The Former Trump Presidency Thread

[hepcat]

If you don't plan on doing anything so your boss' friends can scam to their heart's content, why would you need a budget?

[pr0ner]

It's a shame. Trump Failed his Threesome when he first hooked up with Stormy.

ibdoomed would be disappointed.

[TheMix]

It's a shame. Trump Failed his Threesome when he first hooked up with Stormy.

ibdoomed would be disappointed.

Now there is a name that I haven't missed. He put Rip's trolling attempts to shame. He was truly a master at the craft.

[pr0ner]

It's a shame. Trump Failed his Threesome when he first hooked up with Stormy.

ibdoomed would be disappointed.

Now there is a name that I haven't missed. He put Rip's trolling attempts to shame. He was truly a master at the craft.

I hope that my mentioning him by name doesn't bring him back (like Derek Smart).

[Chrisoc13]

Ah good old ibdoomed.

[Holman]

Is he the guy who claimed to work at a porn studio and then claimed to actually be a pornstar?

Didn't we pay him $130,000 or something?

[LawBeefaroni]

Solar panel tarriffs.

The moves come in response to petitions from American manufacturers, who complained for years that rising imports were eating into their sales, and may signal the start of a wider administration offensive against U.S. trading partners.

....

The Suniva-SolarWorld request for protection was opposed by much of the domestic U.S. solar industry. Tariffs make solar panels more expensive, and thus discourage their use, according to the Solar Energy Industries Association.

The trade association said the tariffs would cause 23,000 installers, engineers and project managers to lose their jobs this year as billions of dollars in planned investment evaporates. Up to one third of the 260,000 Americans currently employed in the industry are at risk because of the tariffs over the longer term, the group said.

[Isgrimnur]

Free market, except when we lose!

Are we... are we the Ferengi?

[$iljanus]

Solar panel tarriffs.

The trade association said the tariffs would cause 23,000 installers, engineers and project managers to lose their jobs this year as billions of dollars in planned investment evaporates. Up to one third of the 260,000 Americans currently employed in the industry are at risk because of the tariffs over the longer term, the group said.

Let them find honest work in the coal mines instead of this hippie “clean” energy industry.

[Daehawk]

Everytime you make a solar panel you take away a oil man's job or a coal miner's insurance!

[Chrisoc13]

Is he the guy who claimed to work at a porn studio and then claimed to actually be a pornstar?

Didn't we pay him $130,000 or something?

He was interesting to be sure.

[Skinypupy]

86,000 working the coal industry: “We have to do everything we can to save their jobs!”
373,000 working in the solar industry: “Screw those hippies, let’s do what we can to make them lose their jobs!”

That’s just sound Trumpian logic right there.

(Numbers from that notoriously liberal rag, Forbes)

[Zaxxon]

Yeah, the solar thing is just terrible. Some more on it:

(Click thru and read the thread)

Electrek

Vox

[Octavious]

I have a feeling that something new is about to drop. The random Trump distractions seem to be starting to wind up again with the whole FBI missing emails crap he's now complaining about. If he keeps escalating attacks all week it's a sure sign something is coming out.

[Isgrimnur]

Telegraph

China and South Korea have criticised new tariffs on imported washing machines and solar panels as part of Donald Trump’s “America First” trade policy.

The tariffs, announced late on Monday, aim to protect US manufacturers from foreign competition, but opponents fear they could mark the opening salvo in a trade war if the Asian nations respond in kind.

The move may constitute a “violation of WTO provisions," said South Korean trade minister Kin Hyuan-chong.
...
"Together with other WTO members, China will resolutely defend its legitimate interests," he said.

The new duties will mainly effect washing machine producers in South Korea and solar panel manufacturers in China.
...
The tax on solar panels is not as high as US manufactures had hoped, set at 30 per cent for the first year and falling to 15 per cent by the fourth.

However, 2.5 gigawatts of cells will be allowed into America tariff-free each year.

