On Good Governance and Some Weaker Governors

            It has been said before that a politician’s primary goal is to protect their political career. There is no price too high for a politician to pay to maintain his/her position and its power, perks, and prestige. That said, there are some interesting actions being taken by recently elected officials, perhaps spurred by the ‘Tea Party’ rising up and becoming such a vocal and active political influence.

            First out in California, which is facing over a $15 billion deficit, Jerry Brown, elected after a hiatus of some 40 years, has taken the first step of requesting that 50% of all State Government cell phones be turned in. Savings estimate is $20 million a year; a small drop in the bucket of need, but a good first step at attacking expenses. And the reaction of some of the state workers? One was quoted as saying, “Better the cell phone than my job”.

            Up in Ohio the new Attorney General fired off a letter on his first day in office stating that Ohio was joining the Florida lawsuit against the “Obamacare Health Law”. When asked by a reporter why when there are already 20 states on the suit, the new AG said the following, “It was one of my campaign promises. That I would file against it on my first day in office”. When asked if one more state would make any difference, he responded to the effect that, ‘There is power in numbers. The more states that file against the law, the more we show the Courts how united we are and our concern over the Federal government’s violation of our citizens Constitutional Rights’. A politician that keeps his promises, we need to watch this AG. (Think a call from him to Dustin McDaniel would do any good? Naw, your right.)

            Over in New Jersey the current governor has begun to haul that state back from the edge of bankruptcy by making some very unpopular decisions (with some) on spending. When asked recently if he would run for President, as he was the only Republican leading Obama in some poll or other, he responded “No!” When asked to explain he responded with two interesting points. First he had made a commitment to the people of New Jersey and he believed that he should keep his commitment. Secondly, the job in New Jersey wasn’t done yet. A very dangerous precedent, a politician who keeps his commitment even at the expense of a potentially greater personal political opportunity.

            Which brings us to the Arkansas Conundrum. We have a very popular governor who just won a landslide reelection. His biggest claim to fame other than having been born in a tar-paper shack (a constant political ad) was that he reduced the sales tax on groceries by about half. No trivial feat considering the voracious appetite of governments for money, plus implementing the tax reduction in perilous economic times while still balancing the State’s budget. Kudos for that and well done and thank you very much!

But why so popular? I think it was the tax reduction plus his very consistent and studied policy to never ever do anything controversial or that would offend or upset a single potential voter.

            To do the Right or the Good thing always has a cost. To do the Wrong or Evil or Illegal thing always has consequences, especially when found out. But to do nothing…., therein lies genius. To do nothing allows you to avoid difficulty on all sides. Give you some examples you ask. Well, Ok, I’ll do my best from memory; the facts may be just a tiny bit off, but not the incidents.

            Let’s go back a couple of years to the Lou Hardin affair at UCA. As memory serves allegedly this man forged a letter that recommended that he receive about a half-million dollar bonus. Somehow the scheme was discovered and he either returned the money or it was held up in payment. The result of this alleged forgery and attempted embezzlement? He was allowed to move to Florida rather than to Cummings.

Another case recently involved a woman who embezzled about $50,000.00 from her district. She too had to return the moneys but is now in the ‘slammer’. The difference in handling the two cases? Well, it has been rumored that Mr. Hardin was a long serving politician and perhaps a friend and even mentor of other high placed political figures.  Attorney General Dustin McDaniel said in an advisory opinion that the funding source the board planned to use for Hardin's bonus - housing fees and food and book sales - was public (Arkansas) money. He left it up to the Feds.

            A second area of being ‘Absent’ is not serving the interests of the citizens of Arkansas as relates to the “Obamacare Health Law”. Regardless of one’s attitude about the desirability of providing the new features promised under the legislation, it breeches the Constitutional Rights of every citizen by permitting the Federal government to dictate that each of us must purchase a specific private enterprise product or be subjected to IRS harassment and fine. Both the Governor and the Attorney General followed their Party Line and refused to join the other 21 States that took exception and filed lawsuits.

            We have over 8,000 vehicles owned by the state. Only after a blistering expose by the AR Dem Gaz did the Governor ASK department heads to look into the matter. Turns out that at least one was using TWO state owned vehicles for their personal use. What did the Governor or AG do? If you guessed nothing, you win.

            I could go on and on, but my point is that our current Governor and AG practice the fine political art of “Doing Nothing” lest it offend some voter.

            It takes courage to lead. What does it take to hide?

A Priest Strives to Become Chaplain Inside Prison

The Reverend Charles Thessing, pastor of Sacred Hearts Catholic Church in Morrilton, was taken to the Lincoln County Jail on March 23^rd after being caught attempting to smuggle illegal substances into the Varner Supermax Unit. (His apprehension may be indication of why it’s called a ‘Supermax’ Unit.)

