The Left Wing Conservative - Disaster Relief

The recent, heartbreaking destruction from the tornado in Oklahoma once again has disaster relief on the front pages.

As a citizen of New Jersey, I continue to be grateful for the support we received from all over the country after Hurricane Sandy. And, while admittedly not his biggest fan, I gave Governor Christie props for putting New Jersey first and partisan politics and his national political ambitions aside in criticising his fellow Republicans in Congress for delaying, and in some instances, voting against, Hurricane Sandy relief.

One of the most vocal opponents of Hurricane Sandy relief was Oklahoma Senator Jim Inhofe, who voted against the bill, calling it "loaded with pork".

Now, he sees the request for relief for Oklahoma as "totally different". Do tell.

As a citizen of New Jersey, I am fortunate to live in, like California and New York, an affluent state. However, by most estimates New Jersey also has the worst return on investment on tax dollars (about 62 cents on the dollar) sent to the Feds v. Federal largess returned to New Jersey.

And I note that Oklahoma gets upwards of $1.36 back to their state for every federal tax dollar they pay.

From a purely moral standpoint, if someone is in need, and we have the ability to help, then we have a duty to help.

However, from a political standpoint, I more and more question whether federally centralized taxing and spending is the right approach.

More to come on this topic soon. Look for my upcoming post "Against Big Government"...


New York Daily News Article on Imhofe

Info from Tax Foundation on States "Return on Investment" on federal taxes 1981-2005

(0) Days Since Our Last Lost Time Incident

A few days removed from the election it appears little has changed.  Oh, the banter in social media and cable news is active as ever.  Within a half hour on my Facebook feed I am witness to posts from either side of the aisle.  Micro-blogs range from: "Obama got away with murder."  "I am disappointed to be an American."  "Sad day :-(. " to  "Ooooooo Bama!!!"  "America has spoken!!" "Flava Flav :-O ."

It is more of the same rhetoric, or vitriol that preceded the election itself.  Very little, if any, of the discourse is constructive or even relevant.

"Obama's not a citizen," they cry.  "Romney wears magic underpants."

Life goes on.  Everyone is going to be just fine.  The DOW and interest rates will continue to fluctuate.

Mother Nature, this Autumn's headline, had nothing to do with the results.  And she might be the biggest factor in the next 4 years.

She certainly has wreaked havoc on the Northeast.  Several thousand people in my home state of NJ, as well as other states, still find themselves without power 11 days post Sandy.  A snow storm hit yesterday that further damaged the relief work currently ongoing.

New Jersey Transit buses are still several weeks away from becoming fully operational.  It has been several weeks since I made the commute to New York City.  My wife, and many of my friends and neighbors, have had to scramble to simply get to work.  Buses have been chartered.  Car pools have been formed.

We are still reeling from the effects of 9.11 and now another force to contend with.  The candidates spoke of "jobs" leading up to Tuesday.  What if you are prevented from getting to the jobs that already exist?

The brutal combination of Hurricane Sandy and yesterday's Nor'Easter illuminate two major issues.

1.  These type of weather events are the new norm.  Winds are going to be stronger.  Storms surges WILL be unprecedented.  Whether or not you believe in climate change or global warming is irrelevant.  All you have to do is look out the window.  Assume this is a random pattern that God decided upon.  You still have to acknowledge the pattern exists.  One storm is a fluke.  Two events are an oddity.  When the events are systematic year in and year out it is imperative you open your eyes.

Explain it anyway you like.  But let us ALL admit something is going on here.

2.  If this is indeed the new norm we MUST update/revise/reconfigure our aging, tired and downright antiquated infrastructure.  Think about it, there are several train tracks that have been rendered useless due to Sandy.  Thousands of workers who rely on that service are unable to use it to go to work.  Consequently they are forced to drive vehicles using already scarce fuel to adapt.  Gas rather than electric is the only alternative.

We should be moving away from gas, not embracing it as savior.  Our trains should be near indestructible forces of engineering able to withstand the breath of Godzilla and splash of the Kraken's tail.

This is not to discount Sandy's force.  The destruction of the Jersey Shore and Staten Island is quite real and overwhelming.  But we have done nothing to improve upon the way we travel.  There was a proposal a few years back to add another rail tunnel leading into NYC that Gov. Christie put an end to.

