The US Postal Service - Can We Save It?

It seems that the United State Postal Service (USPS) is about to default on its loans from the federal government. I know they attempted many years ago to make this quasi-governmental unit function independently as a self-funding enterprise, but it clearly is not working.

From the Pony Express forward, we have depended on the USPS to move our mail quickly and cheaply (Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of

their appointed rounds). I always marveled at how I could mail a letter to say, California, and then expect it to be there in two days for a mere pittance. Even at today’s rates of $0.45 cents for a letter seems a deal to me. Ask someone if they would take your missive in hand and get it to Cali in a few days for less than fifty-cents.

Here is the dilemma, or dilemmas. First-class mail has taken a dive for a number of years with email and texting taking over most of the communications between friends and businesses. Even greeting cards, though still popular because many contain moolah, cannot take up the slack. Business shipping is good but the competition is tough, with UPS and FedEx making a big dent in what once was effectively a monopoly.

In addition, when the USPS tries to cut costs (closing some very small offices and eliminating Saturday delivery) the citizenry, by way of the Congress, wails and wrings their collective hands to protest. They like their walkable post office where they can meet friends and have a chat with the not-very-busy postmaster or mistress. It is quaint and very Norman Rockwell. And it is a piece of Americana that I personally would hate to see go away. But it really doesn’t have to, you know.

Let’s be real and know that the status quo is not sustainable. The quickest answer is to raise rates to a level unheard of, but in the big picture, very reasonable. How about a $1.00 charge for a letter? Sounds exorbitant at first, but on thinking about it, how many letters are each of us mailing these days? I pay all my bills online and I email my relatives and friends. I do send greeting cards (most with that moolah to grandkids) and will continue to do so. But for those few envelopes I send, let’s keep the USPS solvent with a higher first class rate. Of course, other rates would have to go up as well, and maybe we can have a postage “holiday” in December and January (covers most card-sending times) where a special stamp can be used for all those Christmas, Hanukkah, and Kwanzaa heavy mailings.

Or the Congress can just have the USPS revert to being a regular government agency that runs on tax money and goes over budget each year like all the other agencies. Then we’d hardly notice, right?

Mitt the Twit? - That's Just Not Nice

It seems that Vice-President Biden's title of "gaffer-in-chief" is being sorely challenged by Republican presidential candidate, Mitt Romney.  He made few friends in London with his mild criticism of the Olympic organizers and the tabloid reaction was over the top.  But then, that is what they do best, isn't it?

Still, it is an embarrassment to our country to have a presidential contender the butt of many jokes this week.  I keep looking for Romney to pull away from the nastiness and faux pas, and become more "presidential."  I may have voted for Mr. Obama last time, out of desperation for some new changes. However, I have been disappointed with the Obama team's performance in many areas.  They can't seem to move their agenda forward, and may have taken the country a little closer to insolvency.  I supported the auto bailouts as a necessary evil and that has proven to be successful.  Other "investments" have not worked as well.

We cannot continue to be the "nanny state" President Obama seems to want.  We must place more responsibility on the people to help themselves.  As a slightly right-leaning independent, I cringe at some of the President's ideas of how to spend our money.  Safety nets are good, and must be there for those who truly need them.  But we are enabling so many people to remain reliant on Uncle Sam.  The usual line is that "no one wants to be on the dole" but I am not so sure anymore.

So back to Mr. Romney.  If he is the only choice for those who cannot see another Obama term as productive for the U.S., then I think we may be in trouble as well.   Mitt is hard to like, seems unapproachable, and just doesn't quite get it.  I suppose he could be helped by the right VP choice, but maybe we ought to urge delegates to change their votes to "undecided" and let the Republicans have another go at it at the convention.  It would not be pretty, but it would be worth watching and worth doing.  There has to be a better way.

Voter ID - a Valuable Safeguard for Our Sacred Right

Thirty-three, or 66%, of the states in the U.S. require some sort of ID at the polling place. Voters must present some form of official ID (government issued, usually) to be able to prove that they are legitimate electors. The strictness of the laws varies considerably but it is clear that two-thirds of the state legislatures felt it was enough of an issue to enact laws.

Proponents argue that it helps to prevent voter fraud of all kinds. Opponents, at least in some states, point to a lack of actual fraud reports. They go on to oppose voter ID by saying it would disenfranchise many people. They often name those groups such as the poor, minorities, and the elderly. They assume these groups are not smart enough to get the required ID card.  Wisconsin’s strict law was put on hold after a circuit court judge ruled the law was unconstitutional, so that challenge will move through the judicial system, or the law will be modified to stand up to constitutional tests.

