DEMOCRATS IN DISARRAY
At last count, there were no fewer than fifteen Democratic candidates for the 2020 Presidential nomination, and more are expected to add their names to the list in the next couple of months. These candidates include at present everybody from Bernie Sanders to Mayor Pete Buttigieg as well as those who are considering running but have not yet announced like Joe Biden, who is considered by many to be the frontrunner should he decide to throw his hat in the ring. And already, another candidate, Senator Elizabeth Warren, has dredged up some age old sexual harassment allegation involving Biden from years ago!! All of this does nothing but to increase the unnerving prospect of four more years of Donald Trump in the White House, assuming one of the ongoing investigations into he and his family’s alleged criminal activities doesn’t unseat him first. He must be sitting back watching this circus unfold with pure unadulterated glee as he hop scotches from one enthusiastic political rally to another, whipping his adoring base into a frenzy. The Democrats need to come up with a viable candidate who stands a REAL chance of unseating this plague on our democracy before it’s too late, before they tear each other to shreds in hopes of getting the nomination to do so. Let me spell out for you those candidates that have ZERO chance of either winning the party’s nomination or defeating Trump in 2020. · Cory Booker · Pete Buttigieg · Julian Castro · John Delaney · Tulsi Gabbard · Kirsten Gillibrand · John Hickenlooper (seriously?!?) · Jay Inslee (who???) · Amy Klobuchar · Elizabeth Warren · Marianne Williamson (again, who?!?) · Andrew Yang (never heard of him!) This essentially leaves the following viable candidates: Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris, Beto O’Rourke and possibly Joe Biden if he should choose to run. The rest of these pretenders need to pack it in for the good of the party and the nation and get behind one of these candidates who can actually defeat Trump next November. And the last thing they need to do is to start attacking their opponents or giving Trump and the energized REPUBLIKAN base more fodder with which to work. (Are you listening Elizabeth Warren?!?) I see Joe Biden as the most formidable opponent for Donald Trump. He has the experience and political acumen to take on Trump and the REPUBLIKANS at their own game. Should he choose one of the up and coming Democratic candidates for a running mate, like Kamala Harris or Beto O’Rourke or Pete Buttigieg, he presents a real option to the American voters who have had enough of Donald Trump and his divisive and destructive policies. The Democrats do NOT need a candidate who is far enough left to be pilloried by conservatives or deemed unelectable by the undecided voters. There is room in the Democratic platform for some of the innovative and progressive policies being pushed by the left, like a scaled down version of the so called “Green Deal” or universal healthcare or education reform. These are the issues that voters REALLY care about, not whether or not Joe Biden kissed a woman on the head five years ago. Trump has the one thing going for him right now that is beyond dispute-the economy. Assuming it will remain robust through next year, the Democrats are going to have to come up with plausible issues to combat that age old REPUBLIKAN mantra- “it’s the economy, stupid!” Otherwise, and if they continue to water down the field with candidates and issues that have NO CHANCE of being either elected or resonating with the voters, they are all but guaranteeing CROOKED DONALD and his henchmen another four years to run amuck and tear the very fabric of our country apart. We can’t afford to have that happen!!!!! So PLEASE GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER SOON!!!
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METRO MUSINGS
Can the Cats bring down the Tigers for the THIRD time this season and advance to the Final Four under Cal Worthington? Will Mayor For Life Fisher EVER get over his stinging rebuke by them Democratic controlled Metro Council over the ill advised insurance premium tax increase? Will Police Chief Steve Conrad EVER stop whining about the budget cuts and actually DO SOMETHING positive to regain control of his department and his out of control spending? Will the old farts in Hurstbourne whose attorney was just rebuked in Circuit Court over another frivolous lawsuit and his ongoing delaying tactics EVER realize that they are going to lose this battle, just like their far more powerful and wealthy counterparts in Glenview did over the east end bridge?!? Progress is moving forward, not staying put. Will the Lady cards beat U Conn TWICE in the same season to move into the Final Four? These are the heavy issues we are left to ponder as March and its madness draws to a close, going out like a lion when it came in like a lamb. As far as UK is concerned, I had predicted they would go out in the round of eight at the hands of North Carolina, who I had picked to advance to the championship game. Now with Auburn and Coach Bruce (THE BLACK) Pearl blowing up my bracket, I’m going to have to back the Cats to reach the Final Four. The Tigers have apparently lost their best player Okiki, to s serious knee injury suffered last night in the game against the Tar