Silence Is Not Golden

By now you're likely sick of all the ads, the media coverage and the water cooler talk at the office. The election may still be more than five weeks off, but at this point most voters are feeling campaign fatigue.  Chances are pretty good you have made your mind up on the Presidency one way or the other. Maybe you've told yourself you're not thrilled with the options you have for that office or that you've become frustrated with the entire political game and you aren't sure that any of them have your best interests at heart.  These scenarios are all reasonable and understandable points of view. Guess what? You still need to get off your ass and go vote.

I know. You're wondering how I have come to the conclusion that I get to tell you what to do, right?  I don't get to "tell you", but I get to remind you that voting is not just your right, but your responsibility. You can take the coward's way out and say that not voting is as much of a political statement as voting and volunteering and working for a candidate or cause. That philosophy is partially true, because you are making a choice. But it is not a choice based on the good of the government that represents you. It's a choice based on what makes you feel good by doing nothing. Doing nothing in this sense muddles and dilutes the process of democracy.

Not voting is a defiant act that may have the best of intentions behind it, but voting is not a political act. It is a patriotic and sacred endeavor. Like it or not, this is how we have chosen to administer justice and policy in our republic for more nearly two and a half centuries. It is an imperfect system; a system which can be maddening and at times even callous, but most of the time it works. It usually works really well, actually.

Sadly, much of the time when the democratic process does fail, is because we the electorate are uninvolved. This simple lesson that you probably learned in high school civics is just as true today as it was then. No Vote = No Voice.

Before you get all high and mighty and tell me what an ass bag I am, remember that I am not telling you that you have to vote. I am reminding you that you should. You should vote because what gets decided on Nov. 6th and in virtually every election that's occurred since you turned 18, affects your life directly, no matter how slightly. The significance of the decisions we make in the polling booth are almost always of more value than the amount of time it took you to cast a ballot.

For much of our history, large groups of our citizens were denied the right to vote in this country. From minorities and women to the descendants of those who were here before European explorers arrived. For the first several elections in our nation you were required to be a white, male landowner to cast a ballot. The conditions for who is allowed to vote have changed slowly and painfully throughout the last two centuries, many times at the cost of lives. Now, for the most part, you need be 18 years of age and a legal resident to participate in this great endeavor.

The freedom which we are so frequently prideful of in our land is most brightly illuminated in our voting process. It is a freedom which comes with a body count and bloody past. It is not to be trifled with and it is not to be considered lightly. It is not designed to be a playground for base political games. If we choose to let it become something less than a great freedom and a day of celebration for our right to vote, that would be a damn shame.

So, you may choose to not vote on Nov. 6th. That is your solemn right and no one can make you go do it. Just remember that your are an integral part of this process and your voice will have an affect on our future, whether you choose to use it or not.

A Congress Of Dunces

This week, the Chicago Teachers Union and the Chicago City School District were able to reach an agreement that ended a strike that lasted just less than two weeks. The strike reactivated vitriol and heated debate over the issues of unions, teachers and the state of public education. Finally, after the smoke cleared, the two sides were able to reach an amicable agreement based on compromise that returned more than 350,000 children to the classroom.

Much of the debate against the teachers had to do with poor performance, a lack of clear results based on test scores and the antiquated maxim that teachers get their summers off and leave work everyday at 3:00 pm. This is an issue I have spoken on before, but more than wanting to defend the noble profession of teaching I was actually reminded of another group of employees that work fewer days, with lesser results that are severely over-compensated and require no union to negotiate on their behalf. I am talking of course, about the Unites States Congress.

The second session of the 112th Congress came back to work on September 10, 2012 after their annual five week summer break. They worked all five days that week, and then returned to session the next week to work three days. Now, they're going on break again until after the Nov. 6 election. Yep, you read that right. They took a five week break, came back to work a blazing eight days in two weeks and then hit the road again for six weeks. This means, that in a twelve week period, our legislators have actually been on the job for eight days.

Certainly by now you're thinking, "Well they have to run for office." Does your job allow you to vote on when you'll be taking time off for a round of interviews to get a promotion or schmooze to keep your job? Mine sure as hell does not. And even if the typical election year schedule does allow for time for campaigning, it's imperative to remember two very fundamental points. First, maybe if you need time to campaign to keep your job, you should shorten your break in a summer there is an election. Second, you are being paid to legislate and not to win over voters.

