idle thoughts

How to see this mission accomplished

2008-05-14T17:29:00.001-05:00

In their otherwise thoughtful analyses none of your writers discussed
how America was going to pay for the war. To pass the cost on to our
children would be terribly unfair.

We need an income tax surcharge and a forced war loan program.

This would enable all of us to partially share the terrible sacrifices
being made by our troops.

Sent to New York Times

City Offers Bank $4M Tax Break

2008-05-13T06:14:00.001-05:00

Giving tax breaks to big business to encourage them to locate in a given area (City offers bank $4m tax break to relocate: From downtown, a move to waterfront, Boston Globe, April 30 :A1) is a beggar-thy-neighbor proposition.

Right now a bill going through the legislature is proposing an inter-state compact to bypass the electoral college to ensure that the President is elected by all the people. We urgently need an inter-state, inter-city, inter-town compact that will allow these ridiculous handouts to the wealthy top managers of corporations. Where do you think that $4m rebate will go: right into the pockets of the CEO and top management through their profit related bonuses.

It is time to say no to the corporate welfare bums (Quote from former Canadian NDP leader, David Lewis).
Sent to Boston Globe

George Schultz on the run-up to the Iraq War

2008-05-13T06:10:00.000-05:00

I have long been an admirer of George Shultz. He was also a very successful dean at the University of Chicago School of Business.

However there are several criticisms to be made about his comments of the run-up to the Iraq war.

While it is true that most Intelligence agencies were fooled, in part, about what Iraq was doing. They were not completely taken in.

The Germans told the Americans long before the war -- and Colin Powell's unfortunate UN speech -- that the information about Iraq's WMD capabilities was very shaky. The US administration knew this, yet still tried to make the case.

Second, after the vote to support war in November 2002, the Iraqis allowed UN inspectors into Iraq with extensive opportunities to search anywhere in the country. The US refused to give the inspectors specific information about where to look claiming that it would, endanger sources but, as we now know, because they did not have any. By mid-February, the inspectors reported that they could find no WMD's in Iraq. Yet Bush took us to war in March 2003.

I fear that it is Mr Shultz who has hijacked the truth. It is unfortunate that oft repeated falsehoods attain the patina of truth.

Sent to NPR: On Point

State Secrets

2008-05-13T06:06:00.001-05:00

Although Mr Keefe (State Secrets, New Yorker, April 28, 2008: 28 - 34) carefully explains the flawed origins of the state-secret doctrine, he does not tell us that after the information relevant to the 1953 Reynolds case became public, the Third Circuit Court of Appeal refused to reconsider the original state secret case. It is important that this case be carefully re-examined to ensure that the privilege rests on sound grounds.

Also he does not tell your readers of the appalling uses to which the doctrine has been put by the current administration. In addition to the el-Masri case* which he cites, the state secret defense was invoked in the case of Mr. Arar, a Canadian, who was also the victim of mistaken identity. He was arrested in New York while in transit between Egypt and Toronto, and suffered rendition to Syria where he was tortured. In Canada the case was subject to a full scale judicial inquiry which reported in September 2006 that Mr Arar had no connection to al-Qaeda and that Canadian and American officials were negligent in their duties. The American Government refused to cooperate in the inquiry -- what good neighbors we are.

The Congress must refine the legislation. Legislation that sets up a court where claimants could test the validity of the state secret defense would be useful -- as it is, judges just have to accept the Government's word. And we know what that is worth these days -- as perhaps it was in 1953 when the doctrine was first promulgated.

* He was seized by the CIA in Macedonia, held by the CIA for five months in a prison cell in Afghanistan to which he had been rendered, and when it was discovered that the CIA had the wrong man he was returned to Macedonia and dumped on the side of an abandoned road. Note that: dumped on the side of a road, not taken to a decent hotel, not fed and given clothes, and not given help in re-establishing his life. Who decided on this treatment. Was it just some insensitive lower level bureaucrat or did the decision emanate from the highest levels of the CIA?

Sent to New Yorker

Cape Employers

2008-05-13T05:58:00.001-05:00

We never learn. This year hotel owners and restaurateurs on the Cape are facing the same problem as they did in previous years.

Mandy Knutson (letters, April 19: A8) suggested matching up Cape employers with unemployed Boston teenagers. I had a similar letter in the Globe in June of 2005; almost three years ago.

I also suggested: "that we start planning now for next year's summer. Let our high schools offer evening programs in waiting, bussing, and room cleaning - perhaps Boston's hotels and restaurateurs can offer experts to staff the courses and sites for students to practice. Then next year we will have a trained labor force ready to fill those dormitories on the Cape with willing and capable workers."

