Back during the Cold War era of the 1980s, the US Armed Forces seemed to be in good shape. Today, DOD struggles with recruiting difficulties. I have my own attitudes about all this.
“During the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq the services met their quotas, and that was with people dying and coming home missing limbs. What has changed? Young people see what a failure those wars were. Why fight for a govt that views them as pawns for their political whims and cuts out when all the Generals have been promoted and the companies made billions. Add in the cultural politicization of the military (changing base names and pronouns to name a few) and the pool of eligible people (which is still large) see the military not as honorable service but something to be avoided. Young people see a made up war in Ukraine coming soon as the administration keeps poking the Russians. The left has spent decades demonizing military service, now it is ok? People are smarter than that. A draft is way to avoid fixing the decline in our military and the politicization of its mission/people. Stop the cultural attack on the military ethos, hold accountable someone besides a Marine Major for the failure of the Iran/Iraq wars and stop promoting a war with Russia so Raytheon and Lockeed can make more money. You would see people join. I am a Naval Academy Graduate and served my country for 20 years in various jobs. I would sooner my sons work at a gas station than join today’s military.”
“…no mention of the program’s failures to screen children properly before the camp. There also was no mention of staffing shortages or other problems identified in a draft of the after-action review obtained by the AJC.”
Were recruiters for real boot camp also responsible for finding people to place in the Youth Challenge Academy?
Seems like those recruiters may have already been busy finding people willing to go to places like Syria, Africa, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Kosovo.
Any members of the press available to show up and ask why the people of Home State, USA needed services in distant lands, absent any military emergency, national emergency, draft, or declaration of war?
Recruiting crisis for Uncle Sam? Elected officials and top Pentagon Generals earned it.
Moms and Dads – Ask a recruiter about today’s benefits.
Years ago, it was understood that some people preferred to smoke. Some preferred to be vegan. Some preferred to eat meat. Some preferred electric cars, some preferred a powerful truck to pull a horse trailer.
A live and let live attitude seems to be fading. Governments at various levels are now in the habit of setting deadlines for new restrictions, bans and mandates.
$6.3 million in federal cash for a used hotel results in saving eight jobs and creating one full time job? Seems like free enterprise might be better at moving things along Re: hotel properties.
Love to see newspeople ask: Is there any shortage of lodging facilities in this community?
Gas Cans
School children are taught about a free enterprise system. They grow up to find out that the federal government will tell them what kind of shower head they must install in the bathroom, and what type of gas can they must buy for their generator.
“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently updated its regulations for emissions from “small spark-ignition engines”—that is, your lawn mower or tractor and other outdoor power equipment.”
Both major political parties are now OK with treating 18-20 year old adults as second-class citizens.
Alcohol, marijuana, tobacco and firearms restrictions are in place for 18-20 year old adults. Is there any state where recreational marijuana laws remove prohibition for adults at age 18?
Doesn’t seem to fit with a society that can’t stop bragging about freedom, thanking the troops for freedoms, fighting wars for freedoms, staging military jet flyovers at sporting events for freedom, etc.
Certainly, Americans do not live in a free and honest society.
Seems like most people carry a smart phone. These are always improving. They are extremely popular with consumers. An honest demand for products requires no helping hand from the government. No tax incentive, no public relations and promotional campaigns. Let’s go with the free enterprise system. Let’s go with industries that specialize in making people happy.
US federal government:
A man on the moon in 1969 was a proud American moment.
Since that time, both major parties have taken turns in power and have squandered credibility that would help in the current situation.
Honest and meaningful ideas stand up to questioning and discussion.
Suppressing comments, getting away from asking questions related to public policy and telling us they need more support from subscription and advertising sales.
Our local TV news today is sort of a press release style of news reporting where a statement is prepared by whatever agency was involved in the latest policy update, drug bust/federal grant money award, etc.
Americans do not live in a free and honest society.
In a free and honest society, newspeople would be asking questions related to public policy all of the time.
Voting is highly emphasized in American culture. Asking questions related to public policy takes a lower priority.
Has anyone ever seen the Puget Sound area press ask questions about Whidbey water quality impacted by sewage treatment plant outfalls?
