From the GREAT STATE OF MAINE…
Maine: Laughingstock No More
Good grief. What a couple 'o weeks for Democratic governors, amiright? Gretchen Whitmer in Michigan. Michelle Lujan Grisham in New Mexico.Tony Evers in Wisconsin. Gavin Newsom in California. Tim Walz in Minnesota. Steve Sisolak in Nevada. Jared Polis in Colorado. Ned Lamont in Connecticut. And next week: J.B. Pritzker in Illinois and Laura Kelly in freakin' Kansas. How cool is that?
Here in Maine we're doin' cartwheels over our new guv, Democrat Janet Mills, who replaced the racist, profanity-addicted, down-punching teabagger Paul LePage. She was our attorney general during his reign of error, and caused him endless grief by wielding the law like a rolled-up newspaper. And now that she's in control of the executive branch (with a solidly Democratic legislature in her corner), "Governor Janet" is busy, busy, busy.
She made good on her promise that she would, on Day 1, break the LePage logjam on the ACA-based, voter-mandated expansion of Medicaid. Up to 70,000 low-income Mainers will now have access to health care. That includes treatment for opioid addiction which, unlike her predecessor, she plans to tackle aggressively.
Over half of the state commission nominees she's announced are women. And unlike the cronies and toadies that populated the LePage administration, her picks have "won bipartisan praise, so far, for the qualifications of nominees to lead state agencies."
The first big issue Mills mentioned during her inauguration speech: climate change. Her agenda for going green 'n clean is an environmentalist's dream. In addition to what she plans to do solo, look for some cool multi-state compacts that will compound the results.
And Governor Janet's just getting started. So, yeah. Keep an eye on us---I have a feeling we're going to be blazing some wicked good progressive trails up here in our cozy little laboratory of democracy. And do make plans to visit Vacationland soon. We're in a good mood up here. A really good mood.
Cheers and Jeers starts below the fold...[Swoosh!!] RIGHTNOW! [Gong!!]
Cheers and Jeers for Tuesday, January 8, 2019
Note: Due to the government shutdown, today's note is unattended. We're leaving the gate up anyway, but please try to resist the urge to pee on it. Thank You. ---Mgt.
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By the Numbers:
Days 'til the Disarray of the Union Address: 21
Days 'til the Florida Manatee Festival in Crystal River: 11
Number of states and cities, respectively, that will see minimum-wage hikes in 2019: 20 / 21
Year the House enacted a ban on wearing head coverings on the floor, a rule that was lifted last week to accommodate our new Muslim representatives: 1837
Pounds of Oregon marijuana logged into the Oregon Liquor Control Commission's cannabis tracking system for 2017: 1.3 million
Percent by which Oregon's marijuana tax collections exceeded expectations for the 2017-2018 years: 7%
Cost of a first-class postage stamp starting January 27: 55 cents
Age of Sesame Street as of this year: 50
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Puppy Pic of the Day: Morning boops for all da Kossacks…
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CHEERS, CHEERS, A THOUSAND TIMES CHEERS to Big D Democrats coming to the defense of little d democracy. The Trump Shutdown is sucking up a lot of the oxygen this week, and that's valid only if the coverage focuses on the federal working stiffs who are getting stiffed by the Republicans, not the bullshit "debate" over the stupid wall or fence or whatever the f*ck term Trump is calling it today that will never be built. (Shame on the networks for agreeing to air his 8-minute propaganda belch tonight.) So as the media chase that shiny object around the room, I'll join the chorus of shrill bloggers standing in awe of what the Democratic House leadership rolled out late last week. This is just a partial list from HR 1 (the "For the People Act"), and fair warning: you may need a cigarette after you read it...
✔ Automatic voter registration and same-day voter registration and online voter registration
✔ 15 days of early voting
✔ End gerrymandering by requiring nonpartisan redistricting commissions to draw congressional maps
✔ Voting rights for post-release felons
✔ Prevent voter purges by the states
✔ Public financing for House candidates who don’t take big donations
✔ Tighten rules on dark money
✔ Force disclosure on digital campaign ads
✔ Expand the definition of lobbyist to close a loophole recent members of Congress frequently exploit
✔ Shovel Bill in Portland Maine's driveway (1" accumulation or more)
✔ Require presidential candidates to disclose 10 years of tax returns
✔ Apply conflict-of-interest rules to the president and vice president
Vox calls it "a sweeping anti-corruption measure." Republicans call it "a sweeping we're dead if it passes measure."
