Mayors, Rabbi's, and Low Politicians: Criminals!

It's not just Wall St. MBA's and attorneys who are willing to sell their souls for lot of bucks. It's Joey, David, Sally, and Mike, too - people who live just down the street and enjoy positions of local authority. These are among the 44 (so far) folks rolled up in the latest New Jersey & New York corruption bust. If convicted, they should join Madoff in federal prison for a long stay.

I'm sick of the immorality, the absent ethics, and the chutzpah of people like these clowns. They are not people who came from the lawless slums; they are people who understand exactly the risks they are taking and who they are defrauding. Put the guilty in the slammer and throw the key away!

Violent crime is scary and so painful, but white collar crime attacks the code which educated and "civilized" people are expected to live by, the underlying fabric of our society. It's time to ramp up the sentences and public condemnation for crimes committed by the privileged.

Gates Incident "Just one of those things."

NPR is all over the story of Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr.'s arrest for disorderly conduct in his own home. Police were called to the scene when someone reported two black men were breaking into the home. Actually, Gates had come home from a trip, found the door stuck, and opened it with a tool. The police found him inside, asked for identification and perhaps checked it out. At some point during this process Gates became angry and was arrested. Now the black community is up in arms and every story of police overstepping their bounds is coming out. Sorry. I don't buy it. The incident is just one of those things.

Years ago I came home late at night when I was not expected. My wife did not answer the door bell, so I fumbled around to find a hidden key and let myself in. When I arrived at the top of the stairs, I heard my wife crying and looked into the bedroom. She was on the phone with the police! Her next words were, "O damn! It's my husband!"

Although the Good Witch tried to cancel the cops, a cop showed up in just a minute or two. I opened the door and let him in. He was not friendly. In fact, despite my wife's attestations, I had to prove I lived there and she had to talk to him separately and convince him that I was not holding any threat over her. The officer was very, very careful to make sure I was on the level before he would leave our home. In fact, his conduct seemed really intrusive at the time. By the next day, however, I realized that everything he did was aimed at making sure the Good Witch was safe. (However, I wasn't safe from her for a few days!)

From what I heard, Gates went through roughly the same experience I went through. It was pretty exasperating for me to have to prove myself in my own home, but I put up with it. Gates, who claimed he was very tired after a long trip, did not put up with it. I feel badly for him, but the incident was "just one of those things" - a cop trying to do his job right, and a citizen getting upset about it.

I'd be the last person to deny that black citizens get mistreated or hustled by cops. I'd also not deny that cops get a lot of crap from some black citizens. I just don't think that this incident was mistreatment. It was just one of those crazy things that happens once in awhile.

It's the Big One!

Yes, I'm officially "old"; 65 years old today, that is. The U.S. government has taken over responsibility for my health care, the Good Witch tells me that every single hair on my head is white, I have a grandson in Iraq, and my little grandchildren send me a "Happy Birthday" video on Facebook. I may be old, but life is good. If I had to enumerate all the reasons why I'm one very happy guy, Blogspot would run out of storage space!

Suffice it to say that I have a loving wife, family and friends. I have a nice place to sleep and good food on the table. I can work hard for others and myself, and I can play hard - on the Appalachian Trail and the golf course. My hurts don't slow me down too much, and I keep my brain very busy. I trust God to forgive all my many flaws, but I'm also intentional about emulating Christ when my better side is in control. If today was my last day, I'd say I was blessed.

My dad (a man worth a book of his own) had the misfortune of contracting rheumatic fever as a child, and he died of heart failure at 63. At this point in my life, I consider every year to be a bonus year, and I remember him fondly.

The Economics of Health Care

In 1983, as part of my executive MBA at the University of Rochester, a senior economics professor explained how the dollars associated with health care were spent. He said, "On average, 90% of all health care dollars are expended on patients in their last year of life, and, of those dollars, 90% are spent in the last month of life". He then made the point that millions of American children had no preventive medical or dental care because our system provided no way to pay for it. This was an example of "allocation of resources" - it is what it is, and you make the value judgment.

