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Follow the Leader

Today is election day in America.  I am not aware of any results, as I am writing this at 6:00AM, the day of. But what I am aware of, is that the election process in our country, which was designed to evaluate and select the best candidate for the job, is no longer the case.  Instead, most of us don’t take the time to even consider candidates based on their merits or campaign promises, and just vote along straight party lines.

Why do we do this?  We behave in this manner because we are simply following the examples set by our elected officials.  Both political parties give lip service to the need for bi-partisan action in congress and reaching across the aisle. But that’s just it – lip service and no action. The leadership in both parties is so powerful that anyone straying from the official narrative runs the risk of being ostracized by that leadership and cast into a virtual Siberia should they commit the sin of independent thought.

So why bother with analyzing candidates and issues and voting based on the person or the issue?  Once elected, the candidates will just step in line and vote according to the mandates set down by the party bosses anyway.

The 2022 midterm elections are on a pace to spend in excess of $17 Billion to infiltrate our consciousness with their carefully crafted propaganda and lies. The only thing propagated by the vicious and expensive attacks in campaign ads is to further divide an already divided country. The two party system is supposed to foster healthy debate within a democracy. It’s not working.

wjexchange Uncategorized

Kroger and Albertsons Plan $25 Billion Supermarket Merger

 “This merger advances our commitment to build a more equitable and sustainable food system by expanding our footprint into new geographies to serve more of America with fresh and affordable food and accelerates our position as a more compelling alternative to larger and non-union competitors. As a combined entity, we will be better positioned to advance Kroger’s successful go-to-market strategy by providing an incredible seamless shopping experience, expanding Our Brands portfolio, and delivering personalized value and savings.”

So says Kroger CEO, Rodney McMullen promoting this mega merger.  As a 45+ year food industry veteran marketing to our nation’s retailers, I have witnessed this story play out exactly the opposite too many times. In a carefully worded combined statement by the two chains, they say the “merged companies would pass along as much as $500 Million in savings to their customers.” Does anyone really believe this? The more likely result will be store closures, employee layoffs, and higher prices for consumers.

Big box food retailers have used the Covid-19 pandemic and headline inflation figures as a free pass to raise prices to consumers, well in excess of their cost inputs. Despite the tight labor market, both companies have enjoyed double digit increases in operating profits during the past year.  In the quarter ending August 13, Kroger’s operating profit grew by 13.7 percent from a year earlier. Both companies argue that this merger is needed to compete against stores like Aldi, Walmart, Costco and Amazon. Amazon? Really?

When I entered the Southern California food industry in 1973 as a lowly banana salesman, there were six food chains dominating that market – Alpha Beta, Safeway, Lucky, Ralphs, Vons, and little bitty Albertsons, complimented by a handful of small regional chains and independents, none of which had more than a 10 percent market share. Since then, Alpha Beta was acquired by American Stores and eventually dissolved and rebranded to Ralphs and Lucky Stores. Ralphs was acquired by Kroger. Albertsons, through some masterful financial engineering, eventually gobbled up American Stores (Lucky Stores), Safeway, and Vons. And when the dust settled, there were two – Kroger and Albertsons.

According to Stacy Mitchell, co-executive director of the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, and advocacy group that challenges concentrated corporate power in the grocery industry, “if this merger is allowed to go through, the combined Albertsons-Kroger and Walmart would control 70 percent or more of the market in 167 cities in the United States.” This is hardly a recipe for increased competition and lower food prices in America.

wjexchange Uncategorized

A Bitter Spice to Swallow

Well, here it is, January 1, 2022.  A brand new year with the same old worries plus a few more that have recently cropped up. Where to start is the big question. First there is the China Syndrome and the Covide-19 pandemic that they launched upon the world. Then there is their test launch of hypersonic missiles that circled the globe as a show of strength that they could easily annihilate any major U.S. city at will. Now they are rattling their sabers about invading Taiwan. But I am not going to talk about that.

The Russia problem never seems to go away. So what is wrong with them massing 100,000 troops along the Ukrainian border as a threat to keep the Ukraine from joining NATO? But I am not going to talk about that.

