Trump Special

Angelika After Trump's victory, many people in San Francisco and California, where over 60% of voters cast their ballots for Hillary Clinton are in a kind of shock. On Wednesday morning after the election on November 10th, the election result was the topic of conversation everywhere. During parent-teacher conferences at my social groups, I had to let each person get rid of a comment about the election before we could talk about the children and their progress. Of course you've seen the German news and read the newspapers about the demonstrations all over the US, so I won't go into that and instead focus on some lesser-known events.

For example, when the USA map kept turning red on Tuesday evening and Trump's victory became more evident, the website of the Canadian immigration authority crashed, as many US citizens simultaneously inquired about immigration possibilities to Canada. As they say, 'Onward to the northern neighbor and away from Trumpistan.'

A few blocks from our apartment a neighbor had suddenly hoisted a swastika flag on the roof of his house. The owner, 48-year-old Frederick Roeber, is a retired software engineer who worked at companies like Netscape and Google in the 90s, earning himself a furtune to retire early. He wanted to protest "ironically" against Trump with the action, but it all went downhill because no one understood his intentions, and the motivation to express this through a swastika flag. The flag then disappeared quickly, after he was approached by a neighbor, whose relatives had survived the Holocaust. The question that bothers me now is: why did the man have a swastika flag in his house?

On Wednesday after the election, Apple CEO Tim Cook and LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner addressed their employees and appealed to them to respect each other regardless of their skin color, origin, religion, sexual orientation, and also regardless of who they voted for. It's interesting that company leaders are taking such measures to comment on an election and ask their employees to stay calm.

In California, there were immediate efforts to prepare for Calexit, similar to the "Brexit", which was a plan to declare California's independence from the rest of the United States. Of course, this is not realistic and legally not viable, as it would require amending the California Constitution, as well as a two-thirds majority in both the House of Representatives and the Senate to approve a secession. The California Constitution states that the state of California cannot be divided. This applies to all other states as well. There was also the Yes California Independence Campaign before Trump's election, but it has gained renewed momentum since then. Separatist movements at the state level are nothing new. Texas attempted one when Barack Obama was elected president and was fortunately unsuccessful.

Regardless of whether one is for or against independence, the Americans we know and interact with in San Francisco cannot even explain why Trump won. In San Francisco, Trump only received around 10% of the votes. In American media, it is often stated that the liberal strongholds on the East and West Coasts live in a bubble and do not understand how things are going for people in the middle. One could certainly also argue, however, that people in the Republican strongholds are living in their own bubble. As our former mayor and current Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom rightly pointed out, California represents the America of the future: innovative with a diverse and multicultural population.

In California, the clocks usually tick a little differently, as shown by the results of the also-proposed referendums. In many states, including California, voters on November 9th not only voted for president but also elected senators and judges and could vote for or against a plethora of so-called "propositions." These are either citizen initiatives that make it onto the ballot through signature drives in California or the California legislature needs the approval of its citizens for certain decisions by holding an official vote. There are initiatives that apply statewide or locally, on a city or county level. Initiating a referendum is a popular pastime in California.

In San Francisco, voters had to go to the polls on November 9th not only for the presidential election but also to decide on over 17 statewide and 25 local ballot measures. Important issues were at stake as turnout is typically higher during presidential elections. California voters legalized marijuana, not just for medical reasons but also for recreational use. Michael will write more about the details in his part of the newsletter. Additionally, plastic bag ban was reaffirmed by California voters. Furthermore, voters spoke in favor of stricter gun laws: the possession of large-capacity magazines will be banned, and anyone wishing to purchase ammunition must undergo a background check beforehand. However, the death penalty was not abolished, but rather, voters chose to speed up its implementation, which is likely to be challenging in practice as there are multiple levels of appeal.

Trump and Obamacare

Angelika One of the greatest achievements of the Obama administration might not survive the Trump presidency. The Affordable Care Act or Obamacare, which has provided health insurance for millions of Americans, is in a precarious position. This is not just due to Trump, but mainly because the Senate and House of Representatives now have a Republican majority. Republicans have been opposed to Obamacare since it was enacted and have continuously proposed measures to repeal it. The plan is to repeal Obamacare on the first day of Trump's term in office.

However, since there are currently about 20 million people covered under Obamacare, you cannot simply declare Obamacare invalid without presenting an alternative. The absurd idea that is constantly being brought up is to repeal Obamacare but allow it to continue running until a new law is passed, which could take several years. Experts, however, fear that the system will then collapse as insurance companies become uncertain about their future and thus stop offering plans under Obamacare."

