PENNSYLVANIA IS APPROACHING THE UNGOVERNABLE II

 I am not proud to be a Pennsylvanian or a registered democrat within its borders.  Our Commonwealth’s institutions are operating in a manner that makes the federal dysfunction appear to be a well oiled machine.  Elected democrats are making matters worse.  Let me count the ways.

                   The promise of a socially enlightened Democratic Governor has degraded into a 5 month and counting budget impasse that is causing irreparable damage to the very individuals who were to receive an increase in badly needed services.  Education was the centerpiece of Governor Wolf’s election campaign.  The inability to reach an agreement now means that poor school districts may be forced to close after the Christmas break and offer no education. 

Governor Wolf also has a worthy agenda to revitalize human services and non profits that help the poor and disabled.  Against this goal, these organizations are now cutting staff and services because of the budget delay. Somehow, making the sick, suffering and most needy in Pennsylvania go through a near death experience before the cavalry arrives does not seem fair or just. 

No solution is in sight as Pennsylvania’s credit rating prepares to plummet and legislators wait for the party across the aisle to blink. The budget is not the place to draw an ideological line in the sand as school districts and  service organizations scramble to save young minds and lives. It is a place for old fashioned horse trading to get schools and services up and running for those who need them.

Our Democratic Attorney General and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court are the laughing stock of the nation.  Kathleen Kane’s legal license has been removed because of pending perjury charges and she is now ineffective as Pennsylvania’s top prosecutor.  The Pennsylvania Senate, that cannot pass a budget, is spending a great deal of resources to figure out how to impeach her. 

The only function in which Ms. Kane can now excel is to draw attention to her hoard of sensitive emails that continue to embarrass a Supreme Court Justice and possibly other members of the “old boys’ network” who she claims are responsible for her difficulties.  While no one can seem to explain how the offending emails and the perjury charges against Kane are related, these two important Commonwealth institutions continue to lose credibility and respect.  Moreover, positive projects like the Attorney General’s recent lawsuit against Chesapeake Energy are undermined by her lack of authority and questionable goals.

The Supreme Court suffered a previous blow when a sitting member, Justice Seamus McCaffery, resigned in October 2014 as a direct result of the email scandal.  Now, a second Justice, J. Michael Eakin will be subject to misconduct charges before a judicial ethics panel for: “sending and receiving emails that a person of reasonable sensitivity would find objectionable.”

 This new scandal is unwinding as the three newly elected democratic “reform” candidates prepare to be seated on the Supreme Court in January.  The campaigns of the three winners were awash in cash from the very individuals who will appear before them as lawyers and litigants.  The attack ads of the winners were beyond the pale and borderline actionable.

With the Governor’s office, legislature, Attorney General and Supreme Court paralyzed by inaction or scandal, what is to be done? One can only hope that the Supreme Court will settle down and make news through its opinions instead of its emails. Further, let us hope the ghosts of former Governors Tom Ridge and Ed Rendell return to the halls of Harrisburg to help guide our misplaced lawmakers to a commonsense solution to the budget debacle.  Lastly there is always the possibility that Attorney General Kane will cop a plea deal and sail off into the sunset to join the disgraced politicos who have preceded her. 

Only then can Pennsylvania return to the ranks of the commonly mediocre rather than the borderline ungovernable.

         

         

AMERICA COULD TURN SHARPLY TO THE RIGHT

There is a cold wind blowing through American Politics.  For democrats to feel smug satisfaction with the apparent disarray in the Republican Party would be a mistake.  Something more sinister than Ronald Reagan or even the war mongering neo cons from the Bush years is in play. If the more moderate wing of the Republican Party loses control of both Congress and the presidential primary, political demagogy may take their place.

There has always been a type of home grown American fascism in our political system.  Certainly not the German or even the Italian variety, but a right wing culture that believes a small group of enlightened leaders, with unwavering ideas, a pure ideology and concrete goals can return America to its version of greatness.  Many of these believers are under the radar billionaires who fund the largest Super PACs for like minded republican candidates.

The exploitation of fear for political ends is the hallmark of fascist gains in power in any democracy.  In this election cycle, the fears of immigration, socialism, terror attacks, economic collapse, lost Christian values, lost gun ownership, and even exotic disease from African countries have driven the conservative republican debate.

In my lifetime, I have never seen these fear issues outweigh the usual calls for hope and positive change.  Add to this fear, an overall disgust with political stagnation among older democrats and independents and the country may be ripe for a sharp, dangerous move toward National Socialism.  The electorate could be ready to give up much of our bogged down messy democracy in return for a strong leader who promises to get things done and provide a safe haven from the bad guys.

How could this happen and why now?  America has always been protected from sharp moves to the left or the right by its sheer size and diversity.  The presidential electoral system is another moderating factor.  But the willingness of far right congressional representatives to not compromise under any circumstances is a strong weapon. if they can continue to threaten governmental paralysis to extract concessions, more liberal dominoes will fall, until a moderate backstop is erected.

In presidential politics three republican candidates with far right or demagogic leanings, Donald Trump, Ben Carson and Ted Cruz are polling a combined 60% of the republican primary electorate.  If one candidate emerges, with the support of the others, a republican nomination for one of these three seems all but assured.  If that candidate were to be elected President and both houses of Congress remained republican, now that would really be something to be frightened about. Excitement over republican infighting and disarray would turn into a democratic nightmare.

PLACING THE SPOTLIGHT ON INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALISM

The excellent movie Spotlight brings back the past on several different levels.  First, the movie delivers an old fashioned plot presented straight up with no fancy cinematic devises.  Second, it follows the decades old story of the Boston Globe newspaper exposing the cover up of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church throughout the greater Boston area.  Lastly, Spotlight, is a stunning example of the importance of investigative journalism in a democratic society.

          The movie derives its title from a small unit in the Boston Globe’s news division that is given the time and resources to deep dive important topics that cannot be vetted by the regular journalists.  It was not uncommon for the Spotlight crew to take over a year to put an expose together before going to press.  Some of the over eager young journalists would beg to release a story.  The older editors knew it was prudent to wait and gather all the background so that the quarry could not escape the net.