"We can't afford it!" he growled.

Can we afford this?  How does FEMA make its money?  You and I, right?

The hits are going to keep on coming.  Hell it's not even mid- November.

But what will we do to prevent further catastrophes?  Are we comfortable waiting in gas lines and looking at empty shelves in grocery stores?

Where to start?  Can we get electrical wires underground?  Is it time to further examine electric cars?  Solar and wind should be on the table, no?

Sure, we will all have to pay more.  But isn't it worth paying a little up front rather than lots down the road?

I look at my 10 year old and wonder what World I have brought her into.

She came into this World shortly after 9.11.  War has been ongoing since her birth.  She knows the color chart detailing NYC's "threat levels."  Katrina was in her lifetime.  Now Sandy.

What next?

She should be worrying about 5th grade nonsense like fitting in with the "perfs."  Yes, "perfs" is the Mean Girls-esque "Plastics"group that roam the halls of her suburban grade school.  Let her worry about basketball tryouts and school socials.  We can only blame the Baby Boomers for so long.  And I do, believe me.

We have four more years.  Here is hoping we can make a change.

Some Lessons Learned From Sandy

We are the fortunate ones, that is for sure.

We "suffered" a mere two nights without power.  We did have heat thanks to a gas fireplace insert.  The stove top worked too so hot beverages and some meals were salvaged.  Another day or two and we may have started eating one another.  More likely we would have probably eaten the weaker folks in the neighborhood.   Ling story short, it was getting grim.

It still is for some other neighbors, friends, and countless others along the coast line and surrounding NYC area.

And say what you will about the Jersey Shore (and beaches in Long Island, Queens, etc...) they have suffered the tortures of the damned.  The tortures of the damned!!  There is a hardscrabble, blue collar mentality that defines those spots.  Spray tans, gold chains and Snooki are but a small demographic in the rich tapestry that is Shore living.  I'm not big into the thoughts and prayers, but seriously, thoughts and prayers folks.  This is all out mayhem.

Since moving back to NJ about 10 years ago we have been witness to 9/11, the NYC blackout, banking collapse, auto bailout, recession, housing bubble bursting, wars (quagmires?!), and now (2!!!) Halloweens lost to violent storms.

This is a not so subtle hint.

But where else to move?  It is still the greatest City in the World.  California will be an island in the Pacific soon.  The midwest can be wiped away by tornadoes at any minute.  The South is too hot.  Chicago?  Too cold.  Canada might be an option.  But they don't have Stoli O so it would be a tough sell to the Mrs.  Plus the universal health care is so creepy and efficient.  

There has been lots of time to think since our NYC office is without power.  Our colleagues in Connecticut and other parts of the region are also suffering.  The trains are down indefinitely so even if we wanted to work we could not.  Sure we could drive in (3 hours one way and we would need another human in the car.)

Truth is there are forces at work that are making things very difficult these days.

It is pretty clear the Earth's climate is whacked out.  Clear too, that is going to get worse before it gets better.

With that in mind a few things to remember when the Aliens come to eat our brains.  Or is it as the Mayans suggest, total darkness?

1.  Have Verizon, not AT&T.  A side by side comparison of phones in this household was all the evidence I needed.  Verizon provided internet, email and a phone signal when all hell was breaking loose.  AT&T was good for your downloaded apps.  It is probably a good idea to have a backup phone battery or two.

2.  There are certain to be conspiracy theories abound the next few weeks...  but the Obama/Chris Christie love fest was pretty good stuff.  Bipartisan politics and Presidential campaigning has NO place in disaster relief.  These two foes put the gloves down and went about the business of helping people.  That is their role, correct?  You could argue the merits of FEMA, and the Government as a whole, but not right now.  With so many people in such peril it was encouraging to see cooperation and dare I say compassion.  Sure Fox and Friends and Hannity will start blaming Obama for creating Sandy in a lab somewhere.  Especially if he wins next week!  Can you see the headlines?  Hurricane Obama storms Romney.

3.  Enough with "The Storm of the Century" rhetoric folks.  "Storm du jour" is way more appropriate.  Snow ruined Halloween last year and winds did it this year.  Will locusts or frogs be the reason trick or treating is postponed next year?  And how many Halloweens in November will it take before we change the date permanently.

