Correcting mistakes of Prop. 13 - by Judge Jim Gray

This column has already discussed the "sacred cow" issue of Social Security, and I have not (yet) been run out of town, so summoning up all of my courage, I will now turn my attention to a discussion about correcting the mistakes of Proposition 13.

Proposition 13 was passed with more than 84% of votes in June 1978 by California voters who were (appropriately) angry about the never-ending raising of their property taxes. The ballot measure, which was opposed by most legislators and virtually every city and county government in the state, put a ceiling on property tax assessments at 1% of the assessed value, and also placed a limit of 2% on how high property taxes could be raised in any one year. And those assessments and formulas could not be changed unless and until the real property was sold.

Unfortunately, over time there surfaced at least three substantial inequities with this ballot measure, which, to this day, people are afraid even to discuss, much less rectify:

First, large corporations, which seldom sell their real property, have been the gigantic beneficiaries of these reduced taxes. Thus every year since the early 1980s, businesses like Southern California Edison and oil companies have paid substantially lower taxes on their real property than other more transient businesses. This was almost certainly not intended by the voters.

Second, Proposition 13 has resulted in a huge discrimination against more recent buyers of real property. This includes most of our grown children who are trying to enter the real property marketplace for the first time. The higher adjusted tax base has also retarded new home construction, and that is even before considering the additional expenses of Mello Roos. In addition, it has further resulted in numerous people being forced to make decisions about whether to buy or sell real property for tax reasons, instead of personal, family or business reasons.

And third, Proposition 13 has resulted in people who are living next to each other in virtually identical properties having widely disparate property tax bills. In my own case, I am still annoyed that when I moved into a house in North Santa Ana, my neighbor, who had a house and lot half as large as mine but who had owned his property before the Proposition 13 era, paid less than half the property taxes than I did. I felt then and still feel now that this was fundamentally inappropriate.

Thus, as people are beginning seriously to look at government and its financing, it is time to make our property tax system more fair, and, yes, it is also time to provide some more money to our deficit-ridden governments and school districts, by correcting the proposition's mistakes. But before doing that, we must ensure that the activity that generated the legitimate voter anger cannot be repeated, and that the homes of those people on a fixed income are not put into jeopardy.

Part of the outrage in the 1960s and '70s was that there were numerous uncovered scandals in which local tax assessors had been rewarding friends and allies with artificially low tax assessments. But, fortunately, today there are more protections, transparency and scrutiny in those assessments. Nevertheless, those safeguards should be reinforced.

Of course, it is much easier to point out the problems with a system than it is to make viable recommendations about how to make it better. Nevertheless, I will try. My suggestion is to go back to having all real property assessed every two years, regardless of when it was bought or sold, but the owners would be required to pay somewhere between a half or two-thirds of a percent of the assessed value each year in property taxes instead of the present 1%. And for those people who are over a set age limit, such as 60, and only if they so choose, all property tax increases could be deferred until the eventual sale of the house, with interest on the balance being paid to the government.

Probably by this time some of my Libertarian friends are having a coronary just thinking that their colleague is discussing the possible raising of property taxes in some instances. But this is a real problem, and the inequities and harmful disincentives should be addressed, and this approach would both be more equitable for more recent buyers, and also raise more revenue overall because those are who now paying artificially reduced rates would be placed on an equal assessment scale.

So please think about this proposal, and give me your thoughts. How else can we reduce inequitable tax disparities, stop unnecessarily punishing our children as they are trying to enter the financial world, not put people on a fixed income more at risk, and also provide some needed revenues to our schools and other institutions that are being forced to cut expenses beyond productive limits?

The "I've got my protections and I don't care about you" state of mind is not the way a government or the tax laws should be run. Yes, taxpayers truly need protections from politicians, but overall fairness to as many people as possible should also be a part of the equation. This suggestion may not be perfect, but your "homework assignment" as we enter the new year is either to refine and promote this suggestion, or to come up with something better. The status quo is not acceptable.

JAMES P. GRAY is a retired judge of the Orange County Superior Court, the author of "Wearing the Robe: the Art and Responsibility of Judging in Today's Courts" (Square One Publishers, 2010), Why Our Drug Laws Have Failed and What We Can Do About It, A Voter's Handbook, Effective Solutions To America's Problems and can be reached at jimpgray@sbcglobal.net or http://www.judgejimgray.com. Judge Jim Gray is also currently offering his 25 years of experience on the bench to ADR Services in Orange County for Arbitration and Mediation services.

When it comes to kids, teach and love them - by Judge Jim Gray

I never even held an infant until my son Bill was born. It wasn't that I was averse to small children, it's just that I was never really exposed to them, or given any training about how effectively to raise them as they grew up. So with the understanding that there must be many other people out there just like me, my Christmas gift is to pass along to you various tips and suggestions I have learned over the years about raising children. If you find them to be helpful, pass them on, along with your own comments and recommendations, to young parents as they are doing the most difficult but also the most important thing a human being can do, which is to raise children. Everyone deserves a happy childhood to look back upon. That is certainly not completely possible in the real world, but at least we can get closer to that goal.

To start at the beginning, understand that babies cry. Sometimes, of course, it is for a good reason, and that reason should be addressed. But once they have been fed, burped, changed and put to bed, leave them there. It's almost as if babies are human, because if you reward them by holding and petting them each time they cry, that's what they will learn to do. So let them cry if they must.

Also develop the team approach that if one parent gets too frazzled by the baby's crying, or bad behavior, that is the automatic time for the other parent quickly to take over. Obviously it's hard to raise young children, and sometimes we can lose our tempers when we are stressed or tired. So team parenting is the answer. Actually along these lines, when I was in the Navy, it was well-publicized that if one parent was away and the remaining parent was overwhelmed by their small children, all they had to do was come to the Naval Hospital for a two-day respite. I think this was a sophisticated and healthy approach. Of course grandparents can also fulfill that function, for the benefit of everybody!

