Black History Month

My local newspaper's sports page had a very short but very telling article today entitled, "Major League Baseball (MLB) Launches African Tour for Prospects", which focused on a goodwill tour to Ghana in search of baseball talent.

Now this is evidence of social progress on many levels including:

• MLB's delegation included several African-Americans such as Dave Winfield (formerly with the Twins and Yankees) and Dusty Baker (former Cubs manager)
• This tour has the potential to create a pipeline for talent for MLB but more importantly it creates an incentive system for Africa's young men to avoid becoming "child soldiers" in the various civil wars on the continent -- assuming MLB's owners dedicate funding to create a network of youth baseball /semi-professional leagues.
• The development of a "baseball league infrastructure" on the African continent would be an ideal "foreign aid" project yielding much better results that we have seen produced by the donor community -- United Nations, World Bank, etc. -- for at least the past 50 years.
• This goodwill tour highlights the fact that the historic segregation in baseball -- which resulted in the creation of the "Negro Baseball Leagues" -- is dead and gone which we should all celebrate in a free society especially during Black History Month in the USA.

For a fuller understanding of how racism affected the history of American baseball please visit the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum website at:

http://www.nlbm.com/

Through the inspiration of Horace M. Peterson III (1945-1992), founder of the Black Archives of Mid-America, a group of local historians, business leaders, and former baseball players came together to create the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in the early 1990s.

Baseball in Beautiful,

Todd

Wine Production

While listening to one of my favorite talk radio shows ( "Bob Davis on KSTP" , 9 am to 12 noon Central USA time Monday through Friday) this morning I heard the host comment on the fact that the Vikings (perhaps some of my ancestors!!) used to grow grapes in Greenland but then the Ice Age advanced thus creating modern day Greenland complete with permafrost and icebergs:

http://www.surfmusic.de/radio-station/kstp-am-1500,6137.html -- KSTP AM 1500

Are the global warming alarmists just now realizing that the earth's climate does indeed change regardless of human activity?? Perhaps our modern day world is SO dominated by air conditioning and indoor activities driven by big screen TVs, computers, and video games it has left modern day humans completely out of touch with Mother Nature. Personally I love to go camping, hiking, and canoeing so I have a greater sense of nature than most people do who simply go from their air conditioned homes to their air conditioned vehicles to their air conditioned offices to their air conditioned health clubs to finally return to their air conditioned homes.

Now back to the Vikings who were perhaps the original "immigrants" since they liked to "visit" :) many places including Greenland which they settled. In the USA our modern day focus regarding immigrants is on Mexicans which have increasingly moved farther north into the cold weather states like Iowa and Minnesota. Yes it is very large leap of logic but perhaps the global warming alarmists simply don't like the world's weather patterns changing because such changes cause immigration -- much like the Vikings who left modern day Denmark to settle in Greenland modern day Mexicans are "settling" large parts of the USA.

Does Al Gore's documentary, "An Inconvenient Truth", have an agenda to drive economic/public policy changes in the USA to stem the flow of Mexican immigration due to underlying racism driven by an effort to protect trade union jobs? Yes I love a conspiracy but love comments from my blog readers even more so let's hear from you.


More wine please,

Todd

Babs

My wife and most close friends encourage me to "full the glass as half full not half empty" so today I clearly saw the glass in my life as nearly full!!

Why?

My local newspaper reported that none other than Barbra Streisand -- champion of big government and limousine liberal public policy solutions -- contributed $10,000 to a charter school - a baby step for consumer choice in education -- in St. Paul, Minnesota. Indeed, the Streisand Foundation provided this grant to the St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists which serves students in the 9th through 12th grades.

If readers don't know a charter school is a form of school choice however in Minnesota it is half-pregnant reform since our charter schools are still run by the education establishment for the most part. I am happy to be "educated" by my readers if I mis-stated anything regarding charter schools. For more on school choice/reform issues please visit these entities:

www.spn.org

www.heartland.org -- for their "School Reform News" newspaper

www.ij.org

One final comment about Ms. Streisand's generosity is the fact that she held a concert in St. Paul's Xcel Center where she charged up to $450.00 per ticket. Now I understand why the big government types like her want governments to mandate "living wages" -- because if we had living wages it would allow those Americans living in poverty to afford Babs' concert tickets!!

A concerted effort for students,

Todd

Hospitals

Given all the talk about "health care reform" at the state and federal government levels in the USA today I was really impressed by the introduction of Dikembe Mutombo by President Bush during his recent State of the Union address. Mr. Mutombo is the center for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association but he was NOT recognized by President Bush as a sports star but as a humanitarian who reportedly raised $29 million -- donating $15 million himself -- for the construction of the Biamba Marie Mutombo Hospital in Kinshasa, Congo. For an overview of Congo please read this excerpt from the website listed below:

https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/cg.html
"Established as a Belgian colony in 1908, the Republic of the Congo gained its independence in 1960, but its early years were marred by political and social instability. Col. Joseph MOBUTU seized power and declared himself president in a November 1965 coup. He subsequently changed his name - to MOBUTU Sese Seko - as well as that of the country - to Zaire."

This hospital is being built in memory of Mr. Mutombo's mother who "........died nine years ago when civil unrest and a curfew prevented her from getting to a hospital." (Source: Houston Chronicle) I hope readers would draw at least these important conclusions from this story:

1.) Compared to Congo the USA clearly does not have a "health care crises" which requires even MORE government intervention -- instead we need consumer choice not more regulatory agencies.

2.) "Curfews" are imposed by governments (failed governments that is) thus it is fair to say that Mrs. Mutombo's death was caused by the Congolese government.

3.) Granted, we don't all have Mr. Mutombo's financial resources and celebrity power to open other peoples' checkbooks but we can and should volunteer more than we do today.

4.) European post-colonialism -- Belgian in the case of Congo -- has still left several dysfunctional governments around the world. Given the wealth in Belgium today perhaps their citizens should build a few hospitals in Congo today to help compensate for their past imperialism.

Charity is alive and well,

Todd

Jedi Knight Troop Surge

While attending the "Kansas Days" banquet this past weekend in Topeka, Kansas one of the speakers - Congressman Todd Tiahrt -- mentioned in his speech that while on a fact finding trip to Iraq he met a Major in the US Army that he had gone to high school with in Kansas. As it turns out this Major's unit was responsible for providing security for the dignitaries who periodically visit Iraq.

As I sat there listening to this story I was struck with the thought that instead of all the various dignitaries/politicians visiting Iraq -- which clearly consumes the time and effort of current soldiers -- perhaps Congress should cut off funding for these fact finding trips and spend the money on simply getting the job done in Iraq NOW so we can bring our troops home.

Priorities not press conferences,

Todd

American Idol

While using my housing association's gym last night I was talking with one of my neighbors who commented after seeing some 2008 presidential coverage on CNN that, "I am already sick of the campaigning for 2008 and can't wait for it to stop."

My immediate reply was, "hey just think of all the candidates running for president as another version of 'American Idol' with the caucus/primary process a way for the contestants to be eliminated." As a native Iowan I can assure readers that the Iowa caucus process is a better experience than listening to Simon Cowell's belittling of contestants.

Currently -- unless threatened by other states' decisions to move up their primary election dates -- the Iowa caucuses are set for January 14, 2008 so there is now less than 50 weeks before the first-in-the nation presidential caucus happens followed by the New Hampshire primary so they race is on!! You can track the action at:

http://www.iowapolitics.com/

Enjoy our free elections,

Todd

Todd

Moving Vans

United Van Lines released their annual study of US migration patterns on January 8, 2007. This study is based on the "moving in and moving out statistics for all 50 USA states" which can be found at:

http://www.unitedvanlines.com -- under "Migration Study"

The 2006 results show that the following states enjoyed the most "in-bound migration" and which states suffered the most "out-bound migration" :

1.) North Carolina
2.) South Carolina
3.) Alabama
4.) Tennessee

and

1.) Michigan
2.) New York
3.) Indiana
4.) Illinois

These migration trends show a clear shift of America's population from the "Rust Belt" of the central states to the "Bible Belt" of the southern states. In general terms I would note that people are fleeing high state income tax rates and high unemployment for the opportunities in pro-business states in the South.

Michigan is perhaps the best example since downtown Detroit with its "Hip Hop Mayor" is a complete disaster area with buildings still boarded up from the race riots in the 1960's while regions like the Research Triangle in North Carolina are booming.

The political, education, and business communities in Michigan should agree that major reforms are needed for generating economic growth so let me encourage them to utilize their local free market think tanks for public policy reform ideas:

www.acton.org

and

www.mackinac.org

Spreading the pain via higher taxes is not the answer.

