Manchin Straddles Fence on Student Debt Crisis

By: Mildred Robertson

West Virginia Senator and presidential hopeful Joe Manchin, (Yes, “presidential hopeful”…I said it even though he won’t) is being lambasted by conservatives in his state for his promotion of legislation that would offer student loan debt relief.  The Smarter Debt Act is aimed at establishing an interactive online dashboard at the U.S. Department of Education to provide future and current students with the information they need to navigate the financing of their education. If enacted this legislation would direct the Department of Education to establish an interactive online dashboard that would help users to more easily access information about existing loan forgiveness and repayment programs. 

While the Biden administration has continuously tried to fight the problem of student loan debt, Senator Manchin has been no student debt relief advocate. Over the Summer Senator Manchin voted to repeal Biden’s student loan cancellation plan. He called Biden’s student loan forgiveness proposal excessive and said that there are other ways to help people burdened by student debt.

President Biden supports capping student loan repayment at 5% of the borrower's income. He also proposes forgiving up to $10,000 in federal student loan debt for borrowers making less than $125,000 annually and would forgive $20,000 in loans for Pell Grant recipients under the same income threshold. Manchin opposed those proposals saying “I just thought that it was excessive. I just respectfully disagree on that.”

While Manchin positions himself for a possible run at the Whitehouse as a third-party candidate he must balance his conservative state voters' desires, with the need to appease the more liberal leanings of the rest of the country. But his West Virginia constituents aren’t having it.  One internet commenter said, “That is one of the reasons that Joe can't get reelected in WV. I paid for my education and my son's education and I worked 7 days a week to do it. Why should I have to pay for anyone else's education. (sic) Typical democrat. Tax and spend and put it on the working man.” 

Unfortunately, voters who think like this commenter miss the point that underprivileged people who graduate actually CONTRIBUTE to the economy. Yet their student loans are so burdensome that many graduates can't acquire a job that will allow them to afford to pay the loan AND afford homeownership, buy cars, or live the American dream that education purportedly will provide.  Also, many first-time graduates from underprivileged families take on the burden of reaching back to help their less fortunate relatives, particularly in Black communities.  Further, a well-educated citizenry contributes to the competitiveness of America. Those graduates too, are paying into the tax base....at a higher rate than they would have had they not had an education. 

So I am glad that Manchin has decided to accept the ire of his constituents to do something, however miniscule, to relieve the burden of student debt on those struggling to break into or stay in the middle class. Manchin appears to be positioning himself to pursue another elected office where voters might not be as offended by his still Republican-esque right-leaning political philosophy. Don’t be fooled by his lukewarm attempt to address the issue. He could be a spoiler in the Democratic election by running as a third-party candidate.

He was an unreliable advocate for the everyday American during his tenure as a Senator. He would be just as ineffective at advocating for middle-class Americans in any other capacity. A third-party candidate can only muddy the waters in the 2024 election. That election is way too important to let a candidate’s performative politics cause us to end up with Donald Trump back in the White House. Even the unlikely prospect of Manchin himself winning the seat would be a terrible outcome for our nation.

Santos Expulsion: What Does it Mean?

By: Mildred Robertson 

So, Republicans finally decided to draw a line in the sand. After two previously failed attempts, on Friday, December 3rd nearly half of the Republican House delegation voted to expel New York's 3rd Congressional District Representative, George Santos from Congress. After receiving the House Ethics Committee report finding substantial evidence of wrongdoing, the House voted 311 to 114 to expel him; well above the two-thirds majority required by the Constitution.

Santos refused to resign although he admitted that he "embellished" much of his resume. Texas Democratic Representative Joaquin Castro stated that Santos had lied about almost every aspect of his life and that he should either resign or be expelled from Congress. The House Ethics Committee report found the congressman violated federal law and engaged in a "complex web" of illegal activity concerning his finances. Democrats Robert Garcia and Dan Goldman filed the resolution that resulted in Santos's expulsion.  New York Republican Anthony D'Esposito offered his own motion to force a vote on the expulsion. 

Historically Santos becomes the 21st member of Congress to be expelled. Previously there were 15 expulsions from the Senate and five from the House. Most were related to the Support of the Confederacy. In 2002 Ohio Representative James Traficant was expelled after conviction on 10 felony counts that included taking bribes, filing false tax returns, racketeering, and forcing his congressional staff to perform chores at his farm in Ohio and on his houseboat in Washington, D.C. He served a seven-year prison sentence for his infractions. It remains to be seen whether Santos will be convicted of criminal charges.