The current administration single handedly in one short year stripped us of our hard earned energy independence and is now begging OPEC to produce more oil as a solution to mitigate record fuel price increases. The solution offered was to release 55,000 gallons of oil from our strategic reserve – a whopping 3 day supply considering our daily use is around 20,000 barrels a day.  But I am not going to talk about that.

Crime is increasing at unprecedented rates in our major cities. The national debt has ballooned to $30 Trillion with the progressive administration trying to pile another $2 trillion on top with their social agenda. It seems that parents have no right to weigh in on what their children learn in school. But I am not going to talk about any of these things.

What I am going to talk about is something a little more personal. While I pride myself on staying up with the latest in technology, I am clearly old school in a lot of ways. So, what I am going to talk about is Old Spice. For you lesser-informed millennials, Old Spice is not a Captain Morgan spiced rum knock-off, but rather a line of personal care products reserved for and coveted by the baby boomer generation.

So, what I am going to talk about is the current rate of inflation not seen since the 1970’s during the storied presidential career of Jimmy Carter. I will spare the readers a rant and rave critique of the current administration economic policies because I am not sure that they deserve all the blame. Well – maybe most of it, but that is not the point I want to make. The point is that corporate America is using the current inflation headlines as a free pass to raise prices at will. This is worth repeating. Corporate America is raising prices faster than their cost inputs just because they can do so without impunity. Despite all the gloom and doom that they are shoveling upon the American consumer, profit margins are soaring along with their stock prices. Witness, the Dow, S&P 500 all closing 2021 in record territory.

Strictly Old School

Now back to the Old Spice story. As recently as one year ago, I paid $3.97 for Old Spice body wash at my local Aldi supermarket. Last week, the same item was priced at $5.97. I find it difficult to believe that a price increase of over 50% is justified based on raw cost inputs. Old Spice is owned by behemoth Procter and Gamble – a company well known for its ability to control prices in any way that they see fit to boost their own bottom line.

Follow up quotes from Proctor and Gamble press release on January 19,2022

“The Cincinnati-based consumer-products company said sales increased 6% in the quarter ended Dec. 31 compared with a year earlier, fueled in part by the company’s largest average price increases since the spring of 2019.

Executives on Wednesday said its price increases will continue throughout 2022, and predicted higher profitability and improved margins in coming quarters even as labor, freight and raw-materials costs continue to balloon due to the global supply-chain turmoil.“

wjexchange Elections, Voter Fraud

No I.D. Required

Although much has been written, broadcast, and said about this issue, I simply cannot resist the urge to pile on. Coca Cola, Delta Airlines, and Major League baseball also recently weighed in with protests. What is the issue? The state of Georgia’s recently revised regulations to minimize the potential for voter fraud by requiring all voters to present some sort of valid I.D. when casting their vote. How dare they?

Lets see… We need to present an I.D. when purchasing liquor or cigarettes, open a bank account, rent a car, board an airplane, check in to a hotel, file for unemployment, and buy prescription drugs, just to name a few activities. But that most sacrosanct act of all afforded to our citizens, the right to vote, apparently is not important enough to verify the identity of someone casting a ballot. In fact, Joe Biden himself, called this new rule “sick.”.

What is “sick” is allowing this process to continue without validating one’s true identity. The potential for voter fraud is virtually limitless. Can you imagine the black market that will be created for unmarked ballots for those willing to sell them for a few bucks to unscrupulous ballot harvesters.

wjexchange Covid-19, political, Vaccinations, vaccine

Update on Covid-19 Vaccinations

Back in early December of 2020, I expressed doubt about local states, counties and cities abilities to effectively manage Covid-19 vaccinations. That post can be viewed here. Below is an excerpt from a recent Wall Street Journal article on this effort:

The Trump administration invested heavily in rapid vaccine development, but it left the last mile of getting shots into arms to states and localities. That approach resulted in multiple, sometimes contradictory systems, and failed to ensure local sites had information about vaccine shipments that they needed to quickly administer shots.

