The new trump class of battleships:




The SAVE Act is a step too far if it's pushed for the 2026 election. If we're going down that road, we need to streamline the process and cut out the fees so we don't disenfranchise American citizens.GannonFan wrote: ↑Tue Jul 15, 2025 10:10 amWhen we want to solve this issue with voting we can. We're one of the only industrialized nations out there that do not require voter ID to vote (let alone getting into mail in voting and voting being open for multiple weeks - most other countries do it in one day with in person voting). Europe almost entirely requires voter ID. It's funny when we can say other nations having national health care and us being the outlier means we need to change what we do, but when the same argument is used for voting we can't possibly fathom that we could do it better. The SAVE act is a step in the right direction, but as always with any voting measure, there are details that need to be worked out (married women with name changes for instance). Heck, we seem to be able to solve this for REAL ID's and for passports but with voting we just can't figure it out.kalm wrote: ↑Tue Jul 15, 2025 7:44 am
Elections can be rigged in a variety of ways. Voter suppression, redistricting etc. As you acknowledged, “issues” occur every election and indeed it is messy. At what point do they become a more serious issue? What’s our tolerance for manipulation? Is the SAVE act no big deal or is it worthy of concern and legal challenge?
I believe that most state's Real IDs do not indicate US citizenship so Real IDs alone will not be enough. People will need a passport or their ID and another document (like a birth certificate or naturalization certificate) proving citizenship. Not everyone has these readily available. If they're going to require them then the government needs to give people notice and time to get them. They should also factor in the cost (both dollar and time) of getting them as well as the impact on federal and state agencies. Do they have the staffing to handle a large number of requests in a short period of time?I waited about an hour at the local DMV, and was finally called up. I pulled out all of my documents and my license and told the clerk that I was applying for a REAL ID. She looked at my documents and asked why the name on my birth certificate was different from the name on my other documents.
I told her my parents didn’t know who I would marry, and so they gave me their name. She didn’t think that was funny…
The clerk told me I needed to show proof of my name change. She told me I would need to get my marriage certificate. I pulled it out of my envelope. She told me I couldn’t use the one from my wedding. I had no idea that piece of paper was a souvenir, but I do now.
I was informed that I would need a marriage certificate from the courthouse with a raised seal. But I was married in Arkansas…I would have to apply for it. This was going to be another $10 dollars.
And then she hit me with even more news — because I have been married twice, and I changed my name both times, I would need to get both marriage certificates. That’s another $10 dollars.
So, if you’re keeping track, I was up to $35 in fees for documents and $27 for the new license for a grand total of $62. Not to mention the gas to the DMV, the time off to wait at the DMV, and the time I spent on the phone with two county courthouses trying to track down documents.
This was time consuming, but I can afford the fees and the time away from work. Not everyone is so lucky.

