hotair--2020-07-03--After a lawsuit by residents, San Francisco finally cleans homeless camps out of the Tenderloin dist

After a lawsuit by residents, San Francisco finally cleans homeless camps out of the Tenderloin district

The coronavirus pandemic was ( and still is ) a potential disaster for the homeless .
In San Francisco , the city was forced to reduce the number of homeless people in each of the city ’ s shelters to prevent them from becoming hotspots for the virus .
But doing that meant a lot more people living on the streets .
In the Tenderloin district , the number of tents went from 158 on March 3 to 391 by May 1 .
Even the police officers who normally handle drug-dealing in the area were pulled out creating a defacto @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Seattle ’ s CHOP .
And just as happened with CHOP , local residents quickly got fed up and filed a lawsuit against the city : The suit alleges that by allowing sidewalks in the Tenderloin to be taken over by drug sales , crowds of drug users and homeless tent encampments , the city is threatening the health and lives of Tenderloin residents and helping drive merchants out of business… UC Hastings College , which has several facilities in the Tenderloin District , says it has spent nearly $ 70,000 on increased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 public health order along with an extra $ 2,100 a week in cleaning services such as power-washing and trash pickup around its facilities , according to the complaint .
“ Litter and used needles are found every day around the Hastings parking garage .
Human feces and urine are found in the doorways , ” Hastings said in the complaint .
“ Staff have to escort the homeless out of the garage regularly .
Thieves break into cars.
” The lawsuit wasn ’ t seeking any money , just action by the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the city sent cops back into the area and began making drug arrests but they weren ’ t clearing any sidewalks .
Finally in June the city struck a deal with the plaintiffs , agreeing to clean up 70 % of the tents by July 20 .
That day still hasn ’ t arrived yet but the city is already most of the way toward the goal after a three week push that took nearly 500 homeless people off the streets : The Tenderloin looks better than it has in months , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ % of the hundreds of tents that had covered the troubled neighborhood since the coronavirus pandemic clamped down on San Francisco in March .
The first phase of reducing the appalling crush of tent camps and moving their homeless occupants indoors ends Friday , city officials reported .
It ’ s been one of the most intensive street-camp cleanups in city history .
The all-out campaign by the city ’ s Healthy Streets Operations Center and city emergency workers began June 10 , and resulted in 497 homeless people being placed in hotels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sanctioned camps with counselors and restrooms , city statistics show .
A total of 431 went to hotels leased by the city to protect vulnerable homeless people from the coronavirus .
There are about 8,000 homeless people in the city and about 2,000 of them have been given hotel rooms during the coronavirus pandemic .
But the manager of the campaign to clear the Tenderloin , Jeff Kositsky , said that other homeless people looking for a free hotel room should not show up in the Tenderloin thinking they will get a hotel @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t have enough money to offer them to everyone .
Supervisor Matt Haney told the SF Chronicle , “ It shouldn ’ t take a lawsuit for the city to do its job and do what is right.
” It shouldn ’ t but increasingly that ’ s exactly what it takes .
In fact , another San Francisco neighborhood is considering a lawsuit against the city to spur similar action : Curtis Dowlingis an attorney who represents Mike O ’ Neill and Sons , which owns two of the apartment buildings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Giosso Children ’ s Trust , which owns the third building with 31 rental units and one storefront .
“ I will be filing suit this week in federal court , seeking an injunction that the encampment be removed , ” Dowling said… “ The tenants in my clients ’ properties feel like prisoners in their own homes , ” Dowling wrote in a May 25 letter to Mayor London Breed .
“ It has gotten so bad that tenants are now vacating my clients ’ buildings and specifically citing the encampments in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is one of the tenants moving out .
“ Early in the morning they play music loud , ” Hwang said .
“ They fight and they yell .
You can ’ t sleep .
They block the way in and out.
” Here ’ s a CNN report which includes an interview with the Chancellor of the law school that filed the suit against the city forcing them to clean up the Tenderloin :

The coronavirus pandemic was (and still is) a potential disaster for the homeless. In San Francisco, the city was forced to reduce the number of homeless people in each of the city’s shelters to prevent them from becoming hotspots for the virus. But doing that meant a lot more people living on the streets. In the Tenderloin district, the number of tents went from 158 on March 3 to 391 by May 1. Even the police officers who normally handle drug-dealing in the area were pulled out creating a defacto lawless zone, a homeless version of Seattle’s CHOP. And just as happened with CHOP, local residents quickly got fed up and filed a lawsuit against the city:
The suit alleges that by allowing sidewalks in the Tenderloin to be taken over by drug sales, crowds of drug users and homeless tent encampments, the city is threatening the health and lives of Tenderloin residents and helping drive merchants out of business… UC Hastings College, which has several facilities in the Tenderloin District, says it has spent nearly $70,000 on increased security in the first month of the COVID-19 public health order along with an extra $2,100 a week in cleaning services such as power-washing and trash pickup around its facilities, according to the complaint. “Litter and used needles are found every day around the Hastings parking garage. Human feces and urine are found in the doorways,” Hastings said in the complaint. “Staff have to escort the homeless out of the garage regularly. Thieves break into cars.”
The lawsuit wasn’t seeking any money, just action by the city. Soon after it was filed, the city sent cops back into the area and began making drug arrests but they weren’t clearing any sidewalks. Finally in June the city struck a deal with the plaintiffs, agreeing to clean up 70% of the tents by July 20. That day still hasn’t arrived yet but the city is already most of the way toward the goal after a three week push that took nearly 500 homeless people off the streets:
The Tenderloin looks better than it has in months, now that the city has removed 65% of the hundreds of tents that had covered the troubled neighborhood since the coronavirus pandemic clamped down on San Francisco in March. The first phase of reducing the appalling crush of tent camps and moving their homeless occupants indoors ends Friday, city officials reported. It’s been one of the most intensive street-camp cleanups in city history. The all-out campaign by the city’s Healthy Streets Operations Center and city emergency workers began June 10, and resulted in 497 homeless people being placed in hotels, shelters or safe sleeping sites, sanctioned camps with counselors and restrooms, city statistics show. A total of 431 went to hotels leased by the city to protect vulnerable homeless people from the coronavirus.
There are about 8,000 homeless people in the city and about 2,000 of them have been given hotel rooms during the coronavirus pandemic. But the manager of the campaign to clear the Tenderloin, Jeff Kositsky, said that other homeless people looking for a free hotel room should not show up in the Tenderloin thinking they will get a hotel room too, because the city doesn’t have enough money to offer them to everyone.
Supervisor Matt Haney told the SF Chronicle, “It shouldn’t take a lawsuit for the city to do its job and do what is right.” It shouldn’t but increasingly that’s exactly what it takes. In fact, another San Francisco neighborhood is considering a lawsuit against the city to spur similar action:
Curtis Dowlingis an attorney who represents Mike O’Neill and Sons, which owns two of the apartment buildings containing 174 rental units, and the Giosso Children’s Trust, which owns the third building with 31 rental units and one storefront. “I will be filing suit this week in federal court, seeking an injunction that the encampment be removed,” Dowling said… “The tenants in my clients’ properties feel like prisoners in their own homes,” Dowling wrote in a May 25 letter to Mayor London Breed. “It has gotten so bad that tenants are now vacating my clients’ buildings and specifically citing the encampments in the alley the reason.” Icju Hwang is one of the tenants moving out. “Early in the morning they play music loud,” Hwang said. “They fight and they yell. You can’t sleep. They block the way in and out.”
Here’s a CNN report which includes an interview with the Chancellor of the law school that filed the suit against the city forcing them to clean up the Tenderloin:


hotair--2020-07-03--NY Post: Make the entire world guard Ghislaine Maxwell

Will she or won ’ t she ?
That ’ s the big question about Ghislaine Maxwell after her indictment for sex trafficking , abuse , and perjury , but it ’ s really two questions .
Will she cooperate in going after Jeffrey Epstein ’ s other enablers and co-abusers ?
More urgently , though , will she survive long enough to cooperate ?
The editors of the New York Post note the priorities here , and offer a unique solution .
This time around , we can ’ t afford a suicide , so let ’ s put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In fact , let ’ s put all eyes on Maxwell : Actually , the second idea makes more sense than the first or third , and a lot more sense than their next suggestion to keep Maxwell in a cage in Times Square .
Why not put some cameras in that space and connect it up to the Internet ?
Other than privacy issues — not that Maxwell spent a lot of time worrying about that with the underage girls she recruited and exploited — this would be brilliant as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ case , there wouldn ’ t be a single second of any day where Maxwell wasn ’ t being watched by someone on a streaming feed .
If anyone attempted to harm Maxwell or if she attempted to harm herself , it would get immediate attention .
The Department of Justice could even operate it as a pay-per-view stream .
The proceeds could go to the victims , or perhaps to upgrades at Metropolitan Correctional Center , where Epstein hung himself without interruption .
Or didn ’ t , depending on your point @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the ultimate in reality television , or at least participatory incarceration .
Of course , all this is really only worth the effort if Maxwell starts dropping dimes on the Lolita Express Frequent Fliers Club .
Will she cooperate ?
Bet on it , says Epstein ’ s former partner and mentor , former fellow Ponzi schemer Steven Hoffenberg , and the man who should be most worried is Prince Andrew : GHISLAINE Maxwell will be “ fully cooperating ” with the FBI in its child sex probe – and some of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including Prince Andrew , may be “ very worried , ” Jeffrey Epstein ’ s former mentor has claimed .
… “ Andrew handled it poorly , very poorly , he should have spoken to them through his lawyers , and given them some guidance .
“ He should have given them something .
“ She ’ s going to cooperate and be very important .
Andrew may be very concerned , and there ’ s a lot of people very worried , a lot of powerful people been named [ in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Andrew might be the least worried of all .
His reputation is already in tatters , but he also has immunity from arrest and prosecution as long as he stays in the UK , effectively if not officially .
The real risk is for those without royal privilege , especially the participants with American citizenship and residency .
But is Hoffenberg right ?
Perhaps , especially with Epstein out of the picture .
He was her guarantor of security , and he managed to keep her safe the first time the government @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and powerful with whom she hobnobbed don ’ t help extricate her from this jam , one can expect that she won ’ t do time just to keep them safe .
Those men should be scared , Maureen Callahan writes , and so should officials responsible for keeping Maxwell healthy : Those other powerful men with ties to Epstein , Prince Andrew and Bill Clinton among them , would not impede a federal trial — and in fact , Epstein ’ s trial would mean more conspirators and participants would fall .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ digging into his life , ” said Licata , “ and start pulling out this spider web of people that were related to it.
” … Here ’ s a detail that should make prosecutors and prison guards nervous : In the recent Netflix documentary “ Jeffrey Epstein : Filthy Rich , ” a survivor stands outside Epstein ’ s Manhattan townhouse and points to pockmarks in the edifice .
Such pockmarks , she says , were all over the interior .
The entire house — every room , every bed , every @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rigged with cameras and audio .
Epstein kept a secret room full of monitors and watched his guests in real time .
He blackmailed the powerful men who would visit and use his girls .
If Maxwell dies in custody , the federal government will take a hit from which it may never recover .
With all this going on , one has to wonder why Maxwell stuck around in the US herself .
Over the past year , rumors put her in various places around the world , including a few where @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of American law enforcement .
Why blow a million dollars in cash to land in rural New Hampshire rather than a town house in the Seychelles or a ranch in Brazil ?
Tucker Carlson wondered that too last night , and Alana Goodman didn ’ t have any answers .
They do both agree , though , that Maxwell ’ s former Lolita Express friends had better start lining up their legal counsel — or tickets to non-extradition points unknown .
Just for fun , Carlson names and shames a few of those @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the stakes involved .

