Keep following the money

Despite my plans to watch the Super Bowl I couldn't go through with it;  Why bother with a game that was boring and had no significance for me?  I watched most of the first quarter, listened to it for a while and then gave up before the first half was over.  I don't think I missed much although I did catch the last few minutes; too bad the Rams couldn't have done better.

-----

There is something inherently wrong about soaking the rich but I can't put my finger on it.  I'm fine with higher tax rates as income increases but there should be a limit and I think that existing assets should be left alone if they do not generate any income.  I haven't been following this issue very closely but I get the feeling that some folks think that there should be limits on wealth, an idea which pokes a stick in the eye of capitalism and the free market system.  I need to know more before I can comment any further.

It's the same thing with the health care issue; I know too little but I smell a rat.  The costs of health care in the US is ridiculous and I suspect some shenanigans between health care providers and insurance companies.  Years ago, in Chicago, there were small hospitals and health clinics all over the place but they seem to have disappeared, being absorbed by large medical groups.  Am I mis-remembering?   There are only big players now, setting whatever prices they can get away with, having little oversight and even less competition.  There is no good reason why a hospital emergency room should charge ten dollars for an aspirin pill.  But as stated earlier I know too little.  There's a big difference between a fair profit and extortion.

-----

So tonight is the highly anticipated State of the Union address, huh?  I think I'll take a pass on watching it; there's something about watching Trump read from a teleprompter that really gives me the creeps.  Whether it's the words written by one of his lackeys or his robotic delivery that bugs me the most I can't tell but I will be avoiding it tonight and let the pundits sort it out.

Speaking of pundits, some have mentioned a non-existent Bible verse that Nancy Pelosi keeps referring to.  There have been previous instances where Pelosi seems to have succumbed to a brain freeze and spouted nonsense so I don't know where the truth ends and fake news begins.  She seems to be a pretty sharp lady except when she isn't.

-----

In another case of following the money the Southern District of New York is finally investigating possible financial irregularities with Trump's inauguration celebration.  Tens of millions of dollars are unaccounted for, and even Pence's name has been mentioned.  Two birds with one stone?

Another focus of the ongoing investigations is money laundering, something which I never understood until now.  It's fascinating how it works, and  surprise, surprise, real estate is a prime cover for money laundering, especially in New York City.  Maybe Trump is right in stating there was no collusion with any Russians in rigging the 2016 election; it was a straight business deal to launder millions for those that needed it.  The fact that they were all Russian oligarchs or pals of Putin is a mere coincidence.