Out of Touch                                                                                                        #234

By Hank Silverberg 

Beyond all the rhetoric about gas prices, all the politics about who supports Trumpism, and all the gaggling about tax policy, many of our elected representatives in Washington and elsewhere are once again completely out of touch with what the average American is dealing with in our daily lives. 

There was a good example this weekend in the debates and votes over a massive spending bill. 

The Inflation Reduction Act, as it's called, passed the senate after more than 20 hours of debate, but without the proposal to cap the price of insulin at $35. It seems the GOP members just don't get it. For millions of people, choosing between the cost of medication or food and rent/mortgage is a monthly dilemma. The GOP used a procedural gimmick to strip that insulin cap out of the bill. 

The $740 billion legislation will reduce the federal deficit by $300 billion by, among other things, using a new corporate minimum tax of 1% on stock buybacks. 

It's also supposed to allow the government to negotiate the price of drugs with the big pharmaceutical companies for medication covered by Medicare, and cap out-of-pocket expenses for Medicare recipients at $2000 a year. 

But it took a tie breaking vote (51-50) by Vice President Kamala Harris to get the bill passed because once again, the GOP seems to be out of touch which what most Americans are going through.   

 This is just the latest example of Republican politicians who can't see reality. 

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/senate-democrats-pass-climate-tax-health-care-bill/story?id=88067862

 The debate at times got a bit heated, but you can be sure Democrats will be talking about this bill that includes billions to combat climate change as they campaign over the next three months. 

Meanwhile, across the country, following the U.S. Supreme Court decision to negate Roe v. Wade, state legislatures continue to pass bill after bill to restrict or totally ban abortion. This comes even though poll after poll indicates an overwhelming majority of the public doesn't want a total ban on abortions. 

In a recent survey from the Pew Research Center, only 8% of those surveyed say they favored a total

ban on abortion without exception. (Only 19% favor no limit on abortions at all.)  

https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2022/05/06/americas-abortion-quandary/

And a poll done last week shows 43% of all voters have been "more motivated" to vote in the upcoming mid-term elections because of the SCOTUS abortion ruling. That includes 72% of Democrats and 56% of Independents.

 So, you can expect every candidate running for office this fall to be asked about their position on abortion. Reporters should do it, but if they don't, the public most likely will. 

Fifty-four percent of ALL voters say they are more likely to consider a candidate's stand on abortion because of the ruling. 

Has the GOP started to notice? Some are privately suggesting that they play down the issue, for fear it will hurt them at the polls. 

ttps://www.axios.com/2022/08/02/half-voters-abortion-november-midterm-elections

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/23167397/abortion-public-opinion-polls-americans

You are likely to hear Republican candidates for the Senate and House pass off the issue as state responsibility and not a national one as a way of avoiding anger from voters. 

There are other issues that most of us ordinary people care about, but many politicians don't seem to want to talk about them, and care only about getting re-elected. This of course is not a new tactic. It's just worse than usual this year.

It's most likely both sides will try to blame the other for the lack of progress on anything the public cares about. 

While we are on the subject of polls, there were several out this week on the 2024 presidential race. I won't post the numbers because they are pretty meaningless this early. What is interesting is the speculation that President Biden might not run again, and the flabbergasting support that Donald Trump still draws. Two years is a long time in politics. A better time to assess 2024 is after the upcoming midterms. 

Until The Sea Shall Give Up It's Dead

Climate change is having significant impact across the world, and while the sea level may be rising around the world, lakes and rivers in the drought- stricken western U.S.A. are falling to all-time lows. 

So is the case at Lake Mead, created by the huge Hoover Dam on the Colorado River and just a 30- minute drive from Las Vegas. It is at its lowest level since the reservoir was full in 1983m dropping more than 170 feet since then. That has uncovered all kinds of debris, including sunken boats. Now, for the fourth time since May, human remains have been found on dry lake beds that are usually underwater in the country's largest reservoir.  

(The falling water level in Lake Mead in just the last 20 years
. Photo courtesy of NASA Earth Observatory)

The National Park Service says a set of human skeletal remains were found on Saturday at Swim Beach in the lake's Boulder Basin between Arizona and Nevada.  Police say a barrel with human remains was also found in May. 

At least one of the bodies previously found had a bullet hole. The lake has always been a suspected dumping ground for murder victims from the crime ridden early days of Las Vegas, and police are checking records for those who have been missing for decades.     

https://news.yahoo.com/human-remains-discovered-lake-mead-183943524.html?fr=yhssrp_catchall

Better Track Record Than the Groundhog 

While most of us were trying to keep cool and out of the very hot sun this week, there's a prediction for a very cold December and January, colder than usual, especially on the east coast. That's just one of the forecasts of the 2022-23 Farmer's Almanac. It predicts some places will go down to 40 below zero in several of the North Central states this winter.  https://www.farmersalmanac.com/product/2023-farmers-almanac

February will be milder, but March will roar louder than usual with "heavy snows and torrents of rain and gusty thunderstorms across much of the nation". 

The almanac, which has been around since 1818 and claims an 80% accuracy rating in predicting the weather long term, is also providing us with some hints about their unusual tips. For example, the book will tell us how to freeze eggs, butter, milk and cheese so you can buy more when they are on sale, how bubble wrap can be used to cut down on heating bills, and what we can do to help to slow climate change. If you want to purchase one when it's released next week, here's the link:   https://www.farmersalmanac.com/product/2023-farmers-almanac

The Almanac was pretty accurate last year. I'm not sure I buy into the publisher's claim of 80% accuracy, but historically it proves to be more reliable than that Pennsylvania rodent who gets all the attention each February.  

Dumbest Quote of The Week

This week's dumb quote belongs to Iowa's long- time Republican Senator Chuck Grassley, who should know better. It's in a tweet. 

"Each Dec Schumer puts out schedule for Senate I set Grassley family reunion based on schedule. For 2nd yr in row I won’t be at reunion I’m in DC to fight Dems irresponsible tax&spend bill. Need a Republican majority to hv schedule we can count on & A RESPONSIBLE FISCAL AGENDA"

Okay Senator, so you don't like the bill, we get
that. You were one of the 50 Republicans who voted against it. But complaining about having to work a weekend and

(Sen. Chuck Grassley R-Ia) 

miss a family event?

That's your job! Millions of Americans face such family vs. work dilemmas most of their lives. But you seem to think Senators should be immune. The Senate usually has the whole month of August and December off. Your average worker would love that. Maybe for once you should do your job and stop complaining. If you don't, I'm such the folks in Iowa will find somebody else who will.

(Your suggestions and comments are welcome)

(My book "The Campaign" can be purchased at the links below. Or you can buy a copy by emailing me at:

HankSilverberg@gmail.com  for instructions on how to get a copy at a reduced price and with my signature. )                       

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B084Q7K6M5/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-campaign-hank-silverberg/1126429796