Huang Family Newsletter, January 2009

Adults – Amy was hoping to jump right into the workforce but was
informed she first has to take three more classes at Penn (it's a long
story). So she's bummed at the delay but glad to have the chance to
learn and network; although classes so far have been brutally hard.
Lee's been pretty busy at work, but one of his gigs brought him back
to the US Virgin Islands, where he got to unwind after his final
presentation by going to the beach for much needed decompression time.

Kids – We took the kids to San Jose to spend two enjoyable weeks with
my parents. While we were out there, we all went to Merced to see my
sister and her husband's new digs. Since returning, we're getting
back to the routine of day care and adding in various appointments:
Aaron has behavioral therapy once a week, and we won our appeal with
the insurance company to get Jada at least 12 weeks of speech therapy.

Upcoming Speaking Engagement

I'll be speaking at this event next Friday if anyone is interested. Given that the gathering is designed to offer resources and guidance for the unemployed, hopefully you'll be in the audience by choice and not by necessity. I'll post my remarks on my blog shortly after the event is over.

It's Comcastic

As a follow-up to my post last month about Philadelphia's contribution to the world of very tall buildings, Inga Saffron notes that Philadelphia's Comcast Center was the only US building to make 2008's top ten buildings built. Piercing the sky, slaying the curse of William Penn, and making a world's top ten list? Not a bad year for the Comcast Center.

Not Sold on Stimulus

This is what many of us had worried about: D's capitalizing on their overwhelming majority in both houses and the general public's hunger for immediate action to install sweeping changes in the way we spend taxpayer dollars. At least that's how New York Times columnist David Brooks sees it: "Cleaner and Faster." Can we hope that the Senate is clear-headed enough to fix this bill and get it right for Americans? Or can we expect more of the same from the upper house's 58 D's? I'm not optimistic.

Economists on Football

Is there anything economists can't do? Well, besides, you know, the thing we all want them to do, which is tell us what the economy is going to do next. But I've enjoyed the profession's foray into everything from human behavior to political elections. Here's an interesting paper, linked to from the Sports Economist, on an alternative way for the NFL to do overtime, given that the current method - coin flip determines possession - offers an overwhelming advantage to the winner of the coin flip. Indeed, the "I cut the cake in half and you pick which half you want" is one of those great parenting tricks that apparently has broader application than settling that timeless dispute over splitting desserts. Maybe the NFL will cotton to it, too.

How to Implement a Gas Tax Increase

One of the fun things about being a blogger is you can propose solutions and not have to worry about thinking through how to actually implement them. Well, if you're a regular visitor to this space, you know I'm often found banging on the issue of hiking the federal gas tax. How to actually do this, though, particularly in such a dreary economic period?

First of all, let's reiterate why this is a good idea in the first place. Gas prices are artificially low, because they don't have baked into them all sorts of what economists call "negative externalities." That's just a fancy phrase for "costs that aren't borne by the user." When we fill up at the pump, we're not paying our fair share of gas' contribution to a warming planet, a scary level of dependence on shaky countries, and the incremental increase our driving adds to congestion and highway deaths. Heck, we're not even paying our fair share of gas' contribution to the maintenance of our roads: the fact that the 18.4 cent per gallon federal tax hasn't been raised in something like 18 years, combined with greater fuel efficiency in our cars during that time, means we're falling way behind in stocking our highway trust fund.

Combine that with 50 years of subsidized interstate highway construction and unfair formulas in terms of allocation of federal funds for highways versus transit, and you have an economic system that is completely unsustainable, in terms of land use patterns and fossil fuel consumption. The "inconvenient truth" of minding our environmental responsibilities is that we're going to have to drastically wean ourselves from behaviors that are deeply embedded in our American way of life. And, with apologies to appealing to our consciences and enacting complicated cap-and-trade mechanisms as noble attempts at getting us closer to a more sustainable way forward, properly pricing gas through a federal tax is the cleanest way to go.

But, again, how to get there? There are complicated papers that offer solutions far more well thought than what I'm about to offer. The goal here is to keep it simple. Let's say the typical driver logs 12,000 miles a year, and the typical car gets 20 miles to the gallon. (You would use actual statistics to figure out what these averages are.) An extra $2 a gallon gas tax (i.e. going from $0.184 to $2.184) would cost the typical driver $1200 a year, or $100 a month. (12,000 miles divided by 20 miles to the gallon = 600 gallons consumed @ $2 a pop.)

That's a hefty hike even in good times, and one could argue that, well, tough, we need that money to pay for huge infrastructural investments that move us towards a less petroleum-dependent economy. But let's instead make this as revenue-neutral as possible. Additionally, let's make this really progressive, so we help poorer people proportionately versus richer people. So we'll give everyone a $100 a month payroll tax credit. That means that in aggregate the federal government collects no more and no less than before; it also means that the average driver also pays no more and no less each year.

Of course, some people make more than others, and some drive more than others. Let's simplify our example by considering four types of people: rich urbanites like me make a lot of money and don't drive a lot, poor urbanites make little money and don't drive a lot, rich ruralites make a lot of money and drive a lot, and poor ruralites make little money and drive a lot.

* Poor urbanites are the big winners; they'll get $1200 a year in payroll tax credit and pay less in higher gas taxes; and that $1200 in payroll tax credit may represent a huge windfall for them, not to mention the fact that many urban poor don't drive at all so are completely unaffected by a gas tax hike.

* Rich urbanites also win: they'll get $1200 a year in payroll tax credit and pay less in higher gas taxes; of course, since they're rich, a $1200 a year payroll tax credit is not a big chunk of change relative to their income.

* Rich ruralites lose slightly: they'll get $1200 a year in payroll tax credit but pay more in higher gas taxes; of course, since they're rich, and since they're consuming lots of gas, this seems fair.

