Everybody sing: ‘Oh, there’s no business like no snow business.” Or “Drifting along with wind.” Wow, there’s a whole lot of snowin’ goin’ on. The fact that Mom and I are empty nesters (except for Frosty, the Golden Retriever) probably makes the cabin fever somewhat easier to endure. She’s in the main floor office, and I’m safely ensconced in my “man cave” office/entertainment area in the basement. While the lack of mobility has provided a superb opportunity for organizing my office, I find that I’m so “antsy” that I am having difficulty concentrating on easy tasks. Maybe it’s the two pots of Starbuck’s Italian Roast that fired every one of my nerve endings into inattentive hyper-drive, or perhaps it’s the growing awareness that our filing date for Secretary of State looms large. Nine more days until the official filing deadline passes, then we move on to building the base and fine tuning the organization. After the May 4th Primary Election, we shift into full campaign mode. We’ll be crossing the state visiting cities, towns, villages and crossroad clusters of houses. We’ll be attending several dozen fairs and festivals as we seek to meet and greet as many Ohioans as is possible. We’ll appear at various forums and town halls, meetups and service club meetings to share our vision for our state.
These efforts may appear to be a massive exercise in futility, but it wouldn’t be possible at all without some key players. To my wife of nearly 41 years (Mar. 2nd.), thank you, Pat, for allowing and encouraging me to chase this dream. To my children, Kelly and P.J., thank you for being so supportive. Thank you for becoming involved and for your wise counsel. Thank you, also, for your heartfelt concerns about dear old Dad’s health and stamina. For my son-in-law, Kevin, and my daughter-in-law, Heather, thank you for standing with me and cheering me on even though I suspect that you think I’m a tad bit loony. To both of you, thank you so much for promoting my candidacy to your families and friends. Hell, there’s a bushel of votes right there.
For my grandchildren—Shaun, Erin and Sullivan—Thank you for being so special. You are the primary reason(s) that Grandpa (GrampE) is doing this. You are intelligent, talented and loving people, and I want you to live in a country and a state that allows you to reach your full potential. I want a country and a state that will permit you to fail, because when you falter, you get stronger, you become smarter and you understand the pain of others who do not succeed. I want you to be outstanding citizens, passionate members of society and leaders for what is right and good. I love you, and I shudder to think what might become of our nation and Ohio if we don’t act…and act now. I probably won’t have the good fortune to witness your lives as adults, but I believe that if I can light the spark and if your parents will fan the flames, then all of Ohio and the United States of America will be a better place.
Comment or email: cnpearl@woh.rr.com
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Snowy rhythm
Here I sit with a grimace and a frown
Watching the snowflakes as they fall down
Can I do what must be done?
Or shall I wait for some heat and sun?
Cabin fever can be dangerous they say
As I write these words on this melancholy day.
But I take heart that I’m not alone
I connect with friends by net and phone.
Time crawls on and the goal gets nearer
Working patriots make the objectives clearer
We will prevail come Hell or high water
As the heat on the Duopoly becomes much hotter.
So, come on Snow, do your thing
Victory for Ohio will rule as king.
The charlatans who steal our liberty
Will go down to defeat…ignominiously.
The weather reminds me of what it takes
To overcome those political flakes
Freedom thinkers can win…if you get my drift
And restore our state and nation and heal the rift
The chasm between the politicos and the land
Has grown too large, too out of hand.
From the grassroots comes the shout
Reclaim our nation, and drive the Nannies out.
We must not let this opportunity wither
We should forward…no pause nor dither,
Seize the moment and rebuild our state
Never give up and control her fate.
Charlie Earl
Poet Emeritus, Pontoon Swamp, Ohio
02/09/2010
PS: I do not plan on giving up my day job.
Comment or email: cnpearl@woh.rr.com
Watching the snowflakes as they fall down
Can I do what must be done?
Or shall I wait for some heat and sun?
Cabin fever can be dangerous they say
As I write these words on this melancholy day.
But I take heart that I’m not alone
I connect with friends by net and phone.
Time crawls on and the goal gets nearer
Working patriots make the objectives clearer
We will prevail come Hell or high water
As the heat on the Duopoly becomes much hotter.
So, come on Snow, do your thing
Victory for Ohio will rule as king.
The charlatans who steal our liberty
Will go down to defeat…ignominiously.
The weather reminds me of what it takes
To overcome those political flakes
Freedom thinkers can win…if you get my drift
And restore our state and nation and heal the rift
The chasm between the politicos and the land
Has grown too large, too out of hand.
From the grassroots comes the shout
Reclaim our nation, and drive the Nannies out.
We must not let this opportunity wither
We should forward…no pause nor dither,
Seize the moment and rebuild our state
Never give up and control her fate.
Charlie Earl
Poet Emeritus, Pontoon Swamp, Ohio
02/09/2010
PS: I do not plan on giving up my day job.
Comment or email: cnpearl@woh.rr.com
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Freedom Now
As I travel across Ohio, I am reminded again and again about the phenomenal diversity that we enjoy here. From our mountains in the east (little ones, to be sure) to our prairies in the west, our massive river in the east and south, our bountiful lake in the north all together comprise a topographical and geographical wonderland. Within the boundaries of our roughly-square state are many rivers and lakes, fertile fields, lush valleys and mineral-laden hills. If we were any where else in the world, we would have the foundation for a vibrant little country.
