Fascism or Democracy - USPS sabotage

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Friday August 14, 2020 · 9:30 PM PDT

2020/08/14 · 21:30

As I’m sure you all know we have a major crisis unfolding with Trump’s too effective destruction of the USPS. His fundraiser Louis DeJoy is Postmaster General and has instituted a number of measures that are significantly delaying postal service.

Elimination of overtime meaning that many items are left in the post office overnight and longer that would formerly have been delivered.

The elimination and destruction of sorting machines worth millions of dollars. The plan is to eliminate 671 – mostly from urban centers i.e. Democratic districts.

Staff reductions we don’t know how many or how much only that mail is not being delivered on time – medicine is not being delivered. Late payment charges are occurring because bills and payment for them don’t arrive on time.

46 states received a letter today from the post office stating that there wasn’t going to be enough time to handle the ballots for the November election.

All of this is being done with the aim of screwing up mail ballots so that Democrats will not have their votes counted.

DeJoy met with Trump in the Oval office last week. This is being coordinated from the top.

Also

Mailboxes were being removed from city streets and rural areas without explanation. Someone in Montana alerted Senator Jon Tester who persuaded two Republican colleagues to complain to the Postmaster General Dejoy. That stopped the removal of more mailboxes in Montana and eventually by the end of the day in the whole country. PRESSURE WORKED So there is hope that we can do something about this.

We now need to apply pressure on both Senators and Congresscritters to get them to force Dejoy to reverse the sabotage.

We need to make calls asking:

WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO PROTECT THE USPS? – Indivisble’s Ezra Klein suggested we ask that question.

Force the congress to push through the emergency funding necessary for the post office to handle the huge amount of mailed in ballots.

I urge everyone to call tomorrow and Sunday when you can leave a voice mail. Call your senators, your congressperson and additional Republican senators in other states complaining and insisting that something be done immediately. I am planning to say that my husband is a veteran (true) and is not getting his medicine on time. We are both old enough to be in danger of voting in person and must vote by mail. Maybe something about late fees or not receiving checks – but expressing outrage. I intend also to say that because of Covid I have moved to (pick a state ) with Republican senators and must receive ballots, medicine etc etc.

This is all happening because Trump knows he will lose the election if he doesn’t do something drastic to prevent Democratic votes from being counted. Unfortunately for us DeJoy is competent enough to make that happen.

Sorry to unload this on you for the weekend but….. you really don’t get to keep democracy unless you fight for it.

GOTV - the easy way -- good for your peace of mind and good for the country - Postcards to Voters

artebella

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Thursday July 16, 2020 · 5:53 AM PDT

2020/07/16 · 05:53

I wanted to do something useful that would also reduce my blood pressure. GOTV was the answer.

Phone banking is not my thing but writing postcards turned out to be a treat.

I have by now sent over 340 postcards to voters in Florida, Kentucky, and Wisconsin — mostly Florida. Each time I hear some disturbing news or have some bits of free time — I write another card or two or three and feel that I am helping turn Florida blue.

By using colored markers and varying the text and design a bit writing postcards becomes an art or craft activity. There are necessary texts as well as optional ones so each card can be a little different.

First, get yourself some postcards — either on the postcards to voters website or via CreativeDem.com. Then get yourself some 35 cent stamps either at the Post Office or on line at USPS — which also helps the USPS stay solvent.

The sign up process is fairly straightforward but I ran into (created) a glitch. When you are ready to request addresses you are given several choices. All you have to do is put the number of the choice you want. I stupidly wrote 1 and please send me 10 addresses. TMI just put the number and you will quickly be asked how many addresses you want.

You would be hard pressed to find something else so easy to do as we fight to keep our democracy.

Hypothesizing the appeal Trump has for too many people

artebella

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Saturday October 05, 2019 · 3:07 PM PDT

2019/10/05 · 15:07

Listening to Rachel and Lawrence two nights ago I suddenly had the glimmer of an idea that helped me understand why Trump despite his very evident awfulness appeals to so many people — or really to anyone.

Infants who grow into children who grow into adults need to be “civilized.” They need to learn that other people exist and have needs just as legitimate as their own. The job of parents, teachers, nursemaids, and all of society is to teach children how to behave in a world of many people. To learn to obey laws, norms, and guidelines for how to behave.

