thewashingtonstandard--2020-02-21--Mark Zuckerberg Targets California’s Middle Class For The Ghetto

Why do people live in California ?
The weather is nice and so are the property taxes .
Unlike a lot of blue states where property taxes make homeownership all but impossible for working-class and even middle-class families , California has the 16th lowest property taxes in the country .
These low rates have allowed California homeowners and businesses who predated the dot com boom to survive in a state and in municipal areas that are rapidly becoming unaffordable to all but a small few .
While housing prices are skyrocketing , property taxes are fixed at the time of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increases a year due to Proposition 13 or the People ’ s Initiative to Limit Property Taxation .
The 1978 proposition dates back to a time when the state ’ s taxpayers protected their own financial interests .
After a string of successful tax increases and debt hikes , Proposition 13 is on the chopping block .
The choppers have been clever enough to introduce a partial repeal that will remove protections for commercial real estate while , for now , promising to preserve them for homeowners .
But , it goes without @ @ @ @ @ @ @ homeowners will be the final stage of the assault .
Splitting the assault on commercial and residential real estate in two divides the opposition and allows it to be picked off separately by the oligarchy of unions , non-profits and dot coms that run California .
That ’ s why every other commercial on local television is either for Michael Bloomberg or the push to tax commercial properties at market value .
The commercials are almost comically misleading , the most frequent offender features a supposed firefighter with a soul patch who claims @ @ @ @ @ @ @ natural disasters from affecting schools .
There are also ridiculous claims that the $ 11 billion in projected revenue is needed to save children from school drinking fountains tainted with lead .
Seven years ago , the Los Angeles Unified School District spent $ 1.3 billion to hand out 650,000 iPads to all its students , but , for some reason , didn ’ t get around to removing those lead pipes .
California schools keep blowing through enough billions to finance a dozen small countries while always crying poverty .
And the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Facebook ’ s Mark Zuckerberg , is the 4th richest man in the world .
With a net worth of over $ 79 billion , Zuckerberg could replace every pipe in California and not even notice the cost .
But instead , the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative , the name of the charity and political organization of one of the world ’ s wealthiest couples , has spent $ 2.1 million to raise other people ’ s taxes even after Facebook had used Ireland as a tax shelter to avoid paying taxes in the United @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Proposition 13 could wipe out small businesses in California as the tax increases from commercial real estate get passed down to small business tenants .
Meanwhile , Facebook is fighting the IRS in court over its Irish tax scam to avoid paying the $ 9 billion in taxes that it owes .
Facebook falsely claimed that its international headquarters was in Dublin even as an email by Sheryl Sandberg , its COO , admitted that it was a tax shelter and the “ international headquarters ” would be “ tiny.
” Instead of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CEO wants to raise taxes for small businesses .
Despite claims that this initiative is philanthropic , shifting the tax base from income tax to property tax would be personally profitable .
The Facebook IPO was big enough to have had a significant impact on California ’ s budget .
Zuckerberg was personally on the hook for $ 200 million .
Other employees and investors were good for over $ 2 billion in state taxes .
Additional stock sales the next year reportedly cost the Facebook boss billions in federal and state taxes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Zuckerberg ’ s Facebook shares .
CZI is going to war against small business for its own profit .
So much for Mark ’ s charity .
California ’ s middle class gets wiped out while Mark Zuckerberg gets closer to that fabled $ 100 billion .
Schools and Communities First , the PAC funded by millions in dirty Facebook money , touts the backing of unions , the ACLU , Joe Biden , Cory Booker , and assorted radical leftist groups , but CZI is the one that really matters .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the same crooked coin , are obviously in it for all the money that they can squeeze out of embattled California taxpayers .
And , in its own way , so is CZI .
Wiping out property tax protections won ’ t hurt the big dot com firms like Facebook .
But it will make it even harder for any prospective rivals to function in an area with impossible rents and the highest housing costs in the country .
That ’ s why one startup was charging $ 1,200 in rent for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ want to focus on their startups ” , but can ’ t actually afford to live there .
The pressures of commercial rents are already catastrophically punishing .
Zuckerberg ’ s move to crush commercial real estate protections will significantly raise the cost of doing business for competitors without Facebook ’ s deep pockets , potentially reduce future income tax impacts on his own vast fortune and those of many Facebook employees , and leave behind chaos as Facebook expands elsewhere .
The dot com has shifted its strategy in the last two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and San Francisco to Zuckerberg ’ s announcement to Facebook employees last year that the area is “ tapped ” and that the company would be expanding outside the Bay Area .
And now that the area is “ tapped ” , Zuckerberg can nuke it from orbit and make sure that other companies will have trouble affording it .
Meanwhile , Zuckerberg and Facebook get props for their social justice .
That ’ s CZI ’ s mission statement .
The collateral damage from this Silicon Valley civil war will extend far @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hit eleven figures , and the pressure cooker of the Bay Area which is on the verge of exploding .
The downward pressure of commercial property tax hikes will turn much of the rest of California into the Bay Area with impossible rents squeezing out small businesses and the people that depend on them .
If you want to see the future of California , imagine a handful of dot coms , satellite startups , and the businesses owned by them , from Whole Foods to the leftovers of the entertainment industry , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the leftovers of the economy .
And a whole lot of poor people living in housing subsidized by dotcoms like Facebook , which dumped $ 1 billion into affordable housing , and taking tech vans for hundreds of miles to do grunt work for the tech masters of the universes .
The California Schools And Local Communities Funding Act is a dot com trojan horse that would turn the state into a Silicon Valley ghetto while wiping out the protections that made a middle-class life possible .
Facebook has already transformed the virtual @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 13 modification would have an equally devastating effect on the physical geography of California .
And it ’ s a potential testbed for Zuckerberg ’ s initiatives that will extend far beyond California ’ s borders .
The Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative draws on nearly limitless funding and its subset , Chan-Zuckerberg Advocacy , has seen only limited use of its power to back a pro-crime initiative in Ohio and tax hikes in California .
But fully unleashed , CZI could fundamentally reshape states and cities for the power and profit of one of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s already reshaping California .
For the worse .

Why do people live in California? The weather is nice and so are the property taxes.
Unlike a lot of blue states where property taxes make homeownership all but impossible for working-class and even middle-class families, California has the 16th lowest property taxes in the country. These low rates have allowed California homeowners and businesses who predated the dot com boom to survive in a state and in municipal areas that are rapidly becoming unaffordable to all but a small few.
While housing prices are skyrocketing, property taxes are fixed at the time of sale with assessments limited to 2% increases a year due to Proposition 13 or the People’s Initiative to Limit Property Taxation.
The 1978 proposition dates back to a time when the state’s taxpayers protected their own financial interests. After a string of successful tax increases and debt hikes, Proposition 13 is on the chopping block. The choppers have been clever enough to introduce a partial repeal that will remove protections for commercial real estate while, for now, promising to preserve them for homeowners. But, it goes without saying, that Proposition 13 protection for homeowners will be the final stage of the assault.
Splitting the assault on commercial and residential real estate in two divides the opposition and allows it to be picked off separately by the oligarchy of unions, non-profits and dot coms that run California.
That’s why every other commercial on local television is either for Michael Bloomberg or the push to tax commercial properties at market value. The commercials are almost comically misleading, the most frequent offender features a supposed firefighter with a soul patch who claims that the money is needed to stop natural disasters from affecting schools. There are also ridiculous claims that the $11 billion in projected revenue is needed to save children from school drinking fountains tainted with lead.
Seven years ago, the Los Angeles Unified School District spent $1.3 billion to hand out 650,000 iPads to all its students, but, for some reason, didn’t get around to removing those lead pipes. California schools keep blowing through enough billions to finance a dozen small countries while always crying poverty.
And the guy behind many of those ads, Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, is the 4th richest man in the world.
With a net worth of over $79 billion, Zuckerberg could replace every pipe in California and not even notice the cost. But instead, the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative, the name of the charity and political organization of one of the world’s wealthiest couples, has spent $2.1 million to raise other people’s taxes even after Facebook had used Ireland as a tax shelter to avoid paying taxes in the United States.
Zuckerberg’s assault on Proposition 13 could wipe out small businesses in California as the tax increases from commercial real estate get passed down to small business tenants. Meanwhile, Facebook is fighting the IRS in court over its Irish tax scam to avoid paying the $9 billion in taxes that it owes.
Facebook falsely claimed that its international headquarters was in Dublin even as an email by Sheryl Sandberg, its COO, admitted that it was a tax shelter and the “international headquarters” would be “tiny.” Instead of paying its taxes, Facebook’s CEO wants to raise taxes for small businesses.
Despite claims that this initiative is philanthropic, shifting the tax base from income tax to property tax would be personally profitable. The Facebook IPO was big enough to have had a significant impact on California’s budget. Zuckerberg was personally on the hook for $200 million. Other employees and investors were good for over $2 billion in state taxes. Additional stock sales the next year reportedly cost the Facebook boss billions in federal and state taxes. The Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative gets its funding from Zuckerberg’s Facebook shares. CZI is going to war against small business for its own profit.
So much for Mark’s charity.
California’s middle class gets wiped out while Mark Zuckerberg gets closer to that fabled $100 billion.
Schools and Communities First, the PAC funded by millions in dirty Facebook money, touts the backing of unions, the ACLU, Joe Biden, Cory Booker, and assorted radical leftist groups, but CZI is the one that really matters. The unions and politicians, two sides of the same crooked coin, are obviously in it for all the money that they can squeeze out of embattled California taxpayers. And, in its own way, so is CZI.
Wiping out property tax protections won’t hurt the big dot com firms like Facebook. But it will make it even harder for any prospective rivals to function in an area with impossible rents and the highest housing costs in the country. That’s why one startup was charging $1,200 in rent for bunk beds for aspiring Zuckerbergs who “want to focus on their startups”, but can’t actually afford to live there.
The pressures of commercial rents are already catastrophically punishing. Zuckerberg’s move to crush commercial real estate protections will significantly raise the cost of doing business for competitors without Facebook’s deep pockets, potentially reduce future income tax impacts on his own vast fortune and those of many Facebook employees, and leave behind chaos as Facebook expands elsewhere.
The dot com has shifted its strategy in the last two years from massive expansion in Menlo Park and San Francisco to Zuckerberg’s announcement to Facebook employees last year that the area is “tapped” and that the company would be expanding outside the Bay Area. And now that the area is “tapped”, Zuckerberg can nuke it from orbit and make sure that other companies will have trouble affording it.
Meanwhile, Zuckerberg and Facebook get props for their social justice. That’s CZI’s mission statement.
The collateral damage from this Silicon Valley civil war will extend far beyond helping Zuckerberg’s net worth hit eleven figures, and the pressure cooker of the Bay Area which is on the verge of exploding.
The downward pressure of commercial property tax hikes will turn much of the rest of California into the Bay Area with impossible rents squeezing out small businesses and the people that depend on them. If you want to see the future of California, imagine a handful of dot coms, satellite startups, and the businesses owned by them, from Whole Foods to the leftovers of the entertainment industry, and gig economy delivery services making up the leftovers of the economy. And a whole lot of poor people living in housing subsidized by dotcoms like Facebook, which dumped $1 billion into affordable housing, and taking tech vans for hundreds of miles to do grunt work for the tech masters of the universes.
The California Schools And Local Communities Funding Act is a dot com trojan horse that would turn the state into a Silicon Valley ghetto while wiping out the protections that made a middle-class life possible.
Facebook has already transformed the virtual geography of social relationships. The Proposition 13 modification would have an equally devastating effect on the physical geography of California. And it’s a potential testbed for Zuckerberg’s initiatives that will extend far beyond California’s borders.
The Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative draws on nearly limitless funding and its subset, Chan-Zuckerberg Advocacy, has seen only limited use of its power to back a pro-crime initiative in Ohio and tax hikes in California. But fully unleashed, CZI could fundamentally reshape states and cities for the power and profit of one of the wealthiest men in the world. It’s already reshaping California. For the worse.
Article posted with permission from Daniel Greenfield


