Would more fees and taxes help?
Conservatives know they’re winning when the Left, desperate for that winning message, runs ever-nuttier ideas up the proverbial flag pole.
Democrats’ latest can’t miss vote-getter is a scheme to charge a $9 admission fee — excuse us, “congestion pricing” — for drivers to enter lower Manhattan. “The Future of the Democratic Party is Rolling Down Broadway” exults a New York Times op ed. “If Democrats can figure out how to make congestion pricing viable.” Sounds like an “If” bigger than the World Trade Center. (Can’t be that much nuttier than Kamala’s sex change operations for prison inmates and illegal aliens.) Only a progressive would figure the future of the Democrat(ic) party is more fees and taxes!
Even CNN notices the deterioration of our major cities under Democrat(ic) mismanagement. Too bad Fareed Zakaria is relegated to a daytime slot on weekends. In this video, he points out that nearly 90 percent of U.S. counties moved rightwards in the last presidential election, including New York City’s outer boroughs.
People feel they have been taxed, regulated, bossed around and intimidated too much. — Fareed Zakaria
Never that much into Bob Dylan, except for Nashville Skyline. Much preferred his stuff filtered through Joan Baez, the Byrds, or my man Jimi. But the biopic A Complete Unknown has all the buzz. Supposedly, that old commie peacenik Pete Seeger went nuclear when Bobbie went electric. Over at The Free Press, Michael Moynihan counters that:
The ’60s folk singers didn’t hate Dylan because he went electric. … It was because he didn’t care about their lefty politics. — The Free Press
Think about it. Name the protest rally, march, or labor union fundraiser at which Bob Dylan performed. Not even ML King’s March on Washington. The guy is a cipher; probably on the Asperger’s spectrum. He just don’t care.
Maybe it’s confirmation bias, but a Wall Street Journal columnist countermands Joe Biden’s surgeon general:
No, moderate drinking won’t give you cancer. — Alyssa Finley
A replay of the cliff hanger for U.S. House speaker? Two Republican state legislators, Lindee Brill of Sheboygan Falls, and and Chuck Wichgers of Muskego, refused to vote for Robin Vos for Speaker of the Assembly today. This wasn’t the Republican caucus but a vote on the floor. The choice was either Robin Vos or Democrat Greta Neubauer. Vos needed 50, he got 52. (More here) (Um, Blaska, didn’t you vote None of the Above for President? RINO!) The “Still Pissed that Vos Didn’t Overturn the 2020 Election” caucus in the Wisconsin Assembly is down to two.
Is that Nancy Pelosi in profile?
Hit the hornet’s nest with the last thrilling episode of the Werkes. Today’s question for the Peanut Gallery: Should Trump pardon the meth dealer who struck Capitol Police with a metal baton on 01-06-21?
Blaska’s Bottom Line: The purpose of New York City’s congestion pricing is to get more commuters to use public transportation. How about making the subways safer?
55 responses to “Are Democrats THAT desperate?”
Blaska wrote:
“who struck Capitol Police with a metal baton on 01-06-21”
From the link you provided:
“He swung it at police more than once, though video at his trial couldn’t conclusively prove whether he made contact.”
Is George Stephanopoulos your fact checker?
One Eye,
If you swing anything at a Police Officer in an attempt to hit them it’s attempted physical violence against that officer and against the law whether you make physical contact or not, attempted assault on a Police Officer is a crime.
Yes I know Blaska used the word “struck” but, the correct answer to his question is the same (see my comment below) regardless of whether the pole swung made contact or not, whether it made contact or not would only effect the sentence and that’s only a maybe.
Words matter. Embellishing does no one any good, especially the person doing the embellishing. George found out.
One Eye wrote, “Words matter.”
Yes, One Eye, words matter and that includes your words.
One Eye wrote, “Embellishing does no one any good, especially the person doing the embellishing.”
