Bidenomics: People Draining Their Retirement Accounts To Survive

By William Teach March 20, 2024 – 7:00 am

So, we already know that credit card debt is skyrocketing (though CNN thinks this is OK because Biden is president), credit card delinquencies are rising fast, and non-mortgage interest rates are crushing Americans. So why not hit up the retirement accounts?

Inflation Is Forcing Americans To Drain Their Retirement Accounts Just To Stay Afloat

BidenflationThe share of people who withdrew from their 401(k) for financial emergencies surged to a record high in 2023 as Americans looked to counteract rising prices and shrinking paychecks, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Around 3.6% of 401(k) participants at investment manager Vanguard Group pulled money from their account, compared to 2.8% in 2022 and above the pre-COVID-19 pandemic average of about 2%, according to data from the company given to the WSJ. Americans have been increasingly stressed by high inflation, which has increased prices by 18% overall since President Joe Biden first took office in January 2021.

Of those who withdrew cash from their 401(k) for hardship purposes in 2023, nearly 40% did so to prevent foreclosure on their property, up from 36% in 2022, according to the WSJ. Around 75% of Americans who pulled out of their accounts for hardships pulled out $5,000 or less.

It might not be that huge of a number, but, you combine it with everything else, and it’s no wonder that consumer confidence has plunged. That, while the numbers are slightly, slightly better, people are not thrilled by the economy. And 79% of Americans are dissatisfied with the way things are going. And it seems, per a Pew poll last month, that Americans are mostly seeing any positive economic news as being in spite of Biden, that it’s happening despite Biden.

Read: Bidenomics: People Draining Their Retirement Accounts To Survive »

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Warmist Sacramento To Ban New Gas Stations To Save The Planet

By William Teach March 19, 2024 – 3:04 pm

If they were truly concerned they ban all fossil fueled stations in the city now and force them to shut down. I’m seeing at least 20 in the city limits. Be funny as hell if they all decided to take their business to other cities. How many of them are convenience stores, and will be taking their coffee and stuff with them? It would also be funny as hell if all the gas stations refused to sell to the city government. But, then, what’s the chance the city owns at least one depot that dispenses gas?

City introduces milestone law outright banning new gas stations — here’s what the policy means for residents

Sacramento has taken proactive steps to accelerate the phasing out of dirty-fuel-powered vehicles in the city, announcing a plan to ban new gas stations.

That should give Californians who are on the fence about buying an electric car a jolt, with traditional gas stations on the way out in favor of more electric charging infrastructure.

The policy, set out as part of the 2040 Sacramento General Plan, is calling for only “future-ready” facilities to be constructed in the coming years as well as updates to existing traditional gas stations to provide increased electric vehicle refueling points.

CSP Daily News posted part of the plan’s wording, which read, “The city shall prohibit the establishment of new gas stations or the expansion of new fossil fuel infrastructure at existing gas stations unless the project proponent provides 50kW or greater direct current fast charger electric-vehicle charging stations on site at a ratio of at least one new charging station per one new gas fuel nozzle.”

As you might have seen, stations have to periodically close their pumps and dig out the old tanks, replacing them with new ones. So, unless they put in all the chargers they cannot. There might be some new ones that will go “sure, we’ll put in the charging stations, but, we’re going to charge quite a bit for their usage.”

This is all government Authoritative Socialism, controlling the economy, regardless of what those peasants think. Regardless of their needs. But, hey, the people of Sacramento should keep their complaints to themselves: they voted for this. They should be asking if the people in the city government making these rules are driving EVs themselves right now.  And, where’s all this electricity coming from? But, what the high muckitymucks really want is the peasants to have no private vehicles at all.

Read: Warmist Sacramento To Ban New Gas Stations To Save The Planet »

Posted in AGW Socialism, Democrats, Global Warming | 3 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach March 19, 2024 – 1:00 pm

…is a weird sky, probably from carbon pollution induced wildfires, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is The Right Scoop, with a post on a Michigan imam saying that Jews will be slaughtered like sheep.

Read: If All You See… »

Posted in If All You See | 14 Comments | Trackback URL

Moonbat Justice Jackson Upset 1st Amendment Could “Hamstring Government”

By William Teach March 19, 2024 – 10:30 am

Seriously, that’s the point of the 1st Amendment on all points. That’s the point of the first 10 amendments. That’s the point of the Constitution. It says what government may do, and restricts them on the rest. In comes diversity hire Ketanji Brown Jackson

It literally starts with “Congress shall make no law …abridging freedom of speech… Congress passes laws. The Executive follows those laws. That’s the system. It doesn’t mean that the Exec can feel free to go rogue and coerce and limit lawful speech.

