FEDERAL FUND FREEZE: Local effects? City ‘analyzing the memo’

| Health | Safety | Transportation | West Seattle news

1:15 PM: If you’ve been tracking national news, you have likely heard about the many orders and policy directives issued by the new federal administration. One today also has the potential for many city-level effects, so we’re checking on those. It’s an order from the federal Office of Management and Budget director, “paus(ing)” grants/funding. (See the memo here; Eastside U.S. House Rep. Suzan DelBene is circulating this analysis of potentially affected programs.)

Given the possibility for effects on city programs such as public safety and transportation, we asked whether any statement is forthcoming from Mayor Harrell. Not so far, responded spokesperson Callie Craighead, but here’s what she told us:

The City is analyzing the memo to understand the potential impacts of this action given its broad and vague language. We are actively working with City departments to evaluate any potential immediate effects.

Strong constitutional protections exist that limit the federal government’s ability to coerce cities by conditioning funds. We will continue to assess actions that impact Seattle’s access to federal funding that supports all of our residents and respond appropriately. 

Checking WSB archives, we have 79 references to federal-grant funding for projects on which we’ve reported – most recently including the Spokane Street Viaduct repaving and Hiawatha Community Center renovations (a project that’s not yet complete). There are also school (we’re checking with the district) and medical programs potentially affected, among others. We’ll continue following up.

4:27 PM: The spending-pause order was supposed to take effect at 2 pm our time but a federal judge has put it on hold until next Monday afternoon (February 3).

ADDED WEDNESDAY MORNING: The AP reports the order has been rescinded.

ADDED WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON: But NBC says the White House spokesperson contends the freeze hasn’t.

GF January 28, 2025 (1:32 pm)

Thanks for bringing attention to all the impacts of this illegal executive order. I think even the people that voted for Trump would say….I didn’t want food inspections to be compromised. Or I didn’t want kids to miss lunch and impede their learning potential. Maybe someone who reads the blog who voted for Trump can explain why this is a good move for our country and will make us stronger. I truly want to understand this perspective.

rpo January 28, 2025 (2:21 pm)

Or why cutting off medicaid to the ~25% of Americans who receive it is a good idea….
K January 28, 2025 (2:30 pm)

I didn’t think the leopards would eat MY face!!
- Lauren January 28, 2025 (9:05 pm)
  
  K, brava
D January 28, 2025 (2:40 pm)

How is this an illegal order? Did you read the memo? In the interim, to the extent permissible under applicable law, Federal agencies must temporarily pauseThis order is a very good thing. It’s about time to stop shoveling taxpayer dollars into the unknown without quantifiable results. This is a temporary freeze to asses where the money is going.
- amd January 28, 2025 (4:00 pm)
  
  The Constitution gives the power of the purse to congress. Cutting off funding via Executive Order violates that. Saying permanency is based on “congressional review” still violates that, because Congress’s job isn’t supposed to be advisory. It’s explicitly to approve or disapprove. You’re kidding yourself if you think this is about a review to “see where the money is going” because A) the bill authorizing funding already says where it goes and B) Trump is already trying to get rid of everyone in government whose job it is to root out fraud and investigate waste. If you want the government to stop shoveling dollars into the unknown, maybe the half TRILLION dollar “investment” in AI would be a better place to start than meals for old people and medicine for kids.
  - D January 28, 2025 (5:31 pm)
    
    I don’t think you understand how Federal funding works for what the current administration is trying to accomplish. You’re only halfway there.
    
    Congress authorizes and appropriates funding for various programs (say $100M to HHS for Program X, where program X is “seek out ways to increase access to affordable housing”). The executive branch which is given those funds, then has discretion for how to specifically, in detail, allocate those funds (i.e. a grant to Acme Homeless Reduction to build affordable housing).
    
