Political Randomness

[Unagi]

I think it's probably important to keep in mind that India has had a caste system for about 3,000 years.

[Carpet_pissr]

It is a federation of fundamentally different peoples united by the vision of one man, Gandhi. In many ways it’s as if the Germans, French and British united as one country after world war 2.

Soooo the EC?

[Carpet_pissr]

I think it's probably important to keep in mind that India has had a caste system for about 3,000 years.

This.

[Isgrimnur]

Conservative judges tell MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell that having phone seized in Hardee’s drive-thru wasn’t ‘callous disregard for his constitutional rights’

MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell’s arguments before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit over the federal government’s seizure of his cell phone in September 2022 fell flat on Friday, as a panel of conservative judges affirmed that his “irritation as to where and how the government took possession of his cell phone does not give rise to a constitutional claim.”

U.S. Circuit Judges Ralph Erickson, James Loken, and Steven Colloton, respectively appointed by Presidents Donald Trump, George H.W. Bush, and George W. Bush, refused to grant Lindell a preliminary injunction to get his phone back from the feds. Erickson wrote the opinion, and Colloton both concurred and dissented in part.
...
Lindell, for his part, has been trying to get his phone back almost since the moment it was taken from him in a Hardee’s drive-thru in Mankato, Minnesota — while he was on his back from a duck hunting trip.

He raised First Amendment and Fourth Amendment claims, but those arguments failed before U.S. District Judge Eric Tostrud.
...
The majority did warm somewhat to Lindell’s complaints about the continued retention of his cell phone while pointing out that the government only said it needed the device “for the purpose of authentication.”

“Given the necessity of cell phones in everyday life and the related privacy concerns regarding the breadth of data that they contain, the government’s continued retention of Lindell’s cell phone and all its data (including that which is entirely unrelated to the government’s investigation), without adequate justification, could amount to a callous disregard of Lindell’s constitutional rights,” the majority said, while acknowledging that the record before the court “has not been developed on this issue.”

In the end, the Eighth Circuit majority upheld the lower court’s denial of a preliminary injunction but reversed Tostrud’s “decision not to exercise equitable jurisdiction over Lindell’s motion for return of property as it relates to the continued retention of the cell phone itself and all its data.”

[Jaymann]

In related news, the court unanimously determined that Hardee's sucks.

[LordMortis]

while he was on his back from a duck hunting trip.

On his way back? or do people spend time on their backs at fast food joints as a result of duck hunting?

[Unagi]

I assumed duck hunting trip was a euphemism for sleeping with male prostitutes at Hardee's.

[Jaymann]

I assumed duck hunting trip was a euphemism for sleeping with male prostitutes at Hardee's.

Proving that they literally suck.

[hepcat]

Duck Dynasty’s popularity certainly makes more sense now.

[YellowKing]

I thought this was an interesting article on why we aren't as divided as you might think.

However, I think what the article glosses over is that even if we aren't as divided on core issues as it appears from the media, it doesn't change the realities of our political system. My neighbor might be an extremely moderate, generous, hard-working good guy, but if he casts his vote for Trump in November he might as well have been a MAGA QAnon psycho. The end result is the same.

The other major flaw I found in the piece is that they say that Republicans and Democrats agree on core issues like the right to vote. That may be true, but only one of those parties is actively trying to disenfranchise people from being able to vote. If you agree on the right to vote, but you vote for people trying to take away that right, what good is your belief?

In fact, pretty much every "core issue" they mention as being agreed on by both parties has actively been under attack from the right - right to equal protection under the law, right to freedom of religion, right to freedom of speech, and right to privacy.

Ultimately, I do genuinely believe that most Americans, even those I don't agree with politically, are by and large good people. But good people voting for bad policies is still a losing proposition.

[GreenGoo]

One of the problems with these polls is that one side has decided to redefine what many words and concepts mean. It's not agreement if one side thinks voting rights is about government issued IDs and armed police at polling stations, and the other side thinks it's about helping as many eligible people as possible get to the station.

