YOU SHOULD KNOW.....

Average/mean corporate CEO salaries hit $10 million for the first time last year. $10.5 was the actual figure. The highest ever. Two CEO's made more than $60 million.

CEO salaries have risen by more than 50 percent since 2009. The rise last year alone was 8.8 percent. Bank CEO's were up 22 percent. Workers, 1.3 percent.

While this has been happening, CEO's in general have opposed raising the minimum wage.

Does not make sense to me.

General Motors finally admitted to knowingly manufacturing cars with an ignition switch defect for 10 years. The GM hierarchy appeared before Congress and promised to sin no more. The Department of Transportation fined General Motors $35 million, the maximum permitted under the law.

Thirteen people were killed over the 10 year period and many many more injured. 2.19 million cars were involved. General Motors promised a recall to correct the defect. That was three months ago.

Only 47,000 cars have been fixed so far. 47,000 out of 2.19 million. Why the delay? Why are these dangerous cars going unfixed? 

General Motors says their are two reasons. The first is that they do not make the ignition switch. It is made by a supplier named Delphi. Delphi can only get them so many new ignition switches at a time. The other reason is that people who have received the recall notices, are slow in bringing their cars in to be repaired.

Both excuses suck.

He who pays the fiddler calls the tune. GM has to be a major account for Delphi. GM should insist that Delphi work three shifts, overtime, whatever, to get the switches out. You want my business, you dance to my tune. Additionally, consider the extra money Delphi would make over a relatively short time.

I cannot believe that only a small number of the car owners have thus far responded to the recall notice. Especially in view of the publicity this particular defect has received.

GM is passing the buck in both instances. Poor excuses. Over 2 million cars with the defective ignition switch are still on the roads. How many more people have to die or be injured for GM to move its ass?

Sears is in trouble. Sears has been for a number of years. Things are getting worse by the day. Sears lost $402 million in its last quarter. Last year, its loss for the whole year totaled $279 million.

Why is Sears going down the tubes?

The real reason is that the buying power of the American public is consistently being reduced. While the 1 percent spend money every which way, they do not shop at Sears. The 99 percent do. The dollars available to them are less and less each day. Ergo, major retailers who supply the 99 percent are in trouble. Many on the verge of going under.

Military suicides are on the rise. We hear about the suicides, but rarely the numbers. The numbers recently disclosed are shocking!

Since January 1 of this year, 1,982 active military persons committed suicide. Additionally, the VA estimates that veterans are committing suicide at the rate of 22 a day. For shame! 

Equally shocking, the waiting lists at VA hospitals. What began as one isolated incident in Phoenix has turned into untold numbers of hospitals involved. VA officials were cooking the books to hide the long waits veterans were experiencing.

A solution has been put into effect. No vet will have to wait more than 30 days to be seen at a VA facility. Crazy! Who wants to wait 30 days when they are sick to see a doctor? The solution does not make sense.

Further, I am sick of hearing our congressmen always saying we must and we are taking care of our veterans. Bullshit! They talk the talk, but do not walk the walk.

College loans have been in the news. This year for the first time, the dollar amount of the loans involved exceeds $1 trillion. Sounds like a national debt number!

What we rarely hear is that the government benefits from the loan program. Last year to the tune of $41.3 billion. Profit. There are only two other entities that made more profit wise last year. Exxon Mobil and Apple.

The government should not profit from the college loan program. Not when students graduate owing $50 thousand to $150 thousand. Now adults, they cannot afford to be part of the American dream. Assuming they can get jobs, how can they buy a home and pay a mortgage if they are paying off that kind of debt. The government should waive the profit. It would benefit students significantly in many ways. An example involves Pell Grants. $41.3 billion would provide maximum-level Pell Grants of $5,645 to 7.3 million college students.

Edward Snowden. He blew NSA secrets. He now lives safely in Russia. It came out recently in an NBC interview that he was also trained as a spy. Snowden claims he served as an undercover and overseas agent for the CIA and NSA.

