On The Road

(Las Vegas, NV)- It was a business trip! Yeah! A business trip! For some research & development!

Research.

Development.

Research.

Development.

Highlights of the trip, in no particular order:

Steve introduces Mike to the roulette wheel.
Mike introduces Steve to the blackjack table.
Ex-Clevelanders Mike & Steve meet up with ex-Clevelander and artist Dott Schneider for Dotto's Mini Vegas Tour.
Cirque du Soleil "Zoomanity" show.
Lake Mead & Hoover Dam inspections.
Saw The Breeders play The House of Anything But Blues.
Carrot Top packed my bag!

Lake Mead Bathtub Ring

(Boulder City, NV)- Been to Hoover Dam lately? It's always a spectacle to see, but as this protracted drought continues, the West's misguided water policy becomes highly visible- in the form of a "bathtub ring". It's a marking along the walls of the Black Canyon on the Colorado River, showing where the water levels once peaked.

Here are some of my pics. The first two are taken from the sidewalk on the upstream side of the Dam.

I estimate the water level to be down 50-60 feet. Note the vehicles parked beyond the Arizona water intake, for perspective.

Lake Mead / Colorado River. What? There's a drought? In the desert?!?

I was with Steve Wainstead, who turned me on to the enlightening and enfuriating book, "Cadillac Desert", which chronicles the water policies of the West. I highly recommend it to anyone who believes that only business pollutes or rapes the earth, while the government is a steward of the land. Not to say that business doesn't or hasn't caused environmental problems, but a reading of Cadillac Desert, and a trip to Hoover Dam, shows that no business can rape the earth on the scale a government can.

Standing in Las Vegas Bay- a tributary flowing to Lake Mead. I'm standing in the river bed, about 8' below the old water level, with another 10' or so below to the current water level. The boaters simply use other sites... for now.

Indiana Primary Dilemma

OK, so it's no dilemma for those who refrain from participating in Primary Elections on the basis of these elections essentially being the private business of the political parties, and not a genuine public function. The basis for this position in some areas?

All Indiana primaries are closed primaries. This means you have to choose either a Democratic or Republican ballot. For instance, there is no Libertarian ballot. There is no independent or non-partisan ballot. The "offices" being voted on include Precinct Committeeman and Delegate to the Party Convention. Primary info from the Secretary of State's office.

But, some areas will have non-partisan school board races, and fewer still will have local issues. If you object to our Primaries on the basis of it being publicly funded private function, be certain that these two items are not on your ballot before resolutely staying home. If these are on your ballot, and you don't care to vote in the D or R Primary, ask for "a school board ballot".

Normally, my primary voting goes like this: I walk into the polling place. I find my precinct station. I ask the volunteer if there is a Libertarian ballot knowing full well that there isn't. When the volunteer advises me that there is only a Democratic or Republican ballot, I say 'thank you,' I sign the book, and I leave. The volunteer says, 'Don't you want to vote?' and I reply, 'I just did in the only way I can that represents my views'.

Some Libertarians will face a different dilemma this year, because they want to cast a vote for Ron Paul- the only Primary candidate remotely close to representing our views. A problem arises for those who take the letter of the law seriously. The law reads:

IC 3-10-1-6Eligible voters
Sec. 6. A voter may vote at a primary election:
(1) if the voter, at the last general election, voted for a majority of the regular nominees of the political party holding the primary election; or
(2) if the voter did not vote at the last general election, but intends to vote at the next general election for a majority of the regular nominees of the political party holding the primary election;as long as the voter was registered as a voter at the last general election or has registered since then.
As added by P.L.5-1986, SEC.6.

There is great temptation for many Libertarians to vote in the Republican Primary. It isn't because they are eager to cast votes for a slate of Republicans in the November General Election. It is so they can cast a vote for Ron Paul- the only Primary candidate remotely close to our views.

Chances are great that the partisan Libertarians don't qualify to take a partisan D or R Primary Ballot, for either or both of the clauses found in the law above.

Come November, most Libertarians are going to want to cast votes for as many Libertarians as are on the ballot, perhaps one or two Democrats, one or two Republicans, and more likely, have a whole bunch of blanks because you can't vote None Of The Above.

As for me, I will not cross over and take a Republican ballot. I did support Ron Paul's campaign and wish him well, but the coronation of McCain is complete, and my one vote in favor of Paul has no meaning. In fact, it would be worse. It would signal a willingness to vote Republican, which I am utterly unwilling to do. With the marginalization of Paul, the Republican Party has further reinforced its disinterest in general liberty and limited government, so I'm not going to give them my vote, only because I think Democrats are slightly worse. I'll vote as I always have- go in, sign the book, leave.

Side note: Did you know that Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney are still on the Indiana Primary Ballot? It's true. Link.

Double Negative

The Kole household received two mailings today- one from Hillary Clinton, one from Barack Obama. Let's break them down.

Obama: I was briefly fooled by this one. The cover shows Hillary Clinton smiling, with a microphone. I thought it was a Clinton piece, until I read the text: "When the chips are down and we need her most, can we really count on Hillary Clinton to stand up for Indiana jobs?"

You see where this is headed. "We can't trust Hillary Clinton to protect Indiana jobs." The proof? A cover of Fortune Magazine, with her face on it and the proclamation "Business Loves Hillary!"

You know, (sarcasm alert) I hate that in a President. I want a President who is hated, no, SCORNED, by business. (sarcasm alert) No good can come from that prosperity nonsense.

What kind of stupidity is Obama trying to sell here? That tried and true stupidity that appeals to losers- protectionism. And worse, it's an attack ad. The campaign could have touted something Obama is for, but his campaign felt the need to promote being against someone instead.

Clinton: Instead of her face (or Obama's) on the cover, Clinton's ad has a multi-cultural group standing beneath the question, "Which of These People Don't Deserve Health Care?"

Normally, I expect this rhetoric from someone playing the race card, so it's curious when offered in opposition to Obama. All the more curious when you consider that you can't tell who doesn't deserve health care by looking at them, as any non-racist should know. You have to know whether or not they've planned and invested properly to manage such costs to cast such judgment.

This is, of course, also an attack ad. In fact, this one doesn't have Clinton's face on it at all, but does have a small smiling picture of Barack Obama. Again, you know who to vote against- not so much who to vote for.

I'm sure these campaigns know what they're doing. They wouldn't go negative if they didn't think it worked. I find such negative advertising perfectly repellent.

I find it a worse mark on Obama, though. I expect negativity and attack from Clinton. Obama had been working so hard to give the imagery, the feeling of positivism. When the chips are down, it comes back to negativity.

I declare them both correct. Niether of their primary opponents are worth voting for. Where does that leave us?

Mitch Daniels Shows True Colors

When defending their party against challenges of fiscal mayhem or outlandish government growth, most Republicans I know quickly slip into their "Party of Reagan" mantra. I can't wait to ask them how they feel to know that Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels has rebuked Reagan... in favor of John McCain! From the Chicago Examiner:

The governor delivered his remarks to a room full of fellow red-staters at the Fund for American Studies’ annual conference and donor retreat at the Newseum.

“Nostalgia is fine and Reagan’s economic plan was good,” Daniels said. “But we need to look towards the future rather than staying in the past.” Daniels added that the GOP needed to work on uniting behind Sen. John McCain instead of constantly comparing the Arizona senator with the Gipper.

I get the desire to be present and beyond nostolgia. Maybe Daniels has just served the wake-up call that those who wanted limited government really are under the wrong tent if they are voting Republican. Elected Republicans have done nothing but grow govenment at every level, post haste, since 1994. It's only self-deception that keeps limited government supporters voting for and contributing to Republicans.

Probably, Daniels told us that for him, the most important thing is that his team wins, regardless of style of play. Forget about substance! Wear that elephant uniform, and win one for the... er...

