2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: #264 “BEST WISHES DR. JO!”

​​​            Well, my life became much less complicated this past weekend because I did not receive the nomination of the Libertarian Party for President.  Instead the nomination went to Dr. Jo Jorgensen, who is an instructor at Clemson University.  My great team was sensational, and I believe my running mate, Larry Sharpe of New York, and I successfully got our message out.  But that was not what the delegates wanted.  Of course we believe they made a mistake, but they had every right to make it.  (You can make up your own minds using this link for the video clip of my nominators’ and my presentations to the delegates in the virtual national convention: https://vimeo.com/421983993.)  But now Onward: please join me in congratulating and supporting Dr. Jo as she carries the banner of Liberty forward – for all of us!

           

            Among other things, for me “onward” means that we all should focus this Memorial Day weekend upon the fact that it is our government, and if it isn’t working we have no one to blame but ourselves.  So in that spirit, here are the lyrics of the song You Are The We.  This is the encore to my new musical Convention: the Birth of America.  The song is first sung by George Washington and our moderator Benjamin Franklin and then, increasingly, the entire cast.  What do you think?  I wish you a Happy and Thoughtful Memorial Day Weekend!

           

            They say you like to call us Founding Fathers,

            Our portraits are still in your history books.

            To that we’d like to say we’re deeply honored,

            And glad to see the artists captured our good looks.

            But if we’re your Fathers, you’re our sons and daughters,

            With some greats and grands appended that’s for sure.

            And though we never met you, we knew you’d be coming along some day,

            So we wrote this Constitution to keep you safe and strong the American Way:

           

            Keep it alive, see that it thrives, and pass it along again.

            But open your eyes, you have to be wise,

You have to be strong and then:

            Teach your children well, maybe even tell them

Of our Founding Fathers, how their sons and daughters

Carried it through a hundred or two perilous years to hand it to you:

For now you . . . you are the People

It’s you . . . you are the We.

It’s yours, your Constitution,

It belongs to you and me.

Yes you . . . you are the People,

It’s you . . . you are the We.

It’s yours, your Constitution,

For this Land of the Free.

Carry it forward, carry it on.

Protect and defend it, in keeping it strong.

And when there is weakness, amend if you must,

But harbor no meekness defending this Trust.

For you . . . you are the People,

It’s you . . . you are the We.

It’s yours, your Constitution

For this Land of the . . . Free!

                                  

Quote of the week: “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.”                                                               St. Augustine

Judge Jim Gray (Ret.)

2012 Libertarian candidate for Vice President, along with

Governor Gary Johnson as the candidate for President

Please listen to our weekly radio show entitled “All Rise! The Libertarian Way with Judge Jim Gray” as we discuss timely issues, and show how they will be addressed more beneficially by employing Libertarian values and approaches.  You can hear it every Friday morning at 7 Pacific/10 Eastern by going to www.VoiceAmerica.com, clicking on the Variety Channel and then upon the word “live.”  You can also hear all past shows on demand as well.  And, by the way, these 2 Paragraph columns are now on my website at www.JudgeJImGray.com, Facebook and LinkedIn at judgejimgray, Twitter at judgejamesgray, and wordpress at judgejimgray.wordpress.com.  Please visit these sites for past editions, and do your part to spread the word about the importance of Liberty.  In addition, my new book entitled “2 Paragraphs 4 Liberty: Solutions that are Practical, Effective, Responsible, Libertarian, is now available at Amazon.com.   Please read and discuss it with your friends, and send in a review.

2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: #263 "A PLAN TO WIN"

 As you know, I am currently seeking the nomination of the Libertarian Party for President of the United States.  Yes, I know, no third-party candidate has any chance to win the presidency.  But, actually, we do.  First of all, there is no question that we will not have the tens of millions of dollars and the media attention to compete in large states like California and New York, which will go to Vice President Biden (or whomever the Democrats nominate), or in Texas, which will go to President Trump.  Instead, we will spend our resources, time and energy in five small and independent states, as yet to be determined.  Then we will engage the local media and speak directly with the voters, looking them in the eye and telling them that their votes will make history.  Imagine if we win two or three small states – which could be done by receiving 38 to 40 percent of the vote!  In addition, it would almost certainly become newsworthy for the entire country if the Libertarian candidates were beginning to poll stronger in these smaller states.  So the national media would begin to explain why that was happening, which gain attention and would also likely result in increased votes for the libertarian down-ballot candidates in other states as well.

