Bold Iowa #nobakken Pipeline Action

Posted on July 15, 2016 by Trish Nelson

Bakken Pipeline Proposed RouteNew Action Alert from Ed Fallon and the Bold Iowa Team

Thanks again for signing the Bakken Pipeline Pledge of Resistance.

We are closing in on 1,000 signers! Many thanks to our partners at Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement and CREDO Action for helping to circulate the pledge.

This is incredible and unprecedented, and I thank you for choosing to be part of what could be a truly historic moment.

While it’s impossible to say exactly when or where direct action will occur, it could be soon — we just heard from allies in both Lee and Jefferson counties that construction on the Bakken pipeline has begun in Iowa.

We knew this was coming, and I’m not the least bit discouraged. Construction was initiated on other pipelines (Keystone, Constitution, Palmetto) and they were defeated. We can stop this! But it will involve all hands on deck.

We are currently organizing several actions for everyone who signed the Bakken Pipeline Pledge of Resistance. We will have details to share with you soon, but we need a little more information from you.

Click here to complete our short 3-question Next Steps survey, and confirm your pledge.

We have also assembled a Bakken Pledge “Next Steps” FAQ, which you will be directed to after you complete the survey.

Click here to chip in $10 or whatever you can to support the Bakken Pipeline Pledge of Resistance.

One more thing: Native American youth are on a 1,500-mile relay run from North Dakota to Washington, D.C. to protest the pipeline. They’ll cross Iowa from July 19 – 25, and they invite people to run with them, meet them, share a meal with them, hear their stories. They also need to borrow a couple of vans.

For more information on the “Run For Our Water” visit the Oceti Sakowin Youth + Allies Facebook Page or contact Bobbi Jean Three Legs at bobbi.jean@ocetisakowinyouth.com or Joseph White Eyes at joseph@ocetisakowinyouth.com.

There have been many critical moments in this fight to stop the Bakken Pipeline. This one may be the most critical yet, and I am honored to have you as an ally.

Thank you for standing with us.

Ed Fallon and the Bold Iowa team

P.S. Chip in $10 here to support the Bakken Pledge of Resistance.

Posted in Bakken pipeline | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Hillary Clinton “And So Are We”

Posted on July 14, 2016 by Trish Nelson
hillary Beijing speech

Click on the image to view Hillary Clinton’s speech at the Fourth Women’s Conference in Beijing, China. 1995.

Everyone assumes they know all there is to know about Hillary Clinton. The right hates her because she is a free thinking woman. They continually call her a liar because that is what they do to try and neutralize their opponents. Some on the left have picked up on this, but the left also thinks she is “cozy with Wall St.” and “in bed with Monsanto,” (which I think is sexist) and a “hawk.” How much truth these characterizations of her contain is debatable.  There is information to the contrary, and ultimately, to the extent that there may be some truth in these handy Facebook memes,  it is not the whole truth. She is not just one way. She doesn’t fit neatly into a political box.

She is also the person who put the phrase “vast right wing conspiracy” into the media.  She should  get some respect from the left for that much. Her defiance of convention and advice when she decided to go to China and deliver her historic speech on behalf of the world’s women when she was first lady is another example of many, of her independent and multi-faceted character.

The person who can stand up to the bullying Republicans so elegantly and effectively as she does in this 2009 exchange (see video below), is also part of who Hillary Clinton is. When I first saw this video is when I realized Hillary Clinton was much more than the caricature the media – mainstream, left and right – have portrayed her to be.  In response to a Republican congressman’s question that sounded more like an accusation of the Obama administration’s intentions and policies regarding “right to life,” she said,

“You are entitled to advocate, and everyone who agrees with you should be free to do so anywhere in the world.

And so are we.

We happen to think that family planning is an important part of women’s health. We are an administration that will protect the rights of women – including their rights to reproductive health care.”

If  you know Hillary Clinton only as a liar or a hawk or in bed with Monsanto, watch the rest of her answer that leaves the congressman speechless and gets a round of applause at the end.  Check out her Beijing speech.   You may not only realize you’ve been wrong about her, you may be inspired.

