Trump's performance to date........

As of today, Trump's performance has......

  • Far exceeded my expectations.

    Votes: 13 15.9%

  • Exceeded my expectations.

    Votes: 25 30.5%

  • Met my expectations.

    Votes: 22 26.8%

  • Failed to meet my expectations.

    Votes: 8 9.8%

  • Been far below my expectations.

    Votes: 14 17.1%
  • Total voters
    82
#126
#126
tbh said:
I'd imagine the cost to stabilize the structures, bring them up to current building and fire codes, plus resolve some of the larger logistical issues (like needing to either ship potable water from the mainland or install and maintain a desalination plant) far outstrip the cost of building and running a modern facility. Renovations of old buildings like that usually have a decent likelihood of unforeseen challenges that pop up as things progress as well.
Click to expand...
Considering that for a long time I was exclusively rehabbing historic homes……ya you find crazy things in very old buildings.
 
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#127
#127
Orangeslice13 said:
Considering that for a long time I was exclusively rehabbing historic homes……ya you find crazy things in very old buildings.
Click to expand...

Definitely. I've run projects on a pretty wide variety of buildings, from structures on college campuses to rural county jails...I enjoy renovations because it's interesting peeling things back and seeing what is under the layers of finishes. That said, it can be a pain in the neck too, haha.
 
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#128
#128
tbh said:
Definitely. I've run projects on a pretty wide variety of buildings, from structures on college campuses to rural county jails...I enjoy renovations because it's interesting peeling things back and seeing what is under the layers of finishes. That said, it can be a pain in the neck too, haha.
Click to expand...
My best one ever was a complete rehab on a house on elder mountain. The kitchen, living room and loft master was a stone building that was a barn in the civil war. There was a carriage house with 3 bedrooms and a full bathroom that was built in 1895. They were connected by a sunroom that was octagon shaped built around 1935. The exterior of both structures were still visible in the sunroom and behind the sunroom was a covered pathway that once served as the main path between the two buildings. The original cobblestone was all still there. Coolest thing I ever worked on.

Found a Chattanooga Medicine bottle when I repaired some floor beams. They went out of business in 1912.
 
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#129
#129
Vol8188 said:
Agreed there’s a lot of dumb. But I’m ignorant on Alcatraz. Why is reopening that dumb
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Because its small, its old, its a musuem, and the costs to rehab the entire thing far outweigh its actual usefulness. Its like Trump watching Glory on Netflix then saying he is gonna rebuild Fort Wagner and punish the woke sea that washed its former location away.
 
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#134
#134
Half of this forum voted that Trump exceeded their expectations. If you ever need to define what percentage of voters on VN are delusional...there you have it
 
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#136
#136
volfanhill said:
Did you read your own article?

"And while the primary reason for the unexpected budget surplus was a far bigger tax haul than expected, mostly thanks to a burst in capital gains tax which is unlikely to be repeated this year"

Yea more taxes!!!!!
Click to expand...
there were multiple reasons for the surplus...tarriffs, Doge, slowdown in spending, strong stock market performance resulting in more capital gains taxes being paid, more economic activity and strong job growth leading to bigger tax collections as the economy has rebounded from the Biden recession, more people are working and earning higher wages, leading to increased income tax revenue for the government.

from the article I posted:

"......there was another big reason for the April revenue surge, a reason we profiled previously in "Trump Trade War Results In Record $12 Billion Surge In Customs Revenues." As shown in the chart below, Customs Duties in April doubled from $8.2 billion in March to a record $15.6 billion in April, thanks to surge in Trump tariffs."

"Two weeks ago, as part of its quarterly refunding announcement, the Treasury surprised the market when it unveiled a funding need for the current quarter that was $53 billion lower than it had initially forecast in February, and which we said "indicates that DOGE is indeed working and the US funding needs are actually declining."


"The unexpected surge in revenue, and the resulting budget surplus means that the cumulative deficit for fiscal 2025 suddenly doesn't look catastrophic: recall that just four months ago, back in January, in the last month of Biden's reign, the US had already spent a record $840 billion for the first 4 months of the year, on pace to blow away all previous records. But then something changed, and first March saw a big slowdown in spending which resulted in a much more tame cumulative deficit through March..."

=================================

as far as the capital gains tax collections:

from Grok

"Posts on X and reports, such as one from Reuters, highlight that capital gains tax receipts were a key factor, reflecting strong stock market performance and asset sales during the tax season. However, no specific policy changes to capital gains tax rates directly caused this burst; rather, it was fueled by economic activity and existing tax structures. Long-term capital gains tax rates for 2025 remained at 0%, 15%, and 20%, with income thresholds adjusted for inflation (e.g., single filers pay 0% up to $48,350, 15% up to $533,400, and 20% above that). The surplus, while notable, is seen as a short-term gain, with the fiscal year-to-date deficit still at $1.049 trillion, suggesting ongoing spending pressures."


A strong stock market was a reason for more capital gains taxes being paid and why the article I posted said "thanks to a burst in capital gains tax which is unlikely to be repeated this year (unless we see the S&P rise another 20% from here by year end)"




=================================
AI Overview


The US government reported a $258 billion budget surplus in April, a 23% increase from the previous year, driven by strong tax receipts and surging import duties. This surplus was particularly boosted by a surge in individual income tax collections, which typically peaks during the final month of the tax season. While capital gains taxes contribute to income tax revenue, the surge was not solely attributed to them.

