Wednesday, September 23, 2020

WHILE CALIFORNIA BURNS, KAMALA HARRIS IS NOWHERE TO BE FOUND

Dereliction of Duty: Kamala Harris Missing in Action as Wildfires Burn Her State

Kamala Harris Tour of IBEW 494 Training Facility - Wauwatosa, WI - September 7, 2020
Lawrence Jackson / Biden for President
10:10

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA), who last week surveyed wildfire damage in her state of California, has primarily focused on climate change in the wake of the devastation across her state.

Notably, few of the measures she sponsored or co-sponsored — if any at all — have had a meaningful impact on the Californians facing the wildfires dominating the west, some of which were magnified by arsonists — another fact the senator has largely left unaddressed. Instead, she has continued to direct the bulk of her attention to climate change, alongside her radical left-wing colleagues, many of whom are also using the devastation to push for a Green New Deal:

Earlier this month, Harris surveyed the damage in Fresno County alongside Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), who praised the Democrat presidential nominee, because she “gets it.”

“If you don’t believe in science, come to California and observe it with your own eyes,” Newsom said. “You cannot be in denial about this reality.”

Harris called the wildfires and devastation “utterly predictable,” although she was not referring to the reality of wildfire season, which has existed for centuries, nor the environmental policies that have, critics say, enhanced the devastation — such as pursuing “fire suppression” rather than prescribed burns.

“Sadly, these wildfires and the devastation they cause are utterly predictable,” Harris said. “This is not a partisan issue. This is just a fact. We have to do better as a country.”

“We have to understand that California, like so many other parts of our country, has experienced extreme weather conditions,” she continued. “It is incumbent on us, in terms of the leadership of our nation, to take seriously these new changes in our climate, and to do what we can to mitigate against the damage.”

Following Harris’s visit — which was her first public stop in the Golden State as Biden’s running mate — a California family accused Harris of using their burnt home for a photo op. One of the family members said Harris had not reached out to assist the family:

However, a brief look at Harris’s recent history as a lawmaker shows that she has done very little to address wildfire season in her state in an impactful way.

Most recently, Harris sponsored the Climate Equity Act alongside radical Green New Deal champion Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). According to a press release, the legislation is meant to “ensure that the United States government centers communities on the frontlines of the climate crisis in policy related to climate and the environment.” It defines frontline communities as “those that have experienced systemic socioeconomic disparities, environmental racism, and other forms of injustice, including low-income communities, indigenous peoples, and communities of color.” It specifically requires future legislation to “receive an equity score that is both quantitative and qualitative to estimate the impact on frontline communities” and would also:

  • Establish an independent Office of Climate and Environmental Justice Accountability with a Board of Advisors made up of members and allies of frontline communities to represent the views of frontline communities in rulemaking at the beginning of the rulemaking process.
  • Establish a new position of Director for Climate and Environmental Justice at all relevant agencies to ensure compliance and coordination.
  • Require that representatives of frontline communities are at the table during the drafting and review of relevant rules and regulations, providing insights and comments on how to minimize negative impacts and maximize benefits to frontline communities and ensure those insights and comments are addressed.

Nothing in the legislation addresses issues directly related to forest management — a key factor in addressing wildfires in the modern era, some experts say.

Regarding the legislation, Harris stated:

COVID-19 has laid bare the realities of systemic racial, health, economic, and environmental injustices that persist in our country. The environment we live in cannot be disentangled from the rest of our lives, and it is more important than ever that we work toward a more just and equitable future. That is why, as we combat the climate crisis and build a clean economy; we must put justice and equity first. I’m proud to partner with Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez on this comprehensive proposal to empower communities that have been neglected by policymakers for far too long.

In July, she introduced the Environmental Justice for All Act, which focuses primarily on “environmental justice” and “systemic racism.”

A release detailing the measure stated:

All people have the right to clean air, clean water, and a healthy environment. But for too many, these rights are still unrealized. That injustice, and the cumulative injustices of housing, economic, education, and health care injustice, and others, mean that millions in America have been ignored by our government for generations.

The release added that the measure “establishes programs to ensure more equitable access to parks and the outdoors … funds programs to study potentially harmful products marketed towards women and girls of color,” and “requires early and meaningful involvement in actions impacting communities, including Tribes.”