thewashingtonstandard--2020-02-21--Coronavirus Spreads to South Korea – Cases Surge – Death Reported

South Korea has officially recorded its first coronavirus death , as cases surge in the country .
So far , South Korea has been struggling to cope with the outbreak and its economic fallout .
Earlier Thursday , South Korea said it has confirmed a total of 82 cases of the virus .
It seems to be spreading to other places with little hope of containment , although there are quarantine measures in place .
“ National quarantine efforts that are currently focused on blocking the inflow of the virus ( from China ) and stemming its spread are inadequate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ local communities , ” said the mayor of the South Korean city of Daegu , Kwon Young-jin .
Kwon has also urged the city ’ s 2.5 million residents to stay home and refrain from going outside .
New cases in Daegu appear to be linked to a church congregation , according to Time .
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 28 of those 35 new patients went to church services attended by a previously confirmed virus patient or contacted her at other places inside a Daegu church .
That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her early 60s who has no recent record of overseas travel , according to center officials .
She tested positive for the virus on Tuesday , becoming the 31st case in South Korea .
–Time Kwon also asked Daegu citizens to wear masks even indoors if possible .
He expressed fears that the rising infections in the region will soon overwhelm the city ’ s health infrastructure and called for urgent help from the central government in Seoul .
HOW TO PREPARE YOUR HOME ( QUARANTINE ) FOR A PANDEMIC Coronavirus : The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Contraction Of The Virus South Koreans should also consider washing their hands more often to help prevent transmission .
The Shincheonji Church of Jesus , which claims it has about 200,000 followers in the country , said it has closed all of its 74 churches around the nation .
Followers are being urged to stay home and to watch its online worship services on YouTube .
It said in a statement that health officials were disinfecting its church in Daegu , which has about 8,000 followers .
Prepping For The Coronavirus : Hand @ @ @

South Korea has officially recorded its first coronavirus death, as cases surge in the country. So far, South Korea has been struggling to cope with the outbreak and its economic fallout.
Earlier Thursday, South Korea said it has confirmed a total of 82 cases of the virus. It seems to be spreading to other places with little hope of containment, although there are quarantine measures in place.
“National quarantine efforts that are currently focused on blocking the inflow of the virus (from China) and stemming its spread are inadequate for preventing the illness from circulating in local communities,” said the mayor of the South Korean city of Daegu, Kwon Young-jin.
Kwon has also urged the city’s 2.5 million residents to stay home and refrain from going outside.
New cases in Daegu appear to be linked to a church congregation, according to Time.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said 28 of those 35 new patients went to church services attended by a previously confirmed virus patient or contacted her at other places inside a Daegu church. That patient is a South Korean woman in her early 60s who has no recent record of overseas travel, according to center officials. She tested positive for the virus on Tuesday, becoming the 31st case in South Korea. –Time
Kwon also asked Daegu citizens to wear masks even indoors if possible.
He expressed fears that the rising infections in the region will soon overwhelm the city’s health infrastructure and called for urgent help from the central government in Seoul.
HOW TO PREPARE YOUR HOME (QUARANTINE) FOR A PANDEMIC
Coronavirus: The Best Face Masks And How To Prevent Contraction Of The Virus
South Koreans should also consider washing their hands more often to help prevent transmission.
The Shincheonji Church of Jesus, which claims it has about 200,000 followers in the country, said it has closed all of its 74 churches around the nation.
Followers are being urged to stay home and to watch its online worship services on YouTube.
It said in a statement that health officials were disinfecting its church in Daegu, which has about 8,000 followers.
Prepping For The Coronavirus: Hand Washing Is Vital
Article posted with permission from Mac Slavo


thewashingtonstandard--2020-02-21--Independent Claims Jihadi was Inspired by Tommy Robinson, David Wood, Robert Spencer

Lizzie Dearden of the UK ’ s Independent thinks that if we all pretend that Islam is a religion of peace and never speak about its teachings calling for warfare against unbelievers and their subjugation under the rule of Islamic law , jihad activity will go away .
For there are , in Dearden ’ s charmed world , apparently no Muslims preaching violence in the name of Islam ; she would have us believe that only Muslims do that .
That is the point of this spectacularly ridiculous article about how jihad terrorist Mohiussunnath Chowdhury ( pictured above ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ outside Buckingham Palace and whose hate and bloodlust I have covered a great deal over at Jihad Watch , claims he learned from Tommy Robinson , David Wood and me .
It ’ s a bit eye-popping to see us falsely accused of inciting violence by a Muslim , when usually we ’ re falsely accused of inciting violence against Muslims , but there it is .
Dearden readily repeats Chowdhury ’ s claims in her article as if they were completely on the level , and intones piously on Twitter : “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same theological claims as Islamists should take a hard look at themselves.
” She would have us believe that Chowdhury learned from us that Islam teaches violence , but entirely missed all the material we present about how those teachings make people behave monstrously , and that Sharia is bad for individuals and societies , etc .
It ’ s easy to see the reason for this selective reading .
Apparently the establishment media has simply decided that Tommy , David and I are awful people — “ far-right , ” of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ jihad violence and Sharia oppression of women — and “ journalists ” such as Dearden don ’ t care how much they have to tie themselves into logical knots to establish this .
Dearden is not entirely divorced from reality , but the papers have been served and the proceedings are well advanced .
She does mention in a single paragraph that Chowdhury was inspired by Anwar al-Awlaki and Sheikh Faisal , but gives over her headline and 21 paragraphs to trying to convince her readers that Robinson , Wood and I inspired @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , of course , is that Islam is a Religion of Peace , which Robinson , Wood and I are misinterpreting and thereby validating the jihadist interpretation — as if Chowdhury would have been a peaceful , loyal , productive British citizen if he hadn ’ t run afoul of our writings telling him the Qur ’ an taught violence .
If that were so , why were no Muslim clerics , with whom Chowdhury was manifestly in contact , unable to convince him of the true , peaceful Islam ?
Why was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Tommy , David , or I wrote or said anything ?
If we validated the jihadist interpretation of Islam , where did it come from , and why did it have so much resonance among Muslims before we came along ?
Dearden also calls Jihad Watch a “ conspiracy blog ” that “ claims Muslims are trying to ‘ destroy western societies and impose Islamic law ’ , and seeks to prove that violent jihad is mandated by the Quran.
” Well , some Muslims are certainly trying to destroy Western societies and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ know that , since Mohiussunnath Chowdhury is one of them .
Meanwhile , can she document one “ conspiracy theory ” we spread at Jihad Watch ?
Can she show how we have misrepresented , misquoted , or misinterpreted the Qur ’ an ?
Of course not , and she doesn ’ t even try .
She is , after all , an establishment media “ journalist.
” I asked her the same question and some others on Twitter ; she ignored the questions .
Nowadays , you see , a “ journalist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ she is writing about for comment ; neither does she have any obligation to explain or justify her defamation of them .
The Independent , like the rest of the establishment media today , is not even remotely a genuine news organization .
It is just a propaganda arm for the hard-Left .
Lizzie Dearden knows this .
I know it as well .
You know it .
But like its propagandistic colleagues , the Independent is staking its declining fortunes on the hope that there are some naïve and uninformed people still @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a news outlet , and will obediently take away from Dearden ’ s article the idea that if we all just shut up about jihad and pretend that Islam is peaceful , then it will be .
The consequences of this fantasy and wishful thinking could be quite literally explosive , as jihadis will without any doubt continue recruiting peaceful Muslims to their cause even after foes of jihad violence are silenced .
Does Lizzie Dearden care about that ?
It ’ s unlikely she would risk venturing so deeply into “ Islamophobia @ @

