2014 Election Observations

The day after election day, the sun rose in the sky, as it always does. I didn't see it, as it was overcast and rainy in my area.

As I watched the election returns from around the country, I thought about citizens from around the world who live in countries which have never seen a peaceful transfer of power. While our nation's elections certainly can't be described as “peaceful,” at least our nation's usual transfers of power have not been accompanied by gunfire and deaths.

As with most elections, I like to say “I voted for a bunch of losers... Some of which won.”

I guess it's my way of saying that no candidate is perfect. I'm not perfect. My friends and family aren't perfect. In fact, the only ones I know who are “perfect” are the “church ladies,” if only in their own minds. And, I love them for it.

For me, this year's election results were mixed. I was very pleased that most of Minnesota's voters didn't punish our state's success by voting out the Democrats responsible for it. Unfortunately, some in Minnesota, and many in other states weren't so enlightened.

I was very pleased that all of Minnesota's top officers were reelected, despite the fact that Governor Mark Dayton had pushed through “a record $2.1 billion tax hike," at a time when seemingly all Republicans were calling for more tax cuts (for the wealthy) to get our economy moving. Oh, I forgot, Governor Dayton's tax hikes were targeted toward the wealthy. The top 1% of earners will pay most of the new taxes, the middle class was left unscathed. While Republicans like to call such hikes “punishing success,” Governor Dayton didn't see it that way.

During this election cycle, I did hear one or two Republicans repeat the phrase they've used for as long as I can remember "He raised our taxes." The fact is, most Minnesotans did not see a tax hike. The very wealthy did. And, the wealthy are still doing just fine.

Governor Dayton's predecessor, Tim Pawlenty, had carefully groomed himself for a Presidential bid. He cut taxes (for the wealthy). He cut spending on damn near everything, including Minnesota's schools (although the cuts were sometimes called “slowing the rate of growth” of spending). Every year was full of drama, as Governor Pawlenty cut spending (and programs) to balance the budget, rather than raising taxes. Sometimes, “creative accounting” methods had to be used. These included delaying payments, and “borrowing” (stealing) funds designated for schools.

In contrast, Governor Dayton promptly “spent” the money raised by the new taxes. Some was used to balance the state's budget, without the need to cut valuable programs (and without the drama of previous years). The rest was used to repay the money “borrowed” (stolen) from the state's school districts, and to invest in Minnesota's future. In addition to investing in some public-private development projects, Minnesota invested in K-12 education, including state funded all-day kindergarten. The state also invested in higher education, to help ensure Minnesota's future success.

By contrast, Governor Scott Walker of Wisconsin took the opposite tact. Like former Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, Governor Walker aspires to be President. He has chosen to cut state programs, rather than even considering raising taxes. He added another nail to the coffin for Wisconsin's middle class by abolishing Civil Service collective bargaining rights for most of Wisconsin's (middle class) public employees. He cut state funding for K-12 education by more than 15% . While Minnesota embraced “Obamacare,” and expanded its Medicaid coverage, Governor Walker rejected both ideas. Minnesota had some of the lowest premiums in the nation for insurance policies purchased on its state exchange, Wisconsin's premiums were much higher.

Minnesota's already low uninsured rate improved under Governor Dayton, and Minnesota is, once again, investing in its future.

Wisconsin's economic growth has lagged Minnesota's economic growth.

While two, four, or even ten years, may not be enough time to properly evaluate the long term consequences of the “invest” versus the “cut” strategies of Minnesota and Wisconsin (or the strategies of our nation's other states), I like Minnesota's prospects much more than I do those of Wisconsin.

Minnesota and Wisconsin have elected two very different Governors. I know that a policy of cuts, as championed by former Presidential hopeful, Governor Tim Pawlenty, was not beneficial for Minnesota. But, perhaps, Governor Walker can make it work in Wisconsin.

I doubt it. But, it is an interesting experiment to test an unproven economic theory. And, no matter what the outcome, I'm confident Governor Walker will declare it to be a success during his Presidential campaign.

I prefer to see my state, and our nation, move forward.

Successful businesses are constantly investing in their futures. Businesses which are constantly “cutting” may see some temporary “success,” but typically they're in a fatal downward spiral.

I believe that the same holds true for our states, and our nation. Minnesota is growing. Wisconsin's downward spiral has yet to be stemmed.

Time will tell.

A New Pledge of Allegiance?

I used to enjoy attending local Chamber of Commerce meetings, until I finally recognized that we were being used by the national organization to provide unwavering support for Big Business - and to the Republican Party which they have apparently purchased. They were certainly not representing me, or local "Main Street" businesses.

