Dayton Courage Admirable

Wages in America are quickly heading for all-time lows and there doesn’t appear to be any real relief on the way.

In 1968, the minimum wage in the United States was a $1.60 an hour.  Adjusting for inflation, the Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that to be equivalent to $10.74 today.  This could be a bogus figure.  Government inflation numbers are customarily manipulated to make inflation appear lower.  So that $10.74 figure should, in all likelihood, be much higher.  For further validation consider that a yearly income at $10.64 equates to $21,480.  We must also consider that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has established the poverty level for a family of four at $23,850.  Minnesota has just raised its minimum wage from $6.25 to $8.00 with $9.00 expected by the end of this year.  The best President Obama could manage on the federal level was $10.10.  Talk about Band-Aids on bullet wounds. 

In 1960 the median income for a family of four was $6,691.  A $10,000 income was considered a very comfortable living.  The Pew Research Center has established the high end for a medium income today at $118,000.  After doing all the calculations, that $118,000 is what it would take today to provide the same purchasing power enjoyed in 1960.  The same report describes this mid-tier group as suffering its "worst decade in modern history," having fallen backward in income for the first time since the end of World War II. 

What made America the greatest country in the world for decades was an affluent middle class.  As economist Robert Reich points out; “For three decades after World War II, we created the largest middle class the world had ever seen. During those years the wages of the typical American worker doubled, just as the size of the American economy doubled.” 

Today, good paying full-time jobs are disappearing and being replaced by low paying part-time jobs.  In 2014, 76.7% of the jobs created were part time jobs.    In 2014, 76.7% of the jobs created were part time jobs.  Meanwhile the Bureau of Labor Statistics also tells us there are nine million Americans out of work making the unemployment rate 5.7%.  Like always, they fail to factor in the Economic Policy Institute’s figure of 5,760,000 “missing workers” for 2015.  When those are added, the true number of unemployed is some 15 million and the actual unemployment rate is 9%.  We certainly have learned that the only thing that’s going to turn this economy around is placing more disposable and discretionary spending in the hands of the middle class which no one seems to have any inclination to do these days. 

Enter Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton.  He has outraged both Republicans and Democrats by proposing raises for state commissioners.  These commissioners have had their salaries frozen for a decade.  

Current salary levels of these commissioners range from $58,000 to $119,000.  Under the Dayton’s proposal most would receive approximately a $30,000 increase or roughly a 3% per year increase over that decade in which they were ignored.  By today’s standards these are clearly middle-class Americans. 

Naturally there are those who will argue that these government income levels should be less because their benefit packages are so generous.  What these critics fail to bear in mind is that benefit packages do not translate into increased spendable income which the economy is desperately needs.  They also have forgotten that stronger benefit packages typically result in greater amounts of discretionary income.   The less an American must spend on health care or retirement packages and savings programs, the more spendable income they have to stimulate the economy – a lesson learned from labor unions decades ago.  Instead of making arguments that government benefits are too generous, we need to be arguing that private sector packages are too meager. 

Then there are those who will argue these increases reflect a lack of respect for all those Americans who have been denied raises for years.  To this we need to inquire about “two wrongs making a right” while pointing out that this selfish based thinking will only continue to manifest itself until we demand an end to these contemptible wage practices.  

Governor Dayton is to be admired for his Harry Truman brand of courage on this issue.  He knew full well the serious criticism he would receive but also knew it was the right thing to do – to take the lead in providing the middle class with greater spendable income while hopefully encouraging, if not beginning, a trend toward reversing all the years of ugly, greed driven wage stagnation. 

Insanity’s Definitive Poster Child

Americans can rest easy.  We now have a strategy for dealing with the ISIS or ISIL terrorists. 

It is precisely as Bill O’Reilly advised; “If I’m the president I’m going kill every one of those bastards.”   

O’Reilly wisdom was confirmed with the full-fledged support of Senator Ted Cruz; “Bomb them back to the stone age.”  

