ArnoldPalmerville II

That was close. We almost missed the Early Bird. Fortunately, we were able to out-maneuver another couple. Those walkers can be tricky on high curbs.

When people ask the great Jimmy Buffet, "exactly where is Margaritaville?", he is quick to tell them that it is anywhere they want it to be. This leaves those of us with limited itineraries to dream big and hang that handle on any place that suits us. On hearing that, we took immediate license to consider Naples to be our version of this Valhalla of song. Of course this is a bit of a stretch, which is why we had to come up with ArnoldPalmerville. Sort of an age-appropriate rendition. And age is a key variable here in APV, which has been called by some  cheeky wags, God's waiting Room. And while this may well apply to some parts of the Sunshine State, Naples has a number of attributes that tend to set it apart.

To say that Naples is upscale is no misnomer. The Bentley dealership tends to set the bar. Then there are the merchants, who collectively offer the best of everything. Who goes to the beach to buy expensive jewelry? Apparently plenty of Neopolitans. And then there are the restaurants. While you might see a few fast-food outlets (the help has to eat somewhere), the number of toney eateries, like the stars in the heavens, defies counting. We suspect that the top grade kitchens in the thousands and thousands of condos are among the most pristine and un-used on the planet.

Gotta run. Today is Donut day and they have just arrived.

Wasting Away in ArnoldPalmerville

We scurried out of Dodge on President's Day, attempting to split the seam between snowstorms. Our first stop was about an hour south of Harrisburg, PA. While we caught some new snow overnight, I- 81 was clear and we had avoided the dreaded Harrisburg rush hour through the new snow. Somewhere around Spartanburg SC, we out ran the snow and by the time we hit Atlanta, it was 70 degrees, which was pronounced balmy, and most of the traffic jam from the previous week's ice storm had cleared up. Then, after a long-days drive down I-75, we entered the Sunshine State and it was straight on to morning.

Naples is, in effect, the southernmost outpost of civilization on the Gulf Coast of Florida. While Key West is due south of Naples, they are separated by some serious open water. Key West has never been confused with Naples and is,I am sure, willing to concede to Naples whatever laurels it may claim. Believe me, no one in Key West cares about the rest of the state.

When Jimmy Buffet sings of Margaritaville, it brings to mind long sleepy days and star studded nights, all observed from the comfort of a Pawley's Island hammock, strung between two palm trees,, where life's biggest problem is limited to locating the salt shaker, needed to finish off the prep of the drink after which the place is named. The basis for the whole Margaritaville experience, starts with  a mid-level tequila buzz..

One of the countless ways in which Naples differs from Key West is in the average daily alcohol ingestion of the respective citizenry. Suffice it to say, it's a lot lower in Naples, where the most popular drink is an Arnold Palmer, which is made up of half iced tea, half lemonade and zero alcohol. Do not, we repeat, do not, order this drink in any establishment located on Duvall Street.

Cranberrygate?

Happy New Year to our legions of followers and casual readers. May the new year bring you and
yours physical, economic and metaphysical good tidings.

Okay, We know it's a little late, but isn't it the thought that counts? Besides, we have been so very busy since we turned the calendar page that everyone should just cut us some slack. Besides, not to let the cat out of the bag, but a little subterfuge may help us deflect the trashing of our collective privacy by the NSA. Their software algorithms won't know what to do with New Years greetings sent out ten days late. Nixon may have had an enemies list, but at least he didn't treat all our personal communications like party-line chatter.

One of our early-year events was a quick trip back to New York to visit old friends and give them all the opportunity to laud us for the Red Sox victory in the World Series. Not that the View has ever been at the Uber-fan level of enthusiasm, at least not since Ted Williams retired, but we certainly bore many years of affinity abuse from all those Yankee fans while living in New York. Suffice it to say, revenge is certainly a dish best enjoyed cold.





Yum Yum!

2014 is shaping up to be, among other things, a big election year. Here in the Bay State, it may finally be one of those infrequent years where the Republicans have a good showing. There are a number of strong announced candidates for the major state offices as well as other races. To wit, a number of competitive candidates have already emerged in our own Massachusetts Ninth Congressional District to unseat the great Bill Keating.

We don't think it's a coincidence that Bill just announced a new initiative leveraging his role as founder and co-chairman of the Congressional Cranberry Caucus (?)  to have the USDA purchase more than $ 28 million of cranberries to both support the prices for the cranberry farmers and to provide food stock for low income families needing food assistance.

As Mr. Keating explains:

“The USDA’s announcement is a great example of good, smart government at work,” said Rep. Keating. “The purchase of the excess cranberry crops will benefit local growers and entire industry while providing healthy food options for some of our most vulnerable families. It’s a win-win by all accounts in my book.”

 Cranberries may, or may not be a healthy option for those vulnerable families, but the fruit is virtually inedible without tons of sugar or some further form of processing. I hope they have ample security when the vulnerable set finds out about the free cranberries and mob the food pantries, demanding more. Maybe, it's really a win-win-win, when you consider the expanded need for sugar to make the cranberries suitable for consumption, but we are sure that the congressional delegations from the sugar-producing states are already taking full credit.