One criterion of an ineffective organization or society is that the same problems recur. Let's not have that happen again. This year let us do the necessary training so that next year we can balance supply and demand on the Cape.

Sent to Boston Globe

McCain's Compassion Tour

2008-04-29T20:11:00.001-05:00

Gail Collins is right to criticize John McCain for his opposition to the Ledbetter Fair Pay Act (McCain's compassion tour, New York Times, April 26, 2008: A27).

In addition to the issue of fairness, there are two other compelling reasons for supporting the act. The first is economic, the second is legal.

On the economic front it is sad that as a former business executive, the President fails to recognize that fair and equitable pay is the way in which the commitment of employees to the organization is maintained. It is that commitment which ensures that people present innovative ideas to management in order to improve a firm's products and processes. It is these innovations in products and processes that drive our economy in the 21st century. The Republican and US Chamber of Commerce opposition to this Act is short-sighted and counterproductive to economic growth.

On the legal front, it is unfortunate that the Republicans and the Chamber do not recognize that failure to pass this act will result in what they fear most: a flurry of frivolous lawsuits. Absent this new legislation, it is very likely that a flood of litigation will occur. If a woman suspects discrimination, she had better file suit within 180 days of receiving her first paycheck. Many people will probably do just that.

In general, pay discrimination can only flourish in an organizational culture which fosters secrecy about compensation. Pay secrecy is an undesirable state of affairs in an organization, reducing employee motivation, yet it persists. It is therefore only right that an individual be allowed to sue for discrimination when he/she uncovers the fact that it has occurred.

The author has been a student of motivation in organizations for the past 40 years.

Sent to the New York Times

The Wealth Trajectory

2008-04-24T13:50:00.001-05:00

Gregory Mankiw writes "Government policy makers do not have the tools to exert such a strong influence over pretax earnings, even if they wanted to" (The Wealth Trajectory, Rewards for the Few, New York Times, SundayBusiness, April 20, 2008: 9).

He is wrong.

The capture of the National Labor Relations Board by right wing ideologues has nearly destroyed the labor movement in this country. As a result, ordinary workers have been unable to claim any share of the increased productivity of the past decade.

It is political choice that has resulted in the increasing gap between rich and poor in this country

Sent to the New York Times

The Vatican View of Cardinal Law

2008-04-24T13:47:00.001-05:00

On Friday's Morning Edition, one of your guests commented that the Vatican saw Cardinal Law as a "victim."

This is clear evidence that the Vatican still does not get it.

Cardinal Law was the man who called down the wrath of God on the Boston Globe for exposing the pederasty of Father Porter.

If the Cardinal believes in God, then his action was outrageous in his attempt to punish the messenger.

He really has no continuing place at the Vatican table.

Defrock him?
Sent to Morning Edition

Bush OK'd Torture

2008-04-24T06:16:00.001-05:00

So Bush OK'd torture (Bush OK'd torture meetings, Washington Post, April 14, 2008). He should be impeached.

Torture is vile.

Authorizing torture is even viler.

Vilest of all is failing to pardon the poor foot-soldiers who were found guilty of abuse at Abu Ghraib, abuse that was condoned or even encouraged, at the highest levels of the administration.

sent to Washington Post

The future of President Bush

2008-04-24T06:09:00.003-05:00

I do hope that after January 2009, Mr Bush's career trajectory follows that of his protegé, Mr Gonzales, rather than that of his predecessor, Mr. Clinton.

Sent to New York Times

Borrowing for Infrastructure

2008-04-24T05:56:00.003-05:00

Alas it is not the era of FDR but Mr. McNiff (Letters, Boston Globe, April 11, 2008: A12) is guilty of straining at a gnat while swallowing a camel (Matthew, 23:24).

At least our children will benefit from the restored bridges bought by the Massachusetts borrowing. It is not at all clear to me what benefits our children will receive from the trillion dollar borrowings from China by the Federal Government to finance the Iraq war. There was once the hope that we might bring stability to the Middle East, but those hopes have been shattered by the ineptitude of the Administration's prosecution of the war.

Our generation must start paying for the war though an income tax surcharge and a domestic borrowing program.
Sent to Boston Globe

No Answers, No Goals, No Exit

2008-04-24T05:51:00.002-05:00

Your headline, "No answers, no goals, no exit." summed up the tragedy of the past six years. Without tough measurable goals it will be impossible to make progress in Iraq.

Both common sense and thirty years of tough minded social science research tells us that people do better when they are striving to attain clear goals and they do even better when they try to attain difficult, but reachable clear goals.

