Conservative Millionaire CEOs Are Becoming Their Own Stereotype of the Welfare Queen

Posted on November 25, 2022 by jilldennison under Economic issues, Environmental Issues, History, Political commentary, Re-blogs, Social commentary

In case you were wondering why far too many of our members of Congress do NOT represent us, the answer lies here in this well-spoken post by our friend Gronda. It all boils down to this: The rich get richer, while the poor get poorer. Democracy in action? I think not.

Gronda Morin

Disclaimer: I’m pro-business but I truly do believe in free enterprise, competition in the marketplace where companies win by innovating, creating new widgets, smart cost cutting while paying their employees a living wage and treating them and their consumers with respect.

In short, anyone like Elon Musk buying a company at an inflated price where bills aren’t paid, employees who’ve yet to be fired are treated with disrespect, and management doesn’t deliver on a quality product, shouldn’t be allowed to stay in business. It’s the height of hubris for CEOs to blame workers who don’t want to live 24/7 in the workplace for their owners’ stupidity. This is the definition of lazy management and the antithesis of businessmen taking personal responsibility for their own lack of due diligence and failures. These greedy short-sighted CEOs have become their own stereotype of the “welfare queen.”

These are the same guys who get…

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Gone! Poof!

Posted on August 9, 2021 by jilldennison under animals, Environmental Issues, Global Issues, Social commentary

This is Greenville, California, just a few short weeks ago …

This is Greenville, California, today …

Quite a change, yes? A whole town … gone. What you are seeing is the devastation left behind by the Dixie fire, now listed as the state’s 2^nd largest fire in California’s history. What you are seeing is a result of the coal and oil industries and their purchased members of Congress who have blocked efforts to switch from fossil fuels to renewable sources. What you are seeing is the result of centuries of wanton disregard for our forests, our wetlands, our natural resources. What you are seeing is the destruction of life on planet earth by … well, the human inhabitants of planet earth … yes, YOU and ME.

To date, 361,000 acres have been laid to waste by the Dixie fire. 361,000 acres!!! Don’t look away, don’t get that glazed look in your eyes … this is … this is our planet, my friends!!! These are trees, the wildlife that live within and around the trees, GONE! DEAD!!! People have died, homes and lives have been destroyed! And as of yesterday, it was only 21% contained, meaning that more trees, more wildlife will die, more homes and people’s lives will be destroyed.

Today is August 9^th. The Dixie fire started on July 13^th, nearly one month ago, and is still burning out of control, devouring and destroying everything and everyone in its path. And this is not the only such fire, though it is the largest today. California and Oregon are on fire, parts of Greece and Turkey are afire. The world is literally burning around us, while we drive our gas-guzzling SUVs one mile or less to the trash dumpster, while we keep our thermostats set at a comfortable 70°, and while we plan our vacations … to fly to the Grand Canyon … if it isn’t on fire, that is.

Someday perhaps scientists will be able to estimate just how many lions, bears, wolves, condors and other critters died this year as a result of our greed and arrogance, but for now, suffice it to say that humans have single-handedly brought about the extinction of many species with their superiority complex, with their ignorance of the way nature works, and with their belief that their happiness is tantamount to all else.

Look at those before and after pictures again. Imagine that one of those homes was once yours, imagine that you lost every single damn thing you ever owned, including the pets with whom you shared your life. If you can, look at those pictures, imagine the people … the population of Greenville was, at last count, just over 1,000 … now without homes, without … anything. 😔

Speaking Of The Planet’s Health …

Posted on December 23, 2020 by jilldennison under Election 2020, Environmental Issues, Global Issues, Law and justice, Political commentary, Social commentary

Between the pandemic and the post-election chaos, both of which are still going strong, maybe the single most important issue in our lifetime, and the lifetimes of all future generations, has been largely ignored. Yes, I’m talking about climate change, human’s destruction of the environment to satisfy their craving for more toys and conveniences. There are, however, a few good things that have happened this year in respect to the environment, and an email I received today from Greenpeace highlights the most significant of them. I thought it worth sharing, to show that despite Donald Trump and his love affair with the fossil fuel industry, others have been working to protect and repair the planet we call home.