In fact, thus far in 2012 Congress has been in actual legislative session just 111 days. As a direct contrast, the average school teacher spends about 180 days in the classroom. Sure, the congressman needs to have time to campaign and spend time in his district in much the same way that a teacher must obtain advanced degrees, plan lessons, correct homework and attend meetings, conferences and extra curricular events. After the election is done, there are likely to be only 20 - 25 days of legislative session time before the end of the year. Meaning that at best, congress will come up at least 35 days short of the average school teacher.

The average salary for a public school teacher in this country is somewhere near $44,000. Teachers in Chicago weren't even negotiating about money as much issues like the length of school day, tenure, the affect of test scores on promotion and retention and of course benefits like health care and pensions.

Meanwhile, the average congressional member receives around $174,000 per year. That works out to an average salary of about four times a teacher, while working seven fewer weeks a year. But it doesn't stop there. Congressional members also receive a very generous benefits package including lifelong pensions guaranteeing them a full salary for life and the very best health care money can buy.

So, we must be getting great results from spending so much money on these illustrious national leaders. Well, that is not how it appears to the average observer. Several recent polls show an approval rating for Congress at somewhere around 10%. In other words, 9 of every 10 Americans think they're doing a poor job at running our country. Gridlock rules the day and the blame game is more rampant than at any time in modern history.

Some pundits have even speculated that the reason for the lengthy absence prior to the election is the simple political fact that no one will compromise enough to pass legislation because it may give the other party some sort of political capital. They're refusing to work together, so they just won't work at all.

The Chicago teachers have returned to the classroom to help children learn and to help them grow to become members of a productive society. Perhaps those students will become productive as long as they aren't taught to run for Congress.

My Freeloading Ways

In the hours since the first appearance of the now infamous video of Presidential nominee, Mitt Romney speaking candidly about his campaign and economic viewpoint at a Boca Raton fundraiser last May, pundits and strategists have been calculating the political damage and assessing the fallout. Even conservative columnists like David Brooks have taken Mr. Romney for being completely out of touch with the electorate.

In terms of how this affects Romney's chances of winning will take weeks to play out. In the immediate aftermath of these incendiary, and deeply cynical statements I have attained a crystallization as to why I find the tactics of the right so appalling and out of touch with my own view on life.

I paid no federal income taxes for the year 2011. Therefore in Mitt Romney's eyes I am a free-loader sucking at the teat of big government. According to his Orwellian vision of a failed America, I have no ambition, no work ethic and no desire to better myself or to take responsibility for my life. Mr. Romney, while I respect your right to your own ideas and the right to free speech, let me show what my life is really like and perhaps in that example you may begin to see why I am offended by your short sighted and bigoted policy views and why you will not get my vote this November.

For the last several years of my life I have co-owned my own small business. During that time I have purchased a building, paid to have it renovated and paid annual property taxes. Obviously, our business has hired employees, paid unemployment taxes, federal payroll taxes, state withholding taxes and made employee contributions to retirement accounts and paid for our own health insurance policies. We pay these bills on time and in full and are always in good stead on our accounts.

At the end of 2008, my wife graduated with a bachelor's degree after quitting her job and focusing again on her education. Upon completion of her degree, she was not only unable to attain a job in her field of study, she was unable to attain any job at all. Yet, her student loan bills still came due and a crumbling economy had nothing to offer our family. Still, she helped at our business and four years later is waiting for that opportunity to garner full time employment.

As a family with two children and an unemployed wife, our family manages to get by on what I make for a living. However, after Earned Income Credits, deductions for our kids and mortgage and various other factors, our final income tax bill is zero.

So you'll pardon me sir, if I do not share your view that because we borrowed federal funds to send my wife to school and because we pay no federal income tax that we are irresponsible and unmotivated. I work very hard to run my business. My wife gave up a job to return to school and build a better life for our family and we wound up worse off than before, but we're not complaining to anyone or waiting for a handout. My kids have access to a special health program run by the state that affords the two of them excellent medical care for a very low rate. We take advantage of this because it is in the best interest of our children and their future. I would imagine that if you found yourself in the same situation, you would do the same thing.

