Author: ex-OS2

  • Chuck Schumer; crocodile tears, hypocrisy and chaos

    Chuck Schumer; crocodile tears, hypocrisy and chaos

    Chuck “I think we can nail him” Schumer is back at it. He will not be one-upped by Pelosi’s “But we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what’s in it….”.

    Back in 2013, recall, a GOP effort to defund ObamaCare in a federal spending bill led to a 16-day shutdown of the federal government. Democrats were irate (as they always are when Republicans advance their policies), and none more so than Schumer, who explained how his party was above the fray.

    “You know,” he said on ABC’s “This Week,” “we could do the same thing on immigration reform. We believe strongly in immigration reform. We could say, ‘We’re shutting down the government, we’re not gonna raise the debt ceiling, until you pass immigration reform.’?”

    But, he added ominously, “it would be government chaos.”

    So, the Republicans were harum-scarum in 2013, now the Democrats are righteous rebels in 2017.

    New York’s senior senator doesn’t like the fact that Republicans mean to insert provisions for border-wall funding and deportation of illegal immigrants in a must-pass bill to keep the government funded past April 28. So he’s threatening a filibuster to block passage — which would result in furloughing government employees, just like last time.

    Back then, Democrats called it “hostage-taking.” Now they’re blaming Republicans for leaving Democrats no option but to take hostages themselves. Or, as Schumer put it: “They will be shutting down the government and delivering a severe blow to our economy.” Meaning: When they do it, it’s reckless; when we do it, it’s principle.

    Go get ’em Chuck, maybe you can convince them with some crocodile tears, your hypocrisy has no limits.

     

    Chuck Schumer calls for chaos

  • Cali SB 807; Tax Exempt Teachers

    Cali SB 807; Tax Exempt Teachers

    WARNING: This is not Fake News, read at your own risk.

    Legislators in California recently introduced a bill that would offer educators major tax breaks in an effort to keep them in the classroom and combat the state’s growing teacher shortage.

    The measure quickly drew fire from taxpayer advocates who criticized it as politically inspired favoritism.

    Democratic senators Henry Stern of Los Angeles and Cathleen Galgiani of Stockton earlier this month introduced Senate Bill 807, which would exempt teachers from paying the state income tax – which would be the equivalent of a 4 percent to 6 percent salary increase – after five years in the classroom.

    I thought major tax breaks were for the hedge fund guys and zillionaires?

    “You’re not going to be able to get paid $50,000 a year and go live in the Bay Area, go teach at the local school…. we think it’s a pretty creative tool, we’ll see how the fiscal conservatives in this house want to approach this,” Stern told Fox 40.

    Are college freshmen or the new Yale PC term “first years” threatened with getting their kneecaps busted if they don’t pick a teaching career path these days?

    Fiscally conservative groups, including the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, criticized the bill. Jazz Shaw, writing on the group’s website, said that for lawmakers to pick certain groups to get privileged treatment is a slippery slope.

    “If you take an entire class of people based on their occupation and say that they are somehow ‘more deserving’ than everyone else and should be exempted from paying state income taxes, what other groups might qualify? It’s not hard to imagine quite a few of these ‘deserving’ professions being rather quick to have their hands out,” he wrote.

    You think? What about the doctors that save our lives? Police Officers? Wal-Mart greeters? Electricians? Pool Cleaners? Professional poker players? Pot dealers in Colorado? Perhaps they are jealous that illegal aliens and hookers dodge paying state income tax. It’s really anyone’s guess.

    The bill is expected to enter committee review by the end of the month and has so far faced no opposition from lawmakers in either party. It is unclear, however, what the estimated loss in tax revenue to the state would be if the measure is approved.

    No opposition? California teachers should ask the NEA leadership if they struggle to pay for housing, food and private schools for their children. Who would have thought that a union had fat cats up top like the meanies in Corporate America. Good grief. If this passes, like always, the middle class will carry the burden. I did notice the token male in the top four.

