May 1, 2023·edited May 1, 2023Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
North Carolina was rated by the Electoral Integrity Project as not a democracy in 2016 with a score 58 out of 100 which is close to Iran and Venezuela. https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/311690-north-carolina-is-no-longer-a-democracy-report/ Makes me wonder if the Supreme Court should rule on gerrymandering under the Guarantee Clause of the Constitution that guarantees all states will have a republican (little r) form of government meaning government by representatives of the People. Gerrymandering means the representatives choose their voters not the voters choosing their representatives. My question is who enforces the Guarantee Clause? Especially if the corrupt Injustices of the Supreme Court have been bought by rich donors and no longer rule based on the Constitution for, by and of all the the People but for a theocratic oligarchic kleptocracy.
Governor Inslee of Washington state has signed effective gun safety laws that should be a model for other states and for the US Congress if we vote out all the Republicans (MAGA or otherwise - the entire GOP needs to be held accountable!) and let President Biden finish the job of restoring democracy and getting the US back on a positive track. Bravo Superman Inslee! I'm actually wondering if President Biden could declare a national emergency and authorize the debt payments to address the emergency. Robert Reich suggests that the debt ceiling law is actually unconstitutional even from an Originalist perspective. “The validity of the public debt of the United States … shall not be questioned." The totally unnecessary debt-ceiling law should be eliminated as such. https://robertreich.substack.com/p/advice-to-biden-on-how-to-handle
May 1, 2023·edited May 1, 2023Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
Gregg Abbott is an seriously warped inhuman monster. Even if the five murdered people were undocumented immigrants (and show us PROOF of that little factoid, Gregg--if you can, that is) they are still PEOPLE. It doesn't mean that it's a matter of indifference that those poor souls should be gunned down.
Pro-Life Democrats favor gun safety laws and regulations that make guns less available to those who would solve problems using their weapons. Pro-Life Democrats favor legal abortion, making it possible for women to live their lives in ways that allow them to care more effectively for the children they already have or allow them to have children in the future when they are better able to care for them. Pro-Life Democrats favor acting to limit the Climate Crisis so that the earth will be a place where its inhabitants can live with less extreme temperatures and less extreme weather.
Here today. Gone tomorrow. The New York Times story on the Scalia Law School, published online April 30, is no longer on the digital front page of this morning's edition, May 1. I thought this story was really important. However, stories about AI, Sinema, and Karl Lagerfield are right up there on the first page of the online edition. I do no feel the stories are as worthy of "digital front page" treatment as the investigations into our very corrupt Supreme Court continue to multiply. That is why I have 14 Substack subscriptions. Thank you.
Thank you, Robert, for highlighting the Tulare Lake saga. Oh, my goodness. Such good news and bad news all at the same time.
Reading Today's Edition reinforces my frustration that we are left with framing everything through the lens of Republicans versus Democrats. It boggles my mind that the majority of people show support for gun safety yet will not vote for legislators who align with them because they will be voting for a Democrat.
As a reminder, Jen Kiggans beat Elaine Luria in the 2022 election. Elaine was on the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. Her work on the committee, it is said by some, was what spelled her defeat to the Republican. Let's hope her constituents will see the error of their votes come 2024. I'll be waiting in the wings when it comes time to write Postcards4Virginia. In the meantime, there are state senators and delegates on this November's 2023 ballot that need tending to!
As to North Carolina, DeSantis, and SCOTUS, all I can say is...meh!
Most important is to recognize the importance of local, often off year elections. Judges, school boards, and other local elected officials are the elections that most matter in people’s lives, though they do not get the media attention. The Republicans have been focused on this since Delay was speaker in the late 1990’s. Now we see the gerrymandered districts and the book banning. It takes time to change the foundation, but it works. Democrats need to be patient and work hard in off year elections, like this year’s. Let’s not skip ahead to 2024 when 2023 is as important and an opportunity.
