SundayMorningCoffee

Sunday Morning Coffee 30 January 2022

Welcome back to Sunday Morning Coffee politics, opinion and a slice of religion just to keep it interesting. Here is something to chew on. "The U.S. spent $5.8 trillion on a 20 year war in Afghanistan. In the end the same Taliban that we ousted in 2001 now control that nation. Meanwhile America has spent $0 on reparations to the descendants of the enslaved Africans held in bondage for 246 years and who built this nation." - Bishop Talbert Swan.  Let's go!

The Threat

While you were doing something else the former president known as "45" was in Texas at a rally where he said that there should be violent protests if he is found guilty of wrongdoing and that, if reelected, he would pardon the protesters and all of those responsible for the 1/6 insurrection. He must be feeling the heat and well he should. What a stain this man is on our nation.

Meanwhile in Honduras

Vice President Harris got back to Central America for the inauguration of Xiomara Castro who was sworn in as Honduras' first woman president in front of a cheering crowd who also cheered the Vice President as she entered the stadium. Harris pledged U.S. government support to stem migration and fight corruption.

Castro, flanked by her husband, former President Manuel Zelaya, was sworn in at a packed soccer stadium where supporters applauded her vows to fix the country's massive debt burden.

Castro, who describes herself as a democratic socialist, has vowed to tackle corruption, poverty and violence, chronic problems that have fueled U.S.-bound migrants. (Photo: New York Times)

Let's Talk Economics

Don't leave just because I wrote the word..."economics" because there is something really odd going on in the U.S. right now.  The U.S. economy is growing, the GDP is hitting highs we’ve not seen in decades, unemployment claims have started to tumble, homeowners are seeing the values of their homes skyrocket, workers have the upper hand when it comes to jobs and pay…yet U.S. consumers are NOT happy.

What’s going on?

CNN is reporting that even with all the good news about the economy consumers are worn out, tired and grumpy as we enter year three of COVID-19.

We’re still managing the risks of going out to eat, attending your house of worship…sending kids to school…it is a drain on the emotions.

Couple that with higher prices…a supply chain problem and you start to get a picture of why people are…not happy.

Consider this…

Every positive headline has a downside to match.

-- Yes, the economy is the strongest in 40 years, but so is inflation.

-- In the red-hot housing market, rents rose more than 10% last year, five times faster than the year before.

-- Wages are up, but so are bills. Moody's Analytics estimates the typical family is paying $200 more a month to buy the same goods they did two years ago.

Curiously, Americans complain about inflation, but the higher prices have not hurt their spending just yet. Many CEOs on earnings calls report strong customer demand, even after price hikes.  And…that GDP number of 6.9% growth in the 4^th quarter of last year??  Two thirds of the GDP is from…consumer spending.  Read that last sentence again...  Odd…friends…odd.

Confusion

There is some confusion in the U.S. Senate Race here in Iowa. Last week I received an email from a friend who spent time in the Iowa State Senate. (I share that because my friend remains very connected to the political world.) In that note to me he said, "I thought the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) was staying out of the Iowa race prior to the primary. What's going on?" He sent along what looked to be a funding request sent by the DSCC but if you dig a bit deeper you see that it came not from the DSCC but from Finkenauer campaign. THAT then caused some to speculate that the folks in Cedar Rapids were playing loose with their emails and the Franken campaign got on the phone to ask....what the heck? 

Another friend made the comment that one might think there was only one candidate running against Grassley if you watched any MSNBC because it seems they are fixated on Finkenauer while ignoring the other candidates Dr. Glen Hurst and Admiral Mike Franken. Hmmmm.

What a Scoop!!!

On Friday veteran Des Moines Register Reporter, Donnelle Eller had a story about water trails and funding. In the first paragraph she writes, "A central Iowa water trails group's efforts to build a $125 million recreational mecca for kayaking, fishing and surfing got a big boost Friday as Gov. Kim Reynolds announced the state would provide up to $15 million for the project."

Isn't that nice?  The Governor is into water stuff! One would think she swooped in and personally took a chunk of cash out of the budget to send off for water recreation. But then we get to the last paragraph and in particular the last sentence: "Reynolds made the water quality and infrastructure announcements in Sioux Center. The money comes from Iowa's share of the federal American Rescue Plan."

Wait! What? The American Rescue Plan? The Joe Biden American Rescue Plan? The Democratic American Rescue Plan? Yeah...that. Weary.

Where is J.D.?

Last week my friend J.D. Scholten quit his job with Vote Rural a political action committee that pushed a Democratic message to rural voters. In a cryptic sign-off J.D. wrote something about not being able to work for a PAC as he began another adventure. THAT got heads spinning and there was conjecture that J.D. might swoop in and save the top of the Iowa ticket and run for Governor. I dunno...just reporting. Meanwhile a group called The American Economics Liberties Project lists J.D. as a "Senior Advisor". Don't you love Iowa Politics?  Anybody???

The Iowa Caucus

It is my understanding that today the Iowa Democratic State Central Committee is meeting to chat about the upcoming caucus scheduled for February 7. If you've paid attention to the national news the Democratic Central Committee (DCC) is all about ending the caucus system and more than one news outlet returns to the tired story about the Iowa Caucus in 2020 not being able to report correct numbers. Forgetting the fact that Iowa was told by the DCC to use a system that...didn't work.

Anyway, it's said that the meeting today will be about allowing a virtual caucus. Several counties have looked at the science and said they will buck the state party and hold their caucuses in a virtual format. With the COVID-19 positivity rate hitting 34% in Polk County I'm all in on a virtual event. We shall see if the party that believes in science will now trust it.  Stay tuned.

Partly Personal

Last week I was in Kansas City on an assignment and I'm still not unpacked. When you take a truck load of audio gear out of town...it takes awhile to get back to "normal".

