Month: February 2020

Yep, the Liberal rag that has plagued northern California for over 150 years and the rest of the country for a few decades has filed for bankruptcy protection. McClatchy can’t pay their retirement payment that is due next month—we have previously documented this—so they are filing for B.K. and trying to slough-off their pensions onto the Federal government.

The overall reorganization plan seeks to address an estimated $700 million in debt. It would also put a hedge fund in control of the 163-year-old journalism company.

McClatchy expects fourth-quarter revenues of $183.9 million, down 14% from a year earlier. Its 2019 revenue is anticipated to be down 12.1% from the previous year. That would mean that the publisher’s revenue will have slid for six consecutive years.

The company expects to pull its listing from the New York Stock Exchange as a publicly traded company and go private.

Sacramento-based McClatchy files for bankruptcy protection

The company’s value is so low that they are being kicked out of the New York Stock Exchange—can you say penny stock? Thus they have to go private, the statements above are lipstick on the pig.

Folks, McClatchy’s bankruptcy filing will only allow the death spiral of this company to crash in a controlled manner. Color me skeptical, but somehow the company’s leadership will walk away with fully funded stock portfolios while retirees might get their pensions cut and they put taxpayers on the hook for the liability of 25,000 current retirees.

The newspaper chain also said it expects to transfer management of its $1.4 billion pension plan to the U.S. government’s Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. The costs of the company’s pension plan, a legacy of an era in which the newspaper industry was rich with profits, weighed it down in recent years.

Although bankruptcies can result in pensioners receiving less than they were due, McClatchy said Thursday that it believes its plan “would not have an adverse impact on qualified pension benefits for substantially all plan participants.”

Newspaper chain McClatchy files Chapter 11 bankruptcy after pension woes, print declines

McClatchy’s pension plan was founded in 1944 and covered nearly 24,500 people as of Jan. 1, 2019. The company also assumed other pension plans with various acquisitions in recent decades. By July 2019, the company’s pension shortfall totaled $805 million, according to a court filing.

Folks, to me this is tragic on a lot of levels but a long time in coming.

There is humor (or hubris) to be found in all this. The following quote encapsulates what’s wrong with this company and always has been.

McClatchy spokesperson Jeanne Segal said in an email that there would be “no layoffs associated with this filing. Our newsrooms are operating as usual, providing strong independent local journalism essential to the communities we serve.”

Folks, this paper has never been a provider of independent journalism. That is laughable on its face. McClatchy has been the official mouthpiece of the Democrat Party on every issue they have ever covered. Yes, they will occasionally throw a token Democrat under the bus if it furthers the Party as a whole, but who remembers Joseph Montoya anyway?

The hedge fund involved with putting McClatchy on life-support parroted the McClatchy spokesman, saying they’re “committed to preserving independent journalism and newsroom jobs.”

Translation, “we gave McClatchy enough life to lie about Republicans and President Trump for a few more months (or years) before we give this organization the needle.”

McClatchy and the rest of the mainstream print media should be under mandatory reporting for in-kind contributions to the Democrat Party because they are incapable of independent thought. These guys are a joke. The faster this company is euthanized, the better off the rest of us will be.

“Elections have consequences.” It’s the political way for winners to tell losers: “Tough luck, you lost. Get over it.”
—Barack Obama 2009

Donald Trump has been cramming that statement down the Democrat’s throats for over three years now. But this last week, he has taught them a new corollary to that sentiment, failed impeachments have consequences too.

In what the mainstream media thought was a preemptive strike, they made the case that failed impeachments shouldn’t have any repercussions. Consider the following from Bloomberg news.

President Donald Trump mostly stifled his fury toward the impeachment … Now that he’s been acquitted of two impeachment charges, they’re bracing for payback.

It may be about to begin.

It’s not just the witnesses — such as Lieutenant Colonel Vindman, an NSC analyst — who could face retribution for speaking out. The deeper anxiety among many career national security officials is that Trump, feeling vindicated by the Senate’s acquittal, will act on longharbored suspicions that bureaucrats at the State Department and the NSC are out to undermine his agenda.

