Sinners and Saints

On Monday, Pope Francis revealed that the Church will canonize two of the most saintly men who served as the Supreme Pontiff during the 20th Century. Pope John XXIII served from 1958 to 1963 and Pope John Paul II served from 1978 to 2005. They will be elevated to sainthood on April 27, 2014.

Following the death of Pius XII, John was elected Pope on October 28, 1958 after 11 ballots. Due to his age, having been born in 1881, he was considered a "caretaker" Pope. He showed himself to be anything but.

Pope John XXIII surprised many by calling the historic Second Vatican Council (1962 to 1965), the first session opening on October 11, 1962. He did not live to see it to completion, dying on June 3, 1963 of stomach cancer, four-and-a-half years after his election, and two months after the completion of his final and famed encyclical, Pacem in Terris, or Peace on Earth. His views on equality were summed up in his famous statement 'We were all made in God's image, and thus, we are all Godly alike.' 

John XXIII made many passionate speeches during his pontificate, one of which was on the day that he announced the Second Vatican Council in the middle of the night to the crowd gathered in St. Peter's Square: "Dear children, returning home, you will find children: give your children a caress and say: This is the caress of the Pope!" Sadly, his vision of the council was never fulfilled, as his successor Paul VI, returned the church to its more conservative past, losing the purpose of the council by opening the windows to let out the stale air and to let in the fresh. 

Pope John Paul II was the head of the Church from October 16, 1978 to his death on April 5, 2005. He was the second longest-serving pope in history and the first non-Italian since Pope Adrien VI, who died in 1523.

John Paul II is considered one of the most influential leaders of the 20th century. He is recognized as helping to end Communist rule in his native Poland and eventually all of Europe. John Paul significantly improved the Catholic Church's relations with Judaism, Islam, the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Anglican Communion, sometimes known as the Church of England or the Reformed Catholic Church.  

Controversially, he upheld the Church's teachings against artificial contraception, celibacy and the ordination of women. He supported the Church's Second Vatican Council and its reform, and he held firm orthodox Catholic stances. He is known for his implementation of several papal documents pertaining to the role of the Church in the modern world.

Understand that these Popes were men, not gods, and as such, made mistakes of judgement and lived with their sins, as we do. But these men were exceptional in their attempts to heal the world of its pain, its angst, while they were alive, and if you accept the faith of an afterlife, did so as well after their deaths. 

We can debate the validation of their elevation to sainthood for years, as we could with any man or woman considered blessed with the grace to be just a bit better than the rest of us. But in actuality, it's not that they are better or holier than you or me; instead, it's because the grace we are all born with, was put to good use by them to try to improve the lot of us all.  

Remember that we are all sinners and saints. And yet, another saintly man will oversee this extraordinary event in the Church's history; we sinners will be its witnesses.

Fools Rush In

With all the hoopla surrounding the possibility of the government shutting down on Tuesday because of the House's insistence to delay the entire health care law by one year, Dictator Reid and Senate Clown Schumer need to understand that the American people will hold it against them if they fail to compromise. And if King Barry decides to veto the compromise to delay by one year, the House, and Republicans in general, will be the victors on this issue, and the Democrats will most assuredly lose the Senate.

The dream of the Democrats to coronate Hillary as Queen of America will be lost forever, as well. She will also be unelectable in 2020 because she will be considered too old to run. And Bill will be very unhappy that his rightful successor will be denied her place in history.

This is what the Dictator and the Clown will do if they refuse to negotiate and compromise. The Stooge Durbin (apologies to Stooge fans everywhere) tries to follow the Dictator but knows it's wrong to do so. But he follows because the Clown is right behind him to take his rightful place as the next Majority Leader. Which he won't, because the Republicans will be in the majority.

And the King? Well, he really doesn't care. He will have won the battle today, as his ego is so huge, but will be out of office when the law collapses under its own failures. He will just blame his Republican successor for the failure, since his hands will be clean, at least in his mind.

And the media will nod its hack-in-the-box head (that's right, folks, hack, not jack) and declare that of course, it's not Barry's fault. It's President Cruz, Paul, Rubio, Christie or even McHale's fault. Of course.

But the American people will know better, because they were fooled by the King, the Stooge, the Clown and even, the Town Cryer, Boehner. And will have learned, finally, not to be fooled again.

All because the boys in DC could not agree today.

Sticks and Stones?

This is a sensitive subject that warrants discussion in a civilized and reasonable tone. Recently, I was at an event when I heard the "N" word used by several African-American men and woman like they were asking for a Coke. As a white man, I have always found that word offensive, along with those words which denigrate other races, ethnicities and religions.

When I worked for Home Depot after I retired from Banking, I was the night shift department supervisor. I had several black men on staff who were hard-working, but also very gruff. One night, as I was walking through the store, I overheard two men bantering in their conversation by calling each other that word. When I confronted them and said it was totally inappropriate and unprofessional, one  man said they were using the word ending in "a" not "er".