4.  It has been said before, and will be said again (in fact, right here), we are waaayyyy to reliant on oil. We made a huge miscalculation in failing to fuel both of our vehicles the evening before the storm.  Mainly we could not charge our devices, or better, get the hell out of here and too a place with power!   Several days later many folks are still unable to source fuel for a myriad of reasons.  Fueling stations cannot fire up their pumps.  Once they are powered up long lines of consumers devour their product (gouging the prices along the way.)  This is the boom we need folks.  Call it hippie nonsense or cock eyed optismism but if we can safely develop alternate means of energy we should be able to get out of our collective funk.  Is it wind?  Solar?  Can we bury all the wires underground?  All of it?  Oil, and to a lesser extent electric, are our country's (read:economies) lifeblood.  New York City is virtually closed this week.  We can watch videos on phones but have watch passively as weather patterns make a mockery of our inferior infrastructure.  If our culture of complacency stays the same how can we expect a different outcome?

5.  Trees suck.  Ok, not quite.  But after surveying the damage in my town their street cred is off the charts.  They are an amazing force of nature. They are easy to love when providing shade.  But when time, wind and rain take their toll and they end up on your roof their grandeur is sorely lacking.  Screw you trees!  If you can't stay upright can you give a brother a heads up.

I could go on and on but a warm bed awaits.  First, a moment of thanks to all those who work, mostly uncredited, to get things moving again.  The utility workers and local government (police, fire, ems, et all) have done a phenomenal job this past week.

Much love to all those who have suffered and are still suffering.  The irony is not lost on me as I write this on a computer, listening to music, in a heated home.   There are too many out there who would, no, SHOULD, be able to enjoy such a privilege.  Here is hoping a full recovery and rebuilding to you and yours.

There is a nearly completed 100 or so story building almost complete where two planes took out the World Trade Center.

We gonna let some bitch named Sandy knock us out?

A Democrat's Case For Romney

I started blogging almost a year ago.

My motivation, in part, was, after years of obsessive devotion to following politics and arguing stridently for consistently liberal-left positions, to put myself on a News Fast. In doing so, I re-examined my views based on relying on conversation with others (I am blessed to have many intelligent, thoughtful, and creative friends, acquaintances, and colleagues) while avoiding my usual diet of left leaning fare such as Salon, Slate, The New Republic, The New York Times, American Prospect, Washington Monthly, and The Nation.

I also harkened back to my education - which is in philosophy and law --- both fields having in common the critical analysis of arguments, facts, and data, with the  consideration of all sides of a position as a necessary part of same.

As we near Election Day 2012, its time to revisit my views. Rather than tie them to loyalty to one wing or another, I ask simply, "what do I want"? Not a laundry list of issues, or a party platform, but what values do I want to see affirmed?

Here they are:

• Vibrant commerce that creates jobs, supports innovation, and encourages economic growth
• Pragmatic, scientific, facts and data based spirit of inquiry.
• Problem-solving and practical solutions, rather than strict adherence to dogma or ideology, including a distaste for fundamentalism of any stripe.
• Bold cosmopolitanism - a curiosity about, and tolerance of, other cultures, religions, and experiments in living.
• Respect for the person, privacy, and property of others.
• Recognition that we have a moral duty to help one another bear each other's burdens.
• Free flow of information and the open sharing of perspectives and views.
• Optimistic, yet realistic, vision of the future.

In other words, American culture at its best.

I can't imagine that much listed above is terribly controversial. And I think these values transcend political parties.

In addition to the above, I have a different view of democracy than I started with.

I used to think that the goal was to put a party in place who would enact a specific agenda, and that I should see myself as a foot-soldier in that fight, even if all I was doing was arguing and debating with others, and not actually putting some skin in the game by volunteering for a campaign.

However, based on some reading I've done on systems theory, conversations I have had with actual politicians and campaign managers, and an excellent book by Judge Richard Posner, "Law, Pragmatism, and Democracy", I've come to believe that the most essential function of democracy is the non-violent, peaceful selection and replacement of leaders.

Not the stuff of soaring rhetoric, but when you consider how many countries there are where change of leadership is determined by who has power over the army or the secret police, its importance cannot be overemphasized. When democracy works best, we are able to keep our "best and brightest" scheming wheeler-dealers on their toes, with good policy being a side effect of same.