Lizzie Dearden of the UK’s Independent thinks that if we all pretend that Islam is a religion of peace and never speak about its teachings calling for warfare against unbelievers and their subjugation under the rule of Islamic law, jihad activity will go away. For there are, in Dearden’s charmed world, apparently no Muslims preaching violence in the name of Islam; she would have us believe that only Muslims do that.
That is the point of this spectacularly ridiculous article about how jihad terrorist Mohiussunnath Chowdhury (pictured above), who attacked police with a sword outside Buckingham Palace and whose hate and bloodlust I have covered a great deal over at Jihad Watch, claims he learned from Tommy Robinson, David Wood and me.
It’s a bit eye-popping to see us falsely accused of inciting violence by a Muslim, when usually we’re falsely accused of inciting violence against Muslims, but there it is. Dearden readily repeats Chowdhury’s claims in her article as if they were completely on the level, and intones piously on Twitter: “Those on the right who are spouting the same theological claims as Islamists should take a hard look at themselves.” She would have us believe that Chowdhury learned from us that Islam teaches violence, but entirely missed all the material we present about how those teachings make people behave monstrously, and that Sharia is bad for individuals and societies, etc.
It’s easy to see the reason for this selective reading. Apparently the establishment media has simply decided that Tommy, David and I are awful people — “far-right,” of course, for the crime of opposing jihad violence and Sharia oppression of women — and “journalists” such as Dearden don’t care how much they have to tie themselves into logical knots to establish this.
Dearden is not entirely divorced from reality, but the papers have been served and the proceedings are well advanced. She does mention in a single paragraph that Chowdhury was inspired by Anwar al-Awlaki and Sheikh Faisal, but gives over her headline and 21 paragraphs to trying to convince her readers that Robinson, Wood and I inspired Chowdhury.
Her guiding assumption in this, of course, is that Islam is a Religion of Peace, which Robinson, Wood and I are misinterpreting and thereby validating the jihadist interpretation — as if Chowdhury would have been a peaceful, loyal, productive British citizen if he hadn’t run afoul of our writings telling him the Qur’an taught violence.
If that were so, why were no Muslim clerics, with whom Chowdhury was manifestly in contact, unable to convince him of the true, peaceful Islam? Why was there jihad violence for 1,400 years before Tommy, David, or I wrote or said anything? If we validated the jihadist interpretation of Islam, where did it come from, and why did it have so much resonance among Muslims before we came along?
Dearden also calls Jihad Watch a “conspiracy blog” that “claims Muslims are trying to ‘destroy western societies and impose Islamic law’, and seeks to prove that violent jihad is mandated by the Quran.”
Well, some Muslims are certainly trying to destroy Western societies and impose Islamic law. Lizzie Dearden should know that, since Mohiussunnath Chowdhury is one of them. Meanwhile, can she document one “conspiracy theory” we spread at Jihad Watch? Can she show how we have misrepresented, misquoted, or misinterpreted the Qur’an? Of course not, and she doesn’t even try. She is, after all, an establishment media “journalist.”
I asked her the same question and some others on Twitter; she ignored the questions. Nowadays, you see, a “journalist” need not seek out the people she is writing about for comment; neither does she have any obligation to explain or justify her defamation of them. The Independent, like the rest of the establishment media today, is not even remotely a genuine news organization. It is just a propaganda arm for the hard-Left.
Lizzie Dearden knows this. I know it as well. You know it. But like its propagandistic colleagues, the Independent is staking its declining fortunes on the hope that there are some naïve and uninformed people still out there who still believe it is a news outlet, and will obediently take away from Dearden’s article the idea that if we all just shut up about jihad and pretend that Islam is peaceful, then it will be. The consequences of this fantasy and wishful thinking could be quite literally explosive, as jihadis will without any doubt continue recruiting peaceful Muslims to their cause even after foes of jihad violence are silenced. Does Lizzie Dearden care about that? It’s unlikely she would risk venturing so deeply into “Islamophobia.”
Article posted with permission from Robert Spencer


thewashingtonstandard--2020-02-21--North Carolina Cop Gets 7 Years For Arresting People For Heroin, Stealing It From Sheriff’s Office &

North Carolina Cop Gets 7 Years For Arresting People For Heroin, Stealing It From Sheriff’s Office & Selling It

A Haywood County , North Carolina detective was sentenced to just over 7 years in prison after breaking into the evidence locker of the Haywood County Sheriff ’ s Office and stealing heroin that belonged to people he arrested , and then turning around and selling it .
Jack Burns of The Free Thought Project has the story .
Haywood County , NC — A Haywood County detective was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison this week for breaking into the evidence locker and dealing heroin .
Kevin Smathers was terminated from the Haywood County Sheriff ’ s Office ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crimes were discovered and the State Bureau of Investigations ( SBI ) was asked to come and investigate .
During his time as a detective , Smathers was undoubtedly responsible for putting drug dealers behind bars—only to become one himself .
After the scandal came to light , the Sheriff ’ s Office asked for outside auditors to take inventory of the evidence room .
Following the audit , in the Spring of 2019 , Smathers was indicted on 16 counts of breaking and entering ( Evidence Room ) and 1 count of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with the HCSO in 2007 and eventually worked his way up to being appointed as a detective within the department .
Sheriff Greg Christopher issued the following press release which reads in part : Apparently worse than substandard police work , Smathers ’ actions undermined not only the community ’ s trust but also the judicial process for each and every suspect with which he had contact .
Any defense attorney worth his weight in salt would now be poised to help get his/her clients released because the deputy turned detective has now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In other words , each and every case in which someone went to jail or prison under this bad cop runs the risk of being overturned .
Not only are overturned convictions at stake but those who ’ ve been wrongfully arrested may be able to have not only their convictions overturned but might be entitled to financial compensation as well .
Christopher has since hired a full-time staffer to manage the evidence room , presumably to prevent a recurrence of the theft .
The sheriff also alluded to the erosion of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Along with Smathers ’ 90-120 months in prison , the former police detective has been ordered to pay a mandatory $ 100,000 fine .
Sheriff Christopher ’ s earlier statement made at the time of the arrest sums up what he perceived to be the damage done when Smathers ’ crimes rose to the surface .
He wrote : The mandatory prison terms and fines associated with the detective ’ s sentencing further underscores the need for the government to cease its War on Drugs .
Jailing a drug addict only delays @ @ @ @ @ @ @ release from jail , almost always returns to the drug .
Society must take contemplative approaches as to how we treat drug addicts .
Putting drug users in prison with violent , hardened criminals , not only does nothing to reform the person , it only adds to the degradation of individuals and leads to a morally bankrupt society .
In the end , the people paid this man ’ s salary to commit the crimes he committed and then are going to turn around to keep him up for the next seven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and their property being held hostage for immoral taxes .
Somehow , I don ’ t think justice has been served .
Article posted with permission from Sons Of Liberty Media

