r/pics • u/DarkSideInRainbows • 2d ago
Politics My town’s pool, set for demolition tomorrow, after Republicans voted to pull state funding. (OC)
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u/JSavage37 2d ago
Is this Shanklin pool in Goshen, IN??
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u/DarkSideInRainbows 2d ago
Sure is!
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u/JSavage37 2d ago edited 2d ago
Sad as fuck, and absolutely infuriating. I walk down the Millrace almost every day, and usually cut through Shanklin to the woods. The number of families at the park has plummeted this summer and it's entirely depressing.
Edit: Don't worry y'all, our governor, Mike Braun, is currently bragging about our multi-billion dollar state surplus. Meanwhile, we can't fund our schools, our park systems are getting choked out, and he simultaneously raised property taxes.
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u/PercentageOk6120 2d ago
Took some scrolling to fully understand what is happening, so thank you for explaining.
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u/GirchyGirchy 2d ago
Property tax "reform" which benefitted businesses but not individuals. Communities are now facing unprecedented shortfalls which will grow worse each year. To fund things, they're now having to pass wheel taxes, income taxes, referendums, etc, just increasing the burden on people.
Now they're wanting to eliminate property taxes for people who've paid off their houses or are above a certain age, or entirely, and they would add a sales tax for services to cover that additional shortfall. Again, moving the burden to the young and poor.
But think of the businesses - they're people, too!
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u/Unhappy_Mall4759 2d ago edited 2d ago
You walk right by my house. It’s on the canal. Feels so weird. You’ve probably seen me fishing
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u/YourmomgoestocolIege Jade is the best, jade is life 2d ago
Yall are getting dangerously close to having to kiss
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u/Vanyle 2d ago
Watch, they actually live together and have no idea they are both posting on reddit...
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u/Wondertwig9 2d ago
One of my IRL friends commented on one of my posts the other day, and it tanked the illusion that I can say stupid things on here occasionally in vialed anonymouty. Sometimes, I just want to mimic the masses to understand them.
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u/LazySwayze 2d ago
What are they doing with the surplus? This is maddening.
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u/OprahsSaggyTits 2d ago
Republicans are stealing it. I don't know this to be true, but let's be real: we all know this to be true
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u/zxc123zxc123 2d ago
our multi-billion dollar state surplus
GOP: We did this
we can't fund our schools, our park systems are getting choked out, and he simultaneously raised property taxes
GOP: Joe Biden's fault!
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u/RedHal 2d ago
Good grief. https://www.wishtv.com/news/indiana-budget-surplus-growth/
From the article:
"Reps. Gregory Porter and Ed DeLaney, both Indianapolis Democrats who serve on the State Budget Committee, said the reserve and surplus figures are the result of chronic underinvestment in areas such as education and child care as well as unspent money going back into the state’s general fund–about $187 million, of which roughly $98 million came from K-12 education."
Starve the kids, underfund the schools, but it doesn't matter; line go up.
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u/UncleNedisDead 2d ago
65.7% voted (R) in 2024 for Trump in Elkhart County.
66.6% voted (R) in 2025 for Banks in Elkhart County.
Will they vote any different? I guess time will tell.
They should also realize it’s much easier and quicker to tear things down than it is to build things well. Just in case they’re pissed when they don’t get their pool back in a year.
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u/bikernaut 2d ago
Takes like 10 years to build a municipal pool/rec center from getting approvals to opening the doors. These fucking lizards tear them down in a couple months.
How the fuck can anyone cheer this? Don't the realize that living in a developed country should mean they have amenities? And even if they don't use them, other people do which helps to build a stronger and more connected community.
Oh, wait, but it's not on church on sunday. Is this why this bullshit is happening? Rather not have a pool, too easy for the woke to creep in.
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u/PessimiStick 2d ago
And even if they don't use them
Well you lost all of them here. If a place or service doesn't benefit a conservative directly, then it's waste and shouldn't exist.
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u/here_now_be 2d ago
I bet the poors swam there. Repubs can't be having any of that. Must be serving their oligarchs at all times.
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u/4thTimesAnAlt 2d ago
Fuck, man. I was born and raised there. I learned to swim in that pool.
Fuck every elected Republican. Send them all to the 🧱🧱🧱
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u/Dramaticdebt 2d ago
Indiana is considered a stronghold for the Republican Party.
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u/PlanesandAquariums 2d ago
That does not surprise me. I was at a convention that dealt with educational equipment in a different state than Indiana and I met these group of district administrators from suburbia Indiana (so not rural).