The acting in Spotlight is superb.  Many critics think it will be nominated for best picture at this year’s Academy Awards.  As I watched, it occurred to me how rare investigative journalism is in today’s 24/7 news world.

On the internet and cable news, we are fed the shallow headlines, over and over, until the details are fixed in our memory banks like the ever present drug commercials.  To demonstrate our knowledge beyond the news bites, we read countless commentary and opinion articles, usually the pieces that support our political and social views.  Conspiracy theories abound with  few facts to support them. Even the reporters on 60 Minutes now seem to have multiple journalistic responsibilities, subtracting from this pioneering show’s past pedigree of substance.

Somehow there must be a place in modern journalism for slow and careful door knocking, interviews with reluctant witnesses and the tedious inspection of old and dusty written records, all by reporters with no agenda other than to expose the truth.  Faster news is not necessarily more responsible news.  Uncovering institutional corruption takes time and patience.

Spotlight may encourage some young journalists to seek out investigative reporting as a career. The real challenge is to convince news organizations to invest in a type of product that does not provide instant gratification to the public or an immediate financial payback for the corporate bottom line.

COMPASSION OVER FEAR

An enthusiastic thumbs up to Pittsburgh Mayor Peduto and Pennsylvania Governor Wolf for announcing that the act of terrorism in Paris would not dissuade them from resettling Syrian refugees within the Commonwealth.  This decision to favor compassion over fear is at odds with most Republican Governors and legislators, who are raising potential roadblocks similar to their ill advised call for travel restrictions during the Ebola crisis in 2014.

Thankfully those calling for a refugee ban have little control over federal immigration policy. The President has made clear that Syrian immigrants will be processed and resettled in accordance with previously announce quotas.

The Syrian refugee crisis is the greatest immigration challenge to Europe since WWII with 7 million displace by the civil war.  For the United States to not do its part, in light of our actions in causing the problem in the first place, would be a failure of leadership.

Immigration challenges over our history have always included vigorous dissenters.  The Irish were papist spys, the Italians were anarchist bombers and the East Europeans were communists.  Our security and vetting procedures are the best in the world.  Let us ignore the doubters and continue to do the right thing.

THE DRUG PROBLEM

          This newspaper and many other media sources most often view the drug problem from the user’s prospective.  The focus is on drug related crime and young addicts overdosing or trying to get clean.  Don Winslow has written two powerful books: THE POWER OF THE DOG and CARTEL which expose the drug problem from the supply prospective.  While both books are fiction, they are fact based and review the historical background of the war on drugs over the last twenty years.

          What Winslow makes clear is that as Mexican drug cartels are defeated and large shipment confiscated, an unimpeded flow of marijuana, amphetamines and heroin continue to flow north to the States and an estimated 15 to 20 billion dollars annually flow south to Mexico.  As one kingpin gets knocked down, another takes his place.  The Mexican government, often with DEA acquiescence, supports the least objectionable of the cartels.

 There is simply too much money involved, providing payoffs to law enforcement, judges and elected officials to do otherwise.  Those who take the moral high ground and refuse the bribe are threatened with death. The most successful Mexican political families rise on the back of the drug trade as the Kennedy family rose on the back of prohibition.

          The supply will always be there to meet the demand, no matter what interdiction strategies are implemented by the United States.  Our efforts have wasted millions and guaranteed that Mexico remains a war zone with thousands of innocent casualties. 

Only two policies can possibly break the back of the drug trade. First, state sponsored decriminalization and regulation of the sale of all illegal drugs.  The November 7 issue of the Economist editorializes that: “If governments really want to limit the harm from drugs-saving addicts lives, crushing dealers profits and slashing the number of people who take them in the first place- then they must seize control of the markets themselves.”

 The Second policy is to convince Americans that there are healthy alternatives to recreational drug use.  Unfortunately, both approaches are pipe dreams and show little promise of altering the supply or demand of illegal drugs.

PENNSYLVANIA IS APPROACHING THE UNGOVERNABLE

          As a lawyer and unabashed progressive liberal I am not proud to be   a Pennsylvanian or a registered democrat within its borders.  Our Commonwealth’s legal and governmental institutions are operating in a manner that makes the federal dysfunction appear to be a well oiled machine.  Elected democrats are making matters worse.  Let me count the ways.

                   The promise of a socially enlightened Democratic Governor has degraded into a budget impasse that is beginning to cause irreparable damage to the very individuals who were to receive an increase in badly needed services. Moreover, while education was the centerpiece of Governor Wolf’s campaign, poor school districts are being strangled as they struggle to maintain even the most basic learning environment.  Somehow, making the sick, suffering and most needy in Pennsylvania go through a near death experience before the cavalry arrives does not seem fair or just. 

          No solution is in sight as Pennsylvania’s credit rating prepares to plummet and legislators wait for the party across the aisle to blink. The budget is not the place to draw an ideological line in the sand as human services scramble to save what they can. It is a place for old fashioned horse trading to get the services up and running for those who need them.

          Our Democratic Attorney General and the Pennsylvania Supreme Court are the laughing stock of the nation.  Kathleen Kane’s legal license has been removed because of pending perjury charges and is now ineffective as Pennsylvania’s top prosecutor.  The only function in which she can excel is to slowly release her hoard of sensitive emails that continue to embarrass a Supreme Court Justice and possibly other members of the “old boys’ network” who she claims are responsible for her difficulties.  While no one can seem to explain how the offending emails and the perjury charges are related these two important Commonwealth institutions continue to lose credibility and respect.

          The Supreme Court suffered a previous blow when another sitting member, Justice Seamus McCaffery, resigned last October as a direct result of the email scandal.  I was encouraged that a new group of reformist candidates were running for the three Supreme Court openings in November. The opportunity to reshape Pennsylvania jurisprudence for decades to come seemed like a breath of fresh air.

           My elation with the democratic Supreme Court candidates was severely dampened with the recent wave of attack ads sponsored by democratic interest groups.  Predictably, the Republican candidates are now responding with attack ads of their own.  In my view these ads are unnecessary, unprofessional, confusing to voters and undermine the legal profession and our highest court.  This is exactly the wrong message for so called reformist candidates to send.

