I watched with interest this past week the nationwide demonstrations, orchestrated by the SEIU, in support of a $15 per hour “living wage” for fast food employees.  Attempting to be my normal flexible self, I grappled to find a rational argument in favor of, or against the idea.  Kept coming up with the phrase, “is there an argument for…….”, as a launching point for my eventual conclusion.

Is there room to argue whether the uniqueness and marketability of a professional baseball player warrants $10 million per year, as opposed to a more pedestrian salary in line with a doctor or a lawyer ?  Yes, I could argue both sides there.  And could I rationally argue that teachers deserve heftier compensation given their importance in our kids’ development, and then argue the next minute that they are wildly overpaid, since they only work nine months per year, benefit from all the little rugrats’ holidays and vacations, and after all, how hard is it to teach math to a gang of nine year olds ?     Yes, again both sides have merit.  Lastly, could I postulate that a big corporate chieftain deserves no more than 10-15 times the salary of the company’s lowest paid worker, and then concoct a perfectly rational, economically-based argument supporting multi-million dollar pay packages ?  Yep, I could.   In all these cases, and many more, there is merit for discussion from both sides of the table.

Now, let’s go to the case of the fast food worker making minimum wage, which for 50 hours per week at $8.25 per hour translates to about a $21,000 salary.  Can any of my readers put together a rational case for bumping that income to $39,000  ($15/$8.25 X $21,000) ?   I’ll print it if you put it forth.  What are these demonstrators thinking ?  They are just getting their arms twisted with wild promises by  the SEIU, which by the way I think expanded translates to “Sucking Union Dues From Everyone In a Uniform”.                               WHAT THE HECK !

Just returned from picking up my dog from Melanie’s Mutt Hutt, where she had her once-every-three-week cut and trim and blowdry.    Suddenly, I realized that I spend approximately three times as much on dog hair cutting than I invest in my own hair.   WHAT THE HECK !

The news is awash with religious and political fanatics from all corners of the globe trampling other nations’ sovereignty, lobbing rockets toward civilians, kidnapping and selling women, and oops, forgot the be-headings.  It’s like Spring break for the morally bereft and conscience-less evil.   It’s like a movie we are watching from behind a hidden curtain we call America.

Well, this is the foreign policy y’all yearned for and voted for.   Heads in the sand, untrustworthy and unwilling to stand up and defend the weak and helpless.   So how did that work for Woodrow Wilson prior to the crazies erupting in World War I, and even better, how did the appeasement policy of Neville Chamberlain (British Prime Minister 1937-1940 for those of you  in Birdsboro, PA) serve the world when the Japanese, Germans and Italians lost their moral compass in World War II  ?

Not too well, if my memory of 20th century history is accurate.   Enjoy watching it all unfold, you voted for it.  WHAT THE HECK !

I do not want to get into the habit of repeating a story from the national news, but this one deserves dissemination to all those who missed it, or those who choose to get their soundbite news only from a mobile device.  Former President Bill Clinton has been selected to receive the 2014 PGA Distinguished Service Award.   PGA President Ted Bishop noted in reference to the ex-President that       ” he shares the mission of the PGA of America to encourage our country’s young people to develop a healthier lifestyle through golf.”

Stunning that such a notorious golf cheat, according universally to friends, acquaintances, journalists, politicians (we’ll discount them) and two ex-Presidents, would be considered.    Extra shots, multiple mulligans, frequent use of the “kick wedge”, and mis-placement of balls marked on the green have long been part of the ex-President’s repertoire.    Does this mean that I can now take more than one mulligan per round ?                            WHAT THE HECK !

Professor Sunil Dutta of Colorado State University, and a 17 year veteran of the LAPD, last week suggested a unique and simple solution to the recurrent issue of police violence directed toward minority youth in our major cities.  His solution is for everyone to just comply with the authority of the authorities.  No, I’m not totally naïve, but a few “yes sirs” and a respectful compliance to police authority would help avoid the kind of situations percolating regularly in areas like Ferguson, Missouri.

Police have the right to ask questions, to detain for good cause, to challenge our activities.  Cops are not murderers; they don’t go out of their way to inject violence into everyday personal interaction. When they use force, it usually is in protection of their safety, or the public’s safety.

Dutta wrote: “here is the bottom line, if you don’t want to get shot, tased, pepper sprayed, struck with a baton or thrown to the ground, then just do what I tell you.  Don’t argue with me, don’t call me names, don’t call me a racist pig,  don’t threaten to sue me and take away my badge.  Don’t scream at me, and don’t even think of walking aggressively towards me.”

