The Vanishing Middle Class

We are told constantly that the U.S. economy is booming; that we are witnessing one of the most robust economies in recent memories. We're told that thousands of former U.S. jobs which had shipped overseas are finally coming back home. From the reports, Americans should be giddy from all the growth. But we're not. In fact, most Americans are barely making it.

As most of us know (or should know), the Middle Class, which has been the backbone of this country since its founding, has been under an incessant attack for almost four decades. According to a recent report from the U.S. Social Security Administration, nearly 50% of the Middle Class earns less than $33,000. That works out to be $2,750---before taxes.

To break it down further, 46% of Americans earn under $30,000. 58% make under $40,000, and 67% bring in less than $50,000. But the statistic of real importance is this--- 44% struggle to pay their bills. After taxes, many American routinely have to choose between which bill to pay now and being able to buy groceries or other essentials such as clothes, school supplies, car repairs, etc. As an aside, the poverty level for a family of four is $25,750. That means the half of America is living on the financial edge. Nearly a quarter of all Americans receive welfare benefits while 49% receive at least some form of regular monthly government assistance.

Meanwhile, senior corporate officers are seeing their salaries and benefit packages blossom. Their salaries have increased 937% since 1978, giving them an average salary of $15.6 million dollars; faster growth than the stock market according to the Economic Policy Institute. That's approximately 30 times the salary of an average employee (union or non-union). Meanwhile, adjusted for inflation, the average worker has seen their pay increase by only 11.2% over the same period. I know being a president or CEO isn't for the fainthearted, but that's outrageous.

There are those who say "get a better job" or "go back to school". Well, despite the growth in the number of jobs, the pay is often fairly low while benefits are no longer a given as they once were. As for going back to school, most individuals can't afford to either take the time off to beef up their academic credentials or afford the overinflated costs of higher education. We're heard countless stories of individuals graduating from college with a debt that will take decades to pay off. Of course, in all fairness, there are those who graduate with practically worthless degrees who may never be able to pay off the school debt.

I would be remiss not to point out that while the majority of new jobs are on the lower end of the pay scale, there is an abundance of vocational or trade vocations in desperate need of being filled. In addition, they pay very well (many over $50,000 annually) and often include those ever increasingly rare benefits. I'm talking about plumbers, electricians, carpenters, welders, HVAC mechanics, stone and brick masons, and so forth.

For some reason we've allowed ourselves to be convinced that every job should require a college degree. They don't. What they require is high school graduates being able to perform at a higher than eighth grade level; individuals who can read, write, do basic math and have critical thinking skills. Since the 1960's, we've seen the quality of public education repeatedly dumbed down so as not to "offend" anyone or make them feel "bad" about themselves. As a result, students across the board have been forced to suffer. But, nevertheless, it reinforces the point that not everyone is college material.

Meanwhile, we have created a society ever dependent on service oriented jobs, which are, again, typically low paying. Individuals in the fast food business have been clamoring for $15 an hour pay; claiming they can't support a family with their current wage. No doubt that's true, but then again, fast food jobs were intended to be "starter" jobs. Employment for those just getting starting in the job market like high school students. Aside from manager positions, they weren't intended to be jobs to supporting families.

In addition, automation has taken many of the typical production jobs which were once the domain of the well paid blue collar Middle Class. Add to this the high number of illegal immigrants who are employed in many entry level and service jobs. As a rule, these are generally low paying work with few or any benefits requiring very low skills (even fluent English isn't always a requirement). Again, that speaks to both what's available and the quality of applicants.

We also have to consider the government. We are constantly seeing politicians and bureaucrats pushing for higher taxes, not to mention more and higher fees and rates on everything from water and sewers to electricity to property tax. Of course, they rarely miss an opportunity to raise their own salaries, but that's for another time. Meanwhile, they are doing their best to regulate anything and everything for the obvious purpose of finding new income streams to sink their greedy little hands into.

Regulation has become so bad that the average "mom and pop" business, the traditional economic backbone of this country and its largest private employer, can't afford to stay in business. This is especially true when you consider that the large mega corporations are usually propped up with tax breaks and taxpayer backed incentives, plus they can afford the best accountants, lawyers, and politicians money can buy.

