Be Timeless, Not Timely

Movement building occurs when we prioritize timeless principles over timely responses.

Because policy makers are thinking about the next election and not the next generation, our politics remain at a standstill.

Sadly, this is also true of the broader progressive movement that’s been rightly critical of elected Democrats. It is important to show power & numbers and tell elected officials that they’ll get unseated if they do the wrong things. What’s missing is a broader context.

A bigger, more important story

“Next election pressure” has to be part of a larger, cohesive narrative describing a progressive future. We worry too much about “speaking our elected officials’ language” instead of giving them a better vision of a future and a story that they can use to make the right policies and get re-elected. Run for office if you want to do that. Even then, telling a bigger, better, simpler story will still work better.

The difference between “we’ll un-elect you” and “there’s a train leaving the station that everyone’s on board except you” is subtle and substantial. The first narrative is timely. It is framed in terms of the next election that’s 2, 4, or 6 years away. It can be fired off quickly with context. The second, stronger narrative is timeless. It can be used candidates on the campaign trail just as easily as during my annual Christmas political “debates” with my family.

Marshall Ganz in a recent interview with The Citizen said:

The legislative process has been much more responsive to the creation of crises that legislation is needed to resolve than it has been to, “Gee, wouldn’t it be a good idea if we made things work better?’ So, the job of those trying to create change is actually to create crises that require legislative solution.

What Ganz calls “creating crises” I call telling a story bigger than a specific policy or an election.

Example: Health Care

During President Obama’s nomination speech at the 2008 Democratic National Convention, he said something I wish he and others would remember: “don’t make a big election about small things.” That type of thinking would have benefited us all on health care reform.

Let’s describe what we want the days after the next election to be like. Instead of yelling and screaming about whose head you want on a silver platter, talk about the progressive future in a way that’s simple and compelling (and probably excludes your least-favorite elected officials).

Let’s replace “Democrats that block health care reform will be challenged in primaries and face the wrath of constituents on election day.” with the following:

America is a place where we give a damn about one another and are proud to see people be healthy and succeed in life. We pay homage to our heroes big and small every day. It is disgusting that being unlucky enough to inherit susceptibility to certain illnesses or being injured in a car accident puts not only our lives but our dreams in danger. The best way to protect our dreams and our future is to protect our health from any and everything that threatens it. Right now, the biggest threat to our health comes from insurance companies that determine who gets help and who doesn’t, who’s in pain and who isn’t, who lives and who dies. There are more people in this country who know this is unacceptable than who think this is OK. That majority will rule tomorrow.

This says the same thing while simultaneously communicating the values that are the foundation of a progressive framework for every policy debate. They are the values that define our progressive future.

Movements transcend elections.

Minutiae murders movements.

The necessity of elections must not distract us from our broader goals of building power and creating a better future. Don’t forget this tomorrow or the next time a politician does the wrong thing.

One Love. One II.

Infinite Hope

Challenges have the uncanny ability to sharpen our focus. A knee injury will make you more mindful of walking than ever before. Bad food introduces you to taste buds you never knew existed. Adrenaline enables amazing physical feats.

The same is true for political movements. Progressives are smarting now. Many on the left are disenchanted with the President, disappointed in the pending health care legislation and disillusioned about the 2010 mid-term elections. What’s a movement to do?

Real progress

We must accept finite disappointment, but we must never lose infinite hope. – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Our renewed focus is an opportunity to build a foundation for future success, resilience and empowerment. This means taking stock of the real progress being made in this moment while simultaneously fighting to transition society from its peppered past to a progressive future.

President Obama was mindful of this when he said in his Martin Luther King, Jr. address that:

…our predecessors were never so consumed with theoretical debates that they couldn’t see progress when it came…Let’s take a victory, he said, and then keep on marching. Forward steps, large and small, were recognized for what they were — which was progress.

What victories have we won? A few include:

• Passed the Lilly Ledbetter Act, bringing us a step closer to fully realizing equal pay for equal work.
• Expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, an important step in providing health care for all of our nation’s children.
• Softened Federal restrictions on stem cell research, opening the door for potential cures to innumerable diseases.

Where do we go from here

Martha Coakley and others’ recent electoral defeats echo the sentiment of the 2008 Presidential election: candidates who proactively or passively represent a broken status quo will fail. Insiders can no longer combine tepid emotions and bland appeals with party machines and expect victory. They instead must take the hope demonstrated by the 2008 election and marry it to action.

The infinite hope that Dr. King spoke of us present within the progressive movement. Young people are organizing like never before in favor of comprehensive immigration reform reflective of America’s ideals, not its demons. Their hope is moving them to action.

That infinite hope is present in the hearts of millions of ambitious yet unemployed Americans. People are coming together to petition their government to work on their behalf to create jobs rather than give handouts to industries that have turned their backs on their employees. The hope of these workers is moving them to action.

That hope still exists in health care. Amidst the angst of the centrists, the exasperation of many Progressives and the perverse cynicism of corporate and conservative interests, the American people remain thirsty for quality, affordable health care. The current proposals have their differences and flaws, but our communities are speaking up in unison when they demand a health care system that works for them. Listening to the practical, conscientious voice of constituents would have led to a substantive debate that disregarded idiocy while embracing the courageous optimism of the American spirit.

Racism has consequences

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid made an unfortunate mistake when he said privately:

Obama, as a black candidate, could be successful thanks, in part, to his light-skinned appearance and speaking patterns with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one…He [Reid] was wowed by Obama’s oratorical gifts and believed that the country was ready to embrace a black presidential candidate, especially one such as Obama — a ‘light-skinned’ African American ‘with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one.

The comments and the response to the comments have been laughable, disconcerting and indicative of the broader race-related issues that our country continually kicks down the road.

I’m frustrated that the only tellers at the Bank of Apologizing to Black People are still Rev. Al Sharpton and/or Jesse Jackson. Many have used the fact that Rev. Sharpton accepted Reid’s apology as grounds for vindication. Rev. Sharpton is as much a proxy for Black America’s social consciousness as the CEO of Goldman Sachs is a proxy for the interests of community banks. Just like there’s a movement to move our money out of big banks, Black folks should be moving their representation away from Rev. Sharpton and to community voices.

It’s further frustrating to think about how the latent prejudice of our politics has contributed to structural inequity reinforced by public policy.

Take health care reform. Why is there disagreement between the House and Senate over the need for reform to narrow disparities in health care coverage? The House bill does this; the Senate bill does not.

Take unemployment. A community jobs program would work wonders for communities over-represented on unemployment roles: Black and Latino people. Yet the current debate on public job creation has shown little interest in this regard.

Perhaps there is more at work than the latent racism that leads to remarks that are at their best in poor taste and at their worst indicative of utter moral failure. The way to work through a controversy like today’s uproar is to put these incidents into a larger narrative about the consequences of entrenched racism and prejudice. Once that narrative is constructed, we can create a solution.

One Love. One II.

Bipartisanship and Real Health Care Reform

Read a great piece today by EJ Dionne from the Post where he talks about the current health care debate and how bipartisanship is weakening the prospects for real health care reform.

From the article,

“Where did we get the idea that the only good health-care bill is a bipartisan bill? Is bipartisanship more important than whether a proposal is practical and effective?…

Most Democrats believe that fixing the system will require increased government intervention to guarantee universal coverage and to contain costs. Most Republicans oppose an expansion of government’s role and believe an even more market-oriented system would pave the way to health-care nirvana. Trying to achieve full bipartisanship by squaring those two views is a recipe for incoherence.”

