"Rejoice Dear Hearts"
Page 7
Interspersed with a few tunes, I interviewed her on the air for two and a half hours. I mean, come on! It was Annette! Having become known as “America’s Sweetheart”, she still exuded that untouchable, unknowable virginal innocence I had always associated with female Mouseketeers and all Catholic High School girls.
“M-I-C”—–See you later!”
“K-E-Y”—–Why? Because my body is the Temple of The Holy Ghost
and/or Walt Disney and they won’t share me.”
“M-O-U-S-E!”
But how things change.
Contemporary Disney darlings from the revived “Mickey Mouse Club” (’89 to ’96) included Christina Aguilera and Britney Spears, while Lindsay Lohan starred in Disney’s remake of “The Parent Trap”, “Freaky Friday” and, with a title unintentionally prophetic, “Herbie: Fully Loaded.”
While Annette’s beach movies at their hottest were considered “slightly spicy,” Christina, Britney and Lindsay have left illusions of perpetual celibacy far behind. But the transformation of Disney’s All-American, clean cut, utterly wholesome “Hannah Montana” to the real life Miley Cyrus on this year’s MTV Music Video Awards must have witnessed poor Walt Disney spinning away in his rumored cryogenic chamber faster than light speed squared.
Joining Robin Thicke in live performance of his undisputed #1 Summer of 2013 hit, “Blurred Lines” (introduced to Sierra Star readers in a characteristically predictive column way back in early June), Miley was agonizing in her sad professional determination to turn from sweet to slattern without the talent to pull anything off other than clothing.
What was dependable in the past is dicey in the present.
Ask retirees of International Business Machine, long considered a paragon of corporate stability and trustworthiness.
Here’s a headline from last Sunday’s Huffington Post: “IBM To Move Retirees Off Its Health Plan Due to Rising Costs.” The article went on to explain that 110,000 former employees will shortly have to pay a significant portion of premiums for medical, prescription drug, dental and vision coverage. Other large employers are also moving away from formerly guaranteed health benefits, including American Airlines, as the United States remains the only nation in the entire industrialized world without some form of universal health care for its citizens.
The first serious step in that direction, our Affordable Care Act of 2010, is under renewed attack again by a retrogressive Republican Party determined that only the strongest deserve to survive as a matter of natural order and national priority.
Last week, former President Bill Clinton initiated a series of discussions aimed at explaining various components of the Act, legislation made even more complicated by necessary adjustments, capitulations and compromises demanded by bitter partisan opposition to its passage.
Summing things up, Clinton stated, “The current system is unaffordable and downright unhealthy for millions of Americans” and emphasized, “other prosperous countries cover everybody and do it at far less cost”, even though the United States ranks first “by a country mile” in the percentage of income spent on health care.
Those who scoff at “ObamaCare” are either embarrassingly clueless or intentionally misleading, depending upon the reliable ignorance of “low information voters” to join them in pejorative, mocking dismissal of remarkable, life saving legislation long overdue.
There are times when change is good.
This is one.
Chapter Twenty-Four – “Déjà-Vu All Over Again”
There’s been nothing like it since “The Stand in the Schoolhouse Door.”
And so we witness another futile fight against the unstoppable forces of predestined inevitability.
On June 11, 1963, Governor George Wallace became a national symbol in bold defiance of federal law when he attempted to block the entrance of two black students to Foster Auditorium at the University of Alabama. It was a symbolic effort to honor his inaugural promise to support “segregation now, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever.” Confronted on the spot by Deputy U.S. Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach supported by a phalanx of Federal Marshals, Wallace abandoned his one-man blockade and many years later in 1979 stated, “I was wrong. Those days are over, and they ought to be over.”
Whether House Speaker John Boehner will eventually experience a similar “Road to Damascus” conversion remains to be seen, but he now embarrassingly stands in open rebellion against the expressed will of the American people in abject surrender to the most conservative elements of his hopelessly divided, morally bereft Republican Party.
Even while remaining under attack from ultra-extreme fringes calling for his immediate ouster as Speaker, Boehner announced in an abrupt turnaround that, while still not allowing a House vote on Immigration Reform for fear of instantaneous majority passage, he would yield to Tea Party pressure and approve a vote on defunding The Affordable Care Act of 2010 as the cost of approving a stopgap spending measure.
The government will theoretically run out of money at Midnight September 30th, so you might not have to bother looking for your Social Security check in October if Republicans don’t get their way.
No Medicare payments. Or extended Unemployment Benefits. No Food Stamps for anyone. No Army. No Navy. No Air Force. No government!
Hey, No I.R.S!
Down with all “Takers.”
Up with “Freedom” – finally honestly and openly defined as “keeping all our money instead of paying taxes.”
It’s a matter of principle!
“Limit” government?
Hell, let’s just blow the whole thing up!
Or maybe that won’t happen till a few weeks later in mid-October, when raising the debt ceiling to pay for things already purchased becomes hostage as it did thanks to the GOP in the summer of 2011 – resulting in the first downgrade of credit in U. S. Government history. Factoring everything, a new study by the Bipartisan Policy Center indicates that fiasco will cost taxpayers $18.9 billion over 10 years as a consequence of higher interest rates on government borrowing.
