“A Grim, Bleak and Terrifying Future Awaits this Nation if Trump is Reelected

I’m extremely concerned and disturbed that the United States of America may not be able to realize a free & fair election in 80 days. Trump is rigging and completely sabotaging the Post Office, to slow the mail down so ballots can be tossed because they don’t arrive on time. He is suing states in an attempt  to force them to eliminate mail in ballots and drop off boxes.  Russia likely has plans to hack voting machines in key states.  Trump is utilizing all the powers & levers of government to assist him in his nefarious efforts.

Bill Barr is openly complicit in Trump’s efforts to end democracy and install Trump as a full authoritarian leader garnering himself autocratic powers as Trump’s right hand man.

Acting Homeland Security Secretary, Chad Wolfe and his acting deputy Ken Cuccinelli are ineligible to be serving in their positions and for them to remain in those positions is illegal.  It’s been 492 says since DHS has had a senate confirmed Secretary.  Trump violated rules of succession when he installed them and there is a cap on the number of days one can serve in an acting position and that time frame has long ago lapsed.

But openly violating the law has been an integral and regular aspect of Trump’s manner of governance.  Trump and his cabinet members are actively using government’s properties, buildings and government sanctioned activities for campaign purposes violating the Hatch Act.  Trump is actively assisting Kanye West in getting on the ballot as a third party candidate in key swing states.  Trump has bogus investigations being conducted by Bill Barr at DOJ to undermine the Mueller investigation by investigating the investigators. Barr continually weaponizes the Department of Justice to assist in Trump’s re election.   Republican sycophant senators in the senate are making false allegations against Biden utilizing Russia’s assistance and propaganda to assist them in their efforts.

Trump and Barr have spent the past years working tirelessly to find technically lawful avenues around norms, precedent, laws and the constitution. They have teams of lawyers’ working day and night to uncover any minor hole or opening in the wording of the law or constitution to skirt around it and twist it to their advantage to implement their goals and agenda.

Barr and Trump are claiming the Supreme Court’s recent ruling on DACA gives the executive branch expanded absolute authority to act in blatant violation of the constitution.  Trump is using executive actions to bypass Congress on legislation, taxes and spending though the constitution explicitly gives those powers to Congress not the President

Trump may win and whether he’s elected in an unfair, rigged election or in an honest secure one the consequences will be equally perilous;  an unrecognizable nation.

He will ramp up his attacks on the press by signing executive orders that change libel laws and will prosecute journalists for printing classified information which he can later determine to be classified retroactively

He will label all of his opponents and dissidents as ANTIFA, which he has already declared and listed as a terrorist organization, (though there is no national organized group called ANTIFA)  Ironically, he’s never labeled the KKK, Neo Nazis, White Nationalists or the Boogaloo Boys terrorists even though they were the ones responsible for infiltrating the peaceful protests and committing acts of violence.  He has filled the government with inept blind loyalists who will obey his every order.

After the election he will replace FBI Director Chris Wray and Department of Defense Secretary Esper with much more loyal sycophants. He will crush dissent & consolidate all power.

He’s already undermined the rule of law by pardoning his friends and supporters for crimes of which they’ve been convicted;  he’s repeatedly demanded his opponents, critics and enemies be charged, prosecuted and jailed for crimes he alone accuses them of without supporting evidence.  During a second term Trump’s undermining of the rule of law would be elevated to a whole new level.  A level where he uses the  justice system to silence his critics, punish anyone questioning  his authority, seek retribution against journalists who portray him in an unflattering light and to protect his family, friends and loyal supporters from prosecution for any crimes.

He will model the U.S after Russia’s kleptocratic  authoritarian oligarchy. The system of Capitalism and free enterprise will change dramatically. Only those companies that curry Trump’s favor and line his pockets will be able to operate in the United States. His recent executive order to shut down Tik Tok & We Chat exemplifies this and is an indication of things to come.

