There is PLENTY of Money for Amtrak. Teapubbies Need to Stop Stealing it, That’s All.

For all of Little Johnny Boehner’s lying and denying, lack of funding DID in fact help cause the Amtrak crash, and it IS the fault of our “Republican” congress that those funds were cut. YOU CAN’T BUILD ANYTHING WITHOUT TOOLS AND MATERIALS, AND YOU NEED MONEY TO GET TOOLS AND MATERIALS.

Duh. Really, man, f***ing DUH. Hey, John-Boy: companies won’t give you stuff for free just because they love your tan, man.

And why does there appear to be no money to fund Amtrak (and myriad other critical infrastructure projects around the US)? Because “Republicans” robbed the Peter that is Transportation funds to pay the Pauls who are Teapublican millionaires and billionaires, that’s why.

You can occasionally find a rare honest Congresscritter who will admit that Congress didn’t adequately fund the safety mandates imposed on America’s railway system by that very same Congress. But Boehner, who is decidedly not at all honest, would rather bluster out non sequiturs than admit that he and his fellow Teapublicans are looting the lot of us blind to pad their offshore bank accounts.

Offshore accounts like those of defense industry types, to whom the Pentagon shovels extra hundreds of billions of dollars, even though it can’t even keep track of the funds it already gets.

Accounts like those belonging to charter school scam artists who profit handsomely, providing substandard and unaudited “educations” to our children, all the while stealing from the taxpayers and starving the public schools of funds that were SUPPOSED to go to said public schools.

Accounts like those belonging to Big Motherf***ing Oil tycoons, who rob us twice: at the pump AND when we pay our taxes.

It’s all a symptom of Teapublicans’ pathological anti-government idiocy. The idea that government is bad, bad, bad, oh yesyesyyes, soverybadindeed: even as they mulct that government, and by extension we taxpayers, of every scrap of money we possess. Seems like they should LOVE the government for providing their illegal funds, but NOOOOO…the “Republican” party that once created infrastructure (like the Interstate highway system) now hates the very idea of spending on public works.

 “The reason we don’t have beautiful new airports and efficient bullet trains is not that we have inadvertently stumbled upon stumbling blocks; it’s that there are considerable numbers of Americans for whom these things are simply symbols of a feared central government, and who would, when they travel, rather sweat in squalor than surrender the money to build a better terminal.” The ideological rigor of this idea, as absolute in its way as the ancient Soviet conviction that any entering wedge of free enterprise would lead to the destruction of the Soviet state, is as instructive as it is astonishing.

The money IS there, Gentle Reader – we have provided trillions of dollars for it via our tax dollars over the years. If Congress would spend public money to benefit the, you know, PUBLIC, we could have trains that run safely and quickly; we could have roads and bridges that are safe; we could have clean water, safe food, and all the other benefits we are supposed to already be getting for our hard-earned.

The only reason we don’t get what we pay for, and it IS the ONLY reason, is because Congress is robbing us blind, even as their theft kills us. Time to throw each and every GOP official out of office at the next election. Then prosecute them and get our money back. With those funds in hand, we can build the America we’ve already paid for; indeed, paid for several times over.

Mr. Blunt and Cranky

The Only Questions that Matter Today: Could You Vote, and Did You Vote?

Everything else is a bunch of irrelevant details, or an excuse. If you could have voted and did not, then you suck at being a citizen.

If you are voting or have voted, thank you! Feel free to ignore the rest of this post.

If you couldn’t vote, you should find out why, and then work to clear any roadblocks so you can vote in the future. Perhaps you’re too young, not a citizen, or prevented by other legal reasons; nobody can get on your case for that. Or perhaps you couldn’t vote because of GOPee criminal actions that disenfranchised you: you’re pretty much blameless there. too. Maybe you’re sick, or out of the country, or had some other obstacle in your path. Understandable.

But if you COULD have voted today, and CHOSE not to do so, f*** you. F*** you for being lazy, being cynical, being stupid, or being oh-so-superior. The only way we can win a f***ing election is if we turn out. And when people don’t turn out, we get whatever a**holes the 1% wish to cram down our throats. By not voting, you bear partial responsiblity for the Teapublican Takeover of our nation. F*** you for that, you stupid, f***ing f***.

Turnout is the ONLY tool left in our kit, the ONLY weapon in our arsenal. Turnout, and ONLY turnout can defeat voting machine hacks, disenfranchisement schemes, poll-rigging, disinformation and propaganda. Every other means of ensuring our representation is already gone, stolen by the corrupt motherf***ers who have hijacked our nation. THE ONLY WAY TO DEFEAT THE “REPUBLICANS” IS FOR EVERYONE ELSE TO VOTE AGAINST THEIR CORRUPT A**ES.