Without goals, we will continue to wander in the deserts of Iraq with no idea about what we are supposed to be doing and without knowing whether or not we have attained success.

Unless we can articulate clearly what a desired end state is, we should withdraw from Iraq now and not continue this escalating commitment to what appears to be a losing course of action.

Sent to Boston Globe

Infelicities in Tobacco Op-Ed

2008-04-23T21:00:00.001-05:00

I strongly support the position of Representative Kaprielian and the Rev. Hamilton on increasing the tobacco tax but some of the language they used in their opinion piece puzzled me (Benefits of a Higher Cigarette Tax, Boston Globe, April 10, 2008).

They say; "Its wrath results in great personal, physical, societal, and fiscal cost." It is not at all clear what the initial "Its" refers to. The nearest noun of any substance is plural:"tobacco-related illnesses ." The nearest singular noun "Cigarette smoking " is two sentences away. And why "wrath?" Is that the correct noun in this context? Maybe, invoking the grim reaper they meant, swath; or perhaps they thought cigarette smoking should bring down the wrath of God on the hapless smoker.

Surely staffers on Beacon Hill or Editors at the Globe should have smoothed this awkward, barely comprehensible sentence.
Sent to Boston Globe

The Hillary Walz

2008-04-07T15:00:00.000-05:00

I must protest the Obama-centered vitriol that flows from Ms. Dowd's pen in a continuing attack on Hillary Clinton (The Hillary Waltz, New York Times, April 2, 2008).

Senator Clinton is much more than just a sparring partner for Obama helping to toughen him up for the big bout. The senator is a credible candidate for the Democratic nomination. She will make a bloody good President.

Although I am a Barack Obama supporter, if Senator Clinton wins the Democratic nomination, I will be proud to support her and work for her. I certainly will not defect to Ralph Nader. If disgruntled Democrats do that, we will be handing the nomination to the very conservative John McCain.

Sent to New York Times

Guantanamo Detainees

2008-04-07T14:48:00.001-05:00

Representative Bill Delahunt is absolutely right; we should admit the innocents of Guantanamo into the United States (At Hub hearing, lawyers press case of Guantanamo detainees, Boston Globe, March 27, 2008: A13). At the very least, they should live in the same conditions as civilians on the base rather than being confined to isolated cells.

We should have been doing this for a long time. Does anyone remember the case of the five Chinese Uighurs. They were captured in Afghanistan in 2001. They had all been cleared of terrorist connections by a military tribunal but were kept, as innocent people, at Guantanamo because they could not be returned to their native China which they were fleeing. Instead they were sent to Albania where they live in misery in a refugee camp.

Why could the United States not have generously have resettled these people here in the United States? Instead they kept them at Guantanamo until February 2006 when the courts were about to hear their appeal to be released; they were then shipped to Albania where they are living in a Refugee Center in that impoverished country. One would think that after disrupting their lives, the United States would be eager to make amends by resettling these people in safety in the United States.

Why not? What has happened to American values?

Sent to Boston Globe

Analyst takes no prisoners on budget cuts

2008-04-07T14:42:00.004-05:00

Governor Schwartzenegger is wrong, very wrong to propose a 10% budget cut (Analyst takes no prisoners on budget cuts, LA Times, February 21, 2008). The proposed across the board cut has done its work: it has got everyone's attention. To actually implement it would be a grave mistake. Although it does, on the face of it, seem fair; it is not.

First, it is cowardly. No tough decisions have to be made.

Second, an across the board cut penalizes those units whose managers are running a tight ship. Unlike other units, they have little slack, so cuts will harm their core programs: cutting muscle instead of fat.

Third, as Elizabeth Hill has pointed out, it does not focus the legislature's attention on priorities. Successful downsizing demands prioritization.

Of course, if the Federal Government were to make good the likely decline in property tax revenue due to the foreclosure crisis, the Governor's job would be a lot easier.

Sent to Los Angeles Times

Mortgage Foreclosure

2008-04-07T14:41:00.001-05:00

The Federal government has just bailed out one large bank, proposals are being reviewed to bailout individual home owners who are over-extended, but their is no discussion about bailing out junior jurisdictions which rely heavily on property taxes for the bulk of the revenues.

The state of New Hampshire relies heavily on the property tax. If 7% of home owners are to suffer foreclosure, New Hampshire's revenue will fall by a similar amount.

The congressional delegation should be lobbying hard to have a federal bailout for the towns, cities, and states who are innocent victims of the mortgage mess.

Sent to Manchester Union-Leader

Bailouts

2008-04-07T14:39:00.001-05:00

Over the last month, the Federal Reserve has come to the aid of failing banks (Fed Leaders ponder an expanded mission, Washington Post, March 28, 2008: A1), proposals have been made to help homeowners refinance their mortgages, but one group, who did not make stupid over extending decisions, have been left in the cold.