I said that it didn't make a difference, that I was offended by it. Later, an older black man on my team came up to me and thanked me for addressing the issue. He explained that he tried to tell these men that he grew up in Georgia as a kid, and was called that word constantly. He was a couple of years older than me, so I felt a bit of empathy for his point of view.

I can tell you that my siblings and I were raised in a home where prejudice and discrimination against blacks and other minorities were not acceptable behavior. It was not a "liberal" household by any means. But it was a home where decency, respect and acceptance of others, different from us, was the norm, the "Christian" way to behave.

I found the actions of Bull Conner, George Wallace and others repulsive to my sensibilities. As I grew older, and became more worldly, I found myself more and more working first for the civil rights of Blacks, and later, for the rights of Hispanics, women, gays and other protected classes.

I saw a movie this past weekend called "The Butler". It wasn't a great movie, but it did provide a message to all of us who remember the struggles of the 60s. There was one line, I think, which summed up the attitudes of young blacks and their elders, when Forrest Whitaker's character said, "I know I could be a good  house nigger," to which his mentor replied, "Boy, don't you ever use that word again; it's a white man's word."

To my African-American friends, as a white man, I hate that word, whether it ends in an "a" or any other sound. I implore you to educate your children, grandchildren, relatives and friends that it is a word from a terrible time in America's past, that needs to be left there. And to others who are not black, don't be afraid to voice your disgust to those who use it like it's acceptable, normal speech. It's not.

The sooner we realize that words hurt, especially this one, the faster we can bring ourselves as a people, a country, to a more civilized place. It is in all of our best interests.

This was the true message Dr King. He would be appalled if he were alive and heard that word today.

Principle and Courage

Another potential Republican presidential candidate has taken the floor of the Senate to take on the Obama administration and its intransigence on issues that affect ordinary Americans. Sen Ted Cruz took the floor on Tuesday afternoon to discuss his opposition to the PPACA, known as Obamacare.

As this is written at 8AM on Wednesday morning, Sen Cruz passed the 18 hour mark, still looking strong, making his arguments in a strong, forceful voice. He easily passed the mark of 12 hours and 50 minutes set by Sen Rand Paul earlier this year, when Sen Paul stood up and discussed drone use on American soil during the confirmation hearings of CIA Director John Brennan.  He is still short of the mark set by Sen Strom Thurman in 1957, when he took to the floor to block the Civil Rights Act of 1957.

He knew as he started that he would not be able to get past mid-day Wednesday due to a procedural move placed by Sen Harry Reid, dictator of the Senate. But he felt so deeply on this issue, he took to the floor anyway.

The legislation in question is a House-passed funding bill, which, since once again no budget has been passed, will fund the government until November 15, sans funding for Obamacare. The Senate, controlled by Democrats and Sen Reid, will not pass the House bill because Obamacare is not funded. Hence, the shutdown of the government looms.

Those of you who have read other commentaries and comments by me know that I am against Obamacare for so many reasons. I support the Senator in his quest, because his point is to educate the American people of all the pitfalls of this terrible law.

Keep in mind that should the government "shutdown", over 70% of the government will still be online, including all branches of the Military, all facets of national security, the IRS and other critical areas of government. National parks, Library of Congress, museums, zoos, and other non-essential entities will be shuttered or furloughed. Programs like Social Security, Medicare and SNAP, will continue unabated.

In the end, Senator Cruz, like Senator Paul before him, has shown himself to be a man of principle and courage to stand up for his beliefs in the face of adversity. If anyone had doubts before in this man's ability to lead, reassessment is the word today.

Good job, Senator. You are a great American.

Talks and Stands

This week, the annual meeting of the United Nations General Assembly will take place in the "world's capital" New York City. Leaders from many nations will join their representatives as the UN opens its 69th session since the end of WWII. This will create a nightmare in The City with regard to traffic, security, etc, which the NYPD handles with its usual aplomb.

Generally, the President of the United States, Democrat or Republican, uses this occasion to address the Assembly and offer his view of the world and his vision for achieving peace in the future.

President Obama will, again, make his obligatory trek to New York as leader of the host country, this time with an opportunity to really bring issues in the Middle East forward by sitting with the new President of Iran, Hassan Rouhani to discuss differences between our governments. President Obama must remember that President Rouhani is not able to speak for himself. He must ultimately meet with the Iranian theocratic head of state, Ayatollah Khamenei, to resolve problems in the American-Iranian relationship.

The press, of course, is playing this up as if all the problems facing the world could be resolved by the end of the week, if only President Obama is flexible in dealing with his Iranian counterpart. The reality, of course, is that officially at least, the US and Iran have not spoken since November, 1979. So to think by sitting down with Iran's leader now will wash away 35 years of distrust and hatred is foolish.

