Archive for January 2009
January 30, 2009
Tomorrow is my last day in my current apartment; I am moving to a larger one-bedroom within my building. For those of you who would like my new address, please let me know privately and I'll be happy to give it to you; I would prefer not posting it online for some people who I might not want to give it to.
I'm looking forward to the new place, and the new memories that I will be able to make. And, the new place is even cheaper than the place I'm in now, so that's a blessing.
Now to start the process of packing and moving stuff. Oh dear...
3:48 pm | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Apartments
January 29, 2009
A friend of mine went to a party last night hosted by Rebuild The Party, a group that is taking the Republican Party to task over its recent electoral failures and promising change. This younger, internet-based group of conservative activists have put forward their own plan, and I promised him that I would provide some ideas about how I think the Republican party can once again be a force in American politics.
As someone who started college a conservative and graduated a liberal, I have a unique perspective. I didn't change my mind because of some voodoo magic, but because facts were presented to me and our President behaved so badly that I simply couldn't justify supporting his party. But I'm not immune to good reason, and I like many of the ideas regarding self-sufficiency. So here are my ideas, in no particular order.
- Adopt some humility. The biggest problem America had with George W. Bush was his unapologetic approach to things. It was his way or the highway; that's not how it works in the real world. Six years of a Republican President and Congress together produced both some of the most lopsided legislation in history AND the longest string of bills ever to be presented without a veto by the President. Was this string because there were no Democratic ideas in those six years? No; it was because leaders like Bush and Tom Delay refused to accede to Democratic demands, creating a toxic congressional enviornment and angering the liberal base enough to rise up - the effects of which you saw in your crushing in November 2008
- It has got to be about community. In good years, it's hard to sell people on the need for national service or for community involvement. This task becomes easier in lean years, but in all years it is important. For a long time the Republican party has stood as the party for less government and more self-reliance, but has missed a critical aspect: the community. Republicans have long ignored the fact that people are not an island but a member of a community and that the power of the community is greater than the power of the government to effect change. Self-reliance only works when you give people a safety net - that has typically existed in communities but in an increasingly interconnected but isolated world where people know others in foreign countries but not their own neighbors, fostering community becomes essential.
- It has got to be about helping people. A recent expose in the New York Times faulted the Bush administration for failing to remember that people needed to be able to afford their homes, but it missed one of the most compassionate things Bush ever did: he made home ownership possible. Bush may have failed dramatically at making continued homeownership possible, but he did believe (and I think correctly) that a large part of self-sufficiency was having an asset, like a home. Why didn't he sell this better? Conservatives have always had a hard time explaining how their policies will help people. Usually they explain it in abstract terms, requiring a complex understanding of economics or the Federal regulatory structure to understand. But Americans understand things like making it easier to buy bread or own a home or go to college. They understand those things. Rather than presenting things in abstract terms ("reducing regulation on lenders will lead to new lending products") why not put it in terms people get ("reducing regulation makes it easier to buy a house.")? But one caveat...
- It must both be slow change and it must work. The Bush administration was famous for ignoring experts who predicted things they disagreed with. Most famously is the crisis we're now in, and what spelled disaster for your party. Bush rushed to deregulate the government but the rule-changing was not done with any sort of acceptable rule that would prevent the meltdown we're experiencing. Change must happen, but it must happen with caution and it must be proven to work before going full speed.
- Experts are not bad people. From the enviornment to health care, the Bush administration chose ideology over facts and provable statistics. Don't do that. People are smart, and especially the people you need to convince to vote for you. You know the type - middle class, middle-of-the-road voters that actually elect you to offices (your base isn't responsible for that, so stop pandering). There's no fear in taking something from an expert and understanding it and then deciding that a policy you were pursuing was wrong and changing course - and then telling people that.
- Drop the social issues for goodness sake! Seriously. Being staunchly pro-life anti-gay gun-fanatical moose-hunting rednecks may appeal to your base but it turns the rest of us off. Stop it. The American Dream is financial. Stick to that. Stick to talking about freedom and liberty and being happy and staying alive. The Founding Fathers didn't care about the social issues of their time - in fact they even edited out lines regarding slavery in the Declaration of Independence. The greatest social issue of its time and they didn't even address it. Yes, if you drop the social issues the right-wing Christian part of your base will flip out. Let them. They don't win elections for you. The middle-class middle-of-the-road voters do, and they really care about their pocketbook. So speak to that issue.
- It's about governing, not winning. Remember when you put John Murtha's war resolution to vote? You know, back when you controlled Congress? The smug smiles you wore said that you were really pleased that it crashed and burned. You even got large numbers of Democrats to vote against it and used that as a reason to beat him up on television and the morning shows. But you know something? That really didn't work out well. Americans were starting to sour on the war; now more of them oppose it than originally supported it - and you have only yourselves to blame. Americans want leadership. They want people who are going to debate the tough issues, not hold a sham vote preceded by a sham 20 minutes of "debate." Winning the vote is not governing. And Americans know better. Instead, be willing to talk about the hard issues, debate the tough stuff. You may win, you may lose, but that's governing - making tough choices.
