Is The Donald Self-Destructing?

I will admit that I have been a supporter of Donald Trump for a while, especially since I met him back in 1983. I have written several commentaries about him since he began his campaign for President, which you will find on my own blogsite,  frankmchalesviews.blogspot.com, on The Minority Report, The Bold Pursuit and other sites which occasionally pick up my commentaries.

I have been critical of Donald Trump, as you would see in my commentaries this past summer, Trump Has Nerve... And Hits a Few and The Hypocrisy of the Trump Firing .

I also believed that The Donald and Ted Cruz would have made the right ticket as I wrote in my commentary Trump/Cruz - A Win for the Constitution  .

So you can imagine my surprise when I read that Trump was planning to announce that Joe Arpaio was his choice for his running mate. 

Donald, you have, over the last month or so, said some strange and whacked things which surprised me, since you had been, at least in my view, running a strong and credible campaign. But you have attacked Ted Cruz for an issue that is nonsense, ie, that he was ineligible because he was born in Canada. Here is a bulletin: His mother was a native-born American, so his citizenship was passed on.

You have indicated that you are now in favor of a national insurance program, which was not what you said earlier. And, you have indicated that you are in favor of an illegal amnesty program, which was not what you said when you initially announced.

There are other contradictions, which I will not belabor you or my readers with at this time.

Instead, while I like Sheriff Joe and the fight he is waging against illegal immigrants, I believe he is a lightening rod which will turn many people away from your message. And at this time, I, and others, am confused about what your message has become.

Ultimately, I think this is a bad choice, should you go through with it. And you have alienated many conservatives with the way you have treated Senator Cruz. If you continue down this questionable path, I think you and your campaign, and the support you had gained from many segments of the political spectrum, will soon self-destruct.

Please rethink your strategy, Donald. It isn't working and all the good you were talking about to your fellow Americans will be lost. As I said up front, I know you as one New Yorker to another, and I have admired the way you ran your campaign. Until now.

I am sure this is not what you meant when you said "Make America Great Again". Is it?

Piazza and the Others

Ok, Mets Fans. The Mets have announced that on July 30, Mike Pizza will have his number 31 retired. Permanently.

The story was posted to MLB.com today.

Finally, someone other than two managers, one player who played for the Mets and one who didn't will adorn the left field wall. But it isn't enough.

What about 36, 45 twice, 17 and 8? A Met fan will know who these are. For all others, it's Koosman, McGraw and Franco, Hernandez, Carter. These men deserve equal recognition by the ownership and management for the contributions they made to Mets history.

We are not the Yankees, Red Sox, Giants, or Cardinals. We don't have 100 plus years of treasured history. But, honestly, after fifty five seasons, we can't find more than two players who graced the uniform and the field they played on? Really??

I believe it is time for Mets ownership to recognize the history of the team they own and want us to support. How about it Wilpon Family? Why don't YOU support those who have played for the team you own by retiring these players' numbers?

This isn't a hard stretch for you. All but Koosman and McGraw played for the Mets during the last 35 years plus years since you have owned the team. And they made you a lot of money.

So, Jeff and Fred and Saul, it is time for you to step up to the plate and do the right thing. Retire these numbers.

Since the ice is now broken with the Piazza retirement, why not schedule a day in late August or early September to pay homage to these five Mets greats? Imagine how nice that wall will look in the 2016 World Series?

In that way, you are all caught up and can move forward in the years to come with more Mets greats to adorn the outfield wall. 

The Hypocrisy of Obama Supporters

I saw yet another pro - Obama meme on Facebook which said "Proud of My President - Ashamed of His Treatment". Really?  Did you hypocrites defend Bush as vehemently? After all, HE was YOUR President, too.

Or is it only Democrat - Socialist Presidents you defend? If that's the case, it says you have a very low patriotic values system.

To give you all the benefit of the doubt, I am going to say that you still defend this unconstitutional son of a bitch because you can't believe YOU would be so stupid to vote for him twice. That makes your judgement for people who actually love this country and the Constitution suspect.

Trust me when I say this: I fully expect to lose some friends for this. And if you think it matters to me, I will tell you that my self-integrity is more important to me than any "friend" who will "unfriend" me for expressing my beliefs.

At least I can say that I voted for Bush twice, and by the middle of 2005, I was criticizing him for his questionable decisions. He wasn't the brightest bulb in the box, but at least he understood he had to go through the Congress to get things done. And I still criticized him.

I have a challenge for all of you to consider. If it is ok for Obama to violate the Constitution whenever he feels like it with his Executive Orders because he believes the Congress won't act on his potential legislation, will it be ok for the next President to violate the Constitution by undoing all of Obama's Executive Orders? If you say no, then you should be joining me in calling for Obama's impeachment. This action is only permitted when Congress is not in session, and only in matters of foreign affairs. Otherwise, he is acting UNCONSTITUTIONALLY.

