Fake Friends

Many people say that they want openness, honesty, and truthful forthrightness in other people.

However, my everyday experience has given me the impression that most folks really prefer Fake Friends. 

I have come to the stark cold realization that most people really prefer that others, who do not agree with them 100%, pretend to be open, truthful, and honest by always being of the same opinion on all issues, matters, and concerns.

*SIGH*

Please open the following embedded link to read my Roland Ramblings blog entry entitled Friendship: Qualitatively Quoteful that I posted on January 9, 2011.

I much prefer that people be who they truly are and not put up a fake front.

I firmly believe that everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion and that each person should be able to feel free to express his/her own opinion without fear of retaliation, reprisal, or retribution. Disagreements happen; that is part of life. In my humble opinion, friends do not have to share the same opinion in order to remain friends. The key to me is expressing differences in opinions and perspectives in a polite, courteous, intelligent, and respectful manner, and to allow true communication to take place. Communication is a two-way process. It takes all parties involved to be willing receive the message being sent as well as sending one's own message in order to be effective. I love to learn whether it be from sitting in a lecture hall, from reading, from watching a documentary, or from a good honest debate such as can be had from a respectful, intelligent verbal or written exchange of differing opinions and perspectives.

Oftentimes, fake friends are also what I refer to as 'friends of convenience.' Friends of convenience are those folks who say they are your friend but they only see or visit or speak with you when it is a matter of convenience, such as a club meeting, a social event, a reunion, and such other events that bring together people that have some common interest. These same people rarely, if ever, initiate contact; however, they will respond if you are the one who intiates contact. They are also the ones who will say, "We should get together sometime." - but then fail to find the time to actually do so. They are also the folks who say "I will give you a telephone call." - and then you never hear from them again.

Friends of Convenience are not Real Friends.
Fake Friends are not Real Friends.
I much prefer to have Real Friends

Please open the following embedded link to read the Roland's Ramblings blog entry entitled Real Friends that I posted on February 10, 2014.

I have no desire to have Fake Friends!


ADDENDUM, JANUARY 11, 2018

Chris (CW) Martin told me I should add on this blog entry the latest e-mail exchange between him and me.

Therefore, I am placing below a copy and paste of our e-mail exchange (i have redacted the e-mail addresses):

From Chris Martin to Roland Hansen, January 7, 2018:

That as much as anything shows the nature of our "friendship" in your eyes. You think cutting ties is about you not seeing me. I don't care if you see me. I'm the same anywhere I am. It was about not wanting to continue the fighting when it became clear that you were just using me to get your jollies. Throw out the bait, see what he does to react, when he reacts then bash him for his "hypocrisy" and build my own self esteem. Well, you know something? I had a father that would get drunk and do that same crap. Build your self-esteem some other way.

I've given you plenty of chances to prove, if nothing else, that your claims of friendship mean anything. This last google+ attempt at one-upmanship shows it was a vain thought. Why don't you be a fricking man for one minute? Geez!

You should add this to your last blog post that you floated on fake-friends: friends don't spy on each other and brag about it.

When you're done being a kindergartener, I'll be right where you can find me...


From Roland Hansen to Chris Martin, January 7, 2018:

Dear Chris,
As is all-too-often the case, you have misinterpeted the intent of my message. You seem to have a habit of twisting things to fit your view of things and you seem to have a propensity to mislead people.
You posted in a blog entry of yours that I used my wife's Twitter account to see what you tweeted. That is an absolute mistruth; some would call it an outright lie.
I attempted to show you the truth with my G+ post. The plain and simple fact of my latest G+ post was to show you that I could view your tweets without doing that of which you have accused me and of which you have led others to believe of me. Making that allegation as an absolute truth is wrong on every level.
I do not like to argue, as I told before, and yet you continue to want me to enter an argument. You call my nonresponses as ignoring you when in fact my nonresponse are my attempts not to engage in an argument,
You have proclaimed that I have stated things about all Republicans when, in fact, more often than not, I have used the phrase "Political Conservatives" for the very reason that I do not like to stereotype and make broad general statements about all Repubicans.
Again, you have totally misconstrued my words to fit your personal interpretations and/or opinions.
Oftentimes, you have taken things I have written, memes I have posted, and news articles to which I have linked, and you have internalized them as being referemces to yourself or to your beliefs and opinions. You are making assumptions about me, my writings, and/or my intentions if you see yourself in any of those things but I have not referenced you.
When I referenced my education, you took that as an attempt by me at belittling or demeaning you. NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH!
A person does not need a formal education, degrees, credentials, etc. to be intelligent, well-informed, or conversant. However, throughout my life I have encountered persons who denigrate other people who do have college education, etc.
It is not uncommon for someone who needs a doctor, a surgeon, a plumber, an auto mechanic, a carpenter, and so on and so forth to look at those person's professional credentials in order to make an informed decision as to the credibility of the knowledge and ability of those providers of services. For some reason, many people do not place the same level of importance or confidence or validity or reliabity on credentials of people in the social sciences such as psychology, sociology, political science, etc. And yet, the social sciences are just as complex as are the natural sciences and as are the skilled trades or just about anything else involving KSAs (knowledge, skills, abilities).
I see yet once again from this e-mail of yours that you have chosen to make false assumptions, belittle me, and even stoop to name-calling (attributes that you have assigned to me).
I have not personally attacked you. Can you say the same?
Chris, in my opinion, the written word is not as conducive to good debate as is face-to-face conversation, which is why I prefer not engage in "arguments" on the internet, although I regretfully admit to having done so all too often in my not-too-distant past.
Respectfully,
Roland


From Chris Martin to Roland Hansen, January 7, 2018:

1-"You posted in a blog entry of yours that I used my wife's Twitter account to see what you tweeted. That is an absolute mistruth; some would call it an outright lie."

Then tell me, why did she start following my twitter feed when I blocked you, and then my G+ when I blocked her? I think you hold the title on outright lie on that one.

2- "The plain and simple fact of my latest G+ post was to show you that I could view your tweets without doing that of which you have accused me " Again, who cares, I didn't block you because I was hiding from you. BFD.

3- ""Political Conservatives" IOW, you have nothing against Republicans who are likely to roll over and kiss your feet. Anyone who tells you you are wrong is a different story.

4- "Oftentimes, you have taken things I have written, memes I have posted, and news articles to which I have linked, and you have internalized them as being referemces to yourself or to your beliefs and opinions." Considering the last time you e-mailed me was a meme that DIRECTLY referenced me, I call BS.

5- "When I referenced my education, you took that as an attempt by me at belittling or demeaning you. NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH! " Then why say it- or why not clarify when I refenced it. I think you knew EXACTLY what you were saying. You like to throw out little bon-mots that show what you are thinking, and then claim it isn't what you meant. I called you on that during the last twitter exchange as well.

