Constitutionally Right

Pennsylvania's Saudi Arabia - Philly Burbs

2012-01-30T20:27:00.001-08:00

I had the good fortune of being able to speak with 16 state and federal candidates for office during the last set of elections as a community member of the Bucks County Courier Times’ Editorial Board. It was great to see so many so well informed on the important issues. It was almost like everyone was void of politics as the actual issues were being openly discussed. Then, of course, Election Day comes and goes, the winners get saddled with politics and, as usual, nothing meaningful ever gets done.
Energy was a popular topic especially with the state candidates. The natural gas reserves 5,000 feet below parts of the state (and then another massive reserve under that) are commonly referred to as “The Saudi Arabia of Pennsylvania”. Governor Corbett and Lt. Governor Cawley spoke at length with us about the reserves under the layers of Marcellus Shale.
I’m a big skeptic of any politician and am particularly mindful of those on my side (because I hold them to a much higher standard), but I found the two gentlemen authentic and genuine even though their hair was perfect and didn’t move at all no matter what. That’s a definite red flag, but they were good.
My personal concerns are both environmental and revenue-related. Real Conservatives, like myself and Politically Correct’s other contributor, are few and far between in politics, but our defining sentiment is in “conservation” which has the environment as a primary tenant. We’re true stewards of the land void of knee-jerk response through the distorted prism of politics.
Modern fracking, or the techniques used to drill through the shale to retrieve the gas reserves can be performed safely, securely and environmentally responsibly. The Governor’s plan ensures that wells are safe distances from water systems with state-of-the-art management and very strictly enforced guidelines.
Revenue issues are also critical and must be viewed through the clear prism of economics. My Economics degree doesn’t hurt, but simple honesty is even better. Some wish to impose hefty state taxes along with the usual local impact fees while others prefer more focus on the local impact fees. Additional taxes (above what are already levied) will only discourage investment here. Being more inviting will end up creating more opportunities for employment in Pennsylvania resulting in more people paying more in taxes.
The shortsightedness of some is stunning to the extreme. It’s like the typical boxing trainer who’d rather throw a good kid to the wolves for maybe $50 rather than properly develop him for the higher payday a little longer down the road. Plus, the impact fees paid to counties will be used by those actually impacted. These fees are estimated to generate $120 to $200 million per year for infrastructure, emergency management, health, utility and environmental protection use.
The bottom line is that we use a lot of energy which is not only not a bad thing, but is also not changing . We might as well get as much energy as we can at home where its harvest can be properly monitored without the potential for environmental disasters of transporting it from the other side of the world.
The career opportunities, demand for skills, positive impact on our academic institutions and influx of investment are exciting with little or no down side. This new frontier has generated over 72,000 new hires in Pennsylvania since 2007 and profoundly boosted local economies with positive ripple effects that go far.
I appreciate the cynics to Marcellus Shale, but I do strongly agree with the Governor’s plan which can be found at http://www.governor.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/marcellus_shale_proposal/20490 . I sense that the Governor’s interest in energy focuses more on our future than on the instant gratification of short-term politics, but it’s never a bad idea to keep your eyes open due to the extreme importance and to ensure that sensible plans stay that way.

It's Time to Get Angry - Philly Burbs

2012-01-12T17:07:00.001-08:00

I think that the most important thing that one can do when angry is to demonstrate anger. Far too many of us keep that suppressed which may lead to many a health issue.
Listening to the news is enough to make one apathetic to the state of affairs out there, but I did hear a poll result today stating that a very high number of us are very angry. Then when I get angry there’s always some highly educated person making me feel uncivilized for expressing myself. It’s my opinion that it’s I who’s better adjusted strictly based on my periodic emotional meltdowns even if I don’t have an Ivy League degree.
But what’s really going on out there? I was perfectly fine before getting involved in politics. I think, though, that I wouldn’t have gotten involved if all was well - there’d be no reason to (although I do sometimes regret knowing what’s going on).
I’ve been angry for about 10 years now indicating that I’m way ahead of my time since many are just discovering their anger. And I’ve discovered that this anger is in direct proportion to the amount of governance in our lives. More governance equates to less freedom and since our nation is founded on a highly evolved anti-authority complex I do believe that many of us are downright un-American (not to mention pathetic).
The problem likely has something to do with the massive number of large groups that have figured out how to bilk taxpayers for their own selfish purposes. Incomprehensible amounts of dollars funnel through government fingers in a most inefficient way wreaking havoc at every step. Enough of this over time has led to true financial meltdowns that’ll continue and intensify until good leadership ensues and I’m a firm believer that nothing will change until enough of us get angry - that will be the tipping point in reversing course in the correct direction.
A most obnoxious example is that of a local school district one town over. My alma mater of Neshaminy (Google it if you need some comic relief although actually quite horrifyingly sad) is enduring day 5 of their teachers’ strike today. They’re the 7th highest paid teachers in the state of Pennsylvania out of over 500 school districts and put out very mediocre performance. There was a 51 day strike during my senior year 30 years ago so one might say that not much has changed in that time (other than increasingly poorer performance as unions gained more power and parents less).
Needless to say, I’m so angry right now that I think I shouldn’t be near people while in this condition. Don’t get me wrong. I wouldn’t have it any other way. There’s reason to be insane so I’m certain that sanity is not the correct strategy to navigate through this.
I won’t bore you with more details. If you don’t get it then I can only conclude that you’re a moron, but this is the scene that’s going on everywhere at varying degrees of intensity. Horrible mismanagement, bad governance and an abandonment of integrity rule the day. Many blame capitalism, but the “Economy Gone Wild” is a direct result of government interference without letting the natural ebb-and-flow of free market enterprise to work its magic. I could go into more detail, but if you don’t get it you probably won’t and are likely a complete idiot.
For example, my 17 year old orthopaedic device business fell into an abyss of despair and failure 3 years ago. After trying everything humanly possible to get back on track I found that the only path back to greatness was finding new and better ways to serve others with greater efficiency and aplomb. Not quite there yet, but I think I’m close with great new opportunities for others and this, my 20th year, should be the year back.
Imagine if these fanatical union thug boorish below average Neshaminy teachers (who I would permanently fire yesterday) used service to others as their guide. Maybe even trade their “Do It To the Children” mantra for “Do It For the Children”. A person can dream can’t they? Maybe I just expect too much, should give it up, stop writing these columns, just worry about my own family and call it a day.
I think that’s the plan so maybe I won’t give in. I may really need to embrace my bad attitude or it might get worse.
The most important thing we can all do right now is to watch Peter Finch in “Network” being mad as hell and wishing to not take it anymore and follow his example. We need to select elected officials who are angry. This is no time for level-headedness and calm. Our system of government ensures that we’re perfectly represented so being apathetic will create apathetic leadership that’s guided by the special interests that outnumber us. We have to outnumber them, take it back and not let go with a pit-bull death grip.
Until then best wishes and to many of you - go **** yourself. I honestly think that’s perfectly rational.

And Now It Begins - Bucks County Courier Times January 6, 2012

2012-01-10T20:32:00.000-08:00

My first thought upon hearing of the end of the Iraq War was “and now the violence will really begin”. Hopefully I’m wrong, but this whole thing will be a future case study in the damage caused by politics. Maybe repeating history over and over is just human nature.
It doesn’t help much that we have a Republican Candidate for President in Congressman Paul running around saying that it’s all our fault. The simplified facts are that terrorism relentlessly festers under tyranny and dictatorship and tends to diminish where people are free. Why a washed up Marine like me has to repeat this time and time again while our esteemed leaders who voted for the Iraq War criticize it and our personnel gives me an occasional very unsettling meltdown.
The rational human mind is incapable of understanding war. It makes no sense at all and is very bad on every level in every circumstance. Sometimes, though, it’s the only way to achieve the peace that most prefer so inaction is often worse. You might find it odd that there’s more peace sign stickers on cars on military bases than on Prius’s in New Hope, but I don’t find it odd at all. Men and women of action, character and courage understand peace better than anyone and it’s not just a bumper sticker to them. They live it and we owe them our thanks.
The current state of affairs began on 9/11 (although really going on for 30 years). The nation instantly came together big-time and then was rapidly torn apart starting about 2 or 3 weeks later by the politicians who played to our rational inability to comprehend. A war that took 10 years to “conclude” would have been over much quicker with better results if we left military leaders alone to do what they do best. But, as is usually the case, we can’t help ourselves in our relentless pursuit of Monday-morning-quaterbacking.
In spite of this we have the finest men and women of all time in uniform today. They bravely rose when called and introduced the natural human condition of freedom to the oppressed as the single most effective long-term strategy against the terrorism that’s engulfing the entire world. It’s now up to the Iraqi’s to continue down this path of freedom and it’s going to be anything but easy. The alternative was unacceptable and the difficult decisions made 10 years ago.
Now it’s up to us to honor today’s military personnel with everything we have and to make sure that we don’t fall into the political traps that we constantly allow. We can only support our men and women in uniform if we also support their mission. One is not possible without the other and they’ve earned their place in history as one hell of a Great Generation even if we’ve let them down on occasion.

Less Is More - Philly Burbs

2011-12-31T09:21:00.001-08:00

Oh boy are we in for a treat. Election season is approaching and all sorts of candidates with various behavior disorders and ego issues will be stepping forward all wide-eyed and bushy-tailed. Who could ask for more? I, for one, can’t wait for this scene that regularly happens from sea to shining sea.
Seems like these people step forward every 2 years with grand plans and not one thing changes (except maybe for the worse). There’s the newbies who wash out pretty quickly and then the long-term elected officials who already know that nothing will ever get done so they just play the game, ride the wave, roll their eyes at their Oath of Office and keep getting re-elected for some weird reason.
I’d really like to vote for the best person, but they rarely run for anything. I wonder if it’s always been like this or if our politics has morphed into something way beyond its original intent. From my view it’s become nothing more than a feeding trough (funded by you and me) of every special interest known to man. Personally, I think that it’s the rest of us who are most special, but that’s just me.
I asked a very trusted elected official in our state capital of Harrisburg, PA about this and he said about 1/3 of elected officials are good-to-go. That means that we’re not horribly far off from the goal of slightly more than 50% good people in office. The question remains on how to get there and I believe that the answer is simple even though too many of us suffer from ”governmentitis” (or an infantile and irrational dependence on government).
In all fairness, though, there are good people on both sides who run for office. Sadly, they’re too often overlooked because they don’t get party support specifically because of their independence. There’s no one to blame but ourselves, but these are the exact people we need today. The good candidates, in my humble opinion, can increase their chances of winning with courage. Assess today’s issues, throw “party” nonsense aside and present a platform of pure unfettered honesty. Of course this will lead to personal attacks, possible vandalism and overall unpleasantness, but knowing that up front diminishes its surprise.
Here’s a sample platform that anyone is free to use. It might apply almost anywhere and none of it is original - it’s just rare, since many even run for office with no platform whatsoever being afraid to say much of anything of substance.
Without further ado:

- Spending in Harrisburg needs to be slashed by at least 1/3 or more. Accountability and self-reliance must be restored in a way that encourages good decisions (to include favoring private charity over the unintended consequences of government programs).
- Resolving the healthcare crisis is a top priority so that everyone will have full access to quality medical care. The doctor/patient relationship must drive solutions vs. the patient/person-sitting-in-a-cubicle-somewhere-who-knows-nothing-about-medicine relationship. The driving mechanism should be some form of insurance company payment to the patient who will then pay the provider. The current system of insurance companies bypassing the customer by paying the provider directly is what leads to $60 Band-Aids and $200 aspirin. Individuals need to have more control and more choice with accurate information.
Much of this began in the 1930’s when companies bundled healthcare with employment. They reduced salaries by the cost of benefits, selected benefits for their employees and then got the tax-break for themselves. Might be better to increase salaries, allow people to select their own plans and create tax-breaks for individuals. A few things have to happen:
a. reduce coverage mandates - allow people to select plans that suit their own needs
b. access plans nationwide
c. caps on NON-ECONOMIC damages to reduce lawsuit abuse and minimize inefficient/overly expensive defensive medicine
The $2 trillion annual cost of US healthcare is more than enough to solve this way overly-
complicated disaster. Free market efficiency and simplification will not only provide for the poor
much more thoroughly than any government program, but will also create an environment that
even competes for pre-existing conditions.
- The federal government should get out of the education business and the state government should reduce its role. Each school district should assume a greater responsibility for how it runs itself with minimal state oversight. Parents and teachers should drive curriculums and policies and make those decisions for themselves with a much greater degree of freedom to do so.
- Pennsylvania must become a Right-To-Work state where union membership and/or union dues are not a condition of employment. This will attract opportunity for EVERYONE and radically improve the marketplace overnight. Legislated advantages, intimidation and political manipulation create the hostile environments that drive away the business that we would all benefit from. Competence, quality and value would all spike and even unions would find more work.

So there it is in all its glory. Please feel free to comment and maybe we can, together, perfect this suggested platform for some industrious candidate out there who’s ready to rumble. The chances of getting good people to run, electing the best candidates and ensuring their competence as elected officials improve in direct correlation to the number of constituents who educate themselves, vote and pay attention so, at a bare minimum, more of us need to educate ourselves, vote and pay attention.
Thanks and Happy New Year.

Vouchers, Merit Pay and Heroes - Philly Burbs

2011-12-19T10:42:00.000-08:00

There’s a big movement among my Conservative buddies to bring vouchers and merit pay to our public schools. Vouchers are government payments to a family that can be used to offset private school costs if they opt out of their community’s public school. Merit pay is paying teachers based on performance.
Please don’t misunderstand. I’m as Conservative as it gets. I think that Democrats are weak, delusional and generally mean. You will only get my guns from my cold dead hands. And I strongly believe in a federal government so small that it barely exists.
So it would seem odd that I’m not in support of vouchers and merit pay. I’m open-minded so please feel free to set me straight if I’m wrong.
Vouchers seem like another shuffling act of passing the football around gaining no ground whatsoever. Wouldn’t it be better to empower residents than to encourage them to abandon their community? Is it possible that government policies are often the root cause of failures and, if so, would more government policies really solve anything?
My first concern is that using vouchers to leave a community’s public school seeking greener pastures will drain the better talent and leave those behind most in need. The argument is that those children will fail anyway since no one’s looking out for them, but that’s the whole point. What kind of communities are we creating where we don’t look out for one another? We seek government solutions thereby absolving us of our responsibilities. This is the core underlying theme of what’s gone horribly wrong throughout the nation - soliciting government to do what we need to do for ourselves and our neighbors.
My state of Pennsylvania has 500+ public school districts each held to a set of government mandates and teacher union rules. I sat with our newspaper’s Editorial Board interviewing 17 state and federal candidates last time around and the biggest obstacle to any type of reform was the 66 page Pennsylvania State Constitution modified in the 1960’s by lawyers at the Constitutional Convention. They pulled a fast one and I’ll bet that many other states have similar challenges.
The real solution, in my view, is to encourage every single school district to do whatever they like. The state might have basic educational guidelines, but school boards, parents and educators will regain the right to run their own schools however they wish. This may require a Constitutional Convention to restore the various state constitutions to their original form void of obstacles to common sense.
This leads to Merit Pay. I served full-time in the Marine Corps for 4 ½ years and haven’t yet found anyone more competent and thorough than those I served with at any price. Is it possible that some are driven by things other than money like, oh, public service? Good teachers should be well paid and those not embracing excellence terminated.
Those who feel that they’re not paid what they’re worth are free to take their valuable skills where they’re more appreciated. Some communities might give merit pay a whirl, but mandating it from government is just another opportunity for fraud. How will performance be measured and will the merit pay system open up a whole new arena of complication and abuse? Pretty sure it will.
I personally think that a simple “Pass/Fail” structure of annual raises would be the formula and a failure would result in a new job elsewhere. Pursue teaching if you love to teach and pursue sales or something else if you love to make money. You’ll quickly find that making money is almost always directly related to what extent you bring value to others. Putting yourself first usually results in poor business performance. You’ll also find that good teachers make good salespeople. Anyone see the connection?
We live in an unnecessarily complicated world and I believe that vouchers and merit pay for teachers will make it more so. Our kids aren’t numbers and performance from district to district cannot be standardized (but, again, individual districts would be free to implement merit pay if they like).
The answer is to drastically simplify everything, embrace a very high level of efficiency, obliterate the obstacles to reform that are mired in bureaucracy and allow communities to define themselves with minimal state interference and none federal. There’s more than enough money to accomplish anything with if spent correctly by the right people beginning with spending education dollars on education. Teachers, kids and parents deserve the best which will only happen by putting these heroes in charge and not with additional government nonsense.
Of course, making the right changes are a monumental task and many will say that it’s I who’s delusional and overly idealistic. There’s definitely a chance that I’m stupid because I honestly don’t get it, but I’m a firm believer in putting the customer in charge. It’s a formula that works wherever it’s tried and failure is generally the result of government interference and/or political manipulation.
So good luck with all the “merit pay” and “voucher” efforts out there, but I think it’s time for a total overhaul and not a Band-Aid on a gaping wound.

Integrity's Ground Zero - Philly Burbs

2011-11-21T04:30:00.001-08:00

It became very clear throughout the Marine Corps Marathon weekend in DC and Virginia that attending/participating is an annual requirement whose importance seems to grow each year. The examples were endless and I’d like to list some in chronological order along with their respective meaning.
Some of my Marine Corps peers were Marines, in effect, even before the initial training. Others, like me, had to learn how to behave and need constant reminders on proper Marine Corps conduct. We refer to our role models when we stray who continue to lead by example just by being themselves (whether in body or spirit).
One of those Marines is Travis Manion whose parents set up an amazing Foundation shown at www.travismanion.com who serves others in the theme of the leadership demonstrated by their son. I had mentioned to a young Naval Academy grad, who was sitting at my table at the Foundation’s pre-race dinner, that my first race was the 2009 Marine Corps Marathon which was inspired by the outreach for runners/fundraisers and have embraced the running lifestyle specifically because of them. He was very taken by that, but then he ran the Marathon the next day with only 6 training runs, 2 of which were “long” and finished in around 4 hours. That pretty much blows away anything that I’m capable of, but it was his unshakable interest in others that made the most profound statement and defines Marines with ultra clarity.
Marine Corps Silver Star Recipient and remarkable UFC professional fighter Brian Stann was the Guest Speaker. His discussion embodied the Marine Corps spirit better than anything I’ve ever heard. His message was on how we affect others at work, home and our communities. Do we go through the motions or do we bring a positive vibe with a lasting impact on others? Do we spend as much time as possible with our families and how do we get involved in our communities to get things done for real. Do we step forward when needed or do we assume that others will get it done?
If you like, Brian’s book is titled “Heart for the Fight…” and my copy’s on order. My guess is that it’s got everything one needs to know about leadership and accomplishment from someone who’s actually been and is there. I’ll have it completed by the time of this print and will comment if you like.
The Marathon and 10K were the next morning and it was at the finish where example #3 sprung out. New 2nd Lieutenants were awarding medals to all runners as they funneled off of the track. It took 15 minutes or so to work through to the end so we could clearly see the medals being individually awarded. Every single runner literally had their own presentation ceremony by a Marine Officer. It was really stunning to see as a big deal was made of every runner.
Now the race was on to get checked out of the hotel and on the road to not miss a minute of some Halloween festivities. One of the non-runners was trying to work against the crowd to get to the Charity Tent area and asked me where it was. I kinda pointed, said “good luck” and went on my way. It struck me 45 minutes later, while navigating to the highway, that I’ve strayed. My Officer Candidate School Staff would have destroyed me for not making sure that person got to where they needed to be (since I think only runners were allowed to pass) especially in light of those currently serving who are away from their families for a year or more. I did something similar in OCS 25 years ago and was made a relentless example of for 2 weeks beginning with all of my belongings (including my bed, wall locker and foot locker) thrown upside down into the stairwell.
I’ve still not internalized being a Marine, but maybe it’s not too late. The one quality that was constant among all Marines (including the hundreds of support personnel on the course) was that they all put the spotlight on others even when it was they who were in the spotlight. The higher up they were on the “superstar” scale the more they shined the light on the other person.
The foundation of leadership is a simple one, easy to grasp and sometimes challenging to remember. It comes with a clear understanding of what’s important and what isn’t and how to maintain your character at all times. And when we fail we can get back on track by saying that we were wrong and will do better next time.
Fortunately we have some permanent examples to refer to when needing guidance. The price of integrity is much less than the cost of not having any and, if you get a chance, spend the weekend in DC during a Marine Corps Marathon where you’ll be surrounded everywhere you go. Do so, if you can, and you’ll see what I mean.
See you next year and I hope I don’t screw up too much between now and then.