A Haywood County, North Carolina detective was sentenced to just over 7 years in prison after breaking into the evidence locker of the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office and stealing heroin that belonged to people he arrested, and then turning around and selling it.
Jack Burns of The Free Thought Project has the story.
Haywood County, NC — A Haywood County detective was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison this week for breaking into the evidence locker and dealing heroin. Kevin Smathers was terminated from the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) in August 2018 after his crimes were discovered and the State Bureau of Investigations (SBI) was asked to come and investigate. During his time as a detective, Smathers was undoubtedly responsible for putting drug dealers behind bars—only to become one himself.
After the scandal came to light, the Sheriff’s Office asked for outside auditors to take inventory of the evidence room. Following the audit, in the Spring of 2019, Smathers was indicted on 16 counts of breaking and entering (Evidence Room) and 1 count of trafficking opium or heroin.
Smathers started with the HCSO in 2007 and eventually worked his way up to being appointed as a detective within the department. Sheriff Greg Christopher issued the following press release which reads in part:
This situation is devastating for so many people — for the employees of this office who work incredibly hard every day to meet high performance standards this line of work requires, and for our citizens who place their trust in law enforcement to help them when they are in need.
Apparently worse than substandard police work, Smathers’ actions undermined not only the community’s trust but also the judicial process for each and every suspect with which he had contact. Any defense attorney worth his weight in salt would now be poised to help get his/her clients released because the deputy turned detective has now been proven to be unreliable and incredible.
In other words, each and every case in which someone went to jail or prison under this bad cop runs the risk of being overturned. Not only are overturned convictions at stake but those who’ve been wrongfully arrested may be able to have not only their convictions overturned but might be entitled to financial compensation as well.
Christopher’s statement continues:
I am very sorry for the pain Kevin’s family has endured as a result of this incident and will continue endure…This incident caused our office to review and completely revamp our evidence policy and procedures to include a 100 percent item-by-item audit conducted by an independent company.
Christopher has since hired a full-time staffer to manage the evidence room, presumably to prevent a recurrence of the theft. The sheriff also alluded to the erosion of the community’s trust while saying:
For years, our office has worked very hard to build and maintain a level of professionalism and integrity that our law-abiding citizens can be proud of, and we are committed to continuing this environment of trust and effectiveness that our communities deserve.
Along with Smathers’ 90-120 months in prison, the former police detective has been ordered to pay a mandatory $100,000 fine. Sheriff Christopher’s earlier statement made at the time of the arrest sums up what he perceived to be the damage done when Smathers’ crimes rose to the surface. He wrote:
We ask the citizens of our county who have placed their trust in our office to remember this deeply concerning situation does not align in any way with the ethics and integrity of this office…We will continue to work diligently in our communities to cultivate trust and partnerships that enhance the quality of life for our citizens.
The mandatory prison terms and fines associated with the detective’s sentencing further underscores the need for the government to cease its War on Drugs. Jailing a drug addict only delays the inevitable. The addict, upon release from jail, almost always returns to the drug.
Society must take contemplative approaches as to how we treat drug addicts. Putting drug users in prison with violent, hardened criminals, not only does nothing to reform the person, it only adds to the degradation of individuals and leads to a morally bankrupt society.
In the end, the people paid this man’s salary to commit the crimes he committed and then are going to turn around to keep him up for the next seven years at the expense of both themselves and their property being held hostage for immoral taxes. Somehow, I don’t think justice has been served.
Article posted with permission from Sons Of Liberty Media


thewashingtonstandard--2020-02-22--The Study That Demonstrates Police Chases Over Minor “Crimes” End In The Deaths Of Thousands Of Inno

The Study That Demonstrates Police Chases Over Minor “Crimes” End In The Deaths Of Thousands Of Innocent Bystanders

The Study That Demonstrates Police Chases Over Minor “ Crimes ” End In The Deaths Of Thousands Of Innocent Bystanders I ’ ve always said that many of the “ laws ” imposed upon the people are nothing more than means by which corrupt , incorporated ( for profit ) governments have sought to disassociate the people from their property , namely money , while at the same time covering for their agents who are there to either unbiblically and unconstitutionally testify against them to obtain said property for the benefit of the state .
Well , a new study @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is the pretended legislation just that but that the agents of the state have taken the lives of thousands of innocent bystanders by trying to enforce “ minor crimes.
” We ’ ve long known police officers shoot and kill on average about 1,000 citizens in the U.S. every year for a variety of reasons , none of which seem to take place in other parts of the world .
But we were shocked to learn just how many motorists and innocent bystanders are killed by cops every year when officers give chase @ @ @ @ @ @ @ staggering .
According to a recently published research study by the Fine Law Firm and 1Point21 Interactive , over 2,000 citizens over a four-year period were killed by cops as police were chasing suspect vehicles .
Surprisingly , more than half of those killed were not the suspects !
That number might be much higher because , just as with officer involved shootings , those killed by cop statistics are not required to be reported to any federal government database anywhere .
Currently , officer-involved shooting deaths are only voluntarily reported to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Research Lead at 1Point21 Interactive via email , who tells TFTP that this study hits home as he knew someone who died from a police chase .
“ This issue has been pretty close to my heart for several years .
One of my best friends lost his father in a collision with a vehicle fleeing the police .
He was simply driving through an intersection and was t-boned by the fleeing driver .
While I can ’ t say whether or not the chase was justified , being in the position @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the study was cathartic in a way .
Hopefully , people see the results and it helps make sure that every department has and follows appropriate policies and training on how and when to chase suspects .
I also hope it makes people who are stopped for non-violent and traffic offenses think twice about running .
It puts innocent people ’ s lives in jeopardy.
” We also spoke to David Fine , attorney at Fine Law Firm via email who points out that the chases are almost never worth it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ line up with a USA Today study which encountered similar findings in 2015 .
According to TFTP ’ s Matt Agorist : With these new findings matching well with the old ones , instead of pulling over to the side of the road when motorists see blue lights in their rear view mirror , maybe they should exit the roadway completely .
And if they ’ re on foot , they should probably run like hell .
From 2014 to 2018 , among those killed were : The counties with the most number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the same counties on which TFTP consistently reports issues involving police accountability it seems .
Fifty-seven percent of those killed are between the ages of 18-34 .
Showing the unnecessary nature of these dangerous chases is the fact that most pursuits do not end in suspects being charged with crimes , The good news is that because they are so dangerous , many police departments are enacting a no-chase policy within their police departments as a result .
The chase is just too risky for citizens and police officers alike .
A national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is successfully advocating for policy changes that prevent officers from recklessly engaging in high-speed pursuits over virtual non-crimes .
The market is also responding to the crisis and has brought forth the star chase system .
Instead of haphazardly launching into a chase with an individual , police can tag their car by firing a compressed air ‘ tag ’ which allows them to immediately track a fleeing vehicle .
Of course , there are 4th Amendment issues if these tags were put to use by corrupt cops , but it ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ cause of death for cops while on duty is car accidents as TFTP has reported .
Those decisions not to chase seem to be backed up by research with at least two current research studies proving it ’ s just too dangerous to go after a fleeing suspect .
As the death toll for 2020 approaches 103 for those who ’ ve been killed by police , it ’ s time we speak up for the lesser known innocent victims of law enforcement .
Share this article with your friends and family in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a life every day , instead of ending one .
Clearly , the problem is more with the “ law ” than with the people .

I’ve always said that many of the “laws” imposed upon the people are nothing more than means by which corrupt, incorporated (for profit) governments have sought to disassociate the people from their property, namely money, while at the same time covering for their agents who are there to either unbiblically and unconstitutionally testify against them to obtain said property for the benefit of the state. Well, a new study is out that demonstrates that not only is the pretended legislation just that but that the agents of the state have taken the lives of thousands of innocent bystanders by trying to enforce “minor crimes.”
Jack Burns at The Free Thought Project reports:
We’ve long known police officers shoot and kill on average about 1,000 citizens in the U.S. every year for a variety of reasons, none of which seem to take place in other parts of the world. But we were shocked to learn just how many motorists and innocent bystanders are killed by cops every year when officers give chase to suspects. The numbers are quite staggering.
According to a recently published research study by the Fine Law Firm and 1Point21 Interactive, over 2,000 citizens over a four-year period were killed by cops as police were chasing suspect vehicles. Surprisingly, more than half of those killed were not the suspects!
An analysis by the Fine Law Firm and 1Point21 Interactive found that there were 1,699 fatal crashes involving police chases from 2014-2018, killing at least 2,005 people – 1,123 were not the driver of the fleeing vehicle.
That number might be much higher because, just as with officer involved shootings, those killed by cop statistics are not required to be reported to any federal government database anywhere. Currently, officer-involved shooting deaths are only voluntarily reported to the FBI.
We spoke to Brian Beltz, Research Lead at 1Point21 Interactive via email, who tells TFTP that this study hits home as he knew someone who died from a police chase.
“This issue has been pretty close to my heart for several years. One of my best friends lost his father in a collision with a vehicle fleeing the police. He was simply driving through an intersection and was t-boned by the fleeing driver. While I can’t say whether or not the chase was justified, being in the position to examine the data and be involved in the study was cathartic in a way. Hopefully, people see the results and it helps make sure that every department has and follows appropriate policies and training on how and when to chase suspects. I also hope it makes people who are stopped for non-violent and traffic offenses think twice about running. It puts innocent people’s lives in jeopardy.”
We also spoke to David Fine, attorney at Fine Law Firm via email who points out that the chases are almost never worth it.
“The study cuts to a core risk-benefit analysis that underlies policing and police misconduct litigation. The touchstone question for assessing police conduct is reasonableness-under-the-circumstances. On balance, the apprehension of a criminal suspect ceases to be reasonable if it poses a substantial risk of injury to the traveling public. Because they are a window into how police departments assess public safety risks, pursuit cases provide important insights into the legal and cultural health of police departments.”
The recently published statistics also seem to line up with a USA Today study which encountered similar findings in 2015. According to TFTP’s Matt Agorist:
To put this into perspective, that’s larger than the number of people killed by floods, tornadoes, lightning and hurricanes — combined…According to the report, more than 5,000 bystanders and passengers have been killed in police car chases since 1979…Aside from the 5,000 completely innocent lives lost, an additional 6,300 fleeing ‘suspects’ were also killed, bringing the total to 11,506 dead since 1979.
With these new findings matching well with the old ones, instead of pulling over to the side of the road when motorists see blue lights in their rear view mirror, maybe they should exit the roadway completely. And if they’re on foot, they should probably run like hell. From 2014 to 2018, among those killed were:
882 fleeing drivers
337 fleeing vehicle passengers
21 police officers
765 bystanders (occupants of uninvolved vehicles or non-motorists)
75 non-motorists (67 pedestrians, 5 bicyclists and 3 on another means of personal conveyance)
The counties with the most number of deaths are also, ironically, the same counties on which TFTP consistently reports issues involving police accountability it seems.
Harris County, Texas saw the most deaths in police chase crashes during our study period, followed by Cook County, Illinois and Wayne County, Michigan. However, Cook County, Los Angeles County, California and San Diego County, California had the most bystanders killed.
Fifty-seven percent of those killed are between the ages of 18-34. Showing the unnecessary nature of these dangerous chases is the fact that most pursuits do not end in suspects being charged with crimes,
The good news is that because they are so dangerous, many police departments are enacting a no-chase policy within their police departments as a result. The chase is just too risky for citizens and police officers alike.
A national non-profit group aptly named Pursuit Safety, is successfully advocating for policy changes that prevent officers from recklessly engaging in high-speed pursuits over virtual non-crimes.
The market is also responding to the crisis and has brought forth the star chase system. Instead of haphazardly launching into a chase with an individual, police can tag their car by firing a compressed air ‘tag’ which allows them to immediately track a fleeing vehicle. Of course, there are 4th Amendment issues if these tags were put to use by corrupt cops, but it’s a start.
Likewise, the leading cause of death for cops while on duty is car accidents as TFTP has reported. Those decisions not to chase seem to be backed up by research with at least two current research studies proving it’s just too dangerous to go after a fleeing suspect.
As the death toll for 2020 approaches 103 for those who’ve been killed by police, it’s time we speak up for the lesser known innocent victims of law enforcement. Share this article with your friends and family in hopes that we can start to save a life every day, instead of ending one.
Clearly, the problem is more with the “law” than with the people.


