Author: The Chief

Biden in a Blowout? Not So Fast!

By The Chief

About 100 days out from election day, the polls are showing a Biden landslide. I will not doubt it, Biden is very likely to win, but not the electoral college vote. I will explain why.

You see nationwide polls are extremely ineffective, as they have to sample a number of folks from each state proportional to their population. For example, Illinois, New York, and California are some of the most populous states in the union, all will go heavily for Biden. Very heavy, so much so, I don’t expect Trump to achieve more than about 35% of the vote in any of those states! So due to oversampling in those states, polling is made to appear that Biden has a very large nationwide lead. Truth is he does. If you called 75 folks in California for example, the lion’s share would have to be from LA, the Bay Area, and parts of the coast. Such a sample skews a nationwide and statewide poll significantly as most people that you speak to are voting for Biden and/or despise Trump. These three states account for most of Biden’s popular vote margin. Blogger’s Note: I don’t count WA, OR, or most New England states since they don’t have as many popular votes, however Biden will also do very well there.

Now let’s look at the other candidate in the race and how he will do popular vote wise. Donald Trump will perform very well in sparsely populated states, think ND, SD, Arkansas, Idaho, Wyoming, and Oklahoma, problem is these margins don’t come close to offsetting the 3 large states Biden will win easily. Digging deeper, the normal “safe GOP states” of Texas, Georgia, South Carolina, and Arizona are no longer safe. While I do not see Biden winning them, the margin of victory will be small. Thus, Trump will not pick-up enough votes to make up the difference.

However Trump will and still can win the presidency, even while getting blown out at the popular vote level! The election does not focus on so called “safe states” it focuses on the swing states. Ohio, Florida, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Michigan, Wisconsin, Nevada, Minnesota, and Iowa. Simply put, the candidates will spend all their time in those states. Actually in comes down to just a handful of counties at the state level to win. This is a built-in advantage for Trump, he doesn’t need to spend his time appealing to the masses, he just needs to move a few thousand votes. He did exactly that in 2016, winning MI, PA, and WI. (Below is 2016 election map by county Trump-red, Clinton-blue.)

This is my theory on election night, it will be 2016 all over again. The polling will show a Trump loss, the media will have begun measuring the curtains in the White House for a triumphant Joe Biden, then Trump will win PA again. Rioting will ensue…actually will it have stopped by then? There will be calls to change the electoral college, all because the Democrats took their eyes off the ball during the Obama years.

More to come soon, but just remember, nationwide polling is often skewed or very incorrect.

ESPN Deems Black Anchor “Not Black Enough”

BY Chief

Disney Corporation sports subsidiary ESPN made headlines again for all the wrong reasons earlier this week. ESPN has a blog on its website called “The Undefeated.” It’s for blacks, by blacks, about race topics etc. Honestly, I do not have a huge issue with it, even though some of the writers like Malcolm Metcalf have an obvious racial bias against white people. It is usually off to the side of the website, and never really made a focal point. However, controversy has been stirred up and it’s a doozy.

The Undefeated was going to air a race focused special called “Time for a change, we won’t be defeated.” The special would feature ESPN personalities, Jay Harris, Michael Eves, Maria Taylor, and Elle Duncan. Suspiciously missing from the list is Sage Steele. I say suspicious because she hosts the flagship show “SportsCenter” during prime time and is one of their more visible hosts. Steele was upset, and understandably so. Here are some snippets from the Wall Street Journal article about her expressing her disappointment.

ESPN anchor Sage Steele has told management she believes she was excluded from a special the network aired on race last month because she wasn’t considered by certain Black colleagues to be an authentic voice for the Black community, a person familiar with the matter said.

Ms. Steele, one of the network’s most prominent on-air personalities, voiced her concerns to ESPN President Jimmy Pitaro in early June, saying the incident showed the network has a divisive work environment, the person said.

Ms. Steele said colleagues told her she was considered for the special by the executive in charge, Michael Fountain, until two of the other on-air personalities involved, Elle Duncan and Michael Eaves, complained, saying Ms. Steele wouldn’t be accepted by what they considered the Black community, according to the person familiar with her account to management.

Sage Steele claims she was excluded from ESPN race special thanks to colleagues complaints

So, let me, as a middle age white man ask, how is someone not an authentic voice for the black community? In addition, how is a black person, Steele as shown in the photo is black, not accepted by her own community? Well Steele answered that question for me, she burns “The Mouse” pretty badly with her response….

Sage Steel–deemed not black enough by ESPN

“I found it sad for all of us that any human being should be allowed to define someone’s ‘Blackness.’ Growing up biracial in America with a Black father and a white mother, I have felt the inequities that many, if not all Black and biracial people have felt—being called a monkey, the ‘n’ word, having ape sounds made as I walked by—words and actions that all of us know sting forever. Most importantly, trying to define who is and isn’t Black enough goes against everything we are fighting for in this country, and only creates more of a divide.”

Well as an outsider looking in, no shock there, you cannot be black in this country unless both parents are black, live in the hood, don’t have a good job, and are on some form of assistance. Actually, I would have enjoyed hearing her perspective, she also has interviewed scores of athletes over the years and I’m sure her rolodex of contacts are huge. Seems like a no brainer to me.

Well the truth is ESPN brass doesn’t like Steele for her political opinions, she has said she doesn’t feel comfortable speaking about BLM, she spoke out against folks not standing for the national anthem, and made waves for tweeting her disappointment about protestors blocking airports due to Trump’s anti-immigration order. While she doesn’t come off as political, if you don’t tow the party line, you are part of the problem.

In that regard, Eves and Duncan are perfect, just like Joe Biden, neither have any beliefs; instead, they just parrot what is put in front of them on the teleprompter. In speaking to a couple of cable watching friends of mine, all of them said Eaves is an empty suit who really has no role at ESPN, and Duncan is pretty much useless. The ratings they draw likely are composed of mostly of drunks who pass out with their TV left on.

My main question is how come Disney gets a pass time and time again? No one is writing about this, only small anecdotes here and there. Which is funny because with today’s cancel culture, how come their founder gets a pass? He was a devoted racist even putting his views in black and white and technicolor! Disney is in deep trouble financially. I am sure their theme parks will finally re-open someday. Meanwhile, they get to host the NBA games later this month.

Sage Steele, if I was you, Fox has a growing sports network called FS1 they could use someone like yourself. Leave the mouse.

The Chief

The Shut Down was Doomed to Fail from the Start

By The Chief

“Stop the spread“, “Bend the curve“, take your pick on what phrase the political types used. All we, as a people, were told was that we had to shelter in place, and we could beat this virus. Keep in mind this virus, to this day, is still a giant unknown. How does it spread, why do some folks show zero symptoms, type O blood makes you immune, wear/don’t a mask, wear gloves, etc. We have no clue about this damn thing, it’s just a political football at this point.