Trump does not know about that. He behaves like a toddler who only cares about his own needs. Yes, many people have observed that. But what has not been noted enough, if at all, is that his total freedom to behave exactly the way he wants when he wants (shoot someone on 5th avenue) is something that stirs envy in people who struggle to give up their needs for others. “Why can’t we do what we want when we want — like little children — like Donald Trump? He seems so “comfortable” in his selfishness it makes others want the same comfort. and why not? he has gotten away with it for most of his life. “Me too. I want to get away with it. Who are you to tell me to be considerate, think of the common good?”

Furthermore his sadism appeals to the part of everyone who wishes occasionally or way too often to make someone suffer. Hate is much easier to tolerate than sadness or disappointment. Life lived with the consideration of others is filled with disappointment. No, you cannot always have what you want when you want it. That is a hard lesson for people who have had to tolerate too much pain and anguish and envy in the course of their lives.

What McConnell will do on Tuesday and why you should call senators on Monday about repeal

artebella

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Saturday July 22, 2017 · 8:52 AM PDT

2017/07/22 · 08:52

No one knows what McConnell is going to put to a vote this coming Tuesday. Some of the senators I called Friday said it would be Repeal only with a two year window for replace and said they would vote for that - it would be a disaster since we know they can't/won't come up with replace. Even Jerry Moran who previously had been clear about the danger of these bills to his constituents has apparantly decided that the ticking clock of the two year window will force the senate to come up with a workable replace. I told his staffer that if they couldn’t come up with something in seven years why believe the two year window would help.

The other plan is to put up a bill with many ammendments that could be changed at the last minute before voting - equally disastrous. PLEASE CALL ONE MORE TIME ALL the Senate “Moderates.”

Johnson, Portman, Collins, Murkowski, Hoeven,Corker, Heller (he seems already to have decided to vote yes) Capito, Gardner, Cassidy, Moran, Flake, Sasse.

Jerry Moran is a profile in courage.

artebella

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Tuesday July 18, 2017 · 8:26 AM PDT

2017/07/18 · 08:26

Jerry Moran is a profile in courage. I had called his office many times in past weeks urging him to vote no to Trumpcare. On several occasions his staffers explained that he was concerned about the loss of healthcare to rural parts of Kansas and particularly about the loss of rural hospitals — all of which would result from the massive Medicaid cuts in the bill.

In the end — as we all know by now — he came out against it and argued that a new effort had to be started from scratch with hearings etc etc. — like it used to be when senators truly represented their constituents.

I called today to thank him and his staffer explained that he was the only repub senator who did town halls and his constituents were really clear about their unhappiness with Trumpcare. He also said the Moran had spoken with a number of hospital administrators who were extremely worried about the fate of their hospitals — particularly in rural areas.

I mentioned that Moran was being grouped with the ultraconservatives like Mike Lee and the staffer said that Moran doesn’t like to go by such categorical groupings and that in looking carefully at the bill he saw that “it didn’t pass the smell test.”

I think as many of us as possible should call to thank him for his integrity and standing up to McConnell for what he believes.

After calling Moran’s office I called Shelley Moore Capito urging her to tell Capito to stand up the way Moran had done and was told by her staffer that she had received my voicemail the day before and then she loudly declared “The bill is dead” and hung up.

News we should know: no more nukes from Bush and no more time to work for Dems in the House

artebella

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Sunday July 15, 2007 · 11:32 AM PDT

2007/07/15 · 11:32

John Hall (NY-19) told some startling news to a small group of people questioning him about impeachment.

artebella

Community (This content is not subject to review by Daily Kos staff prior to publication.)

Sunday October 02, 2005 · 1:12 PM PDT

2005/10/02 · 13:12

To prevent Bush from reacting violently to Fitzgerald's takedown of the Bush team and thereby putting all of us in tremendous danger, we need to think psychologically about who he is and why he functions the way he does. Read More

RSS

Fascism or Democracy - USPS sabotage

GOTV - the easy way -- good for your peace of mind and good for the country - Postcards to Voters

Hypothesizing the appeal Trump has for too many people

What McConnell will do on Tuesday and why you should call senators on Monday about repeal

Jerry Moran is a profile in courage.

News we should know: no more nukes from Bush and no more time to work for Dems in the House

Danger - Bush could react violently to Fitzgerald's action - how we can protect ourselves