The incremental slide

The debate in Congress over the 'Health Care' bill has forced me to look at all that is and has happened in this country during my brief life. Looking at the debate and contrasting that to other differences in our society I think I have come to the simple conclusion that both sides of the aisle are more focused on incrementalism towards a goal they disagree with than the subject at hand.

On the political right, conservatives fear more than anything else that Socialism is the targeted direction and health care is just the next big hurdle. They may be right and looking back at the incremental steps made towards that end can be seen through the action of their opponents. Name a single thing that you do on a day to day basis that is not directly controlled, taxed or manipulated by the government ....

On the left, giving in on any portion of the debate will lead to safe ground where the opposition can build (or take away) from something they hold dear. Example: Covering abortion under the massive health care overhaul. Any argument about federal spending for this by the right is immediately responded to by stating that we can't interfere with a women's right to choose. After all, giving in on this topic might just lead to an overturn of Roe v. Wade.

The arguments around a single payer system are vast. The one that I continue to be amazed by is where the folks on the left are 'for the little people' and that we need to deliver services to those that can't afford to pay for themselves. I am a BIG proponent of helping out, donating time and money, looking out for those less fortunate and insuring that nothing stands in the way of someone living up to their own potential. However, the argument of taking more and more from one class of people to a different class of people with the threat of prosecution is not looking out for anyone. Plain and simple it is extortion and theft. Even if 100% of the additional money collected went directly to those less fortunate - doing so through threat of prosecution is a direct attack on the liberties of another.
On the other side of the argument.... we have some in our society who forget or fail to acknowledge that their good fortune comes by the grace of God. That their good fortune has been given to them for a reason and that we are all just here temporarily. Yes, hard work and commitment are the tools that many of them used to gather their wealth but they were given the opportunity by a power higher than themselves.

While this post is not nearly complete - I want to close with a small example of how much trouble the current direction by our government is causing us. Consider the data last reported (2008) shows that we have roughly 19.7 million government employees in the United States. This includes state and local along with military and federal. While they don't all make the > $100,000 that was recently reported .... if we estimate that each employee makes $70,000 (unburdened costs) a year. I am using simple math for estimating and the numbers could be much more extreme if we dig in to it in more detail. How many non-government employees does it take to pay their salaries? If the non-government employee made the same $70,000 and were taxed at 15% and the entirety of that tax went to pay direct salary payments to the government employee ..... it would take 131,500,000 citizens just to pay the salaries.

For those that claim the government pays the employees not Joe Public. Please remember that the government doesn't have anything. The government does make anything. The government does truly sell anything. When the government prints more money the only thing that changes is the volume of money. This in turn has the adverse affect making the money in your pocket worth less.

Back to the example - what happens if 10% of the public were to lose their jobs? In an effort to jumpstart the economy the government creates new jobs - but they are government jobs, what happens to the model. In order to pay for government employees taxes are raised to 16.7% and the government can then hire an additional 39,450 employees. All this while 13.15 million of the previous 131.5 million workers are now out of work. THIS MODEL SIMPLY DOES NOT WORK! Remember this when the Census workers are on the payroll and we are told that unemployment just dropped dramatically.

When the government takes and takes and demands more and more from its citizens it no longer works for the people. Instead the people are working for the government. Abraham Lincoln closed the Gettysburg address with "that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. " Let us not forget those words and do the right thing for God, country and each other.

Positive thoughts on Obama and the health care debate

Again, I have been quiet. Nothing nice to say - don't say anything.

That has changed. The debate on health care in the United States has a tremendously positive side to it that I am thankful to those in Washington for. What could a generally conservative individual have to say about this situation that was positive? Quite simply - this single item has brought many people to the party. Yes, people are investigating the information that Washington has been putting out and they are discussing it.

For a society that was told that President George Bush was the most devisive president in recent history, the current environment which we live in has seen a new champion. I think it fair to conclude that the current elected body (House and Senate combined) along with President Barack Obama, have divided this country further and quicker than any that I can remember. This time, the people are fighting back. Not a physical fight - but a political one. People are informed at an ever increasing rate and they are discussing the topics with a renewed vigor. All the while - they are realizing that we have been lied to. Yes, lied to by our government and backed up by the media.