Todd

Bodies as Temples

While using the gym in my Kansas hotel this morning CNN was interviewing a personal trainer named Jerry Anderson regarding how best people can lose weight. Quite coincidentally, during this interview I read an article in the local newspaper entitled, "Pastor calls flock to God, away from fridge," which focused on Pastor Steve Reynolds' campaign at Capital Baptist Church in Virginia to get his congregation to lose weight. Pastor Reynolds reportedly "lost 70 pounds by relying on God and low carbs" -- perhaps Pastor Reynolds has low carb bread for their Communion services :-)

Based on the CNN interview and the article I read here are my random observations on the subject of obesity in the USA:

• Jerry Anderson noted that truck drivers "live, on average, 15 years less than other adults due to their lifestyle which lacks exercise and results in obesity..........." (paraphrasing here). Given the constant labor shortage the trucking industry has for over the road drivers perhaps the various trucking companies/trade associations should launch a coordinated corporate wellness program since it would be less expensive to simply help truck drivers live/work longer versus spending the money to recruit and train new drivers.
• I am a regular church attendee myself but am always concerned with the "church ghetto" crowd who attend 3 or 4 services/study groups at their church weekly. My bias would be for them to replace one of these services with doing some good works in their community. Perhaps they could spend some time in a gym since Pastor Reynolds noted that "40 percent of you (his congregation) need to lose weight." A cautionary note to offer to these church goers would be to avoid making the gym your "new church" which is what the gym is for many of the muscle heads I see at mine -- strive for a healthy balance of church and gym like the Greeks taught us via their "everything in moderation" philosophy.
• Sports - during my school years our athletic teams competed against several Catholic schools who regularly had very good teams. Since I have moved around a lot in my life I have belonged to a number of Lutheran churches but what I never saw was any focus placed on youth sports such as the Catholic basketball leagues. Not only does participating in sports teach children the benefits of good health but it also teaches sportsmanship and teamwork which are essential elements for good citizenship.

To your health,

Todd

Apply for Membership

Yesterday US Congressman/Republican presidential candidate Tom Tancredo of Colorado called for the abolition of the "race-based caucuses in Congress" such as the Congressional Black Caucus, the "CBC", (Source: USA Today, Jan. 26th) because, "it is utterly hypocritical for Congress to extol the virtues of a colorblind society while officially sanctioning caucuses."

My first thought when I read this article was, "hey Congressman Tancredo, I completely agree with you about the hypocrisy of these caucuses but instead of just calling for them to be dissolved -- highly unlikely -- why don't you ask the caucuses if you can become a member?" Then I researched this suggestion a bit only to find that "white" Members of Congress have tried to join the CBC in the past but have been denied:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congressional_Black_Caucus -- reportedly first attempted by Congressman Pete " a white man and a Democrat" Stark in 1975

Perhaps our current Affirmative Action laws should be applied to the CBC so they create a "white slot" for someone like Congressman Tancredo to become a member?

Keep hope alive,

Todd

The Pieces of Tribune Company

As a native Iowan I grew up watching the Iowa Cubs (AAA farm club of the Chicago Cubs) and the Chicago Cubs so the recent news about the Tribune Company's future is of personal interest to you.

The Financial Times (FT) reported this week that the Tribune Company appears headed for extinction since it has numerous bidders for its collection of assets including:

Chandler family and News Corp -- focused on the newspaper assets especially Newsday which News Corp would like to combine with the back office operations of its New York Post newspaper to reduce operating expenses.

Carlyle Group -- is interested in buying Tribune's television stations

David Geffen -- this co-founder of SKG Dreamworks wanted to buy Tribune's Los Angeles Times

No where in this FT article were the Tribune's Chicago Cubs mentioned -- one of my most storied baseball teams in America. An interesting side note is that News Corp once owned the Los Angeles Dodges which they ultimately sold for $430 million (http://www.newscorp.com/news/news_206.html) to a private owner. Ideally a break up of the Tribune would result in a baseball fan owning the Cubs.

So who will ultimately own my beloved Cubs? When will they ever win the World Series? Perhaps I missed it but why haven't the sports writers commented on this pending Tribune sale/break up?

See you at the Cubby Bear,

Todd

Religious Intolerance

During a tour of the State of Missouri's capitol building in Jefferson City this week our tour guide noted that in the 1800's (http://www.bitsofblueandgray.com/October2004.htm) the Governor of Missouri issued an order forcing the removal of Mormons from the state since the state law forbid Mormons from living in Missouri.

This religious intolerance remained the law of the land until then Governor Kit Bond (and future US Senator) pushed to officially eliminate the law from the state code in the 1970's. I found this historical footnote especially interesting since former Governor Mitt Romney (http://firstspouses2008.blogspot.com) , a clearly prominent Mormon, is running for President of the USA.

Progress,

Todd

Taxes on Taxes

This week I am doing some work at the state capitols of Missouri and Kansas but stopped for dinner in Lawrence, Kansas (home of my alma mater's Big 12 Conference rivals -- the University of Kansas Jayhawks -- boo!!) to do some political networking with a college friend and his wife. We had dinner at an Italian-menu restaurant named , "Teller's" -- yes a converted bank -- in downtown/campus town Lawrence. Overall on my 5 point scale I would give them a "3.5" rating because indeed it was a very nice dining experience. The only items I would note for improvement would be reducing the salt content of my vegetables -- I still feel dehydrated hours later -- and to be more creative with the bread options. My "lightly breaded" grouper was excellent.

Prior to dinner I spent nearly two days working in Jefferson City, Missouri which coincided with Governor Matt Blunt's annual State of the State speech. His speech was dominated by talk of health care and education reforms but for me two items he mentioned regarding tax reform REALLY caught my attention:

1.) The Governor called for eliminating the application of Missouri's state income tax on Social Security benefits.

and

2.) The Governor called for exempting most businesses from the corporate franchise tax as long as they provided health insurance to their employees.

Congratulations to Governor Blunt on this tax reform leadership. Perhaps he could work with his father, US Congressman Roy Blunt, to drive substantial Social Security reform such as letting people keep this money to pay for health insurance instead -- simply give taxpayers a choice. Further, if the corporate franchise tax had never existed the business community would have had substantial funds that could have been spent on employee salaries or health care benefits instead of sending more tax dollars to Jefferson City.

Progress,

Todd

State of Economic Freedom

Tonight watching football and eating snacks on the couch was replaced with watching President Bush's annual "State of the Union" address and reading through my mail.

As I listened to the speech I read an op-ed by Mary Anastasia O'Grady which summarized the annual "2007 Index of Economic Freedom" which is co-published by the Heritage Foundation and the Wall Street Journal. The full index can be reviewed at -- www.heritage.org/index

The two partner organizations use a set of economic criteria (regulations, taxes, labor unions, etc.) to rank a total of 157 countries in terms of their overall economic freedom. Readers can review the full index for themselves so let me focus on the "top 5" and the "bottom 5" countries in this year's index:

1. Hong Kong (note - China itself was ranked #119)
2. Singapore
3. Australia
4. United States
5. New Zealand

and

153. Burma
154. Zimbabwe
155. Libya
156. Cuba
157. North Korea

Now granted, perhaps I missed it since I was reading my mail so maybe President Bush mentioned this index in his speech but I doubt it. I feel strongly that utilizing such an index would have helped him illustrate to the US Congress and world leaders who will focus on the speech's content the need for greater free trade in the world and an overall reduction in the role governments play in macroeconomics.

Ask yourself -- where would you rather open a business and/or raise a family? Australia (economically free) which has a high per capita income/quality of life or in Zimbabwe (economically oppressive) which must now rely on food aid to feed its citizens but was once a net exporter of food?

President Bush needs a TANGIBLE tool like this index to show when progress has been made in the march to freedom versus his current, intangible rhetoric about bringing democracy to Iraq.

Maybe next year,

Todd

Fishing

Several years ago two things made me realize that I was officially "old":

1.) I bought a copy of "Rolling Stone" magazine at an airport which had a young blond singer on the cover and I had NO idea who she was -- turned out it was Britney Spears, and

2.) I was skiing in Colorado when I was run over by a young kid on what I soon learned was a "snow board"

No further comments on Britney Spears today but regarding the sport of "snow boarding" I want to draw an analogy to the sport of "fishing" which is seeing a very similar demographic challenge. I remember a ski resort owner quoted years ago that, "snow boarding saved the skiing industry, because it brought the children back on the slopes and their parents came with them on their skis............."

