innocent Until Proven Guilty? No Such Luck for Landlords

   Imagine: you can shut down a home for methamphetamine without even knowing if it is there. You can condemn it for being a meth lab without even testing to see if it is. Property owners are charged $10,000 to clean up a mess that might not even exist.

   In Salt Lake County, it take two out of three things sot shut a home down. If the meth crystals, themselves, are found, that's one. If paraphernalia is found, that's two. If an occupant of the residence confesses to using the drug on the site, that's three. You need just two of the three.

   But, no testing of the walls is required. The whole home can be condemned simply if someone came into the home with a pipe of meth in his pocket and the police happened to raid the place while he was there. 

   When meth makers and meth users are caught, they must be proven guilty before they are punished. Not so with their landlords. He has no day in court. He has no public hearing. The police do not have to show proof it is a meth house. Yes, they have to have evidence. Two out of those three things does constitute evidence. But, not proof.

   Innocent until proven guilty? No such luck for landlords.

It Is not Right to Punish the Landlords for the Crimes of Their Renters

    Some years ago, Utah became a hotbed for methamphetamine. Our police agencies and lawmakers, in an effort to rein in the abuse, chose to go after the property owners when meth was found. I would guess most meth users and makers are renters, but it is their landlords who are bearing the brunt of the punishment.

   When a drug raid results in the property being condemned (shut down), the drug users can simply move to a new apartment and take up where they left off. Yes, they might be given a ticket if any drug paraphernalia is found on them or in the apartment they were renting. And penalties might be even stiffer if methamphetamine, itself, is actually found. 

   But, it is their landlords who face the stiffer financial loses. Renters are more inclined to move from one place to another than landlords, so they do not acquire as many personal items. Also, the furniture is sometimes provided by the landlord, so when all those things are hauled off the the dump in the cleanup, it is the landowner who suffers most.

   Then there is the matter of the $10,000 to clear the methamphetamine out of the home. It is solely the property owner who bears that charge -- not the renters who were using the meth. 

   It is not right when you punish the innocent to spite the criminal, nor does it work. Our laws should be framed to go after the criminal, not the property owners who are caught in the crossfire. 

The Russians are Cheering

   Even as news broke that Moscow is spending hundreds of millions of dollars in effort to undermine the democratic systems in foreign countries, word comes that Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson has been swept out.

   Hours after she had entered office.

  Sweden is divided by eight political parties, so it takes a coalition of them to make decisions. With some of the lesser parties gaining more influence, that division has only heightened. Most notably has been the rise of the Sweden Democrats, which rose up out of the neo-Nazi groups on the 1990s. 

   As it became evident that the parliament would be so divided, yet opposed to Anderson, she chose to step down -- vowing to come back.  

   The news story on Russia's covert operations said Albania, Montenegro, Madagascar and, potentially, Ecudor have been identified as targets of Russia's efforts to bring the fall of democracies. But, we would be foolish to believe they are not operating in other countries, as well. Divide and conquer has always been a maxim worth listening too.

  We can only be sure of a few things: (1) Russia's social media and other efforts do seek the destruction of democracies. (2) Sweden is in the same part of the world as Russia, and Russia is not likely to overlook that nation. (3) U.S. Intelligence Community reports have long told us Russia seeks to divide, playing one side against another. 

   Even if the Russians are not behind the fracturing of Sweden's government, you know they are cheering.

Could Two Suns Be Setting at the Same Time?

    Could two suns be setting at the same time? A legal expert says it should be game over at Mar-a-Lago, meaning there is enough evidence to convict him. And, in Russia, word is that high officials in the government are calling for Putin to resign. "Game over" for him, too?

   I don't think so, in either case. Even if Trump is convicted, he will not quit fighting, even if it means rallying his supporters to more insurrection. Putin? It could push him to pushing the button on a nuclear war. 

   So, then, is there possibility both suns might set, only to rise again, Trump waging war against America, and Putin waging war against the world.   

