"I Feel It In Me Bones" ~ anonymous sailor

An air of "intellectual conservatism" is on the verge of wafting through Massachusetts. Since Charlie Baker announced on Wednesday, story after story about him, his role at Harvard Pilgrim and the race for governor has been published in the Boston Globe . Cap the week off with the lead piece on the first page of The Sunday Globe's Ideas section about conservatism by Drake Bennett and there could have something new stirring in the state, call it thoughtful republicanism perhaps.

The author writes that "Some of the most prominent voices in the broader conservative coalition have begun to worry that the movement is suffering from a problem it hasn't had for generations: intellectual fatigue. In op-eds and articles and blog posts and speeches, these thinkers worry that last fall's electoral defeats signaled that conservatives are no longer articulating persuasive modern ideas that translate into compelling politics. " (Bennett, p.C1) Mr. Bennett highlights four "thinkers"and their ideas, Luigi Zingales, W. Bradford Wilcox, Megan McArdle and Reihan Salam.

Although I do not agree with everything said, I find the fact that conservative ideas are beginning to be bantered about and taken seriously as refreshing as a summer breeze.

Boston Sunday Globe, July 12, 2009, Ideas section, "The next conservative thinkers" by Drake Bennett, p.C1
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2009/07/12/the_next_conservative_thinkers/?page=1

The Coverage Continues

Two more. Page 1 of the Metro section in the Globe and front page of the Telegram & Gazette feature stories about Charlie Baker, albeit the T & G focus is on State Representative Karyn Polito as a possible candidate for lieutenant governor.

Today's Globe ends with this quotation by Herbert E. Pope, an 87 year-old Republican from Braintree, who up until this week, was unfamiliar with Charlie Baker. "'I figure that if he has given that up, a great job and the security, he feels strongly about the policy of conservatism and the state. I don't need to know anything more about him. That's my man.'" (p.B11)

The Boston Globe, Saturday, July 11, 2009, "Charlie who?" by Nandini Jayakrishna & Jasmine Ulloa, Metro section, p.B1
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/07/11/most_voters_dont_know_much_about_charlie_baker/


Telegram & Gazette, Saturday, July 11, 2009, "Polito open to invitation" by Elaine Thompson, T & G staff, p.A1
http://www.telegram.com/article/20090711/NEWS/907110333/1116

Day 3 and he still makes the front page -- below the fold today, but nevertheless, front page news. Add to that two editorials; one titled, "The race is on". (p.A19) The Boston Globe is declaring that with Charlie Baker's announcement Wednesday the contest of who will be the next governor of Massachusetts has begun. That speaks to how qualified he is for the job and of course, how serious a candidate he is. Sure, The Globe also mentions Cahill and Mihos, and even Patrick, but the overall impression given is that Charlie Baker's declaration in those two small words, "I'm in," is so significant, that he has officially kicked off the 2010 gubernatorial campaign.

The Boston Globe, Friday, July 10, 2009, "Is Baker ready for tough choices?" by Scot Lehigh, p. A19
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2009/07/10/is_baker_ready_for_tough_choices/

The Boston Globe, Friday, July 10, 2009, "Baker bid for governor rallies struggling GOP" by Matt Viser, p.A1
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/07/10/baker_bid_for_governor_rallies_struggling_republican_party/

The Boston Globe, Friday, July 10, 2009, "The race is on" editorial, p.A18
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/editorials/articles/2009/07/10/the_race_is_on/

"a policy wonk with charisma" ~The Boston Globe on Charlie Baker

"'I'm in.'" Charlie Baker is quoted in today's Boston Globe, front page, above the fold! Glancing at the list of links below, it is evident that Mr. Baker's decision is big news and that is great news for the Republican Party and Massachusetts.

Former Governor William Weld speaks about Charlie Baker in the Globe's headline article which continues to page 10. "'I consider myself a Baker Republican. When I was in office, I would turn to him in private after virtually every meeting and say, 'What do you think we should do?' I don't recall he and I ever disagreeing. He knows more about government than I do or ever did.'"

