The World Around You

Kevin notes Laurence’s disillusion with all things Carnival. I can’t say I blame him.

Adam Cohen has an Editorial Observer piece in this morning’s New York Times

Alabama’s disintegrating government is a problem, certainly, for anyone in the state. But it may also be a harbinger of where the nation is headed. There is a “starve the beast” ethic, currently fashionable among conservatives, holding that the best way to downsize government and end the social safety net is to get voters to demand lower taxes. But before we hurtle any further in that direction, we should think hard about whether we want the whole nation to look like Alabama does this year or, worse, next year.

Alabama is not a wealthy state, but its bigger problem is that it is not making an effort to raise the taxes it needs. It is 48th in the nation in state and local revenue as a percentage of personal income, according to Governing magazine. And it has the nation’s least equitable tax system. Alabama’s income tax kicks in for families of four earning just $4,600. Its property taxes are the lowest in the nation, Governing reports, and “heavily favor farming interests.”

As a Republican congressman, Governor Riley strongly opposed tax increases. But when he took over the state government, he realized it could not run on the revenues coming in. He courageously offered up a tax package that raised the needed revenue while shifting the burden from overtaxed poor people to undertaxed business interests. But the package was defeated by a skeptical electorate, with many of the no votes coming from low-income Alabamians, whose taxes would have gone down.

He goes on to draw the parallel to the current presidential administration.

The nation is facing precisely the same issues as Alabama. The Bush administration has tried to delude the public into thinking we can fight a war, rebuild Iraq, fix our schools, get prescription drug benefits and still enjoy the largest tax cut in history. But the deficit cannot grow forever. Eventually, we will have to pay more or, as “starve the beast” proponents hope, do with much less.

Last month, Alabama voted for fewer social services, less education, and a shoddier legal system — to become, that is, more like a third-world nation. But low as taxes are, the state will never be better at being an underdeveloped country than actual underdeveloped countries are. Alabama’s best chance, and the nation’s, is to invest in its people and civic institutions, the things that set America apart.

Governor Riley’s setback last month is being hailed by national antitax forces as a great victory. But if Alabama heads into next year without additional revenues, students may have to learn without textbooks, prisoners may be released early, and people may start dying of preventable diseases. We should all pay attention, because if the “starve the beast” crowd continues to prevail in Washington, as goes Alabama so may go the nation.

Maybe we should change the state motto! It should be, “Alabama, Leading the Nation Down the Drain.” That’s catchy, isn’t it?

Seriously, the Governor will continue to tell Alabamians the truth and, together with the legislature, they will have to come up with creative solutions to difficult problems. I have faith in our state’s administration. Which is much more than I can say for our leadership in Washington.

Who would have thought after the heartbreaking, season opening loss to Bowling Green at home that the Boilermakers would be a top 10 team just six weeks later,

The Purdue football team (6-1, 3-0 Big Ten) is ranked 10th in this week’s Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today polls, released this afternoon.

It marks the Boilermakers’ second-highest ranking under seventh-year head coach Joe Tiller. Purdue was ninth the week of Nov. 5, 2000. The last time the Boilermakers were higher than ninth was the week of Sept. 10, 1979, when they were fifth in the Associated Press poll under head coach Jim Young.

Under Tiller, Purdue has been ranked in the Associated Press poll 57 weeks (out of 112 possible). That total stands as the second-most by any Purdue coach. Jack Mollenkopf was on the sidelines for 80 ranked weeks from 1956 to 1969, including five at No. 1 during the 1968 season. Purdue has been ranked 215 weeks in its history.

Purdue’s next opponent, Michigan, checks in at 13th in the AP poll and 15th by ESPN/USA Today. The Boilermakers visit the Wolverines on Saturday, Oct. 25. Kickoff is 3:30 p.m. EDT at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, and the game will be televised by ABC.

The Boilermakers have not won at the “Big House” since 1966, 15 straight losses. This would be a huge mental hurdle for Purdue to overcome. They are currently one of two undefeateds left in the Big Ten, the other is Michigan State, and the two teams will not meet this year.

Just a personal note about Dell Computers. A bug got into my system at home and the hard drive crashed and is beyond salvation. Within 10 minutes of calling the Dell customer support line, I had a new hard drive on the way that should be here tomorrow. Of course I’m a bit miffed at losing all of my data on the hard drive, but I am exteremely impressed with the service I received.

Dell Rocks!