Me, the President, the Media, the Wall and Happy New Year.

Me. I do a lot of writing. I post on Facebook almost everyday on politics, sports, my life, etc. You can friend me to read my posts. It's kind of my daily blog. This year I had some business success, was a guest on two national talk shows and played a lot of tennis as I usually do. On one show I discussed my book Patrick Gilligan Says Be Your Own Boss! and gave advice on how veterans could start their own business. I also called into some shows to discuss politics and sports. I'm a frequent caller to a show on WJR. I called in the Friday before Christmas, the last show the host was doing this year. With a minute left on the show the host says " folks we're out of time but I have to take this caller. Patrick, Merry Christmas and have a great New Year." I said "Merry Christmas Frank." He said " Patrick, I'm out of time, but I wanted to make sure I wished you a Merry Christmas." Then he signed off.

The President

I know he's rude, crude and obnoxious at times but the economy has been strong, plenty of jobs, low gas prices, low unemployment, no new wars, a real effort to control our borders all while being under attack everyday by the mainstream media, the opposing party and many in his own party. Some have said he's the worst president while others have said he's the best because of all he's accomplished while being under daily scrutiny. Apparently it's a crime to be associated with the president. Look at all the people  that have been investigated and been ruined. Many of those being investigated have said that when the interrogators could find nothing wrong, they were pressured to lie about the president. This should bother all Americans because it isn't right and could happen to people on the left.

The Media

The media is suppose to report both sides fairly. Many seem to report on only stories that support their political agenda. Non partisan organizations have shown that the media has unfairly reported negatively on Trump. As I mentioned before, the media went crazy when Trump won, in part because they helped make him and in part because many of them have a left wing agenda. The media shouldn't have a political agenda. The truth should be their watchword.

The Wall

Recently I heard a guy being interviewed from a spot on the border where there is a wall now.  He mentioned that decades ago he was there with the guy that ran border security for the Reagan Administration. He said that in the few minutes they were there with no wall, dozens of people whizzed by them. How many millions have just walked or ran over?

Happy New Year

Be happy, healthy, kind, prosperous and let's do what is good for America and each other.

The President, the Media and Gun Control.

The President

Last November, I was asked to appear on a local Fox News show called Let it Rip. I went on to debate an Islamic Imam and a controversial minister from Detroit. I was billed as a conservative that had predicted Trump would win the election. I had predicted it on a radio station, WJR, the week before the election. While the other two guests were bashing Trump, I suggested that they wait till Mr. Trump gets into office and actually does something before they attack him. I actually got along well with both guests and they both praised me for being fair and even tempered through the discussions. Almost a year into his presidency, he is controversial as ever. Say what you will about him, the economy is strong, the stock market is at all time highs and we are finally starting to reign in illegal immigrants.

The Media

As I mentioned in my last blog post, the media made him and tried....and is still trying to destroy and dethrone him. They've gone to and continue to go to extraordinary and in many cases unethical and immoral means to depose him. Hence the term fake news. It's unfortunate, but I  like a lot of Americans can't watch shows like SNL, Jimmy Fallon and the guy that comes on after him and Kimmel. All they do is attack Trump, non stop. Too bad they weren't as critical of Obama. If it wasn't so tragic, the nuclear deal he made with Iran could have made for a funny SNL skit. Obama to the Iranian leaders " Look I've got a great deal for you guys. Even though you guys hate America and chant Death to America every day, how about I give you $150 Billion if you agree not to build any nuclear weapons for a few years? And I'll let you inspect yourselves." Where was the media on this? They were  busy doing other things: Matt Laur, Charlie Rose. etc.


Gun Control

I told this story on WJR radio a couple of years ago. I watch a lot of old tv shows. On an episode of the Rifleman starring Chuck Connors, the town Marshall, Micah Torrence, played by veteran character actor Paul Fix who incidentally was a friend and mentor to fellow actor John Wayne, had to go out of town. The town blacksmith, Nils, begged  Micah to let him be the Marshall while he was out of town. Micah reluctantly agreed. Nils had a great idea: if he took away all the guns from the towns people, there would be no crime because no one would have a gun. Reluctantly, the people of the  western hamlet turned in their guns to the temporary law officer. Now who could have foreseen  this.....some bad guys rode into town and they didn't want to give up their guns. In fact they took the  Marshall hostage and put him in his own jail! Well this dilemma and the episode was concluded by Mr. Connors and his custom built Winchester rifle.

Moral of the story and the episode....The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun. It's really that simple folks.

Well that's my sermon on the mount for this year. Be safe, use common sense and have a great holiday.

President Trump...

What a wild, crazy, bizarre, unprecedented, divisive and ultimately revealing election this has been.

