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 June 24 edition. Inclusion of a blog post does not necessarily indicate my agreement with—or endorsement of—its contents. |
Chris Savage at Eclectablog of Michigan writes—Trump’s Golden Goose Egg –> Killing the fastest growing energy sector: renewable energy:
Yesterday the Trump administration put out a press release titled “President Donald J. Trump Unleashes America’s Energy Potential.” In it, the release describes how Trump has done this:
Notice anything missing? The 771-word press release that describes how Trump is “achieving American energy dominance” has exactly zero references to renewable energy sources. It brags about how the energy sector employs 6.4 million Americans and how it is “a leading driver in hiring American workers,” adding 300,000 new jobs last year. It goes on and on about coal and gas and pipelines and drilling and mining.
However, despite the fossil fuel fetishism of the Trump administration, it is renewable energy that is driving the energy sectors success.
Yellow Dog at Blue in the Bluegrass of Kentucky writes—RepugNoCare in Pictures:
Kevin Drum has the graphs in all their fuck-workers glory. [...]
Need words? Kevin's got 'em. He concludes:
Reading the CBO report in its entirety, it’s hard to see that BCRA offers any improvements over Obamacare aside from cutting taxes for the rich. Net premiums go up for most people—quite massively in the case of older consumers; deductibles go up; out-of-pocket expenses go up; the working poor are virtually shut out of the insurance market; the quality of coverage gets worse; and 22 million people lose insurance.
The only plausible path for any improvement is the increased flexibility states would have to run their own health care progams. Historically, this has accomplished little except to allow conservative states to cut back on health services to the poor, so you’d need to be mighty starry-eyed to think that it will produce amazing innovations this time around. But that’s about it: believing in the power of states to innovate because they have less money is the only path for defenders of BCRA.
It's making liberals puke and scream and cry, and it cancels the primary achievement of That Ni**er in the White House, so in the eyes of trump voters, it's perfect.
They'd rather watch their children die in agony from lack of health insurance than let Those People win.
Joe Nilsson at Washington Liberals writes—Republicans work hard to main our regressive tax system that benefits the rich:
The perennial brinkmanship that the Republican State Senate engages in on the State Budget can best be seen as a concerted effort to maintain the most regressive state system in the United States. Please see the chart from Money Magazine, hardly a progressive publication. Essentially, every two years, the Republicans fight to maintain a system where the middle 60 percent of us pay four times the percentage of our income in state taxes that the top one percent pay and the poorest Washingtonians pay almost seven times the percentage of their income in state taxes that the top one percent pay.
If you earn $379,000 a year or more in Washington State, you are in the top one percent of earners (source: Economics Policy Institute) and the regressive status quo that Republicans fight so hard to maintain means you pay lower taxes. If you earn LESS than $379,000 a year, the Republican efforts to maintain the regressive tax system in Washington State mean you pay higher taxes than you should.
Let me repeat that: If you earn LESS than $379,000 a year, the Republican efforts to maintain the regressive tax system in Washington State mean you pay higher taxes than you should. Perhaps it is time that Washington voters sent Republicans and tax breaks for the One Percent at the expense of everyone els
Ricardo Toro at the Orange Juice Blog of California writes—Single-Payer Slayer: SB 562 Healthy CA Blocked by Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon. A DPOC resolution anybody?
The reluctance of some Democrats such as Dianne Feinstein, Gov. Jerry Brown, and candidate Antonio Villaraigosa to support a single payer type of healthcare was echoed by the Lakewood’s Assembly Speaker decision, this past Friday, not to let the bill pass beyond the Assembly Rules Committee until further notice. This means that the bill will not be debated and voted on by the assembly in the near future; it is practically shelved until November 2018, the end of the assembly two-year session.
His excuse is that “SB 562 was woefully incomplete”, although an economic study of this bill concluded that it is a viable proposal (see this LA Times Op-Ed). [...]
Speaker Rendon’s decision may be to avoid Gov Jerry Brown embarrassment of vetoing the bill, but also as a natural response to the support he has received from the healthcare industry. Activist Lauren Steiner has pointed out that Rendon has received $475 ,000 from the industry since 2012 and that Eric Bauman, the apparent new CA Democratic Party chair, was his advisor while Bauman was a consultant for big pharma that helped beat proposition 61 (to limit prescription drug prices).
Cory Allen Heidelberger at Dakota Free Press writes—ACLU-SD Files Two Lawsuits Challenging Forced Catheterization:
Do you think forcing a catheter into a child or any human being to collect evidence is a barbaric practice that no police officer or other agent of the state should be allowed to commit?