You are hypocritically engaging in “embellishing” just like you’re accusing Blaska. Blaska reasonably assumed that contact was made, you are reasonably assuming that contact was not made and that’s based on the same information; the point is that neither of you know for sure. I didn’t make those assumptions because under the law assaulting an officer is basically the same either way, as I mentioned earlier. Now if you don’t believe me how about you put it to a test; walk up to a police officer today, take a full swing in anger and miss that officer’s face by an inch or less and see what happens to you in the next couple of heart beats.
Again, One Eye wrote, “Words matter.”
Your words matter just as much as Blaska’s words.
The question, One Eye, was pardon or not? Your answer, please.
Publish all the trial evidence especially this video and I’ll give it a look and let you know.
You wouldn’t want me to decide a pardon based on anything else would you?
Have YOU looked at all the evidence?
I’ve already shown you have not. Sorry not into parlor games as you call them.
No, I have not looked at all the evidence and neither will Donald Trump. The court of law did that. Pardons are not given based on evidence, or lack thereof. That’s what the appellate process is for.
One Eye,
That’s a rhetorical coward’s way of side stepping the obvious answer so you don’t have to take an actual position other than opposing what Blaska wrote.
This isn’t a court of law One Eye and to treat it as such is an obvious cop out and starts to look a bit like trolling.
The man obviously engaged in physical violence against a police officer and you’re immorally rationalizing his actions as if an intentional swing and an accidental miss somehow justifies his violent actions. Be careful One Eye, this kind of choice can easily reflect back on your personal character.
Make better choices One Eye.
ONE EYE doesn’t like my example of the meth dealer. Let us take up Joshua Lee Atwood, age 31. The official record shows that he pleaded guilty in September and was sentenced 12-20-2024 to 48 months in prison plus extended supervision afterwards. The U.S. Attorney’s statement upon sentencing:
Pennsylvania Man Sentenced to Prison for Assaulting Law Enforcement with a Weapon During Jan. 6 Capitol Breach
At approximately 4:35 p.m., Atwood climbed into the Capitol building through a broken window next to the Tunnel and entered into a Senate room near the Lower West Terrace exterior doors. Atwood exited the building and, by approximately 4:51 p.m., joined the mob gathered around the Tunnel entrance, which law enforcement officers were actively defending. Atwood started throwing several objects at officers in the Tunnel, including a plastic bottle and a metal pole, both of which struck police officers.
Atwood then picked up a wooden pole and used it to forcibly strike at the riot shields of officers in the police line. Atwood then used the pole to strike an officer’s helmet before throwing the pole at the police line. Next, at approximately 4:56 p.m., Atwood drew a canister of pepper spray and continuously sprayed the officers guarding the Tunnel entrance until the canister was depleted. Atwood then threw the canister at police. Atwood then threw additional items at the police, including a baseball bat and a plastic bottle. …
Shortly after, Atwood picked up a metal scaffolding pipe and threw it at police. The pipe bounced off a riot shield and struck another officer in the head and neck. Moments later, Atwood picked up a heavy black speaker and threw it toward the group of officers.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-dc/pr/pennsylvania-man-sentenced-prison-assaulting-law-enforcement-weapon-during-jan-6-capitol
To clarify, One Eye doesn’t like you providing inaccurate information about what the guy did.
You screwed yourself on that one, don’t blame me.
Awfully defensive about this guy Michael Bradley. (Outlined in yellow box, raising his truncheon at the cop right in front of him.) Yeah, he may have swung and missed. He knows, we don’t. But not for lack of trying. But One Eye is outraged that the insurrection, however futile, was real.
And yeah, I get to post artwork. It’s my blog.
Your own link proved you were not telling the truth and not even an oops?
New low for you regarding the “insurrection”.
Nice picture resolution on the artwork by the way. Looking forward to grainy photos of Bigfoot.
Now One Eye is caviling about the photograph’s pixels. Does so to avoid the elephant in the room. Bradley has his truncheon raised, ready to crash it down on the police officer. Even someone with One Eye can see the insurrection, unless he chooses to be blind. Now tell me Bradley is FBI undercover. Isn’t that what you do?
How about a Nessie pic? You can tell us how she was about to eat an unsuspecting fisherman-all from a grainy still!
Any pics of your hero Ray Epps?