Will she or won’t she? That’s the big question about Ghislaine Maxwell after her indictment for sex trafficking, abuse, and perjury, but it’s really two questions. Will she cooperate in going after Jeffrey Epstein’s other enablers and co-abusers? More urgently, though, will she survive long enough to cooperate?
The editors of the New York Post note the priorities here, and offer a unique solution. This time around, we can’t afford a suicide, so let’s put as many eyes on her as possible. In fact, let’s put all eyes on Maxwell:
Editorial: Keep an eye on slippery Ghislaine Maxwell https://t.co/zWmaOhB4ge pic.twitter.com/tLPWH6Gejv — New York Post (@nypost) July 2, 2020
Lock her in a glass cage. Put a camera in the cell, hook it up to the internet, livestream it to the world. Double the guard. Double their pay. Make sure they can’t be bribed, don’t sleep on the job, aren’t watching television.
Actually, the second idea makes more sense than the first or third, and a lot more sense than their next suggestion to keep Maxwell in a cage in Times Square. Why not put some cameras in that space and connect it up to the Internet? Other than privacy issues — not that Maxwell spent a lot of time worrying about that with the underage girls she recruited and exploited — this would be brilliant as a solution. Given the interest in this case, there wouldn’t be a single second of any day where Maxwell wasn’t being watched by someone on a streaming feed. If anyone attempted to harm Maxwell or if she attempted to harm herself, it would get immediate attention.
The Department of Justice could even operate it as a pay-per-view stream. The proceeds could go to the victims, or perhaps to upgrades at Metropolitan Correctional Center, where Epstein hung himself without interruption. Or didn’t, depending on your point of view. It’d be the ultimate in reality television, or at least participatory incarceration.
Of course, all this is really only worth the effort if Maxwell starts dropping dimes on the Lolita Express Frequent Fliers Club. Will she cooperate? Bet on it, says Epstein’s former partner and mentor, former fellow Ponzi schemer Steven Hoffenberg, and the man who should be most worried is Prince Andrew:
GHISLAINE Maxwell will be “fully cooperating” with the FBI in its child sex probe – and some of the world’s most powerful people, including Prince Andrew, may be “very worried,” Jeffrey Epstein’s former mentor has claimed. … “Andrew handled it poorly, very poorly, he should have spoken to them through his lawyers, and given them some guidance. “He should have given them something. “She’s going to cooperate and be very important. Andrew may be very concerned, and there’s a lot of people very worried, a lot of powerful people been named [in the scandal], and she knows everything. “She’ll totally cooperate.”
Andrew might be the least worried of all. His reputation is already in tatters, but he also has immunity from arrest and prosecution as long as he stays in the UK, effectively if not officially. The real risk is for those without royal privilege, especially the participants with American citizenship and residency.
But is Hoffenberg right? Perhaps, especially with Epstein out of the picture. He was her guarantor of security, and he managed to keep her safe the first time the government came after him. If the rich and powerful with whom she hobnobbed don’t help extricate her from this jam, one can expect that she won’t do time just to keep them safe. Those men should be scared, Maureen Callahan writes, and so should officials responsible for keeping Maxwell healthy:
Those other powerful men with ties to Epstein, Prince Andrew and Bill Clinton among them, would not impede a federal trial — and in fact, Epstein’s trial would mean more conspirators and participants would fall. “They’re going to start digging into his life,” said Licata, “and start pulling out this spider web of people that were related to it.” … Here’s a detail that should make prosecutors and prison guards nervous: In the recent Netflix documentary “Jeffrey Epstein: Filthy Rich,” a survivor stands outside Epstein’s Manhattan townhouse and points to pockmarks in the edifice. Such pockmarks, she says, were all over the interior. The entire house — every room, every bed, every bathroom, shower and toilet — was rigged with cameras and audio. Epstein kept a secret room full of monitors and watched his guests in real time. He blackmailed the powerful men who would visit and use his girls. If Maxwell dies in custody, the federal government will take a hit from which it may never recover.
With all this going on, one has to wonder why Maxwell stuck around in the US herself. Over the past year, rumors put her in various places around the world, including a few where she would have remained out of reach of American law enforcement. Why blow a million dollars in cash to land in rural New Hampshire rather than a town house in the Seychelles or a ranch in Brazil?
Tucker Carlson wondered that too last night, and Alana Goodman didn’t have any answers. They do both agree, though, that Maxwell’s former Lolita Express friends had better start lining up their legal counsel — or tickets to non-extradition points unknown. Just for fun, Carlson names and shames a few of those pals, just to remind everyone of the stakes involved.


hotair--2020-07-03--Report: Internal polling shows Trump behind in Georgia -- and Kansas

He won Kansas by 20 points four years ago .
I don ’ t think I ’ d even bother linking a public poll showing him behind in Kansas now .
The electorate ’ s moved considerably towards Democrats over the past six weeks , but “ considerably ” means eight or nine points , not 20 .
He ’ s not going to lose Kansas .
But if Kansas is even remotely competitive… This NYT piece has lots of interesting tidbits beyond the polling numbers , including Jared Kushner pointing fingers at Brad Parscale and the president himself allegedly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ already sort of knew .
In addition to public surveys showing him losing decisively to Joseph R. Biden Jr. in a number of battleground states , private Republican polls in recent weeks show the president struggling even in conservative states , leading Mr. Biden by less than five points in Montana and trailing him in Georgia and even Kansas , according to G.O.P .
officials who have seen the data… One Republican official who is in frequent contact with the campaign expressed incredulity at how some aides willfully distort the electoral landscape to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in which they assured him he was faring well in Maine , a state where private polling shows he ’ s losing… Equally revealing — at a moment when Mr. Trump is bleeding support from independents and some moderate Republicans — is how often his advisers pacify him by highlighting his standing with voters he largely has in hand : those who participate in party primaries… What mystifies many Republicans about Mr. Trump is why he is so unwilling to take easy steps that could help remedy his political difficulties .
I ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Probably no president in recent American history has had a political base more devoted to them than Trump has , yet on issue after issue he keeps trying to please them when it ’ s voters in the center who are drifting away towards Biden .
“ He is who he is .
People know who he is .
You think he ’ s going to change ?
” said Sen. Rick Scott to the Times .
If he goes on to lose big to Biden this fall , that question will confound @ @ @ @ @ @ @ adjust his strategy ?
Any other politician would look at the state of play right now and conclude that ( a ) he needs to show much more seriousness of purpose on the virus , if only to prove to wary senior citizens that he grasps their anxiety , and ( b ) he needs to show a little more empathy towards protesters , if only to prove to wary white college grads that he ’ s interested in racial reconciliation .
It looks increasingly like he won ’ t do either .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ or because he won ’ t ?
If he won ’ t , is it a narcissistic thing in which he believes his own instincts are infallible , whatever the polling might say ?
( Some Trump aides told the Times that their internal polling shows the race tighter than public polling does , but that ’ s unlikely if there ’ s any truth to the claim that he ’ s trailing in Kansas . )
Or is it an anxiety thing in which he ’ s terrified of alienating a few @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if doing so would lose him the election ?
He can try to tack to the center , *maybe* get reelected , but lose the adulation he enjoys on the right , or he can stay to the right on all issues , very likely lose , but remain an icon afterward among Republican populists .
Which outcome would someone with Trump ’ s psychological make-up prefer ?
Part of the problem may be that he ’ s allegedly seeking advice privately from Tucker Carlson , the one guy doing more than anyone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ try to convince Trump to double down on culture-war material like battling the left over monuments and criticizing Black Lives Matter : With Donald Trump ’ s approval sinking to Jimmy Carter levels and coronavirus cases spiking across the country , Trump is reluctantly waking up to the grim reality that , if the current situation holds , his reelection is gone .
Republicans that have spoken with Trump in recent days describe him as depressed and “ down in the dumps.
” “ People around him think his heart ’ s not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the White House said .
Torn between the imperative to win suburban voters and his instincts to play to his base , Trump has complained to people that he ’ s in a political box with no obvious way out .
According to the Republican , Trump called Tucker Carlson late last week and said , “ what do I do ?
What do I do ?
” To console himself , Trump still has moments of magical thinking .
“ He says the polls are all fake , ” a Republican @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Republican strategist close to Mitch McConnell told me that Republicans have Labor Day penciled in as the deadline for Trump to have turned things around .
After that , he ’ s on his own .
No , he isn ’ t .
People continue to indulge this silly scenario in which Senate Republicans “ abandon ” Trump , which is something that might plausibly happen with a conventional president who ’ s beholden to his party but can ’ t possibly happen with an outsider as self-centered as Trump is .
If @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump would start encouraging his fans to punish him and the caucus for disloyalty and end up taking the whole party down with him .
The GOP ’ s only shot is to convince him that he ’ s in trouble and needs to start doing things differently , right now .
The Times claims that Chris Christie sent Trump a memo a week ago warning him that he ’ ll lose if he keeps trying to re-run the 2016 campaign against Biden .
There ’ s a story in the WSJ today @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2016 booster Peter Thiel intends to sit out the election this time and focus on supporting Republicans downballot as he “ doesn ’ t believe the campaign has settled on a winning argument to convince the electorate to stay the course.
” ( “ One person who speaks to Mr. Thiel about politics says he described Mr. Trump ’ s campaign as the ‘ S.S .
Minnow . '
” ) The obvious argument open to POTUS is “ Biden would be worse , ” the same lesser-of-two-evils pitch that worked so well @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s a hard sell when the country ’ s beset by an endless pandemic and civil unrest and mass layoffs .
To phrase that differently , and in Trump ’ s defense : Could any president get reelected if they were saddled with what he ’ s saddled with right now ?
They could adjust to the circumstances better than he has and improve their polling in a way he hasn ’ t been able to , but could they actually win ?
That ’ d be daunting , especially against @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people have no strong reason to dislike ( or like ) .
Speaking of which , here ’ s the latest ad from Team Trump .
I think this is their best play against Biden at the moment , but you can imagine how much more effective an attack like this would be against a true radical like Bernie Sanders than it is against Sleepy Joe .
Weirdly , the Times claims that Trump ’ s inclinations *aren ’ t* to go negative against Biden despite the fact that that strategy delivered for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people in touch with Mr. Trump and his campaign said the president strongly preferred seeing positive ads about his own accomplishments to negative ones about Mr. Biden , ” the paper reports .
No doubt ads like that are gratifying to his ego , but his accomplishments are already largely priced into his stock and no one ’ s going to care much about tax cuts in November if the virus rages uninterrupted from now until then .
He ’ s better off trying to make Americans fear and loathe his enemy , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ battles .
It ’ s bizarre that he ’ d veer away from that approach now — although he hasn ’ t done so entirely , as you ’ re about to see .

