Page 1 The Sun Bay Paper December 22, 2025 December 22, 2025 Volume 9 Issue 33 From Island to Bay, News on the Level production@sunbaypaper.com www.sunbaypaper.com Right... All Along Digital Version DIRECTOR PATEL ...WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING...? Please don’t take this column as a wish for you to fail. On the contrary, I want you to succeed ...but what you are doing is shooting yourself in the foot and NOT making the FBI great again. Do you want to know why ...how? Well ...just answer this simple question... “What made the FBI great, the very best law enforcement Agency in the world, bar none”? The answer ...CRIME FIGHTING ...and all that it involves. It is MUCH, much more than find the bad guy, arrest him, and move on. FBI Agents don’t even do THAT! It was so important that Mueller and then, the “BIG Mistake”, Comey moved in every way to disregard real crimes ...Title 18 USC Crimes ...crimes like bank robbery, escape federal prisoners, UFAP (I’ll bet you don’t even know what that is), interstate thefts, kidnapping, interstate prostitution, Hobbs Act and many more. Those were the cases that made FBI Agents what we were...the best there was! Instead, they used terrorism, hunter gatherer, counter terrorism, an oxymoron. To make them too busy to bother with bank robberies... or interstate car thefts...or fugitive cases. When I was sworn in at the Old Post Office, the FBI was responsible for 180 Title 18 violations. Hoover believed that the public was so instrumental in solving those cases, he selected 15 violations he considered high profile and wanted the FBI on the front pages in every newspaper around... showing a bad guy, like Comey, in cuffs with an Agent on each side. Making those cases the backbone of the FBI. Under Hoover, most of us broke our backs to make that “BIG” case. The idea, Director, is to solve crimes, make arrests, testify in court to the evidence and get convictions and get new informants! The best way is to ask the subject ...you would be surprised at how successful that is...if you indict then bench warrant ...you kill that very important act. AND ... you kill that opportunity to develop sources!!! Two BIG MISTAKES and it’s all legal as can be!!! Ask any of today’s Agents how many arrests they made ...last week...last month, last year...and don’t be surprised when they ALL say...well... NONE, NONE and NONE! Go ahead and ask Strzok or McCabe or Baker...IN THEIR ENTIRE FREAKING CAREERS ...how many and hear the answer, “I was doing counter intel” ...then ask how many arrests he made doing THAT ... how many informants, none! If those scoundrels spent as much time putting criminals in jail as they spent trying to direct a Presidential Election and overthrow the Constitutional Republic (that’s the Constitution, for the benefit of those scoundrels, it’s called Treason) by putting Trump in jail...they could have been real FBI Agents...instead of criminals. I never had a single year where I had no arrests ...no convictions! In my first office, Columbia, SC, for “orientation”, Charleston RA for 13 months, I solved a homicide by lifting prints (nobody else believed it would yield anything, and it yielded a palm print of the killer). That was my first 30 days. In the next 13 months, three of us teamed up and arrested over 200... that’s correct ...200 fugi tive deserters and escape federal prisoners. I arrested a bank robber by out guessing his escape route with a little arithmetic! My partner, Dennis Wick, and I nailed him with two hostages, a shotgun and $18,000. I extracted him with a choke hold, and he outweighed me by 100 pounds!! That works... that’s why it must be trained and used!! With another Agent, Ray, on late duty we rescued a 5-year-old little girl, Tondalaya Jones, front page news on all three TV stations, as well as most newspapers. Kidnapped from Brooklyn she jumped into my arms and said, “Please don’t let me go”! I’ll never forget how that made me feel! But the BIGGEST case, as a rookie, was a cold case, an armed robbery of a Bronx NY Deli where a stick-up guy, who was wanted all over the South, unknown to me that he was listed as an IO Fugitive... shot it out with a NY uniform officer who died from his wounds. IO fugitives are so dangerous that First Office Agents are not allowed to work them. My partner Dennis was shot point blank with a 45 as was his partner in their second office (both survived, thank God) ...however ...the SAC, Roland Trent, was so happy with my work he allowed me to keep the case...! Unknown to me, that was a big deal as Director Hoover called the SAC when we got him...the IO Fugitive went for a gun, and the fight was on...he and I fought …he lost. Director Hoover followed ALL police killings and didn’t believe this case would ever be solved ...it was a year old. So ...my second office was the NYO. Fifteen Agents report to the NYO every Monday and ALL 15 are sent for orientation and how to stay alive in the Big Apple! ADIC John Malone sent 14 Agents to the Security Squads and me to the Truck Squad, John Gotti’s Crew. Malone dismissed all 14 and asked me to stay. He then had his secretary put a three-way call into the speaker, John Malone, me and Director Hoover. The Director wanted to know how I did what I did. I said I developed, on a totally unrelated case, an informant, and I helped him out of a jam, and he repaid me, by helping me solve an armed robbery, police killing, by an IO Fugitive! A little leg work, record checks, NCIC, and the IO flyers. And the photo spread in NYO. I really didn’t think it was that big of a deal, but I was wrong. HE, the Director, said he follows all police killings, but never had a first office Agent that successful! He went on, a 25-year Cont. on pg. 2 The Right Side
Page 2 The Sun Bay Paper December 22, 2025 The Right Side WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING? CONT’D Cont. from pg. 1 Agent dreams about arresting a bank robber, rescuing a kidnap victim ...and you scored five major cases. He told Malone to put me on the BEST squad in the FBI, and he did! Just a side note ...four days on the Truck Squad, the squad hit a John Gotti drop in the Bronx! While covering the front door with a senior Agent, I spotted a very suspicious 26’ rental overloaded, scoping out the drop and I hollered to John to get help as I tried to stop him. He tried to run me down and took off. I had the car keys and gave chase. He bailed after a few blocks and took a shot at me. I returned fire but didn’t report it. An Agent ran 3-4 blocks from the drop and hollered for me to stop chasing... so I did! He said we have rules about foot chases ... “WE DON’T DO IT; YOU’LL PROBABLY GET SHOT!” Director Patel, if you do not retrieve ALL those Title 18 USC, Criminal Violations, you will NEVER be successful. We, FBI Agents, NEED that on the job “training”. Science has advanced so much that you can follow a vehicle from New York to California by satellite, you can show a picture of a bad guy coming out of a house in Florida, and get it shown to the victim of the crime before he gets