James L. Paris's Blog, page 146

German Government Will Require Citizens to Engage in Survival Plan to Prepare for Terror Attacks

Think the governments of Western Europe don���t really see their countries as being at war with terrorism? Then take a look at what���s coming down the pike���or should I say autobahn���

On Sunday, the German newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung (FAS) reported that the interior ministry of that nation is putting the finishing touches on a plan that will ask its citizens to maintain a ten-day supply of food and water���in the event of a disaster or armed attack.

The plan document, reported by RT.com to be 69 pages in length, not only covers the matter of food and water reserves, but also discusses such elements as broader health care coverage, improved building security, and an upgrade in the application of alarm systems as means to enhancing national safety and security, overall. The plan also suggests that new procedures be put in place to allow for each of the component bodies of the German government to be able to perform the functions of the others, should something happen that requires the country to be run on an emergency basis, with more limited legislative resources.

The plan says, additionally, that German civilians should be organized in a way such that they would be better able to provide direct support to the country���s armed forces, as necessary, as well as that the citizenry should ���prepare appropriately for a development that could threaten our existence and cannot be categorically ruled out in the future.���

According to the interior ministry, this ���survival blueprint��� will be put before a parliamentary committee on Wednesday for a vote.

By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

 

Here We Go: NC Teachers Told to Avoid ���Gender-Specific��� Pronouns When Addressing Students

Teachers in one of North Carolina���s largest school districts���and one of the larger school districts in the entire country, for that matter���are now the recipients of a 57-page training manual that instructs them, in part, to refrain from referring to pupils as ���boys��� and ���girls,��� and to, instead, refer to them as ���students��� and ���scholars.���

The manual advises against the use by teachers of ���gender-specific classroom management techniques,��� to include the aforementioned references to ���boys��� and ���girls,��� as well as such other ���management techniques��� as asking students to line up by gender (as in, ���boys in one line and girls in another���).

Yup���this is really a thing���by educators, of all people.

Oh, and the manual dictates that students should be permitted to attend school each day dressed in terms of the gender they feel they are, rather than the one noted on their birth certificates.

Tami Fitzgerald, the Executive Director of the NC Values Coalition, has made no effort to hide her displeasure with the new district policy:

���Every child deserves a safe space, and it���s our duty as parents to fight for their right to privacy. 

���Charlotte-Mecklenburg���s proposed new policy allowing students to use opposite-sex restrooms, locker rooms and showers will seriously endanger students��� privacy and safety, undermine parental authority, and severely impair an environment conducive to learning. 

���The district should continue their current policy to offer accommodations to students that have different preferences without compromising the privacy rights of all other students. 

���CMS Superintendent Ann Clark has chosen to violate the state���s HB 2 law instead of following common sense accommodations and limiting restrooms and locker rooms to members of the same sex for privacy and safety reasons without violating Title IX.���

Once it becomes unlawful, illegal, whatever���to refer to boys and girls as ���boys��� and ���girls,��� I���d say that means we���re officially done as a society. Oh, it might take years before it all completely grinds to a halt, but, make no mistake - the end will, indeed, be in sight, once true lunacy becomes the official mandate.

By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

 

Trump Calls Out Democratic Party on Its Historical Record with Blacks in America

Donald Trump last week cranked up what appears to be the latest of his many ���pet��� themes this campaign season, when he went directly after the black vote by heavily criticizing the record Democrats have registered for decades as the self-appointed caretakers of minorities in America.

On Tuesday, Trump delivered an impassioned speech in Wisconsin on the topic of social equitability for African-Americans in the United States, just a relative handful of miles from Milwaukee, where leftover riot and protest activity was still simmering in the wake of the shooting of a black man by a police officer.

Trump essentially charged the Democratic Party with making life worse for blacks in American cities by turning its back on the real needs of those communities in favor of short-term vote-getting efforts. In that speech, Trump said, ���Our job is to not make life more comfortable for the rioter or the robber or the looter. Our job is to make life more comfortable for the African American parent who wants their kids to be able to safely ��� safely ��� walk the streets and walk to school. Or the senior citizen waiting for a bus.���

Pointedly, Trump said, ���The Democratic Party has failed and betrayed the African American community,��� suggesting that the web of rampant poverty, crime, and lousy educational systems in which urban blacks have found themselves caught has been spun singularly by the various Democratic leaderships in charge of many of these American cities for decades.