Jill —

From the global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic to continuing the long fight for racial equality in the U.S. to the most important presidential race in memory, it’s been quite a year for the history books. In the face of all this hardship, our planet continues to suffer and the Trump administration’s anti-environmental policies and big polluters everywhere haven’t missed a beat.

While there were many difficult setbacks, from the melting Arctic to the Amazon and West Coast engulfed in flames, the fact is we did make great strides in 2020 to help heal our planet and our future. Here’s a brief recap of how your support for Greenpeace made a difference this past year:

A court defeat for Trump is a win for the Arctic. Just weeks ago, a federal appeals court ruled that the Trump administration violated environmental requirements when it approved an oil drilling project in the Arctic Ocean. This ruling is a vindication of your hard-fought activism to protect the Arctic and roll back the expansion of the oil industry. Not only did we win this lawsuit, courts also blocked offshore drilling in the Arctic Ocean, cementing your people-power to Save the Arctic!

Greenpeace counters the plastic industry’s attempts to exploit the pandemic. As the COVID-19 pandemic was in full swing, the EPA decided it was the perfect time to roll back restrictions on pollution controls, and the plastics industry jumped in to exploit the pandemic by scaring people about the safety risk of reusable bags in transmitting disease. When trillions in taxpayer dollars became available, the fossil fuel industry scrambled to try to get a piece of the pie.
We’ve been fighting back against the plastic industry for decades, and Greenpeacers like you were ready to take on this new challenge. We investigated the polluters and the politicians who enable them, exposed the corporate and political elites who hope their profiteering goes unnoticed, and we mobilized to stop them. And we had to do it online and on the phones — not in person. You responded, making thousands of phone calls and sending hundreds of thousands of messages to Congress.

One year of Fire Drill Fridays are in the books. Championed by our friend and fellow activist Jane Fonda, these weekly rallies included different speakers — celebrities, youth, Indigenous leaders, representatives from impacted and underrepresented communities, as well as movement and thought leaders — all demanding our leaders end fossil fuel expansion, pass a Green New Deal, and implement a plan for a responsible just transition to renewable energy as rapidly as possible. Hundreds of activists joined Jane in the courageous act of civil disobedience — even when our rallies had to go digital.

On the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, we committed to a plastic-free future. Plastic pollution is destroying our planet. As the fossil fuel industry doubles down on plastic as the new frontier for petrochemical production, we must do everything in our power to shape a new future that isn’t crafted by these powerful multi-billion dollar industries. That is why, on the 50th anniversary of Earth Day this past April, Greenpeace mobilized supporters to push for passage of the Break Free from Plastic Protection Act in Congress.

Joe Biden defeats Donald Trump to be elected the 46th President of the United States. With Joe Biden the winner of the 2020 presidential election, we can start the hard work of making up for lost time, addressing the climate crisis, and protecting the planet. Vital protections for the environment and democracy are now within reach. The Biden administration has the power to enact the changes needed in our political system to make bold climate action a reality. Greenpeace and our movement pushed Biden to adopt bolder climate positions in his campaign, are winning pro-environment cabinet nominees, and we will continue to demand the Biden administration fight back against the status quo and work with us to fight for a resilient, fossil-free future where all people have what they need to thrive.

As you can see, it’s been a busy year for Greenpeace, with much to look forward to in the New Year.

Sincerely,

Annie Leonard
Executive Director, Greenpeace

A Few Words Found …

Posted on November 17, 2020 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, Environmental Issues, Global Issues, Political commentary, Rants

You’ll remember yesterday afternoon when I told you I couldn’t find my words … I think I found some of them, but it seems this batch is smaller than I had on Sunday. At any rate … I shall see what I can make with the words I do have and perhaps by tomorrow the rest will turn up somewhere.

On a personal note …

My granddaughter Natasha, aka Miss Goose, gave me her Christmas list last week and the very first thing on the list was … a donation to Black Lives Matter. This kid … she’s 25 now … she just makes me so damn proud of her. I feel tears welling every time I look at that list. The next item on the list, of course, is a new computer (that I just ordered, but don’t tell her), followed by a couple of shirts and a long list of books. But how many people do you know who start their wishlist with a donation to anybody, let alone such a worthy cause? I just had to give some kudos here to a young woman with a heart of pure gold.

