FRIENDS, VERMONTERS, AND COUNTRYMEN

The State of the State Address, Jim Douglas's Affordability Agenda, as edited by Mr. Cliff Notes:

We must do better to make Vermont an affordable place to live, work and raise a family. We must recognize the burden imposed on Vermonters as the state continues to ask of them more and more.

HEALTH CARE

More can and should be done to improve access to health insurance. However, an equally pressing challenge is making health insurance more affordable.

I ask that the consensus reform package be considered at the beginning of this session. Two weeks ago, I presented a plan that will reduce health insurance costs, extend access to every resident, and offer Vermonters the same lower cost health insurance options available to consumers in other states. We can do this without raising taxes.

For two decades Vermont has pursued a course of greater government regulation of the health care system. These policies have had many unfortunate consequences, and now insurance premiums are higher than ever, the number of uninsured Vermonters is increasing and the government programs are headed for bankruptcy.

THE GREYING OF VERMONT

Vermont is exporting too many of our youth. High taxes, a shortage of affordable homes, high energy costs, soaring school budgets and college tuitions, and a challenging economic environment all conspire to drive our young people to seek a more affordable life elsewhere, and prevent working-class Vermonters from getting ahead.

There is an increasing crisis of affordability and the signals are all around us: the exodus of young people and new families, and the rapid graying of Vermont. Vermont has the 6th highest cost of living in the nation, despite metropolitan areas. The flight of young people has made Vermont the second-oldest state in the country.

For all the quality of life we enjoy, Vermont is becoming financially out of reach for middle and low-income residents, many of whom are native Vermonters whose families go back generations. The long-term cultural and economic consequences are significant and the threat to our quality of life is all too real.

Vermont has more colleges per capita than any other state. Yet Vermont leads the nation in the percentage of high school graduates who leave their state to go to college -- and who often will not return to Vermont as their home.

The cornerstone of my effort to make college more affordable and keep young people here is the Vermont Promise Scholarship program, a 15-year, nearly $175 million initiative. It will provide more than 1,000 awards per year to attend one of the state's institutions of higher education. In return, we ask the graduates to start a life here in Vermont upon graduation. If they do, the state will forgive the full award; if they choose to chart their course elsewhere, the state will treat a portion of the scholarship as a loan.

ACT 60 REVENGE

We must recognize that excessive taxation threatens our prosperity, reduces opportunity, and is an unjust burden on families. Education spending has grown at almost twice the rate of inflation, outstripped increases in the gross state product and far outpaced growth in the family checkbook. The average increase has been over 6% per year -- nearly 60% overall growth since 1999.

Property tax burdens have multiplied to keep up with spending. Since 1999, property taxes have risen at a rate of almost 8% per year, a spike of 82% in eight years. The average tax bill will jump over 10% from just this year to next.

Over the same period, enrollment in our schools has dropped 8%. We will have over 8,000 fewer students in September 2006 than we had in September 1999. To increase the state income tax to pay for education does nothing to address the issue of higher spending.

Taxes should not grow faster than your paycheck. I propose capping education property tax growth at no more than the rate of inflation each year. At roughly 3.5%, this target is sustainable and allows room for school budgets to grow responsibly to meet the needs of a community.

I am asking the General Assembly to reconsider the decision to further increase the cost of education by adding two more pre-kindergarten grades to the already stressed K-12 system and the growing tax bills that accompany those costs.

HOUSING BOOM

Over the past five years, while the average household income has risen a respectable 3.7%, the median cost of a home surged 10% per year. I will work with the General Assembly, and with Vermont's network of housing providers, to address our shortage of low and middle-income housing.

NEED A JOB

I am calling on this Legislature to join me in making Vermont a true leader in our national and global economy. We recognize that the real engines of our economy are the small businesses and manufacturing companies that employ sixty-eight percent of all Vermonters.

Vermont must leverage its incomparable commitment to the environment to become the Silicon Valley for environmental industries. Vermont must become the international leader for marketable environmental products and the center of a global bazaar of environmental ideas.

We will need a sturdy infrastructure on which businesses can thrive. Good roads, strong bridges, and a telecommunications network that supports widespread cell phone coverage and broadband access are essential.

I am proposing more investments in the University of Vermont, the Vermont State Colleges and the Vermont Student Assistance Corporation to fund innovative research, programs and equipment to support the sustainable technology sector.

