Status Check

It amazes me how capitalism is the whipping boy for the world's woes, when it is merely a system of interactions, not a motive.

Capitalism is that system by which individuals own property and control the use of it. In my three-word definition of both capitalism and libertarianism, it comes out like this: you own yourself.

Many people ascribe greed, avarice, and a host of other negatives to capitalism, when it is so clear that these motives are just as common- if not moreso- in countries that are less capitalist than the United States. For a fuller definition of capitalism and libertarianism, I use this: "you are free to do what you like with your life so long as you do not initiate force or fraud on another human being".

After failing to see anything of interest in the political coverage of this morning's Star, I turned to the New York Times best seller's list. There at the top of the Hardcover Non-Fiction List is Michael Moore's "Dude, Where's My Country?"

I won't make the crack about Moore's book being in the Non-Fiction list that is so common. What I will point out is that Moore attacks capitalism, yet Moore is a capitalist.

Observe that his book is not atop the "Hardcover Most Given Away to Libraries List". Nor is it on the "Hardcover Produced by a Non-Profit Organization". Nor is it atop the "Hardcover Produced by a Collective List".

Interestingly, even though Moore himself claims the book is a collaborative work, with a team of fact-checkers poring over every assertion, Moore takes sole credit for the work on the front cover. His books are sold as property to anyone who can afford to buy them. They are not subsidized by the government. They are not sold at a reduced price to those with a lower income. Readers do not flock to Canada to buy Moore's books at a discount (Amazon.com saves you the trouble).

Of course, that is all as it should be. Michael Moore owns himself, and is free to do what he likes with his life so long as he does not initiate force or fraud against anyone. As far as I can tell, he lives out my philosophy to a 'tee'. It does make me wonder why he rails so against the very way he lives his own life, though...

Flipping through Mother Jones is always an excruciating experience for me. The mag has so much potential in being a self-proclaimed hellraiser, but they are so interested in curbing the corporate power they see across the globe that they turn a blind eye the monstrous government power here in the US.

Corporate power does leave me leary, but not in fear, as it does Ma Jones. (A Google search for 'Mother Jones' turns up their link with the description, "A bimonthly magazine of investigative journalism that exposes the evils of the corporate world".) After all, corporations are a device of ownership. Corporations are staffed by people who want to earn money, but rely on voluntary interaction. People in corporations who want to earn money have to offer me something worth my trading my money, or they don't get it.

Can you imagine Wal-Mart rounding up people who haven't bought anything there and forcing them to go to the store and buy things?

Government power is different. Governments are a device of management. Governments are staffed by people who want to manage human interaction, but rely not on voluntary interaction, but on compulsion. People in governments who want my money do not have to offer me something worth my trading my money. They get some of it by intercepting it from my employer before it gets to me, and the rest via the threat of force.

Ma? Given the difference, why so afraid of corporations? You can picture- imagination unnecessary- the IRS rounding up people who haven't paid Federal Income Taxes.

Interestingly, as Mother Jones pushes the socialist from my old neighborhood, Dennis Kucinich, touting his progressive protectionsim in their new issue (not on the web yet), they are just like Michael Moore in being capitalists by accepting scads of advertising dollars from other capitalists, including a few big multinational corporations, like Toyota and Virgin.

The ads are the most fascinating part of Mother Jones. There are ads from Non-Profits such as the ACLU and Amnesty International, but the vast majority are from capitalists. Aveda makes hair products. Eden Foods makes soy milk. Pax World offers mutual funds from companies that pay CEOs less, workers more, are non-defense contractors, etc. These companies are pure capitalists, operating for their own selfish reasons, from the principles they choose, not from ones imposed upon them.

Of course, that is all as it should be. Mother Jones Publisher Jay Harris owns himself, and is free to do what he likes with his life so long as he does not initiate force or fraud against anyone. As far as I can tell, he also lives out my philosophy to a 'tee'. It does make me wonder why his magazine rails so against the very way he lives his own life, though...

The bitter irony is this: capitalists don't really care what your motives are. If you have a product to sell, whether or a book or a magazine, a hybrid car, hemp products, whatever, capitalists say, "welcome to the marketplace, may the best seller win". Indeed, capitalists are incredibly tolerant people, dealing with the competition of other sellers that threaten their very livelihood, even if they dispise the motives of the producers, allowing the choices of consumers to dictate. Capitalists are willing to live side-by-side. Socialists and other attackers of capitalism, on the other hand, are incredibly intolerant and very eager to eliminate the competition of those they dislike, lobbying vigorously to erect laws that would stamp out the producers and methods they dispise, unwilling to co-exist and so contrary to their stated beliefs in tolerance and co-existence.

The other bitter irony is that Mother Jones and other anti-capitalist mags, suhc as the Nation, have more advertising than their pro-capitalist counterparts, such as Reason or Liberty.

Status? Sanity still does not prevail.

We're on the Radar

Almost a year ago, LPIN State Chair Mark Rutherford told me that we would know that the Libertarian Party was making serious progress whent he media found it in their hearts to begin shoving daggers in ours.

We must be making enormous strides.

I'll never forget my delight over the coverage of the 2002 elections, where all three (D, R, & L) candidates were featured in capsules in the Indy Star. Sure the Libertarian candidates weren't being raved, but their vital statistics were posted just like the others. What a difference a year makes.

Every error was reported. If one our candidates was late for a forum, it was reported. When Democrats were late or completely AWOL, it was not reported. If our candidate was simply a line-holder, it was pointed out. Republican line-holders were not identified as such. After years of silently scoffing at our candidates for their sometimes bush league dress code, our attempt at professionalization was mocked with the feckless help of a candidate who underdressed at a function.

The Star hinted that endorsements might be forthcoming for LP candidates, or in their words, "the best people, regardless of party affiliation". The Star did not endorse a single Libertarian. The Party had 21 of a possible 29 city-county council candidates running, earning pre-endorsement recognition. At the same time, the Star's 'Election 2003' print version graffic (not viewable on the Star website, unfortunately) has a logo for the Democrats and Republicans, but not the Libertarians.

NuVo printed a very nice feature on Rev. Greg Dixon, only to follow with a disgusting attack letter (not available on Nuvo's website) in the next issue. Balance, I guess.

&c.

So, my initial response was to see red. Then, who else but Mark Rutherford should remind me that these stabs are good news. They mean that we are on the radar. Besides, it's all George Bush's fault.

I am anxious to get to Election Day. I can't wait to compare the numbers from the last off-year elections to this year's. I'm betting that we will average 5% this time, across the board.

Of course, the sort of press 'help' we're getting could make a guy think we could even get 10%.

The New Chairman

I read a series of one-liners designed to attack one candidate and to promote another in Friday's USA Today. Here's the line:

"I think the President's philosophy is that if you're rich, you deserve it, and if you're poor, you deserve it."

Issued by the Chairman of the committee to re-elect Bush? I would have thought so. If Bush ever issues a statement that clear about his own way of thinking, I would consider voting for the man. However, this 'zinger' was issued by Howard Dean.

Next thing you know, Dean will start saying things like, "Bush thinks each individual owns himself," or "Bush thinks that people should be able to do what they like with their lives so long as they do not initiate force or fraud against another person". Incredible that anyone could think of these as epithets.

Excitement in the News.

I am found once again in the ironic position of eagerly awaiting the next printing of the Indy Star. The Editorial Page staff has been dropping some whoppin' hints that they are going to endorse some Libertarian candidates in the City-County Council races. At this moment (12:40 am), the Tuesday online version is not yet up, *grumble*.

Naturally, I really want to see Brad Klopfenstein earn the endorsement, but I am also eager to see Rev. Greg Dixon get the nod, too. Both of them are running far more active and serious campaigns than their opponents, and that should count for something, even if you do not share the Libertarian viewpoint. These are the obvious choices, but I am also hoping that a surprise is lurking out there.

Maybe Webster Smith, who was excellent in a candidate roundtable forum I witnessed, will be chosen. Maybe one of our at-large candidates will be endorsed. In any case, I'll be dashing for the online version of the Star each morning this week in a way I rarely do.

Go Yankees!

This is a bit late in the game, but things pretty much followed form: the Yankees, with their tradition of excellence, never panicked and defeated the Red Sox, with their history of finding ways to lose. It was amazing. Ame & I sat down to watch Game Seven of the AL Championship Series with the Sox ahead 5-2. I looked to her and said, "the Yanks have this one. The Sox will let them back in." She rolled her eyes, but sure enough...

The Cubs took a 3-1 lead in the NL Championship Series, prompting a co-worker to buy the champaign. I gently reminded him that these were the Cubs, a team who has never won two Playoff Series' in the same season, and that it wouldn't be too unusual if they found a way to lose. I didn't even tell him that the Marlins are a team that has never lost a Playoff Series in their history. He walked off muttering, but sure enough...

What amazed me about the Cubs' wipeout was a poll that was conducted shortly after it was over. It asked for the cause of Chicago's collapse. Many votes were cast for the fan who interfered, others voted that Manager Dusty Baker left his starting pitchers in too long. What got the least votes was that the Marlins beat the Cubs. What got the least votes was correct. The Marlins overcame HUGE odds, showing real character, coming back when all looked hopeless. I like that.

