DL Open Thread Monday June 21st
Expecting a boom in summer travel, Amtrak is luring in travelers with the relaunch of its USA Rail Pass. The ticket, which Amtrak launched last week, allows people to spend a month crisscrossing the country on Amtrak trains for a flat fee.
Through June 22, the pass is $299, 40% off its usual price of $499. It doesn’t allow for unlimited train travel — the $299 covers 10 rail segments over 30 days.
Arizona reports spike in cases and deaths; ‘full blown third wave’ surges in Africa: Latest COVID-19 updates
Everybody knew Trump was an idiot fucking up our Covid-19 response. But Johnson only seemed to be playing the role of a fucking idiot for grins. He wasn’t play acting.
“Sanders says no to gas taxes, electric vehicle fees to fund infrastructure deal”
I’m so old I remember when progressives demanded higher gas taxes to reduce carbon emissions.
I get it though. Biden has committed not to raise taxes on people making under $400K, and the gas tax is regressive. Electric cars are f**ing expensive and most people making under $400K won’t be buying one any time soon. And if we create some kind of tax on electric cars, that would work against carbon reduction. So the only thing left is to tax the rich. Starting with the wealthy businesses who have given up on freight rail and are now driving giant belching trucks on long haul routes, and fleets of delivery vans in our communities.
As I noted yesterday, people making $400K are less than 1% of Delaware’s population, so that’s who Chris Coons is working for. Just like a Republican would.
Abolish police unions:
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2021/07/bust-the-police-unions/619006/
An excerpt:
“Police unions found that they had new leverage at the bargaining table. In contract negotiations with cities, they sought not merely higher pay or better benefits, but protections for officers accused of misconduct.
At this, they proved remarkably successful. Reviewing 82 active police-union contracts in major American cities, a 2017 Reuters investigation found that a majority “call for departments to erase disciplinary records, some after just six months.” Many contracts allow officers to access investigative information about complaints or charges against them before being interrogated, so they can get their stories straight. Some require the officer’s approval before making information regarding misconduct public; others set time limits on when citizens can file complaints. A 2017 Washington Post investigation found that since 2006, of the 1,881 officers fired for misconduct at the nation’s largest departments, 451 had been reinstated because of requirements in union contracts.”
I wonder if he can redo this with Coons instead of Manchin?
https://thenib.com/the-student-becomes-the-master/