Has anyone ever seen any government agency, elected official or volunteer organization seeking answers related to one or more sewage treatment plants sending unsafe product into the waters near Whidbey Island?
Federal FBI agents swing into action after federal US Dept. of Homeland Security agents fail to keep more than 100,000 fentanyl-laced pills and more than 50 pounds of methamphetamine from moving past strict post 911/GWOT security protocols at border crossings and ports of entry, then showing up in Eastern WA:
“Preston Joseph Smith was arrested in December 2021 in Port Angeles on allegations he distributed pound quantities of illegal drugs, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
Question for newspeople:
Is Port Angeles CBP staffing and infrastructure at all relevant in keeping heroin and meth from entering the Puget Sound area?
Has Port Angeles CBP been able to intercept any inbound meth or heroin?
Even one time?
Newspeople remain silent.
Question for newspeople:
Has General Milley’s Operation Macho Swagger reduced access to cartel product anywhere in the US?
Has there been enough time for newspeople to ask questions?
Newspeople remain silent.
April 1, 2020 C-SPAN
WWII costume reminds us of a time before decades of undeclared/unwon wars stacked up.
The Department of Defense track record goes back to 1949.
Both major parties and the press seem to be OK with undeclared/unwon wars.
Thanks for risking your ass in Iraq & Afghanistan-working to keep bad people from coming here to do bad things.
Don’t worry-The Super Bowl and public affairs will be safe:
Homeland Security is a scam
Federal DEA agents swing into action after federal US Dept. of Homeland Security agents fail to keep 3,552 pounds of methamphetamine and 66 kilograms of cocaine from moving past strict post 911/GWOT security protocols at border crossings and ports of entry, then showing up in Norco, California:
If sending US troops to Afghanistan and creating a $51.6 billion (every 12 months) US Dept. of Homeland Security was meant to keep bad people from coming here to do bad things, why are drug cartels able to move product into all 50 states?
A symbol of newspeople not asking questions and a press release style of news reporting where a statement is prepared by whatever agency was involved in the latest policy update, drug bust/federal grant money award, etc.
$6.3 million in federal cash for a used hotel results in saving eight jobs and creating one full time job? Seems like free enterprise might be better at moving things along Re: hotel properties.
Love to see newspeople ask: Is there any shortage of lodging facilities in this community?
Rehab of the marina would attract sport fishermen for launching and mooring of boats. Set up a place for fish and chips, a pub with a view, bait and tackle/boating store, a cocktail lounge, restaurant, etc. Use some imagination and get it going.
School children are taught about a free enterprise system. They grow up to find out that the federal government will tell them what kind of shower head they must install in the bathroom, and what type of gas can they must buy for their generator.
“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently updated its regulations for emissions from “small spark-ignition engines”—that is, your lawn mower or tractor and other outdoor power equipment.”
“Gov. Jay Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson will request legislation for a statewide ban on the purchase or transfer of assault-style semiautomatic rifles as part of the latest push by firearms-safety advocates.”
Possibly related:
Both major political parties are now OK with treating 18-20 year old adults as second-class citizens.
Alcohol, marijuana, tobacco and firearms restrictions are in place for 18-20 year old adults. Is there any state where recreational marijuana laws remove prohibition for adults at age 18?
Doesn’t seem to fit with a society that can’t stop bragging about freedom, thanking the troops for freedoms, fighting wars for freedoms, staging military jet flyovers at sporting events for freedom, etc.
Certainly, Americans do not live in a free and honest society.
Is the list of things government is not good at bigger than a list of the things government does well?
We just watched Daddy’s Home (2015) and Daddy’s Home 2 (2017). Both films include scenes of cars lined up to drop the kids off at school. Much has changed over the past 40 years.
I have no problem with what Moms and Dads want to do. Please don’t tell me it’s a sin to have a disposable plastic water bottle, disposable plastic shopping bag, or an internal combustion vehicle. I promise not to be a litter bug.
In the old days, kids could walk or bike to school. More of the kids were slim and trim back in the 70s when kids had bicycle paper routes after school.
“…more than 300 officers from agencies across the state waited more than an hour to breach a door and kill the shooter.”
According to law enforcement doctrine, active shootings require that the first action by officers, no matter their rank, should be to immediately “stop the killing.”
