Mountain Views News          Saturday, August 20, 2011

11

LEFT TURN/RIGHT TURN

 Mountain Views News Saturday, August 20, 2011 

HOWARD Hays As I See It

ARE WE WITNESSING 
OUR FUTURE?

GREG Welborn


The next time I tell 
you someone from Texas 
should not be president, pay 
attention!” - Molly Ivins 

The major story from the 
straw poll in Ames, Iowa 
(where candidates paid $30 
apiece for votes, and voters 
got deep-fried-butter-on-
a-stick), was not so much 
who won, but who wasn’t 
running and showed up 
anyway. 

The winner, Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-MN), 
never disappoints: on August 16, Bachmann 
opened a rally in Spartanburg, S.C., by inviting 
her audience to “all say happy birthday to Elvis 
Presley today!” An audience member helpfully 
shouted out, “He died today!” (August 16, 1977), 
but she continued on, explaining to reporters 
afterwards, “As far as we’re concerned, he’s still 
alive in our hearts.” 

Later, Bachmann ridiculed Warren Buffett 
before an audience of ordinary, working-class 
Americans for having suggested billionaires pay 
taxes at rates closer to what’s paid by ordinary, 
working-class Americans. 

The most memorable sound bite came from 
a non-runner, former Gov. Mitt Romney (R-
MA), as he answered a heckler by declaring, 
“Corporations are people, my friend.” 

Romney later explained that corporate money 
inevitably ends up with people. What he left out 
was that many of them are the upper 1% who 
control 40% of our nation’s wealth, more than the 
lower 90%. An estimated $6.3 trillion of it has 
been extracted from our economy and sits tax-
free in offshore accounts. 

Those people Romney refers to have bought 
the politicians responsible for tax laws, so not 
only production and employment is outsourced, 
but profits and tax liability are as well. In the 
first quarter of 2011, America’s top corporations 
were able to combine a 30% profit increase with 
a 30% tax decrease by outsourcing profits to 
low-tax countries, an option not available to 
many of those in attendance at the Ames, Iowa 
fairgrounds. 

Romney’s people are the Wall Street execs 
bailed out by American taxpayers in 2008 who 
rewarded themselves with a record-breaking 
$145 billion in compensation in 2009, upping it 
to $149 billion in 2010. Romney’s people are not 
the one in five American children now living in 
poverty. 

Romney’s people are private health insurance 
execs like former Cigna CEO Edward Hanway 
who got a retirement package worth over $110 
million in 2009, and former Aetna CEO Ron 
Williams who collected $72 million in 2010 - 
while arguing their customers needed to accept 
rate increases of up to 39%. 

Romney acquired much of his own reported 
$190 million to $250 million in wealth as founder 
and CEO of Bain Capital, which used investors’ 
money to buy companies, gut them, lay off 
workers and cash out the remains. 

Bloomberg News reported how Bain cut 1,600 
jobs from a medical firm in Deerfield, IL before 
cashing out after two years. An electronics 
manufacturer in Anaheim filed for bankruptcy 
after Bain hit it with a bill for $10 million in 
“management fees”. A Kansas City steel plant 
shut down after Bain took over, costing 700 
workers their jobs and countless retirees their life 
insurance and health benefits. (A former United 
Steelworkers rep at the plant says, “It makes me 
about half sick” to hear Romney campaign on 
“job creation”.) 

The other notable non-runner at the Iowa 
event was Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who spoke of a 
“Texas Miracle” and boasts of his own record of 
“job creation”. 

Texas does have an unemployment rate lower 
than the national average, but higher than its four 
neighbors (Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma and 
New Mexico). 

In ten years under Gov. Perry, Texas created 
more minimum-wage jobs than all other states 
combined, and now is number one with the 
highest percentage of workers at or below the 
minimum wage. 

Texas is number one in other areas: 

Number one in children and families without 
health insurance (one in four Texans lack 
coverage). 

Number one in the wage gap between rich and 
poor. 

Number one in release of toxic pollutants. 