So what would happen if we won two or three small states?  That could likely result in neither Trump nor Biden winning enough delegates to get a majority in the Electoral College and this, in turn, would place the outcome of the vote with the House of Representatives (as covered by the 12th Amendment).  So if the election were to go to the House, it is virtually guaranteed that no Republican would vote for Biden, and no Democrat would vote for Trump. But the list would be restricted to the top three finishers in the election, which would very likely mean the Libertarian would win.  (In case you are interested, the Vice President would be selected by the Senate choosing between the top two finishers.)  In my view, this is exciting.  But even if we only won one state, this would be a revolution for the Libertarian Party, and that alone would help our down-ballot Libertarian candidates for years to come.  So life is certainly interesting, and I am excited to report to you about the possibilities.  Our nominating convention will take place (remotely) over the next weekend, so I will update you again next week.  So please stay tuned!

Song title of the week: “If I’d have shot you when I wanted to, I would be out by now.”

Judge Jim Gray (Ret.)

2012 Libertarian candidate for Vice President, along with

Governor Gary Johnson as the candidate for President

Please listen to our weekly radio show entitled “All Rise! The Libertarian Way with Judge Jim Gray” as we discuss timely issues, and show how they will be addressed more beneficially by employing Libertarian values and approaches.  You can hear it every Friday morning at 7 Pacific/10 Eastern by going to www.VoiceAmerica.com, clicking on the Variety Channel and then upon the word “live.”  You can also hear all past shows on demand as well.  And, by the way, these 2 Paragraph columns are now on my website at www.JudgeJImGray.com, Facebook and LinkedIn at judgejimgray, Twitter at judgejamesgray, and wordpress at judgejimgray.wordpress.com  Please visit these sites for past editions, and do your part to spread the word about the importance of Liberty.  In addition, my new book entitled “2 Paragraphs 4 Liberty: Solutions that are Practical, Effective, Responsible, Libertarian, is now available at Amazon.com.   Please read and discuss it with your friends, and send in a review.

2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY #262 "TURN A CRUTCH INTO A LADDER"

 What if we could implement a system that would vastly reduce the intrusions, expense, bureaucracy and fraud now present with the IRS?  And what if at the same time we could pre-empt and abolish the welfare system except for those people with truly special needs?  What if we could provide incentives for everyone to earn the extra dollar and to improve themselves, which are demonstrably lacking in today’s system?  What if we could at the same time implement an institutional program to assist the homeless? Would you be interested?  In other words, what if we could vastly simplify the tax system and also change the welfare system from a Crutch to a Ladder?   Please review this proposal, because I believe it will accomplish these goals, thus making so many things better for virtually everyone (except for government bureaucrats and companies like H & R Block!)  As you will see, it combines a graduated flat tax with Milton Friedman’s proposal of a Safety Net.  So, with these figures used only for illustration, no one will pay any income taxes on their first $30,000 of income (which will be defined as net revenues from virtually any source, including wages, capital gains, interest, etc.)  Then they will pay a flat fee of 10 cents for every dollar earned between $30,000 and $100,000, 15 cents for every dollar between $100,001 and $500,000 and 20 cents for every dollar over $500,000.  No deductions, so the government won’t have any reason to pry into your private life to see how you spend your money!  But what about people who earn no income?  Well, regardless of whether they just lost their jobs to a robot, want to go back to school or are just plain lazy, if they are either citizens or hold a valid Green Card and are over 18 years old they will receive a stipend from the federal government for $15,000 per year, probably broken down into monthly payments of $1,250.  And, importantly enough, they would lose 50 cents of that stipend for every dollar they earned up to $30,000 – so they would always have an incentive to earn the extra dollar!  (Thus, as you can see, $30,000 is the cut-off point where people would pay no taxes but receive no stipend.)  Of course this incentive to earn the extra dollar is almost entirely lacking in today’s system, which often provides more incentives not to work than to be productive!  (BTW Milton Friedman called his system a “negative income tax,” but I don’t like the word negative so I call it a stipend.)  In addition, importantly enough, all other welfare programs would be abolished, except those for people with truly special needs.  Think of the benefits!  People’s tax returns could be submitted on a postcard, and the savings from not having to keep records and prepare taxes would be staggering.  And if the government tried to increase our taxes or – imagine this – reduce our taxes, it would be transparent!  Furthermore, imagine the effect of getting rid of all of the bureaucracy, administration expenses, government intrusions and fraud both regarding the IRS and the welfare agencies!  And a ladder would be extended where necessary to help people like single parents, veterans, people just released from prison and those going back to school to avoid or to climb up out of poverty.

