Littlestuff Weekender-3-5-2011

As we provide some more quickie analysis of Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution, we begin with the Congressional responsibility for the coinage of money. Oops, we may begin with it, but they gave up doing it (the last time) in 1913…for 98 years Congress has NOT fulfilled its Constitutional enumerated mandate. Not only do they not coin the money of the realm, but they provide no oversight into the mechanism to which they shifted the responsibility. Hopefully, Congressman Dr. Ron Paul will resolve that minor little error (sarcasm).

If Congress were fulfilling its responsibility for punishing counterfeiters, the staff and members of the Federal Reserve Board would be serving hard time with Bubba and Leon in a federal prison near you. The Congress has established the Post Office and Post Roads, and like everything else that Congress does, they lose huge sums of money and are outperformed by the private sector when they allow competition (Fed Ex, UPS)). The patent and copyright functions appear to be doing “OK” except for FDA malingering in the medicinal field.

The creation of lower courts was reasonably well done in the early years, but it has become so politicized that they are nearly ineffective. Congress can pull the charter of ALL the lower courts, then reform the districts and appoint new judges. I predict that will never come up at a leadership meeting. The clowns don’t seem to understand that whenever they do something correctly, it can be undone by a loony federal judge. Just fix it.

The GOP majority in the U.S. House has already exhibited the timidity that we have come to expect when Republicans are in power. Their view of “Bold” is that it’s a laundry detergent not an attitude. If I were Speaker, I would appoint 60 task-forces of 4 members each. Their jobs would be to identify programs, positions and bureaus for elimination. One of the groups would be assigned to the judiciary to determine how to cut and restructure the federal system. The GOP House is taking no proactive steps. Some individual members are, but the full resource of the GOP caucus has not been marshaled to undo the monster. When will they learn that merely maintaining government somewhat better than the progressives is not good enough? It’s because they love the power…love to spend your money…and they DO NOT FEAR US ENOUGH.

“Nullify Now!” Harriet Tubman Theater, 50 Freedom Way, Cincinnati…6:00pm tonight.

Big Ten (11+1) Women’s Basketball Tourney is underway.

Buckeye Men’s Team seeks to clinch undisputed regular season crown on Sunday at 4:00pm versus Bucky the Badger and his rowdy cheesehead fans.

Monday’s column is “Birth of a Nation.” It’s my take on the “birther” controversy.

Why did Fox News pull the contracts of Gingrich and Santorum because of potential conflicts regarding presidential runs, but have allowed Palin and Huckabee to remain? I believe that I could argue that Palin and Huck have better shots at the nomination that do the other two. Is it possible that Huckabee and Palin told Fox management that they definitely were not running? Hmmm. Could be a clue.

Does it seem as if there is a relationship between fiscal responsibility and courage? As we go deeper in the hole, political bravery diminishes accordingly. With the kind of courage exhibited by our politicians we would not have prevailed during the Battle of the Bulge.

From this point on we should stop blaming the cowards of the past for the mess we’re in. Now we should begin blaming the cowards of the present for not fixing things. If we continue to look back for blaming, we’ll give the current crop of cowards a free pass. We cannot afford to do that.

Happiness is having the right priorities and following through. The gnawing discontent that springs from not doing the right thing or not doing your best saps your energy and your joy.

Here’s a small book that will deliver some insights: Inclined To Liberty by Louis E. Carabini (2008) Ludwig von Mises Institute.

Here’s hoping that you enjoy an amazingly blessed remainder of the weekend. Go Bucks, Ladies and Gents. PJ, Dad’s thinking about you …a lot.

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Shirts and Skins

Who has the “skin in the game?” That question defines the stakeholders in any confrontation or negotiation. It is the greatest problem or issue with public sector bargaining. “Skin’ is also germane for huge corporations and their labor negotiating processes. Does the negotiator or arbitrator who represents the government or the company have a stake in the outcome? A reasonable bargaining process must involve two parties who can either gain or lose in order for an equitable solution that does not drastically favor one side more than the other.

