US Politics

Pexbo said:
Its a hell of a bill and I’d love to see it pass but it will be filibustered to death in the Senate.
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Out of everything that is wrong with American democracy, the filibuster is right there at the top with any of them.

It's just insane.

I know the US was sort of the first "modern" democracy, which probably plays into it, but it's bizarre how badly their democratic process is designed for the modern world.
 
nimic said:
Out of everything that is wrong with American democracy, the filibuster is right there at the top with any of them.

It's just insane.

I know the US was sort of the first "modern" democracy, which probably plays into it, but it's bizarre how badly their democratic process is designed for the modern world.
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The filibuster, and especially its modern incarnation, were not norms that the founders wanted. I posted a podcast somewhere on here where they broke down the history of it. Hell, Madison was around when Calhoun first tried it and he publicly told him to stop that shit.
 
MrMarcello said:
Speaking of liquors, just saw a Proper Twelve delivery truck outside Publix (here in South Tampa). I've seen the commercials but haven't tasted yet.

Is it a good whiskey?
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Not a clue, never had it.

Here is Whiskey Advocates review: Buying Guide Search Results - Whisky Advocate (tldr: 85 pts)

For comparison, the Costco brand (Kirkland) blended got an 84. It also costs $19 for 1.5 L here in WI.
 
MrMarcello said:
Speaking of liquors, just saw a Proper Twelve delivery truck outside Publix (here in South Tampa). I've seen the commercials but haven't tasted yet.

Is it a good whiskey?
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Heard it’s absolutely terrible so you’re probably lucky you haven’t tried it. Isn’t that why McGregor punched that old man in a bar because he told him his whisky was shite and refused to drink it? :lol:
 
MrMarcello said:
Speaking of liquors, just saw a Proper Twelve delivery truck outside Publix (here in South Tampa). I've seen the commercials but haven't tasted yet.

Is it a good whiskey?
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Just a livery ad by its distributor. It’s not very good at all.
 
crappycraperson said:


Comments below this tweet show the some number of liberals/Dems in US are capable of being as likely as Republicans in indulging in crazy conspiracy theories when facts seemingly don't suit their narrative. Trump's reign has induced establishment Dems to focus solely on avoiding a repeat so much so that they now frown upon any press criticism of Democratic leaders or policies since it may benefit Trump or any other Republican. I have seen such complaints over criticism of: Neera Tanden nomination, air strikes, 15$ minimum wage issue, Cuomo scandal, MBS non-sanctions.
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It's disgusting is what it is. "Believe women" means jack shit when it's a Democrat being accused, and I despair.

Makes me wonder why I bother paying attention to what goes on in the US, because it's clear that people are completely fecked in the head on both sides.
 
Legal Documents Show Manchin Has Stakes in Companies That Pay Less Than $15 an Hour

Senator's Opposition to the $15 Hourly Minimum Wage Benefits His Undisclosed Financial Interests

By: Jonathan LarsenMar 4, 2021

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), the most prominent Democratic opponent of a $15 federal minimum wage, has a financial stake in at least one company that apparently would have to increase pay if such a measure passed, TYT has learned.

The Senate parliamentarian said last week she does not think the $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package is eligible for passage by a simple majority if it includes the hourly wage increase. Her guidance shifted the focus of progressive efforts from Manchin to Vice President Kamala Harris, who could reject the parliamentarian’s finding.

But Manchin, along with Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), could find himself back in the spotlight if Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) succeeds in forcing a vote this week on the $15 minimum wage, as he has vowed to do. Manchin has said he would accept an $11 hourly minimum wage as part of coronavirus relief, but progressives have said that's not enough.

Last month, a spokesperson for Manchin justified his opposition to the $15 minimum by saying the senator “understands the challenges facing…[West Virginia] small business owners.” But Manchin has not publicly acknowledged that he is one of those small business owners.

The real extent of his business interests is unclear, as Manchin has never fully disclosed them as required on his Senate ethics filings. The right-wing group Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust, which does not disclose its donors, filed an ethics complaint in 2018 seeking to force Manchin to disclose the full specifics of his business holdings.

But court filings related to bankruptcy proceedings and a Manchin family dispute that went public have identified some of companies in which Manchin allegedly has a financial stake, including a hotel and a chain of flooring stores. Both companies would apparently have to increase employee pay if Congress passes a $15 minimum wage.

The senator’s office did not respond to TYT’s request for comment, which included specifics about the companies in which he is said to have a stake.

Thanks to legal filings in a bankruptcy dispute, however, we do know some of the holdings of one company Manchin lists in his disclosure form. That company, AA Property, is reportedly 50 percent controlled by Manchin, and is an investor in Emerald Coast Realty, which owns a La Quinta hotel in Elkview, West Virginia.

According to the careers website Indeed.com, the national average salary for several La Quinta positions is well below $15 an hour. If Manchin’s $11 proposal were to win out, La Quinta hotel housekeepers, for instance, would get an average raise of eight cents an hour nationwide.