He won Kansas by 20 points four years ago. I don’t think I’d even bother linking a public poll showing him behind in Kansas now. The electorate’s moved considerably towards Democrats over the past six weeks, but “considerably” means eight or nine points, not 20.
He’s not going to lose Kansas. But if Kansas is even remotely competitive…
This NYT piece has lots of interesting tidbits beyond the polling numbers, including Jared Kushner pointing fingers at Brad Parscale and the president himself allegedly pointing fingers at Kushner. Which we already sort of knew.
In addition to public surveys showing him losing decisively to Joseph R. Biden Jr. in a number of battleground states, private Republican polls in recent weeks show the president struggling even in conservative states, leading Mr. Biden by less than five points in Montana and trailing him in Georgia and even Kansas, according to G.O.P. officials who have seen the data… One Republican official who is in frequent contact with the campaign expressed incredulity at how some aides willfully distort the electoral landscape to mollify Mr. Trump, recalling one conversation in which they assured him he was faring well in Maine, a state where private polling shows he’s losing… Equally revealing — at a moment when Mr. Trump is bleeding support from independents and some moderate Republicans — is how often his advisers pacify him by highlighting his standing with voters he largely has in hand: those who participate in party primaries… What mystifies many Republicans about Mr. Trump is why he is so unwilling to take easy steps that could help remedy his political difficulties.
I’ve been mystified by that myself. Probably no president in recent American history has had a political base more devoted to them than Trump has, yet on issue after issue he keeps trying to please them when it’s voters in the center who are drifting away towards Biden. “He is who he is. People know who he is. You think he’s going to change?” said Sen. Rick Scott to the Times. If he goes on to lose big to Biden this fall, that question will confound historians. Why didn’t he adjust his strategy? Any other politician would look at the state of play right now and conclude that (a) he needs to show much more seriousness of purpose on the virus, if only to prove to wary senior citizens that he grasps their anxiety, and (b) he needs to show a little more empathy towards protesters, if only to prove to wary white college grads that he’s interested in racial reconciliation. It looks increasingly like he won’t do either.
Is it because he can’t or because he won’t? If he won’t, is it a narcissistic thing in which he believes his own instincts are infallible, whatever the polling might say? (Some Trump aides told the Times that their internal polling shows the race tighter than public polling does, but that’s unlikely if there’s any truth to the claim that he’s trailing in Kansas.) Or is it an anxiety thing in which he’s terrified of alienating a few of his most ardent fans, even if doing so would lose him the election? He can try to tack to the center, *maybe* get reelected, but lose the adulation he enjoys on the right, or he can stay to the right on all issues, very likely lose, but remain an icon afterward among Republican populists.
Which outcome would someone with Trump’s psychological make-up prefer?
Part of the problem may be that he’s allegedly seeking advice privately from Tucker Carlson, the one guy doing more than anyone else in major media right now to try to convince Trump to double down on culture-war material like battling the left over monuments and criticizing Black Lives Matter:
With Donald Trump’s approval sinking to Jimmy Carter levels and coronavirus cases spiking across the country, Trump is reluctantly waking up to the grim reality that, if the current situation holds, his reelection is gone. Republicans that have spoken with Trump in recent days describe him as depressed and “down in the dumps.” “People around him think his heart’s not in it,” a Republican close to the White House said. Torn between the imperative to win suburban voters and his instincts to play to his base, Trump has complained to people that he’s in a political box with no obvious way out. According to the Republican, Trump called Tucker Carlson late last week and said, “what do I do? What do I do?” To console himself, Trump still has moments of magical thinking. “He says the polls are all fake,” a Republican in touch with Trump told me… A Republican strategist close to Mitch McConnell told me that Republicans have Labor Day penciled in as the deadline for Trump to have turned things around. After that, he’s on his own.
No, he isn’t. People continue to indulge this silly scenario in which Senate Republicans “abandon” Trump, which is something that might plausibly happen with a conventional president who’s beholden to his party but can’t possibly happen with an outsider as self-centered as Trump is. If McConnell were to start criticizing him, Trump would start encouraging his fans to punish him and the caucus for disloyalty and end up taking the whole party down with him.
The GOP’s only shot is to convince him that he’s in trouble and needs to start doing things differently, right now. The Times claims that Chris Christie sent Trump a memo a week ago warning him that he’ll lose if he keeps trying to re-run the 2016 campaign against Biden. There’s a story in the WSJ today whispering that tech billionaire and major Trump 2016 booster Peter Thiel intends to sit out the election this time and focus on supporting Republicans downballot as he “doesn’t believe the campaign has settled on a winning argument to convince the electorate to stay the course.” (“One person who speaks to Mr. Thiel about politics says he described Mr. Trump’s campaign as the ‘S.S. Minnow.'”) The obvious argument open to POTUS is “Biden would be worse,” the same lesser-of-two-evils pitch that worked so well for him four years ago, but that’s a hard sell when the country’s beset by an endless pandemic and civil unrest and mass layoffs.
To phrase that differently, and in Trump’s defense: Could any president get reelected if they were saddled with what he’s saddled with right now? They could adjust to the circumstances better than he has and improve their polling in a way he hasn’t been able to, but could they actually win? That’d be daunting, especially against a perfectly generic challenger like Biden whom people have no strong reason to dislike (or like).
Speaking of which, here’s the latest ad from Team Trump. I think this is their best play against Biden at the moment, but you can imagine how much more effective an attack like this would be against a true radical like Bernie Sanders than it is against Sleepy Joe. Weirdly, the Times claims that Trump’s inclinations *aren’t* to go negative against Biden despite the fact that that strategy delivered for him against Hillary Clinton. “Several people in touch with Mr. Trump and his campaign said the president strongly preferred seeing positive ads about his own accomplishments to negative ones about Mr. Biden,” the paper reports. No doubt ads like that are gratifying to his ego, but his accomplishments are already largely priced into his stock and no one’s going to care much about tax cuts in November if the virus rages uninterrupted from now until then. He’s better off trying to make Americans fear and loathe his enemy, which is normally his specialty in political battles. It’s bizarre that he’d veer away from that approach now — although he hasn’t done so entirely, as you’re about to see.


hotair--2020-07-03--Today's mystery: How did a child pornographer get paroled from a 1,000-year sentence?

