Geechie
Geechie's JournalIn Florida's Republican-majority Legislature
A Progressive Speaks
[link:https://www.floridaphoenix.com/2018/11/20/in-floridas-republican-majority-legislature-a-progressive-speaks/?fbclid=IwAR3byJl0aXHffkhJyjh25s_bv5X4vgbavaWjBhS2oGfmmIl02qMmLIC6LoY|
With a solid majority of Republicans gathered together Tuesday for an organizational session of the new, post-election Florida Legislature, a progressive grabbed a rare opportunity to take the floor.
He was state Rep. Kionne McGhee, a 40-year-old Miami-Dade County attorney and college adjunct professor who has served in the Legislature since 2012. On Tuesday, he officially took his position as Minority Leader for the House Democrats, and he used his platform on the House floor to talk about some of the issues that Democrats fought for in 2018, though none of them will likely come to fruition in 2019: tighter gun control, better teacher pay, fighting discrimination and providing health insurance for more of the state’s needy families.
McGhee told the 120 assembled lawmakers in the Florida House of Representatives how he grew up the hard way, that he was labeled as mentally retarded and dyslexic as a child, how he lost a brother and father to gun violence, and lived in the dark at times in a housing project because his family couldn’t afford the electricity bill.
Florida Phoenix
Here's the best thing to come down the pike since the St. Pete Times:
[link:https://www.floridaphoenix.com/|
"The Phoenix is a nonprofit news site that’s free of advertising and free to readers. We cover state government and politics with a staff of four journalists located at the Florida Press Center in downtown Tallahassee. We have a mix of in-depth stories, blog posts and social media updates on the latest events, editorial cartoons, and progressive commentary. Reporters in many now-shrunken capital bureaus have to spend most of their time these days chasing around after more and more outrageous political behavior, and too many don’t have time to lift up emerging innovative ideas or report on the people who are trying to help solve problems and shift policy for a more compassionate world. The Florida Phoenix does those stories."
We need this kind of REAL journalism now, more than ever!
Want to understand
a big part of the reason Florida is as fucked up as it is?
Highly recommended reading: FINDING FLORIDA / The True Story of the Sunshine State
by T. D. Allman
Over the centuries, Florida has been many things: an unconquered realm protected by geography, a wilderness that ruined Spanish conquistadors, “god’s waiting room,” and a place to start over. Depopulated after the extermination of its original native population, today it’s home to nineteen million. The site of vicious racial violence, including massacres, slavery, and the roll-back of Reconstruction, Florida is now one of our most diverse states, a dynamic multicultural place with an essential role in 21st-century America.
[link:https://g.co/kgs/vMWxnt|
Spooky Bingo
Something really spooky happened yesterday. I was talking with a friend about the number of hate crimes of late that were perpetrated by the same kind of guy. I suggested we make up Bingo cards with all the typical traits, plus some atypical ones (e.g., Muslim) for ... I don't know, a mocking sense of fairness?
As soon as I had my 24 squares made up (one free space in the middle, remember), the news came out about the MAGAbomber being almost from central casting. Almost all his attributes were included on my card.
It's funny-not-funny because my friend said that I should keep the card to myself and not share it because it would promote more divisiveness and anger. My response was that if I can't do fun and creative things with my anger it'll boil over. Now I just don't know what to do besides share this story with you.
Anybody want the list? I'll post it in a reply, but you can probably make up your own. I'm gonna go bang my head against the wall now.
How To Find Out If Your Vote Was Counted
Now that the vote-by-mail ballots are coming in, here's how to find out if yours counted in Florida.
Go to this page,
[link:https://dos.myflorida.com/elections/contacts/frequently-asked-questions/faq-voting/|
and fill out your information, verify several times that you are not a robot, then there will be a page with this text near the bottom:
"Access Ballot and Precinct Information available through your county Supervisor of Elections’ website." Click on the link, and that will take you to your supervisor of elections page, where you can request to see the status of your ballot. My county's page has a box you can click, maybe other counties have other setups, but as you can see it's not a very simple process, but it's a walk in the park compared to how it used to be when we weren't alerted to the high risk of election fraud.
Kudos to all the election officials working to keep elections fair and safe!
Nicolae Ceausescu
Listening to the news about Trump the last few months, I've thought his delusions of grandeur, paranoia, fake credentialing, downright disregard for human beings, all reminded me of someone in recent history who gets overlooked in all this talk of Hitler & Mussolini. This story reminds me of how people's cowardice and fear let someone like this rise to the top.
[link:
Donna Brazile: learn from the opposition
[link:https://www.commonwealthclub.org/events/archive/video/donna-brazile-hacking-american-election|
One great point she made was that the Republicans keep their "new blood" around between campaigns. They groom the new people, the volunteers, find jobs for them, get them to run for office locally. While the Democrats can't keep their "new blood" around and interested because they abandon them between campaigns.
"I don't want Nancy Pelosi to leave . . . I just want her to move over!"
Thoughts on this?
Re. Paul Ryan tweet about Cindy ...
From Laura Colleluori, my hero:
Cool, Cindy gets an extra $700 a year.
Except, Cindy will have to pay $350 per month toward student loans, and will no longer be able to deduct interest.
Oh, she’ll also have to pay $830 per month for healthcare for her and her two kids - that is, until her premium goes up because you’re trying to do away with the individual mandate. And then when she can’t afford health insurance anymore, she’ll no longer be able to deduct any out-of-pocket medical expenses.
Oh, and if Cindy gets a better job and needs to relocate, she’ll no longer be able to deduct moving expenses.
Oh, and if that new, better job wants to pay Cindy’s tuition to go back to school to earn a higher degree, that tuition will now be taxed as income.
Oh, and if Cindy is working at a college or university so that when her kids are old enough, they’d be able to attend tuition-free, their tuition will also now be taxed as income.
Oh, and if god forbid there’s a fire or flood and Cindy and her family experience any damage to their home, they can no longer deduct those losses.
So really, Paul, Cindy’s going to need that $700 just to begin to cover all the new bullshit you’re putting her family through, while you’re off giving actual substantial tax breaks to private jet owners.
Paul, from Cindy, and from so many of us, take that $700 and shove it up your spineless, intellectually dishonest libertarian ass.
[link:https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2017/11/21/meet-paul-ryans-cindy-a-single-mom-who-he-says-gets-700-from-the-tax-bill/|
Hey, Newt.
You want to know what a real lynch mob looks like:
[link:https://eji.org/news/eji-dedicates-lynching-marker-gadsden-alabama-bunk-richardson|
[link:
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Member since: Thu Nov 2, 2017, 03:10 PMNumber of posts: 862