Unburdened by impeachment, they fear that Trump could unleash his anger at the foreign policy establishment he’s long equated with what some of his advisers and supporters call the “Deep State.”

Trump Impeachment Fury Sows Fear of Payback Among Diplomats

“Active-duty officers are scared of word getting out and then facing retribution, not just from the president but also from political ambassadors,” said Lewis Lukens, the former deputy envoy in London who was removed last year by Trump’s choice to lead the embassy there, New York Jets owner Woody Johnson. “The president’s acquittal will reinforce in his mind that he can get rid of career people, not just at State, who he thinks are blocking or slow-rolling his agenda.”

So far the fallout from impeachment has been relatively muted. Gordon Sondland, the hotelier and U.S. ambassador to the European Union — who testified there was a “quid pro quo” in Trump’s Ukraine dealings that everybody knew — continues his work in Brussels.

Folks, the digital ink on this story was not even dry when the stuff hit the fan. Alexander Vindman and his brother were sacked by Trump along with Ambassador Gordon Sondland.

Donald Trump has recalled the US ambassador who testified in the impeachment inquiry against him, becoming the second prominent witness to be fired in the aftermath of the president’s acquittal on charges of abuse of power and obstruction.

“I was advised today that the president intends to recall me effective immediately as United States Ambassador to the European Union,” Gordon Sondland said in a statement released on Friday evening. The hotelier from Oregon became a diplomat after donating $1m to Mr Trump’s inauguration committee.

During his explosive testimony at the impeachment inquiry, Mr Sondland contradicted claims from Mr Trump and his top aides that there was no quid pro quo when the White House withheld aid from Ukraine as a way to pressure Kyiv to launch an investigation into former US vice-president Joe Biden.

His recall came within hours of the dismissal of Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Vindman, the US army officer who told impeachment investigators that Donald Trump made “inappropriate” demands of his Ukrainian counterpart.

Lt Col Vindman, a Ukraine expert, was sacked from his post at the National Security Council and “escorted out of the White House”, his lawyer said

Donald Trump fires US ambassador to EU and impeachment witness

But President Trump was just getting started.

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway on Monday hinted that additional officials could be forced out of their roles following the ousters last week of Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman and Ambassador Gordon Sondland — both high-profile witnesses in the impeachment investigation of President Donald Trump.

Asked during an interview on “Fox & Friends” whether there will be more dismissals in the days to come, Conway said…

Kellyanne Conway says more officials may be ousted after Trump’s Senate acquittal

With the digital ink not dry on that story, it was announced that Trump fired 70 more people from the National Security Council.

In some sense, as Paul Bedard of the Washington Examiner reported, Trump “is making good on his promises to ‘drain the swamp.’”

In this case, he’s targeting leftist appointees to the NSC hired by his predecessor, Barack Hussein Obama.

“Officials confirmed that Trump and national security adviser Robert O’Brien have cut 70 positions inherited from former President Barack Obama, who had fattened the staff to 200,” Bedard reported. “Many were loaners from other agencies and have been sent back. Others left government work.”

Trump Fires 70 at NSC, Biden-Burisma Questions Remain

Folks, look for this purge to continue under the radar. Trump values loyalty above all else and he will do what it takes to get the Executive Branch to be responsive to the Chief Executive.

If you recall, President Bush was plagued with similar subterfuge with holdovers that he kept in his Administration—note that this malady doesn’t affect Democrats because they keep no holdovers.

Lastly, is Alexander Vindman the real life Radar O’Reilly?

Oh, and some folks left today as a result of the government not throwing the book at Roger Stone. Seems like this guy is being prosecuted as the result of tainted FBI warrants. Roger is full of BS and going to jail while Biden did worse and gets a pass. Not fair. I think all the Mueller related cases need to be dropped in light of the lies that the FBI told FISA to spy on the Trump campaign.

Joe Biden, the gift that keeps on giving, has delivered on camera again. This time while campaigning in New Hampshire.

He insulted a college student, “You’re a lying, dog-faced pony soldier.”

