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SUPREMES SCORE COMMON SENSE ON BIRTH-CONTROL, TRUMP FINANCES

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BY DAN VALENTI

PLANET VALENTI NEWS AND COMMENTARY

(FORTRESS OF SOLITUDE, THE WEEKEND EDITION JULY 10-2, 2020) — The culture wars, already burning but re-ignited by the BLM movement and other such nonsense, promise to get worse once the presidential election gets into gear after the conventions. Meanwhile, the daily battles give one the sense that America, that once “United” country, faces a future of greater division. Polarization garnished with hatred makes an unappealing dish, one THE PLANET finds undigestible.

The conservative-liberal clash presents itself as an either/or proposition. You are either “this” or “that.” Once labeled, everyone knows everything about you — so they think. Actually, intelligence confronts issues individually on the merits, but who does that?  Who will join THE PLANET in seeing the folly of both the “Black Lives Matter” con and the Pentagon’s blank check to finance the War Machine for foreign misadventure?

We applaud the recent decision by The Supremes allowing employers to opt out of the federal requirement to provide free birth control to employees. Supreme Court justices voted 7-2 (Ginsberg, Sotomayor) to strike down the requiremen. Liberals argue that 70,000 to 126,000 workers could lose acces to birth control. The conservative response first looks at the numbers, whose wide, imprecise range shows it to be pulled out of thin air the same way the city of Pittsfield handles its budget. Con artists the world over (e.g., BeaCON Cinema) employ this trick: Use numbers to give faux-precision to fuzzy concepts and asinine assertions.

The onerous requirement that employers provide birth control is another relic of the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare. Such blanket demands rob companies of their ability to adjust policy to fit market needs, which in turn harms the bottom line that provides people with jobs in the first place.

How bad was/is Obamacare?

  • It limit competition. People can’t go out-of-state to find better deals.
  • It raises health-insurance premiums
  • It raised health-care costs by more than $200 billion since inception.
  • In five years, Obamacare will eat 20% of the country’s GDP (source: Congressional Budget Office).
  • Medicaid enrollment exploded after requirements were relaxed (55 million to 75 million), strapping state budgets with unsustainable burdens.
  • The money problems, ironically, mean that many hospitals, doctors, clinics and other providers won’t accept Medicaid.

———- ooo ———-

Can we as a society reexamine the written and unwritten contracts and assumptions that grind companies, especially small businesses, into powder? For example, why is it the employer’s responsibility to help ensure workers from unwanted pregnancy? For that matter, why should employers be saddled with a worker’s health insurance? Aren’t there better ways? Shouldn’t personal responsibility be the worker’s first requirement and an employers minimal expectation?

How about a version of national health? How come health insurance isn’t considered a national security issue? Isn’t the United States supposed to provide for the peace and “domestic tranquility” of its citizens? Does it make sense for our great country to be alone among the industrialized nations who can’t or won’t provide this basic human need? Perhaps the other approach: Get government and employers out of the insurance business, letting the free market regulate costs through supply-and-demand, improved competition, and better quality.

And by the way, off topic.

  • Tucker Carlson does not owe Sen. Tammy Duckworth an apology over his criticism of the good senator. The moment she advocated tearing down statues, monuments, and portraits of George Washington because “he owned slaves,” she made herself fair game. The fact that she lost both legs in combat piloting helicopters in Iraq has nothing to do with it. THE PLANET thanks the senator for her service and we express sadness over her suffering, but it does not give her ideological immunity for pander to the irrationalists determined to destroy what’s left of America.
  • In another opinion, the Supremes ruled 7-2 (Thomas, Alito) to make President Trump’s personal finances available to NY prosecutors. Trump complained about “political prosecution,” but the justices went back to the early 1970s with the wise order to release President Nixon’s Oval Office tapes, the recordings that sent the President packing.

Have a great weekend, everybody.

————————————————————————————————-

“As virtuous men pass mildly away, / And whisper to their should to go, / Whilst some of their sad friends do say, / the breath goes now, and some say no”John Donne.

“OPEN THE WINDOW, AUNT MILLIE.”

LOVE TO ALL.

The views and opinions expressed in the comment section or in the text other than those of PLANET VALENTI are not necessarily endorsed by the operators of this website. PLANET VALENTI assumes no responsibility for such views and opinions, and it reserves the right to remove or edit any comment, including but not limited to those that violate the website’s Rules of Conduct and its editorial policies. PLANET VALENTI shall not be held responsible for the consequences that may result from any posted comment or outside opinion or commentary as provided in Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act and this website’s terms of service. All users of this website — including readers, commentators, contributors, or anyone else making use of its information, hereby agree to these conditions by virtue of this notice. When PLANET VALENTI ends with the words “The Usual Disclaimer,” that phrase shall be understood to refer to the full text of this disclaimer. Copyright (c) 2020 by Dan Valenti.

