Quick Note: The GOP Has a Better Idea (Stop Me If You've Heard This Before)

The Affordable Care Act was signed into law on March 23, 2010.  On March 24, Congressional Republicans began trying to dismantle it, promising they would be presenting a newer, better plan very soon.  

I have always wanted to ask the GOP, "Wouldn't it have been a more economical use of your time to have suggested your better plan while the original ACA was being put together?"  I mean, they were in the building after all.

It has now been nearly five years and we have heard the GOP plan was "being developed in committee," that it was "nearing completion," that they had a "few more details" to work out, and that a a vote would happen "in the near future."  Announcing is a GOP specialty.  Actually following through has proven to be a bit more elusive.

In November 2012, House Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) told ABC news that with President Obama's re-election, it was clear the people had decided that "Obamacare is the law of the land."  Then he promptly called for a vote to repeal the law.  That effort continues today with vote number 54 (or 56, depending on who is counting) happening just this week.

In January 2014, GOP leadership in Washington told the media that they were beginning meetings to discuss the possibility of an alternative. I guess the "few more details/near future" plan was off the books by then.

It is now February 2015, and the wait is finally over!  Senators Richard Burr (R-North Carolina) and Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) along with Representative Fred Upton (R-Michigan) have unveiled their "Patient Choice, Affordability, Responsibility and Empowerment Act."

Well, sort of.  They have a snappy(?) title, but, as of Wednesday, nothing has actually been written into legislative language; however, these three legislators were happy to boast about some aspects of their Republican healthcare improvement plan.

• The "Obamacare" expansion of Medicaid will be eliminated. (The country's poor will be returned to their pre-2010, no-healthcare-for-you status.)
• Tax subsidies to help Americans purchase a healthcare plan will be scaled back. (The middle class may or may not still be required to purchase healthcare, but they'll have to do that on their own--maybe by instituting No-Meal-Mondays for themselves and their families.)
• Federal regulations outlining "essential benefits" will be reduced, most noticeably in the area of women's health care where insurers will no longer be required to offer maternity care. (Should this go under the "Vote for Us Because We Love Women" column or the "War on Women" column?  You choose.)

These legislators, (and other Republicans before them), have called maternity care "non-essential" because, in their words, having children "is a choice."  At the same time, they continue fighting to eliminate a woman's power to do the actual choosing by strictly limiting access to birth control and banning abortion.   

Knowing the GOP's track record for talking big but doing nothing, it is doubtful there will be anything to actually vote on for some time to come; but the Washington Post reported that "health policy aides for Burr, Hatch and Upton said this plan could be the basis for the party's long-term vision for health reform."

Lord, help us.

Republicans Say the Darndest Things: Sex With an Unconscious Person, Not Always Rape

On Tuesday, the Utah legislature's Judiciary Committee considered HB74, a bill that would update the state's rape statute to make it clear that a person who is unconscious cannot give their consent, therefore, having sex with an unconscious person is, indeed, rape.

Local prosecutors said without this clarification, they felt the rape statute was ambiguous and they were hesitant to bring cases of rape to court where the victim was unconscious at the time of the assault.

Utah State Representative 

Brian Greene (R)

As outrageous as that may seem, it was State Representative Brian Greene (R) who really pushed common sense right out the window.  Mr. Greene voiced concerns over the bill saying that he wasn't really sure if having sex with an unconscious person should count as rape in all cases.  He said he could see the rape allegation might be legitimate in a "first date scenario," but doubted that the rule should stand for married couples or individuals with a prior relationship.

Utah State Representative 

LaVar Christensen (R)

Representative LaVar Christensen agreed with Mr. Greene saying that always depicting sex with an unconscious person as rape seemed too "broad" a definition, and he wondered if the proposal might tip the scales in favor of the victim.

Representative Brian King (D) said sex with an unconscious person "(is) rape, period, end of story."

Prosecutors in Utah--or anywhere--being reluctant to prosecute cases of rape unless the victim is fully awake and aware throughout the attack would seem like the stuff of paranoid fantasy, until you consider there are people like Brian Greene and LaVar Christensen living and breathing on this planet. 