I also wanted to thank President Obama for showing me how to view expenses and what to do when they are not focused on what I care most about. President Obama has shared with us that 16% of our GDP is spent on health care and if left unchecked it could move to 25% very quickly. So, I went back and looked at the family funds to see where our money is spent and if it was in-line with what we want to be focused on. Not surprising - we are at odds with some expenditures and I am now looking at ways to reduce those that I don't feel are appropriate percentages of the family income. For starters - my family spends more on state income tax than car payments, car insurance and gasoline .... combined. My family spends more on Social Security (that program that won't exist when I actually get ready to use it) and Medicare than we do on food, clothing and entertainment. Can I opt out of those? The family household spends more money on taxes (not including the sales tax, property tax, gas tax, utility tax and all the other taxes that are 'built in' to the price of everything we consume) than our mortgage and private school bill - COMBINED.

Yes, my family decided to send our children to private school. This is an expense that we opted to pay and believe it is the best use of our money. Unfortunately, we don't seem to get a vote in where the majority of our money is actually going. In the end - I could choose to move to a less expensive home, drive a less expensive car, elect to purchase less expensive insurance (life, health, automobile, property), donate less to my church, use my time to make more money instead of volunteering or even contributing less to my 401K plan .... but those are my choices. With a government focused on spreading the wealth, and burdening my children and their future families with debt - I have no choice.

But then again, I do. I vote. I also will exercise my rights under the Constitution. Specifically, my right to free speech.

Watching the talent

As I reported in my previous post, I enjoy watching others use their talents and abhor watching someone trying to force their way through something they have not been granted the talent to perform. In just a matter of a few days I was able to watch and then experience up close the use of individual gifts to a the ultimate. This time it was on the field of sports -specifically soccer.

Friday evening I attended the AC Milan vs. Chelsea game and felt that I was watching a canvas being painted. It has been a while since I attended a professional soccer match in person - so this evening was something special. Professional athletes are impressive when they work their craft to its highest form. Yes, watching the individual talent of Ronaldinho was fascinating. However - what I enjoyed the most was watching the collection of athletes working together up and down the field. Not only did they move the ball - but they created a piece of art on the canvas of the pitch. It truly was a thing of beauty.

The second event was more personal but still directly related to one of my favorite sports. The soccer program that I assist in is hosting a high school preparation training camp. The camp is run by one of my heroes as I was playing high school ball - Mike Stankovic . It was a great pleasure to watch Mike work with the kids and meet him as a fan of the game. I was treated to another level of joy when Mike asked me to assist him. This week I am working alongside Mike in teaching, tutoring and training a great group of kids. On the selfish side - I also have been given the opportunity to take the field with Mike and play the game we both love. Mike is wonderfull with the kids. What is more impressive is to watch his love of the game transferred to the kids. He definitely has a gift (he still has it) for the game but he has coupled that with his concern for the youth who also love the game.

Bringing joy (and a good bit of sweat) to the players is an absolute joy to watch ... and participate in.

Made me laugh

I wish I had my camera, or phone, out when I drove past the yard last night. On my way to a meeting - I was cutting through some back roads. Up ahead it appeared that a family was holding the summer time garage sale. Much to my surprise, the sign out front said

Going out of marriage sale. Everything must go!

While there is a sad note to the story, the sign made me chuckle. There was someone with a different view on the subject. There was someone who understands the value of marketing their own unique message.

If I drive by and the sign is still there - I will upload for all to enjoy.

What a feeling

I know I have been rather lazy when it comes to updating this blog. The fact of the matter is that I have not seen much in the way of positive ... anywhere that I wanted to write about. I have made a commitment to myself (and family and friends) to be more positive - so when you have nothing to say - stay quiet.

That all changed yesterday. Let me first say that this is not a story about recapturing my youth, nor is it 100% about the accomplishment of two of my favorite people in the world (my two sons). No, this is bigger than that - but you must read this entire post to see it.

Late last week I receive an email - enticing me to send my two sons to baseball camp. Not just any camp - this was the Ripken - MLB experience. My wife and I offered this to our oldest son several years ago and he turned us down - just not his style. This year, our youngest jumped at the opportunity and his older brother was right behind him (still not his style but was intrigued). My wife worked out the details via phone and email and the boys were registered.

I planned to take my two baseball buddies to camp for the first day. The primary reason was to insure they were comfortable. The secondary reason was that recapturing my youth thing - live through my kids - and I would have given my left arm as a kid for the opportunity in front of them. We arrived early, my natural time, and took our time touring the campus. WOW! After wiping the drool from around my mouth after spending just 10 minutes at the Academy, I 1) wanted to sign up myself and 2) thought now was a good time to check the boys in.

