New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio Celebrates Suspending 9,000 Non-Compliant Municipal Workers Due to Vaccine Mandate


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on November 1, 2021 | Sundance | 134 Comments

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio took a victory lap today in celebration of losing 9,000 municipal workers and first responders as the deadline for taking the mandatory vaccination has lapsed. More than 2,000 of the city’s 11,000 uniformed firefighters have taken sick days in the week leading up to the mandate going into effect.

“New York City’s fire department is lagging behind its fellow city agencies on vaccinations, with the mayor confirming at a press conference that the fire department had the lowest vaccination rate of select city agencies, at 77 percent as of Monday.” (read more)

Judge Blocks Chicago Police Vaccination Mandate, Deadline for End of Year Vaccination Removed


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on November 1, 2021 | Sundance | 70 Comments

A major win for police union members in the Chicago area.   Citing an irrevocable harm that has no possibility for reversal if enacted, a judge has blocked the City of Chicago from enforcing a vaccine mandate for unionized police members.

CHICAGO – “A Cook County judge on Monday suspended the city of Chicago’s policy requiring that all of its police officers be vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of the year.

The ruling is a major victory for police unions, who have held that the city’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate violates their collective bargaining agreements. Judge Raymond Mitchell ruled Monday that the mandate should be halted for police officers until those complaints can be settled in arbitration.

…[T]he judge said there would be no possible remedy after the mandatory deadline if the policy was ultimately found to violate the collective bargaining agreements.

“If every union member complied and was vaccinated by December 31 … they would have no grievance to pursue and there would be no remedy an arbitrator could award,” the judge wrote in his order. “An award of back pay or reinstatement cannot undo a vaccine. Nothing can.” (read more)

HERE’S THE MOVE – Joe Manchin Says NO DEAL, Pass the Preexisting Bipartisan Infrastructure Bill, and Then Give Details on the BBB Social Spending Deal


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on November 1, 2021 | Sundance | 282 Comments

West Virginia Senator Joe Manchin held a press conference moments ago to say he’s done with the insufferable chicanery within the legislative social spending bill, also called the “human infrastructure bill” or Biden’s “build back better” bill, or the “reconciliation bill”.

Nancy Pelosi has been sitting on the previously passed $1.5 trillion infrastructure bill that was passed by the House and Senate {Go Deep} but has refused to allow a vote until a bigger social spending bill -constructed using the reconciliation process to radically change the U.S. by the AOC radical communists in congress- can be attached.  For months the debate over how far the communists can push the social spending package has been argued and debated, today Joe Manchin tapped out.

Manchin has done today what he was always likely to do, and two issues triggered today as his moment.  The cherry in his construct is Biden’s current location. WATCH:

Now, let’s get to the politics of why Manchin is making his move….

It is not coincidental that Manchin makes this statement today, as the NBC poll showing massive drops in support for Joe Biden is being discussed widely.  Manchin knows he is sitting in a spotlight of an inflection point; Manchin is politically astute and cunning to the ways of politics.  Manchin comes across as meek and mild-tempered, a man of reasonable disposition… but that doesn’t accurately portray his cunning.  This is his chance to make a big move.

Senator Joe Manchin also knows that Democrats are going to implode as the Obama allied communist puppet masters behind Biden have a one term agenda to exploit their control over the dementia patient currently occupying the White House.  Manchin knows the collapse of the Democrat Party is his opportunity; he also knows THE REALITY behind the released Marist Poll [data here] showing a majority of non-communist Democrats want nothing to do with the senile occupant of the White House.

Manchin is making a BIG club move by positioning himself as reasonable right now.

Manchin is testing his strength against the strength of Nancy Pelosi.

Manchin will likely be the #1 contender in 2024, he knows it.

Manchin is cunning.

Manchin is not only reaching out to ‘moderate’ registered Democrats….

Manchin is reaching the minds of registered Republicans

Manchin is a very worthy adversary…

At 1:00am on August 25th, Nancy Pelosi and House Democrats came to an agreement on a massive spending proposal.  The Senate previously passed a $1.5 trillion “infrastructure” bill, and a group of 9 House moderates -led by Josh Gottheimer- wanted to see it pass.  However, the far-left progressive caucus wanted their $3.5 trillion spending package which includes Green New Deal spending passed as part of the total budget agenda.

