Righting a Wrong for Washington, DC

Good to great news today. The House of Representatives in Washington passed statehood for Washington,DC today.

Could you imagine living in Washington, DC and paying taxes, everything but YOU HAVE NO REPRESENTATIVE IN CONGRESS? Really? Greater population than Wyoming but zero representatives in Congress. So wrong. Obscene.Let's do this. #DCStatehood #DCStatehoodNow

Responsible Tax Policy --- What We Should Do

7 necessary ways to tax the rich.

1. Repeal the Trump tax cuts. 2. Raise the tax rate on those at the top. 3. A wealth tax on the super-wealthy. 4. A transactions tax on stocks. 5. End the “stepped-up cost basis” loophole. 6. Close loopholes for the rich. 7. Audit the rich. --Robert Reich @RBReich Logical. Sensible. Responsible. Fair.

On Trump Trying to Dismantle the USPS--and Likely Our Democracy. And Nation

So here is what's going on with this many-layered situation. First this.

USPS Removes Mailboxes

Followed, also, amazingly, by this.

Postal Service plans to remove 671 high-volume mail processing machines

An internal US Postal Service document obtained by NBC News reveals plans to remove 671 high-volume mail processing machines from postal facilities across the country. The document, circulated in June, is broken out by region and city/state.

Heck, our own Kansas City Star reported it did, in fact, happen here locally.

Postal Services removes mail machines in Kansas, Missouri

Can you imagine working for the Postal Service, walking in and seeing the mail sorting machine gone? Where does that happen? In what industry do they REMOVE automating equipment? Anywhere?

Then this came from the Orange Man's mouth himself.

Trump Admits He’s Trying To Stop Mail-In Voting With USPS Sabotage

Trump admitted that he is trying to stop mail-in votes from being counted with USPS sabotage during a Thursday Fox Business interview.

Once again, this President shows he wasn't/isn't smart enough, bright enough to even keep his mouth closed, keep quiet about his plans, nefarious and blatant as they are.

With all that, this is where we are now.

House Oversight Committee calls for 'urgent' hearing with Postmaster General

The House Oversight Committee is calling for Postmaster General Louis DeJoy to testify at an "urgent" congressional hearing later this month amid growing concerns about whether cost-cutting measures will leave the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) ill-equipped to handle a rise in mail-in voting.

It seems the Trump's Postmaster General may have some significant conflicts of interest.

Amid political controversy, postmaster general's stock holdings come under renewed scrutiny

USPS head Louis DeJoy reportedly owns millions of stock in mail processor

With this President trying to under-fund or de-fund the Postal Service and the House Democrats planning to have the Postmaster General this coming week, here are some things I'd like to ask the head of the Postal Service, that Postmaster General, just now:

• Do you deny that 671 mail sorter machines--or some number--have been ordered out of our postal service facilities across the nation?
• Why are they being taken out? 
• How does taking mail sorting machines out make any sense at any time but especially now when we need the postal service and all you do for this most killing pandemic in over 100 years?
• Why are post office mailboxes being carted away?
• How can anyone think this isn't to keep people from voting this Fall?
• Can you testify now, under oath, that you own no other investments that have to do with mailing or shipping of any sort in our nation?
• Can you testify here under oath that you would in no way benefit from having our United States Postal Service ceasing to exist?
• Can you testify here, now, under oath that it is not now nor will be in the future your goal or the goal of your boss, this current President, to end the existence of the United States Postal Service?

I hope someone asks them.

This, however, is how and where it gets difficult.

What Really Scares Voting Experts About the Postal Service

No matter what Trump says, the USPS has the money and the capacity to handle a huge surge in mail-in ballots. But new restrictions could disrupt the election.

President Donald Trump and his allies might well succeed in undermining the United States Postal Service’s ability to handle an expected surge in mail-in ballots this fall. But the biggest immediate threat to voting by mail isn’t blocked funding.

Trump acknowledged yesterday that he opposes a major stimulus deal with Democrats in part because he wants to stop an infusion of $25 billion to the Postal Service ahead of the election. “They need that money in order for the Post Office to work, to take in these millions and millions of ballots,” Trump said in an interview with Fox Business’s Maria Bartiromo. But the president doesn’t want more voting by mail, and he doesn’t want the Postal Service to have any more money to help with it. “If we don’t make a deal, that means they don’t get the money. That means they can’t have universal mail-in voting. That means they can’t have it.”