          With the Governor’s office, legislature, Attorney General and Supreme Court paralyzed by inaction or scandal, what is to be done? One can only hope that all candidates for the Supreme Court will denounce the attack ads in an attempt to return a semblance of decorum to these important campaigns. Further, let us hope the ghosts of former Governors Tom Ridge and Ed Rendell return to the halls of Harrisburg to help guide our misplaced lawmakers to a commonsense solution to the budget debacle.  Lastly there is always the possibility that Attorney General Kane will cop a plea deal and sail off into the sunset to join the disgraced politicos who have preceded her. 

          Only then can Pennsylvania return to the ranks of the commonly mediocre rather than the present borderline ungovernable.

         

          

EXPENSES FOR HOME LAND SECURITY GET A FREE PASS

          Of all the social and political topics swarming around in the fall air, those involving human life seem to invoke the most emotion.  Abortion, euthanasia, gun control, capital punishment and terrorist attacks first appear as black or white issues:  do something or people die.  Of course there are embedded shades of gray.  When does life begin? Is the right to die a democratic liberty?  Do more guns cause or prevent mass killings?  Do certain killers deserve to die?  How much expenditure is too much to prevent another attack against the homeland?

          In my view this last topic, terrorism, generates the least discussion and disagreement among the public. There is little debate concerning the massive amounts of money and willingness to accept less privacy associated with protecting the homeland.  There is little discussion as to whether the federal government should continue to have a blank check to take whatever action necessary to prevent future terrorist attacks.  One insight into this lack of pushback against the expense and intrusion of homeland security is a recent July 2015 Rasmussen poll.  It found that 52% of Americans believe the United States is a more dangerous place than before 9/11.

          The FBI definition of terrorism is: “a violent act dangerous to human life that violates federal or state law and appears to be intended to intimidate or coerce a civilian population; to influence the policy of a government by intimidation or coercion; or to affect the conduct of a government by mass destruction.”

          Most people get the “violent act” part and stop there.  They do not consider the “affect the conduct of government” portion of the definition.  Since 9/11 Congress has spent over two trillion dollars on the war on terror.  This includes our interventions in Iraq, Afghanistan and the most recent efforts against ISIS.  This figure does not include another two trillion dollars in direct economic costs to the economy following 9/11.  Nor does it include the non economic impact of increased surveillance on Americans resulting from the Patriot Act and other policies.

          I am now in the camp that believes our war on terrorism since 9/11 have made matters worse and increased the terrorist threat.   This month we celebrate our fourteen year anniversary of Afghan military involvement.   The ongoing quagmire has gained no strategic advantage and been a fertile recruitment tool for ISIS. Moreover, I believe that if the enormous costs of homeland security and the war on terror had been applied to repairing America’s infrastructure and ongoing social problems, we would be better off as a country.  How can we as a nation find that cutting entitlements to needy Americans is preferable to scaling back these bloated programs?

          The truth is that terrorism has done more harm to the nation since 9/11, not by killing Americans, but by changing our goals and priorities. To use the FBI definition, the terrorism threat is: “affecting the conduct of government.” This is exactly the result that Osama Bin Laden had in mind by bringing down the twin towers. His strategic goal of long term US entanglement in the Mid East combined with worsening economic and social problems that threaten our democratic institutions (that cannot be addressed because of the expensive war on terror) has come to pass.  Bin Landen may be dead but the impact of his actions continues and is growing.

          I do not know the true cost benefit analysis of our war on terror. It is impossible for the average person to factor in the plots that may have been averted.  I do know that tenfold more Americans die from gun violence than from acts of terrorism.  On the other hand, large financial commitments to prevent a massive killing field and trillion dollar losses like 9/11 may be justified, if security efforts are in fact responsible for this result.

           I simply wish that this issue would generate some of the emotion and debate as other topics involving potential loss of life in America.  Are we getting our monies worth with the war on terror and homeland security and are the tradeoffs worth it?  Hopefully the new election cycle will place this topic front and center.

ON THE ROAD TO ISTANBUL

         

           Saint Augustine famously said: “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.”  Having escaped my insular corner of the planet for an all too short trip to Turkey, Israel, and a few Greek Islands, this quote is indeed an understatement.

          We all know people who live compact lives in homogeneous communities and believe they have all the answers to the problems facing humanity.  It is my experience that the smaller an individual’s worldview, the more imbedded the position that his/her beliefs are the singular solution to political, social and economic problems.  Conservative fundamentalists of all persuasions are not travelers.

          Istanbul in modern Turkey is a sight to behold.  Fourteen million people in a swirling melting pot covering three thousand years of Greek, Byzantine and Ottoman history.  The City spans both the European and Asian continents.  It makes the cultural diversity of New York City or Toronto feel superficial.

          Istanbul is a city of 3000 Mosques where the call to prayer can be heard from every corner.  The political structure remains democratic and secular.  Istanbul is one of the fastest growing metropolitan economies in the world. The Turks are proud of their heritage and hope to be the first Moslem country admitted to the European Union.

          There are 19 Turkish American Community Centers within the United States.  Their stated purpose is to: “represent a broad spectrum of Turkish American society, promote secular democracy and respect toward diverse lifestyles.”

          To not understand (or care) that countries like Turkey, China, Russia, India or Brazil are as much a part of the fabric of humanity as we are, is to miss what it means to be human.  Diverse but equal.  Discovering that there are hundreds of paths seeking the same answers.  Acknowledgement of cultures that were thriving as advanced civilizations long before Christianity or Western Europe were a reality.

           Our last day in Istanbul was a holiday.  We saw large crowds jam into the inner city, weddings in the parks, young children with ice cream, and thousands practicing their faith.  Just like us.

          Mark Twain’s conclusion in Innocents Abroad that: “Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness and many of our people need it sorely on these accounts”, is true now more than ever.  Those of us without the means or good health to travel can utilize other methods to learn more about foreign cultures and beliefs.  And to embrace them when they appear in our community.

          Politicians pushing “English only” agendas, demanding that only Christian values are worthy of being assimilated into American culture, or insisting that an American Moslem could never be President, should be compelled to spend a week in Istanbul.  It would be a humbling and heartwarming experience.

          

WHAT WOULD A TRUMP PRESIDENCY LOOK LIKE ?

