Quick Takes (v75): Treat Everyone the Same

According to an article from one of my local news stations, Onondaga County, where I live, has received a renewal of a New York State Department of Health grant to help educate residents on the benefits of a healthy diet and regular exercise.

I'm fine with that; as the article notes, CDC data from 2023 indicates "around 37% of the county's population is obese and around 9-10% have diabetes."   Further, 

The northeastern and southwestern parts of Syracuse both have the highest rates of obesity and diabetes in the county. They also have the highest rates of physical inactivity.

And, 2022 data shows that around 4% of county residents don't have health insurance, so they're likely not getting the health care and education they'd typically get from a primary care physician. 

Taken together, my area is ripe for this kind of program, and hopefully the money will be spent efficiently and effectively, helping move the dial a bit. 

So what's the post about? Not the grant, but the comments from people inside and outside our community that belittle and denigrate others. Here's a taste:

Talk about throwing good money after bad, ridiculous waste. No amount of money is going to change the food choices of the obese population.

We could do a lot better if we did not allow people to use EBT on fast food, junk foods, soda, etc. A physical should have to be done. People who smoke should not be allowed EBT services.

Put the people that are on EBT etc.. Put them on MREs and watch what happens.

Now, in the overall scheme of things, these aren't half as bad as many comments that typically accompany stories about SNAP recipients or others, some of whom are living at 400% of the federal poverty level and are still eligible for government benefits. 

Bur whenever I see a comment on an article like this, or on MAHA statemenrs from RFK Jr., or Dr. Oz, Dr. Phil, or Dr. WhoEver suggesting that folks who get food assistance should have a physical before they can enroll, or not get benefits if they're obese or a smoker, and not be allowed to get soda or snacks, or a steak, or lobster, or even a stupid birthday cake for their child, I think,

OK, let's do this! If we want strict rules for people who receive benefits paid for by us taxpayers, let's be fair and apply them to everyone.

I hope you're aware it'll be a LONG list:

• all federal, state, and local government employees, and their families
• all elected officials, from dogcatchers to governors to senators to the president, and their families
• everyone who receives a government pension, and their families.
• everyone on Social Security, disability, unemployment, and workers' comp
• everyone on Medicare and Medicaid
• everyone in the military, and our veterans, and their families
• everyone who works at any company, college, university, K-12 school, hospital, nursing home, rehab center, charitable organization, foundation, institution, many day care providers, or any other entity that receives government money through a contract, grant, reimbursement program, or bailout, and their families, and
• dairy farmers, crop farmers, and livestock farmers, and their families

This means everyone in law enforcement and their families; your kids' favorite teachers, lunch ladies, coaches, and bus drivers, and their families... It also means anyone who receives a tax benefit, on things like OT, tips, Social Security, mortgage interest, car loan interest, home office expense, 'stuff teachers buy' expenses, mileage reimbursement, property tax write-off, and so on - and their families.

Have you found yourself on the list yet?

Before you know it, almost everyone would be unable to have junk food, soda, lobster, energy drinks, or anything like that without a medical exam, and, (if we channel our conspiracy theorist gremlins), without a household visit; an audit of grocery purchases; a review of corner store, dollar store, bodega and gas station surveillance footage; a complete rmedical history and health insurance claim review; and so on.

And, if you're approved, you'll have a food intake monitor, an exercise monitor, and 24-hour monitoring via cameras in your cupboards, fridge, freezer, and on your stove.

All this, just to make sure you're not abusing your benefits by eating the wrong food and not working out, or treating your child to a birthday cake on the taxpayer's dime.

Is that really what we want? Is this really who we are?

Wondering on Wednesday 2/21/24

Ready... set... wonder!

I read an article about a move to teach financial literacy in high schools, which I think is a good idea. I mean. my dad set up something like that when I was a high school senior way back in the dark ages, so I'm all for it. In this case, though, banks are behind the curriculum, and I'm wondering how they'll possibly avoid trying to train customers, not just financially aware students.

***** *****

This one's such a no-brainer that I can't imagine it not moving forward, especially in an election year: there's at least one bill to eliminate federal income taxes on Social Security beginning in 2025.  In addition to getting rid of taxes, it'll change the way Social Security is funded, which could add years to the program's life expectancy. You might be wondering what I'm wondering on this one, and it's simple: Will Donald Trump tell the MAGA Campers to block this one and save it for him? Or, if it does pass, will he take credit for not stopping them from voting? 

***** *****

This one's a head-spinner: a trucker has called for boycotting deliveries to New York City, in protest of the fines imposed on Trump in his financial shenanigans case. "Chicago Ray," the trucker, tweeted

I'm just one of the many millions of Truckers who believe in God and love this Country. I stand with Trump bc Trump stands with me. Truckers for Trump ain't just a slogan, it's real.

Trump was delighted, as you might imagine, to "have so many Great Patriots" on his side, and so on.  But then, Chicago Ray deleted his original tweet, put up another one in which he stressed he was not encouraging anyone to do anything - and then deleted that one, too. And I can't help wondering, is he still a Great Patriot, or not?

***** *****

I wonder if anyone actually bought a mattress for President's Day, and if yes, which president were they honoring? 

***** *****

Do you remember where you were when you heard the news that the Klondike Choco Taco was being discontinued? I don't - I would have thought it was last year, not back in 2022 - but I do remember seeing 'make them yourself' recipes popping up on social media at the time. I suspect fans of the ice cream favorite are pretty excited this week, as we learned that they're coming back, thanks to Taco Bell and the Salt & Straw ice cream company. They won't be exactly the same though.

The new treat will feature a waffle cone filled with cinnamon ancho chile ice cream dipped in chocolate and topped with toasted brown rice. 