According to a recent Cape Cod Today  ARTICLE, the growers are only receiving $10 per hundred pounds, for a product that costs them $25 to produce. We hate to see anybody fall on hard times, but maybe, just maybe, the market is delivering a lesson in economics to this niche commodity. And, apparently The USDA, paying more than two and a half over market to feed the poor, marginally-edible food, passes for "good, smart government" in the Halls of Congress.

Once again, happy new year to all, especially the politicians. We can't wait to her Bill Keating trying to offer his cranberry "win-win" as a balance sheet credit against the major debit stemming from his support of the Obamacare fiasco.

Stay tuned.

In Hoc Anno Domini

 

This editorial was written in 1949 by the late Vermont Royster and has been published annually by the Wall Street Journal ever since.

When Saul of Tarsus set out on his journey to Damascus the whole of the known world lay in bondage. There was one state, and it was Rome. There was one master for it all, and he was Tiberius Caesar.

Everywhere there was civil order, for the arm of the Roman law was long. Everywhere there was stability, in government and in society, for the centurions saw that it was so.

 

But everywhere there was something else, too. There was oppression—for those who were not the friends of Tiberius Caesar. There was the tax gatherer to take the grain from the fields and the flax from the spindle to feed the legions or to fill the hungry treasury from which divine Caesar gave largess to the people. There was the impressor to find recruits for the circuses. There were executioners to quiet those whom the Emperor proscribed. What was a man for but to serve Caesar?

 

There was the persecution of men who dared think differently, who heard strange voices or read strange manuscripts. There was enslavement of men whose tribes came not from Rome, disdain for those who did not have the familiar visage. And most of all, there was everywhere a contempt for human life. What, to the strong, was one man more or less in a crowded world?

 

Then, of a sudden, there was a light in the world, and a man from Galilee saying, Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's.

 

And the voice from Galilee, which would defy Caesar, offered a new Kingdom in which each man could walk upright and bow to none but his God. Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. And he sent this gospel of the Kingdom of Man into the uttermost ends of the earth.

 

So the light came into the world and the men who lived in darkness were afraid, and they tried to lower a curtain so that man would still believe salvation lay with the leaders.

 

But it came to pass for a while in divers places that the truth did set man free, although the men of darkness were offended and they tried to put out the light. The voice said, Haste ye. Walk while you have the light, lest darkness come upon you, for he that walketh in darkness knoweth not whither he goeth.

 

Along the road to Damascus the light shone brightly. But afterward Paul of Tarsus, too, was sore afraid. He feared that other Caesars, other prophets, might one day persuade men that man was nothing save a servant unto them, that men might yield up their birthright from God for pottage and walk no more in freedom.

Then might it come to pass that darkness would settle again over the lands and there would be a burning of books and men would think only of what they should eat and what they should wear, and would give heed only to new Caesars and to false prophets. Then might it come to pass that men would not look upward to see even a winter's star in the East, and once more, there would be no light at all in the darkness.

 

And so Paul, the apostle of the Son of Man, spoke to his brethren, the Galatians, the words he would have us remember afterward in each of the years of his Lord:

 

Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

 

 

A hat tip to the WSJ and peace to all.

Follow The Money

Campaign Fund-raising Leader

Hard Times.

According to yesterday's GLOBE, the announced candidates for the 2014 Mass. governors race are lagging behind previous benchmarks for campaign fundraising. Times are tough as there is a lot of voter fatigue out there. Turns out, however, that State Treasurer, Steven Grossman leads both Charlie Baker and Attorney General, Martha Coakley, by more than a three to one edge. According to the Globe, this lead is largely due to contributions from "companies that do business with the Treasury". And while we realize that not all campaign contributions are made to offer arms-length support to a right-thinking candidate, any real or expected quid-pro-quo, can cover a broad range of expectations ranging from informal access and influence, to something a little more sinister which may well sail very close to the winds of propriety, not to mention legality.

Grossman brings extensive private-sector business experience to the Treasurer's office and prides himself for his heightened sensitivity to any suggestion of impropriety.  He apparently has issued a record number of ethics disclosure statements, most having to do with Grossman Marketing Group, his former company, now run by his two sons, and in which he maintains a nearly half ownership interest. Another recent ARTICLE focused on the significant potential for conflicts between GMG, its clients, and the state agencies under his control.

While the relationships involving GMG may provide some wiggle room, the State Treasurer has more significant direct responsibility for the state employees retirement funds and other financial functions, that offer lucrative contracts to money management firms and other professionals.  Moreover, in addition to awarding these contracts, this responsibility also includes monitoring performance and possibly firing a non-performing firm. The receipt of campaign contributions from such firms raises serious concerns regarding constraints on management's ability to execute with arms-length judgment.

In addition to any actual impropriety by a public official, there is also the concern for the appearance of such. And while the former would require legal proof, the latter only needs to pass the smell test, and, frankly, its not doing too well in this case.