Meanwhile, yesterday I spent a couple of hours at a Windsor Heights coffee shop, Grounds for Celebration for something we've dubbed "Coffee with Council". It's where my fellow city councilors rotate into the coffee shop between 9AM and 11AM to chat with residents and business people about Windsor Heights. I can report back to you that 1) The coffee was wonderful; 2) The breakfast veggie sandwich was delicious and 3) I didn't have any takers.  My bride, who made this great looking sign for me, suggested that I dress down a bit. No slacks and sweater but go more casual so folks feel comfortable to approach me. Great...my new "brand" jeans and flannel...the Paul Bunyan Look. 

That's a wrap...thanks for reading and have a great Sunday! 

Sunday Morning Coffee 26 December 2021

No, this isn't the "Christmas Edition" that was yesterday. Hey, thanks for clicking through for a bit of politics and opinion laced with a smattering of religion just to keep it all interesting. Sunday Morning Coffee is now served and when are you gonna take down those lights? But, seriously...I hope you had a truly meaningful Christmas.  Oh, one other thing: If you remember last week you just got half-a-cup. This week you're going to get a full pot.  Let's go! 

Human President

This was the first Christmas with President Biden and what a refreshing holiday it was now that we have a human as president. The lead up to the holiday wasn't all about him but about us. The White House Christmas airing was masterfully done but more than anything it was about compassion. Yep, it's pretty neat to have a human as president and First Lady again.

Then there was this bit that was so very cool: During a White House NORAD Santa-tracking call, a MAGA father says “Let’s go Brandon” to the president, code for “F*ck Joe Biden.” Without missing a beat, Biden jokes “Let’s go Brandon, I agree.” Refreshing that we have a president that is so secure rather than thin-skinned like "45". Ya gotta love it. (Photo: Yahoo News)

Meanwhile

Over at the Supreme Court the former president is taking his cover-up case to his hand-picked court to block congress from getting to his communication about the insurrection. So far the lower courts have sided with our human president and said there is no "presidential privilege". So, you've got to know this crook has something to hide but it won't stay hidden forever. Also, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) it's time to come clean. I realize that will be difficult for you. "Clean" is not a word you are accustomed to utter. 

Desmond Tutu

Back to humans. The cleric that stood in opposition to apartheid in South Africa has died. He was 90.  He was the Bishop of Johannesburg from 1985 to 1986 and then the Archbishop of Cape Town from 1986 to 1996, in both cases being the first black African to hold the position. Looking up to real hero's is something we can all do. (Photo: The Guardian)

Build Back Better

My friends in the GOP got what they wanted for Christmas. No passage of the proposal that would massively and positively impact the working stiffs of this nation. It's really something when people campaign against kids, education, health care, jobs, rural development, urban development and a host of programs that would create real wealth for the Middle Class. Even the mine workers in West Virginia came out to implore their senator to get on board. But to no avail. Massive tax cuts for the wealthy get a pass but taking care of people? Nah, it's just not what moves Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV). That a senator who represents just 1.7 million people holds up what millions of people in the rest of the nation are crying out for just does not make sense. And...just so you know the population of West Virginia has dwindled by over 5,000 people in the past year. 

Iowa

Well now...let's consider Iowa. You know, the state that has been run by Republicans for years.  Economist Dave Swenson from Iowa State University posted this bit of news last week: "IA had a mere 233 more births than deaths last year. 89% of population growth was driven by migration, the bulk of which was international migration." And then posted the details in this photo from U.S. Census documents. Go ahead and click on it...to enlarge.

If you dig a bit deeper you'll find that 80 percent of the growth is happening in the state's four largest counties — while 68 counties posted population losses. That means your GOP leaders are squeezing you to death. Now you have to drive further for medical care as rural hospitals shut down services. Schools must do even more consolidation to stay in business. Longer bus rides, less time with family. It's awful and it's about to get worse.

Des Moines Register

I realize that many of you do not get the Des Moines Register and if you do you might have been more tempted by the Christmas ads than what was written recently by Sen. Joe Bolkcom (D- Iowa City). So, giving him and the Register credit read...this complete with links. (Photo: The Daily Iowan)

Are rural Iowa communities better off today then they were 5 years ago?

Iowa Republicans' tax and economic policies have hollowed out Iowa’s small communities and rural landscape. Their big-business approach to every problem has resulted in everything getting bigger: worker shortages, farms, packing plants, chemical and fertilizer companies, tractors, consolidated schools, convenience store chains, food and child care deserts, water quality problems, floods, wind storms, COVID-19 deaths, and agricultural subsidy payments.   

The global corporations that have bankrolled their campaigns have sucked the money and jobs out of small towns and turned Iowa farmland into an expensive out-of-state investment. The “run government like a business,” “tax cut” party has made it much harder for rural Iowans and farmers to live and prosper.

The new 2020 census data highlights the problem. Sixty-eight rural counties continued to lose population over the past decade.

Since Republicans control state government and represent virtually all rural Iowans, they have had a front-row seat to rural decline. They have failed to adequately support their local schools and health care workers and services, the backbone of life in every community.

Gov. Kim Reynolds and legislative Republicans created teacher shortages in rural communities by habitually underfunding local schools and gutting collective bargaining and stable good jobs for educators, state, city and county public servants in every school district, city and town in all 99 counties. Plans to send public money to private schools will only make the teacher shortage worse and consolidate more rural public schools. 

Reynolds and legislators hurt rural health care jobs and hospitals when they turned the management of Iowa’s $6.2 billion Medicaid program over to large out-of-state insurance companies. Medicaid privatization, another corporate-get-rich scheme, has not saved money or made people healthier. That sucking sound is the tens of millions dollars annually (that used to provide good jobs for people taking care of Iowans with mental health and medical problems) funneled to fat-cat CEOs and shareholders. 

Climate change is a major threat to all of us and has really hurt Iowa rural communities and farmers. Virtually every county in Iowa has had multiple floods or droughts or extreme weather disasters resulting in more than 1,000 presidential disaster declarations in the past 30 years. Iowans have suffered billions in damages to homes, businesses and farms. Reynolds and legislative Republicans have made things worse by denying and delaying action. 

Just recently, U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst and U.S. Reps. Randy Feenstra, Ashley Hinson and Mariannette Miller-Meeks all voted against rural Iowa communities and farmers when they voted "no" on generational funding for rural internet, roads, bridges and water systems. Democrats passed the infrastructure bill that will bring blue-state money to fix our dilapidated red-state infrastructure. What are they thinking?