Okay.  Let’s take a look at this sagacious (?) counsel.

 1.      In 1998 we used cruise missiles to strike at terrorist targets in    

 Afghanistan and Sudan.  The Afghan struggle continues today. 

2.       In 2001 we intervened to dismantle Al-Qaeda by denying it a safe haven of operation through the overthrow of the Taliban Government in Afghanistan.   In 2009 we increased forces thus expanding our commitment to that objective.  At that point our costs soared from $4.4 billion to $6.7 billion per month.  From the wars inception through fiscal year 2011 it is estimated to have cost us $468 billion and we continue to spend billions more every month.  As of August 4, 2014, there have been 2,201 U.S. military deaths in Afghanistan.  During this 13 year war we have NOT been able to crush either Al-Qaeda or the Taliban.  Most of them have successfully escaped to neighboring Pakistan or rural mountain regions.  

3.     In 2003 came the Iraq war.  We were told it was over in December of 2011.  That war claimed the lives of 4,486 U.S. service men and women. That little skirmish cost us roughly $1.1 trillion.  We now find ourselves lobbing even more bombs into that country.

 ·        It should be noted here that figures from a Harvard University study estimate the total cost to American taxpayers for both the Iraqi and Afghan wars will eventually rise to $6 trillion dollars, while the number (6,687) of Americans lost in battle continues to grow.  

4.     In 2004, the United States began drone attacks on terrorist targets in Northwest Pakistan and Yemen.  After dropping hundreds of bombs in the last 10 years those attacks continue today.

FLASH – BREAKING NEWS – Our bombs have had no impact on crushing terrorists.

So, what is America’s strategy regarding ISIS or ISL?

 You guessed it:

 “Kill every one of those SOBs’.” ~  Sean Hannity

 “Blow them to smithereens.” ~ John McCain 

We have now resumed our bombing in Iraq and are expanding those raids into Syria.  Never mind the fact that bombs haven’t worked in Iraq in the past, aren’t working in Afghanistan, and have yet to yield any significant results in Pakistan and Yemen.

It is also noteworthy that we have continued, all through this era of insanity, to pour billions of more dollars into the Middle East in weapons, technology and training.

How much evidence do we need before we come to the realization that bombs, American dollars or dead Americans can fix the problems in the Middle East?

Remembering that “Nine- Eleven” was planned in Hamburg, Germany should further clarify thinking alerting us to the unmistakable fact that we cannot bomb or level enough geography to keep terrorists from plotting against us. 

Add to that the very stark reality stated by President Obama; “We can’t erase every trace of evil in the world.”  Yet knowing this, he is now following the advice offered by Ted Cruz and John McCain, two of the truly great intuitive minds of the day?

This is the definitive poster child for the definition of insanity; “Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.”  Granted, our nuclear buddies “Little Boy” and “Fat Man” brought the Japanese to their knees ending World War II in the pacific and saving untold thousands of American lives.  But the days of unconditional surrender and reparations are long gone. 

It is now time for The United States to suspend all military operations in the Middle East.   The new world requires a defensive posture to secure our borders utilizing a cold war approach centering on covert activities and clandestine operations to render our enemies impotent.  The lunacy that defines the Middle East must be addressed by their leaders.  Peace cannot come to that region until those leaders possess the vision to see beyond sectarianism and national borders and are committed to ending the violence perpetrated under the banner of religious fanaticism, fueled by gross distortions and vicious hatreds. 

“Houston, We Have A Problem”

The troubling events witnessed in Ferguson, Missouri are all part and parcel of a malady that has been festering for decades in American. 

The entire nation witnessed the March 3, 1991, beating of Rodney King by Los Angeles police officers.  That was followed by a jury verdict that refused to hold these lowlifes and thugs accountable for their vicious behavior.  The frustration and anger from this injustice consequently rocked Los Angeles with awful rioting and violent protests. 