Democrats see the president’s comments as slam-dunk evidence of what they have been charging for weeks: that Trump is sabotaging the November election by purposely degrading the ostensibly independent Postal Service. They have assailed the appointment as postmaster general of a Trump donor, Louis DeJoy, who has moved rapidly to reorganize the Postal Service’s leadership and institute cost-cutting measures that have already resulted in slower mail delivery. Those service changes, rather than the congressional fight over funding, are what alarm advocates for mail-in voting the most. At stake is nothing less than the integrity of the election itself, which to a large degree rests on whether tens of millions of ballots can get into mailboxes and then back to their precincts in time to count.

Keeping in mind this, overall, from our own Constitution.

8 U.S. Code § 1701.Obstruction of mails generally

Whoever knowingly and willfully obstructs or retards the passage of the mail, or any carrier or conveyance carrying the mail, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than six months, or both.

(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 778; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(B), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2146.)

I would never have thought a President, even this one, would attack and try to dismantle, destroy our Postal Service.

Unreal where we are.

Then this President said this.

Trump says it could take 'months' or 'years' to know election results

Have we become, are we already some Third World banana republic backwater?

Are we going to tolerate this?

I'm sure as Hell not if I can do anything about it.

First, we can't respond to a pandemic---but all other nations can---and now this?

Oh, Hell no.

Once again, one more time, thanks, Republicans.

Very Hopeful Electoral News

 Check out these recent polls:

New Poll Has Sara Gideon Up, 51-42, Over Susan Collins

Senator Graham Only Ahead by 4 Points in Polling

Amy McGrath takes the lead over Mitch McConnell in Kentucky

Imagine if Senators Collins and Graham and McConnell all go down this Fall and Trump is thrown out of the White House--as looks very likely--and we also keep the House and take the Senate.

Holy Mary, Mother of Goodness, folks!

VOTE!!

And VOTE BLUE!!

And if you can, help others vote!

BLUE WAVE!!

What Republicans In Congress Just Did To You, America

Yes sir, those "small government", caring Republicans, from last week, in the Senate, to yesterday, in the House, just sold all of us down the river, ladies and gentlemen. If you aren't aware of it all, you should be.

House Republicans just voted to let your internet provider sell your browsing history without your permission

Republicans Just Voted to Let Internet Service Providers Sell 

Your Browsing History

A bit from one of the articles.

Soon every mistake you’ve ever made online will not only be available to your internet service provider (ISP) — it will be available to any corporation or foreign government who wants to see those mistakes.

Thanks to last week’s US Senate decision (update March 28: and today’s House decision), ISPs can sell your entire web browsing history to literally anyone without your permission. The only rules that prevented this are all being repealed, and won’t be reinstated any time soon (it would take an act of congress).

You might be wondering: who benefits from repealing these rules? Other than those four monopoly ISPs that control America’s “last mile” of internet cables and cell towers?

No one. No one else benefits in any way. Our privacy (and our nation’s security) have been diminished so a few mega-corporations can make a little extra cash.

In other words, these politicians — who have received millions of dollars in campaign contributions from the ISPs for decades — have sold us out.

Mind you, Republicans did this. Republican Senators, last week, and the members of the House of Representatives this week, yesterday. "Small government" Republicans.

More from the article:

...every single senator who voted in favor of overturning these privacy rules was a Republican. Every single Democrat and Independent senator voted against this CRA resolution. The final vote was 50–48, with two Republicans voting against the resolution, and another two choosing not to vote.

So just please, no one try to tell me there's no difference in the political parties.

Please.

And what does this mean to all of us? To you and me? This:

According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, there are at least five creepy things the FCC regulations would have made illegal. But thanks to the Senate, ISPs can now continue doing these things as much as they want, and it will probably be years before we can do anything to stop them.

• Sell your browsing history to basically any corporation or government that wants to buy it
• Hijack your searches and share them with third parties
• Monitor all your traffic by injecting their own malware-filled ads into the websites you visit
• Stuff undetectable, un-deletable tracking cookies into all of your non-encrypted traffic
• Pre-install software on phones that will monitor all traffic — even HTTPS traffic — before it gets encrypted. AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile have already done this with some Android phones.

What to do? Go here. Do these things.

How to encrypt your entire life in less than an hour

Protect yourself against the big ISPs.

Then, come election time, vote. And vote against Republicans. It's our only protection.

You Nearly Won't Believe What House Republicans Did Yesterday

Seriously, this is what they just did yesterday, my fellow Americans. They're voted to make it okay for clinically diagnosed mentally unstable people to have their own weapons because, you know, 2nd Amendment rights.