Funny story…
That Congestion Tax for Manhattan started off at $15.00 per vehicle earlier in 2024 and it was supposed to begin on January 1, 2025, but due to so much public backlash the Democrats were worried about how the new tax/fee would effect the November election, so, the Democrats chose to reduce the fee from $15.00 per vehicle to $9.00 per vehicle, then guess what the Democrats said after they reduced the fee by $6.00, go ahead, I’ll give you only one guess. Yes, they actually said they were reducing taxes and that was just in time to reduce the public backlash just before the election.
That’s right folks, Democrats create a brand new tax/fee that increases taxes and then just before it’s implemented they cut the new tax/fee by 40% and call it a reduction in taxes and their brain-damaged sheeple voting base ate it up like candy. Yes, Democratic Party politicians really do think the voting population is box-o-rocks stupid.
Yup, funny true story.
FIRST thing that came to mind when I read that too, Steve.
Hochul suspended the entire tax until after the election, then reinstituted the lower rate afterwards; slobbering Lefty nodded its cluelessly empty bobblehead like there was no tomorrow.
MONEY QUOTE: Hochul: “I always have and I always will FIGHT TO PUT MORE MONEY IN THE POCKETS of everyday New Yorkers” (bolds/caps/italics mine)
Only in LaLaLoopyLoonyLeftyLand does taking less mean giving more.
“Democratic Party politicians really do think the voting population is box-o-rocks stupid.”
That’s a pretty safe bet. To paraphrase the inimitable George Carlin: “You know how stoopid (sic) the average Lefty is, just think, half of them are stoopider (sic) than that!”
The Gotch
Oh how I long for the days of just reading gotch’s dumb comments about me having a single parent. Writing about how bad the Packers suck and reading about all his grievances. Now his fearful leader wants to send troops to the Panam Canal, seize Greenland and is ranting in Florida like someone made him king. DEMENTIA DON is in the house and most of you guys still can’t see the writing on the wall.
This is a regressive tax, which will unduly burden generationally indigent DEADBEATS.
Hochul ought consider special dispensation for those with beau coup money judgements filed against them, i.e., Duke Capital, Midland Financial, Capital One (2), and a whopping SEVEN (7) to the WDoR, am I right…?
The Gotch
Boy taxation by the libs is outta control. Take in point our wheel taxes from Dane County and the City. My wife and I have been bitch’en since they came to be and now the roof caved in when she received her vehicle registration renewal. You see, back in June she purchased a rather nice hybrid vehicle which could ‘out scat” a 69’ Chevelle with a 396, 0-60. Unbeknownst to either of us, we have to pay an additional $75 for our registration because the state believes we will not pay enough in gasoline tax at the pumps. Crazy huh? So, renewal this year tallied up at $225 for that one vehicle. Ok, I vented enough today and “A complete unknown” is actually a very good film…use your senior discount it is indeed worth it.
Or some states have propose a meter on hybrid and ev’s so the state can charge you by the mile like over the road trucks.
I’m in the same boat Ham. Be sure to mail it in; the counter fee is now 16.75 added on. With my hybrid I buy gas and pay the extra tax. I don’t hear Vos saying anything about changing it for us, but we aren’t in the billionaire class.
“Boy taxation by the libs is outta control….You see, back in June she (my wife) purchased a rather nice hybrid vehicle…Unbeknownst to either of us, we have to pay an additional $75 for our registration…” Before you blame the “libs,” you might pause to learn the political origin of Wisconsin’s $75 hybrid car tax. But in MAGA-land, ignorance is bliss; just blame the libs.
On the money my friend. Screw us and blame libs. That’s the way they work and the MAGABAGS lap it up; no questions asked.
Well, ya got me on that one. BUT….our Mayor and County Executive are indeed progressive libs who slapped a wheel tax on those of us living in Madison and Dane County.
No shame in overlooking an important fact. But when one makes a habit of reasoning backwards from the desired conclusion to the argument, mistakes are common. It’s the difference between sincere persuasion and propaganda. Over the holidays, I had cause to visit my childhood home of Milwaukee. Neighborhood streets were crumbling and years’ accumulation of concrete rubble was piled in the gutters. I am no fan of road taxes, but I’d rather pay an irritating wheel tax than my auto mechanic for suspension work and wheel alignment.