Representative Gottheimer’s group did not concur with the House $3.5 trillion spending proposal and saw no way for it to pass the Senate.

An internal deal was struck amid the Democrats for Gottheimer’s coalition to agree to advance a rules change with two conditions on that August 25th late night discussion {GO DEEP}:

(1) Pelosi would have to promise to bring the $1.5 infrastructure bill to a vote on September 27th; and (2) Any larger GND/”Human Infrastructure” bill  ($3.5 spending package) would need to be structured to pass the Senate.

Again, back on August 25th, the ‘moderate’ Marxists (for lack of a better term) could see that AOC’s progressive caucus spending bill was unlikely to pass the Senate in its current form.   To get the Gottheimer group on board, House Speaker Pelosi agreed to the two conditions, as negotiated.  To appease the AOC nuts, everyone agreed to tie both the $1.5 trillion infrastructure and the $3.5 trillion spending boondoggle together.

Fast forward through the next eight weeks. The Senate struggled to come to any agreement, as Senator Manchin (WV) and Senator Sinema (AZ), along with others, balked at the insufferable nature of the $3.5 trillion radical change blueprint that would remake the entire U.S. economy and end up with a massive $5+ trillion deficit.

Because the second point in Gottheimer’s deal (House bill must be able to pass the Senate) was not met, the entire process came unraveled.   Pelosi reneged on the promise to bring the $1.5 trillion infrastructure bill to a vote on September 27th.  As the deadline passed, Pelosi tried to save face -en process- by saying the vote would be likely on Friday October 1st, that never happened.  Deadlines came and went without progress.

With public support for the office of the President collapsing at an astounding rate, Joe Biden attempted to insert himself and his weak-sauce leverage at the last minute.  It didn’t help.   The $3.5 trillion spending priority quickly turned into a dead fish, rotting in blueprint outline form without ever making it to ‘reconciliation’ legislative language.

Today, Joe Manchin moved to put Nancy Pelosi and the communists in check.

Manchin has the support of the House Democrats and House Republicans but not the communists or AOC.

Knight took queen off the board….

Like a fox…

G20 Mickey Mouse Club


Armstrong Economics Blog/Vaccine Re-Posted Nov 1, 2021 by Martin Armstrong

Harvard Business School, which has a virtual 100% vaccinated obedient staff raising serious questions about hiring people who do not question government, had to shut because of rampant COVID outbreak. Bon Jovi, also 100% vaccinated, had to cancel his tour after testing positive for COVID. Then our favorite cheerleader of propaganda, Psaki, also fully vaccinated, now has COVID. Sources are saying that 25% of White House staff have COVID. Now Gates & Big Pharma are telling the vaccinated to get the boosters. This will NEVER end!

Then Canada’s contribution to the world of stupid political heads of state, the fabulous Trudeau, told the G20 he would donate $200 million in vaccines to the rest of the world. Sources at the summit said they were actually buying Gates’ BS that vaccinating the entire world will eliminate COVID. The level of stupidity here is off the charts. The Toronto Zoo is even vaccinating its animals against COVID. Anyone who ever went to health class in high school should have learned that viruses that coexist in animals can never be cured. They have a major reservoir to mutate and that is COVID’s longevity. This entire panic Gates and Big Pharma have created will propel Gates to become the richest man in world history. They stand to make $100 billion next year alone and they are already pushing that you will need vaccines every 6 to 8 months to retain freedom.

At this point, I think my dog is smarter than these world leaders in the room at G20. They should call it the G20 Mickey Mouse Club. My family got COVID and survived. I probably had it, was short of breath walking up and downstairs, but tested negative five times and the head of Tampa hospital said I probably had COVID because the tests were invalid. A second doctor said the same thing. I survived.

Denying liberty to the unvaccinated is discrimination when even the vaccinated can still get it and spread it all by themselves.

Abbott & Costello’s famous skit “Who’s on First Base.” Updated to COVID:


Bud: ‘You can’t come in here!’

Lou: ‘Why not?’

Bud: ‘Well because you’re unvaccinated.’

Lou: ‘But I’m not sick.’

