The LuLac Edition #5, 261, March 4th, 2025

 

TRUMP SPEECH TAKEAWAYS

All show, no facts on how he’ll fix things. He did talk about eggs. When he did, he kept the blame on former President Joe Biden’s administration while providing little detail on how he would bring down, for example, the cost of eggs.

“Joe Biden, especially, let the price of eggs get out of control," Trump said.

Egg prices are indeed at an all-time high, but largely because bird flu outbreaks have led to shortages by wiping out millions of hens.

“Secretary, do a good job on that,” Trump said, presumably to Brooke Rollins, the new secretary of agriculture.

Beyond that, Trump didn’t have much to propose in terms of bringing down costs other than what he said during the election campaign: increased energy production and cutting what he calls fraud and waste in the federal government, both of which may impact inflation indirectly over time.

Trump introduced Elon Musk as the spearhead of that effort to cheers in the room. Trump credited Musk with identifying "hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud," an assertion that far exceeds even what the administration has claimed so far.

He went on for an hour and forty minutes. He spent time on Social Security going through a litany of SS recipients who were hundreds’ of years old. This was a warning  in advance. He will come after social security and Medicaid.

He was mean, ungracious, told lie after life, misconstrued facts and fed the country pure bullshit about tariffs.

The GOP kissed his ass, the Dems never stood up for anything. If he said, “like you’ve never seen before”, he said it at least fifty times. He wants to RUN everything. Let him and see how far he’ll get.

In the meantime, here it is: judge for yourself.

The LuLac Edition #5, 260, March 4th, 2025

 

TALE OF TWO MATTS

McGLOIN

Matt McGloin has been in the news for a decision to take another job that was in the work world of his area of expertise. Football. But then after his playing days were over, he had the unique opportunity to serve his community. So he teamed up with long time City Councilman Billy Gaughan to run for County Commissioner. It was a risk going against a long time Democrat in for him uncharted territory. But he and Gaughan prevailed.

When taking office, unlike many newly elected politicos, they didn’t ease into their terms. Both took on the third rail of local politics which was putting its \financial house in order. It was a risk and a gutsy move. They got blow back. But that didn’t seem to deer the team.

Then McGloin’s past came into view when Bill O'Brien got the Boston College job. We all have had great mentors and bosses in our lives. When O’Brien offered McGloin the job, the competitive juices of the athlete kicked in. There are only 269 men have worked as a full-time head coach for an NFL team since 1970. It is an elite club. When a man who coached you as a player and was himself your coach, the athlete in you has to kick in to be part of O’Brien’s new orbit.

If only we as humans were one dimensional. That would make life easy. But we’re not. Humans have multiple facets and responsibilities.  After the glow of a consequential decision, McGloin met those alternative issues head on. Family, education of children, roots, and doing what’s right for more than yourself smacked him in the face.

On the government side in The Lac, that decision caused a rift between Gaughan and his party. Gaughan recommended someone he was comfortable with, the Democratic committee said otherwise. Then the County Attorney advised that McGloin was still a commissioner because his resignation was never accepted.

What to do?

THIS!

1.   Don’t accept McGloin’s resignation.

2.   Unless he has a local offer, give McGloin the opportunity (if he wants) to finish the work he was elected to do with Gaughan.

3.   Both Commissioners have had tremendous criticism from people regarding the tax hike. This is not THAT.

4.   McGloin did nothing to hurt the people of The Lac. His only sin was realizing his decision was premature.

The athlete and the politician met on a collision course that can certainly be repaired.

Bring him back, take the heat and get on with the work you were elected to do. There is much to do and NOTHING to be embarrassed about.

Finally, this. A wise politician who was under fire on the front page of a newspaper told one of his loyal friends who was upset at his predicament. The politico looked him in the eye and said, “I’m on the front page today, tell me what was on the front page yesterday.”

His loyal friend couldn’t.

Conclusion: this too will pass.

 

CARTWRIGHT

Former Congressman Matt Cartwright has not gone quietly into that good night. The 6 term lawmaker sent this message recently to his constituents.

Checking in with Matt Cartwright

Well, February made us shiver, but Eagles fans sure got a treat from a big Birds performance at the Super Bowl! Marion and I enjoyed cookies baked by Renee Castaldi.

 After the election, while I decide if I have any more politics left in my system, I accepted a Visiting Professorship at my old school, Hamilton College, in upstate New York. Once a week, I'm teaching a senior seminar on Serving in Congress.

 Otherwise, you can find me at my office, 227 Penn Ave. in Scranton.

 Our sons, Jack and Matty, are doing well. Jack is practicing law at a fine firm in Atlanta, doing interesting work on election law cases and business litigation. Matty is at the M.I.T. School of Business, for his master's in business administration. He got engaged this summer, to a beautiful, smart young lady, Celeste Pallone, who just was awarded her Ph.D. this summer from Columbia University. She's in a Research Fellowship at M.I.T. So, we're getting lots of M.I.T. swag!