Blaska posed a question, “Should Trump pardon the meth dealer who struck Capitol Police with a metal baton on 01-06-21?”
I wrote in my comment yesterday…
So based on what I previously wrote, it’s my opinion that that meth dealer engaged in physical violence against Capitol Police and therefore he deserves his sentence and should NOT be pardoned. I stand by that statement 100%.
No one who “walked around” is being prosecuted as violent criminals. But understand, if there are five violent people in a group of five, that’s one thing. If there are five violent people in a mob of 1,500 — enough to overwhelm the police — that’s another. By the same token, the guy who drives the car has committed no violence — unless he is the getaway driver for bank robbers who killed the tellers.
Please note that I wrote “persecuted” not “prosecuted” and that was intentional. I think the “walk arounds” are being intentionally overcharged but not as violent criminals.
When I lived in NY City, it used to cost a hundred bucks to get a light bulb changed at the Javits Convention Center. But, then, too, workers on the Republican Long Island RR were allowed to double or triple their pensions by working double time at time and a half their last year before retiring. Bottom line: things start getting very corrupt when either party is in power too long.
40 years ago, it took 3 years to cross town Manhattan on 34th street, today it problem takes decades. And what exactly do you propose to do about completely impossible congestion in the heart of major cities, may I ask. More laissez-faire?
And, ain’t it sweet for right wing Republicans to pillory Democrats for too often not very successfully addressing serious societal problems. Why don’t they just do what Republicans do, namely flee and move away to distant suburbs and wash their hands of any responsibility for stabilizing a healthy society. Wow, why didn’t I think of that. Sheer brilliance.
Yes, there are serious problems out there, and yes there is an element in the Democratic Party which sometimes goes loo-loo in the way they look at them (yes, agree, like paying for prisoners transitioning). But, boy does the Republican have far worse loo-land fanatics too.
Watch out Madison. Mayor Satya( sunbeam, moonbeam) Rhodes-Conway will have a new revenue source. Maybe she and the City Council can put up tolls on all the roads entering the isthmus and spend it on Madison Metro electric buses. Just add it to my EZ Pass. With all the traffic they won’t need another referendum for a couple of years.
I’m surprised Madison’s notoriously car-hating mayor didn’t include congestion fees as part of her grand re-design of the bus system. And Fareed should have included “sermonizing” as another item on the list of Lefty’s tedious and annoying habits.
You poor suffering citizens have nothing to worry about. Just think of all the tax revenue Rump is going to collect from Greenland. The fees from the Panama Canal alone will drop your taxes to zero. grump will drill so may holes that gas will be free. Kennedy is going to wipe out every illness by banning Lucky Charms so you won’t have any medical bills and thus no premiums or deductibles to pay. All the money saved can be used to redraw every map after the gop renames the Gulf of Mexico. LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL>
Bravo Indigo November Golf Oscar!
The Gotch
Well intended advice for a chronically severe, end stage Dunning-Kruger Effect sufferer, Steve!
And the highfreakin’larious claim that “others” are bringing it down?
Priceless!
The Gotch
Pardons I’d like to see:
Ross Ulbricht – Founder of the Silk Road, he’s seen by some as a victim of excessive sentencing for non-violent drug-related charges.
Edward Snowden – Former CIA employee who leaked NSA documents, viewed by some as a whistleblower rather than a criminal, although Trump has expressed mixed feelings about him.
Julian Assange – Wikileaks founder, whose case involves complex issues of journalism, freedom of information, and espionage. Trump has considered his case but never acted on it.
I think One Eye and Blaska are now talking past each other in one of those not-so-entertaining tit-for-tat exchange. Is it time for them to call it quits?
I decide.
It will end around 4pm. One Nut’s caretaker will wheel him down to the cafeteria, give him a bib, feed him and get him ready for bed. If he takes his meds like a good boy they will let him watch an hour of faux news.