Update: Rush Limbaugh smacks Daniels down as a 'country club, blue-blood, Rockefeller Republican'. I love the cognitive dissonance this must be causing across our state. From Limbaugh:

Hey, Mitch? Governor? Governor Daniels? Should we get over Lincoln, too? He's in the past. We just gotta go over Lincoln. This is so contrary to conservative thought. For me, on the wrong day, this could be tough to take. We're supposed to learn from our past. We are supposed to build on that which works. This is part of conservative thought! I'll tell you what. Let's just get over the founders. The founders of the country are in the past, too. Let's get over them.

Couldn't have said it better. I'll be happier when Daniels is in the past.

Requisite Tax Frustration Statement

(Fishers, IN)- This one's going to be a little different. Usually I'm stomping the pulpit into splinters over the dollars I had paid over the course of the year for taxes. Yes, I'm still unhappy about it, especially because I paid more this year than ever before. But I think a large percentage of people tune such complaints out. There's no sympathy for one who paid a lot. It means that this taxpayer is "rich", and as we have all come to learn, there can only be antipathy for the rich, and guilt if you happen to be. 

So, I'll take a different tack. I'll talk about my business and how tax considerations framed my thinking.

My business model is built around minimal overhead. I operate out of the home, I have very little in the way of expensive equipment. I do not have any inventories. This model allowed me to get straight into the work without having to take out any loans, which of course results in more overhead.

In August, I was really humming along in my one-man operation. I had so much work to do that I was routinely working 16 hours a day, and routinely seven days a week. That kind of grind gets old, and besides, the performance dips. It was time to consider hiring my first employee. Either that, or I would have to turn away work.

Not wanting to reject work, I strongly considered a hire. Problem is, it would trash my business model.

Of course, the employee salary would be pure overhead, but at least it would result in production, thus, revenue. Should I pay hourly? No- the work is unpredictable in terms of time requirements. I would have to pay per completed job. This would give me a predictable margin, in addition to creating incentives to complete sooner rather than later.

But that isn't all the drag I had to consider. I would have to pay Medicare and Social Security taxes on the employee's behalf. I would also have to pay Federal unemployment tax. And state unemployment tax. I would have to spend the time accounting for this, which means time I'm not producing. I could hire an accountant to free up my time, but then it becomes an expense- in violation of my business model.

There were other considerations. Could I afford to offer benefits? If not, wouldn't I have to pay more so the employee could purchase things like health insurance? How solid was my future looking? Could I really feel secure in my ability to ongoingly provide employment to someone who might have a family to support?

In the end, I decided not to hire and to turn the work away. For all the extra effort required, the prospect of additional income was so marginal as to be not worth the struggle. I did the math over and over, and this was the bottom line.

So, if you lack compassion for "rich people" like me, at least take stock of my tale and its ramifications: Taxes and compliance costs were the difference between growth and employment, and stagnation and underemployment. I'm fine, but somebody didn't get an opportunity. All because of the taxes and compliance costs. 

I don't know at what point you can take advantage of scale, but it certainly isn't with one's first employee. I started playing it out, considering the extra employees firms hire and it seems crazy. We have companies who have accountants, HR staff, and other support- none of whom are productive, but at least free up producers to deal with producing, while these others manage pure overhead. I would have to grow to some 15-20 employees before I really could begin to take advantage of scale. What a struggle it would be in the meantime, teetering on the edge, in constant fear of recession! 

To hire just one person, though, would be a wash. The employee would generate revenues, but my productivity would go down while overhead would soar. I might even lose money of the deal, especially when (not if) the workload decreased- as it has this year so far.

Well, I don't need that. Who does? 

I'm not interested in building empire, especially not for its own sake. I like doing my work very much. I like producing and satisfying my clients. But, when I'm not working, which is to say producing, I like to do other things like travel, play with Isabel, read, play hockey, and a host of others. Doing accounting isn't on the list.

I'm sure I'm not the only one to face this dilemma. All I ask those of you who earnestly believe that all the government we have is necessary and important to consider is the cost-benefit analysis. How many people are not being hired because the costs reduce the margins enough to make the hire not worth the trouble?

If you cannot bring yourself to begin urging our elected officials to stop punishing success with taxation, at least BEG them to make the process simpler, and reduce the burdens associated with hiring.

Look around your workplace to see which positions are productive, and which are pure overhead. It will startle you. Our economy could be so vastly improved by eliminating the overhead and hiring for pure production.

Old Friends

(Broadview Heights, OH)- I love the advance of technology. Every now and then, I get to thinking about an old friend, and I do a search on Google or Myspace, and it's amazing how I pretty easily find that person.

So, back in January, I got thinking about my old buddy, Chuck. We grew up on the same street. We wrote and drew our own peculiar take on Mad Magazine, which certainly scared our parents. We formed our first band together when we were 13-14. I pinch-hit on bass for some of the metal bands he was drumming in. Metal guitarists always wanted to play lead. I could have made a career playing bass for metal bands. Alas- every now and again, I showed decent judgment in my youth.

Anyhow, I hit Myspace and found a band he had been playing in recently. I left a message. Before long, we got to trading emails. Finally, after some 15 years or so, Chuck and I got together to catch up.

A reunion and a barrel of laughs!

What a hoot! I was armed with pictures and the old hand-drawn comics. We laughed so much it hurt.

Gas To $4 A Gallon?

I say, "Who cares?" I have to drive to wherever I'm working, in whichever state it is, so I'm going to pay what the price is at the pump.

I find it interesting to observe some Democrats pandering now to those who would like to see the costs held down in light of all the Democrats who remarked when fuel was cheap on how a higher price would be a good thing, because it would spur conservation. Well, which way is it?

I also get a kick out of the assertion that people won't take the weekenders anymore. Well! Let's do the math!

Say I'm going to ditch terrain-challenged Central Indiana for Kentucky's Red River Gorge. It's a trip we've made 4 times in the last two years. It happens to be a round 250 miles from home, or a 500 mile round trip. In the Saturn Vue at 20 mpg, we're burning 25 gallons of gas. At $4/gallon, that's $100.

Well, spank my ass and call me Charlie, at $2/gallon, it would have been $50!

Forget Obama, I want CHE GUEVARA! Shut down free enterprise immediately, suspend habeus corpus, declare the USA a commune-do ANYTHING to spare me 50 bucks! Cough.

Look, if 50 bucks is the difference between a weekender or not, you have no business even considering the weekender. You need a second job. You need it now.

The same people who are yelling about high gas prices did nothing to stop the increase of sales taxes, food & beverage taxes, and the inkeepers taxes- all of which have about the same impact as the rising price of fuel.

I realize I'm on the other side of that argument, but I'll temper it thusly: I believe that a producer of gasoline should be able to charge whatever it wants. It brought the stuff out of the ground, refined it, and made it available to me. It's theirs until I buy it. The seller should have the right to name his price, just as we have the right to walk away from it. Where does anyone get off saying that they have a right as a consumer to some good at their price? Isn't that some kind of bondage for the producer?

I walk away from the inkeepers taxes by pitching a tent. If gasoline prices trouble you so greatly, buy the Prius, ride the bike, or walk even.

Power Plant, Floriana Style

When I visited the Galapagos Islands last month, I visited one of the least populated- Isla Floriana. The population? 87.

The people of the Galapagos are very aware of their fragile environs. So, on an island where the total energy needs are so small, the power plant can look like this:

That's it! the whole plant! About 25' x 25', altogether. No smoke, no wires above ground leading away from the plant. Perfectly adequate for 87 people. They won't let you just walk through a coal-firing facility. In Floriana, they don't even have a fence around the werks. Ame and Isabel walk around with our guide, Rick.

Solar power. Makes perfect sense for an island within 75 miles of the Equator and a fragile environment.

That's an island that was starting from scratch. They chose wisely. Indiana isn't starting from scratch. There are already state-granted power monopolies in place, so it's illegal for an inspired would-be competitor to just go ahead and build a power plant. Under such conditions, could it be done here?

No. Unless state granted monopolies go away, this kind of innovation isn't likely to happen. Let's assume that they did disappear tomorrow, and there was a would-be competitor waiting to provide electric power on a small scale.

