Author: Tamquam

Why do I believe we are being scammed? In short, the numbers don’t work, that is, they don’t fit the model. Numbers don’t lie, so the model is wrong.  What we are doing doesn’t make any sense.

1. Diamond Princess, perfect petri dish. Three thousand people cooped up on that ship for weeks. ~700 tested positive, two died.
If some tested positive, then, given the nature of viruses and how they are transmitted, how is it possible that not all were positive for the virus? One famous couple living for weeks in their tiny stateroom, one got it, one didn’t. That is not possible.  Unless …
Unless one already had immunity to the virus. But this is a Novel Corona virus, so where did the immunity come from, given that the only way to get immunity it to have had the disease and recovered from it?  Over two thousand people on the Diamond Princess did not have the virus, so where did they all get immunity?
Was the Wuhan virus already circulating worldwide while the Chinese Communist government was still trying to hush it up?  We know know that 80%  of people who contract the virus show no or mild symptoms, and 20% show moderate to catastrophic symptoms, primarily the aged, people with weakened immune systems and people with co-morbidities such as emphysema.  Had the Wuhan virus already spread widely through the general population and we didn’t notice because it acted like a regular flu during flu season?  80% of the people who presented with severe flu this winter (2019-2020) and were tested did not have the expected Flu-A or Flu-B.  What did they have?  Nobody knows and nobody’s asking.  It is too late now to find out.  Remember this, it is important.

2. So how to explain all the Chinese dropping dead in the street?  The Chinese people are subject to several conditions that did not improve their resistance to the virus.  Most large cities are wrapped in a deep layer of really awful air pollution, many of their inhabitants have not seen the sun in over 30 years.  Further, cigarette smoking is common.  These two facts tell us that their lungs are to a great degree compromised.  The Wuhan virus particularly affects the lungs, and the onset is known to be quite sudden.
There are a number of common drugs that are now known to potentiate the virus, that is, to make the virus’ effects more potent.  Among them are common anti-inflammatory drugs ibuprofen, an ingredient common to aspirin, Advil, Bufferin, etc.  Tylenol uses a different method of reducing pain and inflammation and is known to be safe in most instances.  Nicotine potentiates it foo.  Another substance that potentiates the virus is steroids.  In China many medications contain steroids, which is not the case in most of the rest of the world.  Italy’s industrial heartland is in the north, they have terrible air pollution, smoke like chimneys and have the oldest population in Europe, this is why it was so bad there.  Remember this, it is important.

3. The virus basically creates pneumonia, filing the lungs with fluid and preventing oxygenation of the blood.  When the lungs  can no longer force enough oxygen into the bloodstream mechanical systems called ventilators are used to oxygenate the blood, essentially breathing for the patient.  Under normal circumstances anyone who is placed in a medical coma and has a tube shoved down their throat to force breathing, can expect to get off the ventilator alive about half the time (49%).   Even so, under normal circumstances someone who gets off the ventilator alive stands only a 30% chance of surviving another year.  The very best anyone who goes on a ventilator can expect is a 15% chance of survival.  the Chinese who have this same technology achieved only a 5% survival rate with their Wuhan flu patients.  We would likely do a little better.  More ventilators are not the answer, even if we had the trained technicians to use them; we don’t.  More on that below.  Remember this, it is important.

4. The RO of this virus is about 3.  RO refers to the rate of infection, how many people will an infected person infect in turn.  Most flus have an RO of about 1.5, measles has an RO of 5, highly infectious.  The spread is exponential and gets really large really fast.  It will continue to spread as long as there are non-immune  hosts to be infected.  Once a majority of the population recovers the disease begins to run out of hosts and burns out.

Let’s again look at the series if we do nothing, starting with 1 case.  Each “cycle” or “generation time” is 5 days (from when you get infected until you are infecting other people) [here assumed to be RO 2.7, h/t Karl Deninger at Market Ticker]
1
2.7
7.29
19.683
53.1441
143.4891
387.4205
1,046.035
2,824.295
7,625.597
20,589.11
55,590.61
150,094.6
405,255.5
1,094,190
2,954,313
7,976,644
21,536,940
58,149,737 <<<< — Aw ****

Theoretically social distancing will knock the RO down, once you get an RO of 1 or less, the epidemic stops.  If it remains above 1 the epidemic spreads, more slowly, but it still spreads.  For over two weeks we have been practicing social distancing but it has only dropped the RO to about 2.4 or 2.5.  It is not working, numbers cannot lie.  This means, as Dr. Birx admitted last week, that there is a problem with our model of how this bug spreads.  Remember this, it is important.