My question: Why didn't the government tell us of Snowden's spy activities when this scandal broke more than a year ago? He was represented to the world as a computer geek. Nothing more. Now, the warts are surfacing.

Food for thought.

RENOUNCE YOUR FAITH OR BE CRUCIFIED

Death by crucifixion has returned. The same way Jesus died on the cross. Generally in Islamic countries.

Countries primarily involved are Saudi Arabia, Burma, Iran, Sudan, Syria, Egypt, and Vietnam. Christians are called upon to renounce their faith. If they do not, they are generally crucified. Hung on a cross. This is 2014 AD. It is difficult to believe such a scenario exists.

Islamics in many countries want everyone to be of their faith. They give the Catholic/Protestant the choice. Renounce your God, accept our God. Or die!

Saudi Arabia has reputedly been our friend for many years. Two things have always bothered me. Why were most of the men who flew the planes into the Twin Towers on 9/11 Saudi Arabian citizens? If the Saudis are our friends, why have they been taking advantage of us at the gas pumps for years? 

My research indicates Saudi Arabia is the most religiously restricted nation on earth. They are the leaders when it comes to executions by crucifixion. Freedom of religion does not see the light of day in Saudi Arabia. There is neither a Christian nor non Muslim house of worship in all of Saudi Arabia.

Skipping over to Vietnam, Catholics and Protestants are discriminated against. Forced renunciations of faith are commonplace. The Vietnamese are so far out that they even have a religious police force.

The Koran prescribes three forms of execution: beheading, hanging, and crucifixion. Which is to be used in a particular case appears to be at the policy of the government and/or the nature of the crime involved. Consistency is lacking. Today hung, tomorrow beheaded, another day crucified. With regard to failure to renounce one's religion and accept Islams, crucifixion is frequently used.

There is an historical trend with regard to death by crucifixion.There was Jesus Christ. Crucifixion was popular with the Romans. This is further evident with the execution of 6,000 of Spartacus' men by the Romans. Hung on both sides of the Appian way between Capua and Rome.

Modern day crucifixions include the Germans crucifying a Canadian soldier in World War I, the Germans crucifying numerous Jews at Dachau during World War II, the Japanese frequently crucifying prisoners of war during World War II.

Modern day laws include crucifixion as a punishment. Iran's Islamic Criminal Law does so for certain crimes. Crucifixion is part of Sudan's Penal code.

As recently as 2013, Saudi Arabia crucified a man for armed robbery for three days. Islamic law has a provision that if a person survives three days on the cross, that person is allowed to live.

Crucifixions following beheading are commonplace in Syria. The individual is beheaded first. Then the head is resewed onto the body. The deceased is then left to hang on a cross for several days for deterrent purposes.

Recently in Damascus, a young boy was told to renounce his faith or be crucified. He was Christian. He refused. He was hung on a cross till dead. Compounding the event, his father was made to watch his son's crucifixion. Following which the father was killed.

There is the recent story of a 27 year old pregnant Sudanese woman who was sentenced to death for refusing to renounce her Christian faith. She was 8 months pregnant.

The woman was raised Christian. She was raised by her Christian mother. Her father was Muslim. He abandoned mother and child early on. She never knew her father. Islamic law mandates a female is of the father's religion. No exceptions. The court claimed she had to give up Christianity and return to her Muslim heritage or die.

She chose death.

She also was sentenced to receive 100 lashes. The court determined she was guilty of adultery. Under Islamic law, a woman who has sex with a non-Muslim is deemed an adulteress. The woman had sex with her Christian husband

The woman has a 20 month old child. She and the child are in jail. The court delayed her execution 2 years so she can  give birth to the child she is carrying, breast feed and otherwise nurture the baby when born, and care for the 20 month old. Jail conditions are not the best. Squalor and bugs. The mother is experiencing a difficult pregnancy. Her 20 month old is always sick.

The woman's execution is to be by hanging.

