Non-Crazy Idea With A Foundation Of BS

America's Sweetheart and America's favorite cranky old coot paired up to talk up the idea of turning the Post Office into a banking system for the under-served. To cur to the spoiler: After roughly an hour with Google and my Sixers, I am confident that the advocates, including Sen. Kristen Gillibrand and the US Post Office team, have failed to understand the numbers and the revenue opportunity they are tossing about and are talking about $89 billion when $30 billion is nearer the mark. $30 billion is not a trifle, but its not $89 billion either. And that sort of easily discovered error does not do much for my confidence in the quality of the research effort by the advocates. 

And what is it with these progressives anyway? They want the government to have all our medical information and now they expect people (many of whom have, well, documentation challenges opening a conventional bank account) to trust the government with their financial information and savings? Do they know who is President or did Bernie forget?

Today's buzz was Tweeted by "Take On Wall Street". Let's toss them the mic:

A Public Option For Banking

It’s time to stop relying on the big banks and predatory lenders, and expand access to fair consumer banking services through “a public option” like postal banking and public banks.

Postal Banking

Regulating abusive and aggressively marketed products is important, but more can be done to broaden access to high-quality, low-cost financial services. As many as 8 million American households don’t have access to basic banking, like a checking account, and 1 in 5 Americans don’t have access to affordable accounts, debit cards, and credit. The big banks no longer offer free checking, and fees for basic banking have skyrocketed.

Worse still, nearly 28% of U.S. households rely on fringe and often predatory financial institutions for banking and credit. Fees to payday lenders and check-cashers cost these households an astonishing $89 billion a year. That’s more than $2,400 per household, or 10% of their average income. These predatory services are concentrated in low-income neighborhoods and communities of color, stripping additional wealth from those who can least afford it.

The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) is well placed to provide such basic banking services. In past decades, the USPS offered savings accounts on a significant scale, and postal systems in countries around the world currently provide financial services to more than a billion consumers.

Keep on eye on that $89 billion figure and we will segue to Sen. Gillibrand, unveiling her 2018 legislative proposal:

Kirsten Gillibrand Unveils A Public Option For Banking

The idea would provide a low-cost alternative to payday loans — and it might just save the Postal Service, too.

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) is introducing legislation Wednesday that would require every U.S. post office to provide basic banking services, an ambitious step aimed at improving the lives of Americans with limited financial resources.

The bill brings to Congress for the first time a policy idea that has already won the support of liberal economists and anti-poverty activists: Turning the nation’s sprawling network of U.S. Postal Service facilities into places where working-class and low-income Americans who lack adequate access to commercial banking can obtain low-cost, short-term loans. Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) have both spoken out in favor of postal banking, but Gillibrand is the first to introduce legislation mandating it.

The central goal of the bill is to replace risky financial products like payday loans, which can trap borrowers in prolonged cycles of debt, with regulated alternatives.

Do note "short term loans", such as payday loans. And let's say hello to an old friend as we learn how this will save the Postal System:

A postal banking system could be a major boon to the financially strained Postal Service. If even 10 percent of the money Americans currently spend on interest and fees for risky financial products went toward postal banking loans that cost 90 percent less, the Postal Service would gain almost $9 billion in annual revenue, according to a 2014 study conducted by the Postal Service Inspector General.

Here's their White Paper and yes, the "almost $9 billion" in new revenue comes from 10% market share of an $89 billion market as of 2012. Now, one might want to ask why the Sen. Gillibrand and the US Post Office hope to take in ten percent of an outrageous, exploitative, predatory market. Shouldn't their revenue be much less?!? Don't ask.

The Post Office White Paper describes their proposed product offerings in detail but this description from Slate captures the spirit:

If Democrats do try to bring back postal banking, there are two main ways to do it. First, would be the basic approach: The post office could simply offer low-dollar checking accounts and debit cards, to make sure every American has affordable access to the absolute essentials of financial services. That would be a relief to the millions of households with no bank account today, and might not even be that much of a political lift—after all, the Postal Service would be catering to customers that Bank of America and Wells Fargo seem mostly uninterested in these days. This approach wouldn’t dramatically change the face of American finance; it would assist the unbanked, but less so the much larger group of underbanked.

The more ambitious approach, which Gillibrand and other Democrats have embraced, would be far more seismic. Gillibrand’s bill would allow the postal service to also make small loans at low interest rates and would almost certainly compete payday lenders out of business. The bill states that postal banks could make loans of up to $500 at a time at interest rates in line with the yield on month Treasury bills, which today is sitting at a low 1.65 percent. That rate of interest is probably too low given how many of these loans will likely default. The Postal Service’s Inspector General report pictured interest rates closer to 25 percent, which would still save customers hundreds of dollars compared to payday loans that commonly come with APRs around 400 percent. 