It is not as though House Republicans were unaware of Santos' challenges before his election. However, many of Santos' alleged misdeeds were hidden from the voters before he won the seat. 

So how was he able to survive two previous votes to expel him? It was all about maintaining power. In the final vote, only two Democrats voted against the resolution to expel Santos yet 112 Republicans voted to allow him to keep his seat. The GOP voting against his expulsion would like us to believe the vote was based upon their desire to let the people of his district decide in the next election. However, Santos was important to the Republican's razor-thin majority, and losing his seat may jeopardize any future legislation they plan to pass or block. Furthermore, his district is a swing district, and there is no guarantee that the electorate will send another Republican to replace him. 

I am not sure what was the final straw that made a plurality of Republicans decide to vote to remove this demonstrably flawed politician from Congress. Republican House leadership voted to save Santos to avoid winnowing their party's slim House majority. They were joined by the hard-right conservative caucus to hold on to Santos, while moderate and mainstream conservatives took the opportunity to distance themselves from the serial liar.  There is no reason Santos should have ever been seated, but at least now we know that there are some lines that many partisan Republicans will not cross, even if only for their own survival. 

2024 Election: Will America Choose Fascism or Freedom?

By Mildred Robertson

If Americans re-elect Donald Trump in 2024, it will get what it deserves. The problem is that it is not just the Trump supporters who will suffer...we all will. It is a cliche, but when someone tells you who they are, believe them.

Donald Trump has made it crystal clear that he is a racist authoritarian who would trample on the U.S. Constitution, seek retribution upon his detractors, kill or incarcerate those who disagree with him; create internment camps for the homeless and immigrants, dismantle the seat of government and who would, once re-elected, never concede power again regardless of the outcome of a free and fair election to unseat him. 

While we face this imminent threat to democracy, many voters don't understand or don't care about the perils that face us. The media seems complacent in keeping tabs on the political horse race (not very accurately, I might add as polls have been horribly unreliable). They appear to be either ill-equipped or disinclined to address the pressing social, political, and international issues that the next president must face. Instead, they focus on who stumbled ascending or descending Air Force One or Trump's private jet. 

While the age and stamina of the President of the United States are of no little concern, it is absurd to question the age of one of the front runners without giving equal attention to the mental and physical stamina of a candidate only 3 years his minor. More important than the issue of age is whether we will shortly face World War III in the Middle East, whether the economy will stabilize, or whether women will be given autonomy over their own bodies. We need candidates to tell us how they will rebuild our crumbling infrastructure, and how they will quell domestic terrorism and rampant gun violence in our streets. We need to know not just WHO will lead, but HOW they will lead. 

While the Biden administration has struggled to get the message out, his administration has been busy addressing issues that affect our nation and its prosperity. Under his leadership, America regained its position as a respected world leader.  In addition, he has made huge strides in addressing some of this nation's most pressing issues. 

• He signed a $1 trillion infrastructure bill to repair our roads, waterways, bridges, and railroads, and bring high-speed internet to rural communities.
• He instituted an executive order raising standards for law enforcement agencies, with particular emphasis on use-of-force policies, availability of body cameras, and recruitment and retention of officers.
• During his tenure he brought the unemployment rate down to 3.5%, matching the lowest rate before the pandemic.
• Under his leadership 13.2 million jobs have been created, replacing all of the jobs that were lost due to the COVID pandemic. He can boast of leading an economy with the highest number of employed individuals in this country's history. 
• President Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) making health insurance plans more affordable. Under the IRA, Americans received lowered drug costs, millions were able to maintain their Affordable Care Act insurance and Medicare was required to negotiate the cost of 10 high-cost prescription drugs.
• He signed the CHIPS and Science Act which funded the U.S. production of semiconductor chips for automobiles, cellphones, laptops, gaming consoles, washing machines, etc., rather than continuing to rely on China.
• His administration also supported a $369 million investment to reduce greenhouse emissions by 40% in the next seven years. That investment also promotes clean energy technologies, moving our country to greater self-sufficiency in energy production.
•  He also signed the Postal Service Reform Act  (PSRA) to modernize and stabilize the U.S. Post Office.  The PRSA also will help the Postal Service continue to deliver mail six days every week, focusing on on-time delivery.

These are just a few of the ambitious accomplishments Biden can tout as he heads into the 2024 Election cycle. Even so, pundits despair that America may ignore all the facts and elect a president based on emotion and social and ethnic bias. Gerrymandered voting districts in states that will decide the election may deliver the presidency to a twice-impeached, 4-time-indicted insurrectionist. I don't know whether the polls reflect the true feelings of the American electorate or whether it is simply propaganda to discourage the liberal vote...But Americans need to wake up. We have a stark choice to make between dictatorship and freedom.  