    LILY ESKELSEN GARCIA, NEA PRESIDENT
    Salary Breakdown (2015)
    Total Compensation
    $416,633.00
    Gross Salary: $303,934.00
    Allowances: $77,197.00
    Official Business: $20,594.00
    Other Compensation: $14,908.00

    BECKY PRINGLE, NEA VICE PRESIDENT
    Salary Breakdown (2015)
    Total Compensation
    $371,278.00
    Gross Salary: $268,594.00
    Allowances: $58,678.00
    Official Business: $35,903.00
    Other Compensation: $8,103.00

    JOHN STOCKS, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
    Salary Breakdown (2015)
    Total Compensation
    $407,264.00
    Gross Salary: $304,709.00
    Allowances: $77,974.00
    Official Business: $23,972.00
    Other Compensation: $609.00

    PRINCESS MOSS, NEA SECRETARY TREASURER
    Salary Breakdown (2015)
    Total Compensation
    $429,851.00
    Gross Salary: $327,195.00
    Allowances: $62,962.00
    Official Business: $39,273.00
    Other Compensation: $421.00

    National Education Association Salaries

    Speaking of housing and food, during the crash of 2008, then NEA Secretary-Treasurer Lily Eskelsen received a base salary of $248,349 and allowances of $54,285 for a total of $302,634. Also at that time, NEA President Reg Weaver raked in a whopping $686,949. I bet they struggled to make mortgage payments on their beach houses that year and could only eat out six days a week, bless their little hearts.

     

    Legislators in California introduce bill to exempt teachers from state income tax

     

  • Rhode Island State House; Keggers & Shots

    Rhode Island State House; Keggers & Shots

    Mush-a ring dum-a do dum-a da
    Whack for my daddy-o
    Whack for my daddy-o
    There’s whiskey in the jar

    Freshman Representative Moira Walsh (D- Providence) joined Matt Allen on WPRO to talk about a wide range of issues – including minimum wage and women’s issues. It was a comment at the end of the hour long interview, however, that has garnered attention.

    When asked by Allen what she found most surprising at the State House, Walsh said, “The drinking. It is the drinking that blows my mind. You can not operate a motor vehicle when you’ve had two beers but you can make laws that effect people’s lives forever when you’re half in the bag?  That’s outrageous!”

    That’s outrageous! Really? Hahahahahaha. cough. cough. Hahahahaha. Make laws half in the bag? Hahahahaha. Hey Moira, have you ever heard of Ted “went back to bed” Kennedy?

    Rep Walsh – “Insane amount of drinking” at the State House

    UPDATE: Rep Walsh shocked by ‘insane’ boozing at Rhode Island capitol

    A new state lawmaker said she’s surprised by the “insane amount of drinking” that goes on in the State House.

    Providence Democratic Rep. Moira Walsh told WPRO’s Matt Allen on Tuesday that lawmakers have “file cabinets full of booze.” She described how they recently took shots on the floor of the House of Representatives to celebrate Dominican Republic Independence Day.

    Legislative leaders late Tuesday sought to dismiss her claims of rampant drinking, with Democratic House Majority Leader Joseph Shekarchi telling the Providence Journal he has never seen anyone intoxicated on the floor or impaired while voting.

    But it’s not uncommon for Rhode Island legislators to have toasts of alcohol during celebratory occasions. One of the biggest is next week ahead of St. Patrick’s Day. Nor are Rhode Island lawmakers alone in drinking on the job, though some other states have sought to curb the practice.

    In Massachusetts, late-night antics ultimately forced a rules change essentially banning the House of Representatives from meeting past midnight. A Missouri lawmaker last year proposed legislation banning smoking and alcohol in the Statehouse. And a pattern of drunken-driving arrests of California lawmakers led the legislature to provide them free after-hours transportation, though the free rides were ended in 2015 in an attempt to restore public trust.

    She said last year that “one of the things I’m personally very concerned about is I’ve heard rumors that there’s drinking during sessions. I don’t imagine that’s going to go over well with me.” She also said as “a low-income single mother” she was bothered that too much is decided at late-night dinner meetings where some legislators commiserate.

    Joking with Allen on Tuesday about the possibility of a police checkpoint outside the legislators’ parking lot, Walsh said, “I’m going to be the person who ruined drinking at the State House. They’ll love me forever.”

    I guess low-income single mothers are the only ones who are bothered by wink and nod politics. Silly me. Good luck District 3.

