http;//www.Californiacontrarian.com

f you are an enthusiastic liberal perhaps you can explain something to me.
From Daybreak Insider:
“On 4/22/25 U.S. Representatives Robert Garcia, Maxwell Frost, Yassamin Ansari, and Maxine Dexter arrived in El Salvador to pressure the Trump Administration to facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia to the U.S.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia is an MS-13 gang member, wife beater, alleged human trafficker and illegal alien. In 2019, he told local police he entered the country illegally.”

All four of these recent arrivals to El Salvador are Democrats, and these same four individuals voted against the Laken Riley Act, which is a law named after a Georgia nursing student who was murdered by an asylum applicant from Venezuela; he was convicted and is now serving a life sentence without parole.
The Laken Riley Act, signed into law on Jan. 29, 2025, mandates the detention without bail of certain noncitizens arrested or charged with certain crimes.
It is the first piece of legislation of Trump’s new presidency dealing with immigration enforcement, and it drew wide bipartisan support. Forty-six House Democrats and ten Democratic senators joined all Republicans in backing it.

Here is my question:
Why did these four Democrat representatives who voted against the Laken Riley Act go to ElSalvador politicking for
Kilmar Abrego Garcia?
Could it be that these four do not want to offend all the illegals who have voted for them?
Just asking!
4/24/25

When will we actually learn the truth about what has occurred with regard to Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
As the above title suggests, there are often two sides to every story.
(Most of what follows has been dissected from the Epoch Times.)
First off it appears that what is not contested is that Mr. Abrego Garcia is an illegal alien.
The background:
Because of ongoing threats from Barrio 18 (a rival gang in El Salvador), Abrego Garcia left El Salvador. At his relatives’ urging, he fled to America—a step his brother had already taken. Several court records say he came to the United States in 2011, although Maryland police stated that Abrego Garcia set his arrival at a more specific date, about March 25, 2012.
He told police that he had “walked across the desert for many days” before illegally crossing the border near McAllen, Texas, at the state’s southern tip near the Mexico border. That’s according to a police record created when Abrego Garcia was arrested with verified MS-13 gang members in Prince George’s County, Maryland in front of a Home Depot. Abrego Garcia says that he was there only to look for work.
The government says that he was with his friends and … “Officers know MS-13 gang members are only allowed to hang around other members or prospects for the gang,” the record reads.
Abrego Garcia was also wearing a Chicago Bulls hat to signify that he was an MS-13 member “in good standing,” police stated.
“A past proven and reliable source of information” told police that Abrego Garcia was active with the gang’s “Westerns clique” and gave his rank and gang nickname, “Chele.”
The report states that Abrego Garcia had $1,178 in cash and that marijuana was found at the scene. As a result of that arrest, authorities launched deportation proceedings against him.

Now here’s where the issue gets complicated.
Citing the circumstances, judges denied Abrego Garcia bail. They also rejected his request for asylum.
In October 2019, a judge granted an order withholding his removal. That 2019 withholding order blocked U.S. officials from sending Abrego Garcia back to El Salvador. The judge’s decision to keep him out of El Salvador was based on evidence that he was in danger from the Barrio 18 gang there.

After the October 2019 withholding order led to Abrego Garcia’s release, he complied with U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s requirement for him to “check-in” with them once per year.
Police “never again questioned him” about the alleged gang affiliations after the 2019 arrest at the Home Depot, his lawyers said.
As more than five years had passed, Abrego Garcia was living his normal life. That suddenly changed on March 12. While he was returning home from his shift as a sheet metal worker apprentice in Baltimore, U.S. immigration officers pulled him over. They said that his “status has changed.”

Confronted with outrage over Abrego Garcia’s deportation, federal authorities pointed to at least two reports that raised additional concerns about him. One came from his wife. … In 2021, Abrego Garcia’s wife requested a temporary protection order against him, alleging violent behavior, according to court records.
Additionally, in Tennessee a state trooper stopped Abrego Garcia for speeding in 2022. At that time Abrego Garcia was found to be transporting seven people from Texas to Maryland, and he had no driver’s license.

Although not spelled out in detail, my guess is that the argument from liberal Democrats goes something like this:
Yes, Mr. Garcia had been a member of MS-13 as a youth in El Salvador, but was forced to flee because of threats from a rival
gang. Other than being with some MS-13 gang members many years ago while he was trying to find work, there has not been any further affiliation with MS-13. His knuckle tattoos are from his youth before he fled to the U.S.
Yes, he has a history of violence back in 2021, but now is a respected family man with a job, a wife, a son, and two step-children.
Kilmar Abrego Garcia is a changed man and deserves are sympathy, and since he is a productive individual should not be deported.

