Tag: politics

Did Doug Ford just sell his private jet for a massive taxpayer loss?

Well, we finally have an answer in terms of how much Air Ford One cost Ontario taxpayers: almost $200,000.

That’s what Ontario taxpayers are on the hook for after Doug Ford experienced buyer’s remorse, big time, and returned his infamous $28.9 million “Gravy Plane” to Bombardier.

That’s a steep fee for a plane that apparently never got off the runway in the brief 13-day time span that the province owned that swank Challenger 650.

In other words, Ford’s would-be flight of fancy cost the Ontario taxpayer about $15,585 per day just to sit in a hangar collecting dust.

Little wonder people across the political spectrum screamed blue murder about the province’s chief cherry cheesecake enthusiast purchasing a private jet.

And really, how tone-deaf was Doug Ford to purchase something like this during a time of soaring unemployment, inflation, homelessness, and food bank usage?

Talk about not reading the room.

However, despite attempts at damage control, within 48 hours Team Ford flip-flopped on the Challenger. They said they learned their lesson and that the government would seek a refund.

But apparently, it’s a buyer’s market these days when it comes to luxury jets. That’s because Bombardier only agreed to buy back the Challenger after the government agreed to a surcharge of almost $200,000.

That includes almost $18,000 for “acquisition support” – whatever that means. The taxpayer was also dinged for almost $34,000 for outside legal advice. But the lion’s share of charges was in the form of nearly $140,000 for maintenance, storage, training, and preparation.

Perhaps we need to contact the fine folks at the Guinness Book of World Records? Could this $200,000 haircut work out to be the largest fee for a flight that was never taken?

Looks that way to us.

Hard to believe that Doug Ford used to run on the slogan, “Respect for Taxpayers.” Hard to believe this guy was all about derailing the gravy train before falling in lust for a gravy plane.

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Warren Whines As Senate Banking Committee Advances Crypto CLARITY Act, Two Democrats Break Ranks

The Senate Banking Committee advanced the Digital Asset Market Clarity Act on a 15–9 vote Thursday, with Sens. Ruben Gallego (D‑Ariz.) and Angela Alsobrooks (D‑Md.) joining all 13 Republicans to move the sweeping crypto market structure bill to the full Senate.

The Clarity Act is the Senate’s bid to build a federal framework for digital asset trading, stablecoins and intermediaries, splitting oversight between the SEC and CFTC and setting registration, disclosure and compliance rules for exchanges, brokers and custodians. It now advances alongside a related bill from the Senate Agriculture Committee, with the two texts expected to merge before a floor vote.

Chair Tim Scott (R‑S.C.) cast the markup as a turning point after years in which crypto firms operated in what he called a “regulatory gray zone” under “outdated rules.” 

He said the bill aims to protect consumers, keep innovation in the United States and “close the doors that criminals, terrorists and hostile regimes have tried to exploit,” after months of cross‑party talks that expanded the draft by more than 200 pages.

Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R‑Wyo.), who leads the committee’s digital assets panel, called the Clarity Act “the hardest piece of legislation” she has worked on across decades in state and federal office. She described it as a “case of first impression” that tries to fit new asset types and software into a regulatory code built for earlier markets.

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Communist Mamdani’s Latest Redistribution Scheme: Tax On All New York Homes Over $1 Million Bought With Cash

Two days ago crestfallen commie mayor Zohran Mamdani abandoned his desperate plan to aggressively hike property taxes (even more) on New Yorkers following unprecedented pushback (but not before earning the former capitalist mecca a credit rating downgrade warning from most rating agencies). However, since communists who are not redistributing wealth (eventually under the barrel of a gun) are useless communists, it only took Mamdani administration 48 hours before pitching his latest idea how to take: according to Bloomberg, New York lawmakers are planning a new tax on New York City homes purchased in cash for at least $1 million.  The lawmakers are also considering expanding the tax to all-cash purchases over $1 million in New York, including those in the suburbs and upstate.

The New York City levy alone is expected to raise $160 million to help fill the city’s budget hole. The proposed tax would be levied at 1% of the purchase price and would be paid by the buyer, according to the people. 

A spokesperson for Governor Kathy Hochul said she “announced a general agreement with the State Legislature on many of the major elements of the FY 2027 Budget. The final budget bills will provide additional details.”

All-cash transactions have risen in New York as soaring mortgage costs have deterred financing, and instead buyers opt to be hit with capital gains taxes and liquidated other securities to fund real estate purchases. They are also an attractive option for sellers in New York City’s ultra-competitive real estate market as it’s faster than dealing with the lengthy mortgage approval process, and less likely to fall through.

Such purchases made up more than 60% of the nearly 18,000 transactions in New York City in the first six months of 2025, according to data compiled by the Center for New York City Neighborhoods. The report found that in Manhattan, nine out of 10 purchases over $3 million were done in all-cash transactions between January and June of 2025.

