And so it begins… this country is more polarized today than at any time since the Civil War. Back then it was the North vs. the South. Today, it’s the Left vs. the Right.

How do you know the Trump Administration is lying (or presenting alternative facts)?
Their lips are moving.

Donald Trump said the day he is inaugurated President; all crime will stop in America. Did anyone read Lost Coast Outpost’s arrest report for January 20th? Guess the criminals didn’t get that memo.

From Donald Trump’s 2017 inaugural speech: “This American carnage stops right here and stops right now.”

Wow, I feel inspired! Can anyone tell me what carnage he’s referring to? Like most things with Trump, it’s big on fear and very little on specifics, a lot like The Left here in Humboldt. So why are the majority of citizens afraid of a Donald Trump White House administration? Maybe it’s the Draconian policies being proposed.

-Health Care-

One of President Donald Trump’s first Executive Orders was to gut the Affordable Care Act. In California, 49 (mostly rural) of the state’s 58 counties almost 25% of the residents are enrolled in Medi-Cal, California’s Medicaid program, which the Affordable Care Act (AKA: Obamacare) expanded.

Here in Humboldt County 39% of our citizens are enrolled in Medi-Cal and over 18,000 were added thanks to ACA. 55% of Tulare County and almost 50% of Kern County’s citizens are enrolled in Medi-Cal. Shit rolls downhill and now every county across the nation will now bear the costs of the indigent who just lost their health care coverage.

For me it’s personal. I have an adult child who is attending college (UCLA). Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, my daughter Molly can be on our family health plan till she’s 26. Like many of you, she has a pre-existing condition. What happens if we revert back to pre-Obama care days where once your dependent child turns 19 they are automatically dropped off the family plan? Pre-existing condition? Forget it. No private health insurance company will touch you except at an exorbitant monthly premium. Am I a little concerned? Hell yeah!

20 million Americans are about to lose their health insurance coverage.

How about defunding Planned Parenthood? While many Republicans are claiming Planned Parenthood does nothing more than “kill babies”, the facts are only 3% of Planned Parenthood’s budget goes towards abortion services. The majority of Planned Parenthood’s spending is on screening and treating STDs, contraception and cancer screening.

Speaking of which, with President Trump appointing a new Supreme Court Justice, Roe v. Wade will be in the news shortly.

-Immigration-

On the campaign trail, President Trump promised to deport millions of criminal undocumented immigrants. Only problem is, he hasn’t defined “criminal.” Technically, someone who entered this country illegally is a criminal and half of Central Valley’s farm workers are illegal immigrants. FYI: The Central Valley produces 25 percent of our nation’s food supply. Just curious, how many of you would rather bend over all day picking strawberries or would you rather buy a pack at your local grocery store?

Trump has promised to eliminate DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) which allowed for children under the age of 16 who entered this country illegally to apply for work permits and a two year (renewable) deferment on deportation.

About that wall that Trump is gonna build along our 2,000 mile border with Mexico and make them pay for it… do you still believe in his campaign promises?

How about his promise to suspend Syrian refugee admissions, which just might lead to banning all Muslims from entering this country and while we’re at it, how about deporting all Muslims from America. There. Ya happy now?

-Commerce-

Also from Trump’s inaugural speech: “Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength” along with “We will get our people off of welfare and back to work.”

On Trump’s first day in office he promised to tear up the TPP (Trans-Pacific Partnership) and NAFTA (North America Free Trade Alliance) and label China a currency manipulator and start a trade war with our largest trading partner by adding tariffs on all imported Chinese products.

Ever since LBJ’s “Great Society” government has thrown money at the lower income strata with almost zero increase in their standard of living. Looks like under the Trump administration you can either get a job or go hungry. No more free-loaders on welfare, SSI, Cal Fresh, HUD Section-8, etc., etc.

-Energy-

President Trump nominated Rick Perry, the former Governor of Texas to the Secretary of Energy. This is the same Rick Perry who vowed to eliminate the Department of Energy, but forgot this fact during a 2012 Republican presidential debate.

Even more amusing is he named Scott Pruitt, the Oklahoma Attorney General as head of the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency). This man has filed 14 lawsuits against the EPA and now he will be heading this organization. Can you imagine someone who is supposed to be leading your agency, while at the same time is suing your agency?

Look for the Keystone XL Pipeline and Dakota Access Pipeline to begin flowing freely.

-Cabinet-

Trump nominated Rex Tillerson, the CEO of Exxon/Mobil as his Secretary of State. He only got $180 million as his Golden Parachute.

Trump nominated Steven Mnuchin, a former Goldman Sachs partner and head of a hedge fund as his Secretary of Treasury.

Trump nominated Andrew Puzder, the CEO of CKE Restaurants (Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s) as Labor Secretary. He wants machines to replace workers because, “they’re always polite, they never take a vacation, they never show up late, there’s never a slip-and-fall, or an age, sex or race discrimination case.” He’s also against any increase to the minimum wage.

