Skim through these items and you'll understand why...
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Wednesday, January 29, 2020
Prophetic, or Just A Phase?
The following posts put out by ShiftWA.org today provide a disturbing view of the kinds of things currently going on in this beautiful, but rapidly degenerating state. If this trend continues, It's going to become the northern portion of the left coast, called Washinfornicated!
Skim through these items and you'll understand why...
Skim through these items and you'll understand why...
Tuesday, January 28, 2020
It Isn't Much Better Outside Seattle Either!
After scanning through the entire article, I kept telling myself, "This is how bad it's gotten now!"
Question: Why are public schools so bad now, in terms of both learning and behavior, that we are regularly learning about teachers who are being reported for behavior we find difficult to believe?
Answer: To anyone who thinks they can do the job of most teachers currently dealing with the kinds of students in many schools today, go for it! If they think they can both maintain discipline and keep them interested in learning, be my guest! Good luck!
After 40 years of doing my best to do the same, I speak with experience and authority in saying that over those years, the deterioration of decent social behavior of a growing percentage of students, especially by the time they get to middle school age, has gotten to the point where I can understand why many school districts will do their best to keep teachers, rather than fire them.
And why do I say that? Because those teachers who have attempted to do the job for a reasonable amount of time know from experience that even though they're paid what seems to many as an exorbitant salary for the work they do, leave as soon as they realize they can no longer tolerate the abuse and disrespect they must endure on a regular basis, while also feeling that the district administration's edicts about what they can, and can't do, finally leave for another profession; it's just not worth it! So, many districts do their best to keep who they can.
Until and unless school boards begin to stand behind teachers who are attempting to establish their classroom as one that is oriented toward a learning environment that observes polite, respectful social conduct and treatment by the student of the teacher who's there to help them apply skills to get them prepared for a prosperous future, then public schools will only get worse.
Think about it... why are private, charter, and home schooling growing in popularity and demand by parents across the country? Because they can afford it? No, because they understand that their child's learning, as opposed to a constantly disruptive and anti-social, disrespectful climate which dominates many classrooms in middle and high schools today stunt's their child's experience and, in the long run, their potential for success in the future.
The last 10 years were spent substituting in a few different districts. Even through that brief period, I experienced a noticeable deterioration of even elementary students at the upper grades exhibiting what I dealt with at the middle school level years before. Why? Because many children see their older siblings modeling the inappropriate behavior in various settings, or on television.
I know, I've managed to hang in there over the past four decades and it's gotten worse with the type of undisciplined child who comes from a home that has no father figure to provide them the needed guidance and nurturing so critical to a growing child. This is where our society has failed itself.
Question: Why are public schools so bad now, in terms of both learning and behavior, that we are regularly learning about teachers who are being reported for behavior we find difficult to believe?
Answer: To anyone who thinks they can do the job of most teachers currently dealing with the kinds of students in many schools today, go for it! If they think they can both maintain discipline and keep them interested in learning, be my guest! Good luck!
After 40 years of doing my best to do the same, I speak with experience and authority in saying that over those years, the deterioration of decent social behavior of a growing percentage of students, especially by the time they get to middle school age, has gotten to the point where I can understand why many school districts will do their best to keep teachers, rather than fire them.
And why do I say that? Because those teachers who have attempted to do the job for a reasonable amount of time know from experience that even though they're paid what seems to many as an exorbitant salary for the work they do, leave as soon as they realize they can no longer tolerate the abuse and disrespect they must endure on a regular basis, while also feeling that the district administration's edicts about what they can, and can't do, finally leave for another profession; it's just not worth it! So, many districts do their best to keep who they can.
Until and unless school boards begin to stand behind teachers who are attempting to establish their classroom as one that is oriented toward a learning environment that observes polite, respectful social conduct and treatment by the student of the teacher who's there to help them apply skills to get them prepared for a prosperous future, then public schools will only get worse.
Think about it... why are private, charter, and home schooling growing in popularity and demand by parents across the country? Because they can afford it? No, because they understand that their child's learning, as opposed to a constantly disruptive and anti-social, disrespectful climate which dominates many classrooms in middle and high schools today stunt's their child's experience and, in the long run, their potential for success in the future.