And, because it's Taco Bell, there'll be dipping sauces - and I'm really wondering how I lived to the ripe old age of way older than a Choco Taco, and never felt the urge to dip my ice cream in a spicy sauce. 

***** *****

Things have been a little rocky in the House lately, with Speaker Mike Johnson trying to balance the so-called Freedom Caucus, Donald Trump's campaign wishes, the imploding impeachment investigation into President Biden, foreign aid to our allies, a border crisis, a looming government shutdown, losing the Santos seat, redistricting efforts which might erase his razor-thin majorities, and most recently, three GOP committee chairs announced they won't be seeking re-election.

But Johnson might get a lifeline from the Dems: a resolution being circulated by  NJ Rep. Josh Gottheimer that would change the 'McCarthy Ouster Rules' and require party leadership to approve any resolutions to vacate the Speaker's chair, rather than allowing any member to do it.  I like this idea, but I wonder if there are enough Rs upset with the nonsense to approve such a measure, and I also wonder if Johnson's got the courage to accept such an offer. 

***** *****

Finally, I've got some information on something a lot of people have been wondering about - that GoFundMe to raise money for Trump's fines.  Many people have questioned how it didn't violate the website's policies, and the GFM folks have answered the question. 

According to the rules, you cannot raise money to pay legal fees for someone charged with a violent crime, or financial crimes - but this one, which is to pay fines after crimes have been adjudicated, is not outside the rules. Yet, anyway. 

And in case anyone's wondering, over $905,000 has been donated by over 16,000 people. 

What's on your wondering minds tonight?

Meanwhile, Back in Albany (v47)

Here we go again, New York. 

We're losing gambling money to neighboring states, dammit, and we're not going to take it anymore!

First, there was the casino money we were hemorrhaging to neighboring states.

Then, it was sports betting at our casinos, something we needed, you know, to fund things like education and gambling addiction treatment, and to stop bleeding money to neighboring states. And to help our underperforming casinos, which were not generating nearly the revenue we expected. 

Then it was mobile sports betting, because, you know, funding education, even more gambling addiction treatment, and buying tourniquets to stop the blood loss from all that hemorrhaging we've been doing are important governmental functions, as is helping casinos addict more gamblers.

And now, it's online casino gaming; here's some info from a Spectrum News report from October 2023.

Lawmakers are working to amend legislation to legalize a new form of online gambling in the state officials say could bring upwards of $1 billion in revenue to New York and help close budget gaps expected over the next few years.

Why? Well, we're addicted to the money gambling brings in, of course, and the success of mobile sports betting can't be ignored. It's

spurring discussion to permit online casino gaming — also known as iGaming — in the state, allowing games like blackjack, roulette and others to be played from a mobile device.

And, of course, because of those darn neighboring states that already allow it. After all, as Sen. Joseph Addabbo, chair of the Senate's Addiction Funding Committee (sorry - the Racing, Gaming, & Wagering Committee), says

Other states surrounding us are doing it. We can do this. I think it's the conversation we have to have dictated by the poor fiscal situation we're going to be in next year.

In addition to the revenue, it's flat-out altruistic, too, especially for the New Yorkers who are forced to do their online gambling on apps registered in other states.

We can't help someone with an addiction because we don't know who they are, and once we regulate it in New York, iGaming, we then can help those that might be in need are on their pathway to addiction. We'll put in statutory language in this bill to address that.

Fast forward to January 2024, and the legislation is being worked on in earnest. According to Addabbo 

It's a good bill. We got a lot of input from a lot of individuals, but it's a starting point. It's a starting point where I'm hoping that we can have these kinds of discussions during the budget process.

The bill would allow for mobile or online betting on various types of interactive gaming, referred to as iGaming, and iLottery. I'm pretty sure those names are not affiliated with the giant fruit vendor known for selling all the other iThings, or with iCarly, an old Nickelodeon TV show, but there's a chance we could see some kind of copyright lawsuit, right? What are the odds? 

As proposed, the licensing fees for the iStuff would be a cool $2M, and revenues would be taxed at 30.5%, which could generate a billion dollars annually. And, of course, we're hemorrhaging that money to PA and NJ now. Once we get that back, we'll be in good shape, Addabbo thinks.

We need to look at the outyears, 2025, 2026, where according to the state comptroller the fiscal situation only gets worse, then we do need to figure out a sustainable plan both short-term and long-term and that is iGaming and iLottery.

And what about those problem gamblers? There's $11M in annual funding for "addiction services and supports." I'm not sure if that money is dedicated solely to gambling addicts, or if it covers all other causes of addiction as well. But we do need to act with urgency, it seems.

If we're serious about helping people with a gaming problem, knowing that they're doing iGaming anyway in New York, they're just doing it illegally, then you try to do it this year because that will actually help the New Yorker who is already participating in iGaming.

But wait - there's more! Progressive more!

To ensure "existing union casino employees" aren't threatened by the new option, there's a "a fund of at least $25M annually" towards training and supporting employees of private business enterprises - because that's the New York Way. Addabbo also said we may see more union jobs created because people will be able to sit in their jammies and play poker on their phones - with live dealers. I'm sure they'll be even more addicting than CGI dealers.

Anyone who's already allowed to feed our gambling addiction won't be ignored, either. Existing license holders, including "current video lottery terminal licensees, mobile sports betting operators, state-licensed and Native American casinos" can participate in the iJunk if they like.

I'll be following this one as we go through the legislative session.

Quick Takes (v70): Aren't We Doing Enough?

Rep. Brandon Williams (R-NY-22) is my congressman.  He was not my preferred candidate, but as a constituent, I try and stay engaged.

