Our current economic crises - yes, they are plural and global - stem from many factors. Bad government policies and processes for more than 50 years, unethical and unthoughtful business decisions and woeful strategic thinking have created this tsunami. In the midst of the (programmed) anarchy and polemics, we can miss one very important reality: this situation is reversible in months, not years if leaders have the courage to act decisively and wisely. If the following steps are taken, both the American and global economies will right themselves and we will not have a double-dip or a repeat of the 1930s.
Rein in government spending.
Judiciously privatize many public pension systems, with clear controls to protect the investments of workers.
End special health and retirement benefits for all elected officials.
Transform the tax code, closing outdated loopholes, eliminating double and triple taxation and capping top rates so that investments are rewarded.
Bring our troops home quickly, establish anti-terror military strategies that are mobile and not occupying and start reforming a bloated and corrupt defense industry.
Good ecological policies mean good economics for generations to come. Open new venues for oil and natural gas, while allowing profits from these efforts to fund private-public partnerships for cleaner alternatives. Let's stop both the simplistic, "drill here, drill now" and the "de-development" social engineering and get on with the kind of creativity that built the world's greatest economy.
Reform immigration with compassionate and judicious policies that open doors for legal residency and work while securing the borders and screening out criminals.
Carefully and humanely begin deportation of all illegal immigrants in US prisons.
Reform federal agencies and decentralize as much administration as possible. Instead of more federal money to the states, have a summit with the 50 governors and work on keeping more public dollars at home.
The list could continue for many more pages, but the principles are clear: ethical and fiscal integrity, wealth creation and local/regional socioeconomic strategies that deploy best practices.
Both local and global economies run on confidence. When fear takes over, recession and depression are not far behind. To my friends of the Right - we MUST reform military spending processes and stop being the world's policeman, even while we judiciously confront terror. To my friends of the Left - we must secure our borders and create better efficiencies for public compassion.
Out of the crises of the 1990s both parties had to cooperate and the results were a nearly balanced budget and four million folks off welfare and deployed in the work force.
Will our leaders have the courage to change or will we slide toward Weimar-style amorality and anarchy that opens the door to totalitarian rule? The choice is ours, today and in 2012.
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Sunday, August 07, 2011
The Forgotten Folks
As the USA navigates uncharted economic rapids, there are groups of people that are overlooked in the passions and polemics. I am not speaking of the groups each political party claims as their own. Democrats claim the "poor" and Republicans claim the "small business" community. Tea party activists are marginalized and anyone for universal health care is labeled a socialist. Lost in all the rhetoric are several folks that deserve our attention and respect.
Our soldiers and veterans deserve better policies and support, from how and when we engage terrorism to the fiscal, physical and psychological needs they have off the battlefield.
Disabled and injured workers with legitimate needs have to navigate a dehumanizing system just to get the help they deserve.
Our ally Israel faces hostility from the leaders of the false "Arab Spring" and the threat of a unilateral declaration of another Palestinian state with no diplomatic or security guarantees.
Millions of families will be taxed again when a loved one passes away if there is not real reform in Congress.
Our citizens along the Mexican border and in several cities need protection from criminal cartels and illegal immigrants overtaking their land and opportunities. There are thousands of acres of beautiful parks that are war zones.
Deeply religious people of many traditions are alienated by social engineers determined to rewrite history and social norms.
In the midst of all the inflammatory language, the people most injured are the hard-working, mortgage-and-tax-paying citizens who deserve better stewards of the public trust.
On behalf of all the forgotten folks, I urge leaders to rediscover public service and restore the good credit of the USA.
Our soldiers and veterans deserve better policies and support, from how and when we engage terrorism to the fiscal, physical and psychological needs they have off the battlefield.
Disabled and injured workers with legitimate needs have to navigate a dehumanizing system just to get the help they deserve.
Our ally Israel faces hostility from the leaders of the false "Arab Spring" and the threat of a unilateral declaration of another Palestinian state with no diplomatic or security guarantees.
Millions of families will be taxed again when a loved one passes away if there is not real reform in Congress.
Our citizens along the Mexican border and in several cities need protection from criminal cartels and illegal immigrants overtaking their land and opportunities. There are thousands of acres of beautiful parks that are war zones.
Deeply religious people of many traditions are alienated by social engineers determined to rewrite history and social norms.
In the midst of all the inflammatory language, the people most injured are the hard-working, mortgage-and-tax-paying citizens who deserve better stewards of the public trust.
