Sunday School 4/4/21

I dropped in on the State of the Union classroom yesterday, where Jake Tapper talked with Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, That Guy from Vermont, Gov. Tate Reeves (R-MS), and Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN). The state of our union, Tapper said, was "unironically engaged in infrastructure week."

Secretary Granholm was asked about the infrastructure bill, focusing the bill on "what everyone can support," and about there being more money for electric vehicles than for roads and bridges. She justified the spending allocations, pointing to both energy security and tackling climate change as necessary parts of the bill. 

And when Tapper asked if it was OK with her and with President Biden to "again have a bill pass with zero Republican votes," Granholm pointed out that over 80% of Americans favor infrastructure investment - Ds, Rs, and Is - and the president is inviting Rs to the table, telling them if they don't like something, come up with a better plan to make it happen. She also pointed out that Biden was sent to Washington to "do a job for America" and if we want infrastructure spending, jobs, and us to not lose the global race, then that's what he's going to do.

However, his sincere preference is -- his open hand is to Republicans to come to the table and say, if you don't like this, how would you pay for it? If you don't like this, what would you include? So much of this, though, includes priorities that Republicans have supported. So, I hope that Democrats and Republicans can be on a final vote yes on this bill, on this package.

And on the tax increases needed to pay for it? She pointed to a study showing that almost 20% of fortune 500 companies paid zero taxes after the Trump tax cuts, which points to the underlying unfairness of the tax code.

And so, what Joe Biden wants to do is to say, corporations should pay their fair share. In the same way that a plumber and a teacher would have to pay 22 percent of their income or 24 percent of their income, corporations should have to pay their fair share too, to invest in America.

 Next up? TGFV, who was asked whether the Biden plan goes far enough in terms of tax increases and the Green New Deal. He said he thinks it's a "serious proposal" and that "every American" understands our infrastructure's falling apart; "the vast majority" of Americans understand that climate change is an existential threat; and "most Americans" know we have a housing crisis. And the bill addresses all of that.

But does it go far enough?

I think that, for example, as you indicated, in terms of climate, we're probably going to want to put more money into that area. I think there's a lot of work that has to be done in terms of health care, the high cost of prescription drugs, making our colleges affordable for young people, and dealing with student debt. So, right now, I think, at an unprecedented moment, the president has given us a serious proposal. A lot more work has to be done in that regard.

As TGFV says, "it depends on what you call infrastructure." He thinks we have "a crisis in human infrastructure" and mentioned child care, expanding Medicare benefits to include dental, vision and hearing services and he also pointed out that we're behind the rest of the world when it comes to this stuff. And when Tapper suggested adding more to the bill would make it even harder to get Republican support, he didn't seem to care. There may be some differences of opinion among the Dems, he said, 

But I do believe, given the crises the country faces and the need to create millions of good-paying jobs, the need to expand health care, to guarantee health care to so many more people today who are uninsured or underinsured, the need to take on the pharmaceutical industry and lower the high cost of prescription drugs, I think you are going to see the Democratic Caucus coming together and pass very, very significant legislation.

We'll see. 

Gov. Reeves didn't really add a lot to the conversation on the infrastructure bill. While he said his state would love a share of the money, he said the bill was more like a giant tax increase, or like the Green New Deal, than it was an infrastructure bill. And when he was specifically asked how to pay for it? "... by seeing significant improved economic growth," for one thing.

We saw that throughout the Trump administration, because the policies were pro-business, they were pro-growth, and revenues improved. Now, unfortunately, during those four years, like the four years before that, they did not in Washington get control of spending. They feel as if the debt doesn't matter. You're looking at a debt burden today of nearly $30 trillion for Americans. And what's ultimately going to happen -- and it's already happening -- as interest rates rise, the share of our annual budget that goes to pay for interest expense is going to rise from what is already an enormous level of 15 to 20 percent of all federal revenues goes to pay interest expense. That is not sustainable over the long term.

Tapper said that didn't answer how to pay for it; rather, it "actually provides examples of how it's even more complicated than that." And he's right.

