Suggested Ground Rules for Meetings...and Life as well.

These were Suggested Ground Rules at a training conference I recently attended, and I feel it applies to more than just meetings.

• Actively contribute to discussions.
• Volunteer for assignments.
• Discourage outside interruptions.
• Attend Meetings.
• Start and end meetings on time.
• Focus on agenda items during meeting.
• Solve the problem or make improvements in accordance with the four keys to quality.
• No "war stories"
• Listen and show respect for the views of other members.
• Concentrate on what is being said and allow the person who is speaking to finish.
• Complete work assignments on time.
• Avoid disruptive side conversations.
• Evaluate each idea on its own merit.
• Make decisions based on Facts.
• Come prepared.
• Keep comments brief.

I feel many can benefit just by following these rules, even if only a handful are applied.  Applying all would be most beneficial.

- MO

BOOK REVIEW: Rebuilt - The Story of a Catholic Parish

Rebuilt by Michael White and Tom Corcoran

Whoa....That is my reaction after I finished reading this book within 4 days.  I could not put it down!

No book has transcended my views on the mission of a Parish, and its timing is impeccable as St. Alphonsus begins the Journey of Parish Transformation.

This may be a longer post, but I encourage you to read all the way through, especially if you don't have time to read the book in it's entirety.

NOTE: This is not necessarily a thorough Review, but rather the most important points that stood out to me.  Majority of text is verbatim or paraphrased from book.   I added my thoughts under 'Mark's Take:'.

Part 1: Naming the Problem

Ten Things their Parish got wrong:

1. We assumed if we did more and did it better, people would grow in their maturity and commitment.
2. We thought if we did more and did it better, people would automatically give more (money).
3. If we did more and did it better, we took it for granted that people would automatically get involved and help out.
4.  We looked to our stalwart church-goers (senior citizens) as our natural allies as we tried to move forward.
5. Little did we appreciate how detached the second and third Generations of demanding consumers had grown.
6. ...We didn't understand how marginalized the whole enterprise of faith and religion had become in the lives of our 'parishoners'.
7. Despite our best efforts, we really were not reaching our student population.
8. We didn't understand how profoundly uninterested the non-church-going population had grown, how distrustful of any outreach efforts we made, and how cynical they could be about all organized religion.
9. We were not turned toward God.  We were not relying on his leadership.  And we were not looking to go where he was blessing.
10. We thought this would be easy.  

Mark's Take:  If St. Alphonsus could make a Top Ten List, ours would be very similar.

By turning towards God, the Parish found where to take first steps.  Scripture makes it clear that God expects us to be faithful and fruitful.  God Doesn't want his Church to fail.

How do we do it?  How do we make our parish church grow?  Wrong question.  We don't make it grow; only God does that.  As St. Paul teaches, God is the agent of growth in his Church:

I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God caused the growth.  Therefore, neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who causes the growth...For we are God's fellow workers (1 Corinthians 3:6-7,9)

God's will is growth.  One of the key factors in moving forward, when we finally did, was our willingness to learn how to move forward by turning to people who already were doing so.

By turning to God, activities had purpose rooted in why the Parish exists. 

Mark's Take:  This is not only the way to approach Parish life, but one's own life.  Let God Lead, and he will guide you.

Part 2: Finding a Way Forward

Lost People in Churchworld

What is the mission of the Parish?  Does each Parish need to make a new one?

Nope!  God already gave us a Mission: Make disciples.  That's it.

Mark's Take: Simple and accurate!  Why do we make things so complicated?

Disciples are students.  Always learning and teaching others what they learned.

What about the Lost? 

Lost people aren't evil or immoral or even bad.  They're just mixed up about God.

People can fall into dechurched category (Used to go to Church) or unchurched (never been to Church).

Mark's Take: I know many, many people in these categories, and I have failed to make Church exciting to any of them.

These people miss out on God.  It should be one of our Goals to bring them the joy and happiness God has brought to our lives, and to be a disciple.

Nativity (Parish in book) was never even in the business of reaching the lost.  Nativity was irrelevant to the lost.  And we wanted it to be that way.  They were going to start challenging churchpeople, and seeking lost people.

Mark's Take: St. Al's has unique opportunity here because our Lost can include people who hop from Parish to Parish, and those cradle Catholics that stopped attending mass in Adult years.

The people who don't feel welcome aren't present to tell us why.  People at Nativity were not accustomed to being challenged; they didn't want to be challenged.

