tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8081717362352021022024-03-13T08:06:20.814-05:00idle thoughtsmhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883901285053073541noreply@blogger.comBlogger870125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808171736235202102.post-11169209751264421812023-12-18T20:59:00.006-05:002023-12-18T20:59:37.107-05:00Bumbling at the MBTA<p> <a href="https://www.cambridgeday.com/2023/12/16/bumbling-bungling-and-bombshells-at-the-t/" target="_blank">Bumbling at the T</a></p>mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883901285053073541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808171736235202102.post-3049966904785019592023-12-12T21:10:00.003-05:002023-12-12T21:10:40.977-05:00Comment on Inequality<p> <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news/2023/12/12/commentary-ceo-worker-wage-gap-is-sophisticated.html" target="_blank">Comment on Inequality</a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Published in Boston Business Journal</p>mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883901285053073541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808171736235202102.post-46823869252547813632023-09-17T13:38:00.001-05:002023-09-18T13:42:42.763-05:00Trump. the 14th Amendment and the Congress<p> <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.cambridgeday.com/2023/09/17/trump-the-14th-amendment-and-the-congress/&source=gmail&ust=1695133921025000&usg=AOvVaw2-38QxgCv_AyDibRc8xX5a" fg_scanned="1" href="https://www.cambridgeday.com/2023/09/17/trump-the-14th-amendment-and-the-congress/" style="background-color: white; color: #1155cc; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;" target="_blank">https://www.cambridgeday.com/<wbr></wbr>2023/09/17/trump-the-14th-<wbr></wbr>amendment-and-the-congress/</a></p><p><br /></p><p><b>Published in Cambridge Day</b></p>mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883901285053073541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808171736235202102.post-59001084711848250852023-09-02T14:25:00.010-05:002023-09-11T14:28:46.073-05:00DeSantis's Super PAC<p> </p><div class="aju" style="align-items: center; background-color: white; color: #222222; cursor: default; display: flex; float: none; font-family: "Google Sans", Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 80px; min-width: 40px; padding: 0px 16px;"><div class="aCi" style="position: relative;"><img aria-hidden="true" class="ajn" data-hovercard-id="martingevans@gmail.com" data-name="Martin G. Evans" id=":tk_15-e" jid="martingevans@gmail.com" name=":tk" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/a/ACg8ocKFLB2rZhSZxMf8uDnTkyKqYc5ocQWylQAjowSJVHrC=s40-p-mo" style="background-color: #cccccc; border-radius: 50%; display: block; height: 40px; width: 40px;" /></div></div><div class="gs" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Google Sans", Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; width: 730.4px;"><div class="gE iv gt" style="cursor: auto; font-size: 0.875rem; padding: 20px 0px 0px;"><table cellpadding="0" class="cf gJ" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-collapse: collapse; display: block; font-size: 0.875rem; margin-top: 0px; width: auto;"><tbody style="display: block;"><tr class="acZ" style="display: flex; height: auto;"><td class="gH" style="align-items: center; color: #222222; display: flex; margin: 0px; text-align: right; text-wrap: nowrap; vertical-align: top;"><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div id=":5bp"><div class="qQVYZb"></div><div class="utdU2e"></div><div class="btm"></div></div><div class=""><div class="aHl" style="margin-left: -38px;"></div><div id=":5c2" tabindex="-1"></div><div class="ii gt" id=":5br" jslog="20277; u014N:xr6bB; 1:WyIjdGhyZWFkLWE6cjIwNjQ1NzgxMTgyNjQ1MTAyNTJ8bXNnLWE6cjMyMTY0NjcyNzQzNjg2Njg3MDAiLG51bGwsbnVsbCxudWxsLG51bGwsbnVsbCxudWxsLG51bGwsbnVsbCxudWxsLG51bGwsbnVsbCxudWxsLFtdXQ..; 4:WyIjbXNnLWE6cjMyMTY0NjcyNzQzNjg2Njg3MDAiLG51bGwsW10sbnVsbCxudWxsLG51bGwsbnVsbCxudWxsLG51bGwsbnVsbCxudWxsLG51bGwsbnVsbCxudWxsLG51bGwsW10sW10sW11d" style="direction: ltr; font-size: 0.875rem; margin: 8px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;"><div class="a3s aiL " id=":5bq" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: small; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: 1.5; overflow: hidden;"><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default">Never Back Down (the DeSantis Super PAC) is breaking every rule in the book (DeSantis Super PAC's Plea: 'We Need 50 Million Bucks," New York Times, September 2, 2023: A16). It should be stopped in its tracks immediately. </div><div class="gmail_default">Alas that is unlikely to happen with a toothless Federal Elections Commission.</div><div class="gmail_default"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default">Sent to New York Times</div></div></div></div></div></div>mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883901285053073541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808171736235202102.post-79888961616156176012023-06-06T14:44:00.001-05:002023-06-16T14:45:53.949-05:00AI and Creativityy<p> </p><div class="aju" style="align-items: center; background-color: white; color: #222222; cursor: default; display: flex; float: none; font-family: "Google Sans", Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; height: 80px; min-width: 40px; padding: 0px 16px;"><div class="aCi" style="position: relative;"><img aria-hidden="true" class="ajn" data-hovercard-id="martingevans@gmail.com" data-name="Martin G. Evans" id=":1k_26-e" jid="martingevans@gmail.com" name=":1k" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/a/AAcHTtfA5po1rW-j4JHEO83vHReot4dE7TVTKBQgafHq=s40-p-mo" style="background-color: #cccccc; border-radius: 50%; display: block; height: 40px; width: 40px;" /></div></div><div class="gs" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Google Sans", Roboto, RobotoDraft, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 20px; width: 736px;"><div class="gE iv gt" style="cursor: auto; font-size: 0.875rem; padding: 20px 0px 0px;"><table cellpadding="0" class="cf gJ" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; border-collapse: collapse; display: block; font-size: 0.875rem; margin-top: 0px; width: auto;"><tbody style="display: block;"><tr class="acZ" style="display: flex; height: auto;"><td class="gF gK" style="display: block; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; max-height: 20px; padding: 0px; text-wrap: nowrap; vertical-align: top; width: 519.625px;"><table cellpadding="0" class="cf ix" style="border-collapse: collapse; table-layout: fixed; width: 519.625px;"><tbody><tr><td class="c2" style="display: flex; margin: 0px;"><h3 class="iw" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: auto; color: #5f6368; font-size: 0.75rem; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 20px; margin: inherit; max-width: calc(100% - 8px); overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; text-wrap: nowrap;"><span class="qu" role="gridcell" tabindex="-1" translate="no"><span class="gD" data-hovercard-id="martingevans@gmail.com" email="martingevans@gmail.com" name="Martin G. Evans" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; color: #1f1f1f; display: inline; font-size: 0.875rem; font-weight: bold; line-height: 20px; vertical-align: top;"><span style="position: relative; vertical-align: top;">Martin G. Evans</span></span> <span class="cfXrwd"></span><span class="go" style="color: #5e5e5e; vertical-align: top;"><span aria-hidden="true"><</span>martingevans@gmail.com<span aria-hidden="true">></span></span></span></h3></td></tr></tbody></table></td><td class="gH bAk" style="align-items: center; color: #222222; display: block; margin: 0px; max-height: 20px; text-align: right; text-wrap: nowrap; vertical-align: top;"><div class="gK" style="align-items: center; display: flex; padding: 0px;"><span alt="Jun 2, 2023, 9:57 AM" class="g3" id=":4yw" role="gridcell" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: auto; color: #5e5e5e; display: block; font-size: 0.75rem; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; vertical-align: top;" tabindex="-1" title="Jun 2, 2023, 9:57 AM">Fri, Jun 2, 9:57 AM</span><div aria-checked="false" aria-label="Not starred" class="zd bi4" data-tooltip="Not starred" jslog="20511; u014N:cOuCgd,Kr2w4b; 1:WyIjdGhyZWFkLWE6cjg5MTQ5NDg5MzY5NjYzNDgwOTF8bXNnLWE6cjgwODM3NDk1MTgxOTY5Nzg4MjMiLG51bGwsbnVsbCxudWxsLG51bGwsbnVsbCxudWxsLG51bGwsbnVsbCxudWxsLG51bGwsbnVsbCxudWxsLFtdXQ..; 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align-items: center; background: transparent; border-radius: 0px 2px 2px 0px; border: none; box-shadow: none; color: #444444; cursor: pointer; display: inline-flex; font-size: 0.875rem; height: 20px; justify-content: center; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 0px 20px; min-width: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; position: relative; text-align: center; user-select: none; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><img alt="" class="hA T-I-J3" role="menu" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/images/cleardot.gif" style="background: url("//ssl.gstatic.com/ui/v1/icons/mail/gm3/1x/more_vert_baseline_nv700_20dp.png") center center / 20px no-repeat; display: inline-block; height: 20px; margin: 0px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px; transition: opacity 0.15s cubic-bezier(0.4, 0, 0.2, 1) 0s; vertical-align: middle; width: 20px;" /></div></td></tr><tr class="acZ xD" style="display: flex; height: auto;"><td colspan="3" style="margin: 0px;"><table cellpadding="0" class="cf adz" style="border-collapse: collapse; table-layout: fixed; text-wrap: nowrap; width: 736px;"><tbody><tr><td class="ady" style="align-items: center; display: flex; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; text-overflow: ellipsis;"><div class="iw ajw" style="display: inline-block; max-width: 92%; overflow: hidden;"><span class="hb" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: auto; color: #5e5e5e; font-size: 0.75rem; line-height: 20px; vertical-align: top;" translate="no">to <span class="g2" data-hovercard-id="letters@nytimes.com" email="letters@nytimes.com" name="letters" style="vertical-align: top;">letters</span></span></div><div aria-haspopup="true" aria-label="Show details" class="ajy" data-tooltip="Show details" id=":4yq" role="button" style="align-items: center; border: none; display: inline-flex; justify-content: center; margin-left: 4px; outline: none; position: relative; vertical-align: top; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><img alt="" class="ajz" src="https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/images/cleardot.gif" style="background: url("https://www.gstatic.com/images/icons/material/system_gm/1x/arrow_drop_down_black_20dp.png") center center / 20px no-repeat; border: none; cursor: pointer; display: flex; height: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 0px auto; opacity: 0.71; padding: 0px; position: relative; right: 0px; top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 20px;" /></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div id=":4y4"><div class="qQVYZb"></div><div class="utdU2e"></div><div class="lQs8Hd" jsaction="SN3rtf:rcuQ6b" jscontroller="i3Ohde"></div><div class="btm"></div></div><div class=""><div class="aHl" style="margin-left: -38px;"></div><div id=":4yr" tabindex="-1"></div><div class="ii gt" id=":4y2" jslog="20277; u014N:xr6bB; 1:WyIjdGhyZWFkLWE6cjg5MTQ5NDg5MzY5NjYzNDgwOTF8bXNnLWE6cjgwODM3NDk1MTgxOTY5Nzg4MjMiLG51bGwsbnVsbCxudWxsLG51bGwsbnVsbCxudWxsLG51bGwsbnVsbCxudWxsLG51bGwsbnVsbCxudWxsLFtdXQ..; 4:WyIjbXNnLWE6cjgwODM3NDk1MTgxOTY5Nzg4MjMiLG51bGwsW11d" style="direction: ltr; font-size: 0.875rem; margin: 8px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;"><div class="a3s aiL " id=":4y3" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: small; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-alternates: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: 1.5; overflow: hidden;"><div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default">Mr. Rowland Chen (<span class="il">Letters</span>, June 2, 2023) suggests that AI procedures cannot come up with creative solutions to problems because the information that which we already know.