US Politics: A Mickey Mouse Operation

[aceluby]

10 minutes ago, Fragile Bird said:

Just looked it up: the median salary in Chicago is $55k, the average salary is $63k.

From what I've read the city is using the large pay increases as incentive (and creates public pressure) so they don't have to deal with things like school buildings falling apart and being short staffed in almost all areas.  They aren't rejecting the contract because the pay is too low, but because the new contract doesn't deal with the issues the teachers feel are more important (and I'd guess cost a bit more than 16% over 5 years).  If they took the contract now, they lose their ability to strike for the things that have been issues for years.

[Zorral]

1 hour ago, Fragile Bird said:

I watch the Chicago news on cable with my brother, and the strike has been covered a lot. The average teacher will be paid $72,000 a year if the offer is accepted. I think I heard the range is $60k to just under $100k.

Since when was $72k ‘badly paid’?

Maybe if your rent / mortgage is $3,000 + a month, health insurance premiums are another thousand, transportation thousands more?  Guns are also expensive and so a membership at a shooting range to learn to use one properly to save the lives of your kids.

[Zorral]

https://www.rawstory.com/2019/10/read-it-veteran-diplomat-bill-taylors-damning-opening-statement-about-trump-and-ukraine/

There sure was / is quid pro quo, all right.  

O my -- opening statements of Bill Taylor's testimony about Trump and Ukraine:

https://www.scribd.com/document/431559776/Taylor-statement#fullscreen&from_embed

Can't cut and paste from this embedded document, in which Giuliani is prominent.  

BTW -- where is Rudy?  Uncharacteristically mute and invisible.  Maybe he's hiding with Ghisliane Maxwell in Brazil.

[Bonnot OG]

Clinton is running again isn’t she?

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

It’s sad that we live in a country where the teachers need to strike to get better working conditions….

…but then again, we’ll never solve the problems with our educational system until re address the real problem: the parents.

[A Horse Named Stranger]

37 minutes ago, Zorral said:

BTW -- where is Rudy?  Uncharacteristically mute and invisible.  Maybe he's hiding with Ghisliane Maxwell in Brazil.

presumably making travel arrangement to a country with no extradition treaty with the US - for some reason Russia comes to mind.

 

 

[Ser Scot A Ellison]

22 minutes ago, Bonnot OG said:

Clinton is running again isn’t she?

Why do you say that?

[Zorral]

28 minutes ago, A Horse Named Stranger said:

presumably making travel arrangement to a country with no extradition treaty with the US - for some reason Russia comes to mind.

 

 

Thailand is quite pleasant for millionaires, I hear.  More so than Russia, one might think.  One may partner with Putin, but who would want to live there? (At least judging by the HBO Catherine the Great, or Montifiore's magnificent history, The Romanovs.)

As for Clinton running again, it seems ... somebody among the Dem establishment, is trying to float that consideration, because Biden is way too tarnished, because Warren, and surely nobody will ever vote for Warren, They Say (besides she scares Us to death), so we need somebody else, even Buttigieg -- the Big $uck facebookywooky, sure thinks so (besides Warren scares the Big Zuck to death too!

 

[A Horse Named Stranger]

St. Petersburg is quite lovely, and not as full out crazy as Moscow. Otherwise there are probably some nice places at the blacksea like Sochi if you prefer a warmer climate.

[felice]

15 hours ago, DMC said:

The problem is the use of the loaded term "asset," as well as suggesting the Russians are "grooming" Gabbard for a 3rd party run (which is completely unfounded and fairly batshit for someone of Clinton's stature to suggest).  The language suggests intent on behalf of Gabbard and Stein when there's absolutely no evidence of such.

"Grooming" certainly doesn't require intent on the part of the object; depending on context, they could be a willing recipient or an unwitting victim, but in any case it's something done to them. With Gabbard, the Russians are clearly trying to do something, and winning the primary isn't a realistic goal. "Asset" is more ambiguous, but also doesn't require intent. Though in this case it's hard to believe there isn't at least willful blindness.

[Mexal]

1 hour ago, Zorral said:

https://www.rawstory.com/2019/10/read-it-veteran-diplomat-bill-taylors-damning-opening-statement-about-trump-and-ukraine/

There sure was / is quid pro quo, all right.  

O my -- opening statements of Bill Taylor's testimony about Trump and Ukraine:

https://www.scribd.com/document/431559776/Taylor-statement#fullscreen&from_embed

Can't cut and paste from this embedded document, in which Giuliani is prominent.  

BTW -- where is Rudy?  Uncharacteristically mute and invisible.  Maybe he's hiding with Ghisliane Maxwell in Brazil.

We pretty much knew the overarching story within this statement but it's laid out so coherently, with dates, meetings, names, etc, that it'll be really hard to ignore. 

[DMC]

28 minutes ago, felice said:

"Grooming" certainly doesn't require intent on the part of the object; depending on context, they could be a willing recipient or an unwitting victim, but in any case it's something done to them. With Gabbard, the Russians are clearly trying to do something, and winning the primary isn't a realistic goal. "Asset" is more ambiguous, but also doesn't require intent. Though in this case it's hard to believe there isn't at least willful blindness.