(Breitbart) Jackson had earlier presented a hypothetical situation in which social media platforms were allowing a dangerous trend to circulate in which children were encouraged to jump out of windows “at increasing elevations.” She asked whether government authorities could not “encourage social media platforms to take down the information that is instigating this problem.”

Aguiñaga suggested that the government could use the “bully pulpit” to push back against the content of the information, but could not call the social media platforms to encourage them, or coerce them, to take down the information.

Jackson objected, saying that it was not enough to say that the government could post its own speech. There were situations, she suggested, in which the government could “encourage or require this kind of censorship” necessary for public safety.

They can use their bully pulpit. Feel free. Coercing social media companies to remove posts that may or may not be wrong but go against Government Thought on things like, say, COVID, is expressly un-Constitutional.

ABC News “analysis” thinks the Supreme Court will rule in favor of the government

The Supreme Court on Monday appeared likely to reject strict limits on government contact with social media companies amid claims that federal officials had engaged in a “broad pressure campaign” to censor certain viewpoints related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2020 election. (massive snip)

Justice Amy Coney Barrett posed a hypothetical situation involving FBI calls to a social media platform urging it to take down posts that doxed elected officials, putting the individuals safety at risk. “That’s a problem?” she asked Louisiana Solicitor General Benjamin Aguinaga, representing the plaintiffs.

“I’m a purist on the First Amendment, so my answer would be yeah,” Anguinaga replied.

Except, really, that’s not Free Speech, that’s putting people in danger, and pretty much all the social media companies have rules against doxxing. And, that’s the extent of any “evidence” that the Court will reject strict limits. Highlighting quotes by leftist justices doesn’t count. At worst, it will be a 5-4 decision in favor of the plaintiffs, with long rulings explaining that government is very much limited by that pesky 1st Amendment. Meaning the Biden admin, because there really wasn’t an issue with the Trump admin doing this. Even the Obama admin was not an issue. This will tell future Democrat admins that censorship is not OK.

And Jackson needs to be booted from the Court, if she doesn’t understand the Constitution, if she has so misread it, if she’s simply blowing off the explicit writing on the paper.

Read: Moonbat Justice Jackson Upset 1st Amendment Could “Hamstring Government” »

Posted in 1st Amendment, Democrats | 21 Comments | Trackback URL

Biden Regime Looking To Pass More Restrictive Auto Rules

By William Teach March 19, 2024 – 7:00 am

Why is it that no one in the Credentialed Media ever asks Biden and the high mucky mucks in the, say, EPA, if they’re personally driving SUVs right now? Why Biden travels in a massive, low MPG fossil fueled limo with dozens of fossil fueled chase vehicles?

From the link

The Biden administration is expected this week to finalize highly anticipated regulations targeting gas-powered vehicle tailpipe emissions, considered the tip of the spear in its efforts to electrify the transportation sector.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is slated to issue the final rulemaking — which officials have boasted will incentivize greater adoption of electric vehicles (EV), but which opponents have criticized as a de facto mandate — as soon as Wednesday, industry sources told Fox News Digital. The regulations, a key part of President Biden’s climate agenda, would ultimately force automakers to more rapidly expand electric options in their fleets beginning in a matter of years.

“It certainly won’t do anything to improve human health. It won’t do anything to reduce pollution,” American Energy Institute president and CEO Jason Isaac, who has researched the EV market, told Fox News Digital in an interview. “We’ve proven in this country that we’re already a world leader in clean air. All it’s going to continue to do is push the costs of electric vehicles on to purchasers of internal combustion engine vehicles.”

“This is purely being done for campaign reasons — to really appease the leftist large donor base that are the climate alarmists that are driving this movement towards really what is a forced energy transition, which is just increasing the cost of everything,” Isaac added.

And those large donors mostly do not drive EVs themselves. What this will do is make private vehicles too expensive for the average middle and working class Americans. All for a scam.

Overall, under the proposal, which EPA unveiled in April 2023 and will go into effect in 2027, the White House projected that 67% of new sedan, crossover, SUV and light truck purchases would be electric by 2032. In addition, up to 50% of bus and garbage truck, 35% of short-haul freight tractor and 25% of long-haul freight tractor purchases could also be electric by then.

