American Politics XI: No Moe Roe(Likely, Anyway)

[American Legionaries]

Well the idea I'd floated before was a sliding cap, something to the effect of "Highest paid member of the organization cannot make more than X number of the lowest paid member"

Under such a system the executives of a company could expand to increase their own incomes, they would just need to increase the wages of lower employees by an equal percentage.

Ultimately, any income cap is pointless because incomes aren't the problem, capital gains are.

I mean, arguably they're both the problem, but yes, a cap such as described wouldn't entirely stop the ballooning wealth of these ultra-capitalists because their wealth has ballooned mostly via capital gains.

Frankly, I'm not a finance person, and I couldn't tell you what I think should be done, I've absorbed enough of Gallo's lectures via sheer blunt force trauma to know that you can't just treat capital gains as income without opening up a nasty can of worms, but that's about it.

[American Legionaries]

The government is incapable of creating objective benefits.

I’m talking facts. Does the bill generally improve mental health? Does it generally improve physical health?

That'd depend on who's health we're talking about.

[Big Bad Blue]

Another insurrectionist Proud Boy flips

tick...tick...tick...


Poll answer: Who do you think will win the Ohio GOP Senate Race next week? A: Some white supremacist, misogynist, xenophobic, history and science denying violent insurrectionists is who.

[Myrensis]

Another insurrectionist Proud Boy flips

tick...tick...tick...


Poll answer: Who do you think will win the Ohio GOP Senate Race next week? A: Some white supremacist, misogynist, xenophobic, history and science denying violent insurrectionists is who.

Well yes, it was kind of inevitable that a Republican was going to win the Republican Primary.

[The Jamesian Republic]

Ultimately, any income cap is pointless because incomes aren't the problem, capital gains are.

I mean, arguably they're both the problem, but yes, a cap such as described wouldn't entirely stop the ballooning wealth of these ultra-capitalists because their wealth has ballooned mostly via capital gains.

Frankly, I'm not a finance person, and I couldn't tell you what I think should be done, I've absorbed enough of Gallo's lectures via sheer blunt force trauma to know that you can't just treat capital gains as income without opening up a nasty can of worms, but that's about it.

I’m okay with taxing capital gains.

[Ifreann]

a country that bans inmates from voting is a country that has a vested interest in imprisoning dissidents. pretty simple!

So pretty much every nation on earth outside of a select few

Is that actually true? Wikipedia claims that [m]ost democracies give convicted criminals the same voting rights as other citizens, but doesn't have a citation for that. In Europe, the ECtHR has ruled that the automatic disenfranchisement of convicted persons is a violation of our human rights. That covers all of Europe except Belarus and, recently, Russia. The UK doesn't abide by this ruling, the cheeky buggers, but they never disenfranchised all convicted people. The problem there, from which this ruling arose, was people in prison having the right to vote but not being practically able to exercise that right due to being, you know, in prison.

---

Depends on how you cap them.

not really. If you set a limit on what X entity can earn, said entity won't invest anything beyond what it takes to earn that much. so there's no incentive to innovate, no incentive to progress, because there's no return on investing.

Only when that entity is profit-seeking.

[Zurkerx]

GDP unexpectedly shrank 1.4% in the first quarter. That is despite consumer and business spending keeping pace, which economists believe will result in growth in the second quarter. Driving the contraction is inflation, rising interests rates, a growing trade deficit, and the current war in Ukraine. There was also a slower pace of inventory investment by businesses in the first quarter compared with a rapid buildup of inventories at the end of last year as well as fading government stimulus spending related to the pandemic weighed on GDP.

The Labor Market, however, is strong: employers are retaining workers due to a shortage and thus, are raising wages, supporting the economy's main drive.

U.S. gross domestic product shrank at a 1.4% annual rate in the first quarter as supply disruptions weighed on the economy, though solid consumer and business spending suggest growth will resume.

The decline in U.S. gross domestic product marked a sharp reversal from a 6.9% annual growth rate in the fourth quarter, the Commerce Department said Thursday. The drop also marked the weakest quarter since spring 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic and related shutdowns drove the U.S. economy into a deep—albeit short—recession.

