#"President Donald Trump says the United States now aims for 'energy dominance' -- i.e., drilling for oil and gas offshore and on public lands, exporting more gas and coal, and boosting nuclear power.
#The EPA moves to repeal the Clean Water Rule, a.k.a. 'Waters of the U.S.,' which protects the drinking water for millions of Americans.
#EPA Administer Scott Pruitt denies a petition to ban chlorpyrifos, a pesticide manufactured by Dow Chemical Com;any that has been shown to harm children's brains, even in minute doses.
#After the EPA is sued by 15 states and numerous public health and environmental organizations (including the Sierra Club), Pruitt abruptly reverses his attempt to delay new rules, limiting atmospheric ozone, the main component of smog.
Polluter fines drop 60 percent from the amounts levied by the past three administrations at this point in their first year.
#The EPA has paid more than twice as much on a personal-security detail for Pruitt in his first three months as it did for his past two predecessors. Several EPA agents who have previously investigated and prosecuted environmental crimes have been reassigned to serve as Pruitt's bodyguards.
#Joel Clement, a climate scientist at the Interior Department, is reassigned to an accounting job, processing lease payments from oil companies.
#Alaska senator Lisa Murkowski votes not to proceed with a debate on repealing Obamacare. Afterward, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke calls for her and fellow senator Dan Sullivan, reportedly warning them that energy and development projects in Alaska might suffer as a result.
#The Department of Homeland Security waives environmental and other laws in order to start construction on President Trump's border wall. ]1]
Firearms Factoids
93 - Average number of Americans killed with guns every day.
50 - Women shot dead by an intimate partner in the U.S. in a typical month.
12M - Estimated number of AR-15 assault rifles in the U.S.
50% - Percentage of the world's guns owned by Americans, who make up 5 percent of the world's population.
$8B - Size of the U.S. firearms industry. [2]
The Thin White Line
"Police departments, along with correction departments and even the military, are being infiltrated by racist organizations. One Philadelphia cop, outed after a photo of his tattoos -- including a apparent Nazi 'Party Eagle' beneath the word 'Fatherland' -- showed up on social media." [3]
"However alarming the trend may be, it is not a recent one. Beginning in the Reconstruction era, white supremacists found a home in law enforcement, with many local police forces in the South run by officers affiliated or sympathetic to the Ku Klux Klan." Recently, "at least three Florida police officers over a five-year period were found to have been involved with the Klan.
Across the country, police leaders have repeatedly failed to remove avowed racists from their ranks -- even after they have been exposed. When Philadelphia police refused to fire the cop with the Nazi tattoo, the department explained: 'As long as you'e not violating public trust, it's very difficult to police.' " [3]
Political Protest Worse Than Treason
In regard to National Football League players kneeling or raising a fist during the playing of the National Anthem, President Trump tweeted: "The NFL has all sorts of rules and regulations. The only way out for them is to set a rule that you can't kneel during our National Anthem!" To President Trump, keeling in sorrow -- at police brutality -- is both a sign of disrespect for the rules of the game and a desecration of the American flag.
"The first concern is that executive power is being used to interfere in contract relations between private parties. " "Trump's tweeted injunction, moreover, was deployed by a head of state against citizens whose political views he doesn't like." One "shouldn't have to give up basic civil rights in deference to a service or employment contract." [4]
President Trump has repeatedly equated "taking a knee" with desecration of the American flag. "Of course, the Supreme Court has ruled more than once that disrespecting or outright destroying the flag isn't a punishable offense -- and expatriation has been deemed 'cruel and unusual punishment' even for wartime desertion." [5]
Footnotes
[1] Paul Rauber, "Deconstruction and Delay," Sierra, November/December 2017.
[2] Sarah Aziza, "DC By the Numbers," The Nation, October 23, 2017.
[3] Elizabeth Adetibe, "The Thin White Line," The Nation, October 23, 2017.
[4] Patricia J.Williams, "Citizenship on Its Knees," The Nation, October 23, 2017.
[5] Ibid.
Monday, October 30, 2017
Sunday, October 8, 2017
A Roundup of Happenings of Some Note
*The Trump administration announced it is rolling back an Obamacare rule mandating employers to cover the costs of birth control for women. The new Trump rule includes "any employer, including colleges, universities and health insurance companies," freeing them of following the existing rule. Employers will not have to file anything with the government.
The Kaiser Family Foundation found that the number of women paying out of their pockets for birth control plummeted 21% to just 4% since the Obamacare rule went into effect. The Guttmacher Institute found that Obamacare reduced the unintended pregnancy rate roughly 10% in just three years. The abortion rate is at its lowest point since the procedure became legal nationwide in 1973.
*The Department of Homeland Security says more than 100,000 DACA recipients have applied to renew their work permits ahead of the deadline. The deadline was October 5. The City University of New York had a program to get as many of the renewals done as possible.
