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Legal News: (Everything I Do) I Do It For You
Readers will recall that Donald Trump's people (we very seriously doubt he was able to handle this himself) recruited a handful of Trump cultists in various swing states, so that those folks could cast the state's "real" electoral votes for Trump. Casting fraudulent electoral votes is a crime, but the defendants in the various states have had generally good luck at beating the rap, either by finding a judge with an interesting definition of "fraud" (Michigan), or by drawing a DA with a zipper problem (GA), or by finding ways to nitpick their indictment and drag the process out (Arizona).
The cultists in Nevada thought they might have gotten away with it, since their case was semi-dismissed back in July. State AG Aaron Ford brought the case in Las Vegas, because that is where most of the plotting took place, and also because he knows well that he'll get a much less Trumpy jury in that area. The defense's attorneys argued that the case should have been brought in Carson City, since that is where the fake electoral certificates were signed (the crime the defendants are charged with is forgery), and because they know well that they'll get a much more Trumpy jury up north. A judge agreed with the defendants, which left Ford with the choice of starting over at square one and accepting a tougher jury, or else appealing the decision.
Ford chose to appeal, and yesterday the Nevada Supreme Court ruled 6-0 in his favor. Their decision was based on one point of fact, and one point of law. The point of fact was that the phony election certificates were signed in Carson City, but then were mailed to several people in Las Vegas, including a couple of judges, in an effort to make them "official." The defendants' lawyers took the position that the crime (again, forgery) took place in Carson City. The Court said that you can forge someone's name all day long, to your heart's content, without breaking the law. It doesn't become illegal until you try to pass those forgeries off as real to some other person. So, per the justices, the crime didn't become a crime until the documents were received by those judges in Las Vegas. It also became a crime the moment a copy of those documents were received by the Archivist of the United States, but that's a federal matter, and Ford's case is a state matter.
Meanwhile, the point of law, spelled out in detail in the Court's ruling, is that if a crime unfolds across multiple locations, Nevada law allows charges to be brought in any of those locations.
So, the defendants' case crashed and burned, big-time, as their arguments were ripped to pieces by a unanimous Court, including judges from both political parties. That means that instead of starting over, and in a more Trumpy place, Ford can resume his pretty-far-along prosecution, and can do it in not-very-Trumpy Las Vegas. There is now a very good chance that this will be the first (and maybe only) fake elector case to get before a jury. And because the Nevadans were particularly brazen, and created a paper trail a mile wide, they have very good reason to be nervous. Reportedly, some of them are holding out for a presidential pardon. Who wants to be the one to break the news to them that presidents cannot grant pardons for state crimes? (Z)
Hypocrisy Report: No One Needs To Know
It is hardly a secret that Donald Trump lives by the credo that there's one set of rules for him, and a different set for everyone else. That is an attitude also shared by more than a few members of his political party, particularly in the MAGA wing. This week has seen some particularly notable reminders of that, and we thought we'd run them down:
Foreign Workers: Donald Trump's rise to the apex of American politics was fueled, first and foremost, by xenophobia—his claim that immigrants, at least the brown-skinned ones, are ruining America, and that he planned to do something about it.
His actions—in particular, the hiring practices at his businesses—never aligned with the rhetoric, making clear that he was just bloviating for the benefit of the base. This week, there was another very clear reminder of that. The Department of Labor released its H-2A and H-2B visa figures for the last year (these are permits for temporary workers), and the Trump Organization filed for and received 184 of them. That's the highest number ever for the business, and those 184 people serve alongside nearly 400 more workers who have permanent-resident visas. These figures are up about 40% from when Trump first became president back in 2017, so he's really doing his part to combat the immigrant scourge.
Pardon Me?: The United States—at the federal, state and municipal levels—arrests a LOT of people. It also convicts a LOT of people. In fact, there are more people incarcerated in the United States than in any other country—about 1.8 million, which outpaces China by about 100,000 people. Of course, the United States also has one of the largest populations in the world, but even if you rank nations by number of people incarcerated per 100,000 residents, the U.S. is fifth, behind only El Salvador, Cuba, Rwanda and Turkmenistan. "Hey, we're doing better than El Salvador, Cuba, Rwanda and Turkmenistan!" is not exactly something to write home about.
