DV Journal

Thousands of unexplained drone sightings have spooked New Jersey residents. Now, drones are appearing in Pennsylvania night skies.

Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Bucks) issued a statement saying the drones in the Delaware Valley and New Jersey “demand immediate and decisive federal action. As chairman of the National Intelligence Enterprise subcommittee on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, I am treating this matter with the urgency it requires and taking proactive steps to safeguard our public safely and national security.”

Fitzpatrick, a former FBI agent, is coordinating with federal agencies.

“This is not a time for complacency—it is a time for action and accountability,” Fitzpatrick said.

Rep.  Chrissy Houlahan (D-Chester) is also concerned about the drone situation. She sent a letter with Rep. Andrew Garbario (R-N.Y.) to Speaker Mike Johnson and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries urging passage of a bipartisan law giving the federal government, along with state and local authorities, the power to address the drone issue. Johnson also sponsored the bill.

And she discussed the issue with her constituents at a town hall Friday.

Houlahan urged people to remain calm and not to “take the law into our own hands,” noting they can contact the FBI.

The FBI issued this statement: “The FBI is aware of reported sightings of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)—commonly referred to as drones—observed flying in multiple locations over the past several weeks. The FBI remains engaged with our federal, state, local, and tribal partners to share information and protect the public. UAVs that pose a danger to any aircraft or are observed operating in restricted airspace or near critical infrastructure and other sensitive sites, can be reported to the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or online.”

Several people commented on the Montco/Bucks Incident Facebook page.

Cody Rutledge said, “I think it’s funny how these drones are allowed to go over military bases, but if a civilian flew one over they’d get arrested . Tell me how this has nothing to do with the government…”

“They need to be shot down,” said Jessica Lucas. “The government is lying to us again.”

Andrew Clementi said, “Meanwhile, there’s a semi active military base in Horsham with active radar systems, and people think that we don’t know what’s going on… c’mon now, people.”

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro asked the state police to look into it. It will be “flying helicopters to try and determine where these drones are originating from and what the purpose of these drones are.”

“We’ve been told, again, by our federal partners, it does not pose any kind of national security or personal security risk. But you know, as the old saying goes, trust but verify, and Col. Christopher Paris, a native of northeastern Pennsylvania, leads our Pennsylvania State Police very ably. I know they’ll get to the bottom of it,” said Shapiro.

State Sen. Rosemary Brown (R-Lackawanna) is also taking action. She’s introduced a resolution urging the federal government to give states the authority to to respond to the drones. Sens. Carolyn Comitta (D-Chester), Lynda Schlegel Culver (R-Luzerne) and Elder Vogel (R-Beaver) are cosponsors.

Brown also rote a letter to Federal Aviation Administration Administrator Michael Whitaker, calling on the FAA to provide states with the authority to act.

“Current federal regulations tie the hands of state and local governments, preventing them from taking immediate action when drones threaten the safety and privacy of our communities,” said Brown. “This resolution is a necessary step to empower states to respond swiftly and decisively to these threats.”

President-elect Donald Trump weighed in about the drone issue at a press conference Monday at Mar-a-Lago, saying the government knows what is going on and should tell the public.

“And I think they’d be better off saying what it is,” Trump said. “Our military knows, and our president knows. And for some reason, they want to keep people in suspense.”

With Donald J. Trump coming to shake up Washington, he should focus on tax reform that makes the tax code simpler for typical Americans, removes cronyism and eliminates sneaky excise taxes. A flat-tax code that makes it easy for Americans to file taxes on a small postcard and ridding the tax code of corporate handouts would be an American taxpayer’s first tax reform idea.

The time is now to take a blowtorch to the tax code and restore sanity to tax policy to fund a limited government minus all the social engineering that litters the code today.

Congress will have an opportunity in 2025 to address the expiring provisions in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the Trump tax cuts, when they pass a budget reconciliation measure. According to The Hill, “Several marginal income tax rates are set to increase in 2026 in what would be the most noticeable single aspect of the TCJA expirations.” 

Instead of extending Trump’s tax cuts, a good idea would be for Trump to take the tax code and toss it in a dumpster. Why not apply a flat tax on all income levels while cutting the tax burden on citizens. 