What I dislike about bipartisanship is that while it is a noble goal, politicians have sorely abused it in the worst way. During the campaign trail, bipartisanship is often trumpeted as one way to get approval of what is considered the Holy Grail of American politics; the swing voter. Once candidates become elected, their almost certain decision to stand for re-election impacts what policies they choose and how their method of attack. Here again, bipartisanship is noted as a key goal of any major policy push. In this way, politicians have political cover if something goes wrong, said politician can say, “Now wait a minute, this bill was even supported by my friends from across the aisle.” (e.g. the vote to authorize force in Iraq) Which to translate means that because everyone is wrong, no one is wrong so chill out with this accountability.

5 things you should be talking about

What’s up fam,

I wanted to hit a variety of topics today.

1) First off, why is there not more coverage of the relief efforts of people impacted by the earthquakes in China and Myanmar? In case you hadn’t read, nearly 70,000 people died in this earthquake and millions more are now homeless. To help put it in context, imagine instantly losing 7 people in your life without being able to say goodbye and multiply that grief by 100,000. I guess coverage of the earthquake is worth far less than what the DNC RBC planned to do with the Michigan and Florida delegates.

Dealing with diabetes this holiday season

With the holidays, the premium on good food takes precedent over nice gifts. With that said, one disease that is prevalent in America and Black folks in particular is diabetes. We have to start taking better care of ourselves and allow others in our lives to hold us accountable.

An article in the Washington Post featured the ever-amazing chef extraordinaire B. Smith.

Republicans like sick children (and so do actionless progressives)

Here are B’s thoughts on the S-CHIP. He is dead on as usual.

I am so mad that Bush and Republicans dug their heels in to block passage of the S-CHIP program. Seriously, if you don’t have the number of your Congressman/Senator on speed dial, don’t talk to me. We spend daytime minutes to talk about the most frivolous things so please take 2 minutes to contact your Representative, provided they voted against the program, and give them the business like your cell phone carrier just overcharged you $200.

This is not just about the S-CHIP program, it is about all the issues you care about but only talk about with people who already agree with you. Progressive bubbles and echo chambers are not helping so I have come up with a new rule. Don’t profess any progressive policy goal unless you do three things,

1. Be on public record communicating this position amongst all of your relevant elected officials (local, county, state, federal)
2. Challenge yourself to talk about this policy goal with someone you know would be against it.
3. Tell other progressives about why we should support this policy goal.

The problem as I see it is that too many progressives never move past part 3.

Stay up fam,
Brandon Q.

Saving Black Men at the Barbershop

I came across a great article today which found that “After an eight-month, barbershop-based intervention, men with high blood pressure were much more likely to start receiving treatment and to get their blood pressure under control than their peers given standard care, Dr. Paul L. Hess of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and colleagues found.”

The Story: Young Black Men

I listen to National Public Radio (NPR)…a lot. They have new show called The Story that is simply amazing. The aim of the story is to put the news in the context of how it affects real people not having their story filtered by the experts.

It was my pleasure to hear them feature John Rich, a Black physician and researcher that specializes in reaching out to young Black men in the inner-city.

What the Democratic State of the Union Response Lacked

I think that the Democratic response was a decent speech. I think Jim Webb is setting himself up to be somebody’s Vice Presidential candidate next year, but who knows. I do believe that the speech lacked two key things:

1. Katrina Response
I will kick this horse until my foot falls off. This was a tremendous opportunity to talk about what needs to be done and what will be done. This was a great opportunity to differentiate the Democrats and the Republicans on this issue. This was a prime opportunity to help out poor people who are on the bottom end of the “two americas” rhetoric. Sadly, this did not happen. This hurts the Democrats ability to be able to say that they care about poor people [and Black people for that matter].

2. The Post-100 Hours Democratic Agenda
Democrats could have used this as a stage to lay out to everyone what their next steps will be to follow up their successful execution of their “100 Hours” plan. What are the priorities now? Will they turn towards foreign policy thru diplomacy? Impeachment? Health care? This would have been a chance to keep the attention on actions.

One Love. One II.

Categories:
Politics
State of the Union
Democrats
Hurricane Katrina

Democratic Response to the 2007 State of the Union

Newly-elected Senator Jim Webb from Virginia gave the official Democratic Response to the State of the Union last night. I’d like to break down what he said here.

First, a slight omission: Bush did not give Katrina one sentence; Webb gave it gave it one phrase. I guess that is better than nothing, but it still sucks.

It would not be possible in this short amount of time to actually rebut the President’s message, nor would it be useful. Let me simply say that we in the Democratic Party hope that this administration is serious about improving education and health care for all Americans, and addressing such domestic priorities as restoring the vitality of New Orleans.

This was a good opening statement, and I agree with all of it it except for the last phrase, which doesn’t make any sense. To say that the Democrats hope “that this administration is serious about…addressing such domestic priorities as restoring the vitality of New Orleans” is not needed because it is clear that this is not a priority. It would have made more sense to phrase this part as a challenge followed by a Democratic plan for the Gulf Coast.

The fact that Webb said “it would not be possible in this short amount of time to actually rebut the President’s message, nor would it be useful” is good because it says “we don’t want to argue, we want to act.” I pray that that is more than just rhetoric.

When one looks at the health of our economy, it’s almost as if we are living in two different countries…In the early days of our republic, President Andrew Jackson established an important principle of American-style democracy – that we should measure the health of our society not at its apex, but at its base. Not with the numbers that come out of Wall Street, but with the living conditions that exist on Main Street. We must recapture that spirit today.

This was the strongest part of the speech. It focused on the need to remember that the Middle Class is critical to the success of our nation for both economic and emotional reasons. The economic reasons are relatively obvious in terms of the amount of money that these people can spend. The emotional reasons should be relatively obvious too because this gives those who are poorer something to aspire to. Unfortunately, as Webb points out, there are people in this country who want to eradicate the Middle Class by engaging in class warfare, using the weapons of high education and health care/insurance costs to push those who are currently middle class down to a lower level of economic vitality.

With respect to foreign policy, this country has patiently endured a mismanaged war for nearly four years…they owed us – sound judgment, clear thinking, concern for our welfare, a guarantee that the threat to our country was equal to the price we might be called upon to pay in defending it.

Though obvious to some, this statement cannot be repeated enough: we made the wrong choice when deciding to invade Iraq, and we are continuing to make the wrong choice by staying there. The voters made this clear in November, and the government must pay attention. The Congress must do everything within its constitutional mandate to protect us from a heavy-handed, non-thinking executive. This was not happening when everyone was a Republican. Perhaps that will change now that a different party is running the House and Senate.

The majority of the nation no longer supports the way this war is being fought; nor does the majority of our military. We need a new direction…an immediate shift toward strong regionally-based diplomacy, a policy that takes our soldiers off the streets of Iraq’s cities, and a formula that will in short order allow our combat forces to leave Iraq.

Note the words “immediate” and “short order.” These can be translated to mean “Get out, and get out now! No ’surge.’ No ’staying until we achieve [the yet-to-be-defined-state-of] victory.” This is what voters told their government in November that they wanted. The government needs to respond to the will of the people.

One Love. One II.

Categories:
Politics
State of the Union
Democrats

2007 State of the Union: A Translation

Here is my real-time analysis of G. W. Bush’s 2007 State of the Union address. This is a shortcut for anyone that did not watch the speech on TV or listen to it.

First, an omission. He did not say a word about Hurricane Katrina. That made me so upset that I nearly shed tears.

Madame Speaker…

This actually started well. Hearing this reminds me of how historic it is for Rep. Nancy Pelosi to be the Speaker of the House, the most powerful woman ever in the United States Congress. I wonder if Mr. Bush was sincere in his words to her during his opening remarks.

