Congestion Tax in Place in NYC – A Reason to Celebrate?


Posted originally on Jan 8, 2025 by Martin Armstrong 

NYC Tax

Foreign concept but there are people who enjoy big government and welcome additional taxation. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) held a celebration to kickoff New York City’s new congestion toll fees. That’s right – people gathered around a sign announcing the “Congestion Relief Zone” at 60th Street and held a countdown as if it were New Year’s Eve.

Motorists entering Manhattan at 60th Street or below will be charged $9 if in a car or SUV, $14.40 for non-commuter buses, $21.60 for big rigs, and $4.50 for motorcycles. The Metropolitan Transportation Authority needs to cover a $33 billion budget deficit, and per usual, the people are on the hook for the bill. The MTA is seeking to generate $68 billion over the next five years, and this congestion tax is one of many new fees coming to NYC area as the new toll tax is expected to generate a mere $15 billion.

Governor Kathy Hochul is utterly clueless. She plans to bribe families with an “inflation refund” by shelling out $500 checks to households in a move that will cost the state $3 billion. We saw this fail during the pandemic when citizens earning beneath a certain threshold were bribed to stay complacent. Hochul said she would not raise the income tax in 2025, but nothing is ever off the table.

“Your tolls pay for: better transit, cleaner air, safer streets, a livable NYC. Thanks!” one resident shared on a sign that they brought to the opening ceremony. Seriously, these people have no idea what they are celebrating. Commuters who cannot afford the tax will be forced to take the trains which are notoriously unsafe. In fact, there was a stabbing on the Metro-North on the very day that the congestion relief zone was implemented.

Rideshare programs have been lobbying for this tax for years. Uber paid $2 million from 2015 to 2019 to encourage congestion taxes. Lyft personally donated $18,500 to Kathy Hochul’s campaign to champion congestion taxes. Both companies plan to raise fees to cover the cost of the tax. “We spent millions of dollars funding message testing, research, lobbyists and grassroots organizing to help those that have been fighting for congestion pricing for decades,” Uber admits in a statement on its website, later stating, “We do this because we are a for-profit company and good, robust, public transportation is good for business, reducing the need for car ownership and increasing use cases for Uber.”

“Congestion relief” is political rhetoric. It’s NEW YORK CITY — one of the busiest cities in the world! Goods and people must still enter the city, and these fees quickly add up. The people are on the hook for the budget deficit and the people are also on the hook to cover the fees that will ultimately be passed down to consumers. It is absolutely astounding that there are people who cheer higher fees as a result of government mismanagement.

The Libs of Canada Did Not Get the Message


Posted originally on Jan 7, 2025 by Martin Armstrong

Justin from Canada Expected to Resign This Week


Posted originally on the CTH onJanuary 6, 2025 | Sundance 

It’s not just the United States of America standing up and electing President Donald J. Trump.  The nationalist vessels are being identified in many countries right now as each regional nuance and difference is working through a process.

Germany, France, the U.K, Georgia, Romania, El Salvador and Argentina are small examples where the organizing of commonsense people is also navigating through the systems of control.  The voices of the people are rising organically.

In Canada one of the modern WEF globalists is now indicating his exit.  Justin Trudeau is expected to resign.

NY POST – […] Three sources told the Globe and Mail, a Canadian outlet, on Sunday that Trudeau, 53, could reveal he’s leaving as Liberal Party Leader before a critical national caucus meeting on Wednesday.

It was unclear what day he could announce his resignation, but it reportedly could happen as early as Monday, the sources said.

The bombshell report comes as an embattled Trudeau has faced increasing calls for his resignation as a Donald Trump presidency – and the threat of 25% tariffs on all products north of the border – looms large.

The prime minister was struck with a devastating blow after his then-finance minister, Chrystia Freeland, quit last month over a deepening divide between the two over the future of Canada’s economy. (read more)

Justin from Canada has been an unstable boy-child with a speech impediment and an emotionally unstable disposition for a long time.  He personifies the leftist hero for modern feminists.

