Further Proof Why the US Owes Reparations

Anyone who knows American history--REALLY knows American history--knows we owe African-Americans reparations. This is just one more example and reason. Segregation, legalized segregation, is why our cities all across our nation, including, of course, our own Kansas City, are split by race to this day. Then we had them go to inferior schools, have fewer jobs, if any job at all because they were further away from those jobs and certainly farther away from the better jobs, farther away from transportation and so, finally, they got and would get less money. It's all outrageous. And blatant.

Question for Republicans in 2017

A question now, for Republicans in Washington, D.C., now that you're got the President-elect (I still shudder, thinking about that one) and both the Senate and House of Representatives.

You famously, publicly declared a policy of blocking and obstructing our twice-elected President from getting anything done, from getting any of his goals achieved while he was in office.

Fortunately, through hard work and time, we still got things done for the people, not least of which was the ACA, "Obamacare" and a list of others.

Now that you will have control of virtually all of Washington, are you going to make our government work, in general?

More specifically, are you finally, at long last, going to write, propose and pass a jobs/infrastructure bill in the coming year?

Our infrastructure needs the updating and improving and modernization and sorely, as we all know.

Additionally, the nation, we Americans, need the jobs and heaven knows the economy needs the boost.

Since it will now be on "your watch" and any success on your hands, are you going to work together and get this done?

Sure, we know you want to dismantle Obamacare and the EPA and other programs. (It would be nice if you'd dismantle the Republican boondoggle called Homeland Security you all created during the George W. Bush adminstration).

But could you, would you, will you now, at long, long last give us this jobs/infrastructure bill, please?

It's the least you can do, it's positive and it would and will help the nation in at least the 3 ways I described above.

Please. We're begging you. Do this one, big, great thing.

On This Republican Congress--And This Coming Election

You Didn't Make the List, Kansas City!

Congratulations, Kansas City!  You didn't make the list!

America's Most Segregated Cities

I thought sure we'd be on here but we're not, thank goodness. Segregated and separated as we are, and by law, at the time, we aren't one of the worst.

As it turns out, however, St. Louis is, so Missouri didn't get left out. And the statistics are pretty brutal.

6. St. Louis, MO-IL
> Black ppl. in black neighborhoods: 42.2%
> Black population: 18.2%
> Black poverty rate: 29.7%
> White poverty rate: 9.0%

The St. Louis region earned a national spotlight in the summer of 2015 when Michael Brown, a black teenager, was shot and killed by police in Ferguson, sparking protests across the nation. Ferguson is a predominantly black neighborhood — and Brown’s death is inseparable from racial segregation in the area. One of the most damaging effects of residential segregation is funding disparities between neighboring school districts. Because property taxes play such a large role in school funding, well-off communities often
have an interest in keeping poor areas separate.

Instead of one, St. Louis has 24, quite disparate school districts. This August, water fountains in 30 predominantly black St. Louis public schools were shut down due to lead contamination. Some of the area’s wealthiest communities with some of the best-funded schools are less than 20 miles away, and with state-of-art facilities, have reliable clean water.

As is common in large metro areas — not just the most segregated — the poverty rate among black St. Louis residents, at nearly 30%, is approximately three times the poverty rate among the area’s white residents.

The St. Louis region earned a national spotlight in the summer of 2015 when Michael Brown, a black teenager, was shot and killed by police in Ferguson, sparking protests across the nation. Ferguson is a predominantly black neighborhood — and Brown’s death is inseparable from racial segregation in the area. One of the most damaging effects of residential segregation is funding disparities between neighboring school districts. Because property taxes play such a large role in school funding, well-off communities often have an interest in keeping poor areas separate.

Instead of one, St. Louis has 24, quite disparate school districts. This August, water fountains in 30 predominantly black St. Louis public schools were shut down due to lead contamination. Some of the area’s wealthiest communities with some of the best funded schools are less than 20 miles away, and with state-of-art facilities, have reliable clean water.

As is common in large metro areas — not just the most segregated — the poverty rate among black St. Louis residents, at nearly 30%, is approximately three times the poverty rate among the area’s white residents.

