BLOG POST 28 November 2016

BLOG POST 28 Nov 2016

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-38126438 President-elect Trump now

claims he won the popular vote … if millions of illegal votes were removed.

I believe we need to increase the size of the US Cabinet, to include someone to control Trump’s tweets, and a second person to ensure he takes his meds.

Favorite rants – It’s rigged; I’ll sue; I won the debate; serious bias; not true; made up lies; something is a con; unattractive inside and out; she’s average in so many ways; I never said/did/implied that; Waa, Waa, Waa!

Take your pick, but remember there will be more, an endless stream probably. Comedians, and authors of satirical books, no doubt, are very pleased with Mr. Trump’s election. There will certainly be humorous books about him. Let’s pray those books are allowed to be printed … because he might sue.

What will he do and tweet when foreign leaders say what they really think of him Let’s all pray he calms down after he’s sworn in. We need to pray for our country … and the world.

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Below I’ve included portions of a note I’ve sent my US Senators, to ensure scrutiny is placed on attempts to build the Trump Wall. Basically the note highlights two laws dealing with use of congressionally appropriated funds. Essentially they say you can’t spend money on a project unless the project is specifically funded. The second caveat says you can’t spend more than is appropriated. Both have BIG loopholes which say that Congress can approve breaking these legal restrictions. Let’s hope our Congressional leaders restrain the incoming administration.

The note -

I am writing as one of your constituents to voice my views following the recent election of Donald J. Trump as our President. I fear many of the policies and plans Mr. Trump espouses.  Some of his expressed plans, represent policies of racism, intolerance, and nationalism that will negate and roll back fifty years of progress in social and racial tolerance. In my mind they DO NOT REPRESENT the ideals America was founded on.

I urge you to fight his proposed WALL tooth and nail. It is immoral, and a costly monument to racism and intolerance. Mr. Trump may try to circumvent laws restricting use of appropriated funds to start construction of this monument to vanity and racism. Two laws limit such a plan. I urge you to give these laws visibility, and use them to oppose his WALL.

Anti-deficiency Act - The Anti-Deficiency Act is meant to prevent federal organizations from obligating more funds than they are actually allowed to or spend funds before they have received any funds to spend. Anti-deficiency is defined in the Anti-deficiency Act (31 USC § 1341) established by Congress in U.S. Code Title 31 Sections 1341 and 1517. The code states that executive agencies and their subordinates cannot:

1.     Obligate more funds than are made available to them in an appropriation or in a formal subdivision of funds (allocation, allotment, sub-allotment, or other formal designation of a limitation).

2.     Make obligations that exceed the amount permitted by agency actions/regulations.

3.     Obligate funds in advance of receiving an appropriation or allotment.

4.     Accepting voluntary services for the United States, or employing personal services not authorized by law, except in cases of emergency involving the safety of human life or the protection of property.

The law also requires that the head of each agency to establish an administrative control system to ensure obligations are kept within appropriated levels and enable the agency to fix responsibility for violations. [1]

Agencies that violate the Anti-Deficiency Act must report to the President and Congress all relevant facts and a statement of actions taken. Agencies must also transmit a copy of each report to the Comptroller General on the same date the report is transmitted to the President and Congress.[1]

The three (3) major legal provisions that concern funds execution are the:

1.     Bona Fide Need Rule

2.     Anti-deficiency Act

3.     Misappropriation Act (also known as the “purpose statute”)

Misappropriation Act - Misappropriation is the intentional and illegal use of funds for another use or other unauthorized purpose than its intended purpose. The Misappropriation Act (31 USC, Section 1301) requires that funds appropriated by Congress be used only for the programs and purposes for which the appropriation was made.

The three (3) major legal provisions that concern funds execution are the: [1]

1.     Bona Fide Need Rule

2.     Anti-deficiency Act

3.     Misappropriation Act (also known as the “purpose statute”)

31 USC § 1301 – Application

(a) Appropriations shall be applied only to the objects for which the appropriations were made except as otherwise provided by law.

(b) The appropriation and diversion of the unexpended balance of an appropriation for a purpose other than that for which the appropriation originally was made shall be construed and accounted for as a new appropriation. The unexpended balance shall be reduced by the amount to be diverted.

(c) An appropriation in a regular, annual appropriation law may be construed to be permanent or available continuously only if the appropriation:

(1) is for rivers and harbors, lighthouses, public buildings, or the pay of the Navy and Marine Corps; or

(2) expressly provides that it is available after the fiscal year covered by the law in which it appears.

(d) A law may be construed to make an appropriation out of the Treasury or to authorize making a contract for the payment of money in excess of an appropriation only if the law specifically states that an appropriation is made or that such a contract may be made.

These laws are prudent restrictions, and ensure that the tax dollars we pay (but which President elect Trump has not paid for years) are used for legitimate projects.

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Sign the petition to remove huge Confederate Flag next to Interstate I-95 in Stafford County, VA.  http://petitions.moveon.org/sign/remove-confederate-flag-2

BLOG POST 16 Nov 2016

A sample of what some might write to their Senators or Congressmen ... 

I am writing as one of your constituents to voice my concerns following the recent election of Donald J. Trump as our President. I fear at a gut level many, many of the policies Mr. Trump espouses.  His expressed plans, delineated below, represent policies of racism, intolerance, and nationalism that will negate and roll back fifty years of progress in social and racial tolerance. His policies, no matter that he convinced many other Americans, DO NOT REPRESENT the ideals America was founded on.

