Community Roundtable

Yes, we all want our schools to be fully funded before the coming school year, and the districts to know how much to expect.  We want the State of Illinois to fulfill its financial obligations to our schools, so I am hopeful that the legislation passes that will do so.  The complicated measures for calculating each district’s share of funds should be streamlined.  It is despicable that the budget stalemate has gone on for nearly a year.  It has been reported that “bipartisan groups of Illinois lawmakers are making progress on changes Rauner has said are essential to any agreement on a long-overdue state budget ….. but a compromise remains elusive as the Legislature approaches a critical end-of-the-month deadline.  The Legislature has until the end of May to approve a budget for this year and the new fiscal year, which starts July 1, by a simple majority.  After that it takes a three-fifths vote to pass a spending plan, making it considerably more difficult to achieve.”  This needs to happen!  The stalemate is the result of Gov. Rauner deciding to make his demands (that essentially weaken Unions) part of the state budget, when those concerns probably should have been ballot issues, and leading Democrats not succumbing to his demands.

The polls show that a majority of voters support stricter gun regulations, such as: more stringent background checks, closing gun show loopholes, waiting periods for purchasing a handgun, and ending sales of assault-style weapons.  So, if that’s what voters want, why can’t we get the legislation that reflects those views?  Well, we can; if voters would vote their conscience, and vote for the candidates that support those views.  It’s fairly easy folks!  Remember those “connect the dot” activity books we had as kids?  Just connect the dots.  There is NO DAMN WAY that someone who is deemed to be “too dangerous” to board an airplane should be able to buy weapons in the United States!    A Register-Mail article of Dec 8th stated, “The Government Accountability Office concluded that membership in a terrorist organization does not prohibit a person from possessing firearms or explosives under current federal law”.  Really?!  Shouldn’t they be considered just as dangerous as a domestic abuser or an ex-con?   That’s the kind of legislation that needs to be changed, by Congress — by a Congress that has the greater good of the populace in mind (instead of how big a kickback they can get from the NRA).

Some of NASA’s and Earth Scientist’s best minds are presenting facts on Antarctic mass changes and other catastrophic effects of worldwide global warming.  The effort to develop clean energies, at present, involves France, the U.S., India, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, Australia, Canada and Norway, all of which are pledging to double their spending on low or no-carbon energy.  Philanthropist Bill Gates, along with other business and government leaders, are pledging billions of dollars for research and development for storing electricity from wind and solar power, and creating other technologies.  Obama won praise at the U.N. climate conference from those who want a strong agreement to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of coal, oil and gas — when he stated that “parts of the global warming deal being negotiated should be legally binding on the countries that sign on”, and should include binding procedures on when and how countries should periodically review and raise their emission targets.  China should be in on these negotiations to develop clean energies!  Of course, the GOP-controlled Congress stands against any Obama dealings, and Senate Majority Leader McConnell and other top Republicans have “warned other countries not to trust any deal Obama may strike”.  How sad!

The War on Terror continues, but I agree with whomever put forth the idea of bringing Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and other Middle Eastern countries to the table to form a coalition to fight ISIS, Al Qaeda, Boko Haram or whatever other names or faces the terrorists there assume.  The U.S. SHOULD NOT put more troops back in the Middle East!   The U.S. is very involved in a global coalition in acquiring INTEL and in sending drone strikes to take out identified evildoers.  I agree with Chris Matthew’s assessment that we train and arm able-bodied male Syrian refugees and send them back to fight for their country.  Intel led to an early morning raid Wednesday in France, where 2 were killed and 8 arrested following a 7 hour standoff and intense shootout.  Polls show that U.S. citizens cannot make up their minds about whether they want our ground troops in Syria.  The long game must involve seeking to understand the roots of radicalism and taking the steps to stop this trend.

What a bunch of whiners!  If the GOP “hopefuls” can’t handle a few questions from someone other than Limbaugh or Hannity — well they’re not that hopeful and would never be able to withstand the torrent of downright hateful questions continually leveled at a president!  So, they’ve handed over their list of demands (like hostage-takers) to the networks and expect the kid-glove treatment from here on out.  When have candidates ever had so much say over the debate structure?  Man-up dudes!  You’re seeking the toughest job in the free world!  Remember the Batman movie in which Jack Nicholson played Joker?  I love the parade scene where Joker is throwing money to the crowds saying, “Who’s your friend; who ya gonna trust?”  That’s the cartoon caricature that I like Trump to.   If grandiose “The Donald” can’t turn around a moderator’s query likening his run to a cartoon candidacy — to tell the audience why his candidacy is realistic and his ideas right, then he’s not thinking quick enough!  Let’s get serious!  The GOP’s long clown-car lineup needs whittled down and FAST!!