In view of the nation's unbelievably high arrest and incarceration rates, it is somewhat impractical to keep everyone who is arrested in prison, and to keep everyone who is convicted for the full duration of their sentences. The humanitarian reason is that subjecting arrestees to prison, at least if they are not a risk to society, is not right, if they have not yet been convicted of a crime. And for convicts, the longer you keep them behind bars, the harder it will be for them to rejoin society and become productive citizens. The pragmatic reason, meanwhile, is that keeping people behind bars is expensive, and budgets can't handle the strain of locking EVERYONE up.
The cost in letting people out of jail/prison, whether permanently, or for some sort of temporary arrangement, is that some of them will return to committing crimes. Generally speaking, the people who make these decisions are very careful, and are very good at identifying which people can be safely released. And generally speaking, the people who are released really, really don't want to go back to the hoosegow, and so tend to keep their noses clean. But there are exceptions, occasionally violent exceptions.
For many decades, Republicans been making political hay out of it when a criminal is released under Democratic leadership and then goes on to commit a violent crime. The most famous example is surely William Horton, who was called "Willie" (a name he never actually used) because it was "Blacker" for the sleazy commercial cooked up by Lee Atwater and the George H.W. Bush campaign. A more recent example is José Antonio Ibarra, who entered the U.S. illegally, was picked up during the Biden administration, and then released pending a hearing. During his release period, he killed Laken Riley, and that became a cause célèbre on the right, as it allowed Donald Trump and other MAGA types to rail against both immigrants AND Biden.
Well, allow us to introduce you to Jonathan Braun. He was convicted in 2019 of a long list of crimes including money laundering and drug trafficking. He was pardoned by Donald Trump, due to questions about the legitimacy of the evidence against him, and also for compassionate reasons. Oh, wait. No, that's not the reason at all. Actually, the case was rock solid, and his sentence was quite light relative to his crimes. In fact, he was pardoned because his attorneys pored through their law textbooks and discovered that Braun's family is friends with Jared Kushner's family. After all, the Kushners know a thing or two about going to prison. Anyhow, strings were pulled and Braun was freed.
If you think someone like that sounds like they have a high probability of recidivism, then give yourself a gold star, because you are right on the mark. Since getting out of the pokey, Braun has assaulted his wife, assaulted his 75-year-old father-in-law, assaulted a 3-year-old boy, attacked his nurse in the hospital with an IV pole while also threatening to kill her, threatened bodily harm against one of the members of his synagogue, molested his kids' nanny, and operated a predatory lending scheme (which, let's be clear, is just a nice way of saying "loansharking.") Braun is headed back to prison for several years, and then will undergo mental health treatment for several years after his release. Hopefully, the mental health treatment will commence while he's still locked down, because he clearly needs the help.
Anyhow, don't expect to see this story getting Ibarra-level coverage on Fox, OANN, Newsmax, etc. In fact, don't expect to see it getting any coverage at all.
Voter Fraud: If you're in politics, losing elections sometimes is part of the game. Except for MAGA Republicans, that is. When they win, it was because they won legitimately. When they lose, it was because of voter fraud. This despite the fact that voter fraud barely exists (and certainly not enough to change the outcomes of major elections), and that MAGA can never offer any meaningful proof of their claims.
In a desperate attempt to prove that voter fraud is real, Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett (R) sent a referral to the FBI, asking the Bureau to look into 42 people who are not citizens, and who may have "illegally voted" in recent elections.
One would think the Bureau would have better things to do than try to track down an inconsequential number of alleged fraudulent voters. However, under Director Kash Patel, we have no doubt that this will be placed at either #1 or #2 on the to-do list, depending on the status of the oh-so-urgent investigation into the fate of Jimmy Hoffa. Meanwhile, the reader who brought this story to our attention, M.S. in Knoxville, TN, points out: "Far from documenting the systemic registration of massive numbers of 'non-citizen' voters that Republicans allege is distorting our electoral system, the SOS's work does the opposite. Using a not fully reliable system to locate 'possible' voter fraud of 0.0001% of the voting population documents how infinitesimally small the possible problem is."
Halligan: Of the various criminal prosecutions in which Donald Trump was enmeshed, the one that posed the most danger to him was probably the classified documents case. It was pretty simple, he was caught redhanded, and the only real issue to be addressed was the proper handling of evidence, since some of the evidence is classified.