As readers of Another Opinion already know, America is an Oligarchy. These ultra rich corporations and individuals literally own both major political parties as well as their politicians and top level bureaucrats. They "help" write key pieces of legislation and then use their financial influence to see to it that it's passed. The average small business person can't afford to hire a lobbyist, leaving them with very little power over their own existence.

So what do we do? This is a problem which has as many potential answers as it does problems. First, we have to accept that America cannot survive with half of its population literally living from paycheck to paycheck year after year. Right now the average American family is carrying about $38,000 in personal debt (not including student loans). Millennials and Gen Z between 18 and 24 already have an average debt of $22,000. Older Millennials, those between 25 and 34, are in debt to the tune of $42,000 while Gen X and Babyboomers have a debt of between $36,000 and $39,000.

If we add to that the fact that 40% of Americans can't come up with $400 to cover an emergency, we have a pretty bleak picture. Also bear in mind that the average American family has just under $5000 in their savings account; 58% have less than $1000, with a substantial number having no savings account at all. Sooner or later "something" is going to happen economically and "someone" is going to get the Old Maid. When that happens, the whole house of cards is coming down, and with it, the whole economy.

While many argue that we need to increase (almost perpetually) the minimum wage, the problem is that usually increases prices (after all, "someone" is going to have to absorb the increase and that "someone" is almost always the consumer). Perhaps it's time to abandon the concept of a minimum wage and let the marketplace decide. Those who won't pay a livable wage will be forced to adjust or go out of business.

Secondly, we need to cut regulations on small businesses and make it easier for them operate. The biggest stumbling block, aside from government regulation, has been in the area of benefits; especially insurance, which is why I like the idea of a single payer form of insurance where everyone is provided with a basic package and then given the opportunity to purchase additional insurance as their needs change (those making under a certain minimum income could receive either an income credit or discounted rate). It would at least be a starting point. We also need to encourage personal savings by eliminating taxes on accounts under $100,000.

We also need to stop underwriting mega corporations with taxpayer dollars. They are quite capable of taking care of themselves financially thank you. I suggest that a minimum income tax be imposed. The fact that Exxon, Chase, Apple and other global corporations pay zero income tax has to stop. Along those same lines, we must overturn the colossal "Citizens United" mistake by the Supreme Court.

This fiasco declared that corporations were "people" with the same rights as you and I, especially "free speech" which the court equated with money with the exception that corporations can give unlimited amounts while us mere mortals are still capped as to what we can donate. Corporations should be unable to donate money or provide support to any political party or candidate.

Equally, any contact between a government official and a corporate lobbyist should be public. No lobbyist should have input on any piece of legislation other than from an official request in the form of a public hearing open to all. Former public employees should also be required to wait seven years before accepting any position which brings them in contact with a government agency.

All tax, fee, and rate proposals must obtain public approval before being implemented. No more "nickel and dime" increases. This includes salaries for elected officials. Along with this is the need for term limits. This would go a long way to ending corruption and bringing fresh ideas to government. I propose a 12 year term---six 2 year terms for representatives, two 6 terms for senators, three 4 year terms for the executive branch as well as federal judges and the Supreme Court. We also must end partisan gerrymandering of districts. This does nothing more than keep incumbents in power. Districts must be balanced in order to reflect the residents, not the party.

Lastly, we must instill discipline back into the schools. School is about education, not babysitting and surely not tolerating violent students attacking or bullying other students or teachers. Expelling them only gives them what they want. Instead, they should be sent to "bootcamp" schools where discipline is enforced. Emphasis should remain focused on academics, not sports or other extracurricular activities.

Students must be taught history as well as civics. They need to know their collective roots and responsibilities as Americans. Students should be periodically tested to see where their interests and potential abilities might lead them, and then encouraged in that direction. Sex education should be focused on basic biology, not on being gay or transgendered or whatever.

America is more divided as a country right than at any time since the decade preceding the Civil War. Not only are politics more divisive than ever, but the divisiveness is even fanned by the corporate controlled media. The same goes with how we treat one another. We've become all about what we want when we want it without regard for others. A act of compassion or kindness is almost so rare as to make the news it seems. Where has our sense of respect and civility gone?

If we fail to save the Middle Class (or what's left of it), America will truly become a two tier society; a nation of haves and have not (we're pretty close to that already). There are parts of this nation which are now almost indistinguishable from third world countries. We fall in the lower half of most official rankings in health, happiness, freedom, education while ranking at or near the top in incarceration, crime, poverty, and violence.

