Month: September 2020

Have you been deluged with political mail, text messages, phone calls and notes slipped under your bedroom door? They all insist that you hurry up and VOTE. It’s still September, but on both sides, they want you to vote for their candidate NOW.

What’s the rush? Well, the first Presidential debate is this week (Sept. 29). Each candidate figures they have a better chance of grabbing your vote before you learn the truth about their plans for the next four years.

This may be more important for Joe Biden than for Donald Trump. Trump has been flying all over the country, speaking. He’ll park Air Force One, climb up on a stage beside it and rattle on for an hour or two to a crowd of a couple thousand. A few wear masks, and all of them should because they are jammed together.

On the other hand, Biden ventures out two or three times a week, dutifully wears a mask, and speaks to a crowd that is spaced 6 feet apart. If he is asked a question about where he stands on important issues he usually says, “Nobody wants to know about me; they want me to discuss Trump’s plans and why they’re terrible for America. See, if I told any of my plans that would draw attention away from Trump’s failures with the coronavirus, riots in our cities, police brutality, high unemployment for Democrats, and imminent threats to abortion. It’s terrible the damage he has done in one term, and this country can’t stand another four years of his failed policies.”

In California, Governor Newsom announced that in 2035, any vehicle you buy in California will be electric powered. I don’t know how he can enforce this executive order unless he expects to be re-elected 4 or 5 times. But he knows California lawmakers better than I do and the Legislature may be nutty enough to go even further. They may pass a law that any manufacturer expecting to sell cars in California cannot manufacture any except electric.  That sounds outrageous, but they already did it with egg producers.

Do you remember photos from Havana a few years ago, with all the American cars from the 1950s? Well, in 2050 California may look similar with most folks driving vehicles 15 to 20 years old. Actually, there may not be many of those left because the owners had already loaded their SUV’s and pickup trucks and moved to Texas or other state where oil and gas are appreciated. Congress may eliminate tax credits for wind and solar, so the only electric vehicle an ordinary Californian can afford to own and operate will be a scooter.

Historic quotes by Will Rogers:

“You can’t beat an Administration by attacking it. You have to show some plan of improving on it.” WA #101, Nov. 16, 1924

“Politics is the best show in America. I love animals and I love politicians, and I like to watch both of ’em at play, either back home in their native state, or after they’ve been captured and sent to a zoo, or to Washington.” (Undated notes)

“No matter what a President does he is wrong according to some people.” WA #352, Sept. 22, 1929

“Everything is in California, all the great sights of nature, and along with all the wonders we have out here is the world’s greatest collection of freak humans.” WA #363, Dec. 8, 1929

Ruth Bader Ginsburg died Friday. Only a handful of Supreme Court Justices have had as much impact as she did on equalizing opportunities for all Americans. In fact, she might be alone at the top because of her fierce determination that, primarily, made half the population equal to the other half. While supporting women, her influence also supported the rights of men. She was an amazing person who was influenced by own experience as the top graduate of Columbia Law School. Imagine being Number One in anything, but discriminated against simply because she was a female, a Jew, and had kids.

But within hours of her death, controversy erupted in Washington. Although she had apparently asked that the next President pick her replacement, the existing President (with agreement by the Senate) always has that Constitutional right. She could have ensured her replacement would be selected by a Democrat by resigning in July 2015, but she chose to keep fighting for her beliefs.

President Trump quickly announced her replacement would be a woman. Although Democrats are objecting, can you imagine that any of the women on Trump’s list would ever vote to overturn Landmark rulings such as equal pay for women, equality for gays, and equal opportunities among men and women?

Joe Biden says that if he wins the election, Trump should withdraw his nominee so Biden can nominate a woman who is Black.  We know who is on Trump’s short list, but Biden has not announced any potential nominees. Biden reminded us to recall specific comments made by Senators Cruz, Rubio and Graham and hold them to their previous statements on the record. But he doesn’t want voters to check on his previous positions.

A reminder: Ginsburg’s nomination was confirmed by the Senate 97-3. What are the odds of such a vote today?

In New York, Mayor DeBlasio announced a one-week furlough for himself and non-essential city employees. Wow, seven days without a mayor! That gives folks a chance to straighten out the disastrous situation he created. Disappearing for a week or more is a great option that should be followed by a lot of Mayors in cities affected by riots, looting and arson. The Minneapolis Mayor and Council are clueless; can’t figure out why crime went up when funding for police went down.

Speaker Pelosi found out last week that rioting and looting is occurring in American cities. She also announced tentative plans to impeach President Trump.

In other news you might have missed, two Arab countries signed historic peace deals with Israel. UAE and Bahrain seem to trust Israel more than Iran.