Check-in could not have been more welcoming and professional. In addition to that - my guys were presented with their new Under Armour bat bags, baseball pants, home and away jerseys, belts, socks and team hats. For sake of completeness - this was a downer - as a Baltimore native having one son assigned to the New York Mets was one thing, but my oldest son was placed on the New York Yankees team (HELP!!!!!!). From here we sat down at Cal Sr.'s field to wait until the events started. The photo to the left is the view from the seats. YES - this is one of the fields for the kids under 12.

From here - things only improved. There was a parent meeting held by the G.M. for Ripken Baseball who presented the goals for the week, a little history of the program .... then the offer of juice, coffee, fruit and danishes as the program changed gears. At this point I went back to standing well behind my sons and listened as the program really started. There were a series of brief introductions which included biographies of a few past MLB'ers (Dennis Rasmussen, Bill Campbell, Kevin Bass and Al Bumbry). From there the kids were sent off to the batting cages behind Fenway Park (just one of the replica fields in Aberdeen). As they arrived at the cages - they were met by the Ripken brothers. Yes, Cal and Billy were there and they showed us all what being brothers can be like. They picked on each other, told stories of their Dad (Cal Sr.) and shared what the week would be like. More on this later.

When the talk completed I turned to head off to work - I needed to pay for this week and did not think my management would take kindly to just blowing off work for the fun of the experience. On my way out I was fortunate to share a few words with Al Bumbry - basically a thank you for a message he shared with me ( and a group of Junior Orioles) back around 1978. From there - I went to the office ... beaming and remembering baseball as a kid. It was all so innocent then.


Later in the day - I could not hold off. I headed back to the complex and made it in time to see three plays that had me beaming so much that my shirt buttons were in jeopardy of popping. The first play was one of those right place, right time kind of plays. My youngest son was playing in left/center field when he misplayed a ball and it flew over his head. He was playing at the field on the left (Fenway Park) and the ball rolled to about 20 yards from the Green Monster. He never panicked - just picked up the ball, turned, and threw a one hop strike to the catcher to throw out the runner from third .
On the field just past the Green Monster, my older son was playing. Just after the put out at home, I turned to see him come up the to the plate. Now, a little table setting is in order. The facility just completed the field portion of the Yankee Stadium replica. This is not a scaled down version - rather it is Ripken's first 90 foot diamond in Aberdeen and it is beautiful. Synthetic surface for all but the pitchers mound and home plate. Dimensioned to match the original Yankee stadium. My older son is usually a bit nervous around new people (just like his Dad I guess) and here he was the smallest and probably the youngest on the field. He steps to the plate with a runner on second and a score of 0-0. The picture to the left is his actual at bat (red helmet shows me that it is him). The pitching for the first day is done by camp instructors (college or AAA level players) and they are throwing in the mid 60's for the kids. My son was the last to bat for his team (moreso because his parents signed him up late and they built their lineups before they knew the kids) and so far ... not much offense. The oldest son jumped on the first strike and drove a line drive single up the middle. SCORING THE GO AHEAD RUN. That lead held until the second to last inning when the opposing team went ahead.

The final play to report - to be honest I didn't even know it was my son at the time. I thought it was just a remarkable play made by some 10 year olds. Bases loaded, one out. Ground ball hit to the third baseman. Cleanly fielded and threw the ball to the catcher who stepped in front of the plate, received the ball with back foot square on the plate. From there the catcher steps out one more step and throws a rocket to the first baseman. 5-2-3 double play. My son was catching! Something he has only ever done once before. Dad beams!!!

Yes, the games were fun to watch - but I must admit that what touched me the most was back during the Ripken brothers talk. For years, I have been trying to get the message to parents and coaches alike that the game is about the kids. That we as parents, coaches, advisors, league officicals have a responsibility to do for them and not do to them. Trying to coach to much or correct a flaw that we think we see - quite honestly does more damage to a young player than just letting them be. Cal and Billy talked about a number of things that are at the core of their teaching philosophy (taken directly from their website - http://www.ripkencamps.com :

Keep it Simple
Young baseball players must crawl before they can walk and walk before they can run. Teaching that is too complicated is difficult to remember and can result in frustration.

Make it Fun
Learning doesn't have to be tedious. Drills and instruction are structured so players enjoy themselves while learning.

Celebrate the Individual
No two players are alike, so why should they be treated as if they are? Each player has his or her own comfort zones, strengths and style.

Explain Why
"Why" is a young person's favorite question. Young players have an innate need to understand the reason behind the teaching. Lessons that make sense will stick with them.

Thank you Cal. Thank you Billy. Not only are you passing on the wisdom of your father, but you serve as ambassadors for interacting with youth in general. While I understand you have a business you are running - you do so from the heart and from the belief that we are all part of something much bigger than ourselves.