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The Republican Plan To Take Down Your Government

Posted on July 13, 2016 by Trish Nelson

Reagan on governmentThis is an excellent must read article by Matt Sinovic, Director of ProgressIowa, originally published in the Des Moines Register.

When did we stop trusting in our government? The government isn’t some distant, unknown group. It’s “us, you and I” as Teddy Roosevelt once said. But we certainly don’t feel like it. Public trust in government is lower than it has been in years, with roughly 1 out of 4 Americans saying they trust the government, according to Pew Research.

This lack of trust exists, despite the work done in the past by the government to make our lives better. The government built our highways and roads, makes sure our drinking water is clean, cured diseases with medical research, explored our solar system, and even created the internet. Yes, the internet — it started as a military project in the Defense Department before being made open and available to the public.

And our lack of trust exists despite the fact that we are faced with the good work of our government nearly every day. The government is our public schools, educators and teachers who take care of the next generation of leaders. The government is the military that keeps us safe, the police officers and firefighters who guard our communities, and the prosecutors and judges who uphold the law. These are our friends, our neighbors and all of them are hired or appointed by the officials we choose during elections.

That’s why at its most basic level, we are the government. You, and me. If we disagree with decisions our elected officials make, we can fire them. And we can hire the people we agree with about the direction they want to take our country.

How have we forgotten this most basic civics lesson?

We didn’t always disparage our government. During his first State of the Union address, Republican President Dwight Eisenhower referred to the government dozens of times, in a positive way. In the decades that followed, conservatives decided to wage a campaign against the government, in an effort to privatize our tax dollars to fatten corporate profits. Programs such as Social Security and Medicare were decried as socialist takeovers. By the 1980s, Ronald Reagan famously slandered government by claiming to be terrified at the utterance of the phrase “I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.” Reagan spent his time in office undercutting the ability of every government agency to do its job, through decreased funding and eliminating the enforcement mechanisms that allowed them to be effective.

During the past several decades, conservative leaders and candidates have built an industry focused on getting us to lose faith in our government, and each other. They campaign on the idea that the government just can’t do anything right. Then when elected, they work every day to make sure they prove their point.

During the last eight years, it has only worsened. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., wanted to be majority leader, not to pass groundbreaking new policy, but to try and make President Barack Obama a “one-term president.” Sen. Chuck Grassley is blocking a Supreme Court nominee from even receiving a hearing, which is unprecedented obstruction of government. These recent government shutdowns and political gamesmanship would have been unthinkable in the past. But now they are commonplace, with disastrous consequences for our economy and access to justice.

None of this should suggest that the government can — or should — do everything for our society. But our government must be supported and effective in order for our country to reach its full potential. There are too many needs that the free market wouldn’t otherwise provide for. We have seen some progress made in access to health care thanks to the Affordable Care Act, which is growing more popular each year. And even more recent pushes to increase the minimum wage, ensure college affordability and student debt relief, that women earn equal pay for equal work, and that workers receive paid sick days as well as family leave, all of those ideas, among others, are opportunities for the government to make our lives just a little bit better, if we can trust in our ability to accomplish them together.

We can continue to denigrate ourselves and our potential, or we can understand that we’re much stronger when we work together. On the day when we celebrate our joining together as a nation, what could be more patriotic than beginning to trust our government, and each other, to solve our collective problems and improve the lives of our families?

MATT SINOVIC is the executive director of Progress Iowa. Contact: matt@progressiowa.org.

***

Save the date: Progress Iowa Corn Feed!

Join us for Iowa sweet corn and a discussion about progressive ideas!

SPEAKERS: Congressman Dave Loebsack, Iowa Senate President Pam Jochum, Iowa House Minority Leader Mark Smith, Candidate for U.S. Senate Patty Judge, Candidates for Congress Jim Mowrer, Monica Vernon, and Kim Weaver (along with more to be announced soon!).