Reynolds and legislative Republicans have controlled all of Iowa government for the past five years. Every decision. Are rural communities better off today than they were five years ago? More consolidated schools? Longer bus rides? More closed businesses? More low wage jobs? Poor internet services? Population decline? More COVID deaths? More anger. Massive tax cuts for Des Moines millionaires and big corporations time and time again have only made things worse for the average rural Iowan.  

If their policies were working, why are they not telling rural Iowans how great they have it? Instead, they peddle rage, grievance and victimhood to Iowans with racial fear, anti-immigrant, anti-government slogans and constant name-calling.  

In 2022, Kim Reynolds and legislative Republicans are proposing more tax cuts and more rural austerity. Tax cuts have failed to grow jobs or quality of life in rural Iowa. Tax cuts will not educate our kids or keep them from leaving, create higher wage jobs, solve the teacher or workforce shortage, create more health care services for rural Iowans, improve internet services or clean up our filthy rivers and lakes.

How much longer will Iowans tolerate Republicans' rhetoric and record of failure? 

We must rescue this state and it starts by defeating these people...we've got work to do friends.

Partly Personal

Last week I went to church. It's not something I'm fond of doing especially when "church" is one of these new types that is heavy on entertainment and light on critical thinking. But, I'll admit it was quite the show complete with a rockin' band, video, a light show...it was a great production.

Yes, there was preaching. Oh...my. The engaging young preacher was able to mix religion, politics and health care in his twenty minute speech. There was the oblique denial of COVID and vaccinations and face coverings. (Of the 175 people there I saw five or six people with masks.) But what really struck me was his constant demand that we've got to have "more Jesus" in our lives. "When you have more Jesus all the darkness of the world will be conquered by His light" was the over-arching theme. He, and his congregation, really, really want "more Jesus" in the public schools. Jesus...not teachers I guess.

But, which Jesus?

The Jesus that cared for widows and orphans and the downtrodden? The Jesus that knew nothing of the faith we, today, say is Christian? The Jesus that pointed to the Torah for truth? The Jesus that demanded religion and state be separate?

Or is it the Jesus that sees science as evil? The Jesus that believes paying low wages is essential for corporate profit? The Jesus that preaches prosperity over equality? The Jesus that sees sin in who you love? The Jesus that demands more births but then abandons the children once born?

I listened to every word that this gifted preacher said and I came away from that experience with a better understanding of how out of touch with reality so many people are.  And, it's pretty scary.

We have work to do....

Have a great Sunday and thanks for reading! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Morning Coffee 15 August 2021

About a week ago a steaming, hot cup of Sunday Morning Coffee needed some ice as morning temps were in the high 70's. This morning we're looking at 58. Welcome to Iowa...right? Stuff is happening and let's do some politics and opinion to help you warm up a bit.

Afghanistan

Before the U.S. blundered into our longest war it was the Soviet Union that got their butts beat. We followed into a war that, I believe, we don't much understand. It's sort of like the Vietnam of this generation. With all our technology, with all our advanced ability it's tough to defeat an enemy that has more time than money. While I think pulling out is the right thing the fact that we left so many allies behind and didn't do a proper job in getting them out shows how very little we knew and know about Afghanistan and the Taliban victors.  We knew we were going to get out...we should have, when we had a bigger military presence, gotten those folks out. Welcome to Saigon 2.0. 

The Biggest Traitor

It was a scathing article in The New Republic authored by Mary Trump, niece of "45" who described Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) as, "the most dangerous Republican enabler" of her uncle.

She added even more spice when she wrote that McConnell is "...the greatest traitor to this country since Confederate Army General Robert E. Lee."  The only difference between McConnell and Lee is that the Kentucky Senator is that, "...he has been trying to take our country down from within". 

And he is doing it all with...cover: "And yet - whether it was denying Merrick Garland a hearing, pushing through Amy Coney Barrett's confirmation, or ending the filibuster as it applied to Supreme Court nominees but employing it to block legislation that would expand voting rights - his anti-democratic maneuvers have been  performed within the bounds of the system".

Yep..

The U.S. Census

Last week many white folks learned that their biggest fear is becoming reality. It is the same fear "45" so well played and continues to play. What might that be? According to the new Census numbers white people are swiftly becoming the minority population as our nation becomes more diverse and it scares the hell out of some. Here you go:

People of color now represent 43% of the population; up from 34% just ten years ago. The non-Hispanic White share of the US population fell to 57% in 2020, shrinking by six percentage points since 2010, the largest decrease of any race or ethnicity. The share of those who identified as Hispanic or Latino or as multiracial grew the most.

And, as we look to the future: Non-White US residents younger than 18 now make up 53% of the population among minors, up from 47% in 2010.

Now you know why Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) and his puppet Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA) are screaming, "Everything that is bad is happening because those brown people are in our country!"  And, white people are afraid and they are fighting back...want proof?

Hiding in Plain Sight

Just hours ago officers of the Los Angeles Police Department stood by as members of the white nationalist Proud Boys beat up on journalists and bystanders at an anti-vax/mask event outside of the LA City Hall. What might have been their response had it been a group of black or brown folks swinging at journalists or bystanders? The dogs and clubs would roll like thunder and there wouldn't have been enough handcuffs to go around.

We already know of several police officers from around the country that took part in the violent insurrection on January 6. Many of those have been fired. However, what a perfect place for white nationalists to hang out...in plain sight.  Some clearly think that "Protect & Serve" is something that ain't equal. (Photo: LA Times)

See You At The Fair!

Ugh...another year of missing the Great Iowa State Fair. Nope...ain't going. It's not that I'm not vaccinated against COVID it's just that I don't trust you are. And, while my risk is low I'm too damn busy to be sidelined by even a mild case of Delta...if I were so lucky. So, nope. Enjoy your funnel cakes and corndogs. I'll miss hanging around with friends at Stockman's chasing down a burger with a beer or six. Meanwhile my friend Brian Duffy distributed this cartoon in advance of "fair-time". It fits...and hey, take your chances.