We Need an Attitude Adjustment

   The love factor for ex-cons often is zero. Why would we befriend someone who has committed crimes? Why would we feel any sympathy for them? They are getting what they deserve. If they come looking for a job, send them away. If they come looking for housing, tell them you're full.  

  Be succinct and clear; tell them, "You've made your bed, now sleep in it."

  These things are not right. We need an attitude adjustment.  

Take Corrections a Little Further

    Perhaps no other segment of society -- other than children -- needs as much TLC as the prisoners and ex-convicts. Most of the nation's crime is committed by individuals who have committed other crimes in their pasts. If you could correct them, if you could reform them, crime rates would go down.

  I speak the obvious, don't I. While they are in prison, you can train them. When they leave prison, they continue to be under supervision; train them. Have classes/discussions with them on how to love their families, how to treat their neighbors, and how to greet strangers passing them on the streets.

   Develop their job skills. Teach them all the trades: air conditioning, bricklaying, roofing, welding, being a mechanic, etc. Teach them office skills.

   Teach them American history and science, mathematics and grammar.

   When all is said and done, we would have fewer criminals if we put more effort into training them. 

is Mike Lee Really a Backer of the Constitution?

 

   Senator Mike Lee has a reputation of being a supporter of  the U.S. Constitution, but is he. Look at the record to see if he has stood behind it. 

   (1.) Lee said it was not necessary to have a Constitutional amendment so that children born in the U.S. of foreign parents would no longer be considered naturalized citizens. Simple legislation cannot override the Constitution, and to suggest that it can is not standing behind the Constitution.

   (2.) The Constitution says bribery is not cause for impeachment. Lee, however, said Trump did nothing that was impeachable. Says the Constitution: "The President . . . shall be removed from Office on Impeachment for . . . Bribery."

   (3.) The Constitution provides a process by which the election shall be certified. Lee took issue with that process and did not stand up for doing it in accordance with the Constitution.

   (4.) The Constitution does not limit how many Supreme Court justices there will be. We might not like court-packing, but to read the Constitution is to admit the Preisdent can appoint however many he wants. The Constitution does not limit how many justices there are. But it does give him the authority to appoint them, leaving it open that he can appoint however many he wishes. This is a matter of which our nation clearly should fix. You can only do that with a Constitutional amendment limiting the Court to just nine justices, or however many.

What the World Needs Now Is a Car Like This

    Would you buy a new electric if it were only $900? Hey, would you buy any new car if it came that cheap?

   Well, then, slip into the Changli. It's kind of small, but the price fits, even if the car doesn't. This is a nice little micro machine put together in China. It's great for running to the store and chasing to McDonald's. It's so small, you'll think you're in a scooter car. Kind of brings out the child in you, and that's cool. It goes about 20 miles on a charge and can zoom past you at 25 mph.

   Seriously, now. I don't understand why we don't have such cars in America. With a tank of gas now costing $60, the little Changli would pay its way within months.

(Index -- Climate change info)

$30,000 Is not Low Enough

   Baffling, it is, that the Chevrolet Equinox is being hailed this way: "An Electric Vehicle That Everyone Can Afford Is Finally Here?" reads the headline of a news story. The story doesn't even give the price of the Equinox, but a search reveals it will be in the range of $30,000 when it rolls of the assembly line in 2023.

   Bless Chevy for producing a car that cheap, but it is not cheap enough and it is not setting a new standard for low-priced EVs like the article suggests. Soon you will be able to drive an electric Kia Telluride off the lot for $34,000. A Buick Envision is yours for $32,000. The Mini Cooper SE Signature is but $31,000.

   Take the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid for $29,600. The Nissan Leaf? Just $29,000. And a Chevrolet Bolt comes in at $26,600. The solar-powered Sion from Sono Motors is in the $30,000 range and the solar-powered Aptera Luna, $26,000.