into the car. You have no idea how important what I am telling you is. These Agents have not worked criminal cases in 25 f---n years. How can they know how to arrest somebody ...they don’t know how to draw up an arrest warrant, don’t know how to get a search warrant...don’t know how to execute a search warrant. Many stopped carrying! Mar-a-Lago is the perfect example. They have no idea what the Laws say, what the Federal Rules of Criminal procedure, Rule 41, require... the subject CAN witness the search, CAN video (as long as he’s not intrusive), you MUST provide a “detailed” inventory to the subject BEFORE you leave ...you MAY not rearrange top secret papers or ANY evidence to create a stronger appearance for a photo op ...THAT’S TAMPERING WITH EVIDENCE ... and PHOTOGRAPH the freaking top secret papers (what a great f---n idea) ...that is several felonies, instant removal! IDIOTS ...who the hell was in charge. I participated in more search warrants than you can imagine ...the Truck Squad handled about 275 -300 truck hijackings per year, and we solved about 60% ...do the math ...we inventoried all that we recovered. On the BR Squad we handled 500 BRs per year. That’s two every working day. We handled and solved 60%, that’s 300 cases, that was more than LA had... along with BR fugitives from other offices, kidnapping, and skyjackings, the BR squad also handled the BLA ...Doc Coulson handled most of that! When I transferred to Buffalo, I was asked by the ASAC John Shanley, who showed me my personnel file and noted, I made 57 bank robbery arrests the last year alone ...is that correct? I said I didn’t know exactly how many I had but would have guessed there was more than that. He replied that is more than the entire Buffalo Division made in the last two years combined. He also asked about several shootings noting the last shooting was last Thursday...is that true? Yes, he was a fugitive bank robber out of LA and was very dangerous ... he knocked my partner out, was armed and was a light heavyweight contender some years ago. He took a hostage after a foot chase. I was shot at during the chase when I ran past the “boys” who are Harlem dead beats doing what Harlem Hoods do. The chase came to a stop when he raised a gun to fire... I shot first causing him to take cover. That’s when he ran upstairs and took a 12-year-old little girl hostage. That’s when my partner showed up and we rushed him. I grabbed the girl and my partner grabbed the subject and down the stairs they went! After a struggle...fight...I knocked him out with a choke hold! That was my last week in the Apple!! The Shooting Review Board ruled justified shooting. There was a wealth of knowledge...just from working cases! My partner and I solved BRs every way possible ...forensic, photos, we handled bombing cases, where one detonated in the bank...no injuries... We surveilled dozens of trucks being hijacked and several bank robberies... witnessing the robberies and some running gunfights. Ask current Agents how many of them testified as a witness to a robbery! That’s another issue ...the FBI Director should NOT be involved with the investigation ...doing any interviews... releasing 3500 material or any other evidence...sorry... just to satisfy the freaking press? Unless you want to get subpoenaed to testify, tying you up for days ...weeks. Director, please recover all those violations and start training. Dump as many do nothing Agents, just look at their files, it’s all there and replace them with retired SOG, Seal, Delta, Rangers. They are all well trained. They just need to learn the law...law is common sense. The only way you will get to interview any of those Democraps is to get Magistrate arrest warrants and Search warrants for documents that show evidence of guilt, computers, etc. Arrest the bastards, cuff them. I wrote to you that we should NOT go to the Grand Jury. You do NOT want to go to a preliminary hearing. If my memory serves me correctly, the procedure a good AUSA and Agent want, is a Magistrate Warrant to arrest and search, and then request an Information filed by prosecutor by passing the Grand Jury. The case Agent presents and eliminates the preliminary hearing...hearsay testimony is allowed! No evidence unless it’s for PC...that’s all that is necessary! If we would have disclosed what evidence we found ...before 3500 material is provided to the defense, we would have been fired! It compromises the case ...no early releases to scoundrels...wait until trial! Then and only then ... required by law, at trial ...stop the transparency BULLSHIT, follow the damn laws and to hell with politics when it comes to criminals, crimes and evidence! They broke the laws ...not us... they deserve what the law provides ...nothing more and nothing less ...go by that rule and you will stay out of trouble! If you indict and get a Bench warrant, you will NEVER solve shit! The idea, geniuses, is to “get the subject’s side”, wink...wink...get it... or are you (whoever decided to indict Comey) ...just plain dumb? How’d that go? What did he have to say? Once you Indict you won’t get to first base with the Subject …you won’t even get to talk to him/ her!! You see...subject interviews are the most important part of a good, smart Agent...but none of you know that because YOU DON’T DO CRIMINAL INVESTGATIONS! The idea is to work the interviews, so you get them thinking...the young ones, who were led around by the nose (like Huma), do NOT want felony convictions on their resume! Comey is a wimp. Without lawyers following him around, he would have rolled completely over... too late now! You need help. Look how fast he rolled on admitting the “Steele Dossier is seditious and unverified”...President Trump got a confession by “interviewing” Comey and Comey is too dumb to realize it ! President Trump was so surprised, he didn’t know what to say next BUT he got the most IMPORTANT part of that interview...Comey signed the Affidavits for the search warrants and KNEW it was a FRAUD! A good question would have been, “Then why did you and the others sign the warrants”?! Director Hoover became Director and started firing do nothing Agents and replaced them with college educated...candidates...with fighting skills as well, and it worked! Times have changed and we need “that” and not less... more...go after former, military trained... SOG, Seals, Delta, Rangers ...tough, well trained, smart...just teach them the laws! They already know how to shoot and fight, just teach them the laws and give them the Criminal Violations that they must have... to stay sharp! Interviewing arrested Criminals is as valuable to developing informants and solving cases and dealing with the public! For 25 years, the FBI has lost those skills ... gone! Many Agents do not carry their guns... that was a fire able mistake for an Agent! They don’t work CRIMINAL CASES so how the hell are they going to learn the ...How To?! That is critical to making a good investigator... a great investigator! The biggest, BEST, violations to get sharp and stay sharp are Fugitives and Bank Robberies...those are “MUST HAVE”. J. Gary DiLaura, FBI RET Owner, SBP Media LLC therightsidejgarydilaura.com
