Ted Cruz and John Cornyn never disappoint

You can always depend on the two Texas senators to be devious weasels with no principles.  When Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast they said the aid package contained billions of dollars in unnecessary spending.  They voted against it.  

When Hurricane Harvey hit Texas in 2017 Cornyn and Cruz pushed for the same type of aid, and they are now demanding that the Trump administration release already appropriated money.  Funny how that works.  

Andrew Johnson's impeachment

A new book by Brenda Wineapple entitled The Impeachers details the efforts by congressional leaders to impeach Andrew Johnson.  Johnson, a supporter of the Union, was picked by Lincoln as his Vice President in 1864 and took over upon Lincoln’s assassination.

He was a terrible President.  He took the view that the South had never legally seceded and gave pardons to Confederates, appointing traitors to positions of power.  Many former Confederate soldiers, now officials and sheriffs, some still in uniform, immediately began to harass and kill blacks.  Militias in Memphis and New Orleans massacred black men and women and Republicans in the streets while U.S. troops stood by.  

Johnson did not disapprove.  He said, “This is a country for white men and by God, as long as I am president it will be a government for white men.”  He hated the idea of blacks voting and said blacks had no capacity to govern.

Here was the problem.  The Constitution has very narrow grounds for impeachment.  It uses the phrase “high crimes and misdemeanors,” and Johnson had committed no actual crime.  Congress then cooked up a law that Johnson couldn’t fire cabinet officials without Congressional approval.  When Johnson did that, they tried to impeach him for that dubious “crime.”  The effort failed.

The irony is that Johnson was unfit to be President.  He was an ignorant racist who reached office on a fluke and should have been removed.  Unfortunately, our Constitution has no mechanism for removing evil and incompetent presidents.

Good people

The Benedictine Sanctuary and Covenant of Perpetual Adoration monastery in Tucson has received about 8000 migrants in the past year.  The migrants are provided with food and clothing.  Relatives committed to taking them provide bus tickets.

The volunteers who help the migrants are almost all retired, including nurses, doctors, and teachers.  Most don’t speak Spanish. 

One of the volunteers, Stephen Thompson, said “It’s a wonderful common -cause effort.  Everyone is just willing to do whatever needs to be done.  There’s no top-down structure; nobody bossing anyone around.”

It is these people who make American great, not the dipwads who attend Trump rallies with their little red hats.

I took the information on the Tucson volunteers from Miriam Jordan, “The Retirees Taking Care of Migrants,” New York Times (May 29, 2019), p. 2.

Letter to Gov. Ivey

I decided to send the governor of Alabama a letter instead of a coat hanger.  It somehow seemed more meaningful.  Here's what I sent to Gov. Kay Ivey:

It seems to me that both you and the legislators who passed the bill that says rape victims made pregnant may not get abortions and that doctors who perform abortions would be subject to 99-year-prison terms are guilty of terrible hypocrisy.

I have yet to hear of either you or an Alabama legislator protest the treatment of children who come across our border.  I have yet to hear of either you or an Alabama legislator express concern about the hundreds of thousands of children in Yemen who are in danger of starvation, largely as a result of a war financed in part by the United States. 

If you are going to label yourselves “pro life,” than start acting pro life.  Pass legislation for gun safety.  Pass legislation for prenatal care.  Get rid of the death penalty.  Don’t just pass bills to that mandate forced pregnancy.

Siri and Alexa are hot

When I read the headline that Siri and Alexa contribute to sexism, I thought, really?  A voice over the speaker contributes to sexism?  Then I read the article.  A report by Unesco said, “Obedient and obliging machines that pretend to be women are entering our homes, cars and offices.”

When you call Siri an expletive, she replies, “I’d Blush if I Could.”  When you tell Alexa, “You’re hot,” she replies, “That’s nice of you to say.”  Notice I’m using female gender.  They are machines, but you don’t think of them that way.

Siri and Alexa are both obsequious and servile.  They sound like young women.  They are assistants.  They are there to do your bidding.  

I think the Unesco report is right.