The drop in GDP stemmed from a widening trade deficit, with the U.S. importing far more than it exports. A slower pace of inventory investment by businesses in the first quarter—compared with a rapid buildup of inventories at the end of last year—also pushed growth lower. In addition, fading government stimulus spending related to the pandemic weighed on GDP.

Despite the slip, many economists think that overall the economy remains on track to resume modest growth in the second quarter and beyond, in part because consumers and businesses are continuing to spend. Consumer spending, the economy’s main driver, rose at a 2.7% annual rate in the first quarter, a slight acceleration from the end of last year.

“It’s really hard for the economy to grow rapidly once you’ve recovered to a substantial degree,” said David Berson, chief economist for Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co.

Also weighing on growth are rising interest rates as the Federal Reserve combats inflation. Central bank officials lifted their benchmark rate in March by a quarter percentage point from near zero, and they have signaled more increases are likely to follow.

Looking ahead, economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal estimate GDP rising 2.6% in the fourth quarter of 2022 from a year earlier, matching 2019 annual growth, but logging in well below 5.5% growth recorded last year.

The labor market is a key source of economic strength right now. Jobless claims—a proxy for layoffs—are hovering near historically low levels as employers cling to employees amid a shortage of available workers. Businesses are hiring and ramping up wages, supporting consumer spending, the economy’s main driver.

High inflation is cutting into households’ purchasing power. Consumer prices rose 8.5% in March from a year earlier, a four-decade high. Elevated inflation is wiping away pay gains for many workers: average hourly earnings were up 5.6% over the same period.

Fast-rising prices are also challenging many businesses.

Cratex Manufacturing Co., a 100-person manufacturer, makes and sells industrial abrasives for other manufacturers to use in the production of steel mills, jet-engine blades and metal castings. The San Diego-based company has seen prices for materials it buys—such as resin and rubber—rise between 5% and 30% since last fall, said Ricker McCasland, president of Cratex.

At the same time, Cratex has had to ramp up wages to retain workers.

“It’s a race to stay ahead of all of those increasing costs,” Mr. McCasland said. He added price increases for raw materials have outpaced Cratex’s ability to recoup them through its own price increases.

While recognizing the rising risk of a downturn, most economists surveyed by the Journal in April said they still think the Fed will be able to rein in inflation without triggering a recession. The economy is positioned to withstand higher interest rates, given unemployment near record lows, steadily rising incomes and relatively subdued levels of consumer debt, they say.

Still, the central bank has never lowered inflation as much as it is setting out to do now without causing a recession. Fed officials say they can curb employer demand for workers without causing layoffs, and tamp down inflation without a recession.

Although Americans are cutting back purchases of big-ticket items, they are increasingly spending on services amid lower Covid-19 case totals and the lifting of remaining pandemic restrictions. Travel is one key example: Hotel occupancy rates are up from January, and more people are also boarding planes.

George Lewis, co-owner of Brass Lantern Inn in Stowe, Vt., is seeing a surge in demand. Visits to his bed-and-breakfast on Maple Street are running strong with rooms selling out some weekends this spring, a sharp shift from earlier in the pandemic when the inn relied on small-business aid to survive.

“People have called up: ‘Are you really sold out?’ ” Mr. Lewis said. “I’m like, ‘Yeah, yeah, we’re really sold out.’ ”

Still, Mr. Lewis is more concerned about business next year. For one, it isn’t clear where inflation will be, he said. Prices have already risen briskly for heating oil to warm rooms, as well as for the cheddar cheese Mr. Lewis uses in egg strata, a breakfast casserole he serves up on Saturdays.

Consumer spending is another wild card, he added.

“We don’t know what people’s pocketbooks can accommodate after this year,” he said. “Some people are spending…independent of what the cost is.”

[The Jamesian Republic]

GDP unexpectedly shrank 1.4% in the first quarter. That is despite consumer and business spending keeping pace, which economists believe will result in growth in the second quarter. Driving the contraction is inflation, rising interests rates, a growing trade deficit, and the current war in Ukraine. There was also a slower pace of inventory investment by businesses in the first quarter compared with a rapid buildup of inventories at the end of last year as well as fading government stimulus spending related to the pandemic weighed on GDP.

