Category: Editorial

12 Reasons Trump Was A Flop & Joe’s Not

  By , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

OPINION:

12 Reasons Trump Was A Flop & Joe’s Not

Joe Biden won the largest victory in U.S. history

OPINION:

12 Reasons Trump Was A Flop & Joe’s Not

By Anna Hessel with Wes Hessel

We are admitted President Joe Biden supporters. We just wanted to take a couple minutes to thank Joe for not being Donald Trump and point out 12 reasons Trump was a flop and Joe’s not.

COVID Catastrophe

  1. COVID was out of control during the Donald‘s limp excuse for a presidency. He denied the severity of the illness, having fired the pandemic preparedness team put in place by the Obama-Biden administration. Millions died, the economy shut down; life was on hold, and we all suffered. Once President Joe Biden was sworn in he immediately arranged for free vaccines, free COVID tests, and we all received the highest amount of stimulus payments since COVID began. He  instituted a needed mask mandate during the first portion of his administration to arrest the spread of the disease. Now, although COVID still exists, it is far less severe, now it is closer to the flu that the Republicans claimed it was, when it was actually deadly. Life is finally nearly normal again. Thank you, President Joe Biden.

The Real Illegal

  1. Jack Smith currently has Trump federally indicted, facing thirty-seven counts in the (1)stolen documents case, not to mention the recent (2)guilty verdict in E. Jean Carroll‘s civil defamation and sexual abuse case, and (3) AG Alvin Bragg in NY city is after him for the Stormy Daniels payoff. (4) Latitia James the NY state AG has filed a $250 million dollar civil suit against Trump, family and company alleging wide spread fraud. (5) Fani Willis, Fulton County, Georgia, DA is amassing evidence for her looming criminal election interference case against the former president, indictments expected in August 2023. And, (6) Jack Smith again, looks like he has been busy investigating the January 6th events orchestrated by Trump. And if that’s not enough to keep Trump busy there is (7) Jack Smith‘s fake electors investigation.
  2. Trump instigated an insurrection. Trump invited the insurrection because he didn’t want to let go of power. He couldn’t admit he was a loser. No other president in history has done anything like this. In the United States; the loser steps aside for the victor.

The People Have Spoken

  1. President Biden received more votes than any other presidential candidate in history, yet Trump is still claiming the election was stolen from him. He tried to claim victory before the votes were even counted. Trump tried to discredit or invalidate the votes of 80 million Americans.

An A– And Class

  1. Forty-five decided to skip President Biden’s inauguration. Trump left his vice president to attend, skulking out of D.C. like the coward he is.
  2. The Donald held up a Bible he does not read in front of a church he does not attend. To worsen the image, he held the Bible upside down. Joe Biden, however, went to church before he was inaugurated, and said a sincere prayer during his inaugural address.
  3. Trump wanted to waste taxpayers’ money on dictator-style military parades, but Uncle Joe is a military serviceman’s father and placed wreaths and flowers on graves.
  4. Forty-five gave our nation the first staple in her belly button first woman. Silicon free, Mrs. Biden is a beautiful, gracious, an accomplished educator with a doctorate in education. There is no comparison between the two. Notice I was unable to use the word ladies here, since I only consider Dr. Biden a lady. President Biden is also responsible for the first female Vice President Kamala Harris, a woman of color and class. Our First Gentleman, Doug Imhoff, is a fine man of Jewish faith, strong in a world of sickening anti-Semitism.
  5. During the Trump regime, there was rioting in the streets, a global pandemic, and rampant racism, not to mention sexism and other blatant discrimination, but Joe Biden respects all races, all religions, all genders, and all sexual preferences equally. Joe served as second in command under our first black President, they helped to make America great together. Saving the auto industry and passing the ACA (Obamacare) health care bill are just two of their very many outstanding accomplishments. Joe also respects women – our President is responsible for the Violence Against Women Act. Forty five “grabs ‘em by the p—-“.
  6. The Bidens have have been married nearly 45 years – Joe is a widower who has loved wholly two women, separately, never cheating on either; Trump has committed adultery on a number of occasions yet the right wing “Christians” worship the Donald; as a liberal Christian, I worship God, and respect President Biden. These same Trumpster lemmings have overturned reproductive freedom, when in fact many of these men impregnate women without any responsibility, expecting them to carry pregnancies, and raise children with no support at all. A child should never be abused by circumstance, that’s not pro-life. It does take a village to raise a child for eighteen years, which “pro-birth” Republicans don’t want to acknowledge.

