The Leopards Eating Faces and Unlubed Dildo of Consequences Thread

[Brisketexan 107060]

12 minutes ago, Constant said:

For lack of a better place to post about this, leopards are eating a portion of family’s face. The great civil war has begun and I have dealt the first blow. We host the annual family Christmas, but this year we have told those that are known Trump idiots to stay home. I also have younger cousins dating Trump supporters and we’ve told them they are also not welcomed. 
 

We decided it’s time to stop pretending we can get along with these people. It is causing all sorts of strife, but I’m here for it. 

Yep.  If your approach to life is "I'm going to Make America Great Again....by telling half of my countrymen to fuck off and go to hell, and happily inflicting pain on anyone I deem insufficiently MAGA," then don't come bitching when the response is "fine...then fuck you too."

Choices have consequences.  

[Post Oak 20595]

16 minutes ago, Constant said:

For lack of a better place to post about this, leopards are eating a portion of family’s face. The great civil war has begun and I have dealt the first blow. We host the annual family Christmas, but this year we have told those that are known Trump idiots to stay home. I also have younger cousins dating Trump supporters and we’ve told them they are also not welcomed. 
 

We decided it’s time to stop pretending we can get along with these people. It is causing all sorts of strife, but I’m here for it. 

[TexasEd 8271]

3 hours ago, Dnaguy said:

His negotiation ‘style’ is lame, tired, and so transparent.

Fart of the deal.

 

Shart of the deal 

[Constant 6943]

5 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

Yep.  If your approach to life is "I'm going to Make America Great Again....by telling half of my countrymen to fuck off and go to hell, and happily inflicting pain on anyone I deem insufficiently MAGA," then don't come bitching when the response is "fine...then fuck you too."

Choices have consequences.  

Worked beautifully. The members of my family that have targets on their backs even mentioned how much more comfortable they were without certain people being there. The tone change of the entire event is truly incredible. 
 

Now I can’t wait to share to the undesirables that we are leaving the state this summer. 

[MissingInAction 25616]

I parted ways with the last magatard in my social circle recently. 

All these idiots do is deflect and call names like toddlers when getting in trouble on the playground.

[Pato del Muerto 53622]

7 hours ago, Constant said:

For lack of a better place to post about this, leopards are eating a portion of family’s face. The great civil war has begun and I have dealt the first blow. We host the annual family Christmas, but this year we have told those that are known Trump idiots to stay home. I also have younger cousins dating Trump supporters and we’ve told them they are also not welcomed. 
 

We decided it’s time to stop pretending we can get along with these people. It is causing all sorts of strife, but I’m here for it. 

Did you cite plessy v Ferguson in your notice?

[GenXer 3531]

 

[tx 3 putt 78820]

this will be a good one ....

 

[InkaUtexas 27022]

Well they don't want no Obamacare. They want ACA dammit.

[Biff Tannen 46237]

8 hours ago, tx 3 putt said:

this will be a good one ....

 

Comments are something

[CTC2 2876]

10 hours ago, tx 3 putt said:

this will be a good one ....

 

I would bet that those same states lead in the amount of subsidies that are utilized as well. 

[RomaVicta 30666]

On 12/21/2024 at 11:44 AM, Hermanator said:

We'll see if the Democrats have the balls to let America fully suffer during the dysfunction of Trump and Musk. It would have already started today but they stepped up and bailed out Johnson last night. I hope the only reason is because Biden is still president. This better be the last time. 

And for fucks sake get your own network of bots up and running rightfully blaming all the suffering that happens on Trump, musk, elitist CEOs, and Republicans. The people are already showing they're dangerously close to rebellion against corporate jagoffs with the celebration of the healthcare CEO murder. Just flood social media with simplistic, emotionally charged language rightfully connecting the dots for them on everything that's about to happen.

The road map for Democrats to become the party of the people again is clear. If they don't follow it they're nothing but the ineffectual pussies we think they are. 

Back in the old paradigm, this may have had some weight. No more, I'm sorry to say. 

There is absolutely no evidence that actual policies and policy results matter much in America. When's the last time you won a point with a MAGA by stating an obvious fact? The active vote and shameful acquiesence of non-voters shouts who the party of the people is. The choice could not have been clearer.

Stop blaming the Dems who represent what we wish was true about this country. There is no adjustment to the message or even choice of candidate that can matter much. People don't want anything that reeks of humanity or tolerance or citizen teamwork. The vote and failure to vote prove this.

The new paradigm is war. Those who love America and hate everything else versus the rational people. The rational people got slaughtered. I don't see a road that civilizes MAGAs to understand liberal democracy or the importance of unity among similar nations.

The traitors are in charge.