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT

There is a tiny population of hard-core criminals in our prison system which has not received treatment that might allow them to return to society and lead productive and nonviolent lives. These criminals are the worst of the worst: repeat rapists, child molesters, and murderers. My civil confinement proposal should not be a partisan issue.

Helping kids stay drug-free is the first step. While we've made progress in recent years in drug enforcement, education and treatment, we must continue to expand our efforts to combat substance abuse in Vermont. Mentoring is another way to help teach our children Vermont values. I am proposing a strategic initiative called "Vermont Mentors!" to significantly expand mentoring throughout our state.

ON THE OTHER HAND

The Speaker's Response, edited once again by Mr. Cliff Notes:

Health care costs are soaring, energy prices are at record highs, and property taxes are putting stifling pressure on homeowners. That is why the legislature is committed to looking ten years down the road and asking, "What does Vermont need to do now to make sure that the state we see in a decade is one in which our families have economic security, strong communities, quality health care, and opportunities for the future?"

As we move forward, the legislature will focus on three main principles:

We believe Vermonters should have access to affordable health care.

We believe Vermont must take steps to ensure an affordable, safe, clean and reliable energy future for our homes and businesses.

We believe we must strengthen our rural economy.

As we deliberate changes in our health care system, the legislature will keep two very simple but crucial principles in mind.

First, every Vermonter should have the health care he or she needs.

Second, every Vermonter should help pay for their health care.

There are many areas in which we are in agreement with Governor Douglas, and we are ready to build on these areas of common agreement. But make no mistake: they do not constitute health care reform and will not significantly slow the growth of health care costs.

Governor Douglas has identified the property tax as a serious burden. We agree. We stick with our commitment for most Vermonters to pay their school taxes based on their incomes. School expenses are being driven primarily by health care and energy costs, and special education. The state is not helping by imposing budget caps.

The corrections budget is out of control.

We will work with the Governor to provide affordable housing for low and moderate income Vermonters. Vermonters are worried about the declining quality of water in our rivers and lakes and in the groundwater aquifers so many of us rely on for our drinking water.

I applaud the Governor's higher education initiatives.

And finally Vermonters expect the legislature to continue its work to ensure our communities are safe from violent predators and sex offenders.

INCOME BASED PROPERTY TAXES

Biddle Duke of the Stowe Reporter questioned the Speaker's claim that property taxes were income based in an editorial. "How many people in Stowe saw a 20 percent increase in their income? No wonder Education Week ranks Vermont dead last in the fairness of its school funding scheme."

ALL CASHMAN, ALL THE TIME

Not Vermont's finest moment. A media frenzy. Ever wondered how Vermonters would act in such a frenzy? You watch the national media go on an irrational 24/7 frenzy, and you think not here. Wrong, here too.

Everybody seemed to get into the act, journalists and politicians on national television, most not so well informed, most going with the flow, condemning Judge Cashman.

Fox News's John Gibson said, "This story is so Ben & Jerry's. Here we have a judge who, while sentencing a child molester, said he no longer believes in punishment. The sound you hear in the background is Howard Dean giving the judge a round of applause.

"Evidently up in Vermont the Chubby Hubby ice cream finally got to the judge. 'Awe, heck. I've been sitting here for a quarter century sending people to jail and I still got people committing crimes. What's the point?'"

The Opinion Journal's Best of the Web wrote, "'The one message I want to get through is that anger doesn't solve anything. It just corrodes your soul,' said Judge Edward Cashman speaking to a packed Burlington courtroom. 'I discovered it accomplishes nothing of value; it doesn't make anything better; it costs us a lot of money; we create a lot of expectation, and we feed on anger.'

"You almost have to wonder if the people who run Vermont are insane."

DOUGLAS TO THE RESCUE?

The governor joined the lynch mob. He called the defendant a "rapist", defined as "the crime of forcing another person to submit to sexual intercourse," but that appears not to be the case. He called the judge one who "does not believe in punishment;" this appears not the case either. In the court transcript according to an AP report, the judge said, "punishment is not enough."

Governor Douglas could have pleaded for calmer heads and thoughts to prevail. But no, on he went, a Fox News special camera crew on hand to record or perhaps egg him on.

In current time, Seven Days and the Mark Johnson Show held the calm heads, each taking the time to read the court records and quoting from them. By the weekend, the Free Press, AP, and others seemed to think that research might be a valid media responsibility. The Free Press web site posted a reference to the "reconsideration sentence order" prepared by Cashman and made part of the record on Tuesday.