Other measures Harris has sponsored or cosponsored in the last three years include:

  • S.Res.232: A resolution supporting the inclusion and meaningful engagement of Latinos in environmental protection and conservation efforts.
  • S.Res.573: A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that climate change is real and that the National Science Foundation should engage on the communication of sound climate change science to the public.
  • S.Res.708: A resolution expressing the need for bold climate action in response to the release of the United Nations report entitled “Global Warming of 1.5 C, an IPCC special report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5 C above pre-industrial levels and related global greenhouse gas emission pathways, in the context of strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change, sustainable development, and efforts to eradicate poverty” and the Fourth National Climate Assessment report entitled “Volume II: Impacts, Risks, and Adaptation in the United States” by the United States Global Change Research Program.
  • S.767: Clean Air, Healthy Kids Act
  • S.Res.59: A resolution recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal.
  • S.Res.593: A resolution to recognize the 50th anniversary of Earth Day and the leadership of its founder, Senator Gaylord Nelson.
  • S.Con.Res.22: A concurrent resolution expressing the sense of Congress that there is a climate emergency which demands a massive-scale mobilization to halt, reverse, and address its consequences and causes.
  • S.J.Res.9: A joint resolution calling on the United States and Congress to take immediate action to address the challenge of climate change.
  • S.477: Climate Change Education Act
  • S.868: Women and Climate Change Act of 2019
  • S.1487: Zero-Emission Vehicles Act of 2019

While she cosponsored the Smoke Planning and Research Act of 2019, it “requires the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to research and mitigate the impacts of smoke emissions from wildland fires,” according to a summary of the bill. She also introduced the Wildfire Defense Act last year, which would invest $1 billion per year to:

Establish guidelines for communities to conceptualize new Community Wildfire Defense Plans (CWDP) that are developed in coordination with community members, first responders, and relevant state agencies. CWDPs will focus on implementing strategies and activities relating to:

  • Improving evacuations and access for first responders
  • Addressing vulnerable populations, including the elderly, those with disabilities, and the homeless
  • Hardening critical infrastructure and homes
  • Applying defensible space to create a buffer between communities and the forest
  • Deploying distributed energy resources like microgrids with battery storage
  • Educating community member

“We cannot stop the threat of wildfires entirely, but we can do much more to prepare our communities for worst-case scenarios while working to address the structural issues that have caused these fires to burn more quickly and more intensely than ever before,” a release stated.

Overall, Harris has appeared to focus her attention on sounding the alarm on climate change and environmental justice rather than proposing direct action to mitigate the wildfires in her state. The senator’s office did not respond to Breitbart News’s request for comment.

In recent days, Harris has continued to focus on climate change as Joe Biden (D) labeled President Trump a “climate arsonist”:

At least four individuals, including one who attended anti-police protests in Seattle, have been arrested for arson in the west.

President Trump spoke on the issue in 2018, stating plainly that the state needs forest management.

“You need forest management. It has to be,” Trump said. “I’m not saying that in a negative way, a positive — I’m just saying the facts.”

As Breitbart News reported, the United States Forest Service and Democrat Gov. Gavin Newsom “have reached agreement on a $1 billion plan to clear vegetation that fuels fires on one million acres annually by 2025, with a plan on how to do that in place in 2021.”

According to the National Interagency Fire Center, California is currently reporting 22 large fires.

THE GLOBALIST DEMOCRAT PARTY FOR BANKSTERS, BILLIONAIRES and WIDER OPEN BORDERS TO KEEP WAGES DEPRESSED

Recently the Democrat party has become the party of open borders and amnesty as well as ultimate citizenship for upwards of 22 million illegal immigrants and with open borders at least another 2-4 million more every year. The vast majority of these illegal immigrants are functionally illiterate and lacking in employable skills.  STEVE McCANN

Yet the Democrat party that claims to be the champion of minorities and low-income families is pushing to ultimately legalize upwards of 22 to 30 million unskilled illegal immigrants (equal to 55 to 73% of the current African American population) which will devastate low income working American families by driving down wages. STEVEN McCANN

Can the Present-Day Democrat Party Govern America 

(with or without Joe Biden)?