And now the reveal: Here is the study describing the $89 billion opportunity by CFSI:

Serving the underserved market : Market Size Study

They have a beautiful depiction of the market, below.

The possibly-not-obvious problem? The biggest market segment - $49.6 Billion - is automobile and other installment loans that go beyond the scope of the Post Office White Paper and the Gillibrand proposal. Oops.

Payday loans are included in the green column on the far left (as well they might be!). However, the $21.4 Billion total there includes Pawn shop loans of about $5 B, payday loans (internet and storefront) and overdraft protection on checking. The Post Office won't be running a pawn shop, so let's subtract that and say that $16B is left.

The orange "Payments" column of $8.9B looks good, as does the $4.7 B for checking and savings services. Tax preparation services and debt settlements for $4.2B? I don't think so. Take it out.

So totaling up the services the Post Office actually hopes to offer gets us to $16B (payday) + $9B Payments +$5B Checking/Savings, or roughly $30 Billion of market opportunity. 10% market share is $3 billion. Nothing to sneeze at, but not the number advertised.

So how great an idea is this, anyway? In an attempt to approach reality from a different direction, a UPenn professor, Lisa Servon, actually worked in a check cashing store and talked to customers about their background and motivation (Crazy, amirite?). Her thoughts are summarized here; a snippet:

It didn’t even seem clear to people studying the banking industry as to why people would ever use a check-cashing service. Surprisingly, it turned out that there were reasons:

Servon was surprised by what people told her. Over and over, Servon heard and observed that check cashers often met customers’ needs better than banks did.

She discovered there were three main reasons people used these services instead of banks: cost, transparency, and service.

She got a book out of it as well.

From yet another perspective, the Japanese had a more extensive Postal Bank with huge private savings. A 2005 Parliamentary campaign was oriented towards privatizing it. Apparently this institution had become cozy with crony capitalists and politicos. Who could have seen that coming?

Based on the proposal and target market I don't foresee the US Post deposits becoming huge so that predictable problem shouldn't arise. Or, limit their investments to Treasury bills. Time may tell!

STILL IRKED: The Take On Wall Street article includes this howler:

 

Worse still, nearly 28% of U.S. households rely on fringe and often predatory financial institutions for banking and credit. Fees to payday lenders and check-cashers cost these households an astonishing $89 billion a year. 

 

Well, no. As noted, payday lenders are much less than that.

 

A different advocacy group, the Campaign For Postal Banking, has this formulation:

 

The $100 billion a year Alternative Financial Services (AFS) industry has flooded the communities where the underserved live with products, services and practices that are expensive and often predatory. Each year, the average underserved household spends $2,412 – nearly 10 percent of gross income – in fees and interest for alternative financial services...

 

The $100 billion is for a different year. However, they have looked at a similar report!

The AFS industry includes:

• Check cashing services
• Payday lenders
• Auto title loans
• Pawn shops
• Rent-to-own stores
• Tax refund anticipation loans

OK, they noted auto loans and installment sales of bigger-ticker items. And they claim the public spends $7 billion a year on payday loans, which looks a lot like the numbers in the green column from the 2012 study. This group might be worth reading.

 

As to Sen. Gillibrand, I'm not sure. Her website includes this:

 

The Postal Bank would effectively wipe out predatory payday lending industry practices because low-income workers would be able to take out low-interest, small-dollar loans from the Postal Bank instead of being forced to rely on predatory payday lenders. High-cost, predatory financial products like payday loans cost the average underserved household 10 percent, or $2,412, of their gross income in fees and interest. This adds up to about $100 billion of lost savings for low-income families across the country, and results in diminished funding for rent, food, and childcare, as well as an inability to build credit. Under Gillibrand’s bill, any American could o pen an account at the Postal Bank.

 

Payday loans are the tip of the iceberg. I don't know whether she is hiding the ball or is sincere and ignorant.

 

UNANSWERED QUESTIONS: Why isn't there a WalMart Credit Services dominating this market? Or is there? Well, yes - among many other services they will cash checks up to $1,000 for a $4 flat fee, which does not outrage me. That would be 2% on a $200 check. Unfair?

 

Further dabbling suggests I can send money to Italy for an $8 fee. Same to Mexico. Presumably varies by country but I'm done for now.

 

BOYCOTT NUMBERS: The Babylon Bee battles AOC. Stop the fight!

Comments

[JimNorCal]

Thanks for the new thread!

[GUS]

NEW THREAD. Comey is completely NUTS.