Decisions are hard, and courage is needed…The will to face difficult challenges…Congress has changed, but not our responsibilities…

These guarded statements are said to try and disarm his opposition within the Democratically-controlled Congress. What these statements basically mean is, “I will give lip service to working together, but expect nothing different out of me and my administration.”

3 Economic Reforms that deserve to be priorities…Balance the Federal Budget…We can do so without raising taxes…What we need is spending discipline in Washington…Earmarks…Entitlements…Commitments of Conscience…Fix Medicare and Medicaid, and save Social Security…

This was the first “meat” of the speech. He spit typical conservative banter about “fiscal responsibility,” and it is simply banter because this administration has been arguably the most fiscally irresponsible administrations in history. A key example of this irresponsibility: Iraq. The “we can do so without raising taxes” part is consistent with Bush’s insistence on cutting taxes while we are at “war,” something that has never happened before.

The stuff on “earmarks” is a joke because those will not go away any time soon since Republicans and Democrats use them all the time.

Conservatives use the term “entitlements” to deceive people. They need to do this so that they can make you feel bad about the government doing things for you. They play up this farce so that people feel bad taking things from the government that they select & elect. Funny how there was no mention of corporate entitlements in the form of war profiteering or the Bankruptcy Bill a.k.a. the worst piece of legislation since the Patriot Act (which a certain person voted for, and that really bothers me).

The future of opportunity requires that all of our citizens have affordable and available health care…For all other Americans, private health insurance provides the best option…Standard Health Insurance Tax Deduction…Changing the tax code is a vital and necessary step to making health care available to all Americans

I don’t even know why this man fronts like he wants all Americans to have health insurance. If so, he would at least put a dent in the 40+ million people who don’t. He and his friends still think it is a bad idea to realize Universal Health Care through what’s called a Single-payer system. Basically, single-payer means that only one party negotiates for the price of health insurance and services: the government. Every citizen would then have their health costs covered through what they pay in taxes. This would result in higher taxes for the citizens, but those increased costs probably would not add up to the amount that people overpay for health services every day, month, and year. The idea of trying to get everyone to go private is as ridiculous as the privatize social security plan that he had a while back (and still has). This is also consistent with the way that the “war” in Iraq has been privatized. These pro-business, anti-citizen types always think private is the answer so that they can take money away from public institutions and services.

Extending hope and opportunity in this country requires an immigration policy that is worthy of America

I won’t say much on this. I think that Bush’s guest worker idea sounds a whole lot like new school indentured servitude. For those that don’t know, this was the precursor to slavery in this country. I do not think that the parallel is coincidental.

Reduce gasoline usage by 20% in the next 10 years…

How??? His mandatory fuel standard statement was weak at best, especially in the midst of his administration and its energy policy.

Global climate change…

He can’t say global warming because that does not exist. So rather than being a flip-flopper (we know how much he hates those), he has decided to use a different term: global climate change. This is his backwards way of admitting that there is a problem. I guess a small first step is better than no step at all. Is the next step for him to watch this?

To win the war on terror, we must take the fight to the enemy…

This was the opening statement to his surprisingly long section on Iraq, Iran, and foreign policy. There was too much B.S. here to sift through. Take a look at some of our analysis to get an idea of the truth. Suffice it to say that this strategy is questionable at best.

Darfur…Fight AIDS on the continent of Africa…Dikembe Mutumbo…

He really mentioned Darfur? That’s a surprise. Too bad he didn’t refer to it as a genocide. Again, I guess a small step is better than no step at all.

It is sad, but the “fighting AIDS in Africa” phrase is being rendered absolutely meaningless. It gets paid so much lip service that people forget that there are actually humans living on the continent of Africa who exist for reasons other than making someone feel good being a philanthropist.

One Love. One II.

Categories
Politics
Foreign Policy
State of the Union
Taxes
Darfur
So-called “War on Terror”

Katrina Commemoration – Part I: It’s Past Time to Pay Attention

This is the first installment of our Katrina Commemoration Series.

1. Pay Attention

The way I see it, the main reason that people don’t act on things is because they are not paying attention to them. Think about it: the reason I don’t volunteer to mentor young people is because I ignore the need; the reason my woman is frustrated with me is because I am ignoring or not paying attention to her; the reason I don’t vote is because “I don’t pay attention to politics.”

The common thread here is ignorance. People hear or read the word ignorance and react to it like it’s a dirty word or an insult. What it is is a state of mind that presents an opportunity to share and to learn. The issue is not ignorance in and of itself, it is the apathy that is often coupled with it: not wanting or caring to know. It follows then that if we don’t want or care to know, we won’t pay attention.

We should seek to defeat apathy & ignorance at all costs, wherever we see it manifest itself. How can we do this? How can we become more collectively aware? It starts for most people as a reactionary choice, a reaction to something that someone said or did/did not do. In the cases of Katrina and Rita, the [lack of a] response to people’s needs from the government could inspire some to start caring, to start paying attention, to want to take such matters (e.g. responding to a disaster) into their own hands.

There is nothing wrong with this, it’s actually a good thing. However, this cannot be the only way we can be driven to pay attention. To paraphrase an earlier SuperSpade piece, “Successful collective action is not created from hatred, anger, or being “fed up,” or reacting, It is created out of love for and knowledge of self…” What that means is we need to pay attention before something goes down in order for our attitudes and actions to be sustainable. To use closer-to-home example, many of us (myself included) have a pretty reactionary approach to our own health: we don’t watch our diet until we get sick or gain weight, we don’t stretch before exercising until we pull a muscle, etc. In the same way that this has dangerous consequences in our personal health, the reaction-only approach to collective action also has dangerous consequences, the worst being the fact that we can forget what we were reacting to in the first place. Continuing with my analogy, most dieters end up gaining back the weight they [temporarily] lost because after they hit their ‘goal,’ they stop dieting or eating healthily. After a year, many people have literally forgotten about the travesty that ensued following the Gulf Coast hurricanes. The ignorance and apathy that we thought had been eliminated was simply on vacation.

Going forward, how do we avoid this from happening with regard to the hurricanes, or anything else? We can start be doing some homework. Instead of simply looking at what happened, look at how and why what happened happened. This will be effective on two levels. For those who insist in only acting in reaction to something, the more you investigate, the more likely you are to find things that lead you to want to act. On a second, more substantive level, the level of ignorance is lessened to the point of non-existence in the presence of exposure and knowledge. We can start by asking each other questions. You’d be surprised how much you can learn about a situation or a person by asking, “What do you think about X?” If you notice someone is passionate about something, ask them why they care so much. Even the lazy and apathetic talk. We can use this talk for educational purposes instead of using it kill brain cells. Let’s talk about what’s going on in our lives and in this world. Ask people what they are doing, what they are reading (The SuperSpade I hope!), what they are involved in. You may be surprised. Seeing and talking with other people caring about things that you care about is a great way to help you get over the hump and get involved (for my friends that “don’t pay attention to politics” from above, understand that politics is simply action-based conversation, and who hates that?). It can help you identify things that you are passionate about if you are unsure or unclear. Let’s talk with one another. Let’s listen to one another. Let’s share with one another. Let’s educate one another. Let’s uplift one another. Let’s pay attention to one another. That’s how it starts.

Awareness is critical to action. To be active, we must be aware. To be aware, care about our collective experience. To care, we must pay attention.

One Love. One II.

The Weekly Dream: Everything and Nothing

“We want everything and nothing. We want to stand in the spot light, but suffer from stage fright.”

