With a Friend like This…

So what’s it like to be a friend of Joe Biden? Unless you happen to be connected with his son’s machinations, you could find yourself in a heap of trouble.

For instance, when Joe was campaigning (if you could call staying the basement most of the time campaigning), he promised “jobs, good union jobs.” He must have said that fifty times: “good, union jobs.” First day in office, Biden eliminated, by presidential decree, 11,000 good union jobs when he canceled the Keystone Pipeline project.

He continues eliminating “good union jobs” in the energy sector by removing vast tracts of federal lands from oil and natural gas development. By funding and promoting “clean energy,” he has created thousands of new jobs, but those jobs are in China, the country of origin for most solar panels and other “clean” energy equipment. Trust me on this, those jobs in China are not “good union jobs.”

And let’s not forget about the railroad workers, holders of “good union jobs.” They were talking about a strike before the mid-term elections, which would have been a huge blow to an already fragile economy. Don’t worry, Uncle Joe told us before the election, I’ve got this taken care of. The railroad workers meekly shut up.

Except Uncle Joe didn’t “have this taken care of,” and when the election was over, the railroad workers started threatening to strike again. So Joe and the Democrat Congress passed a law that shoved a contract down their collective throats, a contract that among other things, didn’t give workers paid sick leave, which is kind of a staple of all employee benefits no matter what industry you’re in.

I’m sure the holders of those “good union jobs” appreciated that.

Or how about the political sector. Biden is the consummate politician, having spent fifty of his 80 years in Washington, D.C. One of his recent actions was to order the Democrat Party to hold its first primary election for the presidency in South Carolina, not New Hampshire.

He thereby shafted two of his most loyal tools in the U.S. Senate, Democrats Jean Shaheen and Maggie Hassan. You never hear about them going rogue and not voting the way Chuck Schumer tells them to vote, but again with the stroke of a pen, Biden took away one of New Hampshire’s proud traditions of being the first contest for presidential candidates of both parties.

This move, or course, was political payback to U.S. Biden’s fellow octogenarian Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina, who probably saved Biden’s candidacy in 2020. So, the hell with New Hampshire. (The two senators from that state made a powerful statement of protest by deciding not attend some state dinner put on by the White House – the first time members of Congress had missed a meal since 1937 – but one suspects they will continue to toe the party line).

And let’s remember, there is one Democrat senator who almost defied Biden and his crony Chuck Schumer. That would be U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia, who wanted regulatory reforms added to one of those gigantic spending bills moving through Congress.

The Democrat leadership told Joe to just be patient, take his amendment off the spending bill, and we’ll pass your bill later. Except they didn’t. After Manchin dutifully voted for the spending bill, Schumer and company trashed the regulatory reform measure. “Sorry, Sen. Manchin, we’ve got better things to do, like pass another, enormous spending bill before Republicans take control of the House.”

Makes you wonder why these Democrat senators keep voting for Biden’s agenda, but I guess that’s what friends do.

War Without Casualties

This really could have been a watershed year in the history of our planet. It still could be if just a few world leaders would recognize the moment and act accordingly.

Students of history now could conclude that practice of war is a condition of humankind. Most of the dates we are taught to remember in history classes are tied to wars or great battles. We’ve had the Seven Years War, the Nine Years War, the Thirty Years War, even the Hundred Years War.

The U.S.A. gained its independence through war; slavery was abolished through war; empires were created through war and then destroyed by war; religions spread on the wings of war; national boundaries were drawn as a result of war; a national communism was established through war. But we should pause at this last observation because the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was not brought low by war, but by economics.

As former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher famously said, “The trouble with socialism is eventually you run out of other people’s money.” The U.S.S.R. couldn’t maintain a socialist republic and continue to maintain itself as a world power. It all fell apart with very little bloodshed.

And now Russia presents itself as a problem again by invading Ukraine with the clear intention of, by force of arms, making that nation a part of a new Russian Empire. But what is the greatest obstacle Russia faces in this quest? It can’t afford a long war.