By Steve McCann

The cabal fronted by Joe Biden is selling hatred of Donald Trump and his voters and prefers that voters not worry about their ability to govern should the Democrats win the Senate and install Harris-Biden.

This same cabal that would be charged with governing the nation has, for the past four years, marginalized, physically confronted and repeatedly accused the 63 million Americans who voted for Donald Trump of being not only racists but fascists and white supremacists as well as homophobic, xenophobic and among the vilest people on the face of the earth.  What will be their intentions for these rightfully incensed citizens?  Ignore them and hope they go away?  They will not.  Instead, the Democrat party cabal will continue to vilify half of the voters in 2020 thus potentially fomenting serious ongoing confrontations and retaliation. 

Over the years 154 million observant Christians have been denigrated, mocked and pilloried for their beliefs as religious liberty is under continual assault by the left and the Democrat party.  What can this segment of society look forward to under a government committed to promoting unfettered abortion and infanticide as well as a determination to purge society of its basic Judeo-Christian foundation?  It is an absolute certainty that the hierarchy of the party will persist in imposing their secularism on the nation, either by litigation, administrative decrees or intimidation.   How will they respond to what will be increasing anger and resentment by 48% of the population?

In a nation of 330 million people there will always be those who will commit mass murder.  When and if the current iteration of the Democrat party takes over, these occurrences will increase.  The left has always blamed rhetoric and guns as the primary causation.  Thus, when mass murders occur a Democrat party in power will have no choice but to continue to ignore underlying factors such as societal breakdown and mental illness and actively focus on overtly limiting speech and enforcing gun control. 

Currently 235 million Americans either own or could see themselves owning a gun.  How will the Democrats in power go about effectively confiscating guns in a nation of 3.8 million square miles?  Utilize a national registry of all gun owners?  Outlaw all semi-automatic weapons?  Impose onerous taxes and insurance requirements making gun ownership unaffordable? Pass open-ended red flag laws allowing virtually anyone to file a complaint against someone, ostensibly based on their suspicions, thus allowing the police to seize the guns of the accused?  As for speech, will certain words, phrases and organizations, as determined by the left, be considered inciteful and dangerous and thus outlawed?  How will the Democrats deal with the inevitable resistance and potential violent push back from upwards of 72% of the nation’s citizenry?

Once in power, the Democrats are committed to eventual Medicare for all, reparations for African Americans, and new environmental programs amid a myriad of new spending programs.  The estimated average annual cost of these proposals exceeds $4 trillion over and above current spending.  Discounting the one-time pandemic spending, the federal government currently spends $4.7 trillion a year (which includes $1 trillion of deficit spending).  Income taxes account for 50% of all government revenue and Social Security and Medicare withholding account for 36%.  Thus, individuals account for 86% of all revenue.  In order for the Democrats to pay for these programs, revenue from individual taxpayers would have to be increased by 150%.

As the Democrats have promised not to touch Social Security and Medicare all the increase would have to be in the income tax arena, assuming that all this proposed spending would not be financed by unfettered money creation and debt.  Based on the most recent IRS analysis the effective average income tax rate would have to be 70% on the top 10% of income tax filers, a rate of 55% on the next 40%, and a rate of 35% on the bottom 50% of filers.  (Further, the corporate tax rate would have to be increased from a current rate of 21% to 50%.

How would the Democrats enforce these new rates as people either refuse to pay or go into the underground economy?   How would they pay for massive unemployment and welfare benefits as a result of an avalanche of layoffs and business closures?  What are their plans for the recession and potential depression that would ensue?  From whom (China?) would a Democrat administration borrow money and at what exorbitant interest rate?  Would they successfully coerce the Federal Reserve into printing trillions of dollars in new money?  Thus, creating massive uncontrolled and nation-toppling inflation? 

Recently the Democrat party has become the party of open borders and amnesty as well as ultimate citizenship for upwards of 22 million illegal immigrants and with open borders at least another 2-4 million more every year. The vast majority of these illegal immigrants are functionally illiterate and lacking in employable skills. 

