Category: Update

Rough Trade

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Dark Jester

T. K. McNeil

The Trump trunk of disgusting pronouncements is so full that it is damn near impossible to pull out any  one thing President Trump has said in the first 630 plus days of his term that could lead to his undoing. There is just so much to choose from! Although politics is famously unpredictable, his chestnut about how “trade wars are good and easy to win” just might be the spark that incinerates his presidency. Trade wars and tariffs have brought down other administrations.

Puffing And Blustering To Make MAGA

In addition to being laughably incorrect by any logical standard-countries who hate each other (France and Germany for instance) regularly enter into flawed but necessary trade agreements, precisely because trade wars are universally recognized as the greater of the two evils.  On the face of it Trump’s election campaign was about the re-invigoration of the American economy, but truly it was a campaign to convince US voters the world image of the United States was in tatters.  MAGA is all about the Trump voter self-image.The MAGA hat was like Popeye’s can of spinach, it puffed up the wearer’s ego just like spinach puffed up Popeye’s muscles.

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Witch Hunt

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Witch Hunt

D. S. Mitchell

Donald Trump The Victim

Historically, “witch hunt” referred to the persecution of the weak and powerless by the powerful.  Usually, when the term witch hunt is used, it is meant metaphorically, referring to a period in the past. Today the term has been turned on its head. Under Trumpism a belief has developed, a dark corrupt suggestion, of a ‘deep state’ persecution of him.

Narcissists thrive on enemies, and Trump is no exception. In fact Trump brings a new finesse to the      age-old blame game. All those pre-election assertions of a ‘deep state’ have hardened since he became president. He believes, and vigorously promotes the idea that he is under siege from all quarters; the Mexicans, the Muslims, the immigrants, the Democrats.  Trump merely points and everyone looks toward the new enemy. Then his red capped crowd of pitchfork carriers goes after his newly declared target. Believe me, there is no end to his enemies list, in fact, it is a growing thing.

Today, instead of calling out Trump and his extremist “witch hunters” for crimes against immigrants, Muslims, POC, women, and the press; the greatest perpetrator has become the greatest complainer.  In this newly created world, Trump is the martyr. A contortionists’ twist on reality, but a “truth” that Trump hammers out daily on Twitter.

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EXPRESS YOURSELF

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Calamity Politics.com does not sell any items. These are suggestions of what you can do as a Resister to let those around you know how you feel.

There Is One Born Every Minute

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There Is One Born Every Minute

Trevor K. McNeil

Is There Really an ‘American Dream’?

The promoted mythology holds that anyone in the United States can achieve greatness through vision, persistence and hard work. Sadly, as Hunter S. Thompson bluntly put it after narrowly losing his run for Sheriff of Pitkin County, Colorado “I,unfortunately proved what I set out to prove … that the American Dream really is f**ked.’

One of the great myths of the ‘American Century’ is that of the ‘Self-Made’ man. Statistics counter that claim, suggesting almost no one born poor in this country ever achieves staggering wealth; and those who do rarely achieve it by ‘hard work’ within the established system. Think lottery.

Donald Trump first hit the national radar during the glitzy big hair days of the 1980’s and 1990’s.  It began slowly, with small mentions in the gossip columns of Palm Beach and New York. By the end of the 90’s Trump had become a staple in New York society columns and the tabloids. In fact, the tabloids and reality TV created the Donald Trump persona we know today.

Everything was over the top for the future president. He had a big airplane with the Trump name emblazoned on its side. He was a billionaire businessman playing himself on a weekly reality TV series. Being seen at the right places with a harem of plastic barbies on his arm came easy and he did it all with a  Gordon Geko-esque swagger (ask your parents).

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25 Things That Totally Irritate Me

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25 Things That Totally Irritate Me