We might have rationally assumed that in light of these developments, there would be a concerted effort to end police brutality.   Certainly, police departments would step up and improve their methods in determining and qualifying applicants who wear badges and carry guns and batons.  They would provide more thorough psychological and emotional stability testing for both their current and future peace keepers to weed out the violent and racists elements.  One might also assume they would have implemented more effective training methods emphasizing that force is always and forever the last resort.  Common sense would also lead us to believe that more rigid forms of discipline and penalties would be established.   Such assumptions are clearly rational and reasonable.  So, how many of these common-sense assumptions are strongly favored and moving forward?  Answer: NONE!!!   So, what’s being discussed and considered as remedies as the epidemic of police beatings and murders continue??? 

Between 2006 and 2012, 439 complaints were filed charging misconduct by Minneapolis police officers.  Ninety-five (95) of these ultimately cost the city $14 million in damages.  Only eight (8) disciplinary actions resulted from these 439 complaints. 

In the wake of this most distressing reality, we now learn that the primary concern by both the Minneapolis and St. Paul Police Departments is hiring larger numbers of minorities as peacekeepers.  This befuddled thinking stems from a desire to engage in social experimentation.  Both police departments are suggesting that real positive change can occur from employing officers that better mirror the communities they serve.  What evidence is there of this??  Answer: NONE!!!!!  Baffling indeed and most alarming to say the least.  We are being told that police misconduct and violence will be curbed and maybe eliminated if the primary qualification for employment is ethnicity.  In other words, these geniuses believe that the general population within the Twin Cities of Minneapolis / St. Paul are morons.   How does this insanity validate who is a proficient individual to perform duties in a profession where thinking and behavior can result in life-or-death outcomes?  

Let us not be shocked or horrified by all the ugliness as it unfolds in Ferguson, Missouri - for it is nothing more than yet another residual of racism, callousness, apathy and ignorance that has plagued our law enforcement communities for decades.  The ugliness will only continue and intensify with lamebrain thinking and solutions. 

Which brings us to the ugliest of remedies if common-sense is abandoned and the above realities and recommendation continue to be ignored.  As a longtime grassroots organizer and activist within the civil rights movement once said; "When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty."  Are we really willing to allow our businesses to be burned and our streets to run red with blood to stop the brutality???  Are we comfortable with the callous disregard and ignorance in inane solutions such as trial-and-error social experimentation?  If so, then we best prepare ourselves for the day President John F. Kennedy cautioned will come; “Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable. 

So, what did we learn from the Rodney King fiasco?  Answer: NOTHING!!!!!

Video - Rodney King

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=baNVXcSmZZU 

Quadriplegic Brian Sterner 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wElEXyuBLfs 

Video - Alfonso Limon Jr.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRF3RwrmdxU 

Video - Brandie Redell 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mvK-DIXOaw 

Video - Victor Hernandez Beaten By Roseville, Minnesota Police

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVt6TTFakNc 

$14 Million in damages paid by the city Of Minneapolis - Article

http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/209811991.html 

Video - KSTP TV News Report – Recruiting More Minorities

http://kstp.com/news/stories/S3533228.shtml?cat=1

Note: The Somali candidate referenced in the report secured employment within

               the St. Paul Police Department by virtue of his ethnic background alone.

 

Hobby Lobby Dilemma

NOTE: Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) employers were required to offer contraceptives that could destroy fertilized eggs.   

 In 2012 Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. sued the federal government.  Hobby Lobby was already offering a health care plan to their employees that included compensation and coverage for contraceptives.  The new mandate by the ACA was opposed by Hobby Lobby on moral and thus religious grounds.  Hobby Lobby viewed the additional mandate as abortive in nature by destroying fertilized eggs and not just preventive in nature.

 The lawsuit made it to the Supreme Court.  In 2014 in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby, the court issued a 5-4 decision in favor of Hobby Lobby’s refusal to expand their insurance to include pregnancy ending coverage.

