Now that Trump has declared a national emergency at the border with Mexico, I thought we should discuss national emergencies. I will briefly describe the National Emergencies Act and its key provisions.
Law and Politics
Capital Gains Taxes Explained
It has been a long time since I’ve written a nerdy post. So, I needed to exercise that need.
Capital Gains taxes aren’t a sexy topic by any means; however, understanding a little about capital gains taxes will help you understand how rigged the system is in favor of wealthy. It’s things, like capitals gains taxes, that have caused me to be as progressive as I have become.
Border Residents Don’t Want the Wall
The US-Mexico border runs through four states: Arizona; California; New Mexico; and Texas. There are nine Congressional districts on the border. In April of 2017, the Wall Street Journal polled all 17 members of Congress representing border districts and states and couldn’t find a single person who supported Trump’s wall. At the time, Trump was requesting 1.4 billion dollars to begin constructing the wall and no member of Congress representing people living on the border wanted to pay. Now, Trump wants 5.7 billion dollars for the wall and has shut down part of the government to try and get his way.
Interesting Ballot Questions Around America
In earlier posts, I covered the statewide ballot questions in Oregon and the local ballot questions In Portland. As the title indicates, this post is about some of the interesting ballot questions around America.
Knute Buehler’s Record
This post will not contain any opinion or commentary; furthermore, this post does not indorse nor discredit any political candidate. The purpose of this post is to give Oregonians information about Knute Buehler’s voting record during his time in the Oregon Legislature.
Being white, rich, and Living in a Blue State is Good
The Census Bureau released two critical reports demonstrating a lot about American society in 2017. Together, they highlight the widening gap between the rich and those living in poverty, the advantages of living in blue states, and the racism that still dominates much of American life.
Scott Taylor has Disgraced the Navy Seals
Scott Taylor is a Republican elected to represent Virginia’s 2n Congressional district in 2016. After his 22-point victory and armed with his military service, Taylor was seen as a rising star. Now, Taylor faces the prospect of a criminal indictment related to election fraud.
Changing the Speaker
A bipartisan group of lawmakers is considering rules changes in the House that make a ton of sense. Specifically, they want to make sure the speaker of the house is a bipartisan position.
Ranked Choice Voting Explained
ranked choice voting (RCV) is currently being used in six countries:
The Events Around the Death of Martin Luther King
On April 4, 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated as he stood on a second-story balcony at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. A bullet struck Dr. King in the jaw and severed his spinal cord. Dr. King was 39 years old when he was murdered.