Claims And Issues

HOW DO YOU THINK YOU GOT HERE, JOE?

I have been putting in quite a few hours since November 3rd working to get the two Democratic Senate candidates elected in the Georgia runoff.

I stopped and listened to an audio tape of Joe Biden this morning.  He was giving a speech which was not public, but which was recorded anyway.  He was asked if he would 'advance the Progressive agenda by executive action,' and he replied that he would not because he would only exercise the powers of president that are granted by the Constitution.

Fair enough, as far as it goes.

Then Joe added something he did not have to say.  He attacked Progressives, saying that the other side (apparently meaning his opponents) had 'smeared us' with the charge 'that we were saying, "defund the police,'" and said that's why Democratic Senate and House candidates were not re-elected or elected as he and many of the rest of us had hoped.

I call BS.

Joe, your opponents used the same "defund the police" claim against you, and you won. 

More than that, Joe, your opponents called you a "socialist," and you won.

You were fortunate in the choice of your opponent, as they say, Joe.

The Democratic candidates for other offices lost more than they should have, or at least more than many of us expected, because they did not have a message.  They could not respond to charges that they wanted to "defund the police" and that they were "socialists" because they didn't have a message.  That is why they lost.

Progressives did not lose their seats.  They too were accused of wanting to defund the police and being socialists, but they did not lose. 

Instead, Joe, Progressives turned out in numbers to support you.  Progressives and the choice of your opponent gave you the win, not rich people who want a return to power.  None of us long for the return of the Clintonistas or, for that matter, for a third Obama term.

We have been hoping for fresh faces and new programs.

But if all you have to offer is the same tired people and their programs, then why should any of us work to elect a Senate that will work with you to restore the same tired people and their programs to power over us?  They did not do such a good job for people who are not rich and elitist.

They are responsible for the Occupant you ran against.  But they are not responsible for the fact that your race was successful.  Get your stuff together, Joe.  The face of your party has changed, the policies your party wants are different from the past.

If you think differently, there may be no reason to work so hard to elect the Democratic Senatorial candidates from Georgia.

Please read the disclaimer.  ©2020 Dennis J. Wall.  All rights reserved.

FOLLOW THE VACCINE MONEY.

(Bernat Armangue / Associated Press)

 

Vaccine distributors Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca are the Big Three in the race to promote vaccines.

Pfizer and Moderna are pretty certain to make the most money.  They have the inside track on having their vaccines purchased from governments.  Already, Pfizer's vaccine is now being bought by Britain for some form of distribution in the U.K.

Here's what the Big Three have reportedly said and contracted to do with regard to their vaccine sales in the U.S. and across the world.

PFIZER

The current U.S. federal government pre-ordered doses of Pfizer's  vaccine.  The federal taxpayers are paying, but for what price remains to be found.  Additional charges:  Free to the first 100 million doses, $20.00 charge to each user, added on to the contract price Pfizer charged to the American administration.

As is now being widely reported, Pfizer's vaccine treatment requires two (2) doses.

MODERNA

Moderna also contracted with the current federal government relative to its vaccines.  The amount Moderna is going to charge will depend on how much is ordered, but the range Moderna announced is $10.00 to $50.00 per dose, apparently after the lower-cost doses purchased by the current federal government are administered.

"The U.S. has secured 100 million doses for Americans at the cost of $15 per dose."  Higher prices are expected as the government programs come to an end. 

Moderna too requires two (2) doses of its vaccine.

AstraZeneca

AstraZeneca has agreed that the current U.S. regime can buy its vaccine for something less than $4.00 per dose.

Less effective than either Pfizer or Moderna report in press releases so far, AstraZeneca has done something that neither Pfizer or Moderna has done, or will do:  AstraZeneca announced that its vaccine will be sold at cost "in perpetuity" to the developing world.

AstraZeneca belongs to a group called Colvax which aims to distribute Two Billion doses to 92 low- and middle-income countries with a price cap of $3.00 per dose.

Pfizer has not joined the Colvax vaccine distribution initiative.

Neither has Moderna.

See Sissi Cao, COVID-19 Vaccine Prices Revealed From Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca, OBSERVER, posted online Nov. 23, 2020.