I love music. Music is what I use to control my moods and also relax. I love music of all kinds, from R&B to Jazz to Classical. I have always loved music and I find it almost impossible to do anything without it. And as long as I can remember, I have wanted to learn how to play the piano. In grade school, my dream life was to own a pent-house and play all of my favorite songs on this magnificent grand piano. In college, I even went as far as purchasing a piano book and practicing in the dorms an hour a day.

Since then, I could never find the time or the money to really devote to this hobby. Enter car notes, dry cleaning bills, studying etc. and there seems not to be enough hours in the day. And unless I carve out some serious time and make a serious investment, I do not see anyway to make this dream come true.

This is not the only ambition I have. I also want to learn three languages before I die. I want to write the great American novel, a book of poetry and my autobiography (but first you have to live a life worth reading about). I want to be on the cover of FORTUNE. Sometimes, it feels like I am a conglomerate of random hopes, dreams, desires and wants. But so are most people to me.

I Want It!

I have alluded many times that there is a difference between wanting something and being ready for it. In an ideal world, our wants would keep base with our level of preparedness. For instance, people would not become rich until they were mentally and spiritually prepared to deal with the changes that wealth brings. People would not get married until they fully understood their responsibility in the marital relationship. But that is not how the world works.

In economics, a common and misguided assumption is that human behavior is rational. However, if you have ever encountered children, you know that is not the case. As human beings, we want what we want when we want it. Who cares if we are not prepared for what will be demanded of us in return? It takes a ton of maturity to step back and acknowledge our limitations. There are things that we must master (i.e. fundamentals) and lessons we must learn before we can have the satisfaction of attaining our wants.

In addition, the price you are willing to pay for your wants will determine the level of fulfillment you experience. For example, I was watching Vh1 and there was a story on a music group that took $1.7 million dollars and set it on fire. Money was so abundant and free flowing to them at the time that there was no fulfillment that could be had from buying another car, drugs, houses etc. But the more you have to give, the more you appreciate it. When things come easy, when there is no struggle and no sacrifice, it is only a matter of time when one want is gratified, another springs up in its place. And that is really annoying.

Stewardship 101

This is exactly the case when someone else is footing the bill. I am amazed at how whimsical people become with the resources of others. I have been out with people and when I was footing the bill, they were merciless. Or if I had made a sacrifice, they would act like it was nothing. There is no greater feeling of hurt and disappointment than when you go out of your way for someone and they treat it as nothing. Whatever happened to stewardship? Is it a lost art? Stewardship in a nutshell is to hold the resources of another in trust. It is the ultimate position of responsibility.

We are always accountable to someone, whether we acknowledge it or not, for everything we have control over. We are accountable for our time, money, relationships, and wants. When you are a steward, you move beyond the base level of slaving to fulfill wants and begin to think about what is the best use of resources in this particular situation. Stewardship enables one to prioritize what pursuits are worthwhile and what are frivolous. Therefore, we must train our appetites to want the right things and to pursue only those things that will yield the best outcome.

Free Your Mind

How do you classify and distinguish between your needs and wants? Stewardship begins with a mindset. And just as we train the body, we must train the mind by bombarding it with positive things and healthy desires until we want it bad enough to do something about it. As a freshman in college, my roommates would read the Robb Report as motivation to study and spend our time wisely. We saw the lifestyle we wanted and meditated on what it would take to get there, until we believed that it was possible. Accordingly, we spent our resources wisely and maximized our opportunity.

For me, I often picture having to answer to God, my ancestors, my unborn children, my family, and my future self as to the life I lead and the things I choose to pursue. Somehow, taking the long view helps me stay focused. As a result of my point of view, I lead a different life. I realize that I cannot do what everyone else does because I am different. I must prepare myself and my family for the life we will one day lead.

Find something or someone to hold yourself accountable to. Begin to view your life as an aggregation of resources to be deployed wisely. We only have so much time, energy, health, and money at our disposal. Instead of spending these resources, begin to INVEST them. Think about how your wants will affect those you love and care about. What are the implications for the future. Meditate on what is good and dig for the root of your desires. Think about the moment you finally get what you want, will you be fulfilled, how long will you be happy? What does this particular want represent?

As human beings, we are forgetful creatures and must constantly remind ourselves of these things. However, with practice, patience and discipline, we can be the stewards that we were meant to be.

If you really want it, prepare for it.

Luck is where opportunity and preparation meet.

Truth and Peace,
Steven M DeVougas

Question of the Week: Where do your wants come from?

Access to Higher Ed for H.S. dropouts

Many of us, who have matriculated through college and reaped the benefits thereof, are concerned that not enough of our peers have taken the advantages of gaining a higher education. This is especially troubling when you know of people who chose to drop out of high school because we all know how difficult it is to take care of yourself without a H.S. diploma. But if there was a way where you could go to college without graduating from high school, would you supportive or would you be skeptical? Karen Arenson of the New York Times tackles this issue and your answer might not be as straight-forward as you may think.

That’s right, “many colleges — public and private, two-year and four-year — will accept students who have not graduated from high school or earned equivalency degrees.” This seems like a win-win right? Schools collect on student loans and the students get a second chance to make things right. However, the growing interest in admitting those that have not graduated “is fueling a debate over whether the students should be in college at all and whether state financial aid should pay their way. In New York, the issue flared in a budget battle this spring.”

But to first put this issue in a national context,

“There are nearly 400,000 students, (who are attending college without a H.S. diploma)… accounting for 2 percent of all college students, 3 percent at community colleges and 4 percent at commercial, or profit-making, colleges, according to a survey by the United States Education Department in 2003-4. That is up from 1.4 percent of all college students four years earlier. The figures do not include home-schooled students.”

So we are looking at an increase of roughly 8% points in eight years, which is more likely to grow in the future as more students become aware of this opportunity.

Supporters of this practice believe that because access to college is a critical factor in determining later success, students who do not have a H.S. diploma should therefore be allowed to attend to college. On the other hand, some say that this is just another form of social promotion and perhaps de-motivates students to do their best in high school.

But if the schools didn’t accept these students, they wouldn’t be able to go right? Of course, but you have to realize that like most things in life, this issue comes down to money. And as Arenson points out,

“Many community colleges and two-year commercial colleges take these students, as do some less selective four-year colleges. At Interboro Institute, a large commercial college in Manhattan, 94 percent of the students last year did not have a high school diploma. Yet most received federal and state financial aid, up to $9,000 a student for the neediest.”

Now you know I had to look up the racial statistics for Interboro and I was so surprised to see that of the 2005-2006 class, 42.1% of the students were Black (non-Hispanic) and 41.8 were Hispanic (non-Black) bringing us to a (drumroll please) a student body that is over 80% Black and Hispanic. It is funny how people that want to abolish affirmative action in higher education tend focus their efforts on highly-selective institutions. But that’s a whole different post.

“At Interboro, the state recently found cheating by employees on the exam students have to pass to qualify for state and financial aid.” What’s that I hear, institutions of higher education mainly using Black and Brown people to get more money? “In the late 1980’s and early 90’s, federal investigators found many commercial colleges effectively sweeping unqualified students, many without high school credentials, from the streets into their classrooms to collect their financial aid. The students then dropped out and defaulted on their government loans.” The statistics show that even students that have some higher education do better financially than those that don’t, so who are both parties being pimped?

