March 15, 2017

Phil Beaver works to establish opinion when the-objective-truth has 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. If you like the wok, share with people who may be interested.
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. Whether the owner is using personal cash, a FEMA grant, or borrowed money, the common-sense owner protection is transaction with benefit of homeowner-lawyer’s legal experience and authority: A legal contract. In other words, the legal system is already in place if the homeowner uses it.
 
Respecting procedural changes, perhaps FEMA and other relief agencies should not grant money to the homeowner. Perhaps that transfer should be done through the attorney of the homeowner’s choice. I made an assumption, and therefore used the word “perhaps.”

 

Today’s thought Gelations 6:7. Paul made many mistakes and other persons repeat them.
 
For example, Pascal said, given the test, “Do you believe,” say “Yes,” so you will get credit for believing. It takes human-gullibility to fall for a god from which you can keep secrets.
 
Humility to the-objective-truth is a shield against private-gullibility.

In Pascal’s case, the response to “Do you believe,” may be: “Believe” is the wrong question, and I may answer, “I do not know.”

Whether your hope and comfort is in the Lord or God or other entity, you may make certain the-objective-truth is accommodated. In other words, IMO it is not prudent to exclude the-objective-truth, of which much is undiscovered and some is understood and used to advantage.

Letters:

  

Industrial tax exemptions (Pierson). On March 13, we learned that for last year the Department of Revenue reports collecting only $7.2 billion of $14 billion if there were no exemptions.

 

If it’s been $7 billion/yr for the last four years, that means taxpayers have funded $28 billion or the $135 billion Person cites. That’s 21% on the taxpayers!

 
I propose taking $1 billion/year from industry exemptions for child incentives. Let children know they are persons of vital interest to the state of Louisiana and that: Each child who takes personal responsibility for the unbelievable yet customary transition from baby to above-median civic-young-adult the state will grant a small stake in American capital: Perhaps $80,000 at age 30.5. For a married couple, that could be $160,000. GDP might experience upward movement.

 
I prefer helping children rather than furthering Together Louisiana's interest in liberal-democrat-adult-satisfactions. I am for fiscal conservatism and civic republicanism or public-integrity. We are barbaric in our neglect of the state's children; adults compete for themselves.

 

HPV vaccination (Nuss & Kemmerly). CDC seems to support the recommendation. See cdc.gov/media/releases/2016/p1020-hpv-shots.html for guidance and a phone number for updates.
 

The photo of a flu shot does not seem accurate.

 

Robert Samuelson column. The advice from Jason Furman made no sense (IMO) and seemed to brain-tie Samuelson’s appreciation for a person. Samuelson did imply that Furman's advice could be disastrous.

 

Artificially increasing wages oppresses new business. That is, if market demand for products and services are not pushing wages up, the wage increases lead to depression. At this time, demand for products and services are so depressed there is an excess of energy supply. Increasing wages exacerbates the market imbalance.

 

But here’s the incentive for raising interest rates: high interest rates encourage saving. For upward mobility, people need to work for a living and save & invest to accumulate wealth. When interest rates are low, incentives to invest remain, but may shift in emphasis from stocks to bonds and back. Property is normally attractive, but it can be a loser if owners are not financially stable.

 

The government’s business called Fannie Mae taught that people who trust government to give them financial power beg woe. And when a person begs woe, woe comes unexpectedly and without mercy.

 

IMO, knowledge of save & invest and how the individual may react to changes in financial markets is the key to civic-morality in fidelity to the person supported by a body and mind. If you don’t understand the idea of a body and mind supporting a person, please think about it: You can’t count on some other entity to take care of you (and your loved ones).

As a person must earn a living, a person must contribute to civic-morality; in other words civic-justice.

David Ignatius column. If there’s anything nobody may judge, it is the policy of the US Secretary of State under President Donald Trump. Trump’s stated goal is to not reveal his strategy, and Tillerson has too much integrity to require either two instructions or a firing. Furthermore, I suspect that Tillerson, like Mattis is his own person.

 

If someone gives me an ultimatum respecting our relationship, I accept it and tell them so. For example, someone told me not to mention the preamble again if I wanted to be friends. I don’t mention the preamble and accept that we are no longer friends. Another said he will not visit until I have a degree in law from LSU law school; we no longer talk. Another said unless I accept transubstantiation I cannot worship there; I do not worship. So, I support Trump stand that he will not work with someone who will not work with Trump.

 

See some key issues reported at http://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/trump-state-elliott-abrams-234671 . Abrams wants to spread “American values,” whatever he opines that is, abroad, including democracy promotion. That was part of G. W. Bush’s failure ($7 trillion dollars worth and counting) plus hundreds of thousands of persons’ lives lost. Trump calls such policy stupid.