The Labor Market, however, is strong: employers are retaining workers due to a shortage and thus, are raising wages, supporting the economy's main drive.

U.S. gross domestic product shrank at a 1.4% annual rate in the first quarter as supply disruptions weighed on the economy, though solid consumer and business spending suggest growth will resume.

The decline in U.S. gross domestic product marked a sharp reversal from a 6.9% annual growth rate in the fourth quarter, the Commerce Department said Thursday. The drop also marked the weakest quarter since spring 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic and related shutdowns drove the U.S. economy into a deep—albeit short—recession.

The drop in GDP stemmed from a widening trade deficit, with the U.S. importing far more than it exports. A slower pace of inventory investment by businesses in the first quarter—compared with a rapid buildup of inventories at the end of last year—also pushed growth lower. In addition, fading government stimulus spending related to the pandemic weighed on GDP.

Despite the slip, many economists think that overall the economy remains on track to resume modest growth in the second quarter and beyond, in part because consumers and businesses are continuing to spend. Consumer spending, the economy’s main driver, rose at a 2.7% annual rate in the first quarter, a slight acceleration from the end of last year.

“It’s really hard for the economy to grow rapidly once you’ve recovered to a substantial degree,” said David Berson, chief economist for Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co.

Also weighing on growth are rising interest rates as the Federal Reserve combats inflation. Central bank officials lifted their benchmark rate in March by a quarter percentage point from near zero, and they have signaled more increases are likely to follow.

Looking ahead, economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal estimate GDP rising 2.6% in the fourth quarter of 2022 from a year earlier, matching 2019 annual growth, but logging in well below 5.5% growth recorded last year.

The labor market is a key source of economic strength right now. Jobless claims—a proxy for layoffs—are hovering near historically low levels as employers cling to employees amid a shortage of available workers. Businesses are hiring and ramping up wages, supporting consumer spending, the economy’s main driver.

High inflation is cutting into households’ purchasing power. Consumer prices rose 8.5% in March from a year earlier, a four-decade high. Elevated inflation is wiping away pay gains for many workers: average hourly earnings were up 5.6% over the same period.

Fast-rising prices are also challenging many businesses.

Cratex Manufacturing Co., a 100-person manufacturer, makes and sells industrial abrasives for other manufacturers to use in the production of steel mills, jet-engine blades and metal castings. The San Diego-based company has seen prices for materials it buys—such as resin and rubber—rise between 5% and 30% since last fall, said Ricker McCasland, president of Cratex.

At the same time, Cratex has had to ramp up wages to retain workers.

“It’s a race to stay ahead of all of those increasing costs,” Mr. McCasland said. He added price increases for raw materials have outpaced Cratex’s ability to recoup them through its own price increases.

While recognizing the rising risk of a downturn, most economists surveyed by the Journal in April said they still think the Fed will be able to rein in inflation without triggering a recession. The economy is positioned to withstand higher interest rates, given unemployment near record lows, steadily rising incomes and relatively subdued levels of consumer debt, they say.

Still, the central bank has never lowered inflation as much as it is setting out to do now without causing a recession. Fed officials say they can curb employer demand for workers without causing layoffs, and tamp down inflation without a recession.

Although Americans are cutting back purchases of big-ticket items, they are increasingly spending on services amid lower Covid-19 case totals and the lifting of remaining pandemic restrictions. Travel is one key example: Hotel occupancy rates are up from January, and more people are also boarding planes.

George Lewis, co-owner of Brass Lantern Inn in Stowe, Vt., is seeing a surge in demand. Visits to his bed-and-breakfast on Maple Street are running strong with rooms selling out some weekends this spring, a sharp shift from earlier in the pandemic when the inn relied on small-business aid to survive.

“People have called up: ‘Are you really sold out?’ ” Mr. Lewis said. “I’m like, ‘Yeah, yeah, we’re really sold out.’ ”

Still, Mr. Lewis is more concerned about business next year. For one, it isn’t clear where inflation will be, he said. Prices have already risen briskly for heating oil to warm rooms, as well as for the cheddar cheese Mr. Lewis uses in egg strata, a breakfast casserole he serves up on Saturdays.