On Saturday, Trump doubled down on his criticism of how blacks have fared at the hands of Democrats when he appeared on Fox News��� Justice with Judge Jeanine:

���[T]he African-American people have been absolutely mistreated and abused by Democratic politicians who have taken advantage of them. You know, it was in my speech, and I really sort of just was reading the statistics where you have 40 percent that are living in poverty, 58 percent of the students ��� I mean the young people ��� they can���t get jobs, you know. It���s just like a total catastrophe. The unemployment rate, everything is bad, no health care, no education, no anything and poverty is unbelievable ��� and then I said, ���Hey, wait a minute, vote for me. What do you have to lose? I can���t do any worse than what these people have been doing and I will do better.������

By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

 

Inspector General���s Report Says Pentagon Cannot Account for $6.5 Trillion of Taxpayer Dough

According to an Inspector General���s report, the Pentagon managed to post $6.5 trillion in ���adjustments��� on its financial statement covering fiscal year 2015, adjustments for which there is no ���accurate, complete, timely and well-supported��� documentation that explains how any of the money was used. This information comes to us courtesy of an article over at Zero Hedge by Tyler Durden.

Stunningly, the IG found that while there were 64,321 journal voucher adjustments made in Q3 2015 and 142,355 by the end of the year, a measly 7,083 of those were properly accounted for with the use of appropriate transaction documentation. Additionally, the IG determined that 16,513 records were simply ���removed��� from the Pentagon���s budget program during Q3 2015.

Putting it simply, the IG said, ���Without support for why these records were removed, we could not determine whether the records continued valid transactions.��� The IG further indicated that the Defense Finance and Accounting Service Indianapolis had no explanation for why any of the records were removed.

The bottom line is that without any kind of appropriate documentation to support the adjustments, we���re left assuming that the numbers were simply fabricated by the Army in order to paint a picture that its books are balanced.

For its part, Congress has established a drop-dead date of September 30 2017 for the Department of Defense to get this mess straightened out, but we all know how that kind of thing typically plays out���

By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

 

Magnum - Hired Gun For Reverse Mortgages

I am a huge Tom Selleck fan. I love everything this guy is in. From his early start on my all time favorite show, The Rockford Files, to Magnum P.I., Jesse Stone, Three Men And A Baby, Blue Bloods; I love them all. It also makes me that much fonder to know that he is a one of the very few conservatives in the entertainment world. 

Tom Selleck is not someone, however, that I expected to see in a commercial promoting reverse mortgages for AAG. Reverse mortgage pitchmen are usually actors that are in the twilight of their careers. Tom Selleck is a bonafide present day superstar, and according to some reports is the highest paid actor in the world. So, someone the level of Selleck taking on such a role is more than a little out of the ordinary. Selleck is not the first big name pitching reverse mortgages for AAG; Senator and actor Fred Thompson did so for years before his passing last year.

 

Aren't Reverse Mortgages A Scam? 

Doesn't everyone already know that reverse mortgages are simply a scam that banks use to steal the homes of elderly Americans? This is what most people believe... I can not tell you how many times over my career I have heard comments like this. I have to confess that I was lukewarm on the concept myself until just a few years ago. My father called me fifteen years ago and told me about a reverse mortgage ad he saw with famed actor Robert Wagner. He asked me if I thought he should look into the idea for himself. For the first time I had a personal reason to actually do some research on this, and report back to my parents what I thought they should do. 

Why I Like Reverse Mortgages For Some People

In the end, I advised my parents to go ahead with the reverse mortgage. As it turns out, it was the best financial move they ever made. My father became disabled in his mid-thirties, and my parents had virtually nothing saved for retirement. They did have substantial equity in their home, however. In their case, they did not have a completely paid off mortgage, but had about 50% in equity. This meant that they would not be receiving any income from a reverse mortgage, but it would eliminate their mortgage payment for the rest of their lives. They could also stay in the Florida home that they loved until they both passed. 

My father lived for nine years after they got the reverse mortgage. I can tell you that there was simply no way that my mother could have remained in her home after my father passed in 2011. My mother still lives in this home today without a monthly mortgage payment.  Although some relatives scoffed at the idea at the time, many of them now say they wish they had done the same.

The elimination of $1,000 in monthly mortgage payments gave my parents enough breathing room that they were able to enjoy those final years together with enough money to be comfortable. Despite having only Social Security and some modest pension income, this was a $1,000 monthly bill they did not have to pay. This made an enormous difference in their financial picture. If you are age 62 or older, have a home with substantial equity, and insufficient income for retirement, you might very well be a candidate for a reverse mortgage yourself.

The Biggest Objection To Reverse Mortgage 

As the partner in a mortgage brokerage firm in the mid 2000's I was invited to an all day seminar on reverse mortgages. One third of the seminar was surprisingly dedicated to overcoming the objections of adult children. No, this was not about keeping mom and dad from being ripped off, but all about the loss of their inheritances. What? Who would want their parents to live out their final years struggling financially so that they could receive an inheritance?

