As the name suggests each cast explores new interesting and sometimes some great old tunes not likely to be played on the freakin radio. A mix of indie, pop, alternative, punk, and experimental with no commercial breaks and only a little yapping. Cool?
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Just For Fun Concerts EP 2016-46 (Episode 50)
Half the way to 100, Tales From The Drop Box Episode 50 explores slightly darker territory. Not sure why this collection of tunes seems a little darker than normal but I think you’ll still find nuggets of sonic goodness that hopefully will keep you coming back for more. This week features some new stuff from the Courteneers, an advance track from King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, new songs from Purling Hiss and the Computers – all of which highlight another fun filled episode. I put the King Gizzard and Purling Hiss tracks back to back so you can enjoy almost 15 minutes of sweetness! This show is going to run a few minutes longer than usual as a consequence. The 50th episode deserves something special, eh?
This week’s misguided opinion involves at least tangentially a hot button issue – illegal aliens – i.e. persons in the country without the government’s permission. To be clear, I am only concerned about the immigration status of this very large group. They are neither illegal nor aliens. They are currently your neighbors, and very likely taxpaying, contributing, vital members of your community.
In light of the anointment of an avowed racist president elected by the Obama disenfranchised (it’s the economy stupid), this is a good time to think about the impact of Trump’s promise to crack down on so called “Sanctuary Cities” (Note this link offers a Trump endorsed view of the Sanctuary issue but is only tangentially related to the issue I’m describing below) and to “cancel all federal funding to Sanctuary Cities” within his first 100 days in office. In order to accomplish this goal, Trump is threatening to deprive nearly 400 jurisdictions of hundreds of millions, if not billions, of dollars in grants and other money for policing, jails, courts, housing, roads and education. Subsequently in an interview with “60 Minutes” Trump pledged to immediately deport people in the country illegally who have criminal records – a subset he estimated could include as many as 3 million people.
Apart from the fact that the 3 million people subject to removal proceedings (the technical procedure for deportation) still have some rights (albeit very freakin’ limited), the real issue is the economic impact on those cities if Trump carries out his threat to deny federal funds to cities offering “sanctuary” to persons in the United States without permission of the U.S. government or whom have overstayed that permission and their families (which also include a significant number of U.S. citizens).
Regardless of your thoughts on persons remaining in the United States illegally (i.e. without government permission to stay) and what should or should not happen to those persons in that situation, the consequences to the legal residents of these “sanctuary cities” if federal funding is denied – will certainly impact yours and my daily lives.
A “sanctuary city” is a city that has enacted, usually informal policies, requiring their local law enforcement agencies to not cooperate or share information about the immigration status of a person in custody and refusing to cooperate with federal officials requesting immigration holds, called detainers. In the 2015 fiscal year, ICE issued more than 95,000 detainers to local law enforcement agencies. In nearly half of those cases, the detainers pertained to individuals who had not been convicted of any crime. An “immigration detainer” is a document by which U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) advises other law enforcement agencies of its interest in individual aliens whom these agencies are detaining. ICE and its predecessor, the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), have used detainers as one means of obtaining custody of aliens for removal proceedings since at least 1950. There are a number of significant legal issues with detainers that courts are continuing to address – most notably that ICE’s use of detainers violates the limited rights of persons in this country illegally. (See Immigration Detainers: Legal Issues.) See also Moreno v. Napolitano, Case No. 11 C 5452 (N.D. Ill. Sep. 30, 2016)
In a large number of democratically controlled cities and counties (about 400 jurisdictions), this sanctuary policy is prevalent. For example, there are a very large number of sanctuary cities in California including almost all of Southern California including Los Angeles and Los Angeles County, as well as most of northern California including San Francisco, and San Francisco County. And according to ICE the issue is growing.
The reason for the problem is linked to the significant changes in the manner in which persons are subject to removal in the wake of the last significant changes to the immigration law, namely Pub. L. 104-208 known as the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (“IIRIA”). IIRIA is manifestly unfair for two main reasons: mandatory detention of non-citizens awaiting a decision as to whether they are deportable, and indefinite detention of non-citizens ordered removed to countries that will not accept them. These consequences, in light of Trump’s pronouncement to deport 3 million persons whom are here illegally, present significant problems when he decides to try and carry out his promise.
As should be obvious to everyone, where in the #$@^# are you going to put 3 million people who you think should be deported while the already overburdened immigration courts determine that you have rounded up and jailed the right ones? Where are you going to put all of the people when Trump determines that they can be removed to their country of origin and that country says to Trump – fu_k off their your problem now? Are we going to keep them locked up forever?
The cost to the Feds to maintain these people is going to be huge. That means the cost to the taxpayers is going to be huge. If Trump pulls the plug on federal funding to sanctuary cities then how inclined are those cities going to be to assist with this colossal problem? Not likely, I would assume.
And that is just the start. You might say, well “I’m a citizen and those people should not be here. It is not my issue.” Well, if the promised happens and you live in one of those sanctuary cities it is going to be not only your issue – but everyone’s issue. Why you might ponder? The reason is fairly straightforward – the Feds will start squeezing the money supply to these cities while increasing taxes to try to pay for all the housing etc. necessary to keep the “illegals” contained. While it is unlikely that Trump will be able to withhold funds already earmarked for programs that the Feds already contribute such as roads, education, healthcare etc., you can be sure that there will no new federal funds sent to these cities. Projects already funded will be de-prioritized and delayed.
The withholding will result in a long slow decline in those economies lasting several years but the impact on sanctuary cities will be noticeable. In those cities dependent on Federal business the impact will be devastating on these local economies….
No federal business means no business.
And that is why you should care: because the citizens in sanctuary cities are going to feel it in their wallets.
Sanctuary cities exist because the Federal government is depriving persons accused of being illegal aliens of their limited rights to due process. Regardless of your position on this issue, these are humans and deserve to be afforded the rights we as a nation have agreed to provide until the laws change. They do not deserve to be detained indefinitely and cities protesting the Federal Government’s morally abhorrent use of detainers should not be “punished” because they desire the Federal government actually follow the law.
It is going to be a painful exercise for everyone when Trump acts as promised.
The take away?
WINTER IS COMING…
Want more information? Try this excellent law review article: Lasch, Christopher N. “Sanctuary Cities and Dog-Whistle Politics”
Here is what you’ll find in Episode #50:
- Night Flowers – “Glow in the Dark” (Glow in the Dark 7’’)
- Nada Surf – “Believe Your Mine” (Peaceful Ghosts: Live With The Deutches Filmorchester Babelsberg)
- Local Natives – “Dark Days” (Sunlit Youth)
- The Wind & The Waves – “Take Me Back” (Happiness is not a Place)
- Courteeners – “The 17th” (Mapping The Rendezvous)
- Vesuvio Solo – “Don’t Leave Me In The Dark” (Don’t Leave Me In The Dark)
- Boy and Bear “A Thousand Faces” (Live at the Hordern Pavilion)
- King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard – “Rattlesnake” (Microtonal Flying Banana)
- Purling Hiss – “Everybody in the USA” (High Bias)
- Bettie Servert – “Brother ( In Loins)” (Damaged Good)
- Birds of Tokyo – “Crown” (Brace)
- Computers – “God Only Knows” (Birth/Death)
- Heat Wave – “Dead End Town” (Dead End Town Single)
- XTC – “ All of a Sudden (It’s Too Late) (English Settlement)
- Fit For Rivals – “Freak Machine” (Freak Machine)
Dark days in the summer in the rain the water is fine … I was sad I was lost and confused I was achin’ and I didn’t know what to do so I left….
KFR
Filed under: New Releases