Page 3 The Sun Bay Paper December 22, 2025 Reducing costs of the Affordable Care Act Cost of living is a popular political issue, and our healthcare system is a big part of that discussion. We recently had a long government shutdown resulting from a political disagreement about extending temporary Covid era healthcare subsidies. Following are questions and suggestions that I have developed over several years. Here are some underlying assumptions for this project: • Our goal is to repair and improve the existing system, the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Adversarial phrases like “repeal and replace” are unhelpful. • Insurability should be guaranteed. • A single payer system won’t be the goal. Competitive marketplaces promote cost control. • When identifying healthcare costs, we must include total societal costs including subsidies. • Subsidies based on income are present in any solution, but simply piling on subsidies make things worse – cost controls must be aggressively pursued. Cost savings are available. For example, the administration is actively pursuing “most favored nation” status for prescription drug pricing. That would set U.S. prices no higher than other nations. This could be a turning point, and would make a significant contribution to reducing healthcare costs. Each state regulates health insurance activities. We should evaluate potential efficiencies of relocating regulatory activities to the federal government. Doing so seems to be a logical extension of having a federal Food and Drug Administration, a national Health and Human Services Department, and we now have a tradition of federal healthcare legislation such as the ACA. Healthcare insurance companies often don’t compete across state lines. We should evaluate whether encouraging cross-border competition would lower the cost curve. It makes sense to investigate the possibility of lifetime cost savings if individuals covered by corporate health plans owned their insurance policy directly. Also consider the advantage of making these policies portable from employer to employer, and even to private life for those leaving corporate life for self-employment or early retirement. This could be complicated but is worth pursuing. We should consider the cost benefits of making available, and aggressively encouraging broader use of Health Savings Accounts (HSA) in conjunction with high annual deductible (out of pocket costs) health plans. This would return insurance companies to their ideal purpose of spreading the financial risk of chronic and significant medical events. Consumers would own and pay directly for their insurance policies and HSAs. Ideally, an individual or family would shop for higher deductible medical coverage that fits their needs, not the more expensive “one-sizefits-all” comprehensive coverage. Many experts believe this would have cost benefits and effective results. HSA accounts can be set up to accumulate the funds needed to cover the “first dollar” expenditures each year. These costs are now mostly paid by insurance plans and cover the more common and routine recurring costs. When insurance companies cover those costs, plan administration adds significantly to the overall costs. There’s money to be saved here. Also, with more spending decisions being made by the consumer for purchase of high-deductible insurance and HSA spending, there’s reason to expect cost savings from this exercise in transparency. Nevertheless, it seems inevitable that the federal government would at least initially have to assist lower income policy holders with funding their premiums and contributions to the Health Savings Accounts – “prime-the-pump” to get it started, so to speak. This is a small price to pay for reducing costs while making quality healthcare available to all. Just as insurance payments are tax deductible, so would payments into HSAs. These funds would be deductible when funds are set aside, just like insurance premiums. Under the current system, adjustments to insurance costs based on income comes through subsidies paid directly to insurance companies. That doesn’t promote cost control. Alternatively, under these proposed changes, subsidies based on income would be paid directly to the consumer via tax return filings. There would be generous deductibility of insurance premiums and HSA contributions, tax credits and refundable tax credits could be employed for low-income individuals and families. These revisions to the ASA are about: increasing personal control of healthcare decisions and payment methods, tailored to their needs; guaranteeing insurability; strengthening the marketplace and enabling competition; embracing a system with subsidies flowing directly to consumers, but this must occur hand-in-hand with diligently searching for cost controls; and so much more. Steve Bakke Visit my website at myslantonthings.com
Page 4 The Sun Bay Paper December 22, 2025 In early October of every year, the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases its much-anticipated report on changes (usually increases) to the Consumer Price Index over the past 12 months. (It was a little late this year due to the government shutdown.) Why is this little esoteric government report -- actually called the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers -- so popular? Because for the past 50 years, it’s been the report that determines the cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) that Social Security beneficiaries will get the following year. Because my column has a long lead time, what I am reporting here isn’t news to most of my readers. As I’m sure you already heard, all 75 million Social Security and Supplemental Security Income beneficiaries’ checks are going up 2.8% in 2026. I always dread mentioning COLAs in this column because every single time I do, I am flooded with emails from readers complaining that the increase is not enough. Yet here’s the rub: Many economists and social planners believe Social Security COLAs are too generous! (I’ve explained why in past columns, but don’t have the space to get into that argument today.) That’s why most discussions of long-range reform for Social Security include proposals to reduce cost-of-living increases. But for now, that’s neither here nor there. So, let’s get back to the 2026 Social Security COLA. Due to these increases, the average monthly retirement check will be $2,071 in 2026, a $56 increase from the 2025 level. The maximum Social Security check for a worker turning full retirement age in 2026 will be $4,152, compared to $4,018 in 2025. And please note that $4,152 is the maximum for someone turning full retirement age in 2026. That does not mean it is the maximum Social Security payment anyone can receive. Millions of Social Security beneficiaries get much more than that, primarily because they worked well past their FRA and/or delayed starting their benefits until age 70. Here’s another important point about the