On 1/28/21, Carl Jarvis <carjar82@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
On 1/28/21, Frank Ventura <frank.ventura@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Carl, yep definitely different days. None of that stuff exists anymore.Frank,
Frank
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Thursday, January 28, 2021 12:34 AM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: 50 things that are better already
Frank,
In 1994 I took early retirement because I was able to receive my state
pension, my SSDI and my earnings as a contract worker in the Independent
Living Program. Not only did it provide a better total income per year,
but
for more years than if I had worked until 65.
What I lost was paid vacation and pay increases. At the time I was
assistant director for the state agency serving the blind, and my only
promotion opportunity was to become director. But Shirley Smith, our
director, was several years my junior. Coupling all the income sources
together gave us the ability to build our home and to continue doing the
sort of work we both loved doing.
Carl Jarvis
On 1/27/21, Frank Ventura <frank.ventura@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Carl, My how things have changed. The only pledge I had to sign as a
state employee was to agree to never accept a public benefit such as
social security, unemployment insurance, pension, or fuel assistance
for the rest of my life. I guess money speaks louder now than political
leanings.
Frank
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Tuesday, January 26, 2021 3:29 PM
To: blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [blind-democracy] Re: 50 things that are better already
Thanks for jogging my memory Roger. By the time I went to work for
the State Services for the Blind, 1975, I was 4o years old and not so
involved in the marches and demonstrations that I was involved in at
20-30.
But that Hatch act was like the old pledge that so many government
workers had to sign, "I am not now, nor have I ever been a member of
the Communist Party", that was so big back in the late 40's and well
past
the early 60's.
Such muzzles were designed by management and corporate leaders. I
remember when my uncle hired on at Oregon State Univ., and had to sign
his disclaimer. He also was given a form to fill out which described
his volunteer activities. My dad asked him if the town's business
leaders had to fill the form out, too.
That shocked my uncle.
Carl Jarvis
On 1/26/21, Roger Loran Bailey <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
The Hatch Act had a really chilling influence on my job hunt right
after I graduated from college. At the time I was heavily involved in
politics and then I realized something that I had not thought much
about until that time. The large majority of jobs available to a new
holder of a bachelor's degree in biology was in state government.
___
George H. Smith “It is my firm conviction that man has nothing to
gain, emotionally or otherwise, by adhering to a falsehood,
regardless of how comfortable or sacred that falsehood may appear.
Anyone who claims, on the one hand, that he is concerned with human
welfare, and who demands, on the other hand, that man must suspend or
renounce the use of his reason, is contradicting himself. There can
be no knowledge of what is good for man apart from knowledge of
reality and human nature, and there is no manner in which this
knowledge can be acquired except through reason. To advocate
irrationality is to advocate that which is destructive to human
life.” ― George H. Smith, Atheism: The Case Against God On 1/26/2021
1:56
PM, Carl Jarvis wrote:
It's hot air such as this that keeps me from listening to the long
winded speeches about how wonderful we are, and how much better
we're going to make the world.
In my years at the department of services for the blind, the Hatch
Act laid out the penalties for openly supporting candidates. I
could not openly support anyone running for office, even if they
were unopposed.
The husband of a staff person was running for state legislature.
She put a sign on her office door. She came close to losing her
job, which would have been sad, because no one who knew the creep
would vote for him, no matter how much we liked our co-worker.
I never bothered to look up the regulation because it didn't matter
to me. Putting up signs or button holing co-workers always seemed
to be a waste of effort.
Carl Jarvis
On 1/26/21, Miriam Vieni <miriamvieni@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
7. Qualified and knowledgeable nominees have been selected for
senior spots ?
10. We are now tough on Russian human rights abuses And this is
good?
Who
the hell are we to be tough on another country's human rights abuses?
11. We get normal readouts of sane conversations between the
president and foreign leaders - Like our government has always
been, and will now again be honest about what goes on between our
leaders and those of other countries 13. Manners are in, bullying
is out, at least on the surface 14. You feel calmer after hearing the
presiden.
Not really 18. The president is able to articulate policy details,
coherently even .
Well, it depends on whether or not he's had a good day and aken his
meds 28. It is the Republicans not the Democrats who are in
disarray . Not exactly. There's this cowed left wing of the
Democratic party plus a bunch of people who will probably ditch it.
30. No Soviet-style fawning over the president by his subordinates
Perhaps not. But there's a whole lot of denial about how the
unpopular nominee ended up as the candidate and about his record in
politics and his mental capacities.
