Monday, December 14, 2020

George Gascon (A George Soros Acolyte) Was Sworn in Monday, December 6, 2020 as Los Angeles District Attorney: God Help the City of Angels

Quite a rise for one who left Cuba at 13, and rose from patrol officer in Los Angeles to Assistant Chief of the LAPD, and now Los Angeles District Attorney. He left the LAPD in 2006 to become Police Chief of Mesa Arizona. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom appointed him San Francisco Police Chief in August 2009 as a reformer. Mayor Newsom appointed him San Francisco District Attorney in 2011, succeeding Kamala Harris. He resigned in 2019 to return to Los Angeles. His San Francisco reform record shows property crimes jumped 50%, auto theft 10% of the state’s total, highest property crime rate in the state, violent crime 54% higher than the rest of the state and 82% higher than the national average. An epidemic of car break-ins plagues San Francisco, over 31,000 in 2017. That is George Gascon’s concept of justice. Jackie Lacey is the first African America woman elected LA District Attorney. Her 8 years in office were a traditional law and order district attorney office. She lost her reelection to George Gascon on November 5. As of the end of September the two were roughly equal in fund raising. George Soros contributed $2.5 million to the Gascon campaign at that time. Most of Gascon’s contributions came in 6-7 figure contributions from San Francisco Bay Area millionaires through SuperPacs. He outraised her 2:1 in the general election. She received extensive support from the police, sheriff and district attorneys unions. The San Francisco Police Officers Association also backed DA Lacey, having become all too familiar with him. San Francisco Mayor London Breed and City Attorney Dennis Herrera also endorsed DA Lacey. They know his incompetence and how difficult it is to work with Gascon. She finished 20% higher than him in the primary, just missing the 50% reelection target. He received only 20% of the votes in the primaries. George Gascon won election for two reasons. First was the money poured into his election by San Francisco plutocrats. The second was the cry for reform in the aftermath of the George Floyd murder. He promised police reform in his election, including looking at police shootings Jackie Lacey refused to prosecute. He is a strong opponent of capital punishment. DA Lacey was also personally opposed to the death penalty, but as long as it was the law of the state she would seek it in appropriate cases. He believes “Los Angeles courts should not be a revolving door for those in need of treatment and services,” which sounds good in theory. His view on the use of force by officers is simple: “A police officer should use force when they should, not just because they can.” He believes in alternative sentencing, diversion programs, and reducing prison populations. Here’s what he promised Monday. His office will not prosecute trespassing, disturbing the peace, a minor in possession of alcohol, driving without a license, driving with a suspended license, drug and paraphernalia possession, making criminal threats, being under the influence of a controlled substance, public intoxication, loitering to commit prostitution, and resisting arrest. Those committing misdemeanors and low-level felonies will be diverted to community-based programs. Juveniles accused of misdemeanors will no longer be prosecuted. Nor will minors be prosecuted as adults. He will carry out his promise of no more cash bail or capital punishment. He opposes cash bail even though California voters on November 5 rejected a proposition which would end cash bail. That means he supports letting arrestees out on their own recognizance. That makes arrests a revolving door with the miscreants back on the streets very quickly, often to commit more crimes. The Board of Directors of the Los Angeles Police Protective League issued a statement: “As homicides, shooting victims and shots fired into occupied homes soar in Los Angeles, it’s disturbing that Gascon’s first act in office is to explore every avenue possible to release from jail those responsible for this bloodshed …. These victims and law-abiding residents lost a voice today while criminals and gang members gained an ally in the prosecutor’s office.” Let us add that both the LAPD and LA Sheriff Offices are being partially defunded with reductions in personnel. His transition team included civil rights attorneys, bail reform activists, a wrongfully convicted man, and an assistant DA who had supported his election. He broke bread with Black Lives Matter. George Gascon is a George Soros acolyte. George Soros and his rich cohort have poured over $100 million into prosecutor races, which are usually low budget campaigns. Soros spent $3,625,000 in 2016 on DA races in Sacramento, San Diego, Alameda, Marin, and Contra Costa Counties. He has spent heavily in electing district attorneys and the Attorney General of New York. The Soros coterie includes Marilyn Mosby in Baltimore, Rachel Rollins in Boston (Suffolk County), Kim Foxx of Chicago, New York State Letitia James, Manhattan Cyrus Vance, Jr., Philadelphia’s Lawrence Krasner, Portland (Multnomah County) Mike Schmidt, St. Louis Kim Gardner, Dina Becton Contra Costa County, and Dallas’ John Creuzot. Rachel Rollins list of crimes she will not prosecute echo those of George Gascon: trespassing, shoplifting, larceny under $250, disorderly conduct, disturbing the peace, receiving stolen property, minor driving offenses, including driving with a suspended or revoked license, breaking and entering vacant