He is violating the Constitutional premise of Separation of Powers each time he signs an Executive Order. He is NOT PERMITTED to legislate. That is the job of the Congress. And if the Congress does not want to legislate a request from the President, that is its prerogative. Members of Congress will face the voters for those decisions.

He can stick his phone and his pen right up his unconstitutional and illegal @$$.

So, if you chose to "unfriend" me, well, it has been real, but I will lose no sleep over it. I will still have MY integrity, even if you do not.

And if President Clinton or Cruz or Trump violates the Constitution by issuing Executive Orders, trust me, I will be calling for his or her Impeachment as much and as loudly as I am now for Obama's.  And when you are joining me then, I will call you out for what you are: Hypocrite.

I hope you can sleep with yourself.

Where Did Our Content of Character Go?

This commentary was originally posted on August 26, 2013. It is a shame that both parties and their leaders have decided to divide, rather than unite us. It doesn’t matter the topic: division, it seems, is the key to control. My question is simple: What would Martin say?

As always, your comments are welcome.

Monday, August 26, 2013

Content of Character

Fifty years ago this Wednesday, August 28, 1963, less than three months before America and the world changed, the Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr gave one of the most important and prolific speeches in American History at the end of the peaceful March on Washington. This March was the culmination of a very long and hot summer, where violence seemed to rule the attitudes of the civil rights movement.

I was in a hospital in New York City in May of that year, just before my 12th birthday and I remember watching TV with the other boys in the ward, all of whom were black, and the news showed the terrible events taking place in Birmingham, and other cities in the south, where police turned water hoses and dogs on unarmed women, men and children walking in the street. For a white kid living in the north, I felt that this was the most horrid thing I ever saw. I had hoped the others in the room did not see this, or at least, did not understand.

This was the summer that I truly understood the meaning of what African Americans had been asking for, the rights I assumed all Americans were entitled to and enjoyed, but did not. The news was filled with stories like this all summer, and as the date of the March drew closer, many law enforcement and administration officials  implored President Kennedy to request the leaders to call off the March.

Instead, he took the position that the leaders assured him that the March would be peaceful. However, common sense also prevailed; bars were closed, extra police and federal law enforcement were activated, the ballgame scheduled for that night was postponed. For this, President Kennedy and the civil rights leaders were rewarded with the most peaceful March of this sort, this massive, that summer and in history.

More violence occurred over the next few years, but Americans now understood Dr King's message of non-violence. Soon after the world changed, legislation to end discrimination in this country became law with the passage of the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act, two landmark laws to help along Dr King's dream.

I have provided the link for you to read Dr King's speech in its entirety.

I, too, have that dream.

The Great Divider and His Legacy

Right now, we are divided. Liberals are blind in their love for all things Obama says, while conservatives can't stand anything he says or does. And that works to the government's advantage while it systematically takes away our freedoms.

Someone posted yesterday a meme which essentially said that conservatives hate Obama because he is black. No, that isn't the reason. He is hated because he has shown that he is anti-American in the way he tries at every turn to divide us.

We haven't been this divided since the Civil War, and that was geographic. Even in the 60s, it wasn't this bad. We are divided within our own families, friends, neighborhoods. All by class and race. We have had issues, but we worked through them. Now, we don't know what the word compromise means anymore.

He promised to "fundamentally change America" and he has done a pretty good job of accomplishing his goal. But, as a reasonable person, do you think it has been changed for the BETTER?

When unarmed Americans are protesting government abuse AND are facing a platoon of agents from the Bureau of Land Management, an agency of the Office of the President, holding heavy artillery to bully those exercising their right of Free Speech, do you think this is NORMAL?

When the President of the United States stands for the "injustice" done by a cop in Ferguson against a known criminal, by sending representatives to the criminal's funeral, and then HIS Justice Department finds that the cop did nothing wrong to warrant an indictment against the cop, and doesn't apologize for HIS mistake, is that NORMAL?

Or, when a Major in the US Army systematically kills 13 unarmed people and wounds dozens of others, while screaming the same words our enemies scream while killing their victims, and the Commander-in-Chief of our armed forces decides to call this act of treason "workplace violence", is that NORMAL?

When the President of the United States indifferently addresses the country about the violent act of beheading done to one of our unarmed citizens by our enemy, while wearing a suit jacket, tie and his golf pants, and within minutes of that address is seen teeing off and fist bumping with Alonzo Mourning and others, is that NORMAL?