“State troopers outnumbered local law enforcement 2 to 1 outside Robb Elementary, but in the aftermath of the massacre, DPS officials carefully shaped the narrative to cast local authorities as incompetent.”
On the day this photo was taken, all 50 states were free to set their own minimum drinking age.
Both major political parties are now OK with treating 18-20 year old adults as second-class citizens.
Now in my early 60s, I am frequently asked for ID to show that I am 21 when buying beer at major retail establishments here in WA.
Meanwhile, drug trafficking cartels move product into all 50 states. Cartel drug busts that happen in Hometown, USA involve drugs that were not stopped at the border.
Homeland Security is a scam
Federal DEA agents swing into action after federal US Dept. of Homeland Security agents fail to keep 3,552 pounds of methamphetamine and 66 kilograms of cocaine from moving past strict post 911/GWOT security protocols at border crossings and ports of entry, then showing up in Norco, California:
Love to see newspeople interview the US Dept. of Homeland Security & ask:
Are passports/enhanced/REAL IDs effective in keeping cartel drugs out of the US?
Standard driver’s licenses have not been accepted at the border since 2009.
If sending US troops to Afghanistan and creating a $49.8 billion (every 12 months) US Dept. of Homeland Security was meant to keep bad people from coming here to do bad things, why are drug cartels able to move product into all 50 states?
American freedoms come and go. None of the above are linked in any way with The Joint Chiefs of Staff, The Troops, The Dept. of Defense or the outcome of military operations overseas.
Several news sources published this quote. View them here.
The idea that sending hometown troops to Africa would be linked in any way with keeping the people of Salisbury Maryland safe and free calls for more discussion. Don’t look for any of this discussion to be prompted by newspeople showing initiative or curiosity in asking questions.
Mayor Day,
While the troops were deployed, federal law was signed prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to adults age 18-20.
Can you help us to understand the militarized version of freedom here?
The crisis was earned by the politicians, generals, and high ranking civilians who have been running the Pentagon over the past 30 years or so. The crisis is also upon us due to newspeople not asking questions going back to the time the Cold War ended.
National Guard
Jun 30, 2022 WCCO – CBS Minnesota
1:41 Reporters interviewing reporters from within their TV studios.
Back in the 1960s, TV newspeople had a different style of reporting and working to keep the public informed.
At 3:49 an interview with Maj. Sgt. Kor. Rank insignia on uniform does not match rank description in WCCO TV news video. Weeks later, title remains uncorrected.
The people of Minnesota need more applicants to maintain a place to live and a regular job in their hometown area when they are not doing time in foreign lands helping DOD with undeclared/unwon wars and missions completely unrelated to their home state.
A few decades back, people might think of the National Guard as one weekend a month and two weeks in the summer plus a way to support your home state by being ready to get called out for floods, fires, natural disasters, civil unrest, etc. Maybe a way to help the next state over if they needed it.
Any members of the press available to show up and ask why the people of Home State, USA needed services in distant lands, absent any military emergency, national emergency, draft, or declaration of war?
Recruiting crisis for Uncle Sam? Elected officials and top Pentagon Generals earned it.
Regular Active Duty
Jul 26, 2022 CBS Evening News
If DOD was an NFL team, sports talk radio would feature comments like:
The Dept. of Defense was nowhere to be found on 911. We haven’t won a war since.
It feels like the people who run the Pentagon specialize in undeclared/unwon wars.
Recruiting crisis for Uncle Sam? Elected officials and top Pentagon Generals earned it.
The press heads out to ask top generals and recruiters what is going on. No interviews with National Guard people who have done multiple tours in Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa, etc. No interviews with Moms and Dads who have raised physically fit children but will not recommend the US Armed Forces to them.
Zero questions from newspeople on why the Moms and Dads of America wouldn’t recommend the US Armed Forces to their kids.
Love to see TV newspeople interview some of the veterans commenting here:
The parents and grandparents of today may have a tricky time recommending an enlistment to a younger generation. This would be true even in families who are proud of having a history of military service.
Some of these folks are commenting on the video below. Look for TV newspeople to seek out and do zero interviews with the veterans commenting here:
TV newspeople perform like paid actors reading a script.
Newspeople play the role of federal public affairs staff as authorities prepare for the Super Bowl.