property or for sleeping or seeking refuge from the cold absent actual property damage, wanton and malicious destruction of property, threats (except domestic violence), minors in possession of alcohol, drug possession, drug possession with intent to distribute, resisting arrest when that is the only charge, resisting arrest if the other charges are on her proscribed list. Philadelphia’s DA Lawrence Krasner dropped thousands of charges and summons against the rioters, but has filed felony charges against two police officers. He also threatened to arrest federal officers if President Trump deployed them to Philadelphia. His argument for not prosecuting the rioters and looters: “Prosecution alone will achieve nothing close to justice – not when power imbalances and lack f accountability make it possible for government actors including police and prosecutors to regularly take life or liberty unjustly and face no criminal or career penalty.” Baltimore’s Marilyn Mosby fired six prosecutors during her first week in office, and later prosecuted 6 officers for the death of Freddie Gray after being transported a police ban. She was warned that insufficient evidence existed for the prosecution but she persisted until 3 jury verdicts for the accused officers. San Francisco DA Chesa Boudin charged a SFPD rookie with manslaughter for shooting an unarmed carjacking suspect in December 1, 2017 who ran towards the police cruiser. He promised not to prosecute quality of life crimes, continuing the deterioration of the quality of life living in San Francisco. He vowed not to prosecute quality of life crimes: “We will not prosecute quality-of-life crimes. Crimes such as public camping, offering or soliciting sex, public urination, blocking a sidewalk, etc., should not be prosecuted.” He asked last July if money going to the police was “the most effective use of taxpayer dollars.” He added: “Is there some other way we could spend this money that would make us safer or do a better job of achieving the goals that we have set?” He has said of America’s criminal justice system: “The criminal justice system isn’t just massive and brutal, it’s also racist.” All this from a District Attorney who served as an advisor to Hugo Chavez in Venezuela. He appears to have learned nothing from working for the dictator of Venezuela when it was dissolving into a socialist hell hole. St. Louis’ Kim Gardner filed felony charges against Matt and Patricia McCloskey who went into their homes and pulled out unloaded weapons as the mob broke through a locked gate and threatened the. She dropped trespassing charges against the intruders. The McCloskeys had every right under common law and Missouri law to resort to self-defense. The prosecutor said “It is illegal to wave weapons in a threatening manner at those participating in nonviolent protests …. This type of conduct is unacceptable in St. Louis.” She earlier described the protestors as “peaceful” and “unarmed.” She dismissed charges against the trespassers. Reasonable minds can disagree, but anyone watching the videos that night would not call the trespassing mob “peaceful” and “unarmed.” Circuit Judge Thomas Clark II two days ago removed her and her staff from the prosecutions of Matt McCloskey. She sent campaign fundraising emails to constituents that used the McCloskey case. The judge held the case then raised the “the appearance of impropriety and jeopardize the defendant’s right to a fair trial.” Chicago’s Kim Foxx, who refused to prosecute Jussie Smollett for falsely claiming a hate crime, dismissed almost all the arrestees for rioting and looting. She said she would dismiss arrests coming from protests and curfew violations, asking “The question it comes down to, is it a good use of our time and resources?” She answered in a resounding “No, it’s not.” Mew York State Attorney General Letitia Clark has two goals: 1) Along with Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Jr., she is trying to convict President Trump of tax fraud. The second is to dissolve the NRA for financial mismanagement. The purpose of prosecutors is to pursue justice in the name of the people. The Soros DA’s view justice as social justice in which the existing criminal justice system is racist and unjust with mass imprisonments of minorities. They view police officers as part of the problem, often as with the LAPD a history of racism. Over half of the LAPD officers are now minority, but the image and reputation persists. They seek “justice” for the criminals and not the victims or the public at large. They endanger public health and safety. They have no respect for property rights, a core source of liberty. They have great sympathy with the perpetrators rather than empathy for the victims. Portland, Seattle, New York City, Chicago, Louisville, and Philadelphia - thousands of arrests during the riots, and thousands of charges dropped by prosecutors, 721 alone in Portland. Assault a cop in New York City, you’re back on the streets in a few hours. Prosecutors refused to prosecute on reasons such as the rioters, looters, and arsonists were simply exercising their basic civil rights. The First Amendment protects “the right of the people peaceably to assembly.” George Gascon asked the public for support on Monday: “Whether you are a protestor, a police officer or a prosecutor, I ask you to walk with me. We can break the multigenerational cycles of violence, trauma and arrest and recidivism that has led America to incarcerate more people than any other country.” Los Angeles: Remember Bette Davis: “Buckle your seat belt: it’s going to be a bumpy ride.”