However, it does make sense to have a first conversation, which could form the basis of an outline toward a goal of future talks. It really is necessary to take JFK's advice, "Let Us Begin" and take the first step in a journey of 1,000 miles. The current dynamic has shown itself to be woefully unproductive.

If there is a chance to downplay the heightened tensions, never mind achieving lasting peace, the President  must at least make an effort now. If he doesn't, the world will greet its next nuclear power with extreme trepidation, since Iran believes it had nothing to lose in the status quo and everything to gain, with the power of its religion on its side.

So. Let us wish President Obama well this week as he represents our interests in any talks he holds with President Rouhani. But let us hope he remains strong by being willing to walk away should the talks reveal themselves to be nothing more than a photo-op for Iran.

Just remember, what would JFK OR Reagan do?

Living With Cancer

As many of you know, I am a cancer survivor. I had a great support system around me, and I was able help the doctors help me help myself because of that. I maintained a positive attitude and I can tell you that this was a huge reason why I was able to, so far, beat it.

But, my friends, there are others who, no matter how hard they try and how strong their support system might be, are just unable to get past first base, try as they might. These are the people we need to be there for, to let them know "No One Fights Alone."

Saturday, I went to a fund-raising for someone close to me. This young lady has suffered for many years with Hodgkin's disease, has had radiation, chemotherapy and experimental drugs, which has prolonged her life and has given her hope in a difficult situation. She has taken her cross in life to try and help others in her situation by working as a radiological technician.

So, many loved ones turned out for this fund-raiser to help her raise money for her absolutely overwhelming medical bills. There were baskets that were to be raffled off, a bicycle and great entertainment, including a Smokey Robinson look-a-like and an Elvis impersonator. All entertainers and the church where the event was located, donated their time, space and talent free of charge.

The purpose of this commentary is to let you know that living with cancer doesn't only involve the patient. Family, friends and others all act as a support system to help the patient deal with his or her illness. It is absolutely essential we all understand that living with cancer is not a curse; it is, instead, test of character.

Believe me when I say, this young woman is blessed. She has the grace and dignity to live her life to the fullest. And she is showing the rest of us how it's done.

We can all take a lesson.

Power to the People

On Monday, an Egyptian court formally outlawed the existence of the Muslim Brotherhood and ordered the confiscation and freeze of all assets. The court allowed for the Brotherhood to appeal its ruling, but the smart money is on the the denial of the appeal.

The Brotherhood, which had been banned for 85 years before its rise to power after the overthrow of autocratic former President Hosni Mubarak, in March, registered as a recognized, non-governmental organization.

In July, President Mohammed Morsi was placed under arrest by the army under the guise of protection as the citizens rebelled against his government. He was then driven from office and placed in jail. He is a member of the Freedom and Justice Party, which acted as the political front for the Brotherhood, giving it favorable status in world opinion.

But now, the people, along with the army and the courts, realized that the Morsi government was just as tyrannical as its predecessor government. The difference between them was that Mubarak a "benign despot" whereas, Morsi had an agenda which ultimately would turn Egypt into an Islamist tyranny.

Fortunately, the people saw the reality facing them and demanded change long before Morsi was able to complete the buildup of his power. In this case, in Egypt, the "Arab Spring" came to an abrupt end before it really got started.

And the Egyptians have given themselves a "do-over" to use democracy again to elect a government of, for and by the people. Good for them.

Call it Wildfire

This weekend, violence erupted in Iraq and Kenya, in two seemingly unconnected acts. But the common denominator appears to be links to, of all surprises, al-Qaeda.

The Iraqi string of bombings allegedly involves Shiites turning on Sunni Muslims, which continues unabatedly since the overthrow of the Sunni tyrant, Saddam Hussein, who controlled the Shiite majority with an iron fist from 1979 to April, 2003, over 10 years ago. It seems that since that time, when the Shiites gained control of the government, retribution has been the keyword in all things Iraq. 

And of course, sitting in the background playing marionette is Syria's benefactor, Iran. Is anyone surprised? While the apparent crazy man, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, is gone, the new guy, Hassan Rouhani, is really not that much different. After all, Iran is really an Islamic theocracy, ruled by the Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the supreme leader, to whom all Iranian presidents answer.

In Kenya, a shooting spree occurred in a shopping mall in Nairobi, where at least 59 people were killed and over 150 were injured. Kenya is a predominantly Christian country, with a minority of 11% of the people claiming to be Muslim.

The Shabab, an Islamist militant group based in Somalia with ties to al- Qaeda, took responsibility for the attack, saying it was revenge for Kenya’s military operations in Somalia, which began nearly two years ago. “Kenya will not get peace unless they pull their military out of Somalia,” said Ali Mohamoud Rage, the Shabab’s spokesman, in a radio address. It wouldn't be a surprise if Iran financed this group and provided weapons to carry out this attack.

