As Wisconsin Goes

          This nation is at a crossroads.  Will Americans choose conservatism and fiscal responsibility or are we going to follow the poor example of Portugal, Italy, Greece and Spain, the so called PIGS of Europe.  The PIGS model is one of ever larger government benefits to state unions coupled with growing government debt and higher taxes to pay for it.  But even though this path leads to financial destruction, it is a broad and easy path for politicians to follow.

          Elections are important, but this year in addition to the presidential election we have another truly significant election.  Embattled Wisconsin governor Scott Walker is pro-life, supports traditional marriage and freedom of conscience principles that would allow pharmacists to refuse to sell abortion inducing drugs.  But that is not why he is in trouble with liberals in Wisconsin.  He has also reduced the growth of state spending, but even that is not why liberals detest him.   

          On June 5^th Governor Walker faces a recall election because he supports limiting (not eliminating, just limiting) the collective bargaining rights of the Wisconsin Education Association (the teachers union) and state employee unions.  The Walker recall election will send a message to politicians throughout the country.  The unions know that removing Walker from office will intimidate governors and state legislators.  Elected officials will not curb growing state budgets or limit the bargaining rights and benefits of state employees or teachers if Walker is removed.  However, the consequence will be that in a few years the United States will be the western hemisphere version of the PIGS of Europe. 

          Even if Governor Walker remains in office the fight he will have endured will intimidate many, but winning in Wisconsin opens a narrow path to fiscal sanity and national salvation.  

          As Wisconsin goes so might this entire nation.  On the night of June 5^th I’ll be watching the election results.

The frog is more aware

          There is an old fable that if a frog is placed in a pan of water and the temperature is gradually raised to a boil, the frog won’t sense the change and remain in the water even to the point of death.  The story is a common didactic but, according to snopes is untrue.  They state that as the water temperature rises the frog becomes more active and eventually jumps from the pan.  Apparently, the frog senses the gradually increasing danger and reacts.  Unfortunately, people often do not.

          The government is turning up the temperature in many ways.  In my home state of Washington, Governor Gregoire values her own pro-abortion agenda more than freedom of conscience.  She wanted to force all pharmacists and pharmacy owners to dispense abortion drugs.  Fortunately this was fought and, for now, freedom of conscience won.

          In the Citizens United v. FEC case the Justice Department took the position that congress has the power to restrict the publication of books and other media.  Again this was rebuffed by the courts, but the encroachment of government continues.

          One area where government continues to turn up the heat is gay marriage.  Individuals have been told they must register and perform such unions.  Churches have been told that they must allow such events on their property and, in the case of a New Mexico business, that they must photograph the event.  

           In the embedded video, Bill Whittle speaks specifically about the 2012 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).  The awful legislation “allows the military to indefinitely detain without trial American terrorism suspects arrested on US soil who could then be shipped to Guantánamo Bay.”  If there is no trial, who decides someone is a terrorist?  It is outrageous that the government believes it can simply pass a law allowing it to declare American citizens to be terrorists, detained them without trial and then be ship them Guantanamo.

          Across the country hundreds of such threats to liberty are being fought.  Some are won, but many are lost and liberty lost is rarely regained.  The average American has no concept of God given rights and assumes that the liberties they have always enjoyed will remain forever.  While the rights remain God given, the liberties can be snatched away by power hungry government. 

          Recently I mentioned a news story to a co-worker and their response was, “Did they talk about it on The Daily Show?” The Comedy Central program was their only “news” source.  The average Americans is almost willfully ignorant of current threats to liberty.  Will that change or will Americans sit in the pan, staring blankly ahead, while the threat rises to a boiling fury?

