May Current Events: Launch my corpse into space with a skateboard or something

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RFC2324: Jun 7, 2012; http 418

boop the snoot posted:

I have this radical theory that if we dumped almost every single tax dollar into education, it would start a domino effect that would solve every other problem we have in this stupid country.

relatively easy to sell, too. we need more scientists so our war machine stays more powerful than china's!

# ? May 2, 2021 19:00

Adbot: ADBOT LOVES YOU

# ? Apr 29, 2024 13:56

99pct of germs: Apr 13, 2013

boop the snoot posted:

I have this radical theory that if we dumped almost every single tax dollar into education, it would start a domino effect that would solve every other problem we have in this stupid country.

"Socialist Liberal Democrats are trying to brainwash your children through the education system! Pull your kids out of school right now and burn the textbooks." - Tucker Carlson probably

# ? May 2, 2021 19:02

That Works: Jul 22, 2006; Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy

What's up with the California guard?

https://twitter.com/steve_katz/status/1388890290270785538?s=20

# ? May 2, 2021 19:10

Stultus Maximus: Dec 21, 2009; USPOL May

boop the snoot posted:

I have this radical theory that if we dumped almost every single tax dollar into education, it would start a domino effect that would solve every other problem we have in this stupid country.

Only if it's put in the right places.
America does education for middle and upper class white kids REALLY well. Not so much for everyone else.

RFC2324 posted:

relatively easy to sell, too. we need more scientists so our war machine stays more powerful than china's!

They did this in the earlier stages of the Cold War, but again... only for middle and upper class white kids.

# ? May 2, 2021 19:12

bird food bathtub: Aug 9, 2003; College Slice

The shrieking white hot sphere of pure rage that is at the beating heart of today's GOP has educated people as one of their hated classes so good luck selling that to the death cult half of our government.

# ? May 2, 2021 19:42

facialimpediment: Feb 11, 2005; as the world turns

That Works posted:

What's up with the California guard?

I figured there was going to be hell to pay once it came out that California Guard Brass were entertaining sending an F-15 over groups of hypothetical protestors to scare them.

https://twitter.com/latimes/status/1385626691402227712

And here's a non-paywalled version of your article, though still not much details yet: https://ktla.com/news/california/california-national-guard-faces-shake-up-with-firing-of-generals-new-limits-set-by-state/

My baseless speculation is that Governor Newsom and others found some hardcore trumpers in Guard command and the Trumpers just couldn't hide their STOLEN ELECTION UNLAWFUL PRESIDENT poo poo in their head.

# ? May 2, 2021 19:54

Blind Rasputin: Nov 25, 2002; Farewell, good Hunter. May you find your worth in the waking world.

They were going to use that jet to frighten George Floyd protestors Jesus Christ what in hell.

# ? May 2, 2021 20:12

Midjack: Dec 24, 2007

Blind Rasputin posted:

They were going to use that jet to frighten George Floyd protestors Jesus Christ what in hell.

At this rate we're going to see a Black Hawk Down scenario play out in a US city before the decade is out, dead airmen dragged through the streets and everything.

# ? May 2, 2021 20:14

BIG HEADLINE: Jun 13, 2006; "Stand back, Ottawan ruffian, or face my lumens!"

Blind Rasputin posted:

They were going to use that jet to frighten George Floyd protestors Jesus Christ what in hell.

What the Blackhawks and that Lakota did in DC was way more dangerous than a low-level jet flyover. They made DC sound and feel like a Fallujah reenactment.

There was also an ELINT bird circling DC the whole time, doing gently caress knows what.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.military.com/daily-news/2020/06/19/air-force-probing-use-of-rc-26-spy-plane-us-cities.html/amp

BIG HEADLINE fucked around with this message at 20:26 on May 2, 2021

# ? May 2, 2021 20:18

Blind Rasputin: Nov 25, 2002; Farewell, good Hunter. May you find your worth in the waking world.

May Current Events: Behind Enemy Lines III: Escape from LA.

# ? May 2, 2021 21:00

boop the snoot: Jun 3, 2016

Is Texas fixing their power grid?

Shouldn�t people be doing something about that before more people die?

I made a big stink about how it�s going to happen again when it was going on and was told that I�m being insensitive to the situation.

# ? May 2, 2021 21:14

CainFortea: Oct 15, 2004

boop the snoot posted:

Is Texas fixing their power grid?