Or, when a US Ambassador and his team are killed, raped and otherwise mutilated by sworn enemies of our country, and the President of the United States runs off to Las Vegas for a fund-raising event, then sends his UN Ambassador out to spin a false narrative of a video and never admits his mistake, is that NORMAL?

These are but five examples of his divisive and inept stewardship of this country. I could go on but even those with their heads in the sand know there are so many more examples of his poor and disgraceful "leadership". It would almost be a book if I cited all of them.

We are divided because the person elected to lead us has always acted in an "us against them" environment. He made his bones pitting people against each other as a slimy Community Organizer from Chicago. And, he has run this country, in his mind successfully, in the same, disgusting, divisive manner. 

As I write this, there are 369 1/2 days left in his Administration. Who knows what other disasters will befall us until he finally, mercifully leaves office?

Just let me make one more point. His campaign to "fundamentally change" this country will soon end. But, will he be here to live with the rest of us as we dig out from the mess he leaves behind? The rumor is that he has aides looking at property for him and his family in Dubai, where he allegedly plans to settle sometime next year.

So, no. He will not be here. Instead, he will be many thousands of miles away from the disaster he created. And, we will still be here trying to fix it.

I just hope we can finally become united once again. Perhaps our disdain for him will be the reason we come together as Americans; not black or white Americans, gay or straight Americans, conservative or liberal Americans. Just Americans.

That would be the best legacy he could leave behind, that we are united in spite of him.

The Insanity of Our Own Stupidity

When I had my mortgage company, I verified income, assets etc, to make sure the applicant could afford the mortgage. I didn't care if the lender said it were to be a "no doc" or "stated" loan. I wanted to make sure the client would not be in a position to foreclose in a year.

When the New York State bank examiner came in to audit my company, as part of the State Banking Department protocol, she said she was writing me up for exceptions because I had information in the file the lenders did not require. I said I wanted to make certain the client could afford the loan. She said it was up to the bank financing the loan to take that risk.

Understand, I was a 35 year traditional retail banker. Sub-prime loans were nothing I ever dealt with. All the loans I ever wrote in the bank were considered "A" paper. Credit scores were in the high 600s and income conformed to National Standards as set forth by Fannie Mae.

All applications we processed in my company were on the standard 1003 form that Fannie Mae required, even if the loan were going to be bought by a sub-prime bank. We were encouraged to have the client lie on the application, which was an anathema to me. But, in order to have the lender buy the loan, we did what the lender wanted.

But my files had all information as the client truly looked: poor credit, true income, bank and pension statements with real dollars. Hence, the exceptions from the State Regulator.

So now, we are facing the same disaster again, as reported in the Investors Business Daily. It seems that the federal government, by way of the corrupt Obama Administration-directed Federal National Mortgage Administration, otherwise known as Fannie Mae, wants banks and others to make high risk loans to high risk immigrants.

Yes, I am sure this will work out well. That statement, friends, is dripping with sarcasm.

Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the two quasi-government private entities (if that is actually possible) truly are corrupt and don't care because the directors know that in the end, if the program fails, and it will, the taxpayer will foot the bill. This tune was played before and it did not work out well in 2007 and 2008, did it?

By the time these loans blow up, Obama will be gone, or a at least a real lame duck like Bush was in 2008, and so will most of the stooges forcing lenders to make these unqualified loans. But my concern here also is with the Congress, which, by the way, is, according to the Constitution, supposed to oversee the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and other entities responsible for the safety and security of this country's monetary and fiscal policies.

Instead, those Members are passing bogus legislation, all for a "show", they know the President will veto pertaining to another ponzi scheme foisted onto this country called Obamacare. After all, that is Obama's defining signature legislation. He most certainly wants that nightmare to remain. He has no other real "accomplishments" he can point to.

Oh, and one other thing...

If you think your savings, certificates of deposit or other FDIC - insured accounts are safe and secure, you are sadly mistaken. The way the banks have been regulated lately, since the Dodd-Frank banking bill was passed by the Democrat-controlled Congress in 2010 and signed by the fool in the White House, the entire banking industry, and related ancillary industries, is stacked on a house of cards.

If you thought TARP was a bad idea back in October, 2008 and a gift to the banking industry, you are right. But Dodd-Frank made it all permanent. If a bank deemed "too big to fail" actually fails, it's all coming down. Quickly.

So, just remember you read it here first. And remember that Investors Business Daily told you the disaster about to befall the housing industry.

If you believe the government that this is a good idea and a great investment opportunity, in less than six months your 401-k will reveal you were duped by the biggest fraud ever to be elected to the Office of President, and the stock market will be, once again, under 10,000.

History, my friends, has this nasty habit of repeating itself because we don't want to believe this axiom: the definition of insanity is repeating the same actions again and again, and expecting a different result. 