Voting for our representatives in government is an unchallenged right. The actual vote has become increasingly important in so many close cases that the system must get it right the first time with adequate proof of legitimate electors. To have voters show a Driver’s License, or a non-driver official state ID (provided at no cost to those who need it), does not seem like an unreasonable burden. Photo ID is required to fly, get a hotel room, obtain a passport, purchase pseudoephedrine, and myriad other things. No one seems to protest those ID requirements, yet voting is something sacred in a free society, and although it cannot be unduly restricted, as with a poll tax, asking you to prove who you are before you cast that vote protects the very essence of representative democracy.

Food Stamps - Not Stamps Anymore!

There should be no one who begrudges giving food benefits to those who are in financial situations for which they had no control. With high unemployment hitting the middle class, single parents with no choice but to stay home with their children, and people too ill to work, our government must provide a food safety net. No one, especially children should go hungry or be forced to beg for food. What many still refer to as Food Stamps is now a benefit in the form of a credit card or sorts, called EBT, or Electronic Benefits Transfer. This allows the beneficiaries to use their card in much the same way others use credit cards at the grocery store. Unless you are behind the person in line, and happen to see the card, you would not know they were getting food assistance, which is as it should be. No need for public shaming for those in need of food basics.

But with the plastic card comes abuse as reported in the news lately. Some of those less fortunate have been using their food benefit cards for such things as liquor, tattoos, tobacco products, and cruises. Even more bizarre are the reported uses for strip clubs, body piercings, and, yes, even guns. So now many states have had to put limits on the EBT cards to help stem the abuse (more are considering those ideas). They are trying to limit the EBT benefits to food and clothing, while making ATMs in strip clubs, casinos, and other such places off limits. ATMs you might ask? Yes, the EBT cards apparently can be used to withdraw cash, which we have to assume can be used for nearly anything -- Cigarettes, big screen TVs, drugs, or a bet with your bookie.

Those opposed to more rigid controls on EBT state that by restricting the uses, the government is contributing to the stereotype of the welfare cheat. Well, if there are abuses as stated above, then it is those people themselves who contribute to the stereotype. I suspect abuse is not rampant; most EBT recipients really do need food and not tattoos, but any abuse that can be prevented, should be. The government should share is largesse with those less fortunate, but asking that EBT be used only for food and clothing is hardly an imposition. Restricting cash withdrawals to smaller amounts, maybe once a day, should provide the legitimate user with funds for those places that do not take EBT, such as some Farmers’ Markets. Even the most fervent conservative taxpayer should be able to embrace a needed program with proper limits. It is the “outliers” that get the news and get the “bootstrappers” up in arms about the welfare state. The government should not give them even more ammunition.

The Rest of Your Life...How Long Might That Be?

I just returned from my hometown of Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, where I spent five days, along with my wife, helping my mother and two sisters plan for my brother’s funeral and going through his property.  I might add that I am the oldest of the four, so it was my younger brother who died.
This gives me a perspective on mortality that I was not quite ready to address.  My father died in 1984 when I was still in my thirties so had no qualms about living forever at the time.  Until Jeff died last week (on my sister’s birthday) I was safe and feeling invincible knowing that my mother was still alive.  I didn’t think much about mortality and end-of-life issues with her still living.  Now that my younger brother has passed on, it has come to the fore.

If I am truly honest, I have been thinking about “the rest of my life” for some time now.  I recently hit Medicare age, and my wife is five years older.  When we talk of plans to do something (a cruise to Alaska, a return to London) and mention that we might be able to do it in a couple of years, I add those couple years to my age and start to be concerned.  I salve my fears but noting that my 56 year old brother had diabetes and heart disease, both chronic conditions, but that was what ultimately took him from us.  I have some chronic health issues, none as bad as Jeff’s, but still of concern.  Or am I in denial?  My doc says I am “pre-diabetic.”  I have an occasional heart arrhythmia mostly controlled by medicines.  But the wrong beat on the wrong cycle and I could go down like a ton of whale blubber.  OK, that’s too graphic, even for me.  But you get the picture.

I am one to approach problems and challenges with a plan.  I like to control my destiny, not be controlled by the whims of nature.  I am not one to ignore serious issues -- well, maybe for a while, but I usually take care of business.  I need to make a plan to live better and control my weight and my fat intake.  And my carb intake.  And my sugar intake.  Good grief, what is left?  I will get to that later this week.

