It’s time to Break It Down!

This Issue has been revised from the Break It Down post originally conceived, created, and published December 29, 2010, and re-posted December 28, 2011, and December 31, 2014. This is my last post of 2015, and 444^th Edition of Break It Down, which debuted August 20, 2007 on the BlogSpot platform. I migrated the principal site to WordPress August 3, 2012, approximately three weeks before the Fifth Anniversary of the blog.  You may find this and most other posts at either site.

With this post I wish you a blessed and bountiful Happy New Year. While I’m at it, today is my “born day.” So, without asking, and without further ado, I’m taking a point of special privilege. Before you read the post, click on the link and check it out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YzdGlVWlS1Y

Now, enjoy today’s blog.

The one-half fortnight between Christmas and New Year’s Days is a unique occurrence in the unfolding of the American edition of the Gregorian Calendar.  It is the only instance in which the space of a mere seven days separates two major holidays. Unquestionably, the timing is propitious.  Millions of holiday travelers return home from their Christmas commemoration and revelry, just in time to get a day off to “celebrate” the New Year…and recuperate from the old, most notably their extracurricular activities, including the exploits of New Year’s Eve.

In last week’s post, I presented a re-airing my personally crafted Christmas Concert (12 Days of Christmas: The e-Concert – 2015) from the past Noels.  This week, I doubled down and again reverted to my trusty time capsule. Once again, this tack permits new readers to catch-up by seeing the piece, it allows long-time readers to reflect upon both the passing year as well as the theme lifted in the post, and finally, it ensures that those busy readers, with no time to invest in checking out a new blog during the holidays, will not have to miss anything. It’s a win, win…win!

With that loosely framed preamble behind us, here’s the déjà vu all over again:

Since we are still in the Sweet Spot of the holidays, I shall practice minimalism. For your purposes, that means the blog should be available, but not intrusive. To that end, I am taking a page from the Christmas e-concert, but going a step further. Instead of a concert, I give you a song…of reflection.

Robert Burns, a Scot, wrote a poem (Auld Lang Syne) in 1788 that has come to symbolize the spirit of mass contemplation that people around the world invoke as the clock strikes midnight, signaling not just the dawn of a new day, but of a new year. Undoubtedly, you have been somewhere, at sometime, when you joined those assembled to sing Auld Lang Syne, which loosely translated means, Times gone by.

Once again, that time is upon us. After thoughtful reflection on my 2015, I have had no choice but to conclude, my travails have been few and small, especially when compared to my blessings, which have been both abundant and vast! All praises to the one true, omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient God; a mighty fortress is He.

No need to thank me for my inherent thoughtfulness. But, by all means, “Drink a cup of kindness,” or eggnog, or Champagne, or “name your favorite adult beverage,” for me. And, if you are a teetotaler, water will do nicely, thank-you!

As I complete my last post for this year, and, prayerfully and faithfully prepare to embrace 2016, I leave with you this familiar Irish Toast:

May the road rise up to meet you.

May the wind always be at your back.

May the sun shine warm upon your face,

and rains fall soft upon your fields.

And until we meet again,

may God hold you in the palm of His hand.

I invite you to click on the link below, which leads to a Smooth Jazz interpretation of Auld Lang Syne, arranged and performed by Donnie Thomas (and listen to the remainder of this week’s edition of Break It Down):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bffBdmlf0Wo

It has been my unique honor and privilege to visit with you briefly for each of the 52 weeks this year (including presenting a guest blogger). I hope you have derived a fraction of the pleasure reading the blog posts that I have experienced from preparing and providing them to you. May 2016 bring you the fulfillment of all your fondest desires. Happy New Year: Here’s to Auld Lang Syne Redux!

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. A new post is published each Wednesday. For more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post, consult the links below:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bffBdmlf0Wo

http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/family/question279.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auld_Lang_Syne

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweet_spot

It’s time to Break It Down!

Re-sent 12/24/15; edited to activate hyperlinks for song titles.  Merry Christmas!

(Revised from Break It Down – 12/24/08, 12/22/10, 12/21/11, 12/26/12, and 12/25/13)

Merry Christmas to you! I know some of you are caught up in the whole “We Are The (Secular) World” trip; thus you substitute Holiday for Christmas in seasonal greetings. Of course, those innately curious enough to conduct the requisite etymological research know that the root derivation of holiday is “Holy Day;” but I digress; that is fodder for another day.

By now, many of you should have already begun your well planned and no doubt, richly deserved hiatus from work. Perhaps you have finished your shopping and taken care of all the major errands that accompany preparing for the Big Day. Maybe all that remains is packing and/or traveling; or that throw-down cooking marathon that precedes the arrival of family, friends, and guests, whom you will host over the coming week.

As is my custom, I will not use this Christmas Season Post, if you will allow me to call it that, to challenge you to sort through the facts, be they esoteric or mundane. Not the election, or the economy, no wars, and absolutely no (further) references to Steve Harvey and/or the Philippines, Colombia, or the Miss Universe Pageant. No, this is your time to take advantage of the opportunity to hang out with your guests, or to be a guest, and enjoy the hospitality of friends and family.

In the true spirit of keeping it simple for both you and me, I am, as the title suggests, reprising a previous post, or in this case, posts.  In fact, not just any previous posts…not even just any prior Christmas Posts.  I am, essentially re-posting my entry from several Christmas’ past, with a notable caveat. In my eight preceding Christmas Season posts, I have presented an e-Christmas Concert on five occasions. This year, I am pressing the reset button on the Concert.

The English playwright and poet, William Congreve, in the opening line of his 1697 Play entitled “The Mourning Bride,” asserted, “Music has Charms to soothe a savage Breast, To soften rocks, or bend a knotted Oak.”  I think Congreve was on to something.  If indeed music is capable of enabling us to overcome our basest instincts, and in so doing, ennoble us to pursue our finer impulses, and then indeed, we should take more opportunities to render ourselves captivated by its magical spell. (By the way, it really is breast…not beast; caught you thinking, didn’t I?)

So, I identified and pulled together an assortment of my favorite Christmas Standards by several of my favorite artists. This year, I am offering a new variation of the artistic olio I pulled together for your reading, viewing, and listening pleasure a number of years ago. Below, you will find brief summaries accompanying a hot link to a YouTube video interpretation and a song for each of the 12 Days of Christmas listed and included in the form of a Yuletide e-concert.

The legendary Godfather of Soul, as James Brown became known, died on Christmas Day (2006, aged 73), as did Eartha Kitt (2008, aged 81), whom shall ever remain, to many of us, the incomparably personified Catwoman. There was both a surreal sadness and a resolute completeness associated with them ending their respective earthly journeys on Christmas Day, two years apart. Both artists were born in South Carolina; Brown in Barnwell, and Kitt, in North.

1. Brown was renowned for his energetic performances, which earned him another of his many titles, “Hardest working man in show business.” His rendition of Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto James Brown was a reminder that he had earned his chops the hard way, and that he was much more than just flash and dash.

2. Kitt’s Eartha Kitt – Nothin’ For Christmas // Christmas Essentials is on my list, not only because it is a classic; it is, but also because it’s less well known than everybody’s fave, by her, Santa Baby. I felt it deserved to be featured, so I did.

3. The Temptations – Silent Night is quite simply personifies Christmas for many of us. After several names changes, and adding and subtracting new and old members became a group in 1961. A current version of the Franchise still performs today.

4. Stevie Wonder-Someday At Christmas has been a staple for many years. Stevie, one of the one-name icons is regarded as a musical genius of the ages, and his rendition of this classic is golden.

5. Marvin Gaye *☆* The Christmas Song; a classic sung by a classic. Marvin, yet another one-name icon made music so compelling that he made singing The Star Spangled Banner not only patriotic, but cool. His version of The Christmas Song is must hear music.

6. The Emotions – What Do The Lonely Do At Christmas: Christmas is one of the most hyped holidays on the American calendar, and songs like this one by the Emotions is one of the reasons Christmas Songs are so popular. These ladies were at the top of their considerable game on this tune.

7. Luther Vandross – My Favorite Things is a show tune from the 1959 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The Sound of Music. The song was first introduced by Mary Martin in the original Broadway production, and sung by Julie Andrews in the 1965 film. As standards go, this is classic. Luther, another one-name icon, is Luther; he kills it…softly.

8. Otis Redding – Merry Christmas Bab: Otis, one-name icon…check. He is among the many artists who were with us for too short a time, but who definitely made his mark during his too brief sojourn. His jovial treatment of this classic is epic Otis.

9. Boyz II Men- Let It Snow: Great song, deft rendition. Enough said!

10. Whitney Houston (feat. The Georgia Mass Choir) “Joy to the World: Whitney, yes, another one-name icon is joined by the Georgia Mass Choir on the potent delivery of this perennial standard. She sings with verve, power, and yet nuance, all in one rendition.

11. Ledisi – Have Yourself A Merry Little Christma: One of my favorite artists doing work on one of the most popular songs of the Season. Bravo!

12. Will Downing *☆* Christmas Time Is Here: One of the classic voices of our time, singing one of the foremost Christmas standards of all time. Well done.

That’s it, 12 artists and videos and/or songs. Add it all up and you get “12 Days Of Christmas: The e-Concert – 2015!” Enjoy it again, and by all means, remember the Reason for the Season!

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: https://thesphinxofcharlotte.com/. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.”  Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

It’s time to Break It Down!