- Stop cutting taxes. Start cutting spending. Republicans love tax cuts. But they hate spending cuts. The truth is that deficits do matter. They matter a lot. Ignoring this fact makes you look stupid. And cutting taxes is pretty much an economic theory that most economists will disprove in about 45 seconds, so that angle doesn't work either. So let's try this: get spending cuts. Get spending cut so that the government has a surplus. THEN tell people that they've overpaid the treasury - and what would they like you to do with it? Chances are they'll ask for it back. In the form of - you guessed it - tax cuts! How can Democrats oppose giving people back their money? But they can oppose running huge, irresponsible deficits that will force tax hikes later on. And that's where you're losing the battle.
- Liberal isn't a bad word. Being a liberal doesn't make you a bad person or a freedom-hating bastard. It just makes you think differently. It's your job to point out that it's okay to think government solves all problems - and then to prove it wrong. With facts. And evidence. This is where you erred for so long: you painted the opposition as a bunch of wusses, incapable of standing up to a flea let alone terrorists and recessions. But I think America saw through that smokescreen. Democrats may not have their fingers on the trigger button but it was a Democrat who led us through World War II. Keep that in mind.
- Stop running douchebags. Seriously now. You need to start running some people who actually make Republicans sound intelligent, compassionate, and responsible. Moose hunters from Alaska are bad choices. So are people who run ads in Georgia accusing World War II veterans who lost limbs of terrible things. Norm Coleman makes my skin crawl and that's before I hear him speak. You need to run guys like Michael Steele who was a great candidate for Senator in Maryland. I disagree with his record but he was warm, inviting, and friendly. You need to find people that speak to the core of America, sound intelligent but inviting, and most of all, don't conduct themselves like brutal dictators. Sure, behaving that way might win you elections, but only because you make the other guy look impossible. The second someone true comes along, you're done.
Nobody knows what the future holds for America. But one thing is certain: if Republicans don't start acting like people worthy of government roles, they'll keep losing them. Republicans have made their bed for the moment, and for a while now they're going to know what it feels like to be on the wrong side of election night. But if they do some true soul searching, they can return as a force to be reckoned with. And that's not all bad.
11:42 am | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Politics
January 28, 2009
Obama, who said his girls' school was closed due to the ice storm, gave the tounge-in-cheek remark as the area grapples with the worst storm of the season. Washington DC, which receives on average 20 inches of ice each year. Chicago, on the other hand, gets almost double, at 38.5 inches annually. Obama is, of course, from Chicago.
Word has it that the Obama girls were quite pleased with the snow day, saying that their school in Chicago never closed for ice or snow. Government employees, on the other hand, were not given a snow day; I'm sure that endeared them to the new boss.
2:50 pm | Comment (1) | Print | Categories: Washington, DC, Weather
January 27, 2009
Washington was treated (er, can you say that about a winter storm?) to a blanketing of snow overnight. Since it shows no signs of stopping for now (at least until it turns into rain tonight), it's both beautiful and totally paralyzing for the region. Montgomery County closed their schools, and half my office called in to say they wouldn't be in due to the snow.
Snow does provide some fantastic photo opportunities, though, and until it freezes again and turns to ice, it's reasonable to walk around on. So, for those of you who need a picture of the winter weather for your viewing pleasure, here goes (this is also today's entry in the Project365)...
9:50 am | Comment (1) | Print | Categories: Washington, DC, Weather
January 22, 2009
Metro worked.
According to a Metro press release the transit agency gave more than 1.554 million rides on Inauguration Day - the highest one-day total ever. 1.12 million of those were by rail, far surpassing the previous record held by the Reagan funeral, and even beating the record set on January 19th - unique as the day before the inauguration AND a Federal holiday.
The fact that so many people could be moved by the transit agency is both a testament to its planning AND the ability of mass transit to, well, move mass amounts of people. With estimates ranging from 1 million to 2 million people on the Mall for the ceremonies, it's clear that Metro did its job. There would have been no way to move that many people into and out of this city in private vehicles or even tour buses. Simply no way.
Lots of people argue that mass transit is an unreasonable expense on the part of governments, that it cannot be viable on its own, and that fares never cover costs. But I believe that Tuesday's events show that mass transit is not simply one option for providing transportation but in many ways the best way to provide it. So many more people were served by the Metrorail system than could have ever been served by surface streets and concrete freeways.
It's worth noting that thousands more came by train and bus, but very few came by private vehicle. In a nation of SUV's and drivers, it's amazing that mass transit played such a huge role in this event.
Metro worked. And that's something we can all agree on.
1:33 pm | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Metro, Rail, Washington, DC
January 20, 2009
The inauguration was not without some final swipes at President Bush, most notably the crowd booing his announcement, and the massive singing of "good bye" to the chopper as it departed. Still, the event's pomp and custom was not interrupted, and everyone was kept safe, which is a massive accomplishment considering that almost 2 million people descended on the city for the event.
As locals prepare to get their city back, this tradition continues, with 56 separate inaugurations, and 44 transitions of power without war, strife, or death. Though it's not always peaceful, and it's not always easy, it is the American way.
Oh, and let me be the first to say: welcome home, Obama family. We're glad to have you as neighbors.