Shouldn�t people be doing something about that before more people die?

I made a big stink about how it�s going to happen again when it was going on and was told that I�m being insensitive to the situation.

They won't even wear masks. Fixing power grids is hard.

# ? May 2, 2021 21:18

CommieGIR: Aug 22, 2006; The blue glow is a feature, not a bug; Pillbug

boop the snoot posted:

Is Texas fixing their power grid?

Shouldn’t people be doing something about that before more people die?

I made a big stink about how it’s going to happen again when it was going on and was told that I’m being insensitive to the situation.

Lmao, no. They didn't the last time this happened either.

# ? May 2, 2021 21:19

mlmp08: Jul 11, 2004; Prepare for my priapic projectile's exalted penetration; Nap Ghost

Texas legislature is still fighting over what will be in an ERCOT reform bill.

Greg Abbott, says he�ll fix it, and that means... maybe nothing?

Meanwhile, the Texans outside of ERCOT remain unenvious of ERCOT.

# ? May 2, 2021 21:21

boop the snoot: Jun 3, 2016

Expecting a GOP governing body to fix anything without demanding it through direct action and protesting is pretty fruitless.

We know Texas has a liability with their power grid. We know that people will die if they don�t fix it.

At what point is inaction by citizens a liability that can be called out?

People should be demanding it gets fixed RIGHT NOW. But they aren�t because....?

# ? May 2, 2021 21:23

boop the snoot: Jun 3, 2016

I�m not trying to start a flame war but it really annoys me that saying citizens need to spring into action and start demanding things from their government gets written off as victim blaming.

1) I don�t want people in Texas to die. 2) The government doesn�t care. You can�t reconcile these two things without getting accused of victim blaming.

# ? May 2, 2021 21:25

mlmp08: Jul 11, 2004; Prepare for my priapic projectile's exalted penetration; Nap Ghost

More data about outtages:

https://twitter.com/cohan_ds/status/1387404329024462851?s=21

boop the snoot posted:

People should be demanding it gets fixed RIGHT NOW. But they aren�t because....?

There are multiple reform bills working through the TX leg. They range from mandating and funding winterization upgrades, requiring ercot board members to live in TX, changing pricing scheme (including retroactive IIRC to wipe out the absurd $$$$$$ bills during crisis). One of the clusterfuck problems is that TX legislature cannot just let a bunch of power companies fail overnight, but also doesn�t want to pass-through saving them to customers, but then oops, gotta fund this out of somewhere... and no regular taxpayer really wants a bailout package without strings.

It is back in TX news after ERCOT issued warnings a week or two ago (blackouts did not occur, but it was something like a 5% margin of capacity).

# ? May 2, 2021 21:36

Acebuckeye13: Nov 2, 2010; If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling
1-800-GAMBLER; Ultra Carp

boop the snoot posted:

I�m not trying to start a flame war but it really annoys me that saying citizens need to spring into action and start demanding things from their government gets written off as victim blaming.

1) I don�t want people in Texas to die. 2) The government doesn�t care. You can�t reconcile these two things without getting accused of victim blaming.

The majority of Texans did not vote for the government that's trying to kill them. Of the 29 million people who live in Texas, only 4,656,196 voted for Abbot.

# ? May 2, 2021 22:06

Platystemon: Feb 13, 2012; BREADS

Blind Rasputin posted:

They were going to use that jet to frighten George Floyd protestors Jesus Christ what in hell.

In March of 2020?

I mean I just read the headline because of the LAT paywall, but I�m already confused about the timeline.

mlmp08 posted:

Texas legislature is still fighting over what will be in an ERCOT reform bill.

When does their part-time legislature recess again?

# ? May 2, 2021 22:40

CRUSTY MINGE: Mar 30, 2011; Peggy Hill
Foot Connoisseur

Platystemon posted:

When does their part-time legislature recess again?

May 31st

Lol

# ? May 2, 2021 22:48

AreWeDrunkYet: Jul 8, 2006

Acebuckeye13 posted:

The majority of Texans did not vote for the government that's trying to kill them. Of the 29 million people who live in Texas, only 4,656,196 voted for Abbot.

Greg Abbott will easily win re-election in 2022.