*The House Homeland Security Committee approved a border security bill that includes $10 billion for a border wall.
*As the ongoing battle over monuments to Confederate luminaries reveals, the dislodging of tribal symbols comes hard. As it is with the Dixie flag, so now it is with the gun and its accouterments.
*Michigan State Police director Kriste Kibbey Etue called African American athletes in the National Football league "Anti-American degenerates." She has apologized and will probably keep her job.
*U.S. House budget cuts Medicare by nearly $500 billion and Medicaid by up to $1.5 trillion; also, it raises the eligibility age for Medicare to 67.
*Trump October 5 tweet: "Why isn't the Senate Intel Committee looking into the Fake News Networks in OUR country to see why so much of our news is just made up - FAKE!"
Trump October 6 tweet: "Ralph Northam, who is running for Governor of Virginia, is fighting for the violent MS-13 killer gangs & sanctuary cities. Vote Ed Gillespie!"
*Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump moved their personal accounts to computers run by the Trump Organization on either September 26th or 27th. The actions more closely intertwine the Trump administration with Trump's private businesses.
*The Office of Special Counsel has concluded that Nikki Haley violated the Hatch Act by retweeting one of Trump's campaign endorsements.It is the second time that a top Trump aide has run afoul of the Hatch Act. The repost supported Republican House candidate Ralph Norman.
*The Republican National Committee has paid out about $230,000 to Trump lawyers and nearly $200,000 to cover Donald Trump Jr.'s legal bills.
*CNN reported that Michigan and Wisconsin were specifically targeted in a number of Russia-linked Facebook ads. One quarter of the 3,000 Russian-bought ads were targeted to specific geographic locations.
*Mike Pence's chief of staff, Nick Ayers, blasted congressional leaders behind closed doors at an RNC event, held for wealthy donors. He wanted them to get behind Trump's legislative priorities. Thus far, Trump's legislative priorities have been so bad that he can't get them approved by a GOP-dominated Congress.
The Kaiser Family Foundation found that the number of women paying out of their pockets for birth control plummeted 21% to just 4% since the Obamacare rule went into effect. The Guttmacher Institute found that Obamacare reduced the unintended pregnancy rate roughly 10% in just three years. The abortion rate is at its lowest point since the procedure became legal nationwide in 1973.
*The Department of Homeland Security says more than 100,000 DACA recipients have applied to renew their work permits ahead of the deadline. The deadline was October 5. The City University of New York had a program to get as many of the renewals done as possible.
*The House Homeland Security Committee approved a border security bill that includes $10 billion for a border wall.
*As the ongoing battle over monuments to Confederate luminaries reveals, the dislodging of tribal symbols comes hard. As it is with the Dixie flag, so now it is with the gun and its accouterments.
*Michigan State Police director Kriste Kibbey Etue called African American athletes in the National Football league "Anti-American degenerates." She has apologized and will probably keep her job.
*U.S. House budget cuts Medicare by nearly $500 billion and Medicaid by up to $1.5 trillion; also, it raises the eligibility age for Medicare to 67.
*Trump October 5 tweet: "Why isn't the Senate Intel Committee looking into the Fake News Networks in OUR country to see why so much of our news is just made up - FAKE!"
Trump October 6 tweet: "Ralph Northam, who is running for Governor of Virginia, is fighting for the violent MS-13 killer gangs & sanctuary cities. Vote Ed Gillespie!"
*Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump moved their personal accounts to computers run by the Trump Organization on either September 26th or 27th. The actions more closely intertwine the Trump administration with Trump's private businesses.
*The Office of Special Counsel has concluded that Nikki Haley violated the Hatch Act by retweeting one of Trump's campaign endorsements.It is the second time that a top Trump aide has run afoul of the Hatch Act. The repost supported Republican House candidate Ralph Norman.
*The Republican National Committee has paid out about $230,000 to Trump lawyers and nearly $200,000 to cover Donald Trump Jr.'s legal bills.
*CNN reported that Michigan and Wisconsin were specifically targeted in a number of Russia-linked Facebook ads. One quarter of the 3,000 Russian-bought ads were targeted to specific geographic locations.
*Mike Pence's chief of staff, Nick Ayers, blasted congressional leaders behind closed doors at an RNC event, held for wealthy donors. He wanted them to get behind Trump's legislative priorities. Thus far, Trump's legislative priorities have been so bad that he can't get them approved by a GOP-dominated Congress.
Tuesday, October 3, 2017
Yemen War Resolution
Peace Action, the nation's largest grassroots peace and justice organization, released the following statement on the Yemen war resolution, introduced by Representatives Ro Khanna (D-CA), Thomas Massie (R-KY), Mark Pocan (D-WI), and Walter Jones (R-NC). The resolution invokes the War Powers Act with a bipartisan bill (H.Con.Res. 81) to end the Saudi war in Yemen.