Trump does not always manage to hire the best lawyers, but he did OK for himself in this case. They put together an argument that the whole case was illegal because it was brought by special counsel Jack Smith, whose appointment was illegal. Dubious, but the case ended up before Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee who certainly appears to be in the bag for him, perhaps with an eye toward a promotion or two. She bought the argument, or at least claimed she did, and dismissed the case.
Now fast-forward to today, when the shoe is somewhat on the other foot. The Trump administration very badly wants to stick it to Trump enemies James Comey and Letitia James, but they could only find one toady willing to give it a try, and that toady—Lindsey Halligan—has not been confirmed by the Senate, and presumably will not be confirmed by the Senate (even the Republican members are leery of folks like her, and if the White House thought she was confirm-able, Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-SD, would already have rammed it through). Comey and James are both trying to get their cases dismissed, based on the (pretty sound) argument that Halligan did not have the legal authority to bring them. In Comey's case, if he is successful, that would be game over, since the statute of limitations on his alleged crimes has run.
The matter was the subject of a hearing yesterday before U.S. District Judge Cameron Currie. As the administration tries to salvage its
persecutionprosecution, it made three arguments. The first was that it was just a "paperwork error," and that while Halligan may have been the only one to actually sign the indictments, they were reviewed by AG Pam Bondi. Currie was unimpressed by these claims, observing that you don't get to retroactively add signatures to indictments. She also pointed out that there were some serious errors in the filings, most obviously missing pages of grand jury testimony. From this, the Judge concluded that even if Bondi reviewed the filing, she did not do it with enough care and attention.The administration's second argument was that the 120-day limit for utilizing acting U.S. Attorneys isn't really a rule, it's just a guideline—an advisory as to when the AG should check back in and see how things are going. Currie did not appear to buy this, either, noting that if it was so, there would never be any need for Senate confirmation.
The third argument is the hypocritical one. The government's attorneys advised the Judge that while they are convinced Halligan's appointment is legal, Bondi has also taken the "backup" step of appointing Halligan as a special prosecutor, assigned to the cases of Comey and James. Remember, when the roles were reversed, attorneys working for Trump said that special prosecutors are not legal. True, those were private attorneys making that argument, but hypocrisy is hypocrisy.
Currie noted the incongruity, and asked DoJ attorney Henry Whitaker to explain the difference between Jack Smith and Lindsey Halligan. Remarkably, Whitaker said that Smith—with decades of prosecutorial experience under his belt—could not be a special prosecutor because he does not meet the qualifications for the job, while Halligan—who, until a few weeks ago had only handled insurance cases—does meet the qualifications. We cannot find anyone who has offered a description of how the judge responded to this argument, but several outlets noted their were audible gasps in the courtroom in response to Whitaker's chutzpah.
Fore!: We already pointed out the hypocrisy when we wrote this story up originally, so we won't belabor it here. But for a movement that is so virulently anti-DEI, and that so loudly declares that people should be judge solely on their merits, MAGA is certainly willing to accept someone getting an unfair advantage if they are white, and in particular if they get that advantage because they are somehow connected to Donald Trump.
Kai Trump is definitely connected to Donald, since she is his granddaughter. Yesterday, she made her pro debut at the Annika tournament, an opportunity that she did not earn based on her skill as an athlete, but instead based on her last name and her large social media following. It went exactly as expected: She shot a 13-over 83. Out of 108 players, that places her... 108th. The next-worst score was 7-over, while the leader finished at 6-under, which means Trump is already 19 shots out of the lead. She figures to get much further behind today, before she officially misses the cut and gets sent home.
Speaking to reporters afterward, young Trump said "I hit a lot of good shots just to the wrong spots." To paraphrase Inigo Montoya: "You keep using that phrase. I do not think it means what you think it means."
Incidentally, the headline in GolfWeek was "Kai Trump shoots 83 in LPGA debut, a resounding success." Um, what? If that's a "success," what would "failure" have looked like? Is GolfWeek MAGA? Is the editor angling for an appointment as ambassador to, say, The Bahamas? Do they somehow have a research grant they are worried about getting yanked? Does the reporter have an IRS audit coming up? Is the reporter worried she might find herself with an IRS audit coming up?
