TFP Column: Economic Holiday Fat

Stepping up on the bathroom scale and listening to Toledo's Administration and City Council begin talking about the city's budget are both things which are becoming increasingly difficult to do.  

As I point out in this week's effort for the TFP, "Economic Holiday Fat", both appear to be subjects filled with temptation, self-delusion as to the facts, and the perpetration unhealthy practices.  While I however, am only playing Russian roulette with my own future health and well-being by recent lack of rectitude, they are gambling with that of a large number of people who have placed them in a position of trust and responsibility.

It's not bragging to say that I am far more sure of my own ability to get out of control consumption under control than I am of those in charge of the Glass City, based on their prior track record.  

But there's also good news to be had as this holiday season kicks into full swing, much of which you will never know about unless you read this weekend's edition of Toledo's largest Sunday circulation and for the third year in a row, Best Weekly newspaper, the Toledo Free Press.

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Ideology And Vaclav Havel

"Why bother with a ceaseless and in fact hopeless search for truth when truth can be had readily, all at once, in the form of an ideology or doctrine?  Suddenly it is all so simple.  So many difficult questions are answered in advance!  So many laborious existential tasks from which our minds are freed once and for all!"

- Vaclav Havel

Havel is notable for being the last president of Czechoslovakia and the first president of the Czech Republic; and I find this quote from the noted essayist, poet, and politician occasionally poking out its ugly head as I watch both the political left and the right participating in Washington's 'business as usual'.   

The endless puppet show of the Republican debates goes on, as the mainstream media continues to tell us that Mitt Romney is the presumptive candidate; ignoring anyone else in the field, unless it's to speculate on when that current challenger will implode certainly seems to fit the bill.  Perhaps they feel that by the power of repetitive suggestion that non-Democrats will stop paying attention, accept their shrill and dismissive rhetoric as gospel, and stop questioning those seeking the highest office in the land on the Republican side. 

Meanwhile, any candidate questioning the pre-existing national party doctrines as defined by political pundits is marginalized to the point of non-existence.  Caught up in what Thomas Sowell would call 'Stage One Thinking', and ignoring the potential risks of sound-bite solutions that candidates are forced to give in the debate format they are handed, they refuse to accept anyone and anything beyond per-established political doctrine.  If this is what party politics and the electoral process has come to, maybe it's time to leave the party.  

The President continues a speaking tour that's little more than campaign to swing states at taxpayer expense to promote a plan that has already turned into a carcass picked more cleanly than last week's Thanksgiving turkey.  Some less cynical than I, might even find it strange that he feels he can do more good promoting it in stump speeches than working in Washington with legislators already caught up in their own ideologies.  Perhaps this is what leadership has come to mean (though I highly doubt it); though one cannot help but question how the oft heralded spirit of compromise is supposed to work when what we're handed is little more than strictly adhered to ideology from the bully pulpit of the White House.  

This however, is how the current resident of the White House got to reach that exalted position (as did many of those before him), and it's no doubt the way he intends to maintain 'the last job he will ever have'. This too is a well-known doctrine of politics.

Meanwhile the 'dance of the dead' (well, brain dead at least) goes on in Washington, where 535 legislators can't agree on the what a budget is or how to pass one, don't seem to know what constitutes a spending cut and can't agree on when such a cut will happen even when they agree that in fact it must, and attempts to operate the nation's economy on a principle of 'Wimpy Economics' that says we can pay for spending cuts tomorrow with tax increases today.

And while most agree that closing some of the loopholes in the tax code that Congress itself created is a good idea, ideology (and the 2012 elections) prevent them from doing so.  While most likewise agree that we cannot continue to spend and increase our national debt at current rates, ideology again prohibits them from doing anything to address this problem as well.

