Sanford Morganstein... I always find reasoning weak when I hear things like "So more than half of Alaska voters (49.4%) said "no" to a Democrat. (48.7%)" But what it really is - Peltola had 48.7 against Candidate A plus Candidate B had 49.4%. This isn't vote for a party it is a vote for a candidate representing a party. Simple party majority votes does declare a race. You could also say nearly 50% of people voted against the Republican candidates.
Thanks for the email to attend the mayoral forum next week. I'm all signed up. I wouldn't have even known it was happening without your FYI. I look forward to it. I'm fairly sure I'm voting for Johnson but want to hear what each have to say.
Your column got me thinking about wishing I could share an afternoon with my grandmothers and their mothers, great aunts and second cousins, the women who bore children and held families together in the background while the men got most of the written history for their jobs and accomplishments. It’s Women’s History Month, time to remember and honor the women who made it all possible for me to be here! Raising 12 children, Lillian Bagby certainly did not have this luxury of reading the paper with her morning coffee! I’d love to sit and have afternoon tea with her now.
I so agree on this R. My grandfather was born with an unidentified father (a bastard child) and was referred to as being raised by his grandfather (tho grand daddy and his mama lived with him and suspect she done the rais'in). It's a mystery and as Iris sings, "I'll let the mystery be"...this has been a tough one. I'd love to visit with my dad too as he died before I really became an adult. Maybe that's heaven right? Vs Iowa
Oh come on Eric! I certainly would like to chat with my great (step) grandmother who married my great grandfather at age 40 and pushed my grandmother to work as hard as she could and get a scholarship to go to college …because “who knows of you’ll get married and have someone to support you”….which my grandmother did, at the U ofC , in 1921. She met my grandfather there (ironic, really) so the whole thing certainly was the reason I’m here, not to mention a fascinating perspective for a woman of her time. However how could anyone resist being able to say “Well I talked to Jesus and he ACTUALLY says….” Could you really give up that chance?
EZ - just curious - why do you allow multiple votes on the verbal [non-visual] tweets, but only a sgl vote for the best visual tweet? there were 4 good-to-great visual tweets in today's PS.
The polling tool in Substack allows just five options and one vote. It lets you stay on the page and doesn't take you to another platform.. It also allows you to look at the choices again before you vote.
Eerie how J.D Barnhart’s mayoral bid seemed to have some drama that presaged that of a certain presidential election more than a century later. I guess you can be grateful that great grandpa J.D. did not sic a pitchfork bearing mob on the Macon County Courthouse to try to overturn the election.
Paul Vallas is speaking about civil rights in the loose (at best) way that Franklin Roosevelt did. The word “civil” loosely means “government specified” and “right” means “necessary or useful thing” as in the right to an education, clean water, fresh food, shelter, clothing, air conditioning, and the internet.
I had the idea of a certification for journalists so we can separate real ones from fake ones. I agree there would no power to muzzle anyone. More like an explanation of background. Take Dr. Phil - he is free to prattle on his views and allow us to watch therapies that should be private. But we know exactly what kind of doctor he is.
First ask your readers if they were aware of any ethics standard for journalists - I was not. Maybe a first step is to further publish this code along with a list of people who follow it.
My plan would be to finalize a code of ethics - use the one you reference. People would need to take a test showing they understand the code (and pass ); then sign a statement they would follow this code. I would also have a basic proficiency test in English (other languages available as well).
Upon completion the individual would be granted a piece of paper titled Certified Journalist. There would be an oversight body that would grant this certification as well as take it away (after a due process hearing).
This body would not have any other power and individuals like say Hannity could continue lying - he just would not have this journalist certification.
Professional certification (and/or licensing) has always been driven by one or more organizations that were setting standards to raise the public perception of the profession and to create a barrier to entry. When they have enough momentum, they can sometimes get legal requirements for certification written into law. Journalism has many organizations that are highly fragmented and have highly diverse social/political bents. They might do well to form an apolitical, standards group that journalists could apply to for certification on training, acceptance of the standards, and compliance with the standards. The group would then also have the ability to discipline members by revoking certification of members that violated the standards. The professional organizations are funded by member dues, so the members have to believe there is a financial benefit to them. I would think there would be enough 'real' journalists to form such a group, but they seem far away from such a thing. The organization also becomes a lobbying group to promote the interests of their members in legislatures and to increase the value or requirements for the certification. The industry has relied on the prestige and reputation of the publisher or parent organization. Journalists have also formed unions, so it is possible that a national union of journalists could perform a similar role.