Trump will end birthright citizenship so he can deport anyone he wishes and use citizenship as a great and powerful weapon against his enemies both real and perceived. Without birthright citizenship how will citizenship be determined and who will make that determination?  Trump has already broached this subject over the past 3 years repeatedly, claiming we must end birthright citizenship because the children of undocumented immigrants who give birth on American soil are granted automatic citizenship under the 14th amendment and trump refers to them as anchor babies. Would every American be required to carry papers that document their parents birth or  immigration status?  How far reaching might this determination be?  Could it extend to your grandparents?  Could qualifying to be an American citizen encompass a requirement that your grandparents resided in the U.S. legally?  Who will decide?

He will eliminate all safety nets by ending Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid Obamacare, food stamps and housing assistance. He will enact policies that only benefit the super rich and his friends. The disparity between the wealthy and poor will grow much wider eventually eliminating the middle class.  Vulnerable suffering people are more compliant and easier for an authoritarian government to control.  He allowed the Covid-19 pandemic to ravage the United States and knowingly encouraged behaviors, policies and actions that would spread and exacerbate the virus further.  It’s easier to take advantage of a people that are weakened by illness, death, despair, and economic collapse. Americans have been beaten down and overwhelmed by this administration for almost four years making them more susceptible to a takeover by a dictator, it’s difficult to resist and fight back when you are concerned about your health or where your next meal is coming from.

In his second term he will unleash his authoritarianism with fury and vengeance because he no longer has to fret about ever being elected again.  He will seek retribution, retaliation and revenge on those who criticized him and he will punish his detractors and enemies. He will incite fear in those around him,  keeping them silent and complicit. He will seize power, taking absolute control & authority. Trump will slowly erode every American’s civil rights.  For years Trump has created chaos and divided the people of this nation by inflaming divisions, inciting violence and encouraging hate and conflict. This will serve him well in his efforts to destroy the democratic norms of this nation as a divided country is palpable for conquering.

The judiciary will become useless as a check as he has already filled hundreds of federal judge ships with loyalists some unqualified blind loyalists & with a second term he will fill more seats including on the Supreme Court. He has weakened our institutions and upended our system of three co-equal branches of governments ending any checks & balances. By ignoring lawful congressional subpoenas, firing independent inspector generals he has rendered Congress moot and oversight of self dealings and corruption non existent. His re election would ultimately end any safeguards that remain to protect our democracy and the rule of law.

National security decisions will no longer be made based on the best interest of our nation and the safety of our people. Freedom democracy and human rights will not be  a priority or something we defend.  The use of our military and national defense  will be  to benefit the trump regime personally and financially.  America will no longer be a nation who welcomes immigrants nor a beacon of light for the world.

He has already tested the boundaries of federalism; states rights, he has sued Nevada for its use of mail in ballots,  sued California in an attempt to force them to lower its emission standards.   The states and counties have the sole authority to run their elections yet he’s infringing on those rights. Regulation of vehicles including licensing and registration are  designated by the  constitution as part of the states purview not the federal governments.  He’s sent federal troops into our cities to seek control of them, has regularly threatened funds to states and cities that do not enact laws and policies that he desires. If reelected his assault on cities and states authority will be even greater, states that don’t comply with his wishes will be punished bu withholding disaster aid and more.  Things will become direr as he asserts his authority wider, casting an even larger net over Governors and Mayors by using the levers of the federal government to exert extreme pressure on them until they bend to his will and ultimately submit to his will entirely.

Trump is a liar, a fraud, a bully, a racist, a predator, a con man and an inept pathetic failed leader. Trump is a clear and present danger to the United States of America and democracy and freedom are in great peril.  Our constitutional form of government is at great risk of failing and our nation faces a terrifyingly uncertain dark future if trump is to serve a second term in office. Trumps leads with corruption shamelessly and ruthlessly. The most powerful democracy may be lost forever to a fascist incompetent thug.  I  believe our country will devolve into utter chaos and pandemonium of which we may never recover.  A great nation with all its possibilities, while it strives to achieve a more perfect union, may be lost forever.

This loss would be a tragedy of epic proportions for the world,  The following words would never be fully realized

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

 

Written By:  Tara O’Grady

 

Trump’s original Muslim Ban

Our new President Trump signed a declaration today banning all refugees from these seven countries Iraq, Syria, Iran, Libya, Somalia, and Sudan.