GOOD IDEA:

- One specific challenge we made was for people to begin serving the parish ministries and begin caring about the lost, because that is basic, obvious way consumers start growing as disciples.
- We did convince some parishoners to start greeting people at the church doors, a couple times a month, and several others to field questions and provide guest information.


We even started using the homily more intentionally to shape our congregation with challenges we wanted them to consider.  It didn't always work, and some people resented us.

When you start moving in the direction God is giving, unexpected, unexplainable, and amazing things start unfolding.

When you start moving in the right direction, the "right" people start stepping forward.  To be honest, there was some criticism that was heartfelt and sincere, and even helpful.

Nativity enabled and even encouraged members to remain demanding consumers and we ignored everybody else.

Finding a Way Forward:

1. Define your mission field - We aren't here to simply serve the congregation; we're here to reach those who live within the parish.
2.  Describe the "lost" in your mission field.  
3. Design a simple, specific invitation strategy. - Disciples bring their faith into everyday relationships.  Nearly all the newcomers to our church in recent years (700 last year) have come from decurched backgrounds because of personal invitation.

Mark's Take:  This aligns with the Parish Transformation.

Part 3: Developing a Strategy

Weekend Focus:

It's all about the Weekend!

The weekend is the number one opportunity for people in the community to connect with the church.

Their staff was too busy Monday through Friday to worry about Sunday.  The weekend was an afterthought.

The Eucharist is central to our Parish and our weekend worship.  They started focusing the weekend on the perspective of lost people.

What they had was a program; what we needed was a worship program.  Disciples Sing!  The music must be all about attracting the lost and growing disciples through worship.


Mark's Take:  I truly feel we have a wonderful worship program at our liturgies, but I can attest at the 5:00 Sunday mass its excruciating to hear the silence from the congregation to sing the hymns.  Might be the size of St. Al's, or songs we select, but its a gap that we can address.

Accessible and Attractive:

Little things become big things!

Creating Ministry Teams that serve a purpose to attract people and make the weekend experience accessible.  

Host Team: Adds words to the welcome!  Their goal is to greet everyone who comes through any of our doors.  There is nothing quite as welcoming as people who are happy to see you.

Mark's Take: I tried this approach at the 5:00 Sunday mass on 2/22/15.  IT TOTALLY WORKS!  I have no empirical evidence that it led to a person singing or giving in the collection basket, but I know they felt welcomed when I handed them a hymnal.

Information Team: The team provides visitors with details about programs and services, and helps members sign up to take the next step in discipleship.  

YOU CAN DO THIS! => Start by putting information that parishoners actually want in one place (website): how to join, get envelopes, how to sign up for programs, service, events...everything in one place.  Engage 3 to 4 people who are friendly and enthusiastic that can be put in your church lobby.  Highly visible and accessible.  Keep handouts to a minimum.  

Operations Team:  Sets up and breaks down for programs and services.  They wash windows, vacuum carpets, keep the place clean throughout weekend.

Teams work together in a Strategic Way. 

Mobilize the Next Generation:

Little Kids are a Big Deal!  The Mass is neither children's ministry nor "family time".  It's time we give to God.  They focused on helping those families of the dechurched feeling welcomed.  Start by creating programs and ministries for Children for the weekend.  This is not babysitting.  All activities revolve around the weekend message rooted in Christ's Mission.

Kids programs don't have to be expensive, and you really can get adults and young adult volunteers involved.

Great children's programs will ensure that the kids keep their parents coming back.

 Make the Message Matter:

The Word of God has the power to change people.  For a few minutes each week, we get to share the life-changing Gospel of Jesus Christ.  It is unparalleled opportunity to help church members go deeper.

DISCIPLINE BUILDS SKILL

Do you see those skilled at their work?  They will stand in the presence of kings.  (Proverbs 22:29)

Preaching God's word and preparing to preach God's word demand discipline, and discipline is no fun. Scripture describes the power of words!  When you are faithful to the Word of God, you get to see the power of God at work in your life.

We just started using Gods' word; and then we started to see God's power at work.  Money didn't fund the strategy; it followed it, and it came in response to the preaching. 

Mark's Take:  Although the Authors are pointing towards a homily, I feel this applies to all of the Parish in how we preach God's word, not just by our words.  

Build From Below: 

If you examine your personal history, you will find a story of relationships.  We grow and develop and change with others.  ...Parishes are simply no longer the social centers they once were.  Whether its the endless options to utilize time, or the impersonal feeling of a Church, people have view Parish Life quite differently now. 