* Poor ruralites are the big losers here: they'll get $1200 a year in payroll tax credit but pay more in higher gas taxes; of course, some of the problem our country has with poor rural areas is that they've become economically and geographically obsolete, so you could make a case that this crowd can thus choose to either eat the higher cost to stay where they are or move to places that are closer to economic opportunity and are less taxing (literally and figuratively) in terms of auto dependence. (You could also just tweak the numbers so that the federal government has extra money when this transition is made, and then it uses that extra money to help poor ruralites.)

In ten or so years, when the technology is in place to levy user taxes via vehicle miles traveled versus gas consumed, you'd use a similar formula: figure out what the average miles traveled is, run your numbers from there, and then anyone that drove less than that would get a break (which they would deserve, since they're imposing less of a cost on society) and those that drove more would have to pay more (which, conversely, would be fair, because they're imposing more of a cost on society).

Again, others have thought through the mechanics of this more thoroughly than I have; and admittedly, changes are hard to make, especially in tough times. But I argue that our resistance to a gas tax increase speaks to a dependence on cheap gas that has ruined our landscape, environment, and geopolitics, a dependence that needs to be dealt with and changed. (It doesn't help that gas prices are posted on big signs, or that we stand there by the pump and watch the numbers turn, versus payroll tax credits being somewhat invisible to our wallets in contrast.)

And, however clunky my solution is, it can get you to a better price for gas, in ways that don't have to hurt and can even help many poor people. At a more appropriate price, people that are willing to pay will pay, and people that are not willing to pay will conserve. More importantly, the relative permanence of the price hike (as opposed to last summer's run-up) will lead to structural shifts that move us closer to a more sustainable society: land prices will adjust accordingly, land use will account for the scarcity of fossil fuels, and individuals and businesses will modify their behavior to conserve resources that deserve to be conserved.

High Gas Prices Lead to Rational Behavior, Talking About It to Irrational Thinking

As I mentioned in a previous post, I took some flak at a recent lunch meeting for favoring higher gas prices. The fact of the matter is that some of the most rational behavior I have ever observed came from the cleansing reality of $4 a gallon gas: SUV sales plummeted, people discovered the convenience of transit and bicycles, and conservation measures took on increased importance. Now mired in an economic slump and facing rising unemployment, I fear we'll lose our gusto to do the "inconvenient" things we need to do - as individuals, businesses, and regions - to move towards a more sustainable way of life.

Speaking of the recession, I'm reading in various parts of the blogosphere that it was higher gas prices that caused our slowdown, and thank goodness for lower gas prices lest we be in even worse shape. Wrong and wrong. A freshman Econ 101 student can tell you the mechanics of how lower gas prices were caused by the slowdown, not the slowdown by higher gas prices; and economic scarcity is hurt and not helped by artificially low prices that encourage consumers to piss away precious resources rather than conserving them.

The fact of the matter is we get all worked up about all of these things that are purportedly the right thing to do - subsidize transit infrastructure, unplug our appliances, institute cap and trade mechanisms, require automakers to make cars that are more fuel efficient - and then neglect the one simple action that will more effectively get us to take those very actions: price carbon correctly. Get that right, and everything else becomes a lot easier, if not altogether unnecessary. Get that wrong, and not only are we swimming against our deepest impulses, but we jeopardize our national security, our global competitiveness, and our grandchildren's quality of life.

Green for Breakfast, Green for Lunch

Yesterday, I attended not one but two “green” related meetings. I was invited to a breakfast gathering of the Sustainable Business Network of Greater Philadelphia, which had brought Oakland’s Van Jones to town last year and was reconvening to see how breakout committees had done in the interim. Apparently, Philadelphia is being bandied about as a “model” city when it comes to grassroots activism around “green” jobs, which is nice to see for a quintessentially old, industrial town.

For lunch, I attended a brown bag gathering hosted by the Center City Proprietors’ Association, which brought in Fred Glick of US Spaces to talk about how to better green your life and business. I may have gotten in a little trouble when I expressed my hatred of Apple and my opinion that higher gas and utilities prices are a good thing, but hopefully my comments contributed to a stimulating discussion.

All in all, it was an informative and inspiring day. Of course, I topped it all off by having – what else? – greens for dinner.

Quit Spending My Kids’ Money

Everyone seems to be on board with President Obama’s stimulus - excuse me, recovery – bill, and naysayers are branded as being reactionary and heartless impediments to progress. Leave it to Philadelphia Inquirer’s editorial page to perfectly capture my response: “So let's remember that with any and all of the recommendations for the latest $825 billion stimulus package - whether it's the increased spending favored by Democrats or the tax cuts preferred by Republicans - the money is all borrowed and will have to be paid back by taxpayers. That's why it is best to make sure the money is properly spent and not earmarked for a wish list of pet projects by a long line of pols.”

I’m not saying we shouldn’t spend, spend, and spend. After all, there are a lot of times in our lives when it is prudent to spend now and pay later: going to college and buying a house being two notable examples.

But let’s not forget that this isn’t free money spurting out of Washington. Our kids will have to pay this back, with interest. And they’ll do so at the same time that we’ve strained our entitlement programs to the limit. To cite but one example, we’ve gone from 14 workers for every retiree when Social Security was enacted in the 1930’s to 3 for 1 today and 2 for 1 when I retire; and all this as we live longer and therefore will be collecting checks for more years.

So you’ll excuse me if I’m hoping for a more than little restraint and analysis when it comes to federal spending. After all, that’s my kids’ money we’re spending.

Sloshy Day for Errands

Several inches of snow overnight, followed by freezing rain all day, turning streets and sidewalks into slush. Sounds like a good day to run five errands and hit two separate meetings downtown with a dash home in between, huh? Here was six hours spent on January 28:

7:35a-7:45a – Throw the kids in the car and drive them to day care. Yes, we live a mile away and it took 10 minutes; that’s how treacherous the roads were.