D. S. Mitchell

Frequently, I write about the things in my life that make me smile, but today I thought it would be more fun to list a few of the things that irritate and annoy me. See if you don’t agree. Here goes.
1.) People who blame gluten for all the evils in the world.
2.) The friend who seems to have no life outside of Facebook.
3.) Receiving a birthday gift from Mom that I know I gave her last Christmas.
4.) Knowing that Tonya Harding is the biggest name celebrity I will ever meet.
5.) Knowing that I can’t flip my pillow top mattress, and I continue to fret about it.
6.) Racist hatred and rhetoric coming from the president of the United States.
7.) Standing in the grocery line flipping through a magazine as subscription cards fall like snow at my feet.
8.) That mass murder is the quickest path to fame.
9.) Hearing the splash of liquid on liquid and then the flush of the toilet on the other end of the phone line.
10.) Having dinner with a couple that are close to a divorce.
11.) Childhood bullies who go on to great financial success.
12.) That all good things come to an end, but really lousy things seem to last an overly long time.
13.) When my 25 year old granddaughter insists I should let her post my profile on Match.com.
14.) The embarrassment that comes from having dozens of cars slow down to watch me get a ticket.
15.) When the gas icon appears on my dashboard and I’m at least fifty miles from civilization.
16.) After spending all Saturday afternoon re-arranging furniture, only to decide I liked it better the way it was.
17.) The vice-like grip that the 1% hold on the world’s wealth.
18.) When I e-mail a friend with a couple of questions and the return e-mail fails to answer any of the questions, causing me to re-ask the same questions in a follow-up e-mail.
19.) Crying when I’m so enraged I am close to going on a homicidal rampage.
20.) When I’ve covered an error with White-Out and then can’t write over the bumpy-lumpy layer of cover up.
21.) Knowing the only way I can get my dog to come when she is called is by hollering, “Come on Lilly, get a treat. Treat, Lilly. Treat time.” She won’t do anything without a reward.
22.) People continuing to lie to me, even when they know that I know, they are lying to me.
23.) Stepping out of my car into an ankle-deep puddle.
24.) Knowing my ex-mother-in-law thinks I am interested in hearing about my ex-husband, and his stupid new wife.
25.) That a reality TV has-been is manipulating and corrupting the democracy of the United States.

Wow. That was cathartic.

Calamity Politics is a Progressive online news magazine that offers opinion and comment on the issues of the day. Join the Resistance. We are Indivisible.

Dar

Can We End Hatred By A Mere Shift In Thinking?

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Can We End Hatred By A Mere Shift In Thinking?

D. S. Mitchell

Sharon Salzberg is a NY Times best-selling author and world-renowned Buddhist meditation expert. Check out a couple of her titles, available on Amazon, Lovingkindness, and Real Happiness in 28 Days. 

In a small filler piece in an old “O” magazine Sharon began by describing an uncomfortable confrontation she observed between a man and a woman during a train trip to New York City. In the tableau the man became more and more agitated at a woman who was engaged in a loud cell phone conversation. The man finally exploded, yelling at the woman, “You are making too much noise!”

Observing the scene Sharon reflected, “A saying I once heard came into my mind, ‘The problems we face cannot be solved by the same level of thinking that created them.’

It takes strong insight and often a good deal of courage to break away from our habitual ways of looking at things, to be able to respond from a different place. Imagine if we dropped our need to be right, our easy perpetuation of what we’re used to, our urge to go along with what others think, and instead, tried to practice what the Buddha taught: ‘Hatred does not cease by hatred at any time; hatred ceases by love.’

Shouting to drown out someone else’s noise, returning belligerence for belligerence may be automatic, but it tires us out. Rigidly categorizing people as good or bad or right or wrong, helps us feel secure; yet relating in that way doesn’t allow us to really connect to anyone, and we actually feel alone.

Risking a new level of ‘seeing’ enables us to try out new behaviors and find new ways to communicate that convey our feelings without damaging ourselves, or those around us.

That would kick off an enormous adventure of consciousness–a readiness to step into new terrain, redefine power, see patience as strength rather than as resignation. Instead of yelling at the woman on the train, the man might have made his request before his anger built to unmanageable proportions and he saw her only as an irritant, not as a person. He might have asked before insisting and spoken before shouting, just as he might like to be spoken to himself.”

As her fellow train riders settled down, Salzberg continues, “but we see elements of that ride every day; frustration, carelessness, an effort to be in control, rage, fear–AND the chance to be different. Can we “see” it all and seize the chance to operate from new levels of thinking?

Even in horrible circumstances, we have that opportunity–and the prospect for meaningful change. I saw it after the metro bombing in London in July 2005, when like most people, my initial response was sorrow for the lives lost and some anxiety about getting on a subway in New York. This was all natural and appropriate, but limited by ‘us versus them’ thinking.

Willa, the 7-year-old daughter of a friend had another perspective. On being told what had happened, her eyes filled with tears, her mother wrote me, and she said, ‘Mom, we should say a prayer.’ As she and her mother held hands, Willa asked to go first. Her mother was stunned to hear Willa begin with,  ‘May the bad guys remember the love in their hearts.’

