Who should be the first Mormon “Supreme?”

Suppose that President Obama decided that it was time to nominate a member of a religious minority to the Supreme Court that had never been represented before and decides it is time to appoint a Latter-day Saint. He asks you for potential nominees. Who would you recommend? Clearly, there a many talented church members in the legal profession. It would not be an easy task, but I would like to suggest one likely candidate.

The individual I would choose is R. Collin Mangrum. My reasons are many fold. The first is that he is one of the best trained legal scholars in the world. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree, magna cum laude, from Harvard University in 1972; his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Utah, School of Law in 1974, where he was Associate Editor of the Law Review; his Bachelor of Civil Laws from Oxford University in 1978; and his Doctor of Judicial Science degree from Harvard University in 1983. He is currently the A. A. & Ethel Yossem Endowed Chair in Legal Ethics at Creighton University School of Law. Collin is considered to be a constitutional scholar of considerable renown in the areas of evidentiary law and church and state issues.

The second reason is the clarity of his reasoning and thoughts. I remember when I was a young graduate student, Dr. Mangrum was asked to speak in a forum jointly sponsored by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the local LDS Institute of Religion. The topic was on comparing and contrasting classical liberalism and Mormon Philosophy. What impressed me the most, besides refuting many of the so-called conservative political philosophers who haven’t bothered to do their basic homework, is how he logically set up the “dots” of his arguments then carefully connected those “dots.”

The third thing is that I had considerable contact with him with my ward in Lincoln, and was very impressed by his genuine humanity and compassion; qualities that are highly desirable in every member of the “Supremes.”

I would like to hear from our readers who they would nominate for the first Mormon Supreme Court Justice and why.

A nation shows its gratitude

 
I was pleased to see in the Washington Post earlier this week that the administration has reversed the no press policy at the Dover Air Force Base arrival ceremonies and replaced it with a family discretion policy. This hits home a little harder to me than most Americans. As the father of a daughter who was deployed to Iraq’s Al Anbar Province during its most dangerous period, I can certainly empathize with the families of the deceased warriors. In my daughter’s case, she was “volun-told” to double as a blackhawk helicopter crew chief (door gunner). She participated in several “Angel Flights”; both planned and when, as the closest helicopter a badly wounded service member, they simply could not make it in time. I now have an American flag that they would hang in the window as they brought of their fallen Angels home.

My only suggestion would be that each fallen angel should be met at the tarmac, with the family’s permission, by at least one elected representative of the people to present the family with the fallen warrior’s Purple Heart. That duty should be the responsibility of the President, Vice President, the fallen warrior’s Senator, Congressperson, Governor, or Lieutenant Governor. This new tradition would serve several purposes including showing the families that the American people are truly grateful for their sacrifice and giving our elected officials a better appreciation for the true costs of war.

As always my friends, your feedback and comments are always appreciated.