A few other factual points:
Number A: the two parties are NOT THE F***ING SAME. Stop with that f***ing lying bull-f***ing-s***.
Letter 2: Dem voters outnumber Repub voters overall. If Dem voters vote Dem, we win. If Dem voters don’t vote Dem, we lose.
Thirdly: If you aren’t voting, you aren’t using your Constitutional rights.
Fact the Fourth: You can vote Dem, or Repub, or for some idiot third-party yahoo who is there to help Repubs steal Dem votes. Only by casting votes for Democrats do we beat “Republicans”.

It’s math, period. Pound all the other hifalutin philosophical bilge right up your own a** along with a heaping helping of sand. More votes win. Fewer votes lose. Math.

Ohio flipped from Purple to Red because of fewer votes that can be counted with your shirt, pants and socks on. Less than ten votes in one district did the trick. So don’t tell this writer that your vote is of no consequence: women, children, and every taxpayer in the state are suffering because a few f***ing Dem voters did not vote for a single Ohio Democratic candidate in 2012.

Once again: If you can vote, PLEASE do so. If you choose not to and you could have, f*** you and the high f***ing horse you f***ing rode the f*** in on.

Mr. Blunt and Cranky

To Those 400,000 Climate Change Marchers: Here is how to Make an Even Bigger Impact. VOTE.

The march was impressive by any objective measure: people across the world held similar events, but none approached the size or intensity of the NYC protest. The media kinda-sorta reported on it in a desultory manner (if at all), as usually happens when Lefties do something significant (but let one Teabagger hold up a misspelled sign and it’s “breaking news” for days). So the questions of “what good did it do?” and “what next?” are very important today.

Sadly, because of the Infotainment industry’s biases and the general lack of mainstream political support for the climate change movement, the march itself may or may not have much of an impact at all. If it didn’t make a big impression on the nation, it won’t result in pressure on the politicos. And pressure on politicos was the point of the exercise.

This makes “what next?” an even bigger and better question. And the answer is plain and simple: VOTE. Vote at every election, on every race, every issue, every time.

Voting can make changes that the biggest marches cannot, the more so since politicians assume that you won’t do it. They ignore the electorate and focus on the big-money types who bribe our “public servants”: those bribing bastards ALWAYS participate in politics, because they know it is important.

If those 400,000 marchers would all show up at the polls, the outcome of any number of races in the 2014 election would be changed for the better. Deniers would lose and reality-based candidates would win. Legislation would be written to change the way we pollute.

Marches and civil disobedience are powerful tools to help effect change. But unless we take that same spirit and work ethic to the polls as well, nothing will change. Only when politicos are afraid of being voted out of office will they respond to the will of the people.

March. Then vote. But if you can only do one of the two, vote.

Mr. Blunt and Cranky

Here’s the only way to take back America from the corrupt and powerful: Vote.

The link below takes you to a research study that proves what we already know in our guts: rich motherf***ers have bought our government and are using it to steal the rest of us blind. And they can do it because so few Americans vote. Here’s the money quote:

Despite the seemingly strong empirical support in previous studies for theories of majoritarian democracy, our analyses suggest that majorities of the American public actually have little influence over the policies our government adopts. Americans do enjoy many features central to democratic governance, such as regular elections, freedom of speech and association,and a widespread (if still contested) franchise. But we believe that if policy making is dominated by powerful business organizations and a small number of affluent Americans, then America’s claims to being a democratic society are seriously threatened.

(Emphasis mine)

The reason this happens, Gentle Reader, is because the 1% have no competition for the attention of our “representatives”. Since the majority of eligible voters do not vote, the Governors, Delegates, Congresscritters and Senators around the country do not fear our disapproval. But they DO fear the wrath of the rich who have bought them.

The only way to change this dynamic is to rise up as one (“e pluribus unum”) and exercise our constitutional rights by voting. When millions of us cast the loathsome wretches out of office, and do so time and again, they’ll respond.

It takes each of us a few hours, twice a year, to vote. It costs the 1% billions of dollars to purchase and maintain their control of our nation. We can earn an enormous return on a tiny investment if we all just take a few minutes and make the investment.

Click to access Gilens%20and%20Page%202014-Testing%20Theories%203-7-14.pdf

Mr. Blunt and Cranky

Foreigners are buying American elections, thanks to the Supreme Court.

Remember Citizens United? It was a Supreme Court ruling that allowed billionaires and corporations to buy elections. It also created a secret world in which politicos can be bribed with no way for us to bust them for being corrupt.

Oh, and remember how Obama warned that Citizen’s United could open the door to foreign money buying US elections, and the Chief Justice called the Prexy a liar? Well, golly gee whiz, it turns out that President Obama was right. As the linked article says:

In a first of its kind case, federal prosecutors say a Mexican businessman funneled more than $500,000 into U.S. political races through Super PACs and various shell companies. The alleged financial scheme is the first known instance of a foreign national exploiting the Supreme Court’s Citizens United decision to influence U.S. elections.