House Republicans Just Voted To Allow Severely Mentally Ill People To Buy Guns

This speaks for itself.

Scary News Breaking Last Night From House Republicans

Check this out. Breaking news from late last evening from two different sources.

House Republicans vote to eviscerate 

the Office of Congressional Ethics

With No Warning, House Republicans Vote to Hobble Independent Ethics Office

So much for being independent.  They just said to you and I, to the nation, that they didn't want to have to be held to or responsible for any ethics rules or laws or commissions.

Sneaky b*st*rds

This is yet one more perfect example of how Republicans put their political party first. Screw the nation. Screw the people. To hell with all that. It's how they got in the White House. It's why they control Congress still longer.

Screw you, America. It's "Us first!"

This is who's in charge just now, America. This is who's in charge of our government. This is what and who you voted for.

And they're doing their own work, for themselves, not for you and I or for the nation.

Speaking Truth To Power

From the US House of Representatives, Rep. Ruben Gallego on the person that is Donald J. Trump, who he is, what he stands for, what he's said and what he supports.



Let's not forget all that he is and more than that, let's not forget who we are and who and what we have always said what we are about and/or to what we aspire--the "better angels of our nature", I would hope and always thought.

Then there's this from Jon Stewart.



Finally, there's this, from some time ago and David Letterman.



Let's be and stay better than Donald Trump.

Meanwhile, Back In Washington

As this Republican Congress is STILL out on vacation.

How to Fix America's Corrupt Political System

We must Get the Big, Ugly Money Out of Our Election System and Government.

We must do this. We must do all of it. If we don't do these things, nothing will ever change for the better, for the people.

And it must come from us.

We Have To Close This "Revolving Door"

We have got to close this "revolving door" between government and business and we must close it legally and formally and soon as possible.

The Republican Congress Is At It Again

Did you see this breaking news in the last 24 hours?

Republican Speaker of the House of Representatives Paul Ryan

Congress Attempts to Repeal Affordable Healthcare Act for 62nd Time

Do you realize how really insane and irresponsible this is? Think about it.

Not only have the Republicans in Congress thought and worked and voted on this, repealing Obamacare 62 times.

And of course President Obama is going to veto it. They know that. They don't care if they're wasting their--our--time. And money.

U.S. Congress sends bill to gut Obamacare, 

to certain veto

Keep in mind, however, the original goal for enrollment and participation of Americans in Obamacare was 7 million.

7 million people insured.

Do you know how many have signed up?

At least 20 million.

20 Million Americans Get Insurance 

Under Obamacare

Nearly 3 times more Americans have signed up with Obamacare than what the original goal was. And if this were to be taken away now, on what plan would these people be? What coverage would they have?

And we know the answer is none. They would have no health insurance coverage and health insurance companies could--and no doubt would---continue to keep jacking up the costs, the premiums, every year.

And what about the people with pre-existing conditions coverage that Americans have now that would very likely go away if Obamacare were eliminated as the Republicans keep working for and wasting their and our time and money? Who would cover all those probably hundreds of thousands of people with their pre-existing illnesses and issues?

We know the Republicans have no solutions. They've said as much. They only want to take away this coverage, this partial solution to our healthcare problems and crisis, this Obamacare because, after all, it was initiated by President Obama. And they hate all things Obama, America and American people be damned.

Are they working on the shrinking middle class? Oh, heck, no. They're trying to kill Obamacare, instead. Heaven forbid someone in the opposing political party should have a successful time in office in the White House. 

Their political party's success is FAR more important than that of the nation or the people in it.

Still Think the Republican Party Isn't Self-Destructing?

If anyone out there isn't convinced the Republican Party isn't in full-on self-destruct mode, check out these few headlines from yesterday afternoon---one day--alone. This first one knocked me out.

GOP Campaigns Will Reportedly Meet to Discuss Taking Debates Out of RNC Control

Read that again. Then think about it.

The GOP---the Republicans--are apparently going to have a meeting to discuss taking the organization and control of the presidential debates out of the control of the Republican National Committee.

Folks, that is stunning. And they can't blame it on having a token black man at the head of the RNC any more, either.

That is incredible, by itself. But there's more.

Mark Levin Trashes 'Incompetent' Reince Priebus: 'Should Be Fired!'

This has been going on for some time and I've noted and written on this before. The Right Wingers, whether in religion or Christianity or politics and government have to increasingly prove themselves the most extreme, the "furthest right/Right", the most fervent, the "closest to God."

It's disgusting. It's crazy and they "out crazy" each other doing it.