6- "A person does not need a formal education, degrees, credentials, etc. to be intelligent, well-informed, or conversant. However, throughout my life I have encountered persons who denigrate other people who do have college education, etc. " OIh, and I denigrate you because of your degrees, yes? (Wait, I'm just twisting your words again). I gave examples- you know when- of the dishonest, ideologically zombified intellectuals who spout the same "everyone's a Nazi" crap that you do. If you want to id with them, go ahead. Fact is, anytime that I have challenged you ON POLICY, you haven't had a thing to say. You only bite when I bust you on the left's chicken little nonsense.

7- "I have not personally attacked you. Can you say the same? " I hate to tell you, but we have a different definition of what you have done to me. And, on what I have done to you. And if you wanna bring up what I said on the last letter, I am just tired of your games. The problem is, I had a higher respect for what you are than what you were posting. You were taking an intelligent man whom I could disagree with and turning him into someone who could do nothing but post sound bytes and cry wolf over things he knew damn well weren't true. How many times did I tell you you were better than that? And you chose to go ahead. I never attacked you- though I have exposed you a bit.

8- "Chris, in my opinion, the written word is not as conducive to good debate as is face-to-face conversation, which is why I prefer not engage in "arguments" on the internet, although I regretfully admit to having done so all too often in my not-too-distant past." And I have asked HOW many times to work this out by e-mails? And what have I got? Two "follows from your wife", one insinuated accusation of being xenophobic and Nazi-esque, one broadcast over Google+ that I was a fake friend, and tonight's deliberate provocation.

Let me tell you a story, Roland. My Dad thought that it was okay when drunk to bring up any sore spot he could, get his victim so upset that they would lash out, and then say, "Why are you yelling? I'm not yelling," as if it was some sort of victory. He found it a temporary balm to his self-esteem.

Well, now I'm not dealing with my dad, but I have the same situation- a person who claims to be a friend, does everything he can to provoke, then claims the other person is at fault. "Why are you yelling? I'm not yelling." And I refuse to put up with it anymore. You claim, "I don't attack you", but you did all those things I listed above.

And the joke is, people will look at the web-trail and say, "this is all over whether Trump is a Nazi". But it isn't, and I realized that a while back. This is your self-esteem exercise. Well, I am good and tired of being bullied by people with low self-esteem who see me as an easy way to make a mark.

You think I have attacked you. I have been doing my very best NOT to do that, as I have said before, and considering the gun Satan has wanted me to fire, I still haven't. Damn you, figure it out, I have been trying to walk away before it gets REALLY truly ugly. But you want to just keep picking. What the hell happened to you?

I need to end this now. You have made it abundantly clear that whatever friendship is available would have to be at the expense of what I know to be right, and after tonight I really doubt that that would be anything more than just keeping me hitched to the self-esteem feeding trough. Have a good life, I wish you the best, but find someone else to drag down to bring you up.


From Roland Hansen to Chris Martin, January 7, 2018:

I see that selective perception/selective reasoning is your forté.
I also see that just like your god-like idol Trump, you believe your own lies.
You play psychologist, but I doubt you have anything close to the credentials required.
Your oft-referenced father-son relationship indicates that you have a deep-seated psychological problem.
It is unfortunate that you practice the psychological ego defense mechanisms of repression, regression, projection, reaction formation, and sublimation rather than accepting fact, truth, and honesty.
And, as I have stated before, "Oh. well."

FAKE CHRISTIANS - WWJS: What Would Jesus Say?

I am the son of a Russian Jewish mother and a Danish Lutheran father. I have been exposed to both the Jewish World and the Christian World.

Throughout my life, I have been constantly amazed at the number of self-proclaimed so-called Christians in the United States of America who want to insert Jesus Christ in many of their conversations; and yet, they themselves are prejudicial, discriminatory, intolerant xenophobes.

These so-called Christians spew venom directed at Muslims, want to ban Middle Eastern people from entering the United States, assign many societal woes to Jewish people, vehemently assert political Liberals to be Socialists threatening American democracy, are strongly vocal against people who receive public assistance (welfare, food stamps, medicaid, etc.), promote political conservative agendas that reward the rich while denying assistance to the poor, assign persons of color to second-class citizenship, and go against so many things that Jesus preached.

Over on social media, such as Facebook, these so-called good Christians post memes like this:

Meanwhile, they want to put Christ back into Christmas. Well, in regards to putting Christ back into Christmas, I have a meme in response to that:

There is a saying that many FAKE CHRISTIANS abhor. The saying is:
What would Jesus say?
also known by its aceonym WWJS

For more on this topic, I suggest you go over to HUFFPOST to read:

THE BLOG 09/09/2016 11:02 am ET Updated Dec 06, 2017What Would Jesus Say About Distortions Of His Teachings? By Bernard Starr

Fake American Patriots

American political conservatives who continue to clamor about the "fake news" as defined by Donald J. Trump while at the same time ignoring and/or defending the numerous documented lies spewed by Hitleresque, xenophobic, sexual predator Donald J. Trump are Fake American Patriots.

Extreme Vetting of Refugees. Underlying Cause of Death of Anne Frank.

On October 31, 2017 at 8:26 PM, Donald J. Trump tweeted:

I have just ordered Homeland Security to step up our already Extreme Vetting Program. Being politically correct is fine, but not for this!

ref: What is extreme vetting? White House outlines proposed immigration policy, By BLAIR GUILD CBS NEWS November 1, 2017, 7:47 PM

Many Trump supporters are strong advocates of Extreme Vetting of Refugees.

It is my opinion that those persons in agreement with this public policy position of Extreme Vetting of Refugees have not clearly thought out all of the possibile consequences of enforcement of extreme vetting; for example, that innocent refugees may indeed lose their lives. Or. if they have thought it all the way through, they do not truly value the sanctity of life.

Otto Frank, father of Anne Frank, tried desperately to find a safe haven for his family. It was in 1941 that Otto Frank tried to seek refuge in the United States of America; but his efforts to obtain permission from the American government were refused.  Why? - Because of the American public policy of Extreme Vetting of Refugees at that time.

It was under the administration of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt that the United States of America adopted the public policy of that "no refugee with close relatives in Europe could come to the U.S., on the grounds that the Nazis might hold their relatives hostage in order to force the refugee to undertake espionage for Hitler."

ref: Snopes, 

Documents uncovered in 2007 revealed that Anne Frank's father, Otto Frank, desperately attempted to secure asylum in the United States.

Were it not for the American policy of Extreme Vetting of Refugees at that time, Anne Frank could very well have survived the horrors of The Holocaust and escaped her ultimate untimely death at the tender age of 15.

My firmly held opinion is that
Extreme Vetting of Refugees was the Underlying Cause of Death of Anne Frank.

BOGO is BOGUS

I am so sick and tired of false and misleading advertising from the private retail business sector.

My specific gripe concerns those "Buy One Get One Free" offers, aka BOGO.

Every time I see or hear of a BOGO offer from a retailer, I want to scream FALSE ADVERTISING.