Our diversity is multiplied by the nature of our people and their roots. Each of our large cities and other geographic areas throughout Ohio represent enclaves of many different immigrant groups. Ours is a state that truly does reflect a cross-section of America. Eastern and Western Europeans, Africans, Asians, and South Americans have come to Ohio and thrived. Some have had more success than others, but all have come here with a dream. The great smoke-belching factories, the fertile farmland and the innovative entrepreneurs of Ohio have projected a promise of potential prosperity to all who settled here. The Wright brothers and Charles Kettering were Ohioans. The Libbeys, Proctor and Gamble and the Higbees built their legacies here. Dirty hands provide the evidence of Ohio’s strength—whether the dirt be grease or soil. Times have changed. Ohio has changed. We have changed.
Ohio is struggling now. Our great industrial base is a shadow of what it once was. Our agricultural productivity is being challenged by suburban sprawl, increasing regulation, and, as usual, uncertain markets, high input costs and shrinking opportunities. Ohio’s great retail base has eroded because of the disappearance of companies and jobs. My personal sense is that the “can-do” spirit and innovative creativity that has been so much a part of Ohio’s past has been blunted and stunted. It seems as if Ohio were presently surviving on life support. That’s not all bad. Look to our north. Michigan is on the autopsy table. The operative portion of life support is “life.” We still have a glimmer of life. We can, by following the proper corrective procedures, restore the state. We can restructure the economy. We can rebuild the optimism. We can restore the spirit.
How do we do this you may ask? The easy answer is that we limit the government’s interference in our daily lives and our economic activity. How do we go about achieving a more limited government? The first step is to recognize that there is a problem (AA is right). One can do an economic analysis of regions, states and countries and discern that there is a direct correlation between the influence of the prevailing government and the robust activity in the proscribed area. Now we know that correlation does not necessarily translate into causation, but when one is searching for a remedy for economic stagnation, a correlation may provide a valuable clue. Finding a cure for Ohio’s economic woes is compounded by the fact that we an integral component of the Great Lakes/Midwest region and are one state out of fifty in the United States. It seems reasonable, therefore that any measures taken by Ohioans will be impacted by regional and national considerations. An example would be the plethora of Federal mandates and nation-wide rulemaking that undermines economic energy in Ohio. Our goal should be to do as much as is possible with the tools in our kit, and then, to circumvent or reject the negative impact of the region and the national government.
First of all, the radical realist in me knows/believes that statewide tweaking and half-measures will be fruitless. They would offer a glimmer of hope without delivering the reality. Instead of a scalpel for trimming the edges of a large bloated state government apparatus (the GOP approach), we should fire up a chain saw and reduce the overgrown tree of Ohio government to a stump of basic, fundamental and necessary government. Concurrent with our radical reorganization of Ohio, we should adamantly and forcefully embrace the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States as well as utilizing nullification strategies wherever possible. Personal experience should have taught each of us that half-measures corrupt the ideal, and even if the ideal is by definition unachievable, half –measures distort the ideal into something that becomes unimaginable. If you take a squirt gun into a knife fight, you will soon discover that winning is not a practical objective. You may also learn that survival is doubtful. Enter that same confrontation while packing a 45, and you will note that your perspective about the outcome has changed. So it is with rebuilding, restoring or renewing Ohio. If we use the squirt gun, we will drown in our own blood. If we use the handgun (metaphorically speaking), then we can forcefully open the portals of freedom. We can construct an island of opportunity and freedom right here in the crossroads of the nation. With a new attitude about the role of state government (should be rarely seen and even more rarely heard), businesses and visionaries from surrounding leviathans will flock to our climate of encouragement.
“Outside the box” has become a metaphor for creative thinking and problem solving. Already it is somewhat of a cliché, but if one examines the trajectory of prosperity in Ohio, one might note that we are inexorably drifting toward an inescapable box…a coffin. Our major economic sectors are gasping for air. Our workforce is aging. Our infrastructure is crumbling. Our political leadership is AWOL. The primary key, as I see it, for escaping this inevitable slide is to develop a system that allows individuals to thrive. Historically, the GOP has been perceived as too friendly to corporate interests although the Democrats have their own favorite corporate buddies. The Democrats have been identified as the party of “groups.” Labor, minorities, women…find a group, and the Democrats will promote it, but the Republicans have their own organized groupies.
Governments at every level must recognize the value of the individual if this nation, and this state, wish to reverse our slide into mediocrity…and finally, insignificance. The gift of grace is a promise to the individual. Why can’t governments recognize, acknowledge and encourage individual initiative? Why cannot governments cherish and promote individual freedom? Why do governments seem compelled to constrain, restrain and deny an individual’s dream? Those who represent the government may believe that whatever they do is in the best interest of those they govern, but they often fail to understand that every little speed bump, every tiny hurdle or every arbitrary rule inhibits the free exercise of the creative force of the individual. A community suffers a loss, a state loses a benefit and a nation loses power when the spark of ingenuity is squelched in an individual. Multiply that effect by many people and a nation will suffer the consequences of broken dreams and shattered hopes. The source of wondrous development is not the bosom of government, but it resides in the hearts and minds of people who dream…big dreams and little dreams. Let us dream, let us build, let us be free to be all we can be. Let us fail, for we can get up and try again, and our new efforts will be better than our previous ones. Allow us to consume the heady air of triumph or wallow in the despair of defeat, because we do not need you, Government, to insure our success. Help us by providing a limited set of rules and by your enforcing them, then turn us loose and watch us grow…as will you. Government of the people means that if you allow us to flourish, then you will thrive as well. If you stifle our spirits and our creative impulses, then we will all wither and fade away. Freedom. Freedom. Freedom.