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Jonathan Melle
Jonathan Melle
3 years ago

Republican politicians are moral hypocrites on birth control and abortion. Trump openly cheated on all 3 of his wives. Trump has 5 children by 3 mothers, including a daughter who was conceived out-of-wedlock. Trump paid off women to stay silent about his love affairs with them. Trump is the first U.S. President in recent history to hide his tax returns from the public. What is he hiding?
The U.S. Supreme Court is comprised of 6 Catholics and 3 Jews. The Catholic Church indoctrinates its parishioners to be pro-life and against birth control. However, most of the American people are for preventing unwanted pregnancies via affordable access to birth control.
I asked my mom about the issues of abortion and birth control. She said that if Republicans want to end Roe v. Wade policy on abortion and limit access to birth control, then they should support public policies that benefit the mother and her child. Unlike Trump and Republicans, I agree with my mom’s views on economic justice for women and children.
Like Trump, Tucker Carlson never served in the military. Trump ridiculed John McCain. Tucker Carlson ridiculed Senator Tammy Duckworth. Trump and Tucker are Sunshine Patriots who blow hot air against great Veterans who chose to enter politics.
Lastly, Pittsfield politics fiscal year 2021 municipal budget raised property taxes, fees and public debts by millions of dollars, while Matt Kerwood sits on a $10.1 million slush fund. Mayor Linda Tyer’s fiscal policy is driving fixed-income residents of Pittsfield (Mass.) to choose between food and medicine.

Mr. Fritz
Mr. Fritz
Reply to  Jonathan Melle
3 years ago

Wow Melle, talk about a hypocrite – look in the mirror!
Name a president in the last 75 years that you consider a pillar of moral purity. From JFK who used to enjoy sex romps in the White House, LBJ a known adulterer, Clinton – a known adulterer and rapist and frequent traveler on Epstein’s Lolita Express, Obama a frequent visitor to gay bars, Biden who loves sniffing women’s hair and has an affinity for young girls and is now suffering from dementia – the list goes on and on.
Fact – military service is not a requirement to be president.
You seem to think that military service gives everyone a pass on moral purity, and that their public service should not be questioned. McCain, a RINO, was a rabid globalist who participated in the coup against a sitting president. Ms. Duckworth is a rabid leftist working against her country’s way of life.
As a Marxist sympathizer and supporter of Antifa, your viewpoints are anti- American. People who support Biden, a 50 year swamp creature who has been swindling money from foreign entities and enriching his family members and now can barely string a sentence together – have questionable motives. You peace & love crap contrasts with your true political viewpoint.

Jonathan Melle
Jonathan Melle
Reply to  Mr. Fritz
3 years ago

We are all moral hypocrites. It is part of being a human being. We all have thoughts about sex. We all are sexual beings. I cannot understand why Republicans and moral hypocrites like Trump want to take away a woman’s right to choose whether or not to receive an abortion. I cannot understand why they want to limit a woman’s access to birth control. What about the men who have sex with women who have to make decisions about their own bodies and reproductive rights? Why are men let off the proverbial hook? Why do men like Trump want women to be moral when men like Trump have lived immoral sex lives themselves? What a double standard!

As for military service, I believe non-Veterans Trump and Tucker Carlson should not be making judgments against Veterans like John McCain and Tammy Duckworth. When I go to the VA Hospital, one of our golden rules is to never judge another Veteran’s military service. We accept each other without judgment.

I sympathize with Karl Marx because things were very different during his time. There was no middle class, public schools, welfare assistance programs, child labor rules, workplace regulations, and the like when Marx wrote in favor of Communism. The poor underclass and working class were exploited on many levels by the wealthy during the time of Marx. They had no protections. Many poor people were deformed, malnourished, illiterate, sexually exploited, and the like, during the time of Marx. Karl Marx felt that governmental and religious institutions were enforcing all of these injustices against the poor people. Karl Marx believed that if the workers owned the means of production through the protection of the state, then the poor people would be protected and would be better off in their lives. The flaw with Communism is that it has always led to authoritarian and totalitarian regimes. Instead of the masses being neglected and exploited by wealthy by Capitalist states, the masses were murdered by the tens of millions by Communist states.

Capitalism doesn’t work either, but it is the only economic system that doesn’t lead to dictatorial government. Capitalism requires a social safety net for the poor. Capitalism has seen trillions of dollars in Wall Street bailouts and government aid to the wealthy. Capitalism has a huge wealth gap between the billionaires, like Trump, and the have nots that Karl Marx wrote about centuries ago.

Lastly, I wish the Antifa had defeated Hitler and his Nazi German regime so the Holocaust and the tens of millions of deaths in World War 2 never happened.

JohnnyTwoCents
JohnnyTwoCents
Reply to  Jonathan Melle
3 years ago

Capitalism works just fine and even you could and would get a job in the free market if you had to. Give your money to the Black Lies Matter Marxists since you are so in love. If only men could get pregnant how many abortions would there be? Irresponsible women are getting knocked up accidentally on purpose left and right.

Johnny2Shoes
Johnny2Shoes
Reply to  Jonathan Melle
3 years ago

I see you have no problem throwing stones at others as long the stones aren’t going through your windows. You posted many times on what has happened in your life about, how unfair you were treated and there is no questioning that your side is the only one to believe on the stories right? Things and falsehoods happens to others also. Streets aren’t always one way!

Mr. Worldwide
Mr. Worldwide
Reply to  Mr. Fritz
3 years ago

You forgot George Bush feeling up Angela Merkel.

Johnny2Shoes
Johnny2Shoes
Reply to  Jonathan Melle
3 years ago

Economic Justice? In my family we call it work and work harder if you have needs that are your own doings. Why should taxpayers pay for abortions and sometimes multiple ones? Access is available just about every corner in the inner cities and especially black neighborhoods. PPH has billions and the taxpayers help fill their coffers . PPH uses taxpayers funding to fund Democrats. Birth control in the form of ills, devices are available and the taxpayers pay for that also. There exists policies to help mothers and child and it’s called welfare. Cash, Housing , Medical, Food, etc. . A safety net is to catch you , not for people to lay in it and stay in it , when you fall.