5.  It is estimated that there are about one million varieties of virus in the world, of which only a few thousand affect humans.  We have succeeded in exterminating only two of these: smallpox and rinderpest (affects cattle); we are close to exterminating polio.  Viruses mutate rather rapidly, which is why every year we get one or more new varieties of flu.  The flu kills between 15,000 to 80,000 in the U.S. every year.  Two years ago, 2017-18 was bad, 80,000. The likelihood of a vaccine being developed for the Wuhan flu is slim to nil, certainly not in time to do us any good.  The Wuhan flu seems to kill at a slightly higher rate than the average annual flu, so we may actually see Dr. Fauci’s 100,000 dead, about double the average annual death toll from the annual flu.  Bear in mind that about 7,700 people die every day from all causes. there is no reason to think of the number of deaths from Wuhan flu to be all that shocking when taken in the context of ordinary rates of mortality.  Nobody gets out of this world alive, eventually something will kill us all.  As with deaths associated with ordinary flu, Wuhan flu deaths often occur when someone’s capacity for fighting disease is reduced due to a previous disease such as diabetes or emphysema, or immune systems compromised by other circumstances such as radiation or chemo therapy.  Such people can easily be, and often are, brought to crisis and death by a flu.

6. If the population is pretty effectively quarantining itself (and we are) then where are all these infections coming from?  To answer that we need to look at what we are doing with those we KNOW to be infected.  We send them to the hospital where there are all kinds of people suffering from all sorts of ailments.  In fact, we send anybody with just about anything wrong with them to the hospital.
We like to think of hospitals as antiseptically clean, and of doctors and nurses as infallible professionals.  Certainly that is the way it is on TV, but it is not that way in reality.  About 100,000 people die every year from all kinds of medical accidents and a variety of infections including the so-called super bugs.  The result is that hospitals have become epicenters of the epidemic; if you don’t have the Wuhan flu when you get there you’ll have it soon.  In many cases doctors and nurses find that there are not adequate supplies of personal protection equipment and are sometimes required to reuse masks and gowns, which is absolutely contrary to best practice.  Sometimes they are not too attentive to the necessity of washing their hands before and after they have seen a patient or touched a piece of equipment.  And when their shift is over they go home, taking with them what they have picked up during their shift.  This is not to disparage their dedication or competence, but to note what we all know, they are only human, and sometimes under the press of circumstances their attention slips for just a moment, especially at the end of a long second shift.

So here are some questions that I have not seen adequately answered.

1.  Why have the CDC and the NIH not followed international protocols in managing this epidemic?
   A. Standard practice is to test everybody for the disease, not just the symptomatic.  This gives more accurate knowledge as to the actual extent to which the disease is present in the population.  Where universal testing was taking place it was stopped and only the symptomatic are now tested.  Why?
   B. Why has an antibody test not been developed and made available to the public?  The nation certainly has the means to create and distribute one or several.  This gives a more accurate picture of what percentage of the population has recovered from the disease (these people are the ones best in a position to help as they cannot be re-infected, at least not with the same strain of the virus).  Clearly there are such people, see the first item on the list above.  This too is part of the standard international protocol.