The towns, cities, school boards and some states that rely heavily on income from property taxes are likely to suffer. They too should get federal aid.

If, as is predicted, 7% of home owners are likely to see foreclosures on their homes, these innocent bystanders are likely to see a drop of 7% in their revenue from property taxes. The Federal government should immediately announce a program to make good their losses by providing an infusion of 7% of property tax revenue to these jurisdictions.

This will prevent a massive reduction in local and state government programs at a time when the social safety net will be most needed.

Sent to Washington Post

Clinton Facing Narrower Path to Nomination

2008-03-22T15:55:00.001-05:00

A good test of a person's character is to observe how a person behaves when self-interest conflicts with principle.

Hillary Clinton has failed that test. Back in 2006 all agreed that Michigan and Florida should hold their primaries after New Hampshire. Back in January, the Democratic power brokers all agreed that the votes in Florida and Michigan should not count. That is a very strong statement of principle.

Today, Hillary Clinton and campaign stalwart, Harold Ickes, are saying that those votes should count (Clinton is facing a narrower path to the nomination, New York Times, March 19, 2008: A1, A16). They should count despite the fact that Ms. Clinton's name was the only one on the Michigan ballot; they should count despite the fact that none of the candidates campaigned in Florida or Michigan. That is self-interest.

If she wins the nomination, I will support her, but with diminished respect.

Sent to New York Times

Democrats, Florida, and Michigan

2008-03-22T06:30:00.004-05:00

New York Times, March 22, 2008.

Letter on
New York Times website; no print version.

It is the second letter on page 2.

Weakened oversight

2008-03-19T19:19:00.001-05:00

You are being too kind to the Bush administration. Your failed to juxtapose two important stories on the same page:

President weakens espionage oversight (Boston Globe, March 14, 2008: A1, A8)
FBI improperly justified privacy abuses, inspector finds (Boston Globe, March 14, 2008:A4.

The details of the second story indicate how important it is to have effective oversight mechanisms in place.

By weakening espionage oversight, President Bush has weakened the country.

Sent to the Boston Gobe

Groupthink

2008-03-19T19:16:00.002-05:00

The White House claim that it encouraged dissenting voices in its war councils shows once again the disconnect between words and actions (Boston Globe, Mar4ch 13, 2008: A13).

Is it so long ago that we have forgotten the sidelining of General Eric Shinseki because he (correctly) predicted that the pacification of Iraq would take several hundred thousand troops on the ground? That action by the Bush administration even cowed a tough character like Marine Corps General Anthony Zinni who later regretted that he had not stood alongside General Shinseki in demanding more troops for Iraq.

For me actions speak louder than words. The Bush White House practices Groupthink. The country is the worse off for it.
Sent to Boston Globe

Admiral Fallon leaves

2008-03-19T19:13:00.001-05:00

It seems as though a thin line separating us from war with Iran has been removed by the retirement of Admiral Fallon (Top Mid-East Commander Retires, New York Times, Wednesday, March 12, 2008: A1, A10). It is to be hoped that his successor in the position will continue his practice of speaking truth to power.

First General Shinseki, now Admiral Fallon, two respected military experts have been devalued and ignored by the civilians manager in the Pentagon and the White House. It is particularly distressing hat the second ouster took place under Secretary Gates whom I always thought had a firmer grasp of reality than his predecessors and whom I expected to be able to stand up to pressure from the White House.

How can we stop this Administration leading into what would be an impossible war with Iran? I worry because there seem to be enough enablers in the House and Senate to allow the President to do anything, even another disastrous war.

Sent to New York Times

Geek Love

2008-03-19T19:10:00.001-05:00

So girls don't play Dungeons and Dragons (Week In Review, New York Times, Sunday, March 9th 2008: 14).

No one told my two daughters.

I remember vividly my younger daughter complaining bitterly that her elder sister had said: "No you can't be Dungeon master until you learn to read!"

Sent to New York Times

Contractors off-shore

2008-03-16T19:09:00.003-05:00

I supposed I shouldn't be surprised at anything that our contractors in Iraq do. But I was flabbergasted to read that these upstanding corporate citizens, Kellogg, Brown & Root, were abetted and encouraged in their tax evasion practices by the Department of Defense -- 'officials said the move allowed KBR to perform the work more cheaply, saving Defense dollars (Top Iraq contractor skirts US taxes offshore, Boston Globe, March 6, 2008: A1).

What next?
Sent to Boston Globe