After they begin to talk, young children should also be taught to use words instead of whining, even when having a temper tantrum. If they are not able to use words, it means that they are too sleepy to behave, so it is time for bed.

On another matter, never make idle or false promises to your children. So, for example, if you say that your children will be put to bed if they continue to whine, you simply must follow through!

Providing boundaries is also one of the most important things that can happen for their positive development, because that will leave them in a position to thrive inside those boundaries. And equally important for their development into well-adjusted young adults, they also need to know that if they stray outside the boundaries there will be adverse consequences.

One of the greatest and most rewarding things a person can do with children is to teach them the joys of reading. Not only is it genuine fun, the rewards in later test scores will be substantial.

Then do yourself, your children and society a big favor — turn off the television and eat as many meals together as a family as you can. If you develop the habit of talking to each other about what happened to them that day, it will put each of you more in tune with each other, help you lead a closer and fuller family life, and create genuine and lasting positive bonds.

Similarly, if you or your spouse speaks a foreign language, try to use it as often as possible in your household. Children can learn languages without even trying, and if you teach them a second language you will be giving them a truly important and lasting gift.

Of course, children really are like sponges in virtually every other manner as well. They not only will mimic what you do and say (for example, if you hear your young child using a swear word, you will not have to look far to see where it came from), they will also follow your ethics.

Allow your children to take on more responsibility. One way is to give them a reasonable amount of money each week as an allowance, but then have them pay for things like their own haircuts, movie tickets, ice cream cones and, when they are much older, gasoline and oil changes. And have them get a job — any job — first around the house and then with some business. That more than anything will teach them the value of money, which is a necessary ingredient of responsible living.

My final five random thoughts are, first, to love your children openly and fully, and tell them so frequently both with words and hugs. Second, there is a great deal of truth in the comment that the most effective mother is one who is firm beneath her gentleness, and the most effective father is one who is gentle beneath his firmness. Third, just as it is the duty of parents to teach their children responsibility, it is also the duty of grandparents to spoil their grandchildren!

Fourth, the best thing a father can do for his children is to love their mother. And fifth, slow down and enjoy your children every step of the way. My baby girl just had her 35th birthday last week, which is to say that children grow up quickly. You will never regret spending time with your children while they are young. In fact, that joy will probably be one of the greatest experiences of your life!

JAMES. P. GRAY is a retired judge of the Orange County Superior Court, the composer of the Chapman University fight song "Second to None," and can be contacted at JimPGray@sbcglobal.net or http://www.JudgeJimGray.com.

Are TSA procedures really making us safer? - by Judge Jim Gray

Last year, thousands and thousands of Americans at the airport lost at least 30 minutes of their lifetimes by standing in longer lines and complying with all of the TSA's increasingly laborious, invasive and time-consuming restrictions.

Has anyone ever done a cost-benefit analysis on these security checkpoint programs? TSA has about 60,000 employees, and today there are about 350 full-body scanners in operation in about 70 of our nation's airports, with about 1,000 expected to be operational by the end of 2011 All of this costs more that $10 per passenger per screening. That also means that those of us who pose no danger will be forced into enhanced scannings at the airports that have them, but the terrorists will simply choose to begin their flights at airports that do not yet have those procedures, like ours here in Orange County.

How much safer are we because of the loss of time and added costs? If anyone really knows, they aren't telling. Why is that? For that answer, one must understand governmental bureaucracies, which are driven by politics.

First, it doesn't matter how much time and money are spent or wasted, or how many millions of passengers are inconvenienced, forced to be humiliated or unnecessarily exposed to radiation, if even one person is injured or loses his life to a terrorist, the TSA will be in political trouble. Thus, the TSA has every incentive to avoid every conceivable risk — regardless of the probabilities, privacy intrusions or expenses involved.

Second, politicians thrive when they are seen as fighting against enemies of the state. So now it is the "terrorists" who furnish the excuse for our government to deprive us of our liberties, take more of our money, and, along the way, keep the very politicians behind this "movement" firmly in power. Over time other groups have also been used to justify such actions, such as Muslims, communists, Jews, atheists and more. Of course, many dictators in other countries around the world have clung to power in a similar fashion by citing the United States as their common enemy.

Thus we need to have some responsible party intercede in the process, do a cost-benefit analysis, and give us recommendations about how to go forward. But in this we also must be realistic and understand that there is no way that our safety can actually be guaranteed in today's world. As a practical matter, all a suicide bomber has to do to terrorize our country would be to detonate a bomb in the line of people at airports waiting to be screened, or do the same thing at any theater, train station, athletic stadium or highway bridge or tunnel in our country. How could we possibly protect all of those places? Furthermore, terrorists don't even have to be successful, because simply attempting their various plots seems to be keeping us terrorized enough.

So how can we defeat the terrorists? Simply by taking reasonable and logical precautions, relying upon the most effective counter-terrorism device we can use, which is good and timely intelligence, and then simply refusing to be terrorized. That will render the terrorists ineffective.

In the meantime, we passengers are now faced with the choice of going through a full-body X-ray scanner, being subjected to a highly intrusive full-body pat down, or simply choosing not to fly on airplanes. The body-scanner X-ray machines are euphemistically called "naked scanners" because they provide graphic images of our bodies, including genitalia, breasts and other personal effects like urine bags, sanitary napkins and padded clothing. And regardless of their training, it is irresistible for TSA employees, just like any other human beings, to gawk at what they are seeing. In fact, so far several reports have cited situations in which the scanners have been used by TSA employees to humiliate some of their fellow workers who were going through the procedure.

