SundayMorningCoffee

Sunday Morning Coffee - Memorial Day Edition 30 May 2021

Welcome to the Memorial Day Edition of Sunday Morning Coffee. To be honest with you I was going to skip it this week. Why? Let's say the wacky Republicans are starting to wear me down. I'm starting to wonder if those whom we honor this weekend and this day may have died in vain. Once upon a time we believed in this experiment in democracy. That seems not to be the case today.  Need proof?  Read on.

54 vs 35

If you ask any elementary school kid which number is larger: 54 or 35 many (depending on where the school is) would say the larger of the two numbers is 54.  If you asked somebody who won with a basketball score of 54 to 35 you would be looked at like a dummy. "What do you mean who won? The team with the highest score, you idiot!"  All true...except in the U.S. Senate. You see the losers there...won.

We all saw it unfold. The former president was whipping an angry crowd into a frenzy and telling them he would join them as they marched to the U.S. Capitol.  We watched as an armed group of angry white men and women stormed the Capitol seeking to over-turn the election, commit murder and destroy property...your property. 

So, what happened?  Democrats in congress asked the Republicans to join them to do an investigation into the how, what and why these thugs attacked.  Sat down with them to create a system where nobody had the upper hand. Negotiated so that the GOP could be an equal partner in seeking the truth.

But Minority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) would have none of that and said so. Only six Republican senators joined all the Democrats and the effort went down as the losers won the day by filibustering the bill.

The losers won...35 to 54.

Why?

Let me suggest that if that mob had been "colored folks" we would have rushed to the aid of those under attack. If they had been a black, brown, Asian or Muslim group even a quarter of the size of the "White Christian Patriots" that stormed the Capitol our reaction that day would have been swift and deadly.

And then the nation would demand an investigation into the riot and we would all be clutching our pearls as the House and Senate joined together to seek the truth.

But...they were not and so there will not be that honest look at our history.  The losers...won.

The Original Sin 

You see, my friends, we have not come to grips with the original sin of this nation. That is what drives our collective thought. White Christians founded this country and then drove out and killed or enslaved anybody who was not just like them.

And you're just fine with that.

You're fine with creating a narrative that is taught in every classroom. We have a "manifest destiny"...a calling directly from God to create a nation of White Christians. 

And you are just fine with that.  Want proof?

Greg Ganske

You might remember him. He is a plastic surgeon who won a seat in congress back in 1994 defeating Rep. Neal Smith (D-IA) by six points. He stayed in congress until 2003 when the wise voters of Iowa's 4th District elected a guy we all know and love, Rep. Steve King (R-IA).

When not doing "nips and tucks" Greg is writing opinion pieces for the Des Moines Register.  He recently wrote about "Critical Race Theory" and opines that we've beat back racism in America...after all we elected Barack Obama as president. Typical GOP reasoning.

Oh But Wait...

Meanwhile we, in Iowa, and several other states ban the teaching of critical race theory and things like the 1619 Project developed by an Iowan, Nikole Hannah-Jones. Who, by the way, was just denied tenure at North Carolina University because Republicans rushed in to demand that she was a problem. Now, Hannah-Jones has let North Carolina University know that she is planning to file a discrimination lawsuit over its decision to deny her tenure.  The letter, sent this past Thursday, is from the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. (Image: New York Times)

But, yeah, Greg...we have beat back racism in America.

Fear - A Great Motivator

It is you know. White Christians in the United States are feeling more threatened as they lose their power grip. The tide has been turning for some time and so it has been met with new immigration rules, voter suppression laws and laws that give the police more power to deter First Amendment Rights. And all of it is happening right in front of you.  But, you're just fine with that.  After all the losers...won.

Bipartisan Bullshit

So you know...it really is. Democrats believe that if we are "nice" that Republicans will play fair and join them in fixing what is wrong with America. Bullshit. If Republicans don't support looking into the genesis of the January 6th Insurrection do you really think they will vote to clean up our land and water? Do you really think they will support the working family? Do you really think they will work on behalf of good paying jobs? Do you really think they will support an infrastructure bill that will do all of that and more?  Do you really think they will vote to allow more people easy access to the polls?