There were 8 terrorists that carried out the attacks in Paris & only 1 came through with the refugees and that is not even 100 percent verified. Banning all refugees is an overreaction and not American. We can keep our nation safe with a thorough vetting process but we can’t change and destroy the principles on which this nation stands, represents and was founded. .This is a humanitarian crisis of epic proportions. We have accepted millions escaping famines, seeking political asylum, eluding oppression and fleeing danger and violence throughout our history.
Most refugees are families trying to escape the violence of Isis and war. America has a proud history of accepting refugees from all over and providing them a safe haven. The statue of liberty is a symbol with the inscription that reads, “Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearnWe cannot betray our traditions and history by hating and we can’t vilify whole groups of people. There are 1.2 billion people of the Muslim faith in the world and most are peaceful and hard working. We cannot allow a few evil terrorists define all. Isis is a dangerous group of radical terrorists, filled with hate, determined to spread death and destruction and it is imperative we defeat and eradicate them. However, we must also learn from history that hate and revenge is not the avenue to obtaining their demise. Germany spread hate and vilified all Jews and we know the results of that. We must defeat and destroy Isis, a group of radical militants, but do not extend or attribute their behaviors and actions to others.
All over social media I see hateful posts, such as let’s have a war of cowboys vs. Muslims or let’s kill everyone with a turban on their head. Is that the kind of country we are or want to be? I believe we are a tolerant compassionate country, let us demonstrate it to the world. We can defeat Isis without becoming a nation that hates the Muslim people, we can remain a proud compassionate nation that open its heart and borders to the downtrodden and the oppressed, while keeping our nation safe. Most Americans originate from ancestors that fled oppression and/or poverty

Isis wants to create division, wants to instill fear and wants us to hate all Muslims; if we succumb to that they become victorious.

 

Our Collective Nightmare

Trump just gave power to Steve Bannon a white nationalist.

Never forget the rise of Hitler happened insidiously, methodically, cunningly, deceptively & with the support of the electoral.
Hitler didn’t start out as a dictator; he was a populist with great orator skills. He loved to hold rallies filled with adoration of him.

The following is from Wikipedia: Adolf Hitler rose to a place of prominence in the early years of the party. Being one of the best speakers of the party, he told the other party members to either make him leader of the party or he would never return. He was aided in part by his willingness to use and incite violence in advancing his political objectives and to recruit party members who were willing to do the same

 

 

I awake everyday to dread and a pit in my stomach when I realize who our President elect is. I don’t feel optimistic or hopeful. I feel doom and gloom; I feel it is the beginning of the end. During the primaries everyone told me he couldn’t win but I knew in my gut he would. The same thing during the general election, I knew he could win despite what the pundits and friends were telling me. I worked hard to help avert that tragedy but my gut was right again and he won.
Now people tell me to stay calm and it won’t be that bad but my gut tells me this is going to be beyond disastrous. I’m sticking with the feeling in my gut. I had a slight reprieve from my anxiety and unrest during a dream that they found many more provisional and absentee ballots and she was the real winner.
I think back to the moment when Rudy Giuliani with his sinister laugh, claimed they were going to win because they had a few tricks left up their sleeves. I recall when Comey came out the second time clearing Hillary of any wrongdoing with emails and Kelly Anne Conway smugly states, “The damage is done”. I get even more upset as more votes are counted and realize she may win the vote by 3 million.
It disturbs me to think of Conway and Giuliani being given very powerful positions where they can exact revenge.
I have concerns and doubts as to whether this was a fair election or whether those tricks involved maneuvers to suppress the vote dramatically. And there is the Electoral College its original intention was to stop uneducated poor people from having an equal stake in the outcome of an election. That is irony for you. Why do we keep an antiquated and archaic system that when designed didn’t allow women or blacks to vote. In fact you were required to be a property owner to vote at that time. It is long overdue to enact a direct vote for POTUS so we can truly be a government for the people, of the people and by the people. It’s not a government of the people if 55 million Californian votes don’t really count. People call me unpatriotic and tell me to get over it. But, I am a patriot and care about the future of this country and the integrity of the election and that’s exactly why I can’t accept this. I even wonder if the reason Trump rallied and raged on about the election being rigged and the possibility he wouldn’t accept the results was intentional. He knew the press would seize on that and go on a tirade about how Un-American it is to not accept the results. He knew he would win and wanted to quash any questions of irregularities occurring in this election before they started. A manipulative, unbalanced corrupt man is about to take the most powerful position in the world and somehow we must stop him.