Here’s the news story:

The student, Madison, of Mercer University in Georgia, began by asking Biden how he could remain competitive in the race after that performance.

“It’s a good question,” Biden responded. “Number one: Iowa’s a democratic caucus. You ever been to a caucus? No you haven’t. You’re a lying, dog-faced pony soldier. You said you were; but now you got to be honest. I’m gonna be honest with you.”

Biden had used the bizarre phrase in January as well, in response to a question about President Obama’s broken promise that individuals would be guaranteed the option to keep their doctors under the Affordable Care Act.

Biden, in New Hampshire, jokingly calls student ‘a lying, dog-faced pony soldier’

This past December in Iowa, Biden slammed a voter who questioned Hunter Biden’s business dealings as a “damn liar” who needed to take an “IQ test.”

The former vice president also seemingly called the man “fat,” although the Biden campaign said he had been misunderstood.

Joe also took a shot at Booty Judge in an ad that Trump would make him take back since his claimed accomplishments in the ad are nothing to brag about. Joe took credit for the Iran Nuclear deal where Obama gave them 1.5 billion in cash, saving the auto industry by screwing stockholders and giving General Motors to the labor unions, Obamacare, and other stupid stuff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3beFOnjBoE

For those too young to remember, Biden first ran for President in 1988. He was caught plagiarizing material in his speeches—much like Michael Bloomberg is doing in the current campaign—and Biden was forced to withdraw from the campaign.

My favorite gaff by Biden was in 2015 when he tells a man in wheelchair to stand up.

The thing about Joe is that if a camera is near, you never know what you’ll hear. For those of us that enjoy the theater of politics, Joe still has time for more such comments.

By Chief

That is an old reference from WWE Wrestling; however, unlike that fake television, this is real life! The one nice thing about a man with the nickname the “Ragin’ Cajun’” is you know once he starts, it’s hard to get him to stop! James Carville followed up his epic rant the other day by attacking even more!

In reference to Sanders and Warren’s socialist beliefs “They’ve tacked off the damn radar screen!” This coming from Carville a self-described liberal himself.

And he still wasn’t done…..

“We just had an election in 2018. We did great. We talked about everything we needed to talk about and we won,” he said in a Vox interview published on Friday. “And now it’s like we’re losing our damn minds. Someone’s got to step their game up here.”

James Carville rips elitist media, says Dems are ‘losing our damn minds’

Hammer them again big Jimmy…. Hammer them again……

According to Carville, both Sanders and Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., were pushing “stupid” ideas about higher education.

“Democrats talking about free college tuition or debt forgiveness. I’m not here to debate the idea. What I can tell you is that people all over this country worked their way through school, sent their kids to school, paid off student loans. They don’t want to hear this s–t. And you saw Warren confronted by an angry voter over this. It’s just not a winning message,” he said.

The old man still has it at 75…. Kill ’em Jimmy!!!!!

Carville also took a shot at Sanders for saying that he wanted to expand voting rights for people like the Boston bomber. Sanders, the well-known Democratic strategist suggested, would be ineffective as president and wasn’t representative of the Democratic Party. Instead, Carville said, he is an “ideologue.”

The Cajun is getting so hot blood may shoot out of his eyes!!!!!

“[H]ere’s what I do know: Sanders might get 280 electoral votes and win the presidency and maybe we keep the House,” Carville said. “But there’s no chance in hell we’ll ever win the Senate with Sanders at the top of the party defining it for the public …So long as McConnell runs the Senate, it’s game over. There’s no chance we’ll change the courts and nothing will happen, and he’ll just be sitting up there screaming in the microphone about the revolution.”

No fear New York Times writer and fellow re-moron (that’s what we here call people whom neither the retards or morons want to call one of their own) had this to say about Ole Jimmy and his Alma Mater LSU.

Do the Warren/Sanders “free public college” proposals include LSU, or would it only apply to actual schools?

Big mistake “Binyamin” or however the heck your first name is spelled because the Cajun made fresh gumbo out of you….