Excellent observation. Best agree to disagree and get on to more productive endeavors.
Ha I’ve been looking for the terms but can’t find the post(s) where I said what was on the line. Assume it was alcohol of some sort. Will send appropriate compensation to your home address.
P.S., hope I guessed the right name !
Looks like someone did a bunch of editing to your posts and crotch’s too. What’s up with that?
Gambling is illegal at Bushwood.
richard V Lesiak wrote, “Looks like someone did a bunch of editing to your posts and crotch’s too. What’s up with that?”
Editing? Nope.
Blaska exercised his right as the author of this blog to use the pest control guy again and deleted a couple of comments and subsequently all the comments that were replies to those deleted comments are no longer visible now. It’s Blaska’s blog and it’s Blaska’s choices and I have no problem with it.
I wish there was a bit more dedication to rounding up all the rioters in Madison and Minneapolis in the summer of love – how many meth dealers were in those crowds who barely missed hitting policemen that were charged?
“I wish there was a bit more dedication to rounding up all the rioters in Madison and Minneapolis in the summer of love”
Hard to track ’em down BD; most weren’t from here, and left soon after for their next…um…assignment.
Try contacting their employer (Nazi-Sympathizer/epic POS Uncle Georgie Soros), whom Alzheimer Addled DementiaJoKe recently presented with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Nazi-Sympathizers being rewarded by Lefty RAYcists? We’re shocked…SHOCKED…said no one.
The Gotch
“Mayor and County Executive are indeed progressive libs who slapped a wheel tax on those of us living in Madison and Dane County.” (bolds mine)
Lest we forget, 77 Square Miles Surrounded By A Sea Of Reality denizens have the…um…privilege of adding a $40 registration fee on top of that.
The Gotch
“Name the protest rally, march, or labor union fundraiser at which Bob Dylan performed. Not even ML King’s March on Washington.”
Dylan DID INDEED perform at the March on Washington where MLK gave his “I Have a Dream” speech. He sang “Only a Pawn in Their Game”, about the assassination of Medgar Evers. Also, with Joan Baez, did “When the Ship Comes In”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCjGSbm2LFc&t=4s
A month before the March on Washington, Bob sang with Pete Seeger at a SNCC voter registration rally in Greenwood, Mississippi.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ydtKh3NJ7Y
He also sang at benefit concerts against hunger in Bangladesh (1971) and Ethiopia (1985), as well as Farm Aid for family farmers in the US (1985). He appeared on the charity single “We Are the World” (1985) — also directed at Ethiopia.
The article in the Free Press oversimplifies the story in that different “folkies” had different reactions to Dylan going electric. Contrary to what Moynihan writes, “A Complete Unknown” does indeed make it clear that for Alan Lomax, folk songs came from the people, singing of their joys and struggles. Lomax didn’t like Dylan whether he wrote protest songs or played electric. He thought he was a fake. At Newport in 1965 Lomax belittled the Paul Butterfield Blues Band because they were white and young. Lomax himself had recorded electric blues guitar. Other folkies like Peter Yarrow (who just died btw) and Theodore Bikel defended Dylan.
Finally, here’s a video of Dylan playing Maggie’s Farm at Newport. It is so much more kick ass than the rather bland version one hears on the record. That’s the great Mike Bloomfield from PBBB on guitar, playing in a style seldom heard in 1965 when your man Jimi hadn’t even gotten out of the clubs yet. Go see this film! Not only are the performances amazing, but it’s fun to watch. And see if you think they toned down Bloomfield’s guitar just to put more emphasis on Dylan.
Nice chronology, ATW!
The Gotch
I stand severely corrected. Only excuse is that when Zuckerberg fired his fact checkers he also fired mine.
However, Bob Dyland DID turn his back on protest politics.
