Author: Gianni Franco

  • NATO – Trade – War & Russia |Gianni Franco|

    nato-nations

    The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was developed many years ago, signed on April 4 1949 to be exact, and is still in force today. It has since been ratified multiple times to accede more nations and to develop wording relating to present day scenarios. NATO’s counter by Russia and its supporting Communist countries was the Warsaw Pact signed May 14 1955 that subsequently ended July 1st 1991. The removal of the Berlin Wall was the predecessor to the disintegration of the Warsaw Pact.

    NATO was created after WWII to create world order and prevent another world war. The more countries that joined NATO’s world union, referred to as the Alliance by NATO, the less of a chance for conflict, and an individual country’s ability to have a military uprising similar to Hitler’s Germany. As positive as that may sound the underlying theme when you read the treaty is that if you did not join, then the country was anti-democratic and viewed as an aggressor. Further enhancing joining NATO were the strong-arming tactics implied by the US government. In essence, either join or you can have the same destruction that Japan’s Hiroshima and Nagasaki faced towards the end of WWII. No other country possessed nuclear weapons at that time.

    Per NATO, “The fundamental purpose of NATO’s nuclear capability is to preserve peace, prevent coercion, and deter aggression. As long as nuclear weapons exist, NATO will remain a nuclear alliance.” (http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/official_texts_133169.htm)

    The link, directly from NATO, is a very good indication describing how the world actually functions. Part of the NATO Alliance requirement is to spend a set amount, usually between 2 and 20% of GDP, on military offense and defense (section 34 of the article).

    Before people complain and want no war or a cease to arms they must understand that the world lives and thrives on armament, and will continue as such forevermore, or until the world destroys itself. The inevitable end will be World War Nuclear (WWN/WWIII) where the Alliance fights the former Warsaw Pact countries, as well as the Middle East. WWN/WWIII can be also recognized as the largest religious war ever fought with a discernable finite end.

    Peace cannot exist within the confines of the human mind. The mind is, by nature, skewed for violence as are all animals on this planet. Do not blame the current, former, and future American presidents nor can you blame other world leaders. Protesting and the sort is futile. Learning how the world works will allow you to better understand the world and make your day possibly less miserable since none of it is at all under your control.

    The news you watch or read is skewed and does not describe any of the statements in the NATO article accurately. The misreporting of the news is not a conspiracy. Truth has lost its place in society and no longer matters. I suppose truth may not have ever mattered but it seemed to be pursued more often in the past. This next statement is not to be taken religiously and the result is equal to all. The end of days will arrive when most of the world believes the anti-truth. You will only know the anti-truth after it has happened and does not involve second comings or deities. Believing the anti-truth will devour the world within itself.

    When will this happen? I do not know. It can be 2, 4, 10, or 100 years from now. In my opinion, it will happen when Mars is inhabited, but you never know. Everything is based on irrational and emotional human decisions with inevitable repercussions that are not usually good and always negative.