   Use the closed caption feature to see the translation

2. What took the CDC and the NIH so long to recognize the problem and react to it?  This was their one job and they bungled it.  Why did they stand in the way of private laboratories developing tests while their own efforts were so faulty?  Why were they so reluctant to approve Dr. Zelinski’s hydroxychloroquine / with Z-Pak cocktail, even when something very much like it was reportedly being used successfully in France?
3. Why have so many governors forbidden the use of hydroxychloroquine together with Z-Pak even after it was finally approved by the FDA?
4. Dr. Fauci acknowledged that the social distancing model is not working.  Why are we being forced to do more of it?  In fact it cannot work because even if you eliminate the virus entirely from the population it only takes one person from outside to kick start the whole process all over again.  The Chinese are just finding this out now.
5. Why are we being whipped to such a pitch of panic over such a relatively non-lethal disease and such a small number of deaths?  It’s not just here, but all over the world as far as I can see; Dr. Bhakdi alludes to in the above video.
6. Why are we focusing on getting more ventilators given that with Dr. Zelinski’s hydroxychloroquine and Z-Pak cocktail we can obviate the need for so many ventilators?
7. Why are we putting the entire country out of work to attempt (and ultimately fail) to protect everybody rather than protecting only our most vulnerable?  Why are we concentrating the infection in our hospitals and then sending our most vulnerable into those epicenters of the epidemic?
8. Why are there so many reports that hospitals are in fact not overwhelmed by Wuhan flu cases?
9. Why are we destroying our livelihoods and our national economy when we know it will result in even more death and misery when the financial support a modern healthcare system requires collapses?
10. The Wuhan virus is a real virus and the effects of the contagion are catastrophic for a small fraction of the population.  The response to the epidemic is irrational and the destructive consequences clearly foreseeable, yet the measures being enacted are pursued with vigor and determination.  Why?  Who benefits?

Too often Republicans and Conservatives are caught like deer in the headlights by Democrat’s attacks.  Again and again they use the same dirty tactics against us.  For some reason we never see them coming, are caught by surprise, stunned and unable to mount an effective counter attack.

That needs to change.  It begins now.  This post initiates a series on political warfare, how to fight and win.

In the above clip Nancy Pelosi is holding a press conference and is answering a question about a race in which the Democratic candidate narrowly lost.  She is attributing the loss to the Republican’s tactic of using the “Wrap-up Smear.”  She explains what the “Wrap-up Smear” is.  Factually there is no evidence that the Republican in the race ever used the “Wrap-up Smear.”  That does not matter to Nancy for two reasons.

First, it is a long standing tactic of the Communist Party, of which the Democratic Party is a wholly owned subsidiary, to accuse their opponents of doing what they themselves are doing or are intending to do.  This deflects blame form them onto their enemies and renders the enemy’s natural response, “Uh-uh!  It was you, not us” impotent, making them appear weak and defensive and therefore guilty.

Secondly, it is a very effective use of the “Wrap-up Smear” itself.  Any denial the Republican makes will be purely defensive and require him to prove a negative.  That is, he must prove that he did in fact not do what the accusation claims.  From what I have seen most people deny the accusation, then when the accusation is repeated, dodge the question.  This is a recipe for disaster, which too often ensues.

So how does one defend against the “Wrap-up Smear?”  Here we take a page from standard US Army and Marine infantry tactics:  Immediately attack the ambush.

When President Trump presented the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Rush Limbaugh at the 2020 State of the Union address, the bought and paid for Leftist propagandists got right to work.  Jim Acosta of the Communist News Network (CNN) accused Rush of being a racist that same evening.    Immediately the charge was taken up by the whole of Drive by Media and was being shouted everywhere with false examples being bruited about everywhere.

The very next morning Bo Snerdley, Rush’s long time friend and producer of 30 years, went on the internet to issue a direct challenge to Acosta and CNN.  He first denied the charge that Rush was a racist, pointing out that although himself a black man he had never suffered any kind of discrimination from Rush and had never heard Rush make a racist remark on air.  He then issued a challenge to Acosta and CNN to prove the charge by providing a list of instances.

When no response was immediately forthcoming from CNN, Acosta or their representatives, Snerdley reissued the challenge.  In the succeeding days he reiterated that challenge, and roundly mocked Acosta and CNN for their lies and their silence.  Thus the attack on the President through Limbaugh, and on Limbaugh himself, miscarried, doing more harm to the left and their propagandists than to their intended targets.

In the below clip Pelosi is holding a press conference and is addressing journalists.  She discusses the wrap up smear as a tactic used by Republicans to smear Democrats.  In the first part she uses the second person indefinite, ‘you’, meaning ‘someone’ or ‘anyone.’  In the second part the ‘you’ refers to the members of the press to whom she is speaking.  In the third part she gives the game away by switching to the first person, “Then I” and “we.”  No surprise, Marxists typically accuse their opponents of doing the evil they themselves do.