Friday Forum: John Shupe’s dream

It must have been bitterly cold, during the winter of 1776 when Private John Shupe stood guard for General George Washington’s revolutionary army. Like many of his colleagues, my ancestor was likely ill-prepared for the blizzards of that year. He did not have adequate food clothing or shelter. I am utterly amazed of the sacrifices made that winter in the wilds of Pennsylvania. Not much is known about Private Shupe; just the basics like birth date, his rank and his unit. But much is known about the issues that motivated him to join the revolution. His was a fight against tyranny. He fought so no innocent man, woman or child should have good reason to fear the government of the United States of America. His dream was to form an nation based on freedom and liberty for all, including those who are not like us.
For most Americans the concepts of freedom and liberty are vague ideas that are brought out for the Fourth of July in between the picnics and parties. But there are a few of that have stared at the ugly face of tyranny and stood helplessly by as witness to man’s worst nature. As a 19-year-old missionary I was called to the Chilean Mission arriving two weeks before Salvador Allende was overthrown by Angusto Pinochet on September 11, 1973. At one point I was picked up at gunpoint for questioning and accused of “clandestine activities.” I was the accused terrorist. I have stood before the man who was my judge, jury and executioner with the full knowledge that I had no Constitution – no consistently applied rule of law to protect me. I was at the mercy of one man who only had his sense of professionalism left over from a career of public service restraining him from becoming the instrument of tyranny.
I have heard the cries of the orphans and widows. I have heard the tales of torture and indiscriminate execution. I have seen the faces of the women who lined up outside the “Intendencias” [local police stations] every morning waiting for news of their husbands and sons who had been picked up by the police or military. I have heard the stories of the covered trucks that quietly make deliveries to the cemeteries after midnight, of the helicopters that fly out to the Pacific with bound prisoners and return without them; prisoners that would never be seen again. I have been woken by the sounds of gunfire in the wee hours of the morn. I have seen trials of blood down the city streets. I understand the fear of the knock on the door in the middle of the night.
I have often wondered what men like John Shupe would think if they could see what they hath wrought. I would imagine that they would be filled with pride and gratitude for much of what the United States has accomplished, for clearly we have overcome our darker nature most of the time throughout our history. Though most of our history innocent men, women, and children have not needed to fear being held without evidence, having our personal correspondence monitored by the “king,” tortured for information or watched over by heavily armed soldiers or police.
But there have been times in recent years when my personal nightmare has returned. I cringe at reports of my government holding civilians at Gitmo without the most basic of due process. A flood of memories comes back when I hear reports of torture and/or activities like unto it. I am very proud of my son who turned down a badly needed computer programming position with the NSA because he had read the Constitution.
My fellow Democrats, we are the party in charge now. What can and should we do to restore John Shupe’s dream?

Friday Forum:A case of rightous indignation?

As a very even keeled individual, I rarely generate genuine anger, but when I heard of the A.I.G. bonuses, my reaction was best described as visceral. Was I feeling righteous indignation or jealousy? As it turns out, I was not the only one. From my reading in my hometown paper, The Washington Post, my reaction was measured and kind compared to many others throughout the country. So what do you think/feel my fellow Mormon Democrats? Is there just cause for righteous indignation? If so, what is the appropriate way(s) to approach this messy situation?

An Earmark Solution

It seems as though we are in the midst of another tempest in a teapot over earmarks. Several lawmakers from the loyal opposition seem to think that they are the root of fiscal evil. The truth is, they view their earmarks to be vital short-term projects and our earmarks to be “pork barrel spending.” Ok, so things haven’t changed much in Congress, but they could. Since the Democrats pretty much own the House and the Senate, maybe it’s time to change the rules to address much of the legitimate criticism. I would suggest the following process:
1. Congress pre-approves a spending amount for an omnibus earmark bill that would be passed as part of the yearly budget cycle.
2. Half of the corpus will be allocated for Senate sponsorship and half for the House.
3. Each Senator sponsor project s valuing up to 1/100 of the Senate amount. Likewise each House member will be allocated an equal share to sponsor.
4. Each Senator and Congressman would then choose to fund projects up to their allotted amount. They will be encouraged to submit a short waiting list in case a project is removed for cause.
5. Senators and Congressmen would be encouraged to joint sponsor regional projects for specific amounts.
6. Multi-year projects could be sponsored up to the balance of the Senate or Congressperson’s term by obligating a specified amount for their following years. Thus, in the first year of their terms representatives could sponsor two-year projects and Senators could sponsor up to six-year projects.
7. The projects will then go through a quick vetting process to verify that they are legitimate government projects by the finance committee. One of the criteria for this process is that no project can go forward that the relevant agency has specifically requested that they do not need or want. If a project is questionable then it would be replaced by the Senate or Congressperson’s waitlisted projects of similar size.
8. The two legislative bodies then could approve it on a voice vote.
9. Law makers would be explicitly prohibited from introducing earmark or earmark-like bills for the rest of the year.

Since the individual projects would be clearly identified with a specific lawmaker, then each lawmaker could be made accountable for the projects they sponsored. So, for example, if the good citizens of Arizona think that expanding their irrigation system is a good use of taxpayer money, then they could thank their friendly lawmaker at the polls. If they think that spending their state’s allocation on a project to build a subway system in Snowflake, AZ is a bad idea, then they can express their opinion at the next election.

