How Public Sector Bankruptcies Evolve and Why They Serve The Public

This past Thursday, the city of Detroit, Michigan, filed for bankruptcy.  There will be much crying about how “sad” this is or that an “American icon” is dead.

There is nothing about governmental bankruptcy that is bad. To the contrary bankruptcy is beneficial to the local citizens who will rebuild from the ashes, paying less for future services.  Investors in municipal bonds will have to pay closer attention to the quality of the bonds resulting in government that will have to be more efficient and accountable if it is to attract interest in bond sales.

There is only one reason why government exists and that is to provide services the public wants. At least that was theory. The reality is that elected and over-paid public officials learned, I believe within the last 30 years, that to keep power, catering to the unions was more effective for re-election than fiscal prudence.  The unions always out-number the average hard-working citizen in campaign contributions - Everett Washington firefighters’ union has its own print shop and prints yard signs for big government candidates who support firefighter demands.  

Bankruptcy alerts future bondholders to more closely scrutinize the fiscal health of government.  In the past, government has always been given a pass because it was assumed that government would increase taxes and cut expenses to meet bond obligations.  That notion was always a bit risky but in an era when we let anyone walk with a bankruptcy without shame subscription to that notion is simply foolish. What even a basically savvy public should know now is that government will NOT cut expenses but will instead raise taxes until there is no more capacity to do so, e.g. bankruptcy.

I worked for the state of Washington for 28 years; I have been both a volunteer and paid fire fighter (not for the state); I have been active in local politics and learned the ONLY way people keep a rein on government is to deprive it of money.  It is virtually impossible to elect officials who will keep spending in check because once inside government they choose to remain a part of government and the only way to do that is to support public sector unions.  Where the size of government allows poorly publicized social programs, usually state and federal (county level in more populous states) any elected official who attempts to cut programs will be accused of killing babies and suggesting old people eat dog food. There are many alternatives to these demises but government and its unfortunate (for the taxpayer) alliances in the press will make sure the alternatives do not see the light of day.  To suggest churches or private organizations provide basics to a needy public WITH CONDITIONS are labeled as cruel.  In other words, no one should have to clean public housing or pick up litter on the city streets in order to be given food at the food bank.  Literally, individuals need demonstrate no responsibility for their own care.  These are the tenets of big government; small towns and rural counties do run tighter ships and carefully control expenses and taxes because on a local level it is much easier to oust irresponsible elected officials.  Can anyone  currently living deny it is easier to vote a town councilman out of office than His Maliciousness Chuck Schumer, senator from New York?

Having lived in big and smaller cities I witness very different  attitudes toward the public. Even Spokane, Washington, a wonderful city of 200,000 people absolutely refuses to compromise relations with firefighters or police by seeking alternative providers of services.  San Bernardino, CA, has either filed for bankruptcy or is teetering.  A firefighter in that county, working one day out of four, is paid $200,000  year.  No, firefighters are NOT heroes and not worth that money.  I will make that case forever.

Four police officers in Nassau County, New York, a county adjacent to me, were paid $300,000 JUST IN OVERTIME  in one year. In Suffolk County, NY, where I live, we have the following for law “enforcement” agencies (quotes because very little is actually enforced):

State police;

County Sheriff;

County Police;

City police.

How many law “enforcement” agencies do I need to protect me?  I would accept state police and county sheriff; beyond that I am prepared to defend myself.

When I worked as a paid firefighter for two years, the union rag would brag about slowdowns in firefighter work when the union was not happy...not what good they did for the community.   As a volunteer firefighter in a department with a paid union component, the union members openly, with department indifference, offended the volunteers - against a code of behavior - until the volunteers left, e.g. all paid union department.  We are unable to hold police officers, even off duty, to a higher standard.  One Spokane Valley deputy sheriff literally FLASHED a coffee shop barista and not be fired. (Spokane, Washington). To the credit of the sheriff he did fire the deputy but an idiotic civil service commission reinstated him.  The notion that public sector people are underpaid and thus deserve public respect is not as reasonable as it once was.

