Qui Bono?

 Qui Bono?

The Roman people regarded Lucius Cassius as a wise and honest judge. He was in the habit of frequently asking "Qui Bono?" or "to whom might it be for a benefit?" Why the history lesson? Because responsibility has become a very touchy subject. But it shouldn't be a partisan one. Hence the utility of an impartial judge from 2,000 years ago.

What Cassius was getting at with the simple question of "Qui Bono?" is who benefits from an outcome? By and large, purposeful decisions over time result in outcomes. You study hard in high school, go to college, get a good job, further your education, etc. Generally you turn out with a decent outcome. Same with investing. If you start young and are diligent and have some luck along the way you generally compound your money over time. The LA Fires are an outcome.

Much will be written and hopefully studied during the autopsy of these fires. A "blue-ribbon" panel would be welcome. There are many important questions that need answers from Gov Gavin Newsom, Mayor Karen Bass, and Insurance Commissioner Ricardo Lara.

Having the courage to ask "Qui Bono?" is an important first step, whether you are evaluating a business deal, looking at an investment or in this case trying to understand an outcome like the LA Fires. LA, California, and yes US citizen taxpayers will be (not "could be" or "may be") on the hook for billions of dollars. We deserve better than the LA Fires outcome.

The challenge of asking "Qui Bono?" aloud is there are many intellectually weak and morally bankrupt  individuals who will instinctively label you a "conspiracy theorist" or worse. Hold your head up high and ask away, this isn't China. Very apropos for the LA Fires oddly though, in an almost mystical way calling back from the past some 50 years ago, is the required viewing of "Chinatown." Test your metal like Jake Gittes and follow the money...it will lead to the truth, perhaps one as Californians we do not want to admit.

Wite-Out

Wite-Out

Today millions of American citizens will dutifully write checks to the IRS, State, and Local governments for billions of their hard-earned dollars. But this quarter their "fair share" will be lower, low enough to warrant a bottle of Wite-Out on the quarterly vouchers. Income destruction has been wrought upon you by politicians who know only a W-2 and an endless gravy train. Free Healthcare. Fat Pensions. Largess.

On this hallowed day, it is worthwhile to recount the introduction to our Declaration of Independence:

"When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation."

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduct them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over the States."

Do you ever feel like you're getting the taxation without the representation? Did you instruct your Congressman to abolish our borders? Did you tell the same "leader" that you want to rely on foreign oil and supply chains for your well-being? Is your "fair share" tossed atop government coffers overflowing with taxpayer remittences...waiting to be squandered on programs and services that benefit only the denizens of corruption? How is your "pursuit of Happiness" going these days?

 

The Legend of Poopy Britches

The Legend of Poopy Britches

Occasionally a story is so bizarre, so outrageous, so unreal that it obviously MUST be true...hence is the case with Poopy Britches. Dubbed "the most significant fraud on taxpayer funds in California history," (which is actually really, really saying something), California has paid in excess of $1,000,000,000 in fraudulent unemployment claims to prison and jail inmates.

For some unknown reason, there doesn't exist a system to cross-check whether a citizen is in jail prior to paying out unemployment benefits. There are cameras at every street corner in LA to fine motorists. There are elaborate sting operations to catch people with more than 3 households for Thanksgiving. A surfer was arrested for...surfing. But things are so bad at the EDD (Employment Development Department) that not only are funds being dispersed to criminals currently in jail, but debit cards were issued to such outrageous names as Poopy Britches without any sanity checks.

Politicians are poor stewards of taxpayer funds because there is no incentive for them to be good stewards. Has there been any bigger victim to the largesse of government than the taxpayer? If ever there was a concrete reason to dismantle a complicated taxation system, this is it. Any time money is laundered through the government for benefit programs, inevitably there is "leakage." Why not change the policy to reward work? Eliminating the payroll tax benefits everyone, yet billions in PPP loans were issued with massive amounts of fraud, waste, and abuse.

Poppy Britches should teach us all that rather than launching payment programs funded by taxpayer funds, we should rather eliminate or reduce existing taxes and laws. Streamlining efficiency should be the goal, work should be rewarded, and ultimately bureaucracy that is not a good steward of taxpayer funds needs to be eliminated tout de suite.