The Koch Family is a well known for having made its mark as a bastion of industrialists and businesspeople. In contemporary times their most notable associations have been made visible through their vast array of political activities and control of Koch Industries, the second largest privately held company in the United States (with 2013 revenues of $115 billion). Family patriarch, Fred C. Koch, started the business, which developed a new cracking method for the refinement of heavy oil into gasoline.

The senior Mr. Koch’s hardline conservative leanings are well documented. He was a founding member of the John Birch Society (JBS), an advocacy group supporting anti-communism and limited government. It has been described as radical right. That portends much for the activism of several of the current Koch Foundations. During the 80’s and 90’s Fred C. Koch’s four sons litigated for control of Koch Industries. At the end of the day, the last two men standing, as it relates to running Koch Industries, were Charles and David.

Four sons of Fred C. and Mary Robinson Koch:

• Frederick R. Koch (born 1933), collector
• Charles G. Koch (born 1935), Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Koch Industries
• David H. Koch (born 1940), Executive Vice President of Koch Industries
• William Koch (born 1940), businessman, sailor, and collector

The Koch family foundations are a related group of non-profit organizations that began with the establishment of the Fred and Mary Koch Foundation in 1953, and that now includes the Charles Koch Foundation, the David H. Koch Charitable Foundation and the Koch Cultural Trust. The organizations collectively have a stated goal of “advancing liberty and freedom” through the support of various causes which “further social progress and sustainable prosperity.” In addition to the direct action of the non-profits, the groups have also contributed financially to other philanthropic organizations in the fields of research, public well-being, arts, and education, including contributions to scholarship programs, university support, and loan assistance through organizations like the United Negro College Fund.

The Koch brothers have indicated that they intend to raise almost $900 million in support of candidates in the 2016 elections, and have given more than $100 million to conservative and libertarian policy and advocacy groups in the United States, including the Heritage Foundation and the Cato Institute, and more recently “Americans for Prosperity“.

“Americans for Prosperity,” founded by David Koch, has been reported by Kenneth Vogel of Politico to be one of the main nonprofit groups assisting the Tea Party movement; but in 2010, Koch spokeswoman Melissa Cohlmia distanced the Kochs from the tea parties and FreedomWorks saying that “no funding has been provided by Koch companies, the Koch foundations, Charles Koch or David Koch specifically to support the tea parties.” According to the Koch Family Foundations and Philanthropy website, “the foundations and the individual giving of Koch family members” have financially supported organizations “fostering entrepreneurship, education, human services, at-risk youth, arts and culture, and medical research.”

According to the environmentalist group Greenpeace; the Koch brothers have played an active role in opposing climate change legislation. Organizations that the Koch brothers help fund, such as Americans for Prosperity, the Heritage Foundation, the Cato institute, and the Manhattan Institute, have been active in questioning global warming. According to salon.com, through Americans for Prosperity the Koch brothers influenced more than 400 members of Congress to sign a pledge to vote against climate change legislation that does not include offsetting tax cuts.

While the Koch family has been making substantial donations to criminal justice reform organizations for nearly a decade, most recently the Kochs headed a bipartisan resolution to make more serious leaps to reform. Included in these are aims at eliminating over criminalization and over incarceration, which generally harms low-income and minority communities, as well as reducing recidivism rates, diminishing barriers faced by the rehabilitated seeking employment, and law enforcement’s Asset forfeiture to deprive the incarcerated of property.

Joe Scarborough, co-host of MSNBC’s Morning Joe, has pointed out that, although their critics are usually unaware of the fact, the Koch brothers have supported more than just what are generally considered conservative causes. They opposed George W. Bush on many issues, are pro-choice, support same sex marriage, and had worked closely with the Obama White House for the Obama administration‘s criminal justice reform initiatives that aligned with their own.

This counter narrative brings us face-to-face with the notion that despite a significant historical footprint in the arena of conservative and ultra-conservative politics and policies the Brothers are expanding their range of interest to encompass addressing the needs of the poor. At first blush, one may be tempted to wonder if these leopards have shed their spots, or at least altered them in some meaningful way. That is a fair contemplation.

Upon further reflection, before racing to any conclusions, one may recall that after the 2012 General Election, the GOP did a results audit to examine the micro and macro results of the election, and to determine the cause or causes they failed to capture the White House. One of the findings of that analysis revealed that Mitt Romney’s efforts were torpedoed, largely, due to something characterized as an “empathy gap.” Among voters seeking a candidate who “cares about people like me”, President Obama clobbered Romney 81 percent to 18 percent ― by far the widest gap among the four traits commonly measured (the others are vision for the future, shares my values and strong leader. To that end, lets rip the thinly disguised veneer away and just admit that this initiative is part of a grand design to mind-game people who traditionally have recognized that their interest are not well served by those who vote and frame policy in a way that aligns with the interests of the Koch Brothers and/or their Foundations.

The brothers have invested millions of dollars in programs to win over an unlikely demographic target for their small government conservatism – poor people. The related outreach includes turkey giveaways, GED training and English-language instruction for Hispanic immigrants, community holiday meals, healthy living classes for predominantly African American groups, vocational training and couponing classes for the under-employed. The strategy calls for presenting a more compassionate side of the brothers’ politics to new audiences, while fighting the perception that their groups are merely fronts for rich Republicans seeking to game the political process for personal gain. Not surprisingly, the efforts do include a healthy dose of proselytizing about free enterprise and how it can do more than government to lift people out of poverty.

Once again, that sounds good, and may even be true, if you discount the almost certain bait and switch elements waiting in the wings. We can anticipate that eventually, the Koch network will throw its clout behind a GOP nominee who supports a tax plan that lavishes its largest windfalls on the rich; would repeal Obamacare’s coverage expansion for many millions and replace it with something that would almost certainly cover far fewer people; resoundingly rejects a minimum wage hike to keep pace with inflation; and pledges fealty to the Paul Ryan vision, which would block-grant safety net programs to the states, potentially “increasing poverty and financial hardship,” as the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities puts it.

Broadly speaking, the GOP candidates are already committed to a vision built around the idea that rolling back Obama’s redistributive policies, and unshackling runaway growth, is the way to jog loose stagnating wages and stagnant opportunity. As conservative writer Ramesh Ponnuru recently put it: “Republicans do not seem to be even trying to erode the Democratic advantage on middle-class economics.”

And that’s fine! Let’s put this contrast before the voters — again. Obviously one doesn’t want to dismiss out of hand the possibility that there may be a backlash among swing voters to Obama’s government activism or that a candidate like Marco Rubio may effectively employ his humble background to sell conservative policies in a way Mitt Romney couldn’t. But right now, it seems doubtful that slathering the same old economic vision with fat from free turkeys will make it any easier to swallow.

Election season begins in earnest February 1^st. Until then, just recognize…” Koch and a Smile: Masking an Illiberal Agenda!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koch_family

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/wp/2015/12/14/the-koch-brothers-grand-plan-to-liberate-the-poor/?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_headlines

http://mediamatters.org/research/2014/08/27/myths-and-facts-about-the-koch-brothers/200570

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2014/10/27/3584354/kochs-indigent-defense/

http://www.forbes.com/sites/danielfisher/2012/12/05/inside-the-koch-empire-how-the-brothers-plan-to-reshape-america/

https://consortiumnews.com/2013/10/08/the-koch-brothers-samson-option/

http://rare.us/story/the-koch-brothers-are-doing-something-really-great-for-poor-people-accused-of-crimes/

http://www.sanders.senate.gov/koch-brothers

http://www.salon.com/2014/05/12/fake_concern_for_the_poor_koch_brothers’_new_political_epiphany/

http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/09/19/the-koch-brothers-are-helping-the-poor-its-more-like-indoctrinating-them/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fred_C._Koch

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koch_Industries

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederick_R._Koch

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Koch

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Koch

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Koch_(businessman)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Birch_Society

It’s time to Break It Down!

As the header notes, I will feature, occasionally, the work of a guest blogger in this space. Today, the third time in the eight years I have been producing the blog, is one of those instances. This week, I am honored to introduce to some and present to others, a talented and insightful writer, who presents a cogent discourse on an important topic.

Mr. Anthony Kent pulls no punches in framing a pointed discourse about the value proposition of pursuing a college education. This is always a timely discussion, and I’m confident you will derive key information upon reading it.

I enjoyed Anthony’s work, and I am delighted that he generously shared his wisdom and insight with the Break It Down community, as a guest blogger. I am certain you too will find his message compelling and thought provoking. Feel free to add your responses in the Break It Down comment section.

Thanks; enjoy!

Bio

Anthony Kent is a celebrated, talented, and renowned author, motivational speaker and Senior Project Manager. He labored for distinctive world-class organizations such as the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Wachovia, Ally Bank, and BB&T, which attributed to Anthony’s skills and expertise to diversify and empowered his colleagues to “strive for excellence”.

He developed a wealth of knowledge in project management, process excellence, and risk management. His certifications include: Certified Scrum Master (CSM), Six Sigma Green Belt Certification and Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL).

Anthony obtained internships through INROADS at Sara Lee and IBM. Anthony Kent is a Charleston, South Carolina native, although he was raised in the flourishing city of Charlotte, North Carolina. Kent graduated from East Mecklenburg High School. He earned a Bachelor’s degree from Winston-Salem State University and an MBA from Winthrop University. Anthony acquired a passion for investing at the age of nineteen; moreover, he is an advocate for the promotion of financial literacy.

His previous philanthropic work includes, the Substance Abuse Prevention Services, Big Brothers Big Sisters, FASFA Day, United Way Young Leaders, Charlotte Area Fund, and Habitat for Humanity.

Mr. Kent is also a proud member of the Beta Iota Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.