This set of rules would be helpful by capping the kitty to an agreed upon amount, allow for specific responsibility, and stop the competition for delivering the most earmark cash to the lawmakers’ home turf.

Seperating Mortgage Wheat from the Tares

As the administration is forming its mortgage rescue plan, there has been unexpected resistance within the body politic. It seems that there a fear that the government will be subsidizing and thereby encouraging irresponsibility amongst those that took out mortgages unethically. Clearly, that is a point well taken. We don’t want to bailout folks who have cheated, speculated or scammed the system. It is in our interest, however, to help out good honest folks who contracted their mortgages honestly and prudently, but now find themselves, through no fault of their own, holding a mortgage they can no longer pay. Since the best estimates of the impact of one foreclosure in a neighborhood is the lowering of housing values between 6 and 9%, this is a problem that has the potential to affect us all.

Since we are a group of bright thinking people, I would like to hear program suggestions that would be helpful in differentiating those that are in need of mortgage help through no fault of their own and those that are in their financial situation due to their own irresponsibility.

A Stimulus Primer from a Mormon Perspective

In the 41st chapter of Exodus, I would argue, we find the first known description of a business cycle. Joseph, who was sold into Egypt, described seven years of plenty followed by seven years of famine. God also told the King through Joseph what the optimum policy would be to ameliorate the seven years of famine. That policy was to have the government store up a surplus during the good years then use the stored surplus to pump their economy during the famine years. This buffered the effects of the famine and helped Egypt and surrounding counties get through the difficult times. Had they not stored up this surplus, they may not have recovered and the people would have likely perished.

In modern times, these principles still apply. The business cycle is still with us. We still have feast and famine years in spite of some modest success in buffering the extremes. The general solution is still the same; store a surplus during the good years then use the surplus in the famine years to pump the economy until the famine is over.

Since most of the years in the post WWII era have been basically good ones, if we had followed this general principle we should have averaged a modest net Federal surplus. The record since 1950 has been an average deficit of 1.8% of GDP. Although neither party has been successful in averaging a positive Federal balance sheet, the Democratic presidents have come closest to that goal with a 0.9% of GDP average deficit to the Republicans 2.3% of GDP average deficit.

I understand that balancing the Federal budget is not an easy task. I can understand that projections are not always accurate and that there are frequently unforeseen circumstances that will cause an unbalanced budget. However, there have been times when we have simply not been responsible such as the infamous tax cuts of 1981 and 2001. I could easily climb on my soapbox and pontificate against the competing party, but as fun as that may be; it doesn’t do anything to resolve the nation’s economic problems. The three ring circus is over. We need to act like adults and clean up after the elephants.

So coming back to reality, we are in the midst of a famine cycle. It is imperative that we overhaul our economic engine before it is completely broken down. We don’t have the reserves we need to fix it easily. So what do we do? I would argue that we have essentially four generic options:

1. Do nothing: The extreme free market folks would argue that the market always self corrects. I would argue that the self correction process works well in “normal” economic times, but this is not your father’s recession. It could take decades to recover. Meanwhile since tax collections are heavily dependent on economic activity, the deficit will accrue even faster than it is already accruing.
2. Balance the Budget at all costs: We tried that one at the beginning of the great depression. It was counterproductive. Increasing taxes at the time when business and individuals can least afford them, causes the economy to slow down even further; a bad unintended consequence.
3. Borrow and pump: This is the favorite Republican approach of borrowing money then pushing it out to individuals and companies through mechanisms such as tax rebates and tax cuts. Historically, these tactics have seen modest benefits to the economy, but this approach has three downsides. The first is that rebates and cuts are described as leaky in the economic literature. Many households spend the extra cash on things that are made outside of the US (like last year’s gas spike); they save it, or pay off old bills; so much of the stimulus effect is lost in the process. The second is that they are short lived; usually lasting in the neighborhood of six months to a year. The third is that they leave more debt, which has the effect of raising the base cost of government until such time as the debt is paid.
4. Borrow, invest and pump: This option borrows money and invests it in projects that create assets that have a positive net present value to the Federal Treasury. The advantage is that they create assets that lock in a cash flow to the Treasury (such as a loan to individuals or businesses), reduce the operating expense of the government in future years, improve workers skills translating to more taxable income or create taxable income enabling assets that will likely generate more income then what was originally invested. The disadvantage to this option is that it takes time for these projects to gear up and some serious thought, planning and effort to make it happen.

