Category: Uncategorized

• Bureau of Labor Statistics revising approach to be more like “how the Chinese do it”.
• New commissioner says that next month “I think we could sell a number like 350,000”

The Trump administration announced job growth of 235,000 jobs in December, Trump’s first full month in office.

Saying that they wanted to start providing “real facts” instead of the “fake numbers” of the Obama and Bush years, they also announced management, staff, and policy changes at the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).  Acting BLS Commissioner, Bill Wiatrowski, has been replaced by Michael Sexton, formerly a principal at Trump University.

About 80% of the current statistical staff as well as the dedicated technology staff has been fired.  They had been responsible for maintaining the data feeds and statistical analysis that have been continuously refined since the Bureau’s first employment report in 1915.

Sexton said “Getting all these numbers in from all over the place is a huge mess.  Over the last day or two I’ve developed a much simpler way.  It’s much closer to how the Chinese do it.  And you gotta love their growth numbers.”

He went on “If the current approach was working, how come Obama’s numbers looked so good even though everybody knew the economy stunk.  This was just a cozy gig for so-called statistical and economics experts, kind of like those phony climate change scientists”.

“Next month we’ll revise this up to 275,000.  Then I think we could sell a number like 350,000.”

The Trump organization announced a deal with the government of Cuba to build a resort complex including a hotel and golf course.  The site is near Varadero on the northern coast, which is to be renamed Playa Trump.  The deal was kept secret due to political considerations in the U.S., but construction is already well under way.  Initial occupancy is expected in early 2019.  The hotel at the all-inclusive facility will have 2,000 rooms and 6 restaurants.

According to tourism analysts, the move would seem to foreshadow an improvement in relations between the U.S. and Cuba, since without a considerable increase in tourists from North America, it’s difficult to see how the rooms would be filled.

Construction of the hotel and golf course was started simultaneously.  The hotel will have a high percentage of large luxury suites.  The golf course is expected to open at the same time.  According to financial sources, the land at the site was paid for in cash with rubles.

The hotel seems to be following well-established construction procedures.  However, observers noted some unusual aspects to the golf course work.  Much larger drilling and excavating equipment than is usually seen in golf course construction has been spotted on the site.

There are also about half a dozen portable concrete plants in place, with large stocks of sand, gravel, cement and steel reinforcing bars nearby.  This seems quite excessive since the concrete required for cart pathways and bridges would require one plant at most according to area contractors.  And the rebar was of a quality usually used in tall structures such as skyscrapers or grain silos.  Technicians speaking a “Slavic-sounding language” were heard supervising work on the site.

The design of the greens was particularly interesting to golf course architects we interviewed.  “It appears that the surfaces of the greens are designed to slide off to the side” said Arthur Roman of GolfProScape Designs, who is in Cuba on a different project.  “And I’ve never seen anyone dig a hole 100’ deep for the foundation of a green before”.

At this writing, 5 Russian container ships with large cylindrical objects on their decks had just docked near the site.  The objects, covered with canvas, are about 80’ long and 10’ in diameter.  The container ships were accompanied by two tanker ships with signs saying ‘Highly Flammable’ and ‘Keep back’ in Russian.  Another ship displaying ‘Danger – Radiation’ signs also docked.

Workers said the cargo was destined for the Trump site, but didn’t know how it related to a golf course.

 

There have been two shootings of people of Indian origin in recent days.  President Trump reacted by talking about the victims, while also expressing sympathy for the perpetrators: “I saw the pictures.  These people don’t look like Americans.  I don’t know.  They look like the terrorists.  Real Americans feel very insecure.  We’re trying to deport these people so there will be less to shoot.”  The President did not appear to know that some of the victims were U.S. citizens.

Trump also said that he’s developing a plan to deal with this type of crime.  The plan would support “trans-ethnic” treatments; that is, surgically and chemically changing skin color and features to make people “look more like real Americans”.  He cited Michael Jackson’s efforts at bleaching his skin indicating that “this could be a great way to go for blacks and Indians.”  Senior Advisor Steven Bannon added that “Asians would also need surgery”.  Bannon compared it with transgender treatments saying that “if people really feel like Americans in their hearts, they should want to look like Americans too.”

