“Life imitates art far more than art imitate life” claimed Oscar Wilde, citing a child’s tendency to imitate what he or she reads in books and stories as an example.
Nothing confirms Wilde’s belief today more than freshman congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and her rabid left-wing followers and media acolytes who are accurately imitating two 1979 films.
In “Being There”, actor Peter Sellers portrayed Chauncey Gardiner, a simple minded gardener whose knowledge is derived entirely from what he sees on television. Hailed as a genius for his simplistic approach to life, with a childlike naïveté, he rapidly rises in politics. His comments on growing roses, trimming trees, and fertilizing shrubs are interpreted as profound political thought and he’s eventually considered a possible presidential candidate.
Freshman Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a simple minded Bronx bartender whose knowledge appears to come entirely from what she sees on TV. She’s hailed by Democrats as a genius for her simplistic approach to government and a childlike naïveté, and rapidly became the darling of the Democrat Party. Her mindless, one-dimensional utterings are considered in-depth analysis by those in her party.
The Democrat Party and main stream media are imitating the “Life of Brian” movie script, blindly following this bumbling Ocasio-Cortez airhead they think is the messiah, who will shower them with jobs, health care, free college, open borders, government jobs for everybody, guaranteed incomes, and a pony.
And, like Brian in the 1979 Monty Python movie, her followers are completely committed to their belief in AOC’s political divinity. They immediately seize upon everything she says and does as points of doctrine.
In just two years the Democrats have gone from denying they were socialists to actually being socialists, deifying Ocasio-Cortez, who is totally bonkers, to prove they are all down with the cause.
The unhinged New York congresswoman who wears a perpetual grin proclaiming: “I can’t believe I won an election, I’ve never won anything before, not even at my elementary school fair!” has proposed a Green New Deal that provides “economic security” to people who are unwilling to work, calls for the banning of “farting cows”, airplanes, and putting every miner, oil rigger, livestock rancher and gas station attendant in America out of work. It also calls for the retrofitting of every building in the U.S. and more nonsense. All of this in just 12 years. If this were to actually take place the ending of a 1968 movie comes to mind: The “Planet of the Apes”, where an astronaut played by Charlton Heston stumbles upon a toppled Statue of Liberty sitting atop the wreckage of what was New York City.
The Wall Street Journal’s Kimberley Strassel wrote of Ms. Ocasio-Cortez: “As a representative of New York, she’s making California look sensible.”
Ms. Ocasio-Cortez called it “a big win” when Amazon announced it was abandoning plans for a headquarters in her New York district costing it some 25,000 – 40,000 jobs paying an average of between $150,000 – $175,000 and an estimated $27.5 billion in tax revenues by 2045. All unemployed Bronx residents must be cheering that lunacy.
“By the end of the Green New Deal resolution (and accompanying fact sheet) I was laughing so hard I nearly cried,” tweeted Ms. Strassel: “If a bunch of GOPers plotted to forge a fake Democratic bill showing how bonkers the party is, they could not have done a better job. It is beautiful.”
Conservative columnist and political pundit Patrick Buchanan described the New Green Deal as “the longest suicide note in history” repeating a years-old comment made by a British Tory about a Labor Party platform.
This absurd “death of capitalism” New Green Deal document was immediately endorsed by at least five of the major Democratic candidates for president including Senators Kirsten Gillibrand, Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren and Senator Cory Booker, who compares the battle to stop climate change to fighting the Nazis in World War II. Naturally nutty Uncle Bernie Sanders, was an original co-sponsor.
The only difference between the Democrat’s New Green Deal and Karl Marx’s “Das Kapital” is that Marx wrote in German.
Ms. Ocasio-Cortex and the nutty New Green Deal are unexpected and welcome gifts to the Republican Party that just keep giving. Icing on this GOP cake are two more Democrat freshmen congresswomen — Muslims Iihan Omar and Rashida Tlaib — who continue to spew anti-Semitic comments faster than nutty Uncle Berne prattles on about Medicare for all. Omar even suggested defunding Homeland Security while Tlaib said she would impeach President Trump while calling him a vile locker room name and said she’d vote against U.S. aid to Israel. What’s next for these two nut jobs, waving suicide belts at rallies?
And then there’s the surprise gift of the entire top echelon of the Virginia Democratic leadership jumping out of a cake and collapsing on itself with a series of sexual abuse allegations, racist photographs and its pediatric neurosurgeon doctor and governor clumsily justifying the murder of newborn babies on TV.
