Government

I guess not all government workers are bad people πŸ‘¨‍πŸš’

I guess not all government workers are bad people πŸ‘¨‍πŸš’

Maybe it’s the field I work in — political communication — but the impression I get of most government workers is they are in for the money primarily, and that most government jobs are about patronage and unwarranted attention seeking. Maybe government workers fill a needed jobs, and some are competent at what they do, but they hardly are the noble public servants, helping those in need, that they use the mass media to portray themselves as. Maybe a necessary evil, but not as noble as they like to portray themselves.

But my views have softened a bit since the fire recovery efforts at John Wolcott’s house. With some careful  negotiations with the fire inspector, and some help from current and former local elected officials, we were able to recover a lot of his files. The fire department was very sympathetic and helpful with the recovery effort, working to haul heavy, stinky, soggy wet boxes of files out of the house and ultimately allowed us to secure even more things from inside. They seemed genuinely caring and helpful, willing to go above the bare minimum of their jobs to help out the community. They took time they could have spent doing other activities, they spent actively assisting in the recovery efforts.

So maybe government workers do care about the communities they serve. There are good people in government, even if the incentive structures of government workers sometimes mislead them — be it campaign contributions, promotions, or other benefits from serving the politicians over the people. It’s good to know people in government sometimes actually serve the people, are willing to lend a helping hand to those in need. Not all government workers are just political hacks out for themselves.

Rock Island Arsenal

The Rock Island Arsenal comprises 946 acres (383 ha), located on Arsenal Island, originally known as Rock Island, on the Mississippi River between the cities of Davenport, Iowa, and Rock Island, Illinois. It lies within the state of Illinois. Rock Island was previously used as the summer camp site for Sauk Native Americans, and the dispute over tribal ownership led to the Black Hawk War of 1832, after the primary leader of the Sauk, Black Hawk. It is now home of First Army headquarters, and the US Army's Center of Excellence for Additive Manufacturing. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_Island_Arsenal

Bad public policy shouldn’t be justified by helping the poor get more cheap, unhealthy and disposable things πŸ”πŸ—‘

People often argue that a high carbon tax — combined with the repealing of the income and investing taxes would be bad for the poor because it would raises prices on people who are already struggling to get by. That of course ignores the fact that they would be able to keep more of their paycheck, and if they invested rather spent their money, they would pay no taxes at all under such a system. Make it expensive to buy things, and people will buy less and invest more. There are essentials people need to have, but as prices go up, things move from essential to luxury, and people prioritize things that need in their budget.

I often hear that people complain that it’s anti-poor people to raise the prices at fast restaurants and other forms of unhealthy food, because then the poor people would have to pay more for McDonald hamburgers and Fried Chicken. But that kind of food is terribly unhealthy, and higher prices would motivate people to cook more at home and pack their lunch. Likewise, if a higher minimum wage means higher prices at fast food restaurants, and people avoid them, then it’s good for all. A peanut butter and jelly sandwich made at home might not be a healthiest option but it sure is cheaper and healthier then what you would get at a fat fryer pit. Plus then you can include carrots or celery with your lunch.

While I am not against helping the poor — good public parks, libraries and affordable or free public transit can be beneficial to the whole community — holding the line on prices of consumer goods shouldn’t come at the cost of a dirtier environment, lower wages, unsafe working environments, or reduced public health. While we all like cheap things, if we could stimulate the economy to preserve jobs by reducing taxes on economic growth, and focus more on taxes on bad things in society, we could have healthier and prosperous communities, even if folks grumbled more at gas pump or grocery store.

Second amendment and candidates for president

Molon Labe.

 Molon Labe

I’m a gun owner and I’m concerned about many of the anti-second amendment proposals put forward lately. I believe people should have the right to keep and bear arms, that gun owners should not have to go through unnecessary hoops. I think it’s important we defend our rights as gun owners.

POLITICO Pro | Article | Ransomware attack hits bill drafting commission

POLITICO Pro | Article | Ransomware attack hits bill drafting commission

ALBANY, New York — State officials are now investigating the cyberattack on the state's budget system as a ransomware attack that has scuttled progress toward an agreement now two weeks late.

The attack left a state budget deal in limbo, and the problem was so befuddling that Gov. Kathy Hochul said the state commission that was hacked and in charge of drafting legislation had to turn to a computer system from 1994 to try to stem the problems.

The state Legislature and the Democratic are working to finalize a $237 billion budget agreement this week.

“We've been more concerned about finding the source, finding how we can remedy this, how we can get back to normal so it's something we've been dealing with since the wee hours of the morning,” Hochul said in a radio interview with WNYC.

Hochul and top legislative leaders insisted the attack would not hinder their ability to print budget bills, and she said using a “more antiquated system” from 30 years ago will serve as a backup to move the budget process along.

One state official familiar with the details of the attack, and granted anonymity because of the ongoing investigation, said no specific dollar amount was being sought by the attackers at the moment. A ransomware attack occurs when a perpetrator blocks access to a system until a specific amount of money is paid.