It’s the end of the week and everyone wants to go home because next week is going to be a lulu. As the kids say, it’s going to be off the chain. So, let’s get this wrapped up.
So probably the most important news in the past 24 was President-Elect Joe Biden’s announcement of his sweeping $1.9 trillion COVID-19 stimulus/survival package. While there are some folks not completely pleased, and we’ll get to that in a bit, them that know are saying it’s a pretty decent deal, all things considered.
For one, it will extend the federal unemployment benefits that were set to run out come March. The new plan has them running through September and increases the weekly allotment from $300 to $400. There will also be money put into SNAP programs as well as expanded paid leave, particularly for working parents. The eviction and foreclosure moratoriums will be extended to September along with rental assistance for struggling workers.
There are also plans for $35 billion for low-interest loans along with $15 billion earmarked for small businesses with particular emphasis on businesses owned by women and people of color. Hopefully, that’ll be a little tighter run than the last batch of cash which went overwhelmingly to individuals who did not need it, suffice to say. Another $350 will be directed to cash-strapped state and local governments, including $20 for tribal governments. That’s sticking in the GOP’s craw big time.
Fully half of the package is geared towards fighting COVID-19. We’re up to 23 million cases and closing in on 400,000 deaths with the vaccine rollout stumbling a bit, to be generous. Biden’s looking to have 100 million vaccinated in his first 100 days and $160 billion dedicated to that cause. Good luck with that, as many are saying the incompetence of the Trump Administration will make that a tough row to hoe.
One of the more stunning and bold aspects is a plan to raise the federal minimum wage to $15, something people have been scrambling for since the late ’90s. That’s the last time the minimum wage was raised and in no state in the union can a 40 hour week on minimum wage pay the rent. With this raise, however, people on minimum wage would bring in $32,100 a year for a full work week and that’s almost livable. There is a lot of grousing about raising the minimum wage, most of it in bad faith by people who’d love to see workers paid nothing for their labor, and this has been a keystone argument from the Bernie Sanders side of the Democratic Party. Big news.
Finally, the package has money geared for the next round of direct payments and that’s what’s hanging folks up. Right now, it’s worth $1,400 on top of the $600 pledged by the last plan coming in at two grand. Some folks are saying this is a betrayal of promise in that we were told it’d be $2,000 right out of the gate. Other folks are saying, hey, we said two grand and two grand’s what you’re getting. The rest of the package is fantastic and will help more poor and working-class people, the ones who’re really backed up against the wall, or so goes the claim.
Me? As in all things political, I say “money talks and bullshit walks.” Biden has to get this through Congress, and while the make-up of the Legislative Branch is friendlier than it was, Republicans are already yowling about how this is outright communism and poor people should just be thankful the rich don’t hunt them for sport. In any event, we’ll hold judgment until it goes through the Congressional meat grinder and what remains is spat out the other side. That’s politics, baby.
In less pleasant news, Washington D.C. is bracing for massive amounts of stupidity come Wednesday and Biden’s inauguration. With a record-low approval rating at 29%, Trump is planning on splitting town that morning but wants him a military-style going away parade. Sure. Still, the FBI and other law enforcement groups continue to make arrests of the folks who sieged the Capitol and were dumb enough to post it on social media. More information is coming in that groups within the rioters had plans to execute “disloyal” Congress critters and VP Mike Pence.
Right now, D.C. is host to over 100,000 troops from National Guard regiments all over the country because that’s how a sane country acts. No one, unfortunately, thinks the Trumpists will realize that they’re the baddies and behave themselves. Indeed, Airbnb, hotels, and the various airlines servicing the Nation’s Capital are looking at closing down access so the loons who aren’t getting the message can’t find a place to change into their designer insurrection wear.
In lighter news, the National Rifle Association has announced it will declare bankruptcy and move its national headquarters from New York to Texas to restructure the organization. The political lobbying group from gun manufacturers (and no one else) has had a rough year, bleeding members and losing the NRATV deal. They’ve also been wracked with financial scandals, everything from not paying employees to spending millions of the hair and make-up of Wayne LaPierre’s wife. The former chairman also assured himself a $17 million post-employment contract for himself because that was necessary.
The organization is claiming between $100 million and $500 million in assets and claiming liabilities from $100 million to $500 million, including millions owed to creditors and sponsors. New York’s Attorney General Letitia James filed suit last August to dissolve the organization, alleging they spent upwards of $46 million on private planes for lavish trips and loyalty bonuses to former employees, for some reason. She says a move to Texas won’t allow them to “evade accountability or oversight.”
Thoughts and prayers, naturally.
Dear Y'all 