I'm still pulling for the Yanks, though. I favor a long tradition of excellence to a budding one. My call was Yanks in five at the start, and even though the Marlins are a spirited and likeable bunch, I'm sticking with my prediction. I could be wrong, but hey- either way, a tradition of excellence will march on.

A Weekend in Chicago

Ah, a visit to Wrigleyville, where the Cubs fans do knash their teeth and sometimes wail, and where the Cubs merch is sold at a discount- especially that shirt with both the Cubbies' and Marlins' logos on it. Ame & I actually did step foot on the concrete outside Wrigley, and she snapped a cheesy shot of me in front of the Big Red Sign.

We were there to visit her cousin and family, as they have a new baby, Isabelle. She's adorable, and has Ame raring to go for a child of her own. Gulp.

Observations of Chicago, especially the north side:

1. I enjoyed the industrial landscape of Gary, Indiana and Chicago. I hadn't realized how much I missed it in being away from Cleveland. I think I can safely say that it is one of the only things I miss about Cleveland. Trains, factories, steel mills... yum yum.

2. I don't think I have seen as much revolutionary anti-President stuff since Reagan. Stickers were plastered all over every sign, dragging down and making ugly pockets of the residential areas we passed through. Why is it that the fiercest adherents of public property are the most eager to wreck it?

3. More to come.

Looking Forward to Friday's Rush Limbaugh Show

Yes, I know that Rush won't be on. That's ten percent of why I'm looking forward to tuning in. The ninety percent that matters is who will be on: Walter Williams!

Williams is not the smoothest delivery ever to grace the airwaves. He is, however, extremely skilled at explaining economic principles in plain language, using common examples. He uses these examples to guide his politics, as I think anybody intelligent person should do.

The War on Success

That's another way of saying, "I was rooting for a Cubs-Red Sox World Series," or, "I was rooting for the lovable losers". Alas, the Cubs are toast, and I have no doubts that the Yanks will dispatch the Sox tomorrow night.

Thomas Sowell's latest column is entitled, "The War on Success," but he doesn't talk about baseball at all. He talks about the attack on wealth in the U.S. I'd like to think that my comments on the baseball playoffs supplement his article nicely.

Klop Campaign Chugs Onward, Upward

Uphill, more like. It's tough enough to run as a Republican in a district that tends to vote about 80% Democrat, but like trying to turn a lump of coal into a diamond for a Libertarian to run and win in such a district. And yet, Brad Klopfenstein chugs on.

Tonight, members of the campaign team gathered to sift through the list of registered voters in order to find citizens who might be inclined to vote for Brad over the slated Democrat. We stuffed brochures and fridge magnets into envelopes for tomorrow's mail. Over the next few weeks, Brad and the team will continue to knock on doors throughout the district, and to visit neighborhood associations and churches.

Brad has been on hand to monitor the pathetic, money-wasting, time-wasting ballot dispute between Democrats and Republicans, in order to protect the status of Libertarians on the ballot. (Click this link for his letter to the Indy Star some three weeks ago.) Out of his constant attendance, he has gained greater respect with the local news media, earning quotes in Star articles and a positive feature on a recent Fox 59 broadcast. (Click this link to the LPIN website, and then click the link to the broadcast.)

He is doing so much right, and deserves to get so much more in return, but we will probably have to take solace in achieving secondary objectives after the election. He wants to win all of the precincts in his home district, and stands a good chance of doing so. He wants to gather more votes than the Republican candidate, and almost certainly will. He wants to win some of the precincts outside his home district, and should take a handful. He wants to win converts to the LPIN, and certainly will do this too. This is the ground work Democrats have done over the past 20 or so years, and it has served them well, converting a Republican city into a Democratic one.

For me, the most frustrating thing is knowing that Brad's main opponent, Democrat Patrice Abduallah, is doing next to nothing. He's mailing it in, in his own way, sitting back patiently, trying to give us no ammunition, banking on the voting trends of the district to take care of business for him. It's frustrating to be able to predict that he is probably using a winning strategy.

It's frustrating to know that so many citizens will be happier to vote for a Democrat who sees fit not to campaign hard before considering a vote for a Libertarian who does, but those are the results of Democrats earning the votes over years. But the lesson is that the work must be done in order to put Libertarian candidates in the same position 20 or so years from today.

Small Joy in Mudville

The Cubs imploded. So, where's the surprise?

This franchise's very calling card is defeat, and Cub fans identify with it in an almost sick way, which is why I find no irony in a Cub fan interfering with a ball that would have in all likelihood been the second out of the eighth inning. How perfectly fitting.

Now the Cubs and their fans, who were five outs from their first trip to the World Series since 1945, will have to agonize until the end of a deciding Game Seven, and then probably longer. It reminds me of a cruel joke my cousin and I used to tell about my brother.

Q: How do you set Rich up with a small business?
A: Give him a big one and wait nine months.

That, in a nutshell, is the story of Chicago Cub baseball.

But don't mistake me for one who is gloating over this misfortune. The only joy I can take from this is that the Marlin players were looking positively forlorn up until this point in the game, and with a tiny break going their way, the Marlins were energized and capitalized completely, scoring eight runs to leave all wearing blue at Wrigley in a state of shock.

Come to think of it, the resiliance of the Marlins should be the story here, but the mindless support of the perennial underdog is getting in the way.

Anyway, it was George Bush's fault. He was in the stands and interfered with Moises Alou. Damn that rascal George W. Bush!

Keeping an Open Mind

Tim Steyskal, my pal back at WCSB in the late 1980s, had a saying about an open minds: "An open mind is often little more than an open pit ready for backfilling".

That said, I've been intrigued by the consistency and uniformity of the left in its' unwavering attack on George W. Bush. I am so intrigued, that I have decided to adopt this for myself.

For instance- in last week's hockey game, I scored a goal and had three assists. I really should have scored another goal, but my shot missed the net, because I hurried my shot.

Oh- wait! It was George Bush's fault. He's responsible. I would have scored two goals if not for George W. Bush.

That's easy! Now I understand a third of why they do it!

Rush and Drugs -- the Conservative Dilemma

Rush Limbaugh admitted an addiction to painkillers. If Rush were a libertarian, he would have been saying for years that you own yourself, ergo, the use of painkillers is a personal issue, not a societal one. Alas...

The following was recently penned by Steve Dasbach of the Libertarian Writers Bureau:

Conservative icon Rush Limbaugh has confirmed the rumors – he’s addicted to prescription pain medication. It’s obvious that he has broken our nation’s drug laws. Which poses an interesting dilemma for his fellow conservatives.

According to Rush and other conservative drug warriors, “drug users ought to be convicted and sent up” as Rush himself put it. Sent up, as in sent to prison.

So here’s the conservative dilemma. Should Rush, a self-admitted “drug user” be “convicted and sent up?”

If they say yes, they’re advocating silencing the most powerful and influential conservative voice in America -- imprisoning a man they admire and respect. If they say no, they’re contradicting everything they’ve claimed for years about the need to fight the War on Drugs with stiff criminal penalties, including jail time, for drug users.

Do conservatives think that society will be better off if their friend and idol Rush serves a long stretch behind bars as “punishment” for his drug use? Or that a long prison term will somehow “rehabilitate” him? If not, then why would they advocate such treatment for the sons and daughters and friends of ordinary Americans?

Conservatives argue that stiff criminal penalties, including jail time, are necessary to deter drug use. But such penalties failed to deter Rush, a strong willed individual who preaches self-reliance, responsibility, and the importance of the rule of law for three hours every day. If draconian drug laws and mandatory minimum sentences didn’t deter him, how likely are they to deter lesser mortals?

One presumes that conservatives embrace the ideals expressed in the Pledge of Allegiance, including “justice for all”. That means the same laws are supposed to apply to everyone, whether it’s a wealthy celebrity like Rush or a faceless inner-city man mired in poverty. In fact, Rush himself has advocated jail time for athletes and Hollywood celebrities who use drugs.

So if conservatives still believe that drug users should be sent to prison, doesn’t that mean that Rush should be imprisoned too?

Some conservatives seem to be having problems coming to grips with this dilemma. When the bombastic Ann Coulter was repeatedly asked if she thought Rush should be sent to prison, the best she could come up with a lame comment that if her mother committed murder, she wouldn’t want her sent to prison. Sorry, but that really isn’t an answer.

Another prominent conservative focused on the fact that Rush got hooked on legal drugs, conveniently ignoring the fact that he bought them illegally, and that the drug laws conservatives support make no such distinctions. As far as the law is concerned, Rush is no different than the person who buys marijuana, cocaine, or heroin.

So how will conservatives resolve this dilemma? Some will probably decide to sacrifice Rush on the altar of principle. Others will demonstrate by their actions that they are simply hypocrites. They’ll support Rush in his time of need while continuing to advocate prison for other drug users.

But perhaps, just perhaps, Rush’s addiction will be the catalyst that prompts fair-minded conservatives to reevaluate their unquestioning support for the War on Drugs. Perhaps they’ll decide that if it makes sense to let Rush decide for himself how to deal with his drug problem, perhaps it makes sense to let other drug users make their own decisions as well.