Trump has told you who he is. BELIEVE HIM!

Footnote:__________

MITCHELL R GROSKY, My Turn: Biden’s record and accomplishments are extremely positive,(Published: 9/27/2023 7:01:45 PM), The Greenfield Recorder, https://www.recorder.com/my-turn-Grosky-Biden-s-Record-and-ccomplishments-52422040

DeSantis Ignores Domestic Gun Violence as He Targets Immigrants

 By Mildred Robertson

A recent headline in the New Yorker reads: "Ron DeSantis warns ‘There’s going to be a terrorist attack’ in the US from someone illegally entering the country." It strikes me as curious that DeSantis has nothing to say about the numerous terrorist attacks America endures on a regular basis as a result of domestic gun violence. 

Just in 2023, America has endured mass shootings perpetrated by domestic offenders such as the:

•  Lewiston shootings where 18 were killed, and 13 injured. 
• Trabuco Canyon shooting at the Cook's Corner bar, where three were killed, and five wounded. 
• Baltimore shooting where 2 were killed and 28 were injured in South Baltimore.
• Monterey Park shooting where 11 were killed and 9 injured after a gunman opened fire at a dance studio in Monterey Park after a Chinese New Year. 
• Dadeville shooting where gunmen opened fire at a birthday party, killing 4 and injuring 32 others. 
  

Approximately 266 people have been killed or injured in mass shootings in America from January 2023 through October 25, 2023. And that does not include the random acts of violence where an individual is killed, or the body count is low.   

But Republicans like Ron DeSantis won't acknowledge domestic terrorism and the source of terror...guns of war flowing freely on the streets of America. Nor do they acknowledge the accidental shootings or crimes of passion arising from guns being prolific in the homes of Americans.

Needless to say, DeSantis and other far-right Republicans do not include January 6th insurrectionists among feared terrorists, nor do they place domestic terrorists arising from neo-Nazi organizations among those who threaten our tranquility. 

So, it appears it is not the violence that he fears, but the brown people who might immigrate here.  We must focus on our gun laws here in America that allow folks next door to wreak terror in the streets. Let's stop the almost daily incidents of gun violence in America by AMERICANS.  Let's call it American-on-American crime. Why don't we try to stop that!

Ron DeSantis Flustered as He's Confronted on Florida's Gun Deaths (msn.com)

Congress STOP Performative Politics: Get Back to Business

By: Mildred Robertson

A recently published Newsweek story covered the efforts of Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) to censure Representative Rashida Tlaib, (D-MI) who is Muslim, of anti-Jewish and anti-American rhetoric. She introduced a resolution on the House floor on Thursday to censure Tlaib for comments related to the conflict between Israel and Hamas. Freshman Representative Becca Balint (D-VT) played tit-for-tat by introducing a resolution to censure Greene for her use of "Islamophobic" rhetoric.

OMG...Legislate y'all! There are too many REAL issues facing this country for this petty bickering.

Do I agree MGT needs to be censured...absolutely, but in the scheme of things it's relatively irrelevant. Her censure or that of Tlaib would do nothing to help the economy, feed the hungry, end war, reduce the cost of medicine, care for the elderly and children, address a distressed economy, safeguard the country against insurrectionists, provide universal healthcare, decrease gun violence, improve a failing education system...and I could go on and on about the REAL challenges this country faces.

We should not overlook the fact that one of the first acts of the newly minted Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Mike Johnson (R-LA) was to allow Greene to bring this ridiculous resolution to the floor of the House when so many other pressing issues face this Congress and our nation. It does not bode well for any hope for bipartisan governance in the near future. We must wonder whether this Congress can pass much-needed legislation to fund the government and address international issues such as the wars in Ukraine and Palestine.

I want my legislators to LEGISLATE. Is that too much to ask? I understand Balint's desire to respond to MGT's ridiculousness, but please, don't rise to the bait. LEGISLATE.

Our nation teeters on the brink of destruction. It is up to our elected officials to pass legislation that will strengthen our economy, address social challenges, and safeguard us from attacks on our democracy. If Republicans won't get back to business, Democrats MUST.

Republicans Turn Congress Into a Circus

 By Mildred Robertson

Well, four down and 221 to go. That's how many Republicans are in the U.S. House of Representatives. And we may have to go through all 221 in order to get a Speaker of the House. Nealy three weeks after Kevin McCarthy was ousted as House Speaker, the House languishes rudderless as infighting among Republicans has brought the governance of this country to a standstill. Without a Speaker, the House can do no legislative work, including averting a government shutdown in a little over a month. 

