Come Again

Dialogue

2011-01-11T14:13:00.000-08:00

We haven't written in awhile, but feel it's appropriate to begin today, three days after the brutal killings and assaults in Tucson, Arizona. As the link in the caption alludes, there is now much discussion and loud debate (only in America can we have loud debates about loud political debates) over the climate of our political culture. Almost immediately after it was reported that a moderate Democratic Congresswoman, Gabrielle Giffords, was the target of the shooting (and indeed was brutally shot in the left side of her head), the TV, radio, and internet content providers instantly went to their respective "airwaves" and began alleging that the murders and assaults were the result of violent language in today's political climate. One "target" of the commentator's rage is Sarah Palin, who last summer posted a map of America with various Congressional districts covered in "crosshairs," urging her followers to "target" those districts and vote out the incumbent Congressional representative, replacing them with more conservative followers of Palin. Giffords was one of those districts.

However, it is not a straight line from violent political discourse to a deranged gunman shooting at a Congresswoman and killing a federal judge. While it appears Congresswoman Giffords was the target of the shooting, there are many other variables to the motive of this crime, including the possibility the young man was insane. Nonetheless, this crime is a vivid reminder of theories of criminal behavior that we have forgotten in this "lock 'em up and throw away the key" era: society has a huge role to play in crime. How we shape our children, address mental health issues, regulate instruments of violence (guns), poverty, education, greed and wealth. Whether it's an Enron executive inflating stock value or this young man who shot at a crowd of people on a Saturday morning, our society shaped and informed those acts.

Unfortunately, ideology and violence are a potent mix. The reason the picture with this blog is of a Northern spotted owl is because it is merely one example of violence and ideology. In the 1990s the Pacific Northwest was split apart by widely divided sides on how our federal and state forests were managed. The Northern spotted owl was listed as a threatened species under the Federal Endangered Species Act, and violence broke out in the woods, federal offices, and in state legislatures. A colleague of mine had an owl nailed to his door. So-called eco-saboteurs reigned terror upon federal offices, logging companies, and even a research facility at the University of Washington. These same "eco-saboteurs" later testified that they had large caches of automatic weapons and had trained on how to kill corporate executives. Loggers revved up chainsaws, threatening to cut down trees which held tree-sitters (and in Humboldt County, California, a tree was felled with a tree sitter in it). These are violent acts in the name of "righteousness" and ideology.

Those of us who sought dialogue were laughed at for not being "pure." Even attempts by President Clinton to find compromise, where portions of forests could be sustainably harvested and other areas protected, was ripped and tattered by the vastly opposing sides.

Until, until we are ready as a society to reflect on our own, individual reactions to ideologies we don't agree with, we will not find "reasoned" discourse. While it does take a village to raise children, to change how we talk about heated issues will take each of us to quiet down. Then to turn to the person next to us, summon courage, and ask them to quiet down. To tell that person you will listen, but only if they talk, not yell or threaten. Perhaps this will never happen. And more deranged people like the Tucson shooter, or the Unabomber, or Peter Young (an animal "rights" advocate who encourages violence), or the man who murdered the abortion doctor in Kansas, will continue to feed off of our collective anger. It's up to each of us, individually right now to not point fingers at anyone else but ourselves if we want this cacophony of anger to stop.

Drill Here, Drill Now

2010-03-31T05:17:00.000-07:00

During the 2008 presidential campaign, environmentalists mocked Sarah Pallin's simplistic slogans of "drill here, drill now." But, today, President Obama is going to announce a breathtaking proposal to open up vast areas of coastal waters, including in the Arctic, for oil and gas drilling.

I suspect many environmentalists did not hear President Obama during the campaign talk about the "necessity" of opening new areas for drilling nor his endorsement of nuclear power. The next issue, highly complex one, will be when the US Forest Service begins opening up federally managed forests for the harvesting of woody biomass as a source of biofuels.

Drill here, cut there....

China Rising, II

2010-03-30T05:14:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, it was announced that Geely, a Chinese auto company bought Volvo, formerly owned by Ford (a little known fact to all the Volvo drivers who thought it was a company from Sweden, which it once was). Geely's major financier? Goldman Sachs. And Goldman Sachs is funding this deal.

Great article here about why American taxpayers may end up holding the bag, again, with these "too big to fail" banks.

Alan Greenspan Strikes Again!

2010-03-18T12:48:00.000-07:00

Apparently Alan Greenspan, the consummate Washington, DC insider, is going to deliver a paper at the Brookings Institute tomorrow. And he will "admit" that the Fed, under his tenure as chairman, did not predict the severity of the housing "bubble" and subsequent crash. Ya' think?

But the most disturbing part of his talk is that he refuses to believe that regulatory efforts can at least mitigate these kinds of debacles. In fact, in his usual "magical" language, he talks about how "central controls" will ruin capitalism. And that we can not do anything to prevent bubbles, merely analyze them in their aftermaths.

I suppose the millions of people who lost their homes due to foreclosures or are underwater in their loan to equity ratios will be consoled with his thoughts.

Can a Mansion Be Green? Come on...

2010-03-11T15:58:00.000-08:00

A particular peeve of mine has been what is now being called "greenwashing." When some developer manages to spend a lot of money to amp up the thermal values of windows, install the oh-so perfect heating system, maybe even slap a rain barrel on the gutters, and obtain LEED certification. How can two people living in 10,000 square feet even think it's "green?"

Finally, some folks in Berkeley are calling it what it is: greenwashing.

The Incongruence of Federal Farm Policies

2010-03-10T15:42:00.000-08:00

On one hand we have Michelle Obama, the First Lady, opening local farmer's markets near the White House, exhorting kids and parents to eat better, and even growing her own food on the White House lawn.

On the other hand, an important and vital forum about anti-trust issues in Corporate Agriculture, and until yesterday, not one "local" farmer had been invited to the discussions.

Not a good sign.

And Reason This Became Criminal Is....?

2010-03-09T14:17:00.000-08:00

Will someone please explain why this is criminal? I get all the airport security rigamarole, but really, to give this young man a criminal record because he wanted to kiss his girlfriend? What is wrong with this picture?

The Complications of Being a Conservationist

2010-03-05T15:28:00.000-08:00

Today's ruling from USFWS demonstrates the complications of being a conservationist. Long sought by many environmentalists, a ruling to place the Sage Grouse on the endangered species list would thwart many wind farms and other alternative energy projects in the basin regions of eastern Washington, Idaho, and Wyoming. Of course, it would also make it very difficult for natural gas exploration.

So the current administration chose a middle ground, announcing they were concerned about the viability of this amazing upland bird, but could not, at this time, place it on the list.

Every single environmental/conservative decision has enormous consequences. We'll probably soon know whether the rejection of the application sends this bird into extinction. On the other hand, by listing it as a candidate species, perhaps, just perhaps, all the efforts by conservation groups, private landowners, and governments may just work.

It's complicated, right?

Understanding Regulation

2010-03-03T15:25:00.000-08:00

Every day there are stories about how regulation prevents a good guy from fulfilling his passion. In this story, it's about someone who wanted to start a small farm in an area of King County, Washington which used to be filled with small farms (ah, I remember many a summer picking strawberries out in Carnation) but which is now filled with Microsoft mega-estates. Yep, there is open space, that is, unbuilt lawns for the large, gated estates.

What we don't really understand in our society is often regulation is meant to protect special interests. For instance, during the Northern spotted owl debates in the Pacific Northwest, large multi-national timber companies encouraged enforcement of the Endangered Species Act because they knew it would eliminate competition from smaller, more nimble logging companies. And indeed, the big companies survived, the small ones went bankrupt. But the cleverness of this "campaign" was the small logging companies thought it was the forest activists that wanted them out of business, not their so-called colleagues in the big timber companies!

And this story about the farm is another example. Surely the hip Microsoft millionaires shop in chic markets exclaiming local foods. But they just don't want the smell of manure next door to their "LEED Certified" houses behind gates. So they regulate farms away from their fancy homes....