Again, there was so much of this stuff this week, it seemed appropriate to note it. We know it's really just par for the course for this administration. Well, except the last item, where par was the furthest thing from anyone's mind. (Z)
Today in Numismatics: A Penny More
Actually, it's more like a penny NO more. After 233 years, an era (of sorts) has come to an end: On Wednesday, the U.S. Mint produced its last penny. The auspicious event took place in the city where it all started (both the minting of coins, and the nation as a whole), Philadelphia.
Over the years, the cost of making a penny rose well beyond the actual value of a penny. It was up to about four cents per coin, which meant that keeping the nation supplied with pennies was costing the government more than $50 million per year. Given that so much of commerce is electronic these days, and that even many cash transactions don't allow the use of pennies (e.g., vending machines), spending that money no longer made a lot of sense. So, the penny gets to go the way of the dodo.
This might be the one DOGE-style maneuver that even most Democrats can get behind. That said, this is also an administration that squeezes anyone and everyone (well, except rich taxpayers) for every last penny. And in this case, they are also going to squeeze them WITH every last penny, as the last few coins of the last run of pennies will be auctioned off to the highest bidder. We know that, with many collectibles, having the first or second specimen produced is pretty valuable. We do not know how much value there is in having, say, penny number 1,502,281,202,292 of 1,502,281,202,298 produced all-time.
The last time the U.S. retired a coin was in 1857, when it was decided that the half-cent no longer made much sense. At that rate, it is easy to project that the next time the U.S. retires a coin will be in the year 3353. Readers might want to start hoarding their nickels now, because one day, they will be collectors' items. Maybe your great-times-fifty-grandkids can pay off their 50-year Trump™ Mortgages by selling nickel number 432,920,278,277 of 13,289,227,282,010.
One interesting question—at least, interesting to us—that this brings up is if the old aphorisms that refer to the penny will survive once the last pennies disappear from circulation. Will people still say "a penny saved is a penny earned" or "a penny for your thoughts" or "penny-pinching"? Or will they upgrade them for inflation, and start saying, say, "a nickel for your thoughts"? We suppose "penny wise, pound foolish" has survived in the U.S. all these years, even though it doesn't make sense anymore, since the U.S. hasn't used pounds sterling for more than two centuries. So maybe the current "penny" sayings will survive, and parents will just have to tell their kids what a penny was. By them, they might also have to tell their kids what "cash" was.
Finally, let us note that the reason that Abraham Lincoln was put on the penny, on the occasion of his 100th brithday in 1909, was to emphasize that he was the president of the common man. Now, he'll only be on the $5 bill, and George Washington will be the only president to appear on commonly circulating paper money AND coins (the $2 bill is NOT commonly circulating, and does not count). We think that the correct solution here is to boot Washington off the quarter, since that doesn't make much sense anyhow, and it's a nice pairing to just have Washington on the $1 and Lincoln on the $5.
If Washington is to be replaced by a president, we'd pick Theodore Roosevelt, who is surely the best president who has not been given his own coin (other than those presidential dollars, which every president got, even that lousy bastard Millard Fillmore). That said, it doesn't have to be a president. Benjamin Franklin was on the half-dollar for a long time, and Alexander Hamilton is on the $10. So, our actual pick for the quarter would be Rosa Parks. History does not record exactly how she paid for her bus fare on that fateful day in 1955, but fare was 15 cents, so she may well have paid with a quarter. That would be a nice parallelism with the Roosevelt dime, which was created because of his support for the March of Dimes.
Of course, if readers have other ideas for who should be on the quarter (if Washington gets the boot), we would be interested to hear them at comments@electoral-vote.com. That said, we really should keep such talk among ourselves, for now. If there are any changes to coins under the auspices of the current Congress, then the nation is 100% guaranteed to end up with the Trump quarter. (Z)
I Read the News Today, Oh Boy: Seasons in the Sun
We noted that last week's theme was in the category In the News, and gave the hint that "we thought British readers would have an advantage last week, though it would seem they did not. This week, we think they will REALLY have an advantage." On Saturday, we added the hint that "there was going to be an item headlined: 'Shutdown News: Has Trump Gone Independent from, You Know, His Senses?'" but we ran out of time.
And here is the solution, courtesy of reader M.H. in Ottawa, ON, Canada:
The theme this week: British daily newspapers!Oh, and I quite like the hint, as specifying the category as "In the News" is deliciously misleading! Well done!
- The 2025 Election: Post Mortem, Part II: The Post (Bristol) (not to mention the Birmingham Post, the Lancashire Evening Post, the Liverpool Post, et al.)
