Category Archives: Voting

Impotent Taxation: Why Nevada Can’t Have Nice Things

16 Monday Apr 2018

Posted by in About Reno, All Rights Reserved, Business, Conservatives, Crime, Donald Trump, Economy, Education, Entertainment, Ethics, Government, Government Regulation, Higher Education, History, Honor, Housing, jobs, labor, Life, Management Practices, Nevada, parenting, Politicians, Politics, Pride, Public Image, Public Relations, Real Estate, Recreation, Reno, Taxes, Travel, United States, Voting

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Nevada, as a community is not pretty. In fact, it is probably the ugliest State in the nation when it comes to the ‘American Dream.’ Don’t tell that to one of the few citizens (25%) born in the State. Hardcore Nevadans are almost cult-like in the fondness of a State of mostly sagebrush and blowing sand. What Nevada can’t figure out is that it takes money to run a State, and that requires taxes. Nevada doesn’t believe in taxes, they believe in being a failure.

Proud to be the worst…at everything

Nevada Sucks And Has the Rankings to Prove It

Nevada ranks #3 in violent crimes per capita. In education, Nevada is the worst State according to USA Today. Of the best States with the best quality of life, Nevada ranks 43 out of 50, and in the area of social environment, it ranks dead last. Nevada has the 46th worst in the unemployment rate. These aren’t a new downward trend in rankings. Nevada is consistently at the bottom of these rankings.

Nevada is a State everyone points at as the example of what not to do. Companies don’t want to move to Nevada because of the crime, poor education, bad quality of life, which makes unemployment higher.

Nevada Taxation:  Where Rich People Come For a Free Ride

Nevada can’t figure out that it has a taxation problem. More taxes, better schools, lower crime, better quality of life, etc. But Nevada isn’t run by citizens. Nevada is run by the beasts of mining and casinos. It is sad to see how normal citizen rush to defend the monster that feeds on them.

Mining is digging up Nevada’s one-time resources and taking them out of State. Mineral corporations account for over $3 billion dollars of Nevada’s gross domestic product, but mining’s contribution to the State revenues is only one percent. For comparison, Nevada’s cigarette tax contributes four percent to the State budget.

Gaming is the 363 kg gorilla of Nevada politics but pays minimal taxes. The ‘Gaming Tax’ is a tax levied on the winnings of their customers. The ‘Live Entertainment Tax’ is added to the cost of admission. The ‘Room Tax’ is added to the hotel invoice to the customer. The gambler/customer pays the tax, not the casino.

Casino owners like Sheldon Adelson don’t pay income or corporate taxes. They are reaping the money, but not supporting the State of Nevada.

Nothing Else Works

Nevada is the State of blind voters and boot-licking politicians. It is a State that will do anything to avoid fixing the real problem if the solution would impact corporations or the wealthy. The State is has tried everything but the one solution that is obvious:  raise taxes on corporations and the wealthy.

The Silver State is likely to be hit by a perfect storm of economic destruction. The upcoming recession will catch Nevada completely unprepared. Housing prices far exceed the wage-earning potential of the middle class. As jobs collapse, housing will collapse. Underfunded schools, law enforcement, and government services will only get worse.

There is no positive response Nevada will be able to make to an economic downturn. Nevada will become a third world State and the politicians will respond by doing the wrong thing…cutting desperately needed taxes on corporations and the wealthy.

This is why Nevada can’t have nice things.

Eulogy For Donald Trump

08 Sunday Apr 2018

Posted by in Conservatives, Donald Trump, Ethics, Gender Issues, Generational, Government, History, Honor, Life, Nevada, Politicians, Politics, Religion, Russian influence, Taxes, United States, US History, Vladimir Putin, Voting, Women

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We are here to celebrate the passing of Donald Trump. Let us not dwell on the life of a man who was a failure as a human, but focus on what his life taught us. Donald Trump was more than a prime example of the baseness of human nature. He was the darkness that exposed the darkness of others. We need no deity to judge other people when a person like Trump can readily draw out the perverseness of others.