The 51st State

I am constantly amazed at the work my friend Tamyra Harrison does when it comes to Iowan's For D.C. Statehood. While RAGBRAI 2021 is a memory the memory of what she was able to accomplish in just one day is pretty amazing. Tamyra set up a booth along the route and garnered signups from 28 different states, the District of Columbia and even from folks in Europe. What?  She tells me that the excitement of seeing, in the middle of the nation, a group of people supporting statehood for D.C. was, for many overwhelming. Gaining signatures and handing out "51 State Cookies" is a labor of love for Tamyra and I love her for doing this work!  Well done my friend and YOU can help out by heading to that website and signing up. Come on...let's do this!

Ankeny For The Win

Also in the "Let's Do This" department: Andrea Phillips is running for the Iowa House out of Ankeny. Look, this will be a pick-up for the Democrats and a start a rolling back the draconian policies of Reynolds and her lemmings. Not only is Andrea an outstanding candidate she is also living in a community that is trending blue. To get this done we need you to step up. So, as long as you're getting involved with Iowan's for DC Statehood...click here for AndreaForIowa and let's do this as well!  Do it now...the election is September 14. 

Partly Personal

I gotta go. Promised I'd head to the softball field early today. Then get back to cut some video of a class I'm teaching at NIACC this next month on the Jewish Faith. I'll share that video with you as well. Who knows...it will be virtual and if you want to come along for the class love to have you.

Have a Great Sunday and thanks for reading! 

Sunday Morning Coffee 20 June 2021

Welcome to Sunday Morning Coffee! Some politics with a bit of religion sprinkled in, just for fun. In addition today is Father's Day an event that pales when it comes to Mother's Day but...hey, we'll take what we can get.  Right?  Grab a cup and let's go!  And, thanks for reading...

Juneteenth

Well, that was fast! Yesterday was Juneteenth, which is now a federal holiday. They say the wheels of congress turn slowly but not in this case. Businesses and states didn't have much time to alter their schedules following the quick vote and signing. But, we'll take it. Now the work really begins. We must use this opportunity to teach about the racial history of our nation. Otherwise it's just another day to have a mattress sale.

Liberal Baptists?

Last week, in a closely watched election for president of the Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), two prominent far-right candidates lost to a more mainstream conservative named Ed Litton, blunting the momentum of a Tea Party-style group aiming to lurch the SBC in an even more right-wing direction.

For years the SBC has been a reliable lap dog for rightwing politicians while having to grapple with sexual abuse in some churches. But to think this election is a signal that Southern Baptists have had a change of heart and now will move in a more moderate direction is, in my view, a mistake. This group is firmly opposed to any progressive agenda be it racial, ethnic, workers rights, abortion...the list gets long...and they have been at it for a very long time.

You Can Vote...If You Are White

I'm not sure why the Republicans just don't come out and say it, "We'll allow you to vote if you are a white person." There...done. But they know that's just a bridge too far so they cling to the insane notion that voter suppression is really something called "voter integrity". In every Red State those two words are shouted as a mantra to make it harder to vote especially if you are a person of color. It's quite shameful because nobody is free until we are all free to vote. Politicians should make it easier, not harder but...when you have not a hint of policy agenda (other than obstruction) the worst thing is having people vote. 

Now What Joe?

Last week Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) laid out his objections to the voting rights bill passed by the House and offered some "amendments" that he said he could support. It didn't take a hour for Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to step to the microphone and proclaim that GOP senators would not support the Manchin Proposal (or really any voting rights bill). The United States goes to war in other countries so that people there can vote (Remember Iraq and blue fingers?) but here elected officials are dead set against voting. The world is watching and figuring out that we are not the nation we say we are.  Meanwhile in West (By Gosh) Virginia well over 60% of the people there support voting rights.  Now what Joe? (Image: Denver Post) 

The U.S. Threat Is Not China...But Us.

There is a great article out today by former Secretary Robert Reich that speaks to the real threat we face...and that threat is complacency. He writes that post WWII the U.S. was lulled into a false sense of security and superiority. After all we won a world war. But then came the launch of Sputnik in 1957 and the United States, fearing that the Soviets would dominate, set off a host congressional funding bills dealing with money for infrastructure, education, scientific research and development. 

Once again America led the world in those areas and then came Japan innovation in technology and vehicles. Many in the U.S. saw this as a threat to our national security as Japan rolled out electronics and cars Americans wanted and bought. Japan...a nation that was in ruins just 30 years earlier made the decision to plow government money into...you guessed it...education, infrastructure, research and development. 

Today we are there once again. As politicians rail against China folks on Wall Street line their pockets funding investment in China while decrying investments in the United States as government overreach and more importantly having to actually pay taxes to fund infrastructure, education, research and development. And, once again...we are faced with a major threat but it comes from...us.

Want to read the article in The Guardian?  Here you go.

We Love You Joni!

The Iowa Poll was released this morning and Iowans are in love with Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA). Never mind that none of them can come up with any policy she has endorsed that would make their lives better.  The Iowa Poll says that "men and rural Iowan's" have boosted her standing since the last poll in March of this year. Isn't that nice?  Aw, shucks, us guys think you're cute and the rest of us..." This is what you get when you defund education me thinks.

Bye Chuck!

The same Iowa Poll tells us that only a third of Iowa voters would like to retain Sen. Charles Grassley (R-IA) the 87 year old senior senator from the Hawkeye State. Back in the day Chuck was sort of the GOP answer to President Harry Truman. A rural, no-nonsense politician that fought against waste and corruption while playing off his "Aw, shucks" persona. In recent years Senator Grassley has become a hanger-on when it comes to anything the former president says or does. But my guess isn't politics that is taking down the Grassley Appeal but more to do with ageism.  Just my guess.