TellitLikeitIs
TellitLikeitIs
3 years ago

What I like about Tuck Carlson is he tells it like it is, plus he drives the liberals bat shit crazy.

TellitLikeitIs
TellitLikeitIs
Reply to  Johnny99
3 years ago

Exactly! Drives em bat shit crazy. I love it when they have meltdowns. He doesn’t sugar cost anything and the Washington Post is a far left loony tune publication that hires raciss people that do not want equality.

Maggie May
Maggie May
Reply to  TellitLikeitIs
3 years ago

He gets Paid to say what the boss wants the goofball can’t form two thoughts at the same time.

Last edited 3 years ago by Maggie May
JoeKapanski
JoeKapanski
Reply to  Maggie May
3 years ago

I think you are confusing Tucker with Biden

Truthsayer
Truthsayer
Reply to  TellitLikeitIs
3 years ago

Which is why Carlson’s key sponsors will soon be “Miracle Wart Remover” and other as-seen-on-TV products. We’re all sick of both conservative and liberal talking heads and their bullcrap.

the school committee
the school committee
3 years ago

Dan you know we are still the most extreme conservative country in the world.When you feel we are going to be Marxist please tell your readers by what % you feel it will happen.

Mad Trapper
Mad Trapper
Reply to  the school committee
3 years ago

It’s coming TSC, you’ll be crying and in the cold lawlessness You wanted.

The border collie won’t be there for you TSC, the wolf will be there to dine on Your smelly ass.

Last edited 3 years ago by Mad Trapper
the school committee
the school committee
Reply to  Mad Trapper
3 years ago

There is no evidence to support Fox propaganda

Johnny Dimentia
Johnny Dimentia
3 years ago

Six weeks from now this virus will have swallowed America whole. Many of Trumps people think they are immune and are in for one hell of a surprise. Trust me on this one folks.

JohnnyTwoCents
JohnnyTwoCents
Reply to  Johnny Dimentia
3 years ago

I would never trust a man with dementia cause he doesn’t know his arse from his elbow. That’s why I am not voting for Basement Biden

Jonathan Melle
Jonathan Melle
Reply to  JohnnyTwoCents
3 years ago

Do you trust a man who is bed with Putin?

Mad Trapper
Mad Trapper
Reply to  Jonathan Melle
3 years ago

Better than a whore with a Clinton!!! or a Clinton!!!

Willy/witch bitch pics with Epstien?

Mr. Worldwide
Mr. Worldwide
Reply to  Mad Trapper
3 years ago

Trump was with Epstein as well.

Pat
Pat
Reply to  Jonathan Melle
3 years ago

Obama was the one in bed with Putin. The whispers and promises they made to each other prove it.

Johnny Dimentia
Johnny Dimentia
Reply to  Pat
3 years ago

So are you saying you were in the bed with them listening to the whispers and promises? That is just creepy Pat.

Pat
Pat
Reply to  Johnny Dimentia
3 years ago

Everyone heard their intimate whispers about helping each other after the presidential election when they thought their mic was off. They were caught right out in the open. The media covered it up.

Johnny Dimentia
Johnny Dimentia
Reply to  Pat
3 years ago

How did the media cover it up if everyone heard it?
By the way, Is Fox news media and if not just what the hell do you call them?

JohnnyTwoCents
JohnnyTwoCents
Reply to  Pat
3 years ago

Obama liked men and that had been clearly established. Google it.

Johnny99
Johnny99
Reply to  JohnnyTwoCents
3 years ago

Read sex cocaine lies and murder by larry Sinclair
https://www.amazon.com/Barack-Obama-Larry-Sinclair-Cocaine-ebook/dp/B002PSD322

Mr. Fritz
Mr. Fritz
Reply to  Jonathan Melle
3 years ago

Marxist Melle, continuing to push propaganda. Try the truth for once, Jon.
Your own party of deranged Dems couldn’t hang that one on Trump. Fake news.

Pat
Pat
Reply to  Johnny Dimentia
3 years ago

Let’s see, everyone, but the very young under 30, are doing everything they can to avoid the virus. The real spreaders are the very young because they are acting recklessly. Is this part of the plan to get everyone in American sick with the virus by using the very young the same way they are being used to tear down statues and vote for Marxism?

Blare
Blare
Reply to  Johnny Dimentia
3 years ago

You need to spend more time looking at the numbers and less time viewing this through a political lens. In a typical year, the flu kills about 500-1,500 americans under the age of 25. So far this year, the traditional flu has killed 151 people in this age bracket, while COVID has killed 171. All of this data is available on the CDC website.

Many of the arguments about not fully re-opening schools in the fall focus on the grave danger to children – what kind of immoral monster would put children at risk like that? This is a total canard. A lie. Told with political purpose.

We know who is at risk from COVID and we know who is not. Period. The bad info and breathless predictions of impending doom are out of hand.

Orwell knew his stuff, that’s for sure.

UnduhWatuh
UnduhWatuh
3 years ago

Dan,weekenders..Pittsfield is getting a business that makes under-water vehicles. Now if that isn’t an oxy-moron?

Bruno Hakalugi
Bruno Hakalugi
Reply to  UnduhWatuh
3 years ago

Where were they when Ted Kennedy was driving?

Benigno Numine
Benigno Numine
Reply to  Bruno Hakalugi
3 years ago

They tore down a statue on Martha’s Vinyard and threw it in the water. Unfortunately Ted Kennedy’s car was totaled.