GOP all smiles

Donald Trump:  Hero of the Darkness

The Donald Trump Effect

Without Trump we would not have known:

  • How feckless Republicans are, and how impotent they are as leaders. Repeatedly, Trump embarrassed the Republican party and they all smiled and accepted it. When they did contradict him it was tentative and short-lived. They were clearly subservient to Trump and demonstrated a fear of his wrath.
  • The perverse nature of Christian evangelicals that claim freedom of religion as long as it is their religion and not any other version. Trump mocked the Bible on a daily basis and they loved him for it.
  • How racists and paternalistic conservatives are as they manufactured issues that just happen to target non-whites and women. We suspected that race and gender were the underlying motives, but Trump ‘said’ what they were thinking and now we know for sure.
  • The depth of the greed of the powerful and wealthy in the United States. If there is a deity, She has no need to judge them. Their sins are self-evident, thanks to Donald Trump.

Donald Trump was a person that drew out the poison of our society. Trumpsters felt that with Trump, they no longer needed to hide the ugliness inside them. These people would have been able escape notice had it not been for Donald Trump.

So as we celebrate his death, let us celebrate the what he did for our country. Trump divided us into Constitution loving, respectful, compassionate people…and Trumpsters. Let us rejoice! 

The Dichotomy of Small Towns: Good People, Small Minds

04 Wednesday Apr 2018

Posted by in About Reno, Aging, All Rights Reserved, College, Communication, Conservatives, Discrimination, Donald Trump, Education, Generational, Gun control, Gun Extremists, Higher Education, History, jobs, Lessons of Life, Life, Nevada, parenting, Politicians, Politics, Pride, Public Image, Public Relations, racism, Relationships, Religion, Reno, Small town, Travel, United States, Universities, US History, Voting

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Small communities are two kinds of special. A small community can be a place of good people who would do anything for each other and will help out a stranger if needed. They also can have a darker side of illegal activities, whispered gossip of secret knowledge, and a narrow view of the rest of the world. It is the Jeckle and Hyde personality of a small town that is never discussed, but almost always there.

Roosevelt, UT

Small towns: The Pretty

Ruts of a Small Town

Change happens in small towns, but it often follows a counterintuitive logic. If the change is rational, involving a relatively workable plan of implementation, it is often viciously opposed by some people in the community. If the change is a Music Man-type (see video clip below) change consisting of unproven goals with lofty promises, a small community often embraces it.

Small town in Utah

Small towns. The Ugly

What that means is that small communities often don’t change significantly over time. The ‘BIG’ change that is going to reinvent the community typically falls flat. That results if a fear of change. Without change, life becomes a rut that everyone falls into.

Aging and Small Towns:  The ‘Comfort Zone’

Growing up in a small town is an interesting window into human development. Ask high school students what they want to do when they graduate and often the response is, “Get out of this hick town as fast as possible.” Small towns often don’t have enough jobs for high school graduating classes. College is often the best way for children to break out of the small town cycle.

But even those who go off to college sometimes return because there is a ‘comfort zone’ in living where hu grew up. As people grow older, the desire to ‘get out of Dodge’ is replaced with the fear of living somewhere else. That fear is eventually replaced by an intense loyalty to small-town life. Usually, older the person, the more defensive they are about living in a small town.

Small Towns and Confirmation Bias

In a small town, everyone knows everyone. As people age, they have a select few friends that they have significant contact. In some cases, daily contact. Unlike cities, people in small towns may see the same people at work, at school, at the grocery store, at church, etc. This immersion with other people creates intimate friendships that are as close, possibly closer, than marriage relationships.

People in small towns have limited experiences with people outside of their community and intimate friendships. They tend to develop a groupthink about the world and people outside their community. When all your close friends have the same lack of knowledge and experience with the rest of the world, people are exposed to ‘confirmation bias.’ This bias occurs when friends confirm a person’s beliefs, and other information that might counter those beliefs are ignored or unknown by the group.

Typically, confirmation bias fosters negative attitudes about people who are not like them. That leads to a conservative mindset that is easily exploited. It is not a coincidence that rural environments are ripe for politically conservative influence because they focus on telling rural communities exactly what they want to hear.

Small Town Black Holes

All of this is a generalization of small town people. To be fair, problems of larger communities, such as traffic, noise, pollution, homelessness, etc. are not the ideals of any community; however, small towns have an environment that generates the same patterns over and over. Children in a small town will often grow up to be like hu’s parents. People living in a marginal society disjoined from the world.

