My Road Trip to Take Back the House in 2018 recently took me to California’s 25th Congressional District to meet with Katie Hill. Katie previously served as the Executive Director for the largest homeless services organization in the state of California and is concerned that everything she has worked for could be turned upside-down by Trump and his cronies in the GOP. Katie wants to put a check on Donald Trump’s dangerous agenda, and the only way to do that is for Democrats to Take Back the House in 2018!
https://www.facebook.com/frank.schaeffer.16/videos/1160539324076172/
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I’ll be donating to her campaign. I really like what she stands for.
A suggestion … not knowing where you reside ..
Keep your money and your activism local .
I hear you! The way I see things is that while I absolutely do keep (for the most part) both my money and my activism local… From time to time, and in lieu of being able to participate locally, I will also donate to an out of state candidate’s campaign, as for example Doug Jone’s.
Gotcha …… and aint it a hoot the way big bad Roy Moore’s whining like a baby who’s binky’s been taken away ?
FYI … seen headline in the WP over the weekend in regards to Jone’s legal and legitimate win ?
” Thank you Steve Bannon for helping to elect a Democrat ”
.. and in the NYTimes .. ” Steve Bannon the alt rights political “genius ” helps the Democrats with some major wins and upsets “
Dear Margarita Abadie:
I’ll vote for the candidate when she demands…
–An immediate halt to all foreclosures and evictions!
–Restructuring of all mortgages at affordable levels, indexed to income and employment status!
–Placing the home-building and financing industry under public ownership!
–Investment of hundreds of billions from public funds tp construct new homes and apartments, and to renovate existing buildings!
Blessed Christmastide!
Yeah well gdd .. I’d expect no less from an immature pseudo intellectual communist hiding under the cloak of liberation theology deluding him/herself into thinking somehow they’re on higher ground … when in realty they’re burrowing themselves into the dirt causing more problems than they ever intended to solve
By the way gdd … knowing your agenda as I do .. pray tell … when has it ever worked for the better … NOT causing more problems than it intended to resolve ?
Tell you what … I’ll eliminate the obvious for you and then you can try and take it from there . Y’all game ? Ot just .. gamey ?
Russia – fail
China – fail
Cuba – fail
South American – fail
Central America – fail
Indochina – fail
Italy Greece and Spain – fail
Portugal – fail
And again gdd … thanks .. for helping Trump to take over the Whitehouse .. as you sat on your pretentious buttocks thinking yourself somehow … superior
Dear Margarita Abadie and TJ Martin:
Rejecting outright a socialist response to the US housing crisis, you proffer ‘socialist failure’ narrative, and GOP-style attacks about ‘typical system abusers’ and ‘tenants from hell.’ As if to say, ‘there’s no helping “those” people.’
A better reply would counterpoise Ms. Hill’s plan or your own. But solutions are not forthcoming from Capitalism. And if the petty bourgeoisie doesn’t believe the political wet dreams it peddles for proletarian consumption, why should anyone else believe it?
After joining insult and imprecation to what seemingly becomes his personal signature, TJ Martin struggles to discuss anything BUT the housing crisis. In reply to his GOP ‘failed socialism’ propaganda, and Ms. Abadie’s ‘it doesn’t work that way,’ consider the successes of Capitalism.
The record cold wave extending from the Upper Midwest and through the Great Lakes and into New England has contributed to numerous deaths this weekend. Deaths due to hypothermia were reported in Chicago, Cincinnati, Rapid City and Ogden.
Kenneth Martin, a homeless man, was found dead in a bus stop in Cincinnati. In Rapid City SD, Alan Jack was found dead outdoors early Christmas morning. Verna Marriott, a 79 year old woman, was found dead in Ogden, UT. These are Capitalism’s successes.
Greater numbers die from house fires triggered by space heaters or other unsafe methods of keeping warm in severe weather. Two fires in eastern Iowa over the weekend killed 9 people and 4 children. Four people died in a house fire early Christmas Day in Blue Grass, west of Davenport, IA. Another fire in a Davenport mobile home killed a mother and her four children. Two children were killed in a house fire in East Franklin, northeast of Pittsburgh.
City after city across the US reports record annual death tolls among the homeless. On Dec 21, Memorial services were held in several hundred cities to mark the many deaths of homeless people over the year. This year alone, Los Angeles – the center for US homelessness – saw 805 homeless deaths this year, up from 719 in 2016. These are Capitalism’s successes.
Regime supporters boast that the US is the world’s most developed economy. Yet it is unable and unwilling to provide even the most basic rudiments of life as food and shelter to those in desperate conditions. The ‘economic growth’ of the wealthy coexists with and is indeed built upon the penury of the masses. This is Capitalism’s success.
