bastion: (noun) 1. a group that defends a principal-- "Spirited discourse requires the capacity for deep thought. Blind consensus, fanaticism, and sycophancy must fall upon our walls like water."--Anonymous
News Feeds
Blogroll
Photos
Latest Activity
Events
Bastion Bloggers
The Lies of the Peachtree Road Race
Think of this as Volume 12, Number 27 of A-Clue.com, the online newsletter I've written since 1997. Enjoy.
One of the most interesting aspects of running the Peachtree Road Race is the politics.
Traditionally these are conservative politics. You have your preachers by the side of the road, one this year with a big sign reading "God Loves -- God Hates." You have your "pro-life" shirts. And this year I even saw one woman with an Obama hat.
But mainly it's anti-government stuff. "Government is taxing us to death," was the message of one onlooker in Buckhead. "Government or freedom" was the message of another.
These are assumptions deeply ingrained in Southern history. They have resonated since before the Civil War. They are the majority view throughout the region.
And they are wrong. Dead wrong.
Start with the first. Americans are taxed less than people in other countries. We are taxed less than people in China, for instance, where there are heavy sales taxes. Especially when you consider how much the citizens of both countries make -- taxes in China are a heavy burden.
But the difference is transparency. In China, after a meal at Pizza Hut, we were given three long strips of paper, which our tour guide promptly got to work on. They were scratch-off lottery tickets, he explained. They were also tax receipts. To encourage compliance with tax laws, China has merchants give these to customers are receipts. The scratch-off game encourages them to ask for them. And the empty books show how much sales taxes are owed on.
It's not a perfect system. Many small businesses evade taxes, passing the savings on to the customer, taking only cash. It acts as a subsidy of small businesses by large ones. But small businesses also know that, at any moment, the government can sweep in and close them down, on the basis of incomplete tax receipt books.
One more important point. In China, and Japan, the price is you pay is inclusive of tax. If the bill says 100 yuan or 700 yen, that's what you pay. This is not true in America, and it drives visitors batty. The bill says $7, but it's actually $7.56, or $7.49, or maybe even $7.70, depending on the sales tax rate where you are. And if this is a restaurant check, you're supposed to add 15% to pay for the waiter, because the shop owner doesn't even pay them. So you might throw down $9 on that $7 bill.
The actual process by which taxes are paid is the same in both countries. The shop owner totals his receipts and pays the government a percentage. But the method is different. In China the tax is a scratch-off game for the customer and built into the price you pay. In America the tax is a burden that's added-on after you think you know the price.
The intent is obvious. You're supposed to resent the American tax. It's supposed to remind you of the burden government imposes on its citizens. Yet sales taxes are the most popular taxes among conservatives. They oppose property taxes and income taxes -- any sort of progressive taxation. Yet every Georgia conservative, faced with a problem or a deficit, reaches directly for an increase in sales tax. A penny here, a half-penny there, it's all good.
Why? Two reasons. Sales taxes are regressive, falling hardest on the poor. And sales taxes are tacked on top of the bill, so they make an anti-political point.
It's nonsense, which brings me to the second sign. "Government or Freedom."
This may be the biggest lie Americans tell one another. The sign is designed to render a choice. You can have government or you can have freedom. But the opposite of government is not freedom.
The opposite of government is anarchy.
Anarchy is the absence of government, the only absence of government.
In the Wild West, which conservatives revere as the hallmark of limited government, people outside the cities carried guns and protected their own. They did this because they were forced to. They did this because to go without protection meant you were subject to the rule of ranchers and robbers, who might take all your property or just burn you out for your land.
In town, the first thing sheriffs like Wyatt Earp did was take your guns away, because you weren't supposed to need them. You were protected in town. And the great goal of the ranchers was always statehood, and an extension of government into their lands, because government meant protection, and in a democracy it meant they had a say in that protection, not only through the ballot but through participation on juries.
Somalia has no government. Parts of Mexico have no government. And in that vacuum all kinds of oppression swoop in. Religious oppression. Oppression by criminal gangs. The law becomes that of the gun, as it was in the Wild West.
This is where anti-government zealots should be sent. Take away their property -- because government's first role is in protecting property -- and drop them into Tijuana or Mogadishu. Let them enjoy their freedom there.