Sorry, no time for newspeople to ask:
Did the advantage of US air power allow the undeclared wars in Iraq or Afghanistan to be prevented, won or shut down?
Freedoms come and go. None of the above are linked in any way with The Joint Chiefs of Staff, The Troops, The Dept. of Defense or the outcome of military operations overseas.
Several news sources published this quote. View them here.
The idea that sending hometown troops to Africa would be linked in any way with keeping the people of Salisbury Maryland safe and free calls for more discussion. Don’t look for any of this discussion to be prompted by newspeople showing initiative or curiosity in asking questions.
Mayor Day,
While the troops were deployed, federal law was signed prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to adults age 18-20.
Can you help us to understand the militarized version of freedom here?
The Dept. of Defense has a truly poor track record with undeclared wars. This record goes back to 1949, the year DOD was established. Has this record damaged the brand?
If DOD was an NFL team, sports talk radio would feature comments like:
The Dept. of Defense was nowhere to be found on 911. We haven’t won a war since. Whatever they touch turns to crap.
Senator Tillis,
Is there any talk of going back to a draft in order to deal with your recruiting crisis?
Before making any plans to start up a draft, let us know how sending US Troops to Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia, etc., is somehow defending the constitution.
Senator Tillis,
Whatever happened to the formal congressional declaration of war?
This would be the time to hear from elected leaders and top generals Re: lessons learned on all the issues that have doomed the Department of Defense track record for winning wars since DOD was established in 1949.
Every few years, no matter what political party or personality is in power, there are moves to modify what people thought they were earning in exchange for 20 years of unrestricted worldwide service.
This is the same country where both major parties invite veterans to be momentarily honored at State of the Union events when they control the White House.
Not asking about the oath of enlistment. Asking about what happens after the oath has been taken.
When the US Armed Forces are sent to Lebanon, Somalia, Haiti, Bosnia, Vietnam, etc.-how is that defending the US Constitution-or our rights and freedoms, or our physical security?
Look for newspeople and school teachers to ask zero questions in these areas.
Every few years, no matter what political party or personality is in power, there are moves to modify what people thought they were earning in exchange for 20 years of unrestricted worldwide service.
Try for less blaming of a new generation and the Moms and Dads of today for any hesitation related to doing time in uniform. Time to take a hard look at what elected officials and the US Dept. of Defense did with the brand after the first Cold War ended in the early 90s and after the lessons of Vietnam were on the table.
Enough time now to look back and ask a few public policy questions. The fact that the press has never been in the habit of questioning the GWOT, by itself, seems a little odd.
I realized Saturday morning that it had been years since I watched TV news in the morning. 20 years ago, I would turn on the TV for news each morning. I started watching evening news on TV when I was at Camp Lejeune in the early 90s.
The crew shortage story has been in place since at least June 30, 2020.
Love to see newspeople ask:
Does the WSF HR Director get paid more to keep the system running smoothly?
Are crew member incentives in place for perfect attendance?
Months of poor play would be enough to get an NFL or college football coach fired.
Is there pressure on the WSF HR Director to do better?
Various industries such as FedEx, UPS, Costco, etc. may do holiday hiring to staff up for a busy time of year. Any similar creative thinking in place at WSF?
Misbehavior shuts down federal highway rest stops? Publicly funded highway safety facilities are shut down because of misbehavior? WTF?
Welcome Home Troops
49 other states operate highway rest stops. If I was Governor, I would insist on picking the top 3 states that are best at running rest stops and running WA rest stops in a similar manner until further improvements could be made.
Suppressing comments, getting away from asking questions related to public policy and telling us they need more support from subscription and advertising sales.
Our local TV news today is sort of a press release style of news reporting where a statement is prepared by whatever agency was involved in the latest policy update, drug bust/federal grant money award, etc.
TV advertising has become especially strange. How about legal anti-depression meds that may bring on thoughts of suicide (0:34).
I’d be OK with the mainstream press taking over the task of keeping the public informed. When TV newspeople avoid asking public policy related questions, individual citizens go out to check on what is going on.
JFK speaks about the role of the press and voices of dissent in a free society:
The family friendly, hometown pride-oriented local small town papers and TV news folks are more welcome to do interviews related to public policy. Unfortunately, they seem to have moved away from asking questions.
