Dahh Trump GOP MAGA group are moving quickly to pave the way for complete takeover of US political system to bring US soon to dahh beginning of GOP Autocratic Rule starting in Jan 2025 after Trump is elected 2nd time in Nov 2024.
In their efforts to assure that GOP minority (35-40%) of US voters maintain control over the majority (55-65%) of US voters, they have perfected the voting district gerrymandering process to completely control state legislatures with super majorities in purple states (Dems = 55-65% of total voters), while at same time gaining enough gerrymandered seats in the US Districts to guarantee that they will for certain take control of the US House in 2023 by orchestrating wins in Nov 2022 election.
Already, and especially after the latter, the GOP controlled state legislatures unConstitutionally are perfecting the electoral college system in their states, which allows these states to have their state “electors” vote in favor of GOP candidates for US President & VP in ’24/’25, regardless if the majority of voters in their state voted Democrat in the Nov 2024 election as mandated by their state legislature, governor or secretary of state.
Because of the aforementioned devilish, crafty and unConstitutional tactics of the GOP going unchecked by the cowardly US DOJ/AG and US President Biden (e.g., by Emergency Executive Order), our US democratic republic is being torn away from US by GOP plainly right before our eyes! And all the Dem Party and their leaders can do and say, is “citizens Vote Like Hell like your lives depends on it”. Well the latter, no matter how great, may not be enough, and even if it is, the GOP will dispute the results, and they have 67% to 33% control of the US Supreme Court, so any court cases regarding elections and other matters will surely be decided in their favor.
As always, the GREEDY & Power Hungry GOP and Big Corps & the ultra-wealthy are melding together for their self aggrandizement at the expense & detriment (rights, protections etc) of women, minorities, LGBTQ, the young, innocent, defenseless, impoverished, starving, shelterless, thirsty & mentally/physically ill; while at the same these greedy individuals & corporate officials line up for space travel and are staking their claims in advance on diminishing livable space on our planet.
The aforementioned Evil, Greedy & Power hungry GOP individuals and giant corporations, who have hoodwinked the gullible MAGAs, don’t care one iota about what’s best for humanity as a whole or our planet Earth; and they DO NOT ADVOCATE for GOOD/UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLES such as working:
(1) CGU: For the betterment of Common Good in a United manner;
(2) PEWHASOP: To Protect Environment, Wellbeing & Health And Safety Of People;
(3) PACATO: In unison with Principled American Citizens & Allies from near & afar, who Together are Orchestrating in beneficial manner for benefit of humanity & our planet.
Instead, they pass unConstitutional anti-voting rights laws in their GOP controlled states along with enacting voting subversion tactics, as our cowardly US President Biden (not Abe-like) and US DOJ Attorney General Merrick Garland (still banking on SCOTUS judgeship) sit idly (and safely) by, praying and hoping for the best for their historical personal US legacies, instead of concentrating bravely on saving our democratic republic from the GOP MAGA villains. How far do the GOP states have to go before Biden will take decisive and effective action? The Confederates of the past did not like the Union (so called “northern aggressors”) telling them they couldn’t own African slaves anymore, and perhaps the modern day GOP Confederates will want some other kind of modern day slave other than Africans? If they do that in 2022 or 2023, will that be permissible in Biden’s and Austin’s eyes? After all, these GOP controlled states believe they should be able to do whatever their GOP legislatures pass regardless of whether it complies with the US Constitution. Let’s face, with the GOP we’re moving BACK in TIME. For example women, if you’re thinking of dating one of these GOP guys, realize these CAVEMEN will soon be carrying clubs once again to get their way with you, and after they IMPREGNATE you, you’ll be forced to carry their DEVIL CHILD to term.
So, has BIDEN forgotten his Constitutional duties? He is after all, the US Commander in Chief of US Armed Forces. Both the US President (& VP Harris) and US Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin have a Constitutional duty to protect & defend our Constitution, and if they don’t, they are considered US Insurrectionists! And state GOP public officials passing and enacting unConstitutional anti-voting rights laws and election subversion tactics are CLEARLY USA Insurrectionists! States (& local governments) must first and foremost fully abide to the US Constitution (not optional). What’s going on and allowed to continue IS SIMPLY WRONG, UNCONSTITUTIONAL & ILLEGAL, and NEEDS TO BE STOPPED! It is not a time for Biden to be cautiously trying to preserve his 40-year politician legacy, it should be more about President Biden acting now by issuing an Executive Order to save our democratic republic!
SO SO VERY VERY SAD and PATHETIC!
That which is RIGHTEOUS & GOOD, simply being defeated by that which is WRONG & EVIL!
WAKE UP AMERICA!
Previous article submitted to, and ignored by, WaPo:
Lesson No. 1: Remember USA & World History and That Math & Science Are Real
In the first (maybe last, but maybe not?) civil war in the USA in the 1800s (call it Civil War 1, or CW1), our President at the time, Abraham Lincoln (call him Abe) declared war against the Confederate states, of which there were eleven (mostly in the South). Following this declaration, the CW1 commences, with the Union soldiers battling it out in a bloody war against the Confederate soldiers. The term Union was for the Union of the United States, which included the states that were abiding by the US Constitution, which call for equal rights for all its citizens, regardless of race, religion, gender, etc, and that equality rule applied to African Americans who were treated like agricultural livestock or worse. Well after Americans fought Americans, resulting in the death of many millions of American soldiers and civilians, the war ended in the Confederates defeat, after which reconstruction occurred after this devastating war to rebuild neighborhoods, cities, counties and states that had massive destruction of property and the civilian infrastructure (roads, bridges, hospitals, water systems, etc.). During this reconstruction period, those Confederate states had to give up their confederacy, and get back to abiding by the Constitution just like all the rest of the states in the Union.
Unfortunately, that lesson about Civil War 1 and other tough lessons won’t be taught in Florida anymore, because FL Governor DeSantis is making the schools in HIS state remove everything from the library and class curriculum that causes the least bit of psychological discomfort to the students, such as having to hear stupid history lessons about slavery practices or slaughtering of Jews during the WW2 era by Nazis/Fascists, or having to learn stupid science stuff and arithmetic as it relates accumulative negative climate effects of common gases on our atmosphere (whatever that is?) like carbon dioxide and methane, and other idiotic nonsense that serves no useful purpose in making profits and increasing wealth for the nice evangelical Christian rich people who watch over US as our good Christian leaders in our united Christian nation.
But for the few people that do have an opportunity in their state to learn a lessons or two, remember:
Two plus two equals four;
HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF; and
Extreme narcissistic behavior of national leader (aka Donald Trump or his clone GOP replacement), coupled with deceitfulness, selfishness & vindictiveness, serves only the narcissist and his sycophants (and corporations & ultra-wealthy), while destroying individual liberties & rights, as well as undermining and degrading civilized societies & their environs near & afar (local, state, regional, national, international).
Must admit, CGU (CommonGoodUnited) hasn’t had a post on its webpage for quite some time now, because quite frankly, NOBODY SEEMS TO BE LISTENING OR CARES, and there’s really not much more to say before the WHOLE WORLD BLOWS UP (WW3), the next great Earth EXTINCTION OCCURS, and our USA democratic republic EVOLVES INTO AN AUTOCRACY prompting CW2 (Civil War 2). GOP MAGA craziness seems to be prevailing now with a strong wind at their back, and time is rapidly running out by the week, day and hour to stop this insane group who are racing down the track on a runaway train destined for Doomsville USA.
We could summarize here for readers a lot more detail of what exactly happened in the Civil War 1 and World War II (WW2), etc, but what good is that going to do right now with less than two months to the November 2022 mid-term elections? Let’s lay out the facts real quick here:
There was a January 6, 2021 Capitol Riot/Insurrection/Coup Attempt orchestrated by Donald J Trump and his GOP cronies and supporters, the MAGA maniacs, who followed their orders from their supreme leader, Mr. Trump, to storm the Capitol and violently and illegally overturn the legitimate 2020 election.
And now let’s talk about how the GOP controlled states (about 20 states) have passed unconstitutional anti-voting rights laws (about 40-50 such laws) in their states with the blatant and flagrant purpose of suppressing & purging votes, and subverting the election process. It used to be in these United States of America, civil rights were steadily on the rise, decade after decade, granting more rights to individual citizens in the nation, such as ending Jim Crow era discrimination against Blacks even though CW1 had ended slavery, giving non-land owners, Blacks and women (& age 18 & older) the right to vote; making it against the law to discriminate against citizens for a variety of reasons (civil rights laws of the 1960s & after), such as gender, age, religion, sexual orientation, etc; making it against the law to deprive women of their reproductive rights as it relates to abortion; allowing same sex marriages with full rights granted to individuals in heterosexual marriages; etc.
Well, now women’s reproductive rights are gone, based on a recent Supreme Court ruling, and states are starting to reverse other laws, such as those that protect rights of individuals in same sex marriages, etc. BUT, what make this totally wrong right now, and on the same level as the Confederacy of pre-CW1, is that insurrectionist activities are rampant throughout many of these United States of America. Besides what happened on January 6, 2021, as led and planned by DJT-GOP, which is pure federal insurrectionist/seditionist/criminal acts, numerous state GOP public officials are violating the US Constitution by passing anti-voting rights laws and committing federal election subversion. If these states want to remain in the Union, they cannot have it both ways, just as the Confederates in pre-CW1 could not be part of the US republic if they didn’t abide by the US Constitution to its full extent.
The Dems are now hanging by the skin of teeth hoping that somehow there will be a massive voter turnout (greater than 2020) against the DJT-GOP lunatics who will be intimidating voters (FL Gov. DeSantis Election Police) as they try to get registered to vote, try to drop off their mail-in ballots at scarce few drop-off boxes (& don’t put those ballots in the US mail because DeEnemy DeJoy is still running USPS), or they stand in long lines all day trying to vote on election day.
You add it all up, and you don’t have to be a math genius to see that the Democrats, and our democracy, are royally being screwed! Oh yeah, and if you plan to take it to court on illegal DJT-GOP tactics etc, you can go ahead and try, but all that is going to do is cost a lot of time in general, and attorney fees, as it lingers forever in the federal court system, that is presently controlled by the GOP; which is exactly what Trump is doing right now, as the US DOJ is trying to proceed with likely criminal charges against him related to highly sensitive/classified documents he absconded with when he left the White House in January 2021 and moved back to his Mar-a-Lago, former Jeffrey Epstein hangout.
Here’s the simple math: When Trump was in office he managed to appoint 174 federal District judges (26% of current total), 54 federal Appellate judges (30% of current total), and 3 federal Supreme Court judges (33% of total). And if his cases make it all the way to the Supreme Court, which is certainly his plan to eat up time, he’ll probably win because that highest court now favors the conservatives (GOP) six to three versus liberals (Dems).
Besides all the above, the GOP gained seats in the House of Representatives by virtue of the 2020 census results coupled with the extreme devious gerrymandering they have been doing for last couple of decades that contributes to cancelling or neutralizing a lot of the urban votes that traditionally tend to vote Democrat. Sure, whatever the GOP is doing that is within the current law and our Constitution is their right, and the Dems do a certain amount of gerrymandering of voting districts themselves. But the real kicker is, that since the advent of Trump world, the state GOP has been enacting and implementing anti-voting rights acts in their states that are downright unconstitutional (i.e., contrary to US Constitution that they must abide by), and as such, the current Democratic controlled House should call a vote, declaring these state officials as federal insurrectionists for violating the US Constitution. The latter likely would pass in the House, but it would be cumbersome and complicated because it involves a lot of state public officials, and even if it passed, it would never be able to get passed in the US Senate; and therefore, Democratic Congress members are not going to take such risky action just before the November 2022 Mid-term elections because, let’s face it, they care more about getting reelected.
Well, all that is left with less than two months before the election is for an Executive Order to be issued by the current President, Joe Biden, thereby mandating that the federal elections be administered by the US Armed Forces under the command of the Commander in Chief, President Joe Biden; and to continue administering federal elections for the duration of his term ending in January 2025, or until such time that the GOP states begin abiding by the US Constitution as it relates to individual voting rights for all US Citizens. It probably would be easier for Biden to proceed with this action if the House first called for a vote (& it passed in their chamber) against the state GOP US Constitution violators, but not sense holding your breath waiting for that to happen. See the document (an editorial submission to WaPo that they cowardly never published) below for further details on the mentioned constitutional violations, and the obligation of the US Congress, President, Vice President and the Military in taking such actions against insurrectionists to restore compliance to the Constitution in the violating states.
Well, now the BIG QUESTION is, will President Biden take this colossal courageous step (as Lincoln did against the Confederates) , to save the US democratic republic from being taken over by state GOP insurrectionists? Or is this not going to be an Abe Lincoln – like moment for President Biden, and instead, is going to be a moment when President Biden takes a hands off approach in the best interest of his own interest of preserving his nearly half century-long legacy? This same question also applies to individual US Congress members in the House & Senate, who are also obligated by the US Constitution to take action against the state GOP insurrectionists by calling for a vote in Congress against these Constitution violators. As politicians, the President and those US Congress members naturally put their reelection, self preservation and livelihood for themselves & family first (i.e., rather than “US” first). The Dems & the President are TRULY IN A PICKLE – and so are a couple hundred million of US who are scared shitless about what the outcome may or may not be from this HORRIFIC TRUMPIAN NIGHTMARE TIME in USA history.
When you read this and ponder whether Biden will issue such as Executive Order at this critical time in US history to save our democracy and preserve our freedom and individual rights, also keep in mind that these same state GOP public officials are campaigning feverishly right now to elect or appoint public officials in key roles for administering federal elections now and in the future in their respective states, such as the Secretary of State positions, as well as county election officials, etc. The latter MAGA GOP individuals will be able skew and manage the elections to favor the GOP, and to appoint electors in the Electoral College in their state that will vote for GOP elected presidential candidates after the November 2024 election, regardless of who the majority of the voters favored in their state.
Unless Biden issues an Executive Order as described above, in all likelihood, the Democrats will take a bashing in the 2022 elections, and the GOP will take control of the House, and perhaps the Senate will remain the same at 50-50 with the Vice President carrying the tie breaking vote (which has seldom worked to the Dems advantage so far because of the “defacto” Republicans, US senators Manchin & Sinema, who typically vote with GOP). After a big win in Nov ’22 for the DJT-GOP, there will be no path forward for the Dems for a long time (i.e., rule by the authoritarian/autocratic DJT-GOP for multiple decades, beginning with a take-over and win in the presidential election for Trump (or his MAGA replacement) in Nov ’24, likely giving the GOP control of all 3 branches of the federal government simultaneously (executive, judicial and legislative branches), which if they did it in a fair, legal and constitutional abiding manner, we just have to accept it, and not complain; but the fact is, the DJT-GOP are a bunch of con-artist mobsters, led by a biggest shyster of all times (DJT), who conned the voting public into agreeing unknowingly to their long-term demise, likely leading to total societal collapse, and the next Great Extinction, that only the super wealthy will survive.
On the other hand, if Biden does issue an Executive Order as described, all hell could break loose, as South Carolina US Senator Lindsey Graham keeps saying: “If Trump gets indicted on federal charges…the MAGAs will riot”. Unfortunately, it’s kind of like either way (options A, B, C…), great civil unrest and possibly civil war (CW2) may occur (i.e., if Biden issues Executive Order to administer federal elections; US DOJ indicts Trump on federal charges; or the GOP trounces the Dem in Nov ’22 election, leading to election of Trump in Nov ’24 and the beginning of full-fledged DJT-GOP autocratic rule beginning in Jan ’25.
TO FINISH here, given below is a new GOP Horrific Principle (No. 22) that guides the evil DJT-GOP individuals in how they act/don’t act (go to the CGU Menu to see rest of GOP Platform); plus after that, a dozen or so new poems since April 2022 from Giacomo B Fischiatore are given (more at CGU Menu):
La Fine
GOP Horrid Principles (officially part of the GOP Platform): New one here – Go to CGU Menu for rest.
Giacomo B Fischiatore (aka JPL) POEMS Feb-Sept 2022: New ones here – GO TO MENU for rest.
9/11 Twenty-One Year Anniversary (09/11/2022):
The enemy we now fear is so very near,
Since twenty sixteen, it is getting crystal clear,
The three thousand who died will not seem quite so big,
Compared to many civil war graves we will dig,
1/3
Now face domestic terror fueled by the rich,
Many will follow pided piper straight to the ditch,
Those being conned will regret following the herd,
As they crash over cliff’s edge for man who’s absurd,
2/3
So we still mourn for those we lost in Trade Center,
Now know our leaders put US at epicenter,
Decades and centuries ahead we will mourn more,
As capitalism and greed brings US blood & gore.