The Jewish American Democrat - Philly Burbs

2011-11-14T05:48:00.000-08:00

I’d like to discuss with pure objectivity why American Jews overwhelmingly vote Democrat no matter what. This seemingly reflexive behavior is one that often confuses and I’ve not yet heard a compelling case from anyone.
This topic has been on my mind for awhile and discussed at length by many. The main goal is to clarify my own thoughts and possibly encourage some positive discussion.
Being a politically Conservative Jew can be pretty lonely at times. Running for public office in a predominantly Jewish town takes it to another level. One of my fellow Jewish Conservatives sensed my inner turmoil, took me aside and said (with a tone of seriousness), “Don’t worry about it. These people would vote for Hitler if he were a Democrat.”.
I was initially stunned by that comment, but then took a closer look. Was there any truth to that taboo sentiment? Hitler was appointed (and not elected) in 1933, but what was the support to his façade of “for the good of the people” legislation?
What was the Jewish community like before WWII and what was it like after that period? Has it changed and, if so, how?
This brings us back in time to some of the uprisings in the Vilna forests, the Warsaw Ghetto itself and the Treblinka Death Camp. Each of these areas is a separate discussion, but they had the common theme of a turning point where unawareness became awareness. They were places where leaders like Mordechai Anielewicz understood that passive obedience could have devastating consequences. They were all places where salvation could only be found through violence.
Although most died many did so on their feet and not on their knees. What would have been if 6,000,000 Jews had resisted the easy path of obedience? Easier said than done, but the Nazi environment didn’t happen overnight. One of the most honest historical perspectives can be found in “The Ominous Parallels” by Leonard Peikoff. I read it several years ago before my comprehensive abilities kicked in and it’s next in my cue to read (again).
Having traveled the world a bit I’ve seen firsthand how societies have evolved from specific actions of years past. Jews were exterminated, in many cases, in a hierarchy of independent thought. Those who questioned authority were often the first to go while those who were the most “useful” were kept around a little longer.
My Jewish Community has now evolved without the influence of intellectual honesty (which we seem to fear and avoid) regardless of how many advanced Ivy League degrees we have. We saw for ourselves what can happen when authority is questioned. In all fairness our primary duty is and has always been to our families, but we have to shake ourselves into understanding what our real Jewish values are and how to truly preserve them forever. Fortunately we now live in a nation where the authority is every citizen, but many fail to realize this foundation of the American fiber. We still, sadly, have big-government ingrained into our consciousness. It’s as if we promote equality in weakness as we seek the easy approval of others who also lack the courage to question.
If I’ve accomplished anything it’s in presenting a message that must begin at home. Our synagogues have to be restored to places of God from their current state of golden-calf-worship and intolerance that are morally obscene and spiritually bankrupt. There’s a definite reason why synagogue membership is down to 30% of the Jewish population or less. Our very survival depends on reawakening our integrity and rediscovering who we really are as Americans and as Jews.
History can be a terrible thing, but ignoring and repeating it is worse. “Never Again” means never-again and not again-and-again.

A Brave New World - Philly Burbs

2011-10-24T06:12:00.001-07:00

I have a sense that the recent challenges in my own business are similar to those experienced in most organizations. I began my independent orthopaedic sales business 20 years ago that almost completely fell apart 3 years ago.
I initially did what many are doing which is to blame the economy and business climate, but the truth is that I was searching for business that didn’t exist anymore. Without boring you with details I spent the last 3 years trying everything with varying degrees of success. This deep-digging period of reinvention has led to a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.
The light’s still a little ways off, but its spark is deeply rooted in how to serve others better than ever and by doing more with less. We serve ourselves best when we put the needs of others before our own.
The answers that many are looking for get even more elusive when we blame the prosperous and/or look to government for a solution. The “occupiers” on Wall Street, City Hall in Philly and other venues all over the nation remind me of the large numbers of students protesting Apartheid at Penn State during my sophomore year. I hadn’t a political bone in my body and had no idea what Apartheid was, but was curious about the sea of mock graves, banners and the like. Not one protester could tell me why they were carrying on like maniacs. I was truly interested, but luckily there was a very comprehensive article in the paper the very next day that answered all of my questions.
This leads to the one thing in politics today that should be more effectively addressed. Everyone’s running around saying that they’ll create this job or that job. Really? The notion of “job creation” only focuses on the employee as if the end-game is having a job. What about the job itself? Employment is a mutual exchange of valuable labor and pay. The entire argument does little more than to perpetuate the entitlement mentality that’s taking down the nation. Job creation is a “What’s in it for me?” discussion which would have a much better result if addressed as “What’s in it for us all?” or “What can I offer to others?”.
Economic growth is a result of everyone working together in a productive exchange of labor, innovation and investment. Free markets are a perfect machine that serves us all better than anything else ever could. They are void of blame, self-pity, government interference and political manipulation. And, above all, free markets are pure honesty.
Of course we’re pretty far away from a free market, but we can still do the best we can regardless. Take the healthcare industry for example. The patient ultimately is not in charge which is why everything is paid at prices that don’t reflect real environments. This can easily lead to a $60 aspirin or $100,000 knee replacement and inefficiency of epic proportions. Just think what we could do if we were to craft an environment where people made their own decisions. For some reason I’m a bit optimistic that the day is coming.
Another example is high-frequency-trading where complex mathematical algorithms determine what stocks to buy by the millions and then sell in a matter of seconds or less. This sort of manipulative modeling seems to be inconsistent with real market conditions and may create a series of damaging ripple effects. A little regulation here, if done correctly, might be in order, but typical knee-jerk reactions need to be resisted in favor of honest investigation and resolve.
We could endlessly go on and on, but should really start with ourselves. What would happen if every one of us pursued the best ways to participate and contribute? The right answers are definitely in there even if they don’t immediately jump out. Many of us constantly readjust and reinvent to changing environments while others are stuck in old, outdated and irrelevant models. Success isn’t easy, but anything worthwhile rarely is. Reward and difficulty tend to go hand-in-hand which would imply that challenges are the vehicle of prosperity and are to be embraced. They force us to search hard for the best answers possible that often come after considerable failure.
We’ve tried the “all government all the time” approach (with predictable results). Let’s try something different and stop it with all of the politics. It seems as though to many of us wish to be deceived, but we’re better than that and can do much better.
A return to what made us who we are would be a great start.

Who's Asking? - Philly Burbs

2011-10-16T19:18:00.000-07:00

I wonder what the response would be if all homosexuals in the military were asked what they thought of the “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” repeal. My educated guess is that 9 out of 10 (or more) would speak of a strong desire to serve their country and not so much of a need to express their sexuality.
Gays in the military never came up in my almost 5 years of full-time Marine Corps active duty. Making it an issue never even entered into anyone’s consciousness. There’s a good chance that it was because no one really cared.
This whole thing started when a Naval Aviator felt the need to come out of the closet during the Clinton years. President Clinton took this on as his pet project for some reason. “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” was the end result with an initial burst of military-wide sensitivity training (followed by a lot of good people leaving the new “gay” military).
Don’t get me wrong - I’m first in line when someone offers a pesto, avocado and sprout sandwich, but the military is no place for a gay-pride event. The military is a place where men are men. They tape pictures on their wall lockers of their girlfriends or wives, speak of things that young men speak of and eat, sleep and train together 24/7. Painting a picture of a dude in a Speedo on a jet fighter just doesn’t work in this environment.
Sure, no one cares, but many of us out there can’t wrap our hands around the gay lifestyle. We don’t care and it’s fine, but many really don’t want it thrown in their face. Almost every homosexual in the military is OK with keeping it to themselves; they prefer it that way because they understand the inability of many to relate to their lifestyle. It’s not a bad thing - there’s just a time and place and the military isn’t it.
One might ask, then, why does this sort of thing even come up? Could it be a Congress that strives to demonstrate its tolerance? In my view the concept of “tolerance” is a big insult. It implies that there’s something inferior that needs to be tolerated which is inconsistent to the notion of all men and women created as equals; a notion that I personally subscribe to. It’s the bliss-ninnies of the world saying “Look at me. I’m so above it all. Yes, I am that smart and highly intellectual. I have supreme wisdom of all things and you must listen to me.”
Well, I disagree and recommend that the military develop and implement their own policies. It’s always been OK to be gay in the military, but a demonstration of homosexuality is a disruption to good order and discipline. The real gay community knows, understands and respects this. It’s just the way it is and won’t be changing probably ever and the current course will, as usual, have a negative long-term impact on many levels.
At this time I’d like to ask Congress to allow the military to be the military and stop distracting them with nonsense. The military does an infinitely better job of managing itself than Congress does of managing much of anything, so just stop it. Seriously. And if you disagree with me then you’re probably not gay, but are just walking around with a chip on your shoulder constantly looking for ways to be offended and I don’t like you. Your misplaced agenda has nothing to do with military service; unlike our gay military personnel whose only agenda is to serve our nation. Now go away.

2012 I Guess - Philly Burbs

2011-09-27T06:00:00.001-07:00

I was completely fine before getting involved in politics and really regret doing so. But it’s too late and, sadly, I’ll never enjoy blissful ignorance again.
I’m not sure why people get involved. It just seems so wrought with behavior disorders. I used to think that it was defined by good leadership, but now know better. Maybe that’s why I’m so driven to encourage as limited a government as is humanly possible. Less is more; much more.
The race for the Republican Candidate for President is on and my hope is that an actual Republican emerges. I’ll have no choice but to switch to Independent if the last man standing (in the Republican Primary) isn’t a Republican and will have to leave the planet if Obama gets re-elected. 4 more years of “this one” is too much to ask.
Let’s start with Mitt Romney and Jon Huntsman. They both carry on like raving maniacs about global warming pandering to the perpetuation of epic fraud. No one is a better steward of the environment than a true Conservative. Trying to tie clean air and water to a human influence on temperature change is quite the stretch. Those who play this political game are likely to play others so these two are disqualified. Maybe we are that dumb, but I’m not so go to Hell. The polar bears lose if you win.
The next easy one is Ron Paul. He panders to the right with his outstanding grasp of all things Constitutional and panders to the left with his hatred of Israel, disrespect to the military and pathological disconnect from reality. I could go into greater detail, but my blood pressure’s rising so he’ll just have to go to Hell and stay there. What a punk. Seriously. Go to Hell.
Herman Cain has a lot of good ideas and I like him. He seems to care and also seems to be in it for all the right reasons. I believe that he’d dance on Obama’s head in a debate. Although he doesn’t know much about foreign policy I would bet the farm that he’d listen closely to those who do. Certainly better than the turd we have now who expresses constant contempt for all things freedom.
I like Michele Bachmann. She also seems to have her heart in the right place, but only gave half the answer when pressed on healthcare. All she did was slam Obama. The other half would have been a solution. You’re running for President. At least throw us a bone about tort-reform, choice and mandates.
Rick Perry could be our next President. There might be a few red flags like his Executive Order to all but mandate a controversial vaccine and a possible tie to campaign contributions. When pressed he said that he can’t be bought for the $5,000 he received implying that maybe he could be bought for a higher figure. He caught himself in mid-sentence, but it was too late so he just went with it. Maybe nothing, but it is tucked away back there for future reference. I like his opposition to the mental illness of global warming hysteria and the very serious response he had concerning the death penalty. Maybe his critics have never been the victim of crimes too horrific to mention or maybe they’re just idiots with no soul or conscience.
Newt Gingrich is profoundly great on every issue except fidelity to his wife while serving in Congress. Not sure if I could get past that. Maybe there’s another side of the story, but there’s a major judgment fail that was demonstrated that’s out there and isn’t going away. Of course, lacking in integrity is a good way to get some Democrat vote, but I don’t overall like the strategy. Could be our next President and I’ll support him if he secures the Nomination.
I saved the best for last. Real Conservatives like Rick Santorum are often misunderstood. We view all people as fundamentally equal and generally don’t believe in segmenting any particular group for special treatment. We’re all part of the Human Race and thereby all enjoy the same human rights. There are no human rights violations in the United States except for those manufactured for political division.
We very strongly believe in helping others, but not through government programs that only perpetuate the very problem they’re trying to solve. The lazy prefer to funnel tax dollars through inefficient government bureaucracies just to be able to say they’ve done something. Well they have and that is to enable more poverty.
And we believe that the magic of free markets (with sensible regulation that’s not founded on politics) is the best vehicle for everyone to prosper; especially the poor. There’s no down side at all.
There’s lots of time to go and I’m confident that we’ll get the Candidate that we ask for and deserve. I’d be more concerned if I were a Democrat. Why not give Hillary a shot in the Primary? After all she did literally single-handedly initiate the “universal healthcare” discussion when Bill was First Lady which resulted in billion dollar paydays for HMO executives. Now that’s power-to-the-people.
So just sit back, pay attention and enjoy the ride. Maybe some of us will eventually get to experience Free Markets for the first time. After all, that’s what got us here in the first place. Might as well go back to what works.

A Higher Calling - Philly Burbs

2011-08-27T05:58:00.001-07:00

I had a profound moment of reflection during the flight home from Operation Desert Storm. The war had just ended and my Marines and I were homebound from a very remote training area overseas on a commercial flight with our rifles upside down in front of our seats. We had suspected that combat would have been just a few days away and there was no doubt that we were ready. The rumor was that we’d be outnumbered 10 to 1, but still felt that the enemy was at a serious disadvantage.
It was at that moment, with everyone asleep around me, that I had trouble wrapping my arms around the thought of taking a human life. Maybe it was a little late, or maybe not, but I asked God if he approved.
A warm gentle glow vividly embraced my consciousness as He answered. It’s impossible for most of us, me included, to understand how inhumanly mean and cruel some can be. Victims of a terrible regime are simply born into an environment that we’re just not able to comprehend where hundreds or even thousands of defenseless people can die in a single day.
One of the most important ways for us to defend our cherished freedom at home is to defend/restore it abroad. We can’t save everyone and can certainly debate being the world’s police, but we’re the “ultimate prize” for dictators everywhere. The spread of tyranny and oppression will eventually lead to America if we allow it.
Someone once said that “Every garden will be invaded.”. Many don’t get it because freedom is all we know, but I’m very offended by politicians who use our collective ignorance to further their own political agenda by undermining a war effort that they approved. Very offended and it gets worse when they throw our men and women in uniform under the bus. In fact, I get a little crazy.
The greatness of our nation is founded on the sacrifices of individuals willing to step forward to defend it. Our American warriors love what’s behind them more than they fear what’s in front. I can say with total confidence that today’s men and women in uniform do more in a minute than I did in 4 ½ years of full-time active duty. And I can say from experience that you will not find finer people anywhere at any price. They don’t exist.
One of our nation’s finest heroes was Travis Manion, a Marine Corps 1st Lt. who was tragically lost in 2007 while trying to protect his Marines from an ambush. If you can please spend some time at www.travismanion.com and get to know Travis. Chances are that you’ll be riveted and will come back for more. A person like 1st Lt. Manion will truly continue to lead by example forever.
One thing I didn’t know was that Travis and his dad, Marine Col. Tom Manion, had signed up for the 2007 Marine Corps Marathon. The Marine Corps Marathon is where one of The Foundation’s signature events takes place with Team Travis blazing a trail of character that’s rarely seen anywhere. One could argue that Travis was there in 2007, even if not physically, and there every year since and will be for years to come.
The Travis Manion Foundation is one of the nation’s premier organizations that goes to great lengths for our Veterans. They’re just returning the favor and provide opportunities for the rest of us to help out in a profound and meaningful way. Thanks in advance for whatever you’re able to do.
I also encourage anyone to participate however you can at any number of “Heroes Runs” ( www.911heroesrun.com ) throughout the nation. The “home” event is a 5K and 1 Mile Fun Run at 2PM in Doylestown, PA on September 11th. It’s really a sight to see whether you run, volunteer or just attend as a spectator.
Another one that I like a lot is the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation who provides college scholarships to the children of Marines who didn’t return. The Scholarship Foundation’s goal at this year’s Marine Corps Marathon is to raise $100,000 with over 100 runners. They’ve awarded over 26,500 scholarships (by raising over $65 million) since 1962. Over 1,600 children were awarded scholarships for the upcoming academic year by this remarkable group (who can be found at www.mcsf.org ).
Thank you for understanding our military heroes and their sacrifices on our behalf. It’s not easy. Never has been and never will be. War almost doesn’t make sense, but neither does allowing pure evil to succeed and spread.
Please visit the web addresses above. You can support these Foundations through direct contributions or you can “Sponsor a Runner”, me, at my own site, http://corysteiner.blogspot.com .
Thanks again.

Looking For Intelligent Life - Bucks County Courier Times August 23, 2011

2011-08-27T05:57:00.001-07:00

OK, so union personnel embarrass themselves outside of our Congressman’s office to protest the loss of jobs when they’re primary activity is chasing away the competition. Am I missing something? Is it possible that decades of political manipulation and intimidation are coming home to roost?
The 70,000 jobs lost in Philly, as expressed by one protest sign, probably wasn’t Congressman Fitzpatrick’s fault, but was probably more due to unions chasing away 70,000 businesses that would have otherwise come to Philly if it weren’t for the carpenters’ and electricians’ unions going insane whenever someone chooses the free market over their oppressive antics.
This is all getting very weird. I’m still undecided whether to start protesting with giant inflatable cats or to just leave the planet in search of intelligent life.

Social Insecurity - Philly Burbs

2011-08-23T12:11:00.001-07:00

At this point most of us are aware that Democrats are corrupt and incompetent and that Republicans are weak and lack courage. It should be clear by now that politics is simply a game where most of us lose. Maybe we were once a Representative Republic, but those days are gone. Restoring who we are will happen when slightly more than half of our elected officials take their Oath of Office with deadly seriousness. Maybe it’ll happen one day, but we’re pretty far off.
In the mean time it can’t hurt to start thinking about required reforms. I’ll discuss Social Security since it’s the biggie and the underlying theme of it’s repair would be consistent among fixes in other arenas.
Many of us believe that each of us has our own Social Security account for which we have rights to. Social Security was activated on November 24, 1936 as a guaranteed retirement entitlement. However, in 1937 the court ruled in the Helvering vs. Davis case that Social Security was not an insurance program, saying that the Social Security taxes collected are to be paid into the Treasury like internal revenue taxes and are not earmarked in any specific way.
In 1960 the court ruled in the Flemming vs. Nestor case that Congress may, due to ever changing conditions, cut benefits, raise the retirement age, raise the tax, eliminate payments altogether or whatever else they wish to do.
So why, in a free society, am I required by law to set aside a portion of my earnings for presumed retirement payments? It can be argued that this creates a disincentive to assume the personal responsibility to prepare and the evidence to this is that so few diligently put a small amount away each month (or at all).
I personally think it’s much better to empower people now than to wait for Social Security to go broke. Then what? Why would anyone prefer to rely on government when most of us could do much better on our own?
The only answer that comes to mind is for us all to contribute a small amount to Social Security where the only recipients will be those who really need the help. Social Security as a sweeping entitlement simply isn’t viable and is rapidly headed for disaster.
With this simple shift away from the entitlement mentality will be a corresponding shift towards accountability and self-reliance. The options are endless, but I’m a firm believer in The Market. The stock market is often associated with risk, but dollar-cost-averaging over time and diversification generally reduces and/or eliminates risk.
There’s other investment programs, too, that lack risk from the start all of which are still better on every level than any government program.
The only real risk, then, would be if The Market gets wiped out and then money won’t matter anyway. History shows only upward trends with no indications of disaster and the true financial minds of our day will (and are right now as I write this) explain how the greatest threats to markets are the poor policies coming from our elected officials.
Social Security was doomed from the start as it morphed into the backdrop of political gamesmanship of epic proportions. The greatest security will surely come from “taking the risk” to reform and I’m hopeful that we can one day say “GAME OVER!” as we get back to the business of running a great nation.