</div><div class="gmail_default">I disagree. One of the techniques used to develop creative solutions is to examine the situation through two frames of reference simultaneously. In the conjunction of these two perspectives, innovative solutions are to be found.</div><div class="gmail_default"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default">Sent to the New York Times</div></div></div></div></div></div>mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883901285053073541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808171736235202102.post-56375466722000136932023-04-30T14:40:00.008-05:002023-06-16T14:43:42.462-05:00Ukraine War<p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">We now know the two likely candidates in the presidential election (Biden Declares 2024 Bid; Possible Rematch in Sight, New York Times, April 26, 2023: A1, A12).</span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">We also know very clearly where Mr. Biden stands in defense of Ukraine.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Mr. Trump and his associates have had dealings with both Kyiv and Moscow.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Mr. Trump needs to state clearly his position going forward with the Ukraine war.</div><div><br /></div>mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883901285053073541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808171736235202102.post-25006838155459405642023-04-16T14:35:00.008-05:002023-06-16T14:39:02.451-05:00Trump and Biden's Secret Documents<p> <span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;">I think we are down to two counts against Mr. Trump now: January 6th and Georgia.</span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">At least in the court of public opinion, there can do longer be any case for Mr. Trump’s handling of secret documents.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> The current leaks are doing real damage to Ukraine.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">It just shows that justice must be applied swiftly otherwise reality gets in the way.</div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Sent to New York Times</div>mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883901285053073541noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808171736235202102.post-26070905280031379312023-03-24T13:08:00.009-05:002023-09-29T14:29:37.213-05:00Downsizing 2022 style.<p> You can find it here: <a href="https://www.bizjournals.com/boston/news/2023/03/24/viewpoint-downsizing-companies-still-havent-lear.html" target="_blank">Boston Business Journal: Downsizing.2022 style<</a>/p>
</p><p>In case you are blocked by the firewall, here is what I wrote:</p><p><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif;">It
is never a good time to get laid-off, the shock of being fired is traumatic. It
is probably not assuaged by knowing that 10,000 others are being laid off at
the same time, though it may be comforting to know that you are being forced
into a labor market with a 3.5% unemployment rate as opposed to the 6% rate of the early 1990's when downsizing
became the managerial fad of the day. For those laid off by firms in the high
technology industries (Amazon, Facebook (META), Microsoft. It is also good to know that there is great
demand for high technology workers in low technology firms as they adjust to
the new realities of an on-line economy</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif;">In
the 1990's when the first waves of downsizing occurred, it was clear that not
many firms enjoyed the long term cost reductions that motivated lay-off in the
first place – one estimate (Wyatt Company, now Watson-Wyatt) suggested that
about 25% of downsizing forms benefitted. This because firms went about it by
across the board cuts which are less effective than targeted cuts and by
failing to consult employees which led to a failure to understand where the
flab in the company ended and where bone and muscle began.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif;">With
such a low success rate, firms should consider alternatives before choosing
layoffs: reduce or eliminate bonuses; in these post-pandemic days, reduce
facilities costs by moving to at home work; and temporarily cut hours and cut
wages and allow permanent downsizing to occur over time through attrition. This
is much less disruptive to the firm which might otherwise suffer loss of
important tacit knowledge, as seemed to happen in the disastrous, chaotic
Twitter reorganization after the Musk takeover.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif;">In
undertaking downsizing, I think some firms may have learned the lessons
proposed by organizational scholars, Wayne Cascio and Kim Cameron, for
successful downsizing that they discovered after the downsizing events of the
1990's. There were two major findings:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="Level1" style="margin-left: 1in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -1in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "WP TypographicSymbols"; mso-bidi-font-family: "WP TypographicSymbols"; mso-fareast-font-family: "WP TypographicSymbols";">$</span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif;"> Downsizing
should be undertaken in the service of a strategic shift; units compatible with
the new strategy should be reinforced, units lacking such compatibility should
be downsized.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="Level1" style="margin-left: 1in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -1in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "WP TypographicSymbols"; mso-bidi-font-family: "WP TypographicSymbols"; mso-fareast-font-family: "WP TypographicSymbols";">$</span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif;"> Top
management should share the pain by taking significant salary reductions for
the year(s) layoffs were occurring.</span><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></p><h1><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">When we look at the downsizing decisions of the major technology
companies, we find that the first lesson has been incorporated – at least in