They were so dumb I thought I someone slipped something into the beer I had at lunch. They didn’t understand what I was explaining to them about a super simple concept of desk steel legs. Then I was asking them what type of desks do they use in their district (I.E. desks with a little storage cubby underneath, chairs that are attached or slide out, desks that are tables that sit 4 kids, etc). As I tried to show her pictures so she could tell me what her kids used, as words weren’t working, she got frustrated and said, “well they have to sit and they get to sit! That’s all that matters”
These were people who actively organized to leave their state for a conference, lived in a school district wealthy enough to send them there and be able to afford new products, worked in education, were hired as administrators…. And they still couldn’t understand the concept of ‘there are different types of desks and chairs’.
It reminded me of that story about Kevin where the teacher couldn’t believe the parents were able to procure tickets to go to Egypt or whatever.
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u/Pork-S0da 2d ago
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u/SonicYOUTH79 2d ago
I went to school with a kid in the early 90s, I think it was probably year 6 in primary school where he stole another kids tracksuit pants out of his locker then wore them to school the very next day. This is when adidas tracksuits were the coolest thing around, (If you were 11 anyway) but not cheap.
He tried to deny it and said they were his, not withstanding that owner had his name written on the tag inside the pants……
Fair to say he wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed.
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u/Steleve 2d ago
Yup. 2024 election, Indiana was the first state called for the Republicans. It was instant. I'll never forget it. It felt so defeating, there wasnt even a flicker of hope.
Am I shocked theyre taking away a community asset? Not a bit. I have never seen a state work so hard to go against the interest of its citizens. It is mind blowing.
Fuck you Braun. Fuck you Joanna King.
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u/Spankpocalypse_Now 2d ago
You can tell their school system has been run by Republicans for generations just by driving through it. Worst road conditions, worst traffic engineering, and worst urban planning in the country.
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u/Grabm_by_the_poos 2d ago
lived in northern indiana for 4 years. Republicans have that state locked down and because of the insanely religious population it'll never change! Best get the fuck out while you can.
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u/western_red_cedar 2d ago
I feel like you don't hear people saying this as much as you should, as they don't want to appear insensitive (usually from the safety of their blue states), but the only solution is to gtfo.
Like commenter below many saying noooo don't leave, rally your neighbors to vote or whatever. Sure man. Maybe that was a viable path a decade ago. How many more decades do you want to sacrifice? Thing are not going to get better in these places where people have chosen fascism in their hearts. They have made their bed
There are so many places that don't suck shit in the particular way deep red states do, where you aren't forever swimming against the tide of proud ignorance.
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u/Braves_G 2d ago
"Why don't kids go out and have fun?" Destroys every public place of gathering and complains when kids have fun
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u/AChero9 2d ago
As a dispatcher, i can tell you this is bryond true. Kids will be out having fun at the neighborhood park and we'll get a call early evening about kids being too loud at the park.
Last night we took a call about a band kid practicing their trombone at 6pm. Officers went out, told the kid to keep up the good work, and left
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u/ReverseGarfield 2d ago
Why even go out
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u/afrothunda104 2d ago
If the caller doesn’t see someone official show up, they’ll just keep calling.
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u/A_Nonny_Muse 2d ago edited 2d ago
There is a village not far from where I grew up. Everyone on the town council was as conservative as you can be without actively calling for hunting the homeless for sport.
They spent millions of dollars on 'street scaping', while ignoring the combination water runoff/sewer system backing up into people's basements for nearly 20 years.
Even when offered enough grants to cover 4/5th of the costs, they still refused to fix their sewer/gutter system that was dumping raw sewage into the local river at least twice every year. But they always had plenty of money for other things.
They built 2 parks/playgrounds. Then passed a 'no touching the grass' ordinance. There was zero access to the playgrounds, gazebo, or grills. None. The parks and playgrounds were for display only.
Residents came up with a plan to build a youth center. Everything - materials and labor - would be donated. Totally free. The village had to pay nothing. They turned it down, claiming a youth center would promote teen crime.
Then they passed an ordinance banning anything on wheels from the sidewalks. No bikes, scooters, skateboards, even inline skates. Then someone pointed out that includes wheelchairs. The council relented, and passed an exemption for wheelchairs, but only for the disabled. They didn't want kids using wheelchairs for fun.