This isn’t an abstract issue for me. As the father of four nearly grown children, I’ve had to face the challenges posed by tobacco, alcohol, and drug availability that all parents must confront. Of all the fears associated with confronting these issues, my greatest fear has always been the one Rush’s friends are confronting now – the possibility that someone I care for will make a bad choice and have their lives destroyed by the criminal justice system that is supposed to protect us.

Nothing will be gained by sending Rush to prison. Nothing is gained by imprisoning other less-famous drug users either. If Rush’s fellow conservatives resolve their dilemma with compassion, perhaps we can all agree to stop treating drug use as a crime and stop wasting lives. And we can continue to enjoy “Excellence in Broadcasting” for many years to come.

You can subscribe to the National Edition of the Libertarian Writers Bureau. There is also an Indiana version.

Lovable Losers 2

I penned the item below, only to have ABC's Nightline do a feature on the subject, rah-rah-ing the Cubs and Red Sox. Bleah. Thanks for nothing. Ben Affleck was interviewed, wherein he embodied the senseless envy of success right on cue. Er, thanks, Ben.

I found that a search for the phrase 'lovable losers' turns up quite a bit of verbiage, most of it dedicated to the Cubs. There is even a website called www.lovablelosers.com. Pathetic.

As I write this, the Marlins are leading the Cubs 2-0 in tonight's game, but trail the series 3-1. I still have great faith that the Cubs and their sad-sack fans will have to wait until late in the 21st Century before they can experience the thrill, since the Yanks are bound to continue to dispatch the Sox, and then in turn, the Cubs.

My quest for continued excellence took two hits this weekend, with one survivor. In college football, Ohio State's string of 19 straight victories was snapped. On the NFL gridiron, the hometown Colts lost less than a week after their inspiring Monday Night defeat of the Super Bowl champ Bucs. On the upside, the Colts lost to the undefeated Carolina Panthers. The Chiefs had a miraculous OT win over the Packers to keep their season perfect.

It's still possible for a perfect Super Bowl as the AFC Chiefs could face either the NFC Panthers or Minnesota Vikings in a final battle of unbeaten teams. That would be a million times more exciting than a Cubs-Red Sox Series... which won't come to pass anyhow.

Go Yankees.

No Lovable Losers

I was at Brad's Monday night for viewing of the Colts' miracle defeat of the Super Bowl champ Buccaneers with about 10 people present. As the Colts were getting their butts kicked in the first half of the game, we switched over to the baseball playoff Game Five between the Oakland A's and the Boston Red Sox. Therein, it was discovered that many of the folks there were pulling for the Sox, and dreaming of a Cubs-Red Sox World Series.

Excuse me while I retch in the sink. Unfortunately, this is a common view.

On what grounds does anyone root for the Red Sox or the Cubs? OK, maybe you are from Boston or Chicago, or surrounding areas. If you are a blind homer, fine. They can field any team, and you will root for the uniform. Wow, that's inspiring, rooting for the uniform.

Do you pull for the underdog, just because they are the underdog? If you did, you would vote exclusively Libertarian or Green- until they became the majority, and then you would begin to vote for the Consitutional Law and Socialist candidates until they in turn became a majority. But no, you don't do that. You think about the vote you will cast, making it reflect your values.

Why should rooting for sports teams be any different?

After a decade of pulling for the Indians because they were a constant threat to score eight runs in any game, I now pull for the Yankees. Yes, the dreaded, hated, envied Yankees. The Yankees are the standard of excellence. I enjoy pulling for continued excellence. I appreciate the difficulty in making it year after year. Look at last year's Series winner, the Anaheim Angels. They were virtually eliminated from the Playoffs in July. Look at the Marlins. After they won a Series over the Indians, the team was dispersed, with players scattering to new teams across the league with fat contracts.

The Cubs have been losers for six generation. The Red Sox have been losers for five. Is this what inspires you?

Face it- you hate the Yankees because their owner makes a lot of money, and spends a lot of money on talent. You aren't so much rooting for something as you are rooting against something. I fail to see the joy in that. The interesting thing is that the Red Sox are one of the league's free spenders. What you see here is that there is more to it than spending. There is talent, confidence, teamwork, and a host of other attributes that make a winner. Money may buy talent, but it doesn't buy cohesion, for example.

Root for the Cubs because you love Sammy Sosa's power and enthusiasm. Root for the Sox and Manny Ramirez for his power and occasional enthusiasm. But please be for something.

Radio Bummer

I had a full day of inspections planned, meaning that in between site visits, I could take in all the radio coverage of the California election on Tuesday. I was sadly disappointed at the quality of the procedings, although I must admit that the difference of two time zones greatly affected things.

I listened largely to WXNT-AM in indianapolis. My favorite syndicated talker, Neal Boortz, had little to say, as his program ended at 10am Pacific time. At that point, all he or the networks could say was that it looked like the turnout would be unusually high.

Glenn Beck followed Boortz, but his show is tape-delayed, and offered essentially the same in terms of 'news'. Beck annoyingly went on and on about how the most important thing in the election was 'character', not about 'it's the economy stupid' and how he had serious doubts about Arnold. Whether considering Bill Clinton, Gray Davis, or Arnold Schwartzneggar, it's clear that American voters do believe that 'it's the economy, stupid'. Sorry Glenn.

As Beck got under my skin, I alternately tuned to the NPR station. They aired their usual fare of ponderous human interest stories, and offered no word on the recall at any point at which I checked in.

Sean Hannity was the first to offer any definitive indication, describing the day as 'California's independence day' right from the top of the show. However, it struck me that for all of his exuberance, he was not offering numbers. There was no exit poll data, just Hannity's assurance that 'his people on the ground there' let him know that it was looking good for recall and for Arnold.

Then it hit me: I miss the old style of reporting that gives numbers and exit poll results. Thanks to the 2000 Presidential election, so-called news outlets are now gun shy about projecting a winner.

I miss the excitement of numbers pounded out every five minutes. I remember hanging on every premature result in 1992, the first time I paid attention to CNN's election coverage. It was thrilling! Now, we get nudge, nudge, wink, wink reporting, with insinuations offered for fear that the reports might influence or jeopardize the outcome. I'm not convinced of that the reporting does this, anyway. If the outcome is reported as a landslide, those who might have been voting for the loser could even be inspired to show up on the news, to try to make up some ground. In a close race, potential votes for all candidates might be similarly inspired.

So, we get to deal with this timidity, which makes for lame radio. Wither the First Amendment and free speech for news agencies? I don't buy the notion that there is free speech, but if you use it, you lose it. This timidity in journalism jeopardizes more freedoms than potential votes.

Cally-for-nee-ah

I'll be riveted to the AM talk radio tomorrow in the truck between inspections, listening for news on the California recall. Heck, I'm so eager to hear all I can, I'll probably even tune in to the NPR station.

I disagree quite a bit with Arnold Schwarzneggar's stated policies, ranging widely from some economic issues to some social issues. But I like this about him: he strikes me as a leader.

I have encountered precious few leaders in my life. Leaders will at the least inspire you to excell, and at best encourage and assist you while inspiring you.

I find it very refreshing to even have a leader available in a gubernatorial race. I have not had a chance to vote for a candidate I consider a leader in any election, for any office, in my entire life, so I am more than a little jealous that Californians have this opportunity which they seem to deserve so little. So many technocrats and authoritarians of so many stripes out there...

The Living Wage, Explained

Many who claim to have a desire to advance the cause of 'social justice' support the idea of the living wage. This policy goes beyond the standard of the minimum wage, which such people believe substandard no matter what work the wage comes in exchange for, and recommends an hourly figure that provides a better standard of living.

Setting aside whether or not more income means a better standard of living (it doesn't if one cannot manage money), let's look at the subject from the cause and effect.

Consider that the employer is a municipal government, such as the City of Indianapolis. Let's use round figures to make it easy to observe the dynamic... the current wage is $5/hour for City workers. It has been asserted that nobody can really live too well on $5/hr, so the proposal is to make the wage $10/hr.

The City currently employs 20 people at $5/hr, which means the City spends $100/hr on labor. The City accepts the idea of the living wage, and commits to $10/hr for each worker.

Problem is, the City only has $100/hr to spend on labor. If it keeps all 20 people employed, it must now spend $200/hr on labor, if it is to keep 20 people on the payroll. Where will the extra money come from? Keep in mind that these are the times of shrinking budgets, and nobody from Bart Peterson to Gray Davis to George Bush has been able to assure citizens that their policies will be bringing budgets up to 1990's level funding.

One of three things has to happen. If the City is to maintain its' current spending level, it must fire 10 workers. If the City is to maintain its' current staffing level at the living wage, it must cut spending on other City services. The City may also maintain its' current staffing level at the living wage if it engages in deficit spending.

If you are a proponent of social justice and a proponent of the living wage, will you be the one willing to break the news to those who lose their jobs so that others may enjoy a living wage? Or, will you be the one to notify those who lose other City services so that City workers may enjoy the living wage? Or, will you be the one to notify your children, who inherit your deficit, that the idea was yours? It would be real social justice if you were made to do so.

By the way, the reason private companies cut jobs and wages is that they face the same problem as cities... except they do the right thing. Companies add to their labor costs when the money is flowing in. When the money stops, companies correctly contract so that they may survive. No company that plans to survive would add to the costs of labor when the money was running out. Cities tend to ignore reality by not making appropriate cutbacks, and worse, consider adding to labor costs through policies such as the living wage.

