8th LD and BCDCC to Meet Wednesday, March 15, 2017

The Benton County and 8th Legislative District Democrats will hold their regular monthly meeting this coming Wednesday, March 15th, at the union's labor hall on Duportail, just off the bypass in Richland. The 8th LD meets at 6:00 pm followed immediately by the BCDCC at 7:00 pm.

Please review last month's meeting minutes prior to the meeting.

Who Hasn't Donald Trump Insulted?

The latest institution to be denigrated by the White House is the Congressional Budget Office. Sean Spicer, the President's ditzy Press Secretary, said that the CBO's financial analysis of the Republican's proposed 'American Health Care Act,' should not be trusted. This preemptive strike against the CBO is due to widespread reports that the analysis will show the AHCA to be vastly inferior to the Affordable Care Act, covering far few people at far higher premiums.

Trump has now dismissed, denigrated, or demeaned the Intelligence Community, the military officer corps -- "rubble" -- Senator John McCain, because he was captured during the Vietnam War, the U.S. Judiciary, former president, Barack Obama, the U.S. Electoral System, and the Media, Muslims, Mexicans, to say nothing of past Republican presidential nominees, and of course, "Crooked Hillary," and women generally, for whom he demonstrates appalling disrespect.

The only entity for whom the American President, Donald J. Trump, exhibits respect, and indeed admiration, is Russian President, Vladimir Putin. I wonder why that is.

California's Extreme Percipitation this Winter Will Not Solve Water Problems

Oroville Dam, California

Amazing rain and snow in California this winter have made people think the drought is finished and everything can go back to normal.

California gets it water from three sources, about a third each from: precipitation, snowpack, and aquifers (groundwater). In many areas of the state, groundwater systems have been depleted for long periods - even between droughts - from which they have not recovered.

Excessive, long-term groundwater over-use resulting in groundwater depletion can cause subsidence and permanent loss of groundwater storage as well as water quality degradation and seawater intrusion. These long-term impacts on groundwater have not been remedied by the recent weather. If recovery is possible, it will likely take several to many years to accomplish.

Shut the fuck up, and support the Моско́вский Кремль's agenda!

Republican legislators are getting tired of all these American spoil-sports protesting the 2016 Election. Hey, the Russians won the election fair and square and installed their Manchurian Candidate and it's time for America to collectively sit down, shut the fuck up, and support the Моско́вский Кремль's agenda!

Feeling that it’s time to “make America safe again,” Republican state legislators are hard at work filing laws to enact harsher punishments for those charged with activities that show disrespect for authority or increase commute times.

Give GOP lawmakers credit. They are attacking this terrible protester issue on top of all the other things they’re doing to “make America safe again;” like passing laws to permit concealed carry across state lines, dismantling healthcare, repealing protections for LGTB people, blocking rules that require background checks before people with mental health issues can buy guns, repealing President Obama’s water quality bill, and a bill limiting methane pollution, repealing an order that requires federal contractors to disclose labor law violations, and other Obama-era laws that large GOP donors, like the Koch Brothers and the NRA charge are too burdensome, and or, violate the Constitution, as they interpret it, which clearly doesn't include freedom of speech.

Examples of some of America’s intrepid Republican lawmakers policy proposals include Indiana State Sen. Jim Tomes’ proposed bill (SB 285) that would require public officials to dispatch police within 15 minutes of reported “mass traffic obstructions” with instructions to clear them by “any means necessary.”

In North Dakota, HB 1203 would lift liability from drivers who “accidentally” hit protesters who are in roadways. The bill was introduced amid demonstrations against the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Iowa lawmakers introduced a bill that, if passed, would mean protesters who blocked highways could be charged with felonies carrying penalties of five years in prison. Just coincidently, Republicans rescinded an Obama administration order to phase out the use of private-prison contracts in the federal Bureau of Prisons. GEO Group, one of the nation’s largest for-profit prison operators, donated $250,000 to support Trump’s inaugural festivities. They were disappointed their investment didn’t payoff immediately with the arrest of at least a couple hundred thousand of the millions of disrespectful women who marched the day after Trump’s inauguration.

The Arizona Senate, not to be outdone by the Cornhuskers, approved Senate Bill 1142 which expands the definition of rioting to include “damage to the property of another person, and adds rioting to the list of offenses that could fall under racketeering.

State Democratic legislators warned that SB1142’s provisions could theoretically be used in tandem to bring charges against peaceful protesters at a demonstration where other participants use violence. State Senator John Kavanaugh told the Capitol Times that the bill was aimed at “full-time, almost professional agent-provocateurs that attempt to create public disorder.” He also indicated the bill’s racketeering provisions could be used by police to investigate protest organizers ahead of time. Now there’s an idea that Mr. Putin would second, except that he would advocate using poison as part of the investigative toolkit.

Minnesota Republican lawmakers approved legislation that would increase penalties and charge demonstrators the cost of policing protests. It may be that they hope to use the added revenue to pay for the renovation of Bloomington’s Water Park of America.

Here in Washington, State Senator Doug Ericksen (WA-42), when he wasn’t campaigning for Donald Trump, was cooking up a bill of his own, S.B. 5009 (2017-18), that would label protesters, “economic terrorists.” The terrorist label may be useful, because it could place protesters on the No-Fly list and keep them from escaping to North Korea.

When asked about the fuzzy wording of his bill, and what would constitute “economic terrorism,” Ericksen said any sort of "economic disruption" or anything that could "jeopardize human life and property." Violators could face five years in prison, a $10,000 fine or both. So, Erickson is also coming through for the private prison folks who’ve contributed so generously to Republican coffers, to say nothing of the oil and gas industry donors to his campaign— The 42nd District includes two oil refineries and a controversial proposed coal-export terminal.

According to reports, the U.S. is set to rival Russia in oil and gas exports. With Republican lawmakers hard at work, America may rival Russia in other ways, as well; to a place where anything that isn’t permitted, is prohibited, and anything that is permitted, is compulsory. Get ready to attend Trump’s 2020 inauguration!
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Sergey Ivanovich Kislyak

Official Biography
Ambassador Sergey I. KISLYAK
Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the U.S.

• Born in 1950.
• Graduated from Moscow Engineering Physics Institute in 1973, as well as from USSR Academy of Foreign Trade in 1977.
• Employee of the Foreign Ministry of the Russian Federation since 1977.
• 1981-1985 – Second Secretary of the Permanent Mission of the USSR to the UN in New York.
• 1985-1989 – First Secretary, Counselor of the Embassy of the USSR to the U.S.
• 1989-1991 – Deputy Director of the Department of International Organizations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the USSR.
• 1991-1993 – Deputy Director of the Department of International Scientific and Technical Cooperation of the Foreign Ministry of the USSR/Russia.
• 1993-1995 – Director of the Department of International Scientific and Technical Cooperation of the Foreign Ministry of Russia.
• 1995-1998 – Director of the Department of Security Affairs and Disarmament of the Foreign Ministry of Russia.
• 1998-2003 – Ambassador of the Russian Federation to the Kingdom of Belgium and, simultaneously, Permanent Representative of Russia to NATO in Brussels, Belgium
• 2003-2008 - Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.
• Holds a diplomatic rank of Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary.
• Speaks English and French.
• Married, with one adult daughter. 
• Met with now U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions twice during Trump 2016 campaign.