The President also suggested genetic research focusing on appearance and skin color saying “Even if there’s no hope for these people, maybe we can make their kids look more American”.

 

Just in:

Early reaction of Congressional Republicans to Trump’s plan for trans-ethnic treatments was mixed.  While many favored the approach, there was disagreement over how to pay for it.  Since the program would be oriented towards ethnic minorities, taxes aligned with minority businesses and occupations were being considered.

Among those taxes were a surcharge on goods sold at convenience stores, licensing fees on drivers for taxi and ride services, agricultural workers, housekeepers, landscapers and restaurant workers, as well as taxes on nail salons and laundry services.

Since many Republicans have signed the “Taxpayer Protection Pledge” from Americans for Tax Reform, any increase in tax revenues would have to be done in a way that does not contradict the pledge.

Grover Norquist of Americans for Tax Reform said that “targeted fees that are associated with the group that benefits from them” would not necessarily violate the pledge.  However, he cautioned that this would only be true if the net effect of the fees is a “lowering of income for the workers and not an increase in prices at restaurants or landscaping services”.

The Trump administration today announced a new executive order on immigration and refugee policy.  In order to overcome objections raised in court cases on the previous order the new order provides explanations and documented evidence to support the stated policy.

“Since nearly all terrorist acts are committed by men, no males will be permitted to immigrate into the United States or be considered for refugee status”.

Female candidates between 12 and 32 will undergo an “extreme vetting” process.  Senior Advisor Steven Bannon will supervise vetting of candidates aged 26-32.  Ages 16-25 will be vetted by President Trump, who has experience with women in this age group through his association with beauty pageants, both adult and teen.  12-15 year old females (and possibly boys) will be vetted by Trump friend and confidant Jeffrey Epstein in his new role with the administration.  Epstein has considerable experience evaluating and handling people in this age group.

There will be a pre-vetting program designed to prepare women for the process.  This is being created by Russian/Eastern European “consultants”.  Based on his travels to that area, the President believes they are better prepared to handle this preparation than people anywhere else in the world.

Men as well women outside the age group above may apply for a special admission program.  In this program, they would stay at a Trump or Trump-affiliated facility, outside the U.S., for a period of no less than 60 days at a rate of $1,500/person/day.  While at the facility, they would be required to participate in an indoctrination program to teach American values.  According to the Trump Organization, “Trump facilities are unique in their ability to represent and communicate what it means to be an American”.  This program is being designed by members of the Trump Organization as well as administration officials including Steven Bannon, Kelly Ann Conway and Steven Miller.

Negotiations over a replacement for Obamacare have been proceeding at a fevered pace among Congressional Republicans.  Members of the Freedom Caucus and Republican Study Group favor a simple repeal.  They argue that repeal of the tax on the wealthy that helps pay for subsidizing coverage for the poor will improve the economy and the tax for not having insurance paid primarily by younger, healthier people will allow the money to be put to more productive use.

Further, they argue that the cuts to Medicaid and premium subsidies for the less wealthy will greatly reduce the number of people covered.  While this may lead to longer lines in hospital emergency rooms, there will be considerable improvement to the U.S. economy in several ways.  First, people who lack coverage may die or become sick and disabled for longer periods of time.  This will inevitably lead to more employment opportunities for the young and healthy.

Also, people who are dead cannot collect Social Security.  According to estimates by the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, this will slowly start bending the curve on sustaining current entitlements extending the life of Social Security and Medicare programs.

 

Also, young people with pre-existing conditions will be left uninsurable.  This should lead to more deaths at a younger age and reduced chances of reproducing their obviously inferior genes.  The long-term effect is projected to be improvement of the gene pool and therefore the health of the population at large.

