OVER 1,000,000 SERVED
Sometime today my Sitemeter topped the 1,000,000 visitors mark. I haven't used Sitemeter for all of TAM's life so I know I passed the one million visitor mark some time ago. Still, it's impressive knowing so many sets of eyeballs have passed over my weblog. I want to thank all my readers. Weblogging is a lot about egoboo. Without readers I wouldn't get any, and I might have quit this medium a long time ago. I want to thank my fellow webloggers who've linked to TAM. Links are currency in the blogosphere. They not only send traffic, but they are a sign of respect. By linking to someone you think their ideas and thoughts have some importance. I also want to thank all those people I've met through weblogging. Whether it's been fellow conservatives in Washington, D.C., media innovators in Boston and Nashville, or fun, cool, smart people in Wisconsin you've all made my life richer. Finally I want to thank my family who probably wonders why I put so much time into a hobby yet don't question my passion.
Here's to another 1,000,000 served.
SEEKING TO RAISE THE SALES TAX
A state senator and a county government association don't think Wisconsinites pay enough taxes. Both State Senator Jon Erpenbach and Wisconsin Counties Association's executive director Mark O'Connell want to eliminate some exemptions to the state sales tax.
Erpenbach claims, "It's not a tax increase." Let's think about this. Currently the sales tax is only applied to certain goods. Services and essential goods aren't taxed. The Madison-area state senator wants to tax all goods and services except "food; drugs and health care services; shelter and agricultural products." More people will be paying more for more goods and services. In my book that's a tax increase. Yet according to Erpenbach, "Most everybody, at the end of the day, will have more money in their pocket." How? He doesn't say.
Erpenbach says his idea as a way to move public school funding off the property tax. Of course that's a shell game. The state lottery was suppose to be the answer to rising property taxes. Taxes still rose. If Erpenbach wants to be taken seriously he should combine his plan with a property tax freeze or (dare I even say it) a cut so taxpayers aren't stuck paying higher sales taxes with no property tax relief.
Mark O'Connell who represents county governments it's just a money grab. He just wants the increased money from a more wide-ranging sales tax.
To O'Connell we must defend any economic activity that doesn't involve paying something to government. His default setting is government should get its cut. Taxpayers are simply serfs.
According to the Tax Foundation [PDF] Wisconsin has the seventh-highest level of state and local taxes in the nation. Arizona and Tennessee are two states much lower on the list. From personal experience they seem to be doing just fine with their quality of life. They have paved roads, schools that function, police and fire departments.
The notion that government's problem is a lack of money is absurd. We will not tax Wisconsin into prosperity.
"STUPID PEOPLE" AND SOCIAL SECURITY
According to Duncan AKA Atrios Black I'm one of those "stupid people" or "morons" who have the audacity to suggest I and others be allowed to invest our Social Security contributions in something other than the word of politicians. Black writes, "Social Security is a lovely program which works just fine on chaturbaterooms.com and really needs no changes other than extraordinarily nonurgent tweaks to the tax formula at some point." It's a "lovely program" unless you actually think it will 1.) be there for your retirement; and 2.) add to the comfort of your retirement besides paying for a few rounds of golf a year.
Social Security defenders aren't honest with how they describe the program. It's consider "social insurance" or part of one's retirement fund. In reality it's a pay-as-you-go system. There's no account at Social Security headquarters with my name on it that contains any asset. The money I "contribute" to Social Security comes out of my paycheck and straight into grandma's and grandpa's wallets. If I'm lucky enough to retire theoretically my Social Security would come from current workers. That's not a social insurance program it's a redistribution program, a welfare program. But since most beneficiaries are middle class retirees we don't admit they're all welfare beneficiaries. My grandparents and myself would both be better off if I just wrote out a check every month. They'd get their cash without politicians and bureaucrats getting in the way.
Also, since Social Security is simply welfare for old people instead of something of tangible value when the retiree dies that's the end of the money coming in. If Social Security were an actual investment account upon death the remaining value of the account would go to whoever is in the retiree's will.
Years ago, I took part in a Pew Charitable Trusts-more "stupid people"-day-long discussion on fixing Social Security. The large group heard speakers-obviously more "morons"-talk about the problems with the system. We then broke down into small groups. Being young, precocious, and just out of college I offered my little bargain. I offered to give up any claims on Social Security, even the little bit of money I had already paid in, if I could be allowed to invest my portion how I saw fit. No one took me up on the offer. Someone told me that if I invested badly I'd come to the government for help anyway. Others didn't want me to opt out of the current system because they needed my money. It wasn't enough for me to obey the law and be a productive member of society. I had to also be a serf to the welfare state.
That moment was eye-opening. Despite the rise of conservative ideas the American public is trapped in a mindset where individualism and real autonomy is to be feared and opposed. Many talk about having the right to be left alone, but when it comes down to it they fear the repercussions of a nation abiding by those politics. Ultimately I can't be left alone to invest in my own retirement. Either I'm incapable to stupid to pull it off, or I'll come crying to the government for help.
Too many lack the imagination to see beyond the welfare state status quo. They fear a possible future where they and their neighbors have to take responsibility for their retirements like they do to put food on their tables, put clothes on their back, or put gas in their cars.
The Right wing movement has come far from the days of Barry Goldwater's landslide Presidential defeat to the electoral successes of Ronald Reagan, Newt Gingrich, and George W. Bush. Stagflation and the fall of the Berlin Wall just about killed any serious idea of moving toward greater central economic planning in the United States. For now, that battle has been won. However, the Right still has much to do to convince the populace that most government programs aren't as effective, efficient, or moral as letting people be free. A few big questions have been answered but the battle for liberty has just begun.