ONLY TWO MONTHS, WHOA

The national media screamers screamed "Judge Cashman gave the convicted child molester a 60-day sentence, rejecting the 20-year sentence the prosecutor wanted." The court record says that the judge sentenced the defendant to 60 days to ten years for Count 1-Aggravated sexual assault, three years to life for Count 2 on the same charge, and for Count 3 for lewd and lascivious conduct 2-5 years.

THROW AWAY THE KEY

For other victims of sexual abuse, the reported sentence of 60 days must have felt like an oozing untreated wound. For parents of small children, the reported sentence must have sent chills down the spine and demanded a quick call to make sure that junior was fine.

In their minds, the appropriate sentence would have been execution, and if that was impossible, castration, and if that remedy was unavailable, lock 'em up and throw away the key.

THE FRENCHMAN SPEAKS

Professor Cheryl Hanna of Vermont Law School was a guest on the Mark Johnson Show. She spoke of a social contract: citizens will join government, government will protect citizens.

This from The Social Contract by Jean Jacques Rousseau, written in 1762. "The problem is to find a form of association which will defend and protect with the whole common force the person and goods of each associate, and in which each, while uniting himself with all, may still obey himself alone, and remain as free as before... Each of us puts his person and all his power in common under the supreme direction of the general will, and, in our corporate capacity, we receive each member as an indivisible part of the whole."

BROKEN PROMISE

The defendant broke the social contract, Judge Cashman did too. The public has an expectation that for a crime of this sort, severity of punishment, not as revenge, not as retribution, but as an agreed upon social contract is expected.

Talk show host Dennis Prager talks about how it is a marvel that we have created a society, especially in that we are a bunch of animals, with so little rape, so few murders. The social contract is a good part of that. Cashman, regardless of his frustration with punishment, retribution, the corrections system, the revolving door of criminals in his court, or the sit in jail and do nothing sentences, failed. We had the expectation that when one severely breaks the social contract, sever consequences ensue.

DON'T SAY, IT AIN'T SO

I read with interest the story of Jec Ballou's newly published book titled "101 Dressage Exercises for Horse and Rider".

"I served on a committee at Randolph Union High School that read and evaluated Senior Projects. Certainly Jec's success today was made possible by the skills she learned at home and in our local schools."

--Senator Mark MacDonald, D-Orange

IT AIN'T SO

Senator Mark MacDonald wrote that he credited the success of my recent book on teaching dressage, in some measure, to my RUHS Senior Project.

There is no doubt that the Senior Project program at RUHS has a strong effect on many students. However, in my case, that effect was quite negative.

Mark MacDonald served as chair of my evaluation committee. Upon final review of my project, he gave me a grade of 47 out of a 100. It is perhaps one of the lowest failing grades on record at RUHS. All other members of the committee gave me a 100. Mr. MacDonald had very little explanation for his shockingly low grade, except to say that some parts of the paper were so well written that surely they had been plagiarized.

That grade was and remains the only failing grade I have ever received in my life. Needless to say, it left a huge impression on me of confusion, sadness, outrage, and a very bitter taste for the Senior Project program at RUHS.

It is akin, in my mind, to being advised by the RUHS guidance counselors at that time that a student like me would never be admitted to a top college like Smith College. Not only was I admitted, but I maintained a 4.0 GPA during my studies there.

The perseverance and self-confidence I have gained along the way have come on my own terms; they were/are NOT provided by the failing grade on a Senior Project. Mr. MacDonald's letter draws a connection between Senior Projects and students' personal goals. After I completed my Senior Project, I quit riding horses for four years. In light of that, I would say the Senior Project greatly derailed my personal goals instead of enhancing them.

--Jec Ballou, Soquel, CA

The letters above appeared in the Herald of Randolph.

THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING

"'There are no Democrats who took money from Jack Abramoff, not one, not one single Democrat. Every person named in this scandal is a Republican. We have looked through all of the FEC reports to make sure that's true.'" ---DNC Chairman Howard Dean

"Normally, we'd suggest that Dr. Dean think before he speaks, but that would spoil all the fun. His statement certainly rings true if one doesn't count the 40 Democrat senators who have in fact taken money from Jack Abramoff. Among the Abramoff beneficiaries are Demos Joseph Biden, Barbara Boxer, Hillary Clinton, Byron Dorgan (at least $79,000), John Kerry (at least $98,000), Pat Leahy, Barack Obama and Chuck Schumer, who already has what may well be the largest campaign war chest in Washington." -- The Federalist, January 13, 2006

THE LONELY LEADER

Speaking of Waldo, he was seen recently dining alone at Papa Franks in Winooski. The thrifty soul had received a gift certificate.

