Tag: DEI

Troubling Signs about Bidenomics | Learn to Think Like an Economist

Troubling Signs about Bidenomics | Learn to Think Like an Economist

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Show 14-18 Summary: Does anyone remember when the media objectively covered economics. After all, so much of it revolves around data. And yet the mainstream media does everything it can to attack good economies, like we had under Trump, while providing cover for lame economies, driven primarily by government and government spending, like what we have under Joe Biden. So how do you know what to trust and whom to trust? On this week’s show we talk to an economist to help you think like an economist.

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Original Air Dates: May 4th & 5th, 2024 | Guest: Jonathan Williams

This Week –  Despite the mainstream media doing their best to run cover for Biden and his economic policies, there are some troubling signs about Bidenomics. And some of it really troubling. Which is why you’re not hearing those kinds of stories in the mainstream media.

When it comes to the economy, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre is Biden’s DEI hiring-equivalent of “Baghdad Bob.”

GDP for the first quarter was half of normal growth and less than half of the previous quarter. Unemployment for April rose with one of the indicators the worst it’s been since November 2021. And yet all we ever hear out of the White House is how great things are. Including a rather startling comment from KJP. According to her, prices are too low. That woman is Biden’s DEI hiring equivalent of “Baghdad Bob.”

But because economic reporting has become so politicized how can an everyday person tell whether or not the economy is doing well — aside from their own subjective experiences? Because their experiences may not be what everyone else is going through.

Think Like an Economist

So this week we talk to an economist—Jonathan Williams, Executive Vice President of the American Legislative Exchange Council, and their chief economist—to help people learn to think a little more like an economist.

What are some of the trigger points to look for? What are some of the more reliable measurements that indicate a good or a bad economy? And what economic levers can they pull to turn an economy around or to keep a good economy going?

And all of that to help people pick the right people to put them in charge to get the economy on the right track

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Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

  • Jonathan’s organization is ALEC – the American Legislative Exchange Council. Find out more at ALEC.org.
    • Encourage your representatives to join ALEC! There are state and city memberships. Help elected officials understand economic problems and the real solutions available to get out of them! Send them this link: https://alec.org/membership/.
    • And you too can join as a private-sector member!
    • You can follow Jonathan on Twitter at @TaxEconomist.
  • How did Oregon do in the 2024 edition of Rich States, Poor States? We actually moved up on notch—although we’re still in the low 40s. Explore all the states or jump to Oregon’s rankings.
    • Be sure to try out the red “adjust policies” tab!
  • Biden Administration’s New Climate Rules Add $31,000 to Price of New Home, Industry Groups Say (The Epoch Times, May 1, 2024)
  • That Stephen Moore article: “Why Small Businesses Hate Bidenomics” (The Daily Signal, April 23, 2024)
  • GDP growth slowed to a 1.6% rate in the first quarter, well below expectations (CNBC, Apr 25, 2024).

The Death of DEI?

Other Related Economics News

  • ‘Harassment’: Feds Impose Trans Agenda on Employers for Pronouns, Bathrooms (The Daily Signal, April 29, 2024)
    • The Daily Signal reported that under new federal guidelines — released on Monday by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission — an employer would be guilty of harassment by requiring someone to use a restroom that corresponds with their biological sex or if someone “misgenders” them.
  • US births reach 45-year low – report (RT, Apr 25, 2024)
  • Why hundreds of U.S. banks may be at risk of failure (CNBC, May 1, 2024)
  • U.S. job growth totaled 175,000 in April, much less than expected, while unemployment rose to 3.9% (CNBC, May 1, 2024)
  • Long-predicted consumer pullback finally hits restaurants like Starbucks, KFC and McDonald’s (CNBC, May 1, 2024)
14-12 Conservatives on Offense | The Right Things for the Right Reasons

14-12 Conservatives on Offense | The Right Things for the Right Reasons

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Show 14-12 Summary: Conservatives on offense means conservatives doing the right thing and for the right reasons. First up, we talk with Scott Shepard of the Free Enterprise Project about Apple’s viewpoint discrimination (meaning conservatives) and FEP’s shareholder proposal to expose the issue. Remember Apple’s Big Brother ad? Turns out they’ve become Big Brother—even their own “reeducation camps.” Then it’s Craig Rucker Executive Director of CFACT and their lawsuit to save whales from the Biden administration. Conservatives suing to save whales? While the Far left is willing to let them die on the altar of green energy? Who had that on their bingo card? Two conservative groups going on offense.