Heels. With him out and P J Washington back for the Cats, I believe the third time WILL be a charm for them, and put Calipari’s team into the Final Four for the fifth time in ten years. But I still am picking Duke to win it all, as it appears that destiny is smiling upon the hated Blue Devils with their last two W’s!!! I believe also that U Conn will beat the Lady Cards this time around, and go on to lose to Notre Dame in the championship game. I also believe following their loss, head coach Jeff Walz accepts the coaching job at Tennessee. He’s done about all he can do here except win it all, and it would be hard to turn down an offer from one of the most storied programs in college basketball, the UT women’s team. Thanks for all you’ve accomplished here, Coach Walz, and good luck in your next endeavor. Hopefully you’ve left the house in order for the next coach to pick right up where you left off. As far as the budget and Metro Council, time for everybody to roll up their sleeves and get to work in trimming away $35 MILLION. I heard one member say that aside from even touching first responders like police, fire and EMS, a ten percent across the board cut of ALL other agencies would accomplish this number. And of course Fisher claims the math is off, and talks about how drastic the cuts will be and how adversely they will affect us all. Those scare tactics didn’t work the first time around, Mr. Mayor, and they don’t serve any purpose now. Seeing as how the police, fire and EMS comprise such a large percentage of our expenditures, I find it hard to believe there isn’t AMPLE opportunity to save some money here. It’s time to start being part of the solution instead of part of the problem. Finally, I was glad to see Judge Ann Bailey Smith rule against this latest attempt to stop the pending case against Topgolf from moving ahead for a May court date. I can’t wait until the case against them opening up at Oxmoor Center gets thrown out of court and the bright lights shine right on the old geezers in Hurstbourne and their sleazy lawyers. Maybe we can all have a neighborhood bonfire using your yard signs as kindling!! Go back to your recliners and take some more medication, and let the majority of citizens in Metro Louisville enjoy a new place to have fun. There are thunderstorms in the offing this Saturday afternoon, and it’s safe to say there will be plenty enough stormy weather this spring to go around!! Until next time… “CRUELLA” DeVOS JUST GOT TRUMPED!!!
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said he would jettison a proposal to slash funding for the Special Olympics, undercutting Education Secretary Betsy DeVos and the budget proposal he signed. "The Special Olympics will be funded. I just told my people I want to fund the Special Olympics," Trump said he left the White House en route to a political rally in Grand Rapids, Mich. "I have overridden my people. We're funding the Special Olympics." Trump's remarks came after widespread criticism targeted DeVos' budget proposal to eliminate funding for the program, which is designed to help children and adults with disabilities. DeVos’ proposed $17.6 million cut for the Special Olympics was included in the $4.75 trillion federal budget that President Donald Trump’s administration sent to Congress earlier this month. DeVos said she had to make some hard decisions after the president demanded across-the-board cuts and has had to defend her cuts to members of Congress, where she's faced days of being grilled. Earlier Thursday, DeVos—a wealthy Republican donor and former school choice advocate—was on Capitol Hill again defending the proposed cut to the Special Olympics to a Senate Appropriations subcommittee. The education secretary has explained her rationale by saying the Special Olympics is a private organization – not a federal program – that is better supported by philanthropy. (The above information was taken from USA Today). We also received word that Linda McMahon, the former WWE executive, just resigned her position in the Cabinet as head of the Small Business Administration, citing a desire to “return to the private sector”. So goes it in Donald Trump’s “CABINET OF CLOWNS”. deVos spent the last three days getting raked over the coals by Congress for cutting funding just as her boss had requested in his proposed budget he submitted, and then, as a result of the horrific backlash and negative publicity these Special Olympic cuts have generated, and without warning, he abruptly pulls the rug out from under her. And of course she responds by saying her and the President “were on the same page”-same page-they’re not even on the same planet in this regard!!! “CRUELLA “ DeVos has been an absolute scourge to the public education system in the country since her ill advised appointment as Education Secretary. Her policies of advocating for private schools through funding and tax incentives have been at the total expense of public school funding. In the months since, like many others in the Trump Administration, DeVos has set about rolling back Obama-era policies, from Title IX guidance on campus sexual assault to regulations on for-profit colleges. She quickly found support from conservatives who had backed her previous work as a school choice advocate, but she struggled to build broad national support for her initiatives. DeVos, a