Really?

It is time for Democrats to quit hoping for a miracle. It ain't coming. It's time for Joe Biden and the House and Senate Democrats to start acting like winners.  The losers are.

Memorial Day 2021

And so we come back to Memorial Day. Did all of those we honor die in vain? Is this the end of our democracy?  You see, for it to work you need political parties that live in a state of reality.  We do not have that today.  Look around. From Arizona to Michigan to Pennsylvania to Georgia to Texas the GOP is not here to uphold democracy...but it is here to uphold fascism. Something that those we honor fought and died to prevent.

Partly Personal

Watched some baseball this weekend. That was good.

Finally, I usually write Sunday Morning Coffee early and cover several stories. Not this week...maybe next week I'll feel more...positive.

Thanks for reading! 

 

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Morning Coffee 23 May 2021

Politics and Opinion...welcome back to Sunday Morning Coffee my look at the stories you've seen or, perhaps, missed. All laced with my commentary. Hey, it's what I get to do on Sunday Morning...thanks for reading.

The Day It Dies

I just read an opinion piece about January 6, 2025. The writers, in USA Today, suggest that is the date when the "American Experiment in Democracy" will die. While no one could predict exactly what would happen on December 7, 1941 or September 11, 2001 we can, with almost clear certainty, predict that unless Democrats get off their ass and win in 2022 and 2024 we're done. You see, on January 6, 2025 congress will gather to count and certify the electoral votes and if the House is controlled by Republicans and a Democrat is elected as president you can be assured that, the current slate of House Members, would block the vote, invalidate the Electoral College and put the selection of the president into the hands of the House of Representatives where Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and his gang of insurrectionists will install their preferred candidate. (Image: KCRG)

You think that is just hype? Look at what they have already done. They continue to parrot the "Big Lie", they support the crazy "audit" in Arizona, they boot Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) from leadership and install a lover of "45" in her place. The GOP is so firmly in the grasp of for former president and the evil he delivered to this nation that they will stop at nothing...even destroying our democracy. Chew on that and if you want to read the entire article here you go.

Sine Die

It means "without day" in Latin. And it's really, really popular among Iowa Legislators. I saw it in a number of their posts this past week. You see the tragic 2021 Iowa Legislative Session adjourned (sine die) last week. And, the session was...awful.

Bill after bill after bill ripping away "local control" of schools boards, cities and counties were signed into law. Voting rights were stripped away. Tax dollars for public education moved to private schools and "charter schools" that have zero oversight. Passing a law to prohibit masking during a pandemic. A number of tax cuts that now will be used to tell Iowans that we "can't afford to work on your behalf".

They passed a bill saying government and businesses can not issue "vaccine passports" and even condemned businesses from asking about vaccination. Even during a pandemic.

Yes, there was a bill that approved a million dollars for broadband and there was an increase in tax credits for affordable housing. But we didn't get anything to help families deal with a lack of child care or keep us safe from police over-reach. 

Meanwhile the Iowa Secretary of State removed thousands of people from the voting rolls which, sadly, impacted Democrats more than Republicans...but that was the goal.

I could go on and on...and on.  However now the future rests with you. Change can happen if we do the work.  If we are not successful this fall in city and school board elections. If we fail to elect more Democrats in 2022 Iowa is...cooked.  

So, yeah...sine die...

I've Got Mine, Screw You!

That's the way it is. So many of you have this figured out. "I've worked and saved and made sacrifices to get where I am at. For those who are scraping by...screw you.  I've got mine."

Never mind that many of you went to church this morning (fewer buy the way than at any time in our history) and committed yourself to the teachings of Paul and what he said a young Jewish rabbi stood for. Cherry pick what you want to follow and do.  It is astounding but comes as no surprise.  Greed is so very powerful.