Around mid-March we were treated to horrific theatre led by Dr. Falsie, Comrade Newsom, Duchess of Lansing Gretchen Whitmer, and Supreme Ayatollah Cuomo. They said we had to shut down our commerce to slow the spread. Newsom, Cuomo, Whitmer and others shut their entire states down, even counties with zero cases or deaths! But if you were “essential” –whatever the heck that means–you were required to report to work. Absolute hilarity ensued, marijuana stores, liquor stores, pet stores, all were deemed essential. Dental offices, dine-in restaurants, and elective surgery at hospitals, were shuttered. Yes, you read that right, want to get drunk or high you’re in luck, need diabetic checkup, sorry.

What was very funny to see were the masses that would gather at the grocer/big box stores, all sans a mask. Yep, folks were on top of one another, and that was just to grab the last case of toilet paper. This brings me to my point; you cannot lock up Americans in their homes and tell them to stay as if they are a household pet. During this time, if you were essential then you worked and were paid, if you were not essential you were laid off. If you were in the latter group, it wasn’t all doom and gloom as you qualified for the extra kicker, $600 a week in unemployment. If you were a 90-Day Guy, you hid at home to “protect your family.”

Back to my point, in the USA we rely quite a bit on interstate commerce, just look at the types of vehicles on the highway system. Heck look at the state to state/city travel via plane! Or even one better, look at the international travel to/from the US! A shutdown will never work. Travel is not just essential for many, it is required! We also, as a people, enjoy shopping/spending, just look at the credit card debt numbers each month. We would rather go out for meals as opposed to eat in, it’s just the way we are.

As a result, we spread the virus amongst our communities, mostly unknowingly. Our fellow comrade Gavin Newsom re-opened the state based on nothing other than a budget deficit and as a result the virus has taken off. Masks are now required, and churches have basically been re-closed. Ditto for inside dining, weird because as the Blog Father pointed out to me, the air inside is likely far safer than the air in the newly created “outdoor dining area.”

Bottom line this idea of a shutdown does nothing, as the local police won’t arrest you, the sheriff won’t jail you (witness 18,000 felons being released in Soviet CA) and even if you have symptoms, you are not required by anyone to get tested (certain exceptions apply). Even the mask mandate is another folly. I was at a local grocer (stocking up on Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben, and Cracker Jack) wait scratch the last one, hardly anyone was wearing the mask correctly, covering both mouth and nose. Others were not wearing it at all.

But go ahead tune into Falsie on the national news network while he tells you we must shut the country down all while he is worth over 500 million and hasn’t seen a patient in over 50 years.

The Chief

Sacramento Teachers Screw-over Working Families

By: Chief

Yes, you read that correctly. You are not dreaming but this could be construed as one. (OK, a nightmare is more like it.) Sacramento County Office of Education (SCOE) decided today that none of the public schools (elementary to high school) can open for in person learning this fall. The teachers polled their members and the response was “overwhelming” that they did not wish to re-open for in person learning, thus distance learning it is. I figure this also includes no sports or athletic clubs for the fall either, as it makes no sense to have in person sports or band while banning in person classes.

What does this mean for sports? I doubt football or any other fall sports happen. The number of mandatory practices required prior to games being played is certainly not happening. This doesn’t bode well for fall sports being rescheduled for play in the spring either. Football games in 90-degree heat on field turf anyone? Just might be a thing of the past.

What does this mean for parents? Well I guess unless their children are junior high or high school aged, you’re doing “take your child to work day” for at least an entire semester. I am not quite sure how this will work as most jobs do not allow for 100% supervision. Take my job for example. I guess they could set up in the breakroom (it would be an invasion of space of my colleagues) and junior could fire up the laptop. Another problem, what happens at 3:00 or so when his school day is over? I am not off until 5. Most children under the age of 17 have the attention span of a gnat, which would make the last 2 hours of my day hell on wheels. What about internet access? At my work some sites (mostly viewed by high school age folks) are blocked, so that won’t help either. What about folks who do not work a desk job like me…. some people work jobs where children are not allowed, or worse it is unsafe for them. I guess they get left at home with little to no supervision. Sadly, some children will never notice the difference as public schools statewide lost track of about 20 percent of their kids once distance learning began last spring.

Oh, instead of putting the burden on parents to educate their children, the Legislature has already mandated that during distance learning, teachers must have live contact with every child on their rolls every day. Surely nothing could go wrong with adult teachers calling your minor children on the telephone when you are not home.

What does this mean for the child? Well long and short of it is zero in person school for nearly an entire calendar year. As you may recall, we shut schools down in March. Young children, especially those in elementary school, need to interact with other human beings, classmates, teachers, etc. in a face-to-face environment. Additionally, when in school, the curriculum provided things in the classroom for students to physically learn, are parents going to be expected to buy those same materials while junior “distance learns?” Folks over 60 who think the millennials and Gen X are bad…. you haven’t seen nothin’ yet. Wait ‘til these broken, dysfunctional, and unnecessarily traumatized children are voting age!

What does this mean for school support staff? If you’re administration then its probably business as usual, maybe a little more paperwork, and zero accountability. For the cafeteria staff, the hot lunch and meal program is still going full bore, so report to work regardless of your thoughts on this. Athletic department staff may be cleaning out their lockers for a while. Custodial and maintenance staff will continue to work as normal. If anyone is interested, the AC units and lights will be left on as usual, wouldn’t want anything to appear out of routine! What about yard duty, counselors, resource teachers, etc.? Some districts like Elk Grove may carry the deadweight but look for Sac City to dump extra baggage as they try to stay afloat.

What about the teachers? They won. They get to keep teaching from the comfort of their homes with full pay and benefits, and zero accountability. They are required to keep attendance records, but frankly don’t expect them to go one iota above and beyond. Sounds like the SAT and ACT are likely going away, and while we are at it, I figure we will take this opportunity to remove all standardized testing prior to the end of the school year. Think this group feels any of your pain? Think again, the teachers in this state are the most self-serving group of people I have ever heard of. The CTA (teachers union) owns this state and all the elected from both parties. Ask a Democrat elected, cross the CTA you will get humiliated in your next re-election run.

Sadly, fellow readers, the teacher’s union has become a microcosm of everything wrong with our country today. Teachers don’t have to teach in person but folks at grocers, Wally World, meat packing plants, and a host of other essential jobs must report to work or else. On the other hand, this merry band of entitled folks can decide to opt-out? Sorry you signed up to be a teacher. If you want the benefits, short workday, quite a few days off, summers off, extra time at Christmas, Spring Break, Thanksgiving, you need to show up to work in the classroom. Maybe if we withhold their salary, their attitude would change. You know, like what would happen to any of us who work in the real world?

I thought it was their job to think about the children. Sadly, there is only one bully on school property and it’s the teacher’s union.

