Wednesday Open Thread

9 thoughts on “Wednesday Open Thread”

1. The Aurora Sentinel's Editorial Board has a few choice words about Aurora's officials and the "gangs." 

   Crucial facts about Venezuelan gang claims in Aurora can’t come from Trump, Coffman or Jurinsky

   Some day in the future, there will be a long list of lessons learned about how Aurora botched the Venezuelan immigrant calamity, but local, state and federal officials can correct course right now to stem the disaster….

   The way forward is clear. Neither Coffman nor Jurinsky can be trusted by anyone to act as a credible spokesperson for Aurora. Aurora, just last week, hired a new police chief and, along with a city manager spokesperson, should be the sole official voices in this crisis.

   There are 11 voting members on the Aurora City Council, answerable to the city’s nearly 400,000 residents. The city needs only six voices of reason to agree to take control of this self-inflicted catastrophe, allowing Jurinsky and Coffman to say anything they want, but not on behalf of the government of Aurora and the residents.

    

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2. Brother, can you spare a dime? 

   Election conspiracy theorist Joe Oltmann of Colorado is now crowdfunding to pay his $1,000/day court-ordered fine for refusing to provide his evidence.

   

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   1. A fool and his money are lucky enough to get together in the furst place.

      ~ G. Gekko

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   2. I prefer to press the pray button on the fundraising site for Joe. I pray that he stops telling lies and threatening people. Amen.

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3. J. Divans stated the obvious in an interview with NBC's Kristen Welker, advising that PAB's "concept of a plan" for healthcare involves deregulating the insurance industry and . . . well, that's about it. In other words, the next PAB administration would be working to cast the proles adrift on the Galtian Ocean in makeshift rafts fashioned from coverage denial letters.

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   1. On Sunday, Vance disclosed that the new, “anti-regime” Republican Party’s plan for fixing America’s medical system is… to deregulate the health insurance market, so that insurers can refuse coverage to those who need treatment the most.

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4. From TPM

   We have the ongoing grotesquery of Trump’s and Vance’s assault on Springfield, Ohio. The Trump campaign has been rather candid with reporters, telling them that they’re willing to take the hit on now admitting they were lying about the initial Fido and Felix barbecue allegations since it puts immigration at the forefront of the campaign. In other words, it might seem like a bad story for them – they’re revealed as cynical and destructive liars. But it’s a great theme for them. Because if the topic of the day is immigration, they win.

   Is that true? Maybe? It’s definitely possible. But I think skepticism is warranted on two counts. The first is that old pattern of Donald Trump stepping on a rake and then insisting that’s just what he meant to do and not only that but it’s the best thing that could happen to him. And there are enough examples of this being true to give normal people pause, to make them worry that there is something they’re missing. But I don’t buy it. This has been a train wreck for the Trump campaign. It wasn’t intentional. Maybe it ends up being a boon. But not because it was the plan all along. My main point is that people shouldn’t let themselves get psyched out. And I actually don’t buy that it’s helping his campaign.

   More specifically, is this really about the border and immigration? Sort of. But the story we’re seeing is more one of a small community being terrorized by a campaign that looks desperate and in which the Republican town and county leaders have been begging the Trump campaign stop and now saying that they’re not even sure they’re going to vote for Trump because they’re so mad about the situation. I think there’s at least as much argument that the story people are seeing is about the chaos and destructiveness of Trump which most people don’t like.

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   1. Also complicating the matter —

      The Haitians are, for the most part, LEGAL immigrants. AXIOS explained

      Most Haitians in the U.S. are living and working in the country legally.

      • According to the CPS, 68.7% of foreign-born Haitians are naturalized U.S. citizens.
      • The U.S. government’s Haitian Family Reunification Parole (HFRP) has allowed Haitians with relatives in the U.S. who are citizens or legal permanent residents to come to the U.S. while their green card applications are pending, per the Migration Policy Institute.
      • Many other Haitian immigrants hold Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a designation that can be renewed and allows migrants to temporarily remain and work in the U.S. if conditions in their home country prevent them from returning safely.

      Haitians have been helpful to Springfield (and other locales). AP said

      Springfield, about 45 miles from the state capital of Columbus, suffered a steep decline in its manufacturing sector toward the end of the last century, and its population shrank as a result. But its downtown has been revitalized in recent years as more Haitians arrived and helped meet the rising demand for labor as the economy emerged from the pandemic. Officials say Haitians now account for about 15% of the population.

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      1. If you are a liar, then the truth doesn't matter.

         As JD (not JC) says, eating cats and dogs might be a lie, but if it gets public attention, then it's on purpoe.

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