Think of your own budget. Do you increase spending when you get bad news from the boss? Or do you suck it up and cut back on spending? Families cut back. Companies cut back. Why should cities be any different?

The living wage is not social justice. It's social suicide. Unfortunately, there are those who want this for Indianapolis. It's one thing to subsidize others yourself. It's another to impose your will upon others despite all common sense, which is when it becomes malice.

Back From the Adirondacks

Ame & I took Shasta for a fun trip to upstate New York. It was great despite a cold 14-hour rain that cut the trip short. We had one outstanding, beautiful day of hiking and camping, hanging out with friends (and Groomsmen!) Steve and Greg. We hiked in, set up camp, fetched spring water and firewood, and then enjoyed lounging around for dinner and a campfire. It was as perfect a day as we've ever had there!

Saturday was as lousy a day as we've ever had there, thanks to the rain. I came to the conclusion that with both of our tents wet inside, along with clothes and sleeping bags, and temperatures under 50 degrees, we'd never get dry, and only be the more miserable. We packed up and hiked out and looked for ways to extend the trip outside our original agenda. The drive away from the campsite, through the winding mountain roads, was very enjoyable as we took in misty hilltop views that were sprinkled of violent reds in some trees among the leafy trees that have not yet turned and the pines.

At the end of the day, it's like I told Greg's friend, Jon The Photographer- a bad day at the Pond beats a good day looking up sewer pipes.

A Favored Columnist

I have been enjoying the writing of Walter Williams for some time. His recent column on freedom of association is brilliant. The topic is rarely mentioned, but is a key component to any free state. Examine the degree to which freedom of association exists in this country, and you may not enjoy the conclusions you draw. If so, you will be correct.

It struck me earlier today that two of my favorite political writers are black economists. I also enjoy the thinking of Thomas Sowell.

There is something very intellectually satisfying about the consistent application of cause and effect, devoid of emotion, that economics provides that explains political solutions to human 'problems' so well: the law of unintended consequences. These men may not be dazzling wordsmiths, but they are brilliant thinkers, and I enjoy their work very much.

A Favored Place

Later this week, Ame & I will head for the Adironadacks, specifically to Long Pond, for a few days of camping in a rather remote location. We'll meet up with friends from New York City, Steve and Greg. For Ame & Shasta (our dog), it will be the second such adventure. I think this will be my sixth trip.

I always feel like Teddy Roosevelt when I go here. I don't know if TR actually traversed Long Pond itself, but I could imagine him enjoying it, if he had. The area is so remote that I've encountered other humans on less than half of the trips. The log at the trailhead often goes unsigned for months at a time. The trails are thin, and the markers are faded. Greg, Steve, and I actually re-established the trail from Long Pond to the John Mack Pond, as it was completely overgrown.

My favorite Long Pond moment was discovering an obscured natural spring that was listed in a trail book published in the 1960s. It is easily the best water I have ever drank.

This time, there is the possibility of seeing aurora borealis, plus the beginnings of fall foliage. It should be awesome!

Slaps in the Face

While we earn respect from some, others prefer to just raise their hand over head and bring it crashing down with a contemptuous swat. The Indy Star has so smacked the LP twice in the past four days.

In Thursday's paper, the issue of a Democratic suit challenging the Mariob County ballot was covered. While it may be a fight between Dems and the GOP, Libertarian candidates are just as affected by any change to the placement of candidate names as the other two parties. The reporter didn't bother to contact the LP for comment. Also, the graphic used featured Dem and GOP logos, but did not include one from the LP, which is a glaring ommission from a graphic titled, "Election 2003". After all, there are about 20 LP candidates in Marion County, not an insignificant number. (The online version sadly does not include the logo.)

In today's issue, a Top Five list is posted in referrence to the ballot issue, suggesting the inclusion of a phrase advising the voter that a vote for an LP candidate is a wasted vote.

How do I sum these up? Lazy, sloppy, and unconscionable. Poor journalism. Disrespectul.

I expect the LP to take lumps when it does something stupid that affects people. Here, we take lumps for no good reason at all. I expect that from Nuvo, but at least because they understand us and fear liberty.

Respect

Thursday night's Hob Nob event was great fun, and a real boost. The Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce sponsors the annual event, where candidates for City-County Council and Mayor gather to distribute literature, circulate, and glad-hand.

Klop had a table along with his Democratic and Republican fellow challengers. This was the second time we have encountered the Dem, and the first time I met the Republican. We set up Brad's brochures and buttons, though I think more pols picked up the stuff than members of the general public. Unfortunately, the public really didn't show up in great numbers, which is sad since this event was likely the single greatest gathering of hopefuls that there will be.

The most striking thing was the respect given to the Libertarian Party. Our opponents were very gracious, and actually pretty eager to talk shop with us. This is again in stark contrast to the Ohio experience, where the LP is treated with scorn and derision as a matter of courtesy. I was personally thanked by Mayor Bart Peterson for the work of the LP, which was exceptionally gratifying.

I know, I know- it's a happy smile face event, and everyone there was sporting the brown lipstick, but still! Dennis Kucinich never thanked me for 'doing what I do to improve the community' back in Cle.

County Chair Sam Goldstein participated in a tri-partisan chair's rountable, which was broadcast on WIBC. Goldstein was given equal billing and equal time by all involved, and it was refreshing and encouraging.

Indiana Continues to Confound a Buckeye

When I moved to Indy from Cleveland, I was immediately struck by Indiana having a significantly more fiscally conservative governor than Ohio. The rub: the late Frank O'Bannon was an Indiana Democrat, and Ohio gov. Bob Taft is a Republican.

Now, the Indianapolis mayoral race leaves me doing a double-take. GOP candidate Greg Jordan is against expanding corporate welfare and socialized football, while the incumbent, Democrat Bart Peterson favors expanding support for the Colts.

The public has weighed in mightily against an extra penny for the Colts. It's rare that I agree with the public and a GOP candidate on a corporate welfare issue, but there we are. I smile and I realize yet again that I do not miss Ohio.

Retail Politics

The Brad Klopfenstein campaign has hit the neighborhoods the last two days on the near East side of Indianapolis, as Brad has knocked on about 100 doors each night, talking to the voters of District 15, and handing out literature.

He reports two things: 1) Have voter registration forms on hand, especially in recently revitalized neighborhoods, and, 2) Really interested voters will ask for specifics on his positions. Of course, he's glad to give details.

Anyone wishing to join the Klopfenstein for Council team can email me at: mikekole@msn.com

An issue fell into our lap, thanks to an article in today's Indy Star. It seems that Indy and some suburban communities have been exploring the possibility of light rail.

Normally, the purely libertarian approach would be to point out that no private operator would touch passenger rail because it would lose money and serve the few at the expense of the many. In Brad's inner city district, we'll point out the same thing- serving the few at the expense of the many- but demonstrating that in this case, the money would benefit suburbanites at the expense of all, including inner city residents. We will also point out that the money blown on the study could have better been spent in protecting inner city residents, improving inner city infrastructure, etc.

Let's Set Theory Aside For a Moment

I love to argue passionately against socialized health care, but the fact is, I do so from theory. I don't really know what socialized medicine looks like. Then again, neither do I know what wholly free-market medicine looks like. Our mixed economy makes empirical evidence hard to gather in favor of my preferred way.

Ah, Canada. Whenever an example of a better health care system is sought, Canada is so frequently the answer. After all, Americans are now increasingly buying their prescription drugs from Canada, so they must be doing something right.

You can gather empirical evidence on Canada's socialist system. How about a Canadian perspective, then?

Putting the Fun in Fundraising

For Brad's campaign, we both agreed that we would avoid boring events and plain ol' stump speeches as fundraising material. So far, so good. We have had two events- a trip to a minor league baseball game and an evening at a nightclub with a swingin' rockabilly band, King Creole.

Next up is a poker party at my place, this Friday night. We'll ask for a $50 donation, and donors will play poker at 9:00pm with chips for fun and door prizes. I'll also serve dinner at 8:00pm along with snacks, sodas, and beer. Those wishing to attend need to RSVP ASAP by email at mikekole@msn.com.

We'll probably have one more poker night, and I'll probably also host a TV party featuring Ayn Rand-related videos. I had the crazy idea that we should have a Gong Show party, but that would be way too much work to put together at this point. That would be a riot! Maybe I'll save that idea for a Marion County fundraiser down the road.

Stars & Bars 'Wither Irony' 2

The first one was the occurences of the Stars & Bars sticker on a bumper next to the 'United We Stand' sticker. The second, which I have begun to notice frequently, is the ol' Stars & Bars alongside 'One Nation Under God'.

Think about it.

Dean vs. Goliath

Howard Dean vs. George W. Bush? No, I'm talking about a real David- Dean Barkley. Fortunately, the local media is really starting to talk about Mr. Barkley, Libertarian candidate for Carmel, IN Mayor, this way.

Last night's Fox 59-TV coverage of Dean Barkley's run for Mayor was nothing but positive, showing him as the reluctant but determined candidate, a simple small business owner who was one of many who were left out of the process by a Republican Mayor who really didn't care if his city's road project negatively impacted them. (Fox 59 has a teaser on their website on 'The Construction Candidate', but not a full story, sadly.)