Seems that the Reverend was caught during a ‘pat-down’ concealing a 1 gallon sized plastic bag half filled with tobacco hidden under his garments. In case you didn’t know, tobacco has been banned from Arkansas state prisons since 2000. No doubt an attempt to ensure the good health of our incarcerated brethren, particularly those on Death Row.

The good Reverend was later charged with a single count of introducing prohibited articles into a correctional facility. (Good thing for him the charges weren’t based on ‘leaf count’.)

Kyle Hunter, the Prosecuting Attorney for the county said that the charge is routinely filed against people caught attempting to take prohibited items into a prison.

Arkansas Department of Corrections spokesman Dina Tyler said that the Corrections Department referred 4 cases to the state police last year after visitors were caught. It was further explained that not all visitors caught with contraband are referred for charges. “The department considers all the circumstances in deciding whether a visitor appears to have made a mistake or is trying to smuggle an item inside”.

An example provided was that of one Betsy Wright, a death penalty opponent and former Bill Clinton aide. (That probably shocks us all). She was arrested after guards found 49 tattoo needles, a box cutter, a knife and tweezers among her possessions while she was attempting to visit a death row inmate in 2009.  Surprisingly she denied attempting to smuggle the items into the prison. (Apparently every woman, at least those who worked for Bill Clinton, in a normal day’s work carry 49 tattoo needles, a box cutter and a knife in the purse, probably to ward off advances from notorious individuals whom I will not name.) Anyway Ms. Wright used the creative defense that the tattoo needles were in a bag of Doritos she had purchased from a vending machine in the entrance building. (A common experience that we have all read about or seen.). Initially she faced 51 felony counts. (One for each needle; the Reverend was let off light.) The prosecutors dropped the charges related to the tattoo needles and tweezers; she pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors in connection with the box cutter and knife and was fined $2,000.00 and spent a year on unsupervised probation, (the best kind, I’m told.) Seems to me she could have explained the need of the knife and box cutter to open the Doritos sack as it was very resistant to her attempts to get inside. Almost as if it were reinforced by something metal. Why 49 needles? Four dozen is 48 and 5 dozen is 60; what did she do with the missing 11 needles? Open up a business? Since her probation is now up, one wonders if Ms. Wright has resumed providing comfort and succor to the inmates, or did she employ the Reverend to fulfill her prior avocation.

So you see, the Reverend’s case was thoroughly researched before formal charges were filed on May 4^th. Apparently his assumed defense of being a heavy, chain smoker on a budget was overwhelmed by the fact that the bag was taped to his body underneath his underwear. This also was used to refute his assumed defense of just having forgotten about the ½ gallon of tobacco taped to his torso, where all good Catholic priests stash their stuff. The diocese has employed the best attorney that money can buy; of the J. Noble Dagget of “True Grit” caliber. He has demanded to know the instant that the warrant for arrest was served. He has not asked for my assistance but I suggest that he pursue the line of defense that the priest was merely hiding his own personal use from the Bishop and that in no way did he plan to strip in front of a bunch of ‘horny’ inmates to retrieve the bag of stash. This logic just might carry the day, don't you think?

The Catholic Diocese stated that the “Reverend Thessing is admired and greatly appreciated,” (especially among the incarcerated brethren is my bet), “and his status as a priest in good standing with the diocese remains unchanged.” (One can only assume that this must be some kind of frequently occurring incident as their priests attempt to provide comfort, relief and succor to their incarcerated flock, otherwise surely the diocese would have expressed some concern about his action. Oh well, it’s probably a welcome relief to the diocese from all the child abuse stories that hit the papers).

The Department of Corrections did note the Reverend has been temporarily barred from visiting state prisons. Perhaps he can be assigned pastoral duties from the inside, should things not work out well at his upcoming hearing.

Do You Really Want to View a Picture of Bin Laden?

             Ms. Martha MacCallum on the Fox News Channel has made her daily bread this 4^th of May by beating on the dead horse of the ‘post mortem displaying of pictures of Osama bin Laden’.

I will admit that I have been impressed by our President’s decision to withhold the public release of any such pictures. His new, young, and clueless Press Secretary even read a statement attributed to the President’s interview on an upcoming CBS program that contained very sound, solid and worthy reasons for keeping the photos under lock and key. Of course no amount of intellectual rational will stop those with prurient interest from wanting to view such sordid snapshots.

            But I ask you, have they really thought this through? If you’ve watched a sufficient number of “CSI” type TV episodes you know what the first thing they do to a dead body. Right? The first thing that they do is to strip the body plumb naked. Naked a Jay bird. (I’ve often wondered about that as I’ve never seen what appears to me to be a naked Jay bird, but what the heck, we all understand what it means.)

