Answering The Tough Questions

          One thing that should make everybody feel positive about America is the fact that a great conversation is going on about what things are proper functions of government. Part of this conversation is conducted shabbily in political campaigns and Party line votes. But some of it, some of it is being conducted honorably by people dedicated to America’s future.

           Should Americans take action as a group to help prevent food insecurity and hunger? Should we ensure that everybody has adequate health care? Should we require that educators maintain a nationwide standard of performance? And should we ensure educational equality through support programs? Should we act together as conservators of our environment and our planet? How should we divide the billions of dollars we spend on tax breaks? Should the things banks do be subject to the common good? Should adequate money be provided by Congress so that the agencies they fund, like the Vets Admin and IRS can effectively do their jobs? Should we be guarding against rules that disenfranchise voters and produce discrimination? Should we do something about college costs? These issues, and many more are part of our great conversation. And our founders offered some insight:

           “We the People of the United States in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

Primary Concerns

          We were watching to see if Nebraskans fell for that stupid argument that Pete Rickets was the one to choose for Governor if we wanted a balanced budget. I am proud to say we didn’t. Pete got only 26.5% of the Republican votes cast for Governor, an estimated 9% of Republicans eligible to vote. Meanwhile, 73.5% of Republicans voting for Governor chose somebody else. Who knows what outcome a respectable turnout would have produced. And yes, less than 75% participation is an abandonment of civic duty and a slap in Lady Liberty’s face.  If Republicans prevail in Nebraska in November, just under 58,000 people will have chosen our next Governor. Warms the heart to know so many people care.

           Now the Senate race—that was like the Battle of New Orleans. Sasse had the competition runnin’ thu the briars. It’s good to have the Club for Growth on your side, although I think it is mis-named. Bludgeon for Growth is more like it. Now, Think Progress is carrying a story about Sasse and religious freedom that seems a little unsettling.

           Across the aisle, Domina dominated with 67.5% of the Democratic votes cast for Senator. Pretty good for a lawyer in a hat, but once again the turn out was abysmal.

           Around here we still think a respectable voter turn out, primary and general, gets the working poor, the middle class, and the unemployed back in the game. And to them we say, suit up, show up, and do your duty.

Campaign Diaries 2014

           5/11 As we near the primary, many candidates are standing on Obama’s shoulders, trying to out-conservative each other. Their hench-PACs and C4 committees, buzzing like turbines in the bowels of a great dam, are laying on the dark money in an attempt to criminalize rational thought. If the governing these office seekers will provide is anything like the campaigning they’ve inflicted upon us, we don’t deserve most of them.

Wiley Stinks Assumes the Position

           Now that we have a butler, I interviewed several chefs to ease Ducky Bumps’ culinary burdens. I selected Wiley Stinks as our new gourmet slop slinger.

           Interviewing is messy—irrelevant questions from people who don’t understand the work, posed to those who do. Plus that nonsense about dress-for-success, body language, and poise. And legally sanitized stupidity like, “Where do you see yourself in five years?” or squirrel bait like, “If you were a salad, which part of yourself would you eat first?”!! Since the questions are silly, applicants’ responses are usually contrived. So I invented the walk-and-talk Interview. I don’t micro-scrutinize anybody, and you’ll never hear me ask, “Is there any reason why your criminal convictions would prevent you from doing this work?”!

           Being frugal, I did ask Wiley about water in cooking. He said you could use a paper or a cloth towel, or if needed, a wet/dry vac. I was expecting something about soup, you know, baptizing the gumbo? It was by a similar miscommunication that I glimpsed Wiley’s checkered past.

           To discover his salary needs, I asked as we walked and talked, “Assume the position—“ The words spun no faster through the air than he did, leaping to a leaning position against a nearby car, with his feet planted apart. “What are you doing,” I demanded? He apologized and I started over: “Assume the position is minimum wage minus meals, would that be OK?”

           He nodded, smiling, and proffered his card, which I read aloud: Wiley Stinks—His cooking is great!

Campaign Diaries 2014

          5/08 It is a testament to the plum that is election as a US Senator—the extremes to which candidates will go to puff themselves and smear their competitors. We are observing real down-and-dirty street fighting by the image peddling hopefuls and the scalawags who place attack ads on their behalf. And disconcerting to know that the elected winner will fight just as tenaciously for whoever paid the tab.

Tell Me I’m Wrong

           Listen to “social experts” on combat veteran suicides. In interviews they magically turn into drivel merchants overflowing with haute-speak and silly conjecture. The first thing out of today’s horrible example was the problem of Vets being reluctant to ask for help. The biggest problem was the stigma attached to needing help.

It’s just sad. The big problem is the abandonment of these Vets by the military and the failure of the VA to treat them effectively. I’m sorry, Chuck. The military is constrained by congressional budget issues, and it dishonorably discharges many problem Vets instead of diagnosing their mental issues and getting them help. This cuts costs because they are then denied expensive help to which honorably discharged Vets are entitled (and often don’t get). The VA is short-changed and understaffed and can’t properly treat the Vets needing help.

           Veterans deserve better than wet-eared retail pop psych from the denizens of public media. Last month, no combat deaths in Afghanistan; 700 Vet suicides. Congress and the military are failing by omission and commission to deal with the new realities of combat, and to adequately train soldiers to spot symptoms, and to motivate soldiers to follow up, and to train, motivate, and staff the hierarchy to assess and comprehensively treat causes. And then follow up to make damn sure the treatment is done. We can't just cut people loose.         

          Sure the stigma is part of it—the retail part of it, out in front of a systemic wholesale problem.

Campaign Diaries 2014

           5/06 Imagery, iconic visions of an exceptional America, and lampooner after lampooner assuring us that only he really cares. Parades of others who love the way they care, and know their candidate’s plan will make the world a better place. Wow. If there was any actual substance there, I’d be wetting my pants with excitement. Oh well, at least one thing is clear—the reason why so few people bother to vote.