I was taught that the word "free" in the world of consumer goods and services meant "without cost or payment; without charge; free of charge; given or available without charge."

Have you ever gone to a merchant that was advertising BOGO offerings, and say "I do not want to buy one, I just want the free one" and then actually get the free one? I have made that statement on more than one occassion, and have been refused each and every time. On such occasions, the merchant has always told me that I have to buy one in order to get the free one. Upon being refused the free item without making a financial transaction, I have informed the merchant of the definition of "free" to which the merchant persists with the response "You must buy one to get one free."

Am I stupid or what? To me, free is free, and does not have any cost requirement!

I am of the understanding that the word "bogus" means "false;  fraudulent; having a misleading appearance; counterfeit or fake; not genuine."

Given my uderstanding of BOGO and of BOGUS, I postulate that retailers who make BOGO offers are practicing, perpetuating and participating in a form of consumer fraud. Ergo, the appropriate governmental agencies who are charged with the responsibility of protecting citizens from consumer fraud should take legal action to force retailers to cease and desist from their false advertising.

BOGO is BOGUS.

The Afterlife of John Boehner

Awhile back, I wrote the Roland Hansen Commentary entitled John Boehner is a Bonehead! You might want to go back to read it.

John Boehner has been gone from the active political scene for a few years now; but, there is still some interesting stuff out there about him. As an example, I am copying and pasting beloiw a couple excerpts from an article I just read.

Boehner worries about the deepening fissures in American society. But he sees Trump as more of a symptom than the cause of what is a longer arc of social and ideological alienation ...

(Boehner) doesn’t foresee this toxic political climate improving, ticking off potential fixes—term limits, redistricting reform—that he says won’t make a bit of difference. “It’s going to take an intervening event for Americans to realize that first, we are Americans,” he says. An intervening event? “Something cataclysmic,” he responds, gazing upward.

Read the entire article; it is long, but it is very interesting for political junkies like me:

THE POLITICO MAG PROFILE
John Boehner Unchained
The former House speaker feels liberated—but he’s also seething about what happened to his party.
By TIM ALBERTA November/December 2017

I have to admit that I agree with John Boehner's assessment in the excerpts that I quoted above.

Whiners and Complainers. Shakers and Movers.

If you are a whiner and a complainer, you skip elections and do not vote.
If you are a whiner and a complainer, you sit back while others are working for the community good.
If you are a whiner and a complainer, you observe egocentrism and do not get involved in public interest organizations.
If you are a whiner and a complainer, you let others do the work in the religious, civic, community, fraternal, charitable, labor, business, and professional organizations of which you may be a member.
If you are a whiner and a complainer, you allow injustice to exist.

See also: Whiners are Wienies not Winners

If you are a shaker and a mover, you exercise your right to vote.
If you are a shaker and a mover, you take an active role in community affairs.
If you are a shaker and a mover, you participate in public interest organizations.
If you are a shaker and a mover, you take a leadership role rather than just being a follower in the religious, civic, community, fraternal, charitable, labor, business, and professional organizations of which you may be a member.
If you are a shaker and a mover, you try to right the unrightable wrong.

White House Adorned By Moron per H.L. Mencken

"... the attribution to Henry Louis Mencken, a prominent newspaperman and political commentator during the first half of the 20th century, is accurate. Writing for the Baltimore Evening Sun on 26 July 1920, in an article entitled “Bayard vs. Lionheart” (and reprinted in the book On Politics: A Carnival of Buncombe), Mencken cynically opined on the difficulties of good men reaching national office when the scale of their campaigns precluded them from directly reaching out to large segments of the voting public ..."

ref: H. L. Mencken ‘Moron’ Quote, Did H. L. Mencken write that eventually 'the White House will be adorned by a downright moron'?, Snopes.

Aw, shucks go on over to read 'The White House will be adorned by a downright moron', Baltimore Sun, November 19, 2016.

Heck, even Secretary of State Rex Tillerson thinks the White House is adorned by a moron.
ref: Kaitlan Collins, Barbara Starr, Jeff Zeleny, Elizabeth Landers and Kevin Liptak, Tensions escalate after Tillerson calls Trump 'moron', CNN Politics, updated 8:07 AM ET, Thursday, October 5, 2017.

This morning, Republican Senator Bob Corker wrote on Twitter, "It's a shame the White House has become an adult day care center. Someone obviously missed their shift this morning." (8:13 AM - 8 Oct 2017)
ref: Corker Answers Trump's Endorsement Tweet By Calling The White House A 'Day Care', NPR Politics, October 8, 2017, 2:30 PM ET.

I am of the opinion that Henry Louis Mencken couldn't have been more correct when he wrote that article entitled “Bayard vs. Lionheart” for the Baltimore Evening Sun back on July 26,1920.
(However, I do not care for nor do I condone the use of the word "moron.")

Postscript
For some bonus reading, take a look-see at H. L. Mencken Quotes from BrainyQuote.

Terrorism On American Soil. Guns Don't Kill People.

Once again, there has been an act of terrorism on American soil.

A gunman fired upon thousands of people attending a music festival on the Las Vegas Strip Sunday night, in a brutal attack that is blamed for at least 58 deaths, police say. In the mass shooting and panic that ensued, 515 people were injured.

ref: Las Vegas Shooting Update: At Least 58 People Are Dead After Gunman Attacks Concert, The Two-Way: Breaking News From NPR, October 2, 2017.

Guns don't kill people.

(More of my thoughts on guns over thisaway.)

On Bended Knee, The NFL Protests During The National Anthem

Hmmm... Here is the opening two paragraphs from an interesting article:

Colin Kaepernick started protesting police brutality and the inequality that people of color in the United States face in August of 2016. He did so by initially sitting for the national anthem and then altering his demonstration to take a knee.
Kaepernick, who is still a free agent, has faced backlash in the year and change since then. However, when President Donald Trump said that NFL owners need to fire the “sons of bitches” who are “disrespecting the flag,” it ignited more protests.

Please, please, take the time to read the entire article, just click on the embedded link contained herewith:
NFL protests 2017: What are players protesting when kneeling for the national anthem?
The knee is not anti-American or anti-military.
by SB Nation NFL  Sep 28, 2017, 7:00am EDT

I have my own thoughts on the overall issue that has become very polarizing and divisive to our country.

From me on Twitter, you may find a link that will take you to my thoughts in a Roland's Ramblings blog entry that I wrote back on May 28, 2012 that are applicable to the present-day NFL protest controversy; and, I humbly request that you then read the first comment to that entry that was made by my brother, Veteran Marine MSgt Richard James Hansen, may he rest in peace.
You may find the link at my Tweet enitled "On bended knee --- Freedom."

Did Donald Trump Say Republicans Are The Dumbest Group Of People?

Have you seen this meme on the internet that contain's a photo of Donald Trump with an allegeded quote from him citing its source as a People Magazine, 1998?

According to eBaum's World, this MEME is spreading FAKE NEWS.