Well, first, this is why I said "suggests."  And yes, context matters.  In the context of an intelligent asset, they are almost always providing information willingly - other than in the case of "useful idiots" as I mentioned.  As for grooming somebody to run a campaign, that pretty much does necessarily mean interaction between Russia and the candidate - it's hard to conceive of a way to "groom" a candidate without such.  And sure, I guess that doesn't necessarily mean intent on the candidate's part, but then we're going down some weird brain-washing/Manchurian candidate road. 

The point is Clinton knew how that language would be taken and such accusations are plainly irresponsible.  There's plenty of ways to describe how Russia is capitalizing on Gabbard's campaign without framing it in such a way, but Hillary's still got a bug up her ass about Gabbard's role in the 2016 primary.

[Mr. Chatywin et al.]

1 hour ago, Mexal said:

We pretty much knew the overarching story within this statement but it's laid out so coherently, with dates, meetings, names, etc, that it'll be really hard to ignore. 

I have a feeling this is about to explode. Imagine if this has been happening with several countries and other diplomats start coming forward. There's only so much Senate Republicans can withstand. 

[Ormond]

2 hours ago, Tywin et al. said:

It’s sad that we live in a country where the teachers need to strike to get better working conditions….

…but then again, we’ll never solve the problems with our educational system until re address the real problem: the parents.

Tywin, where in the world where teacher's strikes are allowed do you think they have never occurred?  There will always be disputes between management and labor in every part of the economy, and the idea that there should never have to be a "need" for teachers to strike sounds hopelessly utopian to me. 

Some examples of recent teachers strikes (or threatened strikes) in other countries:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/29/new-zealand-schools-hit-by-mega-strike-as-50000-teachers-walk-out

https://www.bbc.com/news/education-43604858

https://www.thelocal.fr/20181112/why-are-teachers-across-france-on-strike

https://www.politico.eu/article/teacher-strikes-causes-problems-for-polands-solidarity-labor-union/

https://newpol.org/mexican-teachers-strike-school-year-begins-despite-militarization-arrests-and-firings/?print=print

https://peoplesdispatch.org/2019/06/18/chilean-teachers-strike-will-continue-for-the-third-week/

https://carnegieendowment.org/2019/04/08/teachers-strikes-in-morocco-pub-78805

...and there are many other examples you can find if you spend a little time on search engines. 

 

 

 

[The Anti-Targ]

5 hours ago, Fragile Bird said:

Just looked it up: the median salary in Chicago is $55k, the average salary is $63k.

What are you trying to say here? Teachers only deserve median levels of income? In theory teachers are professionals charged with caring for and educating what many people say (whether or not they mean it is another question) are our most precious members of society, the hope and promise of our futures. Perhaps a glorified babysitter might be worth average pay rates. But teachers should never be seen as merely that.

Teachers should be among the highest paid professionals in society, not be languishing slightly above average.

[Zorral]

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/22/world/europe/david-cornstein-hungary-trump-orban.html

"In Hungary, a Freewheeling Trump Ambassador Undermines U.S. Diplomats - The New York Times
He brokered a White House meeting for Hungary’s prime minister. He spends $320,000 on parties and takes positions at odds with American policy. He says he knows what President Trump wants."

[Fragile Bird]

1 hour ago, The Anti-Targ said:

What are you trying to say here? Teachers only deserve median levels of income? In theory teachers are professionals charged with caring for and educating what many people say (whether or not they mean it is another question) are our most precious members of society, the hope and promise of our futures. Perhaps a glorified babysitter might be worth average pay rates. But teachers should never be seen as merely that.

Teachers should be among the highest paid professionals in society, not be languishing slightly above average.

‘Sighs’

I can list 15 or 20 or 30 jobs that are all deserving above average salaries. I’m not going to go down that rabbit hole. If you want to, go open a thread and start a fist fight.

$72k is 15% above the average and about 30% above the median. Not ‘slightly’.

[Centrist Simon Steele]

10 hours ago, argonak said:

So. . . basically government housing support for low income people?  (Although why are teachers, a critical social support job with a relatively high entrance investment requirement, so poorly paid anyway, is a seperate question.)

Uh...yeah? Honestly, this U.S. notion of housing and shelter not being a human right is baffling.

[Centrist Simon Steele]

8 hours ago, Fragile Bird said:

I watch the Chicago news on cable with my brother, and the strike has been covered a lot. The average teacher will be paid $72,000 a year if the offer is accepted. I think I heard the range is $60k to just under $100k.

Since when was $72k ‘badly paid’?

That's not the average cost around the country, and that average cost (when you see the median income of teachers is 50 to 60 k) isn't about paychecks, but it's including things like benefits. Once I get my PhD, with ten years of experience in the field, I'd make under 60k a year if I went back to public education. In fact, this is becoming true of higher ed as well.

If I made 75k a year, I might be able to actually pay off my debts and have savings and discretionary income and not live paycheck to paycheck. That's not so much to ask for.

[Guest]

4 hours ago, Tywin et al. said:

I have a feeling this is about to explode. Imagine if this has been happening with several countries and other diplomats start coming forward. There's only so much Senate Republicans can withstand. 

During Watergate, it was "follow the money". During Trumpgate, it'll be "follow the Fox News conspiracies".