It is true that Obamacare needs improvement. Premiums are rising year after year, mainly because not enough young healthy people are signing up for insurance and would rather pay the penalty for being uninsured than get covered. A universal healthcare plan remains affordable only if young healthy individuals sign up for it, and the money is redistributed based on the solidarity principle. However, Republicans and Trump do not seem to agree on what a good alternative to Obamacare would be. They do know, though, that they want to get rid of the mandate that requires every American to have health insurance. The also demand that penalties for being uninsured should no longer be imposed.

Opponents of Obamacare also demand that subsidies that allow low-income people to pay for Obamacare policies should no longer exist. On the other hand, Trump has announced that one of the best achievements of Obamacare will not be cut off, namely that insurers cannot deny coverage to patients with so-called "preexisting conditions." That way, even if you have a pre-existing condition, you can still find an insurance. This passage in the law is very popular among the population. But actually, the principle of insuring everyone, regardless of pre-existing conditions, only works if there is also a mandate for all to be insured, so that the healthy carry the sick. This wisdom, however, does not seem to have reached all politicians in Washington yet. There is still hope, though. The Democratic Party will fight for Obamacare in the Senate, and there, the Republicans only have a very narrow majority. Since Obamacare is a law passed by Congress, a simple majority would not be enough to fully repeal Obamacare.

Executive Orders

Angelika During his tenure, Obama frequently used executive orders for implementation. "Executive Orders" are presidential directives that would otherwise lack a majority to obtain through Congress or the Senate due to lack of consensus. Examples during the Obama administration include the Paris Climate Agreement, the issuance of work permits for individuals who entered the country as children illegally with their parents, or even the ban on drilling in the Arctic Ocean.

Both Democratic and Republican presidents have increasingly used this strategy in the last 20 years, even though the Constitution only allows for its use in cases of urgent problems. Historically, almost every American president has made use of this tool, starting with George Washington who issued eight Executive Orders right from the start, through Abraham Lincoln who issued the famous "Emancipation Proclamation" in 1863 to free slaves, up to Ronald Reagan (381), George H.W. Bush (291), Bill Clinton (308), George W. Bush (291) and finally Obama (261).

The problem with this situation is that these orders are not binding laws and the next president can easily abolish them by signing a simple executive order. Trump has already boasted about issuing executive orders as his first official act, and he has also hinted at making liberal use of implementation orders afterwards. Exciting times ahead!

Trump and the Supreme Court

Angelika The question that everyone asks: What can, wants and will Donald Trump actually implement from his election promises? One thing is certain: through him, the Supreme Court of the United States will experience a stronger conservative swing, as in the event of new appointments to the nine highest judicial positions, the president plays an important role.

Since the death of Justice Antonin Scalia in February 2016, the Supreme Court has had an open seat and two of the more liberal justices, namely Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer, are already quite elderly. Ginsburg is 83 years old and not very healthy. Breyer is already 86 years old. And Justice Kennedy, who once took a more liberal stance but then again often sided with the conservatives, is also already 80 years old. Supreme Court justices can wear their robes as long as they want; there is no mandatory retirement age. Most of them actually die of old age in office.

The position of Scalia, who passed away in February, should have been filled long ago. This has not happened, as the Senate is also involved in the nomination of new judges, and most Republican representatives refused to consider Judge Merrick Garland, whom President Obama had nominated as his successor.

This completely undemocratic behavior was not punished by voters on November 9th, however. Trump can now nominate a candidate for Scalia, and since the Senate has a -- even if narrow -- Republican majority after the election, this is likely to be more in line with the party's agenda. The Judiciary Committee of the Senate will first question the proposed candidate, and if the committee deems them qualified, the nomination will be put to a vote in the full Senate. Usually, confirmation requires only a simple majority. A so-called filibuster, the political strategy in the Senate to delay votes through endless talking, can lead to the need for a supermajority of 60 votes to reach a decision. Whoever Trump nominates as a judge, the candidate will eventually land in the Supreme Court, postponing the change is not possible, at most delaying it.

Hot Topic Immigration

Angelika To blame foreigners, asylum seekers and immigrants in the election campaign is a well-known strategy, because these population groups are always easy to scapegoat for everything that is going wrong. Trump has particularly targeted people who live and work illegally in the US, 11 million people. It's true that this problem needs to be solved sensibly at some point. Bush tried to do so and would probably have succeeded if 9/11 had not occurred during his term. Obama focused on Obamacare and left the issue of illegal immigrants untouched.