The government says that the amount of radiation put out by the scanners is not dangerous. But, unlike the X-ray machines in your doctors' offices, once they are in operation, the airport scanners are mostly not required to be calibrated any further, so no one really knows how much radiation they are emitting. And even with limited exposure, the radiation is directed at the passenger's entire body, and no one knows the effect it will have upon the corneas of the eyes, which are the most sensitive areas for radiation damage.

The government also says that no visual records are kept of the screenings, but there is much information to the contrary. That information says that individual screenings can be maintained and even transferred to prosecutors, if necessary, for evidentiary purposes. If that is true, then the TSA has the largest library of child pornography in the world.

If passengers "opt out" of the full-body X-ray scanners, they will be subjected to an enhanced, genital-groping body pat-down, which would be classified as a sexual assault in any other context. In fact, newspapers have been full of truly concerning stories about these pat-downs. My own wife tells of having been completely "felt up," as she was recently going through the screening process at LAX. In some respects, I'm glad I wasn't there, because I would probably have had difficulty controlling my anger!

What would be a better approach? The answer is to privatize security screening and allow each airline to choose the most appropriate procedure. The private sector is much better equipped to adopt a cost-benefit analysis that will balance the issues of safety, intrusion and cost. Then probably most airlines would adopt the approach that is used by Israel's El-Al Airlines, which is simply to take people aside and talk to them.

Analyzing people's behavior through observations, conversation and the use of databases, plus focusing upon those "red flag passengers" who paid in cash, are only traveling one-way or don't have much luggage will go a long way in exposing realistic criminal threats. We spend much too much time, energy and money in the name of political correctness searching harmless travelers, and too little focusing upon legitimate potential threats. That must change.

James P. Gray is a retired judge of the Orange County Superior Court, the composer of the high school musical revue "Americans All" (Heuer Publishers), and can be contacted at JimPGray@sbcglobal.net or through his website at http://www.JudgeJimGray.com.

Gratitude for 'Cups of Tea' author - by Judge Jim Gray

Editor's note: Instead of his regular column, James P. Gray this week has decided to share a letter he sent to "Three Cups of Tea" author Greg Mortenson.

Mr. Greg Mortenson

Central Asia Institute

P.O. Box 7209

Bozeman, Montana 59771

Dear Greg,

In your travels, and carrying out your many obligations in helping to establish schools for boys and girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan, you meet many people. As such, you will probably not recall me, but I was the last person for whom you signed a copy of your latest book, "Stones into Schools," after you gave your presentation at Freedom Fest in Las Vegas in January.

During our short time together, I tried to communicate to you my pride in what you are doing for Pakistan, Afghanistan, our great country and the world in helping to educate so many people — especially girls. This is certainly not easy in Central Asia! Now that I have finished reading your new book, I am even more in awe of your accomplishments.

Not only has your Central Asia Institute been successful in building schools and educating people, you have put into reality the lesson we tried to learn in the Peace Corps, which is that a project is only really successful if it can get along without you as the founder. This you demonstrated by CAI's assistance, but without your personal involvement, in the building of its most distant school — almost literally on the roof of the world — in Bozai Gumbaz in Northern Afghanistan. Congratulations!

From my perspective, you are actually doing what other people and even governments only really dream of doing. For only modest amounts of money you are building institutions of literacy, self-confidence, self-sufficiency and global good will. In other words, like the sub-heading of your book says, you are promoting peace with books not bombs in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

To further that wonderful effort, please accept not only this enclosed financial contribution, but also my fervent thanks and best wishes. And also please receive my strong hope that you will take extra precautions for your safety in the future while you travel in these dangerous and remote areas in these difficult times!

But this letter also comes with a request. During our brief discussion, I mentioned to you my deeply felt belief that our nation's policy of drug prohibition is literally causing almost unimaginable problems here and all around the world. Yes, many of these drugs can be harmful, but it really is the drug money that is causing the greatest harm. So I particularly noted the comments in your book about the damage inflicted by the Taliban due to the growing of the poppy flower to make opium and heroin, and the resultant problems with addictions and smuggling that come from these acts.

So my request is that you use your future presentations in part to tell people the truth as you have seen it on this subject, wherever it is. My own understanding of that truth is synthesized by a quote from Winston Churchill, who said that "If you destroy a free market, you create a black market." From your perspective, and using your insights, please tell the world what this black market has done in Afghanistan and surrounding area, and the results you have seen.

From the deepest part of my heart, thank you again for what you have done and for what you continue to do. I know that CAI is not faith or religious-based, but nevertheless you are truly doing God's work.

Of course, so much remains to be done. Like you say at the end of your book, today there are over 120 million school-age children on this planet who remain illiterate and are deprived of education — two-thirds of them being girls — due to gender discrimination, poverty, exploitation, religious extremism and corrupt governments.

You further tell us from your own observations that educating girls leads to increased income not only for the girls, but also for their families and nation. At the same time educating girls generally increases nutrition and sanitation and reduces the birthrate, and infant and maternal mortality. Plus, educated women are more likely to insist upon the education of their own and neighboring children — especially the daughters. And in addition, educated girls and women are more likely to stand up for themselves, resist violence, and take part in government, which, in turn, reduces violence and corruption in government.

In our military actions in the regions you serve, our government is also trying to achieve the same goals as you are, but with fewer positive results, and a great deal greater human and financial cost. Why has the Taliban not attacked the schools your organization has established? Because the elders and other leaders of those communities requested the schools to be built in the first place, and actually provided the land, labor and some of the materials for the construction. Thus, attacks on those schools are seen as an attack upon the communities themselves, and the Taliban does not want to alienate those communities. In fact, in some cases the communities have persuaded the Taliban that an attack upon the schools would be seen as an insult to Islam itself!