- Into the Sunset: Nancy Pelosi, a Democratic Rock Star for Decades, Will Retire Next Year: The Daily Star
- I Read the News Today, Oh Boy: Sign of the Times: The Times
- This Week in Schadenfreude: The Eyes are the Mirror of the Soul: The Daily Mirror
- This Week in Freudenfreude: Carvd N Stone, Guardian of Good Vibes: The Guardian
The Independent, from the Saturday hint, and the Sun, from this headline, are also British newspapers, of course.
Here are the first 50 readers to get it right:
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The 50th correct response was received at 5:55 a.m. PT on Friday.
For this week's theme, we're doing songs (as we occasionally do), so that means that every word to the right of the colon is part of the theme (except for "Part I" in the last headline). This week's theme is necessarily in the category Music, though you could also put it in Geography. As to a hint, we'll say that if Donald Trump finds out about the theme, he will undoubtedly try to increase tariff rates on us. Fortunately, Electoral-Vote.com exports very little steel.
If you have a guess, send it to comments@electoral-vote.com with subject line "November 14 Headlines." (Z)
This Week in Schadenfreude: Working for the Weekend
We had a "laugh at Donald Trump's expense" item last weekend, and we try to avoid doing those multiple weeks in a row. However, we had many, many readers send in an item this week that is not only "laugh at Donald Trump's expense" but is "laugh at Donald Trump's expense, based on what he's doing in the Oval Office." It's like a sequel. Anyhow, because we had so many people send the story to us, we decided to use it.
The focal point of the whole thing is a tweet sent our by Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK). Here it is:
Notice the "working through the weekend" part. That's the first cause of scorn and derision, as Trump was not in Washington over the weekend. He was at Mar-a-Lago playing golf. The truth is that the photo was taken last Friday. This is not a big difference, but it IS the difference between "We're working extra-hard on behalf of the American people" and "We're working at the exact time that we're supposed to be working." One wonders why the Senator would tell a lie that is so easy to double-check.
That said, the real thing that has people talking is the paperwork on the desk. If you zoom in, which also makes it easier to avoid looking at those godawful gold ornaments all over the walls, you can see this:
Nobody can quite figure out why Trump's desk is covered with printouts of his postings to Truth Social. Is it so he can admire his handiwork, again and again? Is it because he wants to review messages that were written on his behalf? Is it because he needs to re-read them, again and again, to remember what he said? Those are the three most popular theories. Whatever is going on, it doesn't particularly comport with anyone's definition of "hard work," contrary to the implied braggadocio in Mullen's tweet.
In any event, it's all very surreal. The only thing we can tell you for sure is that, whatever shenanigans take place in the Oval Office in this upcoming week, this feature will be given over to something else. Anything else. (Z)
This Week in Freudenfreude: Thank U, Part I
On Wednesday, we posted a message about the people who don't get thanked like veterans do, but who really should. We didn't quite know what kind of response there might be, but it was... quite overwhelming, really. Among the folks who sent in a message was reader B.H. in Southborough, MA, who wrote: "Wonderful sentiment, guys. In the face of all this horrible bullsh** coming from those trying to grab more money and power, there is Fred Rogers."
That's a link to a PSA Mr. Rogers did in 2001 entitled "Look for the Helpers." We can't find an embeddable version, but here's the text of what he says:
When I was a little boy and something bad happened in the news, my mother would tell me to look for the helpers. You'll always find people helping. And I found that that's true. In fact, it's one of the best things about our wonderful world.
We were aware of the PSA, though we didn't think about it when we wrote that message earlier this week. Still, Mr. Rogers captures perfectly our thinking. And, in our experience, if you're on the same page as Fred Rogers, you're probably on the right track.
While we did not plan this out in this way, we received so many messages, and those messages are so very much in the spirit of this feature, that we decided to share them in that way. This week, we're going to have a few general remarks from readers, some messages about blue-collar professions, and then some messages about government workers of various sorts (which seems extra appropriate). Next week, we'll do a sequel covering other parts of the workforce and the populace:
M.S. in Freeport, IL, writes: You voiced what I've long thought. I don't mind thanking veterans, as they should be recognized. But as you pointed out, there are a lot of other people who put in the work every day that are also valuable but in different ways. Thank you for this overdue recognition of others!