Experts warn that inability to make a deal this time around may well lead to an immediate risk of U.S. government default, a major financial crisis and downward economic momentum well on the road to deep and prolonged recession.
As President Obama properly observes, “We have not seen this in the past, that a budget is contingent on us eliminating a program that was voted on, passed by both chambers of Congress.”
But that’s where we seem to be — locked in a renewed confrontation with fantasy driven, tri-corner hat sporting, Obama hating, pretentiously posturing, self-designated “patriots” who clutch to their hearts a Federal Constitution they seem amazingly incapable of fully understanding, truly appreciating or ultimately defending.
An ever-careening cartoon.
It would be laughable if it were not so terribly tragic.
“Those who stubbornly try to recover a past that no longer exists — they have a static and inward-directed view of things.” “ I have never been a right winger” –
Pope Francis I –New York Times (9/19/13)
Chapter Twenty-Five – “Crossfire”
“Sexist and Infuriating”
Letters to the Editor for 9/19/13 edition of the Sierra Star
Dear Editor,
Mr. Cavanaugh’s column in the Sep. 3, Sierra Star, “Astute politician,” managed to greatly offend members of the Oakhurst Area Chamber of Commerce’s Women in Business. Women in Business is a group of area businesswomen, meeting once a month to network, learn, support and mentor in the business community. We are a diverse group of women. Although we are not a political group, the women encompass a broad spectrum of interests, passions and political opinions.
Women in Business did not, as Mr. Cavanaugh states, “co-sponsor” the recent Economic Development Committee luncheon at which Congressman McClintock was the speaker. He was invited to speak by the chamber on issues relevant to the local economy. We merely hel
d our monthly luncheon at the event. We felt it was a good opportunity to communicate with other business people and to hear the Congressman’s remarks.
As informed citizens should do, we listened and learned in a respectful manner. Our presence at this luncheon certainly did not indicate our support of any or all of the Congressman’s positions. That was not the intent of the luncheon in the first place.
Did Mr. Cavanaugh’s presence indicate he was in agreement with the speaker? That seems to be your logic, Mr. Cavanaugh.
Why Women in Business was singled out (both Rotary clubs were also in attendance) is beyond us. Your assertion that we would place “politics above gender” is sexist, infuriating and unsubstantiated by any facts. Your remarks were misguided and undeserved. We believe a public apology is in order.
Karen V. White, Amy Hogan, co-chairs, Women in Business
Published in the Sierra Star 9/26/13
“Bedtime Manners”
I am happy to respond to Ms. White’s and Ms. Hogan’s request for substantiation of my assertion in the 9/3/13 Sierra Star that characterized sponsorship by “Women in Business” of Congressman McClintock’s recent Oakhurst appearance at the Country Club as having placed “politics above gender.”
As the father of four women and grandfather of four more, I feel it important to herein include without edit the rest of that observation as stated in my column: “–placing politics above gender in their support of McClintock, who refused to vote for the “Equal Pay for Women Act” and the “Violence Against Women Act”, while being completely supportive of the anti-gay “Defense of Marriage Act.”
As far as Ms. White’s and Ms. Hogan’s obvious attempt at now scurrying away to distance themselves from McClintock’s politics — for which he is not asked to apologize — and their expressed chagrin as to why “Women in Business” were “singled out”, I would wish to place into evidence a full-color flyer urging attendance issued by the Oakhurst Chamber of Commerce on August 21st with only “Women in Business” listed in large, bannered, headlined font and no other organization similarly featured or even mentioned.
Referencing the verb “co-sponsored”, I offer the following definition of “sponsor” from the Cambridge American-English Dictionary: “Sponsor – To support a person, organization, or activity by giving money, encouragement, or other help.”
And at the risk of again being labeled “sexist”, I can only suggest Ms. White and Ms. Hogan exercise a bit more caution the next time they jump in bed with an activity — political or otherwise.
Peter Cavanaugh
Oakhurst
Chapter Twenty-Six -- “Lynching a Law”
“We’re not going to be disrespected. We have to get something out of this. And I don’t know what that even is.” — Tea Party Congressman Marlin Stutzman (R-Indiana) offering characteristically definitive insight explaining his vote last week to shut down the government.
“You should be ashamed of yourself!” — Tea Party Congressman Randy Neugebauer (R-Texas) addressing a young female Park Ranger forced to turn back visitors at Washington’s World War Two Memorial — something for which Neaugebauer had voted and was responsible.
“He has no place in any station of government and we need to realize that he is an enemy of humanity” – Tea Party Congressman Trent Franks (R-Arizona), speaking of our President.
The inmates are not only running the asylum, they’re forcefully ruining it.
Any assessment by political poseurs that the shutdown was a consequence of failing to negotiate and compromise completely ignores the stark reality that a handful of bitter, spiteful Obama-haters have successfully leveraged themselves into a command position by fanciful fabrication, skillful manipulation and raw intimidation.