In fact, history shows that this nonsense about "government=tyranny" and "taxes=tyranny" is a cover story. Limited government favors the wealthy. Wealthy people can protect themselves from poor people. They can hire their own armed men. They can, in effect, create governments under their exclusive control.
And this is what they have done throughout the history of the South. It is the wealthy who have controlled state legislatures here, under the cry of "limited government." It is the wealthy who have been, in effect, the law, owning the poor and controlling the rest under cover of "taxation is slavery."
This has been good for the wealthy, but only in the short term. It was good to be a feudal lord before the Civil War. Or it seemed good. But the rich then were missing the opportunities for trade and industry, missing the chance to become truly wealthy and powerful, so that the government of the people eventually rolled over them.
It was good to be a local despot during the days of segregation. Or it seemed good. But the fortunes made on southern land were always paltry to those made elsewhere, and gradually the South was colonized by people with northern money and northern ways, until the contradiction between segregation and real human values became too obvious, and was swept away.
Again, it is good to be a Republican in today's south. Or it seems good. But the fortunes made in this era on real estate are fortunes built on sand, and right now the sand is running out of the hourglass. For a generation, throughout the south, wealth has been based on control of government, the extension of highways into the exurbs and the passing off of necessary costs to those who were stuck in the cul de sacs when development moved onward.
Real wealth lies in cities, where you can actually go around a block, where there are choices on which route to take, and where government builds the infrastructure necessary for you to build real wealth, by building up instead of outward. Trade happens in cities, not in exurbs, and even exurban factories depend for their existence on government to extend infrastructure and organize government.
So it is time to call the politics of the Peachtree Road Race what it has always been. A lie. A convenient lie for those whose wealth gives them power. But a lie nonetheless.
The choice is not between government and non-government. The choice is between government controlled by the people and government controlled by the few. The oligarchs have been overthrown in the national government, and the time has come to overthrow them in the South.
Prosperity demands it.
Spanning the State: "Similar events planned around the country"
Update: Last month I noted that the assassination of Dr. George Tiller in Kansas had a thread connecting it to Oregon: A former Grants Pass resident had tried to kill Tiller--shot him twice, in fact--outside his church in 1993
(It's for someone else to explain why these God-fearing people keep choosing churches as the place to commit their crimes.)
Turns out I was being optimistic: The Tiller story has a second, more ominous Oregon connection:
A man charged with murdering Kansas abortion provider Dr. George Tiller has been advocating through mailings from his jail cell that such killings are justifiable.Scott Roeder sent Oregon anti-abortion activist Linda Wolfe a pamphlet that lauds Paul Hill, the convicted murderer of an abortion doctor, as an "American hero," and includes examples of Hill's writings about how it is justifiable to kill abortion doctors.
The Rev. Donald Spitz, whose anti-abortion group Army of God celebrates Hill's teachings, says he provided Roeder with seven of the pamphlets upon Roeder's request.
Wolfe is a piece of work in her own right; here's how AP describes her:
[...] an Oregon activist who has been jailed about 50 times for anti-abortion activities and who is close friends with a woman convicted of shooting Tiller in 1993.
Although they screen all prisoner mail for contraband, jail officials normally don't read prisoners' mail.
From the moment they locked him up after the Tiller shooting, Roeder has been promising more violence:
The man charged with murdering a high-profile abortion doctor claimed from his jail cell Sunday that similar violence was planned around the nation for as long as the procedure remained legal, a threat that comes days after a federal investigation launched into his possible accomplices.A Justice Department spokesman said the threat was being taken seriously and additional protection had been ordered for abortion clinics last week. [...]
"I know there are many other similar events planned around the country as long as abortion remains legal," Roeder said. When asked by the AP what he meant and if he was referring to another shooting, he refused to elaborate further.
It wasn't clear whether Roeder knew of any impending violence or whether he was simply seeking publicity for his cause. Law enforcement authorities including the Justice Department said they didn't know whether the threat was credible.
Jail officials read all of Roeder's incoming and outgoing mail.
Seven pamphlets. Linda Wolfe got one. That leaves six.
Let's Span the State.
[More after the jump.]
---------------
A year ago this week, Oregon drivers were paying $4.281/gal at the pump. That makes it less surprising that, according to a report from the a report from the Sightline Institute, drivers in Oregon, Washington, and Idaho cut their gas consumption by 5% in 2008.
