Meals Tax Redux

By now, it is widely known that the recent Plymouth Town Meeting passed, by a vote of 64 to 47, an increase in restaurant meals tax from 6.25% to 7%. Under Article's terms, the revenue from the increase would be returned to the Town and used exclusively for funding the Town's 400th Anniversary celebration and infrastructure improvements to Town Square, Burial Hill and Court Square.

Subsequently, a petition drive was successful in garnering the required number of signatures to bring the question to a popular vote. A special election is now scheduled for January 14, 2012 to allow the voters to decide the issue. Sound familiar? It should as we went down this same path two years ago, albeit lacking specific fund uses, and it was voted down by a four to one margin.

With the election a few months away, and the busy holidays upon us, it is probably too early to get into a full blown discussion of the issues. But be assured that both the Pro and Con camps are ramping up their campaigns. In the aftermath of the successful petition drive, there has been some finger-pointing and tongue clucking (hopefully not at the same time)concerning the cost of holding a special election.

In an October 18th letter from the Plymouth Area Chamber of Commerce to all Town Meeting members, the Chamber, on behalf of 70% of its members requested a No vote on the tax. In addition, the Board of Selectmen had voted unanimously against the proposal. In spite of these signals, and with the definitive vote of two years ago fresh in every one's mind,the proponents apparently thought that the specific uses for the money would change voters' minds even as anti-tax activists made it clear that they intended a petition challenge should the increase be passed by Town Meeting. It was and it was and now we are looking at a special election, which according to Town Clerk Larry Pizer, will cost the Town between $32 and $34 thousand.

But just as we would defend the Articles sponsor's right to re-introduce a previously rejected tax proposal, we also defend the voters' right to have the final say. There was ample previous notice of this reaction. So somewhere right after New Years, be prepared to be inundated with arguments pro and con. But remember, the issue is not one of procedure, but rather the merits of the proposal itself. Let the games begin.

Psuedo Wisdom Gone Viral?

Much has been made of late of remarks made by Senate candidate Elizabeth Warren at a recent Andover house party. In case you somehow missed it, click HERE for a link to her original comments. The comments have, so we've been told, are in the process of going viral which is meant to indicate popularity and, perhaps, great veracity. Frankly, the whole thing seems to smack of grasping at straws, but if I were a newbie candidate who decided that the U.S. Senate seat might be an appropriate goal for one's initial try at elective office, I might encourage that thinking too. Especially given that incumbent, Scott Brown, may well be unbeatable. At the same time, we realize anything is possible here in the land of the Moon Bat.

There's much truth in Ms. Warren's statement. But if government stuck to what it does fairly well—roads, police, fire and the courts; enforcing contracts that help businesses interact with their customers and other businesses—the federal government wouldn't need to spend over $3.5 trillion a year, as it now does. And of course it's state and local governments—and not Washington—that primarily fund police, fire and education, so it's a bit strange to ask the rich to pay their fair share of federal income taxes because they enjoy police protection.

He continues by citing a more basic reason for the widespread resistance to increased taxes:

Much government spending supports activities that are ineffective or even harmful to the economy, often helping the politically powerful at the expense of the rest of us. Wouldn't it be great for the federal government to stop federal export subsidies, propping up financial institutions, meddling in the education system, and trying to engineer the entire health system from the top down? If the feds stopped all that, Ms. Warren would have a stronger point. We could all feel some gratitude for government's role in helping us live better lives. All of us, rich and poor, would look at government differently.

Say what you want, but we are getting tired of this assault on "the rich", whoever they may be, and their refusal to pay their "fair share" of taxes, whatever that might be. Somehow, We don't think the high earners are refusing to support maintaining roads and paying the cops a fair wage.

Give Roberts' ARTICLE a read and let's try to put some balance back in this discussion.

Meals Tax, Here We Go Again

Two years ago, the Plymouth Town Meeting passed an increase in the local Meals Tax from 6.25% to 7% by a three-vote margin. "It's a tiny amount" we were told, 38 cents on a $50 restaurant tab. "It will take some of the pressure off real estate taxes" we were told as the revenues from the increase would be added to the general fund, but without any way of tracking its effect. Days after the vote, signatures were being gathered and the question was subsequently put to the voters who voted four to one against the measure. Increasing taxes, never popular, seemed like a real bad idea in the face of a looming recession.

