All posts by theblogman99

The ‘Scandal’ episode on 3/5/2015 made me think ‘Ferguson’

I don’t know how many of you follow the television series ‘Scandal’ on ABC but those of you who do follow it – if you also follow politics, will understand why I say that it reminds me of the current situation in Ferguson, Missouri.  As you might know, the U.S. Department of justice (DOJ) recently released a scathing report on that city and its police department.  As a result of the DOJ’s report, Ferguson is trying to negotiate a settlement with the federal government.

Living Between The Line: watch the video then read the book.
Living Between The Line: watch the video then read the book.

It would not be fair if I did not mention that many Ferguson officials disagree with some parts of this report.  They say that some parts of the report’s findings are “a stretch” by the DOJ and they will not agree to a settlement if the two sides cannot come to an agreement to resolve their differences on this.

Living Between the Line Book Video

But whether or not a settlement can be negotiated is an aside as to why I mentioned the Scandal television series.  I hope that by revealing what I am about to reveal I won’t spoil this episode for those of you who may not have yet watched it.  Having said that; here goes: the policeman in this episode that shot and killed a young Black man and then planted false evidence on him got angry when he was confronted about it by the series star, Olivia Pope, who had been hired to represent the police.  After he became angry he blurted out; and I paraphrase:

For seven years I have kissed my wife and kids good bye and gone deep into these neighborhoods to protect you people and you don’t appreciate it!  The kid that I shot did not respect the badge: he did not respect me!  You don’t respect me! You were hired to represent us; whose side are you on?

I can imagine that this angered any policeman who might have watched this episode of Scandal.  To be honest, I can see why it would have angered them, especially those clean police officers.  It would have angered the dirty cops because they feel that they are the law and therefore can do whatever they choose to do.  And it would have angered the clean cops because they feel that – because of a few bad cops, everyone is painting cops with a broad brush by putting all of them in the same category.

Probably none of us needs to have ‘clean cop’ and ‘dirty cop defined for us.  We all have our idea of what this means.  So since there might be a number of interpretations of these terms out there, allow me to give you mine.

Many of us as civilians might refer to police officers as being good or bad officers.  Many of their fellow police officers refer to them as ‘clean’ or ‘dirty’ depending on whether they are doing things within the boundaries of the law or outside of them.  As I think about it, I think that – like their fellow police officers, I would prefer to use the terms clean and dirty.

I think that the terms clean or dirty vs. good or bad can better identify these police officers because there are probably a lot of ‘good’ police officers who make bad decisions.  They do unlawful things in an effort to assure that someone is held accountable for a crime that they have obviously committed but are likely to avoid prosecution for due to things like evidence that, for legal reasons, is not allowed, because of some technicality or employing a highly-paid and highly-skilled lawyer.

Although their intensions might be virtuous, this does not justify what they are doing or make it any less wrong.  My thoughts are these cops are better identified as ‘dirty’ cops than as ‘bad’ cops because the term ‘dirty’ includes all cops who operate outside of the law whether their intentions are good or bad.

Because these cops taint the rest of the police department and destroy the fabric of trust that exists between the police and communities that they serve it is incumbent upon the ‘clean’ cops to help root out the ‘dirty’ ones from top to bottom.  This will not be easy to do because they are a close-knit group that trusts their very lives to one another every day while they are on the job.  To alienate follow officers even if for all of the right reasons is a great risk; but it is one that must be taken if dirty cops are to be effectively dealt with.

The best moniker for this kind of a cop would be “dumb cop.”  But because what they are doing is still wrong; just as wrong – although not as heinous – as a cop who kills an unarmed person and then plants evidence to prove otherwise, they are dirty.  And because they are dirty and just as guilty of breaking the law as the perpetrator that they are trying to get convicted, they must be held accountable.

As hard as this might be for fellow police officers and as much as it might hurt them, they absolutely must come to grips with the fact that this is how things must be if the police and the communities that they serve and protect are ever to again develop respect and trust of one another.  The pain that police officers endure and the pain that the communities that they serve and protect endure will be equally painful to accept; and perhaps this is the way that it should be: in fact, the way that it must be if either side is to be able to move forward and survive!

‘Clean’ cops have to step up and do the right thing.  They can no longer use the ‘blue code’ to protect cops that have broken the law whether they consider the crime they committed to be major or minor.  If they do this it will go a long way in expediting the coming together of the police and communities.