Hearing that, my own heart leaped to another level altogether.”

Sharon’s insight is so simple, so straight forward, yet not so easy for me, or many others to embrace and implement into our daily lives, but I’m gonna try.

It is counterproductive to indulge in the US vs THEM thinking. One person is not better than any other, nor does any person or group have a lock on the truth. We must face our prejudices and work to minimize them.

Think about this “walking in the other guy’s shoes” and trying to “see” situations from a new perspective. First, I resolve to try to submerge my typical first reaction and think before I speak. I know that is a seemingly small goal, but I think it is a good place for me to start. Secondly, I promise to give a rattle before I am screaming mad. It is not polite to not say anything while on a slow boil.  I’ve decided I should at least give the other guy some warning.  How about you, are you ready to seize a chance at a new way to respond to personal interactions?

Calamity Politics is a Progressive online news magazine offering comment and opinion on various topics.  Join the Resistance. We are Indivisible.

Dar

10 Sneaky Fitness Tricks For The Time Challenged

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10 Sneaky Fitness Tricks For The Time Challenged

D. S. Mitchell

We have good news for the time challenged. All leading fitness experts agree that we need at least 30 minutes of daily exercise. But, somehow the minutes and hours slip away and we never add that thirty minute block to our schedule. At least one recent study indicates that it is okay to sprinkle activity regularly throughout the day, even in one minute increments, and you will get the same blood pressure, cholesterol and waistline benefits as people who exercise in longer more structured intervals.

This is isometric exercise. Isometric exercise is a type of strength training in which the joint angle and muscle length do not change during contraction. Isometrics are done in static positions and not dynamic through range of motion. In the process you tense your muscle but don’t actually move. In such positions the muscle fiber are activated, but since these are equal forces against each other, there is no movement. Imagine putting palm to palm and pressing against each other as hard as possible for 10 seconds and then release. That is isometrics.

Just remember to squeeze it–hard. Since you are not relying on movement to fatigue your muscles you need to squeeze hard, which just means you tighten your muscles as tight as you can. And don’t forget to breathe. Breathe from the lower belly.

1.) While sitting around watching TV or during a work break: Keep a tennis ball next to your favorite chair or in your desk. At least twice a day, grab a ball and squeeze tightly for at least five seconds then release slowly. Repeat 10 to 15 times with each hand.

2.) While standing in line at the bank or the movie: A full body exercise can take your mind off the wait. Begin by tensing your butt 10 times. Tighten your stomach muscles, hold for five seconds, then release slowly. Stretch your arms downward behind you and squeeze your triceps 10 times. Rise up on your toes and squeeze your calves 10 times.

3.) During your morning and evening teeth brushing try this: As you age your balance deteriorates. To reverse that natural loss stand on one foot for 60 seconds and tense your butt and upper thighs, then switch legs. When that becomes easy, try balancing while lifting your leg to the side and hold for 60 seconds.

4.) If your job is tying you to a desk it is endangering your life: You have probably heard, “Sitting is the new smoking,” sitting is hazardous to your health. If your job has you doing a lot of desk time change your usual chair for a stability ball for 20-30 minute periods throughout the day. A stability ball builds core strength and is recommended for reducing back pain. Don’t forget to get up and walk around every half hour.

5.) While the spaghetti is cooking: Place hands on the wall, shoulders wide apart. Lean into the wall, supporting your body on your toes, and keep your palms on the wall. Push as hard as you can. Keep pushing with the same force for 15 seconds. Relax. Repeat at least 5 times.

6.) While the coffee perks: Try to do a light stretch each morning. Stand at arm’s length from the wall and place one foot behind the other, keeping heels down and knees straight. Lean toward the wall and place one foot behind the other, keeping heels down and knees straight. Lean toward the wall, bracing with your arms. Bend your forward leg to stretch the calf of your back leg. Hold for thirty seconds and then switch legs.*Plantar Fasciitis is a common complaint and it can be prevented by keeping your calves and Achilles tendons from getting tight.

7.) When standing up: Every time you stand up from or sit down in a chair use just your legs. Do this 10 times a day and you can congratulate yourself for doing 10 squats. If you need to use one hand at first to steady yourself you can do that initially.

8.) If you are sitting at a red light: Counter gravity’s effects on bowel and bladder by tightening your pelvic floor muscles. Just pretend you have to pee and are “holding it.” Hold for a count of 10, then release for a count of 10.