According to both the information I gleaned from this seminar, and my own anecdotal experience, many adult children seem to have their own interests above their concern for the well being of their elderly parents. Sorry adult children, but your parents have shelled out enough money raising you. They should not be living in poverty for the sake of leaving you an inheritance. I should add, however, that there were a number of creative strategies discussed on how to benefit adult children. This included ideas such as investing some of the funds using a trust, and even buying life insurance for the benefit of adult children and grandchildren.

Shopping For A Reverse Mortgage

Reverse mortgages are highly regulated by the government, and are also government guaranteed. There are a lot of safeguards in place, including mandatory counseling. Learn more about reverse mortgages at the Department Of Housing And Urban Development website. My favorite site for mortgage shopping (Lending Tree) has a tremendous amount of resources on reverse mortgages, including a reverse mortgage calculator, and a great FAQ section as well. Another resource that I love is the book Reverse Mortgages For Dummies. The book is out of print, but is still available through Amazon. It does a wonderful job of explaining the concept in a way that is very understandable.

In my own case, when I turn 62 (in eleven years) I am probably going to get a reverse mortgage myself. My reason will be much different than my parents. My wife and I will have more than adequate income during retirement, but we plan to use this 'extra money' to travel. We also plan to invest some of the money for children and grandchildren as well.

If you have a reverse mortgage or have considered one, please use the comments section below and we can start a conversation. 

Disclaimer: Anyone considering a reverse mortgage should consult a licensed financial professional before making any changes to their financial profile

Helping you make the most of God���s money!

James L. Paris
Editor-In-Chief ChristianMoney.com 
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The Obamacare ���Perfect Storm��� Continues to Churn - Choice Among Insurers Rapidly Disappearing

The Obamacare dream is becoming, before our very eyes, the nightmare that many financial minds said it even before things got off the ground.

CNBC.com is reporting at it site on the findings of an analysis done by healthcare consulting firm Avalere, findings that reveal roughly a third of the United States will have no choice of insurer when it comes time for 2017 enrollment; residents of Alaska, Alabama, Kansas, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, and Wyoming are expected to have just one option, while over half the country, around 55 percent, overall, will have two or fewer options. As a matter of fact, according to Avalere, it may well be the case that ���some sub-region counties��� may see no plan availability whatsoever.

What happened to all of those competition-driven, low-cost choices we were supposed to have?

What is coming to pass is what lots of knowledgeable folks said would happen when the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was rolled out. The program���s proponents, President Obama chief among them, bragged that insurers can���t deny coverage or charge more for people with pre-existing conditions. Insurance, as a concept, as well as an industry, simply cannot work that way for very long, but it���s a great thing to tell the low-information voters to which Democrats typically pander. Unfortunately, it is those same low-information���and, oftentimes, low income���voters who are about to find themselves left behind in the Obamacare dust. The enormous costs associated with guaranteeing health care for everyone continues to drive up policy costs annually, and now, with giant insurers like UnitedHealth, Aetna, and Humana exiting the exchanges in many places around the country, those costs will rise further still.

As for those counties where Obamacare may not be available at all, off-exchange insurance plans would still be available, but none of those come with the financial subsidies that have made ACA-based health insurance affordable���and, therefore, accessible���to families making less money.

By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

 

Prez of NY Federal Reserve Says Job Outlook Now Improving for the Middle Class

What to believe, what to believe, when it comes to this economy of ours.

For years now, in what has been, at best, a most uncertain ���recovery,��� the look and feel of job growth and stability for average, middle-class folks has been lousy. It���s difficult to believe the ���official��� employment data put out by the government these days, as those figures that paint a picture of an ever-decreasing national unemployment rate are known by even casual observers to mask the realities of underemployment, as well as the number of citizens who���ve become so disillusioned by job prospects that they���ve stopped looking for work altogether.

Confusing this, too, is the rise of the so-called ���gig��� economy, where more people who used to work in stable positions as employees for companies are now making money by working for themselves; the truth is that many of them plug away as independents these days because they cannot find quality work elsewhere.

The bottom line is that things just haven���t been that great for middle-income working men and women in America for quite a while now.

On that note, enter William Dudley, the president of the New York Federal Reserve, who said on Thursday that ���the tide has begun to turn for the middle-class worker in America. For the first time in quite a while, gains in middle-wage jobs actually outnumber gains in higher- and lower-wage jobs nationwide.���

The New York Fed���s research on the subject discovered that between 2013 and 2015, middle class jobs grew by 2.2 million, while only 1.2 million such jobs were picked up by the economy between 2010 and 2013.

If Mr. Dudley is right, it���s good news, but who really knows, anymore?