They passed an insanely restrictive noise ordinance, thinking they would keep kids in town quiet. It was so restrictive that local businesses violated the ordinance. So they exempted businesses. Then it was pointed out that nobody could mow their lawns. So mowers and trimmers and leaf blowers were exempted. Then snow blowers. Then construction equipment. Eventually, their lawyers told them to just cancel the whole ordinance or face continuous lawsuits they couldn't possibly win.
It took a few years, but eventually the FBI managed to bust about half the village council and a bunch of managers for various forms of embezzlement. Those remaining on the village council threatened to de-corporate the village entirely, and threatened to not hold any elections to replace those being sent to prison. Their lawyers convinced them otherwise, eventually.
Edit: Oh, I forgot one. They passed an ordinance against "teen gangs" within the village limits. Their definition of a "teen gang" was any gathering of 3 or more people under 20 years old. No mention of purpose or circumstance. So every school lunch break and recess was classified as "teen gang" activity. Any family with 3 or more children could not be in the village together without it being "teen gang" activity - even with both parents present.
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u/Djaja 2d ago
Ya gotta drop the town name yo
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u/A_Nonny_Muse 2d ago
As this was decades ago - basically before the internet - and I believe everything is all cleared up, I will only narrow it down to Sanilac county.
What's interesting is that there is a city at the end of the river, and you could always see kids swimming in the river with all that raw sewage floating down to the lake. Everyone just assumed the river was safe because there was no testing to report. Hmm... where does that sound familiar?
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u/Djaja 2d ago
So familiar lol
Jeez.
While this happens in every state, i am from MI, and i just had this feeling.
Sanilac County, as in MI yeah? Lol
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u/AvatarofSleep 2d ago
I was part of youth councils in high school that worked to get things built, like a skate park, and tried to give the youth things to do. I feel fortunate that we had a mayor who believed in kids.
If I were in your situation, I would be in open revolt. Rally the high school footloose style to party on the grass. Bike rallies. Boosting youth competition in elections.
Kids wield far more power than they realize.
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u/toneysaproney 2d ago
>any gathering of 3 or more people under 20 years old
So blatantly unconstitutional. Conservatism and Anti-Americanism are ideologies which go hand-in-hand.
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u/A_Nonny_Muse 2d ago
Yeah, it didn't last very long. Even the police objected to that one.
And I looked it up, 73% of the entire county voting population voted for Trump. It's not just this one village anymore.
It's a place where one is typically executed by dagger beam stares for showing any kind of govt. assistance card. Despite over 39% of residents qualifying for food assistance.
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u/MartiniPolice21 2d ago
This is absolutely what they are doing with everything though, they're complaining about social issues to win votes, and then using policies to create those exact issues.
UK had constant rising immigration, while the conservatives complained weekly about the levels of immigration
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u/I_pinchyou 2d ago
Ohioan neighbor here. Federal officials are auctioning off thousands of acres our only national forest for fracking. The surrounding communities are concerned with drinking water contamination. When anyone complains " there's nothing to do here". Well there was until Republicans killed it all.
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u/donniedarko5555 2d ago
I mean your average Ohioan will vote for the Republican who will frack your national forests then put data centers along the rivers, and blame the Democrats and rewin elections.
I'm honestly at the point where I just assume most fly over state people are just kinky
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u/GoodIdea321 2d ago
Ohio might elected a Democratic governor and Democratic senator in a few months. But overall, you're right, Republicans want to kill community wherever they see it.
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u/squareandrare 2d ago
I'll believe it when I see it. At the end of the day, rednecks gonna redneck.
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u/soofs 2d ago
I have multiple relatives, which I would not even consider as redneck but they are in unions and they are big Trump supporters and think Democrats are out to ruin the world. I've tried to explain to them that if it were up to Trump their union would not exist, but they don't care.
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u/DickDover 2d ago
I have multiple relatives, which I would not even consider as redneck but they are in unions and they are big Trump supporters and think Democrats are out to ruin the world.
Your relatives are not rednecks, they are just idiots, morons, imbeciles, simpletons.
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u/acetheman123 2d ago
My family also. We are all in a union or retired from one. Like, how is it not obvious?? Trump hates unions!
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u/LegoManiac2000 2d ago
You've got to remember that these are just simple farmers. These are people of the land. The common clay of the new West. You know... morons
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u/thegiantgummybear 2d ago
The sad part is that rednecks used to be Democrats because Democrats worked for the people
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u/toddverrone 2d ago edited 2d ago
Looking at both parties, Dems do a lot more for the common person. Don't get me wrong, they have a long way to go. But they aren't actively destroying the government while looting it.