No. Voter disenfranchisement is what they need and seek.UNI88 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 12, 2026 11:48 amThe SAVE Act is a step too far if it's pushed for the 2026 election. If we're going down that road, we need to streamline the process and cut out the fees so we don't disenfranchise American citizens.GannonFan wrote: ↑Tue Jul 15, 2025 10:10 am
When we want to solve this issue with voting we can. We're one of the only industrialized nations out there that do not require voter ID to vote (let alone getting into mail in voting and voting being open for multiple weeks - most other countries do it in one day with in person voting). Europe almost entirely requires voter ID. It's funny when we can say other nations having national health care and us being the outlier means we need to change what we do, but when the same argument is used for voting we can't possibly fathom that we could do it better. The SAVE act is a step in the right direction, but as always with any voting measure, there are details that need to be worked out (married women with name changes for instance). Heck, we seem to be able to solve this for REAL ID's and for passports but with voting we just can't figure it out.
Voter Passport: The SAVE Act
I believe that most state's Real IDs do not indicate US citizenship so Real IDs alone will not be enough. People will need a passport or their ID and another document (like a birth certificate or naturalization certificate) proving citizenship. Not everyone has these readily available. If they're going to require them then the government needs to give people notice and time to get them. They should also factor in the cost (both dollar and time) of getting them as well as the impact on federal and state agencies. Do they have the staffing to handle a large number of requests in a short period of time?I waited about an hour at the local DMV, and was finally called up. I pulled out all of my documents and my license and told the clerk that I was applying for a REAL ID. She looked at my documents and asked why the name on my birth certificate was different from the name on my other documents.
I told her my parents didn’t know who I would marry, and so they gave me their name. She didn’t think that was funny…
The clerk told me I needed to show proof of my name change. She told me I would need to get my marriage certificate. I pulled it out of my envelope. She told me I couldn’t use the one from my wedding. I had no idea that piece of paper was a souvenir, but I do now.
I was informed that I would need a marriage certificate from the courthouse with a raised seal. But I was married in Arkansas…I would have to apply for it. This was going to be another $10 dollars.
And then she hit me with even more news — because I have been married twice, and I changed my name both times, I would need to get both marriage certificates. That’s another $10 dollars.
So, if you’re keeping track, I was up to $35 in fees for documents and $27 for the new license for a grand total of $62. Not to mention the gas to the DMV, the time off to wait at the DMV, and the time I spent on the phone with two county courthouses trying to track down documents.
This was time consuming, but I can afford the fees and the time away from work. Not everyone is so lucky.
Rushing into this without proper planning and preparation will disenfranchise eligible voters. Do you expect Republicans pushing this bill to provide for proper planning and preparation?

Agreed - rushing this in for 2026 seems like rushing. Heck, the Real ID program was pushed back more than 5 years to give states enough time to figure it out and how to implement (and even then, states like PA ended up flubbing it and caused a huge surge, with predictable delays, as people tried to get Real ID's all at once at the last moment). Get it into place and try to have it ready for the 2028 election. Again, no one really has serious issues with the ideas in principle, there is widespread agreement by the majority of voters and much of this is similar to what's already done in other first world countries. But with most things government related, we're not going to be terribly efficient in rolling this out.UNI88 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 12, 2026 11:48 amThe SAVE Act is a step too far if it's pushed for the 2026 election. If we're going down that road, we need to streamline the process and cut out the fees so we don't disenfranchise American citizens.GannonFan wrote: ↑Tue Jul 15, 2025 10:10 am
When we want to solve this issue with voting we can. We're one of the only industrialized nations out there that do not require voter ID to vote (let alone getting into mail in voting and voting being open for multiple weeks - most other countries do it in one day with in person voting). Europe almost entirely requires voter ID. It's funny when we can say other nations having national health care and us being the outlier means we need to change what we do, but when the same argument is used for voting we can't possibly fathom that we could do it better. The SAVE act is a step in the right direction, but as always with any voting measure, there are details that need to be worked out (married women with name changes for instance). Heck, we seem to be able to solve this for REAL ID's and for passports but with voting we just can't figure it out.
Voter Passport: The SAVE Act
I believe that most state's Real IDs do not indicate US citizenship so Real IDs alone will not be enough. People will need a passport or their ID and another document (like a birth certificate or naturalization certificate) proving citizenship. Not everyone has these readily available. If they're going to require them then the government needs to give people notice and time to get them. They should also factor in the cost (both dollar and time) of getting them as well as the impact on federal and state agencies. Do they have the staffing to handle a large number of requests in a short period of time?I waited about an hour at the local DMV, and was finally called up. I pulled out all of my documents and my license and told the clerk that I was applying for a REAL ID. She looked at my documents and asked why the name on my birth certificate was different from the name on my other documents.
I told her my parents didn’t know who I would marry, and so they gave me their name. She didn’t think that was funny…
The clerk told me I needed to show proof of my name change. She told me I would need to get my marriage certificate. I pulled it out of my envelope. She told me I couldn’t use the one from my wedding. I had no idea that piece of paper was a souvenir, but I do now.
I was informed that I would need a marriage certificate from the courthouse with a raised seal. But I was married in Arkansas…I would have to apply for it. This was going to be another $10 dollars.
And then she hit me with even more news — because I have been married twice, and I changed my name both times, I would need to get both marriage certificates. That’s another $10 dollars.
So, if you’re keeping track, I was up to $35 in fees for documents and $27 for the new license for a grand total of $62. Not to mention the gas to the DMV, the time off to wait at the DMV, and the time I spent on the phone with two county courthouses trying to track down documents.
This was time consuming, but I can afford the fees and the time away from work. Not everyone is so lucky.
Rushing into this without proper planning and preparation will disenfranchise eligible voters. Do you expect Republicans pushing this bill to provide for proper planning and preparation?