Still viewing lots of news via Twitter, and I would be more at peace if I moved away from it.
Much voting has gone on over the past 40 years or so. For sure, there is a chunk of public policy that has become worse, not better. Stopped watching TV news a long time ago because of the way newspeople (paid actors reading a script) have dealt with all this.
Don’t miss our companion blog-found here: Old Man Blog
Long-term closure? No chance for a quick cleanup, ongoing State Patrol enforcement, maintenance & volunteer groups to keep rest stops cleaned up and ready to go?
49 other states operate highway rest stops. If I was Governor, I would insist on picking the top 3 states that are best at running rest stops and running WA rest stops in a similar manner until further improvements could be made.
These are federal highways. Publicly funded highway safety facilities will be shut down because of misbehavior? WTF?
“…another Snohomish County traveler mentioned filthy conditions in August, including sewage around the crowded RV waste-disposal areas, and suggested tighter State Patrol enforcement.”
Symbol of a culture that was once strong (Man On The Moon in ’69). A culture that is now weak. A culture that will yield the right of way to violators while pushing good citizens to the side & collecting big tax money all along the way.
Washington State Patrol yields the right of way to protests on I-5.
Seattle protests on I-5 go on for 19 nights resulting in a fatality.
After enabling criminal conduct, WSP will no longer enable criminal conduct:
“Blocking a freeway is a crime and no longer are we going to enable that criminal conduct to continue,” said State Patrol Capt. Ron Mead, who made the decision to no longer close the interstate. “We are not going to be allowing protesters to access the freeway unimpeded, and there are consequences for criminal conduct.”
Newspeople play the role of federal public affairs personnel during Operation Macho Swagger-a ride-along to let us know what is being done to keep the southern edge of the Strait of Juan de Fuca safe from B.C. incursions: Operation Macho Swagger & Port Angeles Heroin
If you run a government operation-these are the reporters you want to see on interview day:
If enhanced background checks reduce gun crimes, why does the Puget Sound area press avoid reporting or providing updates on enhanced background checks years after they have been put in place?
We have been using these at home for several years now.
My impressions:
They do not last for years on end. I changed one the other day and used a standard bulb form an old lamp as a replacement. The standard bulb weighed much less. That means that the same number of LED bulbs use more energy when packed in the back of a big smokey truck. The truck picks them up at the Port of Tacoma after they arrive from China, then heads out to some giant distribution warehouse in Atlanta GA.
Light bulbs used to be made in places like Ohio or Indiana. Across the street from where they made TVs.
Don’t miss our companion blog-found here: Old Man Blog
“The silver lining: The Seventh Circuit ruling in our favor. Huff v Reichert is now published and precedent within the Seventh Circuit and pursausive throughout the United States. The flimsy excuses used as reasonable suspicion by Reichert were deemed invalid and the court re-affirmed that police officers have rules to abide by just like everyone else.”
Love to see an end to suspicionless road blocks and checkpoints.
At a checkpoint- away from any border crossing or port of entry- the US Border Patrol stopped a legal medical marijuana user with a legal amount of medical marijuana. He was a passenger in a car:
It took a constitutional amendment to prohibit the sale of a glass of wine- why no constitutional amendment to authorize a federal prohibition of marijuana?
Sending US Troops to Syria, Lebanon, Somalia, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq, Bosnia, etc., is somehow defending the constitution?
What becomes of American rights and freedoms and the constitution when the US returns from distant lands without a victory?
Voting is highly emphasized in American culture. Asking questions related to public policy takes a lower priority.
Are newspeople forbidden to ask questions related to Homeland Security funding and performance?
What We Have Now:
A $49.8 billion US Dept. of Homeland Security that fails to keep cartel product from showing up all over the US.
Billions of dollars spent every 12 months to keep bad people from coming here to do bad things.
Newspeople ask zero questions in this area.
The press release style of news reporting means that a statement is prepared by whatever agency was involved in the latest drug bust/federal grant money award, etc. Newspeople post this statement as is.
Maybe there is a minimal terror threat these days.
If suicide bombers with concealed explosives packed on their bodies wanted to disrupt American society at the US Capitol, it looks like there would be no SWAT team to keep them out or to have them show ID and pass through the metal detector.