I find these renounce your religion or die cases absolutely amazing in this day and age. It reminds me of the early Christians being fed to the lions in the Coliseum for refusing to give up their God. Martyrs they were. Martyrs they are today, those being executed via crucifixion or otherwise for their faith.

My Catholic education taught me that a martyr, one who dies for the faith, will immediately see the face of God. I never thought the days of Christ would return in my life time. However, here they are. Here it is. Barbarism at its worst!

SCREWING AMERICA

When I refer to America in this column, I refer to the America of today. The 1 percent / 99 percent population. The gist is to further expose the 1 percent who have brought America to this unbalanced position. The banks, major corporations, and drug companies.

Timothy Geithner was President of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York during the last five years of  Bush 2's time in the White House. When Obama became President, he nominated Geithner Secretary of the Treasury.

The last five years of Bush's time as President were when the seeds were planted giving rise to the  mortgage collapse of 2008. The cause of the greatest recession in the United States since 1929. 

Geithner's years as Secretary of the Treasury were those years when the country was trying to dig itself out of the recession. The years the banks were bailed out, the years the banks survived stronger than ever, the years the banks were too big to fail, the years the banks were too big to prosecute.

I thought Obama's choice of Geithner as Treasury Secretary at the time was a bad move. Appointing a major banking person gave the impression Obama favored the banks over the people. He favored the wrongdoers. Geithner was incapable of understanding the plight of Main Street. He had spent too many years on Wall Street. He was cozy with banks. He was the wrong man. 

Time has proven my thoughts correct.

Geithner wrote a book about his experiences. He titled it Stress Test. Subtitled it Reflections on the Financial Crisis.

I have not read the book as yet. However excerpts are flying all over the place. In newspapers, magazines and on the Internet. Two excerpts clearly reflect Geithner was off base when he considered the well being of the banking industry rather than the American people.

One is "You have to do things that look deeply unfair. It looks like you're rewarding the arsonists....." He did. The banks came out better than ever and the American people got diddly dip.

The other was his concern that preventing a depression was "most important." He did prevent a depression. A depression for the banks. Again,  they survived and came out better than before. While at the same time, the people were and still are suffering from the effects of the recession. Many people have lost their homes and jobs. Many of those employed are working for McDonald type wages.

I want to stay with banks for a moment. What is about to be discussed has nothing to do with Geithner. I do not know if he knew and did nothing or did not know. I accuse him of no wrongdoing.

Money laundering is of great concern today. Especially, drug monies.

For the past several years, the big banks in the United States and world wide have been cleaning illicit profits from the drug trade. Mexico is replete with drug cartels. The cartels are earning huge amounts each year. It is estimated that the Mexican cartels make $20-30 billion dollars a year from drugs sold on the streets of America.

The money is of no value to the drug lords unless it can get into the economic stream. American and European banks have branches in Mexico. The drug monies are deposited in accounts in those banks. The banks' major banks are located in the United States. Once deposited in Mexico, the money can be obtained from the American bank affiliate. Or, a European one doing business in the United States. The money is in the process of being laundered. 

The banks make a ton of money off drug deposits. They charge fees. Banks as we all are aware have a fee for everything. The fees run into the millions and billions of dollars each year. One English bank with branches in the United states and Europe is HSBC. It was reported that HSBC has concerns it might lose these fees. It is estimated HSBC yearly fees from cartel monies is $2.6 billion.

Have you heard of any bank or bank officer being arrested for drug money laundering? No. It has not happened. The banks take the position they do not know where the money comes from and if they did, it is not criminal to accept the deposits.

I disagree. To me, the banks engaged are complicit in an improper activity and should bear responsibility for their actions.

Taxes are a constant problem in the United States. Congress wants to  cut milk to babies, lunches to school children, Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. The Republican cry is the budget has to be balanced.

What about the major U.S. corporations that accumulate profits in off shore accounts in other countries so they do not have to pay U.S. taxes?