Trump then in his campaign promised that he would not only build a wall between Mexico and the U.S., but also plans to deport all eleven million illegal immigrants. The implementation of the wall is a questionable undertaking because the whole thing is costly and time-consuming. It is likely that the already existing fence at many points of the border will be expanded. Eleven million immigrants without papers to deport, that's logistically impossible. There are not enough people at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency ("Homeland Security") to track them down, nor enough detention centers for deportation. Not to mention the costs and consequences for the economy.

In California, where estimates suggest that almost one-quarter of all eleven million illegal immigrants live without documentation, and in other states with similarly high numbers, entire industries heavily depend on them. Practically no restaurant or construction site exists without the presence of illegally-entered labor forces. Moreover, children born to undocumented immigrants in the US are actually American citizens and cannot be deported with their parents. The police chief of Los Angeles, Charlie Beck, as well as the mayors of Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, and San Francisco have already announced that they would not cooperate with a large-scale deportation effort.

In cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco, police officers do not inquire about immigration status. In Los Angeles, there is a special arrangement number 40 to deal with illegal immigrants. It requires that police officers cannot simply arrest people because they are illegally in the country, and they will only report certain types of crimes to immigration authorities. The main reason for this is that police need to ensure that even illegal immigrants trust them and do not refuse to report crimes out of fear of deportation. Los Angeles, which has a large population of undocumented immigrants, could become chaotic if Trump's promised deportations became reality. By the way, it is wrong to believe that no undocumented immigrants were deported under Obama. Obama deported a total of 2.5 million illegal immigrants and focused on those who had committed crimes.

Trump has not only targeted illegal immigrants, but also has his sights set on certain work visas. He believes that these visas take jobs away from American workers. Trump frequently mentions the H-1B visa for highly skilled foreign workers, which Michael held for many years. Under this visa, employers must prove that there is no qualified American worker for the job, and companies are legally required to pay local wages. This is common practice at companies like Google, Apple, Yahoo, Facebook, etc. However, it seems that there are occasional black sheep abusing the system by hiring and exploiting candidates from countries with significantly lower wages.

It is true that companies in Silicon Valley are desperately looking for people and it is getting more complicated for the software industry without a constant flow of new H1B visas. It would be completely impossible to fill even a portion of the open positions. The number of H1B visas issued per year is currently limited to 85,000, but according to employer studies, this is not enough by any means. American tech companies have been pleading for years to increase this number, but it seems unlikely that this will happen under Trump.

Top Product: Swingline Staple Remover

Michael For some time now, I have been carefully cutting every single paper document upon receipt, scanning it with a document scanner, saving it digitally and then throwing the paper into the recycling bin. For example, annual reports from mutual fund companies are often sent by mail and I have to first free them from their bindings before cutting them into individual pages using a paper cutter.

Traditional staple removers like the Swingo in illustration 15 are not very expensive and bend the staples at the open ends, before you can then push them through the holes in the paper from the opposite side. I was unaware until now that stationery departments also carry other stapler removal tools such as those from Swingline in illustration 14.

The lavish design of the office tool resembles the "swinging" 50s, and when one holds the comfortable grip of the remover and guides the metallic tongue under the closed side of the clamp to be opened, it opens at the back and slowly sways out. One should not go too fast or else the paper will tear, but if you do it slowly, it actually works faster and more efficiently than with a traditional pinch model.

Beds and Mattresses in the United States

Michael When we moved to the USA in 1996, we brought our bed frame and mattress set with us from Germany. It measured 2 x 1.60 meters. From our experience with numerous hotel stays, we knew that American Queen-size beds (203cm x 152cm) were slightly narrower than our German bed, and King-size beds (203cm x 193cm), which can be booked at additional cost, offer significantly more comfort.

Sometimes in hotel rooms you'll find two single beds, which are often in the so-called "twin" format, i.e. 191 cm x 99 cm, but they are usually only intended to sleep individuals. In the size "double" (also called "full size"), beds sometimes measure even 191 cm x 137 cm, but that is rather rare. And super-luxury hotel suites sometimes offer "California King" beds, which are, surprisingly, 10 cm narrower (!) than king beds, but offer 10 cm more leg room: 213 cm x 183 cm.

Buying a mattress with German measurements in the USA for a new bed is downright impossible, normal stores only offer twin, queen or king mattresses. Mr. and Mrs. Rockefeller have their mattresses custom-made, but it's not worth it for average Joe who throws his affordable German bed in the trash and buys a new American one with standard measurements instead. By the way, German fitted sheets for their 160 cm wide beds also fit a queen-sized mattresses. Conversely, American queen-sized stretchy fitted sheets made of elastic material with a little effort can also fit a 160 cm wide mattress.

