WASHINGTON'S FUTURE: BOOM OR BUST?

WASHINGTON’S FUTURE:  BUST OR BOOM?

By

 



Dr. Jimmie R. Applegate

The Washington State Legislature was gaveled to order on January 9, 2012 to begin a 60 calendar day session that is scheduled to end March 8, 2012.  As I write this 23 days, or more than one-third, of the session has passed without overt consideration given to the major problems facing the legislators.  To be fair, perhaps more is going on behind closed doors than I am aware of.  I certainly hope so.

The first third of the session has been devoted to general “legislating”.  The 9^th and 10^th Congressional Districts were gerrymandered by racial profile to create a majority-minority district.  And the 15^th Legislative District likewise was racially gerrymandered to create a majority-minority district.  The Legislature had an opportunity to correct such profiling but did not do so.  Instead Hearings have been convened on HB2612 and SB6318 to “push” cities, counties and school districts to switch from at large to district elections in areas of large minority groups.  HB2568 to prohibit the mandatory use of E-Verify to verify the immigration status of potential employees is under consideration.  And Hearings, discussions and negotiations of HB2516 and SB6239 are underway to permit same sex marriage vows in Washington. 

As important as these issues are to some, one third of the session has been completed without public action taken on the major problems confronting the state.  Among them are those caused primarily by gang members or “gang wannabes”.  Drive by shootings, street shootings, car-jackings and home invasions are out-of-control in many cities and other parts of the state.  The drug cartel warfare in Mexico is the Godfather of the gang warfare in Washington.  Law abiding citizens are purchasing concealed weapons permits in ever increasing numbers.  Legislative action must be taken on critical issues sooner rather than later.

The Washington State Supreme Court recently ruled that Washington is not meeting the challenge of funding education as a primary responsibility of the state as written in Article lX, Section 1 Preamble, of the Washington State Constitution thus: “It is the paramount duty of the state to make ample provision for the education of all children residing within its borders….”.  Two professors from the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education recently described the status of higher education in Washington as suffering from a “leadership vacuum”.  (Finney, Joan and Perna, Laura, “State Policy Leadership Vacuum Performance and Policy in Washington Higher Education”, Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania, January, 2012).  In a later interview with the Associated Press, Finney said, “The citizens really should demand better from their elected officials”.  For example, 10 years ago higher education students paid 20% of tuition costs.  Now they pay 70% and it is climbing.

Instead of acting on these, and other critical problems, legislators have received I-502 to legalize the recreational use of marijuana for consideration.  However they also are considering an anti-gang bill (HB2594) with the provision to allow courts to appoint an attorney for those suspected of being gang members who want to contest the charges against them.  HB2432 provides $6 million for gang prevention grants.  If suspected gang members are provided court appointed attorneys, consider the potential log jam in the courts.  You saw it here first, but I won’t say I told you so.

I saved the worst example of apparent legislative dereliction of responsibility for last.  The economies of the United States and Washington are struggling to recover from the Great Recession.  As of January 27, 2012 the total debt per US citizen was $180,634 and the total debt per family was $683,692 while savings per family amounted to a mere $4,608.  Not to be outdone, the Washington State Debt Clock shows a total debt of $67,804,087,250 with a total revenue of $57,456,932,000.  As a result of the state’s economic problems Fitch, one of three major companies that rate debt, changed Washington’s rating from “stable” to “negative”.  Washington is facing a shortfall of $1.5 billion in the 2011-13 budget.  Washington has had a budget shortfall four years in a row and the state’s debt according to Fitch is “well above average” debt levels for individual states.  But wait, there is more!  Two public employees and teacher’s pension plans (PERS and TRS1) are closed but underfunded with an actuarial liability of $4.7 billion. 

And the legislators continue twiddling their thumbs as they have for one-third of the session in Olympia.  Should this “twiddling” continue until March 8, the next step will be for the governor to call a special session because primary legislative responsibilities were not met during the regular session.

Washington is long past the point where playing financial games and using slight of hand maneuvers to correct budget problems is acceptable.  Legislators must reduce expenditures by meaningful real time action.  No more fudging by shuffling funds around, delaying payments by the month or year or calling funds not appropriated or spent by delaying the implementation of programs “dollars saved” as is common practice in Olympia speak.  Legislators must handle the state’s budget the way most citizens handle their personal family budgets by not spending more than they have available.  They must recognize that Washington has a spending problem and they must cut spending, as distasteful as that may be, until the revenue picture improves.  As Finney said, “The citizens really should demand better from their elected officials”.

I can empathize with the Oysters in “The Walrus and the Carpenter” by Lewis Carroll.  The Oysters put their trust in the glad and glorious greetings comments of “all is well” by the Walrus and the Carpenter who convinced them that life was good.  But here is what happened to those Oysters who believed that all is well.

"I weep for you," the Walrus said:
"I deeply sympathize."
With sobs and tears he sorted out
Those of the largest size,
Holding his pocket-handkerchief
Before his streaming eyes.

"O Oysters," said the Carpenter,
"You've had a pleasant run!
Shall we be trotting home again?'
But answer came there none--
And this was scarcely odd, because
They'd eaten every one.

We can gnash our teeth and wail all we want, but if action is not taken, and taken now, to reduce the debt by controlling spending due to the deceit of desires, we will have consumed the economic future of our children and grandchildren to satisfy our unbridled indulgence in and demand for ever more governmental largesse.  Wailing, gnashing of teeth and running for the proverbial pitchforks be damned!

