BECAUSE STATES HAVE NO LOWER PRIORITIES THAN POLICE AND FIRE?
Meeting with Trump in the Oval Office on Thursday, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, said his state could take a $20 billion to $30 billion hit from the coronavirus, funds it would need from the federal government.
“This is to allow us to keep firefighters, teachers, police, [emergency medical services], on the payroll, serving the communities in their hour of need,” Murphy said. “And that’s something that we feel strongly about. We don’t see it as a bailout. We see this as a partnership.”
—Washington Post, April 30, 2020
BUYING VOTES
[Sen. Kamala] Harris has introduced bills in recent weeks aimed at constituencies she would probably try to woo if she were on the ticket.
—Washington Post, May 13, 2020
JUST GIVE US THE MONEY AND GO AWAY
The German government and Deutsche Lufthansa said Monday they have agreed on a €9 billion ($9.81 billion) bailout deal.…
Under the deal—which still needs approval from Lufthansa’s boards, shareholders, and the European Commission—the German government will take a 20% stake in the company and appoint two supervisory board seats. The agreement caps a weekslong tug of war between Lufthansa’s management and the government over how much control the latter should be given in return for financial support.
Lufthansa Chief Executive Carsten Spohr had warned against too much state influence on business decisions.
—Wall Street Journal, May 25, 2020
YOU ARE NOT OUR MOM, MAYOR
Gov. J. B. Pritzker is allowing Illinois restaurants to open for outdoor dining on May 29. But Chicago won’t be taking advantage of it—not yet, at least. “I don’t think we’re gonna be ready by May 29. But my hope is that soon in June, we will be ready,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said Thursday.…
“I will say the same thing that I tell my 12‐year‐old: ‘I don’t care what other people do. You’re my kid.’ I am the mayor of this city.”
—Chicago Sun‐Times, May 21, 2020
UNFORTUNATELY, NEWSPAPER COLUMNISTS GUSHING OVER DICTATORS ARE NOT ALWAYS ENGAGED IN CONSCIOUS PARODY
During a [1978] strike by pressmen that shut down New York’s major newspapers, this group wrote, designed and distributed a satirical replica of The New York Times. Newsstand shoppers were fooled into thinking it was the real thing before looking closely at its title: Not The New York Times.
In one parody column, the writer, walking past a pile of skulls to interview Genghis Khan, praised his ability to “get things done.”
—New York Times, April 1, 2020
AS A MODERATE SOCIALIST, HE FAVORS THE PRIVATE OWNERSHIP OF TOOTHBRUSHES
Britain’s Labour Party chose as its new leader Keir Starmer, a knighted former criminal prosecutor and moderate socialist.
—Washington Post, April 5, 2020
WANT TO REDUCE THE TRADE DEFICIT? SHUT DOWN THE ECONOMY
The U.S. trade deficit narrowed sharply in February as the spread of the novel coronavirus disrupted global commerce.
—Wall Street Journal, April 2, 2020
LOBBYISTS ARE TO APPROPRIATIONS BILLS
AS ANTS ARE TO PICNICS Here in the nation’s capital, business is booming for the influence‐peddling business.
Companies and interest groups reeling from the health crisis and economic collapse are snatching up lobbyists and regulatory experts to help them navigate the government bureaucracy for help. That includes figuring out how to get a slice of the roughly $2 trillion stimulus package approved last week by Congress.
—Wall Street Journal, April 1, 2020
At least 25 former officials who once worked for the Trump administration, campaign or transition team are now registered as lobbyists for clients with novel coronavirus needs.
—Washington Post, April 30, 2020
AMERICAN CONSUMERS PAY TARIFFS
[President Trump] added that there were other ways to levy extreme penalties on China, such as raising $1 trillion by imposing tariffs on Chinese imports.
—Washington Post, April 30, 2020