I mention this historic development because our Minnesota Department of Natural Resources issued a report stating that "fewer young Minnesotans are fishing these days and as a result , the state is losing a generation of conservation-minded anglers.........." as quoted by the Pioneer Press's Outdoors Editor, Chris Niskanen, in yesterday's newspaper. Mr. Niskanen is inviting readers to send in any and all comments, concerns, and suggestions regarding what can be done/or not done to get more youth involved in fishing for publication in the February 4th Outdoors Section.

Here are my observations:

1.) Snowboarding -- I don't have the perfect solution to offer the fishing industry but it needs to discover/invent its own version of "snow boarding" to get children involved again so they bring their parents out fishing with them.

2.) Sports -- the fishing/outdoors industry should work to get "outdoor sports" to be sanctioned sports in high schools.

3.) Restaurants -- the Minnesota restaurant industry should create a "wild game fish" program that would pay young children to catch and deliver freshly caught fish to restaurants in their home towns.

4.) Drivers Licenses -- Minnesota state law should be changed to allow for a "combination license" that would combine the ability to drive a vehicle legally with the authority to hunt and fish in Minnesota perhaps called the "M-Card" -- classic one stop shopping for citizens that would ultimately save taxpayer/fee revenues by streamlining the licensing process.

5.) Farm Bureau -- perhaps the state farm bureau should expand its outreach to promote aquaculture to get children interested in raising fish for stocking our lakes and streams.

6.) Boy Scouts of America (BSA)-- sadly I think the Girls Scouts of America have become obsessed with political correctness/left wing politics and my beloved BSA has been under attack for it perceived homophobia and even worse - belief in GOD!!!! The BSA has a "Fishing merit badge" , http://www.meritbadge.com/mb/052.htm, which could be a great resource for the outdoors/fishing industry. I would suggest that the outdoors industry's players -- rod/reel manufacturers, Cabela's , Gander Mountain, REI, etc. work with the BSA to host merit badge counselor training sessions and BSA-endorsed fishing tournaments to get boys interested in the sport again. Since the "Explorer" scout program of the BSA is co-ed they could take into the girl population using this same model.

Hopefully my readers have better ideas that I have presented here so if you do please send them to:

Chris Niskanen
Pioneer Press - Outdoors Editor
345 Cedar Street
St. Paul, Minnesota 55101
cniskanen@pioneerpress.com

Todd

Send Them Invoices

Now this news item has two of my pet interests intertwined -- football and education reform - set in the Iron Range of Northern Minnesota at Hibbing Community College (HCC).

HCC Provost Ken Simberg announced this past week that due to his frustration with the "perennially dismal academic performance of the college's football players" he is recommending that the the school drop its football program for the 2007-2008 school year. Such a decision would make the world worse off for two reasons -- 1.) less football would be played and enjoyed and 2.) the 63 football players (nearly all of them have academic problems according to the Pioneer Press article I read, www.twincities.com) would be academic castaways since football is the only reason many of them are in college today.

Without the discipline and structure that comes from being a football player how can anyone expect these players to succeed academically? Granted they are doing poorly academically with the team grade point average over the last five years sitting at a 1.8 out of 4.0. However, of the 63 current players on the team only 3 are from Minnesota with a total of 34 players coming from Ohio and Florida.

Since nearly 50% of these underachieving students -- despite the remedial education courses that HCC provides for these players -- are from two states let me call on the State of Minnesota to send an invoice to the governments of Ohio and Florida for the cost of this remedial education and related academic counseling the athletic department is probably providing. I am all for the concept of student-athletes and the diversity that such player recruitment provides but why should our state bail out the poorly-performing K-12 education systems in Ohio and Florida.

Let me close with a quote from Branden Bailey, a freshman football recruit from College Park, Georgia -- "I beg you, please don't take this away from us, where I come from you either sell drugs, or you do something academic-wise or athletics-wide to stay out of trouble. We might go home and do worse."

Let's help these young men and future graduates by sending a very public message by sending invoices to the high schools that "taught" these students to recover the cost of HCC educating them with a copy of the invoices released to the media. Clearly the "No Child Left Behind" federal legislation has failed these students. We need to decentralize education and inject competition into the system not federalize it with more bureaucrats checking test scores.

Competition is good for football programs and classrooms.

Todd

Wanted: Rich Uncle

Yesterday I listened to Governor Tim Pawlenty give his annual State of the State speech for the State of Minnesota so today's newspaper coverage of this speech caught my attention given the Pioneer Press's headline --

"Money for Schools, strings attached"

Now this is clear media bias! I have to believe that most readers would view this headline as having a negative connotation wouldn't you? Based on a pie chart graphic I received from the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties for the 2006 elections I would note that just over 50% of the State of Minnesota's general budget goes to the K-12 education system today. I just have to ask -- how much is enough for the "children" in our education system? Perhaps we should give the schools 80 or even 90% of the state budget?

I realize it happens more than I want to admit but how many parents simply give money to their children when one of them says, "hey mom, give me $20.00..........." without asking something like, "so what do you plan to do with this $20 if I give it to you?"

Governor Pawlenty's speech noted that he is "willing to spend hundreds of millions of ADDITIONAL dollars on education over the next two years, but only if schools reform and meet performance standards." I agree with the Governor and most parents I know -- we aren't giving out more money without some performance expectations. One expectation the governor has is that students need to complete one year of college level courses while in high school for the school to be certified a "3R" school thereby qualifying for more funding.

Personally I would focus on increasing school choice, returning tax dollars to parents to spend on education options (such as hiring a private tutor for their child), and allowing school districts to compete with each other by giving them the autonomy to set their own school year calendar and perhaps to designate themselves as "English only curriculum" schools so they can standardize classes and save money.

The state government should not be viewed as a rich uncle handing out cash.

Todd

Island of Freedom

A very unique piece of real estate is for sale -- a sovereign principality off the coast of the United Kingdom known as the "Principality of Sealand", www.sealandgov.org, which was established in 1967. Sealand was created when Paddy Roy Bates ("Prince Roy") purchased a World War II concrete platform built by the United Kingdom just 8 miles off its coastline.

Mr. Bates now lives in Spain so his son, Prince Michael, is now the head of state. The Bates family is offering to sell Sealand for $975 million which some real estate developers have expressed an interest in developing.

What interests me is the Bates' family statement that Sealand was created to escape "oppressive laws" but sadly I could not find an overview of the Laws of Sealand on their website. Perhaps they don't have any laws but I wanted some understanding of how the principality is governed given efforts such as the "Free State Project" which seeks to move enough liberty-loving citizens to the State of New Hampshire so that individual freedoms could be further extended and government even more limited.

Unfortunately Sealand is located in the North Sea not the Caribbean Sea so I don't plan to move the family there anytime soon but the "concept" of Sealand does inspire me.

Create your own island,

Todd

Dream Job

Former Auditor for the State of Minnesota, Pat (formerly Awada) Anderson has my dream job!! Ms. Anderson lost re-election as Auditor in November 2006 but was recently appointed by Governor Tim Pawlenty to become Commissioner of the Department of Employee Relations (DER). Assuming the state senate confirms her appointment -- they probably will but I would not be shocked if they delayed it a bit given her assigned job duties since government union jobs are likely to be lost -- Commissioner Anderson's primary job function will be to "scrap it (DER) as a stand-alone agency" because that is what Governor Pawlenty appointed her to accomplish.

As regular readers of this blog know I mentioned that my "dream job" in government would be to be appointed by my governor (or the president) to eliminate an entire department/agency. No I would not just give all employees card board boxes so they could empty their desks - instead I would help make them employable in the private sector or encourage them to start their own businesses.

My only concern with Commissioner Anderson's job assignment is how it was reported by Bill Salisbury in the Pioneer Press newspaper stating that "he (Governor Pawlenty) expects her (Anderson) to transfer the agency's functions to the Administration and Finance departments and other offices in about 18 months." The key word here of course is, "transfer" , versus my own pet phrase, "eliminate", because if this appointment of Commissioner Anderson simply results in moving things around, changing department letterhead, etc. versus actually CUTTING AND ELIMINATING government regulations and job functions then taxpayers and entrepreneurs are not gaining.

No where did I see in Salisbury's article an estimated "savings to taxpayers" amount but perhaps my friends at the Reason Foundation, www.reason.org or Citizens Against Government Waste, www.cagw.org, can get involved with Commissioner Anderson's work so we are able to see a reduction in the overall level of government in the Land of 10,000 Taxes.

Reduce don't Recycle,

Todd

Helping the Homeless

Yesterday's Pioneer Press newspaper published a small news item entitled, "Study finds 744,000 homeless in US", reporting on a study released by the National Alliance to End Homelessness (NAEH) . The study went on to note that a majority of the homeless were single adults.

