Posted originally on May 23, 2024 By Martin Armstrong
California is a socialistic cesspool of failed policies that funnel money through inefficient charities. I recently reported that the state, which boasts the largest homeless population in the United States, failed an audit that found nine agencies misused $24 billion in government funds intended to combat homelessness. Now, new reports state that San Francisco alone has been spending $5 per year on alcohol for the homeless.
The “managed alcohol program”states that it aims to keep homeless people physically dependent on alcohol out of jail or the hospital systems by providing them with “controlled doses” of beer and vodka. The program apparently has only served 65 clients, but the public sector has found a way to spend an astounding $5 million annually on a bar tab for the homeless.
The audit I originally referenced found that all of California’s efforts to combat homelessness have miserably failed. In fact, homelessness has shot up by 56.7% since 2015, when a number of these programs were first implemented. It’s almost as if these non-profits could not survive if they were to actually focus on recovery and rehabilitation efforts instead of fueling addictions.
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These people are not receiving medical care, and yes, alcohol withdrawal can be fatal but these individuals are simply receiving free drugs funded by the state in order to boost California’s homelessness problem. It would be akin to giving free lines of credit to people with gambling addictions – utter nonsense.
So, while families struggle to afford food and healthcare, Pelosi’s city of San Francisco is prioritizing the money pit that is the public sector. America’s public sector is multiplying under Biden-Harris and there are countless useless agencies spending our tax dollars on worsening our communities for profit.
Posted originally on Apr 19, 2024 By Martin Armstrong
California’s homeless crisis proves the public sector is a welfare program and political tool. The California State Auditor released a report this month that reveals California’s programs to combat homelessness have been utterly ineffective. Nine agencies funded by the state have received billions from 2018 to 2023, but homelessness is rapidly rising and California hosts the largest homeless population in the nation. What have these public agencies done with the $24 BILLION they were awarded to combat homelessness?
Homelessness have risen by 56.7% in California since 2015. The federal department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has been used to funnel money to smaller state entities under the impression that they would use the money to assist the people. California Interagency Council on Homelessness (Cal ICH) takes the funding from HUD to coordinate with these main nine failed programs, but the audit found that CAL ICH has failed to consistently track where this money has gone and has zero methods in place for gathering data on the success of these federally funded initiatives.
“Cal ICH’s statutory goals give it specific responsibilities as the State’s primary resource for homelessness policy coordination and accountability. However, it has also been directly managing multiple large grant programs as mandated by statute, including the multibillion‑dollar HHAP program and the more‑than‑$700 million ERF program,” the study found.
The audit could “not determine the cost-effectiveness” of any of the programs funded by HUD through Cal ICH as they have “not collected complete outcome data for this program, and the expenditure data it has collected may be unreliable.”
This means that the federal government permitted the state of California to squander $24 BILLION in taxpayer funds in a mere five years. They were provided this money with no strings attached and were not required to prove that their agencies were working. As Argentina’s Javier Milei said, “The origins of our evils is the cancer called the public sector.” There are people within these non-profit agencies making a lot of money to do absolutely nothing. The public sector has largely become a form of government welfare as they produce nothing but expect everything. If these agencies actually combatted homelessness, they’d be out of work.
For example, CEO of Dignity Health, Lloyd H. Dean of California was the highest paid nonprofit executive in 2022 after taking home $35.5 million when his agency made a revenue of $9.5 billion. Second in line was Gregory Adams of Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, who earned $15.6 million with a revenue of $68.1 billion. The third highest-paid non-profit role went to Teresa Campbell of San Diego County Credit Union, who earned $11.8 million on a revenue of $305.2 million. Their organizations are largely tax-exempt since they’re not for profit.
The audit concluded that the state should be held accountable and have some form of reporting standards in place. “To promote transparency, accountability, and effective decision‑making related to the State’s efforts to address homelessness, Cal ICH should request that state agencies responsible for administering state‑funded homelessness programs provide spending‑ and outcome‑related information for people entering, experiencing, and exiting homelessness,” the audit concluded.