            Do they really want to see a naked picture of Osama bin Laden. It is asserted that only such a public display will quell the potential of all the “Conspiracy Buffs” from fomenting the theory that Osama isn’t really dead. Well, since neither you, nor I, nor they, know what parts of the nude body must be displayed to reveal any personal identifying marks, tattoos, body piercings, birthmarks, or cellulites that would confirm or deny that he is who we claim that he is. Well then it follows that a complete frontal, totally nude photo would be required to circulate all over the airways, FaceBooks, Twitters, etal. To be followed by a rear view of the same clarity and total exposure.

            Well dear reader, (I have one that’s been confirmed), I’m just not ready for that.

I’m perfectly willing to receive this good news and trust my President isn’t lying to me this time. The prospect of being misinformed is far superior option to the prospect of viewing a picture of a totally nude Bin Laden.

“The Wicked Witch Is Dead” Celebration Controversy

             Osama bin Laden’s demise has generated much celebratory outbursts in America, and I assume some even abroad. I suspect that there are some few in Muslim communities that even share this feeling. Yet there have been several who take umbrage that we Americans should celebrate the death of another human being. (A questionable premise in my mind if applied to Bin Laden.) I hold to the belief that there will be shouts of joy in Heaven when Satan is finally disposed of in the Lake of Fire. So I’m not too upset with the celebratory outbursts over the death of a murdering terrorist. Sort of like the joy in Oz when the “Wicked Witch of the East” was killed. And if it’s good enough for Dorothy and a kid’s classic, then it’s good enough for me.

            But that’s not what intrigued me the most. Turns out that the Senate Indian Affairs Committee has a real problem with the Operation’s use of the code name “Geronimo” for Bin Laden.

            Per Loretta Tuell, Staff Director and Chief Counsel for said Committee, “It was inappropriate to link Geronimo, whom she called one of the greatest Native American heroes, with one of the most hated enemies of the United States.”

            Well, I sort of agree with her that it is not very complimentary to Geronimo to be linked to Bin Laden. I’m not certain that I would even condone linking Charles Manson to Bin Laden; well I may have to rethink that one.

            But when I contemplate the career of Geronimo and what he did to settlers on both sides of the border, I can’t help but think that they just might call Geronimo the same type of murdering, torturing terrorist that Bin Laden was. I really doubt that Geronimo was viewed as a hero by them. What he did to innocent folks on night time raids shouldn’t be discussed in mixed company.

            I also find it interesting that Ms. Tuell, a member of the Nez Perce tribe, thinks of Geronimo as a “hero”. But I guess if I grew up on an Indian Reservation as she did, I too might not consider myself as an “American” but as a “Native American” as she does. No wonder we have problems in our society. Indians still feel as if the ‘whites’ are enemies; Blacks still feel like they are still mistreated slaves; Whites think they have bent over backwards and are now the discriminated against ones; and the Orientals, well heck they just seem to be going to school, making good grades and getting on with things.

            The good news out of all this is that while the U.S. faces the single largest financial crisis since the Revolutionary War; one that threatens the very fiscal future of our kids, heck even ourselves. While all this is swirling about us, the Senate Indian Affairs panel (whatever that is) had already scheduled a meeting for 5/5/2011 to discuss “racial stereotypes of native people”. Ms. Tuell has now assured us that the use of “Geronimo” in the Bin Laden raid will be discussed.

            It’s comforting to know that while things seem to be crumbling down all around our nation’s Capitol, we can focus on such issues of paramount importance. By the way, weren’t our “Native American” Indian folks once Orientals?

Why we need lawyers to understand these things.

 Little Rock, Arkansas taxpayers are scratching their heads this week.

Per ‘de judge’ “Little Rock taxpayers that paid an illegal property tax before the filing of the suit that resulted in it being declared illegal, won’t receive a refund because those payments are considered voluntary”.

“No Shirley, I’m not making this stuff up. I’m not that creative.”

            Circuit Judge Tim Fox, (hopefully not to be re-elected after this ruling), ruled that any payments made before the lawsuit, filed May 18, 2008, fall under a voluntary rule and won’t be refunded.”

“It falls under ‘Common Law’ County Attorney Karla Burnett said. “Taxes voluntarily paid are not refundable. Taxes paid before the lawsuit was filed are considered voluntary.”

OK now, let’s think about this for a minute. First you receive a tax bill from the County for x dollars. You pay the amount due on this tax bill by the statuary-time dead line that will prevent you from having a lien filed on your property by the County. You are now a voluntary taxpayer. That’s voluntary?