Next, Bill Whittle is literally livid.  Put on your fireproof overalls and strap in before you listen.

And now for the$64,000 question and daggers all around:

The faces made in the room as @ChanelRion asks Trump: Is it alarming that major media players…are consistently siding with a foreign state propaganda, Islamic radicals, and Latin gangs and cartels and they work right here…with direct access to you and your team? pic.twitter.com/4eW8RHipY5

— Julio Rosas (@Julio_Rosas11) March 19, 2020

President Trump has called for this Sunday, March 15, to be a National Day of Prayer.

We need it, our leaders need it, our Nation needs it.  Let us humbly bow before Him Who is our Creator, begging forgiveness, repentance and mercy.

And on the Ides of March, that’s spitting in the devil’s eye.

Over at Fox News there is a segment about surviving the corona virus, entitled “Dr. Mehmet Oz: 5 coronavirus survival action steps you can take right now“.  It is recommended for those of us who aren’t quite ready to make a dash for the Pearly Gates.

First, good hygiene works.

Viruses like the novel coronavirus are spread through tiny droplets that your body makes when you cough, sneeze or talk.  The virus can travel in these liquids and enter your body through your nose, mouth, or eyes. This most likely occurs when the virus gets on your hands and you then touch your face.

The average person touches his or her face dozens of times per hour. Now more than ever it’s important to wash your hands.  Use soap and water and wash for at least 20 seconds and be sure to wash your fingers and fingertips—that’s what surgeons do before they go in the operating room. Also avoid touching your face, especially if you’ve been out in public.

Finally, it’s time to cancel handshakes. It can feel awkward and anti-social, but handshakes transfer 10 times more germs than fist bumps. Better yet is to go with a guy nod for now.

Next, keep your distance.

Good hygiene can greatly reduce your chance of getting infected, but droplets can also travel about six feet through the air. That’s why officials are canceling classes and events. So at least until we have a vaccine or antiviral, you should keep people an arm’s length away. This is especially true for people over 60 who have chronic illnesses.

While 80 percent of people who get the coronavirus will have mild illness, older individuals especially those with common chronic conditions like heart disease, hypertension, diabetes and COPD are at the greatest risk for complications. People in this category should avoid both crowds and travel. And since just about all of us have someone in this category we love, we should adopt these cautions to help protect them.

If you live in an area that has community spread, which is now many parts of the country, consider video chats instead of in-person visits temporarily.

Be prepared.

You’ve heard about the shortage of hand sanitizer and masks and the long lines at markets. Some reporters have called this a sign of panic, but I look at this as a sign of American resilience.

Being prepared is one of the most proactive things you can do in the face of uncertainty. There is no need to start hoarding but having two week’s worth of foods like wholes grains, beans, and frozen vegetables, supplies like soap and toilet paper, as well as a month’s supply of medications is smart.

Panic and fear are the mind killers.  Plan, prepare, execute as best you can given the realities of your actual situation.

Support your immune system.

While we don’t have treatments for COVID-19, there is plenty you can do to keep your body in top physical condition. First, be sure to get at least seven hours of sleep, which can decrease your risk of getting a cold. Eat your leafy greens and other vegetables, which are loaded with immune-supporting vitamins and minerals as well as antioxidants. Get some sun or consider 1200IU Vitamin D a day, which is associated with decreased incidence of upper respiratory tract infections.

If you feel sick.

While the government has promised that anyone who wants to get tested for the virus can, tests are actually in short supply. The truth is, that while the test may be helpful for scientists studying the spread of the virus, at this point it won’t be much help to you, because there is no treatment.

Rumor is that patients are being charged for the tests and hospitalization if needed, check to make sure your insurance covers it.

To which your humble correspondent adds, don’t forget the most fundamental thing: Prayer.

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

Courage to change the things I can,

And wisdom to know the difference.

My good friends of many years, Maria and Jose (not their real names) are native Mexicans and naturalized American citizens.  Maria has been a registered Republican for many years, Jose has ignored politics and had never registered to vote as he thinks they are all crooks anyhow.   They live in North East Los Angeles which is very heavily Hispanic.

