City of Berkeley blacklists companies who they politically disagree with.

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kage69

kage69

Lifer
Jul 17, 2003
31,681
48,443
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Methinks OP is being a little too serious about this one.

Being selective in who you do business with, over ideological grounds, sounds closer to a boycott than fascism. Have brownshirts been sent anywhere? Have there been threats of seizure or demands of ideological compliance? No one is being driven out of business, or having regulations or taxes unfairly or 'inexplicably' raised, right? Am I missing something here?

I see churches and conservative organizations advocating boycotts all the time, as well as legally defending their feelings from harm over religious grounds, a la Hobby Lobby. Are the people who work in government not entitled to the same protection of feelings?

I'm a centrist and I don't see a problem here. What's good for the goose...
 
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sdifox

sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
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Goverments are only obligated to be fair and equitable to the people it serves. Not contract bidders.

There is also the possibilty that they don't want their project bumped by the wall when push comes to shove.
 
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Fern

Fern

Elite Member
Sep 30, 2003
26,907
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ivwshane said:
Seems like a violation of the constitution (equal protection clause?) to me, I can't imagine it holding up in the courts.
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Yeah, seems like a violation. Can't put my finger on exactly why though.

Also seems like they're primarily hurting their own local businesses. Does a construction company located and working in SoCal care? Same for construction companies from other states.

And geez, there are construction company owners that hate Trump and oppose the wall but have said they'll work on it. I saw a Mexican guy (he was advertised as such, not sure if it meant heritage or actual citizen) saying "Hey a job is a job". Why hurt these people?

Berkeley can't influence it enough to make the wall not happen (if it happens).

Fern
 
Fern

Fern

Elite Member
Sep 30, 2003
26,907
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sdifox said:
Yeah I can't wrap my head around that. Show me a CEO that has been convicted of manslaughter due to his company's polluting ways then we can talk.
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If it can be proven that the CEO did it intentionally you'll see the CEO convicted.

Fern
 
sdifox

sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
100,982
18,119
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Fern said:
If it can be proven that the CEO did it intentionally you'll see the CEO convicted.

Fern
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When you and I dump benzene upstream from a town and people in the town start dying, we will be charged with manslaughter. A company gets a fine and maybe ordered to clean it up. That is not the same treatment, ergo a company should stop being a person before the courts.

I mean look at the mess we made with PCB.
 
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Blackjack200

Blackjack200

Lifer
May 28, 2007
15,995
1,688
126
Pulsar said:
The wall is a purely political entity. It's has zero efficacy at stopping illegal immigration. Opposing the wall is a political viewpoint. Creating the blacklist is a furthering of that oppositional viewpoint. And you, sure, are lying through your teeth to further a political agenda.
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It is not a purely political entity, it will be a physical entity. And the blacklist does not exclude contractors that agree with it or support it. It excludes contractors that build it.

It's not about viewpoints, it's about actions.
 
Blackjack200

Blackjack200

Lifer
May 28, 2007
15,995
1,688
126
Commodus said:
For the former... as much as I'm opposed to DAPL, no (for the same reasons as in the Berkeley case). As for the bank deposits, that's trickier -- I could see that happening because it's a matter of the banks behaving improperly.
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But they're acting within the boundaries of the law just like the wall and DAPL contractors, no?
 
kage69

kage69

Lifer
Jul 17, 2003
31,681
48,443
136
sdifox said:
Yeah I can't wrap my head around that. Show me a CEO that has been convicted of manslaughter due to his company's polluting ways then we can talk.
Click to expand...

Two words for the corporation apologists: Union Carbide.
 
B

baydude

Senior member
Sep 13, 2011
814
80
91
I hope if backfires when they can't find any local contractors they'd have to hire remote and cost 5x as much
 
OutHouse

OutHouse

Lifer
Jun 5, 2000
36,410
616
126
Blackjack200 said:
I don't know the relevant law here, but I don't see anything principally wrong with a municipal government choosing to do business with companies that align with its values and ethics.