 Marion is hard at work as usual on her law cases and getting ready to serve as the President of the American Association for Justice in two years. She got named to the top 10 lawyers in Pennsylvania by SuperLawyers, for the second year in a row. The boys and I are busting our buttons with pride.

 Be safe and well, and stay in touch!

 

Matt

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The LuLac Edition #5, 259, March 4th, 2025

MAYBE I’M

AMAZED

Our “Maybe I’m Amazed” logo.

TARIFF EDITION

EDITOR’S NOTE: Today was the day tariffs were supposed to go into effect from our government to the two most vital trading partners we have, Mexico and Canada. As Trump takes the stage tonight, here’s an education on what tariffs are and what do they mean.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED……..that tariffs are a way for countries to control international trade. By artificially raising the cost of importing goods, tariffs can incentivize would-be importers to instead purchase goods from domestic sellers, potentially strengthening the local economy.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED…that Tariffs also generate revenue for importing countries, though in developed countries and in today’s global economy, they tend to be used more to achieve foreign policy goals than financial ones.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED….that  In a literal sense, companies that are importing goods from international trade partners pay the tariff fees to CBP at the port of entry within 10 days. When the US raises tariffs, US companies importing goods are responsible for paying those tariffs. But as an economic policy, tariffs have implications beyond the money exchanged at the border.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED…..according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), this indirectly raises domestic prices on goods as supply-and-demand forces often push the burden onto consumers in the importing country.  In the case of Canada, their dollar is more expensive than ours so a retaliatory one from them will affect United States buyers who are bigger whiners about prices of goods than our neighbors to the north.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED…….that n a supply-and-demand economy, when supply of a certain commodity goes down, prices tend to go up, because there is less of the commodity available to meet the demand. Tariffs, like all taxes, drive an economic “wedge” between what an importer pays and what an exporter receives as payment.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED…that Tariffs, by design in some cases, lower competition on domestic sellers. If a buyer needs to pay more to import a good, more buyers may buy domestically or from another import partner, which means these sellers can increase prices. Artificially disincentivizing buyers from participating in international markets effectively shortens the global supply.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED…….In 2009, increased tariffs on tires imported from China led to a 67% drop in the volume of Chinese tire imports. As a result, US buyers started purchasing more from domestic sellers and other international sellers, who could sell for higher prices with their Chinese competition burdened by the tariff. The cost was passed on to consumers: The BLS estimated an additional cost of $1.1 billion for domestic consumers as a result of the tariff.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED……that The Constitution designates Congress as the authority over tariffs. Prior to the 1930s, Congress set most tariffs by passing legislation. Since then, it has delegated much of that authority to the president through legislation, authorizing the White House to adjust rates.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED……that the US brought in $77 billion in tariffs in 2024, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). This was down from a historically high period after revenue from tariffs more than doubled from 2017 to 202. However, This total accounted for 1.6% of federal revenue. Since the 1960s, duties have not made up more than 2.0% of total revenue.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED…..that the last time a tariff was talked about so often was when the Smoot Hawley Act was passed in the 20s. It was a law that implemented protectionist trade policies in the United States. Sponsored by Senator Reed Smoot and Representative Willis C. Hawley, it was signed by President Herbert Hoover on June 17, 1930. The act raised US tariffs on over 20,000 imported goods. 

MAYBE I’M AMAZED…….that under the tariffs  act, excluding duty-free imports, were the second highest in United States history, exceeded by only the Tariff of 1828.The act prompted retaliatory tariffs by many other countries. The act and tariffs imposed by America's trading partners in retaliation were major factors of the reduction of American exports and imports by 67% during the Great Depression. Economists and economic historians have agreed that the passage of the Smoot–Hawley Tariff worsened the effects of the Great Depression.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED….that most of the decline in trade was due to a plunge in GDP in the US and worldwide. However, beyond that was additional decline. Some countries protested and others also retaliated with trade restrictions and tariffs. American exports to the protesters fell 18% and exports to those who retaliated fell 31%.] Threats of retaliation by other countries began long before the bill was enacted into law in June 1930. As the House of Representatives passed it in May 1929, boycotts broke out, and foreign governments moved to increase rates against American products.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED….In May 1930, Canada, the country's most loyal trading partner, retaliated by imposing new tariffs on 16 products that accounted altogether for around 30% of US exports to Canada. Canada later also forged closer economic links with the British Empire via the British Empire Economic Conference of 1932, while France and Britain protested and developed new trade partners, and Germany developed a system of trade via clearing.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED ……that the depression worsened for workers and farmers despite Smoot and Hawley's promises of prosperity from high tariffs; consequently, Hawley lost re-nomination, while Smoot was one of 12 Republican Senators who lost their seats in the 1932 elections, with the swing being the largest in Senate history (being equaled in 1958 and 1980). Nations other than Canada that enacted retaliatory tariffs included Cuba, Mexico, France, Italy, Spain, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, and Switzerland.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED…..that no one seems to think that the same thing won’t happen again. Prices will go way up and the only person to blame would be Trump and his ridiculous idea that this will improve an economy that cratered under Trump during CO VID but was saved by Joe Biden.

