QUICKIES…QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, AND OBSERVATIONS

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THE STATE OF CRIMINALITY: OHIO: Under Governor DeWine Ohio has endured various scandals–not the least of which is that involving FirstEnergy , the Cleveland-based public utility. Now it has been reported that this bribing company contributed $4 million to the DeWine-Husted (Lieutenant Governor) campaigns. The GOP Speaker of the House is already in prison for taking millions in bribes. It appears that the Governor will be ordered to give testimony to his role in this mess.

STILL-UNANSWERED QUESTIONS: Why did Trump take 300 boxes of classified docs? What was he planning to do with them? Did he transmit any copies before they realized what he had done? Why did he take those specific docs? Should this episode be the subject of a Congressional probe–since the Florida judge is obviously biased? How do we know Trump didn’t stash more docs on one of his other properties? As American citizens we ought to know those answers BEFORE NOVEMBER.

“EXPERTS” AGREEING ON TRUMP: None of the Chief Executive Officers of the Top 100 American Corporations support Trump. And 16 Nobel Prize-winning economists oppose a Trump presidency. That should tell you what the business community thinks of his “pro-business” image.

CONNECT THE DOTS: A recent headline says that the cost of home ownership is rising. And the GOP opposes the Biden student loan forgiveness plan. Isn’t it obvious that tying students to a huge debt load will make it extremely difficult for new grads to think seriously about buying a home? Biden announced his plan in the second full month of his presidential term so this isn’t a vote-getting ploy. But the GOP has attacked it strictly for political gain. Please look beyond their objections. Would you rather have that money in the Federal Government’s pocket or being spent to buy homes, cars, appliances and support the establishment of new family units that will grow our economy?

HEALTHCARE COSTS–THE PANDEMIC OF AMERICAN INDUSTRY: It is projected that the cost of healthcare in America will exceed $15,000/person in 2024. Basic fact: In a capitalistic economy goods will not be produced if the cost exceeds the selling price of the product. Wages are the primary costs of goods sold but the cost of employee benefits (mostly medical plan costs) are becoming the dominant villain. It is estimated that 40% of ALL adult cancers are the result of smoking, excessive drinking, and obesity. In other words, WE voluntarily cause our own health problems that result in inflated medical costs. WE are our own worst enemy. You may blame hospitals and insurance companies but our less-than-healthy lifestyle is creating the demand for healthcare services. As long as we continue to abuse our bodies we face a growing reality that “made-in-America” will become only a legend for future generations. Healthcare insurance should be viewed as a safety net when unforeseen problems develop. But many people seem to ignore potential health consequences as they engage in risky habits. THIS IS NOT LIKE BUYING HOMEOWNERS INSURANCE AND THEN GRILLING OUT IN YOUR BASEMENT BECAUSE YOU KNOW YOU HAVE COVERAGE.

GUN SALES–GOOD NEWS???- The sale of firearms has hit a three year decline. In a country where mass shootings happen every day and there are more guns in circulation than people (400 million guns vs. 345 million people, this includes children) we seem to have reached a levelling off…or have we? Are guns being bought on the infamous “black market”? If you were planning a terrorist attack, or a revolution, would you buy thousands of assault weapons from a newspaper ad? We have more weapons of mass destruction in the hands of private citizens than all other countries combined on earth. Is it any wonder that police personnel are wary of any situation? How often do we see a headline detailing a shooting where a convicted felon (who shouldn’t be able to buy a weapon) kills one or more innocent victims? We’re not convinced that the drop in gun sales is necessarily good news–in fact, it may be just the opposite.

AN INTERESTING STAT: A recent reputable survey ranked the states as healthy vs. unhealthy. The healthiest state was Hawaii; the unhealthiest was West Virginia. But an interesting observation: 8 of the top 10 healthiest states were “blue” or Democratic states; all 10 of the unhealthiest states were “red” or Republican states. This may mean nothing but it is a striking pattern.

WORDS TO LIVE BY: We thought this quote from author Salman Rushdie was appropriate: “THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO SEE THE WHOLE PICTURE ARE THE ONES WHO STEP OUTSIDE THE FRAME.”