With apologies to Orson Welles as Harry Lime in "The Third Man", in the 20th Century we had politicians up to their ears in graft, back-room deals, and horse-trading, but they gave us roads, bridges, dams, Social Security, The Civil Rights Act, defeated Hitler and the Soviet Union, and put man on the moon. In the 21st Century we have ideologically pure, incorruptible politicians to whom compromise is a sin. And what have they given us? The soundbite.

Which brings me back to Election 2012.

If I disregard the Democratic party line that Romney is a valueless, craven sociopath, and assume the more realistic position that he is a narcissistic egomaniac  (in other words, a seeker of high public office) I think I can offer a perspective on him that is, perhaps, more helpful.

Romney is, at heart, a CEO, a venture capitalist and business opportunist. He is an intelligent (Harvard JD/MBA) pragmatic facts and data guy. I firmly believe that in his personal life he is every bit the humorless, painfully straight-laced and starched Puritanical tight-ass that he appears to be. But I don't think he is a right wing fanatic on policy --- he wants to show big accomplishments --- not for the GOP, but for the history books. And I think he is motivated by what will get him there, not ideological purity. He wants to be, and believes himself entitled to be, a Great President, not a great Republican.

Romney started years ago grooming himself to run for president. He worshiped his father, former Michigan governor George Romney, a moderate Republican. Mitt saw a deeply unpopular GOP and calculated that a right of center moderate Republican had the best chance of winning the presidency. Mitt's plan as governor of Massachusetts was to brand himself as a moderate Republican who could "cross the aisle". RomneyCare was to be his stepping stone, a government/free market policy mix developed with Democrats and, therefore, proving his statesmanship. A quick review of YouTube in 2007 and 2008 is full of Romney making his rounds on the talking head circuit touting his plan as a model for a national policy.

And I think this is who Romney actually is. A pragmatic, right leaning technocrat. Re-read his NYTimes op-ed on the auto industry. Except for perhaps adding a few lines about extending unemployment benefits and job training, I think he's right on the money about "controlled bankruptcy". The auto industry has been bailed out by the feds twice in my lifetime now --- who do they think they are... farmers?

However, Mitt's plans were flustered by the unexpected phenomenon of the Tea Party. The Tea Party encompassed the complete opposite of the values I listed above, and therefore the worst elements of American culture: anti-intellectualism, anti-science, racism, isolationism, know-nothingism, demagoguery, xenophobia, hysteria and fear. The folks who would have been ripe to become America Firsters in the 1930s and 1940s, and John Birch Society members in the 1950s and 1960s.

The Tea Party is the latest strain of a cultural herpes that flares up when the America's immune system is weakened by bad economic times or war. And like the Firsters and Birchers, I guarantee that in 10 years people who were Tea Partiers will deny or dilute their past participation in the movement.

Romney's great failure of leadership and character was in his shameless pandering to the Tea Party wing-nut right, from which he now must return to the technocratic pragmatic center. Let's face it, he was the only GOP presidential candidate who did not come off as a lunatic when given more that five minutes to speak freely, and the "Anyone But Obama" sentiment was so strong he could have run as a right of center moderate and still won the nomination.

But, like he learned at Bain Capital, you do anything and everything to close the deal.

Again, Romney is driven by accomplishment, not by ideology. I think if he wins, he will see his opportunity to enter the history books as the Great Statesman who overcame gridlock, and, just as only Nixon could go to China, only Romney can move the GOP closer to the center. So I don't think he would be so bad. And if the Democrats maintain a majority in the Senate, he could be even better than "not so bad".

So that's my case for Romney. The best one I can make, consistent with those values listed above.

I figure that I should vote in a way that endorses those values. Therefore, I will still be voting for Obama and the Democrats, not because they are all perfect leaders, but because I think they, much more than the GOP, presently support those values I listed above.

Now, if Republicans were to support those values, and if Romney was the guy he was back as Governor of Massachusetts, I suppose I would feel compelled to vote for him.

Things can change. Recall that one hundred years ago, Republicans, led by Teddy Roosevelt, were the cosmopolitan "progressive party", passing pragmatic and innovative anti-trust, consumer protection, and conservation laws to adapt the marketplace to a new century, while the Democrats were the party of states' rights, fundamentalist religion, and populist isolationism.

In short, regardless who the next president is, I think its all going to be pretty much OK.