Consumer spending is another wild card, he added.

“We don’t know what people’s pocketbooks can accommodate after this year,” he said. “Some people are spending…independent of what the cost is.”

Is there anything we can do?

[Zurkerx]

GDP unexpectedly shrank 1.4% in the first quarter. That is despite consumer and business spending keeping pace, which economists believe will result in growth in the second quarter. Driving the contraction is inflation, rising interests rates, a growing trade deficit, and the current war in Ukraine. There was also a slower pace of inventory investment by businesses in the first quarter compared with a rapid buildup of inventories at the end of last year as well as fading government stimulus spending related to the pandemic weighed on GDP.

The Labor Market, however, is strong: employers are retaining workers due to a shortage and thus, are raising wages, supporting the economy's main drive.

U.S. gross domestic product shrank at a 1.4% annual rate in the first quarter as supply disruptions weighed on the economy, though solid consumer and business spending suggest growth will resume.

The decline in U.S. gross domestic product marked a sharp reversal from a 6.9% annual growth rate in the fourth quarter, the Commerce Department said Thursday. The drop also marked the weakest quarter since spring 2020, when the Covid-19 pandemic and related shutdowns drove the U.S. economy into a deep—albeit short—recession.

The drop in GDP stemmed from a widening trade deficit, with the U.S. importing far more than it exports. A slower pace of inventory investment by businesses in the first quarter—compared with a rapid buildup of inventories at the end of last year—also pushed growth lower. In addition, fading government stimulus spending related to the pandemic weighed on GDP.

Despite the slip, many economists think that overall the economy remains on track to resume modest growth in the second quarter and beyond, in part because consumers and businesses are continuing to spend. Consumer spending, the economy’s main driver, rose at a 2.7% annual rate in the first quarter, a slight acceleration from the end of last year.

“It’s really hard for the economy to grow rapidly once you’ve recovered to a substantial degree,” said David Berson, chief economist for Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co.

Also weighing on growth are rising interest rates as the Federal Reserve combats inflation. Central bank officials lifted their benchmark rate in March by a quarter percentage point from near zero, and they have signaled more increases are likely to follow.

Looking ahead, economists surveyed by The Wall Street Journal estimate GDP rising 2.6% in the fourth quarter of 2022 from a year earlier, matching 2019 annual growth, but logging in well below 5.5% growth recorded last year.

The labor market is a key source of economic strength right now. Jobless claims—a proxy for layoffs—are hovering near historically low levels as employers cling to employees amid a shortage of available workers. Businesses are hiring and ramping up wages, supporting consumer spending, the economy’s main driver.

High inflation is cutting into households’ purchasing power. Consumer prices rose 8.5% in March from a year earlier, a four-decade high. Elevated inflation is wiping away pay gains for many workers: average hourly earnings were up 5.6% over the same period.

Fast-rising prices are also challenging many businesses.

Cratex Manufacturing Co., a 100-person manufacturer, makes and sells industrial abrasives for other manufacturers to use in the production of steel mills, jet-engine blades and metal castings. The San Diego-based company has seen prices for materials it buys—such as resin and rubber—rise between 5% and 30% since last fall, said Ricker McCasland, president of Cratex.

At the same time, Cratex has had to ramp up wages to retain workers.

“It’s a race to stay ahead of all of those increasing costs,” Mr. McCasland said. He added price increases for raw materials have outpaced Cratex’s ability to recoup them through its own price increases.

While recognizing the rising risk of a downturn, most economists surveyed by the Journal in April said they still think the Fed will be able to rein in inflation without triggering a recession. The economy is positioned to withstand higher interest rates, given unemployment near record lows, steadily rising incomes and relatively subdued levels of consumer debt, they say.

Still, the central bank has never lowered inflation as much as it is setting out to do now without causing a recession. Fed officials say they can curb employer demand for workers without causing layoffs, and tamp down inflation without a recession.

Although Americans are cutting back purchases of big-ticket items, they are increasingly spending on services amid lower Covid-19 case totals and the lifting of remaining pandemic restrictions. Travel is one key example: Hotel occupancy rates are up from January, and more people are also boarding planes.