This morning's Indianapolis Star has a feature on Dean in their Hamilton County section. It tells the story nicely.

The Mayor raised some $240,000 for the primary, and is now gearing up to raise more money. If raising money is the name of the game, Mayor Jim Brainard may be in for a bit of a shock. While Barkley's campaign manager says that they look to raise about $50,000, I am betting that they can raise every bit as much as Brainard (meaing six figures plus), so thorough is the dissatisfaction among Republicans and among small business owners, who would have been less surprised and disappointed if Brainard's big government and heavy-handed tendencies came from a Democrat. Alas, the Republicans are revealed as being just about the same.

This is going to be very exciting to watch, as Barkley loads the slingshot with stones.

If Currency Must Be Changed

One thing I really like about American currency is that despite numerous minute changes on the bills over the years, the basic design has remained relatively unchanged for the last 80 or so years. The size, shape, colors, and even the men whose portraits adorn the bills have not been altered in that time.

I like that. It points to the great stability of the United States and its’ economy.

Take a $1 bill from 1935 and one from today and compare. The biggest difference is that the 1935 note is usually a Silver Certificate, and it represented ‘one dollar in silver payable to the bearer on demand’. Yes, that Federal Reserve Note is not redeemable for anything… except the goods or services it can fetch. Also, the back of the 1935 bill lacks the phrase ‘In God We Trust’. Ah, let’s revisit those conversations another day. This will make the point: I collect the Silver Certificates, and have received them in change in the last five years, even though they were last produced in 1957. They are that similar.

That said, I have found a compelling change proposal to the back of the U.S. $1 bill, suggested by middle school civics teacher Randy Wright, and found on his website www.libertydollarbill.org. Wright is suggesting that U.S. Constitution should replace the All-Seeing Eye and the Great Seal of the United States.

His suggestion is that the entire Preamble to the Constitution, and descriptions of the various Amendments be written on the bill. Politicians have been warming up to the idea, and a couple years ago, HR xxxx was introduced recommending adoption of the new design.

I like the idea of the Preamble. Everyone should feast their eyes upon it every now and again so as to see what gave rise to the founding of this country. Placing it on the back of the $1 bill would ensure that everyone could see it every day.

I don’t like the idea of using interpretive descriptions of the Amendments. Interpretation is the job of the Supreme Court, and even then, I wouldn’t care to have what about half of them would have to say about it. The Constitution and the Amendments are rather like art- in the eye of the beholder, and best seen in their unblemished, original form.

Printing all ten Amendments of the Bill of Rights would be wonderful. Maybe they wouldn’t all fit. USA Today’s Tony Mauro suggests that printing the First Amendment would be a great thing. I wouldn’t have any great objection to that.

Whether it’s the Amendments or dollar bills, I like to see them messed with and changed as little as possible.

Vive Bold and Italic Type!

One download of the most current Internet Exploder, and life is peaches and cream!

Well, here I go again, trying to make up for a nine-day lag...

Web Nonsense

Forgive me, Wired, for I have no technical skills. I am the great unwashed, heavily reliant upon point-and-click simplicity, utterly ignorant of code.

For days, I have been unable to access my blog via Internet Explorer. This morning it dawned on me that IE could be the problem, so I tried using Netscape. Voila! So here are these quick posts. Problem is, not all of the buttons are visible to me, so I can't insert links, or use bold or italic type. Arrgh! I'll have to download more current versions of both browsers and see what becomes available to me.

I Can't Wait to Watch the TV News!

I don't think I've uttered such a phrase in better than ten years, so insipid, so vacuous is the usual fare on the broadcast news. But tonight, while there may well be coverage of car crashes or house fires, there will also be a feature on Dean Barkley on Fox 59-TV at 10:00.

Dean is running for Mayor of Carmel, IN on the Libertarian ticket. All indications are that this is the kind of coverage Libertarian candidates tend not to get- positive coverage.

My VCR is fired up, and so am I!

Big League or Thrid World?

That seems to be the big, pressing question before the good people of Indianapolis. Oh, it hasn't been stated this way explicitly, but I think it should be. Here are the two local stories on the front page of this morning's Indy Star:

Headline, above the fold, uppermost left- "City debates if paying Colts would pay off".

Headline, above the fold, center, below the Colts story, "Insufficient Infrastructure. Storm deluge sends raw sewage gushing".

The stories placed side-by-side like this makes the choice clear- fix the sewers.

It is rare that libertarians argue for common resources and common funding. However, most libertarians will argue that sewers and other infrastructure are among the rare instances where common resources are appropriately administered by government. The argument can successfully be made for privatization of sewers, but for the time being, they are a common resource. So long as they are, they should be fully funded and fully functional, and should not overflow every time better than a half-inch of rain falls.

It is quite the mind-blower that people are arguing for socialized football, and worse, making it a priority over sewers.

The bitter irony here is that, "to proponents, it's money well spent for being 'big-league'". Look to the city that hosts the Colts opener today: Cleveland. That city has had major league baseball since the 1890's, the NFL with a three-year gap since 1950, and the NBA since 1970. That city's big league status wasn't called into question when the Browns left for Baltimore in 1996. It was called to the mat when the Cuyahoga River caught fire in 1969. Ever since, when a comedian has needed a cheap laugh and didn't wish to use profanity, he uttered the word, "Cleveland".

If Indianapolis begins to have cases of cholera because raw sewage escapes the system with heavy rains, all the football welfare in the world won't save the city from worldwide stigma. Cleveland will breath a sigh of relief and pass the torch to us.

The Libertarian Party has been on the correct side of both of these issues for years: Fund the sewage system. Leave the Colts to the free enterprize system.

You Cannot Be Asking To Be Taken Seriously

As a campaign manager, I watched in awe as George W. Bush came to my home town of Indianapolis for a fundraiser. The man raised as much with one dinner plate- $2,000- as Brad might in the average two-week span. Of course, Bush is President, and Brad is running for City-County Council. I have no protest. I can appreciate supply and demand on this one. The President raised about $1.5 million with the event.

Roughly 200 people showed up outside the dinner venue to protest. The most common objections were to the dinner's price tag, with assertions made about the immorality of making politics a money game, and how $2,000 could feed so many people. Here's a link to protest video from Rtv6.

Here is my challenge to the Bush protestors: have your candidate walk your walk. Contact the person you want for the next President of the United States. Ask that person to refuse to raise any money. If that person has raised any money, ask that it be given away ASAP.

Then, see which happens first- your candidate agrees, or Bush reads the works of Karl Marx to Alan Greenspan's bedside at sleepytime.

I did a google search and discovered a site called whitehouseforsale.org. I figured that this would be a clearing house for information on campaign dollars raised by Presidential candidates. It is. Sort of. A search of their site turns up the following number of responses to the following names:

Bush = 67
Dean = 3
Kucinich = 1
Gore = 0
Lieberman = 2
Kerry = 2

They have chronicled every stop by the Bush campaign, and every dollar reported thus far. It's impressive work. It's also impressive that Bush has already raised over $54 million.

To search the site, and to read their posts, one might conclude that Democratic Presidential hopefuls do not raise any money.

Alas. In 2000, more than $132 million was raised by a huckster politician, devoid of principles, and certainly not feeding the hungry. That was Al Gore.

What about this year?

John Kerry = $16,028,266
John Edwards = $11,936,277
Howard Dean = $10,547,980
Dick Gephardt = $9,750,802
Joe Lieberman = $8,151,575

I couldn't find this info on whitehouseforsale.org. While they work hard to expose every dollar Bush raises and condemn it as evil, they don't even bother researching those on their side who do the same, though not quite as well. The info on the Democrats was found on a site called opensecrets.org. It's obviously a far less biased site than whitehouseforsale, and a much better clearing house for such information.

whitehouseforsale.org is an arm of Public Citizen. Public Citizen is the tool of Ralph Nader.

Oh, in 2000, Ralph Nader raised $8,433,778 and accepted $723,308 in Federal funds. If the White House is for sale, can we assume from this that Nader was merely one of the low bidders? If he was abiding by his stated principles, should he have even been in the bidding? Couldn't Nader have left that Federal money alone for the hungry to be fed instead? So much for his principles.

Libertarian Harry Browne refused to accept any Federal dollars- on principle. Some day, maybe Ralph can live up to Harry.

I have no problem with raising money from willing contributors to support a candidate. Money is a tool, and is not the end-all, be-all. Democrats in Indiana should know this. After all, the 2002 Democratic Secretary of State candidate Fernandez outspent his Republican rival, spending over $1 million in all, and still lost, mainly due to negative campaigning.

Maybe there lies some insight for leftists: try to be positive rather than endlessly on the attack. Promote yourself and your vision. To be negative all the time is to confirm the absence of a vision.

So, I say bully for George W. Bush. Congratulations on collecting such a fat bag o' swag.

Wither Irony?

I've lost count, but I'm sure I've seen instances of this post-9/11 phenomenon more than 50 times now: the appearance of two bumper stickers on the same vehicle, one sporting 'United We Stand', and the other the Confederate Stars & Bars. Nobody with any clue at all what the Confederacy was can possibly endorse a slogan like 'United We Stand'.