The Chief

PS Hey parents, don’t forget to document your children’s P.E. (physical education) minutes each day so your district can continue to be fully funded. This is the only mandated curriculum in the state of California that must be documented by each school district. Thanks to Governor Arnold.

ESPN Employee Melts Down

By Chief

2020, the year journalism and humanity officially died. The day was July 7th and Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri sent off a letter to NBA commissioner Adam Silver regarding the words that players would be allowed to wear on their jerseys when the league restarts. Basically, the league is allowing only certain sayings on the jerseys–all of which have some tie to the BLM movement. Hawley was simply inquiring as to why a player couldn’t wear a pro law enforcement slogan. Enter complete retard Adrian Wojnarowski. (above photo) “Woj”, as he is known throughout the industry, has very close ties to the NBA. I would call him a shill, but to each is own. Well Woj–who is an employee of ESPN (hired right after the major layoffs a few years back btw)–decided to get behind a keyboard and fire off a rapid response!

Woj via his official company (ESPN) email, fired off a 2-word email to the Senator. F**K You. Yes, you read that right, both the response and the email it came from. This is the height of stupidity and from a grown man to boot.

This isn’t the first time Woj has gone out of his way to stick up for a sport whose players could probably care less about him, the other time was in the NBA preseason. Prior to a game being played in China, Daryl Morey GM of the Houston Rockets, voiced his support for protestors in Hong Kong who were protesting against their communist government. Woj and a ton of NBA players, coaches, and executives hammered Morey for his remarks, how dare he stick up for the persecuted! Long story short, Woj does his best work on his knees worshipping a fellow man’s manhood.

I am calling for his immediate termination for cause! Before you say I am overreacting, remember this same network fired Rush Limbaugh for far lesser violations some time ago. First of all, the violation Woj committed isn’t just using foul language to speak to a fellow public official, he did it on a company email platform. By doing the latter, it means that he spoke as a representative of ESPN. I hope HR is grilling him right now but somehow, I doubt anything will happen to him. Why do I say this you ask? Read more below.

So here is a screen shot of the front page of the espn.com website, notice the headline of the article “Senator: NBA limiting social justice messages.”

It basically attacks Hawley and is very one sided, and then ESPN slipped this little nugget in toward the end of the article:

In response to the senator’s letter, ESPN NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski replied with a profane email. The senator posted Wojnarowski’s reply on his social media account.

“I was disrespectful and I made a regrettable mistake,” Wojnarowski said in an apology. “I’m sorry for the way I handled myself and I am reaching out immediately to Senator Hawley to apologize directly. I also need to apologize to my ESPN colleagues because I know my actions were unacceptable and should not reflect on any of them.”

ESPN also issued a statement, which said: “This is completely unacceptable behavior and we do not condone it. It is inexcusable for anyone working for ESPN to respond in the way Adrian did to Senator Hawley. We are addressing it directly with Adrian and specifics of those conversations will remain internal.”

There you have it folks, all will remain internal, meaning nothing will be done. Woj will keep his job and continue his worship services same time Monday morning. By the way, why is he apologizing to his colleagues? Most, if not, all likely hold the same viewpoint. Let me just make sure I have this straight; NBA, BLM, and China are all perfect, yet the people of Hong Kong, and police are the problem? How many of us would have been terminated instantly for a similar email being fired off? Truth be told I’m not sure how much longer Disney will keep ESPN around. Their parks are still closed, and there have been 0 in the way of sports happening. Oh, and zero movies released over the last several months. Sadly, folks like Woj will always have a job at places like ESPN, as they are nothing other than mindless lemmings; incapable of thinking for themselves. Seriously who fires off an email like that on a company owned email system?

Maybe what Woj needs is a lesson on hypocrisy. As William has pointed out before China, uses slave labor to mine for the rare metals used to make your electric cars, and production for your new iPhone, yet folks like Woj have an issue with folks supporting our police? Huh?


The Chief

Editor’s Note: The Chief sent this to me for posting several days ago, but due to work and binge-watching Warrior Nun on Netflix over the weekend, I didn’t get around to it promptly.

Oh, Wojnarowski was finally suspended by ESPN for two weeks. Several NBA players, that hate America as much as Colin Kaepernick, have rallied to his defense. Links to related articles appear below:

ESPN suspends NBA reporter Adrian Wojnarowski after profane email to Sen. Hawley: reports

Senator says NBA shouldn’t limit its social messages on jerseys

Josh Hawley invites ESPN CEO to talk China, NBA amid clash with sports reporter

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski responds to Missouri senator’s email: F–k you

Democrat True Colors Showing Now

By Chief

Why should Johnnie Does get to have all the fun? I have returned from hiatus and it’s time to get back to work. While I was on assignment (more on this later) the democrats went crazier than a Girls Gone Wild Video. Here we go….

Dateline CA!

Comrade Newsom was about to re-open nursing homes to visitors as early as July 21st. This information, while not widely known, was found out in a discussion with my neighbor, call him “Chief Sabertooth.” He works in the governor’s office. Think about that for a minute. We have had spiking cases of Corona, yet Newsom wanted to open up the nursing homes exposing our most vulnerable to this disease? How does that even make sense? Well I will tell you; a politician’s only job is to get re-elected. When the economy went into the tank and the budget saw a deficit of 55 billion, even in the face of a rising curve, Comrade Newsom decided to begin re-opening the state. So, we did a phased re-opening, and surprise, surprise the number of cases began growing. Now they are growing so rapidly we are beginning a phased shut down of the economy.

To make matters far worse, this mean additional layoffs and more Californians helplessly out of work. At least Comrade Newsom was nice enough to keep the churches open! But he did ban them from singing. I spoke to a friend who is a card dealer at the Limelight Grill and Bar (cardroom) he has been out of work, and looking forward to returning 7/10; however, now Newsom ordered them to stay closed indefinitely. Another friend of mine just got back to work at a restaurant, she has been laid off due to indoor dining being closed down. To make matters worse Newsom, being the tyrant he is, has ordered the creation of “strike teams” —government organizations to ensure your business is compliant with his rules or else. Think ABC shutting down the local watering hole and pulling their license permanently. Sounds like a police state to me! Hard to believe this idiot wanted to open nursing homes isn’t it? I guess I don’t understand this, most of the positive cases are being traced back to graduation or funerals, why are we punishing all for the decisions of a few?

Oh, his CDCR (corrections department) is another major fail. With an outbreak of over 1,100 Covid cases at San Quentin, some genius decided to move some prisoners to another prison in Susanville in rural Lassen County. The prison there currently has a Covid outbreak of over 214 people. The entire county of Lassen minus the jail had 0 cases just a few months ago. So apparently Newsom is a fan of Greek history, borrowing their use of the Trojan Horse to penetrate your opponents. (Lassen is a very GOP heavy county)

One last factoid on Newsom, he has always wanted to make history when elected governor, and frankly he did! While our flip flop governor was playing political games with people’s lives due to Covid, look what happened to our economy. In May we hit 15.5% unemployment, the highest ever in CA (until June when it was 16.3—Editor). So next time Newsom comes out of his Fair Oaks house, make sure to tell him, he’s made history!

