Thursday, October 01, 2015

This is about Hanlin? People have a right to know.

October 1, 2015
By Michael Walsh

An Oregon sheriff (click here) leading the emergency response to Thursday’s mass shooting at a community college once fought a White House push for stricter gun control in the wake of the 2012 Newtown school shooting that left 20 children and six adults dead.
A shooter killed at least 10 people and wounded 20 more at Umpqua Community College in the town of Roseburg before being shot dead by police, Douglas County Sheriff John Hanlin confirmed in a press conference Thursday afternoon.
“Typically I would say, ‘Good afternoon,’” Hanlin said to reporters before detailing what was known of the tragedy that struck his community. “Obviously today here in southern Oregon is not a good afternoon. It’s a terrible day.”
As Hanlin shared details of the shooting tragedy, documents emerged to show that in 2013 he wrote to Vice President Joe Biden to argue against tougher gun laws....

If this is about belligerent sheriffs, then here the list (click here).

There are plenty of sheriffs on this list. Wow. 

Good night, America.

This is the gun law in Oregon.

“The people shall have the right to keep and bear arms for the defense of themselves and the state, but the military shall be kept in strict subordination to the civil power.”

It seems to me there is a clear distinction between domestic gun use and military gun use. Unfortunately in our society military style weapons equally as deadly as any military rifle is easily gotten.

The gun laws of Oregon require a permit to carry a handgun.

October 1, 2015
By Scott Neuman

In a news conference later, (click here) Douglas Co. Sheriff John Hanlin said after receiving an emergency call, officers responded and "engaged the suspect. There was an exchange of gunfire, the [male] shooter was neutralized," he said adding that the shooter was deceased. He said he did not know what type of weapon was used nor whether the shooter had been a student at the college....

Kortney Moore, 18, from Rogue River, said she heard the shooter talk to victims, according to the paper:
"The shooter ... told people to get on the ground. The shooter was asking people to stand up and state their religion and then started firing away, Moore said. Moore was lying there with people who had been shot."
The paper also reported:
"Brady Winder, 23, of Portland, said he was in the room next door when he heard a loud thud that didn't sound like a gunshot. He then heard a percussion of gunshots and the students all fled out the front door....
 1717 comments (to this article) Below are two:

MaineStreeter

The Congressional Committee on Gun Violence has recommended ... well, actually it doesn't exist.


    The US East Coast will already be saturated by the time the hurricane arrives.

    October 1, 2015
    1730:18
    UNISYS Infrared Satellite of north and west hemisphere (click here for 12 hour loop) 

    I remember Hurricane Floyd as if it were yesterday. As the storm approached landfall with a storm diameter of 500+ miles people moved away from the coast. Usually that was enough to prevent deaths, but, this storm pushed everyone inland. As I went up I-40 with family in tow there were no hotel rooms to find. We didn't find any room until we got to Greensboro. Many of the license plates on the road were from other states. I suggest people along the coasts consider moving inland and UP in elevation. Please take the pets. 

    October 1, 2015
    By Jonathan Drew

    RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — One person died Thursday (click here) as heavy flooding submerged cars and closed streets in South Carolina, and the drenching storms were expected to move up the East Coast, a region already walloped by rain.
    Governors up and down the coast warned residents to prepare. The rains could cause power outages and close more roads. The approach of Hurricane Joaquin — a major Category 3 storm set to wallop the Bahamas and move toward the U.S. — could intensify the damage, but rain is forecast across the region regardless of the storm's path.
    "Our state has seen the damage that extreme weather can cause time and time again - and I am urging New Yorkers to take precautions for more heavy storms in the coming days," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Wednesday....


    Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has her hands full now. With the inappropriate priorities of the majority party and virtually in experienced leadership, she is going to have quite a time. She and Steny Hoyer, James Clyburn and Xavier Becerra and the committee chairs are all going to have to be at their best to handle the US House without a majority. John Boehner's resignation has turned the House upside down. I don't envy anyone.

    Hello? Corruption!

    Rep. Thornberry from Texas states it doesn't matter where the money goes, either the Appropriates Act or OCO funding. Texas is where the F35 plant is.

    No one wants to defeat a military funding bill. The people of the USA want their legislature to work and not act unconstitutionally in circumventing USA LAW!! The Congressional members supporting the undermining of ESTABLISHED LEGISLATION should be receiving ethical notices and OTHERWISE!

    The current military funding bill is treason!!!!!!!!!!

    Republicans completely disregard the law and have made self-righteous priorities. That is treason. The legislature is suppose to matter. Americans sit down at a desk to write a letter or get on a telephone to call their representatives to make a difference in their democracy. The Republicans have completely disregarded THE PEOPLE and acted in criminal defiance of the US Constitution.