They should completely eliminate these agencies. The $24 billion was certainly enough to see that these agencies are merely leeching off of society, preying upon the most vulnerable in our nation. How could homelessness have more than doubled since these agencies were implemented? Simple. The people in control of the money are misusing the funds.
Those who want socialism or social justice fail to realize that this is precisely what happens to entire nations when the public sector becomes the supreme leader. They create useless agencies that continue to grow like cancerous cells, multiplying in size and in funding. THEY PRODUCE NOTHING! The federal government provides them funding without expecting results. This is a dirty game that the federal government plays with its pet state, and in the end, we the people always lose.
Posted originally on the CTH on March 10, 2024 | Sundance
By now, most intellectually honest American observers have accepted the United States intelligence apparatuses are the most political and dangerous institutions of government. All recent history shows how the Intelligence Community (IC), identified by Chuck Schumer as the “six ways to Sunday” targeting group, operate as the extra-constitutional fourth branch of government.
The IC conducts surveillance of Americans, and the apparatuses of the FBI, DOJ and DHS operate the enforcement mechanism for the targeting identified by the intelligence apparatus. The public-private partnership between the domestic communication networks, including social media, and the Intelligence Community are well known. DHS operates on behalf of the IC and the legislative and judicial branches defer to the IC. This is a specific outcome of the Patriot Act authorizing the IC to conduct surveillance of all Americans.
In his interview with Meet the Press today, former House Intelligence Committee Chair, and current Senate candidate from California, Adam Schiff, publicly stated his desire that the IC continue their operations against U.S. citizens and control any/all information that is shared with Donald Trump in national security briefings. WATCH (prompted):
The United States intelligence community is the most insidious threat to the Republic. There is currently an information war taking place that encompasses pushback against the constructs of the IC and the control justifications known as “misinformation,” “disinformation,” and “malinformation.” All of these newly created terms serve the function of controlling, eliminating and censoring activity by a corrupt network of government actors.
There is no such thing as mis-dis-or mal-information – there is only information. Unfortunately, too few Americans have an understanding of how and why these terms were created by the surveillance apparatus in order to control information they deem against their interests.
Lastly, Adam Schiff is likely going to be the purple tie candidate supported by the professionally Republican and communist Democrats in their effort to generate an insurance policy against President Donald Trump. It is easy to predict how Schiff would likely be installed in the Senate Select Intelligence Committee (SSCI) with a specific responsibility to stop, impede and block any intelligence nomination by President Trump.
Posted originally on Mar 7, 2024 By Martin Armstrong
They say life and death rest on the tongue, and in the case of California, your own words and thoughts can and will be used against you. CA vs Hate is a new program brought forward by Governor Gavin Newsom that encourages neighbors to turn on one another and lose trust in their own communities. The state has invested $110 million into this thought policing policy that entices individuals to report “hate speech” to the government.
Anything anti-establish can be qualified as hate speech, as we have seen in recent weeks. I brought it up a few times in recent writings, but “mother” and “father” are now deemed offensive terms by our government officials. Citizens may visit the online portal or call the hotline to report anything that they deem hateful. Assemblyman Al Murtuschi states these services “will help individuals and communities targeted for hate including Asian Americans, Latinos, Black Americans, LGBTQ+ individuals, religious minorities, and other communities that make up California’s diversity and strength.”
The online portal notes: “There are two main kinds of hate incidents – (1) acts of hate that are not crimes but violate civil rights laws, and (2) acts of hate that may not violate the law. Both types cause significant harm to communities.”
No crime or evidence is required for reporting. Anyone, regardless of immigration status, may file a report with this agency, which by the way, is not affiliated with an actual police department. “California vs Hate is not run by the police. Your report will not be shared with law enforcement without your consent. We will only connect you with law enforcement if you request it. Our team can share information about how to report to police or local prosecutors if needed,” the website records.
They will collect files and data on everyone to use against them once social credit scores are implemented. Who do you think this bill will target? Conservatives who disagree with the current direction of this country. Upset that you’re being taxed without representation, with those funds being misdirected toward war and the migrant crisis? You are no longer permitted to share your views as the First Amendment has been abolished in California. Migrants are also encouraged to use this hotline to target American citizens. Reporting may remain anonymous, and anyone with a grudge may report someone without just cause.