JohnnyTwoCents
JohnnyTwoCents
Reply to  UnduhWatuh
3 years ago

Maybe the vehicles can tell us what’s in Silver lake. Heck they can even test em there.

James
James
3 years ago

In other news, Harrington’s DA Pal Sullivan will be taking a pay cut. Why not Harrington? https://www.gazettenet.com/District-Attorney-s-office-staffing-update-34898100

Maggie May
Maggie May
Reply to  James
3 years ago

Your obsession with Harrington is getting creepy.

James
James
Reply to  Maggie May
3 years ago

I’ll admit I’m upset with clowns holding public office. I don’t know her, I just know she is a joke and anyone who works for her should be ashamed of themselves. By the way are you people getting fully paid by our tax dollars while you sit around doing nothing until Sept? Not that you were doing anything.

Benigno Numine
Benigno Numine
Reply to  Maggie May
3 years ago

She’s the Barney Fife of the DA world.

Mr. Worldwide
Mr. Worldwide
Reply to  James
3 years ago

Do you know for sure she isn’t?

James
James
Reply to  Mr. Worldwide
3 years ago

Oh I guess I missed her press conference?

Johnny2Shoes
Johnny2Shoes
3 years ago

Democrats only allow military personnel to be called out for their views or opinions if they aren’t democrats. Civilian or in uniform.

Johnny Dimentia
Johnny Dimentia
3 years ago

Republican loyalist governors in Texas, Florida and Arizona followed Trumps advice on how to handle a pandemic. Now the doctors and nurses having overflowing ICUs, shortages of PPE and are putting overflow people outside the hospitals in hot sweaty tents. But as they say, you cannot fix stupid.
Is this show coming to a theater near you? It is if your governor is a Trump lover.

Johnny Dimentia
Johnny Dimentia
Reply to  Johnny Dimentia
3 years ago

Dr. Peter Hotez says he’s so alarmed by the rising numbers that he has a hard time sleeping.
“One (reason) is this steep acceleration,” Hotez, dean of tropical medicine at Baylor College of Medicine , told CNN on Friday morning. “We’re approaching (Fauci’s) apocalyptic prediction of 100,000 cases a day.”

Pat
Pat
Reply to  Johnny Dimentia
3 years ago

It’s the young people under 25 who are driving the spike with their irresponsible behavior or are some being directed to act irresponsibly by the same people pushing Marxism in the colleges? The far left is trying to cause chaos across the country in the hope they will win the election. First the mysterious release of the virus to try to destroy the economy, but also to create panic. China is responsible for the virus spreading across the world in what seems like it was intentional and they also want Biden to win in November. All of this seems planned. Our colleges pushing this Marxist agenda on the students and also the media are all on the side of China not America. Highly suspicious.

Pat
Pat
Reply to  Johnny Dimentia
3 years ago

The young people are the super spreaders. Why?

S D Jowenz
S D Jowenz
Reply to  Pat
3 years ago

Why is Camp Winadu full of out of state cars?

JohnnyTwoCents
JohnnyTwoCents
Reply to  S D Jowenz
3 years ago

Private camp for the chosen few?

Johnny Dimentia
Johnny Dimentia
Reply to  Pat
3 years ago

Why? Because they listen to Trump. Their brains have not matured enough to listen to people who have expertise in the field. But really, does it matter who is spreading it? There is no leadership from the top like in most countries whose leaders actually give a shit about their people.
This is getting more and more like Jimmy Jones every day. People following their leader straight into their graves.

Pat
Pat
Reply to  Johnny Dimentia
3 years ago

Young people are NOT listening to Trump. The protesters tearing down statues and marching on cities across the country are not listening to Trump and they are a large part of the new infections. I agree they are following their leaders, but their leaders are on the far left and encouraging them to not use caution. They want to cause chaos in the country and this is one way to do it.

Johnny Dimentia
Johnny Dimentia
Reply to  Pat
3 years ago

Trump told them not to wear masks or they would not be macho like him. So now they are cool but are spreading a deadly disease to their loved ones. These deaths are on Trump and all the spinning in the world does not change that.

Johnny Dimentia
Johnny Dimentia
Reply to  Johnny Dimentia
3 years ago

Dozens of Mississippi lawmakers have coronavirus after weeks of refusing to wear masks

jon doe
jon doe
Reply to  Johnny Dimentia
3 years ago

How stupid can people be? The virus is ripping through the Trump loving Southern states because they were stupid enough to shut down late, open early, and not wear masks. Pat says it’s all the young people but if you look at the people at the Trump rally not wearing masks, half of them are over 50. Sorry, these people are morons.

Pat
Pat
Reply to  jon doe
3 years ago

It is mostly young people which is why the death rate is remaining so low. Older people have been taking precautions.

Pat
Pat
Reply to  jon doe
3 years ago

Were all of the protesters not wearing masks also morons because our China loving media and far left politicians thought there was nothing wrong with their behavior. President Trump’s rally attendance was not as large as usual because most of his older supporters were worried about the virus and stayed home.

Johnny Dimentia
Johnny Dimentia
Reply to  Pat
3 years ago

You could say that ALL countries got the virus from China. But most countries recognized a serious problem and dealt with it according to educated professionals in the field. America decided to take the embers of a fire and pour large quantities of gasoline on it and then told the people that 130,000 deaths were just a mirage.
Now they are opening up Disney World and also want to send hundreds of thousands of kids to school together to mix and mingle and further incubate the virus. It is like Satan himself has taken charge of America.

jon doe
jon doe
Reply to  Pat
3 years ago

Yes, all of the protesters not wearing masks, were indeed morons.