They ignore common sense and the basic principles of math including addition, subtraction, and the calculation of percentages; all the while telling us that they do so in the name of an ideology that's either inconsistent, contradictory, or both.  And while both parties attempt to tell us that this debate is all about holding firmly to such ideology, we all know that it's more about political expediency and not throwing away a gig that pays in excess of $165k in tough economic times.  Even those as apparently ignorant as those we hired as 'public servants' know better than to do anything that might lead them to having to look for a new job in this economy.

Adding insult to injury, we watch in stunned silence as information is released that the Federal Reserve lent over $7 trillion dollars to banks around the world (and plans to lend more).  Of course why we would expect a group of unelected bureaucrats who are nothing more than independent bankers to do otherwise is a mystery to me.  After all, who better than the financial experts who either participated in or blithely sat by and watched as the world's economy went to hell should we trust to act in our best interests rather than their own (or that of their brother bankers)?  

And while we prop up the world's financial system with electronically printed money that our grandchildren's grandchildren will be paying for, we have the comfort of knowing that those running the banks will continue to receive the exorbitant bonuses promised to them by contract, as those in charge simply play the game by the rules that they created, following the time honored ideology that got us where we are today.


I wonder if Mr. Havel chuckles or cries as he recognizes the terrible truth he has taught us?

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Vote of Confidence: Chapter 4

For those of you brave enough to try and follow along with this effort, I can announce the next section of "Vote of Confidence" is now up.  There has again been a gap of more than a week in getting Chapter 4 up, but I am after all at heart, a slacker.  

I call this story, "A twisted tale of Life, Politics, and what some might consider cruelty to animals".  (Though in the spirit of full disclosure, I have to admit that the cruelty part is a bit of a stretch, since no actual animals were in any way harmed physically or psychologically" during the production of the story.)

I would love to tell you a bit about what's gone on in the earlier installments, or give you some idea of what's ahead, but that implies that I remember or know, something that might be considered a bit of a reach.  Besides, that would be giving away the plot, and as I've said before, there's not enough of one to spare. 

I encourage you however (since a writer likes to be read) to waste a few minutes of your life that I promise you that you will never get back to check the out latest addition to this effort, an attempt to serialize a novel on a blog site.

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Days of Bread, Circuses, and the Budget Supercommittee

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For those of you who didn't pay attention in ancient history class, let me be the first (OK then, the second) to let you know that the Roman Empire was not in fact brought down by the barbarian hordes  (or even the World of Warcraft Horde for that matter).  In fact the Roman Empire had already brought itself down, its moral and intellectual foundation having so crumbled that the first strong wind would bring it down.  It was there waiting for a tipping point, when a group of people who had once been in the service of the Empire, had the vitality and the drive that Romans once had, and were willing to earn what they needed to keep from starving (by fighting if necessary), reached the center of this empire to pick at the remains of the carcass that was once the greatness of Rome.

That greatness began to fade when the politicians (in this case the Emperor and Senate), continued to try to maintain power by giving the citizens what later became known as 'bread & circuses'.  It was Government at that point, that provided food made from the grain confiscated (taxed) from subjugated lands and peoples, and entertainment to keep them distracted from how bad things had actually become and unaware of the storm growing around them. 

Like many throughout history, the Romans soon enough discovered that the strength required to maintain an empire exacted far more than gaining it. They also learned the tragic lesson of empire that eventually the producers begin to resent those living off their labor, a resentment which will sooner or later boil over.  Unfortunately for most empires, by the time they realize these facts, they also realize that once you give citizens something that they have not earned for themselves, it's ever more difficult to withdraw it and stay in power.   Like every government before and since, they failed to learn the lesson of history that 'there's no such thing as a free lunch'; and that eventually all things must be paid for. (Of course this is a much simplified version of ancient history, but one with no factual errors that should stand up to fairly close scrutiny.)

Step forward some 15-18 centuries (depending on where you wish to begin the fall of Rome), and view now the 'empire' of the United States. (Anyone who says it's not an empire is kidding themselves. But look at a map of the location of these united 'States', and the 'territorial possessions' of this country and make your best case.)  We too are seeing our 'bread and circuses' in the form of entitlement programs handed out by a ruling elite to a common man.  (I make no comment here about the desirability of such entitlement programs, but many will be able to draw the comparisons.)

