Sosbee.com

Okay. That’s it! We can’t get that man out of the White House fast enough, before he can do any more damage. Abandoning the Kurds in Syria was bad enough, and we don’t know yet what the total fallout will be in terms of innocent Kurdish bloodshed, friendly alliances, laws, and our ability to respond to future crises, but we know there will be fallout.
Howard F. Sosbee 1400 Weston Ridge Road Scotts Valley CA, 95066 831, 335, 8401 hfs@sosbee.com <mailto:hfs@sosbee.com>

For people not directly affected by the public/private school debate, I strongly suggest an excellent book by Diane Ravich entitled “the Reign of Error”. You will get all the facts you need for a really informed opinion. The author certainly knows her way around the education business and why it should never be regarded as a “for-profit” business.
Howard F. Sosbee 1400 Weston Ridge Road Scotts Valley CA, 95066 831, 335, 8401 hfs@sosbee.com <mailto:hfs@sosbee.com>

In all of the history of mankind it is doubtful there has ever been a chapter as foolish, cruel, heartless, or thoughtless with resulting complications so vast and intractable as Trump’s southern border policy of separating families.You can not take a child away from its parent for any extended period (certainly not permanently) without causing permanent mental damage. Did anyone in the Trump camp expect this to turn out differently? The only course to take at this point is to establish a “Manhattan” project with a person in charge that has complete and total authority to set up reunification centers and do what is necessary to get all the separated kids in one place where separated parents can come and look for them. This should be done immediately and at federal government expense with no limitations. We, meaning the United States of America, created this humanitarian catastrophe. It is up to us to resolve it with the least amount of harm to all the victims.
Howard F. Sosbee 1400 Weston Ridge Road Scotts Valley CA, 95066 831, 335, 8401 hfs@sosbee.com <mailto:hfs@sosbee.com>

If Marc Theissen ( February 1, 2019) thinks the ideas put forth so far by potential Democratic candidates are “too radical”, wait ’til he sees some really radical propositions. In the meantime, anything any progressive pol advocates will be labeled “socialist”, which is the right-wing’s favorite dirty word. What thinking people need to do is ask: What is wrong with socialism? It is a hell of a lot better than anti-socialism. Also what is wrong with taking a healthcare system that works beautifully for seniors and applying it to the whole population? We already spend (what?) three trillion on a health care system that leaves millions of people uninsured. Why not get better care for that money? College Tuition: Thinking people know two things: 1. College tuition is out of reach for too many really good students. 2. America will need a better-educated citizenry in the future to maintain its place in the world. Do the math. Put more kids through college. As for Elizabeth Warren’s Wealth Tax: Is it not the most logical source for reducing the national debt and financing beneficial programs, that you assess the massive accumulation of wealth by those who have figured out a way to tap into the flow of money that is the American economy? Show me an idea, Marc. I am listening.
Howard F. Sosbee 1400 Weston Ridge Road Scotts Valley CA, 95066 831, 335, 8401 hfs@sosbee.com <mailto:hfs@sosbee.com>

[This is exclusive to the New York Times: It is being sent to you rather than to my home town daily (the Santa Cruz, CA “Sentinel”) because you are the New York Times. Enough said. If you plan to publish it, please let me know by email hfs@sosbee.com>> since I have no access to the Times out here in the styx.]
To The Ed, Those government workers most directly and negatively affected by a Trump-ordered shutdown, just happen to be the very same people who can REVERSE the shutdown order by calling a STRIKE. Only, in this case, instead of walking out, they walk in. They stay at their jobs. They keep the government running as usual, TSA checks baggage. Airliners use air traffic controllers to manage the thousands of aircraft in the air and on the ground. And the US Treasury issues paychecks to government employees and income tax refunds just like always. The employees have it in their power to do this. And if they make it clear they will, indeed, call a reverse strike if Trump tries to shut down their government, not his government, their government. So, to set the stage for just such a face-off, every government employee should sign a pledge stating the intention to continue work as usual in the event Trump doesn’t get his way and calls a shutdown as he has done before and threatens to do again. As they say: Time is of the essence”!
Sign the pledge!

