Popularity Contest

POPULARITY CONTEST… Like many creatures, Squid hustled last week to get things done before the July Fourth holiday – deadlines don’t take a day off – and so too did Republicans in Washington, despite having no deadline. Nonetheless, they hustled hard for nights on end, striking countless backdoor deals to secure the necessary votes to pass an absolute dumpster fire of a budget reconciliation bill, one that will inflict great harm upon Americans for years to come.

The One Big Beautiful Bill, as the turd burger is called, saddles future generations with another $3 trillion in debt, makes disastrous cuts to countless government agencies and programs, kicks millions off their health care (after the 2026 midterm elections), incentivizes fossil fuels while penalizing renewables and, of course, extends the Trump tax cuts for the megarich. Squid knows Democrats in Washington had zero say in the bill – and that polls show Americans hate it – so Squid was curious how Dems would message around it. Well, U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Carmel Valley, sent out a campaign fundraising email in the wake of the bill’s passage, highlighting its drawbacks. It opens with the obvious: “The Big ‘Beautiful’ Bill is deeply unpopular.” Really? “Deeply unpopular”? Storm the Bastille!

Squid’s colleague reached out to Panetta to see if he’d like to further elaborate on that message, and he did. “The more people learn about the law… the more they dislike [it],” he says. “That means we are doing our job, and that’s how we win in 2026.”

Popularity contests are one thing, especially in easy-to-win, safely blue districts; calling it like it is is another.

STAR POWER… Speaking of popularity contests, translucent Squid mostly works out of sight. But even Squid thinks Squidself deserves a little recognition now and then. So Squid nominated Squidself – not for the first time – for a Seaside Star, hoping to be forever immortalized on the sidewalk on Broadway in the city that is home to Squid’s HQ. “Squid has applied for this honorable distinction but has not yet been recognized, perhaps due to a pro-human or anti-cephalopod bias, but Squid hopes this year can be different,” Squid wrote.

Alas, it was all for naught. Squid received a letter dated June 25 from Seaside Assistant City Manager Dan Meewis delivering the bummer news on behalf of the Seaside Stars Ad Hoc Committee: “We regret to inform you… ”

Of eight submissions this year, Meewis added, the committee selected four humans (or cephalopods, species not defined) to be honored in “this important community recognition effort.” He encouraged Squid to try again. Maybe Squid just isn’t cut out for the limelight, and will go back to quietly oozing around.