Category: Politics

Life, Politics, transportLeave a comment

The death spiral of an American family

Mark Cathcart

This Washington Post article by Eli Saslow is both compelling reading and in equal measures depressing and a call to arms. This really isn’t about poor people who don’t try hard enough, don’t work hard enough, it’s about a failing system, everything from hours of work, to transport, and support systems. In many respects it resembles a self eating virus, where the only way forward for many is to eat their future. Meanwhile instead of meaningful change and addressing the issues, Republican States are wasting time banning books and trying any way they can to stop women getting abortions. Some … Continue reading The death spiral of an American family

Life, Politics, politicsLeave a comment

It’s time to call it what it is… #rudigate

Mark Cathcart

If you read through this and have any sense of history, you can’t wonder why we are even bothering with the whole quid-pro-quo debacle. At this point, if the President knew anything of this, he has to go. Why Giuliani Singled Out 2 Ukrainian Oligarchs to Help Dig Up Dirt https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/25/us/giuliani-ukraine-oligarchs.html What would Gil Scott-Heron say? And there are those who swear they’ve seen King Donald (who? who?) King Donald (who?) King Donald (who?) King Donald (who?) King Donald (who?) King Donald King Donald King Donald King Donald (Yeah!) Beneath that cesspool-Rudigate. Applause Four more years, Four more years, Four more … Continue reading It’s time to call it what it is… #rudigate

culture, Life, Politics, workLeave a comment

Leadership Matters

Mark Cathcart

It doesn’t matter what you do, or where you go, there is no doubt that leadership matters. Big company, small company, local government, national government, even religion isn’t immune to bad leadership. #BREXIT for me, is a case in point. Leadership on both sides has been severely lacking, irrespective of which side you are on. For the Conservative Government, starting with David Cameron, followed by Teresa May, and now bottom feeding with Boris Johnson, there has been someone in the job, but there hasn’t been a leader. As Johnson is finding out, being a leader is very different from wanting … Continue reading Leadership Matters

culture, environment, Politics, politics, transportLeave a comment

People not Parking – What Next for Louisville?

Mark Cathcart

I wrote an in Op-Ed in the Colorado Hometown weekly back in December 2018. On August 21st, CHW printed a follow-up. The website for the Hometown Weekly seems to have stopped updating back in April, so I’ve reproduced it here. It is, I think, very germain to the November Louisville CO election. There are 3x councillors and a new mayor up for election. I attended the City consultation on the Transportation Master Plan, and there are little to no improvements under discussion for Main St. Louisville can change and still be historic If things don’t change, they’ll stay the same, … Continue reading People not Parking – What Next for Louisville?

culture, Life, Politics, politics, technologyLeave a comment

What to do about China?

Mark Cathcart

The Presidents tariffs continue to be a source of frustration and confusion. Who pays them, where the money goes and if they are even likely to solve the problem Trump thinks they will. Meanwhile the boycotts on Huawei grow, ultimately threatening to split the technology world in two, everything that works in China and its allies, and technology that works everywhere else. The software bro’s seem to think that won’t happen, or if it does it’s no biggie, since all the software they use is US based. Apart from the arrogance, it’s also completely ignorant. I often show the “Social … Continue reading What to do about China?

Life, Politics, politics, taxLeave a comment

Rural Hospitals Redux

Mark Cathcart

The Takeaway yesterday had a good segment on rural hospitals, basically continuing to “cry wolf” about their affordability. One of the participants in the discussion is, Dr John Waits, who with his colleagues and staff at Centreville Clinic Staff, are doing their best to help their community afford their healthcare. Dr Waits struggles valiantly in the discussion to avoid using the terms profit and subsidy. This is a mistake in my opinion, while you can talk about healthcare efficiencies, people need to hear that large hospital groups are for profit, yes even the not-for-profit ones. People need to understand that … Continue reading Rural Hospitals Redux

culture, Life, Politics, politics, technology2 Comments

‘Facebook can’t be trusted’

Mark Cathcart

New Zealand’s Privacy Commissioner John Edwards (@jce_pc), was interviewed this morning on NPR by Rachel Martin. Edwards criticized Facebook after last month’s attacks on two mosques in Christchurch were live-streamed on Facebook. It was a refreshing interview with a politician who doesn’t have all the answers, and knows it’s not his job to come up with them. He is also not beholden to big tech financing, as a New Zealand politician. Equally Edwards was clear where the blame and responsibility lay. The whole interview is well worth listening to, but Edwards rightly pointed out we have a platform that has … Continue reading ‘Facebook can’t be trusted’