Begin with the purchase of that vacant lot in the neighborhood that's been little more than the regional dump since the fire, then erect the structure, bore conduit through the public right-of-way to junction boxes or transformers at the frontage of the property, then bore a duct to the customer- no poles or above-ground wires necessary. Fire it up and go. Lots of cost on the front end, but not a whole lot after that- just maintenance.

The electricians out there will argue that the reason power is on poles and not underground (unless mandated by law or new subdivision covenant) is the loss of juice underground. So what? I'll counter by saying that since the power source is closer to the end-user, you eliminate the line-loss of transmission from faraway plants. And besides, it's solar.

The lack of Equatorial sun-drenching a concern? No problem- place a windmill or two at the top of the structure. Many days here in Indiana, we get both sun and high winds.

I think we can do better by getting rid of the monopolies and the barriers to entry for would-be competitors, not worrying about too what an extra wire or two might be like, and see if we don't provided better rates and produce less pollution at the same time.

Utility Deregulation?

I had a young man representing the "Citizens Action Coalition" stop at the door today. Normally, the name "Citizens" in the name is enough for me to shut the door, as it tends to stand for little else than "we want to use the power of government to squish someone".

In fact, that's still the case here, but I was in the mood to listen. His organization wants to sue Duke Energy, in order to stop coal-burning electricity generation. I get the environmental impact, but I also want electricity on demand, and I want it pretty cheap. So, I'm not so sure I'm entirely on board. He was very down on deregulation, and when thinking "electricity deregulation" I think of California and Enron- which wasn't deregulation at all. It was re-regulation. And it was a miserable disaster. Deregulation got the bad name, even though the problems were rooted in regulated stasis in the face of a dynamic spot energy market.

He gave me some literature, and I found the first paragraph very interesting:

"Indiana's major utility companies (Duke, AEP, IPL, Vectren, NIPSCO) provide retail electric service essential to the health and vitality of Indiana, its economy, and its citizens. They have been granted state franchised monopolies that protect them from competition and guarantee them profit in exchange for providing adequate and reliable electricity service at the lowers reasonable cost to the public."

I think the whole problem is the state franchised monopoly. There's no competition to spur competitive pricing or innovation, so it doesn't happen unless a mandate comes down, or a lawsuit kicks a butt or two. So, why not let's do away with the state franchised monopoly? Let an outfit string up competing cables, bringing electricity generated by windmills or solar panels. The state shouldn't be interfering with that.

Heck- I'd have even written the guy a check if CAC was fighting the right fight- against the monopolies.

A New Bill For Nothing In Particular

(Fishers, IN)- I knew this day would come. Our glorious federal government, via the Environmental Protection Agency and the Congress, has instituted something called Phase Two. In a nutshell, Phase Two addresses less egregious environmental hazards than what was addressed in Phase One, but specifically stormwater.

I'm not aware of a single municipality or county government that said, "No Thanks" to the implementation of the federal mandate. By virtue of my old job in the Hamilton County Surveyor's Office, I heard a lot of officials mumble behind closed doors about "environmental bullshit", but nobody stood up in public to give voice to such sentiments.

I've seen some Central Indiana government agencies deal with the implementation of Phase Two concerns addressing stormwater runoff in different ways, most of which are genuinely ineffective at addressing the problem. For if one truly wants to ensure no pollutants enter the waterways, one must ensure that no water enters the waterways.

Sorry, but it's impossible.

Undaunted and doubtless happy enough to create another layer of bureaucracy, the Town of Fishers circulated letters dated January 31, 2008 to property owners advising of a new Stormwater Utility Bill.

Oh, how grand! Residential property owners would be billed $14.85 per quarter.

And what do we get for our money? Pretty much... nothing. From the letter:

According to state and federal law, the Town of Fishers is required to implement the following six minimum control measures in order to protect local water bodies:

1. Public Participation and Involvement
2. Public Education and Outreach
3. Illicit (Illegal) Discharge Detection and Elimination
4. Pollution Prevention/Good Housekeeping
5. Construction Site Runoff Control, and
6. Post-Construction Runoff Control

Allow me to translate:

1. A tent at the Fishers Freedom Fest
2. A pamphlet for the tent at the Fishers Freedom Fest
3. A Rat-Out-Your-Neightbor program and cleanup crew
4. Back to the tent at the Freedom Fest
5. Permits and inspections on construction sites
6. More inspections on the same sites

Here's some more circular mumbo-jumbo from the letter:

What services will I receive as a result of the stormwater utility?
Fees collected through the Stormwater Utility Fee will be utilized to add additional staff and resources necessary to implement and comply with newly mandated stormwater pollution prevention programs. These additional resources will be utilited to help reduce the amount of polluted runoff associated with construction sites through increased plan review and site inspections procedures. Staff will also be charged with reducing the amount in stormwater pollution associated with illegal connections and discharges to the storm sewer by conducting screening of stormwater outfalls and conveyances. Finally, newly generated revenues will also be utilized to implement stormwater planning and implementation projects to improved localized drainage problems throughout the Town.

That's a lot of verbose BS to cut through. Again, I'll translate:

For my money as a residential fee payer, I'll build the local bureaucracy. I'll help hire a plan reviewer and an inspector or two. I'll subsidize the inspection of construction sites- why those building can't shoulder the burden is unknown. If somebody has a septic system mistakenly discharging into the drain, the inspectors will find it and have the property owner make a proper connection. If there's a drainage problem in Fall Creek Township, all of my Delaware Township neighbors and I can help pay for it, Vive Che!

So, why do I have to pay? Beats me. I mean, if I dumped motor oil or paint into the County Regulated Drain in my backyard, I could understand being held responsible for the clean-up. But it's a County Drain, so I would understand paying the County. By the way, I already pay an assessment for that Drain.

So, why this? The street was built without underdrains, so the water isn't being collected at the curb- until it runs all the way down the street to the catch basin. From there, it runs inside a 48" pipe that is underground at my property line, and discharges into- that's right- the County Regulated Drain.

I don't have loose soil. I don't have erosion. I don't do Chem-Lawn. I do not have a construction site. I am not a farmer. I do not dump chemicals or anything else. But now I have this bill.

It's clear that the lion's share of the bill will go to support the new bureaucracy. The letter was signed by a Stormwater Engineer with two fancy sets of initials- PE and LPG, so we at least have to pay for him... and a secretary... and a couple of inspectors... and an office, with office furniture and computers, and vehicles... and we'll have to provide benefits and insurance... and ...

GODDAMN! Is the water any fucking cleaner yet?

I've been to the Third World lately. America is really clean compared to Ecuador, where pollution is rampant. Can we give ourselves a bit of a break on the guilt trips at least long enough to stop growing more pointless government?

This fading republic is being heaped upon with more and more swindles and bamboozles. A few people get feel-goods about it, but the rest of us just get ripped off. Construction sites and farms are far and away the two biggest sources of water pollution in Hamilton County, so who gets the bill? The residential homeowner. What a steaming pile!

It would have been nice if some one elected official, anyone, had the balls and integrity to have told the feds and the state to stick it up the yin-yang on this farce.

Sweep It Clean!

It was 1989 that I first went to New York City, all of 21 years old. I figured myself pretty street savvy, since I new my way around Cleveland and got myself out of a 4-on-1 (me being the one) knife stick-up in Detroit earlier that year. And yet, I found myself perfectly unsettled in Manhattan. Why? Panhandlers- the most aggressive I had ever seen.

I learned a trick. I bought a pack of cigarettes. They cost $1 back then, making them a nickel each. If cornered by a particularly aggressive and/or smelly urban outdoorsman, I would offer two cigs. They would always be accepted eagerly, even though a dime would have gotten an angry retort.

I went back once more in 1990, but decided that I just didn't like being accosted all the time. For a while, a trip to the Big City meant Toronto, which was cleaner besides.

