Endorsing America This Election

With eight days until Election Day and Early Voting begun across the country, it is time to consider your next vote for Governor, Senator, Representative and other key races.

In California, the choice is between Javier Becerra and Steve Hilton. Since 2000, for all but seven years, Democrats have governed the disaster which is now California, with high taxes, high energy costs, and a huge exodus to more sane-governed states. Vote for Hilton and find sanity in Sacramento again.

With Gretchen Whitmer’s time as Governor is term-limited, the contest turns to Republican John James and Democrat Jocelyn Benson are vying to succeed her. While Benson is favored by many polls, James certainly still has the support the police unions and the cannabis lobby. Vote for the Conservative James in this race.

The Senate race in Michigan is a no-brainer. Republican Mike Rogers is running against Democrat (DSA-endorsed) Abdul El-Said, and is well within the margin of error at less than three points behind El-Said in the polls. Vote for Rogers and vote for American ideals to work for Michigan.

In Florida, Republican Byron Donald’s and Democrat David Jolly are looking to replace the very successful and popular, term-limited Governor, Ron DeSantis. Donalds has pledge to continue many of DeSantis’ pro-Florida taxpayers programs. Jolly has campaigned to cancel them. A vote for Donalds is a must.

For the Senate, it is no contest. Return Republican Ashley Moody to the Senate over Democrat and DSA-backed Angie Nixon in this special election to complete the popular Marco Rubio’s term after he was appointed as SecState in 2025.

In Texas, the Republican Kan Paxton is running against Democrat James Talarico to replace John Cornyn in the Senate. It is a classic race of a Conservative against a man who believes there are six genders, Vote for Paxton to fight against the whackos.

And in New York, Republican Bruce Blakeman is running to unseat incumbent Democrat and DSA-supported Kathy Hochul. She has shown herself to support the DSA Mayor Zohran Mamdani at every turn as he continues marching New York City to a place which soon will be hard from  which there is no return. A vote for Blakeman is a must to save New York.

There are other races to be sure, across the country: Support Collins in Maine, Sununu in New Hampshire, Alme in Montana, Collins in Georgia, Haggerty in Tennessee, Hern in Oklahoma, Murphy in New Jersey and other critical Senate races.

If you want to stop the socialist wave presently sweeping the country, vote Republican across the Board.

Vote Like Your Future Depends On It

After three days of early voting in Lake County, Florida, it is being reported that almost 16,000 people have voted early and in person this election cycle. For the entire state, 360,000 people have voted in person.

Almost 1,035MM votes by mail have been returned, while 1,350MM mail in ballots have yet to be returned. In Lake County, 16,000 vote by mail envelopes have been returned.

If the trend continues, there may be another robust turnout of voters, as we saw in 2024.

For many, this election is considered another election of consequence with the rise of the DSA, especially in the Blue States across the country. Important elections are both the Federal and State levels of government are in play across our nation.

When the dust clears on November 4, the results will show where we are headed in our respective States and as a nation, both politically and philosophically. Hence, this is probably the most important election cycle we have witnessed in many years.

It is our responsibility to take the time to vote. If you do not, you have nothing to complain about if the nation seemed headed in a direction you may not approve.

At least if you vote, you made your feelings known where YOU stand on the issues and made your voice heard with your vote.

After all, how valuable do you consider your time now, when your future could be at stake? Get up off your duff and spend a few minutes today to get your opinions to matter.

Considering all the options available, like Mail-In and Early Voting, as well as Election Day itself, you really don’t have an excuse not to have the time to vote.

The Final Stretch to the Midterms

Well, My Friends. We are coming down the homestretch to the 2026 Midterm Elections. Thank God!

However, as with all good things, this, too, comes with a huge negative. Over the next fifteen days, our eyes and ears will be inundated, no, bombarded with ads from all political candidates telling us how awful his or her opponent is, while championing themselves with platitudes even the Lord Almighty would consider obscene.

And then, what about the ads to vote for ideas which are so complicated to read that forces your brain to freeze and the eyes glaze over because all the legal jargon confuses the purpose spelled out in the idea?

Not everyone received a Political Science degree from an Ivy League university, or a Juris Doctor of Jurisprudence from a premier law school to completely understand the real meaning of the amendments or bond issues you are expected to vote on.

In Lake County, Florida, early voting will commence for the next thirteen days starting tomorrow and end on Halloween. Perhaps, your county and state has already begun this process. And it will be all said and done by 9 PM, November 3 in your state.

By then, the ads will have stopped, the dust will clear and we will finally find out which candidate made the best argument to claim victory.

And we will spend the following sixty days or so to see if we made the right choices, as the victor is flooded with media attention even before he or she takes office. Then, the performance of a lifetime will follow.