Currently 30% of all working families (or nearly 50 million Americans) are essentially unskilled and low income but above the poverty threshold.  60% of these are families headed by racial/ ethnic minorities.  African Americans, while 13% of the population (41 million), account for nearly 30% of low-income working families.  Another 39 million Americans live below the poverty level. Thus, a total of 89 million live in low-income families or in poverty.  Yet the Democrat party that claims to be the champion of minorities and low-income families is pushing to ultimately legalize upwards of 22 to 30 million unskilled illegal immigrants (equal to 55 to 73% of the current African American population) which will devastate low income working American families by driving down wages.

The left and the Democrat party are now so committed to open borders and illegal immigration that they cannot reverse course.  Do they really give a damn about the African American population, or native born and naturalized Hispanics, or the low-income white working families?   Or are the potential votes of the illegal population more important?  With the spending plans outlined above, how will they buy off these groups as there will be no money or jobs?  How will they avoid the inevitable class friction and potential hostility with so many in the marketplace and a limited number of jobs in the low-income sector?

How will the Democrat Party hierarchy deal with the Marxist mobs they tacitly unleashed onto the streets of the nation’s major cities and suburbs?  Mobs who now know that virtually all Democrat politicians inevitably cower and capitulate in the face of violence and intimidation.   How does the party leadership placate them and their demands to overthrow capitalism and transform the nation into an unabashed Marxist/socialist nation without fomenting more militant upheaval? 

While at the same time, due to their failed policy prescriptions, incompetence and fecklessness, deal with a myriad of near insolvable problems they deliberately created as well as the resultant demands from the rest of the populace. 

Nationwide chaos and antagonism on a massive scale is thus inevitable.

In summary, the current Marxist/socialist dominated Democrat Party and its propaganda arm, the mainstream media, is good at sowing confusion, communicating overt falsehoods and vilifying their opponents in order to win elections.   But they cannot and will never be able to successfully govern a diverse nation of 330 million people the size of the continent of Europe.   If they ever fully control all the levers of power, this nation as presently constituted, will, in due course, cease to exist.

Photo credit: Pxhere Creative Commons CC0.

 “With increasing homelessness, a soft approach to criminal prosecution, and the ongoing embracing of illegal immigration, violent crimes are increasing after having seen a reduction the past few years.” P.F. WHALEN

Undeterred, on September 2, state lawmakers sent a budget to Governor Newsom calling for $600 million in spending increases and a reduction in state revenue with the extension of earned income tax credits for immigrants and illegal aliens.  Balance sheet be damned, California must cater to illegal aliens. P.F. WHALEN 

California: The Golden State in Utter Decay

By P.F. Whalen

California is a mess; no secret there.  But the degree of decline that befalls it, and the quickness with which that decline is moving, seems to be largely ignored, particularly by Californians themselves.  The nation's most populous state, and arguably its most naturally beautiful, is falling apart virtually everywhere we look.  Yet state and local governments not only insist on moving forward with leftist policies, but continually double down by moving even farther left, and the state's voters return them to office with ever-increasing electoral margins.  California's current approach to virtually all aspects of society — the economy, environment, legal system and culture — is unsustainable, and the time for reckoning is rapidly approaching.

The current crisis in California that is getting the most national attention is the plague of wildfires throughout much of the northern part of the state.  Such fires have ravaged the area for millennia, long before the presence of any European settlers, but that has not stopped California leftists and their media from pointing fingers at climate change and President Trump.  Avoiding responsibility for a crisis by blaming anyone and anything with even a remote chance of culpability is the California way — which leads to a failure to develop real solutions.  None of California's leaders, least of all Democratic governor Gavin Newsom, have accepted any responsibility for the government's role in the fires.  Evidence clearly shows that the decision by the state to revive "fire suppression" efforts, a practice that essentially delays the inevitable and results in even larger wildfires (and was mostly discontinued in the 1960s), has been a major contributor to the magnitude of this year's fires.  But has the government of California even paused to reconsider the strategy?  Sadly, no.