So you see, it's not just about people of different colors being separated. It's about opportunities and jobs and education, right on down to wealth, certainly. Segregation becomes about perpetuating both wealth and poverty.

And that's just wrong. 

Links:

How segregation creates chronic unemployment, 

poverty traps, and crime

The Effect of Segregation on Crime Rates

Poverty and Crime: Breaking a Vicious Cycle of Discrimination

Lead In Water: What Are The Health Effects And Dangers?

Why lead is so dangerous for children

How Republicans Run Governments

This, ladies and gentlemen, though only from a statehouse, Missouri's Jefferson City, shows precisely how Republicans "run government."

No money to repair Missouri's bridges can mean closures

The fact is, they don't legislate and they don't do their jobs, these Republicans.

MoDOT says it doesn’t have the money to fix or replace hundreds of bridges around the state — including the Lincoln County structure — meaning some spans must be closed rather than risk carrying traffic.

But the cash-strapped state agency is still paying off debt it assumed for a round of bridge work a few years ago and says new funding sources must be found to make the necessary repairs and replacements.

Already, three bridges statewide have been shut down indefinitely since the beginning of last year. And 641 — 50 more than a year ago — of MoDOT’s roughly 10,400 bridges have been determined to be in critical condition, the lowest ranking a bridge can earn before being shut down...

That list is expected to grow to 1,500 in the next decade. It currently includes 36 bridges in St. Louis, St. Charles, Franklin and Jefferson counties, as well as in the city of St. Louis.

The same thing is taking place nationally, with the Federal Government, in Washington:

Highway funds in jeopardy as House and 

Senate differ

And since 2008, when a certain President was elected to the White House, nary a jobs/infrastructure bill in sight.

Quote of the Day -- On Paths Forward

Jobs Bills From This Congress?

Bueller? Bueller?

Senator Roy Blunt?

Here's hoping.

We all know Americans need the jobs. And our infrastructure needs the updating and improving. And the economy needs the boost, all three, sure.

But these people don't want America to do well unless or until one of their own is back in the White House. Until then, screw you, America. You have to wait.

The Republican Party comes before the nation to Republicans, let there be no doubt. There is no better proof than this.

Senator Blunt Gives Lip Service to Our Infrastructure and the Work It Needs

I saw this, earlier this week, on our own Missouri Senator Roy Blunt's official page:

              Stop right there! There will be no jobs bill.

Senators Blunt, Casey Continue Working To Support Bridges, in Need of Repair in MIssouri and Nationwide

I almost choked.

Not once in the last 7 years has ANY Republican in Congress, in either house, written, proposed or attempted to pass a true, good, strong, helpful jobs/infrastructure bill. Not once. Not one. 

Not one Republican representative, not one bill.

Now, Senator Blunt is trying to rewrite short-term history by saying something different--the opposite, in fact.

Senator Blunt supports infrastructure work like he and his political party show support for our nation's Veterans. Proof? This is from February, last year, 2014:

U.S. Senate Republicans block veterans' 

health bill

And this is from just this last December:

GOP senator blocks veterans' suicide 

prevention bill

The thing is, they don't.

Here's the truth on the infrastructure/jobs bill they could be writing and proposing and that should already, long ago, have been done:

Republicans Have Passed 0 Jobs Bills During Their First 138 Days Running Congress

In their first 138 days in control of Congress, Mitch McConnell and John Boehner have passed zero jobs bills. Instead, Republicans passed budgets that would give big tax breaks to millionaires and billionaires.

All the while, our infrastructure is famously/infamously, it's known, is crumbling and needs updating and improving.

On top of that, as if that weren't enough, Americans need the jobs.

On top of that, all that, the economy needs the boost. We all know all this.

But Republicans?

They'll be damned if they'll have this nation have a successful, thriving economy while they're not in the White House. Nation be damned.

Meanwhile, there's this, not coincidentally:

And who can blame us?

But screw you, America, the Republicans are clearly saying. They're going to do their damnedest to make sure there's no such jobs or infrastructure bill--or good economy--unless or until a Republican is back in the White House.

God and heaven forbid.

I would love to have them prove me and this wrong--and as soon as possible.