Oil. Alaska. Wildlife. Asshole.

It would appear that Donald Trump plans to leave as his ‘legacy’ a 21^st century “scorched earth” policy as he leaves the White House, hopefully forever. Numerous things have come onto my radar that he and his nasty band of cronies are attempting to enact prior to January 20^th. For starters, the “Trump administration”, aka Donald Trump, announced yesterday that they are planning to rush through the sale of leases to oil companies that would achieve Trump’s long-sought goal of allowing oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska.

The Wildlife Refuge … REFUGE, defined by Merriam-Webster as “a place that provides shelter or protection”. Animals, some on the brink of extinction, would be murdered in order for oil companies to make more profit! According to Adam Kolton, executive director of the Alaska Wilderness League …

“This lease sale is one more box the Trump administration is trying to check off for its oil industry allies. But it is disappointing that this administration until the very end has maintained such low regard for America’s public lands, or the wildlife and Indigenous communities that depend on them.”

Disappointing? No, it goes well beyond disappointment. Disappointment is when your favourite restaurant is out of fish ‘n chips … this is infuriating, unconscionable, rage-inducing!

The Arctic refuge is one of the last vast expanses of wilderness in the United States, 19 million acres that for the most part are untouched by people, home instead to wandering herds of caribou, polar bears and migrating waterfowl. It has long been prized, and protected, by environmentalists, but Trump has boasted that opening it to oil development was among the most significant of his efforts to expand domestic fossil fuel production.

We. Don’t. Need. The. Damn. Oil. Somebody please, turn a few dozen polar bears loose on this moron and let them have him for supper! Truth is, it isn’t and never was about the U.S. needing that oil – it is and always was about the fossil fuel industry and their profits … men who already sit on billions of dollars of wealth, while some of us struggle to put food on the table. DAMN you, Donald Trump … just DAMN YOU.

How to make the pandemic even worse … hire Scott Atlas!

In just under a week, the United States went from 10 thousand cases to over 11 thousand, and we are on track to hit 12 thousand within a few days. Yesterday, we had 162,149 new cases, the day before 146,544. We lead the world in both coronavirus cases and deaths.

Scott Atlas, who I have mentioned before, is the highly un-qualified senior advisor on the White House Coronavirus Task Force, a position that was once occupied by the very well-qualified Dr. Anthony Fauci. Whereas Dr. Fauci’s entire career has been dedicated to the study of viruses and immunology, Atlas is a neuroradiologist … nothing to do with communicable diseases. Whereas Dr. Fauci cares about human life, Atlas cares only about licking Trump’s boots.

bootlicker

In the absence of federal guidance, states’ governors are taking the virus seriously and doing what needs to be done to keep the people in their state safe … or as safe as is reasonably possible. One such governor is Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer who, concerned by the recent spike in cases announced Sunday a three-week pause on indoor dining, in-person learning and several other activities. So, what did Scott Atlas do? Rather than support the governor in her effort to keep people safe, he tweeted …

“The only way this stops is if people rise up. You get what you accept. #FreedomMatters #StepUp.”

Freedom matters … indeed it does, but somehow, being free once your dead, or lying in a hospital bed hooked up to a multitude of machines, somehow pales in comparison to being alive.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said Monday that Atlas’ call to action represented a “grave concern” and warned that it could provoke violence in the state …

“These public health orders are absolutely necessary to preserve human life. But once again, here you have members of the Trump administration that are so much more hurtful than they are helpful.”

Atlas, a physician with no expertise in infectious diseases or epidemiology, has won favor in the White House in recent months by advocating against coronavirus restrictions and downplaying the disease’s threat. He has also publicly attacked Anthony Fauci, accusing the nation’s top infectious disease expert of stoking fears about the pandemic for political purposes ahead of the presidential election earlier this month. One of Trump’s worst choices, one who did not require Senate confirmation, and one who ought to be stoned in the public square for his hideous disregard of our lives, along with his boss!

