This week at progressive state blogs is designed specifically to focus attention on the writing and analysis of people focused on their home turf. Let me know via comments or Kosmail if you have a favorite state- or city-based blog you think I should be watching. Here is the January 14 edition. Inclusion of a blog post does not necessarily indicate my agreement with—or endorsement of—its contents.
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Jack McCullough at the Green Mountain Daily of Vermont writes—What a day yesterday!
The streets were full around the world. Millions of people came out to protest against the Pussy-Grabber in Chief. Led by women, but men, women, and children were everywhere.
I’ve been going to marches and demonstrations for almost fifty years, and the feeling in Montpelier yesterday was about the greatest I’ve ever experienced. Plus, we had 15-20,000 people on the streets of Montpelier, double the population of the city. Probably the biggest political gathering ever in the state of Vermont.
I think it’s entirely appropriate to just bask in the good feeling for a bit, but I also have some random thoughts about the event.
The first person I saw there was our own NanuqFC, another long-time activist, and we noticed the same thing: we didn’t know most of the people there. This was not the usual suspects. I am sure that for many of the people there, and not just the ones who were six months old, this was their first demonstration. What a great thing, especially if we can get them to stay involved.
Second, intersectionality has come to Vermont. Listen to the speakers and watch the people in the crowd and intersectionality and diversity were front and center.
Third (okay, this is a lighter note), the signs. Tons of homemade signs full of humor, hope, anger, and idiosyncrasy. Plus, unlike the Tea Party and Trump supporters, we know how to spell. [...]
Staff at Capital & Main of California write—Andrew Puzder’s 16-Year Record of Discrimination Lawsuits:
Today, 10 days before Andrew Puzder’s Senate confirmation hearing on his nomination for U.S. Secretary of Labor, Capital & Main releases the results of its investigations into the corporation he has led since 2000. Our stories show that CKE Restaurants, Inc., the parent company of Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s fast-food chains, has been the target of an unusually high number of employee lawsuits, including complaints alleging racial and age discrimination, and sexual harassment. We present our findings in three stories:
Robin Urevich reports on federal racial discrimination and sexual harassment claims filed against CKE and its franchisees, which, she writes, “read like stories from the 1940s or ’50s, before civil rights laws were ever enacted.”
Dean Kuipers examines a trail of accusations, filed in court, in which veteran CKE managers alleged they were fired for no other reason than that their age or health had made them too inconvenient for the company to continue to employ.
Danny Feingold explains the numbers behind CKE’s position as the leading hamburger chain in discrimination lawsuits.
Tom Cormons at Appalachian Voices writes—Defending our vision for Appalachia:
In our view, the new administration’s approach to environmental protection and national energy policy is dangerously shortsighted and could lead to long-lasting harm to communities and our natural heritage — perhaps in Appalachia most of all. We are determined to defend against regulatory rollbacks that compromise Appalachia’s future and to continue building on the progress we’ve made in recent years.
By every indication, Trump is entering the White House motivated to undo President Obama’s environmental legacy without considering the consequences. Appalachian Voices is prepared to take on the serious threats to the safeguards that protect human health, our region’s landscapes, air and water, and the global climate.
We watched closely as Trump’s picks to lead the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Department of the Interior, Department of Energy and Department of State were peppered during their confirmation hearings with pointed questions about their records and qualifications. Few of their answers passed muster or even came close to counterbalancing the pro-fossil fuel, anti-environmental and unscientific rhetoric that was a hallmark of Trump’s campaign.
Our federal agencies play an essential role in enforcing broadly supported environmental laws. How they prioritize things like investments in clean energy or measure the climate impacts of infrastructure projects such as oil and gas pipelines will be more important than ever in the coming years. [...]
We will do everything we can to see that the laws protecting our natural heritage are enforced. And we’ll be a key part of the massive resistance that the administration will face when it attempts to roll back these protections.