It turns out that although Citizens United did not change the legality of foreign contributions in the U.S., it enabled the type of illegal schemes now being alleged by federal prosecutors.

“Before Citizens United, in order for a foreign national to try and do this, they’d have to set up a pretty complex system of shell corporations,” said Brett Kappel, a campaign finance expert at the law firm Arent Fox. “And even then, there were dollar limits in place. After Citizens United, there are no limits on independent expenditures.”

Got it? Either the Supreme Court intended for this to happen, or they were so shortsighted and pig-ignorant as to ignore the possibility. No matter which, the result is as predicted: foreign nationals are buying American elections and politicians. And this is only one that we caught. Who knows how many other cases there are, buried in the labyrinthian snakepit of American political “financing”?

Thanks to Presidents Reagan, Bush and Bush for stacking the Supreme Court with Raging Righties in Tightie Whities; because of the hyper-partisan Wingnuts on the Court; the integrity and independence of American government has been gravely damaged. Until Citizens United is repealed, none of us can ever know which of our politicians is actually in the service of a foreign national or even an unfriendly government.

Remember this, Gentle Reader: it is because of “Conservative” “Republicans” that our elections are being bought.And they ARE being bought. This could (and likely will) lead to a foreign takeover of our government if we don’t put a stop to it.

Mr. Blunt and Cranky

Never Hire a Hothead (Chris Christie Edition)

New Jersey’s Governor is a vengeful, rage-filled bully with a room-temperature emotional IQ. All of these negative characteristics are on full display as the Bridgegate scandal unfolds. For those readers who aren’t familiar with it: Christie had his minions close parts of a vital bridge on order to get payback when a Democratic mayor did not endorse the Repub Guv’s recent reelection bid. He deliberately and knowingly endangered people, property, lives and livelihoods, wasted many taxpayer dollars and cost hundreds of businesses many thousands of dollars, all because he had a temper tantrum. His lackeys are being subpoenaed by the state, and are (when they can be found) testifying to just that effect.

Adding to the scrutiny, the Feds are asking just what the Mouth that Roared was up to. From the article:

In a letter to Port Authority Board Chairman David Sampson, Rockefeller wrote: “Unwarranted lane closures with no public notice can have serious ramifications on interstate commerce and safety in the region, and as the Committee with oversight responsibility of the Port Authority, I continue to have serious concerns about the actions of this agency. The gravity of this situation demands a comprehensive investigation. It also exacerbates my concerns with the governance and previous oversight of the Port Authority.”
Rockefeller also wrote to US Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx Monday urging that the federal agency open its own inquiry into the Port Authority.

And this emotional infant, who thinks only of ignoring, abusing, mocking or intimidating those who don’t bow and scrape before him, who put an entire region at risk of calamity if a disaster or terrorist attack had occurred during these ill-advised closures… This hotheaded son of two strangers wants to be the President of the United States. The one person in the world who can launch a nuclear attack on his own. That is NOT a good idea, Cranky Nation.

We allowed an immature, spoiled, petulant, willfully pig-ignorant hothead to run this country before: his name was George W. Bush. Remember how well that worked out? Billions of dollars stolen and wasted, crimes committed, thousands of lives lost, all because America sat back and let him have free reign to unleash his temper tantrums upon a world that didn’t need or deserve them.

It’s bad enough that the voters of New Jersey got conned into electing Chris Christie again. But let’s stop there. We don’t need another vengeful, impetuous, angry idiot in the White House.

Mr. Blunt and Cranky

Ohio’s Governor is for Rent.

And a pretty cheap rent, at that. For a mere $50,000.00, Ohio coal companies were able to wreck a man’s career and gain the ability to pollute at will. Pocket change for such a result. Yep, Kasich is a good buy as politicians go.

The back story: a competent and even-handed civil servant was enforcing the environmental laws on the fossil fuel industries. Said industries did not like that, so they bribed the Guv: Kasich then fired the man.

“The administrator who oversees the state’s efforts to protect streams, lakes and wetlands from pollution says he will resign in September, after the governor asked him to step down over disputes with the coal industry.

In an email sent to his staff yesterday and obtained by The Dispatch, George Elmaraghy, chief of the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency’s division of surface water, wrote that the coal industry wants “permits that may have a negative impact on Ohio’s streams and wetlands and violate state and federal laws.

“Now, due to this situation, the governor’s office and the director have asked me to resign my position.”

Guess that’s how Kasich became a millionaire: fifty grand here, a hundred grand there, pretty soon you’re talking real money. Of course, if you are neither Kasich nor someone who bribes him, these “rental fees” add up to something far less attractive.

Mr. Blunt and Cranky

Do They Care? No, They Don’t. Here’s Why.