Number one in number of workplace fatalities 
(and last in workers’ compensation coverage). 

Number one in number of things its governor 
says are unconstitutional. (I guessed on this one, 
but Gov. Perry has questioned the constitutional 
legitimacy of Social Security, bank regulation, 
consumer protection, federal education policy 
and national labor laws.)

At the other end of the spectrum, State Sen. 
Judith Zaffirini (D) of Laredo points out Texas 
ranks 48th in teen birth rates, 50th in prenatal 
care and 50th in the number of persons who 
receive a high school diploma by age 25. 

Molly Ivins commented on Perry’s commitment 
to education in a 2006 column; “ . . . he was trying 
to draw attention away from his spectacular 
failure on public schools by convincing Texans 
that gay marriage was a horrible threat to us 
all. Now he’s trying to disguise the fact that the 
schools are in free-fall by proposing that we teach 
creationism in biology classes.” 

Jim Hightower, whom Perry defeated for 
Agriculture Commissioner (Hightower maintains 
he was beaten not by Perry, but by Karl Rove), 
points out Texas ranks last in voter turnout - 
with 33% showing up for the last gubernatorial 
election, meaning Perry got the support of 18% 
of eligible Texans. 

Hightower notes that 204 corporate interests 
have given $100 million to Perry over the decade. 

One of the more disturbing areas of Texas 
supremacy is state-sanctioned killing. Molly Ivins 
addressed Rick Perry’s support for executing the 
mentally handicapped in a 2001 column: ‘

“We are Texas Proud. Such a brilliant decision 
- not only is Texas now globally recognized for 
barbaric cruelty, but a strong majority of Texans 
themselves (73 percent) would prefer not to off 
the retarded. Gov. Goodhair’s decision - in the 
face of popular opinion, the Supreme Court 
and George W. Bush’s recent conversion on this 
subject - is a testament to his strength of character. 
Or something.” 

It’s too bad Molly’s not around to comment on 
this current campaign, but even with over 400 
days to go it’s not too early to be following her 
advice and “pay attention!” 

As London cleans up and deals with the results 
of almost a week of rioting, the question must be 
asked of whether we are getting a glimpse into our 
own future. The elites in the media, universities 
and various think tanks will undoubtedly say, yes, 
and they are correct, but for the wrong reasons. 
The lens through which the chattering class views 
this is the left-liberal prism of income disparities 
and economic disenfranchisement which only 
naturally leads to civil unrest. This is, of course, 
circular logic since the left has fed this line so 
long that it has become self fulfilling. If you tell 
someone often enough that they are a victim, at 
some point they will start to believe it and may 
act accordingly.

Sure enough, there were more than a few rioters 
who were willing to be interviewed and proffer a 
rationalization for their acts. One “gentleman” – 
a term which has to be used very generously in 
this context – stated that “we’re fed up with being 
broke. There are people here with nothing”. 
Another young “lady” – same semantic caveat 
– stated that “we’re just showing the rich people 
that we can do what we want”. Both observations 
neglect to take into consideration facts.

It is very difficult for anyone with a scintilla of 
rational capabilities to use the word “nothing” to 
describe what the “poor” receive from the current 
English welfare state. A brief list would include 
a free college education worth approximately 
$80,000, subsidized housing and food, and a 
fair amount of luxuries like cell phones, flat-
screen TVs, refrigerators, and let’s not forget 
free medical care. The same will be true for 
their children, should they have any. Were 
these people in possession of an ounce of moral 
rectitude, the attitude they would assume would 
one of humility and gratitude, not entitlement 
and envy. 