Read the article from eBaum's World for yourself by following this embedded link. 

United States of America, Under God, Pledge of Allegiance

Over on that Great American Institution known as Facebook, I often see the following about the Pledge of Allegiance (or something very similar to it) posted:

I remember all through grade school saying this every morning to start the day... "I pledge allegiance to the flag of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, and to the REPUBLIC for which it stands, one nation UNDER GOD, indivisible, with LIBERTY and JUSTICE for all!" We no longer do that for fear of OFFENDING SOMEONE!!!  If this offends you then you live in the wrong place. Repost this if you agree. Let's see how many AMERICANS will re-post this & NOT CARE about offending anyone... GOD BLESS AMERICA!!!!

Well, guess what. Don't guess, I will tell you.

Prior to 1954, the words "under God" were not part of the Pledge of Allegiance. It was in 1954, in response to the Communist threat of the times, that President Dwight D. Eisenhower encouraged Congress to add the words "under God," creating the 31-word pledge we say today.

Francis Julius Bellamy (May 18, 1855 – August 28, 1931) was a Christian socialist minister and author, best known for writing the original version of the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance. Bellamy's original Pledge read:
"I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

In 1923, the words, "the Flag of the United States of America" were added. It was at this time that the Pledge of Allegiance was then recited as:
"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

For further reading, I refer you to:

• The Pledge of Allegiance, Historic Documents, UShistory.org.
• The Man Who Wrote the Pledge of Allegiance, Jeffrey Owen Jones, November 2003, Smithsonian Magazine.
• The Strange History Behind The Pledge Of Allegiance, Kelli Marshall, September 15, 2015, TPM Cafe.
• Under God: The Evolution of the Pledge of Allegiance, Dennis Melamed, November 15, 2016, American History Magazine.
• The history of legal challenges to the Pledge of Allegiance, Scott Bomboy, June 14, 2017, National Constitution Center Constitution Daily.
• Should the Words "under God" Be in the US Pledge of Allegiance?, ProCon.org.
• Freedom, Roland Louis Hansen, May 28, 2012. Roland's Ramblings.

I personally see no reason for anyone, but especially freedom-loving Constitution-abiding Americans, to impose their religious belief system or deity on me or anyone else.

Former President Reagan Advisor Bruce Bartlett On Donald Trump

"Take Nixon in the deepest days of his Watergate paranoia, subtract 50 IQ points, add Twitter, and you have Trump today."
Source: Twitter, Bruce Bartlett @BruceBartlett 10:40 AM - Mar 4, 2017

More from Bruce Bartlett may be read over at The Guardian. Go on over to read:
Donald Trump's incompetence is a problem. His staff should intervene
Bruce Bartlett, Thursday 1 June 2017 11.01 EDT

And then, there is a little something from Bruce Bartlett over at USA Today.
Take a look and read:
Will Republicans ever stop defending Donald Trump?
Bruce Bartlett, Opinion contributor Published 3:16 a.m. ET June 12, 2017 | Updated 1:55 p.m. ET June 12, 2017

Yet even more from Bruce Bartlett over at Politico Magazine. Take a look-see and read:
‘Trump Is What Happens When a Political Party Abandons Ideas’
As surprising as Trump’s young presidency has been, it’s also the natural outgrowth of 30 years of Republican pandering to the lowest common denominator in American politics.
By BRUCE BARTLETT June 24, 2017

"Bruce Reeves Bartlett (born October 11, 1951) is an American historian whose area of expertise is supply-side economics. He served as a domestic policy adviser to Ronald Reagan and as a Treasury official under George H. W. Bush."
ref: Bruce Bartlett, From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bruce Bartlett is a knowledgeable professional: and, I respect him for calling it as he sees it.

In my opinion, Bruce Bartlett is right on target regarding Donald J.Trump. Furthermore, it is my stongly held perspective that Donald J. Trump has brought disgrace to the Office of the President Of The United States Of America.

'Mr. Fake News' Himself, Donald J. Trump, Makes Fake Healthcare Promises

Donald J. Trump campaigned for President of the United States of America making many promises to the American people.

And yet, many of Donald Trump's promises have not been kept.

• There is no southern border wall being paid for by Mexico. 
• There is no tax reform relieving lower and middle income Americans. 
• There is no ban on foreign lobbyists from raising money for American elections. 
• There is no proposal for a constitutional amendment on Congressional term limits. 
• There is no directive to the Secretary of Commerce and U.S. trade representatives to immediately end foreign trading abuses. 
• There is no national registry of Muslims in the United States. 
• There is no plan to relocate the American embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
• There is no Trump healthcare plan!

A big campaign promise made by Donald J. Trump was that he had a better healthcare plan to replace the Affordable Healthcare Act, aka Obamacare. Trump said he would provide better healthcare and cover more people at less cost than Obamacare.

Read the following articles contained within the respective embedded links to review Trump's record on healthcare:

• 8 Donald Trump quotes on healthcare — 'Repeal it, replace it, get something great!', Mary Rechtoris, Becker's Hospital Review Leadership and Management, August 16, 2016.
• Trump vows 'insurance for everybody' in replacing Obamacare, Reuters #Politics, January 15, 2017.
• Trump is making a massive promise about his Obamacare replacement, Bob Bryan, Business Insider Politics, January 26, 2017.
• President Trump’s false promises on healthcare, Roseann Demoro, The Hill Opinion, March 2, 2017.
• 6 promises Trump has made about health care, Henry C. Jackson, Politico, March 13, 2017.
• Watch Trump Call Obamacare Repeal “So Easy”, “Nobody can do that like me.”, Inae Oh, Mother Jones, March 24, 2017.
• Trump's previous promises on health care, Dylan Stafford, CNN Politics, June 24, 2017.
• Trump’s health care promises are coming back to haunt him, Damian Paletta, The Washington Post Wonkblog, June 28, 2017.

Donald Trump is the fellow who constantly refers to mass media news reports with which he disagrees and mass media news reports about him that are negative as "fake news." That has become Trump's mantra.

I say. Donald Trump is Mr. Fake News himself and makes fake healthcare promises.

Toledo, Lucas County, Ohio Career Politician Wade Kapszukiewicz

In Toledo, Ohio, there is a fellow seeking election to the position of Mayor who labels himself as an "outsider." I refer to Wade Patrick Kapszukiewicz, who was born on October 30, 1972 in San Diego, California.

In 1995, after having just reached the age of 23, Wade Kapszukiewicz was elected in November to the Governing Board of the Lucas County Educational Service Center. 

Very soon afterwards, while in the middle of his elected 4-year term on the LCESC Governing Board, Wade announced he was having a political fundraiser as he proclaimed his intention to run for a seat in the Ohio House of Representatives. He abandoned that political goal when the Lucas County Democratic Party tapped Toledo City Councilwoman Jeanine Perry for State Representative; and in return, Wade received a promise that he would be appointed to the unexpired term on Toledo City Council vacated by Jeanine Perry upon her election to the Ohio House seat. Wade resigned his seat on the LCESC Governing Board in order to accept the appointment to Toledo City Council.