sample pledge REVERSE STRIKE
I………………… ………………………….. am an employee of the United States 0f America,………………………..Dept. PRINT FULL NAME
my specialty:…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
I hereby pledge that, in the event of a shutdown of the United States government by executive order, I will continue at my job as usual as though no order had been given to do otherwise.
Signed …………………………………………………………………date……………………
When signed, please submit this pledge to your Union Steward who shall retain custody and possession of same until further notice. If you are not a union member, keep your copy in a safe and accessible place. . Respectfully submitted,
Howard F. Sosbee 1400 Weston Ridge Road Scotts Valley CA, 95066 831, 335, 8401 hfs@sosbee.com <mailto:hfs@sosbee.com>

You cannot give a con man the keys to the kingdom and not expect him to use them!

Down through history, whenever things looked bad, it seemed there was usually some leader that would show us how strong we really are and how to navigate our way out of trouble. We are not going to change Trump’s mind on the wall. It is obviously gotten to be a “thing” with him. But where are the Senators and Representatives who could enact laws that would end the shutdown, with or without Trump’s acquiescence? Where is the person who will look Trump in the eye and tell him flat out, that no wall will keep bad people or bad things out, but it will keep good people out. It’s a waste of money and it ain’t gonna happen!
Howard F. Sosbee 1400 Weston Ridge Road Scotts Valley CA, 95066 831, 335, 8401 hfs@sosbee.com <mailto:hfs@sosbee.com>

The longer Trump occupies the Presidency, the more the country is exposed to the risk of his strange response to whatever serious crisis comes along. We know some such crisis will occur; we just don’t know what, when, or who will be involved, or how the Donald will react. The smartest thing to do, of course, is to get him out of there while we have the chance before the big boo-boo occurs.
PerhapsHoward F. Sosbee 1400 Weston Ridge Road Scotts Valley CA, 95066 831, 335, 8401 hfs@sosbee.com <mailto:hfs@sosbee.com>

If the Democrats don’t accomplish another single thing this session, they must, absolutely, enact a bullet- proof voting rights law!. This should be done on two fronts: legislative, where an all- inclusive law would make it a Federal crime to suppress the vote in any way, directly or indirectly. The House should get this law passed and on to the Senate immediately, not sooner or later, immediately. There is no legislation more necessary to the survival of our constitutional democracy than that which protects and guarantees the voting right of all citizens, especially the poor and minorities among us. As long as Democrats can maintain some clout or control in Congress, (forget SCOTUS, it is already stacked in Republicans’ favor) it should be possible to protect the law from Republicans or “legislation from the bench” (such as the way SCOTUS gutted the voting rights act of 1968). But legislation, alone, is not enough. We must amend the Constitution to prevent future skin-head-type legislators from sneaking in suppression tactics, such as they are trying right now in various jurisdictions which they control. The amendment should read something like this: “It shall be a federal crime, punishable by imprisonment and fine, for any person or institution to take any action, direct or inshdirect, that will have the intent or the effect of suppressing the vote in a national election.” The first 10 amendments to the Constitution are generally referred to as the “Bill of Rights.” This amendment would be the most important right of all.
Howard F. Sosbee 1400 Weston Ridge Road Scotts Valley CA, 95066 831, 335, 8401 hfs@sosbee.com <mailto:hfs@sosbee.com>

So much talk in California about the need for change. This is crazy talk. California Democrats already have perhaps the most effective leader of any political party in the country, and certainly the most effective ever in California. Nancy Pelosi will do her job quietly, while potential leaders with enough of what it takes will gradually percolate to the top. In the meantime, we do not need the distraction of an election, and a “learn it on the job” training period for a new leader. Democrats need to hit the ground running. There is way too much to do to be wasting time on internal politics.

Howard F. Sosbee 1400 Weston Ridge Road Scotts Valley CA, 95066 831, 335, 8401 hfs@sosbee.com