By contrast a case that should have been the subject of a master’s thesis, I lived in a small Oregon coastal community.  Local government was under fire.  The city manager, who I will assume NEVER found work elsewhere, understood the purpose of city government.  When it came time to renew funding for government (slight increase in costs) he ran three bond issues.  One was to fund the volunteer fire department (of which I was a member) the second was to fund the police department and the third was to fund administration.  Fire and police passed handily (I was proud to be a firefighter; we passed with 80% of the vote; the police less handily but still a majority) the administration bond issue failed and the manager released the number of employees he had to in order to meet budget. And he did NOT gripe about it and threaten the public with compromised city services. He practiced the notion that the public has the right to define the level of services it wishes from government. The likelihood that Detroit or Suffolk County would do this is virtually nil.  The elected officials truly believe “if the taxpayers do not give us what we want, they deserve no services at all.”

Here is how to deal with this:

1)  Under bankruptcy proceedings, immediately terminate all public sector contracts.  California has threatened to sue bankrupt cities if they do not make pension plan payments.  Use public relations to make sure the citizens know if there are no services left at all, they must blame the state of California for further sucking from dry coffers.  It is not as simple as that but the state ought to learn to negotiate, not dictate.

2)  Pursue an aggressive public relations campaign to assure the public that life is not about to come to an end.  Necessary because all unions will proclaim poor quality of life and even personal danger will result from an abandonment of public employment provision of services.

3)  Pursue contracted services supplemented by volunteer ranks.  I was a volunteer firefighter for years in many districts.  As both a paid and volunteer firefighter I assure you there is no difference in quality.  One of the rare compliments I can pay Long Island is that for 3 million people, nearly all firefighting and medical services are performed by volunteers.

4) Enlist the public in provision of as many of non-emergency services as possible.  Unabashedly recruit such people and praise them publically.  Don’t be cowed by union intimidation.

Again in Suffolk County, New York, the council calls itself the “Legislature” a grossly inflated expression of self-importance.  Its list of departments may very well be one/third of that of the entire state of Washington, itself bloated with politically correct and quite unnecessary government agencies...supported either by minorities “the commission on Indian Affairs” or big business, “the potato commission.”

I revel in Detroit’s bankruptcy; we are fortunate the Federal House is conservative because you can bet Obama will demand bailouts to protect the public sector unions (to protect union jobs is exactly why he bailed out the auto-makers) and shield the elected officials of the city of Detroit the embarrassment they should enjoy...and just wait until the entire state of California or Illinois goes under.  I salivate at that prospect...no I don’t want babies to die in the street.  As I originally asserted the ONLY way to reform government is to deprive it of money and , or even old people to eat dog food.  In bankruptcy, government will reform.  I love Idaho, Utah, Wyoming. Why should any resident in these conservative, fiscally superlative states pay one cent to bail out Moonbean (Jerry Brown, governor, who likes that name) in California or the Suffolk County “Legislature” or the big labor imperialists in Detroit.  There is no reason.

Nice work, Detroit.  I mean that seriously; I applaud your perfection of government malfeasance and failure and look forward to how your public officials make sure the citizens have basic service...sans union fire fighters, a city farrier and a corrupt city government.

*&*&*&*&*&*&

George Zimmerman Beat The Odds

The race riots we quite innocent folks of all races now likely will enjoy were caused by Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Bill Clinton, even Lyndon Johnson, but not by George Zimmerman or the vast majority of whites in this country.  That apathetic, guilt-ridden whites (excluding me) sat by for 40 years never protesting the transfer payments and despicable social policy helped set the stage for inevitable violence.