Small Groups have the ability to personalize one's Christian Faith.  By no means was Nativity successful with every Small Group endeavor, but they kept trying and learning.  Today, there are small groups for men and women, seniors and young adults, couples groups, mom's groups... These are in addition to the Weekend based ministries.  

What we Learned about Small Groups:

1. Small groups are small.
2. Small groups are integrated into the life of our parish.=> Small groups are not intended to be stand-alone communities.  They must remain in communion with the other small groups and ministries.  
3. Small groups are delivery system for pastoral care.  
4. Small groups are about life-change. =>  A place we can find support, but they're not 'Support groups'.
5. Small groups are our schools for discipleship.=>  Healthy churches aren't just growing; they're growing disciples.

Don't Rob God:

Jesus talked about money all the time.  When it comes to money, people don't know how to live because they don't know how to give.  GIVING IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT.

Catholic giving at the parish level is abysmal, consistently at or near the very bottom of giving levels among Christians.  It is a scandal that dishonors God and belies a certain a level of immaturity.  It takes money to run a parish.  Giving is even more important when it comes to discipleship.  This topic is ignored as a spiritual issue.  Why?

Fundraisers are not the answers to your financial woes.  It's like fruit.  Fundraising is all about going for the "fruit", plucking it off branches, shaking it out of the tree, gathering it up from the ground.  It is sometimes successful short-term but it is a losing long-term strategy when it comes to church funding.  

Successful church funding should be about planting fruit-bearing trees - Parishioners who are givers.

Raising Givers

When it comes to our money, God wants us to test him and see if he will not be faithful.  It's a challenge.  

Tithing is the gift of 10 percent of what we have or earn, given to honor God.  Tithing is established as the consistent standard for worship-giving throughout the Bible beginning in Genesis.  

Tithing is just the threshold - the place to get started.

 Start with Yourself

We couldn't expect our Parishoners to start giving (more or at all) if we weren't giving ourselves.  

We challenge our members to be come one of the following:

• Planned Givers - Designating money in their budget to give
• Priority Givers - Giving to God before other expenses
• Percentage Givers - Giving a percentage, not a dollar amount
• Progressive Givers - Increasing the percentage regularly 

We have become convinced that percentage giving is the majore cultural shift in getting our parish on the right track.  We only talk about giving to our parish once a year. 

People's hearts certainly won't change overnight, but if you really live out what God teaches about money personally and then preach it, God will begin to change people's hearts.

Mark's Take: Once I realized why God asks us to give, it became so much easier to make the personal commitment to give back to God.  If we give people the reasons to give, and make it easier for them to join the Parish, be involved, and give regularly, the stewardship of the Parish will rise organically.

Get the Parish out of the Pews

Ministry is supposed to be a Team sport.  Our churches will be unhealthy consumer-driven assemblies if people are not pressed to get involved and help out.  Every member is a minister.  To be a place of energy and excitement that is irresistible to outsiders we've got to get the insiders out of the pews.  

How do you get people to serve?  We preach it, all the time.  Not when we need help, not just when we're desperate: all the time.

To make ministry accessible, we have a program called 'First Serve'.  It's simply a chance to try one our ministries on a single serve, one time only basis with no obligation to join.  Make commitment small and manageable.  Think of requesting someone to commit to two hours, twice a month.

We encourage ministry teams to socialize together regularly.  Most all of the office work is handled by parishioners.

Don't get discouraged and don't give up!

Our parishioners should be serving and our parishes should be models of service in our communities and beyond.

When there is no leadership, parish efforts only happen from time to time, with no real impact beyond stand alone projects themselves.

 Focus your Efforts for the Greatest Impact.

Get Everyone Involved!  As long as parishioners see missions as someone else's job, they're acting like customers.  Everyone has to serve. How to get involved should be the easiest thing imaginable in your church.

History is shaped by leaders.  Noting great ever gets accomplished without great leadership.  And lots of bad stuff happens in the absence of it. 

Jesus is the model of leadership.  And he leads from the cross.

Mark's Take: It has been obvious throughout my life where Leadership has been absent, especially when I personally failed to step up.  Having good Leaders doesn't mean things will always work out, or that everything is perfect, but it will give you/team the best opportunity to keep learning and improving. 

You are not alone.  God is with you.

Make church matter.

Mark's Take:  There are moments in life when a Book feels like it is speaking directly to you, when you needed someone to speak to you more than ever.  This was the Book I needed to help guide me back to God in search for Leadership in my life.  The Parish Transformation is a daunting task for St. Alphonsus, but I know it will be a journey we can continue to learn and grow from as long as we put God first. 

