Pay Teachers, Not ICE

One of the many posters reportedly showcased at last weekends No King's Rallies across the country is "Pay Teachers, Not ICE."

That is referring to this MAGA Project 2025 Fascist policy, enacted through the Big Ugly Billionaires First Bill that increased ICE funding more than the F.B.I., the DEA, and ATF combined, allowing them to offer $50,000 signing bonuses and loan forgiveness to applicants that are hired to raid Americas streets and indiscriminately go after Latino individuals and families and detain them, sometimes violently and without due process up front, whether they are American citizens or not.

How about using those funds to increase pay for teachers, the people entrusted with shaping young children's minds instead of giving bonuses to masked ICE-Gestapo goons who strike fear to all Americans?

Senator Bernie Sanders has introduced legislation to raise teachers salaries to a minimum of $60,000, allocate them $1,000 for supplies, and to give education paraprofessional and support staff a living wage of $30.00 an hour.

At a July event with educators, Sanders highlighted the reasons behind the legislation including the stress teachers go through in the profession and the recruiting shortage in the occupation. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVaL8ICynjE

Senator Sanders is right to call teachers "the heroines and heroes in American Society."

"When we talk about the future of our country, we talk about our children. And for those who proclaim great love for this country, one might think they would be doing everything that they can be doing to improve the lives of our kids. And yet in America today,...where we have massive income wealth inequality...we have the highest rate of childhood poverty of almost every major country on Earth...That should not be happening in America. We should have a generation of children who are blossoming, who are growing, who are healthy, not children who are living in poverty. Not kids who are sleeping in cars. Not kids whose parents are working two or three jobs to maintain the family..."

"As bad as things are right now, Trump's Big Beautiful Bill will only make a bad situation even worse..."

"Public school teachers have the toughest, one of the most demanding and one of the most underappreciated jobs in the country."

"A civilized, Democratic, humane society understands the importance of education...If we are serious about the future of America and our kids, we put education at the top of the list and we say thank you to the educators and we treat them with the respect that they are due..."

"Why do we have a massive shortage of teachers in our country?...The pathetically low pay that teachers in America receive...less than $47,000 a year... How are we supposed to attract the best and the brightest, which is what we want for our kids into the teaching professions on salaries of $40 or $45,000 a year?..."

Democratic Senate Leader Priya Sundareshan

Commenting to Blog for Arizona, Arizona Democratic Senate Leader Priya Sundareshan noted:

"It's a clear encapsulation of Republican priorities: that minimum-qualified ICE recruits are offered a $50k bonus to harass law-abiding communities in service of authoritarian directives, all while Arizona teachers struggle to make a decent wage and the Trump administration dismantles the federal Department of Education. Our children's future deserves more than what Republicans can offer."

Sundareshan and Sanders are right. 

"Our children's future deserves more than what Republicans can offer."

"A civilized, Democratic, humane society (words that will not be associated with ICE) understands the importance of education...If we are serious about the future of America and our kids, we put education at the top of the list and we say thank you to the educators and we treat them with the respect that they are due."

The measure of an enlightened and forward looking society is its people treat the most vulnerable in its populace. 

Children in this country deserve better from a government that feels paying street thugs who terrorize the nation's streets signing bonuses to arrest their parents is more a priority than paying the people who educate and mentor them. 

Marie 'Let Them Starve' Trump Would Rather Fund a Ballroom Than Programs that Feed People

From Instagram

In yet another week of the cruel government shutdown fiasco orchestrated by Donald Trump and his MAGA Project 2025 allies where they solicit private donors to pay for the demolition of the East Wing for a extravagant ballroom at a time when working and middle class citizens see rising health and food prices, the former Party of Lincoln has set a new low by refusing to tap into reserve emergency funds to help people get food assistance through the Supplemental Food Assistance Program (SNAP.)

Of course, Republicans blame Democrats for the crisis they themselves have created. 

So much for being the new party of the working class. 