34. Real cable news outlets get high ratings, others not so much
What the hell does that mean? The "real cable news networks" are
propaganda outlets for the Democratic establishment.
36. Voice of America is back in the hands of actual journalists
True, but it's still a propaganda outlet of the US. It was never an
objective news source.
39. Instead of running it like a business, the new administration
will try running government competently Which means that it will be
run for the benefit of corporations 45. We have a churchgoing
president “who has spent a lifetime steeped in Christian rituals
and practices. ” This is suppossed to be a good thing?
I'm
supposed to be comforted by the fact that this country requires
that its President be a practicing Christian?
48. The White House takes the Hatch Act seriously I can't remember
exactly what that is, but I have a strong feeling that it isn't a
good thing.
t
-----Original Message-----
From: blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<blind-democracy-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf Of Carl Jarvis
Sent: Tuesday, January 26, 2021 10:54 AM
To: blind-democracy <blind-democracy@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [blind-democracy] 50 things that are better already
Whether we all agree on the following list, one thing is for certain.
There is a sense of direction coming down from the top. Our job
now is to put in the effort to direct the new energy in the
directions that will do the Working Class, and the nation, the most
good.
Carl Jarvis
Opinion by
Jennifer Rubin
Columnist
Jan. 25, 2021 at 4:45 a.m. PST
President Biden has not completed his first week in office, but
already there is much to celebrate. Let’s count the ways:
1. You can ignore Twitter
2. The White House briefing room is not an Orwellian nightmare of
lies
3. We are now confronting white domestic terrorism
4. We are not paying for golf trips
5. There are no presidential relatives in government
6. The tenor of hearings is sober and serious
7. Qualified and knowledgeable nominees have been selected for
senior spots
8. We have a first lady who engages with the public
9. We have not heard a word from presidential children
10. We are now tough on Russian human rights abuses
11. We get normal readouts of sane conversations between the
president and foreign leaders
12. The White House philosophy is to underpromise and overdeliver,
not the other way around
13. Manners are in, bullying is out
14. You feel calmer after hearing the president
15. Fact-checkers are not overworked
16. Quality entertainers want to perform for the White House
17. We have seen the president’s tax records
18. The president is able to articulate policy details, coherently
even
19. The worst the press can come up with is the president’s watch
20. We have a White House staff that looks like America
21. We have a national covid-19 plan
22. Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious
Diseases Anthony S. Fauci is liberated, sounds happy and even looks
younger
23. Fauci, not the president, briefs on the science of covid-19 and
efficacy of vaccines
24. Masks and social distancing in the White House
25. The White House has policy initiatives and proposals, not
merely leaving it all to Congress
26. The administration is committed to releasing information, not
covering it up, on the slaughter of journalist Jamal Khashoggi
27. The Muslim ban is gone
28. It is the Republicans not the Democrats who are in disarray
29. The national security adviser has not been fired for lying to
the FBI
30. No Soviet-style fawning over the president by his subordinates
31. The president takes daily, in-person intelligence briefings
32. The president does not care about Air Force One colors
33. We have a president familiar with the Constitution
34. Real cable news outlets get high ratings, others not so much
35. President Andrew Jackson is out of the Oval Office, Benjamin
Franklin is in
36. Voice of America is back in the hands of actual journalists
37. We get memes about Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), not crowd size
38. We are back in the Paris climate accord and the World Health
Organization
39. Instead of running it like a business, the new administration
will try running government competently
40. We have a president who doesn’t think military service is for
“suckers”
and who doesn’t send his “love” to people assaulting law
enforcement
41. The secretary of treasury nominee has her own Hamilton lyrics
42. Amanda Gorman is a household name
43. More than two-thirds of Americans approve of the White House
covid-19 approach.
44. No more work-free “executive time” in the presidential living
quarters
45. We have a churchgoing president “who has spent a lifetime
steeped in Christian rituals and practices.”
46. We have first dogs
47. The vice president’s spouse does not teach at a school that
bars LGBTQ students
48. The White House takes the Hatch Act seriously
49. The administration wants...
*Oops! Sorry to have cut off the last two.
I know that pay and benefits vary from state to state, but overall
pay, benefits and working conditions have been lagging behind the
rising cost of living. Here in Washington State, we fought for years
to prevent contracting out services that should be provided by state
union labor. See how well that worked! Cathy and I spent the last 26
years as contractors, providing services that used to be handled by
state union employees.
Until the working class once again establishes large unions, we will
continue the downward trend. But it will take a better informed and
involved labor force, if true gains are to come about.
Carl Jarvis