Shelby Steuart at Better Georgia writes—Rethinking Georgia’s death penalty:
A group of Georgia conservatives are calling for a “re-think” of the death penalty. At this point, however, they don’t have plans to call to end it. In 2016, the amount of people put to death was the lowest it’s been in 25 years in the U.S., but Georgia and Texas accounted for 80 percent of the nation’s deaths, with Georgia executing more prisoners than any other state.
Rep. Brett Harrell (R-Snellville), a member of the group called Georgia Conservatives Concerned About the Death Penalty, listed some of his reasons for being part of the group in a statement. He said, “Many individuals have been wrongly convicted and sentenced to die. Meanwhile, taxpayers are forced to pay for this risky government program, even though it costs far more than life without parole.”
The death penalty does cost far more than life without parole. In a 2008 case in Georgia, the decision to seek the death penalty cost the state more than 3 million dollars.
On average, pursuing the death penalty in court costs taxpayers twice as much as life in prison including the prison time. A study in Oregon found that “61 death sentences handed down in Oregon cost taxpayers an average of $2.3 million, including incarceration costs, while a comparison group of 313 aggravated murder cases cost an average of $1.4 million.”
Georgia’s death row, like many across the nation, is also disproportionately African American — 50 percent of death row convicts are black.
Ed Heinzelman at Blogging Blue of Wisconsin writes—Maybe Trump Can Sell Naming Rights to “The Wall”:
We’re on the hook and it’s gonna be a whopping big bill! [...]
Although the expense won’t actually be the biggest issue. That will be the acquisition of the property from uncooperative land owners, environment issues like rivers and mountains, and the availability of building materials.
The analysts predicted the wall would be 40 feet tall and 1,000 miles long, go 7 feet underground (to prevent tunneling), and be 10 inches thick. The simplest construction material to use would be concrete, according to the analysts — and based on concrete prices and the estimated size of the wall, that cost alone would be around $700 million.
And guess who the supplier in the area best equipped to provide the amount of cement needed? CEMEX…the Mexican cement company! Go figure. I don’t think that fits in with the presidents Buy American slogan.
So what would any other government agency do when building a public structure? Sell naming rights!
My suggestion would be to involve Taco Bell…Run to the border!
Trish Nelson at Blog for Iowa writes—Republican Health Care “Replacement” Is YOU Pay:
Sure, it’s easy to save up for that cancer surgery, chemotherapy, and 30 radiation treatments. The cost of one bout with cancer probably would cost many people more than a few years annual salary. I had a cancer scare a few years ago and the chemo portion alone cost was $8,000 per day. You can imagine the final cost. Even though we have employer health insurance, the out of pocket co-pays alone were burdensome. But you just have to be a bit more frugal according to the Republican plan.
Grassley and Ernst think they have a mandate to wipe out Obamacare (ACA) and replace it with nothing they’ve thought of yet. They haven’t figured out what yet because they haven’t had enough time to think about it, apparently. Let’s face it, they are unconcerned about health care for the people or they would have a plan already.
When you contact Grassley and Ernst, don’t forget to ask if they too will be using the new GOP plan or if they will continue to enjoy actual health insurance coverage that we the tax payers are providing them.
“We all need to understand this: First, for those who are confused, the Affordable Care Act ‘ACA’ is the same thing as ‘Obamacare.'”
Now, when Trump or Paul Ryan say they want to replace the ACA with ‘Health Savings Accounts’ (HSAs), they are also saying they want to replace Obamacare or Medicare or Medicaid with YOU paying for your healthcare.
That means YOU pay for chemotherapy… YOU pay for all surgeries and hospitalization… YOU pay for all your family’s doctor visits, urgent care, ER visits, and prescription drugs out-of-our-pocket.
William Tucker at Miscellany Blue of New Hampshire writes—Burning issue: Bill would ban state financial assistance for anyone who desecrates a flag:
A bill introduced in the New Hampshire House would prohibit anyone who desecrates an American flag or state flag from receiving state funds “including, but not limited to, financial assistance to needy families, food stamps, and tuition assistance.”
