***Official Political Discussion Thread***

[deuce king]

Both parties are EXACTLY the same

@maximus meridius

 

[Belgium]

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...egal-effort-to-protect-lgbt-workers-from-bias

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration came out against an effort by civil rights groups to ban workplace discrimination against gays and lesbians nationwide, putting him at odds with some of the country’s most valuable companies.

The U.S. Justice Department on Wednesday urged the federal appeals court in Manhattan to reject a lawsuit by a former skydiving instructor who claimed he was fired for being gay. Rights groups argue workers should be protected by existing federal law against gender bias by employers.

The Justice Department doesn’t agree. It essentially argues that laws against workplace gender bias don’t apply to the LGBT community because companies that fire workers over their sexual orientation will presumably do so whether they are male or female.

“An employer who discriminates based on sexual orientation alone does not treat similarly situated employees differently but for their sex,” the Department of Justice, which isn’t a party in the suit, said in a brief. “Gay men and women are treated the same, and straight men and women are treated the same.”

The administration’s stance challenges a group of 50 companies and organizations -- including Microsoft Corp., Alphabet Inc.’s Google and Viacom Inc. -- that filed a brief in the same case in June arguing discrimination based on sexual orientation should be illegal, even if that would lead to more employee lawsuits. It also comes on the heels of Trump’s promise earlier Wednesday to ban transgender Americans from serving in the military, leading to protests in cities including New York and Washington.

‘Gratuitous Attack’
“On the day that will go down in history as Anti-LGBT Day, comes one more gratuitous and extraordinary attack on LGBT people’s civil rights," James Esseks, director of the American Civil Liberties Union’s LGBT & HIV Project, said in a statement.

The plaintiff, the estate of former skydiving instructor Donald Zarda, argues that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employers from discriminating on the basis of sex, race, color, national origin and religion, should simply be interpreted by the courts to apply to LGBT workers. Zarda, who started the litigation in 2010, died in a base-jumping accident in Switzerland in 2014.

The Justice Department, under U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, said in its brief on Wednesday that such a ruling would simply go too far.

“This court should reaffirm its precedent holding that Title VII does not prohibit discrimination because of sexual orientation,” according to the filing.

Conservative Groups
The Christian Legal Society and National Association of Evangelicals also weighed in on Wednesday, pointing out that courts have previously rejected interpreting “sex” in the meaning of Title VII to include “sexual orientation.” The groups also said that Zarda has other legal remedies in New York and that many companies already offer protection without a federal law.

“Market forces are rapidly driving major employers to adopt such anti-discrimination policies even where not required by law,” the conservative groups said. “Judicial innovation should be approached with all the more caution in a complex area that cries out for the benefit of the legislative process.”

A ruling in favor of Zarda, who worked at Altitude Express Inc. in New York, could effectively ban workplace discrimination against LGBT workers nationwide, a goal that’s repeatedly evaded Democratic members of Congress who’ve failed to gain enough support for such a bill.

The New York appeals court is slated to hear arguments in September. The question has already divided other courts and could reach the U.S. Supreme Court.

Protected Class
LGBT workers in 28 U.S. states can be fired over their sexual orientation, according to the ACLU. Some cities and companies have implemented their own protections.

Zarda and other LGBT workers were backed in their case by a trio of Democratic-led states in a brief filed by New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.

Some appeals courts remain unpersuaded by arguments like Zarda’s. In March, an appeals panel in Georgia rejected a security officer’s sex-discrimination claim.

“Because Congress has not made sexual orientation a protected class,” Judge William Pryor wrote in that case, “the appropriate venue” for pressing the argument is before Congress, “not this court.”

The New York appeals court also refused to extend the protections in 2000, ruling against a postal worker, Dwayne Simonton who claimed co-workers harassed him for being gay.

 

[RustyShackleford]

@maximus meridius

 

[gry60]

Funny how that narrative has gone out the window ever since this clown took office. I'm still waiting for Mexico to pay for that wall tbh

Republicans still push that line to attenuate how terrible their governance has been.

Take McCain for example: during his healthcare speech, he found a way to blame democrats for the end of bipartisanship in DC, despite the very fact that Republican amendments to the ACA were considered and they still voted against it.

Another example:



Just listen to how he has a problem with the fact that the "establishment" right wing media agrees with the "mainstream" media when it comes to criticizing Trump. Since they both find Trump terrible, they must be the same.