Ras Smith

Last week Rep. Ras Smith (D-Waterloo) announced his candidacy for governor. The young representative has an uphill battle but he has struck an inclusive cord in his message by saying that he doesn't care what party you belong to but, "you deserve better" and that he will fight for everybody. But one thing is certain, Jeff Kaufmann is a jerk. Just hours after Smith announced the head of the Iowa GOP came out with a scathing condemnation about everything associated with Rep. Smith. You've got to hand it to them. Republicans are masters at saying tough, and false, things about their opponents while the Democrats always want to play nice.  We have a problem. (Image - KWWL)

Partly Personal

Last week I ventured out of my office and spoke at EntreFEST in Cedar Rapids. It was the first public outing since March of last year. As I got into the elevator to head to my room a woman entered...also without a mask. I said, "How are you doing?" She looked at me, smiled and said, "Isn't science wonderful?". I was with a friendly.  It was a good time and if you've never been and you are at all interested in the entrepreneur and startup community and economy make plans to go in 2022. There were, I am told, about 80 speakers at the event and several hundred attendees on-site and others online. I spoke about "Podcasting for Business" and had a great time.  Would do it again.

Ah, the rain! It's still raining here in Des Moines and we've needed this break. Right now I was to have been at a softball field watching our granddaughter in a 12-U championship game as well as "calling" the game on an app called Game Changer. We're not sure if the event will take place today or not but...the delay gave me the opportunity to write Sunday Morning Coffee so...all is good.  Just got word...tournament has been cancelled. Not the way we wanted to end the season. 

Thanks for reading...and Happy Father's Day!  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 25 April 2021

Welcome back and glad you're here. I've only got about a hour to get this out. My Bride is camping so I get all of the farm chores. Today in Sunday Morning Coffee there are so many questions and the answers, it would seem, may be the same.  Those damn Republicans. Let's go!

Val Demings

Last week I was on Clubhouse (an amazing platform by the way) for a session of what is called "News, News, News". It's where a couple of hundred people are on the call and the moderator asks for somebody in the room to call out a news headline and then it is discussed for, like, sixty seconds. As you can imagine...it moves pretty fast. One of the headlines was, "Congresswomen Val Demings (D-FL) is said to be eyeing a statewide office." So we launched into the discussion: Would it be against Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) or Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL)? The pundits on the call leaned toward Rubio citing the current senate makeup and her time in congress. I like that link. Demings has had experience in education and she was the police chief for Orlando before going to congress. And, if you remember she was one of the folks vetted by President Biden to serve as Vice President.  Her tiff a week ago with Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) made national news too.  Hmmm.... (Image: US News)

Vice President Harris

By now y'all know that I was a Biden supporter during the primary. That decision was made based on some personal experiences as well as the urging of my friend, former governor and now Secretary of Agriculture (again) Tom Vilsack. During that primary campaign I went to a number of events that featured then Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) and I was so impressed with her raw passion and her ability to connect. So when she was chosen by President Biden to become the Vice President...that was a good thing...for me.  And, it is turning out to be a very good thing for the nation.

It's being reported that as the verdict in the Derek Chauvin was being read that Biden and Harris were together (as they often are) and it has been reported there was a visible sense of relief when the three guilty verdicts came in. Then the president and vice president went to the Oval Office to call the Floyd family. It was then, where Vice President Harris's words of comfort and understanding of the situation, shined like no other Vice President before could have done. She spoke as a person of color who knew, exactly, what the family was feeling and what millions of others face each day. It was a moment.  (Image: 3 July 2019 Media Scrum West Des Moines, Iowa)

Voter Suppression

Isn't it odd what is going on in Arizona as the Cyber Ninjas, selected by the Arizona GOP to "audit" the 2020 ballots, do their work. Mind you the Florida company is headed by Doug Logan a supporter of "45" who has repeated all manner of conspiracy theories about the election and was an advocate of the "Stop the Steal" movement. The Arizona Democrats, on Thursday, filed suit to stop the sham and on Friday, Judge Christopher Coury of the Maricopa County Superior Court granted their request for a pause until evidence can be presented at an 11:00 a.m. local time hearing on Monday. (Image: Crunchbase)

Mind you this "audit" has no legal ramifications. Joe Biden still won Arizona. It is being done, I believe, as a test case to see just how far these Republicans can go to make sure your vote is tainted. It's that simple.

Meanwhile in Iowa

Looks like Secretary of State Paul Pate (R-IA) has broken the recent voter suppression law here by marking perhaps thousands of voters "inactive" because they failed to vote in the November 2020 election.  Linn County Auditor Joel Miller found that Pate had been tossing voters from active to inactive when the law that was passed did not consider the 2020 election but elections in the future. I swear these Republicans will do anything to make sure you don't vote.  It's a big story and one that you won't find anywhere other than Bleeding Heartland.  So...read it. 

Nah, Keep 'Em...

It seems that thousands of Iowans are getting their wish. They don't want to get the vaccine so the state, late last week, informed the Feds that they didn't have to ship some 21,000 doses into the Hawkeye State. Nice. Thank you for being idiots. Thank you for not giving a damn about your fellow citizens. Thank you for making sure our economy tanks.  And, thank you Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA) for making this a political football so your base continues to follow you.  Sure, on Thursday she opined to Iowans, "So, what are you waiting for?"  Strong words governor.  You are so...strong.

Partly Personal

Sorry this is so short this morning. "Farm Duty" here as my Bride decided to leave town and go...camping. Camping...in a tent. Outside. In the woods. Camping. She said, before leaving on this latest round of pioneering, "So, why don't you go with me?"  Me in a tent in the woods?  Nope ain't gonna do it. As I've said many times before, "My people camped for 40 years in the wilderness. We've had enough of camping thank you very much."  But she is having a great time...so there is that. Meanwhile our granddaughter was here, baked me a cake and cleaned the Cowboy Room and the Kitchen...spotless. Wondering if "G" might consider staying in the woods for an extended period of time. I've got Jovie.

Finally, did you know you do not have to refrigerate butter? No, really. I had no idea until last week when I read this. To be honest, I should have known. When I was a kid we always had butter on the table in a round dish with a cover (I have searched and searched for that dish here but...no luck...and had to go buy one.) And on the farm, where we made our own butter, we had it sitting out but not as long because it was not pasteurized.  My brother makes bread each week and I put a schmeer on a piece and WOW!  Restaurant quality my friends!  But, remember it's got to be real butter and not margarine.  You are welcome!