To not recognize a FREAK/GOOF, like Comey is a TRAVESTY. The MAN is not only a criminal, but he has lived and prospered and profited in the SWAMP for DECADES. He has also gone FULL COMMIE ME ME ME CAPITALIST a couple of times.
But SERIOUSLY.... BEEEG JIMBO CURTAINS COMEY is so obviously CUCKOO for COCOA PUFFS, that, those who DO NOT RECOGNIZE his PSYCHOSIS, are prolllly, themselves, NUTS.

[MJW]

Regarding the conjecture that Mueller hired Steele and Fusion GPS to do research for his report.

I'd love it to be true, because it would make Mueller look bad, and I don't like Mueller. I doubt it's true, though. First of all, why would Barr redact it? That is, unless it's an "ongoing matter" because Barr is contemplating charging Steele, Fusion GPS, and maybe Mueller, too, with some crime -- which piles wishful thinking upon wishful thinking. Second, unlike the Democrats, Republicans have gone to see lightly-redacted version of the report. I suspect if there were a scandal like that hidden in the redactions, some hint of it would have come out.

[JimNorCal]

I was idly thinking: OK, the PO bank would be fine just NOT the money losing payday loans.
But then I thought: what's the chance the govt could loan out money from deposits and make a buck? Shaky! Don't do it.

[MJW]

The above comment is predicated on the assumption that the supposed association with Steele and Fusion GPS is in the report, but redacted. I assume that's what Paul Sperry is suggesting by preceding the text with close-ups of blocks of "Harm to Ongoing Matter" redacted text from the report, but can't be certain.

In any case, I have no doubt it will come out soon, if true. He can refuse to name his contractors to the public, but he can't hide them from his boss, Barr.

[MJW]

One more thing. Though I think Mueller doesn't like Trump, and was out to get him on whatever he could, I believe the main thrust of his report was to defend the FBI and others who investigated Trump; to say, maybe Trump, in the end, wasn't guilty of colluding with Russians, but the investigations were justified and proper.

[Stephanie Nene Not Your Normal Granma]

Oh come on... the feds couldn't run a whore house. What makes anyone think they could turn a profit on anything?

[jim nj]

https://www.realcleardefense.com/articles/2019/05/09/israel_response_to_hamas_cyber_attack_prompts_armed_response_114410.html

During the response to missiles being fired from Gaza, Israel also bombed the Hamas cyber-attack facilities.

New realm added to cybersecurity and cyber counter-attack, kinetically taking out the source.

[anonamom]

The Hero Solution

https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/05/mass-shootings-citizen-heroes-save-lives/

I'm all about the No More Gun Free, Target Rich Zones solutions too.

[anonamom]

From above:

But I do wonder if the sheer number of mass killings has caused a psychological change in a segment of the American people. I do wonder if “fight” is replacing “flight” in enough American hearts that immediate and courageous resistance becomes the norm – and that killers will start to understand that they’ll have to instantly battle one or more raging, charging men before they can complete their terrible, deadly work.

Hmm---could it be people (mainly men, I wish to note) are seeing a single person courageously standing up to attacks rather regularly? Understanding that a single person deciding to fight back CAN make a difference?

MAGA!

[jim nj]

Amonamom,

Interesting thought. Some kind of adaption modification of crowd behavior?

Perhaps we should let boys engage in the politically incorrect games that I enjoyed as a boy - cowboys vs, indians, war games with dirt-clogged barrels of pop-guns, hide and seek, riga-a-leerio *or what ever people call games like capture the flag?").

We learned to hide, to seek, to stalk, to make coordinated attacks with teams of friends.

To sacrifice for the team in a way that allowed the team to win.

In some ways a school shooter is engaging in the same type of game, but they've forgotten the rules. No guns, no knives.

[MissMarple2]

I would like to point out that my neighbor's friend has no bank account and she cashes my checks to him. He also sells scrap metal.

Seems to me he has wised up to not having to declare income for tax purposes.

[anonamom]

jim nj, I have to wonder if the shooters had engaged in such games in real life, with real live people, instead of in front of a screen, they'd have chosen a path other than shooting their classmates.

Incomprehensible to me how whatever is going on in their minds causes them to think that is the way to express it.

[MissMarple2]

Donald J. Trump
‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump
6h6 hours ago

James Comey is a disgrace to the FBI & will go down as the worst Director in its long and once proud history. He brought the FBI down, almost all Republicans & Democrats thought he should be FIRED, but the FBI will regain greatness because of the great men & women who work there!

[MissMarple2]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-royals-baby-newzealand-idUSKCN1SG0B1?utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&utm_content=5cd53eeadf4239000112062c&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter

WELLINGTON (Reuters) - All four children in a New Zealand family have Royal namesakes after Britain’s Prince Harry and his wife Meghan named their newborn son Archie earlier this week, it was reported on Friday.