I'd love to share time with my four great-grandmothers, although I'd need a translator with at least one and possibly all four of them. They immigrated from different parts of Norway right after the Civil War, settling among other Norwegian immigrants (Iowa town, Minnesota farm country, Minneapolis neighborhood), bore lots of children (among the four families: 21 who survived childhood, at least 4 who did not), attended Norwegian-Lutheran churches, read Norwegian-language newspapers. I can scarcely imagine their lives, nearly as foreign to mine as mine would be to theirs. (At least I have a family tree to help. None of us get trees of descendants that go very far.)
To Brandon Johnson: Crime has increased in most large US cities in recent years. When you state "The safest cities invest in their communities", which cities are you specifically referencing? Are they comparable in size & demographics to Chicago?
To Paul Vallas: Although it's hard to assess how much, it's fairly clear that closing half of Chicago's mental health facilities 10 years ago hasn't helped. Is a funding increase of mental health facilities part of your safety plan, and how will it be funded?
To Both: I've never understood why a larger percentage of police on the streets are not plainclothes. Yes, it has been abused in the past, but there are now more ways to hold bad policing accountable. Implemented intermittently (not necessarily specific units), it would seem that it would be an effective crime deterrent. Mayor Adams in NYC recently reinstated plainclothes strategies. Are you in favor?
I couldn't agree more about wanting to have dinner with a great-grandparent. All of my grandparents immigrated as children or young people. It was their parents, my great-grands, that made the decision to leave Russia, Poland, and Romania, pack up a few of their things, and come to America. We have visited some of the places they came from. Their friends and family who stayed behind were slaughtered by the Nazis. I wish I could say "thanks" and give them a hug, and better understood how they decided to make that very big leap to the US. And, given that they were long gone before WWII, so didn't have the Holocaust to put into the equation, whether they were glad they came. I sure am.
I am also sorry that my children had no opportunity to know an immigrant ancestor at first hand. I think the inscription on the Statue of Liberty has greatly more meaning to those of us who did.
Politicians and activists, of all stripes intentionally misuse the concept of rights to create an aura of undeniable legitimacy for their position. They intend to muddle and attempt to limit the discussion. Order (the rule of law, and public safety) is the most fundamental obligation of government and is a basic tenet of political philosophy since Hobbes' Leviathan in 1651. We expect our government to fulfill this obligation in a fair and just manor with minimum restrictions on individual freedoms.
co-moderating this exchange or "cat wrangling"
Sanford Morganstein... I always find reasoning weak when I hear things like "So more than half of Alaska voters (49.4%) said "no" to a Democrat. (48.7%)" But what it really is - Peltola had 48.7 against Candidate A plus Candidate B had 49.4%. This isn't vote for a party it is a vote for a candidate representing a party. Simple party majority votes does declare a race. You could also say nearly 50% of people voted against the Republican candidates.
Thanks for the email to attend the mayoral forum next week. I'm all signed up. I wouldn't have even known it was happening without your FYI. I look forward to it. I'm fairly sure I'm voting for Johnson but want to hear what each have to say.
Your column got me thinking about wishing I could share an afternoon with my grandmothers and their mothers, great aunts and second cousins, the women who bore children and held families together in the background while the men got most of the written history for their jobs and accomplishments. It’s Women’s History Month, time to remember and honor the women who made it all possible for me to be here! Raising 12 children, Lillian Bagby certainly did not have this luxury of reading the paper with her morning coffee! I’d love to sit and have afternoon tea with her now.
I so agree on this R. My grandfather was born with an unidentified father (a bastard child) and was referred to as being raised by his grandfather (tho grand daddy and his mama lived with him and suspect she done the rais'in). It's a mystery and as Iris sings, "I'll let the mystery be"...this has been a tough one. I'd love to visit with my dad too as he died before I really became an adult. Maybe that's heaven right? Vs Iowa
Oh come on Eric! I certainly would like to chat with my great (step) grandmother who married my great grandfather at age 40 and pushed my grandmother to work as hard as she could and get a scholarship to go to college …because “who knows of you’ll get married and have someone to support you”….which my grandmother did, at the U ofC , in 1921. She met my grandfather there (ironic, really) so the whole thing certainly was the reason I’m here, not to mention a fascinating perspective for a woman of her time. However how could anyone resist being able to say “Well I talked to Jesus and he ACTUALLY says….” Could you really give up that chance?
EZ - please ask at next week's forum - How will you, as mayor, impact significant and sustainable reduction carjackings?
EZ - just curious - why do you allow multiple votes on the verbal [non-visual] tweets, but only a sgl vote for the best visual tweet? there were 4 good-to-great visual tweets in today's PS.
I agree--most often the majority are so very funny and clever
I was laughing from beginning to end.
The polling tool in Substack allows just five options and one vote. It lets you stay on the page and doesn't take you to another platform.. It also allows you to look at the choices again before you vote.
maybe suggest to Substack that they get current with the times - offer ranked choice voting on the visual tweets 😉
Eerie how J.D Barnhart’s mayoral bid seemed to have some drama that presaged that of a certain presidential election more than a century later. I guess you can be grateful that great grandpa J.D. did not sic a pitchfork bearing mob on the Macon County Courthouse to try to overturn the election.