I don't have an issue with the ideas in principle but I do have concerns about a possible prohibition on universal mail voting. Oregon has it, it works well and I think it's federal overreach to prohibit it.GannonFan wrote: ↑Thu Feb 12, 2026 12:08 pmAgreed - rushing this in for 2026 seems like rushing. Heck, the Real ID program was pushed back more than 5 years to give states enough time to figure it out and how to implement (and even then, states like PA ended up flubbing it and caused a huge surge, with predictable delays, as people tried to get Real ID's all at once at the last moment). Get it into place and try to have it ready for the 2028 election. Again, no one really has serious issues with the ideas in principle, there is widespread agreement by the majority of voters and much of this is similar to what's already done in other first world countries. But with most things government related, we're not going to be terribly efficient in rolling this out.UNI88 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 12, 2026 11:48 am
The SAVE Act is a step too far if it's pushed for the 2026 election. If we're going down that road, we need to streamline the process and cut out the fees so we don't disenfranchise American citizens.
Voter Passport: The SAVE Act
I believe that most state's Real IDs do not indicate US citizenship so Real IDs alone will not be enough. People will need a passport or their ID and another document (like a birth certificate or naturalization certificate) proving citizenship. Not everyone has these readily available. If they're going to require them then the government needs to give people notice and time to get them. They should also factor in the cost (both dollar and time) of getting them as well as the impact on federal and state agencies. Do they have the staffing to handle a large number of requests in a short period of time?
Rushing into this without proper planning and preparation will disenfranchise eligible voters. Do you expect Republicans pushing this bill to provide for proper planning and preparation?

That is about feelz fed by a constant Fake News MSM drumbeat about a bad Trump economy. Here are the facts:

We are constantly told by the left how the US should be more like Europe- their social safety net, single payer, etc. But when it comes to most of Europe‘s voter ID, one day, in person, the left is ‘Oh no, we can‘t have that.‘UNI88 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 12, 2026 12:33 pmI don't have an issue with the ideas in principle but I do have concerns about a possible prohibition on universal mail voting. Oregon has it, it works well and I think it's federal overreach to prohibit it.GannonFan wrote: ↑Thu Feb 12, 2026 12:08 pm
Agreed - rushing this in for 2026 seems like rushing. Heck, the Real ID program was pushed back more than 5 years to give states enough time to figure it out and how to implement (and even then, states like PA ended up flubbing it and caused a huge surge, with predictable delays, as people tried to get Real ID's all at once at the last moment). Get it into place and try to have it ready for the 2028 election. Again, no one really has serious issues with the ideas in principle, there is widespread agreement by the majority of voters and much of this is similar to what's already done in other first world countries. But with most things government related, we're not going to be terribly efficient in rolling this out.
Requiring proof-of-citizenship to register to vote in Oregon will also strain state staffing to provide in-person registration and verify documentation.
If Congress wants this, Congress should pay for it. Didn't Republicans used to be against unfunded mandates?

