True Things 13 - Priorities

Every day since January 20, on average, Donald Trump has spent $215,248 of your money and mine playing golf.

Playing Through

Wondering where the debris from the destruction of the East Wing of the White House is being dumped?  Wondering if there is something unpleasantly ironic about the choice?  Wonder no longer.

The asbestos-laden debris from the East Wing (built 1902) demolition is being trucked three miles away to East Potomac Park, a part of the National Park system, which, among other things, features a public golf course.  The debris is being dumped on the golf course.

Ironic enough?  Just wait.  That particular golf course - East Potomac Golf Links - is part of the National Links Trust's "Nation's Capital Project."  The National Links Trust "is a non-profit organization dedicated to positively impacting our community and changing lives through affordable and accessible municipal golf." Here's what they have to say about the Nation's Capital Project:

Our first project - The Nation’s Capital Project -  is focused on the extraordinary opportunity to rehabilitate the municipal golf facilities in Washington, DC - Rock Creek Park Golf, Langston Golf Course, and East Potomac Golf Links. Each one of these sites has a rich and storied history, but none are currently achieving their full potential... With this investment, we can increase our impact in the community and change lives through golf by expanding the reach of our programs and providing better access to affordable recreation and greenspace.

"...better access to affordable recreation and greenspace."  "So why don't we dump hundreds of tons of toxic waste ?  It's just a municipal course for people who can't afford to play on private courses ("like mine").  No one important will care.  And if they do?  Who cares?  I'm the President and I can do whatever I want."

Of course, the President may have made contact with the National Links Trust, and they may be working together to rebuild the course using all that extra fill (notwithstanding its toxic components).  What do you think? 

True Things 12, With Some Opinions at the End

I was interested in how many of Mike Johnson's constituents receive SNAP benefits* and came across a map of House districts, which indicated the percentages of SNAP recipients in each.  In Johnson's district, Louisiana's 4th, 16.9% of the residents receive SNAP.  And won't, starting tomorrow.

Percentage ranges are differentiated by color on the map - the darker the green, the higher the percentage.  The highest range - 18% and over (ooh - Mike missed it by 1.1%!), is represented by a very dark green, indeed.  

There are only 33 Congressional Districts in which the percentage of SNAP beneficiaries is 18% and over, so I looked into it.  They range up into the high 20s, with Pennsylvania's 2nd District at 32.7%.  That's northeast Philadelphia, clearly a tough place to live.

I wondered who represented these districts, arguably the poorest in the country.  I looked it up (Wikipedia is a great help), and here is the answer:

  Democrats:    26

  Republicans     7

No wonder the Republicans are letting SNAP expire, and not using the very funds put aside for this emergency to ensure that it continues.  Although it's hard for me to understand how those seven Republican Congressmen (and Mike Johnson, who's 1.1% from being the eighth) live with themselves.   

* - Opinion:  none.  Mike Johnson has a constituency of one.

True Things 11

You probably saw this, but I just read about it:

Two days ago South Korea presented Donald Trump with a gold crown. This occurred on the sidelines of a global economic summit that Trump did not attend.

It's a replica of an ancient crown, and only gold plate, not solid, but it's not clear that Trump knows this.

Question:  Is this a brilliant dunk on Donald Trump by the South Koreans?  Even a little bit?  Trump was also awarded the ancient Kingdom's highest honor - the Grand Order of Mugunghwa.  Really?  I would be the last to poke fun at someone else's cultural artifacts, but - really?  This is the President who awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Ed Meese, a bunch of sportsball players, Antonin Scalia, and Rush Limbaugh.  So... ?

True But Not True Thing

 "No more SNAP benefits for you until the Democrats let us take away your health care."

                                                                                    Speaker of the House Mike Johnson

He said it, but just not in those words.  What he actually said:

"I haven't seen that.  I don't know anything about that."

Or was that what he said about expiring Medicaid benefits?  Or about the President hijacking the appropriation process?  Or about not swearing in Adelita Grijalva?  Or about the Epstein files?  Or about Donald Trump's effectively abolishing the House of Representatives?

He did say that he "'deeply regrets' that millions of Americans will lose SNAP benefits," after working hard to pass the Big Ugly Budget Bill in July, which cut $186 billion from SNAP, and after not using his leadership position to release the $6 billion SNAP emergency fund.  

So once again, a prominent Republican is either ignorant, or lying.

Could it be that we are seeing the resurgence of the Know-Nothing Party?  

Nah.  Still the Lying Liars that Lie Party.

The Local View

 

                                                                                                   Provincetown Independent, today

That's No Ballroom...

 

                                                                                                                                - Mark Hamill

Breaking My Word

From Heather Cox Williamson this morning:

Yesterday the Trump administration said it would not use any of the approximately $6 billion the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) holds in reserve to fund the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The government shutdown means that states have run out of funds to distribute to the more than 42 million Americans who rely on SNAP to put food on the table...

... Yesterday’s USDA memo also says that any states that tap their own resources to provide food benefits will not be reimbursed.

So even when the government is functioning (?) again, it will not allow SNAP recipients to use the food reserves they applied for and were guaranteed.

Remember:  SNAP benefits will be eliminated (Nov. 1) because the government is shut down.  The government is shut down because Congressional Republicans and the President (?) don't think that a particular segment of America should get the health insurance supports that they were promised.

This means two things:

1 - Republicans have no interest in using government to make sure we all have the bare minimum.  This pisses me off, but it's nothing new

2 - Republicans have broken America's word to Americans.  Which means they've broken my word to my friends and neighbors.  The really pisses me off.

True Things 10

"I'm the President and the Speaker."

                      President  (not Speaker) Donald J. Trump

"We don't need to pass any more bills."

                     President Donald J. Trump, to GOP Senators

“It is clear that Donald Trump has effectively abolished the House of Representatives”

                      Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi

Two things about these things:

1.  Trump is saying that the separation of powers, a foundation of the Constitution, is no more.

2.  Trump is saying that he is consolidating power.  This is a foundation of Fascism.

All these things are true things.