prominent Republican donor, faced criticism from Democrats, teachers unions and civil rights advocates, many of whom noted that she did not have a background as an educator. A Morning Consult/Politico poll conducted in September found that 40% of voters had an unfavorable view of DeVos, making her the least popular member of Trump’s cabinet. “To have the education secretary have the incredibly negative approval ratings, disapproval ratings that she has suggests both the name recognition and also the level of controversy that she’s generated,” Harris said. In short, her tenure has been an absolute disaster, just like so many other members of Trump’s incredibly incompetent “CABINET OF CLOWNS”. Her policies will have long term negative effects on our education system across the board, just like the disastrous consequences of the environmental policies being enacted by EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler and other cabinet agencies. Look at the Chairman of the Board of this group, Wilbur “THE BOSS” Ross and his abysmal record. Look at Steve “THE MUNCHKIN” Mnuchin at treasury-the list is as endless as it is pathetic. Not only do we have to deal with the most corrupt and incompetent President this nation has EVER seen, we also will have to live with the policies being carried out by this collection of misfits who call themselves Cabinet Secretaries. How about Elaine Chao, Transportation Secretary and the controversial FAA decision NOT to immediately ground the Boeing Max 8 fleet following TWO deadly plane crashes? I’m at least thankful there is one check on these buffoons as they stumble their way through the respective responsibilities they are supposed to be carrying out-the Democratic House and its various oversight committees. Let’s hope they continue to call out these clowns before they bring down the whole country while they seek to carry out the policies of CROOKED DONALD or worse yet pursue their own agendas. Oh, BTW, who in their right mind would WANT to work for Donald trump when he continuously reverses himself on policy decisions while leaving his subordinates twisting in the wind?!? Perhaps that’s one of the reasons we’re stuck with the group of inept fools currently serving at his pleasure. Good luck with that!!! HARD HAT(S) OFF TO GOVERNOR BEVIN
It’s no secret to readers of this blog that I despise the policies of “MAD” Matt Bevin, Governor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, his campaign against women’s rights across the state, his attacks on our state’s teachers, labor unions, his right wing Evangelical holier than thou attitude and his idiotic pronouncements that all the country witnesses time and again, portraying us in a very negative light. However, when it was announced the other day that Nucor Steel was investing $1.35 BILLION in a new steel mill to be located in Brandenburg, I had to admit that was a very good thing and looked into what type of impact his administration has had in attracting new industry to the Commonwealth. Nucor has also earlier announced a $650 MILLION expansion to their existing mill in Ghent bringing the total Nucor investment to approximately $2.0 BILLION. That’s huge by any measure. The Brandenburg mill will employ around 2,000 construction workers of all trades, and the mill when operating will employ approximately 400 fulltime employees with average salaries of $72,000. Not bad for a town that was nearly annihilated by the 1974 tornado super outbreak with a catastrophic loss of life. The banks of the Ohio will soon be bustling with the production of American steel, and Meade County and the surrounding communities will all benefit. Including Nucor’s Brandenburg mill, Kentucky’s manufacturing, service and technology sectors, companies have announced more than $19.4 billion in investments during the Bevin administration, which are creating 51,000-plus full-time jobs. This is an accomplishment the Governor should be proud of and will obviously benefit the people of the Commonwealth. The problem with Bevin and the rest of his REPUBLIKAN cohorts is that they believe that economic development and growth is the highest priority on both the state and national level, and everything else takes a back seat, including social programs and other so called “entitlement” programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. They don’t hesitate to dole out economic incentives for companies like Nucor to locate here ($40.0 MILLION in tax incentives for the two projects) but then decide to cut Medicaid benefits for our most needy citizens. There should be a balance, but it seems if the Democrats are in power business suffers and if the Republicans are in power than social programs are cut back or eliminated altogether. It doesn’t have to be this way. Both parties should strive to find common ground whereby EVERYBODY can benefit from great news like the project in Brandenburg. I’m a big enough man to take my hard hat off to the Governor, and would also ask that he spend his remaining days in office trying to right some of the terrible wrongs he has done to our state before he leaves office when his term expires, because new jobs or not, his lack of popularity in the state makes his reelection seem like a long shot at this juncture. ROBERT KRAFT-ABOVE THE LAW OR JUST A HORNY OLD WHITE DUDE?!?