The President of the Washington Education Association testified against state funds being used to support charter schools. Since the teachers’ union does not control charter schools – nor receive dues from the teachers in those schools – the unions are opposed to parents providing their children with an education option that better fits their needs. Charter schools are increasingly more attractive to students from low-income families than their neighborhood public schools. The teachers’ union continues to demonstrate that its greed and political power are more important than parents choosing what is best for their children’s education, especially those from poorer families. (WEA) from ShiftWA.org
The last 10 years were spent substituting in a few different districts. Even through that brief period, I experienced a noticeable deterioration of even elementary students at the upper grades exhibiting what I dealt with at the middle school level years before. Why? Because many children see their older siblings modeling the inappropriate behavior in various settings, or on television.
I know, I've managed to hang in there over the past four decades and it's gotten worse with the type of undisciplined child who comes from a home that has no father figure to provide them the needed guidance and nurturing so critical to a growing child. This is where our society has failed itself.
Monday, January 27, 2020
Senate Impeachment Trial - Day 7
After watching today's presentation by President Trump's defense team on the second day of arguments for the impeachment trial - if you can actually call it one based on what they've been pointing out (which I'll explain here) - it is obvious to me that there are two points which need to be made.
In the process of listening to some talking heads - even on Fox News - speak about the so-called "bombshell" news - gee, where have we heard that euphemism before - I'm infuriated to hear them speak of the John Bolton manuscript as though it's undisputed fact, thus planting an unverified claim in the minds of the public as though it is true. How can I, and why do I, say this? Rush Limbaugh, during his introductory half-hour this morning, he spoke to this very issue by explaining that there are two brothers, both who work for the National Security Council, Lt. Col. Alexander Vindmin - who testified before the House hearings - and then there's also a Lt. Col. Yevgenny Vindmin, who is currently conducting a manuscript vetting on, wait for it, wait for it... John Bolton's manuscript for his book coming out soon.
If you write a book like this and you’re part of the Security Council, National Security Council apparatus, you have to submit this to the National Security Council for vetting before it can be send to the publisher. They have to clear it to make sure no national security secrets or violations are being written about and published. Alexander Vindman’s brother, Yevgeny Vindman, is the guy vetting Bolton’s book!Limbaugh went on to point out that this story follows the pattern by the Democrats throughout the past three years in trying to take down our duly elected president through bogus articles which hold no water. (The link in this sentence is of the whole transcript from Rush's show today.) Here's a key point from that transcript:
Isn’t it just magical that on the very day after the Trump defense team decimates the House managers’ case, the very next day here comes this leak from the New York Times about what Trump told Bolton supposedly that he didn’t want to do? What remains amazing is the leak supposedly is that Trump told Bolton that he didn’t want to release any aid to Ukraine until Ukraine turned over him material related to investigations. That’s from the Maggie Haberman tweet. “New York Times scoop:So, when the talking heads on news channels speak about it, they are being incredibly irresponsible about discussing it as though it is true, when it is merely a leak story to the New York Times, a paper with zero credibility after how it's covered the last three years against the president.
As Dan Bongino maintains as his rule "Wait 24 - 72 hours before commenting on the latest media leak because it is debunked totally within that time frame." He has accurately pointed out on his podcasts, "There is no crime, if there is no victim! Ukraine has repeatedly said they were not subjected to any pressure campaign."
The second issue is that Speaker of the House Pelosi obviously blew it "big time" by allowing the investigative committees in the House for five or so weeks PRIOR to having the whole House vote on providing those committees the Constitutional power to authorize demanding subpoenas for testimony. The defense team accurately explained today that, because of this delay of the whole House's vote, then all testimony records in those hearing prior to the whole House vote to give them the authority to subpoena them makes it all null and void.
Therefore, much of the material the House's articles of impeachment - other than the fact much of the articles are based solely on hate, malicious opinion and urgency to staunch the political bleeding for the Democrat Party's defense of their hopeful candidate; Quid-Pro-Joe Biden - have no place in these Senate hearings. Boom! The House Manager's points have been obliterated! If anything in this whole impeachment process is unprecedented, it is that "Shifty" Schiff's team and any points they've made are completely bogus and unfounded.
