Monday, August 21, 2017

Protecting Trump is breaking the Secret Service bank.

The Donald has a notorious -- and well earned -- reputation for his bling-bling spending habits.

His ostentatious and extravagant lifestyle -- even for a so-called billionaire --  has lead to numerous financial meltdowns.

His numerous bankruptcies, credit over-extensions, and failure to pay his contractors are all on public record.

So as POTUS, who expected 45 to transition into becoming the Frugal President? No one. But who would have thought he start breaking the bank in record time -- six months?

Mother Jones reports:

This morning, USA Today reported that the costs of protecting Trump and his children—and their penchant for far-flung travel—is straining the Secret Service to its limits. 

The agency’s director, Tex Alles, told the paper that more than 1,000 agents have already hit their federally mandated overtime caps. Agents are limited, by law, to a cap of $160,000 for their salary and overtime pay. But, Alles said, despite the limits on paying agents, the agency has to continue protecting the president and his progeny.

“The president has a large family, and our responsibility is required in law. I can’t change that. I have no flexibility,” Alles told the paper. 

But the president and his family do have control over their travel. Besides his trips to Europe and the Middle East on official business and his rallies around the country, President Trump has left the White House nearly every weekend since taking office—decamping to one of his private clubs, sometimes for days at a time. Each trip requires planes, helicopters, motorcades, and dozens of agents. 

In May, conservative watchdog group Judicial Watch estimated that each hour Trump spends flying on Air Force One costs $142,000 and that each trip to Mar-A-Lago could cost taxpayers millions of dollars. 

Rise of white national popularism

It doesn't take a political scientist to establish a direct correlation with the rise of white nationalism and the political rise of Donald Trump.

Sunday, August 20, 2017

Baba Dick Gregory passes at 84


We mourn the passing of legendary comedian, author, nutritionist (Bahamian Diet) and human rights activist, Dick Gregory.