FROM THE LEFT

Bad faith, bad policies and bad governance

Saturday errands with my dad were always fun. At times I’d find myself propped up on his shoulders with a bird’s eye view of a Golden Gloves boxing match. Boisterous WWII vets back from fighting the “good war” enjoying the freedom of a great American tradition. Nowadays, when my dad hears people prop up the Trump administration’s policies saying, “well, this is a different time,” he is reminded, with haunting memories of a similar time when the world lived a nightmare scenario brought about by one man’s vengeance, ignited by hate, fear and cult-like supremacy.

Like the Dementors in the Harry Potter novels, Republican policies drain peace, hope and happiness out of the air around them. Lining their pockets while picking ours; it’s a mobster’s serenade. Playing both sides against the middle, the master manipulator accepts the winning payoff in “bagman” cash.

While Democrats in Congress are working overtime on solutions to America’s most pressing issues, this present administration has decided to slow walk an inside game against democracy and the rule of law with “no deal” do-nothing solutions and stun gun non-denial denials. Cutting and running with continual delays, they feed their desire to control power by whatever means necessary. We are bearing witness to a Republican Administration purposely refusing to do the hard work that democracy demands; solution driven policy making through actual governing, for all Americans. Americans, who at the end of every hard-earned day, find some reason to believe.

Facing a shortened timeline, climate change is a major reason for concern toward a preventive solution driven policy. We get one last chance to make it real.

Like the sun in our 4.5 billion-year-old solar system, our changing climate is the central star power policy issue of our lifetime. And, like gravitational force, top policy issues revolve around and interconnect to global warming climate change in an intricate balance. With living proof, right in front of our eyes, common sense tells us that we should unite, without fear or favor, to divest from fossil fuels. And just like investing in the institution of “the church,” investing in a green economy will come back tenfold.

As the changing climate takes precedent on the world stage, it engulfs major policy issues, not the least of which is immigration. Some refugees from Central America migrate to the United States due to resource consumption and trade repercussions. Crop yields and fish catches are gradually decreasing due to long span heat waves, overnight temperature increases, rising sea levels, and ocean temperature warming across the globe; especially in areas nearer the shore where fish spawn and algae tides flourish.

With each season, productive territory lessens.

Boundaries are drawn in aggressive types of local agrarian land and fishing wars. Territorial violence escalates, eventually leading to migration.

As the earth warms, air pollution, poor water quality and disease all become more prevalent.

And, as Americans tire of empty ideologies, a nations healthcare policy becomes more important than ever. Which is why the Affordable Care Act, even with all the rightwing flak exploding around it, has been well received. When Florida’s Gov. DeSantis recently touted approval for the Legislature passing a “clean-up” bill he stated that it was “a really good first step” with “much more to do.” Democrats could say the same for the Affordable Care Act; there is much more to do, moving forward.

The forefront of solution policy making is cause, effect and prevention. Democrats have answered the call with, H. Res. 109 — recognizing the duty of the Federal Government to create a Green New Deal.

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change National Climate Assessment report has found that: 1) human activity is the dominant cause of observed climate change over the past century; 2) a changing climate is causing sea levels to rise, an increase in wildfires, severe storms, droughts and other extreme weather events that threaten human life, healthy communities and critical infrastructure; 3) any rise in temperature must be kept below 1.5 degrees Celsius.

To read the full report go to: https:// www.congress.gov/ bill/116th-congress/ house-resolution/109/ text.

My dad’s generation stood up to tyranny and did the right thing. They were indivisible! They stood together united and fought to defend and protect our constitution because they understood what was at stake and what they were fighting to keep; democratic principles and policies that hold sacred our countries founding declaration of life, liberty and pursuit of happiness. Now is the time to work toward a sustainable balanced climate ecology where life thrives, and the truth is made self-evident.

Vicki Bush