And to community members – especially young people of color, I say, this is not the responsibility of the police departments alone.  Yes, it has already been a long time and you are tired of hearing the same old refrain that ‘it will take time’, but you must also step up to your responsibility.  You, too, must endure the all but impossible to bear pain that it will take to reconcile these two diametrically opposed sides.  Youth leaders and other youth activists must take a courageous step and tell their fellow youth that the effort to reconcile is worth a try.

And finally, I say to our elected officials that you must also be courageous and step up.  You can no longer remain silent when problems like the one that recently occurred with the New York City Police Department (NYPD) arise and ignore them because it would not be politically smart to address them.  Problems like the NYPD problem are occurring in police departments throughout the country and they must be addressed and corrected.

This is not to suggest that police departments should be denied due process and the federal government should go in and force them into submission so that they all precisely fit the same mold.  What it means is that our elected officials must figure out some way to assure that under the law, to the greatest extent possible, there is equal justice for all.

Eulus Dennis

Holder ‘prepared’ to dismantle Ferguson police department

 

 

Holder ‘prepared’ to dismantle Ferguson police department

The Hill

David McCabe

13 hrs ago

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via Holder ‘prepared’ to dismantle Ferguson police department.

In the event that any readers would like to read this article on how the Department of Justice is handling the Ferguson situation you can click on the link immediately above and read it in full in ‘The Hill’.

Lighten Up

As I read the news and watched the coverage by various news shows that led up to Prime Minister Netanyahu’s speech to a joint session of congress, the angrier I became.  He seemed so arrogant and cocky as the time approached for him to lambast the President of the United States of America.

As he strode down the same isle as has our President before he gave his State Of The Union addresses, Netanyahu soaked up the attention showered upon him by our elected officials who stood and applauded and scrambled to shake his hand.  When he walked onto the rostrum and before he approached the lectern, a beaming John Boehner reached out and shook his hand.

Sour grapes on my part because he was there to support the Republican Party’s agenda on how to deal with Iran?  No.  Angry because of the underhanded way that this speech to a joint session of congress was arranged especially when The House Speaker knew that Prime Minister Netanyahu was there in an effort to humiliate President Obama and undermine his negotiations with Iran and that it is just another couple of weeks before elections in Israel will be held?  You Bet I am!

The Prime Minister was there to tell American elected officials the exact opposite of what President Obama said regarding negotiations with Iran and tell them to trust him and not President Obama.  Speaker Boehner did not only allow this to happen but he paved the way for it to happen.

He did not notify the administration until the very last minute that Congress had invited Prime Minister Netanyahu to speak to a joint session of congress.  He also did not notify and discuss this invitation with congressional Democrats in a timely manner.  Protocol was not followed and there is no doubt that stealth was an intended and key part of this invitation.  Speaker Boehner intentionally went against his own president and knowingly gave a foreign leader access to a world stage to humiliate him.

Even if Speaker Boehner felt that this was something that he was compelled to do; it is unprecedented and was also inappropriate.  Although the Prime Minister praised President Obama in the opening of his speech and said that his speech was not intended to hurt or disrespect him; after that, he immediately began to kick him in the teeth.

It might not have been intended to hurt but, boy; I’ll bet that it did hurt!  All of the responsibility for this speech does not fall on Speaker Boehner.  Prime Minister Netanyahu is a world leader and seasoned politician so he knew that his speech to a joint session of congress would be highly politicized and laden with controversial political implications.  He could have stopped it had he wanted to by simply declining the invitation.  But like Speaker Boehner, he might have felt that it was something that he was duty-bound to do.

By the time that all of the publicity preceding his joint session of congress speech and the speech itself had passed, I was really angry.  Steam was all but literally emanating from the top of my head: enter President Obama.

While I am sitting at home seething about how Speaker Boehner and Prime Minister Netanyahu treated him, President Obama – even if he was fuming inside, played down the incident.  Maybe that is one of the reasons why I like him so much; he never lets his adversaries see him sweat.  He responded shortly after the speech with calm and measured response to it.

After he did that I thought, I need to lighten up.  Sure, I need to watch politics and follow its ebbs, flows and various nuances closely but I need to calm down a bit.  If you traveled the same emotional path that I did surrounding the Prime Minister’s speech and many other times during the ebbs and flows of politics, you need to calm down too.

I can’t think of a better way to go about doing this and to end this article than to embrace the words of a prayer that is likely familiar to many of us:

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.  Amen.”