In 1999, after having been first appointed to an unexpired term on Toledo City Council, Wade sought and won election to a full term on Toledo City Council.

In 2002, while on Toledo City Council, Wade unsuccessfully sought appointment to a vacant unexpired elected term on the Board of Lucas County Commissioners.

In 2004, while still on Toledo City Council and shortly after having won a new elected term to that seat, Wade sought and won election to become Lucas County Treasurer. While the election for Lucas County Treasurer takes place in November, the term of office for Lucas County Treasurer actually does not begin until September of the following year. Rather than fulfilling his elected time on Toledo City Council, Wade lobbied almost immediately to be appointed to the office of Lucas County Treasurer many, many months prior to the official beginning date of the term to which he was elected. An early appointment did not happen, and Wade had to wait until September 2005 to take over the Treasurer’s office.

In 2015, Wade announced his desire to run for Mayor of the City of Toledo, Ohio in the special election that was being held due to the unfortunate death of incumbent Mayor Mike Collins in mid-term. However, Wade dropped those plans and instead publicly announced his support and endorsement of Paula Hicks-Hudson to be elected as Mayor.

In 2016, Wade ran for re-election as Lucas County Treasurer. He won that election in November: but, the new term does not begin until September 2017.

So, here we are now in the year 2017 and Wade has decided he really doesn’t want to be Lucas County Treasurer, after all. Instead, he has decided that he would rather be the Mayor of Toledo, Ohio.

The following is a direct quote from Wade's mayoral campaign website:

"We know what the status quo looks like.  We know what doing the same old thing and making the same old decisions will produce: more of the same.
I’m not a member of City Council.  I’m not the Mayor.  If you are happy with the status quo, I am not your candidate.  If you think Toledo government is headed in the right direction, I am not your candidate.  If you think the answers to Toledo’s problems reside within city government, I am not your candidate.
But if you think we need fresh ideas, new energy, and an outsider’s perspective, I will be your voice."

Note: Within the quote, I have placed in bold type part of Wade's campaign rhetoric in order to draw attention to the irony and the hypocrisy of the words he uses with the reality of Wade's political history itself.

Now you tell me: How can a person who has held one political office or another in the same community for the past 22 years be considered an outsider?

Wade reminds me of a joke. Let me tell you the joke and decide for yourself if it doesn't seem to allude to Wade.

Question: How do you tell when a politician is lying?
Answer: When his lips are moving.

Presently age 44. it sure seems to me that Wade Kapszukiewicz of Toledo, Lucas County, Ohio is nothing short of being a Career Politician.

USA: Independence Day, July 4, The Fourth of July, Freedom.

Today is July 4th and it is the celebration of Independence Day, aka The Fourth of July, in the United States of Americe.

This is America's annual celebration of freedom. I am reminded of an entry on my Roland's Ramblings blog that I wrote back on May, 26, 2012 entitled Freedom. Rather than linking to it, I am reproducing it in its entirity here on Roland Hansen Commentary as follows:

Freedom 

When the symbol of freedom becomes more important than freedom itself, then we have no freedom.- Roland Louis Hansen

The question "What is the importance of freedom?" was posted on the political science pages of eNotes. Click here to read the responses.

In the United States of America, our flag is the world's symbol of freedom; and, symbols of freedom are taught to 1st grade children.

Freedom is a valued aspect of American democracy; and, yet many Americans want to limit the freedom of other people, especially when they place a higher value on the symbol of freedom, such as the Flag of the United States or the Pledge of Allegiance, than they place on freedom itself. Read what Ron Gibbons wrote in Letter: A symbol of freedom not more important than freedom itself.

You might find it interesting to read what American children write about freedom. Click on over to American Freedom Essay Contest, Student Winners, and from there you may follow the embedded links to read the actual essays.

Now, how about going on over to read:
Freedom quotes from ThinkExist.com, "You think, therefore You exist."
Freedom Quotes courtesy of BrainyQuote.com.
Quotations about Freedom from The Quote Garden.

I am also reminded of another previous blog entry I made back on July 3, 2014. Please take a look see at:
The Fourth Of July, Independence Day, and Richard J. Hansen

GOP Ignores Threat To USA. America Is At Risk! America Is Under Attack.

On June 25, 2017, Dan Rather wrote the following on his Facebook page:

The United States was attacked. It was attacked by a hostile foreign power who wished to harm our democracy. It was a sneak attack and its damage we are only starting to understand.

What Russia did in the 2016 elections should have every patriotic American angry and determined to rally to the defense of the nation. The Russian attack is back to being the talk of Washington thanks to a blockbuster report in the Washington Post which laid bare the response of the Obama Administration. The facts detailed in that important piece of journalism have raised a series of recriminations among the political chattering class over whether President Obama acted forcefully enough. That is an important debate, and one that will likely be pored over by historians in the future. 

But while we shouldn't shy away from that discussion, we should also recognize that the threat posed by Russia has not dissipated. If anything it has only increased as Vladimir Putin has seen the success of his efforts to create political chaos in the United States. 

President Trump has to this point shown no interest in taking this threat seriously. If anything, he hasn't demonstrated that he even understands the nature of the threat. He famously has been flippant about whether he even believed Russia was involved - that was until he could tweet out attacks on Obama's handling of the attack yesterday. How convenient. But that doesn't excuse him, our current Commander and Chief, of his responsibility to protect our Republic. 

What hasn't gotten enough attention in the Post report, in my opinion, is how the Republicans in Congress reacted back in 2016. 

(From the Washington Post article)"the (Obama) White House turned to Congress for help, hoping that a bipartisan appeal to states would be more effective...(but) the meeting devolved into a partisan squabble. 'The Dems were, ‘Hey, we have to tell the public,’ recalled one participant. But Republicans resisted, arguing that to warn the public that the election was under attack would further Russia’s aim of sapping confidence in the system. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) went further, officials said, voicing skepticism that the underlying intelligence truly supported the White House’s claims. Through a spokeswoman, McConnell declined to comment, citing the secrecy of that meeting." 

In 1947, Republican Senator Arthur Vandenberg famously said, "we must stop partisan politics at the water's edge.” And by this he meant in foreign policy and issues of national security. Well in a digital world, there is no water's edge. But there certainly is politics. Criticize the response of the Obama Administration all you want. But we cannot let political point scoring distract us from the current threat to national security. 

The safety and security of this nation is now in the hands of President Trump and his allies in Congress. Will they take this Russia threat seriously? Or will they continue to play politics? 

"When it comes to keeping America safe and strong, when it comes to keeping America free, there should be no Republicans or Democrats, only patriotic Americans working together." That was President Ronald Reagan at the height of the Cold War. What would he say about the game the GOP is playing today?