Trump’s Soviet-Style Government

30 Friday Mar 2018

Posted by in Communism, Conservatives, Donald Trump, Economy, Ethics, Generational, Government, Government Regulation, History, Honor, Nevada, Politicians, Politics, Pride, racism, Reno, Republic, Respect, Russian influence, Soviet Russia, United States, US History, Vladimir Putin, Voting

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Soviet Russia (1917-1991) had an oppressive government where one party ruled with complete authority. Soviet offices were all held by loyal communist party members and corruption was rampant. Donald Trump is creating his own Soviet-style government using the Republican party. They are not concerned about disenfranchising a majority of the citizens, but rather, treat opposing voices as disloyal elements that are to be ignored.

GOP all smiles

The United Soviet States of America?

Lenin’s Vision of His Soviet Party

Vladimir Lenin held the belief that a government could only be run by one person or a small group of people. He also believed that there were only two kinds of people in the world: friends or enemies. Obviously, friends believed what Lenin believed and everyone else was an enemy.

Like Lenin, Donald Trump sees only two kinds of people. His adoring supporters and disloyal people who are his enemies. Trump seems to see himself as a heroic figure in a tragic situation, besieged by his enemies. His inability to accept any responsibility for his failings and poor judgment is part of his leadership style.

Soviets and Republicans:  One Party, One Mind

Lenin divided his party when he demanded that membership must consist of only loyal followers. His groupthink party rejected all other ideas and discussion that contradicted his will. Those who were not loyal were not allowed to participate in his government.

Trump has followed a Lenin-like path with a constant stream of changes in his administration. He has reduced his White House staff to yes-people who do not offer different points of view and seek to please Trump with constant praise and admiration.

Like Lenin, Like Putin, Like Trump

The United States of America defeated Communism by being a nation of diverse ideas and opinions. Debate and compromise have been the strength of our country’s political system. After the fall of Soviet Russia, the idea of open discussion led to chaos in the new Russia. In less than a decade, Vladimir Putin rose to power and built a system of government that was a return to Soviet Russia in all but the name.

Trump is following the example of Lenin and Putin in his attempt to establish a Soviet-style government in our country using the Republican party as his version of the Communist party. If he is successful he will essentially be handing the defeat of the United States of America to Putin and Soviet Russia, 27 years after the fall of communism.

The Sad Life of a Russian Troll (Печальная жизнь русского тролля)

26 Monday Mar 2018

Posted by in All Rights Reserved, Branding, Business, Communication, Donald Trump, Economy, Employee Retention, Ethics, Government, Honor, Information Technology, Internet, jobs, labor, Language, Life, Politicians, Politics, Public Image, Random, Respect, Russian influence, Social Interactive Media (SIM), Technology, Travel, United States, US History, Vladimir Putin, Voting, Website, Writing

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It is a statement of life in Russia when one of the best jobs to be had is employment to write fake news stories, deceive people, and attempt to create chaos in other countries. Russian Troll Farms, or Web Brigades, as they refer to themselves, tell us more about Russian life, than about Western gullibility. What follows is my own fake story of an interview with a Russian Troll.

Troll – a mythical creature in folklore living in caves or hills or under bridges as either a giant or a dwarf, typically having a very ugly appearance.

Russia Condos

Living Large in Russia: Condos in St. Petersburg

Interview With A Russian Troll

[NOTE: Some language may be inappropriate for young readers.]

Interviewer:  What’s your job? (Кем вы работаете?)

Russian Troll:  I learned to speak English so I could be paid to agitate and influence people in the United States to vote for politicians like we have in Russia. (Я научился говорить по-английски, чтобы мне могли заплатить за то, чтобы агитировать и влиять на людей в Соединенных Штатах, чтобы голосовать за таких политиков, как у нас в России.)

Interviewer:  How does that help Russia? (Как это помогает России?)

Russian Troll:  It doesn’t, but it makes the Americans suffer like we have to suffer in this shithole country. (Это не так, но это заставляет американцев страдать, как мы должны страдать в этой стране.)

Interviewer:  Why do you do it? (Почему ты это делаешь?)

Russian Troll:  I live in Russia. How else can I pay the bills? (Я живу в России. Как еще я могу оплатить счета?)

Interviewer:  The economy of the United States drives the economy of the rest of the world. If you’re successful, aren’t you afraid of a worldwide economic disaster? (Экономика Соединенных Штатов стимулирует экономику остального мира. Если вы добились успеха, разве вы не боитесь мировой экономической катастрофы?)