Well … puff puff puff … it seems I found enough words to make a post, yes? And now, I think to soothe my own jangled psyche, I will go find a song for this morning’s music post.

Ominous Tidbits …

Posted on May 5, 2020 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, Election 2020, Environmental Issues, Law and justice, Political commentary

Yesterday I wrote about Trump’s purges and how he has been removing those tasked with oversight of his administration. Then this morning, I awakened to the news that members of the coronavirus task force – and their deputies – are barred from testifying before Congress unless they get special permission from chief of staff Mark Meadows.

A memo to congressional staff directors said this restriction on testimony also applies to the departments of Health and Human Services, Homeland Security and State. It decrees that committees are limited to no more than four virus-related hearings this month. According to the memo …

“Given these competing demands in these unprecedented times, it is reasonable to expect that agencies will have to decline invitations to hearings to remain focused on implementing of COVID-19 response, including declining to participate in multiple hearings on the same or overlapping topics.”

NO, it is not ‘reasonable’ to expect that the committees overseeing the spending of $2.3 trillion of our tax dollars cannot be bothered to tell Congress where that money is going!!! 🤯

And now, we come to the truth of the matter … the real reason Congress via its committees, and therefore We the People, are being kept in the dark. From the great manipulator himself …

“When you see all these committees, seven or eight committees, we haven’t even started, and they have all these committees looking for trouble, just looking for trouble. Every enemy I have is put on a Democrat committee.”

No, Donnie, not every enemy you have is on a committee, for I am not on any committee, yet I am most certainly your enemy.

Remember, folks, that it is our money that is being spent. We already have proof that at least $50 million intended to help small businesses went to fossil fuel companies with links to Donald Trump and his cronies. $28 million went to three coal mining companies, all with ties to Trump officials, and the other $22m is being paid out to oil and gas services and equipment providers and other firms that work with drillers and coal miners. In other words, WE have spent at least $50 million to help kill the environment that we depend on for life. Rather like hiring a hit man to kill us.

How much more of our money has been misappropriated, or will soon be, without congressional oversight? It is the duty of Congress to oversee the executive branch, the president and his minions, and yet, Trump has effectively tied their hands. Will we continue to put up with this bullshit, or will we vote the son-of-a-bitch out of office in November? I know my answer.

Meanwhile, in Russia, it is reported that three doctors, each of whom had complained about shortages of medical supplies and being forced to work despite testing positive for coronavirus, have fallen out of windows … two died and the third, Dr. Alexander Shulepov, survived, although he has a fractured skull and is in critical condition. Any bets on his chances of recovery?

Prior to his ‘fall’, Dr. Shulepov and a colleague, ambulance paramedic Alexander Kosyakin, had published a video in which they complained about their boss forcing Shulepov and his colleagues to continue working together even after his positive test result.

I suppose the only logical conclusion we can draw is that Russian doctors are very clumsy, eh? Let’s just hope that American doctors who speak out don’t contract this clumsiness syndrome.

Lieutenant Colonel Ralph Peters, with 22 years of military experience, was an analyst on Fox News until March 2018 when he resigned, calling the network a “propaganda machine” for the Trump administration and accused the network of “wittingly harming our system of government for profit.” On April 25^th, Anderson Cooper interviewed Lieutenant Colonel Peters and what he said mirrors much of what my own thoughts have been … and still are. Take a look …

Snarky Snippets, Volume _____?

Posted on March 29, 2020 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, Election 2020, Environmental Issues, Global Issues, Humour, Law and justice, Political commentary

I’ve got just a couple of small snippets to start out your Sunday …

Many things have been put on hold during this time of pandemic crisis. Though I may disagree with the way in which they were done (no thinking or planning involved), I can’t argue against the need for these measures such as the shuttering of restaurants and pubs, people working from home or in some cases being laid off from their jobs, the closing of schools. But, the one thing that should never ever have been put on hold are environmental regulations – the few we have left, that is. There is no logical justification and it will only lead to further decimation of our environment.

From an article in Friday’s issue of The Guardian …

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has suspended its enforcement of environmental laws during the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, signaling to companies they will not face any sanction for polluting the air or water of Americans.