The petty bourgeoisie belies its utter contempt for the working class with its shameless ‘helping Trump to take over the Whitehouse’ rhetoric. GW Bush used the same, classic bullying behavior in his fictitious War against Terror’ and his infamous ‘you’re with us or with the terrorists’ lie.
An arsonist and an accomplice set a building ablaze, condemning ten people to die. They flee the scene. But the accomplice returns and rescues five of the ten, only condemning them to be his indentured servitude for life. No one has any responsibility to stand by either of these figures. Yet TJ Martin wants us to believe that unless we decorate the accomplice as a hero, we side with the arsonist.
No one is responsible for supporting the petty bourgeoisie/Democrat attacks on the working class.
A blessed Christmastide to all!
Gdd… Believe me! I get that you care about the homeless. So do I.
Sadly, in your fervor, you missed the part where I told you that I work for “the” leading tenant advocating law firms in my city and that as such, I do know a thing or two about the housing issue.
For the record, the homeless do not represent what I called the tenants and/or roommates from hell, the reason being is that they are already on the streets. A separate issue altogether.
But to clarify, your “proverbial” tenant from hell are those who either because of their own financial difficulties but more often because of their willful disregard of others (part of what constitutes the negative spectrum of human nature) will pay you your first month plus your security deposit, and then proceed to live rent free, oftentimes wrecking the premises, up until one can evict them on average a whole 8 months later, during which time the landlord is unable to collect any rent and yet must continue to meet his/her mortgage payments.
The same goes for the proverbial roommate from hell, that being someone who moves into your home with or without having made an upfront payment, and then proceeds to drive you nuts, oftentimes even holding you hostage in your own bedroom for months on end, while you must still pay your rent, and/or are forced to move out because you get evicted for not being able to pay your own rent.
And just like the examples above, there are so many other things that go on, that would make a “one size fits all” solution totally not viable in the real world.
” All sorts of torturers, dictators, fanatics, and demagogues struggling for power by way of a few loudly shouted slogans also enjoy their jobs, and they too perform their duties with inventive fervor. Well, yes, but they “know.” They know, and whatever they know is enough for them once and for all. They don’t want to find out about anything else, since that might diminish their arguments’ force. And any knowledge that doesn’t lead to new questions quickly dies out: it fails to maintain the temperature required for sustaining life. In the most extreme cases, cases well known from ancient and modern history, it even poses a lethal threat to society ”
Wistawa Szymborska
Gdd… In theory, it all sounds very altruistic… However, in practice, it doesn’t work that way. I know this because I work for the top tenant layers, in what could best be described, as one of the most, if not “the” most, progressive and diverse cities in the country, where yes! Tenants are losing their homes to gentrification and all that goes along with that, but where you also have among them your typical system abusers who become the tenants and/or roommates from hell. The truth of the matter is that housing, as is human nature is way more complex than what most realize, making for that one can’t come up with a single “one size fits all” solution that addresses all issues.
Dear Margarita Abadie:
[Regarding yours below, I reply…].
Ms. Hill has worked on ‘significant legislation’ addressing homelessness and affordable public housing in her localities. Well and good! What did said legislation propose? We’re not told.
I’m not unaware of the ‘system abusers/tenants from hell’ [your lingo, not mine]. These issues are partly remedied by visiting the crises in health care and mental health, drug and alcohol abuse, unemployment, hunger, lack of education, and more. There will always be those needing more structure to live well. Hence, social services, case workers, etc.
Here’s the kicker: it is impossible to address seriously even one, major social issue without breaking the political and economic stranglehold of the financial oligarchy over society. What would happen to any serious effort reform this state of affairs, to pursue even a modest reallocation of social resources within the framework of the capitalist system? What would happen if you acted to ensure that all people received the basic nutrition, health care, housing and education?
You would meet inevitably massive and overwhelming opposition by the financial oligarchy, which controls all levers of the state power, and has at its disposal not only the courts and politicians, but more decisively, the police and the army.
Socialists dare to publish bold policy solutions to expose that system of repression and to call for resistance against it.
I respect that many case-by case adjustments will be needed, but the unavailability of a ‘one size fits all’ solution no argument against having some policy resolution to the homeless crisis.
It is oft said that when social evolution is impossible, social revolution becomes inevitable. There is no way to avoid the necessity to expropriate the wealth of the fiscal oligarchy to address rising suffering of humanity.
If you disagree, if you reject the socialist framework for addressing the homeless crisis, if you reject my claim that no serious policy solution to any major crisis is possible while the ruling elite shapes the economic life on this planet, give us what Ms. Hill withheld from us! Publish your own plan as the starting point for discussion.
