Things That Go Bump in the Ballot Box

That Election Day is generally so close to Halloween works out well for the GOP. Since the entirety of their "platform" consists of phony scare tactics meant to frighten voters, it dovetails nicely with the actual ghouls and goblins on display. This long list of nonsense includes, but is not limited to: 

• Immigrant caravans
• Border crisis
• Cash bail
• Rising crime
• Defunding the police

We can now add "Voter Fraud" to the list of things that don't happen, yet makes the Top 10 list of things "voters" (re: white people) should fear. Statistically speaking, voter fraud is a myth. And now I have first-hand knowledge of why it's so rare.

Having just moved to a new city, I needed to update my voter registration. Unfortunately, when I showed up to my new polling place to early-vote, my updated address hadn't made it into the latest voter rolls. As such, I had to vote via affidavit. In order to submit a ballot, I had to fill out an envelope and complete the following information:

• My current address
• My former address
• My date of birth
• My Social Security number
• The last year I voted

After entering the information on the envelope and filling out the ballot, I had to SEAL the ballot inside the envelope. The envelope then needed to be initialed by both Election Supervisors on site, and THEN have it initialed by the person manning the ballot box. Then I placed the sealed envelope into the ballot box...

But that ballot won't even be counted until AFTER someone has verified all the information that was provided. Then, and only then, will my SINGLE ballot count.

If there is anyone out there who thinks people are (a) submitting false ballots and (b) getting away with it, they are sadly mistaken. Even after all that trouble, and assuming the ballot is accepted, it still counts for only a single vote.

The Standard Double-Standard

When the office of the New York attorney general released its report on sexual harassment allegations against Governor Andrew Cuomo, the reaction was as swift as it was expected. Local and national political figures, including President Biden, admonished Cuomo for his behavior and called on him to resign. That these calls for removal came from within the governor's own party says more about the Democrats than the governor's alleged behavior. Democrats are swift to condemn their own. Republicans, not so much.

Whether it’s a president accused of 26 different sexual assaults or a congressman accused of covering up a decades-long abuse scandal, Republicans have long been able to brush off these sordid tales. A simple "I didn't do it" is all the GOP needs to ignore a scandal. Perhaps you might recall the latest in the long line of Republican offenders, Matt Gaetz, who has been credibly accused of sex trafficking. I don’t see him being hounded by his colleagues on the right to step down. They're too busy attending his "freedom" rallies, I guess.

As a means of comparison, let's go back to the last time a prominent Democrat was embroiled in a similar scandal. When that news first broke, then-Senator Al Franken was accused of kissing and groping actress Leeann Tweeden. As more accusations came to light, Franken was apologetic but had no intention of stepping down. Finally, as pressure mounted from within a Democratic caucus led by Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, Franken was abruptly run out of Washington without even a trial or thorough investigation. (To this day, some Democrats regret their decision to force out Franken so quickly. And some attributed the difficulties during Gillibrand's presidential campaign to lingering resentment about Franken.)

Yet across the senate aisle, at the very same time, Roy Moore was in the midst of not only a campaign to represent Alabama in the U.S. Senate, but a sexual scandal of his own. Multiple women accused Moore of sexual misconduct. Yet as so many GOP members had done before, Moore denied the accusations and kept on running. Condemnation from within the party was minimal and largely ineffective, though Moore eventually lost a close election. (A slim majority of voters looked upon Democrat Doug Jones as the lesser of two evils versus an accused sex offender.)

I'm not saying that a defiant Cuomo should remain in office by using the GOP playbook. If even some of the allegations are true, it's clear Cuomo can no longer govern effectively. Unfortunately, doing the right thing is frustrating from a political standpoint. If the other side won’t leave office until they're dragged out in handcuffs, it's very hard to win the game while teams are playing by two sets of rules. 

For Cuomo, there is a path where he can maintain deniability -- "I regret that anyone was hurt by my behavior" -- while agreeing to step aside for the greater good of the state and the party. Though in this case a Democratic candidate may still be the favorite in a 2022 election without Cuomo, the message remains the same: Democrats expect accountability from their elected representatives, while Republicans seemingly don't care. Unfortunately, this extends beyond matters of sexual impropriety. Republican voters, still in thrall of the Twice-Impeached Disgraced Former President, will excuse any wrongdoing done in the service of furthering their own agenda. 