This election proves our country doesn’t revere or respect women. We judge women solely on their physical appearance.

I feel as bad as after 9/11. This is the beginning of the end of democracy, dissent, protest and freedom.

Once he is POTUS he will squash all dissent. He will vilify protesters and utilize all his powers including military to end any and all opposition to him.

There will no longer be checks and balances. He already controls the House and Senate and they won’t oppose him on anything fearing political suicide. He will fill his cabinet with puppets and cronies. He’s already said Rudy will be head of FBI and or Justice Department. Newt will be Secretary of State and God knows what position Christie will have. He plans to put Kelly Anne Conway, Steve Bannon, and Preibus in his administration. There won’t be a single person left to oppose his authority so he can have carte blanche. The court is in a tie, he will fill the federal courts with his cronies too. This is his so called draining the Swamp.

He has already stated he wants to curtail freedom of the press by changing laws to make it easier to sue journalists. He will cease allowing access to journalists who disagree with him. Democracy is over unless he gets run over by a bus.

I awoke after hardly any sleep still devastated wondering what
we do now?
I keep seeking and searching for guidance and assurances but don’t know where to find them. My dismay, shock, disbelief and utter emptiness engulf me as I feel ill prepared to face life under the Presidency of a raving lunatic. The mere thought of handing over power to a narcissistic psychopath shakes me to my core.
He is a power mongering self indulgent, hateful, vengeful man who is ignorant and misinformed about the world. A man who believes he is never wrong and refuses to accept direction or advice. My God what have we done???

 

I have lived for more than 50 years. I remember the Vietnam War, Watergate, the economic stagnation and international humiliation of the 1970s, the “greed is good” days of the 80s, and, of course, the Clinton scandals of the 1990s and the GW Bush disaster of the 2000s. But, until now, I have never been ashamed to be an American. I always believed that, whether Democrat or Republican, our Presidents were basically good people who were reasonable and thoughtful, even if I did not agree with them. Donald Trump is not reasonable. He is not thoughtful. He is a fraudster, a thief, a man who has done business with the mob, a racist, a sexual predator, a misogynist who thinks women are here only to serve him, a fool who knows nothing of the world and has no curiosity about it, and a smug, self-satisfied rich boy at heart who has never had to work for anything in his life. Moreover, he has said he likes the idea of some dictatorship in our great nation. No, we will not come out of this unscathed. Our countrymen of color, our sisters and mothers and wives and daughters, our armed forces who will bear the price of the wars this arrogant idiot starts . . . they are only the tip of the long line of victims this misguided decision to elect a truly evil man will create. I cry for my country. I cry for our heritage and our history that has been forgotten and forsaken and dishonored. And I do not believe that all who voted for Trump are good and decent people. Some may be. Others are enablers of all the awful things that will now occur as the direct, predictable, well-understood, and inevitable result of their actions.

This is my worst nightmare come true. I need some reassurance but I know there isn’t any. This is the end of our American Democracy as we know it. We won’t live in a safe world anymore, our economy will collapse. Those of you who claimed Hillary was corrupt are soon to see what corruption really looks like.
I can’t sleep; I don’t know how to cope with this atrocity

The Corruption of the Trump administration

This entire administration is a myriad of political scandals immersed in corruption. Thomas Price was just confirmed as HHS Secretary, while serving as a Congressman, he bought stocks in medical equipment and devices. Immediately following those purchases he introduced legislation that would directly positively impact those stocks.
Trump not only has refused to disclose his many financial worldwide conflicts of interests but has blatantly withheld his tax refunds after promising to release them when his “so called” audit was completed.
Trump has not divested himself of his many global financial interests that directly conflict with the nations best interests.
He has not remained in the dark and totally separate from the ongoing daily agendas of his Organization. He is keenly aware of all his assets and holdings and knows how every presidential decision he makes will impact his family’s fortune.
His closest aide, Kelly Anne Conway, has openly and publicly endorsed and promoted his daughter, Ivanka Trump’s many products and merchandise. Ivanka Trump is currently serving in the government in an official capacity at the Whitehouse, she  was supposed to divest all her financial interests in her companies. It seems none of the family members have taken the necessary steps to avoid utter corruption and conflict. Trump tweeted on the official government twitter account for the President of the United States condemning Nordstrom for making its financial decisions to stop carrying Ivanka’s merchandise.
Eric Trump, who officially runs the Trump Organization, and promised autonomy as its head, insisting he would not involve his dad or any other governmental officials in his decisions regarding the company,. Eric Trump tweeted that all Americans should immediately destroy their Nordstrom credit cards proving he is in regular contact with his dad and sister about the business and it’s dealings and practices.