7:45a-7:50a – Get the kids out of the car and down the street to day care, fumbling with hats and gloves and scarves and snacks all along the way.

7:50a-7:55a – Drive the car a ½ mile down the street to get the oil changed.

7:55a-8:00a – Leave the car and keys @ Firestone.

8:00a-8:05a – Walk three sloshy blocks to the post office.

8:05a-8:10a – Mail a package and buy stamps.

8:10a-8:15a – Walk one sloshy block to 30th Street Station.

8:15a-8:20a – SEPTA from 30th Street to 15th Street.

8:20a-8:25a – Buy tokens @ SEPTA store.

8:25a-8:30a – Walk three sloshy blocks to Center for Architecture.

8:30a-9:35a – Sustainable Business Network meeting.

9:35a-9:40a – Walk two sloshy blocks to Chinatown.

9:40a-9:45a – Hit the pastry store and the grocery store.

9:45a-9:50a – Walk two sloshy blocks to the 11th Street Station.

9:50a-10:00a – SEPTA from 11th Street to 46th Street.

10:00a-10:10a – Walk five sloshy blocks to home.

10:10a-11:10a – Wait for contractor.

11:10a-11:40a – Do walk-through with contractor.

11:40a-11:50a – Walk five sloshy blocks to Radio Shack.

11:50a-11:55a – Exchange item @ Radio Shack.

11:55a-12:00p – Walk two sloshy blocks to 40th Street Station.

12:00-12:10p – SEPTA from 40th Street to 15th Street.

12:10p-12:15p – Walk two sloshy blocks to 15th and Walnut.

12:15p-1:30p – Center City Proprietors’ Association meeting.

Football Lust

Is watching football morally equivalent to ogling SI's annual swimsuit
issue? A dangerous question to ask on the eve of the game's marquee
matchup. It's pretty clear that if I were to slowly make my way
through the swimsuit issue, I would be sinning: that would constitute
a lustful, objectifying, and shallow act. You'll scarcely find a more
rabid football fan than me; and yet I have to admit I find little
difference on a moral plane with savoring a good gridiron contest.

Let's face it: I could care less about Troy Polamalu's heritage, Larry
Fitzgerald's brains, or Kurt Warner's charitable actions. For four
hours on Sunday night (or, in my case, for one hour the next Monday
morning), I want to see football strategery, awe-inspiring throws and
catches, and bone-crushing hits.

Ah yes, the bone-crushing hits. Never mind that the typical football
player is going to age at an alarming rate and enjoy not only a
reduced quantity but an impaired quality of life as a result of what
he does for a living today. Hey, they make their millions and have
fame heaped upon them, and I paid good money for my ticket, so hit and
be hit all day long for my viewing pleasure; and when you're too old
to do so at an elite level, we've forgotten you anyway and moved onto
something younger and fresher. (We're closer in spirit to those
brutal Romans than we'd like to admit, aren't we?)

In other words, just like we don't care about anything about SI's
swimsuit models than their bodies, and in fact use what they do with
those bodies to satisfy our viewing pleasure, so it is with football
and football players. In both cases, our motivations are shallow,
objectifying, and, dare I say, lustful.

Does that mean I need to quit football watching cold turkey? I'm not
sure. At the least, I'll try to remember to check myself as I enjoy
the Big Game on my treadmill Monday morning, to see in what spirit I
am enjoying the contest.

Living in a City

Although the name of my blog is "Musings of an Urban Christian," it
occurs to me that I don't directly talk about city living that much
here. Probably it's because the urban life has sunk so deep into my
daily routine as to become, well, routine. But perhaps what is the
typical backdrop for me isn't so typical for others. So, in the
interest of being a faithful documentarian/anthropologist, here are
some musings about living in a city.

University City circa 2009 has some of your typical characteristics of
big city living. We have hardly any front or back yard space to speak
of, high density means easily walkable trips and less dependence on a
car, and proximity to campus and downtown are huge selling points. We
are neither a high-end neighborhood like Chestnut Hill or Rittenhouse
Square, but nor are we a burnt-out ghetto like big swaths of North
Philadelphia and Southwest Philadelphia.

In many senses, it is this "tweenness" that uniquely characterizes and
distinguishes University City, and why I find it suits me so. Most
urban neighborhoods have more ethnic diversity and cosmopolitanness
than suburban and rural places, but ours also has socio-economic
diversity: professors and doctors living on the same block as people
on welfare and SSI. One needn't go too far from my house to find both
trendy restaurants and cafes as well as boarded-up rowhouses and
squatter communities. Even the senses are dazzled by a diversity of
palettes, from the pleasant waft of brilliant gardens to the
unmistakable stench of fresh marijuana.

What I would hope for in a neighborhood is what I would hope for in a
church. And, not coincidentally, the church we attend is a
neighborhood-serving one and one for which the following statement is
also true. Anyone can feel welcome here: people of all skin tones and
salary amounts and sexual persuasions, all countries of origin and
culinary styles and cultural preferences.

There are pros and cons to any place, and this is no less true of
where I live. I am within walking distance of where the first
computer was built (ENIAC) and where the world's greatest track meet
is held (Penn Relays). I can go days without driving a car while
still immersing myself in some of the greatest cultural, historical,
and gastronomical resources that can be found. And far from my house
being the size of a closet (like in Manhattan) or requiring a salary
ten times what I currently make to afford (like in San Jose), it is
expansive in space and I pay embarrassingly little in terms of my
monthly mortgage.

On the other hand, I actually have to worry about my garbage cans
being stolen; after all, it's happened before. Never mind my trash;
we've also had our house broken into as well as things stolen off our
front porch. And on my good days, I think of my 90-year-old house as
having historical character; but on the rest of the days, I think of
it as a money pit. And did I mention how disconcerting it is to walk
through marijuana smoking and brazen cursing on my way to and from day
care?