And now we have a new proposal to increase the local Meals Tax from 6.25% to 7%, which will come before upcoming Town Meeting on October 24th. Aside from the fact that the recession of two years ago is either still with us, or preparing an encore, what is different this time?

Sponsored by Advisory and Finance Committee member Michael Hanlon, the current proposal has two main differences; First of all, the revenues generated by the tax are to be earmarked exclusively to three specific uses. 25% of the money will go to funding the Plymouth 400th anniversary celebration in 2020, the 1820 Courthouse Renovation, and improvements to historical Burial Hill. The fourth 25% would be "up for grabs" among the three. The second major difference is a "sunset" provision that would end the tax in 2021 unless continued by Town Meeting. Okaaaay!

So let's get this straight. The voters overwhelmingly defeated the proposal that at least would have had the possibility of the money flowing to ongoing Town operations, like maintaining the streets, for example. And now, they are expected to approve the same measure for three vague uses. The 400th anniversary is at least eight years out and while it presently lacks a specific funding source, it also seems to lack specific programs and events. The 1820 Court House, unfortunately, is emerging as a massive money pit. This project could become a case study in the pitfalls of redeveloping an historic building by a well-meaning public sector, unequipped to deal with the high risks of real estate development. And here again, the plans for this project have yet to advance beyond the "concept" stage. And Burial Hill? When did this become a priority requiring multi-millions of dollars of public monies?

Yes, multi-millions. Appearing before his own committee last Wednesday, Hanlon estimated that the tax increase would generate $500,000 a year, which would imply nearly $5 million by the time the sunset provision kicks in. But according to today's Boston Globe, Plymouth Finance Director, Lynne Barrett, sees it generating nearly $1 million a year. Take your pick, but these amounts are a long way from the innocuous sounding 38cents. Especially for a Town that needs to mete out monies for basic services like road repairs and other DPW projects.

This tax is a bad idea for a host of reasons, but foremost is the fact that it provides an end run to the normal budgetary process which makes the hard decisions on how to spend the Town's limited funds. Projects like those being earmarked for the Meals Tax increase proceeds should be held to the same standards of evaluation that apply to most other budgetary items. Frankly, it comes as a surprise that a member of the very Committee that vets the Town's expenditures is the one calling for this end run.

Also appearing at the Committee meeting the other night was Chris Fava who lead the repeal process two years ago. Chris did an excellent job of delivering the message that those opposing this tax have not gone away and in all likelihood, would bring the question back to the people if passed by the Town meeting. Committee members bristling at an implied threat of the cost of a special election are missing the point. There is no appetite for raising the Meals tax.

Bad News, Good News

Shopping ranks so low on our least-liked activities, it needs it's own page. So, clearly, any possibility of a shopping errand is definitely bad news. Moreover, if the main goal of the expedition is home decorating-related, the classification falls even further into the little-known, but very real, abyss of despond, located just down the street and around the rotary from the slough of despond. Think root canal. all of which sets the stage for the soon-to-be-announced search for new wallpaper.

How, you may ask, could anything this oppressive have an element of good news? The good news is the reason we need to shop for wallpaper. Now that it appears that the Beltway wizards have struck a last minute deal avoiding a U.S. Treasury default, we will not be able to use our Treasury bonds to paper the walls. And while the View's investment account doesn't hold enough of this paper to cover much wall area, we felt we would have no problem snapping up enough bonds from other bondholders to get the job done. We could paper the entire house at a substantial savings over more traditional wall coverings.

Of course the deal is not entirely done and there is still a slight possibility that the agreement might fall apart, but we think the process has finally run its course. Look next for those claiming credit for averting financial chaos. The Pres, will of course, take center stage in this regard, even though his participation in crafting an acceptable plan seemed to be limited to telling us we have to eat peas, or some such nonsense. The View would point, instead, to John Boehner and his few stalwarts who actually made it happen. The only thing louder than those claiming credit, will be the critics. Those on the left will scream that taxes, or is it revenues, have not been increased enough. Those on the opposite side will match the outcry, arguing that spending has not been sufficiently cut. While we would like to see government spending rolled back to say, 1959 levels, it just ain't gonna happen.