“The Youth Advisor: A Young Adult’s Guide to Success” is the author’s first non-fictional manuscript. The parable focuses on preventive measures for our youth that will keep them from making costly mistakes, while giving them additional tools to help achieve financial success.

The book provides factual stories and advice to make sure young adults graduate from high school and college successfully, while budgeting money effectively; so that he or she may purchase a car, buy a home, and invest money for retirement.

 Getting What You Paid For

Value is what you expect to get when you pay for a product or service.Next to purchasing a home, a college education will be one of your biggest investments. The average cost of tuition and fees per year is $30,094 at private colleges, $8,893 for state residents at public colleges, and $22,203 for out-of-state residents attending public universities.[i]

Students with large loans will spend much of the rest of their lives paying off debt accrued during their college years. The commitment is similar to that of a 30-year $130,000 home loan minus taxes and insurance.

Are you willing to take on this kind of responsibility? If so, there is one important thing you must do first.

Choose the right college major. The right choice increases your chances of securing and keeping employment, for after graduation you need to position yourself in a healthy financial situation—so you can pay off your loans sooner.

Selecting Your Major

In choosing your college major, you must first identify your interests. What are you good at doing? The best approach to capturing your thoughts is to write them down. Let’s start here. In the table below, write down activities you enjoy doing or being around in the first column. Your list might read, ‘Computers, Music, Sports, Animals, Building, Reading, and Writing.’ In the second column, note the courses you took in high school. This list might read, ‘English, Chemistry, Algebra, Music, Physical Education, and Theater.’ In the third column, write down the grades you received and in the fourth column, write down Yes or No if you enjoyed the course. The objective here is to draw a correlation between your performance in class and what you enjoy doing. For example, if you did well in math-related courses then majoring in finance could be a good option.

Have you considered the type of lifestyle you want to live? When you choose a college major, you are imagining a future lifestyle. So go ahead and picture the type of home you want, the cars, number of children, vacations, plus entertainment events you will want to attend. If you are accustomed to or want the finer things in life, you will need to select a major that pays well.

The following table lists the median lifetime earnings for common majors.

To learn more about the potential earnings related to majors, conduct research on the jobs that align to them. There are many websites that allow you to conduct salary searches based on various job titles, a company or location.

Glassdoor.com, Salary.com and BLS.gov are sites where you can view salaries. BLS.gov provides an Occupational Outlook Handbook with career information about hundreds of occupations. The Occupational Outlook Handbook allows you to browse occupations by the highest paying jobs, fastest growing (projected) and most new jobs (projected). The link to the Occupational Outlook Handbook can be found at the end of this article.

Pay close attention to the differences in salaries as you conduct research. Salaries will vary depending on the company, industry and location. Location is always a major factor, as the cost of living varies from city to city.

How long will it take to secure a job? The answer depends on the relationship your school has with employers, the demand for your major, and your desire to find a job.

Schools provide Career Services. A goal of Career Services is to help you find a job. (Find more info on Career Services in the chapter on College Resources.)

Schools specialize in particular majors. Top-notch employers pay attention to how the schools are doing, and hope to hire top students from good programs. The match between employer and student—the hire—is made through the Career Services office.

There’s a detail you need to investigate as you decide whether to apply to a particular school. Learn which employers are hiring students from the school with your major. This level of detail in your education decision means you have seriously begun the process of building your chance to land one of those jobs.

The demand from employers looking to hire students from your major will of course relate to job availability, which in turn relates to basic economics: supply and demand.

An easy way to increase your chances of securing employment before you graduate is to familiarize yourself with majors and choose one with high job-offer rates.

 The chart below lists ten top college majors that offer jobs before graduation.

Career Services will recommend that you apply and interview at certain companies, but it will be up to you to put forth the time and effort to secure a job.

Another route toward finding your first job is online research. Check Monster.com, CareerBuilder.com, ZipRecruiter.com, Indeed.com, and SimplyHired.com.

The point to keep in mind: You are ultimately responsible for your future.

 Education Decisions and Income Results

What education decisions are you making? Every decision concerning your education must be a calculated decision—because your education decisions determine the amount of money you will make. Your salary must provide your living and also repay your student loans. Compare the principal you will owe and the salary you can expect to earn. In this way you make a good education decision…based on “Getting What You Paid For!”

Holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

[i] Trends in College Pricing 2013 (2013): 3. CollegeBoard, 2013. Web. 24 Apr. 2014.

[ii] Hershbein, Brad, and Melissa Kearney. “Major Decisions: What Graduates Earn Over Their Lifetimes.” The Hamilton Project. The Hamilton Project, Sept. 2014. Web. 29 Sept. 2014.

[iii] Adams, Susan. “The College Degrees That Get The Most Job Offers.” Forbes Magazine, 22 Jan. 2014. Web. 30 Sept. 2014.

Occupational Outlook Handbook: http://www.bls.gov/ooh/

It’s time to Break It Down!

Back during the spring and summer, when political campaigns initially heated up, there were a hand full of Democratic candidates, and a host of Republicans who fancied themselves as possessing the Right Stuff to talk, fund raise, and politic their way to the White House in 2016. In the ensuing 5-6 months, as spring gave way to summer, only to be replaced by fall, the end of Daylight Savings Time, and soon to be winter, a lot has changed. Two of the five Democrats have thought better of their efforts and shelved their aspirations, at least for this cycle. Slowly, but surely, the republican field is winnowing too, though admittedly, at a slower pace.

There is one thing, against all odds, at least those of prognosticators, that has not changed. Donald Trump shot out of the gate as the leader of the GOP pack, early on. Almost everybody who knows anything about the subject, and quite a few folks, who like me, do not profess to be so insightful, presumed, guessed, and in a number of instances even argued that the Trump phenomenon was a fleeting thing; indeed, a fluke.

The typical reasoning went along the lines of two or three key thematic scenarios.

• It’s the political silly season; it will quickly come to an end.
• The Republican base is tired of “politicians,” but they will revert to a mainstream candidate before the proverbial schiznit hits the oscillating air mover.
• Who was leading in the polls at this time in 2007; where are they now?

The reality is, any or all of the above could still come to pass, and Jeb Bush, Ted Cruz, or Marco Rubio…OK, maybe not Bush, but Cruz or Rubio, just to name a couple of traditional politicians, could, if not exactly catapult, gradually overtake the duo of anti-politicians, Donald Trump, and Dr. Ben Carson, and assume the lead position for the prize of the GOP Nomination for President.

While I’ve already conceded not to be an expert in matters such as this, I must take a moment to say, I have been an outlier from the beginning. That is to say, I say as long ago as June, I believed…not in Donald Trump; I don’t, but I did, and still do believe that he could capture his Party’s nod for the nomination.

My belief is tied to the observation that there is a hugely frustrated segment of Americans that did not want Barack Obama to become President, hate the fact that he won, hate it more that he won twice, and over seven years later still can’t figure out how he did that.

That segment of the population views Hillary Clinton, whom most of them consider the likely Democratic nominee, as an extension of President Obama. Even though they don’t think either Bernie Sanders or Martin O’Malley will beat Mrs. Clinton, they view them, or anyone else who might be the Democratic standard bearer as anathema.

One of the things I find most curious about prospective Republican voters, and Trump supporters in particular, is their apparent propensity to embrace fact-free arguments, debate points, and by definition, illogic. From my vantage point, Mr. Trump could benefit from a few doses of Pentothal, but I digress. The Trump Campaign has thrived, and has done so, not so much because it has been controversy averse, but rather because the candidate appears not only to like it, but to immerse himself in it, one after another, the more the merrier.

He utilized hyperbole right out of the gate to engender support from what has proved to be an adoring and loyal following. During the announcement of his candidacy in June, he engaged in a number of racist, xenophobic rants about Mexican immigrants. In his initial foray, he exclaimed:

“They’re sending people that have lots of problems, and they’re bringing those problems with us. They’re bringing drugs. They’re bringing crime. They’re rapists.”

As a generalization, that was bad enough. But The Donald was not through. In a post announcement interview, he doubled down:

“And it’s people from countries other than Mexico also. We have drug dealers coming across, we have rapists, we have killers, we have murderers.”

I’m not quite sure what distinction he was making between killers and murderers, but, once again, I digress. There was unquestionably some expectation, by traditionalists, if not reasonable thinking people, that surely the uproar over such a blatant and unbridled derisive commentary on an entire country would result in Mr. Trump walking back at least some measure of his assertion. I guess those people weren’t watching the personality that is Trump during his run on “The Apprentice.” Retreat is simply not his style; apologies are for losers.

Mr. Trump quickly glided from the Mexican controversy to insisting that John McCain is not a war hero, and from that to revealing Lindsey Graham’s cell phone number on national TV. All of this unrepentant, over the top behavior, while historic in its own right, constituted only the prelims. Pulitzer Prize winning POLITIFACT reports a litany of claims that Mr. Trump made, repeated, and defended, are found wanting…of facts and truth. I understand the Right routinely dismisses facts as Left-leaning concoctions that are inequitably applied between Democrats and Republicans. However, to paraphrase that great political figure Mitt Romney, when speaking of President Obama, Mr. Trump may be entitled to his own plane, but he is not entitled to his own facts.

To bring this discourse down to the brass tacks, here are a few examples of Mr. Trump’s loose relationship with truth, according to POLITIFACT. Mr. Trump said:

• Our real unemployment [rate] is anywhere from 18 to 20%. Don’t believe the 5.6. Don’t believe it. … The real number is anywhere from 18 to 19 and maybe even 21%.”