Profits are priorities for many people, even in a business that affects the health of the rest of the world's people.

Please read the disclaimer.  ©2020 Dennis J. Wall.  All rights reserved.

PRAISE THE LORD AND PASS THE PHOTOS.

Registered Nurses at Candlelight Vigil for COVID-19 patients in hospital.  (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

We know the statistics.  As of last Thursday, the United States reported more than 216,000 confirmed COVID-19 infections. 

Reportedly there were more than 2,800 deaths that day alone.  The official death toll in my State, Florida, is reported as 19,000 now but this is in doubt.  Some read Centers for Disease Control (CDC) studies as suggesting that the death toll in Florida could have been as high as 23,000 just as of October.

Also, there were some 101,000 people in hospitals in the United States with COVID-19 as of last Thursday, December 3, 2020.

Enough with the statistics.  They have already sunk in with most people.  As with all things, it seems, a loud but definite few still need to see pictures before they will believe.

On this Pearl Harbor Day 2020, it is therefore appropriate to say "Praise the Lord and Pass the Photographs."

Please read the disclaimer.  ©2020 Dennis J. Wall.  All rights reserved.

THE PANDEMIC MADE PPE EACH HOSPITAL'S UNIFORM EVERY DAY.

Now PTS is part of the pandemic's daily hazard to frontline health care workers.

COVID19 ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY NURSE CATHERINE BEST, in AARP Article on COVID19 (Courtesy Catherine Best).

Frontline health care workers are tired.  More than tired.  They take precautions against Covid every day, but every day they endanger their own health and their own lives, and the lives and health of their loved ones.

Frontline health care workers have been combatting the coronavirus pandemic for 9 or in some cases 10 months now.  Yet significant numbers of the potential patient population have not been combatting Covid.  Not even by the simple act of wearing a mask, or using hand sanitizer, or even keeping a social distance, all to avoid infecting others and being infected themselves.

Potential patients become patients.  When people enter hospitals, frontline health care workers care for the Covid patients.  It's their job.  And they watch patients die.

That's not their job.  It should not be anyone's job to watch people die who did not need to die especially if all they needed to do in life was wear a mask and depend on others to wear a mask too.

"Jill Naiberk, a nurse at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, has spent more of 2020 in full protective gear than out of it."

"'I keep telling everybody the minute I can safely hug you again, get ready,' she said.  'Because I'm never letting go.'"  Nurse Jill Naiberk, quoted in Combat Fatigue, NEW YORK TIMES (Print Dec. 1, 2020; online Nov. 25, 2020).

"Because I'm never letting go."  Among the many wrongs done by Mitch McConnell and the Republican Senate in silently following the Occupant's lead is the effect they have had on frontline health care workers.  Medical workers keep seeing so many people hurt and die for so many months that they think that they are not making a difference. 

Mitch McConnell and the Senate have done the pandemic too little, and have confirmed unqualified judges too much.

Please read the disclaimer.  ©2020 Dennis J. Wall.  All rights reserved.

COMMENTS ON SBA RULE PROPOSAL EXTENDING BENEFITS TO LARGE BUSINESSES.

(Lexis Nexis)

I left the following Comments earlier today on a rule proposed by the Small Business Administration that would extend benefits to large businesses that are now available only to small businesses within the SBA's jurisdiction.

Small Business Size Standards: Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting; Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction; Utilities; Construction

Docket No.:          SBA-2020-0049.

RIN:                       3245-AG89.

This rule was proposed by the Small Business Administration.  It is part of the SBA's statutory review of programs within its jurisdiction that are based on size of revenue or income.  However, the reach of the proposed rule exceeds SBA's jurisdiction.

   The SBA's summary describes that the proposed rule changes collection information and sources of data regarding intake of income, i.e., receipts of money, as used in SBA "Size Standards Methodology" to determine qualification for low-interest loans and contracts.  ‘‘SBA seeks comments on its proposed changes to size standards in the above sectors, and the data sources it evaluated to develop the proposed size standards."  85 FR at 62239.