Dateline MN!

So the city council in Minneapolis wants to and has repeatedly said they would defund and disband the city’s police force. Seems like a crazy move because in case of a real emergency who does one call? Sorry kids, Ghostbusters is not a valid answer. I guess you could ask for the guy who guards the local bank, and see if he has quarters to use at the pay phone to call the real police? However, to my point, did you know the city of Minneapolis is paying $4500 per day to a private security detail for those same council members? In total the city has spent over $63,000 of taxpayer dollars in just the past 3 weeks.

This is how this defund the police works for you. You dial 911 as an emergency is occurring, there is no answer, so you take up arms yourself to defend your property, similar to the couple in St Louis. Fear not, even if you do not fire a shot, the local DA will attempt to indict you, and make you fight and answer to several charges in court. This will cost you thousands in billable attorney hours, all while the DA has unlimited public funds. If you aren’t so lucky as to own a weapon, you will likely be killed, and your house ransacked, with no justice. Think long and hard about this defunding thing for a bit.

Dateline Seattle!

So I was on assignment the last few weeks I relocated to the de-militarized zone between Seattle, WA (USA) and the Country of CHAZ/CHOP.

The original Chaz
Chastity Bono before and after addadicktome surgery.
Her new name became Chaz Bono

I met with a special envoy who had direct communication with the leaders/citizens of CHOP and the message is far different from what you heard on TV. CHOP had a wall built around its border and had its own militia, a private security squad of AK-47 or long rifle toting commandos.

Keep in mind, most of the guns held by their security were either illegal in the US or were being open carried, also illegal. CHOP has its own laws and its own way of enforcing them. Mayor Jenny Durkan—who in a race to see who is the biggest pantywaist between her and Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg would come down to a photo finish—praised this movement and even took a knee in solidarity with the CHOP occupiers.

Seattle Mayor Durkan showing her support of CHOP protesters

This gave them credibility; CHOP went on for 3 weeks and showed no sign of slowing down…that is until this past Sunday 28 June. On this day, socialist councilwomen Kshama Sawant led a group of protestors to the home of Mayor Durkan. Durkan thought she was a sympathizer, turns out the protestors think she is a part of the problem too. So much for taking a knee huh?

Durkan’s office released this statement that night, and wow is it a doozy:

The mayor’s office shared the following statement Sunday night: 

“Seattle has a long tradition of peaceful protest and advocacy for progressive change, and Mayor Durkan strongly supports those rights. Mayor Durkan will continue to listen to leaders in Seattle’s Black community.  She is working hard to translate the calls for change into real, tangible systemic changes to policing and all the other systems needed for strong and healthy communities.  She has prioritized these as Mayor, with investments in housing, education, youth opportunity, and economic equity.  She proposes investing an additional $100 million into the Black community.

Mayor Durkan and her family are in the state program to keep their address confidential because of the death threats mostly related to her work as Seattle’s U.S. Attorney under President Obama.  Instead of working to make true change, Councilmember Sawant continues to choose political stunts.  Tonight she did so without regard for the safety of the Mayor and her family. The Mayor was not even home – she was working at City Hall.  Seattle can and should peacefully demonstrate but should not put families and children at risk.”

Durkan even went a step further calling on the city council members to investigate and throw out Sawant. Yes, how dare she release your address oh dictator! And just like that CHOP was dismantled Wednesday morning, and 25 arrests were made. 4 people were killed in CHOP all of them black, and over the span of about 3 weeks, puts the number of black folks killed by the “police” at 1.2 million times the national average compared to USA. If I could speak to Durkan for 1 minute, she likely won’t, but I’ll try. Mayor you are a white woman, I know I’m assuming your gender, but bear with me. This movement started off going after police, and now it has somewhat shifted to white men, you are next on the list. Keep in mind Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos had a guillotine placed in front of his house by these same types of folks, Bezos is a committed leftist like you. Your politics don’t matter, your skin color does, completely against the dream of MLK. Your fellow council members have declined your request to investigate Sawant. You are not viewed as a saint by this group, you are a sinner. You may have clapped and chanted with them when they took over the police station, or when they toppled statues, looks like your fellow councilmembers may be helping topple your statue next time you are up for election. Keep your head on a swivel!

The Chief

Why is Victoria’s Secret Struggling?

By Chief

Victoria’s Secret is a women’s fashion company that has faced struggling sales and financial issues over the last year and a half, in fact they were even sold to a private equity company, only to have the buyer pull out of the deal. I am going to examine just how these problems began arising and what is being done to fix them.

Investing in a company like Victoria’s Secret should be a no-brainer, right? Most of their products are made using unpaid/sparsely paid jail labor and sold for a very large markup. Typically, if you sell a few items you have paid for the cost of the entire box and everything after that is profit. Items sold at VS are sold at very high margins, with the only expenses being rent and employee salaries. Add to that the long line of supermodels and stars who wear/market their products. Their annual fashion show gets millions upon millions of viewers. So why did the stock crater, profitability dry out, and cause 55% of VS to be sold to a private buyer?

The answer is complex and frankly I am not sure the company can dig itself out of the hole they created themselves.

Pink has VS seeing red

It seems like it started in 2002 when they opened VS Pink stores, aimed at the 15-22-year-old demographic. It used to be a brand for mature, older women who would buy a special something for themselves, and for their partner. It was sexy, unique, and basically you wore it in the bedroom for a little bit, or when you were feeling yourself (feeling good, head out of the gutter) or as a surprise for your man. This opening of Pink caused a sea change in the company’s philosophy and likely caused outright shock for anyone who has a daughter, fathers especially. Pink caters directly too college/high school students, but it’s not just the pajama’s, thong underwear, etc. that was shocking, it was the horrendously cheap quality. A hallmark of VS used to be an unmatched quality product.

In addition to poor-to-average quality products, Pink delineated the brand, in another way. VS used to be iconic with models/the bedroom, they began selling workout attire, perfume, swimwear, and regular clothing, similar to Abercrombie and Fitch. The phrase “I went to VS”, went from wow, am I in for a fun night, to……well she probably got some cheap underwear or a bath bomb. If you’re a company selling sex/smut/etc. you want to keep that identity, they threw it away.