POLITIFACT says we see no factual basis for this claim. Trump is going well beyond the exaggeration that Mitt Romney made during the 2012 campaign that the “real” unemployment rate was 15%. And back then, the official rate was 8.3%, compared with the current rate — which is actually 5.5%, not the 5.6% Trump cited. Mr. Trump said:

• He would have blocked new Ford plants in Mexico by threatening to impose a 35% tax on vehicles and parts made in Mexico and shipped to the U.S.

But only Congress can impose taxes and such a tax would violate the North American Free Trade Agreement. Mr. Trump said:

• The five Taliban leaders exchanged for Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl “are now back on the battlefield trying to kill us.”

But all five remain in Qatar, where they continue to be monitored and are subject to a travel ban, according to the State Department. False. Mr. Trump said:

• In a misleading claim that health care premium costs are going “up 29, 39, 49 and even 55%.”

He’s talking about some proposed rate increases on the individual market that still need regulatory approval. There are also proposed rate decreases or single-digit increases that did not have to be submitted for review. Mr. Trump said:

• “Last quarter, it was just announced our gross domestic product — a sign of strength, right? But not for us — it was below zero. Whoever heard of this? It’s never below zero.”

Trump messed up his economic terms; the gross domestic product was not “zero.” The size of the U.S. economy — which is what gross domestic product is — is in the trillions of dollars and not anywhere close to zero. The growth in the gross domestic product has been zero, but it’s been below zero 42 times over 68 years. That’s a lot more than “never.” We rate his claim Pants on Fire! Mr. Trump said:

• “Our enemies are getting stronger and stronger, by the way, and we as a country are getting weaker. Even our nuclear arsenal doesn’t work,” Trump said. “It came out recently they have equipment that is 30 years old. They don’t know if it worked.”

There have been problems with the U.S. nuclear program, but they have tended to be problems of people—either mismanaging the moving of weapons or personal behavior. The weapons themselves appear to be functioning fine. The Defense Department and the Energy Department are required by law to certify the safety, security, and effectiveness of the arsenal on an annual basis. While some of the weapons are aging, the United States has been engaged in a modernization effort that will cost roughly $35 billion a year during the next decade, which comes to 5 percent to 6 percent of planned national-defense spending. The bill could reach $1 trillion over the next 30 years. We rated Trump’s statement False. Mr. Trump said:

• “When did we beat Japan at anything?” Trump asked. “They send their cars over by the millions, and what do we do? When was the last time you saw a Chevrolet in Tokyo? It doesn’t exist, folks. They beat us all the time.”

There aren’t many Chevys in Japan, but they do exist. In 2014, Chevrolet sold 597 cars in Japan. No, we are not forgetting any zeroes at the end of that figure. Granted that’s not a lot, and Trump has a point that Japan does better in the United States on car sales. But he should have used more accurate words to make his point. We rated his statement Mostly False. Mr. Trump said:

• “Islamic terrorism is eating up large portions of the Middle East. They’ve become rich. I’m in competition with them,” Trump said. “They just built a hotel in Syria. Can you believe this? They built a hotel. When I have to build a hotel, I pay interest. They don’t have to pay interest, because they took the oil that, when we left Iraq, I said we should’ve taken.”

Trump has facts muddled here, too. The Islamic State didn’t build a hotel in Syria; they took over an existing hotel in Iraq. And they’re not using it to lure luxury travelers; it houses Islamic State commanders. We rated his statement False.

And then there are more recent statements by Donald Trump:

• “President Barack Obama “wants to take in 250,000 (people) from Syria.”

POLITIFACT: Not even close. Pants On Fire!

• “Crime statistics show blacks kill 81 percent of white homicide victims.”  

POLITIFACT: Totally wrong stats. Pants on Fire!

• “I watched in Jersey City, N.J., where thousands and thousands of people were cheering as the World Trade Center collapsed.”

POLITIFACT: No one remembers this but Trump. Pants on Fire!

• “The New York Police Department used to have surveillance going on in and around mosques in New York City. … Our mayor totally cut that out.”

POLITIFACT: One controversial program was shuttered. Half True!

• The federal government is sending refugees to states with governors who are “Republicans, not to the Democrats.”

POLITIFACT: Private and faith-based groups decide, not President Obama!

• “There are no jobs to be had.”

FactCheck.org: In fact, there were 5.4 million job openings recorded at the end of April, the most in 15 years.

There are a host of items not touched in this quick run down. Mr. Trump, like most GOP Presidential candidates, has inveighed ardently against Planned Parenthood. He has attacked at least a couple of women, including Fox News Journalist Megyn Kelly, and fellow GOP aspirant, Carly Fiorina. Recently, he appeared to mock a reporter with a disability. As usual, he just denied it, and claimed he didn’t know the reporter. In turn, the reporter claims to have interviewed Trump a number of times in his office. You know whom Trump’s supporters believe.

His antics have incited little resistance from his Republican competitors. That is in part because early on, when a few of them exercised the temerity to speak up, their poll numbers tanked. Somewhat as a result, most of the remaining candidates refrained from taking on Goliath. Then, at least one, Ted Cruz, treated him with kid gloves, allegedly operating under the theory that Trump would eventually fade, and he would be the beneficiary of those free agent voters.

As Christmas approaches, soon to be followed by the early primaries, candidates, the Party apparatus, and more than a few voters are beginning to contemplate the potential harsh reckoning of Trump, the GOP Nominee. It has been rumored that there is even a draft Romney movement being considered, if not already underway. I don’t know what will happen. I do know I will not be shocked if Donald Trump is the last (GOP) man standing. However, if he should advance, we already have a pretty good idea about the essence of Donald Trump. The far more revealing intel, in my ever so humble opinion, is what that possibility says about…”What Trump Supporters Believe: Hyperbole, Dissembling, and Falsehoods!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2015/jun/17/fact-checking-donald-trump/

http://www.politifact.com/personalities/donald-trump/

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/06/17/1394019/-Trump-calls-Mexican-immigrants-drug-dealers-and-rapists-crickets-from-the-GOP-field

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/republicans-stay-silent-in-face-of-trumps-bigotry-and-misogyny/2015/08/26/b53cfd78-4c32-11e5-902f-39e9219e574b_story.html

http://money.cnn.com/2015/11/27/media/donald-trump-serge-kovaleski-disability/index.html?iid=ob_homepage_deskrecommended_pool&iid=obnetwork

http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/01/opinions/opinion-roundup-politicians-lies/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/01/politics/donald-trump-2016-election/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/2015/12/01/opinions/granholm-trump-exit-presidential-race/index.html

http://www.factcheck.org/2015/06/trump-tramples-facts/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/stephan-richter/trump-vs-kelly-just-whos-the-bimbo_b_7968492.html

http://www.msn.com/en-us/video/watch/donald-trump-attacks-carly-fiorinas-looks/vi-AAe7RGB

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/donald-trump-cheering-jersey-911/story?id=35355447

It’s time to Break It Down!

Originally posted on November 24, 2010, and prior to today, subsequently on November 27, 2013, and November 26, 2014 by alpha heel.

I just can’t! It’s only hump day, but there have been a number of weighty news items worthy of reporting already this week.

• We’ve seen video of a #BlackLivesMatter (BLM) Movement protester being assaulted at a leading Presidential Candidate’s rally, merely for exercising his Constitutional 1^st Amendment rights. *
• The same leading Presidential Candidate, when discussing the matter Sunday morning on Fox News, said, “Maybe he should have been roughed up because it was absolutely disgusting what he was doing.” What he and two other protesters were doing was shouting, “Dump the Trump,” and “Black Lives Matter.”
• A leading Presidential Candidate retweeted bogus crime statistics, inflating the role of blacks in violent crime, suggesting African Americans are responsible for most white homicides; deflating the role of whites. *
• A leading Presidential Candidate alleged to have seen (on TV) thousands of Muslims in New Jersey celebrating the 9/11 attacks; a claim numerous media outlets have denied. What’s eye opening about this claim is, no media outlet has been able to produce footage of this alleged indiscretion…not even Fox News. (That should tell you all you need to know about that matter).
• Despite most news services dismissing the leading Presidential Candidate’s claim, and none supporting it, the candidate continues to insist he saw it, and in fact, has insisted he is owed an apology.
• The head of this leading Candidate’s SuperPac told CNN Monday that the BLM movement “don’t really” have a right to protest at Donald Trump rallies for the same reason that “I wouldn’t go into a black church and start screaming “white lives matter.”” Say what? The apparent logic: both telling and repulsive…that just as Donald Trump rallies are for white people and the #BlackLivesMatter movement isn’t welcome; black churches are for black people and those who would scream “White lives matter!” aren’t welcome. Oy vey!
• Another leading Presidential Candidate said he saw the same footage, but subsequently said that what he saw occurred in Middle Eastern countries, not in the Garden State.
• A Pennsylvania Police Chief was caught using the N-word. *
• A District Attorney released a video of a black teen getting shot 16 times by a Chicago Police Officer. *
• White Supremacists shot 5 BLM protesters in Minneapolis, after threatening, online, to do so days earlier. *

*Thank you James E. Ford for allowing me to e-pick your brain; ’06!

The ten bulleted items above are not just low hanging fruit; they are all national issues. Of course, we are also knee deep in collaborating with the community of nations to thwart ISIS (ISIL/IS, whichever you prefer). So yesterday’s news was dominated by reports that Turkey shot down a Russian fighter jet that entered its air space.

The international plot thickens, as if it were not already sufficiently dicey. Since we are currently working with France, Turkey, Russia, et. al., to diffuse the ISIS problem, it’s fair to say we have 99 problems, and Turkey shooting down the Russian fighter “is” now one of them.