   The proposed rule would affect income limitations the Small Business Administration uses to measure "small businesses" for purposes of low-interest loans and contracting administered by the SBA.  Proposed changes would allow the entry of large businesses to the loans and contracting programs reserved by Congress for small businesses.  Further, the income limits themselves would remain the same as they were before the pandemic limited receipt of revenue for most businesses and certainly for small businesses.  The combination of proposed changes and proposed inaction would have the effect of closing the loans and contracting programs to most small businesses whereas larger businesses would meet the income requirements even after accounting for the pandemic.

   The proposed rule is beyond the SBA's jurisdiction and is unauthorized.  The proposed rule is contrary to the statutory mandate given to the SBA by Congress in this regard.  For all these reasons, whether taken separately or together, the proposed rule should be withdrawn.  It should not be issued.

   Thank you for your consideration of these Comments.

Please read the disclaimer.  This article ©2020 Dennis J. Wall.  All rights reserved.

GETTING VACCINE, SETTING PRIORITIES.

(Florida Consumer Protection Law Committee announcement for Holland & Knight webinar.  October 2020)

As these words are written, the current head of the Federal Food and Drug Administration is on his way to a meeting with the current Occupant.

They are reportedly going to discuss the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, including of course how the Occupant wants vaccine to be distributed.

Vaccines.  Once a distant thought, they are now on the tip of everyone's tongue.  Suddenly they do not seem so distant.  Instead they are nearly upon us, so much so that today the subject of discussion is setting  priorities to distribute COVID-19 vaccine.

That's a lot to get your head around in a pretty short time.

One initial thought:  This is yet another opportunity to be fair, to be just, to set priorities based on objective need.  In the past, priorities have been set many times, if not always, because of money and power rather than objective need.  This is another opportunity to recognize objective need and in the process, to act with fairness, justice, and courage.

Please read the disclaimer.  ©2020 Dennis J. Wall.  All rights reserved.

 

 

WHERE ARE THE PICTURES OF WHAT COVID-19 DOES TO US?

This kind of echoes what was said before but bears repeating, not just here but in many venues.  See SPARE THE PROSE AND PASS THE PICTURES (Nov. 24, 2020).  Some people do not believe in a fact unless they can see it.

Where are the pictures of the toll that COVID-19 is taking on us?  Has taken, is taking, and will take on us?  Of what COVID-19 does to us?

?

Show us the pictures.  We want this to end.  We want to fight COVID-19 together.

Please read the disclaimer.  ©2020 Dennis J. Wall.  All rights reserved.

THANK YOU, AMERICA! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

Happy Thanksgiving!

America won, we beat back the first plague!  Now let's win the battle against COVID-19.

Please read the disclaimer.  ©2020 Dennis J. Wall.  All rights reserved.

 

WELL, THAT'S DONE. NOW LET'S GET TO WORK ON COVID.

God Bless the people with COVID.  That could be us.  That is us.

Let's get to work on COVID, together.

(Ted S. Warren / Associated Press)

Please read the disclaimer.  This article ©2020 Dennis J. Wall.  All rights reserved.

SPARE THE PROSE AND PASS THE PICTURES!

Spare the prose and pass the pictures!  E.g., 

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ohio-covid-case-growth-exponential/  CBS News, ©CBS Interactive, Tuesday, November 24, 2020.

Covid Fatigue sounds new to the ears.  It describes all of us who are tired of a pandemic and all the ways it has disrupted our daily lives.

Social distancing.

Masks.

Hand sanitizers.

And more, much more.

Yet we live in a country now which does not respond to words as much as we respond to pictures.  Sometimes we act as though "it did not happen" if there are no pictures of it.

So spare the prose about what it means to be in a hospital ICU with COVID.  Show us the pictures.

If you show us the pictures, we may travel a little less this Thanksgiving, some of us.  Millions are on the road this Thanksgiving carrying the infection with them all across the nation.   "This is a recipe for disaster," says one of the people interviewed on the CBS News video clip in this article.

The report shows some of what it's like inside a COVID ward in a hospital, but only briefly.  It's a beginning.  But it's not enough, yet.  8 months into this, and it's not enough yet.

Show us the pictures.

Please read the disclaimer.  ©2020 Dennis J. Wall.  All rights reserved.

THEY'RE "ON WISCONSIN!"

(Nam Y. Huh / Associated Press)

We are reliving 2016.  Well, we're not, not all of us.  But The Occupant is reliving 2016.