Underwater Homes Part 2

2010-03-01T18:37:00.001-08:00

Great piece in the Wall Street Journal about walking away from homes with no equity.

I still think we have a long long way to go in this real estate debacle.

The Myth of Green Jobs

2010-02-26T08:29:00.000-08:00

Great piece on the myth of green jobs here.

The one thing the author did not mention is that many of the manufacturing jobs for the green technologies, such as wind turbines, smart meters, electric cars, will all be overseas jobs. And while the United States may, may have the R & D jobs, those will be miniscule compared to the potential manufacturing.

The wild herd running toward green jobs might want to think a little before leaping off the cliff. Certainly the number of jobs created will not replace those eliminated, much less make up for the huge and vast unemployment we currently have.

Money Under A Mattress

2010-02-22T20:46:00.000-08:00

And why is it we need banks?

Tiger

2010-02-19T15:46:00.000-08:00

Gotta' post about this. And the only thing I have to say is: "will we ever have a week without an apology?

Great analysis of Tiger's moment here.

And thank you Jenny Sanford for setting the standard that wives do not have to be humiliated during this ordeal. Stay away!

Real World

2010-02-18T14:32:00.001-08:00

With all the hype on all sides of the political spectrum about stimulus and jobs, here is a short piece from a mid-size business owner (who actually manufactures something...) on why his business is not ready to hire, yet.

I think it's going to be awhile before those unemployment numbers start to decline. And remember, we are adding more people to the work force than jobs we are creating.

You Go Girl!

2010-02-17T18:20:00.001-08:00

Lindsey Vonn, the courageous downhill skier from America. Remember four years ago, this is the woman who, despite a horrific fall, came back and skied. She now owns the downhill. Gold medal. Silver to teammate and friend Julia Mancuso.

Ya-hoo!

What Is Wrong With Our Justice?

2010-02-16T14:25:00.001-08:00

The recent loud and semi-obnoxious debate over the location of the trial for the alleged "mastermind" of September 11th, and the decision by the Obama Administration to try the "Christmas Day" bomber in federal "civilian" criminal court, simply stuns me. The very same people who stand up over and over again, yelling that they are proud to be Americans, are also saying they don't trust the American judicial system. They somehow believe the despite millions of successful convictions, the destruction of too many to name criminal organizations, laborious criminal investigations, this judicial system can not find a way to obtain even more evidence against other potential terrorists or that by somehow allowing a terrorist his day in court we are granting "special rights."

Even if we tried these men in military court they would have something similar to a Miranda warning and be appointed lawyers.

But by trying them in our federal "civilian" courts, we confirm that this country is, indeed, not some backwater, oppressive sinkhole or totalitarian regime like China. And not that we need to say this to the world, but rather, we need to remind ourselves, daily, why we are indeed proud to be Americans. Our criminal justice system works. The Christmas Day bomber is talking, hundreds of terrorists since September 11th have talked, given up details of other plots, of other defendants. Judges have handed down severe sentences. Even the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, the one circuit conservatives love to bash, demanded a stiffer sentence of a terrorist recently convicted in the Western District of Washington.

So, those who want to tell me they are proud to be an American but don't want to see terrorists tried in federal court...well, it's America. Love it or leave it.

Vancouver 2010

2010-02-12T14:47:00.001-08:00

I am a huge fan of the Olympics. But I thought this short video on pushing the limits was quite interesting. Frankly, one of the downsides of the modern Olympics is the pandering to money, whether corporate or TV.

Nonetheless, I will be glued to the TV for two weeks!

Obstruction

2010-02-09T15:53:00.000-08:00

This is what happens when you become an obstructionist.

Green Police

2010-02-08T14:08:00.000-08:00

One of the Super Bowl commercials that presages a world that may come is for Audi. Essentially it is an ad for a "clean diesel" Audi. But it shows "green police" arresting people for every day decisions such as throwing out a battery, installing incandescent light bulbs, putting an orange rind down a disposal...but the guy who can afford an Audi stationwagon gets off scott free in a green police roadblock.

And while Audi in it's web page wants to encourage "green activities," what really struck me about this ad are several things. The rich can avoid penalties because they can afford to buy carbon credits and Audis (furthering the divide between the rich and everyone else), the paramilitary way environmental laws and regulations may be enforced, and the other message that the rich can continue with their consumptive life style as long as they buy expensive ""green goods."

Travel and the Environment

2010-02-06T07:30:00.000-08:00

While I thought some of the thoughts in this piece were more than slightly elitist (as in, I can pay for my "sins" by donating money), the comments are also interesting. It's true, those of us who work toward trying to make as little dent on the Earth as possible must continually ask about the impacts of economic growth. There are no such things as green jobs and smart growth.

We're Not Out of the Woods

2010-02-04T14:23:00.000-08:00

Buried deep in this article about European economic issues, and today's declining stock market, are woeful employment numbers.

And one more thing. The economic battles between the US and China are just beginning. For years, China, eager to jump-start it's economic juggernaut with cheap labor, inexpensive raw materials, and oppressive government, would at least occasionally kow-tow to American demands. But no longer. They own us, they don't have to do what we ask. The kidnap a human rights activist (and refuse to disclose if he is even alive), the execute a Briton convicted of selling drugs, they smile at Copenhagen but balk at any emission restrictions or real reductions, and they somehow hack into Google...

So, America, how does it feel to be Briton in 1930?

Super Bowl Ads

2010-02-03T20:53:00.000-08:00

There is this huge dust-up over an ad that almost no one has seen which will apparently be shown during the Super Bowl this coming Sunday. Tim Tebow, a twice nominated and once winning Heisman trophy quarterback for the University of Florida, will apparently appear in an ad with his mother. His mother will talk about how she chose to have Tim, rather than abort, after horrific medical news during her pregnancy.

The usual suspects are lambasting CBS for running the ad. Sally Jenkins, a great sports writer for the Washington Post wrote a superb piece on this here.

Frankly, I don't care. Tim Tebow and his family have a right to appear in any advertisement they want. Most of the ads during the Super Bowl are so inane and sexist to begin with, that a woman celebrating the fact she made a choice, well, that's pretty amazing. And this guy, from everything I understand, seems to be the role model we want in college athletes. He hasn't been arrested, but rather spent his summer breaks in developing countries doing scut work. He is honest, diligent, hard working, responsible.

And the ad is about choice. His mother had a choice. It's really a pro-choice ad sponsored by the conservative Focus on the Family. How ironic.

So, let's realize an amazing woman who raised a great kid is a far far better advertisement than the sexist Bud beer ads we'll all have to endure if we watch the game.

Does Lady Gaga Read Newspapers?

2010-02-01T14:41:00.000-08:00

Recession and the Grammys. One of the reasons, music industry, that sales are plummeting, is because we are in a recession. And strange, narcissistic acts like Lady Gaga, who must have changed costumes, oops, outfits, more than a dozen times, fails to realize the rest of the world is wondering whether the food stamps will last until the end of the month.

Logging and Global Warming in California

2010-01-29T08:34:00.000-08:00

It's an interesting article. The Center for Biological Diversity is ornery, but I am not sure this theory, that doing some selective logging will increase green house gases in the atmosphere, is going to fly. First, it's ecologically wrong. And second, by filing litigation in five different counties, it's clear the Center is using one of it's favorite tactics: litigate them to death.

I think the collaborative spirit that other environmental organizations have embraced when it comes to decisions about logging is welcome relief from the antagonistic hyperbolic rhetoric that happened in the last part of the 20th century. Without some forest management on these and many other forests, particularly in the west coast, these forests really will be of no help in altering global climate change. Logging, in the ways sought here, will help rural communities, who are already suffering from this current recession. Plus, the forests probably will be healthier. It's a win-win and the other environmental organizations know this.

The Center is using very little foresight.