I could go on, but I won’t. Or, as I said in the opening sentence, “I just can’t!” Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day.

As in the past, since it is Thanksgiving Week, this post will deviate from the standard fare. I know that travel schedules (impeded by weather events this year), meal planning, family time, shopping, football, parades, and if there is any time remaining, relaxation, will dominate this week. However, it is Wednesday, so there shall be a blog! It is definitely brief.

Those among us who have perfected humility, and ascended to a genuine Nirvana state, have no doubt, also elevated giving thanks to an art form. The rest of us must fully invest our appreciation in the notion, “That’s why we have Thanksgiving!”

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day, which kicks off what we commonly refer to as the Holiday Season. Almost instinctively, Thanksgiving and Christmas come to mind. Yet, there is so much more than that to the Season.

Over the next 54 days, many of us will enjoy succulent feasting at Thanksgiving, exchange gifts and contribute to the needy during Hanukkah. We will buy, give, exchange, and/or receive gifts at Christmas, eat, drink, and celebrate the 7 Principles of Kwanzaa, and party and toast the dawn of 2011 (2014/2015/2016), on New Year’s Day. We will honor the life and works of The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on MLK Day. In addition, even in these tough (though improving) economic times, this weekend, millions of Americans will pay (literally) homage to our most celebrated of shoppers’ holiday weekends, Black Friday, Small Business Saturday, and Cyber Monday, by rising early, and proceeding to scour the aisles for those perfect gifts…and if not perfect, at least cheap, relatively speaking. In 2015, there are even some precociously enterprising businesses that will start the shopping clock Thursday. Sigh!

In past years, I have recounted my reasons for being thankful. This year I find that I have more reasons than ever to sit contemplatively in humble repose, and affirm boldly, that I know, without caveat, not only the goodness, no the greatness of God, but also of his inestimable and inexhaustible beneficence. I thank Him for deliverance, and for imbuing me with the sense and sensibility to discern the distinction between kairos and chronos, Greek concepts for God’s time, and man’s time, respectively.

Eons ago, when I was a college student, I pledged a fraternity. It is the Oldest, Boldest, and Coldest, but I digress. The point of this reference is that during the erstwhile pledge process, as prospective initiates, we were required to learn a series of poems. There were many, each selected to convey a specific life lesson. Many of them have stayed with me, but none more than Invictus, written by English poet, William Ernest Henley (1849-1903). The Latin translation for Invictus is Undefeated. You may recall it, but just in case, see it below:

Invictus (Latin for Undefeated) By William Ernest Henley:

Out of the night that covers me,

Black as the pit from pole to pole,

I thank whatever gods may be

For my unconquerable soul.

In the fell clutch of circumstance

I have not winced nor cried aloud.

Under the bludgeonings of chance

My head is bloody, but unbowed.

Beyond this place of wrath and tears

Looms but the Horror of the shade,

And yet the menace of the years

Finds and shall find me unafraid.

It matters not how strait the gate,

How charged with punishments the scroll,

I am the master of my fate:

I am the captain of my soul.

So, as you go about your way tomorrow, and all the tomorrows that follow, recognize that Thanksgiving, at its core, is not simply a day on the calendar. It is a spirit that dwells within us, an impulse that prompts us to thank God (for our being undefeated), and for the graciousness to share His blessings with our fellow men and women. Indeed, everyday is “A Time for Giving Thanks Redux!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: https://thesphinxofcharlotte.com/. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.”  Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thanksgiving_(United_States)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kairos

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronos

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Ernest_Henley

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invictus

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanukkah

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwanzaa

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Year’s_Day

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King,_Jr.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Luther_King,_Jr._Day

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Friday_(shopping)

http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/news/a39928/donald-trump-black-lives-matter-rally/

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/11/22/black-activist-punched-at-donald-trump-rally-in-birmingham/

 http://www.factcheck.org/2015/11/trump-retweets-bogus-crime-graphic/

 https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2015/11/22/donald-trumps-outrageous-claim-that-thousands-of-new-jersey-muslims-celebrated-the-911-attacks/

 https://duckduckgo.com/?q=trump+says+he’s+owed+an+apology+over+9/11+claim&t=osx

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aD2doITEUtM

 http://www.ibtimes.com/ben-carson-says-he-saw-video-footage-muslims-new-jersey-celebrating-911-report-2196953

 http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2016-election/trump-carson-says-he-saw-video-u-s-muslims-cheering-n468486

 http://thegrio.com/2015/11/24/police-chief-apologizes-n-word/

 http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/nov/19/chicago-laquan-mcdonald-police-shooting-video

 http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/24/us/minneapolis-jamar-clark-police-shooting/index.html

It’s time to Break It Down!

We are closing in on the holidays and the change of seasons; both on the calendar and politically. In just over a week many of us will observe Thanksgiving. In December, there is Hanukkah, followed by, for those of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere, transitioning into winter, quickly followed by Christmas, or the “Happy Holiday Season,” if you roll like that. In January, we will commemorate the King Holiday. Then comes February, politics move front and center, and it’s on! The month alone will include The Iowa Caucuses, the New Hampshire Primary, Nevada Democratic and Republican Caucuses (on different dates), and the South Carolina Primary.

In the early (pre-voting) stages of the 2016 Presidential Campaign, the Democratic and Republican Parties have moved on noticeably different trajectories. The Democrats started with five principal candidates:

• Hillary Clinton
• Bernie Sanders
• Martin O’Malley
• Lincoln Chaffee (Withdrawn)
• Jim Webb (Withdrawn)

After the first Democratic Debate, two candidates, Chaffee and Webb withdrew. Neither registered a significant percentage in the polls, nor crafted a message that resonated with Democratic voters. Arguably, they did themselves, their would-be campaign financiers, and the electorate a favor, albeit a tad late. One might surmise, keen observers are wondering how long will it take Mr. O’Malley to get this message.

Over on the GOP side of the ledger, a fundamentally unexpected, but explainable phenomenon is unfolding. First the race started with a large number of candidates who at least considered themselves serious threats to claim the Party’s Nomination. The festivities kicked off with seventeen candidates:

• Donald Trump
• Jeb Bush
• Scott Walker (Withdrawn)
• Ben Carson
• Mike Huckabee
• Ted Cruz
• Marco Rubio
• Rand Paul
• Chris Christie
• John Kasich
• Rick Perry (Withdrawn)
• Rick Santorum
• Bobby Jindal (Withdrawn)
• Carly Fiorina
• Lindsey Graham
• George Pataki
• Jim Gilmore

At first blush, a glance at the list of GOP contenders, and in some instances, I use the word loosely, reveals a wealth of experience in politics. The slate includes Governors, former Governors, Senators, former Senators, and conspicuously, three individuals who have never been elected to any office.

Initially, handicappers applied conventional wisdom to this race, and predicted Dr. Carson, Mrs. Fiorina, and Mr. Trump (that’s just Alpha Order; nothing sinister) would soon lose their sizzle and appeal to voters, and quickly wind down their campaigns, bowing out gracefully. Well, maybe not Mr. Trump (bowing out gracefully, that is).

That was initially. A funny thing happened to the race as polling ensued. First, Mr. Trump, yes, the Donald, he of Reality TV, and Casino fame, rocketed to the top of the charts. After the first Debate, Mrs. Fiorina quickly moved up to the upper tier of GOP Candidates. Then, in what now seems an inexorable evolutionary turn, Dr. Carson gradually made his way to the front of the class…I mean, the top of the polls. Just like that, the three political neophytes found themselves running at or near the head of the pack.

After recalibrating the bases for their projections (which tends to be necessary when you are wrong at every turn), the prognosticators, political writers, talking heads, and handicappers re-spun their collective narrative. Alas, this was the election cycle when Republicans opted to turn the process on its ear because they were disillusioned with politics as usual, and as result, fed up with the usual politicians. But, we were assured, this was just a passing fancy, and effectively the political silly season, as Jeb Bush called the situation. It would soon pass, he predicted, confidently.

That could still happen; but it might not. We are now less than a year from Election Day 2016, and roughly six weeks away from the Iowa Caucuses on February 1^st. Already, a fair amount of heretofore conventional wisdom is being cast in the never gonna happen category. That is to say, Jeb Bush who just a few months ago was thought to be nearly a lock for “Nominee-in-waiting,” is now viewed as the guy who displaced “W” as the least capable, and most unready for Prime Time Bush. Who saw that coming?

So, while there is still time for the erstwhile GOP Cognoscenti to act out its cream imitation, and rise to the top, a number of operatives in GOP inner circles are getting a little nervous. They are, apparently, concerned that a guy who gets his military intel from “the TV shows,” a guy who asserts that the pyramids were grain silos built by Joseph, and a woman whom one of those guys claims drove her company into a disastrous tailspin, from which it still has not recovered, are all at, or lurking near the top of GOP polls.

Meanwhile, to counter this, we are hearing some in the GOP brain trust have embraced a brilliant, OK, an idea; Let’s go get Mitt. You remember Mitt, right? Just in case you don’t, here’s a quick 10-point primer to prick your memory.