There are two things, the old saying goes, that are totally unfit for public observation: making sausage and crafting legislation. Unfortunately, this deal that will at least allow us to stay solvent for the short term, has probably created the biggest wiener since Oscar Meyer.

Deadline Looming

We still subscribe to the old idea of Sunday being a day of rest, even though retirement has provided whole weeks of Sundays, at least as compared with the old rat race days. But in many ways, Sunday is still a day for quiet reflection, especially if it includes a little spiritual rejuvenation. And while it generally is a slow news day, we are too well aware of the financial tsunami poised to wash over us this week as the clock ticks down to the federal debt ceiling deadline, which may, or may not, see the collapse of the US economy as Washington maxes out all of its credit cards on Tuesday. Some people are forecasting scenes of anxious Social Security recipients, and other retirees, staring at their empty mail boxes, or the electronic equivalent thereof, while others claim that such forecast are simply partisan hype and the government will somehow avoid a default through some last-minute brinkmanship. While we have generally expected the latter, time is now getting short and the worm in our brain is starting to re-consider the real possibility that Harry Reid and friends may not be up to the task of producing a rabbit from his hat.

Let's be clear, to coin a phrase. We wholeheartedly see this crisis as one of over-spending rather than a shortage of tax revenue. When the pres was pimping for passage of his health care juggernaut, many pointed out the effect that plan would have on the federal deficit. His response? Wait until we come back next year for funding and we'll see how those critics feel about the deficit. There is a subtle, but crucial, twist to this logic, which lies, in our belief, at the core of the problem. The Left pushes for programs solely on the basis of an oft-hazy perceived need, without thought to the source of funding. Then, when the bill comes due, taxpayers are told they must pay more to meet "their fair share" or be labelled heartless and mean-spirited. Any remaining shortfall is then put on our collective tab. What is so hard about understanding that you can't spend money you don't have without running up the deficit? John Boehner and Co. are the only remaining adults in the room, calling for a halt to this irresponsible run up to the federal Master card account. No matter which side blinks first, and especially if neither does, we could be in for one uproarious week of fiscal uncertainty.

What do we do now? It's probably too late to buy gold with the price over $1,600 per ounce. Gold may have a place in some portfolios, but it's not much use in balancing the family budget as it doesn't pay any dividend and it's expensive to buy and expensive to sell. Sell everything and go to cash? Theoretically possible but impractical and you have to be clever enough to know when to reverse the process. Did any of us ever confront the possibility of The United States as a financial banana republic?

Small, and not so small, investors have long used Treasuries as a safe-haven investment, and it's staggering to face the real possibility that the values of these securities are facing a downgrade within the next few days. While we support the Republicans in their efforts to scale back federal spending, there will be enough fallout from this scenario to cover the shoes of everyone, regardless of which side of the aisle they sit. And before the White house says it, this is not George Bush's fault.

So what does one do? Hold on tight, wait it out in the belief that any interruption in the financial markets will be short and reversible. Watch very carefully how this week unfolds. There really isn't another choice.

The Hermit Kingdom - Update

A tip of the propeller beanie to the Boston Globe for picking up and re-publishing the article by Jean Lee of the Associated Press entitled N. Korea Food Shortage is Worst in Years. It seems that after the great 1990's famine, the state established an ostrich farm which it hoped would help feed its people and develop export products. North Korea has many attributes, but a balmy climate is not on of them. In fact, to keep the bird's warm during the brutal winters, they have been equipped with quilted vests. You just can't make this stuff up. Beyond becoming an exotic menu item at some of "Pyongyang's finest restaurants" (maybe they still have a Howard Johnson's or two)those yummy ostrich burgers just haven't found their way to the local commissaries. Meanwhile, the people have been busy, of late, punching multiple new holes in their belts to better facilitate tightening.