US Troops at the border, REAL ID, Homeland Security grant money, CBP social media posts, strict post 911/GWOT security protocols, a $51.6 billion US Dept. of Homeland Security, border wall efforts and the Post 911 surveillance state (fusion centers, license scanners, monitoring of e-mails, text messages, & social media sites, no fly/terror watch lists, tracking of cell phones, etc.) appear to have played no role in preventing these crimes:
The War on Terror has prompted law enforcement authorities to calm the public by looking into the future and announcing that no credible threat exists.
“While officials say there are no credible threats following the bombing in Nashville, Long Island residents say they are still concerned.”
Where was the threat forecast before the Nashville event?
If the good guys can tell what the bad guys will do before they do it-surely, these powerful crime fighting tools will be used to shut down gang and cartel activity, heroin trafficking, bank robberies, mass casualty shootings, etc.
Credibility of LE and elected officials at all levels of government is questionable.
Seattle protests on I-5 go on for 19 nights. Washington State Patrol allows Interstate highway public safety protocols to be suspended until a fatality after dark one night.
I do not favor the ugly side of politics. When I was younger, both major parties took turns in the White House. It was routine. It did not involve the TV making claims that this is the most important election in our lifetimes, etc.
I think the ugly side of politics is a reaction that comes from trying to force a one size fits all society.
While the troops were deployed, federal law was signed prohibiting the sale of tobacco products to adults age 18-20. Can elected officials of any party or any member of the press help us to understand the militarized version of freedom here?
1967
Did the Joint Chiefs of Staff send The Troops to safeguard American freedoms?
Was it the Viet Cong that set up laws in 16 US states to prohibit interracial marriage?
Post 911 surveillance state (fusion centers, license scanners, Homeland Security grant money, monitoring of e-mails, text messages, & social media sites, no fly/terror watch lists, Real ID, tracking of cell phones, etc.) appears to have played no role in preventing these crimes.
Good thing these guys were not part of a professional mercenary hit squad or suicide bombers with concealed explosives packed on their bodies. It looks like there would have been no SWAT team to keep them out or to have them show ID and pass through the metal detector.
What failed?
A second grade teacher making small children recite a pledge to a flag?
“Police seized five guns and arrested at least 13 people during the violent protests involving supporters of President Trump at the Capitol on Wednesday…”
Did the sergeant-at-arms and multiple law enforcement agencies fail?
Jimmy Carter at age 96 will not travel to the inauguration ceremony. He is a Navy veteran, known for teaching Sunday school and building houses for the needy. No scandals involving business dealings, cheating on his wife, etc.
Mitt Romney
Respectable politician. No scandals involving business dealings, cheating on his wife, etc.
I do not favor the ugly side of politics. When I was younger, both major parties took turns in the White House. It was routine. It did not involve the TV making claims that this is the most important election in our lifetimes, etc.
I think the ugly side of politics is a reaction that comes from trying to force a one size fits all society.
Suppressing choices
Years ago, it was understood that some people preferred to smoke. Some preferred to be vegan. Some preferred to eat meat. Some preferred electric cars, some preferred a powerful truck to pull a horse trailer.
I’m thinking back to maybe the 1980s. I am thinking of a guy who is a Democrat. He works in an auto plant somewhere in Ohio, Michigan or Indiana. He is a member of a union. His union supports the Democratic Party and the party supports his union.
When he is not at work, he enjoys towing his boat to the lake to go fishing. He enjoys deer hunting, camping, and tailgating at college & pro football games. He is a family man. He likes to fix up old cars.
Sounds like somebody I could get along with.
2020
There is a perception that democrats may be OK with rioting. They may hate police, or maybe they are just OK with a political party where some do. They want to put an end to cars powered by internal combustion engines. They predict worst-case scenarios related to climate change. They believe you should turn in your guns. A bbq grill, like a Weber probably isn’t a good idea because it will add to a carbon footprint. Ditto for campfires.
Maybe I have it all wrong. Maybe the people who support the Democratic Party fully reject riots, arson, mob violence, causing personal injuries, blocking traffic, property damage, and destruction of businesses and loss of life during protests.
I would let restaurant people run restaurants. They have an incentive to keep their customers safe and happy.