Bud: ‘It doesn’t matter.’

Lou: ‘Well, why does that guy get to go in?’

Bud: ‘Because he’s vaccinated.’

Lou: ‘But he’s sick!’

Bud: ‘It’s alright. Everyone in here is vaccinated.’

Lou: ‘Wait a minute. Are you saying everyone in there is vaccinated?’

Bud: ‘Yes.’

Lou: ‘So then why can’t I go in there if everyone is vaccinated?’

Bud: ‘Because you’ll make them sick.’

Lou: ‘How will I make them sick if I’m NOT sick and they’re vaccinated.’

Bud: ‘Because you’re unvaccinated.’

Lou: ‘But they’re vaccinated.’

Bud: ‘But they can still get sick.’

Lou: ‘So what the heck does the vaccine do?’

Bud: ‘It vaccinates.’

Lou: ‘So vaccinated people can’t spread covid?’

Bud: ‘Oh no. They can spread covid just as easily as an unvaccinated person.’

Lou: ‘I don’t even know what I’m saying anymore. Look. I’m not sick.

Bud: ‘Ok.’

Lou: ‘And the guy you let in IS sick.’

Bud: ‘That’s right.’

Lou: ‘And everybody in there can still get sick even though they’re vaccinated.’

Bud: ‘Certainly.’

Lou: ‘So why can’t I go in again?’

Bud: ‘Because you’re unvaccinated.’

Lou: ‘I’m not asking who’s vaccinated or not!’

Bud: ‘I’m just telling you how it is.’

Lou: ‘Nevermind. I’ll just put on my mask.’

Bud: ‘That’s fine.’

Lou: ‘Now I can go in?’

Bud: ‘Absolutely not?’

Lou: ‘But I have a mask!’

Bud: ‘Doesn’t matter.’

Lou: ‘I was able to come in here yesterday with a mask.’

Bud: ‘I know.’

Lou: So why can’t I come in here today with a mask? ….If you say ‘because I’m unvaccinated’ again, I’ll break your arm.’

Bud: ‘Take it easy buddy.’

Lou: ‘So the mask is no good anymore.’

Bud: ‘No, it’s still good.’

Lou: ‘But I can’t come in?’

Bud: ‘Correct.’

Lou: ‘Why not?’

Bud: ‘Because you’re unvaccinated.’

Lou: ‘But the mask prevents the germs from getting out.’

Bud: ‘Yes, but people can still catch your germs.’

Lou: ‘But they’re all vaccinated.’

Bud: ‘Yes, but they can still get sick.’

Lou: ‘But I’m not sick!!’

Bud: ‘You can still get them sick.’

Lou: ‘So then masks don’t work!’

Bud: ‘Masks work quite well.’

Lou: ‘So how in the heck can I get vaccinated people sick if I’m not sick and masks work?’

Bud: ‘Third base.

Child Hospitalized After Pfizer Vaccine Trial


Armstrong Economics Blog/Disease Re-Posted Nov 1, 2021 by Martin Armstrong

The following is a heartbreaking phone call between the parents of a 12-year-old girl who is now on a feeding tube following a Pfizer vaccination trial. Patrick and Stephanie de Garay claim their 12-year-old urged them to enroll her in the experiment. Why a parent would allow their child to be used as a lab rat is beyond logic. They sound fairly calm for the parents of a young girl who is suffering tremendously. The doctor in this phone call also seems unphased.“She cannot walk, she cannot pee, she cannot go to the bathroom, she has anxiety now,” the girl’s mother stated. “One in a thousand is a lot,” the mother continued, noting that, obviously, no child should experience this reaction. The doctor, Dr. Robert Frenck, said he “feels bad,” but knows that there is nothing he can do. They do not know what caused the adverse reaction. Toward the end of the call, the doctor asked if the parents would like to know whether their daughter received the placebo vaccine, and I think the answer is clear. A study reported that child mortality due to COVID-19 is “extremely rare,” and well under one in a thousand (0.10%).

