Budgeting--Washington Style

It’s been a tough Monday. A lot of people are hurting today. Some of them are very close to me. Most of them I don’t know. Another local employer announced it was closing, the third in a week’s time. And to make matters worse, I listened to Kenneth Heaghney, Georgia’s Fiscal Economist, speak at lunch. He presented a fresh set of U.S. and Georgia statistics—and they were very sobering. Georgia’s economy, much like the nation’s, continues to spiral downward. Surprisingly, the state’s unemployment levels have exceeded the nation’s.

It’s no surprise that Americans are conserving cash, sending the purchase of durable goods crashing downward. From cars to air-conditioners to washing machines, the choice to repair rather than purchase replacements seems obvious. Americans are frightened. Even those with seemingly secure jobs are cutting budgets, saving money for the unexpected. So why is it that our country’s leadership doesn’t see the same need?

Just days after signing a mind-boggling $787 billion stimulus bill, President Obama declared that it was time to begin work on the country’s budget deficit. To celebrate, he authorized a $275 billion mortgage plan. And today, while Obama was hosting a “fiscal responsibility summit”, Congress introduced an omnibus bill increasing spending over 2008 levels by 8.7%. And the Democrats are predictable--$1.2 billion more for WIC, $335 million for the FDA, $174 million for the EPA (read as “more regulation and higher energy prices”), and $77 million for the Department of Energy (read as “more government subsidies for those who don’t pay taxes”).

But spending is nothing new to Washington. There must be something that gets into the bloodstream of every politician when they reach DC. Spending bucks equates to votes, and votes keep them there. But if the first few days are any sign, this will be a very expensive four years. And somehow, all of us suddenly owe a few more trillion dollars. How many zeroes is that, anyway. And where’s my cut of the stimulus money?

And one last thought about stimulus money. Do you realize that between the bank bailout bucks, the stimulus plan, and the funds to shore up failing mortgages, Congress has spent nearly enough money to give every American a million dollars. Think about it.

Looking for Heroes in a Material World

The sports talk shows have been abuzz for the last week. Alex Rodriguez took anabolic steroids. It was the latest in a bizarre series of events for the New York Yankee’s third baseman. Rodriguez attracted notoriety over the last year when his divorce proceedings uncovered a strange relationship with Madonna, one in which she was accused of using a rabbi to brainwash him with the teachings of Kabbalah, a form a Jewish mysticism. But it’s not the Material Girl that has the baseball world in a frenzy. Instead, it’s the revelation that A-Rod took performance enhancing drugs from 2001 to 2003, during which he hit 156 of his 553 career homers.

A-Rod is just the latest in a line of fallen stars, victims of themselves—McGuire, Bonds, Giambi—some loved by fans, others hated. But they all shared one thing—they cheated and they tarnished baseball for many years, if not forever. What baseball needs is a few more true heroes.
When I was a kid, I always wanted to be number 44. I wasn’t alone. Who could blame us? He was an Atlanta Brave. And he was a hero. Hank Aaron was a tremendous player and a man of character. The only thing he was dosed up on was resolve. He broke Babe Ruth’s homerun record, but in doing so quite possibly changed the world. He hit 755 career home runs in 23 seasons—none on performance enhancing drugs.

And what of Dale Murphy? For so many years, he was the face of the Braves. Despite two MVP awards and hitting 398 homeruns, he has been snubbed by the hall of fame. But Murph is most memorable for being another man of true character. No dugout fights with teammates. No clear and cream. Instead, his face adorned milk cartons and ice cream ads.

Baseball survived the Black Sox scandal and Pete Rose, and it will certain survive steroids. But it may take a few truckloads of asterisks to clean up this mess? What baseball needs is a few more heroes—a few more men like Aaron and Murphy.

My Big Bhang Theory

In case you didn’t hear, George Obama was arrested for possession of “Bhang” in Kenya. If you’re wondering who George Obama is, then you’re not alone. George is the half-brother of President Barack Obama. And Bhang is the Kenyan term for marijuana. Cannabis. Weed. President Obama claims to have only met George twice. George claims, “They took me from my home. I don't know why they are charging me." He sounds innocent to me. And he must be, because he was released just a couple of days later.

Now let me be clear. No one voted for George Obama. He just came with the deal. And I can’t throw any rocks at the new president when just about every family has at least one black sheep. Some have a small flock. While it’s certainly no fault of their own, there have been several presidents with embarrassing brothers.

The brothers of Lyndon Johnson and Richard Nixon were more than a handful, even for the Secret Service. Sam Houston Johnson was notorious for getting drunk and talking to the press, often leaking damaging information. Donald Nixon borrowed $205,000 to start “Nixonburgers”.
The secret service codename for Bill Clinton’s half-brother Roger was “Headache.” Roger Clinton spent a year in prison for cocaine trafficking. He was investigated by the FBI for allegedly accepting money to broker pardons for drug felons. And he described himself as having, “a walk-in closet full of skeletons.”

But to me, there will never be another presidential family member like Billy Carter. Maybe it’s just that I’m a Southerner. Maybe there’s a guy kinda like Billy in practically every small town in Georgia. The press loved Billy. He was a natural target. He was best known perhaps for Billy Beer. Once the novelty wore off, it didn’t sell and quickly failed. Oddly enough, you can still buy a six-pack on eBay for less than $20. But his other claims to fame included urinating in such places as the Whitehouse grounds and airport runways in plain sight and bragging about smoking pot on the roof of the Whitehouse. He took out a loan from Libya for $220,000. And after the IRS seized his home and gas station in Plains, he moved to Alabama and ended his career making manufactured homes. You just can’t make this stuff up.

So did the press bury the story about George Obama? Probably. And I hope so. It’s not like he’s Michael Phelps. And why are Americans so intrigued with the scandals of presidential siblings? Probably because it brings these larger-than-life figures closer to where we live. We don’t know much about President Obama’s family yet, so it’s hard to know who, if anyone, might emerge in scandal. But rest assured, if it happens, we will be just as captivated as ever.