9.) While watching season six of Breaking Bad or your personal Netflix marathon lie on your side and do three sets of 15 leg lifts, then three sets of leg circles. Then switch sides.

10.) Wall sit: Stand with your back against the wall. Flex your knees and lower your body as you would while squatting. Hold position 5-7 seconds and then release. Repeat 10 times, increasing the hold time gradually. Make sure your back remains flush against the wall at all times.

Proven benefits: Helps strengthen and condition muscles, improves control over our bodies, improves body posture and spine alignment, helps prevent injury, improves bone density and strength, increases resistance and endurance, can be done anywhere at anytime, no equipment required, keeps body posture straight and erect and can be done by young and old.

Although the above 10 suggestions are quick and easy exercises be sure to strive for a combination of isotonic and isometric exercises. Isotonic exercises include squats and stair climbing. Exercise should be fun. Include a weekly bike ride, roller skate at your local rink, take a hike, play a round of golf, hit the pool or just take a walk.

Choose to be healthy.

Calamity Politics is a Progressive on-line news magazine offering comment and opinion on most everything. Join the Resistance. We are Indivisible.

Dar

Trump Gives Middle Finger Salute To Coastal States

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Trump Gives Middle Finger Salute To Coastal States

D. S. Mitchell

Over the last year we have seen a number of environmental rollbacks and out right attacks on protected lands by the Trump administration. Despite these tactical offenses I was not prepared for the shocking move that Ryan Zinke has proposed that would open the West Coast to petroleum exploration. I wrote about it last week, but the potential effect has sent me into a full blown rage.

The Zinke proposal can be best viewed as a middle finger salute to the people of all coast states, many of who voted for Hillary Clinton. I live in Oregon, one of the Pacific coast states that could be effected by the oil-leasing plan. The immediate consequences are likely to be few, at least off the Oregon and Washington coasts. The actions of the administration will most likely have the issue tied up in political wrangling and lawsuits for years.

The prospects of exploration and exploitation of oil in our offshore waters has prompted the governors of Oregon, Washington and California to mount an unified front of opposition to the concept of any offshore drilling or exploration. These state executives need our support and encouragement as do all the governors of all the states on the Atlantic coast that are also attempting to block this irresponsible and dangerous proposal.

Time and again we have seen horrific costs of oil development and oil transportation, just think of  the Exxon Valdez disaster to the BP blowout in the Gulf of Mexico. The giant global companies that run the oil and gas industry and the undermanned agencies that police the industry, have already shown themselves incapable of guaranteeing there will never be another incident for which they are unwilling to accept responsibility. An “accident” along the Pacific coast or the Atlantic coast would have the potential to kill crucial industries including tourism, fishing, and crabbing.

On January 6th, 2018 an Iranian oil tanker carrying nearly 1 million barrels of light crude oil headed to South Korea collided with a freighter carrying grain from the United States. At least 30 crewmen and passengers are missing and presumed dead. The tanker has been burning for more than a week sending cones of black smoke 1000’s of meters into the sky and igniting the surrounding water surface has just sunk. The results of this disaster will take millions of dollars in clean up and will devastate the environment and wildlife in the area for years to come. My point is that these accidents happen on a regular basis and we have no means to protect ourselves, or the environment.

Last week the governors of Oregon, Washington, and California issued a joint statement condemning the proposal, “the administration has chosen to forget the utter devastation of past offshore oil spills to wildlife and to the fishing, recreation and tourism industries in our states.  They’ve chosen to ignore the science that tell us our climate is changing and we must reduce our dependence on fossil fuels. But we won’t forget history or ignore science. For more that 30 years, our shared coastline has been protected from further federal drilling and we’ll do whatever it takes to stop this reckless, shortsighted action.”

Even restrained exploratory activities associated with identifying oil deposits have the potential of harming rockfish habitat, interfering with whale migrations and feeding, and increasing vessel traffic and noise in areas essential to endangered species from endangered birds, salmon to Orcas.

The opponents of offshore oil and gas exploration in Pacific Northwest and Alaskan waters have been vilified as obstructionists and the overly concerned, painting an image that we place more importance on sea otters and kelp than energy independence and national security.  None of us dispute that for now at least, we continue to need fossil fuels to power our cars and heat our homes. However, currently there is no shortage of oil that could possibly justify placing the coasts of America at risk for another devastating oil spill. Gas prices are stable. Taking in to consideration inflation, gas prices are equal to what they were 100 years ago and prices are less than a mere decade ago.