          Now that Donald Trump continues to surge in the polls, it is time to consider the unthinkable.  His candidacy may actually be with us for the long haul, through the primaries and beyond.  Democrats are certainly hoping this is the case.  With the Clinton e-mail debacle, the Trump campaign soaks up a great deal of media attention until all Clinton investigations are completed by the end of the year.  Democrats are delighted that Trump forces more mainstream republican candidates to spend valuable financial resources and political capital to appease conservatives, more than they would like this early in the primaries.

          But what if Trump is not an apparition?  What if by March or April, all of the most conservative candidates throw their support behind him and he wins the republican nomination? What if his continued appeal as an outsider garnishes enough democratic and independent support to pull off a general election upset? What would a Trump presidency look like?

           In listening to Trump’s pressers and stump speech several thoughts come to mind.  First, the “art of the deal” way of doing business does not prepare him for the infighting among cabinet members, partisan party politics or diplomacy.  He is now top dog at Trump Inc. with no one above him on the organization chart.  He is able to make decisions based on past experience and intuition, with little input and no committees.  This is the opposite of governing a complex nation in a pluralistic society.

          Second Trump does not understand the importance of being politically correct and in fact boasts about his lack of discernment.  As President, every word uttered by Trump would be dissected and analyzed. Shooting from the hip would not serve the Presidency or the nation well. His term in office would require a second full time press secretary to explain and walk back from his gaffes and confusing remarks.

          Lastly, Trump seems more adept at reacting to problems then in developing a vision for the future. He is able to forcefully explain what he is against, who is an idiot and where mistakes were made.  He is unable to articulate what a Trump presidency would look like or what it would accomplish.  Without a well defined game plan it would be difficult for him to hold together the political coalition that got him elected.

          In short, the very factors that are serving Trump well during these early primary months would be his undoing as President.  A warning to the growing number of Trump supporters.  Be careful what you wish (vote) for.

USE THE CITY’S BAD SUMMER AS A SPRINGBOARD FOR ACTION

         The City of Washington has not had a good summer.  The national media has focused on a small community’s inexplicable spike in heroin overdoses and increased crime.  The City Mission experienced a depilating fire.  A little known web site (roadsnacks.net) has captured our attention by crowning Washington the most redneck city in Pennsylvania.  This was based on the High School graduation rate, the number of dive bars, tobacco and gun stores, mobile home parks and Waffle House restaurants, among other factors. Even an attempt to “redd-up” a vacant lot and make it into an art filled Parklet backfired and was not to be.

         This is not the time for City residents to shurge their shoulders in defeat or for County residents to nod their heads in agreement with the City’s plight.  This is the time to stand up and take action.

         It is my humble opinion that lifelong residents of our community are myopic and cannot see the forest through the trees.  I have lived in the idyllic bedroom communities of Hunterdon County New Jersey, Swarthmore Pennsylvania and Fox Chapel Pennsylvania.  None provided the outstanding standard of living available in my adopted home town of East Washington Pennsylvania.  Let me count the ways.

         Housing costs and property taxes are so favorable, particularly within the City, that I shout the praises of Washington as a place to retire at every opportunity.  The benefits of a major metropolitan area and airport are minutes away.  Washington sits at the intersection of two major interstates which have attracted a minor league baseball franchise, Casino, first class wellness center, unlimited dining choices, traditional and discount shopping venues and a volunteer symphony.  An exceptional Hospital, thriving daily newspaper, small Liberal Arts College, beautiful park, farmers’ market and numerous places of worship are situated within the City’s borders.  Public transportation has been vastly improved.  The County as a whole is at the center of America’s new energy boom which will provide economic opportunity for decades to come.  Lastly, a community of hard working friendly people are employed in local government and in the retail outlets and professional offices.

         I can assure you that community leaders throughout the Country would love to have the opportunities available in our area with which to plan and revitalize a small American city.  There are certainly problems that must be addressed including widespread drug use and the crime it fosters, poverty, minority unemployment and a shrinking tax base.  So what is to be done?

         First, the fruits of economic development, evident throughout the County must be utilized in reviving the City.  It is simply not fair for the County to continue to use the City as a dumping ground for all of its unpleasant but necessary social services, governmental and low income needs, without making the renaissance of the City its first priority.

         Second, non City residents must recognize the benefits the City provides to the rest of the County and be willing to help pay for this privilege.  This can be accomplished through a County wide taxing scheme that does not go to the City’s general fund, but is earmarked only for City redevelopment.  The County must be an equal partner in choosing and implementing projects in return for raising the funds.

         Third, the County must begin a major campaign to attract small retailers and retired individuals looking for a place to settle apart from the expensive northeast corridor and even from the burden of Allegheny County taxes.  There are many who prefer to settle in a low cost area that offers a change of seasons with quick access to an interstate and an airport.  The City business district is an excellent location to build garden apartment style retirement housing, interspersed with specialty retail shops.

         Fourth, renovation plans must not leave behind our City’s citizens in most need of assistance.  While our small City school system is a dying breed in public education, it performs remarkably well given the number of low income and academically challenged students.  Give educators the resources they need to improve test scores, graduation results and post secondary school placement.

         Lastly, bring meaningful job training programs into the City to address the unemployment and underemployment in a County of plentiful jobs.  There is no reason that jobs related to the energy boom should not be filled with local well trained students as opposed to “out of towners”. Give energy companies tax credits to do the training and hiring.

         This is not the time for Washington Officials to become insular, defensive or to point fingers.  It is time to be bold and think outside the box.  It is their responsibility to do so and the rewards will be great. Thankfully resources are available to make this happen. While some new programs may fail, others will not and the City will become a better place.

         

THE DONALD HOLDS A TEA PARTY

         Many of us were wrong about the Tea Party for the same reasons we are now wrong about Donald Trump. While both initially appeared as simplistic distractions, dedicated to Obama baiting after the 2008 election, Trump and the Tea Party have evolved.  Dismissing their brand of conservative populism as a passing fad of misplaced anger and below the surface racism was a mistake. It is time to grudgingly acknowledge the staying power of a political movement that is not going away any time soon.

         The Tea Party web site now lists 15 non-negotiable core beliefs as the center of its platform.  At the top of the list are: “Illegal aliens are here illegally” and “pro domestic employment is indispensable.”  It is no coincidence that Trump’s stump speech makes these positions the focus of his campaign.