“It’s a royal flush - what are the chances?” Jo Stafford, who lives in Otago in the southeastern region on New Zealand’s South Island, told the Otago Daily Times.

Stafford’s children are Charlotte, 11, Harry, 9, George, 7, and Archie, 4.

[MissMarple2]

https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/defense-national-security/fcc-bars-china-mobile-from-us-over-spy-threats

[MissMarple2]

https://voiceofeurope.com/2019/05/le-pen-ahead-of-macron-in-latest-eu-election-polls/#.XNU3JPpYuHd.twitter

Populism seems to be gaining in Europe.

[peter]

jim in nj,re: your 4:41, while stalled in traffic the other day on Northern Boulevard in Little Neck, NY, (which is now a largely Asian community) I saw a little boy, maybe 5, using his index finger as a pantomime barrel of a pistol shooting at the cars. I started sniping back at him from the driver's seat. From there, the litle boy's pistol morphed into a machine gun, which he operated with both hands, shaking his whole upper body with recoil. It was a refreshing, and encouraging sight, that I had not seen in decades.

[MissMarple2]

Some of Nellie Ohr's emails were released.

Rosies memos picked some of them up. These were not released in chronological sequence, so her tweets reflect that. The Ohrs seem to have done a lot of traveling in Europe and Florida.

https://twitter.com/almostjingo/status/1126771940876701696

[Pinandpuller]

Aren’t public banks called credit unions?

Has anyone seen Blake Edward’s High Time? Boy that Fabian looked a lot like Rick Nelson.

[MissMarple2]

https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/442677-the-trump-russia-investigation-politics-from-beginning-to-end#.XNU7WvRlKzk.twitter

Andy McCarthy column.

[henry]

The USPS can’t make a profit delivering mail under a monopoly. It won’t profit from banking either.

However, the potential for graft is near unlimited.

[MissMarple2]

https://apnews.com/534793af86d54ba893423f7714df0969

Headline:

EU elections: how they work, what they might change

[jim nj]

Anonamom,

Nowadays some people value free-range chicken eggs.

Back in the 50's and 60's we valued free-range children. I think children socialize differently now.

I think back then they learned more coping skills.

Bullies have existed from the dawn of time. You learned to ignore and pity them. To avoid confrontations with them, all when knowing that if you went after them with all your heart and soul that they would crumble before you.

The criteria for school shootings seems to be students lashing out at bullies. I feel for them, but they should have learned coping skills.

Like how to beat the crap out of a bully, or st least, how to take a beating from a bully and teach him/her that you're no longer an easy target.

Or, at least, how to bluff. You may beat me now, but I'm going to come after you over and over when you least expect it.

[henry]

Japan did the Postal Bank thing. Pure corruption in lending.

https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/commentary/ct-perspec-postoffice-japan-banking-0514-story.html

[jim nj]

Peter,

That's what we males are all about. We bond in games whatever the age.

And the kid was smart too. Trading pistol shots is stupid when you can switch, instantly, in your imagination, to a higher-powered weapon.

[MissMarple2]

Have there always been this number of perverts, or is the practice more prevalent today?

https://www.wishtv.com/national/former-disney-vp-convicted-of-sexually-abusing-girl/1994112420

[MissMarple2]

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/jasonleopold/christopher-steele-mikhail-lesin-murder-putin-fbi

The author of the famous Trump dossier provided a secret report to the FBI asserting that RT founder Mikhail Lesin was bludgeoned to death by thugs hired by an oligarch close to Putin. Three other sources independently told the FBI the same basic story, contradicting the government’s finding that Lesin’s death was accidental.

(This murder happened in 2015.)

[jim nj]

I can't remember if I posted this before or not.

I was going to do a deep analysis about why a postal banking system was a bad idea.

I decided I'd save the time and just say that it's a bad idea. Why spend all that time to develop a cogent argument, when I know intuitively it is a bad idea.

Like a $15.00 minimum wage.

[Pinandpuller]

I need a new mail box but why buy one when I can just rent to own one for 96 months?

[MissMarple2]

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/joe-digenova-no-jerry-nadler-theres-no-constitutional-crisis

[Another Bob]

Raise your hand if you don’t think Gillibrand has the graft already planned?

You just know a government-controlled bank will end up being the delivery method for ever more payoffs to favored people and groups.

And costs? Imagine the construction of new post offices in all the s#&%hole neighborhoods that will be demanded to ”deliver this service” to the “underserved”?

When it struggles, demands that “the rich” be forced to open accounts to beef up deposits?

Can’t see the net good coming from it.

[jimmyk]

No one can seriously think that the same government that has made a hash of health care, trains, and, yes, the postal system, could manage extending the failing postal system into banking. These are the geniuses like Barry who think profit is overhead.