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/obama- ... on-historyObama-era greenhouse gas rules gone as EPA’s Zeldin signs ‘single largest deregulatory action’ in history
EPA administrator eliminates regulation that forced annoying start-stop car feature on drivers nationwide
……"Not only do many people find start-stop annoying, but it kills the battery of your car without any significant benefit to the environment. The Trump EPA is proudly fixing this stupid feature at Trump Speed."
Zeldin said automakers shouldn’t be forced to adopt or be rewarded for using technologies that represent a "climate participation trophy" with no meaningful reduction in actual pollution….
…..US Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy added in a statement that resetting of mileage standards and removal of auto-starts and other greenhouse-gas-regulation-precipitated regulations are part of President Donald Trump’s vision to lower costs and revitalize manufacturing.
All federal greenhouse gas emission standards for vehicles and engines subsequent to the 2009 declaration will be rescinded, a source familiar with the situation said.
When it comes to the start-stop off-cycle technology, a credit for it was created by the EPA in 2012 and quickly infuriated motorists who hear their engine click off then on again at a stoplight or in the teller line at the bank.
The start-stop became a regulatory loophole allowing automakers to claim greenhouse gas credits without actually delivering empirical emission-reduction or human health benefits.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the move to rescind the 2009 finding will "be the largest deregulatory action in American history, and it will save the American people $1.3 trillion in crushing regulations," according to multiple reports...

And MAQA does the same thing for their own agenda items like voter ID, one day, in person.BDKJMU wrote: ↑Thu Feb 12, 2026 4:02 pmWe are constantly told by the left how the US should be more like Europe- their social safety net, single payer, etc. But when it comes to most of Europe‘s voter ID, one day, in person, the left is ‘Oh no, we can‘t have that.‘UNI88 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 12, 2026 12:33 pm
I don't have an issue with the ideas in principle but I do have concerns about a possible prohibition on universal mail voting. Oregon has it, it works well and I think it's federal overreach to prohibit it.
Requiring proof-of-citizenship to register to vote in Oregon will also strain state staffing to provide in-person registration and verify documentation.
If Congress wants this, Congress should pay for it. Didn't Republicans used to be against unfunded mandates?

lol no. There‘s reasons most of the 1st world, which also has the technology, votes in person.

And election cheating is what the left needs and seeks.kalm wrote: ↑Thu Feb 12, 2026 12:01 pmNo. Voter disenfranchisement is what they need and seek.UNI88 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 12, 2026 11:48 am
The SAVE Act is a step too far if it's pushed for the 2026 election. If we're going down that road, we need to streamline the process and cut out the fees so we don't disenfranchise American citizens.
Voter Passport: The SAVE Act
I believe that most state's Real IDs do not indicate US citizenship so Real IDs alone will not be enough. People will need a passport or their ID and another document (like a birth certificate or naturalization certificate) proving citizenship. Not everyone has these readily available. If they're going to require them then the government needs to give people notice and time to get them. They should also factor in the cost (both dollar and time) of getting them as well as the impact on federal and state agencies. Do they have the staffing to handle a large number of requests in a short period of time?
Rushing into this without proper planning and preparation will disenfranchise eligible voters. Do you expect Republicans pushing this bill to provide for proper planning and preparation?

Look in a mirror - "find 11,780 votes" and trying to recognize fraudulent electors are attempts at election cheating, Attempting to delay, stop or impact the 2026 midterms would be an attempt at election cheating.