The region is an out of control fire with al-Qaeda pouring its gasoline all over the place. This Arab spring is nothing more than one set of benign dictatorships being overthrown by an even more controlling, fearful one. The difference now is that non-Muslim countries are now going to be exploited, too. 

Ultimately, the terrorists are going to go about their business in the way they best know how: attack, retreat into the shadows and attack again, with even more violent acts each time. The "business model" developed by Osama bin Laden is evolving to heights even he didn't envision. 

And all this is going on while the US and Russia play "king of the mountain." Both countries are vying for the hearts and minds of the Muslim world, while in reality, Iran is essentially playing both sides against the middle, as it tries to assert itself as the pre-eminent leader in the region. And by God, it's working.

Soon, the entire Middle East will be in flames, while Nero (the West and Russia) sits and plays his violin. The UN is useless to stop it because the US and Russia (and China) keep blocking each other's resolutions in the (in)Security Council to bring peace in the region. 

Iran, and its terrorist arms Hezbollah and now al-Qaeda, continued to reek havoc where it was foretold that the final battles would be fought. It certainly looks like the prophesies of old are becoming today's realities. 

Let's hope for something to happen which prevents the end. Or the region of black gold will soon be up in smoke. 

Constitution Day

On Tuesday, we celebrated the 226th anniversary of the ratification and signing of our Constitution. On  September 17, 1787, 11 of 13 states agreed to the Connecticut Compromise, taking the Virginia Plan, which outlined proportional representation and merged it with the New Jersey Plan, which provided for equal representation.

The sticking point to the ratification was a series of Amendments that many of the participants to the Constitutional Convention felt it was necessary to include in order to give their vote. Once it was agreed that these Amendments would be the first order of business, of the successor to the Articles Congress, which became our Bill of Rights, the Constitution was ratified.    

This is the government we enjoy today with a bicameral Congress, a House of Representatives and a Senate.

Iowa schools first recognized Constitution Day in 1911. In 1917, the Sons of the American Revolution formed a committee to promote Constitution Day. The committee would include members such as Calvin Coolidge, John D. Rockefeller, and General John Pershing.

All through the 20th century, various groups and people petitioned the government to formalize this day, that in the 1940s, FDR made the day an official, non-observed holiday. The day bounced around in different months until in 1952, the Congress moved the holiday to its present day and changed the name from "I am an American Day" to "Citizen Day".

The law establishing the present holiday was created in 2004 with the passage of an amendment by Senator Robert Byrd to the Omnibus  spending bill of 2004. In addition to renaming the holiday "Constitution Day and Citizenship Day," the act mandates that all publicly funded educational institutions provide educational programming on the history of the American Constitution on that day.

Sadly, Administrators and campus security told students at California’s Modesto Junior College that they could not hand out copies of the Constitution to fellow students on Constitution Day.

The attempt by Megan Rainwater and Robert Van Tuinen to hand out copies of the Constitution was shut down on Tuesday by campus officials. They were told they would only be able to pass out the Constitution in the college’s free speech zone, and only after scheduling it ahead of time. 

I don't know about you, but this action seems to be quite upsetting to me, considering that the First Amendment is all about free speech. Why is it that our schools, colleges and universities allow left wing activities to take place without restriction, even if the activity offends moderate and conservative students, while placing roadblocks and limitations in the way of conservative students?

Isn't this why men and women have died in wars, to protect our Freedom of Speech? This is a very disheartening act, considering that the day should be used to educate all of us on the history, meaning and purpose of this living, breathing document.

Those of you who have read my commentaries know that the Constitution forms the basis of many of my beliefs. It's time to let the "thought police" know their actions are unacceptable to our American sensibilities. 

Bulls, Bears and Elephants

Investors and institutions are cheering the decision to keep the "stimulus" going via the Fed's program of quantitative easing, the printing of money. The S&P and the NYSE have reached yesterday levels not previously possible. This is a problem.

There are basically three markets that economists use to gauge stability in our fiscal and financial health: the job market, which unemployment has been at over 7% since mid-2008, the housing market, which has been in a six-year slump, and the stock market, which is no longer the place for a shy, small potatoes person to save his nest eggs.

Essentially, from my viewpoint as a banker and mortgage guy, housing drives the American economy. Many industries rely on a successful housing market: construction, home improvement; retail industries like carpet, appliance, furniture, auto; utilities like oil, gas, electric; and capital improvements like roads, bridges, schools. Even the building of malls and shopping centers rely on housing because if houses become vacant, soon the commercial center has no business and will close.

A good job market, dependent on housing to help create and retain jobs, should be no worse than 5.5% to be productive and booming. This happened best during the Reagan years when the economy had been a nightmare under President Carter. Even in the 1984 election cycle, when unemployment was down to 7.3%, there was confidence that the market would continue to improve. And it did. For years.