Partly Personal

This is late.  I slept in this morning. I'm sorry. The list my bride has for me continues to grow and me, sitting here striking my keyboard, ain't getting stuff done.

BTW if you are interested in working families, unions, wages, benefits and more. Check out this piece which airs later today on News/Talk 1540 KXEL. It features Charlie Wishman the president of the Iowa Federation of Labor AFL/CIO. We talk about a bunch of stuff that you might find interesting.  But...if you've already "got yours" feel free to give it a pass.

One other thing for my Christian and Jewish Friends...you might want to check to see what your discipline has to say about unions and worker rights. No, really. It will surprise you greatly. Consider it homework.

Thanks for reading and have a good Sunday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Morning Coffee 16 May 2021

Today is a very special day...for a couple of reasons. First it is the day before Income Tax Day 2021. Makes you feel warm all over. Secondly, for us Jews, it is the 49th day since Passover and tonight, at sundown begins the Festival of Shavuot. Important for several reasons: 

In the Bible the holiday is known as "the harvest festival". It commemorates the end of the grain harvest, which began with barley during Passover and ends with wheat at the time of Shavuot. So, there is that.

In addition the literal translation of the Hebrew word “shavuot” is “weeks” and this name first appears in the verse, “You shall observe the Feast of Weeks, of the first fruits of wheat harvest…” Exodus 34:22. 

The it is called “weeks” is because we are commanded to count seven days of seven weeks from the second day of Passover, and to celebrate the fiftieth day as a holiday. (Lev. 23:15). The also explains why the English name for this holiday is Pentecost, which means fiftieth in Greek.

Now let's really get to the "Reason for the Season". The most significant aspect of the holiday of Shavuot is that, according to Jewish tradition, this is when the Almighty gave the Torah to the Jewish nation. This was the day that Moses ascended Mount Sinai and received the Ten Commandments.  And, that is a big deal.

See what you learn here.

Liz Cheney

But you didn't come to Sunday Morning Coffee for a lesson on religion. You came for the politics, the opinion the grit. I get it. Nothing makes the blood boil like politics in this age.  So, let's start with what is real. The 45th President of the United States is firmly in control of the Republican Party. Full stop. The cowards in the GOP refuse to accept reality that the guy lost and they are scared to death of him so they boot Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) and replace her with a loyalist. I'm no fan of Cheney or her politics but what the Republicans have done is to magnify her voice. She will not be silent and she will continue to "out" the crazy that has taken over her party. (Image: CNN)

Remember

But, we've seen this before. Those that dared to speak against the wacky German corporal in the 1930's were also removed. The hold "45" has on this party is exactly like what we've seen when other despots are elevated and admired...

Mask On, Mask Off

I get it you want your freedom. Many of you have had your freedom for months and have been flaunting the pandemic protocols risking the lives of the people you contact. So, now nobody has to wear a mask and "social distancing" is but a memory...for those who are fully vaccinated. However (and this is a big deal) those who refuse to get a vaccination can now run around and potentially spread the plague. How do we know who we can interact with? Do we take your word? Do we demand to see your card? What about kids in families who are not going to get a vaccination?  Do they spread it to others of like mind?

I dunno...you?

I'm keeping my mask.  Of course if I wear it people will think that I'm not vaccinated...so there is that. Weary. (Image - Times Union) 

Sleeping With Teens

Well now...the Party of Family Values may be about to take a hit. Seems that this Joel Greenberg guy, the  GOP tax collector from Florida, has pled guilty to six federal crimes and prosecutors have made a deal to put aside the other 27 charges if Greenberg tells the truth and rats out he buddies who were, it is alleged, passing around a 17 year-old girl for sex. Of high interest is Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and how deep that story goes. 

Of course there are others out there who are very worried...and should be. 

Partly Personal

I'm out.  My Bride is out back-packing with a friend near Harpers Ferry in Northeast Iowa. She says it is "fun" and has asked, several times, if I would like to go.  If I had...my weekend would have been at the local bed and breakfast.  But I admire her for her sense of adventure. Are there bears...there? But, it does look...GREEN! 

