Governor Restricts Welfare to Necessities

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-Fla) announced that the state's use of federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program will be modified, saying "taxpayer-funded assistance should help families put food on the table, keep the lights on, purchase clothing, provide for their children and overcome barriers on the path toward independence. Tattoos and body piercings, theme park tickets, video games, vaping products, nicotine products, pornography, and psychic and fortune-telling services will no longer be funded, These new prohibitions will be added to our state's prior prohibitions of purchases of alcohol, adult entertainment businesses, casinos, and commercial bingo establishments and any other items that are not deemed basic needs."

Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-Fla) criticized what she labeled "a sweeping reassignment of poor people into second-class citizenship status. Just because a person can't support themselves through productive work doesn't mean he or she should be denied the same freedoms as those who can. Getting tattoos, going to theme parks, and smoking are activities that help make life worth living. Cutting welfare recipients off from these leisure expenditures is just plain unfair."

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-NY) cited DeSantis' action "as another reason why this country needs democratic socialism. Under socialism, the government provides each person with whatever he or she needs regardless of whether they are able to pay for it. As Karl Marx explained, in a just society each receives according to need. The funds to pay for everyone's needs come from requiring everyone who is able to produce wealth to fund those needs. Socialism is the fundamental transformation of America that former President Obama promised. Once the masses realize this Republican opposition to this new morality will be ended."

DeSantis pointed out that "Marx's formula has wrecked every government that has tried to implement it because it creates an incentive for individuals to assert needs while shirking the work needed to fulfill those needs. In a market system, the able can be compensated for the value of their contributions by consumers voluntarily paying what they think the products are worth. This inspires folks to work hard and smart at generating wealth. When socialists eliminate the profit motive, government coercion is the tool that replaces the profit motive. Coercion reduces freedom and discourages the most capable from fully utilizing their genius and talent--like we see has happened in socialist Cuba."

Mamdani's Misplaced Mourning

While every decent person in America was saddened by the death of Dolly Parton, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani (D) announced that he was "deeply saddened by the death of 41-year-old Clarence Woodward who was languishing in our NYC jail for more than two years. He tragically was denied his day in court and had no chance to prove his innocence. My thoughts are with his family and loved ones as they grieve this loss."

Newly appointed City Department of Correction Commissioner Stanley Richards called Woodward's death "a tragedy that we will be thoroughly investigating. Our department mourns the loss of Clarence Woodward and we share our deepest condolences with his family and loved ones. I was in prison for robbery in the 1980s, but unlike Mr. Woodward, I was lucky enough to have survived incarceration."

Woodward died in the Riker's Island jail where he was awaiting trial for murder. A 2024 video from a Bronx laundromat showed him stabbing Jose Miranda from behind and killing him. He also unsuccessfully attempted to murder a homeless man who was sleeping at a laundromat. Woodward previously spent five years in prison for robbery and had more than two dozen previous arrests including four felony robbery arrests, five assaults and several weapons, drug possession and larceny charges.

Bronx residents were surprised by Mamdani's remarks. Neighborhood barber Alfredo Avila said "Woodward was kind of crazy. He was always on drugs. A lot of people would talk bad about him. The guy he killed was a nice guy who didn't look for trouble with nobody."

Angel Miranda--Jose's brother--explained that "Jose had an arrangement with the laundromat owners that he would look after the place in exchange for being allowed to sleep there. He would sweep up and mop it, make it look nice."

Herman Gonzalez, manager of a local supermarket, said "Miranda was well liked on the block. The Mayor shouldn't be shedding a tear for the assassin. He should realize why Woodward was in jail."

Stephen A. Smith Apologizes

Sports analyst Stephen A. Smith apologized for condemning NBA basketball player Kyrie Irving for refusing to get the covid vaccine during the pandemic, saying "like most people, I thought Dr. Fauci and President Biden were looking out for the American people. All the major media were saying that the vaccines were safe and effective and that folks who didn't get vaccinated were endangering the health of others for resisting the pressure to get vaccinated. Now I realize that we were all wrong."

"When Dr. Fauci testified in Congress last month I expected him to apologize for his mistakes during the pandemic," Smith said. "But he didn't. He refused to say anything for fear he would incriminate himself. Kyrie Irving was vilified and punished by the NBA. He was forced to sit out games and forfeit part of his salary. The important point is we can't condemn Kyrie and those who were a bit suspicious back then because it turns out they were right and should be recognized for having the courage to withstand the pressure to conform."

Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky) expressed appreciation for "Smith's candor. The wrong he feels he committed against Mr. Irving was small compared to the wrongs Dr. Fauci committed against the people of America. Dr. Fauci should've admitted it was a mistake to fund dangerous bio-weapon research in China, acknowledged that his advice during the pandemic was mostly wrong, asked for forgiveness, and volunteered to help our government devise safeguards so a man-made epidemic never happens again. To his everlasting shame, he did none of these things."

In related news, the World Health Organization (WHO) now asserts that "health authorities do not have to have evidence of illness in order to declare a pandemic is underway and to take whatever remedial actions are deemed justified. This includes lockdowns, business and school closures, masking and distancing mandates, travel restrictions, and vaccination requirements." Apparently, the self-proclaimed scientific experts have learned nothing useful for promoting a healthier response than what we saw during the covid pandemic.

Michigan Order to Delete Poll Results Challenged

Michelle McQueer, an elections clerk in Michigan, points out that "Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson's order to delete poll results seven days after the election outcome has been certified conflicts with federal law (52 USC § 20701), which requires the preservation of election records for 22 months. Clerks are in jeopardy of being imprisoned for violating a federal law or being punished by the state for not violating that law. I asked Secretary Benson which law I should follow, but have yet to receive a reply."

Attorney Kevin Kijewski agreed with Ms. McQueer, saying "no clerk should ever have to choose which law to break. Federal law says failure to keep these records for at least twenty-two months risks up to a year in prison. Failure to obey Secretary Benson's rule to destroy them in seven days risks a 90 day stay in jail. Michigan statutes say 'willfully destroying public records' can get you two years in a state prison. Ms. McQueer asked Secretary Benson and got thirty-seven days of silence. So we asked the Court of Claims, while the records still exist, to clarify whether state or federal law takes precedence. I am pleased to say that the court directed the election clerks to securely preserve the election records and associated files pending resolution of our case."

Benson argued that "prolonged retention of election data will only aid the cause of election deniers who will insist on examining the data for themselves. That is the path to anarchy and chaos. Government needs to have the people's trust. Once a winner has been determined the people need to rally around the declared winner. The US Constitution allocates authority over the timing and manner of elections to the states. Any federal statutes that contradict my authority are unconstitutional and thus void."