 Today I received the latest edition of the newsletter, the Williams Weekly Wrap-up, which just happened to arrive on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, an occasion politicians are incapable of ignoring, regardless of whether they agree with - or practice - Dr. King's philosophy. Here's how Rep. Williams addressed it: 

MLK day is not a day for politicians, it's a day for pastors. We must speak the truth as he did.  "Then your light will appear like the dawn, and your recovery will come quickly. Your righteousness will go before you, and the Lord's glory will be your rear guard." Isaiah 58:8

A bit later in the Wrap-up, Williams wrote about a school in Brooklyn; take a look: 

James Madison High School in Brooklyn was closed down this Wednesday in order to house nearly 2,000 migrants who had previously been at Floyd Bennett Field. 

This short-notice disruption in the lives of American families and the education of American students was the result of numerous successive oversights, at multiple levels of government.

It's not clear if he's counting Congress as one of those "multiple levels of government," but if I had to hazard a guess, I'd say no. His update continues: 

The ongoing migration crisis has been ignored for long enough that now, every state has become a border state, and every city has become a border city.

I joined members of the Education and Workforce Committee in writing to Mayor Adams in hopes that we can receive answers to questions of why a public school was chosen as the site to shelter migrants, whether there are currently any plans to use other public schools to this end, and what will be done moving forward to prepare these facilities to return to educational use.

You can read our letter in its entirety here.

Here's the opening of the letter, which was dated Thursday, January 11th:

We were alarmed to see recent news reports that a school in Brooklyn was closed and students sent home in order to shelter nearly 2,000 migrants. As you know, James Madison High School was ordered to close on Wednesday, January 10, because of the decision to house migrants from Floyd Bennett Field in the school’s gym. These students were forced into unplanned virtual learning, and it remains unclear how long the disruption will last (emphasis added) or whether there will be future disruptions. Furthermore, it appears this was a last-minute decision with little notice given to affected parents. 

The letter didn't miss the opportunity to call out that long-term remote learning isn't optimal - even though the Representatives had no idea how long the remote learning would continue. 

Now, here's my favorite part, with emphasis added: 

We find this school closure completely abhorrent. As we have made clear time and time again, schools should be used for educating students, not housing illegal aliens. It is grossly unfair to penalize school children for a problem not of their making, and it is entirely irresponsible to put illegal aliens over our own citizens... It is shameful that children enrolled in New York City’s public schools had their education interrupted because Democrats have shown so little interest in stopping illegal immigration. The nation’s children should come first, not those who break the law. 

Is your blood boiling yet? Your heart pounding with America First-ness? A "Yeah, screw them!" feeling? Those are the emotions the letter strives to inspire, so please, don't let them down.

It ended with questions for Mayor Adams, with a demand for answers within 14 days. Paraphrasing the letter, why pick a school to put the migrants in? Were they vetted first?  When were parents notified? How long will the school be closed? How is the school being prepared for students to return? Could this happen with other schools? If yes, how and when?

So, why were migrants housed at James Madison High School? The AP's Melissa Goldin fact-checked and posted her findings on the afternoon of January 12th. Here's what she found. 

In anticipation of a potentially damaging storm, nearly 2,000 migrants being housed in tents at an outdoor Brooklyn shelter were moved temporarily to a nearby high school in the borough’s Midwood neighborhood on Tuesday night. All of the migrants had left the school by early the next morning. Classes were held remotely on Wednesday and resumed in person on Thursday.

Per the article, "the migrants had all returned to Floyd Bennett Field by 4:27 a.m. on Wednesday, after winds had subsided." So, by the time the letter was drafted, the migrants, like Elvis, had already left the building.

I'm not a religious person, but that doesn't stop me from looking up verses when I see them, particularly when they're offered up by politicians. As I interpret Isaiah 58, the basic question is "Aren't we doing enough?" and the answer is, pretty much, "No - you're not,"  if you continue to oppress others, finger-point and speak ill of them, and deny them food and shelter. Here are verses 3-7 and 9-10, to add context to verse 8, the one Williams quoted.  

"Why have we fasted, but You have not seen? 

We have denied ourselves, but You haven't noticed!"

"Look, you do as you please on the day of your fast, 

and oppress all your workers.

You fast [with] contention and strife

to strike viciously with [your] fist. 

You cannot fast as [you do] today, [hoping] to

make your voice heard on high.

Will the fast I choose be like this: A day for a person to

deny himself, to bow his head like a reed, and to

spread out sackcloth and ashes? Will you call this a fast

and a day acceptable to the Lord?

Isn't the fast I choose: to break the chains of wickedness,

to untie the ropes of the yoke, 

to set the oppressed free,

and to tear off every yoke?

Is it not to share your bread with the hungry,

to bring the poor and homeless into your house,

to clothe the naked when you see him,

and not to ignore your own flesh [and] blood?

Then your light will appear like the dawn, 

and your recovery will come quickly.

Your righteousness will go before you

and the Lord's glory will be your rear guard.

At that time, when you call, the Lord will answer;

when you cry out He will say: Here I am.

If you get rid of the yoke from those around you,

the finger-pointing and malicious speaking,

And if you offer yourself to the hungry,

and satisfy the afflicted one,

then your light will shine in the darkness,

and your night will be like noonday." 

I could be completely off base with my interpretation, but even if I am, would anyone really be proud to leave them out there, in that storm? 

And would one who was proud of that really be talking about Dr. King today?

TGIF 4/14/23

What a crazy bunch of stuff I read this week! 

Honestly, just when I think I've seen it all, or read it all, or heard it all, something else comes along and I'm left, again, shaking my head.  Here are just a few examples

A textbook publisher in Florida is scrubbing references to race from lessons. Rosa Parks? She was merely asked to move to another seat, with no reason given why. Jim Crow laws? It was illegal for "men of certain groups" to be unemployed, and "some men couldn't serve on juries," again with no reason given.  Is this really how we want to be educating kids?