Where is the American political leadership?
Where is the leadership from the current occupant of the White House?
Where is the American political courage?

Have you ever read, or even heard of, Profiles in Courage?

What would John F. Kennedy have to say about the current fiasco in American national government?

In the Spirit of Donald J Trump, Is Christmas Fake News?

Midsummer and other pagan festivals from days of old had many traditions that were "stolen" by Christianity and were then incorporated into Christian holidays.

The Feast Day of St. John the Baptist and Christmas are but two examples of Christianity adapting pagan rituals as part of Christian observances in order to secure more converts to Christianity.

"Traditionally, Midsummer was celebrated on June 24, the feast day of St. John the Baptist, but the holiday has its roots in a pre-Christian solstice festival. Rather than trying to stamp out such pagan festivals, the early Catholic Church found it useful to coopt them by associating them with Christian celebrations. By establishing December 25 – conveniently close to the winter solstice – as the date when Jesus was born, the Church was able to absorb the pagan midwinter festival of Yule into the Christian celebration of Christmas."

The preceding paragraph is a direct quote that is an excerpt from the web page Midsummer in Sweden: Origins and Traditions that you may read in its entirity by opening the embedded link that I have placed in its title.

The term fake news has been popularized by Donald J Trump in recent times.

Upon reading the quoted excerpt from the web page Midsummer in Sweden: Origins and Traditions to which I linked, and in keeping with and in the form of Donald Trump's consistent, continuous. and constant allegations of fake news here and fake news there and fake news everywhere, I now pose the question:
Is Christmas Fake News?

The Wade Kapszukiewicz Conspiracy. SHAME ON CHRIS REDFERN!

Why would the former Chair of the Ohio Democratic Party, i.e. Chris Redfern, promote someone running against the Toledo, Ohio incumbent Democrat Mayor Paula Hicks-Hudson who has been officially endorsed by the Ohio Democratic Party and by the Lucas County Democratic Party?

Is that not a violation of the oath and pledge to support only those persons endorsed by the Democratic Party that Chris Redfern swore to uphold? Do not the Democratic Party rules call for sanctions against those Democrats who violate the pledge to support endorsed Democrats.
SHAME ON YOU, CHRIS REDFERN!

What does the Lucas County Democratic Party have to say about Chris Redfern working against the ENDORSED DEMOCRAT INCUMBENT TOLEDO MAYOR PAULA HICKS-HUDSON?

I posted comments similar to those in the preceding 3 paragraphs on a Facebook entry of Chris Redfern in which he was promoting a political fundraiser featuring the insurgent so-called Democrat Wade Kapszukiewicz who is challenging Toledo, Ohio Mayor Paua Hicks-Hudson in the upcoming municipal election. Within minutes of making my comments, not only were my comments removed from Redfern's traitorous promotional fundraising announcement featuring the self-serving Wade "Skippy" Kapszukiewicz, but I was also blocked by Chris Redfern from viewing his Facebook page.

Is this all part and parcel of the Wade Kapszukiewicz conspiracy?

While I do believe that people have the right to support the candidate of their choice; I also believe persons who hold a position within a political party need to be held accountable and responsible to the political party of which they pledged their support. Politicos who identify with a specific political party and who have pledged to support that party's endorsed candidates should, and must, have their feet held to the fire. Any politico who willfully and blatantly violates his or her solemn oath and promise should, and must, pay the price for his or her treachery.


Read more about Chris "Dippy" Redfern:

• Chris Redfern's delusional comments are evidence of the Ohio Democratic Party's failings: editorial
• Silver Lining Department: Ohio Democrat Party Chairman Chris Redfern Slinks Off Into The Night
• The fall of Chris Redfern
• Former Ohio Democratic leader Chris Redfern seeking county office in 2016
• Jailed sheriff trounced by challenger in bid for job ... In Ottawa County, incumbent Republican Commissioner Mark Stahl handily defeated Democrat Chris Redfern ...
• Is Chris Redfern’s Once-Promising Political Career Finished?

Quotes by Donald J. Trump Advocating Violence.

Violence begets violence; but, Donald J. Trump has espoused violence on a regular basis. Statements advocating violence made by Donald J. Trump include the following:

• "I'll beat the crap out of you."
• "Part of the problem ... is nobody wants to hurt each other anymore."
• "The audience hit back. That's what we need a little bit more of."
• "In the good old days this doesn't happen because they used to treat them very, very rough."
• "Try not to hurt him. If you do, I'll defend you in court, don't worry about it."
• "I'd like to punch him in the face."
• "Knock the crap out of them."
• "Maybe he should have been roughed up."
• "I don’t know if I’ll do the fighting myself or if other people will."
• “Hillary wants to abolish — essentially abolish the Second Amendment. By the way, if she gets to pick, if she gets to pick her judges, nothing you can do, folks. Although the Second Amendment people, maybe there is, I don’t know.”

There is more to read over at:
The HyperTexts, Donald Trump Violence Quotes

And, lest we forget:
Trump: I could 'shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose voters', By Jeremy Diamond, CNN, Updated 12:03 PM ET, Sun January 24, 2016.

Is Donald J. Trump the type of role model we want for our children?
Do we really want our children to emulate the likes of Donald J. Trump?
I think not!

Americans: Thank a Democrat. What have Republicans done for you?

In the past 100 years, American Presidents who were from the Democratic Party have been able to implement positive public policies that have been beneficial to the vast majority of the general American public.

What positive public policies beneficial to the average American citizen have those from the Republican Party been able to implement?

Dan Rather addresses Donald Trump re: Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche and Ricky John Best

The following is a copy and paste replication from the Facebook page of Dan Rather from Sunday, May 28, 2017:

Dear President Trump,

Their names were Taliesin Myrddin Namkai-Meche and Ricky John Best. One was a recent college graduate. The other was an army veteran and father of four. I wish we would hear you say these names, or even just tweet them. They were brave Americans who died at the hands of someone who, when all the facts are collected, we may have every right to call a terrorist.

This story may not neatly fit into a narrative you pushed on the campaign trail and that has followed you into the White House. They were not killed by an undocumented immigrant or a "radical Islamic terrorist." They were killed in an act of civic love, facing down a man allegedly spewing hate speech directed at two young Muslim women. That man seems to have a public record of "extremist ideology" - a term issued by the Portland Police Bureau. 

This "extremism" may be of a different type than gets most of your attention, or even the attention in the press. But that doesn't make it any less serious, or deadly. And this kind of "extremism" is on the rise, especially in the wake of your political ascendency. Most people who study these sorts of things do not think that is a coincidence. I do blame you directly for this incident. Nor do I think other people should. But what a President says, who he has around him, and the tone he sets can set the tone for the nation at large. 

Perhaps Portland, Oregon is off your radar. It is, after all, a rather liberal place. It's even a "sanctuary city.." But it is still an American city. And you are its President. Two Americans have died leaving family and friends behind. They are mourned by millions more who are also deeply worried about what might come next. 

