Trump promise to deny New York, Seattle and Portland federal funds is an empty threat, expert says

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

The Department of Justice on Monday designated New York City, Seattle and Portland, Ore., as jurisdictions that permit “anarchy, violence and destruction,” a distinction that the Trump administration hopes to use to strip those cities of federal funding.

But legal experts say the policy may amount to little more than an empty political threat.

The list of cities is a response to a Sept. 2 memorandum from the White House outlining a policy under which the Trump administration can decide to restrict federal grant funding. The memo states that violence and destruction have continued “unabated” in Portland, Seattle and New York due to failed leadership and disempowered police forces.

“We cannot allow federal tax dollars to be wasted when the safety of the citizenry hangs in the balance,” Attorney General William Barr said in a statement Monday. “It is my hope that the cities identified by the Department of Justice today will reverse course and become serious about performing the basic function of government and start protecting their own citizens.”

The proposal to deny those three cities federal funding is vaguely similar to Trump’s attempt to withhold funds from so-called sanctuary cities, jurisdictions that limit cooperation with federal agencies in the enforcement of immigration law. Courts have issued mixed decisions on whether such an action is legal.

But experts told Yahoo News this latest case is cut-and-dried, and say that Trump and Barr are applying arbitrary criteria to decide which cities the administration will deny funding.

“It’s clear that only the Congress has the power of the purse,” Harvard University law professor and leading constitutional scholar Laurence Tribe told Yahoo News. “Congress sets the conditions on which grants to states and grants to municipalities can be given and must be given. And the president has to follow those rules.”

https://news.yahoo.com/trump-promise-to-deny-new-york-seattle-and-portland-federal-funds-is-an-empty-threat-expert-says-224814493.html

[pfitz59]

1. We could use Federal funds to house the political refugees clogging our streets

Seattle has many folks fleeing red states. They hear we are tolerant, and they come. "Free-attle" is a real slogan. The word is "no one goes hungry in Seattle". Much truth in it. What we lack is affordable housing and shelter space. The city implemented a "wealth tax" on Amazon and other behemoths, but they threatened to "pull out" (while fucking us), so the city rescinded the tax and Bezos got another $50 billion in the bank. Trump and his buddies are angry because our police don't haul off with truncheons and haul out the water-cannons. Yes, we have unrest, but is limited. Patience prevailed on "CHAZ/CHOP" and it fizzled out. We don't want jack-booted thugs marching around and stepping on throats. The city continues to be a world-class destination for business and tourism alike. Trump and Barr can go fuck themselves.

[no_hypocrisy]

2. The anarchy shtik is just a gimmick. Trump is incrementally punishing

cities in blue states for not just being opposed to him, but not changing to supporting him.