“You know how f—–g patronizing that is to people in the South or in the middle of the country? First, LSU has an unusually high graduation rate, but that’s not the point. It’s the goddamn smugness. This is from a guy who lives in New York and serves on the Times editorial board and there’s not a single person he knows that doesn’t pat him on the back for that kind of tweet. He’s so f—–g smart.

“[Binyamin] Appelbaum doesn’t speak for the Democratic Party, but he does represent the urbanist mindset,” he said. “We can’t win the Senate by looking down at people. The Democratic Party has to drive a narrative that doesn’t give off vapors that we’re smarter than everyone or culturally arrogant.”

Ole Jimmy is so angry he may bring back Crossfire just to let out some of his rage!

Thing is it’s not just Carville folks check these additional Democrats out:

But like Carville, former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid similarly predicted trouble for Democrats because of their immigration and health care policies. And earlier this week, one of former President Obama’s advisers said he no longer recognized the Democratic Party.

“Look, I just don’t recognize the Democratic Party right now,” former Obama National Finance Committee Member Don Peebles said. “I mean, the party has turned so far-left. Also, to see members of Congress jointly dressing up in white as some form of protest or solidarity at the State of the Union address is astonishing.”

The concerns about elitism aren’t new either. MSNBC host Chris Matthews has warned Democrats about appearing out of touch with American voters. “There’s too much self-saluting, too many events that seem to be about saluting them,” he previously said. Matthews also argued that former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton “personified the elite Democratic Party — the party that had gotten a little too Ivy League, a little too secular.”

Problem is the divide is only getting worse in the party.

Progressives like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and filmmaker Michael Moore maintain that pushing progressive policies is critical to winning elections. Former Vice President Joe Biden, the perceived Democratic moderate in 2020, caught flak from Ocasio-Cortez for not going far enough on climate change policy. He also changed his decades-old position on the Hyde Amendment — a bipartisan measure blocking funding for most abortions — amid criticism from his own party.

My thoughts on this are reflected on previous blog posts on this site. When you talk down or look down at someone, it not only makes them more likely to support their candidate, it also makes them less likely to ever support yours. Elitism, urbanism and socialism are very scary, and no one really wants to be lumped in with that crowd. Be wary of pushing a generation of voters out the window because it just increases likelihood they will never come back. The exchange between Liz Warren and that voter took place earlier this year.

The voter asked “My daughter is getting out of school. I’ve saved all my money. She doesn’t have any student loans. Am I going to get my money back?”

Warren’s retort “Of course not.”

Voter Challenges Warren’s Student Loan Forgiveness Plan: “Those Of Us Who Did The Right Thing Get Screwed?

This is classic liberal elitism, oh you saved your money, well thanks for playing…cry poor next time. I doubt that little girl’s folks will be supporting the new Democrat Party any time soon.

The Chief

Besides the Fox account of Carville’s interview, it can also be found on MSN news.
“We’re losing our damn minds”: James Carville unloads on the Democratic Party

By Chief

James Carville is a fiery guy even at the ripe old age of 75. Carville for those of you in Rio Linda, related to a Park brother, or just flat out dumb is most known for his prominence during the Clinton years, in addition to being one very ugly human being. Carville is most widely credited with getting Bill Clinton elected President, defending him during his impeachment, and is a very well know political commentator. Recently he gave an interview where he blew up the Democrat Party far worse than any other human being including our own Troll could ever do.

Longtime Democratic strategist James Carville went off on the current state of the party on Tuesday, asking why Tom Perez “is still the chair” of the Democratic National Committee.

“We gotta decide what we want to be,” the “Ragin’ Cajun” said on “The Beat” with Ari Melber on MSNBC. “Do we want to be an ideological cult, or do we want to have a majoritarian instinct — to be a majority party?”

James Carville tees off on state of Democratic Party: ‘Do we want to be an ideological cult?’

The truth is James is correct here and his warning needs to be heeded. The Party was so caught up in defeating Trump at all costs that it has given rise to a strange group of characters. To be fair he also criticized the GOP for this back during 2010 with the rise of the Tea Party. In a world of no compromise, strange battle lines are drawn.