[Brisketexan 107060]

Back in the old paradigm, this may have had some weight. No more, I'm sorry to say. 
There is absolutely no evidence that actual policies and policy results matter much in America. When's the last time you won a point with a MAGA by stating an obvious fact? The active vote and shameful acquiesence of non-voters shouts who the party of the people is. The choice could not have been clearer.
Stop blaming the Dems who represent what we wish was true about this country. There is no adjustment to the message or even choice of candidate that can matter much. People don't want anything that reeks of humanity or tolerance or citizen teamwork. The vote and failure to vote prove this.
The new paradigm is war. Those who love America and hate everything else versus the rational people. The rational people got slaughtered. I don't see a road that civilizes MAGAs to understand liberal democracy or the importance of unity among similar nations.
The traitors are in charge.

Then…pain for everyone it shall be.
They want to burn it all down, and our only solace will be to point and laugh at them as their burnt skin drapes from their seared flesh, as they triumphantly belt “see, WINNING!” Ha ha, yes, winners you are.
There is no good outcome. So, learn to enjoy pain and suffering like they do.

[Slacks 7086]

1 hour ago, Biff Tannen said:

Comments are something

Is there a way for one to read comments without an account?

 

And where is got-dang leopard reaction? We need a 🐆.

[Slacks 7086]

25 minutes ago, RomaVicta said:

Back in the old paradigm, this may have had some weight. No more, I'm sorry to say. 

There is absolutely no evidence that actual policies and policy results matter much in America. When's the last time you won a point with a MAGA by stating an obvious fact? The active vote and shameful acquiesence of non-voters shouts who the party of the people is. The choice could not have been clearer.

Stop blaming the Dems who represent what we wish was true about this country. There is no adjustment to the message or even choice of candidate that can matter much. People don't want anything that reeks of humanity or tolerance or citizen teamwork. The vote and failure to vote prove this.

The new paradigm is war. Those who love America and hate everything else versus the rational people. The rational people got slaughtered. I don't see a road that civilizes MAGAs to understand liberal democracy or the importance of unity among similar nations.

The traitors are in charge.

Next time, just don't roll out a black woman. That shit is not happening here any time soon.

[Pato del Muerto 53622]

Even when they argue that she’s not black, they vote as if she is. 

[Biff Tannen 46237]

21 minutes ago, Slacks said:

Is there a way for one to read comments without an account?

No

[CTC2 2876]

2 hours ago, RomaVicta said:

Back in the old paradigm, this may have had some weight. No more, I'm sorry to say. 

There is absolutely no evidence that actual policies and policy results matter much in America. When's the last time you won a point with a MAGA by stating an obvious fact? The active vote and shameful acquiesence of non-voters shouts who the party of the people is. The choice could not have been clearer.

Stop blaming the Dems who represent what we wish was true about this country. There is no adjustment to the message or even choice of candidate that can matter much. People don't want anything that reeks of humanity or tolerance or citizen teamwork. The vote and failure to vote prove this.

The new paradigm is war. Those who love America and hate everything else versus the rational people. The rational people got slaughtered. I don't see a road that civilizes MAGAs to understand liberal democracy or the importance of unity among similar nations.

The traitors are in charge.

Great post. On par in my book with this:

 

[RomaVicta 30666]

3 hours ago, Slacks said:

Next time, just don't roll out a black woman. That shit is not happening here any time soon.

Yeah, that would have solved all our problems. The talk about inflation, egg prices, Dems being too snooty, and shit is just the froth on the surface of the cesspool. 

[Nivek 17439]

Next time, just don't roll out a black woman. That shit is not happening here any time soon.

Woman. They voted against a competent Clinton for this felon the first time as well.

[Slacks 7086]

10 hours ago, Pato del Muerto said:

Even when they argue that she’s not black, they vote as if she is. 

She is. Rules.

[Slacks 7086]

10 hours ago, Biff Tannen said:

No

Well...  Sounds like a business opportunity for Leon or anti-Leon or.... Anyone 

7 hours ago, Nivek said:

Woman. They voted against a competent Clinton for this felon the first time as well.

[Snake Diggity 4757]

Anecdotal face eating csb: my wife’s Trumper uncle, a non-white, first generation American who makes poor financial decisions, works for a government IT contractor.  He has been working from home for a decade+; they’re broke, so they don’t own a car right now (“saving” for a new one).  Yesterday at Christmas they showed up in my sister in law’s car, which they are borrowing because his company has mandated a return to the office in advance of the Trump/Musk administration.  Dumbass voted for someone whose first change was to make him personally take on a 90 minute daily commute.  SIL is also a Trumper so she’s getting her face eaten a lil bit too since she’s down a car now.  They asked to borrow one of our cars for awhile which I would have done if he hadn’t brought up politics multiple fucking times on Christmas Day (and had the gall to start a conversation about how shitty the brand of car I drive is).  Typing this made me mad as fuck.  God dammit that guy fucking sucks.