If the legislation is enacted, the state would be punishing residents for exercising a constitutionally protected right. The Supreme Court has twice ruled that burning a flag is a type of political expression protected by the First Amendment. “It is poignant but fundamental that the flag protects those who hold it in contempt,” wrote Associate Justice Anthony Kennedy.
“If I were king, I would not allow people to go around burning the American flag. However, we have a First Amendment, which says that the right of free speech shall not be abridged – and it is addressed in particular to speech critical of the government,” the late Associate Justice Antonin Scalia explained in a 2012 interview. “That was the main kind of speech that tyrants would seek to suppress.”
Co-sponsor Rep. Sean Morrison acknowledges flag burning is protected speech, but offers this tortured rationale for the legislation: “Should not we who pay for other people’s welfare not have protection regarding our freedom of speech and expression by not having to pay for people protesting the very government which provides them our money?”
Matt Campbell at the Blue Hog Report of Arkansas writes—Former Hutchinson Employee Demonstrates Exactly Why Women’s March Was Needed:
Did you watch the Women’s March this past Saturday and think to yourself, “man…I wonder what would help Arkansas avoid the same kind of turnout that Washington D.C. and Chicago had?” Did you then skip over the difference in (a) important between D.C. and Arkansas, (b) the population difference between Chicago and any place in Arkansas, and (c) the First Amendment generally, and assume that the answer must be (d) firearm related?
Well, then, you might be Ken Heater Griffin!
Buried in that post, betwixt his lack of understanding of punctuation and his simplistic view of the world generally, Griffin explains that it is only the lack of gun laws similar to those of Arkansas that allowed the “left wing liberal protests” to “happen.”
Because, you know…the fear of being shot by some over-compensating moron like Ken Griffin should be enough, at least in his delusional existence, to keep you “left wing liberal[s]” from having the gall — the unmitigated temerity!!! — to do something as un-American as to peaceably gather and protest.
But who is Ken Heater Griffin, you ask? Well, according to Facebook, he’s a former employee of Gov. Asa Hutchinson. Specifically, he’s the former “Military Advisor” to the Governor.
Kate at Blue Mass Group writes— Activism and Opportunities:
The highs and lows of this past week since the inauguration of the president have been unprecedented. The highs include the Women’s Marches with estimated attendance over five million at registered marches. That doesn’t include small local marches that people organized including those in nursing homes complete with people using canes, walkers and wheelchairs. I don’t think that there is any need for me to talk about the lows.
I am going to focus briefly on two areas in my remarks here today. What can an individual do to make a difference and be part of our resistance? What can Democratic groups do to reach out to newly energized people to get folks involved?
blueThe success of Saturday’s marches is a testament to the power of an individual action in an atmosphere when people want to get involved. A few people posted on facebook the idea of a women’s march on the day following the inauguration. It went viral. But it took much more than a post on facebook to make it happen.
In brief people can make a difference in three overall areas:
• Involvement with the Democratic Party. Caucuses are coming up over the next few months. We are expanding our infrastructure to increase out effectiveness in the upcoming 2018 elections.
• Issue advocacy. Much can be done right now around issue advocacy either through organizations or your own efforts.
• Involvement with campaigns: Elections will be happening in 2017 in every municipality in Massachusetts. We have a Governor’s election and the midterms in 2018.
A silver lining is that people who have not engaged actively in the past are ready to engage. Every event I attend has people who have never participated in a comparable meeting in the past.
What can Democratic groups do to reach out to newly energized people to get people involved? The answer is simple. Do something and tell people about it.
scharrison at BlueNC writes—Fascism Watch: Throwing journalists in prison:
Systematically demolishing the Fourth Estate:
Four more journalists have been charged with felonies after being arrested while covering the unrest around Donald Trump’s inauguration, meaning that at least six media workers are facing up to 10 years in prison and a $25,000 fine if convicted.
Jack Keller, a producer for the web documentary series Story of America, said he was charged and detained for about 36 hours after being kettled by police at 12th and L streets on Friday morning and arrested despite telling officers that he was covering the demonstrations as a journalist. “The way we were treated was an absolute travesty,” said Keller, whose cellphone has been kept by the authorities.
