I just read a previous post from yesterday, in which Francis laments the death of his laptop, and asks Ragin Dave and I to carry on.
I’m typing this from bed. I woke in the middle of the night with digestive upset, and, feeling a little light-headed, went back to bed. I briefly climbed out this morning, verified that I could keep food down, and toddled back under the covers.
I’m HOPING to be ready to go again by tomorrow – there’s a big Ohio State game on TV, and my kids and my husband are rabid fans. If not, I’ll send my husband on his way, and go back to bed.
There are worse places to be now. NC residents are STILL living rough, and those FEMA employees whose parents never married have snippily refused them permission to reside in the small home the Amish built. Apparently, their “ethical awareness” is such that the alternatives – leaving the area with a pitiful sum of money PROMISED, but not paid (allowing FEMA’s chosen raptors to take over the land and condemn/tear down the houses), spending the money to rebuild to today’s code standards – IF, and when, they again GET PERMISSION to do so, or, like the stubborn hillbillies they are (in my mind, that’s a compliment), keep living in tents and freezing.
I hate to tell you, FEMA, hillbillies are NOT the people to bet against. They out-stubborn just about everybody. My Dad was born and raised in WV, and the reason we used to say, “There is stubborn, and then there is West Virginia stubborn”. He had an aunt and uncle who got into an argument early in their marriage, and vowed not to speak to that person again.
They lived together another 30 years or so, having several kids in the meantime, and never again spoke a direct word to each other. They would pass messages through their kids (God knows what they did after the kids grew up!).
Trump cannot take office soon enough.
On that subject (changes we HOPE will follow the swearing in), I’ve heard a lot of talk about the possibility that the GOP majority will be worthless, given the people who have already left to join the new administration, and the likelihood of that Dam#ed RINOs rolling over and showing their belly in a crunch.
I don’t agree. A LOT of what is wrong about government is in the Executive Branch:
- Departments – policy is set by the head, who also has control over the organization. He/she may not be able to directly fire employees, but he CAN eliminate their position, in the name of lowering costs and improving efficiency. That’s where the DOGE folks come in.
- Agencies – replace the head, direct him/her (see how PC I’m being?) to cut through the regulations AND THEIR ACCOMPANYING DEFINITIONS OF ELIGIBILITY. Yes, I’m riding my hobbyhorse of CMS having “interpreted” the meaning of Beneficiary Eligibility to include THE FREAKING ILLEGAL ALIENS WHO ARE ON A DEFERRED DEPORTATION STATUS!
- That ONE change – explicitly classify all people without permanent residency or born or naturalized in the United States as INeligible for benefits – would, at one fell swoop, remove the people who never should have received the benefits from the rolls.
- BTW, once a person is deemed eligible for one benefit, it’s easy-peasy to get more. Agency workers are drones, who will go along with the easiest solution. If they reject someone, they will likely get ‘dinged’ for the complaint. Too many of them, and their job is in jeopardy.
- After that change, let the cost-cutting dogs loose.
MOST of the overreach of The Left was slipped in there by agencies and departments exceeding their authority, with the Executive Branch’s cooperation. If the President was challenged about an action, he could gracefully defer to the administrators, and imply that his hands were tied.
And, most people bought it.
Not Trump. In his businesses, he had to face opposition from bureaucrats. He knows that there are times to get in there and schmooze with the bosses, and times to put on the gloves. He will back up admins and department heads who do the same.