Greg, you have been responsible for effective and lasting positive change in one of the most difficult regions of the world. I have met you, and even with all of your success, you are truly a humble man. But in reality you are a gift to us all. So thank you again for what you are doing for the world. Bless you, and go with God!

JAMES P. GRAY is a retired judge of the Orange County Superior Court, the author of "A Voter's Handbook: Effective Solutions to America's Problems" (The Forum Press, 2010), and can be contacted at JimPGray@sbcglobal.net or through his website at http://www.JudgeJimGray.com.

'Oh, beautiful, for spacious skies' - by Judge Jim Gray

This Thanksgiving weekend I celebrate our national parks and other gems administered for us by the U.S. National Park Service. One thing that I want to do before my life ends is visit all the national parks. So far, I have visited 26 of those 58 parks These parks have been especially set aside for a reason, and each one I have visited makes that reason unequivocally clear. And if you are at least 62 years old, like I am, and have purchased a Senior Pass, that could be the financial deal of your life!

But let me ask a question that probably only a few of you will be able to answer. Which national park is closest to us here in Orange County? No, it is not Death Valley, Yosemite, Sequoia, or Kings Canyon. It is the Channel Islands National Park. This is a wonderful place to explore on a sea kayak, with lots of sea caves and a few tunnels, and a place where bird and sea life are in abundance. Commercial boats can take you there from both Oxnard and Ventura harbors, and I strongly recommend a visit.

As you probably know, the first of our country's national parks was Yellowstone. It was founded by an act of Congress in 1872, and the park was officially set aside as a "pleasuring ground for the benefit and enjoyment of the people in order to protect for all time this outstanding natural area."

If you get the chance, stay at the Old Faithful Inn, which was completed in 1904 and is probably the world's largest log cabin. When you take a tour of the Inn, be sure to see the room where Teddy Roosevelt stayed on one of his visits. It is one of the few rooms where you can view the eruption of Old Faithful from one of the inn's windows.

The National Park Service today administers 393 individual locations covering more than 83 million acres in the United States, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. These include national parks, battlefields, historical parks, cemeteries, monuments, heritage areas, preserves, sites, trails, parkways, seashores, and recreational areas. Information about each site can be found online in the 131-page 2009-2011 National Parks Index.

The park service also administers one international historic site, at Saint Croix Island in Maine. This was the first stopping point for French settlers in the New World, and the place where 35 of the 79 men who stayed there in 1605 did not survive the winter. The following spring, the survivors moved on to found the first permanent French site in the Western Hemisphere at Point Royal in Nova Scotia.

As of 2008, the top ten most visited national parks, in order, were the Great Smoky Mountains in Tennessee and North Carolina; Grand Canyon in Arizona; Yosemite here in California; Olympic in Washington; Yellowstone in Wyoming, Montana and Idaho; Cuyahoga Valley in Ohio; Rocky Mountains in Colorado; Zion in Utah; Grand Tetons in Wyoming; and Acadia in Maine.

California and Alaska have the largest number of national parks with eight apiece, followed by Utah with five, and Colorado with four. The largest of the parks is Wrangell-St. Elias National Park in Alaska, which covers 13.2 million acres, and the smallest place administered by the service is Ford's Theater National Historic Site in Washington D.C., where Abraham Lincoln was assassinated. (If you have the opportunity, try to attend any show at the Ford Theater. The experience of sitting there with the omnipresent flag-draped presidential box presiding over the theater is not to be forgotten.)

Yosemite Valley is God's gift to mankind. Actually I believe that if I were to find people who did not believe in God, all I would have to do is take them to Yosemite Valley and that in itself would change their minds. And, although it is much too expensive, one of the great things a person can do in Yosemite is to attend a Bracebridge Dinner at the Ahwahnee Hotel during the Christmas season. We did it once, which was enough, but we were lucky that it also happened to snow that evening. The next morning with the fresh snowfall all over the cliffs, trees, and grounds, Yosemite Valley was the most beautiful site I had ever seen.

But don't just stay in the valley. If you get lucky in the annual lottery, go to the camps in the high country of Yosemite. There are about five semi-permanent camps up in the mountains with tents on cement slabs, cots with feather comforters, and wood-burning stoves. In addition, the staff greets you with fresh lemonade when you arrive, prepares nice hot dinners and breakfasts for you while you are there, and also sells picnic lunches that you can take with you as you hike or horseback ride the nine to 12 miles to the next camp.

Another of my favorite trips was in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area and Voyageurs National Park, which are between the Minnesota and Canadian border. In the canoe area you can only use non-mechanized transportation, and, yes, you do have to sleep on the ground, but what a remarkable place! It has not changed at all from the days of the French-Canadian fur-trading Voyageurs of the 18th Century.

Acadia National Park on the Atlantic coast is also a real gem. But the whole time I was there I kept thinking that, yes, this is wonderful territory, but it really does not have the rugged beauty of Big Sur in Central California. Why Big Sur is not a national park I really don't have a clue.

But aren't we fortunate that people like John Muir, Teddy Roosevelt, and other advanced thinkers acted to set aside these natural pieces of heaven? We have many things for which to be thankful on this Thanksgiving weekend, but one of the big ones is the purple mountains' majesty and other places of nature and history that have been set aside for us all. God has indeed shed His grace upon our America, and has crowned our country with that grace from sea to shining sea. Let us all remember to appreciate what we have – and give thanks!

James P. Gray is a retired judge of the Orange County Superior Court, the composer of the high school musical revue "Americans All" (Heuer Publishers), and can be contacted at JimPGray@sbcglobal.net or through his website at http://www.JudgeJimGray.com.