In an extraordinary move that has stunned former EPA officials, the Trump administration said it will not expect compliance with the routine monitoring and reporting of pollution and won’t pursue penalties for breaking these rules.

[…]

There is no end date set for this dropping of enforcement.

Andrew Wheeler, administrator of the EPA, said that coronavirus had made it difficult for businesses to protect workers and the public while adhering to clean air and water rules.

According to an article in Reuter’s, this was triggered by a letter sent to Trump by the American Petroleum Institute, using the current pandemic crisis as an excuse to be relieved of regulatory requirements for the foreseeable future. Here’s the kicker, though … they claim to need to be free of all regulation “in order to ensure steady fuel supplies”. But … there is currently a market glut because … nobody is going anywhere, a large portion of businesses are shuttered, and therefore we don’t need anywhere near the amount of fuel we needed just a month ago! Additionally, it is that time of year when households are using neither heat nor air-conditioning in any large quantity. They could cut the supply in half and still have a surplus! There is absolutely no justifiable reason that they need relief from environmental regulations, but all they had to do is ask Trump, and Presto Bingo … they got their wish.

Would someone please explain to me just exactly how in hell the coronavirus makes it difficult for businesses to follow the few provisions that remain in the Clean Water and Air Acts??? NO, this is just a sorry excuse by Trump and his cronies, his partners in crime, to further pander to their friends in the fossil fuel and other industries. The Clean Air and Clean Water Acts have been in effect since 1963 and 1972 respectively and cannot simply be dissed because Trump and/or Wheeler say so! THIS IS UNCONSCIONABLE!

I am not alone in my fury. Says Cynthia Giles, who was head of EPA enforcement during the Obama administration …

“EPA should never relinquish its right and its obligation to act immediately and decisively when there is threat to public health, no matter what the reason is. I am not aware of any instance when EPA ever relinquished this fundamental authority as it does in this memo. This memo amounts to a nationwide moratorium on enforcing the nation’s environmental laws and is an abdication of EPA’s responsibility to protect the public.”

The sooner we become fully reliant on renewable energy sources and are able to tell the oil companies where to put their oil, the happier and healthier we will all be! It is simply unconscionable that they are attempting to profit from this crisis!

You know those $1,200 checks that are going out to anybody who filed a tax return in 2018? Well, it is reported that Donald Trump is insisting his signature be the one on the checks. What an ego trip! No, wait, this goes well beyond ego … this is the sign of a truly evil megalomaniac. Fortunately, I will not have to see a check from him, for a) I was not required to file a tax return in 2018, and b) my daughter’s will be direct-deposited into her account, so I won’t have to face the temptation of wanting to rip that check into a thousand pieces.

My recommendation to those of you who can is if you receive a check with Trump’s signature, transfer it to a charity of your choice, such as a local food pantry or homeless shelter, local hospice or whatever suits your fancy.

Remember that a couple of days ago I mentioned the Trump re-election campaign had issued a “cease and desist” order to networks who were running an ad by a PAC called Priorities USA? Well, at the time, I couldn’t find an embeddable copy of the ad, but I have one now. Take a look …

And, for just a bit of humour, J.L. Cauvin of New Jersey is a comedian/satirist and he has done a video that … well, you must see if for yourself! If you close your eyes, you’d swear it was trumpie.

Alright, friends, that’s all I’ve got for now … be back this afternoon!

Just A Couple Of Tidbits …

Posted on March 11, 2020 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, Global Issues, Law and justice, Political commentary, Social commentary

This, yesterday, from the MIT Technology Review:

Trump is considering a fossil fuel bailout, amid coronavirus worries

The Trump administration is “strongly considering” pushing a bailout package for US oil and natural-gas companies, as plummeting fuel prices and the coronavirus outbreak hammer the industry, the Washington Post reported on Tuesday.

The details: The aid would likely take the form of low-interest government loans to shale drillers, the newspaper reported, citing sources familiar with the White House discussions. That would throw a lifeline to a heavily indebted industry with increasingly limited access to private capital. Analysts say this week’s historic plunge in oil prices, if sustained, could force major US players into a battle for survival.