If he had it would have made for a better story!
Only time to scroll this am but the visual tweets were all LOL! Nice job!
Paul Vallas is speaking about civil rights in the loose (at best) way that Franklin Roosevelt did. The word “civil” loosely means “government specified” and “right” means “necessary or useful thing” as in the right to an education, clean water, fresh food, shelter, clothing, air conditioning, and the internet.
I hope that the forum is civil.
I had the idea of a certification for journalists so we can separate real ones from fake ones. I agree there would no power to muzzle anyone. More like an explanation of background. Take Dr. Phil - he is free to prattle on his views and allow us to watch therapies that should be private. But we know exactly what kind of doctor he is.
First ask your readers if they were aware of any ethics standard for journalists - I was not. Maybe a first step is to further publish this code along with a list of people who follow it.
My plan would be to finalize a code of ethics - use the one you reference. People would need to take a test showing they understand the code (and pass ); then sign a statement they would follow this code. I would also have a basic proficiency test in English (other languages available as well).
Upon completion the individual would be granted a piece of paper titled Certified Journalist. There would be an oversight body that would grant this certification as well as take it away (after a due process hearing).
This body would not have any other power and individuals like say Hannity could continue lying - he just would not have this journalist certification.
Professional certification (and/or licensing) has always been driven by one or more organizations that were setting standards to raise the public perception of the profession and to create a barrier to entry. When they have enough momentum, they can sometimes get legal requirements for certification written into law. Journalism has many organizations that are highly fragmented and have highly diverse social/political bents. They might do well to form an apolitical, standards group that journalists could apply to for certification on training, acceptance of the standards, and compliance with the standards. The group would then also have the ability to discipline members by revoking certification of members that violated the standards. The professional organizations are funded by member dues, so the members have to believe there is a financial benefit to them. I would think there would be enough 'real' journalists to form such a group, but they seem far away from such a thing. The organization also becomes a lobbying group to promote the interests of their members in legislatures and to increase the value or requirements for the certification. The industry has relied on the prestige and reputation of the publisher or parent organization. Journalists have also formed unions, so it is possible that a national union of journalists could perform a similar role.
I'd love to share time with my four great-grandmothers, although I'd need a translator with at least one and possibly all four of them. They immigrated from different parts of Norway right after the Civil War, settling among other Norwegian immigrants (Iowa town, Minnesota farm country, Minneapolis neighborhood), bore lots of children (among the four families: 21 who survived childhood, at least 4 who did not), attended Norwegian-Lutheran churches, read Norwegian-language newspapers. I can scarcely imagine their lives, nearly as foreign to mine as mine would be to theirs. (At least I have a family tree to help. None of us get trees of descendants that go very far.)
Public Safety debate questions:
To Brandon Johnson: Crime has increased in most large US cities in recent years. When you state "The safest cities invest in their communities", which cities are you specifically referencing? Are they comparable in size & demographics to Chicago?
To Paul Vallas: Although it's hard to assess how much, it's fairly clear that closing half of Chicago's mental health facilities 10 years ago hasn't helped. Is a funding increase of mental health facilities part of your safety plan, and how will it be funded?
To Both: I've never understood why a larger percentage of police on the streets are not plainclothes. Yes, it has been abused in the past, but there are now more ways to hold bad policing accountable. Implemented intermittently (not necessarily specific units), it would seem that it would be an effective crime deterrent. Mayor Adams in NYC recently reinstated plainclothes strategies. Are you in favor?
I couldn't agree more about wanting to have dinner with a great-grandparent. All of my grandparents immigrated as children or young people. It was their parents, my great-grands, that made the decision to leave Russia, Poland, and Romania, pack up a few of their things, and come to America. We have visited some of the places they came from. Their friends and family who stayed behind were slaughtered by the Nazis. I wish I could say "thanks" and give them a hug, and better understood how they decided to make that very big leap to the US. And, given that they were long gone before WWII, so didn't have the Holocaust to put into the equation, whether they were glad they came. I sure am.
I am also sorry that my children had no opportunity to know an immigrant ancestor at first hand. I think the inscription on the Statue of Liberty has greatly more meaning to those of us who did.
Politicians and activists, of all stripes intentionally misuse the concept of rights to create an aura of undeniable legitimacy for their position. They intend to muddle and attempt to limit the discussion. Order (the rule of law, and public safety) is the most fundamental obligation of government and is a basic tenet of political philosophy since Hobbes' Leviathan in 1651. We expect our government to fulfill this obligation in a fair and just manor with minimum restrictions on individual freedoms.