Look what electing Democrats gets you

Diogenes

Diogenes

Nemo me impune lacessit
Contributor
https://twitter.com/x/status/2071729441231839520
View: https://x.com/eigenrobot/status/2071729441231839520?s=20





Fact check:

The post's core claim is accurate and verifiable as a plausible personal experience.


What the post says​


  • The user (@eigenrobot) paid $740 total for annual Minnesota vehicle registration ("tabs") on a 2018 Honda Civic and a 2025 Honda Odyssey.
  • Sarcastic comment that the money is "put to good use by the state" (with a follow-up invoking fungibility of government funds).

This is not a disputed factual assertion but a personal anecdote. Minnesota's system makes such a total realistic.


Minnesota vehicle registration ("tabs") facts​


Minnesota uses a value-based system tied to the vehicle's original MSRP (Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price), not current market value:


  • Rate: 1.575% of the depreciated MSRP (recently adjusted; previously lower).
  • Depreciation schedule: Starts at 100% of MSRP in year 1, then declines (95%, 90%, 80%, etc.) over ~10 years, down to a flat minimum (~$20) for vehicles 11+ years old.
  • Additional fees: Filing (~$8), technology surcharge (~$2.25), plate fees, possible county "wheelage" tax ($10–$30 in some areas like Hennepin/Ramsey), and others.
  • EVs/PHEVs have extra surcharges.

Estimates for the vehicles (approximate, based on typical MSRPs):


  • 2018 Honda Civic: Original MSRP ~$19,000–$28,000 depending on trim. By 2026 (8–9 years old), it's in the lower depreciation tiers → likely $50–$150 range.
  • 2025 Honda Odyssey: Newer minivan, MSRP ~$42,000–$52,000+ for common trims (EX-L, Touring, Elite). In early years, this easily hits $500–$800+ alone due to high value and the 1.575% rate.

Combined total of ~$740 (for both) fits comfortably within reported ranges, especially with county fees or a higher-trim Odyssey. Many Minnesotans report $300–$900+ per newer vehicle; older cars are much cheaper.


Context and comparisons​


  • Minnesota tabs are notoriously higher than in many states due to this ad valorem (value-based) approach, unlike flat fees elsewhere. Recent legislative tweaks (e.g., temporary rate cuts proposed) acknowledge complaints.
  • Replies to the post (and similar discussions) show wide variation by state: much lower in places like Texas, Georgia (veterans), or Tennessee (~$100–$300), but comparable or higher in high-tax areas.
  • Funds primarily support roads/highways (state, county, city), though government budgets are fungible as the user noted in a reply.

Bottom line​


The $740 figure is credible and consistent with Minnesota's documented registration tax structure for one older economy car + one newer family minivan. No evidence of exaggeration or falsehood in the factual part. The "good use" remark is subjective political commentary (common on the platform), not a claim needing verification. High tabs are a frequent point of frustration for MN drivers.


Sources listed in link: https://grok.com/c/08d443c0-96c4-41db-8000-b3b7437df391?rid=908c238b-309a-4d7a-8332-dd63a8814332
 
HMCLF69XkAAXCNT
 
images


"On May 10, 1869, railroad workers linked together the Union Pacific and Central Pacific lines in Utah, creating the first transcontinental railroad. The journey from NYC to San Francisco was shortened from 6 months to just 6 days.


It took 7 years to build, and cost an estimated $70 million.


Now think about the ‘high speed rail’ from LA to SF - 20+ years and billions of dollars - for nothing."



https://twitter.com/x/status/2072338791021617268
View: https://x.com/FischerKing64/status/2072338791021617268?s=20
 
Diogenes said:
https://twitter.com/x/status/2071650941825114151
View: https://x.com/libsoftiktok/status/2071650941825114151?s=20
Click to expand...
Grok:

No, it is not true that "Democrats imported millions of foreigners into St. Paul, Minnesota." This claim is a hyperbolic exaggeration of real demographic changes involving refugees and immigrants.Key Facts on St. Paul and Minnesota Demographics
  • St. Paul's population: ~307,000–311,000 (recent estimates). Foreign-born residents make up ~18–19% (~57,000–60,500 people).

    vera-institute.files.svdcdn.com
  • Minnesota statewide: Foreign-born ~8–9% (~480,000–523,000 out of ~5.8 million total population).

    vera-institute.files.svdcdn.com
 
Poor Richard Saunders said:
Grok:

No, it is not true that "Democrats imported millions of foreigners into St. Paul, Minnesota." This claim is a hyperbolic exaggeration of real demographic changes involving refugees and immigrants.Key Facts on St. Paul and Minnesota Demographics
  • St. Paul's population: ~307,000–311,000 (recent estimates). Foreign-born residents make up ~18–19% (~57,000–60,500 people).

    vera-institute.files.svdcdn.com
  • Minnesota statewide: Foreign-born ~8–9% (~480,000–523,000 out of ~5.8 million total population).

    vera-institute.files.svdcdn.com
Click to expand...