It is time to take Paul Ryan’s idea and further simplify it. Ryan, a former House speaker and congressman from Wisconsin, wanted a 14-line tax filing on a large postcard that included deductions for contributions to savings plans, mortgage interest, child tax credits, earned income tax credits, charitable contributions and higher education deductions. Those tax credits and social engineering using the tax code need to go. Tax policy should not be used to change an individual’s behavior. 

A better idea for a simplified way for Americans to file taxes is to give them a postcard addressed to the Internal Revenue Service with three lines. The three disclosures that a tax filer would need to include are wages/compensation, taxes withheld, and taxes owed/refund due. 

Poll test that idea, and it would be an 80-20 issue. Marry a low flat tax to Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy’s DOGE Plan to reform government, and you can cut spending while reforming the tax code in one swoop.

Special interest provisions to favored corporate friends of politicians should be eliminated. An example of how the tax code has been written in a way that favors special interests is called the Rum Cover-Over. The American Distilling Institute in July 2024 had a great way of putting this crony deal as follows: “Imagine a world where the government returns half of your business taxes each year. As a bonus, the government also pays to market your product and upgrade your factory equipment. Sounds like a sweet deal, right? As it turns out, this is the deal that several of the largest rum makers in the world have.” 

Only a few American rum lovers know that the Rum Cover Over takes from the poor and gives to the rich.

An excise tax on distilled spirits allows rum manufactured in Puerto Rico or the U.S. Virgin Islands to receive special treatment. The Heritage Foundation explains that “the top federal excise tax of $13.50 per proof-gallon is levied on distilled spirits. Of the federal excise tax revenue collected from rum produced in Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, or internationally, $13.25 per proof-gallon is transferred to the governments of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.” 

The way the tax provision is drafted, both Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are incentivized to produce more rum to get a bigger distribution of the money back to the territories. Abolishing all excise taxes on alcohol would be popular and eliminate the opportunity for a Rum Cover Over.

Another ridiculous provision that should be addressed is all the sneaky taxes imposed on commercial airline passengers. According to Airlines for America, they get hit with a 7.5 percent passenger ticket tax, $5 flight segment tax, passenger facility charges, $5.60 federal security surcharge, and more. They calculated that a sample trip from Peoria, Ill., to Chicago might hammer you with 22.6 percent tax as a percentage of your airfare. Let’s get rid of those taxes.

An American Taxpayer First policy would go with a postcard tax filing while abolishing excise taxes on alcohol and air travelers. The purpose of tax collection is to raise just enough cash to fund a very limited government.

When the Trump administration begins deporting illegal immigrants currently living in Pennsylvania, will Gov. Josh Shapiro step up and help, stand aside, or try to stop them?

Shapiro spokesman Manuel Bonder made it sound like the governor was ready to take on the Trump administration, telling Newsweek that Shapiro would “never back down from defending Pennsylvanians’ fundamental freedoms.”

“The Shapiro administration is preparing for all scenarios and taking steps to safeguard our commonwealth from potential federal actions that could be harmful to Pennsylvania families and communities,” Bonder added.

But when DVJournal followed up with Bonder about whether Shapiro was going to join Democrats like Denver Mayor Mike Johnston or Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey and try to hinder Trump’s deportation plans, he appeared to walk back his bold talk. Bonder pointed DVJournal to a statement Shapiro made last month while visiting a York County business in which he said he would hold off deciding how to respond until he new more about the specifics of Trump’s plans.

“Let’s wait and see,” Shapiro said.

That’s a very different response from Democrats like Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D-Ill.) who have clearly announced their plans to resist Trump’s mass deportation efforts.

“I am going to do everything that I can to protect our undocumented immigrants. They are residents of our state,” Pritzker told MSNBC. “And I also, obviously, need to make sure that whatever (federal immigration agents) are doing in our state, that it is actually within federal law or state law for them to do it.”

Shapiro is sometimes labeled a moderate within the Democratic Party, though he largely embraces the progressive policies of the Biden-Harris administration. And he’s clearly not staking out a centrist position like New York City Democrat  Mayor Eric Adams, who has said he will work with President-elect Donald Trump to deport illegal immigrants who commit crimes.