Ultimately, God is God over all places, but one can make a Biblical
case that He has a special place in His heart for urban settings. And
that would seem to include my neighborhood. For better and for worse,
we dwell here, and so does He; and so we will keep our eyes and ears
and heart and hands open, that we may be faithful to Him here, loving
Him with all we have and loving neighbor as we do our own selves.

Life After AND1

Seth Berger was the first big-name speaker that I landed at the first annual Business Boot Camp, way back in 1998. Back then, AND1 was known among the teens I worked with, but by no means the business juggernaut it would soon become. But even then, as he was in the middle of doubling sales each year for three or four years in a row (!), Seth and his crew were preaching the gospel of doing well by doing right. I couldn’t have asked for a better role model for my teen participants: a young guy, running a company that everyone knew about it, and saying that the most important thing to him was running that company in a way that was sensitive to people and to the planet as well as to profits.

AND1 ended up being bought out a few years back, and Seth and others made out nicely. If you read my blog, you know that one of Seth’s partners in crime, Jay Coen Gilbert, ended up starting B Corporation, which provides certifications to businesses based on their commitment to the pursuit of the “triple bottom line.”

I had lost track of Seth until I opened the paper earlier this week. Right there on the front page of the sports section was Seth exhorting the high school basketball team he coaches in a huddle. Which made perfect sense to me, that Seth would spend his post-AND1 years involved in basketball and in shaping the lives of young men. Kudos to Seth on the unusual but logical career move.

Part-time Job Opening at Church at 42nd/Pine

Our church seeks a new Administrative Associate during an exciting
time of growth and renewal in the life of our congregation. Please
review the position description below, and if you or anyone you know
is interested in applying, send your resume and cover letter to
jobs@woodlandpres.net, and we will respond to you regarding the
possibility of an interview.

The only other thing I would add to this position description is that
we have budgeted up to $18,750 for this position for 2009 (the
equivalent of about $15 per hour), and that is a relatively fixed
ceiling for this position; actual salary to be determined based on
experience and skill set. Note also that as this is a part-time
position, per our personnel policies there are no benefits and there
is no paid vacation time.

***

Job Title: Administrative Associate, Woodland Presbyterian Church
(University City)
Hours per Week: 25
Start date: flexible; preferably by Spring 2009

General Overview
The Administrative Associate is a full time member of the support
staff of the church responsible for assisting the Pastor, the Session,
the Treasurer, and the professional staff in their administrative
responsibilities. He or she
works under the general direction of the Session and under the
immediate supervision of the Pastor.

Responsibilities/Duties:
• Prepare and publish church newsletters and mailings under the
editorial supervision of the Pastor
• Prepare bulletins and slides for worship services under the
editorial supervision of the Pastor
• Provide clerical and secretarial support as requested by the Pastor
and other staff members
• Serve as the church receptionist providing an appropriate response
to members and anyone who calls or comes to the church
• Serve as the office manager ordering supplies and making sure that
the office equipment is in good working order
• Facilitate the work of the Session as directed by the Pastor or the
Clerk of Session.
• Assist the Treasurer in handling funds, keeping records, and making
sure that all receipts and bills are processed and paid in a timely
manner
• Keep church records and files orderly and up to date
• Keep the membership rolls as required by the Book of Order, under
the supervision of the Clerk of Session
• Prepare membership and attendance reports for the Session
• Keep the membership database and publish an annual directory
• Be in charge of the church calendar and responsible for informing
staff and members of scheduled events
• Take the lead in organizing the administrative aspects of the
church's annual Fall Retreat

Skills Required:
• Microsoft Office Suite (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, some Publisher and Access)
• Professional and friendly phone manner
• Superb organizational skills
• Ability to work with a diverse demographic
• Problem-solving skills
• Commitment to working in a ministry setting
• Initiative and ability to work independently

To Apply:
• Send your resume and cover letter to Lee Huang, Chair of the
Personnel Team, by email (jobs@woodlandpres.net), mail (42nd and Pine
Streets, Philadelphia PA 19104), or fax (413 639-3157).
• Email is our preferred way for you to send in your resume and cover letter.
• You may also send in any questions by email; we will not be able to
answer any questions by phone or in person.

Warren Buffett Needs to Read My Blog

I am a huge fan of Warren Buffett, whose value-seeking, slow-and-steady approach to investment and life contrasts with so much of the flash-in-the-pan, get-rich-quick scheming you see out there. So I was a bit disappointed to read in Marginal Revolution that his take on the current recession is to "throw everything at it."

With all due respect, Mr. Buffett, you should know that crisis often leads to action for action's sake, which isn't always good leadership and can in fact lead to all sorts of negative and unintended consequences. (David Brooks on the New York Times is among those leery of a big bailout.)

And while I agree with Mr. Buffett that economists have no idea what's going on and what to do, I'm nervous about "throw everything against the wall and see what sticks" approaches, such as what I've heard from both Buffett and Obama. Such uncertainty is bound to keep businesses and individuals on the sidelines until they can clearly divine what sort of playing field the government is going to set up.

Let's hope that between a all-star economics team, a perceptive commander in chief, a willing Congress, and a transparent process, we can quickly get to a plan of action that, if not perfect, is at least clear enough that businesses and individuals can get back to work. In contrast, "everything and the kitchen sink" may prolong the impasse.

Inspiring Inaugural

I did not get a chance to watch any of the inaugural proceedings live or on TV, but did read President Obama's inaugural speech the next day. One of his best, in my opinion; and to be expected, since it played to all of his strengths. What I liked:

* Reminders of America's unique role in the world, and of the hardships and sacrifices our predecessors endured to fulfill that role.

* Perspective to see today's challenges as a "for such a time as this" moment for America and Americans to shine.

* Affirmation of diversity as America's greatest strength, without sugar-coating the strife that comes with it.

* A promise to welcome those who join us in the journey toward freedom and to end those who do not.