No matter how much flim flam I heard from Mr. Trump’s mouth, or read what he said, I refuse to believe Americans want, or will tolerate, regressing our ideals of tolerance, or sense of justice.

Racism – Fight the WALL tooth and nail. It is immoral, racist, and a costly monument to racism and intolerance.

The environment – Fight any weakening of EPA regulations, laws and practices which protect every American’s clean air and water.

The recent Paris Accords on Global Warning. Global warming and its effect on every person on this planet are both real and slowly changing the weather we experience on a daily basis. Fight President Trump on every single measure he attempts to reduce protections for our air and water.

Refugees – Fight President Trump on any effort to prevent refugees of ANY religion, sect, color or persuasion from being excluded. Our nation cannot prevent screened refugees fleeing war, or famine, intolerance from reaching the “Land of the Free.” If his voiced plans to exclude Muslims on that basis alone comes to pass, we may as well put a black shroud over the Statue of Liberty.

Taxes – Fight tooth and nail any attempts to proportionally reduce taxes on the richest of our country. Doing that will effectively raise the burden on the Middle Class.

Affordable Care Act/Health care insurance – Ensure any changes to the ability of the most vulnerable of our society to buy health insurance are balanced against the best interests of our society, especially those at lower economic levels. America currently ranks dead last among countries of the developed world, and the vast majority of working Americans are but one major health incident or ER visit away from medical bankruptcy. ACA stands as an attempt to begin to fix that situation, and ensure access to insurance for working Americans.

Supreme Court appointments – Scrutinize and defeat nominations of any proposed by President Trump who do not represent the best of America, or whose views would roll back America to Jim Crow racism or intolerance.

International agreement to reduce Iran’s nuclear program – Fight any effort to roll back, negate, or bypass the International agreement to reduce and delay Iran’s nuclear weapons programs.

Palestine – Fight to keep America’s efforts to be even handed in support of Palestinian efforts for statehood.  Fight Israeli confiscation of Arab lands and construction of settlements on stolen lands in the Occupied West Bank.

NATO – Fight any attempts to reduce US participation in and contributions to NATO. NATO now stands as the final bulwark to Vladimir Putin’s demonstrated efforts to rebuild the Soviet Union by taking control of former Eastern Bloc nations. Russian attempts to destabilize and regain control of the Ukraine are but one example of these efforts, accented by Russian aircraft bombing Syrian freedom fighters.

Infrastructure – Support large scale programs to improve airports, air traffic control systems, rail systems, public transit at all levels, highway and bridge repairs.

DJT’s businesses – The businesses of Mr. Trump must be placed in “blind trusts” over which he and his family have no control, so that his ability to use his office to increase his personal wealth … must be prevented.

BLOG POST Nov 2016

Some background –

I’m 72 years of age, so I’ve been around a while. I’d studied and taught History. I’ve voted for Democrats, one Republican, and an independent. I consider myself balanced in my social and political views, though a few whose views are far right have termed me a Socialist. I don’t consider that term derogatory.

My mother was born outside the USA. She was born in Ireland, in 1905 and before there was a Republic. As Catholics her parents, grandparents and other family were repressed socially, politically, economically … like many of the refugees coming to the USA now.

My parents’ parents were all born outside the USA. I can describe myself as a second generation immigrant or American.

One of my Aunts was born in Mexico, only becoming a citizen after her marriage to my Uncle. Many of her family now live in Mexico, and represent the whole spectrum of political, educational, and social spectrum there.

My first wife’s family trace their roots to Mexico. They have collectively lived in this country for longer that parts of it have been states. In fact, my ex-wife’s grandmother started her life as a Spaniard, then as a Mexican, then as an American.

Among the surnames of my aunts and ex’s family are sixty seven family distinct names. Two of these are Pena and Nieto, which are the family names of Enrique Pena Nieto, the current President of Mexico.

I am currently a volunteer for the Catholic Immigration and Refugee Center in Fredericksburg, VA. As such I and my family have assisted many refugees seeking shelter from war, political, social and religious intolerance. While many of these refugees are Muslim, others are Christians, Hindis, or Buddhists. They all deserve our understanding, tolerance, and support – just as my grandparents and mother did.

Building a WALL along the Mexican border, and precluding refugees from oppression are UNAMERICAN. If implemented they represent turning our back as a nation on those welcomed by Emma Lazarus’s words on the Statue of Liberty –

From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"

If we allow the exclusion of refugees purely on the basis of their religious beliefs, or build this wall,

we should collectively and individually hang our heads,

and put a black shroud over the Statue of Liberty.

This blog was started years ago, and has been dormant. Circumstances dictate that I re-devote efforts to speak out. I urge you all to do the same.

Write your US Senators and Congressman/woman.

Speak out against intolerance and hatred.

Hope in the Center blog (August 2012)

US Health care - U.S., which came in 50th out of 221 nations for life expectancy in the latest edition of the CIA’s World Factbook.

Obamacare, as a term of disdain or derision, offers support – for the first time in American history, to support more in terms of health care availability…

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act

My particular intended candidate has a few interesting characteristics –

Has released all his tax returns

Supports cutting the relief for the richest

Supports abortion for survivors of rape and incest

Has no hidden investments in the Bahamas, Cayman Islands, or

I voted for the candidate who is for all Americans, not just the 53 percent, or the 1 percent.