COLA. Many readers have been asking me if they must file for Social Security benefits in 2025 in order to get the COLA that’s paid in January 2026. The answer is no. The COLA will be built into the benefit computation formula. So even if you don’t file for Social Security until next year, or some subsequent year, you’ll still get the 2.8% increase. Although this is a Social Security column, I must mention the upcoming increase in the Medicare Part B premium, which is deducted from Social Security checks for most people. As I was writing this column, the 2026 basic Part B premium had not yet been announced. But it is projected to be $206.50. That’s $21.50 more than the 2025 rate. And as has been the case for more than 20 years now, wealthy people will pay more than the basic premium. I don’t want to get into the complicated issue of Medicare premiums other than to make this quick point. Even though they are linked in the minds of most senior citizens, Social Security and Medicare are entirely separate programs, administered by entirely separate federal agencies, and they have entirely separate rules and regulations regarding their benefit and payment structures. For example, I already explained how Social Security COLAs are figured. The Part B Medicare premium increase has nothing to do with the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ consumer price index. Instead, by law, it must be set at a level that covers 25% of the cost of running the program. Taxpayers pick up the remaining 75%. (And again, wealthy people pay more than the 25% share.) Another measuring stick called the “national wage index” is used to set increases to other provisions of the law that affect Social Security beneficiaries and taxpayers. Specifically, this includes increases in the amount of wages or self-employment income subject to Social Security tax; the amount of income needed to earn a “quarter of coverage;” and the Social Security earnings penalty limits. The Social Security taxable earnings base will go up from $176,100 in 2025 to $184,500 in 2026. In other words, people who earn more than $184,500 in 2026 will no longer have Social Security payroll taxes deducted from their paychecks once they hit that threshold. This has always been a very controversial provision of the law. (Elon Musk pays the same amount of Social Security tax as his plumber!) I think it’s a pretty good bet that any eventual Social Security reform package will include an increase in that wage base. Most people need 40 Social Security work credits (sometimes called “quarters of coverage”) to be eligible for monthly benefit checks from the system. In 2025, people who were working earned one credit for each $1,810 in Social Security taxable income. But no one earns more than four credits per year. In other words, once you have made $7,240, your Social Security record has been credited with the maximum four credits or quarters of coverage. In 2026, the one credit limit goes up to $1,890, meaning you will have to earn $7,560 this coming year before you get the maximum four credits assigned to your Social Security account. People under their full retirement age who get Social Security retirement or survivor’s benefits but who are still working are subject to limits in the amount of money they can earn and still receive all their Social Security checks. That limit was $23,400 in 2025 and will be $24,480 in 2026. For every two dollars a person earns over those limits, one dollar is withheld from his or her monthly benefits. There is a higher earnings threshold in the year a person turns full retirement age that applies from the beginning of the year until the month the person reaches FRA. (The income penalty goes away once a person reaches that magic age.) That threshold goes up from $62,160 in 2025 to $65,160 in 2026. A couple of other Social Security provisions are also impacted by inflationary increases. For example, people getting disability benefits who try to work can generally continue getting those benefits as long as they are not working at a “substantial” level. In 2025, the law defined substantial work as any job paying $1,620 or more per month. In 2026, that substantial earnings level increases to $1,690 monthly. Finally, the Supplemental Security Income basic federal payment level for one person goes up from $967 in 2025 to $994 in 2026. SSI is a federal welfare program administered by the Social Security Administration, but it is not a Social Security benefit. It is paid for out of general revenues, not Social Security taxes. Tom Margenau If you have a Social Security question, Tom Margenau has two books with all the answers. One is called “Social Security -- Simple and Smart: 10 Easy-to-Understand Fact Sheets That Will Answer All Your Questions About Social Security.” The other is “Social Security: 100 Myths and 100 Facts.” You can find the books at Amazon.com or other book outlets. Or you can send him an email at thomas.margenau@comcast.net. Social Security COLA for 2026 Last issue’s puzzle solution to Morse Decoder ‘Beds’
Page 5 The Sun Bay Paper December 22, 2025 What To Do If You Don’t Have Enough Money to Pay All of Your Bills Copyright © SBP Media LLC and Sun Bay Paper All rights reserved. This newspaper or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher. Quote of the Week “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” ― Thomas Edison The Sun Bay Paper MAIL: PO Box 471, Sanborn, NY 14132 E-MAILS: production@sunbaypaper.com thesbpmedia@gmail.com WEBSITE & DIGITAL VERSION: www.sunbaypaper.com OWNER/PUBLISHER: J. GARY DILAURA CONTRIBUTORS: RICHARD LUTHMANN, BOBBY MIMMO The information contained in this publication is for educational, general information, and entertainment purposes only and is never intended to constitute medical, financial or legal advice or to replace the personalized care of a primary care practitioner, financial or legal expert It might be the rising cost of groceries, or perhaps you’ve lost your job or have already been living paycheck-to-paycheck with no cushy emergency fund to fall back on. For whatever reason, suddenly this month you can’t pay all your bills. You’re scared, angry, worried and overwhelmed. What are you supposed to do right now? Which bills should you pay first and which ones can slide for a while? This is not easy. As bleak as things may look right now, you will come through this if you are diligent in following a few simple rules: ESSENTIAL EXPENSES Here’s a basic rule of thumb according to the Boston-based National Consumer Law Center in its book, “Surviving Debt”: Always pay essential expenses first. If any money is left, you can decide how to allocate that to nonessential obligations. An essential expense represents a serious obligation that if not paid could produce immediate, severe, even life-threatening consequences. Do not make payments on nonessential expenses and debt when you have not paid essential expenses even if your nonessential creditors are breathing down your neck with phone calls and threatening messages. I am not suggesting that