Page 2 The Skanner October 26, 2016
Bernie Foster
Founder/Publisher
Bobbie Dore Foster
Executive Editor
Jerry Foster
Advertising Manager
Christen McCurdy
News Editor
Patricia Irvin
Graphic Designer
Arashi Young
Reporter
Monica J. Foster
Seattle Office Coordinator
Susan Fried
Photographer
2016
MERIT
AWARD
WINNER
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Opinion
Op Deny 270 Urges Voters to Write In Bernie Sanders
F
or some disenchanted
voters, the emergence of
Bernie Sanders as a 2016
presidential candidate
was a dream come true.
What if a new coalition of
America’s young voters, peo-
ple of color and traditional
progressives could upend the
status quo and transform US
politics? What if their candi-
date could defy the power of
Wall Street and the political
elites and rise to power in a
voters’ revolt?
It wasn’t to be. The prima-
ry elections — hard fought
as they were — ended with
Democratic voters choosing
Hillary Clinton as their can-
didate.
The dream was dead.
But not so fast. A recently
formed group called Op Deny
270 is now calling on voters
to write in Bernie Sanders in-
stead of voting for any of the
candidates on the ballot.
Op Deny 270
Here’s what Op Deny 270
says in a letter they sent to
The Skanner News:
“There are 10 states in
which no prior registration
is required for write-ins to be
counted for Bernie Sanders.
These states are Vermont, Or-
egon, Washington, Iowa, New
Hampshire, Rhode Island,
Helen
Silvis
The Skanner
Contributing
Editor
Pennsylvania, Wyoming, Ala-
bama, New Jersey.
“California electors have
registered and write-ins may
count in that state as well,
pending confirmation from the
Secretary of State.
“Our plan is for Bernie Sand-
ers to win at least 4-6 states
through write-in votes. There
are enough Bernie supporters
and independents for Bernie
to win.
“If Bernie Sanders wins sev-
eral states, he can prevent both
Clinton and Trump from get-
ting 270 electoral votes. Trump
is doing badly, and will not
“
AP PHOTO/BRENNAN LINSLEY
Challenging People to Shape
a Better Future Now
Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., greets supporters at a rally in support of Colorado
Amendment 69, a ballot measure to set up the nation’s first universal health-care
system, on campus of the University of Colorado, in Boulder, Colo., Monday, Oct.
17, 2016. Amendment 69 would repeal the current health insurance system and
make coverage universal.
aware this is an option this
election. To get Bernie Sanders
as president it is worth a try.
People say he is not running,
A recently formed group called Op
Deny 270 is now calling on voters
to write in Bernie Sanders
even be close. We would only
be taking states from Hillary’s
side, and not endangering a
Trump win, due to his plum-
meting poll numbers.
“We would like people to be
which is true. His obligation to
the Democratic party ends on
election day.
“If the people decide to write
him in, and force a House vote,
then it’s the Constitution, and
part of American law. Bernie
has every right to follow the
Constitution, that the House
and Senate are compelled to
uphold. We believe this can
work, and that people need
to be aware, they have other
choices, besides Trump and
Clinton.”
Joel Colombero, a spokes-
person for the group has ap-
peared on Canadian televi-
sion to talk about the strategy.
You can view the interview
at TheSkanner.com. Bernie
Sanders himself is currently
campaigning for Clinton.
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Hillary’s E-mails, Trump’s Secret Tapes and Social Security
S
ince our political discus-
sions are now X-rated —
so much so that we must
ask children to leave the
room before we watch the
news — the speeches, and the
debates, it’s time to add an-
other unmentionable to the
X-rated list: Social Security.
Silly me, that pales in compar-
ison to what’s really import-
ant, doesn’t it?
Hillary’s emails, Bill and
Donald’s dalliances and sexu-
al conquests are obviously far
more critical (and titillating)
than a small issue like our dis-
abled and elderly being able
to live out their lives without
having to worry about silly
things like eating, breathing,
and paying for life-saving
medicines and treatments.
Yes, the cost of living is in-
creasing every day, but cost of
living allowances (COLA) for
those on Social Security are
non-existent or ridiculously
and embarrassingly low. The
latest COLA “increases” for
those most in need were cited
in an article on CNN Money:
“Checks for 66 million ben-
eficiaries will rise between
0.2% to 0.5% in 2017. That
works out to between $2.61
and $6.53 a month more for
the typical retiree, according
to the American Institute for
Economic Research, a non-
partisan think tank.”
James
Clingman
NNPA
Columnist
Say what?!
The article continues, “The
average retirement benefit
check is currently $1,305.30,
according to government fig-
ures. This is by far the small-
“
son once: “…what you did not
do for the least of these, you
did not do for me.” (Matthew
25:45)
If this nation does not come
to its senses and get its prior-
ities properly aligned, it’s not
going to matter in the least
who is the next resident of
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
The ethical and moral slide
we are on right now is repre-
hensible and so detrimental
to our young people. More-
over, we are standing by while
If this nation does not come to its
senses and get its priorities prop-
erly aligned, it’s not going to mat-
ter in the least who is the next resi-
dent of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
est percentage increase of
any year in which benefits did
rise. But it’s better than 2016,
when Social Security  checks
didn’t increase  at all. There
have only been three years
without any increase at all
since Social Security’s cost-
of-living adjustment was put
in place in 1975 — 2010, 2011
and 2016.”
Someone said a nation is
judged by how it treats the
least among its citizens.
There is also something that
was said by a very special per-
our elders are dying for lack
of essentials, having to make
choices between food and
rent, oxygen and heat or cool-
ing and life-saving medicine.
The EpiPen controversy,
where the cost skyrocketed
over 400 percent to an out-
rageous $608.00 for two Epi-
nephrine pens that, accord-
ing to industry experts cost
no more than $30.00 (some
say $20.00) to make and only
$2.00 for the medicine inside
the needles, is a prime exam-
ple of the true cost of living
for those with medical issues.
I am told that a drug for debil-
itating Rheumatoid Arthritis
cost as much as $2,000 per
month for two injections. This
is shameful, and it speaks to
our condition in this coun-
try, our greed, and our will-
ingness to get as much profit
as we can without regard for
who it hurts. In the United
States, it’s often money first
and people second, maybe
even third or fourth.
We should be outraged and
appalled at this situation as
we watch our parents and
grandparents struggle to pay
the ridiculous costs to main-
tain their lives. The cost of liv-
ing for them is beyond their
reach, and many are dying be-
cause of it. So what will we do
about it? Will we continue to
be entertained, mesmerized,
and embarrassed by the pol-
iticians and their operatives
who are too busy trying to
find more dirt on one another,
or will we turn our attention
to the much more important
problem of our disabled and
elderly and the day-to-day
problems they face. Our poli-
tics should go from X-rated to
Rx-rated.
I believe we can do much
better by the least among us.
Do you? If so, get involved
and make their cost of living
decrease and their Cost of
Living Allowances (COLA) in-
crease.