Comment or email: cnpearl@woh.rr.com
Our diversity is multiplied by the nature of our people and their roots. Each of our large cities and other geographic areas throughout Ohio represent enclaves of many different immigrant groups. Ours is a state that truly does reflect a cross-section of America. Eastern and Western Europeans, Africans, Asians, and South Americans have come to Ohio and thrived. Some have had more success than others, but all have come here with a dream. The great smoke-belching factories, the fertile farmland and the innovative entrepreneurs of Ohio have projected a promise of potential prosperity to all who settled here. The Wright brothers and Charles Kettering were Ohioans. The Libbeys, Proctor and Gamble and the Higbees built their legacies here. Dirty hands provide the evidence of Ohio’s strength—whether the dirt be grease or soil. Times have changed. Ohio has changed. We have changed.
Ohio is struggling now. Our great industrial base is a shadow of what it once was. Our agricultural productivity is being challenged by suburban sprawl, increasing regulation, and, as usual, uncertain markets, high input costs and shrinking opportunities. Ohio’s great retail base has eroded because of the disappearance of companies and jobs. My personal sense is that the “can-do” spirit and innovative creativity that has been so much a part of Ohio’s past has been blunted and stunted. It seems as if Ohio were presently surviving on life support. That’s not all bad. Look to our north. Michigan is on the autopsy table. The operative portion of life support is “life.” We still have a glimmer of life. We can, by following the proper corrective procedures, restore the state. We can restructure the economy. We can rebuild the optimism. We can restore the spirit.
How do we do this you may ask? The easy answer is that we limit the government’s interference in our daily lives and our economic activity. How do we go about achieving a more limited government? The first step is to recognize that there is a problem (AA is right). One can do an economic analysis of regions, states and countries and discern that there is a direct correlation between the influence of the prevailing government and the robust activity in the proscribed area. Now we know that correlation does not necessarily translate into causation, but when one is searching for a remedy for economic stagnation, a correlation may provide a valuable clue. Finding a cure for Ohio’s economic woes is compounded by the fact that we an integral component of the Great Lakes/Midwest region and are one state out of fifty in the United States. It seems reasonable, therefore that any measures taken by Ohioans will be impacted by regional and national considerations. An example would be the plethora of Federal mandates and nation-wide rulemaking that undermines economic energy in Ohio. Our goal should be to do as much as is possible with the tools in our kit, and then, to circumvent or reject the negative impact of the region and the national government.
First of all, the radical realist in me knows/believes that statewide tweaking and half-measures will be fruitless. They would offer a glimmer of hope without delivering the reality. Instead of a scalpel for trimming the edges of a large bloated state government apparatus (the GOP approach), we should fire up a chain saw and reduce the overgrown tree of Ohio government to a stump of basic, fundamental and necessary government. Concurrent with our radical reorganization of Ohio, we should adamantly and forcefully embrace the Tenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States as well as utilizing nullification strategies wherever possible. Personal experience should have taught each of us that half-measures corrupt the ideal, and even if the ideal is by definition unachievable, half –measures distort the ideal into something that becomes unimaginable. If you take a squirt gun into a knife fight, you will soon discover that winning is not a practical objective. You may also learn that survival is doubtful. Enter that same confrontation while packing a 45, and you will note that your perspective about the outcome has changed. So it is with rebuilding, restoring or renewing Ohio. If we use the squirt gun, we will drown in our own blood. If we use the handgun (metaphorically speaking), then we can forcefully open the portals of freedom. We can construct an island of opportunity and freedom right here in the crossroads of the nation. With a new attitude about the role of state government (should be rarely seen and even more rarely heard), businesses and visionaries from surrounding leviathans will flock to our climate of encouragement.
“Outside the box” has become a metaphor for creative thinking and problem solving. Already it is somewhat of a cliché, but if one examines the trajectory of prosperity in Ohio, one might note that we are inexorably drifting toward an inescapable box…a coffin. Our major economic sectors are gasping for air. Our workforce is aging. Our infrastructure is crumbling. Our political leadership is AWOL. The primary key, as I see it, for escaping this inevitable slide is to develop a system that allows individuals to thrive. Historically, the GOP has been perceived as too friendly to corporate interests although the Democrats have their own favorite corporate buddies. The Democrats have been identified as the party of “groups.” Labor, minorities, women…find a group, and the Democrats will promote it, but the Republicans have their own organized groupies.