WHEN/WHERE: Sunday, August 28; Doors Open at 2:00 PM
Simon Estes Amphitheater, 75 E Locust St, Des Moines, Iowa

Posted in Republican hypocrisy, Republican Obstruction, Republicn Policy, Social Security | Tagged , , , | Comments Off on The Republican Plan To Take Down Your Government

Steve King Do-Nothing Confederate Flag-Waving Congressman From Iowa

Posted on July 12, 2016 by Trish Nelson

doubt he cares muchDemocrats, independents, and sane Republicans in Iowa’s 4th District need to rise up, do what is right and un-elect Steve King.  Iowa can certainly do better than a congress person who specializes in racial slurs and propagandistic, inflammatory comments.  King would be better suited as a right-wing talk radio host, but he is not suited to be a part of government that is supposed to represent everyone. 

Check out King challenger Kim Weaver’s campaign website and Facebook page.  Donate to her campaign here.  Follow her on Twitter.  Click here to sign up to volunteer.

siouxcityjournal.com/news/opinion/letter-it-s-time-for-steve-king-to-go/

In a June 30 Letter to the Editor, headlined “In Defense of Steve King,” the author suggests that we should dismiss Mr. King’s record of do nothing, no legislation to his credit, stick-his-foot-in-his-mouth rhetoric and his recent amendment to a bill to stop the removal of bigot Indian hater Andrew Jackson from the $20 bill because he is a hard worker.

Just because King was voted as a hard worker by Newsmax doesn’t mean he is an effective representative. It is sad that hard work didn’t in Steve King’s case produce anything meaningful. It is also sad that the people of the congressional 4th District in Iowa continue to turn the other cheek and discount his dismal record.

It is time to vote Steve King out of office and get a real, effective representative who will make a difference in Washington. – Carl Hardy, Sioux City

King with confederate flag on his desk

Steve King with a confederate flag on his desk in his tax payer funded office.

Posted in 2016 Election Campaign, Kim Weaver, Steve King | Tagged , , | Comments Off on Steve King Do-Nothing Confederate Flag-Waving Congressman From Iowa

Iowa Democrats Open Eight New Campaign Offices

Posted on July 12, 2016 by Trish Nelson

andy mcguireNote from the Chair

The Iowa Democratic Party’s general election efforts are in full-swing, and I would like to thank all of our hardworking organizers and volunteers who are going to make a real difference in November.

We are wrapping up our first weekend of action and opened up eight new offices throughout the state. We’re making phone calls and knocking on doors to make sure we elect Democrats from the Courthouse to the White House. Activists are energized, excited and ready to turn out the vote.

Every vote will matter in November, and we will need a strong voter turnout. Please make sure all of your friends and family are registered to vote at their current voting address. Check here to make sure your current voting address and information is up to date.

Here in Iowa, we want to make it as easy as possible for everyone to vote which is why we have a vote by mail option. Anyone can vote by mail. It is easy, convenient and as simple as filling out this form.

Our United States Senate race is heating up, and polls are showing that Senator Grassley is in “the race of his life.”  We are now in the 116th day of Grassley’s obstruction of President Obama’s nomination of Judge Merrick Garland. As a recent letter to the editor pointed out, Grassley’s refusal to hold a hearing sets a “dangerous precedent” for defining of Presidential duties during a second term. Sen. Grassley and Sen. McConnell are attempting to define midterm elections as the kick-off for a lame duck presidency. Unfortunately for Grassley, Iowans aren’t buying it, and they are furious with his partisan tactics and his refusal to do his job.

For the first time since the 1980s, Grassley is polling under 50%, and a recent Loras poll has former Lieutenant Governor, Patty Judge, in a tight race and well within striking distance of Iowa’s five-term Senator. Let’s make 2016 the year that we don’t send Chuck Grassley back to Washington, D.C. Let’s elect a Democrat who will listen to her constituents and not Washington insiders or special interests.

Andy

###

Leave a comment for Sen, Grassley, and tell him you are tired of his irresponsible political posturing, www. haschuckgrassleydonehisjob.com !

We are now 121 days away from General Election, and Iowans are showing absolutely no signs of letting Grassley slide on his obstruction of the Supreme Court. The Iowa Democratic Party launched a new website tracking every second of Grassley’s Supreme Court obstruction. We encourage you to leave comments, and here’s what we’ve heard so far:

“I am so disgusted with your lack of doing your job. Hope that you lose your job.” Woodbury County

“ The time for partisan obstructionism has passed.  The work of the nation needs to resume.”  Scott County

“You work the people, not the Republican Party.  I find what you are doing irresponsible.  At one time I  voted for you. That will never happen again” Polk County

We’re waiting to hear from YOU on why Sen. Grassley needs to hold a hearing for Merrick Garland!