         Both progressives on the left and now, Tea Party members on the right, seek to replace the status quo.  The difference is that progressives are advocating for others, less fortunate, while tea party conservatives are advocating for themselves, with a personal all or nothing mentality.

          Progressives, to their credit and largely explaining their marginalization in modern politics, are pragmatic and willing to see the big picture.  When the debating is over, inside the voting booth, they will soften their positions and accept incremental change from moderate democrats over the republican alternative.  The number of progressives willing to follow Senator Bernie Sanders down the rabbit hole into an election disaster like the 1968 George McGovern campaign are few.

         On the other hand, Tea Party adherents demand representatives who will support their views, without compromise.  While their ideological take on the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights does not stand up to a fair and impartial critique, it feels right to them and that is all that matters.  The election of a moderate republican is ridiculed with the same contempt as the election of a moderate democrat.

         Once it is understood that the Tea Party views any politician willing to change a position to get elected or to compromise a position after elected as unacceptable, the love affair with Trump begins to make sense.  Today’s Tea Party would not support Ronald Reagan who made legendary concessions to Tip O’Neil, the democratic Speaker of the House, to responsibly run the government.  It will support Trump because he has remained consistent on oddball issues like Obama’s birth certificate and he attacks immigration, political correctness, the media and moderate Republicans without mercy.

         Donald Trump has staying power with the Tea Party because his firebrand pronouncements are delivered with unfiltered certainty.  For the Tea Party this is exactly the mouth piece they have longed for and Trump knows it.  He has discovered the one audience that thrives on his take no prisoners, shoot from the hip brand of politics.

         Over time, the Donald may not be able to develop a viable campaign organization or articulate policy positions acceptable to the Tea Party base. In this case, Senator Ted Cruz will be right behind him to pick up the Tea Party flag and carry on. No one but Trump could make Cruz appear to be the more mainstream candidate.

         A self centered populist political movement, threatening a tall fence and wielding a sledge hammer rather than an inclusive umbrella cannot win a national election.     But the Tea Party, with either Trump or Cruz as its candidate, will smash tables full of traditional china, in the primaries and beyond.

IT IS TIME TO STAND UP FOR OUR WORKING POOR

         I know a woman in her 50s who works at a local McDonalds along with several other middle aged employees.  She has been employed there for 8 years and makes $8.75 an hour.  Several weeks ago she called me in tears asking for advice.  She never misses work and was faced with a crisis when her landlord decided to empty the building of his month to month tenants and sell the property.  She was afraid that if she left her rented “room” and went to work she would be locked out and forfeit her possessions.

         There is a cultural in Washington of the working poor that gets little attention from the rest of us.  They are employed as dishwashers at W&J, wait staff at the chain restaurants, stockers at Shop & Save and clerks at Good Will.  Out of sight, out of mind, they are washing our windows, cleaning our gutters, mowing our lawns, watching our young children in child care and changing bed pans at the hospital and nursing homes.

          Many have physical and/or mental impediments that limit their work capabilities, without qualifying them for SSI or SSD.  Others are single parents unable to afford higher education or trade school.  For almost all the working poor every dollar in income is accounted for before the next paycheck arrives.  With access to high interest credit cards and pay day lending services, many fall into debt.

         Those of us with liberal views often ask ourselves: why doesn’t this permanent underclass, which according to the Center for Poverty Research total an estimated 11 million Americans across the country, rise up and demand better wages?  Why aren’t they marching and protesting for more of the cradle to grave benefits that are prevalent in Europe?  Why don’t they insist that the wealthy pay more in taxes?

         Upon reflection and research, several answers spring to the surface.  First, unlike the days of labor organization in the late 19^th and early 20^th century, when farmers and factory workers fought for economic and social reform, today’s working poor are more isolated, politically apathetic, and have little thought for the future beyond the next paycheck.  Transportation and unexpected expenses take precedence over activisim.  Second, extended families to provide assistance and encouragement are nonexistent.  Third, despite the hardships and unlike their European counterparts, many are of the view that anyone can win the American lottery and step up to a life of wealth and leisure with a bit of luck and elbow grease.

         I am convinced that the working poor, who make up only 23% of all the people classified as poor in this country, are the true forgotten Americans. The inequality debate is really about them. They face economic and social hardships to remain employed and raise a family that are difficult for the rest of us to imagine.

          That is why I will continue to advocate for a living wage and increased benefits for this politically underserved population.  The working poor have a miniscule safety net and no time or resources to fight back on their own.

        

          

HOPE NOT DISGRACE

         With the sentencing of former Washington County judge Paul Pozonsky, many citizens will give a collective sigh of relief.  It is finally over. Of course there will be debate over the length and type of incarceration and whether the judge was impaired while on the bench, but now the courthouse can return to a semblance of normalcy.

         For me and many others in the recovery community the Pozonsky story is just beginning. Those of us who have suffered through the embarrassment, the loss of the work we loved, the loss of our family’s trust and support, divorce, the loss of income and yes even incarceration, know all too well what Mr. Pozonsky is going through.  We have experienced the horror of alcohol and drug addiction sending us to the bottom of the longest chute in life’s never ending game of chutes and ladders.  The next ladder often looked impossible to climb.

         For those of us in recovery, the use of alcohol and drugs often  began as a social attitude adjustment, moved on to a coping mechanism and ended in a train wreck as an uncontrollable urge to obtain and consume our drug of choice.  Our bodies physically mutated as the addiction progressed.  There is no changing a pickle back into a cucumber.  The only cure is to not use the very substance that our physical and subconscious minds cried out for as the answer to all our problems.

         Those of us who have been on the journey of recovery see Mr. Pozonsky as an example of hope, not of disgrace.  Twelve step programs will welcome him with open arms.  Not only has he earned his way into the recovery fellowships, his story will reinforce the message that addiction affects all professions and segments of society.  His struggle for sobriety will help many others in their struggle.  Eventually, Mr Pozonsky will come to know what many of us have witnessed.  Our greatest failures and consequences, were actually our greatest blessings because these crash and burn events lead us to a life of sobriety. 

