Government vs Corporations

First off, for any consistent readers, let me say that our old dog is getting deaf, so yesterday we got two puppies for him to teach how to be good puppies while we still have him.  Thus, I’m a day late.

Be that as it may, with the political discussions going on this week regarding government, government services, privatizing government services, etc., I would first like to share an illustrative incident that took place when I was still in office.  We had a very interesting law suit filed against the county, but on an issue which was extremely rare.  As a result, our county counsel’s office contracted with a private law firm specializing in that particular issue.  There immediately was an outcry over how much this was going to cost the county, etc., etc.  So our county counsel ran some numbers on how much it would cost to keep an attorney on staff at all times for such a rare event, and how much it was going to cost the county to contract out.  Of course, it was much less to contract out than to hire a full time attorney specializing in something for which she might only be required for every 10-12 years.  I recognize that there are times when it becomes cost effective to privatize a government service.

Generally speaking, however, this is not the case.  For run-of-the-mill government services, it is much more cost effective to provide those services in-house, so to speak.  And for one very good reason.  A private business is in the business to make a profit.  So on top of paying for the actual service provided, government must then provide the profit on top of what it would have cost government to do it in the first place. 

Government, however, ought not to be in the business of routinely providing business with a profit.  That is not in the government job description.  Government is in the business of providing needed services to the people in exchange for tax dollars.  These needed services must be provided as efficiently and as economically as possible, of course.  That, in my opinion, goes without saying.

Starting with Ronald Reagan and his famous statement, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, ‘I’m from the government, and I’m here to help’,” there has been a constant drumbeat against government and against public employee unions.  Stop and consider this for a minute.  The only people or entities who could possibly benefit from this are business people or corporations.  The general public certainly has not benefitted.

What we, as citizens, are faced with if this proposal is carried out to its logical conclusion is that we will be paying taxes to go to providing a profit to businesses, along with a lower level of service for ourselves.  The reasons the lower levels of service are automatic is that businesses tend in increase their profit margins as much as possible.  And a lower level of service is one way to achieve that goal.

Now I’m going to play with the puppies.

Friendly Fascism

OK.  It’s Friday, so I must think of something original to write about.  Having a major case of writer’s block is no laughing matter.  But there is so much going on in today’s political environment that it is virtually impossible on our first really warm day of Spring to concentrate.

Perhaps I can just light on some definitions.  In order to focus my mind on this I went to a book, “Friendly Fascism: The New Face of Power in America”, Bertram Gross, 1982, which I had read years ago, and was still on my shelf.  In seeing if it was still in print, I did find where, unfortunately, Mr. Gross had died, so there was not a further update.  The following paragraphs are from the preface to the 1982 paperback edition.

“Friendly Fascism portrays two conflicting trends in the United States and other countries of the so-called ‘free world’.

The first is a slow and powerful drift toward greater concentration of power and wealth in a repressive Big Business-Big Government partnership.  This drift leads down the road toward a new and subtly manipulative form of corporatist serfdom.  The phrase ‘friendly fascism’ helps distinguish this possible future from the patently vicious corporatism of classic fascism in the past of Germany, Italy and Japan.  It also contrasts with the unfriendly present of the dependent fascisms propped up by the U.S. government in El Salvador, Haiti, Argentina, Chile, South Korea, the Philippines and elsewhere.  (Remember this was written in 1982.)

The other is a slower and less powerful tendency for individuals and groups to seek greater participation in decisions affecting themselves and others.  This trend goes beyond mere reaction to authoritarianism.  It transcends the activities of progressive groups or movements and their use of formal democratic machinery.  It is nourished by establishment promises—too often rendered false—of more human rights, civil rights and civil liberties.  It is embodied in larger values of community, sharing, cooperation, service to others and basic morality as contrasted with crass materialism and dog-eat-dog competition.  It affects power relations in the household, workplace, community, school, church, synagogue, and even the labyrinths of private and public bureaucracies.  It could lead toward a truer democracy—and for this reason is bitterly fought…”

These two definitions are very important in this election season as we listen to the candidates for the Presidency.  We need to ask ourselves, which America are they talking about?  If we can keep this question always in the front of our minds, it will be a lot easier to make a decision.

When Mitt Romney talks about “American values”, which of these Americas is he talking about?  Is he talking about the no longer slow “…but very powerful drift toward a greater concentration of power and wealth in a repressive Big Business-Big Government partnership.”  Where in his speeches is he talking about human rights, civil rights, and civil liberties?  He talks about economic freedom, but whose economic freedom is he talking about?  And when it comes to civil rights, does he support civil rights for women?  Has he come out against the refusal of the Legislature to renew the Violence Against Women Act?  Has he slapped down Scott Walker for repealing Wisconsin’s Equal Pay for Equal Work Act that insures that women get paid the same amount as men doing the same work?  If he has, I haven’t noticed.

I know that is isn’t politically correct to talk about candidates being fascists.  But if Allen West can call 80 members of Congress communists, why can’t we progressives discuss this move toward friendly fascism?  It is time we call this new Republican Party exactly what it is.  Not so friendly fascists.

For all of you progressives I recommend you read Bertram Gross’s book, Friendly Fascism.  You will never think the same way again!

And now to enjoy this lovely day.

Fascists, Friendly Fascism, Bertram Gross,Mitt Romney,Violence Against Women Act,Republican Party,Allen West

Kill at Will Laws

One of the innumerable comments re: Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law,which I will henceforth call “Kill at Will” law, was one that resonated with my memories, and that is that these laws echo sentiments of the Old West.