"I'm in this world, but not of it."

2010-01-28T14:42:00.001-08:00

Rest in peace, J.D. Salinger.

A Marketing Whiz

2010-01-27T14:58:00.000-08:00

Maybe he can give lessons to the President?

China Rising

2010-01-26T15:41:00.001-08:00

Click here to read a fascinating article on China's ascendency in the world.

Small Ball

2010-01-25T18:44:00.000-08:00

And now President Obama is beginning to play small ball.

Not good.

Urban Wildlife Conflicts

2010-01-22T14:30:00.000-08:00

No, I'm not talking loud parties! I'm talking animals. This is the third time in less than 12 months that wildlife agents have been called into a neighborhood in Seattle to find (and in this case, kill) wildlife. Cougar, Black bear, and now coyote.

Maybe instead of the usual response (trap, kill or re-locate) we should figure out how we live within the wildlife territory not the other way around.

Not An Activist Court? Bah-Humbug

2010-01-21T14:54:00.000-08:00

The decision announced today by the US Supreme Court (Citizens United v. FEC) is an appalling use of judicial activism by the 5 conservative judges (Roberts, Kennedy, Alito, Scalia, Thomas). Instead of narrowly ruling on the facts presented to the Court in last year's term, the Chief Justice asked for and received a re-hearing of the case based on parameters he set. In other words, he wanted to examine whether campaign finance regulations barring corporations from buying advertisements to endorse candidates, was a unconstitutional ban on free speech.

As we all know, the First Amendment is for individuals, but long ago the US Supreme Court decided that corporations are "individuals," and therefore entitled to the same constitutional protections.

This case unravels years of sane campaign finance laws which, while not doing a good job at keeping out obscene amounts of money in federal campaigns, at least had the noble idea that people contributed to a candidate's election. Now, we'll have the candidate from Citibank, the candidate from Boeing, the candidate from Goldman Sachs, from Johnson & Johnson....

And we all know the "magic" of corporate marketing. They managed to convince a whole nation to leverage their homes to the hilt to buy flat screen TVs, granite counter tops, and stainless steel appliances against the homeowner's better interest, just think of the snarky ads they will come up with the convince you to vote for their candidate. Signed, sealed, delivered...Senator Bank of America.

Look at how corporations have perverted and corrupted sports in America. Wow, maybe a corporation can get naming rights to the US Capital or even the White House! Goldman Sachs White House or the Blue Cross US Capital.

I have one more thought: really this decision isn't about "free" speech, it's about bought and paid for speech. Manipulated speech. Advertising speech. It's about marketing a candidate. Instead of Manchurian Candidate, think AIG Candidate, primed and programed to do the bidding of the huge insurance corporation...

May we live in interesting times...we sure do now!

Can Any Party Really Last?

2010-01-20T14:16:00.000-08:00

Everyone and their mother is blogging about the Massachusetts election yesterday. But I thought this short piece about whether any national party can "re-align" and stay in power for years and years in this technologically driven world was very interesting.

We expect immediate results, we want government to fix things, and from my perspective there has been very little collective self reflection on how banks and Wall Street found the openings to prey on us. It's not like we kept the doors closed....

That said, the apparent anger which motivated many Massachusetts voters seems in line with seeking immediate results.

And while jobs, jobs, jobs should be the government's key objective, remember what is lost in all the hub-bub about health care is that if we can spend less (as a nation) on health care, we can spend more on infrastructure, buying cheap TVs, and granite countertops for our kitchens...

Who Knew Massachusetts?

2010-01-19T14:58:00.001-08:00

Who would have ever guessed the Fate Of The World rested on a US Senate race in Massachusetts?

State of the Union Scheduled

2010-01-18T14:47:00.000-08:00

In case you missed this, the Obama Administration hadn't scheduled his first State of the Union (until today). They were hoping he could announce the passage of some sort of health care "reform." Of course, that isn't happening any time in the next few weeks. The President Obama went to Massachusetts where there is a huge battle for Senator Ted Kennedy's seat. Polls today suggest a Republican may win, although with Obama's appearance on Sunday, who knows what will happen.

But it was announced today that President Obama will deliver the State of the Union next week, giving up on having a signed health care bill in hand.

Hopefully he is listening to what is going on. People are more than a little frustrated that they don't even know what the Lords of the Senate and House are wrangling over in terms of health care "reform." Maybe he can use this speech to let us in on the negotiations.

The fact the Coakley v. Brown race in Massachusetts is so close should say something to the Administration...are you listening?

Making Government Difficult

2010-01-15T14:43:00.000-08:00

Just when I thought I was the only one bothered by the hoops elderly folks had to jump through to get a discounted bus pass, finally, someone else noticed. In King County there are only two places where an elderly or disabled person can go to apply for and receive a discounted bus pass. It's ridiculous that they should even have to do that. Hello! Can't a bus driver tell if someone is over 65? Kids who sell tickets at movie theaters can!

And then here is Seattle. Seattle. Some policy wonk at the parks department, yes, the parks department, decided park visitors needed a code of conduct. No fire starters for your barbecue (of course, the park staff uses leaf blowers to removed sand from side walks at beaches, but God forbid if you want to start your barbecue...), no spitting, no sex, no going into a bathroom of the opposite sex...you get the drift. The kicker is if you're caught, the park staff with BANISH you from the park for 24 hours! I feel like the city reverted itself to a pre-school.

Government gone amok!

Compassion

2010-01-14T15:48:00.001-08:00

It's one of the great things about America and the rest of the world. We have compassion.

Click here to listen to President Obama. Probably his best speech.

Googling China

2010-01-13T14:35:00.000-08:00

Of course, everyone knows the "business model" for Google is selling ads. So when someone or something in China began hacking into systems in the US and interfering with Google, well, the largest company finally decided to stamp it's feet and tell China where to go! For so many businesses, they salivate at China right now: lots of money, largest population...if only we can get them to spend...

It never bothered Google that China enforced a censorship on them before, but now when it looks like their credibility to deliver "product" might suffer...

Show me the money, Google!

In the Crosshairs

2010-01-12T15:26:00.000-08:00

As the economy changes our ideas of the 'haves' and 'have nots,' many issues will come under scrutiny. One that caught my eye were hunting licenses in Montana. In most states there is a fee disparity for licenses. For instance, when I fish in Idaho, I pay more for a license than a resident. The flip is true, an Idaho fly fisherman pays more for a Washington license than I do. Same thing has been true for hunting licenses.

However, in Montana, which restricts the numbers of hunting licenses, there are a number of hunting licenses reserved for nonresidents that are sold through guides and outfitters. These guides and outfitters frequently take their clients to private access areas to hunt, for instance large tracts of ranch land the guide leases from a rancher.

Hunters in Montana are fed up with this system, believing the rich out of state hunters get a better deal. On the ballot this fall will be an initiative to eliminate this system and increase the out of state license fees, much like what is done in many Western states. Of course, if this idea passes, the guides and outfitters claim they will be severely hurt. Private land owners who lease out their land (think Ted Turner) may not respond by allowing unaccompanied hunters onto their lands. Their sense is that hunters usually behave quite badly (think piles of beer cans left near a smoldering fire). It's a class war if there ever was one.

More interesting, however, I think is the backlash between the perceived economic disparity. In other words, part of this initiative is based on anger that "rich, out of state" hunters get better and different opportunities for natural resources. And as our economy continues to create a larger divide between the rich and everyone else, I suspect in many other areas we will begin to see these kinds of backlashes.

Ya' Think!

2010-01-11T15:40:00.000-08:00

Shocked! I'm shocked! Mark McGuire finally admitted he used steroids. Shocked. Even more shocking? He used them during the season when he broke the home run record. Shocked!

Are We Surprised By High Unemployment?

2010-01-08T14:57:00.000-08:00

During the last decade we not only failed to create jobs in this country, we went backwards in terms of population growth (we grew) and job creations (we eliminated).