We should all wait for the Sheriff to show up and collect our taxes from us under threat of property seizure, then we are ‘non-voluntary’ and would be eligible for a refund if a future law suit determines that the tax we were billed is in fact an illegal tax.

I doubt that any of us are ‘voluntarily paying taxes’. I suspect that all taxes are paid because of the implicit threat behind the ‘if you don’t pay, then…’

I’m sorry, but not being a lawyer this ruling just seems intuitively stupid, far-fetched and ludicrous. But that is because I lack the legal understanding of stupid.

By the way, the pictures of the victorious politicians behind the illegal tax that won’t be refunded because we paid ‘voluntarily’, were all smiling. “Gothcha!”

How Are WE Doing Economically?

             Here are some headlines from Wednesday’s Paper.

1. Ford’s Profit rises 22%. 1^st quarter is the best in 13 years.
2. March new-car titlings rise 21% in Arkansas.
3. Wal-Mart store sales, open at least one year, have now fallen for SEVEN consecutive quarters.
4. Housing Prices nearing NEW LOW. February decline in real estate prices dropped by the most in more than a year. Property values in 20 major cities fell 3.3% from Feb 2010 to Feb 2011. At 139.27 the gauge is just shy of the six year low of 139.26.
5. Top five largest U S airlines showed combined losses of more than $1 BILLION for the first quarter.
6. Consumer Confidence on upswing. The Conference Board consumer confidence index rose to 65.4. Still a far cry from 90 that indicates a healthy economy.

And INTERNATIONALLY:

7. UBS bank of Switzerland profit down 18%, but drop less than expected.
8. Spain has to pay more to float their paper. From 0 .9% to 1.4%, a rise of 55%.
9. China protectionism has increased since the 2008 global crisis.

All of the above from the little old local paper dated April 27^th, this year. So are we dong better? Or are we going nowhere, maybe worse? Be darned if I can tell. But I do know this, Ben “BerBanke” and the Fed Reserve have assured me that inflation IS NOT A PROBLEM. I’m greatly relieved to know that gasoline prices and food prices are just a mirage or hallucination and are not real. Now if I can just determine if the economy is going better faster or slower, slower. Well, you know what I mean.

Do You Have Your Government License to Live?

            “OK, Shirley, I know that the title is an exaggeration, but just barely.”

            This whole thing has surfaced because of ‘equine teeth floating’.  Until April 27^th of this year, yes I’ll admit it, I was totally ignorant of the fact that a horse’s teeth continue to grow throughout its life time. This has the same result as its hoof’s growing; sort of like our fingernails, they must be trimmed.

            Not that the horses’ teeth are trimmed, they are ‘floated’, a term describing the process of their being filed down by some technique foreign to my knowledge. Well, up till about the year of our Lord 2000 ‘teeth floating’ was performed by ‘Teeth Floaters’, a group of stalwart and independent folks that made a living filing down horses’ teeth. About that year the Arkansas Veterinary Medical Examining Board decided that this should only be performed by licensed professionals, i.e. members of their own brotherhood. From that date forward to ‘float teeth’ you had to have a ‘Vets License’ or they hounded you with fines and threatened jail time. I’m certain that the need for more revenue from licensing fees had nothing to do with this; nor would the desire to drive more business toward their own membership of licensed vets.

            Now don’t go and get all 'het up' and compare this to your own dentistry experience. It turns out that other, much more intrusive, to my way of thinking, procedures are preformed on livestock by ‘non-vet/non-licensed’ folks. Some examples are: horse shoeing, hoof grinding, dehorning, branding, tail docking, and castration. All of these can be done without government approval, but not ‘teeth floating’. Well the Arkansas Legislature has decided that ‘teeth floating’ may not require a vet license after all, perhaps influenced by the fact it had been done for hundreds of years without requiring a license from the State Vets Bureau. But so as to not be too hasty, the Legislature passed a law allowing ‘non-vets’ to again ‘float teeth’ but only for the next two years while a special committee studies this most serious of societal issues. Meanwhile, if you happen to be a male horse, watch out for that stranger sneaking up behind you, he doesn’t need a ‘vet-license’ to remove your manhood.

            But the most amazing part of this whole issue wasn’t the expose of the practice of professional brotherhood organizations putting non-members out of business. The most remarkable piece of news in the article was that nationwide, 29% of all workers require some type of permission, licensing from the government before they can work. Barbers, beauticians, doctors, lawyers, and the list goes on, all require some type of government permission to work.

            Oh, yes, one final fact. The Arkansas Veterinary Medical Examining Board has put twice as many ‘teeth floaters’ out of business in the last 10 years than they have put incompetent vets out of business. Perhaps it’s the ‘Fox watching the Hen house’ situation. Or perhaps there was an inordinate number of equine complaints about hurtful ‘teeth floaters’.