Perhaps, therein lies the rub.

Libertarian Getting the Ink

While Libertarian candidates such as Brad get lost in the shuffle of politics in Indy- of the State, County, and City varieties- they get noticed in almost every other county except Marion. Prime example: Dean Barkley.

Dean is the owner of Extreme Outfitters. He was inspired to run for Mayor of Carmel, IN when the street on which his business is situated was closed abruptly by city government. Barkley and other retailers felt excluded from consideration by the closing, and Dean emerged as a sort of spokesman for the group. His comments were picked up by the Indy Star.

Dean is going to be an excellent candidate. He is respected by his peers, and is thoughtful and well-spoken. He may not be a favorite to win in a highly Republican city like Carmel, but he will put important issues in front of voters at least until November, such as the idea that government serves citizens (not vice versa), and open communication between government and businesses and residents.

The Star's Hamilton County edition subsequently had an article reporting Barkley's candidacy. It appeared as the headline on the Hamilton County section.

That article also mentioned two other Hamilton County candidates, Mark Schreiber and Rob Place. It's great stuff. I look forward to this kind of coverage for Marion County candidates such as Brad and Rev. Greg Dixon.

Campaign Update

When Brad Klopfenstein asked me to be his campaign manager, I told him that by any conventional standard, I'd be pretty useless to him. I've been in Indiana less than a year, and didn't even know the size or shape of his district.

In fairness, nobody knows the shapes of districts. They had been gerrymandered to shapes that Rand McNally never dreamed of up until this year, when they were redrawn. Also, Brad knows the lay of the land. He needs me to give him ideas, to manage some details, and to keep him going. That I can handle!

So far, Brad has raised more money than his opponents, combined. Shall I remind you that Brad is a Libertarian, and that his opponents are a Democrat and a Republican? Brad is definietly outworking his opponents, meeting with neighborhood groups and planning volunteer action throughout the district.

We've been having fun with the fundraising. He raised about $400 with a trip to a ball game. We're looking to have other social events as fundraisers rather than stuffy speeches.

We're getting the buttons, yard signs, and fridge magnets made up, moving things along. The next big step is to get the major media interested in saying more than the usual polite, 'oh-by-the-way-a-Libertarian-is-also-running' kind of mention. I am hopeful that at the very least the reporters will notice that Brad is outworking the opposition... and then print it.

Other Wrongful Civil Disobedience

The Paul Hill story is the more widely reported wrong-headed civil disobedience story I've encountered lately. The other story was that of the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) people who released 10,000 mink from captivity and into the wild.

The mink belonged to someone as property. ALF was guilty of the destruction of property.

Oh yes- destruction of property. Of the estimated 10,000 that escaped, only 9,000 were recovered. What happened to the other 1,000? From the Seattle Times:

"Brad Roesler said his family and neighbors set out traps and tromped through the woods with fishing nets and wire loops like the ones dog catchers use. While most of the animals had been returned to cages last night, scores of others died from dehydration or from being struck by cars. "

So, for a group that espouses the deep concern and respect for animal life, this was rather a boneheaded stunt, that ended up in the death of 1,000 mink sooner rather than later. Geniuses.

The spokesperson for a fur trade organization was left to talk sense and real concern for the animals.

Teresa Platt, executive director of the San Diego-based Fur Commission USA, said the mink had been hand-raised by the Roeslers. She said the mink don't know how to hunt for food or water.

"This is a great example of animal cruelty," said Platt, who estimated the damage at the farm at $500,000. "They're trying to terrorize the farmer into giving up his livelihood. That's ecoterrorism."

For those who think that property rights and ownership of animals, and respect for animals is incompatible, I will point to a free market solution that my camping-pal-in-laws, Cindy and David, subscribe to. I'm not sure that this is the one, but it is the same in spirit: the Poplar Spring Animal Sanctuary.

This is a farm where animals are raised for the purpose of living full lives until they die of natural causes. Those who support this more humane kind of animal liberation pay annual sponsorship fees, that support the feeding and care of these animals, as well as the salaries of the people who work there, the free range land they graze on, etc.

This is the free market at work- creating peaceful solutions to issues some people see as problems. It's all voluntary, and nobody is harmed, and nobody is deprived of their livelihood or property, and the animal rights supporter gets to exercise his conscience, all of which is very respectful.

One Less Moron

Paul Hill was executed today in exchange for having killed a doctor who performed abortions, along with the doctor's body guard. Hill acted on the grounds that killing fetuses is wrong. Hill apparently saw no irony or contradiction in this. Could he really have valued potential human life more highly than actual human life? His actions demonstrate that he did. Either that, or he was greatly confused.

From the CNN story:

Since losing his automatic appeals, Hill did not fight his execution and insisted up to the day before his death that he would be forgiven by God for killing to save the unborn.

"I expect a great reward in heaven," he said in an interview Tuesday, during which he was cheerful, often smiling. "I am looking forward to glory."

Clearly, this man was a moron.

I have no tolerance for violent civil disobedience. There is no difference between the Christian Hill and the Islamic suicide bomber. Their motive is the same: mystic justice. Their means is the same: violence. Their justification is the same: I meet God if I meet my death.

To complete this thought, consider that the state killed the man who killed the doctor who killed the fetuses. Whoa.

Apologies- Sort Of

The symptoms of Lyme Disease have proven to be somewhat debilitating. Mainly, I have experienced serious fatigue in the past two weeks, hence no activity here. At the same time, the website had been down for six days straight, hence no activity here. It's a shame because I had a lot of topics I wished to cover. Let's see if I can make up for lost time.

Camping Weekend

I'm excited for a weekend of camping, but I'm also somewhat apprehensive. I was bitten by a tick two weeks ago, and have developed many of the symptoms associated with Lyme Disease. The idea of possibly picking up another tick is less than appealing. Plus, it's going to be humid as all get-out, which I don't care for.

Fortunately, Ame & I are meeting up with her cousin Cindy, and her husband, David, in southern Ohio. It should be a hoot!

Calling Mr. Boortz!

Yesterday, on his radio show, Neal Boortz continued to discuss the improper use of eminent domain by governments. A proper use might be for the construction of a road. The kind of improper uses he is spotlighting are like those of the case of the New York Times: a large corporation becomes a jilted suitor in its' attempt to purchase land from its' current owners. Frustrated, they go to municipal government and lobby for the literal theft and transfer of the land on the basis that their use will generate greater tax revenues than the current use.

Ironically, hypocritically, the New York Times has long railed against corporations bullying the 'little guy' on their editorial pages. In real life, the Times is the same corporate bully they decry.

You ask, 'so what'? Isn't a greater tax net a greater good for all citizens? After all, more money can then be put into programs and services.

No. Theft is theft, and theft is never justified. Even if employed to fend off starvation, theft is the negation of someone's right to property. The so-called 'social justice' espoused by so many in this world is the assert of the right to violate another human being. That is not justice. It's the ugliest possible side of democracy: mob rule. Democracy must be more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner. When a government sanctions theft, it encourages anarchy. When corporate dollars merge with government power, the small business owner best beware, if not flee.

I called Neal to remind him and his listeners that there is a non-profit, legal defense organization that defends the rights that matter, the ones the ACLU leaves out, namely property rights. That group, which defends all Ten Amendments of the Bill of Rights, is called the Institute for Justice. Here's hoping that Neal will interview one of their lawyers soon.

Fun Blog Research

My Blog comes equipped with eXTReMe Tracking (isn't that spelling cute?), which tells me not only how many visitors I have each day, week, and month, but who has a website with a link that sends folks my way, but also what kind of search they might have used on a Google or Yahoo to find me. It's fascinating what people search for.

I would not have guessed that people are doing Google searches for "Dennis Kucinich looks like hitler," but they do. When they do, they get my blog and a host of other sites with the same observation I first made when I was 11 years old.

I'm hoping the fans of organic foods who did their search for "Newman O's" and got my blog had reason to question. Same goes for those searching "Warren Buffet against tax cut reason".

If I May Change the Subject...

The only subject on the tongues of a great many of the citizens of Indianapolis is property taxes. As the issue exploded, Mayor Bart Peterson, a Democrat, immediately sought to distance himself from any responsibility for his (or anyone else's) inability or willingness to cut spending in the face of obviously shrinking revenues. Now he's run away from the subject entirely, by creating an issue where there was none, citing the 'problem' of adult bookstores and peepshows.

"National and state laws allow for adult businesses to operate in our country, but that doesn't mean they have free reign to threaten public health," said Peterson.

Well, Mr. Peterson? How are these businesses threatening public health? No reply in the article. None will be forthcoming. It isn't necessary. The purpose for introducing the legislation is to dodge the property tax issue while trying to lure conservative voters from Republican Greg Jordan.

It must be that Mr. Peterson believes the economy of this city is so robust, so vibrant, so positively bursting at the seams, that the businesses he doesn't like- or more accurately, the ones he thinks undecided voters don't like- can be shut down at whimsical times. Maybe he believes that if the porn shop is closed on Sunday, the would-be customers will choose instead to go to church. Sure, either way they talk to God, but: Are ye mad?