Things have changed since 1983, so perhaps the spending happens a bit earlier than it did then. Drugs, for example, are far more numerous now than then, and they are not cheap. Also, many people are getting knee or hip replacements, or heart surgery, or other life-extending procedures that were not available 26 years ago. Yet I'd bet that a large percentage of U.S. health care costs continue to be incurred in the last year and month of the average patient's life.

With health care now costing America close to 15% of our gross national product, with estimates that it could go as high as 25% as our population continues to age and more and more costly treatments are developed, many analysts are convinced that our economy would collapse if this burden rate comes to pass. Costs must be reduced, and this one of the two primary reasons why President Obama is so focused on health care - the other reason being that many millions of Americans, including my 49 year old unemployed son, have no health insurance.

Most Americans support the idea of everyone having health insurance, and they subscribe to the idea that total costs must be reduced. But few Americans like the idea of rationing health care for terminally ill people. Consequently, we will continue to spend enormous sums to care for people who will die without benefitting much or at all from the care. Sooner or later this practice will have to change, simply because we will not be able to afford it. But, nobody in power is willing to open the discussion.

I feel the same way now as I did in 1983. Even the best life has a natural end. For those whose ends are long, often painful, and even semi-vegitative, hospice care should be the standard and costly, usually futile medical interventions should be prohibited. The savings should first be put toward giving every child the medical and dental care they need. If I'm the one who faces a lingering end, I'll choose to go the inexpensive way, with my family at my side. It's just better for all concerned.

The Christian Approach to Health Care

I've got to speak out for Christians and against Christians regarding the idea of making sure every American has access to a reasonable amount of health care.

Before we get to the Christian part, I want to define what I mean by "a reasonable amount of health care". I mean that every kid should have access to a child-trained internist or pediatrician, and a dentist, and that whatever preventive care they need will be covered. I also mean that if anyone gets severely injured or becomes seriously ill, the health care system will treat them without sending them a bill beyond a reasonable co-payment. But, there should be some limits to care; for example, defining when people are terminal and stopping useless care, and defining when continuing health problems are self-inflicted and requiring patient compliance in order to receive continuing care. I don't mind a little "tough love". Enough said about that.

Some Christians really believe in "do unto others as you would have them do unto you", and "love your neighbor as yourself". They understand that health care is a basic human need like food and shelter. If you don't have it, really bad things often happen. You lose your teeth; you may get preventable diseases that can wreck your life; life-threatening conditions aren't diagnosed promptly, etc. Real Christians put themselves in the position of fellow Americans and their children who can't afford health care, and they understand that the current system is wrong, even un-Christian. They consider the consequences if their own children had no dental care, for example, and they can't believe that other people's children should be in this position. These Christians will support any reasonable plan that will result in everyone having access to health care, even if they have to pay more to ensure all are covered.

Other self-described Christians don't agree that health care comes under the rubric of a basic human need. They may view those who don't have it as unworthy and lazy, having not worked hard enough to buy insurance or get it from their employer. Or, they may view those who don't have health care as "the poor, who will always be with us" - too bad, so sad. Or, they may simply admit they don't want to pay for someone else's health care because they need all their money for themselves. I know Christians who espouse each of the above points of view, both average people and politicians.

Well, at the end of the day the health care debate is all about money. Some Christians value the health and welfare of their fellow men, women and children over money. Some Christians value getting or keeping their own money over providing for the health and welfare of others who, mostly by accident of birth and opportunities, lack the resources to pay for medical care. If Jesus happened to drop by, which of these would he recognize?

Sarah Palin to Resign?

Apparently Sarah Palin has given two weeks notice in her current job as governor of Alaska. It's all about money.

Sarah couldn't win a national race for dogcatcher, but she has enough (dimwitted) fervent conservative followers to make her a very rich woman. In true republican tradition, she will max out on speaking fees until everyone realizes she's a no-show. We'll be seeing a lot of her on Faux News, mostly shilling for her next appearance in Dodo Land.