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Original Air Dates: March 23, 2024 | Guests: Scott Shepard & Craig Rucker

This Week – Conservatives on Offense

We love it when conservatives stop sitting there and taking whatever the Left throws at them. When conservatives go on offense, it brings others to the cause. Especially when they are doing the right things for the right reasons.

First, we talk to Scott Shepard from the Free Enterprise Project. Their mission is to push back on woke corporate America. They learned that Apple does not protect its workers against viewpoint discrimination. In fact, they found out that Apple actively discriminates against workers who don’t share Apple’s woke worldview. And it gets worse. Tune in to hear what happens  once Apple finds out workers don’t share their woke vision.

So last month, the Free Enterprise Project filed a shareholder resolution to expose the issue. And you can guess how Apple’s board reacted. but he fight’s not over yet.

If you own shares, you can vote on shareholder resolutions. Put Big Tech and other woke companies on notice. Get the Proxy Navigator app from the Free Enterprise Project, America’s leading organization to fight the woke disease infecting corporate America. Join other conservatives on offense. Learn more at ProxyNavigator.com.

Kill the Whales

Who would ever have imagined a time when conservatives fighting to save endangered whales because “environmentalists” are willing to sacrifice them on the altar of green energy? Well, when sacrificing a few hundred whales means your ideological side could get tens of billions of taxpayer dollars perhaps it’s not a surprise.

But wait, aren’t conservatives and capitalists supposed to be the greedy ones? Conservatives on offense to save whales. We love it. And they’re doing it for the right reasons. Not like the greedy environmentalists willing to sacrifice whales to get billions of taxpayer dollars. There’s the real greed.

Craig Rucker, executive director of Committee For A Constructive Tomorrow (CFACT) joins us to discuss their lawsuit against the Biden administration. CFACT had some great winds against offshore wind farms in 2023. They successfully derailed offshore wind farms in New York and New Jersey. And they’re fighting to stop the planned wind farm off of Virginia Beach. Right in the middle of whale migration paths.

Tune in to hear how the Biden administration is ignoring laws in their agenda to push wind farms. And they’re happy to sacrifice endangered whales to push billions of taxpayers into the Far Left’s pockets.

And that even has grassroots environmental groups scratching their heads. What happened to the Left’s rallying cry, “Save the whales!”?

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Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

Scott Shepard’s Segments 1–3
Conservatives on offense against woke corporate America

  • Press Release: Apple Refuses to Protect Employees from Viewpoint Discrimination (Free Enterprise Project, Feb 29, 2024)
  • Check out the horrid scores of woke companies on the Viewpoint Diversity Index.
    • “Each company’s score indicates their level of respect for free speech and religious freedom based on policies, practices, and other relevant criteria.”
  • Find out more about the Free Enterprise Project and the great work they do. Sign up for their newsletter to stay informed on woke corporate America.
  • Get Free Enterprise Project’s Proxy Navigator at proxynavigator.com available at the Apple store, Google Play, or as a web app.
    • “Proxy Navigator offers voting recommendations from the Free Enterprise Project (FEP) for each company that FEP covers in a living and breathing app that will receive regular updates as information evolves. A terrific new tool to remind users of what shareholder votes are coming up and to put our latest recommendations right in front of them, exactly when they need them.
    • “But that’s not all! Proxy Navigator will also offer many features to give it year-round value to investors and market followers, including a stock ticker and news aggregator to make Proxy Navigator a one-stop app for tracking investments.”
  • Washington State Supreme Court: Passing bar no longer required to be a lawyer (Just the News, Mar 21, 2024)