So, buckle up and stay safe as we take that unknown train ride and watch as our representatives continue riding the great experiment we love to call the American government and our way of life to greater success.

Remember to vote, as we are the Land of the Free Because of the Brave.

Looking to Change the Game

Well, the one “big market” team was eliminated last night. Yes, the Milwaukee Brewers beat the LA Dodgers in four games, punching their ticket to the World Series.

Soon enough, either the Cleveland Guardians or the Tampa Bay Rays will  join the Brewers.

It brings an interesting argument to the fore. All “small market” teams with much smaller payrolls than the Yankees, Mets and Dodgers will be in the Big Show.

Coincidentally, this years collective bargaining agreement  of the MLB and its millionaire union players will expire. Effective December 1, the owners have threatened to lock out the players over a salary cap controversy.

The players argue that there is no need for a cap, since small market teams, with minimal salaries, have proven they can win. At least for this year, they are right.

But the wealthier owners claim a cap would prevent teams from acquiring the best talent money can buy.

The problem which no one recognizes, is that the fan, whether in LA or Kansas City, is left out in the cold. He will be charged more money to watch his team, whether in person or on TV, because ticket prices and TV/Cable/Streaming costs will increase.

The MLB has agreed for years to allow higher rates for cable and streaming services, shutting out more “free” broadcasts over the air, in its quest to make more of the Almighty Dollar for the benefit of of the owners.

And while there is a revenue sharing scheme to share the bonanza, there is no enforcement to require teams like the Pirates or the Athletics to spend it to get better players. 

Ultimately, corporations like AT&T, Live Nation-Ticketmaster and Google AdTech have felt the wrath of monopolistic antitrust lawsuits, resulting in unintended consequences, for each monopoly. Perhaps, it is time for both the MLB AND the Players Association to feel that same wrath, since each entity acts like a monopoly, leaving the fans in the lurch.

Maybe it is time for the Department of Justice to look into the entire matter and step up to the plate.

Play Ball!

Vote For Sanity In New Jersey

There is a candidate running in New Jersey who is quite the antithesis to its current Senator, Corey Booker. He could easily run rings around the sly Socialist dressed up in Democrat clothing if you would give him a listen.

His name is Justin Murphy, Republican, Deputy Mayor of Tabernacle, NJ, and US Navy veteran.

Here are just a few concepts from his website:

Taxes

Abolish the IRS and Internal Revenue Code and implement a Flat Income Tax.

Home ownership

American families need to own their homes; if they do not, American’s are nothing more than serfs that pay rent to a landlord. 

Education and Parental Rights

Parental Rights are the civil rights issues of our time. Given the attempt by the left to sexualize children through public school curriculum, the Republican Party has an extraordinary opportunity to establish itself as the ‘Party-of-Parents.’ 

National Security

America’s military should remain second-to-none. As we were made painfully aware on October 7th, 2023, radical islamic terrorism is still a threat to civilized nations. America faces an array of hostile foreign threats: Communist government of China, Iran, and North Korea. 

Immigration

Legal immigration and assimilation by immigrants has been a Blessing for America. Thankfully, President Trump has secured America’s southern border. There was no greater crisis threatening America than the Biden administration’s open border policies. 

Pro-Life policies

I am pro-life; I believe life begins at conception, and there is inherent value in each individual life. My exceptions are the life of the mother, and the rape/incest exception.

Crime

American cities should be centers of vibrant commerce, culture, and social life. However, Urban America is deteriorating with business and citizen flight, crime, homelessness, drugs, and filth.

Health Care

I agree with those who want universal health coverage for Americans, however, I adamantly oppose government-run healthcare. I believe the principles of privacy, quality, accessibility, and affordability should be the basis for any healthcare policy.

Advocacy for Second Amendment Rights

I will oppose any attempt by the government that threatens to take away our Constitutional right to bear arms and protect ourselves, our families, and our property.

Energy independence

Our priority should be development of the almost limitless sources of energy known to be located here in America. 

Advocacy for fiscal discipline

DOGE should become a permanent federal endeavor. I also support a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

As Americanss and as residents of New Jersey, Mr Murphy has laid out cogent, reasonable positions to be considered. Certainly, his opponent has preached the same old, failed, tired Democrat Socialist tripe, which has proven only to advance the position and condition of a selected few.

In his recent debate with the Senator, he proved his mettle with this response:

https://youtu.be/H1KIv_6EYck?si=cu0Xgt3aFVYv29n5

Even Booker, who has opposed Trump at every turn, was at a loss for words.  

