Island Issues

“Happy days are here again, Skies above are clear again, Let’s sing a song of cheer again!”

“Happy days are here again, Skies above are clear again, Let’s sing a song of cheer again!”

 

Almost every Nassau County restaurant, bar, shop and other businesses I’ve delivered bundles of News-Wreckers to the past couple of weeks have “help wanted” signs posted.

I don’t know one unemployed person who is looking for a job. I do know some folks who have good jobs and are seeking even better ones. I also know many business owners hereabouts who tell me they are thriving as never before.

As the song lyrics say: “Happy Days are here again!”

Government statistics proclaim the economy is roaring along at a record pace. The last time things were this good Richard Nixon was President, Neil Armstrong was walking on the moon, Rowan & Martin’s Laugh-In was making viewers chuckle, and Democrat Senator Ted Kennedy was driving his car off a bridge on Chappaquiddick Island, Massachusetts leaving his passenger, Mary Jo Kopechne, in it to drown. It was 1969.

Democrats telling their constituents how bad things are.

The 2019 first quarter economic report continue the good news for high school, trade school and college graduates, stock holders, businesses, investors, all ethnic groups, or any American with a pulse that wants to take advantage of the country’s incredible economic situation. If folks haven’t read or heard about the glowing numbers it’s probably because they’re too busy working or are Democrats holding their hands over their ears like a four-year-old hollering at mother saying: “I can’t hear you!”

For those of you who don’t know, here’s what’s happening. (Warning to Democrats: The following information may be hazardous to your health, causing dizziness, hypertension and fainting. Do not read this if you suffer from Anti-Trump Syndrome, hallucinations, delusions or any other psychiatric disorder or emotional problems. Do not have this information read to you while operating heavy machinery or while driving.)

  • The first quarter of this year employers added 263,000 jobs, while the unemployment rate dropped to a five-decade low of 3.6%.
  • Average hourly pay rose 3.2% with the average now a whopping $27.77.
  • The unemployment rate for women fell to 3.1%, the lowest point since 1953. The rate for Latinos dropped to 4.2%, a record low since 1973. The unemployment rate for African Americans, which peaked at 16.8 percent in March 2010, is now at an all-time low of 6.7 percent.
  • For Asians, joblessness has matched a record low of 2.2%. And the unemployment rate for veterans of the Iraq and Afghan wars dropped to 1.7%. Another record low.
  • The current economy isn’t dependent on the housing market as it was in the years leading up to the last recession in 2008. Economists now consider housing to be a form of consumption.
  • The first quarter numbers were highly significant for the slowdown in inflation, with the price index for gross domestic purchases rising just 0.8 percent, even with the recent rise in oil prices.
  • The stock market continues to soar and has IRA’s and 401K’s constantly spitting out profits.

However, we’re being told by the herd of Democrats running for their party’s nomination about how they are going to fix or remake the economy. Their propagandists posing as journalists are telling us that moving toward even bigger government with more regulations is a good thing.

We have been told by these same alleged experts that we couldn’t get this low an unemployment rate and if we did, we would have higher inflation. They were 100% wrong.

The Democrat’s solution.

Despite Trump helping minorities, women and others move up the economic ladder he is portrayed by Democrats as sexist and racist. Facts don’t matter to this bewildered, angry, and confused group.

They can’t comprehend how lower taxes and fewer regulations give businesses more room to raise wages without causing inflation, and that the faster economy is increasing productivity? That have a complete lack of understanding of how economics works.

So, as most of the world’s economies slow down, ours under Trump has sped up. Under the Trump administration there are 6.7 million new full-time jobs. There are 500,000 new manufacturing jobs (when we were told they were gone for good) and 600,000 new construction jobs. Wages are rapidly growing, especially for those at the lower end of the income scale. So much for the claptrap that Trump only wants to help the rich.

The Keystone Kop lineup of some 20 Democrat presidential candidates are proposing to build a socialistic golden-goose slaughter house and put a guillotine in every town square. Their proposals so far read like the 1933 National Socialist German Workers’ Party platform. Except they think that all white people are stupid, racist and oppressive.

They want open borders but don’t want to talk about the number of murders and other crimes committed by illegals. Despite claiming to be the champion of the poor they ignore the economic strain illegal aliens have on social services and national and local budgets, and how illegal immigration negatively impacts the country’s poor more than any other segment of society. They will not tell the truth about the stupidity of the Green New Deal and how it would destroy the economy while creating a massive government bureaucracy. They absolutely do not want to talk about how Trump told the truth that the economy could grow 3%. We were told repeatedly by liberal “journalistic” propagandists and other so called “experts” that Trump was wrong. As we head toward the 2020 election they are rooting for a slower economy. It doesn’t matter to them that it would hurt Americans as long as it stops Trump. They don’t care. It’s worth it they say.

In addition to their traditional hair-brained proposals such as open borders and reparations for slavery, the Democrats are also proposing infanticide, gun confiscation, hate-speech exceptions to the First Amendment, higher taxes, free college, government jobs, a guaranteed basic income, and a pony.