Mr. Worldwide
Mr. Worldwide
Reply to  Pat
3 years ago

You are out of your mind. Trump has said open up, don’t wear masks. Apparently every issue is the “far left” cajsing the problem. Wake up! This is the “far right” problem. The republicans problem. You are a nut job.

Blare
Blare
Reply to  Johnny Dimentia
3 years ago

Ignorance. The illness is running its course, just as most expected it would. It just made its way through the liberal, more densely populated states first. Have you even bothered to examine the numbers closely? In terms of infections rates, 8 out of the 10 most infected states are liberal. Death rates (i.e. deaths per million residents)? Here are the rankings: 1. New Jersey; 2. New York; 3. Connecticut; 4. Massachusetts; 5. Rhode Island; 6. Washington D.C.

I remember a few months back, South Dakota adopted a common-sense approach that did not involve shutting the State down completely. Perfectly reasonable, given its demographics and low population density. The result? Our lovely media mocked SD’s “anti-science” approach and watched SD’s COVID numbers with a laser-like focus, mocking their folly at the slightest sign of an uptick in cases. California was held out as THE model for dealing with COVID, their per capita infection and mortality numbers compared with SD’s ad nauseum.

And now look where we are today.

Johnny Dimentia
Johnny Dimentia
Reply to  Blare
3 years ago

Actually I am looking at the numbers and trajectories of other countries and comparing them to USA. Have you done this and not noticed a glaring difference? The difference is in the handling and containment procedures or the lack of. This falls on the person with the power to control such things.

Blare
Blare
Reply to  Johnny Dimentia
3 years ago

Given that the virus took root and surged in different countries at different times, a contemporaneous comparison of “trajectories” makes no sense. Not to mention that testing methods and testing frequency vary wildly from one nation to the next. The truth is, we will never know the “true” number of infections – here in the U.S. or anywhere else. Though the CDC did come out recently and say that judging by anti-body test results so far, the actual number of infections is likely 10x the current known number, i.e. over 30 million infected.

The best means of comparison are the per capita death rates of individual countries, though even that measure is not perfectly comparable. Here in the U.S., hospitals receive what (non-political) ER doctors are calling a “COVID Premium” from the government. Hospitals have a financial incentive to classify deaths as COVID-related. I spoke with an NYC doc about this some time back. He said that when chronically ill geriatric patients died, for any reason, if they had ANY of the litany of symptoms of COVID they were classified as COVID deaths. Without a test. I looked into it and sure enough, fewer than 50% of NY State COVID deaths are confirmed, the rest are listed as “probable.”

The same is likely true in other states, a natural consequence of the COVID Premium, so if anything per capita death rates to date in the U.S. are biased upwards. And yet the death rate in places like the UK, Spain, France and Italy are still up to 60% higher than the U.S. Why is that, if their “handling and containment procedures” made such a difference?

Lenny
Lenny
3 years ago

Buy Goya products. Let’s send their sales thru the roof!

Koko Viddkidd
Koko Viddkidd
Reply to  Lenny
3 years ago

Planet Bulletin…..Trump to commute Roger Sentence.

Koko Viddkidd
Koko Viddkidd
Reply to  Lenny
3 years ago

The stock market is up,Covid is up,corporations are up but Joe and Mary stay Down.

Johnny2Shoes
Johnny2Shoes
Reply to  Lenny
3 years ago

Love the Goya Chick Peas. Excellent in salads and for Humus. These corporations who cave to these nuts really gets me. I believe many others are the ones they should worry about getting our business. Glad the Goya guy has stood strong.

Jonathan Melle
Jonathan Melle
3 years ago

July 10, 2020

Re: Open letter to Patrick Fennell

Hello Pat,

I have an idea how Massachusetts’ state government can save some money to close the $6 billion gap in its yet to be passed state budget that started on July 1, 2020. The elected state government officials, such as Smitty Pignatelli and Adam Hinds, can all pay back the money from their greedy early-2017 legislative pay raise bill that cost state taxpayers over $18 million. Then, they can work for minimum wage with no other stipends. They can go on Medicaid for their healthcare insurance. They can go on food stamps for their grocery orders. They can donate their lucrative state pensions to help fund public schools. They could forgo all of their pay and stipends during their five-month recess that starts in three weeks on August 1, 2020 and ends on December 31, 2020.

What do you think of my idea that Massachusetts state elected officials go on a taxpayer diet to help close the $6 billion budget deficit? Also, when do you think the Massachusetts State Legislature will pass its belated state budget that is already 10 days late?

Best wishes,

Jonathan [Melle]

Jonathan Melle
Jonathan Melle
Reply to  Jonathan Melle
3 years ago

Hello Pat,

Thank you for your response. I like all of your ideas to close the $6 billion budget deficit in the yet to be passed fiscal year 2021 Massachusetts state budget. Beacon Hill elected officials have not offered to cut any of their outrageously generous taxpayer-funded pay, stipends, and other benefits. I wonder where they are going to cut services when they eventually pass the belated state budget that is 11 days and counting late? In 3 weeks, the Massachusetts State Legislature begins their 5-month-long recess. Maybe Smitty Pignatelli and Adam Hinds, et al, will all forgo their pay, stipends, and other benefits from August 1, 2020 – December 31, 2020 to save taxpayers tens of millions of dollars to help close the state government’s $6 billion budget deficit. They could also pass term limits so that taxpayers will no longer have to support career politicians. But, so many politicians retire and become lobbyists and political consultants that it wouldn’t make any real difference. When do you think Governor Charlie Baker will comment on the hundreds of millions of dollars that are missing from the state’s unemployment account due to fraud? Maybe if Governor Charlie Baker recoups the hundreds of millions of dollars in stolen money from the state’s unemployment account, it would help close the state’s $6 billion budget deficit.