The stock market is the most volatile of these markets, and really the least important. Why? Well, people will save money with disposable income, income not needed to get by day-to-day. But people do not have disposable income if they are struggling with their rent or mortgage, and don't have enough funds to get the necessities. Even 401-k investments are being cut because saving for retirement is not a priority for younger people. Paying down the student loan is far more important.

And, while it seems the Fed is helping the economy by its QE Programs, instead, the money is becoming worth less than before. Mortgage rates are rising, which makes it more difficult to purchase a home, which starts the cycle again: housing, jobs, stock. And the dreaded "I" word lurks nearby. Inflation is the elephant in the room that nobody wants to mention.

Eventually, in order to fight inflation, the Fed will be forced to raise rates. Or what will happen is that the dollar will lose any remaining value because there is too much money in the economy. And like it or not, all other currencies look to the strength of the American dollar for value comparison.

If the dollar falters, hyper-inflation will be the result. All countries will suffer and "free-trade" agreements or not, it will be every country for itself. Then, financial chaos will be rampant in the world markets.

All because investors were happy that the Fed announced that it would continue to print money.

A Met Fan's Observations

For a Met fan, the 2013 season is coming mercifully to an end. With a 68-83 record and about 10 games left, a season that started out with the promise to at least compete, has been instead, a trip to baseball hell.

Injuries have a way to affect the outcome of a team's destiny, but that isn't the main reason for the team's dismal failure. Sure, Santana was shut down before he got started and probably won't be back. Their phenom Harvey was shut down last and may have "Tommy John" surgery which will put him on the shelf for 2014. And, The Captain, David Wright, hasn't seen an at-bat since July.

No, as bad as these injuries and some others may have been which affected the team's misfortunes, the reason for the losses are not entirely, or even mostly, the players' faults. The blame can be squarely placed at the desk of Sandy Alderson and on the bank statement of the Wilpon family.

Yes, you can say that Terry Collins is not the Manager for what the Mets need and maybe he is out of touch with the mentality of the modern player. But, he has tried to work with the players he has been given. Most of these guys, sad to say, are not major league players, not by a long shot. Some of them are not even ready for Triple-A, but a product, even a bad one, needs to be fielded every night.

Sandy Alderson has made several boneheaded moves during his tenure: Pagan, Byrd, Buck - gone. There were others and today's general manager is as much involved as the manager on the field. And shares in the glory, as well as, the defeats. I admit that both Alderson and Collins are not as bad as Minaya and Manuel. So, the blame for the failures of the last three years lies elsewhere.

Fred Wilpon, Saul Katz and Jeff Wilpon have owned the team outright since 2002, when they bought the other 50% from Nelson Doubleday, so these three men control the pursestrings. They have been, at best, tepid in spending money to improve the team year over year.

There have been times when the checkbook was available for no limit when free agents like Martinez, Beltran and Santana were given multi-million, multi-year contracts. And even home-grown talent, like David Wright, has been appropriately recognized for his contributions to the team.

But then, the Wilpons have also had trouble finding even a few dollars to keep talent with the team, or for keeping the general manager on a short leash. And the fact they needed to sell "non-participatory" shares to raise money shows they are cash poor.

As a Met fan since before April 11, 1962, I have sailed the choppy waters with this team, first in the Polo Grounds and then, in Queens. We have had few bright spots: 1969, 1973, 1986, 1988, 1999, 2000 and 2006. We had great players: Seaver, Koosman, Kranepool, Tug, Keith, Gary, Franco, Piazza and Wright. And we have had great Managers: Hodges, Stengel and Johnson.

In 52 years, only Seaver, Hodges and Stengel have had their numbers retired.   Why? Fred Wilpon has owned the Mets since 1980, 60% of the team's entire existence. Doesn't he value tradition and service? I'm not saying to be the Yankees, where everybody's number it seems is retired. Other than Wright, there are seven other numbers which should be recognized for the players they represent.

Or, are they afraid to spend the money for even that little bit of fan-friendly activity. They are terrible owners, and every Met fan knows this will be our destiny for as long as they own it. We don't show up at the Stadium or buy the jerseys because the Wilpons are so great.

No, we do it because we love the team and what they represent. It's too bad the owners don't get that. Let's Go Mets!

Barnyard Education

The University of California system must be rolling in plenty of moolah. It is absurd that any person merits the money spent on her as Janet Napolitano is receiving for her services as University President. I am sure the State of California could better spend its limited resources on services that are for more necessary items like housing subsidies for the poor, senior discounts on public transportation, or increases in WIC payments to single moms. Or tuitions.

Instead, Ms Napolitano will be receiving $9,950 a month ($119.4K annually) for housing plus an annual $570,000 salary, $8,916 a year for car expenses and $142,500 for one-time relocation costs. 