MAYBE I’M AMAZED…….that Trump thinks Canada is going to go away. The head of the city of Brampton, Mayor Patrick Brown  said Canada will take its 1.9 billion dollars in goods and look for other trading partners. Brampton is in the Canadian province of Ontario, and the regional seat of the Regional Municipality of Peel. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and is a lower-tier municipality within the Peel Region. The city has a population of 656,480 as of the 2021 Census, making it the ninth most populous municipality in Canada and the third most populous city in the Greater Golden Horseshoe urban area, behind Toronto and Mississauga. The City of Brampton is bordered by Vaughan to the east, Halton Hills to the west, Caledon to the north, Mississauga to the south, and Etobicoke (Toronto) to the southeast. As of today, the total population of Brampton is 791,486. I don’t think that Trump, the dumb shit that he is realizes how BIG Canada is and how many people are pissed at him

 

 

 

The LuLac Edition #5, 258, March 3rd, 2025

 

EUROPE  TAKES CONTROL

Like adult children who always had their moms and dads be their safety net, Europe now must stand on their own to not only protect Ukraine but themselves.   The crazy uncle that was supposed to protect them and the nasty entitled spoiled cousin decided that their countries were just not as cool as despotic governments.

The West is at a “crossroads in history,” Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer told European leaders at a pivotal summit in London on Sunday, as the continent sought to wrestle control of negotiations over the Russia-Ukraine war away from the US and present a united front amid a meltdown in relations between Kyiv and Washington.

”This is not a moment for more talk. It’s time to act,” Starmer said after a monumental day of diplomacy in London, which saw leaders on the continent attempt to forge a path towards a ceasefire in Ukraine.

The urgency of the summit in London’s ornate Lancaster House was heightened after US President Donald Trump chastised Zelensky in the Oval Office, appalling the West and delighting Moscow in the process. Zelensky and an ensemble of European leaders were in attendance, at a moment of intense anxiety in the conflict.

Starmer told reporters he was working with France and a small number of other nations to craft a plan to stop the fighting, which would then be presented to the US.

French President Emmanuel Macron outlined the contours of such a plan in an interview with Le Figaro, saying that France and the United Kingdom have proposed a month-long limited ceasefire in Ukraine.

The initial phase of a French-British alternative peace deal for Ukraine would involve a month-long “truce in the air, on the seas and energy infrastructures,” according to Macron speaking to the French outlet. The second phase, he said, would involve troops on the ground. CNN has reached out to Downing Street for comment.

The plan seems destined to rival the negotiation process that Trump’s administration opened with Russia last month and suggests a tacit acceptance that bringing Trump and Zelensky to the negotiating table together could result in tensions combusting once more.

Before this public display happened, a co worker of mine said in a discussion about the President and Ukraine that “Europe is going to have to step in. Ironic that the country that SAVED Europe, and pledged loyalty and safety now has a Russian collaborator as President. Europe must now come to the aid of the model of democracy that has now sided with the forces of suppression and evil.

 

CULT OPPOSITION

We fought and died to save Europe and now ya tell us you're siding with a modern day Hitler?"

In the late 30s and 40s when Hitler was steam rolling Europe, there were isolationists here saying “it was a none of our business” . Young men and women who were the first generation of immigrants who fought and died made it THEIR BUSINESS.

The surviving defenders of democracy went back to their homes, started jobs, and raised a family. Ironic now that some of the sons and daughters of those heroic veterans have not only elected a would be despot but someone who has exhibited an inclination to side with a country (Russian) who like Hitler invaded a sovereign nation. 

Worse yet, some of them spread lies on social media about the nation trying to survive this onslaught of outright murder.  Makes me wonder just what the hell my many uncles and cousins (my mom  had 5 brothers, my dad 3) fought for.

Certainly not this shit showman who was such a coward he had to get deferments from a foot doctor.

 

KING CHARLES DILEMMA 

King Charles is in a little hot water with the Canadian provinces. Charles has not defended Canada from President Trump’s inane idea of Canada becoming a 51^st state. Matter have been complicated by the fact that his Prime Minister has arranged for another audience with the King and the President.

Canada wants to hear from The King on this one but so far Buckingham Palace has not made any comment.