Friday, December 11, 2020

Cancel Senator Dianne Feinstein: The Drum Beats Are getting Louder: They They'll Go After President Biden

I blogged on September 26 that “Democratic Knives Are Sharpening for Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein.” The professed fears were that she would be weak in opposing the nomination of Judge Amy Comey Barrett to the Supreme Court. The Republicans had the votes to push her nomination through. That’s raw politics. The end of the filibuster on judicial nominations prevented the Democrats running the clock out. They can thank former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid for that. One Senator said “She’s not sure what she’s doing.” They are about to learn that what goes around comes around. Four years of obstructing President Trump and treating him as illegitimate will be repaid the next four years of the Biden-Harris Presidency One Senator said “She’s not sure what she’s doing.” The Senator at 87 is the oldest sitting Senator. Suddenly a few days ago the whispering campaign against Senator Feinstein broke into the open. New York Magazine published a long article of the Senator’ cognitive decline based on undisclosed sources, usually former staffers. That’s not a coincidence! One of the repeated stories is that Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer had to twice tell Senator Feinstein she had to step aside as Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee because she forgot the first time. Another example is that she asked Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey the same question twice during a Senate hearing. She doesn’t remember briefings. Wajahat Ali, opinion writer for the New York Times, wrote: This is a sad read, but Feinstein needs to graciously retire for the sake of the country.” Politics have little loyalty. Politicians are too ambitious. California Democrats are salivating over the prospect California Governor Gavin Newsom can appoint two of them to the United States Senate. 28 years in the Senate – a consistent progressive. She would talk moderate, but vote progressive. It’s time for the Senator to move on. San Francisco is in the process of removing her name from an elementary school. The San Francisco Unified School District appointed the School Names Advisory Committee to review the names of its schools in light of the current cancel culture movement. The committee recommends renaming 44 of the District’s 125 schools, including George Washington, Lincoln, Balboa, Lowell (my alma mater), and Mission High Schools, Herbert Hoover, Roosevelt, Presidio Middle Schools, and Junipero Serra, Francis Scott Key (my alma mater), Alamo, Sherman, Ulloa, Commodore Sloat, John Muir, Paul Revere, Robert Louis Stevenson, Jefferson, Monroe, Garfield, McKinley, El Dorado, Sutro, Webster, Sanchez, Jose Ortega elementary schools, as well as Stockton EES. Senator Feinstein is in good company on this list of the builders of America, California, and San Francisco. The woke Neanderthals are doing their best to cancel American history and culture. The Senator's term continues through 2024. It's her decision to resign or stand for reelection, the twitter mob and progressives notwithstanding. Speaker Pelosi raised the 25th Amendment a few months ago in theory against President Trump. It was actually directed at Joe Biden. If he backs away from the loud progressive wing of the Democratic Party, they will 25th Amendment him. A cognitive challenged President will not stand in the way of the Democrats’ progressive agenda if they gain control of the Senate. He can sign their bills or step aside. He’s campaigning for the two Democrats in Georgia; he has to. His Administration will be in better shape though if they lose. President Elect Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden is a ticking time bomb for his father. The media is no longer covering it up. Here’s the dilemma for the country. The Democrats view President Biden as a placeholder for progressive Vice President Harris to assume the presidency. If the Republicans control the Senate, they do want Vice President Kamala Harris to become president. She is his presidential insurance policy.