Eulus Dennis

A Heads Up For Denver City Council District 11 Constituents

Many of us who live in Denver Public Schools (DPS) School Board District 4 that is now represented by DPS  school board member Landri Taylor do not have to think too far back to reflect on a time when we were thoroughly disappointed by someone that we elected to represent us.  That person wasn’t elected to represent us as a Denver City Council member; but do you remember Nate Easley?

Mr. Easley was elected to the Denver Public Schools school board to represent constituents in District 4 prior to being replaced by current board member Landri Taylor.  According to a blog posted by Jim Horn in Schools Matter in February of 2011 Horn said; “When Easley was campaigning to become the swing vote on the Denver Board of Education, he promised to sit down with parents to discuss the continuing corporate efforts to shut down and privatize Denver schools.  He lied.  Now a recall effort is underway.”

The effort to recall Nate Easley failed but I remember it well.  I live in the district that Mr. Easley represented and I recall how disappointed I felt when he voted in favor of Denver Public Schools Superintendent Tom Boasberg’s plan that would decimate many of the schools in our neighborhood.  Shortly after that time, Mr. Easley resigned and slithered away to the job that he likely coveted all along.  But I digress.  The point is that there is an election to the Denver City Council that is coming up in May of this year that will impact on Denver School Board District 4.

Denver School Board District 4 is a part of City Council District 11.  There are five candidates that are running for the District 11 seat.  Of those five candidates, as of February 27, 2015, only three have submitted enough valid signatures to qualify for the ballot.  The three that qualify are Tim Camarillo, Stacie Gilmore, and Tea Schook.  The remaining two candidates, Sean Bradley and Shelli Brown, had not yet submitted enough valid signatures to qualify.

Although Christopher Herndon is the current incumbent holding the District 11 City Council seat, with the new boundaries that will take effect on July 20th this year, he is running unopposed in District 8.  Because the new boundaries will not become effective until July, which obviously is after the May elections, there has been and remains some confusion as to which boundaries voters will be voting under.

Under the circumstances, voters should make sure to check the new boundaries and be sure they understand which boundaries they are voting under before they cast their ballots.  Hopefully the Office Of The Clerk And Recorder Elections Division will clear up any confusion in plenty of time before the May elections.

After I reviewed the available information on the three eligible candidates’ backgrounds and skills, I am satisfied that they are qualified for the position.  I recommend that all voters in City Council District 11 take the time to review the backgrounds and skills of all of these candidates’ and those of anyone else that becomes eligible for the ballot.

In this case, Stacie Gilmore, Tea Schook, and Tim Camarillo – in that order from my perspective, are very viable candidates.  All of them have good experience, which can be applied effectively to get the job done.  It will be interesting to have them together in the same setting while debating and possibly having each give their response to the same questions.

Obviously, Ms. Schook and Mr. Camarillo are politicians; and based on the investment they placed into securing their political tools, are likely ambitious politicians with aspirations to achieve higher heights.  Because they are politicians their behavior is, to a great degree, predictable.

With all due respect to Mr. Herndon and those who wish to replace him, voters must always remember that politicians will be politicians and – more often than not, most of them will be inclined to do the things that are in their own best interest first unless their feet are held to the fire.  While Ms. Gilmore is not a politician, if she wins, she will immediately be exposed to the power that a politician possesses and be subject to pursuit by those who desire to influence how she uses it; therefore, her feet will also need to be held to the fire.

So for those of us in District 11 – despite who we might decide to vote for, hopefully based on their overall qualifications and skills, let’s not waste their qualifications and skills but let’s always remember that, first and foremost, they are politicians.  Right now, we have one candidate who is not yet a politician but she must be held to this same standard should she win.  And knowing this, let’s always hold the feet of whomever is the ultimate victor to the fire whenever necessary and for as long as necessary to assure that they represent our best interest and not that of whatever will better advance their political aspirations.

There will be a number of forums coming up for these candidates to participate in before the upcoming election.  I intend to attend the one in my area on March 31st to see what each candidate has to say before I make my final decision as to who I will vote for.  I suggest and hope that you will attend one that is most convenient for you before you make your final decision as to who you will vote for.

With regard to all of the candidates in the race to fill the District 11 seat I say good luck.  Of course I would like to see the candidate that I will support win but the most important point that I want to emphasize is this: whether you are a Democrat, Republican or Independent; get registered and always vote.  And always remember, your vote is the most important one of all, unless you don’t use it!