Either way, NY Governor George Pataki had enough of it has “tried to withdraw state tuition grants from students without high school diplomas this year. Mr. Pataki said the students should show their commitment to education and earn 24 college credits before the state gave them financial aid.” Of course, the federal government has all but walked out on financial aid by seeing to it that students expect loans more than they expect state grants and federal aid. Therefore, I think Pataki and the entrenched public school system should show their commitment to education so that all children have access to equal and quality education. It’s like you have kids going through horrible K-12 systems and then expect everything to honky dory once they graduate. So instead of washing our kids away when they graduate, let’s re-examine the K-12 experience so that students and parents have the confidence and the skills to do whatever they want in life.

Pataki agrees with me too, his spokesman, Scott Reif said this, “In too many cases, students fail to graduate from college because they were admitted to programs for which they were academically underprepared.” So if kids are unprepared, what is the point of dangling financial aid in front of students who you readily admit are often times academically underprepared. But instead of taking responsibility for our kid’s education, we blame it on the proverbial “they” that includes each and every one of us.

Getting back to Pataki, the New York State Legislature rejected the governor’s proposal and the state budget office estimated that it paid $29 million a year for 13,000 students who never graduated from high school to attend college. Now some would say that 29 million is a lot of money but in the grand scheme of things, it really is just a drop in the bucket compared to what we spend for health care and defense.

But that’s not really the point right? The goal is to keep open the doors of higher education so that once kids receive a quality K-12 education, the world is theirs for the taking. But does allowing students without a high school diploma attend college part of the solution or part of the problem. I admit I am on the fence but one idea I like is that “the government now requires that before students lacking high school credentials can qualify for financial aid, they have to pass a test approved by the federal Department of Education to show they have the “ability to benefit” from higher education.” Even though this may seem like another barrier, much like the ACT/SAT, I am afraid that without such parameters, students will lose some of the urgency in knowing that going through high school will greatly improve their chances for going to college.

Please let me know what you think because this post was very cathartic,

Stay up fam,

Brandon Q.

The Weekly Dream: Work and Adjustments

“Nature abhors a vacuum”

Good day all. The phrase another day, another dollar has an entirely new meaning for me as I have begun my summer job. Change and working in the real world is quite an adjustment from school. Now I understand how life speeds up, time becomes scarce, waistlines and stress also increase. Maintaining equilibrium and perspective becomes a tremendous task. However it can be done.

On my very first day on the job, one of my coworkers gave me this piece of advice “once you know who you are, work is easy.” This relatively simple resonated with me as I made the adjustment from full-time, laid-back student to full-time employee. I tend to view the work world with more trepidation than most. I have seen jobs grind people up and make them shells of their former selves. I witness people who have allowed their occupation to grind the life out of them to the point where all they talk about is work and that is their universe. Until one day, they wake up and they are old and alone. This has never been me. I made a vow to never allow a position to change me, but to leave my mark on the position. I promised I would stay true to myself and the man I am on the journey of becoming.

This brings me to the issue of vocation or purpose. The majority of individuals have a job and not a vocation. If you ask a random person on the street, what their vocation is, they probably could not tell you. However, if finding your vocation was not difficult enough, once you find it, do you have the courage to follow it? This is my challenge, as I stand on the threshold of adult life.

What are you in it for?

I know that since the dawn of time, humans have left their homes to provide for themselves and their families. However, it still does not make the adjustment any easier. One way to keep life interesting is to ask “What am I in it for? What are my priorities?” Do not be anxious, but always keep your eyes on the prize. Outside of the deadlines, the hustle and bustle, you need to keep in touch with yourselves. Never let those dreams die. They are a gift entrusted to you to nurture.

These are not easy questions, especially when you are young and just starting out. But as I have often stated, we must take each day as it comes and treat it as an adventure. Find ways to incorporate play into your life and make relaxation a priority.

Parting words

In my former career, I received a wonderful piece of advice from a woman who had been employed at the bank I worked at for over forty years. She told me “Steven, at the end of your life, no one will remember the overtime you put in, or the sacrifices you made for the job. In the end, they will remember the kind of person you are and how you treat people.”

I have always used this phrase to help me return to reality. What good is success if you have no one to share it with? What good is money if you are unable to enjoy it? The book of Ecclesiastes says that there is a time and a place for everything. So if you are doing what is right and are diligent in every area of your life, it is not a question of if your dreams will come true, it is a question of when.

I am still learning these things, but this is what I try to remind myself of everyday I put that suit on. There is a totally different man, apart from the suit, that I cannot afford to lose track of.

Keep the faith. Stay encouraged.

Grow where you are planted, but if it doesn’t feel right, make preparations for change. No job is worth your health and personal well-being. Take care of yourselves.

Truth and Peace,
Steven M DeVougas

Question of the Week: How do you maintain work/life balance?

Undermining Universal Health Care

Here’s an interesting concept; given the bleak prospects of a national universal health coverage plan, let’s not have Congress undermine the efforts by states to provide universal health coverage for their citizens.

I have been keeping a close eye on Massachusetts ever since Gov. Mitt Romney signed landmark legislation designed to guarantee coverage for virtually all residents, including an estimated 550,000 now uninsured. The bill, while not perfect, provided a ray of hope for people across the political spectrum that can appreciate the vital need for universal health coverage.

After years of failed attempts, Massachusetts worked out this bill without creating a new tax to fund this initiative. But what they did to “ensure that the healthcare coverage is affordable for everyone, the Massachusetts plan [also] strictly limits the premiums that can be charged by insurance companies.” And to further ensure that the rights of the disenfranchised were protected, the Massachusetts bill also sees to it that certain benefits are guaranteed. What you talkin’ bout Willis? I’m talking about “treatment for alcoholism, mammography screenings, diabetes supplies, and mental health treatment.”

But I am so upset at our Republican-led Congress that decided during “Health Week,” they would craft legislation that “could undercut the new universal health insurance law in Massachusetts, by freeing insurers to brush aside state-required benefits and to charge older and sicker residents far higher premiums.” It is funny to me how Republicans always claim to wrap their arms around small businesses without regard for the millions of workers that make small businesses possible.

Republicans claim their goal with this legislation is to lower the cost of health care by “releasing insurance companies from state requirements to cover an expanded array of treatments and screenings. The bill would also permit insurers to boost premiums for groups of workers who are considered greater health risks.” So how does this affect the Massachusetts bill? It’s just a small part in the bill that states it ”‘shall supersede any and all state laws’ regarding mandated health coverage,” thereby giving a serious body blow to the Massachusetts bill and is an unusual encroachment on state’s rights.

I pray this bill does not pass because it really took the stars to be in alignment for Massachusetts to have had achieved their landmark legislation. And my fear is that if Congress passes this bill, then other states who have thought about following the Massachusetts model will look at the Congressional legislation and say, “What’s the worth in taking political risks to achieve universal health care if Congress is going to undermine our work?”

I know we as young people, sometimes it is hard to have intellectually stimulating conversation over health care. But we cannot wait to think about health care until you are taking care of your parents or struggling to provide for your own family if God forbid, your child has a disease that is expensive to treat. The time is now, get in the game.

Getting back to basics,

Stay up fam,

Brandon

My Health, My Decision

I have a layover in Minneapolis, Minnesota for the next hour, and that gives The SuperSpade a chance to see and discuss issues occurring wherever we are.

Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty has proposed what he calls a “Health Impact Fee” as part of his upcoming budget proposal. The Minneapolis Star Tribune refers this as effectively a “Cigarette Tax.” These sorts of issues raise interesting questions about the rights and roles of government in health-related personal decision making.Even people who smoke acknowledge that there are negative health risks associated with that. Most people who engage in “high health impact” activities will quickly admit this as well. In neither case, however, do the risks outweigh the benefits to these individuals.