what the CEO’s say to their employees and the public.</span></h1><h1><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">At Microsoft, CEO, Satya Nadlia, announced the layoff of 10,000 employees
(about 5% of the workforce). She explicitly said “we will continue to invest in
strategic areas for the future, meaning we are allocating both our capital and
talent to areas of secular growth and long term competitiveness for the company
while divesting in other areas.” She did not explain which areas would grow and
which would shrink.</span></h1><h1><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">At Facebook, CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, announced a layoff of 13% of the
employees (about 11,000 employees). Again he is explicit: “We’ve shifted more
of our resources onto a smaller number of high priority growth areas - like our
AI discovery engine, our ads and business platforms, and our long term for the
metaverse.” </span></h1><h1><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">At Amazon, CEO, Andy Jassy, announced a layoff of 18,000 people (about 1%
of the workforce). . He was much less explicit about a new strategic direction,
but he did say where the cuts would be focused: initially in the Devices and
Books businesses (with a voluntary buyout program in Human Resources; voluntary
buyout programs are the worst way of downsizing; the most effective employees
are those most likely to take the buyout) followed by a second required round
in Stores and Human Resources (PTX).</span></h1><h1><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">None of these downsizing companies announced that members of the top
management team would share the pain by taking salary reductions.</span></h1><h1><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Goldman-Sachs seems to have partially learned both lessons. Although it
did not announce areas which it would reinforce, it did target its cuts in the
investment management and global markets divisions. The CEO, David Solomon ,shared the pain by
taking a pay cut from about $37 million to $25 million. In addition, they
minimized the number of layoffs by cutting bonuses to junior employees from
$95,000 to about $12,500.</span></h1><p>
</p><h1><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">So 30 years on from the coining of the term downsizing, some firms have
learned from the efforts of management researchers. They have improved how they
carry out downsizing, but they have not learned the bigger lesson: it is better
not to downsize at all.<o:p></o:p></span></h1><p></p>mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883901285053073541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808171736235202102.post-10112219475162716172022-09-16T14:24:00.001-05:002022-09-16T14:29:08.653-05:00Shared appreciation Mortgages<p> Scroll down for my letter:</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/09/16/opinion/controversial-mortgage-program-has-served-vital-need/">Controversial mortgage program has served a vital need - The Boston Globe</a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>see also, <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/808171736235202102/1887163313834393289">Post: Edit (blogger.com)</a></p>mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883901285053073541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808171736235202102.post-52025420842825840772022-09-05T15:35:00.009-05:002022-09-13T15:40:03.168-05:00Trump and the 60-day rule<p> <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Justice delayed is justice denied. It is past time for justice to be done for the majority of Americans despite the 60-day "rule" (Unwritten Rule Poses Dilemma for 2 Inquiries. New York Times, September 5, 2022: A1, A10).</span></span></p><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">In a couple of months between the election and the January 6, 2021, meeting to certify the election, Mr. Trump and his allies managed to file (and lose) 59 cases alleging election fraud and win one case. They attempted to suborn election officials in multiple states. They managed to harvest over 150 votes in congress to decertify the electoral votes of several states. That is quite an achievement in a short amount of time.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">In contrast, America has shown great deference to the former president. The January 6th Congressional Committee Has presented evidence that would provide the basis for charges to be laid against the President. No charges have yet been laid. The FBI has uncovered evidence that the former president has mishandled government documents and that he or his associates have obstructed an FBI investigation. As yet, no charges have been laid.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Mr. Trump is devious and has a reputation for "lawyering up". He must be brought to justice now. He should be arrested as soon as possible and denied bail.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Mr. Trump has always acted as though rules are for other people; he should not be protected by the 60-day rule.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Submitted to the New York Times.</b></div>mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883901285053073541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808171736235202102.post-84879836835879747092022-09-01T15:42:00.010-05:002022-09-13T15:44:02.383-05:00Does the Commonwealth need more money?