Now we see a nation just passed the $15,000,000,000,000 mark in national debt (and yes, that's 15 trillion and those are 12 zeroes).  The nation is functionally bankrupt, except for its ability to print money and functionally reduce the 'value' of the debt owed.  The upper house of Congress, the Senate, controlled by Democrats since 2007, has failed to pass a budget (good, bad, or indifferent) since April of 2009.  The House of Representatives (or lower house) , controlled by Democrats from 2007-2011 and by Republicans from early 2011 to the present, has recently passed budgets, but ones which they knew would never pass in the Senate.

In the most recent 'kick the can down the road' confrontation, the two parties once again managed to accomplish next to nothing.  No agreement to cut spending (or even significantly reduce the automatic annual increases in spending was achieved). Neither was any realistic look to increasing revenues as an offset made by closing some of the gaping loopholes in the tax code that they themselves had previously created under pressure from lobbyists and well-to-do contributing constituents.  Instead they managed to defer the jobs for which they were hired and sent to Washington for (regardless of party) to a 'Super Committee' which would, because of its smaller numbers, supposedly be able to do the heavy lifting that this larger and politically fractious group of apparent Statesmen could not.  

Not surprisingly, since most of those appointed by both parties were firmly entrenched in the political posturing of their masters, this so-called 'Super Committee also failed in its task; a failure which supposedly will lead to drastic and unsupportable cuts in the government across the board, to the tune of $1.5 trillion over 10 years.  Setting aside the trivial number involved, considering the size of the government budget and that of the debt, we find that most of these cuts are a twisted form of "Wimpy Economics" at best, where cuts are made tomorrow for tax increases imposed today.  Any actual cutting however, is usually pushed out far enough that by the time it's must be done, no one remembers it's there; making it easy for those in power to conveniently forget about it and never make the cuts.

But this is OK, according to those in power, because it allows the politicians to enter the 2012 election year with clean hands and not being directly responsible for either the raising of taxes on those contributing to campaigns (or many of those voting).  Neither are they responsible for any cutting part of the unsustainable entitlement funding that many of those not paying much in the way of taxes (also a significant voting bloc) have come to count on as part of their fair share.

Congress and the Super Committee have once again provided us a valuable lesson in ancient history, and as we see them continue to provide the modern form of 'bread and circuses' we cannot help but wonder if it will turn out better for us than it did for the Romans.  I doubt it ....
 

TFP Column: Thanksgiving

In the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday, I decided to overindulge (something that I normally reserve for the dinner table for this holiday).  In this case however, the overindulgence involved has nothing either to do with eating or drinking.  Instead, I have overindulged in a bit sarcasm and some truly over-the-top nonsense where the Thanksgiving holiday and its history are concerned.


I have to tell you that writing "Thanksgiving Is No Longer Acceptable" was a lot of fun, though I'm sure that someone will misinterpret my intentions, and the sarcasm key on my computer's keyboard will now requires significant repair, if not replacement. 

I hope that you get to take the time to enjoy my attempted slap in the face of political correctness and those who want to demonize every tradition remaining in this country.  I also hope that you get a chance to enjoy time with friends and family over the Thanksgiving holiday.


Most of all, I hope you get a chance to enjoy all of the efforts put forth in Toledo's largest Sunday circulation and Ohio's Best Weekly newspaper (for three years in a row no less), the Toledo Free Press.

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Warning: Thanksgiving Health Alert

The nation once again faces a pandemic of fantastic proportions that has been largely ignored in what can be seen as little more than a national health scandal.  And while many of you have probably experienced one of these outbreaks, which suspiciously occur on the fourth Thursday of November each year, few have the proper medical training to in fact recognize one when it occurs.