I hope you can find it worthy of your time to take notice.

[ref: https://www.facebook.com/theDanRather/posts/10158743532925716]

I say, "Stop The Hate. Promote Love."

Stop The Hate. Promote Love.

In today's American society, intolerance and hatred seem to have become the norm. It is my perspective that ihe recent 2016 election campaign for President of the United States of America is indicative of this pervasive trend.

With each passing day, it seems to me that more and more hate is being spread with increasing opinions being expressed that are full of vitriol. Social and political commentary in the United States frequently takes the form of attacking the "other side" or the "other person" without regard to the issues at hand or of policy substance or even of the actual facts. Name-calling, belittling, and denigration have become the standard of the day. 

Rather than to address the issues, it is commonpace nowadays in America for people to bash what or whom they hate. Rather than spreading love for all of humankind, it is commonplace nowadays in America to spread distrust, intolerance, and hatred.

It is time to turn the tide in America. It is time to switch the tactics. I suggest people turn away from bashing what they dislike, and instead. promote those things they like and in which they believe. 

Instead of writing and/or using speech that just disparages those things with which a person may not agree, I believe it would be more productive and beneficial for people to use the approach of persuasive speech.

Historical Idiot Donald J Trump

Fellow Blogger CW Martin and I have very different political perspectives. None-the-less, he calls it as he sees it, as do I. However, from time to time, he and I do agree. Such is the case when in regards to Donald J Trump, on May 2, 2017, CWMartin wrote in a Tilting at Windmills blog entry the following:

"I accuse you of being a historical idiot, and we ALL know the saying about those who do not know their history.  My advice to you is to find some way to NOT talk about things you don't understand."

Thank you, Chris, for calling out what needs to be called out. I tip my hat to you.

In all fairness to CWMartin, rather than just highlighting that part on which we agree, I suggest you read the entire blog entry from which I took that excerpt. Go on over to read:

AND THERE IT IS-MY FIRST ATTACK ON TRUMP

Donald J Trump Lacks Presidential Qualities. Trump Is No President Obama.

Dan Rather on Donald J Trump and North Korea

The following is a 'copy and paste' of what Dan Rather wrote on Facebook this afternoon of April 19, 2017 about little Donnie Trump and the Trumpster alternative facts concerning the actions being undertaken by the United States of America in regards to North Korea:

As far as I am concerned, this week brought perhaps the most dangerous and destabilizing events in the presidency of Donald Trump, and it has been almost completely overshadowed by a cavalcade of news such as elections in Georgia and the Bill O'Reilly story. 

But while many of us may be preoccupied, make no mistake the world is watching - and is worried. For over a week, the American people and the world were led to believe that the United States was sending an aircraft carrier strike force to the waters off of North Korea, in an escalating tension over the standoff with that troublesome nation over its nuclear and missile ambitions. 

President Trump boasted about his show of force. “We are sending an armada, very powerful. We have submarines, very powerful, far more powerful than the aircraft carrier," he said. The National Security Advisor and the Secretary of Defense both reiterated the information. Except it wasn't true. The carrier USS Carl Vinson and its accompanying ships were heading in the other direction, thousands of miles away. 

How and why can this happen? There are no good explanations. Incompetence, deceit, a lack of communication? This is how wars can get started by accident. This is how allies can feel betrayed and adversaries emboldened. Our world is less stable today because of this situation. And this was supposed to be the relative area of stability within the Trump Administration - national security. 

The fact that this has gone on for days is inexcusable. The world's nations rely on being able to trust what an American president says, especially on an issue like this. More than anything else that has happened, more than the missile strike in Syria or even the worrisome congratulatory phone call to the increasingly dictatorial president of Turkey, this is a foreign policy debacle that is shaping world affairs in big ways. I hope you all take the time to read much of the fine reporting that has been done on this event. It is something we all should be talking and thinking about - a lot.

ref:
 https://www.facebook.com/theDanRather/posts/10158545169960716

Rebirth. Easter. Jews.

The Dalai Lama once said:
“Whether one believes in a religion or not, and whether one believes in rebirth or not, there isn't anyone who doesn't appreciate kindness and compassion.”

Today is April 16, 2017. I read on an internet web page, "This year Orthodox Christians and the Catholics are celebrating Easter on the same day – but this is not always the case." Follow the embedded link in its title to read the entire article Why Orthodox Easter is the Same Day as Catholic Easter This Year.

I also read the following on the internet:
"What is the true meaning of Easter Sunday? Why does the date of Easter change every year? What is the Golden Number and how is Easter calculated? Why are eggs associated with Easter? Here are some answers from The Old Farmer’s Almanac."
Open this embedded link to read the entire article.

There are alot of "tweets" on Twitter that mention Easter Sunday. Read them here, if you wish.

On my other blog, Roland's Ramblings, back on  April 24, 2011, I wrote something that is also true this year when I scribed "Today is still part of the week-long Pesach, aka the Jewish Passover." I entitled that entry Easter Ham and Jews that you can read also, if you are so inclined.

Toledo, Ohio: City Council Favors Kroger Corporate Interests Over Toledo Citizens.

Do you remember the Roland Hansen Commentary Boycott Kroger that I published here back on October 16, 2009?

Well, once again, Kroger operations in Toledo, Ohio has put neighborhood interests last. This time it is in the geographical area of the Secor and Monroe intersection.

Take a read/see at the online petition of Say NO, Again, to Kroger’s Proposal to Demolish the SND Provincial Center in W. Toledo.

Despite the recommendations of the professional planning staff of and the Toledo Plan Commission itself, and totally disregarding the opinion and advice of former three term Toledo Strong Mayor Carty Finkbeiner, with the exception of City Council persons Sandy Spang and Peter Ujvagi, Toledo City Council has VOTED AGAINST NEIGHBORHOOD interests!

My interests in preserving, protecting, and saneful neighborhood community development has not been of the casual kind. During my many years of volunteer community service, I served on the Housing Rehabilitation Committee and the Neighborhood Preservation Committee of the West Toledo Area Citizens Association, and on the Neighborhood Planners Screening Committee and the Long Range Planning Committee of the Toledo Central Citizens Participation Forum. I also came up with the idea of creating a public interest community improvement 501c nonprofit organization, Citizens League Of West Toledo, Inc. (aka CLOWT), and served as its President for 12 years.
It was in those capacities that I met a fellow by the name of Mike Young, a knowledgeable, outstanding, proficient, professional city planner.

That being stated, I wish to share the following comments concerning the Toledo Kroger Fiasco that are on Facebook:

Michael John Young
Wednesay, March 22 at 12:40pm ·

TOLEDO CITY COUNCIL APPROVES ZONE CHANGE FOR KROGER'S

If anyone still wonders why I left a terrific career in Toledo to start over in San Diego, please peel back all the intrigue and creepy alliances in this one action.