thewashingtonstandard--2020-02-22--Flashback:  Trump Admin Seeks To Build “New Liberal Order” In “Traditions Of Our Great Democracy” To

Flashback : Trump Admin Seeks To Build “ New Liberal Order ” In “ Traditions Of Our Great Democracy ” To Prevent War & Achieve “ Greater Prosperity ” ( Video ) Two years ago , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke to the German Marshall Fund institute in Brussels and declared that the Trump administration was seeking to build a new global “ liberal order ” under the leadership of President Donald Trump .
However , so that the context is not lost , one must understand that Pompeo tipped his hat to the late President George H. W. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Order .
Pompeo said he would “ be enormously remiss ” if he didn ’ t pay a “ well-deserved tribute ” to the 41st president .
A well-deserved tribute ?
This is the man who said , “ Read my lips , no new taxes , ” and then proceeded to raise taxes .
This the man that called for a New World Order .
This is the man tied to Skull and Bones .
This is the man that some believe was tied to the JFK assassination and Mike Pompeo believes @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tribute ” ?
Give me a break .
But hey , take a look for yourself .
While Pompeo , at the time , then led into speaking about Trump , which obviously tied his next comments to Bush and his New World Order comments .
“ The first two years of the Trump administration demonstrate President Trump is not undermining these institutions nor is he abandoning American leadership .
Quite the opposite .
In the finest traditions of our great democracy , we are rallying the noble nations of the world to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ war and achieves greater prosperity for all.
” OK , so Trump is not abandoning the institutions of America nor American leadership , but the opposite ?
And then Pompeo goes on to make the ridiculous claim that we have the “ finest traditions of our great democracy.
” Where is he getting that from ?
We are a republic and our Constitution guarantees a republican form of government , not a democracy !
However , notice the catch and tie into Bush with the rallying cry of the nations to build “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ American leadership allowed us to enjoy the greatest human flourishing in modern history , ” the secretary of state said .
“ We won the cold war .
We won the peace .
With no small measure of George HW Bush ’ s effort , we reunited Germany .
This is the type of leadership that President Trump is boldly reasserting.
” “ After the cold war ended , we allowed this liberal order to begin to corrode , ” he continued .
“ Multilateralism has too often become viewed as an end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sign , the safer we supposedly are .
The more bureaucrats we have , the better the job gets done.
” Of course , the claims are that there will be peace and prosperity , but there is no call to repentance .
There is no call to the foundations of America or the God who established us when the Pilgrims arrived and established government .
There is just a call for a liberal order .
The call is Marxist to the core in that it is not founded upon morality , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ law , but rather upon economies .
Justice is the one thing that continues to allude this administration : From not prosecuting corrupt politicians to releasing convicted criminals , the American people are simply not being given justice which would re-establish our finest tradition , which is upholding the law .
Article posted with permission from Sons of Liberty Media

Flashback: Trump Admin Seeks To Build “New Liberal Order” In “Traditions Of Our Great Democracy” To Prevent War & Achieve “Greater Prosperity” (Video)
Two years ago, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo spoke to the German Marshall Fund institute in Brussels and declared that the Trump administration was seeking to build a new global “liberal order” under the leadership of President Donald Trump.
However, so that the context is not lost, one must understand that Pompeo tipped his hat to the late President George H. W. Bush, who sought a New World Order.
Pompeo said he would “be enormously remiss” if he didn’t pay a “well-deserved tribute” to the 41st president.
A well-deserved tribute? This is the man who said, “Read my lips, no new taxes,” and then proceeded to raise taxes. This the man that called for a New World Order. This is the man tied to Skull and Bones. This is the man that some believe was tied to the JFK assassination and Mike Pompeo believes he needed to provide a “well-deserved tribute”? Give me a break.
But hey, take a look for yourself.
While Pompeo, at the time, then led into speaking about Trump, which obviously tied his next comments to Bush and his New World Order comments.
“The first two years of the Trump administration demonstrate President Trump is not undermining these institutions nor is he abandoning American leadership. Quite the opposite. In the finest traditions of our great democracy, we are rallying the noble nations of the world to build a new liberal order that prevents war and achieves greater prosperity for all.”
OK, so Trump is not abandoning the institutions of America nor American leadership, but the opposite?
And then Pompeo goes on to make the ridiculous claim that we have the “finest traditions of our great democracy.”
Where is he getting that from?
We are a republic and our Constitution guarantees a republican form of government, not a democracy!
However, notice the catch and tie into Bush with the rallying cry of the nations to build “a new liberal order.”
“This American leadership allowed us to enjoy the greatest human flourishing in modern history,” the secretary of state said. “We won the cold war. We won the peace. With no small measure of George HW Bush’s effort, we reunited Germany. This is the type of leadership that President Trump is boldly reasserting.”
“After the cold war ended, we allowed this liberal order to begin to corrode,” he continued. “Multilateralism has too often become viewed as an end unto itself. The more treaties we sign, the safer we supposedly are. The more bureaucrats we have, the better the job gets done.”
Of course, the claims are that there will be peace and prosperity, but there is no call to repentance. There is no call to the foundations of America or the God who established us when the Pilgrims arrived and established government. There is just a call for a liberal order.
The call is Marxist to the core in that it is not founded upon morality, which is based upon God’s moral law, but rather upon economies.
Justice is the one thing that continues to allude this administration: From not prosecuting corrupt politicians to releasing convicted criminals, the American people are simply not being given justice which would re-establish our finest tradition, which is upholding the law.
Article posted with permission from Sons of Liberty Media


thewashingtonstandard--2020-02-22--Local Newspapers Are Dying Because They Don’t Represent America

