“Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country” we have come a long way baby from a time when a statement like this would resonate with Americans. Now it’s ask not what you can do for your country but what your country can do for you. I think John Kennedy would be shocked at what has happened to his party and to America. On Wednesday night there was an open meeting for the Rio Nuevo project. They wanted input on the proposed new hotel that would be funded and owned by the city of Tucson. A friend of mine attended the meeting and told me that there were many service union workers there with signs that said JOBS. Now jobs are something all of us can get behind. The rallying cry for the Arizona Small Business Association is jobs. ASBA is focused on advocating for small business so that they can get through the red tape of government so that they can create jobs. It is far better for the private sector to create jobs than it is for the government. Not to mention that after the taxpayers pour hundreds of millions of dollars into building this new hotel they will have to fund the shortfalls. A similar project was built in Chicago and had a 5.7 million dollar shortfall this past year. My friend talked to one of the union members after the meeting and asked him if it bothered him that the money for this project is coming from the tax payers. He smiled and said “I don’t pay much taxes!” It reminds me of this statement that is oft quoted today:
A democracy cannot exist as a permanent form of government. It can
only exist until the voters discover they can vote themselves largesse
from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always
votes for the candidates promising the most benefits from the public
treasury, with the result that a democracy always collapses over loose
fiscal policy, and is always followed by a dictatorship
This has been attributed to Alex DeToqueville, but it may have been originally made by a Scotsman named Alexander Tytler. No matter, I think that it is a true statement and worthy of our attention today. It would be a good idea to have 1000 rooms downtown and a revived convention center if it makes financial sense. The smartest thing the city could do is offer incentives for a developer to do it and then get out of the way. But, that could be difficult since that actually makes sense.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
4 C's
We had Rod Pace the CEO of Rosemont Copper on KVOI this morning. Rod does not hype the project; he just gives the facts and acknowledges that there are people that oppose the mine. I really did not have a strong opinion about Rosemont Copper until recently. What convinced me to support the mine are three things:
1. Jobs – Rosemont Copper will employ hundreds of people from Southern Arizona. Mine jobs pay an average of $60,000 per year. Instead of focusing on raising the minimum wage, why not attract jobs that actually pay a good wage?
2. Copper – We need copper and the other metals that will come out of Rosemont. A hybrid car has about 100 pounds of copper under the hood. And green technology (solar panels, wind turbines etc.) use a lot of copper.
3. U.S. made – The technology and the regulation of the mining industry are much better in America than it is in Africa or South America. Those that are concerned about the environment and safety shouldn’t limit their concern to their own back yard. Do you remember when we discovered that clothing was being manufactured in sweat shops overseas with child labor? I think it is better to mine in the U.S.A where we can control it than closing our eyes to mining in third world countries.
Arizona used to be known for the 4 C’s; copper, cattle, cotton and climate. 60% of the copper mined in the U.S comes from Arizona. This is both a blessing and a curse. When you see the ugly open pit mines in Green Valley and Bisbee you assume that Rosemont will be another eye sore. The new technology will allow a much smaller footprint and the restoration of vegetation on the landscape and environment. In 4 years you won’t be able to distinguish the mine from the surrounding area. Just like our insatiable appetite for illegal drugs fuels the crime below our border and the trespassing of our border, our importing of copper fuels overseas operations that are unsafe and environmentally unsound. Hundreds of high paying jobs, millions of dollars spent locally and millions more in tax revenue, a safe and environmentally sound operation that will supply 10% of the copper for America. What’s not to like?
1. Jobs – Rosemont Copper will employ hundreds of people from Southern Arizona. Mine jobs pay an average of $60,000 per year. Instead of focusing on raising the minimum wage, why not attract jobs that actually pay a good wage?
2. Copper – We need copper and the other metals that will come out of Rosemont. A hybrid car has about 100 pounds of copper under the hood. And green technology (solar panels, wind turbines etc.) use a lot of copper.
3. U.S. made – The technology and the regulation of the mining industry are much better in America than it is in Africa or South America. Those that are concerned about the environment and safety shouldn’t limit their concern to their own back yard. Do you remember when we discovered that clothing was being manufactured in sweat shops overseas with child labor? I think it is better to mine in the U.S.A where we can control it than closing our eyes to mining in third world countries.