Wildfires, unfortunately, are among the least of California's woes.  Homelessness in the state has become a major problem, and one that is having a significant impact on the quality of life for taxpayers.  According to a San Francisco Chronicle article published last December, "[w]hile the latest counts compiled by the federal government show that America's homeless population is growing again after more than a decade of declines, the entire national increase and more can be attributed to California alone."  In other words, homelessness continues to be on the decline in the U.S. if we exclude California.  So how does California plan on addressing the problem?  A bill passed by the state's Legislature earlier this month will empower Governor Newsom to appoint a "Homelessness Czar."  Government actions, including regulations which aggressively target landlords and programs that provide handouts enticing the homeless to settle in the state, have perpetuated the homeless situation, but more taxpayer dollars and government interference is always the solution for California.  Got a problem?  Throw money at it, and let the government make it worse.

With increasing homelessness, a soft approach to criminal prosecution, and the ongoing embracing of illegal immigration, violent crimes are increasing after having seen a reduction the past few years.  According to The Trace, "homicides are sharply up this year" in California as a whole, and cities such as Oakland, with a 26% increase, have seen a significant increase in the number of murders.  With the jump in violent crimes, what steps has California's government taken to reduce certain crimes?  They recently passed the controversial bill S.B. 145, which will ultimately end up reducing accountability and sentences for adults who sexually assault children as young as 14.  What a brilliant idea.  Apparently, California's leadership believes that the pedophile community had been treated unfairly.  

In spite of an abundance of bad news items hitting California on a regular basis, the most ominous challenge is undoubtedly the fiscal time bomb that looms, and whose ticking grows louder by the day.  Already one of the highest taxed states in the U.S., California had a reported government debt of over $1.5 trillion as of 2017 — long before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and an amount that has surely increased dramatically since.  Undeterred, on September 2, state lawmakers sent a budget to Governor Newsom calling for $600 million in spending increases and a reduction in state revenue with the extension of earned income tax credits for immigrants and illegal aliens.  Balance sheet be damned, California must cater to illegal aliens.

Increasing spending and decreasing revenue is a lousy recipe for getting one's fiscal house in order — particularly one that is already a disaster.  The state government appears to be counting on an eventual federal bailout from its financial predicament, but that help is not going to happen, nor should it.

California industries have recognized the signals and are taking action.  High-profile companies and leaders have announced their plans to leave the state or have openly proclaimed their considerations for the idea.  Media outlet The Daily Wire, with co-owner Ben Shapiro, recently announced its plan to move to Nashville; podcast giant Joe Rogan is taking his ball and moving to Texas; and Elon Musk is moving Tesla's headquarters out-of-state, and possibly manufacturing operations as well.   Other businesses will surely follow, as the hostility toward industry through taxes and oppressive regulations continues unimpeded.  State lawmakers are not intimidated by the idea of losing millions of dollars in revenue and have recently taken the bold step of adding a layer of government regulations to existing and would-be businesses.  Another bill recently passed by the state legislature will "mandate ethnic, racial or LGBT diversity on corporate boards" — more government intervention in the private sector in the name of virtue and another assault on the philosophy of meritocracy.

California has some of the most appealing weather in the world, but pleasant weather goes only so far.  Residents enjoy the state's natural wonders such as the lovely Napa Valley, Yosemite National Park, and the glorious pacific coast highway, but they have been choosing to leave anyway at an increasing rate in a phenomenon that is being called "The California Exodus."  The state population decreased by almost 200,000 in 2018, and over 28,000 left the San Francisco Bay area alone in a single quarter last year.  Inevitably, the question that Californians have to consider is this: while it may be bad now, is there a chance it is going to get better?

California, the bluest of blue states, has rising crime and homelessness.  California has fearsome wildfires and rolling electrical blackouts due to government mismanagement of its forests and energy systems.  California has an ever-increasing budget deficit with no end in sight.  Yet California's tone-deaf politicians continue to enjoy immense support from their oblivious electorate.  Many residents cherish the song lyric that laments, "Going to California with an aching in my heart."  Unfortunately, the time has come for many to recognize reality, and to leave California with a similar aching.  California is decaying before our eyes, and it is not going to get better.

P.F. Whalen is a conservative blogger at TheBlueStateConservative.com.  His work has appeared in multiple publications, including American Thinker, the Western Journal, and Human Events. Follow him on Twitter at @pf_whalen.