Michael Flynn, Trump’s National Security advisor met with the Russians during the campaign to discuss the possibility of lifting sanctions on Russia when Trump was elected even though it is against the law for a citizen of the U.S. to interfere in America’s foreign policy matters. Flynn and the entire Trump campaign initially emphatically denied ever meeting with the Russians to discuss sanctions. New information has arisen from anonymous sources in the U.S. intelligence agencies that he did attend meetings with Russian officials for the explicit purpose of discussing lifting sanctions. Subsequent to this new information coming to light Flynn has changed his original absolute denial about any arbitration about sanctions, now stating he may vaguely recall some possible conversations about sanctions.
Then there is the nominee for Secretary of Labor, who has opposed anything and everything that benefits workers, from raising the minimum wage to overtime. He has been the subject of past lawsuits and investigations into his maltreatment of his own workers. He supports full automation to replace jobs and has demeaned and insulted the average worker. His fast food chains employees are made up of 40% of illegal immigrants and he and his wife hired an illegal immigrant in their home and did not pay taxes on her employment.

 

Why Does Russia Matter? By: Tara O’Grady November 2017

Everyday I hear stranger friends and family declare, “Why does Russia matter? “The whole Russia thing is stupid and a waste of time!” “I’m sick of Russia” “The media spends way too much time discussing Russia.”

 

The Russia story is important and is critical if our nation is to thrive and survive.

Russia meddled spectacularly in our elections and this premise is undisputed backed up with irrefutable evidence provided by our intelligence agencies. Fair and free elections are the cornerstone of our democracy. There is a clear consensus that Russia interfered in our Presidential election to create chaos and to help Trump get elected. The evidence is unimpeachable.

 

Meddling doesn’t accurately describe the vast tactics they utilized in an attempt to greatly impact the results. It was extreme cyber warfare, targeting voters with pin point precision, utilizing social media, fake news, and the dissemination of false character assassination of Hillary Clinton. Russia’s attack also involved hacking voter databases in many states accessing personal voter information and possibly accessing voter software that tallies the votes.

 

Thus far Russia and Putin have suffered little or no repercussions for their cyber warfare on America. The little retaliations imposed by Obama are likely to be undone by Trump. Obama kicked the Russians out of the embassy compounds, believed to be used for espionage activities, and Trump already wants to return those compounds. Trump also seems very interested in lifting sanctions against the Putin regime.

 

If Putin is permitted to attack us in this manner without any consequences it will embolden him to attack us again pushing the boundaries even further.

Maybe next time they will attack our vulnerable electronic voting software to alter the results of an election.

Americans take democracy for granted resulting in stark apathy. If we lose our right to vote in a free and fair election we will lose our right to self determination ultimately resulting in our demise

 

 

People are burying their heads in the sand ignoring what is occurring right before their eyes and if good people turn their backs on what is happening and refuse to take action the evil people with their nefarious intentions move in.

The Russians are waging war against us from the inside out. This is a much more dangerous warfare because it is much more difficult to fight as our enemies are hidden among us.

 

     The Russians have infiltrated and inserted themselves into every aspect and level of our country. They have penetrated the government, business, education and the news media. Sinclair broadcasting forces all its local stations to air right wing propaganda from a Russian operative during every broadcast.
They have used their billionaire oligarchs to penetrate and greatly influence many in industry and our institutions. They have permeated the halls of Congress, how else do you explain Devin Nunes?