Of course none these numbers (both yours and mine) are based in the reality of what the working/consumer class experiences.long term. So relax, Data Boy.BDKJMU wrote: ↑Thu Feb 12, 2026 3:56 pmThat is about feelz fed by a constant Fake News MSM drumbeat about a bad Trump economy. Here are the facts:
Economic #s
1.GDP
2024: 2.8%
2025:
1st qtr -.5% (Trump didn‘t enter office till late Jan).
-2nd qtr 3.8%
-3rd qtr 4.4%
-4th qtr estimates 4.2% to 5.4% (Atlanta Fed).
2.Markets
Dow
1/20/25 43,487
2/12/26 49,451 (+13.7%)
S&P 500
1/20/25 5,996
2/12/26 6,832 (+13.9%)
NASDAQ
1/20/25 19,630
7/22/25 22,597 (+15.1%)
https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/%5EDJI/history/
https://www.nasdaq.com/market-activity/ ... meline=ytd
3.Inflation. 4 years under Biden 21.5%, avg about 5% a year.
2024 2.9% (Jan 25’ 3.0%)
———————————————
2025 2.7%. Jan due out tomorrow, projected to be 2.5%.
4. REAL WAGE GROWTH
-4.0% 4 years under Biden.
+1.0% 1 year under Trump.
https://www.factcheck.org/2025/10/bidens-final-numbers/
https://usafacts.org/answers/are-wages- ... ed-states/
5.Gas prices
1/20/25: $3.11
2/12/26: $2.94. Have jumped about 20 cents in the last month- Some states raised gas taxes and the saber rattling with Iran has caused a spike.
6. Interest rates (30 yr mortgage nat avg).
1/20/25 6.67%
2/12/26 6.09%
https://ycharts.com/indicators/30_year_mortgage_rate
7. Unemployment
Jan 4.0%
————-
2025
Feb 4.1%
Mar: 4.2%
April 4.2%
May: 4.2%
June 4.1%
July: 4.2%
Aug: 4.3%
Sept 4.1%
Oct —-
Nov 4.5%
Dec 4.4%
2026
Jan: 4.3%
8. Deficit (yeah I know, no one cares about this one).
2024 1.8 trillion
2025 1.7 trillion
So the major economic indicators above have gotten better under Trump except for the unemployment #, which is still at basically full employment.

BDKJMU wrote: ↑Thu Feb 12, 2026 3:56 pmThat is about feelz fed by a constant Fake News MSM drumbeat about a bad Trump economy. Here are the facts:
Economic #s
1.GDP
2024: 2.8%
2025:
1st qtr -.5% (Trump didn‘t enter office till late Jan).
-2nd qtr 3.8%
-3rd qtr 4.4%
-4th qtr estimates 4.2% to 5.4% (Atlanta Fed).
2.Markets
Dow
1/20/25 43,487
2/12/26 49,451 (+13.7%)
S&P 500
1/20/25 5,996
2/12/26 6,832 (+13.9%)
NASDAQ
1/20/25 19,630
7/22/25 22,597 (+15.1%)
https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/%5EDJI/history/
https://www.nasdaq.com/market-activity/ ... meline=ytd
3.Inflation. 4 years under Biden 21.5%, avg about 5% a year.
2024 2.9% (Jan 25’ 3.0%)
———————————————
2025 2.7%. Jan due out tomorrow, projected to be 2.5%.
4. REAL WAGE GROWTH
-4.0% 4 years under Biden.
+1.0% 1 year under Trump.
https://www.factcheck.org/2025/10/bidens-final-numbers/
https://usafacts.org/answers/are-wages- ... ed-states/
5.Gas prices
1/20/25: $3.11
2/12/26: $2.94. Have jumped about 20 cents in the last month- Some states raised gas taxes and the saber rattling with Iran has caused a spike.
6. Interest rates (30 yr mortgage nat avg).
1/20/25 6.67%
2/12/26 6.09%
https://ycharts.com/indicators/30_year_mortgage_rate
7. Unemployment
Jan 4.0%
————-
2025
Feb 4.1%
Mar: 4.2%
April 4.2%
May: 4.2%
June 4.1%
July: 4.2%
Aug: 4.3%
Sept 4.1%
Oct —-
Nov 4.5%
Dec 4.4%
2026
Jan: 4.3%
8. Deficit (yeah I know, no one cares about this one).
2024 1.8 trillion
2025 1.7 trillion
So the major economic indicators above have gotten better under Trump except for the unemployment #, which is still at basically full employment.
Make that 2.4%.2025 2.7%. Jan due out tomorrow, projected to be 2.5%.