"For two and a half years, the U.S. has been fueling Yemen's civil war with military support to Saudi Arabia for an intervention that was never debated or authorized by Congress. Most American taxpayers don't realize they've been footing the bill for mid-air refuelings of Saudi coalition warplanes that regularly bomb civilian targets in Yemen. With U.S. support, the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen has helped give rise to one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes ever, and this resolution offers a chance to end that support.
"Besides the U.S. supporting what exerts call war crimes by Saudi Arabia, Riyadh's actions are making Americans less safe by strengthening Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).
"This privileged resolution will force members of Congress to go on record, many for the first time, on the question of whether or not we should be backing a coalition that's demonstrated an intractable disregard for human rights and the most basic laws of war. To vote for continuing U.S. support is to vote for more indiscriminate bombings of schools, marketplaces, and hospitals in one of the world's poorest nations, and at the expense of American taxpayers and U.S. national security interests. This is another push for Congress to take back its Constitutional authority to declare war, that for political expediency it has handed over to the President. Voters will be watching."
ADDENDUMS:
*Article 2, paragraph 4 of the UN Charter reads: "All members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations." When President Trump vowed to bring about the total destruction of North Korea in his UN speech, he was violating the UN Charter.
*Trump said on Alabama radio's "Rick and Bubba Show" that: "They [GOP senators] pander and grandstand."
*A CBS poll taken last month found that only 29% approve of Trump's handling of healthcare, while 62% disapprove.
*Trump tweet: "The booing at the NFL football game last night, when the entire Dallas team dropped to its knees, was the loudest I have ever heard. Great anger."
*Trump September 24 tweet: "Just heard Foreign Minister of North Korea speak at U.N.. If he echoes thoughts of Little Rocket Man, they won't be around much longer."
*President Trump has decided to allow the resettlement of no more than 45,000 refugees next year. There are more than 22 million refugees in the world.
"For two and a half years, the U.S. has been fueling Yemen's civil war with military support to Saudi Arabia for an intervention that was never debated or authorized by Congress. Most American taxpayers don't realize they've been footing the bill for mid-air refuelings of Saudi coalition warplanes that regularly bomb civilian targets in Yemen. With U.S. support, the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen has helped give rise to one of the worst humanitarian catastrophes ever, and this resolution offers a chance to end that support.
"Besides the U.S. supporting what exerts call war crimes by Saudi Arabia, Riyadh's actions are making Americans less safe by strengthening Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).
"This privileged resolution will force members of Congress to go on record, many for the first time, on the question of whether or not we should be backing a coalition that's demonstrated an intractable disregard for human rights and the most basic laws of war. To vote for continuing U.S. support is to vote for more indiscriminate bombings of schools, marketplaces, and hospitals in one of the world's poorest nations, and at the expense of American taxpayers and U.S. national security interests. This is another push for Congress to take back its Constitutional authority to declare war, that for political expediency it has handed over to the President. Voters will be watching."
ADDENDUMS:
*Article 2, paragraph 4 of the UN Charter reads: "All members shall refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations." When President Trump vowed to bring about the total destruction of North Korea in his UN speech, he was violating the UN Charter.
*Trump said on Alabama radio's "Rick and Bubba Show" that: "They [GOP senators] pander and grandstand."
*A CBS poll taken last month found that only 29% approve of Trump's handling of healthcare, while 62% disapprove.
*Trump tweet: "The booing at the NFL football game last night, when the entire Dallas team dropped to its knees, was the loudest I have ever heard. Great anger."
*Trump September 24 tweet: "Just heard Foreign Minister of North Korea speak at U.N.. If he echoes thoughts of Little Rocket Man, they won't be around much longer."
*President Trump has decided to allow the resettlement of no more than 45,000 refugees next year. There are more than 22 million refugees in the world.
Friday, September 22, 2017
A Compendium of Graham-Cassidy Flaws
Reports are that many U.S. Senators will be voting on Graham-Cassidy without knowing what is in the bill. Following is a handy-dandy compendium of what is in the bill and what are some likely outcomes:
1.) A line in the G-C bill says that it "intends to maintain access to adequate and affordable health insurance for individuals with preexisting conditions." Healthcare analysts and industry groups contend that significant leeway is given to DHHS and states to determine the definition of "adequate and affordable." The Center for American Progress, using data that the Centers for Medicine and Medicaid Services (CMS) employs to calculate transfers between insurers based on enrollees' expected costs -- the risk adjustment program -- and applied to a 40-year-old, finds that asthma would draw a premium surcharge of $4,340; $5,600 for diabetes; $17,320 for pregnancy; $26,580 for rheumatoid arthritis; and $142,650 for metastatic cancer.
