As I stand near the river's edge, matches and gasoline in hand, it hits me that we have reached a point in political discourse very much like a fork in the road. Down one way lies capitulation. Down the other, gunfire, battle, no turning back. Both sides are in the fray. All in? Or just auditing the class?
People will often say, "there's no difference between the two political parties." On many issues that's true. Both swim, like spawning salmon, up the stream of unholy political effluence. Both seek favor from those with favor to bestow; those with their hands on Capitalism's master switch; those with the money, the dough, the sine qua non of our political system.
Yet one of our political parties seeks to do what most decent people used to shy away from. One political party operates from the scorched-earth play book. One political party stands astride the fork in the road and, like the Black Knight in Monty Python's "Holy Grail", dares anyone to pass who has not met the measure of its occlusive edicts.
Once there was a man named Lincoln. He stood for immutable principles. He believed in government "of the people, by the people, for the people." He believed in a nation which would rise to meet the expectations of its "better angels." He was a Republican. I am a Democrat. I have felt nothing like reverence for our country more than those evenings when I have stood before the Great Emancipator's statue and read his immortal words, "with malice toward none...". Yet today, his party, the Republican Party, has evidently thrown its lot in with those who wish to take this nation down a dangerous, intolerant, theocratic road.
Today the cudgel is women's' rights; specifically their health care rights, their rights to control their participation in the birth process. In states across the land, Republican after Republican have raised high their hands in salute to the efforts of their fellow party operatives in curtailing women's' health care choices.
In the last couple of days, a state legislator in Arizona put forth inane legislation which would require women using birth-control pills to enunciate the reason why they are using birth control pills. Apparently in this human's vision of Arizona, and presumably the United States of America, it's acceptable for the government to determine which female citizens have a legal right to birth-control pills. In this human's view, those who do not want the pills to control pregnancy have a right to the pills. Those who do wish to control pregnancy do not. Wouldn't Lincoln be proud of his progeny?
Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, Mississippi and other states have, in response to Republican playbooks, (perhaps written by the Koch Brothers?) laid down the gauntlet for women across the land: cede control of your bodies to the State, or become an enemy OF the State.
Is this the United States of America as we have known it to be? Who are these radical Republicans? The most famous mouthpiece of the radical Republican Party is Rush Limbaugh. This sociopathic huckster has peed in the punch bowl of political discourse for nearly three decades. Is it not time for someone of the adult persuasion within the Republican Party to muzzle this incendiary boob? Need we rehash his "slut" and "prostitute" brayings?
In most of my writings on this blog I have stressed the difference between RADICAL Republicans and those who simply, through ancestry, identify themselves, and vote, Republican. I have in mind a picture of a sweet woman who was a dear friend of my Mother. She was, and presumably is, a Republican--I accept such membership in the Party of Lincoln. But, I can no longer give a pass to those who actively participate in the hateful, divisive, anti-American activities of the RADICAL Republican Party.
The leaders of this movement are engaged in a campaign to destroy the cohesion of our the nation. Decent members of the G.O.P. owe it to their nation and to their own sense of humanity to disavow membership in this party of intolerance and hate so long as it dances to the tune of the current agenda-setters of that party.
Recall that once your party answered the clarion call of OUR "better angels". Today it has become a shill for corporate masters and peddlers of intolerance.
From time to time we all lose our way.
E Pluribus Unum.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
I'll Take Door Number Three
The results are in. Those with a say, say it's time to toll bridge traffic. The deliberative process surrounding the question of how to pay for the Two Bridge Solution yielded the answer which can surprise no one.
So, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. That's why I'm suggesting that when tolls are introduced, they should be imposed on all bridges, those built, as well as those only dreamed of.
The swaggering Mitch Daniels ,in high braggadocio, offered his take on the tolling plan, "We'll be using-as I often say-our favorite revenue source...other people's money." Following the Governor's lead,I suggest that any vehicle licensed in Floyd or Clark Counties in Indiana, and Jefferson County, Kentucky be exempt from tolls. And, rather than relying on electronic gizmos, such as transponders to winnow out the locals, I think we should use good old fashioned toll takers, members of the United Brotherhood of Ticket Takers, Turnstile Operators and Gatemen, since at least one side of the bridge will not land in a right-to-work state.