Craig Rucker’s Segments 4–6
Conservatives on offense to save endangered whales

  • Coalition sues to block Virginia offshore wind project to protect the Right Whale (CFACT. org, March 18, 2024)
    • “The lawsuit … claims the agencies illegally approved Dominion Energy’s offshore wind project by ignoring glaring and obvious procedural errors that subjects the endangered North Atlantic right whale to further grave harm.”
    • The Heartland Institute and National Legal and Policy Center are co-plaintiffs in the lawsuit
  • The Reuters smear: “Right-wing groups sue US over offshore wind impact on whales” (Reuters, March 18, 2024)
  • Did you miss Craig’s last appearance on I Spy Radio, discussing their wins against the Far Left? Head to Show 14-01.

Additional Info

  • From Capitalism To Corporatism (Zero Hedge, Mar 20, 2024)
  • The 1792 Exchange (1792exchange.com)
    • “1792 Exchange is a 501(c)(3), non-profit organization whose mission is to develop policy and resources to protect and equip non-profits, small businesses and philanthropy from “woke” corporations, to educate Congress and stakeholder organizations about the dangers of ESG (environmental, social, and governance) policies, and to help steer public companies in the United States back to neutral on ideological issues so they can best serve their shareholders and customers with excellence and integrity.”
  • Europe Swings Right: Socialists face setbacks across the globe, and Joe Biden could be next. (American Mind, March 12, 2024)
  • How the Left Was Left: Old-time liberals would not recognize the doctrine that speaks in their name (American Mind, March 19, 2024)
14-05 No Justice Except for “Just Us” | Lawfare Against Trump, DEI Against Common Sense

14-05 No Justice Except for “Just Us” | Lawfare Against Trump, DEI Against Common Sense

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Show 14-04 Summary: There’s no justice in a “just us” world. Whether you’re talking lawfare for one side but prosecutors are willingly blind for the other side. Or whether you’re talking corporate governance where one side’s ideology is forced onto how companies do business. But the good news is, this kind of discrimination may finally be starting to catch up with the Left.

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Original Air Dates: February 3rd & 4th, 2024 | Guests: Paul Kamenar and Scott Shepard

This Week – Cases Against Trump, DEI Against Common Sense

We talk with Paul Kamenar, the lead counsel for National Legal and Policy Center for his legal analysis about the cases against Trump, the corruption in the Fani Willis office (one of the prosecutors determined to “get Trump”), and the Hunter Biden cases.

And then we talk about the poison of “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” that has been pushed by trillion-dollar Leftist hedge funds on corporate America. Except now they’re pulling back on this racist hiring practice. It turns out Boeing’s planes aren’t the only thing whose wheels are falling off. But why now?

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Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

Paul Kamenar Segments 1–3

  • FBI’s Wray Faces Worst NIGHTMARE As Matt Gaetz Shows Hunter Biden’s SHOCKING Text Message (Tuyền Ơi YT Channel, Jan 29, 2024)*Just imagine if Don Jr. had sent this text instead of Hunter Biden: “I’m sitting here with my father. I will make certain that between the man sitting next to me and every person he knows and my ability to forever hold a grudge that you will regret not following my direction. I am sitting here waiting for the call with my father.”
  • What you need to know about Fani Willis charges and election subversion case (News 22 Times, Jan 24, 2024)
  • What you need to know about the drama surrounding Fulton County DA Fani Willis (Atlanta News First, Jan 16, 2024)
  • Interview: Attorney for special prosecutor’s estranged wife discusses divorce case (11 Alive, Jan 31, 2024)
  • What in the world was Fani Willis thinking? (WaPo Opinion, Jan 22, 20224)
  • Lawyer’s ‘Loan’ to Hunter Biden Violates Legal Ethics (via NewsMax, Jan 25, 2024)*As Hunter Biden’s attorney, Morris is prohibited from lending or giving money to his clients under California bar rules.
  • Even more Fani Willis corruption? Uncovered Audio Reveals Whistleblower FIRED After Warning Fani Willis About Misuse of Federal Funds (WLT Report, Jan 31, 2024)
    • “A newly surfaced audio recording reveals that Fanni Willis was warned by a whistleblower in private about her top aide misusing federal funds.”
    • In 2021, Amanda Timpson, a Fulton County DA employee, informed Willis about the aide’s plans to use “$488,000 federal grant—earmarked for the creation of a Center of Youth Empowerment and Gang Prevention—to pay for “swag,” computers, and travel.”
    • Fani Willis did not deny the allegations or report the aide. Instead, less than 2 months later, she FIRED the whistleblower…
Letitia James Case
More Lawfare Against Trump