We've already lost our Republic to the Oligarchy, leaving us with an illusion of control. We must retake our country, and in doing so restore not just our Middle Class. We must not ask for permission to reclaim our country and its way of life. We must demand it.



Goodbye Middle Class: 50% Of American Workers Make Less Than $33,000 A Year


CEOs make $15.6 million on average---here's how much their pay has increased compared to yours over the year

Good paying blue collar jobs go unfilled in tight labor market

Here's how much debt American have at every age

I Know You Heard What I Said But Did You Understand What I Meant?

I titled this article after a oft used quote from a good friend of mine back in my Navy days. His name was "Nick', although we all called him "Moses" because of his thick black beard. Nick was forever making quips which, unfortunately, were sometimes taken out of context. This occasionally led to some intense verbal discussions mainly with folks who didn't understand Nick's personality very well. Nick's response was usually the above quote. Nick was fond of saying that so many times people see and hear what they want to see or hear; usually as a result of societal preconditioning. It's almost like they were subconsciously preconditioned to pick up on specific words or images without considering the rest. I used to kid Nick that, for a "Yankee", that was pretty insightful, and it was.

I've been writing Another Opinion since 2005, but my articles go back a lot further than that (I've got some 500 or so articles under my belt as far as A/O goes). I've had articles published in numerous professional journals, magazines, and newspapers. I've appeared on television and been a guest of various radio shows. I've even co-hosted a top rated Independent radio show of my own. My opinions have sometimes changed on various topics as new information became available, but I don't think its affected my core beliefs. One of those core beliefs has been to be open minded; to at least actually listen to the other person. While rarely my opinion was changed, I've have often learned something new or became aware of something I wanted to know more about. If you don't change and evolve, you stagnate and decay. It applies just as much to ideas as to life, and dogmas aren't very good at change.

However, I've noticed a decided change of late where an exchange of opinions, especially opposing opinions are increasingly not tolerated any more. It's like one side or another has decided that what the other person's has to say is not only automatically "wrong" because it's different, that person doesn't even have the right to express it. We're seeing it on college campuses (which should be the last place where freedom of expression and speech should be denied), high school and elementary school, and even in the corporate world (where a single comment or even word, taken out of context, almost automatically leads to manufactured condemnation, boycotts, and public ridicule).

We've seen individuals attacked, protests which have turned into near riots with businesses vandalized. Even those who have been invited to speak have found themselves assaulted, the stage swarmed, and deprived of the opportunity to express their opinion, all because its differs from the current "groupthink" or "echo chamber" mentality which simply reinforces one's beliefs and values by being exposed to one narrative only. People are then left assuming that their particular opinion is the only valid one. Meanwhile, the other side is demonized.

This type of thinking carries with it the implied belief that the other side has no "right" to their opinions or to express them. I think, at its core, this "groupthink" goes back to our education system, from grade school through college, with students not being taught critical thinking skills; the ability to research and reason out logically an argument. I remember being taught to not just know the other side's position as well as our own, but actually having to defend their position in order to know how to best validate ours. In addition, students are not taught Civics or history (at least to any meaningful degree). What they do learn is very narrow and limited in scope and typically one sided. As an aside, we need to focus on practical skills and trade schools which provide near immediate entry into the job market with good pay and benefits. Not everyone should or need to go to college.

Some college administrators have recently had to cancel speakers over threats of protests and possible violence. Even I have had individuals complain about some of my posts; usually claiming that I write, post, or comment about just one side and not the other. A few have directed their comments (or emojis) at me personally if they happened to dislike an article I came across and posted. I've even had fellow writers, vloggers, and talk radio jocks who've been attacked verbally and in some cases, physically threatened over their articles or comments What happened to civility folks?

I recall an old quote by Evelyn Beatrice Hall, an English writer of Voltaire, which goes something like this, "I may not agree with what you have to say, but I'll defend to the death your right to say it", which reminds me of another quote which is equally important, especially these days, "Your freedom of expression stops where my personal space begins" (paraphrased from Judicial philosopher and civil libertarian Zechariah Chafee Jr, who said "Your right to swing your arms ends just where the other man's nose begins"). Again, it all goes back to civility and the right of individuals to express their opinion on various topics in a mutually respectful matter and environment.