Russia is a big nation without a big economy. South Korea has a larger economy than Russia’s, and the Russian economy is almost totally dependent on the sale of oil and natural gas to Europe, and Scandinavia. And China.

Yet there is an even bigger picture. The whole world is interconnected through economic and monetary systems. Mentally, it’s difficult to comprehend how over a hundred nations can all have their own legal tender that can be used to trade with other countries with their own currencies, and yet second-by-second, the values of those currencies are constantly adjusted. Vast amounts of money can move through electrical impulses from one point to another, a shipment of oil moving across the Atlantic Ocean can bought and sold several different times before the ship even reaches port. The whole world is a living, breathing, evolving monetary system that has become integral to the operation of most nation-states.

So what if we kick someone out of the system? Well, in Russia’s case, if the rest of the world doesn’t buy Vladimir Putin’s oil and gas, Russia loses 40 percent of its revenues. As the world reacted to Putin’s aggression, the value of the ruble fell to less than one America cent (which led to the joke: What’s the difference between the ruble and dollar? Answer: a dollar).

So, can you imagine what would happen if your family suddenly lost 40 percent of its income? You’d probably change your ways, right?

Putting economic sanctions on Russia, seizing the property of Russian oligarchs, denying Russia access to international money transfers and credit systems, refusing to buy Russian oil and natural gas, shutting down foreign corporate operations inside Russia, denying landing rights to Russia commercial aircraft, and other economic maneuvers represent weapons of war that don’t blow peoples’ legs off, or kill little children, or starve non-combatants, or level cities.

The latest news from the war front is that Russia will not sell any more oil or gas to Poland and Bulgaria because those two nations are helping Ukraine. Fine. The United State alone, if it had the will, could replace Russian’s oil and natural gas deliveries, and even provide cleaner oil and gas if you’re into the climate change narrative.

Should this be the way we fight wars in the future? When a country is so obviously in the wrong as is Russia in its invasion of Ukraine, the rest of the world could bring such a war to a quick halt because we are all interdependent economically.

We can isolate the bad guys and defeat them without firing a shot. The hard part will be agreeing on who the bad guys are, but in the case of Russia vs. Ukraine, there doesn’t seem to be much doubt.

So why aren’t all the good guys taking appropriate actions to stop this war? We’re taking steps, but they are tiny, teeny, tentative steps. And who might be watching the way the world reacts to Russia’s aggression?  Why China is, because they would like to know how the world reacts to big countries taking over little countries, like, say, Taiwan.

China is vulnerable to economic warfare. If we American consumers pledged to not buy any products made in China, that economy would collapse and the Chinese Communist Party would fall. We don’t even have to stop buying all Chinese products. We would just need to try and cut way back. You see “Made in China,” don’t buy it.

Wouldn’t that kind of solution to dealing with the world’s bullies be better than killing and maiming thousands of men, women, and children?

A New Way to Bill You

On March 29 of this year, twenty-five new bills were introduced in the Colorado Legislature, bringing the total of new bills introduced this year to five hundred and thirty-two. If you think that’s a lot of new laws to consider in one legislative session, it’s not unusual.

Lawmakers last year introduced over six hundred bills, and at least 169 became laws. I look at those statistics and wonder, “Is the state of Colorado in such grievous condition that we need literally hundreds of bills each year to make things right?”

Well, you decide. Here are just a few.

• HB 22-1016 creates an income tax checkoff on state tax forms to create a new fund for “Feeding Colorado,” which I believe would cut down on all the cases of starvation in the state that you’ve been reading about.

• HB 22-1028 allows motor vehicle operators under appropriate conditions to not come to a full stop at a stop sign, but merely slow down to 10 or 15 mph and proceed on if there is no cross traffic, or actually allow what most of us do anyway.

• HB 22-1030 creates an income tax credit of up to $75 for anyone who has been a victim of a porch pirate and then purchases an anti-porch pirate device. I think that’s what the bill says. Hopefully in this bill there is a prohibition against using explosives in that device. This is one of about fifteen bills that would grant exemptions, or tax credits, or other favors to specific individuals and businesses.