Governments at every level must recognize the value of the individual if this nation, and this state, wish to reverse our slide into mediocrity…and finally, insignificance. The gift of grace is a promise to the individual. Why can’t governments recognize, acknowledge and encourage individual initiative? Why cannot governments cherish and promote individual freedom? Why do governments seem compelled to constrain, restrain and deny an individual’s dream? Those who represent the government may believe that whatever they do is in the best interest of those they govern, but they often fail to understand that every little speed bump, every tiny hurdle or every arbitrary rule inhibits the free exercise of the creative force of the individual. A community suffers a loss, a state loses a benefit and a nation loses power when the spark of ingenuity is squelched in an individual. Multiply that effect by many people and a nation will suffer the consequences of broken dreams and shattered hopes. The source of wondrous development is not the bosom of government, but it resides in the hearts and minds of people who dream…big dreams and little dreams. Let us dream, let us build, let us be free to be all we can be. Let us fail, for we can get up and try again, and our new efforts will be better than our previous ones. Allow us to consume the heady air of triumph or wallow in the despair of defeat, because we do not need you, Government, to insure our success. Help us by providing a limited set of rules and by your enforcing them, then turn us loose and watch us grow…as will you. Government of the people means that if you allow us to flourish, then you will thrive as well. If you stifle our spirits and our creative impulses, then we will all wither and fade away. Freedom. Freedom. Freedom.
Comment or email: cnpearl@woh.rr.com
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Hearts and Minds
Sometimes I get so frustrated that I could chew through my restraints. I attend events with people who express their anger about the current state of affairs in our government, and then worry about “wasting” their votes. My mental trampoline responds with”What? Waste your vote? Take a look around you, Buford! You’ve been wasting your vote for forty years or more.”
Then I listen to some folks who have the right principles to reset this country on a corrective course, and they don’t want to shake this bush by confronting the weak-minded types. Instead of the Irresistible Force versus the Immovable Object, we have weak-willed pseudo-patriots versus passionless principled pain-in-the-asses. Sometimes we have inarticulate screamers attempting to sway brain-dead purists. No wonder we’re screwed up. No wonder we are so absolutely screwed. We get what we deserve, and we deserve what we get.
Dear Reader, absolute purity and perfection are not available for us. That is why we have grace. On the other hand, political candidates who are on the outside looking in must do more than mildly reason with the voters…or screech at them. Voters must understand that the Founders willingly forfeited their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor because they believed in the principle of a smaller less intrusive government. If the Founders risked everything except their souls for the principle of freedom, why are you, the voters, so afraid to risk a vote…to “split the vote” for principle. You apparently are much too cowardly to have been a Founder. You must be a Tory.
Candidates who challenge the status quo by asking for citizens to vote for principled leadership must be worthy of assuming the role of leader. A clown with good ideas is still a clown, and people will not follow him. He lacks credibility. On the other hand, voters who claim to be weary of professional politicians, nevertheless, use that very professionalism as a standard when weighing their options. They seem to want candidates who aren’t professional to act as if they are, and conversely, they want their professional perpetual politicians to be more like them…the normal citizen. Guess what? Everybody loses.
James Madison was just less than 5 feet 4 inches tall and spoke with a high-pitched voice, but when he spoke…people listened. He is the individual most responsible for the development of the Constitution of the United States. He probably wouldn’t get a hearing today because he doesn’t conform to our image of a statesman and a leader. In this age of glitz and glamour, he would be dismissed because he doesn’t look the part. Before candidates start to feel sorry for themselves because they share some of the physical attributes that Madison, they should note that what he said was worthy of notice. He didn’t screech platitudes and slogans or become obsessed with jots and tittles. He spoke from the heart using a reasoned mind and a passionate love of liberty. Not bad for a pipsqueak, huh? Final note…our candidates need more reason and passion and our voters need more guts.
Comment or email: cnpearl@woh.rr.com
Then I listen to some folks who have the right principles to reset this country on a corrective course, and they don’t want to shake this bush by confronting the weak-minded types. Instead of the Irresistible Force versus the Immovable Object, we have weak-willed pseudo-patriots versus passionless principled pain-in-the-asses. Sometimes we have inarticulate screamers attempting to sway brain-dead purists. No wonder we’re screwed up. No wonder we are so absolutely screwed. We get what we deserve, and we deserve what we get.
Dear Reader, absolute purity and perfection are not available for us. That is why we have grace. On the other hand, political candidates who are on the outside looking in must do more than mildly reason with the voters…or screech at them. Voters must understand that the Founders willingly forfeited their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor because they believed in the principle of a smaller less intrusive government. If the Founders risked everything except their souls for the principle of freedom, why are you, the voters, so afraid to risk a vote…to “split the vote” for principle. You apparently are much too cowardly to have been a Founder. You must be a Tory.
Candidates who challenge the status quo by asking for citizens to vote for principled leadership must be worthy of assuming the role of leader. A clown with good ideas is still a clown, and people will not follow him. He lacks credibility. On the other hand, voters who claim to be weary of professional politicians, nevertheless, use that very professionalism as a standard when weighing their options. They seem to want candidates who aren’t professional to act as if they are, and conversely, they want their professional perpetual politicians to be more like them…the normal citizen. Guess what? Everybody loses.
James Madison was just less than 5 feet 4 inches tall and spoke with a high-pitched voice, but when he spoke…people listened. He is the individual most responsible for the development of the Constitution of the United States. He probably wouldn’t get a hearing today because he doesn’t conform to our image of a statesman and a leader. In this age of glitz and glamour, he would be dismissed because he doesn’t look the part. Before candidates start to feel sorry for themselves because they share some of the physical attributes that Madison, they should note that what he said was worthy of notice. He didn’t screech platitudes and slogans or become obsessed with jots and tittles. He spoke from the heart using a reasoned mind and a passionate love of liberty. Not bad for a pipsqueak, huh? Final note…our candidates need more reason and passion and our voters need more guts.