Thanks for reading and have a great Sunday. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Morning Coffee 18 April 2021

Grab a cup of Sunday Morning Coffee brewed up fresh each week as I share the political stories you may have seen, or missed, all laced with my commentary. You are welcome let the games begin!

Frustration

Last week I was reading a story about how frustrated the Republicans are because they can't seem to find the right message that will get Americans to loath President Joe Biden.  "Nothing sticks", said one prominent GOP senator. "I don't think sometimes our messaging is as sharp as it should be because a lot of the things they're doing are things that are popular—when you’re spending money, you’re popular." Said Sen John Thune (R-SD). No, senator, the issue is that you and your minions have nothing when it comes to policy. You're policy is the be against...everything. You don't want people to vote. You don't want to fix infrastructure that is broken, or in the case of broadband, nonresistant. You don't want to improve the economy. You don't think Black lives matter. You detest immigration. You don't believe women are capable of making decisions...about themselves. You don't think there are way too many guns available and too easy to get. You don't think granting asylum is something important for humanity. You don't think it's important to tackle climate change and you don't think President Biden...won the 2020 election. 

America has "moved on" while you in the Republican Party have nothing but..."No!".

And...Fear

One of the things Republicans are good at is stoking fear. Be afraid of...everything. Be afraid of those "brown people" they are coming to take your job. Be afraid of those "black people" they are mean and angry. Be afraid of people who vote. Be afraid that "they are coming to get your guns".  Be afraid...just be scared...is not policy Sen. Thune and we know that.

Did I Mention...

Last week CNBC reported that Joe Biden begins his presidency having achieved out of the gate what his predecessor could only do once during his four years: a positive approval rating.

The CNBC All-America Economic Survey finds that 47% of the public approves of Biden's handling of the presidency, with 41% disapproving. A substantial 12% say they are not sure. (Wouldn't you love to meet one of those folks? "Gosh the economy is booming, people are going back to work, there is a functioning government with able people in charge. I just ain't sure about that...") Weary.

The former president managed to get above the breakeven level just once in the survey, in March 2020.

Key to Biden's support is a 62% approval rating for his handling of the coronavirus. A 46% plurality approve of his handling of the economy with 41% disapproving.  So there is...that.

Watch That Waistline!

The big news out of Mar-a-Lago last week was that "45" is starting to trim down a bit. Perhaps passing on the fourth or fifth cheeseburger and opting for celery?  This does not bode well for folks like Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) or Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) who see themselves as the contender to take on President Biden in 2024. The report is that "45" is eyeing his return to the campaign on behalf of himself.  It's gonna be hard to out crazy...crazy especially if he is the new "slim and trim" nut case.  Right?

Git Yer Gun!

Meanwhile in Texas legislators there have passed a bill that does not require a permit to get a gun. It's the same measure that failed to pass the Texas House in 2015 and in 2017 but the wacky gun lobby has won a big victory and the bill now goes to the Texas Senate. And, yes even some Democrats (seven) voted for the "constitutional carry" bill.

They are a bit behind Iowa where a similar bill was signed into law. Never mind that people are killing people in astonishing numbers. Hell, it's easier to "git a gun" than it is to...vote. More on that below. My brother is highly skilled in firearms. In fact his training exceeds that of even the Marines. He has a permit to carry and does especially now that so many nut cases have permission to run around armed. Just what we need Gov. Reynolds (R-IA). Of course my brother is white and so is about 96% of Iowa so...nothing to fear.

Indianapolis

Eight people were gunned down there last week. Eight people, with families, shot to death by a white guy with, what I understand, was not one but TWO "assault rifles". The 19 year-old hate monger purchased them legally last summer even after the Indianapolis police and the FBI issued warnings about his mental health.  They even made a home visit and confiscating a shotgun when his mother called police to say her son had "suicidal tendencies".  Failure is, it seems, an option when it comes to protecting the lives of Americans. Among the dead are four members of the Sikh faith. People who fled India because of persecutions there only to be murdered. It should be noted that, according to news sources, 70% of the employees at the FedEx establishment where the murders took place are Sikh.

Searching, Searching...

I was on a call last week listening to State Senator Sarah Trone-Garriott (D-Windsor Heights) talk about stuff going on with the Iowa legislature. Of particular importance, to me and many others, is the new law that restricts voting in Iowa. Perhaps you didn't know that that bill just "showed up" in the Iowa Senate and was passed by both chambers and on the governor's desk in a scant seven days. That's what happens when one party controls the legislature and Terrace Hill. It's an awful law that, sadly, many Iowans know nothing about mostly because they don't care or they figure the "Big Lie" is accurate. "Oh my! We must make sure voting is safe and secure so let's make it harder to vote!"  So I had to ask my senator what was the rational for the bill and the, now, new law. "They really didn't have much to say about that." So, there you have it. No rational just in search of a cure to a problem that does not exist.  Well, it does, only in the minds of those who believe the "Big Lie". Weary...

Partly Personal

Thank you for the many warm wishes. I celebrated a birthday last Sunday and it was a good day.  Thanks for the kind words...even from those who are not, often, too kind.

Last week was also Yom Ha' Atzmaut or Independence Day for the State of Israel.  As is my new custom the U.S. flag that flies in front of our home (correctly by the way with a light on it for after dark) is replaced the the Israeli flag on Jewish holidays.  Just a heads up for my neighbors who are, often, confused as to what day it is and why that flag is flying. Israel is now 73 years young.

Finally, I received my second dose of COVID19 vaccine last week. In the runup to the event I had been on the phone with dozens and dozens of my friends and co-workers who had already been "jabbed" twice. The vast majority reported very little when it came to side affects.  There were a couple who reported fatigue, which is what my Bride experienced after her second dose. And, to be honest, there were a couple of people who said they spent the day after their second shot in bed with headache and a bit of a fever.  So, I was expecting...well, I didn't quite know...but I was a bit anxious.  Turns out...nothing. My arm was a bit sore for a couple of hours and I was a little tired the next day but powered through with my work.  Now, maybe, I'll soon be able to hug my grandchildren and go out to dinner with my Bride to celebrate our anniversary.  Perhaps...