Even Shapiro’s fellow Keystone State Democrat, U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, says it’s time for their party to support border security.

“Well, one area where we kind of lost ourselves was the border,” he told Fox News after the November election. “And I’ve been on this network saying, ‘Hey, you know, it can’t be controversial for our party to have pro-immigration, but we need a secure border.'”

Polls show a solid 57 percent of Americans support mass deportation of people in the U.S. illegally. And Gallup polling shows a huge swing in voters’ attitudes about immigration during the Biden presidency. In May 2020, slightly more Americans wanted to see increased vs. decreased immigration (34 to 28 percent).

By June of this year, support for increased immigration had plunged to 16 percent, while the number supporting decreased immigration soared to 55 percent — a 45 percent swing.

Reports of crimes by illegals, including apartment buildings taken over by Venezuelan gang members in Aurora, Colo., and brutal murders, including Laken Riley and Lizbeth Medina, have galvanized public opinion.

In the Delaware Valley, a jailbreak in Chester County by undocumented Brazilian and convicted murderer Danelo Cavalcante resulted in widespread outrage last year in the two weeks he was on the loose.

Other problems caused by the influx of undocumented immigrants include overcrowded schools and hospitals, deadly drugs, and some 300,000 missing migrant children.

Pennsylvania has an estimated 170,000 undocumented immigrants. Lancaster resident Kevin Lynn, executive director of the Institute for Sound Public Policy, believes the government can and should deport illegal immigrants. He said the 2,500 or so Immigration and Custom Enforcement (ICE) agents could remove 2.4 million illegal immigrants a year.

“We have the capacity to do it,” said Lynn. “We have the personnel to do it. We’ll be able to remove all the people who have come here [illegally] in the last four years. Now people are screaming about the expense.”

But he noted, there is already the cost to the government of “putting them up at the Roosevelt Hotel (in New York), they don’t seem to care about that.” These undocumented immigrants also receive taxpayer paid cellphones, housing and food stamps.

The U.S. House Budge Committee found in May the cost of the open southern border was $150.7 billion and counting. Various religious and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) receive block grants from the federal government to resettle the immigrants, who are being relabeled “newcomers.”

“I think removing the grants and bringing back ‘public charge’ rules, where if you come here you have to demonstrate that you can get by without being on the government dime would go a long way. That’s easy enough to do,” Lynn said.

Many illegal immigrants can be “removed expeditiously. They don’t have to go in front of an immigration judge or anything like that,” said Lynn. “If there’s a mayor or a governor impeding that, as far as I’m concerned, they’re aiding and abetting a criminal.”

“Mass deportations are possible and they’re justified. We have to do that because we won’t have a country if we don’t,” said Lynn. “I’ve just sat by in absolute horror watching it happen.”

The results of the elections show many are optimistic that President-elect Trump will bring about a new Golden Age in America. What will this new era mean for the world? Most seek peace, prosperity and the hope of a better future for all. The hardships associated with the Biden administration, including inflation, crime, and border insecurity, are ready for much-needed relief.

America, the greatest nation in history, expressed its voice through election results coast to coast, returning a trifecta of conservatism to the presidency, Senate and House of Representatives — including a significant victory in the popular vote. The American people are sending leaders into office with a mandate.

Recent history reminds us of the fatigue and loss that war brings. The bitterness of bloodshed is abhorred by all involved. With a change in leadership, we have the potential to promote harmony and save lives.

Rather than investing in allies’ wars, Trump will act as commander-in-chief and diplomat-in-chief to broker ceasefires in Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Trump will invest in saving lives, not merely providing warfighting equipment, with a steady backbone of competence and conviction.

“Peace through strategy” is the long-standing mission of Defending Our Country. On the eve of this most consequential election for America, with the future of Western democracy on the ballot, we attended a United Kingdom-sponsored event in London. From academics to taxi drivers, waiters and shopkeepers, everyone we encountered wished for Trump to return to the Oval Office.

With the election results determined and campaign season over, the time for governing is here. However, the rhetoric that rallies a nominee’s base differs from the diplomacy needed to lead the Free World into a new Golden Age. It is time for Trump and the transition team to think strategically through hiring decisions that can broker “peace through strategy.”