                But what about the homeless?  To begin with, I want to make it clear that if I were bleeding on the street, no one would have a legal obligation to help me unless they caused my injuries.  But I believe that we will because we want to – we are compassionate people.  That would also mean the recipients would not be entitled to receive anything, so maybe they might even be grateful!  But if homeless people were receiving $1,250 every month automatically in their ATM accounts, the private sector would quickly create some fairly inexpensive room and board facilities where people could have a roof over their heads and three meals per day for about $1,100 per month, which would still leave the recipients some money to purchase clothing and other personal items.  In today’s world, politicians mostly on occasion throw lots of money at the homeless problems, like temporarily opening some shelters and soup kitchens or paying for the homeless to stay in various motel rooms for a while, etc.  But these “fixes” don’t last.  And, even worse, most of these governmental actions actually increase homelessness, because if people can receive free beds, televisions and meals at a motel, why should they go back to work?  But Friedman’s institutional response would last because it contains incentives for everyone to become more productive. 

I was in the Peace Corps – I care about people – and I believe that homelessness is a blight upon who we are as a country.  Of course, many of the homeless people have additional problems, such as mental disabilities, drug addiction and more.  But if people need a conservatorship or drug treatment, the local governments can and should address those problems.  So this is a program I am advocating out on the Libertarian Campaign Trail.  What do you think?  If you have suggestions or criticisms, please let me know.  But if you like the proposal, please help me by spreading the word.

Quote for the week: “If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, then what is an empty desk a sign of?  Albert Einstein

Judge Jim Gray (Ret.)

2012 Libertarian candidate for Vice President, along with

Governor Gary Johnson as the candidate for President

Please listen to our weekly radio show entitled “All Rise! The Libertarian Way with Judge Jim Gray” as we discuss timely issues, and show how they will be addressed more beneficially by employing Libertarian values and approaches.  You can hear it every Friday morning at 7 Pacific/10 Eastern by going to www.VoiceAmerica.com, clicking on the Variety Channel and then upon the word “live.”  You can also hear past shows on demand as well.  And, by the way, these 2 Paragraph columns are now on my website at www.JudgeJImGray.com, Facebook and LinkedIn at judgejimgray, Twitter at judgejamesgray, and wordpress at judgejimgray.wordpress.com  Please visit these sites for past editions, and do your part to spread the word about the importance of Liberty.  In addition, my new book entitled “2 Paragraphs 4 Liberty: Solutions that are Practical, Effective, Responsible, Libertarian, is now available at Amazon.com.   Please read and discuss it with friends, and send in a review.

2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY #261: "GOVERNMENTS CAN'T CENTRALLY PLAN!"

  One of the most cogent Op-Ed pieces I have ever read was published by Texas Tech University Economics Professor Benjamin Powell in the May 3, 2020 edition of the Orange County Register.  The article discusses the realities of the attempts by governments to be central planners and to decide when and how to “re-open” our economy.  I strongly recommend that you find and read it, but in the meantime I will get you started by quoting liberally from it. 

“(G)overnment officials can’t know how to plan that reopening for precisely the same reasons that they can’t know how to plan an economy that’s already open. 

“Centrally planned economies have a 100-year history of stagnation, inefficiency, and shortages of basic consumer goods.  It didn’t take a global health crisis to empty the shelves in Cuban or Venezuelan grocery stores.  Mistakes made by central planners, who hold monopoly power over economic decisions, did that all on their own.

“The future is necessarily uncertain.  So, anyone forecasting supply and demand for a given product is bound to make mistakes.  But market economies decentralize decision-making.  The mistakes of some entrepreneurs are usually made up for by the correct actions of others, while profit-and-loss signals guide mistaken entrepreneurs to adjust their behavior.

“Unfortunately, the health care sector is one of the most regulated sectors of the U.S. economy.  Government planners limit the ability of entrepreneurs to discover better ways of providing health care – with predictable dismal results.”