Seems about right. Right?

After all, in-state undergraduate students pay $32,000 a year for tuition, board and other expenses, while out-of-state students pay $55,000 for the same items. Then, if no scholarship is used to offset these costs, some graduates leave with a diploma and a bill for well over $200K.

Seem fair to you? No? Me either!

The major problem for this is that in this economy, it is impossible, to find work in their field of study. In addition, in most cases they have only ten years to satisfy this debt.

What seems to be unfair in this process is the absurd cost the state incurs to house the school president and to transport her around. Students are required to pay $13,800 a year to live on campus and $2,200 for transportation expenses, along with tuition at another $13,000, plus other expenses, totaling approximately $32,000.

As a comparison, to attend Rutgers University New Jersey residents pay $10,700 for tuition and about $12,000 for board plus expenses, totaling approximately $25,000 a year.

Certainly, no one will deny Ms Napolitano the opportunity to negotiate a salary she feels is commensurate with her experience, network contacts or overall value to any company or entity to which she applies. After all, we all think our value is worth more than our companies pay us. If we didn't, we would be content to work for less than even a minimum wage. And no one would.

But, the issue at hand is three-fold: we, not our employer, pay our rent through our income, anyone who has a car allowance generally is approved for IRS minimums and anyone who has moved cross-country gets an allowance for the value of the truck and perhaps a discount on the airfare, not the value and then some of the move. What Ms Napolitano has received in perks is beyond the pale. And does she pay the tax on these benefits or will the UC Regents?

So folks, perhaps a letter writing campaign to your state assembly representative and your state senator is in order to show your displeasure for this absolutely grossBarnyard abuse of the public largesse. It seems officials have no problem thinking the sheeple will herd themselves up to the trough and eat whatever slop is dished out.

It's time to stand up to this abuse of the public by the government, whether at the national, state or local level, or by the administrators the government puts in place for our "benefit". Or soon enough, we really will become the tranquil sheeple we are assumed to be.

Hopes and Prayers

As one who used to live in NYC and work in Manhattan, I can tell you that the first World Trade Center was an iconic piece of architecture, a wondrous piece of engineering, a glorious man-made mountain peaking all the others over a twelve mile island of mountains. Times 2.

There are so many funny and fond memories of the WTC: The man who walked the tightrope between them, the guy who thought he could walk up the side, the constant TV and movie shots with it as a backdrop. Or, how about all the people who met for lunch on the plaza, me included, just to stare at the magnificence before them.

And then, tragically, within less than two hours on a sunny, late summer day, this month twelve years ago, they were gone, taking all those memories, visions, and almost 3,000 lives with them. And changed America forever.

The last time I was downtown by the site was in 2003, when I went to the New York State Banking Department on State Street to get my Mortgage Broker Registration. At that time, the area was cordoned off with chain link fence around two huge holes in the ground. I was stunned to see an area up close that I, as well as many others,  loved to go to visit and enjoy all the time. It was horrible to see, knowing that relatives and friends of mine died there, and could have still had their dust mixed with the earth.

Over the years, I watched on TV, as many of us have, the building, the delay, the annual commemoration of that day, the lawsuits and finally, the opening of the plaza, the memorial, the waterfall. And in the process, we have seen the continual reconstruction of the new World Trade Center, until finally, earlier this year, the tower was placed on the still incomplete building.

This past Sunday, I was at a family party in Queens for a reunion, of sorts. My brother, who lives in Florida, and I took my sister in law home to Brooklyn at the end of the party. As we drove, we had a great view of the new WTC and I was amazed how close it was to being done. It is a sight to see.

Suddenly, a wave of nostalgia flooded back into my brain, stirring memories I thought I had forgotten. They were bittersweet, mostly bitter, due to the sense of loss I felt at that moment. And then, it was gone, replaced with the hope that this building would fare a better fate.

So, friends, let's raise our glasses and toast a prayer to the memories of a time gone by, and to the memories yet to be made. And know all things happen for a reason, yet to be revealed. To the new WTC: Live long and prosper.

Job Performance

Now that the Congress has returned from its deserved (?) summer vacation, the next battle over the 2014 budget will begin anew. There are two major stumbling blocks that could force the voters to revisit the existing class with Republicans controlling the House and the Democrats holding the Senate.

Obamacare - According to the latest polls, it appears that Americans do not favor the law as it presently exists from anywhere 56% to 62% against. The House has had over 40 votes for repeal to no avail of President Obama's signature piece of legislation, which probably will define his presidency, unless something more pressing evolves, like the escalation of another Middle East problem.

In addition, the movement to defund the law will not stop the non-financial aspects of the law to be implemented, for example, the IRS having access to all sorts of health information, which technically violates HIPAA.

Instead, both parties and President Obama need to recognize that the law as presently constructed, is unfair to many people who have not received exemptions or waivers, nor postponements. The whole law needs to be delayed so that the unpopular issues can be fixed before the law is implemented. Otherwise, it may be found to be unconstitutional after implementation, due to some  unforeseen part of the law applied unequally. Then, to untangle the law would be an unmitigated disaster.

Debt Ceiling - This issue is a political football every time it comes up. Presently, we are dealing with a sequester, whereby certain services are reduced, or denied because funds have not been allocated. On a local scale, this would be considered a form of austerity.

In 2011, as part of a "grand bargain", several Members of Congress were assigned to a special committee to develop a workable plan to resolve ongoing battles over the debt ceiling increases and spending cuts to pay for them. These respected men and women were unable to hammer out an agreement and decided to kick the can to December, 2012, with a threat of sequester built in to try to hold the Congress' feet to the fire.

Voila! The agreement had as much chance to succeed as ice freezing in July. Hence, the sequester. Now, by mid-October, it looks like the government will run out of money unless the Congress raises the debt ceiling and gives itself the authority to borrow more money.

If these two issues are not resolved, there will be no chance to pass a budget before the end of September to be effective on October 1. Then, a continuing resolution will be necessary to avoid a complete government shutdown, similar to the one which occurred in 1995.

Perhaps, we should demand that Representatives and Senate forgo their paychecks as they haven't earned it. Then, we will see how quickly the people's employee does the people's business.

After all, those of us in private industry are penalized each day if we don't do our jobs. It's time to treat the Congress as we are. It's only fair, right?

Fed Choices

At the end of this year or early in 2014, Ben Bernanke, Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank, is scheduled to step down after serving since 2006. During his tenure, we saw the collapse of several large investment banks, including Bear, Sterns and Lehman Bros, the merger/acquisition of traditional banks, eg, Wachovia, Countrywide, Washington Mutual and Commerce Bank, and finally, the conversion of investment banks Goldman Sachs, American Express and Morgan Stanley to bank holding companies.

During this period, many "sub-prime" banks failed due to the collapse of the secondary mortgage market, which was the vehicle by which banks would sell off loans to investors, in some cases retaining the servicing rights as additional fee income. These included, Indymac, New Century, Argent, Greenpoint and Option One.

Finally, we saw the bailouts of AIG, Fannie Mae (FNMA) and Freddie Mac (FHLBMC) which insured or held the bulk of the outstanding mortgages in the United States.

While this commentary does not seek to indict Mr Bernanke for these issues, his other actions have not helped in the long-term return to financial health in the American economy. I feel that the first engagement of Quantitative Easing (QE1), the printing of money, was necessary to stave off the imminent collapse of the economy, but  subsequent actions of this practice, QE2 and QE3 may result in an inflation spiral not seen since the 70s. And due to the fragile and slow recovery we have endured since 2009, this could easily and quickly get out of control, as there is no stop-gap measure in place or on the horizon to prevent it. Then, we could become the economy of the Weimar Republic, Germany before Hitler, when the Deutschmark could have been used as wallpaper, it was so worthless.

Currently, the names mentioned most by the administration and political pundits are Larry Summers, former Treasury Secretary in the Clinton administration and Director of the National Economic Council for President Obama, and Janet Yellin, presently the Vice Chairman of the Fed and previously President of the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. Both are eminently qualified.

It is expected that Ms Yellin would continue the policies established by Mr Bernanke, while it is believed Mr Summers would take a more reserved approach to control growth and inflation.

Based on President Obama's previous approach to the economy, it appears Ms Yellin will probably be nominated, since she is more philosophically aligned with the President than is Mr Summers. But the President may just surprise us and realize another direction may be in order, since the present approach is not working as desired.

Ultimately, it will be a battle of personalities. It will come down to with whom the President feels he can best work. Knowing he has a mercurial personality himself, it is hard to say right now.

We can only hope, for the good of our economy, his choice will turn out to be the right one. Heaven help us if it's not.

              *******ALERT******

After this was written, it was reported by the the Los Angeles Times that Larry Summers has withdrawn his name from consideration and that Janet Yellin is the odds-on favorite favorite to be the nomination to replace Ben Bernanke. We will see....

Vlad the Diplomat

In Thursday's New York Times, Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, wrote an interesting op-ed piece regarding recent events in Syria and the United States handling of this problem. His commentary was cogent, reasoned and rational, unlike the actions of our President and his reaction to these events.

I have provided the link to that commentary for your perusal.

http://nyti.ms/15lcB4C

It seems that Putin has decided to be the learned law professor, teaching the US and its President the basis of democracy and international law, since Obama, the law professor, has forgotten some basic tenets of Law101. Instead, he is running from idea to idea, publicly for all to see, to float which option might make him look good, while Putin, the former KGB officer, is cool, calm and collected under the pressure of the international spotlight.