The news that New England Patriot owner Robert Kraft, age seventy seven, was busted on charges of soliciting prostitution (thank goodness for Viagra!!!) on two separate occasions from a Jupiter, FL massage parlor in February comes as a shock in the sense that why in the name of God would a “BILLIONAIRE BOYS CLUB” member like him be trying to get laid in a sleazy massage parlor in south Florida instead of paying for high class hookers in his own penthouse?!? That he would engage in such salacious acts in hardly surprising-just look at his BFF Donald Trump!! In fact Trump watched the Super Bowl with the alleged Chinese madam (or spy) who previously owned the massage parlor…..maybe Robert learned his Kraft from the Donald!!! And now we learn from his high powered (and priced!) attorney(s) that Kraft has refused a plea agreement which would have him basically walk away save for the admission that if the matter had gone to court he would have been found guilty, which is apparently SOP in cases such as this. But Kraft refused this deal, instead claiming through his legal team he wanted a jury trial, which conversely is almost unheard of in a misdemeanor case such as this according to the Florida Prosecutor handling the case. Kraft apparently won’t be satisfied with anything less than his own exoneration through manipulation of the system, which I’m sure he feels can be done for a price. Then yesterday, we see pictures of Kraft walking into the owners meeting with Roger (THE “DODGER”) Goodell like a man without a care in the world! Does ANYONE seriously believe, despite the fact that Kraft and Goodell have had an acrimonious relationship in the past (remember deflategate or the other charges of communications cheating leveled against his Patriots?) that the NFL Commissioner is going to dole out ANY punishment to Kraft even if he does get convicted?!? That he is going to bite the hand(s) that feed him??? These rich old white dudes like Jerry Jones and Arthur Blank (remember the recent yacht wars or who could spend $250,000,000 or more on a boat so theirs could be the biggest?!?) aren’t about to turn on one of their own, and like Trump and Steven Segal, think they are all ABOVE THE LAW! And maybe they are, maybe this is what having billions buys you-an entirely different legal and value system that the rest of us are NOT a part of. But not this time!! I say put the old bastard in jail!!! Maybe he could share a cell with CROOKED DONALD when he goes down (pun intended!). Aren’t you sick and tired of this? The wealthy feeling entitled to do whatever they want, whenever they want to whoever they want without fear of serious repercussions? Just look at the recent academic fraud scandals and the sexual abuse stories which have tarnished Hollywood types and other celebrities over the last couple of years. Is Harvey Weinstein in jail?!? Kevin Spacey?? Is anybody else involved in jail? No, because they can afford to post whatever bail is required and to pay their attorney $1000.00/hr without batting an eye, but the poor black man who got busted for smoking some weed and rolling some dice in the alley has been in county lock up for several months now because neither he nor his family can come up with bail money or the services (or lack thereof) of anybody but the court appointed defense attorney who could care less about their case or the other hundreds of others he is carrying in his case load!! It just isn’t right. I hope that the prosecutor in Florida releases the video footage of Robert Kraft soliciting sex in a massage parlor for the entire world to see. I hope he gets so humiliated by it and his actions that he issues an apology to all involved, that he admits that he helped to contribute to the much more serious crime of human trafficking by virtue of his soliciting one of these prostitutes. I hope Roger Goodell grows a pair and meats out (pun intended) a punishment to Kraft like he so swiftly did to Ray Rice, Kareem Hunt and others who have been on the wrong side of the law through their behavior in violation of the NFL’s Personal Conduct Policy. But guess what??? I doubt ANY of these consequences will come to fruition!! Kraft will walk away on a technicality dreamed up by his $1000.00/hr legal defense team; continue to be a member of the “BILLIONAIRE BOYS CLUB” in good standing, and BFF’s with Donald Trump. And life in the fast lane (I’m sure the prostitute would confirm that!) goes on. As for the rest of us common folk, “let them eat cake”!!!! LEFT OVER CORNED BEEF HASH
It’s been a couple of days since the Attorney General revealed that the long awaited investigative report by Special Counsel Robert Mueller revealed precisely NOTHING NEW, according to William Barr. No evidence of collusion by Donald Trump and no evidence of a conspiracy to cover up same or obstruction of justice. Trump and all of his henchmen are doing their predictable victory lap, claiming all along that the investigation was a hoax, a witch hunt, a vendetta against newly elected president Trump by the Democrats. What everybody seems to be overlooking, from Trump to Kellyanne “C” WORD to Sean “INSANITY” Hannity to Rudy “RUNAWAY BEER TRUCK” Giuliani is the fact that no fewer than half a dozen Trump campaign members or advisors to him were convicted of ACTUAL CRIMES and sentenced to prison AND that the Russians did INDEED interfere in the 2016 Presidential election between Trump and Hillary Clinton. This was the basis of the entire probe when first chartered by the DOJ some two years ago. Doesn’t that fact alone bother anybody but me?!? It certainly doesn’t seem to bother the REPUBLIKANS! Trump’s victory lap may be short lived, as will be the euphoria his base feels at the present time over the Mueller report, or what we have been told