Most people reading this story would probably say, "well that is bad, nearly 1 million people are homeless, so what is the government going to do about it?" By contrast, my first thought was a reminder of "homeless advocate" Mitch Snyder's claims in the 1980's that "millions of people are homeless so if a homeless advocacy group like NAEH claims only 744,000 homeless today then clearly we have made progress!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

http://www.townhall.com/columnists/ThomasSowell/2001/06/28/lying_statistics

Even at 1 million out of a population of 280 million in the USA that is not too bad since that is around 0.3 %! No I am not heartless, I don't want people to be homeless which is why I have been a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, www.habitat.org but clearly homelessness in America is not a "crisis" in statistical terms.

So why don't we end homelessness simply by using the new Massachusetts health care model which REQUIRES people to purchase health insurance? We could simply mandate that homeless people need to purchase homes!!! :-) Not only would we end homelessness we would help clear the market of the excess homes for sale today.

Wow, public policy is so easy -- no government hearings are needed -- we simply need to mandate everything which will save consumers time deciding how to spend their money.

Utopia is closer,

Todd

Smurf Turf

Regular readers of this blog know I love all versions of football -- college, NFL, CFL, Arena, Australian, and probably some I haven't watched yet -- so the last two or three weeks have been an exciting time given the 32 college bowl games being played this year.

I especially love underdogs and football teams that utilize "trickeration" to win games so this past season provided the perfect team for me to root for in Boise State University, http://www.boisestate.edu/, home of the famous "smurf turf" blue football field which apparently really bothers visiting teams. Boise State used plays like the "hook and ladder" and the "statue of liberty" to win the Fiesta Bowl over #8 ranked (at the time) Oklahoma University -- excellent use of trickeration Broncos!!!

Now that another underdog team -- University of Florida with a season record of 13 wins and 1 loss -- has officially been declared the national champion after destroying Ohio State University by a score of 41 to 14 in the BCS championship game the final AP and Coaches' Top 25 polling results have been issued. These final rankings list Boise State at #5 in the AP and #6 in the Coaches' poll. Congratulations on a fine season Boise State with your 13 wins and 0 losses -- you are the ONLY undefeated team in the Top 25 rankings.

As has been noted by most sports show personalities the BCS system is broken when the nation's only undefeated team in the Top 25 is not given any chance of playing for the national championship. Had Boise State been allowed to play one more game against Florida after Florida defeated Ohio State then college football would have had it best chance in its history essentially of having a true national champion with Boise State's final record at 14 wins and 0 losses assuming they defeated Florida of course.

Whether you hate football or love the current BCS system ("cartel") you have to admit that a Boise-Florida game played for all the marbles would have been damn exciting. No that game did not happen but some excitement is happening on the Boise State campus since the Idaho Board of Education has approved a $36 million project to improve Bronco Stadium that will give them a capacity of 32,000 seats.

Go Broncos,

Todd

Private vs. Public Sector

While doing some work at the Iowa Legislature today (Jan. 10th) I stopped by the public information office to secure a copy of the new legislative directory of members. Let me be clear here, the public employees working in the office were VERY personable and helpful so no criticism of them but I was really struck when one of the employees told me, "our directory won't be published for about another month (Feb. 10th).......but you can buy the one published by the Iowa Bankers Association (IBA) which is already available..........it is actually pretty embarrassing how long we take to produce ours given how quickly the private sector (IBA) delivers their product.

Here is an idea --- why doesn't the State of Iowa quit publishing its legislative directory since the IBA clearly has built a better mouse trap? Clearly an opportunity here to save the taxpayers of Iowa some money. For more on government waste issues please see my friends at -- www.cagw.org

Less is more,

Todd

Titles

Last week in church our "Pastor Ray" gave the sermon with his theme focused on the " negative titles" that we often give people such as when he was a young boy he was labeled as a "poor reader". I found the sermon interesting given its personal nature and Pastor Ray's personal accomplishment in overcoming - by realizing he was simply a "visual learner" not a poor reader -- this stigma that hurt him academically.

I didn't give his sermon much thought again until two nights ago when I was getting dressed at my gym when I heard a father tell his very young son -- "here let me do that since you suck at it.......... -- referring to tying his swimming suit waist string. Well, so much for the power of positive thinking!! No wonder we have underachieving students in the USA given parents like this father.

Personally, I think it is fair to say that there was a national feeling that the late, former President Gerald Ford was a "father figure" to most of the nation based on the funeral coverage I heard on television. I was reminded of President Ford's character tonight after reading an op-ed by Cliff Kincaid at Accuracy in Media entitled, "Gerald Ford: A Boy Scout President" , in which Kincaid noted that Ford was the only US President to have attained the highest rank the Boy Scouts of America offers -- Eagle Scout.

Kincaid goes on to cite the example of a "negative title" given in Tom Clancy's book, A Clear and Present Danger, where a dishonest White House aide chides the book's CIA official, Jack Ryan's honesty (played by Harrison Ford), by saying, "You're such a Boy Scout", in a very contemptuous tone. As an Eagle Scout myself I am even prouder of President Ford's term in office now that I know he was our only Eagle Scout President. Pastor Ray's message is a good one -- a message that I need to work on daily so I don't attach negative titles to the people around me.

May your glass be half full,

Todd

Dog Parks and Strip Joints

Two government entities-- Norway's High Court and the USA's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) -- issued decisions recently (Norway in late November/early December and the FDA on January 5th that I found to be both entertaining and thought provoking.

The Norwegian ruling concluded that strip clubs will no longer have to pay the country's 25% Value Added Tax (VAT) because the court believes "striptease was an art form and therefore exempt from the tax." (Source - The Week magazine).

As for the FDA, they announced their approval of Slentrol which is a prescription drug designed to combat obesity levels in America's pet population. (Source - Pioneer Press newspaper).

Personally these two government decisions generate several questions for me including:

1.) What is "art" and can supporting the arts reduce even more taxes?
2.) Will supply side economics be proven true via an increase in lap dances in Norway?
3.) If there is a consumer demand for products to fight pet obesity what is next, nursing homes for pets?
4.) Does the FDA really need to spend its limited resources on such issues as pet obesity?
5.) If Norway joins the European Union will strippers continue to be exempt from the 25% VAT ? Wow, I am a complete policy geek with that one!!
6.) Will airlines start charging passengers for the extra fuel costs driven by obese pets on flights?

What a world,

Todd

Veterans of Congress

USA political news was dominated this week by the news of the Democratic Party returning to power in the US House of Representatives -- 12 years after the "Contract with America" revolution brought Republicans to power after nearly 50 years of being the minority party. Coupled with this historic return to power by the Democrats they also elected Representative Nancy Pelosi as the Speaker of the House making her the first woman to ever serve in this powerful job. This is no small achievement given our glass ceiling ("marble ceiling" to use Grandma Pelosi's term) culture in America which clearly harms women's careers.

As part of the news coverage of the swearing in of the new Congress one of our local newspapers provided a statistical analysis of the new Congress of 535 total Members. I have noted a few of their key findings below which in same cases I have converted to percentages for ease of discussion purposes:

• About 17% of the current Members of Congress are women
• About 25% of the current Members of Congress served in the military

When you look at the demographics of Congress this way it shows how substantial Grandma Pelosi's climb to power really is given the gender gap. Secondly, nearly 75% of Members of Congress have never served in the military which clearly shows that our country's military is truly civilian-controlled but on the flip side only 131 of the 535 Members have first hand knowledge of the lives of our military men and women. Given the likelihood that even more troops will be sent to Iraq I have to believe more military veterans will be elected with the 2008 elections.

I can't help but ponder the question -- "how would American foreign policy be affected?" -- if 50% or even 75% of the Members of Congress were military veterans. Would we enter more wars or less given their real world experience on the battlefield?

Boots on the ground wins elections,

Todd

Hurricane Katrina

This past weekend my wife and I attended a viewing at the Science Museum of Minnesota of "Hurricane on the Bayou" starring two musicians -- Tab Benoit, a Cajun guitar player/song writer, and Amanda Shaw, a 14 year old violin prodigy -- she is a pretty impressive musician based on the jam sessions contained in this film.

The original idea of this documentary was to show how the wetlands of Louisiana have been changed thus creating environmental concerns. Filming began three months before Hurricane Katrina hit so the documentary expanded its range a bit by including an overview of hurricanes and the devastation brought to New Orleans.

Overall I enjoyed this film as it was entertaining and educational but the one key point that stayed with me is Mr. Benoit's explanation -- two primary man-made factors to be exact - regarding why caused the destruction of the wetlands that have been lost so far:

1.) Levees -- built by "well meaning engineers in the 1930's" (quoting Mr. Benoit here) to shield us against hurricanes the levees actually altered the natural flow of soil deposits and water flow which ultimately killed parts of the mangrove forests. No doubt these engineers were part of President Franklin Roosevelt's "New Deal" to spend our way out of the Great Depression.