This should be no surprise considering one of the first thing when coming back to power Marie "Let Them Starve" Trump did was institute pullbacks of food bank deliveries around the country. 

In another sign that MAGA Republicans are tone deaf to the situation at hand, Speaker (or more accurately Trump Representative and high butt kisser) Mike Johnson has decided to prolong the closure of the House of Representatives for yet another week. 

It is like the New York Times reported when Donald Trump said “I’m the Speaker and the President.”

As previously stated in an earlier article, the people, many of whom have to fulfill work requirements to qualify for Medicaid and SNAP, should push for a law that Representatives and Senators do not get paid if they keep the government shutdown.

In Arizona, almost 900,000 people will not be able to buy groceries after Halloween if this is not solved. 

Reacting to Marie 'Let Them Starve' Trump and his Project 2025 cronies "devastating" cuts to SNAP after the end of October, Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs told KTAR at a press event:

“It is infuriating that the president is playing politics with this. He should, quite honestly, follow my lead. When we got a partisan budget that cut services for Arizonans, I vetoed it. We forced the legislative leaders back to the table and we got a good budget for Arizonans.”

“It’s going to be very challenging for Arizonans. We have somewhere around a million families that rely on SNAP benefits … This is what helps them put food on the table.”

“This chaos in Washington, regardless of who’s to blame, is harming Arizonans. We’re talking about food stamp cuts that will be devastating for so many Arizona families. We’re talking about delays in flights and at airports.”

The Governor and her team later posted on social media:

"Arizonans shouldn’t pay the price for Washington Republicans' political games. Withholding food assistance is devastating for families just trying to get by. I’ll always fight to protect the resources Arizonans rely on."

Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes, with 21 of her colleagues across the country, has written a letter to Agricultural Secretary Brooke Rollins demanding to know how this funding lapse toward SNAP was allowed to happen. 

"In addition to causing health insurance premiums to skyrocket… the GOP-controlled Congress and the Trump administration are now risking the health and safety of tens of millions of Americans...Working families, seniors, veterans, and children across Arizona depend on SNAP to survive. Any suspension or delay in benefits… would be a direct assault on the health and well-being of millions of Americans.”

Representative Greg Stanton also condemned the federal government's inaction, posting:

"The Trump administration is threatening to cut off funding to SNAP — the critical nutrition program — in one week. That could force nearly 900k Arizonans to go hungry. Congress has set aside $6 billion in contingency funding so the program can continue even through emergencies. If the Trump administration decide to stop funding SNAP, it’s a policy choice. And the wrong one."

Arizona House Democratic Leader Oscar De Los Santos reacted to this cruel move by Marie "Let them Starve" Trump by posting:

"Before being elected to the House, I worked with Arizona’s food banks to end hunger in our state. Trump’s decision to withhold food from the mouths of Arizona’s children and seniors is devastating. Trump cares only about his billionaire donors — not the working class."

In the best explained reaction to the "dire" situation, Arizona State Senator Analise Ortiz posted the below video for Arizona Senate Democrats, condemning Marie "Let them Starve" Trump for putting monies for a ballroom ahead of feeding hungry Americans. 

https://twitter.com/AZSenateDems/status/1981831693922447677

In her comments:

"People could go hungry starting November 1st if Trump's government shut down continues, all while he builds himself a grand ballroom, and Republicans in Congress are hellbent on kicking people off their health care. I'm State Senator Analise Ortiz, representing District 24 in the West Valley. Today marks the 24th day of the federal government shutdown, making it the second longest in United States history. The shutdown began on October 1st and has resulted in the furlough of roughly 750,000 federal workers and the closure of numerous and needed Federal Services. Many of us are feeling the pain of skyrocketing prices on everything from rent to groceries, and now, if families do not receive their SNAP benefits right before the holidays, things will become dire. Nearly one million Arizonans are enrolled in SNAP. Republicans are set to turn their backs on seniors, kids, and other Arizonans who need help putting food on the table. Republicans in the House and Senate are flat out refusing to negotiate with Democrats at this point. They are more willing to kick millions off their health care and let families go hungry right before the holidays. Cutting food stamps hurts all of us. For every one dollar invested into SNAP, our economy gets a dollar and eighty cents back. These cuts will hurt grocery store workers, mom and pop markets, and local farmers. Call your Republican Representatives and Senators today and demand they get back to the negotiating table, so Arizona families can continue to put food on theirs."