See Megan Specia, “Siri and Alexa Contribute to Sexism, Unesco Finds,” New York Times, (May 23, 2019), p. A12

Coat hangers

I know that many of you are upset with the recent Alabama legislation that criminalizes abortion.  I know that you are angry that a doctor can receive a penalty of 99 years for performing an abortion, that there is no exception for rape or incest, that an 11-year-old girl who is raped and pregnant by her father is not allowed to abort, that while it is ok to flush embryos in fertility clinics down the toilet but embryos implanted in a woman must be carried to term–I understand your anger.

Nonetheless, I really don’t think you should send coat hangers to Mississippi governor Kay Ivey, 600 Dexter Avenue, Montgomery, Alabama 36130 as a protest.  True, she did sign the bill.  True, her “pro-life” stance does not extend to prisoners on death row.  Nonetheless, I don’t think you should send coat hangers as a protest to her at 600 Dexter Avenue, Montgomery, Alabama 36130.

Soybean growers

Of course they need help.  Trump’s tariff war with China has left them without a major market, and they are hurting.  I have no objection to using taxpayer money to bail them out, provided:

1.  they prove they are American citizens.  I worry that illegals may be taking advantage of this windfall.  I believe that any grower who takes federal aid should be happy to prove he or she is an American citizen.  Get your papers, stand in line, and prove you are a citizen.

2.  they take a drug test.

3.  they don’t spend their grant on cigarettes, sugary soda, or lottery tickets.  I heard that a number of them are taking their windfall and using it to buy items like steak and caviar.  This cannot be allowed.

4.  they admit that the trade war is idiotic, will hurt Americans, and is the result of a demented President who doesn’t understand what a tariff does.  That shouldn’t be a problem.  If it is, and if they still say things like “Yes, it hurts, but I understand why he is doing it,” then they obviously don’t need our support, and they know where they can stick their soybeans.

Glyphosate-based herbicides are safe now

Bayer, the manufacturer of Roundup, ran a full page ad in today’s Times. Roundup is a herbicide that uses glyphosate as its main ingredient.  The ad had this quotation:

“There’s no risk to public health from the application of glyphosate.”  

That’s from Alexandra Dunn, Assistant Administrator for the EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention.

Remember when the EPA based its conclusions on science rather than politics?  Remember when it was not headed by a former lobbyist for the coal industry?  Remember how things were before Donald Trump became president?

We are winning the war on the environment

The EPA has now approved Oklahoma to be the first state to take over permitting and enforcement of coal ash sites.  The Trump administration says states and local officials know how to deal with local problems.  

One administration proposal would give states authority over emissions from coal-fired power plants.  [Think West Virginia].  Another would give states the responsibility to protect wetlands. [Think Florida]. 

Some states would do a good job.  California and Vermont come to mind.  Some states would do an ok job.  Pennsylvania and Illinois come to mind.  Some states will do absolutely nothing.  Oklahoma and Alabama come to mind.  

Local control sounds good until you remember who has the power in so many localities and states.  Disasters are about to unfold.

I sometimes wonder when I see the crowds cheering Trump–do they have any idea what is happening in this country?

If you want to read more, see Ellen Knickmeyer, “EPA transfers burden to states,”  Morning Call, (May 23, 2019), p 17.

Primary election day in Carbon County

Three Commissioners serve as both the legislature (they pass ordinances) and the executive (they implement the ordinances) of Carbon County.  In the primary each party nominates two candidates for that office.  In the fall all four of those candidates are on the ballot, but only the top three are elected.  This insures that at least one Democrat or one Republican will always be elected as a Commissioner.

The Dems had three candidates–Rocky Ahner, Bob Jacobs, and Shawn Kresge.  I know all three.  I believe each of them is competent, intelligent, and would be good for the county.  None of them are incumbents.  

The Reeps had five candidates.  Two of them, Wayne Nothstein and Tom Gerhard, are incumbents.  I like them both.  The others include Jason Frey, a township supervisor in Franklin Township, and Tom Boyko, a beer distributor who ran before as a Democrat.  