The benefits do not stop there.  Since this will lower the tax burden on the wealthy, they will be more likely to fund and engage in life-prolonging activity.  Opportunities will be created in tastier healthy foods as well as pharmaceutical and nutritional supplements to prolong life and make it more enjoyable.

Funding is being considered for programs to help older men maintain healthy undamaged sperm cells.  While likely to be expensive, these programs would enable those who can afford them to keep reproducing with their clearly superior genes beyond the age now considered safe.

Sources in the State Department close to Secretary of State Tillerson report that his recent trip to Mexico was a huge success.  In secret negotiations, the Mexicans agreed to pay for the border wall that President Trump campaigned on.

As part of the deal, Mexico agreed to take over an area of southwest Texas that includes the cities of Corpus Christi, San Antonio and El Paso which are considered to be more left-leaning than the rest of the state.  “They want more immigration, let’s see how they feel about this” said Texas governor Greg Abbott, adding “We wanted to throw in (liberal) Fort Worth too, but it just wasn’t practical”.

The President was reported to have insisted on turning over the land, saying that this part of Texas was disloyal and did not vote for him.  Governor Abbott was at first reluctant to give up the territory, but hopes to be invited to Mar-a-Lago for golf.  He was overheard saying “that part of Texas is a better fit for Mexico anyway”.

50% of the oil revenue from this area will go towards paying for the wall, allowing President Trump to completely fulfill his campaign promise to build the wall and have Mexico pay for it.

Much of the path of the wall will be along U.S. Interstate 10.  Building the wall on an existing interstate is expected to help minimize construction costs.

In return for his role in the deal, Nieto is receiving 100 free nights at the Trump resort of his choosing and 100 free rounds of golf.  The Trump Organization will be reimbursed by the U.S. Treasury for the full value of Nieto’s visits at the retail price in effect at the time.

Americans currently living in the area would immediately be given refugee status in Mexico and would have 3/5’s of a vote in Mexican elections.  They will lose U.S. Social Security and Medicare/Medicaid benefits.  However, the change will significantly improve the financial health of those programs by reducing their future liabilities, especially because a high proportion of Texans are on disability.

President Trump has promised a comeback for coal including reviving jobs in mining regions.  The initial approach seems to be to reduce regulation on coal and reducing incentives for “clean” energy sources like wind and solar.

Last month saw Congress pass and the President sign legislation cutting back environmental regulations on coal producers which, among other things, allow the dumping of toxic waste into streams.

According to analysts, the economic and social consequences of promoting coal are mixed, but from the Trump administration’s standpoint, the benefits far outweigh the costs.  First, they cite more job creation.  Initially, jobs would be created in construction due to re-opening mines that have been shuttered.  This would be followed closely by mining and transportation jobs.  Coal is moved primarily by rail.

Another area of the economy they expect will benefit from increased coal use is health care.  First, there would be an increased need for services in the mining communities.

But, they say, the bigger story is that pharmaceutical companies, hospitals and medical practices (especially pulmonary) around the country are also expected to see a boon.  This is because burning coal for power is a leading producer of air pollution and toxic particulates and these substances are leading causes of lung diseases such as asthma and chronic bronchitis.  In fact, the increase in economic activity in health care related to coal is expected to outweigh the impact from the coal itself.

Pharmaceutical companies with asthma drugs are expected to benefit, although analysts say the effect on jobs would be minimal.  Medical equipment companies that make nebulizers and oxygen monitors are planning to add shifts as well as raise prices.

Hospitals are also getting ready.  One regional hospital administrator in the Northeastern U.S. (who asked to remain anonymous so as not to appear to be profiting from other peoples’ suffering) said he’s planning on expanding capacity of their adult and pediatric pulmonary units next year because the Northeast is downwind of a large cluster of coal-burning plants in the mid-West

He said these units are highly profitable for hospitals, especially the pediatric units, saying “People will just do anything to keep their kids breathing.  And insurance companies pay because they never want these cases to go to court.  Juries make huge awards to grieving parents”.

Trump administration officials say that the hospital expansions will lead to additional construction jobs and staff increases.