    UPDATE: Rep Walsh shocked by ‘insane’ boozing at Rhode Island capitol

    Here is a little more about Moira:

    Walsh told the radio station that it all started with a posting she made on social media just before Christmas saying “all my holiday cheer is for women, femmes and trans. The rest of you boys can kick rocks.”

    Her advocacy for raising the tipped minimum wage and her candid talk about her struggles as a waitress and 26-year-old single parent have attracted wide attention, including a profile on The Atlantic’s website.

    “Did my comments make men uncomfortable? Clearly,” she said Thursday. “Social change comes at the price of comfort, and if you’re agitated, it means it’s working.”

    Rhode Island legislator says she was fired by restaurant for political talk

  • JCB; Made in the USA (China)?

    JCB; Made in the USA (China)?

    Army photo by C. Todd Lopez

    The Army Jungle Combat Boot, now under development, features a low-height heel to prevent snags on things like vines in a jungle environment; additional drainage holes to let water out if it becomes completely soaked, speed laces so that soldiers can don and doff the boots more quickly, a redesigned upper to make the boots less tight when they are new, an insert that helps improve water drainage, a lining that helps the boot breathe better and dry faster; a ballistic fabric-like layer under a soldier’s foot to help prevent punctures, and a foam layer between the rubber sole and the upper to provide greater shock absorbing capability. The boot will initially be issued to two full brigade combat teams in Hawaii, part of the 25th Infantry Division, for evaluation.

    Hopefully this Jungle Combat Boot does not include the tear-off “Made in China” tag.

    Indictment: Military boots made in China said ‘Made in the USA’

    Fernald said that sometime between April and June of 2018, a final purchase description for the JCB will be developed — based on feedback from soldiers who wore it. He said he expects that in fiscal year 2019, an indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract will be signed with multiple vendors to produce the final version of the JCB for the Army.

    Bryan said the JCB, when it becomes widely available, will be wearable by all soldiers who want to wear it — even if they don’t work in a jungle.

    “From the get-go we have worked… to make sure we all understood the Army wear standards for boots,” he said. “One of the pieces of feedback we have gotten from soldiers before they wear them is they look a lot like our current boots. That’s by design. These will be authorized to wear.”

    While the JCB will be authorized for wear by any solider, Bryan made it clear that there will only be some soldiers in some units who have the JCB issued to them. And right now, those decisions have not been made. Soldiers who are not issued the JCB will need to find it and purchase it on their own if they want to wear it.

    “We are not directing commercial industry to sell them,” Bryan said. “But if they build to the specification we’ve given them for our contract, they can sell them commercially and soldiers are authorized to wear them.”

    Maybe some Army peeps can chime in on the revised M1966 Vietnam-era jungle boot. Will the troops only have to pay “cost” if they are not issued to them?

     New Army Jungle Wear Gives ‘Trench Foot’ the Boot

  • The world according to Ramos

    The world according to Ramos

    Apparently Jorge Ramos thinks that Mexico won the war or has annexed the entire continental United States while we were taking a siesta.

    Univision senior anchor Jorge Ramos declared on Friday that the United States belongs to Latino migrants, emphatically stating to a Spanish-speaking audience that “it is our country, not theirs.”

    “I am an immigrant, just like many of you,” Ramos said in Spanish, as translated by the Media Research Center. “I am a proud Latino immigrant here in the United States. My name is Jorge Ramos, and I work at Univision and at the Fusion network.”

    “And you know exactly what is going on here in the United States. There are many people who do not want us to be here, and who want to create a wall in order to separate us,” he said.

    “But you know what? This is also our country. Let me repeat this: Our country, not theirs. It is our country. And we are not going to leave. We are nearly 60 million Latinos in the United States,” he continued. “And thanks to us, the United States eats, grows and, as we’ve seen today, sings and dances.”

    “So when they attack us, we already know what we are going to do. We are not going to sit down. We will not shut up. And we will not leave. That is what we are going to do,” he added.

    He sounds more like an activist than a journalist. Maybe he can open up his $6,000,000 digs to some of his fellow Mexican countrymen and give them three hots and a cot.

    “The taboo issue of an open border should be tackled. Not now. Politically it is impossible even to discuss that. But I don’t see why we can’t have in North America the same immigration that they have within the European Union,” Ramos said toTime magazine in 2014.