God Is Watching Us - Philly Burbs

2011-08-05T14:31:00.001-07:00

After lots of thought I’ve decided to replace my “Stop Global Whining” bumper sticker with one that says “Wag More, Bark Less”. My dog seems to have everything in proper perspective so I’ll be following her example from here on out.
In my perception, there’s 3 levels of consciousness:
1. Unconscious
2. Viewing everything through the distorted prism of politics
3. Reality
This all began 10 years ago soon after witnessing the 9/11 attacks in New York in person. The nation came together in a remarkably profound manner only to be divided by politics within a few weeks.
My confusion led to getting involved with the local Republican Party in Cherry Hill, NJ at the exact time that they needed a Candidate for Mayor. I was as clueless as one could be, but took it seriously. Someone had to and that 6 month period was equivalent to earning a PhD in political science.
I didn’t like what I learned during that 6 month “cavalcade of behavior disorders” as I found that politics will breed the worst in people. Why some pursue leadership positions under the backdrop of a total lack of leadership escapes me to this day, but I continue to search for answers. Maybe it’s the best argument possible for limited government; the cornerstone of Conservatism.
Two things really bothered me during that time. One woman ran up to me honoring my bravery. I honestly didn’t know what she was talking about - now just trying to do what’s right is being brave. I would say that it’s just being a normal functioning human being. Not brave at all and I found her glee to be disturbing. Another, a very prominent physician, secretly told my wife that she’s voting for me, but to please not tell anyone. Huh?
Even today the threat from Obama to withhold Social Security payments and military salaries should be a red flag to counting on government for much of anything, but we keep viewing our world through the distorted prism of politics to our own detriment. What is it that brought us all together immediately following 9/11 and how can that be replicated in a positive way? That is the challenge, I believe, for our future.
There are other things that bother me about politics; some specific and some more general. One is the notion of “tolerance”. “Tolerance” would suggest that there’s something inferior that needs to be tolerated. My belief that we’re all fundamentally equal would conclude that there’s nothing at all that would ever need to be tolerated and that here we have yet another politically charged theme that serves no purpose other than to divide us for the self-serving goals of leadership without leadership.
Another is the great abortion debate. There are times when people have to address a tragic situation and an answer won’t be uncovered from a political candidate pandering to one side or the other. And there’s certainly no political solution for those who think it’s OK to violently mutilate unborn children. Those who do think it’s OK probably shouldn’t have children anyway which might make me pro-choice. Quite a quandary, I would say, but just stop it. This one’s really getting old.
Should we get into education? Playing politics on the backs of our children creates an actual chemical imbalance for me at School Board Meetings. My friends get a kick out of it, but sometimes I even scare myself. I won’t bore you with details, but state and federal mandates need to be replaced with parents and teachers empowered to run their districts however it will best serve their own children and communities.
One last current affair that I find repulsive is the gays-in-the-military non-issue. It’s a non-issue since most gays in the military are there to serve their nation. They’re not there to express their sexuality. It’s even a non-issue for them, but now we have the military as a venue for gay activism. Just why?
I guess what I’m getting at is that we’re becoming a nation that promotes conformity, suppression and obedience which leads to indifference, dependence on government and a dead spirit. We can stop this right now by not getting overly excited by politics, politicians and candidates, but by getting excited about ourselves. We need to, as a nation, rise to a higher level of consciousness where we spend our time developing the win/win solutions that we’re capable of. This rises way above anything labeled Democrat, Republican, Liberal or Conservative.
The only thing I’m sure about is that anyone who isn’t confused probably doesn’t really know what’s going on. I don’t even know if the above makes sense or follows a rational train of thought. Either way, I thank you for entertaining my idealism and will try to do better next time. God is Watching Us so you can count on it.

It's Not About Guns - Philly Burbs

2011-07-11T16:53:00.001-07:00

The Right to Keep and Bear Arms. What does that mean? Why is it important?
“A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” “Militia” refers to “all able bodied men”. “People” as it also appears everywhere else in the Constitution refers to “us”. And “shall not be infringed” means “shall not be infringed”.
We all want the same thing; that is, safety and our continued way of life. There are three types of controllers:
1. Those who are misinformed who think that they’re doing the right thing.
2. Those who project their own fears of what they would do with a firearm if they had one. And
3. Politicians who use gun-control to scare people into voting a certain way.
So where did this all start? After all, a few decades ago we could all buy a handgun from the Sears catalog and see an episode of “Leave it to Beaver” with Beaver handling firearms with his girlfriend’s father. Modern day gun-control began with the assassinations and inner city riots of the 1960’s. Clearly, these incidents had absolutely nothing to do with the law-abiding gun owner, but those concerned with politics over fact and logic immediately set out to take firearms away from those who didn’t do it (as an easy measure to cover up their own failed policies).
Continued efforts to undermine the Second Amendment threaten the core concept of liberty. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms isn’t about guns – it’s about our inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Millions of Americans see the right to protect themselves and their families as their single most important civil right (whether they exercise that right or not).
Additionally (and ultimately), the Second Amendment keeps hostile foreign forces foreign and keeps our government from becoming hostile.
Our Founding Fathers understood this when they drafted The Constitution. Every article and Amendment is crucial. Our Founders conducted a grand experiment to create the most fertile environment possible for the human spirit to flourish. They suggested that we were all born with certain inalienable rights and the Second Amendment is their ultimate safeguard.
The Constitution doesn’t give us these rights. We already have them. The Constitution just ensures that our federal government can’t take them away. There was significant opposition to The Constitution over 200 years ago as probably the same ratio of people then as today were afraid of the personal responsibility that freedom requires.
What would happen if our Constitution does erode?
The 1920’s German economy was in ruins and several political parties were jockeying for position. Germany began with gun registration in 1928 as one of the “for the good of the people” measures. Hitler then followed up with total gun confiscation as a prelude to the Holocaust. 21 million non-combatants were killed as a result. Despite having one of the most powerful armies in the world, the Nazis still feared the civilian ownership of firearms along with their profound disdain for people who think for themselves. The Holocaust would not have happened were it not for gun-control and all the while, many victims said, “This can’t happen here. We’re Germans first.”.
Hitler’s experiment was to eliminate the human spirit in favor of total obedience while our Founding Fathers’ experiment was to unleash the full potential of the human spirit. The results speak for themselves. It’s important to note that similar evil exists today in many parts of the world and that those oppressed are essentially no different than you or I. You will see the same exact human spirit in them that you see when you look in the mirror.
Many would argue that our rights come from God. Jewish law says that “If someone comes to kill you, arise quickly and kill him.” Roman Catholic doctrine says that “Someone who defends his life is not guilty of murder even if he is forced to deal his aggressor a lethal blow.” And Protestant doctrine says that an “Individual has personal and unalienable right to self defense, even against government.”.
People are inherently good. That given the choice between good and evil, most will choose good. Unfortunately, sometimes bad things happen to good people in a free society. It gets much worse, though, as freedoms disappear.
Gun-control laws ignore intent in that they are aimed at those who haven’t done anything morally wrong. Such laws proclaim the moral content of one’s actions to be irrelevant. This suggests that character isn’t all that important, that understanding the difference between right and wrong doesn’t matter and that it’s more important to follow orders than to act responsibly and ethically.
A state that deprives its law-abiding citizens with the means of self defense is itself a barbaric accomplice to violent crime. A government that does not trust its citizens with the right to keep and bear arms is itself not worthy of trust. And no government possesses moral judgment that is superior to that of the people.
The fact is that our freedom is not dependent on how criminals behave. Guns contain no independent power to cause results apart from our decisions, character and purpose. As a matter of fact, 10 out of 10 criminals favor gun-control because restricting our 2nd Amendment rights gives them greater predatory confidence.
Gun-control laws are only honored by the law-abiding. Such laws feed the black market and have a direct effect on an increase in crime. Law-abiding citizens tend to remain so even after they’re armed, but I think we can all agree to punish those who commit crimes and not those who obey the law.
People’s views on guns usually indicate their views on personal freedom. The armed citizen is the ultimate right of a free people and no one who looks to government to solve their problems can call themselves free. Fact and logic would indicate that disarming the law-abiding does not create a safe society.
So, yes, the Second Amendment is as relevant today as it was over 200 years ago, if not more so. The Second Amendment isn’t only personal security; it’s also Homeland Security.
It’s my opinion that a raped and strangled woman isn’t necessarily morally superior to a woman with a smoking gun in her hand and a dead rapist at her feet. I understand that firearm ownership is a threat to a utopian illusion that doesn’t exist, but I don’t understand why the “civilized elite” distrusts citizens more than they fear murderers. It does make sense, though, that the 2nd Amendment is a threat to those with oppressive beliefs.
America was founded on the principles of personal responsibility, accountability and self reliance and hasn’t remained free because of delusional activists who view themselves as special people who know what’s best for everyone else.
Giving up the right to arms is a mistake that a free people get to make only once.

The Making of a Marine - Philly Burbs

2011-06-14T05:43:00.000-07:00

I usually feel a bit awkward when thanked for my military service since I gained a lot more from my 4+ years as a full-time Marine than I contributed. I always had very high goals and a lot of motivation, but just didn’t have the discipline and direction to make much of anything happen. The missing elements were provided courtesy of the United States Marine Corps which I’d like to explain so that others might benefit.
I would go to great lengths to get to the starting line only to fall flat on the first hurdle. The best example of this was making the cut for my college wrestling team probably as an experiment to see what can be made from raw untested desire to succeed. Being surrounded by some serious examples of accomplishment for a few years was my introduction to what it takes, but I eventually discovered that wishful thinking is not good enough. The first step, as explained by one of the finest coaches of all time, is often the most difficult which is being honest with the most important person to be honest with - yourself.
The next challenge was committing to the Marines upon graduation. There was some sort of unexplained desire to serve. My sense was that the greatest challenge and most intensive military experience would come from the Marine Corps.
The initial training ended up having a 40% graduation rate. My class consisted of Ivy League superstars, Olympic level athletes, prior Enlisted Marines who put themselves through college in their spare time and so on. There I was yet again surrounded by greatness, but I wasn’t one of them. The one element that all 40% of us shared was a total commitment to graduation before arriving and the entire training was founded on a thorough internalization of a 100% no-compromise version of integrity.
I met my 2 mentors at Camp Pendleton after over a year of training. The first immediately took me under his wing upon my arrival and berated me until I understood how competence and good humor are an extraordinary combination to lead young Marines with. Some of you might have known Brian Teeple (a fellow Neshaminy Maple Point grad from Levittown). He was the model Marine Officer who didn’t have to ever tell anyone how good he was. His humble presence and positive attitude explained everything.
The second was Gunnery Sergeant Aviu who taught the finer points of Marine Corps leadership to those who observed. He was a massive Hawaiian with a thick accent and medals up to the top of his left shoulder. His record suggested a bit of an anti-authority complex since he seemed to have dropped a few ranks along the way, but further investigation revealed more of an anti-incompetence complex. I learned everything I needed to know from him and promoting him to Master Sergeant was probably my greatest achievement.
Leadership is what defines the Marine Corps. Helping others to do their very best is accomplished by:
- Setting the example
- Keeping your word at all times
- Having the courage to stand up for what’s right especially if you’re the only one doing it
- Doing what’s right especially when no one’s watching
- Being on time
- Getting the job done without being told
- Being friendly and respectful
- Treating EVERYONE equally
- Being enthusiastic and encouraging others to do what they do best
- Being neat and clean
- Sharing unpleasant tasks
- Knowing that you’re doing something wrong if everyone likes you
- Putting the needs of others before your own
- Privately correcting others when they’re wrong
- Helping others when they’re in trouble
- Weighing the facts with good judgment
Two organizations that allow those who haven’t served to do so and for those who have served to continue to do so are The Travis Manion Foundation and the Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation. They can be found at www.travismanion.com and www.mcsf.org (and briefly explained on my own blog at http://corysteiner.blogspot.com ). True leadership transcends the trivial into the realm of what’s really important to us all which is embodied with pure clarity by these organizations and others like them.
I can say with confidence that integrity is much less expensive than the cost of not having any and is certainly a path where you’ll never get lost. I’ve also observed that almost everyone can be afraid of the dark, but it’s a fear of the light that keeps many from reaching their fullest potential. And, without a doubt, the more you appreciate what you have the more you will have to appreciate.
But I think that the most important thing is that it’s our differences that make us what we are as a nation. Our differences are our strength best said by “One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” And anyone who doesn’t like it can tell it to the Marines.

Cory

A Diamond In The Rough - Philly Burbs "Politically Correct" Blog

2011-06-02T14:12:00.000-07:00

I was like a deer-in-the-headlights upon hearing President Obama forcefully request that Israel return their borders to the boundaries of 1967. My first thought was of those lost securing the one outpost of peace in a very hostile Middle East. It’s as if our President was purposefully expressing some sort of contempt for Prime Minister Netanyahu a week before his visit to the United States.
My second thought was that these boundaries were barely defensible in 1967. The profound demographic changes since then make them even less so now.
Shouldn’t President Obama concentrate on running our nation before telling others how to run theirs? Israel has been a Jewish land for over 4,000 years with Jerusalem arguably the world capital of human rights. Jews have embraced the notion that all people are created equal for thousands of years even when surrounded by slave owning empires. The last Jews of ancient Israel even committed suicide at the top of Masada to avoid living a life void of peace, justice and equality among all. And Jerusalem remains today a united city founded on these values where even Israeli Arabs refuse to give up their freedoms and economic privileges as citizens of Israel.
Is it possible that our President is simply pandering to the bigotry of anti-semitism in a quest for some sort of naive approval? Is he throwing Israel under the bus in an attempt to establish improved relationships with the Muslim world while ignoring the Palestinian goal of destroying Israel? Peace cannot be imposed, but must be negotiated; and not with a government backed by terror organizations.
Since its founding in 1948 all 6 Israeli Prime Ministers have called for a Palestinian State, but Palestinian leaders are simply unwilling to end the war to destroy Israel. They’d rather teach their children to hate and name town squares after suicide bombers. They are not serious about peace and will not accept a Jewish State under any circumstances.
Maybe it’s because the only free Arabs in the Middle East are those in Israel. It sets a very bad precedent for tyrannical dictators whose people desire the same rights that exist in Israel. Israel as a world leader in technology, too, doesn’t hurt the argument for peace, freedom and democracy. I don’t know; maybe it’s a good thing that we’re hated by the most vicious people on the planet. It might just be all one needs to know about us although I can’t help to wonder if radical Islam threatens Islam more than anything else.
Obviously it’s still fashionable to blame ones’ problems on the Jews in Israel and elsewhere; however, we still have a President trying to suggest boundaries that will likely have the unintended consequences of advancing something other than peace.
Personally, I’d much rather confront an honest enemy than a dishonest friend. I’m still confused over President Obama’s request, but am encouraged that seasoned leaders have presented another perspective. Scapegoats like Israel will always serve their “purpose” for governments that remain corrupt and incompetent, but it is only a democratic Israel that will protect the rights of all people (and those who cherish freedom must always guard it).
The silence can sometimes be deafening (especially among many American Jews who have a blind allegiance to Democrats), but allows the rest of us to hear “Never Again” more clearly. Through it all Israel remains a diamond-among-the-rough sparkling bright from the light of freedom.

It's the End of the World As We Know It, But I Feel Fine - Bucks County Courier Times January 18, 2011

2011-01-05T06:00:00.000-08:00

A friend just told me about an article that said it's healthy to be pessimistic. I instantly got very excited about my extremely bad attitude.
On my way to one of the 17 state and federal candidate interviews with the Courier Times' Editorial Staff I had an uneasy feeling that none of the problems that we've discussed will be resolved anytime soon.
In my opinion we can only enjoy true freedom by accepting responsibility for our own safety, education, food, shelter, medical care, retirement, etc. Economic growth and universal prosperity are driven by free markets; not government programs and their associated political manipulation.
One of my oldest memories happened right across the street from the Courier Times 45 years ago in Stonybrook when I got a glass of orange juice, laid down and poured it all over myself as I tried to take a drink. I've been fascinated with the cause/effect relationship ever since.
For example, increasing taxes on the rich leads to tax evasion which slows economic and job growth. The financially wealthy often become so by working day and night for a long time to provide something of great value. We rarely see the blood, sweat and tears it took and tend to overlook the risk, failures and uncertainty that defined the journey.
You either believe in the American Economy or you don't. Free Markets are a perfect machine of complex cause/effect relationships that cannot be manipulated to work better. Fraud and abuse should be regulated; not economic freedom.
We're trying to repair health care with what caused the problem in the first place. Health care has morphed into a "special interest feeding trough" where pennies on the dollar of our $2 trillion a year industry goes to medical care. The only way to fix it is to go in the other direction by putting individuals (not bureaucrats) in charge. No one will be left behind if properly implemented and you'll even find competition for pre-existing conditions. The market driven/patient guided model (as discussed by Regina Herzlinger in "Who Killed Health Care" and "Market Driven Health Care") is the only way.
The most popular topic was that of a Constitutional Convention. I started printing out the PA State Constitution until my computer said "Printing Page 1 of 66". We need 2 Constitutional Conventions - one to eliminate everything that has nothing to do with basic rights and individual freedoms and then another to discuss the processes of running state government. Our State Constitution has evolved into a dishonorably crafted legal document and true legislative reform will not happen until this impenetrable bureaucracy is dismantled.
We were told that 5,000+ feet under Pennsylvania is the Saudi Arabia of natural gas. Drillers are already taxed in Pennsylvania. Adding an extraction tax will send more money to Harrisburg to fund projects that have nothing to do with drilling. Marcellus Shale is a safe step towards energy independence that will create opportunities for communities with endless ripple effects. It's the ultimate win/win.
Teacher strikes came up a lot. We can't prevent anyone from leaving their workplace, but we should definitely be able to prevent them from ever returning. I'm having trouble finding the words to describe the lack of integrity surrounding this issue other than to say that it demonstrates the failures of our current state systems.
Everyone's concerned about the pension crisis that's literally destroying the nation and the best solution came from a Democrat candidate who said we shouldn't be in the pension business. Each individual in charge of their own pension would create competition, choice and yet another win/win for all. Most candidates talked about pooling pension plans into a central bureaucratic authority which was unfortunate.
There's a lot more to discuss, but all that most would like is some sanity and leadership founded on accountability, courage and strong moral character. Candidates campaign year after year through a revolving door of false promises that enable a culture of dysfunction that never changes.
I really don't know what to do so I'm appealing to the next Editorial Board to pour juice over the heads of future candidates before the interviews begin. Other than restoring dueling I honestly can't think of anything else.