In the meantime, other business is leaving the city. Lafayette Mall is apparently suffering the loss of a major retailer, JC Penney. Interestingly, there is a poll on the page with the article linked in the previous sentence. It asks, "Will Lafayette Square Mall be able to survive after losing both Lazarus and JC Penney this year?" With 153 votes in, it's 85% saying, 'no'. Thanks, Mr. Mayor!

Normally, I wouldn't assign blame to a Mayor for a retailer leaving. But since Mayor Peterson believes it is his business to stick his nose in the retail business, it's clearly his fault. If he were attending to keeping retailers here instead of shutting them down according to his tastes and schedule, Indianapolis would be in better shape on Tuesday morning than it will be.

What's $2 Million?

$2 million, times every commercial airliner in the United States. That's billions of dollars.

No matter. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) thinks that every airliner should be equipped with devices that would help thwart shoulder-fired surface-to-air missile attacks. In February, Boxer introduced legislation that would force airlines to spend the money so equipping their planes. It is coming to light now that an arms dealer was apprehended trying to sell such weapons.

Here are some questions that immediately spring to mind:

Is there really so significant a threat of this kind of terrorism against domestic flights?

Aren't we spending too much money and time on the war on terrorism?

Isn't the war on terrorism little more than a boogeyman designed to help George W. Bush put money in the pockets of his defense contractor pals?

Wait a minute. Aren't those the kind of questions Democrats ask? And yet, here we have two Democrats, Boxer and co-sponsor Charles Schumer (D-NY) contradicting that kind of rhetoric in a blatant and very expensive way.

Yes, I know that an arms dealer was apprehended attempting to sell the shoulder-fired guns. Yes, I know that there are a lot of people in this world that wish to do Americans harm. And yes, I generally come from the perspective that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

However, this is a fantastically expensive preventive measure. It was one thing to force automakers to install seat belts. That came at a cost to every purchaser of every car, but it was a relatively small cost, and addressed a threat that is very real in every day life.

Let the airlines choose to equip or not to equip. There are those who will choose to fly on the airlines who equip, despite a doubling or tripling of fares because they feel safer doing so. There are those who will choose to fly unequipped airlines for the savings on the fare, taking their chances.

Life isn't perfect, and putting a Star Wars system on an airliner cannot prevent a terrorist from devising other ways of getting to us. It may, however, help the terrorists achieve their goal of bringing our economy to its' knees.

Fun Campaign Event Today

Brad Klopfenstein is putting the 'fun' in fundraising. No rubber chicken dinner today. Rather, a very personal fundraiser, as he has invited friends and associates for a day out at the ballgame. He is asking for a donation of $25, while he supplies the tickets. Then plan is to work for seed money from those closest to him first, to gain their support before going into the cold, harsh world or fundraising from people we don't know nearly as well as his family and friends. These people know Brad, and what he is about, so they don't need a stump speech from him.

The AAA Indianapolis Indians, farm club of the Milwaukee Brewers, host the New York Mets' affiliate, the Norfolk Tides today at 2pm at Victory Field. That's fitting, as victory is what we're working for.

Nary an Edit!

This hasn't happened in years! The local 'alternative' arts & news paper, NuVo, printed my letter without deleting, paraphrasing or adding a single word. They've thwarted my before & after exercise! I'm rather pleased. Here's the letter:

Who can blame Steve Laudig's choice of Hawaii for his Ph.D. studies? Indy's loss is the 50th state's gain.

I am hopeful that you continue to look to the law offices on the corner of Market & Alabama for the issuing of blunt statements that need saying and the tormenting of the powers-that-be. You see, the firm of Laudig, George, Rutherford & Sipes is not only home to a Democratic power, but a Libertarian power as well.

Laudig's partner Mark Rutherford is the State Chair of the Libertarian Party of Indiana. Under Rutherford's direction, the LPIN has blossomed into a respected and growing party, gaining the admiration and support of citizens feeling the weight of property tax increases and of small business owners. LP candidates such as Rev. Greg Dixon and Brad Klopfenstein are poised to challenge seriously for City-County Council seats in November.

Democrats are no longer the underdogs in this city, and Laudig helped make this so. Libertarians won't be underdogs for long, either, and Rutherford will have had a significant hand in the rise, both in Indianapolis and statewide.

-Michael R. Kole
Secretary, Libertarian Party of Indiana

I honestly didn't even think they would print it. I have long been down on NuVo for at once calling themselves, "Indy's Free Thinking Entertainment Source," because 'free thinking' on their pages usually means 'Democrat' or 'socialist'. But hey, I was wrong and gave them too little credit. Now I say, "Thank You".

Bus Blues

Great gravy, has school resumed already? I've had to stop in traffic, seeing the yellow busses with the railroad crossing quality warning signals flashing ahead, letting kids on and off.

Every year, I get to thinking about the costs of bsuing kids to school. No- this isn't a complaint about desegregation busing. This is a complaint about busing kids in general.

With all of the charges of childhood obesity and poor physical condition, the bus looks like yet another enabler of that condition. Let the kids discover that they have legs, and that those things below the waist do a remarkable job of propelling from A-to-B.

With all of the budgetary shortfalls school administrators endlessly wail about, consider how many more books, computer labs, athletic items, and heck, roof repairs, could be had, if not for the expenditures related to busses:

The bus itself
Fuel for the bus
Maintenance for the bus
A bus barn
Property on which the bus barn sits
Security for these facilities

The salary of the bus driver
Benefits for the bus driver
Matching taxes- social security, workers comp., etc, for the driver
Ditto these three for the maintenance staff
Ditto these three for security

Insurance on the bus itself
On the bus barn
On the property on which the bus barn sits
On the bus driver
On the maintenance staff
On the security

I think of all of the fuel wasted in traffic as cars sit while mommies fuss one last time before the kid gets on the bus. I think of it in terms of lost money and gained pollution. I think of the time lost. I think of the lost opportunity for a nice, brisk, one-mile daily walk in the morning. I think of property released for other uses, generating tax revenues in so many ways. I think of new books, repaired roofs, new tubas, and new athletic gear. Get rid of the busses!

Certainly, the savings would be enough to put one copy Atlas Shrugged in the teacher's lounge, and a copy of The Road to Serfdom on the School Board President's desk.

A Great Idea

Neal Boortz talked about a new method for taxation over two whole shows last week: the national sales tax.

The first time I heard the idea, I was against it, because I did not know that it is a proposition to replace all other taxes. In that case only, it would be an excellent idea.

Consider only a few small items that are subject to taxation today, and shouldn't be: savings and investment. It's such horrible policy to tax savings. Doing so punishes prudent, thrifty behavior, discouraging many from doing saving and investing. Taking all taxes off of interest earned in passbook savings accounts and CD's, and dividends earned from stocks, will encourage people from all walks of life to participate in these most beneficial activities.

Read up on this. The Fair Tax is a wonderfully good idea.

Campaign Manager

I've agreed to manage Brad Klopfenstein's campaign for City-County Council, District 15, in Marion County/Indianapolis.

That's a funny thing, because Brad is the Executive Director of the Libertarian Party of Indiana. By virtue of his job, he's made all the contacts and he knows all the people he needs to reach and all the events he needs to attend. By conventional wisdom, I'm perfectly useless as a campaign manager. After all, I've been in Indiana less than a year.

What I can offer Brad is inspiration, motivation, and the whipcracking of a taskmaster. That is something he really wants to have, so it will be unconventionally perfect.

We're running to win, which means we will raise money, make lots of appearances, go door-to-door, and try to win over the press. We have a tall task ahead of us, but we start with some fuel. The Fraternal Order of Police endorsed Brad over his Democratic and Republican rivals. Also, he has some money left from previous campaigns that will be put to work here. But the district is mainly Democrat. We're used to working with taking votes from Republicans. Taking them from Democrats is a new challenge. We're working on strategy to do just that. It's our best chance.

Brad has a good theme to work from: Restoring Pride and Integrity to Indy Neighborhoods. That should resonate with voters of any pursuasion.

Less than 90 days until the election. It seems like a lot of time and no time at all, at once. I know it will go quickly.

Time to Compare Attendance Figures

Al Barger posted praise of Lynyrd Skynyrd about a month ago, lamenting that band's absence from the Rock 'N' Roll Hall of Fame while the Sex Pistols are there. I emailed Al and argued in defence of Mr. Rotten and the gang's place, saying that while Skynyrd may have made sweeter tunes, the Pistols' have had a lasting impact, inspiring more folks to form a band even today than Skynyrd ever has. Plus, 'God Save The Queen' is easily the late 20th Century's best- and most effective- protest song ever recorded.

As luck would have it, both bands are currently on tour, and both will play Chicago (closest stop to Indy) on the same day- August 29th.

Oak tree, your're in my way, I'm off to see the Sex Pistols!

Dennis The Menace

Howard Dean is soaking up most of the limelight as myopic Stalinist dwarf #1 among Democratic presidential hopefuls. He has a rival, who is his idealogical equal: Dennis Kucinich.

It has always struck me that if you drew a Hitler moustache on Dennis, he'd really look a lot like Hitler. The only other politician who comes close in this exercise is Rudy Gulliani. Fittingly, Dennis is much more the socialist than Rudy is.

