It dawned on me recently that I have been accused of being a know-it-all by trolls. during many of my discussions here. Here’s my take:

My TV is on a lot. I watch many documentaries, National Geo, Smithsonian, CNET, C-SPAN (zzzz,) MSNBC, etc. I do not watch BS reality escapist shows, sports (other than some Golf Channel,) talent shows, or Fox and Friends.

I refuse to apologize for using my time making myself more aware of the world around me. I will not allow myself to become a mindless drone, passively allowing the outrageous behaviors coming from the GOP representatives in Congress and the White House.

It is my duty as a citizen of this great country to speak out when I see injustice anywhere, and I will not tolerate anyone who only throws insults because they don’t have anything productive to add to the discussion.

There is no one that loves this country more than I. I relish open and honest discussions of issues, but insist they are in good faith (don’t just throw out epithets and expect me to react passively – I will not.)

It is imperative that we bring logic back into our discussions. Regurgitating Fox News talking points or other hysterical propaganda that is designed specifically to divide us into our “tribes” does nothing to move discussions in a positive manner. I use facts and expect others to do so also.

If you read this entire post, thank you for allowing me to take up your time. I hope that everyone here can work together to ban trolls from our discussions in the future.

What are your feelings about trolls in your feed?

A Politician Dies And Has To Spend Just One Day In Hell

It’s been a while since I’ve read such a story!

A politician dies and ends up standing in front of the pearly gates. Saint Peter looks at him for a second, flicks through his book, and finds his name.

“So, you’re a politician…”

“Well, yes, is that a problem?”

“Oh no, no problem. But we’ve recently adopted a new system for people in your line of work, and unfortunately you will have to spend a day in Hell. After that however, you’re free to choose where you want to spend eternity!”

“Wait, I have to spend a day in Hell?!” says the politician. “Those are the rules,” replies St Peter, clicks his fingers, and WOOMPH, the guy dissapears. He awakes, curled up with his hands over his eyes, knowing he’s in Hell.

Cautiously, he listens for the screams, sniffs the air for brimstone, and finds… Nothing. Just the smell of, is that fabric softener? And cut grass, this can’t be right?

“Open your eyes!” says a voice. “C’mon, wakey wakey, we’ve only got 24 hours!” Nervously, he uncovers his eyes, looks around, and sees he’s in a hotel room. A nice one too. Wait, this is a penthouse suite… And there’s a smiling man in a suit, holding a martini. “Who are you??” The politician asks.

“Well, I’m Satan!” says the man, handing him the drink and helping him to his feet. “Welcome to Hell!”

“Wait, this is Hell? But… Where’s all the pain and suffering?” he asks.

Satan throws him a wink. “Oh, we’ve been a bit misrepresented over the years, it’s a long story. Anyway, this is your room! The minibar is of course free, as is the room service, there’s extra towels next to the hot-tub, and if you need anything, just call reception. But enough of this! It’s a beautiful day, and if you’d care to look outside…”

Slightly stunned by the opulent surroundings, the man wanders over to the floor-to-ceiling windows through which the sun is glowing, looks far down, and sees a group of people cheering and waving at him from a golf course.

“It’s one of 5 pro-level courses on site, and there’s another 6 just a few minutes drive out past the beach and harbour!” says Satan, answering his unasked question.

So they head down in the elevator, walk out through the glittering lobby where everyone waves and welcomes the man, as Satan signs autographs and cheerily talks shop with the laughing staff. And as he walks out, he sees the group on the golf course are made up of every one of his old friends, people he’s admired for years but never met or worked with, and people whose work he’s admired but died long before his career started. And out of the middle of this group walks his wife, with a massive smile and the body she had when she was 20, who throws her arms around him and plants a delicate kiss on his cheek. Everyone cheers and applauds, and as they slap him on the back and trade jokes, his worst enemy arrives, as a 2 foot tall goblin-esque caddy. He spends the day in the bright sunshine on the course, having the time of his life laughing at jokes and carrying important discussions, putting the world to rights with his friends while holding his delighted wife next to him as she gazes lovingly at him.