3/3
GB Fischiatore (aka JPL)
——————————————————————————————————————–
Twenty Twenty-Two Count Down (07/28/2022):
Hickory Dickory Dock
Have Dems forgot there’s a clock
Soon they’ll have just one branch
Need AG to apply stanch
Our forces Prez he commands
Who act upon his demands
A vote Congress needs to call
Insurrectionists must fall
1/11
Traitors surviving this year
Will turn it into high gear
The autocracy we fear
Will then be more than just near
Democracy soon hijacked
Cannot fear that odds are stacked
Courage must overcome risks
Freedom it must top all lists
2/11
Ease to vote our US right
Even playing field their fright
Cut of vote boxes unfair
It stands out with a glare
If Dems just let this pass by
Democracy it will fry
Those of US that care will cry
They say stand back & stand by
3/11
Days are numbered don’t you see
How much more must we all plea
Worry not about self but US
Don’t say we’re making a fuss
This must be a fierce battle
It’s not just a mere rattle
Public rights shouldn’t reverse
Such thinking is so perverse
4/11
It can’t just pass by unsaid
If we do we’ll forever dread
Not time to turn other cheek
Or time to be mild & meek
Cruel & mean don’t let up
Greed & power so corrupt
Time to act by Dems is now
Those in power can’t cower
5/11
If Dems give GOPers a pass
And be humble & kiss ass
The US will be their trough
They feed as we starve & cough
GOPers do not care for US
Our demise to them’s a plus
When will people see through them
For the greed & evil they stem
6/11
Those rolling with all the cash
Just scheming as they all stash
Your money and future hope
As they laugh, call you a dope
Some day soon we must all learn
Our true leaders must be stern
Those before put US ahead
Not GOPers, it’s them instead
7/11
Please see their deceit as crime
Don’t cloak them pure but grime
With populous deaf & blind
We and Earth coming to grind
Many died before to save
Kept US all from early grave
It is them we must stave off
They are mere wolves cloaked in cloth
8/11
The end justifies the means
To GOPers it allows extremes
Another’s demise is their rise
They see not tears in eyes
Nor do they hear sad sobbing
Or feel remorse for robbing
As they con donors to give
Just to enrich how they live
9/11
Don’t coat with sugar & spice
Plainly GOPers are not nice
Has been so for many years
Their wealth on rise with our fears
Wars to them are cash not tears
So what if extinction nears?
Profits pave way to exploit
We lose as they’re so adroit
10/11
After the brutal Civil War, safeguards were built into our Constitution through passage of following described amendments that allows action by Congress against Insurrectionists (local, state & federal) by simple majority vote:
Contemporary Ding-dong Oz song rhyming with WARLOCK (as in DJT Shyster/Conman, who’s always accusing justice seekers pursuing his indictment as being on a Witch Hunt):
Ding-dong, the warlock’s a crock!
Which old warlock? The wicked warlock!
Ding-dong, the wicked warlock’s a crock!
Oddly he’s got a Christian flock,
Who take stock in all his BS that we mock!
GB Fischiatore (aka JPL)
———————————————————————————————————-
Blessed St Patty’s Day 2022 (03/18/2022):
I’ve been told
I’m getting old
No tome to be bold
Nobody likes a toad
I just don’t fear
If you’re in my ear
Okay to be queer
Let them sneer
1/6
They don’t have tact
That’s plainly a fact
They’re cruel to Black
With truth don’t have jack
So today’s Saint Pat
Matters where you sat
For Jews it was splat
If White you’re a frat
2/6
So today beer is green
Lucky to have a spleen
Careful to avoid mean
If Christian, am clean
We’re equal so they say
Kneel down, let’s pray
For all people to stay
Hate we sweep away
3/6
Hey let’s continue story
Irish part of our glory
Had Celtics & signori
New Orleans Pietro & Lori
Boston was Cara & Paulo
Italian & Irish they did flow
In USA they both grow
Warn others of undertow
4/6
Continue with evolution
Work to reduce pollution
Europe, African & Asian
Equal rights in Constitution
5/6
Blend of races it’s diverse
Intention of universe
Many beliefs we converse
Better than hate & curse
Continue with evolution
Work to reduce pollution
Europe, African & Asian
Equal rights in Constitution
6/6
GB Fischiatore (aka JPL)
——————————————————————
Joe Knows (03/13/22):
Same verse, same as the first…..
Go Joe, Go Joe…
To, and fro
We know
This is all a TEST!
Just keep doing Your BEST!
Soon, you’ll be hitting a CREST!
Guaranteed you’ll win ’24 CONTEST!
GB Fischiatore (aka JPL)
————————————————————————————————————-
ODE TO JOE (2/22/22 = 2+2+2+2+2 = 10, or = 2+22+22 = 46, or = 2x2x2x2x2 = 32, or 2 x 22 x 22 = 968, or 2 x 22 x 2022 = 88,968, or altogether = 10 + 46 + 32 + 968 + 88,968 = 90,024):
Means: Something BAD is going to happen in ’24 (DANGER! DANGER! DANGER!)
Listen Joe
You never know
Until you go
To Kokomo
We’re banking on you,
First it was the flu,
And we’re true blue,
Don’t misconstrue
1/3
Union has laws
Not void of flaws
Ignore gaffaws
GOP are outlaws.
Take our rights away
Hoping we won’t stay
This isn’t just play
Way beyond fray
2/3
Must issue Exec Order
To avoid disorder,
Rights are in TX border,
Some mixing mortar
All plain to see,
. Autocracy isn’t glee,
We want to be free,
Time now for decree
3/3
GB Fischiatore (aka JPL)
————————————————————————————————————–
Songs ringing thru my thick skull; more so now as we near ’24 (03/05/2022):
A) “I just dropped in to see what condition, my condition was in”
B) “Oh, when times get rough, and friends just can’t be found
Like a bridge over troubled water
I will lay me down”
C) “Relax, don’t do it,
When you want to go do it”
GB Fischiatore (aka JPL)
——————————————————————————————————————–
SWEET TWEET, WW2 REPEAT? (02/24/2022):
Hey James, I much liked, & agreed with your tweet,
It made me ponder a lot, which was real sweet,
You said it well, no bother to be discreet,
The ilk you mentioned, just do not think too deep,
1/4
Too bad for Russians, who must live with that creep,
Trump & Republicans, worship at his feet,
Question Putin, he will pound & make you weep,
This is preview, if Republicans do sweep.
2/4
Soon we will have autocracy, which is a heap,
Say bad to dictators, they will grind your feet,
Only people to survive, will be the sheep,
Shame people must suffer, as oligarchs reap,
3/4
Please all hope & pray tonight, before you sleep,
Putin’s Republican pals, all think he’s sleek,
Venezuela next Ukraine, for US is not a leap,
It’s twenty-first century, World War repeat.
4/4
GB Fischiatore (aka JPL)
——————————————————————————————————————–
FREEDOM FLOATING FEATHER -w/Chorus below & verses that follow (2/23/22):
CHORUS: sing/recite as written right here below, and then 6 verses that follow:
Foul weather it is now brewing,
Time for republic renewing,
To avoid the people’s screwing,
Freedom does float like a feather,
Democracy hangs by tether,
Up to US to stand together,
We need strong leaders to take stand,
Failing to do this won’t be grand,
Please save your people & this land,
So now we pray every day,
Want equal rights for all to stay,
Will bring US blue skies, & not gray.
FREEDOM FLOATING FEATHER (Using Chorus above when indicated):
CHORUS first
We are always asking what is next, and on comes Ukraine,
No surprise, GOPers[goapers] are rooting for Putin unrestain,
For them, always comes down to their likely financial gain,
They truly do not care what is Real, as they are insane,
1/6
We ask always ourselves why Red People get bamboozled,
And we plead with them to not watch FOX, but get refusal,
It would truly help if they had history & gave it a perusal,
For kids’ sake, thinking clear & doing right is so crucial,
2/6
We are presently spiraling down a perilous path,
Axis is forming and we could feel Adolf Putin’s wrath,
Against Putin, Trump & Xi trio, we would all take a bath,
Concern too with India’s Modi, they’re all psychopaths,
3/6
CHORUS again
Imagine Russia-China-India-pact with U.S.,
All the people of the world under constant stress & duress,
For current issues there certainly must be emphasis,
If things start to roll, it’ll be tricky to uncoil this mess,
4/6
So you could say this will never happen on our planet,
Fascism & Nazism of old is not now a habit,
We are just good Christians, hard as granite,
Just pure society, our self righteous facet,
5/6
It’s up to democratic nations to come together,
It almost seems like now, we’re just hanging by a tether,
Remember that freedom is not a mere floating feather,
A deadly storm is brewing now, with lots of bad weather.
6/6
Final CHORUS & end
GB Fischiatore (aka JPL)
——————————————————————————————————————–
ALL THESE TWO’s ADD UP TO THE BLUES (6X2 = 2/22/2022):
Ought-Two, Two-Two, Two-Ought-Two-Two – CAME & WENT REAL SOON
What it will mean to all of US would make great new tune,
Our best hope in these present times is arrest of goon,
Much more important than another long trip to moon,
1/6
To indict Trump will preclude him from public office,
Exactly what is needed right now, chimed in, the chorus,
Thank God Congress has a good Democratic caucus,
And a Dem President who is extremely cautious,
2/6
At right time Prez will issue Emergency Order,
Backed by Armed Forces for any likely disorder,
Voting rights they do apply across each state border,
Having equal rights binds US together like mortar,
3/6
It’s now time that citizens think on lessons of past,
Brutality of Civil War makes US feel aghast,
To ignore these sad times of our nation would be crass,
Errors that led to these hard times, we must now surpass,
4/6
It would be foolish & reckless for voters to take a chance,
Look close at words & acts of candidates, don’t just glance,
Think carefully at polls of our current circumstance,
Now more than ever, it’s important to take strong stance,
5/6
So pray often, for our Dem Congress & President,
Must recognize our Constitution & its intent,
Abe & FDR served US well in time of need,
It is for this, we thank them for following our Creed.
Probably not doing our updates as often as we should, but rest assured, as time marches on, so do we. What has happened the most in the last few months is the emergence of the Putin-Russian unprovoked attack of the sovereign nation of Ukraine. As those genocidal atrocities began, including all the “false red flags of war” that Putin and his Russian sycophants made up as reasons for prompting the war, it clearly reminded US of the parallels in USA with the path of the Republican Party who are steadfastly moving closer to autocracy, as they too are using fake reality and lies as a basis for destroying our democracy. Consequently, we would be remiss in not meshing the two stories together, because both involve the onslaught of democracy: one on the global stage (western liberal world democracies versus autocratic regimes like Russia, China, etc.); and the other being the onslaught of our democratic republic by Trump and the GOP right here in the USA.
The message (e.g., mission/vision) of CommonGoodUnited is very basic and fundamental (strive for betterment of common good of humanity & planet), so viewers may question the need or reasoning for expending the energy in this effort? Our purpose here is not slamming political parties, although there are plenty of reasons to do so for the GOP, but it should be recognized that both of the two major parties in the USA often seem to lose focus of the fundamental purpose of our republic as set forth by our founding fathers in our Constitution. Our democratic republic is capitalism driven, both domestically and globally, and that is not going to change; and government is a part of it, for the primary purpose to assure that the forces of capitalism are executed in a fashion that takes into consideration possible beneficial (& neutral) and adverse impacts of marketplace measures on people and our environment. That really is not asking too much is it? Entrepreneurs, businesses, corporations and individuals can, and should, have incentive based goals as reasonably achievable of increasing their wealth (for themselves, family, community etc.), but coupled with that, is the need for a populous representative government to establish and enforce controls (laws/regulations) so it is done in a manner that is protective of the common good of humanity and planet. The legal and regulatory framework should be done specifically in such a way that it is protective of the environment, and wellbeing & health/safety of the public. Professionals (e.g., engineers, doctors etc.) have to swear to an oath/code to follow those basic principles, so why shouldn’t private business entities?
So you might be thinking that all of this is something you already knew, right? But you must realize, now more than ever, that this is a constant struggle that plays out between what is good for: (A) the expansion of power & greed & wealth of individuals & business entities; and (B) protection, preservation and improvement of society/civilization and our environs (=Earth). Today (& in past), even though maybe not typically saying it out loud, those in group A are pushing for autocracy because by doing so there will be fewer governmental controls protecting people and planet (they want to reduce their bottom line costs with no concern for the detriment to people or environment, and limitless profit margins); and those is group B want to have (or continue to have and improve) a representative democracy to be protective of people and their environment. We have all seen what happens when the direction of our societies move to, or closer to, the principles (or lack thereof) of the autocratic group A. For example, do you think Putin/Russia’s priorities are geared towards the betterment of the Russian people and their environment? (ans = NO). Or are their priorities structured primarily to benefit the oligarch Putin and his fellow Russian oligarchs? (ans = YES). Look at Russian’s economy under the Putin regime: it is heavily dependent on the energy (oil & natural gas) and defense sectors. This narrow source of GNP (gross national product) revenue has worked out quite well for the Russian oligarchs in past couple of decades, but it puts the Russian people and their nation in a highly vulnerable economic situation that could push them into a major economic recession or depression, if one or two parts of this undiversified economy falls apart or decreases significantly, which could easily happen to them in foreseeable future. And Putin, the autocratic oligarch (called a kleptocrat), who is making all these critical decisions in last few months regarding the slaughtering of Ukrainians and destroying their homes and community infrastructure systems (hospitals, schools, power plants, etc.), with no one in the Russian government (parliament, public ministers etc.) daring to discuss or question his judgment on these matters. The Putin’s loyal sycophants (butt kissers, like President Trump had) all refuse to outwardly question Putin’s reckless decisions, because they fear retribution to themselves or families for doing so, such as being poisoned or sent off to Siberia for the rest of their lives. Putin operates much like President Trump did when he was in office (remembers what DJT said: “only he alone has all the answers & solutions for everything”). The consequences of a Russian autocracy are plainly evident on the world stage, as we all see daily how Putin is orchestrating the slaughter and destruction of Ukrainians and their nation, which is exactly what has occurred in past world history (Russia under Stalin, Germany under Hitler, Italy under Mussolini, Japan under Hirohito), and is ongoing in other autocratic nations worldwide, or soon will be, or should be anticipated by those living under an autocratic government. Just don’t ever forget, that Trump was always complimentary of Putin (and still is, calling him “savvy” & a “genius” on how he is handling Ukraine genocide), just as he (Trump) was always cozying up to and aspiring to be in similar authoritarian positions as other members of the ADC group he belonged to (Authoritarian/Dictator Club, including Xi of China, Kim of N Korea, Modi of India, etc.). Could there be another evil world PACT/AXIS in the formation stage right now (Russia-China-India) like in pre-WW2? Maybe you think it is farfetched? India’s possible role in all of this isn’t talked about much, but keep in mind they are a very significant economic world power, and like Trump, Modi is an autocrat pledge for the ADC (like a pledge in a college fraternity: “you have to first prove you can be one of them”).
With Trump as president in 2016-2020, the USA has already got a taste of autocratic/kleptocratic type government. Just as Putin reaps financial gains (for self & other oligarchs) as a Russian oligarch while serving as Russian president, President Trump was doing the same thing for himself, family members and his GOP Crony Crooks. Examples include the Washington DC Trump Hotel, and it was reported recently that his daughter Ivanka & husband Jerod (both serving in Trump Admin w/no qualifications) made up to $640M while in the White House. Granted, that autocratic form of government has not formally been proposed/approved/adopted by the GOP, nor is it flagrantly touted by GOP yet (although it’s obvious they’re going in that direction), but it should be clear to the US citizenry, that the Republican Party (w/ or w/o Trump) is moving towards autocracy. The latter is evident by GOP’s many actions and talk to fulfill their dominance over all three branches of the federal government by any measures (including Insurrection; Jan 6 Capitol Riot/Coup Attempt), and if achieved at this point in our history, it (control of all branches of fed govt) will in essence be the formation of a US autocracy, which will not be easily reversible for decades or centuries. The GOP already has dominant control of the judicial branch (6 to 3 conservative dominance of US Supreme Court), and with all the unConstitutional anti-voting rights laws and election subversion measures passed in GOP controlled states since Jan 6 DJT-GOP Insurrection/Coup Attempt, it is highly probable, that the GOP will likely take control of the legislative branch (US House & Senate) in 2023 (w/Nov ’22 elections), which could very well lead to GOP finagling the system for a presidential win (with Trump or some other autocratic leaning GOP contender, like FL Gov. DeSantis or TX Gov. Abbott) in November 2024.
So it’s fair to say right now on Easter Sunday, that the US is at the “Advent of Autocracy”. There are, however, legitimate reasons and means by which President Biden and the current US Congress can take action in response to the latter described drastic unConstitutional GOP voting suppression/purging & election subversion measures, that would consist of the US Congress calling for a vote against the GOP state public officials who have committed these unConstitutional acts or US insurrection. And in addition to the latter, regardless of whether the US congressional vote passes in favor of denouncing the aforementioned insurrectional actions of state GOP public officials, President Biden may then, having the authority to do so, issue an emergency Executive Order to administer the federal elections in those GOP Constitutional violating states. What it comes down to, is that the violating GOP states (acting like a Confederacy) as members of the union of the United States of America, must abide by the federal Constitution (it supersedes state & local constitutions) as it relates to equal voting rights for all US citizens. See the specific US Constitutional amendments in link below that were immediately drafted and passed after the Civil War for preventing the recurrence of insurrectionists (Confederacy) in any of the union/United States from operating outside of the federal Constitution which supersedes the individual state constitutions, just like the state constitutions supersede the constitutions of the state’s local/county jurisdictions.
