President Bush Discusses Economy

President Bush Discusses Economy

For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary September 19, 2008

Rose Garden

Video (Windows) /news/releases/2008/09/20080919-2.wm.v.html
Presidential Remarks
Audio
En Español
Fact Sheet: Confronting Economic Challenges Head On
In Focus: Economy

THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. I thank Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, and SEC Chairman Chris Cox for joining me today.

This is a pivotal moment for America's economy. Problems that originated in the credit markets -- and first showed up in the area of subprime mortgages -- have spread throughout our financial system. This has led to an erosion of confidence that has frozen many financial transactions, including loans to consumers and to businesses seeking to expand and create jobs. As a result, we must act now to protect our nation's economic health from serious risk.

There will be ample opportunity to debate the origins of this problem. Now is the time to solve it. In our nation's history, there have been moments that require us to come together across party lines to address major challenges. This is such a moment. Last night, Secretary Paulson and Chairman Bernanke and Chairman Cox met with congressional leaders of both parties -- and they had a very good meeting. I appreciate the willingness of congressional leaders to confront this situation head on.

Our system of free enterprise rests on the conviction that the federal government should interfere in the marketplace only when necessary. Given the precarious state of today's financial markets -- and their vital importance to the daily lives of the American people -- government intervention is not only warranted, it is essential.

In recent weeks, the federal government has taken a series of measures to help promote stability in the overall economy. To avoid severe disruptions in the financial markets and to support home financing, we took action to address the situation at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The Federal Reserve also acted to prevent the disorderly liquidation of the insurance company AIG. And in coordination with central banks around the world, the Fed has injected much-needed liquidity into our financial system.

These were targeted measures designed primarily to stop the problems of individual firms from spreading even more broadly. But more action is needed. We must address the root cause behind much of the instability in our markets -- the mortgage assets that have lost value during the housing decline and are now restricting the flow of credit. America's economy is facing unprecedented challenges, and we are responding with unprecedented action.

Secretary Paulson, Chairman Bernanke, and Chairman Cox have briefed leaders on Capitol Hill on the urgent need for Congress to pass legislation approving the federal government's purchase of illiquid assets, such as troubled mortgages, from banks and other financial institutions. This is a decisive step that will address underlying problems in our financial system. It will help take pressure off the balance sheets of banks and other financial institutions. It will allow them to resume lending and get our financial system moving again.

Additionally, the federal government is taking several other steps to address the trouble of our financial markets.

The Department of the Treasury is acting to restore confidence in a key element of America's financial system -- money market mutual funds. In the past, government insurance was not available for these funds, and the recent stresses on the markets have caused some to question whether these investments are safe and accessible. The Treasury Department's actions address that concern by offering government insurance for money market mutual funds. For every dollar invested in an insured fund, you will be able to take a dollar out.

The Federal Reserve is also taking steps to provide additional liquidity to money market mutual funds, which will help ease pressure on our financial markets. These measures will act as grease for the gears of our financial system, which were at risk of grinding to a halt. They will support the flow of credit to households and businesses.

The Securities and Exchange Commission has issued new rules temporarily suspending the practice of short selling on the stocks of financial institutions. This is intended to prevent investors from intentionally driving down particular stocks for their own personal gain. The SEC is also requiring certain investors to disclose their short selling, and has launched rigorous enforcement actions to detect fraud and manipulation in the market. Anyone engaging in illegal financial transactions will be caught and persecuted [sic].

Finally, when we get past the immediate challenges, my administration looks forward to working with Congress on measures to bring greater long-term transparency and reliability to the financial system -- including those in the regulatory blueprint submitted by Secretary Paulson earlier this year. Many of the regulations governing the functioning of America's markets were written in a different era. It is vital that we update them to meet the realities of today's global financial system.

The actions I just outlined reflect the considered judgment of Secretary Paulson, Chairman Bernanke, and Chairman Cox. We believe that this decisive government action is needed to preserve America's financial system and sustain America's overall economy. These measures will require us to put a significant amount of taxpayer dollars on the line. This action does entail risk. But we expect that this money will eventually be paid back. The vast majority of assets the government is planning to purchase have good value over time, because the vast majority of homeowners continue to pay their mortgages. And the risk of not acting would be far higher. Further stress on our financial markets would cause massive job losses, devastate retirement accounts, and further erode housing values, as well as dry up loans for new homes and cars and college tuitions. These are risks that America cannot afford to take.

In this difficult time, I know many Americans are wondering about the security of their finances. Every American should know that the federal government continues to enforce laws and regulations protecting your money. Through the FDIC, every savings account, checking account, and certificate of deposit is insured by the federal government for up to $100,000. The FDIC has been in existence for 75 years, and no one has ever lost a penny on an insured deposit -- and this will not change.

America's financial system is intricate and complex. But behind all the technical terminology and statistics is a critical human factor -- confidence. Confidence in our financial system and in its institutions is essential to the smooth operation of our economy, and recently that confidence has been shaken. Investors should know that the United States government is taking action to restore confidence in America's financial markets so they can thrive again.

In the long run, Americans have good reason to be confident in our economic strength. America has the most talented, productive, and entrepreneurial workers in the world. This country is the best place in the world to invest and do business. Consumers around the world continue to seek out American products, as evidenced by record-high exports. We have a flexible and resilient system that absorbs challenges and makes corrections and bounces back.

We've seen that resilience over the past eight years. Since 2001, our economy has faced a recession, the bursting of the dot-com bubble, major corporate scandals, an unprecedented attack on our homeland, a global war on terror, a series of devastating natural disasters. Our economy has weathered every one of these challenges, and still managed to grow.

We will weather this challenge too, and we must do so together. This is no time for partisanship. We must join to move urgently needed legislation as quickly as possible, without adding controversial provisions that could delay action. I will work with Democrats and Republicans alike to steer our economy through these difficult times and get back to the path of long-term growth. Thank you very much.

END 10:54 A.M. EDT

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/09/20080919-2.html

20080919 President Bush Discusses Economy

Declaraciones del Presidente Sobre la Economía

Declaraciones del Presidente Sobre la Economía
19 de septiembre de 2008

Para su publicación inmediata
Oficina del Secretario de Prensa

Rose Garden

10:45 A.M. EDT

EL PRESIDENTE: Buenos días. Les agradezco al secretario del Tesoro, Hank Paulson, al presidente de la Reserva Federal, Ben Bernanke, y al presidente de la Comisión de Valores y Cambio Bursátil (Security and Exchange Commission), Chris Cox, por acompañarme hoy.

Éste es un momento importante para la economía de Estados Unidos. Problemas que se originaron en el mercado de crédito -y se presentaron inicialmente en el sector de préstamos hipotecarios no preferenciales- se han propagado por todo nuestro sistema financiero. Esto ha llevado a una pérdida de confianza que ha congelado muchas transacciones financieras, entre ellas préstamos a consumidores y a empresas con planes de expandirse y generar empleo. Como resultado, debemos tomar medidas ahora para proteger de serios peligros el bienestar económico de nuestra nación.

Habrá abundantes oportunidades de debatir el origen de este problema. Éste es el momento de resolverlo. En la historia de nuestra nación, ha habido ocasiones que han requerido que nos unamos, independientemente de partido, para hacerles frente a desafíos importantes. Ésta es una ocasión tal. Anoche, el secretario Paulson y el presidente Bernanke y el presidente Cox se reunieron con líderes del Congreso de ambos partidos... y tuvieron una muy buena reunión. Agradezco que los líderes del Congreso estén dispuestos a hacerle frente directamente a esta situación.

Nuestro sistema de libre empresa se basa en la convicción de que el gobierno federal debe interferir en el mercado sólo cuando es necesario. Dada la situación precaria de los mercados financieros de hoy -y su vital importancia en la vida cotidiana del pueblo estadounidense- la intervención del gobierno no sólo se justifica; es esencial.