you should just walk away from your financial obligations. You must pay your creditors; you must pay your bills. It is not ideal to let some of your bills slide, but your situation is what it is. Your resources are severely limited. For now, you need to know how to get through this month. -- Basic food You need food. The consequences of not eating are severe! However, even though essential, keep your food expenses to the absolute, bare-bones minimum. You don’t eat steak three times a week when you can’t pay the water bill. Now is the time to pull in every tactic to feed your family on a shoestring. -- Unavoidable medications You may be able to forgo nonessential “medications” like food supplements, vitamins, etc. for now. But that blood pressure medication? Think severe consequences if you stop taking those life-preserving meds. You must cover the expense for essential medications. -- Child support Paying court-ordered child support is absolutely essential. Not paying can land you in jail. You have no options here that allow for this expense to slide or to go unpaid. -- Health insurance Keeping your health insurance active is essential. Not keeping your premiums current will result in cancellation. You dare not live without basic health insurance. -- Rent or mortgage Always assume that your landlord or mortgage lender will immediately proceed to evict or foreclose if you are late with a payment. You must exercise extreme wisdom here. -- Utilities Next, you should pay the minimum required to keep the heat, lights and water utility services. Your cable and internet bills are not essential utilities. You should probably cancel them for now. Temporarily use the computers at your local library if you need to be online. -- Car payments If a car is necessary to keep your job, making the loan or lease payment is the next priority. -- Other secured loans Beyond your home and car, debts on furniture, boats, RVs and expensive electronic gear are likely to be secured -- that means the lender can repossess for nonpayment. While you are in the process of selling these items to get out from under the heavy debt load, you must keep current on all payments. -- Unpaid taxes If the IRS is about to take your current or future paycheck, bank account, house or other property, you need to set up a repayment plan immediately. -- Nonessential expenses A nonessential expense represents an obligation that if not paid right now might harm your credit score or require you to make a phone call making you feel embarrassed but will not result in a serious consequence right now. To delay paying on these gives a short period of time while you figure out what to do. It’s not a pass. -- Student loans Call your federal student loan administrator right away to discover any special deferments or waivers for which you may qualify. If yours are private loans, call that lender immediately! Perhaps you will have a similar kind of forbearance or deferment opportunity. -- Credit cards If you fall behind on these debts you will trash your credit score, lose credit privileges, pay horrendous late fees and, if the debt is unusually high, you may be sued. But you won’t lose your home. You can recover. The consequences will not be immediate. -- Personal loans from friends and family You should feel a moral obligation to pay, but these creditors will likely be the most understanding of your situation. Don’t hide. Do the right thing and contact this person immediately to set up a face-to-face meeting. -- Medical, legal and accounting bills While these debts are real and will be paid eventually, they are rarely essential unless you are still receiving treatment. During this devastating time, don’t allow your emotions to dictate how you distribute the money you have. Do not let your creditors set the agenda. Be courteous and respectful yet assertive. Do not make promises you cannot keep. Do not hide; do not lie. Above all, do not take your situation personally. And when your situation turns around (it will!), keep the promises you have made to your creditors, your family and yourself. MARY HUNT EVERYDAY CHEAPSKATE Mary invites you to visit her at EverydayCheapskate.com, where this column is archived complete with links and resources for all recommended products and services. Mary invites questions and comments at https://www.everydaycheapskate.com/contact/, “Ask Mary.” This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of EverydayCheapskate.com, a frugal living blog, and the author of the book “Debt-Proof Living.”
Page 6 The Sun Bay Paper December 22, 2025 What’s New around Fort Myers 2025 annual festivals and event Edison and Ford Winter Estates Holiday Nights, Fort Myers 50th anniversary Nov. 28-Jan. 4, 2026 edisonfordwinterestates.org Murder Mystery Dinner Train, “Holiday Havoc,” Fort Myers Dec. 22-24 semgulf.com/events Santa’s Dolphin and Wildlife and Christmas Eve Sunset Cruise Adventures in Paradise Dec. 24 (check times) adventureinparadiseinc.com/cruises/holiday-cruises 2026 annual festivals and events Fort Myers Seafood and Music Festival, downtown Fort Myers January tba paragonfestivals.com/festival/fort-myers-seafood-music-festival 41st annual Cape Coral Art Festival and Market Place Jan. 10-11 capecoralartfestival.com 34th Tour De Cape in Cape Coral January tba Rotary Park tourdecape.net ArtFest Fort Myers, downtown Fort Myers Feb. 6-8 artfestfortmyers.com Southwest Florida Ag Expo Feb. 26-March 8 Lee County Civic Center Complex swflagexpo.com 88th Edison Festival of Light Grand Parade, Fort Myers Feb. 21 edisonfestival.org Spring training Boston Red Sox February/March 2026 mlb.com/redsox/spring-training JetBlue Park, Fort Myers Minnesota Twins mlb.com/twins/spring-training February/March 2026 Lee Health Sports Complex/Hammond Stadium, Fort Myers 24th annual Burrowing Owl Festival, Cape Coral February tba Rotary Park Environmental Center Rotary Park ccfriendsofwildlife.org/burrowing-owl-festival-2 Fort Myers Beach Lions Club Shrimp Festival March 7 fortmyersbeachshrimpfestival.com 27th annual Southwest Florida Reading Festival, Fort Myers March 7 Fort Myers Regional Library, downtown Fort Myers readfest.org CROW Taste of the Islands, Sanibel Island March tba tasteoftheislands.org Sanibel Shell Show, Fort Myers March tba Marriott Sanibel Harbour Resort sanibelshellclub.com/6306-2 89th annual Sanibel Shell Festival, Sanibel Island March tba Community House tinyurl.com/shellfest88 Fort Myers River Festival, downtown Fort Myers March tba paragonfestivals.com/festival/fort-myers-river-music-festival ECHO Global Food and Farm Festival, North Fort Myers March tba echonet.org/events/global-food-and-farm-festival 4th annual SWFL Mural Fest, Fort Myers March tba artsembleunderground.com/swfl-muralfest 11th annual Bonita Springs Film Festival April tba Prado Stadium bonitaspringsfilmfestival.org “Ding” Darling Day Conservation Carnival, Fort Myers April tba Lakes Park dingdarlingday.com 14th annual “Ding” Darling & Doc Ford’s Tarpon Tournament, Sanibel Island May tba dingdarlingsociety.org/tarpon-tournament World’s Richest Tarpon Tournament, Boca Grande May tba bocagrandechamber.com/worlds-richest-tarpon-tournament 16th annual Fort Myers Film Festival May 14-18 fortmyersfilmfestival.com Alliance for the Arts, Fringe Fort Myers May tba artinlee.org/experience/fringe National Seashell Day June 20 visitfortmyers.com/national-seashell-day 30th annual MangoMania July 12 Winn Dixie Plaza, St. James City pineislandchamber.org/chamber-events/mangomania