Read about Charlie Baker and the tremendous sacrifice he is making for our common wealth. It'll make your heart sing!

The Boston Globe, Thursday, July 9, 2009, "GOP's Baker leaps into race against Patrick" by Andrea Estes and Matt Viser, p.A1 [above the fold!]
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/07/09/gop8217s_baker_leaps_into_race_against_patrick/

The Boston Globe, Thursday, July 9, 2009, "Candidate tempers achievements with down-to-earth style, goals" by Eric Moskowitz, p.A10
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/07/09/baker_tempers_dazzling_achievements_with_down_to_earth_goals/

The Boston Globe, Thursday, July 9, 2009, "The challenges for challenger Charlie Baker" by Joan Vennochi, p.A14
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2009/07/09/the_challenges_for_challenger_charlie_baker/

The Boston Globe, Thursday, July 9, 2009, "Politicians ready to party like it's 1990" by Matt Viser and Andrea Estes, p.B1 [above the fold!]
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2009/07/09/politicians_ready_to_party_like_its_1990/

The Boston Globe, Thursday, July 9, 2009, "Smooth turnover vowed at insurer" by Robert Weisman, p.B7
http://www.boston.com/yourtown/wellesley/articles/2009/07/09/choice_of_bullen_eases_transition_at_harvard_pilgrim/

It's positively patriotic -- and economic!

Never did I expect to write about something so far afield as China on the 3rd of July. George Washington at Trenton would have been a suitable topic, I thought, or perhaps Thomas Jefferson and his Declaration of Independence, in other words, something patriotic. However, after reading David Brooks' New York Times article published yesterday, I have come to realize that the relationship the United States has with China is vital to the future of our country and that considering the working out of that affiliation is indeed patriotic. In his article, David Brooks states that he recently attended the Aspen Ideas Festival where two views about the U.S./China association were propounded. Harvard's Niall Ferguson cautions China could become a potential adversary, whereas James Fallows, writer from The Atlantic, suggests an "integrated" connection between the two countries might develop.

Based on James Fallows' talk, Mr. Brooks points out some enlightening economics. "China did the making, and the United States did the buying. China did the saving, while the U.S. did the spending. Between 1995 and 2005, the U.S. savings rate declined from about 5 percent to zero, while the Chinese savings rate rose from 30 percent to nearly 45 percent." Now that flow has changed and Chinese officials are aware. So how will the U.S. and China work out this erstwhile lopsided arrangement?

What is most interesting is that both Fallows and Ferguson recommend the same course of action, that is, get money owed in control. David Brooks wraps up. "This conversation, like many conversations these days, gets back to America’s debt. Until the U.S. gets its fiscal house in order, relations with countries like China will be fundamentally insecure."


New York Times, July 2, 2009, "Chinese Fireworks Display" by David Brooks
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/03/opinion/03brooks.html?_r=1&ref=opinion

"...one drop of giant rain" ~Emily Dickinson

Written in the nineteenth century, Emily Dickinson's poem seems to be describing today, or perhaps the month of June? Please, not July. Please.


Complete Poems

by Emily Dickinson

Part Two: Nature

XXXVII

THE WIND begun to rock the grass
With threatening tunes and low,—
He flung a menace at the earth,
A menace at the sky.

The leaves unhooked themselves from trees
And started all abroad;
The dust did scoop itself like hands
And throw away the road.

The wagons quickened on the streets,
The thunder hurried slow;
The lightning showed a yellow beak,
And then a livid claw.

The birds put up the bars to nests,
The cattle fled to barns;
There came one drop of giant rain,
And then, as if the hands

That held the dams had parted hold,
The waters wrecked the sky,
But overlooked my father’s house,
Just quartering a tree.