The result: More than 16 million of the 72.4 million vaccine doses distributed by the U.S. government hadn’t been used as of Wednesday, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Yet across the country, Americans young and old are constantly refreshing their browsers and calling public-health officials as they try to nab scarce appointments, with many confused about where and when doses will be available. Some sites have had to cancel appointments when promised doses don’t arrive or when weather like recent winter storms shutter vaccination events unexpectedly. Los Angeles temporarily closed Dodger Stadium, one of the largest vaccine sites in the country, and other inoculation events last week when it ran out of supply. Meanwhile, some people find sites have extra doses they are giving away to lucky bystanders—one man was offered a dose from a store’s pharmacy while out grocery shopping.

wjexchange Government, political

No Party – No Problem – No Politics

In 1971, singer/songwriter John Lennon wrote and performed his iconic song called, “Imagine.” While always long on controversy, Lennon’s lyrics in this piece became an anthem of sorts for all the unrest and discourse that still grips the world today. The opening verse goes like this:

“Imagine there’s no heaven
It’s easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people living for today”

No Political Parties

Imagine for a moment that there were no political parties. No Republicans. No Democrats. There would be no Speaker of the House designated by the party in power. There would be no Senate Majority Leader, only a Senate Leader.  Instead, we would have independent Congressmen and Senators serving the citizens that elected them, not beholden to party leadership. Imagine a congress comprised of independent thinkers that introduce and vote on legislation and policy with their conscience and common sense rather than blindly along party lines.

Imagine elections where candidates for public office are nominated and selected by petitions circulated amongst the electorate. Imagine elections with limits on campaign spending where all qualified candidates had equal access to campaign funds.  Imagine a system where the top five or six candidates that receive the most signatures participated in a series of televised debates. Imagine election results that required a simple majority of the vote to certify a winner. Failing to achieve a majority would require a runoff between the top two vote getters. Imagine this rule applying to the presidential election as well.

In the presidential election of 1992, Bill Clinton received 48% of the popular vote. George HW Bush received 38%. Ross Perot, running as an Independent, garnered nearly 20%, despite temporarily dropping out of the race in July. Had a runoff been conducted between Clinton and Bush, the presidential election of 1992 may have turned out differently. In the final tally, Bill Clinton received 370 electoral college votes compared to 168 for George HW Bush. Ross Perot received zero. In a runoff between Clinton and Bush, the electoral vote could have also turned out much differently with 20 percent of the Ross Perot swing votes suddenly up for grabs.

In the aftermath of the 2020 election that saw Democrats seize control of the House, Senate, and the Presidency, there has been noise within the Republican party about splintering off to form a new political party. That tactic would be political suicide and only serve to further fracture the conservative movement resulting in cementing the Democratic power grip for the foreseeable future.

If the goal of the conservative Republican party is to water down the far left agenda of the Democrats and bring it more to the center, consider a novel approach.  Imagine the effect of all Republicans suddenly declaring themselves Democrats. This act would surely sow seeds of discontent within the Democratic party and intensify debates over policies affecting the American people. Complete the process by allowing open primaries among all voters for all candidates regardless of one’s specified party affiliation. Party affiliation then, would revert to nothing more than a mere footnote on the voter registration rolls.

Steve Almond, a bestselling author which includes his book, “Bad Stories” – a literary investigation of what the hell just happened to our country, quotes in a 2018 essay: “political prejudice has become our most accepted form of bigotry.” He goes on to say, “what today’s voters see is not a candidate, or a set of policy proposals, but a party affiliation.”

If John Lennon were alive today, he might say something like, “Imagine a world and a system more focused on policy than partisan politics.” In the final verse of Lennon’s song, he says:

“You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope some day you’ll join us
And the world will be as one”

wjexchange Finance, Government, political

Free Money for All

So here we are in the midst of the Democrat’s post-election after party. Executive orders drafted by the far left marionettes are piling up on poor Joe Biden’s desk. Dutifully, he signs one after another as he reads his handler’s carefully drafted commentary from the teleprompter across from his desk. Never before have we seen such blatant disregard for the legislative process as we are witnessing now. This current president that ran on a moderate platform has now been swept in as the enabler of the far left agenda.