Later, they return to the hotel for dinner and have an enormous meal, perfectly cooked. As everyone is falling down laughing and flinging bread sticks at each other, his wife whispers in his ear… And they return to their penthouse suite, and spend the rest of the night making love like they did on their honeymoon. After hours of passion, the man falls deep into the 100% Egyptian cotton pillows, and falls into a deep and happy sleep… and is woken up by St Peter.

“So, that was Hell. Wasn’t what you were expecting, I bet?” “No sir!” says the man. “So then,” says St Peter. “You can make your choice. It’s Hell, which you saw, or Heaven, which has choral singing, talking to God, white robes, and so on.”

“Well… I know this sounds strange, but on balance, I think I’d prefer Hell,” says the politician. “Not a problem, we totally understand! Enjoy!” says St Peter, and clicks his fingers again.

The man wakes up in total darkness, the stench of ammonia filling the air and distant screams the only noise. As he adjusts, he can see the only light is from belches of flame far away, illuminating the ragged remains of people being tortured or burning in a sulphurous ocean. A sudden bolt of lightning reveals Satan next to him, wearing the same suit as before and grinning, holding a soldering iron in one hand and a coil of razor-wire in the other. “What’s this??” He cries. “Where’s the hotel?? Where’s my wife??? Where’s the minibar, the golf-courses, the pool, the restaurant, the free drinks and the sunshine???”

I have never posted anything about my career at DMV and ODOT, as I have not wanted to offend anyone I used to work with or for.  In this case, I am more than willing to make an exception.

 

I worked for DMV from 1979 until I retired in 2009; that’s right, I worked for Oregon DMV for thirty years to the day.  I became a union activist early during my career and was a regional Chief Steward for about 15 years.  I acted as counsel to over 100 disciplinary actions during my tenure as a Union Steward.  I called out top managers for being bully bosses, and accused the agency of wrongdoing more than a handful of times.  When faced with accusations of misconduct against a fellow employee, I conducted my own investigations to determine if the State met their burden of proof before taking action, and protested when they did not (more than a handful of times.)  At one point, management was making moves to dismiss me as a result of my calling out my own manager for being a bully (though I was never able to prove it.)

 

There are times when the Agency fails to correctly follow policy and law when processing an employee for possible dismissal.  Many of these cases go to ERB (Employment Relations Board) for arbitration, and a few have ended up in civil court.  Generally speaking, the State will lose these cases when they fail to do due diligence and follow their own HR guidelines before moving to dismissal..

 

Now that you have my background history, let me say this.  I believe every employee is entitled to due process before disciplinary actions should be taken against the accused offender.  That being said, Lori McAllen’s post was so egregious and reflects so badly on an agency that interacts with everyone in a very diverse society, I doubt there is anything she can do or say at this point to avoid dismissal.

 

Everyone likes to beat up on the DMV; lines too long, errors in processing paperwork, computer problems, etc.  As a result, I try to be open minded about these situations until I see the result of their (and the Union’s) investigations.  That being said, DMV cannot afford to screw this one up.  

 

I suppose there is always the possibility that her fb account got hacked and someone else made this offensive post.  I was unable to look at her posting history, as her account has been deleted.  That looks to me like an action a guilty person would do, however.

 

She fucked up, no doubt about it (assuming her account was not hacked.)  This however, is a larger symptom of our 21st Century society.  Too many people make trolling comments on facebook and twitter without thinking about their audience.  The election of Donald Trump to the Presidency and his open embrace of the racist, bigoted alt-right community has emboldened racists to come out of the shadows and into the light of civil society.

 

I have no doubt that DMV will do the right thing and fire her for her actions after a thorough investigation and due process.  It is doubtful that SEIU will do much more than make sure that HR crosses the T’s and dots the I’s in conducting the process.

 

Let this serve as a warning to all representatives of State and Local Governments that we are watching and will call them out for these kind of egregious acts, both on and off duty.  And good riddance to all of them.

You never cease to amaze me, but I have concerns.

You invented the Tesla; one of the neatest cars in the world, but don’t appear to be willing or able to make if affordable for the masses.

You sent rockets into space and return them to the same launch site where they land without falling over; yet the car you now have orbiting the planet costs over $100,000.00.

You are preparing to spend millions of dollars on a transportation project deep under Chicago; and I still can’t afford a fucking Tesla.

What’s up with that?  Are you afflicted by Attention Deficit Disorder?  Please stop with all these new projects until you bring down the price on the Tesla.  You are a smart guy, I know you can do it.

