The latest “insults to injury” come with reports that the Obamanistas in charge of immigration have turned thousands of illegal immigrants loose at bus stations in Arizona and elsewhere. 400 were flown to Arizona – yet Mexico would have been a close flight! Unbelievable!
What you get a sense of, when you read reports like this one, is that the Obamanistas have been caught with their hand in the cookie jar and we will now see partisan butt covering out the wazoo.
Right on cue, as if to prove my point about partisanship, we read now how the republicorps are moving to increase investigation funding into the O-crowd’s defacto amnesty, but the vote was (look surprised) along party lines.
Chicago schools have been caught in an apparent lie, seems. This as a question about immigration in a test database about a hypothetical immigration position written by “Ari Payo” is – they insist – not a rip oif Phoenix area sheriff Joe Aripaio, who’s indignant that the schools’ didn’t “have the guts to use my real name” is the quote.
But for the ChiSchools to say it was wholly fictional? We don’t have time for Mr. Ure’s lesson in factorial math, but 26 letters in an alphabet and some spare calculator batteries and at some point, you’ll sniff the odor of bullshit on this one, just as pungently as I do.
Dropping known criminals back into American society? There ought to be heads roll over this one, but (as in Gun Walker) look for a political cover-up to follow.
It shouldn’t be an investigation. Try impeachment. Because it sure looks like flagrant disregard of the laws on the books. And the Jeh Johnson’s deeper understanding leads to one of our favorite socioeconomic mantras.
You can’t fix stupid. But I suppose that it will mask the Chinese takeover when they buy ‘Merica out from under us using our own bonds to do it.
We’re in a Recession
Let me repeat from yesterday’s report: When Q1 GDP is down, not up, that argues strongly that we’re in a recession. Three quarters is the measure, but one down, two to go, is what it looks like to me.
And the M2 three month rate annualized is still 6.9% and a week from now, we will see employment figures. For now, the Baltic Dry Index is down at 940, a loss of 14 since the previous report, and tees up the Personal Income and Expenditure report just out:
Personal income increased $43.7 billion, or 0.3 percent, and disposable personal income (DPI) increased $44.6 billion, or 0.3 percent, in April, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
Personal consumption expenditures (PCE) decreased $8.1 billion, or 0.1 percent. In March, personal income increased $76.3 billion, or 0.5 percent, DPI increased $65.0 billion, or 0.5 percent, and PCE increased $117.6 billion, or 1.0 percent, based on revised estimates. Real DPI increased 0.2 percent in April, compared with an increase of 0.3 percent in March. Real PCE decreased 0.3 percent, in contrast to an increase of 0.8 percent.
And on savings?
Personal outlays — PCE, personal interest payments, and personal current transfer payments — decreased $9.1 billion in April, in contrast to an increase of $120.2 billion in March. PCE decreased $8.1 billion in April, in contrast to an increase of $117.6 billion in March.
Personal saving — DPI less personal outlays — was $518.1 billion in April, compared with $464.4 billion in March. The personal saving rate — personal saving as a percentage of disposable personal income — was 4.0 percent in April, compared with 3.6 percent in March.
But before you go binge spending, remember that “savings” includes paying down your credit cards.
Go ahead, ask me how – during the month when income tax is due – how anyone in their right mind would take the savings rate claims seriously.
If you look at the April retail sales (up 0.1%) and compare it with this morning’s expenditures down report, a reasonable person might ask “OK, which one is a lie, then?” Except, so as not to step on toes, we’ll just not call it a lie. We’ll call it “within the error rate of statistics.” Lift that rug up so I can sweep this little pile under it, would’ja?
I don’t have a frigging clue why the numbers don’t tie in. I just report ‘em. Like my “Say, fine clothes the Emperor has on today, aren’t they?” report from few years back.
The market is set to open down a few points, but mental acuity is not most investor’s strong point. Besides, where you gonna put money now that home prices are going flattish and older folks are starting to eye taking some money out of stocks and bonds to live into old age?
Damn hard, that one, but have you thought about buying a share in a drug cartel?
Summertime; But the Living Ain’t Easy
I’ve decided to mince fewer words and be a lot more to the point (and probably less polite) this summer, as there is much to do, and readers don’t have as much time to read.
Eye for an Eye, Coup for a Coup?
Not sure what the deal is here, but the (western-backed billionaire) president of Ukraine is vowing payback to the pro Russians who shot down a helo earlier this week.
Uncivilized India
When reports about “India Gang Rapes: Outrage over police ‘discrimination” begin to surface, it makes me wonder WTF American companies were thinking when we sent all those support jobs to people who don’t deserve them?
I’ve got a whole bookcase full of software; maybe I’ll make some support calls and ask them what gives. (Of course, I expect them to go Sergeant Schultz on me when I do.)
I say this only partly in jest.
If American consumers refused to talk with technical support or programmers in other countries on the basis of their country’s national behaviors, we could have more influence overs human events that even, say, John Kerry, for example.
Quake Spotting
6.1 and some injuries in Southwest China overnight.
Buying Your Head
I assume you know your head (and heart) IS for sale. If you doubt it,; read “Big Money, the Koch Brothers, and Me” over at Politico.
Solving the Bilderberger Problem
With the ‘bergers meeting, it occurs to me that the Obamanistas could actually put a few points on the board for “doing right thing” by prosecuting those participating in the richie rich conspiracy to run the world their way.
All it would take would be actual enforcement of the Logan Act.
- § 953. Private correspondence with foreign governments.
- Any citizen of the United States, wherever he may be, who, without authority of the United States, directly or indirectly commences or carries on any correspondence or intercourse with any foreign government or any officer or agent thereof, with intent to influence the measures or conduct of any foreign government or of any officer or agent thereof, in relation to any disputes or controversies with the United States, or to defeat the measures of the United States, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than three years, or both.
Seems to me that people going to ‘bergering oughta be looked at, considering who-all is there. And agents of other governments? You bet – money is warfare by other means, it is not?
Or, is that too practical since I donate less than $5 a year to political causes? Yeah, well, I thought so. But the law is there….book ‘em Danno.