But let’s call it what it is; The camel’s nose under the tent for nationalized banking. That’s the universal wet dream of all Socialists.

[MissMarple2]

https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/442944-fbis-steele-story-falls-apart-false-intel-and-media-contacts-were-flagged#.XNSxTq8O2dk.twitter

John Solomon demonstrates that the FBI knew the Steele dossier was fake at least 10 days before they verified it as reliable to the FISA court.

[Pinandpuller]

Speaking of raptors, reliable sources and drinking does anyone really believe reports of Aeschylus’ death?

[MissMarple2]

Donald J. Trump
‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump
7m7 minutes ago

Talks with China continue in a very congenial manner - there is absolutely no need to rush - as Tariffs are NOW being paid to the United States by China of 25% on 250 Billion Dollars worth of goods & products. These massive payments go directly to the Treasury of the U.S.......

....The process has begun to place additional Tariffs at 25% on the remaining 325 Billion Dollars. The U.S. only sells China approximately 100 Billion Dollars of goods & products, a very big imbalance. With the over 100 Billion Dollars in Tariffs that we take in, we will buy.....

....agricultural products from our Great Farmers, in larger amounts than China ever did, and ship it to poor & starving countries in the form of humanitarian assistance. In the meantime we will continue to negotiate with China in the hopes that they do not again try to redo deal!

[MissMarple2]

Donald J. Trump
‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump
9m9 minutes ago

Tariffs will bring in FAR MORE wealth to our country than even a phenomenal deal of the traditional kind. Also, much easier & quicker to do. Our Farmers will do better, faster, and starving nations can now be helped. Waivers on some products will be granted, or go to new source!

[MissMarple2]

Twitter Moments
‏Verified account @TwitterMoments

Trump invoked the Logan Act, an 18th-century law that criminalizes negotiations with foreign governments by unauthorized citizens, to call out former Sec. of State John Kerry for his discussions with Iranian officials regarding the Obama-era Iran Deal.
============================

Robert Barnes
‏ @Barnes_Law

Watch the media & legal left suddenly rediscover how the Logan Act is an antique law that nobody ever applies in order to defend John Kerry. Then it will be time to remember Sally Yates used it to spy on & entrap General Flynn.

[MissMarple2]

https://thehill.com/hilltv/rising/442998-mike-gravel-slams-off-the-rails-biden-accuses-buttigieg-of-being-empty?__twitter_impression=true&__twitter_impression=true

[Captain Hate]

The butthurt is strong with these two:

https://mobile.twitter.com/davereaboi/status/1126531456115802124

[James D.]

I wonder when the last time any of the proponents of this ridiculous post office bank plan (ridiculous for all the reasons already pointed out in this thread) have actually been IN a post office?

[Captain Hate]

Oh come on... the feds couldn't run a whore house.

1. Hire fat ugly skanks with poor personal hygiene.
2. ????
3. Profit

[Buckeye]

JamesD

The post office in the little town we now live near is quite pleasant, and the postal workers are friendly and helpful.

Almost shocking after living in a big city for 50 years.

[Buckeye]

of course there would be zero need for a payday type lender here either.

[Robin, eff 'em all]

A calm life is worth living, but defending against egregious intrusion is a duty.

I laugh at Democrats.

SBW, that's where I am too. Lately, when they bring up crazy things I invoke the time-tested rolling of eyes that my tween frequently employs. It serves as a reminder that I no longer feel it's worth the energy to argue with them on politics. Definitely gives me a sense of calm in the teapot tempest.

One of my friends linked to a Forbes editorial entitled "Angry? Depressed? You Could Be Grieving Over World Events." Good grief.

[MissMarple2]

Donald J. Trump
‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump
4m4 minutes ago

....If we bought 15 Billion Dollars of Agriculture from our Farmers, far more than China buys now, we would have more than 85 Billion Dollars left over for new Infrastructure, Healthcare, or anything else. China would greatly slow down, and we would automatically speed up!
======================================

I think this was meant to tag onto the last tweet which I posted as a stand-alone.

Here is the thread:

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1126809702535503872

WARNING! Nasty comments are visible. Scroll down until you get to his last tweet and then exit.

[MissMarple2]

Donald J. Trump
‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump
4m4 minutes ago

We have lost 500 Billion Dollars a year, for many years, on Crazy Trade with China. NO MORE!

[Robin, eff 'em all]

Oh golly:

In the case of Donald Trump's occupation of the White House, the Psychologist Gary Greenberg suggests that for some 'it was team pride, for others the sense that something precious to them – reproductive rights, racial tolerance, gender equality – was suddenly threatened. For others still, the narcissistic injury of having such a repellent man embody the country in which they had been trained to take pride.'