It really is important that readers take all of this very seriously! Think about how Putin controls all those in the Russian government with no one there daring to debate or even discuss his decisions and thought process thereof (i.e., parliament, judges, public ministers, military, intelligence, etc.); and if there is any state/provincial or local government within Russian’s boundaries that does anything he objects to, those heading up those state/local governments immediately have a target on their back. And if you were previously in the Soviet Union prior to its dissolution in 1991 (e.g., Ukraine), after which your sovereign nation formed an independent government (democratic republic or other form of govt), it is likely that Putin/Russia will be coming after your nation and people to pull you back under their jurisdiction and control, whether you like it or not (e.g., Ukraine).
So now think of Trump in the US in 2025 as a Putin type GOP autocrat after he gets reelected in November 2024 after all kinds of unConstitutional state GOP shenanigans (state anti-voting rights laws/election subversion). So now Trump will start scheming to grow his oligarch financial account to take over land in Canada, Mexico, Greenland, or maybe he’ll have “HIS” Military and generals go down to oil rich Venezuela, which he said in his previous presidential term, was “right in our backyard, and is RIPE FOR THE TAKING (i.e., having political turmoil, etc.., and was vulnerable)”. Or maybe Trump will prompt his GOP Crony Crook state governors to take over adjacent Democratic states with the US National Guard troops, or bring in a private militia paid for and contracted by the US government (or with DJT’s mega supporter funded oligarch account) as run by his buddy Erik Prince (brother of Betsy DeVos, his former Education Secretary) from W Michigan who owns the Blackwater Company (or whatever it’s called now), who had big contracts with George W Bush & VP Dick Cheney during the fake-WMD-prompted-Iraq-War. So if you think about all of this for a while, maybe you’ll surmise, that the continually downward evolving GOP (w/ or w/o Trump) in their caveman thinking is not going to do the USA any good, and on the contrary, it is going to send US into a state/fate similar to that experienced in Italy (Mussolini/fascism) and Germany (Hitler/Nazism) in the pre-WW2 era, which is very frightening. Many innocent civilians died at the hands of the Fascists and Nazis of that time because they didn’t fit their criteria of religion or race, or they just happened to be rightfully occupying land in sovereign nations that the Germans and Italians wanted to conquer and take over.
If you are my brother or sister (literally – have many), and you are supporting the GOP, with or without Trump, now in 2022, and plan to in 2024, you might as well go spit on your father’s grave, and maybe engrave a stone to put next to his tombstone, telling him that his service in the US Army in Italy in the battle (came to shore in 1943 at beachhead S of Salerno) that rescued the City of Rome from German occupation, and drove the German military out of Italy, which led to the defeat of Germany and the suicidal death of Hitler hiding in a bunker (like Trump did in DC/White House during George Floyd/BLM protests), “was not the patriotic thing to do in your opinion, and had nothing to do with the preservation of freedom and democracies in the US and NATO member countries”. If you could talk to your father/USA immigrant from Commune of San Piero Patti, Messina Province of Sicily, Italy, you could ask him if he was involved with, or observed the killing of any of his native Italian brethren in WW2 who were among the Black Shirt Mussolini followers or in the Italian Fascist military who were the enemies of the USA, NATO, Freedom and worldwide democratic republic nations (that’s small “d”, not Democratic US political party – take a civics and history lesson RAPIDO). Oh, and by the way, did you know that you had a great uncle on your mother’s side from northern Italy (Cismon del Grappa, Province of Vicenza, Italy), brother to your great grandfather, that was murdered by a Black Shirt Mussolini/Fascist supporter because he stated at a local business establishment one night that he was “neutral” on supporting Mussolini and Fascist Party (stabbed and killed on his way home that night).
So besides all of the above, you may wonder if oligarchs/kleptocrats like Putin and his Russian yacht sailing oligarch buddies also exist here in the USA? Yes, of course they do. After seeing Facebook CEO Zuckerberg prance into the White House to have conferences with President Trump when he was in office, is it really too outlandish to say that oligarch Zuckerberg paid the president a visit? And what about other hugely economically powerful individuals located in the USA such as oligarchs Bezos of Amazon, or Musk from Tesla/SpaceX/Neuraling/The Boering Company? The US oligarchs list goes on and on, similar to Russia in many respects, and it includes other BEHEMOTH corporations that affect our daily lives, like Google, and the entertainment/news media corporations that control the airwaves/internet. And of course, included in these mega entertainment/news corporations is FOX News that is in essence a propaganda machine for Trump and the GOP in general. We have anti-trust laws (beginning w/1890 Sherman Anti-Trust Act) that have been in existence well over a century, that, as amended can impose penalties of $100M against corporations and $10M against individuals (both are pocket change to mega corps & billionaire individuals involved), along with up to 10 years in prison, but the US DOJ has mostly taken a “hands off” approach in pursuing Anti-Trust prosecution against corporations and individuals for multiple decades, which is true with a lot of white collar crime in the USA (e.g., such as 30-50,000 Leaky CRIMe plants that pollute our drinking water supply sources in violation of 1980s RCRA laws – see www.YouReapWhatYouSow.org or ask US Secretary Granholm, former MI AG & 2-term MI Gov. who plainly saw Whistleblower disclosure in yr 2000 on such a plant, as stated at time “’LACKS’” adequate environmental safeguards”).
Of course the issue of Leaky CRIMe plants, is a big subject in itself, and even after a ½ century of violating this law on hazardous waste conveyance, storage, treatment of highly toxic cancerous substances in huge mega volumes at these Chemically Real Intensive Manufacturing establishments (many CRIMe’s tied to automotive OEM supply chain), it clearly demonstrates that neither political party (GOP or Dems) put much importance on it, and it always takes the back seat decade after decade to other hot issues (now climate change, COVID pandemic, Russian Ukraine slaughter attack, etc.), and besides, the politicians look at it as a kryptonite issue that if brought up in their campaign, they will lose for sure on business/economic/employment grounds because it forces businesses to clean up their act and abide by the law (is that asking too much?), and not exploit people and the environment for financial gain; plus, these politicians are tied into the LOBBYIST GRAVY TRAIN which they ride on along with various appointed government bureaucrats, external professional consultants/contractors to govt, etc. (people move back and forth between being elected and appointed govt public officials, and from public to private sector and visa versa, and so while riding the train, they keep the lie and cover-up going for their own personal financial benefit and career – e.g., in order to buy a new Grand Holme, who wants to investigate and prosecute a flagrant illegal polluter when you’ll be running for a higher office in several months or a year or two? – Give California credit however, because they have recognized the Leaky CRIMe problem, and they have dealt with it properly because they have much higher regard for public health & safety and the environment than all the other states).
Getting back to the prevalence of oligarchs/kleptocrats’ problem – as mentioned, it not only exists in Russia, it also is prevalent in the USA. It’s a case of market based capitalism in our civilized society in the USA being way out of whack. It relates to general makeup of corporations also, and how they operate predominantly with the mindset of maximizing profits at the detriment to almost everything else if they could get away with it. But of course, that’s not entirely possible, because usually they are obligated to deliver a quality product to the customer on time and, of course, within budget. But how they treat employees, the environment, and the surrounding community is a big variable, that is open to exploitation of all of the latter, unless there are some kind of levers or controls that keep the corps in line, either through government laws/regulations, workers’ unions, etc. As time has gone on in the last half century, many workers unions have disappeared or have been weakened, and almost likewise, there have been fewer new environmental laws and regulations, or there has been back-sliding or weakening of these environmental laws & regulations, and the lack of enforcement thereof. And consequently, because of the latter, the surrounding communities to Leaky CRIMe plants have suffered, because unless people are dropping dead (it takes cancer a long time to rear its ugly head), there is no sampling or testing around the CRIMe plant if the neighborhood is served by centralized public water system; however, it is still important that those CRIMe plants are not leaking because in an insidious, gradual, accumulative manner, all those leaky industrial plants are still discharging pollutants to the soil and groundwater below the plant, which finds its way down gradient polluting surface water in ditches, creeks, streams, rivers, and lakes, or just to a nearby groundwater aquifer, which is then being used by a home owner (domestic well) or by a public waterworks system, which has to deal with all the contaminants that combine together (and continually increasing in concentration) with other contributing CRIMe plant violators/ polluters who are doing the same thing. So the point is, it’s a problem that shouldn’t be ignored for a half century or more (& the next half century), when laws/regulations already exist that should be strictly enforced, and not be allowed to be skirted around by slick/slimy lobbyists/attorneys working for greed (their own & that of their clients) and not the common good of society. The public has to deal with all the after effects of the gross negligence by owners/operators of CRIMe plants and elected/appointed public officials who ignore the problem (worker health/safety big issue also), and the bottom-line corporation practices/mentality to solely satisfy shareholders to maximize dividends/profits by minimizing labor and environmental control costs. And the very BIG corporations also are forever increasing consumer prices, especially if they have very little if any competition. The point being made herein, is that capitalism is out of control in many respects, and as a consequence, there are plenty of oligarchs and monopolies & monopsonies gorging themselves on US and world wealth, while causing the US economy to be out of kilter and off the rails, resulting in ever rising inflation, huge income inequality between the top earners and the rest of society, and making modern day life unaffordable for huge swaths of the population (causing huge increases in the cost of living, and drastically increasing the number of people living at or below the poverty level). While a monopoly involves a company that sells a good or service, a monopsony involves one that buys a good or service (including labor). During the past several years, legislation has been drafted and proposed by various lawmakers from both political parties, but no significant changes in the anti-trust laws have been passed yet. The rest of this article covers the discussion of what could and has been proposed by US legislators to improve anti-trust laws and make them more enforceable.
In February 2021, at a time when US companies had engaged in more than $10 trillion worth of mergers and acquisitions since 2008, Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) announced a bill, as summarized below, aimed at “making sure those deals don’t harm consumers or halt competition.”
It’s not unusual, especially in the tech industry, for big player to acquire a popular peer (e.g., Facebook buying Instagram, Twitter buying Vine, Uber buying Postmates; or in February 2020, a district judge allowed T-Mobile, with a premerger equity valuation of more than $50 billion, to acquire Sprint for $30 billion and gave control of the national wireless market to just three carriers.).
Government shouldn’t only be wary of monopolies, but monopsonies too. Again, while a monopoly involves a company that sells a good or service, a monopsony involves one that buys a good or service (including labor). Both evoke concerns of predatory pricing (too high if there’s only one seller and too low if there’s only one buyer), stagnating wages and high barriers to entry for fledgling companies.
While competition and vertical integration have been a recurring concerns in the ever-consolidating entertainment industry — the most high-profile example in recent memory being AT&T winning a trial after the DOJ challenged its $85 billion purchase of Time.
The bill submitted by Klobuchar amends the Clayton Act to lower the threshold from forbidding mergers that “substantially lessen competition” to those that merely “create an appreciable risk of materially lessening competition.” In some situations — like mergers valued at more than $5 billion or those that would give a company a market share of more than 50 percent — it shifts the burden from the government needing to prove there is risk of harm to the company needing to prove there isn’t any.
It also establishes the Office of the Competition Advocate within the FTC and proposes civil penalties for antitrust violations of up to 15 percent of the company’s U.S. revenue or 30 percent of revenue of those “affected or targeted” by the unlawful conduct.
In order to enforce the changes, the Antitrust Division of the DOJ would receive $484.5 million and the FTC would receive $651 million.
No attempt will be made here to evaluate the merits thereof, but following the Anti-Trust legislative submittal by Senator Amy Klobuchar and the Democratic Party, GOP US Senator Josh Hawley also proposed an Anti-trust bill to the US Senate in April 2021 as given in link below:
“…the Sherman Act was designed to be a comprehensive charter of economic liberty” that aimed to provide “an environment conducive to the preservation of our democratic political and social institutions.”
The history of consolidation in the oil industry is revealing and suggests that an ExxonMobil-Chevron merger is not far-fetc.hed. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the FTC permitted very large oiland gas corporations to merge on the condition that they sold off gas stations, refineries, and other assets to “preserve competition” in markets where they were head-to-head competitors or in a position to exclude rivals.
The tolerance of mergers has spread corporate concentration and its attendant inequality into virtually every corner of the economy: health care, airlines, cable TV, and now the internet, where Amazon, Facebook, and other sprawling new monopolists reign. A small clique of executives and financiers makes key decisions in our economy. Many figures across the political spectrum are now urging a return to the kind of antitrust enforcement that once helped preserve a variety of independent businesses in every community.
Under the legislation we propose, a future merger between Chevron and ExxonMobil would be plainly illegal. Even if they agreed to sell some assets to a third party—as many merging companies do—the two oil titans would not be able to get their transaction past the antitrust authorities. The companies probably would not even contemplate such a combination in the boardroom.
Senator Elizabeth Warren called for tight merger restrictions for companies that have more than $40 billion in annual revenues. In a fall 2019 presidential-candidate debate, she said: “We need to enforce our antitrust laws, break up these giant companies that are dominating Big Tech, Big Pharma, Big Oil; all of them.”
LIST OF JPL/GBF POEMS (actual full poems to follow):
GOP HERD REDUCTION PLAN (By JPL, aka GBF, 10/18/2021); p 01-03
DECEMBER 13 Good Luck(By JPL, aka GBF; 12/13/2021); p 03-04
PLEA TO SAVE DEMOCRACY(By JPL, aka GBF; 12/23/2021); p 04-05
2021-2022 HOLIDAY SEASON (By JPL, aka GBF; 12/25/2021); p 05-06
New Years Eve, Dec 31, 2021 (By JPL, aka GBF; 12/31/2021): p 06-06
New Years Day 2022(By JPL, aka GBF; 01/01/2022); p 06-07
2021-2024 USA Constitution Collapse(By JPL, aka GBF; 12/30/2021); p 07-07
JANUARY 6 DJT COUP ATTEMPT 1-YEAR ANNIVERSARY(By JPL, aka GBF; 01/06/2022); p 07-08
Time Stopped During USA “democracy” Renaissance (By JPL, aka GBF; 01/20/2022); p 08-10
AS WE GET OLDER JUSTICE IS CLEARER(By JPL, aka GBF; 01/20/2022); p 10-10
Looking Way Yonder(By JPL, aka GBF; 01/20/2022); p 11-11
Machiavellian Manchin(By JPL, aka GBF; 01/21/2022) p 11-11
SINema CINEMA(By JPL, aka GBF; 01/21/2022); p 11-11
NINE SHORT MONTHS to Election(By JPL, aka GBF; :02/20/2022); p 11-12
USA Stopped at the Crossroads(By JPL, aka GBF; 01/21/2022); p 12-13
9-Month Count Down democracy Prayer(By JPL, aka GBF; 01/21/2022); p 13-14
WILL RICH BULLY TYPES DWINDLE?(By JPL, aka GBF; 01/27/2022); p 14-15
TIME Ticking, Lives Flicking(By JPL, aka GBF; 01/20/2022); p 15-16
Putin’s Expanding Tangled Web(By JPL, aka GBF; 01/31/2022); p 16-17
Price of Trump & GOP INSURRECTION(By JPL, aka GBF; 01/30/2022); p 17-17
rUSsiA’s DYNAMIC DUO(By JPL, aka GBF; 02/02/2022); p 17-19
Stopping & Cropping Seditious GOP by Blue in 22(By JPL, aka GBF; 02/06/2022); p 19-19
No TIME for CERTAIN or CURTAIN(By JPL, aka GBF; 02/04/2022); p 19-21
THE TWITTER ZONE(By JPL, aka GBF; 02/06/2022); p 21-21
——————————————————————————————
(#1) GOP HERD REDUCTION PLAN (By JPL, aka GBF, 10/18/2021):
To US Government (PLEASE PROTECT & SAVE US from DJT GOP):
Don’t be a DUMB ASS!
Running out of time
Day coming near & FAST!
Running out of time
Don’t want 2nd Civil War!
Running out of time
Don’t want 3rd World War!