[GenXer 3531]

1 hour ago, Snake Diggity said:

Anecdotal face eating csb: my wife’s Trumper uncle, a non-white, first generation American who makes poor financial decisions, works for a government IT contractor.  He has been working from home for a decade+; they’re broke, so they don’t own a car right now (“saving” for a new one).  Yesterday at Christmas they showed up in my sister in law’s car, which they are borrowing because his company has mandated a return to the office in advance of the Trump/Musk administration.  Dumbass voted for someone whose first change was to make him personally take on a 90 minute daily commute.  SIL is also a Trumper so she’s getting her face eaten a lil bit too since she’s down a car now.  They asked to borrow one of our cars for awhile which I would have done if he hadn’t brought up politics multiple fucking times on Christmas Day (and had the gall to start a conversation about how shitty the brand of car I drive is).  Typing this made me mad as fuck.  God dammit that guy fucking sucks.

The guy sounds like he’s as dumb as a bag of hammers.

It’s a brilliant strategy to tell someone their car is shitty before asking to borrow it. Undoubtably, he will fuck up your car. He already thinks your car sucks. He won’t be concerned about beating it up.

Tell him to take an uber.

[BrickHorn 18467]

1 hour ago, Snake Diggity said:

Anecdotal face eating csb: my wife’s Trumper uncle, a non-white, first generation American who makes poor financial decisions, works for a government IT contractor.  He has been working from home for a decade+; they’re broke, so they don’t own a car right now (“saving” for a new one).  Yesterday at Christmas they showed up in my sister in law’s car, which they are borrowing because his company has mandated a return to the office in advance of the Trump/Musk administration.  Dumbass voted for someone whose first change was to make him personally take on a 90 minute daily commute.  SIL is also a Trumper so she’s getting her face eaten a lil bit too since she’s down a car now.  They asked to borrow one of our cars for awhile which I would have done if he hadn’t brought up politics multiple fucking times on Christmas Day (and had the gall to start a conversation about how shitty the brand of car I drive is).  Typing this made me mad as fuck.  God dammit that guy fucking sucks.

You are a bigger man than I am. If one of my dipshit MAGA uncles had asked to borrow my car, I would have responded:

“No. It’s not my fault you are too poor to afford a car and too irresponsible plan your life. This is America, not some socialist hellhole where winners have to share their hard-earned rewards with lazy, entitled losers. My advice is to pick yourself up by your bootstraps. If you start early enough, you’ll have plenty of time to walk to the office.”

[Francisco 2.0 32640]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/12/26/trump-voters-federal-benefits-food/?

 

After backing Trump, low-income voters hope he doesn’t slash their benefits

 

Quote

Lori Mosura goes to the grocery store on a bicycle because she can’t afford to fix her Ford F-150 truck.

The single mother and her 17-year-old son live in an apartment that is so small she sleeps in the dining room. They receive $1,200 each month in food stamps and Social Security benefits but still come up short. Mosura said she often finds herself deciding between buying milk or toilet paper.

It was all that penny-pinching that drove the part-time tax consultant to abandon the Democratic Party this fall and vote for Donald Trump.

 

Quote

“He is more attuned to the needs of everyone instead of just the rich,” Mosura, 55, said on a recent afternoon. “I think he knows it’s the poor people that got him elected, so I think Trump is going to do more to help us.”

Trump carried the Pennsylvania city of New Castle by about 400 votes, becoming the first Republican presidential candidate to win here in nearly 70 years. More than 1 in 4 residents live in poverty, and the median income in this former steel and railroad hub ranks as one of the lowest in Pennsylvania.

New Castle’s poorest residents weren’t alone in putting their faith in Trump. Network exit polls suggest he erased the advantage Democrats had with low-income voters across the country.

 

Quote

Fifty percent of voters from families with an income of less than $50,000 a year cast their ballots for Trump, according to the data, compared with 48 percent for Vice President Kamala Harris. Four years ago, President Joe Biden carried those voters by 11 percentage points; Hillary Clinton won them by 12 points in 2016 and former president Barack Obama by 22 points in 2012.

Now, low-income Americans who voted for Trump say they are counting on him to keep their benefits intact even while his Cabinet picks and Republican lawmakers call on him to reduce federal spending.

 

 

 

 

Spoiler

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy — whom Trump has chosen to lead a new nongovernmental advisory panel, the “Department of Government Efficiency” — have said they want to trim $2 trillion from the government’s annual budget, a cut that some experts say could be accomplished only by slashing entitlement programs. Trump’s pick for White House budget director was a key architect of Project 2025, a plan drawn up by conservatives to guide his second term that calls for steep cuts to programs such as food stamps. And GOP leaders in Congress and Trump advisers are considering significant changes to Medicaid, food stamps and other federal aid.

The uncertainty comes after last week’s high-stakes showdown in Congress over the federal funding bill. Lawmakers narrowly avoided a shutdown after agreeing to fund the government until March. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) had unveiled a bipartisan bill to put off a shutdown, but Trump and Musk railed against what they said was unnecessary spending in the initial package.