A FRIEND HE ISN'T

Bernie Sanders has asked that no Progressive run for either of the open seats in Washington. This is unfortunate. Third parties are usually parties of ideas not power, idealists not politicians. Bernie is the godfather of the Progressive Party. Bernie supported the Party, the Party supported Bernie. That was until he became "them," a politician wanting more power.

Neither Sanders nor retiring Democrat Mayor Peter Clavelle has recently served the Party well. Clavelle abandoned the Progressives to become a Democrat in order to seek the power of the governorship and broke his pick. We wish the same fortune upon Bernie.

NO TALENT

That would be economist David Hale's assessment of Bernie. At a recent Ethan Allen Institute event at the Sheraton in South Burlington, Hale questioned Vermonters' support for Mr. Sanders.

"Vermont, like South America, has a good economy and crazy politics. Vermont has a larger percentage of its GDP in foreign trade than any other state, 15 percent. In second place is Texas with 13.3 percent.

"Yet we have a congressman who is more opposed to foreign trade than any other. Bernie has voted against every free trade measure. He introduced a bill to force America to withdraw from the World Trade Organization. Without the WTO there would be no rule of law for trade and that loss would have a profound impact on our most successful sector.

"This is a completely ignorant and stupid act which would destroy our part of world trade. There are 22,000 jobs in Vermont tied to foreign trade. Why doesn't anybody speak up for these jobs? I met with Rich Tarrant and after listening to the issues that he is running on, he never mentioned foreign trade. How could that be?

"This is a challenge for educators: Bernie is an enemy to the Vermont economy and to foreign trade."

WHAT ABOUT OUR LEGISLATURE, MR. HALE?

"Vermont has high costs to do business, a difficult regulatory process, high taxes, difficult permits, and catastrophic health care plan. That plan will result in a huge increase in taxation. They look to the Canadian health care system as a good example of what government should do. Canadians would revolt without the American health care system next door to satisfy the demands that their own system cannot.

"Vermont's left wing legislature is a major threat to the Vermont economy."

NEW TALENT

The Stowe Reporter reports a new entrant into the race for Congress. Howard Merson is a candidate for the Democrat nomination for the House running against State Senator Peter Welch.

Merson claims to have $100,000 in pledges. He is a recent resident of Vermont though a stamp licking Democrat since the Jimmy Carter days.

VTNEA FOLLOW UP

The mailbox is full. Most folks applauded; the few who did not assumed that we were attacking teachers. No, we think that the VTNEA has been too greedy and predict that there will be a "push back."

Speaker Symington in her rebuttal to Douglas's State of the State implied that his placing a cap on school spending was an assault on children. "School expenses are being driven primarily by health care, energy costs, and special education. The state is not helping if we ignore those challenges simply because they are more difficult than solutions that blame our schools, our teachers, and school board members."

Good try, but wrong. The driver of cost is number of teachers. We have fewer students and more teachers. Governor Douglas in response said, "The state has energy costs and health care costs and yet we keep our annual budget increases at the level of GDP growth. We have over 4,000 vehicles, thousands of state employees, and buildings all over the state to heat and maintain and yet we hold the line each year. School boards can too, and the taxpayers expect that.

"As I said in the State of the State, we have the third highest tax burden as a percent of our income. Property tax has increased 82 percent in eight years. Since 1999 our enrollment has dropped 8 percent, yet our school spending has increased 60 percent. We need immediate action."

As economic wags said when Act 60 was passed, "If cost is zero, demand will be infinity."

BACK TO SCHOOL

We mentioned that many teacher contracts reimburse teachers for graduate education. Here is a sampling of Spring 2006 UVM Continuing Education courses for teachers that you will be proud to pay for. Wanna sign up?

12143: Art, History & Cultures of Oaxaca, Mexico (field trip - 3 credits)
12642: Caribbean Food (3 credits)
10097: White Nationalism (3 credits)
10173: Latinos/as & the Media (3 credits)

TEACHERS' PETS

"It is a new day in town. New laws require a public airing of union spending. The NEA gave $65 million in its members' dues to left-liberal groups last year such as to Jesse Jackson's Rainbow PUSH Coalition, the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation, Amnesty International, AIDS Walk Washington and dozens of other such advocacy groups.