Scott Shepard Segments 4–6

  • Stefan Padfield: “Are The Big 5 Liars?” (Free Enterprise Project Commentary, National Center, 28 Nov 2023)
  • Is BlackRock’s Retrenchment From ESG Real? (Scott Shepard, NCPPR, Jan 9, 2024)
  • Horace Cooper on Fox News: “Airlines, Boeing, Biden Prioritize Diversity Over Safety” (National Center, Jan 9, 2024)
    • “Have Boeing and other companies in the airline industry sacrificed excellence and safety on the altar of diversity?”
    • Horace Cooper (from NCPPR’s Project 21): “In my latest book, I mention this dalliance with DEI, this idea that diversity is more important than a meritocracy. I titled the chapter ‘D-I-E’ because THIS CAN KILL.”
    • The president of the United States has picked Mayor Pete to be in charge of airline safety — again, choosing diversity over the importance of the real reason there’s an FAA, and that’s safety.
  • Boeing Shareholders Reject Proposal Seeking Ideological Balance on Board (NCPPR, Apr 27, 2020)
  • Major Cuts at UPS: Company Announces Layoff of 12,000 (Gateway Pundit, Jan 30, 2024)
  • Multiple former senior Boeing staffers say they would NOT fly on killer 737 Max planes (Daily Mail, Jan 31, 2024)

Additional/Related

  • Trump’s lawyers want special counsel Jack Smith held in contempt in 2020 election interference case (AP, Jan 4, 2024)
    Judge sets hearing for misconduct claims against prosecutor leading Ga. Trump case (NPR, January 18, 2024)
  • Fani Willis Scandal: How An Alleged Romantic Relationship With A Prosecutor Could Upend Trump’s Criminal Trial (Forbes, Jan 22, 2024</a

 

 

13-38 Get Educated – School Choice, Woke in Corporate Boardrooms

13-38 Get Educated – School Choice, Woke in Corporate Boardrooms

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Show 13-38 Summary: This week, it’s about getting an education – and pushing back on the woke society is pushing on us. In our school systems and pushing back on woke corporations, like Disney, that think they know better about what society needs than what we Americans think. But what happens in those board rooms? And just how much power do activist shareholders have — who want to make a company go woke or, conversely, stop a company going woke? We also catch up with the effort to get real school choice on the ballot here in Oregon. And how a terrible personal accident has reignited the effort.

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Original Air Dates: September 23rd & 24th, 2023 | Guests: Donna Kreitzberg and Scott Shepard

This Week – Get Educated on Woke

This week, we are talking about woke in the corporate boardroom. And its negative impact on a corporation’s share prices and profits. So why do they do it? And when it comes to going woke even when it hurts shareholders, there is no better example of Bob Iger’s transformation of Disney and marching to the Left’s ideology. And did he set up his hand-picked successor, Bob Chapek — only to swoop in and clean up the mess he himself left?

But first, we talk about real school choice. We catch up with Donna Kreitzberg to hear how things are going to get real school choice on the ballot for Oregon’s 2024 general election. Education Freedom for Oregon just came through their summer events. So how did they do? How far along are they in their petition drive?

Have you signed one yet? Head to this link to download a signature form — then print it, sign it, and and mail it back.

We also wanted to talk to Donna because she recently had a horrible accident, that required her to be life-flighted out of the Montana wilderness. Hear how this personal tragedy has reignited her passion to get this on the ballot and to help kids get out from schools where they feel trapped.

And did you know real school choice will not only help kids trapped in bad schools but it can help free teachers too. Tune in to find out how.