Last month Jose got a voter guide in the mail, but Maria did not.  This was strange so  I suggested to Maria that she might want to check her voter registration as rumors had been circulating that party affiliations were mysteriously changing in the Secretary of State’s database.  She did and, lo! she was not registered at all!  Neither was Jose.

So I guided her where to go online and register and helped her complete her registration as a Republican.  Jose also chose to register, and I asked him why, as he had always disdained politics and voting.  Because, he said, President Trump had taken strong pro life actions, not just talk, adding that for him the life issue is critical and he wanted to support the President.  So I helped him register as a Republican as well.  They then printed their proof of registration sheets that the system provides.  A few days later Jose gets a voter guide in the mail, but Maria does not.

I will digress here to mention a fact about the online registration process.  In order to complete the registration you must provide your drivers license number or your California ID number.  It is voter suppression to require ID at the polling place but not when registering?  Naturally if it weren’t for double standards the Donks wouldn’t have any standards at all.

Come election day they go together to their local voting center to cast their ballots.  The lines are long and they had to wait an hour to get to the head of the line.  When they get there there’s a problem.  When they inform the person doing intake that they are Republicans the woman recoils and tells them that they can’t vote Republican here but that they can vote Democrat, would they like to change their registration to Democrat so they can vote right away?

By the time they got to the head of the line Maria was already smelling a rat as she had overheard time and again that same person saying to others who were not registered Democrats (there had been no Republicans, evidently Maria and Jose were the first that day),  “Oh, you’re an Independent (or whatever) but you can vote Democrat, would you like to change your registration to Democrat?”  They would generally make that change on the spot and proceed to vote.  And of course there were helpful people to assist the voters make sense of the new voting system and show them which buttons to push.

So Maria got insistent that she wanted to vote for Trump and nobody else.  So they looked up Jose in the system and sure enough they found him and sent him to a machine but offered no help.  Jose is blind in one eye and does not manage English well but he managed the machine as best he could and thinks he got it right.

Maria was another story.  They couldn’t find her in the system, they told her.  If they could register her as a Democrat she could vote right away, was she sure she didn’t want to vote Democrat?  Maria was sure.  They eventually found her name but the address was her daughter’s address.  In short she was told she could not vote and was sent away.

As the day wore on and she reflected on what had happened she got madder and madder.  So that evening she took her son who had not voted and went to exercise her right to vote.  She went first to the school where she had been turned away earlier, but the lines were long, so she went to the voting center at the church and the lines were longer so she went to the library where the lines were not as long.  There she stood in line for almost three hours chatting with people in line.

Everyone seemed to be agreed, they had to get rid of Trump.  Now, understand that Maria is kind, gentle and gracious lady, but doesn’t let herself be pushed around.  So she asked, why do we need to get rid of Trump?  Well, she was told over and over, because he’s so nasty and is destroying the country!  Yes, she agrees, he can be rude and crude, but I don’t care about that I care about what he’s done for the country.  Here are three things he’s done for the country, and she ticks them off on her fingers, one, two and three.  And what have the Democrats done?  Nothing!  They’ve spent three years trying and failing to tear him down.  You tell me, what else have they done?

By the time she got to the head of the line she was boiling.  She loudly told the poll worker that she had been denied her right to vote earlier in the day and that she was going to vote and that was that.  They again tried to get her to vote Democrat (and were visibly surprised that she was a Republican), but she refused, and told them that if they were going to be trying to pull that again she was going to take out her phone and record them.  They eventually got her property registered as a Republican and was shown to a voting booth where she worked the system as best she could as they did not offer her the help they were so solicitous to offer everybody else.

Several things to note here.

I.  The electronic records are at best in disarray and cannot be trusted.

2.  Jose got a voter guide even though he was not registered, and got another when he did register, but Maria did not.

3.  Maria’s longstanding Republican registration was erased from the system and her fresh registration had been disappeared from the system less than a month after it was submitted online.

4.  There was an organized effort to get non Democrats re-registered as Democrats on the spot and massive assistance to have them vote accordingly.