You must start somewhere, Margarita Abadie.
I saw the tenant advocacy first time around. Rather than reply, I waited to see if more information was forthcoming.
I still am.
Christmastide blessings!
With the exception of finding solutions within the communist framework, I have not rejected anything that you have proposed. Mostly, because all you are doing is parroting what you believe are sticking points, but as of yet have not offered any form of a viable solution that you have thought of yourself, and instead keep waiting and even demanding that others do it for you.
But to start, being that you have claimed to so passionately care about the plight of the homeless my question to you is: Aside from believing that expropriating the wealth of the fiscal oligarchy to address the rising suffering of humanity… What exactly have you done to mitigate the homeless crisis? Have you actually reached out to a homeless person on the street and offered him/her shelter in your own home? Have you volunteered any of your time and/or contributed in any way to help save tenants from eviction who can’t afford any legal fees, or at the very least buy them on average about an extra year at their current residence while the whole eviction process goes through the courts? Have you ever volunteered at a homeless shelter and/or thought of making a small donation to those who legally battle racial and social injustice such as: Sothern Poverty Law Center
https://www.splcenter.org/
If you haven’t… Then what are you waiting for? For me to stop doing all these things (15 years and counting) so that you can take my place?
Dear Margarita Abadie:
To start I ask, ‘why reject out of hand a policy remedy for the homeless crisis simply because of its socialist orientation.’ If such a policy, together with the supports I elaborated, makes great strides in addressing this crisis, why wouldn’t we accept it? I’ve done many things over the years, although my activities were always much more in the refugee direction.
But again, this isn’t about personal efforts, as necessary and rewarding as those are. Nor is it my intention to minimize the import or gracious character of your work. But beyond this, we need a national policy response to homelessness. I realize that is can be discomforting to be asked to produce such a policy; but this is necessary to make the point that this issue cannot be addressed under our system of political economy.
Sympathetic gestures meant to create illusions about relief to come if particular campaigns are supported must be rejected. Policies must be DEMANDED, and parties that refuse to publish them must be abandoned at every level.
Christmastide blessings!
Speaking of campaigns ;
Seems ole Roy Moore’s having a hard time despite his claims to being a Christian accepting the fact that it was .. in his world view .. God’s will that he not win the election ( Roy Moore is suing to contest the results )
Ironic aint it that when the christofascist Right wins its always God’s will and everyone else needs to accept it … but when they lose .. somehow it is is not … and suddenly God needs their help in order to accomplish His will .
Sigh … just gotta love the christofascist cult addled by the gospel of Ayn Rand that todays evangelical and fundamentalist christianity ( small case ‘ c’ intentional ) has become
I heard about that one! Poor old Roy Moore … Him so angry … and him so butthurt, that in his rage him filed him’s lawsuit in the wrong court! Him is the epitome of the sore loser!
LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL LOL
Poor thing indeed! Don’t you know all his fundie fanatic friends are consoling him by saying it was an attack from Satan because he is such a Good Christian man and Satan hates all those moral Christian values he represents. So Satan had to send a posse of ‘sluts’ to lie and defame his Godly character. I’m sure Leigh Corfman and the others can tell you all about his Christian values!
And not just “blissful” It was also extraordinarily UPLIFTING!!!! An experience I would highly recommend to all women.
A small correction if I may Stacey… It wasn’t a posse of “sluts” … It was a whole army of “sluts.”
And by that, I mean that if there ever was an election that proves the power of women… Alabama would be it. Everything from those brave souls that went public with their sexual assaults (a very hard and traumatic thing to do, given that when it comes to rape… it’s always the “victim’s” fault), all the black women who voted, to all the out of state women who organized and paid for a vast fleet of drivers to go to Alabama and drive local folks to and from the polls.
Just goes to show you what can be accomplished when people get off their @rses, get involved, organize, and take direct action!
Having been sexually assaulted myself back in 2004, it is indeed a very traumatic thing to go through. People are always second guessing every move you made and everything you did leading up to the assault. I managed to outsmart my attacker and get away with minimal injuries. Unfortunately, it is very hard to convince a jury unless you are physically mangled from head to toe. The worst part is all the secondary victimization that comes from ignorant people saying stupid things. I ended up leaving a job and career because of all the talk and embarrassment. I am very proud of those women who came forward. Not an easy thing to do at all.
I was raped by my pastor when I was 13 years old who told me that if I said something about it no one would believe me. And so it was…
I never forgot that self-righteous arrogance in his tone and that climatic smugness in his demeanor … when months later… after all that I had gone through because of HIM… he just “had” to rub it in… as do all abusers… and stick it to me that he had “warned” me about what would happen if I told on him.