         The recovery journey is not without setbacks and disappointments.  For those who endure, there is a life on the other side of the wreckage, a good life.  I hope that Mr. Pozonsky endures and finds it.

        

         

IT IS TIME FOR SOUTHPOINTE TO RETURN TO EARTH

         Southpointe did not have a good week following the Independence Day holiday weekend.  This celestial portion of Washington County normally goes about its business of making money and ignoring the rest of us.  However last Monday morning the Wall Street Journal featured a front page piece of investigative reporting that revealed apparent incestuous business practices between one of Southpointe’s principal founders, Rodney Piatt and one of its largest tenants, the pharmaceutical company, Mylan NV.

          A large real estate transaction and other activities were not disclosed to shareholders.  Mr. Piatt wears many hats in and around Southpointe I and II including primary developer, owner of the Southpointe Golf Course and Vice Chairman, Independent Director at Mylan.  While the land deal at Southpointe II for the new Mylan headquarters may not have provided a financial windfall for Mr. Piatt, it certainly did not pass the smell test for good corporate governance.

         The story had legs and made its way onto the front page of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette and Pittsburgh Tribune on Tuesday and onto the front page of the Observer Reporter last Wednesday. Just as this story was dying down, the OR came back on Sunday with a five column front page story on the economic impact of Southpointe. 

         While it cannot be denied that both phases of Southpointe have sparked economic development, not everyone is happy.  There is a sense that older communities in Washington County are crumbling, while Southpointe receives all the perks.  Moreover, Southpointe appears to benefit Corporations and high society, leaving the rest of us to admire from afar.

         For those who have seen the movie Elysium, Southpointe reminds me of this out of reach paradise.  The movie depicts a large “garden of Eden” space station that orbits above the planet.  Elysium is the home of the wealthy and the well connected. The 99% left behind on mother earth are forced into crime and poverty with little chance for advancement and no cure for disease.  The space taxis do not run from earth to Elysium.

         The differences in the wealth and privilege of Southpointe and the economic challenges in the rest of the County are certainly striking.  I would like to offer a solution to ease the guilt of the real estate developers, 300 business entities, 9,000 employees and numerous residents who live there.

          Earmark a parcel of land at Southpointe for a Washington County Cultural Center.  Build a home for the Washington Symphony Orchestra, the community choirs and the County plays and musical productions.  Leave room for a satellite City Mission facility or drug and alcohol rehab.  With such projects, Southpointe would return to earth and feel like a sharing partner with the County, not an over the moon Elysium.

POLITICAL ORDER AND POLITICAL DECAY

          The Observer Reporter opinion page has recently plunged into the national debate over whether President Obama is the victim or the aggressor when it comes to obstructionism.  Among Tea Party cries for the need to: “take back our country”, is a similar hotly contested topic:  whether the President has abused his constitutional powers on the one hand or has been hamstrung by Congress on the other.

          Now we have added more fuel for the fire, following the Supreme Court decisions upholding the Affordable Care Act and striking down State objections to gay marriage. Our highest court is under attack for ignoring its constitutional role.  Conservatives are lamenting that the court has tossed aside its duties as umpire and picked up a bat to hit home runs for leftist causes.

         All of my instincts want me to jump into this ideological free-for-all and send out my own salvo of rhetoric.  Instead, I will take a deep breath, stand back, keep my emotions in check and take a more leveled approach.  I will  start from the premise that a shallow debate that fist pounds the constitution and screams for justice every time a decision goes against a particular ideology or interest group, is not helpful. After all, democracy based on pluralism is not a zero sum game.  Politics by definition is the art of compromise.  The Constitution is similar to the world’s holy books in that its words and the founders’ intent can be interpreted to fit any number of positions.

         Secondly, my approach will assume that indeed something is rotten in the state of Denmark and that American democracy requires the attention of those with “eyes wide open”, conservatives and liberals alike.  My analysis will not be original.  Francis Fukuyama, the Stanford Professor and leading political scientist on political order and political decay has already done the heavy lifting.  His recent two book opus on this subject will be a lode star on the subject for decades to come.  Of special interest for this discussion is his essay adapted from book two: America in Decay, The Sources of Political Dysfunction (foreignaffairs.com August 18, 2014.)

          While Mr. Fukuyama is a conservative by nature, I find little to argue with, when he summarizes the chronic institutional problems facing American democracy, including the following:

·      Political decay can afflict any type of political system, authoritarian or democratic.

·      A combination of intellectual rigidity and the power of entrenched political actors is now preventing our political institutions from being reformed.

·      Economic winners seek to convert their wealth into unequal political influence.

·      While interest groups have lost their ability to corrupt legislators through bribery, they continue to exercise influence way out of proportion to their place in society.

·       Congress has fallen to such low levels of popularity because tea party republicans and liberal democrats alike believe interest groups are exercising undue political influence.

·      American democracy does not permit the elected executive branch to hash out conflicts in regulatory or social policy, the norm in parliamentary style western governments.

·      The Federal Court system, rather than a check and balance within government has evolved into a system that expands the regulatory and social landscape

·       In the United States, these regulatory and social battles are fought through formal litigation, with enormous costs, inefficiencies and confusion.

·      The U.S. constitution protects individual liberties through a complex system of checks and balances that were deliberately designed by the founders to constrain the power of the state. 

·      Unfortunately, because of redundancy between Federal branches of government and between State and Federal agencies, there is lack of accountability and different parts of government are easily able to block one another.

·      American democracy is stuck in a “vetocracy” where collective action is almost impossible and nothing gets done.

·      The decay of American politics will continue until some external shock comes along to catalyze a true reform coalition and galvanize it into action.

          While the above does not totally capture the Fukuyama thesis, it captures the essence.  There will be those who disagree with some of his conclusions.  The debate he inspires is impossible to ignore.

           The problems facing our American constitutional republic are deep and complicated. Chastising individual actors, including the President, for their actions or failure to act will not address the issues and in fact will reinforce the problem.  The partisan cry to “take back our country”, when the other party is in the White House, must be replaced with a bi-partisan resolve to repair our democratic political system for the generations to come.

           As clearly chronicled by Mr. Fukuyama in his two books, many robust societies have not survived political dysfunction.  He has thrown down the gauntlet and it is up to the clear minded and the wise, with no axe to grind, to find a solution.