I think we are all still in shock. But I kind of got it right. I've been on numerous talk shows and on the Friday  before the election I was on WJR,  the biggest radio station in Detroit. The host asked If I thought Trump still had a chance to win. I said that I thought that there were a lot of people that didn't want to tell the pollsters that they were going to vote for Trump. I was on that show again the day after the election and the host said I was probably right.

The Media

The media made Trump and then tried to destroy him. They covered him a lot in the beginning of the campaign because, let's face it, The Donald is good for ratings. Then when the media realized that Trump might actually win, they went to extraordinary lengths to try and vilify and destroy him. They didn't even try and hide their bias. A biased media has little value in a democracy.

Divisive and Revealing...

A lot of friendships and familial bonds have been strained by this campaign. I was playing chess one day with a long-time friend and we started discussing the candidates and their policies. My friend and I were on different sides of the aisle. There were some very intelligent high school kids in the restaurant we were at that heard our discussion and took my side and voiced their opinions. At one point I thought my friend was going to stroke out. I know what you're thinking, who won the chess game? I did. My friend is a skilled chess player, but I've won my share. A few days later my friend and another buddy were going to play tennis together. The friend that I had disagreed with said that he wouldn't come if we discussed politics so we agreed not to talk about the campaign in front of him. It's interesting to note that my other buddy agrees  with me on politics but doesn't discuss it in front of our other friend.

There are strong feelings and sentiments on both sides. A number of people have asked me, " how can people that call themselves Christians vote for Hillary?" One of my tennis buddy's said he didn't think Hillary should be prosecuted. I said " really with all of her lies and obvious crimes?" He said "Nope, we should hang the b...h." Actually, I've heard that from a few people.

I do find it interesting that Mr. Obama while appearing to pass on the mantle of the presidency to Mr. Trump, hasn't said word one about these violent protests about Trump. If he really wanted a peaceful transition...Hillary said she wants a successful Trump presidency. I haven't heard her say anything about the protests either.

Trump isn't a Republican..

On a radio interview I said Trump wasn't a Democrat or a Republican, he's a Nationalist. He wants what is best for the country. So do I. For me it's even more basic. It's about common sense.
For example, politics aside, does it really makes sense, at a time when several factions around the globe want to kill us...does it really make sense to open our borders wide open and let everyone, including terrorists into our country? Beyond that, does it really make sense to support all these people with our tax dollars? I think one of Trumps ideas was to ask new immigrants if they believed in America and Democracy. Since we're paying for these people that might be a fair question.

The Ultimate Reality Show..

In effect this is Donald Trump sitting across from Mr. Obama and saying ""You're Fired."
America has spoken. All politicians make promises and most don't keep them. But remember, Donald Trump isn't a politician. I think the fact that Trump is a Nationalist and only wants what is good for this country is a good thing and hopefully will bode well for this country, I do have a question for President Trump. If Hillary was a crook a day before the election, isn't she still a crook? I know Mr. Trump has to get up to speed in his new office, but it will be interesting to see how he makes good on his promises.

Make America Great Again. And God Bless America!

I'm an American!

Recently I was asked if I am a democrat or a republican. I said "I'm an American".
I wasn't trying to be flip. That's how I really feel. I'm for anything that is good for America or Americans. How do I feel about the issues?

Immigration: At a time when when we are under the greatest threat from terrorists, this president wants to let anybody in. And sanctuary cities where illegal aliens can harm or kill our citizens at will...there  are already federal laws against this that aren't being enforced by this administration. Kind of makes you wonder whose side this guy is on?

Iran Nuclear Treaty: Senator Cotton had to travel to Vienna to learn that a secret side deal had been cut between  Iran and the very organization that was suppose to inspect them, and that only the Obama administration can know about it...not congress...not the American people...are you kidding me? Also under this deal, Billions of dollars would be released to one of the biggest sponsors of terrorism in the world. And there would be no restrictions on ICBM.s, missiles that could reach the USA...what could go wrong? Obama thinks this is a good deal? Really?

Obamacare: Many people with subsidies can't afford to buy a health care plan. Still, even more can't afford to go to the doctor or hospital because they can't afford to spend thousands on the deductible.
Americans are forced to buy health insurance or pay a penalty. Regardless of what the supreme court says....is that really the American way?

Social Security: I keep hearing  politicians talk about reforming it. How about the gov't paying back the billions of dollars they "borrowed" form Social Security. Gore talked about a lock box on Social Security. Sure it sounded dumb, but I think he had something there.

Donald Trump: The Donald. Sure he's a blowhard and a little crazy, but he's has the guts to stand up and tell the truth about what's happening in this country.

That's what we need in this country....more truth and more Americans to tell it!

2014...A year I would mostly like to forget.