People can say whatever they want about me, but when I see that smugness… I recognize it. And when I saw that same arrogant smugness in Roy Moore’s demeanor as he callously lied about and dismissed his accusers… I was like: “You… Bastard!!!”
Long of it short was being that we have all learned the price and consequences of people not voting … I turned my indignation towards those who could mobilize folks to go to Alabama and help out locally to get people to the polls so that they could vote that bastard out.
Anyhow… All that done and said… and after having missed out (shoulder injury) on what would have been an awesome road trip for me, I can’t begin to express the vindication I felt when finally at about 11:00 PM that day it was announced that Doug Jones had won the election. Indeed, it felt so incredibly gooooooooooooood… The felling is beyond description. And when my friends got back home … I can’t begin to express the spirit of camaraderie that took over us, as we hugged and congratulated each other, and started jumping up and down in sheer joy together. It was trully blissful!
And not just “blissful” It was also extraordinarily UPLIFTING!!!! An experience I would highly recommend to all women.
All in all the best bang for your buck all $75 worth of it, that I have ever spent! Can’t wait to do it again!!!
And poor ole Roy Moore is still gripping about it!
Giving me all the “bigger” … “better” and “best” …. bang for my buck yet!!!
Oh… The Joys!!!!
LOL
I know that smugness too. When I see someone like that now, I know to stay the hell away. I saw it earlier today in 2 guys who walked into where I work. So greasy and slimy in their demeanor. Then a short time afterwards, I met a very distinguished war hero, Sammy L. Davis, who is real gentleman and true hero. The real deal. You can google his name. He has wikipedia entry. It was amazing getting to meet such a wonderful person! People like that help me to remember to focus on the good in the world. Sometimes I’m guilty of looking too much at the bad.
Dear Frank Schaeffer and Katie Hill:
It is impossible to seriously address a single major social issue without breaking the political and economic stranglehold of the financial oligarchy over society.
Christmastide blessings!
A quote from Guiseppe Francesco d’Canali … Italian resistance fighter , hero of WWII … along with being one of the major forces that drove the communist party out of Italy in the late 70’s
” The only thing worse than a fascist is a communist . Why ? Because at least with a fascist you know his only agenda is to rule your life to his advantage . Whereas the communist pretends to be on your side and on the side of the workers when in truth their sole agenda is to rule your life to their advantage are well “
Dr. Martin,
Just an excellent quote:
” The only thing worse than a fascist is a communist . Why ? Because at least with a fascist you know his only agenda is to rule your life to his advantage . Whereas the communist pretends to be on your side and on the side of the workers when in truth their sole agenda is to rule your life to their advantage are well “
Well.
tis it not in the “owners” advantage to have harmony as he manages his property?
did he not come to free the slaves?
course I think I might have got that wrong he he….
I wish to live in peace. To do right to my Family and friends and Neighbors as I see war and carnage in our American streets as it were….
The old time republicans that I know all say how can we fix this in our local community?
And so just an opinion of course from one of Americas parasites on social security,
I think that all Americans should simply be independents now and vote always by what is right and what is wrong.
And for now America is so out of balance we should pull the lever for that democratic party just for now….
The more progressive the candidate the better and self funded all the better…
Who shall watch the Budget?
Why we have our dear mr bryson for that…he…he….
Would trust Bryson with the budget in my town….
N
Dear TJ Martin:
Quotes can be found taking any line on any subject imaginable.
Present a serious policy remedy for a solitary, major social issue under our political-economic system and you’ve got me. If you don’t like mine [above on this page], present a better plan!
Christmastide blessings!
Just an opinion of course…
Got old and can no longer work and so I think its time to move to a less expensive area of America and so I agree with our dear Mr. Bryson as if one can not afford to live one should move to a cheaper area and so I am looking at my options.
I have a sizeable sum of money tied up in my local community as I see them so out of balance as my community is 99.99999 percent Republican Trump hard core supporters.
I do love them dearly yet I see America changing so and I wish to be an example to my children as a leader in my local community yet where I currently live that is quite impossible as I am such a social liberal as I believe that health care is a human right and income inequality is totally out of hand as housing is totally unaffordable for working class families and I could go on yet I love my dear republican neighbors so….
I think it is time to move on and reinvest my money elsewhere yet it is not just me but an entire family that will be affected by such a move to a new area.
Ah yes, the women must remain silent and do as I say…many bible believers say…its best to have harmony in any house I say…
My twenty year old dear daughter is all for the move as she hates our dear stuffy old hateful community as I tell her we have many many good people here.
All politics is local as Tip O’Neil once quipped…
we will fuck you in the next election
Our dear Frank took a page out of Tip’s book he he..
Lov
Nine