The Occupant is trying to keep being The Occupant.  That apparently means repeating the imagined triumphs of 2016 in Michigan, Pennsylvania and, yes, Wisconsin.  See MICHIGAN, PENNSYLVANIA & ... WISCONSIN NEXT?  "BE AFRAID.  BE VERY AFRAID, posted here on Saturday morning, November 21, 2020 predicting that the next target is going to be Wisconsin.

Now it is Wisconsin.  Late in the afternoon on the same day, the LOS ANGELES TIMES posted this Associated Press story:  Wisconsin Officials Say Trump Observers Are Obstructing Recount.

Reportedly the current Occupant's Observers are supposed to remain quiet but they can't help themselves, "interrupting vote counters with questions and comments."

They are only supposed to have one representative at each counting table in Wisconsin, but sometimes they have two.

Other times they pose as "independents" so they can have more observers.

It is also reported that there appears to be a pattern in Wisconsin.  Many, some or all of the Occupant's Observers object to every single ballot.

A County Election Commissioner in Wisconsin told the Associated Press that this was all "prima facie evidence of bad faith[.]"

He said it.  The Associated Press quoted it.  "On Wisconsin!"

Please read the disclaimer.  ©2020 Dennis J. Wall.  All rights reserved.    

 

MICHIGAN, PENNSYLVANIA & ... WISCONSIN NEXT? "BE AFRAID. BE VERY AFRAID."

 

(Patricia McKnight / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Three states that voted Democratic in past presidential elections and that voted for the present Occupant in 2016 -- and that are widely credited with giving him a majority in the Electoral College -- are of course Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

In an effort to keep on being the Occupant, the present Occupant has done some wild things to Michigan's process of certifying its electoral votes in 2020.

Rumors in the corporate media have it that the present Occupant is now turning his lonely eyes to Pennsylvania.

No-one in the corporate media seems to understand why Michigan, or why Pennsylvania.

"It's the 2016 election all over again, stupid."  There's nothing like reliving past glories, I guess.  If this is what's going on, Wisconsin is next on the agenda.

That's another State that went by the many thousands for Biden in 2020, of course.

Please read the disclaimer.  ©2020 Dennis J. Wall.  All rights reserved.

"For where your treasure is, there will your heart be ....

.... also."  Matthew 6:21.

(Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press)

 

Two headlines from the Orlando Sentinel newspaper on Saturday, November 21, 2020 tell the whole story.

    1.    Trump Again Bids to Undo Loss, Orlando Sentinel, p. 1, Section 1, Sat., Nov. 21, 2020.

 

    2.    659,000 Floridians Still Remain Out of Work, Orlando Sentinel, p. 1, Section 2, Sat., Nov. 21, 2020.

 

Please read the disclaimer.  ©2020 Dennis J. Wall.  All rights reserved.

I CALL BS, AS (ABIGAIL SPANBERGER) & THE ENTITLED CROWD.

                                                                                                                                       

Wall of Moms, Portland, Oregon 2020

                                                             

                                                                          

Abigail Spanberger spoke for the entitled crowd apparently on a recent telephone conference call.  The call was for Democratic Members of the House of Representatives.  AS complained that Progressives hurt the party because the opponents accused her and her crowd of "socialism."

Progressives did not lose their seats in 2020.

Centrists, the entitled crowd of the Democratic House membership, did.

I have started looking at the numbers:  It appears that some 80% of the lost seats in the House were held by Democratic Centrists.  Maybe they were not Progressive enough.  Or maybe the voters decided that if they were going to elect Republicans, they were going to vote Republican and elect the real thing.

Whatever motivated the voters it is clear that Progressives were not the cause of the Democrats' poor House results.

Like I said, I have just started to look into the case of the lost seats and the people who lost them.  Some things come clear upon the first examination, however.

The losers included a large number of first-termers, that is, people who were elected in 2018 and so were running for re-election at the end of their first term.  People like Donna Shalala of Florida, and Abby Finkenauer of Iowa.  No-one ever called Donna Shalala a "socialist" except her opponent.  If Ms. Shalala wasn't able to respond to that, it explains a lot about why she is no longer in office.