New York Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said the tax would be included in the final budget as “part of the plan to help close the city’s deficit.” State Senator James Skoufis, who sits on the chamber’s finance committee, also said in an interview the new levy was discussed.

Mamdani unveiled his $124.7 billion budget plan for the fiscal year that starts on July 1 that includes more assistance from Albany. He is also counting on funds from a proposed tax on second homes worth more than $5 million that state and city lawmakers are still figuring out how to implement. Hochul said the state will send $4 billion in new aid to the city to help close the budget hole.

“New Yorkers are already the most heavily taxed residents in the country, and the city’s budget issues will not be solved by more taxes,” said James Whelan, president of the Real Estate Board of New York. He said that the new proposal would further burden home buyers and sellers in the city and threaten existing revenue. 

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Texas Dem. Congressional Candidate Says 1st Vote Will Be to Impeach Trump – Pledges Return to Biden-Era Open Borders

A Democrat congressional candidate in deep East Texas said that his first vote as a U.S. Representative would be to impeach Donald Trump. The candidate also told a local ABC affiliate that he opposes border walls and would support a bill similar to an amnesty plan proposed by Congress during the Biden administration.

Democrat congressional candidate Dan Alexander told KLTV ABC7 in Tyler, Texas, that he would support an effort to impeach President Trump if he were elected to the state’s 1st Congressional District — a seat currently held by Republican Nathaniel Moran. He called the immigration enforcement policy of mass deportation “an assault on the American people.”

“Walls don’t work,” the candidate’s website Issues page states. He supports legalizing abortion in federal law and calls for red-flag laws for “gun safety.”

Alexander called the current conflict with Iran an “illegal war.”

“He’s violated high crimes and misdemeanors… he’s led an assault on the American people via immigration issues,” the candidate told the ABC affiliate. “He started illegal wars in Iran.”

The incumbent, Rep. Moran, called the $25 billion spent by the Trump administration on the conflict with Iran, “a great investment” in a recent interview with CBS19 in East Texas.

“Congress needs to have a very strong voice in this. We are the Article 1 branch of government,” Moran stated. “As the conflict carries on, we need to make sure that we say these are the conditions upon which we will actually allocate funds or not.”

He added, “When you’re talking about national security interests, $25 billion is a great investment.”

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Hawaii Passes Bill To Undo Effects Of Citizens United, Urges Governor To Sign It Into Law

Friday, the Hawaii State Legislature approved a historic measure that would effectively undo the corrosive effects of the Supreme Court’s 2010 Citizens United decision. The bill now heads to Gov. Josh Green’s (D) desk for his signature.

The measure would redefine corporate law so that corporations are no longer granted the power to spend in the state’s politics. In response, Neera Tanden, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress, issued the following statement:

Hawaii made history today in the fight against corporate and dark money that has sullied American politics for the past 16 years. Once the governor signs this measure into law, it will send a message that will be heard in legislatures far beyond the Aloha State. States can redefine the powers they grant to corporations. And they can choose not to give those corporations the power to spend money in state politics. This groundbreaking law makes Hawaii a leader in the national fight to get corporations out of politics and return power to the people.

The bill draws on a breakthrough legal strategy crafted by the Center for American Progress: States define the powers of the corporations they create, and a state’s corporate code can grant every power a business needs while withholding political spending power.

What would S.B. 2471 do?

The bill redefines the powers Hawaii grants to corporations that operate within the state. The powers that Hawaii grants to corporations would no longer include the power to spend in federal, state, and local elections in Hawaii. The bill also applies to out-of-state corporations that operate within Hawaii. It does not regulate corporate speech.

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Smith pledges to appeal judge’s “anti-democratic” decision to quash independence petition

Alberta Premier Danielle Smith says her government will appeal a court ruling that blocked a citizen-led effort to force an Alberta independence referendum, calling the decision “incorrect in law and anti-democratic.”

The ruling, issued Tuesday by Liberal-appointed Alberta Court of King’s Bench Justice S. Leonard, quashed the approval of a proposed referendum question asking Albertans whether the province should become independent.

In the decision, the judge claimed Alberta failed to fulfil its duty to consult affected First Nations before allowing the citizen initiative process to move forward.

Justice Leonard also ruled the referendum proposal could not legally proceed under transitional provisions added to Alberta’s Citizen Initiative Act.

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Senate approves resolution to withhold senators’ pay during future govt. shutdowns

The Senate unanimously adopted a resolution on Thursday sponsored by Louisiana GOP Senator John Kennedy that mandates a freeze on senators’ pay during any future government shutdowns.

By making federal closures financially uncomfortable for lawmakers, the bipartisan measure aims to create a more urgent incentive for Congress to pass funding bills before critical deadlines.

This agreement follows a period of increasingly frequent and record-long shutdowns, reflecting a growing consensus that legislators should face tangible consequences when they fail to fulfill their core responsibility of funding the government.