2.) Canals -- built to aid navigation/shipping from the Port of New Orleans to the sea. These canals created the opportunity for salt water from the sea to infiltrate the fresh water homes of the mangrove trees thus killing entire forests.

So what do levees and canals have in common?? Both of these projects were GOVERNMENT PROJECTS. If you don't believe me spend some time reading about the Erie Canal or the Dismal Swamp Company -- yesterday's canals seem very similar to today's light rail train networks.

Government harms us with our own money.

Move to higher ground and vote for less government programs,

Todd

Books Read in 2006

Hello bibliophiles,

After I posted the list of books I read in 2005 on this blog last year complete with my mini-reviews I was honored by the interest blog readers expressed in my list including one reader that purchased a book based on my description.

So here is my list of “Books Read in 2006” (actually more books than I read in 2005 which is an annual personal objective – NOT a resolution). This blog posting will also be cross-posted on my new blog devoted to books, http://erasmusbookclub.blogspot.com.

May 2007 be a great chapter in your book of life,

Todd

“Rashomon” by Fay and Michael Kanin -- A relatively short book from Japan that my old book club read coupled with watching the film the night we reviewed this book. The story is a bit slow but it does provide a lesson on “perspective/perception” since the three primary characters each described the story in completely different ways. From my perspective this is not a book worth reading nor would I recommend it to friends given the better choices that follow.

“The Lion’s Game” by Nelson De Mille -- One of the few fiction books I read this year (goal for 2007 is to read more fiction) thanks to my wife who bought it for me. The main character is a completely ruthless, cold-blooded killer but I also noticed the very selfish qualities he possessed which for me summarized the terrorist mind-set. I really enjoyed the story telling and look forward to reading more De Mille in 2007.

“The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien – O’Brien is a Minnesota native who served in the Vietnam war (“conflict” – depending on how you were taught) so this book is essentially a collection of “fact-fiction” stories (my own term) based on O’Brien’s experiences there which seemed to symbolize the confusion that was the Vietnam experience for many Americans. The format of the book is rather dis-jointed but worth reading for insights on America’s folly in Vietnam.

“Why Europe will run the 21st Century” by Mark Leonard – this book is focused on explaining how the European Union (EU) uses its “soft power” via diplomacy, foreign aid, and historical colonial ties in contrast to the USA’s “hard power” via military force to guide world events. Having studied/worked in Europe for nearly 4 years of my life I can safely say that the EU will NOT run the 21st Century. Sure, the EU will have influence but they have major problems the book does not address such as major employment problems that exist including one friend of mine – a very intelligent young professional type that the EU needs as a future leader - who was educated at one of the best universities in the United Kingdom who told me that “my country is a complete wreck, I would move to the USA if I had the opportunity………..”
“The Iranians: Persia, Islam, and the Soul of a Nation” by Sandra Mackey – A great overview of the history and culture of Iran which will really help any reader better understand the current nuclear weapons program conflict Iran has with the United Nations.

“Overthrow” by Stephen Kinzer – An excellent historical review of American foreign policy complete with military and economic coups ranging from Hawaii, Iran (see number 5 above), and most of Latin America. I was reminded of the old maxim regarding the USA’s relationships with foreign dictators -- “…….sure he is a bastard but he is our bastard.”

“Water for Sale” by Fredrik Segerfeldt - I know Fredrik from his work at the Swedish free market (no, this is not a typo!!!) think tank, www.timbro.se , TIMBRO. I happened to be in Washington DC when Fredrik was on a panel discussion discussing this book. He advocates for the use of property rights and the sale of water to better allocate this essential resource -- I agree and hope you read this book.

“Greatness – Reagan, Churchill, and the Making of Extraordinary Leaders” by Steven F. Hayward – An interesting read but I definitely prefer single subject biographies versus a book format like this one that seeks to draw parallels in the personal histories and styles of these two world leaders.

“One Billion Customers” by James McGregor – I heard Mr. McGregor speak at a lunch event in Minneapolis where each attendee was given a copy of his book which focuses on his years of experience in China coupled with insights on how to do business with the Chinese. McGregor confirms that China is indeed the most exciting economy in the world today – perhaps it is time for the US federal government to take a cue from China by adopting some free market capitalism so Americans can enjoy 10% annual economic growth rates!!!
“Mere Christianity” by CS Lewis” – Without a doubt Mr. Lewis is a great writer but this book’s format is rather disjointed since it is based on a collection talk radio episodes from a program he hosted during World War II where his comments to callers seemed to be overly focused on sex and sports analogies. I much prefer his Narnia books which I read in junior high school -- http://books.narnia.com – which I hope to share with all my godchildren one day.

“Reclaiming Africa” by various authors but edited by James Shikwati - I know James from his think tank work in Kenya so I gladly purchased a copy of this book at James’ book signing event at a conference. Overall I am not a fan of these types of books where several authors write long essays that are edited together as separate chapters within an overall book. But the real value here is that the authors are AFRICANS writing about Africa from their local perspective – they are not United Nations bureaucrats or Greenpeace do-gooders writing from their “white man’s burden” perspective regarding what the continent of Africa needs to improve quality of life.

“Left to Tell” by Immaculee Ilibagiza – I was fortunate enough to hear this woman from war torn Rwanda speak at a conference hosted by the American Legislative Exchange Council ( www.alec.org ). This book explained how she and several other women survived the genocide between Hutus and Tutsis in Rwanda by hiding in a bathroom for 3 months. Read a story like this and you can’t help but hate the United Nations and former colonial masters (France in this case) who stood by while the genocide progressed – government is bad enough but if governments must exist that must at least maintain law and order since it is the primary function of government.

“Last of the Mohicans” by James Fenimore Cooper – I read this book as a child but re-read it this year since I received a copy as a gift. The book itself provides a great commentary regarding personal character, courage, and friendship but sadly is a rather slow read compared to our modern day story tellers such as Nelson De Mille.

“Step-Parent’s Survival Guide by Hilary Bond – Since the author of this book is British I understood the cultural/societal references since I lived in London for two years so non-British readers might not understand some of the references. Historically I have not read such self-help books but did gain some worthy advice from this book since I am new to being a step father.

“Shadow Divers” by Robert Kurson – If you love scuba diving like I do you will love this book which is focused on New Jersey divers who are trying to identify a German U-boat wreck. A great story that I mailed to a fraternity brother/dive buddy once I finished it.

“Free Soil, Free Labor, Free Men” by Eric Foner- A history of the Republican Party of the USA prior to the Civil War. Having read this book I have no idea why any black/African American would vote for a Democratic Party candidate. Personally, I would love to see the “Free Soil Party” revived as a modern day party focused on “tax slavery” given our confiscatory income tax rates.

“The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini- Another one of the few fiction books I read in 2006. This is a great tale focused on Taliban-controlled Afghanistan but beyond this geography the focus is on how power corrupts people making it a great tribute to Lord Acton’s sage observation (“power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely”).

“The Eagle and the Raven” by James Michener – Yet another fiction book for 2006 which I happened to purchase after a canoe trip in Ely, Minnesota from a local book shop where the owner told me that the North American Free Trade Agreement was bad for America. I did not stay to educate her especially since I swear I saw her talking to her cats J This story focuses on the battles between General Sam Houston of Texas and General Santa Ana of Mexico. Overall, a fun and quick read.

“The Sea Wolf” by Jack London – Coincidentally I was reading this book as I traveled to a convention held in San Francisco last summer. The coincidence of course is that London set his story in San Francisco so I made certain to visit the earthquake/fire storm museum in San Francisco which included a display of London’s work. As for the book itself if you want to curl up on the couch to do some deep thinking on the nature of a man’s soul and place in this world this is the book to read since the character, Captain Wolf Larson, will force you to think.

“America: The Last Best Hope - Volume I” by Bill Bennett – After years of hearing Mr. Bennett preach about the need for personal responsibility only to have it disclosed that he had/has a gambling addiction I wrote him off as a social policy commentator. But then my wife purchased this book for me which I will say with surprise – “this is the best book I read in 2006” -- I am waiting with great anticipation for Volume II scheduled for publication in 2007. Perhaps another gift for me?

“Dirty Work” by Nigel Cox- While on our honeymoon in New Zealand I purchased this book from The Little Ferret book shop in the Cuba Street pedestrian mall area of Wellington which is a great area to spend some time if you get the chance. Apparently this book (it is fiction) is based on the economic reforms New Zealand implemented which shook up some workers as competition increased. I wanted to read a book by a native New Zealander so I could get their perspective on the world but the “hotel for the down and out” model that Mr. Cox used as the setting for the book is a universal theme since this sub-culture of people seems to exist in most countries I have visited.