What should happen to him?
Like I said, there are usually two sides to a story.
Take your pick.
4/23/25

For those who might be unaware, for many years I have been a Trump fan. In fact, I was a fan long before he initially decided to run for President, because way back he was talking on how China was ripping us off. Additionally, long before he was elected in 2016, I read his book, The Art of the Deal.
What was this book actually bout?
From C&C:
ChatGPT’s summary of Trump’s 1987 dealmaking philosophy from the book, The Art of the Deal:

1. Think Big; Small deals are a waste of time – Big ideas energize people, attract attention, and create leverage. Trump always preferred huge, ambitious targets – psychologically and strategically.
2. Protect the Downside and the Upside Will Take Care of Itself. – Always have a fallback plan. Limit your risk exposure, then go for the upside. Trump emphasizes hedging, exit options, and
worst-case scenarios.
3. Maximize Your Options – Keep multiple balls in the air. Never commit too early. Flexibility equals power. He often kept multiple potential deals alive just to increase leverage over the one he really wanted.
4. Know Your Market; Do your homework – Understand the field better than your opponents. Trump’s early real estate success came from understanding hidden value in underpriced, neglected areas.
5. Use Leverage – Leverage is everything. Trump constantly looked for ways to make the other party need him more than he needed them – whether through public relations, financing, or threat of walking away.
6. Enhance Your Location – Real estate-specific, but metaphorical too. Even a bad asset can become a great deal if it’s framed properly or repackaged smartly.
7. Get the Word Out – Promotion is key. Trump used the media like a weapon. He believed the perception of success creates actual success by attracting investment, attention, and fear/respect from rivals.
8. Fight Back – Never take hits lying down. Hit back harder – and publicly. Trump’s philosophy was that weakness invites more attacks.
9. Deliver the Goods – For all his hype, Trump emphasized execution. Make sure you can actually perform once the deal is struck. Winning the headlines isn’t enough – you’ve got to build the skyscraper.
10. Contain the Costs; Watch every dime. – Trump was obsessed with cost-cutting, negotiation, and squeezing value from every contractor and supplier.
11. Have Fun; His final rule – if you’re not enjoying the game, you’re in the wrong business.

The above noted ChatGPT summary could well be a keeper as a reference, since at this point DJT is following what he ascribed to in The Art of the Deal.
4/11/25

Most all of us are familiar with “If you build it, he will come.” It is the famous line in the classic 1989 flick, “Field of Dreams.”
The quote as been adapted into a business setting and often means, if you build something people will come to use (and pay for) it.
To my way of thinking that line also implies that if you want people to use something, make it free. If something is free then even individuals who are not initially aware of it will hear about it and essentially say, “why not me?”
I thought about this saying when I read the latest from our esteemed California governor, Gavin Newsom,
From Fox News:
“Governor Newsom is requesting an additional $2.8 billion loan to address a bloated deficit in the state’s Medicaid program, which has surpassed budget expectations largely due to coverage for illegal immigrants.
The additional $2.8 billion would keep the healthcare program afloat through June.”
(Not June, 2027 or June, 2026 … but this coming June, less than 2 months from now. Then what? … Another $2.8 billion??)
“Last year, California expanded Medi-Cal to cover all low-income adults ages 26 through 49, regardless of immigration status, making it the first state to do so. Roughly 1.6 million illegal immigrants are enrolled in the state’s healthcare program, according to state data, and 15 million California residents are enrolled.”
As California Senate Republican Minority Leader, Brian Jones, wrote, “Even Jerry Brown refused to expand Medi-Cal to all illegal immigrants because he knew it was fiscally irresponsible and unsustainable.”

Think about the ludicrousness of what is happening. Even if Trump is able to shut off the flow of illegals coming into California from Mexico, there is fence or wall to stop illegals from Nevada, Arizona, Oregon, or even further from coming into California.
As was said in “Field of Dreams” … “If you build it, he will come,” and therefore, the prospect of getting something free will potentially not stop as California continues to attract multitudes upon multitudes of more illegals. $2.8 billion in June? Then another $2.8 billion in a few months, and then another potential $2.8 soon thereafter. How many “another $2.8 billion” is possible before California is insolvent?
4/22/25

After reading about Trump’s latest update on illegals continuing to reside in the U.S., it appears that the time has come for each illegal individual to make a decision as to what he/she is going to do.
From Epoch Times:
“The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued an internal rule change that went into effect on April 11, creating a registry for foreign nationals. Registration of noncitizens residing in the country is required by the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952.