Vladimir Putin is proving himself to be ever the diplomat, in a region that does not respect diplomacy. Russia has become the major player in the Middle East, riding in on the white horse to save the day, while the US and Barack Obama is not the leader, but rather the bully in the schoolyard demanding the smaller kid's lunch money.

More countries seem to have found new respect for the kinder, gentler Russia and outright disdain for the US. This is problematic for the US President to gain traction in resolving the Syrian crisis. And it now ironic that Russia, the supplier of weapons to the Syrian government, is now looked upon by the world to be the country to supervise Syria's disarmament.

As I said on June 25 in CHESS, ANYONE? about  President Obama and his handling of US foreign policy, "He is losing badly, and therefore, so is the United States. Soon, we may never recover from this geopolitical chess match. When Obama loses, the American Century will be done.

History will look at our time as we do the Roman Empire, the Renaissance, the British Empire. Fondly and with a sense of nostalgia. And the Russian Century will begin."

Well, folks, the Russian Century is beginning now, and we are its witnesses. Thanks, Mr Obama.

The Senses of Fall

Those of us who live in the northeast are enjoying the first oppressively hot day since mid-July, when temperatures soared into the 90s everyday it seemed for three weeks. Today, summer is making its last stand, as it will be in the high 60s by week's end.

For those of us who love the summer, we know it will be months before we see the likes of this again. Yes, I know other parts of the country experienced this early September heat since late last week, but as I look at the map, it seems autumn is beginning to make its trek eastward now.

Which gives us pause to think about a few things.

Trees will soon begin their annual display of colorful glory. We get to see nature show that even at the end of a cycle, there is beauty all around us.

Changing colors bring about cooling temps. Cooling temps allow for tastes not enjoyed in the heat of summer, nor since last year: cider, spiked or not, pumpkin pie and ale, mashed turnips and squash, roasted corn, Halloween candies, sweet potato casserole, candied apples, and apple butter or pie.

Friday nights and Saturdays, we watch our kids play the games of autumn: soccer, football, lacrosse. We cheer them on, along with the cheerleaders,  going to pep rallies, listening to the school band, playing hard as they might, to motivate our heroes to victory.

As we march through October and into November, we see the first frosts, on the lawn or car window in the morning, the pumpkin, the leaves on the ground. Sometimes, in the northern tier, we may even get an early winter snowfall. Right about mid-November, we look forward to something once called "Indian Summer", where the daytime temp reaches 65 degrees, to remind us that warm weather will return again soon.

And finally, the holiday that celebrates the harvest of our earth, bringing an end to the season of The Fall and the beginning of the brightest, warmest season of all, is upon us. It is celebrated with a parade in the morning, past the "World's Largest Department Store", with colorful balloons and floats, ending with an appearance of the Jolly Old Elf himself.

In the afternoon this holiday is celebrated with the passing of the pigskin and the eating of the feast which cooked since early in the morning, filling your home with aromas not usually enjoyed on a weekly or monthly basis. The evening is capped off by hot coffee or chocolate, delicious liqueurs and scrumptious desserts.

And later that night or early the day after, we pile into our cars, hit the highways and rush through the stores for the special bargains, not otherwise enjoyed the rest of the year.

That, my friends, is Autumn, the season which is really upon us, for us to appreciate and treasure.

So say goodbye to summer for another year. It most assuredly will return, sooner than we think.

Common Sense and Patience

The 10th Amendment to the Constitution says: The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the People.

This is the heart of the ongoing debate whether the federal government or the State of California, or other states, is the final judge on the various medical marijuana laws each of the states has passed or in various stages of the legislative process. The Obama administration has taken the position that the federal government will not pursue prosecution of dispensaries or regulated farms in states where marijuana is legal for medical or recreational purposes.

However, drug smuggling and sales to minors will continue to face prosecution.

So, with this as a backdrop, the Long Beach City Council in California voted Tuesday night to draft an ordinance to allow and regulate medical marijuana collectives within the city, opening another chapter in the years-long saga over whether the city has the authority to control dispensaries.

Logically, this makes eminent sense that cities, within states which allow medical marijuana to be dispensed, make the rules of the sales. In essence, this satisfies the requisite in the 10th Amendment that the PEOPLE make the laws. The Members of the City Council are our elected representatives in our Republic, and are empowered to act on our behalf.

All of the minutiae being debated and challenged are part of the process of making certain the laws passed are constitutional, that is, that no one's rights are being violated for the benefit of another, under both the Federal and State Constitutions.

But, ultimately, common sense also must prevail and in my view the city council is working with this in mind as well, as it tries to determine where the dispensaries are located. Other cities in California, Los Angeles as an example,  have successfully walked the line between rights and common sense in the marijuana dispensary issue.

Long Beach should be able to do it, too. But, it will take some time. Be patient.