    The problem is that there is a metric ton of fraud, waste, and abuse in some of the programs that specific executive agencies have doled out for projects. This is what the pause is all about. To allow executive agencies to audit where they’re sending your (and mine) tax dollars. And guess what? Since it’s an executive agency decision how these funds are specifically allocated to individual programs/projects, it’s 100% within the purview of the President to do this.
    - bill January 28, 2025 (7:56 pm)
      
      “there is a metric ton of fraud, waste, and abuse” Writing a thing, D, is not the same as proving it. And I expect you can’t prove this.
    - Build Baby Build January 29, 2025 (6:52 am)
      
      The opposition in congress would be right to not negotiate with the President under these terms. It’s a massive norm shift.
    - DC January 29, 2025 (8:51 am)
      
      @D, lets put aside the technicalities and recognize the you are advocating letting children and seniors starve, millions go without healthcare possibly leading to death to find alleged fraud. Do you find that a moral stance? Or do you enjoy the cruelty of the position?
  - Mark32 January 29, 2025 (11:32 am)
    
    AMDDid you feel the same way when Biden stopped building the wall, even though funding had been approved?
- Ivan Weiss January 28, 2025 (5:57 pm)
  
  “Without quantifiable results.” My a**. That’s what the inspector generals are there for, among other things, to quantify the results. And guess what? Trump just fired them, too. No one should fall for this bull—t.
  - D January 28, 2025 (6:29 pm)
    
    So your solution is what? Hire hundreds of additional IGs to crawl into every project/program funded by the executive? That’ll take what, decades?
    
    As much as you don’t like it, the Executive (i.e. Trump) has the authority to pause the funding of programs/projects that Congress delegated authority to award/oversee and take a look if it’s within the fiscal best interest of the Federal Government. Unless you are advocating that we continue to shovel taxpayer funding into programs with no accountability…
    
    And with respect to “quantifiable results”.. Take a non-profit for example. If only 2% of that non-profit’s funding makes it to the intended recipients, and 98% is admin oversight… Should they be a non-profit? Same concept when spending our tax dollars.
    
    Sorry, I, and 77 million other Americans voted for this. And we’re happy to see it.
    - bill January 28, 2025 (7:55 pm)
      
      Well D, what is this other than an order to “crawl into every project/program funded by the executive?” (BTW funding comes from Congress.) And in order to do so stop the ordinary functions of government that all of us rely on, whether we know it or not?
    - I actually care about other people January 28, 2025 (8:18 pm)
      
      1. Nonprofit organizations are able to help “recipients” because humans deliver the services needed and those humans need to be paid. There are nonprofit organizations that are not using funds well, but they are a minority. Any small to mid size nonprofit that receives federal funding cannot afford a temporary halt in funding. 2. Another 167 million people did NOT vote for this.
    - HiHello January 29, 2025 (12:02 pm)
      
      It’s a waste of time to argue with you given the number of imaginary figures and arguments (a non profit with 98% misappropriation? taking decades to hire some arbitrary number of IGs you made up?) you’re throwing out, so I’m going to assume you’re debating in bad faith and/or just trolling. So I’m not going to spend much time on this.You understand that the federal government has an insane amount of oversight to ensure federal dollars are being spent correctly right? Including inspectors general (such as the people Orange Man fired), and other layers of formal protections which this new administration are strategically targeting. But that’s what good guys do right? Prevent oversight, overreach their power, and make wide-impacting changes without any clarity or coordination? And it’s pathologically baby-brained behavior to think the solution to complex problems is Big Smashy Hammer™. But you voted for that, and apparently see a burning building and think “finally, we’re remodeling the kitchen!”And you don’t think there’s a better way to cut waste than causing widespread confusion/chaos/outages via a badly worded memo that needs multiple clarifications and eventual rescission?It’s wild that you would tell on yourself by saying you want this, when this move is obvious empty virtue-signaling to a hateful base which accomplishes nothing positive and causes real harm to vulnerable populations.But hey, if you want compromised access to food, medicine, shelter, and basic services as a result of this clown show behavior, you’ve got it. Nice one 👍
- WSTB January 28, 2025 (6:11 pm)
  
  Just because of the fact that I am a multi-billionaire and have been voted Time Magazine’s Person of the Year 98 times, accumulated 7 Heisman Trophies and 677 Nobel Prizes doesn’t mean I can’t type something into a memo that’s completely made up.
  - CAM January 29, 2025 (9:05 am)
    
    The Insurrectionist’s interpretation of WSTB’s comment: “People are saying that I’ve been the best person since before I was even a cluster of cells.”
- Leslie January 28, 2025 (6:17 pm)
  
