NYC to pay for good behavior?

New York City's Nanny (oops, Mayor) Michael Bloomberg is starting a program to supposedly address the poverty problem by paying people to perform various behaviors.

NEW YORK (AP) - Poor residents will be rewarded for good behavior - like $300 for doing well on school tests, $150 for holding a job and $200 for visiting the doctor - under an experimental anti-poverty program that city officials detailed Monday.

The rewards have been used in other countries, including Brazil and Mexico, and have drawn widespread praise for changing behavior among the poor. Mayor Michael Bloomberg traveled to Mexico this spring to study the healthy lifestyle payments, also known as conditional cash transfers.

I was initially vehemently opposed to this goofy idea for several reasons. They partially addressed one concern by by raising private funds for the pilot program rather than using money confiscated from people already making good life decisions.

I have to question my opposition further because of the arguments made by someone else opposed to the idea.

But some critics have raised questions about cash reward programs, saying they promote the misguided idea that poor people could be successful if they just made better choices.

"It just reinforces the impression that if everybody would just work hard enough and change their personal behavior we could solve poverty in this country, and that's not reflected in the facts," said Margy Waller, co-founder of Inclusion, a research and policy group in Washington. Waller, who served as a domestic policy adviser in the Clinton administration, said it would be more effective to focus on labor issues, such as making sure wage laws are enforced and improving benefits for working people.

Actually, Margy it is not a misguided idea that people can be more successful if they make better decisions. In fact, most human failure can be traced to lousy decisions. Noted economist Walter Williams has correctly identified four things (apologies to Williams if I don't quote him properly) that people can do to stay out of poverty.
1. Finish high school
2. Get and hold a job before getting married
3. Get married before having children
4. Don't abuse drugs or alcohol

I'm still opposed to Bloomberg's idea, but Ms. Waller's argument against it almost changed my mind. Main opposition is because of cost and an understanding of how hard it is to kill a government program once it is implemented. The pilot program may be privately funded, but that only covers a tiny portion of New York's poor. I have no doubt that after they game the system to ensure they get the desired results they will expand it to cover a lot more and will start using tax dollars to fully implement it. Beyond that, there will always be people poorer than others. We will just redefine poverty to a different level.

Separately, keep this idea (as well as his edict banning transfats, and his order that all NYC cabs must be hybrids) when Nanny Bloomberg makes an expected run for the presidency as an independent.

Rep. Jefferson - Indicted

Rep. William Jefferson (D-LA) was indicted today on several charges involving corruption and bribery. I have one question for our Justice Department: What the heck took so long? Over a year ago, ninety thousand dollars of marked money used in a bribery case was found in Jefferson's freezer. Before anyone wonders if he was framed, bear in mind he was also caught on film accepting the bribe. The wheels of justice turned so slowly in this case that this crook was able to convince enough idiots to reelect him to another term of office. Amazing!

Maryland votes to become more irrelevent

Maryland's state House voted yesterday for a plan to have their electoral votes go to whichever candidate wins the popular vote nation wide. Leaving aside the question of the constitutionality of such a plan, how do the politicians in Maryland justify this as being in their state's best interest? Currently, the electoral college system is the only reason presidential candidates bother visiting any of the smaller states. If we switch to a popular vote system, election results wouldn't change as much as the way campaigns are conducted. Issues of importance to only a few states would not get much attention. This idea is being floated in a number of states by people who don't understand what they should have learned in 5th grade social studies and are still upset about the 2000 election results.

2008 Presidential Aspirants

More than any election in recent memory, the 2008 presidential election is wide open with no clear standard bearer for either major party. This has resulted in an incredible number of politicians believing they have a chance. I've probably missed some, but I'll list below everyone I've seen considering a run. There are over ten on each side. It is a fact of political life that to have any chance at winning a party's nomination a candidate needs to secure massive amounts of campaign funds. So many of the people I'm going to list will drop out of the race once they realize that the serious money is committed elsewhere. Regardless, here is an early list of potential candidates for each party.
Democrats:
Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) - Perceived front runner.
Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) - He's the only one who doesn't know that people just don't like him.
Sen. Joe Biden (D-DE) - You never know what he'll say. Last year, he claimed he could appeal to southern voters because his state of Delaware was a slave state. Good luck running on that platform.
Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) - Opposed John Bolton for the U.N. ambassador out of concern for Cuba. Good luck selling that position.
Gov. Tom Vilsack (D-IA) - Has been quietly building support.
Sen. Evan Bayh (D-IN) - Former two term governor of Indiana. May be more formidable in the general election than primary.
Sen. Barak Obama (D-IL) - First term senator. One positive from his presence in the campaign is it reduces the likelyhood of the race baiting clowns (Sharpton/Jackson) getting in the race.
Gov. Bill Richardson (D-NM) - Like Bayh, Richardson wouldn't be lumped in with the extremists. Unfortunately for him that won't play in a primary.
Former VP Al Gore (D-TN) - The anti-internal combustion engine candidate.
Former Sen. John Edwards (D-NC) - The anti-Walmart candidate. Attacking Walmart may work with the online Dem activists and with the unions, but that's about it.
Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-OH) - Has the tin foil hat vote sewn up.