En semanas recientes, el gobierno federal ha tomado una serie de medidas para ayudar a promover la estabilidad en la economía en general. A fin de evitar alteraciones severas en el mercado financiero y apoyar la financiación de viviendas, tomamos medidas para hacerle frente a la situación en Fannie Mae y Freddie Mac. La Reserva Federal también dio pasos para evitar la liquidación desordenada de la compañía de seguros AIG. Y en coordinación con bancos centrales en todo el mundo, la Reserva ha inyectado liquidez muy necesaria en nuestro sistema financiero.

Esas fueron medidas específicas y concebidas principalmente para evitar que los problemas de firmas individuales se propagaran más extensamente. Pero es necesario hacer más. Debemos abordar la causa de gran parte de la inestabilidad de nuestro mercado: los activos hipotecarios que se devaluaron durante la desaceleración del sector de vivienda y que ahora restringen el flujo de crédito. La economía de Estados Unidos enfrenta desafíos sin precedente, y estamos respondiendo con medidas sin precedente.

El secretario Paulson, el presidente Bernanke y el presidente Cox les han informado a los líderes en el Capitolio de la urgente necesidad de que el Congreso apruebe legislación que dé el visto bueno a que el gobierno federal les compre a bancos y otras instituciones financieras activos ilíquidos como malos préstamos hipotecarios. Éste es un paso decisivo que abordará los problemas subyacentes de nuestro sistema financiero. Ayudará a disminuir la presión en los balances de los bancos y otras instituciones financieras. Permitirá que reanuden sus préstamos y que nuestro sistema financiero se vuelva a poner en marcha.

Además, el gobierno federal está dando pasos adicionales para abordar los problemas de nuestro mercado financiero.

El Departamento del Tesoro está tomando medidas para reestablecer la confianza en un elemento clave del sistema financiero de Estados Unidos: los fondos mutuos de inversión (en activos) del mercado del dinero. En el pasado, no había seguro gubernamental para estos fondos, y las recientes presiones en el mercado han causado que algunos se pregunten si estas inversiones son seguras y asequibles. Las medidas del Departamento del Tesoro abordan esa inquietud ofreciendo seguro gubernamental para los fondos mutuos de inversión en el mercado de dinero. Por cada dólar invertido en un fondo asegurado, podrán sacar un dólar.

La Reserva Federal también está tomando medidas para proporcionar liquidez adicional a los fondos mutuos de inversión en el mercado de dinero, lo que ayudará a disminuir la presión en nuestro mercado financiero. Estas medidas servirán como la grasa de los engranajes de nuestro sistema financiero, que corrían el peligro de detenerse completamente. Contribuirán al flujo de crédito a hogares de familia y empresas.

La Securities and Exchange Commission ha emitido normas nuevas de forma temporal que suspenden la práctica de venta al descubierto de acciones de instituciones financieras. Esto tiene como propósito evitar que los inversionistas reduzcan el valor de ciertas acciones para lucro personal. La SEC también está requiriendo que ciertos inversionistas divulguen sus ventas al descubierto y ha puesto en práctica estrictas medidas de control para detectar el fraude y la manipulación en el mercado. Cualquier persona que participe en transacciones financieras ilegales será detectada y perseguida [sic].

Finalmente, mi gobierno está deseoso de, una vez superados los desafíos inmediatos, cooperar con el Congreso en medidas para darle mayor transparencia y fiabilidad a largo plazo al sistema financiero, entre ellas las incluidas en el plan normativo presentado por el secretario Paulson anteriormente este año. Muchas de las reglamentaciones que rigen el funcionamiento del mercado estadounidense fueron redactadas en otra era. Es de vital importancia que las actualicemos para que conformen con la realidad actual del sistema financiero mundial.

Las medidas que acabo de describir reflejan el buen criterio del secretario Paulson, el presidente Bernanke y el presidente Cox. Creemos que es necesario que el gobierno tome medidas decisivas para resguardar el sistema financiero de Estados Unidos y sustentar la economía en general de Estados Unidos. Estas medidas requerirán que arriesguemos una cantidad significativa de dinero de los contribuyentes. Estas medidas, de hecho, implican riesgo. Pero tenemos previsto que este dinero se devuelva, a fin de cuentas. Los activos que el gobierno está planeando comprar, en su gran mayoría, retienen su valor con el tiempo, porque los propietarios de vivienda, en su gran mayoría, continúan pagando sus préstamos hipotecarios. Y el peligro de la inacción sería mucho mayor. Presión adicional en nuestros mercados financieros causaría la pérdida masiva de empleos, devastaría las cuentas para la jubilación y devaluaría más el sector de vivienda, además de hacer que se agoten los préstamos para casas y autos nuevos, y matrículas universitarias. Estos son peligros que Estados Unidos no puede darse el lujo de correr.

En este difícil momento, sé que muchos estadounidenses se preguntan sobre la seguridad de sus finanzas. Todos los estadounidenses deben saber que el gobierno federal continúa velando por el cumplimiento de las leyes y las normas que protegen su dinero. Por medio de la Corporación de Seguro Federal para Depósitos (Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation o FDIC), todas las cuentas de ahorro, cuentas corrientes y certificados de depósito están asegurados hasta $100,000 por el gobierno federal. El FDIC existe desde hace 75 años, y nadie jamás ha perdido un centavo de un depósito asegurado, y eso no cambiará.

El sistema financiero de Estados Unidos es intrincado y complejo. Pero detrás de toda la terminología técnica y los datos estadísticos está un factor humano muy importante: la confianza. La confianza en nuestro sistema financiero y sus instituciones es esencial para que nuestra economía opere sin trabas, y recientemente esta confianza ha flaqueado. Los inversionistas deben saber que el gobierno de Estados Unidos está tomando medidas para reestablecer la confianza en el mercado financiero de Estados Unidos de modo que podamos volver a prosperar.

A largo plazo, los estadounidenses tienen buen motivo para tener seguridad en nuestra solidez económica. Estados Unidos cuenta con los trabajadores más hábiles, productivos y emprendedores del mundo. Este país es el mejor lugar del mundo para invertir y hacer negocios. Consumidores alrededor del mundo continúan escogiendo productos estadounidenses, como lo prueba el nivel récord de exportaciones. Tenemos un sistema flexible y resistente que absorbe desafíos y hace correcciones y rebota.

Hemos visto esa resistencia durante los últimos ocho años. Desde el 2001, nuestra economía ha enfrentado una recesión, el reventón de la burbuja de los puntocom, grandes escándalos empresariales, un ataque sin precedente contra nuestro territorio nacional, una guerra mundial contra el terrorismo, una serie de desastres naturales devastadores. Nuestra economía ha resistido cada uno de estos desafíos y aun así, ha logrado crecer.

También resistiremos este desafío y debemos hacerlo juntos. No es momento de partidismo. Debemos unirnos para lograr cuanto antes la aprobación de legislación urgentemente necesaria, sin agregar estipulaciones polémicas que podrían postergar una decisión. Trabajaré con tanto demócratas como republicanos para dirigir nuestra economía durante este momento difícil y retomar el camino hacia el crecimiento a largo plazo. Muchísimas gracias.

END 10:54 A.M. EDT

20080919 Declaraciones del Presidente Sobre la Economía

Statement by Secretary Henry M. Paulson, Jr. on Comprehensive Approach to Market Developments

Statement by Secretary Henry M. Paulson, Jr. on Comprehensive Approach to Market Developments

From the Press Room of the U.S. Department of the Treasury

September 19, 2008

Washington, DC-- Last night, Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, SEC Chairman Chris Cox and I had a lengthy and productive working session with Congressional leaders. We began a substantive discussion on the need for a comprehensive approach to relieving the stresses on our financial institutions and markets.