Comment or email: cnpearl@woh.rr.com
Friday, January 29, 2010
Heartbreak Hotel
Ordering room service could be a challenge at the Heartbreak Hotel. This hotel is the metaphorical location for where our nation is today. Founded on the principles of freedom and opportunity, we have regressed into a nation that has become threatened by the government that we have elected. Throughout the centuries and decades since our beginning, we have mistakenly placed our trust in the hands of professional politicians.
As a reformed politico, I can now confess that most politicians remind me of the nerdy little twit in the class who always raises his hand while the “pick me, pick me” pleas ooze from every pore of his pathetic affirmation-seeking body. He or she was the type who would stand in front of an unlit candle while waiting for the light to shine on their precocious little personalities. They want to be liked. They seek to be loved. They lust to be adored. They become the people who appear on our ballots during every election cycle. The office they seek may change, but they are our professional politicians, our perpetual candidates. Term limits? No problem, we’ll just rotate offices among those of us who have been divinely chosen to run…to lead…to run again.
To justify their reasons for seeking political office they must broaden the scope and the reach of government. Bigger government equals a brighter light; big government is the bigger candle that our professional political class covets. Most of us are busy people. We have jobs to do and families to nurture. We go about our daily lives without worrying too much about what is going on in the hallowed halls of the courthouse, the state capitol or in Washington. We continue to vote for the little attention-seeking weasels, time after time, because they’re “nice guys’ or they appear to “really care.” While we have been toiling to fulfill our responsibilities and maybe, attempting to get a little bit ahead, our “public servants” have been erecting an unwieldy, unworkable and un-Constitutional governmental structure. The behemoth is the Heartbreak Hotel.
It is comprised of so many rooms that it is impossible for the average guest to navigate his way around the place. The charges for staying there grow greater everyday, but the quality of service degrades nearly as fast. Meanwhile, the cheerful little spotlight-suckers continue to remind us that they have been instrumental in the construction of this grand edifice. They proudly proclaim that they have sponsored, co-sponsored or supported many of the critical rooms in our hotel of happiness. What they have failed to tell us is that the Heartbreak Hotel was not built on its original foundation. It has been constructed on a slab of deceit.
For those of us who are uneasy while living in the Heartbreak Hotel, we discover that we must leave. For us to continue to reside there would ultimately lead to ruin. We are warned by other guests and the self-serving “staff” that we cannot move outside the hotel and expect to be effective. Maybe they’re right, but dammit…the hotel is unsafe, the hotel is unhealthy, and I refuse to bite my tongue and stay there any longer. So, goodbye Heartbreak Hotel, I’m hauling outta’ here, but I’ll be back with a new set of builders.
Please comment or email: cnpearl@woh.rr.com
As a reformed politico, I can now confess that most politicians remind me of the nerdy little twit in the class who always raises his hand while the “pick me, pick me” pleas ooze from every pore of his pathetic affirmation-seeking body. He or she was the type who would stand in front of an unlit candle while waiting for the light to shine on their precocious little personalities. They want to be liked. They seek to be loved. They lust to be adored. They become the people who appear on our ballots during every election cycle. The office they seek may change, but they are our professional politicians, our perpetual candidates. Term limits? No problem, we’ll just rotate offices among those of us who have been divinely chosen to run…to lead…to run again.
To justify their reasons for seeking political office they must broaden the scope and the reach of government. Bigger government equals a brighter light; big government is the bigger candle that our professional political class covets. Most of us are busy people. We have jobs to do and families to nurture. We go about our daily lives without worrying too much about what is going on in the hallowed halls of the courthouse, the state capitol or in Washington. We continue to vote for the little attention-seeking weasels, time after time, because they’re “nice guys’ or they appear to “really care.” While we have been toiling to fulfill our responsibilities and maybe, attempting to get a little bit ahead, our “public servants” have been erecting an unwieldy, unworkable and un-Constitutional governmental structure. The behemoth is the Heartbreak Hotel.
It is comprised of so many rooms that it is impossible for the average guest to navigate his way around the place. The charges for staying there grow greater everyday, but the quality of service degrades nearly as fast. Meanwhile, the cheerful little spotlight-suckers continue to remind us that they have been instrumental in the construction of this grand edifice. They proudly proclaim that they have sponsored, co-sponsored or supported many of the critical rooms in our hotel of happiness. What they have failed to tell us is that the Heartbreak Hotel was not built on its original foundation. It has been constructed on a slab of deceit.
For those of us who are uneasy while living in the Heartbreak Hotel, we discover that we must leave. For us to continue to reside there would ultimately lead to ruin. We are warned by other guests and the self-serving “staff” that we cannot move outside the hotel and expect to be effective. Maybe they’re right, but dammit…the hotel is unsafe, the hotel is unhealthy, and I refuse to bite my tongue and stay there any longer. So, goodbye Heartbreak Hotel, I’m hauling outta’ here, but I’ll be back with a new set of builders.