# ? May 2, 2021 22:50

Grip it and rip it: Apr 28, 2020

boop the snoot posted:

Expecting a GOP governing body to fix anything without demanding it through direct action and protesting is pretty fruitless.

We know Texas has a liability with their power grid. We know that people will die if they don�t fix it.

At what point is inaction by citizens a liability that can be called out?

People should be demanding it gets fixed RIGHT NOW. But they aren�t because....?

People, particularly texans, are horrible stupid monsters with no long term thinking and even less initiative

# ? May 2, 2021 23:27

Blind Rasputin: Nov 25, 2002; Farewell, good Hunter. May you find your worth in the waking world.

Platystemon posted:

In March of 2020?

I mean I just read the headline because of the LAT paywall, but I�m already confused about the timeline.

When does their part-time legislature recess again?

Just going through the article links that�s what one of the complaints was. At one point the command had ordered that an F-15 remain fueled and ready to fly low over the George Floyd protests. The person filing the complaint said that plane was fueled and ready just as ordered.

Seems excessive.

# ? May 2, 2021 23:32

BIG HEADLINE: Jun 13, 2006; "Stand back, Ottawan ruffian, or face my lumens!"

AreWeDrunkYet posted:

Greg Abbott will easily win re-election in 2022.

No one ever went broke being the guy telling Texans they can do anything they drat well want.

That's why Cruz wins - they hate him, but he doesn't do anything to ~restrict their freedumz~ (that they care about), so he's their guy.

# ? May 2, 2021 23:32

AreWeDrunkYet: Jul 8, 2006

BIG HEADLINE posted:

No one ever went broke being the guy telling Texans they can do anything they drat well want.

That's why Cruz wins - they hate him, but he doesn't do anything to ~restrict their freedumz~ (that they care about), so he's their guy.

Unless you're in Austin, then the state government will go out of their way to overturn local measures.

# ? May 2, 2021 23:34

CRUSTY MINGE: Mar 30, 2011; Peggy Hill
Foot Connoisseur

So long as Cruz OwNs ThE lIbS he'll always have a seat because texans hate critical thinking and themselves.

# ? May 2, 2021 23:35

Comrade Blyatlov: Aug 4, 2007; should have picked four fingers

I have to give points to Jim Crow for not wanting NGR on his car.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/motoring/300290826/man-wants-offensive-number-plate-removed-from-circulation

Mcnally blame FV if this is not kosher

Comrade Blyatlov fucked around with this message at 23:42 on May 2, 2021

# ? May 2, 2021 23:38

Crazy Mike: Sep 16, 2005; Now with 25% more kimchee.

DJ Burette posted:

One of the ways I've seen cities driving up the use of public transport here in the UK and in some European cities is by building large carparks on the outer edges of cities and then having free or cheap bus/light rail into the city centre from there. This allows people from commuter towns/suburbs to still drive into the city without having to wait on limited or irregular public transport out of the denser inner city routes, while allowing for high levels of inner city public transport where it makes more sense.

I seem to remember from my time in the US that most American city centres are 50% car park at the moment, but is this type of system viable at all? Then you don't penalise poorer people who are forced to live far away from jobs and need to drive in, you can pedestrianise some of the more dense city centre, and you can guarantee high usage of public transport which makes it more attractive to set up

I live 26 miles from my office downtown. I've got three main choices to get to work. 1.) Drive an hour each way with some pain in the rear end traffic going home trying to get on the highway, and pay $16 for parking at the garage. 2.) Drive 11 miles to the train station, pay $6 for parking and $9 for a round trip train ride that takes half an hour each way. 3) Drive 4 miles to the park and ride for free parking, and pay $8 round trip for the bus to drop me off right outside my office. This is the option I prefer most. The downsides are that the bus only runs once an hour, so I have to have my timing down perfectly, the bus takes cash only, they still haven't set up mobile payments, and I'm at the mercy of the weather while I'm waiting.

I'm on a 3 days at home, 2 at the office schedule, and there hasn't been more than 3 people on the bus since I've been doing this. There sure has been a hell of a lot of traffic driving. For most people the cost of fuel and parking, and the irritation of traffic are more tolerable due to the car's flexibility. I would rather play on my phone than worry about getting side swiped in a merge.

# ? May 2, 2021 23:43

hobbesmaster: Jan 28, 2008

Blind Rasputin posted:

Just going through the article links that�s what one of the complaints was. At one point the command had ordered that an F-15 remain fueled and ready to fly low over the George Floyd protests. The person filing the complaint said that plane was fueled and ready just as ordered.