The strategy for manifesting a Golden Age demands an executive branch filled with the most innovative scientists and researchers, accomplished business leaders, and acclaimed minds from the private sector. The inbreeding of government bureaucracy and the Ivory Tower pipeline of how Washington has always done business continues to miss the mark and the heartbeat of democracy, as evidenced by the historic vote of the American people and sentiment abroad.

The path forward for the Golden Age requires Trump to select capable leaders with a record that speaks to their dedication and calling to serve the nation faithfully and effectively. By constitutional design, the executive branch represents a bench of talented experts who can advise on and execute the entire functioning of the federal government.

The priority should be retaining an executive branch that will formulate and streamline the federal budget. Second, policy frameworks should include a grand strategy that brings in allies and partners across the globe instead of isolating and creating adversarial coalitions. Third, an emphasis on the “peace through strategy” narrative should be adopted. Leaders and the public have realized that the brute focus on “peace through strength” has not served America or its partners productively since the end of the Cold War.

The 21st century has brought unique challenges and increasing conflicts that have redefined effective strategies. It is time for adversarial world leaders, such as Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese Communist Party Chairman Xi Jinping, the Iranian Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei, and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un to redefine their legacies and join the Golden Age — not watch it occur as tyrants on the sidelines. These adversarial leaders have proven to the world that their paths to war do not win, are unsustainable, and have not advanced their national interests.

As Americans voted for Trump, the world watched and longed for his return to power. The Golden Age is the clarion call of Trump to America’s citizens, global leaders, and individuals worldwide to live securely and safely.

America is at full potential, and a Golden Age is achievable if the president hires those with a different spirit and mindset who can innovate, create and shape a better future through the manifestation and global mandate of “peace through strategy.”

President-elect Donald Trump announced Tuesday that he is appointing Dr. Mehmet Oz as the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) administrator.

Oz ran for U.S. Senator in Pennsylvania in 2022, losing to Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.)

Oz is famous as a former television doctor who cut his TV chops with the television personality Oprah Winfrey and hosted his program, “The Dr. Oz Show.”

The cardiothoracic surgeon who invented a heart valve and practiced at Presbyterian-Columbia Medical Center in New York.

Oz, a Republican, sought to replace former GOP Sen. Pat Toomey. Although his wife grew up in Bryn Athyn and the family has a home there, although Oz lived part-time in New Jersey to be closer to work. The Fetterman campaign successfully targeted him as a carpetbagger.  According to an X post, Fetterman said, ““Well, I’ve been very, very clear if Dr Oz agrees to protect and preserve Medicaid and Medicare, I’m absolutely going to vote for the dude.”

Jim Worthington, an RNC delegate and owner of the Newtown Athletic Club (NAC), said he knows Oz well.  Worthington became friends with Oz after Trump appointed both men to the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition in 2018.

When Oz ran for the Senate, Worthington said he backed him wholeheartedly. Worthington said Oz is “brilliant.” When Oz lost to Fetterman, “it was one of my saddest days.”

“America lost out. Dr. Oz would have been a great senator,” he said.

At a campaign event at the NAC in September 2022, when radio talk show host and DVJournal columnist Dom Giordano was speaking, a woman in the audience fainted.  Oz jumped into action, leaped over a railing and revived her.

Oz is not only a “world-renowned heart surgeon” but a businessman and someone who “can do anything,” said Worthington. Appointing him to the CMS “will be good for the country.”  Oz knows about senior citizens, medicine and business, said Worthington.

“He’s a great guy,” said Worthington. “His wife, Lisa, is great, too. She’s brilliant in her own right. They’re good people.”

Longtime Republican consultant Christopher Nicholas said, “It’s an important job – glad another Pennsylvanian has been tapped to help steer it.”

Oz has been an outspoken Trump supporter, and Trump endorsed him when he ran for the Senate.

In a statement, Trump said, “America is facing a healthcare crisis, and there may be no physician more qualified and capable than Dr. Oz to Make America Healthy Again [MAHA]. He is an eminent physician, heart surgeon, inventor, and world-class communicator who has been at the forefront of healthy living for decades. Dr. Oz will work closely with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to take on the illness industrial complex and all the horrible chronic diseases left in its wake.

