Posts
Previously posted on my Facebook Page.
New York Times: “Federal Policy on Homelessness Becomes New Target of the Right.” And adds: “The approach known as Housing First has long enjoyed bipartisan support. But conservatives are pushing efforts to replace it with programs that put more emphasis on sobriety and employment.” What is wrong with sobriety and employment? Come on, now. That isn’t a “conservative” take but a primal sense of maturity and grownup responsibility.
Or let’s study why countries with diverse cultural facts and economic well-being. Iceland, Japan, Thailand, Costa Rica, Chile, and Ghana have the lowest rate of homelessness in the world. According to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), there are around 582,000 Americans experiencing homelessness in 2022. And over 11,000 homeless shelters nationwide. Shelters are not a fact in other countries but lack/shortage of employment yet homelessness isn’t a national crisis or local level issue. In the U.S., drive around, what we see are “We are hiring!” signs. On a larger context, it is so confounding that America has so much money tossed to a war elsewhere while numbers of the homeless in our midst continue to soar. (Photo credit: The Homeless Charity and Village.) 🚶♀️🚶🛖
New York Times: “With Pandemic Aid Ending, Vermont’s Homeless Are Forced From Hotels.” Hotels are emptied of about 2,800 homeless people living there as part of a pandemic-era program — and offering them tents — after federal funding ran out. While White House keeps on trumpeting employment highs. Confounding. Meanwhile, more than 200,000 migrants “freely” cross the southern border monthly since Jan 2021. Yet politics seem unable to stop the surge.
As the number of homeless citizens spikes in major cities, border breaches seem unabated. In April, there were 211,401 alien encounters along the Southwest Border, up almost 10 percent from the previous month and up nearly 20 percent from April 2021. In FY 2021, a record 122,000 children were taken into U.S. custody without their parents. Why without their parents? Of course, you know why. Yet the issue stays as is. A partisanship theater of murkthrow. 🚶♀️🚶🛖
New York Times: “Republicans’ Problem in Attacking Biden: They Helped Pass His Economic Bills.” Passage of bills is legislature’s job. But implementation of the law to its success rests with the President’s leadership. Overall, Biden’s policies have fallen short of expectations on seven out of the last eight economic growth reports. Meanwhile, in his Springfield VA speech, Biden bragged that his administration funded “700,000 major construction projects.” Fact: 7,000. 🏦🗽🏦
New York Times: “ESPN Announces Layoffs of On-Air Personalities to Cut Costs.” And adds: “The layoffs included several well known broadcasters, including Suzy Kolber, Jeff Van Gundy and Jalen Rose.” Media people are indeed losing their jobs. Big Tech takes over TV, newspaper, and other communications channels as the industry posted a record $4.2 trillion in combined revenue in 2022. Ironically, they also cut employees and workers out. AI rationale?
2022’s Big Tech revenue is up from about $4 trillion the year before and $3.3 trillion two years before. BTW, I like Jeff Van Gundy’s interjecting side-comments on ESPN, fun. But I wish they’d taken out the female ESPN late night highlights anchor. Her voice is shrill, eerie, and annoying. Didn’t bother to know who she is. Probably she’d be better in non-talky jobs in the newsroom? If she’s still there, I mean. 🏀🗣⚾️
New York Times: “National Geographic Lays Off More Writers.” And adds: “The company did not specify how many were shed and said that the magazine, known for its focus on discovery and exploration, would continue to be published on a monthly basis.” Layoffs in 2023 have targeted nearly 40 media companies, with at least 17,436 job cuts. The level of cuts is worse than at the outset of the pandemic in 2020, when 16,750 job cuts were announced through May.
This year so far, more than 151,054 workers in U.S.-based tech companies (or tech companies with a large U.S. workforce) have been laid off in mass job cuts, according to a Crunchbase News tally. In 2022: More than 93,000 jobs were slashed from public and private tech companies in the U.S. Of course, in his latest speech, President Biden bragged about job gains. Yet per debt limit austerity in next FY, expect more employment terminations in government funded programs. 📜📰📜
Associated Press. “Jeffrey Epstein's suicide was the result of negligence and misconduct by federal jail guards, a Justice Department watchdog says.” However, whatever the cause of Mr Epstein’s death, it’s a sort of “roll of the eyes” situation. Mr Epstein’s one-day in Sept 2014 itinerary, for example, reveals names such as Bill Gates, Leon Black, Thomas Pritzker, and Mortimer Zuckerman. Then there’s Les Wexner, Prince Andrew etcetera. Have I omitted other VIP names?
News adds: “The Justice Department’s watchdog says `a combination of negligence and misconduct’ enabled the financier to take his own life at a federal jail in New York City while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.” Jeffrey died by suicide in jail in 2019, as he awaited trial on charges of sex trafficking minors. 🥹🤨😟
Time: “Southeast Asia’s Most Gay-Friendly Country Still Has No Law Against LGBT Discrimination.” I don't concur with western laws that are muzzled via media in other countries with dissimilar sociocultural facts. LGBT is truth back home. But “respect enforcement” is implemented by families, communities, and other institutions beyond governmental interference. Unless crime--murder/homicide, rape, physical abuse etcetera--is committed.
The gay issue hasn’t been politicized back home till these days. I was exposed to LGBT facts since I was a boy. In my professional life in media and theater, many friends are gay. But it wasn’t a huge issue at all. Acceptance and respect are accorded to those, whatever gender preference, who attain achievements in the community and gain friendships via sheer goodness.
😒🇵🇭🤨
New York Times: “The Failed Affirmative Action Campaign That Shook Democrats.” And adds: “The Supreme Court will soon rule on race-conscious college admissions, a core Democratic issue.” Affirmative action is a policy of favoring groups regarded as disadvantaged or subject to discrimination. I am an Asian. But I don’t think “affirmative action” benefited us. Yet Asian Americans had the highest educational attainment of any race in America. Why? Figure it out. 🏦🗽🏦
New York Times: “New York’s Shelters Were Packed. Now They Are Bursting at the Seams.” Homeless people hit a record 100,000, driven by an influx of migrants. The system is straining to adapt. Nearly 61,000 migrants have arrived in the city since last spring. Taxpayer money is currently housing 37,000. Yes, New York has the 2nd largest national budget and where the world’s most number of billionaires live. To Mayor Adams, Gov. Hochul and Madame AOC: Fix it! 🗽🏃♀️🏃
David Brooks of New York Times writes: “Why Biden Isn’t Getting the Credit He Deserves.” And adds: “It’s the national psychology, not the economy.” Really? LOL! Fact is, the “national psychology” dissed Donald Trump’s economic record in favor of his not so sweet personality. But I don’t think the “national psychology” isn’t aware of Joe Biden’s economic failures and foreign affairs blunders. But trudat. Partisanship dogma blinds people from reading writings on the wall. 🏦🗽🏦