During the dog days of the GOP 2012 Presidential Campaign, when Willard Mitt Romney was in the thick of it, he said some interesting things. Among them:

1. On Fox News, the reason he did not talk about the troops – “You don’t go through a laundry list; you talk about the things you think are important.”
2. On NASCAR – mocking a group of fans wearing plastic ponchos – “I like those fancy raincoats you bought. Really sprung for the big bucks.” Also, trying to everyman it, Romney said, “I have some great friends who are NASCAR team owners.”
3. The infamous 47% comments – “There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you name it. My job is not to worry about those people. I’ll never convince them they should take personal responsibility and care for their lives.”
4. On his disdain for social programs; not concerned about the very poor – “I’m not concerned about the very poor. We have a safety net there.”
5. He earned a round of pants on fire fact checks for falsely accusing Obama of apologizing for America, after being caught on tape promising his wealthy donors that if there were an “opportunity” like a hostage situation he would “take advantage of it”. – Romney wrote in an email within hours of the attacks but embargoed until midnight so as to avoid looking like he was taking advantage of a tragedy, “The Obama administration’s first response was not to condemn attacks on our diplomatic missions, but to sympathize with those who waged the attacks.” Later he went on about Obama’s imaginary apology tour, forgetting that it was he who had been forced to apologize in Britain over the summer.
6. His Olympics gaffe, in which he suggested Britain was not prepared for the games – “You know, it’s hard to know just how well it were turn out- will turn out. There are a few things that were disconcerting, the stories about the- private security firm not having enough people- the sup- supposed strike of the immigration and customs officials, that obviously is not something which is encouraging. Because in the games, there- there are three parts that makes games successful.”
7. His rationalization for why his sons were not fighting for the country – “One of the ways my sons are showing support for our nation is helping me get elected.”
8. Syria is Iran’s route to the sea – Romney said (again), “Syria is Iran’s . . . route to the sea.”
9. Describing the withdrawal of the troops from Iraq – “It is my view that the withdrawal of all of our troops from Iraq by the end of this year is an enormous mistake, and failing by the Obama administration. The precipitous withdrawal is unfortunate – it’s more than unfortunate, I think it’s tragic.”
10. The memorable binders full of women – “I went to a number of women’s groups and said, “Can you help us find folks,” and they brought us whole binders full of women.”

The Mitt 2012 era was so bad, the Republican National Committee (RNC) convened and drafted a plan to make sure the Party never-ever found itself in such a woeful position again. The head of the RNC put it this way:

“I don’t think you can draw any quick conclusions other than the fact that we lost and we know that. But in order to get back in the game, you’ve got to look at and do a full autopsy of what happened.”

Mr. Priebus noted that the Party would dive deep into analysis of the election, and devise a four-year game plan intended to ensure that they avoid the mistakes of 2012. At that time many Republicans called for a “bigger tent” Party, one that will be more representative of our changing demographics. I suppose they deduced that among the reasons President Obama secured victory included winning among these groups:

     Women – 55%

     Black – 93%

     Hispanic – 67%

     Asian – 73%

     Jewish – 69%

     Other – 57%

     Age 18-29 – 60%

     Age 30-44 – 52%

     Unmarried – 67%

     Self-Identified Gay – 76%

     Income Under $30,000 – 63%

     Income $30,000 – $49,000 – 57%

Given the numbers above, The Trump/Carson position on building a wall, and Mrs. Fiorina’s attacks on Planned Parenthood do not appear to bode particularly well for shoring up key areas in which the Party’s Flagship Team missed the boat in 2012. However, the GOP obviously devoted a significant amount of mental capital to contemplating the return on investment (or lack thereof) in the politics of hate, derision, and various and sundry slurs.  Now all they need to do is get their full complement of players on board. Who knows; perhaps this time around, Mr. Romney is that guy.

I doubt it!

The new and improved GOP, coming your way…“Rise of the Phoenix: Romney 2016?” I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mitt_Romney

http://www.newsmax.com/Politics/Mitt-Romney-Presidential-election-2016/2014/05/06/id/569858/

http://www.cnn.com/2015/11/13/politics/mitt-romney-2016-still-not-running/index.html

http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/romney-2016-is-for-real/article/2553932

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/31/us/mitt-romney-2016-presidential-election.html?_r=0

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/2015/11/12/mitt-romney-friends-are-still-trying-plan-out-his-presidential-campaign/pPIGa2jbDmbD0ucWqoRxoK/story.html

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865641549/Will-push-for-another-Romney-run-lead-to-endorsement-of-Rubio.html?pg=all

http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/James-Carville-Mitt-Romney-president/2014/08/28/id/591547/

http://townhall.com/tipsheet/mattvespa/2015/09/09/oh-my-god-make-the-romney-2016-rumor-mill-stop-open-thread-n2048001

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/mitt-romney-2016-presidential-run/story?id=28604278

http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/27/priebus-its-time-for-a-full-autopsy-of-2012/

https://thesphinxofcharlotte.com/2013/04/03/back-to-the-gop-future/

It’s time to Break It Down!

Six years ago, I wrote a post in recognition of Veteran’s Day, and the service personnel we as a nation honor on that day. In 2009, as is the case this year, Veterans Day falls on Wednesday, and as such, the stars aligned perfectly for this week’s blog. As our nation continues to grapple with conflict overseas, I decided to edit/re-post the Veteran’s Day 2009 Edition of “Break It Down!”

It’s worth noting that while our fighting forces officially exited Iraq in December 2011, we still have military personnel there.  Our forces are expected to leave Afghanistan (the other hotspot referenced in the initial post) by 2016.  Also, for the record, we have a variety of personnel in Iran, Syria, Libya, Mali, Somalia, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Yemen…lest you think the world is a peaceful place.

Enjoy your day, and if you have yet to take the opportunity to thank a Veteran, reach out and do so at some point today. Moreover, for my part, to all of you who are Veterans, “Thank you for your service.”

Many of you know, or at least faintly recall that I frequently alter the blog format to integrate holiday traditions into the discussion. Often holidays are expanded by days away from work, long weekends, travel, and a host of leisure activities. In those cases, I prefer to scale back in recognition that aside from road map directions, GPS instructions, and the like, very little reading will be taking place.

As most Americans know, today is Veterans Day. At a time when the United States is engaged in twin wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and working fervently to ease tensions in a trio of other hot spots, including Pakistan, Iran, and North Korea, American service men and women are regularly front and center. The unfathomable horror visited upon soldiers at Fort Hood, Texas last week makes the value and vulnerability of one of our greatest resources resonate even more palpably. But what do we really know about this day that has been set aside to honor real American heroes and sheroes?

Well, first, Veterans Day is not Memorial Day, and vice-versa. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Veterans Day is intended largely to honor Living veterans for their service, to acknowledge that their contributions to our national security are appreciated, and to underscore the fact that all those who served – not only those who died – have sacrificed and done their duty. Memorial Day honors those veterans who died in the service of their country, particularly those killed in combat, or as a result of wounds sustained in battle.

We also know that Veterans Day is a different kind of federal holiday. With the exception of Sundays, it falls on its actual date. In 1968, Congress approved the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. This law, which took effect in 1971, amended the observance of certain federal holidays so that Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, Columbus Day, and Veterans Day would be observed on Mondays instead of fixed dates.

Congress passed the Act to increase the number of three-day holiday weekend for federal employees. After a loud and persistent outcry from Veterans and Veterans’ groups, who argued the historical significance of November 11th was compromised by the change, Veterans Day observance was returned to November 11th in 1978.

So how did this affinity for November 11th come about? As with many historical facts, it evolved. Veterans Day began as Armistice Day. The significance of Armistice Day is that it was the day of the signing of the Armistice that terminated World War I (WW I). In effect, WW I ended at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. That was when the Germans signed the document, ending hostilities that had begun in 1914. President Woodrow Wilson subsequently proclaimed the first Armistice Day, November 11, 1919.

WW I was deemed The Great War, and was thought by many, at the time, to be “The War That Ended All Wars.” It was, as the numeric designation suggests, the First World War. Of course, more wars would ensue. There was World War II (WW II), later the Korean Conflict, and then Vietnam.

In 1953, a storeowner in Emporia, Kansas, Al King, launched an idea to honor all Veterans, not just those who served in WW I. The idea took root, sailed through Congress, and President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed it into law May 26, 1954. Congress amended the Act November 8, 1954, changing Armistice to Veterans, and thus it has been ever since.

So today, especially around “The 11th Hour of This 11th Day of the 11th Month,” to augment a popular bumper sticker, “If you can read this, thank a teacher…and a veteran!

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.blogspot.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Veterans_Day

http://www1.va.gov/opa/vetsday/

http://www1.va.gov/opa/vetsday/vetdayhistory.asp

http://images.google.com/images?hl=en&source=hp&q=veterans+day&um=1&ie=UTF-8&ei=dD36Sq2oIM_gnAeEsKyJDQ&sa=X&oi=image_result_group&ct=title&resnum=7&ved=0CC8QsAQwBg

http://www.history.com/content/veteransday

http://www.history.army.mil/faq/vetsday/vetshist.htm

http://www.patriotism.org/veterans_day/

http://www.military.com/veterans-day/

http://www.nraila.org/legislation/read.aspx?id=5202

http://www.military.com/veteransday/History.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_armed_forces

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniformed_services_of_the_United_States

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Public_Health_Service_Commissioned_Corps

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Oceanic_and_Atmospheric_Administration_Commissioned_Corps

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Memorial_Day

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uniform_Monday_Holiday_Act

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Armistice

It’s time to Break It Down!

Certain groups would have you believe the scourge of black initiated violence is responsible for virtually every negative trend in this country. This applies, especially, to developments that lead to increased mortality rates. If you are a consumer of Right Wing talk radio, or cable news, or dare I say, a number of the GOP Presidential candidates’ spiels, you will hear it suggested that blacks, particularly those ensconced in urban areas are engaged in wonton drug use, hyper gang violence, and random killing sprees. I sometimes wonder if all of what they say is true, how could there possibly be anyone left to buy drugs, join gangs, and/or execute the incalculable numbers of murders we are constantly reminded occur on a nearly daily basis.