I have to confess I'm still a republican; I just can't find any republican candidates who I like. So, it's not that Sarah's a republican that I mock her; it's because she purports to be a republican when she's really a dodo. Republicans are educated and smart, or at least they used to be.

Maybe Sarah maybe thinks she can be president if the entire South secedes. But, I doubt it. When it comes to politics, she's a baby compared to those grizzed old southern racist non-veteran politicians. But, she's a babe, no doubt.

Vacation!

Come Saturday morning the Good Witch and I will hit the road for almost two weeks while son #1 holds down the home front.

We'll start in south central Kentucky, where many years ago I met my wife-to-be in the officer's club at Fort Campbell. She's the oldest of eight kids, most of whom still live near Hopkinsville. I really enjoy visiting with this large family . They're good, hard-working people, the home-cooked food is great although a bit too plentiful, and I know a good golf course not far from where we'll be staying. Once upon a time I was the Yankee who stole the girl for a marriage that would never last, but after 43 years the family has figured out I'm OK. To give you an idea of how different it is down there, a wild peacock often flies up to the cupola of her sister's country home, just to have a look around!

Then on to the Tri-Cities area, to Johnson City, Tennessee. My next younger brother is now retired there on a large piece of property where he wears himself out doing major agricultural and construction projects. Larry loves to cook gourmet food, and he and Barbara are educated in the Renaissance style. For a thrill, maybe he'll let me shoot the incredible sniper-type rifle he bought for who knows what reason; everyone in those parts seems to be armed to the teeth! The last time I visited, we ate sausage that Larry made himself, starting from a live pig. This will definitely be our second stop in the country!

Then, on to Hendersonville, North Carolina, to visit my mom and check out a condo we've owned for a few years - it's our bailout place if Rochester winters ever get too much to bear. Hendersonville, set in the foothills of the Blue Ridge, is loaded with retired northerners. I'll play golf with my 83 year old step-dad, who braves painful foot neuropathy to stay connected with his favorite sport. My 88 year old mom is still going strong, healthy as anything and working hard painting watercolor portraits and people scenes. Some people just have the great genes!

Then, back to Rochester via scenic West Virginia. The trip will put well over 2,000 miles on my van, but none of the driving days will be obscene because the Good Witch mandates regular pit stops.

The two of us have been to lots of places in this country and Europe, we've stayed in some fine hotels in the big cities, and we've lounged in the sun on beautiful lake shores. Now, those kinds of vacations are over, just because they're our history and don't need to be repeated. But "family" seems to become more and more interesting as the years pass and everyone mellows. We'll relax and talk over a soft drink (Kentucky), a bourbon whiskey (Tennessee), or a Scotch (North Carolina), and get in a few rounds of golf if the weather allows. That's what "vacation" has become, and that's just fine with me. Maybe I'll post a few pictures on my return.

Another Reason It's Not All About Us

I'm constantly reminded that humanity has been on this earth for only a tiny percentage of the earth's history, and modern humanity for virtually no time at all. Yet, so many people have this idea that the universe is really all about us, and for us. They feel that our mission is, over time, to subdue the universe and make it ours. Well, I'm not so sure that's the case, and in the last day or two I've come across some new information that may confirm my point of view.

Apparently there is a twin star system about 8,000 light years from us. Both stars are large, and they are orbiting each other as their gravititational fields slowly pull them together. We earthlings are approximately 90 degrees offset from their orbital plane, which is kind of like being in the center of their bulls-eye. This is not so good.

It's not good because someday the twin stars are likely to fall into each other and become a supernova. At that instant a huge plume of cosmic radiation will spout out at that 90 degree angle and come roaring toward our solar system. It will take 8,000 years to get here, but it will instantly fry and sterilize our entire solar system, and us, when it arrives. So much for the universe being about us, my friends!

I'm hopeful that the supernova did not already occur, 7,999 years ago, because I'd like to live at least another year. That's a joke!