Get Educated: On Woke Corporations and their Boardrooms

The Supreme Court recently overturned affirmative action as a gate for higher education. But what impact with that ruling have on woke corporations and their DEI initiatives? DEI being “diversity, equity, and inclusion.” DEI also being Leftist codespeak for, “exclude people who don’t share our political ideology.”

Yes, Bud Light gets the attention when it comes to “go woke, go broke.” But Disney is the true leader when it comes to going woke. Think about it. Did Bud Light ever have the pro-family, pro-America reputation that Disney once had. And Disney is now actively pushing a woke, transgender ideology at kids. Bud Light isn’t exactly pushing their products at kids.

Woke for thee but not for me. Disney reports DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusiveness for its employees but not its own board members or executives
Disney’s DEI for employees—but not the board? (click image for full size). Source.

We talk with Scott Shepard, the director of the Free Enterprise Project, which is the original and premier opponent of the woke takeover of American corporate life. Disney is back in the news as its revenues continue to crater, losing money on woke, box office flops, and bleeding Disney+ subscribers. And even at its parks, its one source of profits, attendance is down.

Could it be because they’re pushing transgender at kids even at their parks? Nah! Couldn’t be that!

We also talk with Scott about a broader view of corporations and their boardrooms. If, say, an activist shareholder wanted to take a corporate woke, could they? Just how much power do they have? Or what if a shareholder wanted to protect a pro-America company from an activist board?

You never knew corporations and free enterprise could be so interesting and entertaining.

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Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

Donna Kreitzberg’s Segments (1–3)

Scott Shepard Segments (4–6)

Articles from National Center and the Free Enterprise Project
Disney’s Corporate Wokeness
Bob Iger: Determined to Take Disney to Ideological Ruin
  • Disney CEO Bob Iger: Marvel Diluted Audience’s Focus and Attention by Making So Many Disney+ TV Shows (Variety, excerpt via Slashdot.ord, July 17, 2023)
  • Bob Iger Reveals His Master Plan to Restore the Magic at Disney (Bloomberg, Feb 9, 2023)
  • Bob Iger Isn’t Having Much Fun: Eight months after returning as Disney’s CEO, he is straining to put out fire after fire, including streaming losses, an activist investor and TV woes (WSJ, July 14, 2023)
  • Is Bob Iger screwed up at Disney because of woke content, the removal of Disney+ content, and the possible sale of Lucasfilm? (David Mullich, via Reddit, June 15, 2023)
  • Politicization of Disney Gives Bob Iger Path to White House (Real Clear Politics, May 14, 2022)
    • Iger is (or was) considering a run for the presidency.
  • Bob Iger Lambasted For CNBC Comments About Strike: “He Came Out Of Retirement To Make $54 Million In Two Years And Says This” (Deadline, July 13, 2023)
    • One tweet: “Hollywood writers, on average, are paid $69,510 a year. Bob Iger is paid $74,175 a DAY.”
  • Disney Is in a Death Spiral and I Don’t See Bob Iger Reversing It (The Street, July 14, 2023)
    • A marked decline in attendance for Summer 2023 at Disney World and Disneyland
    • “According to boxofficemojo.com, Disney only has three of the top 10 grossing films thus far in 2023.”
Related
13-29 Bidenomics is Killing Capitalism and The Little Guy

13-29 Bidenomics is Killing Capitalism and The Little Guy

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Show 13-29 Summary: This week, we’re looking into Bidenomics and what’s happening in the wider economy, what’s supposedly real (allegedly booming) and what’s real (it’s not booming). We also take a look at the hand-in-glove relationship between Big Government and Big Business — as they partner to make each other stronger, bigger, and more powerful. Meanwhile, there’s small businesses and the taxpayer but government’s relationship with them is more hand-in-pocket. And, as one might expect, Oregon dropped two spots in the latest Rich States/Poor States ranking of state economies. We discuss why.

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Original Air Dates: July 22nd & 23rd, 2023 | Guest: Jonathan Williams

This Week – Bidenomics Killing Capitalism

It’s no secret that socialists hate real capitalism and the free market system because it means government is not in control. People are. And it makes the little guy wealthy and independent of government. And that’s the mortal enemy of socialism.
Enter Bidenomics. Which is the perfect (for socialism) answer to capitalism. Bidenomics marries Big Government with Big Business providing the socialist kill shot for capitalism.