A funny thing happened a few years ago. Toronto and NYC traded places. I took Alex to Toronto 6-7 years ago, and it was awful. The panhandlers were overwhelmingly young- lying in the sidewalks, human pin-cushions. Not to sort of thing I wanted Alex to have to deal with as a 9-year-old. New York, on the other hand, was glorious. Even in Central Park, we were left to ourselves to enjoy the greenery.

I've never been back to Toronto. I've been to New York more than 20 times since 1998. Do the tourist math.

Move forward to the present, and here in Central Indiana. I live in Fishers, and for work, I probably visit downtown Indianapolis once a week. Invariably, I am hit up by a panhandler.

Now I know that some homeless, many even, suffer mental illnesses. I pity that, but by no means does it give me cause to enjoy the interference. I have a job to do. You want money? Go get a job. At least get out of my way.

So, I am positively delighted to learn that Indy's new Mayor has clearing the streets as a top agenda item. This is excellent news for downtown! From the Indy Star report:

John Cochran, Ballard's special counsel, said the Mayor's Action Center receives complaints and the mayor's staff hears about panhandling regularly.

"People who live Downtown are tired of it," Cochran said. "We want to reduce it to a palatable level."

To do that, Ballard wants to bring a "tough love" approach to the issue.

He said people shouldn't feel constantly harassed to give money.

"The immediate goal is to get them out of Downtown so that citizens and visitors don't have to look at it," Ballard said last week.

I've never minded the buskers. Play your music out of the footpath, and it's lovely. The Star referenced Tom Goins. I see him on the NE quadrant of the Circle all the time. I don't mind him. He's pleasant. He's clean. He passively does what he does. The aggressive unsightly begging has to go.

I don't know what Rudy Giuliani did as mayor to clean up New York, but it worked. I like going there again. In fact, I like going there far more than I like going downtown. That's quite a statement, because travel to NYC entails a trip through TSA's security hell.

There are some who will find this policy insensitive. Fine. Here are your choices: Be a magnet for tourism and commerce, or, be a magnet for panhandlers.

Which will it be?

Bias Irritation

I accept that there are inherent biases in the media. I just object when they are rubbed into the nose.

For instance, check out this article from the Washington Post, on Obama the Boy Wonder of Internet Fundraising:

Obama's unprecedented online fundraising success is often depicted as a spontaneous reaction to a charismatic candidate, particularly by young, Internet-savvy supporters.

Wow, when Ron Paul was doing exactly the same thing, last year, all was dismissed as a fluke or ridiculed. Change it to read something like this: "Paul's surprising online fundraising success is often depicted as a reaction to a co-conspirator, particularly by young internet-savvy idiot savants who live in their parents' basements." Same phenomenon, praise for one guy, derision for the other. Yay, journalistic integrity.

But there's more. Check this out:

Ads for Obama pop up on political Web sites, such as the left-leaning blog Daily Kos, and on more general ones, such as those of newspapers.

snip

Obama has targeted unlikely sites, such as the conservative Washington Times, where an ad for the candidate appeared yesterday on the same page as a story about an economic speech he gave that morning.

So, the Kos is "left-leaning"? Are you kidding me? Of course the Washington Times is conservative, so if honesty is possible there, why the hedge on Kos?

I expect this, and know it's always there. Normally it's left under the surface and it irritates me far less. I suppose I should be grateful that the junior copy editor is in charge now and then and fails to cover up the obvious tells.

Zoning And God

(Fishers, IN)- I grew up in Parma, Ohio- a town largely built in the post-WW2 boom, when GIs returned home and so many took the opportunity the flee the old cities and get into a new, safer, cleaner suburban community. Parma once held the claim to fame as the world's largest suburb.

There were many churches in my neighborhood, but besides the one I attended, the one that sticks out in my mind was St. Josaphat's Ukranian Church.

It's now known as the Ukranian Catholic Eparchy of Saint Josaphat. Essentially, it is a cathedral, with a Pope-appointed Bishop seated there.

St. Josaphat's Cathedral, Parma OH.

Needless to say, it's a crown jewel of the now-aging neighborhood- a thing of beauty that holds tremendous value (aesthetically, spirtually, monetarily) even as the surrounding area deteriorates a bit. It's bedrock for the community.

So it's interesting to me that my new hometown of Fishers is having a zoning debate over the height of a church. From an Indy Star report:

St. George Orthodox Church is moving from its longtime home on North Sherman Street in Indianapolis to 116th Street and Cumberland Road. The church plans to build a sanctuary more than five stories high but needs the town to make an exception to its zoning code to do so.

More than 20 homeowners who live near the church have told the town they oppose St. George's building plan. They say the size would dwarf the single-family homes in the area and disrupt the residential character of the neighborhood.

This is short-sighted on the part of the homeowners, at least if they plan on living in the community for more than three years. Back in Parma, St. Josaphat's dwarfs everything around it- until you go two blocks south and encounter my old church- St. Francis de Sales. Catch the thing I said about the bedrock of the community? Fishers is largely brand new today, just as Parma was in 1948. Fishers will deteriorate, just as surely as Parma has. Churches that are well-supported, however, are well maintained, and later serve to hold the rest of the community up as the deterioration begins around it. Why wouldn't you want that? More from the Star:

(Bob) Kehlor sees more than aesthetics involved in opposition -- it's a matter of principle.

"I asked for small variance for my property to build a driveway, and the town wouldn't let me do it,' he said. "That was nothing compared to what they want to do. The town should stick to its code, otherwise why even have it."

I can understand his very legitimate gripe. Why should one property owner be restricted while another can have the rules bent? Mr. Kehlor supplies the answer- get rid of the zoning.

As long as there is zoning, there will also be zoning appeals, and therefore variances. And, so long as variances are granted to some and not to others, the accusations of favoritism and unfair dealings will be there and will be legitimized. Zoning does unfairly punish individual property owners, who lack the kind of numbers a church can present- in terms of members-as-lobbyists, and cash for variance fees. Zoning's intent is to protect one property owner from the destructive actions of another. I doubt Kehlor's driveway would have been injurious to his neighbor. I can assure anyone that having a more grand church isn't going to injure anyone either. Quite the contrary. The problem is an overreaching government, that is well-exposed by this example.

If the Church owns the land, the Town shouldn't be able to play Land God over it, any more than it should have over Mr. Kehlor.

The old argument against zoning-free communities is that, "a hog farm could spring up next to you". In case you hadn't noticed, the hog farms in Fishers are long gone. They sold out to developers, because the land was far less valuable as a hog farm. That argument is bunk.

At the end of the day, I think that if this was a building that added assessed value to the Town, there would be no discussion. The variance would be granted- post haste. But, it will add a very different set of values to the Town, but also including property values for the neighborhood that surrounds it. Approve the darned thing!

Oh, So Indiana Matters?

(Fishers, IN)- Some are getting all excited about the Democratic primary, because with it being a close contest, Indiana now matters enough to have Obama and Clinton campaign here.

Call me cynical, but I'm not impressed that the horse race situation makes our state at long last worthy of visitation, begging, and bombardment with campaign ads. Great that you're here now, but who could doubt that you wouldn't be here if it were wrapped up.

My personal taste came on Saturday, when a telemarketer called. Her question: Who will I vote for in the Democratic primary?

Well, now that's one hell of a leading question. I took on a woe-is-me voice and said, "My good lady, I wouldn't vote for either of them if my other option was a sharp stick in the eye".

She took that fairly well, and then asked if I would be voting in the primaries. I said that I would. That was the end of the call, and I'm sure she assumed I would vote Republican. No, I go to the voting place, sign the book, and then walk out. Until they have a place for None Of The Above, or make primaries something other than a public function on behalf of the private organizations the Republican and Democratic Parties are, then that's my only real 'choice' when voting in primaries.

On another note, I thought political push-poll calls were illegal. Moreover, I'm on the No-Call List. I thought it was illegal for pollsters to call those on the list. Do the rules not apply now?

Corporate Taxes In America - Too Low?