Needless to say old Dr. Brain Scientist has a strong preference for option 4. He sees it as the 1 Ne 3:7 option. Nephi was sent on a difficult, seemingly impossible errand, yet he was confident that the way was prepared for him to accomplish this task. In likewise manner, we are creating a huge debt burden for ourselves and our children to borrow our way out of this recession. Repaying this debt would be an impossible task, unless we prepare the way by insisting that the bulk of the bailout money is spent on positive net present value projects. Tax cuts and rebates should be viewed as a stop gap measure for the longer term projects to kick in so it is best that we keep them to a minimum.

If we are successful in implementing this strategy, the deficit will increase in 2009 and possibly 2010. By 2011, the deficit will start shrinking again as we regain our economic confidence and the assets we created start to pay off. I just hope that when this is all over that we will learn our lesson and start paying down the National Debt so one day we will have a National Surplus that we can call upon in any future years of famine.

Man with the plan

You never know when the boss might drop in

Years ago, when I was supporting my young family as a weekend telephone operator at the church officed building while attending graduate school,  I frequently had to track down Spencer W. Kimball which was not an easy task since he was  always out doing something for others. I always admired that part of his leadership.
For the staff and patients of Ward 57 of the Walter Reed Army Medical Center there are those that talk and those that do. I still admire that characteristic in a leader.

The 4th of July on Steriods

Like most offices, it isn’t unusual to hear conversations in my office just before quitting time. A couple of days ago, I overheard the administrative folks who shared the large office across the hall, most of whom happened to be African American, talking about how they thought the inauguration was going to be cool and historic, but how it was going to be too crowded or too much effort for them to go.
I couldn’t resist. I walked up to the door and said, “For those of you who can make it, please look me up. I will be in the red hat with the volunteer credentials.”
One of them said, “How are you getting there?”
“I am getting up at 5:00 to catch the MARC train to Union Station then walk to my assignment on the Mall” I matter-of-factly quipped. Needless to say, the conversation changed to figuring out the best ways to get downtown to the ceremony.
I short time later, when I had come in to resupply my paperclips, one of the young ladies very politely and respectfully asked, “Dr. Brainscientist, do you mind if I asked why you care so much about the inauguration?” I could see in her eyes that she was really trying to say, “Why would a middle-aged, over-educated Mormon white guy like yourself go to such effort to see the first black president take the oath of office.”
I paused for a moment then gently said, “My reasons are deeply personal. I have seen what happens when a government is changed by coercion. I have seen innocent people drug to their deaths. To me, next Tuesday will be a time of joy; a time to celebrate our freedom.”
The look on her face was priceless. She understood.
The more I pondered her question, the more I am convinced that our inaugurations are not so much about the man who takes the oath of office. They are not about “my party is better than your party. “ They are not even about throwing the “bums” out after four to eight years. Inaugurations are about the joy that comes when we the people have the freedom to choose our leaders and not have to fear the evil bonds of tyranny. All we have to fear is the Halloween pranksters who move our lawn signs to our Republican neighbors’ front yards. Inaugurations should be nothing less than the 4th of July on steroids!
See ya’ll on the Mall next Tuesday.