There are people out there that will vote for this claptrap, some of them may be your neighbors, and that’s scary. These are the same people who told us that if Trump was elected the stock market would crash and there would be a major recession.  New York Times columnist Paul Krugman, who writes without logic or evidence, was even awarded something called the Nobel Prize for Economics for writing such blather.

This is the same group of loons that went from lying about being socialists to now being proud of being socialists. They think Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is an economic wizard and an environmental scientist and that Bruce Jenner is a woman. Good grief!! Do you really want them running the country? I don’t.

***

Derby Dilemma: This past Saturday’s Kentucky Derby turned into a nightmare for bookies and bettors when the winner – Maximum Security — was disqualified some 20 minutes after the race for a foul in the final turn thrusting the 65-1 odds Country House into the winner’s circle.

It was second biggest upset in Derby history, behind Donerail’s win at 91-1 in 1913. Country House paid $132.40 for a two-dollar bet – the second highest payout in Derby history. Code of Honor came in second and Tacitus third. It was the first time in the Derby’s 145-year history that a race had been overturned reported the Associated Press.

Following the televised race in the Florida House’s Mermaid Lounge I started looking for the three Derby pool participants who randomly drew Maximum Security’s name from one of the pools I conducted there. I was one of them and figured the other two might be at PJD’s Beer & Wine Garden. But in the 20 minutes it took me to collect my stuff, finish my beer, and walk the one block over there, the race results had changed and Pajamadave laughingly proclaimed to me that an unruly and belligerent mob was looking for me because the race results had been overturned.

I shrugged off his assertion as just more PJD silliness, but a serious looking pool participant who held a County House draw from one of my pools told me that, for a change, Dave wasn’t joking, and he’d like his winnings please. I looked it up on official news sites, handed him his cash, and began the search for the other new winners, one of which was no longer me.

Fortunately, I had not distributed any of the other winnings at that point. But I imagine bars around the country where folks involved in similar undertakings may have experienced difficulty in convincing a drunken belligerent, participant to hand over his Maximum Security pool cash. Those folks might need some maximum security.

According to the AP “all hell broke loose at Churchill Downs” when the “Hold all tickets” announcement was made. Many in the rain-soaked crowd of more than 150,000 booed the result. Those involved with Maximum Security were celebrating in the winner’s circle but were escorted out, replaced by Country House’s owners and pals. I’m sure that was pleasant. Those bettors that ripped up their “Country House” tickets after the race were observed 20 minutes later scurrying around the stands on hands and knees desperately trying to find the discarded ticket remains.

The owner of Maximum Security says he’s suing to have the results overturned back in his favor. That’s it for me. If the suit succeeds there’s no way I’m contacting the Country House winners and asking them to fork over their winnings to the Maximum Security folks. I’ll just give them their names and let them hash it out on their own and may the best man win. Wait a minute! I’m one of them, and the Country House guy is young and husky. Enjoy your good fortune pal.

I annually conduct the pool for fun and most folks participating in it are people I know, but it could have gotten ugly if I had handed out the cash to a visitor headed to the airport or lost in the Shrimp Festival crowd.

I’m not sure I’m going to do this again next year.

***

Mayoral Mayhem: Palace Saloon bartender and Fernandina Beach Mayor Johnny Miller is getting a lot of attention on social media as well as on TV and in print publications for serving two minors during a sting operation conducted by the state’s Division of Alcoholic Beverage and Tobacco (ABT) last Friday, May 3. Mayor Miller who admitted he “made a mistake” to a Jacksonville television station, is taking a pounding from many locals on social media while some are being gentle, suggesting that his critics should wait and see what the ABT says in its final report. I’m not piling on here and think that some of his critics have been overly harsh and appear ignorant about how our local government operates. For example, one local social media respondent said she thought it was awful that the mayor had to supplement his income by tending bar. Where have you been lady? Johnny was a bartender when he got elected. And even though I’ve been one of his harshest critics over the years for some of his commission decisions, he’s one of the best and most personable bartenders on the island or anywhere near it. City commissioners are given a $1,000 per month stipend and all the media criticism and citizen protester abuse they can handle for successfully running for office. Why anyone would want the job is a mystery to me. The mayor is elected based on a straw vote and has no more authority or leverage than any of the other commissioners. He does have more visibility, which in this case turned out not to be a benefit. Johnny and the Palace Saloon could both face fines for underage service depending on the type of offense and the number of previous offenses. The ABT says The Palace Saloon and Mr. Miller have not received any citations for underage service, so it might just go away. We’ll see. In his statement to the TV station Mayor Miller owned up to the violation made during Shrimp Fest Friday, one of the busiest days of the year saying: “I made a mistake. I’ve worked as a bartender for over fifteen years and have never made a similar mistake. The laws are in place to protect against underage drinking, and I failed. It is imperative that those that serve alcohol take the time to recognize the age and condition of customers. I promise to do better.”