Meanwhile, the first 1.2 million imported residential washing machines will see a 20 per cent duty in the first year, with all imports above that number slapped with a tax of 50 per cent.
...
South Korea, whose washing machine manufacturers include Samsung and LG, called the duties “excessive” and threatened to complain to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

He just loves the South Koreans, doesn't he?

[Carpet_pissr]

It's not just solar import tariffs, it's dishwashers as well.

Which happens to coincide with a massive state investment project with a new Samsung plant here (manufacturing, you guessed it...washing machines!). Supposed to bring 1,000+ jobs by 2020. I wonder what Samsung will do in response to a 20/30% tariff increase? Hmmmm...I bet they will hire more people!

And since Nikki Haley abandoned us as Governor, and let Henry 'Fog/Leghorn" McMaster (a huge Trumpelo, and one of the earliest, firstest, and bestest deplorables) take over, this poses quite a dilemma for him I bet.

And to be clear, this is not unique to Trump, or Republicans (think Obama and Chinese tires). Just bad global business, IMO, and not the huge win that they are claiming, when history shows us that at least the following negative impacts will likely happen:
1. Costs of penalized goods will obviously rise, and likely significantly (hope no one is in the market for a Samsung washing machine!)
2. US workers that work for the penalized companies located in US will get laid off or fired as a cost cutting measure (and less demand for their goods, since price will increase) Projects and plants like this Samsung one in our state are delayed or even canceled as a result.
3. US companies (that got the tariff imposed) will RAISE their prices in response to this, to take advantage of their window when their competitor is being hampered.

So while US solar manufacturers and Whirlpool might hire more (hopefully), there is generally a net negative to "American workers and consumers" if you look at these things with more than a year or two of perspective.

[Zaxxon]

So while US solar manufacturers and Whirlpool might hire more (hopefully), there is generally a net negative to "American workers and consumers" if you look at these things with more than a year or two of perspective.

It's not even that complicated, at least on the solar side. Solar manufacturing employs a tiny percentage of solar jobs in the US. The immediate impact of this is negative for the US, as the solar installation industry (the one with actual jobs in the hundreds of thousands-more than coal, oil and gas combined) will take a haircut as their costs increase. There is no positive. Even the 'American' manufacturers who lobbied for this are subsidiaries of multinational companies.

There's simply no upside in the solar case.

Well, other than making fossil fuels slightly more competitive for another couple of years, which I'm sure is the real reason for the order.

[El Guapo]

It's not just solar import tariffs, it's dishwashers as well.

Which happens to coincide with a massive state investment project with a new Samsung plant here (manufacturing, you guessed it...washing machines!). Supposed to bring 1,000+ jobs by 2020. I wonder what Samsung will do in response to a 20/30% tariff increase? Hmmmm...I bet they will hire more people!

And since Nikki Haley abandoned us as Governor, and let Henry 'Fog/Leghorn" McMaster (a huge Trumpelo, and one of the earliest, firstest, and bestest deplorables) take over, this poses quite a dilemma for him I bet.

And to be clear, this is not unique to Trump, or Republicans (think Obama and Chinese tires). Just bad global business, IMO, and not the huge win that they are claiming, when history shows us that at least the following negative impacts will likely happen:
1. Costs of penalized goods will obviously rise, and likely significantly (hope no one is in the market for a Samsung washing machine!)
2. US workers that work for the penalized companies located in US will get laid off or fired as a cost cutting measure (and less demand for their goods, since price will increase) Projects and plants like this Samsung one in our state are delayed or even canceled as a result.
3. US companies (that got the tariff imposed) will RAISE their prices in response to this, to take advantage of their window when their competitor is being hampered.

So while US solar manufacturers and Whirlpool might hire more (hopefully), there is generally a net negative to "American workers and consumers" if you look at these things with more than a year or two of perspective.

And that's not even factoring in China and South Korea raising tariffs in retaliation, hurting American exports.

[malchior]

The solar one I think is specifically an attack on blue innovation. It isn't protectionism. It is a disguised political attack that'll resonate with the R base.