“Three Weeks with my Brother” by Nicolas Sparks and Micah Sparks – this is part travel memoir , part human nature observation, and part family history written as a result of a world tour that the Sparks brothers made together. Since I have one brother myself this book really resonated with me on a personal level and the travel involved made me want to dust off my well-worn passport. Sadly this is the first Nicholas Sparks book I have read but I hope to read more of his work. At one point Sparks notes that he “continued reading 100 books per year” which really made me think about my own personal reading. Overall – this is the second best book I read in 2006.

“Golden Memories” by Ray Chistensen with Stew Thornley – Due to my in-laws I have a personally signed copy of this book which tracks Mr. Christensen’s radio personality career which was dominated by Minnesota sports (professional and university) broadcasting. However, the book also covered his experience in the arts community and radio theatre which I found very interesting since I really identified with the author on this aspect. I am the kind of guy who could attend a Minnesota Vikings football game on a Sunday afternoon followed by a black tie reception to see the Minnesota Orchestra -- good living!


QUESTION - Let me close by asking readers to share any recommended books with me and also to ask all of you (I have at least 4 readers out there I know) – how many books do you read each year??

Hypocrisy at USA Today

Well today's "McPaper" (as my fraternity brother Harvey calls it) -- USA Today as it is officially known -- published its list of "2007 Resolutions (Resolutions we'd like to see)" on page 11a which included this one that caught my attention:

"Pick fights with Republicans, not Democrats. - Incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California" (quoting USA Today here)

However, in a triumph for hypocrisy this same newspaper made the classic call for "bipartisan progress" in a post-November 7th election editorial which I have excerpted below:

http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2006/11/post_55.html
"But even accounting for the unusual circumstances, Bush's picks are troubling. In the days after tide-turning elections, the two parties examine each other's signals to gauge where they might work together and where they will clash. Some of these picks seem like the political equivalent of a poke in the eye to the incoming majority. They could signal a state of denial about the Nov. 7 thumping, or a reluctance by Bush to move to the political center. In either case, they're not an encouraging portent for bipartisan progress."


So which is it USA Today? President Bush should make appointments to key offices that are pre-approved by the Democratic Congress or do you want Speaker-elect Pelosi to "pick fights with Republicans...." ?

Let us call on the Republican and Democratic leadership in Congress to resolve to eliminate personal income taxes -- now that would be a fantastic "living wage" for everyone.

Todd

I want my DMK-TV

Karl Marx is forever quoted as noting that "religion is the opiate of the people" but his thinking needs a modern day overhaul given today's news out of the State of Tamil Nadu in India.

The Associated Press (AP) reports that the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) political party has declared "color television is a basic necessity" so they have distributed 60,000 TV sets so far and will distribute another 30,000 sets in the near future. DMK won elections in May 2006 that brought them to power on the promise of free TVs to the poor residents of Tamil Nadu.

What an amazing coincidence because following Christmas dinner with family friends this week we discussed a range of issues including immigration, war, and poverty -- yes, great Christmas themes I admit!! -- at which point I made the point that "nearly 95% of US households have TVs so what is truly 'poverty' today?" I too want poverty eliminated by not via "solutions" proposed by people like John "Two Americas" Edwards (http://firstspouses2008.blogspot.com) which include mandating a "living wage" -- economic growth and entrepreneurs is what the world needs not more government programs.

As for Mr. Marx he was the original welfare queen since his family lived primarily from Friedrich Engel's income derived from the family business in Manchester, UK so Marx called for a revolution while enjoying the fruits of capitalism - the very system he was fighting. For reference please see - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marx under "Family life".


Hello Bollywood,

Todd

Presidents and Kings

Well today's news was (rightly) dominated by the death of former US President Gerald Ford - the only American to serve as president who was not elected to the office. President Ford of course was confirmed as Vice President with Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned and then Ford became President when President Richard Nixon resigned a year later as the Watergate scandal consumed the nation.

Despite the Saturday Night Live skits portraying President Ford as a clumsy idiot -- which of course he wasn't as evidenced by his football career at the perennial football powerhouse, University of Michigan -- I always had a good feeling about President Ford. He clearly had the "I could drink a beer with that guy" quality so often sought by voters.

President Ford's death this week overshadowed an op-ed/open letter really from Adam Hochschild, author of "King Leopold's Ghost: a story of greed, terror, and heroism in colonial Africa". Hochschild originally wrote this op-ed for the Los Angeles Times but it was also published in my local newspaper. Hochschild's op-ed draws a parallel between King Leopold II of Belgium's brutal colonization of the "Belgian Congo" in Africa and President George W. Bush's current occupation of Iraq.

Having lived/worked in Belgium and having worked with several Africans I do not believe Hochschild comparison between Leopold and Bush is entirely accurate but this is not the focus of my posting today. In his op-ed Hochschild states that, "Lyndon B. Johnson, entered politics as a traditional segregationist but ended up doing more for civil rights than any American president of this century."

You are WRONG on both points Mr. Hochschild regarding President Johnson.

President Johnson robbed American taxpayers by creating a mish-mash of social welfare programs collectively known as the "Great Society" which ultimately created a modern day "plantation" system via public housing projects, food stamps, and government jobs programs for the nation's poor which were predominantly black/African-American.

If you don't believe this please read a copy of my friend, Star Parker's (a black woman/former "welfare queen" now a limited government activist) excellent book, "Uncle Sam's Plantation" which destroys the myth that the "Great Society" helped America's poor. Bottom line -- President Johnson used federal tax dollars to move the nation's poor to housing projects and managed all aspects of the residents' lives via federal programs.

Mr. Hochschild needs to read a few books himself (as he suggests to President Bush in his op-ed) such as Hayek's classic tome -- "The Road to Serfdom"

Habitat (www.habitat.org) not HUD,

Todd

Most Livable Places

As regular readers know I love the full range of rankings such as -- US states with the highest tax burdens, literacy rates, etc. so here is another one courtesy of this week's Parade magazine. According to the book, State Rankings 2006, America's "most livable places" based on 44 factors such as income, education, and job growth include:

1. New Hampshire
2. Minnesota
3. Iowa
4. Vermont
5. New Jersey
6. Wyoming
7. Massachusetts
8. Virginia
9. Nebraska
10. Connecticut

Based on this top ten list let me offer the following observations:

1.) Minnesota and Iowa - (my adopted and home states) are ranked #2 and #3 of course. My selfish concern is that people will flee the coastal areas for these Great Plains/Upper Midwest states for the "good life" but given the negative connotations that I have seen people give to my beloved "Iowa" this migration is a VERY small fear of mine.

2.) New Hampshire - this state was selected by the "Free State Project" (http://freestateproject.org/) to be the official state where freedom-loving people would relocate to in order to create a "critical mass" of such people that would enable a popular political revolution to reduce government in order to maximize individual liberties.

Enjoy your home,

Todd

Paul Hewson

I was surprised to read last week that Bono, the lead singer of rock band/humanitarians "U2" (of which I am a fan) agreed to a "KBE" -- Knight of the British Empire -- honorary knighthood from the United Kingdom. U2's spokesman stated that Mr. Hewson (Bono's real name) was "flattered by the honor and hoped it would help him open diplomatic doors in his campaign for more Western aid to Africa."

Bono of course is Irish and Ireland and the United Kingdom have a bloody shared history which continues today as the "Troubles" in Northern Ireland where Catholics and Protestants continue to kill each other -- apparently religious intolerance and poverty are more welcome in Belfast versus peace and prosperity. The VERY first thing I thought of when I read of Bono's knighthood was the lyrics of U2's 1983 song, "Sunday Bloody Sunday" which follow below --

http://www.lyricsfreak.com/u/u2/sunday+bloody+sunday_20141428.html

"Broken bottles under childrens' feet. Bodies strewn across the dead end street."

This song was written about the religious killings in Northern Ireland so I was shocked Bono's quote (via his spokesman) was focused on "Africa" not "Northern Ireland" given his heritage and musical history.

Merry Christmas to Belfast,

Todd

Gophers Avoiding the Sioux

As sports fans know the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) announced this year that universities under their jurisdiction must phase out the use of sports nicknames that utilize "American Indian mascots" such as the "Fighting Sioux" (www.fightingsioux.com) at the University of North Dakota (UND).