It always comes back to values - by Judge Jim Gray

After the recent election was over, one of my friends confided to me that in the final analysis that he was unable to vote in favor of Proposition 19, which would have treated marijuana like alcohol for adults. The reason was that marijuana is harmful, especially to children, and if the initiative passed it would be yet one more compromise and retreat away from our value system.

I really understand his concerns.

Almost everywhere we look today, we seem to be losing ground in what is healthy about our way of life. The examples are familiar to us all, such as the managers of the city of Bell and other cities ostensibly manipulating the finances so as to pay themselves unconscionable salaries and benefits, professional baseball players taking steroids, young people valuing their membership in juvenile gangs more than obtaining an education, and many more. So now we "legalize" marijuana, thus allowing additional moral backsliding and decay? For many people, this was simply too much, and they registered their protest at the polls.

My response is that we should follow the advice of Confucius, who said, "The first rule in being a wise leader is that you must first define the problem."

So in that regard, we must remember that marijuana itself is not the problem, nor is it city finances, steroids, or even gangs. Those are just the symptoms. The problems — and the resolutions — are presented by the way we deal with these matters, and promoting viable alternatives to those harmful choices.

That is where values come into play. We must change the direction of the political landscape to favor programs that work, regardless of what today's so-called political wisdom would have us believe.

So what works? Basically four things: education, treatment and prevention, positive financial incentives, and individual responsibility.

So how can each of us help to change the direction of our country? The first part of the question is answered by the old saying that "the world is run by those who show up." And the remainder of the question is answered by saying that all we have to do is again become Americans! Rekindle the "can do" spirit at every level of our society by rewarding success, stigmatizing laziness and "entitlements," be open and available for scrutiny in almost every public thing we do, and focus upon things that work.

We can start this change of direction by opening our minds to viable alternatives, and by getting away from being so "politically correct" and having an almost automatic unreceptively to any recommendations from people we generally do not politically agree with, whether it is President Obama on one side of the political spectrum, or Sarah Palin on the other. That change will allow us to expand our focus, explore new approaches and rejuvenate successful old ones.

For example, the "political wisdom" for the last several decades has resulted in the mindless incarceration of too many people. Thus for decades politicians have built prisons and cut "liberal do-gooding" programs for drug treatment and children's performing arts, support groups for recently-paroled felons, and things like "midnight basketball" leagues, which provide many young men and women with an opportunity to channel their energies into productive efforts instead of being involved in "midnight mischief." These preventive programs work and thereby reduce crime as well as lost productivity, money and lives. But there is no political muscle behind them, and you and I simply must change that.

We should also stop blindly impugning the motives of people with whom we don't always agree. For example, the overwhelming majority of people, including Tea Party enthusiasts, who believe we should regain control of our nation's borders, are not racist; those who disagree with some of the positions of the government of Israel are not anti-Semitic; and those who fear terrorists are not anti-Muslim.

In addition, we should be more sophisticated and follow the advice we learned from "Deep Throat" during the Watergate era, which is to "follow the money." So, for example, when discussing the deteriorated condition of our public school systems, we should look at who has a vested interest in the perpetuation of the status quo, which, yes, includes the teachers' unions. Then we should listen to and assess their stated positions with that fact clearly in mind.

The same approach should be followed as to those who desire to have a perpetuation of big government. These are often a lot of wealthy people who are making money from government, such as with lucrative contracts, tax breaks and even subsidies for not planting crops.

Thus, whenever I read an op-ed piece in a magazine or newspaper, I first skip down to the bottom of the column and see who the authors are, and where their "bread is being buttered." In other words, I ask myself the question, what's in it for them? Everyone's opinion should be assessed by asking that question, and that certainly includes me as well.

So who is speaking for the benefit of society as a whole? In my view, it is those people who argue for greater liberty. That means less governmental intrusion and interference. Understand that it is the economically and politically powerful people who almost always control government, so the less governmental intrusion and power, the greater the good for the greater number.

The bottom line is that liberty works! The soul of the United States, and what has made it great — and even exceptional — is not our government, it is our freedoms. So when we put our values back where they belong, which is to emphasize Freedom and Liberty, buttressed by the implementation of programs that emphasize education, prevention and treatment, positive financial incentives, and individual responsibility, we will once again be Americans. And then the other things will fall back into place.

James P. Gray is a retired judge of the Orange County Superior Court, the composer of the high school musical revue "Americans All" (Heuer Publishing), and can be contacted atJimPGray@sbcglobal.net or through his website at http://www.JudgeJimGray.com.

The spirit that moves them at Vanguard - by Judge Jim Gray

We have a real gem in our midst, which is Vanguard University of Southern California, and everyone should be aware and proud of it. As I hope you know, this four-year Christian university, which has an enrollment of 1,457 undergraduates and 703 postgraduates, is located on Fair Street and Newport Boulevard, and is just across from the Orange County Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa. And a gem? How about being named to the top five best baccalaureate small colleges in the West by U.S. News & World Report for each of the last three years?

My association with Vanguard began when I was asked about five or six years ago by my now-friend Elizabeth Leonard to speak to her sociology class about drug policy. Since then, I have been back at least 10 times to speak to other classes and forums about various topics, one of which included a rabbi friend of mine talking about the Jewish faith. I have always found the students to be bright, inquisitive, questioning and engaging.

As a result of these talks, I noticed Vanguard's performing arts programs, beginning with the music program under James Melton. In a word: superb! The musicians and singers are as talented, well-instructed and sophisticated as any I have seen, and they have performed recently at Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center in New York City, as well as in China, Europe, South Korea and Canada. But don't just take my word for it; you can hear them for yourself at their Christmas concerts either at the Performing Arts Center Nov. 30, or at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church on Dec. 3. Both concerts begin at 8 p.m., and I will be deeply surprised if you are not as impressed as I am.