Thanks for reading and have a great Sunday! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Morning Coffee 11 April 2021

Welcome back! If you missed SMC over the past two Sundays it was because both were during Passover. The first two days and the last two days of the holiday week are considered highly important and so...no SMC.  By the way we're now counting the Omer, the 49 days between the final day of Passover and the giving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai.  See what you learn here?

The Lie Continues

Last night at a gathering of Republicans at Mar-a-Lago the former president was in top form as he continued to lie about the election, throw shots at Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and even said some nasty things about McConnell's wife Elaine Chow, who served as the Secretary of Transportation during 45's one-term administration.

Of course he continued to say he actually won in Georgia and in Pennsylvania and blamed everybody, other than himself, for the loss. And, from news accounts, those in attendance (high ranking senators from the GOP) ate it up.  The National Republican Party paid $100,000 for the use of the resort. That after the former, twice impeached, president sent the party a cease and desist letter banning the RNC from using his name or image on any fund raising. Masochists I guess?

Speaking of Raising Funds

It was nice that the former president paid back millions of dollars to supporters who were tricked into taking their one-time donation and turning it into a recurring donation and even increasing the amount each month.  He did it by using a "Mob Boss" tactic of intimidation which so fits his style. What an awful man.

Meanwhile

Yesterday there were 4.6 million COVID19 vaccinations given. A new record. But, and this is a big BUT, infections continue to rise.  In seven days the U.S. totaled 68,000 new cases and it is particularly alarming in Michigan and Minnesota where scores of young people are now being admitted to hospitals.  You might ask "Why?".  People say they are tired of wearing masks. They whine that social distancing is too hard. They want to be with their friends. They want to be normal.

Yeah, and Darwin will handle the rest.  Idiots.

"Guns Will Make You Safe!"

We hear that all the time. And as Americans long for some sense of "normal" we're back to killing each other at a rapid pace...which, when you think of it, is normal for the U.S. Meanwhile states like Iowa will soon allow you to carry without a license and gun sales between friends and relatives no longer need a background check. Meanwhile President Biden is trying to do something about it by issuing several executive orders. However, and you know this is true, those orders will be challenged and ignored as Americans hold on to their precious Second Amendment while trampling on the rights of others.

I'm reminded of other words written above the entrance of Auschwitz, "Work will make you free."  Another lie.

Christian Compassion

Last week Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA) said at her press conference that Iowa has no room for any of the migrant children who are being detained at our southern border.  She then added it was not Iowa's problem it was, "The president's problem." How very thoughtful and Christian like.  Pastor Mike Householder is the guy behind the mega Lutheran Church of Hope where, it is reported, the Governor attends. Nice work Mike...doing a hell of a job there.  Weary....

Voting Rights

Last week television sports guy Keith Murphy wrote on his Facebook Page this factual message. "Major League Baseball will move the All Star Game and the 2021 Draft out of Georgia because of the voter bill signed into law." He simply wrote the facts as an solid reporter should do.  Oh but the comments from others....  It would seem to me that the vast majority of people who were commenting had no idea of what is going on in Georgia...and for that matter here in Iowa. "What's the big deal?" "Ya gotta have ID to drive a car." "Shortening voting by a couple of days....get real!" They have no idea...none. The real issue is that Republicans do not want you to vote and they will do anything in their power to make it more difficult. And they are using "The Big Lie" that their "Dear Leader" lost in 2020 because the vote was rigged.  No proof mind you it's just easier to deny you the right to vote. Words, "Work will make you free." just another lie.

Black Lives Matter

Well, not so much it would seem.  When demonstrators come to the Iowa State Capitol and interact with the State Police, asking for names and badge numbers, they are thrown to the ground, handcuffed and sent to jail. That is the reality here. Meanwhile the racist media and their enablers refer to the demonstration as an attack at the Iowa Capitol..."an insurrection" where police were "mobbed by protestors". While at the same time saying the folks who showed up at the U.S. Capitol on the 6th of January were peaceful, law abiding people.  

The difference is that people died as a result of that angry, out of control mob in D.C.  But, at least they were...white. So they get a pass. Face it, black people are just too scary. That's why police profile them. That is why cops follow them when the cop decides this black man shouldn't be driving in a white neighborhood. It happens all the time and it happens to my friends.  None of us are truly free until we are all free.  Anything else is simply bullshit.

Partly Personal

For two weeks I didn't write Sunday Morning Coffee and I got calls and messages asking if I was OK.  Thank you for that...and I did feel a bit guilty.  But, that is the Jew in me....or the Catholic in me (well, that's not accurate but we do share that guilt thing).

Today my Bride gave me the most beautiful birthday card. No, really...and I cried. It was that powerful

Oh, and I get my second shot this week.  So there is that.

Thanks for reading and have a great Sunday. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sunday Morning Coffee 14 March 2021

Hello and welcome back to Sunday Morning Coffee the personal and the political blog that I get to write early each Sunday Morning. Here you'll find some news stories you've seen or, perhaps, missed along with my commentary. So, let's go and remember don't spill!

PORK!

I wonder what drives the trolls to post on a Facebook Page where they know the author is a liberal. The drive to argue? To show some superior nature? To feed their bully ego? I dunno but if you follow my page you've seen them. I don't make it a point to follow and then post my opinions on their pages which are riddled with falsehoods and conspiracy theories. Why do they? But when things get out of hand I move to the "Block Button". I've had to do that more and more lately as the attacks on my friends and family become more intense.

But...back to PORK! One of the constants from the those who pay homage to the Republican Party. When the American Rescue Plan was signed into law by President Biden they came and decried "Pork!" or "If Americans really knew what was in that Bill they would be ashamed!"

Of course nobody can back up their assertions because there is no defense. It's simply the talking points they have been told to utter, driven by their cadre of talking heads that spew garbage. You know...it's true.