Citing a litany of causes for the food shortfall; such as, rising global food prices, shortfalls in fertilizer (there's a good line there somewhere) and adverse weather, the state is quietly sending out requests for aid to avoid mass starvation of its population. Not given as a cause is the abject failure of the communist government which excels only in rattling its nuclear sabre. Apparently, this time around,foreign governments and Relief Agencies are not rushing to provide aid. Probably because this calamity bears a striking resemblance to the famines of the last twenty years or so. Go back and read the prior VIEW POST on this topic. Hasn't anyone over there learned anything during this time? Weren't there at least a few Teachable moments, to coin a phrase.

There is also suspicion that the government is stockpiling food in order to distribute gift baskets during next year's one hundredth anniversary of the birth of the late president, Kim Il Sung. Won't those be welcome by those that manage to survive until then. Agencies that might otherwise provide food relief are also demanding guarantees that any relief supplies will, in fact be given to the people rather than being stolen by the military and resold on the black market, an all too common practice. Once again, we are not making this up, read the AP article.

Please understand that this is no excursion into schadenfreude as we take absolutely no pleasure in the suffering of the North Korean people. But an ostrich farm? This sounds like one of Ralph Cramden and Ed Norton's get rich quick schemes. How can this government, or any government, with 24 million souls under it's wing, continue to exist in face of this totally inept and incompetent record? While you think about it, ponder this: gaggles of ostrich, wearing quilted vests, wobbling around, trying to stay warm, all to the tunes of an accordion ensemble.

The American People

We don't know about you, but we are more than mildly annoyed every time The President tells us what the American people want. I mean, no one has asked me, and I am very definitely a card-carrying member of this ultimate special interest group.

What to do? Beside the obvious remedy that will be available in November of 2012, you can drop the Pres an email (Hey, let technology work for you) by clicking here: YO, MR.PRESIDENT. No disrespect meant, he was a community organizer.

A few pointers, however.

Be sure to identify yourself as one of The American People. Even better, indicate that you are part of the subset that votes.

Be brief and concise. Short declarative statements are best. The Pres is much too busy to read long treatises, no matter how well constructed. So many vacations, so little time. So get to the point and hit it hard and plain.

Once you get started, move on to the other co-conspirators. Drop an email to your senator(s) and congressman.

For Example: Senator Scott Brown If anyone needs the encouragement and support, Senator Brown, as the Bay State's lone Republican on the state's legislative delegation, needs to hear the love. Go Scott!

keep going.
To find other Senatorial emails, search U.S. SENATE

For Congressmen, search; USCONGRESS

Don't stop now. Consider contacting legislators who serve in key chairs, like House Speaker John Boehner and Republican Minority leader Mitch McConnell. It also doesn't hurt to include those in the opposite party. Harry Reid may not be thrilled to hear from Republicans, but we need to let folks like him think a bit before speaking for the American people.

Admittedly, this might seem like a small step to take, but if enough of us take the time to pass on our views, they may just start to get the idea that they don't, in fact, speak for all of us. At the least, you will feel a little better. Don't curse the darkness, light a match.

Priorities

Did you ever notice (maybe you were on Mars for the weekend) that every time government is looking for new revenue, or taxes as we know them, the pols roll out the same threats to discontinue the most sensitive services. Top of the list is always the possibility of interrupting Social Security checks. Visions of grannies scrambling for a crust of bread are envisioned, followed closely by shutting down help for the poor, the sick and the lame. On a local level, the perennial favorite is a reduction of public safety entities. No cops to answer the 911 calls and get ready to watch your house go up in flames for lack of adequate fire protection. Laying off teachers is usually in the mix too. And the (greater) we usually fall for it. If legislators comes out against new taxes, they will be pilloried during the next election for fiscal crimes against humanity.

We aren't buying it.

Here are a few suggestions for alternative measures of reducing the spending gap. Rather than raising taxes, they could:

Defer indefinitely the plans for new high speed rail lines. Who would notice?

Cut the funding for pork-laden earmarks. Talk about a target-rich environment.

