CONK!
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Transportation Secretary, former mayor and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg was tapped by Joe Biden to serve in his cabinet not because he had tons of experience in the transportation sector, but he checked off the diversity, inclusion box. He is gay. Big deal, as his sexual activity is a major reason to hire anyone.
There are competent and incompetent people in every demographic—race, ethnicity, age, income, gender, sexual orientation, etc. I had colleagues at Ramapo College who were very competent teachers and some who were so-so and administrators and staff personnel who were great to work with and a handful who were not up to the job. Nontenured faculty would either shape up or would not be reappointed. For staffers who did not have tenure, they would not be reappointed if they underperformed in their jobs. The process usually works well to weed out the incompetent. In fact, twenty years ago the Ramapo College faculty gave the then president a vote of no confidence; he resigned soon thereafter. Even incompetent high level college administrators are weeded out.
Buttigieg’s reaction to the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio speaks for itself and there is no need to rehash the lack of urgency and lack of help for the residents from the federal Transportation department. Suffice it to say, Buttigieg is way over his head as Transportation Secretary. For this and his comments about “racist roads” and too many white construction workers I award the March Schmuck of the Month to America’s Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
The train derailment highlights another issue that the DC establishment does not want to discuss, namely, is it the responsibility of the federal government to provide disaster aid to communities because of a horrific accident, hurricane, flood, forest fire, etc.?
We all have heard the expression, “We are from the government and are here to help you.” This is the Big Lie. Government aid is a fool’s errand. We need nongovernment solutions to the issues facing the country.
Yesterday I participated in a webinar where prolific author, historian/economist Robert Wright revealed how nongovernment aid to deal with disasters—natural and manmade—are the best way to help residents of a community. The recorded webinar will be posted this weekend and I will link to it as soon as it is uploaded.
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It gives me great pleasure to announce this month’s Mensch award to former congressman, presidential candidate, and retired physician Ron Paul.
I first learned about Dr. Paul at a conference I attended in Maine more than forty years ago (summer 1981). One of the speakers was Murray Rothbard, with whom I was chatting in a lounge area during an evening presentation by an economist, and he mentioned there is a libertarian Republican congressman from Texas, Ron Paul. Murray told me Ron was a 100% libertarian and knowledgeable of the Austrian School of Economics. Two years later I first met him at a DC monetary conference and the following year he invited me to the nation’s capital with other newsletter writers, where we toured the Federal Reserve, the Treasury, and the SEC. In 1986 I invited Ron to speak at the 2-credit course (140 students) I hosted at Ramapo College. He gave an insightful overview of the State of the Union.
Ron Paul, the author of numerous books and the subject of many articles, was the conscience of the Nation as a congressman and presidential candidate, speaking truth to power. Still going strong at age 87 co-hosting the daily Liberty Report with Daniel McAdams, Ron is a testament to the power of ideas and is one of the most decent human beings I have met in my life.
For these and many more reasons, the March Mensch award goes to the heroic Ron Paul.
Murray Sabrin, PhD, is emeritus professor of finance, Ramapo College of New Jersey. Dr. Sabrin is considered a “public intellectual” for writing about the economy in scholarly and popular publications. His new book, The Finance of Health Care: Wellness and Innovative Approaches to Employee Medical Insurance (Business Expert Press, Oct. 24, 2022), and his other BEP publication, Navigating the Boom/Bust Cycle: An Entrepreneur’s Survival Guide (October 2021), provides decision makers with tools needed to help manage their businesses during the business cycle. Sabrin’s autobiography, From Immigrant to Public Intellectual: An American Story, was published in November, 2022.
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