I suspect that most of the public is not going to pay attention to these points the Trump Defense Team has made, but instead will rely on talking heads' remarks which are baseless, but are mentioned because it continues to promote the Democrat's narrative in a desperate attempt to maintain a false basis for control and dominance in national politics.
Such tactics reveal that the Democrats are nothing more than liars and power hungry swamp rats who use the long practice of intimidation and threat of destroying anyone who attempts to stand up against those lies!
Saturday, January 25, 2020
Senate Impeachment Trial, Day 6 - Slam Dunk!
Two hours! Folks, the Democrat Candidates owe the President's Defense Team in this trial a big "Thank You!" for giving them the rest of the weekend to go and campaign again.
Two hours! After the House Managers spent 24 hours to drone on an on filled with incorrect statements, half-truths, omissions of critical information in that presentation of their case to support the two articles of impeachment, the President's Defense Team tore apart everything in just two hours. Hey Burbank, are you embarrassed yet?
I post this link to C-SPAN2's video presentation of this morning's presentation of those points the team presented to the Senate because it's worth providing to anyone who might not have watched at 8 a.m. PST.
As someone who's followed this "Witch Hunt" over the past three years, I know just how much information the team finally exposed to the nation who may have NEVER heard any of the facts it pointed out have been deliberately withheld, both from members of the House Managers Team and the Media (D); ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, and PBS, also now understood as the Democrat Party's propaganda arm.
Now, you may assert that my statement in the above paragraph is biased, opinionated, or based on my conservative ideology. I understand why you might claim that. Unlike some of my liberal friends, I don't base those remarks on opinion, but provable facts which my friends ignore. I don't!
However, ask yourself this question... Of all of the investigations and claims against Pres. Trump; Spygate (Russian Collusion), Ukraingate (Quid-Pro-Quo), and now the House's two articles of impeachment to the Senate, has resulted in ANY sound, legal evidence which indicates Pres. Trump committed a crime which rises to the level which justifies removal from office?
If you watch the video of the presentation from this morning, you'll realize there is none! This is what I've known all along. Every time a new attack was launched, facts kept trickling out over time which revealed that the assertions weren't true. In fact, they revealed that it was all an orchestrated collaboration of the same key players in what's become widely known as "The Deep State" who are holdovers from the Obama administration.
Two hours! After the House Managers spent 24 hours to drone on an on filled with incorrect statements, half-truths, omissions of critical information in that presentation of their case to support the two articles of impeachment, the President's Defense Team tore apart everything in just two hours. Hey Burbank, are you embarrassed yet?
I post this link to C-SPAN2's video presentation of this morning's presentation of those points the team presented to the Senate because it's worth providing to anyone who might not have watched at 8 a.m. PST.
As someone who's followed this "Witch Hunt" over the past three years, I know just how much information the team finally exposed to the nation who may have NEVER heard any of the facts it pointed out have been deliberately withheld, both from members of the House Managers Team and the Media (D); ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, and PBS, also now understood as the Democrat Party's propaganda arm.
Now, you may assert that my statement in the above paragraph is biased, opinionated, or based on my conservative ideology. I understand why you might claim that. Unlike some of my liberal friends, I don't base those remarks on opinion, but provable facts which my friends ignore. I don't!
However, ask yourself this question... Of all of the investigations and claims against Pres. Trump; Spygate (Russian Collusion), Ukraingate (Quid-Pro-Quo), and now the House's two articles of impeachment to the Senate, has resulted in ANY sound, legal evidence which indicates Pres. Trump committed a crime which rises to the level which justifies removal from office?
If you watch the video of the presentation from this morning, you'll realize there is none! This is what I've known all along. Every time a new attack was launched, facts kept trickling out over time which revealed that the assertions weren't true. In fact, they revealed that it was all an orchestrated collaboration of the same key players in what's become widely known as "The Deep State" who are holdovers from the Obama administration.
Thursday, January 23, 2020
A Campaign Ad Like NEVER Before!
If you've not yet seen this new campaign ad for reelecting the president, you've got to watch it!