Another thing, Victoria’s Secret didn’t keep up with changing times. This resulted in erosion of the brand’s perception. Back then if a girl was not skinny or didn’t have the right body type, her friends didn’t care, they bought the product anyway. Now girls tend to protest companies that do not foster inclusion. VS went all in on girls who were a size 0, basically very skinny, and had the perfect body type, think very toned and the perfect breasts and butt. This works for a while, but stories began to trickle out of VS associates telling certain girls “we don’t sell anything for your body type here” and not stocking sizes over a medium will get you killed in the social media environment we live in today. Think herd mentality (or Yelp), if you get treated wrong at a store, then you tell your friends. Often this results in a high likely hood they will boycott as well.

I spoke to several women about this issue ranging in ages from 18-55 and they all were very down on VS, I have included responses below.

Their products are cheaply made crap, the underwear rips after being washed about 4 times.

I wanted to get sized for a bra, they only had a guy working on the sales floor, he was more than eager to help…creepy!

VS isn’t for me, they market to supermodels…I like my body, VS wants me to hate it.

VS is for college kids, I am not longer in college, I found a new brand.

I’m not a skinny girl, VS has nothing for me…too bad because bigger women have sex too ya know.

I used to shop their religiously, then I realized at 30 I was double the age of the average VS Pink customer…. I found a new brand.

Not every girl looks like Kate Upton or Megan Fox. It creates a dangerous stereotype of perfect women, also it creates a culture of men not wanting to be seen with/date bigger women.

(Editor’s Note: who is Kate Upton? This is the first I’ve heard mentioned about Megan Fox since she quit the Transformers franchise over a decade ago. Guess Chief likes his squaws on the young side.)

Megan Fox Transformers (2007)

Note: every single woman I spoke with was done with the company and would not come back. When I asked their preferred brand, the answers ran the gamut; Aerie, was the number one choice. Most folks these days are intensely brand loyal and will not return if they have a bad experience or interaction.

The stock of VS parent L Brands has gone from about $100 to about $12 over the span of 18 months, most of this pre-pandemic. VS was actually sold (55%) of it to a private equity group Sycamore Partner, they are famous for buying distressed clothing assets and trying to turn them around. Sycamore backed out of the deal about a month ago. When private equity (think Mitt Romney, Warren Buffett, Carl Icahn etc.) want no part of you, it’s a sinking ship. VS is and continues to be a major drag on L Brands earnings. (L Brands also owns high growth brand Bath and Body Works). Problem is they have no buyer so they must do something to re-image the brand. I am not sure what the future will look like, but they announced they were closing 25% of their stores today. Ask how that strategy worked for Circuit City, Sear’s, Pier One, and a host of others. I think VS is circling the drain, problem is management likely doesn’t see the dark hole, they think there is a light at the end of the tunnel.

The Chief

PS I spoke to a former girlfriend who works for law firm Lowe, Ballem & Lynch, a direct competitor of Dewey, Screwem & Howe, the latter being a friend of the blog. Anyhow the ex had this to say about VS. I used to shop there, I won’t anymore, the Pink store is 90% high school and college age girls, and I am not one anymore. As far as the flagship VS stores, they carry nice stuff but it’s very overpriced, and all the photos are of perfect bodied models. They also manipulate their sizing, I wear a size small at most places, at VS the medium was too small and sometimes the large felt just right? It made me feel very self-conscious and questioned my motives of being a customer of theirs. I shop at Aerie (American Eagle Brand) and they cater to all women, we all have unique bodies and I just feel more comfortable. It doesn’t help CEO of L-Brands Les Wexler (the founder by the way) was linked to Jeffrey Epstein and his underage girls…. I have a hard time supporting someone like that.

Blogger note: For the record Wexler did step aside.

Is Dr. Anthony Fauci Part of the Problem?

By Chief

Before anyone gets the tone of this blog incorrect, I am not denying Dr. Anthony Fauci’s medical background or his work on the AIDS/HIV virus back in the day, I am merely pointing out statements he has made at press conferences over the past several months.

Dr. Fauci is a very accomplished man, and at the ripe age of 79 I hope I have a fraction of his enthusiasm and energy he exhibits daily. There is literally no end to when, where and how that this Dr. will go to give an interview, heck he did one during the NFL draft on ESPN. He is literally the Energizer Bunny but in human form! He has always been at Trump’s side during pressers, disagreeing sometimes, but that must be tough to be there almost daily and sharing a podium with “The Donald.” While our readers may say Trump is right or wrong on this disease one thing is for certain, Fauci has been all over the place. Just check these quotes from his press conferences out:

Editor’s Note: The Chief gave me a bare timeline for this blog entry, and I went back and found backup for each of his bullet points. As is my practice, I try to give you enough to show the comments are in context.

Early January he said we had nothing to worry about from this virus mostly based on current models (AKA the death (projections)

01/21/2020

Fauci said, “Obviously, you need to take it seriously and do the kind of things the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) and the Department of Homeland Security is doing. But this is not a major threat to the people of the United States and this is not something that the citizens of the United States right now should be worried about.”

Fact-check: Did Fauci say coronavirus was ‘nothing to worry about’?

01/23/2020

Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, says in a Journal of the American Medical Association podcast that the U.S. wouldn’t implement draconian shutdowns of cities like what was occurring in China: “There’s no chance in the world that we could do that to Chicago or to New York or to San Francisco, but they’re doing it. So, let’s see what happens.”

Coronavirus timeline shows politicians’, media’s changing rhetoric on risk of pandemic

01/26/2020

“The American people should not be worried or frightened by this. It’s a very, very low risk to the United States,” Fauci says on The CATS Roundtable. “It isn’t something that the American public needs to worry about or be frightened about.”

Coronavirus timeline shows politicians’, media’s changing rhetoric on risk of pandemic

On Jan. 26, Fauci gave an interview to John Catsimatidis, a syndicated radio host in New York. “What can you tell the American people about what’s been going on?” Catsimatidis asked. “Should they be scared?”

“I don’t think so,” Fauci said. “The American people should not be worried or frightened by this. It’s a very, very low risk to the United States, but it’s something we, as public health officials, need to take very seriously.”

Fact-check: Did Fauci say coronavirus was ‘nothing to worry about’?

01/27/2020

But the following day, Jan. 27, Fauci was criticizing the lack of Chinese transparency, pointing in particular to new information that asymptotic individuals could be spreading the virus. Despite this, he continued to cite airport screening of travelers from China as the primary defense against it spreading to the U.S.

Virus Experts’ Early Statements Belie ‘Prescient’ Portrayal

02/17/2020

Fauci announces that the risk of coronavirus infection in the U.S. is “miniscule,” according to USA Today. Fauci, one of the top experts in the field and a senior White House coronavirus adviser, also told the paper that people shouldn’t wear masks unless they are contagious.

Coronavirus timeline shows politicians’, media’s changing rhetoric on risk of pandemic

“If you look at the masks that you buy in a drug store, the leakage around that doesn’t really do much to protect you,” he said. “People start saying, ‘Should I start wearing a mask?’ Now, in the United States, there is absolutely no reason whatsoever to wear a mask.”