Yeah, well, they should be asking the actual drivers about this, and most are not asking for this. They think this is none of the government’s business. Automakers know this, even those who are pushing hard, or, at least, had been pushing hard, on EVs.

Read: Biden Regime Looking To Pass More Restrictive Auto Rules »

Posted in Global Warming, Joe Biden | 4 Comments | Trackback URL

LAPD Launches New Task Force To Deal With Biden’s Illegal Alien Crime

By William Teach March 19, 2024 – 6:45 am

Hey, it’s just property, right? It’s a small price to pay for being respectful to all the migrants escaping something or other

LAPD forming task force to target organized teams of foreign burglars

The LAPD said Tuesday it was forming a task force with other police agencies to target organized groups of burglars who visit the U.S. from foreign countries, and have been responsible for an increasing number of home break-ins.

“I can tell you that we have a significant increase in burglaries from organized groups that are outside this country, that are coming into the country, and they are targeting high end residents,” Chief Dominic Choi said Tuesday.

“And, we are addressing that specifically in a task force fashion, through multi-agencies,” he said.

Choi told the Board of Police Commissioners that while the number of property crimes reported to police have declined slightly in early 2024, the number of home burglaries have remained nearly unchanged from this time last year.

Did you catch that? The LAPD now cares, well, most likely, is being told by the Powers That Be to care, about property crime because it’s happening to rich and powerful folks. They didn’t care all that much when it was retail stores being hit. Or were told not to care. When the rich get hit, it’s time to join forces! And this is on top of you knowing that with the defund the police movement there are a whole lot less cops on the LAPD, and they will make sure that the rich neighborhoods get all the protection needed, while the middle and working class suffer.

And this is thanks to illegals that shouldn’t even be in the U.S.

These types of burglary rings, often described as South American Theft Groups, are not new to Southern California.

Authorities in Orange County announced last year a series of arrests and prosecutions related to so-called burglary tourism, and the District Attorney in Ventura County has a dedicated prosecutor working on the problem.

Yeah, well, you Democrats voted for this, so, enjoy! So far, 903 homes have been hit this year.

Read: LAPD Launches New Task Force To Deal With Biden’s Illegal Alien Crime »

Posted in Democrats, Illegal Immigration | 8 Comments | Trackback URL

Your Fault: Cherry Blossoms Almost Hit Earliest Record Peak

By William Teach March 18, 2024 – 3:00 pm

This could have been solved if you had moved into a tiny home, switched to taking the bus to work, and replacing your toilet with an outhouse (behind the Washington Post paywall, you can read it in full here)

Cherry blossoms hit near-record early peak, a sign of climate change

Exceptionally warm March weather propelled Washington’s cherry blossoms to their second-earliest peak bloom in more than a century of records Sunday, reflecting the growing influence of human-caused climate change on the famed trees.

“PEAK BLOOM! PEAK BLOOM! PEAK BLOOM! Did we say PEAK BLOOM?!,” the National Park Service wrote on X at 4 p.m. Sunday. “The blossoms are opening & putting on a splendid spring spectacle.”

But it is horrible because this is early!

Sunday’s peak bloom at the Tidal Basin, about two weeks earlier than normal, tied with 2000 as the second earliest on record; only the March 15, 1990, bloom came sooner in observations that date to 1921. This year’s peak bloom was so early, it preceded the official start of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, which runs from March 20 to April 14, and was also ahead of the earliest projections.

Of course, the record only goes back to 1921, when the trees were planted as a gift from Japan. And it is totally expected that they will bloom earlier because Holocene warm periods happen, not too mention the massive Urban Heat Island effect from the whole and growing D.C. area. And, really, they don’t even try to prove that it is Your Fault anymore, they are required by cult dogma to include something about ‘climate change’ in at least 51% of all articles.

Read: Your Fault: Cherry Blossoms Almost Hit Earliest Record Peak »

Posted in AGW Scaremongering, Global Warming | 7 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach March 18, 2024 – 1:00 pm

…is a cloud flipping deniers off for refusing to reduce their carbon footprint, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is This ain’t Hell…, with a post on your feel good stories.

It doesn’t look photoshopped, and I looked using a program. The photo is actually a lot bigger than you see.