It seems to me that Judge Vance Day has been a prime example of the kind of person who should never sit in judgment of others.

The good news is that Oregon’s Supreme Court has suspended him for three years.

As an Oregon Circuit Court Judge, he placed his “Christian values” above his duty to uphold the Constitution, by refusing to marry gay couples, even after being told that he must do so.

The question we must all ask ourselves is are we willing to put up with judges who flaunt the rule of law that our country is based upon?

Either frontmen no longer have the pipes to belt a tune out while staying in pitch or they just hate the sound of their own voices.

At first, I thought it was kind of a unique sound. Then it started popping up on every pop/rap/hip-hop song released. Now I cringe when I hear it being used.

Perhaps the solution is not to distort voices, but rather to replace them.

What do you think?

https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/congress-trump-score/greg-walden/

These are the YES votes he cast and when:

DATE

MEASURE

12/20/17

Overhauling the tax code (final version)

12/19/17

Overhauling the tax code (conference committee version)

12/6/17

Making concealed-carry firearms permits valid across state lines

11/16/17
Overhauling the tax code (House version)

11/2/17
Eliminating the independent board tasked with keeping Medicare costs below limits

10/24/17
Prohibiting DOJ settlements that require parties to donate money to outside groups

10/3/17
Banning abortions after 20 weeks of pregnancy

9/14/17
Giving the government more power to deport and deny admission to immigrants suspected of being in gangs

7/25/17
Imposing sanctions on Russia, Iran and North Korea

7/25/17
Repeal of a rule banning some financial companies from using mandatory arbitration clauses

7/18/17
Delaying implementation of ozone standards

7/29/17
Penalizing states and localities that have “sanctuary” laws on immigration

7/28/17
Limiting health care lawsuits related to coverage provided through a federal program

7/13/17
Making it easier fr the DVA to discipling employees

7/13/17
Withholding Affordable Care Act subsidies from people until their citizenship is verified

6/8/17
Dismantling financial regulations put in. Place by the Dodd-Frank Act

5/18/17
Making is easier to seek the death penalty for killing or attempting to kill first responders

5/4/17
The American Health Care Act of 2017

5/2/17
Allowing employers to offer employees time off instead of pay for overtime work

3/28/17
Repeal of an FCC rule barring internet providers from sharing data on customers’ activities

3/22/17
Removing antitrust exemption for insurance providers

3/1/17
Repeal of a Department of Labor rule regarding records of work-related injuries and illnesses

3/1/17
Requires review of proposed regulations by the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs

3/1/17
Establishment of a commission to review federal regulations

2/16/17
Repeal of a rule requiring state and local governments to distribute federal funds to qualified health centers even if they perform abortions

2/7/17
Repeal of a Department of Education rule on teacher preparation programs

2/7/17
Repeal of a Department of Education rule on school accountability

2/7/17
Repeal of changes to Bureau of Land Management planning rules

2/3/17
Repeal of a rule requiring energy companies to reduce waste and emissions

2/2/17
Repeal of a rule requiring the Social Security Administration to submit information to the national background-check system

2/2/17
Repeal of a rule requiring some federal contractors to report labor violations

 

2/1/17
Repeal of the stream protection rule

2/1/17
Repeal of a rule requiring energy companies to disclose payments to foreign governments

1/24/17
Permanent ban on the use of federal funds for abortion or health coverage that includes abortions

1/13/17
Budget resolution to repeal the Affordable Care Act

Remember in November

I am actively involved in routing out Russian Trolls on facebook and reporting the accounts to be disabled/deleted. If everyone would just keep their eyes out for accounts that look suspicious and act on them, we might actually beat back the trolls.

If you don’t want to do the work, at least post to comments that are obviously posted to be divisive and call them out for being trolls. I usually post the above image – it says it all.

When you find a possible troll (devisive memes, inflammatory comments, etc.) right click on the poster’s name and open in a new window or tab, then click on the (…) after the Message Box and select “Report”.
Select “Report this profile”,
then “This is a fake account.”
Select “Continue” on the next screen
Select “Submit to facebook for Review”

facebook should then review the account and if they agree that it is a fake account, they should disable the account. That’s all there is to it. If we all are vigilant and do this daily, we might be able to make a dent in the effect they will have.