Solutions Out of Choas #2: A Serendipitous Solution

Now that the Federal Government, rightly or wrongly, gotten into the securities business, we are quite by accident in a position to solve or partially solve a long term problem that looms on the horizon. If the Chrysler bailout or the 1980s is anywhere close to a realistic model then we should be in for a pretty good windfall in a few years. In the Chrysler case, the Chrysler securities that the US Government purchased roughly tripled in value before they sold it.
Now I don’t have a problem with the taxpayers making a tidy profit on the bailout, however, once the Treasury has replenished what was borrowed, I propose an alternative idea to solve a long term problem with the remaining securities.
Since we are expecting a large shortfall in Social Security revenues in about 20 years and the majority of the population is resistant to increasing taxes to fill that shortfall, then why not put the remaining securities into a special endowment fund. This fund would take the proceeds of from the dividends and interest and purchase more securities until such time as the shortfall actually happens. At that point the dividends could be used to supplement Social Security taxation to provide for recipients’ pensions. The fund would be set up so the corpus could not be paid out, but only the proceeds. This strategy could well reduce or eliminate the need for a Social Security tax increase, while keeping the benefits constant. Another happy result is that Social Security would become a partially funded retirement system instead of a 100% pay as you go system, thus diversifying its risks.

Solutions Out of Chaos: Connect the Dots, Game 1, Part 2: A solution

Now that we have all had a chance to vent our frustration over the Big Three’s grand entrance on Capitol Hill it’s time to come up with some solutions for the auto industry.   (Let’s face it folks, when you come begging for emergency cash, you have more credibility if you fly into National Airport coach class, take the Metro to the Capitol, treat your senator to a Big Mac at the National Space and Aeronautics Museum McDonalds after your hearing then take the Metro back to the Airport to avoid paying for a night at Motel 6.)  Since the four “Ts” (timely, targeted temporary, and tangible) apply to the automotive industry our strategy will be to optimize these characteristics, I’ll use it as my basic strategy.

 

Like most relationships in economics, there are trade-offs to be made between these four criteria.  For example, typically there is a tradeoff between timeliness and targeted.  If your economy is falling rapidly, there may not be enough time to gear up the administrative mechanisms to effectively target resources to the most affected sectors of the economy.  To balance out the effects of these tradeoffs, it frequently makes sense to have a coordinated package of interventions.  For example:

Phase I: Immediate jumpstart of the US auto industry

·         Using normal operating funds invigorate production (and save the government so money by)

o   Prepaying up to 90% of the contracted cost of vehicles normally purchased during FY2009.

o   Accelerate the delivery schedule of the vehicles

o   In consideration of the “Prepay and Accelerate” policy, the Government will receive a discount on the cost of the vehicles.

·         Using a sizable chunk of Bailout Money, create a one-time car loan program with the following features:

o   Loans will be issued through the various car manufacturer’s Acceptance Corporations

o   Loans will be financed using US Treasury Bills as part of the Bailout authorization

§  The interest rate will be fix based on the following:

·         Interest rate of the T-bills

·         Sufficient interest to cover expected administrative costs by the government

·         Risk premium

·         Up to 1% “profit” for the Treasury

·         Sufficient interest to cover expected administrative costs by the Acceptance Corporation

·         Risk premium for defaulted loans

§  Borrower must be a U.S. citizen.

§  If the debtor defaults on the loan, any unpaid balance after reposition could be levied against the individuals tax refunds

o   Loans will be targeted to individuals with steady employment and mid-range credit scores

o   Models eligible for the loans must be new and at least 50% American in origin. Vehicles with 80% or more origin will receive priority. Vehicles with high gas mileage ratings and/or hybrid engines will receive priority

o   The program will run until the allocated money runs out or 2 years, whichever happens first.

Phase II: Development and production of multi-fuel vehicle

·         Using a chunk of alternative fuel R&D funds combined with FY 2010 motor pool budget, develop and produce a small number of vehicle models using current or almost developed sources of energy that have the following specifications:

o   Are electric/internal combustion hybrid

o   Electric sources of energy include:

§  Plug in capacity with easy to remove battery

§  Solar panel on roof and/or trunk

§  Combustion engine

o   Combustion sources of energy include:

§  Gaseous fuel

·         Propane

·         Natural Gas

·         Methane

§  Liquid Fuel

·         Flex fuel (85% ethanol)

·         Regular unleaded gasoline

Strategically, Phase I fills much of the lost demand by infusing funds directly into the hands of citizens who are in the market for a new vehicle and by directly purchasing vehicles.  Both methods could be implemented within a few weeks so they meet the timely test.  They both are targeted to an industry that is hurting.  Both are temporary with specific time limits.  Targeting financing results in a tangible asset; loans that are paid back with a modest amount of interest over the T-bill.  The pre-pay and accelerate policy would result in the government obtaining vehicles at a modest discount, yielding a long run benefit to taxpayers.  Taxpayers would also benefit by keeping a non-trivial number of Americans working.  Since working Americans pay more taxes than non-working Americans, it is the people’s best interest to ameliorate this situation long enough, if possible, for the economy to self-adjust.