Spending 0.7% Global GDP on Climate Change


Armstrong Economics Blog/Climate Re-Posted Nov 1, 2021 by Martin Armstrong

The current flooding in Glasgow, Scotland, aligns with cyclical weather patterns. Of course, climate change alarmists are causing shockwaves of panic throughout the media. As you can see from the images above, fears regarding the weather have prevailed throughout time. The heavy rain is occurring days prior to the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) and the media is using it as an opportunity to point to why more funding is necessary. The meeting was canceled last year due to COVID, but their agenda remains the same. Every developed country is expected to pay $100 billion to combat cyclical weather patterns in developing countries.

On the conference website, they explain precisely how they plan to finance their agenda:

Ahead of COP26, we must work to unleash the trillions in private finance that are needed to power us towards net zero by the middle of the century. 

To do this, every financial decision needs to take climate into account: 

  1. This includes all private investment decisions, but also all spending decisions that countries and international financial institutions are making as they roll out stimulus packages to rebuild economies from the pandemic.
  2. Companies need to be transparent about the risks and opportunities that climate change, and the shift to a net zero economy pose to their business. 
  3. Central banks and regulators need to make sure that our financial systems can withstand the impacts of climate change and support the transition to net zero.
  4. Banks, insurers, investors and other financial firms need to commit to ensuring their investments and lending is aligned with net zero.

This is part of the new world order. They expect all central banks, financial institutions, investors, and basically all moneychangers to agree to their plan. Where will this money go? Will they throw it at the sun in hopes of providing some shade? Only so much can be spent on green infrastructure. “The world is currently not on track to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. The targets announced in Paris would result in warming well above 3 degrees by 2100 compared to pre-industrial levels,” the COP website states. “If we continue as we are, temperatures will carry on rising, bringing even more catastrophic flooding, bush fires, extreme weather, and destruction of species.”

A non-profit group called the Climate Policy Initiative estimates that climate-related finance amounted to $632 billion per year between 2019 and 2020, accounting for 0.7% of the world’s GDP, but they are asking for significantly more money. Even wealthy nations cannot afford to spend this amount on a project that will fail from the outset. Yet, the theme of this year’s event will be shaming rich nations for not meeting their $100 billion obligations and paying their “fair share” as they tinker on the brink of recession. We can cut down on pollution and other things of that nature, but we cannot prevent the next flood or extreme weather event. It is asinine to believe that we can play God and change the weather cycle.

Chaos of the 2022 Elections on the Horizon


Armstrong Economics Blog/Politics Re-Posted Nov 1, 2021 by Martin Armstrong

QUESTION: Hello! Wondering if the “Panic Cycles” surrounding the 2022 and 2024 elections are going to take place due to the hackable computerized voting machines in use all across the country? What’s to stop the evildoers from stealing these elections just as 2020 was stolen? I was a precinct captain in So Cal in 1998, back when we had those fantastic “slider punch” machines with paper ballots, and it seems like the results were harder to steal back then. Also, we got our results by 11 PM the same day. Thank you for everything you do!!!

CJ

ANSWER: It appears that there will be serious questions over the elections. Besides these machines being deeply in question, the plot thickens with the Biden Administration planning to increase voter eligibility by up to 10% by granting status to illegal aliens. If that actually takes place, we are indeed at the edge contemplating just jumping and ending the America we once knew. It will be more than just: Let’s Go, Brandon, where 4 out of 10 of the top songs are anti-Biden.

Companies Warn Biden Administration They May Need to Drop Fed Contractor Status Because Workers Will Not Comply With Vaccine Mandate, Meanwhile American Airlines Cancels 1,700 Flights This Weekend


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on October 31, 2021 | Sundance | 224 Comments

As we have continued to point out, a federal vaccine mandate might sound like a good idea on a think tank, academic or white-paper policy level of consideration; but on a practical level, wiping out a large percentage of your most productive workforce over a vaccine mandate is unworkable, and might even end the operation of the entire business.

That is the message today within an article written by Politico about several large federal contractor companies warning the White House they may need to drop their federal contracts because they simply will not be able to continue business operations if they lose their unvaccinated workforce on December 8th.

Thus the power of the blue-collar workforce is being recognized:

WASHINGTON DC – Objections among certain vendors over President Joe Biden’s vaccine mandate for federal contractors are reaching an inflection point. As the deadline for workforce vaccination approaches, some trucking companies are mulling whether to end their work with the federal government altogether, according to two industry insiders.

