The bill text shows how high the stakes are for getting something better through. The bipartisan infrastructure package includes only $73 billion to upgrade the entire nation’s flailing electrical grid and $39.5 billion for public transit. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will get $11.6 billion to build things that will dredge rivers and control floods, and $4.7 billion for cleaning up orphaned gas wells. Those numbers are far too low—but because I haven’t had 12 hours to pore through the relevant studies, I can’t tell you by precisely how much. What I can tell you is that these bill numbers are mostly made up by the team of senators who haggled over them. The numbers at some point may have corresponded to a real need, as articulated by a think tanker who transmitted their PDF to a congressional staffer who made a recommendation to their boss, who then maybe also talked to a corporate lobbyist about it. The process by which those figures were chopped down behind closed doors bears almost no relationship to physical realities.Sausages are tasty!
Wednesday, August 04, 2021
The Bipartisan Process
I think this is a very generous portrayal of the sausage factory, I mean The Greatest Deliberative Body In The History Of The Universe.
I've Had A Few
I thought I could show off to the MAGA dorks without consequence!
Mere months after Gov. Asa Hutchinson signed a bill that banned local mask mandates across Arkansas, the state’s top Republican has asked lawmakers to reconsider the prohibition so school districts might require children to don face coverings when they return to classrooms this fall.“In hindsight, I wish that it had not become law,” he said at a news conference on Tuesday.
The Naughty Don't Deserve Health Insurance
I know it's a special moment requiring special measures, but the latest push to punish people who don't get vaccinations by allowing insurance companies to jack up their prices for them is misguided. ACA pushed the door a bit more closed on punishing people for their behaviors, and it is a really bad idea to try to swing it open again, even now. Another layer of bureaucracy, another way for insurance companies to deny claims and treatment, another lifelong consequence for what is determined to be (but might not be - paperwork!) a bad choice.
There are other sticks that won't end up whacking us all in the head.
The Most Trusted Name In News
Everybody's gotta eat (including me!), and getting a big chunk of money to be a "CNN contributor" or whatever they call it these days is a nice boost to any journalist's salary. Nobody wants to close off that potential, but that few of them are willing to say a word about Chris Cuomo's actions at the network...
I suppose there's much less harumphing about MEDIA ETHICS than there was back in the blogger ethics panel days, but, really, come on guys.
Morning Thread
Poweful bad actors thrive because other powerful people protect and promote them.
It is quite likely that some of our faves are implicated!
Tuesday, August 03, 2021
Unacceptable
It isn't game where the Rs get rid of one of their bad guys and Ds get rid of one of theirs. Get rid of our bad guys! They're bad! Cuomo's absolutely horrible for a bunch of other reasons, but if he wasn't, he isn't indispensable! Very few of them can't easily be swapped out for someone better!
Oh No I Summoned Her
Never say her name.
WASHINGTON – Former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin teased she may be interested in running for the U.S. Senate in 2022, during a talklast month.
Everything Has Happened Before
Just a reminder of how the US had recently elected the first African-American President, it was the aftermath of a major financial crisis and a deep and prolonged recession, and all the giggling hacks could talk about was Sarah Palin.
VEERRRRY SLOOOOWLY
They gonna keep falling for this?
.@LeaderMcConnell tells Schumer not to rush the infrastructure process, warning that he'll encourage Republicans to filibuster it if there's a vote tomorrow to end debate. McConnell says the bill has a good chance of passing but wants Schumer to move "slow but steady."
— Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) August 3, 2021
Cuimpeach
Time to go.
EXCLUSIVE: State Assembly Member @yuhline tells me she has articles of impeachment already drawn up. @Biaggi4NY is calling for the Assembly to begin proceedings "within the next day" if Cuomo does not step down.https://t.co/jhmWwn6Y6P
— Eoin Higgins (@EoinHiggins_) August 3, 2021
Republicans Will Be Republicans
Democrats have never been very good at playing the outrage game (you can be genuinely outraged and also understand that it requires a skilled player), but they barely even bother to try anymore. I get it. How many times per day can you rush to the cable news cameras to point out that they did a big racism, again, or whatever? But cable news is largely going to be their team rushing to the cameras with their outrage, or your team with yours.
A possible correct view is none of this matters, and all cable news outrages are ridiculous. But that requires every congressional office shutting off the cable news that is running 24/7 in all of them, because whether they admit or not, watching "your guys" get hammered has an impact on how you behave.
Lock Him Up
“Governor Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women and in doing so violated federal and state law,” James says
— Josefa Velásquez (@J__Velasquez) August 3, 2021
The Hospitals Are Full
Contempt for those choosing not to get vaccines is fine, but the idea that they're going to be the only victims of their choices has been absurd.
I don't have strong opinions about what mandatory policies should be generally, but we had a couple of months of prominent snide coverage blasting people for being a bit cautious, and the Biden administration listening to the Smartest Boys On The Internet, so we got the "RIP YOUR MASKS OFF, YOU COWARDS" message. No worries, we'll listen to their advice when it's time to go to war with a random new country, too.
Just the same bullshit from the same people. Often precisely the same people!
People choosing to be a bit cautious was a freebie! Helpful behavior without mandates! But the glibertarian "everyone should be free to be just like me" crowd couldn't handle it.
Running From Your Past
Kinda hard to do these days. Like potential landlords being able to easily check if you've ever been evicted, or even if you've just had an eviction suit filed against you, however it is ultimately resolved.
Lifelong, or at least long, consequences greatly outweigh the supposed offense. And the societal consequences of millions of families unable to find housing. So, yes, ending the eviction moratorium, especially without anything to smooth it over, is a big problem!
Going to be one for landlords, too, though I suspect they don't realize.
Monday, August 02, 2021
Jolly Old Pals
I get that there can be friendships between Ds and Rs, but Lindsey Graham would gut Manchin for a pat on the head from Donald, and why would you be friends with someone like that?
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) entertained a small group of senators on his houseboat this weekend and Sen. Lindsey Graham — who has now tested positive for Covid-19 — was in attendance, CNN reports.
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