                Professor Powell goes on to say that the Centers for Disease Control and the Food and Drug Administration first used their monopoly powers to obstruct private efforts to produce testing, vaccines and bringing new products to market by prohibiting doctors, patients and entrepreneurial companies from exercising their “right to try.”  And, yes, finally some progress was made when the CDC provided special “fast-track” approvals to the private sector, but the need for those special approvals simply highlights the problems in central planning.  The better way was and always will be to employ a system where individuals and entrepreneurs are free to choose how to interact with other businesses and their customers and employees.  No one wants to get sick, so employees and customers will be much less likely to work for or frequent businesses where the health risks are too high.  But the best solutions will not be the same everywhere because one size clearly does not fit all!  Instead the solutions come from the Invisible Hand of the pricing system, economic incentives to make the right decisions and everyone’s desire to be and remain healthy.  Thus no government planner can know better than the private sector can regarding how to re-open and maintain the economy. 

My own observations are that politicians naturally respond to problems by protecting themselves politically.  So virtually every governor and mayor said things like “I’m going to do everything in my power to keep you healthy.”  Why did they do that?  Because if you stay healthy: “See, it worked – I am a hero!”  And if you did get sick: “Well, you can’t blame me because I did everything I could!”  Of course this pandemic brought us serious health issues and of course no one wants to get sick.  But government central planners have in the past brought global starvation to millions of people.  In addition, the arbitrary closing of hundreds of thousands of “non-essential” businesses and putting literally tens of millions of people out of work also caused damages: think suicides, depression and even domestic violence, in addition to the enormous economic losses!  Politicians with political courage, such as Libertarians, would have left the operations of businesses up to the business owners and their employees and customers.  For example, let stores advertise that they have an effective air filtration system, require masks for and take the temperature of all who enter, practice social distancing, and only allow so many people into their stores at any one time, etc.  Then their customers can decide whether or not to do business at that location.  Churches can choose to provide spacing and other protections for people’s health fully as well as big box stores and other “essential” businesses!  Let their worshipers decide. Crises are often used to erode our freedoms and liberties, but those freedoms and liberties are the soul of our country!  We are right to protest.  We are right to defy.  We don’t have monarchs in our country, and there are many decisions that still must only be decided by “We the People!”   

Quote for the week: “There can be no rainbows without sunshine – and rain.”

Judge Jim Gray (Ret.)

2012 Libertarian candidate for Vice President, along with

Governor Gary Johnson as the candidate for President

Please listen to our weekly radio show entitled “All Rise! The Libertarian Way with Judge Jim Gray” as we discuss timely issues, and show how they will be addressed more beneficially by employing Libertarian values and approaches.  You can hear it every Friday morning at 7 Pacific/10 Eastern by going to www.VoiceAmerica.com, clicking on the Variety Channel and then upon the word “live.”  You can also hear past shows on demand as well.  And, by the way, these 2 Paragraph columns are now on my website at www.JudgeJImGray.com, Facebook and LinkedIn at judgejimgray, Twitter at judgejamesgray, and wordpress at judgejimgray.wordpress.com  Please visit these sites for past editions, and do your part to spread the word about the importance of Liberty.  In addition, my new book entitled “2 Paragraphs 4 Liberty: Solutions that are Practical, Effective, Responsible, Libertarian, is now available at Amazon.com.   Please read and discuss it with friends, and send in a review.

2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY #260 "CAMPAIGN SLOGANS"

 The GraySharpe2020 campaign for the Libertarian nomination for President and Vice President is in full swing, so I thought you might like to hear some of our campaign slogans and cites.  Of course, regular readers of this 2 Paragraphs series and listeners of my weekly podcast “All Rise!  The Libertarian Way with Judge Jim Gray” will recognize many of them.  But I see these as effective ways to show people how logical and effective our Libertarian principles, values and approaches really are.  So they are:

·         “I don’t care if you worship one God, 20 gods or no god.  It doesn’t pick my pocket and it doesn’t break my leg.”  Thomas Jefferson – a prototypical Libertarian;

·         “We should judge our programs by their results and not their good intentions.”                    Milton Friedman;

·         “Anyone who believes they can thrive by relying upon the Government need only talk to the American Indian.”  Henry Ford;

·         “Think about it: Can you point out any instance where the involvement of Government in the marketplace did not result in the prices going up and the quality of the products and services didn’t go down?”  Judge Jim Gray;

·         “Ron Paul told us that our country has about 400 military reservations in other countries all around the world.  A simple audit performed by the military considering today’s realities would probably result in us being able to close down three-quarters of them without much controversy – and this would probably actually make us safer.”  Judge Jim Gray;