A fair trial starts now!
However... Media Research Center's Brent Bozel has a slightly different message which we should heed... I think he's got a very good point.
So, I'm not going to buy the excuse that contacting our state representatives - House & Senate - will do no good, even if I have to harass them DAILY to tell them how I feel about their attempt to take away our vote for the one president in decades who's actually made a positive difference in our country's future.
A fair trial starts now!
However... Media Research Center's Brent Bozel has a slightly different message which we should heed... I think he's got a very good point.
So, I'm not going to buy the excuse that contacting our state representatives - House & Senate - will do no good, even if I have to harass them DAILY to tell them how I feel about their attempt to take away our vote for the one president in decades who's actually made a positive difference in our country's future.
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
The Height of Hypocrisy
It has begun!
Opening argument for setting the rules of the impeachment trial are now being presented. As I watched and listened to the points from each side, I couldn't help but wonder, are these two lead managers of the trial from different planets?
One side says that the president will be proved to have not risen to the level of high crimes and misdemeanors, and that the House's articles don't even rise to that level because he has committed no crimes the two articles assert has occurred.
The other side says that he has committed two crimes - abuse of power (withholding funds to Ukraine), and obstructing Congress's investigations by refusing certain witness requests (exercising executive privilege by directing those close advisors not to testify before the House Judiciary committee).
What confuses the general viewing public about these totally different perspectives on this paramount issue before the nation is the details which are an integral part of what's gone on over the last few years. I've posted many an article which touches on those details to point out just how much hypocrisy has been exercised in these many months. I'll assume that readers will have a basic understanding of those points from having followed what's gone in in the past.
Yet, just for the sake of perspective, I must suggest to my readers that they use this link to go to the 11:43 mark for the video composite of media remarks about the impeachment of Pres. Bill Clinton in 1999. If watching the whole hour long video of today's post by Dan Bongino one will learn the total hypocrisy of the Democrats when comparing it to their remarks about impeaching Pres. Trump. As a taste of what I'm referring to, when it comes to the left's hate against the president, read this statement by one Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D) N.Y. who is on the prosecuting team of the trial:
I must, however, point out here the hypocrisy which lead manager Rep. Adam "Shifty" Schiff (a.k.a. Stimpy) has displayed in his opening statements about demanding to have the Senate allowing a continuation of the House's investigations by allowing witnesses during the trial portion of the Senate's proceedings; something which the House failed to complete, along with holding secret hearings in the basement of the Capitol building and is STILL withholding secret witness testimony from the pubic that's damaging to their arguments. This is the height of hypocrisy!
It is these details which, I'm confident, the defense team of managers in this Senate trial will present, explain, and convince the sitting body that the president is not guilty of any crimes, but that those managers from the House are, as the president himself has stated many a time, engaging in a "Witch Hunt" motivated by hatred and malice.
Moreover, it is fascinating to observe how the Media (D) - ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, PBS - are couching their choice of words applied to every comment so as to present a highly opinionated perspective to the consuming public, thus exposing them to unwitting bias while pushing polls which are skewed to favor those biased views toward the president they hate.
First Day Trial First Impressions
After watching most, but not all, of the opening remarks of both sides of the impeachment teams to set the rules for proceedings of the trial, I am beginning to wonder why Speaker Nancy Pelosi allowed both Chair Jerry Naddler (a.k.a. Rhen) of the House Judiciary Committee, and Chair Adam "Shifty" Schiff (a.k.a. Stimpy) of the House Intelligence Committee, to be #2 and leader managers - respectively - for this trial.
I think I've figured it out! Pelosi wants to get rid of the two clowns who, having no principles, are doing the most damage of humiliating the Democrat Party's image... they're so inept and incompetent. Remember, back in March of last year, Pelosi was saying there wouldn't be an impeachment hearing in the House because certain criteria of hers wasn't being met. Then, over time, I'm convinced, the more radical left element in her caucus persuaded her to change her mind.
Based on what they've claimed are the reasons for the two articles of impeachment, it's clear that they're making up 99% of their reasons from a pure hatred of the man, for he has exposed what the Democrats were up to during the 2016 presidential campaign and are desperately attempting at every turn to distract the public from learning what they themselves are guilty of doing; attempting to completely rig - with the help of Ukrainian operatives - the 2016 election against Trump and for Hillary!