I ’ ve heard of time off for good behavior , but this is beyond ridiculous to the point of obscene .
The judge who originally sentenced Peter Mallory in 2012 called him “ probably the most prolific collector of child pornography in the entire world , ” and applied consecutive sentences to keep him in prison for 1,000 years .
Mallory ’ s collection was not just vast but particularly cruel , with images of child rape and torture among them .
He should have been in prison for the rest of his life .
Today , however , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ parole after serving 0.8 % of his sentence : A Georgia pedophile sentenced to 1,000 years in prison was let out on parole following an appeals court ruling , prompting the district attorney to lament he was “ powerless to stop it.
” Peter Mallory was arrested and charged with possession of child pornography , tampering with evidence and invasion of privacy in 2011 .
At his sentencing in 2012 , a circuit court judge called him “ probably the most prolific collector of child pornography in the entire world , ” according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appeals court ruled in May that the sentence Mallory served was appropriate , and he was released three weeks later , on May 27 .
Even among those convicted of this crime , Mallory stands out for depravity , the Atlanta Journal-Constitution noted : “ The evidence demonstrated that Mallory knowingly and intentionally sought out , gathered , downloaded and saved these images and videos of children being raped , tortured and sexually exploited , ” Cranford said in a prior news release .
The invasion of privacy counts stemmed from a hidden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he used to secretly record young women , Cranford said .
… Cranford said he opposed parole “ now or any time in the future ” and said the Troup County community would be offended if Mallory was released after serving just seven years of his 1,000-year sentence .
“ The evidence shows that Mallory is sexually deviant and commits these crimes by compulsion as much as by choice , ” he said in the letter .
“ In the current digital age , no amount of supervision can stop a compulsive sexual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most heinous images and videos of small children being sexually abused.
” Two victims involved in the case also opposed parole , Cranford said .
At a minimum , they asked that Mallory be banned from Troup County and from contacting them if he was released .
The New York Daily News quipped , “ Time flies when you ’ re a disgusting pervert , ” and also reported the reasoning behind the decision .
The original sentencing did not preclude parole ; in fact , it ’ s not clear whether that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ these charges .
Besides , we now find out that Georgia tends to ignore consecutive sentencing when it comes to parole applications anyway : According to Cranford , Mallory ’ s conviction did not allow for a sentence that didn ’ t include the possibility of his parole and the parole board ruled that , considering “ performance incentive credits , ” the prolific porn collector had served his time .
Cranford , who recommended the parole board keep Mallory locked up in December , said in his letter that he doesn ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bracelet and a mandate for Mallory to register as a sex offender will stop the convicted deviant from getting back to his old hobby .
“ Performance incentive credits ” are the official term for time off for good behavior .
No one doubts the value of that incentive ; prison officials and guards need those to deal with imprisoned convicts that literally have nothing but time on their hands otherwise .
Mallory behaved himself while in custody , apparently , and that ’ s all fine and good .
But even Little @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the point of getting 992 years knocked off a prison sentence .
At the time of Mallory ’ s sentencing , everyone involved expected Mallory to serve the rest of his natural life in prison — the judge , the victims , and the community .
Given Mallory ’ s crimes , that was a just punishment .
If consecutive sentences don ’ t mean anything in Georgia at parole time , then perhaps judges should refrain from applying them — or the state legislature needs to change the laws of parole to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Update : My friend and Georgia native Erick Erickson is deeply angered over Mallory ’ s release : Indeed we do , but we need to talk about parole boards and honest sentencing even more .

I’ve heard of time off for good behavior, but this is beyond ridiculous to the point of obscene. The judge who originally sentenced Peter Mallory in 2012 called him “probably the most prolific collector of child pornography in the entire world,” and applied consecutive sentences to keep him in prison for 1,000 years. Mallory’s collection was not just vast but particularly cruel, with images of child rape and torture among them.
He should have been in prison for the rest of his life. Today, however, the former county commissioner walks free on parole after serving 0.8% of his sentence:
A Georgia pedophile sentenced to 1,000 years in prison was let out on parole following an appeals court ruling, prompting the district attorney to lament he was “powerless to stop it.” Peter Mallory was arrested and charged with possession of child pornography, tampering with evidence and invasion of privacy in 2011. At his sentencing in 2012, a circuit court judge called him “probably the most prolific collector of child pornography in the entire world,” according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. But an appeals court ruled in May that the sentence Mallory served was appropriate, and he was released three weeks later, on May 27.
Even among those convicted of this crime, Mallory stands out for depravity, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution noted:
“The evidence demonstrated that Mallory knowingly and intentionally sought out, gathered, downloaded and saved these images and videos of children being raped, tortured and sexually exploited,” Cranford said in a prior news release. The invasion of privacy counts stemmed from a hidden camera Mallory installed in his office that he used to secretly record young women, Cranford said. … Cranford said he opposed parole “now or any time in the future” and said the Troup County community would be offended if Mallory was released after serving just seven years of his 1,000-year sentence. “The evidence shows that Mallory is sexually deviant and commits these crimes by compulsion as much as by choice,” he said in the letter. “In the current digital age, no amount of supervision can stop a compulsive sexual deviant like Mallory from seeking out the most heinous images and videos of small children being sexually abused.” Two victims involved in the case also opposed parole, Cranford said. At a minimum, they asked that Mallory be banned from Troup County and from contacting them if he was released.
The New York Daily News quipped, “Time flies when you’re a disgusting pervert,” and also reported the reasoning behind the decision. The original sentencing did not preclude parole; in fact, it’s not clear whether that was even an option in sentencing on these charges. Besides, we now find out that Georgia tends to ignore consecutive sentencing when it comes to parole applications anyway:
According to Cranford, Mallory’s conviction did not allow for a sentence that didn’t include the possibility of his parole and the parole board ruled that, considering “performance incentive credits,” the prolific porn collector had served his time. Cranford, who recommended the parole board keep Mallory locked up in December, said in his letter that he doesn’t think court supervision, an ankle bracelet and a mandate for Mallory to register as a sex offender will stop the convicted deviant from getting back to his old hobby.
“Performance incentive credits” are the official term for time off for good behavior. No one doubts the value of that incentive; prison officials and guards need those to deal with imprisoned convicts that literally have nothing but time on their hands otherwise. Mallory behaved himself while in custody, apparently, and that’s all fine and good. But even Little Lord Fauntleroy would have trouble behaving to the point of getting 992 years knocked off a prison sentence.
At the time of Mallory’s sentencing, everyone involved expected Mallory to serve the rest of his natural life in prison — the judge, the victims, and the community. Given Mallory’s crimes, that was a just punishment. If consecutive sentences don’t mean anything in Georgia at parole time, then perhaps judges should refrain from applying them — or the state legislature needs to change the laws of parole to make sure that those sentences are reliable.
Update: My friend and Georgia native Erick Erickson is deeply angered over Mallory’s release:
https://twitter.com/EWErickson/status/1278788461546389504
Indeed we do, but we need to talk about parole boards and honest sentencing even more.


hotair--2020-07-03--SCOTUS to Alabama: Skip the court-ordered curbside voting in the primary

In fact , pretty much skip everything lower courts told Alabama to do related to its upcoming primary in light of the COVID-19 pandemic , the Supreme Court ordered last night .
On a stay issued with a relatively rare recorded vote , the justices blocked lower-court orders that would have forced Alabama to change its election rules with less than two weeks to go before the election .
The terse order didn ’ t include the majority ’ s reasoning , but the precedent of Wisconsin earlier in this term with the same 5-4 split seems to be the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court stepped in on Thursday night to block a judge ’ s order requiring Alabama to allow some curbside voting and lift absentee-ballot witness requirements for the Republican Senate primary runoff set to take place on July 14 .
The justices voted , 5-4 , along ideological lines to block the lower-court ruling , allowing Alabama to carry out the election under its usual rules .
… The Supreme Court ’ s ruling on Thursday in the Alabama case appeared to echo its decision on a 5-4 vote in April to overturn a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ officials to count primary ballots received after Election Day .
In that case , the court ’ s majority declared : “ This Court has repeatedly emphasized that lower federal courts should ordinarily not alter the election rules on the eve of an election.
” Alabama , the Washington Post noted , has perhaps the most stringent requirements for absentee balloting .
The state explicitly forbids curbside pickup , for one thing , but also requires witnesses to sign the ballots and photocopies of IDs to accompany them .
The NAACP sued to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ created “ nearly insurmountable obstacles ” to voting by mail during the pandemic , and some derisive comments by Alabama ’ s secretary of state didn ’ t help matters much either : A district judge in the state last month loosened the state ’ s strict requirements for casting a mail-in ballot in three counties where plaintiffs lived , including two that contain the state ’ s largest cities , Birmingham and Mobile .
He also lifted the state ’ s ban on counties offering curbside ballot pickup , although he did @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The court finds that the burdens imposed by the challenged election laws on voters at high risk of severe complications or death from COVID-19 are not justified by the state ’ s interests in enforcing the laws , ” wrote Judge Abdul K. Kallon .
… The state said it was not a great obstacle even for someone who has self-quarantined to ask masked neighbors to witness the application .
But the courts in their orders mentioned dismissive comments of Secretary of State John H. Merrill when he was asked by a voter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the photo ID requirement .
“ When I come to your house and show you how to use your printer I can also show you how to tie your shoes and to tie your tie , ” Merrill said .
“ I could also go with you to Walmart or Kinko ’ s and make sure that you know how to get a copy of your ID made while you ’ re buying cigarettes or alcohol.
” That didn ’ t impress the district or appellate court , but it didn ’ t @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nor should it .
Merrill ’ s statement may have been impolitic but it was also largely correct .
People never have been completely locked down , and now states are reopening on a broad scale .
There has always been access to places with photocopiers , and to post offices and mailboxes too for that matter .
This primary isn ’ t different in those regards than any other , although the witnessing requirement might need a little more forethought and care than usual .
If this set of restrictions are too @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for the state legislature , not the courts , and the time to address it is well before an election .
This is even less urgent than in Wisconsin , when the court slapped down an order by a district judge changing election rules in the first week of April .
That actually took place at the apex of shutdown restrictions , when government action really did throw up extraordinary obstacles to voting .
The issue in Alabama was nowhere near as acute as it was in Wisconsin at that time , so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ precedents is hardly surprising now .
Expect to hear lots and lots of hue and cry over “ vote suppression , ” but stare decisis was popular enough last week .
Don ’ t expect it to be as popular today .