***

Recipe For Failure: While watching a local Jacksonville TV news broadcast this past Tuesday evening, I witnessed a young woman who said she is a single mother and seven months pregnant bemoan the fact that the fitness company where she worked closed and left her unemployed. Where’s dad? He wasn’t mentioned and the TV reporter didn’t ask. “It sucks” complained the pregnant mom. What really “sucks” is single women having babies then complaining about their circumstances. Even the left leaning Brookings Institute says the most successful formula for success is: 1.) Graduate from high school; 2) Get a fulltime job – any job; 3) Wait until marriage to have children. Eighty-six percent of the millennials who put “marriage before the baby carriage” have family incomes in the middle or top third of incomes says the American Enterprise Institute. Forty-seven percent who did not follow this sequence are in the bottom third it says. I feel sorry for this woman’s kids, not her.

***

These are the folks that think they should run the country.

Nothing To See Here Folks:  With the Mueller Report saying there is no evidence of collusion with Russia, hysterical Democrats like the nasty, slimy House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler, who is berserk with venomous rage, are grasping at straws to find an obstruction of justice thread. But with no crime to cover up, what would the president have been obstructing? These people are crazed by their hatred for Donald Trump and that rage is harming us, the American citizens as the Democrats that now control the House, are doing absolutely nothing in Congress but pursuing anti-Trump programs. Their blind hatred combined with a self-destructive misguided Inspector Javert-like pursuit of Trump has purged any sense of reasoning and logic this rabid crowd ever possessed.

***

Drinking, Dining & Dancing: If you’re looking for an enjoyable evening, a good meal, good people, and cheap booze, then check out VFW Post 4351 (under Shave Bridge) this evening, Friday, May 10, where for just $8 you can enjoy chicken quesadillas with sides while helping the children of slain mother Joleen Cummings. The fundraiser will aid the kids who lost their mother a year ago. There will also be raffle tickets among other fundraising stuff. Call ‘em at 904/432-8791.  The Sandbar Restaurant & Kitchen on Main Beach has introduced a wing flavor that I thought would be vile, but found exceptionally tasty — a raspberry jalapeno jam and peanut butter variety that will make their debut this evening, Friday, May 10 for $11 for 10. Enjoy them while listening to the Honey Badgers tonight starting at 7 p.m.  They’re really good, the Honey Badgers too.  Speaking of wings, the  South 12 2nd Street PJD Beer & Wine Garden Wednesday night wing crowd sampled the wings from American legion Post 54 on South 3rd Street and Gum this past week and gave them two thumbs up. If you’re a Legion member or a friend of one, try the Legion’s Buffalo wings for just $8 a dozen on Wednesday’s. They’re running Publix a close second in the PJD esteemed wing expert opinion.

15 Comments

Bill Cimino - 12. May, 2019 -

Thanks Dave. Good read. Hats off to Johnny Miller for taking responsibility for the Palace mishap. Hope ABT isn’t to hard on him.

GERALD DECKER - 12. May, 2019 -

A Trumpian Haiku follows:

GERALD DECKER - 12. May, 2019 -

A Democrat demands Impeach Him Now
Deluded!

Janet Ross - 12. May, 2019 -

Thank you! Your very best post, ever.

Skeet Taylor - 11. May, 2019 -

Wonder if mayor Miller did something the police didn’t like. My question is why didn’t the bouncers card them kids ? Isn’t that there job?

francis kane - 10. May, 2019 -

For what what it’s worth Mary Jo suffocated. She did not drown. Visit the bridge. It’s rather obvious…

Sal A. Mander - 10. May, 2019 -

I very much enjoyed this past issue of ‘The Wrecker’. Keep up the great work.

Richard Troxel - 10. May, 2019 -

Every time a democrat wails that Trump is a : Racist, Buffoon, Russian Agent, Con-Man and child killer I want to ask, how’s your 401K doing? He could cure
cancer give every man woman and child a million
dollars and they would still
hate him. You have to give
them credit for the longest
running hate a thon in USA
history.
RTrox

Tony Crawford - 10. May, 2019 -

The wrecker where’s a good one thanks Dave

Tom Yankus - 10. May, 2019 -

Johnny Miller has earned my respect. His recent tie breaking vote (unpopular to some) saving our city taxpayers possibly millions in lawsuit $$$ with development across from the HS. Now, as you stated, “he owned up to the violation” with his mistake of serving to two underage at The Palace. He didn’t run and hide but openly admitted to his mistake in print and on local TV. I’m not always in favor of his politics but I always admire a person who may “fall out of grace” but has the courage to stand up to his/her critics.

George Clements - 10. May, 2019 -

Looking forward to reading the News-Wrecker on-line.

chuck hall - 10. May, 2019 -

thanks Dave.

Robert Lacey - 10. May, 2019 -

Re: Johnny Miller. I know it isn’t right to serve booze to minors, but frequently the stings verge on entrapment. So the ABC team sent a mature looking person out on the busiest night of the year, and they got served. A true test would be to send the same person on a slow night.

Pat Keogh - 10. May, 2019 -

Dave:
You forgot to mention all the economic progress has been made with no increase in inflation or interest rates. So much for the Phillips Curve!

Which one is promising the pony? They get my vote.