“Everybody is on hyperalert,” said Tom Scott, the chief executive officer of Lawrence County Community Action Partnership, a social service agency that helps New Castle residents. “You have to be concerned because you don’t know which programs could be targeted” for spending reductions.

In a recent appearance on NBC News’s “Meet the Press,” Trump said any efforts by his administration to streamline the federal government would not impact entitlement programs such as Social Security.

“Americans of all backgrounds elected President Trump because of his plans to lower costs, end the financial drain of illegal immigrants on our healthcare system, and ensure that our country can continue to care for American citizens who rely on Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security,” said Anna Kelly, a spokeswoman for his transition team.

Some longtime Democrats like Mosura said they initially struggled over whether to vote for Trump. They had believed Democrats were the most likely to help the poor and disagreed with Republicans on issues like abortion. But Mosura said she kept coming back to the conclusion that Trump would put Americans like her first and improve her economic prospects.

Mosura said she has been unable to find full-time work in her field and is planning to change her party affiliation to Republican. But she also gets anxious when she hears GOP politicians talk about reducing government spending.

“We helped get you in office; please take care of us,” Mosura said,shifting the conversation as though she were speaking to Trump. “Please don’t cut the things that help the most vulnerable.”

‘Serious, serious trouble’

Located about an hour north of Pittsburgh, New Castle is the third-largest incorporated city in western Pennsylvania.

After it was founded around the turn of the 19th century, the city became a major destination for Italian immigrants. New Castle emerged as an industrial hub known for its tin mills in the 1800s. The new residents built a lively downtown filled with shops and bars.

New Castle was also home to a thriving labor movement that helped shape the city’s historically left-leaning politics. Before Trump won New Castle, the city had last backed a Republican presidential candidate in 1956, when voters narrowly supported Dwight D. Eisenhower (R) over Adlai Stevenson (D), according to Andrei Pagnotta, a resident who has spent years studying the region’s election results.

But the city changed dramatically as factories closed and younger residents moved to more vibrant urban areas. The busiest destinations downtown today are the 60-year-old Capitol Grill bar, which sells $2.75 Bud Lights, and Hazel’s Restaurant, where guests can get a stuffed pork chop dinner for $11.99. The city’s population of 21,000 is roughly half what it was during its peak in the 1940s.

Federal benefits have helped keep residents afloat, and today that safety net is deeply interwoven with daily life. The 8.5-square-mile city includes 10 public housing projects. About 60 percent of the houses in the city are rental properties, and federal housing vouchers help countless families afford rent. Many residents also receive Medicaid and food stamps.

More than half of the Lawrence County Community Action Partnership’s $32 million budget comes from federal aid, said Scott, the organization’s leader. That helps it do things like shuttle low-income residents to medical appointments and offer rental assistance. Federal aid is also key in keeping New Castle’s children fed. About 90 percent of students come from low-income families and qualify for free school lunches, and many are sent home with food to eat over the weekend.

“It’s a very depressed area, so if our funding were to go away, and I have not heard it will, but if it were to go, we would be some in serious, serious trouble,” said Gregg Paladina, superintendent of the New Castle Area School District.

Milk or toilet paper

A decade ago, Mosura was a fervent supporter of the Clintons. She recalls meeting former president Bill Clinton in New Castle at a rally during Hillary Clinton’s 2008 campaign for the White House.

But the single mother said she began to drift away from Democrats as the party’s promises to help people like herself began to ring hollow. She said she’s been “suffering a lot” because of rising prices. Groceries she once thought of as staples — like soda — are now luxuries.

“People are struggling now more than ever, in this city especially,” said Mosura, who pays $375 a month for her apartment. She said she’s “prayed more in the past year than ever before” because of her mounting bills.

New Castle was a bastion for Democratic votes up until this year. But in larger Lawrence County, the shift toward the GOP has been ongoing. White, working class Americans were increasingly drawn to Republican candidates, in part because of their messaging on security and immigration.

According to Census data, White residents make up three-fourths of New Castle’s population, while Black residents account for 10 percent. The population also includes 10 percent of residents who identify as mixed race and five percent who are Hispanic.

Lynne Ryan, chairwoman of the Lawrence County Republican Party, said Democrats lost the support of New Castle residents over their handing of illegal immigration and foreign aid. She said Trump was a skilled politician whom low-income voters found to be honest and relatable.

“Trump won’t cut necessary programs, and nowhere has he said he is cutting any of that,” Ryan said. “He is cutting bloated government. He is not cutting programs that work for the American people.”

City Administrator Chris Frye, a Republican and former mayor of New Castle, said he expects GOP leaders will push for some changes to how federal programs are administered. But Frye urged his party to show “empathy” when it comes to determining the actual benefits that people receive.