Page 7 The Sun Bay Paper December 22, 2025 NONE DARE CALL IT TREASON...WANNA BET? TREASON, TREASON, TREASON - WE CALL IT TREASON! It appears to this writer that the most treasonous acts have been committed by members of Congress, the Senate and most important... most of the entire Executive Branch under two former Presidents...Hussein Obama and disrespectfully, Joe Obiden, my opinion. Either that or they all had a sudden stroke, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, attack all at once and then a miracle happened and they were absolved by Jesus himself. They think they are absolved by some proclamation...by a non-human digital machine, suddenly and completely erased those sins by that proclamation... nobody seems to remember! Hot Damn! YOU BE THE JUDGE... Here’s the Laws and please keep in mind there is no Statute of Limitation for Treason! §2381. Treason Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States, levies war against them or adheres to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort within the United States or elsewhere, is guilty of treason and shall suffer death, or shall be imprisoned not less than five years and fined under this title but not less than $10,000; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States. §2382. Misprision of treason Whoever, owing allegiance to the United States and having knowledge of the commission of any treason against them, conceals and does not, as soon as may be, disclose and make known the same to the President or to some judge of the United States, or to the governor or to some judge or justice of a particular State, is guilty of misprision of treason and shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than seven years, or both. My Editorial Notes: Those of you like Hillary, Sullivan, Huma Abedin, Valerie Jarett …et al. may be 100% innocent of let’s say accidently doing anything illegal, like destroying thou sands of secret documents that were under subpoena, accidentally transcribing or copying Top Secret eyes only, not copyable, must be under lock and key and not on an unlocked desk and on and on, maybe did as you were told...and recorded... made backups to protect yourself ...maybe innocent by standards ...there could be a legit, legal and easy way out. I saw it all and “misprision” is very easy to prove! Those I dealt with when I was an FBI Agent, almost all took that easy way out...first come-first served! §2383. Rebellion or insurrection Whoever incites, sets on foot, assists, or engages in any rebellion or insurrection against the authority of the United States or the laws thereof, or gives aid or comfort thereto, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than ten years, or both; and shall be incapable of holding any office under the United States. 1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $10,000”. §2384. Seditious conspiracy If two or more persons in any State or Territory, or in any place subject to the jurisdiction of the United States, conspire to overthrow, put down, or to destroy by force the Government of the United States, or to levy war against them, or to oppose by force the authority thereof, or by force to prevent, hinder, or delay the execution of any law of the United States, or by force to seize, take, or possess any property of the United States contrary to the authority thereof, they shall each be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both. §2385. Advocating overthrow of Government Whoever knowingly or willfully advocates, abets, advises, or teaches the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying the government of the United States or the government of any State, Territory, Dis trict or Possession thereof, or the government of any political subdivision therein, by force or violence, or by the assassination of any officer of any such government; or Whoever, with intent to cause the overthrow or destruction of any such government, prints, publishes, edits, issues, circulates, sells, distributes, or publicly displays any written or printed matter advocating, advising, or teaching the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying any government in the United States by force or violence, or attempts to do so; or Whoever organizes or helps or attempts to organize any society, group, or assembly of persons who teach, advocate, or encourage the overthrow or destruction of any such government by force or violence; or becomes or is a member of, or affiliates with, any such society, group, or assembly of persons, knowing the purposes thereof— Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both, and shall be ineligible for employment by the United States or any department or agency thereof, for the five years next following his conviction. If two or more persons conspire to commit any offense named in this section, each shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than twenty years, or both, and shall be ineligible for employment by the United States or any department or agency thereof, for the five years next following his conviction. As used in this section, the terms “organizes” and “organize”, with respect to any society, group, or assembly of persons, include the recruiting of new members, the forming of new units, and the regrouping or expansion of existing clubs, classes, and other units of such society, group, or assembly of persons. Cont. on pg. 9
Page 8 The Sun Bay Paper December 22, 2025 Cont. from pg. 8 Hot Damn if ...all of it...sounds like the entire Obama and Obiden terms in Office ...giving our Islam enemy, Iran, enough money to blow up WDC...open the borders and let every asshole in... unvetted ...they only let in 25 million and want us to feed, house, provide clothing, medical care ...what are the chances that ...oh, say 10% of that 25 million are criminals and enemies of the US ...that’s 2,500,000 enemies, you read through the abbreviated above LAWS, you should be saying things like “WOW ...I didn’t know that ...I’m not going to hang for somebody else’s treason! Gee, I wonder if so and so made a deal. It’s more than likely that it will happen...it usually does! I believe, that will be the case but let me tell you that the paper trail is enormous ...from Obama’s fictious birth certificate(s) to his fake Social Security card(s), to his reasons he sent our enemy, Iran, some $180,000,000,000 +/- in cash! How he can claim his one religion is Islam and the other is Christan ...the definition of Muslim, according to the Quaran, is one unified body that directs all aspects of your life and at the same time our First Amendment to your Constitution specifies separation