NOTE: There is much more in the book I couldn't cover in one blog post, but I hope you take away some great ideas to apply in your Parish, and please read the book if you have time.

 

BOOK REVIEW: Steeltown USA: Work and Memory in Youngstown

I read this book in ~ 2005, and found my notes as I was getting rid of some old notebooks.  Here are the memorable lines I recorded while reading Steeltown USA: Work and Memory in Youngstown by Sherry Lee Linkon and John Russo.

"The recovery of a positive memory of itself is the first important step toward reconstructing a sense of place, belonging, and ownership."

"Where there is work, there is social organization."

In 1963, a Saturday Evening Post cover story dubbed Youngstown 'Crime Town, USA'.

Urban Policy expert said about Youngstown:

"I have never been in an urban community before where jails and prisons were treated as a growth industry."

"While work gave people a sense of pride and brought them together, it could not bridge the gap between workers and managers, nor could it fully erase differences of race and ethnicity."

Youngstown would become a place known for loss and resistance.

1977-1987, unemployment would reach over 20% and remain in double digits.

Youngstown Area Chamber of Commerce headline one week after Youngstown Sheet and Tube shutdown, "Not Our Valley!  No Place for Doom and Gloom."

"We've been in a 20 year pity party.  As long as week looking backward, we'll never keep going forward."  - Rufus Hudson

The book does not acknowledge that most of the job growth in the last twenty years has been in the service and retail sectors.  These sectors traditionally provided short job ladders, contingent and part-time employment, and low pay and miserable benefits.

Mark's Thoughts:

Overall, I really enjoyed the book because it put into words many the things I did not see growing up in Youngstown (my era was 1985-2001).  I knew it wasn't always doom and gloom, but it fascinated me how long people held on to views that it would just get better with time.  There is definitely not an entrepreneur attitude among residents, and that led to so many years of just the status quo. 

In 2015, some of the things the book points out as problems are still ongoing in the city.  The City Government is as Tax Hungry as ever, even though the majority of the population in city lives under the poverty line.  Instead of finding ways to decrease the size and scope of Government, the city boo hoos about how their 2.75% Business Profit Tax, and the 2.75% Personal Income Tax the city imposes will be down in 2015.  See Vindy Article HERE. Never forget, taxes are just a form of theft.  The City will never be prosperous again as long as the city government feels it deserves a large slice of the economic pie.

BOOK REVIEW: Cybill Disobedience by Cybill Shepherd with Aimee Lee Ball

Many may wonder, "Why would you read a book about Cybill Shepherd?"  The answer is 'Why Not?'

The ol' saying of 'Don't judge a book by its cover' is thoroughly shattered with this book.  You truly can judge the book by this cover, and know you are going to be thoroughly impressed!

Below are the Insightful/Hilarious/Frightful quotes compiled by reading 292 pages about Cybill Shepherd:

Family Life and Advice:

...My siblings and I ignored the frisson between my parents and never discussed the family drinking patterns, except that we referred to Moma and Da-dee's Florida Condominium as Fort Liquordale.

I can take a trip down memory lane just by walking past the men's cologne counter of any department store.

After winning Miss Teenage Tennessee, a note arrived '...you are such a sweet, thoughtful All-American Girl.  If you stay this, and I am sure you will, you can never really become a loser.'

My room looked like the inside of a pepto-bismal bottle.

On dating Elvis:

Then he opened his jacket and revealed a pearl-handled revolver stuck in his belt.  "I carry this little girl everywhere I go."

Elvis was the first person I ever saw drink bottled water, which he imported from the Ozarks.  "You drink enough of this,and it'll keep you regular."

 Advice and Movie Reviews:

"If I was still acting, you're the kind of girl I'd like to work with.  Whatever you do, don't get depressed and start eating." - Cary Grant

When Gene Shalit reviewed the film on The Today Show, he said "In this movie Cybill Shepherd appears as if she cannot walk or talk, much less sing."

"Casting Cybill Shepherd in a musical comedy is like entering a horse in a cat show" - Cincent Canby of the New York Times

There's nothing like rejection right in your face to keep you humble.

"Cybill Shepherd is a no-talent dame with nice boobs and a toothpaste smile and all the star quality of a dead hamster." - Critic 

Life Choices:

I gained forty-five pounds during my first pregnancy, and just to keep me company, my husband, David, gained fifty.