Republicans:
Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) - Media favorite until he gets the nomination.
Sen. Bill Frist (R-TN) - Has stated he will not run. Good call.
Sen. Sam Brownback (R-KS) - Conservative candidate. He needs to increase his name recognition, but he is well poised to jump to the front if people remember why McCain is unacceptable (Anti-First amendment McCain/Feingold legislation and the anti-law enforcement McCain/Kennedy immigration bill).
Former Mayor Rudy Guiliani (R-NY) - In New York he is considered a right winger. In middle of country his positions are considered to be more in line with the other party
Gov. George Pataki (R-NY) - Probably won't run if Guiliani does.
Gov. Mitt Romney (R-MA) - Well positioned as the outsider. Articulates conservative views well.
Gov. Tim Pawlenty R-MN) - Narrow reelection victory probably ends his chances in 2008.
Gov. Mike Huckabee (R-AR) - Best known for losing a lot of weight.
Sen. Chuck Hagel (R-NB) - I can best demonstrate my disdain for Hagel by declaring I would sooner vote for Hillary Clinton than Hagel.
Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) - Probably much better suited for the job than most with much better odds of winning.
Former Gov. Tommy Thompson (R-WI) - Has executive experience on state and federal level (HHS).
Former Rep. Newt Gingrich (R-GA) - Brightest mind on the political landscape. Most vilified potential presidential candidate since Richard Nixon.
Former Rep. Bob Dornan (R-CA) - Only running because he thinks the perceived front runners (McCain & Guiliani) should not represent the Republican party.
Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice (R-CA) - Says she is not interested in running.

Confused/Independent:
Mayor Michael Bloomberg (NYC) - Billionaire mayor of New York City. Was a Democrat until he decided he wanted to be mayor and saw the Republican primary would be easier to secure. His nanny state form of socialism has him further to the left than most Democrats in my view.

Well, that is around 25 potential candidates and there are probably a dozen I failed to list. If you are aware of anybody who has expressed any interest in running leave their name in the comments section and I'll update this post.

Impeachment

The men who crafted our Constitution understood that some office holders would act in a manner which would necessitate their removal from office. However, they also realized that occasionally politicians would abuse those procedures so they intentionally made the process fairly difficult.

There has been considerable talk among the angry left about impeaching President Bush for various imagined offenses. Orson Scott Card wrote a lengthy column responding to a Doonesbury cartoon pushing that idea.

The comic strip, by Garry Trudeau, shows a professor teaching a class, in which he compares two presidents -- Bush and Clinton. Of Bush he says, "The first president initiates a bloody, costly, unending war on false premises ... and approves covert policies of illegal detentions, kangaroo courts, extraordinary renditions, torture, and warrantless wiretapping of thousands of Americans."

Of Clinton, he says, "The second president lies about hooking up with an intern. Question: Which one should be impeached?"

The only reason Trudeau's little screed is worth answering is because there are a lot of bitter, angry Democrats who feel the same way.

Click here for the rest of the article. Card very effectively refutes Trudeau's nonsense.

While we are on the subject of impeachment, I believe we actually don't use the process often enough. The political tree most in need of periodic pruning is the federal judiciary. The legislative and executive branch is subject to review by the voters. However, federal judges are appointed for life. Currently the only times judges have been impeached is when they have been caught in specific criminal acts. I don't think that is sufficient. For example, what would you think if a Supreme Court Justice claimed the Supreme Court must promote the political rights of minorities and look beyond the Constitution's text when necessary to ensure that "no one gets too powerful." The reason I ask is because Justice Breyer used exactly that language to defend the current practice of just making stuff up that isn't in the Constitution. What Breyer doesn't get is it is he and his fellow justices who are exceeding the power originally intended for their position. Actually, Justice Breyer, your job is not to promote rights of minorities or any other group. Your job is to rule based on applicable laws. During recent confirmation hearings a senator in an accusing manner asked whether the nominee would look out for the little guy. The nominee rightly responded he would look out for the little guy if the law dictated so, but if the correct ruling would favor the big guy then he would look out for the big guys rights. When it comes to judges, I believe an open declaration of intention to ignore the U.S. Constitution is the equivalent of a high crime.

How long before Virginia voters have buyers remourse

In the last election, voters around the country elected Democrats who portrayed themselves as being from the moderate wing of their party. I wondered how long it would take for these new congressmen to vote or act in a way which belies their moderate comments on the campaign trail. Well, if the new senator from Virginia is any indication it won't take long.

At a recent White House reception for freshman members of Congress, Virginia's newest senator tried to avoid President Bush. Democrat James Webb declined to stand in a presidential receiving line or to have his picture taken with the man he had often criticized on the stump this fall. But it wasn't long before Bush found him.

"How's your boy?" Bush asked, referring to Webb's son, a Marine serving in Iraq.

"I'd like to get them out of Iraq, Mr. President," Webb responded, echoing a campaign theme.

"That's not what I asked you," Bush said. "How's your boy?"

"That's between me and my boy, Mr. President," Webb said coldly

If you are so immature that you won't shake hands with your nation's president maybe you shouldn't go to a reception at the White House. I'm sure the hard left is proud of Webb's act of disrespect, but my guess (based on living in Virginia for 20 some years) is most folks who voted for him don't approve of his initial behavior as their representative.