We have acted on a case-by-case basis in recent weeks, addressing problems at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, working with market participants to prepare for the failure of Lehman Brothers, and lending to AIG so it can sell some of its assets in an orderly manner. And this morning we've taken a number of powerful tactical steps to increase confidence in the system, including the establishment of a temporary guaranty program for the U.S. money market mutual fund industry.

Despite these steps, more is needed. We must now take further, decisive action to fundamentally and comprehensively address the root cause of our financial system's stresses.

The underlying weakness in our financial system today is the illiquid mortgage assets that have lost value as the housing correction has proceeded. These illiquid assets are choking off the flow of credit that is so vitally important to our economy. When the financial system works as it should, money and capital flow to and from households and businesses to pay for home loans, school loans and investments that create jobs. As illiquid mortgage assets block the system, the clogging of our financial markets has the potential to have significant effects on our financial system and our economy.

As we all know, lax lending practices earlier this decade led to irresponsible lending and irresponsible borrowing. This simply put too many families into mortgages they could not afford. We are seeing the impact on homeowners and neighborhoods, with 5 million homeowners now delinquent or in foreclosure. What began as a sub-prime lending problem has spread to other, less-risky mortgages, and contributed to excess home inventories that have pushed down home prices for responsible homeowners.

A similar scenario is playing out among the lenders who made those mortgages, the securitizers who bought, repackaged and resold them, and the investors who bought them. These troubled loans are now parked, or frozen, on the balance sheets of banks and other financial institutions, preventing them from financing productive loans. The inability to determine their worth has fostered uncertainty about mortgage assets, and even about the financial condition of the institutions that own them. The normal buying and selling of nearly all types of mortgage assets has become challenged.

These illiquid assets are clogging up our financial system, and undermining the strength of our otherwise sound financial institutions. As a result, Americans' personal savings are threatened, and the ability of consumers and businesses to borrow and finance spending, investment, and job creation has been disrupted.

To restore confidence in our markets and our financial institutions, so they can fuel continued growth and prosperity, we must address the underlying problem.

The federal government must implement a program to remove these illiquid assets that are weighing down our financial institutions and threatening our economy. This troubled asset relief program must be properly designed and sufficiently large to have maximum impact, while including features that protect the taxpayer to the maximum extent possible. The ultimate taxpayer protection will be the stability this troubled asset relief program provides to our financial system, even as it will involve a significant investment of taxpayer dollars. I am convinced that this bold approach will cost American families far less than the alternative – a continuing series of financial institution failures and frozen credit markets unable to fund economic expansion.

I believe many Members of Congress share my conviction. I will spend the weekend working with members of Congress of both parties to examine approaches to alleviate the pressure of these bad loans on our system, so credit can flow once again to American consumers and companies. Our economic health requires that we work together for prompt, bipartisan action.
As we work with the Congress to pass this legislation over the next week, other immediate actions will provide relief.

First, to provide critical additional funding to our mortgage markets, the GSEs Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will increase their purchases of mortgage-backed securities (MBS). These two enterprises must carry out their mission to support the mortgage market.

Second, to increase the availability of capital for new home loans, Treasury will expand the MBS purchase program we announced earlier this month. This will complement the capital provided by the GSEs and will help facilitate mortgage availability and affordability.

These two steps will provide some initial support to mortgage assets, but they are not enough. Many of the illiquid assets clogging our system today do not meet the regulatory requirements to be eligible for purchase by the GSEs or by the Treasury program.

I look forward to working with Congress to pass necessary legislation to remove these troubled assets from our financial system. When we get through this difficult period, which we will, our next task must be to improve the financial regulatory structure so that these past excesses do not recur. This crisis demonstrates in vivid terms that our financial regulatory structure is sub-optimal, duplicative and outdated. I have put forward my ideas for a modernized financial oversight structure that matches our modern economy, and more closely links the regulatory structure to the reasons why we regulate. That is a critical debate for another day.

Right now, our focus is restoring the strength of our financial system so it can again finance economic growth. The financial security of all Americans – their retirement savings, their home values, their ability to borrow for college, and the opportunities for more and higher-paying jobs – depends on our ability to restore our financial institutions to a sound footing.

20080919 Sec Paulson st on Comprehensive Approach to Mrkt Dev

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke, SEC Chairman Chris Cox, U.S. Department of the Treasury Secretary Henry M. Paulson, Jr.

People Bernanke-Ben, Business Econ Wall St SEC, People Cox-Chris, US Dept Treasury, People Paulson-Henry, Bus Econ Subprime Mortgage Market Crisis

Business Econ Wall St SEC Cox qv People, Business Econ Bernanke-B qv People, Business Econ US Dept Treasury qv US, Business Econ Paulson qv People, Subprime Mortgage Mrkt Crisis qv Bus, 2007 2008 Subprime Mort Crisis qv Bus

Mr Moose at the Philanthropist of the Year event.

Mr Moose at the Philanthropist of the Year event.

September 17, 2008

Mr. Moose attended the annual Community Foundation of Carroll County Philanthropist of the Year event.

20080917 Mr Moose Philanthropist of the Yr

Kevin Dayhoff Art http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/

A Smile from God

A Smile from God

September 14, 2008

Hat Tip: Grammy

Day of the week Sensational Sunday

20080913 A Smile from God

Extra! Extra! Read all about it. The latest edition of the Westminster Main Street News

Extra! Extra! Read all about it. The latest edition of the Westminster Main Street News, by Westminster Economic Development Administrator Stan Ruchlewicz.

Always informative and well written - click here: "Downtown Westminster Main Street News!"
to download the latest edition.

4-H’ers heading to national competitions by Carrie Ann Knauer

4-H’ers heading to national competitions By Carrie Ann Knauer, Carroll County Times Staff Writer

Monday, September 08, 2008

Four teens from Francis Scott Key High School will represent the state at several regional and national livestock judging competitions this fall after winning the top positions in the 4-H competition at the Maryland State Fair last weekend.

This is the first time that the four-person A team will be made up of youths from the same county, let alone the same school, said Kathy Gordon, 4-H youth development extension educator for Carroll.

About 30 youths competed in the 4-H livestock judging competition at the Maryland State Fair Aug. 30, Gordon said. During the competition, the youths examine several rounds of beef cattle, sheep and swine, and judge them on their physical build and characteristics. They rank the animals in each class, then submit their rankings to be compared to the professional judges’ rankings.

Claire Bennett won first place with 614 points, followed by Drew Cashman in second place with 613 points and Lukas Ziegler in third place with 610 points. Claire’s brother Troy Bennett placed seventh with 578 points...

Read Ms. Knauer’s entire article here: 4-H’ers heading to national competitions

20080908 4Hers heading to national competitions by Knauer
http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/articles/2008/09/08/news/local_news/newsstory3.txt
Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/
Kevin Dayhoff Art: www.kevindayhoff.com (http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/)

Thoughts on Westminster posting an agenda in a timely manner

Thoughts on Westminster posting an agenda in a timely manner

The existentialism of the simple task of Westminster city officials posting an agenda for its council meetings in a timely manner

September 8, 2008 by Kevin Dayhoff

After an e-mail to a city official earlier in the day; for which I never did get a response, the city of Westminster has finally posted an agenda on the city’s web site.

Heck, I’m just not sure what their rush was – the agenda was posted at approximately 3:22 pm. The meeting is 3 ½ hours away…

Since 2005 the city of Westminster has added two new positions – a city manager and a director of administration at an annual cost to the taxpayer of over $200,000 and yet the city can’t manage to get an council meeting agenda posted timely – or adopt a budget or have an annual audit performed on a timely basis.

