Op-Ed: Crime And Punishment

What happens in Russia when things don’t go exactly as planned? When Putin is displeased, worried or paranoid? He cleans house. Ukraine not unfolding as planned? Fire your top 8 generals in one grand sweep. Worried about disgruntled help stirring through the kitchen? Simple. Fire the entire staff of 1,000 and find the most reliable food tasters the planet has to offer. No discussion, no drama. Perhaps not pretty but it’s swift and efficient. 

And what do we do here when things go awry and justice needs to be done? Thankfully we don’t typically employ the extreme top-down measures of our Moscow brethren. Democracy is messy, we all know that. But please - can’t we move a little faster! Global warming is moving faster than our seemingly stuck-in-glue judiciary. Anchored in 2019 by the Trump & Bannon show, Congressional aides, appointed officials, consultants and the cadre of vassals that accompany any President, were told explicitly to simply ignore Congressional subpoenas. Don’t be home. Don’t be found. Just say no to judicial inquiry, a strategy which thus far has proven very effective. 

As the House Select Committee continues to be stonewalled by fearless suspects, there is little indication members are close to charging anyone with “criminal contempt of Congress” the prescribed remedy for non-compliance. Criminal contempt means not showing up or refusal to show documents. Three measures are available to encourage cooperation. 

1. Cite Inherent Contempt where the Senate Sergeant of Arms can imprison the person until they comply. (not currently in vogue!) 

2. Congress can vote on contempt then refer the case to the Executive where a one month prison term can be invoked if the person does not comply and the Judiciary agrees. 

3. Congress can ask the Judicial branch to have a civil court enforce a subpoena, a tactic recently attempted several times but the courts moved too slowly for it to be effective.  

In reading about attempts by Congress to subpoena potential witnesses, a common response by process servers is that they simply can’t find the person. So, if there is no budget for tracking their whereabouts, find it! Aren’t multiple attempts made until the mission is accomplished? I bet a teen with a phone and a little motivation could do better. To me, saying a person can’t be found is like saying the dog ate my homework. C’mon. Really? 

What’s at risk now is everything. Trump is campaigning as I sit here typing, talking about how Putin’s going to give him the skinny on Biden’s Jr.’s dirty Ukrainian money. Midterms are around the corner and the popular consensus seems to be that we will lose the House, possibly the Senate. If rules need to change to enforce judicial compliance, we need to fight for the changes. We can’t win the election if we lose on the judicial front. Serious crimes have been and continue to be committed. If we want to prove our effectiveness as citizens, we need punishment as well. We need accountability. We need to see all the deserving people behind bars.

Eileen Austen
March 30, 2022

Op-Ed: A Room with a View

Editor Eileen Austen debuts with her thoughts on the global War Against Democracy

March 11, 2022

It seems impossible. Our East Valley Indivisible group, a small group of progressive activists, should begin its first blog with what’s happening continents away, in the beleaguered towns and cities of Ukraine. Unfortunately it’s all too logical, given that democracies around the world are under attack - including our own. As I write this in the quiet of my office, Ukraine is being illegally invaded under the terms of the Geneva Convention, the Russian authorities have arrested thousands of dissidents in hundreds of cities who may or may not be seen or heard from again, scores of Russian soldiers have died in a war that they thought was to be a training exercise. War crimes are being committed against the citizens of Ukraine; men, women and Ukrainian children are dying as you read this. Why? Because they had the gall to want to govern themselves; because they were building a free, democratic country instead of a puppet government ruled by a tyrant.

It’s ironic then, witnessing the possible demise of Ukraine from the comfort of our couches, that here at home some of our wealthiest citizens and most powerful office holders, are obsessed with destroying our own electoral system. There are any number of places to take off with this but I’ll start with what came across my desk this week. Russia has oligarchs - we have billionaires. On the radar screen now is billionaire Richard Uihlein, CEO of Wisconsin based Uline packaging supply company and creator/donor of a very healthy Super PAC. It appears that funds from his Super Pac are being directed to The Voter Reference Foundation, a group dedicated to putting the nation’s voter rolls on-line so everyone can conclude, as they have, that every American election is fraught with fraud. 

To date they claim to show that Nevada’s election was hi-jacked, as were those in the battle-ground states of Michigan, Georgia, Ohio and Wisconsin. Under the auspices of Gina Swoboda, a high ranking official in the Arizona Republican Party, 18 additional states have been analyzed and found corrupted, despite the “official” election officials finding nothing wrong. 

Perhaps this wouldn’t be so newsworthy if the people in Ukraine weren’t dying on TV, right in front of us, dying to maintain their democracy and the right to vote. 

So what can we do? Write, call or visit your representatives in Congress with these messages: 

1. Continue the ban on imports from Russia, especially oil

2. Demand that Russia be formally sanctioned for war crimes

3. Demand that we make it possible for Poland to give jets to Ukraine

4. Call for banks worldwide to seize assets of Russian oligarchs              

5. Demand that children of oligarchs in American Universities be sent home NOW

Give: 

1. International Red Cross -  redcross.org

2. International Rescue Committee - rescue.org  

3. Save the Children - Ukraine Relief Fund -  savethechildren.org

A Message from City Councilmember Nithya Raman

Dear Friends, 

With 2022 in full swing, my team and I are excited to be out and about in the new Council District 4! The new boundaries went into effect at the top of the year, and it’s been a pleasure to welcome Encino and parts of Studio City and Reseda to our district. These new neighborhoods join the many wonderful areas I am lucky to represent, including Sherman Oaks. 

Since the City Council voted to adopt the new district map in December, we’ve been hitting the ground running, meeting with Valley stakeholders across education, business, and faith communities, Neighborhood Councils, and more (with a few adjustments to account for the Omicron surge in January!) We want to share all the ways our office is available to help, including small business assistance, addressing traffic and parking concerns, grants, housing and rental information, and homelessness response. 

As my team and I continue to meet more of you in the coming months, I encourage you to continue to stay up to date on the latest from our office— from our district newsletter to our latest press releases.

Website: cd4.lacity.org
Email: contactCD4@lacity.org or kevin.sanchez-morales@lacity.org 
Phone: City Hall: (213) 473-7004 / Sherman Oaks District Office: (818) 728-9924
Mail: 200 N Spring St, Suite 415, Los Angeles, CA 90012.
Sign Up For Updates: cd4.nationbuilder.com/Newsletter

I look forward to you getting in touch. 

Warmly, 
Nithya

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