Please remember to never re-post memes that are obviously meant to be divisive and that will help more than anything.

States that have tried limiting lawmakers’ time in office aren’t better off.

While some pundits claim that imposing term limits on Congress will help cure many of its ills, evidence from states that have already adopted such measures actually suggests the opposite. States that have restricted their legislators’ time in office have seen no clear benefits but rather some unexpected negative results. There is no reason to expect that it would be different for Congress.

By Stanley M. Caress, Contributor |Jan. 16, 2015, at 8:00 a.m.

Some states began placing term limits on their legislatures in 1990, virtually always by voter-approved ballot propositions. Voters were persuaded that term limits were desirable by several different arguments. One of the more compelling was that such limits would create a new breed of citizen legislators more reflective of the public’s will. In turn, this would weaken the grip that special interest lobbyists had on lawmaking.

In fact, the backgrounds of state legislators elected after term limits were imposed closely resemble the backgrounds of those elected before such restrictions. They typically have previous political experience and are more educated and affluent than the voters who selected them. And while term limits have changed the way lobbyists do their business, they have actually increased their influence. The legislators elected after term limits were imposed often lack knowledge of the details of many complex policies and turn to lobbyists for information. These special interest groups actually report that they now work harder “educating” less knowledgeable legislators.

Others argue that term limits would open new opportunities for underrepresented minority candidates. This idea assumes that tenure restrictions would dislodge incumbent white males and allow others to take their place. After term limits were adopted, the number of women elected to state legislatures did increase, but this happened at the same rate as in states without such restrictions. Term limits provided no clear advantages for minority candidates either.

Instead, state legislatures with term limits have experienced some unforeseen problems. Newly elected legislators tend to be more partisan and ideological than their more seasoned colleagues. Long-serving lawmakers often become more understanding of the rival party and learn how to find workable compromises. Novice legislators, fresh from the campaign trail, often see the other party as an enemy. This can greatly inhibit the coalition-building needed to pass budgets and meaningful laws.

In reality, there is almost no possibility that congressional term limits will be enacted. In the past, some states attempted to impose term limits on their congressional delegations in the same way they restricted state legislators. However, in 1995, the Supreme Court ruled that states cannot force their standards on the national legislative body because it violates Congress’ constitutional right to determine its own rules. Also, the few times term limits have been brought up for a vote in the House of Representatives, they failed. It is clear that Congress is not inclined to restrict its own members’ right to be re-elected. Term limits could be imposed by a constitutional amendment, but to even propose such a change would require a two-thirds vote from both chambers or a constitutional convention.

Congressional term limits may sound appealing, but in truth, they could hinder an already fragile lawmaking process. Limits will most likely never be imposed on Congress, and that is probably the best thing for the nation.

Stanley M. Cross is a professor of political science at the University of West Georgia.

Anyone who actually thinks that the GOP #TaxScam will not screw them over do not need to work very hard to see if this experiment will work. You only need to look at Kansas. It was an experiment run by Sam Brownback, the Governor, free-market maniac who cut taxes so severely that he nearly collapsed that State’s government.

He gave huge corporate tax cuts in order to stimulate the economy, and to pay for it, cut social programs, and education to pay for the deficits caused by those tax cuts.
Now Kansas is a textbook example of what happens when you send tax breaks to those who do not need the money, and pay for it by cutting programs and services to the middle class.

Art Laffer could be called the father of trickle-down economics. The theory is that by giving more money to the rich they will in turn expand their businesses and create jobs. Although his theories have been disproven by the Reagan tax cuts and the tax cuts administered by the George W. Bush administration resulted in a sizable recession for Reagan even after he raised taxes a bunch of times to help with the deficit, and a near collapse of our economy which in turn nearly destroyed the world economy on the way down after W. Put two wars and his corporate tax cut on the credit card.

Trickle down does not work. It never did, and never will. These free-market idiots refuse to admit they were wrong and do it the correct way – tax the rich and give relief to the middle class and poor. When the middle class has money to spend, they do so, which stimulates the economy. The rich have more money than they know what to do with and won’t notice the difference if they just pay their fair share. Everyone wins.

