Impeach Trump!

Despite what Republicans say, it is clear that Mr. Trump has committed an impeachable offense (Few Defectors and No Sign That Either Side Will Give an Inch. New York Times, November 1, 2019: A1, A16).

What Mr. Trump has done in the Ukraine is much, much worse than Nixon's action in Watergate.  Trump and Nixon shared two high crises. Mr. Trump added a third.

Mr. Nixon's campaign team carried out a robbery at the Watergate apartment complex to get dirt on the Democratic party.  Mr. Trump asked the Ukraine government to provide dirt on the Democrats in two areas: Hillary Clinton's computer server and Joe Biden's son.

Mr. Nixon and his staff tried desperately to cover up their crimes; an obstruction of justice. Mr. Trump has resolutely put pressure on members of his staff and on members of the wider administration to refrain from responding to Congressional subpoenas; an obstruction of justice.

In addition, Mr. Trump undermined US policy goals by withholding military aid to Ukraine while it was under ongoing attacks by Russia; this is treason, the highers of crimes.

Mr. Trump should be impeached. He should be tried in the Senate. He should be removed from office.

Automibile Emissions

The nation is preparing for a showdown on automobile emission standards (G.M., Fiat Chrysler and Toyota Side With Trump on Emissions. New York Times, October 29, 2019: 1, 24). The UUS government wishes to freeze the standard at the current level, California and several other states wish to continue to tighten standards to the levels proposed by the Obama administration. Several automakers decided to work with California to reduce emissions; others were silent.

These silent automobile manufacturers have now come out in support of the current administration’s position: reduced standards and higher levels of pollution.

It is interesting to note that most of the  firms supporting higher standards are those firms that already meet the current standard; only Toyota. The firms supporting Trump are those that are failing miserably to meet the current standard:

·       Meet Current Automobile emission standards

o   Support Trump’s relaxation of standards

§  Toyota

o   Support California’s more stringent standards

§  BMW

§  Ford; Ford almost meets the current standard

§  Honda

§  Volkswagen

·        Are Failing to Meet Current Automobile emission standards

o   Support Trump’s relaxation of standards

§  Fiat Chrysler

§  General Motors

o   Support California’s more stringent standards

§  No one

It is sad to see that the Trump administration’s zeal for regulatory roll-back is rewarding those firms that have lagged in developing effective reductions in automobile emissions. It is the firms that have made the necessary investment in pollution control that the world needs to be rewarded.

It will be interesting to see which firms are successful in the market.

50-words, bookkeeper

The Bookkeeper

I help do the books for a voluntary organization.

One day they came in and said, “Thank you for doing the books and please take care of the goats in the basement?”

“No,” I said, “I do books not goats. I quit.”

Then I woke up, I had been dreaming.

Martin Evans lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts. He rarely remembers his dreams.

50 words, Trump

Since the inauguration, President Trump has uttered over 9,000 lies, some trivial, some profoundly dangerous. These have been deployed as a Churchillian “bodyguard of lies” to protect his central claim: “No collusion.”

That lie, we are told, was no lie at all. How unnecessary were those 9,000 plus falsehoods! Sad.

50 words, Wind

It is garbage pickup day in Cambridge.

The empty bins are dancing in the street, rolling hither and yon, blown by the blustery gusts of wind, wind that has driven unimpeded from the icy Canadian tundra.

Neighbor corrals bin for neighbor, trash is secured house by house, the community thrives.

The Wall Deal

oped in Cambridge Chronicle