Paul Soglin: Waxing America

COVID - 19 This Pandemic Outcome: You Got What You Need Post #11

The inability of the federal government and the state governments to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic was planned. I reviewed two hundred pages of reports from the CDC and NIH including the one's linked in previous posts such as the Pandemic Influenza Plan 2017 Update.

First, the studies accurately predict and model what is happening. The U.S. government did not obfuscate the probability of a pandemic or the subsequent consequences.

Secondly, the strategy to address a pandemic was clearly inadequate. There are no recommendations that the federal government prepare the nation for a pandemic on the scale modeled. The reports contain a series of recommendations placing the responsibility on the individual states. That reports acknowledges that the states do not have the ventilators, respirators or other necessary PPEs.

A conscious decision was made to recommend an inadequate response.

If you examine the reports there is only one conclusion. The present crisis is a victory for those who want a smaller federal government, advocate for "state's rights," and who believe economically it is best not to prepare.

No one is to blame, the right-wing won this health and economic battle. The Trump, 'get back to work' and Texas 'old people can die' viewpoint is simply a continuation of the mentality that crafted the reports.

You can't always get what you want

You can't always get what you want

You can't always get what you want

But if you try sometimes, well, you might find, You get what you need.

 

You  can't get your prescription filled at the Chelsea drugstore.

Yeah, and he said said one word to me, and that was "dead"

 

Stopping the NRA and the Murder of America's Youth

The Nation Rifle Association (NRA) in its century long romance with violence violated the American people, their children, and our liberty, peace and tranquillity in classrooms from  Columbine to Sandy Hook, from Oregon to Virginia.

Since 1992, 386 school shootings in the United States and 493 dead. The more weapons, the more firepower, the more dead.

The NRA tells us that the solution is more armed guards and teachers in the classroom.

After perverting the Second Amendment, ensuring more guns in every city and town, they explain that we need more firepower to stop the thugs they armed. Meanwhile the bodycount mounts.

Mayors Against Illegal have a  plan -follow this link and sign up:

1. Require a criminal background check for every gun sold in America
2. Ban assault weapons and high-capacity magazines
3. Make gun trafficking a federal crime, including real penalties for “straw purchasers”

The Second Amendment:

A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed.

That simple three point plan does not compromise a well regulated militia. After all, you cannot yell fire in a crowded theater yet the First Amendment says:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances

 

 

Guns: What We Knew For Decades

Put a gun in a home and it is seven times more likely to be used:

• In a suicide by a member of the family
• To shoot a member of the family either purposefully or by accident.
• To shoot the owner of the weapon.

than used to defend the household.

 

 

Madison Teachers' Union Endorses Soglin For Mayor

Madison Teachers Endorse Paul Soglin for Mayor of Madison

Madison Teachers, Inc. (MTI)  has endorsed Paul Soglin for Mayor, citing his long and dynamic record of thoughtful and progressive action on behalf of Madison residents.

“Paul Soglin has a deep and longstanding commitment to Madison public schools, the children who learn in those schools and the teachers who teach those children ,” said Mike Lipp, athletic director and science teacher at Madison West High School, and president of Madison Teachers Inc. “Paul’s understanding of the challenges our schools face and his fluency with how best to bring the City and the schools together  distinguishes him on these issues.  His involvement with the Madison Schools began in the mid 1970’s, and has continued since that time.”

“It is an honor to earn the endorsement of Madison Teachers,” Soglin said. “I believe strongly that quality public schools are the single greatest asset a City can have. People and businesses want to locate in a City with strong public schools. Over half of the kids in our schools live in homes below the poverty level. We have to focus on fixing that.”

MTI represents about 4700 employees of the Madison Metropolitan School District,  including teachers, social workers, psychologists, educational assistants, librarians, school nurses, clerical staff and other caring, hardworking professionals.

 

Editor's Note: Campaign contributions can be made out to Soglin for Mayor and mailed to PO Box 1228, Madison WI 53701. Please include contact information and whether we can use your name as a supporter.  Let us know if you can volunteer or sponsor a fundraiser. State law requires you to supply employer information (name and address) if your contribution is over $100 in a calendar year. The campaign website at http://www.soglinformayor.com is able to take online contributions, but please feel free to go old school via the US Postal Service.

