2024 Impending Presidential Election

I feel like I'm taking crazy pills! The fact that Republicans are consistently polling for Trump over any of the GOP primary challengers is beyond me. The reasons why Trump should have never been considered a fit candidate are myriad and they were obvious to 2015 Utah Republicans. Today? I don't know where the 2015 Republicans have gone.

I just finished the book Overreach by Owen Matthews. In the book, it discusses the Kremlin's metamorphosis from communism to liberal democracy to pseudo-conservative authoritarianism in regards to how the Ukrainian war started. 

The book it mentions a Russian conservative organization that has the goal of creating a conservative version of "The International" the communist organization that tried to coordinate the communist revolution throughout Europe. It has an eerie plausibility to its existence and (in debatable degrees) success. 

Russian conservatism today values the Russian Orthodox church, Russian greatness and imperialism, neo-czarism, violent rejection of western liberal ideals, highly accepting of conspiracy theories and highly suspicious of traditional journalism, encouragement of nationalistic clubs and organizations that are sometimes violent against opposition, and traditional family values (which apparently includes the right to beat a spouse without facing repercussions). Putin is unassailable in political rhetoric.

American conservatism is leaning towards authoritarian-leaning leadership that appears to be almost unassailable inside party political conversation, highly accepting of conspiracy theories (Q), growth of clubs like Proud Boys, III percenters, and other nationalistic organizations that do seem willing to pursue violence against opposition, almost entirely unaccepting of narratives presented by traditional journalism outlets. 

Last but not least, conservatism seems to be backing Putin's invasion of a smaller weaker neighbor. Not even 30 years ago, George HW Bush heroically stood against Iraq doing the same thing against Kuwait.

The GOP of today is more reminiscent of Russia's All- Russia Peoples Front or the United Russia Political party than the GOP of 2016 or even the GOP of 1984-1988 when Reagan was president. If there is a conservative version of the old "Commonturn", they appear to have been successful in Hungary, the UK with Brexit, and in the US with the GOP.

Thank you Senator Romney - Term Limits

I watched the impeachment trial. The only real reason was that I was bored at work for the past few weeks, late tax laws have pushed the start of tax season back for a lot of people and I just needed something to occupy my mind. 

One thing that I think is apparent is that Congress needs term limits. Out of 53 US GOP senators, only 2 of them dared to vote for simply hearing witnesses in an impeachment trial of a man whose morals (the lack thereof) can be best illustrated by the transcript of a deposition he gave prior to his election regarding his net worth (a figure that does have some actual importance in finance):

Trump: My net worth fluctuates, and it goes up and down with the markets and with attitudes and with feelings, even my own feelings, but I try.
Attorney Ceresney: Let me just understand that a little. You said your net worth goes up and down based upon your own feelings?
Trump: Yes, even my own feelings, as to where the world is, where the world is going, and that can change rapidly from day to day ...
Attorney Ceresney: When you publicly state a net worth number, what do you base that number on?
Trump: I would say it's my general attitude at the time that the question may be asked. And as I say, it varies.

Trump's lack of honesty and morals is nothing that can be dismissed as "fake news". From his well known extramarital affairs to his off-color comments to Billy Bush about grabbing a lady's nether regions, he is clearly a debauched lecher. From his well documented history of corporate bankruptcies to the many documented allegations of defaulting on contractual obligations both personally and in business, we know that he is a charlatan and a mountebank. In the words of Shakespeare, "he's an infinite and endless liar, an hourly promise-breaker".

There would have been nothing lost in hearing witnesses. In fact, the majority of American's were in favor of hearing witnesses. The accepted history of Donald Trump's past conduct would have provided enough circumstantial evidence to warrant subpoenas in a criminal or civil proceeding, and it should have been enough for the US Senate. 

The GOP of my youth would have rejected such a man as unworthy to be considered for public office. Indeed, the GOP of 2015 and 2016 tried to keep themselves distant from the man in the hopes that his candidacy would come to naught. However, the GOP learned to play mental gymnastics and to turn a blind eye to the man's utterly corruptible nature. 

While writing this, I can hear Trump-licans already keying the epithet "liberal" in this essay's comment feed. Ironically, with the exception of the xenophobic GOP view of undocumented aliens (which helped elect Trump) I am in lock-step with most conservative policies. If you want me to narrow it down, I am fine with gay marriage - the fact that men can marry men and women can marry women doesn't diminish the value of my marriage in the least. However, the fact that I cannot ignore the rank odor than permeates Donald Trump's character, has now made me an irredeemable liberal in the eyes of a vast majority of the current GOP. Indeed the zeal of some Trump supporters has echos from followers of another world leader from 80+ years ago.