  

Walter Williams column. I agree but use words I consider more expressive and different.

 

Most people don’t appreciate private-liberty-with-civic-morality. In other words, public-integrity. What’s different is the word “civic,” which in my usage refers to mutual-human-connections during life in this place rather than conformity to the place. 

 

Also, I chose the word “appreciate” rather than “respect for the principles of personal liberty.” “Respect” may connote subjugation rather than acceptance; coercion rather than free-will.

 

Also, I do not agree that most Americans are more accepting of theft than of rape or murder. In his analysis, Williams has mixed macro liberty with personal liberty. The fact that some persons are willing to receive income re-distribution does not imply that all Americans are ambivalent about it. In the macro, there are problems the individual cannot solve, much as the whole is made up of its elements; the nation is made up of citizens.

 

Taxing citizens is a function of public-integrity and redistribution of income is civil immorality more than civic immorality. In other words, it is immoral governance rather than immoral private liberty. During my 35-year career, I paid taxes for my future SSI and Medicare. IMO, it is immoral of Williams to now claim I am ambivalent about theft. The governance needs to be reformed before individuals need to reform.

 

One person may use another if there is fair remuneration. A service wanted must be paid enough to support a reasonable life including enough for save & invest to accumulate financial security.

  

George Will column. I nominate this column as my first candidate for column of the year.

 

IMO, Will erroneously sides with Clarence Thomas’s desire to interpret the preamble to the constitution for the USA (my simplification of the issue) as fulfillment of the Declaration of Independence’s essentials. I regard them poetry more than morality if taken beyond the claims that 1) decisive patriots in the Confederation of States are equal to the king of England in power to govern and 2) given theism as a source of authority in the world, the states’ nature and nature’s god would defeat the king’s Protestant Christian god. It was a declaration of war with England, and the consequence of victory was 13 independent states.

 

I hold that the constitution in its articles is amendable so as to conform to the-objective-truth as humankind deliberately works to understand and utilize the-indisputable-facts-of-reality. And the human-contract, the preamble, is civic rather than secular: neutral rather than non-religious; real rather than mysterious.

Will’s column is so rich in vital issues I will set it aside as the focus for a future essay. Meanwhile, I have more important personal interests. Will's erroneous opinions don't set my priorities.

Resentencing teen criminals (Page 1B). Each time this issue surfaces in a real case, the public should be reminded that the human body does not complete the wisdom-building parts of the brain until age 25 for males or 23 for females. A civic people emphasize this knowledge to children as they coach them in the phenomenal transition from feral infant to civic-young-adult.

 

I’ve been through the process. When I was young, I could persuade myself to metaphorically stand on a chair with a rope around my neck. For example, trust the fantastic Baton Rouge economy (state capital, two universities, oil patch, chemical industry, Mississippi River, great people) to justify higher than national risk. As time went on, I would not put that noose on. Later, I would get a sturdy, stable footstool rather than a chair. Now, I also wait for someone to standby as I use the footstool.

My early loses don’t seem like victimization, but consequences of risk often seem regrettable.

Gov. Edwards muddling (Page 1A). I will fight tooth and nail to prevent increases in property tax or sales tax, because the state continually shows that it want $30 billion but provide $18 billion in service to the people. 

 

However, I would vote for a gasoline tax dedicated to road improvements without penalizing Louisiana. In other words, excessive gas tax would cause through traffic to avoid the state, and I would vote “No” in that case.

 

IMO, Gov. Edwards is the muddler. In allowing Edwards to muddle, the GOP is hurting the people.

Accused here illegally (Page 1A). Philanthropists who help illegals enter the USA and stay in the USA are dissidents of the civic culture that collaborates to fulfill the aims and purpose of the preamble to the constitution for the USA.

 

Require people who wish to immigrate to the USA to paraphrase the preamble to the satisfaction of immigration authorities then sign a vow to trust and commit to their paraphrase.

Ethics rules (Page 1A). Stop doing business over lunch. In other words, unethical traditions are unethical and should not continue.

Muted republicans (Page 3A). These are the elected officials who cannot curry President Trump’s behavior, because they are part of the bunch candidate Trump defeated. Draining the swamp is a long, slow process. Candidate Trump said it would not be easy. President Trump said, “But together we’ll get the job done.”

Associated Press (Page 7A). I do not trust the Associated Press, especially when the report is what a media celebrity did to attract attention. I hope a fine happens over the incident.

 

Louisiana, for example has a freedom of expression statute that holds the expresser responsible for the consequences. It should apply to writers and speakers for the media.

 

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.