Please comment or email: cnpearl@woh.rr.com
Thursday, January 28, 2010
I'm Sorry
If only Brenda Lee were here to cry out “I’m Sorry,” or maybe Roy Orbison could (if he were still with us) plaintively croon “Crying.” After sitting through the State of the Union address on Wednesday night, I felt as if I had been in some therapy session involving basic victimology. I actually felt unclean.
Mr. President, you will be 50 years old when you leave office in 2012. Isn’t it time that you began to wear long pants? Isn’t it time for you to “man up,” and stop the incessant whining and moaning that characterize your public appearances? Your bi-columnar address to the nation followed a pattern that has become all too familiar to those of us who observe the political scene. One column lists the disadvantages and barriers that work in concert to deny you your self-perceived place in the pantheon of history. The other column while liberally laced with the first-person pronoun is dedicated to the reinforcement of your obviously superior position among mortals.
Frankly, Mr. President, I find your shameless self promotion to be tiresome, and your childish whining and blame-casting to be excruciatingly annoying. Seventy minutes is much too long for someone in your position to be immersed in self adulation and self pity. It is unseemly. It is un-Presidential. It is not at all helpful.
Oh yes, you tossed a couple of bones about the strength and the character of the people. Anyone who closely followed the speech knew that those were simple rhetorical devices devised to soften the overwhelming self-absorbed nature of your speech. By the way, Mr. President, what is the state of the Union? I must have missed your veiled reference. Are we safer or stronger? Are we richer or poorer? Will we survive your socialist policies through sickness and health? Just askin’. Mr. President, I’m sorry because your potentially shining moment was so sorry also.
Comment, please or email: cnpearl@woh.rr.com
Mr. President, you will be 50 years old when you leave office in 2012. Isn’t it time that you began to wear long pants? Isn’t it time for you to “man up,” and stop the incessant whining and moaning that characterize your public appearances? Your bi-columnar address to the nation followed a pattern that has become all too familiar to those of us who observe the political scene. One column lists the disadvantages and barriers that work in concert to deny you your self-perceived place in the pantheon of history. The other column while liberally laced with the first-person pronoun is dedicated to the reinforcement of your obviously superior position among mortals.
Frankly, Mr. President, I find your shameless self promotion to be tiresome, and your childish whining and blame-casting to be excruciatingly annoying. Seventy minutes is much too long for someone in your position to be immersed in self adulation and self pity. It is unseemly. It is un-Presidential. It is not at all helpful.
Oh yes, you tossed a couple of bones about the strength and the character of the people. Anyone who closely followed the speech knew that those were simple rhetorical devices devised to soften the overwhelming self-absorbed nature of your speech. By the way, Mr. President, what is the state of the Union? I must have missed your veiled reference. Are we safer or stronger? Are we richer or poorer? Will we survive your socialist policies through sickness and health? Just askin’. Mr. President, I’m sorry because your potentially shining moment was so sorry also.
Comment, please or email: cnpearl@woh.rr.com
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
In the Race:a personal memo
Well, I’ve done it. I stood on the precipice surveying the landscape, and then I stepped over the edge. My sanity, my energy and my commitment will be challenged as I campaign as a Libertarian for the office as Secretary of State for Ohio. We’re in the embryonic stage now as we structure the committee and solicit signatures on our petitions. One huge advantage for this race at this time is that those who sign our petitions do NOT have to be registered Libertarians. The LP will be on the primary ballot, and my name will be in the SoS slot, but because the party has not had ballot access in the recent past, there is currently no registration designation for “Libertarian.” So, R’s, D’s and I’s can sign my petitions without being legally challenged or required to forfeit their party affiliation. This opening may close for future campaigns because after this year’s primary, there will be a registration designation for Libertarians, and candidates will (unless the law is changed) be forced to secure signatures from party members only in order to qualify for the party nomination on future ballots.
So, why have I chosen to jump back into the election arena after a 26 year sabbatical? After all, it is much easier to sit on the sidelines and lob written spitballs at present-day political goings-on. Running for a statewide office is no picnic…Ohio is roughly 240 miles by 210 miles, and I live in a corner of the state…not the center. There are roughly 11 million people in Ohio, although the real population may be lower because of people relocating after losing their jobs. There are 88 counties, six or seven urban centers (depending on the criteria used), miles of country roads that wind through hills and valleys, and miles of country roads that pierce the prairies of the western portion of the state. There is a very strong (but shrinking) union presence in Ohio and a strong but diminishing corporate/business environment. In many respects our state is a microcosm of the nation.
My reasoning for deciding to pursue the office of Secretary of State for Ohio followed five paths: principle, pragmatism, political, punitive and personal.