Seems excessive.

One thing I�m curious about if a pilot did the malicious compliance interpretation of an order to fly over the crowd and did it at <250 kias and >1000ft to comply with FAA regulations regarding congested areas how loud would it have been?

hobbesmaster fucked around with this message at 23:58 on May 2, 2021

# ? May 2, 2021 23:45

AreWeDrunkYet: Jul 8, 2006

None of the helicopter pilots messing with protestors in DC at low altitude seemed to have a problem with ignoring regulations.

# ? May 2, 2021 23:55

hobbesmaster: Jan 28, 2008

Helicopters are actually exempt from those regulations.

edit: I should say they�re exempt from the hard 1000ft AGL thing. The helicopters were not being operated safely so would violate the reg.

hobbesmaster fucked around with this message at 00:00 on May 3, 2021

# ? May 2, 2021 23:56

AreWeDrunkYet: Jul 8, 2006

Seems like a different set of regulations.

quote:

The low maneuvers shocked former pilots, human rights groups and military law experts, some of whom also were disturbed that some of the helicopters bore red crosses indicating their primary role as medical transports. Witnesses described the helicopters as making a deafening noise and filling the air with a violent swirl of debris. One Post reporter who observed the maneuvers later recounted pulling shards of glass from her hair.

Four of the five helicopters that flew that night were medical aircraft. It was a violation of Army regulations to use them on nonmedical missions without specific approval, the report found. Brig. Gen. Robert K. Ryan, who oversaw the mission, did not seek approval and did not know of the requirement, the report said.

AreWeDrunkYet fucked around with this message at 00:03 on May 3, 2021

# ? May 3, 2021 00:01

Milo and POTUS: Sep 3, 2017; I will not shut up about the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. I talk about them all the time and work them into every conversation I have. I built a shrine in my room for the yellow one who died because sadly no one noticed because she died around 9/11. Wanna see it?

CommieGIR posted:

Lmao, no. They didn't the last time this happened either.

Wait this happened a previous time?

Wait why am I shocked

# ? May 3, 2021 00:20

Blind Rasputin: Nov 25, 2002; Farewell, good Hunter. May you find your worth in the waking world.

hobbesmaster posted:

One thing I�m curious about if a pilot did the malicious compliance interpretation of an order to fly over the crowd and did it at <250 kias and >1000ft to comply with FAA regulations regarding congested areas how loud would it have been?

They�d probably just schedule it as an air show.

# ? May 3, 2021 01:10

Volkova III: Jan 5, 2021

Been away most of the day, pulled the two LAT articles out, did my best with the paragraph breaks but they're probably wrong. Sorry.

Paul Pringle and Alene Tchekmedyian posted:

Turmoil has gripped the leadership ranks of the California National Guard, with the firing of the general who commanded its air branch, the suspension of a second key general and new limits placed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on the organization�s use of fighter jets for civilian missions. Newsom�s office and the head of the Guard, Maj. Gen. David S. Baldwin, refused to provide details on the reasons behind the recent leadership changes other than a statement from the Guard saying that the organization �is committed to facilitating a positive working environment for all of its members, regardless of gender and ethnicity.�

The air branch's former commander, who was forced out two weeks ago, told The Times he did nothing wrong and said Baldwin had �lost touch with reality.� The abrupt actions against the two generals mark the second major shake-up in California�s Military Department in as many years. And they were announced on the heels of a Times report that Guard members were concerned that their leaders had readied an F-15C fighter jet last year for a possible mission in which the aircraft would fly low over civilian protesters to frighten and disperse them. Baldwin denied that the jet was placed on an alert status for that purpose, and a Newsom spokeswoman said the governor would never authorize such a mission.

Erin Mellon said in a statement to The Times that Newsom wanted to be �crystal clear� about restrictions on the use of military aircraft for domestic missions. �The governor has directed his Office of Emergency Services, in collaboration with the California National Guard, to review and assert definitive and unmistakable parameters for authorizing and using military aircraft under the State Emergency Management System, while reverting F-15 aircraft to a reduced state of readiness for civil support missions,\" the statement said. Mellon provided Guard memos saying fighter jets have been used a few times in the past to quickly survey earthquake damage. She did not answer several questions regarding the use of the F-15C last year, including whether it was placed on an alert status for earthquakes or other natural disasters.