    The U.S. should not enforce its immigration laws even after illegal aliens kill Americans, he said during a CNN interview in August 2015, because that would be “completely unfair” to the illegal population. In June of 2016, Ramos told a crowd of illegal aliens gathered in Houston, Texas, “I think you the DREAMers are the Rosa Parks of this time.”

    Jorge believes in open borders, condones lawlessness and thinks it is unfair that we enforce our immigration laws even if illegal aliens rape, murder and pillage us. Silly us. He must not watch the news and see how open borders has worked out in Europe.

    On being both Mexican and American, Ramos stated: “I finally recognized that I cannot be defined by one country. I am from both countries. It took me many years to make peace with that thought, and that I was never going back to Mexico.” Jorge Ramos

    “I’ve never ceased to be Mexican. I have two passports, and I vote in elections in both countries. I’m deeply proud of this privileged duality. The best thing about America is its embrace of diversity. The worst thing about America, of course, is the racist and xenophobic attitudes that tend to emerge now and then.” Jorge Ramos

    Ramos came to the United States in his 20’s on a student visa yet waited until 2008 to become an American citizen, perhaps he spent some time here illegally. He speaks out of both sides of his flap and is a self-absorbed pompous blowhard that cant make up his mind if he is Mexican or American. President Trump needs to expedite his plans to stop this blatant Mexican encroachment.

     

    “In the first place, we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the person’s becoming in every facet an American, and nothing but an American. There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn’t an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag. We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language … and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people.”

    Theodore Roosevelt

    Jorge Ramos: America Is ‘Our Country, Not Theirs’—‘And We Are Not Going to Leave’

     

     

     

  • Durham VA Medical Center; No Pillow For You!

    Durham VA Medical Center; No Pillow For You!

    Photos of elderly veterans in extreme pain waiting for treatment at a VA hospital in Durham, North Carolina, are going viral.

    Retired Marine Stephen McMenamin and his wife, Hannah, were waiting at the Durham VA Medical Center when they noticed two veterans who were struggling in the waiting room.

    McMenamin told WSB-TV that his wife found the scene “upsetting,” so she took pictures and posted them to Facebook.

    The Facebook post has been shared more than 118,000 times, and McMenamin said other veterans who have had bad experiences at VA hospitals across the U.S. have reached out to them.

    DeAnne Seekins, Medical Center Director at the VA facility, released the following statement:

    We take seriously any allegation of poor service. I was made aware of a regrettable incident that occurred in our Emergency Department over the weekend and am thankful someone cared enough to share the incident with us. Our mission is to provide the highest level of health care to Veterans, so upon learning of the incident, I took swift action. The employee was immediately removed from patient care pending the results of an internal review.

    It is an honor to serve America’s heroes and actions that do not align with our core values will not be tolerated. We pride ourselves on providing the highest quality care to the Veterans we serve and being responsive to our patient’s needs. Veterans deserve nothing less.

    Heartbreaking Photos of Vets Being Neglected at VA Spark Outrage

    He said a veteran on the ground was using his bag of medication for a pillow after being denied an available reclining chair.

    “The nurse started yelling at him, telling him he can’t do that. He’s like, ‘I can’t get up and I won’t get up. I will be here until you can see me. Can I please have a blanket?’” McMenamin said.

    The hospital’s chief executive nurse responded and told McMenamin that the matter is being investigated.

    Rep. Robert Pittenger said this just reaffirms his push to hold VA employees more accountable.

    “It’s absolutely tragic,” he said. “It’s frankly reflective of what we’ve seen from the VA, and that’s why I sponsored last year and this year, the VA Accountability Act.”

    Commander of the North Carolina VFW said things in the state have improved drastically, but he said if an investigation confirms what is depicted in these photos, then the staff responsible should be fired.

    “There’s no question about it, I mean, there’s no acceptable reason why this should have happened,” Commander Doug Blevins said.

    Photo depicts veteran lying on ground while waiting at VA

    The nurse responsible will more than likely be sent to the corner for making an oopsie and Deanne Seekins will still collect her VA Executive Bonus Pay. Nothing to see here, move along and die, thanks for your service. David Shulkin, Secretary of Veterans Affairs recently said “I am empowering our leaders to start taking swift and immediate actions when the evidence warrants a removal. VA recently fired the San Juan Medical Center Director after an investigation revealed unethical behavior that ran contrary to our VA values.” Next stop should be the Durham VA Medical Center.