of Church and State!? The evidence that a coup was/is taking place ...to alter elections, to try to alter candidates by the attempts on President Trump’s life and the killing of Mr. Charlie Kirk ...it could be for no other reason but to discourage anybody from running for Office unless they are Democraps! There was an influx of foreign money to influence our elections as well as altering our laws. That money came from “political contributions” that bought mayors, district attorneys, judges …follow the money. over 200 supposedly elected high ranking officials were bought. All to overthrow our country. That includes dual citizenship, citizens that should be arrested for conspiracy to overthrow our country. Follow the money! Fortunately, the criminal prosecutors that filed charges against an innocent man, our current President, President Trump were caught and some of whom have been charged and others will be. Fortunately, everything blew up in their faces and most have been dismissed, and the rest should be soon. The FBI MUST open several cases of Treason, Misprision, Conspiracy all to overthrow our Country ...it certainly isn’t to strengthen our Constitution! These people who were involved in the past and current acts of sedition, espionage, and treason must be arrested, tried, and jailed! Those who are calling for riots, sedition and violating the LAWS with their inciting to riot acts and words should be imprisoned! They are mostly unemployed, low life’s, who are paid to riot, my opinion! Follow the money!!! LET ME MAKE A FEW THINGS PERFECTLY CLEAR… Hillary Clinton purchased, bought, assumed the debt service of the DNC, Democrap National Committee. Thereby, she assumed all financial responsibilities! There is a contract that Hillary signed specifically that states that Hillary is the ONLY ONE who can distribute the funds collected …and the ONLY one who may make purchases …she controlled EVERYTHING! I thought a political candidate could not “own” their committee, the Democrap National Committee!? From POLITICO, by Donna Brazile, 11/2/17… “The agreement—signed by Amy Dacey, the former CEO of the DNC, and Robby Mook with a copy to Marc Elias—specified that in exchange for raising money and investing in the DNC, Hillary would control the party’s finances, strategy, and all the money raised. Her campaign had the right of refusal of who would be the party communications director, and it would make final decisions on all the other staff. The DNC also was required to consult with the campaign about all other staffing, budgeting, data, analytics, and mailings.” Hillary’s signature is on the original contract…I saw it! Now …that being true… I exposed that tidbit when it happened in 2016, if my memory serves me right?! Just to show you the scoundrel that piece of crap Hillary is, she gave Brazile no warning, whatsoever. Then that other piece of human excrement, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, told Brazile, “Everything is fine”. The party was two million dollars in debt, again from that same article on POLITICO, “What?” I screamed. She had good reason …she just took over the DNC! And didn’t know Hillary BOUGHT IT!? “I am an officer of the party and they’ve been telling us everything is fine, and they were raising money with no problems.” That wasn’t true, she said. Officials from Hillary’s campaign had looked at the DNC’s books. Obama left the party $24 million in debt—$15 million in bank debt and more than $8 million owed to vendors after the 2012 campaign—and had been paying that off very slowly. What’s that tell you about the den of thieves… they would eat their own children!? Then Hillary hired and directed Fusion GPS to draw up a derogatory dossier…eventually the Steele Dossier evolves. I don’t know all the specifics but here are the basic FACTS…the Steele Dossier is all lies and accuses Trump, Hillary’s opponent for President of the US, of colluding with a foreign government, Russia, and put forth the Steele Dossier to prove Trump interfered in the Presidential election. How we know it’s a phony document… the CEO of Fusion GPS said so, under oath! It gets better… a DOJ Attorney, Bruce Ohr’s wife WORKS FOR FUSION GPS AND WORKED ON THE FREAKING DOSSIER?! Do you believe she never shared that with her husband…? She and her husband BOTH are guilty of several felonies, and they both know it. Think about that for a minute. Ohr and his wife are party to withholding crucial information that they, UNDOUBTEDLY, knew was false and going to be used against Donald Trump! They were party to Misprisions of serious Felonies! And could have been responsible for the entire election blowing up, based upon LIES! They knew the Dossier was BULL SHIT. They must be arrested as well and flipped! Or go to jail! My opinion, the entire staff at Fusion GPS should be charged with several Title 18 Sections starting with wire fraud, mail fraud and collusion to interfere in a Presidential election! Is everybody guilty of Misprision of a Felony at Fusion GPS? FBI Director Comey signed off on the search warrant, which is 90% relying on the Steele Dossier which he had to know where it came from… as “true and accurate” to the best of his knowledge. This document(s) had to be presented as evidence before the FISA Judge. Either Strzok or McCabe had to present it to Comey who had to approve it, return it to our two heroes McCabe and Strzok, who had to present it to the FISA Court, to be “the” SWORN evidence for the wiretap(s) because its ALL they had! Before Trump was sworn in, he asked Comey, on National TV, what he thought about the Steele Dossier and Comey surprised EVERYBODY when he, Comey, bailed out and said,” I believe it is salacious and unverified”, a confession if there ever was one!!!!! The SOB knew he was caught; the jig is up…and he is looking for a way out!!!!! Comey SIGNED THE FREAKING THING less than two months earlier, October 2016! And that was the first time heads of agency had to also sign…UNDER OATH…ever… why? Put the FISA court judge under oath and ask him why…why did FISA require heads of agencies to sign under OATH! That and then somebody, I believe McCabe AND Strzok, presented the request for the search warrant, probably as Affiant, for the first wiretap on Carter Page, ALL of which had to be signed and sworn to by all the pertinent FBI officials and DOJ officials… Sally Yates, Rosenstein being signors! Because the FISA COURT didn’t trust the FBI OR DOJ…and eventually the FISA found that they were right…they couldn’t be trusted. They were not…they lied, they cheated, they falsified documents and then presented them to a federal, FISA judge swearing they are true to the best of their ability, “I swear to God”. That’s a criminal and attempt and successful, conspiracy, ACT OF TREASON…if I ever saw one and several other felonies! ALL the Affiants HAD TO SWEAR… UNDER OATH… that their application and sworn statement, “Are true and accurate to the best of their ability”! They knew or should have known… LET THE TRIAL JURY DECIDE! Cont. on pg. 10 NONE DARE CALL IT TREASON...WANNA BET?
