The Standard

10/28/2024

In 1939, 20,000 Americans rallied in New York's Madison Square Garden to celebrate the rise of Na**sm -- an event largely forgotten from U.S. history. A NIGHT AT THE GARDEN, made entirely from archival footage filmed that night, transports audiences to this chilling gathering and shines a light on the power of demagoguery and anti-Semitism in the United States.

In 1939, 20,000 Americans rallied in New York's Madison Square Garden to celebrate the rise of Na**sm -- an event largely forgotten from U.S. history. A NIGHT…

10/03/2024

That’s your local government for you. Setting up town meetings to spread their particular partisan viewpoints in the guise of a public forum. Duplicitious nonsense.

"These proposed climate change rules are ill-concieved policies that, if implemented, will do far more harm than good, and will pose significant threats to the quality of life for the hardworking families of Cape May County."

Haven't you seen what's happening in NC? This is all about money, the money from big donors. They don't give a rat's ass about hardworking families.

06/21/2024

I’m so sick of it I could scream. It’s a conclusion favored by many arrogant foreign nationals and self-righteous American expatriates: That if the citizens of the United States are stupid enough to vote for Donald Trump, then America gets what it deserves. I’d like to briefly explain how ignorant, arrogant, petty, and insulting that is.

Not to mention wrong.

The sheer ignorance of the comments blaming Americans for the failures of our government is grating and infuriating

06/21/2024

I don’t like people.

I find no reason for pride in this. It’s quite sad, in fact. I wish it were not true, but it is. Humanity is a cl*******ck, and I find most people exhausting and tedious. Oh sure, there are a few clever individuals that I’m fond of, family members I adore, and a few kindred spirits I halfheartedly tolerate because they amuse me, but for the most part, the human race annoys the ever-loving s**t out of me.

A Curmudgeon explores the existential conflict between quiet compassion and profound annoyance

10/20/2023

Jeff Van Drew (NJ-R), who once claimed to be a moderate Democrat before betraying voters and his party by switching parties and pledging his undying loyalty to Donald Trump has voted three times in support of Jim Jordan, the most hardline Republican in the party.

How do you explain shifting from a moderate Democrat to a radical Republican?

08/22/2023

The Cape May County GOP is once again abdicating any responsibility in caring for its citizens. They’re selling us out to private business for profit.

“STATEMENT OF CAPE MAY COUNTY COMMISSION DIRECTOR LEN DESIDERIO ON THE PROPOSED PRIVATIZATION OF THE CREST HAVEN NURSING AND REHABILITATION CENTER

“The County of Cape May is faced with a difficult decision on the continued government operation of the Crest Haven Nursing and Rehabilitation Center (“CHNRC”). This is a question that has faced many New Jersey Counties. Over the past decade, Salem, Mercer, Monmouth, Burlington, Cumberland and Morris Counties, as well as others have all reached the same conclusion that Cape May County has now reached.

“For the past two years, the County of Cape May has taken a very hard look at CHNRC operations, including having our Auditor and Chief Financial Officer look back over several years to assess the financial health of the facility. During this time, the County also worked hard to stabilize the management and staffing at the facility, which was disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, and to overcome the industry push towards the home health model. We found that from 2018 through 2021, our facility operated at a total taxpayer-covered deficit of over $26 million. The Board of Commissioner’s responsibility is to all the taxpayers, and it is clear that the long-term care facilities in Cape May County are able to provide the care that is needed in our community. It is no longer feasible for taxpayers to shoulder the amount it costs to operate Crest Haven. As so many other New Jersey County governments have concluded, the operation of long-term care facilities is best left to the private sector.

“Our first concern is for the residents of Crest Haven. A contract will only be awarded to a company that has the dedication and ability to continue to provide the best care to Crest Haven residents. No resident will be turned out and the County will assist every family throughout any facility transition.
The employees of Crest Haven are also of paramount concern to the Board of Commissioners. With that in mind, any contract will have to include a commitment to retain as many current employees as possible. The County is also retaining a substantial number of employees and moving them laterally within the County workforce. The County is committed to ensuring that no one will lose their job.

“This was a big decision for the County, and it was a hard decision, but sometimes the easy decision is not the right decision. It might be easier not to change. But it would be unfair to ask County taxpayers to continue to cover an annual operating deficit that has reached over $7 million and is projected to surpass $10 million per year before the end of the decade.
We know not everyone will agree with this decision, but as so many of our fellow Counties have done over the past several years, it is time for Cape May County to ensure the long-term care of the Crest Haven residents while relieving taxpayers of an unsustainable and growing multi-million-dollar annual deficit.”

12/19/2022

https://medium.com/ellemeno/the-myth-of-hiring-only-the-best-candidates-c3a7c652e019

“The Myth Of Hiring Only The Best Candidates”

The fallacious argument against diversity in the workplace and our inability to see value outside of our own experiences.

The fallacious argument against diversity in the workplace and our inability to see value outside of our own experiences

12/19/2022

https://capemaystandard.com/2022/02/23/book-banning-is-only-the-tip-of-the-spear/

Still relevant.

School Boards have once again become the chosen battlefield of conservative activists interested in fighting a culture war at the local level. We saw this in the 80s when there was also a groundswell surge to ban books, music, video games, and movies. Back then, it was less partisan, with elements f...

07/26/2022

The latest trope that seems to have taken social media by storm is the idea that the mainstream media is making some concerted effort to hurt Joe Biden, or the Democratic Party in general, in order to perpetuate a cycle of outrage and conflict for profit. This isn’t quite a conspiracy theory yet, but it has all the makings of one. Some evil cabal of the rich and powerful, coordinating their efforts to control the masses for their own dark purposes. The Illuminati of news.

The news media is designed to be critical of those in positions of power — holding them accountable regardless of political party

07/26/2022

In today’s political environment, you can’t criticize the Democratic Party, the leadership, or our elected officials without either being accused of disloyalty or aiding and abetting the enemy. I trust the Republicans aren’t much different, but it can be hard to tell. I’m not sure they give a s**t what the average voter thinks or says.

More often than not, the Democratic Loyalists will come at you hard enough that most people don’t even bother trying to cross them. Why risk the backlash? Where is the upside? Why not just quietly support the party, give a little money, and vote when asked? That’s certainly what the Democratic party would like you to do. Go along quietly. That, in and of itself, should be a big red flag.

The Democratic Party’s willful blindness to its shortcomings hinders its ability to deliver on the promise of the real American Dream

07/26/2022

How many times during — and after — the series “The West Wing” did you hear people long for Jed Bartlet to be the actual president of the United States? How often did we wish to hear him deliver an emotionally rewarding Aaron Sorkin speech rather than a dry policy dissertation from Jon Favreau? In today’s entertainment-infused, celebrity-obsessed culture, what better way to sell a political agenda than by Hollywood-ing the s**t out of it?

What is a statesman really, but a spokesperson with charisma and gravitas that can inspire a people?

07/08/2022

Democrats spend a lot of time and energy trying to craft the perfect message that will reach everyone and offend no one. I’m sure they spend a lot of money testing these messages till they find the one that nobody hates.

This is not to say that messaging isn’t important. It’s critical. But it’s not always what you say but how you say it. Despite what you may hear, as a political party, the Republicans are horrible at messaging. Their leaders are terrible public speakers, they say outrageous nonsense, and they come up with stupid slogans that don’t make sense and are extremely easy to ridicule. They’re awful. The difference is that there is always a deeper meaning behind their message.

It’s not what you say that matters. It’s what voters hear.

Elections are won by energizing voters with a compelling, emotional appeal, not focus-group-tested slogans