The losses included close races.  Finkenauer lost 51%-48.6% in Iowa, for example, and Harley Rouda of California lost 51%-49%.  Not exactly a blowout, even in very Republican Districts.  Rouda's District is in Orange County, California and not in Beverly Hills.  Mr. Rouda was defeated by the Chair of the Orange County Board of Supervisors, a very conservative and very Republican person in a very conservative and very Republican District.

Collin Peterson of Minnesota had been in Washington, D.C. a long time.  This was not his first re-election campaign.  However, he consistently voted for GOP interests over the years, as did Max Rose of New York, another of the first-termers.  Rouda in fact voted against impeachment.  Twice.  It is likely that the voters in their conservative Republican Districts decided that if they were going to vote for a Republican, they were going to elect the real deal this year.

I plan to continue to look at the losses and the people who lost.   But the beginning of my search leads me to call BS, AS.  It was not the Progressives who lost seats.  No.  It was Centrists who were either not Progressive or not Republican enough for the people in their Districts.  And even then, many of these races were close.  There were few if any blowouts.

So again I call BS, AS.

Please read the disclaimer.  ©2020 Dennis J. Wall.  All rights reserved.

40 POOR BOYS IN MAJOR CITY ALARM CORPORATE MEDIA! YIKES!

The corporate media refused to estimate the size of the crowds, but an undetermined number of supporters of the current regime took to some of the streets in Washington, D.C. this weekend.

The closest that the corporate media would come to estimating crowd size was to say, some of them, that there were "thousands" of people in the streets supporting the regime which currently occupies the federal government.  (The regime's current spokesperson did not hesitate to say that "millions" of people supported the regime on the streets.)

However, newspapers and broadcasters did not hesitate to draw attention to their advertisers by highlighting the presence of 40 Poor Boys in the city as a way of signaling potential disturbances!   See, e.g., Washington Post; New York Times.

40 people in a major city.  Disturbances likely, right?  Yikes!

Please read the disclaimer.  ©2020 Dennis J. Wall.  All rights reserved.

HURRY! THIS MAY BE A LIMITED-TIME OFFER!

(Gridview_imagefull / Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services)

Go quickly to www.loser.com while it's still operative!

Enjoy!

 

THE DUST SETTLES AT NOTRE DAME. OR IS IT COVID?

(Image via Fighting Irish Wire)

The Notre Dame football team won a big game for the first time under Coach Brian Kelley.  The Fightin' Irish beat the Number One-ranked team in the nation, Clemson, in South Bend on Sunday in the game's Second Overtime.

Reports described the game as a triumph for Notre Dame's defense.  The final score was 47-40.

Reports also describe the chaotic invitation to the coronavirus after the game ended.  Fans jammed the field, ignoring measures to defeat the pandemic.  Father John Jenkins, the university president, declared that students must be tested if they want to be re-admitted to Notre Dame and, if they are not tested, they will be refused readmission.  Jenkins has his own issues with the spread of COVID-19, having gone maskless with students earlier in the year and at a White House event in September.

No word yet on whether Jenkins will wear a mask or practice social distancing or otherwise take measures at future events to defeat the pandemic.

In the meantime, all eyes are on the football team and whether the Fightin' Irish will test positive.  Games scheduled earlier in the year had to be cancelled because football players tested positive.

The pandemic has made it clear that ignoring it is not a defensive triumph.

Please read the disclaimer.   ©2020 Dennis J. Wall.  All rights reserved.

 

THEY'RE STILL IN POWER, YOU KNOW. COMMENT ON THEIR PROPOSALS ....

... at least until January 20, 2021.

Another Comment period closes on another proposal.  Their proposal deserves your Comments, as their proposals mostly have deserved your Comments for four years.  The situation has not changed yet, you know.  They are still in power, still making proposals, and Comments are still necessary.

    What follows is information for you to use regarding the Comment period that ends today on their proposal to circumvent federal labor laws that govern the federal workforce.  Feel free to copy all or any part of the following in order to leave your own Comments.

(LexisNexis)

Temporary and Term Employment

A Proposed Rule by the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).

TO:  regulations.gov

Docket No.:  2020-20038.

RIN:             3206-AN92.

Comment Period Deadline:   November 10, 2020.

