Political Extremism

At this late hour there appears to be a deal on raising the debt ceiling. Am I the only one to conclude that concern over the economic health of the United States was not the driving force behind the political brinkmanship that got us dangerously close to financial catastrophe? Much like the newly elected union-busting governor of Wisconsin, this was more about right wing extremists irresponsibly exercising newfound political clout than about cutting spending. It certainly wasn't about creating jobs or the future of our children. It was about spreading a radical agenda with no regard for the economic facts...

• Raising the debt ceiling, which had been done dozens of times under many Presidents, was not a green light to tax and spend even more. Economists were practically unanimous in saying raising the ceiling was vital to paying debts we had already rung up under both parties.
• While our debt is too high, the U.S. AAA credit rating meant we are a trusted borrower from China or anyone else. Losing that coveted status could mean higher interest rates, costing us more than the $400 billion difference that had divided the two parties.
• When Americans were initially hesitant to raise the debt ceiling, the Tea Party candidates like Michelle Bachmann may have been correct in saying they represented the will of the people. The legs soon gave way on that argument. Real information on the negative implications of failing to raise the debt ceiling left the majority of Americans more amenable to compromise on that issue.
• Connecticut and other states are already seeing painful cuts. U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah actually had the gall to claim that middle class and poor people aren't doing enough to get us out of this mess. How out of touch can our leaders get? Now the notion of returning to the Clinton era tax rates for people who earn $250,000-plus annually meets a brick wall on the right. That's a slap in everyone's face, especially after the U.S. taxpayers bailed out the Wall Street gamblers who brought on the 2008 crash.
• I'm all for corporations getting a tax rate competitive with other countries, but the history of tax breaks for the wealthy leading to the creation of jobs is dubious at best. You can have all the supply in the world, but you need people with jobs to fuel demand.
• I hope Tea Party types will get about the legitimate business of decrying government waste while reminding us how hard it is getting rid of government agencies when they outlive their usefulness. That's the real world according to their hero Ronald Reagan. Reagan could compromise with Tip O'Neill.  Stop hijacking his legacy by supporting fringe candidates who were prepared to freeze the debt ceiling!

Hot Weather Takes Its Toll

Perhaps this temperature sign on Main Street in Jewett City needs a little adjustment downward, since the bank sign down the street read 102. That aside, the heat wave broke records, stressing people and animals. The story took an upsetting turn in Groton when a dog owner left his Boxer outside in a cage all day, where he died in the sweltering heat. Stories of people's stupidity and cruelty aren't limited to heat waves, but people can lose their cool even more on days like last Friday. Not wanting to cook, I thought I'd grab something at a certain colonel's place. The AC was underperforming, and there I was behind this guy taking forever to fill three soda cups while constantly stopping, chatting nonstop on his phone. When the line behind him and me stretched across the room, I politely pointed out that he had a long line behind him. Instead of apologizing, he reacted loudly and angrily like I had some nerve, and proceeded to tell the guy on the phone what a @#*! I was. I kept my cool as he made a public ass of himself and I asked them at the counter to make my order "to go" since they had a "belligerent" customer. Weather extremes do bring them out of the woodwork! I'd rather gripe about the more mundane nuisances of summer - like mosquitoes and those biting flies - than wonder whether or not someone's going to get violent as well as rude. Honestly, I don't dislike everything about summer, but I don't tan well and late August through mid October is the best!

Hackers and Spammers

Imagine my surprise last weekend when, while away in New Hampshire, I checked my mobile email and discovered that an unauthorized spam message was sent to everyone on my contacts listfrom my personal address! The email contained nothing in the subject line and only a link in the message area sending people to ads for Viagra and the like. I recognized it as something that had been forwarded earlier to me by an advertising client. His email account had obviously been hacked, perhaps when he clicked on the link. I don't remember opening it, but that must have been how I became the next victim in this vicious cycle. Two things really bothered me about this. For one thing, it feels like such a personal violation to have some lowly excuse for a human being hack into my email and send junk with my name on it to people who trust me. Secondly, even if the spam recipients realize I - and potentially they - were hacked by nasty people we don't know, I would feel awful at causing others any harm or inconvenience. We have the voicemail hacking scandal in Britain involving News Corporation and the online anarchy carried out by WikiLeaks supporters called "Anonymous." Now, my own involuntary exposure to internet vandals really drove home the need to be vigilant. 

A Week of Triumphs and Tragedies

The success of Sailfest here in New London really demonstrated what can be accomplished when a community comes together to host some 300,000 visitors in one weekend.   This is truly the biggest single event all year in Connecticut!   However, nowhere has the contrast between the highs and lows of the past week been more obvious than in baseball.   The 3,000th career hit for Derek Jeter - a home run, too - couldn't have played out more perfectly on Saturday.  Even if you're a Red Sox fan (perish the thought), you've got to give this guy a lot of respect.    Meanwhile, tragedy was also being played out over and over as TV stations kept showing video of the Texas Rangers fan who fell to his death as he reached for a ball thrown by a player toward the stands.   Before he died, he actually expressed concern about his son.   Former first lady Betty Ford's death at 93 really marked another opportunity to celebrate the life of  woman who could always tell it like it is, and this nation is better because of her.   As the Watergate scandal brought the end of the Nixon administration and brought Gerald Ford to the Presidency in 1974, "Britain's Watergate" shut down a key piece of Rupert Murdoch's media empire and threatens to shake the foundations of the British government.   What a week of ups and downs! 

It Boggles the Mind

As Robin once exclaimed to the Caped Crusader, "Holy 4th of July, Batman!"   A new Marist poll shows many Americans don't know the significance of July 4th.   Four in ten Americans do not know that America declared its independence in 1776.   Almost one in four people surveyed around the country also didn't know the United States broke away from Great Britain.   I know I'm a history nut, but give me a break!    People lacking the most basic knowledge of history and other subjects may be good comedy material for Jay Leno, but the implications of this level of ignorance should be taken very seriously.   Our country's freedoms were won and reaffirmed by people who fought hard for them, often paying the ultimate price.   An informed public is our guarantee that these freedoms will be preserved.   Dictators demagogues rely on false information - or a lack of it - to take power.   We have been warned that those who ignore the past are bound to repeat it.   If you appreciate the real meaning of this holiday, Happy 4th of July!