As the old saying goes; “If mama ain’t happy, ain’t nobody happy” and we are about to hear from mama on the Supreme Court’s most recent Hobby Lobby ruling.

 As the same old tried arguments are being screamed from the highest hills and as the heart of the issue continues to be ignored, it may be wise for us to consider the following.

Let’s begin with the inevitable battle cry that this is a female issue and thus the demand that all men shut-up on the subject.  This will be followed by an insistence that the ruling is bogus because the five Supreme Court justices who supported the law are all males.

 It’s ironic that women who once bristled over, and were furious with those who advanced the argument that women couldn’t hold high level positions of responsibility because their thinking would be clouded or irrational during ovulation, are now using the same sexist type logic and arguments regarding this issue as well as the abortion issue. 

 Yet no one needs to be a woman to understand that child birth is painful or that the demands of a primary care giver and motherhood and are incredibly demanding – or - to know the difference between right and wrong.  Any guy who lies down with a woman believing she should bear the sole responsibility for her pregnancy – so he can continue to get his jollies – is a slob and any woman who sleeps with him is an idiot.  That certainly is not a female issue and is at the very heart of this dispute. 

This will of course brings us to the altogether familiar attacks on religion.  

 Religion or no religion, immorality and irresponsibility are the cornerstones of this issue and where it becomes contentious.  This topic and its discussion present the same dilemmas and challenges we face with abortion.  Common sense dictates that abortion should be legal so the procedure is safe for those who may have a legitimate medical need.  Yet the law is badly abused.  Abortion on demand supports and promotes selfish and irresponsible behavior.  The very same threat exists with regards birth control in that its abuses will further fuel irresponsible sexual activity and cultivate our cultural decay.

 We next will be bombarded with the premise that this law jeopardizes any and all forms of birth control, rather than distinguishing between preventative and non- preventative measures.  This is where we need to be mindful that the Supreme Court has frowned upon just two IUD's and two “Morning After” pills. 

 To be certain, we are dealing with somewhat of a dilemma here.  Common sense, once again, dictates that any form of birth control deemed a medical necessity for the health of the patient should clearly be made available.  The “Morning After” pill could be necessary for a victim of rape or incest and an IUD may be necessary for women who, for whatever medical reason, may not be able to consume birth control pills or could not withstand a hysterectomy.  Yet the irrational and false claims that these minor Supreme Court restrictions support ending ALLL forms of birth control will undoubtedly and loudly be bandied about.    

 There are no easy answers as to how to protect those engaged in responsible behavior without supporting the ugly, self-centered and careless behavior surrounding casual sexual activity.  However, those pursuing the answers need to be encouraged to continue, while the rest of us demand an end to the unreasonable and harsh criticisms and misconceptions on both sides of the argument.   

 It is clearly a very difficult dilemma which requires the attention of those who possess a rational thought process.

What Do We Tell Him?

He recently attended a funeral in which his deceased uncle was laid to rest in the Fort Snelling veterans cemetery in Minneapolis.

 As he gazed at what appeared to be the endless head stones in this beautiful and peaceful setting he couldn’t help but conjure up thoughts of the all the lives violently lost in the service to our country.  All the son’s, all the brothers, all the uncles, all the fathers and couldn’t help but reflect upon what should be said to those survivors in the wake of our continual involvement in Afghanistan and the dreadful debacle in Iraq.  How does someone explain to this young boy why his father is dead?  What do we say to him?

The Middle East is an awful quagmire.

Our presence there is dictated by four considerations.  They are oil; to encourage, establish and protect democracy; to ferret out and stop our sworn enemies from plotting to kill us; and support for Israel, Jordan and the Kurds in Northern Iraq.

Common sense strongly encourages us to disengage from this forever volatile region of the world.  This is Vietnam times ten.  The cost in terms of dollars and other precious American resources is far exceeded by the agonizing loss of American lives – all of which appears to be unending. 