Fear and Loathing and Hope

Today’s headlines read like a repeat from the spring: ICU’s at capacity. Field hospitals set up to serve the overflow. COVID deaths break another record. What was once catastrophic and unthinkable in April is commonplace in December.

I am at once saddened and frightened, but more than anything else, angry. Angry that the worst person ever to hold the office of the presidency, emboldened and enabled by a soulless political party, did nothing to protect us. In fact, he actively harmed us.

He harmed us by repeatedly lying about the severity of the virus. By ridiculing masks and those who wore them. By encouraging “freedom fighters” to openly rebel against those state governments who had the temerity to clamp down on the spread. And by repeatedly organizing “super spreader” rallies and events, that scientists estimate led directly to thousands of COVID-related deaths. Willful, wanton, depraved indifference.

To make matters worse – and honestly, can they get worse? – this sociopath has spent every waking hour since the election braying about how it was stolen from him. Lawsuits. Press conferences. More rallies. No masks, no precautions. And certainly no mention of the virus that is devastating America. Nero fiddles as the pandemic rages.

I have hope that this will eventually come to an end. A vaccine could be distributed soon. Most importantly, a real leader will soon take command of the nation. Will history will look upon the last four years as an unfortunate aberration, or does the surrender of the Republican party to this lunatic fringe mean that the dark days will outlast this incompetent regime?

For now, there is hope. It's the best chance we've got.

Mr. Business Strikes Again

"Let a businessman be president so he can run the government like a business"

In and of itself, that's a misguided approach. The government is not a business, nor is the president a CEO. But if you really want to elect someone from the corporate world instead of the political world, at least find someone who actually KNOWS something about business.

Hence:

French Wine Could Face 100% Tariffs as Trump Confronts France Over Tech Taxes

Donald is bad at presidenting. Really bad. There isn't enough time to document that here. But one of the things he's really terrible at doing is something you might expect a person with his background to understand: FOREIGN COUNTRIES DON'T PAY TARIFFS.

"They’re starting to tax other people’s products. So therefore we go and tax them."

Except that's not how this works! Slapping 100% tariffs on French wine and cheese doesn't cost the French a dime. Perhaps doubling the prices of French goods will ultimately result in fewer sales and hurt their bottom line. But the additional costs of a tariff will be a tax 100% borne by American consumers. The guy just doesn't get it!

Meanwhile, in response to the tax the French want to levy that started this whole mess, he offered this bit of ridiculous rationale: "They’re American companies. We want to tax American companies. That’s important. We want to tax them, not somebody else." (Attentive readers may have noticed the part about taxing American companies. They may also recall a bill that was passed that nearly eliminated corporate taxes. But consistency is not a hallmark of this administration, or political party.)

Of course, with anything this dullard says, he's just as likely to reverse himself an hour later. Which he did: "We have a minor dispute. I think we will probably be able to work it out."

Fearful Last Straws

On my way to work this morning, I heard yet another political ad on the radio.  But this one, for Representative Pete King (R-NY), stood out.  For those that don't know, Pete King has been representing Long Island in Congress since 1993.  This veteran member of the House must have quite a resume to tout for his 25 years of service.  Which must explain the ad he is running about MS-13.

Yes, the Republican congressman from New York's 2nd Congressional District, which comprises parts of Nassau and Suffolk Counties, is concerned about MS-13, the El Salvadoran gang known as Mara Salvatrucha.   Certainly the constituents of NY-2 might be interested in hearing about Rep. King's stance on tax cuts?  Maybe his thoughts on affordable health care?  Or creating jobs?  Nope, apparently the pressing issue facing this suburban district, with a median household income of $82,197, is gang violence.

Were it not emblematic of a much larger and frightening picture, it would be laughable.  A fixture of New York politics, King has sailed to victory every two years and is suddenly running ads for re-election, ads that seem to gloss over anything he has done during his time in office.  Straight out of the Republican playbook, championed by the Racist-in-Chief himself, King is using fear-mongering tactics to rile up his base and scare them into voting.

Until now, King didn't have to think much about re-election.  But this Blue Wave moment has caused even politicians in the "safest" districts to worry.  King is now facing his first serious challenge: former liberal activist Liuba Grechen Shirley is hoping that opposition to the current administration, and an endorsement from the New York Times, can propel a decided underdog to victory.