The waiver provision is similar to the so-called "MacArthur amendment" in the House-passed repeal bill, of which the CBO found that states accounting for 1/6th of the nation's population would choose to let insurers charge higher premiums based on health status; also, states accounting for half the nation's population would choose to let insurers exclude essential health benefits.
The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association has said of G-C: "The bill contains provisions that would allow states to waive key consumer protections, as well as undermine safeguards for those with pre-existing medical conditions."
2.) The states would be allowed to let insurers exclude essential health benefits. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, before the ACA introduced the requirement that all plans cover a defined set of basic services, 75% of individual market plans excluded maternity coverage; 45% excluded substance use treatment, and 38% excluded mental health care.
Allowing insurers to exclude basic service coverage should mean a significant rise in the millions now considered to be under-insured.
3.) States will be allowed to remove the protections that prevented insurance companies from putting lifetime caps on how much they spend on someone.
4.) The cap on federal Medicaid funding will cause states to cut back on traditional Medicaid funding.
5.)Insurers are not compensated for the reductions they must make in deductibles and other cost-sharing for low-income enrollees.
6.) There is no provision for revoking funding to a state if it fails to meet its commitments.
7.) The entire block-grant program depends on private insured participation. Insurers would face 50 different state regulatory and financing systems.
8.) Those states that have not accepted ACA funding and have not set up a system of exchanges, would be hard-pressed to put together a coverage program over the next two years. Medical organizations are saying that passage of G-C would destabilize the insurance markets.
9.) The elimination of the individual mandate removes the incentive for healthy people to purchase insurance, causing insurers to hike premiums and deductibles in order to survive economically.
10.) The fact that federal Medicaid funding goes only through 2026 under the G-C, means that a future Congress could fund Medicaid at a lower level or even end it.
11.) Limiting ourselves to the state of Georgia, the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute estimates that about 400,000 Georgians receive marketplace subsidies. Nearly 1.8 million Georgians, or 29% of the state's population, carry a preexisting condition. The consulting firm Avelere Health says Georgia will lose $48 billion in federal funding from 2020 to 2036 if G-C becomes law.
1.) A line in the G-C bill says that it "intends to maintain access to adequate and affordable health insurance for individuals with preexisting conditions." Healthcare analysts and industry groups contend that significant leeway is given to DHHS and states to determine the definition of "adequate and affordable." The Center for American Progress, using data that the Centers for Medicine and Medicaid Services (CMS) employs to calculate transfers between insurers based on enrollees' expected costs -- the risk adjustment program -- and applied to a 40-year-old, finds that asthma would draw a premium surcharge of $4,340; $5,600 for diabetes; $17,320 for pregnancy; $26,580 for rheumatoid arthritis; and $142,650 for metastatic cancer.
The waiver provision is similar to the so-called "MacArthur amendment" in the House-passed repeal bill, of which the CBO found that states accounting for 1/6th of the nation's population would choose to let insurers charge higher premiums based on health status; also, states accounting for half the nation's population would choose to let insurers exclude essential health benefits.
The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association has said of G-C: "The bill contains provisions that would allow states to waive key consumer protections, as well as undermine safeguards for those with pre-existing medical conditions."
2.) The states would be allowed to let insurers exclude essential health benefits. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, before the ACA introduced the requirement that all plans cover a defined set of basic services, 75% of individual market plans excluded maternity coverage; 45% excluded substance use treatment, and 38% excluded mental health care.
Allowing insurers to exclude basic service coverage should mean a significant rise in the millions now considered to be under-insured.
3.) States will be allowed to remove the protections that prevented insurance companies from putting lifetime caps on how much they spend on someone.
4.) The cap on federal Medicaid funding will cause states to cut back on traditional Medicaid funding.
5.)Insurers are not compensated for the reductions they must make in deductibles and other cost-sharing for low-income enrollees.
6.) There is no provision for revoking funding to a state if it fails to meet its commitments.
7.) The entire block-grant program depends on private insured participation. Insurers would face 50 different state regulatory and financing systems.
8.) Those states that have not accepted ACA funding and have not set up a system of exchanges, would be hard-pressed to put together a coverage program over the next two years. Medical organizations are saying that passage of G-C would destabilize the insurance markets.
9.) The elimination of the individual mandate removes the incentive for healthy people to purchase insurance, causing insurers to hike premiums and deductibles in order to survive economically.
10.) The fact that federal Medicaid funding goes only through 2026 under the G-C, means that a future Congress could fund Medicaid at a lower level or even end it.
11.) Limiting ourselves to the state of Georgia, the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute estimates that about 400,000 Georgians receive marketplace subsidies. Nearly 1.8 million Georgians, or 29% of the state's population, carry a preexisting condition. The consulting firm Avelere Health says Georgia will lose $48 billion in federal funding from 2020 to 2036 if G-C becomes law.