Missouri state representative Mike Moon told quite a horrific tale in justifying why he voted against a bill that would raise the legal age for kids to marry other kids from 16 to 17. His 'no' vote was in part because the bill didn't include "allowances for... extreme circumstances" like a couple he met a while back: a couple of pre-teens who "took actions that resulted in the girl becoming pregnant. The parents decided to allow the children to marry. They weren't forced."

How is he holding up these parents as positive examples when they leave the decision of marriage up to their 12- and 13-year-old children? How many other bills has Moon (or anyone else in Missouri) fought to have "allowances for extreme circumstances" included in other laws, such as rights for trans children or abortion?

Clarence Thomas. Billionaire friends. Money changing hands. Ethics. Bullshit. Need I say more? 

NOW NYC is objecting to Judge Rowan Wilson, Gov. Kathy Hochul's latest pick to be Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals.  The issue? Wilson wrote the opinion that tossed a rape conviction because the prosecutors were morons who inexplicably wasted not just months, but years, in getting their case nailed down. Among the issues? They couldn't figure out how to get a warrant for a DNA sample... which pretty much everyone who's watched even one episode of a crime drama on TV in the last 30 years knows how to do. 

I don't understand why a women's organization wouldn't be up in arms about prosecutorial malfeasance that denied a woman her day in court for years -and I can't for the life of me understand why NOW or any other group wants a Chief Justice who ignores the law, as long as it fits their agenda.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said he would pardon a convicted murderer - the day after the guy was convicted. Why? Because Tucker Carlson and Kyle Rittenhouse told him to, I guess.  A jury unanimously convicted Daniel Perry of murder in the death of Garrett Foster, who was participating in a Black Lives Matter rally in Austin. Perry ran a red light (on purpose) and drove into the protest (on purpose) and then, in self-defense (he said), shot Foster five times before driving away. 

All of this was after Perry had posted on social media things like how he might "kill a few people" on his way to work as an Uber driver. 

Comically, Abbott noted that the Texas stand-your-ground law" cannot be nullified by a jury or a progressive district attorney." Because, you silly goose, jury nullification is the purview of governors, conservative commentators, and teenagers who shoot people at protests.

TGIF, everyone.

In Case You Missed It (v106)

Last week's posts kicked off with your Sunday School lesson. We were in ABC's 'This Week' classroom with Martha Raddatz, who spoke with Keisha Lance Bottoms, a senior advisor to President Biden.  

Most of the conversation was about Biden's Independence Hall address (which none of the broadcast networks carried live), and unity, and division. Here's a snippet of the interview.

Raddatz wondered "How has President Biden bridged the divide? What has he done really to unify this country?" She pointed to a Quinnipiac poll showing that 69% of Democrats and Republicans believe democracy is in danger of collapse, but the Republicans blame Joe Biden and the Democrats blame Donald Trump, and said, "Again, how has Joe Biden helped bridge that divide?"

I had some thoughts on that, as you might imagine; Bottoms gave hers, as well. 

Bottoms spoke of Biden's bipartisanship in passing gun legislation as one example, but reiterated the point of his remarks. 

But it’s also going to take for all of us to stand up to hatred and what the president again continues to say it’s this MAGA agenda. The president has not called out all Republicans. He’s been very specific about this MAGA agenda. And I’ll just remind you the words from Martin Luther King Jr., when he said that it’s not the words of our enemies that we will remember, it’s the silence of our friends. And what the president has said is that mainstream Republicans, Independents, Democrats can all come together. We’ve seen us come together to do what’s right on behalf of the American people. But if people are silent, then the very core of who we are as a country is in danger.

I didn't give Raddatz a whole lotta love for the interview, but 

One thing I will give Raddatz credit for was asking about Dems paying for ads in the primaries that work in favor of MAGA Republicans. Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, head of the DCCC, defends it, and the Democratic Governors Association apparently does, too.

In my opinion, it's dumb, and they shouldn't do it. She did say "tens of millions of Democratic groups who have spent money" but I'm pretty sure the meant "Democratic groups which have spent tens of millions of dollars." Bottoms didn't have a good answer for that - maybe because there isn't one.  

It was an odd interview, so much so that I addressed part of it in a Sidebar post that also came out on Sunday. 

Raddatz mentioned an organization, the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, when she asked Bottoms about an increase in online hate speech, with lots of comments about how Biden attacked all conservatives and all Republicans, which he specifically did not do, of course. 

I was surprised, though, when I checked the ISD website for the info Raddatz mentioned; there was a blurb about Raddatz saying ISD said there was a surge, but I didn't find anything else about it.

I did, however, find a great deal of information using 'Donald Trump' and 'MAGA' as search keywords.

The ISD has posted about 2020 election violence, and the Big Lie and how it's still a threat, and Dark MAGA and the concerns about the 2024 election. They've talked about how Trump fails to convince his followers  to stop their nonsense, and about QAnon, and Facebook, and more.  I included several links in the post for your reading pleasure.

The general theme of it all? Exactly what President Biden was talking about in his remarks - which make Raddatz's line of questioning even stranger - or even more calculated. 

For your Extra Credit, I listened in on the discussion in the State of the Union classroom, where Dana Bash talked with FEMA Director Deanne Criswell. 

Criswell's in a tough spot, and I felt her answers were mostly about not roiling the waters or stepping on anyone's toes.  About her visit to Jackson, the Mississippi state capital,

She said that FEMA was focused on supporting the state's Emergency Management Agency

...with bringing in safe drinking water, bottled water, supporting their operations, but, more importantly, bringing in our federal partners that can really understand what it's going to take to bring this plant back to full operational capacity.

There was more of that kind of bureaucratic speak,  about "assessments" and things happening "in phases" and the "longer-term and the midterm" and having "a lot more to learn..." 