Guns and Choices

          I acquired a Remington 597 .22 caliber rifle while in Eek, Alaska and was wondering how to get it home.  I have never flown with a weapon and in this age of terrorism I could imagine a hundred ways it could go badly wrong.  When I talked with one of my sons about it he said, “Just walk into the air terminal and shout, I have a gun!”  Erin, a fellow teacher, suggested I just pack it in my luggage.  I ignored their suggestions.  Another teacher, Dirk, loaned me a locking gun case and said, “Just lock the rifle in this and they’ll take it as checked baggage.”Kyle with his new rifle 

          In this age of terrorism it couldn’t be that easy—could it?  I called Alaska Airlines and told them I was scheduled to fly on Sunday and that I had a rifle I wanted to take with me.  The young lady that took my call asked if I had a hardsided locking gun case.  When I told her I did she said, “Lock it in the case and go up to the counter.  An agent will need to inspect it and take it as checked baggage.”

          “Is there anything else I need to know?”

          “Ah…don’t have it loaded and you’ll need to sign a form.”

          “Okay.  Anything else?”

          “No.”

          Sunday the sky was clear and the day was warm, for Alaska.  I traveled with three other teachers by ATV up to the dirt airfield at the edge of the village.  Of course the bush pilot had no problem with the gun.  He stowed it in the back of the little plane and we were soon in the air. 

          Once we landed in Bethel though we left the bush airline building and headed up the road to the Alaska Airlines terminal and a much more formal and official process.  As we walked into the Alaska Airlines terminal Erin said, “Are you sure you don’t want to just pack it in your luggage?”

          I laughed and headed inside, but with just a bit of trepidation.    

          There was no one in line so I walked up and set the case down on the scale.

          “Is that a gun?” the lady behind the counter asked.

          “Yes,” I said now full of trepidation.

          “Read and sign this form and place it in the case,” she said with a grin.

          I did as directed and within a minute she handed me my ticket.  When I arrived in Seattle my rifle was waiting at the baggage counter. 

          I suppose that Alaska Airlines has more experience with weapons and weird baggage than most airlines, but I’ve got to give them credit, they took what could have been a difficult experience and made it quick, simple and efficient. 

          That got me thinking.  Alaska Airlines and probably the other carriers have taken what could be a very difficult experience (shipping a gun as checked baggage) and made it easy.  The government often takes what should be simple tasks and makes them difficult.  As I write this I’m recalling my last experience at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and many times at the post office.    

          The TSA could make the screening process at the airport much easier and less invasive.  I’ve discussed some ideas here, but why should the TSA implement them?  If Alaska Airlines gives me a hassle I can and will fly with someone else.  But the DMV, TSA and the post office are government authorized monopolies.  If you don’t like your experience with them well that is just too bad.  You will come back and use them again, because you must.  Imagine health care run by the folks from the DMV, TSA or the post office.

          America is great in those areas where we let people make economic choices in an open a free market.

Huge Tax Refunds—For Illegals

          It is bad enough that the Federal Government takes our tax dollars and wastes them on so many things in this country, but apparently they are also giving over $4 billion a year in refunds to illegal aliens for children who are not, and in many cases have never been, in this country.

          I don’t agree with the logic that illegal aliens should get a tax refund, they are breaking the law after all, but I do understand that they worked and paid in taxes.  However, since they don’t have a Social Security number the IRS has created the Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).  An ITIN allows illegal aliens to file their taxes and claim dependents who also don’t have a Social Security number and may not be in the country or even exist.  Nevertheless, by using the additional child tax credit, illegal aliens get an extra $1,000 dollars for every child they claim as a dependent.

          The report of WTHR in Indianapolis is embedded here.  KTAR in Phoenix has also reported on the issue.  While the conservative blogosphere is reporting on this story, and a few local stations, the national media is exceedingly quiet. 

          Through this story we, once again, see just how wasteful the government is with our tax dollars.  The federal government should not even ask for more money while squandering billions in such a ludicrous way.  Also, this story demonstrated the value of conservative voices at all levels of the media.  If this story had been left to the old guard New York media you would never have known about it.