Hall of Fame Calling for Two of the Greats

Congratulations are in order for both Ken Griffey Jr and Mike Piazza. Both men deserve this honor for the actions they accomplished during their careers as true leaders, who led by example.

Griffey, a centerfielder primarily for the Seattle Mariners and the Cincinnati Reds, hit 630 home runs, 6th all time, had 1,836 RBI and led the Mariners to the World Series in 1995 and to the NLCS in 1997.

Piazza led all catchers in lifetime Home Runs, the Mets to the 1999 Playoffs and the 2000 Series. On September 21, 2001, in the first game after 9/11, in the bottom of the 8th inning, he hit the most dramatic home run ever hit in his career and in all-time Met history which absolutely lifted the spirits of the citizens of New York and all Americans.

I know, my friends. I am prejudiced because I am a long-time Mets Fan and I know what this means to all long-suffering fans of the Orange and Blue. Today, I am not embarrassed to share my joy with you, as much as I shared my feelings in my November 2 commentary called A Season for the Ages.

Perhaps, now, finally the Mets ownership will retire his number, 31, and give him the homage he truly deserves. As a retired player, he has been seen many times at the ballpark to support the team, both in the painful years and this year, when the Mets won the National League Championship.

I was fortunate to see him and Tom Seaver close Shea Stadium in October, 2008. It is only fitting that Piazza gets to join Seaver as the second Mets player to be elected to the Hall, and to have his number retired along with Seaver.

I could go on, but this spring and summer I will be writing again about both these gentlemen and the events, the joy and the standards they brought to America's Pastime. There is a much bigger story to tell.

Thanks so much for your indulgence, and for allowing me to share something I rarely get to do. I have bled Orange and Blue since '62 and today I have those colors all over this commentary.

Much appreciated, My Friends.

Minimum Wage and Critical Thinking 101

The left wing politicos, like Governor Andrew "Kennedy" Cuomo of New York, are yelling again about raising the minimum wage. That's just great.

Except for one thing that he and all the other jerkweeds running their mouths off don't understand. They apparently are showing they never took an Economics class or a Psychology class, even in High School.

That's right, folks. When you raise the minimum wage on an entry level position, like a cashier at Home Depot, or a burger flipper at Mickey D's, you are screwing the person who has worked at that company and earned MERIT increases.

Let me put it in the simplest terms that any dumb@$$ can understand. Suppose you were hired at $10 an hour, which was the minimum wage at the time. You are there for two years and over that time, you received $2.50 per hour each year for your performance, productivity and loyalty to the company. You go to work tomorrow and the minimum wage is now raised to $15 per hour.

Your company now is required to hire an unskilled, unknown person at that new $15 per hour and you, as the senior person, are asked to train him or her. You are a smart person and can figure out that this person is now earning the same money you busted your gut to get. And, your company is not required to increase your salary proportionally.

Do you feel a little resentful? If you say no, then you are full of $#!+, because anyone with half a brain would. It's human nature.

The big box companies don't really feel the impact if you leave, because they will hire someone else to do your job. Maybe not as good as you, but to them, it is about a warm, breathing body on the floor who can say to a customer, "can I help you?"

As for the "Mom and Pop" businesses, well, they will just work with less in order to keep salaries to a minimum. Pop will open and Mom will close, and Johnny or Jane won't be hired.

And now, here you are, on the unemployment line. If you quit, in New York, there is no check for you; and if you were fired for cause, for example, if you argued with the boss about this inequity, well, there is no check for you, either. You are, as they say, $#!+ out of luck.

So, our "leaders" like Cuomo, Obama, and others who never held a "job", but instead, flourished in a taxpayer-funded "career", have shown they don't understand this basic tenet in human nature. In a "job", a worker, not a shirker, works hard for her reward, which is his annual merit raise. And by the way, a JOB means you are Just Over Broke. The worker tries hard to get to the next level, but our government idiots don't get this because they never really worked in a real JOB.

And, to all you fools, who cheer on the government jerkweeds for their soundbites, well, you will be rewarded by getting screwed because the entry level person will now be making the same money as you. Isn't that just terrific!

Just remember this: a minimum wage and an entry level position are there to get you started on something more productive. It isn't meant to be a career choice, unless you always wanted to flip a burger or wash a car for your entire life.

The next time someone in government screams about raising the minimum wage, maybe instead of screaming along with him, perhaps you should employ the critical thinking you are truly capable of using. By following along like the rest of the sheeple, you will only prove you have no brain at all. You demonstrated to your employer you were the right person to be in that "no-go" job.

Then, you deserve to be screwed, and you can only blame yourself.