The comma chameleons of the “Americans First, Task Force” splash the new Aberdeen city budget on their Xenophobics Anonymous (if only they were seeking help for their addiction to fear and hate) Facebook page to promote their dubious thesis that immigrants are causing social assistance costs to explode.
Yes, Aberdeen’s municipal budget line for health and welfare is juping from $88K last year to $161K this year. But wait—the only explosions you hear are Branstnerite heads confronted with simple fact:
Deputy Finance Officer Jordan McQuillen said this change is the result of moving the financial operations from the Aberdeen Area Senior Center to the city budget. The senior center has previoulsy operated as a registered nonprofit separate from the city.
City Manager Lynn Lander said the city isn’t spending any more money than previous in years. Rather, the increase in the health and welfare segment of the budget is the result of the city adding the Meals on Wheels program to the city budget.
While the budgeted amount for health and welfare programs is listed at about $161,000, Finance Officer Karl Alberts said actual expenses for 2017 are estimated to be $156,075 with $72,575 set aside for the operation of Meals on Wheels [Elisa Sand, “Boost to City Health and Welfare Budget Is Tied to Meals on Wheels,” Aberdeen American News, 2016.10.06].
$156K minus $73K—that’s $83K.
Health and welfare accounts for less than 1 percent of the city’s $25.3 million 2017 budget for government operations. The entire city budget is about $61.7 million… [Sand, 2016.10.06].
Boom. Next.
Waste of time explaining the facts of life to people who refuse to listen. They are going to believe what they get told to believe.
Be a kindness to put them in rehab or detox.
Should Trump be ever elected America brace yourself–as these types of lies will be how he was elected and the race to idiocy and the bottom goes into wharp-speed..
‘Nother Drumpf supporter tells a story how HRC and another kid found a nest of baby rabbits and HRC told the boy not to give them away to classmates. Apparently he did anyway and she allegedly punched him in the nose. Drumpf’s supporter says this proves HRC doesn’t have the temperament to be Potus.
So why care so much about Xenophobes? A teeny tiny slice so easy to attack, so no different for me to say “but most hillbillies from South Dakota are peace loving” and that’s probably most of this state including you just like most Muslims are peace loving after all we are all the same. If you think it’s fair to direct your attention to that slice then you should shine the same light on the Muslim equivalent which thus far you have failed to do cause it doesn’t fit your narrative. Your ideology gets in the way of you being a good skeptic. You would rather prove to yourself something you want to believe rather than let facts make the determination. Smart guy deludes himself happens too often.
Intelligence Is Not Rationality
http://www.skeptic.com/insight/why-smart-people-are-not-always-rational/
Hap, pointing out their deceptions matters. We don’t have to spend all day doing it, but we must maintain at least a small list of obvious deceptions. That slice is making the noise. That slice is attempting to sway votes. Voters need to be reminded that Branstner and the AF,TF are using deceit and fear, not facts. We must hold that example up for public scorn to ensure it does not grow beyond a slice of the population.
happy, from my perspective I am so concerned about Xenophobes because of the harm they have the potential to inflict on innocent human beings, merely because these families haven’t enjoyed the privilege of being born in the USA.
But what about them? The brutal people in the Islamic ISIS world: Female genital mutilation, cutting off children’s hands who have stolen, drowning people in cages, throwing gays off rooftops not to mention your atheist heads the list goes on.
Call me crazy, but in human history primates have diverged genetically and we are learning huge amounts about genetics. The first stage seems to be epigentics where environment and nurturing affects the line above the genes but makes a lasting impact to the next generation until probably it’s permanent. That’s my laymen explanation.
So switch gears and consider Bobonos our closest animal relative. Some think or surmise that the Bobonos which are very peace loving compared to the Chimp adapted because the gorillas left and the Chimps could drop to the ground to forest for food. That environmental change allowed the females to take on a new important role, become more equal, important, genetically change over time and they now dominate. Surprise they have sex not war.
I’m pulling some things together which I can’t entirely Jerrylink but there are obviously some reasons we change genetically other then Mr. God. Science. So I just find it just too frustrating to hear well intentions say we are all the same and don’t think about the horrible brutality from that minority (which is not equal to ours). Chimps are not Bobonos, Bobonos are not human and fundamentalist Muslims do not think and act like western atheists. ISIS are the gorillas in my mind.
I’m very frustrated the United States doesn’t wake up and let go of the stupid god thing. We are a god-fearing superstitious nation, but to not look at the society of the middle east and call out what actually happens there is totally counterproductive to the dialogue needed to change what they do because it’s not acceptable unless you like to pound your chest like the gorillas.
Okay, I will call you crazy. There, feel better
War is tough, here is what we do, with government approval, by a lawyer named John Yoo, all nice and packaged. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/09/world/cia-torture-guantanamo-bay.html?emc=edit_ta_20161008&nlid=26013750&ref=cta&_r=0
Not to much difference in the big scheme of things. I say stop the war, and stop the hate. Lets begin with you happy camper and move in a positive way.
I hate prejudgement which I realize I’m accused of on this issue but when people subscribe to dogma of any form they stop thinking. Conform to ordained rules: look what’s happening because of that which is why I feel obliged to sound off about the “liberal rules” also. People embrace them and pronounce their piety. For goodness sake we have this incredible brain to look out there and make sense of what is going on for ourselves but so many give themselves over to a rigid creed. Don’t do that! or I might have to call you Libbie Preacher or something like that a little poke to get your attention when you ain’t makin no sense.
happy camper, live your words. Stop the hate. There are no liberal rules, there are only the rules of integrity. If you live them in your heart, then the fear subsides. Follow your own path, but make sure your path is honest.