When my daughter was christened, I wore Birkenstocks.  My Mother and Grandmother complained, but I told them Jesus wore sandals and would have understood.

By the third tri-mester, I was so i huge i began to resemble Marlon Brando.

...I got to do The Return, not quite the worst movie ever made, but close.  The plot, such as it was, concerned aliens who come to Earth and inhabit cows.

My first choice for the part was Paula Poundstone, a stand-up comedienne with a twisted wacky charm.

Introductions:

I'm Cybill Shepherd, You know, the Movie Star?

If you are looking for a good time on a Saturday night, I wholeheartedly recommend Cybill Disobedience!

- MO 6/2/14 

Book Review: The Moon is a Harsh Mistress - Robert A. Heinlein

Recently, I finished the Libertarian Science Fiction Novel - "The Moon is a Harsh Mistress" by Robert A Heinlein (1966).

I was given a copy when I attended a Chicago AFF Event.

The book was a tough read at times, partly because of the content, and partly because of my complete absence of reading books the last couple of years.  I have read blogs and magazines almost everyday, but the 'chore' of reading a book cover-to-cover scared me.  It took me over 3 months to finish, but the book's core message inspired me to finish.

Here is a quick summary: Luna is a colony controlled by Terra.   Luna residents create a strategy to revolt.  Terra strikes first, but Luna wins out.

The book had one great quote that I want to capture in this post:

You have put your finger on the dilemma of all government - and the reason I am an anarchist.  The power to tax, once conceded, has not limits; it contains until it destroys.  I was not joking when I told them to dig into their own pouches.  It may not be possible to do away with government - sometimes I think that government is so inescapable disease of human beings.  But it may be possible to keep it small and starved and inoffensive - and can you think of a better way than by requiring the governors themselves to pay the costs for their antisocial hobby?

 I find it fascinating that this book was written in 1966, and in 2014, I feel exactly the same way.  When I advocate for the elimination of entire departments in Governments, its because if you leave a pulse, it will find a tax or fee to keep it alive and eventually grow again.  I have convinced some ardent Liberals that there is no value in sending money to Washington for the Federal Department of Education, to have them create tests and standards to implement at state level, is asinine.  How does a bureaucrat know whats best for Oregon, Iowa, and Florida?

For a full chapter synopsis, please click here.

~Mark

Raisin farmers don't want to be subsidized!

It's always nice to see a pro-free market solution rise to the top, even if it has to go all the way to the Supreme Court!

I love the first line of the article:

The Supreme Court is giving California raisin producers a new day in court to object to a government program that aims to stabilize prices by regulating the market.

So the people are against a government enforced program that stands no chance as being efficient as free market.  In a free market, raisin prices are set by supply and demand.  Aspects such as weather conditions, crop yields, acreage planted, distribution systems, etc... all factor into the prices and will rise or lower depending on the outcomes.

Read the article.

Tenth Ammendment Center - Kansas - Holder overreach

It's amazing, but not surprising, that Eric Holder has a job.  How could we forget 'Fast and Furious' ?

Mr. Holder has sent a stern letter to the Kansas Attorney General with regards to Kansas voting to void any Federal Laws that they deem unconstitutional.  People like Holder don't like being told what they are doing is not the law of the land.  The DOJ feels all of its laws should be adhered and supported by all the states.

The gun law conversation has been more of yelling and finger pointing, then actual true debate.

I feel the most unsafe areas in the world are gun-free zones.  Have you ever been to the southside of Chicago?  This city is a case study of what happens when you make it nearly impossible to own a gun.
The Tenth Ammendment Center takes down Holder step by step.  I really enjoy the conversation created by the TAC.  I hope to read more about their work and mission and spread the good word of nullify unjust, unconstitutional Federal Laws.

Check out TAC article here.

$15/hr to provide a 'living wage'

In a classic 'we are paid too little, but don't understand Marginal Revenue Productivity' mantra, workers at local retail and fast food in Downtown Chicago staged a walk out to demand higher wages.  Did they forget they dont get paid if they are not working?

This is my favorite quote:

* According to WLS , Lorraine Chavez of the Workers Organizing Committee said, "These are poverty wages and homelessness wages."

Poverty wages?  Homelessness wages?  I tend not to agree with these absurd, non-economic based theories.

Also, it's good to hear (sarcasm):

* Those involved in the protest are also rallying for the right to unionize without intimidation from their employers.

But the employers would be forced to recognize the union and pay union wages.  How intimidating is that?