Now I am descended from German-American farmers (why don't we use this title like African-Americans?) so I am probably not sensitive enough but I have to think that "Fighting Sioux" is a term of respect especially based on the Native American Indian history that I studied during my years as a Boy Scout -- we were taught respect for their heritage not racist thoughts but I digress :-) Last week I read that the University of Minnesota's (UOM) Advisory Committee on Athletics asked the Minnesota Gophers athletic department (www.gophersports.com) to "make every effort to avoid scheduling HOME EVENTS with schools that use American Indian mascots".

The Gophers' athletic department then announced that the UOM would not compete with UND in any sports "EXCEPT FOR MEN'S AND WOMEN'S HOCKEY because of the school's Fighting Sioux nickname." Well..............................so the Gophers can play a football game in Grand Forks, North Dakota or a hockey game in Minneapolis against the Fighting Sioux but playing a basketball game against the Fighting Sioux IN Minneapolis is verboten ("forbidden" for you non-German speakers)!!!!

What a crazy, patch work quilt athletic policy!!! My speculation is that this exception exists simply because hockey games generate CASH and the other sports don't for the UOM thus allowing the Gophers to make a statement against "racist nicknames" but can still improve their balance sheets.

I am waiting for an official response from the UOM's Athletic Department so I can post their comments here but a follow up question I have for them is -- so will you ban your fellow Big Ten Conference university, University of Illinois "Fighting Illini " (an Indian tribe for readers that don't know) from competing against the Gophers in Minneapolis unless they change their nickname?

You can't be half-pregnant Gophers,

Todd

Deputy Warren

Earlier this week in Wheeling, West Virginia, Michael Warren was sworn in as a deputy sheriff for Ohio County. The 20-year-old Wintersville resident once weighed more than 300 pounds but lost 125 pounds in 18 months to pursue a career in law enforcement.

I first heard of this story yesterday while listening to one of my favorite talk radio shows -- Garage Logic -- http://www.surfmusic.de/radio-station/kstp-am-1500,6137.html where the Mayor of Gumption County and his listeners dispense common sense solutions to everyday issues thereby eliminating the need for more government programs. But I digress :-) Regarding Mr. Warren the conversation on Garage Logic noted that when he began his weight loss program he could not do one push up but the Ohio County Sheriff's Office's physical fitness requirements call for recruits to perform 18 push ups. Following his weight loss/deputy process Mr. Warren reports he can perform 30 push ups and run 1.5 miles in 16 minutes which is pretty respectable.

Now don't get me wrong I commend Mr. Warren for taking command of his personal life -- no where in the media accounts of his story did I see any evidence of a government program to help obese people, etc. Although I can't help but conclude that there must be a shortage of personnel to become deputies since Ohio County clearly had to wait :) for Mr. Warren to lose his weight before they could hire him. Since it is clear that US soldiers/sailors/airmen will be headed home from Iraq before the 2008 elections I assume that hundreds/perhaps thousands of these veterans will be seeking employment when they return home due to their tours of duty being concluded or sadly because they lost their job at home due to the long absence in Iraq (which it apparently illegal but bad things happen).

Let me encourage our law enforcement community to actively recruit these returning veterans to become police officers given their military training and physical fitness credentials. Given the large amount of "homeland security" funds distributed by the US Congress I am certain that city and county governments have funds available for hiring our veterans.

Congratulations Deputy Warren,

Todd

$7.25 per hour

This week President Bush displayed his compassionate conservatism by agreeing to support the Democrat-controlled US Congress' (come January 2007) plan to increase the federal minimum wage by $2.10 to $7.25 per hour over the next two years.

As regular SpaceBeagle readers know I OPPOSE minimum wage laws for numerous reasons but here are some quick bullet points to get your thinking or angry depending on the welfare state of your mind:

• My first job paid me $1.20 per hour washing dishes. I am only 41 years old so no this was not during the Great Depression which I note for readers given the sad state of our public school system which primarily teaches "social studies" versus "history" courses. This hourly rate and the nasty nature of the work inspired me to study well in school, read a lot of books, and go to university so I could avoid having a career in this field :)
• Minimum wages are completely arbitrary since they are set by Congress and state legislatures based on political deal making NOT based on any economic models or excellent job performance by individuals.
• Minimum wages are collectivist in nature -- why should Fred or Barb who work next to you in the assembly line be paid the same that you are when you are busting your ass to earn a promotion to line supervisor and on up the corporate ladder to provide a good life for your children?
• Minimum wages come as a "gift" from the government not because of personal achievement thus it moves people further along the "Road to Serfdom" (a book by economist Friedrich Hayek which was probably banned from your public school library).

But enough of my speechifying :) Let me offer President Bush's quote that he provided to justify this unnecessary intrusion into the economy by the government:

"So I support pairing it (wage increase) with targeted tax and regulatory relief to help these small businesses stay competitive and to help keep our economy growing."

Targeted? That means government chooses the winners and losers in the economy not consumers. Regulatory relief? Telling a busy what it MUST pay its workers if NOT regulatory relief Mr. President.

The era of Big Government appears never to have died President Clinton,

Todd

The Need for Celebrities

Yesterday's media seemed to be completely dominated by Don Trump's decision to not say "You're Fired" to the current Miss USA who apparently is guilty of some underage drinking thus giving her a second chance. Then in today's newspaper I read that Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) has severed its ties to the current Miss Teen USA due to her own underage drinking.

Since Miss USA agreed to go to rehab to treat her alcohol intake the journalists covering the story noted all the celebrities who have entered rehab recently such as Mel Gibson which received substantial "news coverage" in Star Magazine --

http://www.starmagazine.com/celebrity_news_gossip/star/9313

Personally, I don't watch the entertainment TV channels and my wife's People magazine is not on my regular reading list but I do see a societal need for celebrities to help bring attention to life's various challenges and diseases.

Why?

Christopher Reeve is perhaps the perfect example to support my statement because honestly, who ever discussed the term, "neuro recovery" , on CNN or in your local coffee shop until Superman fell off his horse? http://www.christopherreeve.org/site/c.geIMLPOpGjF/b.899265/k.CC03/Home.htm

Also, this week it was reported that First Lady Laura Bush (for a preview of the 2008 elections please check my new blog at -- http://firstspouses2008.blogspot.com) recently had surgery for skin cancer which will help drive a focus on skin care issues and treatments I am certain.

Overall celebrities not only entertain the general population their tradegies/personal challenges also impact the health and welfare of the nation. Of course there are both positives and negatives to this conclusion but overall I see more good than bad being produced by such a phenomenon since unknown/faceless patients benefit when a well known celebrity falls ill with the same disease.

Dark indeed but hopeful,

Todd

Volunteering

While reading my local newspaper this week I notice this annual ranking of citizen volunteer participation rates in the USA (survey/percentage of people older than 16 who have donated time to a non profit organization in the last 3 years):

1. Utah -- 48%
2. Nebraska - 43%
3. Minnesota - 41%
4. Iowa - 39%
5. Alaska - 39%
6. Wyoming - 39%
7. South Dakota - 39%
8. Kansas - 39%
9. Vermont - 38%
10. Montana - 38%

Source: Volunteering in America, State Trends and Rankings, and Corporation for National and Community Service

Based on these rankings let me offer the following observations:

1.) Utah has the highest percentage of citizens volunteering at nearly 50% which suggests that nearly ONE HALF OF AMERICANS aren't volunteering to do anything. Perhaps they are watching too much TV -- please note my posting here "Census Statistics" at http://erasmusbookclub.blogspot.com/ - regarding our couch potato culture.

2.) 8 out of 10 of these states are located in "fly over country" -- meaning they are not part of the East or West coasts' cultural elites which is the home of the limosine liberals that prefer taking our tax dollars so government can "help people" by giving grants to organizations.

3.) Minnesota and Iowa -- my home states are ranked at #3 and #4 respectively which makes me very proud.

Since Christmas is upon us why not consider helping a homeless family by volunteering to build a home for a family via Habitat for Humanity? www.habitat.org

Help the needy,

Todd

Sports Socialism

Yesterday my wife and I attended a Minnesota Vikings (National Football League) versus New York Jets football game with a fraternity brother (Pete) and his wife. Thankfully we had our friends to talk to during the game since the Vikings did not give us anything exciting to watch on the gridiron!! Ultimately the Vikes lost to the Jets by a score of 26 to 13 thus it appears the Vikings won't even make the playoffs this year.

During the game I leaned over to tell Pete my prediction that -- "..........by the 2018 NFL season all teams will have the same season win/loss record since the league insists on PARITY not competition........." It is this NFL policy that inspired me to coin the phrase "sports socialism" since the socialist model is to use centralized authority (the Commissioner's office and the NFL team owners in this case -- the "politburo") to equalize everything. I would rather see a dominant football team when the Super Bowl with a perfect season record rather than today's current situation this week where the bulk of NFL teams have .500 win/loss records. Where the excitement in such a world??