Arizona used to be known for the 4 C’s; copper, cattle, cotton and climate. 60% of the copper mined in the U.S comes from Arizona. This is both a blessing and a curse. When you see the ugly open pit mines in Green Valley and Bisbee you assume that Rosemont will be another eye sore. The new technology will allow a much smaller footprint and the restoration of vegetation on the landscape and environment. In 4 years you won’t be able to distinguish the mine from the surrounding area. Just like our insatiable appetite for illegal drugs fuels the crime below our border and the trespassing of our border, our importing of copper fuels overseas operations that are unsafe and environmentally unsound. Hundreds of high paying jobs, millions of dollars spent locally and millions more in tax revenue, a safe and environmentally sound operation that will supply 10% of the copper for America. What’s not to like?
Monday, June 7, 2010
Oh say can you see?
Some of you may remember the Christian Rock band Degarmo and Key (D and K). Yesterday Dana Key passed away at 56 years old when a blood clot burst. Since I am 55 this hits close to home. We can be making our plans and plotting our future and in a heart beat our life on earth is over. We know he is now in heaven with no pain or suffering and enjoying the presence of our Lord. But, when someone passes over those of us that remain mourn. Jesus said “blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted,” so the mourning process is a good thing.
Degarmo and Key were pioneering Christian musicians. In the early eighties Christian music was not nearly as popular as it is today and secular media shunned Christian music and Christian artists. I remember trying to buy commercials on mainstream (secular) stations for our church and being told that there was a separation of church and state and that they couldn’t run them. Now we are used to hearing and seeing church commercials on main stream media. Degarmo and Key led the way with a music video that was played on MTV for their song “666”. This was revolutionary to have a Christian band on MTV. Within a short period of time the video was banned by MTV as too controversial. This is the same MTV that has broken all barriers for sex and violent content, but a Christian video was too hot to handle. D and K were great musicians but more than that they were unwavering in their faith. Songs like “Destined to Win” and “Casual Christian” were intended to get folks out of the pews and the comfort of the church to proclaim the faith to those around us. I was involved in bringing the first Christian music night to the New Mexico State Fair back in 1981. We had Degarmo and Key that September evening and over 5,000 people attended the concert. We wanted D and K because we knew they would represent the best in Christian music and they did not disappoint us. Their musical presentation was unmatched but the part I remember the most was when Dana Key shared the Gospel. He talked about how Christ changed his life and that Jesus died for sinners to set us free. This message is timeless but particularly important because none of us know when we will run out of time. They continued to put out great Christian music through the nineties and to produce other Christian artists. Dana was the head of Ardent records and was the great, great, great, great, great grandson of Francis Scott Key the author of the Star Spangled Banner. It is interesting to note that his ancestor through his music memorialized our struggle for freedom in America; Dana continued the tradition by musically music sharing the freedom that is found through Jesus Christ.
Degarmo and Key were pioneering Christian musicians. In the early eighties Christian music was not nearly as popular as it is today and secular media shunned Christian music and Christian artists. I remember trying to buy commercials on mainstream (secular) stations for our church and being told that there was a separation of church and state and that they couldn’t run them. Now we are used to hearing and seeing church commercials on main stream media. Degarmo and Key led the way with a music video that was played on MTV for their song “666”. This was revolutionary to have a Christian band on MTV. Within a short period of time the video was banned by MTV as too controversial. This is the same MTV that has broken all barriers for sex and violent content, but a Christian video was too hot to handle. D and K were great musicians but more than that they were unwavering in their faith. Songs like “Destined to Win” and “Casual Christian” were intended to get folks out of the pews and the comfort of the church to proclaim the faith to those around us. I was involved in bringing the first Christian music night to the New Mexico State Fair back in 1981. We had Degarmo and Key that September evening and over 5,000 people attended the concert. We wanted D and K because we knew they would represent the best in Christian music and they did not disappoint us. Their musical presentation was unmatched but the part I remember the most was when Dana Key shared the Gospel. He talked about how Christ changed his life and that Jesus died for sinners to set us free. This message is timeless but particularly important because none of us know when we will run out of time. They continued to put out great Christian music through the nineties and to produce other Christian artists. Dana was the head of Ardent records and was the great, great, great, great, great grandson of Francis Scott Key the author of the Star Spangled Banner. It is interesting to note that his ancestor through his music memorialized our struggle for freedom in America; Dana continued the tradition by musically music sharing the freedom that is found through Jesus Christ.
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