In fact, pretty much skip everything lower courts told Alabama to do related to its upcoming primary in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Supreme Court ordered last night. On a stay issued with a relatively rare recorded vote, the justices blocked lower-court orders that would have forced Alabama to change its election rules with less than two weeks to go before the election. The terse order didn’t include the majority’s reasoning, but the precedent of Wisconsin earlier in this term with the same 5-4 split seems to be the likeliest explanation:
A sharply divided Supreme Court stepped in on Thursday night to block a judge’s order requiring Alabama to allow some curbside voting and lift absentee-ballot witness requirements for the Republican Senate primary runoff set to take place on July 14. The justices voted, 5-4, along ideological lines to block the lower-court ruling, allowing Alabama to carry out the election under its usual rules. … The Supreme Court’s ruling on Thursday in the Alabama case appeared to echo its decision on a 5-4 vote in April to overturn a federal judge’s order requiring Wisconsin officials to count primary ballots received after Election Day. In that case, the court’s majority declared: “This Court has repeatedly emphasized that lower federal courts should ordinarily not alter the election rules on the eve of an election.”
Alabama, the Washington Post noted, has perhaps the most stringent requirements for absentee balloting. The state explicitly forbids curbside pickup, for one thing, but also requires witnesses to sign the ballots and photocopies of IDs to accompany them. The NAACP sued to lift those restrictions, claiming that they created “nearly insurmountable obstacles” to voting by mail during the pandemic, and some derisive comments by Alabama’s secretary of state didn’t help matters much either:
A district judge in the state last month loosened the state’s strict requirements for casting a mail-in ballot in three counties where plaintiffs lived, including two that contain the state’s largest cities, Birmingham and Mobile. He also lifted the state’s ban on counties offering curbside ballot pickup, although he did not mandate they offer it. “The court finds that the burdens imposed by the challenged election laws on voters at high risk of severe complications or death from COVID-19 are not justified by the state’s interests in enforcing the laws,” wrote Judge Abdul K. Kallon. … The state said it was not a great obstacle even for someone who has self-quarantined to ask masked neighbors to witness the application. But the courts in their orders mentioned dismissive comments of Secretary of State John H. Merrill when he was asked by a voter on social media how to comply with the photo ID requirement. “When I come to your house and show you how to use your printer I can also show you how to tie your shoes and to tie your tie,” Merrill said. “I could also go with you to Walmart or Kinko’s and make sure that you know how to get a copy of your ID made while you’re buying cigarettes or alcohol.”
That didn’t impress the district or appellate court, but it didn’t matter much to the Supreme Court — nor should it. Merrill’s statement may have been impolitic but it was also largely correct. People never have been completely locked down, and now states are reopening on a broad scale. There has always been access to places with photocopiers, and to post offices and mailboxes too for that matter. This primary isn’t different in those regards than any other, although the witnessing requirement might need a little more forethought and care than usual.
If this set of restrictions are too tight, that’s a matter for the state legislature, not the courts, and the time to address it is well before an election. This is even less urgent than in Wisconsin, when the court slapped down an order by a district judge changing election rules in the first week of April. That actually took place at the apex of shutdown restrictions, when government action really did throw up extraordinary obstacles to voting. The issue in Alabama was nowhere near as acute as it was in Wisconsin at that time, so an order telling lower courts to obey precedents is hardly surprising now.
Expect to hear lots and lots of hue and cry over “vote suppression,” but stare decisis was popular enough last week. Don’t expect it to be as popular today.


hotair--2020-07-04--Happy Birthday, America. Our complicated history doesn't lessen your stature

To all of our readers , greetings , and congratulations on making it past the halfway point of 2020 and to Independence Day .
As most of you have likely heard , the fireworks display and address by our President at Mount Rushmore went ahead after some early delays caused by protesters .
The world stubbornly refused to catch on fire and , aside from a few arrests of people blocking roads , the proceedings went off about as well as could be expected .
But I still felt rather sad about the variety of protests taking place almost literally @ @ @ @ @ @ @ most massive monuments to our nation ’ s history imaginable .
At a moment when we should be celebrating America ’ s greatness , the ongoing unrest and strife continued .
To be sure , many have legitimate complaints from both the past and present , all of which are currently being examined yet again .
The two themes we hear the most often have to do with our country ’ s treatment of Indigenous peoples and our legacy of slavery from the early days of the union .
With that in mind @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up a less-often studied piece of American history for your consideration today .
It comes to us in the form of a letter written in 1774 ( two years before the revolution ) by James Madison to William Bradford , the Philadelphia printer , pamphleteer , and soldier of high regard .
I selected this piece of correspondence because it speaks to all of the issues I mentioned above .
Madison was writing to Bradford to thank him for some pamphlets , letters and news reports from Pennsylvania , then going on to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Madison begins with an account of a battle between a group of soldiers serving under Lord Dunmore against several encampments of “ the Shawnese ” where there was great loss of life , but an eventual victory for the Virginia militias .
As part of his description , Madison refers to the Indigenous people in the aftermath of the battle by saying , “ This it seems was the last effort of the Savages for they immediately sued for peace as the only method to save themselves & their towns from destruction.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ author was quite free with the term “ savages.
” But Madison then goes on to provide an update on preparations for a possible war of independence against the British .
I will share this paragraph in full , as it speaks to where we came from and how our nation established its freedom , even if that freedom didn ’ t originally apply to everyone equally .
“ The proceedings of the Congress are universally approved of in this Province & I am persuaded will be faithfully adheared to .
A spirit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and denominations of men .
Many publickly declare themselves ready to join the Bostonians as soon as violence is offered them or resistance thought expedient .
In many counties independent companies are forming and voluntaraly subjecting themselves to military discipline that they may be expert & prepared against a time of Need .
I hope it will be a general thing thro ’ ought6 this province .
Such firm and provident steps will either intimidate our enemies or enable us to defy them.
” From there , however , Madison takes an immediate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sore points we ’ re dealing with today in the ongoing protest , riots , and unrest : slavery .
His concern is not for the welfare of the slaves , but rather a fear that they might rise up in insurrection if the British were to arrive in numbers and begin hostilities .
This is that section of the letter .
“ If america & Britain should come to an hostile rupture I am afraid an Insurrection among the slaves may & will be promoted .
In one of our Counties lately @ @ @ @ @ @ @ together & chose a leader who was to conduct them when the English Troops should arrive—which they foolishly thought would be very soon & that by revolting to them they should be rewarded with their freedom .
Their Intentions were soon discovered & proper precautions taken to prevent the Infection .
It is prudent such attempts should be concealed as well as suppressed.
” As you can see , Madison wasn ’ t engaging any particularly “ woke ” form of language .
The African slaves , referred to as “ unhappy wretches @ @ @ @ @ @ @ treated as a potential source of “ infection , ” and suppressed .
This is on par with Madison ’ s description of the Indigenous peoples as “ savages ” who needed to be removed from their ancestral homes to make way for the colonists .
So why should we care about this in the 21st century and how does it apply to the questions we ’ re grappling with today ?
Madison , as with all the founders , was a patriot and a visionary .
He harbored a burning desire for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a new system of government that would wipe away many of the injustices visited upon the colonists by an oppressive monarchy .
He saw a brighter future and was one of the many people who charted a path toward that goal , even while knowing that it would be a long and bloody struggle with no assurance of victory in the end .
But at the same time , we should not make the mistake of trying to examine his life through the lens of our current times .
Virtually every white , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( the only people with broadly accepted power in that society ) would fail the test of 2020 sensibilities spectacularly .
Looked at from modern standards , these men were not saints .
If we ’ re being honest , they weren ’ t all seen as saints in their own era .
( Ben Franklin was famous , or perhaps infamous for his excesses and debauchery . )
But they were all , as the saying goes , a product of their times .
They descended from Europeans who had expanded their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the less developed civilizations they encountered , either explicitly or in practice .
And they weren ’ t alone .
The entire planet was populated with people who had exploited others for their own gain for all of recorded history .
The battles between the Japanese and the Chinese , along with the human rights horror shows that followed , were legendary .
Even in Africa , the various tribes warred with each other , taking captives and eagerly selling off their enemies to the slavers who arrived at their coasts .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ progressives rail against anyone invoking the phrase , those were different times .
It ’ s how the world worked .
I will leave it to others to contemplate what this says about us as a species , but that was the reality of living in that era .
And yet , for all of their flaws as viewed in today ’ s woke environment , these are the people who carved out the nation that would eventually grow into the greatest superpower the world has ever seen , along with being one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on the planet , offering nearly unprecedented opportunities for all .
And they did it by creating a system that could ( and would ) adjust and improve as it went .
We ’ re nowhere near perfect yet .
Perhaps perfection is unattainable .
But we ’ ve come a tremendous distance from the flaws of the past .
And those seeking to wipe the memories of these men from the face of the Earth are doing our society no favors .
Keep that in mind as we celebrate the nation ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plenty of aspects of our past that we need to continue to learn from .
But that past is also the fountain that led to the vastly improved society we enjoy today .
Happy Independence Day , America .
You are better today than ever before and you ’ ll continue to improve in the future… if you ’ re given the chance .
And that ’ s still not a sure thing , even today .
So also keep in mind what the aforementioned hedonist Ben Franklin said when asked if we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ A republic… if you can keep it .
”

