A Civics Lesson Well Learned

While I watch the Obama administration self destruct as it lurches violently to the radical left, it has accomplished what our schools have failed at for years. It has given America a long needed lesson in civics. This is better than the sixties. The children of Nixon’s silent majority, who have watched their jobs dissipate, their savings evaporate, and their health care eradicate have finally waken up, and are examining the very fabric of America.

All of a sudden, discussions about the nature of our federalist system are de rigueur. The wisdom of the founding fathers is being quoted. The relationship between the governed and the government is being re-examined. People are finally learning the Bill of Rights. People are examining anew just what it means to be an American. It is exciting watching the country re-energize itself and refreshing the roots of democracy and the rights of the individual.

Americans are standing up and holding public officials accountable. Town hall meetings are open season on non-responsive elected representatives. Who do they serve? The serve the American people, not their Washington political and idealogical cronies…and we are letting them know it in no uncertain terms.

The nature of different political systems is being discussed in earnest. People are learning again the definition of a republic. People are actually contemplating what they want our government to be and the role it is to play in our lives. President Obama’s flaw was that he thought he could lead the public around by the nose, in awe of his brilliance and oratorical skills. He was wrong. His view of the Constitution does not ring true with the American public. The American public understands once again that the Constitution protects the individual against an intrusive government which wants to regulate every aspect of your life, and determine for you who is to bear the fruits of your labor.

The urgency displayed by certain members of Congress to pass the radical left wing agenda "now" is rooted in their understanding of the resurgence of the individual and capitalism in this country. The left's "moment" is rooted in a fluke in the economic dialectic, but the roots are shallow. If the most radical elements of their agenda are not passed by the end of this year, they are finished! They know that America will reject their socialist agenda in favor of the sanctity and freedom of the individual in the next election. We will not trade our liberty for 30 pieces of silver.

America is slowly coming to its senses. Seniors are the first to walk away knowing a lie when they hear it. Next will be the young, who can’t find jobs and will be “ordered” by the government to purchase health care insurance or face a felony charge with a year in jail, not to mention a $1900.00 fine. That is NOT they change young folks voted for in. The suburban middle class will soon the definition of a Value Added Tax, the middle class tax hike Obama said would not happen. They will walk away. Non-union blue collar workers will fall away next, as they watch their union “brothers” reap the benefit of big government while they barely make ends meet. Self-respect will diminish as the government tries to make them wards of the state, but the government will fail. These folks are the backbone of America. They are America’s greatest blessing.

So I want to thank Barack Obama, and Nancy Pelosi, and Harry Reid, and Van Jones, and Reverend Wright, all of the czars, and all the rest…for reminding me, and America, of what we stand to lose if they prevail. This is a civics lesson well earned, and America is getting an A plus.

Make Refrigerators! Not Burgers!

My first belief as relates to economics is that a nation’s wealth is determined by how many refrigerators it makes rather than how many hamburgers it flips. So what’s the problem? We don’t make that many refrigerators anymore.

Here are the facts. Approximately 10% of the American workforce works in manufacturing jobs. Currently, 12 million Americans work in some manufacturing capacity. That is down from 20 million in 1980. The last time the manufacturing work force equaled 12 million was in 1940, when the population of the country was less than half of what it is today.

That doesn’t mean our manufacturing base is declining. Total manufacturing about continues to grow as a result of technological advancement and rapidly increasing worker productivity. The total value of manufactured goods in the United States equals the total GDP of Russia. The total amount of manufactured exported goods from the United States equals the total GDP of India. These are incredible figures. Nonetheless, the number of Americans working in manufacturing as a percentage of the total workforce has been in steady decline, with no end in sight.

What does that mean? Well, it means that we have turned into a service and consumption economy…and you can’t eat service and consumption. It means that more and more Americans are working at lower paying jobs. It means that our income is stagnant or declining. It means that we aren’t creating tangible wealth…only paper wealth. Created tangible wealth means you make something, and you sell it. Paper wealth is fleeting, witness these past 10 months.

The decline in American manufacturing is disturbing. It has been ignored equally by Democrats and Republicans. The Democrats, in the guise of unions and environmental extremism, have done a good job of sacrificing American manufacturing jobs on the altar of the new religion worshipping Mother Earth. Republicans, in the guise of free trade agreements and tepid currency policy particularly with China, have equally decimated the manufacturing base. Who stinketh the most?

America’s wealth as we know it is rooted in World War II when we were the only intact manufacturing country in the world. We reaped the benefits for more than 30 years. Now world demographics have caught up with us. Those unionized jobs paying wage and benefit packages of $50.00/hour plus are now competing the worker in China making $2.00/hour; and one India making even less. Guess who is going to win?

Here are three common sense things our government could do to at least stabilize the manufacturing base.

1) Bring common sense to environmental issues. Put ideology aside and be realistic rather than dogmatic in dealing with some of these issues. Humans, and human needs, need to come first.