anyway. There are a number of ongoing investigations being carried out by the SDNY of the DOJ as well as the New York State Attorney General’s office into such improprieties as the possible campaign finance violations (remember the hush money payments?), the Trump Organization and Trump Foundation business practices and ethics, the funding of the inauguration, Trump’s tax returns, etc. And what should be more troubling to Trump than the investigations themselves are the fact that because these are state related issues, there is no judicial precedent stating a sitting President cannot be indicted (that in and of itself is completely absurd-seriously, what if he SHOT someone dead in the Oval Office in front of witnesses?!? NO INDICTMENT?????) and would therefore be subject to criminal prosecution should any of these ongoing inquiries reveal improprieties or criminal offenses. But back to the Mueller investigation. It has provided all the fodder that Donald Trump requires to further eviscerate his alleged enemies like the media and his political opponents, and emboldened REPUBLIKAN lackeys like “RICH” Mitch McConnell and Lindsey Graham “CRACKER” to call for investigations into Hillary Clinton and whatever other nonsense they can dredge up in the glow of their perceived victory. In the meanwhile, the House of Representatives will continue to dig into these other issues through a number of oversight committees, such as Intelligence and Judiciary. They have subpoena power and the right to call whatever witnesses they deem appropriate, so they do have considerable influence to dig deeper than the REPUBLIKANS did when they were in the majority, with stooges like Devin Nunes and Kevin McCarthy calling the shots. It feels to me that we just spent two years and twenty five million dollars for left over corned beef hash as my old boss used to call a lack of substance. There were of course the aforementioned convictions, but the biggest fish, the “GREAT WHITE” (in more ways than one1) got away-this time. I would also imagine media types like Joe Scarborough and outlets like MSNBC and CNN are scrambling to justify their respective coverage of the entire investigation while all but guaranteeing an indictment on either the collusion or obstruction allegations, and that FAUX NEWS & Friends are having a field day with the news. I just read online somewhere that the end result of this investigation was like coming down on Christmas morning expecting to find a new BMX bike and finding Santa Clause dead under the tree instead!!!! That’s about what it feels like to me. At any rate, I have decided to stop watching the news altogether until such time as the celebrations and victory laps are concluded and we can get back to the business of somehow ridding our great nation of this plague that calls himself POTUS, CROOKED DONALD Trump. It’s only a matter of time-he can’t help himself!!!! He is like watching the child at Christmas who got his bike but then found Santa dead- his reactions to ANY news concerning him as predictable as the next lie. MEMOS FROM METRO: ONE AND DONE, READ OUR LIPS MR. MAYOR AND THE GEEZERS OF HURSTBOURNE SUE AGAIN!!!3/22/2019 MEMOS FROM METRO: ONE AND DONE, READ OUR LIPS MR. MAYOR AND THE GEEZERS FROM HURSTBOURNE SUE AGAIN!
What’s new in our fair city this fine spring Friday? Well. The Cards took the first exit off the March Madness expressway, the Mayor’s proposed insurance premium tax bit the dust and the good ‘ole folks of Hurstbourne have filed yet another frivolous lawsuit to stop Topgolf from opening up in Oxmoor Center. Business as usual in the Derby City. First to the Louisville Cardinals. I know everybody is disappointed by their defeat to Minnesota which is especially bitter because the Golden Gophers are coached by none other than Rick Pitino’s son Richard. But the fact is that in their first year under new coach Chris Mack the Cards probably overachieved this season in the ACC and in making the dance with a level of talent that was not on a par with most of the elite teams, like Duke, Virginia and North Carolina. So instead of the usual moaning and groaning and excuses we hear from Louisville fans after a loss, I say congrats on a season that while short of their own expectations exceeded most of the expert’s prognostications. With a much stronger recruiting class coming in for the 2019-20 season, the future will only get better. Now on the Mayor Fisher’s crushing defeat to his proposed 300% increase on insurance premium taxes. Trust me, for all of his media coverage, scare tactics with the help of the police, fire and EMS and predictions of dire consequences, the Metro Council dealt him a defeat worse than that suffered by the Cards yesterday. I was somewhat surprised by the final outcome, believing after participating in a Town Hall type meeting by one of the bill’s co sponsors Metro Councilman Markus Winkler that some type of compromise would end up being passed. But the fact that the Council by a vote of 15-11 rejected ANY tax increase, instead opting to cut the Metro budget for the upcoming fiscal year by some THIRTY FIVE MILLION DOLLARS as part of the requirements mandated by the state to help alleviate the teachers pension fund shortfall, shows just how much opposition there was by their constituents to ANY form of tax increase. It’s obvious that the citizenry were NOT sold on the fact that the budget allocations for emergency services, which comprise by far and away the largest percentage of city expenditures, were off limits and that cutting them would destroy our city’s progress and make it less safe. In the meeting I was in, the Captain of the Eighth District was there and was there for one reason only-to intimidate and instill fear that any cuts in their ranks would