Tuesday, September 19, 2017
Trump Legal Setbacks: Real and Potential
The judiciary seems to be the only branch of the government that can put any meaningfully restraint on President Donald Trump; although an argument can be made that despite their numerical weakness, Democratic lawmakers have been able to wrest policy victories from the GOP and Trump.
The Trump administration has suffered losses in two recent court decisions.
#U.S. District Judge Harry D. Leinenweber has ruled that Attorney General Jeff Sessions cannot withhold public safety grant money to sanctuary cities. Judge Leinenweber said that the city of Chicago has shown a "likelihood of success" in arguing that Sessions exceeded his authority with the new conditions.
#The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the U.S. Bureau of Land Management must provide more data to support its argument that coal makes no net contribution to climate change after it's burned in power plants.
#When Sarah Hucklebee Sanders advocated the firing by ESPN of a reporter who labeled Trump as a white supremist, she may have broken a law. 18 U.S. Code #227 makes it a crime to wrongfully influence "a private entity's employment decisions by a Member of Congress or an officer or an employee of the legislative or executive branch." The penalty could be imprisonment for up to fifteen years. (The law includes the President).
Sanders also advocated the firing of former FBI Director James Comey. Since Comey could be a witness in the investigation of Russian meddling in U.S. affairs, this could be considered to be a case of witness intimidation and/or obstruction of justice. If President Trump put her up to it, he could be subject to prosecution.
#President Trump retweeted a video showing Trump or a stand-in for him hitting a golf ball that hits Hillary Clinton in the back and knocks her down. Tweeters have lambasted him on several grounds, but the best one to me labels his retweet as "juvenile." It is disconcerting to have a juvenile as president.
#On September 17, Trump tweeted: "I spoke with President Moon of South Korea last night. Asked him how Rocket Man was doing." He also wrote: "Long gas lines forming in North Korea. Too bad!" Few North Koreans own cars, and private travel inside the isolated country is extremely restricted. Also, the last two rounds of U.N. sanctions imposed on North Korea did not include an oil embargo after China objected.
#Sam Clovis, a non-scientist nominated to be the chief scientist of the Department of Agriculture, has called climate change, "junk science."
*In June 2017, there were some 225,000 open construction jobs in the U.S., up 31 percent from June 2016. Houston must find places to stay for the tens of thousands of construction workers needed and will need to pay then above-market wages, because it will need to lure them away from existing jobs.
*A Tulane and University of California, Berkeley, found that some 100,000 Hispanic workers thronged into the Gulf Coast region in the wake of Katrina, many of them undocumented.
#Word is leaking out of the White House that President Trump may soften his position on the Paris Agreement on climate change. It is a grave mistake for anyone to get too excited because Trump has adopted a position on an issue dear to one's heart. Wait awhile and Trump may adopt a position completely opposite to the earlier one. Consider that early this year Trump assured Dreamers that he has a "great heart" and they could "rest easy" regarding any chance their status might be changed. Then he delighted his hard-core supporters by putting an end to DACA. That was followed by his sending to Congress the task of constructing a solution. That was followed by his "deal" with the Democratic leaders in the House and Senate to, at least, not deport the Dreamers. Although Trump had effectively agreed to let the Dreamers continue to live in the United States as before, "Amnesty Don" tried to extricate himself from his conundrum by saying that he had not embraced amnesty nor a path to citizenship.
#The appalling cruelty of President Trump and GOP lawmakers is illustrated by: 1. Approximately 690,000 dreamers -- 800,000 is the most publicized number but apparently 110,000 Dreamers have forfeited that status -- have been forced to live a life of anxiety, wondering if they will be deported, or, at least, lose their work permits; and 2. GOP lawmakers have kept tens of millions of those insured under the Affordable Care Act in fear of losing their coverage by offering variant after variant of demon health care bills.
It is also worthy of mention in these measurements of cruel disregard that President Trump has kept 11 million undocumented immigrants on tenterhooks and many sleepless nights, as they worry about being deported, or family members, relatives or friends being deported, while they stay behind.
The Trump administration has suffered losses in two recent court decisions.
#U.S. District Judge Harry D. Leinenweber has ruled that Attorney General Jeff Sessions cannot withhold public safety grant money to sanctuary cities. Judge Leinenweber said that the city of Chicago has shown a "likelihood of success" in arguing that Sessions exceeded his authority with the new conditions.
#The 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the U.S. Bureau of Land Management must provide more data to support its argument that coal makes no net contribution to climate change after it's burned in power plants.
#When Sarah Hucklebee Sanders advocated the firing by ESPN of a reporter who labeled Trump as a white supremist, she may have broken a law. 18 U.S. Code #227 makes it a crime to wrongfully influence "a private entity's employment decisions by a Member of Congress or an officer or an employee of the legislative or executive branch." The penalty could be imprisonment for up to fifteen years. (The law includes the President).
