The following was published in the October 10 edition of the Reader Weekly of Duluth. It is also available at http://duluthreader.com/articles/2013/10/10/2216_party_of_one.
Almost every time Bob Boone sees me, he asks me to write again for the Reader. When I saw him last week he twisted my arm so hard that I yelled “Uncle!” Unfortunately, my arm is so sore that I’ll have to do a lot of cutting and pasting from my notes and blog postings. I must admit I gave in partly because so many people ask if I’m still writing for the Reader but few visit my blog (it has more Russian reverse-spammers than American readers).
By the time this is published will the government be open again? Regardless, consider what the uproar would be if the Democrats in the Senate would not approve a spending bill unless certain provisions were removed from the PATRIOT Act.
Many are promoting Hilary Clinton for President in 2016. My own view is that we have had enough of Presidential dynasties. If you think a woman should be President, consider Kathleen Sebelius and Elizabeth Warren. Sebelius has governed and with some bi-partisan success. Warren really is good at exposing contradictions in the positions of the powers that be.
Once again it is that tiresome time of year in the Northland. Off in the distance, bang! Too close for comfort, bang! Bird season has started and then next month is deer season with a few other hunting seasons thrown in.
Last time I checked, landowners in Minnesota are supposed to post their property with "No Trespassing" signs every 300-500 feet. In other words, hunters are free to trespass on private land that is not posted.
Even if posted, some hunters ignore the signs or even evidence that they were shooting into private property. One fall a bird hunter shot down our driveway with our red pickup plainly visible. My wife happened to be nearby and yelled at him. He grabbed his bird, ran to his truck, and drove off as quickly as he could.
What if my wife had a gun in her hand? If Minnesota had a "Stand Your Ground" law, would she be in the right to shoot the trespassing hunter?
Last season some bird hunters shot into our land where there was no brush under the power line. There were "No Trespassing" signs within 300 feet of where they shot. What if I had been walking on a trail that paralleled the road and had a gun with me. Would I have been "standing my ground" to shoot back? They were also shooting within 200 feet of an occupied dwelling on the other side of the road.
Given that a GPS unit costs less than most rifles and that St. Louis County, Minnesota, publishes plat maps, available free online, listing all the properties and owners, should landowners even be required to post their property?
Responsible hunters know where they hunt and respect property rights. They would be safe. But the few irresponsible hunters give the impression that all hunters do not respect property rights. These irresponsible hunters should be very glad that Minnesota doesn't have a "Stand Your Ground" law.
How often have we heard the following before:
"Notwithstanding the NRA’s win in Colorado in knocking off two gun control Democratic State Senators for supporting more stringent ‘gun control’, if Liberals vote they will win. In fact if one analyzes the Colorado race, Liberals were disinterested and stayed home, something that must be worked on going forward. Voters must learn that it is their civic duty to vote every time. Political engagement must be a requirement for effective citizenship."
- Egberto Willies, "America Is A Liberal Nation. A Liberal Wins On a Liberal Message."
Maybe I’m preaching to the choir. Reader Weekly readers always vote, don’t they? Remember city council and school board elections are on November 5th as well as a school levy.
Ah, a school levy! How often have you heard people complain about taxes for schools because they don’t have any kids in school? Conversely, how many younger people complain about paying into Social Security and it goes almost directly into the pockets of seniors?
Well, we have many cross-generational transfers and we always will. Who paid for seniors’ schooling? People long dead. Who paid the Social Security for those long dead? The seniors now collecting Social Security. Who paid for the highways and public buildings? People long dead. Who is paying for new roads and public buildings? People who will use them only a few years of the lifetime of those roads and public buildings.
Schools, roads, and public buildings are considered public goods. That is, things that benefit all people regardless of their ability to pay. Would you have been able to go to school if your parents were poor? Would you want to pay a toll for every section of road you drove on? We all get to use these public goods independent of how much we paid for them. It is these public goods that help make a civil society. Those countries that let the rich pay few or no taxes and make the poor pay lots of taxes are not pleasant places to live.
