However curling in sweeping the South!  Yes, curling, that sport with rocks and brooms has made a foothold in Dixieland!  The Charlotte is only one of several new clubs forming or trying to form.  The Triangle Curling Club has been in in the Research Triangle area for several years.  Here’s a video from WTVD TV 11 from Raleigh.

The Palmetto Curling Club in South Carolina, started by Beau Welling (and many others, too), has started its club in Greenville (Here’s the video from Fox Carolina) and they even had a bronze medalist  (Anne Wiggins, 2004 USA Senior team) present as well as a state House of Representatives resolution.  There is also a new forming club in Atlanta, as well.

Florida has several curling clubs, one in Orlando, one in Tampa and one in Sarasota as well.  Louisiana is also working on a club on Facebook.  Finally, Knoxville Tennessee has had an existing active club for several years.

Richmond’s curling club, tentatively named the Curling Club of Virginia, will have its second meeting next Sunday, June 27th at 5 pm at Legends Brewery.  Come on out!  Let’s get started!

I agree!  I do not intend to condone the use or abuse of liquor; I do not drink alcohol in any form.  But it is not a governmental function.  The ABC stores should be sold and extra revenue raised from the private dealers (with appropriate safety and zoning regulation) applied to essential government needs like education. 

But I urge the Governor not to stop there:  Sell the lottery, too.

The state lottery, that “benefits” education, is a form of gambling run by a state agency under the authority of the statutes and state constitution.  Gambling is not inherently sinful but is discouraged by most evangelical denominations.  But there are social costs associated with gambling.  This book published by the Cambridge University Press by an expert (formerly on the faculty of the University of Illinois now Distinguished Professor of Economics at Baylor University) asserts that the social costs of gambling is half that of drug abuse.  Professor Earl L. Grinols suggests that:

The social costs of gambling, such as increased crime, lost work time, bankruptcies and financial hardships faced by the families of gambling addicts, have reached epidemic proportions, costing the economy as much as $54 billion annually, Earl L. Grinols, an Illinois economist, has written in “Gambling in America: Costs and Benefits,” published this month by Cambridge University Press.

This compares with the estimated annual $110 billion cost of drug abuse, according to the U.S. General Accounting Office.

 While the emphasis was on casino gambling, the state lottery certainly places the state in the position of both encouraging gambling and also making it socially acceptable, even desirable (I’m helping education!).  There was a commercial in the Commonwealth of Virginia that had teachers and classrooms show to encourage playing the lottery. 

Try this source:  Dr. Patrick Briney, Ph.D., President of the Arkansas Republican Assembly.  Dr. Briney wrote that the social costs of the lottery outweigh the benefits:

• State sponsored lotteries promote problem gambling (Richard Huddleston, 2002. An Arkansas Lottery, A Bad Bet for Education & Families?).
• Research shows, “… that the lottery is a powerful recruiting device, which is responsible for inducing about one-quarter of the adult population who would not otherwise have done so to participate in commercial gambling.” Lotteries create gamblers who otherwise may never have gambled. (Clotfelter and Cook, Selling Hope: State Lotteries in America (Cambridge, Mass., Harvard University Press) 1991 pg. 105).
• Dr. Lance Dodes, who runs Massachusetts’ largest outpatient treatment center for problem gamblers says that lottery players comprise 44% of his patients. (Golden, Daniel and Halbfinger, David, “Lottery Addiction Rises and Lives Fall” Boston Globe, February 11, 1997).
• 43% of all callers to the national 1-800-GAMBLER hotline indicated problems with lottery gambling. (Council on Compulsive Gambling, “1995 Statistics for 1-800-GAMBLER Hotline” March 20, 1996)
• 39% of persons who entered publicly funded alcohol and drug treatment centers in Texas stated that the lottery was their most problematic gambling activity. (Wallisch, Lynn, “Gambling in Texas: 1995 Survey of Adult and Adolescent Behavior” Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse).

I wrote on this before.  Senator Sue Madison of Arkansas was brave to take that issue on.  The Hot Springs Sentinel-Record reported that the bill died in committee.

While as a libertarian I believe gambling should be legal, subject to appropriate regulation, the state must get out of the gambling business.  Sell the lottery, Governor McDonnell.