The Libertarian in me says that we should let these people live their lives and “penalize” them through things such as a “High Impact” fee. It says you [should] have the right to do what you wish, no matter what it is or who disagrees with it or who is uncomfortable with it. However, this breaks down for me in the case of smoking, which also adversely effects the environment and the health of those in close proximity.

The Uber-Liberal in me says that we should insure and provide a safety net for all, including the Risk-Lovers. It says that we will take care of you no matter what; Universal Health Care covers the crazy and the sane. The case where this breaks down is something like abortion. I am adamantly Pro-Choice, but I do not think the government should pay for the procedure.

The Fiscal Conservative in me says that the “Health Impact Fee” is right on. If I don’t smoke, why should I pay for someone that does? Efficient economics tells us that the market should price things at what they are worth to the consumer (e.g. Northwest Airlines charging everyone [including people like me who actually NEED the leg room] $15 for Exit Row seats. That almost went horribly wrong when we switched planes!!). This approach says that the blanket approaches of Garlin the Libertarian and Garlin the Liberal are so fair that they are unfair. This falls short in the case where I [willingly or unwillingly] engage in “High Health Impact” behavior(s) and cannot afford coverage.

I’m not crazy or the victim of a split-personality disorder. I am, in a word conflicted. I would like your thoughts on the role of government in personal health decisions. Should it enable everything? Should it do nothing? Somewhere in between? Your comments are appreciated.

The State of Your Union

Tonight was the continuation of an American tradition in which the elected executive stands before the whole of the remaining two branches of government and delivers their thoughts and visions on and for the Nation. It is a good opportunity to listen to what the president has to say about America: what do do they care about? What do they want to do? What have they done?

G. W. Bush had a few main points tonight, which included:

1. Isolationism = Defeatism
2. Democracy everywhere is the future
3. Building on existing domestic momentum

That is what he said. Here is what it actually means. We will approach this line-by-line, with parallel translation of rhetoric.

G. W. Started out paying respect to Coretta Scott King, who passed on today. That was a good move, but it was also probably the highlight of the night.

“Act in a spirit of goodwill and respect.”
G. W. Used this in reference to the heated, partisan tone of recent Washington debates (Patriot Act Extension, Alito Confirmation Hearings, Domestic Spying Inquiries). What this really means is “Democrats need to stop making noise. Get down or lay down.” It means that conservatives don’t want any disagreement, regardless of its merit (more on this below).

“Isolationism leads to danger and defeat.”
This is how G. W. Began his foreign policy section. This is a challenge to those of us who feel that domestic matters outweigh foreign affairs. Isolationist is conservative code for “having one’s priorities in logical order.” Is it “danger and defeat” if you care more about someone else’s house than your own family’s well-being? Of course not: it’s stupid.

“We seek the end of tyranny in the world…democracies replace resentment with hope…”
This was how G. W. Justified his *Offensive Democracy* foreign policy approach. Research has shown that “fighting them there so they don’t fight us here” holds as much water as a spider web. What does tyranny mean? It can be summed up in two words: unchecked leadership. America was designed to protect against such a thing, but with all three branches compromised, that protection has disappeared. As for democracy replacing resentment, is there resentment in American democracy? That’s another spider web full of Kool-Aid.

Mentioned Zimbabwe among non-democracies
The African continent made an appearance this year. The last time the Earth’s source was mentioned by G. W. was when he lied about Iraq getting weapons of mass destruction from Niger. I don’t think this mention will stir as much reaction.

“Terrorists chose the weapon of fear”
This is the first nominee for Line of the Night. BushCo has pedaled fear and propaganda in order to justify their foolish, selfish policies, including [but not limited to] the Patriot Act and the Domestic Spying program and the so-called “War on Terror.”

“The US will not retreat from the world, and we will never surrender to evil”
More code for “isolationism” being bad. See above.

“Clear plan for victory” in Iraq
This is the second nominee for Line of the Night. All I can say about this is this: when the “clear plan” is made “clear” by not “clearly” defining success, then is it really that “clear?”

“Iraq: 3 years to sovereignty…we are winning”
Sovereignty? G. W. Still hasn’t figured out what sovereignty means. What government is sovereign when it is supported, financed, and protected by another government. And “we are winning?” See above for an explanation on why you can’t win when you don’t know what winning means or looks like.

“The road of victory is the road that will take our troops home”
This is a feeble attempt at defining winning. Any idiot knows that when a “war” is “over,” the troops will come home. This is simply an empty, rhetorical, admission of the obvious.

Responsible Criticism vs. Defeatism
G. W. has touched on this before. Responsible criticism might as well mean total, blind agreement. Anything less is defeatism in the eyes of conservatives.

“Keep our word…stand behind the American military”
The “keep our word” part is the same as the “stay the course” B.S. that we’ve been hearing since the election of 2004. It means “I [and my backers] am too damn hard-headed to see my flawed actions and decisions of the past, and I refuse to change my tactics in spite of my mistakes.” It is an unfortunate reality that we meddled in and broke Iraq. Oh well in my opinion. I would much rather see resources expended in the Gulf Coast than the Persian Gulf.

“Raising up a democracy requires the rule of law…”
The timing of this statement is matched only by its irony. We are amid scandal and corruption in Washington, yet the President is calling for “the rule of law” in other nations. Apparently Americans can be above the law. Well, Americans WITH MONEY (read: Republicans) can be above the law.

America wants to be “the closest of friends with a free and democratic Iran”
This is laughable considering that we will likely be invading Iran in the near future. Whether they were free or democratic, they would get invaded.

Patriot Act: “same tools used to fight drugs and crime”
This is how G. W. introduced his case for renewal of the controversial Patriot Act. There is plenty on this blog that makes our opposition to this clear. Black people should fear and reject anything similar to the “tools used to fight drugs and crime” that have led to such grave injustices as racial profiling, disproportionate Black male incarceration, and systematic Black disenfranchisement.

Spying: “appropriate members of Congress kept informed”
More attempts to justify “Terrorism Surveillance.” What defines “appropriate?” Why wasn’t the “appropriate,” appointed FISA Court informed?

“Roosevelt, Kennedy rejected isolation and retreat”
Sprinkle of rhetoric here about why “isolationism” is bad. We’ve already covered why that’s just plain dumb.

“I urge the Congress to act responsibly and make the tax cuts permanent.”
This oxymoron is the third nominee for Line of the Night. This means the the legislature should “responsibly” withhold money from important domestic affairs to reward the wealthy. Permanent tax cuts would be as irresponsible as permanent tax increases. Since one cannot predict future occurrences, tax policy should be periodically, organically evaluated.

The Special-Interest problem can be tackled with the Line-Item Veto
Never seen a President that didn’t want a Line-Item Veto, so that’s nothing new. The question is, would he really, really do something about lobbyists if he had one? I doubt it.

“Keeping America competitive requires affordable Health Care…Strengthen Health Spending Accounts…Make coverage portable”
The first and third phrases sound decent enough to me, given that I want the ultimate in affordable, portable coverage: Universal Health Care. The second phrase is one that I have a problem with. This point, nestled between two decent ideas, is part of G. W.’s Ownership Society message. The problem is that 45 million Americans don’t have Health care and cannot afford it, another would not be able to afford or understand HSAs as proposed. The beauty of Universal Health Care is that is based on a simple notion: you need health care, you get it, period. HSAs are no more than funnels leading to the pockets of HMOs and Insurance companies. Do not be fooled.

“America is addicted to oil…Advanced Energy Initiative…Replace 75% of Middle Eastern oil dependence by 2025″
This is actually a good idea. Increase research in ethanol and zero-emission coal power is a good thing. However, I can’t imagine BushCo’s oil buddies letting this kind of thing actually result in lower oil consumption.