    #nato #newworldorder #alliance #euro #russia #america #nuclear #giannifranco

  • Ode to Tom Brady |Gianni Franco|

    tom-brady

    You wear the number 12 with class and style

    Jersey to be hung in Foxboro for awhile

    You made it to the number Five

    Keeping the Patriots scoring drive after drive

    Five ringers for each finger on your throwing hand

    The hall of fame will be the final stand

    You are every football child’s fantasy

    And every woman’s sexual ecstasy

    You are the true definition of winning

    Against all odds and unforgiving

    You have surpassed all the prior bests

    They are known as just all the rest

    You have now become the G O A T

    You are the Greatest of All Time

    Haters will continue to angrily spout

    Do not pay them any mind

    We wish you and your family all the best

    It is time to be with them and rest

    Walk on      Walk on    G O A T

    Walk on     Walk on through the tunnel of continued success

    Tom Brady you Are actually the best

    #tombrady #goat #newenglandpatriots #boston #superbowl

  • Ode to Tom Brady |Gianni Franco|

    tom-brady

    You wear the number 12 with class and style

    Jersey to be hung in Foxboro for awhile

    You made it to the number Five

    Keeping the Patriots scoring drive after drive

    Five ringers for each finger on your throwing hand

    The hall of fame will be the final stand

    You are every football child’s fantasy

    And every woman’s sexual ecstasy

    You are the true definition of winning

    Against all odds and unforgiving

    You have surpassed all the prior bests

    They are known as just all the rest

    You have now become the G O A T

    You are the Greatest of All Time

    Haters will continue to angrily spout

    Do not pay them any mind

    We wish you and your family all the best

    It is time to be with them and rest

    Walk on      Walk on    G O A T

    Walk on     Walk on through the tunnel of continued success

    Tom Brady you Are actually the best

    #tombrady #goat #newenglandpatriots #boston #superbowl

  • The Future of Healthcare in America |Gianni Franco|

    healthcarereportingThe future of healthcare will be very interesting if, in my opinion, the following changes I describe are applied to the industry. Health insurance has been an ever evolving industry since inception during the early part of the 1900s’. If the changes I describe come to fruition you will remember my article. If the changes do not come to fruition hopefully I will not be at fault or admonished.

    Two key laws that have been implemented in the last two months lead me to believe the additional changes I propose will occur. The first change that has been implemented is called the Qualified Small Employer Health Reimbursement Arrangement (QSE HRA). This is a new hybrid Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) that allows a small employer up to 50 employees or less to offer an HRA deposit rather than provide health insurance. Small employers are not obligated to offer health insurance but if they do they can cancel the health insurance offered now and move to the HRA deposit method. The HRA deposit does not have a minimum and has a yearly maximum of $4950.00. If the small employer is currently paying 50% of the minimum contribution then they can save money if they enroll into QSE HRA.

    Example showing both laws combined: Current group policy costs $600/month. $300 paid by employer and employee. QSE HRA option will allow the employer to cancel the group health and offer the employee a $100 or $200 HRA contribution saving the employer thousands per year. The employee HRA funds can be used to pay for a health insurance plan through the Exchange or just use the funds to pay for health costs incurred from a medical office or facility.

    Using HRA funds for health insurance premiums was never allowed in prior years. President Obama actually passed this law and I believe that President Trump will further expand it. I stated that they can use the funds for premium or to pay for medical services. You may ask, “How can this be?” Well, President Trump passed the 2nd law to discontinue penalties assessed for not having health insurance. You may view the order here https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/01/2/executive-order-minimizing-economic-burden-patient-protection-and

    This order combined with the QSE HRA allows an individual not to have health insurance and can accumulate funds in their HRA without penalty based on the prior stated guidelines.

    The future may follow the current regulations and the President may let large groups follow the same precedent as small groups. If that is the case then the employees of large groups can forego health insurance and take an HRA deposit. Most employees between the ages 18 to 35 do not want health insurance nor want to pay for it. They can potentially get an HRA deposit from the employer and do what they will with that money regarding medical expenses. This will save the large employer thousands while increasing the medical HRA account for the employee. A win-win for both.

    Another drastic change may include the ability to sell health insurance across state lines. If this occurs then the consumers, as well as the groups, will have the ability to purchase insurance from the least expensive state. This will certainly place many of the small non-profit health insurers out of business or at a minimum leave them as only Medicaid suppliers. The insurance broker will follow the same destiny as the small non-profit health insurer since commissions will be drastically reduced due to a change from group to individual participation.

    If you believe this cannot occur I welcome you to Medicare Medical Savings Account plans (MSA). You can find more information at www.medicare.gov This plan was implemented about three years ago and allows the government to deposit money into the MSA on a calendar year basis if you are on Medicare. If you do not use the funds for medical services you can keep accumulating the funds until necessary to use them. The MSA is equivalent to the QSE HRA except the employer is the government when you turn 65. If you are healthy you can keep accumulating funds until necessary.

