Politics
Trump and Government Shutdown
One thing I appreciate about the Trump Administration, is he’s been less of an asshole about the government shutdown,π© not unnecessarily shutting off government services during the temporary lapse in government funding. During the Government Shutdown during the Obama Administration, they not only shut down access to most of the federal parks,π they also shut off websites like that of US Census Bureau that could have been operating perfectly fine even with the furloughed government bureaucrats.
There areΒ many reduced government services and some areas closed during the shutdown, but in many ways the partial government shutdown under Trump is far less draconianπ then the one implemented by the Obama administration. While I think shutting down the government over the border wall is rather childish,Β πΆ I’d rather have a low-impact shutdown then one that maximizes the harm to the American people.π‘
I am in no way defending shutting the government for the stupid $15 billion money pit known as the border wall,π but I do support the smarter shutdown that is not unnecessarily closing down government programs that do not need government bureaucrats to administer them on a day-to-day basis.π
The World Is Full of Walls That Don’t Work – POLITICO Magazine
"Why would Donald Trump want to build another one?"
Mexico Agrees to Pay for TrumpâΒΒs Psychiatric Care | The New Yorker
"While some Mexican taxpayers argued that a full course of treatment could cost more than a border wall, the Mexican President warned against skimping on such a necessary expense."
It Trump was a smart man he would already have his wall financed.
It Trump was a smart man he would already have his wall financed. He would ask the states of Texas and Arizona to float revenue bonds for the wall, backed up the federal government signing a lease purchase agreement with the states for the wall. The bonds would also include parts of the wall in New Mexico and California. To avoid having to get state legislature approval the states would sell the bonds to federal government on May 31st of each year, then the federal government would sell the bonds back before October 1st, to keep it off the federal budget.
The states would in turn hire the federal government to be the lead contractor for building the wall. Then the states would buy title insurance and bond insurance from insurance companies closely allied with Senator Schumer and Congresswoman Pelosi.
I have no idea where I came up with idea but it seems like a sensible way forward. Congress can say their not funding the wall because it’s never on the budget come October. Sure they’ll have to make lease payments but with some careful use of Clean Water Revolving Act funds, and other federal government grants, I’m sure the president can figure out revenue to make the lease payment without impacting the budget.
Alleged North Carolina Election Fraud Could Cause A Backlash For Voting By Mail
I am a big fan of vote by mail. If there is question about fraud, you simply lay the unopened ballot aside call the voter into court. You can't do that with a machine.
Absentee Ballots and Party Line Voting
ο»ΏThe other week, I happened to witness the opening of absentee ballots at a local board of elections. One thing that surprised me was how few people voted on minor party lines, and how consistent people were at voting across the row. While I am a Democrat, I donβt think I have ever voted across the line, nor even voted primarily on the major party lines. I often enjoy my right to vote on Working Families or Conservative line, or sometimes Green or Independence or Reform Party. I guess I’m just different.