$15 is such an arbitrary number that makes it seem like people will be 'richer'.  Little is shown how the increased in wages will cause costs to be passed on to the customer, decrease the amount of people an employer hires, and puts the business at greater risk of failure.

Why not $20/hr?  $50/hr?  When does it end?  How do you know the minimum wage (even though wages are determined by supply and demand curves like any other good or service), yet not know the maximum wage?

Also, do these people ever protest at the Federal Reserve?  Inflation makes every dollar for everyone worth less and less.  Instead of protesting the job creators of the world, the protests should be aimed at Chairmen Bernanke.

Yahoo article here

Early Mornings

I remember winter mornings as a kid getting ready to go to Holy Family School.  My Dad would always be up before us, already ironing uniforms for myself and siblings.  My youngest sister would perch herself in front of the vent to stay warm.  (Disclaimer: My house never felt warm in the winter, but it was always welcoming)

Now that I am 29, I look back at those days and I wish I could have held on forever.  It's not that I don't appreciate Adulthood, but life just felt so much simpler.  All the 'problems' I had were intriguing and were defining who I was to become later in life.

I view my economic and intellectual life much differently.  I don't wish to revert back to my 'childhood' with regards to intellectual thinkers and economic viewpoints I had as a younger person.  My view on Healthcare was that it was a travesty that the Government did not provide everyone Healthcare.  Unbeknownst to me it was NOT the gov't's role to provide Healthcare to everyone.  I thought there was a difference between Democrats and Republicans.  I thought taxes should be raised to fund everything, not researching how detrimental taxes are to a society.

Two different childhoods, two different reflections.

Minimum Wage Laws and Sob stories

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is out with an article that is intended to stir up the national debate to raise the minimum wage law.  The minimum wage law impedes ones liberty to come to a voluntary agreement between another party at an agreed upon wage.  Minimum wage laws INCREASE unemployment amongst those that need jobs the most.  The wage you are worth to an employer is related to the marginal revenue product that you produce.  Most people that promote a raise in the minimum wage understand economics (especially supply and demand laws), that they know what the minimum wage should be.  I say why not make the minimum wage $20/hour?  The response I have received is that that is too much.  I then reply asking how they know that?  They usually say that the price of goods and services will raise too much.  I say you are correct, and any increase in the minimum wage will mean a raise in the price of goods and services.

From the article:

Charlotte, N.C.-based Family Dollar, which pays her the minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, recorded a profit of $80.2 million in its most recent quarter, according to a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  

Yes, lets punish a company that operates on profit-loss signals, and produces a profit.  How about Family Dollar just pay every employee $50 an hour?  How much profit would it still have?  How many stores would have to be shut closed?

Also from the head of the Wage and Hour Division of the Labor department (can't get more gov't title than that):

At minimum wage "you can work full time and make $14,500 a year," Ms. Maxwell said in an interview. "What a lot of people have to do is work two of those jobs. What the president is saying is let's reward hard work."

What about the hard work of the person that starts a business from scratch?  Why punish him or her?  I don't get it.  No one is forcing these people to work at these jobs.  They choose to apply for these jobs and accept these jobs with these wages offered to them.  If the minimum wage increases, the cost of products and services will go up, and unemployment will increase.  And in doing so, no one becomes wealthier.

Teachers Unions: It's about the kids...unless its about benefits

In a somewhat awkward and cold time to decide to strike (Cleveland in March is something inbetween freezing rain and white Squall), the Strongsville Teachers Union decided to go on strike to improve students academic performance, increase test scores, and get better pay.  Well, not all of those reasons are why they went on strike.  It's always amazing to me that Teachers in the Union claim 'This is for the kids'.  I mean, why lie so blatantly?

Silently protesting a board meeting was at least somewhat respectful, if not odd though, back in January.  But then in February they cleared thier throats to utter the ultimate union phrase 'Fair Contract', and "Shame on you, John", in reference to the Superintendent.

There is no major surprises, as the city doesn't have the courage to stand up for the taxpayer, and the unions will not be happy until every demand is met.  Here is a recap of the events in Strongsville.

Good Ideas: Farrakhan proposes savings and acquiring property

It amazes me that some people won't give people a chance to explain their views.  I used to be one of those people.  In my pre-libertarian days, I would have ignored Louis Farrakhan.   In my mind, he was just a man yelling from a pulpit how poorly blacks have been treated, and how it was all the white man's fault.

Nowadays, and after more research, I realized there is a lot of good that Farrakhan preaches with regards to the Federal Reserve, property rights, and savings.