The recent vote on witnesses in the impeachment trial illustrate how Mitt Romney and Mike Lee provide a good case study that supports the need for term limits. 

Most senators on both sides of the isle try and follow the Orrin Hatch career path. They get elected, the pay and benefits far exceed their pay in the private sector, the develop notoriety, and in the end most of them will make connections that will guarantee a great deal of wealth once they are either voted out of office or when they decide to retire from politics. This is their career, if the majority leader says vote this way - you do it. 

In Mitt Romney, I believe we find the antithesis of this career path.

He is worth a trustworthy 250 million dollars that can in fact be verified with numbers (not the wind that blows between his ears).  He doesn't need his Senate seat to support his family or secure a fortune - his has already been earned. He would like to serve another term, but it he is voted out of office (which is likely with Utah's rabid GOP) he can go back to his fortune without any real problems. Mitt Romney in the Senate has the ability to step back and vote according to his conscience (and to see Trump as he is). I would argue there is a de facto term limit in the case of Mitt Romney.

Counter that with the younger senior senator from Utah Mike Lee. As of 2015 (the most recent numbers I found) his net worth was 218k. He short sold a home when he decided to run for the senate 9+ years ago. Compared to Mitt Romney, he needs his career in Washington. He depends on the high pay that a career senator receives and he is counting on the astronomical income he can make as a lobbyist when he retires. There is no political oxygen for a senator like this to cross the Senate majority leader or a President that uses Twitter with the efficiency of a middle school mean girl. He is left to squirm about how Trump's Billy Bush comments made him uncomfortable as a father, while doing everything he can to stay in the President's good graces. He has no choice. 

The only way to bring Congress back is to enact limit terms. This will provide representatives and Senators the political oxygen in their careers (at least for one term) that will allow them to vote for what is right even when party leadership insists that they are wrong. Members of Congress with political oxygen would have the ability to bring reasoned debates and compromise back to our countries decision making processes - if only in my dreams.

Utah HB0215 - Education Opportunites

 It looks like the UT legislature is trying a new approach to school vouchers. Remember back in 2007 HB 148 passed the legislature but was then taken to a ballot referendum which was rejected fairly soundly by voters see Ballotopedia here.

This new bill takes a carrot and stick approach, by offering an 8,400 dollar raise to teachers if the bill is passed which will also create an 8,000 dollar scholarship which parents could use for private or home schooling. If the bill is not passed, the teacher raise will be half that amount.

I will need to do more reading of this bill to see where the "scholarship" money comes from and some of the criteria for schools that get the money. For now, I am left to consider the bill on principles.

1.) Everyone has school choice. You can choose to keep your kids home, and you can choose to spend between 10k and 12.5k on private school tuition. 

2.) Article XIII of the constitution of the state of Utah requires that all tax on intangible property and all income tax dollars should be spent public schools, and 5% of the proceeds from the sales of US public land in the state. In Article X, Utah's public schools are defined as having to be free of cost and nonsectarian, and nonpartisan. 

We're American. We love having choices and freedom. I get it. The existence of public schools that are funded in a constitutional manner doesn't remove that choice. If I am fearful that ideas which I oppose are being taught in the free public school offering, I can decide to educate my kids at home or budget my money so that I can send my kids to a school that shares my ideals. That is the choice.

I think we should be leary of diluting the money set aside for public schools for many reasons. 

First, the state constitution has set out the parameters of school funding and how public schools qualify for that funding. Funnelling tax and public money to individuals and private organizations with less oversight is not ideal.

Second, we have ceased to have the ability to agree on objective truth as a society. 

From politics to sexuality and race to the environment and medical science - the perception of objective truth is nonexistent. Half the country believe's Joe Biden is a criminal in league with China, there can be no toleration of transgenderism or historical narratives that highlight racism in American history, we should continue burning fossil fuels with reckless abandon, and that vaccines are a conspiracy to reduce the surplus population. While the other half believes Donald Trump is a criminal, we should have broad support of all non-traditional sexual preferences and identities and white people should pay reparations for the slavery perpetrated by their ancestors, all fossil fuel options need to be stopped now regardless of the cost and you should take every vaccine offered without question. 

I am leery of public funds being used to fund home and private schools that are indoctrinating children in any manner.