Or Congress could “give 50,000 small businesses $500,000 each to get their businesses up and running.”

That was then | June 15, 2015 – “I would build a great wall, and nobody builds walls better than me, believe me, and I’ll build them very inexpensively. I will build a great great wall on our southern border and I’ll have Mexico pay for that wall.“

This is now | The DIC now wants the US citizens to pay for it. And its cost is calculated at “as little as $8 billion to as much as $70 billion, with anywhere from $150 million per year to $750 million per year in maintenance.

The Brookings Institute | “The real costs of a barrier between the United States and Mexico.”

“Under Trump | the U.S. debt grew by the size of the Brazilian economy in just two years” – The Los Angeles Times

Have a look

Little wonder | “Americans are more worried now about their financial futures“ – The Morning Call

Time‘s “person of the year” | “Trump and the world’s autocrats want to silence journalists. But the truth will out” – The Boston Globe

Pecker | Rolls on the DIC – The New York Times

Duh! But why do we elect people like this?| “Congress To Make Members Pay Out Of Pocket For Sexual Harassment Settlements” – NPR

Bad persons & good persons | “Reward to help find dog’s abuser increases to $12,000 as donations continue to pour in” – The Los Angeles Times

No. 1 drug killer | “Fentanyl Surpasses Heroin As Drug Most Often Involved In Deadly Overdoses” – NPR

“alleged misappropriation of funds” | At a fire company? Yep, “Auditor General DePasquale Withdraws Past Lehigh Twp. VFRA Audits Amid Probe of Missing Funds” – PA Department of the Attorney General Website

Remember the first time you ate | America’s favorite food?

Want to nominate someone? | 2019 Governor’s Awards for Local Government Excellence. Do you have local government leaders in your community who demonstrate exceptional dedication to improving public services?

Oh, Oh, the smarm that is the Opportunity Zone 

Here’s trouble | “Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson will chair the new panel—the White House Opportunity Zones and Revitalization Council.“ – Route Fifty

• An Associated Press investigation finds President Donald Trump’s daughter and son-in law could benefit from a tax program they pushed
• “Ivanka Trump, husband have nothing to do with new opportunity zones: Ben Carson”

Won’t fly, Ben | Everyone knows who you are; what you are