Eulus Dennis

Police Departments Throughout The Country Are Receiving Closer Scrutiny

Because of all of the brouhaha that is continuing to swirl around policing of the citizenry around the country, something that recently happened that involves the Denver Police Department caught my attention.  What happened was that Denver Police Chief Robert White called for his police officers to stand down when protesters defaced the Denver Police Departments Fallen Officer Memorial in front of the main police building located at 1331 Cherokee Street in Downtown Denver.

Although those responsible were later arrested and charged with a felony, this did not set well with many of these police officers and they made it known by calling for Chief White’s resignation.  According to KUSA in Denver, the head of the police union spoke about the incident: “We will no longer follow him as we move forward” said Nick Rogers, president of the Police Protective Association.  “He is not our chief.”

If these words sound eerily familiar, it may be because the head of the police union in New York made a similar statement about Mayor Bill de Blasio when NYPD police officers were offended by a decision that he made.  Ultimately, some of them turned their backs on him when he appeared at public events.  This kind of behavior is counterproductive to solving problems and must stop.

Issues with the police and how they deal with the citizenry is not just an issue in Denver, Colorado but it is a national issue.  With the Erick Garner situation that occurred in New York and the Michael Brown situation that occurred in Missouri along with the problems that followed as a result of how those situations were handled, it is no wonder that the police chief in Denver would be extra sensitive when dealing with a potentially volatile situation.

The Denver Police Department has had problems in the past with lawsuits and claims of police brutality and it continues to have them now so Chief White likely did not want to call any unwanted attention to his Department.

And now, in light of articles in the Guardian covering allegations of the existence of a ‘black site’ run by the Chicago Police Department, it appears that Police Chief White might have been wise in his cautious approach and trying to deescalate and control the situation and prevent it from getting out of hand.  In this alleged ‘black site’ American citizens are allegedly virtually kidnapped, held prisoner and interrogated by Chicago police while being deprived of their constitutional rights before being formally taken into custody and getting booked.  If this proves to be true, there is something very scary and terribly wrong with this picture.

This is America and to deprive citizens of their Constitutional rights is not who we are.  While one of the unions representing the largest police department in the country has cried foul and accused those of being police haters who say that police too often overstep their bounds and need to be subject to checks and balances like everyone else, visible instances of police brutality continue to occur.  What is allegedly happening in Chicago would be off the chart and can only be made worse if management is lying when they deny it.

All police departments have been under the microscope lately as a result of the Erick Garner and Michael Brown cases and others like them. Likely as a result of public pressure brought about by protesters, both James Comey – the head of the FBI, and Police Commissioner Bill Bratton recently spoke out on the problem that exists between the police and people of color.  Both said some things that were critical of the police that went far beyond anything that either Attorney General Erick Holder or Mayor Bill de Blasio had said and were praised for it.  When Attorney General Holder and Mayor de Blasio said those things, they were severely criticized.

It is my opinion that Attorney General Holder was criticized because he is Black and Mayor de Blasio was criticized because he is married to a Black woman and they have a biracial son.  The fact is that, although it should not, color does matter.  But in this case – if there is such a thing, it matters for what might prove to be a good reason.

If having a powerful White person echo the words of a powerful Black person, or someone who is considered to be too closely tied to a Black person, is what it takes to get opposing sides to listen then sit down and have a reasonable conversation to solve a problem that has to be solved then I am all for it.

I am glad that FBI Director Comey and Commissioner Bratton had the courage to step forward and say what they said.  I do not agree with Commissioner Bratton’s assessment that the problem in the NYPD is not systemic and that police officers in the Department have been unfairly accused of being overzealous but those are the kind of things that can be discussed and fixed.

I do not think that Commissioner Bratton’s determination should be a non-starter; however, I do believe that the perspective of those on each side of this issue needs to be validated by the opposing side in order to have a meaningful conversation with the potential of resulting in a successful conclusion.

During these discussions, it is okay for participants to be angry and fight (verbally) but both sides must fight fair just like people in a successful marriage fight fair (perhaps a poor example and one that a lot of you won’t like).  But if there is to be any chance of success, I reiterate, participants have to fight fair!  This is one of those situations where all of us must shed our blinders – whether they are color, ethnicity, religious belief, or any other prejudice that we may have and; in the words of Commissioner Bratton, “see each other.”

I have no doubt that all police officers feel bound to some degree by the so called blue code, code of blue or whatever it is called but I also have no doubt that they struggle with the black and white, or people of color and white, issue just like the rest of America does.  I don’t profess to know how they can get beyond this situation but they must get beyond it.