May 1, 2023·edited May 1, 2023Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
Today I wrote to my Senators to use their influence to get their Texas colleagues in the House to stop the dangerous game that would make the US default on its debts. I had already written to my Representative on the House. Even just playing the game may increase the rate of interest the US would pay countries like China. It would certainly hurt the US and world economy hurting everyone. The only winner in this would be China. And, basically reversing all the great legislation of the Biden administration gives President Biden absolutely no incentive to negotiate. Have they been watching the intense weather events that are most certainly climate change is now upon us. I have confidence that President Biden will remember the hardest person to negotiate with is someone who won't negotiate at all. What is frightening is the uneducated crazy loudmouth Rep. Greene (the ePITome of decorum!) and her MAGA friends are controlling Spino McCarthy. I'm actually wondering if President Biden could declare a national emergency and authorize the debt payments to address the emergency. Robert Reich suggests that the debt ceiling law is actually unconstitutional even from an Originalist perspective. “The validity of the public debt of the United States … shall not be questioned." The totally unnecessary debt-ceiling law should be eliminated as such. https://robertreich.substack.com/p/advice-to-biden-on-how-to-handle See the article that
I predict that guns will surpass abortion as a motivating issue for 2024.
In my Sunday school class yesterday, one member asked for prayers for her daughter and their family, as they shelter in place at their home near Cleveland, Texas, site of the latest mass shorting.
I was struck by the fact that the odds of everyone having encounters with gun violence is quickly increasing. The Tennessee governor knew a Nashville teacher killed. The Kentucky governor knew Louisville victims.
The GOP strategy is to hope these victims are “others.” Thus Abbott calls five beautiful lives “5 illegal immigrants.”
But he and the GOP are losing. We must point out that Abbott has ceded public safety to any vigilantes who might be in the area. Cops are flat outgunned. Peaceful people can no longer feel safe asking their neighbor to please stop firing guns.
So the GOP position here in Texas is to either get a gun yourself and feel (unjustifiably) safe, or cower in your home.
May 1, 2023·edited May 1, 2023Liked by Robert B. Hubbell
Fellow Floridians, please contact your Senators to oppose allowing 18-year-olds to purchase assault rifles.
Interestingly, one of the FL Reps opposing HB 1543 used the same words the Montana legislature used to silence Rep Zooey Zephyr.
“The blood of people — not hunters, or animals or whatever … but human beings will be on your hands,” said Rep. Felicia Robinson, a Miami Gardens Democrat, during the debate.”
For me what was significant about President Biden’s attendance and speech at the White House Press annual dinner was his sense of humor and his ability to poke fun at himself and sound and feel like an average “ Joe”. Trump never attended and we know he has no sense of humor and the visual contrast is stunning. The “ Dark Brandon “ comments were perfect and President Biden is making his case one event at a time. Poking fun at your own age and addressing it takes grace and humility and also takes some of the issue off the table for some people. Biden demonstrated again why we need his leadership to finish the job.
Once again I will voice my thoughts on the 'flooding" of Tulare Lake. This is the natural state of the land. We have mismanaged the water in many locations of this land. Sustainable agriculture only occurs where nature is in control. The more "we" try to manipulate "nature" the more we fail in the long term. Basically why do we build houses in flood plains? If we farm in flood plains we need to acknowledge the risk. Hard decisions need to be made with climate change being a major concern.
This is not on point to the topics discussed in Today's Edition, but does address an issue discussed in prior issues, anti-trans legislation. And it isn't getting the attention it deserves. This Nebraska senator has been filibustering an anti-trans bill for 9 weeks, bringing to a halt the legislative process in their unicameral legislature. And she will continue until the end of the session. She deserves more national attention. Check out the article from The New Republic. https://newrepublic.com/post/172303/nebraska-cavanaugh-filibuster-anti-trans-bill-nine-weeks
North Carolina was rated by the Electoral Integrity Project as not a democracy in 2016 with a score 58 out of 100 which is close to Iran and Venezuela. https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/311690-north-carolina-is-no-longer-a-democracy-report/ Makes me wonder if the Supreme Court should rule on gerrymandering under the Guarantee Clause of the Constitution that guarantees all states will have a republican (little r) form of government meaning government by representatives of the People. Gerrymandering means the representatives choose their voters not the voters choosing their representatives. My question is who enforces the Guarantee Clause? Especially if the corrupt Injustices of the Supreme Court have been bought by rich donors and no longer rule based on the Constitution for, by and of all the the People but for a theocratic oligarchic kleptocracy.