To all of our readers, greetings, and congratulations on making it past the halfway point of 2020 and to Independence Day. As most of you have likely heard, the fireworks display and address by our President at Mount Rushmore went ahead after some early delays caused by protesters. The world stubbornly refused to catch on fire and, aside from a few arrests of people blocking roads, the proceedings went off about as well as could be expected.
But I still felt rather sad about the variety of protests taking place almost literally in the shadow of one of the most massive monuments to our nation’s history imaginable. At a moment when we should be celebrating America’s greatness, the ongoing unrest and strife continued. To be sure, many have legitimate complaints from both the past and present, all of which are currently being examined yet again. The two themes we hear the most often have to do with our country’s treatment of Indigenous peoples and our legacy of slavery from the early days of the union.
With that in mind, I’d like to offer up a less-often studied piece of American history for your consideration today. It comes to us in the form of a letter written in 1774 (two years before the revolution) by James Madison to William Bradford, the Philadelphia printer, pamphleteer, and soldier of high regard. I selected this piece of correspondence because it speaks to all of the issues I mentioned above. Madison was writing to Bradford to thank him for some pamphlets, letters and news reports from Pennsylvania, then going on to update him on recent events from Virginia.
Madison begins with an account of a battle between a group of soldiers serving under Lord Dunmore against several encampments of “the Shawnese” where there was great loss of life, but an eventual victory for the Virginia militias. As part of his description, Madison refers to the Indigenous people in the aftermath of the battle by saying, “This it seems was the last effort of the Savages for they immediately sued for peace as the only method to save themselves & their towns from destruction.”
As you can see, the author was quite free with the term “savages.”
But Madison then goes on to provide an update on preparations for a possible war of independence against the British. I will share this paragraph in full, as it speaks to where we came from and how our nation established its freedom, even if that freedom didn’t originally apply to everyone equally.
“The proceedings of the Congress are universally approved of in this Province & I am persuaded will be faithfully adheared to. A spirit of Liberty & Patriotism animates all degrees and denominations of men. Many publickly declare themselves ready to join the Bostonians as soon as violence is offered them or resistance thought expedient. In many counties independent companies are forming and voluntaraly subjecting themselves to military discipline that they may be expert & prepared against a time of Need. I hope it will be a general thing thro’ought6 this province. Such firm and provident steps will either intimidate our enemies or enable us to defy them.”
From there, however, Madison takes an immediate turn and addresses one of the other sore points we’re dealing with today in the ongoing protest, riots, and unrest: slavery. His concern is not for the welfare of the slaves, but rather a fear that they might rise up in insurrection if the British were to arrive in numbers and begin hostilities. This is that section of the letter.
“If america & Britain should come to an hostile rupture I am afraid an Insurrection among the slaves may & will be promoted. In one of our Counties lately a few of those unhappy wretches met together & chose a leader who was to conduct them when the English Troops should arrive—which they foolishly thought would be very soon & that by revolting to them they should be rewarded with their freedom. Their Intentions were soon discovered & proper precautions taken to prevent the Infection. It is prudent such attempts should be concealed as well as suppressed.”
As you can see, Madison wasn’t engaging any particularly “woke” form of language. The African slaves, referred to as “unhappy wretches,” were to be feared, treated as a potential source of “infection,” and suppressed. This is on par with Madison’s description of the Indigenous peoples as “savages” who needed to be removed from their ancestral homes to make way for the colonists.
So why should we care about this in the 21st century and how does it apply to the questions we’re grappling with today? Madison, as with all the founders, was a patriot and a visionary. He harbored a burning desire for freedom from the English crown and envisioned a new system of government that would wipe away many of the injustices visited upon the colonists by an oppressive monarchy. He saw a brighter future and was one of the many people who charted a path toward that goal, even while knowing that it would be a long and bloody struggle with no assurance of victory in the end.
But at the same time, we should not make the mistake of trying to examine his life through the lens of our current times. Virtually every white, male landowner in the colonies in 1774 (the only people with broadly accepted power in that society) would fail the test of 2020 sensibilities spectacularly. Looked at from modern standards, these men were not saints. If we’re being honest, they weren’t all seen as saints in their own era. (Ben Franklin was famous, or perhaps infamous for his excesses and debauchery.) But they were all, as the saying goes, a product of their times. They descended from Europeans who had expanded their reach around the globe, frequently enslaving the less developed civilizations they encountered, either explicitly or in practice. And they weren’t alone. The entire planet was populated with people who had exploited others for their own gain for all of recorded history. The battles between the Japanese and the Chinese, along with the human rights horror shows that followed, were legendary. Even in Africa, the various tribes warred with each other, taking captives and eagerly selling off their enemies to the slavers who arrived at their coasts.
In other words, as much as modern progressives rail against anyone invoking the phrase, those were different times. It’s how the world worked. I will leave it to others to contemplate what this says about us as a species, but that was the reality of living in that era. And yet, for all of their flaws as viewed in today’s woke environment, these are the people who carved out the nation that would eventually grow into the greatest superpower the world has ever seen, along with being one of the most free and fair societies on the planet, offering nearly unprecedented opportunities for all. And they did it by creating a system that could (and would) adjust and improve as it went. We’re nowhere near perfect yet. Perhaps perfection is unattainable. But we’ve come a tremendous distance from the flaws of the past. And those seeking to wipe the memories of these men from the face of the Earth are doing our society no favors.
Keep that in mind as we celebrate the nation’s birthday this weekend. There are plenty of aspects of our past that we need to continue to learn from. But that past is also the fountain that led to the vastly improved society we enjoy today. Happy Independence Day, America. You are better today than ever before and you’ll continue to improve in the future… if you’re given the chance. And that’s still not a sure thing, even today. So also keep in mind what the aforementioned hedonist Ben Franklin said when asked if we would have a monarchy or a republic. “A republic… if you can keep it.”


hotair--2020-07-04--WaPo: Enjoy your "tsunami of gloom" on the 4th of July

So how are your Independence Day celebrations going thus far ?
Enjoyable , I hope , with lots of time with family , friends , and fun .
If so , you might want to avoid looking at the Washington Post until at least tomorrow , because not everyone wants to see you in a joyous , celebratory or hopeful mood .
The Post ’ s resident Debby Downer , Robert J. Samuelson , chooses to burn up his 4th of July ink on a subject without such a hopeful perspective .
It ’ s titled , “ Americans are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a lesson to learn here.
” Man… that just makes you want to run out and toss a couple more brats on the grill , doesn ’ t it ?
Samuelson launches into this cruise down happiness lane by saying , “ it would be astounding if Americans were not in a sour mood over the July 4 weekend.
” Really ?
Why the long face , Bob ?
It sounds like something has you down .
By way of explanation , the op-ed writer points the finger of blame at Karlyn Bowman @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s compiled a list of polling statistics supposedly showing why we are ( and should be ) relatively miserable this year .
Public opinion polls show that on a long list of subjects Americans are angry , pessimistic , disillusioned and fed up .
They fear for themselves , their children , the economy , the United States ’ role in the world and for their own happiness .
We know this because Karlyn Bowman , the public opinion guru at the American Enterprise Institute , has done us the favor of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ describes the national mood .
Here are some of the most interesting , gathered with the help of Samantha Goldstein , her research assistant : First of all , I ’ m going to have to throw the flag on a couple of the figures being cited here .
The author cites a University of Chicago NORC poll on “ happiness ” in general showing that only 14 % of Americans said they are “ very happy.
” Sure , that sounds on the low side , but more than 60 % said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ more than three-quarters of American voters were at least somewhat happy .
That ’ s a lot .
Meanwhile , only 23 % said they were “ not too happy ” and virtually nobody said they were “ very unhappy.
” That ’ s a huge margin in favor of people being at least generally happy .
The next poll being picked out of thin air shows that only 35 % of Americans consider race relations in this country to be “ generally good.
” Pardon my saying , but with the 24/7 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ various protests and riots in our larger cities by Samuelson ’ s newspaper and most of cable news , is this any surprise ?
Of course , if you step away from the television for a little while and take a walk outside , there seem to be lots of people of all stripes getting along just fine .
Also , I would note that many of these protests are populated by huge numbers of white people marching alongside Black and Hispanic protesters .
Seems to me like they aren ’ t struggling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the subject of how “ patriotic ” people are feeling .
He cites a survey showing that “ only ” 63 % were “ very ” or “ extremely ” proud to be an American .
He goes on to note that this figure was as high as 90 % in the early 2000s .
Yes , Mr. Samuelson .
Of course it was higher then .
That was right after 9/11 and the nation was rallying together against an external , existential threat .
In the current , divided political climate , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bad .
The author goes on to describe the data as “ a tsunami of gloom.
” This is used as a springboard to explain how everyone needs to “ surrender some of our individual choice ” to further the public good .
( That means wear your masks like you ’ re being told and don ’ t be a rebel . )
Apparently , there is never a bad time to push for more authoritarian government control .
I don ’ t know about Mr. Samuelson ’ s neighborhood , but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in real life around here aren ’ t miserable .
Sure , they all have their share of problems .
The coronavirus is causing havoc and impacting people ’ s livelihoods , as well as creating anxiety .
It ’ s tanked the economy more than a little , and that affects everyone as well .
But we ’ ve been through hard times before .
For now , the summer season has arrived and people really want to get on with their lives , not wallow in despair .
All I can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Washington Post must be a very dreary place to work these days .
Chin up , Bob .
Things will be okay .