TWEET OF THE WEEK

 

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From the IDP

July 6–IDP Statement on Trump’s Saddam Hussein comments

June 30–IDP Statement on the Iowa Supreme Court’s Griffin v. Pate ruling

June 27– IDP Statement on Supreme Court decision on Texas reproductive rights[=

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Let’s Leave The 4th Of July On The 4th Of July

Posted on July 11, 2016 by Trish Nelson

dog with ears covered 2July 4th has always been my favorite holiday – parades, music festivals, picnics, the feeling of patriotism, community fireworks displays that everyone comes out for; it’s the highlight of summer.

But I also recognize that the holiday is not pure delight for everyone.  It is in fact a nightmare for many. Veterans with PTSD can suffer, as random booms often re-activate memories of combat trauma. Even non-veterans can find it hard to endure the intrusiveness of the sounds of explosions as nearby as next door. Many dog owners are stressed and dread the holiday because some dogs shake with fear, hide in bathtubs, or under beds for the duration. More dogs go missing on July 4th than any other time of year. One person I know spent the weekend in a motel to get away from the noise. Many people I talked to suffered through the weekend and spoke of the fireworks getting more out of control every year.

Because it is just one weekend a year, it is more or less tolerable. But what if we had fireworks stores on every corner, resulting in random pops and booms in our neighborhoods any time of day or night, any day of the week, all year round? What about losing the ability to count on peace and quiet in our own homes?  Some like to pass this off as a minor issue, but quality of life would be negatively affected in addition to the safety issues involved.

If the Iowa legislature legalizes fireworks, we will not simply be able to un-do the law later. Mom and Pop stores would spring up in every town across the state and soon there would be people whose livelihoods depend on selling these useless, dangerous explosives of no value to anyone. If we need to establish a new economic industry, couldn’t it be something of actual value that contributes to the common good, instead of an obnoxious activity that is (coincidentally) compatible with excessive alcohol consumption?

One link in the DMReg. story below is to an article in which a person said they buy the explosives basically to terrify birds. Let’s not invite more ugliness to the state of Iowa. If you really, really need to have personal explosive devices, make the trip to Missouri. It’s probably a fun tradition. Or have a friend bring some back for you. Have fun on the 4th of July. But let’s save the fireworks for once a year.

The point is, we need to make sure we elect Democrats to the Iowa legislature this fall or Iowa could soon become an intolerable place to live. We narrowly avoided this potential nightmare last session. The Republicans will certainly introduce a bill again this session.

The DMReg. article claims 60% of Iowans approve of legalizing fireworks, but I would argue that most of those surveyed probably haven’t really thought through what life would be like with explosives potentially going off in their neighborhoods 24-7-365.  And I suspect that if they were asked, “Are you good with Iowa’s fireworks laws as they now stand?” 60% would probably shrug and say “sure.”  As of now, if your neighbors get really reckless with the explosives, there is recourse.  If they become legal, you’ll just have to cope.

So vote for Democrats this fall, but if fireworks legalization comes up this session, if we still have Republican rule in the legislature, it will be imperative that we all contact our senators and reps.  They will be under a lot of pressure to vote yes because that is who they are hearing from. The quality of life in Iowa, which is rapidly diminishing due to poor water quality and other Republican initiated consequences, is in danger of taking another sharp turn for worse.

Here’s an excerpt from an article in the Des Moines Register:

The Iowa Senate appeared on the verge of approving a fireworks legalization proposal late in this year’s session, but it was declared dead after two Democrats abruptly switched their votes before a key committee meeting. Further debate appears likely when lawmakers return to the Iowa Capitol in January.

State Sen. Jake Chapman, R-Adel, said he is convinced that if the Iowa House and Senate have a floor vote on a bill to legalize fireworks, it will be approved and sent to Gov. Terry Branstad for his signature.