The problem in England is not that the poor 
have been mistreated by the rich, but that they 
have been coddled and stripped of their self 
worth by the very government programs that 
were supposed to help them. They have lived on 
welfare benefits for so long that they have lost any 
understanding of the connection between effort 
and reward. Because they have been told for so 
long that they are victims and they have been 
given so much without any demand that they 
contribute to their own well-being, they’ve come 
to believe that the state – rather than their own 
effort – is the natural provider of all the essentials 
of life, and they then wonder why the rich are 
being given more than they are being given. 
They don’t think to question whether those 
who are richer than they are may have worked 
harder or been smarter than they are. They just 
assume that everyone’s livelihood is provided by 
the government out of thin air. Given such an 
attitude, it really is natural that someone would 
wonder why the rich were “given” more than they 
were. They would also think you quite strange 
for suggesting that the way to succeed is to work 
harder or smarter. Ask any number of the rioters 
in London whether they would lay down their 
sticks, stones and Molotov cocktails if offered a 
traditional job and a shot to advance, and you’re 
likely to hear a score 
of reasons why having 
to work regular hours 
is a form of abuse and 
having to comport to 
some employer’s rules 
is arbitrary and akin to 
oppression.

This is what the 
advanced welfare state does to people. It robs 
them of the desire to improve their own condition 
and of a sense of self worth from being able to do 
so. But it doesn’t stop here. The advanced welfare 
state, as seen in Britain ,also punishes those 
who try to break out of the dependency and 
hopelessness that the dole creates. Those who 
try to start a business are met with regulatory 
and tax hurdles that would choke any start up. 
Those who complain at the burden being put on 
the most productive, in the form of confiscatory 
taxes on their successful efforts, are accused and 
rebuked publicly for being selfish. 

Add to this culture, which rewards those who 
simply accept the handouts and punishes those 
who are productive, the fact that the police and 
courts are stacked toward leniency, rather than 
enforcement of the laws and protection of the law-
abiding, and you have the perfect storm. While 
acknowledging that a thousand purportedly have 
been arrested in connection with the London 
riots, the history of jurisprudence in this left-
liberal country suggests they will be met with 
lectures and slaps on the hand. None of this 
is new, by the way. All of this is part of a long 
practiced pattern which rewards lawlessness and 
punishes the law-abiding.

Whole neighborhoods are off-limits to those 
who live in them because young punks are 
allowed to roam with little police interference. 
Those who might be arrested, less than 5%, are, 
if convicted, given lenient sentences reflecting 
their victimhood status, an insult to those who 
were the actual victims of their crimes. Examples 
abound, but when a noted British columnist says 
with a straight face that the average sentence for 
murder is 30 months, and one third of crimes 
are committed by those already on probation, 
you know that this society is not serious about 
preventing crime.

British policies are only a step ahead of where 
we are heading. British excuses for outright 
lawlessness are only a step ahead of where we’re 
heading. We must learn to accept human nature 
as it is, not as we want it to be, and to reward 
good behavior while imposing meaningful 
punishment for bad behavior. London may yet 
serve as a valuable lesson of what our future 
holds if we don’t become serious about crime and 
honest about wat leads to success.

About the author: Gregory J. Welborn is a 
freelance writer and has spoken to several civic 
and religious organizations on cultural and moral 
issues. He lives in the Los Angeles area with his 
wife and 3 children and is active in the community. 
He can be reached at gregwelborn@earthlink.net.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR:

RE: HOW TO PAY A BILL

To Whom It May Concern,

I installed a solar system two years ago. The 
first year I my net bill was a negative $37.51 – I 
generated more power than I used. The law at that 
time provided an unbalanced situation – If I used 
more than I generated, I had to pay, if I generated 
more than I used, nobody paid me. Last year 
the law changed. My second year net bill was a 
negative $115.47 – I generated more power than 
I used. See the attached. Now the law provides 
a balanced situation, SCE owes me. However 
SCE reports that the PUC has not provided a 
mechanism for SCE to pay me. So I remain 
unpaid. 

I realize that this is a very complex problem 
requiring many staff hours of research, 
committee meetings, surveys, presentations, 
more committee meetings, position papers, 
consultation with experts, hearings, etc. After all, 
you are a government agency. There is nothing to 
encourage effectiveness and efficiency other than 
the voters removing you from office. 