Top disease official: Risk of coronavirus in USA is ‘minuscule’; skip mask and wash hands

Fauci doesn’t want people to worry about coronavirus, the danger of which is “just minuscule.” But he does want them to take precautions against the “influenza outbreak, which is having its second wave.”

Top disease official: Risk of coronavirus in USA is ‘minuscule’; skip mask and wash hands

Fauci offered advice for people who want to protect against the “real and present danger” of seasonal flu, which also would protect against the hypothetical danger of coronavirus.

Top disease official: Risk of coronavirus in USA is ‘minuscule’; skip mask and wash hands

02/29/2020

Fauci said we didn’t have to change our way of life one bit. Oh, also on this date was what at the time was the first reported Corona death in the United States.

“No. Right now, at this moment, there’s no need to change anything that you’re doing on a day by day basis. Right now the risk is still low, but this could change. I’ve said that many times even on this program. You’ve got to watch out because although the risk is low now, you don’t need to change anything you’re doing.”

Tweet amplified by Trump misleads on Fauci’s late-February advice

03/08/2020

Fauci claimed we didn’t need to wear masks as the virus science showed it didn’t help.

“There’s no reason to be walking around with a mask,” infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci told 60 Minutes.

While masks may block some droplets, Fauci said, they do not provide the level of protection people think they do. Wearing a mask may also have unintended consequences: People who wear masks tend to touch their face more often to adjust them, which can spread germs from their hands.

But there is another risk to healthy people buying disposable masks as a precaution. The price of face masks is surging, and Prestige Ameritech, the nation’s largest surgical mask manufacturer, is now struggling to keep up with the increased demand.

“It could lead to a shortage of masks for the people who really need it,” Fauci said.

Preventing coronavirus: Should you wear a face mask?

The “draconian” quarantine measures taken by China, while they’ve worked to prevent a broader advance of the disease beyond Wuhan province, are “something we never would be able to do” in the U.S., he added. Italy also imposed more stringent travel restrictions early Sunday.
“I don’t imagine that the degree of the draconian nature of what the Chinese did would ever be either feasible, applicable, doable or whatever you want to call it in the United States,” Fauci said in an interview with CBS’s “60 Minutes” that will be broadcast on Sunday, according to a partial transcript provided by the network.

Top health official Anthony Fauci predicts ‘social distancing’ as outbreak continues

03/09/2020

Fauci went as far as saying young folks and healthy folks should go on a cruise. Yes, he said cruise.

“If you are a healthy young person, there is no reason if you want to go on a cruise ship, go on a cruise ship.”

COVID-19 Travel Update: Fauci Says Cruising Is OK If You Are Healthy

Also on this day, Fauci remarks that going to campaign rallies may not be a bad idea: “You know, I can’t comment on campaign rallies. It really depends. We are having as we all said — this is something in motion. This is an evolving thing. So I’m not sure what we’re going to be able to say at the time we’re going to have a campaign rally. If you’re talking about a campaign rally tomorrow, in a place where there is no community spread, I think the judgment to have it might be a good judgment. [But] if you want to talk about large gatherings in a place you have community spread, I think that’s a judgment call, and if someone decides they want to cancel it, I wouldn’t publicly criticize them.”

Coronavirus timeline shows politicians’, media’s changing rhetoric on risk of pandemic

3/15/2020

After Trump allowed Fauci to recommend others for the task force, Fauci did a complete 180. He said we needed extreme social distancing, wear masks in public, and shut the economy down.

Dr. Antony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, urged Americans to shut down more aggressively as the coronavirus spreads.

On MSNBC’s “Meet the Press” Mr. Fauci endorsed a 14-day “national shutdown” to help slow down the virus. He explained that he has brought it up with the administration, which is generally open to his ideas.

Dr. Anthony Fauci urges ‘national shutdown’ as coronavirus spreads

03/17/2020

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the National Institutes of Health’s infectious diseases chief, on Sunday said it’s “possible” the nation would experience a reported “worst-case scenario” of up to 1.7 million deaths from the coronavirus outbreak.

Dr. Fauci: Worst-Case Scenario Of Up To 1.7M Deaths From Coronavirus ‘Possible’

Imperial College predicts up to 2.2 million deaths in USA

Epidemiologists at Imperial College in London released a report on Monday that shocked government officials in the UK and the US. Unless drastic measures are taken immediately to combat the spread of the COVID-19 virus, the scientists say deaths from the virus could reach 2.2 million in the United States and 510,000 in the UK. More ambitious measures could cut both numbers in half, but the crisis will not be resolved completely until a vaccine is available — a process that could easily take 18 months or more.

Imperial College Epidemiologists Report Forecasts Up To 2.2 Million COVID-19 Deaths In US, 510,000 In UK

03/26/2020

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, stressed Sunday that mitigation measures implemented to flatten the number of new coronavirus cases are vital to stopping the U.S. “from becoming an Italy.”

“The kinds of mitigation issues that are going on right now, the things that we’re seeing in this country, this physical separation at the same time as we’re preventing an influx of cases coming in, I think that’s going to go a long way to preventing us from becoming an Italy,” Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told “Face the Nation.”

Fauci says social distancing over coronavirus can stop U.S. from “becoming an Italy”

To stop the spread of the coronavirus, public health officials have urged Americans to implement social distancing and limit their social gatherings.

Fauci says social distancing over coronavirus can stop U.S. from “becoming an Italy”

Just for perspective, WHO chimed into the echo chamber

…March 26, the World Health Organization tweeted: “If you do not have any respiratory symptoms, such as fever, cough, or runny nose, you do not need to wear a medical mask. When used alone, masks can give you a false feeling of protection and can even be a source of infection when not used correctly.”

Experts’ advice on virus inconsistent, often wrong

03/29/2020

Dr. Fauci on CNN

“I would say between 100,000 and 200,000 cases,” he said, correcting himself to say he meant deaths. “We’re going to have millions of cases.” But he added “I don’t want to be held to that” because the pandemic is “such a moving target.”

Dr. Fauci predicts 100K to 200K Americans will die from COVID-19

03/31/2020

If you’re not sick with the new coronavirus, should you wear a mask in public? Global health authorities say no.

Should you wear mask in public if not sick with coronavirus?

Earlier in the day, Dr. Anthony Fauci, infectious disease chief at the U.S. National Institutes of Health, had told CNN that once there are enough masks, there might be “some very serious consideration” about broadening the mask recommendations.

For now, the advice posted on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s website: “If you are NOT sick: You do not need to wear a face mask unless you are caring for someone who is sick (and they are not able to wear a face mask).”

Should you wear mask in public if not sick with coronavirus?

04/06/2020

Fauci claimed 2.4 million would die in the USA alone by August, that number has been all over the place since, as low as 61k and now back to about 135k.