Then you should support the American Civil Liberties Union of South Dakota, which is taking the South Dakota Department of Social Services, Avera St. Mary’s Hospital, Pierre police officers, the Sisseton Police Department, and the South Dakota Highway Patrol to federal court for committing this atrocity:
Two lawsuits have been filed; one on behalf of a three-year-old child who was forcibly catheterized as a means to collect evidence of child abuse or neglect, and the other on behalf of five adults who were subject to forcible catheterization as part of criminal investigations. All plaintiffs were subjected by law enforcement and state officials to forcible catheterization in violation of the Fourth Amendment’s protection against unreasonable searches and the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.
…“Forcible catheterization is painful, physically and emotionally damaging, and deeply degrading,” said Heather Smith, Executive Director. “Catheterization isn’t the best way to obtain evidence, but it is absolutely the most humiliating. [...]
The three-year-old in question in the first lawsuit had a catheter forced into his urinary tract to get evidence of his mother’s boyfriend’s drug use. The five adults named in the second lawsuit were subjected to similar torture to obtain evidence of their own alleged drug use. One plaintiff, Cody Holcombe, agreed to provide a urine sample but was catheterized anyway because Pierre police thought he was “taking too long.”
Matt Murray at NH Labor News writes—Trump Threatens The Safety Of Millions Of Workers With Cuts To Dept of Labor And OSHA:
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is one of the most important areas within the federal government for ensuring that regular workers like you and me, can go to work in a safe environment. It is OSHA’s regulations, inspections, and training that protect millions of workers in every workplace, from hotel housekeepers to the ironworkers who work hundreds of feet in the air.
Despite the hard work the of OSHA and the Department of Labor approximately 4,500 US workers die each year from traumatic events in the workplace, such as falls from a height, drowning in trenches, getting crushed by machinery, and roadway collisions.
However now, OSHA is in serious peril as the Trump administration looks to slash the Department of Labor’s budget as well as many other “workplace safety” divisions within the government.
Every day, thirteen US workers are killed on the job. Instead of providing resources to prevent these tragedies, the proposed Department of Labor budget for FY 2018:
- Projects 2,300 fewer inspections of U.S. workplaces by the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA);
- Cuts $6 million for safety inspections from the US Mine Safety and Health Administration which has already seen more coal miner deaths (9) in the first half of 2017 than in all of 2016 (8); and
- Eliminates the successful Susan Harwood training grants, which have a proven track record of helping workers in dangerous industries avoid workplace hazards that can lead to illnesses, injuries and fatalities.
A staffer at the SC Prog Blog writes—Latest Modjeska School graduates already putting new skills to work:
On Sunday, a third class [of about 30 graduated] from the Modjeska Simkins School for Human Rights, a project of the SC Progressive Network launched in 2015 to help build and sustain a state-based movement for social change.
As they picked up their diplomas, the graduates shared their thoughts about the experience.
Lauren Greene said, “This class absolutely exceeded my expectations – the material, the presentations, the guest speakers. It was really phenomenal. There was so much I didn’t even know I didn’t know.”
Carol Singletary said, “The school helped me understand why we are where we are now and why we have not gone as far as we should have. I met some wonderful people who are as committed as I am to bring about change and continuing to work together to make sure that some good things happen in South Carolina.”
Richard Sylvester hadn’t planned on taking the course, but after dropping his wife off at the first class and seeing the curriculum, he decided to enroll, too. “I was hesitant to come at the beginning because I knew I would learn things that would just make me mad. I hope I can do something to help rectify the things that are less than they could be.” [...]
Sally Jo Sorensen at Bluestem Prairie of Minnesota writes—DFL gubernatorial candidate Rebecca Otto shouts out for climate action, clean energy:
Bluestem is pleasantly surprised to see the interest in climate action positions of the 2018 DFL gubernatorial candidates. One reader correctly scolded us for not highlighting State Auditor Rebecca Otto's long-standing positions--and action--on climate change and clean, renewable energy.
We can't write or speak about this history better than the candidate herself. From her website:
Endorsed by world-leading climate experts, Rebecca Otto is our best hope. She and her husband built their own green home with their own hands 23 years ago, and have been national leaders in tackling the problem and moving on to the great, well-paying jobs of the clean energy economy. Don't vote for someone who'll just pay lip service to your values. Vote for the candidate who actually lives them, and who has proven over and over that she defends them and wins statewide because of it!
Winning in 2018 and then actually doing something about climate change and the clean energy economy is too important to vote for a compromise candidate or one who is untested statewide. Rebecca Otto is both the strongest electoral choice and the best policy choice. It's worth shouting from the rooftop!