Sanders also advocated the firing of former FBI Director James Comey. Since Comey could be a witness in the investigation of Russian meddling in U.S. affairs, this could be considered to be a case of witness intimidation and/or obstruction of justice. If President Trump put her up to it, he could be subject to prosecution.
#President Trump retweeted a video showing Trump or a stand-in for him hitting a golf ball that hits Hillary Clinton in the back and knocks her down. Tweeters have lambasted him on several grounds, but the best one to me labels his retweet as "juvenile." It is disconcerting to have a juvenile as president.
#On September 17, Trump tweeted: "I spoke with President Moon of South Korea last night. Asked him how Rocket Man was doing." He also wrote: "Long gas lines forming in North Korea. Too bad!" Few North Koreans own cars, and private travel inside the isolated country is extremely restricted. Also, the last two rounds of U.N. sanctions imposed on North Korea did not include an oil embargo after China objected.
#Sam Clovis, a non-scientist nominated to be the chief scientist of the Department of Agriculture, has called climate change, "junk science."
*In June 2017, there were some 225,000 open construction jobs in the U.S., up 31 percent from June 2016. Houston must find places to stay for the tens of thousands of construction workers needed and will need to pay then above-market wages, because it will need to lure them away from existing jobs.
*A Tulane and University of California, Berkeley, found that some 100,000 Hispanic workers thronged into the Gulf Coast region in the wake of Katrina, many of them undocumented.
#Word is leaking out of the White House that President Trump may soften his position on the Paris Agreement on climate change. It is a grave mistake for anyone to get too excited because Trump has adopted a position on an issue dear to one's heart. Wait awhile and Trump may adopt a position completely opposite to the earlier one. Consider that early this year Trump assured Dreamers that he has a "great heart" and they could "rest easy" regarding any chance their status might be changed. Then he delighted his hard-core supporters by putting an end to DACA. That was followed by his sending to Congress the task of constructing a solution. That was followed by his "deal" with the Democratic leaders in the House and Senate to, at least, not deport the Dreamers. Although Trump had effectively agreed to let the Dreamers continue to live in the United States as before, "Amnesty Don" tried to extricate himself from his conundrum by saying that he had not embraced amnesty nor a path to citizenship.
#The appalling cruelty of President Trump and GOP lawmakers is illustrated by: 1. Approximately 690,000 dreamers -- 800,000 is the most publicized number but apparently 110,000 Dreamers have forfeited that status -- have been forced to live a life of anxiety, wondering if they will be deported, or, at least, lose their work permits; and 2. GOP lawmakers have kept tens of millions of those insured under the Affordable Care Act in fear of losing their coverage by offering variant after variant of demon health care bills.
It is also worthy of mention in these measurements of cruel disregard that President Trump has kept 11 million undocumented immigrants on tenterhooks and many sleepless nights, as they worry about being deported, or family members, relatives or friends being deported, while they stay behind.
Friday, September 15, 2017
Continuation of Excerpts From the Book Authored by Donald Jeffries
p. 40 - Only 3 percent of students at the top 146 colleges come for families in the bottom income quartile. Only 10 percent come from the bottom half.
p. 48 - A study by former Sen. Tom Coburn found that 4,000 millionaires paid no federal income tax in 2011.
p. 57 - Based on a February 2012 survey by the Salvation Army, some 27 percent of Americans think the poor are lazy and 43 percent said they believed "people living in poverty can always find a job if they really want to work."
p. 98 - The Institute for College Access and Success estimates that the number of college graduates in the U.S. working minimum wage jobs has risen by nearly 71 percent over the past decade.
p. 111 - Hewlett Packard CEO Meg Whitman, with a net worth of $1.7 billion, was paid over $15 million in 2012, while her company was eliminating nearly 30,000 jobs.
p. 113 - The Urban Institute said in 2010 that 3.5 million Americans, or about 1 percent of the population, had been homeless for a significant period of time.
p. 148 - CBS News reported on April 5, 2013 that "Roughly a third of U.S. states today jail people for not paying off their debts, from court-related fines and fees to credit cards and car loans." The Georgia-based Judicial Corrections Services, a private probation firm, piles additional fees on top of the defendant's debts.
p. 163 - Oil Change International estimates that the federal government provides the oil companies with as much as a trillion dollars in annual subsidies.
p. 172 - Bankruptcy has long been a tool that the rich employ, and the laws are such that it invariably works to their benefit.
p. 218 - Recent Social Security statistics show that 51 percent of American workers made less than $28,851 in 2014 and 40 percent made less than $20,000. In 2014, 71 percent made less than $50,000.
p. 219 - The 2016 Oxfam report revealed that the richest 62 individuals in the world possess as much wealth as the bottom half of humanity.
p. 220 - An AP 2013 study found that: "Four out of five U.S. adults struggle with joblessness, near-poverty or reliance on welfare for at least parts of their lives."