  @D Only Congress has the power of the purse: civics 101. Budgets are approved with spending plans and tax policies. If you wish the ‘spending part’ is to be eliminated (or paused), then surely you will have no problem with reversing tax cuts, especially for the wealthy. I recommend you contact your Senator and Congressional representative to ask them to follow the constitutional process in place to accomplish this. Absolutely, let’s reassess why crazy tax cuts were given to billionaires.
- bill January 28, 2025 (8:15 pm)
  
  D, the bozos you admire have screwed up Medicaid payments. Maybe the systems will come back up to speed tomorrow. Or maybe not. Once you break a complex thing it does not magically self-reassemble. Patients could die. Employees might not get paid and lose their homes. This is not professional conduct, D. This is amateurism, incompetence, hubris, downright stupidity. Do you really want to be associated with the people doing this?
- Ivan Weiss January 29, 2025 (11:29 am)
  
  @ D:April Fool, Trumpie. We have forced them to rescind.
Brandon January 28, 2025 (3:33 pm)

Dept Chief of Staff Stehen Miller explained it on Jake Tappers show on CNN in plain English. If you can find the video on YouTube I suggest listening to it. “Does not affect any Service the government is required to provide, any entitlement.” This EO is to hold unelected bureaucrats accountable and to are reel in the discretionary spending of our taxpayer money on pet projects and to give them a second look though politically elected agencies.I understand people here may like to waste money. But others don’t – and like it or not, that’s one of many reasons why Trump was elected.
- amd January 28, 2025 (6:12 pm)
  
  And yet the White House itself does not seem to know that the EO doesn’t affect entitlements or government services (per press secretary). So, please, since you know more about the White House’s intent than they do, please call someone there and tell them what’s going on.
- CAM January 29, 2025 (9:07 am)
  
  And why Brandon would I subject myself to listening to that racist waste of space when I could just inflict myself to some other form of torture?
- Ivan Weiss January 29, 2025 (11:31 am)
  
  @Brandon: Well guess what? Order rescinded. We just held the elected bureaucrats accountable. FAFO.
- Build baby build January 29, 2025 (11:51 am)
  
  It is not a waste of money if it’s stimulating and growing the economy faster than debt increases. The Trump government has no clue what the impact of the money is on the economy. Biden grew the economy faster than debt grew. A lot of this money went to red districts which is one of the reasons they’ve rescinded the order. Trump still doesn’t know what he’s doing.
Pinto January 29, 2025 (7:01 am)

I think to get a better understanding of the other side you should watch FOX news.I wonder if anybody who voted for Trump gets their news from something other than cable TV, or worse, Facebook.
- JustSarah January 29, 2025 (9:54 am)
  
  What a warped world this is, where we’re pleading with Trump voters to watch Fox News for a moderated worldview.
  
  (I know the standard now for MAGA conservatives is OAN or social media, but it’s still bizarre that things have shifted so far right in less than a decade.)

Sixbuck January 28, 2025 (2:06 pm)

This is an attempt to root out perceived bad policies ( CRT, DEI, etc..) to even the playing field for all based on abilities. Hopefully it will also save taxpayers a huge chunk of change.

Ivan Weiss January 28, 2025 (2:52 pm)

No one with two brain cells to rub together is fooled by that argument. It’s a license to discriminate, with no consequences. It is a naked attempt to bully us, threaten us, and deprive us of programs already approved by Congress if we don’t allow bigotry and racism to run rampant. The only thing “wrong” with programs like DEI is that racists and bigots don’t like them.
amd January 28, 2025 (2:59 pm)

They have already walked back the Medicaid cutoff, saying it was an error (after loud outcry, of course), but I’m going to respond to this idiotic comment. Every medically complex child relies on Medicaid. Every foster child relies on Medicaid. All of the most vulnerable kids on the community rely on Medicaid. To say we have to deprive these kids of medical care in order to combat Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion policies is so completely offensive if borders on sociopathic. Not sure why the “pro-life” party gets so giddy about letting kids die, but I look forward to a return to a government who actually cares about every day people’s quality of life. A workplace seminar on how to not be racist won’t kill you. Cutting off Medicaid will actually kill people.
- Paul January 28, 2025 (5:22 pm)
  