The quote at the end by George Washington was the one that gave me the chills upon the chills. For it places us in the company of those who knew they were making history, and invites us to join in shedding temporal trivialities and selfish pursuits for timeless values and eternal glory. Who we are when everything is falling apart is who we really are - and I savor the opportunity to see what today's Americans are truly made of.

The repair of America's image, of an unsustainable fiscal system, of ideological conflicts worldwide, and of a tattered global economy are messier than soaring words and inspiring promises. But to do the yeoman's work, in the public, private, and non-profit sectors, requires inspired work - inspired by a greatness greater than ourselves and our present day and its ills, reaching back to a glorious past and looking forward to a day when we can look our grandkids in the eye and say we did right by them. Consider me among a people that was inspired on Inauguration Day.

"America, in the face of our common dangers, in this winter of our hardship, let us remember these timeless words. With hope and virtue, let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come. Let it be said by our children's children that when we were tested we refused to let this journey end, that we did not turn back nor did we falter; and with eyes fixed on the horizon and God's grace upon us, we carried forth that great gift of freedom and delivered it safely to future generations." - Barack Obama, 1/20/09

Tropical Getaway

Around here, it's not every work week that you can celebrate the completion of a big presentation by enjoying an afternoon at the beach. Then again, it's not every consulting firm around here that has a gig in the US Virgin Islands. Some musings from my final presentation to the board of their economic development agency:

* My direct flight from Philly to St. Thomas was over half empty. And on the return trip, the airport in St. Thomas was, shall we say, quiet. And remember: some of these trips were booked months ago, before we knew how bad of a recession we were in. Word down there is that fewer people are coming, and those who do are spending far less. Next go round, if we're still slumping worldwide, even fewer people will be coming. That doesn't bode well for a tourism-dominated economy.

* Was it hard to adjust from 10 degrees to 80 degrees? In a word, no. Between the temperate climate and the gorgeous scenery, let's just say one could get used to the island life.

* My reward for traveling 8 hours, working 8 hours on our presentation, sleeping far less than 8 hours, and then making it through the 2-hour presentation itself? An afternoon floating upside in Brewer's Bay, in complete solitude and quiet. Just what this introverted and harried city slicker needed.

* All that being said, it was good to get home and reunite with Amy and the kids. I told Amy my flight was in early enough that I could get the kids from day care, but she insisted she'd do it. We compromised and met up at a nearby McDonalds to catch up over dinner. The kids weren't as happy to see me, though Amy said they had missed me, but Amy was glad to no longer have to juggle them solo.

It looks like this assignment is winding down, so time will tell if we get follow-on work, or if we have the luxury of returning as leisure travelers. Until then, I'll always have the memories, and I'll ever be thankful that work brought me southward in January.

Is the Conservative-Friendly Carbon Tax a Regressive Flat Tax In Disguise?

Dr. Bill Chameides, dean of Duke University's Nicholas School of the Environment, recently asked, "Is the Conservative-Friendly Carbon Tax a Regressive Flat Tax In Disguise?" Not so fast, Dean Chameides:

* All things being equal, the poorer you are, the less likely you are to drive or fly.

* Most proponents of a revenue-neutral solution favor not only lowering income taxes but doing so in a way that helps the poor the most, notably through the expansion of the Earned Income Tax Credit program.

* Christian Laettner is a tool.

Whoops, couldn't restrain my anti-Duke upbringing. But seriously, a carbon tax can by no means be casually labeled a regressive consumption tax and can in fact be made to be quite progressive.

And if you're wondering about the fairness of the rural poor losing and urban rich winning, I say tough noogies. Our dependence on the automobile is so entrenched that we assume we can't force drastic changes in where we live and work and how we approach the question of land use. Having foregone bottled water for tap, using our burlap sacks instead of plastic, and buying a hybrid instead of a SUV, we pat ourselves on the back for doing our part for the environment.

But the "inconvenient truth" about global warning is that it necessitates painful and costly adjustments if we're going to take it seriously. It's not easy to break our addiction to cheap oil and to sprawling life patterns, but the fact of the matter is we've been paying far too less for gas and building an entire way of life around that artificially low price. A fairer price will cause some to conserve and others to have to either eat a higher cost or make a move. And, for our environment's sake and for the sake of our grandchildrens' quality of life, those actions are needed.

What's Important

As a postscript to my musings earlier this month on my workaholism, I want to note in contrast the content of the typical end-of-year letter that one might write and send with a holiday photo card of one's family. Here's how the typical woman (and 100% of such letters I've ever gotten have been written by the wife and not the husband) might structure that letter:

1st Paragraph - Introduction. Introductory greetings, some comment about how time flies and/or the holiday season is so crazy, if religious some sort of religious greeting.

2nd Paragraph - Big News. Could be a move, a job change, or a family vacation.

3rd Paragraph - 1st Child. How old is the first child, what are their activities, what are they into.

4th Paragraph - 2nd Child. How old is the second child, what are their activities, what are they into.

5th Paragraph - Pet or 3rd Child or Pet. How old is the pet or third child, what are their activities, what are they into.

6th Paragraph - Self. Some comment about main job being shuttling kids around to various activities, something about volunteer or leisure activities, maybe a sentence about a part-time job.

7th Paragraph - Husband. One sentence about job, one about hobbies, and one about favorite things to do with the kids.

8th Paragraph - Family Vacation. Introductory sentence about how family vacation was the highlight of the year, where they went, what the kids enjoyed, maybe another sentence about a second, no-kids getaway.

9th Paragraph - Wild Card. Might be a smaller news item, something about extended family, some important activity/organization/cause, or something about something important coming up in the year to come.

10th Paragraph - Conclusion. Signing off, if religious some sort of religious message, salutations for a happy holiday and upcoming year.

I grant you that it's somewhat disingenuous to extrapolate too much from such letters because career-oriented women tend not to write them. But still, notice that out of the entire letter, easily less than 10 percent is devoted to work, even though work takes up about half of at least one of the spouses' waking hours.