Summary:  Currently, "permanent" federal employees are in positions that are expected to continue indefinitely.  "Temporary" or "term" employees are in positions with a fixed end date.  The current proposed change would increase the present maximum limit of four years for most "nonpermanent" workers from 4 to 10 years.

Relevance and Justification:  The American Federation of Government Employees has pointed out that federal agencies could use their authority to fill more positions with employees who will be out of their jobs when their term ends, as they do now under even more limiting rules.  The AFGE notes that this sets the stage for a "disposable workforce," as distinct from a career federal workforce.   The practice of hiring term and temporary federal workers is apparently widespread at the present time as it is, "with some individuals serving for years and years rotating from one temporary position to another without job security and without proper access to benefit programs," the National Treasury Employees Union has observed.

     Term employees in federal employment may not qualify for an annuity benefit and may not be eligible for the same percentage of federal contribution to premiums to continue their federal health insurance coverage when they retire.  Further, term employees do not have a right to appeal.  As the public policy director of the AFGE has said, "It's a streamlined way to fire people--when your term has ended, they can fire you because your term has ended."

CONCLUSION

Your proposed rule circumvents federal labor laws that apply to federal workers.  It is contrary to law.  It must be withdrawn or, if it is not withdrawn, then it must be struck down as soon as it is issued, if ever.

   Thank you for your consideration of these Comments.

Please read the disclaimer.  This article ©2020 Dennis J. Wall.  All rights reserved except that as stated, permission is freely given to quote all or part of the above Comments in any Comment on the proposed rule that may be left on regulations.gov, by any reader, with or without attribution.

 

THANK YOU FOR VOTING!

Many people never got the chance we have to vote.  But without them, our votes would not be possible.  We remember them and honor them every time we vote.

Thank you for being a voter.

Photo courtesy of Common Ground.

Please read the disclaimer.  ©2020 Dennis J. Wall.  All rights reserved.

THANK YOU FOR BEING A VOTER TOMORROW.

(Orlando 2020.  Photo ©Dennis J. Wall.  All rights reserved.)

Tomorrow we get to exercise what many people have lived and died to protect for years in this country:  Our votes!

Thank you for being a voter.

Please read the disclaimer.  ©2020 Dennis J. Wall.  All rights reserved.

BUT, WHAT WILL THE ARMY DO?

(Kim Kyung Hoon / Reuters)

The current regime has not declared martial law yet.  Many people have feared that they would declare martial law before now.

The fact that they haven't says that the Army (speaking of the entire military as a whole) will not do it.  Soldiers, sailors, air force personnel, coast guarders and marines will not shoot their fellow citizens.

More to the point, the fact that they haven't declared martial law says that the current regime has been told that the Army will not go along with it.  The Army will not obey unlawful orders.  They are not the German army of the 1930's; they are the American Army of 2020.

The current regime cannot declare martial law and enforce their declaration with just border guards and prison guards, like they did in  Washington, D.C. and like they failed again trying to do in Portland, Oregon.  The United States is just too big.  There are not enough border guards and prison guards, and specialized units in say the U.S. Marshals Service, to do anything more than target specific locations or, perhaps, a specific individual.

If there are individualized disruptions at specific locations, they will be at places where the most likely resistance will not be armed.  These border guards and prison guards have not encountered victims who are armed, and they certainly do not confront people who can fight back on anything like equal terms.  No, the guards are most likely to "deploy" to areas where they are most likely to confront unarmed people.

Individualized disruptions at specific locations?  Perhaps.  But not martial law, it looks like.  Then the question becomes:

If there are individualized disruptions involving violence, shootings, and even death, what will the Army do then?

Please read the disclaimer.  ©2020 Dennis J. Wall.  All rights reserved.

MORE RESOURCES, MORE VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES FOR PROTECTING THE VOTE!

And now a message from the Common Ground Project in Florida:  More resources, more volunteer opportunities for protecting the vote!

(Common Ground Project)

Defend Democracy:

Poll monitors needed!

Can we count on you?

The Common Ground Project is looking for volunteers to assist in our Poll Monitoring and Election Protection Program. This is a large statewide initiative led by our coalition partners: Common Cause, State Voices, and Florida for All. The Common Ground Project is committed to ensuring that all voters have safe and accessible access to casting their ballots and having their voices heard on November 3rd. We are in need of volunteers!