POTUS AND THE SOTU: A PSYCHEDELIC DREAM

POTUS AND THE SOTU: A PSYCHEDELIC DREAM

By

Dr. Jimmie R. Applegate

Tuesday night the American public had a rare opportunity to view a climactic battle between POTUS’ Id (instincts and pleasure) and his Superego (perfection and moral judgments).  I wonder if the president had a plate of magic mushrooms full of the psychedelic drug psilocybin for dinner.  He must have because his Id with a wish list of programs seeking pleasure and immediate gratification was running rampant over his Superego seeking details of any perfection and moral judgment present in his comments.  It is a good thing he has a huge Ego that, according to Freud, would have been severely challenged in attempts to resolve the conflicts.

President Obama delivered his populist SOTU address to Congress and the American people under the title “Built to Last”.  His 65 minute presentation was typical Obamanesque; that is, his reading of the teleprompter was masterful.  I would have appreciated the opportunity to slip a page on the teleprompter with these words, “OK, Mr. President.  Now you are on your own. Goodbye!”.

I heard a rehash of his Id’s Messianic 2008 campaign that was focused on hope and change with emphases on “We can do it” and “Now is the time”.  President Obama stated clearly that the necessary changes he proposed depended on the liberal progressive—some would say, socialistic—growth of the federal government to ensure we all share alike and benefit equally in the American Dream by redistributing wealth from those who have earned it to those who have not.

I remember a saying that went around junior high school boys in the early 1950’s.  We wanted to meet and date a communist’s daughter because she believed in share and share alike and we thought all could “get a little”.   The SOTU reminded me of that because of its emphasis on government determined equality and controlled share and share alike.

President Obama dared not focus on his abysmal record of fulfilling his 2008 promises of hope and change, or on his personal approval rating.  Instead he subjected us for 65 minutes to a 2012 Campaign Kickoff that once again focused on the populist emphases of hope and change for increased government growth and control of the distribution of wealth from the haves to the so-called have nots so everyone gets a little just like the communist’s daughter.  Obama’s speech was a casting call for Americans to play roles in his rerun of “Psychedelic Dreams”.  No need to worry though.  Since there is no competition for the roles, there isn't any work required.  All you need to do is believe in hope and change to make your dreams become reality.

The socialist philosophy hasn’t changed much in 60 years except today we are fighting the communistic share and share alike philosophy on our shores and, of all places, in the White House.  The 2012 election will be a water shed election to determine the direction of the United States for coming generations.  I do not want to tell my children and grandchildren that I stood by and did nothing.  Do you?

Pogo's Advice

Pogo’s Advice

By

Dr. Jimmie R. Applegate

“We Have Met the Enemy and He is Us”

                                                                    Walt Kelly via Pogo

                                

The Republican candidates for POTUS are skewering each other to the delight of the Democratic  National Committee and the Obama campaign.  The conservative candidates appear intent on doing the “down and dirty” work for their liberal, progressive Democrat opponents.  And they appear to be letting bloated egos interfere with their primary goal—to replace a big government, big spending incumbent who supports an ever increasing national debt of $15.194 trillion compared to a GDP of $14.66 trillion (2010).  If these are not sufficient reasons to put a new occupant in the Oval Office, how about the growing share of the national debt placed on the backs of our children, grandchildren and the yet unborn?  Walt Kelly hit the nail squarely on the head with this exchange between Pogo and Albert.

                     “Albert:  We’re gonna secede and start a new country.

                                               Pogo:    Why in the worl'?
                                        Albert:  So things will be more equal for all and we’ll all     
                                                            share more better.

                                              Pogo:    In that case I better eat the other half of my sammitch

                                                           afore you shares the whole thing………”

The Republican seekers after the Grail readily attack each other in debates, town hall meetings and in millions of dollars’ worth of TV ads.  They, mindless to the damage they are doing, challenge each other’s qualifications and experiences with half-truths and with words and positions taken out of context in efforts to knock down and drag out their opponents.  They sound more like Iranian President Ahmadinejad everyday with hostile and unwarranted comments full of bluster and defiance.  American citizens deserve better than that.

 
The candidates should focus on their qualifications, experiences and ideas to uphold, honor and respect the Constitution of the United States, to add jobs, to limit spending and reduce debt, to limit the scope of the federal government, to return power and responsibility to the states, to increase the energy independence of the United States, to control and protect our borders, to restore the constitutional separation of power doctrine and to emphasize the independence and exceptionalism of the American people.

 President Tom Donohue of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce was quoted as saying “I was very disappointed with the intramural carrying on within the Republican Party….I think it’s just been foolish for Republicans to carry on that line of attack because they aren’t doing anything but setting up the ad base for their opponent.”  I couldn’t agree more.  Americans are tired of hostile political discourse and they deserve better from candidates regardless of their political persuasion.

 I began these thoughts with a quote from Walt Kelly’s Pogo and so it is appropriate to end with a quote from the introduction of another of Kelly’s Pogo books (The Pogo Papers, 1953).

“Traces of nobility, gentleness and courage persist in all people, do what we will to stamp out the trend. So, too, do those characteristics which are ugly……… There is no need to sally forth, for it remains true that those things which make us human are, curiously enough, always close at hand. Resolve then, that on this very ground, with small flags waving and tinny blast on tiny trumpets, we shall meet the enemy, and not only may he be ours, he may be us.

            Forward!”

Pogo told us what the problem is, now let’s hope the candidates wise up and do something about it by focusing their stump comments directly on their analyses of, and solutions to, the critical issues of today.   Let voting Americans citizens judge the candidates on what they say, rather than on the innuendo and allegations made by opposing candidates.