US Politics Mega-thread - Page 2278

On September 10 2015 01:05 Chewbacca. wrote:

You don't become a teacher if you do not like kids. And nobody is claiming teachers work 6 hours a day and have the entire summer off, but they work a hell of a lot less than your average starting engineer or whatever, many of which don't have very high starting salaries either.

Defiant Kentucky clerk's backers want aides fired over marriage licenses to gays

Supporters of Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis, who refused to issue marriage licenses to gay couples due to her religious beliefs, said on Wednesday that any of her deputies who provide such documents without her permission should be fired.

U.S. District Judge David Bunning ordered Davis released on Tuesday after six days in jail, warning her not to interfere with her deputy clerks who are issuing the licenses, or face further sanctions.

Bunning had found Davis, clerk for Rowan County in eastern Kentucky, in contempt after she stopped issuing licenses to any couples, citing her belief as an Apostolic Christian that a marriage can only be between a man and a woman.

The issuance of marriage licenses to same-sex couples in Kentucky and other states has become the latest focal point in the long-running debate over gay marriage in the United States.

Ante Pavkovic, one of the people who helped organize pro-Davis rallies outside the Grayson, Kentucky, detention center where Davis was jailed, lectured the deputy clerks not to violate their oaths of office, like Bunning and the U.S. Supreme Court justices who backed gay marriage did.

"Do not join them in this any further, and if you can't do that, then you should just quit," Pavkovic, 49, of North Carolina, said, standing in the clerk's office in Morehead, Kentucky.

He waved a sign in the faces of the deputy clerks that read, "Fire the cowardly clerks that are lawbreakers." He was asked to leave by a deputy sheriff.

Davis will return to her $80,000-a-year job on Friday or Monday after spending time with family. However, her lawyer, Mat Staver, founder of Christian religious advocacy group Liberty Counsel, said on Tuesday her position had not changed, raising the possibility she could return to jail if she moves to block the issuance of licenses.

Raising the stakes further, deputy clerk Brian Mason said on Wednesday he would continue issuing marriage licenses after Davis returns, even if she tells him not to. "I'm still going to issue licenses," he said.

The U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling in late June legalizing it in all 50 states, but a small number of elected clerks and lower-level judges have voiced opposition on religious grounds.

Some in Texas, Alabama and elsewhere have refused to issue licenses to anyone, gay or straight.

At the Rowan County clerk's office on Wednesday, the first of seven gay couples to obtain marriage licenses last week returned to have the documents legally filed. Ten licenses in all have been issued.

Nashia Fife, secretary-elect of the Rowan County Rights Coalition, which supports the rights of gay couples to get marriage licenses, said the struggle over the issue has exposed divisions that were not visible before.

"The ante has been upped at this point," she said of Bunning's warning to Davis not to interfere.

Another of the gay couples who got a marriage license last week remained wary about what they would face when they return to have the document filed by the clerk's office.

"I guess I'm pessimistic, but I'm hopeful," David Moore said on Tuesday evening, confirming he had not yet married partner David Ermold.

Staver, Davis' lawyer, said his client still wants an accommodation to remove her name and her authority from the marriage certificates.

Bunning secured assurances from the five of six deputy clerks that they would comply with the court order and issue licenses to all legally eligible couples. Only Davis' son Nathan refused, but he was not jailed.

(Reporting by Steve Bittenbender; Writing by Ben Klayman; Editing by Jeffrey Benkoe)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Texas Sen. Ted Cruz's cozy relationship with billionaire businessman Donald Trump is drawing new attention as the Republican presidential contenders prepare to headline a Capitol Hill rally.

At Cruz's invitation, Trump will appear with the Texas senator at a Wednesday event organized by tea party leaders and pro-Israel groups protesting the proposed nuclear agreement with Iran. It's the latest example of Cruz warming to the former reality television star, despite their competition for the same group of anti-establishment conservatives.

"An awful lot of presidential candidates have gone out of their way to take a stick to Donald Trump," Cruz told The Associated Press in a recent interview. "I am not one of them."

Instead, Cruz tapped Trump to share the stage with him Wednesday for a Washington rally also expected to feature former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin; former Virginia Gov. Jim Gilmore, a GOP presidential candidate; conservative broadcast personality Glenn Beck; and several Republican members of Congress. The event is set to begin at 1 p.m. Organizers would not predict how many protesters might attend, but they're expecting a rowdy atmosphere outside the Capitol as Congress debates the Iran deal inside.