Observations From An O&P Road Warrior: Putting Patient Care First - O&P Business News October 2010

2010-10-01T04:51:00.000-07:00

Someone once said that it takes 20 years to be an overnight success. I find that encouraging being an O&P sales rep for 19 years.
It seems like the challenges that continue today began around the time as the talk of universal healthcare. HMO's sprouted up in response that offered billion dollar paychecks to some CEO's and everyone got a legislated advantage (and has been for years) except for patients and those on the front lines of their care. Increased inefficiency overtook our $2 trillion a year healthcare market that patients increasingly navigate through as if in a pinball machine.
Many ACL/OA knee brace reps, for example, responded by seeking ways to profit from fitting patients directly. They would rent space in physicians' offices and/or function out of the trunks of their cars. Many others joined the fray, but a small group of loyal sales reps stayed the course - many to their own demise.
It's always great to commiserate wtih my fellow O&P reps at state and national meetings. We're a hardcore minion who very much like what we do and really like our customers. We all seem to be cut from the same cloth and probably see much of ourselves in those we serve. Many of us have served in the military, were accomplished athletes or simply drive American cars.
I think we stay, in the face of opportunities elsewhere, because we're a bit awed by what you do when you really think about it. One of your prosthetic patients even effortlessly passed me on mile 20 of the Marine Corps Marathon on the very long uphill bridge back into Virginia.
We all just strive to do things the right way (which can be difficult at times). Everyone's scrambling to find the right answers, but it ultimately exists in restoring our healthcare system with the patient in charge (and not lawyers, elected officials or someone in some far away cubicle). For those interested, Regina Herzlinger's "Market Driven Healthcare" and "Who Killed Healthcare?" explains who this must evolve.
We continue to reinvent ourselves in ways that allow us to best serve our patients, our customers and ourselves. In my case, continuing to sell ACL and OA knee braces in a moral manner left me feeling like a WWII Japanese Soldier lost in the jungle after the war ended. A customer recently shared with me that they very much like how I do business, but that's why I'm unfortunately not as successful as I could be. Without blinking I responded that I'm very successful - it's only the "money" part that hasn't yet caught up.
Certainly, many state O&P organizations have implemented or are trying to implement laws to ensure that only qualified personnel are treating patients, but then the challenge of enforcement begins. There's a Bill or two floating around Congress, too, that periodically peeks out from hiding. Again, patients must resume control before we're all to move forward, but a few Band-Aids along the way may serve as a temporary partial fix.
The driving force of reinvention is in how to best serve others in current/existing climates. Serving others is the fundamental element in patient care, sales and product development. It's the core principle of leadership in just about any endeavor. I can't claim any heroics, but spent 5 full-time years in the Marine Corps with those who can. What I learned firsthand from them carries over perfectly into other venues.
They demonstrated that leadership means helping others to do their best. This is a lifelong work-in-progress, but rather simple. It's founded in:
1. Setting the example;
2. Keeping your word;
3. Having the courage to stand up for what's right;
4. Getting the job done without being told;
5. Being friendly a respectful and treating everyone equally;
6. Sharing unpleasant tasks;
7. Privately correcting others when they're wrong, but also helping them when in trouble; and
8. Weighing the facts with honesty and good judgment.
They say to never discuss politics in sales, but I don't know who "They" are and I think that they're wrong. It's your job to educate your doctors why it's a bad idea to have sales reps touching their patients. It may even become criminal so why function in that gray area that's really not all that gray. It's equally or more important to educate your patients why they're best served by qualified professionals. It would seem like a no-brainer, but sometimes I do expect too much. It's knee and back braces today, more involved custom orthoses tomorrow and maybe prosthetics one day unless you band together to get the job done on several fronts - locally, statewide and nationally.
There is strength in numbers.

Leadership Is the Missing Element - Bucks County Courier Times June 27, 2010

2010-09-30T13:00:00.000-07:00

I just returned from the latest Pennsbury School Board meeting and was "intrigued" by the environment of confrontation and defiance along with the fantastic display of total cluelessness. It was as if some were trying to defend their profession by making others feel guilty for their disrespect. Not sure where this comes from since we place teachers in a very high position of honor. We demonstrate this, in part, by paying them well because we value their service to our community.
But making everything about money is not the way to secure an increased salary or enhance one's standing. It's how to create hostility and we're clearly on the fast track to disaster.
I read an article that described why the best sales people are former teachers and nurses. It's because they're most in touch with the needs of others and how to best serve them. The theme that some seem incapable of understanding is that your own needs follow when you put those of others first. It's the underlying principle of the best organizations.
I've met very few teachers that I'd show the door to, but there are other opportunities if one needs to make more money. Teaching is not a business, but some have found that the qualities of a great teacher are the same as a great business person. Success anywhere is generally a 24/7 affair and it often takes 20 years to be an "overnight success".
There's an entitlement mentality that I just can't put my finger on that functions on the backs of our children. I was a senior during the 50+ day Neshaminy strike and a parent during Pennsbury's. There's a dysfunction somewhere in the system that needs to change.
I wonder if leadership is the missing element. There are forces hard at work making sure that pennies on the dollar of our taxes get to the intended recipient; from the buttons, billboards, ads and mailers that we see locally in Pennsbury to much larger violations in almost every sector of our current state of inefficiency and underperformance.
In all honesty, though, I'm having trouble getting my hands around the teacher's spouse who constantly uses Public Comment at the Pennsbury School Board meetings to excoriate the members of the Board who authorize his lifetime benefits and also the community members who pay for them. I just might petition the Board to pass a resolution that anyone who receives lifetime benefits from Pennsbury taxpayers will only be permitted to say "thank you" during Public Comment from their hands and knees.
I can understand others playing politics with my children, but putting politics before their own children is a bit startling. From the Democrat Party plants who spoke with the eloquence of Eva Braun to those yearning for the approval of their peers all I could hear when they opened their mouths was the radio rebroadcast of the Hindenburg disaster. Some were even shocked that some Board Members have the nerve to keep their fellow citizens informed.
Why is leadership so elusive today? Maybe too many thing that political manipulation is the way to get a desired result rather than good old-fashioned courage, enthusiasm and integrity. It's not so much about getting what you want, but rather in helping others to do their best. It's about standing up for what's right and doing a job properly without being told. It is not about being sloppy, self-centered and unpleasant.
The solution isn't something that will be mandated, legislated or manipulated. It will be in following the lead of good teachers, kids, parents and so on that are already doing the right things (even when no one's looking). It will be standing up for what's right even if you're the only one doing it and not taking "no" for an answer. Because history always repeats itself - those who continually bite the hand that feeds them eventually end up licking the boot that kicks them. I think all of us would much rather join hands in a unified partnership of the common vision of a great community.
Do it for the children and I'll bet that you'll have ended up doing it for yourself as well.

Bucks County Courier Times - March 28, 2010

2010-03-28T09:02:00.001-07:00

Corruption, submission and a compulsive lust for power have replaced our great traditions with "golden calf" worship and a sheep-like dependence on government.

Some Things Never Change

2010-03-13T08:44:00.000-08:00

"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work instead of living on public assistance." Cicero 55BC

One Nation Under God - Bucks County Courier Times January 3, 2010

2009-12-29T07:15:00.000-08:00

Ever since getting involved in New Jersey politics I've had an uncontrollable urge to understand self-service masquerading as public service. I thought that I'd be fine once moving back to Bucks County, but the entire country has become New Jersey. Not too long ago I was one of the masses who was completely oblivious to politics and often wish I was still among them. Instead, I write these incoherent rants as part of my therapy.
Fortunately, there are several good people stepping forward. Not to be overly critical of our current crop of elected officials, but it takes a special person to oppose their own party (that's lost its way). For some weird reason we're being led by many smooth talkers who lack character and are, therefore, not special. I think it's because they get elected by many who need to justify to their subconscious that it's OK to not have any integrity.
Some criticize both parties today as being indistinguishable. I find that to be somehow encouraging. It implies that maybe we're all a lot more alike than different. You see, the Republican Party was formed in 1854 specifically to end slavery because slavery was inconsistent with our Constitution (which is the outline of the natural human condition as designed by God). The Republican Party became very popular and many Republicans won their races as a direct result of the black vote.
The political party of unshakable virtue became thoroughly corrupt by the 1870's and the Democrats took over. It's gone back and forth ever since because way too many are incapable of resisting the highest bidder.
I think what has confused me the most is the current struggle between socialism and capitalism. Socialism assumes that we can trust government bureaucrats to distribute our valuable resources better than the free and open market. NOT! Socialism is funded by capitalism. Some proof is George Soros funding the radical left-wing MoveOn.org brutally nitwitted organization (who attacks everything that's decent) with money made by manipulating markets. Classic "biting the hand that feeds you".
Let's take a local example of how our elected officials answer to the special interests that fund their campaigns and not to the people who they're entrusted to serve. Our Lower Makefield Township Supervisors passed Ordinance 369, the Responsible Contractor Ordinance, which back-handedly requires union labor for public projects over $20,000. Ever since its passage we've had emboldened union members and those fun giant inflatable rats picketing the work-sites of honest hardworking contributors to the Bucks County community who didn't select their labor.
Now we have a $6 million bond in LMT to build ball fields. An article in the June 2003 Philadelphia Business Journal reported that the labor component of the unions who manipulate politics (in the manner of LMT Ordinance 369) is 40% more expensive than free and open market labor. It makes one wonder how much of that $6 million is going to our kids and how much of it will be taxpayers directly funding a political machine. Another question is why Bucks County Republicans aren't screaming bloody murder.
We could go on, but probably don't have to. Ordinance 369 is just a microcosm of what's happening to our nation and it will continue if we persist in being as oblivious as I was not too long ago.
As Americans we share a strong belief in limited government, low taxes and free markets. We believe in personal responsibility, accountability and self-reliance. And, most importantly, we believe that we are all fundamentally equal (and don't have to be made that way through government programs). We are the rejects from around the world with a very strong anti-authority complex and it's about time we start acting like it.
We've gone horribly wrong in the first 10 years of the millennia, but everything does go in cycles. Character matters and if there's ever a time to fix bayonets and draw a line in the sand it's now. Lasting peace requires freedom and justice throughout the world and there's no better place to start than right here. After all, we are One Nation Under God and I'd like to keep it that way.

It's Official: Integrity Counts - Bucks County Courier Times October 16, 2009

2009-11-05T20:31:00.000-08:00

There's something familiar about the ongoing attacks on Simon Campbell, candidate for Pennsbury School Board. The most recent distortions in letters to the editor compliment the four mailings that went to Republican voters during the Primary Election showing Mr. Campbell's head on a guy with a picket sign, his head in a chess piece, an "alert" that he takes union money to support his campaign and a note on a clipboard that he'll force a strike. My only fear is that I'll one day open my mailbox to a picture of Simon's head on a rhinoceros.
Not to be nit-picky, but the anti-Simon campaign that the local Democrat glitterati implemented for the Primary resulted in a landslide victory for Mr. Campbell and his outstanding running-mate Kathleen Zawacki, a former FBI Agent and concerned parent. Lower Makefield Democrat Party bosses funneled $4,500 into a third party PAC called "Integrity Counts" to unleash their smear campaign and hide the money. In the name of common decency I insist that this money be refunded since hundreds of Democrats and Republicans joined together to make Campbell and Zawacki the top candidates, by far, in the Primary. Think of it as a merit-based pay scale.
Let's go back to a time where this all began. Simon Campbell was one of the few parents who very vocally opposed throwing 11,000 kids out of school over a $5 co-pay. A Pennsbury teacher and her spouse spread rumors that Simon was threatening teachers and their dogs. All were false, but it was heartwarming to observe Simon taking the high road to stay focused on somehow ending teacher strikes.
It's amazing how union activists criticize parents for not being involved enough and then criticize those who are involved. Sometimes I honestly think that this is all too much for me and there's a very good chance that it is.
The Bill that's circulating through Harrisburg to end teacher strikes is a win/win solution for this oppressive problem. My only criticism of Mr. Campbell is that his Bill does not go far enough. A more appropriate bill would simply end striking teachers, decertify the union and ban any striking teacher from ever setting foot in front of a student again in the state of Pennsylvania (where a thorough and efficient system of public education is a state-mandated Constitutional Right).
Mr. Campbell has not called for this because he's either far too rational or just a closet liberal. Part of the severance package would be to spend a week at work with the parents of the kids they used to teach and a one-year subscription to Monster.com. See, we're not all bad.
So where do we go from here? A good rule of thumb is to believe none of what you hear and half of what you see. The usual suspects will be hard at work giving their best. The Integrity Counts Committee that makes a career of spreading distortions might, again, prove that integrity does count after all. Either way, it'll be a good time had.
But what I don't understand is that those who whine most about Simon Campbell are those who created him. I'm a very proud Pennsbury parent, but there are issues that need addressing. Many are certainly at the state and national level, but someone who's willing to contront a charging bull head on is welcome today at any level.
The problem that many of us should get over is the struggle between standing for principle vs. trying to get along with everyone. It's nice to get along with others, but trying to appease those who dishonor themselves and degrade their profession only enables more of the same.
We need a completely new way of doing business and everyone has to pitch in to find the solutions that will best serve kids, parents, taxpayers and teachers. It is possible if we focus on each other a little more and a little less on politics. Maybe even ignore party affiliation, make yourself some tea and vote for the best candidates. It's quite liberating.

Health Scare - Bucks County Courier Times August 20, 2009

2009-07-28T18:33:00.001-07:00

Underlying the healthcare debate is the finest medical delivery system in the world. The solution is to make efficient use of available resource; to include the most intelligent, caring and hardest working people on the planet. Giving bureaucrats more control and interfering with the patient/doctor relationship will result in one of the greatest declines in our history.
Markets are incredibly complicated and their manipulation will often have undesirable ripple effects. The good news is that free markets are a "perfect machine" if left alone. Consumer choice and competition create an efficient environment of simplicity and availability. The first step, though, is to correct the current legal climate.
Tort reform is critical. Doctors are not malicious people and things do occasionally go wrong. Those trying to help you are the last ones to blame. Caps on non-economic damages simply have to happen. Specialists cannot perform their duties to their fullest potential when having to pay well into the 6-figures for medical malpractice insurance just to practice their craft.
There are legitimate claims, but there is terrible abuse by the legal community. Half of our traitorous members of Congress are lawyers so there's no surprise why this isn't on the table. There's just too many in leadership positions today putting their dysfunctional self-serving elitism before what's really important. Their corrupt behavior legitimizes dishonorable practices and encourages a vicious litigious cycle. Most of our problems today can be traced back to the core American values of personal responsibility, accountability and self-reliance getting lost in the shuffle.
Additional unnecessary costs are a direct result of doctors favoring expensive tests over clinical expertise. They are backed into this corner to cover themselves from an oppressive legal system. Excessive testing often has nothing to do with outcomes, but has everything to do with documentation for potential lawsuits. The costs of defensive medicine are unfortunate and remarkably draining to our entire economy (not to mention outright dangerous).
Another measure to consider is to penalize lawyers who make frivolous lawsuits. Introduce a "Loser Pays" rule to make some think twice about demonizing highly dedicated professionals. There can be special health courts presided by judges with unique experience in health related matters.
An additional step in solving our healthcare challenges is to reduce mandates. Allow people to select plans that meet their specific needs. I may wish to have a "catastrophic" plan only and pay for my annual physicals out of my own pocket as I go. Or I might prefer a health savings account that serves as an investment from which I can pull funds to pay for health requirements as needed or keep the money if I don't need the healthcare.
Tax breaks for the self-insured will be an important part of the solution as will access to plans across state lines. Higher co-pay/higher deductible/lower premium plans might make sense for some. Also, HMO's and insurance companies should not be making the patient care decisions that only medical professionals are qualified to make.
A problem with "free" healthcare is that there will be a core of people who will try to get as much of it as they can (whether they need it or not), will use it to get out of work and/or will simply make it an activity in and of itself. A free market healthcare system is the only way to put doctors, nurses, their supporting personnel and us back in charge. There is no other way to best serve the patient with quality care. The current proposals knock the patient down a few rungs on the priority list in favor of politics. Government programs will not lead to better care and will eventually lead to rationing when expenses become unsustainable.
Those who embrace universal healthcare are looking for government to solve a problem that they created in the first place. The unintended consequences of good intentions are often worse than the original condition and are grossly unfair. The solutions are simple and already at our fingertips and our President and Congress are in desperate need of a 2nd opinion before we all become terminal.

It's RINO Season The Bulletin May 5, 2009

2009-05-05T05:22:00.001-07:00

There's a lot of confusion over Senator Specter's defection, but maybe that's encouraging since anyone who's not confused has no idea what's going on. Some might say that he defected from a position of leadership some time ago.
At least you know you're voting "politics-first" by voting Democrat vs. the illusion you're not by voting Republican. Hence the confusion.
The Republican Party was formed in 1854 specifically to end slavery. The GOP's heritage continued with the Civil Rights Act of 1866 which defended newly freed slaves from the "Black Codes" of Southern Democrats and granted all people the right to own property, engage in business, sign contracts and file lawsuits.
For some reason today's Republicans believe they can advance by behaving like Democrats and Senator Specter will likely prove the futility of this strategy once and for all. The real Republican Party stands for limited government, low taxes and free markets. The "plantation mentality" of yesterday still exists that strives to get as many as possible on government programs in exchange for votes.
Republicans must understand that the future of the Party is a return to its roots of personal responsibility, accountability and self-reliance where everyone is fundamentally equal. The solutions that we all seek are the winning formula of tomorrow where "politics-at-all-costs" will be nothing but a faded memory.

Walk Tall - Bucks County Courier Times April 17, 2009

2009-03-30T20:37:00.000-07:00

I finally figured out that Bucks County politics is becoming the movie "Walking Tall". This is a favorite where Buford Pusser returns to his hometown after serving in the Marine Corps to find it being over-run by corruption and greed. He takes matters into his own hands with a 2x4 and then runs for Sheriff.
There was a construction site in Lower Makefield Township where an assisted living home now resides. I drove by one day to find, to my horror, giant inflatable rats from our electrician friends. They were very upset that the project was using free market labor. The nerve.
We were very excited to hear of a new Amish Farmer's Market coming to Bristol. The only thing I enjoy more than a farmer's market is a buffet. We were greeted by the remarkably annoying electricians of IBEW Local 269 from Trenton, NJ who were very upset by the guy in the hat who understands free markets. They urged us to call the owner to tell him how we feel and provided us with his number. I called Mr. Stoltzfus and thanked him for bringing a fantastic very well run business to Bucks County and for standing up to union intimidation.
Sadly, it gets better. The Makefield Elementary School renovation project was about to be awarded to the lowest bidder who, by sheer coincidence, is a non-union business. A higher bidder threw a fit stating something about windows not being up to specs. You guessed it - the temper tantrum was from union personnel who think it's OK to play their games on the backs of our kids - NOT. They threatened to sue Pennsbury if they don't get the contract. I could go into greater detail, but my delicate mind can't take much more. After all, all bidders on school contracts must meet state-mandated wage and benefit requirements (that are in line with union wages and benefits). Where's Simon Campbell when you need him? Oh: http://www.betterpennsbury.com/ .
This type of intimidation encourages a good business to think twice about coming to a particular area. Some of our public officials are legislating like Philly and New Jersey politicians by enabling limited thinkers to manipulate the system for short-term political gain. The unions of today strive to eliminate the competition, but the real champion of workers' rights is the free market.
There are several things that one can do. Probably the best thing (if you feel that there's a problem that needs addressing) would be to identify those politicians and candidates who are receiving campaign contributions from the likes of IBEW Local 269. Some gladly accept their campaign money (which clearly condones this sort of union intimidation). Residents should most certainly vote politicians who demonstrate this behavior out of office.
They don't understand the very basics of leadership which is simply taking care of your people and doing the right thing (especially when no one's looking). My Marine Corps buddies and I often debated whether accomplishing the mission is more important than looking out for your people or vice-versa. We were split down the middle, but I'm a firm believer that properly taking care of your people allows you to accomplish anything so they come first ALWAYS (no exceptions).
Ultimately, the solution is for intelligent and experienced people to run for office who will take their oath of public service much more seriously than a blind allegience to a political party or special interest group (that uses fear and intimidation to get its way).
We teach integrity at home, but tolerate violators elsewhere. Sometimes we fail to exercise it ourselves and are even impressed by he or she who "gets over" the most. The days of apathy are over.
Individual liberty works. Freedom and jobs go hand-in-hand. States with right-to-work laws (where union membership and/or union dues are not a condition of employment) are booming and it's there where Pennsylvania's jobs are going. The solutions are simple. We The People are the most powerful special interest group in the nation and have to start acting like it. "Walking Tall II" should be interesting as we prepare our proverbial 2x4's.