The Right Way, Not The Right-Wing Way

  1. The Donald is strongly supported by the far right gun lobby. Joe is all about sensible gun laws, against assault rifles, and a proponent of universal background checks. With gun violence destroying families and neighborhoods we need a man like President Biden to end the slaughter.
  2. Forty-five’s dictator buddy, Vladimir Putin has declared war on the Ukraine, and invaded a sovereign country for no legitimate reason. While Trump is hiding out in his bunker, our President is visiting the Ukraine because he is a man of compassion and courage. It makes no sense to me why President Biden’s approval rating is between 41-49% depending on the poll, in my view he saved the country. He ran against 45, beat him handily thus stopping the Trump madness. I can go to church, the library, the hairdresser, theaters, shopping for groceries, no longer having to shelter in place or, in most cases, wear a mask anymore in public. Unemployment is at a low, and most of our nation has medical care, not just a moneyed few. America is back working and thriving. The war in the Ukraine, and the Chinese economic collapse has caused inflation; President Biden does not set gas or food prices, he is trying his best to rebuild our economy. America’s welcoming arms are open wide again. Our nations citizens are working, living once again without fear of a deadly pandemic. We are back in the Paris Climate Agreement, the threat of climate change’s potential future devastation recognized, because we have a President that listens to science while still trusting the Lord. I personally thank God for President Biden. He has my full endorsement for his re-election campaign. My spouse and myself, we are a proud Biden-Harris household. God bless our President and God bless America…Go to Biden Victory Fund and support Joe and Kamala with some hard cash to build a better America.

Universal Basic Income: A Realistic Solution

  By , , , , , , , , ,

OPINION:

Universal Basic Income: A Realistic Solution

OPINION:

Universal Basic Income: A Realistic Solution

By Ross Turner

Not a New Idea

During times of turbulence and upheaval, ideas that were once thought fantastical suddenly seem quite rational.  Such is the case of Universal Basic Income (UBI). UBI is also known as a “basic income guarantee.”  The concept first appeared in the book ‘Utopia” by Thomas More published in  1516. The idea has been revived more than once over the centuries. In the early 1920’s British philosopher, essayist and social critic, Bertrand Russell wrote of the advantages of such a system. But it has only been in the last fifty years with the advent of technology, the internet, robotics, and Artificial Intelligence that there been a true necessity and demand for it.

UBI May Be an Idea Who’s Time Has Come

The idea, at its core, is to give every citizen a regular, untaxed sum of money regardless of employment status or income.  The thought is that this will raise the poorest recipients out of poverty and help the overall economy by boosting consumers’ purchasing power and economic mobility.  Many people, however, have a negative visceral reaction to “handing out” free money, worrying that people will stop working, or worrying about how to pay for such a program in the first place.  First, let’s look at why something like Universal Basic Income will be needed in the very-near future.

Continue reading

Trump Stuck in the Mud

  By , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

OPINION: 

Trump Stuck in the Mud

Trump put on a disgusting show last night at the CNN Town Hall

OPINION:

Trump Stuck in the Mud

By D.S. Mitchell

A Real Train Wreck

Anyone that knows me knows my total disgust of anything and everything, Trump. So, some may wonder why I would waste an hour watching the CNN Donald Trump Town Hall last night.  Frankly, I just wanted to confirm that all the character traits that originally made me loath the man were still applicable. I didn’t need the hour to confirm my original assessment, but I hung around, just because as with all train wrecks it’s hard to look away.

Friendly Audience

He had a handpicked pro-Trump audience in New Hampshire. The crowd laughed and cheered at his attacks on E. Jean Carroll who had just the day before, won a $5 million lawsuit against the ex-president for sexual assault and defamation. Hopefully, Ms. Carroll isn’t done yet because this guy hasn’t learned anything about defamation. I believe she has grounds for a second defamation case against the disgraced, twice impeached, pro-sexual assault, ex- president.

