Good Governance
Q: Prior to politics, you represented accused organized crime figures. What’s the biggest difference between politics and the mob?
A: My clients gave me their word, and their word was their bond. They always paid me. They always thanked me at the end of the day. In the political world, none of that happens. A politician’s word usually doesn’t mean a damn. His word is for the moment.
(Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman in Reason)
Bezos Baccalaureate
Cleverness is a gift, kindness is a choice. Gifts are easy — they’re given after all. Choices can be hard. You can seduce yourself with your gifts if you’re not careful, and if you do, it’ll probably be to the detriment of your choices.
(Address by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos at Princeton University)
Class Warfare
The ruling class’s appetite for deference, power, and perks grows. The country class disrespects its rulers, wants to curtail their power and reduce their perks. The ruling class wears on its sleeve the view that the rest of Americans are racist, greedy, and above all stupid. The country class is ever more convinced that our rulers are corrupt, malevolent, and inept. The rulers want the ruled to shut up and obey. The ruled want self-governance. The clash between the two is about which side’s vision of itself and of the other is right and which is wrong. Because each side — especially the ruling class — embodies its views on the issues, concessions by one side to another on any issue tend to discredit that side’s view of itself. One side or the other will prevail. The clash is as sure and momentous as its outcome is unpredictable.
Negative Equity
Altogether, just over 14 million of the 75 million owner-occupied homes in the United States are “underwater,” i.e., the homeowners owe more on their mortgage than their house is worth. About half of those owe at least 30% more than their house is worth today, and more than 1 in 4 are paying for mortgages 50% higher than the value of the house they are living in. If the housing market ever returns it’s 20th century norm of 3% annual appreciation, those homeowners might conceivably break even in another 50 years or so, give or take a few decades or generations.
The Nevada numbers probably demonstrate why Harry Reid is in so much trouble. Why he’s still neck-and-neck with Sharron Angle is another story.
(Charts created by: Calculated Risk)
Yes Minister – Part II
The Sunday Telegraph obtained a copy of an unintentionally hilarious confidential British civil service internal memo about the incoming Conservative government. If the BBC is considering an updated version of the ’80’s satirical political comedy Yes Minister, the memo’s author ought to have a fair shot as script writer.
Some gems from the article:
The documents … give a checklist of what are called “hot button”, Tory-friendly words, to be dropped into conversation whenever possible. These include “families,” “radical,” “neighbourhoods” and “progressive.”
The briefing – to be kept strictly from ministers – shows that DCLG officials are worried about their new bosses. “Do they like us? Want to work with us?” it asks, adding: “There may be challenge over our part in what they see as failed policies/ delivery.”
To overcome this, civil servants are told to “talk of efficiencies / value for money without prompting” and advised to deploy blatant flattery, with suggested phrases including: “Congratulations! I had so much confidence in you, I might get complacent!”
The documents order mandarins to “smile!… Lean forward!… Be interesting!” They are told to engage in “supportive listening,” and “take cues from the Secretary of State.” Officials are advised that “eye contact [is] the real currency.”
The document suggests civil servants tell their new bosses “how Policy X puts the department and the Secretary of State at the centre of Whitehall….”
The document reveals that civil servants have been conducting “role-play” sessions to work out how to build rapport.
Alaskan Adventure
It’s getting too warm here, so an old friend and I are cruising to and around Alaska for the next two weeks before being kicked off the ship in one of my favorite cities on earth, Vancouver, British Columbia. As internet access aboard ship is both very expensive and excruciatingly slow, I won’t be blogging this trip. If we happen to run into any ex-governors, we’ll be sure to get a picture and post it when we get back.
Turn, Turn-out, Turf-out
1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
Here’s hoping Tuesday is his turn…
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Ambiance 