I frequently hear my friends on the left complaining that corporations are not taxed fairly, which means, not highly enough. The reasoning is that business can afford higher taxes, while individuals struggle.

Let's put that second thought on the shelf for a moment, and look at whether or not corporate taxes in the USA are high or low.

According to The Tax Foundation, the US corporate tax rate is 35%. That's highest in the world, with France right behind at 34.43% and Belgium at 33.99%. Ireland is lowest, at 12.5%.

But those are just federal taxes. Let's not forget that our states add their own corporate taxes. After the state corporate taxes are added, corporations in 24 states by higher taxes than anywhere else in the world. Indiana is among these 24. Only 3 states add zero corporate tax: Nevada, South Dakota, and Wyoming. Wonder no longer why so many corporations are registered in those states. Here's a link to the rankings.

My wife has been urging me to incorporate my business. I have been hesitant. Can you blame me?

Can business afford the taxes? No, but then, they really don't pay them. Individuals do, in the marked-up price that covers these (and so many other) taxes.

Even still, can they afford it? It means that products made in Ireland can be shipped here and still be vastly cheaper than products made here. Ever wonder why we have a trade imbalance? Hmm. Maybe this has something to do with it. Coincidentally, Ireland has been one of the world's economic growth leaders. Hmm. Maybe, just maybe, this has something to do with it.

What is more important? Our ability to compete in the global marketplace? Or, to fund more government? From the Tax Foundation:

24 states have a combined corporate tax rate higher than top-ranked Japan.
32 states have a combined corporate tax rate higher than third-ranked Germany.
46 states have a combined corporate tax rate higher than fourth-ranked Canada.
All 50 states have a combined corporate tax rate higher than fifth-ranked France.

"If federal lawmakers are serious about making the U.S. corporate tax system more competitive globally, they will have to partner with state officials to lower the nation's overall corporate tax burden," Hodge added. "Likewise, state officials should have a vested interest in cutting the federal corporate tax rate because there is only so much they can do to improve their own competitiveness. After all, even corporations in the three states that do not impose a major state-level corporate tax—Nevada, South Dakota, and Wyoming—still shoulder a higher corporate tax rate than France, and 25 other major countries, because of the 35 percent federal corporate rate."

I'd say the corporate tax rate is ridiculously too high. The left may enjoy targeting big, bad corporations as some kind of evil, but funnelling tax money to government is something they actually do with aplomb- to the detriment of us all.

Three Lousy Choices

If the only three choices the average American is going to consider are McCain, Clinton, and Obama, then I'm positively uninspired, and darned near frightened. All three will do greater damage to our country, in my opinion, and there is no 'lesser of the evils' here.

Thanks to Gregg Puls for forwarding this image this morning. Pretty well sums it up.

Wanted - An Adult For President

I was reading some of the Washington Post opinion stuff today, and happened upon a Eugene Robinson column that started like this:

The Democratic presidential candidates squabble over real or imagined racial sensitivities, the Republican presidential candidate stages photo opportunities with the troops in Iraq, and meanwhile the financial system is coming apart at the seams.

Would someone please tell Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and John McCain that here in the real world, we have what looks like a real problem. It would be nice if they'd pay attention and maybe, you know, come up with some ideas for getting out of this mess.

Funny enough, there is a candidate for President who has been talking about the financial crisis and the need for a return to sound money for about 30 years. Oh, that's right. I don't know what I was thinking. Ron Paul must not be a candidate for President. Columnist Eugene Robinson used the singular when describing the Republican offerings.

Problem is, when you have candidates who talk about fluff, and when you have voters who demand freebies, you get people like McCain, Clinton, and Obama at the fore. The LAST thing you're going to get from them is serious talk about finances. That's kook stuff, the kind of thing that gets the 'tinfoil hat insults' going.

Maybe Robinson is part of the problem. He, like so many others who have already given coronation to John McCain, treats Ron Paul like he doesn't exist. So, don't be surprised when Ron Paul type solutions aren't part of the discourse. And yet, Robinson continues:

A good start would be to acknowledge that putting the economy back on a sound footing is likely to be the new president's first task -- and then to begin laying out some ideas for how that might be done. A little honesty would be preferable, too -- an admission that no president will be able to turn around the economy overnight.

I realize that's heresy. Presidential candidates like to tell us about all the largesse they're going to provide. They like to invite voters to envision the sunshine of happy days, not the gloom of an economic slump. But real leadership involves dealing with the economy as it is, rather than as we would like it to be.

If you really wanted it, you could have written an article that read, "Ron Paul may be a longshot, but he's got exactly the right plan for returning the American financial system to sound money," or, "Ron Paul might not promise you the moon, sky, and socialized medicine, but he would get the country back on economic track".

But no. Exclude a good candidate with great ideas because you find their candidacies 'unwinnable', and you exclude the ideas. Thanks for nothing. I'm already reminded of the South Park episode, that lampooned the election choices of George Bush and John Kerry, ridiculing as the choice between a 'giant douch and a turd sandwich'.

OK- If I can't have Ron Paul, I'm ready for the Libertarian Party candidate now.

Blog Update

(Quito, Ecuador)- Week 2 in Quito: The lessons in Espanol are progressing, and Isabel has even said a few things in Spanish. The Blog of The Trip has been updated with some pictures and text from our first two days. Internet speeds here are sloooooow.

Other brief observations:

I see that Sean Shepard has been excluded from an upcoming WTHR debate for candidates in Indiana's 7th Congressional District. This is personally disappointing. As the 2006 Libertarian candidate for Secretary of State, my top secondary objective (winning was the top objective, of course) was to secure continued ballot access for Libertarian candidates. I achieved this, and Sean Shepard will be on the ballot. 

So, to have him not on the televised debate is frustrating for me, and a rip-off of for the people. While I respect WTHR's right to air what they want to air, it sure isn't anything like a political forum. It's a political statement- an endorsement of the two other candidates and the negation of Shepard. I think that's wrong, especially if WTHR wishes to call the event 'news' or 'journalism'.

Ecuador is a place where there are many fans of Che Guevara. So, the decision by Fidel Castro to resign is going to be big news. For me, I hope it represents the end of the oppressive Communist dictatorship, and the beginning of a new freedom for Cubans. We'll see.

Learning Espanol

(Quito, Ecuador)- Ame, Isabel, and I are now in Quito for the next two weeks, for the first half of a Spanish immersion course. We are staying with a host family on the north of the "New Town" of Quito. It's kind of suburban, as suburbs go in South America.

After the stay in Quito, we'll spend two weeks on the Galapagos Islands, for continued immersion and of course, a look at the wildlife that made Darwin.

I will be launching a blog just for observations and pictures from Ecuador. Yes, Michael, I will be taking pictures of the food for you!

Look for a link to the new blog soon!

Update: Here's the link: http://koleecuador.blogspot.com

Road Trip, Triple Redux

(Three Rivers, MI)- I haven't enjoyed my lunch so much in ages!

Recall that back in September, I took one of my ambitious road trips with my friend Steve, winding around Lake Superior generally, though Michigan, Ontario, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, and back to Indiana.

On the way through Michigan, I was very insistent upon wanting to return to a trackside restaurant in a small southern Michigan town. The reason was that in June 1997, I took on one of my all-time favorite road jobs: mapping a fiber optic path for Level 3, from Detroit to Chicago. This trackside restaurant was discovered happily by accident, walking, yes, at trackside. It was loaded with railroad decor, complete with an attached converted caboose, and had good, cheap food. This is also how I discovered the Bell's Brewery. More on that with another post.

I thought this place was located in Niles, but discovered upon arrival there that my memory had failed me.

Last week, I was with Alex in Tucson, at the Pima Air & Space Museum. One of the volunteers asked me where I was from, and I told him. For some reason, he felt compelled to tell me that he is from Michigan. I took the bait and asked where in Michigan. He turned it around and told me that I wouldn't know. "Try me." His reply- Sturgis. I knew exactly where it was. I rattled off the names of towns nearby: White Pigeon, Three Rivers, Portage, Kalamazoo. He was stunned. 