[Language warning]

Russian Troll:  Don’t tell me about disaster until you’ve seen the crappy place where I live in the middle of winter. Fuck the Americans. Fuck the rest of the world. They all celebrated when Americans landed on the Moon. They all celebrated when the Berlin Wall fell. Fuck them! (Не говори мне о бедствии, пока не увидишь дерьмовое место, где я живу в середине зимы. Ебать американцев. Трахайте весь остальной мир. Все они отмечали, когда американцы высадились на Луну. Все они праздновали, когда упала Берлинская стена. Трахайте их!)

Interviewer:  What about your children? How will your work help them? (Как насчет ваших детей? Как ваша работа поможет им?)

Russian Troll:  Who cares? Did anyone care about me when I was a child? For the last twenty years no one cares, so why should I care? (Какая разница? Кто-нибудь заботился обо мне, когда я был ребенком? За последние двадцать лет никто не заботится, так зачем мне это волновать?)

Interviewer:  You mean the last twenty years when Vladimir Putin has led your country? (Вы имеете в виду последние двадцать лет, когда Владимир Путин привел вашу страну?)

Russian Troll:  Exactly!…No, wait. YOU TRICK ME! (Quickly looks around) No, Putin has been good. I mean Putin has been great. Great! Putin is a great leader! (Точно! .. Нет, подожди. ВЫ ТРЕТЬЕ МЕНЯ! Нет, Путин был хорош. Я имею в виду, что Путин был замечательным. Большой! Путин – великий лидер!)

Interviewer:  What does a Russian troll do after they leave the Farm? (Что делает русский тролль после ухода из фермы?)

Russian Troll:  First of all, we are not a Troll Farm. We are a Web Brigade! We fight a war against the Free Countries of the World! We will bring them to their knees! Second, when I finish here I will be rich! I will never have to work again! I will move to America and be a…how you say,…big?, BIG, yes?, I will be a big man! You will know me by my shiny red sports car! (Прежде всего, мы не Ферма Троллей. Мы – веб-бригада! Мы ведем войну против Свободных стран мира! Мы поставим их на колени! Во-вторых, когда я закончу здесь, я буду богат! Мне больше никогда не придется работать! Я перееду в Америку и буду … как вы говорите, … большой?, БОЛЬШОЙ, да ?, Я буду большим человеком! Ты узнаешь меня своим блестящим красным спортивным автомобилем!)

GOP Disease: Say It, Then Apologize

23 Friday Mar 2018

Posted by in Aging, All Rights Reserved, Assault Weapons, Communication, Discrimination, Donald Trump, Ethics, Generational, Government, Gun control, Gun Extremists, habits, Honor, Information Technology, Mass Shootings, Mental Health, Nevada, Politicians, Politics, Pride, Public Image, racism, Respect, Russian influence, Second Amendment, Social Media Relations, United States, US History, Violence in the Workplace, Voting

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Republicans have a consistent problem. They first say what they are thinking…and then they apologize for it. It’s the GOP disease. In incident after incident a Republican office holder, or a Republican candidate will say something that is completely inappropriate and then smirk. They are proud of it. Then when it becomes national news, they suddenly grow a conscience and apologize for the remark…some of the time.

Former CIA Turned GOP Candidate Jokes About Killing Opponent 

The most recent incident to make national news is when a Republican candidate for Kentucky’s Secretary of State, Carl B. Nett, office suggested in a tweet that he could use an anti-NRA pin for a target if his opponent would move the pin closer to the center of his body.

The tweet itself is disturbing. What is more disturbing is that Nett is a former CIA and Secret Service agent. He was one of the people that our country entrusted with the use of deadly force because he supposedly was trained to control his impulses. As a former agent, the expectation is that he knows that killing someone is not a joking matter.

Nett has caused the world to question the training and discipline of our country’s CIA and Secret Service agents. He has made all of them look like cowboys out for a party with little or no self-control.

Trump As A Model

Donald Trump has been the model for Republicans in breaching intellectual and civil boundaries of behavior with his practice of saying anything that comes to his mind. Trump reveals his inner thoughts and expresses them in a diarrhea-type flow of violent, subhuman, and racist comments.

Unfortunately, Trumpsters love Trump because he says what they are thinking. That, in itself, is also disturbing.

Qualifications To Be a Public Servant

When someone says what they think, that is honesty. Honesty is good; however, when honesty reveals that the person is of a vile nature, they are not qualified to be a citizen of this country, let alone elected to public office. An apology is not the measure of a person. The person is measured by hu’s* actions.