And for all the talk about small businesses and innovation, a recent City of Seattle order to a parking lot near our brand spanking new light rail, to stop selling parking spaces because some urban planner has a utopian vision that people should live, shop, and walk to and from transit rather than park and take the train. So now we have a parking lot attendant unemployed. Great.

What is that giant sucking noise?

Underwater Homes

2010-01-07T14:49:00.000-08:00

This is a very interesting op-ed piece about homes that are "underwater," in other words, the home owner owes more than the house is appraised or can sell in an open market. The question addressed by the commentator is why, in our "free market economy" it seems legitimate for businesses to walk away from assets which are collateralized for more than they are worth, but it is considered a sin, morally wrong, for a homeowner to do the same thing?

What's even more interesting but not addressed in this particular piece, is how it is lenders (think banks) could allow debt on private residences with so little an equity margin. It's like forcing someone to gamble their life's savings at the craps table in Vegas.

While I personally love owning a home (I can have dogs without having to worry!) and would probably do everything possible to keep my home, I can understand folks walking away from a desperate situation, where it seems they will never recover any money. Essentially they are paying rent with interest on the house.

My sense is that in many parts of this country the real estate market is looking at years if not a decade before housing prices will recover to similar levels of the "greed and gluttony" decade. Yes, yes, I agree there is some individual responsibility here. I mean, when some ya-hoo pulls up in a Mercedes, tells you your house is worth double what you paid for it two years ago, your guard probably should have been up. I remember listening to a realtor here in Seattle constantly tell me there was no way the market could crash because there is no more room to build. I would roll my eyes. I have been hearing that line for 30 years and seems to me developers have been finding lots of land to develop. But I suspect a lot of people were seduced by the same "reasoning."

So, if it is going to take years or a decade before a house is worth what is owed, does it make financial sense to keep paying a ridiculous amount on it? If banks walk away from assets all the time, why can Joe Dokes?

Heading for the Doors

2010-01-06T14:46:00.000-08:00

It's not just the Democrats, but last month it was also the Republicans. I think we have made getting elected to office one of the least enjoyable things to do and as a result, we will find our leadership becomes less able to handle the complex world we live in.

Not a good sign.

Pay in Cash?

2010-01-05T15:01:00.001-08:00

In my on-going series on banks, I thought I would pass this article in today's New York Times about the fees Visa (and your bank) charge for using a debit card. Remember, a debit card is your money. Yet Visa (and your bank, which takes a fee from Visa) charge retailers and venders a fee for every time you use your card. If you don't use your PIN, in other words, the card swipes as credit, even though your checking account is debited, the fee is even higher (hence the reason Costco only accepts debit cards).

So, since retailers don't make a full dollar for every dollar they charge you, the cost of goods and services increases to cover that deficit.

Simply amazing what those bankers think of, isn't it?

Death Penalty Death Knell

2010-01-04T14:04:00.000-08:00

Why not start off the New Year with an intense topic? The death penalty.

There are a few topics in America that are polarizing, you know, where people stand on one side of the line or the other. But the death penalty is one of them. Either you are for it or against it.

In Texas, there is a raging debate about whether a truly innocent man was executed last fall. This debate is what death penalty proponents have worried about forever and anti-death penalty advocates knew would happen sooner or later. However, it's not quite clear, of course, whether the man was innocent....

Then there were the problems in administering the lethal injection in Ohio, which resulted in suspending the executions of two inmates.

Today's news brought another interesting twist in the debate. The very think tank that crafted the legal underpinnings to the Gregg v. Georgia decision in 1976 by the US Supreme Court, opening the door, again, for capital punishment, is going out of businesses because, essentially, they can no longer justify the death penalty. Now, they didn't say it that boldly, but that is what happened.

It will be interesting to watch as debates over capital punishment begin to unfold in the next few years. It's political hot potatoes to come out against the death penalty, particularly if you're a Democrat. President Obama supported the death penalty in his presidential campaign, even for non-capital but heinous crimes such as child rape. Slowly, very slowly, the US Supreme Court has been narrowing the ability of state's to administer the ultimate penalty.

Which is to say, nothing is every final in our society. The death penalty was abolished in 1962, re-instituted in 1976 and may well be effectively abolished again in the near future.

Electric Cars - Call AAA

2009-12-24T08:24:00.000-08:00

Interesting story in today's Washington Post about electric cars. And here is my question: while we know the cars will not emit fumes, are we thinking about the other environmental consequences: mining of lithium for the batteries, disposal of the spent batteries, where they heck does the electricity come from (out in the PNW there are HUGE environmental consequences from the hydroelectric dams). Nothing, and I mean nothing is a perfect solution, so folks, how about we think about things before we rush into them?

Nah, that's un-American!

More Thoughts On Copenhagen

2009-12-21T14:16:00.001-08:00

Very inside the Beltway analysis but interesting. Read it here.

Don't Start Laughing -- What Agreement?

2009-12-18T14:38:00.001-08:00

Well, I guess you could say the negotiations in Copenhagen ended with an agreement to agree?

Whatever.

Climategate

2009-12-17T14:09:00.000-08:00

Cliff Mass is our local weather guru. He is a professor of atmospheric science at the University of Washington and last winter he made a name for himself for being the only person willing to take on a powerful mayor in how he handled our two weeks of snow (or, how Mayor Nickels didn't handle the snow). Mass is a good guy.

And today, on his blog, he finally discusses what has become known as Climategate, where emails from the "elite" climate scientists from East Anglia University in England discuss their work with their colleagues here in the US. Needless to say the emails show a lot of "tough guys," trying to elbow out dissenting views on global climate change. However, from what I have read, I agree with Mass, the evidence does not lead to data tampering or a result that may be any different that humans are probably enhancing the emission of CO2 into the atmosphere which traps heat escaping gases, thus increasing the Earth's temperatures (ok, yeah, I know that explanation was rather simplistic).

None the less, after reading the emails, like Mass, I am discouraged with the lions of this particular area of research trying to stifle dissenting views or research. Mass's stories of his colleague who was fired by the State of Washington is chilling.

For us to figure out how to limit our emissions of green house gases it will take enormous political, but more importantly, social will. To corral or garner that will, it takes a willingness for the researchers to doubt their own work, to be open to critique and debate, so that everyone can resolve contentious points on their own.

And oh, by the way Al Gore, can you please stop exaggerating the research upon which you rely? It doesn't help in this debate.

It's Opening Day of Baseball Season, Yet?

2009-12-16T13:46:00.001-08:00

The Seattle Mariners, yep the same Seattle Mariners who were so far in the hole two seasons ago no one even knew Seattle had a baseball team, just a rotation of 9 comedians, those Mariners. Well, they just acquired from Philadelphia (yes, those Phillies, two World Series appearances in a row) Cliff Lee.

Is is opening day, yet?

Congratulations Boeing!

2009-12-15T14:59:00.000-08:00

Even though it's quite late, the new Boeing Dreamliner finally flew today!

Congratulations Boeing!

It's About Economic Growth!

2009-12-14T14:19:00.000-08:00

Gasp! The Climate Change talks stalled today when the so-called developing nations under the Kyoto Treaty walked out.

But the actions of the G-77 (the 77 developing nations) were controlled by India and China, who do not want to be regulated as if they are developed nations. They want to be able to spew out more CO2 until they feel they are totally dominating the world's economic engine.

Way to get them back to the table? Stop buying stuff from China.

Talk But Where Is The Action in Copenhagen?

2009-12-11T14:12:00.000-08:00

China and India, emitting more green house gases than the US and the European Union, are trying to "talk the talk" in Copenhagen. But, ironically, both nations are on a consumption binge, emulating what the US has been doing for the past several decades.

It's going to be a little hard to curb green house gases if you're driving millions of Humvees or Cadillac Escalades. And, to the surprise of no one, China has essentially surpassed the United States as the world power, because of it's boundless economic growth. The box that China and to some degree India is in, is that to scale back this growth will be politically unsettling.

