Wednesday, March 06, 2019
O'Rourke: End Pot Prohibition & Reform Justice System
O'Rourke says our criminal justice system is unfair. the has offered several suggestions on how to reform that system -- including ending the federal prohibition on marijuana.
Here is the e-mail he sent outlining the reforms he wants. They make a lot of sense to me.
It’s unacceptable that our country has the world’s largest prison population, disproportionately comprised of people of color. One-third of that prison population is there for nonviolent drug crimes, and though we know that people of all races use illegal drugs at roughly the same rate, some are being locked away for it more than others.
Many have called this part of the New Jim Crow, and for good reason.
One in four black children have had a parent in the criminal justice system, compared to just four percent of white children. That rate is nearly two times what it was in the 1980s. And it begins with a school-to-prison pipeline that starts as early as kindergarten, where a black child is four to five times as likely to be suspended or expelled as a white child.
I am more convinced than ever that we can and must build a criminal justice system that is more fair and that urgently puts our country closer to the words written above the highest court in our land: equal justice under law.
This is how I propose we do it.
First, we need to end the failed war on drugs that has long been a war on people, waged on some people over other people. Who is going to be the last man — more likely than not a black man — to languish behind bars for possessing or using marijuana when it is legal in some form in more than half of the states in this country? We should end the federal prohibition on marijuana and expunge the records of those who were locked away for possessing it, ensuring that they can get work, finish their education, contribute to the greatness of this country.
Second, we end the broken system of cash bail that punishes people for being poor. This is a tactic that wastes resources on incarcerating those who are not a threat to anyone, not a flight risk, not likely to be repeat offenders. In the Harris County Jail alone, it’s estimated that 500 to 600 of the inmates at any given time fit this description. And that's not an outlier -- 75% of people in Texas jails have not been convicted of any crime but many can't afford bail.
Third, we should eliminate private, for-profit prisons from our justice system to ensure we're always putting people before profits. Locking someone up is a power that should be reserved for our government -- the people, not outsourced to corporations that have the perverse incentive of getting more men and women behind bars so that there are more profits for their shareholders.
Fourth, we must stop using mandatory minimum sentencing for non-violent drug offenses — a practice that costs taxpayers dearly and destroys lives in the process by locking up people who could safely re-enter society. And we replace this practice with policies that begin treating addiction like the public health concern it is.
Finally, we should provide meaningful reentry to help people who have been incarcerated resume their lives and contribute to their full potential. That starts with strong rehabilitation services, counseling and access to preventative health care. It continues by banning the box on job applications so those formerly incarcerated can work and pay taxes, returning drivers licenses so they can get to that place of employment, allowing them to apply for loans that can unlock skills trainings, and ensuring their constitutional right to participate in civic life by voting is protected.
As a congressman, I worked with colleagues across the aisle to introduce legislation that aims to do these things, to achieve real reforms. I know we can get this done but only if we all work towards these goals together.
At the end of the day, this is about ensuring that every single one of us can live to our full potential and contribute to our maximum capacity. Giving low-level offenders a second chance no matter the color of their skin or the economic status they hold can create opportunity for all of us.
It will help build a future that is more just, more fair, and more prosperous for every single person in this state and this country.
Tuesday, March 05, 2019
Texans Are Split On Adopting A "Medicare For All" System
The chart above is from The Texas Tribune. It shows the results of a new University of Texas / Texas Tribune Poll -- done between February 15th and 24th of 1,200 registered voters in Texas, with a margin of error of 2.83 points.
The poll asked Texans which of two choices they would prefer --
* - "the current health insurance system in the United States, in which most people get their health insurance from private employers, but some people have no insurance"
* - "a universal health insurance program, in which everyone is covered under a program like Medicare that's run by the government and financed by taxpayers."
These results should not discourage supporters of Medicare For All. The fact that voters in such a red state as Texas are split 45% to 44% on whether to keep the current system or go to a Medicare For All system should actually be celebrated.
Just a year ago, these numbers would have been far worse (with a significant majority opposing the single-payer universal system). Progress is definitely being made, and support is growing for Medicare For All -- even in very red states.
Hickenlooper Makes It 14 Running For Democratic Nomination
Hickenlooper has called himself an "extreme moderate". And in his announcement he said:
“I’m running for president because we need dreamers in Washington, but we also need to get things done. I’ve proven again and again I can bring people together to produce the progressive change Washington has failed to deliver.”
So, the current total is 14, and that is without Joe Biden, Beto O'Rourke, and Michael Bloomberg -- all of whom are expected to enter the race soon. That would make 17, and it could even grow larger than that.
The first Democratic debate is scheduled for June of this year. To qualify, a candidate must show support in the polls or an ability to raise a significant amount of money. How many will qualify to participate? It will be interesting to see.
Here are the 14 candidates who have officially entered the race:
Senator Kamala Harris (D-California)
Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Massachusetts)
Senator Cory Booker (D-New Jersey)
Senator Kristen Gillibrand (D-New York)
Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minnesota)
Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont)
Julian Castro (D-former HUD Secretary under Obama)
John Hickenlooper (D-former governor of Colorado)
Gov. Jay Inslee (D-Washington)
John Delaney (D- former Rep. from Maryland)
Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-Hawaii)
Mayor Pete Buttigieg (D-South Bend, Indiana)
Andrew Yang (D-entrepreneur)
Marianne Williamson (D-author)
Trump Tops 9,000 Lies Since Being Sworn Into Office
The image above is by DonkeyHotey. The facts are from The Washington Post.
Here's what The Washington Post had to say:
Powered by his two-hour stemwinder at the Conservative Political Action Conference on March 2 — which featured more than 100 false or misleading claims — President Trump is on pace to exceed his daily quota set during his first two years in office.
The president averaged nearly 5.9 false or misleading claims a day in his first year in office. He hit nearly 16.5 a day in his second year. So far in 2019, he’s averaging nearly 22 claims a day.
As of the end of March 3, the 773rd day of his term in office, Trump accumulated 9,014 fishy claims, according to The Fact Checker’s database that analyzes, categorizes and tracks every suspect statement uttered by the president.
Trump’s performance at CPAC is emblematic of his version of the truth during his presidency — a potent mix of exaggerated numbers, unwarranted boasting and outright falsehoods. His speech helped push March 3 to his fourth-biggest day for false or misleading claims, totaling 104.
The speech included his greatest hits: 131 times he has falsely said he passed the biggest tax cut in history, 126 times he has falsely said his border wall is already being built and 116 times he has asserted that the U.S. economy today is the best in history.
Monday, March 04, 2019
Public Says Trump Is Dishonest About Mueller Investigation
For the last two years, Donald Trump has attacked the investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 election by Robert Mueller. He has called it "fake", a "witch hunt", and "politically-inspired by Democrats" (even though the Special Prosecutor is a Republican that was appointed by a Republican).
It has become obvious to many that Trump is scared of what that investigation might reveal, and is doing his best to mitigate the damage it might cause him once it is finished (and hopefully released). Is he being successful in denigrating the investigation?
No. As the top chart shows, only 37% of the public (his deplorable base) believes he's being truthful and honest when he attacks the investigation. About 58% say he is NOT being truthful and honest. The public is not buying his lies.
And the public wants to see the final report (see bottom chart). Only 9% want the report kept secret, while another 21% think only a summary of the report should be released by the Attorney General. But a whopping two-thirds of the population (66%) want the full Mueller Report to be released.
These charts reflect the results of a new NBC News / Wall Street Journal Poll -- done between February 24th and 27th of a national sample of 900 adults, with a margin of error of 3.27 points.
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