We very well may have had our last Virtual Midrash (study) session with my congregation Adas Israel in Mason City. We, on Saturday, set aside a weekend in June for in-person services there. Of course we'll continue to take precautions as many members have some sort of underlying condition so, we've got to be careful.  It will be nice to go back. We've not been in the shul since March of 2020 with the exception of examining the Torah Scrolls several months ago.  Which, was a great adventure...

Have a wonderful Sunday.  Thanks for reading! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Morning Coffee 9 May 2021 - Mother's Day

Welcome back to Sunday Morning Coffee and to Mother's Day 2021. At least this year Mother's Day seems a bit brighter...but my sense of relief is tempered by the realization of how many mothers are not with us. A sad reflection of our past year. If you are among those who lost your Mom...I am truly sorry and may her memory be a blessing.

"Bo" Obama

It was a sad day yesterday as well as we learned that the Obama family dog, Bo had died. The former president and First Lady offered their own tributes along with photos on Instagram and Twitter. It was a reminder of the humanity that occupied the White House before terror struck in 2016.

Iowa - "The Fearful State"

I'm going to submit that as the new state slogan.  Forget about all this happy talk about "Fields of Opportunities" that's old news from Governor Tom Vilsack (D-IA). We now are awash with fear.

Fear is a powerful motivator. We all know that to be true but in Iowa we have fear on steroids. You don't believe me?  Allow me to offer you this list of what some folks in Iowa fear:

• Public Education - It seems that an educated public can be a danger so the Iowa answer to that is to throttle education, punish teachers and make it more difficult to get a solid education. An educated public is a danger;
• History - Iowa fears telling historical truths. We know that because the Iowa Legislature was quick to take up bills that disallow the teaching of slavery or racial bias. In fact Republicans actually targeted the 1619 Project a creation of an Iowan from Waterloo;
• Black and Brown People - We all know that if black and brown people get educated and get a chance to join society in the mainstream that they will become "uppity" and lord only knows what would happen then. So making sure the police, and not the people, have the power we pass bills to keep "those people" down and off the streets;
• Voting - It's really a simple concept. If more people vote stuff might happen that benefits all people and not just the privileged so clearly we fear that. So the answer is to make it harder to vote and make sure the state tosses thousands of voters off the rolls. Right Secretary of State Paul Pate (R-IA);
• Women - Look, it's Mother's Day but in reality we, in Iowa, fear those who are female. We fear they may be able to make health care decisions they deem is in their best interest so, no problem, we'll simply make that a crime. And, while we're at it Iowa makes sure that businesses get a wink and a nod for unequal pay;
• Transgender Youth - Well we all "know about those people" and we fear transgender youth will invade school sports and these "trans-people" will have an unfair advantage in rowing or something.  Just because we have no proof of the situation doesn't mean that we shouldn't have a law that bans them from sporting activities;
• Poor Sick People - Iowa has it figured out that if you keep poor folks sick and simply don't deliver medical care there is money to be made while having the ability to "cull the herd". So Iowa cooked up a plan to put private corporations in charge of paying for services to poor sick people.  Fear and the ability to make money...powerful;
• Other Iowans - You never know what might spark a gunfight at the local grocery store so that fear motivated Iowa to allow you to open carry just to make sure other people will fear you and let you cut into line;
• Asians - True there are not that many Asians in Iowa but we've made sure that we elect only white people for the Iowa Senate and have only one Asian in the Iowa House.  You never know what "those people' are thinking;
• Home Rule - This is something that we really fear so the Iowa Legislature has passed bill after bill to throttle local governments from making decisions that impact their citizens. We can not have cities and school boards running amok;
• Labor Unions - Iowa fears the power that working families might enjoy if they were to join and pay union dues. Fair treatment, fair wages and the power to negotiate their working lives. That is far to dangerous for our "Iowa Values" so we pass laws to keep working families begging from the master's table.  