It may be too late, but who thought that we had to have all those new mile-marker signs on our highways at two-tenth mile intervals. These could wait, maybe forever.

Speaking of signs, how about those beauties that announce the fact that the federal government stimulus money is paying for road maintenance? Insult added to injury.

Obamacare off the table? Trimming this porker might just restore fiscal sanity and mental health all by itself.

Social Security was designed to be an insurance plan. Everyone received benefits in proportion to what they had contributed. This was not a handout funded by general tax revenues. Moreover, the contributions were to accumulate to pay benefits, not to be looted to fund pork. Tip O'Neill said that Social security was the third rail of politics. Politicians who tried to cut benefits got fried. On the other side of the coin were those demagogues who would vote benefit increases in order to be able to crow about it during the next election. To the uninformed it seemed like a free lunch, when in fact, it was a step towards destroying a reasonably equitable, albeit government-mandated, program.

You get the idea, there are at least a zillion things that could be deferred or even eliminated before you need to go after the Golden Agers. Send in your suggestions and we will give you full credit when we compile the comprehensive list.

A Tale of Two Arguments

Sometimes it's hard to keep things straight when listening to the two conversations going on in the federal government. Both sides claim to be addressing the same issue, but their collective arguments seem to exist in parallel universes.

Lead by the democratic president, the left has produced at least two blockbuster spending bills. First there was the stimulus package which seemed to be a thinly- veiled attempt to re-pay public employee unions with a flood of federal money ostensibly to revive the flagging economy. Why is anyone surprised that the economy hasn't revived? Next came the massive new federal health care program, which we are still trying to figure out. The only thing about this monster, that was rammed through congress with Houdini-like deftness, is it's massive costs that spiral off into the future like the Eggplant that Ate Chicago.

So now, the creators of these two deficit-busting gems are arguing that taxes must be raised, while Republicans stand like the Dutch boy with their collective fingers in the dike of fiscal restraint.

The left is calling for higher taxes, even in the face of a protracted recession as well as warnings from the debt-rating agencies that U.S. debt stands a good chance of losing its AAA rating. This comes while, at the same time, vilifying the Republicans who want to solve the problem by reducing spending and who recognize the dangerous fiscal abyss that yawns ahead.

Often, in these discussions, the metaphor of the household budget is used to illustrate the problem. Ok, so it's not sophisticated economics, but it does have some illustrative value. To wit: Families have recognized for eons the importance of living within one's means. New purchases, no matter how rationalized, must be subjected to a means test. The choice is usually clear. If you can't afford it, you can't buy it. If the expenditure is, in fact, absolutely necessary, then cuts in other areas of the budget must be made to accommodate the new item. The alternative to making these adjustments, is to crank up the credit card balances, or perhaps tap into the equity in one's home through additional mortgage debt. Well, maybe that option isn't quite as available as it used to be. Such actions may bring temporary relief, but the eventual result can be a painful reconciliation with reality. Being underwater on your mortgage, or in default, or both, can be very unpleasant as way too many of us now know.

It's easy for demagogues to paint the Republicans as uncaring tightwads. In fact, they are the last bastion of fiscal restraint standing in the way of our country's slide into third-world status. We have a president who has a vision of the U.S. as neo Sweden. A president who claims that 80% of the U.S. population wants higher taxes! A president who, doesn't know what he doesn't know. A president who is supported by the takers of the left. Our only hope is that the Republicans can prevail and preserve our precious way of life as the August 2nd debt-limit deadline approaches.

The Hermit Kingdom

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea, aka North Korea, is a country of almost 24million souls governed by a totalitarian Stalinist dictatorship under a personality cult headed by several generations of the Kim family. North Korea is one of the most isolated impenetrable societies on earth and is ruled through continual and intense propaganda and iron-fisted control of virtually every facet of day-to-day life. So little is known about this country that the fact that it suffered an almost decade-long famine during the nineteen nineties during which an estimated 2 million people perished, was hardly known in western countries. The actual number is probably higher, as many deaths were classified as having been caused by collateral diseases.