The question is, then, are the promises of reductions in emissions just talk?

Global Climate Change Talks

2009-12-10T15:06:00.000-08:00

This is what the Global Climate Change talks in Copenhagen look like!

Pets Save the Economy

2009-12-08T15:15:00.001-08:00

Gotta' love this!

Poorest Counties

2009-12-07T14:38:00.001-08:00

Yep, there is a link between this post and last Friday's. Think about it. The folks who live in the richest counties around Washington, DC, lobbied and voted on bloating up a program intended for timber dependent counties in the Pacific Northwest and now use it to fund just about any program in the country.

Meanwhile, the poor counties in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Northern California, western Montana...well, they're still poor.

Richest Counties

2009-12-03T15:20:00.001-08:00

Is it just me, or does anyone else think it is odd that the majority of the counties in this list are near or around Washington, DC?

Questioning Conventional Wisdom on Mammographies

2009-12-02T13:55:00.000-08:00

It usually takes Barbara Ehrenreich to question conventional wisdom. This is an interesting piece.

Afghanistan

2009-12-01T13:55:00.000-08:00

It seems President Obama is going to "surge" with 30,000 troops, but he wants them out of the country in 2011.

I hope this works. It's a huge risk in a country where the Brits lost, the Soviet Union lost, the moderate Afghanies have lost...

Staying Foreclosures...Can We Get It Right?

2009-11-30T14:27:00.000-08:00

Looks like the Obama Administration is going to take another swing at this horrible debacle.

What a testament to the mess we put ourselves in that we can not seem to help those folks who are in trouble, much less clean up the problems.

Heroes

2009-11-24T21:02:00.000-08:00

Gail Collins (op-ed writer for New York Times) has a new book out about women who changed the world in the 1960s and 1970s. Sounds like a great book!

Science Wow

2009-11-23T18:53:00.000-08:00

Hate to admit it to my physic's professors, but I haven't a clue what this all means, but it sure evokes a "wow," from me.

Mortgage Problems Increase

2009-11-21T07:45:00.000-08:00

If this doesn't scare us, not much should. One in ten mortgages are at least one month late in payments.

Recovery?

China First

2009-11-19T16:47:00.000-08:00

I thought this article was a fantastic analysis on why China now dominates the world economy (in my opinion they are not a developing nation, they are fully developed) and how America's corporate leaders made China what it is today.

There is nothing wrong with buying American!

Breast Cancer

2009-11-18T13:08:00.000-08:00

I've been spending a lot of time in a hospital the past two weeks. Despite the fact my father worked at one for almost two decades, I have a whole new appreciation of hospital staff. Then, I saw this video (click here to watch). It's amazing. Gave me an even greater appreciation for people who on a daily basis deal with life and death.

An American Hero

2009-11-17T13:37:00.001-08:00

Elizabeth Warren did this fabulous interview with The New Yorker. Watch it, it will make you feel better about American's trying to help with this economic nightmare.

It's Unemployment, Mr. Buffet

2009-11-17T08:22:00.000-08:00

I rarely enjoy citing Arianna Huffington, but she nailed the economy and the dissonance between our "leaders" and the rest of us when she wrote this appeal to Warren Buffet, asking him to "put down the pom-poms" and think of real solutions to the economy.

Sure all the banks and Wall Street are doing well. But Main Street? With unemployment to probably go over 10% and the under-employed hovering around 20%?

Remember the 1992 Clinton Campaign sign in the campaign office: it's the economy, stupid? Well, Mr. Buffet, it's unemployment, living wages, and some benefits....

Money Printing Machine Called The Olympic Games

2009-11-16T13:14:00.000-08:00

One of the most interesting and fun experiences of my life was attending the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles. But, I also agree with some Olympic Games historians that the 1984 Olympics were the original corporate games. After Los Angeles was awarded the games, they watched in horror as Montreal lost millions and millions of dollars trying to build stadiums, housing, and accommodate the influx of hundreds of thousands of fans. The head of the LA Olympic Organizing Committee, Peter Uberoth promised Los Angeles would not be left in debt. And he proceeded to sell to corporations every single inch of "real estate" where they could emblazon their names, corporate logos, or entertain swanky clients. In fact, one of my favorite stories of this marketing of the Olympics was with 7-11. The LA Organizing Committee called the head marketers of 7-11 and offered them the chance of a lifetime. If they contributed a bazillion dollars the velodrome would be names the 7-11 Velodrome. "Great, we'll do it," came the reply. A few minutes later the phone rang at the LA Organizing Committee offices. It was 7-11 wanting to know what was a velodrome.

It comes as no surprised then, that the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in British Columbia, Canada, is already a money printing machine for corporations. If you want tickets to the events, well, forget about it unless you have thousands and thousands of dollars. Most of the tickets are already distributed to corporations who sponsor the Olympic Games. Think about the banks US taxpayers bailed out. They will be wining and dining big time clients at hockey matches, down hill skiing venues, and speed skating.

Back in 1984 it was relatively easy. You called a number, got a booklet, filled out your preferences, and bought tickets for not a lot of money (if I could go...). Now, now it's all about lining someone's pocket. Ticket aggregators have made it virtually impossible for a normal person to see events unless they somehow miraculously win a lottery!

Which isn't to say the idea of the Olympic Games still isn't noble. But it certainly has been corrupted beyond what the modern Olympics should be about.

Our Congressmen and Women As Mouthpieces

2009-11-15T17:40:00.001-08:00

One of the dirtiest secrets in Washington, DC is that most legislation is written by lobbyists. Environmental lobbyists sit in rooms with Congressional staffers and are probably re-working climate change legislation. Health care insurers are sitting closely with with Senate staffers strategizing how to re-work the House's health care bill that passed a week ago.

So it should not be a surprise that Genetech lobbyists wrote floor speeches for both Republican and Democratic Congressmen and Women to enter into the Congressional Record during the health care votes last week. Word for word that the corporate lobbyists wrote were entered into the record.

It's so surprising there has yet to be a revolution in this country. We are no longer that different than when King George "owned" this country. His courtesans whispered in his ears about great profits to be made in the new world, they controlled his reign and rule. Our "rulers" are not that much different.

Salish Sea

2009-11-13T04:55:00.000-08:00

It's now somewhat official. Linking Canada and the US, off the coasts of Washington State and the Providence of British Columbia is the Salish Sea.

Salish is the collective name of various Native American tribes scattered throughout the coastal lowlands of Puget Sound, the Straits of Juan de Fuca, and the Straits of Georgia.

Names, I believe, resonate locale. While there is some controversy over this name change, I think it speaks to "this neck of the woods." And reflects the fact that boundaries are truly artificial, the waters flow between Canada and the US, between straits and sounds. Salish Sea.

America's Lost Decade

2009-11-12T05:03:00.000-08:00

When the last remnants of the Bush Administration and the incoming Obama started trying to fix the economic depression (oops, I mean debacle) economists talked about Japan's lost decade (meaning the 1990s) which there was an economic stabilization but no growth. These economists were warning our policy makers to not create a recovery where "no one wins."

But really, this past decade has already been a lost decade for Americans. Finally someone wrote about it here. And if you begin to examine the signs, or so-called "green shoots," where the Obama Administration is claiming there is a recovery, you will see it sure isn't impacting main street.

And this could be the political reaction.

Junior, a Mariner for One More Year!

2009-11-11T18:46:00.000-08:00

I'll admit that last year I was a cynic about the Mariners signing Ken Griffey, Jr. But, now I think it's great he will be back for one more year. The only game I went to this past season, he hit a home run. The stadium was electric. Isn't that really what it's all about?

Bring it on, 2010 Major League Baseball!

Fort Hood

2009-11-10T13:29:00.001-08:00

Unfortunately, eulogies usually become great speeches. President Obama's talk the the Fort Hood memorial service, on the eve of Veterans Day, is perfect in tone and content.