THE LEGACY OF CHARLEST

         

         Of all the tragic events that have occurred in my lifetime, I can think of none that is more surreal or that has carried the symbolism or power to change the status quo as has the recent mass killings in Charleston, South Carolina.  The juxtaposition of a young man, boiling with racial hatred sitting with peaceful churchgoers, at a mid week bible study in one the oldest African American Churches in our country is a powerful vision of much that is good and terrible in America.  But the killings did not take place in just any community; Charleston is a small town with the nation’s greatest example of institutional oppression, the old slave market, a few blocks away from the church. A few more blocks brings one to the location of the cannon battery that demolished the Federal Fort Sumter, started the Civil War and tore the country apart, all to preserve slavery.

         While the smiles and good nature of the parishioners almost swayed the killer from his act of indiscriminate carnage, in the end, no kindness could stay his “assassin’s veto”, an attempt to reverse our progress in civil rights and racial equality. This modern day Charles Manson, both who sought to ignite a race war through the murder of innocents, has accomplished just the opposite. No riots, no righteous anger, no lame justifications.  Instead, forgiveness, soul searching and a ground swell of bi-partisan, color blind support.

          Today, African Americans are more empowered than ever to demand unconditional acceptance after yet another unimaginable sacrifice. Following this horror, Caucasian Americans are more likely to give minorities the no strings attached, equal seat at the table that will finally start a new chapter in our history.  The slow march continues: gender equality, sexual equality and now a step closer to racial equality.

         No American should believe that removing the rebel flags and statutory of segregation and suppression from public grounds will be the end of it.  The election of Barack Obama was transformative from the pinnacle of government.  Our youngest Americans and future leaders have grown up knowing only a black President.  The killings in Charleston will be transformative through the nation’s town councils, churches, classrooms and family discussions. The JFK assassination changed our parents, the Martin Luther King, Bobby Kennedy and Kent State killings changed my generation and Charleston will have a similar impact on this youngest generation as they shape their own version of the American dream.

WHY DO WE TRUST THE TECHNICIANS TO DO THE RIGHT THING?

         Some time ago, the then President Judge of Washington County scheduled a seminar to introduce the new digital electronic system, designed to replace stenographers in the courtroom, to the lawyers.  To explain the bells and whistles of the installation she invited a technician from Beaver County, where the same system was in use, to discuss the Beaver County experience.  It was discovered during the presentation that technicians sitting in the control room to monitor the system could overhear conversations in the courtrooms even when the system was not recording, an operational detail not known by the lawyers or even the judges.  When the Beaver technician was asked about this, his incredulous response was: “well when it comes to protecting privileged information we are not permitted to hear, obviously you have to trust us to do the right thing.”

         I keep thinking of this response from a technician, operating under little legal or administrative oversight, as our country continues its post 9/11 journey into the new age of high tech surveillance.  When it comes to  reviewing constitutionally protected personal data, who do we trust to do the right thing?  What are the actual parameters of the surveillance that would differentiate between legal civil disobedience and illegal terrorism?  What is the screening process and when are the hits on innocent citizens deleted? Are the nuts and bolts of American national security policy kept secret from us for protection, or to keep illegal conduct from coming to light? If neither the so called war on terror nor the Patriot Act affects most of us, should we even care, as long as security concerns are limited to information and do not take away our right to bear arms.

         Surveillance technology is expanding at breakneck speed.   Constructing a real time representation of the world, no doubt the ultimate goal of the NSA and other security organizations, requires a large and growing amount of data (big data) and a system to give meaning to the data (algorithms).  Big data has involved the universal collection of phone and computer records for some time. As reported in a recent Foreign Affairs article, The Violence of Algorithms, Taylor Owen, 5/25/15, data collection is now also enhanced by:  “a network of 100 toaster sized satellites that will take daily high resolution images of everywhere on earth. The goal is to launch thousands- a persistent real time surveillance tool.” Regarding algorithms the author points out: “If they (algorithms) are biased, flawed, or based on incorrect data, then the human will be just as wrong as the machine.”

         So even the technician who means well may make bad choices and come down on the wrong side of our civil liberties if an algorithm exposes an innocent individual. Consider the farmer in Iowa who plugs the word “Isis” into Google (another algorithm) to learn more about the organization because his son is doing humanitarian work in the Mid East.  The same day, big data picks up an e-mail conversation with his son; “we need to eliminate all the weeds and buy a half ton of nitrates for next year’s crops.”  This pattern matches a well thought out terrorist algorithm and all of the farmer’s conversations, bank statements and travel plans are monitored and read by a young technician in Alexandria Virginia.  Should the farmer just “trust him” to do the right thing?

         How about the technician who is working for an executive who does not mean well?  It was not that long ago that Richard Nixon and J Edgar Hoover sought to gain as much information as possible about their perceived enemies through any means possible.  Would anyone feel comfortable with these new technologies in their hands?

          Some are not happy with this new reality.  It has been reported that in Germany, as troublesome as the East German Stasi and Soviet KGB were during the cold war, the German government felt more secure from spying in the past than during the recent surveillance intrusions from their allies, the Americans.

                  Our own citizens do not seem to have the same doubts or concerns as new and more invasive spy techniques are revealed. Why are we willing to give up protected information concerning our private lives to technicians in secret control rooms on the slim chance of avoiding an Islamist plot?

          I believe several factors are in play. First, many buy into the claim that we are at war and believe it is patriotic to cooperate since we have  “nothing to hide”.  Second, the pervasive use of social media has degraded privacy concerns and surveillance is often viewed as harmless national data sharing.  Third, everyone gets to keep their firearms, no matter how onerous the data collection.

         There is great irony in the fact that in dangerous times to the homeland, gun ownership is not restricted. We insist that we be permitted to keep unfettered, the one instrumentality that causes a thousand times more carnage than terrorism. Even knowing that a bad guy is more likely to use a gun against an innocent rather than blown him/her up, firearms get a pass.  It remains an open question whether more gun restriction and less surveillance would lower the number of attacks inspired by radical ideologies.

         In the United States, the right to bear arms is sacrosanct and this is not about to change until fiscal conservatives realize that curtailing guns will save millions in social welfare and make us safer. In the mean time, If big brother gets out of hand with this surveillance stuff, we can always shoot him.