Because of the nature of police officers’ job, they naturally form a close bond within their ranks and are at all times wary and vigilant of those outside of that bond.  They do not allow themselves to become too trusting of anyone other than a fellow police officer.

They must always protect themselves because when they must enforce the law, by doing so, they can provoke anger and unacceptable behavior.  There may be times when at a moment’s notice, they will have to take those people who they are laughing and interacting with into custody and this could create resistance from the person they are arresting and sometimes anger other members of that community.  Those of us who are not police officers need to accept those parameters even if we find them hard to understand.

On the other hand, good police officers must stop using the blue code to protect bad ones regardless of what it is that those bad police officers have done.  In addition, the culture of police management from the very top-level manager to the lowest level supervisor must be revisited and revamped in order to rid management of all of those who condone and perpetuate any type of behavior that is outside the law.

The ideal situation would be for the police and members of the communities that they serve and protect to somehow foster a mutual respect for each other and conduct themselves accordingly.  The police should be able to do their job with the respect and support of those communities as long as they operate within the parameters of the law, treat all community members with dignity and respect, and enforce the law without bias.  Unfortunately, that is not our current situation.

I once had the occasion to speak to a young Black man who had just had an encounter with the police in which he felt that he was treated with disrespect and loathing for no apparent reason.  He said that he was treated that way simply because he is Black.  And then after a short pause he added angrily, the police are just a gang with badges!

My encounter with that young man was a long time ago but his comment that “the police are just a gang with badges” stayed with me.  It is important to me that our young Black men and other people of color do not see police in that light.  But with all of the highly publicized negative things that are happening now with regard to the interaction between the police and people of color, it is not hard to understand why others like him might feel the same way.

The White experience and the Black experience with the police is not the same and America needs to fix that.  The only way that this can be done is for all of us to first admit that this problem exists.  Once we do that then the opposing sides can begin a conversation that can lead to a solution.  I hope that as a result of Director Comey and Commissioner Bratton acknowledging that there is a problem and speaking out about it, that is what will happen.

Eulus Dennis

The Republi-can Shutdown The Government Party is eager to party hardy

When it comes to shutting down the government the Republican Party just can’t seem to get enough of it.  It is as if they somehow got caught up in the lyrics of that old song by the Staple Singers from back in the 1970s, ‘Let’s Do It Again’, and cannot break free.

“Sometimes the rain, groovin’ when I hear the sound; like you [government shutdown] and me, baby gettin’ down with the sounds around.  Oh, the smell of the mornin’ flower as we pass away the hour; I wanna do it again, do it again, do it, do it…” the lyrics say.

Obviously the Staple Singers were not referring to a government shutdown but to many of those who were young back in the 1970s, they could not help but to move  and swing and sway to the melodious sounds of this popular Motown song.  Too many Republicans seem to have this same problem when it comes to a government shutdown.  It matters not whether it is a partial or full shutdown; what matters is that it is a shutdown.  They can’t seem to help themselves.  And right now, it appears that once again they are saying, ‘let’s do it again!’

Operation Rubiks Cube 002

Operation Rubik’s Cube: watch the video then buy the book.

Here we are only a few days away from having funding for the Department of Homeland Security (D.H.S.) lapse and Republicans are continuing full speed ahead in allowing it to happen.  Many of them believe that if this does happen, the blame will fall squarely on the shoulders of the Democrats.

It does not matter that Democrats have refused to support the bill that would provide funding to the D.H.S. because it contains language placed into it by Republicans that would, in effect, reverse President Obama’s Executive Order (EO) on immigration.  Although this EO would only allow immigrants who meet special criteria to remain in this country and expire as soon as congress passes a comprehensive immigration law, Republicans find it unacceptable.

What about all of those employees who will not be paid, some of whom by law will have to work without pay, when these funds run out?  Is congress concerned about them or whether they will be able to support themselves and their families until a new funding bill is passed?  Maybe they should pass a law that says that anytime there is a partial or full government shutdown congress members will not be paid until the shutdown is over.  I’d bet that there would be a lot fewer government shutdowns then.

Since President Obama was elected, it seems that many of our elected officials have lost all sense of direction.  It seems that they no longer have the ability to empathize with those who are without a voice and are struggling to survive.  They might not have had a lot of sympathy for those constituents before President Obama was elected and even when they did, it might not have been overt; but now they seem to be so focused on projecting an anti-Obama visual of themselves that they have completely forgotten about anyone who is not rich and powerful.