But seriously, perhaps we can live with the idea that everything is impermanent. Does it really matter whether or not humanity continues for millions of years, or even thousands? Can God not make as many worlds as God desires? Does not each life stand on its own, regardless of what may follow? My life will end, and not so many years from now, at best. And so may our species end, sooner or later. At least the supernova would be mercifully quick.

Let the Pot Boil in Iran

Iran is seething, fermenting, building to a climax, or whatever you want to call it when something's got to give. That country has all the symptoms of an allergy to autocratic rule, and those in power have no cure. Sooner or later, whether it be days, weeks, months, or years, the ayatollahs will be displaced and some kind of representative government will emerge.

Obama is getting some pokes from conservative republicans like Lindsay Graham who believe the U.S. should speak out in support of the Iranian dissidents. As usual, their instincts stink. For the moment at least, power in Iran is held by a government that is generally perceived as illegitimate because it conducted a fraudulent general election. The smart thing is to let the internal pressure build in Iran and not give its government any reason to claim U.S. provocation is creating the dissention. Israel, similarly, should pipe down about Iran.

With a very youthful and technologically savvy population, a high unemployment rate, and a history of more moderate Muslim practice, Iran is ripe for a counter revolution that will put the ayatollahs back on the sidelines. Let's just sit back and see what happens. If the current government is bent on repression, the cork will stay in the bottle awhile longer.

I like seeing the pictures of protest in Iran. This situation is providing a wonderful object lesson for those in countries populated largely by Muslims. Until the present time, many of these countries have been moving toward more religiously-dominated governments. But if Iran's religious rulers put down legitimate dissent, Muslims around the world may react by becoming increasingly reluctant to elevate religious conservatives in their own countries.

We need to leave Iran alone for awhile. No matter what happens there, the outcome is likely to be good if it is internally-generated. Obama has got it right. Let the pot boil on its own.

The Boys from Burma

Burma is half a world away, so few Americans understand that its military regime has been systematically persecuting ethnic minorities for many years. Members of two tribes, the Karen and the Chin, have been harassed and driven out to refugee camps in Thailand. From there, some come to the United States as political refugees, having been assisted by the American Baptist Church. This church has had a long relationship with these tribes.

Rochester, New York, has become home to many of these Burmese refugees. The Lake Avenue Baptist Church, where I keep the books, has a major mission to help them assimilate into American culture. A high percentage of the refugees are young, since the young have the stamina to flee their homeland and the courage to start anew.

Today two of these young men, "Eric" and Salai, have been helping me erase a few major items from my "honey-do" list. Eric is 19, Salai, 27. They are good looking, happy, and hard workers. This morning they did yard work, and this afternoon they've been removing wallpaper. I made them a nice lunch, and later they'll get some nice cash for their efforts. In the morning I'll make a long drive into city and pick them up for another day of work.

Eric has been in the U.S. for one year and his English is already quite good. Salai is picking up the language pretty well, too. They require little instruction. I give them a general idea of what I want done and they figure out all the pieces on their own. So far, their tasks have been completed with a few extra nice touches that they thought would make the job even better. I'm happy.

This is not the first time I've been up close and personal with refugees from Asia. The first time was when the Vietnamese, Cambodians, and Hmong thronged to the U.S. following the Viet Nam war. I was astounded at how quickly, and with such sacrifice, they established themselves and became major contributors to our economy and culture.

Don't tell me there are no opportunities in America. All it takes to achieve "success" is the will to do what is obvious to succeed. Some people get it; many don't ever figure that out or don't want to admit that they understand but are unwilling to pay the price. Eric and Salai get it. I'd like to see what their lives are like ten years from now.

Thumbing

A week ago Thursday, in the early evening, I emerged from the tree tunnels of the Appalachian Trail onto Connecticut Rt. 41, near Salisbury. It's a winding two-lane road.