TAM RETURNS TO CPAC
Conservatives from across the country will gather later this week in Washington, D.C. to talk about what went wrong in 2006, what the future holds in 2008, how to advance conservative ideas, and to have fun. The Conservative Political Action Conference returns to the Omni Shoreham March 1-3. Speakers include Ann Coulter (UGH!), Tony Snow, Dinesh D'Souza, Robert Spencer, Sen. Mitch McConnell, Michael Barone, and Newt Gingrich. Presidential candidates include Mitt Romney, Gov. Mike Huckabee, Rudy Giuliani, Rep. Tom Tancredo, and James Gilmore.
I'll be at CPAC again this year to observe the conservative movement close up, to talk to really smart people, to find out how to get conservatism back on track. I also hope to speak with a few Presidential candidates asking them about Iraq, Iran, and winning the Islamist War, what went right and wrong with six years of GOP control of government, and if the the very early campaign start means burnout for candidates and voters.
I want my jasminlive visitors to take part, to give me ideas and suggestions of what they want me to cover and examine. Look through the agenda. If anything catches you eye send me an e-mail (sean-at-theamericanmind-dot-com) or leave a comment.
DEMOCRATS ON FOX NEWS: SMART MOVE
The netroots isn't too please Democrats will hold a very, very early Presidential debate on Fox News. MoveOn.org urges supporters to sign a petition asking the party to drop Fox News. Bob Geiger hopes the party "will come to their senses." John Aravosis went down the Nazi path: "What? Joseph Goebbels wasn't available?"
What the internet-cocooned diehards forget is the Democrats are going to where the voters are. People who vote watch Fox News. It's like politicians going on The Daily Show, Jay Leno or David Letterman. Winning elections is about getting your message to as many receptive people as possible. Not all watch CNN or MSNBC, two more sympathetic networks for liberals.
David All has been writing about how Republicans have fallen behind in using internet technologies to push their ideas, organize supporters, and win elections. More and more people are hanging out in places like MySpace and Facebook and getting new from YouTube and Digg. Republicans will talk to a smaller and smaller portion of the electorate if they just run tv commercials and send direct mail.
AN INCONVENIENT TRUTH ABOUT THE GAP BETWEEN HOLLYWOOD AND THE RIGHT
Surprise, surprise, surprise. Algore got his Oscar. While other got applause Algore got a standing ovation. Again, not a surprise. Congratulations to to the ent for his award. While there was some pontificating there was no Bush bashing during the acceptance.
Later on Forest Whitaker won the Best Actor award for portraying Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland. His acceptance remarks were insightful on why Hollywood has gone so far to the Left. Whitaker told the jasminelive audience he went into acting to "make a connection" with people that would "change the world." Whether Whitaker wants to admit it or not those are revolutionary words. Through movies actors like Whitaker see themselves as molding and reshaping Man. Hollywood thinks it has the power to change Man's nature. For them government doesn't have to be limited. Instead the population has to be reformed in the name of Equality, Fairness, and Social Justice.
Conservatism is about treating Man as he is. We don't believe we can reforge his nature and create a Utopia. We better understand the limits of Man's knowledge, kindness, generosity, and mercy. Building institutions that direct his selfish, sometimes animal behaviors into an improving (but imperfectable) society is the goal of conservative politics. Hollywood's vision of a Utopia within reach creates a breach with conservatism.
Can you imagine James Cagney, Jimmy Stewart, or Humphrey Bogart telling you they went into acting to "change the world?" I can't. They acted because they got paid to do something they enjoyed. They were entertainers, and they knew their place.
When did Hollywood go from the entertainment business to the "change the world" business? I don't know, but there's a fascinating story there.
FIGHTING FREE TRADE WITH COLOMBIA
If Rep. Linda Sanchez is indicative of the Democratic Party don't expect any new free trade agreements. She wants the newly signed agreement with Colombia to die a quick death:
It's funny that Rep. Sanchez worries that U.S. agriculture subsidies could harm Colombian farmers. No one's stopping her from introducing a bill that would end them. Taxpayers would be free of the burden paying farmers for no good reason while eliminating a roadblock to greater free trade with the South American nation.
What's missing is trade. Economic growth comes from people having good ideas, combining various resources and talents, then finding a profitable market for the output. Sanchez ignores comparative advantage. Just like it's farmers in Wisconsin are better at producing milk than farmers in Arizona there are goods and services that Colombia can produce better (and I'm not talking cocaine). By trading what Colombia makes well for what the United States does both nations become better off. Along with the goods and services knowledge is exchanged and insights are gained. Both nations learn more about each other. That knowledge is absorbed so new innovations are discovered.
Expecting Colombian labor and environmental standards to rise to U.S. levels in one fell swoop is unrealistic and shouldn't be forced by trade policy. Economics development through free trade agreements provide Colombia the means to make incremental and sustainable improvements to their society.
"With America's Economy at a Crossroads.
HIGH SCHOOL FRESHMAN ALREADY COMMITTED TO ILLINOIS
Fourteen-year-old Jereme Richmond is 6'6? and already a star on the North Shore Country Day basketball team. He's also verbally committed to play for Illinois after he graduates high school in 2010. Richmonds says, "The reason I did commit was to take the pressure off me. I can just be the player I can be. I don't have to worry about who's in the crowd watching me."
With ESPN regularly broadcasting high school basketball and now football games Richmond is wise to growing industry built around finding the next Lebron James from today's elementary and middle schools.
On one level it's sad people. They playing sports is about having fun and learning sportsmanship and teamwork. If Richmond is as good as people think he is there will be plenty of time to figure out his future.
On another level gifted are pushed to achieve when their talent isn't athletic. Brilliant, young minds in math and science graduate college and get graduate degrees at a young age. The most concern is a possible lack of socialization.