Trump's Commodore Hotel

I just read an interesting article on the ProPublica website. It's titled, "Trump Pushed for a Sweetheart Tax Deal on His First Hotel. It's Cost New York City $410,068,399 and Counting." It is about Pres. Trump in the 70s buying a hotel in NYC and getting a phenomenal 40-year tax break. He got it through who he knew coupled with selective bullying.

The article is part of a podcast on ProPublica called "Trump, Inc." It's ironic that the president who talks about cleaning the swamp was--and is--among its biggest swamp monsters.

***

Impeachment of the President

With the impeachment moving to the Senate it appears little will happen to Pres. Trump in the way of censure or punishment. True. But you never know; Alexander Pope said that major events can come from insignificant matters (it's on the side of Trivial Pursuit boxes). Possibly from this seemingly no-result event (the Senate impeachment trial), things may come out that otherwise would not have.

It's said God moves in mysterious ways. Maybe the same could be said of quasi-bureaucratic government. We can only hope.

***

The Minimum Wage

I've been reading a lot lately about the pros and cons of raising the minimum wage. For me, I have always been a big proponent of raising it. I believe a bulk of the business people who say "raising the minimum wage would destroy many jobs and have us paying $15 for a hamburger," are being disingenuous.

Many business managers and owners know that raising the min. wage a few dollars an hour would do no damage to the business but it would take away a bit of the owners' profits.

So it was heartening to see The New York Times have a recent editorial backing the doubling of the federal minimum wage. I think more and more people are seeing through the hackneyed platitudes of uber-capitalists because polls seem to indicate that most of the public are for raising the min. wage.

This is all to the good.

***

How Democracies Die, Cont'd

As I mentioned last time, I am reading the excellent book, How Democracies Die, by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt.

One key point the authors make is that the reason we have Donald Trump as our president is that the leaders of the Republican Party did not utilize the "gatekeeping" functions that all democracies must use to keep autocrats out of office. The authors talk at length about other countries that did poor gatekeeping and those that did stellar gatekeeping, even though they had to reach across the aisle to make it happen.

It's a wonderful book for a less-than-wonderful time.

***

How Democracies Die

I've been enjoying reading the well-written book, How Democracies Die, by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt. I realize that almost every book published says "if you read only one book this year, read _________." But I would say this book truly fits the bill. The book says, clearly and authoritatively, what many need to hear in this never-before-seen political times.

The part I am reading talks about the traits of an autocratic leader. When you read the list, you will no doubt have an image of a certain politician in your mind.

If you don't, then you must read the book.

***