·         “We as a country must decide what the purpose is of our educational system: To educate our children (What a concept!), or to protect below-average teachers.  And guess which one we are mostly following today.”  Judge Jim Gray;

·         Do you know that the USA has 5 percent of the world’s population, but 25 percent of its prisoners?  When former US Senator Jim Webb of Virginia heard these statistics he responded: “Either we are the most criminally-oriented people in the world, or we are doing something wrong.  Which do you think it is?”;

·         “If you think healthcare is expensive now, wait ‘til it’s free.”  P. J. O’Rourke;

·         Our Founders bickered, debated and even fought at the 1787 Constitutional Convention about numbers of issues.  But the one thing that each of the 55 delegates agreed upon was that the most important function of government is to protect our freedoms and liberties from the encroachment of government. The second most important was to keep us safe.

·         “Our country will need a bloody revolution every generation to keep the vested interests at bay.”  Thomas Jefferson.  Fortunately, our Constitution allows the revolution not to be bloody,  but how long has it been?  Maybe since the Republicans took over from the Whigs?  And don’t you agree that we Libertarians are the right ones for a new revolution?

·         “We should reserve our prison space for people we are afraid of, not people we’re mad at.”  Judge Jim Gray;

·         “No society has ever raised itself up out of poverty except through a system of free enterprise and private property rights.”  Milton Friedman; and,

·         If you want your healthcare services to be controlled by the equivalent of the department of motor vehicles, we are well on our way.”  Judge Jim Gray.

Please give me your feedback about how effective you think they are, and maybe some suggestions for others.  In law school I was known as a “bearded outside agitator in disguise,” and, actually, I have never backed off from that definition.  What do you think?  

Quote for the week from a young surfer-type:  “Dude!  I just learned that there is no popcorn in popcorn shrimp.  So I guess there’s no reason for me to eat pot roast.”

Judge Jim Gray (Ret.)

2012 Libertarian candidate for Vice President, along with

Governor Gary Johnson as the candidate for President

Please listen to our weekly radio show entitled “All Rise! The Libertarian Way with Judge Jim Gray” as we discuss timely issues, and show how they will be addressed more beneficially by employing Libertarian values and approaches.  You can hear it every Friday morning at 7 Pacific/10 Eastern by going to www.VoiceAmerica.com, clicking on the Variety Channel and then upon the word “live.”  You can also hear past shows on demand as well.  And, by the way, these 2 Paragraph columns are now on my website at www.JudgeJImGray.com, Facebook and LinkedIn at judgejimgray, Twitter at judgejamesgray, and wordpress at judgejimgray.wordpress.com  Please visit these sites for past editions, and do your part to spread the word about the importance of Liberty.  In addition, my new book entitled “2 Paragraphs 4 Liberty: Solutions that are Practical, Effective, Responsible, Libertarian, is now available at Amazon.com.   Please read and discuss it with friends, and send in a review.

2 Paragraphs 4 Liberty- Best Seller Publishing Amazon #1 Best Selling Author Award!

Today I received an Amazon #1 Best Selling Award from Best Selling Publishing! I am very excited to receive this award and present it to you! I want to also thank my supporters of 2 Paragraphs 4 Liberty!

2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: #237 "HEALTHCARE FOR ALL"

      Obviously the subject of healthcare for all is actively being discussed in today’s world.  I agree this result is desirable, not because anyone is entitled to it but, because we are a compassionate society, we would do it voluntarily.  But what form should it take?  Bringing a single-payer system, or so-called Medicare for all, would be fine, as long as people don’t mind having their healthcare run by the equivalent of the Department of Motor Vehicles.  But we truly can do better.  As an illustration, we have some great friends visiting us now from Canada, and they volunteered that Canada’s socialistic system simply does not seek out innovation.  Why?  Because it is a bureaucracy, and bureaucracies have a strong tendency to resist change.  So for creative care, they must come to the US.