Walker Defies Wisconsin Constitution

Does Capital One Think College Graduates Are That Stupid? Obviously.

 
The following arrived from Capital One, the charge card company that features idiots in its commercials. It is sent to college students, who Capital One must think are as stupid as the characters in its commercials.

It comes with an introductory offer of 0% until July 2011.  Then the normal rate kicks in. 24.9%

 

 

 

Video of Ron Johnson Opposing Child Victims Act

In case it's been forgottten, early this year Ron Johnson testified on behalf of the Green Bay Diocese Finance Council opposing the Child Victims Act at a Wisconsin Senate hearing because he worried about the bill's financial impact on the employers of child predators. 

Jud Lounsbury has the video and an opinion:

Unbelievably, during his testimony, Johnson asks a jaw-droppingly stupid question:

I think its a valid question to ask if the employer of the perpetrator should also be severely damaged, possibly destroyed, in a legitimate desire for justice?

Well... actually that's not a valid question!   It's an incredibly stupid question!  If the Green Bay Diocese knew that a pedophile priest was in their organization and instead of calling the police, reassigned him to another parrish, of course they should be sued!

Unfortunately, this isn't hypothetical wondering for the Green Bay Diocese.  Their entire leadership has a long, troubling record of reassigning instead of arresting pedophile priests.

It's shameful that Ron Johnson would serve under such an unhonorable group and absolutely disgusting that he would go to the Wisconsin State Senate to defend them and do their bidding. 

Watch for yourself:

 

 

(BTW, love the beard, Ron.  You shouldn't have shaved it for the campaign.)

- Barry Orton

New Barrett Ad Hits Back By Showing He Can Take A Punch

This new ad from the Barrett campaign isn't a direct response to that stupid boxing glove Walker ad, at least not according to the Barrett staff.  Right.

Best response ad ever. (So far this season.)

-Barry Orton

I Will Serve Steven Slater's Prison Sentence. Righteous Dude.

Steven Slater, the angry Jet Blue flight attendant knows that it is often the circumstances that make the hero.

As President Calvin Coolidge said, "Heroism is not only the man, but in the occasion," or perhaps better put by Gerald W. Johnson, "Heroes are created by popular demand, sometimes out of the scantiest materials."

In any case, I volunteer to serve a one tenth share of any prison sentence he receives for doing the right thing. I am sure there are enough of us to fill all of the prisons in this nation for the next decade.

Slater spoke volumes when he said he did it for all of us poor, abused travelers who follow the rules.

In these trying times we should heed the words of Mahatma Gandhi, though he probably did not have obnoxious airline passengers, or the people who run the airlines in mind, "Non-cooperation with evil is as much a duty as is cooperation with good."

Manipulating the Consumer Is Profitable. More Ingenious Ploys

American corporations make more profits manipulating consumers and get away with in. Obviously irritating people like you and me and losing our business is a small price compared to the profits made by controlling the behavior of sheep.

Conde Nast and the New Yorker.Subscribe online and you get a great price of $39.95 a year compared to the standard renewal of $49.95. In fact a three year renewal is less than $100. There is a catch. After you make the purchase, not before you make the purchase, they inform you that upon expiration of your subscription they will automatically bill you for another year. Try to use a charge card that expires before the subscription.

AVIS.The car rental giant which normally provides great service now has a new automatic feature. If you drive less than 75 miles they will assume you did not fill-up the tank and charge you $13.95 for gasoline. Assuming you drive 74 miles and averaged 20 mpg and fuel was in the $3.00 a gallon range, AVIS is making a nifty $7. For those whose time is too valuable to fill 'er up, this is a great service. For those of us who resent manipulation, this sucks. They could offer the service but not make it automatic, which encourages its use. The charge is only removed if you show a receipt for the purchase of your gasoline.

U-Haul.They provide a great rental system given price and availability, but there is a catch. After you choose your vehicle, they offer you a slew of options which range from packages and storage facilities to blankets and some hearty souls to assist in your move. Some of the responses are pre-chosen defaults - you have to remove them. These additional services are nice. Too bad U-Haul does not ask you if you are interested in reviewing the additional services and let you check out. Instead you have to wade through all of their options and keep hitting the continue button before you can complete your purchase.