Best wishes,

Jonathan

Jonathan Melle
Jonathan Melle
Reply to  Jonathan Melle
3 years ago

Hello Pat,

I agree with you 100 percent! Politicians are lazy, liars, thieves, and racists. Hillary Clinton called black youths “Super Predators” in the 1990s to help her cheating heart husband Bill Clinton get re-elected to the Oval Office (or should I say “Oral Orifice”). Donald Trump called white nationalists and neo-Nazis “very fine people”. Smitty Pignatelli and Adam Hinds voted themselves huge pay raises, while also voting to raise state taxes on the struggling working people. Charlie Baker won’t comment on hundreds of millions of dollars that went missing in the state’s unemployment account due to fraud. Where did all of that money go? To the thieves on Beacon Hill, it is not their money so they are keeping the taxpayers in the dark about it.

Best wishes,

Jonathan

BlackLiesMatter
BlackLiesMatter
3 years ago

Here we go. If you’re white, you are the problem.

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/us-army-investigating-handout-white-supremacy

RN
RN
3 years ago

WTF is this world coming to? Somehow we are going to build subs in Pittsfield? About as far away from the ocean you can get in MA?

Johnny Dimentia
Johnny Dimentia
Reply to  RN
3 years ago

They are for use under water. Pittsfield is in fact under water. Ask Kerwood about it.

Uto Felix Belgrotoux
Uto Felix Belgrotoux
Reply to  Johnny Dimentia
3 years ago

Silver Lake exploration.

Donor Kilpaticbich
Donor Kilpaticbich
Reply to  Uto Felix Belgrotoux
3 years ago

Don’t hit any barrels with it.

JohnnyTwoCents
JohnnyTwoCents
Reply to  Johnny Dimentia
3 years ago

That’s a good one right there!

Al Compactxity
Al Compactxity
Reply to  JohnnyTwoCents
3 years ago

Exactly. Call the next model the Silver Bullet. The p c b touring vessel.

Mr. Worldwide
Mr. Worldwide
Reply to  RN
3 years ago

God forbid something good happens. Bitch when there are no jobs, bitch when someone creates them.

Pat
Pat
3 years ago

IIhan Omar wants to remake the United States into the image of the country that she fled from. The country she fled from is now trying to hold off Sharia Law. It has no government and violence is everywhere. Omar has an agenda for completely remaking America under a Biden presidency. Omar is dangerous and Ayaan Hirsi Ali blasts Omar for wanting to create a revolution in this country. What is she trying to do to the United Sates?
https://www.foxnews.com/media/ayaan-hirsi-ali-ilhan-omar-no-revolution

Johnny Dimentia
Johnny Dimentia
Reply to  Pat
3 years ago

I thank god I do not have to get up every morning with the venom in my heart that you have Pat. You must be a real cup of cheer to your co workers.

Pat
Pat
Reply to  Johnny Dimentia
3 years ago

Again, no mention of the issue, just an attack on my personality. Typical far left response. They know Omar and her agenda is bad for this country, but they need to bring down the country for the various groups that want to destroy America. Sounds like the way Communist China operates.

Johnny Dimentia
Johnny Dimentia
Reply to  Pat
3 years ago

Do you know what else communist China has Pat? Up to date infrastructure. Huge dams to provide clean energy. State of the art highways. Tons of high speed railways. Bridges that are not ready to collapse at any minute.
Visitors who have been to both China and the USA in the last five years say there is no comparison as to who is moving into the next century and who is going back to the last century.

They have their issues but while USA has been talking about infrastructure for the last 25 years China has actually done something. China is not so much taking power from the USA as that we are giving it to them. America just can’t get out of its own way and much of the rest of the world has decided to move forward without us. We have become a ball and chain on progressive thinking.

Pat
Pat
Reply to  Johnny Dimentia
3 years ago

China was brought into interaction with the world in the hopes of liberalizing them, to try to give some degree of freedom to that country, but the Communist government has clamped down even harder on the Chinese people. If you speak out against the government in that country, it can be a death sentence. It’s always very efficient and less messy when people are under tyrannical rule, but that doesn’t make tyrannical government rule very appealing to most people. Europe is in serious trouble financially thanks in large part to the China virus and is hardly moving forward. Our country has been giving too much power to China, having them produce our medications and so many other items, while our own people have trouble finding jobs, and this needs to be fixed, and is further proof of how we are helping China and not our own country. President Trump has recognized all of this about China and is working to fix the situation and China doesn’t like it, and neither do progressives, which is why they are doing everything they can to get Biden elected because he is very supportive of Communist China.

Jonathan Melle
Jonathan Melle
3 years ago

Hello Dan Valenti and all of your blog posters and readers, I have gone through difficult times in my life, but I understand there is more than my side of the story. I wish to state that all I want out of life is for everybody to have a fair shot at life, especially our youth. I admire Dan Valenti’s journalism because he cares about people, and he loves our native hometown of Pittsfield, Massachusetts. I share his beliefs to be the voice for the voiceless and his love for good old Pittsfield.