  Also I am not sure of the percentage, but MANY seniors in nursing homes or assisted living facilities are covered under Medicaid. It pays what is not covered by Social Security, or pensions. My Mother in Law is one of these people.
  - N. January 28, 2025 (6:32 pm)
    
    nursing homes yes, Assisted Living NO. We have far to few Assisted Living providers willing to accept the LOW rate of $70 a day to care for an Assisted Living client. Signed burned out long term care admin of 27 years.
    - ITotallyAgreeWithYou January 29, 2025 (9:39 am)
      
      Medicaid fully covered my mother’s Assisted Living for three years before moving her to long term care, also fully covered, in West Seattle. While not all retirement homes accept Medicaid, we had no trouble finding ones that did in Seattle, both on our own searches and with assistance from non profit agencies designed to help families navigate these things. Without Medicaid, we would have been royally screwed to provide her the care she needed.
    - Bill January 30, 2025 (1:05 am)
      
      Same for my Mom. Medicaid covered Assisted Living, then Memory/Long Term Care – repugs and soviet style Murrican oligarchs don’t know or care about people like our mothers once they’ve lost their abilities to be consumers.
Jacob January 28, 2025 (3:07 pm)

CRT and DEI hate is racism, stop kidding yourself. Look no further than the slew of hate thrown by people who pay for Elon’s X site. If you think these biases don’t exist and everything is merit-based, then you are not fully understanding a root problem in society. The ones in hiring positions, from the history of the country and onward, have been passed down or utilized nepotism/privilege to get there in varying degrees. DEI and CRT is a SMALL breadcrumb thing to weaponize and pushback on it just a tiny bit. And now they want it all eradicated after working so hard for years.
- MW January 28, 2025 (9:41 pm)
  
  CRT and DEI were already weaponized. It was taken to greater extremes by leftists, year after year, and the screams of “racist and bigot” (if you didn’t agree) intensified until the majority of Americans finally said “enough, we’re done.” Trump won the electoral and the popular vote. It’s over. You eventually lose the hearts and minds of even the most sympathetic majority, when only one ideology is allowed to suck all the oxygen out of the room.
  - DB MW January 29, 2025 (12:33 am)
    
    What do you mean by “it’s over”? You’re acting like the electoral victory was 1980, which it most certainly wasnt. Starting off with approval rating the lowest of any since WW2And how exactly was DEI being weaponized? What harm has it done to you and other people? Do you actually know if someone who was so negatively affected by DEI policies?
  - Jacob January 29, 2025 (7:50 am)
    
    One ideology has been taking over this country for a decade and it ain’t leftism buddy.
  - Bill January 30, 2025 (1:09 am)
    
    A “majority of Americans” said no such thing! Please publish your source for that statement and stop inventing a fictitious hoi polloi “chorus” for your rant.
Marcus January 28, 2025 (3:18 pm)

Good philosophy until your grandma no longer gets her meals on wheels, but that is okay because she is just old and unhealthy. Of course that is satire. Yet we pay the taxes so we should determine how some are used.
Jim January 28, 2025 (3:18 pm)

There’s also precedence for it the Reagan administration did it with the drinking age being 21
- WSB January 28, 2025 (5:35 pm)
  
  That was a bill passed by Congress and signed by the president.
  https://www.reaganlibrary.gov/archives/speech/remarks-signing-national-minimum-drinking-age-bill

Actually Mike January 28, 2025 (3:10 pm)

Why does the President hate American so much? I mean, he was supposed to “Make America Great”, right? But everything he does harms states and communities and ordinary people. This is no good.

The King January 28, 2025 (6:14 pm)

I’m neither here nor there with the big box store party’s but cuts will have to come in a huge way sooner or later. The national deficit is adding a trillion to it every 100 days. Look at the state inslee left in, facing a projected deficit in the billions with record tax revenues flowing in, fiscal decisions have to be made and not popular ones.
- amd January 28, 2025 (7:10 pm)
  
  Again, that half trillion dollar investment in AI seems like a way better place to make “unpopular” cuts than social programs. And all of the new uniforms and printed materials for the “Space Force” that seems to duplicate the Air Force and Navy is a good option. Costs of reprinting maps to reflect the “Gulf of America” seems like an unnecessary expenditure. This particular administration is responsible for more vanity spending than any other administration in memory, so trying to dress this move up as sudden onset “fiscal responsibility” is just laughable.
  - The King January 28, 2025 (8:44 pm)
    