Here's the YouTube she's released:
Matt Campbell at Blue Hog Report of Arkansas writes—Jason Rapert: STILL Not A Constitutional Scholar (But We Knew That Already):
Almost any time Sen. Stanley Jason Rapert (R-Hatesville) starts talking about whether something is legal or constitutional, I am instantly reminded that he dropped out of law school after roughly a week. Indeed, if you were making a list of things that Stanley is, “constitutional scholar” would fall somewhere near the bottom, between “wearer of well-tailored suits” and “a person you would like to rescue from a burning building.”
Never has his complete ignorance of legal nuance and constitutional education been more on display, however, than it was today in the old Supreme Court room when Stanley made a statement about the destruction of the Ten Commandments monument on the Capitol grounds.
In between his saying-but-not-actually-saying that the ACLU’s “rhetoric” was somehow part of the cause of the destruction of the monument, Stanjay opined on the constitutionality of the monument itself. Specifically, he argued that
[...]
• The monument was constitutional because the Ten Commandments are “inscribed right there on the doors of the Supreme Court of the United States” and because “right above where the Chief Justice sits…is Moses;” and
• The statute that approved the monument includes funds for private defense of the constitutionality if and when the monument is challenged in court, so state funds are not at issue
To call Rapert’s legal arguments incorrect would be an understatement on par with calling Florida-Georgia Line’s “music” unlistenable garbage. Let’s tackle them in order ...
Monica Villareal at Better Texas Blog writes—U.S. Senate Bill Would Worsen Drug and Alcohol Addiction:
Drug overdoses killed a little over 52,000 people in the United States in 2015 and about 60,000 in 2016 – more than car accidents or gun violence. CPPP is joining the national Drug and Alcohol Addiction Week of Action in an effort to protect access to essential substance use disorder services.
But Republicans in the U.S. Senate are trying to force through a disastrous health care bill that would roll back gains made in improving access to mental health and substance use disorder (MH/SUD) treatment over the past decade. The Senate health care repeal bill cuts MH/SUD services while the country is in the midst of a spiraling opioid epidemic.
The impact of the Senate health care repeal on addiction services
Not enough funding for SUD services: During the drafting of the Senate bill, Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH) and Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) requested $45 billion over ten years to address the opioid epidemic, and the latest word is that the Senate bill will include this funding.
However, the $45 billion comes nowhere near the $183 billion estimate from Harvard University health economics professor, Richard Frank, for covering the cost of opioid addiction treatment and related illnesses, like Hepatitis C and HIV.”
Matthew Brian Hersh at Blue Jersey writes—Horizon Blue Cross BS:
So here we are. Chris Christie told Senate President Steve Sweeney that there would be no deal on the state budget or on a modified school funding formula unless the legislature passes a bill giving the state more control over Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield so the state can take from organization’s reserves to offset the costs of Christie’s addiction treatment initiative, conveniently proposed in his final budget address instead of his first.
How, exactly, does a lame duck governor with approval ratings in the toilet have leverage here?
The way this state does business is so mangled. Everyone from the entire political spectrum, from Phil Murphy to the New Jersey Education Association to the AFL-CIO to NJ Business & Industry Association to the Statewide Hispanic Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey to the New Jersey Chamber of Commerce to Kim Guadagno opposes this.
And yet, here we are, with a hastily written bill that bends to the ultimatum of a disastrous administration.
As the Star-Ledger’s Tom Moran appropriately asks:
“What is the point of this exercise?”
I’m reminded of the movie Moonstruck, where Loretta smacks Ronny, telling him to “Snap out of it!”
scharrison at Blue NC writes—NC's version of "Benghazi" hearings: Trying to impeach Elaine Marshall:
Today in misogynistic attacks on professional women:
A committee in the North Carolina House of Representatives will consider legislation that would begin impeachment proceedings against North Carolina Secretary of State Elaine Marshall on Wednesday. The House Rules Committee will consider two resolutions related to a possible impeachment during a meeting Wednesday morning.
Representative Chris Millis (R-Pender) will introduce the resolutions. The move comes months after he called attention to the fact that Marshall was commissioning notaries public who are not legal residents of the United States. Millis demanded Marshall’s resignation in March, after her office issued commissioned to people holding DACA cards, a program started by the Obama administration that allows certain illegal aliens who entered the US as minors to receive a renewable two-year period of deferred action from deportation and eligibility for a work permit.
Millis is a rabid anti-immigrant nut-job, who has sponsored bills ranging from punishing cities and employers for helping & hiring them, to making sure their cars get towed and impounded if they don't have a driver's license handy when pulled. And of course he doesn't want them to get said driver's license either, but I'm sure he doesn't grasp the hypocrisy of that. Bottom line, DACA card holders who are also granted Notary powers are under the very same statutory restrictions as others granted that authority, they face the same legal consequences (Civil & Criminal) for abusing that authority as citizens do, and the Statute itself only requires applicants to "Reside legally in the United States." Which that DACA card covers. Case closed. Next?