I show this next one because it shows how really awful the Republican candidates for the highest office in the nation and arguably the most powerful nation in the world really are.

Trump on Future Debates: 'Maybe Every Moderator Should Show That They Vote Republican'

And even Republicans are aware of how badly Republicans are doing and how they're handling their own campaigns for the White House.

Lindsey Graham on RNC's Handling of Debates: 'This Is Getting Pretty Bad'

This last one isn't from yesterday but it shows where we, as a nation, have been going in recent years. And thank goodness.

Fewer People Identify As Republicans Now

It's enough to give a person hope.

Get the Big Money Out

Get the Big Money Out

We must overturn Citizens United and we must end campaign contributions, both, period. We have to get the big money out of our election system and government.

Go here, if you would, and sign the petition:

http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/get-the-big-money-out.fb49?source=c.fb&r_by=342229

We must get the corrupting money of the wealthy and corporations out of our election system and government, on the Federal and state levels, both.

We must get our nation back for the people. Until we do these, nothing will change. It will remain government representatives, their legislation---our legislation--our laws and our government all for them, the wealthy and corporations, not the people, not the nation.

Thank you, in advance.

Link:  Get the Big, Ugly Money Out of Our Election System and Government

New Term for Bought Politicians

So a buddy of mine were talking at work and I gave him my usual, deeply felt opinion, briefly, that I thought the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision had to be overturned and that we had to kill campaign contributions. That, until we do that, nothing would change, it would remain representatives, legislation and so, laws and government for the wealthy and corporations. (I didn't say all that but you get the idea).

And this buddy says we have to end the...

wait for it...

pocketicians.



Dang.

I instantly loved it.

He said it just came to him.

Had to spread the word.  Literally.

(With great thanks to friend Joe--Joe Thompson--for the word. Glad I was there).

Congress Still Not Doing Their Job---On the Highway Fund Now

From the NYT today:

House Republicans are poised today to pass an extension of only three months to keep the Highway Trust Fund afloat during peak construction season.

The Senate would be forced to follow suit or face a lapse in highway programs. Congress is getting ready for a five-week summer recess.

So Congress if just barely doing their job, "kicking the can down the road" and then they're going to take a 5 week vacation.

Do you get a 5 week vacation, America?

Especially when you haven't done your job?

Link: House set to vote on stopgap highway funding extension

A Phenomenal Idea--and Challenge--for We, the People, to Take Back Some Control of Our Government

Ralph Nader just created a fantastic idea for us Americans to get the attention of our Congressional representatives in Washington and hopefully get at least some of our government back for us instead of only for the already-wealthy and corporations. It is here, in its entirety:

Sending Citizens Summons to Members of Congress

With the long congressional recess in August through Labor Day approaching, “We the People” have the opportunity to do more than complain about the Congress and individual Senators and Representatives.

There are many issues affecting you and your communities that need to be addressed by members of Congress. Over the years, it has become increasingly difficult to reach the legislators in Washington, DC and when they return to their districts and states, they often only attend public events and ceremonies where they do little more than shake hands and smile.

The diminishing number of in-person town meetings by members of Congress are often stacked and controlled. The locations, attendees, and even sometimes pre-screened questions fail to provide citizens an opportunity to make their case to their legislators. Politicians crave predictability; they are control freaks.

Our five hundred and thirty-five Senators and Representatives need to be reminded that they were sent to Washington, DC by voters back home who entrusted them with the well-being of their communities and country. Many of these lawmakers then become indentured to corporate campaign cash that they must constantly beg for, often compromising with what is in the best interest of their constituents. For all this corporate campaign cash, these corporations want something in return – government contracts, giveaways, tax loopholes, weak corporate law enforcement, and other privileges and immunities, especially for giant multinational corporations that have tightened their grips of crony capitalism on Washington.

So what happened to your votes and your trust in your elected representatives? They were nullified and replaced with ungrateful politicians who have forgotten that the authority lies with the people.

It is time, during this August recess, for “We the People” to shake up the Congress and shake up the politics across the land. If anyone is skeptical of this possibility, they should recall August 2009 when the Tea Party noisily filled the seats of some town meetings called by Senators and Representatives in a Congress run by the Democrats. That is how the Tea Party movement came to public visibility, with the daily help of Fox News.

After that experience, many members of Congress were forced to reevaluate the power and influence of Town Meetings.

My proposal of a Citizens Summons can begin the process of showing your elected legislators who is truly in charge, as befits the Preamble to the Constitution – “We the People.” I am including below a draft Citizens Summons to your Senators or Representative. It covers the main derelictions of the Congress, under which you can add more examples of necessary reforms.