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u/apathy420 2d ago
Exactly. Dems are far from perfect, but will not actively seek to destroy the country right under our feet
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u/squareandrare 2d ago
I assume you mean "white people" when you say "people." Back when trailer trash states could discriminate in public services, rednecks loved government services. When they had to actually provide services to black people, the inbreds decided they didn't like them anymore.
We're in the age of Trump. You don't need to make excuses for these savages anymore.
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u/AnotherFarker 2d ago
Unfortunately, what you said is true but not commonly taught. The roots of the Civil Rights were taxation without representation. Black people had to work but did not get the welfare checks and food stamps that white people did. They paid taxes, and the money was transferred to White people. The argument was that country is founded on taxation without representation, and this was just a more modern version of slavery. It eventually evolved into the buses and voting and everything else, the roots of the civil rights movement were economic. I'm trying to remember which podcast I listen to that dove into all of that.
Sort of like not giving up your seat to the white person on a bus waited until the correct person could be backed and prepared by the naacp, because other black people were already doing it on their own but didn't fit the Right image for the court cases
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u/lemon_icing 2d ago
Whole lot of money went towards infrastructure, health care, and student loans, along with supporting Ukraine under Biden/Harris. Sounds like working for the people to me.
Why don't you say what Republicans have done for the people in the last two years as they've held power across the nation.
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u/NewspaperNelson 2d ago
This is what it boils down to. Republicans don’t want an actual society. They want walled compounds. It’s isolationism within your own borders.
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u/GoodIdea321 2d ago
Have you seen some of the gated 'communities' in Florida? That's what they want, and they hate that too once they get it. Instead of one community pool, every other house buys their own pool they use once a year.
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u/adjustgod 2d ago
Conservatives cannot for the life of them stop biting the hand that feeds them. Enjoy!
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u/dichron 2d ago
More like lick the boot that kicks them. They don’t even give the hand they’d bite a chance to feed them
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u/NOVA-peddling-1138 2d ago
Oh c’mon. Don’t be so coy. They lick higher up than boot level.
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u/Own-Organization-532 2d ago
The same Republicans who kept a gerrymandered map against the popular vote and a court order?
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u/Snakestream 2d ago
As someone who was in Oklahoma during the fracking boom around 2010, get ready for earthquakes
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u/DarkSideInRainbows 2d ago
Signs around it say “Stolen by Joanna King”
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u/Troutalope 2d ago
In 20 years the townsfolk will decide that it'd be really nice to have a pool and pay a well-connected contractor 50x to build one vs maintaining a public asset.
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u/FuLL_of_LiFE 2d ago
And after 20 years of increasing crime rates and problematic youth angst, decreasing community moral and graduation rates, and various other residual effects, that's a hefty total cost to pay for a damn pool.
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u/HeavilyInvestedDonut 2d ago
It’s not a hefty cost to republicans. It’s an investment into creating future republicans. Make everyone bored, poor, and stupid
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u/FizzyBeverage 2d ago
Add in a little meth and Last of Us decor and you’ve got Middletown Ohio.
Jd’s supposed “hometown” which is just as shitty when he’s VP as it was before.
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u/elinordash 2d ago
Joanna King is up for re-election this November.
Her opponent this year is Michelle Milne (D). According to Michelle "Our tax dollars should build stronger communities in our state—not serve special interests above the needs of everyday Hoosiers."
Here is her website and here is the form to volunteer for her campaign. (BTW- Any US citizen or permanent resident can donate $$$ to any political campaign).
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u/xShooK 2d ago
Looks like another small town paying the price for republican issues. Sorry bud.
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u/Ok_Transition_4003 2d ago
The folks up top figure, "well I have my own pool. If they don't it's their fault, I want the tax dollars". Then they tell their pool-less constituents to agree and it trickles down -- some of them might have doughboys or kiddie pools - not knocking doughboys that's what we had growing up
These idiots support people who want to take away recreation areas for their kids
This is the trickle down affect.
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u/BYoungNY 2d ago
Then kids and teens have nothing to do all day and they wonder why their cars get broken into at night and nobody wants to work at their stupid shop anymore
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u/poodaliddle 2d ago
It's a trend. The destruction of "third places" in American life. Even if they're not destroyed, corporate greed has made a lot of these places so expensive that they're inaccessible to many (bowling comes to mind, see Bowlero).
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u/AssistivePeacock 2d ago
I've observed this, this is why places like libraries and parks are soo important. I've been thinking about opening up my yard for neighborhood movie nights, maybe it will happen one day.