Running out of time
PROTECT US
SAVE US
__________________________1/6
TRUMP & Party ILLICIT
Don’t be CHICKEN SHIT
They’re surely CORRUPT
TIME to LOCK THEM UP
Please don’t now FAIL
Duty says they get JAIL
Democracy is at STAKE
Freedom THEY WILL TAKE
And AUTOCRACY & FASCISM
Will be our NEW BAPTISM
If REPUBLIC TO STAY
GOP must CAST AWAY
__________________________2/6
History it does REPEAT
There’s always a MISCREANT
Benito & Adolf both KNEW
POPULOUS they would SCREW
DICTATORS they’re so EVIL
For them only they FULFILL
They ignore COMMON GOOD
Their end comes if we STOOD
Careful not to wait too long
Must now listen to our song
__________________________3/6
Voting Rights they PLUNDER
Lightning it follows THUNDER
Biasing of ELECTORAL VOTERS
Is warning to our SOLDIERS
They’ll follow our POTUS
When they get his NOTICE
Abe & Franklin they did RISE
To clear WARNING in their EYES
SAVE US
PROTECT US
__________________________4/5
It is each day that we PRAY
We ask Dear God DON’T DELAY
Humanity & Planet at STAKE
HARMONY we wish to MAKE
To fulfill human rights & NEEDS
And avoid suffering & MISDEEDS
New generations must survive
For this we must strive
Act now & they’ll be alive
Come year Twenty Ninety-Five
__________________________5/6
Finale:
Aye Yai Yai
Oh my my
Time does fly
We don’t know
Ying Yang Yo
Time runs low
Ain’t no glee
If US not free
Time does flee
Beyond the fray
Clown does play
Time won’t stay
He’s pure insane
The Orangutan
Must stop pain
Not being a fuss
Must Protect US
And now Save US
__________________________6/6 GBF
——————————————————————————————–
(#2) DECEMBER 13 Good Luck
(By JPL, aka GBF; 12/13/2021):
Thirteen does not mean sad
Ain’t No time to be mad
A time to discover
Perhaps a new lover
Or it’s time to reveal
What others do conceal
Much better than a six
That’s related to prix
One & three equals four
Oh & there is much more
Six repeated times 3
Tells US time to flee
1/3
But through it we must stay
Lest the goons turn US gray
Near now is 2 & 2
We are red, white & BLUE
And prefer what is true
They will suppress & purge
Gives commander the urge
To be there to oversee
And avoid their dishonesty
Past guy as House Speaker
Couldn’t get much bleaker
2/3
13 day is our luck
Progressing from the muck
We must avoid lunacy
Brings forth autocracy
If two two they do win
Two three will come too late
They stand at flaming gate
Two four decades do bring
An everlasting sting
Pray Prez & Congress Dems
See basis that oath stems
3/3
——————————————————————————————-
(#3) PLEA TO SAVE DEMOCRACY
(By JPL, aka GBF; 12/23/2021):
Demagogues they always come and go,
But while here death & destruction grow,
Many aspire to their twisted path,
Willingly done to avoid their wrath,
Such sick behavior is glorified,
Feelings absent towards those who’ve died,
1/3
One thinks that history it will teach,
Ignorance and evil past its reach,
Great leader with forces they could end,
With fortitude & courage they send,
Strong desire to uphold foundation,
And keep intact our Constitution,
2/3
To save our precious democracy,
That encourages diversity,
For We the People from sea to sea,
Please avoid autocracy We plea,
Either way death & destruction occurs,
Pray & hope our great Union endures.
3/3
——————————————————————————————
(#4) 2021-2022 HOLIDAY SEASON
(By JPL, aka GBF; 12/25/2021):
It is that time of year for happy cheer,
With our friends & family we embrace,
Together we dine & drink wine & beer,
Sitting together with gifts to unlace,
1/8
What we truly wish for cannot be wrapped,
The world we live in is a complex brew,
High above us human gases are trapped,
With animal markets diseases grew,
2/8
Diverse melting pot becoming so vast,
Yet homogeny forces still object,
Quickly forgetting freedom fights of past,
And instead ignoring after effect,
3/8
So the holidays are not dark or bright,
Nor is the world full of love without hate,
Really hard to say past year was alright,
And not expecting new year to be great,
4/8
Anti vaxxing problem is so vexing,
Plus we had government insurrection,
Trump’s failed coup attempt it was perplexing,
He tried hard to destroy our foundation,
5/8
Democratic republic almost lost,
This was merely first of a practice round,
Must see what enemy within will cost,
Excuses for these actions won’t be found,
6/8
Voting Rights Plunder his party achieves,
Next lining up false slate of electors,
The Constitution our nation believes,
Says time is now to put behind steel doors,
7/8
Rebelling U.S. treasonous traitors,
President forces must administer,
In states violating rights of voters,
Autocratic options are sinister.
8/8
——————————————————————————————
(#5) New Years Eve, Dec 31, 2021
(By JPL, aka GBF; 12/31/2021):
Thirty-one is our luck
Must crawl out from the muck
Must avoid lunacy
Brings forth autocracy
If two-two they do win
Two-three will come too late
They stand at flaming gate
Two-four decades will bring
An everlasting sting
Pray Prez & Congress Dems
See basis that oath stems
——————————————————————————————-
(#6) New Years Day 2022
(By JPL, aka GBF; 01/01/2022):
Two-two now arrived but don’t be blue
GOPer Voting Rights plunder in view
We always have Commander in Chief
And Military to stop our grief
Fake dominoes abroad they defend
Now toppling here we can’t pretend
Republican New Confederate
These state officials are what we fret
——————————————————————————————-
(#7) 2021-2024 USA Constitution Collapse
(By JPL, aka GBF; 12/30/2021):
Twenty-One, -Two, -Three, then comes -Four
Autocratic opening door
First Trump’s attempted Congress coup
Next came Voting Rights wrecking crew
Which gives seditionists House rule
And their state electors will cheat
Bringing democracy’s defeat.
——————————————————————————————–
(#8) JANUARY 6 DJT COUP ATTEMPT ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY
(By JPL, aka GBF; 01/06/2022):
January 6, twenty twenty-one,
Then president Trump still crying he won,
Filling mindless mob with his hate & lies,
Stirring anger seething forth in their eyes,
Trump’s Crony Crooks rouse MAGAs for the hour,
Plan to stop peaceful transfer of power,
1/8
Confederate flags they brought as their spears,
Stabbing police as elector count nears,
It was the Capitol dome they must reach,
Quickly breaking windows completing breach,
Days before Congress reps showed them the way,
To chamber where House action would play,
2/8
Clearing their path through halls they desecrate,
Smearing the walls after they defecate,
With glee Trump watching all this on TV,
Feeling proud for having created this spree,
It was clearly his planned Insurrection,
Coup attempt failing like his election,
3/8
Losing twice to get back into office,
Not following legitimate process,
His party now conjuring other schemes,
Seeking to fulfill autocratic dreams,
Realizing now they’re the minority,
They choose fight now against diversity,
4/8
Many states violating voting rights,
Ignoring Constitution in their fights,
Pretending states not bound to U.S. laws,
Instead use own statutes with many flaws,
Besides voter purging and suppression,
Now Electors biased for election,
5/8
They have path now for election midterms,
Bringing new Speaker when Congress adjourns,
By twenty-four they will have all branches,
And gone will be democracy’s chances,
In eight years Trump will get autocracy,
Odds rising for this world emergency,
6/8
Soon will be up to executive branch,
We hope and pray he will take a strong stance,
If fed voting rights fails in the Senate.
It will destroy nation’s founding tenet,
We don’t want repeat civil or world war,
Because with it comes misery and gore,
7/8
Fed elections in violating states,
Are what executive order abates.
Now reaching the point that options are few,
Something to ponder while in the pew,
Our great hope now is in our President,
And Armed Forces during this embroilment.
8/8
——————————————————————————————–
(#9) Time Stopped Again During USA “democracy” Renaissance (By JPL, aka GBF; 01/20/2022):
Our country is now at critical stage,
Importance now is manner we engage,
Politeness not a high priority,
When red party stripping equality,
1/10
Our founders created detailed premise,
Checks and balances to ward off menace,
It is now time to employ those safeguards,
Or saving republic not in the cards
2/10
We must protect our justice & freedom,
To avoid reverting to a kingdom,
Unequal now is gerrymandering,
Senate filibuster blocks law making.
3/10
Red party cares not about common good,
Corporations now have personhood,
No limits now on business donations,
Elections based on financed promotions.
4/10
Chorus:
The Republican New Confederates,
Ignoring our Constitution tenets,
Using Voters’ purging & suppression,
And Electoral College subversion.
5/10
We’re now at point for autocratic rule,
What is to stop that which will be cruel,
This situation has happened before,
It took drastic steps and began a war,
6/10
To an oath all public officials swear,
Constitution & Union they must care,
This applies to federal, local & state,
To do otherwise, chaos they create,
7/10
To reverse suffrage for progress achieved,
Backward thinking shouldn’t have been conceived,
Abe acted to save our democracy,
The Union won and ended slavery.
8/10
So now as mega entertainment corps,
Brings US so called news that warps,
We must just pray & hope our President,
Remembers the Abe Lincoln precedent.
9/10
Chorus:
The Republican New Confederates,
Ignoring our Constitution tenets,
Using Voters’ purging & suppression,
And Electoral College subversion.
10/10
——————————————————————————————-
(#10) AS WE GET OLDER JUSTICE IS CLEARER
(By JPL, aka GBF; 01/20/2022):
As we get older justice is clear For rich not poor it’s always near We keep wishing things will be equal Just fairytale and so magical To report CRIMe plants to state AG Who had delegated authority And Constitution obligation First priority was re-election
https://YouReapWhatYouSow.org
———————————————————————————————-
(#11) Looking Way Yonder
(By JPL, aka GBF; 01/20/2022):
Most of US tend to look way YONDER
For those things we hope may be FONDER
Often times much better to LOOK NEAR
To those we should realize are MOST DEAR
So important now more THAN EVER
Powerful people NOT SO CLEVER
Too bad for US they HOLD the LEVER
Which could END things FOREVER
——————————————————————————————
(#12) Machiavellian Manchin
(By JPL, aka GBF; 01/21/2022):
Machiavellian Joe Manchin
Sitting on his yacht with big fat grin
Tells US no worries on voting rights
Was so full of filibuster frights
Says with government, voting just fine
Just ask coal baron friends sipping wine
Or his daughter rich on EpiPens
Now celebrate with GOP friends
——————————————————————————————–
(#13) SINema CINEMA:
(By JPL, aka GBF; 01/21/2022):
SINema CINEMA where art thou?
Those Dem votes at polls forgotten now?
Your acts against People as traitor
Will work against you in disfavor
You now belong to UglyGOP (.com)
A deep dark red stain you cannot flee
Along with greed that envelops you
Forever more you’ve lost true blue
——————————————————————————————
(#14) NINE SHORT MONTHS to Election
(By JPL, aka GBF; :02/20/2022):
What happens between now and election?
And what are chances of intervention?
Will GOPer (goaper) confederate states prevail?
Won’t that cause our democracy to fail?
1/5
Seems Constitution no longer applies?
In Trumps’ and Republican Party’s eyes?
Unlawful odds stacked against Dems now great,
GOPer state officials dooming our fate,
2/5
Twenty-two win will strengthen their deceit,
And lead to twenty-four big Dem defeat,
This won’t be solved now in congress or courts,
And will be different than days of forts,
3/5
So what lies ahead for US we ask?
It is certain to be humongous task
State laws for our federal election
Must all adhere to the Constitution
4/5
To purge & suppress votes is illegal
Contrary to being fair & equal,
Must prevent Electoral subversion
So there is no autocratic conversion
5/5
————————————————————————————————————
(#15) USA Stopped at the Crossroads
(By JPL, aka GBF; 01/21/2022):
Because of covid, we’re doing way too much thinking,
And mostly whining, and perhaps not enough drinking,
Just thinking this is all just going to work out fine,
Maybe you should just stop drinking all that beer & wine,
1/8
And just when we decided we better imbibe much less,
We find out that our votes the GOPers plan to suppress,
So now we are on course for autocratic type rule,
Being led by big corps, super rich, & the cruel,
2/8
Democracy and freedom will be gone for long time,
And anyone who objects will be accused of a crime,
So lesson to be learned is not to vote for a clown,
And if you do, the next thing he will want is a crown,
3/8
Because of this, many dying as we show a frown,
Must recognize that racist male WASPs bringing US down,
Basic problem is disregarding the common good,
If only big corps and ultra rich knew where we stood,
4/8
For democratic government, people meant to rule,
With decisions and leaders chosen by majority pool,
And electors for states should represent people’s choice,
Rather than forced to vote for the state’s biased voice,
5/8
Corporate personhood is total nonsensical,
It was horrible decision by our judicial,
It skews the elections in favor of corps and rich,
And throws US and We the People in a deep ditch,
6/8
All in our diverse makeup should be equally counted,
It is unlawful to segregate groups so votes discounted,
All citizens count equally as one qualified vote,
Depriving this basic right creates a kingdom’s mote,
7/8
Which for gains made in our history, turns back the clock,
And creates tremendous unease and strife in the flock,
So now USA at crossroads has suddenly stopped,
We now seek Prez emergency EO to be propped.
8/8
——————————————————————————————-
(#16) 9-Month Count Down democracy Prayer
(By JPL, aka GBF; 01/21/2022):
GOP Confederates they have employed,
Their sure Hook or By Crook election ploy,
Which certainly has gotten the Dems annoyed,
And has brought super wealthy tremendous joy,
1/7
Constitution demands equal protection,
Which includes equal voting rights for the public,
And states suppressing votes is violation,
Which is sedition act against republic,
2/7
So Congress new fed voting rights law has failed,
No vote against state insurrectionists yet,
High level Insurrectionists not yet jailed,
As days nearing fall election we all fret,
3/7
With advent of autocracy coming near,
The options to prevent it now are so few,
Autocratic rule in twenty-four we fear,
It is now up to President and his crew,
4/7
Must plan to admin fed elections this fall,
An act needed for voting rights to restore,
To organize this undertaking must not stall,
Please do this to save our nation we implore,
5/7
Putin’s Ukraine actions with GOP friend,
Also ploy to distract from internal need,
Autocrat-Dictator Club, let’s not pretend,
Put saving democracy here first, we plead,
6/7
As we look back to hard choices Abe had made,
We pray daily that God will guide our POTUS,
His strength and fortitude both fulfill his grade,
And will save and strengthen the freedom for US.
7/7
——————————————————————————————-
(#17) WILL RICH BULLY TYPES DWINDLE?
(By JPL, aka GBF; 01/27/2022)
Republicans good at throwing the dice,
In combination with not playing nice,
Dems however try to accommodate,
Which typically short changes our fate,
1/2
Bullies often dominate for quite long,
But hopefully in end, they end up gone,
That might just simply be wishful thinking,
Especially now when land is shrinking.
2/2
——————————————————————————————
(#18) TIME Ticking, Lives Flicking
(By JPL, aka GBF; 01/20/2022):
CHORUS:
TIME coming near
Most of US fear
TIME it has stopped
Worst must be cropped
TIME running out
Who has the clout
TIME to restore
Don’t close the door
TIME then to heal
We must congeal
TIME soon for calm
Soothing oil balm
Verse 1/6:
GOPers plunder our voting right
We hope POTUS will take on fight
Constitution they violate
GOP so full of hate
Verse 2/6:
Must not impede Majority
We want to be equal & free
Male WASPs desperate as tide turned
These racists now feel they are spurned
Verse 3/6:
Democracy works against them
From this autocracy will stem
By Hook or Crook tactics they launch
To oppose this, Dems will be staunch
CHORUS (Time, Time, Time…)
Verse 4/6:
So now we sit in awe and wonder
What will it take to stop plunder
To avoid sounds of manmade thunder
This big storm cause to crawl under
Verse 5/6:
Abe knew how Civil War began,
The cause was slavery back then
After war, Ku Klux Klan emerged
And Jim Crow to allow rights purged
Verse 6/6:
GOPer states now reverse suffrage
Suppress votes that FOX encourage
Our hope now is POTUS Order
To avoid massive disorder
CHORUS (Time, Time, Time…)
————————————————————————————-
(#19) Putin’s Expanding Tangled Web
(By JPL, aka GBF; 01/31/2022):
Don’t think Putin & Trump aren’t still cajoling & talking,
And maybe Russian troops on Ukraine border is balking,
It’s as though former Soviet Union is now stalking,
Back in Moscow at Kremlin, Putin & Sergey chalking,
1/3
They have future visions of creeping Russian tentacles,
That kleptocratic oligarchs foresee as pentacles,
Small GNP and disgruntled masses are spectacle,
Because of their large nuclear military, we’re skeptical,
2/3
Most autocrats often align with others of their ilk,
Putin was nurturing ugly Trump party with his milk,
This is menacing potential partnership that will bilk,
World must be cautious of these spiders, and their web of silk.
3/3
—————————————————————————————–
(#20) Price of Trump & GOP INSURRECTION
(By JPL, aka GBF; 01/30/2022):
So now it is becoming clear on how it all began,
On Trumps’ & his GOP crony crooks’ coup attempt plan,
Recruit fraudulent GOP electors from the states,
And get VP Pence at Capitol to mimic Trump’s traits,
1/3
Vice President Pence then wisely chose to not accept the lie,
As MAGA rioters chant “hang Mike Pence” in halls nearby,
Trump’s coup attempt was precisely planned seditious event
Now soon comes Insurrectionists’ criminal indictment,
2/3
Those indicted must be expelled and denied public office,
POTUS should get military ready to be cautious,
Need Emergency EO to admin fed elections in states,
Because these GOPers the Constitution they violate.
3/3
——————————————————————————————-
(#22) rUSsiA’s DYNAMIC DUO
(By JPL, aka GBF; 02/02/2022):
Hickory Dickory & dock,
So damn quickly does moves the clock,
While Trump preparing his flock,
Without EO will be a crock,
1/9
GOPers are tightening the vice,
We all know they aren’t very nice,
And they’re good at being precise,
They prey and do it for Dear Christ,
2/9
Putin serves as Trump’s true partner
Forces staged on Ukraine’s border,
Will bring chaos and disorder,
Hoping the pawns will just scatter,
3/9
Dems trying to be so civil,
Tough to do against the evil,
Dealing with snakes and the weasel,
Don’t pretend they won’t be lethal,
4/9
Both of them have zero scruples,
Are devout Trumpism pupils,
Always seek Him for approvals,
Working as His true disciples,
5/9
Plan is new Soviet Union,
Two guys in sacred communion,
For greed and power, not human,
Exploit earth is their conclusion,
6/9
Two plan to work in unison,
Target those near revolution,
The resources is their solution,
No regard for the pollution,
7/9
Trump said Venezuela was ripe,
And in US backyard to swipe,
So for future this pair will snipe,
And next will be with all their might,
8/9
There is an umbilical cord,
Found in new East Euro accord,
Germans ponder, can they afford,
Must not forget Ukraine’s seaboard.