Anxious About Flying? Someone is Watching You

2009-11-09T13:46:00.000-08:00

I dunno, what really concerns me is that these TSA profilers are working off of only 4 days of training! Yikes!

10.2%

2009-11-06T13:17:00.000-08:00

Unemployment: 10.2%. And rising.

Mortgage Industry Redux

2009-11-05T15:03:00.001-08:00

Normally I don't like to re-post, much less from Huffington Post, but here is a great article about what went wrong in the mortgage industry.

Warren Buffett's Train Set

2009-11-04T14:16:00.000-08:00

Just in time for Christmas, Warren Buffett bought himself a railroad. Burlington Northern Santa Fe, a legendary rail line that helped "open up" The Grand Canyon and now provides freight hauling services throughout the country. One of BNSF's major customers are the coal fields of Wyoming and the great ports on the West Coast. This is a bold move by Buffett, who tends to acquire companies and hold onto them for a long time rather than churn for immediate shareholder profits.

It's also, Buffett said in his press release, a statement on his bullishness about the American economy.

Perhaps. But he is also obligated to make money for his shareholders and as we begin our national conversation about how we can change our lifestyles to slow down the rate of anthropogenic enhancements to global climate change, rail transportation will begin to figure prominently into the discussions about movements of goods and services. Trains are much more efficient at hauling freight than trucks, at least for long distances.

Some commentators have said this acquisition is about real estate. A number of years ago, Burlington Northern shed it's real estate division, Plum Creek, and the Santa Fe lines also did not have extensive holdings in the checkerboard lands deeded by the Federal Government in the late 1800s as a subsidy to the railroads for their expansions across the continent.

No, this is about wheels, rails, and locomotives.

Pretty cool train set.

Global Warming, Inc

2009-11-03T14:32:00.001-08:00

I've had a love/hate relationship with Al Gore that stems back to the 1980s. Earth in the Balance was in many ways a phenomenal book, but it's optimism in technological solutions for disastrous environmental problems bothered me. There was no critical thinking about the environmental problems caused by technology.

And while I admire his emphatic and seemingly no-nonsense warnings about global climate change in Inconvenient Truth, I've always thought Tipper and he were a bit disingenuous promoting change in our life styles when their life style was rather, in my opinion, extravagant. I mean, how large of a house does one need, and I don't care if it's powered by coal, solar, or windmill. It's about consumption.

Plus, a little known fact about Gore, until today's article in the New York Times, is that he invests heavily in the technologies that he promotes will "save us" from global warming.

One of those technologies, smart meters, just received a huge grant from the Federal government. Metering of utilities has been around for a long time. It's one of the ways utilities figure out how much you owe them for water, natural gas, electricity. Smart meters are being sold to the public as a way for the consumer to determine when they are not using as much energy so they can spread their consumption around toward "off hours." But really, smart meters are a form of, well, er, intrusion. Currently, appliance manufacturers are installing in new appliances the ability for the appliance to "talk" with the electrical grid. The result of the "conversation," will be when your appliance turns on, for instance, when the dishwasher will operate. You wil no longer be able to just push the button. Smart meters will be able to tell the utility and frankly, at the risk of being paranoid, other agencies such as law enforcement, exactly when and how you're using energy.

Stop those indoor pot growers!

But seriously, it's a lot more intrusion than we are accustom.

But more importantly, Al Gore is making a lot of money off of his global warming warnings. Is that a good thing? What concerns me is his lack of, to use the over used word, transparency, on this. It's not like he stands up in his movie, or his speeches, gives his Power Point presentation, and then says: Oh, by the way, I've invested money and stand to make a lot of money in the very technologies I am advocating we all adopt.

Hmmm. Seems like a little bit of a conflict of interest to me.

Big Tents and the Grand Old Party

2009-11-02T14:17:00.000-08:00

It seems the party of Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt is no longer. Heck it seems the party of Barry Goldwater is long gone. Even Richard Nixon might not recognize this Republican Party.

It's more like the party of Joe McCarthy, full of litmus tests, fake loyalty oaths, and political ideological cleansings. And even more disturbingly, this push to the radical right is being led by talk show hosts!

In a Congressional District held by Republicans since 1872, a woman who was moderate, Dede Scozzafara, sought to replace another moderate, who President Obama appointed as Secretary of the Army. Then the ultra-right wing talk show hosts went nuts. A few people in the district are trying to play this as a grassroots thing, but really, it's national talk-show hosts bullying Ms. Scozzafara. She is pro-choice, neutral on gay issues, and just wanted to do good things for her neighborhood.

The right-wingers found an ultra-conservative who didn't even live in the District when he registered for the office. And by the time the talk-show hosts were done with Ms. Scozzafara, she decided to stop her campaign on the weekend before the election and endorse the Democrat.

Frankly this is sad. Democracy only thrives when there are vibrant and multiple points of view with access to the public sphere. By bullying this viable and interesting candidate to abandon her party and her chance at being an effective legislator, the right-wing talk show hosts have essentially caused a junta, a take over. And they talk like they care about the regular person, but they sure as heck don't want the regular guy to just make a choice.

And what ever happened to the party of the big tent, that allows diversity of opinions, as long as they care about certain principles.

It's sad. Democracy took a hit.

After I posted this, a blog I read about rural issues posted this.

When You Rely On Consumption

2009-10-30T14:40:00.000-07:00

When you rely on consumption and people are not feeling too giddy about their futures...it's a recipe for a stagnant economy.

We're there, now! And the stock market finally realizes it.

Twenty Nine More Days

2009-10-29T15:42:00.001-07:00

Twenty nine more days for this Congressional session. And we now have a 1,990 page bill, in addition to the three already passed in the House and at least two introduced in the Senate, on health care reform.

Any bets?

Once Again, It's About Manufacturing!

2009-10-28T15:39:00.001-07:00

Today, Boeing, once a local company here in the Pacific Northwest, announced that is was going to build a second line of "Dreamliner" planes in South Carolina rather than in Washington. Of course, as these things go, South Carolina gave Boeing huge tax incentives and other lures to get them to their state, including very management conducive anti-union laws.

Boeing's Dreamliner has been plagued with problems. It hasn't even had one test flight, which has been delayed now for over a year. Management, in an attempt to appease it's international customers, parsed out various components of the plane to dozens of different countries, and guess what, the parts don't fit!

As this is written, talk show hosts and call in "experts" are blaming Washington state's governor and the Machinist's union for failing to give up their right to strike, as a reason for Boeing beginning to decamp from Washington. It's extremely simplistic to do that.

In an age where union strength is all but gone, we have forgotten what we, each of us, whether white collar or blue collar, owe to unions. 5 day work week, holidays off, paid medical insurance, disability insurance, unemployment benefits, minimum wages, 8 hour work day, over time pay...giving up the right to strike essentially makes a union useless.

Rather, this is about global markets, stock incentives for management, squeezing every dime out of labor, and fickle governments bending over backwards for manufacturing jobs that normally, these days, are sent overseas.

It really is time that this country wake up and realize if we continue to lose these jobs we will dig ourselves deeper into this economic hole. Plus, keeping manufacturing jobs is sustainable. Isn't it better to buy and sell goods closer to home than waste so much carbon having them shipped all over the globe?

There has been a recent discussion in my neighborhood about a bike path that would cut through a vibrant industrial area. The local businesses are concerned about the safety, of bikes zipping through their driveways. And some of the complaints from bike advocates is that the businesses use some of the land for employee parking, so they resent the cars on what they think should be "their bike path." What gets lost in this polarized discussion is the need to keep these light industrial jobs within the city, that those employees probably have to drive to their jobs since they may not make enough to live in the chi-chi condos that are edging closer and closer to the industrial area. And that real estate development with the attendant ritzy boutiques is simply not sustainable (I walked into one boutique today advertising itself as selling basic "goods," where an Oxford cloth shirt was retailing for $180! Yikes!).