Americans typically share a large bedspread that covers the entire bed on double beds. If one of the two sleepers has the habit of constantly grabbing a lot of bedding during sleep, it can lead to arguments. For that reason, we've always had individual covers in twin size, so that each of us can toss and turn without waking up the other.

There are many types of mattresses in the USA, especially those with spring cores ("spring mattress"), that can sometimes protrude up to 50 cm out of the bed frame, much like the beds at Neuschwanstein Castle. Latex or memory foam mattresses, on the other hand, are only about half as thick. The latter are particularly helpful for people with back problems by remembering the contours of the body when sinking in. However, they emit a foul chemical odor for weeks after installation and can become extremely hot in summer months, making them recommended only in cooler climates or homes with air conditioning.

Spring mattresses sit on top of slats mounted into the bed frame. Slats are often separated into two equal individual parts for king-size beds that lay side by side in the bed frame. Also, regarding the bed frame, America has some unexpected options. Many memory foam mattress manufacturers write in their warranty instructions that a traditional bed frame with flexible slats should not be placed underneath the mattress, but only a so-called "box spring", which is a rigid yet air-permeable wooden framework that offers no cushioning, but ensures that the mattress does not sink or collapse.

We finally settled on the Ikea mattress "HESSTUN" in King Ludwig format and a bed from EQ3 and are very satisfied with the setup. However, the delivery of a king-size mattress into a rental unit can be challenging as we found out the hard way. The two Ikea delivery men who lifted the 70 kg heavy mattress in the format 203 cm x 193 cm x 50 cm off their truck, couldn't manage to fit it into our elevator. I convinced them by angels' tongues to carry it through the stairwell to the second floor, because apparently the mattress hauler's union at Ikea prohibited them from entering higher elevations, such as our third floor.

After some back and forth, it turned out that the mattress was too big to fit around the corner in the staircase. Gritting my teeth, I had the guys put the mattress by the front door and sent them away. Armed with a wooden ruler and geometric formulas, I found out that the mattress, after removing the cardboard packaging using a cushion cutter (the two experts had refused to do so citing their extensive moving regulations), could be folded into the elevator forming a hyperbolic paraboloid. I got into the elevator and threw my weight against the mattress, Angelika pushed from outside, and as the mattress crossed the threshold, Angelika stepped back, and I quickly pressed the button for the third floor.

The door closed, and the elevator started moving upwards. Upon arriving at the third floor, it was easy to wheel the mattress along the hallway using a so-called "furniture dolly," which I always keep handy. We brought it into the apartment and placed it in the bedroom. Contrast that ordeal to the bed delivery that happened a few weeks later: Although the EQ3 commissioned delivery service couldn't fit all the parts into the elevator, the two deliverymen carried the giant headboard up the stairwell with ease and assembled the bed in under an hour. I happily gave them a killer tip.

Good TV series: Germany 83

Michael That we as Germans living in America suggest watching a German TV production may seem absurd to you, but the 8-part series "Germany 83" from 2015 is relatively unknown in Germany, yet has become very popular here in the US.

The fictional story revolves around an East German border guard during the mid-1980s of the Cold War, who infiltrates the West German army as a spy. While the spy is portrayed as likable, the handlers of the East German leadership and their Russian allies are depicted as malevolent and secretive, which some left-leaning artists in Germany may not appreciate, but this point of view is more common in America. The DVD features English subtitles while watching the German production for those who don't speak the language.

What really annoyed me about the series is the background music that's present in almost every scene, created by a German Hollywood wannabe on a home computer. He probably programs other things like phone ring tunes and elevator music. The producer should have been more careful and not just accept the whole meaningless electronic sound as a cheap package deal without considering its impact on the otherwise good film. But mistakes happen, live, learn, and move on!

The actors are all completely unknown but play astonishingly convincing, dare I say it, at an almost unfamiliar world class level, considering they're from Germany. Not comparable to the eternally old Tatort faces that can't even manage simple dialogues without embarassment and flesh crawling moments. The production of "Germany 83" is supposed to resume two years from now, they're planning on a second season under the title "Germany 86". I can't wait to watch the lead character again prevent total atomic war!

Surf Report from Our Local Beach

Michael I remain true to my passion for surfing and often make a quick trip to our nearest beach. I quickly pack the surfboard into the elevator, go down to the garage, out onto Highway 280 and within 18 minutes arrive at the so-called "Linda Mar" beach. But will the waves be worth the drive today? That's often the question, because when the wind is blowing strongly towards the beach, the Pacific Ocean turns into churning unsurfable white foam there, and that's bad for surfing.

