The people wearing this badge in Washington should back up their politicking with some data if they want to be taken seriously. Noah Bryant | Getty

Comments

1

"
 Republicans admit that their closing message to voters in their quest to take control of Congress will be cutting Social Security and Medicare
 "

that's okay.
Oldes know they've
one foot in the Grave
and why should They be
Entitled to funds they've
contributed to their Whole
Fucking Working Lives? huh?

and if they Raise the Cap
on SS taxes on those making
over what is it $2ook they'll
Fund BOTH to Infinity & beyond

"Is anyone else having trouble comprehending how the party responsible for an armed insurrection at the country's capitol is somehow the overwhelming favorite
 "

I guess it depends on
who you ask. Not
all Polls are
Reliable

but should
the Red Wave
NOT prevail then
OBVIOULSY the E-
lection was STOLEN

it's really
quite Simple.

2

Most white voters crave a racist, sexist, fascist dicktatorship as long as they're the ones that get to sadistically harm everyone that they hate. That's the only real reason that they vote Republinazi; all the other bullshit is just self-serving lies.

We've got to vote like our lives depend on it--because they do.

The oligarch-owned mass media has been pushing corrupted right-wing polls in order to help the bastards steal the election.

https://www.wonkette.com/red-wave-narrative-may-be-built-on-crap-polling-color-us-shocked

3

Wow, once again centrist Democrats are going to lose control of Congress to lunatics through ineffectual campaigning, negotiating against themselves, and watered-down legislation. Surely this is the progressives fault.

4

"I was the only person to unmute and ask the sheriffs if they had any data on capturing fleeing suspects using investigative methods that didn't involve dangerous chases."

what’s that They say
oh right Curiosity
killed the Cat

5

@2 Lmao the copium in this blog. Ohhhh noooo I live in a homogenous blue enclave and I can't understand why the entire country doesn't believe and vote how I do. Oh noooo.

Real clear politics literally lists both right and left-leaning poll aggregates that show similar results. Are you really going to take that L already and go the way of Russia-Gate delusion already? Lol sad.

6

@2: Superlative + Color + Noun + Disparaging Projections = Racism, if not fascism itself.

9

@3 Yes I am sure if they were even more batshit progressive they really would have pulled those lukewarm/moderate Rs and Independent fence-sitters. What an amazing hot take right there. Do you people actually believe your own bullshit?

10

@7 Shhhh stop pointing out the obvious

11

When did progressives turn into such wet blankets? We used to be artists, visionaries, optimists, you know, fun people to be around. All I hear now is sad trombone and no reason to go on
who wants to go to that party?

12

"Because a license number only proves who the last registered owner of the car was, not who was driving the vehicle, or was a passenger in the vehicle, at the time a stop was attempted."
--@FAXXY

well then it seems
That's where the In-
Vestigative part enters.

isn't that what
we PAY them for?

how much
more $$$$$$
do they Need?

14

'batshit progressives'
frothy rothy?

I m afraid you've
misdirected your
adjectives again.

the Citizenry HATES
"Republican" Policy

if they HAD one.

look at congressional
"Republicans" voting record
on shit that'll HELP the Citizenry

and then get Back to us
If your Mind isn't
too Blown.

17

Golly... cops pursuing criminals. What a novel idea. Isn't that why they have a siren and flashing lights?

Cop-o-ganda.... what a steaming pile of baloney. If you look at the crime stats, broken shop windows, drug addiction, homeless camps... even the most dimly lit blog writer for The Stranger must concede this isn't propaganda.

19

@blip
you can Lead
a neocon to Truth but
ya Cain't make 'em think

nor are they very
Pragmatic it seems.

say isn't ol' Manlytoes
I yam Frothy Rothy too?

20

@1 "Oldes" know that any cuts to SS/Medicare will target only future beneficiaries, not current ones. (Even the most rabidly right-wing Republicans know better than to mess with the 65+ voter demographic.) It's the middle-aged and younger who should be up in arms about Republicans' plans for these essential programs.

21

well
not All
of us CK
but thnx!

oh and they'll
NOT Stop with
the young oldes

they're "Republicans."

24

@22. Social security goes into its own trust fund and has nothing to do with the general fund for appropriations to pay for other programs. It has nothing to do with the deficit or shortfalls; it is what every single worker pays for in their own interest for that purpose and has absolutely no bearing on any other sort of funding.

29

"'If satirical political content is the liberal audience’s way to stick it to the man,' McMillan Cottom asks, 'why isn’t the genre exploding right now?'"

after 7 L O N G years of the trumpfster
8 Horrific years of CHENEY/bush
perhaps there's little room re-
maining for Exponential
Growth in the Satire
Dept.

not to Worry however
when the Fascists
take Over it'll
be Gallows
Humor
24/7.