Eventually, after all of the 'non-answers, Bash said what I've been thinking all along.

It's just I'm listening to you, and I'm sure our viewers are listening and thinking, this is 2022. This is a state capital in the United States of America...a city of more than 150,000 people, without running water for nearly a week. And now, as you're saying, not only are they without safe drinking water, you don't have a timeline for when they're going to have that restored. Americans are lining up for hours in the heat just to get the bottles of water you're talking about. Who's to blame for this?

I included some of the history on the water crisis in Jackson in the post. The one thing that's clear? We are long past the point where governmental gobbledygook is going to solve the problem. 

Your Wondering on Wednesday didn't drop until Thursday morning, due to technical difficulties reporting from my secure undisclosed location, but the wondering hasn't stopped. 

On a more serious note, I'm shaking my head at the thought of the WaPo story that "a document describing a foreign government's military defenses, including its nuclear capabilities" was found in the mess of government property found at Mar-a-Lago. And I can't help wondering what kind of damage this information is going to do to our relationships around the world, regardless of which of country's information it was. Research has shown that our standing in the world was diminished during the Trump administration, but it rebounded quickly after Biden's inauguration; who knows what this will do.

Other wondering was on politicians who run for office but are afraid to debate their opponents. It's both Rs and Ds who are backing away from the traditional face-to-face discussions with their opponents, and I think it's dumb. 

In the post, I talked about Georgia, and Arizona, and Pennsylvania, and yes, New York, noting that

I share the opinion of Phil Boas, who opined

Katie Hobbs should debate. 

She should stick to the issues. Leave the theatrics to her opponent. Paint her vision for Arizona. 

Otherwise, why is she here? 

This is a contest of ideas, and in elections, debate is one of the ways in which we compete. You don’t have to match glib witticisms with your opponent, you can stand as a foil to her erratic ideals and ravings.

Finally, since last week was the first week of school for much of the country, I shared a post on Presidents Speaking to Kids as a #tbt entry. Back when President Obama was in office, there was a lot of concern (from folks who are now, most likely, part of the extreme MAGA folks Biden spoke of) about Obama talking to schoolchildren, which is a presidential tradition. 

The concern? He'd indoctrinate them on black power, or Muslim power, or some other sin that Blacks with funny names would, of course, do to our beautiful little white children, or something like that. I share comments from past presidents, including Ronald Reagan, who chose indoctrination of the white, Christian variety. 

My approach to all of that?

So much for indoctrination. Here's a quiz. The statements below came from either President George Herbert Walker Bush or President Barack Obama. Can you tell which comments belong to which President?

I offered five pairs of comments; can you tell which president made each of them? Give it a try and let me know how you did!

On tap later? What's-his-name's interview with VP Kamala Harris, and cleaning up my drafts folder (again).

Sunday School 7/17/22

I usually kick myself when I don't pay attention, but I'm kinder when the thing I'm not paying attention to is "Meet the Press." 

MTP won the draw for classroom of the week and I dutifully set off looking for the video and transcript, only to find that there was no show today. Seems there was some golf going on across the pond, and that's more important than Chuck Todd and the gang.

 CNN's State of the Union won the replacement draw. Let's dive in with Dana Bash and term-limited Gov. Doug Ducey (R-AZ). Ducey's supporting Karrin Taylor Robson in the GOP primary to pick his replacement; her main opponent, Kari Lake, is supported by Donald Trump. 

Ducey said Taylor Robinson "is the real conservative," citing she worked for Ronald Reagan, and "she's pro-wall, pro-gun, pro-life." He said she'll be "the best person to be a fresh new leader" for Arizona. He was less generous to her opponent, nicknamed 'Fake Lake', saying she

bears no resemblance, her campaign or even her personal interactions with me, to anything she's done over the past 30 years. This is all an act. She's been putting on a show for some time now. And we will see if the voters of Arizona buy it.

Bash wondered if the Republican Governors Association would support Lake if she wins the primary. Ducey talked about how the RGA works and how it works to '" keep our states red ...but we don't support lost causes." Bash honed in Doug Mastriano in PA, wondering if he was a "lost cause."  Ducey said no decisions have been made yet given it's still early.

When Bash asked if someone like Mastriano "should be in such an important swing state in the governor's mansion," Ducey said 

I also think this election should be about the future. I don't think we should think for one more moment about 2020. This is about the 2022 election cycle. And, as I said, the job of the RGA is to elect Republican governors, and that's what we're going to do in this cycle.

Next Bash asked if Ducey thought Trumps "actions...or inaction" on January 6th should prevent him from ever holding office again. He said he condemned what happened that day, and that "everyone that broke the law should be held accountable."

In our system, this is up to the voters on what happens next. So many people want to talk about 2024. And I want to resist that temptation to talk about hypotheticals. I think the best way for us to turn this page and to move forward as a conservative Republican Party and a country is to make sure we get the best possible people elected in 2022. And that's my focus, as well as running the state of Arizona, every single day. 

And, would he support Trump in 2024? He thinks there'll be options in 2024. Well, kind of. 

I am hopeful we will have options. And I want somebody who can win that general election, because I believe, with success in 2022, the general election is the Republican Party's for the taking. 

Speed round stuff:

• He's not fan of "gimmicks" like a gas tax holiday; Arizona's gas taxes are among the lowest in the country already. President Biden shouldn't be asking "despots" for help, he should "open up the Keystone pipeline... work with America's energy leaders and provide more supply of fossil fuels, of clean energy, and solve this crisis." 

• Earlier this year, Ducey signed a ban on abortions after 15 weeks, but there's a 1901 law that "bans all abortions except to save the life of the mother," which his AG is trying to re-instate. The law stuff will be figured out by the lawyers, but he personally stands by how he ran in 2014: he's "pro-life, with exceptions for the life of the mother, rape, and incest."