Warren Buffett started the year by dumping his portfolio of 30 newspapers in a fire sale .
After having spent $ 344 million on a stable of local papers including the Richmond Times-Dispatch , the Buffalo News , and the Omaha World-Herald , the Oracle of Omaha had to let them go for a mere $ 140 million .
“ They ’ re going to disappear , ” Buffett said of the papers .
“ It went from monopoly to franchise to competitive to … toast.
” In February , McClatchy , the country ’ s second largest local newspaper @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Worth Star-Telegram , the Miami Herald , the Kansas City Star , the News & Observer , the State and many other major local papers , filed for bankruptcy .
We ’ re barely into 2020 and the apocalypse which wiped out 7,800 media jobs in 2019 is speeding on .
That was down from the 15,000 media jobs lost in 2018 , but only because it ’ s hard to cut jobs that don ’ t exist anymore .
By the end of the decade , there will be no local newspapers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The internet is certainly to blame , but digital media took nearly as bad a beating as dead tree media with the Gawker relaunch , the Huffington Post , BuzzFeed , and many other lefty digital darlings bleeding .
On CNN , the Miami Herald ’ s Julie Brown claimed that the lack of local newspapers , “ has contributed to the divisions that we ’ re experiencing around the country.
” The media has been making similar claims for a year now based on a dubious study .
But the problem with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Tribune , or other media stables is that they ’ re echoes of the same national agenda repackaged for a local audience .
In the age of the internet , readers are cutting out the middleman and watching CNN or MSNBC , or reading the New York Times and the Washington Post .
Who needs a third-rate local lefty version when you can just buy access to the real lefty thing ?
Local papers aren ’ t really local .
They ’ re investments owned by lefty tycoons like Warren Buffett .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ re turning into non-profits owned by lefty tycoons like Jeff Bezos .
If the local paper is just going to consist of recycled talking points from the Washington Post or the New York Times , then who needs the “ local ” paper ?
Local communities don ’ t .
That ’ s why they ’ re dying .
The local newspaper is dead .
The national media writing its eulogies long ago fired the fatal shot .
What local media markets are really missing is diversity .
Vital media markets used @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fewer dueling papers and even fewer conservative ones .
Of the 100 largest papers in the country , only 2 endorsed Trump in 2016 .
Only 6 papers endorsed Trump across the country .
It ’ s telling that “ local ” newspapers wouldn ’ t support a candidate that local communities voted for .
How representative are local papers when 62 million people voted for a presidential candidate who went on to win the election that only 6 papers endorsed ?
Who are those papers really representing ?
Why would any of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that have nothing to say them ?
The 6 papers that endorsed Trump were mostly locally owned .
4 were either family-owned local papers or had a single owner .
Another was a publishing group of 2 papers .
Only one was a smallish media group .
These are true local papers because they are locally owned and represent the local population .
The local newspaper died long ago when it vanished into the maw of national media groups which made them interchangeable .
The absence of political diversity was a reflection of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of national corporations , instead of the perspectives of local communities .
McClatchy is headquartered in Sacramento , California .
Tribune is based out of Chicago .
Gannett is run out of McLean , Virginia , less than a half hour away from Capitol Hill .
There ’ s nothing local about any of this .
The media groups hollowed out local papers .
A single dominant local paper with national standing because of its role in a media group often functioned as a virtual monopoly for a particular area .
But these @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ t widely read outside local government and business leaders .
They were local chapters of a national influence operation with a bad business model .
That ’ s why the media is upset at the decline and fall of the corporations that controlled local news .
The media keeps insisting that local newspapers are a vital civic institution .
But , as the other Marx once said , “ Who wants to live in an institution ?
” People invest in institutions to the extent that they reflect their values and worldview @ @ @ @ @ @ @ civis ’ or citizen .
Civic institutions that are not rooted in the civitas are foreign bodies .
No institution that usurps the citizenry can be anything other than an engine of cultural colonialism .
Partisan civic institutions are , like the Holy Roman Empire , neither civic nor institutions .
They ’ re the propaganda operations of a political faction that are maintained with money diverted from taxpayers and with funding from wealthy interests connected to that faction .
They have no institutional future .
The Left launched its bid for power @ @ @ @ @ @ @ so , destroying their legitimacy .
Hijacking institutions allows radicals to temporarily wield their power at the cost of crashing the plane .
That ’ s how the institutional legitimacy of academia , the media , and the entertainment industry died .
America is not divided because local newspapers are dying .
They ’ re dying because they ’ re on one side of the divide .
True institutions reflect the diversity of the civitas .
False institutions reflect only themselves .
The newspaper business is much more vital and interesting in cities @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have conservative papers .
Discussion and debate are dynamic when there ’ s more than one point of view .
That ’ s another reason why the people who used to read newspapers moved on to the internet .
The media is an echo chamber .
A false institution that does not listen to the citizenry , only hectors it .
And the voice of its echo chamber is losing power .
Trump won even though only a handful of papers endorsed him .
He won the White House over the opposition of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ each to bankruptcy court .
The media makes much of its endorsements .
But how much do they really matter ?
In one survey 69 % of Americans said that a newspaper endorsement of a candidate would have no impact on their vote .
14 % said that it would make them more likely to vote for and 14 % more likely to vote against .
Newspaper endorsements of political candidates couldn ’ t possibly matter any less .
An older survey , however , noted that endorsements by “ independently owned papers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and group-owned papers ” .
True local newspapers can still be trusted .
Conglomerate papers posing as local aren ’ t .
Local papers were once local .
When they went national , they stopped being civic institutions .
The lack of endorsements for Trump and the lack of political diversity are symptoms of the problem .
When newspapers became a partisan institution , they stopped being relevant to the lives of much of the country .
And they also stopped being interesting even to those readers who agreed with their politics .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ went from monopoly to franchise to competitive to … toast.
” Trying to subsidize them as non-profits with tech money from Silicon Valley , as Google , Facebook , Apple , and Amazon are doing , won ’ t change that .
Take it from Warren Buffett who lost a fortune trying .

Warren Buffett started the year by dumping his portfolio of 30 newspapers in a fire sale. After having spent $344 million on a stable of local papers including the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the Buffalo News, and the Omaha World-Herald, the Oracle of Omaha had to let them go for a mere $140 million.
“They’re going to disappear,” Buffett said of the papers. “It went from monopoly to franchise to competitive to … toast.”
In February, McClatchy, the country’s second largest local newspaper chain, the owners of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Miami Herald, the Kansas City Star, the News & Observer, the State and many other major local papers, filed for bankruptcy.
We’re barely into 2020 and the apocalypse which wiped out 7,800 media jobs in 2019 is speeding on. That was down from the 15,000 media jobs lost in 2018, but only because it’s hard to cut jobs that don’t exist anymore. By the end of the decade, there will be no local newspapers. Only a few national ones.
The internet is certainly to blame, but digital media took nearly as bad a beating as dead tree media with the Gawker relaunch, the Huffington Post, BuzzFeed, and many other lefty digital darlings bleeding.
On CNN, the Miami Herald’s Julie Brown claimed that the lack of local newspapers, “has contributed to the divisions that we’re experiencing around the country.”
The media has been making similar claims for a year now based on a dubious study. But the problem with the papers in the McClatchy, Gannett, Tribune, or other media stables is that they’re echoes of the same national agenda repackaged for a local audience. In the age of the internet, readers are cutting out the middleman and watching CNN or MSNBC, or reading the New York Times and the Washington Post.
Who needs a third-rate local lefty version when you can just buy access to the real lefty thing?
Local papers aren’t really local. They’re investments owned by lefty tycoons like Warren Buffett. As the investments become hopeless, they’re turning into non-profits owned by lefty tycoons like Jeff Bezos. If the local paper is just going to consist of recycled talking points from the Washington Post or the New York Times, then who needs the “local” paper? Local communities don’t. That’s why they’re dying.
The local newspaper is dead. The national media writing its eulogies long ago fired the fatal shot.
What local media markets are really missing is diversity. Vital media markets used to have dueling papers. There are fewer dueling papers and even fewer conservative ones. Of the 100 largest papers in the country, only 2 endorsed Trump in 2016. Only 6 papers endorsed Trump across the country.
It’s telling that “local” newspapers wouldn’t support a candidate that local communities voted for.
How representative are local papers when 62 million people voted for a presidential candidate who went on to win the election that only 6 papers endorsed? Who are those papers really representing?
Why would any of those 62 million people bother reading newspapers that have nothing to say them?
The 6 papers that endorsed Trump were mostly locally owned. 4 were either family-owned local papers or had a single owner. Another was a publishing group of 2 papers. Only one was a smallish media group. These are true local papers because they are locally owned and represent the local population.
The local newspaper died long ago when it vanished into the maw of national media groups which made them interchangeable. The absence of political diversity was a reflection of hiring practices that reflected the political views of national corporations, instead of the perspectives of local communities.
McClatchy is headquartered in Sacramento, California. Tribune is based out of Chicago. Gannett is run out of McLean, Virginia, less than a half hour away from Capitol Hill.
There’s nothing local about any of this.
The media groups hollowed out local papers. A single dominant local paper with national standing because of its role in a media group often functioned as a virtual monopoly for a particular area. But these miniature versions of the Washington Post weren’t widely read outside local government and business leaders. They were local chapters of a national influence operation with a bad business model.
That’s why the media is upset at the decline and fall of the corporations that controlled local news.
The media keeps insisting that local newspapers are a vital civic institution. But, as the other Marx once said, “Who wants to live in an institution?”
People invest in institutions to the extent that they reflect their values and worldview. Civic comes from the Latin ‘civis’ or citizen. Civic institutions that are not rooted in the civitas are foreign bodies. No institution that usurps the citizenry can be anything other than an engine of cultural colonialism.
Partisan civic institutions are, like the Holy Roman Empire, neither civic nor institutions. They’re the propaganda operations of a political faction that are maintained with money diverted from taxpayers and with funding from wealthy interests connected to that faction. They have no institutional future.
The Left launched its bid for power by hijacking institutions and, in doing so, destroying their legitimacy. Hijacking institutions allows radicals to temporarily wield their power at the cost of crashing the plane. That’s how the institutional legitimacy of academia, the media, and the entertainment industry died.
America is not divided because local newspapers are dying. They’re dying because they’re on one side of the divide. True institutions reflect the diversity of the civitas. False institutions reflect only themselves.
The newspaper business is much more vital and interesting in cities like New York and Boston that still have conservative papers. Discussion and debate are dynamic when there’s more than one point of view. That’s another reason why the people who used to read newspapers moved on to the internet.
The media is an echo chamber. A false institution that does not listen to the citizenry, only hectors it.
And the voice of its echo chamber is losing power.
Trump won even though only a handful of papers endorsed him. He won the White House over the opposition of the big media conglomerates that are racing each to bankruptcy court.
The media makes much of its endorsements. But how much do they really matter?
In one survey 69% of Americans said that a newspaper endorsement of a candidate would have no impact on their vote. 14% said that it would make them more likely to vote for and 14% more likely to vote against. Newspaper endorsements of political candidates couldn’t possibly matter any less.
An older survey, however, noted that endorsements by “independently owned papers seemed to influence readers more than larger and group-owned papers”.
True local newspapers can still be trusted. Conglomerate papers posing as local aren’t.
Local papers were once local. When they went national, they stopped being civic institutions. The lack of endorsements for Trump and the lack of political diversity are symptoms of the problem. When newspapers became a partisan institution, they stopped being relevant to the lives of much of the country. And they also stopped being interesting even to those readers who agreed with their politics.
As Buffett put it, they “went from monopoly to franchise to competitive to … toast.”
Trying to subsidize them as non-profits with tech money from Silicon Valley, as Google, Facebook, Apple, and Amazon are doing, won’t change that. Take it from Warren Buffett who lost a fortune trying.
Article posted with permission from Daniel Greenfield


thewashingtonstandard--2020-02-22--Another Red Flag Failure – This Time In Florida