This is not a criminal trial! It's strictly a political exercise! Don't believe me? Just do some searching for both of these clowns above and what they are on record of saying about Pres. Clinton's impeachment! Prove it to yourself. However, if you're not interested in taking time to do the research, go here to read this article by Paul Bedard of the Washington Examiner.
Yet, what most people haven't heard is that we taxpayers paid to have nominee for the GOP, Trump, spied on through the Office of Net Assessment; a tax funded federal agency. Again, don't believe me? Check this article from SaraACarter.com about U.S. Attorney John Durham now investigating this fact. (For comments by Dan Bongino on this matter, I recommend watching further on in his video;especially at the 30:00 mark.)
Folks, I'm very hopeful that those out there who've not been paying attention much previously to all of this and who don't really understand all of what's actually gone on because they've only learned from hearsay and tidbits of news over the last six months or so, and are still at a neutral position on this will hear some of the trial presentations from Trump's team of lawyers and learn what's really gone down that will cause them to realize just how horrible the liberals have been in conducting this whole charade. Then, after Trump's been acquitted, come November, will pull the lever for him for reelection. However, if nothing's done about potential voter manipulation, our republic is truly in trouble. (See video below.)
It will be interesting to follow these proceedings as the days go on. More to come!
Opening argument for setting the rules of the impeachment trial are now being presented. As I watched and listened to the points from each side, I couldn't help but wonder, are these two lead managers of the trial from different planets?
One side says that the president will be proved to have not risen to the level of high crimes and misdemeanors, and that the House's articles don't even rise to that level because he has committed no crimes the two articles assert has occurred.
The other side says that he has committed two crimes - abuse of power (withholding funds to Ukraine), and obstructing Congress's investigations by refusing certain witness requests (exercising executive privilege by directing those close advisors not to testify before the House Judiciary committee).
What confuses the general viewing public about these totally different perspectives on this paramount issue before the nation is the details which are an integral part of what's gone on over the last few years. I've posted many an article which touches on those details to point out just how much hypocrisy has been exercised in these many months. I'll assume that readers will have a basic understanding of those points from having followed what's gone in in the past.
Yet, just for the sake of perspective, I must suggest to my readers that they use this link to go to the 11:43 mark for the video composite of media remarks about the impeachment of Pres. Bill Clinton in 1999. If watching the whole hour long video of today's post by Dan Bongino one will learn the total hypocrisy of the Democrats when comparing it to their remarks about impeaching Pres. Trump. As a taste of what I'm referring to, when it comes to the left's hate against the president, read this statement by one Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D) N.Y. who is on the prosecuting team of the trial:
Why were so many people who worship at the altar of white supremacy drawn to Donald Trump’s campaign? What was it about this individual that so many folks dripping in hatred flocked to his candidacy?
That’s not to say that every American who voted for Donald Trump is a racist. We do know that every racist in America voted for Donald Trump. That’s a problem. But this president has a responsibility to address the rise in hate crimes that have taken place on his watch, whether or not his election is directly connected to it.
I must, however, point out here the hypocrisy which lead manager Rep. Adam "Shifty" Schiff (a.k.a. Stimpy) has displayed in his opening statements about demanding to have the Senate allowing a continuation of the House's investigations by allowing witnesses during the trial portion of the Senate's proceedings; something which the House failed to complete, along with holding secret hearings in the basement of the Capitol building and is STILL withholding secret witness testimony from the pubic that's damaging to their arguments. This is the height of hypocrisy!
It is these details which, I'm confident, the defense team of managers in this Senate trial will present, explain, and convince the sitting body that the president is not guilty of any crimes, but that those managers from the House are, as the president himself has stated many a time, engaging in a "Witch Hunt" motivated by hatred and malice.
Moreover, it is fascinating to observe how the Media (D) - ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, MSNBC, PBS - are couching their choice of words applied to every comment so as to present a highly opinionated perspective to the consuming public, thus exposing them to unwitting bias while pushing polls which are skewed to favor those biased views toward the president they hate.