Of course, much of the disrespect these days is manufactured by paid political operatives hiding behind fake shill groups and amplified by the corporate-owned media for the purpose of shutting the other side in an effort to control the political narrative. It's a coordinated effort to end or discourage public discourse in order to control the political (and thus social and economic) direction this country pursues. What this reminds me of is the running street battles between the SA (Brownshirts) and the Communists during the early 1930s in Germany. Each side would attack the other's speakers and/or disrupt meetings and events, except here most of the attacks and disrupting are being done just by one side (so far).

An increasing number of writers and social commentators (your truly included) have noted that this has contributed greatly to America's widening social, economic, and political divide. Many noted political scientists and historians have pointed out that America hasn't been this deeply divided since the decade preceding the Civil War. The same can be said of Germany in the 1930's as mentioned above. One thing for certain, is that this divide, which began with Bill Clinton and continued through George W Bush and Barack Obama, may have already reached and passed the point of no return.

As I've often pointed out (and been equally criticized about for reminding people), Hillary's defeat amid charges of repeatedly lying to Congress, illegal weapons and uranium sales, rigging of the Democratic Primary (in conjunction with the then DNC Chairperson, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, who was fired for her role but immediately hired by the Clinton Campaign), the Benghazi Scandal, and other charges along with the election of Donald Trump, the non-Establishment Republican candidate, may historically represent the tipping point
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Some would argue that Obama was the tipping point, and there's certainly a good argument for that given his gutting of ICE and suing the State of Arizona for enforcing immigration laws (and allowing Mexico to join in the lawsuit---a first), Eric Holder's illegal arms deal with the drug cartels (resulting in the deaths of border agents as well as DEA agents), and repeated efforts to invade Syria just to mention a tiny few. Of course, one could equally argue George W Bush was the tipping point. Lord knows he bungled enough! We could start with the invasion of Iraq and toppling Saddam Hussein, which destabilized the entire region and led to the rise of ISIS and Boko Harem and the genocide of Assyrian Christians, Yazidis, and Kurds. It also triggered the mass influx of "migrants" into Europe (thanks also to the imbecilic political "leadership" in Europe), but there's so much more than just that. The point is that regardless of their political parties, we've witnessed a recent history of disastrous policy mistakes.

It's this point which is so often overlooked by critics (even friendly ones) of Another Opinion. From their preconditioned perspectives, I must either be Left or Right. It's one or the other. There are no other choices because the corporate-owned media has told them there are no other choices. The fact is that there are other choices. It's not all black or white (or red and blue in this case I suppose). I don't ascribe to any partisan party dogma. Been there. Done that. No thanks. I prefer to think for myself, which often means doing my own research and studying the pros and cons of every argument. But, that kind of thinking is viewed almost as heresy these days because it doesn't fit with the established political narrative which says that what ails you and society---whatever it is---is the fault of the other side.

Listen folks, if the Democrats were all they claim to represent, there wouldn't be a Republican one in office anywhere in America. By the same token, if the Republican Party was all it claimed to be, you couldn't find a Democrat anywhere. The fact is they aren't. They both represent Corporate America because they underwrite their campaigns. Their lobbyists help them write the bills and then provide summaries of those bills along with recommendations on how to vote. These corporations provide a revolving door into some very lucrative positions and back again. Meanwhile, you and I get the illusion of thinking that we make a difference by voting when in actuality, we simply get to pick between two pre-approved candidates. Ultimately, it doesn't matter if we chose between red "Kool-Aid" or blue "Kool-Aid".

The system is broken, at least as far as we are concerned. For the ruling elites which make up America's Oligarchy, it works just fine...as intended. It is this game which I won't play. I want our democratic Republic back. I believe that when someone is elected to office, they should cease being a Republican or Democrat or whatever. They cease representing a political party and it's myopic dogma and represent Americans and what's best for all of us, not just a few, and certainly not just the uber-wealthy and powerful. I believe in representatives not dependent on corporate money. I believe in a transparent government with public input (taxes, pay raises should all be voted on by the citizens). I believe there should be term limits.

I believe Congress and the Presidency should be bound by the same laws that we are (and that includes their insurance. They also should not receive lifetime salaries or security---they can pay for it if they want it). I also believe that the United States, like every other nation, has the right to protect their borders. Any group which aids illegal immigrants should be fined and lose their business or tax exempt status (suspended for six months with their first offense. One year with their second and permanent with their third). Only US Citizens should be entitled to any taxpayer based social services.