In her book, Nothing To Envy, journalist Barbara Demick presents an oral history of several North Koreans who were able to defect to economic powerhouse, South Korea. It is through these stories that the desolation of life in the Hermit Kingdom can be understood. The particular, but by no means only, example of the miseries foisted on its citizens brings home the extent to which the residents of this closed society have been forced to suffer. The state's ability to provide fundamental nutrition for its people experienced a massive breakdown resulting in continuous foraging for scraps and even edible weeds causing sickness and death on a massive scale.

One very sobering story is told by a former kindergarten teacher who's pupils would arrive at school wearing ragged hand-me-downs, layered to counter the lack of heating in the classrooms. The children themselves being so undernourished that they appeared to be several years younger than their actual ages.

After the students had settled into their seats, the teacher would bring out her accordion to lead the class in a rousing rendition of "We have nothing to envy in the world."

Our father, we have nothing to envy in the world.
Our House is within the embrace of the Workers Party
We are all brothers and sisters
Even if a sea of fire comes toward us, sweet children
do not need to be afraid
Our father is here
We have nothing to envy in the world

The "father" is of course whichever Kim happens to be in power. The government supplies framed Photos of the Kim's for every home and public building, but can't seem to bridge the massive food deficit.

It turns out that the accordion is the official "people's instrument" which all teachers must master before graduating. In addition to schools, forced labor parties are also serenaded with accordion propaganda tunes. This brought to mind the great lamented Boston writer, George V. Higgins, who maintained that nothing good ever came from any event at which an accordion was played.

This might be funny if it weren't for the widespread suffering of the North Korean people The Kims can find money for nukes, but let the people forage for roots and weeds to eat. George Bush was right, this country has definitely earned its place on the axis of evil.

Against All Odds

It would seem that any concern over whether or not it is too early for Scott Brown to ramp up his re-election effort can be put to rest. In a half-page OP-ED PIECE in today's Globe, old friend, Joan Vennochi makes a case for a rematch between Brown and Mass. Attorney General, Martha Coakley. Citing a recent poll by the Democratic polling company, PUBLIC POLICY POLLING, the article shows that Coakley appears to be the best match up against Brown of the seven potential candidates included in the poll. At that, the poll shows Brown ahead of Coakley, 49%to 40% in a head to head match. Coakley's relative strength appears to stem solely from her high name recognition.

When Scott Brown's autobiography, Against All Odds, was released earlier this year, it seemed as though all anyone wanted to talk about was Brown's brush with an attempted sexual abuse by a camp counselor when he was ten years old. Not to minimize the seriousness of such an event, but the book is 324 pages, and there are a number of more important topics covered.

First of all, the story of Brown's early life is sobering, to say the least. Dealing with the insidious effects of a broken home life: his father's abandonment at a very early age, his mother's bouts with alcohol and her several husbands, including at least one psychopath named Larry McShane who threatened to break Scott's hands, which would have curtailed his basketball career. Not only was basketball his first love, but would also become his ticket to a college education. The fact that Brown was able to rise above these circumstances speaks volumes about his character. Even more amazing, is by the time he was running for office later in life, he managed to salvage a good relationships with each of his parents.

Towards the end of the book, Brown writes about his political philosophy.

There is a core set of beliefs that have shaped my thinking since the beginning of my service in public life. They are uncomplicated and straightforward. I believe that government is getting too big. We have too many laws, and we don't need more of them. I have always felt that we need to get rid of some of our laws and streamline the ones we keep, and we need to better enforce the laws that we have.........

I believe strongly that taxes are too high. But they are now getting much worse. Congress and the administration dithered over taking still more money out of the pockets of hardworking Americans......

Lowering tax rates encourages citizens to invest and to save and also to spend. It encourages businesses to hire new workers. It encourages entrepreneur's to start new ventures. We can solve a significant portion of the federal government's fiscal mess by growing our economy.

I believe that power concentrated in the hands of one political party, as it is in Massachusetts leads to bad government and poor decisions. That holds true for Democrats and Republicans...... There is little uglier than the arrogance of power or the bashing of our opponents for partisan and selfish ends.