It is either stupid or a much darker plan. . .stay tuned…

Greg Walden defends Republican tax plan, says he protected Oregonians

At one time I thought Greg Walden was a moderate Republican, but no more. This guy has been marching in lock-step with the “fuck the middle-class” GOP agenda as dictated by FOX for a long time now.

He voted for the repeal of the ACA, and now the GOP Tax Fraud. Neither of which are good for his constituency, and he knows it. He has consistently lied to his constituents about the effects his policy stances will have for Oregonians. In addition, he supported the abolishment of net neutrality. One thing many of his constituents are probably unaware of is the fact that he took a lot of money from Comcast as a campaign donor, so we can understand his reason for lying.

I know, he’s a Republican, so we should expect him to be “business friendly,” but his voters appear to be catching on, according to multiple comments on the pages of the Eastern Oregonian. I can only hope.

In my opinion this election cycle is the time for the Oregon Democratic Party to put up a good challenger and turf him out of the House. Oregon would be much better off without him.

The following is an article that ran on Dec. 19 in The Oregonian:

Updated Dec 19, 6:47 PM; Posted Dec 19, 6:36 PM

By Hillary Borrud

hborrud@oregonian.com

The Oregonian/OregonLive

 

Oregon Rep. Greg Walden said on Tuesday that the final version of the Republican tax plan will shield some residents in the state from tax increases they would have faced under earlier versions of the bill.

The plan passed the U.S. House on Tuesday and is expected to come up for a Senate vote later Tuesday or early Wednesday, before going back for one final vote in the House.

Walden is the only Republican in Oregon’s congressional delegation, and he sought to promote the benefits of the tax plan even as polls have shown the bill is unpopular with the public.

“I don’t think we’ve been effectively able to get our messaging through,” Walden said of Congressional Republicans. “For most Oregonians, they’re going to see real relief.”

A family of four earning the median income of $50,000 in eastern Oregon will pay $1,300 a year less in taxes under the bill, according to Walden’s office. Critics have pointed out the tax breaks for individuals end after eight years, while the corporate cuts are permanent.

In a call with Oregon reporters that lasted just under 30 minutes, Walden said he got other Republicans to sign off on a provision to allow taxpayers to deduct up to $10,000 in state and local property, income and sales taxes from their federal returns. The state and local tax deductions were more severely restricted or eliminated in earlier versions of the plan. Walden said he also pushed to keep the medical expense deduction and actually raise it temporarily.

Walden, who is from Hood River, said he also advocated to keep incentives for affordable housing construction and higher education. He said the bill will fuel job growth, but declined to cite any examples of large or small businesses in Oregon that have told him they will grow their payrolls.

“I talked to company heads not only in Oregon, but around the country that tell me they will bring that money back, they will invest it here in America,” Walden said. “I’m not going to get into naming every business I’ve talked with. But I can tell you that when you make more money available, as a former small business owner, you want to grow your business, you want to invest.”

Walden said one Oregon company that would likely benefit from the bill is Intel. William Moss, a spokesman for the company, agreed.

“Although it’s too early for us to detail specific business decisions, we believe this tax reform bill can help level the playing field for U.S. manufacturers and make us more competitive in today’s global economy,” Moss wrote in an email. “The bill should also spur further investment in American manufacturing and (research and development).”

Nike, another company Walden’s office cited as a beneficiary of the tax plan, did not respond to a request for comment.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer, of Portland, said companies used the money they brought back to the U.S. under previous tax breaks to buy back shares and purchase other companies.

“The business community has been very clear, despite prodding by the Trump administration, that’s still their priority,” Blumenauer said.

He predicted the tax plan will come back to haunt Republicans in upcoming elections, as voters see how companies use their windfalls and more examples emerge of special provisions that were tucked into the bill to win specific lawmakers’ votes. Blumenauer also pointed out that future generations will have to deal with the nearly $1.5 trillion increase in the deficit, projected by the Congressional Joint Committee on Taxation.

“It’s not a case of messaging,” Blumenauer said of the unpopularity of the Republican tax plan. “People can figure this out.”

This story has been updated to reflect the following correction: an earlier version of this story incorrectly listed Walden’s hometown.

