Community Roundtable

So many threats from within and without!  A trade war contributing to an eventual economic collapse, corrupted Capitalism, run-away Big-Pharma, the opiate-epidemic origin, an ‘intentional’ national debt that cannot now afford the “entitlement programs” like Medicare, Medicaid, SSA & ACA; a crumbling infrastructure, including our national security system unable to protect against cyber-attacks.  We have a War on Science, Women, Diversity, Biodiversity, Equality, Humanity, and Rule of Law; and terrorism threats from within from Right-wing nationalists, church, school, entertainment-venue shooters …. a socio-cultural apocalypse?   A ‘Tug-of-War’ within our White House as they provoke and escalate a war with Iran.  A president who doesn’t read his daily intel-reports, is easily provoked by perceived enemies, who relies on briefings from those with ideological agendas, who seek to distract a nation from inconvenient truths …. view the movie: VICE; we are repeating history.    Who most wants to be World-Conqueror?  A nuclear threat from North Korea, Iran?   Russia & China are uniting against U.S. to disrupt and weaken America.

Trish Forsyth Voss

Reviewing one R-M article on this subject, I found it astounding that “people in Galesburg spent $26 million gambling in 2018, and lost just over $7 million of that; $26 million is about a quarter of what the entire population of the city spends on food each year”.  The article also stated that “the state takes 30 percent of gaming revenue and gives municipalities 5 percent”.  Our city and state surely needs revenue, which we should be ‘flush with’ after marijuana is legalized in Illinois.  I need my state pension!  Not being much of a gambler, I occasionally buy a lotto ticket; I don’t frequent casinos; I’d never contemplate a vacation in Las Vegas.  Many folks do travel to the Quad Cities, Peoria and elsewhere to gamble, so I guess it’s convenient and beneficial for ‘the Burg’ to offer gambling opportunities.  I do question the social impact of this behavior for many families, and marvel that people have that much disposable income.

Trish Forsyth Voss

Trump has broken all the rules; and he is now suing Elijah Cummings, House Oversight chair, to block a subpoena for his financial records from accounting firm, Mazars.  The White House is resisting, stalling …. daring Congress to take their fight to the Supreme Court.

I agree with David Jolly, former U.S. Rep, R/FL, who said, “if Trump exerts executive privilege to prohibit testimony by senior aides, the answer isn’t 6 months of litigation.  The answer is to say, ‘fine, we’re having a hearing with or without you, and we’re moving to an impeachment inquiry vote by Memorial day.”  There is more than sufficient proof of Obstruction of Justice and Abuse of Powers in the Mueller report.

Columnist Michael Gerson (Republican) said, “It is indeed likely that elected Republicans would fail to defend constitutional values if tested by an impeachment vote, but they should be tested nonetheless”.   Republicans should have their degree of patriotism recorded for his-story’s sake.

Trish Forsyth Voss

“People don’t care about my tax returns, I have no obligation to release them”, declared the most financially-conflicted president ever.  While campaigning, Trump stated repeatedly that he would release his returns soon.  Representative Richard Neal (D-MA), chairman of House Ways and Means committee, sent a formal request to the IRS, asking for the past six years of Trump’s returns.  IRS Commissioner, Charles Rettig, presidential appointee, is conferring with Treasury Secretary, Steven Mnuchin, whom I expect to refuse to comply with the century-old legal authority.  Congress will hold him in contempt and move to subpoena returns, which then goes to the courts.   Meanwhile, New York legislators are seeking Trump’s state returns; with his business empire headquartered there, materials could likely contain much of the financial information on the federal returns.  A bill recently passed in the House seeks to eliminate this situation in the future, and 25 states added a tax return requirement to the 2020 election ballot.

Trish Forsyth Voss

Newspaper subscriptions have gone down; many folks don’t take the local paper, I do.  Many people do not listen to the radio, I don’t.  How else are people going to hear about upcoming elections?  I didn’t see a sample ballot in the Register-Mail recently; I think sample ballots are helpful for those who do take the newspaper.  Social media is the new way most of the younger generation communicates; they set-up ‘Event pages’, sending invites online, no longer buying invitation cards and stamps.  We need to step-up to the newer forms of communicating.  ‘Word of mouth’ only goes so far about things that people are only vaguely interested in, if at all.   Let’s face it — the majority of people who could vote in any and all elections, don’t seem that interested or well-informed.   And as the Knox County Clerk said, “people are more used to the March and November elections …. the election in April kind of throws people off”.