Personally having studied and worked in Europe for nearly 4 years of my life I can honestly say there is not a lot the USA can learn from the European model in terms of economics and politics. However, in terms of sports I do love the "relegation" system used in football/soccer in the United Kingdom. In this system all football/soccer teams that finish in the bottom tier of their league are "relegated" to the next lower level league which is completely devastating financially and for loyal fans BUT the system does drive competition in the sport which provides a much better product for the sports fans.

My friends and colleagues know that I love football so they will understand that I want to help save the NFL from becoming the MFL -- the "Mediocre Football League" -- by suggesting they give up their policy of parity to adopt some form of "relegation" to inject some true competition back into the sport.

Arena Bowl is July 29,

Todd

Buying Drinks for Alcoholics

The US Census Bureau reported in its "Statistical Abstract of the USA 2007" (issued on December 15th), www.census.gov/compendia/statab/ , that Americans have spent the following amounts of money to "play various state and multi-state lottery games" since 1980:

1980 -- $2.4 billion
1990 -- $20 billion
2000 -- $37.2 billion
2005 -- $47.4 billion

That is a grand total of US$107 billion since 1980 just on lotteries!!!

As I have said over the years to anyone willing to listen -- "giving the government more money voluntarily is the equivalent to buying an alcoholic another drink" -- it just does not help the situation at all.

Powerball,

Todd

Thank you for Speeding

After 40 years of being a single man I finally got married on November 11th in Minneapolis, Minnesota. My wife, Jaleh, and I then spent our honeymoon traveling across the north island of New Zealand.

We landed in Auckland, New Zealand's largest city then drove our rental car north to the Bay of Islands to tour the area including Cape Reinga where the Tasman Sea spills into the Pacific Ocean. Our tour included a drive on "Ninety Mile Beach" and sledding on sand dunes.

The next portion of our trip included scuba diving in the Tutukaka area which is the marina (not much else in this "town") near to Poor Knights Island. The water was a bit cold but the diving was very nice especially at Blue Mau Mau Cavern which was filled with a school of mau mau fish. Following diving we drove to the Roroturo/ Lake Taupo areas to enjoy the geothermal baths, spas, sailing, hiking, and great restaurants such as "Pimento's" in Lake Taupo which was just excellent. Given our overall dining experience I would give them a "5" just like I did for "Elements" in Phoenix -- really a quality business. Apparently I was driving too fast on this portion of our trip since we received a speeding ticket this week from the New Zealand police. The letter stated that "approved vehicle surveillance equipment" that I have to guess was mounted in one of the police cars we saw driving in the opposite direction -- and here I thought it was a nice letter from the New Zealand Department of Tourism asking how we enjoyed our trip!!!!

The driving portion of our trip ended in the capital city - Wellington - which is my kind of city since it is a port city built on a hill. We toured the parliament building, the botanic garden, and their national museum/art gallery known as "Te Papa" which is a must see if you are in Wellington. The exhibits on maori (the first settlers who paddled canoes from Polynesia to New Zealand) culture were very interesting along with the geological history since New Zealand is dominated by volcanic activity.

From Wellington we flew back to Auckland for one last night on the town which included a visit to "Minus 5" which is a bar completely made out of ice. The bar's cover charge includes the use of a parka and gloves so overall we were comfortable as we drank from mugs made of solid ice.

No doubt I overlooked some of the highlights but trust my wife will chime in with her own observations -- yes, dear the sky tower in Auckland was another great tour!! -- but in summary let me say that we enjoyed every city and venue we visited except Frank's Pizza in Russell which was rather mediocre so a "1" on my 5 point ranking scale. The people of New Zealand are very personable and the country just "feels" as if it is well run in terms of business and government services.

Kia ora,

Todd

The Wrong African

Ban Ki-Moon of South Korea, was sworn in as the eigth Secretary General of the United Nations this week. Mr. Ban replaces Kofi Annan of Ghana, who served in this post for the last 10 years. As regular SpaceBeagle readers know I am NOT a fan of the United Nations especially since I have long advocated moving their headquarters to Strasbourg, France (because the European Parliament only uses its building there for about one week each month thus they could stay in their Brussels building all the time thus saving taxpayers money) or any Third World/developing nation in order to get the UN-crats close to world poverty versus the night life of New York City.

I wish Mr. Ban well as he manages the UN's $5 billion budget and 92,000 (currently) peace keeper soldiers complete with their baby/powder blue helmets -- easy targets!! But for Mr. Annan let me say, "you have have left 10 years ago!!!", since you have allowed or even encouraged (the legal system and US Congress are still deciding) a whole range of people including your son to use the UN as a personal slush fund to rob taxpayers around the world of their money. The Iraq "food for oil" scandal is a glaring example. May your retire include a prison sentence for being asleep at the wheel of this broken ship we call the UN.

As I noted earlier Mr. Annan is a native of Ghana which you can see an overview here from our friends at the CIA :-)
https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/gh.html

Here is a quote from this website:

"Well endowed with natural resources, Ghana has roughly twice the per capita output of the poorer countries in West Africa. Even so, Ghana remains heavily dependent on international financial and technical assistance. Gold, timber, and cocoa production are major sources of foreign exchange. The domestic economy continues to revolve around subsistence agriculture, which accounts for 34% of GDP and employs 60% of the work force, mainly small landholders."

Instead of Mr. Annan the UN should have selected a SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENUER from the African continent -- Mo Ibrahim of Sudan -- who is a multibillionaire who founded "Celtel" , an African telecom company. Mr. Ibrahim has created the "Ibrahim Prize" which is a cash prize that will be given to one retiring African head of state (president, prime minister, etc.) who "was elected fairly, improved living standards, and transferred power peacefully to successors." The prize pays $500,000 per year for the first 10 years of private life and then $200,000 thereafter.

"Secretary General Ibrahim" has a very nice ring to it sadly the UN has overlooked hiring such a talented and visionary person opting instead for the career bureaucrat Mr. Annan who will likely join the speaker circuit to lend his "wisdom" to others. That is a lecture I will plan to miss!!

Move the UN,
Todd

New Blogs

Dear SpaceBeagleNotes (SBN) Readers:

SBN has expanded its operations by creating two new blog subsidiaries of the parent corporation. These blogs include:


http://firstspouses2008.blogspot.com/ -- this blog is focused on the "spouses/partners/lovers/single-ness (is that a word?)" of the 2008 presidential candidates so we better understand the candidates' "better halves"

and

http://erasmusbookclub.blogspot.com/ -- since I love reading books SBN always included comments about book related news such as "Banned Books Week" and my review of books I read during the past year -- to be posted on December 31st -- this new blog creates a more focused forum for discussing books

Happy reading,
Todd

Great People

Finally back home after a week of travel to conferences in Arizona and Kentucky primarily meeting with state legislators from around the USA. In general most people think politicians are corrupt but I must say I met numerous legislators at these events who are very good people -- I probably believe this because the legislators I met want to reduce government just like I do!!!

One woman I work with for these conferences -- "ML" I will call her -- has a very challenging personal history which includes:

-being hit by 14 drunk drivers
-having her condo building burn down twice
-fighting cancer twice via radiation
-being in an airplane accident where the woman next to her had her arm severed

BUT..........I challenge anyone to find a most positive, energetic, loving (she has 20 god children she is in constant contact with despite her health issues) person than ML. She really makes me think twice about bitching about things that go wrong in my life -- in reality I have VERY little to complain about in my life.

The other great people I met during my travels includes the entire staff (those I met at least) at the Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky airport Marriott Hotel. Clearly "southern hospitality" begins in Kentucky :)

Finally, since I have attacked the airlines in the past due to travel/customer service problems let me personally think Delta and Northwest Airlines for switching my ticket from Delta to Northwest last night so I could return home to Minnesota two hours earlier than planned!! The two ladies that I worked with to make this flight switch were very professional and helpful so for that I want to thank them.

Very encouraging,

Todd

The Beagle is Back

Well the new "Blogger in Beta" (BIB) looks like a nice product but the transition of old blogs like this one to the new accounts people like we have created in BIB has taken some time. I can't complain much of course since it is a free service!!!

That said, I am now able to post comments again on SpaceBeagleNotes which is exciting since I always seem to have something to say :-)

I look forward to getting back into my daily posting routine and reviewing readers' posted comments.

This week I have been on the road in Arizona and Kentucky working on state legislative issues but I did have some free time on Sunday to see a movie. Unfortunately I chose to see the mockumentary, "Borat", which was not as funny as I was led to believe. I would really enjoy getting my money refunded but that is impossible.

More later as I get back up to speed on posting,

Todd