Nett’s apology was a self-serving statement that he’s just a normal human:

Nett is not a normal human. Hu is representative of the nature and character of the Republican party. Hu’s values are Putin-like values that belong to a society of corruption and terror. We don’t need the excuses of people who can’t respect the ideals our country. We need people of character. Republicans are not those people. Carl B. Nett is a case in point.

[*Hu’s: a gender-neutral pronoun for his/her. Hu: a gender-neutral pronoun for he/she.]

Why Are Conservatives Anti-Society?

13 Tuesday Mar 2018

Posted by in Aging, All Rights Reserved, Business, Conservatives, Discrimination, Donald Trump, Economy, Education, Ethics, Gender Issues, Generational, Government, Government Regulation, Gun control, Gun Extremists, Higher Education, History, Housing, labor, Nevada, Politicians, Politics, racism, Religion, Reno, Respect, Second Amendment, Taxes, United States, US History, Voting, Women

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The conservative agenda is not society friendly. It is designed to benefit few and ignore the rest. The ideology of conservatism is based on an idea of keeping what is perceived to be good and avoiding risk-taking in the future. It assumes that there will be winners and losers so life is about making sure they are the winners.

Fear and Hate are the Entrees for Conservatives

Religions As Safe Harbor For Conservatives

Religions are typically conservative because most religions are built on a paradigm of preserving past traditions. Even the Christian religion is filled with rules and rituals that preserve the thinking of the past and are resistant to change. This is why so many Christians identify themselves with conservative thinking.

The idea that everyone is worthy and equal is usually rhetoric in religions mixed with a condescending effort to help those less fortunate. Often religions and conservatives blame the less fortunate for their own problems. They are the losers and a conservative often consoles hu’s* conscience by making offerings or volunteering to help the less fortunate.

A Liberal Perspective is in Direct Conflict with a Conservative

A conservative, by definition, is focused on preserving what they believe with the assumption that any other belief is irrelevant. It is easy to understand why anyone who has a liberal perspective is worthy of ridicule to a conservative because liberals tend to have a less cynical view of humanity.

Conservatives are driven by fear and self-preservation, while liberals are driven by hope. Conservatives need to believe that they are under threat. Examples of conservative thought consumed by selfishness and fear are:

Taxes

All efforts in a society should be of direct benefit to the person paying taxes. Any money spent for the welfare of others is a target to conservatives and considered a waste of money. Conservatives often use rare examples of waste to ridicule spending for the benefit of less fortunate.

Gun Ownership

Conservatives use their fear of humanity to base a belief that a system of laws and impartial judgment are not effective. Conservatives believe that they should have the right to judge the actions of another person and execute them without trial. To the conservative, the term ‘defense’ justifies the instant execution of an unarmed person based on hu’s fear of that person.

Immigrants

Conservatives typically interchange hu’s racists beliefs with issues that target a particular race. Even though there is no significant immigration problem in the United States, conservatives manufacture a fear that immigrants are a threat. Immigration enforcement targets non-Caucasian races and typically ignore Caucasians.

Women

Historically women have endured a subservient role in society. Conservatives want to preserve that subservient role and consciously and unconsciously act as if women are a lesser gender. In religion, a fear of women has pushed them into a role of service to men and the church.

Conservatives Anti-Society

The problem with conservative ideology is that the fear and hate of non-conservatives places them as the adversary of society. It divides the population, often along the lines of race and power. In their mind, everything is an ‘us-versus-them’ battle regardless of a lack of evidence.

This attitude impacts the effectiveness of our society as the concept of a few winners is at the expense of the rest of the population. 

(*’Hu’s’ is a pronoun meaning ‘his’ and/or ‘hers.’)

Trumpster ‘Hillary’ Excuse Proves Russian Influence

25 Sunday Feb 2018

Posted by in Communication, Crime, Ethics, Generational, Government, History, Honor, Internet, Politicians, Politics, racism, Russian influence, United States, US History, Voting, Women

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Evidence of the Russian influence on the outcome of the Presidential election is readily available. People who voted for Trump make it obvious that they voted based on fake and false information, and even today they maintain the same belief in the misinformation put out by the Putin Troll Farm.

Here’s the statement I see social media from people who voted for Donald Trump:

When are liberals going to understand that we weren’t voting ‘for’ Trump, as much as we were voting ‘against’ Hillary Clinton.