Though anecdotal reports of symptomology have surfaced for many years, both the World Health Organization and the Center for Disease Control have failed to take these annual scourges with the degree of seriousness that they undoubtedly deserve.  For those of you who may not have heard of this dread affliction and are wondering what all the fuss is about, I am of course talking about:

Personal
Inability to resist
Gorging on 
Outrageous and
Unbelievable amounts of 
Turkey 

More commonly known as 'PIGOUT'; this disease is characterized by an inability to stop consuming vast quantities of such seasonal dishes as turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, and jellied cranberries.  Even when such consumption reaches herculean proportions, causes incredible discomfort, and forces the loosening of clothing at the waistline; sufferers continue attempts to nibble, often picking at the remains of these Bacchanalian feasts while voicing plaintive cries that, "of course I still have room for a slice of pie".  

Apparently overcome by an overwhelming and uncontrollable urge to stuff their 'pie holes' (appropriately named as the disease runs its course); they are now apparently unable to drag themselves away from the table until the sounds of football games can be heard coming from their television sets.  Stuffed far more than the turkeys that they regretfully (and very carefully) abandon, full on a scale that makes even Mr Creosote  seem anorexic (careful, this link contains questionable and disturbing material), and having seemingly waited all day to watch these sporting events, they now find an irresistible urge to sleep off the effects of their hours long binge; missing these long anticipated games almost entirely. (Apparently, a chemical substance known as Tryptophan is released by the bird in question, which contributes in some unknown fashion to the already egregious symptoms.)  

Gradually waking, and ostensibly having recovered from an eating binge that would put Orson Welles and Michael Moore off their feed for a week; they will sometimes nevertheless relapse into symptoms on a somewhat smaller scale, only to once again slip into somnolence.

There is no need to call 911 or to seek emergency medical treatment for such an outbreak.  Effective treatments for PIGOUT in fact do not exist, and there is nothing to do for those suffering except to provide them time, patience, and plates of snacks to aid in their recovery.  (There have been rumors for years that this lack of effort in seeking a cure is in fact a conspiracy perpetrated on an unsuspecting public by a cartel of fowl corporations, who have long paid off major pharmaceutical companies to withhold release of possible treatments; but evidence has been difficult to gather and whistle blowers have refused to come forward for Congressional hearings long-delayed during abortive budget debates.)  

While modern medicine seems largely unconcerned over the potentially devastating effects of PIGOUT, we here at 'Just Blowing Smoke' feel it our civic duty to sound the alarm on such potential health hazards.  And while a cure for this debilitating disease remains beyond the grasp of modern medicine, drawing attention to its ravages may be of some assistance as a prophylactic measure.  At the very least, being forewarned of a potential outbreak this far in advance may allow you to prepare for it by wearing loose clothing on the day in question, reinforcing the furniture that may come into use, and in the worst case scenario, keeping a number of buckets handy for proper disposal of what will undoubtedly be material considered a bio-hazard.  

Happy Thanksgiving

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'Unoccupy' Thanksgiving

Tax-paying citizens from New York to Oakland have patted themselves on the back as law enforcement agencies finally moved into parks across the country to at long last oust 'Occupy Wall Street' (OWS) protestors from these downtown venues.  Cries of "About time!" and "Well done!" undoubtedly greet police and politicians alike as city residents take stock of the damage and take the measure of the clean up efforts that will required to put things in order.  Hearty congratulations ring all around as in what curiously seemed an almost organized effort to free downtown venues from the grip of an ill-conceived and unwashed mass of humanity.  (OK, maybe not mass, but more than a gaggle and less than a herd.)

Curiously (or perhaps not so), few wondered at how so many different municipalities, many with divergent political outlooks and party control, managed to have come to the same conclusion all but simultaneously.  Being by nature a cynic and a skeptic however, I was unable to accept this.  I found that I was uncomfortable with and curious about such timing.  Coincidence is a thing of dime detective novels and not the way that cities are run; so there had to be something else.  Then it hit me ... Thanksgiving!