The washing machine one is an odd case too. I don't know enough about Whirlpool political giving but that instead has the stink of money politics.

[gilraen]

Colorado is estimated to lose up to 2000 solar jobs due to the new tariffs. Of course, Colorado didn't vote for Trump, either, and we have a Democrat governor, so...payback?

[Holman]

So while US solar manufacturers and Whirlpool might hire more (hopefully), there is generally a net negative to "American workers and consumers" if you look at these things with more than a year or two of perspective.

It's not even that complicated, at least on the solar side. Solar manufacturing employs a tiny percentage of solar jobs in the US. The immediate impact of this is negative for the US, as the solar installation industry (the one with actual jobs in the hundreds of thousands-more than coal, oil and gas combined) will take a haircut as their costs increase. There is no positive. Even the 'American' manufacturers who lobbied for this are subsidiaries of multinational companies.

There's simply no upside in the solar case.

Well, other than making fossil fuels slightly more competitive for another couple of years, which I'm sure is the real reason for the order.

The war on solar is a front in the war on environmentalism that conservatives are fighting because they would rather kill the planet than admit that hippies are right about pollution.

[Octavious]

I have a feeling that something new is about to drop. The random Trump distractions seem to be starting to wind up again with the whole FBI missing emails crap he's now complaining about. If he keeps escalating attacks all week it's a sure sign something is coming out.

Oh look they interviewed Sessions last week. So predictable lol.

[Isgrimnur]

Context that I haven't seen in other coverage:

The Hill

Solar panels imported from China already have hefty tariffs.

But proponents of new tariffs say Chinese manufacturers get around those trade remedies by establishing operations in Vietnam and Malaysia and exporting to the U.S. from those countries. They’re pushing for a safeguard that would apply to imports from all countries.

Two companies, SolarWorld and Suniva, petitioned for remedies last year under Section 201 of the Trade Act, which gives the president wide-ranging authority to impose tariffs, quotas or other penalties.

The International Trade Commission (ITC) ruled late last year that companies that make the cells and modules that go into solar panels are injured by imports, a necessary finding before Trump can act.
...
[Solar Energy Industries Association] estimated last year that the remedies requested by the solar manufacturer Suniva would threaten 88,000 jobs. It says that even lighter remedies, like what the ITC’s commissioners recommended, could cost the industry tens of thousands of jobs.
...
SEIA and its allies have spent months putting together a coalition to oppose the tariffs, including other energy and business groups, environmentalists and conservatives such as Fox News’s Sean Hannity.

“I think it’s increasingly important to free market conservatives and libertarians who are supportive of trade to stand up and make the case now, because the threat of a retreat from the prevailing trade consensus is more imminent than it has been basically since the end of World War II,” said Clark Packard, trade policy counsel at R Street Institute, a conservative think tank whose priorities include free trade and free-market environmental policies.

[hitbyambulance]

in one of those famously ironic twists, i can see China eventually emerging as a leader in 'green' technologies - they're already making headway in industries like solar panel manufacturing and businesses like bike sharing.

[malchior]

Interesting analysis about 'authoritarian' tendencies appearing in the administration via the DOJ.

[Daehawk]

bike sharing is a big huge giant failure.

[Formix]

The best thing about the solar tariffs is that they are scheduled to only last for a few years. Not enough time for it to even make sense economically to ramp up American manufacturing of solar panels. So most likely, they get to say that they are fighting for American manufacturing jobs, leave office before there are any hard numbers on whether they actually are, or not, and in the mean time, red meat for the base, and an FU to those dang treehuggers. So much winning!

[YellowKing]

I dreamed last night that I was working for the President (bear with me), and I overheard him in the Oval Office talking about how he was going to crack down on Russian cybercrime, Hillary's emails, etc. etc. And I freaking lost it. I walked into his office and started cussing him out up and down about what a piece of shit he was. I laid into him so hard I actually almost felt sorry for him for a moment. He just stared at me like a cowed dog.