9/9
——————————————————————————————-
(#22) Stopping & Cropping Seditious GOP by Blue in Twenty-Two
(By JPL, aka GBF; 02/06/2022):
If Congress Democratic CaucUS & POTUS don’t come THROUGH,
Our US democratic republic will quickly unglue.
It’s the US Constitution that holds US TOGETHER,
And there’s no denying the fact that it’s a FRAGILE TETHER.
https://t.co/mRGmKbveDZ
——————————————————————————————–
(#23) No TIME for CERTAIN or CURTAIN
(By JPL, aka GBF; 02/04/2022):
We have little choice but to accept this our present time,
In years past there has always been prevalence of much crime,
USA mostly thought of nation of law & order,
Now greedy & powerful claim they’re protecting border,
1/9
Assault artillery gives much power to lower tier,
So now sinister wealthy do partner with them for fear,
Using that as they push people’s emotional buttons,
Expanding their wealth & estate is goal of these gluttons,
2/9
The wealthy male WASPs are leading insurrection & coup,
Along with Christian zealots, are racists making up crew,
Their hate runs deep, are misogynists & xenophobes too,
While violating laws, it is evil they pursue,
3/9
ChorUS: (As immigrants of past, …)
We are in a day when evil has a facade of good,
They’re all bunch of gas lighters claiming they’re misunderstood,
They have FOX and other propagandists telling their lies,
All this happening, as autocratic rule on the rise,
4/9
The Trump and GOPer’s ways are not anything Christ would condone,
And we are not a Christian republic and there’s no thrown,
We are immigrant diverse nation & are all equal,
We must prevent going backwards to civil war sequel,
5/9
We plead now for Congress & President to act fast,
For what GOPers are doing to US, we are aghast,
GOP state officials passed anti-voting rights laws,
Violating US Constitution oath, which was last straw,
6/9
ChorUS: (As immigrants if past, …)
Congress vote pass, or not, on state GOPer seditious acts,
And then time for POTUS & Military to tact,
What is needed is Emergency EO to react,
In response to clear & present democracy attack,
7/9
We do think POTUS admin of fed elections we need,
At least in GOPer Constitution breaking states, we plead,
Do this until our election voting rights are restored,
For common good of humanity & Earth we implore,
8/9
ChorUS: (As immigrants if past, …)
ChorUS:
As immigrants of past we sailed to this our great land,
Through the ages, we came to understand where we stand,
We strive now for justice and equality for all,
Learning from our wrongs & rights of past, and we stand tall,
“A” Verse
We know we’re an experiment and don’t want to fail,
This will not occur if our justice system prevails,
Through this all the guilty high & low must go to jail,
In accordance with French gift, Madam Liberty scale,
“B” Verse
We now prepare the sails and cargo for next voyage,
Where it brings US forth as written here in this passage,
Will never be something that is completely certain,
But make it through now, there will be delay in curtain.
CommonGoodUnited’s PRINCIPLES are simple but often ignored by selfish politicians:
“Orchestrate with Allies from near & afar to better Common Good of Humanity & Planet by Protecting Environment, Wellbeing & Health/Safety of Public, by Government of, by & for PEOPLE (NOT Corps/Ultra-Wealthy).”
ATTENTION Michigan EGLE (Environment, Great Lakes and Energy) Lansing Headquarters and Grand Rapids District Office: Materials Management Division (Waste Compliance Enforcement Section), Environmental Investigation Section, Remediation & Redevelopment Division and Water Resources Division,
Re:Commencement ofLeaky CRIMe Plant Citizens’ Sample & Test Program (CSTP)
ANNOUNCEMENT: After over 20 years of State of Michigan ignoring the leaky CRIMe plant problem (Chemically Real Intensive Manufacturing establishments), we are now going to initiate the “Citizen Sample & Test Program (CSTP)”. And we are not asking local and state public officials (elected & appointed) for your permission, we are simply telling you we are proceeding and doing what you all should have been doing for the last half century since RCRA & HSWA passed in 1976 & 1984 respectively. The former Michigan DEQ, never hesitated to clamp down harshly on Ma & Pa gas stations and dry cleaners under the 1988 UST program (Underground Storage Tanks), forcing many of these small businesses with noncompliant USTs into bankruptcies. While at the same time, when it came to larger “lobbyist protected” OEM supply chain leaky CRIMe plants (e.g., electroplating plants, leather tanneries etc ), they were all given a FREE PASS by MDEQ falsely based on some cockamamie attorney interpreted concocted inapplicable RCRA hazardous waste exemption/exclusion [40 CFR Section 261.4(a)(1)] intended for POTWs (and not CRIMe plants), that MDEQ naively were led to believe gave these plants with leaky underground pipes and tanks carrying hazardous wastewater full rights to freely pollute the land and water with no subsequent investigations and consequences.
We will start this Citizen Sample & Test Program (CSTP) with Leaky CRIMe plant in vicinity of 1648 Monroe Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI, 700’ east of Grand River, that the MI AG (Granholm) was first made aware of in March 2000 (and State notified repeatedly thereafter). Next to be sampled/tested will be the Leaky CRIMe plant in vicinity of 4260 Airlane Dr SE, Kentwood MI, on Plaster Creek at a site which once was a “greenfield space” which has since turned “brown”. What will be obvious from test results from samples collected down gradient of either of these two sites, will be the presence of toxic chemicals that make up the “chemical fingerprint” (which ain’t rocket science) of the CRIMe manufacturing processes conducted at these two facilities. Keep in mind, that there are hundreds (and perhaps thousands) of highly suspected leaky CRIMe plants like these scattered throughout Michigan yet to be sampled/tested, and across the US there are upwards of ten thousand or more of these highly suspected leaky CRIMe plants that have been ignored by regulators for the mere reason that the area where they are located is publicly served by central water. The latter should not be adequate reason to let these CRIMe plants continually and freely pollute the surrounding land and water. Now getting back to the Monroe plant, don’t be fooled by the nice fancy painted metal facade on this plant – this is a very old plant with antiquated below-grade old pipes, sumps and tanks used to convey, store and treat hazardous process wastewater. Prior to 2000, leakage from this plant (hexavalent chromium etc.) was evident in a well located on the west side of plant, coincidentally installed while a UST (gas) was being removed off the property. Underground highly contaminated aquifer flow from this location flows directly to the Grand River just 700 feet to the west through a highly porous granular geologic formation (virtually acting much like an open conduit), which happens to be the upper reach of the planned and imminent Grand River commercial/recreational Restoration Project that is being touted as a “full-body contact” recreational surface water linear park for wading, swimming, kayaking, etc. Those downstream from this project, including the public at large, and the three public waterworks (Grand Haven, Grand Rapids & Wyoming) with several drinking water intake structures near the mouth of the river out in Lake Michigan, better take heed to the pile of toxic chemicals coming their way when all the dams are removed in the Grand River Restoration Project, which will certainly be releasing many tons of toxic industrial chemicals that have accumulated for over a century on the river bottom behind these several dams. Michigan has never given the Leaky CRIMe plant much attention, because centralized public water is available, and detrimental effects of cancer caused by the toxic leakage (e.g., leakage into areas where children play, like basements, ditches, streams, contaminated ponds & in groundwater sprinkler irrigation systems) takes decades to occur and you all know full well it is difficult to impossible to legally to trace this dreaded disease back to the exact source.
So in the near future, when the groundwater test results are available from the CSTP, we will first share those results “live” at a regularly scheduled County and City Commissioners’ meetings so they can be heard out loud by concerned citizens and be part of the record, with the purpose of making it less likely that a public official sworn to protect the public’s wellbeing and health & safety will be able to put this information in the “circular file” or “recycle bin” or bury it deep in the government archives. It is often said, “If you want to get something done, sometimes it’s best to take matters into your own hands” rather than relying on those who are elected or appointed and sworn to perform those functions.
For anyone, anything and anytime, there are always consequences for your actions and inactions. An example of the latter would be someone (infant, toddler or adult) dying from cancer caused by Leaky CRIMe plant pollution. The latter is, and was, well known, and could have, and should have, been prevented if lobbyists, consultants, attorneys, public officials (latter and big corps are all on big conveyor belt where they continually swap jobs) and regulators didn’t let and enable CRIMe plants to arbitrarily contort exemptions/exclusions to falsely allow them to freely pollute our environment. For all of the aforementioned Leaky CRIMe plant enablers, think of all your actions/inactions as analogous to the recent high rise building collapse in FL: On any given night when you go to sleep after local and state public officials have repeatedly failed to enact and/or enforce building structural safety regulations (and condo assn boards fail to act on bldg repair recommendations), you reach over for your “very old To Do List of the morally and ethically right things you should be doing” and in the process you knock over your glass of water that shatters as it hits the tile floor, after which the whole building suddenly collapses from under you. Because of your procrastination, deliberate or otherwise, the list never got done.
People have been bamboozled into thinking that the hazardous waste (HW) pollution problem in the US has been solved in the distant past by the laws previously mentioned, which resulted in the creation of 4000 EPA licensed HW TSDFs (Treatment, Storage & Disposal Facilities) that now properly receive, store, treat (and recycle) and dispose of all the HW generated at some forty to fifty thousand CRIMe plants operated throughout the US. The latter includes about 20,000 metal finishing/electroplating plants in the US. The off-site TSDFs that manufacturers ship their HW to (in solid and liquid form) must meet strict requirements on conveyance, storage and treatment of the HWW (hazardous wastewater) they receive from the CRIMe plants, yet the CRIMe plants themselves do not meet these strict requirements for the high volume of hazardous process wastewater they treat at their industrial sites. The EPA permitted and enforced requirements that the licensed TSDFs must meet for HWW received, include: (a) all conveyance and storage systems must have secondary containment with a leak detection system between the primary and secondary containment (i.e., must have a “tank in a tank”, and a “pipe in a pipe”); (b) the latter systems must have continuous automatic monitoring for tank/pipe liquid level or pressure with an automatic alarm and shutdown system to prevent primary or secondary containment overflow or spillage/leakage; (c) surface water and groundwater must be routinely sample and tested around the site and at the property line for purpose of contamination detection and early notification on whether any groundwater contamination has occurred so corrective action can be taken immediately, and adjoining property owners can be notified of the problem; and (d) must perform extensive facilities and site inspections and monitoring reports, subject to EPA regulatory review.
THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE TOTAL OF ALL THESE CRIMe PLANTS IN THE USA TREAT A LOT MORE HAZARDOUS WASTE (in gallons or tons) COLLECTIVELY THAN ALL THE EPA LICENSED TSDFs, YET THE CRIMe PLANTS ARE NOT MEETING ANY OF THE ABOVE REQUIREMENTS. How much more? We don’t know, but it could be a hundred thousand times more or greater. Additionally, the design and construction of the TSDF (performed and overseen by professional engineer), and the preparation of an operational plan thereof, is strictly reviewed for compliance to all the applicable EPA regulations. Whereas, in most cases across the US, there is no government entity that does the same for CRIMe plants when they are first constructed or modified/expanded (i.e., no regulatory review or requirements by the local, state or federal government relative to compliance with applicable hazardous waste RCRA or HSWA regulations). Some will say that the CRIMe plant must meet the CWA (Clean Water Act) requirements through the local POTW through their sewer CWA NPDES discharge permit for their discharge to the municipal sewer after first treating the HWW. But the problem with that, is that a Leaky CRIMe plant (say 10 to 15% leakage), more often than not, is not getting all the HWW generated from the manufacturing production process to the sewer because 10% or more of this process HWW is leaking to the soils and groundwater below the plant from these leaky buried tanks and pipes. Others will say that the CRIMe plant has to get a building permit from the local building inspector. But the problem with that is that the City building inspector only cares about how many parking spaces do you have, have you met handicap requirements and minimum requirements for fire safety, electrical and HVAC requirements, etc. So as you can see, this is a major loophole, and please don’t think that all these CRIMe plants are going good at self-regulating and they have just been getting better and better and more compliant over the years even though there is less and less CRIMe plant regulatory enforcement and inspections, because in fact, a lot of them do plant construction/modifications without using a licensed professional engineer, and instead use in-house engineers, who aren’t college educated in engineering, and only got the title of company engineer because they got promoted to that position after being a plating technician, electrician or a plumber. On the point of underground leakage (also overflow spillage) from CRIMe plants, the quantities of HWW leaked to the environment in total over the years can be very substantial. For example, if a moderate size plater produces 100,000 gallons per day (gpd) of HWW from its manufacturing process (which would not be unusual), and has even 5 % leakage, that’s 5,000 gpd of HWW being released to the soils and groundwater. Annually with 330 production days, that amounts to 1.65 million gallons per year. Let’s say that half the CRIMe plants in the US that aren’t compliant (due to lack of state & federal regulatory enforcement) with the RCRA/HSWA hazardous waste laws have a similar amount of HWW leakage to the environment. First of all, realize that these CRIMe plants and their attorneys claim, through a warped interpretation of the regulations, that they are exempt from hazardous waste RCRA/HSWA laws because of an exemption/exclusion in the law for domestic sewage, which was intended for POTWs only (and not CRIMe plant HW generators) so municipal wastewater plants could accept sewer discharges from these hazardous waste generating CRIMe plants after they have treated HWW on-site. Again, if half the CRIMe plants in the US are leaking a similar amount of HWW to the environment as given in the prior example of a moderate plater, that would amount to annual leakage of HWW to the environment of 33 billion gallons (1.65 million gal X 20,000 CRIMe plants). Keep in mind that this is for toxic chemicals (hexavalent chromium, PFAS/PFOS, etc.) that have health concentration standards that are in the parts per billion or parts per trillion range (i.e., just trace amounts can cause cancer, especially to most vulnerable population, such as pregnant women, unborn, infants and toddlers).
So, in summary, I have no doubt that there is a steady faucet flowing from leakage from CRIMe plants that has been occurring unnoticed for half century, and is insidiously and accumulatively polluting our land and water resources, including the degradation of our drinking water supply sources, such as in the Great Lakes Region. This is a BIG HUGE PROBLEM that has knowingly (by perpetrators, and local, state and federal governments) been going on for over a half century and is negligently being ignored. The reason this problem I have described is not being detected, is because these CRIMe plants are located in areas served by centralized public drinking water systems and nobody is sampling and testing the groundwater around these plants for contaminants emanating from the CRIMe plant because nobody is drinking that contaminated groundwater directly and NOBODY IS DROPPING DEAD (the health effects of carcinogens often takes decades to appear in the human body). Realize that the hydrological system is all interconnected, so all the polluted groundwater from the tens of thousands of leaky CRIMe plants is now (or soon will be) collectively flowing together through all the aquifers, ditches, creeks, streams and rivers, and is insidiously accumulating in the lakes or aquifers we use for our public drinking water resources. You may ask: who would ever pay for the sampling and testing around a CRIMe plant? Certainly, the CRIMe plant won’t, and likely the local or state government won’t because they don’t want to upset local or state employment or the economy, and the politicians who represent these jurisdictions don’t want to get involved because they know for the same reasons stated, it would hurt their reelection potential. And the other thing that keeps local, state and federal public elected officials from supporting a sample and test program for these suspected leaky CRIMe plants, is that don’t want to upset the automotive OEM “just in time” supply chain from parts suppliers. Additionally, the property owners around the leaky CRIMe plant are hesitant to sample and test because they don’t want their property values to go down. So who does that leave to support and help finance the CRIMe plant sample and test program? The only possibility is the chance that philanthropists and the general public (small donations) will (and have) contribute to a nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion, management, administration, financing and implementing of such a program based on a priority system starting with those CRIMe plants that are suspected the most of having antiquated and poorly designed, constructed and maintained HWW conveyance, storage and treatment systems. In other words, if a CRIMe plant LACKS adequate environmental safeguards, leakage and pollution to the environment is occurring and those plants should be targeted in the Leaky CRIMe Plant Sample & Test Program.