Who's Controlling Who - Bucks County Courier Times March 9, 2009

2009-02-26T05:45:00.000-08:00

In response to yet another tragedy in Philadelphia, Sunday's (Feb. 22) editorial, "Sacrificial Lamb - When Will Enough Be Enough?", pleads for more gun-control. Sounds fair enough, but there's not one single gun-control law that would have prevented this repugnant crime against a brave police officer and it will continue until cowardly political "leaders" start getting real. Laws against buying firearms for others already exist as do laws against murder and all other violent crimes.
Cowards blame someone or something other than themselves for their own actions (or, in this case, inaction). There's a broken judicial system in Philadelphia run by those who put politics first. Also, there is a sea of broken families, much of which is a direct result of the failed feel-good social policies that are more designed to gain votes than to solve much of anything. But the deep underlying problem in Philadelphia is the corrupted environment that has been chasing business away for decades.
Unions were once necessary (and there still are some good ones), but many have morphed into a political machine that could care less about their workers. All they crave is political power and the corresponding public money that it generates for the handful of bosses who have created "The Machine". Thousands of businesses will not come to Philly only to be abused if they don't use specified labor. There's example after example of organizations of all sizes taking a pass on Philly.
When a town or city spends decades encouraging unions to intimidate the competition out of town the residents who remain have fewer and fewer available opportunities. Invariably, many turn to crime. Many, too, look to government for solutions to their problems and we all know how that pans out.
More gun-control to address the crisis in Philly will, at best, continue to ignore reality. At worst, it will make the black-market more profitable thereby putting even more illegal guns into the hands of criminals who will be further emboldened to ignore the law while the rest of us become increasingly defenseless.
Law-abiding citizens tend to remain so even after they're armed. Punishing them for the behavior of criminals makes no one safer. Of course, firearm ownership itself is a threat to the liberal illusion of utopia, but maybe it's time to start putting fact and logic first unless we have, as some say, become a nation of cowards. We certainly do elect them to public office.

So Many Chairs. So Little Time. - Bucks County Courier Times December 5, 2008

2008-11-27T09:54:00.000-08:00

Hopefully the most recent Presidential election demonstrated, once and for all, that Republicans cannot win by behaving like Democrats. Every pandering session by John McCain lost votes. The mere mention of global climate change cost a million votes with every utterance. If it wasn't for our Congressional candidate I probably wouldn't have voted at all.
Democrats generally seek solutions through government while Republicans do so with personal responsibility, accountability and self reliance. The two-party system encourages productive debate which is why it works. Sadly, though, our entire government has been hijacked by very selfish and well organized special interest groups resulting in a one-party system. If we keep this up long enough the whole nation will become New Jersey. My hope is that 2008 signaled the last time that Election Day resembles a Democrat primary.
I'd like to do something about it, but I have this persistent urge to throw chairs at public meetings. I recently attended a gathering to hear about the Bill floating around Harrisburg to ban teacher strikes. It bans strikes and creates a timeline of public contract resolution (currently closed) for those who can't figure it out for themselves. The public is the ultimate checks & balances since most of us are reasonable and it is, after all, our money.
There was a small contingent of union devotees and political hacks at this particular meeting hell-bent on putting politics before our children. What was really creepy was that they put their politics before even their own children. They began freaking everyone out by criticizing the good parents who are trying to encourage this Bill through Harrisburg.
During the Pennsbury strike the unionites criticized many parents for not being involved. Now they criticize the most caring and dedicated parents I've ever seen. I wish they'd make up their minds. It was as if they were justifying future strikes. Maybe next time they'll criticize single moms who work 2 full-time jobs to pay union benefits they can't afford for themselves. That'd be a good time to bring up the $600,000+ of our tax dollars that goes right to union coffers that I'd rather see used to pay for full-day kindergarten, for example.
While we're on the topic of unions... How 'bout them American car manufacturers? What the union has done for them brings much goodwill and holiday cheer. It's not easy to make good cars while burdened with almost $2,000 per car of union oppression. The only solution is bankruptcy followed by a lean, high-performance reorganization.
The wild bailouts of today just enable more anti-reality behavior while ignoring the problem. The entitlement, I'm-the-center-of-the-universe, you-don't-matter mentality extends way beyond the auto industry and creates an infernal path of inefficiency, underperformance and enormous waste wherever it advances.
Another example is the crime in Philadelphia. The primary goal of labor unions is to eliminate competition. Decades of chasing away businesses has greatly reduced opportunities. Thousands of highly respected businesses will not come to Philadelphia only to be abused and intimidated. Fewer opportunities = more crime.
The really sad thing is that our own supervisors in Lower Makefield Township have implemented the same sort of Philly/New Jersey pay-to-play ordinance that almost automatically hands public contracts to those who manipulate politics at our expense. Having overly ambitious corruption-friendly officials in Bucks County (who don't understand that many have left New Jersey and Philly to get away from this sort of thing) has rolled out the red carpet to common thugs.
Maybe everything goes in cycles. Maybe many of us are now cured of our keeping-up-with-the-Jones' complexes. Maybe next time we vote we'll recognize that freedom of speech does not excuse us from freedom of thought. Maybe I'm just naive to think that we're the largest and most powerful special interest. Free markets, limited government, low taxes and individual liberty are out there somewhere, but it's going to take more than one person sitting in his basement late at night in his underwear writing Letters to the Editor to find them. Maybe one day we'll have actual Republicans running for office. Think of the possibilities.

Confused Yet? - The Bulletin October 2, 2008

2008-09-29T04:59:00.001-07:00

I've learned through several years of close political study that anyone who's not confused has no idea what's going on. Leadership means putting the needs of your people before your own. Politics today means putting the goals of special interests, who contribute massive dollars to campaigns, before the needs of your people. There once was a time when politics was synonymous with leadership. Those days are gone, but not forgotten and I do believe that they will return.
The current financial crisis supports my theories. There's a lobby group for every move that an elected official might make. We're in this mess because of politicians who were bought and sold by those who benefited from the raping and pillaging of our nation.
The foundation of this mess is the policies that made loans to those who couldn't afford them. Increased demand (for homes) drove up prices while supply tried to catch up. For many reasons lots of people couldn't honor their commitments and all hell broke loose in this "artificial market". There are those who meant well and those who manipulated politics for personal gain. And we're the ones caught in the middle enjoying the unintended consequences of good intentions.
We've become a nation that not only allows corruption, but who also encourages and even admires it. It's as if we select leaders who lack integrity for the sole purpose of justifying our own lack of integrity. We even have local officials (in Lower Makefield Township) who have recently implemented an ordinance that requires union labor for public projects over $20,000 (Ordinance 369). Talk about manipulating politics for a few dollars of campaign funding. Certainly did wonders for the American auto industry. Multiply this deception across every elected official who's unfit for public service and you have inefficiency the likes of which the human mind cannot comprehend. In all fairness, though, it's really energized the giant inflatable rat industry.
The solution is us. Stop it with the political fetishes of global warming, stem cell research, abortion, gay marriage, smoking bans and whatever's next that insults our intelligence and has nothing to do with the intent of politics. It's not only irrelevant to anything and everything even remotely meaningful, but it's just plain obnoxious. Stop it with attacking those with character because it conflicts with your little agendas. Eventually, if left unchecked, your agendas will destroy our nation. And stop it with ignoring the harsh realities of those who wish to hack our heads off with a dull blade because you believe that you're taking the moral high-ground by tolerating the intolerant. Your kids will not only thank you later, but will also thank the kids that are fighting this war right now so that yours won't have to.
Obviously I'm very confused. My name is Cory and I approve of this message.

Conservatism Defined and Defended - Bucks County Courier Times August 28, 2008

2008-08-21T08:11:00.000-07:00

I've been exerting a lot of energy lately trying to get along with others until I read the recent Guest Opinion by John Cordisco, the Chairman of the Bucks County Democrat Committee. His attack on core American Conservative values made me realize that I'm much happier when I'm angry and divisive. Mr. Cordisco demonstrates a vivid misunderstanding of Conservatism, but he shouldn't feel alone - many Republicans also share his views.
Conservatism is a belief of limited government, low taxes and free markets. This is the fundamental foundation of our nation's fiber. Conservatism knows no political party. There are plenty of Conservative Democrats just as there are many Conservative Republicans. This is especially timely today where there seems to be little difference between the two Parties. It's as if you know you're making a bad decision by voting Democrat vs. the perception that you're not by voting Republican.
The problem is "leadership" (or lack thereof). There are many very well organized special interest groups competing for their unfair share of the public treasury. Any candidate or politician who opposes their selfish and radical agendas risks a very well funded and targeted attack. Those who support these objectives, even though they often conflict with good governance, can be rewarded with significant campaign funding. Many just play it safe by declaring themselves "moderates" where they stand for nothing, take no positions and get nothing done.
Leadership can be defined by how a person influences others to accomplish a worthwhile objective and/or improve the cohesiveness of a group through ethics, character and skill. Some examples of good leadership are keeping your word, standing up for what's right, making sound and timely decisions, being considerate to others, treating everyone equally, sharing hardships and helping someone who's in trouble.
An example of Conservative leadership solving problems would be to address the remarkable inefficiency in our great healthcare system. A good Conservative leader would eliminate the dead wood created by the incredibly expensive and senseless defensive medicine caused by a predatory legal environment. The clinical expertise of doctors and nurses would return to the forefront replacing the wild amounts of excessive testing and paperwork that takes away from patient care. Free markets would replace government mandates in selecting health plans to greatly reduce costs and waste while significantly improving efficiency and performance.
Conservatism is usually identified with the Republican Party. The Republican Party was formed in 1854 specifically to oppose the pro-slavery policies of the Democrats. Ever since, Democrats have gone to great lengths to make everyone equal while Republicans acknowledge that everyone already is. After the Civil War, though, Republicans became the corrupt Party that they opposed and, over time, both Parties continued to cycle back and forth. The values that have remained constant are those of our nation's founding - Conservative Values.
The opposite of Conservatism is bureaucracy, bigger and ever expanding government, inefficiency and corruption. It's no wonder, then, that those who seek money from special interests groups to fund their campaigns criticize honest and effective policies. Fortunately, there are a few good people out there and quite often there are some great candidates.
I can't speak for the Democrat Party, but I can suggest that Republicans would benefit tremendously from appreciating the true heritage of the GOP. Taking "moderate" positions while abandoning their Conservative roots is why Republicans are losing membership in Bucks County (and elsewhere). Even worse are those Republicans who pretend to be Conservatives but aren't. Maybe these are to whom Mr. Cordisco was refering.

This Was Interesting (On Many Levels)

2008-08-04T06:33:00.001-07:00

http://moreoldfortyfives.com/TakeMeBackToTheSixties.htm

Lois Steiner - August 4, 1934 to July 31, 2008

2008-07-31T19:23:00.000-07:00

They who wait for God shall renew their strength,
they shall mount up with wings like eagles,
they shall run and not be weary,
they shall walk and not feint.
- Isaiah

Teach us to treasure each day, that we may open our hearts to Your wisdom.
- Psalm 90:12

O give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; His mercy and lovingkindness shall endure forever.
- Psalm 118:1

Building Bridges

2008-07-19T05:52:00.001-07:00

The following is a platform for someone who might be running for State Rep or State Senate in 2010:

- Property tax needs to be eliminated. Spending in Harrisburg needs to be slashed by 1/3. All public employees will pay 25% of their health insurance premiums.

- Resolving the medical malpractice crisis is a top priority so that Pennsylvania's patients will have as much access to quality medical care as those who live in states that attract, rather than drive away, America's best doctors. Some ideas are:
1. reduce coverage mandates - allow people to select plans that suit their needs
2. tax breaks for the self-insured
3. access to plans outside of PA
4. healthcare savings accounts
5. higher co-pay/higher deductible/lower premium plans
6. HMO's and insurance companies should not be making the patient care decisions that only medical professionals are qualified to make.
7. Lawyers who make frivolous lawsuits should be penalized for doing so. Frivolous lawsuits significantly raise costs and create an inefficient (and overly expensive) environment of defensive medicine.

- Public education reform is crucial with school choice the likely starting point. This will bring educational control where it belongs - in the hands of parents. Strikes are very destructive to children and their families, completely inconsistent with education and must be eliminated one way or another. Terminating striking teachers is likely the only viable solution.

- Pennsylvania must become a Right-To-Work state to restore freedom and choice to much of Pennsylvania's workforce, invite opportunity and radically improve the marketplace for everyone.

Alrighty - Bucks County Courier Times July 3, 2008

2008-07-19T05:44:00.000-07:00

I'd like to respond to the Editors of the Courier Times for the view of Tom Manion's entrance into the local Congressional race. They, along with some readers, question the alleged use of a personal tragedy for political gain. I've felt for some time that the best way to honor those lost in war is to become an active member in what they've sacrificed to preserve.
It's not only OK to disagree, but open debate is a healthy and productive way to learn from one another. It's my very deep opinion that this war is the right war at the right time for the right reasons. Freedom is the number one threat to dictators and tyrants whose intense corruption is fed by the oppression of their own people.
It's almost impossible to understand war, but our cherished way of life diminishes with every depraved advance and eventually there's no alternative to action. The type of duty, courage and leadership that steps forward when needed is what will produce consistent results across the broad spectrum of today's critical issues.
We almost don't recognize political candidates who put people over party because it's so rare today. Those who put politics above all else exploit whatever they can of candidates who are running for the right reasons. It's encouraging to see a Tom Manion put himself in this position and stay focused while party establishment loyalists seek weakness.
We can disagree about a lot of things, but we must ultimately stand united. Win or lose I look forward to thanking Mr. Manion for demonstrating dignity, strength and judgment. These traits are neither Republican nor Democrat, but are American and are very consistent with the qualifications to be our next Representative in Congress.

Trying to Find the Words - Phila. Inquirer July 9, 2008

2008-07-04T06:50:00.000-07:00

I read Chris Satullo's "A not-so-glorious Fourth" anti-America hysteria with great sadness. Mr. Satullo and his followers define America by the radical left-wing political opportunism that seeks the easy approval of the brainwashed liberal masses who don't understand the chilling changes taking place in today's world. I was so alarmed by this editorial that I immediately canceled my Inquirer subscription, but then realized that to do so would be somewhat hypocritical.
The freedom that we all cherish is a very real threat to dictators whose intense corruption is fed by the oppression of their own people who live below poverty under savage tyranny. They use their own brainwashed masses to fight the wars that protect their selfish opulence. Makes one wonder how the brainwashed masses of our enemies are similar to our own brainwashed masses who view everything through the distorted prism of self-serving politics.
A critical concern is that our brave men and women in uniform, who are regularly performing stunning miracles, will read Mr. Satullo's piece (and others like it) and think that this is our standard of thought. It is not. Americans have always been on the front lines of justice, equality and civil rights and always will be. It is my great hope that we will proceed with the compassion, understanding and unity required to preserve what we all value and share, provide today's defenders with every shred of support that they need and, most importantly, live the unrealized dreams of those lost in war under the guidance of their example.

(The printed version was the last paragraph only)

Legislators Are Supposed To Defend The Constitution - Bucks County Courier Times May 11, 2008

2008-04-29T19:17:00.000-07:00

As expected, politicians and candidates are responding to violent crime by being tough on those who obey the law. The gun control debate will never end, but I wonder what would happen if elected officials actually focused on fighting crime in a meaningful way rather than blaming and punishing law-abiding citizens for the behavior of criminals.
One possibility is to support improvements to the justice system while leaving law-abiding citizens alone to exercise all of their natural born rights as protected by The (US and PA) Constitution. Some of our state legislators admit that they've never read the PA State Constitution so it's no wonder that they don't know that some of their ideas are unconstitutional. They also don't seem to know that the 2nd Amendment does not permit anyone to misuse firearms or to hurt others.
Another idea is to restore free markets to high-crime cities where the few prosper from pay-to-play politics at the expense of the many. The primary goal of some labor organizations is to eliminate competition with political manipulation and intimidation. Decades of driving out opportunity may very well be the root core of a lot of crime. Being friendly to business is the answer, but I guess some prefer union pandering to prosperity and public safety.
Anti-gun activists simply view themselves as special people who somehow know what's best for the rest of us. They love controlling others and it rarely stops at Constitutional Rights. Why don't they just hang a "Gun Free Zone" sign on their front door and leave us alone? Maybe it's because they know that career violent criminals ignore gun control laws in the same manner that they ignore all others.
I do have a recommendation for politicians who think that crime can be reigned in by imposing more restrictions on the law-abiding. Spend more time on property tax, education and health care and a bit less on bureaucracy that'll squander tax dollars and force police to waste sime on paperwork instead of patrolling the streets.
Honoring their Oath of Office calls for defending The Constitution of the United States of America - and that includes the 2nd Amendment. Then again, there's always the argument that, when attacked, victims should calmly dial 9-1-1 and someone with a gun will arrive and save them.

USMC + Code Pink = Hawt

2008-04-20T09:39:00.001-07:00

http://www.thedailyshow.com/video/index.jhtml?videoId=163653&title=marines-in-

TGFM

2008-04-08T13:10:00.001-07:00

Thank God For Metcalfe:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5TBcz1Ylco

The al-Qaida of Academia - Bucks County Courier Times April 1, 2008

2008-03-16T18:21:00.000-07:00

I was fascinated that the president of the Pennsylvania teachers' union submitted a Guest Opinion in our very own Bucks County Courier Times. He must be concerned that we're starting to get it. I wonder if he regrets using the Pennsbury School District as a test-model for throwing tantrums over contributing to health care costs.
Mr. James Testerman says he's proud of the work they do for the children and communities he serves. I guess that includes holding children hostage by throwing them out of school to blackmail taxpayers. Once the strike was over, war was literally declared on us. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you, but I'm OK with war. Sometimes it's necessary to stand up to bullies. That's what good people do.
Mr. Testerman brags about being our little league coaches, Sunday school teachers, choir directors, Scout leaders, Lions and Rotary members and other volunteers. How heartwarming. I think I need a tissue.
The overly fabulous Mr. Testerman complains to us little taxpayers that it's low state funding and not high teacher pay that's driving local taxes. He accidentally left out the benefits we pay for that many of us can't afford for ourselves. There's more than enough money to do whatever we wish, but the overwhelming inefficiency and underperformance, as perpetuated by his organization is, well, overwhelming. 80% of our property taxes goes to salary and benefits in case anyone didn't know. So much for pencils.
I learned a lot about the teachers' union from our strike 2 years ago and it's an underlying force that adds a remarkably unwholesome element to our educational system. This intoxicating power has gotten completely out of hand and there must be no mercy shown to union bosses trying to undermine everything that's decent. Maybe I'm too idealistic, but I strongly believe that the largest and most powerful special interest group is us. We just need to start acting like it.

Can We Talk - Phila. Daily News March 22, 2008

2008-03-16T18:15:00.000-07:00

Some of our first modern gun-control laws were designed, specifically, to prevent newly freed slaves from owning firearms. Being one who believes that those who rely on government are not free it's no surprise that Philly Democrats are perpetuating the same sort of environment that they did 140 years ago. And to think that places like New Jersey are apologizing for slavery when they still embrace it with the same vim and vigor as days past.
If one truly wishes to address the crime that's riddled places like Philadelphia look no further than the decades of abuse by the labor organizations who make widespread use of intimidation to drive out the competition. This, consequentially, drives out opportunies. The most productive way to address crime in Philly is to open the floodgates of opportunity that have been locked shut. The blood of many of those murdered every year in this city and others is on the hands of corrupt "leaders" and has nothing to do with guns.