The city spent anywhere from $20,000 to over $40,000, depending on whose version of the story suits your fancy, to move some offices to a rented building from City Hall and other offices from the rented building back over to City Hall; in order to provide better services. It was, in reality, rearranging the deck chairs on The Titanic. And yet the city all-too frequently can’t get an agenda posted on a timely basis.

The city increased taxes, increased the size of government, has borrowed money like there is no tomorrow and is actively discussing cutting back on city services – in order to serve us better. And yet the city seems to have a great deal of difficulty in posting an agenda on a timely basis on a web site that is so woefully inadequate and opaque, it often seems like the city resents even having a web site…

Web sites can be difficult as I am all too aware; however in theory, a web site is no longer an afterthought or a bother, it is a critical information dissemination resource in today’s governance. Then again there are many folks who find current Westminster government so opaque, unapproachable, and inaccessible, that the web site is probably emblematic of a government that all too often seems too annoyed by citizen contact to be bothered with disseminating information.

After-all, our elected officials are some of the smartest folks in the world – and they certainly know what is best for us; so having meaningful contact with the public is probably unnecessary now isn’t it?

I’m glad that Westminster citizens work for such an august group of elitists. It gives us a purpose in our backward shabby meager existence.

Related:

20071130 City municipal offices relocate by Ryan Marshall

20080611 No agenda is sign of poor government

20080720 Carroll County Times Westminster shutting out the public

20080908 Thoughts on Westminster posting an agenda in a timely manner

Last week in The Tentacle

Last week in The Tentacle

http://www.thetentacle.com/

Posted Monday September 8, 2008

Friday, September 5, 2008
Travelogue: Salt Lake City
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Although I have been very fortunate to have had opportunities to travel a great deal over the years, I have never visited the great American west. I recently had a chance to spend a week in Salt Lake City, Utah. I was not disappointed.


More Political Hypocrisy
Roy Meachum
Reading Sunday's Frederick News-Post, you could believe Frederick's ex-mayor Jennifer Dougherty, in selling her self-named restaurant, made a great sacrifice for the public good. She told reporter David Simon: "I don't want to look back and say I wasn't 100 percent committed to the race."


Thursday, September 4, 2008
One Massive Blunder
Tony Soltero
John McCain, over the years, has been very meticulously building up a brand with the media as a serious, experienced "straight-shooting" politician, who was somehow a bit different from the other rubber-stamp Republicans.


One Superlative Choice
Patricia A. Kelly
Hurrah! A breath of fresh air has come into the presidential race. I laughed with delight at the perfection of the choice of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as soon as I heard it. I have felt strongly all along that the men on the “short” list would not be able to help John McCain win, and now a new choice is available, a choice that enhances his chances.


Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Plucking the Golden Goose
Norman M. Covert
It was the remote’s fault that John L. (Lennie) Thompson, Jr., popped up on my television screen. Mr. Thompson was trashing the reputation of a man testifying before the Frederick Board of County Commissioners about the New Market Regional Plan. Mr. T didn’t have the aggies to look him in the eye, a clear indication our commissioner is a Bum!


“La Policía”
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Carroll County history is replete with colorful conflicts, many of operatic proportions, between the Carroll County Board of Commissioners, the Carroll County delegation to Annapolis, and the sheriff.


Tuesday, September 2, 2008
David Brinkley
Roy Meachum
David Brinkley stopped by for coffee. He received a yawn and nod from Pushkin, who proceeded to his usual spot in the library. The English pointer and the state senator knew each other from earlier encounters. David and I headed for the patio. This was last week, during the brief hiatus from the overbearing humidity.


The Joy of Selling
Nick Diaz
Not long ago I described to TheTentacle.com readers my adventures and thoughts on traveling to Maine to purchase and ride home a “new” 1988 Yamaha Venture.


Monday, September 1, 2008
Dog Days of Summer – Donkey Chronicles
Richard B. Weldon Jr.
We're into the heart of the most active season for a political junkie, the Super Bowl of partisanship. The conventions show the best and worst of the two major parties, and in this cycle, all of that magic is playing out over a two-week period.


Waiting for the President
Steven R. Berryman
At least the conventions are a stepping-stone along the road to electing a new president, but here we sit, waiting. We wait for a president to solve our problems for us, as is human nature. Surely they will, as their speeches tell us so.


Friday, August 29, 2008
Norm Knows
Roy Meachum
Columns on the government's monumental faux pas in the Fort Detrick anthrax scandal have caused people to ask if the fort's research scientists, particularly Bruce Ivins, were friends or acquaintances. None is.

20080908 Last week in The Tentacle

Recent Westminster Eagle and Sunday Carroll Eagle columns by Kevin Dayhoff

Recent Westminster Eagle and Sunday Carroll Eagle columns by Kevin Dayhoff

September 5, 2008

For many years, the convention 'party' came to Baltimore
Published September 5, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
This past week I was fortunate to have the opportunity to travel with the Maryland Delegation to the 2008 Republican National Convention at...

Power of art contributes to a community's vibrancy
Published September 3, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
This week's column is a bit of a travel log, but one that relates to life here in Westminster. Recently I had an opportunity to...

A town divided found purpose and prosperity as a unified Westminster
Published August 31, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
EAGLE ARCHIVE Last Sunday we looked at the early history of the western end of Westminster. It was a little more than 80 years ago...

Economic development will revitalize Pennsylvania Avenue
Published August 27, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
At a recent meeting of the Westminster Common Council, it was announced that Councilman Greg Pecoraro will chair another Pennsylvania Avenue initiative, and that Councilwoman...

Years ago, folks celebrated sticking The Forks in Westminster
Published August 24, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
The City of Westminster has recently been working to form a group to study the Pennsylvania Avenue of town. In that context, it's interesting that back...

I speak today in favor of adventures in 'behindular zone'
Published August 20, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Well, I did it. Come a little closer, and I'll tell you all about it. All right, maybe not all about it. After all, this...

And now, for this week's installment of 'La Policia'
Published August 17, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
Carroll County's reputation for low crime and an aggressive approach to public safety is not a recent phenomenon. On July 16, 1925, the editor of the...

Future of police protection delayed, but crime doesn't rest
Published August 13, 2008 by Eldersburg Eagle, Westminster Eagle
On Thursday, Aug. 7, the Board of County Commissioners voted 2-1 to not move forward with a plan to form a county police department...

Turkeys, fires and failed presidents were the stuff of old newspapers
Published August 10, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
As today's newspapers race into the Internet age, many folks might be fascinated with the look and feel of newspapers from the 1800s and early...

Carroll rides tall at the Chincoteague Pony auction
Published August 6, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
With pen in hand, Carroll County author Lois Szymanski looked up from a copy of one of her latest books, "Out of the Sea: Today's...

Fire and water have been volatile mix in Sykesville
Published August 3, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
It was 85 years ago, in the late afternoon of Monday, July 30, 1923, that an historic and terrible rainstorm hit Sykesville and other areas...

Destructive behavior from those contentious combines
Published July 30, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
On Saturday evening, the air was hot, thick and muggy, flavored with anticipation and seasoned with a hint of petroleum fumes. More than 5,000 fans...

Westminster's sacred places are shrines of community life
Published July 25, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
Since this is a Sunday column, I do hope it's fitting to talk about sacred places. Not necessarily houses of worship, mind you, though those are...

Viva la bicyclette de Carroll
Published July 23, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Today, as you are reading this, the 95th Tour de France is in Stage 17. This year's race began on July 5. After 23 days,...

Memories from City Hall and e-mail from the great beyond
Published July 20, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
Westminster purchased the property for its City Hall, on Emerald Hill Lane, from the estate of George W. Albaugh in September 1939 for the grand...

