The Good Old Days

This week's remembrances of the fall of the Berlin Wall have me nostalgic for the much simpler geo-political crises of the past. Remember how easy life was when the spread of Communism and a Soviet nuclear attack were the only things we had to worry about?

It was so easy to identify our enemies back then. They wore scary brown uniforms and big furry hats. They enjoyed parading their troops and their nuclear missles through the middle of the city every May 1st--just to remind us of the threat we faced. They put up giant walls with barbed wire on top and placed malicious-looking armed guards in towers. To keep people out they always said--but we knew it was to keep the people in. They even beat us into space.

They championed free health care for everyone--and the "redistribution of wealth". They owned the car companies and the banks--and they propped up failing producers to make it look like they were successful enterprises--all the while burdening their citizens with the price tag. They controlled how much people earned and kept printing more and more money to make people think the economy was in great shape. Wait a minute. What enemy are we talking about again? Oh yeah, the Communists.

But now, things are so much more complicated. Our enemies don't operate behind fences and walls. They are living among us--sometimes wearing our own military uniforms. And even trying to identify them is looked upon as being ignorant--or racist. They don't parade their weapons down the street--but rather hide them in secret facilities or inside vehicles and backpacks. They don't send in tanks to force their people into submission. Instead, they use the vehicle of religion to spread their hate and their fear. And unlike the enemy leaders of our past, they don't fear death and destruction--but rather they welcome it--as a perverted form of victory. And they relish the fact that we live in fear of their fight coming right to our front doors.

Almost makes you wish we could go back to those Cold War days again doesn't it? Oh well, I guess we can "blame" President Reagan for that problem as well.

My Letter of Resignation

I bet you thought you would hear an angry diatribe today--decrying the "death of capitalism and democracy here in the United States" following the cowardly late-night weekend vote by the US House on the Health Care Reform Bill. Well, I'm going to leave the doom-saying and gnashing of teeth to the much higher paid talent on this radio station later today. You see, I'm not angry or scared--I am just resigned to some very disappointing facts.

I am resigned to the fact that mine will be the first generation of Americans not to do better than our parents. No cottage up north, no Harley-Davidson or classic Corvette in the garage, no retirement home in Sun Belt. My wife and I won't have any of those things. I figured we would have to go without some of those items just because we don't believe in going into debt for things we don't need--but now I know we won't have them because we won't have the money to save up for those things anymore.

We will be two of those lucky people who will see their health care coverage costs increase as part of the new plan. We are members of that "young and healthy" demographic that private insurers actually like to cover--but who will now have to pick up the cost of the "older and sick" that companies can no longer deny coverage. We will also be part of the generation that will be picking up the cost of providing health care to not only our parents--but our grandparents as well--as modern medicine continues to find ways to keep people alive longer. Not living better lives mind you--but still alive, stressing the medical system even more.

I'm also resigned to the fact that more of whatever my wife and I make will be going to pay federal and state taxes to fund this monolithic health care program. You know that $1.2 trillion is a very conservative (oh the irony) estimate of what this program will cost. It is based on the unsustainable fact that as many people with private insurance will still have that coverage--being able to fund both the private sector and the public sector. But just like Social Security, that is a pyramid scheme that just won't sustain itself--meaning those of us outside of the public plan will continue to pay more and more to keep the whole thing afloat.

I am also resigned to the fact that the US economy will never be the same. Yes, Great Britain is still a free market--but what British companies help to drive the worldwide economy? Royal Bank of Scotland? And they would kill to have "just" 10.2% unemployment. I guess we will have to be resigned to that standard of life as well. "Living on the dole"--that is something to really shoot for in life.

Now this bill isn't law just yet--it still has to pass in the Senate. But relying on a body that includes Al Franken, Robert Byrd and Herb Kohl for sanity is probably akin to relying on the Packers offensive line to protect Aaron Rodgers for more than two plays in a row.

So that's why I am giving up...........giving up hope.

More Things That Make You Go Hmmmmm....

--Governor Doyle is refusing to sign a pledge that he will resign from office if he is ever caught driving drunk. A student group at DC Everest High School sent the pledge to all state lawmakers after the death of their classmate Lacey Meinel in a crash caused by a drunk driver here in Winnebago County back in January. It's also timely, considering Representative Jeff Wood's refusal to quit the Legislature following his third drunk driving arrest in the past year.

Now, in no way do I think the Governor is out cruising the bar scene in his State Patrol provided vehicle. But for one of the most vocal member of the "We need to change the drinking 'culture' here in Wisconsin" chorus--you would think that Doyle would be more than willing to say that he would quit if he was ever caught. At least think of the positive PR for this lame-duck administration. I'll be interested to see how many other Legislators pass on taking the pledge-especially when you consider that some already have OWI's on their records.