Good News-Bad News

Paul Ryan and Patty Murray

A Budget Agreement

 The conservative media was in high dudgeon this morning, criticizing the federal Budget agreement announced last night. by senators, Paul Ryan and Patty Murray.  And with good reason. There are no Grand Bargains to be had for either side, but does, at least, move the debate away from the across-the-board cuts of sequestration as it begins to substitute the more rational give and take trade offs of political compromise. It may, if passed by the congress, also offer a two-year respite from the cliff- hanging theatrics of recent years. This is the first time in four years that we actually have a budget agreement, and just perhaps the congress may return to its stated format of fair and open debate. For the record, we are not thrilled by the agreement itself as there is much left to do, but are encouraged by this improvement of the process.

No-Show Voters

We are, today, awarding the View's "Sash of Shame" to the voters of the Massachusetts 5th Congressional District for their dismal 13% turnout for yesterdays election of a replacement for now senator Ed Markey. Democratic state senator, Katherine Clark won the election with 66% of the truncated vote total over republican, Frank Addivinola in this heavily democratic district. There is some feeling among our staff that additional "Sashes of Shame" be awarded to the state and national republican committees, which provided little or no support to their candidate.

Not His Fault

The president joined self-professed hard-ball player Chris Matthews for hard-hitting interview last week. Who, asked Matthews, as he barely suppressed a new thrill running up his leg, is responsible for the fiasco of the rollout of the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare? Had the interview been somehow frozen at that point, and an impartial panel of psychics quickly polled, we are betting that none would have predicted that the pres. would have taken the blame. And, as the interview continued, they would have been unanimously correct.

The blame, it turns out, is not his personal management style (think of Dilbert's pal Wally) nor any other aspect of him or his presidency, but the size and poor organization of the federal government. "The White House is just a tiny part of what is a huge, widespread organization with increasingly complex tasks in a complex world."  Thanks, Barry, we feel much better now.

Why then would anyone create a massive muddled piece of legislation, designed to totally reorganize an industry representing one sixth of the U.S. economy, especially given the highly emotional impact of intruding into one of modern life's most intimate concerns, shared by virtually all Americans, and toss it to the aforesaid  incompetent bureaucracy for un-managed implementation?

This law needs to be repealed, and repealed now. To allow it to continue its rampage through the American psyche definitely qualifies as political malpractice.

Pivot to Confusion

It sure has gotten quiet in the past few days regarding Obamacare, its web site and its promises, or lack thereof.  It appears that the Administration, aided and abetted by the main-stream media, is taking advantage of the lull before the next storm of policy cancellations and making every effort to change the subject of public discussion. They would rather talk about anything, but health insurance.


Photo Op ?

Faced with criticism over the ACA, the president first tried to change the subject by embarking on a series of speeches on, wait for it....... Immigration. To get away from the friction over health care, he picks the one other topic that is sure to bring a collective surge in blood pressure, albeit to a slightly different constituent group. Not only is the public, or at least some part of it, incensed about the government's lack of action in enforcing our borders, but by proposing a program of amnesty for the illegals is heaping fuel on the fire. If he was trying to cast himself in a more favorable light, his meeting last week with a group of fasting demonstrators on the National Mall may have shifted the focus, but sure didn't raise the multiple on his stock as his approval ratings headed south. Moreover, the general consensus  among the lefties is that what is needed to "reform" immigration,is a huge piece of comprehensive legislation.  We are sure that congress will be receptive to that, right? . Where is Nancy Pelosi when you need her?

So facing a tough crowd at home, the Obama brain trust has now decided to look to diplomatic affairs as an arena in which to put up a winning score. This choice, however, comes with some risk. His first Secretary of State racked up thousands of frequent flier miles but was unable to score any big points. The now famous RESET button with Russia's Putin didn't fly and her bungling performance over the Benghazi tragedy highlighted her well-practiced refusal to take responsibility in tough situations. Enter her successor, John Kerry, who swooped into Paris to help  the Iranians land a flimsy agreement, not generally seen as much of a hindrance to their nuclear ambitions. Hint: don't ask the Israelis or the Saudis what they think of it.

So as the clock winds down (we wish, he's got three more years) the pres has had to go deep into his bench to find, smilin' Joe Biden, he of the big F***ing deal. Talk about an act of desperation. It seems, according to the Administration, that Old Joe is long-time pals with Chinese President, Xi Jinping. As we write, Joe is in Beijing trying to talk the Chinese down from it's new air-defense zone in the East China Sea, which has got Japan and others in a tizzy over the possibility of their aircraft encountering armed Chinese fighter jets enforcing the new zone. Appropriately the expectations of Joe's visit are minimal. And while the Administration has been sending mixed signals, Joe has been a tower of Jello in insisting that all the involved countries just need to talk to one another. Is it us, or does this smack of the Rodney King school of diplomacy, "Why can't we all just get along?"

The Wall Street Journal has an excellent ARTICLE on the issues surrounding Biden's trip to Beijing. And don't worry about upsetting our allies in the region, they will hardly know he was there.