• HB 22-1032 allows students attending college out of state to postpone jury duty, something I thought you could do with a phone call. I mean, being on vacation is an excuse to get out of jury duty.

• HB 22-1040 seeks to ensure residents of subdivisions under the thumb of HOAs have access for themselves and their guests of common areas. This had to come as a result of some bizarre neighborhood squabble, as are others of about a half dozen HOA-related bills.

• HB 22-1063 creates a jail standards commission for the state. Legislators are big on creating new boards and commissions. In 2021, the Legislature created eight new state offices and six new enterprises to be paid for by taxpayers. Here’s a good example from another bill: “Authorizes the director of the division (director) to independently appoint members of the habitat partnership council that, in part, advises local habitat partnership committees that help implement program objectives.” There are at least five bills this year that create new governmental boards and commissions.

• HB 22-1081. From the bill: “Concerning the reestablishment of the committee for sunrise and sunset review.” I thought for a moment the Legislature thought it had jurisdiction over the times of sunrise and sunset, but this concerns terminating various boards and commissions.

• HB 22-1103. Authorizes a special license plate for the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority. Really? Five other bills would create special license plates.

• HB 22-1134. Requires that restaurants provide “single use” silverware and condiments only if the customer requests those things, and only if the restaurant doesn’t mind watching someone eat with their fingers (I added that last part).

• HB 22-1136. I’ll just quote from the bill because I have no idea what this is all about: “Concerning a high-definition ultrasound video demonstration showing each stage of human development as a requirement of comprehensive human sexuality education.”

• HB 22-1169. The description of the bill is, “Prohibits sexual act without consent.” Was that not illegal before?

• HB 22-1217. “The bill requires a person who sells, transfers, buys, or receives a catalytic converter or its parts for the purpose of recycling, processing, or smelting the catalytic converter or its parts to keep a record of the sale, transfer, purchase, or receipt.” So be warned if you plan to go into the catalytic converters salvage trading business.

• HB 22-1242. A bill to regulate tiny homes. This bill is smaller than the regular bills.

• HB 22-1267. Again, I can only quote from the bill. “It requires the office of health equity in the department of public health and environment to … create a culturally relevant and affirming health-care
training grant program to provide money to nonprofit entities to develop new, culturally responsive training programs to benefit priority populations.” In other words, it legalizes discrimination.

• HB 22-1278. I added this on the list to scare the hell out of you. “The bill creates the behavioral health administration (BHA) in the department of human services to create a coordinated, cohesive, and effective behavioral health system in the state.” I don’t know; maybe the state can regulate your behavior. There’s also HB 22-1283 concerning youth and family behavioral health care, along with behavior bills: SB 22-188, SB 22-148, SB 22-147, SB 22-106. SB 22-010, and SB 22-021

• HB 22-1291. Would allow a person to repair his or her own wheelchair.

• HB 22-1324. Definition of a pawnbroker. This is a pretty old profession. I would have thought this would have been defined about four hundred years ago.

• SB 22-004. This is what it says: “By the beginning of the 2023-24 school year and continuing thereafter, the bill requires each school district, board of cooperative services, and charter school to ensure that the principal in a school that serves kindergarten or any of grades one through 3 and each school district administrator with responsibility that pertains to programs in kindergarten or any of grades one through 3 to successfully complete evidence-based training in the science of reading.” If I’m reading this right, does this bill require teachers to be proficient in teaching youngsters to read?

SB 22-056. Authorizes UNC to offer degrees in osteopathic medicine. Legislatures decide this?

SB 22-118. It encourages geothermal energy use. You know, after reading this bills and bills like it (including one to encourage you to change your turf choices), I begin to wonder if legislators think we cannot make any decisions on our own.

SB 22-131. Provisions to protect pollinators (bees and hummingbirds, one assumes). It could be paired with SB 22-133 which would protect certain public officials through increased security … at your expense, of course.

