1 hour ago, DRW50 said:

Poverty in America.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/dec/15/america-extreme-poverty-un-special-rapporteur

What a depressing read. Not just that there are so many people down and out, but that our government is actively making it worse.  We should be attacking these problems, but instead the safety net is being further slashed. It's madness.

 

1 hour ago, dragonflies said:

Can Trump actually do that though, prevent them from saying those words? Wouldn't that fringe on 1st amendment?

I wondered that too. I don't know for sure, but perhaps he can restrict the language at government institutions. If it's illegal to do so, I'm sure the ACLU or someone will bring suit.  Sometimes it's hard to believe this is real life.

I heard someone compare the past year to a soap opera, and I thought, "Nuh uh!"  Even your most garden-variety soap opera has better acting, better writing, better directing and all-around better production values than any noise emanating from TrumpCo. or Trump Nation.

Edited December 16, 20177 yr by Khan

4 hours ago, Juliajms said:

If and when sanity returns to our government checks and balances will have to be strengthened so that this kind of thing doesn't happen again.

 

Assuming we survive this, there's a lot that will need to be fixed so that this can't ever happen again. We'll need to get rid of the electoral college, reinstate the voting rights act, overturn Citizens United, plus we'll need to get rid of the judges Trump named to the courts. Granted, there's no mechanism for doing that now but if we survive this we'll need to treat these people the way Germany treated the Nazis after the war, complete with executions. 

 

If we make it to the other side of this, going high and being merciful is not an option.

If passed, most of the homeowners who will be negatively impacted by this Poison Pill Tax Bill will be on the East Coast, particularly the Northeast. 

There are CA homeowners and homeowners in Texas will be negatively affected as well.

 

I just saw a list of the 11 most negatively affected cities/regions by passage of the tax bill and let's just say that those Trumpists in Long Island, NY will be most unhappy with that list.

 

 

I feel most sorry for those who live in those areas but who do not support Trump OR the tax bill.  As for the others...?  Well, you bought your tickets, now you take your chances.

6 minutes ago, Khan said:

I feel most sorry for those who live in those areas but who do not support Trump OR the tax bill.  As for the others...?  Well, you bought your tickets, now you take your chances.

 

I have to admit I wonder if part of the bill design was an FU to those voters, as many are liberal. 

3 minutes ago, DRW50 said:

 

I have to admit I wonder if part of the bill design was an FU to those voters, as many are liberal. 

 

Well, look at the stats of Long Island, NY and you will see that they got the biggest FU and I'd say that the majority of the L.I./Westchester NY area were Trump supporters.

 

I don't feel sorry for them one bit though.

 

Meanwhile, Great Britain's "Leave" ways are coming back to bite them hard.

 

Exodus of Foreign Workers Leaves British Employers in the Lurch

So I just read in California they are working on legislation that will allow homeowners to donate their state and local taxes to a state centered charity, giving folks the chance to continue to deduct them as charitable contributions if they exceed the cap on state and property tax deduction of 10,000, which is likely if you are a homeowner in California. If legal, a clever way around the issue.

1 hour ago, JaneAusten said:

So I just read in California they are working on legislation that will allow homeowners to donate their state and local taxes to a state centered charity, giving folks the chance to continue to deduct them as charitable contributions if they exceed the cap on state and property tax deduction of 10,000, which is likely if you are a homeowner in California. If legal, a clever way around the issue.

 

CA seems to be the launching pad of quite a few clever tactics these days.

Have you seen their ideas on how to get around the repeal of the Net Neutrality rule?

 

A year or two ago, I had been reading about some pilot programs in Brooklyn, NY that were constructing community-run Intranets and I wonder if this is an idea that they may end up expanding, in defiance of the Net Neutrality repeal. 

The thing is, the people who can potentially come up with ways around the government's repeal are often more skilled, focused and dedicated than the ones in the government enforcing the repeal.

 

We'll see how this all shapes out.

Saw this on FB and it makes me so sad and so mad!!! This is what our world has become!

 

a 93 year old woman handcuffed and thrown in jail ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

 

https://www.clickorlando.com/news/lake-county-woman-93-jailed-after-failing-to-pay-rent

BREAKING: CBS News has learned Republican @SenJohnMcCain will not be on hand for the final vote on the GOP tax passage expected for early this week; he is returning home to Arizona after spending several days in a Maryland hospitalhttps://t.co/UAXiQkiqVM

— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) December 17, 2017

From what I read, the vote is proceeding without him. At this point, let this pig with lipstick pass. All the Sunday shows had folks saying how bad this is.

 

But some won't get it 'til they hurt. So do it. Then remember and VOTE the GOP OUT in 2018.

Last time Track Palin was charged with domestic abused, Sarah Palin blamed Obama. Will it be Hillary this time?

 

Court records show Track Palin is charged w/burglary & assault in Saturday incident, working to learn more @ktva https://t.co/MPM0tp3t00

— Daniella Rivera (@RiveraDanie) December 17, 2017

Jelani Cobb goes in on Cornel West.

 

Jelani Cobb brings receipts

I saw that this morning. It is a thing of beauty. I honestly don't understand what West thought he would accomplish by going after TNC.