Criticisms: The proposal was quickly criticized by climate and energy observers. They argue that federal aid for the energy sector should go toward clean technologies that could help combat climate risks, rather than propping up fossil-fuel companies.

Republican support for the idea would stand in sharp contrast to conservative criticisms of the Obama administration’s efforts to support renewables companies in the wake of the 2008 financial crisis.

In related news: The oil and gas proposal follows President Trump’s announcement Monday that the administration would work to support other sectors rocked by the escalating public health crisis, including airlines, cruise ships, and hotels. It also comes at the same time that an effort to pass a bipartisan climate and clean energy bill seems to be unraveling.

Questionable priorities: The administration has moved rapidly to aid businesses despite a lackadaisical response to the spread of the virus itself. After early warnings from the devastating outbreak in China, the federal government largely failed to prepare for the coming crisis, health experts say. Among other issues, the US is way behind other nations in testing. Trump himself has consistently downplayed the risks and spread erroneous advice and information.

Doesn’t it just figure that in a crisis, the first people Trump uses our money to help are his wealthy friends in the fossil fuel industry? Those who should, in truth, be using their vast wealth to help the rest of us, instead are likely to receive help while we founder. Gee, thanks Donnie.

Since the first news of the coronavirus, Trump has lied to the public. Over and over and over. He has made it all about him, for in his narrow world, everything must be about him. He claimed it was a media hoax to try to ‘bring him down’. He claimed the coronavirus was nothing more than a common cold. Then most recently he claimed that reporters were trying to catch the virus so that they could pass it on to him on Air Force One. He claimed that he knew more than the scientists. He told the public there were plenty of test kits and anybody who wished to could be tested. All of which were lies. But now, it appears, he has found a new way to use this pandemic to his benefit.

At a rally in South Carolina, he renewed his call for a ‘wall’ on the southern border, intimating that the coronavirus had come to the U.S. through immigration, though Mexico has a far lower occurrence rate than the U.S. And this morning, Trump met with only republican senators to pitch the idea of payroll tax cuts that would largely benefit only higher paid workers … surprise. If there is a way to turn this crisis into a benefit for Trump, he’s hellbent and determined to find it. At what cost? Well, let’s just say that reducing revenue and increasing costs … can only increase the national debt and deficit at an even faster pace. Sooner or later, the piper must be paid, folks.

In other news …

Harvey Weinstein, the notorious abuser of women who was the catalyst for the #MeToo movement, has been sentenced to 23 years in prison for sexually assaulting two women in New York. Weinstein still faces charges in Los Angeles, which could add to his prison sentence. Given that he is now 67 years old, I think we can safely say we will all be safe from Mr. W. However, there are many more like him out there, men who truly seem to believe that women were put on this earth for little purpose other than their pleasure. At the risk of sounding cruel, I frankly hope Mr. Weinstein gets a bit of his own treatment while he’s in prison.

Bears Ears And Tears

Posted on February 9, 2020 by jilldennison under animals, Environmental Issues, Law and justice, Political commentary, Rants, Social commentary

They’re at it again, folks. The greedy fools running this country (into the ground) have decided that … what the people want matters not. In essence, they have said, “We will tell you what you want … now sit down and shut up … oh yeah, and don’t forget to pay us your tax money so we can waste more money on utter stupidity!” Yes, Filosofa is in fight mode once again. Damn these greedy bastards.

In 2017, Trump announced he would downsize both the Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monuments in Utah, which would be the largest reversal of national monument protections in U.S. history. Now folks … first of all, those aren’t Trump’s lands to do with as he pleases … they are OURS. After Trump made that announcement in 2017, a public comment period was opened by the administration whereby fully 99% of the respondents opposed the decision. We spoke … we said, “No, leave our beautiful land alone!” In addition to the people’s voice, there are numerous legal challenges still pending in the courts that have held up the implementation of the act. But now, all of a sudden, the Department of Interior has announced that plans have been finalized to open up roughly two million acres of formerly protected land in southern Utah to the fossil fuel industry for mining and drilling. Mining and drilling for the very things that are decimating our planet, killing wildlife, and ensuring the extinction of the human species. Without permission from the owners of that land. Without approval by environmental groups or the courts.