“If I am there in the Senate in January, you can bet your bottom dollar” that another fireworks bill will be proposed, Chapman said.

“..legalizing the product in Iowa would increase injuries and deaths in fireworks accidents, including situations that involve innocent bystanders. Nationally, about 10,500 people were treated in hospital emergency rooms for injuries associated with fireworks in 2014, federal statistics show. In addition, some veterans’ advocates have cited growing concerns that legalizing fireworks would be a hardship for Iowa combat veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.”

(click here to read the entire article)

Posted in 2016 Election Campaign, Iowa Legislature | Tagged , | Comments Off on Let’s Leave The 4th Of July On The 4th Of July

One More Quick Thought On Guns

Posted on July 10, 2016 by Dave Bradley

warren burger on guns

Once again America is confronted with a spectacular incidence of gun violence, this time in a city whose best known moment in history is tied to gun violence, Dallas, Texas.

During the aftermath of talking heads and empty slogans flying all over the place there seemed to be no mention of the other 100 who by statistics, lives ended via gun violence on that day. Nor was there a mention of the 200 who statistically were injured by gun violence on that day. Those numbers are repeated daily. One hundred killed, two hundred injured.

Each one of those injuries or deaths is a life that ended suddenly and unexpectedly leaving family, friends, acquaintances and fellow workers behind.

As the police officers are laid to rest we will see pictures of their spouses, their children and their parents in various states of shock and mourning. Their fellow officers will also be in shock as will their local grocer, their barber or stylist, the owner of their favorite restaurant, their neighbors and many, many more in their community where they will leave a huge hole.

This tableau is statically repeated one hundred times a day across America. A life is taken by gun violence and the spouse, parents, children, aunts, uncles, cousins, neighbors, fellow workers and acquaintances are in a state of shock. If a person survives gun violence they may be looking forward to a life of pain, perhaps an invalid life.

In both cases there will be huge bills as teams of doctors try to patch up what they can. These costs and the costs of rehabilitation along with the costs of seeking justice will most likely be passed on to you and me. It is a huge bill and getting bigger everyday.

Death by gun violence in America is so commonplace that many Americans view it almost as if it were simply background music to our daily lives. Seldom do we stop and think of how each of these tragedies affects those left behind.

We do have the means maybe not to entirely stop these senseless deaths but we should certainly try. There are many things that can be done but we are hampered by half of the political class that refuses to face the reality that gun violence brings to the victim’s families and friends. They are much more concerned with the profits of gun companies than the effects of of the guns themselves.

At a minimum we need to begin gathering data on gun deaths so we as a society can pinpoint the problems and offer solutions. We are handcuffed from even doing that by Republicans.

It is way beyond time for Americans to accept this slaughter among themselves. We can and we must stop this carnage. Reading the second amendment fully, including the clause about a militia, we can easily understand that yes we can enact gun control laws, call for mandatory trainings and periodic licensing for those who have guns. We can also enact laws that will make safety features on guns mandatory.

Remember the victims and their families and friends. It could be you one day.

reagan on guns

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Sunday Funday: DeCosters Go To Jail Edition

Posted on July 10, 2016 by Dave Bradley

salmonella

Remember the DeCoster family? The ones whose egg companies pleaded guilty to bribing officials and misbranding eggs to appear fresher. This led to thousands of food borne illnesses throughout the country. Now six years later on appeal they may finally see the inside of a cell. Remember they purposely caused thousands to get sick.

Here is what one of the deciding judges wrote on the decision:

“Because the DeCosters were negligent, their liability is not vicarious,” Judge Raymond Gruender wrote. “Instead, they are responsible for their own failures to exercise reasonable care to prevent the introduction of adulterated food. The law is clear that a defendant can be sentenced to imprisonment based on negligence — or, for that matter, based on strict liability stemming from his own conduct.”

But here is the money quote from Cato:

Pro-business groups, including the Cato Institute and the National Association of Manufacturers, filed briefs in support of the DeCosters, arguing executives shouldn’t serve jail time.

Got this response from a lawyer for a victim:

“Interesting that they seem so concerned about some rich white guys spending a few months in jail for selling bad products,” said Bill Marler, a Seattle-based lawyer who represented a Texas boy sickened in the salmonella outbreak.