(From the wife of a dedicated medical worker who works long hours and holidays and weekends, and who considers his "service" as being for the good of our community and humankind.)
G.B. in Olathe, KS, writes: To the folks at Electoral-Vote.com, I'd like to send a sincere thank you for the kind words written about the service of those of us who don't get a federal holiday and who are often the recipients of unkind sentiment from many who don't remember or understand how important our jobs are.
I'm a teacher. I hold an earned doctorate from the University of Kansas, and I have spent 35 years in various public education posts teaching and coaching kids who may or may not have really wanted to be in my classroom. I always did my best to make education less painful and more instructive about life. I have done this job because I feel it is important, and as someone who comes from a family chock-full of military veterans, it was the way I could serve my country in my own way.
To all who serve, in whatever capacity, in lower-paying, higher-jeopardy jobs, "thank you" doesn't begin to express my gratitude. Let's hope the next couple of years bring some sanity and civility back to our nation.
C.W. in Hamilton, NY, writes: Thanks for the call out for unsung heroes; my mother is a retired special education teacher, and helped so many families over the decades of her career.
L.H. in Middleburg, PA, writes: Thank you for expressing an opinion that I have long held that we should be thanking lots of people who rarely get recognized. After Donald Trump was elected last year, I was feeling devastated that there was little or nothing I could do to make things better. After some thought I decided that I was going to strive every day to find at least one person to thank or otherwise recognize for helping me or going beyond the requirements of their job.
I started in the grocery store. I asked a young man stocking shelves if he could help me find a large container of shortening because there were none on the shelf. He checked it out and said it appeared that a shipment had not arrived and it would not be there for a week. As I had need of it right away, I said I would have to buy multiple small cans instead, though they were more expensive. I continued shopping and was at the other end of the store when I heard someone shouting "Ma'am!" He came marching triumphantly down the aisle holding two large cans of Crisco over his head! He had gone back to the stockroom and searched till he found them and then tracked me down. I thanked him profusely and took note of his name. On my way out I stopped at the service desk and expressed my appreciation for his great help above and beyond.
That teenager says "Hi!" to me and smiles every time I see him. Being kind and friendly and grateful is beneficial to all.
K.R. in Austin, TX, writes: I'd like to thank the people who clean the places that we work and go to school. It is so nice to walk into a building with clean bathrooms, clean hallways and a clean lobby.
I once worked in a Texas State government building when they decided that a good way to save money would be to have building cleaned twice a week. Within a short time, our build looked dingy and didn't feel like a great place to work. The state eventually reversed the policy, in part because the cost of pest extermination service rose more than the amount saved on cleaning services.
F.L. in Allen, TX, writes: Being a qualified teacher in two countries (Texas and England), I think that middle school teachers should get combat pay. But...
Another great unsung hero is the sewer worker. Yes, Ed Norton (not the actor, but the fictional character on The Honeymooners). It's dangerous, filthy work and they get paid a pittance—but they get their hands dirty so we can keep our homes clean.
There is Wastewater Worker Recognition Week in April and Water Professionals Day on the first Monday of March, but who knows that?
Props to John Oliver, who, by randomly insulting Danbury, CT, had a sewer treatment plant named after him, with the mayor saying that, like Oliver, it was full of sh**. After agreeing to donate $55K, Oliver gladly accepted the honor.
D.B. in Palatine, IL, writes: Sanitation workers, who either work holidays or have to give up a weekend day to keep refuse collection on schedule. That's an essential service that is often overlooked.
And water reclamation is closely related. They have to work every day and are never even mentioned unless there's a problem (backups, bacteria in the outflow, etc.).
S.R. in Paradise, CA, writes: One forgotten group of hard-working folks are the sanitation workers.
Think about it. I don't see my doctor but once every 6 months. I've actually never personally enlisted the services of a lawyer. I've called 911 a couple times in my life.
But if my trash is not removed once a week (and, for many high volume restaurants, once a day) I'm in a world of overflowing putrescible waste.
These men and women get up well before the sun, drive massive trucks safely through our streets, sometimes encounter scary or dangerous situations in the morning darkness, then do the same thing the next day.
Think about tipping your waste/recycling worker this holiday season. Or, at least, give a friendly wave or a plate of cookies.
You rely on them more than you know.