Economics For The Citizen - Dr. Walter Williams

2008-03-02T07:26:00.000-08:00

www.gmu.edu/departments/economics/wew/misc/econcitizen/index.html

Milton Friedman On Limited Government:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6813529239937418232&

Recommended Reading:
www.gmu.edu/departments/economics/wew/readings.html

Judaism About Peace, Justice and Kindness - Bucks County Courier Times February 18, 2008

2008-03-02T07:02:00.000-08:00

There's been a lot of very interesting discussion about Israel lately (with much more sure to come). Jews have lived in the area for 3700 years and were the majority of the population since the 1800's.
Contrary to popular thought in certain circles Israel has as much a right to exist in the Middle East as any other Arab nation. Israel occupies only 1/6 of 1% of the region, but even that's too much for some. But why do Jews continue to be among the most persecuted and oppressed people in the history of the world?
Before the Holocaust Jews were an important foundation to the culture, science and commerce of Germany. Hitler rose to prominence during a very difficult economic time by promising that government will solve everyone's problems. This gave rise to the purely socialist doctrine of the Nazi Party. Then, as the inherent flaws of socialism began to appear it was the prosperity of the Jews that was blamed for Hitler's failures.
The state of Israel was born out of the ashes of the Holocaust. A tiny sliver of arid desert was turned into an oasis. The driving force of this transformation was freedom. Jews used their resources for economic development while surrounding Arabs continued to use theirs for hatred and terrorism.
Many of the nations that surround Israel are ruled by dictators who would much rather have their 100 palaces than a nation of thriving citizens. The number one fear of these tyrants is free people who think for themselves. Having a nation that demonstrates the results of freedom is intolerable. They also don't like that Arabs living in Israel enjoy more rights than Arabs living in other Arab nations.
As history continues to repeat itself the failures of oppression are blamed on free nations. Dictators use religious fanatics to fight the freedom that threatens their selfish opulence. Terrorists are the useful idiots in the quest for another 100 palaces at the expense of their own people. And Jews continue to be blamed for defending themselves and desiring to be left alone.\
The cornerstones of Judaism are peace, justice and kindness. Many of our prayers speak of nothing but these pursuits. With an increasingly global world we now share Israel's struggle to preserve all that we value. The same enemy that attacks Israel (because their successes expose the failures of oppression) now has us in their sights and for the same reasons. The only way to defeat this intolerant enemy is with the natural human condition of freedom.
The pen is mightier than the sword and education is infinitely more productive, with more positive results, than fighting. But our greatest challenge is often ourselves. Sometimes it's our desire to find the good in everyone and our avoidance of uncomfortable realities that make us the easy scapegoat. Someone somewhere, not too long ago, summed it up best with "Never Again". Not a bad idea, though, to keep both your pen and sword very sharp just in case.

Be Stoic, Teachers - Phila. Inquirer February 11, 2008

2008-03-02T06:56:00.000-08:00

It's very unfortunate that the teachers' union in Pennsylvania is still allowing to throw kids out of school to extort money from honest taxpayers. Teachers are already very well paid and have benefits and health-care packages that are better than many of the parents of the kids they're hurting.
I experienced a 50 day+ strike as a senior at Neshaminy and recently had the "pleasure" as a parent in Pennsbury. Teachers are supposed to be stoic role models for children and professionals in the community. Throwing a tantrum over a small co-pay or unaffordable raises diminishes both.
Many things have to change in Harrisburg. Pennsylvanians need health care, property tax and education reform, but in the meantime we're all in this together.

More United States Marine Corps

2008-01-22T02:46:00.000-08:00

http://our.marines.com/cms_content/showblogvideo/rel_id/169/id/870

United State Marine Corps

2008-01-06T16:17:00.000-08:00

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3f3i1_nmmc-orientation-theater-film

A Profound and Distinct Connection - Bucks County Courier Times January 15, 2008

2007-12-25T18:55:00.000-08:00

It's encouraging that some of our elected officials have proceeded with common sense and honesty on the recently proposed gun-control bills. Many of us associate Philadelphia with a culture of guns. Philly suffers from a culture of crime. A gun-culture is where gun owners are disciplined, responsible and courteous.
No gun-control laws exist that will prevent criminals from using a gun to commit a crime. Violent criminals are simply not deterred by gun regulations. Every new restriction not only creates more bureaucracy that takes time and resources away from patrolling the streets, but also makes the black market more profitable. Taking firearms away from those who didn't do it is not a solution.
The most important measure would be to bring opportunities to the city that are more attractive than a life of predatory desperation. Philadelphia has experienced decades of abuse by organizations that go to great lengths to eliminate competition. As a result, businesses will not consider coming to Philadelphia. Thousands of opportunities are forever lost.
This same exact environment is desperately trying to work its way into Bucks County. Ordinance 369 was recently passed in Lower Makefield Township, for example, that excludes many highly qualified organizations from seeking public contracts. A simple money trail reveals that this type of ordinance favors organizations that have contributed to a certain county political party. Actions like Ordinance 369 are intricately prepared to minimize competition with those who contribute to political campaigns and now, coincidentally, we have (for the first time) giant inflatable rats protesting free market labor at local construction sites.
Reducing competition in this manner is what has destroyed Philadelphia and is the underlying force that has made places like New Jersey unlivable for many. Corruption, pay-to-play politics and obscene abuses of power are the result. And now these forces of evil are right here in Bucks County. It's extremely important for all citizens to pay close attention to what's going on and make the necessary changes on Election Day. The alternative to due diligence at the polls is a terminal disease that gun-control will not cure.

How To Rope In Members of the "I Don't Care" Party - Bucks County Courier Times December 15, 2007

2007-12-25T18:30:00.000-08:00

With a 24% voter turnout in Bucks County both Republicans and Democrats got trounced again by the "I Don't Care" Party. I wonder if this 76% of non-voters really doesn't care. It's my theory that 1/3 doesn't care, 1/3 are profoundly stupid and 1/3 are angry. One might conclude that there's an additional 25% out there (the angry 1/3) who would consider voting on real issues that really matter.
Bucks County Republicans are feeling the heat of narrowing gaps between them and their Democrat opponents. New Jerseyans and Philadelphians get a bad rap for bringing their socialist tendencies to Bucks, but they are often the ones screaming out the loudest for good governance as a direct result of what corrupt and ineffective "leaders" have done.
A wild suggestion for Republicans might be to start being Republicans. Democrats could respond in kind by being actual Democrats. Then, some real win/win solutions might emerge. About half of the 24% who show up on Election Day represent various special interest groups who could sway an election one way or the other based on who panders to whom the most. The folly of current political thought (which is to stand for nothing out of fear of upsetting someone) is in ignoring the 76% who stay home.
A sample platform for state office, for example, to reach our new special interest group of the 76% who currently don't vote might be the following:
1. Resolving the pending health care crisis is a top priority. Some ideas are:
- access to plans outside of Pennsylvania
- tax breaks for the self insured
- reducing coverage mandates
- healthcare savings accounts
- higher co-pay/higher deductible/lower premium plans
- HMO's and insurance companies should not be making the patient care decisions that only medical professionals are qualified to make
- lawyers who make frivolous lawsuits should be penalized for doing so
2. Public education reform is a top priority with school choice the likely starting point (which will bring educational control where it belongs - in the hands of parents). There can be no reform with a teachers' union that dramatically increases the bureaucracy (and cost) and who opposes any reform that brings competition (and greater efficiency) to the system. Union political activism and campaign contributions have a very corrupting effect on public education and are a disaster. Politicians who set education policy have no business taking money from the teachers' union.
3. People who do not wish to join a union should not have to be represented by them nor should they be required to pay union dues or fees. Therefore, Pennsylvania must become a Right to Work state.
4. The government will not take the earnings and property of one Pennsylvanian and give it to another. Private charity is so much more effective and meaningful than inefficient government programs that discourage private charity.
The mistake that many make in in trying to get along with everyone. People of character should expect hostility from those with oppposing principles. There will always be the 10% to 15% ultra-selfish that will throw endless tantrums when they don't get what they want and who are incapable of having open and honest discussions. They teeter on being a majority when there's a 24% voter turnout, but are made increasingly irrelevant as the numbers increase.
Of course, I may be wrong about all of this. I hope that I'm right, though, because the only alternative is to sell Philly to Jersey and then build a fence along the Delaware River and Poquessing Creek.

Milton Friedman vs. Democrats

2007-11-01T06:40:00.000-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RWsx1X8PV_A

Memories - The Evening Bulletin August 14, 2007

2007-08-13T19:44:00.000-07:00

It's official - we've become New Jersey. Ordinance 369 was passed in Lower Makefield Township on May 2, 2007 to aid in the selection of "responsible contractors" for public projects that cost over $75,000. One of the conditions is an apprentice program requirement. Only unions (and potentially a handful of very large non-union contractors) have such programs. Could this be a backdoor way to ensure that all of this work goes to certain unions thereby greatly reducing free and open market competition to Lower Makefield Township taxpayers? The best choices should be based on quality and results and not on political power. Less competition means less innovation, less freedom, higher costs, less investment and fewer jobs.
Some unions have mastered how to buy public contracts by funding political campaigns. They routinely seek to influence who gets elected to decide how these contracts are awarded. The labor component of union work obtained through this sort of political manipulation is often 40% higher (Philadelphia Business Journal, June 13, 2003) than the free and open market. This excessive expenditure is what taxpayers pay to fund the campaigns that'll keep the "machine" going.
Could the appointment of the very ethically challenged New Jersey pay-to-play kingpin engineering firm of Remington & Vernick to places like Lower Makefield and Newtown Townships be the beginning of the end? I don't know, but I can't get the radio rebroadcast of the Hindenberg disaster out of my head whenever I think about it.
It's unfortunate to see good reputations questioned by an oversight that might be perceived as putting politics before what's really important. The problem with politics today is that the party bosses have become as useless as the union bosses they pander to. Someone once said that "Every garden will be invaded." and it looks like we're next.

Wake Up Everybody - Courier Times June 27, 2007

2007-07-18T05:31:00.000-07:00

State Representative Todd Rock recently unveiled the "Strike Free Education Act" in Harrisburg, which provides all of the necessary tools for a strike free education that fairly serves our kids, parents and taxpayers. The origins of this Bill were born from the remarkable efforts of Simon Campbell, a parent in the Pennsbury School District, whose children were among the 11,500 who endured a month-long strike just last year.
I'd like to recognize the efforts of Mr. Campbell for standing up not only for his children, but for every public education student in Pennsylvania. He has endured smear campaigns to undermine him through attempted character assassinations and vile rumors (with more sure to come). All the while Simon has taken the high road, remained focused and has never backed down.
The "Strike Free Education Act" would put children's best interests above that of the teachers' unions who use them as negotiating pawns to extort money from taxpayers. It is our legislators' Constitutional responsibility to ensure a thorough and efficient system of public education. Government is meant to be of the people, by the people and for the people.
Unfortunately, many of our legislators prefer to pander to the teacher unions by accepting their campaign contributions and voting for their special interests while ignoring the rights of constituents. That is why http://www.stopteacherstrikes.org/ has listed the names of the true leaders who have co-sponsored the Bill.
A child's education is a one-time event and it's up to us to get it right. We never see the union strike over textbooks, safety or building maintenance; only over unrealistic benefits paid for by those who can no longer bear the burden of unlimited tax increases. What's most exciting about this Bill, though, is that it will be the first step in a long series of necessary reforms throughout Pennsylvania.
School choice, for example, will bring educational control where it belongs - in the hands of parents. Reform cannot occur with a teachers' union that does not act to substantially improve the quality of education without dramatically increasing the bureaucracy (and cost) and who oppose the needed measures to bring greater efficiency and performance. Union political activism and campaign contributions have a very corrupting effect on public education. Politicians who set public education policy have no business taking money from the teachers' union.
Also, education funding reform is past due. School property taxes need to be eliminated in favor of a sweeping sales tax (so that more than just property owners contribute), but it should remain at 6 percent. The burden can be eased for seniors on fixed incomes by providing a tax-exempt card (for those who qualify) for food and medication. Any lost sales to retailers due to the tax will be more than made up for by consumers who will have more money in their pockets to do with as they wish.
But again, the first step to a better Pennsylvania that we all deserve is the passage of the "Strike Free Education Act". This has nothing to do with the increasingly irrelevant labels of Democrat, Republican, liberal or conservative. We're all in it together and our teachers are much to valuable to strike. It's crucial to contact your legislators to get them involved or to thank them for already supporting the Bill.

More Laws for Criminals to Ignore - Courier Times July 27, 2007

2007-07-08T17:40:00.000-07:00

One possible way to address the violence tragedy in Philadelphia is to target the law-abiding with gun control laws so that those who didn't do it are blamed and punished. After all, some of our leaders clearly distrust citizens more than they fear rapists and murderers. This way those least likely to commit crimes are disarmed, crime goes up and there's even more knee-jerk reactions void of logic. Plus, criminals will have even more laws to ignore.
Of course, gun owners are among the most disciplined, responsible, safety-conscious, courteous and considerate people around, but let's not allow facts to get in the way of a sensible discussion. Firearms in the hands of private citizens pose no threat to anyone unless you're a politician trying to scare people into voting a certain way or a predatory criminal. I wonder if creating a business environment that doesn't drive every opportunity out of one of the world's greatest cities might be an important part of the solution that we're all looking for.
Violent criminals are not deterred by gun regulations and our most important rights are not dependent on how others behave nor are they negotiable.

"What Really Happened - Israel"

2007-06-18T16:28:00.000-07:00

http://www.terrorismawareness.org/what-really-happened/

Bob '08

2007-04-10T04:33:00.001-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=BlackAndRight

From -
http://blackandright.mensnewsdaily.com

Ever Had a Pissed Off Marine On Your Tail? - The Evening Bulletin April 13, 2007

2007-04-01T04:22:00.000-07:00

While observing the recent behavior of Congress I couldn't help but think of the scene from "The Ten Commandments" where everyone (except for a few who get it) was worshipping the golden calf. Today is very similar where many of us ignore reality while taking our tremendous lifestyles for granted.
Political corruption runs so deep that many of our elected officials don't even know they're corrupt. I must have been brainwashed as a Marine Corps Officer to believe that leadership meant taking care of your people. Today, even my own oasis of Lower Makefield Township uses tax dollars to pay off political contributors. This is the standard all the way up and down the chain of command where the important work is put aside.
We face a threat today equal to or greater than that of World War II and the same people who undermine our President during time of war to gain political advantage are the same exact ones who brought us the Holocaust itself. There's absolutely no difference whatsoever and those who ignore reality are the willing accomplices who make this dishonor possible.
The war in Iraq is the right war at the right time in the right place and you're frightening if you don't understand this extremely basic condition by now. President Bush is operating almost alone as the opposition from within adds immeasurably to what we face. The only solution is to replace our "leaders" with those who can put politics aside when it counts most and lead with integrity, courage and purpose. This was the original intent of public service and we're lost until that vision is restored by us.

So Many Punks, So Little Time - Courier Times March 7, 2007

2007-02-25T20:57:00.000-08:00

After years of exhaustive political study I've concluded, without question, that today's Democrat officials stand for nothing and their Republican counterparts do nothing. Furthermore, Democrats today are very whiney and arrogant and Republicans wear bad pants.
I think that all we want, regardless of party affiliation, is unyielding honesty. But, the answer lies within us for it's us who encourages or discourages intelligent and honorable political candidates. Lately, though, we're not doing too well.
What we fail to realize is that we're all involved in the political process. We all adjust our economic behavior based, in part, on the success or failure of public policy. It determines how we consume, invest and even where we live.
Of course, the pressing issue of the day is the war. The only certainty is that wildly corrupt leaders of some Middle Eastern nations use fanatics (under the false banner of Islam) to guard their dictatorships from free-thinkers. Hence, we're enemy number one.
It's no accident that we never see these "leaders" strap on a bomb themselves. It also makes sense how some people escape these nations and become among our finest scientists and doctors. It's the same dynamic that had our ancestors flee their home nations, arrive with their anti-authority complexes and create the greatest country the world has ever seen where each one of us can navigate our own course through life.
Unfortunately, many continue to put politics first in the same manner that got us all into this mess in the first place. Many, especially in the intelligence community, have gone to great lengths to undermine our President during time of war just to hide their incompetence and cowardice. I agree that we probably should have attacked New Jersey before Iraq, but hindsight is oftentimes 20/20.
I'm afraid, though, that we're becoming what our predecessors escaped. Lawyers, for example, influence politicians who create policies that allow them to ravage billions from healthcare. The teachers' union (another fine example) also influences politicians to enable their agendas. Over $500,000 a year (that began life as tax dollars) goes directly to the union in Pennsbury alone of all manner of political activism. That's 1 out of 501 school districts just in PA. I think we should change "do it for the children" to "do it to the children".
And no discussion on current events would be complete without mentioning stem cell research and global warming. The dishonesty demonstrated here is beyond comprehension. The depth of penetration of these mistruths leads me to believe that we've become a nation of misled morons.
It would seem to me, then, that our only hope for addressing some extreme issues before imploding is to educate ourselves and make the necessary changes on Election Day. Our single most important task is to read an occassional book on economics, history and/or politics. There's an empowerment that builds inside as one develops a real grasp of the issues independent of goose-stepping with a political party and cerainly more so than withdrawing from the process.
Plato said that "One of the greatest penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors." My main fear isn't that our elected officials are ineffective and weak, but rather that they're representing us perfectly.

It's War - The Evening Bulletin January 5, 2007

2006-12-23T16:03:00.000-08:00

As the next Greatest-Generation fights one of the most important battles in our history we, at home, are fed a steady stream of defeatism from some of our leaders and a media who thinks that the moral high ground is to turn a blind eye to the oppressed. This is nothing new and only strengthens the resolve of those who understand the consequences of losing (as has been the case in every war since our nation's birth).
But what is winning? Victory is taking a stand against tyranny just as we've done time and time again. It's what defines us. Americans seek peace and justice. We respect an individual's natural born right to be free while our enemies force individuals (under the threat of death) to conform to a very narrow oppressive view.
Saddam Hussein's Iraq, for example, had a death rate that was much higher than what it is now even under the current intense efforts against terrorists from all over the region. Hussein murdered hundreds of thousands of his own citizens during his reign, instigated almost every surrounding nation and defied the world community. Opponents of the war do not understand this basic reality or the long suffering of the Iraqi people nor do they care.
Assuring the freedom that 80% (or more) of Middle Easterners welcome is the only way to fully address the very real terrorist threat to America and victory in Iraq hinges on our national resolve to succeed. The burden our military personnel bear is made much worse without public support and the corresponding stress on their families is overwhelming as too many of us relentlessly pontificate and put politics first.
Ultimately, the win or loss is up to us here in the comfort of our homes. The military is doing their job as well or better than any American fighting force in history. Now it's time for us to do ours. Doubt and anxiety will always exist. There's nothing easy about war, but "united we stand" or "divided we fall" couldn't be more true. Supporting the troops means supporting the mission. You cannot have one without the other and peace will come sooner the sooner we all understand this with perfect clarity.

