Pondering

Cost to California taxpayers from state efforts to suppress religion: two more settlements this week, $800K and $500K.

Taxpayers are finding out it will cost us a lot of money for the state of California unconstitutionally doing the above to churches in the state. Image courtesy of Adobe Stock.

We taxpayers are starting to see how much it will cost us for our state and county officials’ efforts to suppress religion by trying to negate the free exercise clause of the First Amendment.

Two more settlements with local churches were announced this week, Grace Community Church will receive $800,000 for their legal fees and another $500,000 to Cross Culture Christian Center and Cornerstone Church for their legal fees.

Grace Community Church

8/31/21 – The Roys Report – California & LA County to Pay $400K Each in Settlement with John MacArthur’s Church – Taxpayers in the County of Los Angeles will chip in $400,000 and all of us taxpayers in the State of California will hand over another $400,000 to settle lawsuit filed by Grace Community Church against the county over efforts to remove the church’s First Amendment rights to worship. The church has been involved in a long-running legal fight with the county over the county’s efforts to shut down worship, or in the alternative to impose restrictions so severe as to be impossible to worship.

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By Jim Ulvog, ago

“Your papers please”, Australian version.

Image courtesy of Adobe Stock.

The overlords in Australia, the ruling caste, has gone nuts.

Here’s the long explanation to support that one sentence summary of what’s happening in the country:

They are serious about ‘your papers please.”

8/23/21 – American Thinker – Australia has gone stark, raving mad – New South Wales state which includes Sydney, the largest city in the country, has had a mere 12,588 cases since this past February. For population of 5,200,000 that is a mere 237 cases per 100,000 since February.

In contrast, the United States has had 2,948 cases per 100,000 and California has expienced 1,814 cases per 100K since the end of February.

Because of that horrendous, catastrophic outbreak of Covid-19, the state has imposed a near martial law lockdown. People may only leave their home to go directly to work, grocery shopping, or get medical treatment. I have read elsewhere that if you engage in window shopping on the way to pick up groceries, you will be cited and fined.

In Canberra, the capital, the goal of the lockdown is to completely eliminate the virus. When there are zero infections people be allowed out of lockdown. Zero infections.

It doesn’t stop there.

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By Jim Ulvog, ago

Your papers please.

Image courtesy Adobe Stock.

Two years ago it would have been stupid, preposterous, outlandish, tin-foil-hat-wearing, coocoo-bird-crazy to even suggest we could get to the place of needing internal passports in the United States.

Your papers please.

  • German: Bitte deine Papiere.
  • Russian: vashi dokumenty, pozhaluysta
  • English: Your papers please.

On the off chance you missed the implications, the phrase “your papers please” was used in Nazi Germany and communist Soviet Union by those dictatorial governments to check whether people were allowed to be where they were.

Internal passports were needed to move around the country.

Official papers had to be produced upon demand, at any time, even in your own neighborhood.

Sliding down the slippery slope to “your papers please.”

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By Jim Ulvog, ago

Instead of being flaming hypocrites, perhaps our ruling caste just doesn’t believe their own rules.

Image courtesy of Adobe Stock.

For the last 10 months or so I have been thinking that flaming hypocrisy is the driving force behind so many elected politicians and appointed health officials flagrantly ignoring their own rules.

My perception is shifting.

Instead of blatant, intentional hypocrisy, perhaps our masters in the ruling caste don’t really believe their own rules. Perhaps they don’t think that masks matter. Perhaps they don’t think that social distancing matters. Perhaps they don’t think Covid infections are really that big of a deal.

If they thought the risks of infection, the dangers from an illness, and the risks to their loved ones were serious threats, don’t you think they would actually try to protect themselves and their families?

Perhaps they believe the rules they demand us peasants and serfs follow blindly don’t do any good. Maybe the actions steps are worthless.

The end of this discussion lists 14 posts I have written describing the flaming hypocrisy of our overlords. I have only touched the surface.

The latest in a non-ending list of illustrations is the mayor of Washington DC. She delayed the effective timing for new face mask dictats until after her birthday party. Imagine that.