    Shut down Gitmo and apply the monies to the military budget in a way that matters.

    As of 2013 the Gitmo costs $2.7 million annually per inmate. There are 116 detainees currently which is an annual cost of $3,132,000,000. Billions a year for political purposes of self-righteous Republicans. Another political funding issue within the military budget.

    Closing the detainee facility will allow the $3 billion US directly back into the USA budget. The criminals at Gitmo will be placed in maximum security in the USA with established costs. It would not $3 billion per year to maintain them .

    Shut it down!


    Amazing. As the Prime Minister of Israel is addressing the UN General Assembly, the US House is increasing the spending by the USA to Israel. Politics. I am curious. How much money does Palestine get? Netanyahu is willing to enter into negotiations with Palestine immediately without preconditions. President Abbas already has his own agenda for independence of the Palestinian people. This simply an empty offering from Israel. How many years have gone by with the same promise only to prove there are aggressions by Israel into Palestine to take more land away from the Palestinians. This is an empty offer by Netanyahu.

    The bill is mute. I think the US Justice Department should evaluate the judgement for victims and make recommendations.

    The current agreement states there will be more sanctions added to Iran. I am curious about the integrity of the judgement. The lawsuit for losses is against Hezbollah. Does it have it's own banking funds?

    September 29, 2015
    By Adam Kredo

    Legislation would not allow Obama admin to release money until terror victims paid (click here)
    Congress is considering new legislation that would block the Obama administration from releasing billions of dollars to the Iranian regime as was agreed to under the parameters of the recent nuclear accord, according to Rep. Patrick Meehan (R., Pa.), the lawmaker spearheading the bill.
    The bill, which is expected to be brought to the House floor for a vote this week, would require Iran to first pay $43.5 billion in legal penalties awarded by U.S. courts to American victims of Iranian terrorism.
    President Obama would then be in a position to either disregard the requirement under his executive authority, thereby clearing the way for Iran to immediately receive $150 billion, or force Tehran to negotiate settlements for these terror victims....

    If the penalties go to Iran, what makes that will impact Hezbollah? I would think the UN and the UN Security Council has more potential to resolving the pain the loss of Americans. There is also the World Court. It is one thing to have a judgement by an American court, it is quiet something else to have the support of the world.
    I think Senator McCain is correct about Ukraine. The central military was dismantled by the Yanukovych government. Their military is antiquated and in that is the understanding there is high maintenance and an unreliable Ukraine military.

    There needs to be an arms bill presented for Ukraine to the Congress for passage. The USA military could easily assess the need for conventional weapons. Ukraine needs a far more functional military.

    The USA government has to maintain a loan for the purchase of updated and safe military hardware. Ukraine has troubles with their fiscal system to date and are unable to purchase new hardware.

    The dismantling of the Ukraine military is a national shame. The military had personnel, but, no means to even defend themselves within their borders. Yanukovych developed oligarch militias in cities so there could be violence against citizens which translated into sincere and deep fear during elections and otherwise.

    Russia likes to say the USA was instrumental in the removal of Yanukovych. Really? The USA didn't victimize the people of Ukraine with local militias at the ready. I think Yanukovych and his terror priority with the people did that all by itself.

    In the age of misguided military priorities in arming a country where their military runs away from conflict is hideous. The Ukraine military has many competent leaders and are at the ready, but, they lack the hardware. Providing modernized equipment is not a matter of leadership ability, the leadership is already there. Ukraine military knows there skills and love their country to provide a strong force.

    There was a statement some time ago whereby a Ukrainian made the observation that Ukraine cooperated with nuclear disarmament to achieve an agreement that was suppose to preserve their neutrality and peaceful posture. The person wished they still had nukes and Russia would respect them without question.

    The world does not want a nuclear Ukraine, but, it does want a government by the people that can insure it's sovereignty.

    Ukraine has applied to NATO for membership. I would think NATO would want Ukraine to actually have something to contribute.

    "Single Payer" for Veterans.

    Keep the cabinet level position no differently than HHS, but, provide a "Single Payer" system that frees the American people from VA administration costs and provides the best for our veterans.

    The current VA system is ungainly. Trim the system to support "Single Payer" and sell the infrastructure after enough time has moved veterans from the VA system to "Single Payer."

    The Iraq and Afghan wars have increased the number of veterans significantly. There is no sense to build new construction and spend money on administrative infrastructure that can best be spent for the benefits of veterans.

    A five year transition should bring relief to veterans in short periods of time. The veterans of Iraq and Afghan have terrible problems. They need treatment and on a long term basis.