Back in Cleveland yet again this weekend, I was amused to see a Cleveland Plain Dealer article by Michael Heaton. He used to have a column called 'the Minister of Culture' which led me to call him the 'Sinister Vulture'. Now he writes politics, thereby demonstrating the contempt the Pee Dee has for politics.

Heaton argues that it would be great to have Kucinich as president, no matter his politics, because he'd be great for getting attention on Cleveland. No, actually, that's why he was voted to the House of Representatives, where he'd be there for Clevelanders. As President, he is supposed to act on behalf of all Americans.

But people should know Dennis' past. He took a bad situation in Cleveland and made it infinitely worse, turning a Republican's deficits into his City's default in the late 70's, relaunching all of the Cleveland jokes that became the rage when the Cuyahoga River caught fire in the late 60's. Any time any faltering comedian needed a quick cheap laff, the word 'Cleveland' was uttered and the guffaws followed. One cannot help but think that history would repeat itself in every way if Dennis were to become President, and that the words, 'the United States of America' would be spoken to the same result worldwide as the word 'Cleveland' once was, thanks so much to him. Fortunately for this fading Republic, Kucinich hasn't a prayer.

People should look at his policies. They are socialist in nature, anti-trade; anti-technology... at least as far as private technology goes. He's pro-NASA, which is to say, socialized technology; and generally a meddler in a walks of commerce, such as agriculture, banking, insurance, housing, transportation, and a host of others.

Heaton argued that if Kucinich was in the White House, Clevelanders would have his ear. When I lived on East 59th Street and Dennis was my Rep, I could never get his ear, despite my calls and letters. My letters to him got form replies that showed that he, via his staff, had no real interest in or understanding of my positions or concerns. That is a subject that I can go on about at length, and will another day.

Kucinich has bragged that his White House would be a 'worker's white house'. Ha! He's never worked a day of honest labor in his life, beginning in politics at the age of 21. Touch his hands some time and search in vain for a callous.

Reaping the Benefits of Capitalism, 2

Thanks to Al Barger for highlighting this site for my comments on the wonders of the low prices of gasoline. The exercise had me looking around my car for other benefits I've enjoyed.

My first car was a whiz-yellow 1979 Ford LTD. Here's a pic of a four-door model. Mine was a two-door. It had a V-8 302 engine, that was smallish by the V-8 standards of the day, and positively huge by today's standards. The car was wonderfully huge. I regularly drove six to school, plus myself, all in comfort!

That car blew Engine Number One after 35,000 miles. The timing belt snapped after about 48,000 miles. Engine Number Two blew after 70,000 miles. I sold the car at that point in sheer frustration.

The 1997 Saturn SL2 I drive was the first car I purchased new from a dealer. I bought it in March of that year. I have driven it on several road trips, including a Cleveland-Cochrane, Ontario jaunt, and a Cleveland-New York City-Sept Iles, Quebec trip. I turned 129,000 this afternoon on the way back from Cle to Indianapolis, the twelth time I have done the 660 mile round trip this year.

Major repairs to date? I've replaced two rotors, two sets of tires, brakes on all four wheels, and a serpentine belt. These are the MAJOR repairs. My uncle broke a seat belt receptacle, and I've replaced the tail lights and windshield wipers.

That's it.

The amazing thing: Both cars had the same sticker price at the time of purchase: $14,000.

You Get What You Pay For

Well, I pay nothing for this site, so how much can I whine? Unfortunately, I've been chomping at the bit over the past two weeks, just itching to get things posted, and the site has been repeatedly down for maintenance. Just in case you were wondering...

Reaping the Benefits of Capitalism

One of my favorite fallacies about capitalism and prices is the idea that things were somehow cheaper in the past. People love to cite gasoline prices as an example. It may just be that because gas prices are posted on every corner for all to see that they suffer such scrutiny. However, I began driving in 1984, when gas was $1.20/gallon. Yesterday, I filled up for $1.38/gallon. That's a jump of 18 cents over 19 years, an annual jump I'll take for the rest of my life, if possible. But you know what? I'd probably be on the losing side of the proposition, because, if it were not for the rises in taxes applied to gasoline over the years, the price would actually be lower than it was in '84.

When I began driving, a set of tires was good for about 30-40,000 miles, depending on the kind of driving you did (highway or city), the kind of driver you were (good or bad), and the brand.

I bought a brand new Saturn SL2 in 1997, and got 52,000 miles on the factory Firestones. I was really pleased with the performance, but I chose to replace them with a set of Bridgestones. The total cost was $414, just over four years ago.

The Bridgestones met their death today. One blew out on the highway over the weekend. I was exceptionally pleased with the performance, however, as I got 77,000 miles out them!

Despite this, I replaced them with a set of Pirellis. They are said to be a better tire. They are warranted for 85,000 miles, with free replacement, plus free road hazard replacement! Total cost? $362.48!

The benefit of capitalism: The real price for a better product today costs less than it was for an inferior one four years before.

Definition

Egregious: Conspicuously bad or offensive.

Courtesy, www.yourdictionary.com

More Adventures In Letters To The Editor

I post this comparison not as a matter of complaint, but as another 'isn't it interesting to see where the thing started, and where it ended up' kind of thing.

Here is my letter, as printed this morning in the Indy Star:

"Look to Libertarians to provide solution", July 30, 2003

A headline on the front page July 27 asked an important question: "Higher taxes: Who's to blame?" As Democrats and Republicans predictably blame each other, something should become clear: They are both correct. Both parties are the co-authors of this horror story.

The follow-up question should be, "Lowering taxes: Who will provide the solution?" The Libertarian Party has always been the advocate of the taxpayer. We believe the taxpayer's dollar belongs in the taxpayer's pocket, not to a government caught being greedy.

Voters who replace incumbents at the polls with other Democrats and Republicans can expect no changes, because they believe that tax dollars belong in government's coffers first and in taxpayer's pockets last.

Voters who want a change will vote Libertarian.

Michael R. Kole, Secretary, Libertarian Party of Indiana
Indianapolis

Below is the full letter. The things that were cut out are featured in italics. Substitutions are in parenthesis.

A headline found on the front page of Sunday's Star asked a very important question, "Higher taxes: Who's to blame?"

As Democrats and Republicans predictably blame each other, something should become clear: they are both correct. The Democrats and Republicans (both) together are the co-authors of this horror story.

The follow up-question should be, "Lowering taxes: Who will provide the solution?"

Naturally, Democrats and Republicans would claw each other in a race to declare themselves the advocate of the taxpayer. But don't lose sight of the cause of the problem: Democrats and Republicans. Can you trust them? It has taken nothing less than their own creation of a disaster to become the sudden defenders of property owners.

The Libertarian Party has always been the advocate of the taxpayer. We have always believed that the taxpayer's dollar belongs in the taxpayer's pocket, not merely as a remedy to a government caught being egregiously greedy(.), but as a constant matter of principle.

Voters who replace incumbents at the polls with other Democrats and Republicans can expect no changes, because they believe that, as a matter of principle, taxpayer dollars belong in government's coffers first, and in taxpayer pockets last.

Voters who want a change will vote Libertarian.

Michael R. Kole, Secretary, Libertarian Party of Indiana

In all, I'd say that the deletions aren't terribly egregious, although I wonder if the Star's Editorial Paged Editor believes her readers are unaware of the meaning of that word. I'm glad I made the point that the property tax issue is a self-inflicted wound three times. Although they printed my least pointed enunciation of the point, it did come across, and that's really all I can ask for.

My friend Kevin Fleming, also an LP member, and a candidate for Indy City-County Council, had his letter printed on Monday. We're getting the ink on the right issue. The next step is to be included in the stories themselves. We are the solution, after all.

Speaking of Body Counts

Where are greater losses suffered by the day, in Iraq or in Chinese coal mines?

Here's the latest update on a story I noticed and began tracking a couple weeks ago:

Yahweh, or Allah

Al Barger asked the very pertinent question for today's American foreign policy on his Culpepper Log:

What is the least amount of killing and destruction that will put the fear of Yahweh into our enemies? That's the $64,000 question.

The answer I have seen pop up over and over is the idea that burying a Muslim in pigs' blood, skin, entrails, etc., closes the gates of heaven, with the suggestion now resurfacing with the Hussein boys being buried this way as a sort of object lesson.

The urban legend website, snopes.com, debunks this one, too, as has Jonah Goldberg, among others.

It certainly would have been cost effective, in every way possible. It's a shame that a simple solution such as this appears not to be in the offing. The $64,000 question is needed, because the American public knows of no other way to deal with a problem but via the quick fix.

I think there is no doubt that the American public has little tolerance for sustaining casualties on a daily basis. More Americans died during a weekend at Gettysburg than in all of Viet Nam, but Americans had Cronkite giving the daily count, and it wore us out faster than the Union in wearing out the South. The daily count is reality here now, and the public will tire of this before 2004.

However, the quick fix suggests not a Dresden, but a Hiroshima, which is freakin' scary. Fortunately, I don't think Americans have any stomach for the job, and as Bush is a political animal, he would never jeopardize the most important objective of all: re-election.

So, to answer the question most accurately and concisely: I don't think the U.S. will be putting the fear of Allah into anybody any time soon. We've become the world's cop, and like most cops, we're feared mostly when in close range, but we're held more in contempt, and heaven help us if we turn our backs.