Governor Inslee of Washington state has signed effective gun safety laws that should be a model for other states and for the US Congress if we vote out all the Republicans (MAGA or otherwise - the entire GOP needs to be held accountable!) and let President Biden finish the job of restoring democracy and getting the US back on a positive track. Bravo Superman Inslee! I'm actually wondering if President Biden could declare a national emergency and authorize the debt payments to address the emergency. Robert Reich suggests that the debt ceiling law is actually unconstitutional even from an Originalist perspective. “The validity of the public debt of the United States … shall not be questioned." The totally unnecessary debt-ceiling law should be eliminated as such. https://robertreich.substack.com/p/advice-to-biden-on-how-to-handle
Gregg Abbott is an seriously warped inhuman monster. Even if the five murdered people were undocumented immigrants (and show us PROOF of that little factoid, Gregg--if you can, that is) they are still PEOPLE. It doesn't mean that it's a matter of indifference that those poor souls should be gunned down.
Pro-Life Democrats favor gun safety laws and regulations that make guns less available to those who would solve problems using their weapons. Pro-Life Democrats favor legal abortion, making it possible for women to live their lives in ways that allow them to care more effectively for the children they already have or allow them to have children in the future when they are better able to care for them. Pro-Life Democrats favor acting to limit the Climate Crisis so that the earth will be a place where its inhabitants can live with less extreme temperatures and less extreme weather.
Here today. Gone tomorrow. The New York Times story on the Scalia Law School, published online April 30, is no longer on the digital front page of this morning's edition, May 1. I thought this story was really important. However, stories about AI, Sinema, and Karl Lagerfield are right up there on the first page of the online edition. I do no feel the stories are as worthy of "digital front page" treatment as the investigations into our very corrupt Supreme Court continue to multiply. That is why I have 14 Substack subscriptions. Thank you.
Thank you, Robert, for highlighting the Tulare Lake saga. Oh, my goodness. Such good news and bad news all at the same time.
Reading Today's Edition reinforces my frustration that we are left with framing everything through the lens of Republicans versus Democrats. It boggles my mind that the majority of people show support for gun safety yet will not vote for legislators who align with them because they will be voting for a Democrat.
As a reminder, Jen Kiggans beat Elaine Luria in the 2022 election. Elaine was on the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol. Her work on the committee, it is said by some, was what spelled her defeat to the Republican. Let's hope her constituents will see the error of their votes come 2024. I'll be waiting in the wings when it comes time to write Postcards4Virginia. In the meantime, there are state senators and delegates on this November's 2023 ballot that need tending to!
As to North Carolina, DeSantis, and SCOTUS, all I can say is...meh!
The “ducks” in your third picture re actually Grebes.] Tough to tell from the picture, but probably Western Grebes…maybe Clark’s.
Most important is to recognize the importance of local, often off year elections. Judges, school boards, and other local elected officials are the elections that most matter in people’s lives, though they do not get the media attention. The Republicans have been focused on this since Delay was speaker in the late 1990’s. Now we see the gerrymandered districts and the book banning. It takes time to change the foundation, but it works. Democrats need to be patient and work hard in off year elections, like this year’s. Let’s not skip ahead to 2024 when 2023 is as important and an opportunity.