The Alien Registration Act of 1940, also known as the Smith Act, generally requires all foreign nationals staying in the country beyond 30 days to apply to register and get fingerprinted, but it hasn’t always been enforced.
DHS’s registration requirement must be completed by those 14 or older if they didn’t do so in the past. Once registered and fingerprinted, DHS will issue evidence of registration, which foreign nationals “over the age of 18 must carry and keep in their personal possession at all times.”
Parents will need to register their children younger than 14, then re-register them when they turn 14.

Failure to comply may result in criminal and civil penalties, up to and including misdemeanor prosecution, fines, and jail time, according to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Lora Ries, director of the Border Security and Immigration Center at The Heritage Foundation, said the new rule will help the government document the unknown millions of immigrants who entered the country unlawfully over the past four years.
“If you think about it, we have no idea who’s here,” she told The Epoch Times. “So it was a perfect time to say, ‘Oh, by the way, I’m reminding you of this registry requirement, and if you don’t comply, that makes you deportable.’”
The DHS also plans to fine illegal immigrants under deportation orders up to $998 a day if they don’t leave the United States.

The fines stem from a 1996 law that Trump used during his first term to pressure illegal immigrants to self-deport.
Ries noted that the fines are aimed at the 1.4 million illegal immigrants who have final deportation orders issued by a judge.

On March 15, the administration launched an international, multimillion-dollar ad campaign featuring DHS Secretary Kristi Noem warning illegal immigrants to self-deport.
“If you are here illegally, we will find you and deport you. You will never return. But if you leave now, you may have an opportunity to return and enjoy our freedom and live the American dream,” she says during the video.”

Those on the left will scream and holler as soon as what is being threatened actually starts to occur.
However, they should reflect upon whom their anger should be directed … Joe Biden and the Democrats!
The time has come for every illegal to make their own decision, as I do not think that Trump is bluffing!
4/21/25

On Sundays I have a tradition to write about individuals that we can look up to and admire. Terry Housely is such an individual.
From ganjingworld.com:
In an emotional reunion, Terry Raymond Housley, a retired U.S. soldier, was reunited with Kanchana Milkevitch, a woman he helped raise as a child, after 48 years apart. The touching reunion took place in Buriram Province, Thailand, marking the end of a journey that spanned nearly five decades.
Terry, 72, had been stationed in Nakhon Phanom Province, Thailand, during the Vietnam War nearly 50 years ago. While there, he met Suphaphorn, a young woman who was pregnant with Kanchana. Although Terry was not Kanchana’s biological father, he formed a deep bond with her and helped care for her during her early childhood. Unfortunately, Terry had to return to the U.S. after the war, leading to their separation for nearly five decades.
Despite the separation, Terry and Kanchana kept in touch over the years.
Reflecting on her childhood, Kanchana said, “My biological father rejected us and left my mom when she was pregnant with me. I felt like my real father was Terry, who helped take care of me until I was a toddler.”
Although their plans to meet again were delayed by the pandemic, Terry finally arrived in Thailand on July 31. He took a bus to Buriram, though his journey was not without difficulty, as he got lost along the way. With help from hotel staff, he was able to meet Kanchana. Their long-awaited embrace marked the start of a new chapter in their relationship.
Terry Housely … a good man in the 1970s and still a good man in the 2020s.
4/20/25

Today I read a piece of written by Victor Davis Hanson (BTW – one of my favorites):
VDH correctly reported that Harvard University has rejected various demands of a presidential commission on antisemitism
The task force wants to persuade Harvard to ensure Jewish students on its campus are no longer harassed, or else lose its federal funding.
Harvard retorted that it won’t be bullied by Washington.
Harvard claimed that the Trump administration infringed upon its First Amendment rights. So, it has temporarily rejected the administration’s orders. At least for now, Harvard has lost its annual $2.2 billion grant of federal funds.
Remember, Harvard is a private university with a largely untaxed endowment of over $50.2 billion. Yet again, it still receives some $2.2 billion — now suspended– in federal funds.