Let’s see now — infanticide, government-run industries, free college, free healthcare, jobs for all, and gun confiscation. Aren’t those the same platforms that Adolph Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, Fidel Castro, and others used to justify their murderous, devastating dictatorships? These folks need to read Jonah Goldberg’s “liberal Fascism”, explaining how the original fascists were on the left.
For example, the Nazis declared war on smoking, supported abortion and gun control, and lamented how “big capitalism” was screwing the little guy. They hated the free market, provided generous pensions for the elderly, and maintained a strict racial quota system in their universities — where campus speech codes were all the rage. The Nazis led the world in organic farming and alternative medicine. Hitler was a vegetarian and Himmler an animal rights activist.
It’s frightening that in the United States, the terms fascism and Nazism have taken the form of progressivism.
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Memorable Sports Quotes: “We were tipping off our plays. Whenever we broke from the huddle, three backs were laughing and one was pale as a ghost.” — John Breen, Houston Oilers.
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Sean Poynter: A Stand up Guy: Fernandina Beach’s Sean Poynter is a stand up guy in more ways than one and the Fernandina Beach City Commission wants everybody to know it.
The 29-year-old local resident is the first ever two- time International Surfing Association (ISA) Standup Paddle Surfing Gold Medalist (2013 & 2015), a two-time national champion (2017 & 2018), and clinched the Association of PaddleSurf Professionals (APP) World Title in 2018.
The son of restaurateurs Tim and Theresa Poynter who own Karibo, Karibrew and three area Timoti’s Seafood Shack eateries, Sean was recognized for his surfing feats this past Tuesday evening by the Fernandina Beach City Commission and awarded a proclamation read by Mayor Johnny Miller.
The young Poynter began surfing when his family moved here from Cincinnati 19 years ago and began stand-up paddle boarding 10 years ago and soon thereafter was traveling the globe competing internationally. He continues to compete on a world tour and coaches stand up paddle surfing through the company “SUP ‘n’ Surf Retreats” in Mexico and “Paddle Surf Hangouts” in Fernandina Beach.
The polite and very modest young man received a loud and enthusiastic round of applause from the standing-room only crowd at City Hall following the mayor’s reading of the proclamation. “Fernandina is where I grew up, so it’s a special place for me,” he said. He went on to thank Driftwood Surf Shop — his first sponsor — and Steve Sjuggerud, who introduced him to stand up paddling. He also thanked Beth Jones of the local News Leader newspaper for her support and for covering local surfing events that he stages. He went on to recognize his local surfing pals and his family for their support and encouragement.
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The Crazy Uncle & Aunt: The last time he ran for President in 2016 Crazy Uncle Bernie Sanders, the 78-year-old winner of the Ebenezer Scrooge look-a-like contest, campaigned on the promise of free college for all. It’s ironic then that while the socialist’s wife, Jane, was president of Burlington College, tuition there rose from $14,170 to $22,410 during her term. Her tenure ended when she drove the institution into school-closing bankruptcy in what many in Vermont called bank fraud, saying Ms. Sanders signed bank loan notes overstating the school’s ability to pay. If elected this soon to be 80-year-old whack job would bring his wife along as a trusted adviser, so the two of them could sow socialistic economic mayhem country-wide.
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Help Wanted. Bigots Need Apply: Disgraced actor Jussie Smollett, Virginia’s Democrat governor, Judge Brett Kavanaugh’s hearings, Al Sharpton & Tuwana Brawlee, the Covington Catholic High School student debacles, and much more prove that the most tolerant country in world history is unable to increase the supply of bigots at the pace necessary to meet the demands of the left.
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Seeking A Delicate Balance: The February 8 edition of the Jacksonville Business Journal featured a comprehensive four-page spread about Fernandina Beach describing the conflict between some long-time residents who resent change and newcomers who are causing an area economic boom.
Written by Allison Colburn, who covers real estate for the publication, it was the paper’s front-page story headlined “Keeping Amelia Unique” featuring a color photo of Fernandina Beach Mayor Johnny Miller perched behind the Palace Saloon bar he tends next to a subhead that read “Fernandina Beach tries to retain its small-town culture and charm as economic growth in the area reaches new heights.”