“I think it would be stupid to just take something away,” Frye said. “We would have mass chaos. Mass homelessness … so nationally, I don’t think it is going to be a situation where they are taking away from people.”

Detractors worry that New Castle residents will come to regret their votes.

“I have big concerns those who voted for him didn’t realize what they are doing and it’s going to affect their family and friends and probably themselves, too,” said Timothy Buck, chairman of the Lawrence County Democratic Party.

‘Cutting the fat’

On the 100 block of Richelieu Street in New Castle’s Lower East Side neighborhood, many residents rely on some form of government assistance — and most people support Trump. More than a month after the election, Trump signs and flags were still planted in yards and on porches.

Steve Tillia, 59, receives $1,600 a month in Social Security disability payments and $300 in food stamps to support himself and his son. Tillia, who said he is unable to work after suffering from mini strokes, still drives around New Castle with a Trump flag anchored on the bumper of his SUV.

Tillia said he’s confident that Trump and GOP leaders will reduce spending by “cutting the fat” out of government — and not slashing benefits.

“It’s not cutting government programs, it’s cutting the amount of people needed to run a program,” he said. “They are cutting staff, which could actually increase the amount of the programs that we get.”

Tillia’s neighbor, Dawn Simmons, nodded her head in agreement. Simmons receives $900 a month in Social Security benefits and $171 a month in food stamps, and she also said Trump’s decisions may even lead to enhanced benefits in the coming years because he plans to “put Americans first.”

The neighbors on Richelieu Street said they are broadly supportive of Trump’s Cabinet picks, as well as Musk’s plans for the Department of Government Efficiency. Musk has been highlighting examples of what he considers government waste on X, his social media platform — at times pushing misleading information. Some of those examples have nonetheless resonated in New Castle.

“Why do we need to be studying cats in Russia?” asked Tillia, referring to a program that used cats to study spinal cord injuries.

New Castle residents who didn’t support Trump said they are dismayed that their community appears to have voted against its own self-interests.

As they folded clothes at the Colonial laundromat, Tom Jones, 86, and his 75-year-old wife, Lottie, said they are already hearing from parishioners at their church who worry how they will get by if federal spending is reduced.

“My fear is, they will get rid of Obamacare, and mark my words, this will just be the beginning of their troubles,” Jones said. “I want to say, ‘I told you so.’ … These people who voted for him didn’t look at the big picture.”

But as Kathy Davis sat in the “smokers patio” at the Riverside Apartments, she said she is as confident as ever that Trump’s presidency will benefit her.

Davis, a retired artist, subsists on a monthly $1,300 Social Security payment and $75 in food stamps. She rents her studio apartment for $385 per month. Asked whether she worries that Trump’s agenda could hurt the poor, Davis said the incoming president is “too smart for that.”

“You can’t wipe out half of the population” of New Castle, Davis said. “We are old and tired and just want to be taken care of, and Trump has too much common sense, so I don’t think he is going to do anything to hurt us.”

 

[Biff Tannen 46237]

13 minutes ago, Francisco 2.0 said:

Lori Mosura goes to the grocery store on a bicycle because she can’t afford to fix her Ford F-150 truck.

This is the most ‘Merica sentence ever. 

[GenXer 3531]

30 minutes ago, Francisco 2.0 said:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2024/12/26/trump-voters-federal-benefits-food/?

 

After backing Trump, low-income voters hope he doesn’t slash their benefits

 

 

 

 

  Reveal hidden contents

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy — whom Trump has chosen to lead a new nongovernmental advisory panel, the “Department of Government Efficiency” — have said they want to trim $2 trillion from the government’s annual budget, a cut that some experts say could be accomplished only by slashing entitlement programs. Trump’s pick for White House budget director was a key architect of Project 2025, a plan drawn up by conservatives to guide his second term that calls for steep cuts to programs such as food stamps. And GOP leaders in Congress and Trump advisers are considering significant changes to Medicaid, food stamps and other federal aid.

The uncertainty comes after last week’s high-stakes showdown in Congress over the federal funding bill. Lawmakers narrowly avoided a shutdown after agreeing to fund the government until March. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) had unveiled a bipartisan bill to put off a shutdown, but Trump and Musk railed against what they said was unnecessary spending in the initial package.

“Everybody is on hyperalert,” said Tom Scott, the chief executive officer of Lawrence County Community Action Partnership, a social service agency that helps New Castle residents. “You have to be concerned because you don’t know which programs could be targeted” for spending reductions.

In a recent appearance on NBC News’s “Meet the Press,” Trump said any efforts by his administration to streamline the federal government would not impact entitlement programs such as Social Security.

“Americans of all backgrounds elected President Trump because of his plans to lower costs, end the financial drain of illegal immigrants on our healthcare system, and ensure that our country can continue to care for American citizens who rely on Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security,” said Anna Kelly, a spokeswoman for his transition team.