Your task is to start collecting signatures of citizens, members of citizen groups, labor unions, and any other associations that want a more deliberative democracy. The ultimate objective is to reduce inequalities of power.

Shifting power from the few to the many prevents the gross distortions of our Constitution and laws, our public budgets, and our commonwealth, that currently favor the burgeoning corporate state.

May you give your lawmakers a memorable August recess; they deserve to be shown the workings of what our founding fathers called “the sovereignty of the people.”

The Citizens Summons to a Member of the Congress: 

Whereas, the Congress has tolerated the expansion of an electoral process, corrupted by money, that nullifies our votes and commercializes both congressional elections and subsequent legislation, creating a Congress that is chronically for sale; 

Whereas, the Congress has repeatedly supported or opposed legislation and diverted the taxpayer dollars to favor the crassest of corporate interests to the serious detriment of the American people, their necessities, and their public facilities – such as access to safer consumer products, health care, and other basic social safety services. It has opposed raising the inflation-ravaged minimum wage and fair taxation, allowed endemic waste, fraud, and abuse by contractors, and authorized massive corporate welfare subsidies and giveaways; 

Whereas, the Congress has narrowed or blocked access to justice by millions of Americans, leaving them unprotected and defenseless in many serious ways, while giving business corporations preferential treatments and allowing them full access to influence the three branches of government; 

Whereas, the Congress has imposed trade treaty despotisms over our democratic institutions – the courts, legislatures, and executive departments and agencies – subordinating our domestic branches of government’s abilities to preserve and enhance labor, consumer, and environmental standards to the domination of global commerce’s “bottom line” and endorsed the usurpation of our judicial process by secret tribunals under the WTO, and other similar invasions of U.S. sovereignty; 

Whereas, the access to members of Congress has increased for corporate lobbyists and decreased for ordinary citizens, Therefore, the citizens of the [INSERT state (for Senators) or the congressional district (for Representatives)] hereby Summon you to a town meeting(s) during the August recess (ending September 7, 2015) at a place of known public convenience. Your constituents will establish an agenda of how Congress should shift long overdue power from the few to the many, both in substantive policy and through the strengthening of government and civic institutions; 

We deem this Summons to be taken with the utmost seriousness as we gain grassroots support throughout your congressional district (or state for Senators). We expect to hear from you expeditiously so that the necessary planning for our town meeting can take place. This Peoples’ Town Meeting reflects the Preamble to the Constitution that starts with “We the People” and the supremacy of the sovereignty of the people over elected representatives and corporate entities; 

Be advised that this Summons calls for your attendance at a Town Meeting run by, of, and for the People. Please reserve a minimum of two hours for this serious exercise of deliberative democracy. 

Sincerely yours, 

The names of citizens and citizen groups

(For any additional questions about this proposal, send an email to info@nader.org.)

______________________________________

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 License

So there it is, ladies and gentlemen.

Let's get busy.

Ralph Nader is a consumer advocate, lawyer, and author. His latest book is The Seventeen Solutions: Bold Ideas for Our American Future. Other recent books include, The Seventeen Traditions: Lessons from an American Childhood, Getting Steamed to Overcome Corporatism: Build It Together to Win, and "Only The Super-Rich Can Save Us" (a novel).

We Must Get the Big Money Out of Our Elections and So, Government

We must fight to overturn the Supreme Court's Citizens United decision which opened up the financial coffers of the wealthy and corporations. It made it possible to pour unlimited amounts of money into election campaigns in the nation.



Additionally, we must fight to end campaign contributions, completely, totally. We must fight to Get the Big, Ugly Money Out of Our Election System and Government.

If we don't do these things, nothing will change. We won't get our government back for the people.

And this must come from us.

The Trans Pacific Trade Agreement Vote Today!!

Today is the House vote on fast-tracking the Trans Pacific Partnership.

Republicans need every Democratic vote, and Democrats are under increasing pressure from the White House and from business groups to agree to it.

Please call the congressional switchboard---202-224-312-- and ask to be connected with your representative. Then leave word at his or her office that you oppose fast track and you don't want the Trans Pacific Trade Agreement.

The Legal Bribery That Is Campaign Contributions in America

Campaign contributions = legalized bribery



And we know it.

Get the Big, Ugly Money Out of Our Election System and Government

It's the only way anything will ever change for the better. It's the only way we'll get the government back for the people.

And it has to come from us.