I'm sure we have additional fears and Iowa will be able to come up with legislative solutions to deal with them.

Transgender Sports

Last week Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA) surprised even her own party when she announced, on Fox News, that she wanted a Transgender Sports Bill on her desk by the end of the session.  This while every business group in the state is clamoring for more "highly educated and motivated workers".  I was on a press conference conducted by the Interfaith Alliance of Iowa where Keenan Crow from One Iowa spoke about this issue. I invited Keenan for an interview that will air today in the Noon Hour on News/Talk 1540 KXEL.  Here is that conversation and yes, there is a business connection. Click the player to listen. 

IOB 8 May 2021 Keenan Crow

Partly Personal

My brother has been doing some sleuthing into the family tree.  Last week he found an old fountain pen in a box of things long forgotten
that had inscribed on it our grandfather's name. Our grandfather, it is well known, was an avid union member. In the 1920's he was a member of the Industrial Workers of the World, a pretty radical group of folks with major socialist ties.  He then went on to the Congress of Industrial Organizations as an organizer. That is where the story stopped. Until last week. After digging around he learned, for the first time that our grandfather joined and was elected in 1941 as the president of the United Auto Workers Local 184 based in Racine, Wisconsin. HUH? But there it is in print...and we suspect the fountain pen was a gift from the union because there is more. He is listed in the UAW paper as an "staff" to Richard Frankensteen who then headed up the aviation division of the UAW that had successfully organized the Douglas Aircraft Assembly plant in Chicago.  Here is part of the article from December of 1943. Go ahead and click to read.

Like many other things our family never discussed this. Never. In the 1940 Census my grandfather lists his occupation as "Mechanic". What is really odd is that my bet is Frank never turned a wrench in his life. Besides, I'm sure there wasn't room to write "Socialist Union Organizer".  Amazing and I am sure there is more to come as Yoni continues digging. And this clearly gives depth into our own liberal views of the world.

As a final shot, and because it's Mother's Day, an image of our Mother z"l as she visits with the casher at a local Walgreens while digging through her purse for a couple of pennies. Yep, she was "THAT Woman".  You can tell how amused the people standing in line were while she completed her transaction.  Too fun!

Thanks for reading and have a wonderful Sunday and Happy Mother's Day!  

 

 

Sunday Morning Coffee 2 May 2021

Welcome to May. Back in the day "May Day" was a big deal. Nope, not for "May Baskets" but for organized labor. It started on May 1, 1886 when 300,000 workers across the U.S. walked off the job in a show of worker solidarity. It was an organized shutdown. Since then business leaders and politicians have done everything they can to throttle unions.  And, it has worked. That's why the middle class has not seen wages increase since the early 1970's. But the wealthy?  Welcome to Sunday Morning Coffee...opinion coming to you each Sunday for...years. 

Keeping You Poor & Stupid

That, my friends, is the goal of the GOP. Do everything you can to keep people in the dark. Cut funding for education or, better yet, tell local school districts what they can and can not teach. Then pass law after law that makes it more difficult to organize a union. Unions that will work on behalf of middle class families for wages and benefits. What you get is throngs of people who are feeling left out but don't have the wisdom to figure out what has happened to them so they just pray for "crumbs from the table" of their masters. It's a really sick society.

I've Got Mine...Screw You

When you live in a society that is "me centric" that is what you get. Oh sure, folks will go to their local house of worship, get some entertainment and maybe even a slice of religion. But then they go back about their business without heading the words of their faith to care for the poor the down trodden. the widow the orphan. "Nah, I got mine, screw you! Lift yourself up by your own bootstraps!" Trouble is many simply don't have...boots. 

It's Time to Pass the PRO Act

Millions of Americans would join a union if they could. Research says some 60 million workers are out there waiting. But over the years policymakers, lobbyists and CEOs have stopped at nothing to keep worker power at bay. They weakened the National Labor Relations Act. They attacked collective bargaining rights. It's a disgrace for the American worker.

