I was just thinking about the result of thousands of local people here and there in certain states being dispossessed from the residence where they have lived for many years and of course where they are registered to vote.

Where will they go?

Well some may move down the street to temporarily live with a friend or relative. In some cases that “down the street” may be some distance away.

Others may find shelter in some state or city facility where they are forced to stay for the time being.

Some percentage may just have to seek an unoccupied highway overpass or a place where they can park their overloaded vehicles for a night or two before the local authorities urge then to “move along.”

Perhaps a few may find some kind of employment and with no further options simply park near where that work is, in a parking lot or vacant field, so that at least they can earn enough to feed their children. Without a vibrant tax base states and cities will not be able to provide more than a watered soup kitchen perhaps once a day.

The Federal government can simply print more sheets of gray-green dollars to support whatever favored crony’s business needs boosting until the functioning nations of the world begin to notice that the paper money, checks and promises are backed by a kettle of warm spit. That road leads down to an international disaster as well.

Of course, if anyone is thinking, “Nay” and wishes to propose some alternative, now might be the time to work out the suggestion. Can the people rely on the current administration to do the right thing, whatever that might be?

Or might some political groups realize that people with no permanent residence are no longer legal voters where they were registered.

How many will find the wherewithal to worry about a new registration to be able to vote? Might not such legal niceties be relegated to the back shelf, if one is living where there is no shelf or whatever shelf there is, has been bare for a month or more.

Might some uncaring state or local administration decide what to do based on their perception of the likely voting sympathies of these displaced hordes?

This dystopian vision might be excessive, but try to come up with an answer to the queries raised that would not require a massive change of the political minds now struggling to keep and maintain power.

Charlie Jensen

Copyright 2020, Foc’sle Chatter, All Rights Reserved

Trump asked the undecided voters; “Vote for me, what have you got to lose?”

Well, some people lost their lives and jobs, some are losing their businesses, their homes, and their health care. Then there are some who are spending their retirements to provide food for their families while many who never dreamed they would wind up on food assistance lines must cry themselves to sleep at night. But trumpy does not care as long as he is safe. Then everyone of us are losing our Justice Department, our Education Department, even that sometimes Environmental Protection Department and the State Department is but a shadow of itself. Out great transportation system is near bankruptcy. States face disastrous expenses.

The greatest military forces ever created, Army, Navy and Air Force, are virtually immobilized with troops locked down on bases and infected ships at sea. Oh say did you have an elderly mom, dad, favorite uncle or disabled sister in a nursing home? Too bad, so sad, but trump goes marching on.

Well at least we have baseball, maybe football and a few other sports to entertain us while we wait for the credit card or rental company to come and remove that 6o inch color high definition screen TV. And elections just might be decided in Moscow. So yes, truthfully, soon what will we have left to lose?

Charlie Jensen

Copyright 2020, Focsle Chatter, All Rights Reserved

There are so many things that need change in this country, whether by election, revolution, or the natural efforts of Mother Karma doing her spring cleaning a few months early. One is to recalculate the minimum wage so that a person can support his or her family (1.67 children) in a decent manner, live in fair housing and afford a pleasant week or two vacation every year.

Obviously the laws need updating so that medical care is available to all, either by supporting optional private insurance or a single government pays-all system, possibly some balance of both.

The office of Attorney General must be removed from the Executive Department’s control. Also, after a president’s or cabinet secretary’s term ends any asset, or funds, gained through violation of laws, including the written Constitution, must be recovered by seizure of those assets.

Candidates must release three or four years of tax returns plus the results of a independent physical examination conducted within the year preceding their nomination. It should include the standard tests that can disclose dementia.

The Second Amendment must be clarified and strengthened to protect every citizen’s right to own firearms, except rapid fire military weapons, subject to reasonable local safety and perhaps insurance strictures. Notice, local, not federal.

All government officials, including Congress, with executive powers must move their assets into real arm’s length blind trusts until their term ends, they resign, or are fired. Purchase of property, especially stocks or bonds, must be done by the trust company independently of the principle during the term, except the disposal of the family farmland or home. Of course dying in office would be considered to end one’s term.

Senator’s terms must be capped at two six year terms. Representatives at three four years terms in total. No public official may be allowed to lobby Congress for a term equal to the number of years they held office. The Citizen’s United decision must be replaced by an amendment declaring that Corporations of any kind are not people under the Free Speech Amendment, or any other construction.

Political campaigns must be publicly financed by the government and limited private (1040) donations, perhaps $3,000 or $5,000. Tax forms should have a section where the payer can designate which political group his donation or deduction should receive it.

Every effort must be made to insure that within some measurable number of months the entire nation is powered by dam fed water generators, solar panels or wind turbines. Other environmentally neutral processes, e.g. tide, can be added.

Every effort must be made to make the United States the world’s leader in environmental clean air, clean food, and clean water protection laws.

Public education K-12 must be afforded to all minors, college and trade school education should be provided via earned public or private scholarships and or grants in the national interest.

The situation with the Electoral College must be worked on and probably modified so that a minority president will never win the Executive Office.

People, we can now see the results of abuse of power. I am sure that some can offer added thoughts, pro or con, but I think the things that are the source of most problems that have nearly brought the nation to its knees are covered.

I do believe that some clever people can come up with appropriate language to achieve similar goals. A commission of fifty seven, one from each state, chaired by a former president, two Federal judges, one for the federal territories, and three drawn by random lot from social security numbers of actual taxpayers could be assembled to sit in a non-air conditioned room all summer at Constitution Hall in Philadelphia to work out details of amendments to put before the people and not be allowed to go home except on weekends until they have considered each and every issue on the public docket. Hell, the Declaration of Independence was signed by 57 (56) delegates, and the Constitution by thirty eight two hundred and thirty years ago.

Charlie Jensen

Copyright 2020, Foc’sle Chatter, All Rights Reserved

We have always supported a free press, regardless of whether it reported truth or fiction and in return most of that free pres has done a decent job of checking the facts. When an error has occurred, a correction is usually offered on page sixteen, bottom left corner. But lately a small portion of the free press has taken a page from the supermarket sensationalist press and gone beyond the bounds of credulity in reporting lies, distortions and rumors as facts.

Usually most sane people dismiss such trash reporting with a short “Where did you read that, in the World Nut Daily ?” and a mutual chuckle.

But lately sanity has taken a rain check from the minds of some 30% of our society and are not considering such news articles with a little reflection that would demonstrate that such report are and have to be political distortion. They seem to enjoy mass rallies where they can shout “Give us Barabbas” and jeer anyone who tries to inject the least bit of sanity.

The question on my mind is, assuming we are able to install a reasonably honest administration that is willing to deal with difficult problems and subjects fairly, what can we do to reverse this foolish acceptance of scrap paper news as valid reporting without removing or reducing the protective safety net we have given the free press for two about hundred years, and not be putting a tombstone up “RIP John Peter Zenger.” And dear friends, if you need to look up John Peter Zenger, you should.

Charlie Jensen

Copyright 2020, Foc’sle Chatter, All Rights Reserved