I often help clients define their own values by asking them to identify someone whose values they deplore. Once we can see clearly the particular value (or lack of a particular value) in others which we cannot stand, our own values (mostly the inverse of theirs) become clear. Many clients have discovered, thanks to Donald Trump, their own values of fairness, truth, humility, inclusion, and grace.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/remyblumenfeld/2019/04/28/angry-depressed-you-could-be-grieving-over-world-events/#44102ba141ed

[MissMarple2]

Donald J. Trump
‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump
3m3 minutes ago

V.P. Mike Pence will be interviewed on @foxandfriends at 7:30 A.M. Enjoy!

[Buckeye]

Since the sun still rose after entering this new phase of our trade war with China, the markets will likely be calm today.

[MissMarple2]

Robin,

I would say the first thing is not to get one's sense of self from politics!!

One thing I will be forever grateful to President Trump for is showing me what phonies, crooks, and cowards so many of our elected officials are.

[Jane]

That is the longest post evah!

[MissMarple2]

https://thehill.com/policy/national-security/442977-barr-cracks-joke-about-contempt-vote-this-must-be-a-record

He JOKED about it! He does not take Nadler seriously! The very idea!!

[Beasts of England]

'...their own values of fairness, truth, humility, inclusion, and grace.'

Just like Hillary!!

[MissMarple2]

This is from January, but it's worth a re-read:

http://dcwhispers.com/yes-its-true-potus-trump-just-sold-rice-to-china/#bOr5lFpjXeBKLxTS.97

[Another Bob]

“Psychologist Gary Greenberg”

Malpractice.

[henry]

Geez. In Kenosha.

https://fox6now.com/2019/05/10/bradford-h-s-closed-friday-as-manhunt-continues-for-15-year-old-after-shooting/

[MissMarple2]

Donald J. Trump
‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump
7m7 minutes ago

Talks with China continue in a very congenial manner - there is absolutely no need to rush - as Tariffs are NOW being paid to the United States by China of 25% on 250 Billion Dollars worth of goods & products. These massive payments go directly to the Treasury of the U.S....

....The process has begun to place additional Tariffs at 25% on the remaining 325 Billion Dollars. The U.S. only sells China approximately 100 Billion Dollars of goods & products, a very big imbalance. With the over 100 Billion Dollars in Tariffs that we take in, we will buy.....

....agricultural products from our Great Farmers, in larger amounts than China ever did, and ship it to poor & starving countries in the form of humanitarian assistance. In the meantime we will continue to negotiate with China in the hopes that they do not again try to redo deal!

Tariffs will bring in FAR MORE wealth to our Country than even a phenomenal deal of the traditional kind. Also, much easier & quicker to do. Our Farmers will do better, faster, and starving nations can now be helped. Waivers on some products will be granted, or go to new source!
=====================================
This is being shown as new tweets, although most of it is quite similar to earlier stuff this morning.

[MissMarple2]

a personal note for a gesture that doesn’t often make it onto WH twitter but should be recognized: a dear family friend is battling brain cancer — she received this letter from @realDonaldTrump and @flotus today and her mom says it brought her much joy after a very tough week pic.twitter.com/8OjrtT16Zj

— Betsy Klein (@betsy_klein) May 10, 2019

Photo of the letter at the link.

[MissMarple2]

https://townhall.com/columnists/davidlimbaugh/2019/05/10/et-tu-sen-burr-n2546120

[henry]

MSM fell for it.

CNBC Now @CNBCnow
14s

UPDATE: Trump deleted the original tweets, including the one that referenced 'no need to rush,' but then repeated them.

[henry]

Nice rumor... we'll have to wait to see what is in the actual report.

C3 @C_3C_3
9h

Joe DiGenova just claimed IG Horowitz found:

FISA Renewel 1: Illegal
FISA Renewel 2: Illegal
FISA Renewel 3: Illegal

Horowitz is re-examining the original FISA due to new memos flagging Steele’s info as BS before the original FISA approval

FBI was hiding these memos...

BOOM!

[Melinda]

Shouldn't the Gillibrand bank idea be titled The Rostenkowski Quicker Loan Program?

[MissMarple2]

Two minute hilarious video at the link.

Teenagers trying to make phone call on ancient apparatus pic.twitter.com/sbOyK0JGhn

— Lukas Stefanko (@LukasStefanko) May 8, 2019

[MissMarple2]

Donald J. Trump
‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump
15m15 minutes ago

The average 401(k) balance has SOARED since the bottom of the market - 466%. Wow!

[MissMarple2]

Donald J. Trump
‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump
8m8 minutes ago

Build your products in the United States and there are NO TARIFFS!