America’s Unlimited Money Tree

The one major issue that still needs congressional approval is the much touted stimulus package bearing a price tag of $1.9 Trillion. Granted, the economy is in sour shape because of the COVID-19 pandemic and help is needed. Included within the package are $1400 direct payments to individuals making $75,000 or less, $150,000 for married couples. The idea is to top off the prior $600 payments made under the previous administration to make it $2,000.

I am having difficulty understanding why a married couple with an income of $150,000 whose employment has been unaffected needs or deserves this kind of handout. Even Kevin O’Leary, aka Mr. Wonderful agrees with me. Instead, more needs to be directed to the unemployed and under-employed that have been victimized by the pandemic and, two,  improve local vaccination distribution which has predictably been a disgraceful effort as predicted in my earlier post here.

The cost of a $1.9 Trillion package will contribute to a fiscal budget deficit projected at $2.3 Trillion for 2021 which will be added to our current national debt of $28 Trillion. No problem, say the democrats. We believe in MMT!

So, what is MMT? It stands for Modern Monetary Theory and it’s all the rage now in Washington DC. Those of sounder mind more aptly described it as “Mindless Magical Thinking.” In a nutshell, Modern Monetary Theory suggests that governments need not be concerned with fiscal deficits and balancing budgets because of their infinite ability to print money in their own currency. If you are so inclined, a more detailed and plain English definition can be found here at https://study.com/academy/lesson/modern-monetary-theory-definition-history-theorists.html.

Money, Money, Everywhere. The leading proponent of MMT, is Stephanie Kelton. She is a professor of economics and public policy at Stony Brook University and a leading expert on Modern Monetary Theory. A former Chief Economist on the U.S. Senate Budget Committee (Democratic staff), she currently advises Bernie Sanders and the likes of Alexandria-Ocasio-Cortez who look upon her as the financial guru. This opinion is shared by many of the Progressives currently in power. Ms. Kelton’s latest book, “Deficit Myth” is a good read for anyone interested in understanding MMT to form their own opinion. Me? I have read it and I view the theory as the ultimate Ponzi Scheme. Just sayin.

Governments raise money in three ways; Taxing, borrowing, and printing. According to MMT theorists, the government doesn’t need to tax in order to spend, but it does so to mainly offset inflation. Huh? Got that? Let me explain.

If the definition of inflation is too many dollars chasing too few goods, the government can simply just raise taxes as a means of confiscating our money rendering us unable to afford higher prices. Therefore, if we cannot afford to buy stuff, producers won’t produce. If producers cut production, what happens to the jobs? Think about it.

The best advice that I have heard lately goes something like this… “With America in the midst of a slow-motion collapse, we will give storage advice. Those who own the yellow metal (gold) should bury it six feet deeper.

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Yes, One is the Loneliest Number

🎵 One is the Loneliest Number…

As if we needed any more evidence that 2020 was the suckiest year in a generation. Just look at the difference in my backyard orange crop in 2019 vs 2020. The only thing that could make this picture complete is if my lonely single orange were wearing a mask. It seems all of the bees that normally pollinate this tree were confined to a stay at home order by our California governor.

2019 Backyard Orange Crop

2020 Backyard Orange Crop

wjexchange political, Uncategorized

Georgia on My Mind

The significance of the Democratic senatorial victories in the Georgia runoff cannot be overstated. The result is a 50/50 split in the senate, with the Vice President-Elect, Kamala Harris holding the tiebreaker vote. The Senate Majority post will now revert from Mitch McConnel to Chuck Schumer. The democrats now control both the executive and legislative branches of government for the first time since the Kennedy and Johnson administrations from 1961 to 1969 – arguably, one of the most unsettling and turbulent periods in our nation’s history.

While the senatorial runoff votes were being counted and certified, a handful of Republican members of congress, egged on by Donald Trump, assembled to dispute the outcome of the presidential election based on perceived voter fraud. This event sparked heated protests among Trump supporters with thousands converging upon the Capitol grounds in mob fashion that ultimately turned violent. The police and national guardsmen were ill-equipped to handle the outbreak.