President Obama defined everything succinctly in addressing a Maryland construction company gathering Thursday morning when he called for a simple up or down vote in the House on an already approved Senate Bill that would end the impasse. The President said House Speaker John Boehner could reopen the government and send 800,000 people back to work “in just five minutes”, rightfully declaring that Boehner “doesn’t want to anger the extremists in his party.”
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid went even further condemning Boehner’s refusal to yield to reason, openly calling him “a coward.” Reid also insisted that Boehner was reneging on a prior promise to facilitate a continuing resolution to fund the government without partisan strings attached.
But the Tea Party isn’t interested in simple strings. They want a hangman’s noose around ObamaCare — for some -- second best to one around the man himself.
The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was approved by both houses of Congress and signed into law on March 23, 2010. That was three and a half years ago.
Since that time, the essential features were reviewed and upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court on June 28, 2012.
Running against an opponent who dramatically promised to “end ObamaCare”, the President easily won re-election on November 6, 2012 by trouncing Mitt Romney in the Electoral College 332 to 206 — defeating the former Governor of Massachusetts by more than 5 million votes.
The American people have surely spoken.
But the House of Representatives refused to listen, even though there were almost two million more votes for Democratic House candidates than Republicans nationwide in 2012, but GOP redistricting through state gerrymandering resulted in a Republican House Majority of 234 to 201 in the 113th Congress and has led us to where we are.
And where will you be this weekend?
Mountain Democrats hope you’ll be spending some time at the 2013 Oakhurst Fall Festival on Saturday and Sunday in the Community Park from 10 AM to 4 PM. Stop by our booth to say, “Hi!” and ask any questions you might have about “ObamaCare.” We’ll have answers available and/or information directing you to reliable sources. We happen to believe The Affordable Care Act is an excellent start on providing what every other country in the entire developed world has enjoyed except us — until now.
It’s good for you and long overdue.
Like fine wine & tasty chocolates!
Chapter Twenty-Seven – “Accountability Thirty-Ought-Six”
$24 billion flushed down the drain, but Ted Cruz gained his fleeting fame.
That seems to be bottom line for the disastrous Tea Party Slam Down that brought our Federal government to a wrenching halt for 16 painful days, continuing right up to a last second Congressional deal avoiding chaotic global consequences, possibly concluding with catastrophic collapse.
Standard and Poor’s, a highly regarded, non-partisan financial services company, says the debacle has also reduced projected fourth-quarter GDP growth from 3% to 2.4%, a significant blow to our national economic health. Here in the foothills, an extensive article in Friday’s Fresno Bee cited such specifics as revenue cut in half at Todd’s Barbeque in Oakhurst, a reservation cancellation rate of 90% at the Gateway Restaurant and Lodge just outside Sequoia National Park and similarly stark developments at the Narrow Gauge Inn near the southern entrance to Yosemite. All told, over a half million business bucks were blown here in Madera County alone.
One of the most disturbing aspects of our first Federal shutdown in 17 years, now ranked as possibly the most severe ever, were the well-worn canards, clichés and quaint commentaries emerging from an oftentimes seemingly clueless general public.
A now famous and clearly catalytic NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll published October 10th demonstrated a decisive majority of voters blamed Republicans more than Democrats for the suspension of services. Less reported was the fact that an astounding sixty percent also said that they would vote and replace every single member of Congress, including their own representative, if such action was possible.
“Government sucks.”
“They need to get along.”
“Everyone is to blame.”
False equivalency is the sign of a sluggish mind.
While a requirement to pay taxes is important, the need to pay attention is even more imperative.
Watching Fox News is not paying attention.
Updated studies confirm that those watching FOX are less informed than those watching no news at all. That doesn’t mean FOX viewers are stupid – just unknowingly susceptible to cynical, ratings-driven programming that elevates form over substance. Human nature finds comfort in the confirmation of righteous pre conviction. Ask Bill O’Reilly on his way to the bank.
But turning off TV and referring to our President as a “tyrant”, “thug” or “disgrace” is insipidly, abysmally lazy and hateful – demonstrating not only pungently pretentious posturing, but shameful ignorance of information easily accessible from a multitude of alternative media sources.
Our own Congressman Tom McClintock (R-California) shares direct responsibility for all of the horrors recently encountered in the Tea Party Fiasco and should be held appropriately accountable.
His Republican colleague, Devin Nunes (R-California) said it perfectly in voting to reopen the government along with seven fellow GOP California representatives. Nunes exclaimed, “No more lemmings!” — having earlier described colleagues who were willing to bring about the shut down as “lemmings with suicide vests.”
I’m hoping that Devin can convince his furry friend, Tom, to agree with Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) and publicly confess that any similar actions in the future should be judged as hopelessly irresponsible.
In an interview Thursday, McConnell admitted that his party had learned a painful political lesson. He said he saw no reason to go through the agony again in January 2014 when the current stopgap measure is set to expire.
Quoting McConnell: “One of my favorite old Kentucky sayings is there’s no education in the second kick of a mule. The first kick of the mule was when we shut down the government in the mid-1990s and the second kick was over the last 16 days. There will not be another government closing. I think we have fully now acquainted our new members with what a losing strategy that is.”