It is estimated that the top fifteen corporations involved in off shore activity have accumulated $1 trillion. $1 trillion that yet has to be taxed by the United States. The five top corporations are reported to be GE, Microsoft, Pfizer, Merck, and Apple.

How did this tax loophole come about? Easily answered. Congress over the years has passed laws permitting the offshore deposits by corporations. Our Presidents over the years have signed legislation permitting the activity. No one is without sin.

The cost of pharmaceutical drugs purchased in the United States is a disgrace. We constantly are being forced to over pay. Prescription drugs are a health necessity. There is no choice involved on the part of the consumer.

The population of the United States is 5 percent of the world population. Yet, Americans pay for 50 percent of all drugs purchased world wide. Five per cent of the people world wide paying 50 per cent of the world drug tab. Outlandish!

Jeff Hays recently did a documentary film Doctored. The documentary indicated that the real drug pushers in America are not the drug dealers on the streets. Rather, it is the pharmaceutical companies. He reported there are one dozen huge corporations that keep America ".....popping pills." The cost of which is in the billions.

An example is Humira which is produced by Abbott. Humira is a cancer tumor inhibitor. If a person needs it, they need it. It is claimed that Abbott's sales were $9.3 billion for one year.

There was a time when many Americans were buying their drugs from Canada and Europe. The same brand name drugs at a considerably cheaper price. Federal laws passed in recent years have almost totally closed that door to the American public.

Obamacare supposedly helps Americans with the drug cost problem. The doughnut is being worked on so that by 2020 its impact will be considerably less. The doughnut is only possible because of federal legislation. It has been going on for years. It stiffs seniors, those who have less income in their later years.

The drug industry has basically had a free ride for years. Approved and made possible by various Congresses and Presidents.

The American people are being beaten up by the big guys generally. It has to stop. The 1 per cent will stay 1 percent unless something is done. The middle class will never return unless something is done. What, I do not know. Congress is basically bought by industry lobbyists with huge political contributions. A President cannot sign into law legislation that cannot get through Congress.

It is said a people can only be defecated upon so long. Then something has to happen. Something will happen. 

I don't know.

MISUSE OF LITTLE ONES

The motivation for this week's column is the abduction recently in Nigeria of roughly 300 young girls. Their ages estimated between 9 and 17.

Nigeria is in the midst of a civil war. The war could also be called a religious one. Different Muslim groups are involved. The war affects everyone. Even Christians.

The Islamist militants who stole the girls plan to sell them into marriage and slavery. Their leader reportedly has said he could get $12 a piece for them.

Life is cheap in certain countries.

Islamist militants are active in Syria, also. In both Nigeria and Syria, Christians are being crucified. Yes, hung on a cross to die. Be-headings  are also popular in  both countries.

It has been reported that in a Damascus school recently, a young boy was told to renounce his faith or be crucified. He was Catholic. He refused to renounce his faith. He was crucified. Shades of early Christians being fed to the lions.

Compounding the hanging, the boy was crucified in front of his father. Then the father was killed.

In another city, Islamist militants went on a rampage killing Christian men, women and children. Note, children also. The militants were then observed playing football with their heads.

The Muslim world has never forgotten the Crusades and the wrongs done them at that time by the Christian world.

The recent abduction reminded me of the Children's Crusade. Scholars are divided as to whether it actually happened. An interesting story to share as it involves Christians and Muslims.

The Children's Crusade was born of two male children. The year 1212. Involved Steven of Cloyes in France and Nicholas of Germany. Neither knew each other.

Stephen claimed he had a vision. Jesus had spoken to him. He was instructed to raise an army of children and win back the Holy Land from the Muslims. Nicholas some how ended up with a letter from God which instructed him to raise an army of children. God's written direction was to peacefully convert Muslims to Christianity.

Europeans bought the stories. Between these two young men, thirty thousand children were assembled.

Christian parents thought the venture proper. It was God's will delivered to them by the two boys. They were proud their children had joined to win back the Holy Land.