Can it be that work is really that uninteresting or unimportant? Or is it that what is more interesting and important to such letter writers are things like kids and leisure? Either way, I find myself at the other extreme, increasingly aware of how where I am is probably not healthy, and wondering if I need to learn something about priorities from these letter writers.

Here's hoping that if I receive a new batch of such correspondence at the end of this year, I can say that I too had placed a higher priority than I currently do on my kids and on fun things. Relative to work, still interesting and important, but not as addictive.

Still Need to Move to Need

Good sermons keep coming back to remind you of what's true when you start to lose track. So it is with one of my favorites, one given by John Piper in 1997 from Hebrews 13. I blogged about it over a year ago, and noted how apt it was after a run of abundance and ease.

It occurs to me that the message is no less relevant today, when so many are struggling through the effects of a challenged economy. Comfort, it seems, is a seductive god both during feast and famine. When we're flush, our sense that life is mission is dulled; and when we're faint, our instinct is to grab all the more tightly what comforts we can still claim.

But, even on this side of glory, do not hundreds of millions struggle under the weight of crushing poverty, in places like Zimbabwe and Mexico City and Bangladesh? And is not God preparing unimaginably wonderful blessings for those who forgo earthly treasures for heavenly ones? Should not then our oomph to move from comfort to need be all the more in such a time as this?

It is thus my prayer for myself, my family, my church, my city, my country, my generation. For the good of our souls, and with eternity at stake, may we be ever mindful to be generous, alert, and engaged; to move with Jesus from comfort to need.

Watch Nothing Live

It has come to this: Amy and I never watch TV live. It is a
confluence of forces. We can't sit still so want the control of being
able to pause. We don't mind and in fact prefer watching in solitude.
And when we're free isn't the same time as when our shows/games are
on. (I have a fourth reason: two 3+ hour football broadcasts can be
condensed to about an hour thanks to the wonders of fast forward,
freeing up five hours a week during football season.)

So we miss out on the communal experience that is watching something
with others, and/or talking about it the next morning. But we're OK
with that. Just don't tell us who won the game or The Bachelor too
soon after it's over.

Federal Economic Stimulus Plan Starts in DC

It looks like there's already some federal economic stimulus being enjoyed in DC on President Obama's very first day on the job: "Inauguration Price Tag: $150 Million." {Link courtesy of DJ Chuang.] See my homemade chart below to put that number in historical context.

And this is, of course, on top of the well over $1 billion spent by Obama and McCain during the presidential election, which broke pretty much every campaign record in the books. The business of politics, it seems, is recession-proof. We certainly live in interesting times.

Meet Market

When a dear friend of mine from the New York City area surprised me
this weekend with the news that he was going to be in Center City and
could I meet up with him, my first thought was "of course" and my
second thought was "meet me at Reading Terminal Market." My kids and
I go fairly often, and while the place offers hundreds of food items
to choose from, we invariably end up with a lassi (smoothie) from
Nanee's and the #1 (fried rice, potstickers, and egg roll) at Sang
Kee. So I brought them along, and my friend's wife and two kids ended
up making the day trip as well.

Not long after we all met up, we bumped into General Manager Paul
Steinke, one of Philadelphia's true renaissance men. I proudly
introduced my friends to Paul and told them what a wonderful job he's
done with the Market, and I proudly told Paul I could think of no
better place to meet my friends from the north. And I wasn't
stretching the truth on either boast, not with the Market absolutely
jam-packed on a Saturday afternoon.

So whether you spring a visit on me on short notice or give me lots of
lead time, it's likely you'll also get to partake in the wonder that
is Reading Terminal Market. Just make sure you bring an eager stomach
and an unclogged nose.

Bad Driver

I've never been a good driver; something about stinking at video games
translated into having less hand-eye coordination skills than my
friends growing up. Nor have I ever been good at directions,
especially when they deviate from a simple core (like an urban grid or
a handful of key markers). Add to all that how infrequent I drive
nowadays, and you have a recipe for getting lost and narrowly avoiding
collisions.

Indeed, it had been 11 days since I last drove when I strapped my
family in for a run to the aquarium. Our usual route was thwarted by
President-elect Obama's presence at 30th Street Station, detouring me
into Center City where I could not sniff the road I was looking for to
save my life. Somehow, we ended up near where we go grocery shopping,
so we decided to pick up a few things while we were there. From
there, I probably took a far more circuitous route than I had to in
order to get to our destination, marveling along the way at how bad
the drivers around me were when in fact it was likely me that was not
fitting in. I topped it off by missing my turn on the way home and
tacking on a few extra minutes to that journey.

When we finally got home, I slowly eased away from our car and thought
to myself, "Let's not do that for another 11 days." It would be in
the best interest of the safety of my car and my family, and the cars
and families around me, if that was the case.

Welcome to Your First Day on the Job

Finally: after years of campaigning, and weeks of being
President-elect, Barack Hussein Obama gets sworn in tomorrow as our
44th president. Time will tell how he does in office, but I'd have to
give him two thumbs-up so far. Here's what I was looking for between
Election Night and Inauguration Day:

* Sensible, centrist policy signals. If there's anybody who's pissed
at O so far, it would have to be the far left. So far, so good, in
terms of governing down the middle.

* Smart, pragmatic team members. From scientists to economists to
Clintonistas, he's surrounded himself with a good supporting cast, and
threaded the needle between inviting their opposition and
communicating he's still the boss.

* Tight production. The campaign with hardly a blip has transitioned
smoothly into the administration with hardly a blip, Bill Richardson's
selection and subsequent withdrawal notwithstanding.

* A call to service. The run-up to the presidency lends itself to
calling Americans to higher places, and here's where Obama's arc has
intersected with his very best gifts, in rhetorical persuasion and an
intelligent sense of history.