Recently, they have embedded themselves into the NRA to gravitate towards right wingers who they believe they can persuade into their web of deception. They have heavily invested in the stock market, real estate and businesses. They have utilized their state run banks to hand out loans to desperate unsuspecting and sometimes unscrupulous Americans. They use the debt to exert great influence over them.

 

It was better when they were the Soviet Union when they weren’t involved in capitalism. Now they use capitalism like the mob uses it with money laundering and stock manipulations. Yet, the country is run by a KGB agent that still utilizes Soviet Union style tactics. Russians don’t enjoy free elections, free speech or free expression. Putin jails rock bands that make music criticizing him. He murders journalists and political opponents.
There isn’t a justice system in Russia punishment is arbitrarily doled out by the Kremlin, if you criticize Putin you will likely be jailed on phony trumped up charges. If the U.S. continues down the path we are headed in a few years we could very well be living under a similar regime. At the very least a banana republic, where are freedoms are slowly eroded, the press is stifled and an independent media is swallowed whole by companies like Sinclair Broadcasting. A country where future elections are really rigged like Trump said during his campaign. Attempts are made to undermine the institutions that protect us leading to a gradual methodical erosion of democracy. Our government contains a precious filter of checks and balances to avoid abuse of power. By undermining and discrediting the filter checks and balances begin to fail.

A society where corruption permeates every private and public institution until it becomes the norm.Slowly power and authority is transferred to fewer and fewer people. Our President makes a grab for more and more unilateral authority and power that he will share with Oligarchs that support his administration, to family members and to those who praise his worthiness

 

Russia meddled spectacularly in our elections and this premise is undisputed backed up with irrefutable evidence provided by our intelligence agencies. Fair and free elections are the cornerstone of our democracy. There is a clear consensus that Russia interfered in our Presidential election to create chaos and to help Trump get elected. The evidence is unimpeachable,

Meddling doesn’t accurately describe the vast tactics they utilized in an attempt to greatly impact the results. It was extreme cyber warfare, targeting voters with pin point precision, utilizing social media, fake news, and the dissemination of false character assassination of Hillary Clinton.

Russia’s attack also involved hacking voter databases in many states accessing personal voter information and possibly accessing voter software that tallies the votes.

 

So far Russia and Putin have suffered little or no repercussions for their cyber warfare on America. The little retaliations imposed by Obama are likely to be undone by Trump. Obama kicked the Russians out of the embassy compounds, believed to be used for espionage activities, and Trump already wants to return those compounds. Trump also seems very interested in lifting sanctions against the Putin regime.

 

If Putin is permitted to attack us in this manner without any consequences it will embolden him to attack us again pushing the boundaries even further.

Maybe next time they will attack our vulnerable electronic voting software to alter the results of an election.

Americans take democracy for granted resulting in stark apathy. If we lose our right to vote in a free and fair election we will lose our right to self determination and ultimately result in our demise

 

Tara O’Grady News Reporter KTVN

Tara O’Grady KTVN

“The Sequester” Is the Impact Inevitable?

 

It is finally realized no longer a looming threat hanging over the country but a reality. The countdown reached its pinnacle, the fear of a major impact is now possibly a devastating reality. After weeks of negotiations, Congress and the President were unable to come to any compromise and pass any legislation. The final point of contention that stalled negotiations was closing loopholes as a source of revenue. What is a loop hole if it isn’t an exception to a rule that is either intentionally inserted or unintentionally inserted into a bill that allows a select group to avoid a consequence others must face. Assuming the concept, “equal justice under the law” still has merit, why wouldn’t Congress want to close unintended loopholes that favor one group over another while denying needed revenue to fund government? If it is an intentional loophole, why do some argue so vociferously in defense of discriminatory practices in the tax code? These exemptions for a few creates more unnecessary disparity between elite wealthy individuals and the masses.

The sequester has come to fruition. So what is the true impact of these 85 billion dollar in cuts? Are the consequences as dire as as the pundits have claimed, a virtual doomsday. Will it change the average American’s life? Since the major economic collapse of 08, the wall street debacle and the housing bubble burst that left homeowners reeling in dismay we sunk into a deep recession. Just as we began to feel hopeful and gain confidence in future prospects with a slow but steadily recovering economy an idle, stubborn and apathetic Republican controlled House of Representatives sank us into another crisis. Our economy was not experiencing a robust recovery but it was improving. The sequester could change everything, eventually leading to an even deeper recession. Tea Party Republicans allowed their need to please their donors and lobbyists to take precedence over the needs and wishes of their constituents.