5.  Maria was told that she could not vote Republican at that polling place.

6.  The turnout among the Hispanics was HUGE, I want to know why, and uniformly anti Trump.

7.  It occurs to your humble correspondent that the anti Trump and anti Republican propaganda should be checked for hypnotic language patterns in both English and Spanish language broadcasts.

8.  There seems to exist a widespread and well organized effort among poll workers to actively promote the Democratic Party at the polls, which is purely illegal, while actively suppressing others.

The corona virus is going to be a big problem here in Southern California sooner or later.  We’ve all been hearing about it, how awful it is in China, and now in other countries as well.  We have been fortunate to date that there has been no break out here.  But it is coming.  How do I know?

In the first place President Trump was slow to impose an immediate and strict quarantine on travel to and from China, but he did it.  For the sake of absolute safety the entire  border should have been sealed.  To be fair, in American administration would have acted as swiftly as necessary under the circumstances, preferring to treat China as our friend, which it definitely is NOT and trading partner.  It is likely that other administrations, being more sensitive to the charge of racism, would have acted considerably slower.  And of course President Trump has been trying to control the border since his administration began, meeting unrelenting and even frantic opposition from Democrats.

Trump did address the issue head-on, he did well.

But since strict quarantine was imposed it has been broken at least twice.  First when a cruise ship with suspected passengers from Wuhan, China was allowed to dock and discharge passengers in New Jersey.  Thousands of people potentially exposed to the virus scattered everywhere.  Presumably most of them have been tracked down and undergone voluntary quarantine.  Secondly when a State Department flunky disobeyed President Trump’s direct order and allowed 14 infected people from the Disaster Diamond Princess docked in Japan to fly home with over 300 formerly uninfected people.  One can only hope that all of them are resting comfortably in a military base somewhere in a military base a million miles from nowhere.

To date no breakout, and that is a good thing.  It gives us time to prepare; we dare not be slow about it.  Once everybody twigs to the reality of the situation it will be too late.  The CDC gave warning yesterday, pay attention!

How to prepare.  1. Don’t panic, it only makes you stupid and that only makes things worse.  2. Don’t be shy about going about your preparations.

In general you are going to want to be able to survive without leaving the house for 30 days.  That means no one comes in from the outside.  If someone leaves the house it needs to be understood that they will not be allowed back in until the all clear has been given + 5 days (I say) just to be sure.

Stock up on medications if you can.  As we heard at the meeting this evening, China controls 85% of the medicine production of the entire world (a little more nuanced than that, but close enough) and China, for all intents and purposes, is no longer providing them.  This is a national security issue that has not been adequately addressed even now.  Did you hear this discussed in the Donk debates recently?  Given the situation a glaring omission.

• Try to get ahead on medical prescriptions when you can, in case of very predictable supply chain disruptions, and so you won’t have to go out to the pharmacy at a time when there may be long lines of sick people.
• Start to stock up on enough non-perishable food to last your household through several weeks of social distancing at home during an intense wave of transmission in the community.
• Take your kids out of school and activities. There is no need to freak anyone out; what kid doesn’t enjoy a snow day? Handle it right and they’ll be happily saying “thank you, Corona-chan!”
• Cancel all unnecessary social engagements. As one friend said, it’s a good time to spend the evenings kicking back and having margaritas with your wife.
• Get permission to work from home. Most businesses will embrace this and those who are most proactive about it will get permission first.
• Stock up on soap, laundry detergent and toilet paper.
• Use the same precautions as would with the ordinary flu.  Especially wash your hands with soap and hot water frequently.
• A surgeon’s style face mask is not going to protect you from much of anything, it will protect others from your coughs and sneezes.  Adequate face protection would be something like your dentist uses, known as an N95 because it will keep out 95% of germs; it works because it seals against your face.  Face masks are difficult to find, you have to line up very early outside of your local pharmacy on delivery day to get them.  Even dentists who need them are having difficulty getting their N95 masks.  I recommend getting splash proof goggles as your eyes are also infection super highways for aerial transmission.
• Nitrile gloves are good too, but do no good if you are careless taking them off.  Remember not to touch your face while wearing them; on average people touch their faces 250 times a day.  Between leaving a potentially contaminated environment and removing them once in your safe environment touch NOTHING until you have safely removed and disposed of them.  Then wash your hands and your face with soap and hot water.