This is also a deeply dishonest post. The blacklist is not based on "viewpoints", it's companies that are bidding on contracts to work on the wall. So there's no parallel to forcing firms to support specific politicians or political measures.
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because they are a government punishing companies for following the law. they are not some PTA committee.
 
imported_tajmahal

imported_tajmahal

Lifer
Jul 9, 2009
10,759
2,086
136
kage69 said:
Methinks OP is being a little too serious about this one.

Being selective in who you do business with, over ideological grounds, sounds closer to a boycott than fascism. Have brownshirts been sent anywhere? Have there been threats of seizure or demands of ideological compliance? No one is being driven out of business, or having regulations or taxes unfairly or 'inexplicably' raised, right? Am I missing something here?

I see churches and conservative organizations advocating boycotts all the time, as well as legally defending their feelings from harm over religious grounds, a la Hobby Lobby. Are the people who work in government not entitled to the same protection of feelings?

I'm a centrist and I don't see a problem here. What's good for the goose...
Click to expand...
I'm a centrist too, just like you and i find their boycott of opposing political viewpoints to be very disturbing and reminiscent of other Socialist regimes such as the 30's socialist regimes in Italy and Germany. What's good for the goose steppers in Europe is good for the goose steppers in Berkeley.
 
M

Moonbeam

Elite Member
Nov 24, 1999
74,886
6,784
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Personally I am very very concerned that the foul virus that infects the tiny city of Berkeley will spread throughout the nation and destroy it from within before the massively virulent Trump strain stain that is currently working its way into millions and millions of Americans and destroying the very fabric of the nation can finish us off first.

It really helps me calm my terror that I support insanity by focusing on tiny problems like leftest Berkeley. I am so thankful to God I was indoctrinated early in life to insure my knee jerks when I hear the word Berkeley. I love being a well trained robot and general slub. It helps me get through the terror of the day.
 
B

brycejones

Lifer
Oct 18, 2005
30,181
31,182
136
imported_tajmahal said:
I'm a centrist too, just like you and i find their boycott of opposing political viewpoints to be very disturbing and reminiscent of other Socialist regimes such as the 30's socialist regimes in Italy and Germany. What's good for the goose steppers in Europe is good for the goose steppers in Berkeley.
Click to expand...


Guys pay attention taj is an expert when it comes to goose-stepping.
 
sdifox

sdifox

No Lifer
Sep 30, 2005
100,982
18,119
126
OutHouse said:
not true. Govmt bids get contested all the time due to not being fair or equitable.
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Just because there is a lawsuit doesn't make it illegal or unfair and inequitable. We are talking about pre-qualifier here. I think it is safe to assume the number of wall contractors is less than a quarter of all the contractors. That means there are 75% of contractors can bid.

There are always pre qualifiers on government contracts. Key is to make sure the conditions are not there for contract rigging.
 
V

Victorian Gray

Lifer
Nov 25, 2013
32,083
11,718
136
Lügenpost (and a real doozy as well)

imported_tajmahal said:
I'm a centrist too, just like you and i find their boycott of opposing political viewpoints to be very disturbing and reminiscent of other Socialist regimes such as the 30's socialist regimes in Italy and Germany. What's good for the goose steppers in Europe is good for the goose steppers in Berkeley.
Click to expand...
 
Fern

Fern

Elite Member
Sep 30, 2003
26,907
174
106
Capt Caveman said:
Nope. CEO of a company that killed 25 and made 700 people ill due to contaminated medical steroid injections knowing that they were contaminated acquitted of 2nd degree murder and no charges of manslaughter.

https://www.boston.com/news/local-n...d-in-trial-over-deadly-us-meningitis-outbreak
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Jury acquited him of 2nd murder. Meaning prosecutors did charge him,. Apparently they couldn't prove the case. Looks like he'll 20 yrs on the other charges.

Manslaughter charges seem appropriate. But we've seen this before. Prosecutors over-charge etc. and it blows up in their faces. I have seen in some jurisdictions that secondary charges can be filed; meaning if 2nd degree is a no, then the prosecutor can go for manslaughter. It may be that this jurisdiction doesn't allow it. It may be the prosecutors are morons. IDK.

But it's reassuring to see that corrupt business people can be charged for crimes.

Fern
 
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