Everyone graduating from high school should be required to have two semesters of Civics minimum, which includes volunteering for some charity like Meals on Wheels or at the VA; maybe helping out with the Board of Elections doing voter registration drives. In addition, students graduating from high school should have a basic comprehension of math, science, history, and English (of course, I would love to see teachers paid on par with coaches too). I couldn't care less what kind of athlete they are. If they are on a sixth or eighth grade academic level, they don't graduate. On a unrelated note, the LBJ's "War on Drugs" is a failure. We need to legalized marijuana and focus more on rehabilitation for misdemeanors (being sure to segregate them from felony cases, especially violent and/or career criminals). Those convicted of violent crimes involving premeditated murder should be given a choice---solitary confinement for life or execution. Their choice. I don't want to hear about their sad little childhood. They're adults who made adult decisions, albeit bad ones.

I support the 2nd Amendment. Period. It wasn't written for hunters or weekend target shooting. It was written to protect the people from a tyrannical government. I support the right of employees to organize, be it as a union or an employee association. If you look at the history of unions, they developed in industries where employees were abused and taken advantage of. However, I think many of today's union leadership are little better than corporate bosses. That needs to stop, and unions should return to the employees if unions are to have any chance of surviving. At the same, if you're a business and you want to avoid unions, then stop treating your employees like crap and pay them a decent wage. Problem solved.

While I'm at it, fully support a social safety net. We also need help at some point, and sometimes that help has to come from society (preferably as a last resort). However, never should living off of taxpayer charity be a "career choice". It should be temporary; just long enough to get retrained or find another job (and no, you shouldn't continue to get more money for continuing to have more children. If the national average is 2.5 for instance, the maximum amount of assistance should be three kids. Families on public support should not be penalized for having the male remain with the family. I don't support Affirmative Action. Sorry. I see it as simply legalized reverse discrimination. Employers should be able to hire the best qualified candidate. It's good for the business and its good for society in the long run.

I don't support intervention in the affairs of other nations, especially their elections unless there is a legitimate need. We get bent out of shape with claims of their alleged intervention in ours. The US has been overthrowing governments and assassinating duly elected leaders and backing military dictatorships. It's not our business who another country freely elections or what kind of government they want (for that matter, we need to stop propping up governments. We need to seriously start closing overseas bases where we don't have a real security need to be there, and that includes withdrawing from NATO. While we're at it, we need to reexamine who are our strategic allies are today instead of basing them on war which ended in 1990.

So dear reader, there you have it. If any of this makes me seem "Right" leaning or "Left" leaning, so be it. I see myself, and this blog as Centrist (it's been consistently ranked among the top 25 Centrist blogs in the country for several years now). I see issues and look at addressing them based on the facts at hand, not through a blue or red prism. I also feel free to change my opinion as those facts change without fear of not being a ideological purist. I have no use for political dogma, either Right or Left, and I refuse to fit neatly in some prepackaged "either/or" box. I will consider myself free to praise or criticize Republicans or Democrats or anyone else based on what they actually did. I am very good at tap dancing on toes and tipping sacred cows. The nice thing is that I know I'm in good company. Independents such as myself are now the political majority with 44% of the electorate and growing, while Democrats and Republican are stuck in the 20% range and shrinking. I eagerly await word of their impending demise. It's time to take back our country from the ruling plutocracy---the Oligarchs---and their trained media attack dogs. I refuse to chose "either/or" politics and instead, chose a democratic Republic with We the People in charge. Now that you've heard what I have to say, do you understand what I mean?

New Laws Set To Take Effect in 2018: From The Serious To The Absurd

The last addition of Another Opinion was one of our usual retrospectives; A look back at some of the issues that we covered over the past year, which I hope you all enjoyed. Now, I would like to take a look at some of the laws which were passed in 2017 and go into effect this year (some already have taken effect as of January 1, 2018). Some of these new laws are practical and actually make sense while several are just downright bizarre. Overall, the trend seems to be more authoritarian; more power to the state and less from you and me, which I find deeply disturbing.