What did liberals do that was so offensive to the Republican party?   I’ll tell you what they did.  Liberals got women the right to vote.  Liberals got African-Americans the right to vote.  Liberals created Social Security and lifted millions of elderly people out of poverty.  Liberals ended segregation.  Liberals passed the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act.  Liberals created Medicare.  Liberals passed the Clean Air Act, and the Clean Water Act.  What did conservatives do?  They opposed them on every one of those things, ­ every one.  So when you try to hurl that label at my feet, ‘Liberal,’ as if it were something to be ashamed of, something dirty, something to run away from, it won’t work, Senator.  Because I will pick up that label and I will wear it as a badge of honor.”

~Lawrence O’Donnell, Jr.-The West Wing

• Powerful and continuing nationalism
• Disdain for human rights
• Identification of enemies as a unifying cause
• Supremacy of the military
• Rampant sexism
• Controlled mass media
• Obsession with national security
• Religion and Government intertwined
• Corporate power protected
• Labor power suppressed
• Disdain for intellectuals & the arts
• Obsession with crime & punishment
• Rampant cronyism & corruption
• Fraudulent elections

Alabama never ceases to amaze me.

This time they rejected Roy Jones, the self-admitted child molester (dating 14-17 year old girls when he was a 35 year old Assistant District Attorney) for a pro-choice candidate, Doug Jones, who successfully prosecuted the KKK bombers of a Baptist Church in Birmingham.

I am still trying to wrap my head around what happened in this election.

First, the fact that the Alabama voters took ”the right road,” to use Doug Jones’ own words.  Tonight, they took a stand against sending an accused pedophile to represent them in Congress; even though he’s a pro-choice Democrat, two things I thought would be a non-starter in AL.

The losers: 

Roy Moore, who comes off as a douchebag every time he is in public.

Donald J. Trump – He went full in for both the primary and tonight’s losing candidates.  I bet he is raging tonight.

Steve Bannon – Who hasn’t backed a winner yet.

The winners:

The Roy Moore accusers – vindication

Richard Shelby – Who suggested

Mitch McConnell – Doesn’t have to deal with Moore in Congress

Democrats – Already getting over their skis with high hopes in 2020

The Me-too Movement – They brought the issue to the national stage.  Kudos.

 

I’m even finding myself hopeful that if this election could go to a Democrat in one of the most Red states in the Nation, we might just take back the Senate in 2020. Congratulations to Doug Jones.  He will make a great Senator – I just hope the people of Alabama realize how much better he represents them.

This post may not seem timely, but I prefer to analyse situations before I blog about them, and this issue has evolved so quickly it deserved time to absorb and analyse.

Let me start out by stating that I have always been a supporter of Sen. Al Franken. He has been a champion for women, civil rights, and issues of the middle class. I am deeply sadened by these revelations.

In my opinion, Senator Al Franken got railroaded by the Democratic party as a sacraficial lamb in an effort to set a no-tolerance stance toward sexual misconduct in Congress. Before they can criticize Trump, and Roy Moore (apparently the best GOP candidate Alabama has to offer, as despicable as he is) they have to get their own house in order.

In their rush to judgment, or to take the moral high ground, or whatever you want to call it, Pelosi and a host of other Dems jumped immediately on the band wagon and demanded that Sen Franken resign immediately.

Their hearts might have been in the right place, but their tactics leave a lot to be desired. In my opinion a better way to handle it would have been to open an ethics investigation and let it play out (as Sen. Franken originally suggested,) instead of leading the charge to send him packing before the Alabama special election where Doug Jones is making a heroic stand against Roy Moore (a credibly accused child molester.)

It really bothers me when people say, “everyone in Congress is the same, both sides are corrupt and can’t be trusted.” They are not the same, and a prime example of one difference between the GOP and Dems is the sexual misconduct issue that is playing out right now. Roy Moore is using the exact same playbook that Trump used when he was accused of sexual assault by a dozen acusers; deny anything happened, accuse the accusers of lying, keep denying. The Dems on the other hand, are much more likely to apologize to the accusers and take full responsibility for any harm their actions may have caused, then step down from their positions when Democratic leadership makes that demand.

Don’t let all the hoopla throw you off, there are huge differences between the two parties.  We must all pick a side if we want a place at the political table, but picking party loyalty at all costs is not a viable solution.

When “winning” becomes more important than taking the moral high-ground, you have already lost.