I then left and one of the staffers was like "You're going to lose your job! You can't do that! That's the President of the United States you just cussed out!" And I just shrugged and walked out.

That was a great dream.

[Remus West]

Every day it hurts more that we are living in a Simpsons episode that was not even worthy of being aired.

[gilraen]

bike sharing is a big huge giant failure.

No, it's not. It's true that several bike-sharing companies in China ended up a 'bubble" of sorts, some went bankrupt, others are still trying to carve out a better business model. But they'll figure it out, they always do. But people mostly love it, so they'll keep using it. As long as there's demand for the product, the industry has a promising future. There are other challenges in markets such as the U.S. (not the least of which being that too many assholes vandalize the bikes). But again, there will continue to be a demand for such service, since "last mile" commuting is the biggest problem with even the best transit systems.

[gilraen]

"Trump slump" is real...and it's costly:

Travel to the U.S. has been on the decline ever since President Donald Trump took office, and new data shows the slump translates to a cost of $4.6 billion in lost spending and 40,000 jobs.

The latest data from the National Travel and Tourism Office shows a 3.3 percent drop in travel spending and a 4 percent decline in inbound travel.

[Jeff V]

bike sharing is a big huge giant failure.

No, it's not. It's true that several bike-sharing companies in China ended up a 'bubble" of sorts, some went bankrupt, others are still trying to carve out a better business model. But they'll figure it out, they always do. But people mostly love it, so they'll keep using it. As long as there's demand for the product, the industry has a promising future. There are other challenges in markets such as the U.S. (not the least of which being that too many assholes vandalize the bikes). But again, there will continue to be a demand for such service, since "last mile" commuting is the biggest problem with even the best transit systems.

There was a story on the news this morning that the city of Oak Park (suburban Chicago) is jettisoning their bike sharing program.

[ImLawBoy]

bike sharing is a big huge giant failure.

No, it's not. It's true that several bike-sharing companies in China ended up a 'bubble" of sorts, some went bankrupt, others are still trying to carve out a better business model. But they'll figure it out, they always do. But people mostly love it, so they'll keep using it. As long as there's demand for the product, the industry has a promising future. There are other challenges in markets such as the U.S. (not the least of which being that too many assholes vandalize the bikes). But again, there will continue to be a demand for such service, since "last mile" commuting is the biggest problem with even the best transit systems.

There was a story on the news this morning that the city of Oak Park (suburban Chicago) is jettisoning their bike sharing program.

I was surprised to learn that Oak Park even had one. They don't seem to have the population density to support it. Divvy bikes are all over Chicago (and even seem to get used quite a bit during the winter), but I don't know how profitable they are.

[El Guapo]

bike sharing is a big huge giant failure.

No, it's not. It's true that several bike-sharing companies in China ended up a 'bubble" of sorts, some went bankrupt, others are still trying to carve out a better business model. But they'll figure it out, they always do. But people mostly love it, so they'll keep using it. As long as there's demand for the product, the industry has a promising future. There are other challenges in markets such as the U.S. (not the least of which being that too many assholes vandalize the bikes). But again, there will continue to be a demand for such service, since "last mile" commuting is the biggest problem with even the best transit systems.

There was a story on the news this morning that the city of Oak Park (suburban Chicago) is jettisoning their bike sharing program.

I was surprised to learn that Oak Park even had one. They don't seem to have the population density to support it. Divvy bikes are all over Chicago (and even seem to get used quite a bit during the winter), but I don't know how profitable they are.

I dunno, though - if one suburb ended their bike sharing program, I can only conclude that the entire concept is nonviable.

[Moliere]

Campbell Soup factory in Toronto to close

Three U.S. factories — in Maxton, N.C.; Napoleon, Ohio, and Paris, Texas — will be taking up the slack.

Thanks Trump!

[LawBeefaroni]

bike sharing is a big huge giant failure.