Trish Forsyth Voss

We should have leaders elected by the majority of the voters. and most Americans agree.  “The current presidential elector system is outdated, undemocratic and easily manipulated”, and should be eliminated.  Trump’s 2012 tweet, criticized the Electoral College, calling it “a disaster for a democracy!”  He currently says, “I used to like the idea of the popular vote, but now I realize the EC is far better for the USA”.  In the election he won, Hillary Clinton received at least 3 Million more votes than Trump.  The Electoral College gives extra weight to sparsely populated areas, but with many Americans settling in urban areas, that system undemocratically robs their votes.   It’s happened 5 times in our American history that the winner of popular votes lost the election.   “Absent a Constitutional Amendment, the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact (NPVIC) now includes 13 states and D.C, signing on …. pledging to allocate all its ‘EC’ votes to whichever candidate wins the national popular vote.”      The movement’s growing.

Trish Forsyth Voss

Pelosi said that “unless something so compelling, overwhelming and bipartisan” were discovered, that the costs of impeachment are ” just not worth it”, which just means: “we’re not there yet”!  We need to make the Mueller report public when it comes out; he’s not finished.  The House investigations have just begun.   Hearings will reveal overwhelming evidence of a multiplicity of crimes, and as this evidence piles up, Republicans will be forced to come out and take a stand.   As the presidential campaigns for 2020 go forward, will Republicans defend Trump’s ‘high crimes and misdemeanors’ …. at all costs?    As happened with Nixon, public opinion WILL change.   Make no mistake on this … Dems will do their jobs.  “The Constitution is clear … if there are impeachable offenses, we cannot allow Trump to remain in office” or run again in 2020, because “holding the president accountable is worth it”, and our country IS worth it!

Trish Forsyth Voss

Chairman Nadler said his panel “is beginning to probe the possible obstruction of justice, corruption and abuses of power” by President Trump and those close to him.  The committee sent out requests for information and evidence to 81 people and organizations for documents already provided to Mueller and others.  Many of these entities will resist cooperating by claiming various privileges; some will be served with subpoenas thereafter.  The House investigation has just begun.  The voters, last fall, spoke loudly for Democrats to exercise oversight on the executive and to protect our Rule of Law.  The initial “list”, narrowed down from 150 to 81, “puts Trump on notice — the House is coming for his entire allegedly corrupt enterprise”.   A recent poll shows that more Americans believe Michael Cohen than believe Donald Trump.  “DISGRACE!”  Yes, it’s on Trump.    I’m predicting we will see many more indictments coming out very soon from Mueller and the courts.

Trish Forsyth Voss

Governor Pritzker wants to stop Illinois’ slide into financial oblivion, which requires dramatic changes!  He proposes to “replace Illinois’ 4.95 percent flat income tax with a graduated tax that levies higher rates on higher incomes, an approach used by 33 states and the federal government”.  Implementing such a tax in Illinois would require a constitutional amendment, which Pritzker and Democrats could possibly get through the Legislature and on the 2020 ballot for voter’s consideration.  Pritzker’s proposed budget includes revenue from legalizing marijuana and sports betting, and includes extending the state’s pension payment ramp by 7 years, which hopefully will not pass.  The pension funding crisis was caused by unwise decisions by legislators for decades.  “All money raised by a tax increase should be sealed off in a special fund for the sole benefit of state pension plans, and the tax increase should be temporary, lasting until the plans reach actuarially-required funding levels.   Individuals and businesses might accept a temporary increase to provide certainty and stability” for their future plans in Illinois.  (Quote: Joe Cahill on Crain’s Chicago Business forum.)

Trish Forsyth Voss

I agree with House Judiciary Chairman, Jerrold Nadler D-NY, that the declaration is a “gross abuse of presidential power …. to attempt to strip Congress of its duty by subverting the constitutional doctrine of separation of powers”.  House Dems will challenge the declaration; they can vote on a resolution disapproving Trump’s declaration, which would force a vote in the Senate, which is becoming increasingly divided.  The vote can pass with only a simple majority.   The White House has stated “Trump will veto” any such vote.  Several Senate Republicans warned Trump, publicly and privately, against taking this action; many are concerned that Trump is “robbing the military and Defense”, and siphoning necessary monies from their state projects.  Nearly twenty states are joining in this latest lawsuit against Trump.  Those legislators applauding abdicating their duties should be ousted, soon.   No previous ‘national emergencies’ involved seizing appropriated funds to take actions specifically rejected by Congress.

Trish Forsyth Voss