    The Ai project is private sector investment money. Why would you want to halt that? OpenAI, SoftBank and Oracle are making the contributions. SoftBank ceo Masayoshi initially vowed make $100 billion in contributions only if Donald Trump won, which turned into $500 billion as a joint venture. Minimal research and this is what I’d read the other day.
- Build Baby Build January 29, 2025 (7:40 am)
  
  @The King: debt to gdp ratio was falling under Biden because growth was increasing faster than debt. If the debt to GDP ratio starts to rise again then that’s a problem. Things that might cause that are big tax cuts or slashing spending without replacing it. Fortunately the US controls the worldwide system with the dollar as the reserve currency and trust in the system, if that was destroyed then we really would be up a creek without a paddle.
- Ivan Weiss January 29, 2025 (8:45 am)
  
  Cuts don’t have to come in any way, either sooner or later, and you know this, so quit scamming us with your Trump BS. The tax cuts for the rich need to go away, and the tax avoiders need to pay up. We know this won’t happen under Trump, because he is intent on gutting the enforcement arm of the IRS. But this is the answer to any perceived deficit anxiety.

Plf January 28, 2025 (3:16 pm)

The impacts go beyond. ;healthcare funding to community health centers public health programsfunding at Uw medicine ( example funding at Harborview for HIV care that receives federal funding)block grant programsweatherzation programs food banksschool lunchestrump sees himself as a tzar and he decides everything and the branches of government have no accountability the sad thing is he told us what he wants to do and the MAGA group and it’s members will be adversely impacted. You were sold a bag of garbage wake up MAGA

Fiz January 28, 2025 (4:33 pm)

“You promised.”

“You knew I was a snake when you picked me up.”

millie January 28, 2025 (5:00 pm)

It really should be no surprise to anyone that funding was halted by “the genius”. My assumption is that in order to implement all the Executive Orders that have been signed, there is a need to understand how much money would be available for their preferred projects. On a bright side this gives the City, County and State of Washington an opportunity to audit budgets for a better grasp of revenues from levies, sales tax, motor vehicle excise tax, well you get where I’m going.

Vee January 28, 2025 (6:40 pm)

Trump only cares about himself and his billionaire friends, he has no compassion and only cares about himself, never worked for a living and evaded taxes, rules by bullying, lies and is immoral, don’t know how people wanted him

CFR January 28, 2025 (7:10 pm)

The general public does not seem to understand how much scrutiny there is on every single federal program that exists every single day to begin with, thats what the damn federal employees are there for is to ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent lawfully and in accordance to the Code of Federal Regulations and other statutes. Its their job and they swear an oath to uphold the constitution.

amd January 28, 2025 (8:14 pm)

Yeah, except they just fired a bunch of those people and are currently trying to fire the rest. This is not an administration that wants scrutiny. To the surprise of no one, the convicted felon is comfortable breaking the law while in office.

Lauren January 28, 2025 (7:11 pm)

Our communities are going to need to rally together and support one another to survive the next 4ish years. Think local. Connect with your neighbors. Grow a victory garden. Read up on the Resistance in WWII and how they achieved what they did. The website “Waging Nonviolence” is a great resource.

WS98 January 28, 2025 (9:49 pm)

Read up on authoritarian governments and Nazi Germany. Make no mistake, the hijacked Republican Party and their rotten to the core Project 2025 ‘plan’ is delivering exactly that. It’s complete ignorance to think otherwise.
Josh January 28, 2025 (11:40 pm)

I agree with this. Since late October I have volunteered at my kids elementary every day doing things like vacuuming, emptying the garbage, stocking, helping with instruction etc…. I have made an intentional effort to have as many local families over for dinner to feed them and build close bonds among those I can look in the eye. I am fortunate to have a life situation that allows me to do this and more. I forsook the little social media I attended and my only news source at this time is the Blog. Personally I am doing better than ever and also my intention is to focus on my community to be a part of a well connected network of individuals who can and will join together at times such as these. I strongly recommend trading any time you currently spend scrolling forever on the internet and watching TV that makes your blood boil because of the selfish actions of people so powerful we could never reach each other and get to know more of your neighbors and do something small and local to help out. These kinds of actions are what is required to fortify yourself, family, community, and future against whatever those at the top are planning and hoping for.
- ltm mgm January 29, 2025 (11:12 am)
  