So how are your Independence Day celebrations going thus far? Enjoyable, I hope, with lots of time with family, friends, and fun. If so, you might want to avoid looking at the Washington Post until at least tomorrow, because not everyone wants to see you in a joyous, celebratory or hopeful mood. The Post’s resident Debby Downer, Robert J. Samuelson, chooses to burn up his 4th of July ink on a subject without such a hopeful perspective. It’s titled, “Americans are historically unhappy. But there’s a lesson to learn here.” Man… that just makes you want to run out and toss a couple more brats on the grill, doesn’t it?
Samuelson launches into this cruise down happiness lane by saying, “it would be astounding if Americans were not in a sour mood over the July 4 weekend.” Really? Why the long face, Bob? It sounds like something has you down. By way of explanation, the op-ed writer points the finger of blame at Karlyn Bowman of the American Enterprise Institute. She’s compiled a list of polling statistics supposedly showing why we are (and should be) relatively miserable this year.
Public opinion polls show that on a long list of subjects Americans are angry, pessimistic, disillusioned and fed up. They fear for themselves, their children, the economy, the United States’ role in the world and for their own happiness. We know this because Karlyn Bowman, the public opinion guru at the American Enterprise Institute, has done us the favor of collecting a long list of statistics that describes the national mood. Here are some of the most interesting, gathered with the help of Samantha Goldstein, her research assistant:
First of all, I’m going to have to throw the flag on a couple of the figures being cited here. The author cites a University of Chicago NORC poll on “happiness” in general showing that only 14% of Americans said they are “very happy.” Sure, that sounds on the low side, but more than 60% said they were “pretty happy.” So more than three-quarters of American voters were at least somewhat happy. That’s a lot. Meanwhile, only 23% said they were “not too happy” and virtually nobody said they were “very unhappy.” That’s a huge margin in favor of people being at least generally happy.
The next poll being picked out of thin air shows that only 35% of Americans consider race relations in this country to be “generally good.” Pardon my saying, but with the 24/7 focus being put on racial unrest at various protests and riots in our larger cities by Samuelson’s newspaper and most of cable news, is this any surprise? Of course, if you step away from the television for a little while and take a walk outside, there seem to be lots of people of all stripes getting along just fine. Also, I would note that many of these protests are populated by huge numbers of white people marching alongside Black and Hispanic protesters. Seems to me like they aren’t struggling with racial bias.
Samuelson next tackles the subject of how “patriotic” people are feeling. He cites a survey showing that “only” 63% were “very” or “extremely” proud to be an American. He goes on to note that this figure was as high as 90% in the early 2000s. Yes, Mr. Samuelson. Of course it was higher then. That was right after 9/11 and the nation was rallying together against an external, existential threat. In the current, divided political climate, 63% isn’t all that bad.
The author goes on to describe the data as “a tsunami of gloom.” This is used as a springboard to explain how everyone needs to “surrender some of our individual choice” to further the public good. (That means wear your masks like you’re being told and don’t be a rebel.) Apparently, there is never a bad time to push for more authoritarian government control.
I don’t know about Mr. Samuelson’s neighborhood, but most of the people I talk to in real life around here aren’t miserable. Sure, they all have their share of problems. The coronavirus is causing havoc and impacting people’s livelihoods, as well as creating anxiety. It’s tanked the economy more than a little, and that affects everyone as well. But we’ve been through hard times before. For now, the summer season has arrived and people really want to get on with their lives, not wallow in despair. All I can say is that the offices of the Washington Post must be a very dreary place to work these days. Chin up, Bob. Things will be okay.


hotair--2020-07-05--Sunday morning talking heads

Sunday morning talking heads

Political A-listers are enjoying a holiday weekend away from TV this morning , freeing up rare national airtime for local officials who represent some of America ’ s worst coronavirus hot spots .
“ This Week ” and “ Face the Nation ” will each feature mayors and/or county leaders from Miami and Houston , with “ This Week ” adding the mayor of Phoenix , Arizona , as well .
“ State of the Union ” will counter with the mayor of Austin .
Everyone will face the same questions : Does the latest data in their jurisdiction suggest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ?
If not , how much longer before they order new lockdowns ?
And what ’ s the plan if they do that and it doesn ’ t work ?
The closest thing to an A-lister is FDA chief Stephen Hahn , who ’ ll chat with “ This Week ” and “ State of the Union ” about the timetable for promising therapeutic drugs like antibody treatments .
He ’ ll also try to put a positive spin on this report alleging that the White House ’ s new strategy against COVID @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to get used to it .
John Bolton is on this morning too , joining “ Face the Nation ” for a little more book promotion and Trump-bashing .
And two dark-horse candidates for Biden ’ s VP will be on to audition for the job by showing their policy chops .
One of them , Susan Rice , is going nowhere as she ’ s never held elected office and has no obvious constituency .
She ’ ll be on “ Meet the Press ” to discuss her latest anti-Trump op-ed .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sen. Tammy Duckworth will chat with “ State of the Union ” about Russia allegedly placing bounties on U.S. troops and her threat to block military promotions in the Senate unless Alex Vindman ’ s promotion is approved by the Pentagon .
Duckworth is a veteran who ’ s overcome debilitating war wounds to build a skyrocketing political career .
She ’ s got a traditional VP resume , is neither too old nor too young , relishes attacking Trump , and of course is a woman .
She ’ s also a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she ’ s not African-American , which is why she ’ ll likely end up being passed over .
Still , there ’ s some support for her out there .
Stay tuned .
The full line-up is at the AP .

Political A-listers are enjoying a holiday weekend away from TV this morning, freeing up rare national airtime for local officials who represent some of America’s worst coronavirus hot spots. “This Week” and “Face the Nation” will each feature mayors and/or county leaders from Miami and Houston, with “This Week” adding the mayor of Phoenix, Arizona, as well. “State of the Union” will counter with the mayor of Austin. Everyone will face the same questions: Does the latest data in their jurisdiction suggest that COVID-19 infections have begun to abate? If not, how much longer before they order new lockdowns?
And what’s the plan if they do that and it doesn’t work?
The closest thing to an A-lister is FDA chief Stephen Hahn, who’ll chat with “This Week” and “State of the Union” about the timetable for promising therapeutic drugs like antibody treatments. He’ll also try to put a positive spin on this report alleging that the White House’s new strategy against COVID is to, ah, tell Americans to get used to it.
John Bolton is on this morning too, joining “Face the Nation” for a little more book promotion and Trump-bashing. And two dark-horse candidates for Biden’s VP will be on to audition for the job by showing their policy chops. One of them, Susan Rice, is going nowhere as she’s never held elected office and has no obvious constituency. She’ll be on “Meet the Press” to discuss her latest anti-Trump op-ed. The other is more promising: Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth will chat with “State of the Union” about Russia allegedly placing bounties on U.S. troops and her threat to block military promotions in the Senate unless Alex Vindman’s promotion is approved by the Pentagon. Duckworth is a veteran who’s overcome debilitating war wounds to build a skyrocketing political career. She’s got a traditional VP resume, is neither too old nor too young, relishes attacking Trump, and of course is a woman. She’s also a woman of color (Asian-American) but she’s not African-American, which is why she’ll likely end up being passed over. Still, there’s some support for her out there. Stay tuned. The full line-up is at the AP.


hotair--2020-07-05--Susan Rice defends VP qualifications

Susan Rice defends VP qualifications

Former National Security Adviser Susan Rice is promising to support Joe Biden ’ s run for the presidency while defending her own qualifications as a potential vice-presidential nominee .
Rice ’ s comments came Sunday on NBC ’ s Meet the Press where she told Andrea Mitchell it was premature to suggest she ’ d be the VP pick .
Well , Andrea , let ’ s not get ahead of ourselves here , right ?
Joe Biden needs to make the decision as to who he thinks will be his best running mate .
And I will do my @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in government , years of making the bureaucracy work .
I ’ ve worked on multiple campaigns , presidential campaigns .
I ’ ve been on the campaign trail as a , as a surrogate .
And I ’ m going to do everything I can to help get Joe Biden elected and to help him succeed as president , whether I ’ m his running mate or I ’ m a door knocker .
I don ’ t mind .
I just want to get Joe Biden elected and see the Democrats @ @ @ @ @ @ @ because , Andrea , we are at a moment where our democracy is at stake , where our leadership role in the world is at stake , where the lives of tens of thousands of Americans are on the line , lost to incompetence and callous leadership that could care less .
We ’ ve got to change that .
This country is a tremendous place , but we have work to do to perfect it .
We have work to do to unite it .
And this president could care less .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in whatever capacity I can serve to support Joe Biden and support this country , that ’ s what I ’ m going to do .
It ’ s a smart stance to take given the fact she appears more of an outside shot for the role compared to Senators Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren .
Eric-Isaac Dovere wrote at The Atlantic in late May he sees Rice as a potential secretary of defense or secretary of state candidate and that Rice , herself , does not expect to be VP .
Her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Congressman Jim Clyburn due to national security issues .
Via The Atlantic : “ I just don ’ t know how the country will look in the next several months , but it would seem to me that we have a lot to do in this country , not to just restore the confidence in the American people , but we ’ ve got to restore confidence around the world , ” Clyburn said .
He told me he ’ d leave Biden to make a decision based on personal dynamics and polling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know that there ’ s another African American woman in the country , or any woman other than maybe Hillary Clinton , who has the stripes that she has on foreign policy.
” This may be why Biden ’ s familiarity with Rice appears to be putting her among the candidates for VP despite the general consensus Harris will be the running mate .
Sources told The Hill today Biden and Rice worked extremely well together in the Obama Administration with one person calling her a “ rock star.
” That source also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ heard since George W. Bush was attempting to decide on a running mate in 2000 .
One factor in this is whether Biden ’ s camp has serious concerns about losing Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren bloc voters in November .
Progressive groups are fans of Harris despite her extremely mixed record on justice reform , a similar record to Biden ’ s own .
Of course , justice reform may not be an issue running up to November given Trump ’ s focus on “ law and order , ” and despite @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ( something he should run on ) .
Harris or Warren as the VP pick seems more of an appeal towards that bloc of voters even though California and Massachusetts are likely going for Biden in November .
Rice is mostly a blank slate , despite her past in the Obama Administration .
Yes , she ’ s a bureaucrat so she ’ d likely explain policy rather decently .
However , would she even matter on the ticket ?
Outside of a potential attack line from Trump on # Obamagate or # @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s calling it today .
The vice-presidency is a rather pointless office with nebulous duties .
It ’ s been used for coalition building and congressional negotiations but now seems more of a campaign surrogate with the occasional meeting with state and international leaders .
The fact is this : it ’ s Biden vs. Trump vs. Jorgensen vs. whoever the Green Party ’ s nominee ends up being in November .
The only way the VP pick really ends up mattering is if Biden picks Hillary Clinton or Michelle Obama .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not sure it would matter .