The fifth Republican candidate is a former Army or Marine guy (in his ads he is always in uniform and makes a big deal out of his service but I don’t know uniforms) named Lukasevich, who has signs everywhere in the county, has run ads in our local movie theater, sponsored at least two electronic billboards, bought lots of ad space on television, and ran full-page ads in the local newspaper.  If money wins elections, and I think it often does, Lukesevich should be the top Republican vote getter.  My problem at this point is I’m not sure if he is running for Commissioner or for Secretary of Defense.

Why didn't someone think of this earlier?

Three public housing projects in Chicago are including branch libraries as part of the projects.  The libraries serve the surrounding neighborhoods as well as the residents of the housing projects.  It’s called co-location, and where it has been tried, it has been a success.  What a great idea.  

See Michael Kimmelman, “Public Housing Takes a Bookish Turn,” New York Times, (May 16, 2019), p. C1.

Americans: Stupid or prejudiced? You make the call.

In a recent poll 56% of Americans don’t want kids taught Arabic numerals.

Trump on abortion

“Let us work together to build a culture that cherishes innocent life.  And let us reaffirm a fundamental truth:  All children–born and unborn–are made in the holy image of God.”

–Donald Trump

My friend Bill from North Carolina sent me a message on the fetal heartbeat laws that have passed in Alabama and Missouri.  It was simple and short.  It said, “I hear migrant children have heartbeats too.”

Harvard students

For many people Harvard is the epitome of an intellectual center brimming with incredibly smart students.  This may make you change your mind.  

A Harvard law professor, Ronald Sullivan, the director of the Criminal Justice Institute that has freed improperly convicted individuals, joined the legal team representing Harvey Weinstein.  Dr. Sullivan is also the dean of an undergraduate dorm.

Students demanded his ouster.  They demonstrated and put graffiti on buildings with such messages as “Whose side are you on?”  The little dears said Mr. Sullivan made them  “uncomfortable.”

The worst part of this incident is that Harvard bowed to student demands and removed Mr. Sullivan as dean.  What is the moral of this story?  Attorneys should not represent unpopular clients?  Or is that Harvard students need to grow up?

Spring Fling

The Carbon County Democrats held our annual Spring Fling this evening.  It’s a fund raiser featuring a dinner, speeches by candidates, a basket auction, and a bar.  (For people on the West Coast, a basket auction is one in which people donate baskets filled with goods such as wine, lottery tickets, beauty products, pet treats, or whatever, on which people bid.)

I came away from the event thinking how nice Democrats are.  Nobody scowls,everyone smiles.  

I always put a book in the car when I go to social events in case I have to escape.  I had no need of it tonight.  I actually enjoyed a social event.

Sen. Toomey stands firm

Pennsylvania Republican Sen. Toomey has condemned Trump’s idea of paying farmers a stipend to off-set the costs of his tariff war with China.  Toomey called the payments a handout.

You probably won’t read this in many of my posts, but Toomey was spot-on.  He said about his use of the word handout, “The term is meant to be pejorative because it’s a very bad policy.  I mean, think about what we’re doing–we’re inviting this retaliation that denies our farmers, the most productive farmers on the planet, the opportunity to sell their products overseas and then we say, ‘Don’t worry, we’ll have taxpayers send you some checks and make it O.K.’”

Exactly.

Did FDR praise Mussolini?

Trump met with Viktor Orban, the fascist ruler of Hungary who has taken that country down the path to dictatorship.  Trump said, “Victor Orban has done a tremendous job in so many different ways.  Highly respected.  Respected all over Europe.  Probably like me, a little bit controversial, but that’s O.K.  That’s O.K.  You’ve done a good job, and you've kept your country safe.”

Imagine if FDR had invited Mussolini to the White House and praised him for making the trains run on time and showing those Ethiopians who was boss.  He wouldn't, of course.  FDR believed in democracy.

Grass Valley, California, under attack?!?

Was Grass Valley under attack from Jihadists?  Conspiracy theory whack jobs thought so.  Unsure of what to make of this, we asked our intrepid reporter Kayla Vick, for information.  Here is her report:

Kayla Vick, National Reporter for Poor Roy’s Blog

Reporting from Grass Valley, CA

As a long time Grass Valley resident it was unusual and exciting to see we made the KCRA Sacramento TV news.  Now the story has gone global.  A Grass Valley Charter School event was cancelled due to imminent Jihad attack, or so the conspiracy theorists suggested.