Welcome to your first day on the job, Mr. Obama. So far, you've done
all I could've hoped for. I'm pulling and praying for you that I can
say the same thing now that you're on the clock.

Importing and Exporting Football Fans

Alas, the Eagles will not be following in the Phillies' footsteps, as their run to the Super Bowl has yet again fallen one valiant game short. Of course, no Super Bowl also means no opportunity for a championship-induced economic local stimulus.

Tellingly, as noted in a recent Wall Street Journal article [link courtesy of The Sports Economist, the fact that there are bars full of rabid transplanted football fans all across the country may be a good characteristic for a city's football team but a bad characteristic for a city itself.

The stories in the local paper about diehard transplanted Eagles fans palling it up in Phoenix only reinforces the fact that Philadelphia has bled a ton of people in the last 50 years, and continues to do so. It's the same story in Pittsburgh, which I blogged about the last time they made it to the Super Bowl. When it comes to economic vitality, cities should want to be net importers and not net exporters of football fans.

It may gall locals to hear this, but if we start seeing around these parts a lot of transplanted Cardinals, Buccaneers, and Cowboys fans rooting for their childhood teams, that'll be a good thing for Philadelphia. Because it'll mean we've stemmed our population loss and become a place people from other parts of the country want to live. Even if they root for the enemy.

Obama Easing Off the Gas

Uh oh. Obama is moving backwards on higher gas taxes, and his energy secretary, Steven Chu, isn't pushing him back forward: "Obama's (Gas) Taxing Problem." [Link courtesy of Greg Mankiw's blog.] I know he has a lot on his plate, but higher gas taxes kill lots of birds with just one stone. Spend your political capital now, President-elect Obama, especially if you can more than offset any temporary pain at the pump with lower payroll taxes.

Thoughts on City Fiscal Crisis

My comments will have to be brief on the topic on account of specific projects I'm working on for my day job, but many have asked me my thoughts on Philadelphia's current fiscal crisis. I'll just leave it at three things:

* We can't have our cake and eat it too. If there's anything economists understand, it's that life is about trade-offs. If revenues are down because of macro-economic forces, then expenses have to be cut. For those who say "shame on Nutter" for cutting something they think is important, my question is, "OK, then what of what's left to cut would you like him to cut?" Because the choice is not between cutting Program X or not, but between cutting Program X or Program Y.

* Not dithering on casinos would've been helpful right about now. Look, I understand that casinos cause social problems, and that they're not a fiscal cure-all. But we passed them, we picked sites, we ear-marked the proceeds; and then as the rest of the state raked in far more than they estimated, we're still hemming and hawing.

* Property taxes are vastly better than wage taxes to depend on. In a mobile economy, you don't want to tax what can easily move across your border. I say this as one whose property tax bill will likely triple if reform is revenue-neutral, and go up even more if reform is coupled with efforts to decrease our reliance on wage tax revenue by upping our take on property tax revenue.

By chance, I happened to bump into two City employees in the past two days. Both are smart-headed, good-hearted, hard-working public servants, and both are feeling the withering effects of the extended crunch. Here's hoping they and others press on resolutely, and that we citizens support them in their efforts to ride this out.

What Am I Working On

Here's my quarterly update on new things I've been working on at work
since the last update on October 8 (you can read past posts for my
ground rules on these quarterly updates):

* Producing a generic pro forma model for a state agency to use in
assessing requests by developers for public incentives

* Helping a developer of a mixed-use project in a distressed urban
community make the case that his development will result in net new
tax revenues for the municipality and school distrct

* Quantifying the economic and fiscal impact of the re-use of a
historic facility as an event center

* Examining the lending and branch location decisions of selected
banks that do business within a major metropolitan area

* Comparing the utilization of minority and women owned businesses for
public sector contracts versus their availability within the region

The Father's Strong Embrace

Aaron's explosive temper has been well-documented in this space. Amy
has instructed me that the approach she wants us to take is bear hugs:
smother his arms and legs, which simultaneously comforts him and lets
him know we're stronger than him. I've had ample opportunity to try
it this week, as Aaron's had plenty of moments.

One sticks out. It was a weekday morning, and Aaron was having a
particularly tumultuous day, the kind where nothing is going right. I
was doing my best to roll with his punches, but had to admit not a
little impatience, given that I was on a time crunch to get out the
door.

So when Aaron started swinging from his seat in the kitchen, I grabbed
him and took him to the isolation of the next room over. I sat down,
squeezed his legs between mine, cinched his arms against his chest,
and held his body tight to mine. Of course, the smothering only made
him all the more enraged and loud. I repeated his name over and over
again - "Aaron, Aaron, Aaron" - as if hoping he would snap out of his
freak-out show and realize he was safe in his dad's arms.

It occurred to me that our Heavenly Father can and does hold us tight
to Himself when we are flailing away. Even as my love and tenderness
for my son mixed with mental impatience and physical fatigue, our God
does not grow weary of waiting on us or of holding onto us. As I held
my sobbing and spent son, I imagined God being available to me all the
times I was sobbing and spent, calling me by name.

Life can seem as tumultuous to me as it must to my two-year-old. How
assuring that we have a God who will bear hug us, who is longsuffering
enough to wait out our tantrums, and strong enough to hold us in when
we are flailing. May I remember that when I need to; and may my son
experience, in his father's strong embrace, an even stronger embrace
from an even stronger Father.

To Live and Die

Maybe it's because I just celebrated a birthday. Maybe it's because I've been sick for three weeks and counting. For whatever reason, I am ever more aware of my mortality, the indisputable fact that I will not live forever and that I will indeed some day die.

I guess that's why this line from writer and theologian Richard John Neuhaus, as quoted by New York Times columnist David Brooks, resonated with me so much: “Be assured that I neither fear to die nor refuse to live. If it is to die, all that has been is but a slight intimation of what is to be. If it is to live, there is much I hope to do in the interim.”