My message to these politicians now is that they should stop playing politics and pandering and do their job, which is governance.  Stop taking away money from hard-working Americans who are struggling to make an honest living and survive while they continue to pay themselves for doing virtually nothing (the last few congresses are likely among the least productive in American history) and govern!  It can’t be any harder for them to do that than it has been for the Average American to survive over the past six years while they conduct their partisan fights!

Come the next election, my message and yours should be that we are tired of their antics and will no longer tolerate their unreasonable behavior by reflecting those feelings in our vote.  Politicians will be politicians but we all know that they can do better and they too know that they can do better.  But because they are politicians, they will not do better unless America demands it of them.  We must do that!

Whether you are a Democrat, Republican or Independent and no matter how many roadblocks may be placed in your path make sure that you surmount them, get registered and vote; and not just in presidential elections.  To vote is our responsibility as Americans and we should meet it.  And after that, “Let’s Do It Again.”

Eulus Dennis

Republicans Are At It Again

It seems that Republicans just can’t get enough of bashing President Obama.  Twenty sixteen may still be a ways off but Republicans who are considering running for president, and some who are definitely not running, are focused like a laser beam on this president.

There’s the Fox News affiliate in San Diego that while reporting news on a rape suspect, showed a picture of President Obama over the shoulder of the reporter instead of that of the person they were reporting on.  The affiliate, San Diego’s Fox 5 News, said that this was a mistake and later apologized.  Was it a mistake?  Or were they simply trying to fire up the base?  Good questions but no definitive answers.  Each person is left to draw their own conclusions.

Then there is a tweet referencing the president that was sent out by Dinesh D’Souza – a political commentator and author – that said, “You can take the boy out of the ghetto…”  Mr. D’Souza is a conservative who is affiliated with conservative organizations like the American Enterprise institute and the Heritage Foundation.  It is no secret that the Heritage Foundation has spent significant time and resources fighting against a number of President Obama’s policies.

There is also former mayor Giuliani who – while at a dinner held in support of Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin, questioned whether the president loves America.  According to an article in Politico by Darren Samuelsohn the former mayor said; “I do not believe, and I know this is a horrible thing to say, but I do not believe that the president loves America.  He doesn’t love you.  And he doesn’t love me.  He wasn’t brought up the way you were brought up and I was brought up through love of this country.”

I will not venture to say that I know exactly what is being implied in former mayor Giuliani’s statement but I do know that it smacks of things that were brought up in the past when some elected officials were saying that President Obama was not born in this country and therefore is not a legitimate president.  This is not the first controversial statement the former mayor has made; instead, it is only among the more recent ones.  Some of his most recent statements have been very divisive.

Governor Walker was present when ex-mayor Giuliani said that he does not believe that President Obama loves America but he remained silent.  Even when he was asked about it later while on Fox News, he chose not to distance himself from it.  As has happened in the past, too many Republicans are slow to condemn this kind of talk.  At this point, there is none that I am aware of who have come forward and said that this is unacceptable.

It is reasonable to assume that these candidates and potential candidates who say that they want to lead America want to be the president of all Americans and lead all Americans.  They don’t want to be the president of just the extreme right wing, right wing, or Republicans and lead them.  They do not want to be the president of just the big money constituents and White people and lead them.  They want to be the president of Democrats, Republicans and Independents: they want to be the president of rich people and poor people; White people, Black people, Latinos, Asians and Native Americans and lead all of us.

It is past time for the political pandering to stop!  For ex-mayor Giuliani to publicly say that he does not believe that President Obama loves America was the wrong thing to do and he should apologize.  For Governor Walker to remain silent after the ex-mayor said this was the wrong thing to do and he must decide whether he will continue to play politics or exemplify the qualities of a true leader by distancing himself from this kind of rhetoric.

There are too many problems that America is faced with for us to continue down this same old worn-out road.  The situation in the Middle East is a snarled mess and our elected officials are spending their time clashing with one another about whether or not America should refer to ISIS as simply terrorist or Islamic terrorist?

Most Americans who follow politics closely would probably much rather see congress and the administration working together to come up with a strategy as to how we can defeat ISIS than witness what they are doing now.  The White House and some in congress agree that we can’t kill our way to victory in this battle.  There are too many factions with different interests that are all but impossibly congruent to be successfully brought together to form a whole that will last.  Yet we must do exactly that if world interest – including our own, is to be served.