My grandfather was born in Southern California in 1872.  This was the time portrayed in the old, and not so old, western movies where gun fighters supposedly could pull their gun at any time and in any place, and shoot at will, presumably to kill their opponent.  My grandfather found this depiction to be really absurd, and used to make fun of it frequently.  He lived to be 94 years old, so had seen some westerns, and refused to see more.

He did have a real sense of what seeing such scenes of irresponsible gun use could have on children, however.  When we grandchildren visited his ranch we had certain responsibilities that we simply had to live up to.  The “or else” was hearing his massive, really deep voice explaining to us, at length, exactly what we had done wrong, and exactly what we had to do to make up for it.  Once a cousin came in for lunch, leaving his pony tied up to a tree with no food or water.  Major no-no for our list of responsibilities which was to take the saddle and bridal off of our pony, curry-comb it down, put it in the corral to roll around and eat or drink before we ever thought about taking care of ourselves. Which my cousin then had to do while the rest of us had lunch.  My cousin got what was left. My grandfather’s point was that those ponies were giving us a great deal of pleasure, and we were to see to it that we took care of them first in return.  And, as he explained, as we grew up and relied on horses to work for us on the ranch, we needed to learn how to care of them so they could work for us. 

If we lived up to our responsibilities as small children, one of our rewards was to be taken down the outside hall/porch to where his locked gun cabinet was.  The key was in his pocket.  He would open the cabinet doors and we would look with awe at the rifles and shotguns.  As we got older, the next step, if we had exhibited responsibility in other areas, was to be able to touch the gun.  Still firmly in the cabinet.  Later, of course, we learned how to take care of the guns, how to carry one with the barrel always pointed down, and how to shoot.  As a result, I have a great and healthy respect for a gun.

These kill-at-will laws completely ignore responsibility. They legally allow all sorts of people to shoot other people, who may be totally innocent of any crime other than being in the wrong place at the right time for a killing.

My opinion, which is a tad colored by my up-bringing, is that in this era of attempting to privatize any and every government responsibility, including trained law enforcement services, the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) has gotten these kill-at-will laws passed in 25 states in an effort to convince people that the average citizen can take care of him or herself, and do not need to rely on trained law enforcement personnel to do it for them.  So, do away with the police. 

Of course there are times when law enforcement is necessary, so contract those services out to a private security company.  Say like Xe, the former notorious and highly suspect Blackwater.  Citizens will have no control over such a security company because it is a corporation.  However, the Supreme Court decision, Citizens United, declared that corporations are people, and we presume citizens, too. 

Carrying this out to its logical extreme is the situation in Michigan that is truly appalling.  The Governor there can declare any special district, city or county to be fiscally incompetent, and disband that jurisdiction’s duly elected Board or Council.  Governor Kasich can then appoint a General Manager for the jurisdiction who can do exactly whatever he, or she, wants, including doing away with any government agency within that jurisdiction such as law enforcement which can be replaced by a private security company, under only the Manager’s authority.  

These are very daunting times we live in.  To keep a democracy we have to have a mutual and universal sense of the common good which we all can agree on.  Our sense of responsibility for that common good is rapidly being eroded.  We rely on this sense of common good to work for us.  We need to take very good care of it, as well.  Which is taught to children when they learn to care for their ponies, or for each other if no pony is available!

Easter Blessings

Dear readers -- This is a strictly Christian message, but I also want to extend Passover greetings to my Jewish readers, and to those of other faiths and traditions, please enjoy and revel in this spring time of newness.

The below is from Catholic Democrats. org.

Easter Blessings Dear Sisters and Brothers in Faith, We are an Easter people and Holy Week is a time to give thanks and reconcile ourselves with God. In the midst of an uncertain and tumultuous world, this Easter season is a time to remember God's love for us and the sacrifice that Jesus made for our eternal salvation. It is also a time for us to remember what Jesus taught us. The mystery and love of God is revealed to each of us in different ways at different times. It can depend on where we are in our own life's journey yet it is always present through prayer, through the Eucharist, and through our own life experience. It's also made manifest to us through one another, even in the realm of political action. Easter is a time that can both challenge us and console us. We can be both pruned for growth and enriched. We can be called to love and be loved. It is a time for us to remember that while our individual journeys may be lonely, we are never alone -God is always with us. As it was for Jesus, this is a time for us to understand ourselves through God, not only as individuals but also in community with one another. We remember that we are all God's children, all brothers and sisters, and that God is present to us through each other. Our Catholic heritage has been defined by an understanding that we are called to bring our faith into the world, a faith that is rooted in the love and hope of Easter. We can be grateful that our Church - in spite of the divisions we witness today - has given us and the world the rich Catholic Social Justice Tradition to guide us in working for the common good. As Jesus taught us when he washed the feet of His Apostles, let us reflect and act on the importance of serving and caring for others - both as individuals and as a society. We are an Easter people. Let us pray that the hope and joy of these days will fill us throughout this year both for our own journeys and for the work before us during this important year in the life of our nation. And as the Spirit moves us to work in a polarized public square, as advocates for those most in need, let us remember the words and actions of Jesus at the Last Supper - "I have given you a model to follow, so that as I have done for you, you should also do." (John 13: 15). With our love, gratitude, and sincere wishes for a peaceful and joyful Easter, Patrick Whelan, MD, PhD Suzanne Morse Lisa Schare Steve Krueger

Not Friday

Usually I post my articles on Friday, but tomorrow I will not be near my computer.  Since most of my readers show up on Saturday, anyway, I will post my blog on Saturday.  One would hope, in the late morning!