Historic quotes by Will Rogers:

 “Many a public man wishes there was a law to burn old records.” DT #627, July 30, 1928

“Politics is a great character builder. You have to take a referendum to see what your convictions are for that day.” DT #1199, May 29, 1930

“A President just can’t make much showing against (Congress). They just lay awake nights thinking up things to be against the President on.” WA #430, March 22, 1931

“If you have a radio [or television or internet], the next three months is a good time to have it (quit working). All you will hear from now until the 4th of November will be: ‘We must get our government out of the hands of predatory wealth.’ ‘The good people of this great country are burdened to death with taxes. Now what I intend to do is …’ What he intends to do is try and get elected. That’s all any of them intend to do. Another one that will hum over the old static every night will be: ‘This country has reached a crisis in its national existence.'” WA #86, August 3, 1924

“New York has just appointed a new police chief. The murderers just wouldn’t surrender to the other one.” DT #743, Dec. 13, 1928

Columbus:  A consultant has been hired right here in Columbus to round up solar and wind electric sources, at the least additional cost, to satisfy all the electricity needs for city residents by 2023. For this service, which will increase electric rates, he is expected to receive over a million dollars a year for 15 years.  No contract has been signed because city residents will vote in November whether to go through with this “green deal.”

Well, I have a better idea. It won’t get on the ballot, but I hereby offer my services to the residents of Columbus to sign up the lowest cost electricity from generating plants powered by natural gas. This will decrease their monthly bills. My compensation will come from a tiny part of those savings, never more than $500,000 a year.  Furthermore, I will guarantee the electricity will keep flowing even when the wind don’t blow and the sun goes down.

Columbus ain’t the only city with dumb decisions. Los Angeles has canceled Halloween. Because of Covid-19. Now, help me understand this. The one day of the year when everyone wants to wear a mask, it’s banned. The one evening a year when kids look forward to turning off the computer, going outside, and walking!

A lot of politicians and commentators are hysterical over the prospect of mail-in ballots delaying the election results for weeks. It seems that several states allow requests for absentee ballots until the day before the election. And none of the ballots received early can be counted until Election day. Well, these Legislatures need to pass a bill that any request for a ballot must come 10 days before the election, ballots must be received by Election day, and each county Election Board will designate two honest people to count the ballots as they arrive and not blab the results. Then on election night add those numbers to the in-person voting results.  And we can go to bed by midnight.

Historic quotes by Will Rogers:

“President (Roosevelt) made one of his best speeches in Tupelo, Miss., Sunday. He told that the people could make their own electric energy cheaper than they were getting it. And say, by Monday morning he had the companies talking ‘new rates.’” DT #2586, Nov. 19, 1934  (referring to the TVA)

“There is only one redeeming thing about this whole election. It will be over at sundown, and let everybody pray that it’s not a tie.” DT #1953, Nov. 7, 1932

“This country has gotten where it is in spite of politics, not by the aid of it. That we have carried as much political bunk as we have and still survived shows we are a super nation.” DT #1948, Nov. 1, 1932

“I make a living off (politicians), so I can’t knock ’em. Every time we elect some fellow, we think he’s terrible and then when we get another one in, he’s worse. So, I am always in favor of keeping the one we’ve got and let the other go.” NBC Radio, May 16, 1932 (Pomona, CA)

“Coolidge made less speeches and got more votes than any man that ever run. (William Jennings) Bryan was listened to and cheered by more people than any single human in politics, and he lost. So there is a doubt just whether talking does you good or harm.” DT #673, Sept. 21, 1928

You may be wondering what I think of Speaker Nancy Pelosi getting her hair fixed up at her favorite Salon. I’m sure she saw the “Closed” sign on the front door, but she walked around to the back and they let her sneak in.

Her mistake was not in getting fancied up before flying back to Washington. No, her mistake was this: she should have insisted that ALL hair salons in San Francisco and across the country be open for business. Not just beauty parlors but barber shops, workout gyms, and any other business that helps us keep looking fit and presentable.

Many of us her age sometimes need assistance, especially if the “19” in Covid-19 means we added 19 pounds. Mechanical equipment in a gym is better for us than having to call on some mechanical force to help us at least resemble a human frame. Besides, if you are extra fleshy it requires two accomplices to help congregate yourself inside a side-lace corset.

In this era of physical distancing it might be hard to find two people willing to get within 6 feet of you to pull the strings, even with masks.

I have a feeling that Doctors offering Botox injections and face lifts have stayed open. No business in California is more essential than those two.

Historic quotes by Will Rogers:

            “Tomorrow is Labor Day, I suppose set by act of Congress. Everything we do nowadays is either by or against acts of Congress. How Congress knew anything about labor is beyond us, but anyhow tomorrow is Labor Day. It’s a day in the big cities when men march all day and work harder than they have in any other of the 365. Even the ones that ain’t working labor on Labor Day.” DT #967, Sept. 1, 1929

“When a man goes in for politics over here, he has no time for labor, and any man that labors has no time to fool with politics. [In England] politics is an obligation; over here it’s a business.” DT #892, June 5, 1929

“Well, no good news along the steel strike front. Both [sides] are standing tight… If it comes to the worst, we can do like some old famous queen in Paris when she said, ‘Let ’em eat cake.’ We can build it out of wood instead of steel.” DT #2450, June 10, 1933

(Note: the comments about the side-lace corset and mechanical force are based on Will’s Weekly Article #12, March 4, 1923)