This weekend will be one of the busiest of the year for Oregon's roads and highways. Which, depending on how you feel about gasoline consumption, makes it good news (or bad) that Oregon's pump prices are
down 1.5¢/galthis week, to $2.773/gal.
Lowest reported pump price: $2.56/gal, at the Costco, 828 Chad Dr & Coburg Rd, in Eugene.
Highest reported pump price: $2.99/gal at the Chevron station, 5325 Denver St SE & 2nd St, in Turner.
Once again, the HP Car Wash in Eugene, usually the pace-setter for ridiculously high pump prices, failed to finish (so to speak) in the money: at $2.89/gal, their pump price was merely 13th highest in the state. Eugene readers: Could somebody swing by and make sure the place is still standing?
And don't forget--beginning this week, it's now illegal to top off your tank.
---------------
Sixty-three years later, Bill Fulton's wallet was right where he lost it: wedged behind the bleachers at the Baker Middle School Gym in Baker City. The leather was still supple, the zipper still worked, and his Social Security Card and bicycle license were still there--although, oddly, not his student ID card.
But rather than focus on what was inside the wallet, Fulton said the recovery has led him to reflect on his life - one that took him to the Korean War and Berlin before a return to Baker City. He worked at Ellingson Lumber Company for 30 years, from March 1964 to April 1994.
---------------
Update: What is it about approaching holidays, cell phones, and bad McDonald's service that keeps landing some Oregonian in jail? This time it happened at SE 82nd Ave. and Sunnyside Road in Clackamas:
A displeased McDonald's customer spent a night in jail after repeatedly calling 911 to report the restaurant had robbed him, Komonews.com reported.Jeremy Martin, 23, was charged with improper use of the 911 service, the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office in Oregon reported.
Martin allegedly called the 911 dispatcher and explained that he had paid $10 but only received a single burger and an order of fries, according to the Web site.
The police dispatcher told the man it was not a police matter and requested he try to resolve the matter with the manager of McDonald's.
But the man identifying himself as Martin demanded that a police officer arrive at the restaurant, threatening to sue.
"This is a 911 emergency," the man said, according to the Web site. "I got robbed for eight dollars."
Alert StS readers may remember that a Washington County man wound up in jail over Memorial Weekend after calling 911 to complaln about the service he'd gotten at the Golden Arches.
Does Mayor McCheese know about this?
---------------
Rampant bad service? Or better reporting? You decide. Hapless McDonald's customers apparently aren't alone in thinking they're not being treated well. According to Oregon AG Kroger's office, consumer complaints are up 25% statewide so far this year.
---------------
The situation so far: High-fructose syrup: Out. Tasty and nutritious Oregon blueberries: In.
Starbucks has been expanding its food menu in the last two years to entice customers to visit more and to spend more per visit. The company was also among the first restaurant chains in the country to ban trans fat from its food and beverages.
If we're going to be eating Michigan cherries out here, and they're eating Oregon blueberries back there, this isn't traveling as far down the locavore path as, say, Burgerville USA (come for the hazlenut milk shakes, stay for the Walla Walla onion rings), but if Oregon can do its part to promote healthier diet--including Oregon blueberries, jam-packed with antioxidants and other healthy things--at the their 7000 company owned stores and 4000 licensed stores, so much the better.
The coffee giant says it has simplified recipes to include more high-quality ingredients like whole grains, blueberries from Oregon and cherries from Michigan. [...]New menu items include a blueberry oat bar, a farmer's market salad and banana walnut bread that Starbucks says "is nearly 30 percent real banana."
Yeah, but what percentage of that salad is real farmer?
---------------
Update: In April, we were taking solace that Oregon's high school drop-out rate had hit an all-time low.
But now it looks like somebody needs to brush up on the "three Rs"--especially the third one:
A new way of tracking high school students in Oregon reveals a far lower rate of graduation in four years than earlier reported.The new system, quietly released by the Oregon Department of Education this week, shows 68% of all students who entered Oregon high schools in 2004 graduated in 2008.
Earlier, a different tracking system had calculated the state wide graduation rate at 84%.
Portland's revised four-year graduation rate using the updated measurement was 54%.
---------------
One more reason not to drown government in the bathtub: More stimulus-funded jobs are coming to Oregon, including Jackson County:
The U.S. Commerce secretary announced $7.3 million in stimulus money for Oregon to remove a dam in the Rogue River, restore salmon habitat in the Willamette River, and clean up old fishing gear in the ocean. [...]Jackson County estimates the money will put to work 54 people at various times over the course of the 18-month project.