Don't bet on it.

Great Question for Republicans and America

A great question for Missouri Senator Roy Blunt, specifically.

Senator Blunt Said WHAT???

Last evening, the following was typed onto Missouri Senator Roy Blunt's Facebook page:

Missouri is at the center of our nation’s highway, railway, and waterway transportation networks, which makes infrastructure an integral part of our state’s economy. Infrastructure creates jobs, connects people and communities, and enables us to compete globally. I’ll keep working to ensure that investing in our nation’s infrastructure remains a priority this week during ‪#‎InfrastructureWeek‬ and every week. ‪#‎RebuildRenew‬

I have to tell you, I was stunned.

Thrilled but stunned.

For all these years, no Republican member of Congress since at least 2008 has written or sponsored or proposed any infrastructure or jobs/infrastructure bill.

Not one.

Including, of course, Senator Roy Blunt.

So here, after all this time of we Americans needing jobs and our infrastructure needing work and updates and improvements and the economy---God knows--needing the boost, suddenly there's this statement, this recognition that we need some things done to our nation's highways, railways, waterway transportation networks, our bridges, all that?

Knock me down with a feather.

And call me skeptical, at the same time.

Sure, I hope Senator Blunt puts his legislative work where his mouth--or keyboard--is but I just find it difficult to believe he'll finally, finally do the right thing for the American people and for the nation and do just that---write, propose and at least try to get passed a jobs/infrastructure bill.

There can be no better example of a highway that needs updating and improving than Missouri's own stretch of Interstate 70 from Illinois and St. Louis to the East, through the middle of the state and Columbia, all the way to Kansas City and Kansas to the West. It's outdated, it's narrow, heck, it's even downright dangerous to the point of lethal, repeatedly.

However right and good it is for the nation and people, it seems the last thing Senator Blunt or his Republican Party wants to do is have more Americans working and America with a better economy while this person of the other political party is in the White House, nation be damned.

God, I'd love to be wrong.

So here's hoping. Here's hoping our own Missouri Senator Roy Blunt and all his Republican colleagues finally see the light, as it were, and do what's good and right and needed and necessary for the people and the economy and the infrastructure of the country.

I don't think they will but it could happen.

Again, here's hoping.

Screw you, America

What the Republicans did yesterday:

$478B Infrastructure Bill Blocked by Senate GOP

Americans need jobs.

America and Americans need improved, updated infrastructure.

The American economy needs a boost.

You think the Senate Republicans would have any of that?

Oh, hell no.

Republicans don't want you to have better infrastructure, more jobs or any such economic boost.

At least, they don't want you to have any such thing while this president is in the White House or likely, until one of their own is there.

Screw you. It's political party first.  You have to wait, America

No Jobs/Infrastructure Bill But A Traitorous Letter to Iran

We have needed a jobs/infrastructure bill for the nation's roads, highways, bridges, airports, sewers and a lot more for more than 6 years, predating the Obama Administrations. I've written about it here before. CBS news' "60 Minutes" covered the story a few months ago as I also noted. Lately, however, the story is coming closer to home, here to Missouri.

MoDOT: 600 Missouri bridges are in poor to serious condition

Thirty-eight bridges in the greater St. Louis area are just "a step or two from being closed" due to deterioration, according to the Missouri Department of Transportation.

They are among the nearly 600 bridges statewide that officials say are currently rated in poor to serious condition, but aren't funded in the state's five-year plan for improvements.

But during that same five-year timeframe, MoDOT told the state transportation commission Tuesday, the total number of bridges in critical shape statewide could top 1,000. Within a decade, that number could rise to 1,500 bridges.
So, badly as Americans need more and better and better-paying jobs, badly as we need the infrastructure work done on our bridges and highways, etc., and as badly as we need the economic boost, the Congress right now--the Republican Congress, it needs to be said--has been preoccupied trying to further undermine our current president. And their attempt to do it was most especially with a letter to the Iranian leaders against us, to unwind the peace efforts President Obama is trying to gain for the nation and even the world.

So besides undermining peace efforts and our president, they're also ignoring work that needs to be done.