If jail isn’t a consequence and fines are not much of a deterrent then what do you have?

Were you paying attention? Another busy, busy week.

1) We started the week with a major holiday with the traditional Nathan’s hotdog eating contest. How many dogs did the winner stuff down in 10 minutes?

2) The black man shot by police in suburban St. Paul, Minnesota was stopped by police for what reason?

3) The Chilcot Report was released in Great Britain. What issue was the Chilcot Report concerned with?

4) President Obama ended the week visiting what country?

5) ISIS bombed the second holiest site in Islam Monday. What is that and where is it?

6) Oops we missed a couple of birthdays last week. What notable young lady turned 18 on July 4th?

7) The other birthday we missed last week was what grand old member of rock and roll royalty on July 7th?

8) After a couple of disappointing months on the jobs front the economy posted how many new jobs in June?

9) Also over in Great Britain, after a Conservative part vote by MPs we know that the next Prime Minister will be a what?

10) What two of the frequently mentioned names as Trump’s VP choice said “thanks, but no thanks” last week?

11) A Des Moines church is suing the Iowa Civil Rights Commission over what hot button issue?

12) After many investigations and millions of dollars the FBI concluded that who did nothing wrong concerning emails?

13) In Iowa a new law took effect that allows those close to a heroine addict to administer what drug to the addict?

14) July 14, 1789 is a landmark day in history. What is significant about July 14th?

15) Donald Trump’s campaign created quite a stir when they tweeted an anti-Clinton picture featuring what antisemitic symbol?

16) Trump compounded that by praising whose handling of terrorists while he was in power?

17) The Georgia Supreme Court said what group would be allowed to ‘adopt a highway?’

18) One more Trump question – Trump went on a peace mission Thursday. Where did he go and who did he visit there?

19) What state allowed bible reading on the grounds of their county courthouses over the July 4th weekend in a clear violation of the separation of church and state?

20) Built with the aid of tax incentives from the state, what Christian attraction opened in Kentucky last week?

Woody Guthrie’s birthday is Thursday. Pick out a few favorite Guthrie tunes to hum during that day. I like “Union Maid.”

Answers:

1) 70 or about one every 9 seconds.

2) his car had a broken tail light.

3) Britain’s entry into the Iraq war

4) Poland for a NATO conference

5) the prophet’s tomb in Medinah

6) Malia Obama

7) Ringo Starr who turned 76. He was a Beatle in case you’ve forgotten.

8) 287,000 – a good economy bodes well for the party in power.

9) woman. The top two vote getters were women.

10) Bob Corker of Tenn. and Joni Ernst of Iowa.

11) transgendered people using their bathrooms.

12) Hillary Clinton

13) naloxone

14) Bastille day – the beginning of the French Revolution.

15) a star of David (used by Nazi Germany to designate Jews)

16) Saddam Hussein

17) the KKK

18) the US congress to visit Republicans in the House and then in the Senate. There were several skirmishes

19) Iowa

20) a recreation of Noah’s Ark. The tax incentives are very controversial (state supporting a specific religious view.)

Prepare for the conventions!

Posted in Humor | Comments Off on Sunday Funday: DeCosters Go To Jail Edition

When Will The Senseless Killings End?

Posted on July 9, 2016 by Dave Bradley

it's a gun issue


Don Paulson is an occasional contributor here allowing us to republish his letters to the editor. Don is also the chair of the Muscatine County Democrats.

When will the senseless killings end? When will our legislators serve the interests of common people instead of the gun manufacturers?

Last month we saw the largest mass killing in U.S. history down in Orlando, Florida. Forty-nine people were killed, and fifty-three were injured. Who doesn’t remember the twenty children and six teachers murdered in Sandy Hook elementary school? Or Aurora, Colorado and San Bernardino, California?

In a Newtown Foundation study it is estimated that there have been more than 1,000 mass shooting incidents where four or more people have been shot at one time.

Of course all of this gun violence has a cost, but you never really hear about it. Mother Jones magazine looked at that and,

“In collaboration with Miller, Mother Jones crunched data from 2012 and found that the annual cost of gun violence in America exceeds $229 billion. Direct costs account for $8.6 billion- including long-term prison costs….