The bill eventually passed committee and will be presented to the full house where, hopefully, there are more Kings than there are Greenes or Christensens.

Trickle-Down Anarchy in Alabama

Last week U.S. District Judge Ginny Granade ruled that Alabama's Marriage Protection Act is unconstitutional.  

Judge Granade, a George W. Bush appointee, said in her ruling, "The Attorney General does not explain how allowing or recognizing the same-sex marriage between two consenting adults will prevent heterosexual parents or other biological kin from caring for their biological children.  He proffers no justification for why it is that the provisions in question single out same-sex couples and prohibit them, and them alone, from marrying in order to meet that goal."

State Attorney General Luther Strange (R) immediately filed papers indicating that Alabama would fight the decision.

Yesterday, a federal appeals court denied the state's request for a stay on Judge Granade's decision.  With the stay denied, same-sex couples in Alabama are scheduled to begin marrying next week; but Alabama officials aren't done fighting yet.

Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore has issued a memo to the state's probate judges telling them they are not required to follow the federal court's ruling.

"I hope this memorandum will assist weary, beleaguered, and perplexed probate judges to unravel the meaning of the actions of the federal district court in Mobile, namely that the rulings in the marriage cases do not require you to issue marriage licenses that are illegal under Alabama law."

He is claiming that Alabama is justified in ignoring Judge Granade's decision, explaining that he believes federal courts lack "constitutional authority" to make rulings on state laws.

Judge Moore also took his argument to Governor Robert Bentley (R), urging him to defy the federal court.  

The state of Alabama has asked the Supreme Court to intervene before next week when same-sex couples are expecting to begin exercising their long-denied right to marry.

what eye thynk:  State's rights advocates have backed ignoring federal laws/decisions before, though they have never actually acted on it as Alabama's Chief Justice Moore has.   Federal courts have no system for enforcing their decisions, so, if Alabama's probate courts take Justice Moore's advice and refuse to follow the federal courts ruling, the status of same-sex couples will remain open to a war of interpretation between Alabama state law and the federal court, a war where one side refuses to acknowledge the other's preeminence.

The modern-day GOP increasingly refuses to recognize any opinion not their own.  They have voted 54 times to repeal the Affordable Care Act.  They have refused to raise the minimum wage.  They have refused to accept the science of global warming.   They have spent six years refusing to acknowledge the legitimacy of the Obama White House.  Despite leading economists conviction that the GOP's trickle-down economic agenda does not work, Congressional Republicans' have continued to embrace it and their party's our-way-or-no-way-brand of government.   I see it as a form of "polite" anarchy.

If Alabama continues to follow Washington Republicans' lead and refuses to accept the federal court's ruling, it appears the GOP may have finally found a way to make their trickle-down philosophy work.   

Unfortunately, it's not only the country's economic health that is at risk from Justice Moore's actions, it is the foundation of our democracy.  

We are a country protected by a 228 year old Constitution that superintends a system of statutes placing federal laws above state laws and state laws over local ordinances, along with federal, state and local courts charged with guaranteeing our Constitution continues to function as written.   It is a system that creates a nation out of 50 disparate states.  Without it, we become 50 tribes with loyalty only to those within our small circle.  Without it, we become a nation of anarchists, united by nothing.

Without it, we become the Middle East.

Tea Party Signs - The Joke's On Them

Installment #17 of:

Dictionaries are a Liberal Plot

(and Grammar is Not My Cup of Tea Either)

May I suggest you try filing an eviction notice with your local Housing Court?  And, perhaps next time, a more in-depth vetting before choosing a tenant might be in order?

February 2 - Monday Quote

The GOP is the party most likely to decide to balance a budget by cutting spending for education.  They are also an increasingly intolerant organization. 

Coincidence?

monday quote:  The highest result of education is tolerance. (Helen Keller, humanitarian and co-founder of the ACLU, 1880-1968) 

Quick Note: Francis, the Rainbow Pope

Transgendered man Deago Neria Lejarraga was born a woman though he always felt his body "absolutely didn't correspond with how I felt in my soul."  