have disastrous consequences. I’m glad the measure was defeated, frankly, and I believe that our city payrolls are bloated enough that these cuts can be effected without endangering our safety and well being. Maybe next time Mayor Fisher will realize that attempting to slide through a tax increase at the eleventh hour without consulting his Council or constituents probably isn’t real smart. Finally, we hear news this morning that the old geezers in Hurstbourne have filed yet another absurd lawsuit in order to try to prevent Topgolf from opening up a facility in Oxmoor Center that would be an economic development that would benefit everybody from golf lovers to generating additional tax revenues. A motion for summary judgment filed Thursday asks Circuit Judge Ann Bailey Smith to reverse the decisions of the Louisville Metro Planning Commission and Metro Council because of "numerous invalid applications." Stephen Porter, the land-use attorney representing the residents, alleged Thursday in his motion that the applicants named in the applications were "non-existent" as they weren't registered with the secretary of state's office. "Therefore, the applications were null and void from the start," he wrote. Cliff Ashburner, an attorney for Topgolf, said in a statement the motion seeks to piecemeal the case, cause delay and is without merit. "We look forward to arguing the entire case in accordance with the Court’s order on May 23 and prevailing on the merits at that time," he said. While there is an already-scheduled May 23 court date, Porter's motion is scheduled to be heard March 25. In court filings, Topgolf maintains the planning commission followed the rules in October when it sent the proposal to the Metro Council, as did the council when it voted. Topgolf also says that applications sent to government officials were appropriately submitted under state and local laws. The decisions were "legal, valid, and supported by substantial evidence in the record — a record that includes two public hearings, 11 hours of public comments, and testimony from experts in the areas of lighting, traffic, and noise," according to a court filing. But that’s not good enough for the old fu*ks (oops I mean folks) of Hurstbourne. They’ll just keep filing more lawsuits that are baseless and without merit. So once again we see a small group of self important individuals who believe their cushy life in the elitist east end of Louisville is more important than the desires of the many who want Topgolf. There are many golfers in Louisville Metro who support this facility as a welcome addition to the golf scene in the city, and also many who say if Topgolf DOESN’T locate at Oxmoor that the entire mall will end up looking like Bashford Manor in a few years. I support those who want to see this welcome addition to our local entertainment scene, but I wouldn’t blame Topgolf for just abandoning the project altogether rather than fight these frivolous and unnecessary legal battles, that ONLY benefit the lawyers. But then the OLD GEEZERS OF HURSTBOURNE would have their way, and that would be far worse than ten million electric lights shining down on them to interrupt their 7:00 p.m. bed time!!!! Take your yards signs and shove them where the sun don’t shine Hurstbourne!!! And it’s just another Friday in the “Ville. THE HIGH PRICE OF TROUT!!!
Everyone who has read my posts over the last number of months will recognize one of my real issues with America today is income inequality, the difference between the haves and the have nots. I have cited both Jerry Jones and Arthur Blank for their extravagant expenditures of nearly half a BILLION dollars for their luxury yachts, a New York real estate developer who purchased a penthouse overlooking Central Park for almost two hundred and fifty MILLION dollars as well as the tax breaks afforded to the very wealthiest Americans by the REPUBLIKAN controlled Congress and President Trump. The recent college admissions scandal also points toward the privilege which the wealthy seem to feel they are entitled to simply by virtue of their monetary situation, bribing heir sons and daughters into Ivy League and other elite academic institutions. Now comes word today from the world of sports that Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels major league baseball team will be signing a long term contract with the team that totals FOUR HUNDRED AND THIRTY MILLION DOLLARS over a twelve year period of time. This follows on the heels of Bryce Harper signing with the Philadelphia Phillies for THREE HUNDRED AND THIRTY MILLION DOLLARS over a thirteen year contract span and Manny Muchado signing a THREE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLAR contract with the San Diego Padres. Then I saw on the news tonight that the Powerball lottery jackpot was up to FIVE HUNDRED AND FIFTY MILLION DOLLARS, the potential winning prize for somebody that bought a two dollar ticket. My simple question is this…..what the FU*K is wrong with this picture?!? I’m not begrudging these individual sports team owners or these players for earning and spending their money any way they see fit, but let’s think about these actual numbers for a moment. We are talking about over TWO BILLION DOLLARS here. When I think about the other areas of our society, like the homeless or healthcare or long term care for the elderly that are in desperate need of money and try to justify spending this kind of money which was earned selling tickets to watch men try to decapitate each other on a football field or men swinging a stick at a ball or buying a lottery ticket to go with their six pack it seems completely out of whack!!! Where have our priorities gone? It’s OK to snicker at the poor homeless man who holds up the sign at the