I would let church people run churches. Dozens of choices for worship would be in place. Each place of worship would be free of any mandates handed down by the Governor’s office. People would be free to attend any church or none at all.
I would let businesspeople run fitness centers.
I would let the owners of bars and taverns decide on indoor smoking, serving times, closing times, etc.
Bars and taverns to allow consumption of marijuana? Yes.
No furnishing to minors. No driving while impaired. Same rules as for alcohol.
Customers would support or walk away from the businesses of their choosing.
“In what would be a first in the U.S., possession of small amounts of heroin, cocaine, LSD and other hard drugs could be decriminalized in Oregon under a ballot measure that voters are deciding on in Tuesday’s election.”
A $51.6 billion US Dept. of Homeland Security that fails to keep cartel product from showing up all over the US.
Billions of dollars spent every 12 months to keep bad people from coming here to do bad things.
Newspeople ask zero questions in this area.
The Drug Enforcement Administration
Another couple billion dollars spent every 12 months on an a federal agency that takes credit for big drug busts after cartels move product past federal agents staffing border crossings, ports of entry and the area between ports of entry.
Would the DEA be out of work if General Milley was going to act on his bold pledge to clobber the cartels?
Federal agents swing into action after 2,224 pounds of meth tied to the Sinaloa cartel moves past federal agents manning a $51.6 billion US Dept. of Homeland Security-then on into Riverside County.
“Thursday’s arrest comes one day after a 36-year-old Puyallup man was arrested for allegedly starting a large brushfire which temporarily shut down state Route 167 and several ramps near Meridian Avenue.”
Locking up US citizens who are moving about away from border crossings and ports of entry while bad guys move product into Hometown, USA.
US Troops at the border, El Chapo takedown, opioid lawsuits, REAL ID, Homeland Security grant money, CBP social media posts, strict post 911 security protocols and a $40.6 billion US Dept. of Homeland Security fail to keep meth out of the USA:
Maybe someday, the press will go and find out if Port Angeles CBP staffing and infrastructure is at all relevant in keeping heroin and meth from entering Port Angeles, Clallam County, the Olympic Peninsula, or the Puget Sound area.
Newspeople play the role of federal public affairs personnel during Operation Macho Swagger– a ride-along to let us know what is being done to keep the southern edge of the Strait of Juan de Fuca safe from B.C. incursions: Operation Macho Swagger & Port Angeles Heroin
“…officers and the community will step up to help those who are ready to turn their lives around, those who aren’t will be prosecuted if they commit crimes within the city. Even relatively minor offenses, such as shoplifting and car prowls, will be charged in Arlington, he said. The same is not true in Seattle, where misdemeanor theft is all but decriminalized for the city’s homeless population.”
The homelessness and drug addiction problems of today seem to roll on without solutions. Communities with their heart in the right place and lots of tax money to spend are not keeping up.
“It wasn’t always this way. When I spoke with Eleanor Owen, one of the original cofounders of DESC, she explained that the organization’s mission has shifted over the years from helping the homeless to securing government contracts, maintaining a $112 million real-estate portfolio, and paying a staff of nearly 900.”
“It’s disgraceful,” she said. “When we started, we kept our costs low and helped people get back on their feet.”
“In Houston, local leaders have reduced homelessness by 60 percent through a combination of providing services and enforcing a zero-tolerance policy for street camping, panhandling, trespassing, and property crimes.”
In years past, I spent many hours in the Boat Haven area, walking through the boat yards and dock areas, taking a few photos and enjoying the maritime culture.
I have been to the restroom facility described in the article above many times and never had a problem. Looks like things have changed a great deal since.
There is a boat launch not far from the restroom. This is a boat launch that can really get busy at times. Looks like the folks using that part of the facility will no longer have a local restroom to use?
“Increased use by the homeless has led to declining use by its target clientele of young people.”
“She said that a growing homeless population is staying for extended periods of time at the coffeehouse and that this has changed the coffeehouse’s culture. That has led to a decline in use.”
Automotive tail light 1156 bulbs now stored behind locked security case same as high powered rifle ammo. Must find customer care rep for assistance in selecting product and paying prior to leaving that part of the store.
March 13, 2023 Military Times @MilitaryTimes