On behalf of all the forgotten folks, I urge leaders to rediscover public service and restore the good credit of the USA.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Proverbs for Economic Sanity
Watching the current Debt Crisis debate is tortuous for any thoughtful person. Yes, there are real differences in how Democrats and Republican want to spend money - BUT there should be no differences on two goals - a balanced budget and a growing economy. What we have is political posturing, magical thinking and a contempt for Economics 101 and the good faith of the American people. In the tradition of King Solomon, considered the wisest man of his day (a claim I will not make!), I offer some proverbs to solve our current crisis:
Create a budget based on the real revenue of the previous year. If there is more money, decide ahead of time where it goes; if less, have the cuts ready.
We cannot be a warfare and welfare state. Declare victory, bring our troops home and have forces ready to strike at global terror threats from secure bases on land and sea.
Stop double and triple taxing the hard-earned wealth of Americans, here or abroad. No death taxes and lower the rate for foreign profits that have already been taxed overseas.
Begin a process of removing the thousands of agricultural subsidies that benefit huge agribusinesses and are no longer needed.
Eliminate the Department of Education.
Transform HUD and other agencies into efficient, decentralized catalysts for help and transformation instead of career paths for social science majors.
Cut defense spending and increase support for veterans. One less bomber means help for thousands of vets and less pork for Congress to give away.
Privatize all public pensions, with excellent regulations through the SEC and other agencies. Eliminate the special retirement benefits for elected federal officials and have them held to the same economic standards as all citizens.
Public employee unions should be able to bargain, but not hold taxpayers hostage to benefits they cannot afford. Bring all teachers and workers into Social Security and offer excellent private plans - just like the rest of the country.
Hold all government agencies accountable for best practices and have private-sector leaders offer insights on efficient methods and ethics.
Transform the IRS with a complete simplification of the tax code, and consider alternative ways of raising revenue.
Invigorate private/public partnerships for all kinds of infrastructure, with high standards, but honest bidding processes and a cap on "change orders" and lawsuits.
Stop sending tax dollars to colleges and universities for frivolous programs and lower the cost of education by demanding that teachers teach and students work.
Above all, create a balanced-budget process (with or without a Constitutional Amendment) that will unleash creativity and economic growth and allow us to start repaying our debt!
Create a budget based on the real revenue of the previous year. If there is more money, decide ahead of time where it goes; if less, have the cuts ready.
We cannot be a warfare and welfare state. Declare victory, bring our troops home and have forces ready to strike at global terror threats from secure bases on land and sea.
Stop double and triple taxing the hard-earned wealth of Americans, here or abroad. No death taxes and lower the rate for foreign profits that have already been taxed overseas.
Begin a process of removing the thousands of agricultural subsidies that benefit huge agribusinesses and are no longer needed.
Eliminate the Department of Education.
Transform HUD and other agencies into efficient, decentralized catalysts for help and transformation instead of career paths for social science majors.
Cut defense spending and increase support for veterans. One less bomber means help for thousands of vets and less pork for Congress to give away.
Privatize all public pensions, with excellent regulations through the SEC and other agencies. Eliminate the special retirement benefits for elected federal officials and have them held to the same economic standards as all citizens.
Public employee unions should be able to bargain, but not hold taxpayers hostage to benefits they cannot afford. Bring all teachers and workers into Social Security and offer excellent private plans - just like the rest of the country.
Hold all government agencies accountable for best practices and have private-sector leaders offer insights on efficient methods and ethics.
Transform the IRS with a complete simplification of the tax code, and consider alternative ways of raising revenue.
Invigorate private/public partnerships for all kinds of infrastructure, with high standards, but honest bidding processes and a cap on "change orders" and lawsuits.
Stop sending tax dollars to colleges and universities for frivolous programs and lower the cost of education by demanding that teachers teach and students work.
Above all, create a balanced-budget process (with or without a Constitutional Amendment) that will unleash creativity and economic growth and allow us to start repaying our debt!
Friday, July 01, 2011
America's Founders and Today's Celebrities
On this Independence Day weekend we celebrate our freedom, remember a bit of history and eat wonderful food. All of this is good. Even the rather dour founder John Adams called for feasting and fireworks to mark the day the Declaration was ratified and signed by John Hancock (others would sign on August 2). As I consider the history, the contrasts between our founders and today's celebrity candidates are startling. Today's leaders have access to the finest information, excellent living conditions and communication organs undreamed of in the 18th century. Yet even a cursory comparison unveils the unparalleled genius of the founder's generation and the dearth of depth in our own. I am not deifying the founders - they were flawed and failed to confront the issue of slavery. They also struggled with hubris, image and vanity, warring constituents and competing agendas. But their breadth of learning - even among the unlettered - depth of thoughtfulness, humility before the Almighty and moral reflection stand in stark contrast to the narcissism and paucity of values characterizing much of our public discourse. Consider these contrasts:
James Madison is called the Father of the Constitution, examining 3000 years of sacred and secular history and adept in ancient and modern languages. Compare his irenic intellect with the sound bites of Carville or Gingrich.