   Now, let's get serious. What about the Chevy Spark for $13,600. That will work. But why is Chevrolet taking this car off the market? Why? It is the cheapest of all the new EVs. When it's gone, there will be no more reasonably cheap cars on the market.

   So, even inexpensive electrics are too expensive for the average Sam or Sally. Joe American works hard for his money, and so does Josephine American. Keep the EVs coming, but we need you to lower your prices so normal folks can afford them. 

(Index -- Climate change info)

Thumbs Up, or Thumbs Down on Hydropower?

   I consider how hydropower might be the way the world should go. It's relatively inexpensive. It doesn't cause any air pollution.

   But, there's a flip side: It impacts aquatic life. Impacts underground seismic plates. And, in times of drought, it is not reliable.

   I consider the hydro generators we do have. Have they killed off any species? I don't believe so. Have they fell short of providing the electricity we need in times of drought? Exhibit A is California.

   My judgement at the moment is that we need these hydro power plants. We need more of them. . . .

   But, I'm not sure.

If Books had Necks, They'd be Hanging Them

   Pity the poor library book. All it wants is a place where it can enjoy a little freedom of speech. All it wants is be able to tell it like it is -- or like it supposes it is.

   Everybody's entitled to their own opinion, but not the library book. The days of burning books are back. There's a group that sees the shelves of our libraries as their battleground. Vigilantes, they are -- guns in hand and ropes a-swinging.

   If books had necks, they'd be hanging them. 

  These vigilantes are at war against much of what America stands for. Yes, the war in America is being waged in the libraries. And, yes, if these books had necks, they'd be hanging them from the nearest tree.

Rodney King has a Solution for the Book Bannings

    Here comes Rodney King, again, saying, "Can't we all get along?" You remember Rodney, of course -- the guy who was beat up by the police way back in, what, 1992? Now, this time when he asks, "Can't we all get along, he's talking about books.

   Way up in Bonners Ferry, Idaho.

   Yes,they have a library up there. Five years ago, it was named the best small library in all the land. No small-town library from sea to shining sea was as fair as this one. And, now look: Armed vigilantes are up in arms to demanding that more than 400 book titles be banned.

   Which, the recent library chief says, are not even on the shelves. "Not a single one," she says.

  I say, "recent library chief," because she resigned when the vigilantes started showing up at her home -- guns on their hips and Bible tracts in their hands -- demanding that the books be banned, calling her to repentance. 

   Now, while the past director notes that none of the books are in the library, if someone were to request one of them, the library would order it.

   And, that's where Rodney King comes in. He sure would like these two sides to get along. If he were alive today, I imagine Rodney would suggest that the titles not be available to children unless their parents gave their consent. 

   Sounds fair to me. Rodney's a fair man. Listen to him. 

 

Trump's Words Do not Reflect Democracy

 It is possible that Donald Trump does not believe in democracy, but has been cast into a land filled with it. I think of how he speaks highly of Vladimir Putin, and how he speaks well of other dictators.

1. Of North Korea's Kim Jong-un: "We fell in love.”
2. Of Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan: "He’s become a friend of mine. . . . He’s running a very difficult part of the world. . . . He’s getting very high marks.”
3. Of Chinese President Xi Jinping: "I like President Xi a lot. I consider him a friend . . . a strong guy.”
4. He quoted Benito Mussolini in a tweet: “It is better to live one day as a lion than 100 years as a sheep.” The tweet ended with "#MakeAmericaGreatAgain." Nice to know what "Make America Great Again" means to the guy who created the phrase.
5. He boasted of how he "made a lot of money" working with Moammar Gadhafi and suggested he should explore more business ventures with him.
5. Of Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi: "We agree on so many things. . . . We are very much behind President el-Sisi."
6. In an interview with Sean Hannity, Hannity three times asked Trump if he thought Vladimir Putin was an evil guy, and each time Trump dodged the question and failed to say.