Some longtime Democrats like Mosura said they initially struggled over whether to vote for Trump. They had believed Democrats were the most likely to help the poor and disagreed with Republicans on issues like abortion. But Mosura said she kept coming back to the conclusion that Trump would put Americans like her first and improve her economic prospects.

Mosura said she has been unable to find full-time work in her field and is planning to change her party affiliation to Republican. But she also gets anxious when she hears GOP politicians talk about reducing government spending.

“We helped get you in office; please take care of us,” Mosura said,shifting the conversation as though she were speaking to Trump. “Please don’t cut the things that help the most vulnerable.”

‘Serious, serious trouble’

Located about an hour north of Pittsburgh, New Castle is the third-largest incorporated city in western Pennsylvania.

After it was founded around the turn of the 19th century, the city became a major destination for Italian immigrants. New Castle emerged as an industrial hub known for its tin mills in the 1800s. The new residents built a lively downtown filled with shops and bars.

New Castle was also home to a thriving labor movement that helped shape the city’s historically left-leaning politics. Before Trump won New Castle, the city had last backed a Republican presidential candidate in 1956, when voters narrowly supported Dwight D. Eisenhower (R) over Adlai Stevenson (D), according to Andrei Pagnotta, a resident who has spent years studying the region’s election results.

But the city changed dramatically as factories closed and younger residents moved to more vibrant urban areas. The busiest destinations downtown today are the 60-year-old Capitol Grill bar, which sells $2.75 Bud Lights, and Hazel’s Restaurant, where guests can get a stuffed pork chop dinner for $11.99. The city’s population of 21,000 is roughly half what it was during its peak in the 1940s.

Federal benefits have helped keep residents afloat, and today that safety net is deeply interwoven with daily life. The 8.5-square-mile city includes 10 public housing projects. About 60 percent of the houses in the city are rental properties, and federal housing vouchers help countless families afford rent. Many residents also receive Medicaid and food stamps.

More than half of the Lawrence County Community Action Partnership’s $32 million budget comes from federal aid, said Scott, the organization’s leader. That helps it do things like shuttle low-income residents to medical appointments and offer rental assistance. Federal aid is also key in keeping New Castle’s children fed. About 90 percent of students come from low-income families and qualify for free school lunches, and many are sent home with food to eat over the weekend.

“It’s a very depressed area, so if our funding were to go away, and I have not heard it will, but if it were to go, we would be some in serious, serious trouble,” said Gregg Paladina, superintendent of the New Castle Area School District.

Milk or toilet paper

A decade ago, Mosura was a fervent supporter of the Clintons. She recalls meeting former president Bill Clinton in New Castle at a rally during Hillary Clinton’s 2008 campaign for the White House.

But the single mother said she began to drift away from Democrats as the party’s promises to help people like herself began to ring hollow. She said she’s been “suffering a lot” because of rising prices. Groceries she once thought of as staples — like soda — are now luxuries.

“People are struggling now more than ever, in this city especially,” said Mosura, who pays $375 a month for her apartment. She said she’s “prayed more in the past year than ever before” because of her mounting bills.

New Castle was a bastion for Democratic votes up until this year. But in larger Lawrence County, the shift toward the GOP has been ongoing. White, working class Americans were increasingly drawn to Republican candidates, in part because of their messaging on security and immigration.

According to Census data, White residents make up three-fourths of New Castle’s population, while Black residents account for 10 percent. The population also includes 10 percent of residents who identify as mixed race and five percent who are Hispanic.

Lynne Ryan, chairwoman of the Lawrence County Republican Party, said Democrats lost the support of New Castle residents over their handing of illegal immigration and foreign aid. She said Trump was a skilled politician whom low-income voters found to be honest and relatable.

“Trump won’t cut necessary programs, and nowhere has he said he is cutting any of that,” Ryan said. “He is cutting bloated government. He is not cutting programs that work for the American people.”

City Administrator Chris Frye, a Republican and former mayor of New Castle, said he expects GOP leaders will push for some changes to how federal programs are administered. But Frye urged his party to show “empathy” when it comes to determining the actual benefits that people receive.

“I think it would be stupid to just take something away,” Frye said. “We would have mass chaos. Mass homelessness … so nationally, I don’t think it is going to be a situation where they are taking away from people.”

Detractors worry that New Castle residents will come to regret their votes.

“I have big concerns those who voted for him didn’t realize what they are doing and it’s going to affect their family and friends and probably themselves, too,” said Timothy Buck, chairman of the Lawrence County Democratic Party.

‘Cutting the fat’

On the 100 block of Richelieu Street in New Castle’s Lower East Side neighborhood, many residents rely on some form of government assistance — and most people support Trump. More than a month after the election, Trump signs and flags were still planted in yards and on porches.

