Biden's Plans - Trouble in Seattle

Biden pledges action on guns amid resistance

White House officials met last week with several gun violence prevention groups as they weigh how to move forward on an issue that has stymied Democrats for years.

The White House says President Biden is “personally committed” to action on an issue he has tackled many times in the past. Less than a month into the new administration, Biden officials are meeting with advocates backing reforms that Democrats have been pushing for in Congress, like strengthening background checks.

https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/538672-biden-pledges-action-on-guns-amid-resistance

Biden won’t rule out gun control via executive order

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Tuesday that President Joe Biden has not ruled out using executive orders for gun control.

When asked if Biden still intended to use executive action on gun control – a vow made during his campaign – Psaki responded, “The president has a range of actions at his disposal … he hasn’t ruled out either of those options.”

https://americanmilitarynews.com/2021/02/biden-wont-rule-out-gun-control-via-executive-order/

Boy, 12, fatally shoots home intruder to save grandmother during robbery

A 12-year-old boy is being credited with saving his grandmother from two home invaders early Saturday, after he shot at them with a gun and fatally injured one.

The incident happened around 1 a.m. Saturday at a ground-floor apartment in Goldsboro, N.C., according to local police. Two masked intruders broke into the apartment and demanded that Linda Ellis, 73, turn over all her cash.

Police say the men threatened Ellis during the home invasion and ultimately shot her in the leg.

https://globalnews.ca/news/7643501/boy-shoots-home-intruder-grandmother/

Seattle police report record-setting homicides in 2020

King County data found that more people were shot in the county in the first six months of the year than during that same time frame in the past four years.

https://www.king5.com/article/news/local/seattle-police-reports-49-murders-setting-pace-for-record-homicides/281-c32aa4ae-ef9c-485f-a9d8-1113b491fc9d

Seattle homicides highest in over a decade as council cuts police budget

Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan plans to sign a new city budget that will reduce the police budget by 18% despite homicides reaching record highs not seen in a decade.

Council members overwhelmingly voted last week to cut funds for police training, overtime and to eliminate dozens of vacant positions within the Seattle Police Department after months of contentious talks. The reductions fall short of the 50% local activists demanded amid nationwide protests against police brutality and racial injustice.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/seattle-homicides-police-budget

If Seattle is dying, here’s the cause of death

This year, Seattle became a key piece of evidence in the right-wing case against progressive cities. Fox News ran a story in June that quoted Assistant Police Chief Deanna Nollette saying businesses were reportedly being extorted for cash around a Black Lives Matter protest in Capitol Hill. Headlined “Crazy Town,” the story went viral along with photos of a city engulfed in flames and a man holding a rifle.

https://crosscut.com/opinion/2020/09/if-seattle-dying-heres-cause-death

How Trudeau changed federal spending forever

The last time the Trudeau government brought down a budget two years ago, the projected federal deficit for this year was $19.7 billion, as opposed to $381.6 billion today.

Federal debt was projected at $725.1 billion, as opposed to $1.1 trillion today.

https://torontosun.com/opinion/goldstein-how-trudeau-changed-federal-spending-forever

The Culture Of The Smug White Liberal

I have spent my life as a Democrat which probably isn’t that surprising considering that I am African-American. One of the things that always attracted me to the party were the ideals of equality, fighting for the little guy and our openness to differing opinions, but lately I have seen my party take a turn that makes me uncomfortable. Somewhere along the way we stopped fighting for the little guy and became the party of the smug, educated elites who look down on those with less education and deem them unable or unworthy of being able to make personal decisions for their own lives.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/the-culture-of-the-smug-w_b_11537306