According to the Interior Department’s acting assistant secretary of land, materials and minerals management, Casey Hammond …

“These cooperatively developed and locally driven plans restore a prosperous future to communities too often dismissed and punished by unilateral decisions of those that would not listen to the voices of Utahns.”

Wrong, wrong, wrong, and once again wrong. Those “communities too often dismissed and punished” are the indigenous people of the Navajo Nation, Hopi Tribe, Ute Indian Tribe, Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, and Pueblo of Zuni, and they are in a lawsuit challenging the dismantling of Bears Ears National Monument! Don’t, Ms. Hammond, pretend you are helping the very people you are hurting!

We need more coal, oil and gas like we need fourteen more holes in our heads! Oh, but wait … Trump did promise the ignoble oil and coal barons that he would give them carte balance to destroy the natural resources of this nation, didn’t he? Silly me … how could I forget?

The Department of Interior is headed by none other than David Bernhardt. Bernhardt’s past, like that of EPA head, Andrew Wheeler, includes serving as a lobbyist for the fossil fuel industry … in other words, his best buddies are in the oil industry, the very industry this asininity is designed to help. His legal clients included the Independent Petroleum Association of America, which represents dozens of oil companies, and Halliburton Energy Services, the oil and gas extraction firm that was led by Dick Cheney before he became vice president to George W. Bush. What a tangled bloody web!

This is yet another example of Trump & Co putting more money into the pockets of the already-wealthy, at the expense of the other 99% of people in this country. Fossil fuels are on the way out the back door, globally. Trump brags that the U.S. is now the biggest producer of oil. Guess what? That’s nothing to brag about. It would deserve far more kudos if we could say we were the largest producer of wind or solar energy, that we had decreased our dependence on fossil fuels. Whether Trump, Bernhardt or their cronies at Exxon-Mobil like it or not, coal and oil are rapidly becoming dinosaurs in the energy market.

Regardless of the pending lawsuits, the Trump administration intends to plow forward with its plans. When questioned about those lawsuits and how they can move forward before those are resolved, Ms. Hammond replied …

“If we stopped and waited for every piece of litigation to be resolved, we would never be able to do much of anything around here.”

Much of this country has been decimated … skyscrapers rise to the clouds where animals once roamed free. Oil derricks have replaced beautiful land in the west, and ugly surface mines have replaced what were once beautiful mountains in Pennsylvania, Virginia and Kentucky. Where once there were life-giving trees, there are now ruins, devastation. Where once streams and rivers ran clear, now they are filled with toxic sludge.

Soon, this …

… will look like this …

If Donald Trump and his cronies have their way, the entire nation will be covered in buildings, mines, drilling rigs, and waste dumps. No more beautiful national parks, mountains, hiking trails, clean beaches, green valleys …

Which would you rather have?

Vacation and politics in the Pacific Northwest

Posted on September 16, 2019 by jilldennison under Bits 'n Pieces, Environmental Issues, Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Re-blogs, Social commentary

Today, I am sharing with you a post that Jeff wrote last week (I am chronically behind on everything these days!). First, I am sharing it because the pictures of his vacation are absolutely gorgeous, and I thought you guys would enjoy them. Second, though, is Jeff’s commentary about what Trump is attempting to do to the Pacific-Northwest, arguably one of the most beautiful parts of this country. Enjoy the pics! Thanks, Jeff, for sharing your vacation with us! I’m jealous!!!

On The Fence Voters

So I spent nearly a week on the road recently, traversing the great Pacific Northwest and chilling out with my better half. There was a lot of beer and wine, a lot of unbelievable scenery, and a brief respite from the goings-on in our upside-down political world. But I must say, politics is never too far away in my daily life, even on vacation. While I wasn’t into the daily back and forth as much, I still managed to follow what was going on.

And while the vacation itself was enjoyable, as well as relaxing, I still can’t forget what’s going on in the world around me. Looking out at the majestic vistas and mountains around me, I could not help but think of how fragile our beloved ecosystem has become.