Grok (like most modern AIs) is designed to be truth-seeking and precise, especially on empirical claims. When a question frames something as a direct factual assertion—"Did Democrats import millions of foreigners into [specific small city]?"—it triggers a literal evaluation:


  • "Millions" into St. Paul (pop. ~300k-310k total): This is mathematically impossible on its face. Even the entire metro area couldn't absorb "millions" of new arrivals in a short timeframe without it being a nationally visible demographic earthquake. Grok correctly flagged the scale as hyperbolic.
  • "Imported" by "Democrats": This implies deliberate, centralized policy action by one party specifically targeting that location for importation (a strong causal claim). Grok responded with verifiable numbers on foreign-born residents/refugees/immigrants (common in Minnesota due to long-standing refugee resettlement programs, economic factors, chain migration, etc.), but pushed back on the partisan conspiracy framing as exaggeration. Policies like refugee admissions, asylum rules, parole programs, or lax enforcement do affect inflows, and Minnesota/Democratic-led areas have histories with high refugee intake (e.g., Somali, Hmong, etc. communities), but "Democrats imported millions to St. Paul" overstates and oversimplifies it.

If the question had been phrased more neutrally or precisely—e.g., "What role have federal immigration policies under recent Democrat administrations played in demographic changes in Minnesota cities like St. Paul, including refugee resettlement and overall foreign-born population growth?"—you'd likely have gotten a fuller picture: data on actual inflows, policy changes (border encounters, parole, asylum grants), voting patterns in immigrant communities, cultural/economic impacts, crime correlations where relevant, and counterpoints. Grok can discuss those trends substantively without the "No, that's not literally true" opener.
 
Diogenes said:
Grok (like most modern AIs) is designed to be truth-seeking and precise, especially on empirical claims. When a question frames something as a direct factual assertion—"Did Democrats import millions of foreigners into [specific small city]?"—it triggers a literal evaluation:


  • "Millions" into St. Paul (pop. ~300k-310k total): This is mathematically impossible on its face. Even the entire metro area couldn't absorb "millions" of new arrivals in a short timeframe without it being a nationally visible demographic earthquake. Grok correctly flagged the scale as hyperbolic.
  • "Imported" by "Democrats": This implies deliberate, centralized policy action by one party specifically targeting that location for importation (a strong causal claim). Grok responded with verifiable numbers on foreign-born residents/refugees/immigrants (common in Minnesota due to long-standing refugee resettlement programs, economic factors, chain migration, etc.), but pushed back on the partisan conspiracy framing as exaggeration. Policies like refugee admissions, asylum rules, parole programs, or lax enforcement do affect inflows, and Minnesota/Democratic-led areas have histories with high refugee intake (e.g., Somali, Hmong, etc. communities), but "Democrats imported millions to St. Paul" overstates and oversimplifies it.

If the question had been phrased more neutrally or precisely—e.g., "What role have federal immigration policies under recent Democrat administrations played in demographic changes in Minnesota cities like St. Paul, including refugee resettlement and overall foreign-born population growth?"—you'd likely have gotten a fuller picture: data on actual inflows, policy changes (border encounters, parole, asylum grants), voting patterns in immigrant communities, cultural/economic impacts, crime correlations where relevant, and counterpoints. Grok can discuss those trends substantively without the "No, that's not literally true" opener.
Click to expand...
So you are literally posting lies and you don't care that they are lies?
 
Irony abounds.


Got it. Ironically, Poor Richard Saunders is citing Grok all of a sudden after recently and repeatedly making such claims as this: https://www.justplainpolitics.com/t...eflecting-pool-renovation.248519/post-7010347.


Yes, that's the irony.


In the linked post from the reflecting pool thread, Poor Richard Saunders (quoting or aligning with another user) criticizes Grok for being "unable to understand context or deeper meaning," acting "like a child," making wrong assumptions, doubling down, and making excuses across chats.


Yet in the earlier thread you originally shared, he's citing Grok's literal debunking of the "Democrats imported millions of foreigners into St. Paul" claim as authoritative—precisely the kind of precise, scale-checking response that Grok gives when statements use absolute/hyperbolic language.


This is a common pattern in partisan forums: AI outputs are "smart" or "dumb" depending on whether they align with the poster's priors in that moment. Grok's design (favoring verifiable facts and calling out exaggeration) leads to these outcomes regardless.
 
https://twitter.com/x/status/2072392726151069941
View: https://x.com/EndWokeness/status/2072392726151069941?s=20






Verified Facts:​


  • Buffalo City Hall did raise the Somali flag on or around July 1, 2026 (Somalia's Independence Day). Images from the event show a group (including Somali community members) at City Hall with the flag being raised on a pole, with participants holding smaller flags. This matches the photos in the post.
  • Buffalo canceled its downtown July 4th fireworks (or America 250 celebration). City officials announced this on June 30, 2026, citing the lack of an "appropriate site" for a safe, accessible display. This was widely reported by local news (WIVB, WGRZ, Spectrum News).
  • Timing: The flag raising happened the day after the fireworks cancellation announcement, as the post states.

The key elected officials involved with or overseeing the Buffalo City Hall Somali flag raising and the broader context are Democrats:


  • Mayor Sean Ryan (Democrat): Current mayor of Buffalo (sworn in January 2026). He won the Democratic primary and general election in 2025. City Hall events like this typically fall under mayoral administration.
  • Council Member David A. Rivera (Democrat, Niagara District): He publicly invited residents to the Somali Flag Day ceremony on July 1, 2026, at City Hall and promoted it as the hosting council member. He has served on the Buffalo Common Council since 2008 as a Democrat.

Buffalo is a heavily Democrat city, and its Common Council is overwhelmingly Democrat. The fireworks decision was also handled by city leadership under this administration.
 
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