Something To Think About Archive

Author Susan Ertz once observed that “Millions long for immortality who don’t know what to do on a rainy Sunday afternoon.”

Channeling her inner Richard Nixon, Kamala Harris is proposing to go after “price-gouging” grocery stores by implementing price controls when it’s obvious that high prices are due to inflation caused by the Biden-Harris Administration’s flood of federal dollars into the system, and NOT by the average net profit a grocer earns of 2.5%. Price Controls only guarantee one thing – shortages of goods and services as they did in 1971 under Nixon, followed by rampant inflation.

Author Robert Byrne believed that “A promising young man should go into politics so that he can go on promising for the rest of his life.”

Economist and former Senator Phil Gramm writes that “Tariffs imposed in the name of revitalizing American manufacturing have, over six years, been followed by slightly decreased manufacturing output, reductions in (the number of those) employed in manufacturing and significantly higher trade deficits.”  Gramm goes on to note that “When protectionists and industrial-planners make mistakes they often mask them with subsidies and tariffs – at taxpayer’s expense.” In other words, tariffs, as proposed by Donald Trump, in the long run: cost jobs, raise prices and are paid for by taxpayer financed subsidies.

Albert Einstein once observed that “Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I’m not sure about the former;” said Einstein.

Writer Markus Zusak says that “Big things are often just small things that are noticed.”

Benjamin Franklin said: “I’d rather go to bed without dinner than to rise in debt.”

In a recent interview, investor Leon Cooperman points out that neither candidate for President is talking about cutting annual budget deficits much less reducing the National Debt that is more than $35 trillion, double what it was just ten years ago, and 120% of GDP. Instead, both Trump and Harris are proposing cutting an entire income category, tips, from taxation. It’s absurd.

It’s been said that “There are very few people who don’t become more interesting when they stop talking.”

As an EV seller, as of last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office reports that Tesla has received an estimated value of tax credits worth almost $2.5 billion. Tesla’s latest results showed that more than half of its second-quarter profit, a record $890 million, was attributed to the sale of regulatory credits to rival automakers that use them to meet emission rules. That money, taxpayer money, is essentially pure profit to Tesla.

Theodore Roosevelt believed that “Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.”

It’s been said that “Old age means that you will never own all the dogs you wanted to.”

The late great comedian Bob Newhart said: “If you can laugh, you can get through it.”

Psychologist and philosopher Willam James believed that “A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices.”

Writer Barbara Hower once noted that “I’ve never known anybody who doesn’t have insecurities. You harness them and make them work for you.”

We get that playing politics isn’t softball but Democratic Party leaders stripping Senator Marie Alvarado-Gil of all her committee assignments at the state capitol is pure payback for her decision to switch parties putting her more in line with her constituency. But, rather than hurting her, it has hurt us by robbing her district of representation on committees that could be impactful.

According to author John C. Maxwell, “If you think you are leading a team. Department or organization and no one is following … you are just out for a walk.”

Author William A. White once observed that “I am not afraid of tomorrow, for I have seen yesterday, and I love today.”

We presume that the late Martin Mull was talking about the obsession with online so-called “influencers” when he asked: “Why be influenced by a person when you are one?”

Coach K says that “Courage gives a leader the ability to stand straight and not sway no matter which way the wind blows.”