I was a union Steward for AFL-CIO Local 2058, but I'm disappointed (and not surprised) that Council caved in to the construction trades.

I was raised Catholic (St. Johns Jesuit '69), but I'm disappointed (and not surprised) that Council caved in to the Diocese and the Sister of Notre Dame.

I was head of Long Range Planning in Toledo for 15 years, but I'm disappointed (and not surprised) that when it came time for Council to display courage and planning discipline... they failed.

The Anderson's store will soon be available, and likely Sears, then Elder- Beerman, meanwhile all across Toledo the landscape is littered with vacant retail properties. Former Ontario Stores, Handy Andys, Bargain Citys, Foodtowns, and... ironically... Krogers' gather graffiti and litter, awaiting a role in a shrinking marketplace further saturated by this latest short-sighted Councilmanic act of stupidity.

Meanwhile nearby cities who treasure city planning and act like adults - Columbus, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Ann Arbor, and even Perrysburg, Maumee, and Sylvania, stand as examples of wise decisions and advanced thinking.

A city without standards can not retain quality employers or attract new businesses because investors simply MUST have the assurance that the property they own cannot be stripped of value by a City Council that will approve a zone change for anyone, anywhere, at any time.

A city without pride soon becomes a city without purpose.

This Notre Dame rezoning for Krogers, perhaps like none other, is only the most recent civic action that vividly proves that Toledo needs enlightened new, mature, disciplined leadership.

Desperately.

And to those who think Kroger's would leave had they been denied this zone change: Please.

I mean... please.

Kroger's wasn't going to leave. They were not going to abandon the lucrative Monroe/Central/Secor demographic (among the best in the region). If they had been denied this zone change they would have chosen the Sears site at Westgate, the Anderson's store on Talmadge, or other available properties on Secor near Central.

They aren't an NFL team that can move anywhere and succeed. They're a grocer, and they are competing with other grocers in Toledo.

The Notre Dame property was "Plan A".

They had a "Plan B".

And it wasn't abandoning this part of Toledo.

Roland Louis Hansen
Friday, March 24 at 8:36am ·

Mike says it like it is! And, much of what he says is what I have been saying!
Rather than heed the sound professional advice of the Toledo Plan Commission, the majority of Toledo City Council decided that the corporate interests of Kroger are more important than the interests of the Citizens of Toledo.
Kudos to Peter Ujvagi and Sandy Spang for having the wisdom and political fortitude to have voted against this slap in the face to neighborhood residents​.
With the exception of Ujvagi and Spang, the members of Toledo City Council have sold their souls to the company store and have voted against neighborhood residents.
SHAME ON TOLEDO CITY COUNCIL!

Judy Rosenberg Hansen shared Michael John Young's post.
Friday, March 24 at 9:40am ·

OMG, Roland Louis Hansen had just a few days ago told me about Michael and why he left Toledo! And now I read this and so should YOU!

Apparently, in the City of Toledo, Ohio, the majority of members on TOLEDO CITY COUNCIL BELIEVES THE CORPORATE GREED OF KROGER TAKES PRECEDENCE OVER THE DESIRES, NEEDS, OVERALL GOOD, AND INTERESTS OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND CITIZENS IN THE COMMUNITY.

The CEO President: A Really Terrible Idea?

I first saw the following video over on Facebook where it had been shared by a friend of mine over there.
I appreciate the message contained therein because it basically expresses the same sentiments that I have been saying for many, many years, i.e. government and business are two entirely different types of entities with different goals and with different underlying motives. Bottom line: The goal of business is to make a profit; the goal of government is to provide services. Therefore, government should not be expected to, nor should it, operate like a private business.
When I saw the video on Facebook, I wanted to place it in a Roland Hansen Commentary entry. However, I cannot share Facebook videos in my blog.
Being the undaunted person I am, I had to come up with another way to place the video here.
Well, I found a way. I saw on Facebook that the video had been originally posted on the Facebook page of Fusion, a television cable and satellite news and satire channel owned by Fusion Media Group, an American multi-platform media company that is owned by Univision Communications.
And, as I discovered, Fusion is also on YouTube, so, over to YouTube I went. Voilà, I found the video, hit the 'share on Blogger' icon, and here it is. I didn't want to just share it without any comments from me, however. Consequently, I saved it as a draft; and, then came back to my Blogger account to write this introduction before I published this Roland Hansen Commentary.
Now, on with the show.

Wade Kapszukiewicz, The Boy Who Would Be King. Toledo, Lucas County, Ohio.

There is a page on Facebook for Wade Kapszukiewicz, a politician in Lucas County and of Toledo in Ohio.

On that page, Wade Kapszukiewicz posted the following on February 23, 2017 at 4:35 p.m.:

Just finished taping "Leading Edge with Jerry Anderson." Be sure to tune in Sunday at 8:30 am on WTOL 11 and 10:30 pm on Fox Toledo.

Later, on March 6, 2017 at 5:58 p.m., on that same Facebook page, Wade Kapszukiewicz posted the following:

Here is the video of my appearance on "Leading Edge with Jerry Anderson" where I discuss the possibility of running for Mayor of Toledo.
[February 23: Leading Edge with Jerry Anderson - Segment 1] 

 (Open the embedded link to view the video contained therein.)

It was not until today, March 14, 2017 that I made the following comment on that specific message thread of Wade Kapszukiewicz

"Both Ohio Democratic Party and the Lucas County Democrats (Lucas County Democratic Party) have endorsed the Democrat incumbent Mayor Paula Hicks-Hudson."

Somehow, my comment was deleted, so I reposted it. My comment was again deleted, so, once again, I reposted it. That happened a total of three times!

I soon made a discovery.
NOT ONLY had my comment been repeatedly DELETED from the Facebook page of Wade Kapszukiewicz, BUT, I had also been BLOCKED from making any comments of any kind on the Facebook page of politician and public servant Wade Kapszukiewicz, who apparently believes he need not assume any responsibility, responsiveness, or accountability to the public in his capacity as an elected government official.

That sure shows something about his character (or lack thereof). It also shows me that Wade Kapszukiewicz lacks honesty of purpose; and, that is something with which I have had personal experience and of which I have personal knowledge.

The control of what information is made public and of information that is covered up also shows Wade Kapszukiewicz's clandestine behavior and approach to politics.

Is Wade Kapszukiewicz the type of individual that should be Mayor of the City of Toledo, Ohio?

What Wade, aka Skippy, is doing now in this Mayoral situation is political shenanigans, pure and simple; but then again, that has been Wade's modus operandi since 1995.

I have the inside story on Wade. I was present in the "back room" when several political deals were made in Wade's earlier years.

Open the embedded link to a message thread that was started September 14, 2005 on the message board of Toledo Talkhttp://www.toledotalk.com/cgi-bin/comments.pl/16/1427 that provides more scuttlebutt about Wade "Skippy" Kapszukiewicz. (ref. - http://www.toledotalk.com/cgi-bin/comments.pl/16/14270 )