George Lewis, co-owner of Brass Lantern Inn in Stowe, Vt., is seeing a surge in demand. Visits to his bed-and-breakfast on Maple Street are running strong with rooms selling out some weekends this spring, a sharp shift from earlier in the pandemic when the inn relied on small-business aid to survive.

“People have called up: ‘Are you really sold out?’ ” Mr. Lewis said. “I’m like, ‘Yeah, yeah, we’re really sold out.’ ”

Still, Mr. Lewis is more concerned about business next year. For one, it isn’t clear where inflation will be, he said. Prices have already risen briskly for heating oil to warm rooms, as well as for the cheddar cheese Mr. Lewis uses in egg strata, a breakfast casserole he serves up on Saturdays.

Consumer spending is another wild card, he added.

“We don’t know what people’s pocketbooks can accommodate after this year,” he said. “Some people are spending…independent of what the cost is.”

Is there anything we can do?

There is although one should note, the effects can take months to years. One thing that can help is the Build Back Better bill although that is pretty much dead thanks to Manchin's and Sinema's demands, the latter oppose to any tax increases while the former supports them but wants the bill to focus on inflation and control the deficit. That said, Manchin's loyalty needs to be scrutinized further: he reportedly would have switch to become an independent and caucus with the GOP if Thune became the GOP Leader. And why? Apparently, Manchin didn't take kindly to Harris doing an interviewin his State without him being notified. He ultimately didn't go through with it since he still feared it would make McConnell the Majority Leader. However, one can suspect should the Senate be evenly divided after 2022 that the GOP would try again, with Thune as the new leader. Manchin, of course, has said all that is BS but let's be honest: he would join them in a heart beat under the right circumstances. He is the very definition of Mark Twain's "Little Kings".

[San Lumen]

https://morningconsult.com/2022/04/28/g ... -election/
current approval ratings for all sitting governors. Most of those up for reelection this year are fairly popular.

Charlie Baker (R) of Massachusetts who declined to seek a third term is the most popular at 74

Kathy Hochul (D) of New York has a 52 percent approval rating.

Gretchen Whitmer (D) of Michigan is at 50 percent. This a critical election.

Tony Evers (D) of Wisconsin has a 45 percent approval rating. This is another critical election for Democrats

the most unpopular governor is Kate Brown (D) of Oregon. she has a 41 percent approval rating.

[The Jamesian Republic]

Is there anything we can do?

There is although one should note, the effects can take months to years. One thing that can help is the Build Back Better bill although that is pretty much dead thanks to Manchin's and Sinema's demands, the latter oppose to any tax increases while the former supports them but wants the bill to focus on inflation and control the deficit. That said, Manchin's loyalty needs to be scrutinized further: he reportedly would have switch to become an independent and caucus with the GOP if Thune became the GOP Leader. And why? Apparently, Manchin didn't take kindly to Harris doing an interviewin his State without him being notified. He ultimately didn't go through with it since he still feared it would make McConnell the Majority Leader. However, one can suspect should the Senate be evenly divided after 2022 that the GOP would try again, with Thune as the new leader. Manchin, of course, has said all that is BS but let's be honest: he would join them in a heart beat under the right circumstances. He is the very definition of Mark Twain's "Little Kings".

Ugh.

[San Lumen]

https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/pol ... 551852002/

With no evidence, Rebecca Kleefisch, Wisconsin candidate for governor, says 2020 election was 'rigged'

[The Jamesian Republic]

https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/politics/elections/2022/04/27/rebecca-kleefisch-says-2020-election-rigged-compares-deflategate/9551852002/

With no evidence, Rebecca Kleefisch, Wisconsin candidate for governor, says 2020 election was 'rigged'

Simple, The Chinese government held a seance to summon the ghost of Hugo Chavez then in a bathroom in Georgia a toilet began leaking profusely then hackers employed by the Chinese government used a thermometer to hack the voting machines and then switched the paper ballots with Trump’s votes and replaced them with bamboo ballots with Biden’s votes.

[San Lumen]

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/florida-le ... do-naples/


Florida is the least affordable place to live in the U.S.