There was another tragedy in Florida .
Though , this one did not involve a gun .
If a gun had been involved , it is all too obvious that Florida ’ s increasingly oppressive gun control laws would have done little to stop it .
Florida was one of the first states to adopt the unconstitutional red flag laws after the Parkland school shooting two years ago .
Since that time , over 3,500 people have been stripped of their firearms after being deemed a danger to themselves or others .
Thirteen-year-old Corey Johnson should have been considered a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that would have stopped him from slashing the throat of young Jovanni Alexander Sierra after he converted to Islam .
The parents of Sierra are seeking to sue Publix for selling him the knife because it is illegal for people under the age of eighteen to purchase one .
Prohibiting the sale of a knife to minors would most definitely prevent them from obtaining one from just about anywhere else .
Perhaps they should institute a national background check for knife purchases because it has kept firearms out of violent criminals ’ hands @ @ @ @ @ @ @ thing Florida doesn ’ t have knife control laws in place because they would be a colossal failure .
Johnson ’ s conversion to Islam should have been a red flag because according to the journal “ Combating Terrorism Exchange , ” the number of Islamic converts committing acts of violence has risen dramatically since September 11 , 2001 .
This isn ’ t to suggest that all people who convert to Islam are potential threats , that would be a bigoted assumption .
There is anecdotal evidence , however , that shows @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hundreds , if not thousands , of very dangerous people who represent direct security threats ” ( Arasli , 2011 ) .
There is also evidence suggesting a high percentage of Muslim terror attacks involve people who have recently converted to the religion .
For example , Arasli ( 2011 ) states that out of forty-two Islamic terror plots foiled in the U.S. immediately following 9/11 , twenty-six of them involved converts .
After September 11 , Johnson ’ s conversion would have likely caught the attention of investigators .
Today ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ way terrorism is investigated .
Over fears of appearing “ Islamophobic , ” former FBI director Robert Mueller removed hundreds of pages of documents which identified the growing threat of radical Islam from the training manuals .
Taking its place as the new terrorist threat is the American gun owner .
Red flag laws are becoming the go-to solution for an imagined gun violence epidemic .
Under these draconian , soviet style laws , a person can file a petition with the court to have an individual ’ s firearms removed based on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a clinical psychiatrist , writes in his article Raising Red Flags , that confiscating guns based on the premise that someone may commit a violent crime is not something that can be proven effective .
There is no evidence , according to Petrocelli , that any medical doctor or psychiatrist has , or can , successfully predict an individual ’ s future behavior .
Red flag laws have just become a convenient excuse to disarm America one person at a time .
They have accomplished little in the way of public safety by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crime .
Even in the case of Johnson , there is no law that would have prevented this tragedy .
Even if the FBI had been keeping tabs on Islamic converts , there was nothing in this individual ’ s behavior suggesting that he would commit a murder .
Florida claims its red flag law has been enormously successful , however , in August of 2018 there was another school incident where two people were shot .
On February 19 , 2020 a man was shot dead near a North Miami Dade grocery @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a home invasion left one man dead and another wounded , with no information on the suspects .
A shooting on February 17 , 2020 left one dead in Miami Gardens .
Finally , three hours after the last one a twenty-three year old was shot dead at Lauderdale Lakes .
This is four murders , excluding Johnson , in a three day period that Florida ’ s red flag law did nothing to prevent .
The only thing red flag laws are doing is disarming innocent people and denying them their rights @ @ @ @

There was another tragedy in Florida. Though, this one did not involve a gun. If a gun had been involved, it is all too obvious that Florida’s increasingly oppressive gun control laws would have done little to stop it. Florida was one of the first states to adopt the unconstitutional red flag laws after the Parkland school shooting two years ago. Since that time, over 3,500 people have been stripped of their firearms after being deemed a danger to themselves or others. Thirteen-year-old Corey Johnson should have been considered a danger to himself or others. Perhaps that would have stopped him from slashing the throat of young Jovanni Alexander Sierra after he converted to Islam.
Johnson bought the knife from a local Publix store.
The parents of Sierra are seeking to sue Publix for selling him the knife because it is illegal for people under the age of eighteen to purchase one.
Prohibiting the sale of a knife to minors would most definitely prevent them from obtaining one from just about anywhere else.
Perhaps they should institute a national background check for knife purchases because it has kept firearms out of violent criminals’ hands so well.
It is a good thing Florida doesn’t have knife control laws in place because they would be a colossal failure.
Johnson’s conversion to Islam should have been a red flag because according to the journal “Combating Terrorism Exchange,” the number of Islamic converts committing acts of violence has risen dramatically since September 11, 2001.
This isn’t to suggest that all people who convert to Islam are potential threats, that would be a bigoted assumption.
There is anecdotal evidence, however, that shows “they constitute a growing pool of hundreds, if not thousands, of very dangerous people who represent direct security threats” (Arasli, 2011).
There is also evidence suggesting a high percentage of Muslim terror attacks involve people who have recently converted to the religion.
For example, Arasli (2011) states that out of forty-two Islamic terror plots foiled in the U.S. immediately following 9/11, twenty-six of them involved converts.
After September 11, Johnson’s conversion would have likely caught the attention of investigators.
Today’s rampant political correctness has entirely changed the way terrorism is investigated.
Over fears of appearing “Islamophobic,” former FBI director Robert Mueller removed hundreds of pages of documents which identified the growing threat of radical Islam from the training manuals.
Taking its place as the new terrorist threat is the American gun owner.
Red flag laws are becoming the go-to solution for an imagined gun violence epidemic.
Under these draconian, soviet style laws, a person can file a petition with the court to have an individual’s firearms removed based on behavior alone.
Dr. Dennis Petrocelli, a clinical psychiatrist, writes in his article Raising Red Flags, that confiscating guns based on the premise that someone may commit a violent crime is not something that can be proven effective.
There is no evidence, according to Petrocelli, that any medical doctor or psychiatrist has, or can, successfully predict an individual’s future behavior.
Red flag laws have just become a convenient excuse to disarm America one person at a time.
They have accomplished little in the way of public safety by focusing on people who have committed no crime.
Even in the case of Johnson, there is no law that would have prevented this tragedy.
Even if the FBI had been keeping tabs on Islamic converts, there was nothing in this individual’s behavior suggesting that he would commit a murder.
Florida claims its red flag law has been enormously successful, however, in August of 2018 there was another school incident where two people were shot.
On February 19, 2020 a man was shot dead near a North Miami Dade grocery store.
On February 18, 2020 a home invasion left one man dead and another wounded, with no information on the suspects.
A shooting on February 17, 2020 left one dead in Miami Gardens.
Finally, three hours after the last one a twenty-three year old was shot dead at Lauderdale Lakes.
This is four murders, excluding Johnson, in a three day period that Florida’s red flag law did nothing to prevent.
The only thing red flag laws are doing is disarming innocent people and denying them their rights to due process.
Article posted with permission from David Risselada


thewashingtonstandard--2020-02-22--SCOTUS Asked To Intervene To Prevent Government From Meddling In Church Decisions Involving Who Can

SCOTUS Asked To Intervene To Prevent Government From Meddling In Church Decisions Involving Who Can Teach Religious Doctrine WASHINGTON , D.C. — In a case that will decide whether the government can interfere with the choices of religious institutions regarding who may minister to and lead followers on matters of faith , The Rutherford Institute has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to affirm that the First Amendment ’ s protection of religious liberty prevents the government from meddling in church decisions involving religious doctrine and who is allowed to teach that doctrine .
In an amicus brief filed with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ v. Agnes Morrisey-Beru and St. James School v. Darryl Biel , Institute attorneys argue that the government has no jurisdiction to second-guess church decisions on who can act and serve as “ ministers.
” Affiliate attorney Nathan A. Adams IV of Holland & Knight assisted The Rutherford Institute in advancing the arguments in the amicus brief .
“ Those who subscribe to the notion that society should be free from religion tend to use the principle of a separation of church and state as a bludgeon to eradicate religion from the public sphere @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for freedom of religion , ” said constitutional attorney John W. Whitehead , president of The Rutherford Institute and author of Battlefield America : The War on the American People .
“ In fact , the so-called ‘ wall of separation between Church and State ’ —a term coined by Thomas Jefferson—was intended to refer to a wall placed around the church in order to protect it from any government interference with its rights to religious freedom .
That is exactly the kind of shield against government meddling needed in this case.
” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ James School are private religious schools located in Los Angeles , California .
Each is an integral part of and operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles and each was specifically established to serve the educational needs of the children of church families within the parishes where they are located .
Their mission is to grow a Catholic faith community that reflects both a Catholic philosophy of education and the doctrines of the Catholic Church .
To that end , teachers hired by the schools have expressly religious roles , even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ topics such as math and social studies .
Thus , the teachers taught daily religious classes , instructed the children in how to attend Catholic Mass , and led the children in daily prayers .
Teachers at the schools have a special role of teaching children Catholic values and providing a faith-based education .
In 2016 , a teacher at Our Lady of Guadalupe filed a lawsuit against the school alleging the school engaged in unlawful age discrimination after it did not renew the teacher ’ s contract when it was disappointed with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ instruction .
In 2015 , a teacher at St. James School sued the school alleging disability discrimination .
Each case was thrown out by the district courts , which found that the teachers were involved in conveying the Catholic faith to students and so were “ ministers ” who could not sue the school or church for their non-retention .
On appeals in each case , the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the determination that the “ ministerial exception ” applied to the teachers , ruling that the teachers did not have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Supreme Court granted the schools ’ request to review the Ninth Circuit ’ s decisions .
In its amicus brief supporting the schools , The Rutherford Institute argues that the First Amendment ’ s Religion Clauses forbid court interference with a church ’ s decision on who will teach about its faith , and courts should treat the matter as a limit on their jurisdiction and defer to the church ’ s decision of who is a “ minister.
” The Rutherford Institute ’ s amicus brief in Our Lady of Guadalupe School @ @ @ @ @ @ @ v. Darryl Biel