My wife, Grace, and I have also mostly been blown away by Vanguard's drama department. We went first to see their performance of "Life Without Parole," which was written by VUSC Professor Warren Boody and is based upon Elizabeth Leonard's doctoral thesis, "Convicted Survivors." The story centers around women who were so abused by their husbands or boyfriends that they eventually resorted to violence and even murder to make it stop. Obviously, these women must be held accountable for their actions, and the play does not imply anything to the contrary, but it will impress you that the situation of abuse also must be heavily taken into consideration by both society and the court system.

That play was so compelling, and was also so well directed and performed, that we immediately signed up for season tickets, and I recommend you do the same. The most recent performance was of Thornton Wilder's "Our Town," and it brought tears to my eyes. The next performance will be "It's A Wonderful Life," and I expect it will have the same effect.

I could go on and describe the other achievements of these professors and students, such as the fact that Vanguard has an amazingly high acceptance rate at quality medical schools around the country. But the fundamental thing that truly sets this university apart is the spirit of almost everyone involved. Yes, like almost all students who begin their college experience, these students are innately idealistic, but this university gives many of them both the tools and the inspiration to carry that idealism on through the rest of their lives.

For example, some of Vanguard's recent graduates have dedicated their lives to helping to provide employment and education to war-affected women in Northern Uganda. In that pursuit they founded "Krochet Kids," which has taught these women to make unique and uplifting types of caps which have been exported all around the world, to the degree that their beanies are now sold in Nordstrom. This program has been so successful that the Ford Motor Co.'s program "The People's Fleet" awarded the Ugandan workers a new car.

Another program in Uganda that was initiated by graduates of Vanguard is called "31 Bits." The name comes from The Bible's Proverbs Chapter 31, which tell a story about a woman providing for her family. The "bits" refers to the scraps of paper that are used to make beads, which are in turn used to decorate jewelry and shoes. 31 Bits now employs 60 women and sells products like its "Ugandals" online, at Seed People's Market at "The Camp" in Costa Mesa, and through a partnership with Reef Sandals.

Other VUSC grads have founded an orphanage! It goes on and on. But when you are exposed to this wonderful temple of higher learning, you will start taking results like these in stride. Why? Because you will see that there is a passion for humanity that is rampant on this campus, and it is unlike anything I have ever seen outside of the Peace Corps.

For example, the recently released feature film, "Sin by Silence," was created by a VUSC graduate filmmaker who came back to the school only to teach as an adjunct professor. But when she was started accompanying Elizabeth Leonard on her visits to a women's prison, the stories about some of the inmates having been beaten by their husbands was so compelling that she simply had to document it to the world.

As set forth in its website, Vanguard's stated purpose is to "pursue knowledge, cultivate character, deepen Christian faith, and equip each student for a life of leadership and service." Every university has a stated purpose like that, but I hope you join me in congratulating and being involved with one that literally puts its stated purpose into lasting practice. Vanguard University of Southern California, you have every right to be proud of what you stand for, and what you are doing. Well done!

JAMES P. GRAY is a retired judge of the Orange County Superior Court, the composer of the high school musical revue "Americans All" (Heuer Publishing), and can be contacted atJimPGray@sbcglobal.net, or through his website at http://www.JudgeJimGray.com.

The trick of current welfare system - by Judge Jim Gray

Recently the Los Angeles Times reported that $69 million in California welfare money was cashed in by recipients in places like Las Vegas and on cruise ships. Prior to that, The Times reported that people on welfare had used their state-issued ATM cards to get money at casinos, strip clubs and massage parlors.

After those revelations, there followed the usual clamors and calls for politicians to tighten up the system, and many of the politicians responded by promising that in the future the cards could no longer be used in those types of places.

But the real problem is much more fundamental.

Yes, there are people in our society who simply cannot take care of themselves, and yes they need our help. And we will give them that help in the traditional Libertarian way – not because we have to, but because we want to. That is the type of people we are.

Thus we should have a welfare system, but not the one we have today. Why? Our welfare system has probably been the worst thing that has ever happened to a large majority of the recipients because it deprives them of both their motivation and their pride.

And that keeps them mired in poverty. As evidence, simply look at the generations of people who have not broken out of the welfare system.

So how can we still have a welfare system, but at the same time increase the incentives for the recipients to break away from it? The answer is for the welfare system to provide the necessities of life, but not to provide any money to the recipients at all.

What would such a program look like? There would be dormitory living for people on welfare (with some allowances for families), group-style meals, medical care at government-sponsored clinics, passes on public transportation and provisions to provide clothing, personal hygiene materials and other similar essentials. But in return, those people who are able would be required to help around the living spaces by doing chores such as cleaning, gardening, cooking, security and general maintenance work.

As such, this system would provide for all recipients' basic needs, and that would be appropriate. But it would also inherently provide incentives to the recipients to move beyond welfare and to improve themselves, because there would be a logical and necessary stigma of being placed to live in the public facilities.

But at the same time they would live under this stigma, the recipients would also more often have the means to be able to move away from it, because the new system would always include an incentive to get some form of job and "earn the extra dollar." Recipients would be forced to contribute money for their upkeep if they received any income, but always on a "sliding scale.

Thus, for example, if welfare recipients were to earn $200 per week in a part-time job, they would contribute only $50 for their upkeep. Thus they would be able to keep at least $150 to spend upon private purchases, including car expenses, or put it away in a savings account.

Other benefits of this new system are obvious. The taxpayer money to fund this new program would much more be spent on purchasing food, clothing and shelter for the recipients, instead of so much being spent on bureaucracy, administrative expenses and fraud. And along the way, there would be a much reduced appearance of unfairness, because everyone would be treated the same.