Drivers with local registrations would affix a sticker to their vehicles which would be plainly visible to the toll taker. A quick calculation yields the finding that, (assuming 30 toll booths staffed 24/7/365) about 180 people, including supervisors and maintenance, would need to be hired. At $16 per hour, the workers would earn about $8 million per year. Since this would all be paid by non-local drivers, that would represent growth to our local economy, and it would only equal about a week and a half of the gate, the handle, the action.
Another reason to toll all bridges is to even out the traffic flow. If only new bridges and The Kennedy bridge are tolled, a disproportionate share of bargain-hunting drivers would clog the Sherman Minton Bridge and bring all of the attendant problems of heavy traffic, such as smog and noise, to New Albany.
Since the current plan assumes a forty year duration for tolling, with local drivers included, the Pass-The-Buck tolling plan I propose would simply be a permanent fixture of our region. Learn to live with it.
So, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. That's why I'm suggesting that when tolls are introduced, they should be imposed on all bridges, those built, as well as those only dreamed of.
The swaggering Mitch Daniels ,in high braggadocio, offered his take on the tolling plan, "We'll be using-as I often say-our favorite revenue source...other people's money." Following the Governor's lead,I suggest that any vehicle licensed in Floyd or Clark Counties in Indiana, and Jefferson County, Kentucky be exempt from tolls. And, rather than relying on electronic gizmos, such as transponders to winnow out the locals, I think we should use good old fashioned toll takers, members of the United Brotherhood of Ticket Takers, Turnstile Operators and Gatemen, since at least one side of the bridge will not land in a right-to-work state.
Drivers with local registrations would affix a sticker to their vehicles which would be plainly visible to the toll taker. A quick calculation yields the finding that, (assuming 30 toll booths staffed 24/7/365) about 180 people, including supervisors and maintenance, would need to be hired. At $16 per hour, the workers would earn about $8 million per year. Since this would all be paid by non-local drivers, that would represent growth to our local economy, and it would only equal about a week and a half of the gate, the handle, the action.
Another reason to toll all bridges is to even out the traffic flow. If only new bridges and The Kennedy bridge are tolled, a disproportionate share of bargain-hunting drivers would clog the Sherman Minton Bridge and bring all of the attendant problems of heavy traffic, such as smog and noise, to New Albany.
Since the current plan assumes a forty year duration for tolling, with local drivers included, the Pass-The-Buck tolling plan I propose would simply be a permanent fixture of our region. Learn to live with it.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Fragile
My wife's friend, who suffers from ALS, sent this to her and asked that she take a few moments to relax and enjoy it.
In light of today's devastation in our region, I am struck again by the fragility of life on this earth, the miracle of it, and our responsibility in protecting it.
In light of today's devastation in our region, I am struck again by the fragility of life on this earth, the miracle of it, and our responsibility in protecting it.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Sorry Charlie, Life's a Bitch
Convicted felon, Charlie White, Indiana's Secretary of State, has a friend in Mitch Daniels. To ease some of White's mental burden, le petite chief executive is holding the felon's job open by giving it to a place holder until the justice system's magic might return it to its not-rightful owner.
After all Charlie's life is, by his own admission, "complicated".
Hey Charlie, there are complications,
"White, 42, has said the charges ignored a complicated personal life in which he was trying to raise his 10-year-old son, plan his second marriage and campaign for the statewide office he won that November. He said he stayed at his ex-wife's house when he wasn't on the road campaigning and did not live in the condo until after he remarried." SEE LINK HERE
and there are complications,
10. Due to fiscal pressures, states are already making cuts to the safety net, and more are likely in the next several years.
With the 2009 stimulus package expired and revenues to state governments recovering slowly this year (due to the sluggish
recovery), many states (from Washington and California to Michigan and Florida) are making cuts to unemployment
insurance, temporary cash assistance, Medicaid benefits, and other services for low-income Americans. The fiscal pressureon some states may worsen before it eases. The pressure to restrain federal spending may cause Congress to reduce federal
fiscal relief for the states, which are already struggling to balance budgets in the face of rising Medicaid costs and depressed
revenues. If the federal government places more fiscal pressure on the states, which are required to balance their budgets,
then states are likely to consider additional cuts to cash assistance, Medicaid and other safety-net programs. States may also
be compelled to reduce funding for tax and educational policies that primarily benefit low-income populations. More state
cuts to the safety net should be expected unless the recovery – and the resulting growth rate of state revenues – accelerates SEE LINK HERE
With White's reinstatement, the way may be cleared for the continued disenfranchisement of low-income voters. SEE LINK HERE
That will make Charlie's life less complicated, since his is one of the few verified cases of voter fraud in Indiana.