Look at some of the absolutely nuts political positions the Democrats have taken up over the last 6 years. Contempt for the police, contempt for any district attorney, outright disrespect for any elected official they disagree with, allowing felons to vote – especially from a jail cell. Is anarchy what they want? Why are Stephon Clark, Michael Brown, and Trayvon Martin idolized and the responding officers criminalized? Electeds are shouted down and harassed while they are out and about? What happened to civil disagreement?

Free education, free healthcare; no more handouts to corporations, close Wall St. So who pays for all this? Or better yet how do we as a country afford this? Who would want to work in a government regulated industry as opposed to a free market one?

Defund ICE, no border security, legalize drugs. Where does it end? So now it’s just a country with no rules or laws? Folks we need some modicum of security albeit not a police state to prevent crime/terror etc. from happening here.

“We’re, like, talking about people voting from jail cells,” Carville said at another point. “And not having a border.” –James Carville

Carville is on to something. It has been brewing in the Democrat Party for a while now and they have become an ideological, tribalistic cult. All of this came to a head this week. Schiff decried the impeachment acquittal, Pelosi ripped up the State of the Union Speech for all to see, AOC commented how Limbaugh didn’t deserve the Medal of Freedom since he is (allegedly in her view) a racist, the Iowa Caucus was a disaster, literally nothing went right for them. Worse yet, the public outcry from both sides has been worse. It is very sad, but the Party is kicking out the very voters who put Barack Obama in power.

Just think about it; if you work in a trade, you are a loser who didn’t go to college. Work for law enforcement and you must hate black/brown people. Don’t drive a hybrid/Tesla/etc….you must hate the environment. Make a decent living…you must be rich by stealing from poor people and need to pay more taxes. There are plenty more examples, I just do not wish to cite. These have slowly alienated your base little by little.

In reality it’s what the power brokers have always wanted; they want the Coasts, not fly over country. What do you think the talk of abolishing the Electoral College and going with the popular vote is about? In truth, under the current system, if you look at the Left Coast, New England, New York/Jersey, Illinois you have a solid block of support. You really only need a couple of other states to win the Presidency, the problem is you alienated your voters in these swing states.

In closing Carville was reacting to a poll showing about 29% of Seniors would vote for Biden vs only a token percentage for Sanders/Warren. Sanders/Warren do very well with young voters, but the older voters are far more likely to vote, and there is a very good chance if nominated, Sanders goes down early. In addition, 18% of the voters pick 52 of the 100 Senators.

Carville would go on to exclaim that Democrats need to be more concerned about taking power back in Washington, repeatedly stating that only 18 percent of the population controls 52 Senate seats.

“It matters who the candidate is, it matters what a party chooses to talk about!” Carville shouted. “I’m 75 years old. Why am I here doing this? Because I am scared to death, that’s why! Let’s get relevant here, people, for sure.”

James Carville Rages Over State of Democratic Party: ‘I’m Scared to Death!’

Just food for thought.

Chief

In October 2019, Garvin Newsom signed a two page bill (AB 749) into law but it looks to me that the state isn’t following it. I would like somebody that passed the bar to give me their take on my question.

While this law probably has no effect on most readers, it should be instructive to see how government really functions.

Before AB 749

Like many things, the bill is in response to a lawsuit. Below is the situation prior to the passage of AB 749.

Carmyn Fields, a former California Highway Patrol analyst, told a state Senate committee in June that she has been unable to find employment with another law enforcement agency since she reached a settlement agreement with CHP.

Fields sued the department after supervisors failed to take action when she reported her boss had repeatedly sexually harassed her. Her settlement agreement included a “no rehire” clause.

Now when she applies for other state law enforcement jobs, she has to disclose on the state application that she “agreed not to seek or accept subsequent employment with the state or any state agency.”

New California law bans ‘no-rehire’ clauses after worker lawsuits

Here is the language cited by Carmyn Fields in the Sacramento Bee article quoted above.

Have you ever entered into any written agreement with a state agency in which you agreed not to seek or accept subsequent employment with the state or any state agency?

