Time to Think

  The Epstein Files??? What About Everything  Else??  #363    By Hank Silverberg Commentary Tired of hearing about the Epstein files? I certainly am. First, let me say I have a great deal of empathy for the victims of Jeffrey Epstein and his cadres of sleezeballs. Like many people, I would like to see  the victims get justice and closure for a terrible experience that in many cases, ruined their lives    I do have an issue though, with politicians and the media who seem obsessed with who was on Epstein's island, his plane, his guest list and the like, and ignore everything else.  We know Andrew Windsor, formally known as The Prince, was involved. And we know that Donald Trump, Bill Clinton and others knew Epstein and were seen at some of his parties.  But these events happened years ago, and somehow focusing on who is on the list and may have participated in the abuse of underage women has pulled the Congress and a good portion of the m...

  Off-Year Elections Don't Always Send A Message!  By Hank Silverberg Commentary The results of last week's election have been analyzed, reviewed and pontificated on now for days. A lot has been made about what message they send and how it will affect next year's mid-term elections. Democrats have been applauding, celebrating and claiming it sent a good message for next year. Republicans have nonchalantly passed the election off as irrelevant. Frankly, I think they are both wrong. Certainly the news was good for Democrats here in Virginia, where Governor-Elect Abigail Spanberger's margin of victory was 15%. And she takes to Richmond a General Assembly which now has a supermajority in the House (64-36), and maintains a majority in the Senate. The win was not surprising; the vote totals and the margin of victory were.   In New Jersey, there's been much talk about Donald Trump's candidate Jack Ciattarelli, who lost to Congresswoman Mikie Sherrill, ironically a form...

Shutdown                                            #361 By Hank Silverberg  Commentary The government shutdown is now into its second month, and we are beginning to see the impact on average people. But Congress really isn't paying attention. You have heard all the debate, why Democrats are holding out on any Continuing Resolution to re-open the government and why Republicans won't change the one that Democrats have voted against more than a dozen times.  But lost in all this is the impact on you and me.  With TSA and Air Traffic Controllers working without pay, flying has become difficult. Planes are delayed, some airports have stopped flights briefly at times because of staffing shortages, passengers whether for pleasure or business, are feeling the inconvenience.   Food pantries across the country are dealing with a big increase in patrons as furloug...

The Trump Ballroom                                                                                 #360 By Hank Silverberg     Commentary  There has been a great deal of controversy over the new Trump ballroom about to be constructed where the East Wing of the White House had stood since FDR had it built in 1942.  Did Trump get the proper permission to build it? The answer is "no". He didn't feel that was necessary, though many in Washington say that is not the case. And he began the project while Congress is distracted by the government shutdown.   What corporations or private individuals are paying the $300 million to construct it? (Despite some claims, Trump is NOT using his own money.) There's a list out now. Take a look:  Here's the list of donor...

No Kings! What Did It Accomplish?    #359 By Hank Silverberg   Commentary I posted some video and photos of the local "No Kings" protest here in Fredericksburg on my social media pages yesterday. It was small by comparison to the estimated seven to ten million who showed up across the country. We had maybe 2,000 people.  When I posted it on a local neighborhood chat room, I got some interesting comments. Most of them polite. Some not. But here is one good question: what did these protests accomplish? Here's my answer to that: It sends a clear message to the White House and more importantly, Congress, that millions of Americans are so ticked off about current policy that they are willing to march in the streets in big cities and small towns to relay that message. These are not radical leftists or "communists," or "terrorists" as the GOP made them out to be. They do not "hate" America, as House Speaker Mike Johnson said from the seat of America...