That slavery existed at one time...over 150 years ago...no one disputes; the continuing attitude that whites owe reparations for actions considered acceptable 150 years ago is without merit.  The blacks and their black leaders and white sympathizers have developed a power base consisting of blacks who fully believe they are entitled to anything they want and there is no crime for which they are to be held accountable.  Barack Obama sanctions the blacks-as-victims mentality when he and Holder refuse to prosecute blacks for interfering with voting rights in Philadelphia, or refusing to prosecute black panthers for issuing a “contract” on George Zimmerman or  refusing to prosecute Al Sharpton for inciting riot. Were a white racist (Sharpton is a black racist) to spew the hate and threats Sharpton does (by the way, Home Depot, the home improvement chain, contributes to Al Sharpton), Holder and his venomous following would be on it like flies on...!

I was born in 1946 in the South Side of Chicago.  I have little memory of race relations in the 50’s and 60’s but recall my parents moving us to the West Coast to avoid my attending a high school with a 75% black population.  I don’t recall my parents saying much about race except that the blacks would never do well.  My parents called the blacks “negros.”  I do not recall my parents using the word “nigger” but they did not respect the blacks.  Before we moved I had my bicycle forcibly removed from me, as was my lunch money, by black kids . For me to be “prejudice” has cause.

That was my limited experience with blacks until I worked for government and witnessed the likes of Blacks-in-Government and blacks suing their way into positions for which they were not qualified.  Thank you affirmative action.   And thank you sympathetic incompetent state’s attorneys.

There has been no civil-”equal”-rights legislation that has not eventually served to the disadvantage of any majority...the able-bodied, the white, the male.  Civil rights legislation said essentially that race, color, creed must never be used to disqualify a candidate for...anything.  That legislation has since been amended to include sexual preference and disability.  Whites, males, able-bodied don’t sue when they are discriminated against (and they are); blacks, the disabled and women do.  To protect themselves, businesses and government caved to black demands (this article is about black entitlement, not the disabled, gays and women as power blocs) and threats of litigation because employers had to prove themselves innocent rather than the plaintiff proving wrongdoing.  It was always cheaper to settle and risk the unlikely suits by guilt-ridden whites than pay out huge claims for discrimination against blacks (Indians and Hispanics have climbed on this bandwagon but to a lesser extent.  Indians loathe being a part of white society; Hispanics are more likely to assimilate and are less likely to believe they are “owed”).  During my “experience” in government I (as his supervisor) and many of my peers were sued by a black man who seemed to think the only reason he had not advanced is that I was just one more white man “holding a black male down.”  This same jerk, by the way, once told me that the child support system was designed to keep black males in poverty.  The state’s attorney, who had to represent me, told me I would not be called to the stand because “I was not remorseful.”  This is one example of thousands that demonstrate that the liberal community absolutely refuses to hold blacks accountable for their own failures (the suit was dismissed after this unreasonable idiot tired out two different attorneys.  The good news is he was once offered $50,000 to “go away” but refused and was ultimately fired outright by a black supervisor and thus he got nothing.)

Civil rights legislation (1960’s) was intended to “level the playing field.”  By the late 1970’s the blacks and their advocates realized that the black family culture and miserable public education left blacks unable to compete so non-discrimination became “reverse discrimination” in order to make sure the blacks were “appropriately represented” in the workforce.  Not that none are good at what they do. We appropriately eschew nepotism in government but the governor’s nephew might indeed be the best man for the job.  Reverse discrimination forced a productive society to hire non-productive blacks in a form of tax-free wealth redistribution.

During the philandering Clinton years, the Catholic Archdiocese in D.C. offered to accept 10,000 inner-city kids (read:  black children) into the Catholic school system to improve their education. Clinton, Jesse Jackson and the National Education Association blocked it.  These horrible people condemned 10,000 kids to a life of poverty and the liklihood that black males will die young.  Stories occasionally appear (when the media forgets itself) about young blacks who excel and are bullied by black gangs since to succeed breaks the shield of entitlement.