Today I wrote to my Senators to use their influence to get their Texas colleagues in the House to stop the dangerous game that would make the US default on its debts. I had already written to my Representative on the House. Even just playing the game may increase the rate of interest the US would pay countries like China. It would certainly hurt the US and world economy hurting everyone. The only winner in this would be China. And, basically reversing all the great legislation of the Biden administration gives President Biden absolutely no incentive to negotiate. Have they been watching the intense weather events that are most certainly climate change is now upon us. I have confidence that President Biden will remember the hardest person to negotiate with is someone who won't negotiate at all. What is frightening is the uneducated crazy loudmouth Rep. Greene (the ePITome of decorum!) and her MAGA friends are controlling Spino McCarthy. I'm actually wondering if President Biden could declare a national emergency and authorize the debt payments to address the emergency. Robert Reich suggests that the debt ceiling law is actually unconstitutional even from an Originalist perspective. “The validity of the public debt of the United States … shall not be questioned." The totally unnecessary debt-ceiling law should be eliminated as such. https://robertreich.substack.com/p/advice-to-biden-on-how-to-handle See the article that
See the article Lynell mentioned above.
https://washingtonmonthly.com/2022/11/22/biden-can-raise-the-debt-ceiling-without-congress/
I predict that guns will surpass abortion as a motivating issue for 2024.
In my Sunday school class yesterday, one member asked for prayers for her daughter and their family, as they shelter in place at their home near Cleveland, Texas, site of the latest mass shorting.
I was struck by the fact that the odds of everyone having encounters with gun violence is quickly increasing. The Tennessee governor knew a Nashville teacher killed. The Kentucky governor knew Louisville victims.
The GOP strategy is to hope these victims are “others.” Thus Abbott calls five beautiful lives “5 illegal immigrants.”
But he and the GOP are losing. We must point out that Abbott has ceded public safety to any vigilantes who might be in the area. Cops are flat outgunned. Peaceful people can no longer feel safe asking their neighbor to please stop firing guns.
So the GOP position here in Texas is to either get a gun yourself and feel (unjustifiably) safe, or cower in your home.
This is nuts and not sustainable.
Fellow Floridians, please contact your Senators to oppose allowing 18-year-olds to purchase assault rifles.
Interestingly, one of the FL Reps opposing HB 1543 used the same words the Montana legislature used to silence Rep Zooey Zephyr.
“The blood of people — not hunters, or animals or whatever … but human beings will be on your hands,” said Rep. Felicia Robinson, a Miami Gardens Democrat, during the debate.”
https://floridapolitics.com/archives/608008-house-passes-bill-lowering-long-gun-purchase-age-from-21-to-18/
Thought I would remind everyone of President Obama roasting Trump at the 2011 White House Correspondents Dinner. Trump did not take it well and may have decided to run for President to get back at Obama for the slights. That's why he never went to the dinner during his Presidency. https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-1-d&q=obama+kids+trump+at+white+house+correspondents+dinner#fpstate=ive&vld=cid:b8967112,vid:HHckZCxdRkA
For me what was significant about President Biden’s attendance and speech at the White House Press annual dinner was his sense of humor and his ability to poke fun at himself and sound and feel like an average “ Joe”. Trump never attended and we know he has no sense of humor and the visual contrast is stunning. The “ Dark Brandon “ comments were perfect and President Biden is making his case one event at a time. Poking fun at your own age and addressing it takes grace and humility and also takes some of the issue off the table for some people. Biden demonstrated again why we need his leadership to finish the job.
Once again I will voice my thoughts on the 'flooding" of Tulare Lake. This is the natural state of the land. We have mismanaged the water in many locations of this land. Sustainable agriculture only occurs where nature is in control. The more "we" try to manipulate "nature" the more we fail in the long term. Basically why do we build houses in flood plains? If we farm in flood plains we need to acknowledge the risk. Hard decisions need to be made with climate change being a major concern.
This is not on point to the topics discussed in Today's Edition, but does address an issue discussed in prior issues, anti-trans legislation. And it isn't getting the attention it deserves. This Nebraska senator has been filibustering an anti-trans bill for 9 weeks, bringing to a halt the legislative process in their unicameral legislature. And she will continue until the end of the session. She deserves more national attention. Check out the article from The New Republic. https://newrepublic.com/post/172303/nebraska-cavanaugh-filibuster-anti-trans-bill-nine-weeks
I'm writing a letter to Roberts. I don't expect my letter to do anything by itself. But a flood of letters might. Hint hint.