In the process of driving over 1500 miles through some of the most beautiful areas you could ever imagine…

View original post 1,154 more words

Sources of Sighs

Posted on August 13, 2019 by jilldennison under animals, Bits 'n Pieces, Environmental Issues, Global Issues, Law and justice, Political commentary, Social commentary

As most of you who have followed this blog for any length of time know, I am a lover of animals. I have often said I prefer goats, bears, lions, snakes and spiders to most humans, especially these days. So, you might imagine the low-throated growl that has been emitting from me ever since reading the following headline this morning …

U.S. Significantly Weakens Endangered Species Act

First, he destroys the camaraderie of the nation, turns brother against brother, mother against child, and friend against friend. Then, he destroys the environment, not only of the nation, but of the entire planet, by reversing nearly every environmental protection regulation on the books and pulling the U.S. – against the will of the majority – out of the Paris Climate Accords. And now … now he is destroying the beautiful wildlife, many species of which were here on earth long before humans were, and all of which are more worthy of life than humans!The story:

The Endangered Species Act of 1973 is a key legislation for both domestic and international conservation. The act aims to provide a framework to conserve and protect endangered and threatened species and their habitats. Under the current law, assessments about which species should be labeled as ‘endangered’ must be made solely based on science, without consideration for economic impacts. But, if the new ruling is allowed to go into effect, regulators would be forced to conduct economic assessments — for instance, estimating lost revenue from a prohibition on logging in a critical habitat — when deciding whether a species warrants protection.

David Bernhardt (Why are all of Trump’s minions like him: fat, old, white, male???)

The ruling appears to be in the interest of the fossil fuel and logging industries. David Bernhardt, Trump’s Secretary of the Interior, is a former oil and gas lobbyist who has long been a critic of the Endangered Species Act, saying that it places an “unnecessary regulatory burden” on companies, such as coal, oil and gas companies.

Environmental groups, Democratic state attorneys general and Democrats in Congress denounced the changes and vowed to challenge them in Congress and in the courts. But, as we have seen, both Congress and the courts have had very limited success in stopping the runaway train that is Donald Trump.Make no mistake … allowing thousands of species to become extinct will have a significant impact on this planet, as will allowing the fossil fuel industry to continue operating unregulated. The human species is on the brink of bringing about its own extinction, and frankly, I’m not so sure that’s an altogether bad thing! We are not trying to live in harmony with nature but are rather trying to dominate and destroy nature.

I have a terrific idea! Since Trump is removing the protections for both the environment and wildlife, let’s also remove the protections for Trump … protections, I might add, that we the taxpayers pay with our hard-earned money! No more Secret Service protection for Donnie!

And in other news … if you didn’t think that Donald Trump had brainwashed republicans before, this will surely convince you. According to a recent study by Pew Research, while most Americans continue to say it would be too risky to give U.S. presidents more power, the share expressing this opinion has declined since last year. Most of the change has been among Republicans – especially conservative Republicans. The study found that …

Currently, 66% of the public says “it would be too risky to give U.S. presidents more power to deal directly with many of the country’s problems.” About three-in-ten adults (29%) offer the contrasting opinion that “problems could be dealt with more effectively if U.S. presidents didn’t have to worry so much about Congress or the courts.” In March 2018, 76% of the public said it would be too risky to give presidents more power.

Republicans and Republican-leaning independents (51%) now say it would be too risky to give presidents more power, down from 70% last year.

The share of Republicans who say presidents could operate more effectively if they did not have to worry so much about Congress and the courts has increased 16 percentage points since then, from 27% to 43%.

There was a reason the framers of the Constitution put in place three independent branches of the federal government, a system of “checks and balances”, to provide oversight. Donald Trump has already largely trampled the Constitution in this area, for any time he cannot get his way through Congress or the courts, he simply writes an ‘executive order’, or circumvents the system altogether. And now, we find that increasingly, republicans are fine with that. At this point, I would say we are already experiencing an autocratic government, and teetering on the brink of a dictatorship. This is no longer just a nightmare scenario, my friends, but a clear and present danger. So yes, be afraid … be very afraid.

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