Hate group posts stickers in Fort Thomas

A right-wing hate group has been posting stickers in Fort Thomas - but it might be folly to say enough is being done to investigate this group.

In recent days, stickers promoting an organization called the Patriot Front have been appearing on lampposts in that local suburb. The Southern Poverty Law Center reports that the misnamed Patriot Front is a "neo-Nazi hate group." Even Wikipedia calls it a white supremacist organization.

Patriot Front stickers have also been found around the Cincinnati Reds stadium. The group has spread flyers in other cities.

The city of Fort Thomas is reportedly taking action. It's not clear exactly what action they're taking, and considering local governments' past record, we can't just assume it's enough. Kenton County Fiscal Court, for example, approved a resolution supporting white supremacy early this year. Many local officials support the Tea Party - also a hate group.

Would we tolerate Al-Qaeda posting stickers on lampposts? What about a gang like MS-13? Domestic hate groups like Patriot Front should be treated like terrorist groups or criminal gangs.

(Source: https://www.fox19.com/2019/07/31/stickers-with-hate-messages-found-light-poles-nky)

Ohio probes psychiatric facility for abuse

Anyone who still thinks psychiatric prisons for teenagers are free of abuse is to zip their lip now. I've tried to expose the abuse at CPH for a long time, and the right-wing media continues to sweep it under the rug. A similar facility in Ohio, however, is finally facing some media exposure.

Sequel Pomegranate is a privately run psychiatric lockup for teens in Columbus, Ohio. This is where Columbus area teenagers are sent if they dare to disagree with their school about anything. WBNS-TV in Columbus now reports that this facility is being investigated by the state for reports of violence and sexual assaults.

WBNS found that there have been substantiated cases of sexual assault at Sequel Pomegranate. There have also been reports of other violence, which was committed by staff - and even by some of the teens. Former detainees and their parents have also come forward.

Now the Ohio Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services has been directed to tour the facility as part of the state probe.

There's no guarantee that anything will be done about it. Remember when Ohio refused to shut down Kids Helping Kids? It only closed because public protests put it out of business. But a Sequel facility in Utah recently closed because of violence and sexual abuse there. And that's Utah - a state known for harboring a glut of abusive teen programs.

Plus, a former employee of a Sequel facility in New Jersey says staffers offered detainees "incentives to corroborate false narratives about reportable incidents." A Sequel "academy" in Iowa faced complaints about illegal restraints.

(Source: https://www.10tv.com/article/dewine-orders-tour-columbus-psychiatric-facility-teens-after-reports-violence-sexual)

Massie opposes animal cruelty bill

How out of touch is our right-wing congresscritter Thomas Massie?

The U.S. House has just approved a bill titled the Prevent All Soring Tactics (PAST) Act. This commonsense bill passed by a smashing 333 to 96.

I can't possibly figure out why anyone would oppose this bill, and in fact, Democratic members voted 233 to 0 in favor. This bill would fight against the cruel and indefensible practice of soring horses. Soring often involves applying caustic chemicals like kerosene or sticking sharp objects in horses' hooves to produce an unusual gait. This ghastly practice has plagued horse shows for years. It creates severe pain and permanent injury for horses.

Yet Massie opposed this bill. So did all other Kentucky Republicans in the House - as well as a few Tea Party extremists from other states.

The bill has a Senate companion that already has 40 sponsors. The PAST Act may pass by a veto-proof margin.

Kentucky launches court-ordered voter suppression

If Matt Bevin manages to survive the election even though he's trailing by 10%, now we'll know why.

Kentucky is being forced to remove 250,000 "inactive" voters from its rolls. This is in response to a settlement resulting from a frivolous lawsuit filed by Judicial Watch, a far-right group that has sued climate scientists and has made numerous false claims that have been picked up as media talking points.

Judicial Watch falsely claimed that Kentucky had more voters on its rolls than citizens who were at least 18. This is untrue. The group also claimed that failure to remove voters violates the National Voter Registration Act of 1993. That too is a lie, for this law actually limits voters from being removed.

California must remove 5 million voters from its rolls.

It's unclear how these states are being forced to remove all these voters, for Judicial Watch doesn't have an army. This sounds like yet another case where public officials are caving to irrational right-wing bullies who have a megaphone.

(Source: https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/articles/2019-07-16/kentucky-to-remove-up-to-250-000-inactive-voters)

Zion National Park! Arches National Park! Great Sand Dunes! It's a great place to start!

Last October, I visited Zion National Park and other national parks in Utah and Colorado. I get to do this, because national parks are a public resource. I amassed 369 Roads Scholaring photos that include roads and other bippus-bustin' geographic landmarks.

So point your pooper here...

http://bunkerblast.info/roadpics/zion18a.html
http://bunkerblast.info/roadpics/zion18b.html
http://bunkerblast.info/roadpics/zion18c.html
http://bunkerblast.info/roadpics/zion18d.html
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http://bunkerblast.info/roadpics/zion18o.html

Bubbling season is upon us!

Summer is bubbling season! That doesn't mean bubbling is any less hilarious at any other time of the year. But the warm weather does make it easier.

Today, I went to the pool at Ziegler Park, because I knew it would be one of approximately 3 days this year I'd be able to use it. While I was there, some woman bubbled.

Ohio GOP strips PTSD coverage from first responders

The unchecked evil of the modern Republican Party is endless.

Republicans are stripping PTSD coverage from Ohio's budget for worker's comp for first responders - such as police, firefighters, and paramedics. The GOP claims to be such big supporters of police, but now they've let the mask slip. It's not like we should be surprised, as some of America's biggest criminal enterprises are aligned with the Republicans. After all, it wasn't the Green Party that led that standoff in Oregon a couple years ago.

The official position of Republicans in recent years seems to be that PTSD is a hoax made up by military and civilians to game the system. This stance goes at least as far back as Sally Satel's right-wing attacks against war veterans who sought benefits for PTSD. Donald Trump made similar attacks during the 2016 campaign.

It's a fact that Republican leaders at the state and federal levels don't love their country. They have a history of praising anti-American foreign dictatorships. They also do not love humanity. Many of those in leadership positions within the party are simply bad people.

(Source: https://www.dispatch.com/news/20190627/ohio-senate-strips-ptsd-coverage-for-first-responders-from-workers-comp-budget)

Far Right spreads bunk about bunk bed price-gouging

We all know there's a sucker born every minute, and that's why corporations can charge confiscatory costs for housing. And of course the right-wing media cheers it on.

Someone shared a story from CNN on a local Facebook page about how people are now spending $1,200/month for not an apartment or even a room - but just a bunk bed inside a cubicle. CNN laughably claimed this was affordable housing. And you know what? People are going to lap up this claim like toilet water. I pay only about one-third of that for a whole efficiency apartment, but CNN is trying to manipulate public opinion by making people think $1,200/month for just a bed is a big bargain.

It gets sillier. Some right-wing extremist responded to the post, saying, "Those who are looking for the charity of others really should not have a say as to what form the charity takes. All subsidized housing should be dormitory-type housing. If a person wants a place of their own, they should earn it through education and hard work."

What an idiot! He thinks someone who spends $1,200/month for just a bunk bed is receiving charity!

I checked his profile, and I assume he's a paid right-wing troll because of the lack of activity. He's probably paid by either the Putin regime or a right-wing church, since so many online trolls are. Then I blocked him so I wouldn't have to read his classist defenses of price-gouging.

Another person correctly pointed this out: Everyone always used to talk about how communism was bad because people would have to share their homes. Well, how is this bunk bed squalor any different? The "sharing economy" gets endless praise from the media as long as it's under capitalist auspices. And it truly is squalor. And it's statist.

Kentucky GOPer accused of selling drugs

Because this is a day ending in y, there's yet another scandal in the Republican Party of Kentucky.

Jerry Cox was a Republican magistrate in Knox County. Now he's been indicted on 6 charges of selling pain pills while the 2018 primary campaign was going on. Cox won the Republican primary but lost the general election.

What? A Republican in Kentucky selling drugs? Naaaaawww!

Earlier, Cox had faced a federal charge of misappropriating county property.

(Source: https://www.kentucky.com/news/state/kentucky/article232138372.html)

Republican bill would make Daylight Wasting Time year-round in Kentucky

As if Kentucky doesn't have enough problems these days, a new bill by Republicans would put the state on Daylight Saving Time year-round.

Bowing to pressure by Big Business, State Reps. Bart Rowland and Brandon Reed have introduced a bill that would extend this time change throughout the year as soon as the federal government green-lights it. The Trump regime has already announced support for year-round Daylight Saving Time.

This bill would actually be harmful to most of Kentucky, which is near the western edge of the Eastern Time Zone. It's also unlikely to produce gains for the part of the state on Central Time. If it passes, you'd think it would hasten our move to Central Time, but don't count on it. Big Business wants us on Eastern Time because it aligns with the New York Stock Exchange. But for that, we'd already be on Central Time. There's simply no good reason for us to be on Eastern Time - especially with Daylight Wasting Time added to it.

Florida and Tennessee have already enacted similar Republican bills. A bill to change the whole country to Daylight Saving Time year-round has been introduced by far-right Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida). The good thing about that though is that at least it gets Rubio's mind off his bills to slash Social Security.

(Source: https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article232160652.html)