Sunday Open Thread [6.15.14]

Sunday Open Thread [6.15.14]

This Sunday's NJ has a great series on the heroin problem in Delaware which is the perfect study in how the community most affected by an addiction changes the terms of the discussion of that drug. I read that series (and I don't have a critique of it) and wondered all the way through how this would be addressed if they were talking about crack cocaine. The thing that is important to know is that our drug problem -- all of them -- is primarily a public health problem and we should be working at this level of sympathy and concern for community for all drug problems, not just heroin.
Iraq Is Burning

Iraq Is Burning

Again. Or, really, it never stopped burning and now there is gas on the fire. You already know that Iraq is under siege, this time by a group called ISIS, which seems to be a coalition of Sunni forces, Baathists, remnants of Al Queda in Iraq, Syrian and other foreign fighters. ISIS has been capturing territory with some ease, and the Kurds are using the chaos to grab back some land they've been claiming. Back home, this has been one more occasion for the GOP to rattle their sabers -- calling for action in a country who has had plenty of US action. President Obama has said the usual "all options are on the table" except right now it doesn't look like boots on the ground is an option.

John Carney Adding the Koch Brothers to the Banking Interests He Represents

The House is currently working on a bill that would re-authorize the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, usually not a controversial event, but this year, those who are looking to unravel Dodd-Frank have wrapped into this bill a number of items that specifically work to give banks more freedom to bankrupt us again. John Carney is right in the middle of this effort to continue to destabilize Dodd-Frank, and in the process, give the Koch Brothers an assist. Here's the earlier Huffington Post front page announcing how Democrats -- even our Democrat -- are working to help the Koch Brothers:

Americans Hate Insurance Companies and Really Like Medicare

This outfit called Morning Consult has done some polling to gauge American attitudes towards some aspects of our health care system and then created a word cloud of the responses. Interestingly, "expensive" and "greedy" are associated with insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, medical device companies and hospitals. Americans are more positive about nurses and Medicare. I'm posting the two word clouds for Insurance Companies and Medicare (thinking that the idea of being able to buy into Medicare as a Public Option was really a missed opportunity by Congress), but you should go over and see all of their word clouds -- it is an interesting narrative:

Sunday Open Thread [6.8.14]

I LOVE this story -- a British WWII vet busts out of his retirement home to go to Normandy for the D-Day celebrations.
An 89-year-old British World War II veteran who went missing from his retirement home was found in France enjoying a D-Day anniversary get-together with former comrades, police said Friday. Bernard Jordan slipped out of The Pines care home in the seaside town of Hove in southern England on Thursday wearing his medals under his raincoat. The former Royal Navy officer then joined a coach party heading for events marking the 70th anniversary of the landings at Ouistreham in Normandy, northern France.

Late Night Video — Feminist Terrorist Sleeper Cell

Great video from representatives of the Lady Parts Justice Feminist Terrorist Sleeper Cell, a terrorist group responding to the crazy petition by one more exercise in bogus male victimization that is called "A Voice for Men" at Change.org asking the White House to classify Feminism as a Terrorist Group. I never thought of myself as terrorist material, but the Lady Parts Justice Feminist Sleeper Cell seems like my kind of terrorism:
How to Transform the War on Drugs into Providing Drug Treatment and Compassion

How to Transform the War on Drugs into Providing Drug Treatment and Compassion

Make the faces of drug use and abuse white ones. Interesting, yes? Most black and brown people have known this since forever. Last week, the WaPo published two authors who note that with the reports of the explosion of heroin use and abuse in the suburbs, that the news reporting as well as law enforcement sound much more compassionate, but that seems to be because they are now talking about white people:
Last month, NBC News ran a series of stories about the United States’ “growing heroin epidemic.” Two things stand out in the reports: One is their sympathetic tone; the other is that almost everyone depicted is white. Drug users and their families aren’t vilified; there is no panicked call for police enforcement. Instead, and appropriately, there is a call for treatment and rehabilitation. Parents of drug addicts express love for their children, and everyone agrees they need support to get clean.
New Legislation Proposed to Decriminalize Marijuana Possession

New Legislation Proposed to Decriminalize Marijuana Possession

Yes, this is actually happening in Delaware. Rep, Helene Keeley (my rep!) has sponsored HB 371, legislation that would allow Delawareans to possess less than an ounce of marijuana and makes public consumption of marijuana a civil (rather than criminal) offense. Should this pass, Delaware would join 18 other states and multiple municipalities in helping to de-escalate the War on Drugs. People with small amounts of marijuana are a wasteful target for law enforcement (unless, of course, they are suspects in other crimes) and it is well past time to refocus limited dollars and resources for law enforcement on the crimes that actually harm people or property. I support this effort. Here is the press release on this bill:
Why Wilmington Is Experiencing Financial Hardships

Why Wilmington Is Experiencing Financial Hardships

That is the title of an opinion piece published in the NJ yesterday from Dace Blaskovitz -- a member (until very recently) of the WEFAC (Wilmington Economic and Financial Advisory Council). He's had an up close and personal look at Wilmington financial trends for quite a few years, and recently quit the WEFAC (this isn't news?) -- according to him -- after Mayor Williams announced he was going for a 9.9% property tax increase. His POV of Wilmington's financial woes is worth reading -- much of it is very familiar. I can't vouch for his numbers on the trends he discusses, but total payroll *has* gone up -- this is due not just to the hiring of people but also due to increased health care costs. That last one is true for most employers who provide health care benefits. Note also that most of the city employees have not had COLA increases in several years and I believe that all of the city's unions are working without a contract.