Now a company called "Surfline" has set out to install cameras at every surfable beach in America and provides surfers like me with videos of the current wave conditions via the internet. Tuning in you can also see how many surfers are currently in the water, which is an even better indication of whether the trip will be worthwhile. Recently, I've even set up an alarm that sends me a message on my cell phone if the waves reach a preset height and minimum swell!

The service is free if you just take a quick look and don't let advertising videos deter you, for a Premier account you will be charged $14.95 per month. I'll have to conced though that the company Surfline is run by idiots who have no idea on how to run a business, just like the German internet sheep farmer operator Sauspiel, who also leaves half of its potential profits on the table. If Surfline would only charge $5 per month, they would have a lot more subscribers, but the people there probably work only in short breaks between a dozen surf sessions per day. Hey, money is not important to me, man!

California legalizes Marihuana

Michael With the whole Trump hullabaloo, it's easy to miss another groundbreaking political change: The result of the much anticipated vote on the legalization of marijuana smoking in California. After two unsuccessful attempts in 1996 and 2010, California voters actually approved the so-called "recreational use of marijuana" in 2016, i.e. smoking for private enjoyment. "Medical Marijuana" has been available to Californians for a long time, where sales of your THC-containing cannabis product are legal at the officially operated "Dispensories" stores, all you had to do was go to some doctor and get a prescription for mysterious "back pain", then register as a purchaser in a state database, and then smoke until your brain hit the ceiling.

Many people got in on the deal, and an entire industry of state-licensed distribution outlets, as well as doctors who specialize in prescribing, shot up like mushrooms from the ground. Anyone who has ever strolled along Venice Beach in Los Angeles knows that relaxed young people in bright green overalls approach tourists to quickly usher them to the "doctor" who happens to have his practice right on the boardwalk, and with a pointed pen and open prescription booklet for $30, provides the desired permit.

You'd have to know, though, that San Francisco has always been a marijuana metropolis, even without a prescription. It's no secret that whole regions like Humboldt County, about 100 miles north, mainly live off illegal cultivation of cannabis. Drug possession has been treated as a gentleman's crime since the '90s, and only the commercial distribution of it was pursued. However, according to existing law, it was still prohibited, although no policeman in San Francisco would never arrest someone just for smoking a joint unless they had a personal grudge against that person.

I don't want to name any specific companies here, but before my last job change, I made myself known at several well-known Silicon Valley enterprises and filled out their job applications before they even interviewed me. In the section on criminal records, I was asked as an applicant to provide any "criminal records," and it made me laugh when I saw that not only at one company but at several that they explicitly advised leaving out convictions related to marijuana use.

Now, on November 9th, California Proposition 64 was approved by the voters with "57 percent approval. The initiative had been submitted in 2015 and filed with the Attorney General of California, and now everyone can smoke as many joints as they want without legal repercussions. However, what does the new law exactly mean in practice, for example for German tourists who will undoubtedly flock like before to Amsterdam, the mecca of drug consumption, to pilgrimage to San Francisco?

The text of the proposition provides that consumers will only be able to legally purchase cannabis products at licensed stores starting in early 2018. A special sales tax of 15% will then be imposed, which will add revenue to the state coffers. In addition, cannabis farmers will have to pay $9.25 per ounce (28g) of harvested flowers, and $2.75 per ounce for leaves and stems. Revenues are estimated at $4 billion by 2020.

California is currently discussing whether marijuana producers will be allowed to advertise their products on large billboards along the freeways or if the product should follow the same restrictions as tobacco products. In the United States, the states of Alaska, Washington DC, Washington, Oregon, and Colorado have already legalized cannabis and are working on the legal details. Alaska and Oregon are still working on their distribution strategy. In Colorado, cannabis dispensaries are already in operation. Private cultivation of up to six plants is allowed, except in Washington, where only licensed commercial growers are allowed to grow.

In California, private possession of cannabis products will be allowed for adults aged 21 and above, with a limit of one ounce per person. Gifting acquired or homegrown products (also up to one ounce) is permitted. Selling cannabis products is only allowed through official channels, while private sales are prohibited. Consuming marijuana products is not allowed in public spaces such as streets or parks in some states; it must be done only in private residences or on balconies, depending on the state's laws.

Since the legal situation is quite complicated, as I am currently reading in the news, the rollout could be delayed. Bureaucracy in California has always be grinding notoriously slow.

Greetings from the center of the hippie movement:

Angelika and Michael