Steve Tillia, 59, receives $1,600 a month in Social Security disability payments and $300 in food stamps to support himself and his son. Tillia, who said he is unable to work after suffering from mini strokes, still drives around New Castle with a Trump flag anchored on the bumper of his SUV.

Tillia said he’s confident that Trump and GOP leaders will reduce spending by “cutting the fat” out of government — and not slashing benefits.

“It’s not cutting government programs, it’s cutting the amount of people needed to run a program,” he said. “They are cutting staff, which could actually increase the amount of the programs that we get.”

Tillia’s neighbor, Dawn Simmons, nodded her head in agreement. Simmons receives $900 a month in Social Security benefits and $171 a month in food stamps, and she also said Trump’s decisions may even lead to enhanced benefits in the coming years because he plans to “put Americans first.”

The neighbors on Richelieu Street said they are broadly supportive of Trump’s Cabinet picks, as well as Musk’s plans for the Department of Government Efficiency. Musk has been highlighting examples of what he considers government waste on X, his social media platform — at times pushing misleading information. Some of those examples have nonetheless resonated in New Castle.

“Why do we need to be studying cats in Russia?” asked Tillia, referring to a program that used cats to study spinal cord injuries.

New Castle residents who didn’t support Trump said they are dismayed that their community appears to have voted against its own self-interests.

As they folded clothes at the Colonial laundromat, Tom Jones, 86, and his 75-year-old wife, Lottie, said they are already hearing from parishioners at their church who worry how they will get by if federal spending is reduced.

“My fear is, they will get rid of Obamacare, and mark my words, this will just be the beginning of their troubles,” Jones said. “I want to say, ‘I told you so.’ … These people who voted for him didn’t look at the big picture.”

But as Kathy Davis sat in the “smokers patio” at the Riverside Apartments, she said she is as confident as ever that Trump’s presidency will benefit her.

Davis, a retired artist, subsists on a monthly $1,300 Social Security payment and $75 in food stamps. She rents her studio apartment for $385 per month. Asked whether she worries that Trump’s agenda could hurt the poor, Davis said the incoming president is “too smart for that.”

“You can’t wipe out half of the population” of New Castle, Davis said. “We are old and tired and just want to be taken care of, and Trump has too much common sense, so I don’t think he is going to do anything to hurt us.”

 

I want a follow-up story on this immeasurably stupid voter. Post-tariff. Post austerity. 

It is tax season, Lori. You should be able to pick up a few more hours. Bootstraps. Hustle.  No handouts. Get to work.

 

[Horn Dog 10199]

My favorite quote from the posted WaPo story:

[mdmost 44135]

Party of Fiscal Responsibility wants 86 billion from Congress to deport people but assures us it will save us money in the long run, especially after things get even more expensive when the labor gap happens. 

https://nypost.com/2024/12/24/us-news/incoming-border-czar-tom-homan-says-trump-admin-will-need-86-billion-to-start-mass-deportations/

Edited 7 hours ago by mdmost

[Liteitup 144]

what kind of apartment rents for $385?

[mdmost 44135]

9 minutes ago, Liteitup said:

what kind of apartment rents for $385?

[Sawbonz 28261]

15 minutes ago, Liteitup said:

what kind of apartment rents for $385?

She probably has a section 8 voucher so the 385 is her portion. So she is totally dependent on the federal government for providing her shelter, food, living expenses and healthcare

[GenXer 3531]

20 minutes ago, Liteitup said:

what kind of apartment rents for $385?

Good question. Let’s see.

One star. Off to a strong start.

 

Literally no interior pics. But several of the parking lot. Lulz.

 

Yes, Kathy. Slumlord trump will certainly have your best interests in mind. Eat shit, Kathy.

 

Edited 7 hours ago by GenXer

[Liteitup 144]

utilities included!

[Gatorubet 30822]

3 minutes ago, GenXer said:

Good question. Let’s see.

One star. Off to a strong start.

 

Literally no interior pics. But several of the parking lot. Lulz.

 

Yes, Kathy. Slumlord trump will certainly have your best interests in mind. Eat shit, Kathy.

 

When they become homeless, I hope they remember to take their Trump flags and stickers with them.  That way they can mark their Trump friendly MAGA camps under the overpass from the Libtard homeless camps - so they know who is who and all. 

[Walser 1126]

1 hour ago, BrickHorn said:

You are a bigger man than I am. If one of my dipshit MAGA uncles had asked to borrow my car, I would have responded:

“No. It’s not my fault you are too poor to afford a car and too irresponsible plan your life. This is America, not some socialist hellhole where winners have to share their hard-earned rewards with lazy, entitled losers. My advice is to pick yourself up by your bootstraps. If you start early enough, you’ll have plenty of time to walk to the office.”

https://www.cnn.com/2015/02/03/us/detroit-man-walks-21-miles-for-daily-commute/index.html

 

[Gatorubet 30822]

22 minutes ago, Sawbonz said:

She probably has a section 8 voucher so the 385 is her portion. So she is totally dependent on the federal government for providing her shelter, food, living expenses and healthcare

Trump is going to give her the incredible opportunity to get in on the ground floor and start her own business in the soon-to-be-growing agricultural sector of our economy.  Employment choice may or may not include what crop to pick from what field - but physical activity identical to a free health club membership will be provided by her employer at no extra charge. 