Please join us for this critical work to protect our election. We look forward to working with you as a leader in your community!

Please register to be a poll worker and sign up for one of the following upcoming training opportunities:

• Friday, October 30th at 6 PM
• Saturday, October 31st at 12 PM

As always, please do not hesitate to reach out if you have any questions!

Regards,

Lisa Perry

REGISTER

‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 

Please read the disclaimer.  This blog article ©2020 Dennis J. Wall.  All rights reserved.

Volunteer opportunities for mobile legal support on Election Day ...

and the last weekend of early voting.

 

THIS CALL FROM FLORIDA FOR ALL--ELECTION PROTECTION FOR VOLUNTEER LAWYERS TO SERVE IN PERSON AT POLLING PLACES WAS RECEIVED BY EMAIL TODAY, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2020.

 

We have five days left to make a difference!

Thank you to everyone who turned out for National Early Vote Day last weekend to support voter actions at 29 early voting sites throughout Florida.

Now we need to prepare for the last weekend of early voting and Election Day.  We have seen increased partisan voter suppression and police presence outside of polling sites throughout the state, and anticipate that this will continue over the weekend and next Tuesday.  We need everyone to step up to make sure eligible voters are able to cast their ballots.

If you are a lawyer, law student, or paralegal who can volunteer in person to help support voters at polling sites on Oct. 31 or Nov. 3, please complete this google form as soon as possible.

Mobile Legal Support Sign-Up Form 

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1dv1e0H4gzkPAmgcpabu6x9W2gs0CgvX3dRpgUwZJWKE/viewform?gxids=7757&edit_requested=true

This is for in-person deployment.  If you have already signed up for a shift in the boiler room or to be on call, you do not need to fill out this form.  If you already filled out this form, you do not need to do it again.

Please also sign up for one of the following trainings. 

Sign Up for Mobile Legal Support Trainings 

• 10.29 Thursday 5:00 - 6:30 PM

o  https://secure.everyaction.com/9iilP2VjKUS2UtYOqTNpRw2

• 10.30 Friday 11:00 - 12:30 PM 

o https://secure.everyaction.com/R7VfCPsnzkObRXCUw0VGzg2

• 11.1 Sunday 3:00 - 4:30 PM - 

o https://secure.everyaction.com/7dqNh2TbmUK-vcW7bbBjVg2

If you’ve already attended a training in the past two weeks, you can attend just the first part, where we’ll discuss practical tips for protecting voters on site and on getting assignments from and reporting to the Boiler Room on Election Day. 

If you haven’t yet signed FFA-EF’s non-disclosure agreement, please do so at the following link.  

FFA-EF Non-disclosure Agreement

 https://bit.ly/2J5P3xj

After you've (1) signed up via the Google form above and (2) signed the NDA, we will send you a link to select priority polling sites for your shift. 

Finally, please forward this message to other lawyers and law students who might be interested in deploying on the ground in Florida.  

Thank you again for your support and commitment to helping voters in Florida! 

--

Katie Roberson-Young
Associate General Counsel
SEIU

(954) 804-2710

pronouns:  she, her, hers

TRUST THE VOTE.

And now, a message from Election Protection.  Trust the Vote.

We care about the integrity of our elections and love when election officials quickly fix errors. Some politicians use these errors to make us feel that our votes won’t count. Do not let this affect our confidence in our system or our willingness to vote. #VoteReady.

Please read the disclaimer.  This blog article ©2020 Dennis J. Wall.  All rights reserved.

THE AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCES FINANCIAL INCENTIVE TO LAWYERS ASSISTING VOTERS

 

(American Bar Association)

In an email received this morning, the American Bar Association announced it is offering a financial incentive to lawyers who assist voters at this time.  Here is the ABA's announcement:

Volunteering at the polls is an important civic duty that lawyers are especially suited for given the profession's long tradition of civil service. This November, the ABA and MyCase are partnering to give ABA members who volunteer during the general election a $50 credit to ShopABA for their service. Whether you have already volunteered at your local polling place, or plan to volunteer on election day, November 3, you can earn a $50 credit towards books, webinars, CLE and other purchases in ShopABA.*

Register your service by November 6, 2020.