After undergoing sex reassignment surgery, Mr. Lejarraga was ostracized by the Catholic church in which he was raised and called the "devil's daughter" by his parish priest.

When Mr. Lejarraga read about Pope Francis' call for the church to reach out to those who felt marginalized, he decided to write a letter, hoping for a Papal note of understanding and encouragement.  Instead of a note, Pope Francis phoned him personally and invited Mr. Lejarraga and his fiance to the Vatican for a private visit.

Mr. Lejarraga reported that, during his visit, the pope hugged him, telling him not to despair, that there is "a place in the house of God for him."

John 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions.  

Thank you, Pope Francis, for reminding us that His mansions are decorated in all the colors of the rainbow. 

Scott Walker: Taking from Students, Giving to Rich Sports Owners

College Drop-out and Governor of Wisconsin Scott Walker (R)

Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker (R) wants to give his state's university system more autonomy over how it budgets the funds it receives.  Each campus would be given jurisdiction over how it plans for available courses, professors, and building projects.

Governor Walker also wants to cut the University of Wisconsin's budget by $300 million over the next two years.

what eye thynk:   Mr. Walker would like the people of Wisconsin to believe that this cut is necessary in order to cover an unexpected state budget shortfall.   He would also like people to believe that this shortfall has nothing to do with the tax cuts he and his Republican legislature passed over the past few years.

The governor's office said this UW budget cut can be covered by eliminating "waste."  One possible method to staunch what the Governor sees as the university system's profligacy may be the closing of some campuses, though there are no plans to do so "at this time."  (How nice.)

Another cost cutting idea is the rethinking of tenured professorships.  Currently, state law prohibits the dismissal of tenured professors--which, really, is the whole point of tenure.  By removing that state sanction and putting the decision on how to handle tenure under each campus' autonomous rule, that protection--which is most often given only to the best professors--individual campuses could decide to save money by eliminating those who are the most experienced and may be more highly paid: tenured professors.  

Other probable ways to reduce "waste" would be the elimination of some student services, a cut in the number of graduate teaching assistants, fewer course offerings and larger class sizes.

University of Wisconsin Chancellor Rebecca Blank said "I appreciate the opportunity for additional flexibility and management efficiencies that a public authority might bring, and would work hard to implement these effectively on our campus.  It would be challenging, however, to engage in a major reorganization while also coping with a large budget cut."  The cuts, she added, "would have a harmful impact on our students and their educational experience."

And where, you may ask, does the Governor propose to use the money he will be saving on university costs?  Funny you should ask.  Further down in the Wisconsin state budget released by Mr. Walker this past week is an item proposing the state use $220 million of its taxpayers' money to build a new stadium for the Milwaukee Bucks.

Yes, that's right, Governor Scott (I-Want-To-Be-President-of-the-United-States) Walker proposes cutting $300 million from education so he can gift $220 million to a basketball franchise.  The franchise owners have said they will make $150 million of their personal fortune available to help pay for their new building. 

May I say how unimpressed I am by that?

Building estimates were originally quoted as $450-500 million; but more recent estimates quote "at least" $500 million. There is no word on where the additional $130 million is supposed to come from, but I'm sure Mr. Walker can find a police, fireman or teachers' union in Wisconsin whose members are overpaid, receive too many benefits and earn pensions that are too generous where cuts can be made in order to make it possible for a billionaire sports owner to provide his multi-millionaire players with a pretty locker room.

Governor Walker claims that the players, team employees and visiting teams will generate sufficient income to cover payments on the $220 million in state bonds.  "There's absolute security for the taxpayers.  No new taxes, no drawing on existing revenues, no exposure to the future."  

Where have we heard that before?  And I guess we're supposed to forget about the draw on existing revenues that will no longer be available for Wisconsin's young people who were hoping for a university education.

I applaud the Dropkick Murphys, an American Celtic punk rock band, (I'm still trying to figure out how that amalgam works), for telling Governor Scott Walker to stop using their music at his campaign events.  Their message: "We literally hate you."

If this budget passes, there will be thousands of University of Wisconsin students and their families who feel the same way.