2) Implement fair trade agreements rather than free trade agreements. I am not anti-NAFTA because all of us in North America are on the same ship, so to speak. On the other hand, China building its manufacturing prowess on the back of the United States consumer rather than the Chinese consumer is intolerable. It should be the policy of the United States to promote the growth of the Chinese and Indians through domestic consumption rather than exports to the United States. And by the way!!! China!!! LET YOUR CURRENCY FLOAT!!!!

3) The United States should have a sane energy policy based on both petroleum products and alternative energy sources, rather than the either or approach of the Obama and Bush administrations. It can’t be either or, it has to be all inclusive. Global warming needs to be identified for the scam that it is. And the oil dudes have to realize that sooner or later, the oil will run out, and we should start planning for it now. Notwithstanding, it is just plain good for not only domestic policy, but foreign policy.

But don’t bet the rent that any of the above will happen. Ideologies are hard to crack. I’m mad as hell….are you?

Get Behind Me Satan!!

Is being conservative anti-God? Our sermon in church last Sunday centered on a Gospel story in which Jesus equated Peter to Satan. Jesus asked the Apostles who he was. His followers stated that He was a prophet. Jesus then corrected them as to his true identity, and asked that they keep it a secret. Peter took Jesus aside, and I assume told him to cool it with the Messiah stuff. Jesus then told Peter : “Get behind me Satan.” And that was the end of that.

The minister equated this with each of us carrying our cross, no matter how uncomfortable it makes us. He said that we must deal with the issues that make us vulnerable. He then turned political when he said insuring 40 million uninsured people makes us uncomfortable, and that showing mercy to 11 million illegal aliens also makes us uncomfortable, and we must take up the cross and deal with these issues. Wow!!!

Since the days of Richard Nixon, liberal media types have continually portrayed conservatives as dark, and cold, and heartless. We have no compassion. We are interested in only money. We don’t care about the poor, or the hungry, or the uninsured, or illegal aliens. Maybe we are Jesus’ modern day Peter. Is Jesus telling us to “get behind me, Satan”?

I view things somewhat differently. Conservatives, first and foremost, believe in the dignity of man and the sanctity of freedom and individualism. We are believers of the old adage give a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach a man to fish; he will eat for a lifetime. We believe you should give a hand up, and not a hand out. Have you had enough of the tacky clichés?

Conservatives aren’t blind to the issues of the uninsured and illegal aliens. But conservatives firmly believe that government isn’t the answer. Conservatives believe government only makes things worse. You only have to spend a day at Family Services at the old South Side Hospital to see how government fails those most in need in our society. A barely sustenance existence is not the answer, and that is what many of these folks have. It is heart breaking.

Shifting government policy toward the collective condemns those involved to a life of meager existence. Should the vast, vast majority of people receiving outstanding health care be brought down to the level of barely adequate in order to solve the problem for a few? Should those living in poverty or political turmoil legally attempting to enter the United States be pushed to the back of the line in order to accommodate those who broke the law? Empathy for one group is always balanced by antipathy for another. Is one group’s suffering worth more than another’s?

The question that must be addressed is whether the answer to society’s problems lies with the government which does a good job of making everybody equally miserable…or in private enterprises which allows those in poverty the chance to climb the ladder to a good life?

I believe that we are better off with a private health care system regulated by the government to accommodate the specific issues of pre-existing conditions, excessive premiums and plan termination. For the hard core uninsured and uninsurable, the government can extend existing Medicare and Medicaid programs. It is as simple as that.

Ultimately, nothing will work unless the government allows for growth in our economy in a meaningful way. If people don’t have jobs, they can’t pay for health insurance, and neither can the government. That is the bigger problem. And the current administration is on the wrong track on this one.

So to my minister, I guess I would say that the “devil” is in the details. The Satan hidden in the collective is much more dangerous than the Satan hidden in free enterprise, freedom, and liberty. I want Satan to get behind me…just the right Satan.

For Health Care, Truth Matters

By the time you read this, President Obama will have made his speech to a Joint Session of Congress. The fact that there had to be a joint session at all shows how much trouble Obama is facing. Even his media foot soldiers are reaching the intolerance levels. Several of the networks bulked at his effort several weeks ago for prime time air time, but dutifully fell into line. In that speech, he offered absolutely nothing new, and the networks lost millions upon millions of advertising revenue. A joint session of congress is a gimmick way to get them to carry yet another of his speeches.

One pundit, I forget who, said it best. Obama doesn’t have a communication problem. He has a substance problem. He communicates just fine, and often. Unfortunately, he told some lies and tried to fool us. The disdain the progressive movement has demonstrated for the masses is stunning. Obama and his followers have learned a lesson. Even in Iowa, people can read. They can even read a government bill, which is apparently more that Obama and some in Congress can do.

He lied about the AARP endorsement of the plan. The AARP had to come out and correct him. He lied that it would be revenue neutral. The Congressional Budget Office had to correct him. He lied that it wouldn’t decrease benefits to seniors. They understand cuts in physician reimbursements. He fibbed about keeping your current policy. You can…but only if it doesn’t change in any way whatsoever, or your employer decides to opt out and pay the 8% penalty if it turns out to be cheaper…and it will turn out to be cheaper.! He lied about the death panels. The Army Veterans manual, which Obama reinstated, also offers end of life counseling…and asks wounded veterans if life is really worth living being sick…seriously. He lied about doctors gauging patients. He lied about the number of uncovered Americans which is closer to 15 million rather than 45 million. It does reach 45 million if you include illegal aliens, which he says it does not…unless, of course, it’s his intent to make them legal. Then he lied about that, too!