Nobel Laureate, Angus Deaton and his wife, Anne Case, both Princeton economists, received international attention for their research, which was published earlier this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). According to the study, since 1999, we have been experiencing a significant spike in the death rate for a large group of middle-aged whites in the United States. The rise in death rates was accompanied by an increase in illness.

However, their work was not immediately received with robust approval. Before presenting it to PNAS, they submitted it to two prestigious medical journals, both of which rejected the study.

First, they tried to get it published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA). According to Deaton, who was interviewed while attending a conference, sponsored by Princeton University, on Ebola and global public health in Dublin:

“We got it back almost instantaneously. It was almost like the e-mail had bounced. We got it back within hours.”

Next, Deaton and Case tried the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM), after framing their work in the form of a two-page “Perspective” summarizing the alarming trend they had discovered in government mortality statistics. Two tries, two rejection notices. According to Deaton, the NEJM said that their work does not explain why the historically anomalous surge in mortality occurred. He compared that response to calling the fire department to report that your house is on fire:

“And they say, ‘Well, what caused the fire?’ And you say, ‘I don’t know,’ and they say, ‘Well, we can’t send the fire brigade until you can tell us what caused the fire.’”

Staff members at both Journals were reluctant to offer any details surrounding their respective responses to the study. Ms. Jennifer Zeis, media relations manager for the NEJM, said via email that the NEJM could not comment on the fate of any submissions because “The publication process is confidential.” Similarly, Jim Michalski, a spokesman for JAMA, also cited the journal’s confidentiality policy. “We can neither confirm nor deny whether an author has submitted a manuscript for review, or why a manuscript may have been rejected, also conveyed through an email.

The study’s findings apply to the mortality rate for white men and women ages 45-54 with less than a college education. The death rates for this group, based on the results of the study increased markedly between 1999 and 2013. The most likely drivers for this increase are thought to be problems with legal and illegal drugs, alcohol, and suicide. Deaton said of the causality:

“Drugs and alcohol, and suicide…are clearly the proximate cause. Half a million people are dead who should not be dead. That is about 40 times the Ebola stats. You’re getting up there with HIV-AIDS.”

Prior to the time frame cited in the study, death rates for the group had dropped steadily, and at an even faster pace. Historically, increases in mortality rates for any large demographic group in advanced nations, which “Exceptional America must surely be, have been virtually unheard of, with the notable exception of Russian men after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Undoubtedly, this overarching trend narrative is at least in part, the reason that JAMA and the NEJM were less than embracing of the Case’s study and findings.

Since at least 1970, Americans and residents of other wealthy countries have generally enjoyed longer and healthier lives, as smoking has declined, better treatments have been developed and preventive measures and lifestyles changes have had a substantial impact.

The findings of this study could have far-reaching implications as the surviving members of this sizable population segment continue toward retirement and Medicare eligibility. A more sickly population, less able to prepare for the costs associated with old age will place an increasing burden on both society at-large and federal programs.

Such a reversal has not been seen in blacks or Hispanics or among Europeans. The study points specifically to a surge in overdoses from opioid medication and heroin, liver disease and other problems that stem from alcohol abuse, and suicides.

Upon reflection, Deaton noted that he understands the related research will be subjected to political commentary, including that of a conservative Web site’s analysis that blamed President Obama for a trend that began during Bill Clinton Presidency. According to his resulting analysis:

“There is a widening between people at the top and the people who have a ho-hum education and they’re not tooled to compete in a technology economy. …Not only are these people struggling economically, but they’re experiencing this health catastrophe too, so they’re being hammered twice.”

Jonathan Skinner of Dartmouth College, another economist who reviewed the study for PNAS and co-authored a commentary that appears with it, used very similar words to summarize the findings:

“An increasingly pessimistic view of their financial future combined with the increased availability of opioid drugs has created this kind of perfect storm of adverse outcomes.”

Skinner also went on to say:

“This is the first indicator that the plane has crashed. I don’t know what’s going on, but the plane has definitely crashed.

“High school graduates [and] high school dropouts [are] 40 percent of the population. It’s not just the 10 percent who didn’t finish high school. It’s a much bigger group.”

Deaton and Case examined death rates for other developed nations, as well as for U.S. blacks and Hispanics as they continued their steady decline of recent decades. Whites in other age groups between 30 and 64, and more educated whites also had lower death rates. However, the other age groups did also experience substantially higher death rates from drug and alcohol overdoses, suicides, chronic liver disease, and cirrhosis of the liver.

David Weir, director of the health and retirement study at the Institute for Social Research at the University of Michigan, noted that while the death rates for African Americans continues to be greater than that for whites, the reversal among whites is shocking because of the advantages they enjoy. He added:

“Typically, socioeconomic circumstances gang up on African Americans, who have lower education, lower incomes, and race all working against them. In this case, that’s not happening.”

Weir surmised that economic insecurity, the decay of communities and the breakdown of families probably have had some impact on death and illness rates, in addition to the nation’s opioid epidemic and the factors the authors identified. Yet, he counters, the study clearly shows they are not the result of diseases such as lung cancer or diabetes, which are declining and increasing slowly, respectively. He interjected:

“I think it has to have something to do [with] the pain underlying it, both physical and psychic. That is the age when people have their midlife crisis…I think it has to do with that stage of life, and physical ailments do start to accumulate at that age. This paper really is a question, not an answer.”

Angus Deaton was awarded the Nobel Prize for his work on individual consumption choices. He has long studied measures of well-being, health and pain. He and Case authored a paper in June that found reports of physical pain “are strongly predictive of suicide in many contexts” and that reports of pain are increasing among middle-aged Americans.

Their findings have been corroborated by other research, including a report from the National Heroin Task Force established by the Justice Department, which puts the number of overdose deaths from legal and illegal drugs at 110 every day. The heroin death toll has quadrupled in the decade that ended in 2013, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

A study in the journal JAMA Psychiatry last year reported that 90 percent of the people who tried heroin for the first time in the last decade were white. Three-quarters said they were introduced to heroin through the use of prescription drugs.

In January, the CDC reported that an average of six people die every day because of alcohol poisoning and that 76 percent are ages 35 to 64. Three-quarters are men. But just last week, researchers reported that the U.S. death rate for all causes declined 43 percent between 1969 and 2013, from about 1,279 per 100,000 people to about 730. The rate of death caused by strokes, heart disease and cancer all declined significantly, researchers reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

As you reconcile the veritable cornucopia of data that support the findings in this post, do not fail to appropriately integrate and consider the degree to which these maladies precede the Age of Obama, as well as the disproportionate involvement of, and impact on white folks rather than black folks. Why? Because the next time you hear some ill-informed member of the media, the GOP, or perhaps your family spout off about either the role of President Obama in the decline of life as we know it, or the failure of blacks to respect life and authority, play this study like a high trump card in a game of Spades, complete with theatrics and histrionics. So there you have it…“More White People Are Dying: Newsflash – It’s Not President Obama’s Fault!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/a-group-of-middle-aged-american-whites-is-dying-at-a-startling-rate/2015/11/02/47a63098-8172-11e5-8ba6-cec48b74b2a7_story.html?wpmm=1&wpisrc=nl_evening

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2015/11/03/death-rates-rising-among-middle-aged-white-people-study-finds.html

http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/news/a39400/middle-aged-white-americans-dying-fast/

http://fortune.com/2015/11/03/middle-aged-white-death/

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/11/03/health/death-rates-rising-for-middle-aged-white-americans-study-finds.html?_r=0

http://www.wsj.com/articles/the-death-rate-is-rising-for-middle-aged-whites-1446499495

http://time.com/4097521/middle-aged-white-americans-death-rate/

http://www.theguardian.com/science/2015/nov/02/death-rate-middle-aged-white-americans-aids

http://www.healthline.com/health-news/more-white-people-are-dying-at-middle-age-110215

http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/11/02/453192132/in-reversal-death-rates-rise-for-middle-aged-whites

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/11/03/1443633/-White-middle-class-America-Half-a-million-people-are-dead-who-should-not-be-dead#

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-3300978/Silent-epidemic-suicide-drug-alcohol-abuse-triggered-shocking-rise-death-rates-middle-aged-white-Americans.html

http://finance.yahoo.com/video/death-rate-white-middle-aged-154647286.html

http://globalnews.ca/news/2313699/suicide-and-substance-abuse-blamed-for-death-rate-increase-in-white-middle-aged-americans/

http://www.upi.com/Health_News/2015/11/02/Death-rate-of-white-middle-aged-Americans-has-grown-seen-since-1990s/4991446497125/

It’s time to Break It Down!

In 1987 current Presidential Candidate Donald J. Trump wrote a book entitled, “Trump The Art of the Deal.” This post is not about that. Rather, it is about the budget deal tentatively struck by Congress and the White House Monday evening. The measure will likely be voted upon today. This is key, and leaves no margin for error.

The urgency, in part, stems from the desire of House Speaker John Boehner to execute and dispense of the matter prior to the vote to elect a new Speaker, also tentatively scheduled for today, to elect Rep. Paul Ryan to the Speaker’s position. In the world of Washington politics, a lot has to go right for all this to happen.

First, not everyone is on board with the new budget. That includes Rep. Ryan; sort of. In fact, Mr. Ryan strongly condemned even the way the accord was put together. He explained he had not even laid eyes on it. He said:

“About the process, I can say this: I think the process stinks. Under new management, the people’s business will be conducted differently.”