Sunday, December 6, 2020

Non-Traditional Emotional Comfort Animals have Entered the No-Fly Zone

We live in a time of Covid-19 stress. Traveling, especially flying, is extra-stressful this year, calling out for comfort and support. Your seatmate may be loud, noisy, contagious and/or oafish. Sitting next to someone with a mask off or only on below the nose is concerning and even threatening. A cough, a sneeze, even a hoarse voice triggers anxiety. Wouldn’t it be less stressful if you were sitting next to your loved one or other family members? If not, why not a comfort pet, be it an alligator, appaloosa horse, cat, chicken, dog, duck, falcon, gliding possum, goat, goose, hen, kangaroo, llama, lobster, monkey, a pair of penguins, peacock in full plumage, pit bull (not on Delta), pony, snake, squirrel, rabbit, rooster, tortoise, or even turkey? A veritable menagerie have flown as emotional support animals; airlines have been flying hundreds of thousands emotional support animals often to the consternation of flight attendants and passengers. Delta flew about 250,000 in 2017 and 600,000 in 2019. The emotionally supported passengers may be comforted, but the other passengers may be less enthusiastic about flying with Confetti the Appaloosa Horse, Daniel the Support Duck, Dexter the Peacock, Dinnah the Lobster, Flirty the Pony, Gizmo the Monkey, Hamlet the Beach Hog, or the Easter turkey. The emotional support animals have become increasingly disruptive. Your human seatmate may be well-behaved, but dogs have defecated in passenger seats and pigs in the aisle. Some of the emotional support animals bite. Passengers may be allergic to cat and dog hair. United Airlines moved a passenger off a plane and rebooked here because she was allergic to a comfort cat a few seats away. Many people have a legitimate need for emotional comfort animals, but the time and place should not be on a commercial airline. They have created too many problems. Sara Nelson, President of the Association of Flight Attendants, said: “Passengers claiming pets as emotional support animals have threatened the safety and health of passengers and crews in recent years.… Flight attendants have been hurt and safety has been compromised by untrained animals loose in the cabin.” The Department of Transportation last Wednesday issued a new rule, Traveling by Air with Service Animals. It reversed an earlier rule requiring airlines to allow emotional support dogs to be flown with passengers who have doctor’s note saying they needed the animal for emotional support. Airlines will no longer be required to “”recognize emotional support animals as service animals….” The DOT’s new regulations essentially limit the traveling pets to the traditional service dogs. A service animal is defined as “a dog, regardless of type or breed, that is individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of a qualified individual with a disability, including a physical, sensory, psychiatric, intellectual, or other mental disability.” Psychiatric support dogs will be treated as service dogs with documentation provided to the FAA. The airlines can now require the dogs to be leashed and can bar dogs showing aggressive behavior. They can also require paperwork 48 hours in advance of the flight. The agency justified the revised rules because the passengers carrying the unusual animals “eroded the public trust in legitimate service dogs” as well as increasing misbehavior by the animals. Another reason is the increasing number of passengers abused the existing rule “by fraudulently representing their pets as service animals” to avoid paying a fee to transport the animals. Passengers with support animals can still fly their pets, but they will have to be checked into the cargo hold and pay a fee.