What would the image of NYC be if the Macy's parade were held with the potential specter of OWS protestors appearing amongst the crowd, or (worse yet) on camera during the broadcast?  How many of the normal crowd of onlookers might be persuaded to pass up a trip to Manhattan to avoid running into some of the more odious (and odorous) of the 99%?  How would the image that Mayor Bloomberg and the city desperately wanted to portray as welcome and safe be affected by crowds of the disaffected attempting to get their message across?  And I'm sure that New York is not the only city to have considered this.

How many other cities around the country are having 'Holiday Parades' that they would prefer not to have hampered by these rag-tag and ill smelling protestors?  How many cities fear the effect on downtown tourism in an already bad economy if it were known that an OWS group were on hand somewhere?  How, for example, would Kansas City's famous turning on of the Plaza lights be impacted by the shadow of disreputable, dirty, and foul-smelling people attempting to take center stage (and that's just the politicians).     

I'm sorry to rain (almost quite literally) on the parade of those whose mostly unwritten and unspoken (except in the privacy of their own homes) demands have been to take back their cities from this movement without apparent cause or purpose; but the horrible truth of it is that the right thing has been done in cities across the country once again for no better reasons than municipal vanity and seasonal greed.  

Not only do these cities not want their worst foot put forward when most on public display, but they certainly don't want a hint of impairment to a season of rampant consumerism in the way of holiday parties at expensive downtown hotel and restaurant venues, and seasonal shopping that accounts for the lion's share of profit for retail outlets in an already down economy.  

Making the move when they did allows cities to clear out and clean up the mess left behind by protestors to whom sanitation was yet another word that their expensive educations had not permitted them to grasp.  Plenty of time was left to hose downs parklands and sidewalks, dispose of the make-shift tents and trash, and process the human debris arrested on misdemeanor charges for refusing to move along.  Thanksgiving crowds will likely even find smiling city workers to greet them on their arrival next week; those workers having already given considerable thanks for recent hefty paychecks (including overtime earned during the clean up) that they have received for their disinfecting efforts. 

Yes, it seems likely that rather than the praise that we would like to heap on our local government, we may be forced to settle for measured disdain.  Altruism probably had little or nothing to do with the ultimate decision have those of OWS move along.  Instead it was invariably political expediency, vanity, and greed that motivated those ostensibly in charge to do what we all knew must be done some time ago.  We may nevertheless take some consolation, as we occupy prime seats for these holiday celebrations, that the unwashed part of the 99% has 'Unoccupied' Thanksgiving.

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Vote of Confidence: Chapter 3

For those of you brave enough to try and follow along with this effort, I can announce the next section of "Vote of Confidence" is now up.  There has been a slightly greater gap in getting Chapter 3 up, but that's just too bad.  It's not like anyone's hanging on the edge of their seat waiting for each installment.  Besides, putting it up on November 15th also allows me to send the proper greetings to my mother, whose birthday this is today.

(Happy Birthday Mom!)

I call this story, "A twisted tale of Life, Politics, and what some might consider cruelty to animals".  (Though in the spirit of full disclosure, I have to admit that the cruelty part is a bit of a stretch, since no actual animals were in any way harmed physically or psychologically" during the production of the story.)

I would love to tell you a bit about what's gone on in the earlier installments, or give you some idea of what's ahead, but that implies that I remember or know, something that might be considered a bit of a reach.  Besides, that would be giving away the plot, and as I've said before, there's not enough of one to spare. 

I encourage you however (since a writer likes to be read) to waste a few minutes of your life that I promise you that you will never get back to check the out latest addition to this effort, an attempt to serialize a novel on a blog site.