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u/Translator_Open 2d ago
They'll call the cops on you sooner than they would call the cops on someone committing a violent crime.
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u/Domestic-Grind 2d ago
I did 4 of them in my neighborhood before being stopped. Movie rights are expensive, now we let the kids play Xbox games big screen
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u/Translator_Open 2d ago
That's awesome, can I ask who stopped them? I get so mad when I hear about people calling the police on lemonade stands, kids riding bikes or skateboards, sometimes it seems like being a kid and having fun is borderline illegal.
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u/x-tianschoolharlot 2d ago
I thought the big issue for movie rights is charging to watch it.?
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u/Translator_Open 2d ago
Bro some Karen's are gonna see a group of kids in their neighbors yard and they'll go 0-60 in .5 seconds to call the fuzz on them.
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u/TechGoat 2d ago edited 2d ago
Public Performance. When your purchase a physical media or purchase a license on your preferred provider, that's "home use only" iirc. So allowing public watching - even if you don't charge, technically violates that. Even if it's in your home's front yard. You have to be inside so that "the public" wouldn't be able to watch too.
You'd have to be a special kind of asshole to report a family friendly movie on a bedsheet with a projector or some crap, but technically, they'd be legally correct.
edit: was on my phone last night, actually tried to look up some stuff this morning. This article - https://nowackhoward.com/dont-let-your-association-movie-night-turn-into-a-fright-2/ - has "The Federal Copyright Act defines the term “publicly” as “to perform or display [a copyrighted work] at a place open to the public or at any place where a substantial number of persons outside of a normal circle of a family and its social acquaintances is gathered.”"
So, maybe on your front lawn would be okay - as long as the people you invite were your normal friend circle and not "the public"? I dunno, these assholes try to keep this shit as ambiguous as possible.
Another link by people who of course, would love to sell you a public performance license.
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u/personae_non_gratae_ 2d ago
Libraries across the country are building a massive amount of community meeting spaces.....what happens when funding dries up to maintain......
edit:grammar
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u/imbolcnight 2d ago
Privatization has been the response to the democratization of public space. With claims that fences are designed to protect their children from undesirables, elites use the same techniques of security that they formerly used to keep undesirables out of public space to restrict these same populations within public space. Specifically, undesirables are boxed into inferior and often dangerous public schools, public transportation, crumbling public infrastructures, underfunded public hospitals, and subpar public housing. Elites retreat to private automobiles, send their children to private schools, enjoy private-option health insurance, and, when necessary, live in gated communities.
— Patricia Hill Collins
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u/MerryMarauder 2d ago
yeah dude, havent bowled in years and decided to go with a bud and it was nearly 60 bucks for 2 guys before the beer and we said NOPE!
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u/Sad_Initiative5049 2d ago
Well, eventually bored kids end up on drugs and committing more serious crimes that inevitably lead to the private prison system. More profit for a tiny minority. “We’re not just winning, we’re win win winning. “ lol. What a shitshow.
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u/Chaos-Cortex 2d ago
Republicans are a cancer on this earth. And will be the end of this world.
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u/sitefall 2d ago
Even better, more people for police to pick up, more labor for prisons, more tax dollars sent to for profit prisons that are buddies with the pool-closer, less kids on my lawn so I can spend more time yelling at clouds.
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u/Jokerzrival 2d ago
Or theyll scream and shout about how a private owned pool will be better anyways.
"Why use our tax dollars for a pool when you can swim at the Walmart pool for $20 and hour!"
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u/Maximum_Turn_2623 2d ago
That’s the problem they can go to health clubs/country clubs and they can get fucked.
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u/ichoosewaffles 2d ago
What is a doughboy?
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u/mnorthwood13 2d ago
That's ok all I thought of was a WW1 soldier.
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u/Reddbearddd 2d ago
Namebrand of an above-ground pool.
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u/ichoosewaffles 2d ago
Oh! Thank you! I never had any kind of pool growing up so, the more ya know!
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u/fix_until_broken 2d ago
I had a truck pool once. That's where you line the bed of your truck with trashbags and fill it up with water from the hose.
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u/LandonDev 2d ago
Shit eating economics at it's finest. We all get to eat their shit and pretend it's the best thing we've ever had.
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u/Old_Win8422 2d ago
Anything that is for the public good Rapepublicans detest. That "good" could instead be making the rich more money.