  @Josh…… 🩷
- CAM January 29, 2025 (10:54 pm)
  
  Josh – you are volunteering and doing admirable things for your community and it’s good that you have the flexibility to be able to invest so much of your time and money in that. I’m going to take exception though to the idea that a person interested in preserving good government (and a functioning society) can for all intents and purposes ignore events outside their neighborhood. That is particularly true in this majority white and majority financially stable neighborhood. Opting out of the rest of the world is not a goal to be set and will only lead to more harm to those you are trying to help.

B January 28, 2025 (9:56 pm)

I think I’ve found a way to understand the trump administrations motivations for actions like these. Just imagine what Putin would like to see happen in America. He would like to see the government fail, and for society to collapse. So what would Putin do to accomplish this? The same things that trump is doing, that’s what.

Jacob January 29, 2025 (7:52 am)

Realize I’m preaching to choir, but am I supposed to be scared of a boogeyman like Putin when Trump is measurably worse in many, if not all ways? Before you start, I don’t want a country ran by either. I don’t want a country ran by a president period. I want checks and balances. It starts with deporting latin american people. It ends with…. ???? (Stay tuned?). Incremental fascism is a thing. Once Trump packs the courts and makes threats to get legislation passed, it’s game over for this empire.
- B January 29, 2025 (11:15 am)
  
  I don’t think Putin is the true boogeyman. I think the true boogeymen are the oligarchs that back Putin and the likes of trump. Democracies are under attack around the world, and it’s an organized effort backed by evil people with lot of money. Authoritarians and wannabes like trump are just the puppets at the end of the strings.

amd January 29, 2025 (10:44 am)

The White House has rescinded the order.

WSB January 29, 2025 (10:52 am)

According to AP sources. I was just coming here to add that. Will write a separate later when things clarify a bit:
https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-pause-federal-grants-aid-6d41961940585544fa43a3f66550e7be
- WSB January 29, 2025 (12:09 pm)
  
  Or not. This national report says White House spokesperson says memo was pulled back but freeze wasn’t.
  https://www.cnbc.com/2025/01/29/white-house-rescinds-federal-funds-freeze-memo.html
  - Alki Parent January 29, 2025 (5:01 pm)
    
    Total clown show in the White House.

Admiral-2009 January 29, 2025 (12:28 pm)

amd – I disagree with your statement that EVERY medically complex child relies on Medicaid, this is a false statement. However, I do agree Trump is being a bull in a china store and it’s very scary.

amd January 29, 2025 (8:19 pm)

Um, okay… so every medically complex child EXCEPT those with independently wealthy parents who also have some moral opposition to the Medicaid program? Medically complex kids will qualify through DDA waivers if not the 30-day hospitalization rule. I’m wracking my brain thinking of a diagnosis that wouldn’t fall under one of those two categories but still be considered “medically complex”, which just leaves us with people voluntarily turning down financial assistance for some pretty hefty medical bills. But if it makes you feel better, then yes, I’m sure there is an exception out there.

Gaslit January 29, 2025 (5:39 pm)

This follows the Trump playbook which involves using a blunt instrument rather than a scalpel. That said, if the prevailing belief here is that governmental spending austerity isn’t needed, then you might not be paying attention. Especially in this region.

Admiral Family January 29, 2025 (6:41 pm)

Please, not another delay to the Hiawatha Community Center!

Scarlett January 30, 2025 (10:36 am)

The only ideology these days is self-interest and self-preservation, the rest is cheap talk for comment boards. Once you all have examined the provenance of every dollar in your wallet, purged your 401k portfolio’s of the very oligarchs you claim to be morally outraged by, and taken other steps to align your principles with your wallet, then I’ll start taking some of you seriously. By the way, I have done all of the above despite being in the financial industry early in life, and knowing, in advance, the profits I would have to let slip by.