An hour before and three miles back, I had inadvertently walked past the path to the shelter where I'd planned to sleep that night. By the time I realized this, the shelter was quite a bit uphill from where I was. So I decided to walk to the road and find a motel for the night.

Dropping my pack and poles at the roadside, I stuck out my thumb and began to beg for a ride into town. Drivers of the intermittently passing cars looked me over and passed me by for about 15 minutes. After all, I was somewhat dirty and I had a five day grey beard on my face.

Then, a red Ford pickup passed me, going the opposite direction to the one I intended to go. As it faded into the distance I saw the brake lights come on, and I said to myself, "That person is going to turn around and pick me up." And so he did, and so began the mini-Oddessy of the next 12 hours.

The 40-ish, fit-looking driver had a heavy accent that I couldn't quite place. He told me there was no motel in Salisbury, but there was one, he thought, down another road in the direction he intended to drive. Would I be OK with going on awhile? "OK", I said, trusting in fate as he drove the truck, which needed some wheel balancing, too fast down the almost-shoulderless Connecticut roads.

More than one half hour and many miles later, following a fruitless information stop at a small town gas station, we pulled up to a shabby 1950's style motel with only one vehicle parked in front at 8 p.m. No other businesses were visible in either direction; the motel was squarely in the middle of "nowhere". There was no cell phone reception. The man said, "I'll come back in the morning, about 7:30, and take you back to where I found you." He waved goodbye, and the red truck disappeared down the road.

The next adventure of the evening involved an Indian lady motel owner who, without being asked, loaned me her shabby old car so I could drive nine miles to get dinner and call the Good Witch. I think she badly needed the cash I gave her to cover the gas I used, plus a bunch extra. The tiny stall shower in my room worked, and the bed did not have bedbugs. Everything's good!

At about 7:30 the next morning a red pickup pulled into the motel parking lot and stopped in front of the little cabin where I waited. Off we went, following a much more direct route to where the man had found me the previous evening. Even so, we were on the road at least 1/2 hour before arriving at the spot. Our conversation was continuous. I had many questions for my new friend, whose name was Walter Pezantes.

Walter was an Equadorian, working in America as a mason and stoneworker. He built high-quality walkways, porches, chimneys, and stone walls. He had an ex-wife and three children in Equador, and two larger parcels of property where he intended to retire someday. Working in America gave him the opportunity to support his family and plan for the future. He told me much about Equador while I struggled to get through his accent.

Why was it Walter who stopped for me? Why didn't the "regular Americans" give me a helping hand? The answer is simple, one I've known since I began hitchhiking as a young teenager. It's those who've had it tough, those who've really been desperate for help, those who've received an unexpected gift of kindness from others, who don't hesitate to put out their hand for strangers in need. Most "regular Americans", those who've never known deprivation, feel only fear of the unknown when they look into the faces of strangers in need.

I could tell that Walter enjoyed his time with me. We had a lively conversation, and he knew I was interested in him as a person. I thanked him profusely for helping me to get a shower and a good night's sleep before my last day of hiking.

The act of putting out my thumb, something that I'm never embarassed to do if need arises, set off a chain reaction of events that I'll remember as highlights of this past week on the Appalachian Trail. Now you know why I generally pick up people who wave their thumb and look at me with imploring eyes as my car approaches them on the highway.

The Killing Spree Gains Momentum

Right wing killers are having a field day. The election of a mixed race president has brought them out faster than a full moon awakens the werewolves! It's a devil's brew: uneducated, unsuccessful, resentful men; easily obtained guns; inciters everywhere - radio, "churches", social groups, and the web. Don't expect the killing to end anytime soon.

The inciters are the big problem. There's plenty of evidence these creatures are motivating the killers to pull the trigger. It doesn't take much, just a little daily push toward acting on hate. There's no need to be explicit, either. Code words that everyone understands work just fine. What's a few deaths when such talk keeps the ratings high?

Sooner or later we'll have another big killing spree. Maybe not an Oklahoma City massacre, maybe worse, who can tell? It will be ugly. Then the people and the government will come out in force. The inciters will be muzzled, the potential perpetrators rounded up, and everyone will be sad that nobody took action before the terrible crime happened.