In an interview, the American Trucking Associations’ executive vice president for advocacy Bill Sullivan told POLITICO that some companies may simply decide that the cost of the mandate is not worth the government’s checks. Sullivan said he has raised concerns to the White House, Office of Management and Budget and other executive branch officials. He noted that if companies drop their contracts, it may be harder to get certain foods to troops, transport fuel for military vehicles, or even deploy the National Guard.

[…] interviews with more than a dozen industry advocates across the aerospace, distribution, defense and trucking sectors — some of whom have also been in discussions with administration officials — reveal they either have little confidence they will be able to meet the Dec. 8 deadline for their workers to receive their first vaccine shot or expressed concerns about difficulties the mandate would pose on their labor force.

The White House has repeatedly insisted — both in private meetings and publicly — that the federal contractors can avoid potential service disruptions during the holiday season. (read more)

The reaction from the Biden administration is laughable.  As you would expect from a wonk-minded bureaucratic outlook, their solution is to put the employees into intensive reeducation camps saying the companies “must begin counseling them on the vaccine’s benefits and the ramifications for noncompliance.”

It is important to note the recent NBC poll on this issue amid the outlook of the vaccine mandates.  A majority of the country do not support the vaccine mandates, and worse still, the number of unvaccinated workers is essentially unwavering in the past six weeks {poll data}.  Remember, the number of Americans who willingly quit their jobs increased to 4.3 million in August {link}. People are not f**king around now.

{DATA LINK}

The number of cumulative hard “NO’s” has gone from 26 percent in August, to 27 percent now.

We are down to the hardened group, an educated and solid bunch of people who use common sense, and they are not going to take the forced vaccination.   In quantifiable terms, the increased pressure to force the jab into the arms of the American workforce has now crossed into “the law of diminishing returns.”  More government pressure ain’t going to yield the previous level of compliance.   This threshold crossed is also quantifiable in the 4.3 million Americans who quit working (242,000 of them in August alone).

There are 205 million legally eligible U.S. workers between 15 and 74-years-old (census figures) with a workforce participation rate of 61% (BLS figures) which would equal 125 million legally eligible workers.   However, the Bureau of Labor Statistics puts the number of working Americans at 161 million workers (BLS figures).  The majority of the difference between the two figures are most likely illegal alien workers (yeah, lots of them).

Approximately 40 percent of the eligible population are not working.  Some people are single family income (wives or husbands who don’t work), and some are just people who choose not to work, cannot work or have not yet started to work (college etc).  With somewhere between 125 million and 161 million workers doing the jobs that keep the country functioning, there are also approximately 10 million unfilled job openings.

According to the most recent statement from Joe Biden on October 14th: “We’re down to 66 million — it’s still an unacceptably high number — of unvaccinated people from almost 100 million in July.”  Approximately 60 million of those are within the current U.S. workforce.

If we split the difference (census -vs- BLS) and take the mid-point at 140 million workers, then 60 million workers refusing the vaccine mandate represents about 40 percent of the entire population of eligible workers.  Put another way, in the best case scenario, if 60 million people quit working or were fired, the national unemployment rate would be at least 35% !

What we call the United States doesn’t function with 35% unemployment; systems of commerce start to collapse, then government, then civil society.

The U.S. economy is currently functioning with 5% unemployment and 10 million unfilled jobs.

Just imagine the economic impact of 35% unemployment and 70 million unfilled jobs.

Keep in mind, the vast majority of those 60 million jobs are the productive workforce that keep the entire machine of the U.S. functioning.

This is the workforce that keeps the goods moving, the lights on, garbage picked up, streets safe, shelves stocked, stuff fixed and facilitates everything that makes the entire system of society function.

It is the force of this crew or hard core, dirty fingernail, no-nonsense workers that is pushing those federal contractor companies to contact the administration and tell them this mandate is not going to work for them.   If the companies have to choose between losing their ability to contract with the federal government, or losing the most critical part of their workforce, well, they ain’t going to stick with Biden’s mandate.

There ain’t no way in heck that government or private industry can function with tens of millions of Americans in the workforce getting forcibly removed for refusing the vaccine.   I believe that is why you are now hearing from companies saying they will not fire the unvaccinated workers (ex Delta Airlines).