A Vivid Reminder 

If nothing else, last night gave us a vivid reminder of what another term of a Donald Trump presidency would look like. I don’t know about anyone else but I’m way, way, past the chaos, shame, hatred, cruelty, lies, corruption, and total dysfunction this man brought to the White House. I’m ready to see this aberration gone into the dark night, never to be seen or heard from again.

Continue reading

EDITORIAL: Can SCOTUS Survive The Scandals?

  By , , , , , , , , ,

EDITORIAL:

Can SCOTUS Survive the Scandals? 

Can the Supreme Court survive the scandals of the justices? Hopefully not.

Editorial: Along with a series of outrageous decisions the SCOTUS is facing the revelation of potentially serious wrongdoing, grift, and corruption.

EDITORIAL:

Can SCOTUS Survive The Scandals?

By D. S. Mitchell

Public Backlash

The 6-3 supermajority conservative Supreme Court is facing ugly public backlash to numerous recent court decisions, most notably of course, the overturning of Roe. But the court is also facing public outrage over the corruption of members of the court and their spouses. Clarence Thomas (& Ginni Thomas), John Roberts (& Jane Roberts), Neil Gorsuch, and Brett Kavanaugh are mostly responsible for the bad publicity that has led to the court’s low public approval rating.  It looks like this set of justices is bad for the court.

Written on a Sign

I don’t know about you, but my outrage grows by the day. At a recent abortion protest, I saw a young girl carrying a sign inscribed, “I hate it here.”  If you are a follower of Calamity News and Politics, you may have noticed an increased tension, and quite honestly, unbridled rage coming from this corner of the progressive community. I too have had several recent “I hate it here,” moments.

Targeted Killings

The radical right sees no contradiction in banning abortion, for love of life, yet fueled rhetoric that likely led to the  murder of at least 10 pro-choice physicians. The radical right tell us the Second Amendment is sacred. Sometime between my birth and today, the sanctity of the Second Amendment has taken on ridiculous, and unintended proportions. Since when is the right to own a gun more important than the life of a child.

Continue reading

OPINION: Mass Shootings Terrorizing America

  By , , , , ,

OPINION:

Mass Shootings Terrorizing America

No other country in the world has the gun violence seen in the U.S. It could be because there are more guns than people.

OPINION:

Mass Shootings Terrorizing America

By D. S. Mitchell

 

Nothing New

Only four months into 2023 and there have been 195 mass shootings in America. The recent rash of mass shootings has shaken the nation. Rightfully so, such a wanton loss of life is unacceptable in a civilized society. Sadly though, it is difficult to be surprised. Spree killings have been as much a feature of American culture as baseball and apple pie, reaching all the way back to the days of Howard Barton Unruh.  Howard  was an American mass killer, sometimes classified as a spree killer. Unruh  shot and killed 13 people (including three children) during a 12-minute walk through his neighborhood in the fall of 1949, in Camden, N.J. He was 28 years old.

A Couple Years Later

Charlie Starkweather is another twentieth century mass murderer that blazed across the pages of American newspapers with his 14 year old girlfriend, Caril Ann Fugate.  Charles Raymond “Charlie” Starkweather went on a multi-state killing spree killing eleven people in Nebraska and Wyoming between December 1957 and January 1958. He was 19 years old. He killed ten of his victims between January 21 and January 29, 1958, the date of his arrest. I just wonder how many victims Charlie would have had if he’d had access to an AR-15? The point being, America has a gun problem and it is nothing new.

Powerful NRA Lobby

The latest Fox Gun Poll showed more than 75% of Americans support banning assault weapons and many other gun restrictions. The primary opposition to gun control laws in the United States are the gun manufacturers. The NRA has served as an arm of gun manufacturers for years, successfully masquerading as a citizen 2nd Amendment right’s group. The NRA and its bought and paid for wing of the Republican party have formed a powerful voice in Congress, effectively shutting down nearly all efforts to legislate gun control. One of their more ridiculous cries has been the case of “what-aboutism”

Continue reading

OPINION: ADOPTION IS NOT THE ANSWER

  By , , , , , ,

OPINION: ADOPTION IS NOT THE ANSWER

Adoptee tells story that contradicts the standard antiabortionist rhetoric.

OPINION: ADOPTION IS NOT THE ANSWER

Adoption Is Not the Alternative to Abortion*

*An earlier version of this article was published here July 12, 2022.