Manchin has said that an $11 minimum wage is reasonable for West Virginia. The state currently has a mandatory minimum wage of $8.75 an hour. At the Elkview La Quinta, Indeed reports that housekeepers make an average of $8.81 an hour.

Brianna Griffith, an unemployed West Virginia resident, told the Associated Press last month that with a $15 hourly wage, "I could afford to live on my own… I could afford to buy a car that's not 25 years old. We just really need help here."

Manchin’s interest in another West Virginia company is a matter of dispute — between his brothers. According to a lawsuit filed by his brother John, the senator and other Manchin family members “owned, controlled, and operated Manchin Carpet Center… [which] currently exists as Wholesale Carpet Outlet.” The store, which was incorporated and is now run by a third brother, Roch Manchin, has four locations, serving parts of West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Maryland.

Reached by phone, John Manchin said he could not disclose the senator’s business holdings, due to a non-disclosure agreement signed in the wake of his lawsuit.

In an email, TYT asked WCO about both its wages and Joe Manchin’s alleged financial interest. WCO responded, saying, “We wanted you to know that Senator Manchin does not nor has he ever had any interest in WCO flooring.”

It’s not clear, however, whether Manchin might have an indirect stake in WCO through another entity, or through his business dealings with Roch, some of which were outlined in their brother’s lawsuit. Contemporary news reports of the lawsuit do not appear to include denials by Manchin of a stake in WCO. And there was at least one previous instance when Manchin’s financial interests in a company were in dispute or unclear, even to Manchin himself.

WCO did not respond to TYT’s inquiry about its pay levels. However, federal records show that WCO received a $238,500 loan as part of the Payroll Protection Program, disclosing some financial information in the process. The financial data includes both headcount and monthly payroll estimates that determined loan eligibility — but also give some idea of employee salaries.

According to an analysis by FederalPay.org, WCO would have had an estimated $1.14 million monthly payroll to qualify for its loan. Averaging that amount over the 50 employees WCO reported translates to an average annual salary of $22,896, the website estimated. (Because the government did not factor employee compensation above $100,000 into its loan-eligibility calculation, WCO’s actual average pay could be higher.)

If the FederalPay analysis is accurate, however, and assuming two weeks of paid vacation, it would mean WCO pays its workers an average hourly rate of $11.01, or one cent more than Manchin’s proposed minimum wage.

Neither WCO nor the La Quinta appear on Manchin’s ethics filing, but Manchin does list multiple joint-ownership entities, such as Manchin Properties and MPM Properties, with financial holdings that are not disclosed.

Manchin has other business interests — with stakes in coal and energy companies such as Farmington Resources and Enersystems — but financial information that might reveal employee compensation levels is not publicly available. Manchin and his wife also have financial interests in other companies that may pay some employees less than $15 an hour, including bank shares valued at more than half a million dollars.
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amazing. it's a policy that has won in states like florida and and missouri, it's overwhelmingly popular nationwide, and they only needed 1 guy (manchin) to say no to kill the whole thing.
but they brought out much more, to make sure no one individual gets the blame i guess. what a party.
 
berbatrick said:


amazing. it's a policy that has won in states like florida and and missouri, it's overwhelmingly popular nationwide, and they only needed 1 guy (manchin) to say no to kill the whole thing.
but they brought out much more, to make sure no one individual gets the blame i guess. what a party.
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2022 is going to be a blood bath, and then the Republicans might well end up with full control in 2024 to continue the slow decline into nationalist authoritarianism.
 
berbatrick said:


amazing. it's a policy that has won in states like florida and and missouri, it's overwhelmingly popular nationwide, and they only needed 1 guy (manchin) to say no to kill the whole thing.
but they brought out much more, to make sure no one individual gets the blame i guess. what a party.
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Plus both DE senators. Did anyone think the guys repping the state that's revenue is based on companies incorporating there were going to go against their paymasters?
 
berbatrick said:


amazing. it's a policy that has won in states like florida and and missouri, it's overwhelmingly popular nationwide, and they only needed 1 guy (manchin) to say no to kill the whole thing.
but they brought out much more, to make sure no one individual gets the blame i guess. what a party.
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Imagine choosing to vote for democrats. yikes.
 
berbatrick said:


amazing. it's a policy that has won in states like florida and and missouri, it's overwhelmingly popular nationwide, and they only needed 1 guy (manchin) to say no to kill the whole thing.
but they brought out much more, to make sure no one individual gets the blame i guess. what a party.
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Wait, does this mean @Eboue was right all along?
 
I sincerely believe Bernie should retire. In 5 years and 200 million dollars of small donations and 25 million votes, he has not got majority Democrat support for M4A, he has not moved the conversation on other issues, and he could not get $15, the most mainstream, accepted part of his platform passed.

He's never becoming president. He's never seeing a single item of the agenda he has fought for for 40 years become real. That's it, it's over, face facts, leave, and stop associating with the party and white house that's kicking you in the face.
 
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