"Reg Weaver, the union's president, makes $439,000 a year. The NEA has a $58 million payroll for just over 600 employees, more than half of whom draw six-figure salaries. Last year the average teacher made only $48,000, so it seems you're better off working as a union rep than in the classroom.

"The good news is that for the first time members can find out how their union chieftains did their political thinking for them, by going to http://www.union-reports.dol.gov, where the Labor Department has posted the details."

--The Federalist, reviewing The Wall Street Journal article found here: http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110007761

MR. CONGENIALITY

About ten minutes before Governor Douglas began his state of the state chat, press secretary Jason Gibbs appeared in the press gallery with written copies. He handed your editor his last three copies. He quickly promised more and soon appeared with multiple copies.

Meanwhile your editor handed one copy to Ms. Terri Hallenbeck of the Burlington Free Press, another to the handsomely turned out Ms. Susan Reid, the Canadian who offers us behavioral tips as the Editorial Page Editor for the Free Press, and kept the third for himself. At that, Darren Allen of the Vermont Press Bureau, snarled, "I am a daily newspaper." Gentlemanly Ross Sneyd of the AP, passed his copy on to sulking Darren saying, "I have it online."

LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL

Hard to do according to Darren. He wrote in his weekly column, "I rarely deal in good, happy news... A friend suggested that I come up with a collection of happy and smile inducing vignettes... I closed my eyes, thought for a moment, nothing came."

Got any ideas? Please let Darren know at: darren.allen@rutlandherald.com

THE US HOUSE RACE

»» Dennis Morrisseau, Pawlet: I thought I ought to introduce myself, since I am running in the GOP primary for "Bernie's" seat. Bernie was my speech writer --not a very good one either-- when I ran for Congress as a Democrat long long ago (1971 special election).

THE US SENATE RACE

»» Michael Seely, Dorset: Glad to see you're getting on Sanders for his trade views, which are worse than dumb. I wrote several items about this; see one below from the Rutland Herald: http://www.rutlandherald.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20031029/NEWS/310290314

THE AG RACE

»» Dennis Carver: Regarding your comment about competition appearing for statewide offices: I am running against Bill Sorrell for Attorney General. In the last election cycle I ran against the holder of the office without name recognition, organization, money, or any idea about how a campaign should be run. I simply told the truth, and was well received everywhere I went.

Nothing has changed since 2004. Bill Sorrell is still a gopher, doing the dirty work for his elite, with no regard for the Constitution, or his Oath of Office. Currently, we do not have a case of "The foxes guarding the hen house"; instead we have a case of a chicken guarding the foxes.

Last time, I got 30% of the vote. I only need 21% more. This time, I intend to be better prepared, better financed, and to take the many issues to We The People.

DUNNE'S RUN

»» Mary Daly, Fairlee: Another great edition of the Dwinell Report. Thanks for the comments from our Union bigwig Dorta and your responses.

I particularly noted Matt Dunne's announcement of his Intent to run for Lieutenant Governor and why. He listed four points and I agree with the first three. We already have a Lieutenant Governor who does all that. I work with Lieutenant Governor Brian Dube on the Healthy Aging Commission and consider it a privilege. Lieutenant Governor Dube does have values in line with most Vermonters. He is a true gentleman and a very hard worker. I do not agree that the Federal Government is failing us but I can't say as much for the liberal Democrats and Progressives in the State of Vermont.

MORE VT NEA COMMENTS

»» Libby Sternberg, Rutland: That was a very good issue, in which you carefully and logically rebutted the responses from the VT-NEA. The union does not serve its members well when it fights things like school choice and merit pay. There are some fantastic teachers out there (my kids had some of them) and they shouldn't be treated like interchangeable widgets.

Teachers' Pets: The NEA gave $65 million in its members' dues to left-liberal groups last year http://www.opinionjournal.com/editorial/feature.html?id=110007761

SHOULD SEELY RUN?

»» Michael Seely, Dorset: Here's a four-point plan to solve Vermont's issues:

1. Raise a lot of money for legislative candidates who will brook no bull** and actually get something done.

2. Raise the teacher-student ratio to the level at which we start to start to see decreasing test scores. Eliminate supervisory unions. Introduce vouchers state-wide. Create incentive pay for schools (not teachers, but schools, and let them divvy up the dough amongst the staff). If schools strike, fire the teachers --a la Reagan and the air traffic controllers.