       So what should we do?  The answer is that we should install a system of Medical Savings Accounts.  That means that for those people who can afford to address their own healthcare needs, we should simply require them to put $5,000 into the equivalent of an ATM account at the beginning of each year, and then get the government out of the way.  Then they would purchase the catastrophic health insurance of their choice, probably costing them something like $1,000 per year. Then all of their healthcare expenses would be paid directly out of the $4,000 that remained in the account.  Studies show that most adults pay far less than $4,000 per year on their healthcare needs until they approach the end of their lives.  So if they spent less than that, the remainder would simply roll over into their account for the next year and, eventually, it could be used for their retirement.  However, if they needed to spend more, their insurance would kick in, such that they would only be required to pay their $4,000 “deductible” and then their co-pays.  That would result in everyone spending their money wisely – because it was their money!  And that would also bring competition back to the healthcare field which would, in turn, bring prices back down.  For those people that needed some financial assistance for their healthcare needs, as long as they were legal residents, a voucher system could be used on a sliding scale depending upon their financial abilities.   Then those vouchers could be spent on the private market for payments and co-pays.  So this program would combine the best results that competition brings to the marketplace, which are competition, responsibility for one’s own healthcare needs, and medical coverage for all.

Quote for the week, with one elderly businessman talking to another: “It was slanderous, it was insulting and it was an outrage; but I see their point.”

Judge Jim Gray (Ret.)

2012 Libertarian candidate for Vice President, along with

Governor Gary Johnson as the candidate for President

Please listen to our weekly radio show entitled “All Rise! The Libertarian Way with Judge Jim Gray” as we discuss timely issues, and show how they will be addressed more beneficially by employing Libertarian values and approaches.  You can hear it every Friday morning at 7 Pacific/10 Eastern by going to www.VoiceAmerica.com, clicking on the Variety Channel and then upon the word “live.”  You can also hear past shows on demand as well.  And, by the way, these 2 Paragraph columns are now on Facebook and LinkedIn at judgejimgray, Twitter at judgejamesgray, and wordpress at judgejimgray.wordpress.com.  Please visit these sites for past editions, and do your part to spread the word about the importance of Liberty.

2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: #235 "OUR LIBERTIES: THE SOUL OF AMERICA"

During World War II many of our troops who were being held as prisoners of war were tortured by the Japanese.  I understand that one of the things that kept our troops’ morale up during these ordeals was the strong belief that, if the situation would have been reversed, we would not torture them.  Why ?  Because we were better than that!  And that is one of the bases of American Exceptionalism.  But are we that way today?  Many terrorists around the world argue that, although we profess to be more pure, we are not.  And they invariably cite to our “state secret” laws that prevent people who claim they were tortured by our CIA or its agents from pursuing law suits in our courts against our federal government. 

What is the actual situation?  Few of us know – or even think about it – because it is out of the news. Wrongly so, in my opinion, because this strongly affects who we are.  And if we are torturing people for any reason whatsoever, We the People should be aware of it.  Of course, reasonable people can differ as to what constitutes torture, and the circumstances in which it can be used.  But regardless of how that discussion is resolved, that still does not address the State Secrets Act.  To further bring this issue into focus, Erwin Chemerinsky, Esq., the dean of the Law School at the University of California, Berkeley, has set forth his findings in a book entitled Closing the Courthouse Door: How Your Constitutional Rights Became Unenforceable.  And his message is disturbing.  He writes convincingly that our government is torturing people in our names to “protect” our national interests, but without being forced to show in court that state secrets would actually have to be revealed if a trial were to go forward.  In other words, since our Liberties are the soul of our great country, our soul is under attack by our very own government!  How do you think that would make our troops from Japanese prison camps feel?

Quote for the week:  I finally figured out what I wanted to be when I was older.  And the answer is: Younger.

Note: No edition was circulated last week because our housepainters cut the wires bringing the internet into our house.  Ah, technology. . . .

Judge Jim Gray (Ret.)

2012 Libertarian candidate for Vice President, along with

Governor Gary Johnson as the candidate for President

Please listen to our weekly radio show entitled “All Rise! The Libertarian Way with Judge Jim Gray” as we discuss timely issues, and show how they will be addressed more beneficially by employing Libertarian values and approaches.  You can hear it every Friday morning at 7 Pacific/10 Eastern by going to www.VoiceAmerica.com, clicking on the Variety Channel and then upon the word “live.”  You can also hear past shows on demand as well.  And, by the way, these 2 Paragraph columns are now on Facebook and LinkedIn at judgejimgray, Twitter at judgejamesgray, and wordpress at judgejimgray.wordpress.com.  Please visit these sites for past editions, and do your part to spread the word about the importance of Liberty.  And now my new book entitled “2 Paragraphs 4 Liberty: Solutions that are Practical, Effective, Responsible, Libertarian is available at Amazon.com.   Please send in a review.