First Day Trial First Impressions
After watching most, but not all, of the opening remarks of both sides of the impeachment teams to set the rules for proceedings of the trial, I am beginning to wonder why Speaker Nancy Pelosi allowed both Chair Jerry Naddler (a.k.a. Rhen) of the House Judiciary Committee, and Chair Adam "Shifty" Schiff (a.k.a. Stimpy) of the House Intelligence Committee, to be #2 and leader managers - respectively - for this trial.
It will be interesting to follow these proceedings as the days go on. More to come!
Saturday, January 18, 2020
The Rise of Homelessness in America
I found this interesting article from the Daily Caller - Tents, Homelessness and Misery - 9 Things I Saw in San Francisco - in my email box and took the time to read it for a couple of reasons. And, although it was fairly long and well written, I could totally relate to what the woman author shared.
In my early years as a student in high school I attended only 70 miles north of San Francisco, I had many an opportunity to visit S.F. because of a female of interest who I dated occasionally, which never turned out to be any more than that. Back then, it was only the Tenderloin district of the city that one avoided because of the drug use and prostitution which prevailed there. The rest of the city was free of any pan handlers because the city police enforced the vagrancy laws of the city. The tourist industry flourished during the late '60s and early '70s; with the only other exception being the Haight/Ashbury district that became a pilgrimage for the "Hypie culture" of that same period.
During the mid-'70s, I ran the Bay To Breakers race across the city twice. At that time the appearance of Gay Community members within the crowds and the race was just gaining momentum, but the city was basically decent to visit.
Fast forward 50 years...
After retiring 10 years ago from the classroom in the Pacific NW, I decided to spend several years doing guard work at the two sports arenas in south Seattle; what's known as the SODO district near the Amtrak Station. CenturyLink Field is the northern of the two, with what was then Safeco Field. The Seattle Seahawks, along with the Seattle Sounders Soccer team, play in CenturyLink, while the Mariners baseball team play in what is now called T-Mobile Park due to new sponsorship.
In the fall of 2009, when I first began working at CenturyLink Field, homelessness was mostly non-existent. Yes, there were a few hanging around on the streets, but of no real significance. They didn't live in tent communities or pan handle because the city police enforce the existing ordinances and kept the streets free for the tourists; a big industry which is now suffering from the homeless influx of the past few years.
As the years went by and I picked up doing guard work also at Safeco Field in 2015, the scene in the SODO district began to change exponentially. More and more tent communities - such as the infamous "Jungle" underneath the raise freeway of Interstate 5 along the eastern edge of that area which made news after it was discovered that drug dealing and use, along with prostitution, were rampant, and at least one person was killed by someone with a gun inside the area - pan handlers and street sleepers became much more noticeable to the fans and stadium workers coming to games or work.
Sadly, this has resulted in several deaths of individuals in Seattle by homeless persons over the last several years of the past decade. The first and most tragic of that time was Prof. Troy Wolf who was walking through Pioneer Square north of CenturyLink stadium from a Sounders game and was knifed to death by a delusional homeless man.
Changing policy and the involvement of the federal DOJ during the Obama administration's A.G. Eric Holder, created a climate among city police which caused most police officers to "choose their battles" very carefully. A series of different incidences - a Sounders fan walking home through the Pioneer Square area from a game was murdered by a homeless individual, a homeless man was shot dead by police when he refused to drop a knife he was wielding, and other similar situations - brought about an imposed set of federal requirements that snuffed any real enforcement of low level crimes as a result.
Then too, the writer of the Daily Caller article cited above didn't mention the Kate Steinle incident of 2015 and the perpetrator's consequent overturned conviction for murdering her, or the influx of illegal immigrants who've been allowed to remain at large due to the city's "Sanctuary" policy of refusing to notify ICE of their presence when getting out of jail for a felony conviction.
Now S.F. has voted in a new kind of District Attorney, Chase Boudin, who has announced that low level crimes will not be prosecuted out of supposed compassion for the homeless. His campaign was known to be funded by George Soros; a former Hedge Fund manager who, from his European residence, is working to turn law and order on its head, as this article points out.