four way stop on your way to a baseball game or football or basketball game where you paid well over one hundred dollars for a ticket to watch professional athletes ply their wares? We have countless of our youth who have to depend on getting free lunches at school every day in order to get the nutrition they require while dad is out betting his money on a football game or a basketball bracket? I’m sorry, but it’s very obvious we have lost our way in this win at any price society of self gratification. Quite frankly, it’s downright ridiculous. Bernie Sanders is one of the few politicians who is highlighting this serious issue of income inequality as part of his campaign platform, and I applaud him for it. Donald Trump and his fellow members of the “Billionaires Boys Club” like Jerry Jones and Arthur Blank and Robert Kraft could care less about the plight of middle class America, those of us who basically live pay check to pay check and struggle with the outrageous cost of healthcare, prescription medications, housing, food and many other items that the wealthy and privileged take for granted while they cruise around in their luxury yachts or gaze down upon Central Park from their penthouse. Sooner or later, it’s all going to come crashing down around them if something isn’t done to alleviate the growing gap between the one percenters and the rest of us. I understand Mike Trout is one of the great players to put on a uniform in the major leagues, and I hope when I go to California to visit a good friend who lives in Orange County or my daughter who lives in Los Angeles this summer to be able to watch him play in person, expensive ticket and all. But NOBODY that plays ANY game is worth nearly half a billion dollars, and it’s time we as a country took a long hard look at our priorities. They are obviously all FU*KED UP!!!! (HE WENT TO) JARED AND I(STINK)A –KEEPING IT ALL IN THE FAMILY
It’s bad enough that we have to put up with the Donald, but making it even worse is the fact that he brought along with him his entire family, Don Jr. (what a total waste of space), Erik (that’s one dad would rather forget) and Ivanka; I won’t even discuss the younger two because they aren’t old enough yet to have their hands in the cookie jar like the ones I just named. And do they EVER like that cookie jar, just like daddy! I was watching “Morning Joe” today, and there was a journalist from Vanity Fair magazine Vicky Ward who has just released a book entitled “KUSHNER, INC. Greed. Ambition. Corruption. The extraordinary story of Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump”. Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump were once seen as moderating influences within the White House. A new book by longtime Vanity Fair journalist Vicky Ward, Kushner, Inc., portrays them instead as coiffed agents of chaos — lying, scamming, and backstabbing their way through Donald Trump's Washington. Kushner, Inc. is a burn book with page numbers. We hear how Trump economic adviser Gary Cohn mocked Ivanka ("She thinks she's going to be president of the United States") and Trump strategist Steve Bannon told her to "[g]o f*** yourself ... you are nothing," how Jared's father is possibly bisexual, how Trump wished Ivanka had married Patriot's quarterback Tom Brady instead ("Jared is half the size of Tom Brady's forearm"), and how he considered sending the two back to New York because they were causing him so much trouble in the press. Other journalists have previously reported many of the serious claims presented in Kushner, Inc., including the pair's sway over the president, their various conflicts of interest, and the strife they create with White House staff. Ward also repeats details of Charles Kushner's shady dealings (including setting up his brother-in-law with a prostitute and sending the sex tape to his sister). Ward adds a few new claims, including an alleged profit-sharing arrangement by the Kushner brothers, Jared and Josh, which could create incentives for Jared to promote his brother's businesses at the White House. Ward cites "a former business associate," while Josh Kushner denies it happened. (the above was taken from the NPR book review). Enough about the book and the sleaze it entails regarding these two and their respective families. Let’s instead focus on the immediate and serious damage that these two are wreaking upon America in their roles as “advisors” to the President. Let’s start with Jared Kushner. He is the point man for Trump’s foreign policy in the Middle East, which is really nothing more than a financial bonanza for the Trump family courtesy of the Saudis. He is completely clueless regarding the actual political realities of the region, but he’s BFF with the Crown Prince. Oh, by the way, that’s the same MBS who authorized the butchering of Jamal Khassoghi, the Washington Post journalist. Trump said he took the word of the Crown Prince regarding his innocence over the conclusions of his own intelligence community, claiming that arms sales to the Kingdom was the overriding factor in deciding not to take punitive action against the Saudis. In reality it was the personal financial stake that he and the Kushner family have with the royal family that was the overriding consideration. What conflict of interest?!? Former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, no prize himself, resigned in part because of the constant interference from Kushner in matters of policy, particularily in the Middle East, one of the most volatile hot spots in the world. And here we have a complete geo political neophyte who has obvious conflicts of interest with several Arab states aside from Saudi Arabia like the UAE calling the shots. It’s downright scary. Just like Trump overriding his own intelligence team again in giving Kushner a security clearance. And speaking of conflicts of interest, how about Ivanka? Trump just recently announced he was considering appointing her to head the World Bank-talk about putting the fox in charge of the hen house!!! There have also been questions about her promoting her own product lines while supposedly conducting her official duties as “advisor to the President”, like with the Chinese Prime Minister during his visit to Mar a Lago. The list goes on. Of course, the White House immediately sought to dispel the book and its author in its usual fashion, with Sarah “HUCKLEBERRY” Sanders saying that it was "sad, but not surprising" that the media "would spend time promoting a book based on shady anonymous sources and false information, instead of all the incredible work Jared and Ivanka are doing for the country.