Today there are few incentives for people to get off welfare, because if they get a job, most of what they earn is forfeited back to the government. And if young ladies want to "form their own households," all they have to do is get pregnant, either inside or outside of wedlock, and by that act they now qualify for welfare. And, in a similar fashion, if they want their monthly check to be increased, all they have to do is to have another child for that to occur.

So once again, in this situation as well as most other human experiences, incentives matter!

Far from this being heartless, this proposed program is more humane. It provides for a reasonable existence for all recipients, but it also strongly removes the curse of our present system that causes welfare to be perpetuated, and people to remain in poverty for generations, and encourages people to progress to independence.

How would this new system of welfare be implemented? Slowly. It should start with people who are newly applying for welfare, and then slowly expanded to others who are already on the program. The dormitories would have to be constructed or remodeled, and they should always be clean, cheerful, modestly attractive and, above all, safe

Thus, in this system everyone would come out ahead, at least in the long run. The welfare recipients would have their needs met, but they would also have incentives to pursue their opportunities to have a better life. The taxpayers would receive a benefit because the system would probably cost them only half of what they are now paying, and they would also have the satisfaction of knowing that their money was being better spent for more care and less fraud and bureaucracy.

JAMES P. GRAY is a retired judge of the Orange County Superior Court, the author of "Wearing the Robe: the Art and Responsibility of Judging in Today's Courts" (Square One Publishers, 2010), Why Our Drug Laws Have Failed and What We Can Do About It, A Voter's Handbook, Effective Solutions To America's Problems and can be reached at jimpgray@sbcglobal.net or http://www.judgejimgray.com. Judge Jim Gray is also currently offering his 25 years of experience on the bench to ADR Services in Orange County for Arbitration and Mediation services.

It's A Gray Area: It's as 'sound as the dollar' - by Judge Jim Gray

I still remember my parents commenting during the 1964 presidential election about the silliness of Barry Goldwater's recommending that we go back on the silver and gold standard for our nation's monetary system. But now I know that Sen. Goldwater was right, and had we followed his recommendations, we would be the most economically healthy country in the world today.

The problem is that as soon as a country goes away from securing its currency with gold or silver — which it actually pledges to redeem to anyone who bears its paper currency — that country can almost never resist the temptation simply to print more money to pay its obligations. The rationale is, of course, that "we are only borrowing money from ourselves," but this immediately reduces the value of the currency. And, as I read from economist Mark Skousen's book "A Tale of Two Dollars" (Investment Rarities Inc., 2010), this is what we have starkly seen in our country since the middle 1960s.

During the Revolutionary War, our fledgling government printed lots of "Continental" dollars, which resulted it them losing more than 90% of their initial value. This also gave rise to the phrase "Not worth a Continental." Having experienced this result, the Founding Fathers responded by mandating in Article I Section 10 of our Constitution that no state could "make any thing but gold and silver coin a tender in payment of debts."

From about 1815 until the beginning of World War I, all of the world's major currencies were on the gold and silver standard. Thus the British "pound" was literally the equivalent value of a pound of sterling silver. That also meant that inflation simply was not a problem, because before a country could print more of its currency, it had to obtain and store the equivalent amount of gold or silver to back it up.

Other than during the Civil War years when the federal government issued inflated "greenbacks" that were based only upon the "good faith and credit of the United States," our country was also on the gold and silver standard during that time. We mostly used Spanish silver coins that were called "thalers," which over time with our lax pronunciation we eventually called dollars. We also formed the practice of cutting those silver dollars into eight parts, which were soon called "pieces of eight." That is also the derivation of the term "two bits," which was what we colloquially called a quarter of a dollar.

But in 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt took us off the gold standard, devalued the dollar from $20 per ounce to $35 per ounce, and forced Americans to turn in their gold coins in exchange for Federal Reserve Notes of denominations of $5 and above. But we stayed on the silver standard until 1965, when the value of $1 in silver coins actually rose to about $1.29. This was caused by the inflation that resulted from the insistence of President Lyndon Johnson that we could pay for both "guns and butter" at the same time — to wit, both the "Great Society" and also the Vietnam War.

At this point many people took advantage of the disparity between the price of silver and the value of the Silver Certificate dollars by melting down the silver coins and selling the metal for a profit. In response, the federal government withdrew the Silver Certificate $1 bills, which promised they could be converted to silver, and replaced them with Federal Reserve Notes. The government also recalled all silver coins, and replaced them with coins made from nickel and other metals. Later it did the same thing when the copper in our pennies became worth more than 1 cent.

What did all of this do for the purchasing power of our money? For a comparison, in 1960 the value of a paper dollar and a silver dollar was the same. But by 2010, the purchasing power of that same paper dollar was down to 10 cents, while the purchasing power of the silver dollar had increased to $18. That means that, for example, the real price of a gallon of gasoline has actually decreased in the last 50 years, because in 1960 a dollar bought about five gallons of gas, and a silver dollar can buy more than that today!

Thus it is the irresponsibility of government in not resisting the temptation of printing more money to pay for its spending that has directly contributed to our financial instability. So yet again, and as Ronald Reagan used to say, "Government is not the answer to the problem, government is the problem."

In fairness it must be understood that no country today is still on the gold standard. Instead, like us, each one is on the "fiat" system, which basically means that businesses and private individuals are required to accept the government's currency for all transactions and the payment of debts and taxes. But, fortunately, since 1975 Americans again have been "allowed" by the government to own and invest in gold and silver coins and bullion. Thus in this time of economic uncertainty, many people have converted a large part of their investments into these precious metals.