Emily Dickinson's Complete Poems, Part Two: Nature, #37, found on Bartleby.com
http://www.bartleby.com/113/2037.html

"Tax-heavy and Reform-light" ~ Lew Evangelidis

State Representative Lew Evangelidis wrote an article published in today's Telegram & Gazette in the "The People's Forum" where he explains why he voted against next year's state budget. He offers so much common sense I wonder why the rest of the Legislature can't see things that way. Why do they raise taxes when cutting expenses is the more reasonable, logical and prudent course, and as Rep. Evangelidis states, would come at a most opportune time?

Representative Lew Evangelidis is articulate and right on target in his article, "A chance to return to values".


AS I SEE IT

By Lewis G. Evangelidis


A recession is a terrible thing to waste. With this economic downturn comes a tremendous opportunity for our state government to transform itself and return to the core principles of what state government is supposed to be. To me those core values are to educate our students, provide public safety, and help those who cannot help themselves, such as the disabled and the elderly. This can be done for far less than our current $27.4 billion budget.

Over the past few decades our state government has become more and more about taking care of the special interest groups that take care of Beacon Hill. The state has become a wholly owned subsidiary of those special interest groups. It is clear that we have reached the point that our budget is unaffordable and unsustainable in the long run. For years the private sector has been cutting back on employee salaries, vacation time, health benefits and pensions. At a time when layoffs in the private sector have been occurring by the hundreds of thousands, an effort on Beacon Hill to eliminate Evacuation Day and Bunker Hill Day holidays for state employees failed to pass the Legislature.

I fear that the commonwealth is on its way to becoming another California: a state mired in bankruptcy.

Gov. Deval Patrick inherited a budget surplus exceeding $3 billion when he was elected in 2006. As a percentage of our annual budget, this was the largest surplus in the nation. After expanding dozens of programs, hiring thousands of new state employees and addressing the economic downturn, our rainy-day fund is virtually gone. The rainy-day fund would be completely gone except that we immediately spent our federal stimulus money, more of which should have been saved for FY11 and FY12.

On June 19, I voted against the state's 2010 budget. This budget is far too tax-heavy and reform-light. In response to our current economic situation, our state has once again resorted to massive tax hikes on the people of Massachusetts. These regressive tax hikes will hit the pocket of every working family and business trying to make ends meet. A sales tax increase of 25 percent will cost each working family $400 per year. Alcohol will now be subject to a 6.25 percent tax on top of already existing taxes paid by the store. Taxes on hotels, meals and satellite TV are also going up.

The worst time to raise taxes is during a recession. These new taxes will lead to further job losses through increased Internet sales and purchases in neighboring states, which undeniably hurts our border communities. History has shown us, as in last year's cigarette tax increase, that the revenues generated will be far less than projected. Unfortunately, the damage has been done and it will be permanent.

Some reform has taken place but much more needs to be done. We have the most expansive and expensive health care benefits system in America. When this legislation passed in 2005, we were told that uninsured emergency room visits would drop significantly and in the long run this reform would be cost neutral. This has not been the case, and we can no longer afford the hundreds of millions of dollars from our state budget to support this unaffordable program that clearly needs to be reined in. The Pacheco Law has single-handedly handcuffed every town in Massachusetts by forcing them to pay inflated costs for nearly every public project while making savings through privatization nearly impossible. While the Legislature has enacted some pension reform, most of which only applies to future hires, it is obvious that we can no longer afford 80 percent tax-free pensions for retiring state employees. We must consider other options such as individual retirement accounts and 401(k) accounts for our state employees. Additionally, the Legislature must remove all barriers that restrict municipalities and school districts from joining the state's Group Insurance Commission, which provides excellent health insurance while at the same time providing significant cost savings. Finally, it is time for us to impose a state freeze on wages and hiring until this fiscal crisis passes.

Nearly all of us on Beacon Hill have issued warnings that this budget crisis is likely to last for many more years. If we don't enact real reform now, we never will. It is essential that we do not miss the opportunities that are presented because a recession is a terrible thing to waste.


Telegram & Gazette, Wednesday, July 1, 2009, "A chance to return to values" by Lewis G. Evangelidis, p. A6.