Under Bidenomics, Big Business flourishes. Why? Because Big Government squeezes out Big Business’s competitors by using regulations to choke smaller companies’ profits while Big Business plays by different rules. In a regulation-heavy market, guess who wins? The ones who can afford the most lawyers and lobbyists.

Take a listen to this brief video mentioned during the show to see how Bidenism is causing a lurch toward monopolies in the banking sector. To squeeze out their smaller competitors. (The original tweet is from Dr. Peter St. Onge.)

Jonathan Williams of ALEC

We talk Bidenomics with Jonathan Williams, the Executive Vice President of Policy and Chief Economist for ALEC — the American Legislative Exchange Council. ALEC is the nation’s leading economic policy think tank, working directly with state legislators to pass free-market solutions to Big Government’s constant overreach.

Jonathan discusses what’s really happening with Bidenomics. No surprise, the Biden admin is on full spin mode trying to make people disbelieve the evidence of their own eyes. Inflation, high prices that keep getting higher, and more. But we’re told but the Bidenomics priesthood this is all a good thing.

And we talk about the corruption happening now in Washington, D.C., which Jonathan likes to call, the Land of Make Believe. Did anyone ever expect to see this much corruption and no one do anything about it? Not even pretend to be interested?

And what about that lurch away from capitalism to monopolism — where Big Government works hand-in-glove with Big  Business to kill off their competitors.

Finally, we talk about ALEC’s latest Rich States, Poor States edition, which came out in April 2023. Oregon dropped a couple of spots. Which probably surprises no one who lives in Oregon. But find out why.

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Research, Links Mentioned & Additional Info

  • Visit Jonathan Williams’ terrific organization, American Legislative Exchange Council or ALEC. And urge your state representatives and senators to get become part of ALEC.
  • You can follow Jonathan on Twitter at @TaxEconomist
  • How did Oregon do in the 2023 edition of Rich States, Poor States? Not so good. Explore all the states or jump to Oregon’s rankings.
  • Disney Might Sell Off TV Assets Like ABC, CEO Bob Iger Says (Forbes, July 13, 2023)
  • Disney CEO Bob Iger in ‘damage control’ mode over possible sale of ABC, ESPN (NY Post, July 19, 2023)
  • Millions of U.S. Jobs Are at Risk From Climate Policy: Joe Trotter in Delaware Valley Journal – American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC, June 22, 2023)
  • Kotek doles out 22% raises, $1500 inflation bonus (Oregon Catalyst, July 19, 2023)*The end result is the latest agreement for these Oregon government employees which includes a 6 point 5 percent raise this December and another 6 point 5 percent raise in 13 months. Other employees will be getting between 13 and 22 percent raises. It also includes a one-time $15 hundred dollar bonus to handle inflation.

Not Mentioned but Related

  • Field Office, Defaults on $73.8 Million Loan (Willamette Week, July 17, 2023)*Field Office, a 2 hundred 90 thousand-square-foot office complex near the Willamette River, have defaulted on their $74 million dollar loan. It’s due to being unable to find enough tenants.
  • Oregon Doctors seek to form a union (Oregon Catalyst, July 17, 2023)*Doctors seek unions due to being pressured and negatively impacted as they’re forced to accept more patients. More and more doctors are being forced into consolidation and away from smaller, family care environments. Along with more rules and legal requirements. A result from heavy handed taxes, fees, red tape, and legal impositions imposed by governments.As Oregon hospitals lost nearly half billion dollars in just a half year.
  • Lebanon considers asking voters for new tax (Democrat Herald, July 17, 2023)*Lebanon elected officials are considering raising taxes to avoid depleting the city’s general fund by 2024 and operate at a deficit by 2026. The city was up against a $1 point 2 million dollar shortfall when its fiscal year started this July.
  • The Rise and Fall of the Chief Diversity Officer (Wall Street Journal, July 21, 2023)