--President Obama challenges parents to take a more active role in making sure their kids do well in school. The President says "Teachers can't do it alone". So, when are we going to get the same demand for personal accountability when it comes to health care? Why didn't the President mention that parents shouldn't let their kids eat junk food while sitting in front of the TV all day? Why doesn't the health care debate ever focus on the many things all of us could do to avoid having to use the system? I don't see many of my neighbors hitting the pavement to put a few miles on the running shoes or the bike every day. "Doctors can't do it alone" should be our new health care mantra. The same for "The Government can't do it alone" as well.

--Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling pays nearly 3-million dollars to settle a federal discrimination lawsuit. Sterling was sued after refusing to rent apartments to Blacks, Hispanics and families with children. I'm just wondering where the outrage is over this? Remember everyone coming out of the woodwork to slam Rush Limbaugh when he wanted to buy the St. Louis Rams last month? And all he did was say that Donovan McNabb is overrated. Sterling is engaging in actual discrimination--and has been accused of racism within the office envirionment of the team as well.

So where are Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton demanding that Sterling sell the team? Why isn't NBA Commissioner David Stern holding a press conference to say how he doesn't want this kind of controversy to hang over the league? Where are the players telling the media that they would never go to the Clippers as long as Sterling owns the team? Perhaps the players are exacting their revenge on Sterling by taking his millions of dollars--while managing to miss the playoffs every year.

A Dangerous Precedent

This week, Cleveland Browns owner Randy Lerner met with two fans to talk about the struggling franchise. The two hour meeting reportedly covered the season-ticket holders' concerns about the 1-7 start for the Browns, the firing of the team's new General Manager, and the threat of a fan boycott of the stadium.

I'm guessing that every other NFL owner is cringing at the thought of this meeting even taking place. Now every fan of every team is going to want their face time with ownership to give them their "two cents" about every facet of the franchise.

Just imagine if Packers President Mark Murphy did the same thing that Randy Lerner did. Browns "superfan" "Dawg Pound Mike"--who attends games wearing a dog mask--was the one brought in to meet with the Cleveland owner. Does that mean Murphy would have to meet with "Saint Vince"--the guy who dresses up like the Pope? Or would the "Packalope"--the guy with the antlered helmet--get to be in on the meeting? Or should Oshkosh's own "Gang Green" don the face paint and the wig to share his "expertise"? I'm guessing the guys that set up "Bring Back Brett dot com" might have plenty to say after last Sunday.

I grew up in a household of "Packers Experts". Maybe my mother should be the "voice of the fan"--giving her advice on dumping the zone blocking scheme employed by the Packers offensive line. Or perhaps my dad should share his thoughts on how the team just doesn't have the talent at defensive line, linebacker or safety to run a 3-4 defense. My buddy Will is the next Mel Kiper, Jr--maybe he should be in the "War Room" with Ted Thompson during the draft next April.

Yes, sports is really about the fans--not the overpaid athletes on the field--but let's keep everybody in their proper places. Owners invest (and make) the money, fans provide the revenue and the support, caoches call the plays, players make the plays. Let's leave the player and coaching decisions to the expert General Managers--or Ted Thompson.

Stimulating Bad Math

I don't know how you nominate someone for a Pulitzer Prize, but I would like to put in a nomination for Brad Heath and Matt Kelly of the USA Today for the investigative journalism prize this year. Heath and Kelly are the authors of an article in yesterday's edition detailing some of the curious math used in tabulating the jobs "saved or created" by the Federal Stimulus.

The article details how the owner of a public apartment building in a Texas town of fewer than 900-people "created" 450-jobs to fix a fence and a roof with the 26-thousand dollars he received in the stimulus. We also learned about about the Plymouth, Connecticut Police Department, which "created or saved" 108-jobs by purchasing 15-thosuand dollars in computers with stimulus money. The department employs just 22-people. Apparently, the "created and saved" jobs must have been in technical support--probably in India.

The Southwest Georgia Community Action Council "created or saved" 935-jobs by spending its $1.3 milion dollar stimulus grant to give their 500 Head Start teachers a pay raise and by buying some playground equipment. And then my favorite, Teach for America--which employs 125-people--"saved or created" 1,425 jobs with their two million dollar grant for training programs.