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Getting Too Much Facetime

I got on Facebook again this morning, something that I seem to do almost every morning, often for reasons that I don't entirely understand.  I was able to get a much needed update on some friends and family that don't see nearly often enough or haven't seen in a while (which is why I signed up for Facebook in the first place).  In some cases, I was also able to see into some parts of their lives far deeper than anyone should get to or have to, but those are choices that each of us have to make in the use of social networking.  There were even, as there always are, some bits of wisdom and clever witticisms to be gleaned from the literary efforts placed in the status of many of those on my friends list; something that being a scribbler, I always appreciate and enjoy.

There were also the usual (inevitable) requests to repost something as my status in order to prove I was a true friend or to show the world that I cared.  (Just to be clear, in most cases I do care, but usually not that much.)  Unfortunately, I have placed reposting requests in the same pile as the emails that I'm supposed to forward to 5, 10, or 21 different friends in order to have my wish granted or good luck come my way.  (Of course, the fact that I have such a pile may in some way explain why none of my wishes have been granted and why good luck has not come my way; but I am content with my choices.)   

Listen, putting up a link to a news story (especially on something not widely known and from a credible source) and you're providing a service to your friends.  Put up a couple of links together on interesting tidbits, and you maintain your status (pun intended) of still mildly interesting and informative.  Put up three, regardless of content in the same hour, and you're starting to push my 'annoying' button.  Put up more than four in that same hour and I will probably push the 'ignore' button and stop really noticing what you've put up.  

As for those of you on my friends list who puts up half of the video music library that you've just discovered in the hopes that I will enjoy an evening of listening to obscure artists, musicians who've been dead for 20 years, or genres of music only popular in places I've never been to; let me tell you that I subscribe to Pandora in order to listen to what I want to and that the non-stop links have caused me to stop caring whether you've put anything up or not.

Please don't get this wrong or get offended by my comments. (No, that's wrong.  Go ahead and get offended if you want to, that's your Facebook right. But while you're feeling a little put out, put up a little less.)  It's not that I don't like you or some of the stuff that you put up, but everything has limits.  (Well, everything except the collective stupidity and aggressive ignorance of the American electorate; but that's an entirely different subject.)  While I'm willing to take a drink from a hose, especially when thirsty, I'm not even vaguely interested in attempting to do so from a fire hose.

Learn to pace yourself and your postings and you will not only maintain a receptive audience, but probably one that looks forward to your next effort.  Learn to keep your audience begging for more and they will appreciate you more.  Learn not to tell us everything you know at once, and we will be astounded by the depth of you knowledge.  Learn to limit your efforts, and you won't have cranky old bastards like me complaining about it in public.

OK, that's enough ranting this morning.  If you will excuse me, I would like to get back on Facebook to post a link to this effort (ironic, isn't it), and for what I'm really interested in ... cute little pictures of cats (which, since I"m allergic to them is the only way they remain cute) and grown men crying over the performance of their favorite college or professional football team.  

(If this posting causes you to 'unfriend' me, let me say before you get back to Facebook to do so that it was nice knowing you.)


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Unhappy Valley

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It's Saturday, and for the first time in 46 years, Joe Paterno will not be on the sidelines at Penn State.  Last week "Joe Pa" was fired, not for his performance on the field for the 'Nittany Lions' where he has 409 victories (vs 136 losses), but for a defeat that he suffered off of the field.  That mistake was one of judgment with regard to one of his assistant coaches Jerry Sandusky.

Mr Sandusky worked with Coach Paterno for some 20 years as a defensive coordinator, and seemed at one time to be the heir apparent to the throne in Happy Valley (a rather dubious honor, since Joe at 84, showed little interest in retiring until this week).  Mr Sandusky lost his status in1999 however, abruptly retiring after an incident reported by the mother of an 11 year-old in which he was giving the child a bear hug in the shower.  The University police investigated this occurrence, but no charges were filed, nor apparently was the information turned over to local authorities outside of the university.