Yes, Scott Brown is a Republican, but is not an ideologue. His main goal is to find solutions to our common problems and is willing to work with good ideas regardless of their source. We would argue that he is the prototype of a new politician, one that Massachusetts badly needs if it is to get beyond the morass of corruption and pandering to special interests that that threatens to drag the state down. Read "Against all Odds" and learn the rest of the story.

Re-elect Scott Brown

It's hard to believe that with seventeen months to go before the election, Scott Brown, and the Brown Brigade, are up and running in full re-election mode.

The Senator was in town yesterday to make the case that, given all the hot air coming from the left, not to mention the cadre of candidates lining up for the nomination, it is not a bit too early to start generating support for the re-election of the only Republican holding high state or federal office in Massachusetts. Brown was frank and open, especially regarding some of the votes he has made as senator. "I didn't go down there to do nothing", Scott stated and was unabashed in his willingness to work with whomever could develop new ideas to solve our serious fiscal problems. "It's all about jobs", he continued. "We must enable businesses to begin hiring and put people back to work". This requires the re-establishment of a sense of tax and regulatory stability to encourage investment in the future.

With respect to the federal deficit, Scott cited a dangerous "precipice" yawning out into our future if nothing is done to stop the out of control spending. He reassured those in attendance that raising the debt ceiling without serious and meaningful cuts in spending is a giant non-starter. Attendees were also assured that efforts are underway to tame Obama care, especially its most damaging provisions.

So don't be a wallflower. Get it on and start thinking Re-election for Scott Brown. The other side has already spent an incredible $45 million in an early effort to capture this most important Senate Seat. Don't let it happen. Click on Scott Brown for Senate to learn more.

You betcha! .......Sorta

Sarah Palin was in town last night for a speech to a sellout crowd at the Ritz. This morning's Naples Daily News headline brought us up short:

Palin in 2012? You Betcha!

Had Sarah announced for the big dance?

Upon closer inspection (i.e. We read the article) there was really no new news in the news:

“I’m thinking about it and praying about it,” Palin said when asked whether she’d run for president in 2012. “(But) whether I’m a candidate or not … I’m going to stay engaged.”

No harm done, we guess, if the local editor was trying to sell a few papers to those of us without the wherewithal to catch the speech in person. What came as a bit of a surprise was the negative tone of readers comments regarding Sarah's suitability for candidacy. Being from a blue state, we were ready for the nasty comments from the left, but there also seemed to be a lot of grousing coming from the other side of the aisle. Click HERE to check out the article and comments.

Sarah may not be our first choice for the 2012 Republican nomination, but we in no way subscribe to the over-the-top dismissal of her as a total light weight. I mean, last time around we elected a community organiser who, while he apparently did attend Columbia, managed to avoid any study of economics. And Harvard Law School where he seems to have been MIA when they covered constitutional law. So Sarah had to settle for plebeian state universities, but last we heard, the ivies, fine institutions that they are, do not have an exclusive on effective education. And lets not get too hasty in minimizing Sarah's experience as the Governor of Alaska. Of the four candidates in the last presidential election, she had more administrative experience than the other three combined. She also seemed to be the only one who could speak with experience regarding energy issues.

We welcome Sarah Palin's participation in the primary process and let the chips fall where they may. There are at least six serious candidates poised to toss their hats in the presidential ring. But as of last night, the only hat actually in the ring belongs to Tim Pawlenty. Wait, is that a hockey helmet?

And So it Starts - Pawlenty is In

Some say that it doesn't seem possible that we are once again at the beginning of the next presidential campaign. Others, including the View, think that it can't come fast enough if we are to sort out and resolve the confusion, uncertainty and gibberish that has symbolized the current administration's governance, first revealed in the jumble of domestic programs such as the massive health-care bill that still defies understanding and, more recently in the arena of international affairs. But with 2012 just around the corner, it is clearly time to start the process that will identify and nominate a candidate to run on the Republican ticket next year. Amid the six, or so, individuals generally seen as the most likely contenders, Tim Pawlenty stands out for a number of reasons.