Slovakia v Ukraine and the EU on Energy


Posted originally on Jan 3, 2025 by Martin Armstrong 

Slovakia Parliament

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has nearly accepted that his country will be forced to pay an additional €500 million for energy due to Ukraine’s refusal to renew the Russian gas transit treaty. Zelensky believes Fico is Putin’s puppet, but the man is simply looking for a way to provide his people energy. Tensions are worsening between Zelensky and Fico, and now, Fico is threatening to cut aid to Ukraine.

“On behalf of Smer (the ruling party), I announce that we are ready to negotiate and agree in a coalition to cut off electricity supplies and significantly reduce support for Ukrainian citizens staying in the territory of the Slovak Republic,” Fico noted a day after the existing transit treaty expired.

Leaders from Ukraine, Slovakia, and the unelected leaders of the European Union will meet next week to determine the proper steps which likely means they will find a way to pressure Slovakia to continue aiding Ukraine without compromise.

Zelensky with EU leaders

Fico threatened to cut off energy supplies to Ukraine, but Zelensky basically stated he knew that he would be overpowered by the EU and prevented from doing so. “Any arbitrary decisions in Bratislava or instructions from Moscow to Fico regarding electricity will not lead to a halt in electricity imports to Ukraine,” Zelensky said, adding: “Slovakia is part of the unified European energy market, and Fico must abide by pan-European regulations.” Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry chimed in to say that Slovakia would stand to lose hundreds of millions annually if they stopped selling to Ukraine. “Slovakia’s supply of critical amounts of electricity to Ukraine is not charity: Ukraine pays Slovakia a significant amount for it,” the ministry stated.

Moscow is not strengthened by this gas transit deal and granting transit would show good faith to Slovakia, who has provided Ukraine with millions in assistance since the war began. The underlying issue is that Fico wishes to remain neutral in this war. The European Union wants every member state to fear Russia and prepare for an escalation of warfare. The unelected officials at Brussels consistently undermine their own member states and it is only a matter of time before members wake up and realize that this alliance is working against them.

Retail Closures in US Hit Pandemic Levels


Posted originally onJan 2, 2025 by Martin Armstrong 

StoreClosuresRetail

Over 6,481 retailers have closed their doors since the beginning of the new year, according to data from Coresight Research in November, but that figure is expected to reach 7,327, marking a 57.8% increase in closures since 2023.

During the pandemic, closures exceeded openings by 180 stores in 2020, with the gap widening in 2021 to 6,000 retailers. There were 5,919 store openings in 2023, barely easing the burden. While online shopping has nulled the need for many brick and mortars, the types of retailers that experienced the steepest declines are telling.

Nothing at the dollar store costs a dollar. That changed years ago during the pandemic, thanks to tariffs and supply chain issues. Retailers had to mark up these cheap goods to make a meager profit. As a result, Family Dollar shut their door to 677 locations and 99 Cents Only stores shed 371. Big Lots, also known for selling discounted items, has been forced to close 580 locations, although the bankruptcy played a larger role.

Rite Aid also experienced bankruptcy in 2024, closing 408 locations. Pharmacies, in general, took a major hit this past year. Walgreens plans to close 1,200 locations over the next three years and lost 259 locations in 259. CVS closed 586 locations as well. The convenience of picking up items while at the pharmacy does not overshadow the need for a discount. People are not willing to pay more for essentials at the pharmacy when they can receive them for a discounted price elsewhere. The same goes for convenience stores like 7-Eleven which shed 492 locations in 2024 with plans to close another 400 worldwide.

Another major contributing factor is the workforce – people do not want to work low-wage jobs that do not support their cost of living. Enter any pharmacy or low-end store, and you will find a severe shortage of workers. One pharmacy by me that is part of a major chain is only open two days a week because they simply do not have the staff to keep it operating.