<p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Ms. Leung (Boston Globe, August30, 2022) should be assured that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts definitely does NOT have enough money. The money from the Fair Share tax increase is definitely needed. The amounts that Ms. Leung mentions in her column (Budget Surplus minus payback, $1.9 billion; Rainy Day fund, which should be inviolate, $6.9 billion; Federal Relief, $2.3 billion) are dwarfed by the shortfall in the Commonwealth’s Pension funds, $10.44 billion. </span></p><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The State Pension Fund is currently badly underfunded. As of June 30, 2021, the Massachusetts State Pension fund had a shortfall of 23% (assets $36.04 billion, liabilities $46.48 billion). This is worse than the average state which Pew Charitable Trusts estimated to have a shortfall of 16% after the stock market gains of 2020-21. All have probably worsened after August’s stock market losses. </div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">The budget surplus and the Federal Relief funds ($4.2 billion) should be invested in the Pension Fund. If we added $4.2 billion to the assets of the pension plan, the assets would rise to $40.24 billion, and the shortfall would be reduced to 13% making us one of the better states for Pension Plan financing. With this level of funding, future generations would be less likely to be taxed to make up the shortfall.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Alas, the Massachusetts Teachers Pension Fund will still be badly underfunded. Some of the tax increase on the wealthy should be dedicated to topping up that pension fund.</div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></div><div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>Submitted to the Boston Globe</b></div>mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883901285053073541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808171736235202102.post-20506952592295642062022-07-05T10:43:00.010-05:002022-07-06T10:45:40.169-05:00Ukraine war and our future climate<p> Oped in Cambridge Day</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.cambridgeday.com/2022/07/05/the-ukraine-war-and-our-future-climate/">The Ukraine war and our future climate - Cambridge Day</a></p>mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883901285053073541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808171736235202102.post-89645047119181564622022-06-11T06:13:00.017-05:002022-06-13T06:18:34.522-05:00Images of Gun Violence<p> Scroll down this link for my letter on grisly images of gun violence:</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/06/11/opinion/no-need-pictures-understand-carnage-gun-violence/?p1=BGSearch_Overlay_Results">No need for pictures to understand carnage of gun violence - The Boston Globe</a></p><p><br /></p><p>Boston Globe</p>mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883901285053073541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808171736235202102.post-85867459977032158482022-06-01T10:38:00.012-05:002022-07-06T10:43:17.745-05:00Bringing the Ukraine war home to Boston<p> Oped in Cambridge Day</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.cambridgeday.com/2022/06/01/the-ukraine-war-is-far-away-imagine-it-here/">The Ukraine war is far away. Imagine it here. - Cambridge Day</a></p>mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883901285053073541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808171736235202102.post-75554919033170210712021-07-24T05:11:00.005-05:002021-12-11T15:00:11.209-05:00Vaccination<p> Scroll down for my Boston Glone <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/07/24/opinion/vaccine-holdouts-do-you-remember-when-pandemic-was-thing-well-its-still-thing/" target="_blank"> lettter</a>:</p><p><br /></p><p>For those outides the firewall. This is what I said. They edited out the material in brackets.</p><p><br /></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Some 70 years ago when I was ten or eleven years old, I
suffered from sinusitis. It was severe enough that I was in hospital for a few
weeks in the winter at the Bristol (UK) Children’s Hospital. All I remember
about the treatment was that at night, they bundled us up warmly and trundled
our hospital beds on to an open balcony so we could get fresh air while we
slept. [I do remember that the patients were cared for by rotating shifts of
nurses from the West Indies; part of the Windrush diaspora that saved the
expanding British National Health Service in its early years.]<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">During the day we were free to sit in bed, walk around our
ward, and venture a little into nearby wards as long as they were not filled
with infectious children.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Our ward was adjacent to the polio ward. Several kids were
usually swinging around on their crutches making good time going from friend to
friend. They were the lucky ones. Others, sicker, were propped up in their beds
reading or listening to headphones. The sickest were cocooned in their iron
lungs that wheezed while squeezing air into these critically ill kids to help
them stay alive.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I always remember that the kids on crutches were awed that I
could walk around without any help.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Within ten years, polio vaccinations eliminated this
devastating disease from our lives.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">Right now the COVID-19 vaccines
are keeping this disease from further ravaging our society. They will only do
so if all of us who can get vaccinated do get vaccinated. Any adverse reactions
to the vaccine are miniscule compared with the suffering that one might
experience if COVID-19 struck. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%;">I will never forget how as a
child, I saw polio stricken youngsters my age facing a life on crutches or in
iron lungs, just like COVID-19 sufferers on ventilators are immobilized. That