Appreciating Tony Snow's passion for life
Published July 16, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Saturday, July 12, former White House press secretary Tony Snow, 53, died of cancer. I certainly never knew him, yet after following his too-short career for...

Westminster's Civil War role didn't end at Corbit's Charge
Published July 13, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
The last several weeks have been busy in Carroll County, and one of the busiest was during the June 27-29 events surrounding the commemoration of...

Smith & Reifsnider was too hot to handle in July 1938
Published July 9, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
Seventy years ago, Carroll County was reeling from the aftermath of fireworks of an unwelcome variety -- one of the biggest fires in the county's...

What a concept: sharing the wealth and pain of tax increases
Published July 6, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
"Gov. (William Preston) Lane does not like taxes ... but as long as you have colleges to take your money, ... you are to have...

The merry marry month of June
Published July 2, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
As we say goodbye to the month of June, bachelors can breathe a sigh of relief that they've survived what has historically been the traditional...

Years ago, trip to the beach required help from a little ferry
Published June 29, 2008 by Sunday Carroll Eagle
EAGLE ARCHIVE For many Carroll County residents, summertime means an opportunity to make an annual family trek to Ocean City, Md. Some of my fondest childhood memories...

Westminster's past included days of swine and meters
Published June 25, 2008 by Westminster Eagle
There have been many critter problems in the history of Westminster, but none seems to have caused as much a stir as what to do...

Dayhoff explorecarroll.com/opinion-talk/

20080905 Recent Westminster Eagle and Sunday Carroll Eagle columns

“Bush tours Gettysburg battleground site” by Christine Simmons

“Bush tours Gettysburg battleground site” by Christine Simmons

Politics By CHRISTINE SIMMONS, The Associated Press 2008-09-06

GETTYSBURG, Pa. –

President Bush brushed up on his Civil War history Friday, touring the battleground of Gettysburg, the site of one of the deadliest battles of the Civil War.

Normally for a $55 fee, visitors to the Gettysburg National Military Park can tour the area along with a licensed guide. But Friday, Bush had with him Gabor Boritt, an Abraham Lincoln scholar and director of the Civil War Institute at Gettysburg College, who could explain chronological events of the war to match each site of the battleground.

The president began his mid-afternoon tour at the Virginia Memorial, one of 1,300 monuments on the park's grounds.

He also was treated to a sneak peek of the park's Museum and Visitor Center, which has its grand opening Sept. 26.

[…]

Robert Kinsley, chair of the Gettysburg Foundation, was in the museum for the president's visit…

The town in the Pennsylvania countryside is near the site of a 3-day battle where Union troops successfully defeated Confederate troops' advances. More than 51,000 Confederate and Union soldiers were killed, wounded or captured.

[…]

Read the entire article here: Bush tours Gettysburg battleground site

20080906 Bush tours Gettysburg battleground site by Christine Simmons

Kevin and Caroline at the Alaska stand at the RNC

Kevin and Caroline at the Alaska stand on the floor of the Republican National Convention on September 4, 2008

20080904 Alaska stand KC Mr Moose (2)

Kevin Dayhoff www.kevindayhoff.net http://kevindayhoff.blogspot.com/

Kevin Dayhoff Art http://kevindayhoffart.blogspot.com/

Mr. Moose flies to the Republican National Convention in St. Paul Minnesota.

Mr. Moose flies to the Republican National Convention in St. Paul Minnesota.

August 31, 2008 © Kevin Dayhoff

20080831 Mr Moose flies No 4

20080831 Mr. Moose flies to the Republican National Convention in St. Paul Minnesota.

Mount Airy church reaches out to youths by Staci George for Carroll County Times

Mount Airy church reaches out to youths by Staci George for Carroll County Times

Mount Airy church reaches out to youths

http://www.carrollcountytimes.com/articles/2008/08/24/news/local_news/newsstory6.txt

By Staci L. George, Times Correspondent

Sunday, August 24, 2008

MOUNT AIRY — Saturday was a day of youth empowerment through song, dance, poetry, drama and other artistic displays celebrating God and Christianity.

“Youth awakening” was the theme of Spirit Fest 2008, an annual event sponsored by West Falls Christian Community Church, 4330 Buffalo Road, Mount Airy. This was the seventh year the church, with 65 current members, has sponsored the event.

[…]

“We need to encourage and empower the youth to do positive things, like express their talents and get involved in the community. There are a lot of negative things already,” said Bishop Ross Jackson Sr., the church’s pastor since 1993 and a native of Mount Airy.

Read her entire article here: Mount Airy church reaches out to youths

20080824 Mount Airy church reaches out to youths by Staci George for Carroll County Times

Sunday Carroll Eagle column for August 24 2008: “Years ago, folks celebrated The Forks in Westminster” by Kevin Dayhoff

Sunday Carroll Eagle column for August 24 2008: “Years ago, folks celebrated The Forks in Westminster” by Kevin Dayhoff



Years ago, folks celebrated The Forks in Westminster



EAGLE ARCHIVE By Kevin Dayhoff Posted 8/24/08 (690 words)

The City of Westminster has recently been working to form a group to study the Pennsylvania Avenue of town.



In that context, it's interesting that back on Aug. 8, 1924, the editor of the now-defunct newspaper, The American Sentinel, wrote an article about the renaissance of the area on the west end of Westminster known as "The Forks."



The 1924 article was titled, "The Forks Regaining Its Old Prestige."



According to historian Jay Graybeal, who wrote a column about the article in 1999 for the Historical Society of Carroll County, it was the demolition of an old general store at the forks of Pennsylvania Avenue and West Main Street that so excited the editor.



"The old frame store and dwelling at The Forks ... has been razed by Mr. Roy Shipley, a recent purchaser," the article read. "The old building had quite a history and was one of the landmarks of this city."



An old photo in my collection reveals what must have been a large structure with an elegant fountain in the front. The sign above the front porch identifies the store as "Geo. R. Grumbine Groceries and Provisions."



Growing up in Westminster in the 1950s and '60s, and especially in this area of town, I recall Pennsylvania Avenue as an elegant and thriving mixed-use residential and business section of town. The Forks was generally considered the "center of town."



And it was a memorable, unifying force in the community. As late as the 1950s directions were still given that cited the location of store, such as "just up the street from where Grumbine's used to be ..."



[…]



The west end of Westminster is rich with history and tradition. It was annexed by Westminster way back in 1825. At that time, that section was known as "Logsdon's Tavern" -- last of the original five towns that were ultimately consolidated into what we now know as Westminster.



Many who follow the happenings of Carroll County government may find it of interest that the Carroll County public information administrator, Vivian Laxton, is a descendent of the Logsdon family that helped form the foundation of what we now know as Westminster -- and whose roots pre-date before Carroll County was a county.



In 1825, what we know from history as Logsdon's Tavern was actually a part of Frederick County…



[…]



The 1924 Sentinel article gives us a great deal of additional insight into the history of this area of Westminster, and the fact that parts of town were then still considered their own enclaves:



"For quite a number of years before the Civil War," the article notes, "Westminster was divided into three distinct settlements known as Dead End, The Forks, and Irishtown."



To read the rest of the column go here: Years ago, folks celebrated sticking The Forks in Westminster

20080824 Sunday Carroll Eagle column for August 24 2008: “Years ago, folks celebrated The Forks in Westminster” by Kevin Dayhoff

Westminster File PA Ave

The diners at the Himalayan Kitchen on August 24 2008

The diners at the Himalayan Kitchen

Sunday, August 24, 2008 Kevin Dayhoff

On our recent trip to Salt Lake City in Utah, we jumped at the opportunity to go see the “Special Exhibition: Monet to Picasso from the Cleveland Museum of Art” at the “Utah Museum of Fine Arts.” Afterwards we stopped to eat at the “Himalayan Kitchen,” 73 East 400 South, in Salt Lake City, Utah; where we enjoyed seeing the very young boy eating Himalaya food...