But in order to make the virtually impossible possible and implement a workable plan, our leaders will have to spend their time more productively.  They must, at least, suspend the political pandering and arguing among themselves long enough to come up with a solution to this ISIS problem that is plaguing America and the world.

Eulus Dennis

Congress Struggling to Get Untracked

Senator Mitch McConnell has not been real visible or had much to say about actual governance since he became Senate Majority Leader.  Someone from the press should get a drink with him so that they could chat about all of the things that are going right and the few things that are going wrong since Republicans took control of congress: or maybe I should say all of the things that are going wrong and the few things that are going right.

Either way, maybe the conversation could start with President Obama’s “Why don’t you get a drink with Mitch McConnell?” joke.  That should break the ice.  After all, Senator McConnell didn’t just take it lying down; he struck back at the president with his own empty chair tweet, which showed him in a bar having a beer and a conversation with an empty chair with a glass of red wine on the bar in front of it.

These two men appear to be polar opposites but in order to effectively govern, they – along with Speaker Boehner, are going to have to be amenable to coming together and having reasonable, constructive and meaningful conversation if America is to move forward.  Apparently, no one has needed to get a drink with the Speaker to prod him to talk; he has had plenty to say.

Since Republicans took control of congress he has already talked about how the president does not understand that the House circumvented the Administration in inviting Prime Minister Netanyahu to address a joint session of congress in order to strengthen the president’s hand in his negotiations with Iran.  Further, according to an article in U.S. News & World Report, when asked about funding for the Department of Homeland Security he said “The House did its job…”  “Why don’t you go ask the Senate Democrats when they’re going to get off their ass and do something other than to vote no?”  And an article in The New York Times by Michael D. Shear and Ashley Parker said that on ‘Fox News Sunday’ Speaker Boehner “signaled that he was willing to let funding for [Department of Homeland Security] lapse – allowing for a shutdown – if the Senate was unable to pass the House’s bill.”

Indeed Speaker Boehner has certainly had plenty to say since Republicans took control of congress but his leadership from the time that he became Speaker has been weak and it still appears to be weak now.  Under his leadership the house has voted to repeal Obamacare more than 50 times, members – including him – continue to be condescending toward the president and many in congress continue to question his loyalty to America.

Under Speaker Boehner’s leadership Republicans continue to retrace their tracks and cover the same old ground again and again and again…  They seem to be unable to get untracked so that they can cover new ground; ground that badly needs to be covered and cries out for congress’ attention.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with Republicans having a difference of opinion with the president as to how the country should be run and loathing how he is conducting its affairs.  But to continuously make history by disrespecting him, let alone the office, by questioning his loyalty and right to run the country should be unacceptable to all Americans; it goes beyond the pale.

The question still remains as to who is actually running the House.  It is obvious that Speaker Boehner holds the gavel but things are somewhat opaque when it comes to who is in control.  Is it the Tea Party caucus or is it Speaker Boehner?

The speaker may still be tethered to establishment Republicans but that also is hard to decipher with the way that things are going.  Right now though, it appears that he is somewhat separated from the group and flailing in the wind like a lone flag which is precariously close to being ripped from its mooring, carried away and landing wherever the wind drops it.

If things continue to go the way that they are going now it would not surprise me if the tether line got cut.  As to who would be the cutter – Speaker Boehner or establishment Republicans, I don’t know.  But I do know who the cuttee (to coin a word) would be: Speaker Boehner!

Eulus Dennis

Too Above The Law To Fit Under It?

People were really angry when after the country was almost plunged into ruin by the financial industry and bailed out by taxpayers that no one went to jail.  We heard a lot from politicians about ‘too big to fail’ and after their rescue we heard some bankers crow about how they paid back all of the money that the government provided in order to bail them out.  After that, most of the banks tightened their grip on their money and all but refused to loan any to the Americans who so badly needed it.

Although there was a lot of talk about getting to the bottom of what brought about this near disaster and holding those responsible accountable, nothing ever really happened to anyone of consequence.  Those who were responsible probably knew all along that nothing would happen to them though some feigned some outward fear of punishment in order to placate us average Americans; the little people.

After all, everyone knows that all politicians who expect to be successful need the support of ‘big money’ to finance their expensive election campaigns.  And had bankers and Wall Street not even bothered to feign fear after authoring such a terrible deed surly the little people would have believed that the government was in cahoots with them all along.  Of course, what the average American thought about this unfortunate incident didn’t really matter but as with all politicians and political situations, visuals are important.