Read: If All You See… »

Posted in If All You See | 2 Comments | Trackback URL

Supreme Court To Hear Arguments On Government Censorship Of Online Opinions They Don’t Like

By William Teach March 18, 2024 – 10:30 am

I love the way the AP terms this in their headline

Supreme Court weighs how far federal officials can go to combat controversial posts on hot topics

Realistically, it should be “none”. If the government wants to attempt to provide counter information, feel free, though, that would be pretty disturbing if they are replying to a standalone post/tweet/whatever.

In a busy term that could set standards for free speech in the digital age, the Supreme Court on Monday is taking up a dispute between Republican-led states and the Biden administration over how far the federal government can go to combat controversial social media posts on topics including COVID-19 and election security.

The justices are hearing arguments in a lawsuit filed by Louisiana, Missouri and other parties accusing officials in the Democratic administration of leaning on the social media platforms to unconstitutionally squelch conservative points of view. Lower courts have sided with the states, but the Supreme Court blocked those rulings while it considers the issue.

The high court is in the midst of a term heavy with social media issues. On Friday, the court laid out standards for when public officials can block their social media followers. Less than a month ago, the court heard arguments over Republican-passed laws in Florida and Texas that prohibit large social media companies from taking down posts because of the views they express.

The cases over state laws and the one being argued Monday are variations on the same theme, complaints that the platforms are censoring conservative viewpoints.

I wonder if the lawyers will mention that many of the opinions expressed online that government asked social media companies to censor were actually true?

The states argue that White House communications staffers, the surgeon general, the FBI and the U.S. cybersecurity agency are among those who coerced changes in online content on Facebook, X (formerly Twitter) and other media platforms.

“It’s a very, very threatening thing when the federal government uses the power and authority of the government to block people from exercising their freedom of speech,” Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill said in a video her office posted online.

It is threatening, and disturbing, that government forces are trolling social media looking for posts they do not like. It tells me that they are Fascists and there are way too many federal employees if they have time to do this. And that they have lost sight of what the Constitution states. Where did they get any authority to do this when the 1st Amendment specifically states that government cannot censor Free Speech?

Free speech advocates say the court should use the case to draw an appropriate line between the government’s acceptable use of the bully pulpit and coercive threats to free speech.

“The government has no authority to threaten platforms into censoring protected speech, but it must have the ability to participate in public discourse so that it can effectively govern and inform the public of its views,” Alex Abdo, litigation director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, said in a statement.

They’re welcome to participate: offer information. But, most of what we see from government is government-speak talking points which usually sound like mule fritters.

The opinion should be out this summer. Realistically, if Biden’s regime was doing this he and anyone involved should be impeached/fired.

Read: Supreme Court To Hear Arguments On Government Censorship Of Online Opinions They Don’t Like »

Posted in 1st Amendment, Joe Biden | 11 Comments | Trackback URL

Moonbat NY Reparations Council Blames Whites For Climate Crisis (scam)

By William Teach March 18, 2024 – 7:00 am

It just goes to show, this whole thing really has nothing to do with science, and everything to do with far left politics

NY reparations panel members blame whites for climate change, blast Sen. Tim Scott and want to defund cops

Two representatives appointed to a committee considering paying reparations claimed whites were responsible for climate change, slammed Israel and pushed to defund the police.

Ron Daniels and Lurie Daniel Favors — both appointed to New York’s commission on Reparations and Racial Justice by state Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie — made several fiery statements including Daniels slamming black US Sen. Tim Scott as “Uncle Tim,” according to a review of their public statements.

“White Folks Messed Up the Weather = Black Folks Save the Planet,” Daniels, a longtime activist who ran for president on the minor party Peace and Freedom Party in 1992, said in an Oct. 25, 2021 posting on X.

What, exactly, have black folks done to save the planet? If he wants to be racist (and, Favors seems to be pretty racist herself, both by the tweet in the article and other tweets), and he has lots more hating on white people, lots of black supremacy, well, let it be known that if anthropogenic climate change is real, it’s because white people, along with Asians, Latinos, and Indians, have pretty much come up with most things over the past few centuries. If he doesn’t like it, he can stop using the automobile, bus, airplane, air conditioning, phones of all types, computers, electricity, radio, helicopters, penicillin, lightbulb, Internet, and so much more. Heck, he can stop using Twitter, which was invented by white people. But, really, I do not like to stoop to the same racial animosity as these wackjobs.

Really, these wackjobs link everything to ‘climate change’. It seems to encompass everything. It’s a joke.

Read: Moonbat NY Reparations Council Blames Whites For Climate Crisis (scam) »

Posted in Global Warming, Unhinged Tools | 8 Comments | Trackback URL
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