31

Comedy only matters when your idea of running the government is a big joke.

32

@29 Most of these are wealthy because of name recognition/celebrity status/prior acting experience alone, I wouldn't say it is for their comedy sketches. Can anyone truly say Amy Schumer was truly funny? Not for a looong time, if ever. Bill Burr is one of those apolitical mostly comedians who is actually funny and plays both sides

33

"With people living much longer and expanding benefits and a significant dip of Gen Xers it is not surprise that the Boomers are going to empty [SS] out."

Raise the Fucking Cap
or just let the RICH
just keep on
Skating.

35

@30. So they have been spending the surplus SS revenue to fund other programs, but since there is less surplus to go around, we can't fund those other programs now? Sounds like we need to find other sources of taxation, like maybe, oh, I don't know, taxing wealthy corporations and individuals their fair share instead of robbing the trust funds, and to cut obsolete expenditures like Trump's trillion dollar tax cuts.

37

@28: I suggest Bill Maher and the Babylon Bee for a more worldly perspective.

38

@34. Oh okay, so it's not the pay as you go system that's the problem, it's that we're not fooling ourselves into paying the crooks on Wall Street and their lobbyists in Washington instead of ourselves and retirees. Thanks for clearing that up.

40

@37. Ah yes, the "worldly" Babylon Bee. Here's an article I'm sure you'll find hilarious:

https://babylonbee.com/news/pentagon-mandates-monkeypox-vaccine-but-only-for-navy

41

@39 Late-night hosts are all paid controlled shills at this point, hardly comedy. Bill Maher is sometimes an exception

42

"They say you're not truly gone until people stop telling stories about you."

"They" say that, but it's not true. You're actually, truly gone. With 1 supposed exception.

46

@26 you are not going to get some "big fat check"... what you paid in and that matched by your employer, with interest, would be paid out in about 2 to 3 years.

That's why this ponzi scheme called Social Security is going bankrupt.

So bottom line-- its either going to be changed, which means reduced benefits, higher retirement age... and eventually it will be a whittled down to a "need based or subsidy program" like welfare of food stamps. Which is frankly what it should be... ..my advice....save, invest and provide for your own retirement.

47

Real comedy:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5K2bozek00

49

Republicans act like no Republicans collect Social Security. Every FOX News watching Republican I have ever known happily collects their social security, disability, and any other money the government pays out, especially with regard to programs they paid into for decades.

Republicans also pretend that even if they eliminated Social Security entirely, it would have no impact on the debt or deficit, but it would crater the economy (that money is spent on housing, food, and other things people need to live their lives).

Republicans refuse to acknowledge that the one way to fix the debt and the deficit is to end their extreme and obscene tax cuts to corporations and the wealthy. Just like the entire country refuses to acknowledge that the only way to end homelessness is to house all people in the country.

It really is no wonder Trump chose the Republicans to con and scam and brainwash. The collective IQ of the lot in this country is less than 100. But people will continue to vote for them and when their lives are impacted by the policies Republicans put in place, they will blame everyone else but themselves.

This country deserves to burn to the ground, especially the half of the country that fully supports that agenda.

50

@40: Some are better than others. This one is as sophomoric like SNL, yet breaking new ground with an "element of the unexpected & comedic tropes".

Californians Move to Texas | Episode 2: The Cookout
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3MOy6Z_UP7c

@44: Depends on the joke. A combo of the two which is ultimately a distinction without a difference.

51

@48 The vulgar jokes about her pussy and the fact that she is a 4/10 self-described "Slut" got old after 5 minutes. Having the arrogance of Chevy Chase didn't help either. She rode the controversial hype in the midst of the "metoo" movement and got rich, married, pregnant and even more tired.

52

I will admit that Schumer isn't as bad as Samantha Bee, she is unadulterated trash

56

@55 Sarah "Blackface" Silverman? lmao no. The bitter cat lady schtick only goes so far. Ali Wong is okay but can be sort of cringe at times.

57

@7 - There's some truth to your post, but as is often the case with commenters, you're grossly oversimplifying things. In my very extensive experience with police pursuits, it is true that the registered owner of the car is seldom the driver of fleeing vehicles, and the inability to identify the driver without an arrest is a challenge. But it's NOT impossible. We often did just that. You start with the registered owner, public records, the abandoned vehicle (if found) and witnesses (if any) and go from there, just like an investigation into any other crime where the suspect isn't known.