But, at long last, we have within our sight the ability to turn things around with the passage of the PRO Act. Protecting the Right to Organize would hold employers accountable and institute civil penalties for violations of the law, including back pay and damages. 

As my friend Charlie Wishman from the AFL/CIO wrote, "The PRO Act would put the decision of whether or not to form a union back where it belongs—in the hands of workers, free from employer interference." I'm in...you?

Building Back Better

The speech on Wednesday evening by President Biden was a master stroke. It was transformational. I have friends on the "Left" who cringed at the thought of listening to Joe as he, in their words, "...would try to sooth us with more of the same middle of the road Pablum". What they got surprised and amazed. The president tied every single issue from climate change to removing lead pipes to...JOBS. In his words, "Good paying union jobs...".

Joe Biden, speaking to the people and not the politicians, scored major points. It wasn't about hand-outs but it was about offering hope and, yes, jobs.  Good paying jobs that would usher in a new era of American prosperity for the working families of this nation. Best of all even the rank and file among Republicans approve. So the best the GOP could do was call it "over-reach" and "socialism". And then trot out Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) who couldn't tell the truth and started out his rebuttal with the words, "Joe Biden seems like a good man..." Seems like? Tim, you couldn't even give this most compassionate of presidents that? He went on to say that Republicans are working hard to make sure Americans can vote even as they gut voting rights in nearly every state.  It was all...lies. Even the "Christian talk" fell flat. Weary...

Take It Back...

Last week Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA), who is working day and night to become more Alabama than Alabama, said Iowa didn't need the $95 million that was to be used for testing and contact tracing among schools because, "Our students are just fine and we're back in school full time." What an idiot. What is difficult to believe is that the press fails to pin her to the wall. As new variants show up and appear to be more contagious to young people this governor simply looks the other way and lies. One has to wonder if she's not back on the bottle. Awful...simply awful.

Meanwhile Those "Trans-People"

Also last week Reynolds said she expects a "Transgender Bill" on her desk before the session ends. What she is saying is that, just like Arkansas, she would make it a state crime for a trans-person to participate in sports according to his/her self gender identification. Expect the lemmings under the Golden Dome to act with haste even though their daily cash payments ended last week. Gotta do whatever we can to protect the Iowa way of life.  And, all of this goes on while the Iowa Business Council, the Iowa Association of Business and Industry begs for more people to come to Iowa because they need workers.  Good luck. (Image - Brian Duffy)

Partly Personal

It's been a tough week. Our little Tinker has been going downhill for a couple of weeks. Over the past two months we've tried everything from traditional vet care to acupuncture to water therapy, to physical therapy to adding more calories to her diet, more vitamins...but nothing worked. So we made the decision to end her suffering. Thursday was awful and, to be truthful, I wasn't able to do much in the way of "work".  Friday was better but the sadness remains.  Those of you who have gone through that know exactly what I'm saying. We go into becoming a "pet parent" with the full knowledge it is not a "forever" deal.  And, that sucks. So very grateful to the staff at Avondale Pet Hospital for all they did and their kindness this past week. When you see your vet shed a tear...

It was a remarkable day. Last week I put on a pair of "real" pants complete with a belt and "real" shoes. It was such a momentous event that Georgie did a double take and asked if she could take a photo. The photo also shows something that I swore I would never do and that is to wear brown/tan shoes with blue pants. While I still think it is unholy in the true sense of the 1975 book, "Dress for Success" by John T. Malloy I caved. 

I shouldn't have because it was a dark omen. I went to Von Maur, dressed like a real person, and learned that they no longer carry Agua di Geo men's cologne. It seems Lancôme pulled their products from many department stores. (Pandemic, no doubt)  Then it was on to Principal Park to pick up my Iowa Cubs "Season Opener" shirt. But the merch place was closed.  So, dressed in blue and tan, I went 0 for 2.  It's a sign...

Thanks for reading...have a great Sunday!