SECOND POT OF COFFEE THOUGHTS

·      How did the comic books we hid from our parents warp into an 8 billion dollar (and counting) business at the movie theaters and toy stores?

·      It seems that the empty store fronts are growing in Washington and that the new businesses that do open are marginal.  Why not give a developer whatever incentives it takes to start a renovation project in the City.

·      With the recent social acceptance of expanded health care, gay rights and the apparent death knell of capital punishment, can meaningful gun control laws be far behind?

·      Why do I still prefer a hard cover book at twice the price to the same new read on my kindle?

·      Wash Arts is a remarkable community resource.  If you can teach a class in the creative arts, call the office.  When your program is set up, enthusiastic students will follow.

·      The millennial generation is finally approaching the age of home buying, marriage and child rearing.  Adjust your stock portfolio accordingly.

·      The enhanced schedule and funding for the Whiskey Rebellion Festival and the farmers market will continue to bring seasonal foot traffic to the City of Washington. This is not enough for capital intensive business owners to set up shop.  They need a year round commitment from the County to sell the City.

·      A Joe Sestak victory to replace Senator Pat Toomey in 2016 would not only be of great importance to those who want to elect a thoughtful liberal in Pennsylvania, it would also be a crucial win for the democrats to retake the Senate.

·       What do members of Congress, hedge fund operators and foreign dictators have in common?  All three are held in low esteem, do little for the common good and use their positions to accumulate undeserved wealth.

DIVERSITY IS A REGIONAL ISSUE

         When I discuss the need for diversity in Washington County, there are typically three responses.  The average resident on the street places diversity near the bottom of any community wide wish list.  Some old timers even suggest that the shale/gas industry has ruptured Washington County’s economic structure and the last thing we need is a diversity campaign, encouraging minorities to live and work here, to rupture our social structure.  The second response comes from community leaders who have the power to initiate diversity programs.  Their position is often that there is no reason to take action because the County is thriving. They point out that Washington County is an open community and anyone can choose to live here or apply for employment.  Lastly are minorities who are already residents of the County.  These citizens often feel there are “bigger fish to fry” than diversity, including education, crime, racism and economic inequality.

         Before I give my reasons why I believe these views are misplaced, some facts concerning diversity and economics in Southwestern Pennsylvania are in order. First, population growth throughout the Pittsburgh region is nonexistent.  According to the US census, between 2011 and 2012, the region had a net increase of only 619, with a total regional population of 2.3 million.  Second, as reported in the May 14, 2015 Pittsburgh Post Gazette: “Pittsburgh is one the of least diverse places in the U.S., according to a new study of 200-plus cities  that consider factors such as types of jobs and industries as well as race and ethnicity.”  The study conducted by WalletHub, a Web-based Washington DC firm, ranked Pittsburgh 227 out of 230 regions.

         Many specialists in urban and community planning believe there is a strong correlation between a growing, younger population and a commitment to both economic and population diversity.  The above Post Gazette article interviewed Melanie Harrington, chief executive of Vibrant Pittsburgh, a nonprofit dedicated to diversity issues.  She found the report troubling.  Ms. Harrington believes: “Our long term future economic growth goals are dependent in part on our ability to attract and retain a diversity of people in the region.”

         Another spokesman, Harold D. Miller, Adjunct professor of Public Policy and Management at Carnegie Mellon’s Heinz School of Public Policy and Management, believes that lack of racial and ethnic diversity in our region is one of the biggest factors in holding the population back.  He concludes in his 6/2/13 blog post that: “If Pittsburgh wants its population to grow, attracting and retaining more minority residents isn’t an option, it is a necessity.”

         While many regions are keeping and attracting minorities and growing for the future, the Pittsburgh region is not.  The new restaurants, the universities, the new sports venues will not stop this trend.  In order to compete, Southwestern Pennsylvania must take action by focusing on the issues and dedicating resources to encourage diversity and soon.   Mr. Miller is persuasive in his analysis that Minneapolis, another shrinking rust belt region, was able to reverse its Pittsburgh like results by putting into place diversity programs over the last three decades.  By taking steps that dramatically expanded the number of Asians, Hispanics and African Americans living in the area, jobs in the Minneapolis region grew four times as fast as they did in Pittsburgh over the same time frame.  This point made by Mr. Miller in 2013 is reinforced by the fact that the Minneapolis region placed forty third (43) in racial and ethnic diversity on the recent WalletHub report.   

         When it comes to employment and population growth, Washington County is the outlier in our region.  A new study recently concluded by our own Washington and Jefferson College found that the energy industry supports in the range of 10,000 jobs, the equivalent to 7-9 % of total county employment.  Moreover, shale/gas resources increased county economic output by15% to 20% in recent years and has consistently placed Washington near the top of those Pennsylvania counties with the lowest unemployment.

         So why should Washington County care that the rest of the region is shrinking in population?  Why should we seek diversity when we are growing without it?  The answer is simple. Washington County is too small and the Marcellus Shale industry too undiversified in its own right to carry the region on its back.  One dimensional economic growth has its limits in the same way that a one dimensional population has its limits.  Diversity in both is the proven, rational policy to ensure sustained generational expansion in both.

         In the short term Washington County does have the growth engine that may well be the sweetest incentive to jump start economic and population diversity in Southwestern Pennsylvania.  Let’s exploit this advantage within the County by recruiting minorities in both the public and private sector into our booming economy.   Let’s partner with Allegheny County to develop meaningful incentives.  Let’s advertise the incentives to bring in the best and the brightest, including the newest crop of minority professionals in all occupations, to live and work in Washington County and throughout the region.  Let’s use our excellent regional higher education system, state of the art medical complexes and new business and technological platforms at places like Southpointe to train and retain international and home grown minorities for generations to come.

         To summarize for the naysayers why we need to act, diversity is a regional concern and Washington County stands in a unique position to be in the vanguard to address the problem.  The Marcellus Shale explosion will not last forever.  Reshaping our community and making Washington County a magnet for minority entrepreneurs and professionals of all backgrounds will transform our region for the better.  Not only is supporting diversity the right thing to do, it is the only thing to do.