Opening the American coastlines to fossil fuel exploration is about nothing other than greed and politics, not about need for energy. We need to stop this move by the administration dead in it’s tracks. Let’s give a resounding “no” to this latest environmental assault.

Calamity Politics is a progressive online news magazine bringing the activities of Washington DC into perspective. Join me for comment and opinion. Join the Resistance. We are Indivisible.

Dar

Try These For Fun

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Try These For Fun

D. S. Mitchell

Yesterday I ranted and raved about the news of the last week and truthfully I need to step away from the horror of Trumpism and laugh. Here are a list of tongue twisters that should keep you giggling for a few minutes.

Try to say each of these sentences three times very fast

Lesser leather never weathered wetter weather better.
Which wristwatches are Swiss wristwatches.
The bootblack bought the black boot back.
The epitome of femininity.
Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager managing an imaginary menagerie.
Fred fed Ted bread, and Ted fed Fred bread.
Many an anemone sees an enemy.
Which wicked witch wished which wicked wish.

Okay you are on your own. Remember, you have to say each of the above at least three times very fast.  I am stumbling over my words the first time through. Good luck, most of all, take a moment and be silly.

Calamity Politics is an online news magazine focused on a progressive political agenda, hopefully with humor and thoughtfulness.

Join the Resistance.

Dar

One Week Into 2018 & Trump Sets Off Alarms

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One Week Into 2018 & Trump Sets Off Alarms

D. S. Mitchell

The last week of Trumpism has my hair on fire. First, who can escape the release of Michael Wolff’s gossip laden new book about Trump, “Fire and Fury?” Wow. It is setting sales records. I ordered mine on Amazon, got free shipping. Yes!

I can’t wait to read every salacious word. Supposedly, Amazon will have it here by next Friday.

The White House was obviously blindsided when early excerpts from “Fire and Fury: Inside The Trump White House” was published online by New York magazine and other media outlets ahead of the scheduled January 9th publication date.

Many of the most eyebrow raising excerpts centered around comments by inner circle confidant of the president, Steve Bannon.  Reports describe Trump as “furious” and “disgusted” with Bannon’s newly revealed comments. Bannon reportedly called the meeting at Trump Tower in May of 2016 with Russian operatives “treasonous.” Further, Bannon said he doubted if Trump would be able to complete his term.

Late Wednesday Trump’s private attorney Charles Harder sent Bannon a cease and desist letter threatening a lawsuit if Steve didn’t keep his mouth shut.  The letter insisted that Bannon was bound by a non-disclosure agreement and demanded he make no further disclosure of  confidential information.

The hysteria didn’t end with the Wolff book, Trump had a very public split with Bannon, giving him the nickname “Sloppy Steve.” Rebecca Mercer, daughter of secretive computer genius Robert Mercer announced she and her father have also split with Bannon. This may lead to Bannon being pushed out of his position at Breitbart News, which Mercer has a financial stake in.

Trump threatens he will sue Wolff and the publisher.  A threat he has made often over the years while never following through. Charles Harder further notified Wolff and his publisher Henry Holt & Co. to halt publication.  Instead of stopping the publication, the threats increased interest in the book and have increased demand. The public demand has actually led to a speed up of the book’s publication by a week. Trump sure knows how to tamper down excitement.  Trump and surrogates could not have done more to spur interest in the book if they had been part of the “Fire and Fury” marketing team.

The main source of distress is the confirmation of what most of us instinctively know; that Trump is a chaotic, stupid, childish, narcissistic, sociopath who probably can’t read. The more Trump tried to push back against the book, telling reporters that he is a “stable genius,” the more infantile he sounded.

The second hair on fire event for me, centered around the Trump administrations continuous attack on the environment. In April Trump issued an executive order encouraging more drilling rights in federal waters, part of the administration’s strategy to help the U.S. “achieve energy dominance in the global market.”

On Thursday the plan was announced, a proposal to vastly expand offshore drilling from the Atlantic to the Arctic oceans with a plan that would open federal waters off California for the first time since the 1970’s Santa Barbara oil spill. The Trump proposal offers a five-year drilling plan which could also open new areas of oil and gas exploration off the East Coast, from Florida to Maine. This region has been blocked from drilling for multiple decades.

The five-year plan was announced by Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke. Zinke stated that development of the offshore energy resources would help the economy by adding jobs and provide billions of dollars to fund conservation along U.S. coastlines.