20080824 The diners at the Himalayan Kitchen

20080807 “La Policía” © by Kevin Dayhoff

“La Policía”

August 7, 2008 © by Kevin Dayhoff

Picture caption: Carroll County Commissioners Dean Minnich, Julia Gouge, and Mike Zimmer on the barricades at the Carroll County Office Building, Westminster, Maryland by Delacroix and Kevin Dayhoff August 7th, 2008

Writer’s note: A shortened version of this appeared in the Sunday Carroll Eagle on August 17, 2008: “And now, for this week’s installment of ‘La Policia,’ in the Opinion section of the paper.
_____

Carroll County’s reputation for low crime and an aggressive approach to public safety is not a recent phenomenon.

Over 80 years ago on July 16, 1925, the editor of the American Sentinel newspaper in Westminster, Joseph D. Brooks wrote that many “years ago Carroll county was known to criminals all over the state as an ‘open door to the penitentiary,’ and many there were who entered by way of that door.”

However, as one can imagine when a community determines any public policy to be of paramount importance there are bound to be impassioned conflicts and dramas.

Writing for the Historical Society of Carroll County in 2001, Jay Graybeal noted in his introduction of the 1925 newspaper article, “Why the Listlessness of the Sheriffs of Carroll County?”; that it seems that Mr. Brooks had become unhappy with the Carroll County sheriff and state’s attorney and was letting them know that in no uncertain terms.

Carroll County history is replete with colorful conflicts, many of operatic proportions, between the Carroll County board of commissioners, the Carroll County delegation to Annapolis, the state’s attorney’s office, and the sheriff.

In the most recent act of this ongoing opera, on October 4, 2007 the Carroll County board of commissioners opted to move forward with a plan to form a county police department headed by an appointed chief of police.

Not willing to disappoint future historians, troubadours from far-flung regions of the Carroll County Empire then entered the stage and chaos ensued. I read several of the news accounts with the soundtrack of “Les Misérables” playing in the background.

The only disappointment is that Victor Hugo, the author of the classic 1862 novel, is not available to write about it.

Just as with any good storytelling, “La Policía” the current epic Carroll County constitutional conflict over the future of the police in Carroll County has many layers, story lines, strong personalities, and plot twists.

The frenzied operatic moments are reminiscent of what a collaboration between the famous 19th-century composer Richard Wagner and his father-in-law, Franz Liszt, would have looked like; with the emphasis of folks attempting to promote a plan for the future that cannot escape the past.

The very first act of La Policía is borrowed from Les Misérables. As the curtains rise, the scene before the bewildered citizen audience is the barricaded Carroll County office building.

It’s August 7, 2008 and the commissioners have just voted 2-1 to not move forward with the October 4, 2007 police plan.

As the smoke rises from the stage, there is a break in the action as members of the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department are storming the barricades.

Blinking red and blue police lights reflect back and forth in the fog of the smoke.

In the background, the delegation to Annapolis forms the chorus and is softly singing.

The three commissioners are standing on top of the barricades. Commissioners Mike Zimmer and Dean Minnich are on either side of Julia Gouge, holding her steady as she waves an oversized Carroll County flag.

Office building employees have broken out the windows and are showering the storming sheriff’s deputies with office furniture.

The stage is littered with burning newspapers as the local media has shelled all the participants with folded newspapers shot from makeshift artillery.

Off to the side, Channel 13 news reporter Mike Schuh is attempting to interview Westminster Police Chief Jeff Spaulding. The only thing is - the chief has the 1971 Led Zeppelin classic, “The Battle of Evermore,” coincidentally, the title of the first act of La Policía, cranked-up so loud on the car stereo, no one can hear a thing.

Inside the office building the receptionist, Kay Church, is serving cookies, answering the phones and has armed herself with a salad shooter and big bag of carrots.

Ted Zaleski, the director of management and budget is huddled off to the side with Vivian Laxton, the public information administrator as they try and figure out who is playing what character from Les Misérables.

All of the sudden there is silence on the stage as famed local historian; Jay Graybeal emerges from the fog as a narrator, smiles and begins to softly tell the story of the history of the sheriff’s department.

“When Carroll County was founded in 1837, one of the first tasks…” of the newly formed government was to elect a sheriff. As with many aspects of early American government, its origins date back to the history of mother England.

According to some undocumented notes, “1200 years ago, England was inhabited by Anglo-Saxons. Groups of a hundred would ban together and form communities known as a “tun,” from where we get the word, “town.”

Every group of a hundred, or “tun,” as led by a “reeve,” which was the forerunner of what we now know as a chief of police.

According to Mr. Brooks, the reeve was “charged with the execution of the laws … and the preservation of the peace, and, in some cases having judicial powers. He was the King’s reeve, or steward over a shire … — a distinctive royal officer, appointed by the king, dismissible at a moment’s notice…”

Groups of “tuns” banned together to form a larger form of government known as a ‘Shire’” – what we now know as a county; and my old notes reflect that in order to distinguish the leader of a “Shire,” from a leader of a tun, the more powerful official became known as a “Shire-Reeve.”

Which is where we get the modern word “sheriff.”

####

20080807 “La Policía” © by Kevin Dayhoff

This week in The Tentacle

20080820 This week in The Tentacle

Wednesday, August 20, 2008
A Civil Affair at Saddleback
Kevin E. Dayhoff
Last Saturday I took a two-hour break from total Olympics immersion therapy to watch Pastor Rick Warren's Saddleback Civil Forum on the presidency.

Emergency Room Retrofit
Tom McLaughlin
Throughout the past few years, there has been a blasting of the Canadian healthcare system. Many conservatives point to the “awful” conditions up north as an example of what can happen if the government gets involved.

From the desk of The Publisher!
John W. Ashbury

In yesterday’s column by Roy Meachum, the last name of the president of France was misspelled. It should be Sarkozy. The Tentacle regrets the error.


Tuesday, August 19, 2008
No Sabers to Rattle
Roy Meachum
A chance encounter. While Pushkin and I were taking a downtown stroll, an impossibly young captain out of the Point four years and returned recently from the Middle East. His USMA graduate-father along and a pretty wife; she wanted to talk to the pleased English pointer. She and Pushki retreated just beyond the conversational range.

Passing on Pollsters
Norman M. Covert
My son assures me that I should feel no guilt in hanging up on telemarketers. It is not alright, he says, to listen to pre-recorded messages about my car’s warranty, or Part D Medicare insurance and such. In that state of mind, I should have “passed” on a recent political phone call that probably verged on the sophomoric.


Monday, August 18, 2008
Summer Thoughts
Richard B. Weldon Jr.
I became a grandfather back in January. It's almost as great as everyone has ever said. I describe it this way: It's all of the love you had for your own children, without the crushing burden of responsibility!

Counting Students
Steven R. Berryman
The argument continues: Let’s count the children who are from families that are not paying into Frederick County Public Schools so that we can get our arms around the problem of looming budget deficits.


Friday, August 15, 2008
Evil Demagogue
Roy Meachum
The evil in John "Lennie" Thompson's soul became public when he prolonged a hearing past midnight; he knowingly kept children up who wanted to sleep. But their mothers desperately needed a school and a place to worship. But they were only Muslims and mostly foreign-born. They were, however, legal residents.


O’Malley Seeking Gold!
Katie Nash
Gov. Martin O’Malley should take a lesson from Baltimore super swimmer Michael Phelps. The governor is drowning and there is no life saver in sight.