Please read the disclaimer.  This blog article ©2020 Dennis J. Wall.  All rights reserved.

BE NOT AFRAID, VOTE!

(Photo by Ilene Vegazo.  Used with permission of the artist.)

MEMO TO LAWYERS:  As a lawyer, your clients look to you as a leader. When they ask you about voting, your clients are interested in how they can vote. Be a leader. Familiarize yourself with Florida's voting laws, enough at least to guide your clients on how to engage the voting process.

Which is not the same as telling your clients how they should vote! Everyone has their own opinions about that & respectfully, your clients do not think your opinions are special that way. But clients do look to you for help negotiating the process. Thank you for being a voter.

MEMO TO EVERYONE:

Early Voting began in Florida October 19. Early Voting continues through Saturday, October 31. The Election as you know is on Tuesday, November 3.

Remember to vote!

Please read the disclaimer.  ©2020 Dennis J. Wall.  All rights reserved.

RESOURCES TO PROTECT THE VOTE THIS YEAR.

(Brynn Anderson / Associated Press)

Want to help protect the vote this year, but unsure of where to go or what to do?  Here is a list of contacts for places and sources that can help answer your questions.

ELECTION PROTECTION.  This is an umbrella of many different organizations that all have different pieces of election protection, such as Poll Monitors, Social Media Monitors, Legal Volunteers, and On-Call Legal Support, among others.  Telephone 1-866-OUR-VOTE or email grassroots@commoncause.org.

POSTCARDS TO VOTERS.  Just like it sounds, volunteers write postcards with messages provided by campaigns that have signed up with PTV, to addresses that are anonymous as far as names; only mailing addresses are provided.  Volunteers mail postcards on their own dime, so to speak.  For more information, visit www.postcardstovoters.org.

FLORIDA RESTORATION OF RIGHTS COALITION.  You may have heard about this group which works with registering returning citizens to vote.  To find out about their current activities, email them at info@floridarrc.com.

ADOPT A STATE - VOTE SAVE AMERICA.  This group offers ways to contact voters especially in 6 targeted States in which voters will likely affect the outcome of the Election.  Their Email Address is votesaveamerica@crooked.com.

Best of luck and use your best judgment in evaluating these groups, what they have to offer, and your place in it all.

Please read the disclaimer.  ©2020 Dennis J. Wall.  All rights reserved.

AND THEN AGAIN, MAYBE NOT ....

(Los Angeles Times)

Please read the disclaimer.  This blog post ©2020 Dennis J. Wall.  All rights reserved.

MAYBE ....

(Jabin Batsford / Washington Post)

Maybe it will be good to have Judge Amy Barrett on the U.S. Supreme Court. Maybe she will recognize the rights of the poor in spirit, and the rights of the poor.

Maybe she will protect the meek and gentle of heart so far as the law will allow.

Maybe she will write opinions designed to comfort those who mourn, even when she feels herself compelled by settled law to rule against them.

Maybe she will be one who hungers and thirsts for what is right.

Maybe she will be merciful. And unafraid to show it.

Maybe she will join the pure in heart, even if they do not include many of the people who put her on the Court.

And maybe she will protect the rights of peacemakers even in the face of confrontation.

Maybe ....

Please read the disclaimer.  ©2020 Dennis J. Wall.  All rights reserved.

INVESTIGATE THE MINION!

 

(Photo by Patricia McKnight / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

In a fictional world, Bad Guys sent an email to voters saying that they should vote for Randy Rino.  The email was sent only to Democrats.

The Minion, who worked for Randy Rino, called reporters to a meeting to read them a press release.  Minion's press release declared that it is official policy that the email was designed to hurt Randy Rino.

The Minion did not take any questions.

Here's a question even for this fantasy world:

Why?

Why did an email telling people to vote for Randy Rino hurt Randy Rino?  So if the people who received the email were intimidated and then they actually voted for Randy Rino, how does that hurt Rino, of all people?

Why did The Minion refuse to take questions after he read his press release?

Why is a press release official policy now?

Why?

Please read the disclaimer.  ©2020 Dennis J. Wall.  All rights reserved.