There is a reason that retail closures are at their highest level since the pandemic. Americans are spending more on less and their spending habits are shifting from convenience to practicality.

Col. John Mills On Radical Islamic Terrorism Infiltrating The U.S. Military


Posted originally on Rumble By Bannons War Room on: Jan 1, 2024 at :6:00 pm EST

My Unconventional Upbringing | Brett Cooper


Posted Originally on Turning Point USA on December 23, 2024, 8:00 pm EST

Can Britain be Saved form Extinction?


Posted originally on Dec 30, 2024 by Martin Armstrong 

British Extinction 2025

QUESTION: Dear Martin,

Merry Christmas to you, your family, and the Armstrong Economic team. All of you have worked tirelessly to help humanity.

A question about the UK: you have discussed saving the USA and that your proposal would always work in the EU. What about the UK? You say Trump is married to old theories. What about Nigel Farage?

Thank you for everything you do.

Ash

ANSWER: Starmer’s approval rating has crashed. Now, 61% of Britain disapprove of his policies.  Even though Labour has an overwhelming majority and can pass anything they want, the reality is that our computer does not show Starmer will survive until the next election in 2029. This is a special report with the proposal to save Britain, and it can be done if Nigel Farage dares to lead the entire world to a new economic freedom. Once one nation rejects the old theories that not even central banks can use anymore, the rest will follow. I would say the two countries that could show the way forward for the future are Britain and Argentina.

I will let everyone know when this report is ready for prime time.

Democrats Arguing Kamala Should not Certify the Count


Posted originally on Dec 29, 2024 by Martin Armstrong 

Kamala Pencil

America, we have a problem. The chatter being whispered in DC is that now some Democrats are saying that Pence was wrong and he should not have certified the 2020 election. This reversal is self-serving because some now argue that Kamala should NOT certify the count because Trump is disqualified under the 14th Amendment. Then, we have RINOs in Congress seeking to create a battle over the speaker. If there is a protracted fight where Congress can’t elect a speaker, if that takes place and nobody is sworn in, they can’t certify the election. If Trump can’t be certified on January 6th, then if he can’t take office on January 20th. Without a speaker, they cannot complete this process.

Part of the problem stems from the Supreme Court’s decision on whether Colorado could exclude former President Donald Trump from its ballot as an insurrectionist. The Supreme Court sidestepped the question of the 14th Amendment. The Court ruled that they didn’t like allowing a single state to kick Trump out of the presidential race, and they didn’t appear comfortable with the Court doing so either. In oral argument, the attorney representing Colorado warned the justices that if they didn’t resolve the question of Trump’s eligibility under the 14th Amendment, “it could come back with a vengeance”—after the election. This leaves the door open for the Democrats to defy the national vote.

CSP500 D Array 12 29 24

Here is what I do not like. The computer has projected a Panic Cycle for January 6th. Volatility will start to rise mid-week. We even have a Directional Change on Friday. At the very least, we may have a constitutional crisis unfolding on January 6th.

1798 Congressional Brawl

The last time there was a brawl on the floor of Congress was February 15th, 1798. Well, if that unfolds, CSpan viewership will probably exceed all the mainstream news combined.

Elon Musk Changes Twitter Algorithm to Diminish MAGA Opposition to Silicon Valley Group and Support Influence Over Trump Policy


Posted originally on the CTH on December 30, 2024 | Sundance

Something very interesting and openly obvious is happening amid the backlash that Elon Musk and the Silicon Valley network are facing to their H1B position.

Elon Musk has changed the Twitter algorithm to dimmish the voices of those who would openly confront his network of supporters within Silicon Valley and beyond.  If large follower Twitter accounts, like those of Musk himself, David Sacks, Vivek Ramaswamy and Musks’ promoted network of influencers, begin blocking accounts on the platform, then the voices of those accounts get purposefully diminished by the algorithm.

Much like having a VIP section that can remove people from the audience, Musk is pushing opposing viewpoints to the acceptable narrative into the background of the public square.