Here's a more detailed breakdown:
  • Strong Tax Receipts:
    The April surplus was largely attributed to strong tax receipts, which reflected a combination of factors, including individual income taxes, corporate taxes, and possibly capital gains taxes.

  • Surging Import Duties:
    Import duties also contributed significantly to the surplus, with a substantial increase in collections compared to the previous year.

  • Record High Customs Duties:
    Customs duties totaled $16 billion in April, boosted by tariffs, but this revenue is expected to decline due to eased U.S.-China trade tariffs.

  • Individual Income Taxes:
    The surge in April tax receipts is a common occurrence, as it coincides with the tax filing deadline.
  • Economic Factors:
    Higher tax receipts (    about a 6% increase) also reflect strong job growth and a broader economic recovery since the recession in 2020, which has fueled wage increases
 
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#137
#137
CPI number to be released at 8:30est. See if tarriffs have an effect on prices and CPI number. Even if CPI has a slight increase, inflation will still be a fraction of what it was when Biden left office yet watch the leftist media spin it as if inflation is rising out of control.



"If the CPI comes in as expected, it could further support the view that inflation is decelerating and potentially reinforce rate-cut sentiment heading into summer. Markets may begin to reposition again.This is part of our ongoing work, tracking macro signals daily and letting our models surface what matters most in volatile environments."
 
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#138
#138
CPI number is in...







Vishal Techzone
@VishalSahu21
·
16s
#CPI DATA FELL BELOW EXPECTATION🔻🔥

The April CPI inflation fell to 2.3%, expectations was 2.4%.

We should see a strong bullish sentiment from market📈 Also it increases chances of future rate cuts‼️

GeminiCapital💎
@GeminicryptoNYC
·
1m
BREAKING: April CPI inflation FALLS to 2.3%, below expectations of 2.4%.

This marks the 3rd straight monthly decline in headline inflation.

Blackshore Research
@BlackshoreR
·
4m
April CPI print - 2.3%, softer than expected (2.4%). Core CPI landed right on the money at 2.8%.

Three months in a row of falling headline inflation... It's interesting to see inflation cooling off even with the whole trade war situation...

Feels like the market might breathe a little easier with this one.



Houstonomics
@Houstonomics
·
2m
📉 April CPI: Inflation Eases Slightly

CPI rose just 0.2% in April
Annual inflation now at 2.3%, the lowest since Feb 2021.

▫️Shelter (+0.3%) drove over half of the monthly gain
▫️Energy +0.7%
▫️Food fell 0.1% (groceries down, dining out up)
▫️Core CPI (ex food & energy) +0.2%
 
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#139
#139
BernardKingGOAT said:
It's possible to absolutely believe that was pathetic and absolutely believe Trump is pathetic. Our brains are capable of doing both. There isn't a binary chip in there
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But a vote in our two party system IS a binary choice. So the question became which was more pathetic.
 
#144
#144
OrangeTsar said:
But a vote in our two party system IS a binary choice. So the question became which was more pathetic.
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For about half of my adult life I believe there have been four party choices on the ballot for POTUS. However choosing to pick one of the two major party candidates and expecting a different outcome is somehow the go to choice. Einstein has been credited with an opinion on this kind of behavior.
 
#146
#146
BernardKingGOAT said:
That's true. It's also true there were also choices to vote third party or abstain from voting
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Neither of which is really a choice IMO. The last third party candidate to have any appreciable impact was Ross Perot

It’s like my experience in technology. Everything desktop related is binary Windows vs Mac. We Linux users get constantly ignored. And I am ok with that 😂
 
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#147
#147
OrangeTsar said:
Neither of which is really a choice IMO. The last third party candidate to have any appreciable impact was Ross Perot

It’s like my experience in technology. Everything desktop related is binary Windows vs Mac. We Linux users get constantly ignored. And I am ok with that 😂
Click to expand...
Why? You’d rather vote against a candidate than for one? Is that logical?
 
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#148
#148
NorthDallas40 said:
Why? You’d rather vote against a candidate than for one? Is that logical?
Click to expand...
Sure it is logical. Been tempted to vote third party many times. But pragmatically I can’t justify it. A person‘s conscience may feel clean after voting third party; but that will not save them from the consequences of the worse candidate winning. So I can vote for someone with zero chance of winning and feel good about myself while the world burns. Or I can hold my nose and vote for the lesser of to evils and at least have a chance to help direct the ship of state.
But I will not fault anyone for making that choice.
 
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#149
#149
OrangeTsar said:
Sure it is logical. Been tempted to vote third party many times. But pragmatically I can’t justify it. A person‘s conscience may feel clean after voting third party; but that will not save them from the consequences of the worse candidate winning. So I can vote for someone with zero chance of winning and feel good about myself while the world burns. Or I can hold my nose and vote for the lesser of to evils and at least have a chance to help direct the ship of state.
But I will not fault anyone for making that choice.
Click to expand...
Lol! That sure reads like a whole lot of self bargaining on why casting a vote for the most powerful office on earth should be a defensive block instead of an affirmative vote. And demonstrates exactly how broken the two party system is.
 
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