Marvelous, no?

Ironically, coincidentally, when I was writing this post last evening, an additional article came online, showing further our state's infrastructure situation and needs:

I-70 Westbound Lane Closed After Crews Find Crack In Bridge Beam

So still we wait.

At this point, I absolutely implore you to email your Missouri representatives in Congress, asking them, telling them, as politely but firmly as possible, to write, propose and pass a good, strong, helpful jobs/infrastructure bill:

Contacting the Congress: A Citizen's Congressional Directory

It's the least they can do.

And it's long, long overdue.

Link:  Mapping America's most dangerous bridges

Republican Party Priorities

By now, most of the nation has, I think, heard about the 47 Republicans who got together and signed a letter to the Iranian hard liners, saying they--the Republicans--support them and not our own president when it comes to negotiating for peace and keeping Iran from building a nuclear reactor.

It was fairly disgusting.

Moving on from that, local news station KY3, in Springfield, covered a story yesterday that bears some additional notoriety:

MoDOT lacks funding needed to fix bridges in 'critical condition'

This is another story I think most of us are familiar with. I know CBS "60 Minutes" did a story on it, telling of the lack of maintenance and upkeep our nation's roads, bridges, streets and other essential infrastructure have gotten and how they need work and investment. From this story yesterday:

74 Southwest Missouri bridges are currently listed in "critical condition" according to MoDOT, but department officials say the state doesn't have the money to repair those bridges...

And that's just Southwest Missouri bridges, not the entire state. If it were the entire state, that would have been concern enough.

Right now there are 600 bridges in Missouri listed in poor or critical condition, and officials estimate in 2024 there will 1,500 bridges in those categories. Without repairs, MoDOT says many bridges will have to be given weight restrictions or even be shut down completely.

And the great things about a solution to the nation's infrastructure would be that it would give more Americans jobs--good jobs, and for years---and secondly, also importantly, it would give the economy a boost.

Those are some huge benefits.

But instead of doing the nation's business and writing, proposing, voting on and passing an infrastructure bill, what do the Republicans give their time and attention to?

A letter to our enemies, saying they support them. instead of supporting peace negotiations and yes, our president.

The nerve, the stupidity the selfishness is fairly stunning.

We've all known we need to get money to our Highway Fund, too, but it's also neglected. This Congress and our representatives just simply aren't giving their jobs and our country, our nation, the people, the attention it all deserves.

Once again, they've put their political party ahead of the nation and the nation's needs, ahead of the people.

How long are we going to tolerate this nonsense?

What We Need From This Congress

Indeed, what we need from this Congress and what we've needed for some years.

A Great, Fair Even Important Question

So let's ask if of our members of Congress---in both houses.

The GOP, Their Leadership In Congress and Where We Go From Here

I love this article

GOP leaders staring at cliffs

Boehner, McConnell have big plans and big obstacles.

I'll cut to the chase, so to speak. Of the entire article, this is the part that intrigues and involves me most:

The highway trust fund will become insolvent in May, and federally funded infrastructure projects across America will grind to a halt if nothing is done. Congress will have to work out a new funding mechanism — the gas tax has not been raised since 1993, and fuel-efficient cars have steadily decreased its buying power. Raising the tax is politically difficult, so Boehner, McConnell and the transportation chairmen will have to work out another funding mechanism — or turn to another unpopular general fund bailout, rather than risk a construction shutdown.

This Highway Trust Fund needs so much money it's beyond thought. Our infrastructure needs so much attention. We have so many highways, bridges and airports and so much infrastructure that needs reworking and improving and updating, it's nearly staggering.

Fortunately and rather ironically, we're at a time when, not only do all these things need so much attention but with oil per barrel and per gallon, at the pump, is so low, it would seem it's the perfect time to increase this gas tax so we can fund this infrastructure and so, the country and our commerce.

It used to be government representatives would legislate and act for the betterment and best of the nation, of the country. But as we've seen of particularly the Republican Party in the last few decades at least and especially since our current president was elected, they legislate and put their party first, country be damned.

And that's where we are today.