Dantaze Infphorno
Dantaze Infphorno
Reply to  Jonathan Melle
3 years ago

I agree on your assessment of the former Sheriff in particular. Many have suffered from consequences of being bullied and alike. Just being not excepted because of the way you look,your skin color or your economic status are a few others for instance. Hang In there Jon. Your problem on here-is…. your a lefty liberal pablum pucker who repeatedly does the same thing over and overnight here.

JohnnyTwoCents
JohnnyTwoCents
Reply to  Jonathan Melle
3 years ago

Johnathan, I wish nothing but a full and happy life for you, and any and all disagreements are of a political versus personal nature. You sound like a genuinely nice guy.

Marshall Roborteeno
Marshall Roborteeno
Reply to  JohnnyTwoCents
3 years ago

Maybe he can come here and get work with the new sub place at the b I c.

foolonthe fire
foolonthe fire
Reply to  Marshall Roborteeno
3 years ago

The namecof the new business at the billy is Dive Technologies. How much does one cost? Will they bedrivable in our lakes?

Gigi
Gigi
Reply to  Jonathan Melle
3 years ago
Be The Change
Be The Change
3 years ago

Stockbridge news re: Cardillo- I’m pretty sure this tactic – by his attorney EJQ – requesting settlement “before” a jury trial “otherwise” they will be including a complaint of a First Amendment violation – pretty sure that is textbook “entrapment”.

JoePesci
JoePesci
Reply to  Be The Change
3 years ago

No way you sir are out to lunch and obviously no lawyer

Pat
Pat
3 years ago

This Chinese Virologist escaped China and exposes that China did not want COVID-19 stopped or treated in the early stages of the breakout of the disease and China knew about how deadly it could be for some people long before they told the rest of the world. She fears for her life even though she has escaped China.
https://swarajyamag.com/news-brief/leading-chinese-virologist-dr-li-meng-yan-flees-hong-kong-accuses-beijing-of-coronavirus-cover-up

Nate Thebate
Nate Thebate
Reply to  Pat
3 years ago

That was great grass cutting on Churchill Street in front of the solar panel set up. It was a half inch thick in the road fora hundred yards

Jonathan Melle
Jonathan Melle
3 years ago

July 12, 2020

Re: Karl Marx was among many racists of his time

On Dan Valenti’s blog, someone wrote:

Karl Marx was a socialist racist.

https://stoppingsocialism.com/2020/06/karl-marx-racism-quotes/

My response is that America’s Founding Fathers owned slaves and racist policies such as the Electoral College are still enshrined in the U.S. Constitution. The United States of America fought a Civil War to end slavery. The U.S.A. had racist Jim Crow laws until the Civil Rights Act was passed in the mid-1960’s. In the mid-1920’s, U.S. immigration laws discriminated against Italians and Jews from entering our country and becoming U.S. Citizens. During that time (1920’s), the U.S. had racist eugenic laws that Hitler wrote in favor of prior to becoming the dictator of Nazi Germany. The U.S. racist eugenic laws and racist immigration policies against Jews were the precursor to Hitler’s Holocaust. Through World War 2, U.S. Armed Forces were segregated by race. There are many other examples of our Capitalist government’s racist policies and politicians.

To single out Karl Marx for being “a socialist racist” is myopic and unfair. He was among many people of his time to have “racism quotes”.

In Truth!

Jonathan Melle

Gigi
Gigi
Reply to  Jonathan Melle
3 years ago

“Marxism dehumanizes all persons, demoralizes all relationships, and decivilizes all institutions.”

https://thefederalist.com/2020/07/07/if-we-dont-stop-it-marxism-will-annihilate-the-american-way-of-life/

Gigi
Gigi
Reply to  Jonathan Melle
3 years ago

“Marxist apostles are orchestrating the chaos and violence plaguing our streets and undermining our self-government.”

https://thefederalist.com/2020/07/06/catholic-schools-cut-the-white-privilege-lectures-and-teach-about-marxisms-evils/

Blare
Blare
3 years ago

All the noise generated by hyper-politicized finger pointing has drowned out our collective ability to look at ALL the facts rationally. Some of the facts that are being ignored are remarkable and deserve a much closer look, which is not happening while we sit here and bicker about what to do next.

Start by leaving the US out of it entirely and look more closely at Asia. South and East Asian countries as a group have all tamed COVID with ease. Bangladesh has reported the highest death rate of the group at 14 deaths per million (as compared to 660 in the UK, 607 in Spain, 578 in Italy, 460 in France and 414 in the U.S.). Japan – a country with 10x the population density of the U.S. – has seen only 8 deaths per million residents, despite the fact that the Japanese never imposed any sort of official lockdown and had the most lenient behavior restrictions in the developed world. The common explanation for this COVID disparity is partly rooted in ignorance and/or racism. Americans tend to believe that all Asian populations are compliant and easily controlled, which couldn’t be further from the truth regarding the Japanese, who have as strong a demand for freedom as do we. Which was reflected in their COVID approach. Same for South Korea, which has 6x the population density of the U.S. and yet has seen only 6 deaths per million South Koreans.