Whether or not you agree with the saying that ‘time heals all wounds’ people do tend to forget and those things that at one time may have made their blood boil become distant memories and much less disconcerting.  Although we may think about how bankers and Wall Street executives walked away from something that average Americans would have spent many years incarcerated for, we probably quickly dismiss the thought and move on with our lives.

But there is a problem bubbling just beneath the surface in the banking industry right now that could embroil a lot of rich and powerful people in a quagmire that will be hard to escape.  Again, even if they don’t escape it, the most they will likely suffer is a slap on the wrist, momentary embarrassment and a fine that to them would amount to the equivalent of the average American leaving a two dollar tip.

This problem first surfaced in 2010 and involves the HSBC.  Although the resolution was somewhat controversial, supposedly it was handled then.  However; according to an article in The Guardian by Paul Lewis, it has resurfaced because there is concern by some that the stipulations in that agreement are not being taken seriously.  This time though I doubt that we will hear the mantra ‘too big to fail’; only because it doesn’t fit.

We probably won’t hear anything like that because if we did, the most appropriate catch phrase would be ‘too above the law to fit under it.’  When the Department of Justice (DOJ) addressed and supposedly began to mitigate this problem, which first appeared in 2010, with the intension to ultimately totally correct it, the DOJ assigned an independent monitor as overseer.

In May of 2014 while continuing to work the HSBC problem the DOJ forced a company called Credit Suisse to pay a $2.6 bn. fine for its part as an organization suspected of involvement in tax evasion.  According to the article in ‘The Guardian’, at that time, Attorney General Holder said; “This case shows that no financial institution, no matter its size or global reach, is above the law.  Credit Suisse conspired to help US citizens hide assets in offshore accounts in order to evade paying taxes.  When a bank engages in misconduct this brazen, it should expect that the Justice Department will pursue criminal prosecution to the fullest extent possible, as has happened here.”

Unfortunately for him and the many others who crafted the HSBC solution and thought that their work was complete, it appears that much more still remains to be done.  And as to those customers that used HSBC for illegal purposes who could also find themselves trapped in this web of attempted deception in their effort to hide their personal assets, their problems may have just begun.

In showcasing the DOJ’s progress and accomplishment regarding the HSBC, the attorney general said that “this case shows that no financial institution… is above the law.”  The key operative words here are ‘financial institution.’  What about the high-level, powerful individuals who were involved in this tax evasion scheme; what will happen to them?

I have said before that there are some problems that arise whose complexities defy our ability to navigate them so we must leave it to our elected officials to address them and trust that they will do so in the best interest of America and our overall best interest.  Whether we cannot navigate these complex issues because there is certain information that politicians are privy to, which we are not or we simply don’t have the mental acumen is not the point.

The point is that if tossing all of these high-level crooks into jail and throwing away the key would put the American economy and possibly even the world economy into a tailspin which could only result in disaster, I would say don’t do it.  I think that most Americans would say the same thing.

Those billionaires and millionaires who participate in these tax evasion schemes know too that most sensible people will choose the common good and survival of America over their anger and abhorrence of the arrogance and greed of far too many of the rich.  It seems that the best – and maybe only – way to really get the attention of the rich is through their money.

So what the government needs to do to hold the rich accountable while at the same time making them think twice before they repeat their despicable acts while average Americans carry more than their fair share of the load is to charge them a fine that would to them amount to more than what the average American would leave as a tip.  They need to really make them feel it: make them hurt!  Most of the rich probably fear losing their money more than they do going to jail anyway.  Taking it from them in a significant (emphasis on significant) amount would be like raining fire down on them.

Governments from the federal level all the way down to the local level have no problem with going after people who are not rich and powerful; especially when it comes to taxes.  It is not unheard of for them to spend exponentially larger sums to collect what, in their overall budget, amounts to a pittance compared to what they are trying to collect.

Most people know that until we have a perfect world and America forms a perfect union – whether we like it or not, we are going to have those who, at all levels, are privileged and pampered.  Although Americans might realize and accept that government can’t throw these high-level crooks in jail, they also know that it could do a lot more than it currently does to make them truly feel the pain.  The fact that it has not yet done this is what really has citizens throughout the country suspicious about our government and angry with our politicians.

Bring the pain!  Government doesn’t seem to mind doing this to the average American, why not do it to the rich and powerful as well.

Eulus Dennis