2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: #230 "IN PRAISE OF SPECIAL FAVORS FOR AMAZON"

          Last year when Amazon was shopping for a location for its second headquarters, many states, counties and cities attempted to win that prize by offering Amazon special inducements.  Those included special treatment for purposes of taxes, zoning, impacts upon the environment and more.  Why would these governmental entities make such offers?  Transparently, they  were made because the offers would be of benefit to the company.  I think we would all agree about those benefits, so to all of them I give my praise!

         Obviously, where this huge company would move and do business would bring many benefits to that community.  Those benefits would include more investments and more jobs for workers, which would then, in turn, support the local barbershops, restaurants, stores, medical clinics and more.  All of this would then have increased the financial base of the community, and would also have provided much more tax revenue for all of those governments.  As such, all of these offers were legitimate and, in that regard, probably should have been increased.  So everyone would have won.  Well Done!  Oh, but just one more thing: If it would have been good for Amazon, it would be good for all other businesses as well, large and small, for exactly the same reasons.  So all of those offers should now be made to all businesses, so everyone would win also for exactly the same reasons!  It would not only be fair, it would be smart! 

Thought for the week:  Behind every successful man is a surprised mother-in-law.

Judge Jim Gray (Ret.)

2012 Libertarian candidate for Vice President, along with

Governor Gary Johnson as the candidate for President

Please listen to our weekly radio show entitled “All Rise! The Libertarian Way with Judge Jim Gray” as we discuss timely issues, and show how they will be addressed more beneficially by employing Libertarian values and approaches.  You can hear it every Friday morning at 7 Pacific/10 Eastern by going to www.VoiceAmerica.com, clicking on the Variety Channel and then upon the word “live.”  You can also hear past shows on demand as well.  And, by the way, these 2 Paragraph columns are now on Facebook and LinkedIn at judgejimgray, Twitter at judgejamesgray, and wordpress at judgejimgray.wordpress.com.  Please visit these sites for past editions, and do your part to spread the word about the importance of Liberty.

2 PARAGRAPHS 4 LIBERTY: #228 "THE LIBERTY TO SEE THE USA!"

My wife Grace and I have spent the last ten days on a trip first to Portland, and then on a cruise on the Columbia and Snake Rivers (which explains why you did not receive last week’s edition of this series).   We have such a rich and interesting history here, like what we saw and envisioned with the Lewis and Clark Expedition, so why go anywhere else?  As a result, this week’s edition simply recommends that all of us often take time to pause and reflect how truly fortunate we are to be who we are, live where we live and have what we have.  We are genuinely blessed – and all the more so if we appreciate that fact.

                Among my blessings is the fact that I have been able to travel the world quite extensively – but there is nowhere more interesting or beautiful than our US of A!  Most of us actually have the Liberty to be able to go where we want – no walls with the barbed wire fences facing inward instead of outward like were present in East Germany and now are in North Korea!  But I recommend we more often use that Liberty to see the beautiful places in our great country.  No passports, no changes of currency – and many times no changes of time zones.  Good stuff!  So why go anywhere else?

My favorite Winston Churchill story:  Frequently before he would give a speech, Churchill would go to the men’s room to relieve himself so he would not be uncomfortable during his presentation.  But it happened that one time he was doing just that at a urinal when his political nemesis, Clement Attlee, came in right beside him.  So when Churchill stopped doing his business and moved over to one urinal away, Attlee said to him “You’re getting a bit prudish in your old age aren’t you Winston?”  To which Churchill responded: “Clement, I know you, and any time you see something that is big, private and works well, you want to nationalize it.”

Judge Jim Gray (Ret.)

2012 Libertarian candidate for Vice President, along with

Governor Gary Johnson as the candidate for President

Please listen to our weekly radio show entitled “All Rise! The Libertarian Way with Judge Jim Gray” as we discuss timely issues, and show how they will be addressed more beneficially by employing Libertarian values and approaches.  You can hear it every Friday morning at 7 Pacific/10 Eastern by going to www.VoiceAmerica.com, clicking on the Variety Channel and then upon the word “live.”  You can also hear past shows on demand as well.  And, by the way, these 2 Paragraph columns are now on Facebook and LinkedIn at judgejimgray, Twitter at judgejamesgray, and wordpress at judgejimgray.wordpress.com.  Please visit these sites for past editions, and do your part to spread the word about the importance of Liberty.