Have you ever entered into any written agreement with a state agency involving an adverse action, rejection on probation, or AWOL termination, in which you agreed not to seek or accept subsequent employment with a particular state agency?

After AB 749

The law went into effect January 1, 2020. Here are descriptions of how it is supposed to work.

Under new Code of Civil Procedure section 1002.5 (AB 7 49), effective Jan. 1, a settlement agreement or severance agreement in an employment dispute cannot contain a provision prohibiting, preventing, or restricting an “aggrieved person” from obtaining future employment with the employer, parent company, subsidiary, division, affiliate, or contractor of the employer. The new law explicitly states that a “no rehire” provision is void as a matter of law and against public policy.

An employer may include a “no rehire” provision in a severance or separation agreement if the employee has not filed a claim against the employer. Also, an employer can include a “no rehire” provision in a settlement agreement if the employer has made a good faith determination that the settling employee engaged in sexual harassment or sexual assault.

Sara Boyns, Workplace Law: Limitations on no rehire provisions

Additionally, under AB 749, employers will need to review their standard settlement agreements to remove provisions that preclude an employee from being rehired by the employer or obtaining employment with an affiliate.

These 2020 laws look to level playing field for California workers

The bill summary written by the Legislative Counsel states:

This bill would prohibit an agreement to settle an employment dispute from containing a provision that prohibits, prevents, or otherwise restricts a settling party that is an aggrieved person, as defined, from working for the employer against which the aggrieved person has filed a claim or any parent company, subsidiary, division, affiliate, or contractor of the employer.

(AB 749 appears in its entirety at the end of this post.)

Legal Question

Given the above, why is the State of California still requiring every job applicant to answer the very questions that gave rise to AB 749?

The questions asked of Carmyn Fields, are still being asked in February 2020, six weeks after they were made illegal, allegedly.

Here is a screen shot from the California HR website from earlier this week.

Have you ever entered into any written agreement with a state agency in which you agreed not to seek or accept subsequent employment with the state or any state agency?

Have you ever entered into any written agreement with a state agency involving an adverse action, rejection on probation, or AWOL termination, in which you agreed not to seek or accept subsequent employment with a particular state agency?

Did I miss something or is the Human Resources department of the State of California violating the law?

Those with a J.D. at the end of your name, please opine.

Below is the bill in its entirety.

Just when you thought Trump could wipe the political sweat off his brow, now this. Iowa Democrats—who ran their own caucus process—now say that their problems are Trump’s fault.

After first blaming an app for the inability to declare Monday night, a problem that still lingers even as frustrated candidates have packed up and moved on to New Hampshire for the nation’s first primary, the state party is blaming the president’s supporters.

Workers manning the phones in Iowa after the state’s disastrous caucus on Monday reportedly claim that President Trump backers flooded the hotline number for precinct chairs that led to even more confusion and disarray.

Trump supporters flood hotline for Iowa precinct chairs, adding to the confusion: report

Ken Sagar, a Democratic central committee member in the state, told a conference call Wednesday that on the night of the caucus, Trump backers were calling in to voice their support for the president, Bloomberg reported.

Ok, given that their creator and CEO is running for President, is Bloomberg news a credible source for this report? Just wondering….

Assuming that bogus calls are the problem with the Democrat backup plan—which is a stretch—how do you know the callers are really Trump supporters? They could be drunk fraternity brothers prank calling.

Can you imagine that as being an equally valid reason? Next they’ll say it was calls from Russia. Bottom line is Democrats had four years to figure this out—it worked OK four years ago—except for the part where Bernie won.

In related news, Democrats in other states are taking steps to prevent a repeat of the Iowa fiasco. The Troll has assured me that this counting problem would not be an issue in states where they use paper ballots. His sources claim that Home Depot is giving Democrats a contractor’s discount for portable drills so they can automate their ballot stuffing operations. Democrats are paying extra to buy batteries from Elon Musk because they are so good that they only need to be charged once every four years.

DNC Chairman Tom Perez is on the record as saying that Democrats are committed to preventing voter interference in future elections.