Although I have problems with national and international labor organizations, I am not opposed to local organizing per se. If workers are dissatisfied with their conditions or pay, they inherently and constitutionally have the right to organize (1^st Amendment, peaceable assembly). If their grievances are legitimate, and management/ownership fears losing their knowledge, experience and expertise, then they’ll work out a solution. On the other hand, management may conclude that they can replace the entire workforce with others and therefore fire all of the former employees. In this scenario both parties have “skin in the game.” The owners or managers want to continue production at a profitable level while the workers wish to retain their jobs but under improved circumstances.

There are private sector negotiations where the corporate leadership assumes the same role as do public sector officials. When bargaining takes place in huge corporate environments, the representatives for the company are employees or consultants who have limited personal stakes in the outcome. Just like their political brethren, they are more likely to “give away the candy store” in order to maintain peace and goodwill. Except for the highly skilled trades, there is no obvious reason for large corporations or government entities to succumb to the demands of the unions. Some negotiators, however, have minimal financial or emotional investment in the company or governmental entity, and thus, seek the fastest means for resolving the issues. Other negotiators may have the public interest as their paramount concern, but could be undermined by politicians who would rather “cave.” The corporate officers who may be engaged in the negotiating process are aware that if they fail to protect the interests of the company, they’ll receive their golden parachute and surface with another corporation or retire to Aruba. The people responsible for the political bargaining process trust that their citizens will have short memories. They believe that irresponsible concessions are less damaging for them politically than a strike, shutdown or slowdown might be.

While collective bargaining for public employees does have potential for fiscal abuse, the more onerous element is the “binding arbitration” requirement. Arbitrators are people too. They want to be liked. They want to be employed. If negotiations stall and either side requests arbitration, then the process calls for both sides to agree on an arbitrator. The arbitrator goes through a “fact finding” process and makes a determination that is binding for both sides. The arbitrator is generally limited to the two proposals submitted by the competing sides. It becomes an “either or” situation.  Again, the only “skin” in the game for the arbitrator is the desire to be gainfully employed to arbitrate a future dispute. The arbitrator’s motives may be pure, but self-interest can be an unintended persuader.

Who does have the “skin in the game?” Clearly for public sector bargaining the taxpayers are the ones whose well-being should be weighed against the benefits for the union members. The current mess that exists for so many states and local governments came about because concern for the taxpayers was a secondary consideration. The political class and the arbitrators (when used) were more focused on avoiding discord and strife than they were as stewards of the public treasury. Consequently, benefit and wage packages have grown to the point that the state and local governments are in perilous financial circumstances. Understandably, public employees become irate when efforts are made to bring their packages into sync with financial reality. As the public employees grouse and protest, the taxpayers become more aggravated and hostile.  The tension will continue to build all across the nation as those who do have “skin in the game” draw their lines in the sand in a hostile environment.

In Ohio as in most states, our present circumstances can be laid at the feet of previous legislators who lacked the courage and the wisdom to say “no.” They passed the legislation that gave public sector unions a stranglehold on state and local budgets. No such “negotiated contract rights” exist at the federal level. Former legislatures took the easy route by granting extraordinary powers to public sector unions, and now their lousy decisions have caused the fiscal situations to reach critical mass. It’s the same old story. Our state and federal elected officials have no real skin in the game, and the taxpayers lose their shirts.

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The Golden Calf

While moving through the desert

For a period of forty years,

Moses and the Israelites

Suffered agony and tears.

Moses was called to the mountain

Where the Great I AM was giving

A perfect plan for His people

To follow while they were living.

While Moses was on the summit,

His brother, Aaron, was in charge.

The people grew impatient.

Their discontent was growing large.

They gathered up their jewelry

To make a precious thing.

A well crafted golden calf

Which they began worshiping.

Moses descended down the slope

Carrying the tablets in his hand,

When he saw the idol worship,

He dropped the Law on the sand.