This reminds me of the Mouth of Truth (bocca della verita) in Rome, a 1,300 kg stone disc created in the 1st century with a human face, menacing eyes, and a large gaping mouth. Legend had it that anyone accused of a crime could put their hand in the stone’s mouth, and only the innocent could pull their hand back out unscathed. The Mouth of Truth did not require a check and balance against witnesses who could say anything to sway the jury and public opinion. There is no accountability, and the law will always side with the government. This form of judgement is equally as obscure as an anti-hate hotline with no requirements or backing by the actual legal system.
In fact, Newsom states that this intended “approach does not require engagement with the criminal legal system,” meaning this is a private data-collecting entity directed at people who feel they are above the law. Actual acts of hate against Conservative ideologies go unpunished. Could someone report that they were refused service for being unvaccinated due to religious reasons, for example? No. Could someone report that they were denied a job opportunity due to laws favoring the most diverse candidate over the most qualified? Do parents have the right to file a report that their child’s school sent home inappropriate homework assignments discussing sexual topics? Perhaps a family was denied the opportunity to adopt due to their unwillingness to allow a child to make an adult decision. Could they file a report? Absolutely not. This is the far left’s personal Stasi.
The intense divide in America has pinned two sides against one another, and now, these asinine tyrannical measures will pit neighbor against neighbor. No different from the Soviet era, people will become fearful to speak their truth as it could come with consequences. This is unconstitutional but the Constitution has been ignored for the past four years. This law is intended to dismantle our communities and families. Your neighbor could be plotting against you; they do not want you to trust anyone but the government.
Posted originally on Mar 5, 2024 By Martin Armstrong
California is raising the minimum wage of fast food employees from $16 to $20 under the FAST Act. I have explained that raises to California’s minimum wage was restricted due to successful lobbying efforts on behalf of fast food establishments. The new law does include commercial fast food restaurants, excluding Panera Bread. Why?
Fast food lobbyists spent $4 million in the first six months of this year to prevent the California Accountability Bill from passing. The bill would hold franchisees and their parent companies jointly liable for the treatment of workers. California Governor Gavin Newsom claimed that minimum wage jobs were not meant for students of people looking to gain employment experience. “That’s a romanticized version of a world that doesn’t exist,” Newsom said. “We have the opportunity to reward that contribution, reward that sacrifice and stabilize an industry.”
A fast-food bill was passed in September 2022 that set the minimum wage to $22 per hour for select chains with over 100 locations, later expanding to a $20 minimum pay for restaurants with 60 locations. Now California is specifically exempting fast food establishments that contain bakeries, such as Panera Bread. Why are restaurants that sell bread above the law?
The answer is that politicians are always up for sale to the highest bidder. Glenn Flynn is the largest fast food franchise owner in America with an empire of 2,600 restaurant locations that produce around $.45 billion in sales. Flynn, estimated to be worth around $1.1 billion, has strongly supported Gavin Newsom publicly since 2014, when Newsom was a lieutenant governor. Both men attended the same high school and have longstanding ties.
Bloomberg reported that Flynn donated $64,800 to Newsom’s personal re-election campaign and an additional $100,000 for conservative-led recall efforts. Flynn’s holdings in California only include two establishments – Applebee’s and Panera Bread. Applebee’s is exempt from the law despite its pre-frozen dishes since it is a sit-down restaurant chain. Panera Bread, on the other hand, is exempt due to this specific loophole that only excludes establishments that bake bread. This is what happens when lobbying is permitted and politicians are for sale.
Posted originally on Feb 16, 2024 By Martin Armstrong
Lawmakers should be required by law to pass a financial literacy test before taking office. California has repeatedly raised the minimum wage as the cost of living continues to rise. They have not lowered the amount of taxes that the state will collect from these workers. California has the highest debt of any state in the US, with some reports estimating it to be around $520 billion. The cost of living continues to rise, but would raising the minimum wage actually help?