Stephen claimed Jesus had told him to travel over the Alps into Italy and then cross the Mediterranean. The waters of the Mediterranean would be parted. Similar as God had done with Moses. The children could walk across to the Holy Land.

They reached the Mediterranean. The sea never parted. However two merchants offered to ferry then across. Hugh the Iron and William the Pig. The children were betrayed. Numerous boats were involved. Some were shipwrecked during a gale with all lives lost. The vessels that survived made it to Egypt and Tunisia where the remaining children were sold into slavery.

Nicholas' group crossed the Alps from Germany into Italy. They traveled south. The group stopped in Rome to meet with the Pope. Many of the children had already died of exhaustion, the weather and starvation by the time they made Rome. The Pope convinced Nicholas and what was left of his group to return home.

The Children's Crusade was a failure. As well as a waste of lives.

It is said a folktale was born of the Children's Crusade. The Pied Piper. The man who led the children of a town away forever. 

The purpose of this column. Simple. Children of yesterday and today suffering and dying because of Muslim involvement.

Most parts of the world are dealing with religious fanatics who only know the ways of yesterday. Slavery, beheadings, and the like. Can Muslims, Christians, and Jews ever live together in peace? The eternal question. I do not know the answer. I will venture however that at this time it does not look good.

HE DIED BROKE

I visited Washington, DC last summer as a tourist. Previously, only as a lawyer who never had the time to visit our national monuments. I was especially interested in the Lincoln Memorial. Lincoln majestically seated. 

It was the Jefferson Memorial that affected me the most, however. A bronze Thomas Jefferson standing 19 feet tall. Atop a large granite block. Impressive! Overwhelming!

Jefferson's public career was outstanding. Few political leaders have achieved the successes he did. Abraham Lincoln referred to Jefferson as ".....the most distinguished politician in our history."

Some of Jefferson's accomplishments included being a Founding Father of our Nation, the author of the Declaration of Independence, President of the United States, Vice President before, a spokesperson for democracy, a member of the Continental Congress, Governor of Virginia, Minister to France, first Secretary of State, the Louisiana purchase, opposition to slavery (though he owned over 200 slaves), signed the law banning the importation of slaves to the United States, founded the University of Virginia, spoke five languages, designed the mansion at his 5,000 acre plantation Monticello, and  authorized the funding and construction of West Point.

A special person. A special President. His image sits on Mount Rushmore.

Unfortunately, Jefferson died broke. Not a penny available for his family. His beloved Monticello sold to pay debts.

Jefferson was born to wealth. His was a wealthy slave owning family. Wealth back then could be measured by the number of slaves one owned. Slaves were property and had a value.

Jefferson had every thing going for him from an economic perspective. His problem was he could not manage money. There was not a time when he did not have cash flow problems. He had difficulty balancing his check book. He always spent more than he took in.

At the time of his death, Jefferson owed more than $1 million in today's money.

His final days before his death were not spent in fond remembrances of the past. He was sickly and bed ridden. He spent most of his waking hours  going over his finances and debts.

In the end, there was no estate to pass on to heirs. His estate, possessions and slaves were sold at public auctions. His daughter was forced to sell Monticello.

His final services did not befit a man of his stature. By choice. Jefferson had directed that no one be invited. His wishes were honored. The services were simple and quiet. His remains were carried by servants, family and friends to his Monticello grave site.

Jefferson was distrustful of banks his entire life. Living on the edge of economic disaster, he developed what can only be described as a hatred for banks. He viewed banks in a fashion similar to how they are looked upon today.

Regarding banks, Jefferson wrote the following. His prophecy relatively correct.

"If the American people ever allow banks to control the issue of their currency, first by inflation, then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of all property until their children wake up homeless.....I believe that banking institutions are more dangerous to our liberties than standing armies." 

Jefferson's was a sad ending to a brilliant career. Though of his own making, he was poorly treated in his later years.