a lttle effort....

There are times in my life, I wonder if it's really me thinking what I'm thinking.  And, here I am, doing it again.

The latest voter ID flap going on in several states, including mine, Wisconsin, has me wondering about our electoral process, not in a way that I ever thought before. 

Here goes.  It should be harder to vote, not easier.  Each of us should have some investment, some thought, some idea of what is going on.  I don't want a person who has absolutely no idea of what they're doing filling in a blank to either reinforce my vote, or negate my vote completely.

According to some estimates, there are 300,000 people in Wisconsin without acceptable ID.  Really?  And, for some reason, we believe asking somebody to prove their identity being a poll tax.

There's a lot of back and forth going on about how difficult it is to get ID, and the expense.  That doesn't have to be.  I would think most municipalities could verify peoples' identities quickly.  Restricting locations and hours is BS.  If the State mandates you have ID to vote, make it free.  Take a picture, get a card, vote.

People have invested their lives and their deaths in the defense of our ability to stay a free nation, our right to vote.  To me, voting is a privilege. 

I hear a lot of discussion of how there isn't voting fraud, so we shouldn't need to prove who we are.  To me, that's the wrong argument.  I don't care about that.  I just want someone to do one act, clear one hurdle, accept one responsibility before they are entitled to exercise their privilege to vote.

Is that too much to ask?

I'm back

A little over two years ago, I stopped writing anything of any substance on this blog.  I was at a crossroads. 

In May of 20012, my son Alex set my condo on fire.  Luckily, nobody was injured, although there was significant damage.  People were displaced, smoke and water everywhere.  My son was in jail, and my life was in turmoil.  I was in no place to write.

It was time to repair my son, my son who was a heroin addict, my son who tried to stay clean, but couldn't.  It was also time to repair myself.

Although his crime was against me, the first thing I did was to apologize to Alex, for all of the time I missed in his life, for the guidance I didn't provide, for the father I should have been, but wasn't.  It was the first act of many to repair the lives of two people, father and son. 

So, I got him the best attorney I could find, not to get him off, but one who would deal with the issues as they were, the truth, and to help Alex understand.  There was no attempt to work the system, but to somehow make the system an ally in the process of Alex's recovery.  Alex received a "fair" sentence and he fully accepted responsibility for his actions, although he never got to see the charred condo.

During this period, I tried to deliver a single message, that Alex was lucky.  He was alive and he had time to shape himself into something he wanted to be.  We talked about the process of recovery and the help he would need during this process.  Many of his "friends" are now dead, or are in a non-ending cycle of psychological chaos.  This is the life he was able leave behind by being in prison.

And, so the process began in 2012, going from the county jail, to a holding prison, to his current "residence" in Stanley, Wisconsin, prisoner 530539.  It's been nearly 18 months since I've seen him, because prisons don't like to put victims and perpetrators together.  And, it will be another 18 months before I'll see him again. 

But, we talk once or twice a week, just two guys talking.  I try to sneak in a lesson or two each time, but he's heard it before.  We both know what lies ahead. 

He's an excellent musician, a bass player who had/has real promise.  He plays in several bands and he tells me he's better than ever.  The bass was a gift from a friend of both of us, significant to show him he wasn't forgotten.

I completely gave up drinking, not because I didn't like it, or was being prudish, but to remind me of what it feels like to be denied something I want.  I feel like I need to know what that feels like as we continue our relationship, that I have some empathy, some understanding.  It also reminds me everyday that I have a son in prison.

While in prison, Alex has managed to get himself in shape, going from 118 pounds to 156 pounds, all muscle from the people who have seen him.  He has purpose.  He reads Smithsonian, National Geographic, Rolling Stone and watches PBS.  He's started running five miles every other day. 

So, here I am, at a time of immense hope, but also of immense terror of what he'll find when he gets out. 

I'm not writing this because I want something, just to let anyone know who's gone through this there is hope, there is something.  Because, I know the other side, the utter despair and hopelessness of being the parent of a drug addict.

leaving only a legacy....

It seems, everytime I read a newspaper, the news is bad.  And, today is no different.

Last year, Bruce Cochrane was recognized by President Obama at his State of the Union Address for bringing industry back to the United States by opening a bedroom manufacturing facility in Lincolnton, North Carolina.  During the speech, Cochrane sat next to the First Lady and met all of the dignitaries, sniffing the rarified air of Washington, D.C.

