December 2016

 The Trump presidency, its cabinet shaping up to be a plutocracy, is likely to become the most corrupt executive the United States has ever seen. This entry in our Baseline Series concerns only the president-elect's conflicts of interest, not those of the rest of his cabinet-of-the-wealthy. The exception to The Donald's plutocrat law is a retired US Marine general, who he chose for his secretary of defense. The selection of Genl. James Mattis shows Trump's contempt for the law excluding the general from serving in that position for seven years.

 The more water you give agribusiness bully boys, the greedier they become. The more government provides them, the more anti-government they become. The more socially responsible government becomes in making resources available, the more the greedy bully boys scream "Socialist!" at anyone who calls for limits to government largesse to its agribusiness corruptors.

 Free markets in whatever commodity, water or members of Congress for example, always favor the highest bidder while the press keeps making real interesting stories out of the auctions. -- blj 
12-10-16
Sacramento Bee
After years of drama, farmers score a big win in California water battle
Michael Doyle
www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/article120131528.html
WASHINGTON 

 12-15-16
Common Dreams
Trump's Cabinet Wealthier Than One-Third of US Households Combined
In addition to uber-wealthy, Huffington Post notes Trump's cabinet "is shaping up to be the least diverse in recent history"
by
Deirdre Fulton
http://www.commondreams.org/news/2016/12/15/trumps-cabinet-wealthier-one...

 12-14-16
Politico
How Clinton lost Michigan — and blew the election
Across battlegrounds, Democrats blame HQ’s stubborn commitment to a one-size-fits-all strategy. Edward-Isaac Dovere
http://www.politico.com/story/2016/12/michigan-hillary-clinton-trump-232547
 

 Heightening the tension in recent weeks: Clinton actually won the popular vote by about 3 million — making Trump the worst-performing winner in the popular vote since 1876.^1. -- CNNWire, Dec. 18, 2016

 
2016
Avalon.law.yale.edu 
 
The Federalist Papers : No. 68

The Mode of Electing the President 
From the New York Packet. 
Friday, March 14, 1788.

HAMILTON

  
. “Angels help us resist, Seamus,” I said. “They are the ones who give us the information and the courage to speak out when we would rather just hang out.  Our angel’s protest sign is good news! Our angel is reminding us that Trump isn’t our president. Right? We can still be good people, even though we have a terrible president.”
 Frida Berrigan, Commondreams.org, Dec. 24, 2016

Even before there was an actual campus here, UC Merced was green. Its designs and plans — down to the smallest detail — embody the word “sustainability,”Opens a New Window. and each year, the campus is proving that it maintains itself in a sustainable way. -- UC Merced Bobcatflak, 2016