The American Rescue Plan (ARP)

Many folks are laser focused on the $1,400 stimulus checks being sent out this weekend. Even as early as Friday we fielded reports that money was already being deposited into accounts. But, what else is in the Act that may be overlooked?  How about COBRA payments. For many Americans who have lost their job, and their health insurance, have the choice to enroll in the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (COBRA). The problem is that if you've lost your job COBRA is just too damn expensive. So families opt out and go without. Tucked into the ARP is a provision that the government will cover your COBRA payments at 100% through September of this year.  Pork? Hardly. (Image: Getty Images from CBS News)

If you have children the Feds will send you $250 per child for kids between the age of 6 and 17. Those benefits could be coming soon and Democrats are pushing to make this Child Tax Credit...permanent.  It is said this, alone, will lift millions of children out of poverty and cut child poverty by 50%.

There is also the impact on taxing forgiven student loans. Until the ARP if your student loan was forgiven (good luck) you would have to pay taxes on that amount based on your tax bracket. Now that is not in place and so if your student loan is forgiven you will owe zero in taxes.

How about unemployment insurance benefits? Under the ARP unemployment benefits that you may receive is non-taxable up to $10,200. That is huge. Many families were not aware that their unemployment benefits were taxable and they will receive a surprise tax bill. Now that threat of families hit with another unexpected bill get a benefit. But, remember this is only for Federal Taxes your state may be taxing unemployment payments so beware.

And how about the $5 billion in the bill that will go to socially disadvantaged farmers of color? This is for farmers who are Black, Hispanic, Native American or Asian. There is $4 billion that will cover up to 120% of outstanding debt and another $1 billion designed for outreach, training, education, technical assistance and grants.  Yeah....so there is that!

And then there are the billions of dollars flowing to local schools so they can reopen. Billions of dollars being spent on ramping up vaccine and vaccine distribution sites.  Pork?  Hardly. What a difference an election makes!

Meanwhile in Kentucky

The Republican controlled legislature there just passed legislation that would strip the governor (who happens to be a Democrat) from being able to appoint a U.S. Senator should one of the two offices become empty. That has fueled speculation that Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) or Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) may be ill and unable to fill their terms.  However both, this past week, stated they are fine and moving forward. But...still.... It seems "Revenge Politics" are a staple in places across the nation where the GOP are in control of statehouses.

George Floyd

Meanwhile the family of murdered George Floyd just settled with the City of Minneapolis for $27 million. That isn't "chump change" and represents a huge settlement and pay pave the way for other cases to move forward. Hit 'em where it hurts. But, of course cities, counties and states will simply pay their legal bills and their fines with your tax dollars. So, who the hell cares...right?

They Are Very Afraid

Republican controlled legislatures across the county are passing all sorts of measures to reduce your opportunity to vote. Voter suppression is top of mind awareness for the GOP. In Georgia alone the legislature is taking a direct attack on Black voters there and doing away with Sunday voting. For those of you unaware the Black Community, for a very long time, has pushed something called "Souls to the  Polls" where people, following Sunday Church march to polling places to cast their vote.  Now that is in jeopardy. Georgia is also making it a crime to deliver water to people standing in line to vote in person. What kind of bullshit is that?  It is driven by fear. Republicans know that when people vote...they are in serious trouble.

Meanwhile here in Iowa the legislature passed and Gov. Kim Reynolds (R-IA) signed into law a major voter restriction act. Of course it is going to court as LULAC countered with a suit. I wonder if Attorney General Tom Miller (D-IA) is going to defend the state?  Anybody know?

Asian Attacks

Remember when "45" began his awful attacks on Muslims? His lemmings followed up with attacks and even murder. Now attacks on Asian Americans are on the rise...up by over 150% last year. In his national address on Thursday President Biden said it was unacceptable and said it "must stop" and has directed the Department of Justice to prioritize convictions. What sort of animals are out there...weary.

Children and the Border

On Saturday President Biden said he would deploy FEMA to care for minors crossing border. What's going on?  Thousands of children, some with but most without, are crossing the U.S. Southern Border. It's the result of repressive economics, politics and a failure of their home country to deal with COVID19. One of my "right wing trolls" delighted in posting (and calling on me to respond) an NBC News story about how Border Patrol, the Health & Human Services Department are struggling to take in these kids and placing them in temporary detention centers. Of course he only reads the headline, which is typical of these folks. Reading seems to be something that escapes them. The reality is that the U.S. is working at a fever pitch to unite these kids with relatives in places like California, Texas, Washington D.C. and other locations. Often paying for flights. But it is complicated. Many family members are here without documentation and the Biden Administration is also confronting issues of social distancing. However the places where the kids are being moved are not the cold stone and wire cages of the  prior administration. The government is setting up tent cities on government land and in those tents are teachers, nurses, social workers, games, and a clean safe place to wait. So...please. (Image: WBUR)

Partly Personal

The birthday of our son, Aaron is this week. We, in past years, made our way to the Urban Grill for lunch. Looks like not quite yet. You see, Polk County, Iowa is a Vaccine Desert. People have been traveling long distances from here to get their vaccine. Me? Nothing yet. I'm told that "maybe next week or the week after".  

This is also the week that marks the First Day of Spring which is 20 March. That is also the date of my Mother's z"tl death some six years ago at the age of 93 and seven months. I remember it so well....and may her memory be a blessing.

Finally I fully expect to see Polk County Attorney, John Sarcone (D-Polk County, Iowa) to be in a primary if he decides to run for re-election. This is the prosecutor who tried Des Moines Register Reporter who was pepper sprayed and arrested during a demonstration that turned ugly. The reporter, Andrea Sahouri, identified herself as press but that didn't stop Des Moines Police Officer, Luke Wilson from arresting her testifying that she resisted arrest. Wilson failed to activate his body camera and failed to report the incident to his superiors. A violation of department policy. Yet, on flimsy evidence Sarcone pushed ahead and Iowa made, once again, national and news. Yet more embarrassment. Names have already been floating around to primary Sarcone, should he decide to run, who has held that position since 1991.  

Gotta go...long post today but hey...I'm trying to make up for some shorter entries.  Thanks for reading and have a great Sunday!