Today's Take: October 26 (v2)
•Refusal to Debate Unacceptable Whether Democrat or Republican - Media Must Use Power to Insist
Lately candidates from both parties treat debates as optional. If you run for elected office part of that job should require facing your competitors directly on the debate stage so voters can contrast and compare.
The media can help ensure the presence of valid contenders by attending one required scheduled debate whether or not candidates show. If only one competitor attends, the media should unabashedly report the side of the one demonstrating the courage to let the public know why they deserve viewers’ votes.
That said, we must recognize that those who moderate debates must be able and ready to control the forum. All too often we see politicians using debates, media interviews and now congressional hearings as free publicity events, refusing to answer questions, interrupting those whom they oppose as a means to silence them, and blatantly attacking opponents personally.
Debates provide an important public service and losing them hurts everyone.
•Uline 2016 Campaign Donations Paid Off with Special Tax Breaks! Is Repeat Likely in November?
In the 2016 elections, Ron Johnson received over $20 million in contributions from just two donors and he provided a good return on their investment. Johnson announced in 2017 that he would NOT support Trump’s unfunded tax bill unless “pass-through” organizations were given special tax cuts. Pass-through companies are so titled because profits pass-through their owners, unlike normal corporate taxes paid through the company. The bill added the special tax cut and then passed.
The two top donors to Johnson’s 2016 campaign, billionaires roofing magnet Diane Hicks and Uline CEO, Richard Uihleine were members of the 82 millionaires who saw a billion-dollar tax decline from the unfunded 2017 tax cut that has helped cripple our economy. It appears that the Fed printing money which helps fuel today’s inflation was the only plan to pay the for the loss of government revenue arising from the tax break.
From July until September of this year alone, Dick Uihleine added more than $7 million to his PAC to channel money to ensure the election of people like Senator Johnson and toss out Democrats. Next in line for tax cuts to the wealthy appears to be the end of the capital gains tax. What will be the ROI and how will average Americans pay for that?
Our corrupted Supreme Court’s ruling on Citizens United has rotted our government from within by corrupting members of both parties. The court’s absurd reinterpretation of the Second Amendment arms our citizens against each other for heretofore unseen political violence like January 6.
Will Biden use the only means available to establish balance in the federal judicial system, namely expanding the size of the court and appointing qualified members with integrity that will renounce originalism and American history as valid legal argument and re-establish principle of stare decisis required for a country to be both stable and progress?
•U. S. Aid to Haiti Must be Given with Extreme Caution
In July of 2021 Haitian President Jovenel Moïse was assassinated in his home where an elite security team assigned to protect him failed. The current leader, Ariel Henry took control of the nation, part of a Caribbean island shared with the Dominican Republic. The country has deteriorated into chaos, with armed bands wreaking havoc, taking control of the heating supply facility, and looting at will.
No elections have been held to date despite promises by Henry, who has called for international military help to regain control of the country. With Henry refusing to answer questions about his involvement in Moïse’s assassination and delaying elections, the international community should be wary of sending military assistance to He
nry.
The history of U. S. interference in Haiti is abysmal and we cannot repeat past errors. We invaded and occupied the former French colony from 1915 through 1934. We intermittently supported Papa Doc Duvalier and his son, Baby Doc, ruthless dictators ruling the country from 1957 until 1986 when the citizens of Haiti finally revolted.
The United States and the other countries should offer humanitarian aid to Haiti with provisions ensuring the help goes to the people of Haiti and not the pockets of Henry, roving armed thugs or drug lords.
How can we think of send military assistance to a country ruled by an unelected ruler who refuses to hold elections and won’t answer questions about involvement of the murder of its rightfully-elected leader?
•Triple Threat to Children Concerns Doctors
With three illnesses attacking children this season, RSV, COVID, and flu, doctors express concern about the pediatric health system’s ability to treat an expected influx of patients.
RSV, a surging respiratory virus is putting the wrench in the system. Doctors believe that the recent uptick in cases results from babies not exposed to the normal slue of viruses during the pandemic. Hospitalization rates for children for RSV is significantly higher than for both COVID and the flu.
With no RSV vaccination available, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends keeping children up to date on their normal inoculations.