“Our broken Healthcare System harms everyday Americans and crushes our country’s budget. Dr. Oz will be a leader in incentivizing disease prevention so we get the best results in the world for every dollar we spend on healthcare in our great country. He will also cut waste and fraud within our country’s most expensive government agency, which is a third of our nation’s healthcare spend[ing] and a quarter of our entire national budget.

“Oz graduated from Harvard College and earned a joint MD and MBA degree at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Wharton Business School, my powerful alma mater. He rose to become a professor of surgery at Columbia University while receiving numerous patents on his medical inventions, authoring more than 400 original publications, and publishing numerous New York Times Best Selling books,” the statement said.

“He won nine Daytime Emmy Awards hosting ‘The Dr. Oz Show,’ where he taught millions of Americans how to make healthier lifestyle choices and gave a strong voice to the key pillars of the MAHA Movement. Dr. Oz and his wife, Lisa, expanded this effort by founding HealthCorps, a non-profit that has improved the lives of millions of underserved teens nationwide over the past two decades.”

Oz, whose parents immigrated to America from Turkey, and his wife have four children. He grew up in Wilmington, Delaware, where his father was a thoracic surgeon.

Oz is “a great person. He’s a great pick,” added Worthington.

Trump said, “I have known Dr. Oz for many years, and I am confident he will fight to ensure everyone in America receives the best possible healthcare so our country can be great and healthy Again!”

Some Democrats, locally and nationally, are in denial about the huge Trump and Republican win on Nov. 5.

But the sleeper issue of males playing in girls’ spots that I pointed out in my column just before the election proved to be a winner for the Trump campaign.

The Trump campaign spent about $33 million on ads showing Vice President Harris supported taxpayer-funded surgeries for prisoners who were here illegally and wanted to change from male to female. That snapshot of Harris’ policies, along with Democrats’ support for boys/men to play against girls/women in various sports, moved the needle to Trump for a variety of voters.

Some Democrats, like Massachusetts Rep. Seth Moulton, see this issue as an indicator that his party needs rebranding.

Moulton said, “Democrats spend way too much time trying to not offend anyone. I have two little girls. I don’t want them getting run over on a playing field  by a male or formerly male athlete, but as a Democrat, I’m supposed to be afraid to say that.”

New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd echoed that, saying, “Democrats learned the hard way in this election that mothers care both about abortion rights and having their daughters compete fairly and safely on the playing field.”

That thought process did not seem to register with many Democrats, particularly the very liberal Central Bucks School Board. At its most recent meeting, the board doubled down on the vote to overturn of the previous Republican-led board’s barring biological males from participating in female sports.

It even cited the fact that the school district had a female player on the boys’ football team to push back against safety concerns. My advice to those arguing against males in female sports is to lead with the argument of fairness, not safety. Females have worked for years to compete at high levels, and mediocre males with distinct physical advantages should not be allowed to overwhelm them.

I have also noted Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a possible Democratic presidential candidate in 2028, had not recently spoken out on the issue. In the past, he has accused those who oppose males playing in female sports of discrimination. This issue that impacted the presidential election could also be a sleeper issue for the governor’s race in Pennsylvania in 2026.

The most outrageous response to the 2024 election results has been the Bucks commissioners’ antics as they sat as the county Election Board in counting votes between the Pennsylvania race for the United States Senate between Sen. Bob Casey and Dave McCormick.

McCormick still has a lead that is mathematically impossible to overcome. So, Bucks County Commissioner Diane Ellis-Marseglia tried to change the rules. The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled twice that misdated and undated ballots cannot be counted. Marseglia admitted she knew it was illegal to count these ballots, but she was going to do it anyhow.

She said, “I think we all know that precedent by a court does any matter anymore in the country. And people violate the law anytime they want. For me, if I violate the law, it’s because I want a court to pay attention to it.” Democratic Commissioner Bob Harvie also voted for it.

And, ironically, Marseglia sits on the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.

Once again, Gov. Shapiro has been silent on this. People in Bucks County have not been silent, and there are calls for her impeachment.

The bottom line is that many Democrats still reject the voters’ will in the 2024 election cycle. Let’s see how long they continue that stance.