Several hours after the mask requirement went into effect, the mayor officiated a wedding at a four-star hotel in DC. The mayor and several hundred guests were not wearing masks.

Party on!

7/31/21 – The Blaze – DC …mayor caught partying without facemask after enacting new mask mandate – Many people were curious why the mayor of DC imposed a mandatory mask requirement but delayed the effective time by two days. If is a serious life-threatening crisis and masks are needed why wait until Saturday morning?

Well, the reason became obvious after Friday night.

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By Jim Ulvog, ago

Reports keep emerging of the direct damage caused by the lockdown.

Empty classrooms for a year are an indicator of the devastation caused to children’s education. Image courtesy of Adobe Stock.

As mentioned previously, I just finished taking a break from blogging. Was on a fairly rigorous news diet as well, which was delightful.

In the last couple of days I started tuning into the news. Articles keep emerging on the devastation from the previous rounds of lockdown.

Today’s discussion:

  • US DOJ turns a blind eye to states killing senior citizens
  • Another report indicating kids are falling behind in education
  • Devastation of education for kids in Latin America is more severe than the US

Hurting Senior Citizens

7/25/21 – The Hill – DOJ won’t investigate nursing home deaths in New York, other states: letter – The federal Department of Justice will not open investigation into abuse of seniors in nursing homes in New York, Pennsylvania, Michigan, and New Jersey.

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By Jim Ulvog, ago

Public officials are moving into crazyland as pushback become more visible.

Image courtesy of Adobe Stock.

Because of travel and other matters, I’ve taken a break from blogging the last few weeks. Have been on a rigorous news diet as well, which was delightful.

In the last couple of days I started tuning in to the news.

The craziness from allegedly educated people in the public health sector is staggering. Lots of officials have moved to crazyland while I took a short break.

Today’s discussion:

  • LAUSD will require all students and staff to be tested weekly for infection even if vaccinated.
  • Protests emerging worldwide against lockdowns.
  • Maine church files for preemptive injunction in attempt to prevent future repression of religious freedom.

The slide into crazyland

Things can always get worse…

You thought CDC recommending everyone wear masks indoors was bad. Just wait…

Early yesterday the US Secretary of Defense arrived in the Philippines for consultations.

He is fully vaccinated so he is safe from the ‘rona, at least that is what the ‘science’ has boldly declared morning, noon, and night for the last year.

Yet…

He wore a mask.

And a face shield.

And goggles.

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By Jim Ulvog, ago

Initial steps to impose another hard lockdown are underway. Oh, more flaming hypocrisy from our overlords.

Image courtesy of Adobe Stock.

Get ready for another lockdown. The warning signs are everywhere.

Oh, another round of hypocrisy from our esteemed Governor here in California.

Warning signs

About a week ago, the state of California announced when school resumes this summer, all school children will be required to wear a mask during the entire school day. Vaccination status is irrelevant. Past infection is irrelevant. The exquisitely low infection rate among children is irrelevant. The infinitesimal fatality rate it is irrelevant.

Over the past weekend the state of California and federal Department of Veteran Affairs announced they will require all employees to prove they are vaccinated or get tested weekly and show a negative result.

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By Jim Ulvog, ago

Stream of reports describe minimal benefits and serious negative consequences from actions taken during pandemic lockdowns. 2 of 2.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is covid-lockdown-adobe-1-scaled.jpeg
Image courtesy of Adobe Stock.

More of the recent reports describing the damage from the lockdowns:

  • Alameda County rolled back death count from coronavirus, having overcounted by one third.
  • Looks like coronavirus was loose in the U.S. before the first cases were reported.
  • Suicide attempts by teens increased during the lockdowns.
  • Economic shutdown hurt poor people worse than rich people.

6/6/21 – The Last Refuge – If Sunlight Continues, Expect More of This – Alameda County, California, Significantly Lowers Covid Death Toll After Review of Records – There are plenty of reports around, I will not link to them, of public health people counting people who died “with” Covid as if they had died “from” Covid. There is a massive difference.

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By Jim Ulvog, ago