Or maybe it could sell Dutch Tulip Bulbs at incredible prices like they did in the 1600's?  Or better yet maybe it could create something out of nothing, which is nothing and trade the nothing on a daily basis?  Or even better it can double down on pensioners and taxpayers stakes in cryptocurrency while it is collapsing?  One can argue they was a great deal of money wasted in this last election that could have been spent solving many of the issues the political system has created for our economy.  For example, how about helping people who are being bankrupted by excessive Affordable Care Act medical bills?  Or maybe helping the thousands of family run businesses bankrupted by incoherent and draconian decrees of the never ending Covid-19 crisis?  

Maybe the election of 2024 should be one of no more money spent for campaigns for any elected office.  Each candidate would need to publish at their own expense their stances on all issues that impact their district and or state.  That might help the serial fraud that seems to take place each election. The greater fraud in my opinion is what our political system has evolved into.  Buying of political power each election cycle.  It has reached a point of no return.  Sort of like the point of no return for cryptocurrency.  Oh well, no big thing.  Just make taxpayers pay for the financially elites ineptitude, incompetency, excesses and power.  Like in Connecticut, and so many other Democrat enclaves in our country.  The seeds of economic discontent are sown and are growing quickly for the taxpayers who must shoulder the economic burden of this political corruption.  And yet again the truths of 1776 resonate louder than ever in our country at this time. 

Good Bye To The Lost State Of Connecticut

 A majority of voters spoke this past Tuesday, November 8, 2022.  They told Connecticut that they are embracing and endorsing four more years of a future of an energy crisis especially for heating oil and diesel, food shortages, an illegal drug crisis, a public education crisis, runaway inflation,  mandatory vaccines for children, vaccine passports, personal data collection, massive uncontrollable crime and theft, higher taxes and tolls, and two different set of laws with one not applicable to the Democrat Party (especially Ned Lamont's family hedge fund) and another set that must be followed by the common working men and women of the state.  By the majority of voters' actions this past Tuesday it will be safe to say that Connecticut will be in the same state of emergency, economic despair and social crisis two and four years from now with a Governor and his never ending Covid-19 emergency powers, along with some of the highest tax rates in the country, poorest business rankings in the country and highest per person capita debt in the country.  It looks rather bleak for the state.

Connecticut's problems did not go away this past Tuesday.  Even though a majority of voters have embraced these same problems on Election Day, buyers remorse will set in.  Ned Lamont, whose Republican Candidate for Governor Bob Stefanowski omissively said was not corrupt, nor a "bad guy" (10/27/22 WFSB TV 3 "CT22: A conversation with the Republican candidate for Governor") is in my opinion corrupt and a "bad guy" by his many actions and lack of transparency in his Administration for the past four years.  From his dealings with Sema-4 and his suspicious non profit shell games, no answers to any questions came forth during the campaign which was a major failure to the citizens of Connecticut.  I am confident that these backroom dealings will be going into overdrive in the next few months with zero questioning by Connecticut's obedient state run media. Connecticut Taxpayers will be financing the Lamont's excesses with their tax monies.  You get what you vote for.

Coming out of this election is also the absolute helplessness of the Connecticut Republican Party in my opinion.  With the exception of a few principled Conservatives the party seems hopelessly split into different camps.  One side hates all things of former President Trump with a strong RINO influence almost like the old Rockefeller Republicans and the other side has working men and women who have strong libertarian and conservative principles. Looking at the two failed campaigns of Tom Foley and now two more losses by Bob Stefanowski maybe the next Republican Party candidate for Governor rather than being a multi-millionaire could be a homegrown candidate who is much more in tune with the party, the state and its people.  Maybe it could be a priority for the Republicans that in a state that has over 3.3 million people in it to field candidates in every elected office, every two years.  No more unopposed races.  Maybe they need to look at the efficiencies of the Florida Republican Party and their roadmap to success rather than the u-turns, cowardice, roadblocks and potholes they seem to embrace each campaign and election.  In my opinion there are many hard working members of the Connecticut Republican Party who never get heard year in and year out.  Maybe the party bosses could give them their say and promote their ideas for a change in the coming months.  If what you have been doing has not worked for 30 plus years now why not try something new?  If not, we can certainly look forward to more failures.

So what is next?  I know for me I am contemplating ending my chapter in all things Connecticut politics.   The Connecticut political system and its' state government to me is a deceptive, incoherent, labyrinth of false promises, lies, a "members only" club, and shameless ego gratification that does little to help the Taxpayers who must fund it and must never question it.  I have always been conservative and make no excuses for it.  I believe in personal freedoms and free markets. High taxes, rampant crime, horrific cities, omnipotent one party rule, poor government and suppression of personal freedoms led me to leave.  There are contrary to what the Connecticut Democrat Party wants you to believe, better, and less taxed states to live in throughout our great country.

Thus starting on Saturday November 26 "Swick Speak" will be revamped and will look at more than just Connecticut.  I will continue to write about governmental/political corruption since I despise it and also about how our political system influences our economy to the point that it hurts our economy and capitalism.  The blog will be on a more national level however I will still visit Connecticut's corruption which in my opinion will never end.  

The battle for freedom, transparency in government at all levels,  and the end of corruption in government seems never to end.  I personally will never give up the fight for what is right and just for all Americans.  Connecticut's elected officials, media and state government are examples of what is wrong with our political system and Taxpayer funded governments in 2022.  Never yield for it is truly 1776 all over again.