Sinking Ship of State

          The national debt is over 16 trillion dollars and by every estimate is expected to soar in the coming years.  Both Democrats and Republicans have learned that if they hand out taxpayer dollars to enough voters they get reelected to their cushy positions.  From cradle to grave there are government programs to help and protect.  From the Administration for Children and Families, to Homeland Security and the Women's Bureau  these professional politicians have created a web of dependency and fear.  Every program has a constituency that advocates for it.  Politicians don’t have the courage to cut anything because a constituent might be hurt, but all of us are going to get hurt before this mess gets better.    

          Congress has not passed a budget in over three years.  Meanwhile the flood of debt pours down upon us.  The embedded video does an excellent job of showing the hole we are now in, but it doesn’t offer a simple or quick way out, because there isn’t one.  As Hal Mason, the narrator, illustrates the federal budget as it stands now can’t be balanced.  As Mason states the solution “will be painful.

          The professional politicians know only one answer and they repeat it over and over.  For them it is like a mantra.  Tax the rich.  But the rich are not rich enough to balance the federal budget.  No one wants to work and strive only to have their hard earned pay taken by the government.  Atlas will shrug if politicians raise taxes too high and, just as Ayn Rand predicted, productivity and revenue will decrease.  How hard would you work if the government took half or more of everything you earned?

          Congressman Ron Paul has been talking about the budget crisis for years, but few others in Washington seem to care.  However, as the numbers grow to unimaginable heights even the most naïve among us are beginning to wake up to the problem.  God only asks for ten percent of our wealth, but the politicians already demand more and I promise you they will require even more before they begin serious cost cutting in government programs.  With this profound lack of leadership, I fear for the ship of state.

Crucify Them

          Crucify some and the others won’t give you any trouble.  Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regional Administrator, Al Armendariz, said that was his enforcement philosophy.  Armendariz was in charge of Region 6 of the EPA which includes Texas, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana.  Put another way Armendariz is saying hit hard and make an example out of some citizens and the rest of the public won’t give you any trouble.  While Armendariz was speaking specifically about oil companies, the government that has that mindset is not a government of the people.

          Speaking into a microphone and clearly being recorded on video, Armendariz made the crucify comment at a community meeting in Texas.  When video of him making the comment, embedded here, came to light he resigned.  In his letter of resignation he said that what he said did not reflect his work as administrator for the five state region.  However, he was appointed by the Obama administration “at the urging of Texas-based environmental groups.”

          In a recent blogpost, titled Out of Control, I told the story of Mike and Chantelle Sackett.  Told by the EPA that the lot they bought in a subdivision was a wetland the EPA ordered them to “restore” the land to its natural wetland status.  The land had never had standing water on it, but the Sacketts were told both that they faced fines of up to $32,000 a day if they did not comply and that they had no right to take the EPA to court—they could only obey or pay fines.  Fortunately for us all of us the Sacketts stood up to the EPA and the Supreme Court eventually allowed them their day in court. 

          While conservatives can rejoice over the Sackett’s victory and be glad Armendariz, and his enforcement philosophy, are gone from region 6, his comments show once again that the EPA is an agency out of control.

Eye on Olympia

Net Tip

          We need to keep an eye on those we send to Olympia.  One way Washington State voters can do that is with the aptly named website, Washingtonvotes.org.  Here you can read plan-language descriptions of bills, monitor their progress through the legislature and easily e-mail your representatives about it. 

          If you set up an account you can get email alerts on bills of interest.  I regularly use the site to check the status of bills or even to see if my representatives have missed votes.   

          WashingtonVotes is a free public service of Washington Policy Center (WPC).  They are “an independent, non-partisan, non-profit research and educational organization that does not lobby or endorse candidates.”  They are funded by mostly small private donations and do not receive any government funding. 

          If you like keeping tabs on the legislature I recommend you bookmark this site.

Odds & Ends

These are stories of interest that crossed my desk this week, but never became blogposts.  This week news from Oregon kept catching my attention.