[MissMarple2]

He's repeating tweets about tariffs again. I am not going to post them, as we all got the message before.

[Captain Hate]

I want John Roberts to be forced to resign for choosing the FISA judges when the shit hits the fan. The sooner that Souter v2.0 Bush Crime Family stain is gone the better.

[Melinda]

Twitter is a free, international, instantaneous radio.

[Narciso79]

Interesting how the lesin tip was not followed up by the bureau isnt it, if this had happened when trump was in office.

Yes the Marshall fund is in charge of deplatforming samizdat voices.

[Buckeye]

The supreme court is a reminder that no matter how good the constitutional intentions, people suck.

[Narciso79]

Keep in mind Leopold is the coked up loony who thought Rove would be 'frogmarched' out of the white house.

[Narciso79]

Tomlinson was the one who 'supposedly' uncovered Serbian favoritism by the report writers at MI 6, when we know the truth was entirely different.

[Manuel Transmission]

Had an interesting couple days. Tuesday evening I get a call that although local, I hesitated to answer given I didn’t recognize it. Well, it was the local courthouse and as it turns out I had missed my first day of jury duty. Oops. I’d completely forgotten that I was committed to be available for most of May. So bright and early on the next two days, I saunter over to the courthouse and sit in various rooms with what seems like half the county.

So yesterday I’m with some of the same peeps that I was grouped with on Wednesday, namely other miscreants who didn’t show up on the first day. Heh. Group W Bench. One of them is now my new best pal. We turned out to practically be twins separated at birth, although he’s nearly a decade and a half younger. Cars, guns, you name it, we couldn’t find any subject we couldn’t practically finish each other’s sentences on.

So late in the afternoon, they try to finish up interviews with last dozen of us particularly a bunch who have to catch the ferry back to Orcas. My new bud gets called and several minutes later, he’s excused. Then I get called. First time for me to get into the witness chair with the whole crew there. Mikes, stenographer, the whole enchilada. Won’t discuss the details of the case beyond that it is a murder trial because I vaguely recall promising not to, but my chat with the lead defense atty, was really sumpin. I had commented in the 10 page questionnaire, that I had mixed feelings about the world of shrinks. He wanted to clarify that particular situation because they were arguing mental incapacity as their ONLY defense. This all took about 20 minutes and wrecked any chance that the rest of the gang in the other room would wrap up and not have to come back in the morning.

What was the sticking point you might ask? I give the lead guy a five minute lecture on the obvious deterioration of the shrink profession wherein they have so corrupted the definitions of being whacko, that instead of having people locked up in state institutions like we did 50 yrs ago, they were now sleeping in doorways down in Seattle. And unless the dude across the table was wearing a jacket with the arms wrapped around the back sitting in a wheelchair while drooling out of the corner of his mouth, it seemed a stretch to give him a pass for bashing his wife’s head in.

I don’t think he liked that.

Anyway, now I’m back to trying to get my plane home from the paint shop.

[James D.]

I often help clients define their own values by asking them to identify someone whose values they deplore. Once we can see clearly the particular value (or lack of a particular value) in others which we cannot stand, our own values (mostly the inverse of theirs) become clear. Many clients have discovered, thanks to Donald Trump, their own values of fairness, truth, humility, inclusion, and grace.

That sounds pretty much like extreme malpractice to me...

[Tom R]

Comey is either insane or subtly informing the American public that the Democrats consider KGB/Gestapo-like tactics as reasonable and normal activities.

https://twitter.com/themarketswork/status/1126824436810706944?s=21

[Narciso79]

Another thing I noted was that arms dealer Ali antar who was the connection in op et action cassandra.

[henry]

Yes, the guilty until proven innocent is not just Comey. It is a feature of broad Patriot ct requests for back doors and comms sweeps. It is a feature of DoJ deregulation by Sessions / Rosenstein "safe harbor" provisions. None of the ACELA types seems to notice how Orwellian they all are.

[Buckeye]

Comey is either insane or subtly informing the American public that the Democrats consider KGB/Gestapo-like tactics as reasonable and normal activities.

How about both:)

[MissMarple2]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cw5KFBiKPQ8

This is a REALLY interesting video interview which I have been listening to. Whistleblower on Benghazi plus the father of one of the guys killed there, who is a retired judge.

[MissMarple2]

Donald J. Trump
‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump
20m20 minutes ago

Your all time favorite President got tired of waiting for China to help out and start buying from our FARMERS, the greatest anywhere in the World!

[MissMarple2]

Donald J. Trump
‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump
14m14 minutes ago

Great Consumer Price Index just out. Really good, very low inflation! We have a great chance to “really rock!” Good numbers all around.