But McDonnell will be a national figure in the GOP.  He won convincingly.  Winning is everything in politics.  I did note that he’ll campaign for out of state GOP candidates but not go to Iowa!  I agree.  2012 is too soon for McDonnell in national politics.  But he may be asked to be the VP for another candidate, maybe another governor who has come to Virginia to campaign for him twice – Bobby Jindal of Louisiana.  You saw it here at THIS blog first…

Governor Jindal came on after the Great American Panel about 9:45PM EDT.  A few notes:

Bobby Jindal is in NYC after campaigning for Chris Christie in NJ!  (He has already TWICE campaigned for Bob McDonnell!)  Jindal suggests that there is a mirror to 1993 – VA and NJ went for the GOP and this led to taking over the House in ‘94.

“We can’t just print the money” Jindal says.  Cong. Ron Paul could not have said it better!  Jindal says the GOP has great candidates and in 1994 some of those candidates came about after the 1993 elections.  Hannity asked about if the Republicans have repented of their big spending ways.  Jindal suggests they have.  I am not sure I am persuaded.  Jindal asserts that the highest tax rates in some states will be higher than France if Obamacare passes! 

The governor thanked President Obama for keeping his word and coming to New Orleans.  Hannity immediately  asked Governor Jindal about Louisiana.  The governor quickly cited several statistics in a row about the Pelican State that I could not keep up with.  (A recent blog entry spoke to that!)  Ethics reform, best government in the South, etc.  The Wonk is in the house!

This is an excellent presentation!  Much better than a certain speech made earlier this year.  My only criticism is Governor Jindal talks fast and is hard to live blog!  But the meat of his message is clear even if he speaks fast. 

We ‘ll try to get a video of this interview.

Here is the video of when Jindal came to Virginia last December – when I met the Governor (and Virginia’s next Governor again!).

McDonnell also got help from Newt Gingrich, another GOP White House potential.  Both fundraisers raised about $350,000.00

The article by Peter Wehner and Michael Gerson examines the GOP fall and institutional reasons why Democrats have some advantages: 

Over the past five presidential elections, Brownstein writes, Democrats have built a “blue wall” consisting of 18 states and the District of Columbia; these account for fully 90 percent of the electoral votes needed to win the presidency.

The solution is to turn to innovative new leaders (emphasis added):

As it happens, the GOP has successful reformers to whom it can look to and learn from, including popular governors or former governors like Mitch Daniels, Tim Pawlenty, Bobby Jindal, and Jeb Bush.

Wehner and Gerson also discuss the issue of immigration: 

No national party can hope to succeed in the long run without broad support among immigrants and the children of immigrants—particularly, these days, Hispanics and Asian Americans.

Governor Jindal’s immigrant, Asian-American background and record of accomplishment will be attractive to many people, without sacrificing his staunch conservatism.  Wehner and Gerson restate the point:

To succeed, the Republican argument requires communicating that growing ethnic diversity does not undermine but rather strengthens the American ideal.

This Governor Jindal can do.  He also has stated (in that infamous speech that nobody liked but me!) that government tends to stifle innovation and drive.  Wehner and Gerson agree this issue is crucial for Republicans:

It is, in, fact, vital for Republican leaders to press the case for economic growth in general. Americans achieve their dreams not through the redistribution of wealth but through the creation of wealth.

Governor Jindal can speak to another issue important to Wehner and Gerson – social justice:

In this respect, Republicans would be well advised here to borrow a page from David Cameron and Iain Duncan Smith in their revival of the British Conservative party. These leaders have emphasized a range of issues that directly influence the quality of life in community: homelessness, addiction, prison reform, family breakdown, long-term unemployment.

I would suggest that as Governor of Louisiana, Jindal has made major changes that will improve the quality of life:  Ethics reform, encouragement of businesses to come to the state, prison reform, tax reform.  Jindal helped bring back a chicken processing plant to Monroe.  Even less obvious issues like speed traps are part of this new thinking.  Of course Louisiana has to be concerned about weather-related preparedness.  I think we’ll see more innovation. 

Finally, Wehner and Gerson speak of returning the GOP to what Senator Moynihan called a “party of ideas.” 

In the 1980s, one of the Republican party’s main sources of attraction to younger conservatives—we are thinking of our younger selves, among legions of others—was its growing reputation for intellectual vitality. “Of a sudden,” wrote Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, a Democrat, in 1981, “the GOP has become a party of ideas.” Restoring that reputation, to be earned now as then through carefully argued and compellingly articulated programs of reform, is a central challenge.