The White House unveiled that their goal for community mitigation, where the curve is supposedly flattened, that an estimated 100,000-240,000 people will die from the virus, which is a stark contrast from the 1.5-2.2 million estimated deaths without taking any precautions.

White House Weekly: April 6

“Why am I not wearing a face mask now? There are a couple of reasons,” Fauci responded when a reporter questioned why he doesn’t wear the covering at a Sunday press conference.

“One of them is part of the, in fact the major reason to wear a face mask is to protect you from infecting you,” he said, as he pointed to people in the gallery of the room.

“I had my test and it’s negative,” he added.

IN THE CLEAR Top doc Fauci tests negative for coronavirus and explains why he doesn’t wear a mask

4/08/2020

Fauci claimed we won’t be shaking hands ever again, as the virus is too easily spread.

Absolutely no more handshakes, even after we’ve defeated this virus. “As a society, just forget about shaking hands,” Fauci said during a new television interview.

Dr. Fauci says we should never shake hands again, even when this pandemic is over

04/17/2020

Fauci said sex hookups on Tinder etc were fine as long as both parties knew of the risks.

Dr. Anthony Fauci said Americans could meet people they matched with on dating apps if they were “willing to take a risk” with their health and the wellbeing of others.

Dr. Fauci says you can meet a tinder date ‘if you’re willing to take a risk’

Look, we aren’t here to discredit the good Dr. All I want to do is point out Fauci has been all over the place throwing out info. To make matters worse as discussed in this space before, we as a people are hungry for any info spit out by a person with the salutation “Dr.” in front of their name. Look at the misinformation that has come out of just his mouth alone! His answers run the gamut. Yet the media hordes hang on this Fauci guys every word as if he is some charming sage. So, we go from nothing to worry about to full blown panic, to don’t shake hands, shut down the economy to go ahead and have sex with a complete stranger? And folks wonder why the toilet paper and other items are gone at the store. The 90 day types and cable watchers have had more mood swings than a young girl who just got her first period. It’s been awful for us sane folks to watch. Think horrific car accident, you try to look away, but you can’t.

Now let us examine Fauci a little closer. First, he like these other “medical director” types have not seen a patient in decades. Fauci is a research doctor to spends most of his time reading through other doctor’s writings and research. This may explain him literally being all over the place. In addition did you know he has a net worth of over 500 million? He does, so don’t worry about him or his family during these times, they are very well taken care of. Like the other folks telling you to stay home while you face a prospect of rent being 2 months past due by the way. He also is a Clintonite by the way, and pals around with elites almost exclusively. Maybe the Clinton’s are telling him to shut things down longer or he may take a dirt nap? Think about it, the Clinton’s have “offed” people for far less, and when you look at the citations above it could be a theory.

Again, in closing, Fauci is a very smart man, who is eloquent of speech, he did lots of great things with the HIV/AIDS some time ago, but he is clearly out of his league here. I think Trump should remove him from the briefings and allow him to hit the cable news circuit. I am sorry but the misinformation on this virus is causing way more harm than help. How else can one explain why William and I cannot shake hands anymore, yet a week later tell the “Troll” he can swipe left on Tinder until he finds Hope Hicks and the two of them can engage in “relations?” Also I want Johnnie Does to do food reviews at actual restaurants again, not just take out. He needs to stay in his lane and quit blogging politics.

The Chief

Will Biden be the Nominee in November?

By Chief

While I am by far more of a conspiracy guy than of all the other bloggers employed by this site, please hear me out on this one. I really do think something is going on behind closed doors in the Democrat Primary. I refuse to say democratic because as the last 2 election cycles have shown us, there is nothing democratic about that process.

Doesn’t it just seem like the party insiders have had the cake baked since the early going? Bernie Sanders gets out to an early lead and all of a sudden, every surrogate possible says he is unelectable? After Biden finally showed a pulse in South Carolina (a state he was expected to win BTW) the leader in delegates (Booty Judge) drops out, and the candidate with the most momentum dropped out (Klob Butcher) especially with a slew of Midwestern states voting next (she is from Minnesota). Credit to Biden, he did very well on Super Tuesday, aided in no small part by California taking its time to add up votes from the dead and illegal, mind you. Pocahontas dropped out and then the debates were cancelled moving forward due to Covid-19. I am still not sure why this was the case, how come an empty auditorium couldn’t be used? Moderators in the middle, candidates (there were only 2) 10-12 feet apart, not allowed to move around, and again no audience? Bernie didn’t make a stink about it and went on to lose the primaries the following week.

Then things got more bizarre, primaries began to be postponed, or made to be all mail in, or poll voting only. This is not democracy; this is called stacking the deck. Fox News personality Donna Brazile was seen blushing somewhere. New York has since cancelled their primary, and I’m sure will award all delegates to Biden. This has attracted a lawsuit by former candidate Andrew Yang, by the way, saying it’s a violation of civil rights. Prior to these events, Biden announced he would pick a woman as his running mate, a strange announcement since he has yet to accumulate the required amount of delegates to secure the nomination. By saying so much he has basically boxed himself in to picking (Kamala Harris, Amy Klobutcher, Liz Warren, or Stacey Abrams) more on the latter shortly.

However, the most bizarre thing in this primary is Joe Biden himself; something is clearly wrong with him health-wise. I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV, but something is clearly amiss. He makes eye popping gaffes. He slurs his speech and makes up stories that are really bad lies at best. Lately they have kept him in hiding (sheltering in place) with only a teleprompter when giving interviews and he has stumbled badly. Thankfully, those in the so-called media have helped him get this far already. Problem is Tara Reade and her recollection of being sexually assaulted, by Biden when she worked for him, then silenced when she spoke out against him. She was fired, and initially this was made out to be a rogue employee. Then a tape surfaced of her mother calling into Larry King Live, back in the day. Now at least 2 others have come forward saying they heard this same story from Reade.

This puts the democrats in between a rock and a hard place. They tarred and feathered Judge Kavanaugh and his family over unsubstantiated claims of sexual assault for something Kavanaugh allegedly did in high school. Now they are largely ignoring and mocking Reade. Now a new woman has come out against Biden, 26-year-old Eva Murray, who was 14 when Joe Biden, while at a campaign event asked her how old she was. Upon hearing she was 14, he told her “you are very well endowed for a 14-year-old”.

“When it was Biden and my aunt’s turn to say hello he quickly turned to me and asked how old I was,” Murry told Law&Crime. “I replied with my age and he replied with the comment, ‘Fourteen? You’re very well endowed for 14!’”

“I was confused but it was definitely weird, he looked me up and down and hovered his eyes on my chest so I had some clue [about] the notion of his comment but didn’t fully understand at the time,” she said. “We quickly separated from his area after the encounter.”