Though NY-2 is deeply red territory, Shirley is talking to those voters about gun control, a federal minimum wage and Medicare-for-all.  Apparently unable to wage a campaign against Shirley on the issues, King has decided instead to wage war against the boogeyman.  Those voters may prove just savvy enough to listen to the upstart candidate on Tuesday.

With Best Friends Like These...

New York City has been running a public service campaign to increase awareness of Naloxone, a medication used to block the effects of opioids, especially in overdose.  As part of the "I Saved a Life" campaign, there have been ads posted on subway trains.  The other day, I came across one that I had to read, and then reread, just to be sure:

According to the poster, Shantae saved his best friend's life.  He also described that experience.

"I've had one best friend I could always rely on."  It's great to have a friend like that.

"A few years ago, we were hanging out."  As best friends do.

"He looked like he was falling asleep."  Hey, it's not always non-stop excitement when best friends hang.

"I shook him to wake him up but couldn't."  Hmmm, odd choice, but maybe he was missing the good part of the movie.

"He was overdosing." Okay, stop.

Seems Shantae neglected to mention earlier that part of "hanging out" included doing heroin.  It also puts that whole "shake him to wake him" plan in a new light, like, this wasn't the first time that his friend looked like he was "sleeping" and needed to be forcefully awakened.

"I gave him a dose of naxolone and he came back."  Right, so apparently his best friend was a real junkie, so much so that Shantae had taken to carrying a dose of an anti-overdose drug.  You know, for when his BFF nearly threatens to turn into a BF RIP.

"Today, I still have my best friend."  Sure, but I'm hoping that part of being a best friend includes urging that best friend to GO TO REHAB and get some help.  Carrying naxolone may prevent an unnecessary death, but might it be better to prevent an overdose instead?

I get it. Using naxolone can save a life.  But this whole campaign seems to be glossing over the other end of the problem.

Big Crumbs Are Still Crumbs

As news trickles in from around the country, the GOP tax cut has resulted in some positive optics for proponents of the plan. Walmart employees with 20 years of experience will receive a $1,000 bonus. AT&T also plans to hand out $1,000 bonuses. Still more companies announced bonus plans, raises and new jobs, so it's hard to argue, thus far, that the tax cuts have been bad for America.

Even the, ahem, president was out stumping, this time talking about how the tax cuts have breathed new life into the American economy. Standing before a employees of Sheffer Corporation, a manufacturer outside Cincinnati, OH, he declared “Your paychecks are going way up.” He was right, for once, since Sheffer awarded each of its 126 employees a one-time bonus of $1,000 following the passage of the tax cut.

News like that means Democrats are going to have a hard time navigating this tightrope. Raises and bonuses can't be spun as a bad thing, at least not in an obvious way. But there is a way that the Democrats can acknowledge something good, while still calling out the GOP on their Donor Relief Act of 2017.

For our argument here, let's say that Sheffer Corporation earns about $25 million per year. At the old corporate tax rate of 35%, that would mean Sheffer would end up with a tax bill of around $8.75 million. But thanks to GOP's corporate giveaway plan, Sheffer would be taxed at 21% on their earnings, leaving them with a new tax bill of only $5.25 million. That's a savings of roughly $3.5 million for tax year 2018.

Compare that giveback with the company's apparent generosity. Sheffer is giving each of their 126 employees $1,000, totaling $126,000 in payouts. Nothing wrong with that. But take the $126,000 that Sheffer gave out and contrast that with the $3.5 million that they just saved. The math says they are passing on to their employees only 3.6% of their total savings. And let's not forget that these bonuses are one-time payouts. Thanks to the GOP, Sheffer gets to save $3.5 million every year after that, too.

Just for laughs, and perspective, let's talk about Walmart. In 2016, Walmart's revenue was $482 billion. Their tax bill next year compared to the old tax plan? They could save around $67 billion thanks to the new corporate tax rate. It's estimated that all the bonus money Walmart is handing out would cost the company around $400 million. For those keeping score, that amounts to slightly more than one half of one percent (0.59%) of Walmart's total savings. Sometimes crumbs, no matter how big they seem, are really just crumbs.