If we want to revive this economy we need to pay attention to manufacturing.

Natural Gas Company Doing the Right Thing

2009-10-27T20:00:00.000-07:00

The Catskills, habitat for some of the best drinking water in the country (that doesn't have to be filtered) is again protected. A company that owned the natural gas rights underneath the New York City watershed has decided not to drill. It's the right thing to do.

Nice to see a company in America make good choices.

What Predatory Lending Is

2009-10-26T20:58:00.001-07:00

Read this great article, second in a series, about Washington Mutual. It defines predatory lending.

Public Disclosure and Initiatives

2009-10-23T14:15:00.000-07:00

No one has ever denied that democracy is messy. But what really makes democracy works is information and to use the in-vogue word, transparency. In small towns in New England, decisions are still made with town meetings. Stand up and be counted. The extremely popular television show, Gilmore Girls, had a field day with the town meetings, yet everyone attended and every one talked.

Here in Washington State we are processing a wrenching debate over whether the names of people who signed petitions to challenge laws enacted by the State Legislature (known as referendums) or petitions to create laws (initiatives) can be made public. The Secretary of State said "yes," those names should be public and the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit agreed. The US Supreme Court has temporarily blocked the release until it can have a hearing, meaning the vote will be long over.

The contentious part of this is that the names sought were attached to a petition to essentially rescind the domestic partnership law passes by the state legislature. And the groups trying to prevent the release are, they claim, afraid that they will be harassed and hounded by gay activists. Indeed, they only point to California where the release of contribution records to the initiative to ban gay marriage resulted in a community theatre director being "hounded out of a job" because he gave money in what was perceived to be an anti-gay measure.

Whether concerns over being hounded are valid or not, it seems that our democracy operates much better when we are willing to be open about our beliefs. Rather than hiding behind legalistic interpretations of regulations, standing up and being counted is a vibrant part of our debate. It frequently inspires a much more open dialogue as well as healthy resolutions.

Anti-disclosure advocates maintain a petition signature is like a vote, it should be kept secret (these days your vote really isn't secret, trust me). But a petition isn't a vote. It's an attempt to convince fellow citizens that we either need a new law or the laws we have are not good. It's your stand up and be counted moment.

And for once we have to trust that the rest of us will not act inappropriately once we hear your side.

Public Option

2009-10-22T14:21:00.001-07:00

I am the farthest thing from an economists (although I have taken many many many economics classes) but it seems to me removing the anti-trust exemption from health care insurers still does nothing to create competition.

So, it's with delight that Senator Harry Reid has agreed to "consider" putting the public option back into the Senate Health Care bills.

Finally.

Animal Love

2009-10-21T15:19:00.000-07:00

I just loved this article. That most Americans would "go the extra mile" for our beloved animals.

Love it.

Swift Boating in Seattle Port Commission Race

2009-10-20T13:19:00.000-07:00

This is so disgusting I can't even post a picture!

A real estate developer is running against a community activist for Port Commission. Several weeks ago (ok, I admit it, I was listening to sports-talk radio) I heard an ad for the real estate developer, David Doud. The ad claimed his opponent, Rob Holland is a supporter of ACORN (the current non-profit every conservative loves to hate) and that Holland essentially mis-managed his finances because the State of Washington claimed he owed for an overpayment of unemployment insurance.

Just hearing the ad without even knowing the rebuttal facts made me furious. While the Port of Seattle has not been my favorite government agency (it has been riddled with corruption, racist police, and junket enjoying port commissioners for years), this ad was way and above what is necessary to win. And it does nothing about discussing the issues: how to deal with racist cops, how to keep traditional port industries such as shipping, fishing, and other maritime related businesses, and how to eliminate the corruption. And it attacked the character of someone based on national allegations of ACORN which in no manner whatsoever have been born out locally, plus almost everyone who has ever been on unemployment has been accidently overpaid by the state!

So finally, this ad and a mailer have made the news.

Turns out, indeed the overpayment was the State's mistake. And the appearance at an ACORN function was part of a community rally which almost every candidate for Port Commission except David Doud appeared.

I can only hope this type of Swift Boating backfires on Mr. Doud.

Signs of Economic Problems

2009-10-19T15:15:00.001-07:00

Elliot Bay Book Company, an iconic book store in an old Seattle brick building is either going to downsize and move or go out of business.

"Bookies" will lament that this is another in the decade long epic battle between bricks and mortar independent book sellers and big box/Amazon retailers. Or they will say electronic media readers like Kindle are making books themselves obsolete.

I think this tale may have something to do with those struggles, but more to do with the current economy and the failure of government agencies in Seattle to understand the difficulties, the actual difficulties, of small businesses.

First, Elliot Bay is not a small independent book seller. Years ago the original owner sold the business to it's current owner who is well versed in marketing, book selling, and owning businesses. He owns two other book stores as well as several other retail operations. However, Elliot Bay is a different animal than the other two stores, one located in a smallish mall and the other is a used book store. Elliot Bay has been part of Seattle for over 30 years. It's a landmark.

But the City of Seattle has been on a mission to reduce automobile traffic, so finding parking in the Pioneer Square area takes obsessive zeal. Just darting out to buy a book is not that kind of obsession. And the location of the book store is a mere few blocks from the professional sports stadiums. Seattle Department of Transportation and the police make getting in and out of the neighborhood on a game day a navigational nightmare. And add to it last winter's debacle with the City of Seattle failing, no neglecting, no intentionally NOT plowing the streets for two weeks during a snowstorm (the key two weeks for holiday shopping when most book sellers make the bulk of their annual income) and the recipe for failure is written. Then of course, there is credit. The book store's credit (used to buy inventory) is tapped out and no lender wants to write a new loan (you know, those banks we bailed out?).

For all the talk by politicians that they want to help businesses, they really don't know what to do. So-called business lobbying groups, like the Chamber of Commerce really don't have small business interests at heart. They really represent their own professional staff and large mega-businesses, like, say Barnes and Noble who would be delighted to see Elliot Bay shutter it's windows. And politicians take money from the Chamber of Commerce's Political Action Committee, not from small time owners of little shops in Seattle. So the mayor and city council will wring their hands (it's an election year) about the loss of Elliot Bay, but really, nothing will get done.

But the story of Elliot Bay is applicable to every town and city in America right now. And sooner or later there will be shuttered windows and empty store fronts unless those in power in finance and in managing cities and towns figure out there are ways to help this economy and it ain't bailing out banks too big to fail. That really it's helping out small book stores so small they need to succeed.

Blowing Bubbles

2009-10-16T14:31:00.001-07:00

The stock market gained to 10,000 this week, then had some sell off. But clearly Wall Street thinks this depression (oops, I mean recession) is over.

However, I think this piece is great on thinking through the fundamentals. In other words, the reasons to invest in stock still are not apparent.

Perhaps we are creating, yet again, another bubble?

Will Cap and Trade Work?

2009-10-15T15:44:00.000-07:00

Before we all rush headstrong into cap and trade, it's time to pause and examine some of the basic premises. One of them is whether preserving forests far away from the emissions is actually impacting global climate change.

In a new report released today, Greenpeace is challenging the assumption that a power company (using coal for energy) in Indiana can purchase "rights" to a forest in Bolivia and all is then well with the coal plant's emissions. Countering the report are some conservation groups who have "adjusted their models," and believe preservation thousands of miles away will reduce carbon emissions.

Models are only as good as the inputted data and the analyst. And remember, models are what got us into the real estate/financial meltdown mess. Models are what always implodes the stock market. Models brought us clear cutting. We seem enamored with models, numbers, they appear oh-so scientific, so "sure." But, but, they really are only theories in numbers rather than narrative.

As we go onto the Next Big Issue after health care, global climate change, remember, be suspicious of models on all sides. Preservation of forests is a good thing, but will it help or is it a way for large scale emitters of carbon to absolve their responsibilities?