By Megan Wallin-Kerth

Ludicrously Simplistic

With the overturning of Roe many conservative talking points have come to the forefront; for, let’s just say, reconsideration. Most of these I’ll leave for others to debate, but one really gets under my skin, because—unlike the hundreds of other thoughts, some more sensible than others—this refrain is ludicrously simplistic and yet very familiar to me. You’ve probably heard it too, at least a hundred times. Here’s a hint: What’s the oh-so-wonderful alternative to abortion?

Adoption.

Always. Without fail. Rarely a dissenter. And yet, how many people shouting this have actually adopted a child? And of those, how many adopted the kids who are considered “difficult to place?”

For those willing to admit that they know diddly-squat about the adoption process or the foster care system, I’ll give more context.

Color Preference

Most infants, particularly white infants from healthy but low-income mothers (think high school or college students), are placed easily into homes that are generally also white, generally middle class or upper middle class, and have usually passed several levels of intensive screening (varying in different states) prior to becoming a parent through adoption. Those are the facts. White babies usually get sent to somewhat affluent white homes. Babies from other backgrounds sometimes linger for longer times, or often get adopted into homes where their culture of origin is, if anything, a sidenote. Add identity crisis to abandonment issues.

Age Matters

However, infants of any monetary, cultural or ethnic background truly have it much easier than children: The children who are taken away from their natural parents after they’ve already started to reach the stage of being toddlers or even older children have a more challenging path ahead.

Loss and Grief

First, they have the grief and loss that comes with being torn from the parents and family system to whom they are already well acquainted, as well as the customs, traditions, sense of belonging and additional factors that make up one’s feeling of being “home.” They lose it all, and yet they are expected to accept the culture of a new household, family structure, and repeatedly relay their trauma to a constant barrage of social workers and therapists who make it clear that the events which occurred “need to be discussed.” (That need, mind you, is more to provide quotes for said figures to use while testifying about the child’s best interests in court, quite ironically.) What’s not always clear to those kids is that none of it is their fault. Not a single bit of it.

Ill Prepared

Many of those kids are there because their parents were ill-prepared, young, poor, or impacted by trauma or drug-abuse. Some of them were likely told not to get an abortion, because that would be throwing away the “gift of life.” Not all of them wanted their children, but most of them probably wanted to do right by them. However, wanting to do the right thing and being able to successfully carry out the responsibilities of parenthood are entirely different.

Mental Health Conditions

It should be no surprise these kids are more likely to be diagnosed with a slew of mental health conditions, ranging from attachment disorder to ODD (oppositional defiance disorder) to ADHD (attention deficit hyperactive disorder) and PTSD (post traumatic stress disorder). They are more likely to have trouble regulating their emotions. They are more likely to come from families with histories of trauma or self-medication with drug-use. They are more likely to have been witness to domestic violence. And they are all victims of a system that is primarily run by well-intentioned but vastly undertrained and overworked case managers, many of whom get burnt out quickly if they truly care about the children under their broadly defined supervision.

Sad Outcomes

Lastly, the longer a child stays in foster care, the more they face several unfortunate facts: Adoption rates are lower, foster homes are increasingly scarce (and often resort to abusive or coercive methods to control trauma-based behaviors), and it’s not uncommon at all to age out of the system with no solid support. It’s also likely that those with severe trauma—and corresponding behavioral issues stemming from a lack of care—will end up incarcerated, filling jails and prisons. And let’s not even get into the number of failed adoptions, where families commit to adoption and change their minds (this happened to me and another family member), sometimes going so far as to relinquish parental rights after the whole matter has been legally confirmed.

Not So Fast

This is the true nature of the so-called alternative to abortion. People do not understand what they are presenting. It is not a world of lollipops and s’mores. It is not the fairytale full of compassion and hope that we have been indoctrinated to believe when we hear the word “adoption.” It is rather a dysfunctional and overburdened system.

When The Time Is Right

Furthermore, those stating that they would “love to be foster parents once the time is right for their family” should also take heed of the fact that doing so is a sacrifice to any children already in your home, whether biological, adopted or foster. It requires everyone in that household to possibly shift expectations, routines, etc.—and to frequently practice more emotional regulation if the child coming in has some emotional struggles themselves (and spoiler alert: many of them will).