Then it dawned on me. "What is the name of that restaurant with the caboose by the tracks?"

He laughed. "That's Frankie's by the Tracks! I ate there just two weeks ago!"

I had the same thing I ate there 10 years ago: a wet burrito and an ice tea. I really enjoyed the decor, even if they did update all the locomotive photos to black Norfolk Southern units. No reason to get rid of the old Conrail "Big Blue". Oh well. They even have stained glass windows in a railroad motif. My kind of place!

After lunch, I went to the tracks to see if there was any evidence of the old project. Sure enough, there were orange marker signs, about every 500 feet or so.

Very satisfying. I love seeing my projects built. Too bad I couldn't have remembered back in September and taken Steve. He would have gotten a charge out of it all. 

Another Super Bore?

(Kalamazoo, MI)- OK, so I was completely wrong about the Super Bowl. It was a great game- a close game where another good guy, Eli Manning, stepped up with his team and took the big prize.

Is it too much to hope for to see a parallel in tonight's Super Tuesday results? I'm still pulling for Ron Paul, the only Republican or Democrat even remotely interested in broadly getting government out of our lives, but it seems like he's the New york Giants going in against heavily favored front-runners like John McCain and Mitt Romney even.

I'll have the TV on in the same way as I did for the Super Bowl- as background while I work. Hopefully, in the same way, I will gradually be intrigued, then excited, then delighted.

A guy can hope that America wants freedom, right?

Super Bore

I wish I had an interest in watching tonight's Super Bowl contest. Last year's was a lot of fun, mainly because a team I rooted for throughout the season, the Colts, made the big game for the first time in my life.

Maybe I'm spoiled now. I'm just not interested in the game. I don't care about the NY Giants, and I really don't care about the Patriots. I know a lot of fans here in Indiana are going to be pulling against the Patriots. Sorry- I don't enjoy rooting against teams. It's just not my nature to be down on success, much less perfection, nor to take delight in failure.

OK, I enjoy watching Michigan's football program lose- one game a year. Michigan can go 10-1, as long as that loss is to Ohio State.

But I'm afraid that this game is going to be like so many other Super Bowl bores- a blowout that's over well before halftime. A game between two teams I can't root for at least has to be a good game in order to hold my interest. Alas- the odds aren't good here.

I'll have the game on like folks have the radio going. It will be background noise as I work on job files and pack for the road... until a commercial comes on. I want to see the commercials!

Scary School

(Sierra Vista, AZ)- While I've been sad to have Alex living away from me again, I had been happy with how he landed in Arizona. He really likes the area- the weather, the landscape, the laid-back nature of the kids, and the school. He's been getting good grades and making friends.

But then he laid this bomb on me. A fellow student was stabbed at school. It was a predictable outcome because there was talk it would happen before it happened. It was gang related. From a Sierra Vista Herald article:

A federal hold has been placed on the teenager charged with stabbing a fellow Buena High School student Tuesday morning.

U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Jesus Rodriguez said Wednesday afternoon that the detainer was filed at the Cochise County Jail for Kevin R. Suarez, 18, because the Border Patrol was unable to verify that Suarez was in the United States legally.

Interestingly, the newspaper states that the incident was not gang-related. I always figure the kids know the lay of the land better than the school administration. I know we always did when I was in school. He anticipated more, retaliatory violence, so my visit was a double reason to skip school Friday and visit the Pima Air & Space Museum up in Tucson.

So, I'm glad Alex is on the move once again, going to the Cleveland area. Mainly, he has a lot of family in Cleveland. But getting away from this nonsense makes the move all the better.

As we talked about the incidents, I asked him if illegal immigration was a problem. He said the problem he saw was with students either struggling or refusing to learn English. In either case they slow the class down such that it often becomes tedious for kids to wait for the language to be bridged before instruction can resume. Also, the self-segregating that kids do, aka gangs, is very much along national lines.

I don't see any of that as healthy, but what can you do with a public school system? It has to take all of the kids- until they stab someone- so long as they are citizens.

And this begs the question- why are non-citizens educated in American schools?

Understand that I do not support the rationale of public schooling to begin with. I believe that if you bring a child into the world, you should pay for the child's education. If you don't have kids, you shouldn't be subsidizing someone else and their kids.

There is an awful silence on the part of those who do accept the public school rationale. OK, if it is the role of a community to take on the citizens of the community and support them as their own, but what right is that benefit conveyed to non-citizens?

I've seen the strife this kind of easy, free welfare benefit creates. When in Denmark, I found the Danes suffering a great struggle as immigrants converged to suck up all manner of welfare benefits- without contributing, in the manner the old Danish work ethic demands. It's not merely a strain on the ability of the people to peacefully coexist. It's a strain on the economy besides. In sum, a terrible negative.

I'm a great proponent of legal immigration. I do not want walls at our borders. If those who choose to come here are made to fend for themselves, they either will fend for themselves, or they will go back home. If we give away the store, we will draw those who might not have been otherwise coming- just as the Danes have found. Because we are giving away the store, it's hard to support an open border policy. It's disgusting, but our own welfare state mentality makes nativism a common sense approach.

I don't think any of the presidential candidates have even begun to get to the root of the problem. I've heard some talk about a wall. That doesn't eliminate the draws, like free education. This is the root problem.

At the very least, we need to eliminate public education for non-citizens. We would do even better if we could eliminate public education altogether, and create a social climate of self-responsibility. I'm willing to work incrementally, though, and it should be an easy sell. How can anyone really support the education of non-citizens, at the expense of citizens in terms of cost, and in terms of efficiency of instructing citizen students?

Leaving things as they are, the best rational decision a parent can make is to pull their kids from a school. I'm glad Alex won't be returning to the ironically named Buena High School.

Big Fun With Alex

(Sierra Vista, AZ)- As dumb luck would have it, I missed a turn exiting Tucson's airport en route to I-10, and in so doing, I discovered a tremendous airplane boneyard.

This was no ordinary collection of mothballed planes. These were mostly military planes- fighters and transports, mostly American but also Soviet MIGs. I had discovered the Pima Air and Space Museum. Alex was going to love this!

Image from Pima Air & Space Museum webpage.

Alex is currently entertaining the idea of becoming a pilot. As we entered the grounds Friday afternoon, two gray planes roared above, having just taken off from the nearby Davis-Monthan Air Force Base. He immediately identified them as A-10 "warthogs", and described their purpose in combat. He looked down at the map of the grounds and didn't know where he wanted to go first.

This is a father's joy.

Alex repeatedly said, "I could spend all day here," meaning, in this cockpit.

Dad recreates Richard Nixon, in front of a retired Air Force One.

We spent about four hours here. I can't remember the last time I saw him smile so much.

What's Wrong With Government

(Sierra Vista, AZ)- Ok, this is the excerpted Reader's Digest version...

One of the things I find most wanting today is the absence of consistent thought, and the development of solid ideas into public policy. One of my favorite quotes is of John Adams:

"A government of laws, not of men."

This means, not a government of personalities, of popularity, or any other whimsical nonsense. Personality and popularity is fleeting and ever-changing. Solid law based on solid principles gives the opportunity for clear understanding and thus clear footing.

Reading recent posts by Hoosier Pundit and Doug Masson on the crafting of property tax legislation brought this all to mind, as it focused on the importance of three figures: Governor Mitch Daniels, Republican State Senator Luke Kenley, and Democratic House Leader Pat Bauer.

It's ironic. They're drafting law. But it is illustrated here that we are a government of men first, with laws resulting secondly.

I could stand it if there was great clarity where either of these three men stood on the issue. Kenley in particular is a "stick your finger in the air and see which way the wind blows" kind of man. For certain, none of these is a statesman. Oh, for a statesman or two!

I'd much rather see solid competing IDEAS, rather than these three egos, and the kind of horsetrading they will marshall. Let's talk about abolishing the property tax. Let's have a discourse about the things the property taxes fund. 