ADDENDUM:
* Mexico has pulled back from its offer of aid to the U.S. after the U.S. snubbed it for aid for the damage caused by the massive earthquake and Hurricane Katia, when it hit the Gulf states of Veracruz. The Mexican government noted that the U.S. embassy had taken nine days to respond to its formal offer.
p. 48 - A study by former Sen. Tom Coburn found that 4,000 millionaires paid no federal income tax in 2011.
p. 57 - Based on a February 2012 survey by the Salvation Army, some 27 percent of Americans think the poor are lazy and 43 percent said they believed "people living in poverty can always find a job if they really want to work."
p. 98 - The Institute for College Access and Success estimates that the number of college graduates in the U.S. working minimum wage jobs has risen by nearly 71 percent over the past decade.
p. 111 - Hewlett Packard CEO Meg Whitman, with a net worth of $1.7 billion, was paid over $15 million in 2012, while her company was eliminating nearly 30,000 jobs.
p. 113 - The Urban Institute said in 2010 that 3.5 million Americans, or about 1 percent of the population, had been homeless for a significant period of time.
p. 148 - CBS News reported on April 5, 2013 that "Roughly a third of U.S. states today jail people for not paying off their debts, from court-related fines and fees to credit cards and car loans." The Georgia-based Judicial Corrections Services, a private probation firm, piles additional fees on top of the defendant's debts.
p. 163 - Oil Change International estimates that the federal government provides the oil companies with as much as a trillion dollars in annual subsidies.
p. 172 - Bankruptcy has long been a tool that the rich employ, and the laws are such that it invariably works to their benefit.
p. 218 - Recent Social Security statistics show that 51 percent of American workers made less than $28,851 in 2014 and 40 percent made less than $20,000. In 2014, 71 percent made less than $50,000.
p. 219 - The 2016 Oxfam report revealed that the richest 62 individuals in the world possess as much wealth as the bottom half of humanity.
p. 220 - An AP 2013 study found that: "Four out of five U.S. adults struggle with joblessness, near-poverty or reliance on welfare for at least parts of their lives."
ADDENDUM:
* Mexico has pulled back from its offer of aid to the U.S. after the U.S. snubbed it for aid for the damage caused by the massive earthquake and Hurricane Katia, when it hit the Gulf states of Veracruz. The Mexican government noted that the U.S. embassy had taken nine days to respond to its formal offer.
Thursday, September 14, 2017
A Fact-Filled Look at U.S. Economic Conditions
Donald Jeffries has written a book filled with facts and figures to illustrate how the richest have survived in the United States. Since the book lends itself to a summary of information, I will not use word-for-word quotations.. These are selective excerpts of what I feel is important information.
The book reference is: Donald Jeffries, "Survival of the Richest" (New York: Skyhorse Publishing, 2017).
p. xiii - A 2013 survey from Bankrate found that 76 percent of Americans are now officially living paycheck-to-paycheck. The survey found that only one-fourth possess enough money in savings to cover at least six months of expenses, cushion the loss of a job or unexpected illness, or deal with an emergency. 50 percent had less than three months of savings and 27 percent had no savings at all. A 2015 survey from GoBanking Rates found that 62 percent had less than $1,000 in savings.
In an article in the March 1, 2013 Minimum Wage Union Workers of America blog, after adjusting for inflation, 90 percent of Americans were earning less than what minimum wage workers made in 1950. When factoring in the productivity rate, the minimum wage should have been $28.56 per hour in 2010.
p. xv - The Census Bureau says 146 million Americans are either poor or low-income. The wealthiest 1 percent have more wealth than the bottom 90 percent combined. U.S. families with a head of household under age 30 have a 37 percent poverty rate.
p. xvi - The wealthiest 10 percent control 76 percent of the wealth and the top 50 percent control 99 percent.
p. 5 - By 2016, 'average' salary of major league baseball players was $4.4 million a year; an 'average' of $5.2 million for NBA players; an 'average' of $2.5 million for NHL players; and an 'average' of $2.1 million for NFL players.
p. 6- According to the Credit Swiss Global Wealth Databook, by the end of 2013, 75.4 percent of all wealth in the U.S. belonged to the richest 10 percent, and the bottom 90 percent owned only 24.6 percent of aggregate wealth.
p. 7 - Lloyd C. Blankfein, CEO of Goldman Sachs, received over $70 million in compensation in 2008, and his company received $10 billion in the bailout. J.P. Moran Chase's James S. Dimon earned nearly $28 million, while his company had received $25 billion in the bailout. Nine banks awarded bonuses of nearly $33 billion in 2008, and six of the nine paid out more in bonuses than they earned in profits.
p. 8 - Citigroup, which received 25 percent of the bailout money going to the nine banks, paid $98.9 million in compensation to Andrew Hall, head of their energy-trading unit.
p. 9 - GE, which paid no tax in 2010, paid an average of just 1/8th of a percent in taxes between 2002 and 2011.