S.C. in Lawrenceville, GA, writes: I say we need to thank the workers who pick up our garbage and recycling week after week with very little thanks or recognition! I'm old enough to remember the 1968 Memphis garbage strike and what a mess that was.
J.R. in New York City, NY, writes: I would give a tip of the hat to those at the bottom rungs of society who make it go, and who are often the most marginalized: nurses' aides and caregivers, porters and cleaning staff, farmworkers and delivery people.
V.W. in London, England, UK, writes: I was pleased to see your reference to the fact that while of course military personnel perform a vital function at significant personal risk, there are lots of other professions who provide essential public-interest services. You mentioned police, fire and ambulance/paramedics, also doctors and nurses, teachers, and lawyers (as a public-interest lawyer who could doubtless make much more money in private practice, I relate).
On the others, I think of some of the blue-collar, physical jobs—the guys (for they are mostly guys, though there are increasingly some girls too!) who make sure the power stays on, the sewage flows where it's meant to flow (and doesn't flow where it isn't meant to flow), the dustbins get emptied when they're supposed to, and the truck drivers who get the food and other essential supplies into the supermarkets to keep the shelves from being empty. Many of these jobs are physically hard, dirty and unpleasant in their own ways, and also carry a non-trivial risk of personal injury. The people who do them deserve our respect and our thanks.
S.C. in Mountain View, CA, writes: Two occupations that came to my mind immediately on reading your request were sanitation workers and bus drivers. The first literally do a dirty job that keeps the rest of us healthy and the second help people with no other source of transportation get to their jobs, grocery stores, etc.
M.M.F. in Nagoya, Japan, writes: Flight attendants. They're not waiters. They're not servants. They're highly-trained specialists willing to risk their own lives to get you out safely in an emergency. So listen to the freaking 2-minute safety briefing and cooperate.
That said, we should also thank our waiters. And the folks behind the counter in convenience stores. And the people who stock the supermarket shelves. And delivery drivers. They make it possible to live the lifestyle we do. A smile and a "thank you" are absolutely warranted, and might just make your day a little brighter, too.
R.C. in Newport News, VA, writes: Transportation workers have a higher on-the-job mortality rate than military or police. Long distance-drivers are away from their families for weeks. The job is boring but requires extended attention, hence taxing. Along with medical personnel, delivery drivers were the heroes of the pandemic. They took chances catching COVID to get us food and other supplies so we wouldn't have to shop and catch COVID ourselves. They were a blessing for people like me in our seventies and (especially) eighties.
R.D. in Freeland, WA, writes: All the low-paid retail workers who go to work every day, with a good spirit and a friendly smile and have to put up with the public who often abuses them, ridicules, and treats them as if they are second-class citizens. It is true that some have bad attitudes, but when you see the manner in which society views them is it any wonder! So thanks to all you hard-working stiffs who sell us our groceries, our dry goods, our hardware, our agriculture, who pick up our garbage. Thank you for being there, day after day, doing the hard job!
L.S. in Greensboro, NC, writes: How about farmers, who work from dawn to dusk, 7 days a week, and—if dairy farmers—with never a day off (cows have to be milked) to feed the nation and the world? As the nation moves further and further away from its agrarian roots, most people have little idea of the hard work and sacrifices farmers make to assure that we can go to the supermarket and select from a broad selection of tasty and nutritious foods. To sit up all night tending to a sick animal and then move right into doing the day's chores, since they won't do themselves, requires a level of dedication and true love for the work that should be celebrated.
C.J. in Lowell, MA, writes: I'd like to suggest National Park Service rangers and other personnel. As a seasonal ranger myself this summer, I heard words of appreciation numerous times, sometimes even phrased as "Thank you for your service" from visitors. They know it has been tough this year with reductions in force and a freeze on hiring permanent staff, but clearly still enjoy access to these resources.
H.R. in Jamaica Plain, MA, writes: A huge thank you to the U.S. Diplomatic Corps—the Foreign Service. Right now, these folks are working without pay (though some are on furlough). Some diplomatic assignments are in dangerous parts of the world, and while the diplomatic corps is protected by the U.S. Marines, the members of the Foreign Service are not armed, so are sometimes risking their lives without the "protection" that someone in military service has. Serving in the Foreign Service means frequently moving (around every 2 or 3 years), and sometimes serving in places where your movement is severely restricted. Tandem couples (where both serve) have no guarantee of getting assignments in the same place, sometimes having to work remotely, or take leave without pay, in order to stay together as a family. Foreign Service Officers perform many important functions for national security and foreign policy, yet they get very little recognition and thanks.