Trump nominated Betsy DeVos as the Secretary of Education. This woman supports private religious and charter schools and is not a fan of public schools. Ms. DeVos is the daughter-in-law of the founder of Amway and the sister of Eric Prince, the founder of Blackwater (private security contractors).

Trump nominated Linda McMahon as the head of SBA (Small Business Administration). Why does that name sound familiar? Her husband, Vince McMahon was the CEO of WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment) and had his head shaved by Donald Trump. Of course, the $7 million they gave to the Trump campaign probably didn’t hurt.

How’s that swamp draining so far?

-Military-

More from Trump’s inaugural speech: “… unite the civilized world against radical Islamic terrorism, which we will eradicate completely from the face of the earth.”

Are we gonna nuke the entire Middle East or send million of boots on the ground? Do your kids and grandkids speak Arabic and/or Farsi? Are your sons and daughters ready to spend the next ten years fighting another war overseas?

On the bright side, here is Assembly Democrats Open Letter to Californians (including our own Jim Wood)

-Women’s March-

Thank you to all who showed up and marched this past weekend. There were about four gazillion (alternative facts) marchers in Eureka alone. The key is to make this a movement, not a moment like Occupy. My only complaint was if you’re going to have your children with you, clean up the signs, maybe a little less profanity. We can also do without the anarchists creating their usual havoc.

-Humboldt County Planning Commission-

Humboldt County has a new Planning Commissioner as Brian Mitchell was just appointed for Lee Ulansey’s at-large position. Thank you Mr. Ulansey for your four years of service. Now let’s get this General Plan update finished.

More alternative facts: for those speakers who kept complaining about Planning Commissioner Ulansey donating to County Supervisors, where were you when former County Supervisors Bonnie Neely and Cliff Clendenen received campaign contributions from Planning Commissioners?

Hey, Eureka City Council – we’re watching you!

(Don’t ya just love it when someone says something like that to you?)

My thoughts on the Eureka City Council’s recently passed “Human Rights Resolution” and what it will actually accomplish.

Affirming human rights: How is the City of Eureka not currently doing this? Are we burning heretics at the stake? Do we still have slavery? Resettlement camps? Separate drinking fountains for White and Colored? Heck, today that’s more likely for Democrats and Republicans.

Inclusiveness: Tell me how is the City of Eureka not being inclusive? I’ll remind you we recently had five women on the Eureka City Council, one openly gay and one Hispanic. What’s not inclusive about that?

Environmental sustainability: If you can tell me what this means without me laughing and how this relates to the City of Eureka, I’m all ears. Are they putting solar panels on the roof at City Hall? Are all City vehicles now gonna be hybrids? No flush urinals? Do all City employees now have to start riding bicycles to work? Are we gonna start growing our own fruits and vegetables at a community garden for the entire city? Is this the same City Council that allowed the vagrants to trespass on the Palco Marsh for ten years and create an environmental nightmare?

Affordable health care: Outside of the five elected City Councilmembers who can purchase City subsidized health insurance, how is the City of Eureka gonna provide affordable health care? With the Republicans gutting the Affordable Care Act and still not bringing forth a “better plan” after seven years, short of Jesus doing a sequel, we’re about to revert to those at the bottom of the health care strata using the Emergency Room as their primary care with zero ability to pay for services.

Religious freedom: This ain’t Germany 1933 and last I checked the Constitution of the United States is still in place. All religions are welcome here as long as they don’t preach flying planes into buildings and violence.

Why don’t they pass a resolution for peace in the Middle East? Or no nukes in Eureka? Here’s a simple question: what changed the day before the City Council passed this resolution versus the day after? This resolution is nothing more than words that pander to their base. It was red meat that sounds wonderful to the Regressives, but accomplishes absolutely nothing. It’s like we’re all sitting in a circle, burning incense, passing the bong, while singing “Kumbaya”.

I’ll remind you of the visceral words I get from the anonymous Left in the Lost Coast Outpost comments section and from a current Eureka City Councilmember (who voted YES on this resolution) who called me a “douchebag” on Facebook until her handlers said, “You can’t call people names in public” and she deleted that post. Not exactly respectful, huh? Ball less monkeys will always get keyboard courage when anonymous. This resolution won’t change any of that. The rude will continue to be rude, ‘cuz that’s what they do.

Next up from our progressive majority City Council will be a Sanctuary City Resolution, then a Big Box Ordinance, ‘cuz we have to keep Walmart out of Eureka.

Notice you’re not seeing anything about balancing the budget, bringing more living wage jobs to Eureka, making sure we have fully staffed public safety positions, filling the potholes on our streets or what they’re doing to deal with the social ills in public?

Feeling better now? Sing with me, “Kumbaya my lord. Kumbaya…”