In an email statement to The Times, the Guard said Baldwin accepted Maj. Gen. Gregory Jones� resignation as commander of the California Air National Guard on April 16. Jones said he never offered to step down but was forced out. Baldwin said in a statement that he �lost faith, trust, and confidence in [Jones�] ability to foster an inclusive and healthy command climate.� Asked whether the F-15C controversy had anything to do with Jones� removal, Baldwin wrote: �I do not fire people for fictional events. The F-15C narrative is just that, a fictional event.�

Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Magram, director of air staff, was suspended and reassigned, and Chief Master Sgt. Steve Pyszka was relieved as command chief under Jones, the Guard said. Magram and Pyszka declined to comment. In an interview, Jones said the Guard's statement suggesting that he treated women or people of color unfairly is �absolutely false� and added that it was Baldwin who created an unhealthy environment at Guard headquarters. �He�s been there too long,� Jones said. Then-Gov. Jerry Brown appointed Baldwin to the post in 2011. �He�s lost touch with reality.� Jones said he did not know why the F-15C, an air-to-air combat aircraft, was placed on an alert status for a domestic mission last year. The jets are based at the Guard�s 144th Fighter Wing in Fresno. Their principal mission is to respond immediately to attacks by enemy aircraft on orders from the Pentagon as part of the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD. They are also used to train pilots for that mission.

Jones said it would make no sense to place an F-15C on an alert status to respond to earthquakes. �You don�t know when they�re going to happen,� Jones said. �It�s a poor use of resources to have an airplane just sitting there�. It�s just not the mission that they�re designed to do either,� which is to shoot down other airplanes. He said he has butted heads with Baldwin in the last over what he thought was an improper use of military aircraft. He said Baldwin pressured him to deploy an F-15C jet to survey damage from the 2019 Ridgecrest earthquake. When he resisted, Jones said, Baldwin told him, \"These are my airplanes.� To accommodate Baldwin, Jones said, the Guard classified the Ridgecrest mission as a federal training exercise to disguise its true purpose.

During last year�s mass protests after the police killing of George Floyd, Jones said, Baldwin pushed to send hundreds of Air Guard members to cities across the state with inadequate training. �I told him I think we could put 500. He said, �No, I want 800.� We were tasked with training 800 airmen the next day,� he said, adding that the training included firearm and riot control components. �Luckily nobody got hurt, we didn�t have any accidental discharges. It could�ve gotten really ugly.� The Guard and Baldwin did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Jones� assertions.

Jones� predecessor as commander of the Air Guard, Maj. Gen. Clay Garrison, was removed from the position in 2019 amid complaints of reprisals against whistleblowers and allegations of a cover-up of misconduct that reached into the highest ranks of the organization. The complaints, which were disclosed by The Times, focused on the leadership of the Fresno base and included an alleged cover-up of an incident in which someone urinated in a female Guard member�s boots. The commander of the base was also removed. In announcing Jones� appointment to succeed Garrison, a spokesman for Baldwin said: �The Guard is committed to providing a transparent, respectful and positive command climate�. I am confident that Brig. Gen. Jones will be able to lead the organization effectively and with the utmost integrity.�

Guard sources told The Times that last year's order to put the F-15C on an alert status didn�t spell out the mission but that, given the aircraft�s limitations, they understood it to mean the plane could be deployed to terrify and disperse protesters by flying low over them at window-rattling speeds, with its afterburners streaming columns of flames. Fighter jets have been used occasionally in that manner in combat zones in Iraq and Afghanistan, they said. The sources said the directives from Guard headquarters made their way down orally or in text messages, rather than in formal written orders, which was unusual and heightened their concerns that the jet would be used inappropriately. Mellon, the governor�s spokeswoman, said she couldn�t speak to how Guard members interpreted directives beyond �what the governor�s office�s understanding is, which is � the aircraft would never be authorized for such a mission.� She provided The Times with a memo in which Col. Jeremiah Cruz, who commanded the 144th Wing until January, said, �At no time during my tenure as wing commander, vice wing commander, and operations group commander was I ever tasked to utilize an F-15C at the 144FW to respond to a civil unrest event nor has the idea ever been discussed with me as an option.� The memo was dated April 21, well after The Times began asking the Guard to respond to concerns among its members that the jet had been readied for a possible response to civil unrest.