You alluded to all this, I'm just agreeing with you.

[Kraken]

I read that the blue states have made it easier to vote since the last election while red states have made it harder. That's unsurprising; it speaks volumes that higher turnout typically elects Dems. I'm encouraged that MI is one of the states that's expanded voting rights (making early and absentee voting easier).

[LordMortis]

After all the fighting to suppress votes in Michigan, we'll see what encouraging means. For reasons that defy my understanding, GOP voters are fired up and I guess you'd call them non GOP voters are not fired up. Israel and the belief that we are on the short end of the economy as driven by Biden seems to be pain here. You can't really tell people how to feel and often can't really knock those feelings. All you can do is try to communicate and hope that feelings aren't necessarily a rational or self interested sufficient and necessary reason to choose if you should vote and who you should for.

From the sound of it, as insurances renew before the election feelings about Biden and democrats are going to worse, as if the GOP has done anything to control insurance expenses and improve the way this state work... ever in this state.

[dbt1949]

Now that California has passed the $20 minimum wage law does that affect just the chain restaurants like McDs and Sonic and such or does this also affect the "real" restaurants where the servers have to live on tips?

[Unagi]

Now that California has passed the $20 minimum wage law does that affect just the chain restaurants like McDs and Sonic and such or does this also affect the "real" restaurants where the servers have to live on tips?

California's minimum wage law applies to tipped employees such as waiters, waitresses, bartenders, and valets. California Labor Code 351 LAB states that your tips are your sole property. If you receive a tip from a customer, it belongs to you.

[GreenGoo]

My wife, a professional registered nurse of some 20 years veterancy working in a major Canadian hospital, is making, after converting Canadian salary to American per hour, about USD$26.xx/hour.

Her "union" hasn't managed a raise beyond inflation in probably 10 years. At least that long. And not even that most of the time. Meaning she is earning less as a 20 year veteran than she was as a 10 year veteran.

Plus, she pays Canadian taxes, which should be common knowledge is significantly higher than almost anything in the States, and that's without considering the provincial sales tax and federal gst.

I'm fairly confident that burger flippers in California will be taking home more buying power than my registered nurse wife has ever done.

This is not a complaint about California or minimum wage, it's just eye opening to me how badly my wife has been getting screwed here in Ontario. And there's no relief in sight.

I have not mentioned any of this to her, because I don't want her to start crying.

On the topic of minimum wage, Ontario has 2 minimum wages, 1 for tipped positions, and 1 for non-tipped positions. We can legally pay waitresses less than unskilled labourers.

[Zarathud]

U.S. workers pay their own health care, so their living standards would be worse than your wife. You get something for all those Canadian taxes — the problem is that the government healthcare puts a cap on your wife’s wages as a result.

[Isgrimnur]

2021 Nursing Statitics

In 2021, there were 459,005 regulated nurses eligible to practise. The distribution of nurses by licence type is as follows:

• 312,382 registered nurses (RNs) — a growth of 2.5% from 2020.
• 7,400 nurse practitioners (NPs) — a growth of 10.7% from 2020, the largest increase of all the nursing designations. In fact, NPs became one of the fastest-growing professions in health care.
• 132,886 licensed practical nurses and registered practical nurses (LPNs and RPNs) — a growth of 1.6% from 2020.
• 6,337 registered psychiatric nurses— a growth of 3.6% from 2020.

RN Salaries

Province - ON
Highest hourly wage - $46.11 (nurses working for over 25 years)
Lowest hourly wage - $32.21 (RNs just starting out; excluding overtime/weekend/ holiday premiums)
Average nursing salary - $76,362

I would speculate that specialization would be a better path to higher wages than relying on tenure in a negotiated wage environment.

[Alefroth]

Now that California has passed the $20 minimum wage law does that affect just the chain restaurants like McDs and Sonic and such or does this also affect the "real" restaurants where the servers have to live on tips?