The dialogue should be much more than, "what can we do to look it make like we've created tax relief all while maintaining the funding status quo." That's what it has all come down to, and it is because we are a nation of men, not of laws.

Happy Birthday Alex!

(Sierra Vista, AZ)- 16 years ago today, my son Alex was born. I'm visiting with him for an extended weekend to celebrate.

We took a short hike at the Kartchner Caverns State Park. The Whetstone Mountains loom in the background beyond the nearby Mesquite trees and cacti.

Alex, the two-fisted meat eater. The birthday was celebrated with a dinner at the El Paso Bar-B-Que in Sierra Vista. He was in his glory, with a trio of smoked meats: chicken, brisket, and pulled pork.

We're planning to check out Tombstone (site of the Gunfight at the OK Corral) and Bisbee (an old mining town), and will probably cross the border at Agua Prieta, Sonora for a look around.

Another One Gone

Frankly, I thought it would be Rudy Giuliani out of the running on the Republican next, but alas, Fred Thompson called it quits today. From CNN's report:

Thompson played to the voters as a staunch conservative and a son of the South. While he did draw some evangelical voters from one-time Baptist preacher and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, it wasn't enough to pull him into contention for the nomination.

He finished with 16 percent of the vote. Sen. John McCain won Saturday's contest with 33 percent, followed by Huckabee with 30 percent.

"He's really been good lately, but it's too late," CNN analyst Bill Bennett said of Thompson after South Carolina returns started to come in. "If you're a Southern conservative and you can't make it in South Carolina, it's over."

Also, if you aren't running on anything distinct, like say a consistent set of ideas, and you aren't near the top, it's over. So far, Romney and McCain are getting away with a lack of the former.

So, now that the Republican field is down to five, what are the odds that the last place candidate (Giuliani) continues to get as much press as the front-runners? And the odds that the 4th place candidate continues to be consciously ignored? About the same.

Rare, Honest- Refreshing

I was bowled over by a CNN article, on it's own news story.

It's very rare that I'm going to be interested in that kind of story. News that talks about itself? That's usually self-absorption on the order of an American Idol contestant, and thus, not at all interesting. But since it may signal that finally, FINALLY, on the day after the holiday to celebrate the memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., finally CNN and other mainstream media may begin to be getting the greatest essence of King's great speech:

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

You see, CNN and all the other major media tend to denote Barack Obama as the 'black candidate', and Hilary Clinton as the 'female candidate', at least implicitly. A recent CNN article promoted this 'vision' as the main way for black female voters to look at the Democratic primary in South Carolina, with race and gender the only factor; issues a non-factor, John Edwards a non-factor... nevermind for Dennis Kucinich. Choose: a female president, or a black president.

For these women, a unique, and most unexpected dilemma, presents itself: Should they vote their race, or should they vote their gender?

In the context of Dr. King's words, or any other intelligent context, it's appalling. But, it's refreshing that CNN viewers and website readers rebelled. It's just as refreshing that CNN had the courage to create an article out of the acknowledgment of their stupidity. That's the sort of accountability in media I would like to see more regularly, so kudos to CNN.

The email response is just marvelous. Here's just one message:

An e-mailer named Tiffany responded sarcastically: "Duh, I'm a black woman and here I am at the voting booth. Duh, since I'm illiterate I'll pull down the lever for someone. Hm... Well, he black so I may vote for him... oh wait she a woman I may vote for her... What Ise gon' do? Oh lordy!"

Tiffany urged CNN to "pull this racist crap off" the Web site and to stop calling Hillary the "top female candidate."

"Stop calling Barack the "Black" candidate," she wrote.

The entire articles are worth reading. And if you didn't yesterday, read the entire text of Dr. King's great speech. Then remember: 'content of character', and think about the policy they would promote.

Ron Paul Finishes 2nd in Nevada

I was happy to see RP's high finish in Nevada. Sure, it isn't a win, but if you don't win, you can do worse than second- just ask Rudy Giuliani. The newsletters were a real downer, but even with that baggage, Ron Paul is really the only candidate talking about liberty, so I have to hold out hope for him- at least until the Libertarian convention in May.

McCain won the South Carolina Republican primary, with Paul coming in 4th there. Interesting quote from CNN's political analyst, Bill Schneider:

"Essentially, McCain did it on a personal vote. It wasn't ideology; it wasn't issues. It was a vote for him personally, which has always been his strongest appeal," Schneider said.

Gosh, that gives me a warm fuzzy. If the last two presidents taught us anything, it's that ideology and issues matter. Give me the flattest, dullest personality possible with the right ideology, and the country will go far.

Changing The Rules, Midgame

I was pleased to see that a bill is advancing that could prevent my home town of Fishers from preventing the forced annexation of some Geist neighborhoods.

For a refresher, the Geist neighborhoods are among the state's most well-to-do. The Town has been aggressive about adding assessed value via annexation. A majority of Geist residents are opposed to the annexation.

The Indy Star's report is short, but has some pretty interesting bits:

A senate panel voted Wednesday to advance a bill that could stop the Town of Fishers from annexing Geist.

The legislation, proposed by Sen. Jeff Drozda R-Westfield, would prohibit municipalities from annexing homeowners against their wishes. The Senate Committee on Local Government and Elections voted 6-4 along party lines in favor of the bill during a packed hearing at the Statehouse.

I'm surprised this went along party lines. Certainly enough Republicans- like the all-Republican Fishers Town Council, the all-Republican Carmel City Council, and Republican Carmel Mayor Jim Brainard- initiate forced annexation. Hamilton County Democrats lined up to oppose forced annexation in response. And yet, Senate Democrats opposed advancing the law. Why?

Sen. Timothy Lanane D-Anderson objected to the provision, saying it was "changing the rules in the middle of the game."

Unless Senator Lanane is unaware of the effect any legislation has, all new laws change the rules in the middle of the game. Perhaps the Senator from Anderson is making his statement that he will never again vote for any legislation. Strange argument.

Indeed, the Town of Fishers attempted to change the rules midgame on the Geist residents, who bought their properties knowing full well that they were buying unincorporated township residences. Forced annexations are a prime example of what Lanane says he opposes.

That's some weak logic.

In Shape? Yeah, Right!

It doesn't matter how much stretching, weight training, or other exercise one might do- it still doesn't prepare you for competitive skating and hockey.

So, after a three-year break, I played my first game at the Fishers Forum Sunday night. My legs are really sore and tight, although Ame reports that my skating is better than ever. There's no real good reason for that, but I'm glad of it.

The hallmark of "old fart league" hockey- players gliding while sucking wind, wearing jumbled uniforms. Time to replace the red & black gloves and socks.

As for the game, we lost 7-2. My stats are pretty lame: no goals, no assists, and a -3 rating. The whole game was mainly played in our defensive zone. Maybe we just faced the aces of the league. Hope so!

One nice feature of the league is that the players can wear any jersey they wish, so long as the "home" team wears white, and the "road" team wears dark jerseys. We may not look good in terms of our play, but a lot of us have spiffy gear to wear. I wore an AHL Worcester Sharks home jersey for this game. I have many more choice for our "road" games.

Anyhow, the fashion isn't my big focus. Getting in shape is, so I'll be doing even more stretching and working out during the week in an effort to get into game conditioning. Then the points will come!

More Unsolicited Advice For Ron Paul

Keep apologizing. Please- do everything you can to renounce the racist and homophobic views put forward on your old (circa 1992) newsletters.

The attacks on you have been numerous. They probably hurt you in New Hampshire. If you don't make strong statements, they are going to continue to hurt you within the offended groups.

I am glad you made this statement, which was published by CNN:

"Libertarians are incapable of being a racist, because racism is a collectivist idea."

That's important to me, because nationally visible libertarians are few. When Ron Paul, most-visible libertarian is seen as a racist or homophobe, then libertarianism is liable to be seen as racist or homophobic.