The American People have become acclimated to such displays of repeated bickering, partisanship, politics, inaction, and just a complete indifference to their obligation to this country and its people. The public has endured one fiscal or economic-related nightmare after another. The extended debate over federal stimulus, banking and auto bailouts, wall street corruption repeated short-term funding, constant threats of government shutdowns, debt-ceiling fights, and battles over budgets, taxes, revenue culminating in a fiscal cliff showdown. These spectacles of ranker nave shattered the faith of the American people in its government.

 The automatic cuts are massive and arbitrary, the 85 billions of dollars set to be slashed will be phased in over an extended period of time, delaying the complete impact on the economy. The eventual predicted impact of the spending cuts could be much more dramatic and detrimental in the future than previously determined. Specific effects could include, flight delays, limited hours at national parks, longer wait times at border crossings, furloughs of Pentagon employees and civilian workers at several other agencies. There could be downsizing and elimination of key programs in science, research, health, education, food & drug safety, environment and defense.

It will induce a huge government slowdown and since government is forty percent of our Gross domestic Product (GPD), it will instigate a trickle down effect that slows down production, expenditures and creates uncertainty at Wall Street and among consumers.

 Despite all my predictions of doom and gloom there remains a ray of hope. If future negotiations can render and enact legislation to deal with our economic and fiscal issues we may not have to endure the full repercussions of “The Sequester” On a more pessimistic note if this Congress continues with its history of demonstrating unyielding, exacting, inflexible, inoperable and slacker behaviors the future will remain dim.

The Great Divide By: Tara O’Grady

The Great Divide By: Tara O’Grady.

The Great Divide By: Tara O’Grady

After the winners sweep up the confetti and the losers lick their wounds the real challenges are brought to the forefront. Election day has come and gone,  the polls have closed, the results are in, the political ads have ceased, the political pundits quieted and  Karl Rove remains in denial. 

The country is greatly divided with  a Democratic President, a Democratic controlled Senate and a Republican controlled House of Representatives.  Or in other words the status quo, a repeat of the past four years.  The balance of powers has been divided similarly in the past,yet were still able to accomplish legislation for the greater common good.  The difficulty lies in the dramatic  shift in the Republican Party itself.  Compromise does not exist within the Tea Party wing of the party.  The Tea Party Republicans are controlling, uncompromising and unyielding,  Those members do not adhere to their constituents but to a political machines and to powerful lobbyists such as, Grover Norquist, who demands blind allegiance. 

 

 232 of the 246  Republicans House members signed the 2011 tax pledge to never raise any taxes without exception, particularly on the rich and big business.  Norquist has received funding from many of America’s wealthiest corporations, including Phillip Morris, Exon, Microsoft and the Pfizer.. Grover Norquist cemented his influence by forging an alliance with Karl Rove and receiving financial backing from the Koch Brothers.  If any of those members break their pledge they are keenly aware of the consequences; death to their political futures.  Norquist  and his cronies will spend unlimited funds and use their political influence to assure their demise.  Norquist’s anti-tax pledge was directly responsible for the summer of 2011’s debt ceiling crisis that wrecked the nations credit rating by leading the nation to the brink of default.

 

If the gridlock is sustained by a congress unwilling to even begin a viable dialogue with the President they could lead this country into a second and much deeper recession. We must move forward; the polls indicate that 60 percent of the people are in favor of  an  increase in taxes on people making 250,000 or more.  

Obama is going to face grueling “fiscal cliff” negotiations, as GOP House members are determined not to budge on taxes.  Their allegiance is to Grover Norquist, and he is a puppet for the Koch Brothers.  The fiscal threat looms large over the American people and unless we demand the GOP controlled Congress act in accordance with the wishes of the people demonstrated by the election results, we will go over the cliff.  The election results will be rendered  moot unless the people insist that our vote was a mandate for Congress to work with this President  via negotiations and ultimately compromise.

Miami Herald