January 30, 2017

Phil Beaver works to establish opinion when the-indisputable-facts-of-reality have not been discovered. He seeks to refine his opinion by learning other people’s experiences and observations. The comment box below invites sharing facts, opinion, or concern. (I read, write, and listen to establish my opinion as I pursue the-objective-truth.)
Note:  I often connect words in a phrase with the dash in order to represent an idea. For example, frank-objectivity represents the idea of candidly expressing the-objective-truth without addressing possible error or attempting to balance the expression.

The Advocate:

Our Views:  They say “Follow the money.” But how in the world can The Advocate business-plan direct the people running The Advocate to alienate the people who pay taxes?

Take for example, Gov. John Bel Edwards’ recent deal to spend $24 million to place surveillance equipment in New Orleans. Who will sell the equipment? Who will maintain it and effectively monitor the information coming from the equipment? How many calls for police will the equipment demand and who will answer? I think that money should go to Louisiana schools.

The Advocate’s solution is to move state budget to local budgets. Same thang. All over the city we have red-light cameras taxpayers paid millions for. Who is maintaining them? Who is collecting money from them? What happened to that money? What are we doing with CATS! LSU tram! Stop wasting money in Baton Rouge!

It is past time for the State of Louisiana to stop spending $26 billion/year. That’s $26,000 million per year of which the school system needs $35 million.

Edwards is one bad dude when it comes to scare tactics to benefit the people who are getting the money, and for some reason The Advocate is right in there with him.

One other point that really galls me: The Advocate paints the picture "Over Time, Louisiana has to invest more in public education." This attitude---supporting the adults who vie for money in order to satisfy adults while putting off care for children---hurts children who are alive and well. Shame on the adults who play shell games with education funds. Shame on Gov. Edwards.

Today’s Thought. Ezra sought the law of the Lord. Dean switched to God. 

I acquired the impression I should think independently of both the old and the new.

I pursue the-objective-truth and behave according to the-discovered-and-understood-indisputable-facts. For example, the earth is like a globe and some 4.6 billion years old. Also, civic people do not lie so that they may communicate.

Dictators (McMurray). The media vie for dictatorship.
 

Mary: Sure, that's why we have freedom of the press enshrined in the Constitution and Bill of Rights.
 

To Mary:  Which press is your tyrant? I do not accept their tyranny. I have three blogs and thereby prevent the press from editing my opinion.

  

Medical insurance (O’Quin). The “two problems” I understood. However “purchase a government plan” and “bonus the employee” not so much.

How’s about this plan. People pay for routine medical services rather than insurance, and the government covers catastrophic medical expenses for every citizen.

To: Ralph Wright: Ralph, thanks for catching my oversight. How about adding to the recipe private hospitalization insurance paid by people who want it?

Contests (Hale). IMO President Trump lets the other party determine the civility of talk and intends to win on their turf. It seems to me he treats dishonesty with dishonesty and integrity with integrity. If a round or two of dishonesty reforms the other part to integrity, both parties win. I never expected to encounter such character but I hope I have----in Donald Trump.

Froma Harrop column. “The people don’t like having security taken away from them.” Only a civic people work for Security. The rest of “the people,” merely demand it.

 

Byron York column.  I was in the crowd via my TV and what impressed me most was, “We will face challenges. We will confront hardships. But we will get the job done.” Tune in, civic people; encourage and appreciate each other rather than carping away our chance for civic morality.

E. J. Dionne column.  Can you imagine the governor of California living in the-objective-truth rather than liberal-democracy?

  

EBR land deals (Page 1A). With real needs like this, how can EBRP leaders set aside money for an LSU tram?

School budget (Page 1A). I say elsewhere, shame on Gov. John Bel Edwards and Jay Dardenne. I take back my votes---both of them. Well, at least I won’t grant either of them my vote again.

Travel ban (Page 1A). IMO the ban was stated well and suffered the predicable transition problems imposed by an opposing liberal-democrat-personnel on the job.

I got caught in several events like that myself. For example, in 1978, I had to suddenly fly home because of a technology-trade embargo. Not to make little of the present pained persons.
 

“House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Michael McCaul said . . . “[Trump] is doing more to shut down terrorist pathways into this country than the last administration did in eight years.”
 

LSU art student (Page 1A). Blindfolded, black-garbed "Erfan Ghiasi, a Muslim" states a falsehood then asks passersby to either hug him or hit him, depending on whether he's trustworthy or not. It’s not a proposition I would entertain.
 

Yet, being a seeker, I might ask: Do you appreciate a civic-American-citizen’s commitment to the preamble to the constitution for the USA? If he needed explanation I’d give it.
 

If he answered positively, I might ask, “Do you think that eventually I, a non-Muslim will submit to Allah?” If he answered positively, I might then ask, “What does ‘submit to Allah’ mean?”
 

Depending upon his answer, I might change the subject to LSU basketball. If he wanted to return to the topic of submission, I would try to collaborate.
 

Perhaps in this context "submit" means die, which I am prepared for.

 

Canada mosque shooting (Page 2A). I thought Canada was exempt from hatred. I think it is past time for a civic people to demand an end to the wars between the Abrahamic religions or at least to exempt non-believers from the civic burden.
 

We still don’t know if the Texas mosque fire was arson.

Sanctury state (Page 3A). I support states’ rights, and if California voters want to live in a haven for illegal aliens, let them vote for it.

Immigration orders (Page 6A). I doubt the orders were carried out as expected. The new administration is encountering huge push-back from officials who are part of the liberal-democrat camp. I appreciate the White House responding as on 7A.

Murdered priest (Page 8A). With regret for the loss, I hope the law is upheld despite the priest’s expressed opinion. Priests claim statutory perks which should not be granted.

 

Other dialogues:

libertylawsite.org/2017/01/30/meet-the-new-boss/#comment-1517204

I was already alarmed. Now I am doubly alarmed squared.

Nevertheless, I'm glad you're not writing about what President Clinton has done since January 20.

Phil Beaver does not “know”. Phil trusts and is committed to the-objective-truth of which most is undiscovered and some is understood. Phil Beaver is agent for A Civic People of the United States, a Louisiana, an education non-profit. See online at promotethepreamble.blogspot.com.