Former National Security Adviser Susan Rice is promising to support Joe Biden’s run for the presidency while defending her own qualifications as a potential vice-presidential nominee. Rice’s comments came Sunday on NBC’s Meet the Press where she told Andrea Mitchell it was premature to suggest she’d be the VP pick.
Well, Andrea, let’s not get ahead of ourselves here, right? Joe Biden needs to make the decision as to who he thinks will be his best running mate. And I will do my utmost drawing on my experience of years in government, years of making the bureaucracy work. I’ve worked on multiple campaigns, presidential campaigns. I’ve been on the campaign trail as a, as a surrogate. And I’m going to do everything I can to help get Joe Biden elected and to help him succeed as president, whether I’m his running mate or I’m a door knocker. I don’t mind. I just want to get Joe Biden elected and see the Democrats control the Senate and retain the House because, Andrea, we are at a moment where our democracy is at stake, where our leadership role in the world is at stake, where the lives of tens of thousands of Americans are on the line, lost to incompetence and callous leadership that could care less. We’ve got to change that. This country is a tremendous place, but we have work to do to perfect it. We have work to do to unite it. And this president could care less. We need new leadership. And so in whatever capacity I can serve to support Joe Biden and support this country, that’s what I’m going to do.
It’s a smart stance to take given the fact she appears more of an outside shot for the role compared to Senators Kamala Harris and Elizabeth Warren. Eric-Isaac Dovere wrote at The Atlantic in late May he sees Rice as a potential secretary of defense or secretary of state candidate and that Rice, herself, does not expect to be VP. Her biggest backer appears to be Sout Carolina Congressman Jim Clyburn due to national security issues. Via The Atlantic:
“I just don’t know how the country will look in the next several months, but it would seem to me that we have a lot to do in this country, not to just restore the confidence in the American people, but we’ve got to restore confidence around the world,” Clyburn said. He told me he’d leave Biden to make a decision based on personal dynamics and polling, but “I don’t know that there’s another African American woman in the country, or any woman other than maybe Hillary Clinton, who has the stripes that she has on foreign policy.”
This may be why Biden’s familiarity with Rice appears to be putting her among the candidates for VP despite the general consensus Harris will be the running mate. Sources told The Hill today Biden and Rice worked extremely well together in the Obama Administration with one person calling her a “rock star.” That source also used the “gravitas” term not heard since George W. Bush was attempting to decide on a running mate in 2000.
One factor in this is whether Biden’s camp has serious concerns about losing Bernie Sanders or Elizabeth Warren bloc voters in November. Progressive groups are fans of Harris despite her extremely mixed record on justice reform, a similar record to Biden’s own. Of course, justice reform may not be an issue running up to November given Trump’s focus on “law and order,” and despite the fact he signed FIRST Step Act (something he should run on). Harris or Warren as the VP pick seems more of an appeal towards that bloc of voters even though California and Massachusetts are likely going for Biden in November.
Rice is mostly a blank slate, despite her past in the Obama Administration. Yes, she’s a bureaucrat so she’d likely explain policy rather decently. However, would she even matter on the ticket? Outside of a potential attack line from Trump on #Obamagate or #Spygate or whatever the hell he’s calling it today. The vice-presidency is a rather pointless office with nebulous duties. It’s been used for coalition building and congressional negotiations but now seems more of a campaign surrogate with the occasional meeting with state and international leaders.
The fact is this: it’s Biden vs. Trump vs. Jorgensen vs. whoever the Green Party’s nominee ends up being in November. The only way the VP pick really ends up mattering is if Biden picks Hillary Clinton or Michelle Obama. And, even then, I’m not sure it would matter.


hotair--2020-07-05--The "eviction crisis" is looming this month

When the pandemic first hit and emergency relief measures were being passed in a flurry of political activity , it was obvious that a lot of renters could find themselves in trouble pretty quickly .
Lower-income residents who tend to live paycheck to paycheck , particularly in the cities where costs of living are higher , frequently found themselves out of a job .
With the rent coming due and unemployment systems being overwhelmed leading to long delays in receiving benefits , it looked like we might be facing an actual “ eviction crisis.
” But actions taken at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all evictions on hold for up to three months or more .
Now that period is drawing to a close .
Texas was one of the first states to end its eviction moratorium , though some cities kept municipal executive orders along those lines in place .
More states are about to reach the end of the protection period .
So did those temporary measures do any good ?
NBC News reports that all we may have done is kick the can down an increasingly short road .
The Coronavirus Aid , Relief @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Act that Congress passed in March provided a temporary moratorium on evictions , but it was for a fraction of the nation ’ s tenants and some homeowners — applying to those in federally subsidized housing or in housing with federally-backed mortgages .
That is set to expire within the next month .
This has left courts and local governments in many places to create a patchwork of policies and ever-changing guidance around evictions , creating greater uncertainty and confusion amid the coronavirus pandemic .
At the height of the pandemic , 42 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statewide moratoriums on evictions in place , covering millions of renters , but presently , a little more than a dozen states have some kind of eviction protections in place , Emily Benfer , a law professor at Wake Forest University , said .
Almost everyone seems to agree that something needs to be done , but there is precious little agreement about what that “ something ” should look like .
California Representative Maxine Waters has introduced a bill in the house that would expand the federal moratorium on evictions and extend @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Nobody seems to think that bill has any legs , however , and it ’ s expected to fail just as the so-called HEROES Act did in the Senate .
Such an extension at the federal level does nothing more than once again kick the can down the road while causing more and more damage in the private sector .
I discussed some of the complexities dogging this situation when I wrote about the so-called “ rent strikes ” cropping up in many cities and how they will come back to hurt renters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sector .
Waters ’ proposed extension might keep some renters in their apartments for a full year , but unless they are already back to work and/or have managed to secure long-term , enhanced unemployment benefits , they ’ re simply running up a massive bill from their landlords that will come due when the moratorium expires .
In the meantime , landlords ( the majority of whom are private individuals or small businesses with only a few properties ) are losing ground on their own mortgages and facing the prospect of losing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the renter ’ s housing unit from the market in the process . )
It goes deeper than that .
Property owners who are not receiving rent are not paying municipal taxes for schools , infrastructure maintenance and everything else the state and local governments do .
This reduces the availability of local services to those being affected by the pandemic and the resultant economic downturn .
It ’ s a vicious cycle .
But what do we do about it ?
Thus far the only “ solution ” being put forward seems @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Garden picking another trillion dollars off of the magical money tree that clearly must be growing there .
If the federal government pays everyone ’ s rent so the landlords are paid and are then able to pay their taxes , etc .
then the cart continues to rumble along .
But paying the cost for the roughly 43 million rental units in the United States today quickly adds up to a seriously large percentage of our GDP .
That system can ’ t continue for long before collapsing under its own weight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ debt .
What ’ s the real , viable solution ?
Don ’ t look at me .
I ’ m just glad I didn ’ t run for high office anywhere because this is one problem I certainly wouldn ’ t want to drop in my lap .

When the pandemic first hit and emergency relief measures were being passed in a flurry of political activity, it was obvious that a lot of renters could find themselves in trouble pretty quickly. Lower-income residents who tend to live paycheck to paycheck, particularly in the cities where costs of living are higher, frequently found themselves out of a job. With the rent coming due and unemployment systems being overwhelmed leading to long delays in receiving benefits, it looked like we might be facing an actual “eviction crisis.” But actions taken at the federal, state and municipal levels put all evictions on hold for up to three months or more.
Now that period is drawing to a close. Texas was one of the first states to end its eviction moratorium, though some cities kept municipal executive orders along those lines in place. More states are about to reach the end of the protection period. So did those temporary measures do any good? NBC News reports that all we may have done is kick the can down an increasingly short road.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security, or CARES, Act that Congress passed in March provided a temporary moratorium on evictions, but it was for a fraction of the nation’s tenants and some homeowners — applying to those in federally subsidized housing or in housing with federally-backed mortgages. That is set to expire within the next month. This has left courts and local governments in many places to create a patchwork of policies and ever-changing guidance around evictions, creating greater uncertainty and confusion amid the coronavirus pandemic. At the height of the pandemic, 42 states and the District of Columbia had statewide moratoriums on evictions in place, covering millions of renters, but presently, a little more than a dozen states have some kind of eviction protections in place, Emily Benfer, a law professor at Wake Forest University, said.
Almost everyone seems to agree that something needs to be done, but there is precious little agreement about what that “something” should look like. California Representative Maxine Waters has introduced a bill in the house that would expand the federal moratorium on evictions and extend it until March of next year. Nobody seems to think that bill has any legs, however, and it’s expected to fail just as the so-called HEROES Act did in the Senate.
Such an extension at the federal level does nothing more than once again kick the can down the road while causing more and more damage in the private sector. I discussed some of the complexities dogging this situation when I wrote about the so-called “rent strikes” cropping up in many cities and how they will come back to hurt renters, along with most of the private sector.
Waters’ proposed extension might keep some renters in their apartments for a full year, but unless they are already back to work and/or have managed to secure long-term, enhanced unemployment benefits, they’re simply running up a massive bill from their landlords that will come due when the moratorium expires. In the meantime, landlords (the majority of whom are private individuals or small businesses with only a few properties) are losing ground on their own mortgages and facing the prospect of losing their investments entirely. (And removing the renter’s housing unit from the market in the process.)
It goes deeper than that. Property owners who are not receiving rent are not paying municipal taxes for schools, infrastructure maintenance and everything else the state and local governments do. This reduces the availability of local services to those being affected by the pandemic and the resultant economic downturn. It’s a vicious cycle.
But what do we do about it? Thus far the only “solution” being put forward seems to be heading out to the Rose Garden picking another trillion dollars off of the magical money tree that clearly must be growing there. If the federal government pays everyone’s rent so the landlords are paid and are then able to pay their taxes, etc. then the cart continues to rumble along. But paying the cost for the roughly 43 million rental units in the United States today quickly adds up to a seriously large percentage of our GDP. That system can’t continue for long before collapsing under its own weight while further driving up our deficits and debt.
What’s the real, viable solution? Don’t look at me. I’m just glad I didn’t run for high office anywhere because this is one problem I certainly wouldn’t want to drop in my lap.