• He also signed a law allowing any student - including those from wealthy families - to use public funds to pay for private schools. He clarified kids don't get vouchers; it's "a scholarship for all 1,1oo,1oo" students in AZ. He's "not concerned about" the wealthy, he's "concerned about poor families" who are being blocked by "union-backed politicians" who won't let minorities out of "failing public schools." He thinks all governors, no matter their politics, should do the same thing he did.

• Asked why not just get public funding to the people who need the help, Ducey said "Public education is about educating our public. And I believe in equal opportunity for all of our students and all of our families." To him this is how to "renew American K-12 education" and, in doing so, "to renew America..." He said Arizona's already number one for school choice, and with the new plan, "we're going to take it to the next level."

How'd you think he did? Drop a comment if you like.

See you around campus.

Sunday School 7/10/22: Extra Credit

For Sunday School, we heard from Vice President Kamala Harris. Her videotaped interview with Robert Costa was featured on Face the Nation, the Spotlight Classroom this week.

Now, let's hear from Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R-VA), and see if he did a better job answering questions than Madam Veep.

Costa asked Youngkin if he agreed with Harris, who said you don't need to abandon your faith to believe in a woman's right to choose. To me, a reasonable answer would start with, or at least include, either 'yes' or 'no.'

Youngkin said he's pro-life and life begins at conception; he agrees with the Supreme Court decision that it should be up to the states; he asked the legislature to craft a bipartisan "15-week pain threshold bill;" and said

I think this is what it's all about is, this is a moment for our country to have a discussion around this. And each state will decide something different. And I think that's the -- that's the real value of the Supreme Court's decision.

Um, the "real value" of the SCOTUS decision is separate but unequal classes of pregnant women? And that's somehow "our country" having a discussion?

Costa asked, twice, if he'd change his 15-week proposal to a full ban; given Youngkin's "reality" of having a split legislature, I don't see a full ban without a unified legislature. That said, he believes his job" is to get something done," and he thinks the 15-week bill is what's going to fly. 

Costa brought up Youngkin's ban on teaching "inherently divisive concepts," and asked for an example. Youngkin alluded to Critical Race Theory, without using those words. It's not about forgetting history, he said.

But we shouldn't... play 'privilege bingo' with children. We shouldn't teach children that they should judge one another, and one group is privileged and another group is going to find it hard in life necessarily. And we shouldn't blame someone and have them form a view that they're inherently racist... 

Costa asked what Youngkin would do if the Board of Education came to him and said the term 'Civil War' is too divisive and they want to use 'war between the states' instead. First Youngkin said he didn't think that would happen, then he said he didn't believe they will do something like that. And then, he said

...I think what we all recognize is that slavery was an absolute -- was an absolute black spot in our history. I mean, it is so, so abhorrent. We have to teach it.

Not the question he was asked, but if he can't answer a simple example like this, what's he going to do with a hard one? 

Because it was a long interview, here are Youngkin's answers from the second half.

• Judges in Virginia are "adequately" protected; he's got state resources on it, and he's called on AG Merrick Garland to do more, apparently assuming that protests are intended to "influence" judges, rather than to express anger. At the same time, he said, "Broadly speaking, this is about democracy."

• Asked if he'd codify same-sex marriage in Virginia, he said the Dobbs decision protecting the rights of lawmakers to legislate is "consistent with what we know the Constitution stands for." When pressed, he said "we actually do protect same-sex marriage... that's the law in Virginia." However, it's only protected if Obergefell stands; the state struck down a ban on same-sex marriage in 2020, but did not codify a right to have one. 

• He had "really great fun" visiting Nebraska, which had literally nothing to do with what he was asked: whether Donald Trump should stop saying the 2020 election was stolen. Nor did his "this is not a 'or' moment but an 'and' moment..." ramble. Nor did his "this is the Republicans who - that can win." Nor did his talk about 5,000 volunteers at elections. I'm sighing bigly, here, I am.

• Virginians don't want to talk about January 6th, they want to talk about "run-away inflation, gas prices... crime in their communities...education and the rights of parents to be engaged in their kids' schools." He also said," while I think it's important to the media, is really not what voters are focused on." He also said Trump's going to do whatever he's going to do.

• As to how he'll spend his 'political capital' as a "rising star," he wants to focus on electing GOP representatives; he thinks "the road to the majority in the House... comes through Virginia." After that, there are gubernatorial races where he thinks he "can make a difference." He refused to answer whether he'll support election deniers like Doug Mastriano in PA, even though Costa asked him twice.

Finally, on whether he and his family are open to a run for president in 2024, he's "hugely humbled" and

the reality, of course, is, I think it's based on the fact that I won in a state that was blue and we turned it red. I ran on a platform that we're delivering. And I often find it shocking that people are surprised that a person runs for office and then goes to work to deliver on what they promised they were going to do. And so, I think my job is to be a great governor in Virginia.

Cost asked again if he's open to the idea,

That's not a decision that we have even begun to undertake. The reality, of course, is I've been in - I've been governor of Virginia for six months. We've got an extraordinary amount done. $4 billion tax cuts. A record budget for education. $400 million in to law enforcement to raise salaries and keep our communities safe. This is where I'm focused.

Am I the only one seeing those comments as foundational to his '24 campaign bio? And does everyone agree he answered fewer questions than Harris?

See you around campus. 

TGIF 6/3/22

Hip hip hooray - it's Friday, and time for our weekly list making. I'm going to change things up a little, and do every story from the 'good week' side of the ledger, no matter what. Ready to dive in?