While the events of the day were despicable, there is a backstory that needs to be told regarding the media’s coverage of this. Understandably and justifiably so, the mainstream media denounced the mob-like activities and did not hesitate to blame President Trump as the instigator in chief. However, this is the same media that refused to condemn the summer riots in Portland, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Washington DC, just to name a few. These violent protests were mostly described as honest citizens peacefully exercising their first amendment rights. Meanwhile these “honest citizens” denigrated national monuments, torched federal buildings, assaulted police, and engaged in widespread destruction and looting of small businesses all across our country.

The left-wing democratic politicians were complicit in the mayhem as evidenced by their overt silence and refusal to condemn the violence – a group that included our now president elect, Joe Biden. But then again, we should know by now that Joe Biden just does and says what he is told by the leadership of the democratic party.

Joe Biden was installed as the democratic nominee for one reason – he was the most electable among the crop of potential nominees vying for the spot and the clear choice to defeat Donald Trump. Compared to the others, his agenda was more moderate and more likely to be embraced by voters than those espousing the socialist agendas of his rivals in the primaries. After securing the nomination, the party then moved to install Kamala Harris as his running mate. This was done to placate the far left, thus keeping the party united and their socialist agenda intact. From a tactical standpoint, it was a brilliant move. From a fairness standpoint, it was a betrayal to those that voted for him on the basis of his centrist moderate agenda professed in the democratic primary debates. Now, Kamala Harris and her radical left-wing views, is just a heartbeat away from the presidency.

Make no mistake about it. Joe Biden will not serve a full term as our president. I will not speculate as to the methods and circumstances that will lead to his removal from office and ceding that position to Kamala Harris. The democrats successes in the Georgia senate runoff have all but guaranteed the elimination of the checks and balances that preserve healthy debate within our government. Gone are the days when our elected officials voted with their conscience and on behalf of their constituents. Who can argue that now, their actions are dictated strictly along party lines without much regard or understanding of the underlying issues?  

Notwithstanding the Covid-19 pandemic, our country made unprecedented progress along the economic front during the past four years. This was achieved despite the occupation of the White House by a narcissistic president. I have been consistent throughout the Trump presidency with my views – I like the idea of Trump, but I just do not like Trump as a person. Though there were speed bumps along the way, the wheels of government continued to turn but, sadly, the outgoing administration will never receive credit for any of its positive accomplishments due to Trump’s post-election tantrums.

I am not sure who should have been elected as our 46th president, but I am sure of this. Without the possibility of meaningful constructive debate between the two legislative branches, democrats will now control the agenda for at least the next four years, much to the chagrin of the republican minority. This will lead to further fracturing and polarization of the American populace. Without a civil forum to debate and settle upon courses of action that benefit the American people, one must consider the alternate methods, none of which are pretty.

Who would have thought that an otherwise obscure event such as a senate runoff race in Georgia involving two incumbents could have sparked such a widespread change in the future of our country? So, our future can best by summed up in the lyrics of Bob Dylan’s 1964 release when he said…

Come senators, congressmen, please heed the call
Don’t stand in the doorway, don’t block up the hall
For he that gets hurt will be he who has stalled
The battle outside ragin’
Will soon shake your windows and rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin

WJ

wjexchange Uncategorized

Bureaucratic “InAction”

December 3, 2020:

Well, great news on the Covid-19 vaccine front from Pfizer and Moderna. Now we are waiting for approval from the FDA to begin distribution. The Warp Speed program initiated under the Trump administration calls for the logistics of this distribution to be overseen by the U.S. military. I see no issue with that decision except for the final leg of distribution will be managed by state and local authorities. Therein lies the problem that I hope to be overestimating.

While other countries seem to be able to initiate national policies on critical issues and have proven somewhat adept at execution, the United States of America always struggles with this. With good intentions, our forefathers in writing our constitution, gave widespread rights to the states to implement certain key directives. Unless you have lived under a rock recently, you should notice that each state tends to interpret courses of action in line with their politics. These same inconsistencies then filter on down to the county and city level.

The result is hundreds and thousands of officials, some elected and some not, all weighing in on what they think is best for all of us, thus creating a quagmire of bureaucratic muck. This is diversity in action, a condition that is unique to our country and never anticipated by our founding fathers.