So, both S.F. and Seattle have plenty in common when it comes to the homeless issue. Yes, folks, the liberals/leftists/socialists are doing their best to "progressively" move this nation into their utopia of concocted rights for everyone with no rational basis backing them. Personally, I believe it's virtue signaling which is part of their modern religion.
My question is... If we continue to allow this trend to move forward, at what point will we have to get to for a "tipping point" to occur in triggering a reversal and return to civility and decency?
In my early years as a student in high school I attended only 70 miles north of San Francisco, I had many an opportunity to visit S.F. because of a female of interest who I dated occasionally, which never turned out to be any more than that. Back then, it was only the Tenderloin district of the city that one avoided because of the drug use and prostitution which prevailed there. The rest of the city was free of any pan handlers because the city police enforced the vagrancy laws of the city. The tourist industry flourished during the late '60s and early '70s; with the only other exception being the Haight/Ashbury district that became a pilgrimage for the "Hypie culture" of that same period.
During the mid-'70s, I ran the Bay To Breakers race across the city twice. At that time the appearance of Gay Community members within the crowds and the race was just gaining momentum, but the city was basically decent to visit.
Fast forward 50 years...
After retiring 10 years ago from the classroom in the Pacific NW, I decided to spend several years doing guard work at the two sports arenas in south Seattle; what's known as the SODO district near the Amtrak Station. CenturyLink Field is the northern of the two, with what was then Safeco Field. The Seattle Seahawks, along with the Seattle Sounders Soccer team, play in CenturyLink, while the Mariners baseball team play in what is now called T-Mobile Park due to new sponsorship.
In the fall of 2009, when I first began working at CenturyLink Field, homelessness was mostly non-existent. Yes, there were a few hanging around on the streets, but of no real significance. They didn't live in tent communities or pan handle because the city police enforce the existing ordinances and kept the streets free for the tourists; a big industry which is now suffering from the homeless influx of the past few years.
As the years went by and I picked up doing guard work also at Safeco Field in 2015, the scene in the SODO district began to change exponentially. More and more tent communities - such as the infamous "Jungle" underneath the raise freeway of Interstate 5 along the eastern edge of that area which made news after it was discovered that drug dealing and use, along with prostitution, were rampant, and at least one person was killed by someone with a gun inside the area - pan handlers and street sleepers became much more noticeable to the fans and stadium workers coming to games or work.
Sadly, this has resulted in several deaths of individuals in Seattle by homeless persons over the last several years of the past decade. The first and most tragic of that time was Prof. Troy Wolf who was walking through Pioneer Square north of CenturyLink stadium from a Sounders game and was knifed to death by a delusional homeless man.
Changing policy and the involvement of the federal DOJ during the Obama administration's A.G. Eric Holder, created a climate among city police which caused most police officers to "choose their battles" very carefully. A series of different incidences - a Sounders fan walking home through the Pioneer Square area from a game was murdered by a homeless individual, a homeless man was shot dead by police when he refused to drop a knife he was wielding, and other similar situations - brought about an imposed set of federal requirements that snuffed any real enforcement of low level crimes as a result.
Then too, the writer of the Daily Caller article cited above didn't mention the Kate Steinle incident of 2015 and the perpetrator's consequent overturned conviction for murdering her, or the influx of illegal immigrants who've been allowed to remain at large due to the city's "Sanctuary" policy of refusing to notify ICE of their presence when getting out of jail for a felony conviction.
Now S.F. has voted in a new kind of District Attorney, Chase Boudin, who has announced that low level crimes will not be prosecuted out of supposed compassion for the homeless. His campaign was known to be funded by George Soros; a former Hedge Fund manager who, from his European residence, is working to turn law and order on its head, as this article points out.
So, both S.F. and Seattle have plenty in common when it comes to the homeless issue. Yes, folks, the liberals/leftists/socialists are doing their best to "progressively" move this nation into their utopia of concocted rights for everyone with no rational basis backing them. Personally, I believe it's virtue signaling which is part of their modern religion.
My question is... If we continue to allow this trend to move forward, at what point will we have to get to for a "tipping point" to occur in triggering a reversal and return to civility and decency?
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