My decision to become a Libertarian was based on principles. I had been a conservative Republican for several decades, but had become increasingly frustrated with GOP officeholders as they appeared to be complicit in the massive expansion of government. I had been a significant contributor to the party in years past, but had stopped doing so when the party apparatus (including President W) endorsed (snarlin’) Arlen Spector over Pat Toomey in 2004. The Republican Senatorial Campaign also dedicated significant resources to the election of Lincoln (actually a Yugo) Chaffee. I knew, and every sentient observer knew that both of those endorsed candidates were statist, big government liberals, and yet, the party saw fit to promote them AT THE EXPENSE of solid small government challengers. At that point I began to contribute directly to candidates rather than official party entities. It wasn’t enough, however because when those Republicans that I supported were elected, they were often marginalized by the party leadership …or they became dealmakers and compromisers in order to preserve their political lives. So, I chose to align myself with a group from the Land of Misfit Toys who proclaimed and passionately promoted three basic principles for governing: Smaller government, lower taxes, more (personal) freedom. As someone with a knapsack full of personal biases and preferences, I determined that my failure to join the Libertarians at an earlier stage in my political development was because of my unease with that “personal freedom” thing. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that there were many Libertarians whose personal preferences were radically different from mine. I finally concluded, however, that “personal” preferences of any sort are meaningless if the power of the state is supreme and restrictive. When the light bulb of understanding flickered in my resistant mind, I realized that we should unite and fight to restore smaller government and lower taxes, and then we can argue about those pesky personal freedom things later. If we don’t have smaller government and lower taxes (taxes fund big government), then personal freedom in all probability becomes a moot issue. The principles of smaller government, lower taxes…and more freedom are driving me to run for statewide office.
The pragmatic basis for my running for Secretary of State is grounded in the duties of the office. As a constitutional position, the Secretary of State is administratively responsible for overseeing elections in Ohio and business registration and licensing. There are other sundry duties and responsibilities, but those two are the big kahuna’s. As a Libertarian, or third-party candidate, I can wield power and influence to assure that our elections in the Buckeye State are free and fair. Because the Libertarian Party, as of now, is small, we do not have the resources to cheat and affect electoral outcomes in various venues throughout the state. The two Old Parties do …and have. Pragmatically speaking, I can force them to obey the law and toe the line. If anyone tries to corrupt the electoral process in Ohio, I will drop the big hammer. For example If ACORN, or any organization similar to them, tries to register the dead or Mickey Mouse, there will be “Crushed Nuts (acorns or whatever) in Ohio.” People who attempt to vote in other states and Ohio will be forced to choose or to be prosecuted. Precincts that have more votes than registered voters will be vigorously investigated and prosecuted. The business registration procedures will be streamlined so that new start-up small business can begin functioning with minimal delay. We need jobs in Ohio.
Politically the Secretary of State slot made the most sense for me. The gubernatorial campaign is going to be a high-visibility, high-dollar affair. Ken Matesz, the Libertarian candidate, has to contend with an incumbent Democrat and a Republican challenger who has very high name identification. Good luck, Ken. Steve Linnabary is the Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate. That race, also, will be a high-dollar, high-energy bloodbath.
I’m not all that great with spread sheets so Auditor and Treasurer didn’t appeal to me. Having served in the minority in the Legislature a quarter century ago, I recall how frustrating it can be when one battles an entrenched power structure. So, I wanted an under the radar type of office that could favorably impact the citizens of Ohio. The present Secretary of State is running for U.S. Senate. It’s an open seat. Because of the high-level of scrutiny associated with the other statewide races, the SoS contest could present an opportunity for disgruntled citizens to vote for a third party candidate without feeling that they might be risking or wasting their votes. Given the environment generated by the Tea Party/912/Liberty groups, they clearly are seeking alternatives, but do not want to pursue pipe dreams. My political calculus is that my race offers them a safe and primary vehicle to upset the status quo.
My punitive reason for running for a statewide office is to blow a portion of my children’s inheritance. Seriously, I want my grandchildren to have some chance for personal freedom. They will not have any meaningful personal choices if government continues to grow. So I’ll forfeit my genteel lifestyle on my little patch of paradise here in Wood County, my children will relinquish some of their inheritance, and perhaps, just perhaps, my grandkids can harvest some benefits.
My personal justification for this Don Quixote-like foray onto the political battlefield is that I must be crazy. As a crazy person, I’m probably incapable of recognizing my own insanity. Therefore (using progressive logic) if I can’t detect it, it must be so (think of the global warming argument as a parallel). There’s nothing wrong with being crazy. Some of my best friends are crazy. If the sane people have been running the country and the state all these years, and have managed to screw them up so badly, isn’t it time for the crazy people to give it a shot. Vote for me because I must be a raving madman.
I have tried to explain why I have decided to engage in something that may be beyond my grasp. Then again, there’s a little voice that says “we can do this (don’t forget I’m crazy).” If you want to join me on this journey, there is room for you on the bus (I’ll never throw you under it). If you don’t want to join in, then your votes, your cheers, your dollars and your prayers are welcome. Dear reader, regardless of your relationship with my campaign, you’ll always be my friend.
Please comment or email: cnpearl@woh.rr.com
earl4sos@gmail.com
So, why have I chosen to jump back into the election arena after a 26 year sabbatical? After all, it is much easier to sit on the sidelines and lob written spitballs at present-day political goings-on. Running for a statewide office is no picnic…Ohio is roughly 240 miles by 210 miles, and I live in a corner of the state…not the center. There are roughly 11 million people in Ohio, although the real population may be lower because of people relocating after losing their jobs. There are 88 counties, six or seven urban centers (depending on the criteria used), miles of country roads that wind through hills and valleys, and miles of country roads that pierce the prairies of the western portion of the state. There is a very strong (but shrinking) union presence in Ohio and a strong but diminishing corporate/business environment. In many respects our state is a microcosm of the nation.
My reasoning for deciding to pursue the office of Secretary of State for Ohio followed five paths: principle, pragmatism, political, punitive and personal.