The resolution was passed via a voice vote and is scheduled to take effect immediately following the general election on November 3, 2026. Because of this specific implementation timeline, the new rules could be enforced during potential funding lapses at the end of the calendar year, though they would not apply to any shutdown occurring before the current fiscal year expires on September 30th.

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Minnesota Tax Committee Chair Rep. Aisha Gomez Screams at GOP Rep. to “Go F*cking Shoot Yourself” During Gun Control Meltdown – GOP Leaders Demand She Be Stripped of Power

Minnesota House Democrat Rep. Aisha Gomez (D-Minneapolis) verbally assaulted Republican Rep. Elliott Engen, telling him to “go f*cking shoot himself” right in the middle of a heated debate on gun control legislation.

Multiple members of the Minnesota House Republican Caucus have confirmed the disgusting outburst to Townhall reporter Dustin Grage, exposing yet another example of the toxic, violent rhetoric coming from the very Democrats who claim to want to “stop the violence” while pushing their anti-Second Amendment agenda.

The vile attack happened late Thursday night during a marathon session where Democrats staged a sit-in to force a vote on gun-grabbing legislation (HF 5140), mirroring a Senate bill that would ban so-called “assault weapons,” large-capacity magazines, and more. Republicans, led by Speaker Lisa Demuth, rightly insisted on proper committee review first.

After hours of emotional testimony about recent tragedies in Minnesota, including heartbreaking stories of loss from shootings like the one at Annunciation church, Gomez reportedly lost it and directed her filth directly at Rep. Engen.

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The great affordability hoax

Many politicians are so superficial that they’re inclined to latch on to a popular buzzword — in droves — to sustain their power over the masses.  “Affordability” is now filling that need.  Ignorance of economic reality is sustaining this process.

There are two significant concepts that pull the rug out from under this pathetic hoax: consumer sovereignty and the principle of substitution.  Consumer sovereignty simply means that free people get to choose how they spend their money.  Necessities such as food and shelter tend to dominate these choices, but Americans, being the beneficiaries of the prosperity that comes with freedom, have room for other items in their budgets.  The principle of substitution means that a consumer gets to choose from a multiplicity of similarly priced options — that they will ultimately spend their money on.

All of this freedom, for the political world, is the problem.  People still get to live their own lives.  How anti-progressive can this be?

Harping on “affordability” is intended to lead to adopting the long worn out means for suppressing market forces known as “price controls.”  The folly of this form of demagoguery was showcased in Studs Terkel’s The Good War.  First, he provides a statement from John Kenneth Galbraith, breathlessly extolling the virtues of government-imposed price controls during the days of rationing caused by a profound national emergency.  After all, the American people still managed to survive during such trying times.

Immediately after Galbraith’s presentation, Terkel posted a statement from the humble owner of a neighborhood grocery store.  In it, he first tells of what happened to a can of pork and beans: Yes, the price of the can didn’t change.  But in the can was less pork and fewer beans, and a lot more water.  Also, since his store was closed on Sunday, black marketeers took it over to sell otherwise rationed meat.  And the line of eager customers stretched around the block.  Talk about consumer sovereignty.

To further deceive the public about affordability, the “news” media make no distinction between true inflation due to government carelessly increasing the money supply and price increases caused by shortages resulting from various causes.  The bottleneck at the Strait of Hormuz has nothing to do with public debt and deficit spending.  And yes, the bump up in petroleum has increased the cost of all forms of transportation, including produce and many other commodities being delivered to retail stores.

Now back to my original point: Leftists are confined to a pre-determined position.  This can easily be described as conformity.  Rather than be confined by the “arbitrary” dictates of reality, leftists close ranks and join in with mutual agreement.  They have become carbon copies of one another.  Their policy positions are pretty much pre-packaged — so they all seem to agree with one another on everything.  The package includes opposition to white supremacy, corporate greed, and global warming, while strenuously extolling the benefits of “affordability.”

Instead of offering commonsense solutions to obvious problems, they keep pushing free stuff and victimhood.  And guess what: It’s not working.  Beyond the devoted automatons, sentient beings are abandoning the deranged demagoguery of what used to be a sort of credible major party: the Democrats.

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California Democrats deploy risky strategy to shut out Republican governor candidates

A growing number of California Democrats are embracing an unusual election strategy ahead of the state’s crowded gubernatorial primary: waiting until the final possible moment to cast their ballots.

The tactic is being fueled by anxiety within left-wing circles over the state’s open primary system, where the top two candidates advance to the November election regardless of party affiliation, infamously earning the name “jungle primary.”

With multiple Democrats splitting the vote and two Republicans performing strongly in polling, some progressive activists fear a scenario in which Democrats are entirely excluded from the general election, CalMatters reported.

The concern intensified earlier in the race when many Democratic voters rallied around former Congressman Eric Swalwell in hopes of consolidating support behind a single candidate.

Swalwell’s campaign, which at the time was gaining momentum as he lead polls among others his block, collapsed after multiple women accused him of sexual assault, reopening uncertainty among Democratic voters searching for a viable contender.

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