Okay, so none of this vicious social policy has worked, at all.  Black unemployment in May, 2013 stood at 13.2% while overall unemployment was 7.5% and my guess is that blacks are working lower paying jobs. Sharpton & Co continue to blame whites for black unemployment.  And white appeasement of these dangerous people is quite literally analogous to the appeasement of Hitler in the late 30’s, early 40’s.  We’ll let a black murder a white; we’ll employ an unqualified black with a “race card,” we will make sure black children are not forced to go to school (a New York law that required mothers to make their kids stay in school in order to collect welfare was tossed as unconstitutional) and maybe there will be peace across this great(?) land.  You know, much like there was in Poland after the rest of Europe handed that country over to Hitler.

Martin/Zimmerman triggered what peace payments (welfare and affirmative action) were intended to keep at bay.  The entitlement valve should have been shut off during the Nixon administration but was not (Nixon followed Johnson). We now have forty years of entitlements in the black community.  If one truly believes he is entitled to the wealth of others and is suddenly denied that, violence is a plausible reaction.  I did not, however, sign that agreement and will defend my family and property, to my death if necessary. Democrats are the architects of the black entitlement mentality but 40 years of Republicans have avoided addressing this “problem.”  To this date I have not heard one member of congress ask Obama how he intends to protect this country from black violence if Zimmerman is acquitted.  435 ostriches.  Tragically, the ostriches will be protected from the violence.

Now, well beyond affirmative action, the Sharptons/Martins/Obamas of the world believe that no black death at the hands of a white man is acceptable (BTW, 92% of black death by guns are committed by other blacks) and the death of a white man is acceptable and fractional retribution.  The media aids this by creating the perception that most violence is white on black creating some doubt in gullible whites about whether or not whites even have a basic right of self-defense against a black man. Every black death - at the hands of a whit - brings out charges of the "lynchings" of years ago.  Ever hear the media use the term “white racists/extremists”?  How about “black racists/extremists”?  Not so much. In the Zimmerman case the media refuses to show pictures of Martin-the-punk, favoring the pictures of  Martin-the-cute-little-boy; you know the one who looks just like Obama’s son, had he a son in his family (Obama said that).

The peace payments have yet to run out.  I thought that would be the violence trigger but guilt-ridden whites continue to agree to larger government redistribution of wealth to buy peace.  The Zimmerman trial was the important and unexpected trigger.

I will not turn in my weapons (oh, my the old white guy must have assault rifles and grenade launchers).  I believe the chances that politically correct government and police will protect me against assault or looting are slim to none.  I will defend my family and possessions to my death though I would much prefer to not die.

The blacks may adopt some sort of guerilla welfare but for the most part will burn their own ghettos as they have in the past.  Why they do this is beyond me but it may be they realize there is a risk that those testy people in white neighborhoods are prepared to shoot back.

I do not despair over the riots (that as of this posting have yet to develop).  This is a come-to-Jesus time in a society that has increasingly taken from the productive to give to the non-productive to preserve both peace and a socialist government.  Not once did I vote for a politician that spent my money on this false peace though in the past because it was not a hot-button issue one rarely knew where the politicians stood.  The riots are not the fault of a racist white society they are the result of a horribly cruel social policy for which Americans (finally) are losing tolerance and the ability to pay.  And they are the fault of power-hungry black racists and their white sympathizers.

I wish Mr. Zimmerman peace and that he can find a safe place to live.  If he is murdered by blacks no local prosecutor or Eric Holder will lift a finger to investigate and prosecute.  He seems like a non-confrontive man but I hope he sues all media that tainted the story; the Florida prosecutor for malicious prosecution; Al Sharpton for conspiracy to deprive  him of his civil rights and the Sanford Police Department for acting in bad faith in filing his initial arrest and charges (the ex-police chief did not believe there was enough evidence to arrest him; he was politely asked to resign by the cowardly council and replaced by a chief who was more sympathetic to the councils’ fears).  I hope that naive whites are pleased with themselves; they have handed this country over to violent, evil people.

I am delighted Zimmerman was acquitted.  I admire the six women who acquitted him and now must have their own fears.  Legal experts, right out of the gate said Zimmerman was not likely to be convicted of anything but the prosecutor went through the motions to keep Al, Barack and his boys happy.

Let the fun begin.