Stay away from crowds.

We can get through this fine if we are prepared, smart and careful.

Over at Fox and Hounds Michelle Hanisee has a great article outlining some of the core problems faced by Law Enforcement as a result of recent legislation.  Bad as those problem are, they can and will be made worse if George Gascon is elected to the District Attorney’s office next week.  George Gascon was District Attorney for San Francisco.  Having transformed the City on the Bay in to a paradise of homeless drug addict encampments, feces and second hand needles he quit his job a year early to come down here and offer to do the same favors for us he has done for San Francisco.  Thanks but no thanks.

Here is Michelle’s article.

While the internet may have flaws, one of its redeeming features is that those who have do not own a printing press or media outlet no longer have to rely on the largess of newspapers or media outlets to have their voice heard. The internet has allowed the ADDA to use our News & Advocacy section these past five years to provide factual information to the public as issues in the criminal justice system are debated.

Some do not like the facts we share in our articles because they clash with the false narratives spun by advocates of “criminal justice reform.” In fact, one article recently labeled us as the “notoriously anti-reform Association for Deputy District Attorneys.” 

Contrary to those who claim the ADDA is “notoriously anti-reform,” the ADDA has consistently advocated for effective  rehabilitation as an alternative to incarceration. We criticized the CDCR’s failed rehabilitation programs. We applauded the successful rehabilitation rates of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition. We called on the County of Los Angeles to stop the practice of charging probationers for supervision. We celebrated advances in investigative DNA technology that as recently as last week resulted in an exoneration. We lauded the Conviction Review Unit created by our office because, as prosecutors, we have an “obligation to ensure the truth.” We are proud of our efforts to do just that — to provide truthful, accurate information backed up by data.

In a series of articles, we pointed out that Governor Brown was deceiving the public when claiming his Prop 57 would only free “non-violent” felons. We pointed out that based upon the language of the statute, sex offenders and three-strike offenders would be eligible for early release from prison. Subsequent court rulings proved us correct. When the CDCR began granting early release to violent felons, we highlighted some of those releases.

When Governor Newsom announced his death penalty moratorium, we reminded the public that voters rejected the repeal of the death penalty and approved measures to ensure its implementation. As we noted, the Governor falsely claimed in 2016 he would respect the decision of voters on the death penalty, and lacked the courage to announce his contrary intention during the campaign for Governor. We followed up with a series of pieces that brought to life the victims, and the brutal and horrific end of their lives, at the hand of 24 inmates currently on death row who have exhausted their death penalty appeals.

Following the passage of Prop 47, we have repeatedly discussed the rise in property crime and called on the Legislature to fix its many flaws. We supported bipartisan common sense fixes to AB 109 and Prop 57, but unfortunately they were rejected by Governor Brown. We published a video which detailed the flaws of Prop 47, Prop 57, and AB 109, and then joined with crime victims, law enforcement, business owners and public safety leaders to place on the ballot a measure addressing those flaws. That measure will appear on the 2020 ballot.

We have commented in the past on the media marginalization of crime victims, and in 2018 published a piece that reflects what motivates the ADDA to continue to shine the spotlight of truth on the criminal justice system. I end this piece by repeating the ending of that piece: “It might be trendy to highlight ex-cons and berate the justice system for its flaws, real or perceived. Apparently not worthy of such treatment is the aftermath for the victims and families of those who suffered crimes such as murder, rape, robbery or child sexual abuse. However, as prosecutors we are proud to stand with victims of crime. We are proud to stand by the communities often forgotten in this brave new world.”

The official news about the coronavirus coming out of China is not pretty.  Less, than 77,000 total cases being reported as of this writing, and the increase fairly well flattening out.  The one thing we can be sure of is that the Chinese government lies even more than does our own.  I figured that they were downplaying the problem by a factor of maybe 10 or 12.  I am deeply grieved to report that I was a raging Pollyanna.   For my next act I will become a raging alcoholic Joe Btfsplk.

Time to hit those prayer bones, people.  Hard, till you crack the floorboards.