Mr. President, truth matters. And you have failed to tell the truth, and squandered the goodwill the American public was offering to you. At the end of the day, this is not about health care reform. It is about health care control. It is an ideological attempt to take health care over rooted race, class warfare, and oppressed people’s revenge.

The sad thing is that true health care reform is needed. If you had been honest about what you were proposing, a legitimate and robust health care debate could have been had on the merits. The discussion could have centered on expansion of existing programs like Medicare and Medicaid. It could have centered on insurance regulation and increased private competition. It could have centered on how to handle pre-existing conditions. The individual needs of the uninsured could have been defined, and those needs could have been met.

Finally, and most disturbing of all, can anyone please tell me how Obama could try to sell a bill he didn’t write? I am not sure he even knows what is in the House bill, and there are several House bills…and there is no Senate bill. And in the midst of all of these non-bills, he tried to set a deadline of a few weeks to transform 1/6 of the American economy? That is just plain stupid!

Here is my advice. Mr. Obama, quit giving speeches and do some work. Show some leadership, and for once in your political life, get off your ass and make a bold decision. Legislation written by Nancy Pelosi with an approval rating of 20% doesn’t cut it. It is your presidency. Take some responsibility.

Youngstown City Schools

Youngstown has a lot of things about which we can be proud (notice I didn’t end in a preposition). One issue, however, that has dogged this community is the plethora of political subdivisions surrounding the center city. Most major cities in Ohio annexed territory over the years as city services, such as water and sewer, were provided to the outlying areas for expansion. Not here. Youngstown kept its borders, resulting in most of the prosperous parts of our community being located outside of the city limits. The highest income tax in the state stops people with jobs outside the city from moving into the city. This results in a high number of economically disadvantaged folks making up the bulk of the city population which, in turn, skews statistics. While there has been some decrease in the area’s population over the years, Mahoning County’s population still hovers around 350,000. At one time, 180,000 of that population lived in the city. Now it’s only around 80,000. The rest live in the surrounding townships, tax free.

A Vindicator headline recently screamed that Youngstown City schools are the worst in the state. Of all Ohio school systems, Youngstown City scored the worst on standardized tests. Not a good statistic for any business thinking to locate here. The flip side of the headline is that systems such as Boardman, Canfield, South Range, and Lowellville are among the highest in the state. Of course, that doesn’t make for a good headline.

Notwithstanding, the Youngstown City School System is a study in the fallacy of the approach to education in this country. The system has had money thrown at it for years from the state and the feds, and it has gotten systematically worse. It recently spent a truck load of cash on tearing down relatively new schools, and replacing them with newer schools. The most obvious example was the tearing down and replacing of Volney Rogers Junior High School In the past several years, the system has closed three of five high schools: Rayen, North, and South High Schools, and consolidated them into the two remaining but brand new high schools…Chaney on the west side and East. The effect of this was to marginalize the remaining relatively prosperous west side of Youngstown, causing its already depressed housing market to plummet.

The Youngstown City School System has the highest per pupil expenditure in the area at about $9666.00/pupil. This compares to Boardman: $8861.00; Canfield $8105.00; Poland: $8401.00; and Lowellville: $7336.00. Lowellville, by the way, is among the lowest per pupil expenditure systems, and consistently scores the highest among the area schools in test scores. Even more interesting is that while Lowellville is not particularly a poor community, it is far from rich consisting mainly of blue collar working class folks. This is hard working mid America personified.

So, what does this show? It shows what every teacher knows deep in his/her heart. Money isn’t the answer. You could be spending $20,000.00/pupil in the city school system, and although it might nudge the scores a bit, it wouldn’t be by much. The indicator of the success or failure of a school system is not based on how much money it spends, but how it is able to deal with a socio-economic structure which presents insolvable problems. These are societal problem, and schools simply aren’t equipped to handle them, nor should they be expected to. The schools' job is to educate and teach. Yet we continaully ask them to find solutions that our society in general can't find.

Sure, there will be some anecdotal success stories, mostly individual in nature. But I fear the most we can hope for is that highly trained teachers can spot those showing promise, and can concentrate on helping them break the cycle. A culture of violence, drugs, broken homes, hip hop music, gangsta rap, and poverty are overwhelming our school systems.

I am not sure what works. I only know that throwing money at this problem doesn’t work, or minimally reaches a point of diminishing returns. Maybe the answer lies in churches or community self help groups or organizations like the YMCA or Boys Clubs or Big Brother/Sister clubs. Inspiring people to learn starts in a strong family that can overcome peer pressure and guide young people into the proper path.

In this time of tight money and massive budget deficits, schools need to tighten their belts and spend money smarter. The same goes for the governments that are funding them. If spending more dollars isn’t the answer, maybe a hand out to help someone up is the answer. And that doesn’t cost a dime.