Real Estate Only For Trumps

 Trump tells us that bad news is fake news. With the economy not going his way, his explanations get more far fetched. I was particularly disillusioned to hear his 50 year mortgage plan.

I was never interested even in 30 year mortgages...that is a lot of interest to pay. With the average age of first time buyers approaching 40, with a 50 year mortgage, buyers won't obtain any equity until they're 70 years old.

While my former readers, who claim every post that it is their last visit to this blog, know that Trump knows real estate. For him to give such bad advice, speaks more to his obsession for administration approval, than his honesty. He knows that 50 year mortgages are candy for the bank, and sawdust for the public.

I'm not here to be polite or popular

Hegseth Will Resign

Pete will be gone soon... Attacking two survivors clinging to a damaged boat is hard to defend. He will resign, rather than face impeachment. I believe that with the approaching midterms, enough Republicans would vote against him in an attempt to keep their seats.

Trump put together a grossly unqualified cabinet, valuing ring kissing over experience and/or expertise. While this has demeaned our military, there have been worse consequences for the American public. Our health policy is being steered by supposition, rather than medical science.

As I ponder these federal issues, my reading base pouts. They accuse me of TDS, then censorship, when I limit them to one bite of the criticism apple. At the end of the day, I don't want to feel compromised, like the brass testifying yesterday.

I'm not here to be polite or popular

Josh Siegel And Donald Trump

 Josh Siegel has set up a very ambitious transition team for his coronation as County Executive. He has checked all the progressive boxes, such as affordable housing, which isn't usually in the county's purview. BUT, in fairness to Mr. Siegel, he the youngest person ever elected to the position in Pennsylvania. His appointees are a who's who of local Progressive politics. 

 The committee which warrants this blog post is Local Resilience and Response to Trump Administration:

Chair: Jon Iron, Lehigh County Commissioner

 Jasmine Rivera, Executive Director, Pennsylvania Immigrant Coalition 

 Mary Erdman, Immediate Past President, Lehigh County League of Women Voters 

 Adam Hosey, Policy and Political Director, Planned Parenthood Pennsylvania Advocates 

 Nicole Folino, Community Services Manager, Second Harvest Food Bank

While federal constraints, such as grants, have always concerned local government, I have no recollection of the county ever having a special committee to monitor and respond to a specified presidential administration.

Some readers of this blog, disturbed by my expansion out of Allentown, have accused me of TDS. I suppose my case at worse, is very, very mild compared to everyone mentioned above. BTW, I have not been invited to join any of the committees.

I'm not here to be polite or popular

Trump And Fake News

Up to very recently, I was fairly well accepted as a geniune independent conservative. When I ran as a independent in the 2005 mayoral race, I was shunned by the Morning Call for my appreciation of an older Allentown. They never even printed my picture, and excluded me from their debate. Move ahead nine years, and I ran again as an independent, for state representative. 

This blog was instrumental in pointing out shenanigans in the Pawlowski administration. This blog has been instrumental in pointing out the inequities of the NIZ. Local Republicans had been complimenting my efforts for two decades.

However, now that I began to ponder what I consider Trump's flawed administration, I am coco puffs, I am a victim of fake news. Actually, that term and concept is another Trump flaw. There has always been a wide menu of news, from the conservative Manchester Union, to the liberal NY Times. But Trump declared that anything critical of him is fake, and his minions now repeat it like a mantra. If you don't drink the cool-aid, you must have TDS. They justify it when he calls reporters fat or ugly, if he doesn't like their question. 

On day one he closed the border, and that was good. However, the problem has been since day two.

I'm not here to be polite or popular

Pity The Cyclists In Allentown

Making Allentown bicycle friendly is what lawyers call an attractive nuisance. Pity the poor suburbanite with his helmet and spandex who peddles to 4th and Turner. He might as well have Mug Me embossed on his jersey.  I know the mayor is a cyclist, and takes some riders with him on group excursions; but alone, they are just bait for trouble. 

Readers know that I have been working lately from my Washington office. There's a new blog in town which makes my Tuerk-centric posts about the mayor seem like Hallmark cards. He has actually taken to say hello when he jogs past me in a park. This new blogger has almost made me appear gentlemanly. 

So Matt, as one gentleman to another, Allentown realistically is no place to encourage cyclists. The other day I saw a car going in reverse for a block near 15th St.. The police need to write 5000 more traffic tickets before we start inviting cyclists downtown.

I'm not here to be polite or popular

shown above Mr. T, known for his catch phrase,"Pity the fool"

The Onerous Job Of Defending Trump

Some of the hardest working people in the country today are those defending Donald Trump's inconsistent, perhaps irrational, proclamations. One moment he is condoning double tap attacks on civilian boats; the next, pardoning a former Honduran Drug President.

From Karoline Leavitt in the press room, to partisans commenting on this blog, it's not easy to triple talk. For Karoline, it is her career; for the partisans, it's the Alamo. They know if they slightly concede that Trump is irrational, as everyone else in the world knows, the Republicans will be reduced to proverbial dog catchers in the upcoming elections.

I'm afraid for them, that reduction of power is coming, and the only thing left to save is their credibility. I'm expecting the disconnect with Trump to come very soon, in time for the midterms. I'm hoping that the elected Republicans who represent me here in Kentuckylvania have that much sense.

I'm not here to be polite or popular