An earlier email reviewed by The Times shows that Cruz had referenced concerns over the jet�s use to several officers three days before the Nov. 3 election. �There is no expectation that the F-15C will be used in any way in support of civil unrest,� he wrote, instructing the recipients to keep him apprised of �any requests or upcoming requests� from Guard headquarters in Sacramento. The Times reviewed other internal Guard documents showing that the jet was placed on an alert status for a possible election-week mission and that officers discussed concerns in March 2020 as well as that summer about using the F-15C for domestic purposes, including to intimidate civilians.

The Guard has faced scrutiny before for how it has deployed military aircraft. In October, Newsom�s office denounced the Guard�s decision to send a military spy plane to suburban El Dorado Hills, where Baldwin lived, to help civilian authorities monitor demonstrations over the Floyd killing. Baldwin said the fact that he resided in El Dorado Hills, where the protests were small and peaceful, had nothing to do with the deployment of the RC-26B reconnaissance plane.

Paul Pringle is a Los Angeles Times reporter who specializes in investigating corruption.

Alene Tchekmedyian covers the Los Angeles County Sheriff�s Department.

Paul Pringle and Alene Tchekmedyian posted:

In March of last year, California National Guard members awaited orders from Sacramento headquarters to make preparations for any civil unrest that might arise from the outbreak of the coronavirus. The members expected directives to ready ground troops to help state and local authorities respond to disturbances triggered by resistance to stay-at-home rules or panic over empty store shelves.

But then came an unusual order: The air branch of the Guard was told to place an F-15C fighter jet on an alert status for a possible domestic mission, according to four Guard sources with direct knowledge of the matter. Those sources said the order didn�t spell out the mission but, given the aircraft's limitations, they understood it to mean the plane could be deployed to terrify and disperse protesters by flying low over them at window-rattling speeds, with its afterburners streaming columns of flames.

Fighter jets have been used occasionally in that manner in combat zones in Iraq and Afghanistan, they said. Deploying an F-15C, an air-to-air combat jet based at the Guard�s 144th Fighter Wing in Fresno, to frighten demonstrators in this country would have been an inappropriate use of the military against U.S. civilians, the sources said. They said the jet was also placed on an alert status � fueled and ready for takeoff � for possible responses to protests over the murder of George Floyd by a police officer and to any unrest sparked by the Nov. 3 presidential election. �It would have been a completely illegal order that disgraced the military,� one source said. �It could look like we�re threatening civilians.�

�That�s something that would happen in the Soviet Union,� said a second of The Times� sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they feared retaliation from their superiors. \"Our military is used to combat foreign aggressors.\"

The sources said the directives from Guard headquarters made their way down orally or in text messages, rather than in formal written orders, which was unusual and heightened their concerns that the jet would be used inappropriately.

Maj. Gen. David Baldwin, who leads the California Guard, did not respond directly to interview requests for this story. A spokesman for Baldwin, Lt. Col. Jonathan Shiroma, denied that the F-15C was placed on an alert status for a potential response to civil disturbances. �We do not use our planes to frighten or intimidate civilians,� Shiroma wrote in reply to emailed questions from The Times.

Shiroma also said that assigning jets at the 144th Wing to respond to civil unrest would have required the approval of First Air Force, which oversees the air defense of the continental United States for the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD). He said the California Guard \"never made such a request.\" He released a list of aircraft that he said were \"postured to support any potential civil unrest missions\" leading up to the election; it included two planes � a C-130J and an HC-130J � but no fighters. �No F-15s were contemplated,� Shiroma wrote.

But The Times reviewed other internal Guard documents that show the jet was placed on an alert status for a possible election-week mission and that officers discussed concerns in March 2020 as well as that summer about using the F-15C for domestic purposes, including to intimidate civilians. The week before the election, a lieutenant colonel sent a message to Guard members who maintain the F-15C, advising them that a jet must be �ready to take off within two hours,� beginning the Monday morning before the election.

That meant a pilot and launch crew had to be available to reach the Fresno base within 90 minutes or so of receiving an order to deploy the jet, the sources said. The message also said �aircraft availability� for a domestic mission would be �at a premium next week with the election. We may need to work on Saturday and maybe Sunday to ensure we have ... aircraft availability� for the potential mission. The sources said the aircraft in question was the F-15C.