By 2015, the ratio of CEO pay to worker pay was 204 to 1.
p. 12 - A Pew poll found that 43 percent of Americans born in the bottom fifth of the economic ladder never move up at all, and 70 percent never reach the middle rung.
The top 1 percent own half of all stocks in the country, while the bottom 50 percent own .5 percent of them, according to the Institute for Policy Studies. The 1 percent has only 5 percent of the collective personal debt.
p. 17 - Over 90 percent of small businesses have yearly revenues of less than $250,000. "Small Business Trends" reports that the "typical new business" in the U.S. is no longer in business five years after being founded. A 2014 study by Barclays found that only 21 percent of millionaires in the U.S. cited a business deal or profit as their source of wealth, versus 40 percent from around the world. The Wall Street Journal researched 60 big U.S. corporations and said they were keeping over 40 percent of their annual profits out of the country.
p. 18 - At a May 2013 Senate hearing, Apple revealed it had paid only 2 percent tax on its estimated $74 billion in profits.
p. 22 - Average compensation for a board of directors member at S & P 500 companies had risen to $276,667 by 2015.
I will continue with these excerpts from Donald Jeffries's book in my next blog.
The book reference is: Donald Jeffries, "Survival of the Richest" (New York: Skyhorse Publishing, 2017).
p. xiii - A 2013 survey from Bankrate found that 76 percent of Americans are now officially living paycheck-to-paycheck. The survey found that only one-fourth possess enough money in savings to cover at least six months of expenses, cushion the loss of a job or unexpected illness, or deal with an emergency. 50 percent had less than three months of savings and 27 percent had no savings at all. A 2015 survey from GoBanking Rates found that 62 percent had less than $1,000 in savings.
In an article in the March 1, 2013 Minimum Wage Union Workers of America blog, after adjusting for inflation, 90 percent of Americans were earning less than what minimum wage workers made in 1950. When factoring in the productivity rate, the minimum wage should have been $28.56 per hour in 2010.
p. xv - The Census Bureau says 146 million Americans are either poor or low-income. The wealthiest 1 percent have more wealth than the bottom 90 percent combined. U.S. families with a head of household under age 30 have a 37 percent poverty rate.
p. xvi - The wealthiest 10 percent control 76 percent of the wealth and the top 50 percent control 99 percent.
p. 5 - By 2016, 'average' salary of major league baseball players was $4.4 million a year; an 'average' of $5.2 million for NBA players; an 'average' of $2.5 million for NHL players; and an 'average' of $2.1 million for NFL players.
p. 6- According to the Credit Swiss Global Wealth Databook, by the end of 2013, 75.4 percent of all wealth in the U.S. belonged to the richest 10 percent, and the bottom 90 percent owned only 24.6 percent of aggregate wealth.
p. 7 - Lloyd C. Blankfein, CEO of Goldman Sachs, received over $70 million in compensation in 2008, and his company received $10 billion in the bailout. J.P. Moran Chase's James S. Dimon earned nearly $28 million, while his company had received $25 billion in the bailout. Nine banks awarded bonuses of nearly $33 billion in 2008, and six of the nine paid out more in bonuses than they earned in profits.
p. 8 - Citigroup, which received 25 percent of the bailout money going to the nine banks, paid $98.9 million in compensation to Andrew Hall, head of their energy-trading unit.
p. 9 - GE, which paid no tax in 2010, paid an average of just 1/8th of a percent in taxes between 2002 and 2011.
By 2015, the ratio of CEO pay to worker pay was 204 to 1.
p. 12 - A Pew poll found that 43 percent of Americans born in the bottom fifth of the economic ladder never move up at all, and 70 percent never reach the middle rung.
The top 1 percent own half of all stocks in the country, while the bottom 50 percent own .5 percent of them, according to the Institute for Policy Studies. The 1 percent has only 5 percent of the collective personal debt.
p. 17 - Over 90 percent of small businesses have yearly revenues of less than $250,000. "Small Business Trends" reports that the "typical new business" in the U.S. is no longer in business five years after being founded. A 2014 study by Barclays found that only 21 percent of millionaires in the U.S. cited a business deal or profit as their source of wealth, versus 40 percent from around the world. The Wall Street Journal researched 60 big U.S. corporations and said they were keeping over 40 percent of their annual profits out of the country.
p. 18 - At a May 2013 Senate hearing, Apple revealed it had paid only 2 percent tax on its estimated $74 billion in profits.
p. 22 - Average compensation for a board of directors member at S & P 500 companies had risen to $276,667 by 2015.
I will continue with these excerpts from Donald Jeffries's book in my next blog.
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