So, keep distancing yourself from these writings. You would do even better if you identified who wrote them. There is fair criticism about not identifying the writer, if not you. Check out what Alex Blaze had to say, on Bilerico.com, a top gay issues website:

But still, laziness isn't a good quality in a president. If he didn't have time to edit a newsletter with his name in huge letters across the top, or at least read it before it went out and make sure that the "Ron Paul column" was something he'd agree with, then he should have stopped publishing.

Until the writer is identified by you, those who were hurt by the comments on your newsletter are going to continue to sling arrows and mud your way. It distracts from your very worthy message of liberty, and worse- makes people equate liberty with racism or homophobia, which of course is patently wrong. It's a huge disservice to liberty and the libertarian movement, but if the primary evidence they have are these news items about the 'racist and homophobic writings of Ron Paul', then what else are they to think?

American Sound Money Problems, In Lego

This sums it up very nicely. For those not interested in watching the whole thing, shame on you... but I'll give you a spoiler, below.

"How in the world can we expect to solve the problems of inflation... with more inflation?"
-Ron Paul

Unsolicited Advice For Ron Paul

I'm glad I never had to endure a primary election as a candidate, where you battle with those within your party, splitting hairs while making the case for yourself, often with negativity coming through in the process of showing difference.

But I'm a Libertarian, and the differences between one LP candidate and another generally comes down to nuance. Not so in the Republican primary. Ron Paul is vastly different from the rest of the field, which does only separate by nuance.

I'm not just talking the war. Paul stands alone as one who would shrink the size, scope, and cost of government. Huckabee and Romney have raised taxes as governors. Thompson and McCain have voted for outrageous spending.

So, Dr. Paul, I have some unsolicited advice for you: Promote your ecomonic points first and foremost, even to the near exclusion of everything else.

Why? First off, you have to win the GOP nomination. It's just too much to ask of the Republican base, the people who are voting delegates, to go from supporting George Bush through this misguided war to taking the opposite position. If the war remains your #1 issue, you cannot win the nomination. Yes, you've been invoking Bush's campaign stances on foreign relations circa 2000, but it scarcely makes the 6+ years since 9/11/2001 vanish.

Give these folks a chance to save face. If you make the Republican base remember the fiscal conservatism of their increasingly distant past, you could well win the darned thing. None of the other Republicans sounds even remotely like a fiscal conservative, and when comparing their records to yours, most of them look like Karl Marx. You are making great points about the need for sound money. Americans who hate facts and study scoff at the gold standard and discussions of anti-inflationary monetary policy, but it's hard for anyone to deny being worried about the fact that the US dollar is weaker than the Canadian dollar.

That point alone sets you up for winning the election post-nomination. There isn't a single other candidate who has been talking about sound money, and it is becoming evident to absolutely everybody that our economy is beginning to ring the bowl. Every candidate who has voted for massive spending and borrowing- which is to say, everyone else- is guilty of causing the problem. They are guilty of making the US dollar weaker than the Euro, and weaker than the Canadian dollar.

You will not alienate your supporters by talking up fiscal policy. Indeed, that's why many of us support you, and give you these increasingly worthless greenbacks.

You have to win the nomination. Iraq is a losing issue strategically, at least right now. Go with your suprior fiscal policies.

People In Glass Houses...

While Ron Paul was being excluded by Fox News from their GOP candidate roundtable, CNN was interviewing him. Here is what was easily the most amusing comment that Wolf Blitzer referred to, with regards to Paul's chances. It was a quote from the Campaign Manager of a former presidential candidate:

"Ron Paul's only option is to buy as many flat screen TVs as he can, put 'Ron Paul' bumper stickers on them, and hand them out to voters in New Hampshire. I just don't see where he goes... He will probably be the only presidential candidate ever to have a surplus when he drops out, because he has an incredible amount of money and no campaign strategy to win."

So, this came from Bill Clinton's campaign manager? Or George W. Bush's? No, this came from Scott Reed- the manager of Bob Dole's LOSING campaign.

Ron Paul was much too nice in dealing with this goofiness, saying what he plans to do. I would have dismissed the credibility of the quote out of hand, and chatised Blitzer for pulling up something so irrelevant, from someone so without credibility. Link to the CNN video. The quote is about 6 minutes in.

Hooray, Hockey!

I've signed up to play in an 'old fart' league at my neighborhood rink. The games start this Sunday.

I'm very excited! I love hockey. I love playing the game, and besides- I really need the exercise. There's about three inches on the waist I'd like to part with, and competitive skating can really burn it off.

This league is different in that it not only has coaches, but it includes instruction. I'm looking forward to that part of the league, because I need all the practice I can get on stick-handling and puck control, and skating. Mainly, I can skate like a demon up ice, but I have trouble stopping. If I get the puck, I'm an accurate passer and shooter, but a defender who is aggressive with me will throw me off.

Biometrics Are Useful?

Civil libertarians have been tepidly questioning the great increase in funding to the various surveillance methods available to FBI and police at the various levels. It is justified as a response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks: Identify people and keep track of them, and terror can be prevented.

The Cato Daily Podcast from January 4, 2007 features Jim Harper of the Cato Institute, and a 9-minute discussion of biometrics. Cato Podcast archives. Key quote from Harper, at 7:06:

We thought somehow identity was going to protect us from future terrorists. In fact, terrorism makes use of surprise, not anonymity.

So, are we wasting a lot of money? Seems like it, if only from a practical standpoint. Add the civil libertarian angle...

The Face of the Ron Paul Opposition

I railed previously at the trendiness of the leftward opponents using derivatives of "retard" to slag off Ron Paul. At the risk of repeating, I am wholly dismayed by this use of language. The Left, which loves to enjoy the feeling of being the sensitive side of political life, does everything it can to run from the reality of it with this kind of snide put-down. I'm still waiting for someone prominent on the Left to smack some of its' own down, in the interest of at the least not looking so hypocritical, and better than that, of looking like it means it.

In the meantime, here's the face of the Ron Paul opposition, in a You Tube video going by the name "Ron Paul is also a Fucktard":

I sure hope he does a lot more of these, because if he is the opposite of Ron Paul, he stands to push a fair number of people towards Paul. Dude! Would you be so kind as to run the first 30 seconds of this clip on the Iowa TV stations today? That would be excellent.

Thank you.

New Year's Spleen Vent

I'm a fit to be tied! For the first time since May '07, there was a TV show scheduled for broadcast that I really, really wanted to see. The NHL scheduled it's second-ever outdoor regular season hockey game, in Buffalo with the Sabres hosting the Pittsburg Penguins. NBC has the coverage in the USA, and the game is being played right now as I hammer the keys.

So, why am I not watching? Because WTHR-13 in Indianapolis is showing the weepy MONTEL WILLIAMS SAP-FEST INSTEAD! My lack of God!

Further infuriating is the WTHR website, which does not allow the user to fire off the angry email. They don't like user feedback, apparently. Customer service? Never heard of it!

Arrrgh. The one time I want to watch something. Thanks for nothing, WTHR. Way to ring in the New Year.

Update: Nice work WTHR. The rest of the country's NBC affiliates enjoyed strong ratings for showing the outdoor hockey game, while you ran Montel and Dr. Phil. Say- how'd that work out for you? From an ESPN report:

More people tuned in on New Year's Day to see the NHL play outdoors than any other regular-season game in more than a decade.

The Penguins-Sabres game in snowy Buffalo -- the first regular-season outdoor NHL game in the United States -- drew a 2.6 overnight rating and a 5 share on NBC. Those were the best numbers since a six-game regional telecast on Fox drew a 3.0 overnight rating and a 7 share on Feb. 3, 1996.

...and...

The Buffalo and Pittsburgh markets led the ratings, at 38.2/58 and 17.7/30, respectively. But markets such as Sacramento, Calif., St. Louis and Denver also drew strong ratings, even though the game went up against a number of college football bowl games, including an intriguing Capital One Bowl between Florida and Michigan.

Hey, WTHR! Next time you have a unique NHL game like this, don't pass on it. You can show the Montel re-runs any time. You can have hockey fans love you long time, if you'd like.