Finally, Rep. Omar was asked about the Derek Chauvin trial and "what it's been like" watching the trial and reliving the trauma that so many folks are feeling. She said it's really hard, both wanting to avoid watching, and wanting to watch and hear from the witnesses. She said the feeling of helplessness they've all expressed resonated with her.

That is a feeling that we know really well here in Minneapolis when it comes to police abuse. And I remember feeling helpless 20 years ago when I witnessed police officers unload three dozen rounds on mentally ill Somali men in the middle of the street. And so, it's been -- it has just unearthed so much trauma for many of us, but we have each other, and we're going to get through it.

And what about a hung jury or not guilty verdict, is Minneapolis prepared for that? 

So, the community is on edge about that. We have seen justice not delivered in our community for many years. And I think that there is a lot of confidence in Attorney General Keith Ellison and the prosecutors in this case. But we are all eagerly awaiting to see how this trial shakes out. It's been really horrendous to watch the defense put George Floyd on trial, instead of the police office -- the former police officer who's charged with his murder.

I have to agree with her on that.

See you around campus. 

Wondering on Wednesday 2/3/21

 

Ready... Set... Wonder!

You know, I've often wondered what goes through the minds of our elected representatives as they sit in Washington, trying to the people's work, and watching the machinations of the party leaders. 

For example, say there's a big-time conspiracy theorist, a true believer in the cannibalistic pedophiles in the deep state Democratic party from which only Donald John Trump can save us, and in Jewish space lasers, and in the killing of Democratic leaders, and in the insurrection at the Capitol, and that school shootings are false flags, and that the government or the cabal or the laser-wielders set up the Las Vegas concert shooting to scare people into accepting gun reforms, and a whole host of other stuff about which I've only read, and in which I personally have zero belief. 

And say that she gets elected and ends up in the House of Representatives, and she refuses to act in a manner in keeping with what most civilized people consider to be adult behavior worthy of someone holding federal office. And say that she's chummy with the former president, and they, you know, talk and stuff, and she has his full and total endorsement and support. 

And say that the members of the other party are unhappy with her statements, and want her to be stripped of committee assignments, which is how the House traditionally has disciplined people who are really offensive or behave offensively. And say her party leaders get together and try to figure out what the hell to do with her, knowing that she has the full and total support of the former president, but they can't figure out what to do without facing the Florida man's wrath. And they cave, and decide to do nothing. 

And, say the members of the other party say, "Listen, party of the loved-by-the-former-president conspiracy theorist, if you don't take care of this, we will - we'll strip her of her assignments."

And then the conspiracy theorist-protecting party says, "Fine - if you strip our extremist of her committees, we're going after one of your extremists, the one from Minnesota, and we're going to move to strip her of her assignments." 

And then the majority party says, "Fine, if you go after ours because we went after yours, we're going to do a strong show of support for your third-ranking leader. At least she's smart enough to understand that you can't let the president foment insurrection and cheer when it happens, even as his most loyal servant is being hunted by the insurrectionists who think that hanging him is an appropriate punishment for following the Constitution." 

And the party devoid of leadership other than their #3 decides, "Fine - you want to throw your support behind one of ours? We're going to throw our support behind one of yours - another extremist, the loudmouth from Queens, and move to have her inserted into a leadership role currently held by one of your octogenarians. "

And the octogenarian leaders get together and announce, "Well, if that's what you want, fine - but then we'll move to shrink all of the committees and subcommittees - so you'll have lots of members without assignments!"

And the party of the gerrymandering chickens decides "Fine! If you do that, we'll refuse to attend any meetings, and you'll never have a quorum and won't be to get anything done!" 

And the petty majority party says, "Fine, if that's what you want - we won't even set a calendar and we won't even meet, so you won't be able to prevent us from having a quorum.  And then the president will do everything by executive order, just like the former president did, because Mitch McConnell held the legislation we passed hostage! And see how you like us now!"

And the party of the we're-more-pissed-off-than-you-are says "Fine. We'll get the nut-bag off the committees, but only because she's going to keep us from obstructing the majority, and that's our goal, to obstruct you and win back our majorities in the midterms next year." 

And the party of two impeachment a term graciously says "That's what we wanted anyway, thank you very much and have a nice day."