   After reading all the praise he has heaped on foreign dictators, don't you wonder how many times Trump has been so quick to George Washington, or Abraham Lincoln? He's done the opposite; he has degraded them. When on tour of Mount Vernon, he criticized Washington for not naming it after himself. “If he was smart, he would’ve put his name on it,” Trump said. He has questioned Lincoln's legacy of helping Blacks, suggesting that he, Trump, has done more for them than Lincoln. Why does he not at least throw in a comment of what great leaders Washington and Lincoln were? He has offered such kind words for dictators, but has not offered them for American's greatest leaders.

   Trump called Joe Biden "an enemy of the state." We are familiar with dictators using that term to describe their enemies, which makes us wonder where Trump is going to receive his leadership training.

   But, yes, when Trump graduated from college, it was with a degree in dictatorship.

Skimp on Other Things: Don't Skimp on the Car You Buy

    Why don't you buy a Lamorghini Terzo Millennio, which is a concept car, for $2.5 million. Folks, it's an electric vehicle; it operates on static electricity -- the same stuff created when you walk across the carpet in socks and then is discharged when you touch the door handle. 

   Instead of using batteries, the Terzo Millennio uses supercapacitors to store the electricity. Supercapacitors don't hold their charge as well as batteries; they go flat 10 times faster. But, they are 10 times quicker to charge and deliver their energy much faster. 

   And, they are said to be more environmentally friendly. 

  The $2.5 million is going to cut into your available cash just a little. Skimp on other things. Don't skimp on the car that will get you down the road in style.   

(Index -- Climate change info)

To the Rescue of Our Ecosystem: the Ant Battery

    This could give "ant farms" a whole new meaning: The shell of an ant can be used to make car batteries. Oh, I probably shouldn't say "shell of an ant," but rather "shells of ants," for it surely will take a ton of ants. (The outer covering of the ant is officially called the "exoskeleton," but that's too big a word for me, so, if you will pardon, I will call the covering a "shell.")

   But, yes, put away all those alkaline, nickel and lithium batteries. You know you shouldn't be using them anyway. I mean, do you know how harmful those metals are as they linger in the ground once it is time to throw them away? Lithium batteries are especially harmful, taking hundreds or thousands of years to break down. What the world needs now, is not just love, sweet love, but a battery that can be made from the shells -- I mean exoskeletons -- of ants.

   The day may come. Farmers will raise a crop of ants, so they can harvest their shells. Intead of throwing away the shell and taking what's on the inside, they'll take the shell and throw away what's on the inside. How's that for turning things inside out.

   Now, the news of the day is that they are making progress in using the exoskeletons of crustaceans (you know -- lobsters, crabs, etc.) to make batteries. And, these will be the finest of batteries. Whereas the batteries in gasoline cars need to be charged every 250 miles, the lobster battery is said to still be going strong after 400 miles. That's about 400 freeway miles, then.

   Here's hoping that means the crab battery will last longer than the toxic metal varieties. The battery in your gasoline car goes out in three to five years, and the battery in an electric car goes out in eight to ten years -- and costs about $20,000 to replace. We need a cheaper alternative.

   While the news of the day is on the shellfish batteries, I did read that the exoskeletons of ants can be used. So, I'm no longer going to pour gasoline on the ant hills when I see them. No, I'm going to encourage my ants. Because someday -- if I have enough of them -- I'll be able to sell them to the ant battery manufacturers.

(Index -- Climate change info)

A Good Deal for the Utah Jazz

   The Utah Jazz finally traded away Donovan Mitchell. I love the deal. Lauri Markkenan was a starter for the Cavs . . . and he is the least promising of the three the Jazz are picking up. Ochai Adjabi might be the gem of the three. He plays shooting guard, same as the Spida. He can shoot the three, same as the Spida. But he goes above and beyond the Spida in that he is a great defensive player.

This was a mutually good trade. With Mitchell joining a team that has one of the best rookies frorm last year, shooting forward Evan Mobley, and an all-star point guard in Darius Garland, they have just exploded into one of the top contending teams in the NBA East.