The tablets turned to crumbles.

They were broke, just like the Law.

Moses was filled with rage

At the abomination that he saw.

The leader roared out in anger.

Demanded the wrecking of the idol.

He berated his unfaithful followers

Explaining faith in God is vital.

His tears were many and real.

His pain and dismay were great.

His people had just shunned the Lord

Who brought them from slavery’s fate.

On to the place of milk and honey

He was guiding them each day.

Wishing them to be faithful

By living their lives His way.

Moses shared the Word

With his unruly multitude.

Telling them of His faithfulness

And I AM’s unblemished rectitude.

“Never put your heart

In anything but Him who led us.

We are his chosen people

He saved us, and He fed us.

He brought us out

Where we were enslaved.

He’s leading us to the land

That for us He’s saved.

I shall be climbing to the top

To get His Law again.

Stay steadfast, O’ my people

Be true, just as He has been.”

Moses climbed the mountain

And brought the tablets down.

The people remained faithful

And gave a joyful sound.

Remember this lesson, dear friend.

Remember what you’ve learned.

Don’t put your faith in gaudy things

Or sacrifices that you’ve burned.

Read the story in Exodus.

Burn it into your soul.

Hold the faith forever.

Never let it go.

Be always faithful to Him,

Just as you’ve been told.

Don’t put your trust in government

And make it your calf of gold.

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Introduction-2

The essence of liberty is free will and free choice, but with personal responsibility. Merely doing what one wishes while harming others or their property is not liberty. It’s assault or vandalism. For example God grants us free will to choose or reject Him. If we choose to spurn His grace, then we must be prepared to suffer the consequences. If you are one who believes that liberty is a natural right without a spiritual dimension, then you should embrace accountability as the logical price for liberty.

As we examine the attributes of liberty, we will be making the case for liberty. When every individual is truly free, the entire community flourishes. Where there is true liberty, honesty and integrity are valued and practiced. In addition we’ll explore the cause for liberty. How does freedom enhance the lives of those who enjoy its fruits? We will examine what real liberty does for communities and families…how it strengthens them and energizes them.

Liberty must have a moral component to exist. Without a moral standard liberty cannot be defined. If there is no moral component, “liberty” becomes venal and violent anarchy. The most moral of libertarians recognize the need for laws…a minimum number…but laws to proscribe and define the parameters of social interaction and to design penalties for the administration of justice and resolution of contractual disputes. A society built on liberty must be a just one. Not necessarily an equal one, but justice must be available for anyone who has suffered real damage. A community founded on liberty is moral and just.

The yearning for a responsible self-directed life has been distorted in our modern entitlement-oriented world. We will consider methods for issuing the call for our nation, state and localities to embrace a vision of freedom and liberty for. We’ll examine the obstacles and the opportunities. In addition, we review strategies and tactics for sharing and selling the liberty theme to our fellow citizens. Though to be candid, I’m somewhat apprehensive about “selling” liberty. Perhaps educating is a better term for making others aware of the benefits of a life of liberty.

One of the major stumbling blocks for people who are somewhat reluctant to fully embrace liberty as a life’s choice is they are fearful of the consequences. In this era of grade inflation, no fault divorce, and an “it’s not my fault” mentality, people may not want to give up the safety net of no accountability. We’ll attempt to examine how facing consequences can strengthen an individual and provide an emotional catharsis that is generally unavailable in a duck-and-run society. Failure does not have to be final. True liberty includes the freedom to fail….and to be wrong.

So where does liberty originate? Is it from God? Is it genetic or present in our DNA? Is liberty taught…transmitted from one generation to the succeeding one? We will pursue the roots of liberty so that we can more fully comprehend its importance. If the desire for liberty is God-breathed, then we are obligated to nurture it. If the thirst for liberty is genetic, then we are silly when we suppress it….it would be a form of emotional suicide. We know through historical research that liberty has been valued for ages. Who are we in this time at this place in history to tarnish the dream?