Governor Jindal clearly has the intellectual capital to enage that debate.  He can shape the debate on many issues.  I believe that he will be a great candidate and if elected a great President – whether in 2012 or beyond. 

Finally, there are other leaders with ideas in the Republican Party.  Gov. Mitch Daniels has a stellar record in Indiana and Governor Pawlenty likewise in Minnesota (a blue state that can and does elect conservatives).  Former Governors Huckabee and Romney have must to admire.  Sarah Palin has been vilified in the press but she can be a spark for the party and cna connect with ordinary people – the exact reason so many liberals are afraid of her.  There are others in Congress and state houses with new ideas.   Finally, Congressman Ron Paul, my other political hero, has changed the field of play for ideas and expanded the GOP’s potential reach. 

Having said that, I still believe that Governor Jindal may be the answer to a party looking for new ideas and a new package attractive to Republicans, many independents and conservative Democrats.  Keep an eye on Louisiana.

“As a result of Jindal’s initiative, Louisiana has rocketed to the top of the Center’s rankings, with 94.5 points, earning the top slot among all 50 states.”

Huey Long may be spinning in his grave but the people of Louisiana will benefit. 

The report did however state that it was not yet possible to verify enforcement and there are legitimate issues here.  But this is not Jindal’s fault (emphasis mine):

“And the new laws included a provision — not part of Jindal’s original proposals on the campaign trail — that stripped the board of its enforcement powers and transferred authority to a newly-created panel of administrative judges, causing the board’s members to resign in protest last June. ”

Perhaps this can be repaired in future sessions of the legislature.  But this is a great step.

BTW, my home state Virginia flunked. 

“Virginia, for example, placed 8th in 1999, but has fallen to 31st place, mostly because other states made improvements while Virginia’s ethics laws remained essentially unchanged. Virginia state legislators must fill out a statement of economic interest annually and must disclose outside employment or investment information. But the state lacks the necessary oversight to ensure that the forms are filled out correctly. While other states have made efforts to ensure accuracy, often with the creation of an independent commission, Virginia’s legislators are mostly left to police themselves.”

Maybe future Governor McDonnell can take a page from the Governor Jindal book!

When I ran for House of Delegates (state representative) in 1989, I tried out the Kemp outreach because I believed in it. I spoke at an African-American church (yes a Republican in a primary!) by the invitation of the pastor due to some legal work I did at a discount to establish a museum for a local African-American leader of the 1800s, Jennie Dean. Miss Dean established a school for blacks in Manassas and started three churches (two still exist today). She was a great example of what Christ can do when He gives a person vision. Today, we have two nice places to honor her in Manassas.

I believe that Gov. Jindal is blessed with many of the same qualities that Kemp brought to politics. Although Kemp was a professional athlete in his early years in contrast to Jindal being a state cabinet secretary, university president, federal sub-cabinet officer and member of Congress, both have a great love for ideas. The Kemp-Roth tax cutting bill was a leading impetus that gave the GOP the Presidency and eventually majorities in both houses of Congress. Kemp was also pro-life and somewhat socially conservative. He had a great vision for the fall of communism.

Jindal can make a mark in several areas: one is health care. Louisiana has a charity hospital system that can lend well to experimentation. He made the Health and Hospitals system in Louisiana turn a profit.

Another is prison reform – Jindal’s recent initiative as stated before the Baton Rouge Press Club on April 20 has the potential to be revolutionary:

“The Department of Corrections is partnering with sheriffs in a program to better prepare state prison inmates for release and re-entry into society so they do not become repeat offenders.”

Let me add (in case the Governor reads this blog) – maybe a faith-based prison reform system to reduce recidivism and divert non-violent offenders to other places. Jordan Ballor of the Acton Institute cites a New York study, A Case for Faith-Based Prison Reform, that,

“Inmates who attended 10 or more PF [Prison Fellowship] Bible studies in a year were nearly three times less likely to be re-arrested during 12 months after release.”

And other studies confirm this result.

A third initiative could be reducing the size of state government and lowering taxes. As the governor reported to the Baton Rouge Press,

“Our second major reform initiative is forming a “Commission on Streamlining Government” to examine each state agency’s statutory and constitutional duties in an effort to reduce the size of state government.”

This Commission will make a recommendation to the legislature with a one time up or down vote similar to the base closing commission at the federal level.

Anything Governor Jindal tries to do will be backed up with solid ideas and justifications.