He recently spoke at a Nation of Islam event, stating:

The constitutional right to bear arms holds no relevance in the black community, he said, because of the prevalence of illegal weapons. But Farrakhan said he respects the Second Amendment’s value in warding off government tyranny.

Also:

He also took black Americans to task for their own spending habits — including what he said was $3.3 billion a year on tobacco, $3 billion on whiskey, wine and beer, $2.8 billion on non-alcoholic beverages and $19 billion a year on telephone services. “No wonder the FBI knows everything about you,” Farrakhan said.

It is interesting to note how he picks up on the way government can track purchases.  The government is HEAVILY involved in the alcohol, tobacco, drinks, and telephone industries.

I don't agree in his push for equal justice:

And he used the human body as a metaphor for an economy where every organ — or every person — gets exactly what it needs and nothing more. He wondered out loud for the crowd whether he was advocating for socialism. “I’m advocating what God has set up,” Farrakhan said, “that makes every cell comfortable.”

This falls in line with people who believe inequality should be wiped out.  It's impossible.  Some people will be taller, funnier, smarter, harder works...even from the sense that we are mammals in the animal kingdom.  The fact that we are superior than an ant we can step on, no matter how equal we try to make things be in this world, is proof enough.  Inequality does not mean a lifetime of misery and pain. Some of the most successful people in this world would have been classified in the inequality group if it was up to the Central Planners / Marxists of the world.  Who knows what we would have missed out on in society if we would dedicate all our efforts to be equals.

It's good to see someone is advocating property rights, even if there is tinge of socialism at the end. 

 

 

Toledo nets $3 million, Society gains...?

This headline sums it up from the Vindy article:

Toledo nets $3 million from traffic cameras

Yes, the city netted $3 million.  But wasn't this about safety?  Weren't traffic cameras supposed to decrease people speeding around schools?

Don't let any local/state/federal governent fool you.  When it's about 'safety', it's about power grab and growing the government grasps around your daily life.

Enjoy the Oscars!  Arrogance and social injustice abound!

Hop Hop Hop, Sell Sell Sell

Lent always reminds me years past more so than other holidays like Christmas.  It's always a journey.   Sometimes it feels really rewarding.  Sometimes it is a time that is really tough on me.  I lose parts of my faith I was hoping to strengthen.  Its in those times when you need to recognize God's love for you, and his willingness to be there for you.

This Lent has not gotten off to a good start.  I missed mass on Ash Wednesday because I flew out to Columbus for an Ohio State recruiting trip.  Then I missed church on Sunday because I was at a farm conference.  The trip to Ohio was really needed for me to regroup.  All the emotional stress I have been feeling has weighed me down spiritually and physically.  I just want to be happy again.

Thankfully, I am blessed with a large network of family and friends to give me support. My friend Chuck texted me yesterday saying 'Hop Hop Hop, Sell Sell Sell'.  It is the phrase we used to hear at HFS during the Gorant's candy sale.  I laughed really hard and almost cried because I remember how simple life used to be back then.  Just being a kid.  I feel like we are all kids, just our bodies grow up. That doesn't mean people should be or are all immature.  I have met children 7 or 8 years old that are stronger than I will ever be.

It's moments like that where I get sentimental.  I feel like my life is more fulfilling when I am trying to get back to the days of being a kid...

Family Matters...not the TV show

As the country shuts down to watch grown men attempting to cross a goal line, it has more of a personal connection to my hometown of Youngstown.  The Debartalo-York family has been prominent for many decades in Youngstown.  Ed DeBartalo Sr.'s driver's wife (yes, the only person in Youngstown to have a limo driver), was my babysitter growing up.  Many members of their family have attended my alma mater Youngstown Cardinal Mooney.

What is intriguing is how the family went through a very rough patch where Ed DeBartalo Jr. and Denise DeBartalo-York countersued each other.  The problems caught up with the team as the product on the field languished.

Cleveland Frowns highlights the ups and downs of the ownership here.

GO 49ers, beat the Ravens!

Chicago: Land of the Free...except with regards to drinks

In what should not surprise anyone who understands the nanny-state, protect you from yourself, Government style out of Chicago, a proposed ban on 'Large Energy Drinks' is the latest out of the genius mind of Alderman Edward Burke.

This is nothing better than hearing Government wonks tell you what you can and can not do to your own body.  If someone wants to drink 5 red bulls a day, its within their Liberty to do so.  I don't care.  If this Alderman wants to ban anything, I would like to propose banning illegal searches conducted by police, red light cameras, and defined benefit pension plans.