With concern mounting among Guard officers and others, the then-commander of the 144th Wing, Col. Jeremiah Cruz, sent an email to several officers, saying that \"there is no expectation that the F-15C will be used in any way in support of civil unrest.\" He went on to instruct the recipients to keep him apprised of \"any requests or upcoming requests\" from California Guard headquarters in Sacramento. While that order never came, the sources said, the fact that their leaders might even consider using the F-15C over civilian crowds alarmed Guard members. �It�s a war machine, not something you use for [suppressing] civil unrest,� a third source told The Times. He said readying the F-15C for potential deployment over a protest was �definitely unprecedented� in his experience.

Cruz did not respond to interview requests.

The F-15C can hit supersonic speeds, fires air-to-air missiles and is outfitted with a 20-millimeter cannon. It is expensive to operate, costing nearly $25,000 per flight hour, according to the Guard. At Fresno, the jets are used to train pilots for combat, and a few are kept on around-the-clock alert to respond immediately to attacks by enemy aircraft on orders from the Pentagon as part of NORAD. That federal alert mission is separate from any use of the jets for civilian purposes. �That jet has one mission and one mission alone � to go up and shoot down other airplanes,� said retired Gen. David Bakos. The Defense Department and First Air Force were not involved in any decision to place the F-15C on an alert status for civilian disturbances, military spokespersons said. Army Lt. Col. Christian Mitchell, a Pentagon spokesman, said deploying the jet �for dispersing crowds would not be an appropriate use of the F-15.�

As the head of the California Guard, Baldwin reports to Gov. Gavin Newsom. A spokeswoman said that Newsom never authorized the use of the F-15C for a response to civil unrest, and that the possibility of that type of mission for the jet �was never a consideration before the governor�s office.� If it had been, the spokeswoman added, Newsom \"would not have approved it.\"

This isn�t the first time questions have been raised about the Guard�s use of aircraft in times of civil unrest. In October, The Times reported that the Guard had sent an RC-26B reconnaissance plane to monitor Floyd-related protests in June in the affluent Sacramento suburb of El Dorado Hills, where Baldwin lived. Other states' Guard units deployed RC-26B planes to fly over protests in Minneapolis, Phoenix and Washington, D.C.

Unlike the small and peaceful protests in El Dorado Hills, however, the demonstrations in those cities were large and sometimes involved property destruction and street clashes. Members of Congress voiced concerns that the planes were used inappropriately to surveil civilians. A resulting investigation by the Air Force inspector general�s office concluded in August that the RC-26Bs did not violate rules barring the military from collecting intelligence on U.S. citizens, and said the aircraft wasn�t capable of capturing �distinguishing personal features of individuals.�

Baldwin told The Times last fall that he didn�t recall whether he had approved the deployment of the RC-26B to El Dorado Hills. He said the fact that he lived there had �nothing to do with� the mission. A Newsom spokesman said later that the deployment of the surveillance craft �should not have happened. It was an operational decision made without the approval � let alone awareness � of the governor.�

In the case of the F-15C, the sources said Guard officers told crews during the coronavirus lockdown to have the jet fully fueled and assigned a pilot around the clock. Who in the Guard chain of command would have had the authority to order the jet dispatched on a civilian mission was not clear in the directives, the sources said. They added that the jet designated for the task was not armed with missiles and its cannon was not loaded.

In addition to the preelection message, The Times reviewed two written communications circulated among Guard members that referred to the order to ready the jet for a domestic mission known as Defense Support of Civil Authorities. That category of mission includes the deployment of troops and equipment for nonmilitary emergencies, such as earthquakes and hurricanes, as well as to help police agencies respond to violent protests. The first communication, circulated shortly after the COVID-19 outbreak, posed the question of whether the Guard was preparing to use the F-15C as a �show of force,� which the sources said was a reference to flying it low over crowds. A second communication in July contained a discussion of using the F-15C to survey infrastructure damage, but it also refers to the possibility of the jet being used as a �show of presences.� The sources said that phrase also refers to using aircraft to intimidate people on the ground.