How can this possibly be? There’s a lot of evidence that COVID was circulating for months before it was identified. Given what we now believe about its transmissibility, how did it fail to take root in any of China’s neighbors in any meaningful way, while it went on to ravage the rest of the developed world? I have no idea what the answer is. I’m not trying to imply anything nefarious and go the “conspiracy theory” route, but why is nobody even asking that question? Seems to me there’s a good chance the answer could help us beat COVID. Isn’t that the goal?

Anyway, I would invite anyone who’s interested to play around with the Worldometer data in the attached link. When you start to sort the data (you can sort from highest or lowest in any column) and play around with it, it starts to tell a story, IMO.

https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/

Johnny Absurds Doctor
Johnny Absurds Doctor
Reply to  Blare
3 years ago

Let me give you a tip Blare. No one was telling Asians it was a bad idea to wear masks. I would suggest their compliance in this common sense tactic was huge in their effort to contain the virus. Once their numbers were down they did tracing and quarantining. They did not behave so much like a bunch of big babies like many western countries.

Blare
Blare
Reply to  Johnny Absurds Doctor
3 years ago

The WHO was telling the WORLD not to wear masks up until June 6. Yes, Asian people had the sense to ignore this advice, which surely made a difference, but that single factor seems unlikely to explain the disparity of infection rates given all the other factors at play. Also – once the numbers were down? They were never up. That’s the point. Neither South Korea or Japan ever came close to 1,000 cases in a day. Total cases of 20k for Japan and 13k for South Korea. They never closed down or mass-quarantined. They didn’t need to.

Eventually we will have answers, at least I hope we will. And if it turns out that you are correct – that masks alone made all the difference – think about what that would mean for the WHO (and CDC for that matter). They might be held responsible for hundreds of thousands of unnecessary deaths, a consequence of precisely the wrong guidance about masks. Oops. So much for the certainty of the science of it all.

Mad Trapper
Mad Trapper
3 years ago

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/07/young-white-mother-killed-black-lives-matter-mob-allegedly-saying-lives-matter-national-media-fully-ignores/

“Young White Mother Killed By Black Lives Matter Mob for Allegedly Saying ‘All Lives Matter,’ National Media Fully Ignores
A 24-year-old mother was killed by a Black Lives Matter mob in Indianapolis last week, allegedly for saying “All Lives Matter.”Unlike Charlottesville, or any violence from the right, this killing was reported so quietly that barely anyone even noticed.
Advertisement – story continues below

Jessica Doty Whitaker was shot and killed following an altercation with Black Lives Matter thugs who were upset that she and her fiance had said “All Lives Matter” last Sunday.

“It was squashed and they went up the hill and left we thought, but they were sitting on St. Claire waiting for us to come under the bridge and that’s when she got shot,” the victim’s fiancé Jose Ramirez told the station.
Her grandfather posted on Facebook that “multiple black assailants” shot her in the head.”

foolonthe fire
foolonthe fire
Reply to  Mad Trapper
3 years ago

Yeah there are murderers on both sides. Can’t wait to buy one of those submarines from the Dive.

Jonathan Melle
Jonathan Melle
3 years ago

My response to Dan Valenti:

During Karl Marx time, the industrial revolution exploited poor people on many levels. Children as young as toddlers went to work in dangerous factories. These children never went to school. There was no public education. These children were only fed one meal per day, and they were forced to drink beer for carbs. These children were malnourished and deformed. They were chattel like slaves were in pre-Civil War America. Indeed, I agree with your words that it was “horrific”!

Our Capitalist economic system’s foundation is “Incentives” for working people and business owners to make money by being productive and profitable. The flaw in our Capitalist economic system is many people are unable to compete in our post-industrial and financialized 21st Century economy. To be clear, many people have no “Incentive” to earn a living for themselves and their families. (The underclass is always growing larger year after year)!

There are regions in our post-industrial country called “the rust belt” where jobs are scarce and many people live in poverty. During our current ongoing 2020 economic recession, I predict there will be a deluge of personal and small business bankruptcies. We are living in economically unequal times and we are going backwards towards the time of Karl Marx instead of forward towards a strong middle class where people and families are precious resources for strong and compassionate communities.

In closing, I agree with you, Dan Valenti, that all economic theories have proven to be flawed. In our country, Wall Street plays by the unfair advantage of heads the wealthy win, tails the underclass and working class lose. (That is not Capitalism – It is reverse Socialism)!

Best wishes,

Jonathan

Mad Trapper
Mad Trapper
3 years ago

https://dailycaller.com/2020/07/10/dead-cat-voter-registration-mail-ballot-fraud/

An Atlanta family’s dead pet cat received a voter registration card in the mail Wednesday, Fox 5 News reported.
Ron and Carol Tims’ cat Cody died 12 years ago, but when they checked the mail Wednesday, the couple said they found a voter registration application for their deceased pet.
“How did this happen?” Carol Tims told Fox news. “I mean it’s not reality … he’s a cat. Here he is,” she said, holding up the green box where the family keeps Cody’s ashes. “And he’s been dead for a long time.”

“There’s a huge push” to get people out to vote this election, Carol said, “but if they’re trying to register cats, I’m not quite sure who else they’re trying to register.”
“I don’t know if they’re registering dogs,” she added.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/07/atlanta-familys-dead-cat-gets-voter-registration-application-mail/

The Democrats sure love their dead voters and now they’re targeting dead animals.
A deceased family’s cat received a voter registration application in the mail.

The cat, Cody Tims, died 12 years ago.
Cody Tims’ owner said he was a “DemoCat.”

Last edited 3 years ago by Mad Trapper