Don’t you dare save money
The city of Portland has created regulations to protect the taxi industry.  These rules force the limousine and sedan services “to charge a $50 minimum for rides to and from the airport, and at least 35 percent more than taxis for trips to any other destination.”  When Groupon and LivingSocial partnered with the services to provide discounts the city of Portland assessed fines that, in one case, exceeded $500,000.  Even the mob doesn’t provide that level of protection.
Portland Pounces on Groupon

Illegals Welcome in Oregon
The insanity continues in Oregon.   Under the Bush administration the federal government pushed for tougher standards for driver’s licenses.  As part of that effort, Oregon had begun requiring driver’s license applicants to prove they were in the country legally about four years ago.  This would mean that thousands of illegal aliens would soon have no valid means of identification.  Governor Kitzhaber recently stated that he wants law enforcement officials in the state to start accepting Mexican consular cards (identification issued by the Mexican government) as a legitimate means of establishing identity.  Of course the only people who will benefit from this law are Mexican nationals here illegally.           
Kitzhaber: Oregon police will soon accept Mexican consular cards

Double Standard
It has always amazed me how the left can demand equality while treating conservatives as if they had no rights.  A group calling themselves “Angry Queers” (I’m not kidding) vandalized the Mars Hill Church of Southeast Portland because the church took a stand against gay marriage.  Isn’t attacking a group because of their beliefs the very definition of a hate crime?  Imagine the national outrage if a Christian group attacked a gay community center.  The silence from Portland government and police, as well as the media is deafening.  This story is from the blog of Victoria Taft a Portland radio host and blogger that I follow. 
Portland’s (Gay) Mayor Still Mute

Liberal Newspeak

          Make it a crime to express conservative or traditional values.  That appears to be the latest tactic of the fringe left.  Declaring that it is racist to call someone an illegal alien, the group Colorlines wants the media and government to “drop the I-Word.”  In the video by that name, embedded here, they proclaim that, “Calling a person illegal takes away their humanity” and “It is a way of legitimizing violence against a particular group of people because of what they are.  That’s the definition of a hate crime.” 

          Make speaking the truth a hate crime is apparently the goal of Colorlines.  Using the same video, Moveon.org says the word is dangerous and that, “Words hurt…and sometimes kill.” 

          When citizens of other countries cross our border illegally we call them illegal aliens, but the liberals ignore it, point at us and shout, “Hate crime.”  Banning words, redefining them and doublethink, George Orwell predicted it all.

Savage Intolerance

          The hate and intolerance continues from Dan Savage.  In 2006 he stated that a politician he didn’t like should be “dragged behind a pickup truck until there's nothing left but the rope,” and on Real Time with Bill Maher last year he wished “Republicans were all f****** dead.”  This “respected” gay journalist from Seattle has a long history of saying, and doing, outlandish and repulsive things.  Now he is bullying school children.

          The National Scholastic Press Association invited Savage to speak at the National High School Journalism Convention in Seattle.  According to Savage, he asked the NSPA if he should “moderate” the speech, and they said, “No. Be yourself; do what you do.”  I’m not sure what the sponsors were expecting, but what they got was classic Savage.  Indeed he stated afterwards that the speech is one he has repeatedly given.

          High school children at a school sponsored event are something of a captive audience.  They are brought to the site by adults with parental authority (in loco parentis) and cannot leave the area without adult permission.  This captive student audience was treated to a Savage rant that included, “We can learn to ignore the bull**** in the Bible about gay people…” and “What are the odds that the Bible got something as complicated as human sexuality wrong?  One hundred percent.”

          Warning: The embedded video contains profanity.    

          Many students cheered, but by this time many had walked out.  Savage called the students who walked out “pansy-assed.”  I would call them principled and brave.

Update on Monday, April 30, 2012 at 11:15PM by Kyle Pratt

Previous Ruminations blogposts on Dan Savage can be found here and here.