On Quora by Jason Whitehurst (original question 25 AUG 2017)

Russian Influence For a Feckless Man

The statement itself is lacking in logic. It is akin to saying, “I didn’t want to eat dog poop as much as I wanted to avoid eating broccoli.” The person who makes the excuse that his or her vote for a feckless man like Trump was forced by his or her aversion to Clinton is either stupid, a liar, or under the influence of Vladimir Putin.

Fake News of Russian Trolls

‘Crooked Hillary’ is a common term by Trumpsters, but what is it based on? 

Congressional Investigations

Clinton was investigated by bloodthirsty Republicans in Congress EIGHT times regarding the Benghazi attacks, the security beforehand, and the response afterward. The results? She did nothing intentionally wrong, and they could find no charge to file against her.

That is not the story promoted by the Russian trolls.

FBI Investigation-Private Email Server

The FBI began two investigations associated with Hillary Clinton in 2015. The first investigation was regarding Clinton’s use of a private email server. Also in 2015, the FBI began an investigation into donations made to The Clinton Foundation. The investigations coincided with the Democratic Primary campaign season.

The email server investigation was closed on 6 July 2016 by the Justice Department after FBI Director James Comey delivered a fiery news conference the day before. Comey admitted the FBI could find no intentional wrong-doing, but took the opportunity to scold the former Secretary of State for not following suggested protocol by using a private email server.

James Comey: Supported Russian Fake News

Less than a week before the election and after early voting had already begun, Comey made a sudden announcement that new evidence had been found in the email server case. The announcement by the FBI just prior to the election had the effect of a declaration of guilt by the FBI Director. Two days after the election, Comey announced that nothing found in the new evidence would change the decision to close the case.

FBI Investigation-The Clinton Foundation

There have been multiple accusations of people and countries ‘buying influence’ by making donations to The Clinton Foundation. The implication is that someone who knows almost every significant political and powerful person in the world might use a gift to her charitable foundation as a bribe to do special favors for that person.

To date, no charges have been filed even though the Trump administration has worked hard to use the investigation to throw off media attention on probes into Russian influence on his campaign and administration. One source close to the investigation said:

It was never a great case, but it’s still being worked…

What We Have Here is a Failure of Evidence

What is consistent in all of the accusations is that none of them are based on evidence, nor on truth. Regardless of what anyone believes about Hillary Clinton, there is nothing that supports any evidence of wrongdoing, and it is not for a lack of investigating. In 2015, it was reported that over $7 million dollars had been spent on the Benghazi investigations. Add to that all the FBI work, Department of Justice work, and other investigations, the cost of the fruitless chase of fake accusations is likely over $20 million. 

Republicans have now opened additional investigations including an investigation of the investigators as to why the FBI couldn’t prove the fake charges against Clinton.

Still, Russian trolls gave a different version of the outcome.

Under Russian Influence?

In comparison to Clinton, Trump was guilty of real character issues before, during, and after the elections. Based on a summary by The Atlantic, voters knew:

Sexual-Assault Allegations

Based on a summary of sexual allegations compiled on Wikipedia, Donald Trump has had three cases filed in court, New York Times story interviewing 50 women revealing unwelcome sexual attention from Trump, and 13 accusations of unwanted sexual contact.

Donald Trump has denied all of the accusations, entered into a paid agreement of silence with some women, and accused all of the women of being liars.

VP Mike Pence: “I’m with Comrade Trump”

The Beauty Pageant Scandals 

Donald Trump has been accused of using his authority as the sponsor to make an unannounced entrance into women and girls dressing rooms during beauty pageants. Wikipedia compiled this list:

Allegations of pageant dressing room visits:

  1.  Miss Teen USA contestants
  2.  Bridget Sullivan (2000)
  3.  Tasha Dixon (2001)
  4.  Unnamed contestants (2001)
  5.  Samantha Holvey (2006)

Trump University

Trump announced that he would never settle the lawsuits against Trump University, then paid $25 million to settle under a condition he didn’t have to admit wrongdoing. Trump University was closed in 2010.

Trump Institute

Like Trump University, the Trump Institute was largely a fraudulent scheme with video of Trump making promises about the quality of the program and that he handpicked the instructors. In the end, he had only sold his name to the program, offered the recorded video, and the curriculum was plagiarized from other textbooks.