In his statement to The Times, Shiroma said the F-15C has been used in the past to survey earthquake damage because it can reach remote locations faster than other aircraft. Retired and active officers who spoke to The Times said it would make no sense to place an F-15C on a 24-hour alert to respond to earthquakes or other natural disasters. That task, they said, is far better suited to the Guard�s helicopters and surveillance aircraft, which are cheaper to operate. Dan Woodside, a retired Guard pilot who has flown the F-15C, said that on the few occasions the fighter jet was deployed to assess earthquake damage, it proved nearly useless because it isn�t designed for that purpose. The jet has a camera-equipped targeting pod to zero in on enemy aircraft in flight, but F-15C pilots are not trained to use it for air-to-ground surveillance, Woodside said. The sources said the targeting pod was ordered removed from the F-15C for the domestic mission after the Guard was criticized for deploying the RC-26B spy plane over El Dorado Hills.

Woodside, who held the rank of major, said he �absolutely would have disobeyed� any order to use an F-15C to buzz a civilian crowd during unrest. \"The decibel level alone from an F-15C demonstrating a show of force can break windows, set off car alarms and cause more fear than shouting 'fire' in a crowded theater,\" he said. If the Guard leaders were allowed to deploy the jet to help quell civil unrest, Woodside added, \"you could have these warplanes buzzing all around the state of California.

Paul Pringle is a Los Angeles Times reporter who specializes in investigating corruption.

Alene Tchekmedyian covers the Los Angeles County Sheriff�s Department.

# ? May 3, 2021 01:13

Internet Wizard: Aug 9, 2009; BANDAIDS DON'T FIX BULLET HOLES

DJ Burette posted:

One of the ways I've seen cities driving up the use of public transport here in the UK and in some European cities is by building large carparks on the outer edges of cities and then having free or cheap bus/light rail into the city centre from there. This allows people from commuter towns/suburbs to still drive into the city without having to wait on limited or irregular public transport out of the denser inner city routes, while allowing for high levels of inner city public transport where it makes more sense.

I seem to remember from my time in the US that most American city centres are 50% car park at the moment, but is this type of system viable at all? Then you don't penalise poorer people who are forced to live far away from jobs and need to drive in, you can pedestrianise some of the more dense city centre, and you can guarantee high usage of public transport which makes it more attractive to set up

The major bus lines around me have lots called Park and Rides along them that have free/cheap parking for you to leave you car or bike at while you take the bus from one of the bedroom communities into Boulder or Denver. I wish more places would have it because like you said, if you drive in from the surrounding countryside to most cities you�ve gotta spend a lot of time either parking everywhere you go or finding a long term lot that you can afford and then also pay for transit.

# ? May 3, 2021 02:25

The Eyes Have It: Feb 10, 2008; Third Eye Sees All
...snookums

Our city has several of those, they were always dang near full and saw heavy use.

Then I guess it got sold off to some developer / parking company or something? and:

1) parking capacity dropped by like 50% at least
2) the free parking is now tiny, and moved to a couple blocks away
3) the remaining parking (next to the transit station, heavily reduced) is now paid parking like any other parking lot

I don't know what really happened but it sucked hard

# ? May 3, 2021 02:44

Kesper North: Nov 3, 2011; EMERGENCY POWER TO PARTY

The Eyes Have It posted:

Our city has several of those, they were always dang near full and saw heavy use.

Then I guess it got sold off to some developer / parking company or something? and:

1) parking capacity dropped by like 50% at least
2) the free parking is now tiny, and moved to a couple blocks away
3) the remaining parking (next to the transit station, heavily reduced) is now paid parking like any other parking lot

I don't know what really happened but it sucked hard

The magic of public-private partnership!!!!!!!!!!

# ? May 3, 2021 02:59

CommieGIR: Aug 22, 2006; The blue glow is a feature, not a bug; Pillbug

Milo and POTUS posted:

Wait this happened a previous time?

Wait why am I shocked

Yeah same exact thing happened in a previous winter storm. Same findings, no changes.

# ? May 3, 2021 04:36

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# ? Apr 29, 2024 13:56

Arven: Sep 23, 2007

CommieGIR posted:

Yeah same exact thing happened in a previous winter storm. Same findings, no changes.

I don't know how it was covered in Texas, but fox news was full on damage control saying actually that previous winter storm never happened, and it only happened at all this time because of wind turbines.

# ? May 3, 2021 04:53

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > Internet VFW > May Current Events: Launch my corpse into space with a skateboard or something

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