What should be easy and intelligent legislation for the country and for the people becomes complicated and difficult, if not impossible, for these people. Their biggest fear is that this president would be successful and so, that they might suffer. 

It used to be if the country was successful, that was your goal in government, no matter your position. Not so now. These people are downright fearful that, should President Obama be successful, should the US profit and grow during this time frame, they would be hurt. The last thing they want is to come close to doing anything, anything whatever, that would create a second Franklin Roosevelt. They never forgot the lesson of FDR and the Great Depression. He was successful and what did that get them?  They were out of favor with the voters for at least 40 years.

So screw you, America. The Republican Party must come first. 

If you're still here after all this, once they're finally back in the White House, then they might consider doing something for you. Something for Mr. and Mrs. Working Man and Woman of the nation. 

Like a jobs bill.

Or like the infrastructure needed to make the nation work.

To the new, incoming Congress

With This New Congressional Year and Session

Contact your Congressional representatives in the new year. Push them, ask for a jobs/infrastructure bill for the nation. Americans need the jobs, our infrastructure, it's widely known, needs to updating and repairs and the economy needs the boost. It's a no-brainer:

A Jobs/Infrastructure Bill From This Do-Nothing Congress

Contact your Congressional representatives in the House and Senate, both. Tell them to write, propose and pass a good, true, strong jobs/infrastructure bill and as soon as possible. Americans and America need the jobs, the infrastructure needs the improvements and updates and the economy needs the boost. Thank you, in advance.

Pressure Building for the Nation's Infrastructure--and Maybe for the People

It does seem as if finally,finally pressure may be building in our media for some kind of infrastructure bill from this Congress.

And let's face it, the only way this is going to happen is if the people are for it and if it's reflected in our media.

Here's the first indicator. I saw it yesterday:

America's rotting empire: Billionaires galore and a crumbling infrastructure

More proof we're in rapid decline: Not a single U.S. city currently ranks among the world's most livable

America has the most billionaires in the world, but not a single U.S. city ranks among the world’s most livable cities. Not a single U.S. airport is among the top 100 airports in the world. Our bridges, road and rail are falling apart, and our middle class is being guttered out thanks to three decades of stagnant wages, while the top 1 percent enjoys 95 percent of all economic gains.

A rigged tax code and a bloated military budget are starving the federal and state governments of the revenue it needs to invest in infrastructure, which means today America looks increasingly like a second rate nation, and now new data shows America’s intellectual resources are also in decline.

For the past three decades, the Republican Party has waged a dangerous assault on the very idea of public education. Tax cuts for the rich have been balanced with spending cuts to education. During the New Deal era of the 1940s to 1970s, public schools were the great leveler of America. They were our great achievement. It was universal education for all, but today it’s education for those fortunate enough to be born into wealthy families or live in wealthy school districts. The right’s strategy of defunding public education leaves parents with the option of sending their kids to a for-profit school or a theological school that teaches kids our ancestors kept dinosaurs as pets.

“What kind of future society the defectors from the public school rolls envision I cannot say. However, having spent some time in the Democratic Republic of Congo—a war-torn hellhole with one of those much coveted limited central governments, and, not coincidentally, a country in which fewer than half the school-age population goes to public school—I can say with certainty that I don’t want to live there,” writes Chuck Thompson in Better off Without Em.

Then, this Sunday evening, CBS News' "60 Minutes" is doing a segment, thank goodness, on America's crumbling infrastructure. However long overdue, at least they're finally doing it now:

Is the United States falling apart? Roads and bridges are crumbling, airports are out of date, and the vast majority of seaports are in danger of becoming obsolete. All the result of decades of neglect. Tune in Sunday for Steve Kroft's #60Minutes report on America's infrastructure:

Preview: Falling Apart - 60 Minutes Videos

60 Minutes Video - The roads and bridges Americns drive

So here's to hope. Here's to the idea that we're coming to a time and place where we, the people "get it" and so, demand more, far more, from our government and representative in government.

Hopefully we can get these jobs, the improvements and updates to our infrastructure and the boost the economy needs, all three. And naturally, the sooner the better (from this do-nothing, "sue the President" Congress).

It shouldn't all just be for the wealthy and corporations.