The five-year Zinke plan would open 90% of the nation’s offshore reserves to development by private companies. Zinke has proposed 47 leases be offered from 2019-2024. Nineteen would be off Alaska. Twelve in the Gulf of Mexico. Nine in the Atlantic,  and seven in the Pacific including 6 off of California.

Zinke ended his telephone announcement, saying that it was still in the “drafting stage, nothing is final yet, and our department is continuing to engage the American people to get to our final product.”

While oil and gas industry spokesmen praised the announcement, which is the most expansive off shore drilling proposal in decades, the plan drew immediate opposition from governors up and down the East Coast, including Republican Governor’s Rick Scott of Florida and Larry Hogan of Maryland. Scott and Hogan went so far as to demand that their states be removed from consideration.

Democratic governors on both coasts blasted the plan. NY’s governor Cuomo called it “another federal assault on our environment.”  California’s Jerry Brown vowed to block “this reckless, short-sighted action.” Washington and Oregon governor’s both condemned the announced plan.

Third, and last hair on fire event for me was AG Jeff Sessions rescinding an Obama-era policy that had generally barred federal law enforcement officials from interfering with marijuana sales in states where the drug is legal.

Sessions has assailed marijuana as “comparable to heroin” and has blamed it for spikes in violence, and had been expected to re-ignite federal enforcement of marijuana laws. Marijuana advocates argue that legalizing the drug eliminates the need for a black market and will likely reduce violence, since criminals would no longer control the marijuana trade.

Sessions has long believed that the Obama era treatment of marijuana has created “a safe harbor” for the expansion of marijuana sales that are federally illegal, the DOJ said. Sessions’ policy will let the U.S. attorneys across the country decide what kinds of federal resources to devote to cannabis enforcement based on what they see as priorities in their districts.

Sessions’ plan drew immediate and strong objection from Republican U.S. Senator Cory Gardner of Colorado, one of eight states that have legalized marijuana for recreational use. Gardner claimed Thursday’s action by the DOJ was directly opposite of what Session’s had told him prior to the Attorney General’s confirmation. Gardner went on to say, he would “take all steps necessary to fight the step, including holding up the confirmation of DOJ nominees.”

Kate Brown the governor of my home state of  Oregon said rolling back federal marijuana policy will disrupt the state’s economy.  Oregon was a pioneer in cannabis legislation. Oregon was the first state to decriminalize personal possession in 1973, legalized medical marijuana in 1998 and finally recreational use in 2014.

Oregon collected more than $108 million in taxes from cannabis sales between January 2016 and August 2016. Brown said more than 19,000 jobs have been created by the marijuana market in Oregon. State employment estimates that another 3,500 people are employed in marijuana-related businesses, with wages of nearly $23 million. The Oregon Health Authority estimated that in 2016 they oversaw $79.4 million in medical sales and the OLCC (Oregon Liquor/Cannabis Control Commission) oversaw $215. 3 million in recreational sales.

Ron Wyden, Oregon’s senior Senator said the move “ignores the will of a majority of Americans and goes against what candidate Trump had promised. Trump promised to let states set their own marijuana policies.” Wyden statement continued, “Now he’s breaking that promise so Jeff Sessions can pursue his extremist anti-marijuana crusade. Once again the Trump Administration is doubling down on protecting states’ rights only when they believe the state is right.”

Washington State Governor, Jay Inslee said he and the Washington State Attorney General will “vigorously defend the state’s laws against federal infringement.”

Session’s announcement came after California opened sales of recreational marijuana, launching what is expected to become the world’s largest market for legal recreational cannabis. California sales alone are projected to bring in $1 billion annually in tax revenue within the next several years.  Polls show a solid majority of Americans believe the drug should be legalized and should be treated much like alcohol.

Over the last decade as marijuana markets have expanded it has  become a sophisticated multi-million dollar industry that helps fund many government programs. Twenty nine states have legalized medical use of marijuana and another eight states plus the District of Columbia have legalized cannabis for recreational use.

Oregon AG, Ellen Rosenblum characterizes the Session’s decision as “overreach.” “This is an industry that Oregonians have chosen–and one I will do everything in my legal authority to protect,” Rosenblum emphasized.

Two massive policy changes and an expose book on a corrupt and demented president. I don’t know if the Republic and tolerate the assault.

Calamity Politics is an online political news magazine. Join me for my mostly irritable take on the week’s news.

Join the Resistance

Dar