AZ Gov "Steals" $95 Million and MT Greene Wants to Arm Insurrectionists
Golden Globes Continue to Suck, GOP Wants to Ban Porn and Libraries, Elon Musk Godzillas the World, and More
Lots of interesting stories here. I’m intrigued by how many people complain about the abuses of the government, but seem fine when Gov. Ducey of Arizona and Gov. DeSantis of Florida use taxpayers’ money for boondoggles that reap no practical benefit—except to promote their political careers. It’s Three-card Monte with their citizens grinning dopily as their money is taken.
There’s a lot more, but I especially want you watch the video of Hansel Emmanuel dunking the ball. You’ll remember that for a long time.
Politics: Basically Stealing from His State for his Own Career
Arizona governor builds border wall of shipping crates in final days of office (The Guardian)
SUMMARY: “A makeshift new barrier built with shipping containers is being illegally erected along part of the US-Mexico border by Arizona’s Republican governor – before he has to hand over the keys of his office to his Democratic successor in January.
“Doug Ducey is driving a project that is placing double-stacked old shipping containers through several miles of national forest, attempting to fill gaps in Donald Trump’s intermittent border fencing.
The rusting hulks, topped with razor wire and with bits of metal jammed into gaps, stretch for more than three miles through Coronado national forest land, south of Tucson, and the governor has announced plans to extend that up to 10 miles, at a cost of $95m (£78m).”
MY TAKE: Oh, Arizona, you’ve just spent $95 million on an illegal and ugly wall that pretty much anyone can get over or through. But the point wasn’t to actually keep people out, it was to look like you were keeping people out. Because of term limits, Ducey could not run again for governor, but he clearly wants to launch his political future as a Donald Trump clone. And Arizonians footed the bill for this grand gesture of self-promotion.
They are illegally built on federal land, they interfere with firefighting, they are threat to endangered species, and the 70 wildlife cameras focused on this area rarely see any migrants crossing there. No evidence was presented to prove this wall would be of any benefit—except to Ducey’s political career.
Not only has the newly elected governor Democrat Katie Hobbs promised to remove the “wall,” but the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Arizona over the containers. Removing them will cost even more money, which Arizonians will have to pay. Remember that fiscal responsibility in case someone drops a Ducey in the political waters in the future.
IN RELATED NEWS: “Florida governor seeks grand jury investigation into Covid vaccines”
SUMMARY: “The Florida governor, Ron DeSantis, said on Tuesday he will petition the state supreme court to convene a grand jury to investigate “any and all wrongdoing” with respect to Covid-19 vaccines.”
MY TAKE: Does anyone think he will find serious or deliberate wrongdoing? This is a politician trying to pad his culture-war resume prior to running for president. He knows it doesn’t matter whether or not they find anything significant (just as Musk’s hyped “Twitter Files” revealed very little not already known). Like the Arizona governor, DeSantis is buying publicity—and he’s paying for it with taxpayers’ money.