Thursday, August 14, 2008
A Prime Rib Sandwich
Joan McIntyre
Do the terms Generation X or Y, or Baby Boomers mean a thing to you? Didn't mean much to me until I realized I could be the poster child for the thing they call The Sandwich Generation.

National Pride: Just Wonderful
Chris Cavey
Almost everyone who has laid finger to keyboard has written about the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; however, the story for me is viewing the quadrennial bubbling of national pride and knowing its juxtaposition with local heroes.


Wednesday, August 13, 2008
They shoot dogs, don’t they?
Kevin E. Dayhoff
In Prince Georges County on the evening of July 30, the home of the Berwyn Heights’ Mayor Cheye Calvo was the scene of a home invasion.


Beer Olympics
Tom McLaughlin
They’re back! After watching the March Past during the opening of the games in Peking (old spelling), I settled in to watch some of the sports. And wonders of wonders who did I see? Those two great representatives of American dirty old men, Misty May and Kerri Walsh. They were playing the great American sport – beach volleyball.


Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Media Furies
Roy Meachum
The Bruce Ivins tragedy starkly revealed the trashy shape of America's media. Print and electronic alike, they have become modern versions of Greek playwright Aeschylus's Eumenides; the Furies of ancient Rome, they resound still in the Yiddish phrase: Kein eine horah. "Not one listening" is a prayerful cautionary against the 40,000 beasties that always hover waiting to strike all those who earn praise.


Perception Often Worse Than Truth
Farrell Keough
Perceptions are a tricky thing. There are times in life when a person can feel so strongly about a situation they are willing to suffer the consequences of people believing they are either wrong or have some nefarious intent.


Monday, August 11, 2008
Hanging it up…
Richard B. Weldon Jr.
…a stethoscope, that is. On August 8, Dr. Wayne Allgaier snapped the closure on his leather medical kit for the last time. Last Friday, he hung the stethoscope up for the last time.


T. Boone & Slim Pickens
Steven R. Berryman
What does a famous Texas oil baron do to ensure some personal legacy at age 80? He becomes an alternative energy activist, and starts a web site with a link to his own MySpace page, of course!


They’re Not Just Athletes…
Derek Shackelford
Last Friday the 2008 Summer Olympics games opened in Beijing, China, where the government has come under scrutiny because of proclaimed human rights violations. The air quality – to some degree – has been deemed unhealthy. The government has been criticized for neglect of some of its citizens and the economic disparity is widely known. And its capital punishment policy has been questioned.

I'm American by Stuck Mojo

I'm American by Stuck Mojo

Posted on KevinDayhoffNet Soundtrack August 17, 2008

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pD-t6tcBji4




"I'm American" Lyrics:

I'm an American related to all colors of brethren, Priests and Pastors and Prophets and Reverends, Divided we fall united we stand together man, In this cultural melting pot there's nothing better than, This land of the free and the home of the brave, Populated by ancestors of immigrants and slaves who met early graves, So we could see brighter days and we could proudly praise and raise the stars and stripes as Americans

Hate me
Blame me
You can't shame me
Come and stand with me
I'm American

I'm an American born in these states united, Where racial discrimination keeps us so divided, Well we've got free speech so I won't be quiet, We got a lot of problems here man I won't deny it, But ain't another place that I'd rather be, Than in this land of great opportunity, Where we can be anything that we wanna be, So until the day I D-I-E, I stand tall as an American

*****

With "I'm American," the second video from the new album "Southern Born Killers," Stuck Mojo once again takes a stand for pride in country, self-respect and self-reliance. These themes have been a constant throughout the band's career. Following in the footsteps of the wildly successful video for "Open Season," Mojo once again takes a politically incorrect position by not being ashamed of the qualities that have made America great.

You may download the entire "Southern Born Killers" album, for free, at the band's web site StuckMojo . us.

20070629 I'm American by Stuck Mojo

I'm American by Stuck Mojo

Stratfor: The Russo-Georgian War and the Balance of Power

Stratfor: The Russo-Georgian War and the Balance of Power

http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/russo_georgian_war_and_balance_power

August 12, 2008 1508 GMT

By George Friedman

Related Special Topic Pages

Crisis in South Ossetia
U.S. Weakness and Russia’s Window of Opportunity
The Russian Resurgence
Kosovo, Russia and the West

The Russian invasion of Georgia has not changed the balance of power in Eurasia. It simply announced that the balance of power had already shifted.

The United States has been absorbed in its wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, as well as potential conflict with Iran and a destabilizing situation in Pakistan. It has no strategic ground forces in reserve and is in no position to intervene on the Russian periphery.

This, as we have argued, has opened a window of opportunity for the Russians to reassert their influence in the former Soviet sphere. Moscow did not have to concern itself with the potential response of the United States or Europe; hence, the invasion did not shift the balance of power.

The balance of power had already shifted, and it was up to the Russians when to make this public.

They did that Aug. 8.

Let’s begin simply by reviewing the last few days.

On the night of Thursday, Aug. 7, forces of the Republic of Georgia drove across the border of South Ossetia, a secessionist region of Georgia that has functioned as an independent entity since the fall of the Soviet Union. The forces drove on to the capital, Tskhinvali, which is close to the border. Georgian forces got bogged down while trying to take the city. In spite of heavy fighting, they never fully secured the city, nor the rest of South Ossetia.

On the morning of Aug. 8, Russian forces entered South Ossetia, using armored and motorized infantry forces along with air power. South Ossetia was informally aligned with Russia, and Russia acted to prevent the region’s absorption by Georgia. Given the speed with which the Russians responded — within hours of the Georgian attack — the Russians were expecting the Georgian attack and were themselves at their jumping-off points. The counterattack was carefully planned and competently executed, and over the next 48 hours, the Russians succeeded in defeating the main Georgian force and forcing a retreat. By Sunday, Aug. 10, the Russians had consolidated their position in South Ossetia.





(click image to enlarge)

On Monday, the Russians extended their offensive into Georgia proper, attacking on two axes. One was south from South Ossetia to the Georgian city of Gori. The other drive was from Abkhazia, another secessionist region of Georgia aligned with the Russians. This drive was designed to cut the road between the Georgian capital of Tbilisi and its ports. By this point, the Russians had bombed the military airfields at Marneuli and Vaziani and appeared to have disabled radars at the international airport in Tbilisi. These moves brought Russian forces to within 40 miles of the Georgian capital, while making outside reinforcement and resupply of Georgian forces extremely difficult should anyone wish to undertake it.

The Mystery Behind the Georgian Invasion

In this simple chronicle, there is something quite mysterious: Why did the Georgians choose to invade South Ossetia on Thursday night? There had been a great deal of shelling by the South Ossetians of Georgian villages for the previous three nights, but while possibly more intense than usual, artillery exchanges were routine. The Georgians might not have fought well, but they committed fairly substantial forces that must have taken at the very least several days to deploy and supply. Georgia’s move was deliberate.

The United States is Georgia’s closest ally. It maintained about 130 military advisers in Georgia, along with civilian advisers, contractors involved in all aspects of the Georgian government and people doing business in Georgia. It is inconceivable that the Americans were unaware of Georgia’s mobilization and intentions. It is also inconceivable that the Americans were unaware that the Russians had deployed substantial forces on the South Ossetian frontier. U.S. technical intelligence, from satellite imagery and signals intelligence to unmanned aerial vehicles, could not miss the fact that thousands of Russian troops were moving to forward positions. The Russians clearly knew the Georgians were ready to move. How could the United States not be aware of the Russians? Indeed, given the posture of Russian troops, how could intelligence analysts have missed the possibility that the Russians had laid a trap, hoping for a Georgian invasion to justify its own counterattack?