The day gives Trump an opportunity to address foreign policy less than a week after he struggled to answer basic questions about key players in the Middle East during a radio interview. It's unlikely, however, that the former reality television star will have to address policy details at the protest.

In an editorial published Monday on the USA Today website, Trump offered his trademark bombast, calling the deal "amateur hour" and said it demonstrates "the total incompetence of our president and politicians."

The protest won't change the ultimate approval of the international agreement, which has been clear for days: Even if a disapproval resolution should pass the House and Senate this week, President Barack Obama would veto it, and Democrats have the votes in hand to sustain his veto.

Cruz says he invited Trump simply to attract more attention to objections to the "catastrophic" deal. "Wherever Donald goes, the media follow in droves," Cruz said.

The appearance also highlights the unique relationship between Trump and Cruz, a tea party hero who helped shut the federal government in 2013 and ultimately needs the same frustrated voters who have pushed Trump to a surprising lead in early polls. As his Republican competitors turn against Trump, Cruz has offered only praise. The strategy could pay dividends for Cruz in the coming months.

"Cruz seems to be the only one willing to stand with Trump," said tea party co-founder Mark Meckler.

"Cruz has positioned himself to scoop up Trump supporters, should Trump begin to fade," Meckler continued. "Yet with each passing day, the Trump fade seems less and less likely. Could we be seeing a Trump-Cruz ticket in the making?"

Trump has fewer and fewer allies in the packed 2016 contest. Among other presidential contenders, Rick Perry called Trump a "cancer" on conservatism and Rand Paul has called attention to the billionaire's friendship with Democrats Hillary and Bill Clinton.

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush's campaign released an Instagram video clip on the eve of the rally using Trump's words against him. Asked in a former CNN interview who he'd like to represent the U.S. in a deal with Iran, Trump responded, "I think Hillary would do a good job."

Trump has aggressively criticized several Republican competitors — Bush among them — although he has so far avoided lashing out at Cruz. In a recent South Carolina appearance, however, Trump said he would turn against Cruz if he starts to get too close in the polls.

For now, however, Trump has a commanding lead.

Don't expect any Republican infighting at Wednesday's rally, where the speakers will be united in opposition to the Iran deal.

The agreement struck by Iran, the U.S., China, Russia, France, Britain and Germany in July would provide Iran hundreds of billions of dollars in relief from international sanctions in exchange for a decade of constraints on the country's nuclear program. The deal aims to keep Iran at least a year away from being able to produce enough nuclear material for a weapon.

"Look, I like Donald Trump," Cruz said, "and I am glad Donald Trump is in this election."

So am I saying that Mr. Trump is better and more serious than he’s given credit for being? Not at all — he is exactly the ignorant blowhard he seems to be. It’s when it comes to his rivals that appearances can be deceiving. Some of them may come across as reasonable and thoughtful, but in reality they are anything but.

Mr. Bush, in particular, may pose as a reasonable, thoughtful type — credulous reporters even describe him as a policy wonk — but his actual economic platform, which relies on the magic of tax cuts to deliver a doubling of America’s growth rate, is pure supply-side voodoo.

And here’s what’s interesting: all indications are that Mr. Bush’s attacks on Mr. Trump are falling flat, because the Republican base doesn’t actually share the Republican establishment’s economic delusions.

On September 10 2015 02:30 Plansix wrote:
Although Trump is a bigoted blow hard that has a bunch of really stupid ideas, at least he isn't peddling the Republican "Economy powered by tax cuts and voodoo magic."

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/07/opinion/paul-krugman-trump-is-right-on-economics.html?_r=0

My favorite part of this:



Delusional is the part that cut taxes for the rich while also going to war across the planet.

On September 10 2015 02:37 Acrofales wrote:

Too bad Eske got himself banned again, but I'm sure Danglars will be here to discredit Krugman in not too much time. It's not like Nobel prize winning economists know anything about the economy, after all.

On September 10 2015 01:32 Plansix wrote:
The level of dumb continues:

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/09/09/us-usa-gaymarriage-kentucky-idUSKCN0R91RC20150909



I like the guy who is just going to issue the licenses and his "Come at me, I'll collect unemployment while I file my wrongful termination action" attitude about it.

On September 10 2015 02:55 Slaughter wrote:


After all the "Davis shouldn't have to quit because of her beliefs" one of her supporters is telling her deputies to quit looooool.