Today, after investing $5 million of his own money, Cochrane announced his factory would be closing, less than a year after being recognized.  No spring chicken in the industry, Cochrane's furniture roots date back to 1850.  This is not a case of someone getting in over his head.  He has a great reputation, great products, and no shortage of goodwill.  What he didn't have was the ability to compete making U.S. made goods.

Also, in today's paper, Henredon Furniture announced they would be closing a plant in Mount Airy, North Carolina.  It seems the land of Andy Griffin is the latest victim of a company longer able to compete, at least with products made in America.  110 people will be looking for jobs.

As a matter of full disclosure, our company produces goods offshore.  We recognized long ago we could not compete with foreign made products.  While it is good to have the Made in the U.S.A. sticker on your products, it seems only pipe dream to be able to succeed.

Best wishes to all of you at Lincolnton Furniture and Henredon.  You fought the good fight.  You made good products.  Your legacy is intact.

I hate Lucy!

...well, not exactly.

But, I did see the play last night at Water Tower Place in Chicago, and I can't believe I sat through the whole thing.

 

Based on the TV series, I Love Lucy, this play takes you through a few episodes, sort of a studio audience view of the show, with live commercials from the show. 

 

To be blunt, it sucked.  It sucked so bad I wanted to leave in the first 20 minutes.    I didn't put a stopwatch on it, but the Lucy character wasn't on stage as much as the stage host, who wasn't very good either. 

 

The real pity here is that Lucy, being this iconic character, offered so many over-the-top performances, that adapting her to the stage seemed natural, with the opportunity for grand gestures and even grander farce.  It felt like somebody took a great piece of filet mignon and put it in the hands of a line cook.  Too bad, because a real Lucy could have been spectacular.

a taxing question.....

As I watched the fiscal cliff fiasco unfold, it became very clear to me we have a fragile economy.  With a GDP running at $15.1 trillion and federal debt running at about 120% of that level (Greece's percentage is lower), we need to continue to grow to support that ever burgeoning number.  Think of our government as a house with a mortgage being more than the value of the house.  Simply put, we need a robust economy to produce to simply pay the bills.

With taxes needing to go up to pay for our government, we need to address how we keep the economic wheels rolling.  Do we give breaks to business and billionaires to make sure they invest in our economy?  Do we give breaks to the middle class to make sure they can continue to support our economy by just buying stuff?  And, at what level do we need to look at how export could help us through this mess?  That is the focus of this blog.  Because, I truly don't believe the American consumer can drag our country out of this mess by themselves.

The fastest growing major economy in the world is China.  Still small by our standards, China has been playing catch up to the world by producing cheap goods.  While we are all led to believe cheap labor has everything to do with it; it is actually their tax policies which drive their businesses.  China has something called VAT (Value Added Tax) for all transactions between businesses.  For export, companies are rebated 13%.  That is huge.

We, on the other hand, place equal taxes on all transactions, whether internal or external.  This makes navigating the international playing field difficult.   Instead of a simple policy allowing us to compete, like China, we look to local governments to make concessions on taxes, infrastructure, and education to make it feasible for these companies to compete.  And then, we get into all of these battles pitting people against business. 

As a result of our tax policies, it has been prudent for many companies to flee the U.S. in order to compete on a worldwide stage.  If they stayed here, they would have no or little international business. 

As we condemn them for doing what is necessary for their businesses, thinking it is about making a fatter bottom line; it is more about survival in an increasingly flat world. 

So, why don't we look at a new model, some sort of a VAT used in most countries.  For all products imported, we place a tariff (17% is common) on those goods.  For all goods created for export, we offer a rebate, maybe 13% like the Chinese.  And, for all goods produced and staying in the U.S., we place a standard tax.  Based on our current trade deficits, this would put additional revenues to the bottom line (more imports producing VAT versus exports offering rebates).  It would also be an incentive for companies on the edge of moving out of the country to reconsider.

Quite frankly, I don't understand why we don't hear conversations like this.

a problem.....

Call me Scrooge, but I really don't like New Year's Eve parties.  It seems, for some reason, a large portion of our population feels the need to get blasted in the spirit of closing out the old year.

For me, I just don't like getting drinks slopped on me, people leaning over me, and the idea of staying up until midnight to kiss a perfect stranger.

It seems, as a population, if we get an excuse to make fools of ourselves, we are not only ready, but wanting to participate.
