haunting memory made me set aside vaccination hesitation.<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883901285053073541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808171736235202102.post-34891335934493719742021-06-14T13:35:00.007-05:002021-06-14T13:35:35.283-05:00DOJ u-turn<p> Letter in Boston Globe on <a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/06/14/opinion/garland-needs-make-corrective-u-turn/" target="_blank">DOJ</a></p>mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883901285053073541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808171736235202102.post-40560938139166840762021-05-21T13:36:00.010-05:002021-06-14T13:39:19.477-05:00Benches and Walls<p><a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2021/05/27/lifestyle/praise-strategically-placed-benches-low-walls/?p1=BGSearch_Advanced_Results" target="_blank"> Benches and Walls</a></p>mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883901285053073541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808171736235202102.post-28187093527692528582020-10-22T15:11:00.012-05:002020-10-29T15:16:02.725-05:00Fresh Pond: Here I come.<p> Piece in <a href="https://cambridge.wickedlocal.com/news/20201029/guest-column-fresh-pond-here-i-come" target="_blank">Cambridge Chronicle </a> https://cambridge.wickedlocal.com/news/20201029/guest-column-fresh-pond-here-i-come</p>mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883901285053073541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808171736235202102.post-9920086568648703932020-08-24T05:52:00.002-05:002020-08-25T06:08:34.781-05:00Just too selfish<p><a href="https://cambridge.wickedlocal.com/news/20200824/guest-column-just-too-selfish">Just too Selfish</a></p><p>Column in the Cambridge Chronicle</p>mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883901285053073541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808171736235202102.post-2693038577041337922020-07-28T08:47:00.001-05:002020-07-28T09:08:44.105-05:00Another take on Mueller: Republican.<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
With the dropping of charges against General Flynn and the
Supreme Court’s hearing about the partial release of Grand Jury testimony
gathered by Special Prosecutor, Robert Mueller, we are re-entering a focus on
the Mueller investigation. Just how unbiased was Rober Mueller?<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Robert Mueller, a lifelong Republican, has given great
service to his party through his investigation of the Trump campaign and his
report (Report On The Investigation Into Russian Interference In The 2016
Presidential Election) and his discussion of the report before Congress in July
2019. It is clear that Robert Mueller is not quite such a straight arrow as he
is reputed to be.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This conclusion is based on four elements:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond; mso-fareast-font-family: Garamond;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->The failure to file charges on Finance Law
violations (conspiracy with the Russians) following the June 9<sup>th</sup>
2016 meeting between Trump campaign representatives and Russian operatives</li>
<li> The obfuscation so evident in his discussion of
why the President was not indicted on obstruction of justice charges</li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> His delay in correcting Attorney General Barr’s
misleading summary of the Mueller report</span></li>
<li><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> His strangely inept behavior during his
testimony before Congress.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">No Campaign Finance
Charges<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
From his report, it is clear that he bent over backwards not
to indict two members of the President’s family (Donald Jr. and Jared Kushner)
and the then manager of his presidential campaign, Mr. Manafort for receiving
dirt about Hillary Clinton. Mueller levies no charges because he thought he
would have difficulty providing proof of a crime because of the question of
whether there was anything of value being offered to the campaign and whether
the participants in the meeting knew that they were breaking the law. It was
clear that if something of value had been received, it whould have ben reported
and that receipt from a foreigner was forbidden.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Although the law specifies that value resides in what the
participants expect to receive before the meeting took place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He then went on to claim that there was no
way to establish the value of what was offered to the Trump team. This despite
the fact that before the meeting, the team was told that the information would
incriminate Hillary and that it would be helpful to the Trump campaign. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mueller’s second reason for rejecting the idea
that something of value was received wass the fact that “no judicial decision
has treated the voluntary provision of uncompensated opposition research or
similar information as a thing of value that could amount to a contribution
under campaign finance law.” We shall see later that Mr. Mueller was not so
sensitive to a lack of judicial support.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally, he argues that he could not lay charges because the
Trump representatives might not have known that they were breaking the law in
asking for something of value from the Russians. Although ignorance of the law
is usually no excuse, with campaign finance law, the potential wrongdoer must
do so “knowingly and willfully.” Mueller thought that Trump’s team might be
able to activate this defense, but surely that is a decision to be made by the
defenders and not to be considered in deciding whether or not there is a case
to be made. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Obfuscation on
Obstruction of Justice<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The saddest statement in the report comes in the
introduction to the section on Obstruction of Justice. It reads: “Accordingly,
while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it
also does not exonerate him.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is one reason and one reason only why Mr. Mueller did
not draw the conclusion the President was a criminal: Justice Department rulings
and memoranda that a sitting president could not be indicted. However. This
proposition has not been tested in Court. Mr. Mueller unlike the issue of value
accepted the untested position. Clearly favoring the President.<o:p></o:p><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Barr’s summary of the
Mueller report<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On March 22<sup>nd</sup>. 2019, Robert Mueller submitted his
report, just under 500 pages in length, to the Attorney General, William Barr.