@18 - There's this myth that suspects flee solely for minor traffic violations. While most pursuits start with that as a reason for contact, that's rarely why the driver is fleeing. It's almost always for a more serious offense, usually DWI, or the car is stolen and the pursuing officer doesn't know it yet. But it can be even more serious. Ted Bundy was apprehended after a vehicle pursuit that was ostensibly for a broken taillight. I personally was involved in a pursuit with a man who had murdered a Missouri Highway Patrolman, and it was ostensibly over an expired inspection sticker. In fact, being wanted is probably the third leading cause of fleeing, albeit usually for a charge of a more minor nature.

That said, restrictive policies that still allow officers to pursue in certain circumstances are wise. One has to balance ongoing public safety needs with the immediate needs of minimizing danger to other motorists. It's tricky to get right, but it is necessary. It may mean letting a few Burglary and weapons warrants go so as not to contribute to the deaths of innocent people in the here and now. But c'est la vie...

Oh, and the cops don't get revenue from those few traffic violators they apprehend for evading. The costs of jailing them far exceeds the revenue they might provide for running a stop sign.

58

@29 kristofarian, @31 GarbGarblar, and @49 xina +3 for the WIN!!

@33 kristofarian: I'm among the tail end of the Boomer II's and don't expect to ever see anything from the SSA. Not when the retirement age to start claiming earned monthly benefits is only going up further past age 70. My older siblings will get it, but likely I won't. I still have about another 10 years before I can be eligible.
What's really criminal is that so many of us already paid our way into Social Security just to get screwed. The IRS automatically deducts its share out of every paycheck across the U.S. Why then are Social Security beneficiaries TAXED on what is supposed to merely be supplemental (NOT primary!) income? SS alone is not a livable source of monthly income---unless you just hit 6 for 6 on Powerball. Good luck hitting that current $1.2 billion jackpot, folks.

59

@14 kristofarian: Methinks Frothy Mix is really TarZany under yet another new screen name. I wonder who that batshit crazy MAGA fool is running from?

60

@2 Original Andrew +1: omg How did I miss your post on comment? I nominate you along with kristofarian, Garb Garblar, and xina for the WIN!! Bravo for again nailing it.

62

Painfully obvious to me, the world has moved on without me. It just doesn't make sense. The great appeal of the Republican Party to people who don’t, in comparison, have a pot to piss in baffles me to no end. I thought maybe it was the religious connection, but when you have evangelicals in Georgia saying about Herschel Walker, “I don’t care if he performed the abortions himself. He has my vote.”

Clearly, for those folk, Jesus overlooks brain damage and hypocrisy.

I’m sure younger people resent like piss having to pay higher and higher social security taxes for the growing number of seniors. I remember kind of resenting it myself – making comparisons of what I had to pay in as opposed to what recipients then paid into the system ($200-$300 a paycheck instead of $10-$20 back in the day). But here’s the thing. Things happen. You won’t always be as vibrantly healthy as you are now. Things go sour unexpectedly – even if you’ve taken care of yourself. Just like you do from your job, the body retires. It retires slowly or all at once. You may not be able to work like you do now for a number or physical or societal reasons. You can’t find other work easily - sometimes simply because you have gray hair.

In other words, kids, you’re going to need that Social Security and Medicare someday. You have to trust me on this.

So, again, back to the Republicans. Their agenda is clear and their retirement package is plain: Don’t get sick and die soon. Of course, that’s what they will hand down to you. They, on the other hand, will be well-taken care of from the fortunes they’ve amassed doing what their wealthy and wannabee semi-wealthy supporters have directed them to do. It’s not that some Democrats don’t attend that square dance, too, but you won’t find many of them who will publicly admonish poor people and the lower middle class. Eat potato soup, peasant! That’s all you deserve. Now, where’s the beluga?

Understandably, I’ve had to back away from this election cycle for a while. Here in LA, we are also electing a new mayor (and that’s been pretty ugly) and deciding on a bevy of cloudy, tricky propositions. And folks, those ads have been running back-to-back since fucking May. I’m not watching much news and won’t be until after the polls close. Not watching much commercial television either. Fried is the word. I voted a week ago. I want it all to stop.

But I can’t totally ignore the what ifs. Hard as I try. For me, it’s going to be a dark, dark day if/when Kevin McCarthy gets that Speaker’s gavel.

64

@35 please define "fair share"

66

@57 I agree, the reasons for evasion are not banal traffic tickets and are usually something more insidious. People run from simple traffic stops because they have something to hide or want to avoid. In the days of Fenatnyl Floyd, we have these pervasive excuses that suspects are "scared" now and thus have to run to somehow preserve themselves. Obviously, this is bullshit and the author of this blog knows it.

I agree that there needs to be common sense and critical thinking used in some of these pursuits. Not all should be purused. I used to live in CHI and the criminals would all eventually condemn and kill each other anyways. Then the next fatherless generation rinses and repeats. Circle of life.

