Jack Kemp RIP

GOP politician and conservative Jack Kemp has passed away. Kemp represented a national GOP that I still had respect for, before the Neocons took over.

Here is what Jack Kemp had to say about the election of Barack Obama:

The party of Lincoln, (i.e., the GOP), needs to rethink and revisit its historic roots as a party of emancipation, liberation, civil rights and equality of opportunity for all. On the other hand, the party of Franklin Roosevelt, John Kennedy and now Obama must put forth an agenda that understands that getting American growing again will require both Keynesian and classical incentive-oriented (supply-side) economic ideas. But there's time for political and economic advice in a later column (or two).

Full column by Jack Kemp. Read the whole thing.

This is the way the GOP used to be, before it got all twisted by hate, ignorance and superstition.

Has the Fringe Taken Over the Republican Party?

Has the fringe taken over the Republican Party? Not the local Party, but the National Party and a chunk of the state Party in Indiana?

We got Sen. Lindsey Graham saying he's: open to nationalizing banks. IMO, the Republican's have no room to talk when they call Democrats "Socialists". Those who live in glass houses...

Frankly, I'm not convinced that the Republican Party, on a national level, is still even supporting capitalism. I think they are more Corporatists - seeking the merger of state and corporate power.

Esquire Magazine has published an opinion piece: Why the Republican Party as we know it must die.

Makes me wonder how long mainstream Republicans like Sen. Richard Lugar can stick it out.

No Accountability in Industry or Government

Maureen Dowd wants to lay some Old Testament whoop-ass on the investment bankers, automobile executives and assorted financial industry camp followers.

Sounds good to me. I suggest public humiliation: parade them in cages down Wall Street wearing dunce caps and then ban them from ever working in the banking, investment or related industries ever again.

I still cannot believe we gave the banking industry a $750 billion bailout with no strings attached. I expected being done wrong by the Bush Circus but I really expected better from the Democrats in Congress. I don't think Pelosi and Reid are the right people to led the Democrats in Congress forward.

Worse, the bankers are still in their jobs, I think if they are going to accept Caesar's coin they should be made to accept Caesar's rules.

Bush: the Big Government Disaster

Nick Gillespie contends that Bush was a Big Government Disaster. "He expanded the state, and the idea that the state is incompetent," at the same time.

I agree.

It will be decades before we undo the damage Bush has done to the nation and the Republic, if ever.

Indiana: We Can Haz State Pie?

Gee, Indiana now has a State Pie. Don't our legislators in Indianapolis have more important things to do? Keep in mind these are the same folks that keep messing with our property taxes and wanting to "reform" local government.

I'm thinking the reform needs to be with the state government instead.

I'm sure it's a very nice pie, I am equally sure that State Government has a lot better things to do.

Big Government in Indiana

There is a very good commentary on the local government reform plan in Indiana by Kevin Nevers of the Chesterton Tribune.

A couple of things that the commentary points out are worth repeating:

1. Consolidation of Power into a larger more monolithic government on both a county and state level. Make no mistake this is a massive switch away from elected government to appointed government

2. The members of the commission have no experience with government on the town, township or city level. No wonder they opted for consolidation.

It seems to me that many of the "reforms" are things that look good on a flow chart but in a one size fits all sort of way, but do not address the realities of the local experience: a solution that might work splendidly down in Evansville might make no sense in Porter County.

It also seems to me that his plan was devised by people who were suspicious of and even hostile too, local government. I think these people, sitting in Indianapolis, feel anxious when they cannot tug a string and control things in distant Indiana counties and towns. They like control from Indianapolis Center.

This is a plan for governance of Indiana by bureaucrats and a bureaucracy.

The Local Reform bill in Indiana should be rejected.

Northwest Indiana Blogger Meeting a Success

There was a good turnout for the NW Indiana blogger meeting last night. The meeting was arranged by Steve Dalton of Porter County Politics who also acted as host and moderator and really did a nice job of it.

A heck of a lot of things were discussed, from: dealing with the technology of blogging, RSS and social networks to earning income and helping each other gain traffic. I think maybe the level of public discourse in NW Indiana might go up.

The meeting was hosted by Golden Technologies an internet technologies provider in Valparaiso, Indiana. It was good to to talk with the folks from Golden, I was pretty impressed with their grasp of web design, hosting and custom programming. These guys have some serious talent, and it is good to find firms like this locally.

It was great meeting all the bloggers from northwest Indiana, and I know a list was made so I will be adding a few sites to my blogroll. I did especially enjoy meeting blogger Kevin Tracy, who always makes me think with his posts, and Christopher Hedges who, along with Steve Dalton, has been on my feed reader for a long time.