Two days later, Barr released a four page letter giving his summary of the
report and claiming that there was no collusion and no obstruction. On March 29<sup>th</sup>.
Mr. Mueller wrote privately to the Attorney General protesting that Barr’s
summary did not take into account the context and detail provided in the
report. In other words the report was misleading the public. The information about
Mueller’s concerns did not become public until April 30<sup>th</sup>. This, however,
was moot as the redacted Mueller report had been released on April 18<sup>th</sup>.
Thus for over three weeks, the Barr summary was the only information that the
public had about what Mueller had found. The Barr misinformation set the frame
for subsequent discussion and interpretation. Mueller failed to immediately
scotch Barr’s misinformation. He played by the rules being unwilling to
challenge his boss publically; the country lost.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Behavior at the Congressional
Hearings<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mueller repeatedly said he did not wish to appear before Congress.
However, as a good soldier, he appeared when called upon. However, his
reputation as a sharp, well informed, legal firecracker did not survive his
testimony. He was low key. He often appeared confused. He always declined to go
beyond what was written in the report, and he never, never engaged in
speculation. However, at least one message was clearly delivered: our elections
are under attack by Russia and we need to take defensive actions before 2020.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883901285053073541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808171736235202102.post-82664199794210622252020-07-23T15:05:00.000-05:002020-07-28T09:09:48.964-05:00Lessons from Mueller<br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
Lessons from the
Mueller Report<br />(Report On The
Investigation Into Russian Interference In The 2016 Presidential Election)<br /><o:p> </o:p></h2>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div align="left" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
With the dropping of charges against General Flynn and with the
Supreme Court’s hearing about the partial release of Grand Jury testimony
gathered by Special Prosecutor, Robert Mueller, and with the recent opening of
senate investigations, we are re-focusing on the Mueller investigation. There
are some lessons for us still to learn from his report.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I will look in detail at several elements:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond; mso-fareast-font-family: Garamond;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Mueller’s failure to file charges for Finance
Law violations (conspiracy with the Russians) arising from the June 9<sup>th</sup>
2016 meeting between Trump campaign representatives and Russian operatives<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Garamond; mso-fareast-font-family: Garamond;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->The obfuscation and contortions so evident in
his discussion of why the President was not indicted on obstruction of justice charges.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">No Charges for
violations of the Campaign Finance Laws.<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
From his report, it is clear that he bent over backwards not
to indict two members of the President’s family (Donald Jr. and Jared Kushner)
and the then manager of his presidential campaign, Mr. Manafort. As is well
known, the three confidants of Mr. Trump, responded positively to an invitation
from a Russian lawyer to receive some dirt on Hilary Clinton. Mr. Trump Jr. is
quoted by Mueller as saying: “if it’s [sensitive high level information] what
you say I love it especially later in the summer.” <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mueller levies no charges because he thought he would have
difficulty providing proof of a crime because of the question of whether there
was anything of value being offered to the campaign and whether the
participants in the meeting knew that they were breaking the law. Anything of
value would have to be reported as a donation to the campaign and donations
from foreigners are explicitly forbidden.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mueller’s discussion of value [Chapter 5.B.3.a, b. i, iii) concludes
like a brief provided by a defense attorney rather than a statement of the
grounds for or against prosecution. He does begin by describing the kind of
information that would be valuable: law enforcement reports, classified
materials, confidential information on a competitive bid, grand jury
information, and relevant here, “in the public corruption context … the value
the defendant subjectively attaches to the items received.” In addition, the
Federal Elections Commission has stated that value also resides in political
membership lists, mailing lists, state-by-state lists of activists, polling
data, and campaign materials. The law also specifies that value resides in what
the participants expect to receive before the meeting took place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However, Mueller dismissed all of this
claiming that there was no way to establish the value of what was offered to
the Trump team. This despite the fact that before the meeting, the Trump’s team
was told and believed that the information would incriminate Hillary Clinton
and that it would be helpful to Donald Trump’s campaign. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mueller’s second reason for rejecting the idea
that there had been a violation of the Election Law based on the value of a
gift was the fact that “no judicial decision has treated the voluntary
provision of uncompensated opposition research or similar information as a
thing of value that could amount to a contribution under campaign finance law.”