Below, thanks in part to the Washington Post and Representative Yassamin Ansari, is a list of some of the private organizations donating to the Trump ballroom. 

https://twitter.com/yassaminansari/status/1981924832486023425

Maybe instead of funding a ballroom to curry favor with the Felon in Chief and American Duce Wannabe, they should be spending their resources on helping to end starvation in America. 

Please click here to find a food bank in your area.

If Marie "Let Them Starve" Trump will not help the people gain food security, then we should if we can.

Kroger Price Gouging

 

Editorial Cartoons for the Week

 

This is No Joke: MAGA Republicans Are "Ripping the (KKK) Sheets Off in Plain View of the American People"

 Over the last few days, recent revelations in Arizona and across the country reaffirmed what everyone with a sense of decency and sanity already knew.

MAGA Republicans, inspired by their leader, the American Duce Wannabe-Twice Impeached-34 Time Convicted Felon, have continually demonstrated with their words and social media posts that they are the party of hate, misinformation, and big lies. 

In Arizona, another State Legislator, Representative Joseph Chaplik, has been found, thanks to reporting by the Phoenix New Times,  like his colleague John Gillette, to have engaged in the obscene sharing of Islamophobic memes and social media posts. 

According to the New Times, Chaplik has shared the social media posts of infamous and frankly dumb right wing racist zealots like Laura Loomer, Matt Walsh, Mila Joy, House Representative Chip Roy, and Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville. 

It is a sad that Mr. Chaplik, rather than retiring into political obscurity following the revelations of his sharing such social media filth, is, following Mr. Trumps example, actually running to secure his party's nomination in the battleground Arizona House Congressional District One. 

Having to respond to the spewing hateful trash from another MAGA Arizona Legislator, Senate Democratic Leader Priya Sundareshan commented to the New Times:

“I’m very surprised that Rep. Chaplik is going for this, considering he’s, I guess, trying to win a congressional seat in a very close district. It’s baffling as to the fact that it’s false information, but it’s also alarming that this is something that he would be pushing for. It’s horrific to think that the law should forbid any person of a religious faith from holding office in this country when the United States specifically protects freedom of religion in our First Amendment.”

Democratic House Leader Oscar De Los Santos also shared his opinion, offering:

“Representative Chaplik’s comments are repulsive. Freedom of religion is a sacred American and Constitutional value. Arizona’s Muslim community strengthens our state every day—as police officers, teachers, veterans and small business owners.”

Arizona Assistant Democratic House Leader Nancy Gutierrez commented to Blog for Arizona:

"It is very clear that the House Republicans have an issue with hate speech. Their abhorrent language reflects what they believe and that is quite unsettling. The Speaker should care enough about Arizonans to take action, but we haven’t seen any evidence of that. I’m extremely disappointed."

Unfortunately, thanks to Trump, statements by Gillette and Chaplik and the posts they share, are no longer consigned to the fringe of the political spectrum. 

Recent reporting from Politico shows that the rot in the Republican Party, fostered by the likes of Trump and his White Nationalist Christian base, has extended down to their rookie bench with the revelation that many in their Young Republican groups routinely posting Pro Fascist-Nazi, Anti Semitic, and Racist language. 

Among the posts by these individuals were:

• "I love Hitler."
• One person referred to black people as "The watermelon people."
• "Everyone that votes no is going to the gas chamber."
• Rape is "Epic."
• "We only want true believers."