Read Red Bull Ban here

A good idea out of Detroit..Seriously, I am not kidding

I nearly did a double take when I saw what one group of investors were preparing to show Detroit City Council (the most brilliant of its kind).

As the broken city thinks big and radically about its future, a developer is stepping forward with a revolutionary idea: Sell the city's Belle Isle park for $1 billion to private investors who will transform it into a free-market utopia.  

The Detroit News: 

http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20130112/BIZ/301120319#ixzz2I0z2tGRw

 I love this response because of whom the person is associated with:

The idea won't go anywhere, said George Jackson, president and CEO of the Detroit Economic Growth Corp., the quasi-public agency that promotes development for the city.  

I would love to know what ideas the 'quasi-public' agency has for spurring growth.  I am sure higher taxes and more public-private partnerships would work out...

Turning Belle Isle into a State Park is one of the dumbest ideas the council could endorse (if they do so).  A free market utopian would absolutely spur people to visit Detroit.  Yes, people would actually want to go to Detroit...gasp!

New Minimum wage - $5.35/hour

Kramer's union's demands are met 12 years after the bagel shop workers went on strike. are met...

Only the 'Good' guys should have guns

In what comes to no surprise for those living in Rahmaland, the city's top cop has come out proclaiming the only way to stop all this maddening violence is less guns.  So the only state that does not have a conceal and carry law, which has a city with one of the highest murder rates in the country, feels like making it harder to get a gun will lead to less murders...

McCarthy during a Rainbow/Push Coalition dialogue:

“When people say concealed carry, I say Trayvon Martin,” McCarthy said, referring to the unarmed 17-year-old who was shot and killed last February by a neighborhood watch volunteer in Florida, sparking controversy across the country. 

When I hear this man's logic, I think of Melinda Herman:

Melinda Herman grabbed a handgun and hid in a crawl space with her two children when a man broke in last week and approached the family at their home northeast of Atlanta, police said. Herman called her husband on the phone, and with him reminding her of the lessons she recently learned at a shooting range, Herman opened fire, seriously wounding the burglary suspect.

I wonder if Melinda asked the intruder to place down his gun (if he had one) so she could see he has all the proper permit and paperwork in place.

What laws really should be repealed in Chicago are the laws that hurt the poor: Minimum wage laws that prevent the unskilled from getting jobs, inflation induced by the Federal Reserve who actually targets a % of inflation for every year (making your money worth less), and the war on drugs that has failed miserably.

$20 Everyday McValue menu

It used to bother me that CEOs made lot$ of money.  "They don't deserve that!"  "How much money does one man deserve?"  "He should pay more taxes!".  Sadly, this is what I used to say with my beloved Pro-Union Grandpa shaking his head in the background.  How silly of me.  The reasons CEOs get paid what they get paid is because they take on huge responsibility leading global companies.  This is not the same as the CEOs of Bankster companies that get bailed out by the government *cough AIG, B of A, GM * cough.  Those CEOs don't deserve the chairs they sit in.

Which brings us to a Bloomberg article that claims the whoa is me mantra of a lower wage earner.  I am not attacking this man's character.  He appears to work hard.  But his wage is determined by the marginal revenue product of his labor skills.  See Labor follows the law of supply and demand just like any other aspect of the economy.  This worker's skills are easily replaceable with another worker, thus his wages are lower.  I like these quotes:

Johnson would need about a million hours of work -- or more than a century on the clock -- to earn the $8.75 million that McDonald’s, based in the Chicago suburb of Oak Brook, paid then- CEO Jim Skinner last year.

And he would need two million hours of work to double the CEOs salary!  This is great math.  Here is what I propose, pay everyone equal amount.  From the french fry cook to the CEO.  See how long the company stays in business, and what people want to buy their shares.

Employers are doing more to keep workers from organizing, said Dorothy Sue Cobble, labor professor and historian at Rutgers University in New Jersey. “The numbers of people who get fired for joining a union or trying to organize one has increased dramatically over the last 30 years,” she said.

There is a reason.  Business' don't want to deal with Unions.  They do not (in just about every case) add value to a business or shareholders.

If McDonald's paid its lowest wage earners the same as the CEO, we would all be enjoying the $20 Everyday McValue menu, not the $1 menu that is currently being assaulted by our fearsome President of the Federal Reserve, Mr. Ben "Hellicopter" Bernanke