With over 100,000 people dying each year due to the effects of alcohol, and over 25,000 finding their demise behind the wheel, this night of chaos only amplifies the problem we have with alcohol.

Why don't we just fire off guns at elementary schools? 

how cool is that???

As many of my friends know, I’m a big fan of “Morning Joe”, a politically based show on MSNBC, starting at 5 a.m. local time. 

If you’ve watched it, it’s conversation based, with people sitting around a table, or checking in on monitors throughout the show.  People move in an out.  And, mostly, people have time to present a point of view.  It’s not a sound bite show

.

Well, I decided I liked it so much, I bought a Slingbox so I could watch it while I traveled.  A Slingbox is a device that puts your cable TV on the internet by some gizmo box, allowing you to watch your TV shows on your computer.  It’s pretty slick.

But, that wasn’t enough, so I decided to get an application (app)  for my phone so I could watch my TV shows at the airport, and other areas where pulling out a computer wouldn’t be practical.

Of course, my office is about a two hour drive from my home, and that drive hits right, smack dab in the middle of “Morning Joe”.  So, I was thinking I’d like to have “Morning Joe” on while I drive, so I bought a car with Bluetooth technology.

So, now I’ve got “Morning Joe” on my cable, streaming through the internet, to my cell phone, and through the speakers of my car via Bluetooth. 

How cool is that?

public employee unions……

A number of years ago, I was elected to the Fort Atkinson City Council.   While I was on the council, my brother Doug had a lot of projects come up for vote.  In each case, I recused myself from voting due to potential conflict of interest. 

As I think of public employee unions, I’m beginning to feel the conflict between unions and the public administration is palpable.  During the protests last winter, it was obvious the unions were trying to wield their influence with semi-trailers parked around the Capitol Square.  Union members stalked the square with their placards, bullhorns, drums and more. 

While an interesting event, I began to wonder where else an employee could protest, miss work (in some cases with a fraudulent medical excuse), and enlist others to help get their boss fired. 

While I don’t really have anything against unions, the line is crossed when one of the bargainers at the table can essentially influence others to help get their boss fired.  Obviously, this position creates an atmosphere of conflict of interest, with the promise of campaign donations and public support for anyone who delivers for the union at the public service level.

So, here is what I think.  Since I really don’t have anything against unions, we should allow them to bargain at the public service level.  But, with that bargaining power and influence, union members should be recused from voting in the elections that affect their bargaining position, namely state, county and municipal elections. 

Like me, as a city councilman, it was and is important that we retain complete transparency and root out favoritism or influence peddling at any level.  That could be a start.

defining poor….

I just read a post on Facebook opposing the sunsetting of the Homestead Tax Credit as something that would unfairly target seniors and poor people. 

Now, I might not have all the requisite intelligence to have a discussion regarding this.  In fact, I was called “out of touch”.  But, here is my argument. 

Poor people don’t own homes.  By definition, if they owned their home, they have an asset that makes them unpoor.  It’s something that they can transfer for money.

Now, I understand that having a home can make you poorer than you want to be, and it might be necessary to relieve yourself of that “asset” and get into something your income will allow you to afford.

But, my sense is that some people believe we somehow “owe” it to people to keep their assets when they go into retirement, that we somehow owe it to them when there are alternatives, that they have a right to not pay taxes simply by turning a page on the calendar.

I get that it sucks when you’re forced out of your home when you can’t afford it.  It happens all the time, often to people with families and incomes that are much lower than those with Social Security benefits.

Here is an idea that I could support.  Get your house appraised.  If you can’t afford the taxes, the government could set up a program that allows you to live in your home as long as there is a positive balance on the ledger.  Once you pass on, or move on, the government gets a lien against the estate and gets the taxes to which it is entitled.  That’s an idea I could live with.

the most important day in history….

I was watching a movie trailer when a question was asked.  “What is the most important day in history?”

The answer.  Today.

I’m working on living in the present.  A new friend of mine spent time with me emphasizing the importance of living now, not yesterday, not tomorrow, but today.

As an ambitious guy, I’ve always done this game plan.  If I do this, that will happen.  And, when that happens, I’ll do this.  And when I do this, that will happen.  And, I work myself into unknown times forward planning this and that. 