After all Charlie's life is, by his own admission, "complicated".
Hey Charlie, there are complications,
"White, 42, has said the charges ignored a complicated personal life in which he was trying to raise his 10-year-old son, plan his second marriage and campaign for the statewide office he won that November. He said he stayed at his ex-wife's house when he wasn't on the road campaigning and did not live in the condo until after he remarried." SEE LINK HERE
and there are complications,
10. Due to fiscal pressures, states are already making cuts to the safety net, and more are likely in the next several years.
With the 2009 stimulus package expired and revenues to state governments recovering slowly this year (due to the sluggish
recovery), many states (from Washington and California to Michigan and Florida) are making cuts to unemployment
insurance, temporary cash assistance, Medicaid benefits, and other services for low-income Americans. The fiscal pressureon some states may worsen before it eases. The pressure to restrain federal spending may cause Congress to reduce federal
fiscal relief for the states, which are already struggling to balance budgets in the face of rising Medicaid costs and depressed
revenues. If the federal government places more fiscal pressure on the states, which are required to balance their budgets,
then states are likely to consider additional cuts to cash assistance, Medicaid and other safety-net programs. States may also
be compelled to reduce funding for tax and educational policies that primarily benefit low-income populations. More state
cuts to the safety net should be expected unless the recovery – and the resulting growth rate of state revenues – accelerates SEE LINK HERE
With White's reinstatement, the way may be cleared for the continued disenfranchisement of low-income voters. SEE LINK HERE
That will make Charlie's life less complicated, since his is one of the few verified cases of voter fraud in Indiana.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Seeds Are For Planting
Saturday January 21, my wife and I went to the Louisville Library to see/participate in the simulcast of the Tedx Manhattan event. It was interesting and informative until Steve Ritz took the stage in New York. At that point it became inspirational. I would urge anyone who sees this to watch the entire video. As Ritz says over and over "I'm not a farmer". Believe him. He's not a farmer; he's a hero in a time when that phrase is overused. And he's a role model for those who are not simply trying to grow vegetables but for those who are trying to grow communities. He's a true teacher, and not just for the students in his classroom.
If we consider the hand Ritz was dealt with his kids, the only logical choice was for him to fold. If we in New Albany consider where we sit in the waning days of January 2012 we might observe that the calendar is moving relentlessly toward our bicentennial celebration. This is not simply a tick on a calendar page, a one-off event where we put the kids in the car and drive to a place where a band plays patriotic songs, politicians speak of our founders, and our place in history "By the River's Edge". New Albany's bicentennial is not simply an opportunity to sell trinkets, nor is it a time for small ideas to deliver small results.
New Albany's bicentennial is our chance to speak to those who follow us in time to this place, a place we will not go. So far I have heard little of what we will bring to the party. To be sure, there is a committee in place to make some of the arrangements, and I hope their efforts bear worthy fruit. But the citizens of New Albany now cannot take a seat on the sidelines in planning for the upcoming anniversary.
In that spirit, I offer the following modest proposal: we should build a Bicentennial Park worthy of the momentous date we commemorate next year. I have heard discussion of a park on a tiny spit of land at the corner of Spring and Pearl Streets. Pocket parks are nice features for urban settings, they help break up the oppressive nature of street canyons surrounded by tall buildings, they provide a welcome refuge from the stressful pace of life in a big city. The current plan for the park, however, runs the danger of simply being a reminder of a previous generation's shortsightedness, a reminder of what is missing, one of city's most remarkable structures--the Post Office.
I believe the Bicentennial Park should help us show our children and our grandchildren why New Albany is here, and why it is special to us. It is difficult to convey civic sentiment through time. We do that by building for the future. If we would consider an alternate location for the Bicentennial Park, we could highlight how our history was shaped by the river. We could bring into sharper focus one of our extant remarkable buildings. We could provide a sizable, consequential green canvas on which current and future citizens could paint and enjoy a lasting commemoration of our two hundredth birthday. I believe we could best do that by building the Bicentennial Park at the corner of Bank and Main Streets.