How free must speech be? Maybe it's a little too free right now.

Health Care Reform - Single Payer is the Only Way

OK, call me a "socialist". I just think that a few very large public functions need to be done by the government, and health care insurance is one of them. Going to a single-payer, government-run plan is the only way Americans will be able to receive adequate health care at a reasonable price. But, there will be some perceived sacrifices by consumers, and the hospitals, doctors, and pharmaceutical manufacturers will not be happy about it.

Sacrifices will be necessary to implement universal health care. Some expensive treatments will not be provided for persons near the end of life; they, and relatives, will be angry. Some persons with destructive life styles will not receive unlimited treatments for their repetitive self-inflicted wounds. Judgments will be made about providing the most care for the most people, given some limits on resources. Some will be unhappy. Of course, the rich will always be able to buy whatever care they desire, in the U.S. or elsewhere; they'll just have to pay for it themselves.

Some heath care providers will be happy with a single payer plan. My own internist, for example, is totally bummed out by HMO paperwork and bureaucracy. Others, chiefly those whose earnings from specialty practices are spectacular, will be unhappy when government puts the brakes on excessive compensation. In my view, the best of them can go totally private if they so desire. We need more doctors, not just a few of the very best. And, a government plan will make it easier for people to get an M.D. and easier for them to have a normal life once in practice.

Opponents of a single payer plan complain that it will take "choice" away from medical consumers. It's a scare tactic. People will always be able to choose which doctors they wish to see, as long as they're willing to wait in line with everyone else. The real issue is that there are many intermediaries in the current health care system who will be cut out of a single payer plan. Those are the folks who are funding the "anti" campaigns; their lifeblood depends on keeping their rather useless functions going. I say, good riddence.

Will we get some form of national health care soon? Probably not. But costs will soon escalate beyond the capability of our economy to support them under the current system. Then, public opinion will move the concept forward and the very significant change will start to happen. It will take years to fine-tune it, but it's the only long term option. Go for it, Barry!

Keepin' On Keepin' On

I've been absent from the blogosphere this past week as I struggled up and down some rather imposing mountains in Massachusetts and Connecticut. Nights were spent in first class accomodations like the one on the right.

I'm pleased to announce that in my quest to somehow hike the entire Appalachian Trail, Massachusetts is now completed! That makes eight states done, and five to go. I have partially completed New York, Connecticut, and Vermont, but have not taken a single step in New Hampshire or Maine. Later this year I'd like to put New York and Connecticut in the "win" column.

I'll be 65 next month, and I'd be lying if I told you this was easy. Some days are grueling and seem to never end, with exhaustion waiting to take over when the climbing and descending ceases. Wednesday was like that. The target shelter was 16 miles off, with two big mountains blocking the way. Ten hours of hard work, sometimes on rock faces so steep that hands and feet were needed to scale them. When the day is over, I'm so tired I don't want to eat. But, if I don't eat, I forfeit energy for tomorrow. The food tastes like paste.

People think of Massachusetts and Connecticut as being on the populous East Coast, but most of their population is concentrated in the coastline areas. The western sections of those states are extremely mountainous and thinly populated. Thursday night I had to drive 9 miles in a borrowed car to pick up a weak cell phone signal! The roads constantly curve back and forth as they snake through the mountain valleys. The Appalachian Trail is aptly named: the Appalachian mountains really do continue unabated from Georgia to Maine, and the trail just puts them ahead of you, one at a time, as you walk north.

While I was hiking, the Air France jetliner crashed, Obama made his Cairo speech, and David Carradine became deceased. The "real world" goes on and on. But in the deep woods, the forests and rocks seem timeless and unconcerned about it all. Change is much slower, and totally unemotional. Millions of trees drive their roots into the hard granite, slowly cracking it into sand with the help of the freeze/thaw cycle. I pass by. They take no notice.