The argument that compensation is required for the contribution to be a
violation of the law seems bizarre. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally, he argues that he could not lay charges because the
Trump representatives might not have known that they were breaking the law in
receiving something of value from the Russians. Although ignorance of the law
is usually not a defense, with campaign finance law, the potential wrongdoer
must do so “knowingly and willfully.” Mueller thought that Trump’s team might
be able to activate this defense so decided not to charge them. I would have
thought that Manafort being both a lawyer and being the campaign manager should
have been aware of the law and would have been worth charging.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Obfuscation on
Obstruction of Justice<o:p></o:p></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The saddest statement in the report comes in the
introduction to the section on Obstruction of Justice. It reads: “Accordingly,
while this report does not conclude that the President committed a crime, it
also does not exonerate him.”<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is one reason and one reason only why Mr. Mueller did
not draw the conclusion the President was a criminal: Justice Department rulings
and memoranda that a sitting president could not be indicted. Recently several
judges have questioned the applicability of these memoranda because they “<span style="background: white; color: #333333;">do not
constitute authoritative judicial interpretation of the Constitution concerning
those issues.” Note that Mueller was concerned about the lack of such a ruling
in the case of uncompensated gifts to a campaign; this weighed in his decision
not to bring charges.</span><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Mueller identified ten events that gave prima facie evidence
that Mr. Trump, as President, obstructed justice. These include pressure on the
FBI to go easy on General Flynn, through the firing of FBI Director James.
Comey, through the attempts to hide the purpose and outcomes of the July 9<sup>th</sup>.
Meeting.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
All clearly qualify as obstruction of justice.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Implications</b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
From the whole report, we need to take Mr. Mueller’s warning
seriously and erect cyber defenses against Russian interference. Both
government, through election protection, and the private sector, through
disabling bots, must do their parts.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Second, we must revise the election finance law so that it
is harder for people to plead ignorance. At the very least, knowledge of the
law should be assumed for the candidate, her or his family, the campaign
manager, and the senior staff of the campaign.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Finally, the idea that the President cannot be indicted
while in office needs intense scrutiny. Surely wrongdoing that increases the
chance of a person becoming President should be indictable. Certainly the idea of
Presidential immunity should be tested in the courts.<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883901285053073541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808171736235202102.post-46280842409740807742020-07-01T15:07:00.000-05:002020-07-23T15:08:31.093-05:00Failure to receive intelligence<br />
<br />
<div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
We should not be at all surprised that Mr. Trump's National Security Team was unwilling to pass up bad news (Susan Rice: TrumpPuts Russia First. New York Times, July 1, 2020: A25.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
After all, back in April 2017, Generals Mattis and McMaster failed to tell Mr. Trump that he was wrong in his report of the direction in which a US aircraft carrier was proceeding (<a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/18/world/asia/aircraft-carrier-north-korea-carl-vinson.html&source=gmail&ust=1595621171019000&usg=AFQjCNHayCb_62GylB-_ttJ2KlLitSa2AQ" fg_scanned="1" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/18/world/asia/aircraft-carrier-north-korea-carl-vinson.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/2017/<wbr></wbr>04/18/world/asia/aircraft-<wbr></wbr>carrier-north-korea-carl-<wbr></wbr>vinson.html</a>).</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
We are now in truly terrifying times <a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/19/opinion/miscue-over-north-korea.html&source=gmail&ust=1595621171020000&usg=AFQjCNEbYWFUJuAs2LgiHz5JnOv6ettkPQ" fg_scanned="1" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/19/opinion/miscue-over-north-korea.html" style="color: #1155cc;" target="_blank">https://www.nytimes.com/<wbr></wbr>2017/04/19/opinion/miscue-<wbr></wbr>over-north-korea.html</a>.</div>
<div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
Most organizations face the problem of information distortion as it goes up the hierarchy. Good chief executives make sure that they have multiple channels of information so that they get a rounded view of the situation they are facing.</div>
mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883901285053073541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808171736235202102.post-25346568588287189062020-03-14T10:04:00.002-05:002020-03-14T10:05:39.425-05:00LayoffsScroll down for my letter on layoffs<br />
<br />
<a href="https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/03/14/opinion/preparing-bumps-ahead/">https://www.bostonglobe.com/2020/03/14/opinion/preparing-bumps-ahead/</a>mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883901285053073541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808171736235202102.post-79265096420551657232020-01-30T12:10:00.000-05:002020-01-30T12:10:31.168-05:00Biden should withdraw<a href="https://cambridge.wickedlocal.com/news/20200127/guest-column-biden-should-withdraw-from-race-for-democratic-nomination">Mr. Biden should not run for president</a><br />
<br />
Cambridge Chronicle, January 29, 2020:A11.mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883901285053073541noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-808171736235202102.post-71142647922508646472019-11-01T09:55:00.000-05:002019-11-13T09:57:03.485-05:00Impeach Trump!<div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
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).</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
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.</div>
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<div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
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.</div>
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<div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
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.</div>
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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.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="gmail_default" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
Mr. Trump should be impeached. He should be tried in the Senate. He should be removed from office.</div>
mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03883901285053073541noreply@blogger.com0