Category: News and Politics
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Update on 2017 tax reform
There is no easy button for tax reform. Republicans tax reform plans have changed since my last report on tax reform about six weeks ago. The Republican Senate agenda that was based on using the reconciliation process instead of needing 60 votes in the Senate, the republicans only need a simple majority of 51 votes for…
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Who do you trust?
“Who do you trust?” was a television series hosted by Johnny Carson that ran during the years around when I was born. It might be called a precursor to reality TV since it was filmed live and Carson was known for his ability to react to the unexpected. The words come to mind today as…
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The problem with change in government
The problem with change in government is that it presumes that the new guy can do better than the collective input from all prior human minds that combine years of public process by all widely varied viewpoints. It says “we are not happy with the result so let’s throw it out and start over”. It…
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Consumer boycotts are working
This post was updated on February 8 after Nordstrom dropped the Trump product line and share price rebounded by 5 percent. Uber also abandoned support for the administration last week and donated $1 million to the resistance movement. Consumer boycotts seem to be picking up more steam this week against a handful of companies like Amazon, Yuengling,…
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Civil protest is always ugly and sometimes deadly
Civil disobedience is ugly and inefficient. It is uncomfortable, costs us property and sometimes even lives. But civil protest is by far the most powerful force that exists in society. Certainly the United States would not exist today as a nation if small groups of drunken colonialists had not engaged in shameful behavior of…
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New approach to break the health care reform impasse
Patient Freedom Act of 2017 A new bill to break the health care impasse is introduced today. WSJ reports “Sen. Collins, a Maine Republican, will answer that question publicly Monday when she introduces a bill with Louisiana Republican Sen. Bill Cassidy aimed at breaking the party’s logjam over the repeal of the Affordable Care Act…
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Propaganda tools
A commenter wrote “the NY Times is basically the propaganda arm of the Democratic party, in the same way Fox news is the propaganda arm of the Republican party“. I see it quite differently: Science, data, educational institutions , intellectuals, and investigative journalism are all part of the propaganda arm of the Democratic Party. Religion,…
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The real reason why San Francisco is a great place to live
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors recently passed a resolution, introduced by Board President London Breed, in response to the election of Donald Trump. The resolution reads as follows: WHEREAS, On November 8, 2016, Donald Trump was elected to become the 45th President of the United States; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That no…
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Day 1: Screw working class homeowners
It’s really hard for me to believe this is tonight’s business news and not a science fiction story but apparently the first three actions in the Trump White House were apparently to: 1) remove scientific data about climate change from the government’s web site, 2) remove online information defending equal rights for minorities, and 3)…
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Support for immigration reform
I am committed to support the right of individuals to travel freely across political borders. The U.S. Constitution ensures equal representation for all individuals living in the United States, regardless of immigration status. Noncitizens lack the right to vote in federal elections but they have the right to have their voices heard by their representatives…