BLUE SLAVES

Mandatory police overtime is supposed to be for REAL emergencies, like earthquakes and riots.

In San Jose, mandatory police overtime is currently required because of the incompetence of the current and past city administrations.

Sometimes winning can cause a lifetime of losing. Chuck Reed was really pleased that he got 70% of the voters to agree to take pension benefits away from young police officers.

This "win" has caused the number of police officers willing to work for San Jose to go down past what the city needs to staff the police department.

Now the city refuses to hire officers from other jurisdictions, but just wants to make the current officers work longer hours.

I knew a disabled Palo Alto emergency operator who contended that Palo Alto had a long term policy of forcing 911 operators to regularly work overtime.

I do not want the work of policing to be done by tired, stressed out officers who are not allowed a normal family life.

I understand that sometimes public safety officers MUST work mandatory overtime. But an emergency should be a real emergency.

If you define political stupidity as an emergency, then emergencies will never end.

MOUSE MOTIVATIONS

Scientists have accused MICE ON MARIJUANA of being lazy, because the mice would only go through a maze for ONE sugar. SOBER mice go for TWO sugars. 

This shows real prejudice. I believe the stoned mice knew that sugar was bad for their bodies.

I have always wanted fresh, organic food when I use medical marijuana. I will eat less, but better tasting dessert. 

So you have the mouse motivation wrong. The study proves that marijuana cuts down on the desire for sugar.

BTW, if you want to know what Republicans are up to, you need to look at their accusations against Democrats.

Republicans use charities for political purposes. So they accuse Democrats of using charities for political purposes.

It should be noted that the Clinton Foundation actually does good work in Africa. Many Republican charities are used for spreading the PROPAGANDA OF DISDAIN for the poor, the disabled, and the sick.

Some Republicans are in favor of racist policies, so they accuse Democrats of being racist.

Most Democrats have worked their entire lives to make thing better for everyone. 

Many Republicans do not care about the effect of their parsimonious policies. They are only interested in power, and getting more money from their rich donors.

Somehow the Republicans are going to figure out a crazy way to blame President Obama for the lack of federal funding for fighting the Zika virus. 

Somehow the Republicans are going to figure out a crazy way to blame President Obama for the increasing maternal death rate in Texas. 

IT IS TIME TO STOP BELIEVING IN PROPAGANDA, AND START LOOKING FOR THE ANSWERS TO THE COMPLEX PROBLEMS WE FACE.

LESSON LEARNED

Gabby Douglas is being trashed for failing to put her hand over her heart during the national anthem.

I actually had to look up the rules regarding the national anthem, the flag, and hand over heart.

Did you know that if someone sang all the LONG verses of the national anthem, you have to keep your hand over your heart the ENTIRE SONG? Even if there is no flag on display?

No one said a peep when Donald Trump failed to put his hand over his heart during a presidential campaign debate. Ah, the double standard!!!

I can tell you that her gymnastics team has not been making eye contract with Gabby Douglas since the first night of competition. She was a last minute addition to the team, which may account for this.

Gabby Douglas has earned our respect. She has THREE GOLD MEDALS. But she competes in a sport where you only get respect for what you can do TODAY.

Women gymnasts are really short women. As such, the only time they get respect is when they are flying and twisting in the air.

It is a sad commentary on our times that tall male athletes get respect for life and short women athletes get respect for a fleeting moment in time.

EQUESTRIAN OLYMPICS

I was impressed with the traditional outfits worn by the Marshall Island athletes. Too bad they were totally outdone by an oiled body from Tonga.

Yesterday, I was able to watch the horses and riders jump over fences and frogs. The horses seemed to enjoy the complex game of running and jumping different things.

The horses had no problem jumping through two holes in a hedge. But the beautiful frog in the pond confounded many of the jumpers. To the horses, the frog looked like a large rock. One horse decided that he would climb the frog rather than jump over the frog. I think it disqualified the rider, the horse, and the team.

The divers get a hot tub right by the diving board. The horses get a misty shower, and four attendants. USA channel did not say what the riders got.

I watch sports only every four years, enjoying watching the best in the world do their thing.

MONEY FOR OUR COURTS

Courts were the first sign of emerging civilization. A way to solve conflict without violence.

If courts are not funded, and well funded, injustice happens.

I have been in courtrooms so crowded that a judge can only spend a few minutes per case.

I have been in courtrooms where the landlord was asked to translate for the debtor he was suing for payment.

I have been frustrated with the cryptic forms the overworked clerks use because they do not have time to properly record what happened in court. These mysterious forms are often the only evidence of a sentence to jail or probation.

We all talk to about the injustice toward minorities. Much of this injustice happens because the courts are woefully underfunded. Lack of translators means that people who do not speak complex English are not able to even understand the judge. Lack of public defenders means that people charged with a crime are unable to properly defend themselves.

I live in one of the richest states, in one of the richest countries. It is appalling that our court system is so underfunded that the clerks are not paid a decent wage.

It is nice that Jerry Brown is saving money for the future. However, I believe that the state should be adequately funding our court system so that we truly have "JUSTICE FOR ALL".

MAKE OUR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE A TRUTHFUL STATEMENT.

THE ZIKA VIRUS IS IN MIAMI

Puerto Rico, a territory of the United States of America, has at least 5,000 new Zika cases EVERY DAY. FIFTY of those are pregnant women, risking severe birth defects in their babies.

Republicans, in their infinite wisdom (sarcasm), have decided NOT to fund anything to stop or slow Zika unless they can defund Planned Parenthood.

The tragedy of even one baby born with half a brain is difficult to grasp. It is estimated that each Zika damaged baby will cost one million dollars for a lifetime of care.

Right now, we are taking monies from the fight against Ebola in order to fight Zika. Republicans and bankers have decided that Puerto Rico should be punished for borrowing too much money. So Ebola may come back worse than ever, and Puerto Rico can just rot, for all Republicans care.

Science says that Puerto Ricans often travel to the US, potentially infecting people with Zika.

Science says that West Africans have almost eradicated Ebola, but the potential for another outbreak exists.

Republicans don't do science. They are too busy trying to control women's bodies.