And, while I’m planning this and that, I’m missing now  Sure, if there’s a car accident in front of me, I’ll notice.  But, really, not much else, because my head’s buried up my ass trying to plan my way to oblivion. 

So, with my friend’s help, I’m going to work on this.  I’m going to let things come in their time.  I’m going to see and feel and touch and hear and smell and breathe.  I’m going to find a chair and just sit.  I’m going to play some music, LOUD.  I’m going to play with my food.  I’m going to stop and listen.  I’m going to live a life worth living.

And then, I’ll do the Rocky dance. 

Hello Today!

he’s dead….

A while ago, I wrote a very tough blog on Joe Paterno and the mess at Penn State.  Joe Paterno died today at age 85.

His situation caused me to think about things that I haven’t done or things I should have done.  What inaction on my part has caused others harm.  When didn’t I do all I could to correct a situation.  That’s a lot of stuff to think about.

While thinking about that, I thought about all of the things Paterno did that were good.  In a world that placed winning above everything else, he graduated citizens at a greater rate than any big time football program in the land.

In a world where coaches jump from job to job for a bigger check, he gave away most of what he earned, down to the last days where he gave $100,000 back to the university that unceremoniously fired him just weeks before.

I can’t think of many things worse than what happened at Penn State while under Paterno’s watch.  Was he too old?  Was he too attached to the image of Penn State?  Did he respect chain of command too much to go around those who were supposed to do their jobs?

I don’t know.  And, I will never know.

What I do know is we shouldn’t judge a man, at least this man, from the events uncovered over the past few months.  He died with a broken soul. 

It sucks that he didn’t have a chance at redemption, as if doing good works for all of his life required that.

Rest in peace Joe Paterno.   

the world is coming to an end….

Justin Bieber singing toothbrushes.  Really, who thought this was a good idea?  And, if it is a good idea, what does that say about us?  Shoot me now.

another year…..

A while back, I saw “Another Year”, a beautifully written and acted movie about a group of friends and family as they move through the seasons of the year.

Well, this has been another year for me.  I’ve learned more about myself, experienced failure when I expected success, and found success when I never expected it.

My daughter called with the news she is getting married.  As a doting dad, I am very protective of Cortney.  But, as I’ve gotten to know her future husband, I couldn’t be more proud of both of them.  I will be glad to introduce Jimmy as my son-in-law.  And, Cortney never ceases to amaze me with her ability to find her way and make great choices.

Nick was able to stabilize himself on his job at the greenhouse.  I believe he’s found his “thing”, the thing that makes him get up and look forward to each day.  I’m proud of him for the struggles he’s made to become relevant, to reach the great potential he has.

And Alex.  I wish I had the answers for him.  He struggles daily with his demons.  There is progress, good progress, but I would like to see it come faster, and it’s clear the world doesn’t move on my timeline.  He’s now got a job that gets him up in the morning and keeps him going through the day.  But, it’s not his love.  I want him to find that, whatever it is.

As for me, I’m a work in progress.  Professionally, I feel very good about what I do and who I’ve become.  Personally, I think I still step in it from time to time.  I’m learning patience.  I’m learning process.  I guess, I’m just learning.

I’m trying to make my footprint smaller, live in a smaller space, consume less, reduce my wants, understand my needs.  That will be my charge in the coming year.  As the old Volkwagen ads used to say, “Think Small”.

Have a good year, everyone! 

here we go again…..

So, we’re here again.  The scabs from the bitter wounds of last winter have been re-opened.  

Opposition teams to Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker are pounding the pavement to get the requisite 540,000 signatures for a recall election. 

Based on all of the shenanigans going on both sides of the aisle, I can see dirty tricks happening on all fronts.  It’s already started. 

Understanding that fund raising for a recall effort can only start when papers are filed, the Walker camp started a recall effort against its own candidate so they could start fund raising earlier and get the TV ads on earlier than their opposition.  Interesting tactics.

And, on field trips going to the Capitol, protesters have been engaging school children in their chants for “Scott must go!”, hardly the high ground we would hope for in our educators.

With an expected $100 million pouring into the state over the next few months, this could very easily be the most expensive political effort in Wisconsin history, and this is just for the opportunity to hold a new election. 

While I disagree with how Walker handled the labor issues with public employees, and no matter how badly he bungled it, there were plenty of co-conspirators.

I’m getting tired of this.  I’m tired of everyone being an activist.  I’m tired of reading points of view vilifying the other side.  I’m tired of the whiner-take-all approach to government. 

