GUWonder

I disagree with him on his blog quite often when it comes to his trying to sell people on the Koch Bro(s)/Club of Growth type thinking, and yet I've never gotten a nasty response from him. He's usually very good about tolerating disagreement and seems to enjoy learning from disagreement and disagreeing even as he won't change his position; and this is one of the things I really do like about him.

I understand how he could be annoyed by the airline agent's denial of a very useful item -- that is the folded-up stroller -- as cabin baggage and thus jeopardizing their relatively comfortable transit an airport with a 2-year old. Especially when that kind of item has been routinely allowed as cabin baggage on previous AA flights for quite some time.

I find this stroller blog entry situation to be uncharacteristic of the VFTW principal.

My biggest criticism about the VFTW is that The Jerry Springer Show and tabloid type blog elements have attracted the participants and audience it could be expected to attract/retain -- such that at times it could be called the View from the Extreme Wing. But it's important to see that the world is full of all sorts of types, good and bad.

oliver2002

The tabloid posts are essential for SEO, all 'Titans' of the miles & points world do it for some reason. Travelling with a toddler is stressful and (potential) harm to a stroller is a trigger for increased expression about it. Quite a few threads on flyertalk too.

GUWonder

VFTW didn't mention whether the child was using:

a) a child car-seat in the cabin on those flights;
b) a CARES-style, FAA-approved child harness; or
c) just the regular seatbelt for the 2 year-old on the flights.

It seemed to me like they had checked in luggage with AA, so maybe there was some annoyance from that part of the travel process even before getting to the SAN gate with the stroller.

The VFTW blogger has become a bit more vocal against mask use to travel. Maybe it's a function of concern/frustration related to trying to get a 2 year-old child to keep a mask on during a trip.

GUWonder

Did VFTW apply for and receive any money as a result of the US federal government’s pandemic relief programs? Given how critical VFTW has been of the bailouts of the airlines, just curious if much the same basis of criticism applies also to commercial travel bloggers who may have been bailed out by applying for (and receiving) financial assistance arising from the government’s pandemic relief programs.

oliver2002

Uh oh...

https://projects.propublica.org/coro...llc-9094907310

iadisgreat

All for himself too. Lol.

oliver2002

There is another one that can be found if you search for the name of owner. Thru a different lender, so its not a duplicate.

GUWonder

Cross River Bank for one application, and Kabbage for the other application.

Xyzzy

And each appears to be for a single person peration...

GUWonder

There used to be some people used for award travel bookings? Maybe a spouse or some others were on payroll at times?

I conclude on this: there may appear to be a bit of the practice-preach divergence when it comes to opposition to government bailouts while diving in for a share of the bailouts anyway; and b) he’s been around DC enough and paid enough attention on matters in this area before to know better than to risk getting caught going beyond the boundaries of propriety when it comes to federal benefits programs.

Adam1222

I don't think there's any suggestion that he's acted improperly by seeking and accepting the benefit-- I presume he met the eligibility requirements. it's just that he's acting hypocritically because he spews free market garbage generally, and also criticizes companies that employ more necessary workers for taking such funds.

kokonutz

My wife and I have several sole proprietorships that took a hit due to COVID. And we got more free money than Gary appears to have. Suze Orman always says never leave money on the table. Especially free money!

As for the hypocrisy, well sure. Of course. But talking one way and acting another is par for the course for Koch 'libertarians'. https://subsidytracker.goodjobsfirst...och-industries

flashware

Perhaps I'm misunderstanding, but aren't they loans? i.e. they do still need to be paid back?

oliver2002

The first round of SBA PPP loans were forgiven if you used more than 60% of it for payroll:

https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs...an-forgiveness

Raffles

God bless America indeed!

I could have taken a £50k interest free loan but frankly with interest rates so low it wasn’t worth the time required to fill in the paperwork and dunk it in the bank.

I did get £10k off the U.K. Government as part of their ‘help the rich get richer off the taxes of the poor’ programme (or whatever it’s called) but they cheekily made it taxable so over 50% went back ….