Tenant Intimidation

Trump bought a building with the intention of tearing it down and building luxury condos. From 1982 to 1986 he attempted to squeeze the existing, rent-controlled tenants out using hardcore tactics. He turned off the hot water and the building’s heat, he refused to make required repairs, and he threatened to fill the vacant apartments with homeless people. He finally lost the battle.

The Undocumented Polish Workers

Trump-run operations do not demonstrate ethical management. Despite being tough on immigration as President, Trump managers have employed undocumented employees. In 1980, they hired 200 polish immigrants to demolish an existing property. The workers were paid substandard pay, and at times, not paid at all. They were threatened with deportation if they complained about the back pay.

Undocumented Models

Former models hired by Trump have said they did not have the required documentation when employed by his organization.

Antitrust Violations

In 1986, Trump attempted a hostile takeover of two gaming companies. He violated anti-trust laws and was fined $750,000 for failure to report his purchase of the stock in those companies as legally required.

The Four Bankruptcies

Trump-run companies have declared bankruptcies four times (1991, 1992, 2004, and 2009.) Trump suggests that it is just part of doing business, but it reflects a consistent issue with his financial management ability.

Refusing to Pay Workers and Contractors

Trump has hundreds of complaints against him for failure to pay for services rendered. Trump has offered excuses, but the volume of the complaints indicate a consistent problem and a lack of financial ethics in business.

Suing Journalist Tim O’Brien for Libel 

Trump had a libel $5 billion lawsuit tossed out regarding a Tim O’Brien book that stated that Trump was worth far less than he claimed. The Washington Post reviewed Trump’s deposition in the suit and determined that Trump lied 30 times under oath.

Refusal to Release Tax Information

Despite it being an informal requirement of every Presidential candidate, Trump has refused to release any of his tax returns. This is likely because his tax returns will confirm the book by Tim O’Brien that states that Trump is not worth what he claims.

Racial Housing Discrimination

In 1973, Donald Trump and his father were sued by the Department of Justice of multiple instances of racial discrimination. The Trumps countersued but settled out of court without admitting guilt.

The Trump Foundation

The Trump Foundation has violated rules on self-dealing. The Foundation is still under investigation and has been told to stop illegally accepting donations.

The Inauguration Fiasco

Trump’s Inauguration Committee received more money than was needed and said it would donate the extra money, and then didn’t do it.

Condo Hotel Shenanigans

Trump has been involved in multiple condo schemes that have failed or been fraudulent. In one case, his partners had a criminal past history. In each case, Trump has claimed limited involvement in the deals and has avoided admitting wrongdoing.

The Cuban Embargo

Despite laws against it, the Trump organization has been involved in commercial activity with Cuba since 1998. The involvement is still under investigation but appears to be illegal.

Breaking Casino Rules

Trump has been in trouble with gaming authorities and has been able to avoid any admittance of wrongdoing. He is no longer in the gaming business.

Buying Up His Own Books

During the campaign, Trump used donor money to buy his books. This illegally allowed money from the campaign to end up in Trump’s bank account and made his book sales look larger than they really were.

Mafia Ties

Multiple situations of Trump interactions with Mafia. No direct connection with Trump, but has been required to testify in court regarding the relationships.

Collusion With Russia

This Seattle Times article details twelve things we know about Russian involvement with the 2016 election and connections between Trump aides and Russian agents. It offers a clear connection between Trump and the Russian effort to influence the outcome.

The question is if it was successful. Based on the fake accusations made against Hillary Clinton and the known character issues of Donald Trump it is clear that those who voted for Trump to prevent Clinton from winning were influenced and continue to be influenced.

Or they are just stupid.

GOP Memo is Last Straw

06 Tuesday Feb 2018

Posted by in Crime, Ethics, Government, History, Honor, Politicians, Politics, Public Image, Public Relations, racism, Republic, Respect, The Tipping Point, United States, US History, Voting

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Last Friday the United State of America reached a point of no return when Republicans attempted to cast doubt on Trump campaign’s collusion with the Russians. Loyal Trumpster, Representative Devin Nunes, ignored all warnings and common sense in a desperate move to discredit the U.S. Intelligence community with a GOP memo claiming they were doing the bidding of the Democrats.