Three years later, as it emerges in a recently released Grand Jury report, Sandusky was apparently caught in the showers at a campus locker room with a boy who appeared to be around 10 years-old by now linebacker coach Mike McQueary, who was a graduate assistant at the time.  Though there was some delay involved, McQueary eventually reported the incident and this report reached Coach Paterno, who in turn reported it to the Athletic Director.  That Grand Jury report in fact points to eight potential victims of Mr Sandusky, and is often the case when such charges are publicized, more may yet surface.

OK, these are the alleged facts as we know them now, but how then do we question what went on and judge those involved, if such judgment is permitted?

Why weren't the accusations in 1999 reported to local authorities?  When did it become the province of University Police to determine such things?  If Jerry Sandusky retired in 1999, what was he doing on campus, using school facilities, three years later?  Who permitted this and gave him access or keys?  Why, if he was granted access at all, wasn't he under closer scrutiny, based on previous accusation?  One must certainly call into question the judgment of the University in general and the Athletic Department in particular for allowing an alleged sexual predator access to the scene of many of his alleged past crimes.

Forget the delay in 'reporting' on Mike McQueary's part, why didn't he move immediately to protect the child in question?  It's reported that McQueary called his father for advice, so the question extends to asking why his father didn't tell him to go back and protect the child? These events show a serious lapse in judgment on McQueary's part, if not one of courage.  There is guilt by commission and guilt by omission, and if the story told by McQueary in this case is true, he is certainly guilty of the latter in the form of a cowardice that would be hard to defend.

(On a side note, let me say that a reaction of 'kicking the crap out of Sandusky seems the rather logical and immediate, if a bit Neanderthal solution.  If this didn't occur to McQueary Jr, it should have certainly occurred to McQueary Sr.  I understand that Michael McQueary is currently under suspension.  Perhaps he should be permitted to keep his job if he allows the father of the abused child to kick the crap out of him as he should have done to Sandusky when witnessing this event.)

How could no one else have noticed what was going on?  Campus life is largely provincial, and everyone knows everyone else's business.  It seems to defy credibility that this could have been going on for an extended period of time (which it apparently was) without others knowing.  If in fact others did know, then they too must share some complicity in this heinous behavior.

While I don't normally comment on sports, this story transcends athletics, and should act as an indictment of Penn State University itself.  This is not an NCAA rules violation on recruiting, undercover payments to players by slimy Alumni, or players attempting to cash in early on a fame that may be all too fleeting.  This is an institutional and systematic choice to turn a blind eye to child abuse going on by a current or former employee on your property.  It's also an apparent willingness to sweep such immoral and illegal behavior under the rug to keep the money associated with college sports spilling into Penn State's coffers.

If the NCAA is to continue to hold any moral dominion with regard to its mandated mission, there can be only one answer to these charges, if they are in any part proven to be true:  "The Death Penalty".  I leave it to this organization of dubious moral character whose inability to police its members is well known, the period which Penn State should do without their football program; but considering the length of time that this appears to have been going on, certainly such punishment should be greater than any of the one or two year sentences previously handed out by this bastion of all that's fair in college sports (sorry, that's alleged bastion).

I pronounce sentence without desiring to see any of the players currently on the Penn State football team punished (though I'm afraid that they will be forever tainted by association).  They should be permitted to transfer without eligibility penalties and allowed to continue their sports futures.  Penn State and its football program must however be punished in the only way that Universities and 'Big Time College Football' programs seem to understand, by hitting them in the revenue stream where it hurts.

Could this hurt other sports programs at the university or the admissions of new students?  I'm sure it could, but it certainly appears that more than the Athletic Department were at least aware of this situation and that the university as a whole is responsible for looking the other way for a considerable period of time.

Let the picture of an empty stadium in what will become 'Unhappy Valley' be shown every week on 'football Saturdays' to serve as a reminder to all those who see themselves as living in the ivory towers of academia and above the more mundane concerns of everyday living that they have a responsibility to the mere mortals who surround them and the communities they live amongst; and most especially to the children who may one day walk their halls.


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