So now our currency is once again just backed by the "full faith and credit" of the United States government, whatever that means, and it is up to each of us to do what we can to bring back the saying "sound as the dollar" to mean confidence, instead of a wry joke like with the "Continental." This is critical, because the most important way to keep our country safe and secure is to have a strong economy — and the best way for that to occur is for no spending initiatives or legislation to be passed unless they also set forth their source of funding.

For years we have pontificated to other countries that, due to the weakness of their currencies, they should "tighten their belts" and reign in their spending. Well now it is time, for the security of our country, children and grandchildren, that we take our own advice. Please remember that Libertarian thought when casting your vote Tuesday, and in all future elections.

JAMES P. GRAY is a retired judge of the Orange County Superior Court, the author of "Wearing the Robe: the Art and Responsibility of Judging in Today's Courts" (Square One Publishers, 2010), Why Our Drug Laws Have Failed and What We Can Do About It, A Voter's Handbook, Effective Solutions To America's Problems and can be reached at jimpgray@sbcglobal.net or http://www.judgejimgray.com. Judge Jim Gray is also currently offering his 25 years of experience on the bench to ADR Services in Orange County for Arbitration and Mediation services.

As you live your life, let it be a dance - by Judge Jim Gray

As I turned "Medicare eligible" this year, I have been reflecting more and more about the time I have left on this planet. Maybe we all should — no matter how old we are. So I thought I would share some of my reflections with you. I know as you read these lines that you might think of me like Polonius, the father from Shakespeare's Hamlet who was sometimes seen as pushy with his advice ("This above all: to thine own self be true…"), but if these thoughts stimulate even just a few of you or, better yet, your children, then that is a risk I accept.

My first focus is upon some of Rick Warren's observations in "The Purpose Driven Life" about Proverbs 4:23, when he says, "Be careful how you think, (because) your life is shaped by your thoughts," and that "Change always starts first in your mind."

In so many ways, we are the captains of our own ships, and we can shape our attitudes, spirits, and thoughts to live whatever life we seek.

So what is the life we seek? Obviously that is a multifaceted question. But boiled down to its essence, all of the world's great religions express it in a similar fashion, and that is to be of service to others. For example, Jesus said: "If you love me, feed my sheep" (John 21: 15-17).

Similarly, the Dalai Lama said, "If you want others to be happy, practice compassion; and if you want yourself to be happy, practice compassion."

There are many more examples, and if you want it presented better than I possibly could, read Henry Miller's short parable "The Smile at the Foot of the Ladder." Nevertheless, particularly with our lifestyles here in Southern California where the concept of "my yacht is bigger than your yacht" can often lure us toward a false god, it is helpful to be reminded to "keep our eyes on the real prize" of life, which is being of service to others. That is where the real gratification on this Earth lies, and we can achieve it in every part of our lives, be it at home, work, or during our leisure time. Of course we can't bring peace and compassion to the whole world, but we can help to bring them to our little corner of it.

Among the saddest things in life are, first, for a person to look back over his life when he is about to lose it and conclude that he never really lived it, and second, for a person to lose a family member without ever really having told the deceased family member that he loved him. Take positive steps to keep those tragedies from happening to you!

Along similar lines, make an effort to record your elders' stories on an audiocassette or videotape. Forget taking pictures of your vacations if you must, but be sure to capture your parents and the people of their generation telling the stories of their youth and the rest of their lives, and also capture their interactions with you, your children, and friends. This will be a priceless treasure both for you and your descendents.

And maybe you will want to do what my father did by taking those boxes of old photographs and letters that we all have and making a family heritage scrapbook of them. Most of the time, once the elder generation is gone, those pictures and letters have no meaning because we don't know the identity and stories behind them. But if they are labeled and we are told who those ancestors are and where they fit into to our history, you will be creating another priceless and lasting family treasure.

Furthermore, as your parents retire and grow older, encourage them to delve into painting, gardening, writing, baking, or some other hobby. Keep trying to find the right fit until you see their eyes light up at one of the prospects. Then every time you see or speak to them, inquire about how they are progressing, and then be sure to enjoy it with them. And then try the same approach with your spouse, your children, and even yourself. Imagine the excitement in probing into things like the worlds of geology, hummingbirds, oceanography, astronomy, other people's cultures, the life of Caesar Augustus, or whatever lights up your eyes. Like Rick Warren said, "It's never too late to start growing."

And along the way, never accept mediocrity in yourself, your children, your employees, or anyone else whom you can affect. Aristotle said that excellence is not an act, but a habit. So develop the reputation that if you are going to do any task, people can be assured that it will be done well — every time — and help your children to do the same.

I have been blessed to have the opportunity for the past three years to share my various thoughts with you in this column, and I thank the editors of The Daily Pilot for the opportunity. I originally promised the editors that I would contribute these columns for a year, but it became such a gratifying outlet for me, I simply could not stop. And I also genuinely appreciate all the emails and other responses I have received from you as the readers — both when you agree and when you disagree with me. Please keep those responses coming.

Finally I want to share part of my all-time favorite poem with you, with the hope it will have the same stimulating effect upon your lives as it has with mine. It was written by Ric Masten, is titled "Let It Be A Dance," and is shortened to read as follows:

"Let it be a dance we do.

May I have this dance with you?

Through the good times

And the bad times too,

Let it be a dance.

A child is born, the old must die,

A time for joy, a time to cry.

Take it as it passes by,

And let it be a dance.

The morning star comes out at night,

Without the dark there is no light.

But if nothing's wrong, then nothing's right.

So let it be a dance.

Let the sun shine, let it rain,

Share the laughter, bare the pain.

And round and round we go again,

So let it be a dance."

JAMES P. GRAY is a retired judge of the Orange County Superior Court, the composer of the high school musical revue "Americans All" (Heuer Publishing), and can be contacted atJimPGray@sbcglobal.net, or through his website at http://www.JudgeJimGray.com.