We’re all aware that there are corrupt cops, and cops that are bullies, that some act unprofessionally and arrogantly. “But why not save your outrage and challenge it appropriately”, according to Dutta.   After the fact, file a complaint or contact a civil rights organization or hire a blood sucking, bottom-feeding tort lawyer.  Just don’t challenge a cop during a stop.  Common sense, no matter what the situation, nor what the particular racial mix is.  WHAT THE HECK !

In my opinion, and according to the platform of the Libertarian Party, the only purpose of a central government is the protection of individual rights. In a perfect world, this would encompass defending the USA from aggression internally and  from abroad, and controlling entry into our country of foreign nationals who pose a credible threat to the security, health, or property of USA citizens.

Our central government’s unwillingness to protect us from both internal and external threats would make the Founding Fathers, particularly TJ,  spin in their graves.  Spying on our citizens’ personal information, failure to protect us from identity theft, lack of visa control,  and specifically an unwillingness to protect our borders from the intrusion of those seeking to illegally enter the USA, are all examples of our government’s failure to protect our individual rights.   Let’s just shrug our shoulders as the American Muslims fighting on the side of the ISIS kooks in the Middle East return to our soil.  We have all but admitted that our visa control over these individuals, including those arriving indirectly through Europe,  is porous.

And it’s not just the Proglibocrat left that’s at fault, blatantly seeking future dependence and votes.  I’d love to return to a Conservative Republican fold, but for unknown reasons, there are no apparent Republican leaders willing to stand up and protect our liberties, our customs, and most importantly, our borders.                  WHAT THE HECK !

Was enjoying Bill O’Reilly last night rail on about California’s Governor Jerry Brown (aka Moonbeam) clear subversion of federal immigration laws in his state, and his blatant and open arms policy to anyone sneaking over our Southern border.  This, despite an estimated $25 billion annual cost to the few remaining tax-paying, legal citizens of the state.   When did our politicians, specifically the Proglibocrats, forget that they were representing America and instead pursue some European-style form of  getting along ?                                    

For them, the issue is all about votes, period.  How can Proglibocrats in DC hold up comprehensive immigration reform by refusing first to close our Southern border to future “guests” ?   The only folks crossing that border are illegal citizens, terrorists, and drug smugglers.   Yes, they will all vote for Democrats, but at what cost ?   Paraphrasing Bill O’Reilly, close the darn border, then deal fairly with the individuals here . It’s not rocket science, but for the Proglibocrats who have lost the American way, it’s pure political science.         WHAT THE HECK !

It’s primary season in Florida, time to pick our favorite judges, state reps, dog catchers,  school board commissioners, and last but not least the two candidates who will face off in November to be our governor.   With all the negative campaigning, and the fact that many local candidates are prohibited from expressing from whence they crawled, left or right, it just seems like such a waste of time and resources.

But yes, I’m privileged to vote and will do so, and I have settled on a selection process that works for me, and hopefully for you.   It is a point system, and whichever candidate racks up the least points, they then receive my vote.  Points can be earned in the following way :  1 negative point for a smiley four-color mailer,  2 negative points for a television ad smearing  an opponent,  3 negative points for anyone that knocks on my door or litters my porch with a written sales pitch.    4 points can be earned if I see someone other than the candidate jumping up and down at a traffic intersection waving a sign, and finally a 5 point penalty for a recorded phone message.   Immediate exclusion can be earned if the above-mentioned telephone call interrupts the wonderful dinner my wife has cooked.

So there, a low risk,  low effort way to make decisions about folks I don’t really care about.  WHAT THE HECK !

“A little rebellion now and then is a good thing.”         Thomas Jefferson (1787)          WHAT THE HECK !

I’m so excited.  The new Fiat 500e electric cars begin to hit Fiat showrooms this week across the country.   But don’t run out to buy one just yet, or you will run afoul of Fiat Chrysler Automotive CEO Serrghio Marchionne, who back in May begged Americans not to buy the 500e.   “I hope you don’t buy the 500e because every time I sell one it costs me $14,000.  I will sell the minimum of what I need to sell and not one more.”    Responding to overzealous fleet fuel efficiency mandates put in place in 2011 by the Obama EPA, automakers increasingly must produce cars that Americans don’t want to buy.

Let’s get this straight.  The EPA wants zero emission vehicles that no one wants, and they are willing to give the consumer a tax credit to do so.  Automakers produce the desired, unwanted product, then beg consumers not to buy them.  And the emissions produced by fossil-fuel powered electric  generation plants needed to provide the juice necessary to incessantly plug in and recharge the electric cars is greater than the emissions from a like-number of gasoline powered vehicles .   And the taxpayers get hit by offering tax credits to the dopes who buy the cars.    Aren’t Teslas cool though ?           WHAT THE HECK !