Once again, what to believe���

By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

 

Bernie Sanders: Financial Transparency for Thee���.Not So Much for Me

Now that Sen. Bernie Sanders��� campaign, one built largely on demanding financial accountability from other politicians as well as from ���the system,��� more generally, is over, it turns out that financial disclosure reports he was required to file as a candidate will remain entirely unfiled.

You see, Sanders was mandated by federal law to disclose the most recent status of his personal financial profile in mid-May, but he filed for, and received, a 45-day extension of that due date. Then came June 30, at which time he asked for, and received, another extension from the Federal Election Commission.

On July 12, Sanders endorsed Hillary Clinton, and, as the month drew to a close, Clinton accepted the nomination of the Democratic Party for president. The Sanders campaign was no more, and so, too, went away the requirement for Sanders to make his financial disclosures. As Sanders spokesman Michael Briggs told the Center for Public Integrity earlier this week, ������since the senator no longer is a candidate there was no requirement to file.���

Well, that seems convenient.

While it is tough to imagine the electorate getting terribly worked up over the lack of financial disclosure on the part of a candidate who has zero chance of occupying the White House, Sanders��� case is a bit different. That a self-described socialist, who made the issue of financial integrity the most resonant theme of his campaign, goes out of his way to avoid making personal financial disclosures at the very time when mountains of money were pouring in to his campaign, seems more than a little peculiar. Making things even more curious is the recent revelation that the socialist senator plunked down roughly $600,000 on a summer home just after his campaign ended.

Perhaps the web cast by ���the system��� really is so great that even a well-intentioned socialist like grandfatherly Bernie Sanders can���t help but get caught in it. You���d sure like to think otherwise, but if everything is as it should be, where are the disclosures? After all, while Sanders may no longer be required to make them, surely an honorable, all-for-transparency socialist like himself would be eager to follow through on them, anyway.

Wouldn���t he?

By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

 

Millennial Hillary Supporters Fine with Abolishing Second Amendment

According to The Daily Caller, Campus Reform, the conservative news site that specializes in reporting on liberal bias throughout American college campuses, was out at a recent Hillary for Prez rally in Annandale, Virginia, and found that not only was there not much in the way of support for gun rights among her young faithful, but that many who were in attendance are apparently quite supportive of the idea of repealing the Second Amendment altogether.

In fact, the Campus Reform reporter asked some rally attendees that question, exactly���if they thought repealing the Second Amendment would be ���a good idea.���

Here���s one enlightened response to that question:

���Oh yeah, definitely, I really think that we really need to start viewing human rights as more important than gun rights.���

Here���s another:

���I think it���s high time, and that Hillary Clinton is definitely going to be one of those people that can really spark that conversation and make a change.���

How about this one:

���I mean, it���s kind of ridiculous to me that, yeah, the Constitution is great and everything, but you have to remember that people made these, humans make mistakes and it was written hundreds of years ago.���

As the kids themselves say, I can���t even���

By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large

 

President of Mexico Says He���s Willing to Meet with Donald Trump

If Mexico President Enrique Pena Nieto is willing to meet with Donald Trump, does that mean he would have been willing to meet with Adolph Hitler and Benito Mussolini?

Back in June, while attending the North American Leaders��� Summit in Canada with Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Pena Nieto was asked a question about Trump, and responded, in part, by referencing the trend toward ���isolation��� that is experience a resurgence in some parts of what has been, for so long, an increasingly ���globalist��� world. On that, Pena Nieto said, ���In the past, some leaders address their societies in those terms. Hitler and Mussolini did that and the outcome, it���s clear to everyone. It resulted in devastation, and turned out to be a tragedy for mankind.���

Well, Pena Nieto was asked on Tuesday if he would be willing to meet with a President Trump, and, as it turns out, he would.

���Yes, I would meet with him," Pena Nieto said. ���I have never met him. I can't agree with some of the things he has said, but I will be absolutely respectful and will seek to work with whomever becomes the next President of the United States.���

Trump, of course, is not a terribly popular guy in Mexico these days, what with his promise to build a wall on the southern border and make Mexico pay for it. Pena Nieto has previously gone on the record to declare that there is no way his country is paying for the wall, should it come to pass. It is, specifically, Trump���s enthusiasm for building said wall that has had Pena Nieto thinking of Trump in terms of two the world���s most infamous dictators, but perhaps his admission that he would be willing to meet with a President Trump also means he would have been willing to sit with a Reich Chancellor Hitler or a Prime Minister Mussolini.

These are the kinds of questions beckoned when you start comparing Trump���and other Western politicians who dare evidence even the slightest bit of nationalism���to mankind���s worst dictators.

By Robert G. Yetman, Jr. Editor At Large