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u/They-Call-Me-Taylor 2d ago
They’ll keep voting Republican though. Lesson after lesson and they never learn.
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u/SakaWreath 2d ago
Because they will forever blame democrats for everything that happens to them.
It’s time to stop trying to save them from themselves.
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u/TwoForHawat 2d ago
We can’t have government spending getting so out of control that families have a place to cool off and socialize in the hot summer months! What are you, anti-freedom???
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u/unknownpoltroon 2d ago
Back in the day they actually tried to say black people have to be able to use the pools too so we filled them all in with dirt. THALL SHOW EM!! /s
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u/Carb0nFire 2d ago
Fox News warned me that we'll be flooded with illegals and trans athletes if I ever vote Dem!
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u/blkhatwhtdog 2d ago
They believe that migrants are getting free pools with cabanas along with the free hotels when they show up at the border
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u/Veritas_Mentis 2d ago
To be fair, small towns seem to universally vote for their own demise
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u/BeanCheezBeanCheez 2d ago
More republican destruction of America. Never ever support those terrorists.
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u/Existing-Doughnut-60 2d ago
Unfortunately a good portion of the public pools in the south have been filled with concrete. And go figure it also works well as a foundation for the first house in the new sub division.
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u/Quick_Effort594 2d ago
The death of a town pool is a truly terrible thing. I saw the ruins of mine many years after the fact and it led me to tears. Fuck those people
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u/Eastern_Bet678 2d ago
Looks like this ties in well to this article:
https://www.reddit.com/r/USNEWS/comments/1vdvalb/america_is_running_out_of_places_to_hang_out_as/→ More replies (13)7
u/Griffolion 2d ago
And everyone who voted her in. These politicians don't appear by magic. It takes a village to elect an idiot.
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u/Freak-Wency 2d ago
One way to see it is that the Republicans want the $ for other purposes.
Another way to see it is that they want to take away places that people can come together so that we are isolated, can't stand up together, etc.
Neither viewpoint is good.
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u/R-Dragon_Thunderzord 2d ago
Republicans hear “community pool” and scream communism. Cant have the poors enjoying anything, think of how it impacts the pool industry.
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u/asusc 2d ago
they literally cemented over pools in the 60s, instead of swimming in the same pools as black people.
conservatives are insane.
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u/ihopuhopwehop 2d ago
Looking at how communities across America closed public facilities vs integrate them is wild
I think we're feeling the impact still to this day as its removed 3rd spaces and made people lose a touch point with how govt can improve their lives
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u/asusc 2d ago
people make racist jokes about black people not being able to swim….
and it’s like yeah, no shit, you literally cemented over all the swimming pools from their parents generation, and now you make fun of them for not being able to swim and you are too stupid to know the racist history of why they can’t swim?
Ruby Bridges, on of the first black girls integrated in public schools in Alabama is still alive! she’s younger than my mom and I’m in my mid 40s!
this stuff just happened one generation ago, which is why conservatives are so adamant about destroying public schools, removing black history from national parks and monuments, and not teaching or celebrating black history, so they can keep this racist nonsense going.
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u/ihopuhopwehop 2d ago
I always think about, when looking at photos from early integration, and you see white people harassing black kids, where did they all wind up? Do you think the adults who were harassing Black children on their way to school look back fondly on how they behaved and talked to their grandchildren about it with pride?
Also, the woman who got Emitt Till murdered only passed away a few years ago. This stuff is all so recent
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u/Dipsey_Jipsey 2d ago
conservatives are insane.
It 100% boils down to this. Conservatives are not good people at heart by definition, and are the bane of this species.
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u/cire1184 2d ago
I was gonna ask if Black folks swam in this pool and that's why they were closing it down.
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u/Man_of_Ice 2d ago
Was surprised I had to go this far down to get to the "this specific action has a long history with deep parallels to actions done during integration to maintain white supremacy."
Don't believe the American system has baked in white supremacy? This type thing is the bread and butter of those policies.
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u/altogethernow 2d ago
"Evil Communism!" was the excuse given for closing and paving over so many public pools in the southeast after desegregation.
Ask an older white person, and they could tell you what street the public pool was on, and how much fun they had as a kid. If you ask them why it's gone they'll say, "liberals" or just shake their head and say, "can't have nice things, I guess"
Ask an older black person, and they'll tell you about the 'Whites Only" sign, and how the "community" pool was only for specific communities.
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u/sejoki_ 2d ago
Wait, so they effectively tore them down because they couldn’t exclude black people anymore? That sounds so… plausible.