[Hrvada]

I know a few people within the Vance campaign who are very confident about winning next week. Personally, I believe with the Trump endorsement it's a not matter of if Vance is going or not, it's rather a matter of how large his margin of victory will be. If Vance ultimately wins by 15+ points, it will show that the Trump endorsement remains strong.

[Shilshka]

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/florida-least-affordable-state-us-miami-tampa-orlando-naples/


Florida is the least affordable place to live in the U.S.

I wonder why.

[San Lumen]

https://www.cleveland.com/nation/2022/0 ... nable.html

Tennessee lawmaker says he would burn books he considers objectionable

[Ifreann]

https://www.cleveland.com/nation/2022/04/tennessee-lawmaker-says-he-would-burn-books-he-considers-objectionable.html

Tennessee lawmaker says he would burn books he considers objectionable

The important part is taking them out of the libraries.

[Zurkerx]

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/florida-least-affordable-state-us-miami-tampa-orlando-naples/


Florida is the least affordable place to live in the U.S.

It's a good thing I bought my house in NJ at the right time - that was in August of 2020 when rates were 2.6% for a 30 year fixed mortgage and houses much more affordable. Needless to say, my mortgage is about a third of what this person is paying in Florida. I pay less then what most people pay in rent.

Anyway, it could be a campaign issue for Democrats there: rising costs under DeSantis though it seems he'll easily coast to victory regardless.

[San Lumen]

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/florida-least-affordable-state-us-miami-tampa-orlando-naples/


Florida is the least affordable place to live in the U.S.

It's a good thing I bought my house in NJ at the right time - that was in August of 2020 when rates were 2.6% for a 30 year fixed mortgage and houses much more affordable. Needless to say, my mortgage is about a third of what this person is paying in Florida. I pay less then what most people pay in rent.

Anyway, it could be a campaign issue for Democrats there: rising costs under DeSantis though it seems he'll easily coast to victory regardless.

After Gillum and Nelson's losses in 2018 I have little hope for Florida.

[Thermodolia]

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/florida-least-affordable-state-us-miami-tampa-orlando-naples/


Florida is the least affordable place to live in the U.S.

It's a good thing I bought my house in NJ at the right time - that was in August of 2020 when rates were 2.6% for a 30 year fixed mortgage and houses much more affordable. Needless to say, my mortgage is about a third of what this person is paying in Florida. I pay less then what most people pay in rent.

Anyway, it could be a campaign issue for Democrats there: rising costs under DeSantis though it seems he'll easily coast to victory regardless.

My rate was 3% for a 30 year fixed VA loan. Non VA loans where going for around 3.4%. This was around summer of 2021

[Senkaku]

I know a few people within the Vance campaign who are very confident about winning next week. Personally, I believe with the Trump endorsement it's a not matter of if Vance is going or not, it's rather a matter of how large his margin of victory will be. If Vance ultimately wins by 15+ points, it will show that the Trump endorsement remains strong.

It will show that Thiel funding and analytics are strong anyways, idk as much abt the Trump thing but I'm sure that's how cable news types will interpret it

[American Legionaries]

https://www.cleveland.com/nation/2022/04/tennessee-lawmaker-says-he-would-burn-books-he-considers-objectionable.html

Tennessee lawmaker says he would burn books he considers objectionable

That's dumb, books are recyclable, and burning them just generates unnecessary pollution.

[Deblar]

https://www.cleveland.com/nation/2022/04/tennessee-lawmaker-says-he-would-burn-books-he-considers-objectionable.html

Tennessee lawmaker says he would burn books he considers objectionable

*ahem* 1984

[Hrvada]

I know a few people within the Vance campaign who are very confident about winning next week. Personally, I believe with the Trump endorsement it's a not matter of if Vance is going or not, it's rather a matter of how large his margin of victory will be. If Vance ultimately wins by 15+ points, it will show that the Trump endorsement remains strong.

It will show that Thiel funding and analytics are strong anyways, idk as much abt the Trump thing but I'm sure that's how cable news types will interpret it

I mean, the interesting thing is that Trump has avoided endorsing any other of the prominent Theil candidates. That's why people like Blake Masters in Arizona haven't been as dominant as Vance.