SB 22-139. Makes Juneteenth a public holiday.

SB 22-155. Expands medical marijuana research programs.

SB 22-167. Affirms that greyhound dogs can be pets.

SB 22-184. Allows legislators to be absent but still collect their pay.

Next week: Good bills that have already died, or will die. See below:

Rest in Pieces

Following up on last week’s report about the nearly six hundred bills that have been introduced in the Colorado Legislature, here’s a list of what appear to be very good ideas for new laws that are already dead or about to be. See what you think:

HB 22-1020: This bill would have reduced the individual and corporate income tax rates to 4.44 percent from 4.55 percent. Many states are lowering state tax rates to help their residents cope with soaring inflation. Not Colorado. This bill was postponed indefinitely (killed) in committee.

HB 22-1045: It would have required that any petition to change state law be required to have signatures from at least 2 percent of the registered voters from every senate district. Right now, a petition carrier can sit outside a Walmart on the Front Range and get all the signatures needed to put an issue on the ballot. This bill would have required at least some level of support from people in outlying counties. Nonetheless, it died in committee.

HB 22-1059:  The bill would have made it a requirement that any future bill that “imposes, increases, or authorizes” the imposition of new fees be approved by at least a two-thirds vote of both the House and the Senate to become law. This idea apparently came from the Legislature’s Imposition of a gas tax increase last year by simply calling the tax increase a fee. You see, a higher tax would have required a popular vote, and they didn’t want to do that. This bill died in committee.

HB 22-1069: This bill would have given parents with children in low-performing schools the power to petition the school board for specific reforms. The petition would have to be signed by 50 percent of the parents with children in that school district, which would seem to be an adequate guard against frivolous petitions. The bill also defines “low performing.” The bill died in committee.

HB 22-1078: This bill sought to regulate the use of voting machines in state elections. You remember the considerable suspicion about certain computerized voting equipment in the last federal election. We really should have no doubts about the accuracy of vote counting. This bill would have required machines to be certified by the federal elections assistance commission. The bill died in committee.

HB 22-1128: This bill would require prior review of government regulations that significantly increase the regulatory burden on affected entities.  Died in committee.

HB 22-1129: The bill requires the executive director to rebate $1,846,400,000 from the general fund to qualified individuals through income tax returns for the 2022 income tax year, which rebate amount is an estimate of the general fund surplus for the state fiscal year 2021-22. The rebates will be made to qualified individuals in the same manner as if the general fund surplus was excess state revenues under the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights. Still alive as of March 17.

HB 22-1144: The bill requires an employer, as a condition of employment, or a state agency that imposes a COVID-19 vaccine or testing requirement to allow a person subject to the requirement to instead provide documentation demonstrating that the person has naturally acquired immunity to the disease. Died in committee.

HB 22-1207: It concerns the creation of a program for students enrolled in an underperforming K-12 school district to seek other educational opportunities. Died in committee.

SB 22-063: The bill entitles a property owner to seek just compensation from a governmental entity that enacts a land use law reducing the right of a property owner to use, divide, sell, or possess their property and reducing the fair market value of the property. Like, if a municipality rezones the single-family lot next to you for a fast-food restaurant. Died in committee.

SB 22-073: This bill would have authorized a feasibility study to look at small nuclear power generators – like the kind we put on all of our U.S. Navy capital ships – as an alternative source of energy. Such generators are carbon free. If you can use one for an aircraft carrier, why not for a small town? And besides, it’s just a study. Died in committee.

Maybe it’s just me, but many of these bills sound like good ideas. Being on a fixed income, I kind of liked the income tax reduction proposal. And the last one on the list – small nuclear generators – actually is being proposed elsewhere in the U.S.

But you know what every one of the bills listed here have in common? They were introduced by Republican state representatives or senators with no support from a Democrat. Think all these bills were killed after due consideration of the merits of each bill? Probably not.

However, the good news is that the United States Space Force Special License Plate bill is still alive!