10:03 pm | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Politics, Washington, DC
In a little more than 11 hours, the Bush administration will come to an end.
In a tribute to the power of term limits and peaceful transitions of authority, Americans everywhere will witness one leader stepping off the stage and another of a different party stepping up. Without a fight.
The transition will mean the end of perhaps the worst presidency in American history, too. The drubbing given to Bush's party was the final disgrace for a man who spent a third of his presidency on vacation, but missed a hurricane, ignored dire warnings of terrorist attack, failed to see faulty intelligence on weapons of mass destruction, limited the civil rights he claimed to be protecting, and dismissed the warning signs of a groaning economy ready to collapse. But America has term limits, and tomorrow none of that will matter.
As Mr. Bush leaves office, his legacy is still unwritten. But America's legacy is one in the peaceful transition of power, and a steely resolve to survive even the worst of leaders and most dire circumstances they can create. Tomorrow will testify to that.
12:14 am | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Politics, Washington, DC
January 16, 2009
For the more curious, some basic information: Debbie is a civil engineer, she's my age (some 11 days older actually), lives within 15 miles of myself, and shares many of my interests (music, art, the monuments, road trips). As I'll probably begin mentioning Debbie with increasing frequency (as we do things together), the introduction seems very appropriate.
Needless to say, I'm excited about the relationship, and I'm sure to be blogging about the exciting things that we see and do together over the coming months!
12:47 pm | Comment (4) | Print | Categories: Adventures, Friends
January 10, 2009
Apparently, Obama took them up on the offer today.
Unlike Bush, who doesn't venture past the White House all that often, the Obamas seemed to be more interested in the Washington life. Today, Barack Obama was without his family but with DC Mayor Adrian Fenty (no word on whether Fenty's dog was free as well). This is certainly good news for the city, for a number of reasons.
Fenty, like all Washington citizens, supports congressional representation for DC residents. His presence with Obama also signals that the Obama administration will favor listening to city leaders regarding resident's desires, rather than imposing a particular ideology (the Bush administration imposed a radical right-wing agenda on much of DC throughout the Republican reign in Congress). Also, Obama's appearance with Fenty means that the Obama administration may actually care about the Washington area - a critical thing when asking for transportation dollars or expanded home rule.
But for now, Obama seems content with the quality of the food at Ben's Chili Bowl - even if he did have to ask for extra cheese.
Obama takes a break for some chili and sausage ~ Associated Press, 1/10/2009
6:35 pm | Comment (1) | Print | Categories: Washington, DC
January 9, 2009
The changing of one year to another often prompts thoughts about the future and about goals and about change. For me this is no exception. Most recently I've been thinking about my plans to attend law school.
I have the rare opportunity to live near people who are actually in law school and see the kinds of hours they keep and the stress on their lives. Without attending law school I've been able to see the good, the bad, and the ugly, without actually having to spend any money on tuition or do any reading, or even take any exams.
What I've found is that there's a lot about law school that's good, and that I would enjoy. There's a lot I wouldn't. But the biggest issue comes down to what do I want to do with it?
I've always wanted to go to law school to practice constitutional law. I want to find the defenseless and defend them, and I want to stand on principle for things I think are important. This is probably most lawyer's dreams; I doubt anyone actually gets a thrill from writing contracts. But given the current state of affairs in the economy, and the massive debt I would incur, it would be impossible to attend law school and then do this kind of work, while still maintaining my financial obligations.
The truth is that law school would cost me about $150,000, almost all of which would need to be financed with borrowed money. There are little to no scholarships available for those who want to attend graduate schools, meaning most people who cannot simply get it from their parents or their own bank accounts have to borrow.
FinAid does some of the math for you with their repayment calculator.. According to the FinAid calculator, a $150,000 loan (or series of loans) at a very nice 4.5% interest rate for the typical 10-year repayment schedule would require a monthly payment of $1,154.58 and they suggest an annual salary of $186,549.60.
Compare that with PayScale's average salary for a lawyer:
A lawyer making $56,966.00 a year can expect to take home $40,279.10 (after taxes, excluding student loan interest deductions), according to PaycheckCity.com, for a monthly disposable income (after paying student loans) of $2,202 or a paltry $26,428.00 a year. That's not enough to live on in any major city.
So the short version is that law school doesn't appear to be in the cards for me, and barring some massive idea that makes me lots of money, I won't be able to afford it ever. It's not worth that much debt and that much unhappiness to earn a law degree.
11:45 pm | Comment (3) | Print | Categories: Contemplation, Continued Learning
January 1, 2009
What would life look like if you took one photograph each day for a year and then reviewed them all at the end of the year? That's exactly what one guy did, and he called it Project365.
Imagine: watching your tastes, your home, your friends, your romantic interests, and your appearance change over an entire year. In photographic evidence.
I think it's a neat idea and I invite you to join in watching me do it. I've created a photo album up there under Photo Albums and I'll be uploading pictures every one to three days (but one picture per day!) Let's see where we are on December 31, 2009!
Updated at 1/6/2009 @ 1:23 pm
11:40 pm | Comment (5) | Print | Categories: Adventures