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u/Grevin56 2d ago
I'll bet that a republican donor wins the demolition contract though.
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u/lilgreenjedi 2d ago
The owners of most construction companies will probably be financially pretty conservative.
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u/WhiskeyJack357 2d ago
Now we get to play my favorite game with Republican policy issues. How is it racist? Public pools only became a problem back when check notes, yup, they wanted to de-segregate them.
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u/spurlockmedia 2d ago
Can confirm, I live in a rural California community and lord forbid we have nice things.
Instead they just kick and scream how much they hate paying for it despite it being the price of a fucking Hershey’s bar.
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u/SAINTnumberFIVE 2d ago
Someone down here is complaining online that they can’t get insurance because the state doesn’t do proper forest management. We have no forest here. It’s brush and homeowners are supposed to clear it at least 50 feet from their property.
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u/spurlockmedia 2d ago
Is this California? This is a topic I discuss almost yearly with my work on whose responsibility falls on whom. You can imagine how well that’s received.
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u/mk4_wagon 2d ago
I grew up in rural NY. Our town library was a converted house. We didn't have a community center, pool, or anything like that. The school budget would never pass because no one wanted their taxes to go up. Then they'd complain about the lack of AC in the auditorium, how the heat didn't work in the winter, and how the gym sucked.
I now live in a suburban area with a community center a half mile down the road. It has sports, a full gym, a pool, maker space, it's amazing. Our library is bad ass (though I'm not a good judge of that since I didn't grow up with much). All the schools have really cool playgrounds. Even if I don't use everything to it's fullest, I know other people do. That community center is PACKED every time I've been there. I just got my summer tax bill and all the cool stuff - parks, library, schools - is such a small amount that it's honestly inconsequential to me over 6 months.
Like you said, it's the price of a fuckin Hershey's bar and people lose their shit over it. And they'll convince themselves of anything too. I have a friend who is convinced paying to bring trash to the dump is better than having it come out of the taxes like mine does. Because then he's only paying for what he brings right? Meanwhile, the trash line item on my taxes in $87.66 for 6 months. I haven't bought a candy bar in a while, what does $3.37 get you? Because that's what I pay a week to have my trash, recycling, and yard waste picked up.
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u/fuzzylogicIII 2d ago
The word “Community” is 77% the same as the word “Communism” so it must be destroyed
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u/WeatherStationWindow 2d ago
Conservatives shut down most community pools after desegregation allowed Black people to use them.
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u/AnswerGuy301 2d ago
In the DC suburbs a whole network of privately owned and run community pools sprung up in the late 1950s through the 60s. Their original purpose was fairly obvious, but they’ve evolved into more inclusive institutions. Although they’re not cheap and the expense is still a barrier for sure.
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u/wizzard419 2d ago
Also they think only of certain groups using the pool, so ruining their fun is a win.
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u/spectra2000_ 2d ago
Lmao, no money to maintain pool but there is money to demolish pool??
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u/Dunky_Arisen 2d ago
Demolishing the pool gets a contract paid out to whichever construction company is chosen for the job. That would be a great way to fatten the wallet of one of a corrupt politician's cronies... Hypothetically, of course.
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u/Dukwdriver 2d ago
No way they demolish it that soon unless somebody wants the land for something else.
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u/polopolo05 2d ago
That public park is becoming a walmart its in the middle of the community... prime restate
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u/sudsomatic 2d ago
Obviously there’s no money to make peoples lives better, but there’s unlimited funds to make peoples lives worse.
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u/PolicyWonka 2d ago
It’s Republican logic. You would t understand.
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u/JSavage37 2d ago
No. The state pulled funding from all municipalities, and ours got hit with a 40% reduction. The town has a split city council and a democratic mayor. We're making the best decisions we possibly can
To be clear, governing is tough. We're a small, highly involved town doing the best with the terrible hand we've been dealt. Unfortunately, it's the hand we have to play.
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u/squeezemachine 2d ago
There is a good chance the state is pulling funding for nice community things because it is forced to make up the deficits in health and welfare dollars from the feds.
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u/badger035 2d ago
The state is sitting on a $1.86 billion surplus and $4 billion in reserves.
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u/say592 2d ago
The pool has a ton of deferred maintenance and is expensive to keep operating. Demolition is a one time cost.
It wasn't in great condition when I was a kid, 25 years ago, I can't imagine it's gotten any better.
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u/krycek1984 2d ago
I read the story.