Then again, I guess that's to be expected since we are no longer the democratic or constitutional republic that our forefathers intended us to be. While we were busy with our "smart phones", video games, and so-called "reality" television shows, and worried about how to pay for the rising utility bills, making sense of the fake news, the artificial divisions manufactured for us by our corporate overlords, or keeping our jobs, we became a de facto Oligarchy; a plutocracy with a ever expanding police/surveillance state. Nevertheless, let's take a look at some of the new laws which legislatures around the country claim are designed to make our lives better.

In the Sunshine State of Florida, minimum wage will go up by 15 cents (it will increase in 17 other states too). Which is good in the short term since, as most people know, employers will offset the increase by raising prices which ultimately will put minimum wage earners back in the same boats. Also, some employers may be forced to lay off employees, which will then shift their work onto the remaining employees. So, like most things, it's a double edge sword. Under Florida House Bill 437, the Office of Financial Regulation is prohibited from releasing personal information of customers and shareholders (which is almost always a good thing in my opinion). However, this applies only to new entities known as "international trusts" or "qualified limited service affiliates" (something about this sounds like it's for people with deep pockets and not ordinary individuals).

In the Bluegrass State of Kentucky, the legislature has been quite busy. House Bill 195, which is a modification of the requirements for a GED, allows for the creation of college and/or career "readiness" tracks. While I think that great, the emphasis here should be on trade schools. The reason is multifold. Not everyone is "college material". While a two year associate degree will typically get you an entry level job, those seeking a four year bachelor degree can expect coming out with a substantial debt that may take decades to pay off, and still may not do better than a slightly better entry level job. However, most of the trades are facing shortages (in some cases, critical shortages) so there's nearly a guaranteed job waiting at the end of the line. The pay (and usually the benefits) are much better, the "school-to-job" turnaround is much shorter with a lot less debt (in some cases, little or none), plus it's a skill that applies anywhere.

Kentucky Senate Bill 129 allows for the designation of "lay caretakers" for the purpose of any post-hospital care for any designated individual 18 or older. However, this applies to only to any non-medical care and not to specific medical care such as certain injections, changing IV bags, or other treatment which may require a trained professional. On a related matter, House Bill 74 permits ordinary vehicles to have only "white" headlights (other than certain halogen lights which produces a slight bluish light). The reason is to help people distinguish between emergency vehicles and regular cars and trucks. I didn't know this was problem! You would expect people would know the difference between a truck or car and a ambulance, fire truck, or police car. Perhaps those people shouldn't be driving. What do you think?

Kentucky HB 277 allows individuals to serve on local school boards if they have a close relative such as aunt, uncle, a brother or sister-in-law, etc working for the same local school system. I guess that's a good bill. Apparently there has been a shortage in finding people to run for the school board (certainly qualified and competent individuals have been in short supply). On the other hand, Kentucky has a very powerful teacher's union which these same relatives likely belong. So, do you think there would be any chance of familial collusion or pressure on certain issues? Nah...this is Kentucky after all!

Speaking of schools and teaching, SB 117 will now allow all veterans with a four year or better degree to teach our every polite and respectful students in elementary and secondary school provided that their academic major is in the area they are applying to teach in. Personally, I think this is a great idea. I taught at the undergraduate and graduate level for several years and thoroughly enjoyed it (of course, I had some really inquisitive students). It was hard work, the hours long, and while the pay sucked, it was intellectually and emotionally rewarding.

However, I just don't have the patience or temperament to deal with undisciplined or smart mouthed kids or the little ones in grade school. But I can see where military trained and disciplined men and women can have a huge impact. There is also a severe shortage of teachers (especially good teachers). While the benefits are great, the pay has always been pretty bad---too much going to the infrastructure--and the hoops teachers have to jump through border on the insane. Nevertheless, hiring former military personnel is good thing for all concerned in the long run (personally, I think former Marines should get a preference in hiring. Semper Fi and Hooyah!).

Nevada joined several other states in creating a anti-opioid abuse program. Under the law, painkillers can't be prescribed for than 14 days even for acute and/or long term pain. Patients will have to return to either their doctor or hospital for additional medication. The bill also monitors who issues the pain medication and how often it's filled (this is similar to Kentucky HB 333 which also goes into effect in 2018). I understand the need to monitor and control the use and abuse of pain medication, however, legislators need to understand that not everyone who takes painkillers are wild eyed junkies. Most are people who suffer from chronic pain for one reason or another. This is not by their choice. By the time these individuals reach this point, they've gone through all the other alternative. This isn't the option of first or even second or third choice.