Page 9 The Sun Bay Paper December 22, 2025 NONE DARE CALL IT TREASON...WANNA BET? Cont. from pg. 9 LET A TRIAL JURY DECIDE…THAT’S WHYWE HAVE TRIALS. DO NOT THINK WE NEED TO DISCLOSE ALL THE EVIDENCE TO ARREST THESE SCOUNDRELS AND DO NOT GO TO ANY GRAND JURY FOR ANYWARRANTS…BE INVESTIGATORS …GET ARREST AND SEARCH WARRANTS AND NOT BENCH WARRANTS! The first search warrant is illegal and has NOT been before ANY impartial jury. I’ll bet my life that the FISA court judge who signed that warrant would testify that without the fabricated Steel Dossier, the government did not have PC, and he would NOT have signed any warrants. If he doesn’t testify to that …make him a co-conspirator because anybody who has reviewed the so called “evidence”, internal investigations by the FBI and DOJ have concluded that there is no PC without the Steele Dossier. So, we are not just talking about the felonies that ALL the signers committed…oh …no… it goes MUCH deeper. You see we have numerous, highest, law enforcement and judicial officers conspiring to overthrow an election, the Constitution and America. It’s a conspiracy of epic proportions involving Hillary, FBI Director, DOJ Attorneys, a Presidential candidate, other top executives of the FBI, Obama himself, and a FISA Judge…IF… he still believes the Steele Dossier is valid PC. In which case… make him a subject and co-conspirator. I personally believe that the FISA Judge would NOT have signed for a warrant without the Dossier and/or he had known then what he now knows about that Dossier! Understand, it is a proven fact, the Dossier is invalid, fabricated, paid for by the opposition candidate, Hillary…who most probably used DNC funds! GET HIS TESTIMONY UNDER OATH…NOW…in a District away from WDC, where we use as venue!!!! These subjects committed Treason by trying to overthrow our government. They plotted, conspired, they acted and committed Overt Acts… Treason is the charge! By obtaining NUMEROUS illegal wiretaps on innocent US Citizens using a fabricated document and law, the FISA Court, which was created to protect…not to destroy innocent US Citizens… denying them Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness and an unsuccessful raid on our Constitution. The way to handle this coup is to bring charges on the best evidence and that is Hillary, Comey, McCabe, Strzok, Yates and Rosenstein, Ohr. The head of the snake we will deal with later! My money is, if they are smart, Strzok and McCabe will deal and come clean because Comey has already thrown McCabe under the bus. If they are smart, they will ask for immunity and GIVE it to them …we have to nail Comey…he deserves what he gets. McCabe and Strzok are sort of victims, although we (the real Agents) would never have done what they did. If the two of them stay together and testify honestly… Comey will face the death penalty! Arrest them NOW…dammit…and stop jerking around…you are killing this case by waiting!! And execute search warrants! They will talk… Obama and Comey are already talking…make the deals…get off your asses…if you are afraid, reinstate me and I’ll take it to the WDNY, Buffalo where I believe we will get a fair shake especially if Judge Arcara is on the bench! Understand, you do NOT have to disclose any more to arrest than PC …what we need for arrest warrants and search warrants. Which we should have ALREADY executed!!! AND STOP MAKING YOUR CASES TO THE PUBLIC…for Christ’s sakes. DON’T try the cases in the public! Let the courts figure that out when all the evidence is in. If we had gone public… we NEVER did that…we would have been fired in the blink of an eye, if Hoover were alive. We give the Grand Jury enough PC to indict when the time comes…you have many interviews that will be very “telling”, many deals to be made…all to get the “head of the snake”! Speaking about Hoover …you, lawmen will never be successful if you do not reclaim the CRIMINAL cases …you need to stay sharp, learn “how to” with informants, learn the law, what you can’t do. Here’s some examples… you do not take a felony case to a Magistrate. They are NOT federal judges, appointed by the President. You go to the Chief Judge. More than likely, they’ll send you to the Magistrate. If not, another judge. Then learn the federal rules for search warrants…you broke EVERY one on every search warrant you executed. Before you SIGN a search warrant/affidavit…make certain not only what YOU SWORE to but be sure the others are correct as well. Before you arrest somebody for a violation READ the Section of Title 18 you want to enforce and cover all the elements. Don’t bring your girlfriend or CNN to any arrests or search warrants…how much dumber can we get?! Since Comey did away with criminal violations…what he did was to intentionally break the tie between the FBI Agents and the public. Without the faith and trust of the public, law enforcement is dead! That’s why he eliminated direct contact with real people (complaint agents) answering the phones, working with other law enforcement, all calls forwarded to HQ. The criminal cases you have never worked, and which ARE the backbone of the real FBI. I’m talking about bank robbery, UFAP (look it up it) and 76 cases (Escape Federal Prisoner), Interstate Theft, Hobbs Act, Kidnapping, IO Program with photos in post offices, Top 10 program …were…the best cases to work to stay well trained, a good shot and the best way to “make informants”. You look at the cases we solved 25 years ago, and you will see how and what you can do when a big case comes up and it’s your case, your source you developed, gave you! And you caught all the subjects and took it to trial and WON. GET ALL THE CRIMINAL VIOLATIONS WE LOST …BACK!!! You say I am repeating myself ...you can bet your ass I am! And I will continue until an adult; FBI Agent takes it to a judge for warrants!!! J. Gary DiLaura, FBI, Retired Supervisor Owner, SBP Media LLC therightsidejgarydilaura.com
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