Like most good things liberty has its enemies. Sloth, entitlement mentalities, and avarice are but a few. The difficulty with examining the opponents of liberty is that there are so many. For example, complacency is a major drain on liberty’s energy. We blindly assume that we are “free enough” without clearly observing where we are headed or who’s calling the shots. The challenges for liberty will be scrutinized, too. What outside forces or political constraints are damaging our quest for freedom.

Liberty when fully achieved has the potential to be quite chaotic. Our study will help readers to embrace the confusion while grappling for some structure. Liberty is not a simple thing. Liberty is a concept, an idea that is so real it’s almost tangible, and yet, so elusive that it’s difficult to define. Writing about liberty is daunting, but winning liberty, preserving liberty and living freely are much tougher. So let’s take the journey down Liberty Lane. Won’t you join me?

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Introduction-1

Dear friend and reader,

This is not a typical “Littlestuff-minoosha” column. It is a very personal one. This entry is the rough draft of an Introduction to a book that I have been writing, “Lessons on Liberty.” I ask for your brutally honest opinions because I believe the subject matter is too important for me to fumble. Thank you.

Liberty intrigues me. People have died to achieve it and preserve it. Some appear to be unaware of its magnetism. They seem indifferent to it. Why is the concept of behaving according to one’s free will so attractive to some, but not to everyone?

 In my six decades plus on this earth I’ve had the opportunity to meet many, many people. All of them, to some degree, suggested that they wanted to do something “their way.” There were people with whom I worked that were amazingly obstinate about procedures and the rituals of the workplace. They insisted that their rules be followed without deviation. So, were they exhibiting a desire for freedom and self-determination, or were they merely expressing an intention to dominate? In other words is obstinate behavior evidence of a thirst for liberty, or is it just a personality trait?

Seemingly passive people puzzled me when considering their attitudes toward liberty. Their sheep-like behavior appeared as though they were renouncing any notion of individual liberty. But, I would see them act hesitantly and reluctantly when confronted with a situation that made them uneasy. Perhaps they do yearn for liberty but lack the aggressive nature to seize it for themselves. I understand that not everyone can share my passion for contrariness. Some will “go along to get along” until their potential for liberty is threatened. They see no need for confrontation over what they perceive to be small issues.

Every person, I believe, carries the spark of liberty within them.  The flash point for each individual is determined by their personality, their experience and their knowledge. If the spark is to develop into a conflagration, all of these elements must come together. The person must sense that their liberty is in peril. They must be able to witness objective criteria that severely limit their freedom to live as they wish, and their level of frustration with the status quo must be intense.

It is possible that my passion for liberty blinds my perceptions of others. Perhaps I am guilty of projecting my own desires onto other people. Maybe they do not care about their opportunities for making their own decisions about how they live their lives. Maybe they find comfort and security in having someone or something determine their choices for them. It may even be possible that they may feel paralyzed by being held accountable for their behavior. Perhaps they fear liberty and its consequences more than they might resent being dominated. Maybe their “want-to” has not been elevated to an “ought-to.” Indecision and fear affect so many aspects of our lives, and I suspect that for some people, they influence their attitudes and actions regarding liberty.

What I hope to do with this work is examine many facets of liberty. How we affect the liberty for others, and how, in turn, they impact ours. Designing my own personal paradigm, I want to review the internal, cultural, external and philosophical variables that intersect to create our views about what our Founders declared is an unalienable right (Declaration) and worthy of blessing (Constitution). In the purest sense this analysis is not scientific or academic although some information from such sources will be used to reinforce some arguments. As a columnist and commentator, I am familiar with the formula A+B=_?  To state it differently: By using anecdotal evidence, inductive reasoning with some deductive logic for flavoring, intuitive understanding, wishful thinking and whatever other tools may appear, I will attempt to surround the concept of liberty so that you and I can identify it from any perspective.

Continued Wednesday……..

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