R.G.N. in Seattle, WA, writes: Perhaps, being a retired Federal environmental scientist, I am a bit biased, but knowing a lot of young scientists (and older ones) who served the pubic in agencies such as the EPA, NOAA, USFWS, etc.), I feel we owe a debt to these folks who choose public service over much higher paying private jobs. This is particularly true in a year where so many of these folks have been arbitrarily fired from civil service jobs that were supposedly guaranteed due process by the Pendelton Act.
D.C. in Kansas City, MO, writes: I would send a thank you out to all the volunteers who staff our local boards and commissions. These people work for no pay and just want to give back to their communities. They are the ones that make local governments work.
E.W. in Edmonton, AB, Canada, writes: Librarians. They're fierce advocates of the freedom to read, stalwart guardians against censorship, and they open up worlds of wonder and knowledge to anyone seeking them out. Librarians are particularly important to curious children, and we should encourage our politicians to fund our libraries generously and to increase the number of public school librarians, which has been in decline, at least where I come from, for a long time now.
E.S. In Providence, RI, writes: I'd like to thank air traffic controllers, who have an incredibly stressful job in keeping passengers alive.
A.G. in Scranton, PA, writes: I know many people might find this offensive, but I thank TSA workers at airports and employees of the United States Postal Service.
I made certain to thank each lady who manned the polls (they were all women, I wasn't a di** to some guy) on Election Day. Their lives can be ruined by some a**hole with camera and a lie, turned to hell by politicians and idiot commentators and their lies, and ended by some dipsh** with a gun who believes those pictures, theories, and lies.
Volunteers at food banks and soup kitchens. Social workers who are accused of being "baby snatchers". People who work with the seriously mentally ill. School janitors (they take so much sh** from a**hole kids).
Family farmers. There's so many here who are just clinging onto the edge of having to sell and still hoping against hope that the national greatness they were promised will arrive. I know that's thanking a Trump voter... but they're not all di**s.
I feel so awkward being thanked for serving when so many gave so much more than I did. We have had that discussion here. I find ways to use the moment: "You're welcome, ma'am. If you want to do me a favor could you remember to say that to a nurse for me?"
I've never been anything but grateful for these people but prison made me realize what a blessing freedom is, and I try to use my freedom as graciously as possible, so my list is a bit longer than most people's.
V.W. in Asheville, NC, writes: I would hope that one day Peace Corps volunteers would be honored on Veterans Day. Of course they never fought, but many veterans didn't either. They serve in many countries for a standard 2 years with little pay and a lot of isolation from family and friends. Many endure difficult situations while representing the U.S. I know several people who were under dangerous conditions while serving. They should be honored in some way.
P.W. in Nashville, TN, writes: On the subject of people who deserve (more than) a tip of the hat, how about mentioning the National Guard members who have been sent into our blue cities for essentially no purpose, on an indefinite basis and with little forward preparation. This is NOT what they joined the Guard for. They wanted to serve their country by providing disaster relief, emergency assistance and specialized interventions that relieve or prevent human suffering. It's what they're trained for. For those who've had battle experience, this life-affirming service is extremely important to them. But instead, they've left their jobs and families for who knows how long, to go and stand around and ostensibly "protect" the ICE goons while they pursue the Orange One's domestic terror campaign. We owe our Guardspeople thanks in all situations, but particularly now.
D.R. in Phoenix, AZ, writes: Tip of the Hat to all the front-line public-sector workers who keep the gears of civic life turning—the ones handling the licenses, questions, complaints, rules, fees, and fines that make us an orderly and prosperous society.
It's long been a running joke that places like the DMV are synonymous with long lines and surly clerks, but in my experience, the service is consistently good—often better than what I get in the private sector. I've never quite understood the griping.
These jobs aren't glamorous or lucrative, and the people who do them rarely hear a kind word. Yet they keep showing up, steady and patient, helping us navigate our days. Even when threatened with layoffs, wage freezes, or political scorn, they still answer the bell.
So here's to you—the front-line public servants who make everyday life possible. You've earned that Tip of the Hat.
If you see yourself in this list, then please accept our thanks, and the thanks of the readers.
Have a good weekend, all! (Z)
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