Continue reading

High Praise For “Chasing The Spider”

  By , ,

High Praise For “Chasing The Spider” 

High Praise For “Chasing The Spider”

By D. S. Mitchell

*****  “I loved how fast paced and sexy this book was. I could not put it down until the end. I can’t wait for the next adventure.”  Megahan W.

***** “Really good story with gritty dialogue and intriguing pace.”  Roselyn T.

***** “I loved it. I couldn’t put it down until the last page.” Anita M.

***** “I couldn’t put it down. I had to know what was coming next. I don’t read a lot but this book just kept me glued to the page.” Mark S.

***** “What was coming next kept me reading.” Som G.

***** “Ever so sexy. Great fun.” Ellen B.

Available on Amazon Books and Kindle ebooks

Here’s the link to the book:

https://www.amazon.com/Chasing-Spider-D-S-Mitchell-ebook/dp/B08GM4R13W/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=chasing+the+spider+d.+s.+mitchell&qid=1603675636&sr=8-1

OPINION: Republicans Fear Merrick Garland

  By , , , ,

OPINION: Republicans Fear Garland

OPINION: Republicans Fear Garland

By Wes & Anna Hessel

 

Champion of Justice

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland is again seeking to bring justice to our nation, this time  by facilitating the FBI search and seizure of alleged classified documents from Donald Trump’s Mar-A-Lago residence. Much to the chagrin of Republican party, the files were said to have been taken from the White House upon Trump’s departure.

Justice Delayed

Mr. Garland, a Chicago native and Harvard graduate, should be an associate justice of the Supreme Court, but the obstructionist right-wing GOP controlled Senate, lead by Mitch McConnell, in March 2016 refused to even take up the then Chief Judge of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit’s nomination by President Obama.  This maneuver continued on until the nomination expired in January 2017, leading to the Republicans seizing the spot vacated by the late Justice Scalia to be filled by their extremist nominee Neil Gorsuch.

Obstruction of Justice

The Republican Party have now made Attorney General Garland their newest Public Enemy Number One, demanding his immediate resignation.  The GOP insists that they will investigate Merrick should they regain their control of Congress.  We must strenuously prevent this miscarriage of justice from occurring.  Mr. Garland, with his consistent record of protecting our nation and democracy, in no way deserves this treatment.

Capitol Crimes

Donald Trump’s involvement in the January 6th insurrection is chilling, at best.  Barring the very justified actions of the Justice Department would serve to let Trump quite literally get away with murder.   “The Donald”’s blatant refusal to intervene in the invasion of the U.S. Capitol makes him culpable for the deaths of those who lost their lives as a result of this heinous violent attempt to stop the peaceful Constitutional transfer of power to the rightfully elected Joseph Biden.

Pursuit of Justice

Attorney General Garland’s heroic efforts include adroitly standing up to a slew of Republican attacks.  He has masterfully led the investigation of Mr. Trump’s lies and crimes, with a courageous pursuit of truth regarding this vile attack on our democracy.  Merrick is quoted as saying, “We intend to hold everyone, anyone, who was criminally responsible for the events surrounding January 6th…accountable.”  We must support our Attorney General Merrick Garland in the prosecution of “45”, so that Trump will be banned from ever holding or even running for public office again.

No Just Cause

“The Donald”’s and his allies’ attempts to overturn the 2020 election must not remain unpunished.  As Mr. Garland fearlessly pilots the Justice Department’s examination of Trump’s involvement in the riot, the Republican Party is making every effort to halt this investigation.  Marjorie Taylor Greene has gone so far as to file articles of impeachment against our Attorney General.

Buy The Lie

Mr. Garland has stated that he, “personally approved”, searching Trump’s home in Mar-A-Lago.  There were 147 GOP members who voted to try to overturn the legal election results of 2020, including Ms. Taylor Greene, Ted Cruz, and Josh Hawley.  Apparently they buy into the lie that the election results were “stolen”, when in fact President Joe Biden had received the most certified votes of any presidential candidate in history.

Justice Served

And Merrick Garland has strongly demonstrated his lifelong quest for justice, beginning his illustrious career as a federal prosecutor in 1989.  His first prominent action was as one of the trio of the lead prosecution for the cocaine possession case of former Washington D.C. Mayor Marion Barry.  As Deputy Assistant Attorney General during President Clinton’s term, Mr. Garland oversaw the prosecution of such critical cases as the bombings in Atlanta during the Olympics and the “Unabomber” Ted Kaczynski.