Peter S. January 30, 2025 (11:42 am)

@Scarlett: You and l probably disagree on multiple subjects, based on our respective previous posts. However, I’m with you 1000% on this one. The amount of hypocrisy regularly on display in our current society is disgusting. I applaud your willingness to stand by your principles, even at personal expense.
Bbron January 30, 2025 (12:04 pm)

Why are you shadow boxing your neighbors? You fantasize a specific person to project upon everyone else so you can exemplify yourself as morally righteous? Why make enemies out of the probably common occurrence of people putting money away for their retirement and not having the knowledge or ability to direct their funds to the apparently moral companies that exist out there.
- Scarlett January 30, 2025 (1:50 pm)
  
  And your comment is illustrative of exactly why no changes will happen, because it’s easy to blame someone else and employ weak rationalizations and justifications. Why is nothing happening on the political front, why has the resistance been so non-existent? Too many people with the resources to bring these oligarchs to heel – and I done tax returns for many of them – have decided they are really doing rather well and have quietly sold out. You can change presidents, but corporations and their shareholders are forever, so to speak. Change without real sacrifice is illusory. Call it anything you like but I have made choices that have come at great financial pain to me so I can look myself in the mirror.
  - Bbron January 30, 2025 (10:35 pm)
    
    I don’t know how I’m supposed to read your comment seriously. Reading “because it’s easy to blame someone else and employ weak rationalizations and justifications” about my comment is hilarious directly following your screed pointing fingers at “you all”. Guess I’m morally bankrupt and the problem b/c I don’t know how to get Vanguard to make sure my $10,000 I have in their 2050 retirement target plan isn’t going to oil and gas companies. Silly me to think that the top 10% who own 2/3rds of the wealth in this country are who hold the power to change things and that uniting with my fellow neighbor was the path forward; turns out I was missing the enlightenment you have in seeing that they are just another crab to try and crawl atop of.

Scarlett January 31, 2025 (9:08 am)

Cue the juvenile snottiness and whiny deflection: “What poor little ole me and my Vanguard, why I’m just a little person, point the finger at someone else!” Except for many it’s not just 10K, its 200K, and 500K and commonly a million and over – but its always someone else who is the bad guy, right? The ability of people to partition their moral outrage from their wallets is really a mental tour de force.

Bbron January 31, 2025 (3:02 pm)

or, and this may be hard because empathy seems to be in short supply: overworked people don’t have the time to be perfectly moral while surviving. You honestly think there are more folks with hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars than folks struggling day to day? I don’t care about being singled out by you; I don’t respect your opinion at all, and each reply you’ve done are better criticisms of your own comments than mine. also, there absolutely no way you’ve “morally cleansed” your finances because there’s no ethical consumption living in the U.S.; you benefit just as much from imperialism and exploitation of the Global South as your neighbors no matter whether you own some shares of Chevron. please enlighten us how we can structure our finances to align with your version of morality? cause so far you’ve only offered condescension and a holier than thou attitude (a much more juvenile outlook than having nuance).

Scarlett January 31, 2025 (10:00 am)

Hey Bbron, instead of attacking me, why not direct some that trademark snark towards those who have very substantial amounts invested in companies that have turned America into their company town? And yes, they might be some of your neighbors who standing next to you at a rally, at a community meeting. This isn’t a time for self-deception, game playing and moral pantomining.

Scarlett January 31, 2025 (10:25 am)

Whenever a comment provokes this kind of disportionate – overly defensive – outrage I figure that I must be getting too close to uncomfortable truths.

The truth is that these trillion dollar companies that have turned America into their company town, and are only sustainable because millions of shareholders continue to own them, and a certain percentage have voting rights. Now, as Brron above might be offended that I’m singling out his $10K Vanguard ETF, but the truth is there are hundreds of thousands of “liberals” with very substantial portfolio’s who receive dividends appreciation from companies that provided armaments to Israel, Boeing, and cloud services, as did Microsoft.Sure, someone with a million dollar portfolio can point the finger at someone with a billion dollar portfolio, but for me, I figured this was a cop-out and I wasn’t being true to myself. So, unless you’re willing to actually sacrifice – not just a feel-good hour holding a sign – then none of the changes will ever be enough nor permanent.

No, its the elephant in the room that no one ever talks about, but it needs to be talked about, sorry, and its more important than anyone’s “manufactured” outrage here on the thread.

Sorry, comment time is over.