"On Sheep, Wolves and Sheepdogs" by Lt. Col. David Grossman

2006-12-10T16:23:00.000-08:00

http://www.west-point.org/wp/wp-forum/OnSheepWolvesAndSheepdogs.html

Another personal favorite. Please let me know of any broken links. Thank you.
corsteiner@aol.com

"A Nation of Cowards" by Jeffrey R. Snyder

2006-12-10T16:21:00.000-08:00

http://www.jim.com/cowards.htm

A personal favorite. Please let me know of any broken links. Thank you.
corsteiner@aol.com

The Settling Dust - The Evening Bulletin November 17, 2006

2006-11-17T05:43:00.000-08:00

With a 40% turnout in the recent elections both Democrats and Republicans got soundly defeated by the "I Could Care Less" Party. Personally, I take this as a mandate for limited government. With Democrats pandering to the poor and Republicans pandering to the rich it's about time that someone start pandering to me. With huge growth of government under Republican control we must take extreme care to not allow compassionate-conservative to become a euphemism for free-spending-liberal-weasel.
I got a kick out of everyone distancing themselves from President Bush as if he's a dictator who's gotten it all wrong. He might, in fact, be one of the few who gets it. Our enemy, for example, wants us all dead not because of what we've done wrong, but because of what we do right. Our way of life exposes oppression and how it hides massive corruption under the guise of religious fanatacism. Corruption of this magnitude cannot function with people running around thinking for themselves so we're a big problem as the world becomes increasingly global.
Think what you wish about Iraq being a focal point to the necessary change that most Middle Easterners crave, but I'm sticking with the Joint Chiefs of Staff on this one and not the endless stream of those who put their political ambitions above all else (to include the criminally treasonous media). Make no mistake about it - the enemy is here and they're ready.
Another revealing discussion is the change in suburban demographics from Republican to Democrat. Democrat failures (elitist social welfare programs and very hostile union environments) in places like Philly, New Jersey and New York encourage people to leave seeking less government and more economic freedom. The associated personal responsibility, accountability and self-reliance is what has defined the Pennsylvania suburbs and Republicans better start reinventing themselves starting yesterday or risk losing what made us an attractive destination in the first place.
There's some encouraging news from recent elections. Even though many of my choices lost it's clear that it's us who ultimately decides what happens. The original intent was for our government to constantly turn over to represent the evolving wishes of the people.
After all, it's us who are responsible for the character of our government. If we're indifferent and ignorant then so is our government. Or we can choose to be intelligent and courageous with the corresponding governance. Disappointed Republicans and a right-shifting Democrat base leaves us with only one thing to do - hug a Democrat and welcome them to conservatism. Finally, the 60% who didn't vote might have something to get excited about.

Pre-Election Suggestion - Courier Times October 17, 2006

2006-10-15T19:19:00.000-07:00

Every time I ask someone about politics I get the feeling that they wish to put my head through a wall. Why is it that so many of us get insulted by one political position or the other and those who lack our freedom and opportunity can't get enough of political discourse (in search of what we take for granted)?
It's because we've become divided over issues like abortion, gun control and the war by fringes on both extremes for the sole purpose of removing us from the democratic process. Without us it's much easier for once great traditions to be replaced by corruption and submission. Without us, meaning the middle 80% who could care less about politics, greed and special interests tear down everything decent in this country for their own selfish agenda.
The truth is that the differences between both parties are subtle and were brilliantly designed to encourage meaningful debate. Our differences are our complimentary strength and not to be used in pursuit of a compulsive lust for power (unless we allow it).
We live in one of the most desirable counties in the nation for a reason. It's because most of our elected officials tend to put politics aside and work extremely hard, against incredible external forces, to represent the middle 80%. While divisive candidates and legislative peers create self-serving obstacles, our own elected officials (like Congressman Fitzpatrick and Representative Steil, for example) consistently demonstrate their professionalism with a clear understanding of public service.
James Freeman Clarke said that politicians think of the next election while statesmen think of the next generation. Fortunately, we have no shortage of statesmen in Bucks County and it's up to us to keep it that way. Today's issues are just too critical to remain indifferent.

Defending Pennsylvania - Intelligencer October 1, 2006

2006-09-27T21:56:00.000-07:00

In response to the violent crime that's plaguing Philadelphia, politicians and anti-gun zealots are strategizing in Harrisburg to take guns away from those who pose no threat. Bryan Miller of CeasefireNJ, for example, is committed to encouraging New Jersey-style gun control in Pennsylvania.
The rules of simple economics reveal that the black market increases in direct correlation to increases in gun control. The gun ban crowd has, in effect, created the black market that puts guns in the hands of criminals (and not "weak laws that encourage illegal trafficing" as some suggest). A better plan might be to punish those who commit crimes and not those who obey the law.
The gun control that's being discussed disarms the law-abiding thereby giving greater predatory confidence to criminals. This only makes the job of law enforcement that much more difficult.
Criminal laws against murder, rape, robbery and all other violent crimes are laws that already impose appropriate restrictions on the use of any weapon. It's as if ineffective politicians distrust citizens more than they fear rapists and murderers (as they attempt to hide their failed policies behind additional gun control measures).
If the "civilized" elite truly wishes to make the streets safer they'll focus more on fact and logic and stop trying to impose their superior wisdom and virtue on others (in pursuit of dangerous utopian delusions). Gun owners are the single most law-abiding segment of society and no one detests violence and cherishes life more than those who take personal responsibility for their own safety.
In Pennsylvania our rights are not dependent upon the behavior of criminals nor are they negotiable.

Labels Are For Fools - Courier Times October 2, 2006

2006-09-24T19:39:00.000-07:00

It's been said that liberals are defined by the irrational hope that differences between people can be made to disappear and conservatives by the irrational hope that different people can be made to disappear. The terms "liberal" and "conservative", as they're used today, are more indicative of one political gang (or the other) jumping on what's happening at the moment and cashing in on it. The real debates of substance are between principled liberals and authentic conservatives.
A brief history of the United States began with conservatives fleeing their homelands to create an environment of freedom that allows people to live as they wish. We were then made better by liberals who fought for civil rights which was, in turn, kept that way by conservatives. Certainly, it's difficult to get too worked up over labels since they don't mean much anymore. They have outlived their useful purpose and now serve more to divide and confuse.
There are some key issues that will require courage to address. One is to fund public education with money from all taxpayers and not just from property owners. Another is to resolve the medical malpractice crisis so that Pennsylvania's patients will have as much access to quality medical care as those who live in states that attract rather than drive doctors away. Defensive medicine, too, gets rather expensive. Doctors need to be allowed to spend more time treating patients and less time trying to avoid frivolous lawsuits.
One of the most fraudulent issues of all time has to be embryonic stem cells. In theory, embryonic stem cells begin life with a "clean slate" that can be engineered into life-saving forms. Umbilical and adult stem cells are already in the desired form which is why that's where the research (and promise) is. Just ask a scientist rather than some politicians who are pandering to our fears and false hopes.
Finally, we get to the war against those who wish to kill us on the basis of our desire to live as human beings. Many are simply trying to pass their political cowardice off for dissenting bravery. Sorry, but the WMD's (or Wimps of Mass Delusion) are right here at home. The Iraq War is the defining issue of today and is a crucial part of the larger puzzle. All we ever want as Americans is to be left alone.
The real question is "What can I do?". Our system of government is near perfect as long as the most important element, us, does our part. Voting is much more important than who we vote for. The primary task is for us to outnumber the entrenched parasitic special interest groups at the polls on Election Day. The real leadership is within and demonstrated with our own votes. Take a closer look and you'll find some exceptional people in public service. Ignoring it ensures that the wrong person wins.
In summary - labels are for fools.

Favorite Quotes

2006-09-10T21:21:00.000-07:00

Political correctness is the oppression of the majority by a few.

"You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong. You cannot help the way earner by pulling down the wage payer. You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich. You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could and should do for themselves." Abraham Lincoln

"A government which lays taxes on the people not required by urgent public necessity and sound fiscal policy is not a protector of liberty, but an instrument of tyranny." Calvin Coolidge

"If I knew a man was coming to my house with the conscious design of doing me good, I should run for my life." Thoreau

"Democracy is a device that ensures we shall be governed no better than we deserve." George Bernard Shaw

"One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors." Plato

Liberty lies in the hearts of men and women. When it dies there; no constitution, no law, no court can save it.

"Few men have the virtue to withstand the highest bidder." George Washington

The governement is run by those who show up.

"The penalty good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men." Plato

"The US Constitution poses no threat to our system of government." Joseph Sobran

"Give light and the people will find their own way." Carl McGee

"There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue it steadily." George Washington

"A society of sheep must, in time, beget a government of wolves." Bertrand deJouvenal

"A politician thinks of the next election - a statesman, of the next generation." James Freeman Clarke

"Bad officials are elected by good citizens who don't vote." George Jean Nathan

"The Constitution was made to guard the people against the dangers of good intentions." Daniel Webster

"Just because you don't take an interest in politics doesn't mean that politics won't take an interest in you." Pericles

They flatter the people so that they may betray them.

"When a citizen gives his suffrage to a man of known immorality he abuses his trust; he sacrifices not only his neighbor, he betrays the interest of his country." Noah Webster

"The deterioration of every government begins with the decay of the principles on which it was founded." Charles Louis DeSecondat

"The things that will destroy America are prosperity-at-any-price, peace-at-any-price, safety-first instead of duty-first, the love of soft living and the get-rich-quick theory of life." Theodore Roosevelt

"One of the greatest illusions in the world is the hope that the evils in this world are to be cured by legislation." Thomas Reed

"In matters of style, swim with the current. In matters of principle, stand like a rock." Thomas Jefferson

Persistent people begin their success where others end in failure.

You miss 100% of the shots you never take.

The greatest security is in taking the risk.

One man with courage makes a majority.

"The real measure of your wealth is how much you'd be worth if you lost all your money." Bernard Meltzer

"The death of Democracy is not likely to be an assassination from ambush. It will be a slow extinction from apathy, indifference and undernourishment." Robert M. Hutchins

"Those who stand for nothing fall for anything." Alexander Hamilton

"We can't have lasting peace unless we work actively and vigorously to bring about conditions of freedom and justice in the world." Harry Truman

"Only mediocrity can be trusted to always be at its best." Sir Max Beerbohm

"The world is a dangerous place to live - not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it." Albert Einstein

"All big things in this world are done by people who are naive and have an idea that is obviously impossible." Dr. Frank Richards

"Once the coffers of the federal government are opened to the public, there will be no shutting them again." Grover Cleveland

Unions have become what they were originally formed to guard against.

Socialism treats everyone as an incompetent fool.

A government that does not trust its honest, law-abiding, tax-paying citizens with the means of self defense is itself not worthy of trust.

The government doesn't necessarily possess moral judgement superior to that of the people.

No people who look to government to solve their problems can call themselves a free people.

People's views on guns usually indicate their views on personal freedom.

Anti-gun politicians are very dangerous to a free society.

We were safer before government got into the business of protecting us from ourselves.

Owners of legally obtained weapons commit crimes at a much lower rate thn the average citizen.

Gun control makes the streets safer for rapists and muggers.

Some people have an overwhelming need to control the lives of others and it rarely stops at firearms.

Anti-gun zeolots view themselves as special people who somehow know what's best for everyone else.

How does rendering me defenseless make you safer?

Firearms abuse by permit holders is virtually non-existent.

"When there is absolutely no choice between violence and cowardice, I would choose violence." Mahatma Gandhi

"You cannot invade the mainland United States. There would be a rifle behind every blade of grass." Admiral Yamamoto - 1941

Gun owners are frequently the targets of professional victims because gun owners are willing and able to prevent their own victimization.

Being tough on the law-abiding gun owner is not the same as being tough on crime.

Gun control is a cheap substitute for an effective policy against violence.

"The God who gave us life gave us the right to defend it." Thomas Jefferson

Anti-gunners project their own fears of what they would do with a firearm if they had one.

Just because a criminal may use a firearm has no bearing whatsoever on the right of the law-abiding citizen to keep and bear arms. Our freedom is not dependent on the behavior of others.

Firearm ownership is a threat to a utopian illusion that doesn't exist.

Giving up the right to arms is a mistake free people get to make only once.

Despite having an extremely powerful army the Nazis still feared the civilian possession of firearms.

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear." Ambrose Redmoon

My rights are just as important as yours and neither is up for negotiation.

Anti-gunners desire to disarm those who have no desire to harm anyone.

Some don't understand or don't care about the unintended consequences of their actions as long as it feels like the compassionate thing to do.

"People unfit for freedom - who cannot do much with it - are hungry for power." Eric Hoffer

"The people are responsible for the character of their Congress. If that body be ignorant, reckless and corrupt it is because the people tolerate ignorance, recklessness and corruption. If it be intelligent, brave and pure it is because the people demand these high qualities. If the next centennial does not find us a great nation it will be because those who represent the enterprise, the culture and the morality of the nation do not aid in controlling the political forces." James A. Garfield

We've become so good at enjoying our freedom that we've forgotten how to fight for it.

Leadership

2006-09-09T18:56:00.000-07:00

Leadership is the way a person influences others to accomplish a worthwhile objective and/or improve the cohesiveness of a group by applying values, ethics, character and skill. Good leadership does not come naturally and is a lifelong learning process. Leaders help others to achieve certain goals and maximize their potential, while a boss just tells them what to do.
The following are the leadership traits and principles as learned from "the book" and also through on-the-job training:

Knowledge - People depend on you to keep your word. They are smart and can readily spot a fake. Set an example worthy of imitation.

Courage - Stay focused while under pressure. Courage grows with action and fear stimulates the body so stay busy. Another form of courage is to know what's right and stand up for it.

Decisiveness - Make sound and timely decisions. Always be on time and never make excuses.

Initiative - Take charge of a job that needs to get done without being told.

Tact - Be considerate and courteous of others. Be fair, firm, friendly and respectful.

Justice - Treat everyone equally.

Enthusiasm - Showing excitement in achieving a goal is infectious. Delegate and supervise, but do not micromanage.

Bearing - Be well-dressed and have good personal hygiene.

Endurance - Keep yourself fit and disciplined. Your people will undertake unpleasant tasks if you're in front or at their side.

Unselfishness - Provide for your people first and share their hardships. This is the price of leadership.

Loyalty - Stick up for your people and privately correct them when they're wrong. Go to bat for someone when they're in trouble.

Judgement - Weight the facts.

You'll know that you're doing something wrong if everyone likes you and you'll know that you're doing something right if you catch your people performing flawlessly without you.

The War 101 - The Evening Bulletin August 15, 2006

2006-08-13T19:10:00.000-07:00

I was stunned to hear of our Congressman's (Mike Fitzpatrick - PA 8th District) criticism of President Bush over the war during time of war, but I threw a clot upon learning of Senator Kerry's entrance into the local Congressional race. This is all very confusing, but a quote by A.A. Milne perfectly cleared things up. "The third-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with the majority. The second-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking with the minority. The first-rate mind is only happy when it is thinking."
It's not a bad idea to believe half of what you see and none of what you hear. After all, the NY Times had more front page articles on Abu Graib than it did on the Holocaust during Hitler's entire tenure (Herb Denenberg, "The Treasonous, Treacherous Mainstream Media"). Why is it that the media often has little to say about the world's greatest evils yet criticizes those who fight it? Maybe it's because it's a lot easier to get a sensational story embedded with American personnel than it is to cross enemy lines with a camera to get the real pictures.
If we don't win this war it won't matter much if teachers go on strike or if I can't get a latte. Our enemy hates us because our freedom exposes their own failures. Their radical doctrine of intolerance doesn't hold up under the scrutiny of opportunity and the pursuit of happiness. We are the eternal melting pot which is their polar opposite. The last thing our enemy wants is first-rate thinkers.
We simply cannot have peace without freedom. Most terrorists are driven by a psychotic fanaticism while the corrupt leaders of some Middle Eastern nations use this blind hate-mongering to keep their own greed-machines humming along. The oppressed ask fewer questions than the free so corruption is much easier with tyrants at the helm.
Why then, with such a clear threat to us all, are so many upset with the effort? I wonder if it's because many just don't recognize courage because they're unable to summon it in themselves. They prefer the easy approval of others who also lack courage and politicians and candidates pander to this colossal ignorance and arrogance in exchange for votes. Just ask John Murtha and Dick Durbin.
Could it be that many of us seek peace at all costs (even to the point of ignoring reality)? Cease-fires didn't end World War II and the stakes are just as high today if not higher. War is bad, but premature peace just creates more war.
Yes, we're in a fight to the death between western civilization and radical extremism and he who gives up first loses. Maybe our Congressman was just implying that improvising, adapting and overcoming are required - that yesterday's plans are irrelevant today as conditions evolve. Our intelligence community, Generals and the President himself are all well aware of this. The only way we're going to defeat this extremely real threat is to put politics aside and fight it together. We can debate on all other issues, but we need to stand united on this one or united we'll fall. Thucydides summed it all up in 413 BC when he said, "To those who call yourselves men of peace, I say: You are not safe unless you have men of action on your side."

Just Politics - Courier Times July 15, 2006

2006-07-28T07:40:00.000-07:00

I was about to write something on voter apathy when it occurred to me that I didn't care. Politics is getting so divisive and out of control that maybe one should focus on the solution and not the problem. In short, the Republican Party has become the Democrat Party and the Democrat Party has become MoveOn.org.
So what's one to do? One could, like the 71% of Bucks County's eligible voters who didn't vote last November, completely ignore the process or one could understand that they must take an interest in politics or politics will take advantage of them. You can be assured that every selfish special interest soldier is voting so everyone who doesn't vote increases the politician-buying-power of those who fund campaigns for personal gain at taxpayer expense. Quite simply, those who vote are those who get represented.
It's no wonder that we're not being represented, but we really can't blame our elected officials. They pander to groups like the teachers' union (our nation's number one crisis), who have mastered inefficiency and underperformance by playing politics with our children's education, but we have no one to blame but ourselves. Turn that 29% voter turnout into 80+% and you'll see some start honoring their Oath of Office. Otherwise, officials will continue to be elected by those who don't vote.
My 8 year old recently asked me the difference between Democrats and Republicans. I had just seen an interview with Ann Coulter and witnessed the profoundly rediculous nature of the whole "conservative vs. liberal" insanity. So I searched for an accurate answer. I said that both are more similar than different; that we're all Americans, perfectly compliment one another and agree on many things.
I continued telling mini-me that Democrats like to help people while Republicans like to help people help themselves. Democrats believe that our rights come from our government and Republicans believe that our government is the protector of our rights. And, Democrats are more inclined to look to government for answers while Republicans are more inclined to look to themselves.
I summed up the following for those of you ages 10 and up. Comparing it to a similar sentiment written by a Democrat might reveal many more similarities than differences:
Although extremely diverse, the Republican Party can best be defined by a core set of beliefs that we all share. First and foremost, we believe that the differences among all citizens are what make a community and that recognizing the complimentary nature of people's unique contributions is what makes communities great.
On a larger scale we believe that the best way to help others is to help them to help themselves; that the well-informed will find their own way. When we lend a helping hand it is often the outstretched arm of personal responsibility, accountability and self-reliance.
We cherish our rights and privileges as American citizens, but understand that they can only be maintained through duty and responsibility (and that our greatest enemies are apathy and indifference).
We believe that liberty lies in the hearts of all people and is protected in America by the Constitution. We believe that economic opportunity for all is best realized by the free and open market which follows the laws of supply and demand (to be the most effective and productive mechanism available of supplying human needs).
Lastly, we believe that true wealth is not measured in dollars, but by quality of life as demonstrated by the freedom to live as we wish with all people fundamentally equal and good, all life equally valuable and all of our individual goals worthwhile.
What does this mean? It means that being an American requires effort. It means that there will always be those who will attack what is important to us all and that changing course while going in the wrong direction is rarely easy. And it means that we all have a strong voice unless we make the conscious choice to not use it.

One Gun A Month - The Evening Bulletin June 28, 2006

2006-07-28T05:26:00.000-07:00

As predicted, the usual response to tragic violent crime is to place restrictions on those who didn't do it. The Second Amendment, the right to keep and bear arms, does not permit individuals to misuse firearms. There are already laws against murder, rape, robbery and all other violent crimes to include very serious laws against buying firearms for others. What have we accomplished when we unfairly penalize those who pose no threat in the first place?
The answer is to deal harshly with violent criminals and leave the innocent alone. Current laws already impose appropriate restrictions on the use of any weapon. Adding another flawed law (for criminals to ignore) such as "one gun a month" only diverts attention from solutions and lets ineffective leaders off the hook for another election cycle. It's time to start getting tough on crime, which does not mean getting tough on the law-abiding gun owner. Another option is to start getting tough on politicians who would try to deceive us.