“American Competitiveness Initiative”
Again, another good idea in theory. Doubling our commitment to natural sciences, permanent research tax credits, encouraging more math & science in secondary education, all good stuff. I just hope they don’t use No Child Left Behind as the model for implementation.

Work with Black churches to fight AIDS
Black folks came up again at the end. This marks the first time I had ever heard a White Republican cite statistics on AIDS in Black America. While I am happy about that (it is a step in the right direction), I am worried that the Black church path is a flawed one. BushCo has coaxed the Black church into supporting him on issues such as abortion and gay marriage, and he may be at it again. I would not trust these guys, as a fear that they are more concerned with gaining votes that saving Black lives.

There you have it.

Please share your thoughts and reactions to the speech and my reactions.

–
GDGII
www.TheSuperSpade.com

Sent using Windows Mobile 5.0

God helps those who help themselves

As I rushed in and out of department stores this week, the ringing bells of the Salvation Army volunteers made me ponder about the title of this post. In the recent budget bill, the Senate passed a $602 billion bill that cuts funds for health, education and labor programs on the same day the Senate approved two separate rounds of cuts to health care programs for the poor.
Whenever there is a drive to make cuts in the budget, there is never any debate about where the cuts will come from; social services. And I believe there is one philosophical ideal that makes these types of cuts socially acceptable; God helps those who helps themselves.

I readily admit that the previous quote sounds plausible but not only is it selfish, it is nowhere in the Bible. In fact, a national survey conducted by the Barna Research Group found that when Christians were asked if the expression ‘God helps those who help themselves’ was in the Bible’, only 38% of all Christians correctly stated that that phrase cannot be found anywhere in the Scriptures. Forty-two percent thought that this was a Biblical quotation, and 20% had no idea. So lets assume for arguments’ sake that half of the people who had no idea actually believed that the quote was in the Bible, that would mean a clear majority of Christians believes that the quote was in the Bible. But what is the big deal?

A lack of compassion will lead people to believe that those who are less fortunate must have done something wrong in order to deserve God’s lack of compassion. And perhaps more troubling is the idea that because one is financially stable, God is smiling on you and your family. When this type of flawed thinking is applied to local, state, and national policies, the poor are always demonized for not doing their part to contribute to society. The reality is that not everyone who is in financial straits can pull themselves up by their boot straps. And the people who are comfortably living the middle class life, they should know that no one in succeeds at anything by themselves. For those of you who have not read Black Wealth, White Wealth, by Melvin L. Oliver and Thomas M. Shapiro, you will understand the huge pull that history has on people’s life choices. And like so many people of the middle class have experienced in 2005, there is not a huge barrier that separates them from those in the unemployment line.

In closing, the erroneous phrase that God who helps those who help themselves only adds to the disdain and indifference that so many middle class people show to the poor. And for all of the Bible loving people who walk past the poor without ever giving the change in their pocket, I urge them to read Leviticus 25:35-36 (NIV) which reads, “If one of your countrymen becomes poor and is unable to support himself among you, help him as you would an alien or a temporary resident, so he can continue to live among you. Do not take interest of any kind from him, but fear your God, so that your countrymen may continue to live among you…” And for the people who need things in black and white, consider the consequences of helping the poor and not helping the poor:

For those who bless the poor, God promises to bless them (Ps 41:1-3; 112; Prov. 14:21; 19:17, 22:9, 14:31, 28:27; Isaiah 58:6-10).

But, He promises to judge those who oppress the poor (Deut 27:19, Prov. 17:5, 21:13, 22:16, 28:27; Isaiah 10:1-4; Eze 18:12-13, 16:49).

Therefore, there are two things that would make life a whole lot better in America. How about people actually read the Bible or whatever is the religious text of their religion. And while we’re at it, why don’t we look at holding elected officials accountable for enacting policies that earn God’s disrespect.

Stay up fam,

Brandon

Today’s Irresponsible Cuts

The Senate bill to cut $40 billion dollars out of the budget takes a third of that $40 billion from students. I’m imagining that this is how the debate went:

BushCo & Republican Majority:
“We need some money. Like $40 billion. Where are we gonna get it?”

Democratic Minority & people with brains:
“Rich people? Corporate cronies that already give gifts? Why not cash in on those relationships in a way that benefits real people?

BushCo & Republican Majority:
“You guys are stupid. Let’s rob students. That will be much easier.”

Unchecked power in our three-headed political hydra leads to ridiculous results for the lives of the citizens. This example is no different. In the bill, students will be forced to pay higher interest rates on their already increasingly expensive student loans, and banks will get less government subsidies to provide these loans [at lower rates].

This is a HUGE deal. To make this more clear, lets put things in perspective.

- The majority of students in college are there with the help of some form of financial aid
- Student Loan debt can now be used as a reason to withold social security moneys

Now, let’s get stupid about this: American busines leaders are saying that our students are not able to compete on the international stage due to the shortcomings or our educational system (e.g. a speech from Bill Gates, linked here. The government [usually] listens to big busness and rich people, so who better to listen to than the richest man in the world who runs the biggest software company in the world? If No Child Left Behind wasn’t B.S., maybe we wouldn’t have this problem). As a result, the goverment should be doing everything in its power to strengthen its public education institutions on the primary, secondary, and collegiate levels. Well, how do you strengthen a college? Not by placing barriers to entry to it!!!! If I want something to be better, I don’t cut off it’s resources. What’s is the strongest resource of any college: it’s students.

Maybe I’m crazy because there are certain things I view as untochable as far as cuts in spending go:

- Education
- Health Care
- Legal Protection

Since I feel this way, I can’t be a fan of this budget bill, which cut other social programs that help the poor, including Medicaid and Welfare.

Health Care & Role of Government

The NY Times has an interesting story on the possibility of health care for all Americans. It talks about just how close we [could be] to having universal health care. The most interesting quote from the article is:

“This isn’t communism. The changes could happen under a public health care system or one that is privately run.”

Since when did public health care equal communism?!?!?! What is so terrible about the government providing health care? Are the health care systems in nations where the government provides health care (e.g. Canada, some European nations) broken (or more broken than our privately run model)?

We are at a point now where we need to re-examine what the primary function of government should be. Many, especially friends on the right, believe that the government’s primary role is to protect the people. To them, “a proper government is only a policeman, acting as an agent of a person’s self-defense.” Maybe I’m crazy, but part of protecting me is protecting my health.

Think of parents. Among other things, parents protect their children. They protect their kids when the cross the street. They protect their kids when they tell them not to touch the stove when it’s on. They protect their kids when they put a hat on their head before they go outside. The first example is one of protecting safety. The last two are examples of protecting health. What is the purpose of a government (and by extensions, armed forces) that don’t protect me and/or my health? Maybe I have a maternalistic view of government and its role. I don’t think that when it comes to health care too many people would disagree with me (except HMOs and Bill Frist).

Why Conservatives should SUPPORT Choice

Abortion, and all things related to it, is arguably the most divisive subject of of our time. I personally abhore the way this debate polarizes people. By this I mean, why do you only have 2 options: pro-life or pro-choice?

Let’s dig a little deeper…

In mathematics, there is the concept of equivalence classes, which allows us to treat two different entities as essentially the same. I raise this here because “conservatives” equivalence class pro-choice to being a “baby killer.” It must be great to be conservative because it completely absolves you of that terrible thing that non-conservatives do: think (we’ll talk about that in greater detail later). Pro-choice doesn’t equate to “baby slayer” on my common sense calculator.