Trump and GOP Now Co-Conspirators

Any possible hope of Donald Trump and the Republican party maintaining their legitimacy as elected representatives ended with the release of a Republican-authored House Intelligence Committee memo that reconstructs facts to fit to create a manufactured story. Not only does the memo create a false version of the facts, but Trump was already promising a Republican that he was planning to release the memo as he was walking out after his of the State of the Union (or Uniom) speech.

Watergate Without a Democratic Congress to Stop Him

We are witnessing a more corrupt version of the Nixon administration without a Democratic majority in Congress to act on behalf of the people of our country. There is ample evidence to warrant a serious investigation into Donald Trump, his family, and his campaign regarding collusion with Russia to influence the 2016 election. The attempt to cast doubt on the legitimacy of the investigation by Trump and congressional Republicans is meant to reinforce the support of Trumpsters. It is an attempt to divide the country, not claim innocence.

Unfortunately, Trumpsters would likely not accept full video and audio recordings of collusion as evidence, so the release of the secret memo is simply a way for Trumpsters to maintain their belief that Trump is just a misunderstood genius. Trumpsters now have a way to reassure themselves that any evidence against Trump and his campaign is all part of a conspiracy by Democrats.

It is difficult to imagine a path toward normalcy in our country without some type of violent retaliation by some Trumpsters who will claim that Trump and the Republicans were illegitimately removed from office.  

[COUNT TO 500:  495th Article in PAULx]

Why We Elect the Wrong People?: #2 We Don’t Understand the Purpose of a Republic

30 Tuesday Jan 2018

Posted by in About Reno, Aging, Business, Communication, Economy, Education, Ethics, Generational, Government, Government Regulation, Health, Higher Education, History, Honor, Management Practices, Politicians, Politics, Public Image, Public Relations, racism, Religion, Republic, Taxes, The Tipping Point, United States, Universities, US History, Voting, Women

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Bad politicians are elected because the most voters don’t understand the purpose of a republic and because we don’t understand, we are manipulated by those who tell us what we want to hear. When anyone complains about Congress or the President we have to keep in mind that it is the voter that puts them in office and we are to blame.

Voters are responsible for who is elected

Business Uses Republicans For Profit

Last weekend I published an article on why Big Business wants dumb politicians. Simply put, dumb politicians don’t interfere with unethical business practices and unethical business practices are more profitable than ethical business practices. Republicans have discovered that business will finance their campaigns if they are willing to restrict the function of government in a republic; however, Republicans are elected because they know how to manipulate a certain population in our country. 

The Purpose of a Republic

Democracy is only effective if everyone is capable of researching all the information needed to make an intelligent decision on every issue facing a society. Even then, the ‘majority rules’ of a democracy is inherently unfair to the minority.

A republic accepts that not everyone will have enough information to make intelligent decisions on issues confronting a country so representatives are elected to research the issues and make the decisions that benefit the greatest number of people. The catch is that the representatives have to be capable of understanding complex issues and have to be honorable in the discharge of the duties of her or his office.

Opinions Are Irrelevant

What most voters don’t understand is that their ‘opinion is irrelevant in a republic,… and it should be. Opinions are based on the knowledge of the person. If the person is not qualified, not educated, and/or not experienced enough to understand the issue, his or her opinion is defective. When a ‘person on the street’ is interviewed, they are the least likely to have a valid opinion.

GOP Uses the White Male Voter

Republicans use uneducated and/or biased voter opinion to their benefit. They target issues that are based on misinformed or uneducated opinion that the voter is passionate about and elevate those issues in the political arena. Often these issues are based on the personal bias of the voter. Primarily, Republicans target opinions of the uneducated white male and exploit them by saying what the white male wants to hear to gain his support and trust.

The GOP reinforces the white male voter’s belief that he is correct. Republicans blame the government and liberals as the cause of the issue and convince white men that they will fix the problem if elected. Once they have gained the trust of the voter, it is relatively easy to plant other ‘issues’ in his mind. The twisted logic of giving money to the rich will create more jobs is a prime example of how Republicans plant an idea that completely defies common sense, and yet, Republican voters accept it as fact.

The Cure

If our country hopes to elect better politicians, then we have to choose those who are highly intelligent and honorable. We also must stop expecting candidates to take positions on issues before they are elected. Candidates with strong positions are often attempting to say what people want to hear. If our elected officials are intelligent and honorable, they will make good choices.

We also have to understand that our opinion is irrelevant unless we have expertise regarding the issue. Everyone has an opinion, but the only ones that count are the one with knowledge of the issue.