JEERS to another rat fleeing the sinking S.S. Dotard. This may not be the kind of exit-stage-right speed record of the likes of Anthony Scaramucci, but it's still pretty lickety-splitty. A few months ago the incompetent hack who served as the Health and Human Services director for former incompetent hack Maine Governor Paul LePage took a job as the Medicaid director for the administration of incompetent hack Donald Trump. It was cause for national alarm, given that both Mary Mayhew’s and Trump's fondest dream is to destroy Medicaid. But less than three months later, Mayhew has already had enough of D.C. and is fleeing the capital to go work for---wait for it---a new incompetent hack:
The former head of Maine’s Department of Health and Human Services and Republican primary candidate for governor in 2018 has resigned to take a position in the administration of thesoon-to-be governor of Florida, Ron DeSantis, the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and DeSantis’ transition office announced. […]
Mayhew will serve as secretary of the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration, DeSantis said in a statement Friday.
The bad news: she's going to do everything in her power, both intentionally and unintentionally, to screw up Florida's health care system even more than it already is. The good news: your last rites are free!
CHEERS to timeless advice. Seventy-eight years ago this week, in 1941, Franklin Roosevelt gave his famous "4 Freedoms" State of the Union speech, including this part:
"[T]here is nothing mysterious about the foundations of a healthy and strong democracy. The basic things expected by our people of their political and economic systems aresimple. They are:
» Equality of opportunity for youth and for others.
» Jobs for those who can work.
» Security for those who need it.
» The ending of special privilege for the few.
» The preservation of civil liberties for all.
» The enjoyment of the fruits of scientific progress in a wider and constantly rising standard of living.
These are the simple, basic things that must never be lost sight of in the turmoil and unbelievable complexity of our modern world."
Read the rest here. And remember, kids: Democrats are shrill.
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Gong! Gong!! BuddaBuddaBudda… GONG!!!
This is a special celebrity edition of The One Word Answer Man. Please give a warm welcome to federal reserve chairman Jerome Powell, who's dipping his toes in the C&J kiddie pool to answer this question posed last week by the moderator of the Muckety Mucks Economic Something Something Forum: “If the president asked you to resign, would you do it?”
"No."
Powell is also buying everyone here a round of drinks. Or, more specifically, the credit card I just swiped from his pants in the locker room is buying everyone here a round of drinks. Maybe two! Now back to Cheers and Jeers.
Gong! Gong!! BuddaBuddaBudda… GONG!!!
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CHEERS to humble beginnings. On January 8,1790, President Washington delivered the first, and deliberately bland, State of the Union address (here's ye olde transcript). Today he'd shock the teabaggers out of their knee socks:
"Uniformity in the currency, weights, and measures of the United States is an object of great importance, and will, I am persuaded, be duly attended to."
That's right---the father of our country wanted to take your currency, weights and measures and redistribute their uniformity to everyone else like a damn card-carrying socialist hippie. Hurry up Mueller---when you’re done with Trump we gotta investigate this guy!
CHEERS to the happy meeting of X and Y chromosomes. Today is National Male Watcher's Day. Seriously…it's a thing. Far be it from me to deny you the simple pleasure of viewing the male form in all its glory, so ogle away:
Don't say I never did anything for you. Like, say, give you nightmares.
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Ten years ago in C&J: January 8, 2009
CHEERS to the news we've all waited eight endless years for. In bright orange pixels, baby! Light it up!!!
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* BUSH ALREADY PACKING UP TO LEAVE THE WHITE HOUSE *
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Sweet Jesus! Bar's open early!
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And just one more…
CHEERS to U.S. Mint'y freshness. Here’s something coming out of the government that won’t make us either dive into our fallout shelters or throw a brick at the TV: five more "America the Beautiful" state quarters will be released this year. The collection, which celebrates our national parks (or as Republicans call them, "drill here, drill now" zones), continues to weave its spell of numismagic on the nation for another year. Here's a sneak peak at this year's lineup,which includes five flags, three bodies of water, and a lion. I think you'll agree they're quarterrrrrific:
A bit of history in the making (or should I say "in the minting" Ha Ha Ha numismatist joke!!!) this year, as gender parity is achieved for the first time in the series' decade-long history: men are featured on two coins, and women are featured on two coins. And as a special bonus, any new national park coin released during the Trump Shutdown will come lovingly wrapped in a gift box filled with fresh garbage. I’m sure they'll be passed down from generation to generation. As quickly as possible.
Oh, and happy inauguration day to the first openly-gay governor in American history: Democrat Jared Polis from the great state of Colorado. Good luck---we're all counting on you. Floor's open...What are you cheering and jeering about today?
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Today's Shameless C&J Testimonial
Maxine Waters’s latest task in the House: protecting you and your Cheers and Jeers kiddie pool
—Vox
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