Locally the concern quickly became not so much about the Jihadists but the potential army of gun toting locals who might show up to defend our fair city.

Grass Valley is a diverse community that is not at all racially diverse.  We have weed growers, hippies, environmentalists, survivalists, gun rights advocates, State of Jefferson secessionists ...  You name it, we got ‘em.  All are equally extreme in their own ideological bubble.

So when we get a vague terrorist threat, the local charter school cancels its annual fundraiser to protect us from ourselves, costing much needed dollars for the education of our youth.  Maybe there is a political lesson in there somewhere.

Hidden Tribes

Last year the research group More in Common conducted thousands of interviews to identify the different clusters of American voters.  They broke us down into seven categories such as Politically Disengaged or Moderates.  (You can Google “Hidden Tribes–More in Common” and see a summary of the report.)

The far left (8%) and far right (6%) have very little in common.  The left, which More in Common calls “Progressive Activists,” think immigration is good (99%).  The right, which they call “Devoted Conservatives,” think immigration is bad (90%).  86 % of the Devoted Conservatives think it is more important for children to be well-behaved than creative.  13% of the Progressive activists agree with that. 

It is important to remember that 86% of the population is in neither group.  It is also important to remember that those of us on the Progressive Activist group (I’m pretty sure I’d fall in that category) have lots of work to do to convince those idiots at the other end of the continuum just how misguided they are.

Luke 10 updated

In the 10th Chapter of the Gospel of St. Luke, Jesus tells the parable of the Good Samaritan.  After a number of people had ignored a wounded man beside the road, the Good Samaritan, a member of a despised group, stopped to lend assistance.

When Teresa L. Todd, a government lawyer and mother, saw three young people (two brothers and a sister) beside the road in Texas near Big Bend National Park, she stopped her car and told them to get in out of the cold.  She was soon pulled over by a sheriff’s deputy, followed by the Border Patrol.  She was told she could be found guilty of transporting illegal aliens and spent 45 minutes in a holding cell.  

She has been visited by a federal Homeland Security investigator and a Texas Ranger.  Her phone was seized, although that was returned 53 days later.  The incident remains “an active case,” and she may still be charged.

People who examined the sister said she might have died if Mrs. Todd had not picked her up.  The three youths are now in ICE custody and may soon be deported.  

See Manny Fernandez, “She Stopped to Help Immigrants by Road, And Was Sent to Jail,” New York Times, (May 11, 2019), p. A17.

Trump on shooting migrants

I saw this clip of Trump speaking to a rally and making a “joke” about shooting migrants.  I was not upset by this.  Trump is an asshole who says cruel, evil, and vicious things all the time.  

What upset me were the people behind Trump, many of them fairly young, some of them women, laughing and clapping.  I am fully aware that in any nation you will find people who lack empathy, who are cruel and willing to laugh at other people’s misfortunes.  It just seems that we have so many of them in this country.

Senior games

Carbon County holds “Senior Games” every year in which old people in the county compete for prizes in all kinds of games, not including tackle football or hockey.  Since I have never been much of an athlete, I have no desire to start a sports career at age 77. 

This county is crawling with seniors.  You can hear us in grocery store lines and Burger King discussing our latest medical problems and complaining about kids today.  

We should be complaining about our own selves.  According to Timothy Egan in a recent column, about 9% of the federal budget is spent on children.  We allocate about four times as much on retirement and health benefits for older adults.  In more than half of the states, child care costs more than tuition at the public university.

While I am on the subject, couldn’t they drive just a little faster?

Bill Barr, long time jerk

In 1992 Bill Barr, Attorney General for George W. Bush, issued a report entitled “The Case for More Incarceration.”  Barr is one of the reasons that the U.S., with 5% of the world’s population, holds almost 25% of the world’s prisoners.