Now, I am not against raising the minimum wage. In Florida, I voted for a hike in the minimum wage in 2020 that would increase the minimum wage gradually to $15 an hour. Under the mandate, Florida’s minimum wage rate increased to $10 an hour in September 2021. The minimum wage then will increase by $1 each year until it reaches $15 an hour in 2026. The minimum wage rate applies to all public and private sector employers, regardless of size or number of employees. I voted for it because by 2026 we should see a rise in inflation due to shortages.
I would prefer to see the minimum wage qualified by age. The youth should not be discouraged from seeking their first job due to wage mandates that force employers to downsize. Small businesses were decimated after COVID lockdowns and increasing health care costs have made it difficult for small businesses, especially those service-oriented, to hire additional staff. This is why we see an increasing number of self-check-out options, automated jobs, and outsourced customer service positions in countries outside of the US.
Barbara Lee, a Democratic candidate in California, is advocating for a $50 minimum wage, which would equate to approximately $104,000 per year for a full-time worker. “In the Bay Area, I believe it was the United Way that came out with a report that very recently $127,000 for a family of four is just barely enough to get by,” Lee said. “Another survey very recently: $104,000. For a family of one, barely enough to get by low income because of the affordability crisis.”
California already has a $20 minimum wage in place. Countless employers were forced to let go of employees and raise their prices to meet this requirement. In no reality should a minimum wage employee receive a six-figure salary as it simply is not worth the cost to the employer or consumer. Minimum wage jobs were intended to be entry-level. Inflation will continue to rise
I believe they are seeking to raise the minimum wage to unsustainable levels in an attempt to usher in Universal Basic Income. The Federal government is not permitting migrants to work and using them as the test subjects for UBI. The cost of living will continue to rise as government spending is only rising with no chance of stopping due to numerous wars. Politicians should not be allowed to toy with the minimum wage to buy votes as it is detrimental to the economy.
Posted originally on Jan 10, 2024 By Martin Armstrong
As of January 1, California now requires students to learn media literacy throughout K-12. Will this curriculum update teach kids to fact-check the biased mainstream media or question everything? No. This bill is aimed at dismantling what the establishment has deemed as “misinformation” in recent years with the goal of rewriting history. Governor Gavin Newsom signed Bill No. 873 which will incorporate media literacy into every branch from mathematics to science and history.
Questioning the mainstream narrative is now prohibited. Children as young as 5 will learn NOT to ask questions or inquire about the status quo. They will be indoctrinated to rely solely on the government for reliable sources, and all school work from kindergarten until Senior year will rely on the “facts” touted by the government.
Stanford, home of the CIA’s MKUltra experiments, has implemented media literacy curriculum. Students are forced to create content on social media to combat disinformation, such as creating videos on the safe and effective mRNA vaccines. We already know that they push far-left ideals at universities, but they are now forcing everyone to think in unison to pass their classes.
The MSM gasped when it was revealed that Russian textbooks had been revised to say that the 2020 US Presidential Election was rigged. Governments continually rewrite history to align with the narrative they see fit.
The Constitution no longer holds weight in American politics. The First Amendment has died. There is nothing the governments fear more than a free-thinking society that questions our world and those in charge.
Posted originally on Jan 8, 2024 By Martin Armstrong
Chevron can no longer remain profitable in California, where politicians fail to understand the impact of reducing fossil fuels without a reliable alternative. The company has already pulled back hundreds of millions in spending in California over the past two years. Chevron’s Q4 filings proclaimed it needed non-cash write-downs and is expected to report non-cash charges of up to $4 billion.
At this point one must wonder if Governor Gavin Newsom wakes up each day to plot the destruction of California. Newsom announced he was taking over “Big Oil” last year by implementing legislation aimed at price gouging.
Adding to the issue, Exxon Mobil also announced it may need to write down its California assets by up to $2.6 billion. “While the Corporation is progressing efforts to enable a restart of production, continuing challenges in the state regulatory environment have impeded progress in restoring operations,” said Exxon. The company expects Q4 earnings to decline by ~$800 million compared to Q3, along with a $1.7 billion drop in industry margins.
Companies as large as Chevron or Exxon Mobil cannot simply pack up and move to another state. Instead, companies are downsizing operations in California and rejecting new projects. California is operating at a $68 billion deficit and cannot afford to lose more business. This will impact gas prices throughout the nation, not just in California. It is not the oil companies but the GOVERNMENT that is price gouging the people through regulations and taxation.