 

[appleheaddmv]

https://www.yahoo.com/news/kellyanne-conway-being-ethical-discourages-133607669.html

Get this b**** all the way outta here! SMH

 

[AEA18]

White House counselor Kellyanne Conway on Thursday suggested that filling out financial disclosure forms and having them released to the public discourages qualified people from serving in government

 

[iamdef]

Being open and honest does keep a certain kind of person at bay

 

[appleheaddmv]

https://amp.theguardian.com/comment...d-trump-jeff-sessions-firing-attorney-general

 

[gry60]

http://www.newsweek.com/house-conservatives-move-abolish-congressional-budget-office-642542

Federal News Radio reported that the entire Budget Analysis Division of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, comprising 89 employees and about $15 million in salaries, would be “abolished” under the amendment offered by Meadows and three other Republicans—Reps. Morgan Griffith of Virginia, Jim Jordan of Ohio, and Scott Perry of Pennsylvania.

Cutting personnel at the Congressional Budget Office who “score” the cost and other effects of legislation such as the main House and Senate health care bills is where the caucus decided to begin, he said.

The Freedom Caucus chairman said that independent CBO process could be replaced by aggregate scores of budgetary impact from think tanks, and he namedAmerican Enterprise Institute, Brookings Institution, The Heritage Foundation, and Urban Institute.

If you don't like the answers to the test, make yourself the grader and give yourself an A.

 

[rolaholic]

GOP gon GOP...

On a lighter note



:

Also



*Grabs popcorn*

 

[aepps20]

DAPPER DON GREW UP WORKING IN THE COAL MINES UNDER Manhattan. How in world can anyone call him ELITE. HE'S AS BLUE COLLAR AS THEY COME.

 

[elpablo21]

Under that city law, the wage was set to rise again in January to $11 an hour, then increase annually with inflation.

“It will kill jobs,” Greitens said of the increase. “And despite what you hear from liberals, it will take money out of people’s pockets.”

 

[iamdef]

Jesus Christ....from $10 to $3???? FUUUUUUUUUUUUUU

 

[Based Jesus]

How is someone supposed to survive off of $3.85/hr in 2017 America? That's goddamn criminal to pay people that little.

 

[rolaholic]

Those stupid libtards can go to hell with their livable wage!

Profits we don't reap from >>> decent wages for the next man,the real 'Murican way

 

[sonoftony]

This can't be life

 

[aepps20]

Those stupid libtards can go to hell with their livable wage!

Profits we don't reap from >>> decent wages for the next man,the real 'Murican way

Well said, COAL TRAIN JOBS PAY $2.50 AN HOUR BUT LIBBIES DON'T HAVE THE RIGHT MINDSET FOR AN INCREASE.

 

[Rootin4EverybodyBlack]

It's crazy how people talk about "personal responsibility" all the time, but it doesn't apply to business owners. If you can't afford to pay your employees a liveable wage, maybe you shouldn't have a business. ‍

 

[AEA18]

STL

Missouri Missery

 

[iamdef]

How is someone supposed to survive off of $3.85/hr in 2017 America? That's goddamn criminal to pay people that little.

I could not imagine dropping to a third of my wage and surviving longer than my groceries could last me. Other than live with 2 other families what kind of legal options are you left with?

It's crazy how people talk about "personal responsibility" all the time, but it doesn't apply to business owners. If you can't afford to pay your employees a liveable wage, maybe you shouldn't have a business. ‍

In cases like waitresses and other service industry jobs that responsibility falls on the customer. The company doesn't have to explain themselves, the workers don't even apply the necessary pressure to them

 

[Black Lotus]

It's crazy how people talk about "personal responsibility" all the time, but it doesn't apply to business owners. If you can't afford to pay your employees a liveable wage, maybe you shouldn't have a business. ‍

qft

 

[Nike Jordan]

What happened to #AllLivesMatter?

 

[Rootin4EverybodyBlack]

In cases like waitresses and other service industry jobs that responsibility falls on the customer. The company doesn't have to explain themselves, the workers don't even apply the necessary pressure to them

Yeah, I know, it's just crazy how we do things here. We pit employees against customers while the restaurant takes in profits.

Insane.

 

[AEA18]

Hate living in a red state.

Why would you allow these clowns to lower min. wage from $10 to $7.70?

 

[Based Jesus]

That's $3.85 before taxes. How do these lawmakers sleep at night?