69

Social Security is simply a pension program. If you don't understand how pensions work, ask your favorite actuary. As it turns out, my dad was an actuary (and a very good one). Years ago, at a dinner party, someone cornered him and asked him when Social Security will go bankrupt. His answer, of course, was "never".

Because unlike your average pension, it is run by the federal government. The same government that can run deficits to fund stupid wars can pay old people the money they deserve. Of course if you want to lower deficits you can return to the type of tax system that existed when "America was great". Tax the fuck out of rich people. Not that complicated really. The greatest Republican in the last 100 years (Ike) knew that. But Ike was a conservative Republican. Not that many of those around anymore -- they are all reactionaries and nationalists. Obama is more conservative than your average Republican.

70

The solution to Social Security is to completely obliterate the earnings cap. Everyone who is a citizen below retirement age should pay Social Security taxes on every dollar of income, including income made off investments.

Concurrently, the percentage everyone pays in Social Security taxes should be cut by at least 50%. That would be a de facto raise for working and middle class people, and the rich can afford it.

The solution to Medicare is universal healthcare.

71

@64:
"@35 please
define 'fair share.'"

when you're Not
stepping in Shite
on the Sidewalk.

isn't it fucking
Obvious?

72

@70
the Golden Voice
of Reason.

75

68 - That's still no different than any other criminal investigation. Countless criminal investigations must contend with uncooperative witnesses; Evading cases are no different. Or are you saying the cops cannot solve crimes without an entirely cooperative witness? And if you truly knew anything about police investigations, you would know that suspects only very, very rarely close doors in the cops' faces. They're far, far more likely to lie, which is also helpful in criminal investigations, sometimes conclusively so.

Pursuit policies have been getting more restrictive bit by bit for over 20 years now, and Chicken Littles have always protested that restricting pursuits would lead to a dystopian hellscape of fleeing lunatics all over our roads, terrifying the womenfolk and even small animals. Not only has that never panned out, the last data I saw showed declining instances of motorists fleeing. It seems that Fleeing offenses have tracked with declining crime generally since roughly 2000.

76

@22, @27, @30, @65, ad nauseam:

‘The [Republican] party’s 1940 presidential candidate, Wendell Willkie, warned voters that “you will never collect a dollar of your Social Security.”’

(https://prospect.org/politics/how-gop-could-win-long-war-against-social-security/)

“Following his successful 2004 reelection campaign, President George W. Bush designated fundamental Social Security reform as his top domestic priority. This was anything but an impulsive decision. As early as his 1978 congressional race, he had suggested that the Social Security System could not be sustained unless individuals were allowed to invest the payroll tax themselves.”

(https://www.brookings.edu/research/why-the-2005-social-security-initiative-failed-and-what-it-means-for-the-future/?amp)

Please do let us know if an extremely subtle pattern begins to tease at the furthest extremity of your most sensitive perception.

77

@Morty
Thank You.

78

@71: So, someone who can’t walk out of his condo’ building in downtown Seattle without “Stepping in Shite on the Sidewalk” is paying his ‘fair share’? Or not paying it?

81

I've said it before, I'll say it again: What is the fixation conservatives have with poo? I walk around downtown all the time. I see dog poo, but not human poo (but I don't lurk in alleys. Maybe that's the difference?)

In fact, the only time I have ever encountered human poo in the wild was Pioneer Square, and it wasn't the homeless - it was the "bridge and tunnel" crowd down there on Friday and Saturday nights.

82

"So, someone who can’t walk out of his condo’ building in downtown Seattle without 'Stepping in Shite on the Sidewalk' is paying his ‘fair share’? Or not paying it?"

neither. I'd
call it More
than your share

and it's Your little
Contribution to
our Billionaire$

whom I'm Certain
are Most Appreciative.

you need to Look Up
(un-) like the Movie says
& don't Forget your umbrella
cuz there's more than a Ninety per-
cent Chance they're pissing All Over you

too.

83

think long & Hard on your
Love for the ultra Wealthy
as you gag & clean & gag

and Use
that.

84

@18: "The crush of civil suits from cops killing innocent bystanders has been the primary deciding factor for ending the practice."

True.

"Presumably these suits have proven to be a greater cost than whatever meager revenue they might get from chasing someone over a minor civil infraction."

I don't think the meager revenue from a civil infraction has any bearing on whether the police give chase or not. But as others have pointed out, a driver that runs has a higher probability of having other charges or warrants outstanding. The police have to weigh the collateral damage that the chase may cause against the odds of taking down a Really Bad Guy. That's what cops live for. Not the traffic fines. But there's always detective work that will catch them in the end. They'll dust the abandoned vehicle for prints after the drive-by shooting or ATM/pot shop smash and grab. And go knock peacefully on the perp's door. Just hope he doesn't barricade himself in with hostages.


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