And the party of the nut-bag says, "But first, before we strip her of committees, we're going to try and force you to act on her plan to impeach President Biden for things he said he did when he was vice president. So how do you like us now?"

And the party of the oh-crap-forgot-about-that-little-issue says, "Well, since you're in the minority, good luck with that. You can't make us do anything we don't want to!"

And the party of the only slightly more obnoxious lunatics (depending on what day it is) says, "Ha! We'll all go on Fox and OAN and Newsmax and Breitbart and whatever social media will have us, and spill the beans and make everyone think it's going to happen, and that's just as good as it actually happening -- look how well we did with all the election fraud stuff!"

And the leader of the only slightly less obnoxious lunatics (depending on what day it is) says, "Well, why don't we talk together about committee assignments, before we do anything rash?" 

And ALL the voters stand up, go to their doors or windows and scream, in unison,

WE'RE MAD AS HELL AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANYMORE! IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FOCUS ON US, PACK YOUR BAGS AND GO HOME!

I wonder, this Wednesday, since some of what's documented above is true, what the other members of the House - those not in leadership positions, those not participating in all of this backdoor intrigue, and those who don't qualify as extremists - think of all of this? 

Are they standing at their doors or windows screaming along with the rest of us? Are they hanging their heads in abject embarrassment somewhere? 

Or are they gleefully sitting around, popcorn at hand, watching all of this transpire and hoping to land in a better spot when the dust settles? 

I surely hope they're in the 'screaming along with the rest of us' bucket, or at the very least in the 'hanging their heads in abject embarrassment' bucket. 

If they're eating popcorn, they can pack their bags as far as I'm concerned.

What's on your mind tonight?

Sunday School 5/31/20

OK, let's dive in to yesterday's classrooms - the beauty of doing this all virtually, right?

I want to focus on some of the women who made the rounds yesterday, all of them leaders, all of them people of color. Let's start with my least favorite classroom - Meet the Press - and Chuck Todd's discussion with DC's Mayor Muriel Bowser and Atlanta's Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms.

In response to Todd's question about whether things were better Saturday night than on Friday, and if  "we're going to see some calm going forward or no," Bowser said that the "level of just destruction and mayhem among some" people who gathered in the city on Friday night was "maddening", and that they were working with "all of our law enforcement partners to ensure calm" in the capital. She also said that a clear message is being sent to participants that exercising their First Amendment rights is OK but they don't have the right to destroy DC.

Similarly, Lance Bottoms said that "Things were a bit more calm" Saturday than Friday, "but they weren't perfect." Around 157 people were arrested, she said, and that "...all of the issues and all of the concerns and anger that were there on Friday haven't gone away." She also described it as a systemic issue that will take time to fix, but agreed with Bowser that "the solution is not to destroy our cities."

As to there possibly being "outside forces at work," she said what happened in Atlanta, "even just from a physical standpoint, didn't look like our normal protests," adding

We, obviously, have a large African American population in Atlanta. This crowd was a very diverse crowd. And that was noticeable on Friday even before the problems began. We also noticed that many of the protesters even got lost when there was a detour. And many of our organizers in this city, who often don't agree with me, have shared that these were people from the outside. They did not know them. And had no idea where they came from.

Todd then asked Bowser about the "one resident in Washington, DC who ...was backseat driving you on Friday night," referring to the president, of course, and wondered if she thought Trump could play a helpful role.

Well, I think that the president has a responsibility to help calm the nation. And he can start by not sending divisive tweets that are meant to harken to the segregationist past of our country. And he can start by doing that right now. We certainly urge him to do that. We, as Mayor Bottoms has just said, we have systematic issues in our country to address. And it's going to take us, at every level, federal and local... 

Lance Bottoms was asked what she'd like to hear from the president, and if "any of his words could be helpful here."

What I'd like to hear from the president is leadership. And I would like to hear a genuine care and concern for our communities and where we are with race relations in America. We know that when he spoke on Charlottesville, he made the matter worse. And we're already -- we’re well-beyond the tipping point in America. And it's as my grandmother used to say, "If you don't have anything good to say, sometimes you just shouldn't say anything at all."