Perhaps this is a large part of why you misunderstand the average American so terribly. Because you have been privileged to grow up with means, it's likely that you lack a real world understanding of families like ours who have taken advantage of government help. Maybe, you do understand my situation and still think me a freeloader. Or, it could be, that you don't really mean what you said and you just keep the saying the wrong kinds of things the wrong way. I don't know.

What I do know is that in you I see a man bereft of compassion and empathy for a group of people who need help. Working families, starving families, sick families and hopeless families. If you are elected President, these people will be your constituents as well and I would very much like to believe that you will look out for their best interest and that you will enact policy to help them make their lives better. Your actions and your words betray that you will not do that. You will treat them like lepers and hangers on who are just dragging the system down.

The 47% you so blatantly chided in your speech are not a drag on our system Mr. Romney. They are our system. They are social security recipients, student loan holders, veterans, business owners, the working poor, the unemployed and the lower middle class fighting to get to the next rung on the ladder.  In a way, we are the 21st century's poor huddled masses yearning to breathe free. We may not be of import to you and you may look down at us with scornful indignation, but I can promise that our family will be at the front of the line on election day to ensure that you don't get an opportunity to put your money where your mouth is. Because it would irresponsible of me to let a man like you be the President of the United States.

Heavy Rotation - Sept. 7, 2012

After a six month hiatus and a lazy summer, the Heavy Rotation column is back. Let's roll . . .

In our weekly series, Heavy Rotation, I will write about the five records I have been spinning regularly over the last week. There is not an expiration date. The records included can be from any time period at all. All entries are eligible to appear for multiple weeks. In fact, repetition is likely due to the fact that while I listen to a fair amount of music, it's not as much as I'd like to make time for. Also, as some of you may know, we have a vinyl only policy around our house, so as expected, all entries on the list are being listened to via turntable.

Ladies and germs, presenting the Sept. 7th installment Heavy Rotation:

Elliott Smith | An Introduction To . . .
Kill Rock Stars | 2010

Seven years after the untimely death of Elliott Smith his complete catalogue was reissued on vinyl along with this primer designed to court a new generation of fans. The collection is an interesting melange of obvious pop gems, bedroom folk recordings and a handful of deep tracks. In essence, it is precisely what it claims to be, a great introduction to a terrific pop songwriter, not a "greatest hits" collection. For those looking to dip a toe in the waters of Mr. Smith, this LP is a great place to begin.

Of Monsters And Men | My Head Is An Animal
Universal Republic | 2011

At this point, you have probably heard the My Head Is An Animal's lead-off single, "Little Talks" at least once even if you're just soaking it up through osmosis via the teenagers in your neighborhood. I knew, as soon as I laid ears on it, it was the sort of thing my teen/tween daughters would love to bits. So, this LP has rested comfortably on our turntable far more than any other this summer.   With lots of records selected by youngsters, the repetition might get old. It hasn't happened with this one yet.

Paul Simon | Graceland
Warner Bros. | 1986

After recently spending a rainy afternoon watching an episode of VH1's Classic Album's on this record, I gave it my first full listen in several years. Graceland is one of those remarkable records that sounds as vibrant and urgent today as it did to my high school self the first time I heard it twenty five years ago. Simon has made other great records, most notably the Simon & Garfunkel records and his other "African" records have moments of beauty, but this is album is so vastly better than anything else he touched, that it's almost difficult to believe. Once you learn the story of the way the record was made - by recording jam sessions with African musicians and then bringing them back to the States to turn the sessions into songs - your jaw drops even further to the floor. It's brilliant.

Depeche Mode | 101 Live
Sire Records | 1989

There is a maxim that goes something to the effect of "you'll always have a special love for the music that you loved when you were sixteen". Depeche Mode is an object lesson in the truth of that adage. This record spun through during our family dinner the other night and even though certain songs were far too drippy with syrupy, soap opera narrative - I'm looking at you "Blasphemous Rumours" - this double LP still makes me happy. Perhaps the most alluring thing about the recording is that a live record by a synth band seems to be such a contradiction in terms. Yet, DM are at the height of their live power here and in the midst of touring some of their very best material. It's a biased love, but that's part of the attraction.