“Debt is the total owed from past and present borrowing; deficit is this year’s borrowing.  The national debt was smallest (as compared to GDP) than it had been in fifty years when Reagan was elected in 1980.”  Reagan rode into office swearing to decrease the debt, but he was duped by political “economists” into believing that the government “would collect more money by reducing taxes”.  “Cutting taxes to raise money was crazy , but it was the deception to cut taxes for the richest and then use the deficits to force cuts in services for the middle class and the poor” that was truly despicable!   (And Republicans still subscribe to this policy.)  This economic theory was called supply-side economics, but George H.W. Bush called it Voodoo.  Trickle down economics “is outrageously dishonest!”  George W. Bush reinstated it after Clinton left office with a surplus!  “Republicans only complain about deficits when Democrats are in office.”  Dick Cheney said, “Reagan proved that deficits don’t matter”.  Those who report that the U.S. has added trillions of dollars in debt since President Obama took office is misleading; the interest on the debt keeps increasing.  “What would have happened if Reagan and the Bushes had balanced their own budgets” before leaving office?  Our national debt would be a fraction of what it is now!

“According to a defense official, the president approved the highest number requested by commanders, with the greatest amount of flexibility.”  After meeting with Afghan president, Ashraf Ghani, earlier this year, Obama re-evaluated the U.S. role in Afghanistan — a decision “reinforced when Taliban fighters took control of the key northern city of Kunduz late last month”.  The Obama administration inherited these messes as the Arab Spring blossomed with evil fruits; we returned some troops to Iraq last year to help fight ISIS.   “The U.S. will continue with counterterrorism operations and assisting Afghan security forces,” basing troops in Kabul, Jalalabad and Kandahar.  Nato allies support our “extending the troop presence in Afghanistan”.  Obama has “drastically cut the number of U.S. troops from a high of 100,000 in 2010.  Hillary Clinton, last year said she “would be open to extending the U.S. presence if Afghan leaders made that request”, which they have.  Republicans clamor for more troops in the Mid-East.  Never doubt, we will always maintain a Special Forces toe-hold in the region.

“Master of the House, Keeper of the Zoo”; Who’ll take the position, can we interest you?  Chaos, Turmoil, a collapsing House of Cards — losing two speakers within two weeks!  The extortionist Freedom Caucus pushed Boehner to announce his resignation, then bullied Kevin McCarthy into announcing his withdrawal from the race.  Some republicans are pleading with Paul Ryan to run for Speaker of the House, but the “hell-no” caucus views him as “business as usual”; they refuse to support any candidate unless he meets their demands.  Rep, Peter King R-N.Y. said, “We cannot allow 30 – 40 people to hijack the party and blackmail Congress.  We have to get things done.”  Budget legislation must pass by mid-November to avert a government shutdown and defaulting on bills; a budget agreement  “maybe even easing on spending cuts that have frozen the budgets of both the Pentagon and domestic agencies”.  But the Tea-liban has shown itself ready to risk crises and shutdowns to achieve their terrorist goals of holding government hostage.

My hope is ultimately for ending the 4  1/2 year civil war in Syria that has cost over a quarter million lives, and ridding the Mid East of the rebel group ISIS, who has taken advantage of that vacuum of power,  has committed so many atrocities, and is responsible for the exodus of hundreds of thousands of refugees to many surrounding countries.  President Obama in his talk before the United Nations stated that the U.S., with trillions from our treasury and all our military, alone cannot impose peace on other countries.  The 90 minute meeting between Obama and Putin was not without merits.  This was Putin’s first appearance at a UN gathering in a decade.  “Putin suggested that Russia might be willing to join airstrikes against the Islamic State”, but Russia and Iran, Syria’s biggest backers, are both against the ouster of Bashar Assad.  However, both countries are now agreeing that Syria’s government needs reform.  They may yet come closer to the “managed transition” that Obama envisions and seems to be backed by the UN.   Securing Syria, returning the refugees to their homeland, and providing humanitarian aid are worthy goals.

Hillary probably needs to spell it out more simply for the public.  When she took office as Secretary of State federal rules required that government employees using a non-government email account “must ensure that federal records sent or received on such systems be preserved in the appropriate agency record-keeping system”.  The Federal Records Act was passed after Hillary left her tenure, and yet she has turned over her private email server and thumb drive containing work-related emails as requested.  She has stated that she “did not knowingly send or receive any classified information from her private email”, but some emails are being deemed classified after the fact.  As usual, Hillary is being held to a higher standard than other officials.  According to press reports, requested emails of Colin Powell and Condi Rice have not as yet been turned over.   The government email server has been hacked, but Hillary’s private server was more secure!  The presidential election is over a year away; expect much more dirt to be flung Hillary’s way.