If Michigan and other states cared enough about the public’s wellbeing and health & safety, they could end the Leaky CRIMe plant problem if they took action similar to state of California. After repeatedly noticing that the worse kind of HW violations in their state (Class I violations) were almost always associated with below-grade pipes and tanks carrying hazardous wastewater (HWW), CA decided to outlaw the existence of buried pipes and tanks for conveying, storing and treating HWW. It’s the obvious answer and the RIGHT ANSWER for ending Leaky CRIMe plants, and should be mandated in all the states. CA defines HW Class I violations as acts that are done Willfully, Intentionally, Knowingly and Negligently, and are often associated with CRIMe plants that are Chronic and Recalcitrant Violators and the violations they are committing represent a Significant Threat to human health or safety or environment due to volume of waste, toxicity of waste, and proximity of at risk population (e.g., pregnant women, infants, toddlers). And Class I violations enables the violator to benefit from noncompliance economically by either reducing costs or competitive advantage. So Michigan how do you get out of this Leaky CRIMe plant predicament? You adopt a program like they have in CA by: (a) first make it mandatory that these CRIMe plants not be allowed to operate unless all pipes and tanks carrying HWW are clearly above grade (not buried or below the plant floor or ground anywhere on site) with secondary containment and are readily visible for inspection at anytime, including mandatory hourly inspection reports be kept and available, and any evidence of leakage of pipes or tanks or overflowing/spillage from tanks must be reported immediately when observed; (b) in lieu of latter hourly inspections, CRIMe plant may install automated continuous monitoring devices with automated alarm and shutoff systems that activate shutoff when there is detection of possible or pending (high liquid levels in tanks, low pressure levels in pipes) leakage or tank overflow/spillage; (c) there be leak detection systems for pipes and tanks with secondary containment, such as a “tank in a tank” and a “pipe in a pipe”, so it is clearly evident when the primary pipe or tank has failed as is leaking; and (d) CRIMe plants have environmental monitoring systems surrounding the plants within their property lines, including for surface water as applicable (stormwater ponds, etc.) and most definitely, for groundwater, including groundwater monitoring wells, so early detection and notification of contamination of surface/ground water will be known, so public may be immediately advised that chemical contamination is migrating and needs to be stopped and contained.
ANNOUNCEMENT: After over 20 years of State of Michigan ignoring the leaky CRIMe plant problem (Chemically Real Intensive Manufacturing establishments), we are now going to initiate the “Citizen Sample & Test Program (CSTP)”. And we are not asking local and state public officials (elected & appointed) for your permission, we are simply telling you we are proceeding and doing what you all should have been doing for the last half century since RCRA & HSWA passed in 1976 & 1984 respectively. The former Michigan DEQ, never hesitated to clamp down harshly on Ma & Pa gas stations and dry cleaners under the 1988 UST program (Underground Storage Tanks), forcing many of these small businesses with noncompliant USTs into bankruptcies. While at the same time, when it came to larger “lobbyist protected” OEM supply chain leaky CRIMe plants (e.g., electroplating plants, leather tanneries etc ), they were all given a FREE PASS by MDEQ falsely based on some cockamamie attorney interpreted concocted inapplicable RCRA hazardous waste exemption/exclusion [40 CFR Section 261.4(a)(1)] intended for POTWs (and not CRIMe plants), that MDEQ naively were led to believe gave these plants with leaky underground pipes and tanks carrying hazardous wastewater full rights to freely pollute the land and water with no subsequent investigations and consequences.
We will start this Citizen Sample & Test Program (CSTP) with Leaky CRIMe plant in vicinity of 1648 Monroe Ave NW, Grand Rapids, MI, 700’ east of Grand River, that the MI AG (Granholm) was first made aware of in March 2000 (and State notified repeatedly thereafter). Next to be sampled/tested will be the Leaky CRIMe plant in vicinity of 4260 Airlane Dr SE, Kentwood MI, on Plaster Creek at a site which once was a “greenfield space” which has since turned “brown”. What will be obvious from test results from samples collected down gradient of either of these two sites, will be the presence of toxic chemicals that make up the “chemical fingerprint” (which ain’t rocket science) of the CRIMe manufacturing processes conducted at these two facilities. Keep in mind, that there are hundreds (and perhaps thousands) of highly suspected leaky CRIMe plants like these scattered throughout Michigan yet to be sampled/tested, and across the US there are upwards of ten thousand or more of these highly suspected leaky CRIMe plants that have been ignored by regulators for the mere reason that the area where they are located is publicly served by central water. The latter should not be adequate reason to let these CRIMe plants continually and freely pollute the surrounding land and water. Now getting back to the Monroe plant, don’t be fooled by the nice fancy painted metal facade on this plant – this is a very old plant with antiquated below-grade old pipes, sumps and tanks used to convey, store and treat hazardous process wastewater. Prior to 2000, leakage from this plant (hexavalent chromium etc.) was evident in a well located on the west side of plant, coincidentally installed while a UST (gas) was being removed off the property. Underground highly contaminated aquifer flow from this location flows directly to the Grand River just 700 feet to the west through a highly porous granular geologic formation (virtually acting much like an open conduit), which happens to be the upper reach of the planned and imminent Grand River commercial/recreational Restoration Project that is being touted as a “full-body contact” recreational surface water linear park for wading, swimming, kayaking, etc. Those downstream from this project, including the public at large, and the three public waterworks (Grand Haven, Grand Rapids & Wyoming) with several drinking water intake structures near the mouth of the river out in Lake Michigan, better take heed to the pile of toxic chemicals coming their way when all the dams are removed in the Grand River Restoration Project, which will certainly be releasing many tons of toxic industrial chemicals that have accumulated for over a century on the river bottom behind these several dams. Michigan has never given the Leaky CRIMe plant much attention, because centralized public water is available, and detrimental effects of cancer caused by the toxic leakage (e.g., leakage into areas where children play, like basements, ditches, streams, contaminated ponds & in groundwater sprinkler irrigation systems) takes decades to occur and you all know full well it is difficult to impossible to legally trace this dreaded disease back to the exact source.
So in the near future, when the groundwater test results are available from the CSTP, we will first share those results “live” at a regularly scheduled County and City Commissioners’ meetings so they can be heard out loud by concerned citizens and be part of the record, with the purpose of making it less likely that a public official sworn to protect the public’s wellbeing and health & safety will be able to put this information in the “circular file” or “recycle bin” or bury it deep in the government archives. It is often said, “If you want to get something done, sometimes it’s best to take matters into your own hands” rather than relying on those who are elected or appointed and sworn to perform those functions.
For anyone, anything and anytime, there are always consequences for your actions and inactions. An example of the latter would be someone (infant, toddler or adult) dying from cancer caused by Leaky CRIMe plant pollution. The latter is, and was, well known, and could have, and should have, been prevented if lobbyists, consultants, attorneys, public officials (latter and big corps are all on big conveyor belt where they continually swap jobs) and regulators didn’t let and enable CRIMe plants to arbitrarily contort exemptions/exclusions to falsely allow them to freely pollute our environment. For all of the aforementioned Leaky CRIMe plant enablers, think of all your actions/inactions as analogous to the recent high rise building collapse in FL: On any given night when you go to sleep after local and state public officials have repeatedly failed to enact and/or enforce building structural safety regulations (and condo assn boards fail to act on bldg repair recommendations), you reach over for your “very old To Do List of the morally and ethically right things you should be doing” and in the process you knock over your glass of water that shatters as it hits the tile floor, after which the whole building suddenly collapses from under you. Because of your procrastination, deliberate or otherwise, the list never got done.
People have been bamboozled into thinking that the hazardous waste (HW) pollution problem in the US has been solved in the distant past by the laws previously mentioned, which resulted in the creation of 4000 EPA licensed HW TSDFs (Treatment, Storage & Disposal Facilities) that now properly receive, store, treat (and recycle) and dispose of all the HW generated at some forty to fifty thousand CRIMe plants operated throughout the US. The latter includes about 20,000 metal finishing/electroplating plants in the US. The off-site TSDFs that manufacturers ship their HW to (in solid and liquid form) must meet strict requirements on conveyance, storage and treatment of the HWW (hazardous wastewater) they receive from the CRIMe plants, yet the CRIMe plants themselves do not meet these strict requirements for the high volume of hazardous process wastewater they treat at their industrial sites. The EPA permitted and enforced requirements that the licensed TSDFs must meet for HWW received, include: (a) all conveyance and storage systems must have secondary containment with a leak detection system between the primary and secondary containment (i.e., must have a “tank in a tank”, and a “pipe in a pipe”); (b) the latter systems must have continuous automatic monitoring for tank/pipe liquid level or pressure with an automatic alarm and shutdown system to prevent primary or secondary containment overflow or spillage/leakage; (c) surface water and groundwater must be routinely sample and tested around the site and at the property line for purpose of contamination detection and early notification on whether any groundwater contamination has occurred so corrective action can be taken immediately, and adjoining property owners can be notified of the problem; and (d) must perform extensive facilities and site inspections and monitoring reports, subject to EPA regulatory review.
THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE TOTAL OF ALL THESE CRIMe PLANTS IN THE USA TREAT A LOT MORE HAZARDOUS WASTE (in gallons or tons) COLLECTIVELY THAN ALL THE EPA LICENSED TSDFs, YET THE CRIMe PLANTS ARE NOT MEETING ANY OF THE ABOVE REQUIREMENTS. How much more? We don’t know, but it could be a hundred thousand times more or greater. Additionally, the design and construction of the TSDF (performed and overseen by professional engineer), and the preparation of an operational plan thereof, is strictly reviewed for compliance to all the applicable EPA regulations. Whereas, in most cases across the US, there is no government entity that does the same for CRIMe plants when they are first constructed or modified/expanded (i.e., no regulatory review or requirements by the local, state or federal government relative to compliance with applicable hazardous waste RCRA or HSWA regulations). Some will say that the CRIMe plant must meet the CWA (Clean Water Act) requirements through the local POTW through their sewer CWA NPDES discharge permit for their discharge to the municipal sewer after first treating the HWW. But the problem with that, is that a Leaky CRIMe plant (say 10 to 15% leakage), more often than not, is not getting all the HWW generated from the manufacturing production process to the sewer because 10% or more of this process HWW is leaking to the soils and groundwater below the plant from these leaky buried tanks and pipes. Others will say that the CRIMe plant has to get a building permit from the local building inspector. But the problem with that is that the City building inspector only cares about how many parking spaces do you have, have you met handicap requirements and minimum requirements for fire safety, electrical and HVAC requirements, etc. So as you can see, this is a major loophole, and please don’t think that all these CRIMe plants are doing good at self-regulating and they have just been getting better and better and more compliant over the years even though there is less and less CRIMe plant regulatory enforcement and inspections, because in fact, a lot of them do plant construction/modifications without using a licensed professional engineer, and instead use in-house engineers, who aren’t college educated in engineering, and only got the title of company engineer because they got promoted to that position after being a plating technician, electrician or a plumber. On the point of underground leakage (also overflow spillage) from CRIMe plants, the quantities of HWW leaked to the environment in total over the years can be very substantial. For example, if a moderate size plater produces 100,000 gallons per day (gpd) of HWW from its manufacturing process (which would not be unusual), and has even 5 % leakage, that’s 5,000 gpd of HWW being released to the soils and groundwater. Annually with 330 production days, that amounts to 1.65 million gallons per year. Let’s say that half the CRIMe plants in the US that aren’t compliant (due to lack of state & federal regulatory enforcement) with the RCRA/HSWA hazardous waste laws have a similar amount of HWW leakage to the environment. First of all, realize that these CRIMe plants and their attorneys claim, through a warped interpretation of the regulations, that they are exempt from hazardous waste RCRA/HSWA laws because of an exemption/exclusion in the law for domestic sewage, which was intended for POTWs only (and not CRIMe plant HW generators) so municipal wastewater plants could accept sewer discharges from these hazardous waste generating CRIMe plants after they have treated HWW on-site. Again, if half the CRIMe plants in the US are leaking a similar amount of HWW to the environment as given in the prior example of a moderate plater, that would amount to annual leakage of HWW to the environment of 33 billion gallons (1.65 million gal X 20,000 CRIMe plants). Keep in mind that this is for toxic chemicals (hexavalent chromium, PFAS/PFOS, etc.) that have health concentration standards that are in the parts per billion or parts per trillion range (i.e., just trace amounts can cause cancer, especially to most vulnerable population, such as pregnant women, unborn, infants and toddlers).
So, in summary, I have no doubt that there is a steady faucet flowing from leakage from CRIMe plants that has been occurring unnoticed for half century, and is insidiously and accumulatively polluting our land and water resources, including the degradation of our drinking water supply sources, such as in the Great Lakes Region. This is a BIG HUGE PROBLEM that has knowingly (by perpetrators, and local, state and federal governments) been going on for over a half century and is negligently being ignored. The reason this problem I have described is not being detected, is because these CRIMe plants are located in areas served by centralized public drinking water systems and nobody is sampling and testing the groundwater around these plants for contaminants emanating from the CRIMe plant because nobody is drinking that contaminated groundwater directly and NOBODY IS DROPPING DEAD (the health effects of carcinogens often takes decades to appear in the human body). Realize that the hydrological system is all interconnected, so all the polluted groundwater from the tens of thousands of leaky CRIMe plants is now (or soon will be) collectively flowing together through all the aquifers, ditches, creeks, streams and rivers, and is insidiously accumulating in the lakes or aquifers we use for our public drinking water resources. You may ask: who would ever pay for the sampling and testing around a CRIMe plant? Certainly, the CRIMe plant won’t, and likely the local or state government won’t because they don’t want to upset local or state employment or the economy, and the politicians who represent these jurisdictions don’t want to get involved because they know for the same reasons stated, it would hurt their reelection potential. And the other thing that keeps local, state and federal public elected officials from supporting a sample and test program for these suspected leaky CRIMe plants, is that don’t want to upset the automotive OEM “just in time” supply chain from parts suppliers. Additionally, the property owners around the leaky CRIMe plant are hesitant to sample and test because they don’t want their property values to go down. So who does that leave to support and help finance the CRIMe plant sample and test program? The only possibility is the chance that philanthropists and the general public (small donations) will (and have) contribute to a nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion, management, administration, financing and implementing of such a program based on a priority system starting with those CRIMe plants that are suspected the most of having antiquated and poorly designed, constructed and maintained HWW conveyance, storage and treatment systems. In other words, if a CRIMe plant LACKS adequate environmental safeguards, leakage and pollution to the environment is occurring and those plants should be targeted in the Leaky CRIMe Plant Sample & Test Program.
If Michigan and other states cared enough about the public’s wellbeing and health & safety, they could end the Leaky CRIMe plant problem if they took action similar to state of California. After repeatedly noticing that the worse kind of HW violations in their state (Class I violations) were almost always associated with below-grade pipes and tanks carrying hazardous wastewater (HWW), CA decided to outlaw the existence of buried pipes and tanks for conveying, storing and treating HWW. It’s the obvious answer and the RIGHT ANSWER for ending Leaky CRIMe plants, and should be mandated in all the states. CA defines HW Class I violations as acts that are done Willfully, Intentionally, Knowingly and Negligently, and are often associated with CRIMe plants that are Chronic and Recalcitrant Violators and the violations they are committing represent a Significant Threat to human health or safety or environment due to volume of waste, toxicity of waste, and proximity of at risk population (e.g., pregnant women, infants, toddlers). And Class I violations enables the violator to benefit from noncompliance economically by either reducing costs or competitive advantage. So Michigan how do you get out of this Leaky CRIMe plant predicament? You adopt a program like they have in CA by: (a) first make it mandatory that these CRIMe plants not be allowed to operate unless all pipes and tanks carrying HWW are clearly above grade (not buried or below the plant floor or ground anywhere on site) with secondary containment and are readily visible for inspection at anytime, including mandatory hourly inspection reports be kept and available, and any evidence of leakage of pipes or tanks or overflowing/spillage from tanks must be reported immediately when observed; (b) in lieu of latter hourly inspections, CRIMe plant may install automated continuous monitoring devices with automated alarm and shutoff systems that activate shutoff when there is detection of possible or pending (high liquid levels in tanks, low pressure levels in pipes) leakage or tank overflow/spillage; (c) there be leak detection systems for pipes and tanks with secondary containment, such as a “tank in a tank” and a “pipe in a pipe”, so it is clearly evident when the primary pipe or tank has failed and is leaking; and (d) CRIMe plants have environmental monitoring systems surrounding the plants within their property lines, including for surface water as applicable (stormwater ponds, etc.) and most definitely, for groundwater, including groundwater monitoring wells, so early detection and notification of contamination of surface/ground water will be known, so public may be immediately advised that chemical contamination is migrating and needs to be stopped and contained.
Fortunately for YouREAPwhatYouSow.org (Realty Environmental Action Proponents) and its parent organization, CommonGoodUnited.com (COMMONGOODUNITED INC) we have had plenty of support for our overall programs, and especially for the CSTP (Citizen’s Sample & Test Program), which has brought us to a point where we can now start bringing Realty to the public in the form of real test results so they can begin to learn how serious the Leaky CRIMe plant problem is, and how badly it has been swept under the manufacturing Lobbyist fulfilled rug.
Fortunately for YouREAPwhatYouSow.org (Realty Environmental Action Proponents) and its parent organization, CommonGoodUnited.com (COMMONGOODUNITED INC) we have had plenty of support for our overall programs, and especially for the CSTP (Citizen’s Sample & Test Program), which has brought us to a point where we can now start bringing Realty to the public in the form of real test results so they can begin to learn how serious the Leaky CRIMe plant problem is, and how badly it has been swept under the manufacturing Lobbyist fulfilled rug.