We have elections.  For governor, they happen every four years.  There are winners and there are losers.  And, there are consequences for both sides.

Government used to be about compromise, about reaching a consensus with neither side getting all of what they want.  Government used to be about leadership, about standing in front of the electorate and bringing the best solution. 

Today, it seems to be all about winning, with constituents watching on the sidelines as our elected gangs do battle to control the turf they so badly want. 

That we are in this process just one year after the last election bastardizes the process and the integrity of our government.   

That $100 million going to media outlets could just as easily go to wages, or poverty, or building a railroad.  But, no.  We are getting another election.  What a bargain for everyone involved. 

It’s just what we need, again. 

ignoring the protest…..

Milwaukee Police Chief Edward  Flynn, as reported in the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal, "We're not going to fulfill the martyrdom fantasies of people who insist on being arrested while they disrupt the lives of this neighborhood."

Asked about the economic issues in the protest, Flynn told reporters, "If they're angry about the economy, go to Wall Street. There's 35% unemployment in this neighborhood. Who are they disrupting?"

Referring to below-freezing evening temperatures, Flynn said, "They can sit and freeze their butts off, I don't care."

Flynn then pulled police officers from the site and ignored the protest.  

I think I like this guy.

huh?????

Standard and Poors, the credit reporting agency, “accidentally” downgraded France’s bond rating from AAA to AA.  They regret the error.

say it ain’t so, Joe….

Chicken Little was right.  The sky is falling. 

Amid the sex scandal surrounding the Penn State football program, and the apparent cover up by university officials, Joe Paterno finds himself in the middle of something that none of us could have imagined.

That one of his coaches, Jerry Sandusky,  was caught in the middle of a sex act with a young boy in the showers of the Penn State football complex, and the reporting of this act up the managerial ladder, including Paterno, exemplifies the hand washing of everyone involved.

Call the police?  That would be embarrassing.

The stench is palpable.  Much like the Catholic Church cover up, officials at Penn State are lawyering up.  They’re  circling the wagons.  They’re setting up protective layers to cocoon what was once a beacon of integrity.

Too bad the kids couldn’t lawyer up while they were being raped.  Too bad the kids couldn’t speak for fear of reprisals.  Too bad, these kids are scarred for life.

I’m not agruing that Paterno was personally involved, but that he turned his head, that he didn’t do enough, that he allowed this act to continue going forward without going to the authorities when it became apparent his superiors didn’t.

Paterno?  Really, Joe Paterno?  He’s the guy who stood for something, who meant what he said, a man you could trust.  He was different. 

Things seem to be upside down.  It’s as if Mount Rushmore turned out to be Hitler, bin Laden, Stalin, and Pol Pot.  What’s good is bad.   Up is down.  In is out.  Black is white. 

second fiddle….

Smokin’ Joe is dead.  A son of South Carolina, Joe Frazier made the bright lights and the big city in Philadelphia his home for the past four plus decades as a fighter and ex-fighter.

Frazier was a great fighter, feared by all.

Forever linked with Mohammed Ali, Frazier played the unwitting boob to Ali’s quick tongue and even quicker hands.  Ali mocked him, berated him, and humiliated him, and eventually, diminished him as a man. 

Frazier’s only sin was beating Ali in 1970 during Ali’s comeback.  The country was divided and Frazier represented the “dumb” establishment, while the cocky, ambitious Ali took up the case of the young, progressive part of society.

To be caught up in that mess was unfair to Frazier.  He was a decent man who was unprepared for what lay in front of him.  Eventually, Frazier found solace in the bottle, and eventually, liver cancer beat him.

Frazier never found the glory of Ali, never walked the steps of Atlanta to light the Olympic flame, never met with leaders of other countries.  And yet, he will always be measured against Ali. 

What a shame.

a time for leadership…..

Each time I listen to Bill Clinton speak, the more I believe we have amateurs running our country.  It feels like the kids from “Our Gang” took over and Spanky’s in charge.

I know Clinton’s been making a fortune making speeches and writing books.  I saw him speak earlier this year.  It was rambling, thoughtful, insightful, and above my head.  But, it was clear he thinks about everything.  His appetite for knowledge is insatiable. 

Change the Constitution and get this guy back in the driver’s seat.  We are a nation in crisis and we need the best.  Today, Clinton is the best.