Jindal with his youth and immigrant background will appeal to many voters who may be wary of social conservatives. He also can use his experience as governor to show a governing pattern. Like President Obama, he has a young attractive family and projects well in certain situations. He will be like Kemp a happy warrior, pursuing the clash of ideas without being personal or petty.

Jack Kemp is the past and the future of the GOP – we must expand the base of the party. We can do so without sacrificing social conservative principles. Let us find a person who can explain why we believe what we believe and why it is good for the nation.

I urge Americans to look around you and see: Who is the political leader that people will put their hope and trust in? (I would be derelict if I did not assert that the people of the United States must not put ultimate hope in ANY political leader, no matter how gifted, but rather trust in God and His Son Jesus Christ to deliver and preserve this land!) The person you find is likely to be blessed with many of Kemp’s talents and abilities. Governor Jindal could be that political leader.

(Let me say that I encourage every Virginian reading this blog to support and vote for Bob McDonnell for Governor. He’s a dedicated public servant of integrity, a strong follower of Christ and a staunch conservative. I can give testimony personally about him and his character – unlike my politicians, I actually have been acquainted with him before politics and he’s the real deal!)

Now that the sixty-second commercial for Bob is over, back to the news: It’s confirmed: Jindal is coming to Richmond. He and Bob McDonnell were coming to the Jefferson Hotel, a super swanky luxury hotel in downtown – just several blocks away from my work. I can walk over there. Since I have a flexible schedule, I got the okay to take off for a lengthy lunch and went over to the Jefferson.

What to do for that? How to express my admiration for Governor Jindal? I could not hope to actually meet him. I did know McDonnell in an acquaintance manner years ago but not well enough to presume he would greet me or to presume on his time. There was later a high dollar fundraiser that Jindal was the guest. I didn’t have that kind of money.

I am something of a flag buff, so I have small 3 by 5 inch flags of most of the states. One happened to be the Pelican State. So off I went, with flag in hand, to the Jefferson Hotel.

I forgot one thing: A sign. I took the makings for a small sign. I debated what to place on it: Political or not? I considered doing JINDAL/McDONNELL 2012 – I think that is not as far fetched as one might think. Virginia is a key state to re-place in the red column. But Bob has to be elected Virginia Governor! I decided this was too cheeky.

I actually found my way into the press conference room. The media thought my sign was interesting. I was however, politely escorted out by what turned out to be a member of the Louisiana State Police who was an advance security for the governor. We talked for a few minutes (I mentioned Huey Long and the Saints and he apparently decided I was safe – can’t make up enthusiasm for the Saints! I have rooted for the Saints since I was a kid and decided they had cool uniforms.) Thanks to the diligent but friendly officer (If he reads this, I forgot his name but I thank him) I was at a crossroad convergence of one of the exits but did not hear the news conference. The officer said that I might get to shake the governor’s hand.

Suddenly, Governor Jindal and Attorney General McDonnell came in the opposite way and I got the glimpse of my hero. I waved the flag and the sign. McDonnell did not recognize me or greet me. Nor did Jindal. I thought, there goes my chance. The officer said, “Should have shouted out, ‘Hey Governor Jindal!’” I was too dignified to do that. I wondered and waited all through the press conference, chatting with the officer and thinking how close I came to meeting Bear Bryant. I was at law school at Alabama. I decided one day I had to shake hands with Coach Bryant. I worked up courage to go all the way into the specious outer office of the athletic director and football coach of the Crimson Tide. Alas, I could not persuade the nice but determined lady in the coach’s outer office to let me in. Bryant died my third year of law school. Suddenly the doors opened and before I knew it, I heard the voice of Bob McDonnell introducing me to Governor Jindal. I was nervous and a bit star struck. I remember telling him what an honor it was to meet him. He liked my Louisiana flag but not my Jindal 2012 poster. I think I said he’d make a great President someday. And whish he was gone. I am sorry I did not thank the security officer in person. I thank the Lord and Bob McDonnell for the privilege of meeting Bobby Jindal.

I was actually interviewed by a Charlottesville TV station on my positions but they used very little of it for their news broadcast. I was not from that area. But I was glad to promote the governor!

So, Christmas came 15 days early at the Sanders home and I was impossible at home for several days! There was the issue of that unwashed hand… But how many people get to meet their hero? Or a potential future President? Furthermore, I did not pay a dime to meet him! A member of the Hanover County GOP Committee thought that was astute of me!