Wall Street Happy - Main Street Losing 1 Out of 20 Jobs

2009-10-14T14:27:00.000-07:00

The financial system is broken. When headlines say things like Washington state is losing 1 out of 20 jobs (as in jobs vanished) yet Chase Manhattan, beneficiary of government bailout monies, reports earning huge profits and will award the largest bonuses, something is wrong. Wall Street celebrated today by going over 10,000.

Main street, however, isn't doing enough to let policy makers know the system is broken except for the lucky few in the financial industry. Where is the anger, the revolt, demanding better regulation and more commutarian financial services, which benefit those who make deposits, pay interest, and take risk in the stock market?

The system is broken.

It's Raining and the Baucus Bill Passes Committee

2009-10-13T13:45:00.000-07:00

I am hoping there is no link between the rain storm and the fact the Senate Finance Committee passed the Health Insurance Reform Bill.

Health Insurance Reform?

2009-10-12T14:21:00.001-07:00

As the Senate Finance Committee nears it's vote on health care "reform," it's important to wonder whether this proposed legislation will actually "reform" health care or merely mandate the uninsured increase the insurance pool and as a consequence hopefully decrease or stabilize insurance premiums.

What is lost in all of this is health care reform. How are we controlling costs? How are we insuring that health care, quality health care, is available to everyone?

My sense is, as this article suggests, is that health care reform is not happening. We are not looking at costs, at services, at availability.

So much for reform.

We're Talking Salmon

2009-10-09T14:33:00.000-07:00

It's been over 10 years since the federal government declared several "runs" of salmon here in the Pacific Northwest threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent in all sorts of salmon habitat restoration projects all over the Puget Sound region as well along the mainstem and tributaries of the Columbia River, both major salmon spawning areas. Hundreds of hours of conferences and seminars have been held. And literally whole stands of timber have been used to create the paper filed in litigation after litigation on salmon issues, much less the voluminous (and sometimes disingenuous) habitat conservation plans.

And yet, the Pacific Northwest, like much of the country, ravenously ate up land during the real estate boom, new developments with amenities like golf courses and even vineyards sprung up in desert lands, fed by water from the Columbia and other rivers. Miles and miles of pavement were laid to feed cul d' sacs and growing commuter populations. And no matter how well engineered to prevent massive run-offs, millions of gallons of storm water contaminated with God-knows-what, entered every watershed. The salmon continue to suffer.

Now, the Obama Administration, with great fanfare, announced it's salmon recovery plans. Which are much like the Bush Administration. No dams on the Snake River will be removed or decommissioned. And the requirements for habitat protections continue to be lame at best.

As wild salmon populations continue to decline, this once abundant anadromous fish is slowly becoming a prisoner of politics. All the money spent by hydro utilities, timber companies, municipalities, and state governments on habitat restoration is not going to fix the causes of salmon declines nor enhance their restoration. At some point, then, rather than continuing the charade that we are trying to prevent the extinction of salmon in the Pacific Northwest, perhaps we really need to begin the conversation about what extinction really means.

Anyone seen a Passenger pigeon recently?

Babe Ruth

2009-10-08T16:10:00.000-07:00

Now this is very cool!

War Memorials in National Preserves

2009-10-07T15:23:00.000-07:00

The US Supreme Court heard a case about a war memorial that has been in the Mojave desert since 1934 when private citizens erected a memorial to everyone who has died in a war.

Of course, once the land became part of the federal preserve, issues concerning the separation of church and state bubbled up. In litigation, the US District Court (and a decision upholding that ruling by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals) required the cross associated with the memorial to be removed. Subsequently the Department of Interior transfered ownership of the small site back into private ownership and did not appeal the decision by the appellate court.

Today's hearing was more technical, with the ACLU challenging the transfer of the land.

Seems to me with a major war in Afghanistan, an economy still in floundering, health care reform now a joke, and major environmental issues to worry about, this seems rather insignificant. While I am sympathetic to people who don't like to see crosses on or around public spaces, it is, truly, something we see on a daily basis. Can we not worry about other stuff before we begin to take this on?

On another note, apparently Justice Sotomayor has asked more questions in three days of hearings that Justice Thomas has since he was sworn in in 1991. Not that I think asking questions is either good or bad or even demonstrates a curious mind, but I just found that fact interesting!

Banking's Deaf

2009-10-06T14:52:00.000-07:00

In today's New York Times is an article about pre-paid debit cards, or cash cards. How this is the new way for banks and the financial industry to ding owners of these cards (and oh, surprise, surprise, surprise, most people who have these cards are unable to open accounts at banks and are usually poor!). Activation fees, monthly fees, fees for using ATMs, fees if they go over the amounts on their cards. Yikes!

The financial industry is deaf. They clearly can not hear that we are more than fed up. Or maybe the problem is we're not mad enough.

Nature and People

2009-10-05T15:38:00.000-07:00

I thought this article was spot on regarding the National Parks.

The more we disassociate people from nature, making nature "something else," the more likely we continue to make poor decisions about managing our Earth.

While I am a huge advocate for National Parks, they have become not much more than amazing museums for meticulously preserved nature. The thing is, nature is very dynamic and includes human interactions with it.

Rio 2016!

2009-10-02T13:34:00.000-07:00

Despite heavy lobbying from even President Obama, Chicago was rejected in it's bid for the 2016 Olympics. Rather, those summer games were awarded to Rio de Janeiro, the first time the Olympic Games will be in South America.

In this country there is a lingering debate whether President Obama should have gone to Copenhagen, Denmark, to lobby for his hometown. After it was announced Rio won the bid, a pundit who is on the opposite side of the political spectrum from President Obama commented that it is appropriate for a President to advocate for commercial interests in his country. And I would agree with that. Unfortunately, the Olympics have been reduced to a commercial interest.

Having been the the summer Olympics in Los Angeles in 1984, and watching every single Olympiad since birth, I will say they continue to be amazing events where once every four years, for two weeks, the world is able to stop and glorify amazing feats of athleticism. Despite all the corporate sponsorships and mega-money made by athletes from endorsements, the events are still able to capture our collective imaginations. Now I find myself watching the less glamorous events, such as the equestrian, where rider and animal become one, gliding over jumps, trying to match grace and time. But of course, like every other sports junkie, I can not resist Michael Phelps or Dana Torres, the amazing marathoners or the bikini clad beach volleyball spikers.

I can not wait to watch the opening ceremonies from Rio. Congratulations!

National Parks as Our Nation's Commons

2009-10-01T15:34:00.000-07:00

It's an interesting idea, our National Parks as our nation's commons. But I think, contrary to what the author thinks, it really only works on the National Mall, in Washington, DC.

Anyway, here is the link to the article.

Showing Up to Vote

2009-09-30T15:06:00.000-07:00

Here in the Northwest, as well as California, whether candidates showed up to vote has become an issue. One candidate for Seattle mayor and another one for county executive missed some elections. Meg Whitman, the former CEO of eBay didn't register to vote until 2002, and now she is running for governor of California (like many women, perhaps she didn't want to admit she was eighteen until 2002).

This is really a bogus issue. While it says, perhaps, something about busy schedules, complicated lives, and probably more about the complexities of voting in this country, it doesn't say anything about whether one candidate is qualified to be mayor or not. Certainly our democratic ideals are offended when someone wants to be elected and yet hasn't managed to vote in every election. But then what does it say about the guy (and of course there is one in this election) who has wanted to be mayor ever since he was in high school? Of course, he is the guy who hasn't missed voting in an election. Do we really want to elect someone who is that hard wired to get "one office?"

Certainly voting is important. It's an amazing privilege not many people in this world get to experience. Being committed to democracy is the first required qualification in running for office in America. But, whether you voted doesn't qualify you for an elected office.

And, by the way, what ever happened to keeping these things confidential anyway?