If fascist actions were stocks being traded on Wall Street, this one would be a Bellwether. To wit, one that is a leading indicator of a developing trend, and possibly a driver of that trend. The effort to silence journalists through intimidation has (usually) one goal in mind, the blocking or serious reduction in future scrutiny of government actions, of which the public would likely disapprove. This isn't just an assault on one group of people; it's an assault on everybody, on our right to know what is happening in our country.
Rose Efthim at Blue Jersey writes—Not going to lie. This explosion of progressive activism is hot. YUUUGE.
The Republicans have been preparing for this for a long time, though they probably didn’t expect Donald Trump as their agent of change. This is their moment. But it’s our moment, too.
We didn’t get here by accident. Limbaugh & hate-radio: The Fairness Doctrine was repealed late in the Reagan Administration; it had required public broadcast license-holders to present important issues to the public and give multiple perspectives while doing so. In the next few years, AM radio stations drifted off ‘Top 40’ formats to talk-shows. Rush Limbaugh’s show went national, its self-aggrandizing host pumping out blatant lies and propaganda against Democrats, while simultaneously showering his listeners with compliments on their intelligence for agreeing with him. With the Fairness Doctrine jettisoned, he was longer under any obligation to present correct information. He was free to mischaracterize current events and claim made-up things as though they were facts. By 1990, Limbaugh had the most popular show on radio, with “ditto heads” meeting in bars to listen together. Limbaugh promoted the Persian Gulf War and ridiculed peace activists. And his reach would was growing to 650 stations.
Bill & Hillary and The Republican Revolution [...] Fox News, war based on a lie, and a disintegrating economy [...] Prepping aging white people to become the Tea Party [...] Plenty of money, plenty of propagandists [...] To be clear, the Democratic Party is not safe from criticism [...]
We have our work cut out for us. But in my life, I’ve never seen an explosion of activism like I see now. Across the country and in New Jersey. In my own scarlet-red Hunterdon County this week, more than 175 people showed up to a first organizing meeting of Progressive Hunterdon Democrats. Right now, I’m not convinced my party’s current powers have the balls (or the pussy-power) to know how to organize this fight and not do just what they always do. But they are my sisters and brothers, no matter what, even as our direction must change. And one week into Trump’s presidency, I’m pumped. It’s YUUUGE.
John Michael Spinelli at Plunderbund of Ohio writes—Sen. Brown’s ‘Buy American’ Plan for Public Works, Infrastructure Projects Would Create 13 Million Jobs:
Taking time Tuesday between Senate Finance hearing sessions at which he grilled Georgia Congressman Tom Price, President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown talked to reporters about Ohio’s infrastructure priorities and how his framework for rebuilding and repairing the nation’s infrastructure would create as many as 13 million jobs.
A member of the Senate Finance that was vetting Mr. Price, Ohio’s senior senator took two strafing runs at Price today, pointedly asking him if Trump lied when he said he had discussions with Price, who couldn’t confirm that those discussion had indeed happened.
When the 66-year old senator made it back to his office in the Hart Senate Building to join Youngstown Mayor John McNally IV on today’s call, he discussed a draft a proposal that he and his Democratic colleagues released today. Called “A Blueprint to Rebuild America’s Infrastructure,” the proposal starts the conversation about how the $1 trillion President Donald Trump has promised to invest in American infrastructure would improve the nation’s transportation, water, housing and community infrastructure while creating thousands of construction and manufacturing jobs in Ohio. [...]
On the call, Sen. Brown wasn’t a fan of Trump’s proposal to use tax credits to finance infrastructure projects. Instead, he wants to use “real dollars” instead of tax cuts that benefit the rich. “Trump’s tax plan blows a huge hole” in the deficit, he said, saying he’s ready to work with Trump on $1 trillion to pay for it. “This makes so much sense,” he said, citing that rough roads cause drivers all kinds of costs. “It’s the high cost of doing nothing.”