    Will the health insurance landscape change? Yes it will. What is not known is the degree of change. I am not being political. If Hillary Clinton was elected we would have a single payor system like Medicare. President Trump was elected so he will attempt to have a more efficient health insurance system that may or may not be more efficient than the single payor system. We will soon see the outcomes and if the article proves to be true you will remember it. If it does not prove to be true you will understand what the future holds and how easy a swipe of pen by either political party can change the landscape almost instantly. New article will be posted on Tuesday. A very interesting take on Hollywood. Check back or follow. Thank you.

  • The Trump Wall and Mexico’s Shortcomings – Gianni Franco

    Gianni Franco's avatar| Author Gianni Franco |

    The decision to create the wall has been confirmed by President Trump. Whether you agree or disagree the motion has been set forth by the President and we must now deal with the repercussions, if any. This idea is not a new one. Let us not forget that Israel has built a wall between Palestine recently. The Romans, Chinese, and Germans also built prominent walls during past eras.

    The American people will eventually support the wall since the weak American border issue has been lingering for decades. That weak border has caused an increased amount of drugs, illegal immigrant crimes, and deaths to infiltrate America. Trump has a valid point to use an excise tax to build the wall, or at a minimum, it will initiate fear into the Mexican government. Mexico is actually stuck between a rock, the wall, and a hard place, Mexico. Mexico’s dollar has plummeted and…

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  • The Trump Wall and Mexico’s Shortcomings – Gianni Franco

    The decision to create the wall has been confirmed by President Trump. Whether you agree or disagree the motion has been set forth by the President and we must now deal with the repercussions, if any. This idea is not a new one. Let us not forget that Israel has built a wall between Palestine recently. The Romans, Chinese, and Germans also built prominent walls during past eras.

    The American people will eventually support the wall since the weak American border issue has been lingering for decades. That weak border has caused an increased amount of drugs, illegal immigrant crimes, and deaths to infiltrate America. Trump has a valid point to use an excise tax to build the wall, or at a minimum, it will initiate fear into the Mexican government. Mexico is actually stuck between a rock, the wall, and a hard place, Mexico. Mexico’s dollar has plummeted and any import tax, especially at 20%, will reduce any profit earned substantially. Mexico’s other option, which is still not good, is to negotiate a payment plan for the wall where America does not implement a 20% tax and the Peso regains some of its monetary strength. I believe the latter will come to fruition at some point in time since that makes the most monetary sense for Mexico.

    Mexico unfortunately failed its citizens many years ago,border-wall which led to the present day financial shortcomings. Mexico never cared about its citizens or they would have confronted the drug cartels during their inception phase. Mexico’s government officials opted to ignore the severity of the situation and take bribes to allow the cartels to thrive uncontrollably. This ignorance led directly to an uncontrollable crime that forced Mexican citizens to seek shelter in America. The Mexican’s civil situation was so terrible that the repercussions incurred by crossing illegally into America were better than living in Mexico legally. The Mexican people are not at fault. The Mexican government is at fault for letting them down and not supporting them. The cartels thrive making $64 billion a year (laht.com). Yes that is correct. $64 BILLION. If we look back and average 10 years deducting 10% per year we arrive at a total of about $404 Billion. Almost a half-trillion dollars could have paid for Mexican jobs and saved thousands of deaths plus paid for a wall or whatever else anyone needed. From 2006 to 2015, 80,000 people have been killed (CNN.com 2016). The media, as well as Mexican Americans, will portray President Trump as the bad person in this situation. Realistically, it is Mexico that failed its citizens and is to blame for its own shortcomings.

  • Drinks and Friends

    Best thing to do is have drinks with friends & talk about today’s events. Although I will not be drinking every time I post or write an article the best discussions may occur when having a couple drinks. Keep checking back since the blog will be updated on a weekly/biweekly basis. If weekly, Friday, and biweekly Tuesday and Friday. Thank you for reading, sharing, and commenting.