Exhausting

Depending on your priorities a lot can be done with $30 to $40 billion.

President Donald Trump has prioritized his friendship with the president of Argentina.

Javier Milei, nicknamed El Loco for his eccentric manners, is one of the few world leaders who attended Trump’s inauguration. Now, with his country facing a dire economic crisis, Trump is sending El Loco $40 billion in a not-at-all subtle effort to help him win reelection later this month.  Given the fact that Argentina's credit rating is basically junk you can kiss our money good bye.

And here’s the conundrum:  during Trump’s first term in office he started a trade war with China. When China responded by buying soybeans from Brazil instead of American farmers the resulting bailout cost all of us more than $35 billion.

Now, Trump’s doing it again, and another ginormous bailout will follow. 

America’s soybean crop is worth at least $30 billion. And once again, China pulled back and hasn’t bought any of our soybeans. Not a single, solitary, bean; much less the $12.6 billion they would have purchased from us at this same time a year ago.

So, where did China get their soybeans? 

Argentina.

The country now getting $40 billion from us.

Trump might have used that $40 billion to reinstate health insurance premium tax credits he insists on letting expire. So the government is shut down, Americans are seeing skyrocketing health insurance bills and farmers are hoping for a bailout check because the president wants to help a friend in a country that’s taking our spot in the global marketplace.

If you're still convinced this puts America First or if Argentina is ever going to pay us back you might just be El Loco. 

I don't see how any of this advances your and my prosperity and general lot in life.  For you readers who are Trump devotees I'm waiting for the explanation.  Meanwhile, all this winning is exhausting....

Big Policy

Headline:  Trump Rolls-Out Huge Tax Plan.

Looking to throw something on the wall that might stick as the artificial 100 day deadline arrives the Whitehouse released President Trump’s big tax plan.

The 15 percent corporate rate - we already knew.   

Getting rid of the state and local tax deduction hasn’t a hope of passing. 

As for the details concerning how they could cover the cost of the giant corporate rate cut?  Missing in action.

What about  the tax rate for repatriated earnings?  Nothing.  

Application of the new individual rates?  Dunno.

When will the details be released?  Anybody's guess.

Impact on the President’s personal finances?  None of your business.  

Steel yourself for the bigness of this as you can read the entire plan here.

Shooting Baldies on the Agenda

There has been nothing but trouble since the Walker Administration decided to turn deer management over to the legislature.  No longer are scientists asked what to do.  Science makes legislator's heads hurt.  Forestry experts who make deer management recommendations make the governor's head hurt.  Farmers and orchard owners who warn about the losses they suffer from too many deer are ignored it hurts so much.  

As a consequence Door County’s CDAC (County Deer Advisory Council) recently voted unanimously for an antlerless-only deer hunt this coming fall in an effort to cull the deer herd.  With an estimated 67 deer per square mile of habitat, and a goal of 25 deer per square mile the CDAC is at its wits end as to how to reduce the county's deer population.   

In 2016 hunters received three free antlerless permits for each deer license.  That means if you hunt with a bow and a gun you got six free tags.  26,000 permits were issued last year resulting in only about 2,400 deer killed.   

The habitat is getting clobbered by all the deer and becoming more degraded all the time.  The CDAC will make its final decision tomorrow night.  7 PM at Sturgeon Bay High School.  Learn more about what’s happening here…

The Many Accomplishments of Fidel Castro

One of the modern world's most heinous dictators died this past weekend.  It is fitting that his most remarkable achievements be chronicled.

Castro's brutal regime seized all property for himself and his allies, outlawed private enterprise and crushed his county's middle class impoverishing most of the population in the process.

The state controlled and censored all manner of communication and expression, religion was squelched, homosexuals persecuted and education was supplanted with indoctrination.

Thousands of innocent Cuban citizens were forced into exile with many perishing at sea in makeshift watercraft.

Cuba evolved into a caste society where millions of foreign visitors enjoyed indulgences denied his own people.

Castro personally engaged in and abetted extrajudicial killings and torture of his enemies.

A ruthless and pitiless dictator Fidel was.  Amazing that some will be singing his praises in the days to come.





 

The Tyrant

In a recent op-ed in El Universal, a leading Venezuelan daily, the journalist Roberto Giusti described Chávez and The Great and Terrible Oz as “consummate showmen with a shrewd ability to manage emotions of a large audience and, using a mixture of half-truths, pin the blame for people’s ills on enemies, real or imagined.”

Like The Terrible Oz, Latin American caudillos recognize and exploit real grievances in their countries. They confront an ossified political establishment, develop a strong bond with their followers and attack their opponents and the media with no holds barred—sometimes even encouraging violence. ​

 - From the Wall Street Journal.