On the Charlie Kirk show, JD Vance took issue with the Politico reporting, saying these posts were nothing more than "stupid and offensive" jokes from kids. 

https://twitter.com/BulwarkOnline/status/1978515991714799876

These kids are in their twenties and thirties and what gutter trash they are posting is no joke. 

From Matt Wuerker

Then there is the White House Press Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, the one who thinks wearing a cross somehow makes her an actual Christian, who ranted on Fox News, "The Democratic Party's main constituency is made up of Hamas terrorists, illegal aliens, and violent criminals."

That is rich considering her boss, with a several page wrap sheet across several states, enabled the January 6 Domestic Terrorist attack on the Nation's Capitol and then pardoned them. 

Unfortunately, the Speaker of the House and several of his MAGA Congressional Bund colleagues are using similar language to describe the No Kings events across the country on October 18 falsely calling them hate America rallies. 

https://twitter.com/RachelBitecofer/status/1979326033942990916

Speaking on the additional revelations of hate, misinformation, and more big lies from the Trump Fascist-MAGA- White Nationalist-Project 2025 Republican Party, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries conveyed while speaking to reporters at the Capitol:

"We've already seen a rise in political violence and hatred in America. And then you've got swastikas apparently appearing in the offices of Republican members of Congress. You've got Young Republicans engaging in the most Anti Semitic and racist speech possible. Like this is apparently what many of these people are. They are ripping the sheets off in plain view of the American People. Their words. Their actions. Revealing themselves in so many different ways. And then you've got Karoline Leavitt who's sick. She's out of control. And I'm not sure whether she's just demented, ignorant, stone cold liar, or all of the above. But the notion that an official White House spokesperson would say that the Democratic Party consists of terrorists, violent criminals, and undocumented immigrants. This makes no sense that this is what the American People are getting from the Trump Administration in the middle of a shutdown. So their actions continue to speak for themselves which is why they are on the wrong side of public sentiment."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_8oDbPGAtM&list=RDNS-_8oDbPGAtM&start_radio=1

With Leavitt, it is all of the above. 

Speaking of the shutdown, Mike 'Christian Hypocrite' Johnson has told his members to stay away from Washington D.C. for another week with full pay and benefits. 

I am sure the poor and middle class people, many of whom are Trump supporters, that have to fill out work requirement paperwork to stay enrolled in Medicaid, love that. 

So much for being the party of the working class.

With regard to the No Kings Rally in Arizona and across the country tomorrow, Representative Yassamin Ansari posted:

"To everyone joining a No Kings rally tomorrow: The Trump regime is trying to spin our movement as hateful or violent. That’s what authoritarians do when they fear people power.

Don’t give them what they want. Keep it peaceful, safe, and joyful. I’ll see you out there!"

The below post from several Democratic House and Senate members who served in the nation's military, including Senators Mark Kelly and Ruben Gallego are a great rebuke to the bull fecal matter assertions of no show Johnson and his White Christian Nationalist Fascist friends. 

The No Kings rallies are about upholding the Constitution. 

They are about speaking out against the Trump authoritarian playbook and actions like sending the American military to patrol American streets when there is no emergency. 

They are about advocating for the American Ideal for all Americans. 

They are about patriotism and love of country.

They are about making the nation better. 

They are about making the people's voices heard. 

They are about "peacefully and non violently marching for the America we all love."

https://twitter.com/JasonCrowCO/status/1979239789271322946

With the Ceasefire in Place, Hamas Refuses to Disarm and Launches Execution Raids on Their Own People

Photo from CNN

The beginning of the week was actually a joyful one in the Middle East when a new ceasefire between Israel and Hamas went into effect resulting in the release of the remaining living hostages taken on October 7 and the pulling back of Israelis military forces to agreed upon positions.

The 20 point peace plan, which has many fathers including Joe Biden, Tony Blair, and even Donald Trump, is currently in phase one with the return of the hostages (alive and dead,) the pulling back of Israelis forces, increased deliveries of aid, and the disarming of Hamas.