My decision to become a Libertarian was based on principles. I had been a conservative Republican for several decades, but had become increasingly frustrated with GOP officeholders as they appeared to be complicit in the massive expansion of government. I had been a significant contributor to the party in years past, but had stopped doing so when the party apparatus (including President W) endorsed (snarlin’) Arlen Spector over Pat Toomey in 2004. The Republican Senatorial Campaign also dedicated significant resources to the election of Lincoln (actually a Yugo) Chaffee. I knew, and every sentient observer knew that both of those endorsed candidates were statist, big government liberals, and yet, the party saw fit to promote them AT THE EXPENSE of solid small government challengers. At that point I began to contribute directly to candidates rather than official party entities. It wasn’t enough, however because when those Republicans that I supported were elected, they were often marginalized by the party leadership …or they became dealmakers and compromisers in order to preserve their political lives. So, I chose to align myself with a group from the Land of Misfit Toys who proclaimed and passionately promoted three basic principles for governing: Smaller government, lower taxes, more (personal) freedom. As someone with a knapsack full of personal biases and preferences, I determined that my failure to join the Libertarians at an earlier stage in my political development was because of my unease with that “personal freedom” thing. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that there were many Libertarians whose personal preferences were radically different from mine. I finally concluded, however, that “personal” preferences of any sort are meaningless if the power of the state is supreme and restrictive. When the light bulb of understanding flickered in my resistant mind, I realized that we should unite and fight to restore smaller government and lower taxes, and then we can argue about those pesky personal freedom things later. If we don’t have smaller government and lower taxes (taxes fund big government), then personal freedom in all probability becomes a moot issue. The principles of smaller government, lower taxes…and more freedom are driving me to run for statewide office.
The pragmatic basis for my running for Secretary of State is grounded in the duties of the office. As a constitutional position, the Secretary of State is administratively responsible for overseeing elections in Ohio and business registration and licensing. There are other sundry duties and responsibilities, but those two are the big kahuna’s. As a Libertarian, or third-party candidate, I can wield power and influence to assure that our elections in the Buckeye State are free and fair. Because the Libertarian Party, as of now, is small, we do not have the resources to cheat and affect electoral outcomes in various venues throughout the state. The two Old Parties do …and have. Pragmatically speaking, I can force them to obey the law and toe the line. If anyone tries to corrupt the electoral process in Ohio, I will drop the big hammer. For example If ACORN, or any organization similar to them, tries to register the dead or Mickey Mouse, there will be “Crushed Nuts (acorns or whatever) in Ohio.” People who attempt to vote in other states and Ohio will be forced to choose or to be prosecuted. Precincts that have more votes than registered voters will be vigorously investigated and prosecuted. The business registration procedures will be streamlined so that new start-up small business can begin functioning with minimal delay. We need jobs in Ohio.
Politically the Secretary of State slot made the most sense for me. The gubernatorial campaign is going to be a high-visibility, high-dollar affair. Ken Matesz, the Libertarian candidate, has to contend with an incumbent Democrat and a Republican challenger who has very high name identification. Good luck, Ken. Steve Linnabary is the Libertarian candidate for U.S. Senate. That race, also, will be a high-dollar, high-energy bloodbath.
I’m not all that great with spread sheets so Auditor and Treasurer didn’t appeal to me. Having served in the minority in the Legislature a quarter century ago, I recall how frustrating it can be when one battles an entrenched power structure. So, I wanted an under the radar type of office that could favorably impact the citizens of Ohio. The present Secretary of State is running for U.S. Senate. It’s an open seat. Because of the high-level of scrutiny associated with the other statewide races, the SoS contest could present an opportunity for disgruntled citizens to vote for a third party candidate without feeling that they might be risking or wasting their votes. Given the environment generated by the Tea Party/912/Liberty groups, they clearly are seeking alternatives, but do not want to pursue pipe dreams. My political calculus is that my race offers them a safe and primary vehicle to upset the status quo.
My punitive reason for running for a statewide office is to blow a portion of my children’s inheritance. Seriously, I want my grandchildren to have some chance for personal freedom. They will not have any meaningful personal choices if government continues to grow. So I’ll forfeit my genteel lifestyle on my little patch of paradise here in Wood County, my children will relinquish some of their inheritance, and perhaps, just perhaps, my grandkids can harvest some benefits.
My personal justification for this Don Quixote-like foray onto the political battlefield is that I must be crazy. As a crazy person, I’m probably incapable of recognizing my own insanity. Therefore (using progressive logic) if I can’t detect it, it must be so (think of the global warming argument as a parallel). There’s nothing wrong with being crazy. Some of my best friends are crazy. If the sane people have been running the country and the state all these years, and have managed to screw them up so badly, isn’t it time for the crazy people to give it a shot. Vote for me because I must be a raving madman.
I have tried to explain why I have decided to engage in something that may be beyond my grasp. Then again, there’s a little voice that says “we can do this (don’t forget I’m crazy).” If you want to join me on this journey, there is room for you on the bus (I’ll never throw you under it). If you don’t want to join in, then your votes, your cheers, your dollars and your prayers are welcome. Dear reader, regardless of your relationship with my campaign, you’ll always be my friend.
Please comment or email: cnpearl@woh.rr.com
earl4sos@gmail.com
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