This corner presently has a couple of forlorn structures fronting Main. With their removal, a large green lawn is revealed falling away from Main Street toward the levee, similar to the lawn of the Lanier House in Madison. With the two structures removed, the magnificent Indiana State Bank building ca. 1837 would be seen in splendid view. The Carnegie Center, visually more stunning since a panoramic view of it was opened with the removal of the building on the corner of Bank and Spring Streets, serves as a model of what could happen at this corner. The park could be tied in to the Greenway, it could feature a fountain, it could be a gathering place for events large and small. It could be an important feature of the commons, tying New Albany to its river past and its civic present, secured and built as a gift from us to those who follow, and who will, hopefully, celebrate other anniversaries of the city's founding.
The reason I connected the Bicentennial Park with the call to action by Steve Ritz is that his disregarded, pigeonholed, "loser" kids responded to his motivation. He saw in them something they probably didn't see in themselves and probably wouldn't have brought forth without his spark. Ritz's Bronx school and his community are better for his effort. He opened up dead-end lives. And, while New Albany will survive a mediocre bicentennial park, I believe we can do better. By focusing on the corner at Bank and Main we can build a much more fitting park to mark this special occasion. Others may have even better locations. Like Steve Ritz, we're not farmers. But, like Steve Ritz we need to ask more of this city than what some expect of our momentous occasion in 2013.
If we consider the hand Ritz was dealt with his kids, the only logical choice was for him to fold. If we in New Albany consider where we sit in the waning days of January 2012 we might observe that the calendar is moving relentlessly toward our bicentennial celebration. This is not simply a tick on a calendar page, a one-off event where we put the kids in the car and drive to a place where a band plays patriotic songs, politicians speak of our founders, and our place in history "By the River's Edge". New Albany's bicentennial is not simply an opportunity to sell trinkets, nor is it a time for small ideas to deliver small results.
New Albany's bicentennial is our chance to speak to those who follow us in time to this place, a place we will not go. So far I have heard little of what we will bring to the party. To be sure, there is a committee in place to make some of the arrangements, and I hope their efforts bear worthy fruit. But the citizens of New Albany now cannot take a seat on the sidelines in planning for the upcoming anniversary.
In that spirit, I offer the following modest proposal: we should build a Bicentennial Park worthy of the momentous date we commemorate next year. I have heard discussion of a park on a tiny spit of land at the corner of Spring and Pearl Streets. Pocket parks are nice features for urban settings, they help break up the oppressive nature of street canyons surrounded by tall buildings, they provide a welcome refuge from the stressful pace of life in a big city. The current plan for the park, however, runs the danger of simply being a reminder of a previous generation's shortsightedness, a reminder of what is missing, one of city's most remarkable structures--the Post Office.
I believe the Bicentennial Park should help us show our children and our grandchildren why New Albany is here, and why it is special to us. It is difficult to convey civic sentiment through time. We do that by building for the future. If we would consider an alternate location for the Bicentennial Park, we could highlight how our history was shaped by the river. We could bring into sharper focus one of our extant remarkable buildings. We could provide a sizable, consequential green canvas on which current and future citizens could paint and enjoy a lasting commemoration of our two hundredth birthday. I believe we could best do that by building the Bicentennial Park at the corner of Bank and Main Streets.
This corner presently has a couple of forlorn structures fronting Main. With their removal, a large green lawn is revealed falling away from Main Street toward the levee, similar to the lawn of the Lanier House in Madison. With the two structures removed, the magnificent Indiana State Bank building ca. 1837 would be seen in splendid view. The Carnegie Center, visually more stunning since a panoramic view of it was opened with the removal of the building on the corner of Bank and Spring Streets, serves as a model of what could happen at this corner. The park could be tied in to the Greenway, it could feature a fountain, it could be a gathering place for events large and small. It could be an important feature of the commons, tying New Albany to its river past and its civic present, secured and built as a gift from us to those who follow, and who will, hopefully, celebrate other anniversaries of the city's founding.
The reason I connected the Bicentennial Park with the call to action by Steve Ritz is that his disregarded, pigeonholed, "loser" kids responded to his motivation. He saw in them something they probably didn't see in themselves and probably wouldn't have brought forth without his spark. Ritz's Bronx school and his community are better for his effort. He opened up dead-end lives. And, while New Albany will survive a mediocre bicentennial park, I believe we can do better. By focusing on the corner at Bank and Main we can build a much more fitting park to mark this special occasion. Others may have even better locations. Like Steve Ritz, we're not farmers. But, like Steve Ritz we need to ask more of this city than what some expect of our momentous occasion in 2013.
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