Omnibus 2022-23

McConnell (the Turtle) did it again.

As a man of words, I hear and use many terms that I’ve become accustomed to using without retaining the precise meaning. I’m not the only one who does this, of course, and when words are used like that often enough, their meaning changes. For example, when I hear the word omnibus used to describe legislation, there exists an almost ominous preconception. But that’s not entirely fair to the word.

The precise meaning of omnibus is a collection of previously published novels, tomes, catalogs, or other items originally published separately. Hmmm …  doesn’t seem very ominous, does it? Well, perception is relative, and here’s another example.

The Turtle (Mitch McConnell) has struck again. He TURTLED in the face of pressure from the democratic left (Chuck-U-Schumer and Bitter Nancy Pelosi) and voted for the $1.7 trillion Omnibus Bill. Why? Because it’s patently bad for America, and it helps the Turtle stay in power. Remember, he’s the senate minority leader. He needs support from moderate democrats to have any influence at all. Good for Mitch, not so good for taxpayers like you and me, who have to fund this monstrosity.

They say Biden-flation is only 7.5%. But I’m old enough to remember back to the Carter years and Carter-flation of 14.0%. If we’re only at 7%, why does it feel like 14% (see this)? Adding another 1.7 trillion to the national debt, nearly half of which is discretionary spending (stuff we don’t need), is only going to make things worse.

Why Mitch, why? Maybe the Turtle doesn’t think Americans have suffered enough (see ….).

September 1977, Washington, DC, USA — President Carter Speaking at Press Conference — Image by © Wally McNamee/CORBIS

Which of the above is the worst President ever? Trick question: there is no wrong answer.

The 1.7 trillion Dollar Omnibus Bill of 2022-23 is a perfect example of why the word omnibus is so ominous when it refers to spending bills. This bill is over four thousand pages long, and not a single elected official has read every page. Do they know what they’re buying with our money? Do you? It’s all very ominous indeed.

It’s an Ominous Omnibus, and I’m not the only one who thinks so.

PS – After clicking the link above, listen to Kudlow, and don’t forget to scroll down to see Rand Paul with the actual bill.

Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act

Has Biden done anything right since he took office?

These are the facts as I, a lowly bus driver, understand them. Government spending is by nature, inflationary. That means the money supply increases, so there’s too much money chasing too few goods (prices go up). If that increase is matched by an increase in wages, the net effect is zero. But inflation is over 9% while wages have only gone up about 2.5%. That’s a 6.5% deficit that all of us absorb as a tax increase on disposable income. Simply put, you can buy 6.5% less stuff today than you could a year ago, even though you got a raise, and keep in mind, not everyone did.

For those too young to remember the Carter years, when inflation outpaces wages, demand falls, unemployment increases, and the economy shrinks. When it lasts more than two months, you go into recession. Jimmy Carter tried to spend his way out of recession; it didn’t work for him, and it won’t work for Joe Biden. When Biden calls his plan the Inflation Reduction Act, he’s putting lipstick on a pig.

Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act _oink, oink, oink

Find your congress members here: KEY VOTE: “NO” ON THE “INFLATION… | Heritage Action For America

By the way, don’t let your liberal friends tell you that this thing will reduce prescription drug costs by requiring price negotiation. If you read the bill, you’ll find that it requires offers and counteroffers based on established government price limits.

So a drug manufacturer submits a bid, the government counters, and this is supposed to be the negotiation process at work. The problem lies in the details. Under Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act, under no circumstances can the government accept a price above a predetermined limit.

Call me naïve, but I don’t think that’s how a negotiation works, it’s how extortion works. Ultimately, drug supplies will be limited, and if drug companies can’t earn a profit on what they sell to the government, they’ll just pass the cost on to their other customers, you and me.

PS – Contact your congressmen (women) by any means necessary, and let them know that you know, this is a bad deal.

Biden/Carter 2.0

That 70’s Show

A few days ago I was driving my bus by a gas station and the price on the sign caught my eye, $3.31/gallon*. It was one of those local non-affiliated stations with cheap gas and who-knows-what coming out of the pumps. Their price is consistently cheaper by five to ten cents so I was expecting something in the range of $3.21 based on the price at my station the day before. A few moments later things clicked and I had an RBDBE (random bus driver brain eruption).

I said to myself (because no one else was listening), “Damn, it feels like the Jimmy Carter years.”

Then, yesterday morning Maria Bartiromo had Sen. Ted Cruz on to discuss the Biden spending plans and their inflationary impact. I was snapped out of my morning fog when I heard him make the same Biden/Carter analogy. He began by referencing That 70’s Show because of the title, but then he enumerated all the reasons why it feels like Jimmy Carter 2.0.

He started with skyrocketing double-digit annual inflation. Then he continued with, gas lines, a middle-east crisis, middle-east hostages, America surrendering in Afghanistan, and then he made the point that there’s a cause and effect factor. When you push bad policy and spend trillions upon trillions of dollars, you get Jimmy Carter. It all amounts to a weak America, a world in chaos (the way the communists like it), and massive inflation. I’d add to that, massive Stagflation.

For those of you too young to remember the 70’s, massive inflation is supposed to accompany wage and salary increases. But as the inflationary condition metastasizes, wages and salaries stop rising while prices continue to soar. In the end, everything costs more each time you try to buy it, and you never have enough money to pay for it. So you’re forced to do with less, a lot less.

Today, Joe Biden is going to sign the Infras—I mean the Inflation Bill part -1 into law. Stagflation is on the way. It’s the Jimmy Carter 70’s Show all over again. Mark my words.

What’s worse, the Biden administration is doing this with intention. They want you to pay more for everything including gas, heating fuel, and electricity. It’s part of their climate change plan. All this massive spending is intended to expand government control through inflation. If you have less economic power, you’re more dependent on the government and easier to control. The proof is in the pudding. Watch Jen Psaki smile, tell the truth, and then lie about it.

Jen Psaki says “the rise in gas prices over the long term makes an even stronger case for doubling down on" radical green energy policies. pic.twitter.com/8WYpqbFLBE

— RNC Research (@RNCResearch) November 12, 2021

That 70’s Show with Creepy Joe.

*I know there are those who see the $3.31 price for gas and wonder why I’m complaining. They pay $5-$6.  These are primarily people in the Northeast and the entire pacific coast.

Why do I complain? Perspective (I should be paying about $1.75). Why are you paying $5-$6? It’s your own fault. Elections have consequences. You have governors like Cuomo (resigned) and Newsom (recall). My governor is DeSantis.