It’s amazing what happens when you get rid of 2.7 million illegals, opening up more jobs for Americans.kalm wrote: ↑Fri Feb 13, 2026 9:19 amOf course none these numbers (both yours and mine) are based in the reality of what the working/consumer class experiences.long term. So relax, Data Boy.BDKJMU wrote: ↑Thu Feb 12, 2026 3:56 pm
That is about feelz fed by a constant Fake News MSM drumbeat about a bad Trump economy. Here are the facts:
Economic #s
1.GDP
2024: 2.8%
2025:
1st qtr -.5% (Trump didn‘t enter office till late Jan).
-2nd qtr 3.8%
-3rd qtr 4.4%
-4th qtr estimates 4.2% to 5.4% (Atlanta Fed).
2.Markets
Dow
1/20/25 43,487
2/12/26 49,451 (+13.7%)
S&P 500
1/20/25 5,996
2/12/26 6,832 (+13.9%)
NASDAQ
1/20/25 19,630
7/22/25 22,597 (+15.1%)
https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/%5EDJI/history/
https://www.nasdaq.com/market-activity/ ... meline=ytd
3.Inflation. 4 years under Biden 21.5%, avg about 5% a year.
2024 2.9% (Jan 25’ 3.0%)
———————————————
2025 2.7%. Jan due out tomorrow, projected to be 2.5%.
4. REAL WAGE GROWTH
-4.0% 4 years under Biden.
+1.0% 1 year under Trump.
https://www.factcheck.org/2025/10/bidens-final-numbers/
https://usafacts.org/answers/are-wages- ... ed-states/
5.Gas prices
1/20/25: $3.11
2/12/26: $2.94. Have jumped about 20 cents in the last month- Some states raised gas taxes and the saber rattling with Iran has caused a spike.
6. Interest rates (30 yr mortgage nat avg).
1/20/25 6.67%
2/12/26 6.09%
https://ycharts.com/indicators/30_year_mortgage_rate
7. Unemployment
Jan 4.0%
————-
2025
Feb 4.1%
Mar: 4.2%
April 4.2%
May: 4.2%
June 4.1%
July: 4.2%
Aug: 4.3%
Sept 4.1%
Oct —-
Nov 4.5%
Dec 4.4%
2026
Jan: 4.3%
8. Deficit (yeah I know, no one cares about this one).
2024 1.8 trillion
2025 1.7 trillion
So the major economic indicators above have gotten better under Trump except for the unemployment #, which is still at basically full employment.


If they can make close to as much on unemployment & welfare sitting at home, no. But if the choice is no roof and starve, or work, they will work.

Yeah! Let them starve! That’ll learn them!

Gosh, if only our economic policy was more geared towards the free trade that you now seem to be trumpeting between nations, rather than a restrictive tariff system meant to make countries pay steeply to access our domestic market. That would be nice.

That is a fair criticism of kalm.

I’ve already been through this with Ganny. It’s a mischaracterization of my arguments from a decade ago. Notice I don’t play his gotcha game in return despite the previous targets he’s presented? His first instinct is to play gotcha rather than add anything of substance to a discussion. The butthurt runs long and deep I guess.UNI88 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 16, 2026 2:31 pmThat is a fair criticism of kalm.
trump's America First approach has unfortunately become America Alone where we undercut and alienate our allies while encouraging our enemies.
Efforts like the one Carney is leading will reduce but not eliminate the impact on our allies.
It will make the US and the world poorer and will likely lead to more conflicts and more deaths around the world.
In other words, it's moronic.

You have traditionally been pro-protectionism when liberals/Democrats have advocated for it. I believe you disagree with trump's approach and the extreme that he has taken it too.kalm wrote: ↑Mon Feb 16, 2026 2:44 pmI’ve already been through this with Ganny. It’s a mischaracterization of my arguments from a decade ago. Notice I don’t play his gotcha game in return despite the previous targets he’s presented? His first instinct is to play gotcha rather than add anything of substance to a discussion. The butthurt runs long and deep I guess.UNI88 wrote: ↑Mon Feb 16, 2026 2:31 pm
That is a fair criticism of kalm.
trump's America First approach has unfortunately become America Alone where we undercut and alienate our allies while encouraging our enemies.
Efforts like the one Carney is leading will reduce but not eliminate the impact on our allies.
It will make the US and the world poorer and will likely lead to more conflicts and more deaths around the world.
In other words, it's moronic.![]()
![]()
Besides, when I’ve been mistaken or changed my mind on an issue, I’ve at least owned it at times.![]()