But even with this looming national crisis Republican legislators can't get on the same page as they battle it out to see who will lead the Republican majority. They have already gone through Steve Scalise, (R-LA) Jim Jordan, (R-OH), and Tom Emmer, (R-MN) with only Jordan going to the floor to face defeat three times, losing more votes at each round. With more and more Republicans jumping out of the clown car to throw their hats in the ring, we appear to be no closer to resolution than when McCarthy was ousted on October 3rd. 

It appears the factions in the Republican delegation have devolved to the point that they are no longer one entity. It seems we now have a three-party government with a unified Democratic Party, while  Republicans morph into two distinct parties. These two factions, a radical right-wing and a semi-moderate middle, hold no common values. Throw into this mix a thrice impeached, four-time indicted former president struggling to maintain a grip on power and suddenly you are viewing the greatest show on earth; a three-ring-circus posing as a governing body of the most powerful country on earth. 

So who is the next up on deck? Well, it appears Representative Mike Johnson (R-LA), will be presented as the Speaker Designate today, Wednesday, October 25th...but the day is young. Who knows what entertainment may yet be in store for us as the circus continues.  This 2nd term legislator represents Louisiana's fourth congressional district. A Trump ally, Johnson vociferously supported Trump's efforts to overthrow the 2022 election results. Trump, who still wields enormous power over the Republican legislators in the House, quashed Emmer's efforts to win the seat.

As we waste yet another day as Republicans continue their battle to seat a Speaker, it makes one wonder how they will be able to manage the hard task of governing when they have struggled so mightily to select a leader of their caucus. If they cannot pick a leader...if their members refuse to be led, how can they possibly govern? 

And if the House cannot function adequately to provide us sound government; where does that leave the rest of America? This circus may in fact be a horror show. In the end, it is America that will be the victim. 

Nothing Fair About “The Fair Tax Act”

 By Mildred Robertson

April 17^th is quickly approaching as Americans gather their pay stubs, calculate their charitable giving and prepare to ante up their annual and much-dreaded payment to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Apparently, Republicans profess to feel your pain and want to eliminate the need to file with the IRS.  Among their top priorities is to dismantle the IRS and replace it with what they refer to as “The Fair Tax Act”. This proposal would eliminate income, payroll, estate, and gift taxes generally known as a progressive taxing system and would replace them with a 23% national sales tax.

That may sound enticing to some who dread the annual ritual of calculating taxes and paying up to Uncle Sam. But in reality, this proposal would place a larger burden on the average American.

According to CBS news, The bill, HR25, would eliminate all individual and corporate income taxes, capital gains, payroll taxes and estate taxes while imposing a 23% sales tax on goods and services. However, tax experts point out that the way the tax is calculated, Americans would pay closer to 30% more for everyday purchases.

Without getting too far off in the weeds, there are several ways to calculate taxes. The Republican plan would charge the same rate of taxes on everybody for everything. Sounds fair right?

That assumption could not be more mistaken, at least not in a democratic society.  Our current tax system reduces the tax burden on low-wage earners so that they can afford essential goods and services, which helps stimulate the economy.

So, what does “The Fair Tax Act” mean in real life? It means the standard and itemized deductions that reduce your tax rate would be eliminated.

John Buhl, a researcher at the Tax Policy Center says many Americans, particularly those in the middle class, will see a sizable increase in their tax burden.  While lower-income households could benefit from what he calls “prebates”, depending on family size and income, the wealthiest of the wealthy would be the primary benefactors of the Republican plan.

The regressive Republican tax proposal would increase the tax burden for essential goods and services on low-income taxpayers who could least afford to pay it, while high-income taxpayers would bear a relatively small tax burden. Ultimately the greatest burden would fall on moderate- to low-income households, causing them to spend a much higher percentage of their income on essential items necessary to survive.

While our current tax system buffers the cost for low- and moderate-income households, the regressive tax system proposed by Republicans would lessen the burden on high-income households while shifting the burden to those least able to bear the cost.  

If you believe in a fair and equitable system of taxation, contact your representative to learn more about “The Fair Tax Act.” See how it will personally affect you and others like you. Encourage them to vote for an equitable system of taxation that will provide for our nation’s needs while allowing average Americans to fairly contribute to this nation’s upkeep without depriving them of the income necessary to sustain their households.  

To find your representative go to: https://www.house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative, or call the House switchboard at 202-224-3121.