---------------
Update: Last month, Multnomah County Sheriff Bob Skipper was trying to avoid having to retake cadet training at age 70 before returning from retirement to take over Bernie Giusto's job as head of the Sheriff's Department
Now, he's flunked the exam.
He one more chance, and then it's boot camp for Sheriff Skipper.
Remember: When in doubt, choose answer "c."
---------------
StS True Animal Story Update: Last fall, the then-still-unnamed male calf born to Asian elephant Rose-Tu at the Oregon Zoo was off to a somewhat-shaky start in life.
Slightly less than a year later, Samudra--his new name means "ocean," but you can call him "Sam"--weighs in at over 1100 lbs and is one of the main reasons that the Zoo had a record 1.6 million visitors in the 12 months ending June 30th.
No word when Sam's Facebook page and Twitter account will be up and running.
---------------
Tune in to the (Thom Hartmann Show on KPOJ AM620 tomorrow morning between 7.30and 8.00 to hear Carl, Christine, and Paul match wits with TJ on the weekly Spanning the State Challenge!
---------------
Marketing Blunder…Don’t Know Whether to Laugh or Cry
Read this article about a new Russia-Nigerian gas company named (I kid you not!) Nigaz.
Other marketing blunders (I’m sure there are several others):
- Nova (a Chevy) means “does not go” in Spanish
- Vista (Microsoft) means “frumpy woman” in the country of Latvia
- Irish Mist (alcoholic drink), Mist Stick (curling iron from Clairol), and Silver Mist (Rolls Royce)—Mist means dung/manure in German
- Zyklon Sneakers (Umbro)—Zyklon was name of gas used by Nazi regime to murder Jews in concentration camps
- Honda Fitta (car)—Fitta is an old, vulgar word for women’s genitals in Swedish, Norwegian and Danish
Forum
"Bailout" the beginning of the end?
Started by wdporter in Politics and Policy Oct. 15, 2008.
Where are the hearings?
Started by wdporter in Politics and Policy Sep. 25, 2008.
Handgun ban...unconstitutional? 2 Replies
Started by wdporter in Politics and Policy. Last reply by wdporter Jun. 26, 2008.
Blog Posts
Hand-written Message by Advertisers/Marketers - More Sincere?
Or, maybe those of you who really enjoy writing actually kept in touch with distant friends that moved away by *gasp* hand-written letters that you mailed out on stationery or notebook paper.
Of course, now kids and ad… Continue
Posted by Ames J on June 12, 2009 at 2:00pm
How To Write A Good Masters Dissertation?
Writing a good dissertation requires certain dissertation writing help solutions which should always be used in order to write dissertations comprehensively. It is a critical requirement for every academic dissertation that the student should prove his research question in relation to the dissertation topic in the simplest manner. This can be done through the presentation of original thoughts or ideas or by analyzing what others have researched on the t… Continue
Posted by suzzane donald on March 11, 2009 at 4:04am
affiliate program
There are many reasons for affiliates to join health affiliate programs. The power of the internet is that it enables consumers to compare the various health remedies and to order the one that best fits their needs. Often times they are too embarrassed to purchase these products at a local store, and they end up purchasing health supplements online. That is a great opportunity for
… ContinuePosted by J.A. Bleyfus on February 5, 2009 at 3:01pm
penis enlargement
If you haven't seen advertisements for male enhancement pills you must be very new to the internet. In nearly every corner, in the blogs, in your email inbox there are ads for enhancement pills. The claims are enough to peak anyone's interest, but how much can they actually deliver. I'm happy to say that there are benefits to be gained from the use of enhancement pills,
… ContinuePosted by D. O. Kalossky on January 30, 2009 at 4:01am
hoodia
If you're looking into weight loss diets then you are not alone. While there are a million and one weight loss diets which use gimmicks and tricks to get you to lose weight, the best weight loss diets are often the simplest. Weight loss diets which require you to go to a weight loss center repeatedly and talk to a consultant and sit in on a weight loss diet support group day after day a
… ContinuePosted by D. O. Kalossky on January 27, 2009 at 6:01pm
This Day in History
Videos
-
Job Market 2009
Added by wdporter
-
Obama's fainting women
Added by wdporter
Other Great Bloggers
© 2009 Created by wdporter