Woman accuses Biden of sexual harassment over alleged incident when she was 14 — but organizer denies he was at event

This is creepy old man stuff you cannot make up! Even the “troll blogger” here would never stoop so low! Also, Biden did these things while a Senator not a drunk frat boy in college.

Now to the point of my blog. The Democrats, I believe, will seek to remove Joe at convention if not sooner. These allegations are beginning to stockpile, and worse for him is the leading Democrats “campaigning” to be his running mate are Amy Klobucher, Kamala Harris both who are former prosecutors, both of whom said all women must be believed. Ditto for Liz Warren, minus the prosecutor credentials. This has put Klobucher and Harris in a horrible spot, both claim they support Biden and deny the event ever happened, yet they believed Kathleen “Ballsy” Ford with even less substance? Worse yet AOC and Hakeem Jeffries (the number 4 ranking Democrat in the House) say his accuser must be heard, and the facts put out in public. While AOC was a Bernie supporter, I’m not sure who Jeffries got behind. For the record, the files about this “incident” are sealed at the University of Delaware and Biden does not want them made public…. odd actions for an innocent man!

While folks like Michael Savage say Liberalism is a brain disease, I disagree, while most non-elected democrats aren’t very bright, those in power are quite astute. They are very aware they tried to make “Orange Man” Donald Trump look like a Filet O’Fish and Big Mac snarfing, stripper loving, vile comments toward women monster….it backfired, because in large part his support is nearly unbreakable! Joe Biden has a bigger problem, he is made to be a shirt sleeve moderate, who is very politically correct…those are not great traits when you look incoherent during an interview. Ditto for when you go off script…. even his blank gaze when he is listening is a bad look. Think about the debates for a minute, assuming the media allows them to occur. Trump will demolish him! Joe has issues, and is it a coincidence Hillary made these comments to the press last week about waiting for the call to run for president? Surely, she knows the process began a while ago.

Most recently, she joined Vice President Biden in a town hall devoted to women’s issues, during which she effusively endorsed her longtime colleague. She reminisced about their time together in the Obama administration, talked about their mutual love of Scranton, Pa., where her father grew up, and recalled meetings in the Situation Room.

In fact, Clinton talked so much about their shared history that it was easy to forget that she was endorsing Biden. It almost sounded as though she was touting her own resume instead.

Maybe she was.

As Biden struggles, Hillary waits for the call

Or how about liberal rag Rolling Stone Magazine putting this cover out this week?

Folks I am not sure as to what is going on here behind the scenes, but I think the power brokers see Joe as a lose-lose proposition. In short, the media and the powers that be wanted no part of Bernie, but they are now left with a millstone named Joe Biden who looks worse with each interview given. Time will tell on whether he is replaced but things sure seem fishy.

The Chief

PS What we all wonder here at Reallyright.com is what happens if Joe sniffs the hair, or comments on the looks of one Jen Aniston or one Hope Hicks. We all know the Troll is unstable.

Haves vs Have Nots

By Chief

With the coronavirus lockdown continuing until at least May 31, as announced by the Bay Area Counties today, I wanted to examine a new kind of income inequality being created by the government’s ruling class. I was always told when I was younger there were two classes haves and have nots, and that it was capitalism’s fault. Most of my classmates believed it, and as I went through college (also known as finishing school in Europe) all my classmates believed capitalism was the cause of this inequality. Fast forward 10 years and we get government sponsored class warfare. Yes, indeed we do with the government declaring what is essential and non-essential. The economic winners picked by government can continue working while the rest, currently north of 26 million people, are kept in lockdown and essentially under house arrest. This arbitrary situation is furthering the divide not helped it.

Since we are now looking at a June 1st opening date at the very earliest, let’s examine what that means for non-essential workers.

  • They will now be missing at least 4 pay checks (2 in April, and May)
  • Be late/past due on potentially 2 months of rent/mortgage and car payments
  • Likely 60 days’ worth of credit card charges/money borrowed at a large interest clip
  • Student Loans might give you an extra 90 days and then what

In short, significant stress and anxiety about the future.

Even if we take the above at face value, and include a government stimulus of $1,200 plus, and maybe rent/mortgage forbearance, this is a recipe for chaos. Imagine having young children cooped up, yourself included, also a spouse. Nothing to do but look at four walls and a roof…. keep in mind the park may be open, but the jungle gym is closed. How do you keep the kids sane, and the marriage on an even footing? Just because it’s a special circumstance does not stop the past due notices from coming monthly since the mail still comes every day. If you own payments an asset that can be repossessed/foreclosed on, rest assured the lender will make all attempts to re-coup their investment.

Meanwhile, both groups are eligible for the stimulus check and the deal offered by the mortgage company for a year of no payments due to Covid-19.

Contrast that with an essential worker. That person may be required to work, likely under different circumstances, but they remain on the payroll. Essential workers get a pretty sweet deal if you ask me because they receive both the benefits of working and the benefits of the nonessential. Think about the extra money that can be banked while household payments are put off, maybe even interest free?

Which camp would you rather be in? Keep in mind if you were declared a non-essential business you must keep your doors locked. Your landlord may not be quite so forgiving, and one thing is certain, your auto finance lender may be processing re-po paperwork and having it ready.

In closing, this is not to say the haves will be wealthy, as that is not and will not be true. It is strictly to point out that the haves will be able to retain their current lifestyle while the have nots will not be so lucky. As things currently stand, short of an exceptionally large government stimulus on a monthly re-occurring basis, the have nots will not make it out of this is decent shape. Think of it like the banking/financial/credit crisis of 2006-10. Once again if you are not a chosen member of the government class or “essential” to the economy, remember too big to let fail, your life will be forever flipped upside down.

I say forever because many young folks may have placed a down payment on a house, ditto for a car, and now by the power of a few in our government, they are experiencing the loss of everything. Life is in transition as they go from a house in a decent part of town to a studio apartment in a not so nice part; from 2 nice cars, to 1 commuter class car. Their credit is shot, and they may soon be trying to retain a bankruptcy attorney to charge off credit card bills. Mind you the payments could all be made while working, but due to a government mandated shutdown, they were wiped out.

To add insult to injury, any government aid will likely continue to aid everyone, both essential and non-essential. Causing a greater void among those who have, and those who have not.

Keep in mind, the May 31st date to stay under lockdown is a sliding scale, as it has already been pushed back twice. (Editor’s Note: while editing this post, local station KOVR is saying that the stay at home order may not be lifted until October.) In addition, we’ve already witnessed firework shows on July 4th as well as the county and state fairs cancelled. The State Fair typically happens toward the end of July to beginning of August.

I spoke with a couple folks with connections to the Governor and they feel July will be a reasonable time to “open up the economy in tranches.” Oh, by the way; religious services/ball games/and restaurants are near the end of the line, so plan on being long-term out of work; all while folks who are essential continue to remain employed/thriving.

Chief