"You cannot trust the legal process"

I'm an old dude now so this stuff is practically yesterday for me. But maybe not everybody remembers the ancient wayback past of practically yesterday. So, from time to time, it's useful to point out that, hey this shit happening right now actually happened before in the (very slight) hope that maybe it can be different this time.

In McAlevey’s book, she recounts that in her first days in West Palm Beach she worked on collecting affidavits from Floridians, mostly retirees, who believed their votes had not been correctly tallied. There were huge numbers of them, and they were furious. McAlevey asked her superiors,“So when can we actually mobilize them, put these wonderful angry senior citizens into the streets and on camera?”

The answer came back: never. She then learned that Jesse Jackson was coming to Florida to lead a rally, but organized labor would not be participating. Why? Because the Gore campaign wanted everyone to stand down. McAlevey quotes a higher up as telling her, “The Gore campaign has made the decision that this is not the image they want. They don’t want to protest. They don’t want to rock the boat. They don’t want to seem like they don’t have faith in the legal system.”

This was Gore’s central mistake. “You cannot trust ‘the legal process,’” McAlevey explains today. In reality, there is no such thing as a fair legal process separate from and immune to outside political pressure.

But pointing this out and hoping for better also sets us up to ask, is our Democrats learning?  And the answer to that question might cause us old dudes to develop ulcers. 

Evacuation is not fun

Well wishers above I-59 display encouraging signs to people evacuating from Hurricane Gustav in 2008

Everybody's needs and situation are different.  We always try like hell to keep from leaving. But if you have to go, you have to go. It is not fun out on the road, though. I don't even want to think about what it's like being stuck in this.

Residents of the Miami area and the Florida Keys streamed north in packed vehicles Friday, anxiously rushing to dodge Hurricane Irma as the deadly storm took aim at the state after devastating the Caribbean.

The dramatic mass exodus from South Florida could turn into one of the largest evacuations in US history, CNN senior meteorologist Dave Hennen said. Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties are home to about 6 million people combined.

Secession

Florida is the latest in a recent string of states to consider not being those states anymore.

Secession talk had notably bubbled up in far northern California and in northeast Colorado last year, with the latter state actually holding a vote on a 51st state initiative in 11 counties. Five of those 11 Colorado counties voted in favor of seceding from the state by strong margins.

In both those states, secession advocates cited a lack of representation in a state government controlled by Democrats as motivation for breaking away. But Harris suggested a major motivating factor behind his proposal was the Republican-controlled state government's failure to address the effects of climate change on south Florida, where sea levels are rising at a rate that may put Miami underwater by the end of the century.

If only it were that easy in Louisiana.  The part of our state most vulnerable to the effects of climate change is also the part most militant about not doing anything about it.

Besides, in this state we only petition to secede about important local issues.  Such as not wanting to share a school district with the black parts of town. 

Rick Scott is in the building

I've never seen a political candidate lose a debate to a small electric fan before. But here you go.



Yes, he did eventually come out and play, in case you are wondering.

Today in sinkhole news

From Florida, a little known homeowner's insurance fact:

Sinkholes are so common in Florida that the state requires home insurers to provide coverage against the danger. While some cars, homes and other buildings have been devoured, it is extremely rare for a sinkhole to swallow a person.

No, they aren't usually carnivorous. Except in cases like the one linked above which is actually quite horrifying. 

Jeff Bush, 37, was in his bedroom on Thursday night when the earth opened and took him and everything else in his room. Five other people were in the house but escaped unharmed. Mr. Bush’s brother jumped into the hole to try to help, but he had to be rescued by a sheriff’s deputy.

Perhaps a bit too soon The Levee has followed up on this by reporting on a similar local phenomenon.

In the wake of the sinkhole that claimed the life of a Florida man, a New Orleans woman is missing after being swallowed by one of the city’s infamous potholes, police said Saturday.

The unidentified New Orleans woman was pushing a grocery cart apparently to the nearby Rouse’s Supermarket early Saturday morning when a giant pothole opened up – a common occurrence in the city – on Robert Street at busy Magazine Street and swallowed her, witnesses said.

The Levee story includes a photo of the apparently orphaned grocery cart.  Here's a similar incident to that one which we've reported on ourselves numerous times.



Meanwhile, in Bayou Corne, the Texas Brine chemical swamp sinkhole now covers approximately 8.6 acres.  Residents there are asking to be bought out.  

On the 200th day of their mandatory evacuation, Assumption Parish residents asked legislators for help Tuesday in persuading Texas Brine Co. LLC to buy homes affected by an 8.6-acre sinkhole.
Bayou Corne homeowner Candy Blanchard said she will never again feel safe in the house she built six years ago.

“Texas Brine has taught me more about purgatory and limbo, and I went to Catholic school, than the nuns could,” Blanchard said.

In response, legislators pressed Texas Brine officials for their position on buyouts. The company said it is in conversations with its insurance carrier.

After 200 plus days the Bayou Corne sinkhole is finally beginning to attract some celebrity attention.  Next weekend, environmental activist Erin Brockovich will appear at a community meeting in Pierre Part to discuss legal options with residents... provided the earth doesn't swallow her unexpectedly between now and then.

I wanted to say some more things about the Florida vote

But I ran out of time today before polls closed. I'm guessing Mitt breaks 40% tonight while Newt struggles for 30 if that much. Saul Alinsky could surprise with 5 to 10% though so keep an eye on that.

GOJO

Unbelievable