Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker shares a gay couple’s heartfelt letter detailing their escape from a red state

https://flip.it/W.qqGE #LGBTQ #JBPritzker #Illinois #BlueState #RedState #Politics #CivilRights #Equality #Resist

#USPol

Questions and an idea for my #USAnian friends...

Your ~~feral~~ federal government is currently being commandeered by an executive that believes that it can rewrite the U.S. constitution via executive orders. One of the primary techniques they are using is usurping the congress's "power of the purse", by either refusing to spend congressionally-allocated funds, or by spending those funds on things other than congress allocated them for.

If the executive branch thinks it's fine to ignore your constitution and screw taxpayers with tax dollars, then...

1) Most of the feds' tax income comes from income tax and various #employment taxes.

2) Employers collect these taxes and remit them to the government.

3) Q: exactly *who* do they remit them to? Based on history, I would think this would be a state agency, who would keep the state/municipal portion and remit the rest to the federal government. Is this correct?

4) "Blue" states are, in general, net payers of tax dollars vs. federal services received.

5) "Red" states are, in general, the opposite - they receive more in federal services / support than they remit in taxes.

So, depending on the answer to (3), my #idea is: why don't blue states stop remitting funds to the federal #government? Don't steal it, just hold it in trust until the feds can be made to follow the law correctly.

I would think this would hurt the feds, a *lot*.

Found this on a Discord...

If you need to move from a #redState to a #blueState because you are #trans or #nonBinary, etc. these folks are offering interest-free #loans.

Keshet-HFLS “Move to Thrive” Interest-Free Loan Program

Applicants do not have to be Jewish and can be moving from any state in the U.S. to any state in the U.S. (but not outside of the country).

To qualify, applicants must meet the following requirements:

- Have plans to move to a different state within three months of receiving an HFLS loan and be able to submit documentation of their move OR plan to move no later than six months from the time they receive the loan.

- Have annual household income sufficient to support loan repayment, and no higher than the HFLS income limits.

- Have an active checking account.

- Provide one guarantor who meets the two requirements above.

Initial funding for this program is provided by the Jewish LGBTQ Donor Network.

https://www.keshetonline.org/movetothrive/

I keep reading about how blue states are losing population due to high cost of living - but every time we crunch the numbers the only thing that makes #Baltimore more expensive for us than #Florida is the post-pandemic mortgage + to a much lesser degree, state taxes

Florida is not affordable, especially when your home insurance doubles overnight in the least climate-sensitive (inland, high ground) part of the state. #costofliving #redstate #bluestate

Since the #unitedstates can’t get conservative states to protest, if #maga ppl won’t look at the light of day, maybe it’s time for a general strike.

Blue states are overwhelmingly the profit centers of the country. If 2/3 of CEO’s called Trump in a week this would stop. Labor has always been the real power, and the real vote.

@CptSuperlative I think the attempt to target red states is interesting, maybe even clever.

If a re-alignment is happening, I’d much rather re-align with Canada lol #BlueState #NM

Self Distraction

Here is a picture of a cute kitty to distract us all from the end of civilization and the unchecked rise of evil in the largest nuclear power on Earth. Yippee for cute kitties!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/robj_1971/54281359250/in/datetaken/

I am completely on edge. I’ve actually caught myself a couple of times today sitting at my desk working while my hands are balled up in fists, white knuckles and all. Nothing’s going badly at work. All is a-ok. It’s just the rest of the world that has me so tensed up.

On the drive in today there were a bunch of times when I saw someone driving like an asshole (this is Massachusetts after all) and I thought to myself, I bet he voted for that nazi fuck and is driving like that because he knows he can get away with anything (including treason) so long as he wears that stupid fucking red hat. As I said this is Massachusetts so the chances of randomly running into a maga cult asshole are much less than 50/50. Still, I am so mad at the state of things right now that even here in the happy Blue State I am seeing fascists everywhere.

I hate him. I hate what he stands for. I hate those who figuratively suck his dick in exchange for being able to openly express their bigotry and hatred and racism and misogyny and antisemitism and anti-everyone who isn’t a straight white male. Fuck, I hate all of this nazi bullshit.

Breath. Count to 10. Look at the cute kitty*. Deal with it. It’s only been two days, but that’s two days closer to being able to kick these fuckers to the curb.

*Fans of The Walking Dead will note that I did not say look at the flowers. No… that would mean something entirely different and much, much darker. Look at the flowers, Lizzie. BLAM.

Half of #America could #lose #access to #trans #healthcare. #Doctors are racing against time.

#BlueState #Gender #clinics face year-long #waitlists as #families cross state lines seeking #GenderAffirmingCare.

#Women #Transgender #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA #TransKids #Healthcare #Conservatives #Extremism #Fascism #Religion #Hategroups #RepublicanParty #Hate #Bigotry #Violence #Genocide #Discrimination #Transphobia #ThePartyOfHate #EmptyThePews

https://www.reckon.news/lgbtq/2024/12/half-of-america-could-lose-access-to-trans-healthcare-doctors-are-racing-against-time.html

Woman Moves To A #BlueState For The First Time, Goes Viral After Sharing Her Unfiltered Thoughts

https://www.boredpanda.com/differences-republican-democratic-states-usa-officialnancydrew/
https://www.tiktok.com/@officialnancydrew/video/7420894300369620266

Hello, I have a quick question, so I have a friend who is renting out part of their property, they just opened it up, we live in a blue city in a blue state and are on Erin in the mornings safe states for #lqbtq people. Is there a place where I can list it in a way that #trans #queer or other people can see it in case they want to flee their state?

Looking for infrared sauna heaters. Refuse to purchase them from a #RedState. Will purchase directly from a #BlueState or #Import I will not subsidize #BigotWorld

@dancingdogs Democratic states need to band together to protect themselves from stupidity. That saying old cold war saying 'Better Dead Than Red' should be changed to 'If Red Then Dead.'
#Covid #RedState #BlueState