Indirect costs amount to at least $221 billion, about $169 billion of which comes from what researchers consider to be the impact on the victim’s quality of life. Victims’ lost wages, which account for $49 billion annually, are the major factor.”

The study found that guns were used in 70% of homicides and 50% of suicides. A gun death averages $6 million in total costs and each gun injury requiring hospitalization averages $583.000 in costs.

Republicans control both the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate. They refuse to pass any meaningful legislation to help the situation. As the Des Moines Register editorial board explained, (Des Moines Register, 6/26/16) “In the Senate, a half-dozen gun-control measures, three backed by Democrats and three sponsored by GOP lawmakers, failed to pass. One of them, sponsored by Iowa’s Chuck Grassley, would have actually made it easier for certain people with a history of mental illness to buy a gun.”

It goes on to say, “In fact, (Senator Joni) Ernst opposed a bill amendment that would have summarily denied suspected terrorists of the ability to buy a gun.”

There are two interesting ideas that may help with the problem of gun violence.

One is to hold the original gun buyer legally responsible. Todd R. Miller of Freakonomics says, “The problem that dwarfs the issues of assault rifles and terrorists is that all firearms may be transferred in America without detection or accountability.

Though the sale of an automobile in America requires an official transfer of title, the sale of a firearm does not. Many, if not most, guns used to kill people in America are acquired through straw purchases- purchases made on behalf of another person.

Herein lies the elegant solution to gun violence in America: simply hold the owner of record accountable for crimes committed with their guns- that’s it.”

Another interesting idea is to force gun owners to purchase liability insurance. As Lysle Adriano reports in Insurance Business America, “Hawaii, New Hampshire, New York and Los Angeles are all considering mandatory gun liability insurance for gun owners. Should the four states manage to implement the legislation, violators could face fines of up to $10,000.”

It is time for Republicans to stand up to the gun manufacturers and pass legislation to reduce gun violence. An overwhelming majority of Americans want strict background checks, not allowing the mentally-ill to get their hands on a gun, not allowing someone on the no-fly list to buy a gun, and to close the gun show loopholes. It’s just common sense.

Oh, and remember- guns don’t kill people, people with guns kill people.

Ed. note: Strange that on one hand Republicans in the senate are suddenly so concerned about the constitutional rights of those on the terrorist watch list to be able to buy guns, including AR-15s while at the same time Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump sings the praises of Saddam Hussein and the way he would have “terrorists” killed immediately without trials or reading them their rights.

Posted in gun control, Trump | Comments Off on When Will The Senseless Killings End?

Hunting Hillary

Posted on July 9, 2016 by Dave Bradley

This is just the ramblings of my mind on how Hillary Clinton became target number one for the corporate right wing media following the amazing reaction by the Republican Party to her being innocent of any accusations of any misdeeds either in Benghazi and her emails as SoS. This has to be one of the lowest points ever for a Republican Party that has become a den of conspiracy theorists with little connection to reality. They and their house owned media have created a false caricature of Hillary Clinton as a super bogey man (woman?) capable of doing superhuman destruction while lying with every word.

Once more Republicans went after imaginary demons that exist only in their own minds. Once more they came up empty handed as they once more spent multi millions of taxpayer dollars in their pursuit of ectoplasm. Once more republicans from their clown of a presidential nominee to their duplicitous speaker Paul Ryan to the rank and file ‘good soldiers’ such as Trey Gowdy and Steve King, were made to look like a bunch of goofy, stupid junior high kids trying to imitate a Scooby-Doo cartoon as they chased imaginary enemies. David Young and Rod Blum were also part of the House that decided to waste more money. Be sure to ask them about that when they are home on break.

Anyone who has been conscious for the past 35 years (since Ronald Reagan became president) has watched the big media in this country morph from many major news companies concerned with serving the public good into a consolidated group of players owned by a few major corporations with their eye exclusively on the bottom line. Where once truth and verifiability were the standards by which news was graded, that gradually changed to profitability and the number of eyeballs that the news could deliver to the advertisers.