    The President’s 2016 Budget (click here) includes $168.8 billion for VA in 2016. This includes $70.2 billion in discretionary resources and $95.3 billion in mandatory funding. Our discretionary budget request represents an increase of $5.2 billion, or 7.5 percent, over the 2015 enacted level.

    If these monies were put to work for veterans, they would be well cared for. The one aspect of the Veteran's Administration is it's pharmacy. That benefit is very valuable to the veterans. The only infrastructure that has to remain are VA pharmacies no different than a local drug store such as CVS, Walgreens, Riteaid and others.

    Veterans have unique problems connected with war. They need their own cabinet level position that will mange the Single Payer for them. Tricare has been an answer for the military on bases. I think that is fine and doesn't have to change. But, veterans are different and need an exclusive system that protests their lives and returns quality of life. There is no reason to privatizing the pharmacy for veterans.  The veteran Single Payer can have their own free standing pharmacies. Their current pharmacy system works extremely well and provides for affordable medicines. I don't really see this as an option, but, as a necessity. It is a great campaign issue as well. I think Democrats should be promising better services to veterans by dismantling the current monstrosity of a system and turning those dollars into better treatment for veterans.

    September 29, 2015
    By Editorial Board Star Tribune

    ...The two administrators (click here) work for the Veterans Benefits Administration, a part of the Department of Veterans Affairs that was the subject of a 2012 congressional hearing scrutinizing its massive backlog in claims processing. On Monday, the inspector general released the results of an investigation triggered by a whistleblower’s call about nearly $300,000 in moving benefits paid out to administrator Diana Rubens when she transferred from Washington, D.C., to a regional office in Philadelphia.

    The other administrator the report focuses on is Kimberly Graves, who volunteered in 2014 to move to Minnesota to head up the regional benefits office in St. Paul. Graves’ moving expenses were $129,467. The inspector general is referring its findings on the two to the U.S. attorney’s office for possible criminal prosecution.

    Surprisingly, the investigators generally did not take issue with the ­eyebrow-raising moving expenses. Rubens and Graves qualified for a VA program that assists transferred officials when their houses can’t be sold quickly. That’s what yielded the large sums and the report concluded that policies were followed. The sums, however, stand in stark contrast to the average employer relocation package — $21,033 — documented by a 2012 survey...

    The only words that are important is the ones said to Congress and his Encyclical.

    Transcript: Pope Francis' Speech to Congress (click here)

    Pope Francis was authentic in these official words. 

    I don't feel any different about Pope Francis. He made it clear he reaches out to all people. It doesn't matter the denomination or faith. If one wants to embrace his message, then embrace all he is. He cannot change the status of the law in the USA, so what is the problem? 

    If Ms. Davis wants to make her so called faith into a commercial venture, then that speaks to her more than anything else outside of  prison. I think there is a law in the USA that states prisoners cannot profit from book sales. I guess we'll have to make sure that is honored. Ms. Davis is a criminal for breaking the law. She'll have to serve more time if she continues to break the law.

    She and her attorney are playing games with the courts to find a toe hold. It isn't working. The judges don't like it. It ties up their time.

    September 28, 2015
    By the AP

    ...The appeals court (click here) denied the request last week on the legal technicality that her lawyers did not first ask the district judge for a delay, as federal court rules require. Davis' legal team redirected the appeal to Bunning, who rejected it Tuesday.
    "It would essentially allow her to reinstate her 'no marriage licenses' policy during the pendency of the appeal and likely violate the constitutional right of eligible couples," the judge wrote.
    Mat Staver, her attorney, called the request with the district judge "a formality" that had to be completed before asking the appeals court to consider it again.
    He said they will soon file the same motion with the Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.
    The ACLU, meanwhile, has asked the judge to order Davis to reissue the licenses, which were altered to remove Davis' name, job title and county. Both Davis and the couples who sued her questioned the validity of the edited documents.
    The ACLU has asked Bunning to consider penalizing Davis again if she continues to refuse to issue the licenses, including placing her office under a receivership, which would allow another person to oversee the marriage licensing process.
    The judge has not yet responded to that request.
    Bunning on Wednesday dismissed Davis' arguments that she is likely to suffer irreparable harm by having to issue the licenses.
    "This argument is unpersuasive because Davis has created her own risk of harm by violating a valid order issued by this court," Bunning wrote, adding: "As for the public interest, the court simply notes that the public has an interest in the enforcement of valid court orders.

    This is the USA where everyone is provided freedom of speech. I think Pope Francis is great in spite of the manipulations of Ms. Davis. I am quite confident Pope Francis did not know about the money making aspect of Ms. Davis' visit.

    Every one worries too much.