[MissMarple2]

Donald J. Trump
‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump

House Republicans should not vote for the BAD DEMOCRAT Disaster Supplemental Bill which hurts our States, Farmers & Border Security. Up for vote tomorrow. We want to do much better than this. All sides keep working and send a good BILL for immediate signing!

========================

Donald J. Trump
‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump
9h9 hours ag

Republicans must stick together!

[henry]

Perhaps a poll tax for voting rights?

Vicki McKenna @VickiMcKenna
1m

New York Wants To Force All Gun Owners To Buy A Million Dollar Liability Policy To Exercise Their RIGHTS

https://twitter.com/VickiMcKenna/status/1126838677441785856

(leads to a ZH link)

[MissMarple2]

Donald J. Trump
‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump
33s34 seconds ago

Looks to me like it’s going to be SleepyCreepy Joe over Crazy Bernie. Everyone else is fading fast!

[boris]

My take also is that:

Mueller doesn't like Trump, and was out to get him on whatever he could, [but] the main thrust of his report was to defend the FBI and others who investigated Trump; to say, maybe Trump, in the end, wasn't guilty of colluding with Russians, but the investigations were justified and proper.

Basically a swamp dog defending not just the bogus investigation but also the swamp itself from any threat of drainage.

[clarice]

https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/442944-fbis-steele-story-falls-apart-false-intel-and-media-contacts-were-flagged

[henry]

boris, was the Rosenstien celebration then a victory dance for those saving the swamp from those drainage threats? (minus a few expendables)

[Beasts of England]

'Your all time favorite President...'

How hard was Trump laughing when he typed that zinger?! Sting like a bee, baby! 😎

[henry]

Evers' budget is now in the circular file:

https://www.watchdog.org/wisconsin/wisconsin-republicans-begin-trek-toward-their-new-state-budget/article_a8bd1b42-7293-11e9-a710-33e118dc4433.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=user-share

[boris]

"Rosenstien celebration then a victory dance for those saving the swamp"

Possibly, but it's conceivable there's a mix of relief that collusion no longer requires risky pretending, the threat of mutual assured destruction may be past, and Trump's AG is willing to overlook shenanigans in return for future cooperation.

Likely? no, but conceivable.

[Ignatz Ratzkiwatzki]

--It’s time to stop relying on the big banks and predatory lenders, and expand access to fair consumer banking services through “a public option” like postal banking and public banks.--

A non-crazy idea? Extending 2008's sub-prime housing loan catastrophe to the entire economy?
On what planet is that not a crazy idea?
The market already provides short term loans to low income people, otherwise known as bad risks. That is why their interest rates are so high; they're more unlikely to repay them.
One of two things would result from this.
Either low income people will default on their loans and their neighbors will have to pay the loans back through taxation or the government will step in like the worst loan shark ever and force the poor to give them all their assets above a certain minimum as it does now with public assistance.
Either scenario is worse than what we have now.
The Post Office can't even break even with a governmental monopoly on mail delivery, but it's going to run a bank for the poor?

That's very crazy. It should be given to some efficient governmental entity like the DMV or public education. ::eyeroll::

[MissMarple2]

Sara Carter also is writing about the FBI using the fake dossier KNOWINGLY:

https://saraacarter.com/docs-reveal-fbi-allowed-british-spys-false-intel-to-guide-bureaus-operation-against-trump/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=social-pug

[Buckeye]

Trump is politely telling Xi that he likes him every bit as much as Xi likes Trump:)

[MissMarple2]

Beasts,

I laughed at that "all-time favorite president" tweet, too!

I imagined the press reading that and their temple veins bulging in rage. LOL!

[Manuel Transmission]

Jim nj: New realm added to cybersecurity and cyber counter-attack, kinetically taking out the source.

I have fantasized for years that Mitch Rapp led hit squads would be kicking in doors and popping miscreants who use the phones or internet to do their evil. At this point, certain facilities in Silicone Valley (heh) might get the message if random purveyors of social media received that treatment as well.

[Extraneus]

JMH, nice video link to the Goshawk!

https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Northern_Goshawk

[MissMarple2]

Donald J. Trump
‏Verified account @realDonaldTrump
7m7 minutes ago

“We have been engaged in an unfair relationship with China for a long time. They have reneged on the commitments they made to the WTO, particularly around intellectual property.” Carly Fiorina @MariaBartiromo

[Buckeye]

Silicone Valley (heh)

:)

[Manuel Transmission]

Speaking of DMV, Buckeye, when you finally have to wander up to Delaware to renew your license or get new plates, you will be pleasantly surprised when you find the little shop in a strip mall that does all that under contract. In and out in no time. Pleasant folks. Totally not Cowlumbus.