[RDCanecutter 26954]

On 12/24/2024 at 6:02 PM, MissingInAction said:

I parted ways with the last magatard in my social circle recently. 

All these idiots do is deflect and call names like toddlers when getting in trouble on the playground.

I haven't dramatically cut off anybody, but there are several I have made no effort to be around after they showed their asses. eg trying to visit my 80-ish mom with their unvaxxed asses because now they're faith-healed (they weren't,) or lashing out at old friends because Hannity or the local priest or whoever got them spun up in closed-equation thinking.

On the other hand, anybody who knows how to act, I get along fine with them. I don't ask for ideological conformity, just some some courtesy, some sympathy, and taste.

Thankfully where I live is a little old fashioned with a shadow left over of dueling culture. We don't actually meet at dawn, but it tempers the outbursts.

[tx 3 putt 78820]

3 hours ago, Snake Diggity said:

)and had the gall to start a conversation about how shitty the brand of car I drive is)

 

yeah, i would have thrown it back at him 

'no worries, enjoy that bus ride to work' 

 

[RDCanecutter 26954]

3 hours ago, Snake Diggity said:

They asked to borrow one of our cars for awhile which I would have done if he hadn’t brought up politics multiple fucking times on Christmas Day (and had the gall to start a conversation about how shitty the brand of car I drive is).  

Download the sumbitch a bus map.

 

@tx_3_putt for the win.

Edited 7 hours ago by RDCanecutter

[RDCanecutter 26954]

1 hour ago, Liteitup said:

what kind of apartment rents for $385?

What kind of artist "retires?"

[Pato del Muerto 53622]

[Tuco 5099]

23 minutes ago, RDCanecutter said:

On the other hand, anybody who knows how to act, I get along fine with them. I don't ask for ideological conformity, just some some courtesy, some sympathy, and taste.

[tx 3 putt 78820]

1 hour ago, mdmost said:

Party of Fiscal Responsibility wants 86 billion from Congress to deport people but assures us it will save us money in the long run, especially after things get even more expensive when the labor gap happens. 

https://nypost.com/2024/12/24/us-news/incoming-border-czar-tom-homan-says-trump-admin-will-need-86-billion-to-start-mass-deportations/

 

florida and texas both have funded multiple studies to show the financial drain. it doesn't exist 

[Ghost of LL 15725]

1 hour ago, Horn Dog said:

My favorite quote from the posted WaPo story:

I would like to "like" this, but there's not an emoji for this.  It would need something to reflect that I am so incredulous that my jaw literally dropped.

I'm stunned speechless by the fact that anybody could be so stupid.  And as a "retired artist"--yeah, I join @RDCanecutter in his puzzlement as to how an artist "retires"--it's not like she doesn't have time to educate herself on the issues.  She was fucking willfully ignorant.  And she's going to suffer for it.

Not that she'll ever realize that her suffering is in any part her fault, mind you.  Not for a minute.  It's mine--I'm a "coastal elite," after all.  And more than that, it's the fault of those damned immigrants.

Fuck her.  She can get tossed out of her publicly financed housing and off her subsidized food stamps and die in a fucking ditch.  It's not just that she's a drain on society; she's actively trying to undermine our society while draining off it.  She can die and then burn in hell.

Merry fucking Christmas, everyone.

[RDCanecutter 26954]

2 minutes ago, Ghost of LL said:

And as a "retired artist"--yeah, I join @RDCanecutter in his puzzlement as to how an artist "retires"--

On second thought, maybe she was a graphic designer. I'd retire from that and go push a lawn mower.

[InkaUtexas 27022]

24 minutes ago, RDCanecutter said:

What kind of artist "retires?"

A shitty one.

[Okie State 3901]

This is a pretty amazing quote.

“He is more attuned to the needs of everyone instead of just the rich,” Mosura, 55, said on a recent afternoon. “I think he knows it’s the poor people that got him elected, so I think Trump is going to do more to help us.”

[RDCanecutter 26954]

1 minute ago, InkaUtexas said:

A shitty one.

It's like this: you get old and say you need some money. It happens.

If you're really an artist, and you still have one eye and half a hand, you can knock out colorful little widgets, flog em on eBay, and hell, with any luck, pull in a few extra bucks on eBay and Etsy. Don't tell me she doesn't have a phone. Now because I judged, and may be judged in turn, I hope I don't get afflicted with the non-art circumstances like she did. I am mostly just puzzled.