The second phase meets the country’s strategic needs in a much more robust way.  One of the main reasons that oil producers produce huge price spikes is because we have little to no energy flexibility.  By developing vehicles like the one I outlined and selling them in large numbers we end up with tremendous flexibility.  If foreign oil concerns start charging too much, a significant portion of our citizens will simply flip a switch (or have the car’s computer do it for them) to a different source of energy thus reducing the amount of oil sold.  Most of the engineering would involve developing a multiple fuel injector and coordinating it with the vehicle’s computer.  Off the assembly-line vehicles would be modified for the extra (gaseous) fuel tank(s), batteries, and solar panel instillations.

The Government would benefit by having the first Multi-fuel vehicles on the road, thus they could operate with little effect on its bottom line through any future oil shocks.

Will this plan solve Detroit’s entire problem?  Probably not, but at least it would be a possible solution that is likely to make or save the government money.  It doesn’t do as well in terms of timeliness, but should kick in as Phase I is phasing out.  It would be temporary in that the Feds only agree to prepay and accelerate for a couple of years.  It is targeted to an industry in worse shape than most of the rest.  It has the potential of creating a tax generating asset – multi-fuel vehicle technology that will be used for several years to come (until a better technology is invented).

Connect the Dots: Game 1, Part 1

Ok all of you wonderful political pioneers; it is time to play your first game of “Policy Connect the Dots.” The rules of the game are quite simple.  I will layout several items dealing with a current policy topic.  Then I will give you a couple of days (or however long it takes for me to find enough time in my overbooked life to put my thoughts in writing) to respond then I will give you my solution.  So without any further fanfare, consider the following:

·         Dot 1:  The American auto industry is in super-deep doo-doo (30% drop in sales)

·         Dot 2:  Availability of auto loans is very tight.  It takes a near perfect credit score to obtain a 9% loan from the major auto makers acceptance corporations.

·         Dot 3: Auto makers and related businesses are beginning to lay off production employees

·         Dot 4: Oil prices have fluctuated almost as much as the stock market, but mostly in the opposite direction

·         Dot 5: Solving the global warming issue requires a reduction in average emissions from motorized vehicles

·         Dot 6: The demand for different models of automobiles changes quickly with the price of fuel. At this point in time, there is considerable mismatch between the portfolio of vehicles in demand and the portfolio being produced

·         Dot 7: The auto industry and related businesses employs a considerable proportion of the civilian workforce

·         Dot 8: The US Government purchases hundreds of thousands of motor vehicles each year

·         Dot 9: The US is dependent on other countries (some of which do not particularly like us) for petroleum based fuel

·         Dot 10: The criteria for successful economic stimulus interventions (as defined by economist Larry Summers) are timely, targeted and temporary

·         Dot 11: Dr. BrianScientist also uses the criterion tangible to be highly desired.  That is, ideally the intervention will result in one of the following tangible assets:    

o   1. An asset that the public uses to generate more business and thereby increase tax revenue, such as roads, water projects, etc. 

o   2.  Investments in human capital, such as education and job training. 

o   3.  1. An asset that reduces the cost of government.

Now you can earn extra political pioneer points and additional bragging rights if all or part of your solution requires little or no increased Federal outlay or can be put in effect with little or no Congressional involvement (which slows the process down).

Solutions Out of Chaos: Introduction

                The ballot boxes are once again stored neatly in county offices throughout these United States.  It is safe to turn on the TV or radio without fear of yet another annoying political commercial. The lawn signs and bumper stickers are going away.  We, the people, have spoken.  It is time now to govern.