Maybe the greatest lesson I can learn from Jeff’s death is that we all need to talk to each other.  Family needs to get together and appreciate every other person, even those who are prickly at times.  Say those nice things, give genuine compliments where due, rather than saying “I will do that later.”  Write that little note to a friend or relative telling them something you’ve meant to say for some time.  Email is OK but still a poor substitute for a hand-written note.  A lost art, I suppose.

What brought this to my head was that our family had just enjoyed a birthday dinner for my sister and her husband at a Fond du Lac steakhouse just two days before Jeff died coming home from the grocery. The family had a great time and Jeff looked better than he had in the year before.  We laughed, told stories, and enjoyed each other’s company.  Jeff even picked up the tab for all eight of us.  Two days later he was dead.  For us, the family dinner was a blessing, allowing us a recent and pleasant time with our son and brother.

Remember that.  We never know what might come our way – a heart attack, or an errant texting driver.  Keep your relationships up to date.  Say the good things you need to say.  There really is no downside, is there?

Northern Wisconsin - One of God's Miracles

We just returned from four days in the Northwoods of Wisconsin.  If you have ever been north of Minocqua, you know the feeling of relaxation and peace that settles in as you drive up the state.  If you have never been north, it is way past time.  This trip we stayed at the Carlin Club Lodge in Presque Isle, overlooking Carlin Lake.  We visited friends who live on Rainbow Lake and enjoyed the approaching dusk looking over the mirror-glass water, and then as if on cue, we heard the call of the resident loon.  Each lake is said to have its own loon pair and we managed to see the red-eyed couple for this lake.  Deer and bear, and sometimes even wolves cross the back highways and come to the houses looking for food.  You just have to make sure you have some!

Beyond the pine forests and abundance of waterways, the next best thing is the dining experience in the northwoods.  Classic supper clubs abound as do the more frequent pub food bars.  Some are better than others, but the northern crowd is discriminating, so bad food will shutter the place faster than the mortgage company.

Friday fish frys vary as well, but most withstand the taste test and you should always leave full.  Battered cod or haddock, pan-fried walleye, and lake perch are the mainstays.  Even those who are not fish fans will partake, at least for a bite.  The standard drink, the Old Fashioned, is crafted by good bartenders who muddle the cherry, orange, sugar and bitters, before splashing in the brandy (or if you prefer, whiskey), and top it with 7-up.   That is the experience that makes the trip worthwhile.  Sure, you can boat, ski, tube, camp, golf, and many other things, but finding a quiet spot on the lakeshore, seeing a loon dive for food, with a cool drink in hand is, indeed, heaven.  Thank you Lord for the exquisite beauty of the Wisconsin Northwoods.

Happy 236th Birthday, America!

It took about 677 years for the Roman Empire to rise and fall.  Let's hope America can withstand the pressures to pursue mediocrity, and last for at least that long.  It is good to be proud to be an American, where we are free, but it is best if we all contributed to our community by helping others, and letting Washington know what we need to make this experiment in democracy an even better place.




Now go enjoy the fireworks, have a brat, and hum America the Beautiful.

Praise the Congress? Well, maybe...a little

I suppose we should be happy that the Congress somehow came together and passed the Transportation bill.  The bill also included allowing student loans to remain at the lower interest rate, rather than the automatic doubling that would have happened.

It is interesting to read that some compromises were made to get this all passed.  Can you believe that some on the right had to give up their “wish list” as did those on the left? This is called working together for the good of the country, or as it used to be known -- COMPROMISE.

So while I continue to berate my Congresspeople to get to work on the budget, deficit, the wars, and so much more, I should at least give them some props for getting the road bill done.  This will not only help to update our country’s infrastructure, it will provide many good jobs for some time to come.  So I have to admit, I sent an email to my representatives in Washington praising them for their actions.

Just like with a little child who is prone to misbehavior, we must use incremental “praisings” when they do something good.

I probably should have left it at that, but I could not resist prodding with a hot stick, my reps who are so recalcitrant on the weightier issues.  I included a few lines, oh heck a paragraph, on how they could do more for the country if they weren’t so partisan and worried about being painted with the Letter C on their frocks.  Compromise is really the only way for a nearly evenly divided Congress to move forward.

Maybe this was a first step.  See!  You can do it!  Just one more step….