"The minimum wage in California, effective January 1, 2024, is $16.00/hour for all employers. Fast Food Restaurant employers, effective April 1, 2024, and Healthcare Facility employers, effective June 1, 2024, will have a higher minimum wage."

https://www.dir.ca.gov/dlse/Fast-Food-M ... ge-FAQ.htm

[YellowKing]

My wife, a professional registered nurse of some 20 years veterancy working in a major Canadian hospital, is making, after converting Canadian salary to American per hour, about USD$26.xx/hour.

My wife works for the school system in an office data manager position and hasn't had a raise in at least 6 years (I'm being conservative, it may be closer to 10). And they just found out the schools are vastly underbudgeted again this year so there's no hope in sight.

What makes me mad is that everyone gets on the bandwagon of "Pay teachers more! Teachers are underpaid!" Which may be true, but it takes more than teachers to run a school. The office staff are the backbone that enables teachers to teach, and they get jack shit. They're always left out of the conversation when it comes to raising school salaries. And to add insult to injury, she's expected to do everyone else's job when they're out - so she's not only data manager but part-time treasurer, front desk receptionist, and school nurse.

The only thing that has kept her from jumping ship is that A) a perk of her working for the school system is that she gets open choice for the kids' school district, and B) the state retirement benefits are really good if she can hold out a bit longer.

Like GreenGoo, none of that is to say I'm against minimum wage hikes. It's just to say different people are getting screwed in different ways all over the place. 

[GreenGoo]

I would speculate that specialization would be a better path to higher wages than relying on tenure in a negotiated wage environment.

I'm sure you're right. What isn't covered there is that most RN's are specialists by role anyway. Emergency nurses are not neonatal care nurses are not neurosurgery recovery nurses etc. But I realize that's not the specialization you're referring to. Apparently that is what you were referring to. Well, that's already in place for most nurses working in hospitals, although there is always cross-pollination.

There is a significant pension waiting for her at the end, which I didn't mention.

As far as Americans paying for their own healthcare, isn't it still mostly their employers or a combination of employer/employee paying for their health insurance? Health insurance is an employment benefit for most people still, isn't it?

[LordMortis]

As far as Americans paying for their own healthcare, isn't it still mostly their employers or a combination of employer/employee paying for their health insurance? Health insurance is an employment benefit for most people still, isn't it?

As I understand it (I was never in HR), it depends on where you work and your arrangement. Also the nature of the healthcare they are providing. Someone might have their employer fully pay for healthcare but then still have to 12,000 out of pocket a year before it really kicks in. Others can have "Cadillac" plans with low deductibles, and no copay or co-insure, with comprehensive vision. Small employers don't provide healthcare at all. And how much an employer contributes to their provision is entirely up to them or their negotiated agreement, which is then treated as part of the employees compensation, though I believe their outlay is tax advantaged for them. What the employer does allow you to do that you couldn't do without them before the ACA is get into a pool of people, lowering the ultimate cost of care. The larger pool you (and your employer) are a part of, the lower the negotiated cost of insuring you is.

[waitingtoconnect]

I would speculate that specialization would be a better path to higher wages than relying on tenure in a negotiated wage environment.

I'm sure you're right. What isn't covered there is that most RN's are specialists by role anyway. Emergency nurses are not neonatal care nurses are not neurosurgery recovery nurses etc. But I realize that's not the specialization you're referring to. Apparently that is what you were referring to. Well, that's already in place for most nurses working in hospitals, although there is always cross-pollination.

There is a significant pension waiting for her at the end, which I didn't mention.

My understanding is aside from doctors most healthcare roles in western nations have not seen significant pay increases in many years.

UK pay rates were truly shocking for roles like pharmacists, nurses and doctors compared to here. You can see why you hear so many British accents in healthcare in the US and beyond!

[Pyperkub]

I think it's probably important to keep in mind that India has had a caste system for about 3,000 years.