    VA Secretary David Shulkin: Our plan to deliver greater accountability to America’s veterans

    UPDATE: Below are a few additional links covering this story.

    Durham VA says viral photos showing veterans are misleading

    Durham VA ensures best treatment for veterans

    VA Attacks Couple Who Posted Photo Of Veteran Neglect At VA Emergency Room

  • UMich; No-whites-allowed space

    UMich; No-whites-allowed space

    A student activist group at the University of Michigan is demanding campus officials provide them with “a permanent designated space on central campus for Black students and students of color to organize and do social justice work.”

    Uh-huh.

    The clamor for a segregated space for students of color to organize social justice efforts comes even as the public university builds a $10 million center for black students in the center of campus.

    $10,000,000 in Public funds to promote segregation in a Public Institution.

    In their demands, students explain why the new black student center is not enough, “because we want a space solely dedicated to community organizing and social justice work specifically for people of color.”

    Hmmm.

    This list of demands also call for more support for “marginalized” students “when oppressive attacks occur,” increasing the affirmative action of “Black, Arab, and other PoC” in tenured faculty, more readily alerting students on campus of “bias incidents,” and offering more financial aid for those of lower socioeconomic status.

    Interesting.

    “Our president has blatantly ignored us and it is time for us to speak up. We have been told that our demands are ‘rude,’” the group states on Facebook in announcing its petition. “We are calling on someone to care about students’ concerns and to lead us with integrity and help us fight against the oppression and hateful acts that try to destroy us and our community.”

    Schuette v. Coalition to Defend Affirmative Action, upheld the ban on affirmative action for public institutions. Perhaps the snowflakes should spend more time in the classroom and less time organizing and doing social work on the tax payers dime.

     

    UMich students demand no-whites-allowed space to plot ‘social justice’ activism

    This is not an isolated incident.

    Black students demand segregated spaces from white students

     

  • High-Five Friday; Buh-Bye

    High-Five Friday; Buh-Bye

    Apparently children of illegal aliens in Northampton, Massachusetts may feel uncomfortable by meanie police officer high-fives. I am curious if the mention of Three Kings Day made any non-Christian types “uncomfortable”.

    A police department in Northampton, Massachusetts is ending its “High-Five Friday” program at local elementary schools due to concerns that “undocumented children” and others may feel “uncomfortable” seeing an officer at school.

    The program, started by the Northampton Police Department in December, had officers stand outside of a school each Friday morning to high-five students as they walked in to begin the day.

    Sure, let’s not use this opportunity to teach our children to respect law enforcement. The police officers are providing a great community outreach program for the children in this school district and the adults are concerned about lawsuits and feelings. How does an undocumented parent enroll an undocumented child into school with no documents anyway? There must be two sets of rules.

    Now, the program has been canceled due to concerns that it may make minority students and illegal immigrants feel uncomfortable, LawNewz reported Tuesday.

    “While we received a lot of support on social media, we also heard a few concerns about the program,” the department wrote on Saturday.

    Police Chief Jody Kasper had attended a school committee meeting to discuss potential problems with the program. Questions came up during the meeting on how effective the program would be in the long term and how comfortable the students would be seeing officers at the beginning of the school day. The police department was then asked to temporarily pause the “High-Five Friday,” which it did.

    It lasted two months. But hey, lets teach the children that police officers are boogeymen.

    Kasper then attended another public meeting to discuss the program. At the gathering, “people were specifically concerned about kids of color, undocumented children, or any children who may have had negative experiences with the police,” according to the department.

    Kasper and the superintendent provost then decided to permanently cancel the program.

    “For a large portion of our population this program may not seem controversial. However, we cannot overlook the fact that this program may be received differently by some members of our community”

    The rationale to cancel this program is the most absurd that I have ever heard. These police officers are there to encourage these children to excel in school and give the students the opportunity to thank those that protect them. I doubt they showed up to deport little Maria. Those that receive this program differently must be violating our laws or something; and by golly, we need to make them feel comfortable doing it.

     

    Police Dept. Cancels ‘High-Five Friday’ at Schools Because Some Students May Be ‘Uncomfortable’