“This became evident when Dylan turned his back on making political music. This came as a surprise to a lot of people as he was always best at capturing a current moment and accurately depicting it in song. As such, he could hold a mirror up to his surroundings better than anyone, so it makes perfect sense that he would talk about the socioeconomic state of the world. However, he steered away from doing this, and his rationale was simple: those songs don’t have longevity. This is also why Dylan veered away from the label of “folk musician.” https://faroutmagazine.co.uk/everybody-knows-that-im-not-a-folk-singer-why-bob-dylan-turned-his-back-on-protest-songs/
You said it far more accurately than Dale Maplethorpe does, Dylan turns his back on protest politics. In fact, this is one of the themes of “A Complete Unknown”. Woody Guthrie passed the torch to Pete Seeger (played spectacularly well by Scoot McNairy and Edward Norton respectively), who in turn wants to pass it on to Dylan. He doesn’t want to have anything to do with it. He’ll take that torch, light it and burn to the ground any notion that he would be the leader of any kind of movement.
But did Dylan turn his back on making political music (especially after 1965), as DM writes? It’s pretty easy to show that’s not true. “George Jackson” was written in 1971 about the killing of the black activist by prison guards. “Hurricane” was written in 1975 about the boxer Rubin “Hurricane” Carter who was wrongfully imprisoned for murder. It’s also a major song in Dylon’s repertoire with some rather haunting violin played by Scarlet Rivera. Finally, “Union Sundown” came out in 1983 about the rise of global capitalism and the impoverishment of the American worker (“You know, capitalism is above the law. It say, “it don’t count ‘less it sells.” When it costs too much to build it at home. You just build it cheaper someplace else.) Over 40 years later, the song takes on new meaning this month.
Here’s what I don’t like about that rather sloppy and lazy piece by Maplethorpe. He “knows” what Dylan is thinking and doesn’t provide evidence to back up what he writes. If political songs don’t have longevity, why are “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “The Times They Are a-Changin’” such classics? Maplethorpe writes, “Dylan wanted his songs to last longer than simple political numbers.” Dylan wanted …! Then why did he write “George Jackson” and “Hurricane”? Maplethorpe writes, “He didn’t think there was an expiry date on a traditional song; therefore, he believed the music he made should fall into that category.” He didn’t think … he believed … I wish I could read minds as good as Maplethorpe.
Go see the movie!
“Name the protest rally, march, or labor union fundraiser at which Bob Dylan performed. Not even ML King’s March on Washington.”
Dylan DID INDEED perform at the March on Washington where MLK gave his “I Have a Dream” speech. He sang “Only a Pawn in Their Game”, about the assassination of Medgar Evers. Also, with Joan Baez, did “When the Ship Comes In”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCjGSbm2LFc&t=4s
A month before the March on Washington, Bob sang with Pete Seeger at a SNCC voter registration rally in Greenwood, Mississippi.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ydtKh3NJ7Y
He also sang at benefit concerts against hunger in Bangladesh (1971) and Ethiopia (1985), as well as Farm Aid for family farmers in the US (1985). He appeared on the charity single “We Are the World” (1985) — also directed at Ethiopia.
The article in the Free Press oversimplifies the story in that different “folkies” had different reactions to Dylan going electric. Contrary to what Moynihan writes, “A Complete Unknown” does indeed make it clear that for Alan Lomax, folk songs came from the people, singing of their joys and struggles. Lomax didn’t like Dylan whether he wrote protest songs or played electric. He thought he was a fake. At Newport in 1965 Lomax belittled the Paul Butterfield Blues Band because they were white and young. Lomax himself had recorded electric blues guitar. Other folkies like Peter Yarrow (who just died btw) and Theodore Bikel defended Dylan.
Finally, here’s a video of Dylan playing Maggie’s Farm at Newport. It is so much more kick ass than the rather bland version one hears on the record. That’s the great Mike Bloomfield from PBBB on guitar, playing in a style seldom heard in 1965 when your man Jimi hadn’t even gotten out of the clubs yet. Go see this film! Not only are the performances amazing, but it’s fun to watch. And see if you think they toned down Bloomfield’s guitar just to put more emphasis on Dylan.
Uggh. I have no idea where the name “optimisticacc1aa7adc” came from. I wrote that. I also don’t know why it quoted what I wrote previously. It would be great if this were fixed. If not, I’ll live with it.