For sure, we can end our oil dependency.  For sure, we can fight our enemies without military involvement.  For sure, we can engage in image building through diplomacy, and for sure, we can arm and, if necessary, train our allies to protect themselves from vicious aggression.   

So, what do we tell him?  What will he learn as he matures?  Will he learn that his dad died for oil, to stop terrorism and to safeguard democracy? - all of which could have been accomplished through other means?

As taps was played for his uncle he thought; How ‘bout we tell this young man that America so deeply grieved the loss of his father, that we now have an unyielding commitment to never engage again in the senseless carnage that killed him.  How ‘bout we tell the boy that he will never be compelled, as his father was, into believing that he has an obligation to be sacrificed?  How ‘bout we tell him that?

"Capable Of Anything"

In the motion picture “China Town,” John Houston plays a despicable character.  He had an incestuous relationship with his daughter resulting in a pregnancy.  At one point in the movie Houston laments to Jack Nicholson that he is estranged from his daughter.  Nicholson then asks, “who do you blame for that?”  Houston responds; “I don’t blame myself.  You see Mr. Getts, most people never have to face the fact that at the right time and the right place they’re capable of anything.”

Some believe that everyone has a breaking point, a point at which intolerable circumstances could cause a person to be “capable of anything.” 

Shawn Timothy Nelson was a plumber.  His problems began when he suffered back and neck injuries in a motorcycle accident in 1990.  In 1991 his wife of six years divorced him.  In 1992 both his parents died from cancer.  While mining for gold in a mine shaft he dug in the back yard of his San Diego home, his plumbing equipment was stolen from the back of his truck.  Unable to replace the equipment, and therefore without gainful employment, his household utilities were cut off and his house was foreclosed on.  During this time, his live-in girlfriend also died from a drug overdose. 

So on May 17, 1995, Nelson, a U.S. Army veteran, stole an M60 Patton military tank from a United States National Guard armory in San Diego.  He went on a vicious rampage leaving neighborhoods looking like war zones.  This carnage was finally halted when police were forced to shoot and kill Nelson.  Some surmised that circumstances caused Nelson to snap – making him “capable of anything.” 

Mother Teresa also believed we were “capable of anything.”  Her contention however, was a bit different.  “I know God will not give me anything I can’t handle.  I just wish that He didn’t trust me so much.”  This too has validation.  It comes in the form of Bobby Kline.   

Bobby has four children.  The youngest is a daughter.  When she was sixteen-years-old the family was informed that Lisa had an inoperable brain tumor.  Nothing could be done.  So for months the family watched and waited for their precious little girl to pass. 

If you had known or met Bobby during this horrible ordeal you would have had no idea of the awful pain he was experiencing.  He was never sullen or moody.  He always had a big smile for everyone and continued his awareness of those who needed a kind word or a helping hand. 

On the day Lisa was put to rest I was given the blessing of having a short chat with Bobby.  It was in a darkened church; in front of a Blessed Virgin Mary alter, where Bobby had just placed some fresh flowers. 

During that painful moment I told him how much I admired his character.  I also asked him how he survived this worst of all possible nightmares.  Bobby said; “Sure, I could have acted like a jerk in hundred different ways and everyone would have probably understood.  But the truth is, I still have a wife and three sons.  They are in as much pain as I am and they need me now more than they have ever needed anyone.  Nothing I could do would save Lisa…but I still had the ability to help Rosie and the boys and I couldn’t let them down.”   

Hence Mother Teresa was correct.  We are indeed “capable of anything.” 

What this and other life altering experiences teach us is that focusing our attention on the needs of others, particularly in times of crisis, will provide us with solace, easing the awful burden that could drive us toward monstrous conduct.  Always remember; we are in control and we have a choice and YES – We are “capable of anything.”  From the motion picture “Oh God.”  “That’s why I gave you one another… All the choices are yours…You can love each other, cherish and nurture each other, or you can kill each other.” 

