Voting motivated by fear

There are 12 propositions on California’s November 6 ballot. California’s secretary of state mailed a 71 page Voter Information Guide to every household where there are registered voters. That is a good thing. The bad thing is that only the most diligent readers are likely to read the analyst reports and the arguments that are provided.

The actual laws themselves are not part of the mailed information. The major sponsors of the proposals are also not included. Instead readers are provided with website addresses for more information.

Most of us will not avail ourselves of that on line data. Instead we will be seeing the non-stop television commercials that will be coming with even more ferocity for the last two weeks before election day. Already I have seen commercials for propositions that I support that are obvious lies.

Proposition 6 that would repeal a recently raised gas tax for road improvements is a perfect example. I support the tax. But one commercial contended that repealing the tax would endanger fire fighters and police due to poorly paved roads. Many of the roads in my neighborhood are in need of repair but I have not seen even one situation where road conditions have impacted those services. Clearly that television ad was meant to create fear.

Other ads on topics related to subjects from taxes to dialysis may have similar fear mongering.

Honesty in providing accurate information is only in that 71 page circular. How many will read it?

I am quite certain that this situation is going on in every state and municipality.

Have you no decency Mr. Trump?

Two years ago Donald Trump, then a Republican presidential nominee trailing in most polls, responded to accusations that he had sexually harassed a number of women by mocking one’s appearance: “She would not be my first choice.” All of them, he said, were “liars.”

On October 7, 2016, during the 2016 United States presidential election, The Washington Post published a video and accompanying article about then-presidential candidate Donald Trump and television host Billy Bush having “an extremely lewd conversation about women” in 2005. Trump and Bush were in a bus on their way to film an episode of Access Hollywood (now Access), a show owned by NBCUniversal. In the video, Trump described his attempt to seduce a married woman and indicated he might start kissing a woman that he and Bush were about to meet. He added, “I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab them by the pussy. You can do anything.”

Donald Trump publicly bragged about violating women’s privacy and bodily autonomy at he Miss Universe contest that he owned. Women have shared stories of being harassed by Trump in the very ways he has publicly boasted about. Tasha Dixon was 18 when she competed in the Miss USA pageant, winning the state crown. She reported to CBS, “He just came strolling right in. There was no second to put a robe on or any sort of clothing or anything. Some girls were topless. Other girls were naked.”

Despite his past behavior and language Trump seems to think his support for Brett Kavanugh is a winning strategy to retaining control of both house of Congress in the November 6 elections.

And now Trump has voiced his concern for the men who have sexually harassed women.

November 6 should be a time when you send the boorish, obnoxious, sexual harasser a message.

You are not fit to be president of the United States.

An Angry Man

It is sad that the choice of a Supreme Court justice has turned into a circus. Judge Brett Kavanugh came across as an angry man at yesterday’s hearing. His refusal to answer many of the questions that were asked only made him look guilty.

The hearings to select a justice are really a job interview. Have you ever been to an interview where there is more than one interviewer in the room at the same time? I have and it is a stressful experience. I was peppered with questions about my background and my capabilities. One wrong word could end the hiring process. When one of those interviewers left the room and did not return I knew that I had said the wrong thing.

Coming across as angry will most certainly end the interview. Look at the picture. It reflects that anger. The other people in this photo are obviously horrified and they are his friends and family members.

Kavanugh’s behavior would have ended the interview process when I was doing the interviewing.

What is Brett Kavanugh hiding?

Brett Kavanugh nomination to the Supreme Court

Christine Blasey Ford’s accusations of attempted rape by Judge Brett Kavanugh have created a dilemma for the GOP that could easily change the November make up of both houses of Congress. The Republicans want Kavanugh seated on the court before October 1 when the next Supreme Court session begins.

The Democrats know that when all is said Judge Brett Kavanugh will be seated on the Supreme Court since they are in the minority. My guess is that the Democrats hope that is done before the November election because then they will be campaigning that Republicans are not interested in protecting women who have been sexually harassed or have been the victim of a rape. If that campaign issue is well promoted than Democrats could easily win some additional seats in the House of Representatives and maybe win another seat in the Senate.