UGLY.network (now transitioning to uglyGOP.com) was created in response to Donald J Trump entering national politics, which brought the already BAD & UGLY Republican Party (GOP) to levels of UGLINESS never imagined, which were prompted by the GOP’s fear and recognition that there has been a pronounced shift in US demographics that created a New Majority in the nation made up of what was previously the “minorities” consisting principally of “urbanites” made up of people of color, including African Americans, Latinos, Asians, Native Americans and various other ethnic or religious groups of varying ancestral origins and backgrounds. The post election GOP Autopsy Report delivered in 2013 after Mitt Romney’s defeat to Barrack Obama, warned the WASPy (White Anglo-Saxon Protestants, anti-Semites) Republicans that they needed to diversify and broaden their appeal in order to remain a dominant political force. But they declined this advice, and instead have clearly gone down a path now from BAD to WORSE, as the Trumpian GOP is now shifting to ever more racist, and now fascist tendencies as touted at their 2021 annual white supremacist annual CPAC meeting. The Autopsy Report also pointed out to the GOP hierarchy that they needed to broaden their appeal by being more inclusive and respectful of women, which they also ignored, and instead have continued down their misogynistic path of having old male WASPs in leadership roles. In so many words as spouted out by the main stream GOPers at CPAC, the direction of the Republican Party is now transitioning far away from their touted “Conservatism” views/values that favor free enterprise/private ownership and socially traditional ideas, to instead towards predominantly FAR-RIGHT AUTHORITARIAN, ultra nationalism DICTATORSHIP, combined with FORCIBLE SUPPRESSION of opposition, and generally STRONG REGIMENTATION of the broader society and economy as a whole.
Now, all the GOP controlled states are passing Voting Rights Plunder legislation so when the next federal elections occur in 2022 & 2024 (primaries beginning soon) they will be able to suppress and/or cancel the votes from the targeted demographics who have become the majority in the nation. The GOPers say it is their objective to have “quality voters”, which means WASP voters, who are all in favor of the GOP’s plan for the US to become an autocracy with the Republican Party in control, now being referred to as the GOP Advent of Autocracy. What they are doing in their Voting Rights Plunder is totally against the basis of the U.S. democratic republic, which is founded on the principle of representative government, that is of, by and for the people, with each US citizen entitled to having full and equal rights to vote for their government representatives. Through the course of US history, past generations have fought, died and killed to preserve our democracy, freedom and equal rights under the US Constitution, such as in WW2 when Fascism and Nazism was flourishing, which is being rekindled once again as led by GOP racists, white supremacists, misogynists, xenophobes, nationalists/isolationists, anti-LGBTQers and anti-Semites.
What is very worrisome right now, is that there are 23 GOP controlled states, classified as “GOP Trifectas” which means in each of them the state legislature (both house & senate chambers) and governorship is under GOP control. There are also 20 states that are classified as “GOP Triplexes” which means in those states, the governor, state attorney general, and the secretary of state are all of the GOP party. And 19 of these states have dual classification of both GOP Trifecta and GOP Triplex (AL, AR, FL, GA, ID, IN, MS, MO, MT, NE, OH, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, WV & WY). Those that are GOP Trifecta only, include AZ, IA, NH & ND. The word “only” needs to be deemphasized, because a GOP Trifecta state can (and they have) pass a lot of Voting Rights Plundering state laws, which in turn, are (and have been) immediately signed by their state GOP governor. The only state that is GOP Triplex only is Alaska (AK), which is also very significant, because as we all know, the Secretary of State in each state has tremendous power over the administration of elections, including local, state and federal elections. And that power of that GOP Secretary of State is greatly amplified when they are working side by side with the full support of the GOP governor and GOP attorney general of the same state.
The Voting Rights Plunder state laws that are being passed in these GOP controlled states are purposely making it especially troublesome and burdensome to exercise our right to vote, which is especially being strategically targeted towards the “minority turned majority” demographic group, consisting primarily of people of color (POC) and urbanites, which are the Democratic voters who voted in big numbers in 2020 giving the margin of victory that was needed for Biden & Harris (and other Democrats – e.g., GA senators) to win. The GOP and these GOP controlled states are ruthlessly in a very precise manner disenfranchising the voting rights of the “minority turned majority” (POC & urbanites) so they can control the outcome of the federal elections in 2022 and 2024. They have already made it clear that they don’t intend to change their platform by broadening and diversifying their appeal to minorities and women, so they are taken the “dirty scoundrel” route of making it is difficult as possible for the Democratic opposition to vote. The Voting Rights Plundering laws in these states includes a lot of voting suppression/oppression tactics, like for example: having fewer polling places, having shorter or no early voting, having fewer or no ballot drop places, imposing unreasonable restrictions on who is allowed to vote my mail, imposing extensive requirements on requiring proof of voter ID and voter registration at the polling place or when registering to vote or as a requirement for vote by mail, making it more difficult on voter registration such as for college students who reside at campus locations, not allowing people to provide food or water to voters waiting in long voting lines often in extreme weather conditions for extremely long times, voter purging (including “voter caging”) whereby names are arbitrarily removed from the rolls or list of registered voters for invalid or insignificant reasons, etc.
Elected Democratic leaders in DC are trying to offset or overcome these Voting Rights Plunder laws that have been enacted in GOP controlled states, but so far have not been successful, and the outlook of achieving this looks rather grim. The effort to save the democracy and protect the right to vote so far has included H.R. 1, the US House For the People Act (passed in House without any GOP support) which is written to expand voting rights, change campaign finance laws to reduce the influence of money in politics, ban partisan gerrymandering, and create new ethics rules for federal officeholders. This Act has gotten nowhere in the Senate yet, because WV Democratic Senator Manchin opposes it, and even though there was a vote of 50 to 50 to allow debate on the bill, this was well shy of the 60 votes needed to overcome a GOP filibuster. Additionally, Senator Manchin also indicated that he would not vote to weaken or eliminate the filibuster; and therefore, the For the People Act to strengthen voting rights in the US is dead in the water. Democratic AZ Senator Sinema also opposes weakening or eliminating the filibuster. There is some talk that VP Harris might open up debate in the Senate on eliminating or modifying the filibuster on the basis that it is not a part of or protected in any way by the Constitution (constitutional argument), which really doesn’t have much promise of accomplishing anything, since this type of debate is likely more applicable to the US Supreme Court. Another voting rights act that may come before the Senate, which likely won’t fare much better than the For the People Act, is the John Lewis Voting Rights Act (H.R. 4), which is proposed legislation that would restore and strengthen parts of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, certain portions of which were struck down in 2013 SCOTUS court decision. Particularly, H.R. 4 would restore the Voting Rights Act of 1965’s requirement that certain [southern] states pre-clear certain changes to their state voting laws with the federal government (like for example, all these Voting Rights Plunder laws being passed recently in GOP controlled states). The chances of the John Lewis act getting passed really aren’t any better than chances of the For the People act getting passed or the filibuster being modified or eliminated. One thing you can be sure of is once the GOP regains control of the Senate, they most definitively will eliminate the filibuster so they can get on with all the GOP legislation they want and intend to pass.
So given that the strengthening of voting rights on a federal level has little chance of advancing in US Senate because of opposition by GOP Senators and Democratic Senators Machiavellian Manchin and Cinema Sinema, things look mighty grim for the Democrats in the coming 2022 and 2024 elections. What makes it even worse is that the GOP made gains in House seats from the 2020 census results. Census added one seat each to FL, CO, MT, NC & OR, and TX gained two seats. Losing one seat each from the Census were CA, IL, MI, NY, OH, PA & WV. Four of the six states picking up seats from the Census voted for DJT in 2020, and five of the seven states losing seats from the Census voted for Biden in 2020. The Dems majority in the US House presently stands at 218-212, with five vacancies. To make matters worse, the Dems did not have any new gains in control of any state legislatures in 2020, and now the GOP stands to redraw the district maps for 187 districts (that’s “ultra-gerrymandering” district redrawing), while the Dems just have 87 districts to redraw. Not sure how you get a half of a seat, but the GOP gained 3.5 seats from redistricting alone.
First of all, it must be understood politicians are politicians, which is a self-serving breed in themselves. Politics, however, is necessary part of our democracy and will always be there, but what we must bank on is that we elect public officials that have at least some level of human decency and morals & ethics, which the GOP does not. So if the GOP is now effectively eroding our Voting Rights in multiple GOP controlled states, we have a serious problem. Without “one man equals one vote” because there is deliberate and intended suppressing and oppressing of votes of the demographic group the GOP considers to be “inferior voters” who don’t deserve to have equal opportunity at casting their votes for our government representatives, there will be A NEW CIVIL WAR 2.0 as instigated by the GOP NRC (New Republican Confederates). And now the GOP controlled states are passing state legislation that cancels our First Amendment Rights to Freedom of Speech and the right to publicly assembly and protest (e.g., such as protesting Voting Rights Plunder state legislation), such as what was just passed in Florida and signed by Governor Desantis that enacts new state laws which says law enforcement officials can arrest protesters and put them in jail immediately with no bail allowed, and may subject those who are arrested to 15 years in prison.
The Republic Party knows exactly what it is doing, and they know that the trend lines are going against them, and will only get worse as time goes on – i.e., that “minority turned majority” is only going to grow in size. So their answer is the GOP Advent of Autocracy, but first they have to get to a major victory in 2022 through the Voting Rights Plundering laws passed in the GOP controlled states. Regarding the GOP Trifecta and GOP Triplex states, it doesn’t take a genius to see what could happen in these GOP controlled states with or without these Voting Rights Plundering state laws:
Example one: TX (38 electoral votes) is turning bluer and bluer as years go by: President margin of victory in past elections: 15.8% R (2012), 9.00% R (2016) and 5.58% R (2020).
Example two: FL (29 electoral votes) once was blue, and has been slightly red lately: President margin of victory in past elections: 0.88% D (2012), 1.20% R (2016) and 3.36% R (2020).
Example three: OH (18 electoral votes) once was blue, and has been red lately: President margin of victory in past elections: 2.98% D (2012), 8.13% R (2016) and 8.03% R (2020).
Example four: IA (6 electoral votes) once was blue, and has been red lately: President margin of victory in past elections: 5.81% D (2012), 9.41% R (2016) and 8.20% R (2020).
Example five: GA (16 electoral votes) now blue, after trending away from red: President margin of victory in past elections: 7.82% R (2012), 5.13% R (2016) and 0.24% D (2020).
Example six: AZ (11 electoral votes) now blue, after trending away from red: President margin of victory in past elections: 9.03% R (2012), 3.55% R (2016) and 0.31% D (2020).
Example seven: NH (4 electoral votes) usually blue, but barely blue in 2016: President margin of victory in past elections: 5.58% D (2012), 0.37% D (2016) and 7.35% D (2020).
Biden beat DJT in electoral votes in 2020: 306-232 (adjustment after 2020 Census: 303-235)
NOTE: As you can see from this partial analysis, the Voting Rights Plundering laws in GOP controlled states could easily flip the win to GOP in those states narrowly won by Biden in 2020 (e.g., GA, AZ), and likewise, could make it ever more difficult to get a Dem win in states that could easily turn blue in 2022 & 2024 if GOP didn’t PLAY DIRTY (e.g., TX, FL).
So now in Florida, when it comes to federal elections in 2022 and 2024 (and the primaries that precede), you can expect to wait in long lines to vote, and if someone offers you water or food while you are waiting many hours, those good Samaritans will be subject to arrest, and if prior to these GOP rigged elections you protest, you will be thrown in jail, and could be sentenced to 15 years in prison. The Florida law also makes it within the law for others to run over protesters with their cars and trucks if they are blocking the road right of way. And also keep in mind, Florida has a “stand your ground” law, which allows a citizen to shoot and kill you if you are changing your tire on the side of the road on a rainy day wearing your rain coat with a hood, because that person is allowed to shoot and kill you if they feel threatened because you are wearing a hoodie and have a tire iron in your hand.
The DJT-GOP directed Strategy is crystal clear: Henceforth, “by hook or by crook (BHBC)”, never again will GOP controlled states (with GOP Trifectas and/or Triplexes) be allowed to lose any GOP federal elections for Congress or President. The GOP is still working on this Hook or by Crook strategy, and has already accomplished most of what they intended in preparation for the 2022 election, including the passage of 22 Voting Rights Plundering laws in 14 GOP controlled states between January 1 and May 14, 2021, and more have been introduced or passed since. And for the GOP Triplex portion of the BHBC portion of the strategy, the GOP is making sure they have diehard BHBC GOP Secretaries of State in all the GOP states who will bend over backwards to force a GOP win by any means necessary, which means they don’t want another Secretary of State like GOP Brad Raffensperger of Georgia, who stood firm on principles/morals/ethics for the 2020 federal election results in his state, even though attempts were made to coerce him to reverse the results by President Donald Trump and SC Senator Lindsey Graham. In summary, the GOP BHBC Voting Rights Plundering Strategy is going as planned and is on schedule for the 2022 election to diminish voting rights of POC and urbanites in GOP controlled states by implementing the most effective voting suppression/oppression methods ever conceived in American politics.
So you can’t vote without major Voting Right Plundering being imposed on you (in those GOP controlled states), and you can’t protest the aforementioned because you will be thrown in jail without bail and may get 15 year prison sentence for doing so, if you aren’t first run over by vehicles operated by GOPers. SO WHAT DOES THAT LEAVE YOU?: CIVIL WAR 2.0! Do we want a Civil War 2.0? Hell no we don’t! But what’s our choice? People aren’t going to sit back and put up with this. People will fight/die/kill to maintain their right to vote and to preserve our democracy. So who can stop this from happening? The Republican Party sure as hell isn’t going to do anything to stop it, because they are the very ones promoting these major civil rights violations. So who needs to stop it are the public officials we elected to serve and protect US. Their priorities can’t just be their typical “politician self serving priority” of doing what is necessary to get reelected so they can continue to be on the gravy train conveyor belt of revolving GovtOfficials>Lobbyists>GovtProducts/ServicesProviders. They need to look past their own personal aspirations & wealth, and concentrate on SAVING AMERICA, & OUR DEMOCRACY, & OUR LIVES AND PREVENTING ANOTHER CIVIL WAR!
Do the Dems have the means and rights to do that? Hell yes they do! Our Constitution never intended for controlling political parties in individual states to have the right to manipulate federal elections to favor the dominant political party in their state, and states may have the right to administer their local and state elections, but they do NOT have the right to illegally administer the federal elections in their state in such a fashion that it arbitrarily thins out (oppressing/suppressing votes) the voting population to what they define as the “quality voters” who they believe are the voters (mostly WASPs) best qualified to vote for the most GOP suitable candidates (mostly older male WASPs) to represent the state’s dominant political party (GOP).
The Dem Party currently is in control in DC and can and must centrally take over the administering of the federal elections across the nation so all citizens have fair and equal rights to cast a vote for the federal public office candidates of their choosing with no outside oppressing or suppressing of their vote.
DEMAND that Biden stop GOPers from MANIPULATING elections in 2022 & 2024 by exercising his Emergency Executive power by instituting federal government administered elections for all federal elected positions on basis that Constitution forbids GOP controlled states from plundering voting rights of select/targeted (mostly POC, urbanites) demographics group. The other choice, is for the Biden Admin to WAIT UNTIL ALL HELL BREAKS OUT as US Citizens of a certain demographic group aren’t able to vote due to all the GOP suppression tactics, bogus voter ID tactics, or they get removed from the registration rolls for some arbitrary reason (e.g., ”caging” tactics etc.), or they aren’t allowed to register to vote like a college student on campus, etc. Okay, so Biden then patiently waits and observes as ALL HELL BREAKS OUT and FL Governor Desantis is arresting voting rights protesters, and then as the Commander in Chief, Biden declares federal emergency by POTUS Executive Order and declares Marshall Law and proceeds to have the US Military administer the federal elections for all the states for a period of time until proper federal voting rights acts are passed by the US Congress, and who knows how long that will take. But in the meantime, none of the bogus elections in the GOP controlled states with their Voting Rights Plundering laws should be honored, and thus, should be null and void, and voting responsibilities of the states to administer federal elections should not be returned to them until it is done according to newly established federal voting rights legislation.
What Dems presently have:
POTUS Emergency Executive Power
Military under Commander in Chief Joe Biden
DOJ/AG, FBI
DNI over multiple domestic and international intelligency agencies
Congress House control
If Voting Rights Plundering occurs in GOP controlled states in 2022/2024, regardless of SCOTUS GOP bias, a RED LINE will have been crossed and no transfer of federal offices for such elections should be considered valid or be allowed to occur.
This is not a threat, but if the Dems don’t plan accordingly well in advance to conduct federally administered federal elections for 2022 and 2024 elections, and allow the GOP controlled states to manipulate the administering of the federal election process in their states, CIVIL WAR 2.0 will more than likely break out. Even though the GOP will be the reason and cause for this new civil war for a whole host of reasons, if the Dems sit back and let it happen without doing anything, such as discussed above, both the Dems and GOPers will have blood on their hands (GOPers for causing it, Dems for not preventing it).
Our leaders Biden, Harris, Pelosi and Schumer can’t be telling US the answer is that “We the People” have to bust our butts to overcome the massive illegal GOP Voting Rights Plundering going on with a massive voter turnout even greater than 2020. That’s a Bull Shit “It will all work out” Politician’s Answer and is NOT ACCEPTABLE! With all the GOP underhanded tactics (Voting Rights Plundering and making it illegal to publicly assemble and protest), it will take DRASTIC MEASURES like a Biden Emergency Executive Order to have federal work forces activated to administer federal elections exclusively, and have states (through their Secretary of State offices) conduct and administer local and state elections only (or at least until the US Congress fixes this problem). Implementing this idea of federally and centrally administering elections for federal positions only in not that complicated (centralization of other matters are already done, like Medicare, Social Security, IRS federal taxes, etc.), especially after having just done the federally administered COVID19 PANDEMIC RESPONSE AND VACCINATION PROGRAM, and it makes perfectly good logical sense to do it now and for the future to prevent this kind of political manipulation of the election process for federal positions to occur again.