Beyond the Ryan objections, it’s fair to say a number of the House and Senate’s most conservative members have reservations, objections, or concerns about the deal. In fact, to reach the deal, compromise, a word that has become anathema in the hallowed Halls of Congress in recent years, had to be reached. And it was.

The House Rules Committee met late into last night in an effort to ensure the deal reached the House floor by today. One key sticking point was a reduction in crop insurance payments; a move designed to raise $3 billion over ten years. A number of the top members of the Senate Agricultural Committee released a statement yesterday opposing the deal. Committee Chairman Michael Conaway (R-Texas) said:

“Make no mistake, this is not about saving money, it is about eliminating Federal Crop Insurance. The House Agricultural Committee was not consulted regarding any changes to policies under the jurisdiction of our committee.”

Also on the concerns side of the ledger, following Tuesday morning’s meeting, some conservatives complained that the budget negotiations were conducted without the input of committee chairs and rank-and-file members. It is however, unlikely that they will have the numbers to derail the pact, that is, presuming Democrats and moderate Republicans stay onboard. Representative John Fleming, a member of the House Freedom Caucus, said:

“I don’t know if this thing could pass. It could break apart, and we could begin tackling this piecemeal well into Paul Ryan’s Speakership.” Or so it would seem, he hopes.

Representative Tom Cole, a centrist, said:

“The deal isn’t perfect, but it prevents default and gives certainty to the military, while making long-term reforms to Social Security and Medicare. I think it’s a pretty good choice to make. It’s a compromise and that means we had to give some things up that we don’t want, but we got some great things.”

Concerns notwithstanding, aides downplayed the risks that reservations about the issue could alienate enough votes to damage the deal.

The gist of how, why, and when all of this came about is tied directly to politics and timing. It has been two years since Congress and the White House has reach genuine bi-partisan budget compromise. This…is that. Speaker Boehner, who resigned a few weeks ago, effective October 31^st, wanted very much to craft/negotiate a budget deal, and get it approved before he left his position, and his Congressional Seat. He considered this a parting gift to Mr. Ryan, who will likely assume the reins of the Speakership tomorrow after the vote on the budget, if successful. Speaking about brokering the compromise yesterday, Speaker Boehner admitted he was cleaning a “dirty barn” for his likely replacement, Rep. Ryan, who was not involved in the secretive negotiations.

More precisely, Boehner said that he crafted the deal before his departure because he didn’t want the new Speaker “to walk into a dirty barn full of you know what.” He conceded that the package should have been assembled in a more inclusive way. He went on to add, “This is not the way to run a railroad.”

Ultimately, the leadership of the House and Senate privately negotiated the deal. Those actively involved included Speaker Boehner, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, and Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid. The group kept a tight lid on the negotiations. They revealed the deal only after it was complete.

Minority Leader Pelosi embraced the agreement yesterday, signaling that the 188 House Democrats could provide a large portion of the vote needed to get a majority in the House. She indicated:

“The bi-partisan budget package unveiled Monday night represents real progress for hard-working families across the country. I look forward to working toward House passage of this proposal this week. Next, we must move forward to complete the appropriations for FY2016 and keep government open.”

If Representative Pelosi and House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer can deliver votes from most, if not all, of their members, Mr. Boehner will have to win the support of only about 40 to 50 Republicans to pass the deal.

The Vice President, Joe Biden, praised the deal yesterday. He said:

“The last seven years, we’ve gone from crisis to recovery, and we’re on the verge of being able to have a genuine economic resurgence here. And what we’ve put together is a good deal. No one got everything they wanted. But it will last for two years and it will prevent us from lurching from crisis to crisis.”

Yesterday, Senator McConnell said to reporters that the agreement reaches issues important to Republicans, including more money for defense programs and offering funding increases through spending cuts rather than increases. He added:

“I’m hopeful and optimistic that the bill will come over to the Senate, and when it does, we’ll take it up.”

By most early accounts, key Senate Republicans are also on-board. Among them, Senator John McCain, Chairman of the Armed Services Committee, said he would support the deal because “It restores all but $5 billion of the defense requirements.” He noted that if the budget agreement passes, he could move quickly to adjust and pass the National Defense Authorization Act that was recently vetoed by President Obama over budget concerns. Backing by McCain virtually insures the support of other defense hawks, including Senator Lindsey Graham, a GOP Presidential Candidate. About the deal, Senator Graham said:

“We’re in a box here. But if Senator McCain is okay with it, then I’ll probably be okay with it.”

The White house also weighed in. One White House official said:

“The agreement reached by congressional leaders last night meets these key tests: It provides substantial relief from harmful spending cuts, and it does so equally on the defense and non-defense sides of the budget.”

It should be noted that the deal is not a complete victory for Democrats, who wanted even more spending increases and hoped to pass an increase without including it in a broader budget deal. President Obama has insisted that the debt limit not be used as a negotiating tool for spending cuts. The proposal will allow the President to say he secured a bargain on a scale that has not been seen since the 2013 agreement between Mr. Ryan and Senate Budget Committee (then) Chair Senator Patty Murray.

Democrats will still get to celebrate a messaging victory and will probably take credit for the deal. Senator Charles Schumer pointed out that that the proposal is the kind of spending agreement he and other Democrats have been promoting. He also said:

“For months, we Democrats have asked for a budget that increases spending significantly above sequester levels and does so in a way that is equally balanced between defense and key middle-class programs. The agreement does both.”

There are several key elements of the bipartisan deal, which constitutes a win for both the economy and budget discipline. Some of these points include:

Bipartisan Debt Deal

• Removes the cloud of uncertainty over our economy at this critical time, by ensuring that no one will be able to use the threat of the nation’s first default now, or in only a few months, for political gain;
• Locks in a down payment on significant deficit reduction, with savings from both domestic and Pentagon spending, and is designed to protect crucial investments like aid for college students;
• Establishes a bipartisan process to seek a balanced approach to larger deficit reduction through entitlement and tax reform;
• Deploys an enforcement mechanism that gives all sides an incentive to reach bipartisan compromise on historic deficit reduction, while protecting Social Security, Medicare beneficiaries and low-income programs;
• Stays true to the President’s commitment to shared sacrifice by preventing the middle class, seniors and those who are most vulnerable from shouldering the burden of deficit reduction. The President did not agree to any entitlement reforms outside of the context of a bipartisan committee process where tax reform will be on the table and the President will insist on shared sacrifice from the most well-off and those with the most indefensible tax breaks.

Mechanics of the Debt Deal

• Immediately enacted 10-year discretionary spending caps generating nearly $1 trillion in deficit reduction; balanced between defense and non-defense spending;
• President authorized to increase the debt limit by at least $2.1 trillion, eliminating the need for further increases until 2013;
• Bipartisan committee process tasked with identifying an additional $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction, including from entitlement and tax reform. Committee is required to report legislation by November 23, 2011, which receives fast-track protections. Congress is required to vote on Committee recommendations by December 23, 2011;
• Enforcement mechanism established to force all parties – Republican and Democrat – to agree to balanced deficit reduction. If Committee fails, enforcement mechanism will trigger spending reductions beginning in 2013 – split 50/50 between domestic and defense spending. Enforcement protects Social Security, Medicare beneficiaries, and low-income programs from any cuts.

When you come right down to it, there are many angles to this proposed deal. There are forces that promote it; factions that oppose it, and a fringe that is watching to see who is for it and who is against it. I don’t have a crystal ball, but my reading of the tealeaves suggests, despite Senator Rand Paul’s pledge to filibuster the bill, the President, Democrats, and a fragile and fleeting coalition of Republicans, buoyed by the urging of outgoing Speaker Boehner will carry the day. That result would in effect provide the Speaker with a parting victory, Mr. Ryan with the gift of a clean slate…or barn, as it were, and the American People with a winning budget proposal, courtesy of “The Art of the Deal: The Budget Deal, That Is!”

I’m done; holla back!

Read my blog anytime by clicking the link: http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com. Find a new post each Wednesday.

To subscribe, click on Follow in the bottom right hand corner of my Home Page at http://thesphinxofcharlotte.com; enter your e-mail address in the designated space, and click on “Sign me up.” Subsequent editions of “Break It Down” will be mailed to your in-box.

Consult the links below for more detailed information on a variety of aspects relating to this post:

http://abc7.com/news/white-house-congressional-leaders-work-out-budget-plan/1053855/

http://www.cbsnews.com/videos/congress-and-white-house-reach-two-year-tentative-budget-deal/

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/white-house-congressional-leaders-near-possible-budget-deal-n451786

http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/26/politics/congress-budget-talks-hill/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/12/politics/congress-budget/index.html

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/white-house-congress-reach-tentative-173654848.html

https://www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheet-victory-bipartisan-compromise-economy-american-people

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/28/us/politics/congress-white-house-budget-deal-boehner.html?_r=0

http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/la-na-congress-budget-deal-20151026-story.html

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2015/10/27/budget-bargain-faces-first-test-today-with-house-republicans/

http://www.amazon.com/Trump-The-Deal-Donald-J-ebook/dp/B000SEGE6M?tag=duckduckgo-osx-20

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_House_Committee_on_Rules

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/28/us/politics/obama-boehner-budget-deal.html?ribbon-ad-idx=14&rref=homepage&module=Ribbon&version=origin&region=Header&action=click&contentCollection=Home%20Page&pgtype=article

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2015/10/27/rand-paul-will-filibuster-debt-ceiling-bill/