(Seriously?!?) The author, on her own website, listed this book in the category of 'fiction' -- until recently changing it. Her initial representation was accurate." The fact of the matter is that the trail of influence peddling and corruption with these two is astounding but in the world of the Trump White House it almost goes without notice. There are so many daily items of this nature that we tend to start screening them out in the constant “all Trump all the time” media coverage that this first family receives. It’s most unfortunate that whatever good that this corrupt and criminal family might accomplish will be wiped away when the judgement of history is rendered, but they have certainly kept it all in the family. The favorite phrase used by Trump supporters of “lock her up” might be more appropriately applied to these two, (HE WENT TO) Jared Kushner and I(STINK)A Trump. And to daddy. When all is said and done, the entire family might be in jail!!! BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU TEACHERS AND HIS NAME IS WAYNE
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Kentucky Education Commissioner Wayne Lewis has asked Jefferson County Public Schools and other districts to provide listings of every teacher who called out sick on days when enough educators took absences to trigger “sick outs.” Lewis filed the request Thursday with JCPS and districts in Fayette, Oldham, Bullitt, Marion, Madison, Letcher, Carter, Boyd and Bath Counties, according to a release from the Kentucky Department of Education. Lewis has asked for the records – which cover Feb. 28, March 5-7 and Tuesday through Thursday – by Monday, along with the districts’ sick leave policies any affidavits or doctor’s notes submitted by those who received sick time. Lewis said he “takes the closing of schools very seriously,” and the Kentucky Department of Education plans to use the data to review whether districts and teachers were following the law. The commissioner has access to teacher records and can report any legal issues to the Kentucky Board of Education, who can then forward violations to local prosecutors. KEA, through a request by JCTA, gave the local union a legal opinion that said teachers could face disciplinary action by districts for taking sick time and protesting in Frankfort, even if their school systems are shut down. McKim told WDRB News he had heard nothing from JCPS administrators about any potential disciplinary action. However, KEA President Stephanie Winkler said Thursday evening that forcing teachers to "choose between keeping their livelihood and exercising their constitutional rights is despicable." "We hope that all superintendents recognize that such a show of political force by public employees is a gesture of support for public school students, parents, school boards and school administrators all across the state," Winkler said in a statement. I find this entire tact to be incredibly despicable, nothing more than a thug trying to intimidate. I hope that the local superintendents tell him to stick his request where the sun doesn’t shine and if any disciplinary action is attempted against those teachers who stood up to the REPUBLIKAN bullies in Frankfort they should all just simply walk of the job in a REAL work stoppage. It should be noted that the Commissioner is a strong proponent of charter schools and thus would never have the best interest of these teachers in mind, or be concerned about the fact that the Governor, “MAD” Matt Bevin and his band of merry men in the state house want to take away the pension benefits they were promised. The teachers don’t trust them after the chicanery they tried to pull last year attaching such legislation at the eleventh hour to a nondescript water bill, a maneuver that was ultimately shot down by the state Supreme Court. I don’t blame them-I don’t trust any of them either. Instead of seeking punitive measures against the very teachers he is supposed to be leading, maybe Wayne Lewis ought to be paying more attention to improving the education system to EVERYONES satisfaction, teachers, students, administrators and parents. 1984 was a long time ago, but it seems like Big Brother is coming back in the form of the Commissioner. Shame on him, and hats off to the attorneys who have offered to take up their case in the event he seeks such redress for their participation in their own future. Our Commonwealth deserves better than this attempt at intimidation and retribution for teachers who were exercising their Constitutional rights to demonstrate for what they believe in. |
About Mike ColeBorn in Hamilton, OH but a proud Kentuckian since age two. One brother and three sisters. Suburban, Catholic middle-class upbringing. Attended Jefferson Community College and Pasadena Community College. Proud father of four and grandfather to seven, and most of all, a concerned American citizen! Are you??? Categories |