Thinking for a second and a half would reveal in one’s mind that pro-choice does not mean pro-abortion. It means exactly what it says: support of an individual’s (in this case a woman’s) right to CHOOSE. This means that you do not remove choices from an individual, no matter what those choices may be or how you feel about them. By this method it is quite possible to find the physical act of abortion wrong and still be pro-choice, a way that many people truly feel.

Conservatives, especially fundies, say the abortion is wrong because God says so. I guess The Holy Bible: Fundie Edition doesn’t describe how God gives people free will to make choices. Those choices could be things God may prefer (e.g. Honesty) or may not (e.g. Adultery). So why is it that these people want to take options off the table they don’t like, as if they are the ultimate decision makers? Who granted them such authority?

The basis of conservatism is individual sovereignty. They want “smaller” government. They want to reduce government intervention in your personal life. “You make your own decisions.” Well, I guess modern day conservatism has its limitations. We will stay out of your monetary decisions, but if you choose to have an abortion, you can’t: we made that decision for you. We will make you fend for yourself when it comes to health care, but should a homosexual choose to marry, you can’t: we made that decision for you. If the government making MY choices is not the definition of BIG GOVERNMENT (read: liberal ideology), I don’t know what is.

There is a difference between being pro-choice and pro-abortion. These things cannot be equivalence classed. I guess it’s difficult to attack more than one position, however, so let’s put them all in the same bucket and kick that bucket over.

So should the liberals and conservatives flip sides? I don’t know. But I do know that by definition, a conservative should support choice.

–
Garlin Gilchrist II
http://www.thesuperspade.com

Sent via Wireless Handheld

The end of pensions as we know it?

The end of pensions as we know it?

That’s right ladies and gentlemen, Verizon recently announced that they were replacing their pension plan with a 401(K) Plan. With GM also announcing changes to their health care benefits, we are witnessing the gradual but certain decline of pensions as we know it. Therefore, your retirement will be whatever you want it to be….literally. In other words, the amount that you have to retire with will depend on how much you contribute to your 401(K) or what ever retirement instrument your employer utilizes.

So let’s start with the fact that most people coming of age will be switching careers four to six times. This means that you won’t be at any one job for the majority of your life (where pensions serve as incentives for employees to stay at one firm) and even if you were do that, you probably still won’t look forward to a nice pension.

Moreover, our generation will be leading longer lives which in turn demands more money to cover living expenses. As a result, our generation will have to be a lot more intuitive to various financial tools because retirement is way more important than rubbing your toes in the sand and sipping a fruity drink with a mini-umbrella. For anyone who plans on having children, a thoughtful retirement plan will allow you to help pay for your kids college in part or in full. And for anyone who has student loans, you know that if Mom and Dad could have taken care of the finances, life would be a lot easier. Aside from college, how about leaving a little nest egg for the kids once you pass away? Just think about having to work well into your sixties, seventies, and eighties? Now if your parents do this and they are happy then fine, more power to them. But there is a big difference between wanting to work and having to work. Strive for the former, I beg of you!

So I have a couple things that I think could help make your quality of life better.

1) Whenever possible, start investing in your firm’s 401(K) because most companies will match up to 6% of your salary for this. Also, most companies will allow you to rollover your retirement accounts from your old job but be sure to see if your new company will be as generous with the benefits.

2) You can’t invest anything unless you live below your means. As a recent addition to corporate America, I can say that this is difficult to do, but by no means is it impossible. Most financial advisors will tell you to strive to invest 5-10% of your salary. And as my good friend Garlin advised me, your ultimate goal is to have the revenues from your investments be such that they cover all of your basic living expenses. (Rent, mortgage, car note, insurance, etc.)

3) Mutual funds. Mutual funds. Mutual Funds. Did I forget to mention mutual funds? I say that because for the long term, investing in a mutual fund for say 15-25 years will likely be a profitable investment. I say likely because the stock market is not certain. But at least with mutual funds, your money is pooled with other peoples (to minimize the risk) and invested in a portfolio and it works to your advantage to keep your money in there for an extended number of years. Some mutual funds let you start investing with $50!!

4) Start a relationship with a financial advisor so you can get some sound advice about where you are at financially and what steps you need to take to get to the next level.

For the record, I am not a financial advisor and this advice is my opinion. Therefore it should not be taken as professional advice. Having said that, we will have more financial tips in the future because a lot of people say that money doesn’t solve people’s problems but that’s a bunch of crap! We should not be obsessed with money but when used properly, money will allow you to do a lot of things you want to do while lending a helping hand as well.

Stay up fam,

GM cuts 30,000 jobs

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Last Tuesday, GM announced it was cutting 30,000 jobs and while this news has been widely anticipated, it sounds a lot worse once announced. In recent years, the Big Three (really the Big Two because Daimler-Chrysler is German owned) have had to deal with among other things, declining market share, massive recalls, high labor costs, and of course, soaring healthcare costs. I want to address three issues in particular, management, healthcare costs, and the jobs bank.

First let me qualify my statements and let readers know that I do market research for the automotive industry.

But the first issue is management because the classic showdown in labor negotiations boils down to management versus the Union. But in defense of the Union, it is management who is responsible for designing these vehicles that the market is not responding to. So why should the Union folk suffer for management’s lack of innovation? Just google the 2006 Ford Explorer’s door handles and read how many customers are disgusted by the lack of utility of such a poorly designed component of the car you use all the time. I remember listening to a podcast on NPR’s Motley Fool and hearing acclaimed management guru Peter Drucker (who recently passed away) talk about how corporations need to understand that they exist for the pleasure of their customers. But back in the day when the Big Three were pushing towards seventy percent market share, I am sure that advice was viewed in reverse. But Rick and Bill should heed that advice now and not focus on so much competing with Toyota but competing with themselves for producing quality vehicles. The rest will come easy.

But easy times have not befallen Unionized workers. Anyone reading anyone’s news know about Delphi’s offer to cut their workers pay by up to 65%. Cuts like that are drastic, especially during the holidays and I empathize with all the UAW members who are facing tough times right now. But here is where I place the blame at the foot of the UAW. My point is simply that these cuts could have been phased in over a number of years. And for the UAW to look up and act surprised that management would ask for such sacrifices I think is disingenuous. I think the ideal goals for the UAW should not be to only defend and fight for their members, but also collaborate with management so that the company as a whole can remain not only profitable, but also competitive. But if you want to keep it real, the Unions have been eating quite well. I am referring to salaries, overtime pay so crazy that overtime becomes a permanent part of you schedule, and a healthcare plan that you make yourself sick just to be sure that it is this good.

Speaking of healthcare, it is painfully obvious that the Big Three are bogged down in part by their healthcare costs, which makes me wonder why there is not a push for a national health care plan. For all the conservatives who are servants of corporations, a nationalized single payer healthcare would do wonders for the economy. Think of it as a tax cut. If a major chunk of insurance was guaranteed by the federal government, then domestic firms could work on this thing called innovation and quality so that our all-American firms (like GM) could regain some of their market share. The American public gets upset at seeing jobs go overseas but Wall Street puts immense pressure on our corporations to lower their costs. Therefore, the benefits of nationalized healthcare are not just limited to the 43 million people without healthcare so what is the problem? Special interests have taken our country’s political landscape by hostage. And the sad fact is that American firms are still ignorant enough to believe that we can grow revenues without cutting costs. We are facing a new “flat” economy (as put by New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman so it is best that American corporations take proactive steps to get lean and competitive before they die the death of a thousand cuts. Or end up like GM and end up having to make 30,000 cuts.

Stay up fam,

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