Pontificating leftists and academics, without a bit of sense for what actually happens in the Main Street economy, have no concept of what it looks like if ten million people quit or are fired from working next month…. let alone five times that many. Bottom line: THIS IS A NON-ENFORCEABLE MANDATE, even if they wanted to do it.

The power of the American workforce is in the scale of dependency each person brings to the system when they are united.  It might seem like a few thousand here/there, because that’s the way the media are framing it. However, if you add up all those few thousands together, you end up with millions.

As we previously outlined, this is not about vaccines per se’, this is more about a slippery slope of having the government dictate how you can live your life and earn a living.

If they can force us to have a medical procedure, and then carry documentation of that procedure in order to work… why can’t they force us to get a small electronic implant of our identification, which would coincidentally include your medical authorizations for work?

It’s just a metal detector…. it’s just taking off your shoes… it’s just wearing a mask…. it’s just a vaccination….. it’s just a COVID passport… it’s always, “just”.

Factually, at the end of all this, I still do not believe a federal mandate for a vaccine is even possible or legal. It appears to me that all of Biden’s threats in this regard are simply that, threats.

The purpose of the threat is to push people to take the vaccine without actually attempting a legal federal mandate; and that approach so far has been successful.  However, now they are going to encounter the more hard-core groups who will not concede liberty or freedom to a federal mandate.

It is obvious Anthony Fauci also knows a federal vaccine mandate on the private sector will lose in court when challenged.  The fact that Fauci brings up state vaccination requirements for education as examples of historically forced vaccinations is both a strawman argument and structurally false.  There has never been a FEDERAL mandate for any vaccination.  All the vaccinations Fauci discusses (ex. his kids) were state mandates.  Each state also has a different set of standards and laws for children and vaccines.  There is nothing federal.

The federal government is attempting to set up a federal work authorization standard for private businesses.  Non-compliance means you cannot work, or you lose your existing job if your employer goes along with the government demand. THAT alone should alarm everyone.

There is a particularly enraging irony in that Joe Biden’s federal DOJ and Dept of Labor do not enforce employment eligibility authorization for illegal aliens based on legal status, while at the same time the Biden Dept. of Labor is putting OSHA in charge of a federal policy that will enforce vaccination requirements.  Go figure.

All of the federal exemptions essentially undermine the “national health emergency” argument, because if there really was such a public health emergency, there would be no exemptions at all.   The application of the executive order undermines the actual cornerstone of the executive order itself.   It cannot withstand scrutiny…. hence, Biden doesn’t actually put any rules or regulations into writing because that gives lawsuits something specific to file injunctions against.

In the interim, as the freedom coalition digs in to mount a patriotic challenge, the authoritarian attempt of the federal government, the rebellious alliance is hitting back in unique ways as noted by the Southwest Airline pilots and Air Traffic Controllers, both groups hold a significant military service record.  As noted, this weekend American Airlines was forced to cancel 1,700 flights due to staffing issues:

NPR […] American Airlines cancelled more than 1,700 flights over Halloween weekend, including more than 800 on Sunday alone, due to weather and staff shortages, the company said. […]   American Airlines says that 343 were cancelled on Friday, followed by another 548 cancellations on Saturday. Most of the cancelled flights were coming to and from the airline’s main hub in Dallas/Fort Worth, as well as in Charlotte, N.C.

[…] In a letter to staff sent out Saturday, the company’s chief operating officer, David Seymour, said the company “proactively” cancelled flights on Sunday because of severe winds in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and a shortage of crews.  (read more)

Another group who are pushing back against the federal effort are local law enforcement and firefighters.  Again, another private sector group that has a heavy percentage of former military service members amid the ranks.

The blue-collar effort to bolster the resistance by these groups does not have to be too massive to have an impact.  Remember, almost all of these leftists and elite minded communists who now operate as Democrats have no capacity for self-sufficiency.   If the working class stops picking up their trash; stops mowing their lawns, shopping for them, doing their cleaning and essentially facilitating their lives, this entire group of scholastic-minded knuckleheads cannot function.