I've been reading Kim Stanley Robinson's The Ministry for the Future, and a climate disaster succeeds in killing the Indian caste system (and a lot of other India governance issues). It's a fascinating SF read.

[YellowKing]

I just snagged two tickets to the Trump rally here in town taking place on Saturday. I'm not going, but it's worth getting on their spam list to deny tickets to two of his cultist morons.

[Zenn7]

I just snagged two tickets to the Trump rally here in town taking place on Saturday. I'm not going, but it's worth getting on their spam list to deny tickets to two of his cultist morons.

Have you considered "What would Trump do with 2 tickets like this?" and put them up for auction on Ebay or something like that?
- So the Trump followers understand the true value, make sure to set the starting bid at something suitably inflated like $1,000.

[Zarathud]

Give them to two homeless guys.

[Blackhawk]

"Mortimer! We're going to see Trump!"

[LordMortis]

https://apnews.com/article/michigan-ele ... 2069d7c24b

Why local politics is crazy important and demonstrative of the battle being more than the battle against TFG and McConnell (though I still think it is mainly ultimately about the Supreme Court)

Peter Herzberg won in the 25th District, which contains the cities of Wayne and Westland. Both candidates

Democrats flipped both chambers in the 2022 midterms while maintaining control of the governor’s office to win a trifecta for the first time in 40 years. They moved quickly to roll back decades of Republican measures and implement the party’s agenda in their first year, including overhauling the state’s gun laws.

Since the House deadlocked, Republicans have pushed to pass legislation they say is bipartisan, such as a government transparency package, which would open the Legislature and governor’s office up to public record requests.

While my neighborhood gets objectively worse, the motivated voters are still showing up the way they need to, even as I disagree with the governor and shit ton of her agenda and hypocrisy.

[Holman]

I think it's probably important to keep in mind that India has had a caste system for about 3,000 years.

I've been reading Kim Stanley Robinson's The Ministry for the Future, and a climate disaster succeeds in killing the Indian caste system (and a lot of other India governance issues). It's a fascinating SF read.

I read that a few months back, and I liked it very much.

Actual (but broad) spoiler:

Spoiler:

While I think he makes it too easy for a gang of plucky technocrats to overcome Global Capital, the optimism is very refreshing!

[Alefroth]

Do we have a catch-all thread for shitty people?

https://www.outsports.com/2024/4/17/240 ... the-1980s/

Rodgers’ latest rant is that AIDS was created by the U.S. government in the 1980s for reasons that have something to with COVID and with Dr. Anthony Fauci being corrupt.

Rodgers, who also plays quarterback for the New York Jets, was a guest on Eddie Bravo’s “Look Into It” podcast in February, with comments that went largely ignored until they resurfaced on X (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday.

[Smoove_B]

Not just shitty, but openly circulating Russian Cold War propaganda from the 80s.

What an absolute goon he is.

[LawBeefaroni]

Deep Stste claims another victim:


https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-gover ... on-charges

LANSING — Former Michigan House Speaker Lee Chatfield led a “criminal enterprise” while in office, Attorney General Dana Nessel alleged Tuesday as she announced 13 charges against the Levering Republican and two charges against his wife.

But Chatfield won’t be charged for sexual assault allegations that prompted the probe, according to Nessel.

IIRC, this guy was leading the election denial charge in the Michigan Legislature back in 2020.

Among other things, Nessel accused Chatfield of using the Peninsula Fund to pay for items at a Spider Man souvenir shop, a Harry Potter candy store and wizard-themed restaurant during a family trip to Universal Studios in Florida, along with” luxury purchases” from Ugg, Coach and a surf shop.

Nessel alleged the nonprofit was used to pay off $132,000 in purchases on Lee Chatfield's credit card from February 2020 through April 2021.

A state house rep grifting? No way!

[LordMortis]

IIRC, this guy was leading the election denial charge in the Michigan Legislature back in 2020.