Phases Two and Three call for the reconstruction of Gaza, the securing of it with a multinational Arab force, a new governing body administered by a reformed Palestinian Authority, and a path to developing a two state solution. 

Except Hamas is not disarming. 

In recent reporting by outlets like the New York Times, the terrorist organization is using this phase one of the ceasefire to consolidate its power in the war ravaged area, including going on execution raids against rival power centers and local opposing Palestinian clans, some of whom helped the Israelis in fighting to overthrow Hamas. 

Where is the outrage on social media on this?

Where is the activist and political condemnation of Hamas for what they are doing to these people?

It seems the condemnation for violence against Palestinians only comes when Israelis commit it. 

With all of Netanyahu's faults, and there are many that this writer has written about including his actions towards Gaza and Palestinians in the West Bank, he is not sending death squads out to execute Israelis at protest rallies condemning his Premiership. 

Gaza will continue its move to be like Lebanon in the late 1970's and 80's if Hamas does not disarm and its leaders either arrested or exiled. 

There will be no sustainable phase two or three of the peace plan if that does not happen now. 

How is Allowing the Construction of a Qatari Airbase in Idaho America First?

 On Friday, October 10, Defense Secretary Disaster Pete Hegseth announced that the United States had concluded an agreement with the Middle East nation of Qatar to build an airbase for them in Idaho.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoJSDEizb8A&list=RDNSeoJSDEizb8A&start_radio=1

Recently, as reported by the Blog for Arizona's founder Michael Bryan, the Trump family and business interests have used the office of the Presidency to enrich themselves in deals with Qatar. 

This is the same Qatar who Donald Trump called a beacon for terrorism funding and support in 2017. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3d8boK3S4IQ

Trump's words came before the luxury jet donation and the millions that nation has given his family and business ventures. 

Trump allies like Vice American Duce Wannabe JD Vance, taken aback when MAGA supporters like Laura Loomer busted a gut after the announcement, threw Hegseth and his words about building an airbase for Qatar under the bus, saying the Defense Secretary disaster misspoke. 

Associated Press reporter Rebecca Boone has confirmed in its reporting that Hegseth had a case of foot in mouth disease, writing:

"But the facility being built at the Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho isn’t a separate base at all — it is a group of buildings that will be built to handle training and maintenance for Qatari troops — and the agreement with Qatar has been in the works for years."

Still the quid pro quo optics suck and the suspicion that Trump and family are conducting foreign policy based on who scratches their financial backs the most should be disturbing to everyone concerned about good governance in this country.

Arizona Representative Yassamin Ansari posted on this development:

"The same Qatar that gave Trump his luxury 747 jet is now building a military base on U.S. soil. Corruption doesn’t get clearer than this."

Senator Mark Kelly was a little less subtle than Ansari in his post, commenting:

"Free Qatari plane my ass! The grift from the Trump Administration just leveled up."

Arizona House Congressional District Six Candidate and retired Marine Veteran JoAnna Mendoza commented to Blog for Arizona:

"As a Marine who’s served our country overseas in combat zones, I’ve seen how dangerous it is when foreign interests start influencing our national defense. Now, under Trump’s watch, we’re seeing something unprecedented, a foreign military facility being built on U.S. soil by a country he once accused of funding terrorism.

This administration is not projecting American strength, but instead is selling out America’s security for profit.

We deserve leaders who defend our country, not auction it off to the highest bidder."

Democratic Consultant Dr. Rachel Bitecofer gave the below brief statement to Blog for Arizona.

"Nothing says “America First” like building the country’s first outside military base and doing it with a Middle Eastern country.”

Ansari, Kelly, Mendoza, and Bitecofer all hit the right notes by calling this deal corrupt, grift, and auctioning the country to the highest bidder.

Add this transaction to the MAGA bailout of Argentina while farmers are about to go bankrupt, military soldiers have to go on food lines, and American's health insurance rates are about to spike upward and one can reasonably conclude that when Tr

Editorial Cartoons for the Week