Each Chamber of Commerce meeting started by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. While I've always been a patriotic American, I started to feel uncomfortable reciting the Pledge as part of an organization intent on destroying our nation.

I hate regulations and taxes as much as anyone, but they have never held me back.

I refuse to accept the notion that it's impossible for American businesses to make a profit under what some  call "crushing taxes" and "burdensome regulations." It's been my experience that good, well managed, businesses have always been able to make money in good times and bad, without lying and cheating, or demanding "special favors" from politicians they've "purchased." Many fine businesses have done this year after year. And, they've been able to do this no matter what the tax rate and regulatory climate happens to be.

Our nation is in danger of being destroyed from within. Grover Norquist disciples started two expensive wars under false pretenses (among other things, they lied about finding Weapons of Mass Destruction). They used borrowed money to pay for their wars, along with the tax cuts they gave to our wealthiest citizens, leaving our nation with a massive debt. Big Business doubled down by demanding more government handouts, insisting that they're necessary for them to create new jobs to replace the ones they've cut and sent overseas.

It also hasn't helped that our nation has been fighting a civil war for decades, fueled, in part, by a 24x7 propaganda channel, Fox News, spewing out dogma as if it were fact.

Until recently, I'd never seen much difference between Republicans and Democrats. Republicans would spend and borrow, while Democrats would spend and tax. More recently, the Grover Norquist disciples have added a whole new obstacle to the success of our nation, by their refusal allow ANY tax hikes, and their refusal to work toward shared solutions to our nation's problems. Only their solution is acceptable - Abolish our Government, turn valuable government programs like Social Security and Medicare over to Big Business, so that they can be killed off as a "business decision" by the private sector. If they achieve their goals, all will be well.

Except it won't.

I'm beginning to suspect that the Republican Party is preparing a new Pledge of Allegiance to be recited at all business meetings. I shutter to think what they might require our school children to recite.

New Pledge of Allegiance

Our nation was built on a foundation of freedom and equality for all. It thrived under people willing to work together to find shared solutions to complex problems. It stagnates and wilts under single-issue politicians, more beholden to special interests than to our nation, who refuse to even look at realistic shared solutions.

The danger is real. Our nation will fail if its future is turned over to an unelected lobbyist, funded and controlled by unknown groups.

Toddler Meltdowns & Today's Politics

Raising children, as most parents - especially those with toddlers - will attest, can be very challenging. Toddlers tend to have very short attention spans. Toddlers lack the reasoning capability to analyze conflicting thoughts. They typically can't determine what's best for them now, and certainly not into the future. When a toddler wants something, they want it NOW.

Even those who never experienced it with their children, have certainly seen it - A young child visits a store with his or her parent. The child spots something they want. When their parent says "no," or otherwise doesn't provide what they want immediately, the child quickly enters "meltdown mode." Some adults - usually parents - look on sympathetically. Other adults shoot judgmental looks at the parent whose child is flailing about on the floor, crying and shouting, "I want it. I want it. Pleaaasseee. I want it," as if to say "Why can't you control your child?"

There's a reason toddlers - and older children - are not allowed to vote. We want them to develop their reasoning powers, before allowing them to vote in our nation's elections.

According to the "talking head" pundits and pollsters today, the American public - and likely voters - are signaling that they're content to behave as if they are toddlers.

Collectively, we're mad as hell. And, like a toddler in the midst of a meltdown, there's no reasoning with us. We intend to take out our anger and frustration over lost jobs, lower wages, lost savings, and failure to deliver on "our" special interest demands, on everyone we can, even if they're not the real problem.

This election year, our choices are very clear. Do we vote based on our "inner toddler" or our "inner adult?" Do we vote out of frustration, anger, and fear? Or, do we vote for our future, the future of our children, and the future of our nation?

There's still time to decide.

To prove the pundits wrong, we need to seek out unbiased sources of information (as best we can in today's angry, highly polarized, nation). We need to carefully listen to opposing viewpoints. We need to research all the issues, not just the issues involving "our" special interests, but also those issues supported by others. Which, if any, of these issues will allow our nation to move forward?

As adults, what we do will affect generations of toddlers to come. We need to demand of ourselves, what most of us demand of our children as they grow older - Don't yell or fight. Study hard. Seek out answers. Think before you act.

Analyze the real issues (usually not found in vicious attack ads) thoughtfully and carefully.

Then, VOTE.