Age Old Debates – Chapter 2: The Deficit

Craig Zuckerman — Mon, 23 May 2011 19:50:33 +0000

US Representative Jim Jordan, Republican from Ohio says, “Spend what you take in. That’s what every family has to do.” (Yes, that quote is correct.) But wait, how many families in this country have a mortgage on their home? (Don’t forget, part of the mortgage you pay actually to REDUCES the principle, a concept unheard of in Washington). How many have a loan on their car? Let’s not forget those magic pieces of plastic in your wallet. And don’t many families contribute to their retirement plans?

That’s the problem with Washington these days (OK, years, decades…). They just don’t get it. What we should be doing on a personal level as well as a national level is spending BELOW our means. Take the Pittsburgh Pirates for example. Our friends at Deadspin revealed the financial statements of the Pirates, perennial cellar dwellers, team of The Cobra, spending less then they brought in (mostly due to revenue sharing from the Yanks). Imagine that? Maybe the Pirates are not a winning team, but at least they are not in danger of defaulting on debt like the Dodgers and Mets.

Here’s the magic formula: Tax Revenue minus Spending equals Deficit (or Surplus). And here’s my idea: Put the Democrats in charge of reducing spending. Put the Republicans in charge of increasing revenue. Make it a contest to see who can arrive at a bigger number.

Dick Cheney once said, “Reagan proved deficits don’t matter.” How can you argue with such logic?

Age Old Debates – Chapter 1: The DH

Craig Zuckerman — Mon, 16 May 2011 23:44:41 +0000

Watching Jorge Posada struggle to hit my weight (when I went off to college) I began pondering the age old (ok, actually since 1973) debate of whether or not there should be a Designated Hitter in baseball. The theory being that it is more exciting to watch a professional hitter bat rather than a pitcher attempt to hit. (However, Jorge may be letting the air out of this argument.) With the implementation of the DH Rule in the American League, older positional players who would normally have been put out to pasture when their fielding skills diminished, could extend their careers while keeping their accountants happy. But should some new blood have a chance? Clearly more strategy is involved in the National League, with the old double switch, the timing of pitching changes and the lost art of bunting, but who wants to see a pitcher take three straight strikes without even twitching at a pitch? And there is nothing worse than watching a pitcher get hurt while attempting to add to the offense. Just ask Chien-Ming Wang.

On the flip side, I think all Presidents could use a DH. While those who sit in the Oval Office think they can do everything (the obvious character flaw in politicians being oversized EGOs) who wouldn’t need a little help in running the country? Watching President Obama’s lack of business sense filter through the economy, it seems we would be better served if a professional businessperson came in and pinch hit. President George W. Bush needed a designated speaker so he would never have had to open his mouth in public and record an error. The DH concept could trickle down right into our homes. What parent wouldn’t want a professional nanny to come in and discipline their kids when mom and dad were too gassed to continue the inning? Wouldn’t most families love to have a designated kitchen cleaner for mop-up duties?

The first DH in baseball was Ron Bloomberg. My favorite was Edgar Martinez, who spent his entire career with the Seattle Mariners. As a baseball purist, I would dump the DH. But in today’s ADHD society, the average fan’s desire to see home runs, and the constant barrage of Top 10 highlights on every sports channel, it’s hard to see it going anywhere.

The Bench Jockeys » Age Old Debates

Age Old Debates – Chapter 2: The Deficit

Age Old Debates – Chapter 1: The DH