SCOTUS Asked To Intervene To Prevent Government From Meddling In Church Decisions Involving Who Can Teach Religious Doctrine
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a case that will decide whether the government can interfere with the choices of religious institutions regarding who may minister to and lead followers on matters of faith, The Rutherford Institute has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to affirm that the First Amendment’s protection of religious liberty prevents the government from meddling in church decisions involving religious doctrine and who is allowed to teach that doctrine.
In an amicus brief filed with the Court in Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Agnes Morrisey-Beru and St. James School v. Darryl Biel, Institute attorneys argue that the government has no jurisdiction to second-guess church decisions on who can act and serve as “ministers.”
Affiliate attorney Nathan A. Adams IV of Holland & Knight assisted The Rutherford Institute in advancing the arguments in the amicus brief.
“Those who subscribe to the notion that society should be free from religion tend to use the principle of a separation of church and state as a bludgeon to eradicate religion from the public sphere when it fact the First Amendment provides for freedom of religion,” said constitutional attorney John W. Whitehead, president of The Rutherford Institute and author of Battlefield America: The War on the American People . “In fact, the so-called ‘wall of separation between Church and State’—a term coined by Thomas Jefferson—was intended to refer to a wall placed around the church in order to protect it from any government interference with its rights to religious freedom. That is exactly the kind of shield against government meddling needed in this case.”
Our Lady of Guadalupe School and St. James School are private religious schools located in Los Angeles, California.
Each is an integral part of and operated by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles and each was specifically established to serve the educational needs of the children of church families within the parishes where they are located.
Their mission is to grow a Catholic faith community that reflects both a Catholic philosophy of education and the doctrines of the Catholic Church.
To that end, teachers hired by the schools have expressly religious roles, even as they engage in instruction on secular topics such as math and social studies.
Thus, the teachers taught daily religious classes, instructed the children in how to attend Catholic Mass, and led the children in daily prayers.
Teachers at the schools have a special role of teaching children Catholic values and providing a faith-based education.
In 2016, a teacher at Our Lady of Guadalupe filed a lawsuit against the school alleging the school engaged in unlawful age discrimination after it did not renew the teacher’s contract when it was disappointed with her implementation of a program involving religious instruction.
In 2015, a teacher at St. James School sued the school alleging disability discrimination.
Each case was thrown out by the district courts, which found that the teachers were involved in conveying the Catholic faith to students and so were “ministers” who could not sue the school or church for their non-retention.
On appeals in each case, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals reversed the determination that the “ministerial exception” applied to the teachers, ruling that the teachers did not have “religious leadership roles.”
The U.S. Supreme Court granted the schools’ request to review the Ninth Circuit’s decisions.
In its amicus brief supporting the schools, The Rutherford Institute argues that the First Amendment’s Religion Clauses forbid court interference with a church’s decision on who will teach about its faith, and courts should treat the matter as a limit on their jurisdiction and defer to the church’s decision of who is a “minister.”
The Rutherford Institute’s amicus brief in Our Lady of Guadalupe School v. Agnes Morrisey-Beru and St. James School v. Darryl Biel
Article posted with permission from John Whitehead


thewashingtonstandard--2020-02-22--Failed Mayor Pete Buttigieg Would Increase Refugee Influx By 511 Percent If He Becomes President

Failed Mayor Pete Buttigieg Would Increase Refugee Influx By 511 Percent If He Becomes President One only need look to Europe – destroyed , quite literally , by the hijrah .
Better still , look at Pete ’ s short but failed record as Mayor of South Bend .
When residents of this city ’ s impoverished West Side reflect on Pete Buttigieg ’ s two terms as mayor , a few things come to mind : A spike in violent crime , development that largely ignored the African American community and how their only well-lit street is the one @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Dame .
So how , they wonder , can Buttigieg possibly be trusted to run the country ?
“ If he ’ s the next president , I fear for our country .
He couldn ’ t run our city .
How can he run the United States ?
” said Michelle Burger , 42 , a stay-at-home mom who lives in South Bend ’ s impoverished and predominantly black West Side .
“ LOOK AT ALL THE CRIME — HE DIDN ’ T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT .
LOOK AT OUR QUALITY @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , THE UNITED STATES WILL BECOME ONE BIG SOUTH BEND — A GIANT SINKHOLE .
WE ’ LL BE IN A NEW DEPRESSION.
” Another West Side resident , Cornish Miller , 62 , said of Buttigieg , “ Rating him 1 to 10 , I ’ d give him a 2.
” Read the rest at the NY Post .
Mayor Pete Would Increase Refugee Influx by 511 Percent If He Becomes President Pete Jason M. Reynolds , Tennessee Star , February 15 , 2020 : Mayor Pete says he would inundate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year if he were to become President Pete , an increase of 511 percent .
Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg , mayor of South Bend , Indiana , made the remark in a Q & A interview on human rights with Amnesty International .
The full interview is available here .
Going from the current limit of 18,000 annually to 110,000 annually would represent a 511 percent increase .
One question was , “ What role should U.S. refugee admissions play in our response to the global refugee crisis ?
” The world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ World War II .
Instead of providing leadership , the Trump administration has abdicated its responsibility .
We need to restore our place as a global leader in refugee resettlement .
I would return to the 110,000 admissions target last proposed by the Obama administration and would be open to going beyond that number .
Far from being “ full ” , many communities like my own have actually lost population and would welcome more immigrants and refugees .
It is not only the right thing to do , but in our interest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tax base and plug labor gaps as Americans age .
I also recognize that while the U.S. can play a far bigger resettlement role itself , we must at the same time encourage our allies to also resettle more refugees .
Even still , this crisis is too large to resettle every refugee .
I will work with states on the frontlines of displacement crises to provide incentives to move refugees out of camps and integrate them into the labor market and broader society so that their protection is more durable and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is not the only would-be Democratic president who would open the borders to a mass influx of refugees .
Mike Bloomberg wants to flood America with refugees by 694 percent , or 125,000 refugees each year , The Ohio Star reported .

One only need look to Europe – destroyed, quite literally, by the hijrah. Better still, look at Pete’s short but failed record as Mayor of South Bend.
When residents of this city’s impoverished West Side reflect on Pete Buttigieg’s two terms as mayor, a few things come to mind: A spike in violent crime, development that largely ignored the African American community and how their only well-lit street is the one that leads to the University of Notre Dame.
So how, they wonder, can Buttigieg possibly be trusted to run the country?
“If he’s the next president, I fear for our country. He couldn’t run our city. How can he run the United States?” said Michelle Burger, 42, a stay-at-home mom who lives in South Bend’s impoverished and predominantly black West Side.
“LOOK AT ALL THE CRIME — HE DIDN’T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. LOOK AT OUR QUALITY OF LIFE. IF HE BECOMES PRESIDENT, THE UNITED STATES WILL BECOME ONE BIG SOUTH BEND — A GIANT SINKHOLE. WE’LL BE IN A NEW DEPRESSION.”
Another West Side resident, Cornish Miller, 62, said of Buttigieg, “Rating him 1 to 10, I’d give him a 2.” Read the rest at the NY Post.
Mayor Pete Would Increase Refugee Influx by 511 Percent If He Becomes President Pete
Jason M. Reynolds, Tennessee Star, February 15, 2020:Mayor Pete says he would inundate America with at least 110,000 refugees a year if he were to become President Pete, an increase of 511 percent.
Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg, mayor of South Bend, Indiana, made the remark in a Q&A interview on human rights with Amnesty International. The full interview is available here.
Going from the current limit of 18,000 annually to 110,000 annually would represent a 511 percent increase.
One question was, “What role should U.S. refugee admissions play in our response to the global refugee crisis?”
His response was:
The world is facing the largest refugee crisis since World War II. Instead of providing leadership, the Trump administration has abdicated its responsibility. We need to restore our place as a global leader in refugee resettlement. I would return to the 110,000 admissions target last proposed by the Obama administration and would be open to going beyond that number. Far from being “full”, many communities like my own have actually lost population and would welcome more immigrants and refugees. It is not only the right thing to do, but in our interest, as it would help grow our tax base and plug labor gaps as Americans age.
I also recognize that while the U.S. can play a far bigger resettlement role itself, we must at the same time encourage our allies to also resettle more refugees. Even still, this crisis is too large to resettle every refugee. I will work with states on the frontlines of displacement crises to provide incentives to move refugees out of camps and integrate them into the labor market and broader society so that their protection is more durable and the host community can also benefit.
Buttigieg is not the only would-be Democratic president who would open the borders to a mass influx of refugees.
Mike Bloomberg wants to flood America with refugees by 694 percent, or 125,000 refugees each year, The Ohio Star reported.
Article posted with permission from Pamela Geller