We should be used to this by now: a new record low approval rating for Congress. Only a tenth of us think they don’t suck. But do they care? No, they don’t.

Hell, some of them even think they suck:

“Sen. Tom Coburn (R-Okla.) told Bloomberg News that the latest poll results are what Congress deserves, and that he won’t be seeking another term in 2016.

“Why should it be that high?” he said of the Gallup ranking. “Look, we’re incompetent. I think it’s full appropriate.”

It’s so bad, even the party the controls Congress thinks they are über-suckiferous: most “Republicans” think their party’s “representatives” suck. But do they care? No, they don’t.

And here is why: two reasons:
Number A; most incumbents get re-elected, no matter how worthless they may be or what the poll numbers may say.
Letter 2: they pretty much do what those who bribe them tell them to do. (How else did do many of them become millionaires?)

The only “poll” Congress will listen to is the one that takes place on Election Day. And until we vote the bums out, they won’t care. No, they won’t care.

Mr. Blunt and Cranky

ObamaCare Helps California Small Businesses Get 36 Million $$ in Refunds from Insurance Companies. Repubs Still Hate It.

Today’s LA Times has the story: because of ObamaCare, health insurers who get caught gouging their customers have to pay back the money they tried to steal. In this case, millions of dollars are going back to small businesses in California.

Now, you’d think that “Republicans”, who are always rattling on about the glories of small business, would be supportive of the ACA when it does something good for those small businesses. You’d think that, but you’d be wrong.

No, the Elephants are still trying to trample the health care law, with all of its savings and benefits. Because, Gentle Reader, they don’t really support small business, or the free market, or much of anybody except their paymasters campaign contributors . And, you guessed ‘er Chester, those greedy motherfu**ing health insurers have been giving lots and lots of bribes campaign contributions to Repubs.

As is so often the case in politics, it’s all about the money. The Affordable Care Act, remember, was a “Republican” idea in the first place, and indeed was first implemented in Massachusetts by a Repub Governor. So if it were truly about the policy, the ‘Phants would love it. But, of course, they don’t.

The only thing our “representatives” care about is lining their own pockets. They don’t give a damn how much we pay for what, or what happens to us if we can’t pay. Don’t believe it? Look at the proven benefits of ObamaCare, then look at how the Repubs are still trying to kill it, and provide another explanation. We won’t hold our breath waiting on you.

Mr. Blunt and Cranky

Another Gang-Rape. Another Crap Job by Cops. Another Dead Girl. How to Change It.

How many times do we have to see this s*** happen before America gets off its ass and demands action? http://news.yahoo.com/3-charged-sexual-abuse-case-previously-cited-213559551.html  A girl was raped by three of her classmates. After raping her body, they took to social media to rape her reputation. The cops kinda sorta did a half-assed “investigation”, and the girl killed herself. And there it sat until the media made the cops look like the bumbling, sexist fools that they were. And suddenly, the cops “found” the evidence required to charge the perps with more serious crimes.

Time and again, across the nation and around the world, local officials smirk and wink at rape. Time and again, they get caught. And time and again, they do too little, too late. Why the repetition, why the failure to learn?

Short answer: there are no consequences for their willful incompetence. The cops get a brief period of time in the harsh glare of the media, but they go away soon enough. And the cops shrug their shoulders, smirk some more, and go back to their tacit encouragement of rape and other violent sex crimes. Why should they change?

Look at Steubenville, Torrington, Nova Scotia, and any other such case you care to look at. Have any of the local officials who failed so miserably lost their jobs, been fined, or called to account in any way? No. They do a rotten job and it does not matter. They can allow rape to happen and pay no price for their pro-criminal activities.

And the hell of it is, most police departments actually do a good job in this area. But they don’t get any credit for it, because the incompetent few make the rest look bad. And the good cops and bad cops get the same treatment, regardless of how good or bad a job they do. Every parent knows: if you don’t teach your kids about consequences, your kids won’t learn to do the right thing. Same with adults.

A modest proposal: it’s time we put any and all failed local officials up on trial as accomplices to rape, whenever they fail to protect and serve the victims of sex crimes. Imagine if, for example, Sheriff Fred Abdalla of Steubenville had to register as a sex offender. Do you think that would get the attention of the pro-rape cops around America? You bet it would.

If they don’t and won’t care about the women they are supposed to protect, they’ll at least start caring about keeping their own fat, pimply butts out of jail.

Mr. Blunt and Cranky

P.S.: The family is suing the three little pigs who raped and bullied their daughter to death: http://www.mercurynews.com/breaking-news/ci_23028108/lawsuit-planned-over-assaulted-calif-teen-suicide But they aren’t suing the worthless locals who took EIGHT F***ING MONTHS to arrest the perps. They really should be suing the cops, too, just to put the fear of God into those stinking rapist-loving perverts.