I don't have an issue with the president of the United States addressing our nation. But I am concerned that this president has a history of making matters worse.

Last word from Bowser, on potential Independence Day celebrations, which the president wants.

Chuck, well, even before the events of the last several days we've been very concerned about large gatherings. We will not be in a position to allow parades in our city while we're still in phase one of our reopening from the Coronavirus.

Todd also talked with Florida Rep. Val Demings, whose interview last week on another network was cut short by technical difficulties, so I'm giving her time this week as well.  The first question? Over the past decade, when something like the murder of George Floyd happens, "there's outrage. The country has some sort of collective conversation about race and inequality..." and not much else happens; he asked why, and what if this time could be different. Not treating it as an individual department issue is one bit thing.

...I do believe the time has certainly come, we are overdue, for us to look at the problem as a nation. I think we all need to pause and every law enforcement agency in this nation, whether they are ten persons or 35,000 persons, need to review their hiring standards, their training standards, look at their de-escalation training that they're doing within the department, look at those officers who train other officers.

We know, she said, that the training officer sets the standard for what's acceptable and what's not. And, she added,

we have to continue to work with our community leaders to build relationships, to foster trust. And we don't wait to do that, you know, when we're in the middle of a crisis. We have to continue to do that every day. And I do believe we are long overdue for every law enforcement agency in our nation to review itself and come out better than before.

Todd wondered if it wasn't "very hard" to get rid of an officer who doesn't meet the chief's and the community's expectations. Demings commended the Minneapolis chief for immediately firing the officers, and having charges quickly brought against the one officer, and that, while it seemed like a long time before charges were filed, "historically, that was a pretty swift arrest..." And, she said, while the federal government doesn't have "direct jurisdiction" there's a big role it can play "in terms of helping law enforcement agencies throughout the nation maybe come up with some standards for hiring and training, especially use of force training."

Pointing to all that's gone on over the past few months - the impact of the pandemic on people of color, and the high profile incidents of racism, two involving law enforcement, Todd wondered what it all means from a governing perspective, and what Demings thought about "direct help, direct aid to African American communities to sort of fix these injustices." 

Referencing President Lyndon Johnson in her response, she said he knew that it was not only hiring and effectively training the best and brightest; he also said "But we have to address those social ills that cause decay in African American communities in the first place. We have to look at economic development. We have to look at jobs. We have to look at wages. We have to look at education."  Adding her own thoughts, she said

... some believe that, you know, in order to be fair, if you will, that you treat communities the same. Well, it's not that simple, unless communities all start in the same place and we know that's not true... racism in America and the injustices that comes with it is nothing new. And so we have to get serious about, number one, admitting there is an issue. And number two, working together.

She also said some leadership from the top would help, although she doesn't "know why I would expect this president to do something that he has never done before..."

That led Todd to ask what she'd say to Trump if he called her and asked for her help on what to say. Well, there's "showing some compassion for" the families who have lost loved ones; there's talking about America being "great and wonderful because of the beautiful diversity we have in this country, that we are a nation of immigrants. We are a nation of laws, but we are a nation of immigrants. And we have to work together." And then, 

maybe we begin today by acknowledging the sins of the past and even said things that he has said and done that caused harm and brought pain to the American people.

Yeah, like that'll ever happen - either that he'd ask for her help, or that he could deliver that message with even a drop of the emotion he used when describing American carnage in his inaugural address...  

Finally, let's spend some time with perhaps the most or second-most despised member of Congress, Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN), who visited This Week with George Stephanopoulos. George asked if things were more under control Saturday, with the National Guard, than earlier in the week. 

I think, last night, the community did feel safe to know that there will not be a burning of their businesses and their homes. We were obviously worried and feeling terrorized about that prospect, but there really was also many people who chose to demonstrate and not abide by the curfew, who felt like they also were terrorized by the presence of tanks, by the presence of the National Guard and a militarized police. And so, for us, it's -- what we are trying to do is try to figure out something between extreme aggression and ways to figure out how not to get our city burned down. And it's a challenge.