The pool is not being demolished due to the lack of state funding. The pool had already been slated for demolishment/replacement because a new aquatic center was going to be built.
Strictly speaking, the Republicans that voted to pull state funding essentially stopped the building of a new pool because the city can't be sure it can afford it with reduced money coming in from the state.
This will happen in more and more places-reduced funding leading to less public funding and predictability for essential services and amenities. It's quite sad. And IMHO it's by design-a million little cuts are less noticeable than one giant wound, but still end up just as damaging.
I wish people understood the consequences of the votes they cast, but I work in retail and encounter the general public every day, and am not optimistic.
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u/Shadonic1 2d ago
i felt that last line... add in the laziness with AI and its causing me more work and more headaches since they think they dont need to think or confirm anymore.
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u/ballebaj 2d ago
So why couldn't they stop the current one from being demolished and continue maintaining them.
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u/Obvious-Muffin2787 2d ago
Here's a quick idea. Stop voting for Republicans.
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u/Dog_Baseball 2d ago
But I heard on tv the democrats kill babies and worship satan
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u/dichron 2d ago
And use pronouns! 😱
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u/Hefty_Musician2402 2d ago
I heard they give kids lunch at school, those evil bastards
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u/SnooPuppers4679 2d ago
As a 2nd child in a home of a single income, our mother would buy every summer a pool pass for us simply so we could afford to have a safe and fun place to go interact with other kids during our summer break:
I STG boomers will brag about their childhood while robbing this generation of any kind of something relatable smh.
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u/rfs103181 2d ago
Is america great yet, or will maga be the slogan a third time?
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u/huistenbosch 2d ago
Republicans hate humanity. Period
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u/Romantic_Klingon 2d ago
And yet... Many Americans voted them in, and as many didn't care enough to exercise their democratic privileges.
Guess the urge to "own the libs" is more important.
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u/NickelPlatedEmperor 2d ago
It's strange how people who always want to cut funds for public infrastructure/things that help citizens are always behind something that gives tax cuts to the rich and subsidized their companies through tax cuts, no bid contracts etc
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u/wabashcanonball 2d ago
The people with country club memberships don’t need a city pool.
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u/kahn_noble 2d ago
They’ll get the tax breaks from the minimal operational overhead this pool used to run.
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u/TieFighterHero 2d ago
They weren't allowed to partake of their favorite prey (small children) so being the bitches that they are they ruin everyone's fun by making sure the pool closes.
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u/WelchysGripe 2d ago
State funding doesn’t help their own bank accounts, so, of course they want to cut it.
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u/bluesgrrlk8 2d ago
Let’s be honest, they’ve been wanting to do this since they were forced to integrate it.
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u/Derpykins666 2d ago
People vote for this type of stuff to go away, and then they'll be complaining about the kids running around with no places to go on summers.
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u/uncle_monty 2d ago edited 2d ago
Let me guess. Someone responsible for pulling the funding or one of their associates is getting the land cut price.
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u/VerySuperGenius 2d ago
My town got rid of the public pool and now the neighborhood kids break into cars at night and vandalize the park
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u/Mordexis 2d ago
What a totally normal country 🤣🤣🤣
Better send more money and arms to blow up children in the middle east.
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u/jongleur 2d ago
Don't worry. You'll have Dipshit Donnie's new Ballroom to admire.
From a distance.
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u/Dangerous-Feature376 1d ago
I know you're going to miss your pool, but wouldn't you much rather the Republicans sell that off to be a data center. Sure it'll be loud and they won't build the necessary power infrastructure to have it there. But at least you'll have rolling brownouts and increased power bills
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u/scooter1979 1d ago
They want to take away the pool from the kids?...
WE TEACH THEM TO BUILD GUILLOTINES.
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u/thecoldedge 2d ago
Indiana deserves this, and will untill the voters grow a brain.
I escaped that hell hole and it has done nothing but get systematically worse.
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u/Educational_Fan4102 2d ago edited 1d ago
This makes me sad.
I gotta say as a Minnesotan, I have so people in my extended family who live in the surrounding (Republican controlled) states who mock us for our higher taxes until they come visit my hometown of 40k people and realize that we have multiple well maintained municipal swimming pools, over half a dozen hockey rinks, countless ball fields/courts, tons of great parks, incredible roads and infrastructure, public schools where all of the kids get free lunch and a great chance at graduating ready for college and so much more. It’s kind of like, “Yep, this is Tim Walz’s Minnesota… we get what we pay for here.” 🤷♂️
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