November 3 is just nineteen days away. Take the time to do your research as I did, and if you vote in New Jersey, vote for Justin Murphy as your next sane Senator.

The Big SSA Announcement

The Social Security Administration made its annual gratis announcement this morning, giving us our COLA raise for 2027 of 3.6%. Yippee!

However, the Medicare Part B premium which is automatically deducted from your SSA payment is projected to be around $210 per month, which is an increase of about $8 per month over 2026. This will affect all recipients who sign up for Part B.

So, the average payment is expected to be around $75 more each month for each recipient. But then, we lose $8 for our health insurance, leaving a whopping $67 a month to live. That, friends, is a cool $16.75 a week, not even the cost of one large cheese pizza, with nothing else on it. Or one Wendy’s Dave Double with fries and a coke.

Yum! Something to not look forward to after all those years of paying into the Federal Insurance Compensation Act Program for forty years or more.

Think about this for a moment. This is the greatest Ponzi scheme ever devised and it is legal. Why?

When when you consider all the funds deposited to the “trust” fund on your behalf by you and all your employers over those forty years, you will never recoup even a small part of it.

Assuming you were fortunate to make $100,000 for those forty years, the total contribution between you and your employers would be $496,000 plus accrued interest. Then, if you retired at your normal retirement age of 65 to 67 years old, depending on your date of birth, and you live until eighty, you would never recover the funds paid on your behalf.

But there are a few concepts to consider, as well. Most people did not make anywhere near $100,000 a year for forty years. Instead, the average monthly payment is $2,088 less the $202 for Medicare, leaving net monthly income of $1,886 for 2026.

When you add the net increase of $67 ($75 - 8), you end up with a net monthly payment of $1,953 or $488 week. Not enough to pay the rent, utilities and food for one person. Plus inflation. And if you have to use a car?  You are done. For sure

And why is it a Ponzi scheme? First, when you die, your beneficiary will get a death benefit of $255. Any remaining funds will be kept by the “trust” fund. And then, there is the ongoing threat which claims the funds will be exhausted theoretically by late 2032.

Finally, the funds were also drained due to our government’s “compassion” by paying benefits to those who were not entitled to them. Hence, unregulated and mismanaged fraud.

All so that American seniors can celebrate and enjoy a big 3.6% increase to their meager Social Security “benefit”, while still struggling to get by each month.

 Oh, Happy Day!

Why Columbus Day

In honor of Columbus Day, we should explore some the reasons we honor this day.

The Knights of Columbus

The  Knights of Columbus was founded on March 29, 1882 by Blessed Father Michael J. McGivney in New Haven, Connecticut, to provide financial aid for Catholic families and unite men against anti-Catholic prejudice of the time.

Father Michael J. McGivney: A 29-year-old assistant pastor at St. Mary's Church in New Haven, Connecticut, who gathered a small group of Catholic men on October 2, 1881, to establish the mutual benefit society.
Christopher Columbus: Chosen as the organization's patron to emphasize that Catholics were not only part of American society, but also instrumental in its historical foundation.
Core Principles: Formed with the founding principles of charity and unity, with fraternity added in 1885 and patriotism added in 1900.
Early Expansion: Grew rapidly across New England and expanded internationally to Canada by 1897.

Official Reasons for the Holiday

We celebrate Columbus Day to commemorate Christopher Columbus' landing in the Americas on October 12, 1492, while also serving as a celebration of Italian-American heritage and a point of deep historical controversy. 

Historical Anniversary: It marks the 1492 voyage of Christopher Columbus arriving in the Bahamas and establishing early European contact.
Italian-American Pride: 
In the late 19th and 20th centuries, Italian-American communities, facing intense discrimination, embraced Columbus (who was from Genoa, Italy) as a symbol of cultural pride and contribution to the United States.
 
Federal Recognition: President Benjamin Harrison first promoted a national observance in 1892, and President Franklin D. Roosevelt declared it an annual federal holiday in 1937.

The Controversy and Shift 

• Legacy of Colonization: Critics and Indigenous activists point out that Columbus's arrival triggered centuries of forced labor, enslavement, displacement, and deadly diseases that devastated Native populations. 

Alternative Observances: Many US states, cities, and institutions have replaced or paired the day with Indigenous Peoples' Day to honor Native American history and culture instead.

For me, as a Patriotic American Fourth Degree Knight, as an Irish Catholic and as a proud Sicilian-Italian-American, I will always celebrate this day as Columbus Day. 

I realize that certain atrocities happened hundreds of years ago, but I also will not submit the sins of the past to presentism. Instead, we should recognize that they happened and learn from them.

That is a huge lesson which should be taught concerning Christopher Columbus. And why it is an important day in America.