It is very difficult to imagine that the Georgians launched their attack against U.S. wishes. The Georgians rely on the United States, and they were in no position to defy it. This leaves two possibilities. The first is a massive breakdown in intelligence, in which the United States either was unaware of the existence of Russian forces, or knew of the Russian forces but — along with the Georgians — miscalculated Russia’s intentions. The second is that the United States, along with other countries, has viewed Russia through the prism of the 1990s, when the Russian military was in shambles and the Russian government was paralyzed. The United States has not seen Russia make a decisive military move beyond its borders since the Afghan war of the 1970s-1980s. The Russians had systematically avoided such moves for years. The United States had assumed that the Russians would not risk the consequences of an invasion.

If this was the case, then it points to the central reality of this situation: The Russians had changed dramatically, along with the balance of power in the region. They welcomed the opportunity to drive home the new reality, which was that they could invade Georgia and the United States and Europe could not respond. As for risk, they did not view the invasion as risky. Militarily, there was no counter. Economically, Russia is an energy exporter doing quite well — indeed, the Europeans need Russian energy even more than the Russians need to sell it to them. Politically, as we shall see, the Americans needed the Russians more than the Russians needed the Americans. Moscow’s calculus was that this was the moment to strike. The Russians had been building up to it for months, as we have discussed, and they struck.

The Western Encirclement of Russia

To understand Russian thinking, we need to look at two events. The first is the Orange Revolution in Ukraine. From the U.S. and European point of view, the Orange Revolution represented a triumph of democracy and Western influence. From the Russian point of view, as Moscow made clear, the Orange Revolution was a CIA-funded intrusion into the internal affairs of Ukraine, designed to draw Ukraine into NATO and add to the encirclement of Russia. U.S. Presidents George H.W. Bush and Bill Clinton had promised the Russians that NATO would not expand into the former Soviet Union empire.

That promise had already been broken in 1998 by NATO’s expansion to Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic — and again in the 2004 expansion, which absorbed not only the rest of the former Soviet satellites in what is now Central Europe, but also the three Baltic states, which had been components of the Soviet Union.

The Russians had tolerated all that, but the discussion of including Ukraine in NATO represented a fundamental threat to Russia’s national security. It would have rendered Russia indefensible and threatened to destabilize the Russian Federation itself. When the United States went so far as to suggest that Georgia be included as well, bringing NATO deeper into the Caucasus, the Russian conclusion — publicly stated — was that the United States in particular intended to encircle and break Russia.

The second and lesser event was the decision by Europe and the United States to back Kosovo’s separation from Serbia. The Russians were friendly with Serbia, but the deeper issue for Russia was this: The principle of Europe since World War II was that, to prevent conflict, national borders would not be changed. If that principle were violated in Kosovo, other border shifts — including demands by various regions for independence from Russia — might follow. The Russians publicly and privately asked that Kosovo not be given formal independence, but instead continue its informal autonomy, which was the same thing in practical terms. Russia’s requests were ignored.

From the Ukrainian experience, the Russians became convinced that the United States was engaged in a plan of strategic encirclement and strangulation of Russia. From the Kosovo experience, they concluded that the United States and Europe were not prepared to consider Russian wishes even in fairly minor affairs. That was the breaking point. If Russian desires could not be accommodated even in a minor matter like this, then clearly Russia and the West were in conflict. For the Russians, as we said, the question was how to respond. Having declined to respond in Kosovo, the Russians decided to respond where they had all the cards: in South Ossetia.

Moscow had two motives, the lesser of which was as a tit-for-tat over Kosovo. If Kosovo could be declared independent under Western sponsorship, then South Ossetia and Abkhazia, the two breakaway regions of Georgia, could be declared independent under Russian sponsorship. Any objections from the United States and Europe would simply confirm their hypocrisy. This was important for internal Russian political reasons, but the second motive was far more important.

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin once said that the fall of the Soviet Union was a geopolitical disaster. This didn’t mean that he wanted to retain the Soviet state; rather, it meant that the disintegration of the Soviet Union had created a situation in which Russian national security was threatened by Western interests. As an example, consider that during the Cold War, St. Petersburg was about 1,200 miles away from a NATO country. Today it is about 60 miles away from Estonia, a NATO member. The disintegration of the Soviet Union had left Russia surrounded by a group of countries hostile to Russian interests in various degrees and heavily influenced by the United States, Europe and, in some cases, China.

Resurrecting the Russian Sphere

Putin did not want to re-establish the Soviet Union, but he did want to re-establish the Russian sphere of influence in the former Soviet Union region. To accomplish that, he had to do two things. First, he had to re-establish the credibility of the Russian army as a fighting force, at least in the context of its region. Second, he had to establish that Western guarantees, including NATO membership, meant nothing in the face of Russian power. He did not want to confront NATO directly, but he did want to confront and defeat a power that was closely aligned with the United States, had U.S. support, aid and advisers and was widely seen as being under American protection. Georgia was the perfect choice.

By invading Georgia as Russia did (competently if not brilliantly), Putin re-established the credibility of the Russian army. But far more importantly, by doing this Putin revealed an open secret: While the United States is tied down in the Middle East, American guarantees have no value. This lesson is not for American consumption. It is something that, from the Russian point of view, the Ukrainians, the Balts and the Central Asians need to digest. Indeed, it is a lesson Putin wants to transmit to Poland and the Czech Republic as well. The United States wants to place ballistic missile defense installations in those countries, and the Russians want them to understand that allowing this to happen increases their risk, not their security.

The Russians knew the United States would denounce their attack. This actually plays into Russian hands. The more vocal senior leaders are, the greater the contrast with their inaction, and the Russians wanted to drive home the idea that American guarantees are empty talk.

The Russians also know something else that is of vital importance: For the United States, the Middle East is far more important than the Caucasus, and Iran is particularly important. The United States wants the Russians to participate in sanctions against Iran. Even more importantly, they do not want the Russians to sell weapons to Iran, particularly the highly effective S-300 air defense system. Georgia is a marginal issue to the United States; Iran is a central issue. The Russians are in a position to pose serious problems for the United States not only in Iran, but also with weapons sales to other countries, like Syria.

Therefore, the United States has a problem — it either must reorient its strategy away from the Middle East and toward the Caucasus, or it has to seriously limit its response to Georgia to avoid a Russian counter in Iran. Even if the United States had an appetite for another war in Georgia at this time, it would have to calculate the Russian response in Iran — and possibly in Afghanistan (even though Moscow’s interests there are currently aligned with those of Washington).

In other words, the Russians have backed the Americans into a corner. The Europeans, who for the most part lack expeditionary militaries and are dependent upon Russian energy exports, have even fewer options. If nothing else happens, the Russians will have demonstrated that they have resumed their role as a regional power. Russia is not a global power by any means, but a significant regional power with lots of nuclear weapons and an economy that isn’t all too shabby at the moment. It has also compelled every state on the Russian periphery to re-evaluate its position relative to Moscow. As for Georgia, the Russians appear ready to demand the resignation of President Mikhail Saakashvili. Militarily, that is their option. That is all they wanted to demonstrate, and they have demonstrated it.

The war in Georgia, therefore, is Russia’s public return to great power status. This is not something that just happened — it has been unfolding ever since Putin took power, and with growing intensity in the past five years. Part of it has to do with the increase of Russian power, but a great deal of it has to do with the fact that the Middle Eastern wars have left the United States off-balance and short on resources. As we have written, this conflict created a window of opportunity. The Russian goal is to use that window to assert a new reality throughout the region while the Americans are tied down elsewhere and dependent on the Russians. The war was far from a surprise; it has been building for months. But the geopolitical foundations of the war have been building since 1992. Russia has been an empire for centuries. The last 15 years or so were not the new reality, but simply an aberration that would be rectified. And now it is being rectified.

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20080812 Stratfor: The Russo Georgian War and the Balance of Power