Two related news items

Headline #1:  “Wildlife Facing Extinction Risk All Over Globe”

     This article points out that humans are eroding ecosystems, and that up to a million plant and animal species are now at risk of extinction.

Headline #2;  “Trump Embraces the Traditional Fund-Raising He Once Shunned”

     This article explains that traditional Republican fat cats who shunned Trump in 2016 are now making substantial contributions to his reelection campaign.

If you need an explanation of how these two articles are connected, email me at <hiramc@ptd.net>.

Both articles are in the May 7 edition of the New York Times.  The article on extinction is on p. 1.  The article on fundraising appears on p. A14.

Scary Stuff

Columnist Charles Blow noted today that a Knight Foundation/Gallup study reported that Americans who said they have a great deal or a fair amount of trust in the media fell from 54% (which is already low) in 2003 to 32% in 2016.  It then rebounded (?) to 41% in 2017.  I’m guessing that it is lower today.

Howeve, that is not the worst news.  A poll last year found that 43% of Republicans agree with this statement:  “The president should have the authority to close news outlets engaged in bad behavior.”

Are our schools still teaching civics?  Do our fellow Americans even begin to understand democracy and its dependence on a free and independent press?  I think we are in deep trouble, and I don’t see how we get out of it.

League of Women Voters Recommendation

The Bucks County League of Women Voters has issued its recommendation for voting machines.  They support a system in which the voter marks a paper ballot.  The ballot is then inserted into an electronic optical scanner.  After the scanner reads the ballot, it drops into a secure box.  The paper ballots are available if a recount is needed.  

When I moved back to Pennsylvania I learned very quickly not to say, “That’s not the way we did it in California.”  It made people angry.  I will now break that rule.  I was an election official in Marin County, and we used the paper ballot/optical scanner system already in the 1990s.  Voters filled in ovals, just like you would in a multiple choice quiz.  It was impossible to hack the paper ballots.  I don’t understand why it takes Pennsylvania so long to adopt a fool-proof system, but I congratulate the Bucks League of Women Voters for their diligence.  I hope officials listen.

An added note:  Happy Cinco de Mayo!  And if you are Pennsylvanian and wonder just when that holiday occurs, it is on the 5th of May.  

Biological invasions

Today’s “Lancaster Farming” newspaper ran an article with an interesting headline:  “Biologists Warn of Peril From Biological Invasions as White House Cuts Funding.”

I’ll bet if you polled the subscribers to “Lancaster Farming,” you would find a large majority voted for Trump.  I wonder sometimes if those subscribers ever suffer from cognitive dissonance.  

Probably not.

P.S.:  I know that some of my more faithful readers click on this blog every day, and they are disappointed when I don't post.  The problem is that sometimes I drink too much, or I am really tired, or it is very late.  Or like yesterday, when all three applied.

Killing the A.C.A.

Yesterday the Trump administration declared its opposition to the entire Affordable Care Act.  It argued in a federal appeals court that the Act was unconstitutional and should be struck down.

If the courts agree, some 21 million Americans would no longer have health insurance.

Sometimes the little devil that lives inside my head says, “Go ahead.  Do it.  See what happens when you win.”

See Jan Hoffman and Abby Goodnough, “U.S. Brief Formalizes View That Health Law is Illegal,”  New York Times, (May 2, 2019), p. A 16.

Presidential Straw Poll

This evening the Lehighton Area Democratic Club members held a presidential candidate straw poll.  The poll was a “ranked choice vote” in which the candidates are ranked in the order of preference.  Maine is now using this method for electing members of Congress.  If no one wins a majority, then the last place candidate is eliminated and his or her second choices are redistributed.  

That process continues until someone gains a majority.  

We thought it would be both interesting and educational to conduct our poll that way.  It didn’t work out quite as planned.  Members were given a ballot with 12 of the best known candidates in alphabetical order.  To simplify things, each person was asked to list his or her top five choices.  

When the ballots were counted, Biden had received a clear majority, so there was no need to redistribute the votes of the other choices.  Besides Biden, votes were cast for Amy Klobuchar, Elizabeth Warren, Mayor Pete, and Kamela Harris.