3. Take the massive $$$ savings and buy those Vermonters lacking health care coverage who do not qualify for Medicaid and aren't frictionally unemployed a Health Savings Account. Require smokers, drinkers, morbidly obese et al to get into behavior modification programs. Make sure that chiropractors, dentists et al are included.

4. Raise more money for good legislative candidates.

MORE THOUGHTS ON 2006

»» Robert Maynard, Williston: In order to make a turnover "likely", the GOP needs to understand how the Democrats got to be a majority and how the GOP lost its own House majority.

The first lesson is that the Democrat's majority did not come about as a result of Kerry's coattails. Most of the damage done was in the 2002 campaign, with the 2004 campaign merely finishing the job.

The second lesson is that Walt Freed did not resurrect the House Republicans to ruling status for two terms. The GOP gained local legislative seats for two campaigns in a row, namely the 1998 and 2000 campaigns in order to become a majority. These campaigns were largely divisive ones where the differences between the Democrats and the GOP were clear as day.

Ruth Dwyer and the "Take Back Vermont" movement had more to do with these victories than the GOP official leadership. After this, the GOP lost seats in both Houses for two campaigns in a row. The losses in 2002 were despite the emergence of the Progs as a major party and a nationwide shift to the GOP side.

The losses in the 2004 campaign merely finished the slide that started in the 2002 campaign. At the top of the ticket, the Douglas campaign ran a "Democratic Lite" campaign that served mainly to blur the distinction between the two parties ideologically. After two ideologically clear campaigns (1998 and 2000) the GOP ran two ideologically confused campaigns and lost all that had been gained.

Governor Douglas is a personally likeable guy, but not "a leader kicking butt to make a turnover likely". If the GOP is to take advantage to the opportunities presented by the 2006 elections, they will have to develop a much greater degree of clarity as to where they stand than they have shown in the past few years. Fortunately, the Democrats are offering much help and opposing their attempt to impose a single payer health care system on us is a good start.

THEY LIKE US

»» Bill and Nancy Polk, Pawlet: Keep up the good work. We love reading DPR.

SPLASH, SPLASH

"The grand hulk of Ted Kennedy ranted that he wanted to subpoena the papers of William Rusher to get to the bottom of Alito's membership in the Concerned Alumni of Princeton. At this moment, one sensed that perhaps at last the ghost of Robert Bork had finally been laid to rest. 'Borking' was once a Democratic smear tactic. This week --amid intellectually exhausted and politically befuddled Democrats-- it became a laugh track." -- Daniel Henninger, Wall Street Journal, January 13, 2006

SPLASH, SPLASH, TAKE #2

"That big splash is yet another Democrat dead horse belly-flopping into the Potomac. Senator Barbara Boxer is considering bringing impeachment proceedings against the President. For intercepting the phone calls of terrorists?" --Mark Steyn, Spectator, January 14, 2006

SO GENEROUS

"The average 10-minute Howard Dean interview contains more headlines than a month of the Congressional Record. For a journalist on deadline, Howard Dean is like Santa." --Tucker Carlson, Jewish World Review, December 8, 2005

http://jewishworldreview.com/1205/carlson120805.php3

BEWARE

"Clearly, a civilization that feels guilty for everything it is and does will lack the energy and conviction to defend itself." --Gaul Jean-Francois Revel

GOD IS GREAT

"Religion is the enemy to the transnational progressives because religion holds up laws and codes and rules that they cannot amend. You have Swedish clothing designers putting a tag on hot jeans with a skull and an inverted cross with the express intention of pointing out the "evil" of Christianity. Wal-Mart probably won't stock the Swedish jeans. I think that says it all."

http://www.lileks.com/screedblog/06/010506.html

GOVERNMENT IS GREAT

"Environmentalism is collectivism in drag. The primary purpose of environmentalism is to create and use scarcity to enlarge governmental supervision of individuals' lives." --George Will, December 15, 2005.

GLOBALIZATION IS GREAT

"As America, the former British commonwealth, India, and China, embraced globalization, (Vermont) seeks a third way of insulating themselves from it and now are beginning to pay for trying to legislate and control what is well beyond your ability to do either." --VDH, National Review Online, January 6, 2006

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