The problem with Leaky CRIMe plants (Chemically Real Intensive Manufacturing establishments) has been prevalent for a half century or more, in virtually all the states across the USA even though we have enacted laws that forbid this leakage of toxic chemicals caused by manufacturers that do not have proper environmental safeguards in place. It’s an insidious accumulative problem that is polluting our land and water that has been ignored, concealed, denied and has consistently fallen on blind eyes/deaf ears of elected and appointed public officials who cater more to greed and power (for others and themselves) more than they do to their sworn duty to protect the environment and well being and health & safety of the public. This should absolutely not be a partisan issue. Public officials exist to protect the public from harm/damage, and they do not exist to allow manufacturers to get away with illegally polluting the environment and public domain. The argument that “the pollution already exists in urbanized and industrialized areas, so why worry about it?” is a warped and grossly negligent argument that is full of holes (leaks). The POLLUTION faucet/leaks at these CRIMe plants, which has been flowing steadily for half century or more, needs to be shut off. This is not a made up story. It’s a REAL problem that is causing a steady accumulative decline in the quality of the nation’s public drinking water supply sources. It is especially a problem in the Midwest and Great Lakes Region where the largest and most precious bodies of fresh water exist in the world. The segment of the population that is the most vulnerable to the toxic cancer causing chemicals are pregnant women, infants and toddlers.
NOTICE and DISCLOSURE of this problem has been made before, including in:
2000 to Jennifer Granholm, Michigan AG, and MDEQ;
2017 to Obama Admin & US EPA & US AG;
2018 to Michigan Governor Whitmer and MI EGLE & MI AG; and now again in
2021 to Biden Admin & US EPA & US AG and Michigan Governor Whitmer and MI EGLE & MI AG.
For the most recent 2021 NOTICE and DISCLOSURE referenced above, go to table of contents of this blog to see:
Letter to President Biden;
Letter to MI Governor Whitmer;
Letter to local (W MI, Grand Rapids Metro), state (MI) and federal elected/appointed public officials;
Letter to CRIMe plant affected property owners;
Dear EPPers (enablers, protectors, etc.) letter; and
For those who get confused about upper case “D” versus lower case “d” for American “Democratic Party” versus American “democratic system” of government, this is not about Democratic Party, or Right (e.g., conservative) leaning versus Left (liberal) leaning American political parties (i.e., Republicans versus Democrats, which both have moderate or independent leaning supporters in the middle), but it is about lower case “liberal democracy”, which is the system of government which we operate under that emphasizes the separation of powers, consisting of an independent judiciary and a system of checks and balances between branches of government (i.e., executive, legislative and judicial: e.g., President/Congress/Court). A liberal democracy, like the USA, ideally follows the principle of “rule of law”, which exists to control and regulate our society in a limited and important manner (e.g., businesses, other entities, individuals) for a variety of activities, including our free market based economy (capitalism), election or appointment of public government officials and a variety of other matters, such as protecting environment and wellbeing and health & safety (security) of the public. Presently, the USA democracy is teetering for a variety of reasons (lopsided US Supreme Court, numerous state voter suppression laws being passed, etc.), and since 2016 the USA has been reclassified and downgraded to the category of a “flawed democracy”. Without a doubt, the USA is at a critical point in its relatively short history.
Simple concepts presented here on CommonGoodUnited.org and its related web are nothing new, but now more than ever, they are absolutely and fundamentally essential for the survival and advancement of democracies worldwide. We are Principled American Citizens & Allies (near & Afar) Together Orchestrating (PACATO.org) for:
Common Good of humanity & planet (www.CommonGoodUnited.org, CGU);
A government (not corporations) of the People, by the People and for the People (www.GoPP.global; to be changed soon to PlanetPeoplesParty.com, PPP); and
Protection of Environment and Wellbeing and Health And Safety Of Public (www.PEWHASOP.org).
CommonGoodUnited.org (=CGU), and its divisions (youREAPwhatyousow.org, PACATO.org, etc.) have not said much on its websites during the past year, but now that the Biden-Harris Democrat team has won, some things need to be said. The origins of CGU came from its first website, youREAPwhatyousow.org (=REAP), which was founded, some years after a Whistleblower (WB) disclosure was made to the Michigan AG against a corporation who was knowingly and illegally polluting the environment from two or more of its CRIMe plants (Chemically Real Intensive Manufacturing establishments) located in West Michigan. The Michigan AG at the time was Jennifer Granholm, who subsequently became a two-term Michigan Governor. Despite all the personal and professional risk and damage endured by the WB, AG Granholm ignored and did not act upon this disclosure. Environmental laws and regulations (RCRA 1976) requiring that these plants have certain safeguards have been in existence for nearly a half century, but have been ignored due to lack of enforcement and loose and false interpretation of these rules by the CRIMe plants and their attorneys, who have not been brought into check by the regulators who answer to the lax state and federal environmental directors, as appointed by politically-driven elected officials working on their next election campaign. The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), and the hazardous waste (HW) regulations contained therein, govern how hazardous wastewater (HWW) is to be Treated, Stored and Disposed of (TSD) at these CRIMe plants. These HW rules are in effect for the regional EPA certified TSD facilities (TSDFs) that exist to take liquid and solid HW from industrial HW generators throughout the US. The standards that TSDFs must meet are very stringent, requiring doubled lined tanks and pipe (= secondary containment = tank inside of a tank, pipe inside of a pipe), continuous leak detection monitoring between secondary and primary tanks and pipes, continuous liquid level monitoring and pressure monitoring in tanks and pipes with automatic alarm systems and shutoffs that are triggered when critical liquid levels or pressures have been reached to prevent overflows/releases, sampling and testing of monitor wells (and stormwater retention ponds) surrounding the site to give early detection if contaminants have been released from TSDF and are about to be spread to adjacent properties; plus extensive US EPA reporting requirements. What needs to be clearly recognized is that most of the regional TSD Facilities that take HW and HWW from thousands of industrial plants, DO NOT process as much HWW as many of these CRIMe plants, who in a lot of cases, are leaking like sieves and are going unnoticed (unless they contaminate nearby domestic wells) because they are located in areas that have centralized municipal water systems, so nobody is monitoring them, and nobody knows the difference even though they are polluting, both near and afar, the surrounding soils, streams, lakes and public water supply sources. Prime examples of CRIMe plants are metal finishers/electroplating facilities, leather tanneries, paper/pulp processing plants and stainless steel manufacturing. Toxic chemicals from these plants include hexavalent chromium and PFAS chemicals, which are very toxic at extremely low concentrations, especially to the most vulnerable population, like infants, toddlers and pregnant women. Hexavalent chromium is becoming more and more prevalent in water supply source intakes on the Great Lakes near urbanized and industrialized areas, which is becoming a major concern. The insidious water pollution that has been occurring to our water supply sources for a half a century or more due to unchecked pollution from these CRIMe plants can be compared to the insidious air pollution that is occurring to our atmosphere from fossil fuels which has brought about climate change. The contaminants from the CRIMe plants are slowly and gradually traveling through the soils, groundwater, ditches, streams and lakes and accumulating in our freshwater public water supply sources, and if left unheeded, it will continually degrade the quality of our drinking water.
Those CRIMe plants that have been loosely interpreting the RCRA HW regulations so they can freely pollute the environment have been falsely and illegally doing so by misinterpreting the domestic sewage exclusion as given in CFR 261.4(a)(1)(ii). This exclusion states that any mixture of domestic sewage and other wastes that passes through a sewer system to a publicly-owned treatment works (POTW) is excluded from RCRA HW rules. There is a fairly recent footnote now for this exclusion that states: “This exclusion applies only to the actual point source discharge [i.e., discharge to the POTW sewage collection system]. It does not exclude industrial wastewaters while they are being collected, stored or treated before discharge, nor does it exclude sludges that are generated by industrial wastewater treatment.” The main reasons for this exclusion, was so that POTWs could accept this industrial wastewater from industrial plants after it was treated and combined with the industry’s sanitary wastewater to meet their pretreatment standards in compliance with the CWA (Clean Water Act) through the POTW’s NPDES Permit (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System); and so the POTW did not have to meet special RCRA HW requirements. The CRIMe plants have been illegally using this RCRA domestic sewage exclusion, by falsely stating that they were mixing the sanitary and HWW together at the plant through the treatment process, which is never done, because putting urine and feces in your industrial wastewater treatment process is totally absurd, a big LIE, and doesn’t happen.
As a result of this loose interpretation of the RCRA HW rules over the last half century, essentially any given CRIMe plant “LACKS” what is considered adequate environmental safeguards as previously mentioned (secondary containment, containment system leak detection monitoring, continuous and automatic HWW tank liquid level and pipe pressure monitoring with automatic shutoff to prevent spill overflows/pipe leaks, onsite monitoring of groundwater and stormwater for early detection of site contamination before it migrates on adjacent properties, special regulatory reporting, etc.).
So my point here is that it is about time we solved this problem with the leaky CRIMe plants, and make them comply with the strict RCRA HW rules? California has, but most, if not all, of the other states have not. This needs to be a federal enforcement initiative to get all the states to comply, and begin cracking down on leaky CRIMe plants. And if former MI AG/MI Governor Granholm was willing and able to ignore this disclosure made twenty years ago, do we really want her to be the Secretary of Energy?
PACATO.org (Principled American Citizens and Allies Together Orchestrating) began to form alliances that could collectively take initiatives to orchestrate sampling and testing around these CRIMe plants (because the government has not yet, and likely will never do it on their own) to obtain the needed data to go to government officials and demand that they do something to stop this illegal pollution; and if they didn’t act, then go to the courts and demand that these publicly elected and appointed officials be held accountable to live up to their oath of protecting the wellbeing and health & safety of the public. The latter is the premise for PEWHASOP.org (Protect Environment, Wellbeing, and Health And Safety Of Public). If the courts don’t hold the public officials accountable, of course, We the People should vote them out. The other divisions of CGU besides those already mentioned are GoPP.global (People’s Party platform) and UGLY.network. As you can see, relying on politicians alone (i.e., our elected public officials), even though they are from the most viable (winnable) party that most closely represents your ideals in our US democracy, does not mean they will do what is right all the time, because oftentimes their main driver is the desire and MO (Modus Operandi) to get re-elected, and We the People, may oftentimes come up short in that contest. And that is why we should always point out what is UGLY, so we have a gauge and a reference point, to call out those politicians when it comes election time on the GOOD, the BAD and the UGLY. UGLY.network was formed originally in 2019, incorporating the presidential primary leading up to the 2016 election and the Trump Presidency in 2017-18. Since that time, there has been a real bonanza for more Trumpian UGLY material yet to be incorporated. The Trump era was a prime time for defining UGLY. If a politician consistently does the opposite of Trump, that politician won’t be all that bad.
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November 13, 2019
Undate on parent organization, CommonGoodUnited.org (CGU):
We are pleased to report that CGU became incorporated (FL)
in July 2019 (COMMONGOODUNITED INC) and in October 2019 we received from U.S.
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) our nonprofit tax exempt status approval (effective
date is date of incorporation: July 09, 2019) under Internal Revenue Code (IRC)
Section 501(c)(3). We are further classified by IRS under IRC as a 509(a)(2)
Public Charity.
Donations we now receive are tax deductible for donors for
2019 taxable calendar year beginning for donations made on or after the July
09, 2019 effective date. Besides receiving tax deductible donations, CGU is
also now qualified to receive tax deductible bequests, devises, transfers, or
gifts under IRC Sections 2055, 2106, or 2555.
We at CGU are committed to our mission:
“Exclusively formed for charitably and education purposes of information, education, sampling & testing to increase knowledge on environmental, health & safety issues so public may make informed decisions on related public policy.”
To learn more about CGU please read further into all the
information provided on COMMONGOODUNITED.org and its related
websites/divisions:
PACATO.org
(Principled American Citizens & Allies Together Orchestrating)
PEWHASOP.org
(Protect Environment and general Welfare & Health And Safety of Public)
UGLY.network (Highlights activities/programs that are UGLY/MEAN and contrary to the betterment of the Common Good of Humanity & Planet.
Please send us your comments and suggestions, and if you
have any further interest in serving as a volunteer or on the board of
directors, please let us know.
All of the CGU Org divisions are founded on the primary principle of having
a society and governing body that acts for the “Common Good” of humanity and
the planet. Another common principle of CGU Org is that of informing and
educating the public on is the U.S. Constitution, which calls for a “people’s
government that is of, by and for the people”, (Primary basis for People’s
Party) and not “of, by and for the corporations and their loyal partners of
elected and appointed public officials and high paid lobbyists” (lobbyists typically
were previously public officials or owners/operators of the corporations;
therefore, IT IS PRESENTLY, and has been for a long time, A POWERFUL CIRCLE
WITH NO WEAK LINKS).
REAP’s current, and primary “seed” cause, is to identify and hold
accountable leaky CRIMe plants located across the nation (Chemically Real
Intensive Manufacturing establishments), and in particular, in the Midwest/Rust
Belt/Great Lakes Region where chemical contamination is the worst and the
stakes are the highest – i.e., continued toxic carcinogenic chemical
contamination of the greatest and most treasured freshwater body on the entire
planet. For multiple decades, and a half a century or more, CRIMe plants have
been continuously contaminating our natural water resources (each and every one
of these plants lacks proper
environmental safeguards), including our public drinking water supply sources.
Sadly, and pathetically, because these leaky CRIMe plants have not been held
accountable by government public officials (elected and appointed) and
agencies, REAP is informing and educating people that it is their right and
civic duty to take matters into their own hands (join with their neighbors and
allies per the primary emphasis of PACATO.org) and sample and test around these
leaky CRIMe plants themselves. REAP will
then give further instructions to the aggrieved public to proceed with presenting
their contamination investigation report to public officials and demand that
act in accordance with their OATH of PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT AND GENERAL
WELFARE AND HEALTH & SAFETY OF THE PUBLIC (primary emphasis of PEWHASOP.org)
or otherwise be held accountable themselves for the ILLEGAL ACT OF BREACH OF
PUBLIC DUTY (rarely occurs, but must be done or otherwise these officials will
continue as they have in the past of giving a blind eye and deaf ear to this
problem). Professionals, like doctors, attorneys, engineers, etc., are required
to abide by this PUBLIC PROTECTIVE OATH, and certainly elected and appointed
public officials are also, and the public needs to hold them accountable to the
oath.
Through the People’s Party PIE Platform (Public Informational and
Educational), CGU and PPP (People’s Party Platform) plans to inform and educate
the public on how they can achieve the above in lieu of waiting another half of
century or more for the government or plaintiff attorneys to come to their
rescue. For various reasons, the plaintiff attorneys rarely come running to
take these cases because: (a) the leaky
CRIMe plants are often in areas served by centralized public water, so there
aren’t enough citizens directly ingesting chemically contaminated water; (b)
many times the leaky CRIMe plants are either not located in a residential area,
or if they are, it usually is in a low income demographic area where
devaluation of these properties due to chemical contamination of the associated
land is only pocket change to these high paid attorneys; (c) the plaintiff
attorneys often reside and practice law in the same jurisdictional area (local,
State, Region), and they don’t want to do battle with a company (and general
industry) that is closely allied with many of the attorney’s allies (government
officials, lobbyists, chamber of commerce, etc.); and (d) nobody has figured
out yet, or is willing to admit, that the environmental pollution coming from
the leaky CRIMe plants is actually insidiously and gradually polluting our
public drinking water supply sources in an industry-wide, watershed-wide, collective
manner. There are laws on the books with
civil and criminal penalties that will hold these negligent government
officials (who turn a blind eye and deaf ear to obvious problem) and
owners/operators of CRIMe plants accountable in a court of law.
There are many more public policy issues that the people need to become more
informed, educated and active on, such as the advancing of the private sector
taking over (privatization) public infrastructure systems and public lands,
including the giving up of mineral rights to the private sector on public lands
for little or no costs with few or no restrictions on private sector activities
on these lands (they abuse Native American lands, sucking groundwater aquifers
dry making bottled water, etc.). Another topic that PPP intends to inform,
educate and encourage action on relates to public policy action requiring that
government protect the general welfare and civil rights of the public,
including the duty of government to fulfill its obligation to protect the basic
human rights (equality, etc.) and needs of its citizens (providing: habitable
places to live, shelter, food, clean & safe water and air, etc.). Besides informing
and educating on what is good and what is right for the common good of humanity
and the planet, CGU Org also has a platform (UGLY.network) to describe what is
bad and just plain UGLY for society, and contrary to the fundamental foundation
of the USA and its Constitution and many other principles that good respectful
people with morals, ethics and character live by, such as being respectful of
your fellow human beings and the planet (flora, fauna, natural resources,
etc.), living by the Golden Rule (treat others as you would want them to treat
you), etc.
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