Transition

The older I get, the more life seems to be about transition. As the adage goes, the only constant is change. Earlier this year I lost both of my parents in a short span of time. Specifically my mom, January 31 and dad February 11. Life is short and fleeting. My mom was a kind, loving woman who was kind to everyone she met. She was a big fan of mine. She carried a copy of my book in her purse and would mention it to anyone that would listen. My dad was a hard worker and a decorated WW2 combat Veteran. My parents lived into their late 80's and are hopefully in a better place now. At a recent dinner the host asked if anything unusual had happened to us this year. My parents passing was unusual but luckily something that only happens once in your lifetime. There are so many things we can't control in life. Sometimes you just have to roll with the punches and keep taking positive action, every day and every way you can. So much for the Sermon on the Mount....

Obamacare

Or as I like to call it, the Unaffordable Healthcare Act. I suppose some people saw their premiums go down this year, but not the ones I talked to. One of my health insurance clients saw a huge rate increase this year. When I asked the carrier who had previously had some of the lowest rates in the market why they were raising their rates, I was told that Obamacare allowed them to! It should be interesting when the subsidies some people are getting begin to evaporate. And with these high deductibles, many with health insurance can't afford to go to the doctor.

You never know about people...

Bill Cosby. His legacy is tarnished if not ruined for life. Why did he have to drug those women...if in fact, that is what he did. Although you wonder why it took so long for those women to come forward.
And then there's Stephen Collins who played a minister on television but molested some kids.
I guess we all have a dark side. Let's hope we show more light than darkness in our lives.


Moving Forward

Stay Positive. Take action. Years ago when my book, Patrick Gilligan Says Be Your Own Boss! came out I was a guest on a lot of talk shows. One host invited me to her book club at her home. As I sat and listened to the dozen or so would-be authors gripe and moan about their literary efforts, some having worked on their books for years, I said " look, you guys are probably all better writers than I am, but I'm the only published author in the room." Move confidently toward your goals everyday!
Make it a great 2015!

If You Like Your Health Care Plan.... You Can Keep It!

Probably the mantra for 2013. That has to rate right up there with the first President Bush oft quoted promise "Read my lips..no new taxes." The Affordable Health Care Act. I think the Unaffordable...would have been more accurate. And then there's their web site. I remember reading that the company chosen to run that site had been fired by Canada for various problems. Then after the site is an obvious debacle, the administration says they are going to get the very best people working on it. Too bad they didn't think of that before. Many say that the site is still not secure and people are still required to use it.
Then the President said again you could keep your old plan. The only problem is that the insurance companies had already scrapped those relatively inexpensive plans  for more expensive plans with much higher deductibles to comply with the law. In effect, these plans amount to "catastrophic coverage", with people paying for most of their care out of their pocket. I've heard that there are multi-billion dollar funds built into the law to make insurance companies whole if they have problems providing the coverage.

So, who wins? Perhaps the working poor, because they are suppose to get a tax break or subsidy to help pay for these plans. But, I've heard that many of them can't afford these plans..even with the subsidies.
Of course, insurance companies will make out.

So who loses? You guessed it...the taxpayer. Some have speculated that some insurance companies may go out of business because they are forced to sell plans that consumers can't afford. Well, if they do, I'm sure they will ask the gov't....the taxpayer, for a bailout.

I agree something had to be done about healthcare. This wasn't the answer. Perhaps they could have given a stipend or tax break to those below a certain income level that wanted to buy a healthcare plan.

Another flaw in their plan is that they want to put a lot more people into Medicaid. The problem there is that fewer and fewer health care providers are participating in Medicaid because their fees keep getting cut. In order to keep providers and attract more, they will have to increase those fees. Until they do, there won't be enough professionals to care for all of the new people.

More government news: The Post Office recently announced that they had ONLY lost $5 billion last year. Only....too bad the government can't be run like a business, with consequences for ill advised actions and inefficiencies.. And that brings me to a positive note:

As long as this country has great entrepreneurs, and we do...we will always prosper. And entrepreneurship is still the best way for many Americans to Succeed. Don't forget about my highly acclaimed book,
Patrick Gilligan Says Be Your Own Boss! Make it a great 2014!

Politics

If nothing else, politics can be entertaining. Especially with a dynamic speaker like Bill Clinton. He gave a masterful speech at the Democratic Convention. Although he left out one small detail. It's great that he had four straight balanced budgets when he was president. His omission. He , at least in part, set the stage that would make it very difficult if not impossible for future presidents to balance their budgets. A little thing called NAFTA. With millions of jobs outsourced and still being outsourced, how can  the economy ever fully recover? I wonder how many balanced budgets Clinton would have had if the president before him had signed NAFTA? None I would guess.

I had listened to speakers at the Republican Convention earlier. They said some interesting things. Of course the next day you learn that a lot of what they said wasn't true. What I can't understand is why they lie about things that can be easily checked? Although I believe someone said that they can't have a campaign run by fact checkers. Who needs the bother?

They say that the first casualty of war is the truth. I think the same can be said about politics!

God Bless America!