This first one's an easy 'good week' entry: goats are clearing brush, weeds, grass, and more in West Sacramento, CA, and it's helping lessen the damage from wildfires. According to the city's public information officer, "About 400 goats can clear two acres a day and get in places mowers can't reach," and they've already protected a housing complex by creating a firebreak. You can watch the goats being herded across a street here. Pretty cool, and much more interesting than brooms and rakes. 

Speaking of brooms, it seems finally the DOJ is cleaning up a desk or something. Former Trump Administration trade guru Peter Navarro, was indicted and charged with contempt of Congress for refusing to comply a request from the House January 6th committee to have a chat and turn over relevant documents. 

Navarro, who wrote a book on overturning the 2020 election, thinks he has executive privilege or something. He's wrong, and it could cost him two years in prison and $200K in fines if he's convicted. Should that happen, he'll probably face a much less significant penalty, but it's nice to dream...

Speaking of dreams, a boat made by New Hampshire middle-schoolers washed ashore in Norway, over 460 days after it was launched. The boat was badly damaged during its 8,000-mile journey, "losing its hull, mast and keel." Sheila Adams, the kids' science teacher, said

This project tapped into so much more than the science curriculum. The students needed to use their writing skills to inform others about their miniboat project, describe our school and town to people of other languages, just in case, and write requests to get the boat deployed."

All that, and I'd say some pretty powerful dreams to help keep their little boat together long enough to make it across the ocean.

Keeping both oars in the water, there's a non-profit that's turning mining pollution into pigments that are used in paint. Rural Action, based in Ohio, works "to create environmental change in rural Appalachian communities." Contaminated water is collected, then a base and oxygen are added, creating pigments that are being used to make paint. You can see some of the artwork created with the paints here. This isn't 'new' news, but it's new to me and it's pretty cool.

This one is new news, and it comes from Lake Tahoe. 

A scuba dive team has completed an extraordinary clean-up of Lake Tahoe after a full year of work, pulling up more than 12 tons of submerged trash. 

Organized by the nonprofit Clean Up The Lake, the team restored every inch of 72 miles of the crystal blue lake’s shoreline and sub-shore, collecting 24,797 pieces of litter weighing a total of 25,281 pounds.

Among the things they team found? Wallets and engagement rings. Which is a really good thing for the people who lost them, who probably never dreamed they'd see their belongings again.

TGIF, everyone.

Wondering on Wednesday 5/25/22

Right off the bat, I remind everyone that thoughtful discussion is always welcomed here at veritable pastiche, and I warmly encourage your constructive and respectful comments, if you're so inclined. 

Ready... Set... Wonder!

Another day, another school, another group of slaughtered children, another round of thoughts and prayers. And, another round of wondering.

• I wonder how it is that we so readily pass legislation requiring preparation for large-scale threats, but there's nothing we can do about mass murder...

• I wonder how it is that we can so quickly pass rules requiring us to remove our shoes, have our body physically patted down or x-rayed, and regulating the size of personal products to board airplanes, but there's nothing we can do about mass murder...

• I wonder how it is that we can so quickly and easily pass legislation banning social media companies from silencing so-called "conservative thinkers", but there's nothing we can do about mass murder...

• I wonder how it is that we can so quickly and easily pass retribution language against companies who use their corporations are people too' freedom to actually speak out on issues that matter to their customers, employers and investors, but we there's nothing we can do about mass murder...

• I wonder how it is that we can so quickly and easily pass new laws protecting people from sign-waving, chalk-wielding protestors but there's nothing we can do about mass murder...

• I wonder how it is that we can so quickly and easily pass new laws confining women inside their state borders, to prevent them from seeking medical care in another state, but there's nothing we can do about mass murder...

• I wonder how it is that we can so quickly and easily pass new laws preventing parents from providing loving care to their children, but there's nothing we can do about mass murder...

• I wonder how it is that we can so quickly and easily pass new laws allowing unlicensed, untrained people to carry guns, but there's nothing we can do about mass murder...

• I wonder how it is that we can so quickly and easily gerrymander the crap out of our state and federal district maps but there's nothing we can do about mass murder...

• I wonder how it is that we can so quickly and easily pass new laws turning neighbor against neighbor, with cash incentives, but there's nothing we can do about mass murder...

• I wonder how it is that we can so quickly and easily pass new laws forcing women to give birth, but there's nothing we can do about the mass murder...

• I wonder how it is that we can so quickly and easily authorize sending tens of billions of dollars to a foreign country, but there's nothing we can do about mass murder...

• I wonder how it is that we can so quickly and easily pass new legislation "freeing" us from public health mandates, but there's nothing we can do about mass murder...

• I wonder how it is that we can so quickly and easily pass new legislation cutting health care programs, but there's nothing we can do about mass murder...

• I wonder how it is that we can so quickly and easily pass bills encouraging book banning, but there's nothing we can do about mass murder...

• I wonder how it is that we can so quickly and easily pass new legislation taking tax dollars out of public education, and shifting those dollars to private schools, but there's nothing we can do about mass murder...

• I wonder how it is that we can so quickly and easily pass laws allowing just about any professional to refuse to provide services to people they don't like, but there's nothing we can do about mass murder...

• I wonder how it is that we can so quickly and easily rise to defend statutes and historical monuments, but there's nothing we can do about mass murder...

• I wonder how it is that we can so quickly and easily pass new laws freeing people from consequences when they drive through protests, but there's nothing we can do about mass murder...

• I wonder how it is that we can so quickly and easily pass legislation banning trans athletes from participating in athletics, but there's nothing we can do about mass murder...

I wonder how, in the land of the free and the home of the brave, there's nothing we can do about mass murder... 

I wonder how, in a world where "All Lives Matter," there's nothing we can do about mass murder. 

I wonder why the very best that the very best of us can do is offer thoughts and prayers.

I wonder why we are so complacent. 