He was a Trump guy but I had to look up how. Even as a Trump guy, he stayed out of the fray while others tried to decertify or keep certification from happening. In a round about way, that was a positive. It let the GOP saviors on the board allow the certification to happen without delay.

https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-gover ... r-election

Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel and Michigan Republican Party Chair Laura Cox on Saturday called for canvassers to delay certification for two weeks in order to audit results from Wayne County and Detroit, an unprecedented step that does not appear to even be legal under current state law.

If the board deadlocks 2-2 along partisan lines, experts say the Michigan Court of Appeals would likely order canvassers to certify the results. Chatfield, R-Levering, predicted the matter could end up before the Michigan Supreme Court.

And if Michigan justices do not order canvassers to certify, “now we have a constitutional crisis in the state of Michigan that’s never occurred before,” Chatfield told Fox News.

[Skinypupy]

What in the absolute fuck is wrong with these people?



I had to click through to the story, because I thought there's no possible way that headline could be accurate.

A Louisiana House committee voted Thursday to repeal a law requiring employers to give child workers lunch breaks and to cut unemployment benefits — part of a push by Republicans to remove constraints on employers and reduce aid for injured and unemployed workers.

First-term state Rep. Roger Wilder, R-Denham Springs, who sponsored the child labor measure and owns Smoothie King franchises across the Deep South, said he filed the bill in part because children want to work without having to take lunch breaks. He questioned why Louisiana has the requirement while other states where he owns Smoothie King locations, such as Mississippi, don’t have them, and criticized people who have questioned the bill’s purpose.

“The wording is ‘We’re here to harm children.’ Give me a break," he said. "These are young adults.”

Yep, it's spot on.

[YellowKing]

I got a text (from signing up for the Trump rally tickets) that said "TRUMP IS DYING TO MEET YOU!" I was thinking, "You promise? Because that is the one thing that will actually make me show up!"

[Carpet_pissr]

What in the absolute fuck is wrong with these people?



I had to click through to the story, because I thought there's no possible way that headline could be accurate.

A Louisiana House committee voted Thursday to repeal a law requiring employers to give child workers lunch breaks and to cut unemployment benefits — part of a push by Republicans to remove constraints on employers and reduce aid for injured and unemployed workers.

First-term state Rep. Roger Wilder, R-Denham Springs, who sponsored the child labor measure and owns Smoothie King franchises across the Deep South, said he filed the bill in part because children want to work without having to take lunch breaks. He questioned why Louisiana has the requirement while other states where he owns Smoothie King locations, such as Mississippi, don’t have them, and criticized people who have questioned the bill’s purpose.

“The wording is ‘We’re here to harm children.’ Give me a break," he said. "These are young adults.”

Yep, it's spot on.

I assume most ‘child laborers’ work part time, and at least in my kids’ cases, they would definitely rather get the hours than go on a forced, unpaid break. They both work part time, though.

Unpaid lunch break?
After how many hours?
Applies to FT and PT workers?

[GreenGoo]

This problem and those questions already have answers that have been enshrined into law at the federal level for decades.

Nobody is forcing a lunch breaking into the middle of a 3-4 hour shift, and if they are, why?

I feel like the current crop of politicians are so dumb they think they are the first to come across these "problems" and come up with "solutions" that are based on how dumb they are.

"This the first I'm hearing that gasoline is flammable. Let's make some regulations in 2024 on how to handle gasoline at gas stations! Based on no new information and only what I can think up in the 5 minutes I've spent on this problem".

Geezus.

[Isgrimnur]

HB156

Present law requires an employer to provide at least one 30-minute meal period for minors who work for a 5-hour work period. Present law does not require an employer to provide a 30-minute meal period in instances when the work period exceeds 5 hours by 10 minutes or less

[Punisher]

HB156

Present law requires an employer to provide at least one 30-minute meal period for minors who work for a 5-hour work period. Present law does not require an employer to provide a 30-minute meal period in instances when the work period exceeds 5 hours by 10 minutes or less

So you get a break at 5 hours but not 5 hours and 10 minutes?