A Change of Seasons and Perhaps a New Purpose

It has been a long hot summer in southern California. Maybe I am getting older but the humidity dripping off my face is something I do not remember in any past summer. I cut the dogs’ walk to just going to the corner and back. Freddy seemed to understand when we arrived at the far corner and would cross the street for a return down the block. Princess, a ten pound malti-poo, wants to take the regular two block walk no matter how hot it is.

To my surprise my daughter turned on the heater this morning. I understood Fall is here. Now at least the petunias and marigolds won’t wilt if they are watered every two or three days.

The never ending political soap opera has become boring as the reporters and commentators repeat the same information over and over.

It’s time for me to focus more time on my photography.

Praying Mantis on the window

Can there be a Coup in the United States?

The answer based on an anonymous Op-Ed in the New York Times is YES!

Democrats should not be clapping their hands with delight over this situation. The same insider behavior could have occurred during the Obama administration.

The single person that all Americans elect to lead the country is the president. Members of the House of Representatives and Senate are elected by the district or the state. We rely on the president to lead the entire nation regardless of political party or other affiliations.

There is nothing in the Constitution that gives anyone authority to countermand the president’s decisions except laws passed by the congress or rulings by the Supreme Court.

When other people attempt to undermine or delay the president’s decisions they are interfering with the process of government that has been the basis of the American democracy since its inception.

While I view Donald Trump as a bad leader who could cause a war or an economic catastrophe he is the person that our system of elections has chosen to be president. Unfortunately his faults are many. Trump has been a supporter of groups that sew hate and he has made many nations that were considered allies into enemies.

Despite his obvious failings, I am not comfortable with an inner circle of people in the White House who are attempting to control the decision making process in the White House. They may say their actions are to protect our country but they are unanswerable to the American people.

We do have three ways of removing president. 1) Not re-elect him for a second term, 2) Action taken by the Vice President and “principal officers of the executive departments” to remove the president from power, 3) Impeachment. All of those choices are better than undermining our system of governing.

Pointless Hearings to Approve a New Supreme Court Justice

Yes the hearings are vacuous. We all know what the outcome will be. Judge Kavanaugh will be confirmed. The judge is given the opportunity to tell us what the various articles and amendments are saying and to add to the drama he refers to the Federalist papers. So we know he is no dummy. The irony is that Senator Harry Reid, the former leader of a Democratic Party controlled Senate, can be blamed for today’s lack of bi-partisan support to consent for any Supreme Court nominee. He led the decision to change a Senate rule requiring a 60 vote for approval of a Supreme Court justice appointment.

This sad situation is the result of a two party political system where everyone and every idea of the opposing party is by definition wrong.

“America was always great.”

Meghan McCain said during her father’s memorial service that “America was always great.” She also said. “The America of John McCain has no need to be made great again because America was always great.”

I would have added the words “and is still great today.” These have been my words from the beginning of the Trump candidacy for president. I just don’t have the same following as Meghan McCain.

Looking at some facts supports the contention that the United States continues to be the greatest country the world has ever known.

Our country’s GDP is over $19.3 trillion dollars. In second place is China at $12 trillion. Japan is 3rd at $4.5 trillion. Then Germany at $3.6 trillion

Note: This list is based IMF’s World Economic Outlook Database, April 2018.

Military strength? Global Firepower’s 2017 Military Strength Ranking uses more than 50 factors to assign a Power Index score to 133 countries.
The finalized Global Firepower ranking relies on over 55 individual factors to determine a given nation’s PowerIndex (‘PwrIndx’) score. Ranked number 1 is the United States. Number 2 is Russia and number three is China.

The country with the most billionaires? It is estimated there are 680 in the United States worth $3.2 billion. Second place is China with a wealth of $1.1 trillion.

The American dollar is recognized as the reserve currency of the world. Many countries use the US dollar exclusively: Ecuador, East Timor, El Salvador, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Turks and Caicos, British Virgin Islands, Zimbabwe. Many countries employ it as an accepted alternative to their own currency.

We have the universities people want to attend. The number of international students in the U.S. reached an all-time high – 1,078,822 students – during the 2016-2017 school year.

The American constitution and our capitalist enterprise system has made the United States the envy of the world. Our constitution guarantees freedom of religion, a free press, and a judicial system that protects the innocent. Immigrants migrate to the United States because they know that this is a country that rewards hard working people and helps the downtrodden.

We are great and we have always been great!