A Trifecta of Scandals: What, Me Worry?

Mr. Obama is the polar opposite of Ronald Reagan, whose famous line about the nine most terrifying words: “I’m from the government and I’m here to help.” Everything Mr. Obama stands for involves a bigger, more intrusive government, something that can only be built on trust. Yet, ironically, he is the author of forces that threaten its dismantling. One can spread blame around like manure, but the President is the one who is responsible for the culture emanating from his White House. Speaking under the umbrella at Thursday’s press conference, he persistently reminded people of who he is[.] 20 May 2013

European Austerity and the Backlash

Obstreperous unions, an imbedded welfare system and incompetent civil servants have been obvious impediments to austerity in Europe, but the real problem with austerity is that it is a dumb idea. Economic growth is necessary to get deficits down and recovery depends on spending; so the real debate should be between those who believe government should engineer the recovery and those who think the private sector should take the lead. 16 May 2013

Rising Student Debt, Declining Personal Responsibility

Washington’s proposals will serve to propagate a system of growing dependency. Being personally responsible for one’s actions is integral to a free-functioning democracy. If anything, that need has never been more critical or timely than it is now; yet the opposite is the message from Washington. Government’s tentacles reach ever further into our lives, increasing dependency. The forgiveness of student debt will only aggravate the situation, making another promise with no regard to the costs. 14 May 2013

Term Limits: Enough Is Enough

In a perfect world, term limits would not be the preferred path, but enough is enough. Something must be done to return decency, integrity and civility to politics – to move us away from a cronyism that threatens to snuff out democracy. Limits of six terms in the House and two in the Senate would better serve the American public. Twelve years is roughly a quarter of an adult’s working career, meaning that candidates would more often come from the real world, not the place of fairy tales that sits alongside the Potomac. 6 May 2013

Thought of the Day: Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics

But there was no hesitation in allowing Vice President Joe Biden to spend $1 million for a night in Paris last week. Waste in government is monumental. Senator Tom Coburn has singled out excesses such as Moroccan pottery classes, the promotion of caviar production and consumption, robotic squirrels (whatever they are!), and the promotion of specialty shampoos for cats and dogs. The cancellation of any one of those programs would pay for at least four weeks of White House tours for school children. 27 Mar 2013

Thought of the Day: Cyprus -- Is Nothing Sacred?

Last Friday, the 17 Eurozone finance ministers and the IMF demanded that a percentage of all Cypriot bank deposits be confiscated, in return for a desperately needed loan of €10 billion to the country. According to the Financial Times, this €5.8 billion “tax” was demanded by a German-led group of creditor countries. The decision was seen as a means of transferring risk and responsibility from outside creditor nations to creditors in the countries that had incurred the debt. 20 Mar 2013

Coolidge: A Primer for Obama

...he was fully cognizant that government’s money belonged to the people, not the politicians. He was a steward, not a saviour. He saw himself as President, not an autocrat, and was fully aware that the word president derives from the Latin praesideo, which means to guard or protect. It was an attitude toward the Office that, unfortunately, has gone out of fashion. Today our Presidents are far more imperial in attitude and action, surrounded as they are by yes-men and women. And Mr. Obama is certainly the most imperious we have had since Nixon. 11 Mar 2013

America In Decline?

President Obama talks glibly and feelingly about the middle class, but his policies have not served their needs. Mobility between classes is more difficult than ever. Education serves the wealthy well, but too-powerful unions have harmed the lower and middle classes. There are fewer people working today than four years ago, while the numbers of people on food stamps and disability have increased. The nation’s tax code encourages consumption and discourages investment. Regulation has made it more difficult than ever for small businesses to start and to grow. Obamacare has raised costs for these same businesses. 20 Feb 2013

Thought of the Day: Kim-Jong-un, a Tinderbox

Persons without stakes in the status quo are always more dangerous than those with an investment. It is what makes terrorist groups like al Qaeda so frightening. The world can blow up and what do they care? They have nothing to lose and much to gain. North Korea is in somewhat the same situation. It is a rogue nation run by a dictatorship, which largely operates outside the community of nations. While they have developed nuclear weapons, their people are impoverished and live without hope. It is a combustible situation. 4 Feb 2013

Thought of the Day: From Fiscal Cliff to Debt Ceiling

Congress is responsible for spending. The President can use his office to promote favored policies, but the actual purse strings are controlled by Congress. The fact that this statute even exists is an admission that members of Congress are akin to alcoholics faced with an open bar, or a thief with a newly discovered pocket book. There are many who suggest, with a certain level of rationality, that we should do away with the debt ceiling. If our representatives in Washington were reasonable and sober individuals, I would agree. However, doing away with the debt ceiling will certainly not lead to fiscal prudence. 3 Jan 2013