Trump – Korea

From the Borowitz Report

DECEMBER 19, 2011

Trump to Run for President of North Korea

Promises Continuity of Leadership

PYONGYANG (The Borowitz Report) – Within hours of the death of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il, real estate mogul Donald Trump roiled the political situation in that Stalinist country by announcing that he would run for its presidency.

“Kim Jong-Il ruled North Korea as the egomaniacal leader of a personality cult,” Mr. Trump told reporters en route to Pyongyang. “I can offer continuity of leadership.”

But Mr. Trump’s bid may be complicated by reports that, despite his death, the mercurial Kim plans to remain in power until 2024.

Inflation

Last week the investment company PNC Wealth Management issued its annual “True Cost of Christmas” index which reported that purchasing all the items mentioned in “The Twelve Days of Christmas” costs more than ever — $101,000, up 4.4 percent from last year.

The high price of gold sent retail demand plummeting so the cost of the five golden rings actually went down.

Seven-swans-a-swimming rose by 13 percent.

Pipers piping and drummers drumming “saw modest increases, both up 3%.”

But the cost of eight-maids-a-milking, representing the only unskilled labor, remained unchanged — there was no increase this year in the minimum wage.

Health Care Reform Law Saves Seniors $$$

WASHINGTON (from USA Today)– More than 2.65 million Medicare recipients have saved more than $1.5 billion on their prescriptions this year, a $569-per-person average, while premiums have remained stable, the government plans to announce today.
That’s because of the provision of the health care law that put a 50% discount on prescription drugs in the “doughnut hole,” the gap between traditional and catastrophic coverage in the drug benefit, also known as Part D.
And, as of the end of November, more than 24 million people, or about half of those with traditional Medicare, have gone in for a free annual physical or other screening exam since the rules changed this year because of the health care law.

Gingrich for President? His American Dream

At a recent Harvard speech, Newt Gingrich lamented laws that prevent kids under 14 from working and suggested the solution to failing schools is for their students to become janitors. Check out this LA Times article.

The Tax Credit for the Rich Takes Jobs Away from Americans

The extra money that the very wealthy get through the Bush tax cuts does not, as claimed by those who fund right-wing causes, create jobs in the U.S. through investment. In fact, a large proportion of these funds are invested overseas, where they create jobs for people in India and China (and some elsewhere too) – jobs that compete with Americans, and encourage more U.S. companies to move overseas.

In other words, rich Americans – the 1% – are betting against their own country. And against American workers. Not only is the tax credit undeserved and unneeded, but it noticeably hinders the recovery of our economy. So much for the loud-mouthed patriotism of the Koch brothers, Newt Gingrich and other GOP Presidential hopefuls, and the Republicans in the House and Senate who steadfastly kill any attempt to get the 1% to pay their fair share.

Check out Paul Sullivan’s column about this. He writes about strategies that the wealthy use to manage their money and their overall well-being.