I wonder how we are sleeping at night, knowing that children are not coming home from school, and people are not coming home from the grocery store, not coming home from religious services, not coming home from the movies. People are not coming home. Again.

They. Are. Not. Coming. Home.

What are you wondering about?

NEW AMERICA SURVEY

On Thursday, I posted a draft letter to Florida Man Ron DeSantis, governor of the Sunshine State. The letter was copied liberally (progressively? extremistly?) from a letter my husband received from DeSantis; it asked for opinions on the state of the country, and of course, for a generous donation. 

Today, I'm sharing a revised survey, modeled very closely after the one My Sweet Baboo received from DeSantis. I'm sending my letter and the survey off to Tallahassee, with a return envelope so he can send his reply and his most generous donation to me to help return Sane Americans to power across the land.

Sane Americans

NEW AMERICA SURVEY

REGISTERED TO: 

Gov. Ron DeSantis

400 S. Monroe St.

Tallahassee, FL 32399-0001 

Registered Survey Number: 8675309 RWNJ O8iCuR12

**HELP SAVE OUR COUNTRY *** HELP SAVE OUR COUNTRY**

Survey Instructions: Please answer each question in the survey. Once you have completed your survey, please seal it in the envelope provided along with your special gift of $5,000, $2,900, $1,000, $500, $250, $100, $50, or even $35 to Veritable Pastiche and return immediately.

For EACH question, select from the following responses.

a. Damn Straight, Skippy!

b. HELL to the NO!

c. I'm clueless on this one

SECTION ONE: The Conservative Media, Small Government, and Free Speech

1. Do you believe the Conservative Media, Hollywood D-listers, and the extremist Right-wing Nut Jobs are hostile to Sane Americans? ___

2. Do you believe the "small government" extremist Right-wing Nut Jobs are hostile to people who care enough to think themselves? ___

3. Do you believe the biased Conservative Media is: unfair to Sane Americans, reports bald-faced lies as facts; are enemies of our Great Country; and are friends of our enemies? ___

4. Do you believe that "small government" extremist Right-wing Nut Jobs and their political correctness are ruining our Great Country? ___

5. Do you believe that forcing women to have children, arresting them for leaving their states to receive medical care, allowing professionals - including doctors - to refuse service to people they don't like, 'cancelling' American companies, and instigating an insurrection against our Capitol are "small government" principles? ___

6. Do you support the collective efforts of the Small Government extremist Right-wing Nut Jobs and their Conservative Media Partners to tear down our Country and promote foreign dictators? ___

SECTION TWO: The Right-wing Nut Job Agenda

7. Do you believe true Republicans are caving to the demands of the extremist Right-wing Nut Jobs who control the GOP, and they all refuse to work with Democrats and the President? __

8.  Do you support the extremist Right-wing Nut Jobs and their "small government" efforts to steal our freedoms and bring authoritarian rule to America? ___

9. Do you support the extremist Right-wing Nut Jobs and their fight to allow elections to be overturned if they don't win, their continued promotion of The Big Lie - that the 2020 election was stolen - and their loyalty to their chosen leader, Donald Trump, over their oath to protect and defend our Great Country? ___

10. Do you support allowing individual parents to try and control what is taught to all children in public schools? ___

11. Do you support taking taxpayer money from public schools and using it to pay for tuition at private schools - including religious schools? ___

SECTION THREE: Sane American Priorities 

12. Do you favor having all people – the living breathing ones, and the bricks-and-mortar or web-only ones that most Sane Americans realize are not people too – pay their fair share of taxes to support our Great Country and promote our American ideals and values? ___

13. Do you support Sane American efforts that are reasonable, bipartisan, and aggressive, t0 fully address all the immigration issues we face? ___

14. Do you support Sane American efforts to stop spending on new programs until we first ensure existing programs for supporting Americans in their efforts at achieving their American Dream are accessible, working as designed, and not riddled with fraud? ___

15. Do you support Sane American efforts to level the tax collection playing field by:

• taxing income without all the 'social engineering' deductions that most Americans enjoy; 
• removing the special tax and accounting rules that allow the richest Americans and multi-billion-dollar corporations to skirt their responsibilities; 
• and fully funding the IRS to identify tax fraud and recoup the nearly trillion dollars in taxes that go uncollected each year? ___

16. Do you support Sane American priorities, including: 

• accessible, affordable health care for all; accessible, affordable health insurance for all, including a public option; 
• the freedom to control your own body; freedom to seek health care outside your state's borders; 
• fair trade agreements that position American consumers as the primary beneficiaries;
• regulatory policies that prioritize protecting Americans and not picking corporate winners and losers; 
• education policies that work for all Americans, prepare them for the future, and better position us in the global economy; 
• a strong military, but one that does not necessitate dangerously limiting necessary social programs; 
• and a secure Homeland, protected from foreign AND domestic threats? ___

17. Will you support Veritable Pastiche’s campaign to win back Sane American majorities in both the House and Senate, elect more Sane American governors, and win sweeping victories up and down the ballot in the next election? __

SURVEY CERTIFICATION AND REPLY

Thank you, Governor DeSantis, for fighting back against the extremist, Right-wing Nut Jobs and their Conservative Media allies. I want to stop the RWNJs from building their Extremist New America, with less individual liberty for Sane Americans, and I know this survey will be a great first stop in the process. 

And thank you, Governor DeSantis, for your most generous contribution of $5,000, $2,900, $1,000, $500, $250, $100, $50, or even $35 to Veritable Pastiche. I promise you, this money will be put to good use immediately as we move ahead to bring more sanity to our Great Country!

NOTICE: Contributions to Veritable Pastiche 

are not deductible for federal income tax purposes. 

Please make your personal checks payable to Veritable Pastiche. 

Thank you.

Sincerely, and sanely,

Veritable Pastiche