Ms. Colburn detailed how the city was struggling to find a balance between the burgeoning growth in western Nassau County that is spilling over onto Amelia Island and maintaining the historic look and feel of the Norman Rockwell-like, small-town atmosphere of Fernandina Beach.
According to her well-sourced statistics Amelia Island saw an 82 percent increase in money spent by visiting tourists in the past 12 years. In 2017 alone, she says, some 1.4 million tourists visited the island. Citing state figures she adds that Fernandina Beach has seen its population grow by close to 10 percent in just the past five years while the county, including Yulee, has added 10,000 people in the same period of time.
The article points out that Fernandina Beach does not offer incentives to attract businesses here and quoted Mayor Miller as saying it focuses on supporting the businesses that currently exist. Miller didn’t explain how the city does that and business owners quoted in the article attributed their success to the growth of tourism and the booming economy, and not to anything the city commissioners have done to help them. The solution Mayor Miller offered was “paid parking” that he said would to keep off-island visitors from trashing the area beaches on weekends.
She said the burgeoning growth in new housing, restaurants, bars, hotels, and industrial growth is pushing up against Fernandina Beach officials who are fighting back with regulations like height restrictions, and density rules.
Laura DiBella, executive director of the Nassau County Economic Development Board and port director of the Port of Fernandina, detailed improvements made at the port and how important the uniqueness of Fernandina Beach is to the future of the county. “I can’t sell the county without Fernandina,” said Ms. DiBella. “There’s nothing like it.”
Despite having “Fernandina” in its name, the port is an independent special-purpose government district created in 1941 by the Florida State Legislature and resides in Nassau County. It is governed by five elected county officials. Ms. DiBella explained that the port recently added a $2 million mobile harbor crane and has plans to invest an additional $15 million in improvements ranging from cargo handling equipment and berth extensions to on-dock warehousing.
The article’s conclusion is that the continuing struggle in Fernandina Beach to find a balance between continued growth and preservation won’t be easy and will persist for many years.
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Dissing Dissenters: While enjoying a meal with friends at downtown’s Salty Pelican recently a dining companion pointed out that local News Leader newspaper editor, Peg Davis, was seated at a nearby table. Since I’d never met Ms. Davis, I approached her, introduced myself, and extended my hand. She declined saying “No thanks, you’ve offended me on social media.” I backed off remarking, “It’s nice to meet you.” She responded saying: “I wish I could say the same.”
I find it sad that she feels that anyone disagreeing with her must be vilified and shunned. Her attitude says a lot about the fading readership of a local print newspaper that is being clobbered by the online Observer and Independent. She’s obviously galled that locals distrust News Leader editorial viewpoints and that her paper is mocked by a majority of residents for it childish editorializing and sloganeering passed off as analysis. Instead of ignoring her critics, she might be better off discussing and arguing differences with her dissenters, or am I missing something here?
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Drinking, Dining & Dancing: In the two humps or one department, Main Beach’s Sandbar Restaurant & Kitchen is featuring a seven-course “wild game” dinner, Wednesday, March 6 beginning at 6 p.m. The event is limited to just 40 people and reservations are required by going to sandbarandkitchen@gmail.com or calling 904/310-3648. In addition to the third course of char-grilled Camel Rib Eye with baby carrots, and roasted Brussel sprouts, diners will be served a first course of charcuterie consisting of cold smoked venison, marrow toast, a selection of cheeses and parsley salad; a second serving of Hudson Valley Duck; then the camel; a fourth course of venison with an avocado cream; a fifth course of Waygu beef cheek ravioli with Tito’s vodka sauce; a sixth course of rack of antelope with quail eggs and blue cheese, and the seventh course of goat cheese and Mascarpone filling and wild boar bacon. All this for just $65 per person. If you want wine pairings, that’s extra. I’ve heard from several sources that the Barbara Jean’s restaurant location on Gateway Blvd, on the Amelia Island side of Shave Bridge will soon be occupied by something called Captain Jack’s BBQ, but that’s all the information I have at this time and can’t find anyone to verify any of it. The downtown Chili Cook-Off will be held tomorrow, Saturday, February 23, on Centre & 2nd Street from 11 am to 1:30 pm. Come vote for your favorite and be sure to stop by the e-bowl-a stand in front of PJD’s Wine & Beer Garden at 12 South 2nd Street so you can brag that you cast your ballot for the best bowl of red in the event.