 

HOME TO DIANNE FEINSTEIN, NANCY 


PELOSI, KAMALA HARRIS AND


GAVIN NEWSOM

 

Adios, Sanctuary La Raza Welfare State of California     
A fifth-generation Californian laments his state’s ongoing economic collapse.
By Steve Baldwin
American Spectator
What’s clear is that the producers are leaving the state and the takers are coming in. Many of the takers are illegal aliens, now estimated to number over 2.6 million (BLOG: THE NUMBER IS CLOSER TO 15 MILLION ILLEAGLS). 
The Federation for American Immigration Reform estimates that California spends $22 billion (DATED: NOW ABOUT $35 BILLION YEARLY AND THAT IS ON THE STATE LEVEL ONLY. COUNTIES PAY OUT MORE) on government services for illegal aliens, including welfare, education, Medicaid, and criminal justice system costs. 

Liberals claim they more than make that up with taxes paid, but that’s simply not true. It’s not even close. FAIR estimates illegal aliens in California contribute only $1.21 billion in tax revenue, which means they cost California $20.6 billion, or at least $1,800 per household.
Nonetheless, open border advocates, such as Facebook Chairman Mark Zuckerberg, claim illegal aliens are a net benefit to California with little evidence to support such an assertion. As the Center for Immigration Studies has documented, the vast majority of illegals are poor, uneducated, and with few skills. How does accepting millions of illegal aliens and then granting them access to dozens of welfare programs benefit California’s economy? If illegal aliens were contributing to the economy in any meaningful way, California, with its 2.6 million illegal aliens, would be booming.
Furthermore, the complexion of illegal aliens has changed with far more on welfare and committing crimes than those who entered the country in the 1980s. 
Heather Mac Donald of the Manhattan Institute has testified before a Congressional committee that in 2004, 95% of all outstanding warrants for murder in Los Angeles were for illegal aliens; in 2000, 23% of all Los Angeles County jail inmates were illegal aliens and that in 1995, 60% of Los Angeles’s largest street gang, the 18th Street gang, were illegal aliens. Granted, those statistics are old, but if you talk to any California law enforcement officer, they will tell you it’s much worse today. The problem is that the Brown administration will not release any statewide data on illegal alien crimes. That would be insensitive. And now that California has declared itself a “sanctuary state,” there is little doubt this sends a message south of the border that will further escalate illegal immigration into the state.

"If the racist "Sensenbrenner Legislation" passes the US Senate, there is no doubt that a massive civil disobedience movement will emerge. Eventually labor union power can merge with the immigrant civil rights and "Immigrant Sanctuary" movements to enable us to either form a new political party or to do heavy duty reforming of the existing Democratic Party. The next and final steps would follow and that is to elect our own governors of all the states within Aztlan." 
Indeed, California goes out of its way to attract illegal aliens. The state has even created government programs that cater exclusively to illegal aliens. For example, the State Department of Motor Vehicles has offices that only process driver licenses for illegal aliens. With over a million illegal aliens now driving in California, the state felt compelled to help them avoid the long lines the rest of us must endure at the DMV. 
And just recently, the state-funded University of California system announced it will spend $27 million on financial aid for illegal aliens. They’ve even taken out radio spots on stations all along the border, just to make sure other potential illegal border crossers hear about this program. I can’t afford college education for all my four sons, but my taxes will pay for illegals to get a college education.

THE GLOBALIST DEMOCRAT PARTY FOR BANKSTERS, BILLIONAIRES and WIDER OPEN BORDERS TO KEEP WAGES DEPRESSED

The Democrat party has become the party of open borders and amnesty as well as ultimate citizenship for upwards of 22 million illegal immigrants and with open borders at least another 2-4 million more every year. The vast majority of these illegal immigrants are functionally illiterate and lacking in employable skills.  STEVE McCANN

Yet the Democrat party that claims to be the champion of minorities and low-income families is pushing to ultimately legalize upwards of 22 to 30 million unskilled illegal immigrants (equal to 55 to 73% of the current African American population) which will devastate low income working American families by driving down wages. STEVEN McCANN

 

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