From a commonsense and logistical perspective, regardless of the federal outlook, there’s no way they can pull it off.  We are the quiet, and according to those who look down their noses – the “invisible” unwashed masses.  However, when it comes to keeping the gears turning, we are the majority.

We keep their shit working and just want to be left alone.   The system will not function if tens-of-millions of American workers stand united against the vaccine mandate. It really is that simple.

Sunday Talks, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg Says West Coast Port Backlog Unlikely to Be Resolved Until Every American is Vaccinated


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on October 31, 2021 | Sundance | 292 Comments

Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg appeared on the DC narrative shaping program hosted by swamp gatekeeper Chris Wallace.  Within the interview Buttigieg was questioned about why West Coast port backups are worse now than before the White House announced their solution to operate ports 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Buttigieg proclaimed the ports are being impacted by the pandemic, and ships stuck in China are the reason why ships are sitting off the coast of California.   Yeah, try to square that circular logic.  LOL.  The scale of incompetence, even in common sense politispeak, is off the charts.  The illogical statements by this guy are legendary; however, he outdid himself today.

Eventually Pete weaves his way through fourteen nonsensical catch phrases to get to a point where he proclaims nothing in the supply chain will start being more efficient until everyone is vaccinated.  And yes, it appears that he is so stuck in pretzel-speak, Buttigieg actually believes that.

All of that said, I wouldn’t post this for review if it wasn’t for the ‘hard-hitting‘ segment from Wallace that comes right after.  You just gotta watch (prompted):

The southern border is in crisis, food inflation is skyrocketing, transportation and logistical supply chains are a mess because of emissions and regulation, store shelves are empty, gasoline is ridiculously expensive, the blue-collar working class is getting crushed, the vaccination mandate is wreaking havoc on jobs, airlines and employment for first responders, overall national anxiety is at a high point, the economy is in a free-fall and two-thirds of all Americans now say the administration is incompetent.  Along comes Chris Wallace with the hard-hitting question about what Pete and his husband are doing with their twins for Halloween.

Lets Go Brandon !

As noted, and as previously outlined, the issues with the backlog of the California ports have absolutely nothing to do with rapid unloading of ships and container vessels.  The issue is the inability of California truckers to move those containers.  The problem is a shortage of CA emission compliant internal transportation trucks to move the containers out of the port and into the U.S. mainland.

As a result… the politically expedient goal to get rid of the optical problem (the ships) by offloading containers into a California port system, that is already overwhelmed with tens-of-thousands of containers, is only making the original issue exponentially worse.  More people are now starting to understand the internal issue that has been created by recent California laws, rules and regulations.

Daniel Greenfield at Front Page Magazine has a solid outline of the emission compliance issues and the problem of independent truckers not being able to work in California:

Front Page Magazine – […] Over the summer, the California Trucking Association actually went to the Supreme Court to fight AB5 and allow owners and operators to use independent contractors. The CTA listed 70,000 owner operators. In the years since AB5, Ubers have become scarcer and more expensive, which is what the law was actually designed to do, but the consequences to the trucking industry have been far worse albeit invisible to most people until now. While truckers are still protected from AB5, many in the industry are not willing to bet their future on SCOTUS.

AB5 was not only the assault on the trucking industry by California Democrats who were aggressively trying to unionize the industry and to impose environmental regulations on it.

Last year, the California Air Resources Board issued a press release boasting that it had taken a “bold step to reduce truck pollution”. The bold step required switching to electric trucks.

“We are showing the world that we can move goods, grow our economy and finally dump dirty diesel,” Jared Blumenfeld, California’s Secretary for Environmental Protection, sneered.

[…] Last year, California’s DMV began refusing to register thousands of trucks with an estimated 100,000 trucks under threat. With “green” trucks costing $70,000 more, this was a non-starter for already troubled independent owner-operators and even larger companies.

[…] Biden called for ports to operate around the clock, but that’s not going to magically bring back thousands of trucks or truckers. California Democrats still haven’t changed their regulations and without that, there’s no incentive or even legal structure that would allow trucks to operate. (read more)

White House Spokesperson Jen Psaki Announces She Has Tested Positive For COVID


Posted originally on the conservative tree house on October 31, 2021 | Sundance | 275 Comments

Posted without comment… (source)