Boots On The Ground

He began leading the prosecution of the horrific truck bomb attack on the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in person on-site, and was the federal government’s primary attorney during the preliminary hearings for the two main co-conspirators, Terry Nichols and Timothy McVeigh.  Deputy Assistant Attorney General Garland was then integral in the selection of the team for their trial, and even garnered accolades from then-Governor of Oklahoma, Frank Keating, a Republican.

“Well-Qualified” Jurist

In September of 1995, President Clinton nominated Merrick for the eleventh seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia.  Republicans in the Senate refused to bring his nomination to vote over an argument of whether that seat needed to be filled in the D.C. federal circuit, despite a highest possible “well-qualified” rating of Mr. Garland by the Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary of the American Bar Association.

Try, Try Again…

When Clinton was reelected, he renewed Merrick’s nomination in January 1997.  On March 19th when it was put to a vote, Mr. Garland was confirmed with the significant margin of 76-23, even with continued Republican Senate control.  The GOP Senators primarily voted for confirmation, amongst them Jim Inhofe, Susan Collins, Orrin Hatch, and John McCain.  His opponents were all Republican, with the likes of Jeff Sessions, Chuck Grassley, and Mitch McConnell.  He was elevated to Chief Judge of the district in February of 2013.

Stand Up And Be Counted

It is imperative that Attorney General Merrick Garland receives the support of the American people in his relentless pursuit to bring Donald Trump to justice.  The Editorial Board of the New York Times has called on Mr. Garland to prosecute Trump if there is “sufficient evidence”.  That there is such evidence is obvious, so we need to stand with the Times board and our U.S. Attorney General in pursuing Trump for his crimes.

OPINION: What’s In A Name?

  By , , , , ,

OPINION: What’s In A Name?

OPINION: What’s In A Name

The Brett Favre legacy is not looking good, as he faces scrutiny over welfare fraud

By D. S. Mitchell

Say His Name

What do you think of when you hear the name Brett Favre?  Until a week ago, I never thought of Brett Favre one way or another. I’m more into basketball, myself. I knew he had played in the NFL for the Green Bay Packers, and I’d obviously seen pictures of the old dude, he was a football icon.

The Internet

From the internet I found the following statistics. In the 15 years spanning 1992-2007, Favre was synonymous with the Green Bay Packers and was their most legendary quarterback. During that time, he led the team to two Super Bowls and became the first and only NFL player to win three consecutive AP MVP awards.

  • 3× Associated Press MVP (1995, 1996, and 1997; the last shared with (Barry Sanders)
  • 11× Pro Bowl pick
  • 6× First- or Second-team All Pro choice
  • 1990’s NFL All Decade Team
  • NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team
  • Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame (2015)
  • Pro Football Hall of Fame (2016)

Lots of It

I then looked up his financials, on the internet of course. It is estimated from his player contract days with Green Bay alone, Favre earned more than 140 million dollars. This apparently, does not include money from other teams he played for, or endorsements and licensing fees. His net worth today is estimated to be well over 100 million dollars. So why does a guy with buckets of money need to steal from welfare recipients? The answer of course is that he did not ‘need to steal’ money from anybody. But, Mr. Favre with a 100 million dollars in the bank decided it would be okay to steal from starving kids in his home state of Mississippi.

Conclusion

Put away the Brett Favre jerseys and the Green Bay Packer pendants from his glory days and call out Brett Favre for what he is, a cheat, and a liar, and possibly a criminal. Brett Favre used his power and influence to redirect money from Mississippi welfare recipients to the construction of a new volley ball stadium, at his alma mater, Southern Mississippi. Just so you understand this, Brett Favre, millionaire football icon, decided it would be okay for a bunch of impoverished kids in Mississippi to miss a couple meals, so his daughter could play volleyball in a fancy new stadium.

**Mr. Favre states he repaid the 1.1 million he diverted from poor kids. But, he didn’t pay back interest. If the scam had not been uncovered, I’m sure Mr. Favre would have not repaid  a nickel. I think it is time that the U.S. government hold states accountable for delivering welfare money to those most in need, not rich football icons.