Most of the officials quoted for the story on the "mystery jobs" say the Federal forms were "confusing" and that they simply used the job creation formula suggested by the government. You may recall that when the stimulus package was first approved this summer I pointed out that those receiving money would have to report "x" number of jobs for every certain thousand dollars of grant money. Apparently, the Obama Administration got a little too desperate to reach the 3.5 -million jobs "saved or created" by the stimulus.

And did any of the organizations that I listed before sound like major producers of anything? How many jobs were created at Caterpillar, John Deere or US Steel by the stimulus? I spent more than half an hour listening in on the Oshkosh Corporation earnings call yesterday. Bob Bohn and Charlie Szews didn't say anything about orders or contracts generated by the stimulus funds. There was plenty of work generated by that "evil" war in Afghanistan...the war the White House isn't so sure it wants to see through to completion.

So here's hoping that Brad Heath and Matt Kelly get the Pulitzer recognition they deserve (for an article buried on page 6, by the way). We already know that President Obama will be winning the prize for Comedy Writing.

No Need To Get Excited

Ignore the hype surrounding the limited number of elections across the US today. There is an effort to make two governor's races and one Congressional special election into a national referendum on the Obama administration. Yes, the President has injected himself personally into the Governor's races in Virginia and New Jersey--but it's still the local issues that will decide the winners in those states. A loss by two tax-and-spend (big time spend in the case of Jon Corzine in New Jersey) candidates might send a little message to the White House--but I'm sure the President would just mentally throw those guys under the bus as being "weak" and not really look at the reasons they may have lost.

I'm more excited by the 23rd Congressional race in upstate New York. A candidate in the little-known Conservative Party is poised to upset a Democrat in that district. Doug Hoffman actually leads Bill Owens by five percent going into today. Hoffman's message is simple: less government. Fewer entitlement programs, lower taxes--where do I sign up to join that Party? Or how do I start one of those here in Wisconsin? Because what I thought was the party of conservatives somehow lost its way at all levels about nine years ago.

And that is why I am tempering my enthusiasm over any results from today. The GOP has a long way to go to recapture its true spirit and core base. It has to start with local elections next spring with conservative non-partisan candidates winning seats on school boards, city councils and county boards. Candidates who will take a real look at the services provided by those bodies--and place priority on what we really need--not what some of us would really like. Then it has to continue in the fall of 2010--with candidates for state offices that will say "I know that you have had enough Mr and Mrs taxpayer. You did not get a raise last year--maybe you even took a pay cut. Well you know what? We here in the State Capitol will be taking a real cut as well." (And I don't mean reductions in spending increases--that is not a cut!!)

If there is anything to be excited about today, it's the possibility that the Republican Party will actually run a conservative candidate out there with the kind of message that appealed to the broadest base of voters ever in the 1980's--but got hijacked by the religious right and infiltrated by the "compassionate conservatives" in the 1990's and the early 2000's. And that person is ABSOLUTELY NOT SARAH PALIN!!!!!!!!!!!!! Until that happens--I'm not going to get too worked up about mid-mid-term elections.

More Unintended Consequences

The Sunday edition of the "Chicago Tribune" had an interesting article Sunday. It was about Christian Scientists demanding that any "public option plan" pay for their prayer-based healing programs. It's a rare opportunity to actually disect an unintended consequence of hastily-drafted legislation--rather than having to deal with the problems created by the law afterwards.

Here are the two questions to consider--and to answer concretely--before moving forward with this "health care reform" bill. Is the Federal Government going to give its endorsement of faith-based healing? And how about the rest of the "alternative medicine" field?

Most of the "evil" private health insurance companies deny claims for religious healing processes. A--because it's not real medicine and B--because it would give implicit approval of activities that usually put patients in greater danger. So do you want your trillion dollars of tax money to go to what can only be described as "quackery"?

Should the public option plan cover aromatherapy treatment? Prayer circles? Sweat lodges? What about those of us who question the medical value of such "mainstream" treatments of chirorpractic or accupuncture? Will prescription drug programs have to include "herbal supplement" alternatives? We can only hope that all of those details are included in the two-thousand pages of the Health Care Reform Bill that no member of Congress will actually read before voting.

And what happens if just Christian and Jewish faith-healing processes are covered? Is the Federal Government ready to take on the slew of lawsuits that will come from those not in those faiths--wanting their "ceremonies" convered as well? Not to mention the lawsuits from those of us whose main belief is that there is a Constitutional Amendment strictly seperating Church and State. Haven't we wasted enough taxpayer dollars on "faith-based initiatives" already?

I realize that Democrats believe that if we don't pass health care reform this instant, "we never will"--but let's try to consider a few unintended consequences first for a change.