First of all, Pawlenty may well be the least well-known of the field. But as the former two-term governor of Blue-state Minnesota, he established the reputation for effective management while dealing with a democratic legislature and strong public unions. He presents strong conservative bona-fides and is well-grounded in understanding the concerns of the average voters.

There are several reasons why Tim Pawlenty may well be the candidate we need in 2012:

We need a president with strong executive skills to effectively manage the massive federal government, ensuring that the purpose for each agency continues to be a high priority and revamping, or even eliminating, agencies where this is not the case.

We need a president who can establish and maintain a meaningful discussion as to which of our national goals should be pursued and which should be deferred so as to accommodate economic policies designed to preserve and defend the public fisc for generations yet to come.

And we need a president who can lead the movement to re-charge the American tradition of opportunity, rather than a handout, for all its citizens.

Last, but certainly not least, we need a president who recognizes and defends the role of the social structures and values that have provided solid underpinning to America's greatness for over two and one half centuries.

Job one for the rest of us is to get to know Tim. A good place to start is to view his recent facebook announcement message by clicking HERE Listen to his message and commit to find out more about him. Then, compare him with the other candidates. I think you will agree that Tim Pawlenty deserves a place on our short list.

Gentlemen, Start your Volvos

Former NPR commentator Juan Williams writing in the New York Post, March 15:

The recent videotape showing NPR chief fund-raiser Ron Schiller . . . is just an open microphone on what I've been hearing from NPR top executives and editors for years. They're willing to do anything in service to any liberal with money, and then they'll turn around and in self-righteous indignation claim that they have cleaner hands than anybody in the news business who accepts advertising or expresses a point of view.

Ron Schiller's performance on videotape—which included lecturing two young men pretending to be Muslims on how to select wine—is a "South Park"-worthy caricature of the American liberal as an effete, Volvo-driving, wine-sipping, NPR-listening dunderhead.

NPR's many outstanding journalists are caught in a game where they are trying to please a leadership that doesn't want to hear stories that contradict the official point of view. . . . This just confirms my belief that it is time for our government to get out of the business of funding NPR. The idea, to me, of government-funded media doesn't fit the United States.

Do you think that NPR regrets firing Juan?

YAWN!!!

Bears hibernate in the winter, probably because its cheaper and easier than migrating to a warmer climate. Not having known many bears on a personal basis, however, I'm not real sure how long it takes for the bear to re-acclimate once it has climbed back out into the real world. All of which is a round about excuse for the lack of posts over the past two months. Now that The View is ensconced in its southern quarters in sunny Florida, perhaps the creative juices might begin to thaw.

Fortunately for Western Civilization, current events have continued during our extended winter recess, and there is ample material crying for comment.

To wit, the labor wars in Wisconsin have provided quite a spectacle. There they are, the rank and file, chanting and beating on drums, protesting the Governor's efforts at achieving something approaching balance with regard to the public fisc. This standoff has raised a long overdue discussion about the rationale for public employee unions. But before we get all tied up in a discussion of the linkages, or lack thereof, between teachers union and the efficacy of the public schools, some thought needs to be given to whether such unions make sense in the first place.

Writing in today's Wall Street Journal, Peggy Noonan makes an excellent point about the difference between public employee union negotiations and real world union negotiations. The Pegster is one of our faves, even if she does get a little off track now and again. Fortunately for all, she is spot on here:

When union leaders negotiate with a politician, they're negotiating with someone they can hire and fire. Public unions have numbers and money, and politicians need both. And politicians fear strikes because the public hates them. When governors negotiate with unions, it's not collective bargaining, it's more like collusion. Someone said last week the taxpayers aren't at the table. The taxpayers aren't even in the room.

Given the ever-tightening fiscal noose, it will not be long before the question of public employee unions comes to a municipality near you. stay tuned.

You also might want to read all of Peggy's article and decide who we might select to play Johnny Friendly in the inevitable remake of "On The Waterfront". Instead of a longshoreman played by Marlin Brando, we could have Jonathan Kozol as head of the Romance Language department at Boston Latin leading the charge for union equity. Click HERE for the entire article