Relevant and even prescient commentary on news, politics and the economy.

The art of the shaft

Trump thinks the DoJ is his personal law firm. And he thinks the military is his personal militia. So like all the rest of his contractors, he’s shafting them: “The 4,000 California National Guard soldiers who President Donald Trump surged into Los Angeles remain unpaid due to delays in issuing official activation orders, leaving compensation […]

Subsidizing the Upper Income Citizens by Stiffing Lower Income Citizens

“Distributional Effects of H.R. 1, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act” CBO and the staff of the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) analysis of the budgetary and distributional effects of H.R. 1 or the “One Beautiful Piece of ? as passed on May 22, 2025. CBO estimates, on average, household resources would increase over the […]

A Political Third Rail

Musk has lost his shine with Trump so he has been sidelined. Instead, Musk has become critical of Trump and what he is doing. In this case Musk is calling Trump’s latest “This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. […]

Cuts to Medicaid and maybe Medicare

Briefly, a fast read . . . Trumps extension of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) is a $3.8 trillion extension of it which will mostly benefit the wealthy and corporations. Professor Heather at “Letters from an American” (to which I subscribe) had this to say yesterday about the extension current being passed […]

No Social Security Scandal . . . Just Fake News . . .

Gee, “Whata Surprise” . . . There is no overwhelming Social Security Scandal or Fraud. A newly reported document shows that “anti-fraud checks” implemented at the Social Security agency found virtually no improper benefit claims. This find, while slowing payments substantially. ‘A Huge Scandal’: Internal Doc Exposes Trump-Musk Hunt for Social Security Fraud as a […]

Mostly About Social Security – Briefly

Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Pa.) re-introduced a bicameral bill, “The Medicare and Social Security Fair Share Act.” The aim of the bill is to require taxpayers with yearly incomes of more than $400,000 to contribute a fairer share of their income to the two programs. This is the opposite of what […]

Confirmation of Bisignano by Senate GOP Greenlights ‘DOGE Dismantling Social Security’

Republicans chose the worse alternative for strengthening Social Security. Instead Bisignano will be implementer of Social Security’s demise. Democrats need t really step back and do whatever is necessary to block this appointment. More recently than the April 14 commentary by Nancy Altman is this later article on Social Security. Although Trump says nothing will […]

Social Security Changes to Block Immigrants who were Legal

What happens if you are not an immigrant? Social Security changes has hit upon ordinary citizens also. This is a brief piece article about one citizen whose Social Security status was changed arbitrarily. Joyce Evans received an alarming letter two days before Christmas 2023. (“Family sues Social Security after mom spent dying days fighting error, […]

Musk’s big blooper? His claim of millions of dead people receiving Social Security checks

Elon Musk wants to make seniors on Social Security suffer Smears, Sadism, and Social Security, Paul Krugman We often think of Social Security as a retirement program, which it is. Most Social Security beneficiaries achieve that status simply by reaching retirement age. The program also helps Americans with disabilities preventing them from working or limit […]