The country is in pain, she added, and people can't get the image of George Floyd out of their minds, but it reminds us that "we are living in a country that has truly, for a long time, brutalized African-Americans, from slavery, to lynching, to Jim Crow, to mass incarceration, and now to police brutality."  And she pointed to Minneapolis having "some of the worst racial disparities, people are also understanding that there have been severe social and economic neglect in our communities." We have "real work to do" she said, to "figure out a system that works for all of us."

George asked, now that one officer's been charged, "what more must be one to deliver justice here?" She said that often, even if justice isn't denied outright, it's delayed. People are looking for justice to take place, including charges for the other officers who stood by and did nothing.

But, also, we need nationwide reforms. We also need to make sure that the kind of investment that we are making in our communities is a real one. We are living in a country that has a two-tiered justice system. And people are tired of the -- people are sick and tired of being sick and tired. And we need to really step back and say to ourselves, where do we actually go from here? And that can't just be getting justice for George Floyd. It needs to be bigger than that.

On the question of how peaceful protests turned violent - whether it's "far left thugs and Antifa" as the president says or "outside instigators from the right" as others have suggested, George wondered what information Omar had on who might be joining the protests. She said that not just here but around the world, we see unrest that stems from people truly being fed up, saying they've had enough, looking for "bold and systemic change;" at the same time,

And what we also know to be true, not just here, but across the world, is that there are people who exploit the pain that communities are feeling and ignite violence. In Minneapolis, we have marched. We have protested. We have organized. And when we see people setting our buildings and our businesses ablaze, we know those are not people who are interested in protecting black lives. They might say they care about black lives, but they're not interested in protecting black lives, because, when you set a fire, you risk -- you risk the community that you are saying you are standing up for.

George asked her what she'd like to hear from the president now, noting that Omar has "faced threats inspired by President Trump in the past." She didn't shrink from the opportunity to answer this question. 

The mayor of Washington, D.C., just recently addressed the nation. And, in her remarks, she talks about how there was a kind of leadership that could have been displayed by Donald Trump. And that leadership has not been displayed. And now we -- she said, we look to one another for that leadership.

Many people in our communities are moving on and deciding that they themselves are going to show up as leaders. They are going to push for the kind of systematic change that we need. They are going to ask for people to work together to rebuild our communities. They are going to be vigilant and make sure that they are protecting one another.

This president has failed in really understanding the kind of pain and anguish many of his citizens are feeling. When you have a president who really is glorifying violence and was talking about the kind of vicious dogs and weapons that could be unleashed on citizens, it is quite appalling and disturbing.

We condemn other nations when their presidents make those kinds of statements when there is unrest in their countries, and we have to condemn our president at the highest sort of condemnation.

I don't agree with the Congresswoman on much, that I recall, but I do agree with her on this.

That's all we've got room for, for now. Keep washing your hands, wearing your mask, and social distancing as much as you can, even if you're protesting. 

And stay safe, especially if you're protesting. There are a lot of bad actors out there, including those who infiltrate in an effort to do who knows what kind of damage. I get the sense they don't care who gets hurt.

See you around the virtual campus. I anticipate a healthy Extra Credit post for you later.

TGIF 3/8/19

It's time again for our weekly look at good weeks and bad, even if we don't have an actual definition of those terms.

It's sort of like pornography, right? We know it when we see it?

Minnesota's Rep. Ilhan Omar had a good week, I think in the end. She made, for the 3rd time, what most people would historically think of as being anti-Semitic remarks - that's right, the 3rd time - and as a result, the House of Representatives decided that the right thing to do was to draft a seven-page resolution that the House thinks that hatred and discrimination of all kinds are wrong.

All of the Democrats voted in favor of the resolution, Rep. Omar included, as did many Republicans - all but 23 of them, in fact.  The fact that the resolution was drafted in such a way as to protect Omar from being singled out for her specific comments gave her a better week than it might have otherwise been. The question for the House leadership, of course, is what happens the next time? Because it seems almost inevitable that there will be a next time.

Meanwhile, NY's Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez used this opportunity to raise money. I'm not sure whether or not those efforts were successful, but I bet she thinks she had a good week.

Who else had a week?