What bills like this do is make it more difficult for people who have a legitimate need for the medication to control or at least manage the pain which can, for some, be almost unbearable. What these legislators will ultimately succeed in doing is driving people to drink and/or do hard drugs. The fault, and the consequences, will be theirs and theirs alone. If they insist on punishing the good with the bad, then they have a civic and moral obligation to provide a realistic alternative such as legalizing marijuana, which has been shown to alleviate pain (even chronic pain). Anything less is simply morally criminal.

Another new law in Nevada is one that gives all non-violent offenders an opportunity to apply for local and state government jobs (of course, they need to be careful of corrupting influences. I also presume the new law also exempts these individuals from associating with known criminals). Another new law requires insurance companies to provide women with access to contraceptives without having a co-pay. Insurance company now must cover up to one year's worth of birth control. The new laws requires insurance companies to cover mammograms and HPV vaccinations. Employers will be required to provided workers up to 160 hours leave to any employee or immediate family member who has been the victim of domestic abuse.

Lastly, under the category of "WTH?", a new Nevada laws prohibits forced "conversions" of individuals who are gay or lesbian by mental health officials. According to the law, these so-called "professionals" could attempt to change the sexual orientation of anyone who identifies as other than heterosexual-- I'm not sure I want to know how. I do wonder though, if these same individuals claim to be bi-sexual, did these mental health professionals charge half price?

In Pennsylvania, residents will now be allowed to purchase "consumer" grade fireworks. No more C4 or dynamite for them! Apparently "consumer" grade fireworks includes handheld sparklers, caps, and display type fireworks, which I presume include Roman candles, Starbursts, etc. residents will also have to pay a hefty 12% sales tax too. Now that should cause a fireworks all its own! The law also says that the fireworks can only be used on private property with permission of the owner. It goes on to prohibit fireworks being shot in or from a vehicle, shot at a car or individual (seriously? They shouldn't even be allowed to play with matches or lighters).

In California, individuals now only be allowed to purchase ammunition from a licensed vendor. No more purchases of 9mm, .45, .38, .22 caliber or 12 gauge ammo from your friendly neighborhood drug dealer on the corner. So much for entrepreneurism! On the plus, school officials will now to get to decide whether or not school staff may be armed while on school grounds. No word about the students. Those convicted of "hate crimes" (which includes calling someone by the wrong gender pronoun), includes loss of 2nd Amendment rights for up to ten years (Assembly Bill 725). Another new law set to take effect will make legal to sell pot, up to one ounce, to anyone 21 years old and older. No more doctor's prescription! Also, residents will no longer have make a gender decision on any ID type documentation, which I'm sure comes as big relief for some.

A new law in Colorado requires "authorities" to report any teen texting of students exchanging sexually explicit photos, even if they're doing so consensually (presumably this includes photos sent to or from teachers as well). There's a pretty big fine for doing so, which I imagine that only the students could afford to pay. In Washington DC and Rhode Island, employers will be require to provide paid sick leave to employees. New Yorkers will now be eligible for paid family leave; eventually receiving up to 12 weeks of paid family leave.

Iowa and West Virginia join a growing number of states in requiring a photo ID in order to vote ( after all, you have to show a photo ID for just about everything else right? But don't worry, microchipping is on its way and so soon you and your pet can have matching chips). After having a similar law tossed out in 2014, Texas has modified their law to require anyone wanting to vote without an ID to swear under oath that they were unable to obtain a photo ID in time (and we know that no one ever lies under oath right?). In South Carolina it's now illegal to own a exotic pet (unless you are a zoo; working in one doesn't count), so kiss that boa constrictor for your mother-in-law goodbye. Those who already own an exotic pet with be grandfathered in...with additional restrictions.

That brings us to Illinois, which has made Barack Obama's birthday, August 4th, a state holiday. Officials weren't able to determine if the gunfire following the announcement was in celebration or another gang fight. As an aside, the holiday is "commemorative" only, so unlike Obama, no one is getting off. Finally, the Volunteer State, Tennessee, has now made it legal for barbers (and presumably other stylists) to make house calls. I honestly did not realize this was a serious issue in Tennessee. I have to wonder if Dolly Parton or those Elvis impersonators in Memphis lobbied for this?



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