[SOURCE]

The timing of this is not accidental.  The allies of Musk have been getting blasted by some rather large MAGA accounts over the H1B visa position of the Silicon Valley team.  In response, Musk is pushing those opposition voices out of the conversation.  This is another way for the newly aligned tech group to maintain influence over the policy of President-elect Donald Trump. In fact, I have been informed this is exactly the purpose.

President Trump announced that David Sacks would lead the tech, crypto and AI policy group.  This team being assembled by Sacks are all-in support of H1B visa use to bring in foreign workers.  They do not want publicly visible opposition to impede their agenda.

To be fair, it makes sense for the tech network to do this because it is akin to President Trump’s incoming chief of staff, Susie Wiles, saying she would not let what she defines as “clown car people” influence President Trump.  It’s an issue of controlling a very directed policy initiative.  However, the issues around immigration in general, and H1B visas specifically are critically important to many of the long-term Trump supporters.

Elon Musk is building a bubble around Donald Trump to diminish opposition to the technocratic influence of the new allies.

Mr Musk is shutting out, or at least making quiet, the core MAGA base while elevating a new group of arrivals that support Donald Trump.  The new group of influential technocrats, billionaires in the tech industry and platform control operators, do not hold the same ideological interests as the core MAGA base.  This is the larger reason for the conflict that has been happening over the past week, on the subject of H1B workers.

Musk’s decision to essentially put a friendly super moderator system in place that can control and silence the microphone on Twitter, is a specific move that represents what I personally have been warning about.  This group of influence agents do not have the same priorities on much of the MAGA policy the voters expressed.

This is the same basic policy justification behind the “shadowbanning” and platform manipulation previously instituted by Twitter to silence opposition to the COVID-19 vaccination. Only this time it is Elon Musk instituting the algorithmic manipulation, to silence opposition to David Sacks, Vivek Ramaswamy, Sriram Krishnan, Peter Thiel, Chamath Palihapitiya, Jacob Helberg and eventually JD Vance.

If the technocrats control the visible public conversation, that’s not supporting free speech; instead, that’s manipulation and selective censorship of the audience.  This is exactly how social media was being controlled in the era of COVID.  The new boss motives are the same as the old boss motives, the policy is the only thing different.

LEE SMITH – “Don’t be lulled by fake MAGA truce: H1B issue is indeed consequential. When Dems & GOP offshored mfg (NAFTA, WTO), rationale was that Americans would get great “tech service” jobs—but H1B showed they wouldn’t get those jobs either.

And there’s nothing you can do about it, said Dems and GOP alike. You want those jobs back? Where’s your magic wand? And besides, you deserve the pain, clinging to your guns and God — you’re racist, homophobic, etc. you’re deplorables.

This is what Trump was elected to fight, but according to Vivek: In fact, the things that have caused you pain are your fault. Your culture prizes mediocrity, your parents raised you poorly. Then Elon: Fight me on a thing that has hurt you, and I will crush you.

Vivek continues to double down: instead of walking back or even just modifying his public rebuke of American families, he characterizes it as one of his “hard truths” — as other MAGA influencers have jumped to his defense:

‘In fact, nothing bad happened, it was simply a conversation, and it’s the left who is trying to divide us!’ But to tell people long targeted by an elite demoralization campaign that they shouldn’t believe what they heard with their own ears and blame it on others is predatory.

So, yes H1B matters because it’s an effect of the core issue — indeed the reason DJT is POTUS — a political and corporate establishment that has waged a half-century long campaign to destroy the American middle class. (LINK)

Predictably, there was always going to be uncomfortable moments in this tenuous MAGA alignment with the billionaire technocrats; however, this is not that.  This is far beyond uncomfortable.  This is a core issue for millions of Americans, and the Silicon Valley response to controlling the conversation is not good.

Ultimately, as we are all witnessing, many of these people do not have our best interests at heart.

Keep watching closely.