Posted originally on Jan 5, 2024 By Martin Armstrong
California is facing a massive budget deficit and boasts the largest homeless population in the US. The state is expanding the Medi-Cal program under Medicare to provide 700,000 illegal migrants with free healthcare. Leave it to Governor Gavin Newsom to focus on non-issues like children’s toys. His entire platform is based on pandering to the far-left as his state crumbles. California is now prohibiting toy stores from gendering toys.
The funding for this should go into mental healthcare. This extremism borders child abuse. Children do not even understand the term “gender-neutral” nor should they. If your daughter wants to play with a toy car, you’re free to walk into the toy aisle to purchase one. The indoctrination starts at an extremely young age. This legislation will teach Generation Alpha that it is not ok to be masculine or feminine. We must live in a genderless society to appease the WOKE.
In addition to corrupting the youth of America, the law blatantly infringes upon the First Amendment. Will religious store owners have the option to opt-out of this ridiculous law? I personally have fond memories of my children running up and down the toy aisles. Nothing is sacred anymore.
All of that is coming to an end in California as kids will question why there is a special section for the children of far-left liberals who were raised to believe that femininity and masculinity is wrong. The woke completely ignores biology that has been passed down throughout the ages to preserve the human race. Parents are now beneath the government and do not have a say in how their children are exposed to adult topics.
Gavin Newsom’s goal of becoming the wokest state in the nation is working, and people are leaving in droves. Newsom certainly did not have gender-neutral toy aisles when President Xi came to visit. If he feels so strongly about this topic, he should do his next debate in a dress. This is a direct attack on the children of America, and everyone wants to know WHY they are so focused on turning every child into a they/them. They are not the government’s children, as the president once claimed, and parents have every right to be outraged by the deeply disturbed woke agenda.
Posted originally on Jan 3, 2024 By Martin Armstrong
Governor Gavin Newsom recently announced that California will be providing healthcare free of charge! The only caveat is that you must be an illegal migrant who does not contribute to the state’s economy. Around 700,000 migrants in California will now receive tax-payer subsidized healthcare.
Newsom’s plan is the largest expansion of insurance coverage since Obamacare. The program will be under the state’s Medi-Cal, and EVERY illegal immigrant who makes it to California will receive this luxury. I say “luxury” as the average American paid $13,493 for healthcare in 2022, according to National Health Expenditure. That is the amount for a healthy American, as one short hospital stay would cost significantly more.
America pays more for healthcare than any other nation. The US surpassed $4.3 trillion in healthcare spending in 2021, as healthcare, like everything else, grew in cost after COVID. Healthcare spending was only 5% of GDP in 1960 but surpassed 18% by 2021. As for Medicare, 65 million people were enrolled in 2022. America’s population is aging and over 20% of the population will qualify for Medicare by, you guessed it, 2030.
The Congressional Budget Office believes Medicare spending will double over the next 30 years into 2053, which is near yet another turning point. US GDP spending on Medicare alone will rise from 3.1% in 2023 to 5.5% in 2053. These figures do not account for the illegal migrants under Medicare through California’s Medi-Cal program. I won’t even begin to discuss how the US is funding foreign nation’s healthcare costs with tax dollars.
“In California, we believe everyone deserves access to quality, affordable healthcare coverage — regardless of income or immigration status. Through this expansion, we’re making sure families and communities across California are healthier, stronger, and able to get the care they need when they need it,” Newsom’s office told reporters.
So, how much will this endeavor cost California? Estimates are always on the low end. Currently, the state plans to spend $1.2 billion in the first six months before increasing its spending to $3.1 billion annually. California does not have the funding for this endeavor. In fact, the state is currently experiencing a $68 billion deficit and boasts the largest homeless population in the country. Newsom is yet another enemy of the American people who uses our money for virtue pandering while completely ignoring the people he vowed to represent.
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This is a library of News Events not reported by the Main Stream Media documenting & connecting the dots on How the Obama Marxist Liberal agenda is destroying America
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