As Democrats, we have been given a chance; a chance to do “good” and a chance to prove ourselves.  I am impressed the logic of an older voter I heard on NPR shortly before Election Day.  “I’ve been a Republican all of my life, but they have not done a very good job of running the country this time.  I’ll going to give this Obama fellow a chance.  I wish him well, but if he doesn’t do a good job, I’m going back to voting Republican in four years,” he stated.

Can you imagine how difficult it was for that citizen for Iowa to reverse his lifelong commitment of the other party to give us a chance; a chance to make this country better?  I personally am moved by this man’s willingness to look beyond the comfort of a long held affiliation to give us an opportunity.  I am also humbled by the responsibility and urgency in this gentleman’s statement.  He has hired a new government, but has put us on notice that we are expected to perform; and perform we must.

As Democrats, we have a proud history of innovation and problem solving.  As I think of the many innovations we have made as a nation governed by the people, it seems like more than the majority came from the minds of Democrats.  Has it not been the Democrats who have risen to the occasion to solve our country’s most urgent problems?

As Latter-day Saints we know how to perform under the most adverse of circumstances.  More than once when I have had a particularly hard day, I have thought “I know, I know, my great-great grandfather rode a horse and walked most of the length of Wyoming in blizzards to rescue two handcart companies and a wagon train. He found his sister near death amongst the Willy Company and his brother in the Hunt wagon train.  I am sure he and the other members of the rescue party had to blaze new trails, solve complex problems, work long hard hours and take calculated risks as they marched into an unknown future.  It stands to reason that if a quiet, poorly educated farmer and sheepherder could rise to such an occasion on behalf of his family, his faith and his community, then perhaps I can likewise rise to the occasion and at least try to solve some of my country’s problems.

Fortunately, we don’t have to push handcarts through the snow any more, but metaphorically, our Wyoming blizzards are every bit as challenging today as they were in great-great granddad’s day.  Our party will soon face blizzards of equivalent magnitude; a once vigorous economy seeking its bottom, two wars started under questionable pretenses, and a badly damaged or neglected environment.     Yes every generation of Americans has had their challenges yet somehow we have risen to the occasion.

It is time my friends to symbolically saddle up the family horse, fill up the family wagon and head into the storm.   We will need our best and brightest.  We will need those who are not faint of heart.  We will need to find our way. 

Two of the things I like about this site are the quality of thought expressed and the civility that the participants show toward each other.  It seems to be a forum that attracts serious talent; people with the ability to solve our nation’s problems.  I feel that the regular participants of this site could make a difference by providing both intellectual and practical knowhow.  One way to contribute to the national dialogue is to act as a sounding board for those who wish to test their ideas.

Over the next few weeks, I propose to provide the site with a series of posts on creative ways to solve some of the nation’s problems.  I would ask you to join me in two ways; as a commenter and by submitting your own ideas.  Some of my ideas are based on unique combinations of conventional knowledge others are a combination of old knowledge with new, while others are truly unique.  I would kindly ask that you should think about what I will be saying, then please comment.  I would also love to hear your ideas. 

So heads up my good friends.  The next installment of “Solutions out of Chaos” will be coming soon to a computer near you.

It’s Performance That Counts

Just looking at my background, I would fit a demographic of a classic Republican; white, upper middle class, wears a suit to work, has never had unusually long hair, grew up in Utah, graduated from BYU, and has committed Republican parents.  I should be riding around with GOP bumper stickers extolling the virtues of trickle down economics.  So why should a kid who grew up so Republican be writing for MormonDemocrats.com?

                The answer my friends can be summarized in one word, “PERFORMANCE.”  In a very real sense, every citizen over 18 and in legal standing hires a government every election cycle.  Voting is simply a way we make a group decision regarding who will run the government for us. Many of us hire a political party and others attempt to hire individuals.  Like any hiring process, when it comes down to it, we all use a set of criteria to make the decision of who to vote for.  Some voters will use will limit their discretionary power to matters of inconsequential trivia.  Some of us, however, really care about our country and take the hiring decision very seriously.