Shawn Timothy Nelson represents the very worst that lives in the hearts of men, while Bob Kline represents the very best in all of us.  Bobby’s bravery and character acts as a daily reminder that we are “capable of anything” and, even more importantly, that there is no such thing as a bad day.

Bread Crumb Compassion

We have come to accept certain political rhetoric as a means to achieve political acceptance and garner more votes on election day.  However, our further acceptance of such rhetoric should be distinguished and abhorred when it breeds callous reality.  

“The era of big government is over;” so stated President William Jefferson Clinton in his State of the Union Address on January 23, 1996. 

With that declaration the Corporate Democratic politician was established and the “The New Deal”, “The New Frontier” and “The Great Society” were trashed.   A review of the recent history of the minimum wage alone gives us an excellent perspective on just how disastrous this shift in political perspective has affected America.  

Murray Weidenbaum, chairman of President Reagan's first Council of Economic Advisers, has acknowledged they wanted to eliminate the minimum wage; but as the Wall Street Journal reported, "Because that would have been such a 'painful political process,' Mr. Weidenbaum says that he and other officials were content to let inflation turn the minimum wage into 'an effective dead letter.’"   Accordingly, President Reagan was the only modern-day president who failed to raise the minimum wage.  We have come to accept this as both Republican doctrine and agenda. 

In an effort to avoid sharing in this unsavory Reagan legacy, President Obama is asking congress and the states to immediately adopt a $10.10 minimum wage.  The President has taken the lead in this initiative.  He has instituted the $10.10 wage for those working under new government contracts.  This was done by an executive order to bypass congressional Republican opposition.  Thus far, only Connecticut has followed the president’s lead.  However, the $10.10 wage in Connecticut will not take effect until 2017, which will render its impact far less fruitful.   The other positive result from the president’s initiative has seen many states now moving toward adopting a higher minimum wage.  Minnesota is one those states.

Regarding the minimum wage, Minnesota Democrats, like their national counterparts, have also demonstrated a callous disregard that wasn’t prevalent before the Clinton’s proclamation. 

With a clear Democratic majority in Congress in 2010 the Democrats choose to enact “The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act” (PPACA dubbed Obama Care) rather than providing single payer universal health care.  The PPACA bill was passed solely on the strength of a Democratic Party vote. 

Minnesota also has a Democratic majority in the state legislature.  Therefore, one might
have reasonably surmised that the immediate $10.10 wage would have gained serious
traction and even easy passage.  But like the PPACA legislation, the Democrats have
instead provided Minnesotans with a watered-down minimum wage law.   The $10.10
figure is nowhere in sight and, like Connecticut, by the time the increases are realized
they will have far less effect in stimulating the economy or alleviating the financial
stress of those in real need.  Another golden opportunity squandered. 

In the case of Minnesota, it was a chance to make up for some serious lost ground.  It
has been nine long years since the state increased its minimum wage.  During that time,
Republicans and the Democrats who heralded President Clinton’s battle cry
(“The era of big government is over.”) directed the state downward to one of the lowest
minimum wages in the country. 

For decades the Democrats were the only political means through which poor, underprivileged and middle-class causes were championed.   The lack of courage and resolve to champion these humane needs in any meaningful manner by today’s Democrats is now demanding the same acceptability as Republican doctrine and insensitivity. 

Bill Clinton presided over the ideological death of his compassionate predecessors and never shed a tear.  For us to now be embracing this demise as acceptable is a national travesty. 

U.S. Department of Health And Human Services (HHS) 

Poverty lines as established by HHS 

Family Of Three $21,960.00

Family Of Four   $26,500.00 

$10.00 Per Hour $20,800.00 

$15.00 Per Hour $31,200.00 

Minimum Wage $10.00 Per Hour – 40 Hours x $10.00 = $400.00 Per Week - $400.00 x 52 = $20,800.00 

Minimum Wage $15.00 Per Hour – 40 Hours x $15.00 = $600.00 Per Week - $600.00 x 52 = $31,200.00