On September 10 2015 02:37 cLutZ wrote:
The problem with the teacher pay arguments I see is that there is really no evidence that we will get much out of it. Per pupil spending is only loosely correlated with student achievement, and when you dig down into those numbers its mostly because at the low end there are really poor rural schools that have poor achievement and school spending tends to simply increase with parental income (the actual important factor). Then at the high end there are extreme outliers that have very high spending with poor performance, mostly being inner city schools.

Then there is the more practical point about current teachers, that their Bachelors/Masters/Doctorate degrees are not the same as the equivalent degrees that you are probably thinking of. They are typically in less competitive academic programs, often at low-tier state schools for the undergraduate degrees. The masters+ degrees are typically from teacher-focused University of Phoenix-esque diploma mills that the teachers obtain solely because it puts them onto a higher pay scale. These teachers cannot be rid of in the current system, and giving them raises is just an expensive windfall.

On September 09 2015 19:41 DarkPlasmaBall wrote:
The average (median) salary for a primary/ secondary teacher in any given state is usually around $50-60K, but keep in mind this is not starting salary... this includes the first-year teachers, and this includes those who have been teaching for 30 years.

Broken down by state, over a few decades, if curious: https://nces.ed.gov/programs/digest/d13/tables/dt13_211.60.asp

I'm fortunate enough to live in New Jersey, where our teachers are some of the best paid in the country... of course, on the other hand, our absurdly high taxes and cost/ standard of living balances that out!

EDIT: If one wishes to talk about prestige, it's certainly one of lower prestige in this country ("Those who can't do, teach"; parents frequently siding with their children over teachers; etc.), whereas many other countries with better educational systems give educators a much higher cultural level of respect and gratitude.

On September 10 2015 03:36 Slaughter wrote:
Year round schooling isn't the part of those educational systems that is causing that. There are a whole list of educational and cultural factors that contribute to higher levels of stress and depression among younger people.

Colorado's unusual tax law is forcing the state to suspend taxes on recreational marijuana for one day.

The sales-tax break on Sept. 16 will shave $20 off the price of a mid-grade ounce of pot in the Denver area, where ounces this summer sell for about $200 before tax.

It's unusual for a state that has many times rejected sales-tax holidays on things like school supplies, clothing or energy-efficient appliances. Officials say it could cost the state $3 million to $4 million.

“At first I was in disbelief we were doing this,” said Cheri Hackett, who owns Botanacare, a dispensary in the Denver suburb of Northglenn. “Once our lawyer said, ‘No, we really are doing this,’ we started getting ready. We're thinking there will be huge crowds.”

Hackett is printing signs to alert customers to the holiday and is trying to boost inventory for a one-day crush of business.

Colorado's Taxpayer's Bill of Rights requires voter approval for new taxes. In 2013, a year after legalizing recreational pot, voters approved the 25 percent taxes. But the law requires that any new taxes be waived and refunded if overall state collections exceed projections given to voters when they approved the new taxes.

In this case, the pot taxes were projected to raise $70 million in 2014. They actually raised $58 million, but because overall tax collections that year exceeded projections, Colorado must ask voters for permission to keep the money. And to comply with the requirement that the taxes revert to zero, lawmakers settled on a short one-day tax waiver.

That day is Sept. 16, one day after the state's books for the previous fiscal year are made final.

Marijuana won't be completely tax-free that day. A regular 2.9 percent sales tax still applies, as do medical marijuana taxes and local pot taxes.

On September 10 2015 03:05 writer22816 wrote:
Seeing all the people supporting Kim Davis, including all the GOP candidates (example: http://www.mikehuckabee.com/FightForReligiousLiberty) , has made me incredibly depressed, maybe because I'm relatively new to following US politics. Where, pray tell, is the attack on Christianity unless your idea of your religious freedom is denying gay people basic human rights? What gives people the unbelievable arrogance to impose their religious beliefs on others? And is Davis really going to continue collecting $80k/year while sitting on her ass doing nothing?

On September 10 2015 03:33 Plansix wrote:
Japan has the highest suicide rate in the world and that rate dips down deep into the teenage demographic. I do not thing emulating a school system with that systemic problem is a winning solution.

Also, teaching degrees are the same as any other degree. The leading states require a minor in education. If you want to teach math, you need to get a master in math by the school that state will accept. Maybe in some dumpster tier states they like online masters through, but that isn't' the case in the leading states.