Author Archives: tonyj126

About tonyj126

I'm a 50+ married man who always seems to have a large backlog of work to do, but also a lot of flexibility in my schedule. Much of the work I do is volunteer or taking care of extended family members. I suffer from, as my priest calls it, "the sin of self-sufficiency," which means I can figure out how to do most things myself, and consequently, reduce the need for community to solve problems. As a logical extention (at least to me), I find myself called to comtemplate the country's and the world's woes and offer my observations. I hope someone out there will find them useful.

Trump Loves Farmers…

…wealthy ones, that is. If there’s one thing Republicans learned from the Great Recession, it’s that wealthy people can reap the rewards from others’ misfortunes. The smart money moved out of the stock market early and that money was available … Continue reading

Posted in Economics, Make America Great Series, Trump Democrats Update, U.S. Politics, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Exploitable

President Trump would not have won in 2016 had he not persuaded people who were hurting that he could improve their lives. He convinced enough voters in key states that they would have better jobs, healthcare, and housing if he … Continue reading

Posted in Economics, Healthcare, Make America Great Series, Musings, Trump Democrats Update, U.S. Politics, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

The Slippery Slope of Trump Taint

When I found out this morning that Iran had shot down a U.S. drone, I read the story with interest. Not surprisingly, the U.S. and Iran differed on whether the drone was over Iranian airspace when it was intercepted. Surprisingly, … Continue reading

Posted in Make America Great Series, U.S. Politics, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Should College Be Delayed?

This may be a radical idea in a world in which education is highly prized, but for some people, putting off college for 6-7 years may be a good idea. As with many concepts to address a broken system, this … Continue reading

Posted in Economics, Education, U.S. Politics, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

A Wealth of Carbon Dioxide

A person who invests $100 per month in a retirement account beginning at age 20 and stops at age 26 and 4 months will have a bigger nest egg than someone who invests $100 per month beginning at age 26 … Continue reading

Posted in Economics, Environment, Make America Great Series, U.S. Politics, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Kings, Cathedrals, Destroyers & Trump

My wife & I have just spent two weeks in the U.K., and I can’t help but notice the similarities between the authoritarian leaders of ole and the current president of the United States. You can see exhibits and read … Continue reading

Posted in Make America Great Series, Musings, Religion, U.S. Politics, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Border Wall: $25 million per mile!

Really?? The bipartisan border security deal intended to prevent another partial federal government shutdown in a couple days includes $1.375 billion for 55 miles of physical border barriers. That’s $25 million per mile. Doesn’t it seem that much more can … Continue reading

Posted in Economics, Immigration, U.S. Politics, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

How to Change the Truth about Immigration

I needed a break from some complicated volunteer treasurer work so I checked out the online news sites. Perhaps I need a better definition for the word “break.” Eventually I found myself at Fox News and clicked on a video … Continue reading

Posted in Economics, Immigration, Trump Democrats Update, U.S. Politics, Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Louise Penny, Radio, Painting & Writing

I was privileged to ask Louise Penny a question at her book signing in Ann Arbor, Michigan, last night. First of all, I recommend going to see her if you have the chance. She tells a great story – both … Continue reading

Posted in Education, Musings, Uncategorized, Writing | 2 Comments

Framing the Message – Mining for Votes

Republicans have always been good at framing an issue in a way that generates anger, disgust, shock – and votes. Tax cuts that go primarily to the wealthy are successfully dubbed “tax relief” and the medical term “intact dilation and … Continue reading

Posted in Musings, Trump Democrats Update, U.S. Politics, Uncategorized | Leave a comment