Based on that, news changed from a reliable source of data to an unreliable visual tabloid whose mission was selling reverse mortgages, new widgets, diet pills and the like. Splashy graphics and incendiary rhetoric replaced reasoned statements and graphs based in reality. In short, news went from being the brain food of the media diet to another course of crap food that only made us crave more. News became little more than another territory in the “vast wasteland” as former FCC chair Newton Minnow once called television.

The downward spiral of news organizations went hand in hand with their consolidation into fewer and fewer corporations. Yes, real competition does make a difference.

Like the rest of media the crap news depended on “stars.” Not only the news deliverers but also a cast of heroes and villains that could be brought back again and again to provide a seemingly continuous story. As the news business (emphasis on business) was in the process of consolidating and morphing, a young extremely bright young man was elected governor of Arkansas. Young and progressive with a very photogenic, very smart wife who worked as a lawyer, and who among other things was a major advocate for children.

As Bill Clinton’s political star rose into a presidential run in 1992, media for some reason decided that his wife Hillary would become a target. Was it because she took on the health care industry as she tried to fashion a form of universal health care as Bill Clinton’s point person on health care? Was it because she made children’s health and well being a focus of her adult life? Was it because she was a woman who was simply more successful than her male counterparts? Was it because she did not assume the role of the “little woman” as conservatives saw it? Was it because she called them out as a “vast right wing conspiracy” long before anyone else realized what was going on?

Some opinions I have seen is that these Arkansas hillbillies didn’t belong in Washington and thus it was up to the establishment to punish their very uppityness. Whatever Hillary Clinton’s sin was, she was pursued as no other first lady ever was before. My theory is that those who pursued her did so because they saw her potential and tried to make a pre-emptory strike. Since there was no real wrongdoings they could hang on Hillary, the right wingers created tales of debauchery and theft and murder and who knows what else. With the internet, millions more could play the game and make it even crazier.

Hillary Clinton became a senator and a damn good one, which just made the crazies crazier. Then in a double punch to the gut, a black man became president and he named Hillary Clinton Secretary of State. And she was a damned good SoS. The Obama Administration had to deal with perhaps the worst national legacy ever handed off with twin disasters of war in the Middle East and a financial crisis brought on by Republican fiscal policies. Hillary Clinton handled foreign affairs in such a way that the president could focus on saving the country’s and the world’s economies.

When Republicans took charge of Congress after the 2014 elections, their first order of business was to once more resume their chase of Hillary Clinton and her phantom wrongdoings. So once more they took money that would not go to schools or hospitals or elderly or care of veterans and went after Hillary Clinton. This time they had a plan. Claiming Hillary somehow purposely had our personnel in Benghazi killed, they were off in pursuit. They would deliver their verdict with some trumped up charges as the 2016 October surprise. They opened another venue on the State Department email front.

But there has to be some reality for others outside their party to go along. They could find no wrongdoing despite millions of dollars and thousands of wasted hours of staff time. It was so bad they could not possibly stretch it beyond June when they had to admit they were a bunch of idiots in pursuit of snipes. Even the Republican FBI director who they thought could take orders couldn’t stretch out a bogus investigation.

The fact that the FBI could find nothing, it did not stop good soldier and FBI Director James Comey from stepping way over the boundaries of his job to offer an unfounded opinion instead of facts. He tried to the point of making a joke of himself to do the dirty to Clinton.

That wasn’t good enough for those with little connection to reality. Comey was brought in for a public butt reaming Thursday by the same folks who now look like such fools as they pursue their electoral fool’s gold.

As long as they have the power you can almost bet they will pursue at least one more Hillary Clinton investigation to do anything, anything they can to tarnish her name. Once more they will waste our money, our time and make themselves look like a bunch of obsessed fools.

When they come home to campaign, be sure to ask them about the time and money they have wasted chasing one person who has been found to have done nothing wrong some seven times now. Their answers will be based in conspiracy and internet rumors without an ounce of reality in it. Hell of a way to run a government.

Posted in 2016 Election Campaign, Hillary Clinton, Republican hypocrisy, Republicn Policy | Tagged | Comments Off on Hunting Hillary