Dave, the interesting thing about AOC’s Green New Deal is that it has more to do with socialism than green. The United States has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions something like 20% since 2012, thanks NOT to phony climate accords (which allow the likes of China and India to pollute, but which extort billions from the US), but rather due to the increased use of natural gas vs coal and oil. And the abundance of natural gas is due to the advances in hydraulic fracturing in shale formations, previously thought unusable. And this process of ‘fracking’ is being fought tooth and nail by the so-called ‘watermelons’ (green on the outside, red on the inside) who insist the process is dangerous, despite it being done safely for over 40 years and in 35+ states. The feckless Andrew ‘Corruptocrat’ Cuomo of New York caved to the likes of Craig ‘Brown Jug’ Stevens, who claims to be a grassroots protester, but who has recently been outed as being a paid shill for Food and Water Watch, often paid $5000/month to travel the country with the famous brown jug, supposedly containing contaminated water. You might enjoy reading about some of these clowns in articles in the blog Natural Gas Now (https://naturalgasnow.org/) The bottom line is that much of the environmental movement is not about saving the planet, it’s about destroying Capitalism. A few quotes: “We redistribute de facto the world’s wealth by climate policy…Basically it’s a big mistake to discuss climate policy separately from the major themes of globalization…One has to free oneself from the illusion that international climate policy is environmental policy. This has almost nothing to do with environmental policy anymore.”- Ottmar Edenhoffer, UN-IPCC official
“The goal now is a socialist, redistributionist society, which is nature’s proper steward and society’s only hope.” David Brower, founder of the Sierra Club
“This is the first time in the history of mankind that we are setting ourselves the task of intentionally, within a defined period of time, to change the economic development model that has been reigning for at least 150 years, since the Industrial Revolution,” Christiana Figueres, executive secretary of U.N.’s Framework Convention on Climate Change
Hey Dave, the Republicans have some dupes too, that believe everything that comes out of T’s lips.
Dave,
You are “right on” as usual! Keep these great blogs coming!
Guess you forgot to mention this:
“Local government critic Dave Scott, who refers to county and city commissioners as bobbleheads, luddites and incompetents, is now on the county government payroll.
Laura Dibella, executive director of the Nassau County Economic Development Board and Port Director, announced at the Ocean High Port Authority meeting Wednesday that she has hired Scott and his partner to do public relations for the county and port.
That means Scott will take a government paycheck in return for churning out positive messaging about the very government idiots he says he deplores.” -Mike Lednovich, City Commissioner
Thanks, Anne, for your quote Dave conveniently forgot to mention. Never let it be said that right-wing Republicans won’t sacrifice their principles, beliefs and integrity for money. Dave, you’re a true Trumper all the way through.
Wow Dave, sounds like the natives are on the war path
and looking for scalps. Yours being at the top of the list.
There are a few good things
about living in a big city, one
is virtual anonymity and in
my case,grand kids. Watch
your back and keep your doors locked.
Dave:
So you accosted Ms. Davis in a public eating establishment; for shame! You need to understand that a difference of opinion is a personal affront, assault to a lefty. I hope you are dealing with the rejection; be strong. It might help to understand it’s not about you. Ms Davis is not reacting to you it’s all about your ideas.
Pat
Wow. Peg Davis turned down an opportunity to meet you, the famous Dave Scott? What was she thinking? She is the Editor in Chief of the News Leader and you are the most vocal, aggressive, and consistent critic of that paper in its history (and that includes one legendary local who once delivered a dump truck of manure to the News Leader parking lot). I can’t imagine why she turned down an opportunity to have her dinner interrupted by a charmer like yourself. I know Peg and have had many enjoyable conversations with her. I can say the same about you. I find you both to be intelligent, but I’ve found myself often on the other side of issues with both of you. But I bet she could introduce herself to anyone and not be similarly dismissed. And it has nothing to do with the person she might approach. It has everything to do with the fact that she doesn’t go out of her way every single week to offend a large swath of our local citizenry. I’ve commented here before (and to you in person) that I enjoy a lot of your content even if I don’t agree with it. Maybe try being less offensive?
Dave:
Excellent observations! The comment about Amelia Island’s tourism industry’s growth is spot-on! However, think about how much better it would have been had it not been handicapped by a 2 lane road expansion project on A1A that has lasted 5 years with at least another year of disruption expected prior to completion! Many tourists have just given up and gone further south off I-95 because the ONLY east bound road is A1A! Who is to blame for this incompetent road construction project?