Bryan Miller - Phila. Inquirer September 11, 2006

2006-07-28T05:13:00.000-07:00

I just read Bryan Miller's latest gun hysteria, re: "Gun law is about thugs, not suburban moms" (letters, Aug. 15th), and would like to clear up a few inaccuracies. Mr. Miller is committed to reducing the flow of illegal weapons pouring into Camden from Philadelphia. The rules of simple economics will reveal that the black market increases in direct correlation to increases in gun control. The gun-ban crowd has, in effect, created the black market that puts guns in the hands of criminals (and not "weak laws that encourage illegal trafficing" as Mr. Miller suggests).
We can all sympathize with Mr. Miller who tragically lost his brother Michael on Nov. 22, 1994 to a deranged street thug named Bennie Lawson. Special Agent Miller was killed in the line of duty by Mr. Lawson who was "settling" a gang-related "issue". Agent Miller was truly in the wrong place at the wrong time, but attacking the law-abiding gun owner will never settle Bryan Miller's "score".
The gun control that Bryan Miller has devoted his life to only disarms the law-abiding thereby giving criminals greater predatory confidence. This only makes the job of law enforcement that much more difficult. Criminal laws against murder, rape, robbery and all other violent crimes are laws that already impose appropriate restrictions on the use of any weapon. In fact, 10 out of 10 criminals favor gun control.
In my county, 40% of the adults have their concealed carry permit - a natural right of all citizens that's unavailable in New Jersey. One might even say that a state that deprives its law-abiding citizens with the means of self defense is itself a barbaric accomplice to violent crime. It's as if New Jersey politicians, with the help of laser focused elitists like Bryan Miller who seem to know what's best for everyone else, distrusts citizens more than they fear rapists and murderers.
Gun owners are among the most disciplined, responsible, safety conscious and courteous people that you could ever want to know. They are the single most law-abiding segment of our society and no one detests violence and cherishes life more than those wishing to take personal responsibility for their own safety. If Mr. Miller truly wishes to make New Jersey safer then he'll let brave law inforcement officers like his late brother do their job and stop trying to impose his superior wisdom and virtue on others.

Indivisible, With Liberty And Justice For All - Phila. Inquirer July 20, 2005

2006-07-28T04:58:00.000-07:00

I'm stunned by the senators and congressmen pretending to be politicians who are using the comfort of denial and the inability of some to think beyond 30-second sound bites to incessantly criticize this war in their quest for political power. It's the same technique that's been used since the Revolutionary War, with varying degrees of success, among the uninformed and self-esteem challenged.
The facts are that there is a very dangerous minority of militant Muslims who believe that radical Islam should own the Middle East, then Europe and then the world. They will stop at nothing to deliver nuclear, biological and chemical weapons anywhere to kill every single person who doesn't bow to Allah; including those who cheer Michael Moore's every move.
99% of the Muslim world, however, respects other religions and wishes to live in peace. They believe that the troubles in the Middle East will fade away as they become free societies.
We have, in Iraq, created this focal point for change. Saddam Hussein was very active in his support of terrorism. A very serious threat is now gone. Hopefully, a peaceful and democratic Iraq will emerge that'll be a catalyst for positive change in the entire region.
Iraq is now beginning to enjoy the civil rights and freedoms that both liberals and conservatives stand for. How unfortunate that some are fueling the irrelevant "liberal vs. conservative" philosophical civil war for their own meaningless benefit. The foundation of liberalism, itself, is to stand strong for the workingman at home and against tyranny abroad. Sadly, these values have been hijacked by our beloved "limousine liberals" who are threatened by any success that isn't their own.
I wonder if we can let go of the "party first" madness and return to those values and traditions that we all share to restore us to one nation where truth comes first. Even George Washington said, "There is but one straight course, and that is to seek truth and pursue is steadily.".

Social Security Reform - Courier Times June 1, 2005

2006-07-27T11:48:00.000-07:00

Many of us believe that each of us has our own Social Security account for which we have rights to. The United States government set up Social Security so that, beginning on November 24, 1936, "checks will come to you as a right". However, in 1937 the court ruled in the Helvering vs. Davis case that Social Security was not an insurance program, saying that the Social Security taxes collected are to be paid into the Treasury like internal revenue taxes and are not earmarked in any specific way. Later, in 1960, the court ruled in the Flemming vs. Nestor case that Congress may, due to ever changing conditions, cut benefits, raise the retirement age, raise the tax, eliminate payments altogether or whatever else is deemed necessary.
The moral question that one might ask is: Why, in a free society, am I required by law to set aside a portion of my earnings for retirement? Under this premise, there should also be a Congressional mandate for food, housing and education. After all, many people do diligently put a small amount of money aside each month in mutual funds (or other types of accounts) with spectacular results and it's as easy as making a credit card payment. The answer is that most adults do not plan for retirement. They rely on Social Security. If Social Security goes broke, as predicted, we'll have to set up some sort of welfare system for everyone who didn't plan. Personally, I'd rather empower people now than somehow resolve the pending crisis later on.
Under the proposed plan, a small percentage of our income will be placed in an investment account, if we so desire. Many oppose this stating that Social Security wasn't set up to be an investment account. There are typically 3 ways to accumulate wealth: Hit the lottery, receive an inheritance or invest (even a small amount consistently over time).
The stock market is often associated with risk, but investing $100 per month, for example, every month allows you to buy more in a low market and have a greater value when the market is high. It all balances out and is called "dollar-cost-averaging". Diversification is also key (which is why many prefer mutual funds). Putting all of your dollars into Enron, for example, could spell disaster and did for many.
Risk itself is a misnomer. Generally, time is what reduces (or eliminates) risk. We all must educate ourselves on the basics of investing. There are countless books and websites that are available to us (and you're never too old).
President Bush's plan will introduce millions of Americans to the basic concepts of investing. Many will become empowered with the knowledge required to set up additional accounts (retirement and otherwise) as well. These and the government initiated accounts will have a widespread stimulating effect on our entire economy.
I would hope that the proposed "private accounts" will be managed by private companies. I would also hope that certain safeguards be built in to eliminate the opportunity for corruption with maximum penalties for those who abuse the system.
I'm hopeful for reform. Personally, I think that Social Security was doomed from the start and I'm saddened to see many of our elected officials putting politics over people (counting on the gullibility of the uninformed). I'd approve of President Bush's plan regardless of who thought of it. It's based on sound, solid principles.
The only risk, then, is if the market somehow gets wiped out. Money won't matter anyway if that happens, but history shows only upward trends with no indications of disaster. Clearly, the greatest security is in taking the risk.

Punishing The Law-Abiding - Courier Times April 18, 2005

2006-07-27T03:40:00.000-07:00

As predicted, Philadelphia Mayor John Street is responding to horrifying violent crime by immediately trying to take firearms away from those who didn't do it. Firearm abuse by permit holders is virtually non-existent, yet some city and state legislators are demanding more restrictions.
No one is cheering more loudly than the greatest advocates of gun control - predatory criminals. Gun control not only makes the streets safer for rapists and murderers, but also expands the black market thereby putting more guns in their hands.
Many people see the right to protect themselves and their families as their single most important civil right. Some just have an overwhelming need to control the lives of others and it rarely stops at firearms. Our rights are not dependent upon the behavior of criminals unless, of course, they hold a public office.

The Only Option - Courier Times February 27, 2005

2006-07-26T19:16:00.000-07:00

Contrary to popular thought among the media, and some politicians and college professors who would rather see terrorism succeed than a Republican President, this war on terror is the most important issue of our lives. It's an understatement to call it extremely difficult and risky and there's sure to be additional mistakes, but it's being conducted as near perfectly as possible.
Past restraint was noble, but we're at that point of critical mass where passivity isn't an option. We're not the reason for the failures of oppressive regimes, but our freedom serves well as a useful scapegoat for their shortfalls. Ironically, replacing these hate incubators with freedom itself is the single most effective long-term measure to keep us all safe.
We didn't ask for the attacks of 9/11 and we didn't deserve them, just as we don't deserve future attacks. This war will be won or lost at home.
We're winning against this very real global threat, but those who criticize every move have proven themselves as people who cannot be counted on when needed. Putting politics above all else is likely the most costly mistake of all.

Flawed Conclusions - Phila. Inquirer January 3, 2005

2006-07-25T20:44:00.000-07:00

I recently found myself in a conversation where a friend's wife tried to convince me that the terror attacks of 9/11 were the only way a very frustrated al-Qaida could express their "justified" rage. I felt like I was in an advance screening of Sean Penn's "When Liberals Attack" as I tried to imagine how those who jumped off of the 100th floor of the Twin Towers to escape the incinerating heat would have responded.
It suddenly became clear to me that she and other "civilized elite" like her often come to flawed conclusions that pave the way for psychopathic dictatorships. It's as if they'd even vote for Hitler if he were to promise enough "for the good of the people" legislation. Oh, wait a minute; that's how Hitler got elected in the first place.
I don't know. Maybe I'm still angry. I wonder if 160 million Americans and I can get a group discount on therapy. We didn't become the land of the free by being the home of the helpless and passive. Maybe it's just that I'm glad that I live where slightly more than half of us still understand the meaning of "Never Again".

Shallow Candidates - Phila. Inquirer November 5, 2004

2006-07-25T20:37:00.000-07:00

Now that the dust will soon settle from the most recent political campaign season, maybe a handful of elected officials can actually lead - better yet, lead by example. I watched several debates and was stunned by the number of candidates who were simply unwilling to give a straight answer to any question. It's no wonder that most eligible voters display a lack of interest in politics.
The original concept was for candidates to run for political office in order to serve their communities for a specific period of time and then return to their "civilian" careers. It didn't matter if these "regular" people were liberals, conservatives, Democrats or Republicans. They all brought good ideas to the table. Our differences spark the healthy debate that keeps us all honest.
Maybe by the next election a few independent thinkers will step forward to replace the talkinig heads who are programmed by the party bosses. This is the only way that our political system will be restored to its original intent.
Real leaders identify those values shared by most and create an environment where our differences compliment one another. This is what has made us a great nation and is the most important challenge of our day. Political agendas, hidden or otherwise, are getting very boring and need to go away. Today's politicians must have the moral courage to think past instant gratification to the welfare of future generations.
Divided we fall.

Gun Control A False Hope Promised By An Impossible Utopia - Courier Times November 4, 2004

2006-07-25T04:57:00.000-07:00

My faith in politicians has been restored with the expiration of the assault weapons ban. Many of us were fooled into believing that the assault weapons ban addressed fully automatic military style weapons. These were outlawed in 1934. This very flawed piece of legislation banned firearms based mostly on cosmetic features with no relevance to function.
The assault weapons ban was introduced in 1994 by politicians who are more concerned with politics than with fact and logic. On behalf of all law-abiding gun owners I thank all Democrats and Republicans who moved forward on this with common sense and moral courage.
Unfortunately, though, some unethical politicians and candidates continue to cater to the perceived ignorance of the masses. They use gun control in an attempt to scare people into voting a certain way. Hopefully the following discussion will clear up their confusion:
"A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed." "Militia" refers to "all able bodied men". "People", as it appears everywhere else in the Constitution, refers to "us". And "shall not be infringed" means "shall not be infringed".
Modern day gun control began with the rash of assassinations and inner city riots of the 1960's. Clearly, these incidents had absolutely nothing to do with the law-abiding gun owner, but politicians jumped on it to pretend that they're actually doing something about these tremendous problems.
Continued efforts to undermine the 2nd Amendment threaten the core concept of liberty. The right to keep and bear arms isn't about guns - it's about our inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
Our Founding Fathers suggested that we were all born with certain inalienable rights and that the 2nd Amendment is their ultimate safeguard. The Constitution doesn't give us these rights; we already have them. The Constitution just ensures that our federal government can't take them away.
I'm of the firm belief that people are inherently good. That given the choice between good and evil most will choose good. Unfortunately, sometimes bad things happen to good people in a free society. It gets much worse, though, as freedoms disappear.
Gun control laws ignore intent in that they are aimed at those who haven't actually done anything morally wrong. Such laws proclaim the moral content of one's actions to be irrelevant. This sends a message that character isn't all that important, that understanding the difference between right and wrong doesn't matter and that it's more important to follow orders than to act responsibly and ethically. Plus, our freedom is not dependent on how criminals behave.
Firearms contain no independent power to cause results apart from our decisions, character and purpose. As a matter of fact, 10 out of 10 criminals favor gun control.
Gun control laws are only honored by law-abiding citizens. These laws feed the black market and have a direct effect on a rise in crime. Also, law-abiding citizens tend to remain so even after they're armed. In effect, gun control is nothing more than a false hope promised by an impossible utopia.
America was founded on the principles of personal responsibility, accountability and self reliance and hasen't remained free because of delusional activists. Giving up the right to arms is a mistake that a free people get to make only once.

Anti American - Courier Post July 19, 2004

2006-07-24T04:29:00.000-07:00

I just read an article that used a new term, "hate-triot", that really struck a chord with me. It's been very fashionable to be anti-American for some time now in certain circles, but the American media's embracing of the concept is weird and confusing, at best.
Of course, Michael Moore and his ilk have become what they criticize most - completely irrational and removed from reality; and his latest film will likely expose him for what he is. As if making money from the blood of those killed in the Columbine tragedy wasn't enough... It's odd that he's criticizing the brave men and women who are fighting to preserve his freedom to produce a film that trivializes their efforts. These are some of the same men and women who have given their lives to allow anyone to build a mosque wherever they like in America.
The "liberal" vs. "conservative" discussion has run amuck thanks to people like Michael Moore who think only of themselves. Using the 9/11 tragedies as an example, a real liberal might be described as someone who's geared more towards helping survivors and the loved ones of those who didn't survive. A real conservative might be described as someone who's more geared towards ensuring that terrorism never again happens. Together, liberals and conservatives form a perfect union. Michael Moore shamelessly hides behind the very honorable liberal banner with his hate-triotic and destructive self-serving opportunistic agenda. Michael Moore is no liberal.
If you don't know what a hate-triot looks like (and you're curious) you may be able to find some at your local showing of Fahrenheit 9/11. I wouldn't be caught dead in there and thanks to our President and his team, chances are that none of them will be caught dead in there either.

Iraqi Prisoner Abuse Scandal - June 4, 2004

2006-07-24T04:25:00.000-07:00

No one is more outraged by unprofessional military conduct than the 99.9% of the highly professional personnel out there working hard on our behalf. Concerning the Iraqi prisoner scandal (and any other issue), it's quite certain that the military is much more capable of policing their own than the sea of Monday morning quarterbacks who weren't even there.
Maybe the tens of thousands killed so far would still be alive today if the angry liberal left thought about anything other than themselves. They continue to use this incident in their quest for political power as they seek to weaken our nation in the same exact manner that got us all into this mess in the first place.

Jersey Ethics - Courier Post April 1, 2004

2006-07-24T04:23:00.000-07:00

Ethics reform? You mean that honesty, good values and strong moral principles aren't already part of the job description? I'm shocked.

Gun Laws Excessive - Phila. Inquirer February 24, 2003

2006-07-24T04:09:00.000-07:00

As was the case over 200 years ago, the 2nd Amendment IS homeland security. The armed, law-abiding citizen is our first line of defense. The Right to Keep and Bear Arms is as important today as it was then, if not more so, but talking facts to gun control zealots is only likely to make them angry. Much of what they claim simply will not stand up under scrutiny. Currently, New Jersey is one of the few states where it's virtually impossible to obtain a concealed carry permit.
The 2nd Amendment isn't really about guns - it's about our inalienable right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Many who don't even own a gun understand this and completely support the Constitution of the United States of America.
America was founded on the principles of individual rights, personal responsibility, accountability and self reliance. Many of us, though, look to government for solutions to our problems. Fortunately, we have the greatest system of government that I know of, but we've gotten a bit off track. We can only enjoy true freedom by accepting reponsibility for our own safety, education, food, shelter, health care, retirement, etc.
Gun control is nothing more than a massive propoganda machine devised to gain votes, power and corruption. Clear evidence and common sense show that areas allowing citizens to carry concealed weapons experience a decreasing crime rate while tightened gun laws have a direct effect on a rise in violent crime.
Most of us in New Jersey just don't know the facts and are conditioned to believe that our politicians are actually solving the crime and violence problem when the reverse is true. Ask anyone in England today about their total gun ban and they'll speak of violent crime that has gone unimaginably out of control.
The uninformed don't take the time to understand that a person with a clean record, FBI backgroun check and a legally obtained permit is highly unlikely to commit a crime. The "civilized" elite who run our state know what's best for us and believe that we cannot be trusted to behave responsibly. A state that deprives its law-abiding citizens the means to defend themselves is itself a barbaric accomplice to violent crime.
It's almost as if the people of New Jersey have an obligation to be raped and murdered for the good of society. Our leaders will sacrifice the innocent and impose their superior wisdom and virtue on others to further their own selfish agenda. Part of that agenda includes creating an environment of dependency that swings the door wide open for all manner of abusive and self serving spending.
Handgun ownership doubled in the late 20th Century while the murder rate went down. Guns are inanimate tools. They contain no independent power to cause results apart from our decisions, character and purpose. Certainly, certain measures such as thorough background checks are welcomed by all and New Jersey leads the nation. But excessive restrictions and irrational gun phobia transcend gun control into a larger area of concern.

Gun Control Illusion - Newark Star Ledger December 30, 2002

2006-07-23T19:48:00.000-07:00

My favorite thing about the Smart Gun Bill is that police are exempt from using the technology and the state can't be held liable when something goes horribly wrong. Childproofing a firearm is void of even a remote connection to reality. There are much better ways to keep children safe.
This technology is inherently flawed, as is the gun control movement. Both focus on the law-abiding gun owner. Four things, though, are certain:
1. Lawyers will have a field day with this one.
2. The smart gun chip descrambler market is already forming.
3. Smart guns will cost more lives than they save.
4. 10 out of 10 criminals favor gun control.
Now if I can only get my cell phone and computer to stop malfunctioning when I seem to need them most.

Gun Control Doesn't Work - USA Today November 14, 2002

2006-07-23T19:43:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the gun-control groups and politicians for seizing the recent Washington, DC-area tragedy to further their agenda. Certainly, we're all equally upset by the Beltway shootings and other criminal behavior.
But predatory criminals, by virtue of their job, are the greatest advocates for gun control. A free society, by definition, should not require its citizens to ask for permission to defend themselves.
Gun control does not work, never has and never will. The truth is that decreasing gun ownership has a direct correlation to a rise in crime.
The gun-ban crowd has created the black-market industry that is, in large part, responsible for the gun violence that we are all concerned about.
The rationale for disarming responsible, law-abiding citizens in the post-9/11 era is deceitful, to say the least, and may lead us to becoming a nation of defenseless victims.

Self Defense - Courier Post December 11, 2002

2006-07-23T19:35:00.000-07:00

The leadership of New Jersey has pulled the wool over our eyes. The recent Smart Gun Bill is anything but smart, as it applies to the nonexistent technology of an inherently flawed concept. After all, who can argue with "do it for the children"? Child-proofing a firearm is void of even a remote connection to reality and is an insult.
Gun control is a galvanizing issue. The politicians appear to be the knights in shining armor while rabid gun controlers focus on the wrong target (the law-abiding gun owner) as an outlet for their personal agendas. Laws that specifically target law-abiding gun owners blame and punish the wrong people.
Gun control seems noble on the surface, but it really does not work. States and cities that institute strong gun control laws not only see no decrease in crime, but actually see crime increase. Contrast this with states that have concealed carry laws, where they experience significantly lower crime rates.
Restoring our right to self defense may not only reduce crime, but may also be a step toward acknowledging real causes and possible remedies. Is a raped and strangled woman really morally superior to a woman with a smoking gun in her hand and a dead rapist at her feet?
If for no other reason: Do it for the children.