Thomas Jefferson is the darling of the Left at times (excepting his ambiguities on slavery of course). But his most important work - our Declaration of Independence - reflects deep reverence for God, concern for natural rights, including personal and property rights, and economic liberty against the mercantile system. Compare this to the central planning economists and bureauocrats like Thomas Friedman who live in mansions while they dictate lifestyle to the American masses.
Many of the founders were clergy, but they defended the rights of others to dissent. Thomas Paine had little regard for traditional religion; however, he affirmed the important of personal responsibility and public virtue. Compare his Common Sense of 1776 with any writing of current Presidential candidates. Here is a freethinker unafraid of the world of ideas while today's Left cowers before Sharia-driven Islam and tries to remove all traces of the Judeo-Christian ethos from public life.
I am forever a hope-filled person. But I am finding it difficult to be hopeful about America's future with the current crop of candidates from both parties and the unreasonable posturing of our federal legislators. May I suggest that all in public life pause this weekend, read the Constitution, allowing the context of our founding to inspire courageous and creative action?
James Madison is called the Father of the Constitution, examining 3000 years of sacred and secular history and adept in ancient and modern languages. Compare his irenic intellect with the sound bites of Carville or Gingrich.
Thomas Jefferson is the darling of the Left at times (excepting his ambiguities on slavery of course). But his most important work - our Declaration of Independence - reflects deep reverence for God, concern for natural rights, including personal and property rights, and economic liberty against the mercantile system. Compare this to the central planning economists and bureauocrats like Thomas Friedman who live in mansions while they dictate lifestyle to the American masses.
Many of the founders were clergy, but they defended the rights of others to dissent. Thomas Paine had little regard for traditional religion; however, he affirmed the important of personal responsibility and public virtue. Compare his Common Sense of 1776 with any writing of current Presidential candidates. Here is a freethinker unafraid of the world of ideas while today's Left cowers before Sharia-driven Islam and tries to remove all traces of the Judeo-Christian ethos from public life.
I am forever a hope-filled person. But I am finding it difficult to be hopeful about America's future with the current crop of candidates from both parties and the unreasonable posturing of our federal legislators. May I suggest that all in public life pause this weekend, read the Constitution, allowing the context of our founding to inspire courageous and creative action?
Monday, June 27, 2011
Where Have You Gone, Mr. O'Malley?
My beloved Los Angeles Dodgers filed for bankruptcy today. Mismanagement and contentious divorce proceedings between the owner and his ex-wife have changed the team from a great icon of America's pastime to a sideshow unworthy of a Lifetime Network movie. This is a sad day for baseball and millions of fans.
This event by itself is a mere footnote compared to our budgetary, geopolitical and military crises. Billionaire owners and millionaire players live in a world detached for most of humankind, the majority of whom need more sustainable economies, housing, water and opportunities.
But this soap opera is more than a mere news item on ESPN or the E! Channel. It is a sign of our cultural disintegration and our loss of any sense of the common good. Let me add that I am not pining for "good ol' days" that never were, not am I making the former owners saints and the McCords the great sinners. The O'Malley family is still despised in parts of Brooklyn for moving the team to Los Angeles. The rich and powerful will always have drama surround them. What is lacking in current ownership is any sense of social ethic, any mooring that thinks of the fans or the game before themselves.
The moment the McCords could not reconcile their marriage, they should have invited Major League Baseball and potential owners to the table and worked on a transition plan that served the team. Instead, they have taken one of the most profitable franchises and made it a laughingstock. Chavez Ravine has gone from the most beautiful spot to watch a game to a dangerous place for opposing fans. Shame on you, McCord family. This is your doing and you cannot blame others. Greed wins the day and television watchers and ticket-holders who sustain the enterprise are left with little but vague hopes that Mark Cuban or another wealthy persona can come in and right the ship.
I am a proponent of free markets, natural pricing and a strong juridical system that will help enterprise be ethical while minimizing unneeded bureaucracy. This said, it is tragic to watch billionaires hold cities hostage while they squeeze tax money our of working voters for stadiums that many will never enter due to the high prices. I am apoplectic when I see players "re-negotiating" millions into more millions well before contract expiration. Yes, one should angle for the best deal; however, once signed, a contract should be honored and the player owes the fans and team her or his best. The unabashed narcissism is sociologically self-destructive as "each person does what is right in his own eyes."
We need you, Mr. O'Malley. We need leaders with business sense, an eye for opportunity and a heart for the community and customers. Owners, your risk deserves reward, but much of the reward of team ownership is offering fans great moments of athletic prowess, positive team spirit and a focus on developing players. Lost in all the Dodger drama is the game itself. I share with George Will the firm belief that baseball is America's game and the innumerable possibilities emerging from a single crack of the bat make it both cerebral and visceral in its delights.
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