Being a voting, taxpaying, citizen of this state, 
I thought I’d provide some hopefully useful and 
simple guidance. If you would reach in your 
wallet, take out a piece of paper money, you’ll note 
in the upper left area of the bill it reads “This note 
is legal tender for all debts, public and private.” 
That’s a very efficient, convenient, and legal 
mechanism to pay the debt owed me - $115.47. 
As the law requires, I accept cash. 

I sincerely hope I’ve provided the clarity, 
guidance, leadership, and inspiration necessary 
to solve this most complex of social problems – 
how to pay a bill. I know how excited government 
agencies get when us taxpayers don’t pay our 
bills. Please expect nothing less regarding my 
excitement regarding a government agency 
standing in the way of a company paying its debts. 

Sincerely, 

Richard M. Bertrand

Sierra Madre

BUSINESS TODAY

The latest on Business News, Trends and Techniques


“Positioning” is the Key to Effective Marketing

by La Quetta M. Shamblee, M.B.A.

Do you know anyone who would pay a higher 
price for the same item that they could buy 
for less? Of course you do, and the reason has 
everything to do with how products and services 
are “positioned” in the minds of customers. Let’s 
conduct a quick mental quiz to determine how 
you rank certain restaurants. With the options 
of discount/budget, mid-range or high-end, how 
would you rank California Pizza Kitchen, Denny’s, 
Spago’s (Chef Wolfgang Puck) or McDonald’s.

We can do the same thing with any category 
of product or service. Consider the brilliance of 
auto manufacturers like Toyota. They knew that 
no one in their right minds was going to pay the 
same amount for anything with the Toyota brand 
name when they decided to enter the high-end 
luxury market in the United States. Their strategy 
was simple – it’s called Lexus. It’s the same 
approach that Honda used when they introduced 
their luxury line called Infinity.

Positioning a brand has nothing to do with 
where the products are placed on a shelf in the 
store, rather, it has everything to do with “where” 
and “how” the brand is positioned in the minds 
of your (potential) customers. Businesses that 
understand and apply this strategy excel in 
attracting new customers who can be groomed 
into loyal customers over time.

Arm & Hammer Baking Soda is another 
example. There was a time when the name of the 
product represented why most customers bought 
it – for baking in the kitchen. As people discovered 
that it was great for removing corrosion from car 
batteries and other applications that have nothing 
to do with the kitchen, the company finally seized 
upon the opportunity with a campaign to promote 
and capitalize on other uses. The campaign 
included television commercials and print ads in 
magazines that showed how the product could be 
used to help remove odors from the refrigerator, 
as well as tennis shoes. Through it all, the familiar 
packaging remained the same. They simply 
focused on “positioning” their product in the 
minds of the public (their customers) for more 
and more uses.

One of the most useful resources to help you 
learn the basics of this strategy is a book by 
authors, Al Ries and Jack Trout, Positioning: 
The Battle for Your Mind. Originally published 
in 1981, this award-winning book is considered 
one of the classics on the subject and has been 
revised to incorporate contemporary examples 
and applications for today’s marketing needs.

Due to the high demand for her tutoring and education services, bookstore 
owner, Sally Morrison, is opening a new learning center here in Sierra Madre. 
Mindspring Education Center will cater to students (children and adults) 
interested in furthering their reading, writing, math, spelling, and 
comprehension skills. In addition, Sally offers assistance in study skills, 
homework, and test preparation. She also specializes in helping students 
with dyslexia and other learning difficulties. Those interested in summer 
sessions should contact Mindspring soon because space is limited.
As a result of this business expansion, Sally Morrison and Jeffrey Ingwalson, 
owners of Sierra Madre Books, will be closing the bookstore in June 2011. 
“We appreciate all the support we’ve received from our customers over the 
past few years, but are excited about our new venture. We look forward to 
continuing to be part of this community.”
For questions about Mindspring Education Center, please call (626) 355-1972.
For questions about Sierra Madre Books, please call (626) 836-3200.
Announcing:
The Opening of...
Mindspring Education CenterOne-to-One Instruction for All Ages37 Auburn Ave., Suite 7ASierra Madre, CA 91024(626) 355-1972www.mindspringEDC.com