No, it's not. It's true that several bike-sharing companies in China ended up a 'bubble" of sorts, some went bankrupt, others are still trying to carve out a better business model. But they'll figure it out, they always do. But people mostly love it, so they'll keep using it. As long as there's demand for the product, the industry has a promising future. There are other challenges in markets such as the U.S. (not the least of which being that too many assholes vandalize the bikes). But again, there will continue to be a demand for such service, since "last mile" commuting is the biggest problem with even the best transit systems.

There was a story on the news this morning that the city of Oak Park (suburban Chicago) is jettisoning their bike sharing program.

I was surprised to learn that Oak Park even had one. They don't seem to have the population density to support it. Divvy bikes are all over Chicago (and even seem to get used quite a bit during the winter), but I don't know how profitable they are.

I haven't seen data for the last two years but before that it was a financial disaster. The wife was working on an article and I was helping with the database for the FOIA date.

It's not self sustaining and gets a ton of subsidies from taxpayers.


I'd actually be interested in doing the last 2 years.

[em2nought]

Campbell Soup factory in Toronto to close

Three U.S. factories — in Maxton, N.C.; Napoleon, Ohio, and Paris, Texas — will be taking up the slack.

Thanks Trump!

That factory probably made the really good "GO" soups in a pouch which were phased out. Campbell's motto, if you want really good soup shop another brand. Except for Campbell's Chunky Chili Mac that's still good, probably next on the chopping block. Then they'll get rid of the skillet sauces after that.

[Isgrimnur]

ChiTrib

The stations in Oak Park filled with blue Divvy bikes will soon be a thing of the past.

The village board voted Tuesday against extending its agreement with Motivate International Inc., the company that operates the bike-sharing service. Divvy has been in the village less than two years. According to village documents, the current agreement expires Jan. 24.

Concerns expressed by residents and trustees alike centered on cost and use of the service.

The village had reached an agreement with Motivate to pay $24,068 per month for Divvy in the coming year and reduce its dock fees by 10 percent, according to Development Customer Services Director Tammie Grossman. However, Mayor Anan Abu-Taleb said the village would lose $80,000 annually on the program, even with the discount.
...
Additionally, while Divvy membership is up 20 percent year-over-year, according to Motivate, individual rides are down, and Trustee Dan Moroney said only 1 percent of Oak Park has a membership.

"The village is screaming, 'we don't want this or need this,' " said Trustee Deno Andrews.

[Isgrimnur]

Only the best people

Taylor Weyeneth, a controversial member of the Trump administration who came under scrutiny in early January over his lack of qualifications, will resign his post later this month, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday evening.
...
Weyeneth, a 24-year-old former Trump campaign worker, was appointed last year to be the deputy chief of staff at the Office of National Drug Control Policy, or ONDCP, the agency tasked with coordinating federal drug-control efforts. However, as the Post originally reported, Weyeneth had nearly no previous experience after he graduated college in May 2016, aside from working for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign and transition.

Questions quickly arose about his qualifications after multiple discrepancies popped up on several of his résumés and reports surfaced that another job he held at a New York law firm in 2015 ended after Weyeneth failed to show up for work.

He appeared to rise quickly at the ONDCP due to a high level of staff turnover and numerous vacancies at the agency. During the recent government shutdown, the Post noted, Weyeneth was one of three employees at the agency that continued to work after he was listed as essential.

News of his departure comes just a week after 10 Democratic senators expressed their displeasure with Weyeneth’s appointment. In a letter sent to the White House, the group accused Trump of failing to fill key roles at the ONDCP and the Drug Enforcement Agency and falling behind on promises to tackle the opioid epidemic.

[Daveman]

There was discussion on NPR a few days ago about pedestrian problems in China. Most of the story was about a recent trend of speedy food delivery services, whose employees zip down pedestrian walkways on scooters. The other part of the story focused on bike sharing, and how pedestrian walkways are frequently blocked by piles of shared bikes that people leave. A quick google search found a lot of stories backing this up.

https://mashable.com/2017/01/18/bike-sh ... mjTrRRXPqT

Plus this lovely picture of a massive pile of bikes from a company that's gone bankrupt: