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storyyeller More like giant cherries from Appleloosa Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: RelationshipOutOfBoundsException: 1
More like giant cherries
#135801: Aug 19th 2016 at 9:07:56 PM

If you don't mind telling us, could you name said Representative?

Mike Honda

Blind Final Fantasy 6 Let's Play
Blueeyedrat Since: Oct, 2010
#135802: Aug 19th 2016 at 10:17:05 PM

A DOD auditor weighed in on a Reddit thread:

It's not that the Army doesn't know where the money went. They know exactly where (most) of the money went. It's really a matter of how much their internal project analyst's recorded as expenditures versus how much the external auditors accounted for - discrepancies, many of which, have to do with the dates for which expenditures were recorded. The next point that should be made is that there is "plugging" of numbers mostly for the fact of the intense volume of financial transactions within these organizations. Transaction sampling is done and the transactions that are not tested are "plugged" with estimates for ending project costs which span over varying government fiscal years - many of which are delayed due to engineering challenges. I'm not saying it's perfect. It absolutely is below the financial regulatory and compliance standards for the private sector set forth by your publicly elected officials but by all means if you want the department audited and every transaction tested, please call your congressman or woman - it will create much more business for me. It is simply not reasonable to evaluate every transaction for an organization that spends that much money on an annual basis. For people worried about fraud within these transactions - I would say that the government experiences a similar occurrence rate of fraud within any Fortune 500 company. It is more tempting for people to defraud the government because they think that they can hide within the volume of transaction. I will tell you that the penalties are much more severe and the detection methods for identifying fraud within the government are very sophisticated.

Another point made: if one department turns out to be $2000 over its reported budget, while another is $2000 under, it's still a $4000 discrepancy— and over time, those numbers really add up.

Deadbeatloser22 from Disappeared by Space Magic (Great Old One) Relationship Status: Tsundere'ing
#135803: Aug 20th 2016 at 2:20:38 AM

Trump predicts he can win 95 percent of the black vote

...Did I wake up in Bizzaro world or something?

"Yup. That tasted purple."
Silasw A procrastination in of itself from A handcart to hell (4 Score & 7 Years Ago) Relationship Status: And they all lived happily ever after <3
A procrastination in of itself
#135804: Aug 20th 2016 at 2:25:58 AM

Nope, Trump making crazy bullshit claims is standard for this world.

“And the Bunny nails it!” ~ Gabrael “If the UN can get through a day without everyone strangling everyone else so can we.” ~ Cyran
Eschaton Since: Jul, 2010
#135805: Aug 20th 2016 at 3:06:45 AM

To be fair, he's claiming he'll get 95% in 2020, four years after single-handedly lifting African-Americans out of destitution. I assume his answer to "how" is going to be "bring back jobs," though I wonder how vocal he's going to be about coupling that with "eliminating welfare," since as far as I know that's still part of the Republican platform and crucial to their narrative on African-Americans.

Matues Since: Sep, 2011
#135806: Aug 20th 2016 at 3:21:41 AM

Trumps voter demographic is perfectly fine with welfare so long as they get it and not black people.

edited 20th Aug '16 3:21:58 AM by Matues

CaptainCapsase from Orbiting Sagittarius A* Since: Jan, 2015
#135807: Aug 20th 2016 at 3:52:51 AM

[up] Less "black's don't deserve it" beyond the hardcore racists, more "I deserve it since I actually work hard, unlike everyone else on welfare!"

Before you say, no, I don't think most of Trump's base falls into the category of "white supremacist." As with similar demagogues, entirely ordinary people, down on their luck, have turned to this man who is telling them who the blame for their problems, and acting like he has the answers.

Eschaton Since: Jul, 2010
#135808: Aug 20th 2016 at 4:24:51 AM

However, people are finding some cracks in that premise, such as this Gallup study.

The 2016 US presidential nominee Donald Trump has broken with the policies of previous Republican Party presidents on trade, immigration, and war, in favor of a more nationalist and populist platform. Using detailed Gallup survey data for a large number of American adults, I analyze the individual and geographic factors that predict a higher probability of viewing Trump favorably and contrast the results with those found for other candidates. The results show mixed evidence that economic distress has motivated Trump support. His supporters are less educated and more likely to work in blue collar occupations, but they earn relative high household incomes, and living in areas more exposed to trade or immigration does not increase Trump support. There is stronger evidence that racial isolation and less strictly economic measures of social status, namely health and intergenerational mobility, are robustly predictive of more favorable views toward Trump, and these factors predict support for him but not other Republican presidential candidates.

A lot of it is about perception, and his supporters have a much more negative view of life and the future.

edited 20th Aug '16 4:32:01 AM by Eschaton

ironballs16 Since: Jul, 2009 Relationship Status: Owner of a lonely heart
#135809: Aug 20th 2016 at 5:55:54 AM

So in breaking news out of Arizona, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Chief Deputy Jerry Sheridan, Capt. Steve Bailey and former attorney for the Maricopa County Sherrif’s Office Michele Iafrate have been referred to Judge John Leonard on charges of criminal contempt of court. Emphasis mine.

“(Snow) found that the remedies and the consequences of the civil contempt are not sufficient given the long standing activities and decisions by the sheriff to fail to follow court orders and showed contempt for the court orders and the court process, and the judge in very clear terms said that additional sanctions are needed that are not available in the civil arena and that would be potential criminal penalties, which include much higher fines, possibility of some type of detention and so forth,” [Dan] Pochoda, [senior counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Arizona], said.

The documents mention Arpaio’s “intentional failure to comply with” the court’s order from April 23, 2015, among other things.

“The judge has done much of the leg work because he’s made very comprehensive findings about the activities of the sheriff and Chief Sheridan and has found them significantly below minimums, including his findings that they lied under oath on a number of occasions in court on the civil contempt proceedings, that they intentionally violated his court orders over and over,” Pochoda said.

A federal judge ruled nearly three years ago that Arpaio’s officers profiled Latinos. The judge ordered a series of changes at the agency, such as training on making constitutional traffic stops and requiring officers to wear body cameras.

However, a court monitor said Arpaio’s agency has been slow to make the changes and defied a previous order to halt his infamous immigration patrols.

“We thought it was a warranted decision that the sheriffs had demonstrated contempt above and beyond the requirements for a civil arena, that they clearly rose in our opinion to the level of criminal contempt actions,” Pochoda said.

“We believe the community has been vindicated and deserves to have the sheriff, who has on many occasions [and] over many years violated their constitutional rights, face appropriate charges, in this case criminal contempt charges.”

edited 20th Aug '16 5:56:55 AM by ironballs16

"Why would I inflict myself on somebody else?"
Elle Since: Jan, 2001
#135810: Aug 20th 2016 at 6:10:58 AM

Sherif Joe's been at that stuff for years to the point where it's not been a secret. He's also infamously bulletproof. We'll see if they manage to get this to stick this time.

edited 20th Aug '16 6:11:22 AM by Elle

Deadbeatloser22 from Disappeared by Space Magic (Great Old One) Relationship Status: Tsundere'ing
#135811: Aug 20th 2016 at 6:41:01 AM

Famously paid a researcher a six-figure sum to tell him the best way to deal with crime... then dismissed all the findings because they weren't telling him what he wanted to hear.

"Yup. That tasted purple."
Kostya (Unlucky Thirteen)
#135812: Aug 20th 2016 at 6:42:43 AM

It always amazes me that Republicans think they can somehow magically get a majority share of the minority vote while simultaneously supporting incredibly discriminatory practices.

thatguythere47 Since: Jul, 2010
#135813: Aug 20th 2016 at 7:00:05 AM

As others have noted, it's not about getting blacks or mexicans or other groups to vote for them, it's too shield them from being called racist and bringing moderate republicans who might stay home to the polls.

Is using "Julian Assange is a Hillary butt plug" an acceptable signature quote?
Ogodei Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers from The front lines Since: Jan, 2011
Fuck you, Fascist sympathizers
#135814: Aug 20th 2016 at 8:17:19 AM

The sad part about this is even if Arpaio goes to jail for a little and is removed from office, voters will still likely put him right back in, just like they did with Chief Justice Moore in Alabama who lost his job for failure to follow judicial orders and just got voted right back in.

Of course, that's a case of Ain't No Rule where there may be nothing that says someone removed from office for official misconduct can't run for re-election.

TacticalFox88 from USA Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Dating the Doctor
#135815: Aug 20th 2016 at 9:33:43 AM

Joy Reid needs to replace Lawrence O'Donnell at 10 pm. She's all but said outright that she's done taking Trump supporter's shit, and every show she's on she proves that in spades.

New Survey coming this weekend!
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#135816: Aug 20th 2016 at 10:59:44 AM

Can't you guys just deport Arpaio to The Hague or something?

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.
Elle Since: Jan, 2001
#135817: Aug 20th 2016 at 11:32:59 AM

Arizona's a deep red border state. They've been re-electing Arpaio since '92 in spite of his opponents ongoing efforts to get him removed or defeated.

edited 20th Aug '16 11:36:19 AM by Elle

BonsaiForest Since: Jan, 2001
#135818: Aug 20th 2016 at 12:51:52 PM

I've been thinking about something. I've noticed that American conservatism/libertarianism has a mixture of true believers who genuinely believe that its government hands-off mentality and economic conservatism is a good thing for all people, that it'll help minorities and poor people get ahead - and bigots who don't actually think that, but assume (rightly or wrongly) that this stuff is really a dogwhistle for "screw minorities and the poor! You're better than them!"

Of course, that's nothing new. But more than that, I think this may be why conservatism/libertarianism attracts so much more affinity fraud than liberalism. Since people who see others as inherently inferior are scum anyway, I wouldn't be surprised if many of them just plain don't care about taking money from others by lying about its use. If they look down on different races, gays, different religions, whatever, I imagine some number of them also look down upon gullible people and easy "marks" who can be manipulated.

Another possibility is that classic saying "conservatives aren't stupid, but stupid people are conservative". You have to be reasonably intelligent to understand nuance, to understand how many different factors can combine to make it very difficult or nearly impossible for discriminated-against minorities to succeed. But many conservatives/libertarians go for a simple "If you don't succeed, it's because you're lazy!" mindset. My younger brother falls into that; he told me that no matter who you are and what discrimination you face, you can get a job if you try hard enough. Statistics say otherwise, but his excuse is to claim they didn't try hard enough.

It's not hard to see how a worldview like that makes it easy to see others as inferior. Could the fraudsters be similar? I'm guessing the fraudsters actually do share right-wing beliefs, and aren't liberals in disguise trying to rip off gullible conservatives. At least, Milo Yiannopoulos genuinely has the beliefs he spews, and he's accused of keeping the money he was given for himself.

AmbarSonofDeshar Since: Jan, 2010
#135819: Aug 20th 2016 at 1:33:02 PM

Whether the various frauds share the beliefs they espouse or not will vary from person to person. One study on authoritarianism distinguished between authoritarian followers (who loathe everyone outside their ingroup), social dominators (who are driven to control a group of followers, and often act as authoritarian leaders despite not sharing the beliefs of their followers) and double-highs, who have the major traits of both, fearing everyone outside their ingroup and possessing an insane need to control said ingroup no matter what.

Antiteilchen In the pursuit of great, we failed to do good. Since: Sep, 2013
In the pursuit of great, we failed to do good.
#135820: Aug 20th 2016 at 1:35:12 PM

I think this may be why conservatism/libertarianism attracts so much more affinity fraud than liberalism.
Citation needed Do they attract more?

AmbarSonofDeshar Since: Jan, 2010
#135821: Aug 20th 2016 at 1:36:05 PM

It's certainly better documented.

thatguythere47 Since: Jul, 2010
#135822: Aug 20th 2016 at 4:42:13 PM

Probably just more that religious people are trending conservative and churches are great places to commit it.

Is using "Julian Assange is a Hillary butt plug" an acceptable signature quote?
TheHandle United Earth from Stockholm Since: Jan, 2012 Relationship Status: YOU'RE TEARING ME APART LISA
United Earth
#135823: Aug 20th 2016 at 4:47:23 PM

Like so?

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
rikalous World's Cutest Direwolf from Upscale Mordor (Before Recorded History) Relationship Status: Showing feelings of an almost human nature
Rationalinsanity from Halifax, Canada Since: Aug, 2010 Relationship Status: It's complicated
#135825: Aug 20th 2016 at 6:17:31 PM

Goddamn it America.

Politics is the skilled use of blunt objects.

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