I basically have two questions that apply to Harvard and other like universities.
First: Why is Harvard getting any federal funding at all? If there is a pot of federal money allocated to colleges and universities, why should schools like Harvard even get any? Furthermore, DOGE should look into cutting off this largesse en bloc, and restart by evaluating all the colleges feeding at the federal money trough.
In addition, Harvard has an endowment of $50.2 billion which is untaxed! Why is Harvard’s endowment untaxed? Why are any college endowments untaxed? DOGE should also look into this!
4/19/25

Sometimes you read something and initially think that someone is just attempting to fool you. However as you read further, you realize that what you are reading might not be a joke.
The following falls into that category. I am not saying that it categorically true, but could it be worth a question mark?
From “Revolver”:
“According to Norm Eisen—the man who practically wrote the Deep State’s playbook on color revolutions, all things anti-Trump, and lawfare in the US—he and Chief Justice John Roberts are not only good pals, but they even spent a week together in the Czech Republic. According to Norm, the two BFFs were there working on “American rule of law” issues.
“Chief Justice John Roberts traveled to a foreign country to spend a week with Norm Eisen—a man who is directly tied to numerous lawfare operations aimed at President Trump, January 6’ers, and conservative political movements all over the country. Eisen isn’t just some random acquaintance. He’s a key architect of the modern legal warfare that’s being used to takedown political opponents through the courts.”
“Indeed, the story of Norm Eisen—a key architect of nearly every attempt to delegitimize, impeach, censor, sue, and remove the democratically elected 45th President of the United States—is a tale that winds through nearly every facet of the color revolution playbook.“

Okay, so Chief Justice John Robert’s is friends with Norm Eisen … so what? … “No me importa” … Unless SCOTUS has to rule on Trump related issues, and the way it appears this could well happen in the near future. If this happens as I anticipate it will, should Chief Justice Roberts recuse himself? Hmmm!
4/9/25

This question pretty basic: “What is a woman?”
One of our present Supreme Court Justices, Ketanji Brown Jackson, during her confirmation hearing found this question unanswerable as she muttered, “I am not a biologist.”
On the other hand, Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, essentially answered that question as the NYT headlined, “Hegseth Mandates Uniform Fitness Standards for Combat Roles.”

That same NYT story suggested a Marine example. In one test, male Marines must do 3 pull-ups or 34 push-ups in two minutes.The fighting ladies strain to complete one push-up or eke out 15 push-ups in two minutes.
The NYT also cited a 2021 West Point op-ed written by Major Kristen Griest, the Army’s first female infantry officer and second female Ranger.
Kristen’s op-ed was titled, “With Equal Opportunity Comes Equal Responsibility: Lowering Fitness Standards to Accommodate Women Will Hurt the Army—and Women.” In it, Kristen argued that lower standards for female soldiers “not only jeopardized mission readiness in combat units but also reinforced the false notion that women are categorically incapable of performing the same job as men.”

To my way of thinking, by his actions, Hegseth answered the question that Justice Brown Jackson could not, or would not.
4/8/

As I have alluded to before, I do not profess to be an economist. However, I do have full faith in President Trump who has been talking about trade imbalances for years before he even decided to run for President.
For those not aware:
On April 2 President Donald Trump announced 2 sweeping trade policy changes, introducing what he called “reciprocal tariffs” for all countries and declaring it “Liberation Day in America.”
From the charts I have looked at and from what I have read the U.S. has been taking it in the shorts economically from just about every country. Obviously, some countries were way out of line with respect to essentially taxing U.S. imports (tariffs) compared to others, and the imposition of these U.S. tariffs are a measure to level the playing field.
The White House announced that the new tariff rates for each country consist of the 10 percent baseline tariff and additional reciprocal levies. These new tariffs will be applied on top of any other existing tariffs.

“We’re kind people, very kind,” Trump said, noting that the United States will only impose half the reciprocal tariff rate that each trade partner nation has been charging.
Trump added, “I call this kind reciprocal. This is not full reciprocal.”
Canada and Mexico have been excluded from the new reciprocal tariff regime. According to senior administration officials, both countries remain subject to the national emergency that Trump previously declared. The original 25 percent tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico, imposed due to concerns over illegal migration and fentanyl trafficking, will remain in effect.
What about China?
The United States had the highest trade deficit with China last year, totaling nearly $300 billion. After taking office, Trump imposed a 20 percent tariff on all goods made in China, citing a national emergency related to the ongoing trafficking of fentanyl. To this day, China remains the primary source of fentanyl precursors, which are shipped to Mexico and Canada, where they are processed into the illicit drug and smuggled into the United States.
China will now face U.S. tariffs totaling 54 percent, including the 34 percent reciprocal tariff, bringing it close to the 60 percent rate that Trump threatened Beijing with during his campaign.

What’s my take on this?
Actually it’s quite simple … over the short term these tariffs will be bad economically especially for those who are counting on using their money from their IRA’s, etc in the near future.
However, over the long run, the situation will be better for the U.S. Additionally, the losses in the stock market over the last week or so will be recouped in the future.
In fact if you have spare cash hanging around that you will not need in the near future, it might be a good time to reevaluate the stock market.
4/7/25