Those of you who know your Bibles will instantly think of a similar line by the apostle Paul: "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sake." (Philippians 1:21-24)

This is the sole aim of the Christian life: to come to such a place of faith that death, however dreadful it is, is not feared as the ultimate end but rather accepted as the great transition to something unimaginably greater; and to know that whatever days we are given between now and then are to be lived for a purpose, for others, for fruitful labor. May we too be as Neuhaus and Paul: not afraid to die and not afraid to live.

Still Playing Middle Halfback

I guess I was destined for middle management: my favorite position in soccer growing up was middle halfback.

Let me explain. Typically, in soccer there are three tiers of players: the forwards play closer to the opponent's goal, the fullbacks closer to your own goal, and halfbacks are in the middle. So halfbacks help out on both the offensive and defensive side of things; and the middle halfback has to be concerned with both the left and right side of the field.

Now, my style wasn't to literally be all over the place; after all, I was only average in speed and endurance. I just liked being involved in the whole field, rather than focused on a limited part of it.

Fast forward to my first job, when I played middle man between my boss and everyone else. Our org chart was like an inverted umbrella, so I got to do things with and for my boss, as well as manage everyone else underneath me. It made for a fun if challenging variety of responsibilities, from boss-level to grunt-level, as well as a fresh perspective and a unique vantage point from which to have influence.

In my current job, there are also three tiers of bodies, although it is more a pyramid than an upside-down umbrella. Principals are principally involved in bringing in business, while analysts are principally involved in doing the work on the business. We directors are tasked with bringing it all together: doling out pieces of each job (up, down, and sideways, depending on who's good at what and who's free), making sense of all the parts, and writing the final report that brings it all together.

Of course, in addition to that important role, we have the opportunity to be principal-like in beating the bushes for business, through our own networks and networking. And we have the opportunity to be analyst-like in physically slogging through parts of jobs that we tend to like or are good at or are left for us when no one is available to perform them.

In other words, in the field that is our firm, we find ourselves playing middle halfback again. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Philly Sports World Turned Upside Down

Doiou2 called it over two months ago: just as the '08 Phillies did what was last done by the '80 Phillies, could the '09 Eagles do what was last done by the '60 Eagles? Will we shed our image as lovable (and tormented) losers? Did simply putting the tiny William Penn figurine at the top of the newly constructed Comcast Center turn the Philly sports world upside down? Tune in Sunday to see if this unusual run of playoff success continues for the City of Brotherly Love.

Gas Man Says Tax Me

Good lord, the freaking CEO of ExxonMobil thinks a carbon tax is the way to go: "Exxon CEO Advocates Emissions Tax." [Link courtesy of Greg Mankiw's blog.] How painfully obvious does this have to get before we move on this?

Hot and Cool

This op-ed by David Brooks is spot-on: "The Confidence Surplus." So far, President-elect Obama has threaded the needle between impressively cool level-headedness and appropriately sober audacity. Swing for the fences - and consistently make contact. Throw Hail Marys - and have a high completion rate. Dial it up from long-distance - with an assassin's accuracy. (How many metaphors can I mix at once?) We live in interesting times.

Workaholic

Going away on vacation has a nice effect of giving you a fresh perspective on your life. On this most recent trip, for two weeks to San Jose to see my parents, having this time away from work and catching up with old friends has made me realize how much of a workaholic I am. I spend practically zero time and money on leisure. The notion of watching a movie, playing fantasy football, or having a hobby are completely foreign to my normal schedule.

You could chalk it up to having a demanding job, two small children, and an old house. But when I do have discretionary time, I tend to think about more work-oriented things I could do, not less: joining another board, or expanding my network, or researching and posting on my blog. And I never consider that I have discretionary money; not with college funds and retirement accounts and a plunging stock portfolio.

To be sure, personal comforts and leisure pursuits can easily become trivial or, even worse, idolatrous. Just as part of the effectiveness of fasting from food is in stoking our spiritual hunger for God, so does the easy life dull us from the reality that we live not for ourselves but for a greater, eternal mission. "Retail therapy" is based on the lie that things can fill our emptiness. God cares that we spend well all of our time and money, not just the 5 percent we spend on church activities and the 10 percent we tithe. That Jesus suffered does not replace our striving for the Kingdom but rather embues it with purpose. See, for example, Hebrews 13:13-14 or 1 Peter 4:1-2.

But work can itself become trivial or, even worse, idolatrous. God made rest for our enjoyment and for His exultation. God doesn't need us to accomplish His purposes, whether healing broken people or fixing broken systems. Time and money are meant to be spent and not hoarded. And each of us is worth spending some of that time and money on, for our own sake, and not just because the rest and pleasure will make us better parents or workers or ministers.

So here's hoping 2009 brings good uses of time and money, both for meaningful work and for equally meaningful rest and leisure. God is pleased with both, and desires to give both in abundance; just maybe I'll be more willing this year to receive both from Him.

Simple Size Me

I've copied below a quick message from a friend of mine who has made
me aware of a website - www.simplesizeme.com - that a colleague of
hers has set up to raise $1 million for various hunger-related
projects and organizations, including Fruit of the Vine International,
which was started by my late friend's wife and which supports
orphanages in her native Kenya. Please consider giving and fasting.

***

Hello Everyone,
A friend of FVI, Ryan Kellermeyer is doing a rice & water fast to
raise awareness and money for hunger related projects and
organizations. Ryan's goal is to raise $1million dollars during his
fast.One of the organizations featured is CLF's own Fruit of the Vine
International.The site is pretty cool as Ryan features a daily video
journal about his fast. Please do three things 1) check out the
website every day to vote for FVI 2) Please donate to help raise money
for the hungry 3) Please pass this email along to everyone you know
who may wish to support!
http://www.simplesizeme.com/

here is a very powerful video depicting the depth and need fro hunger
relief .. http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?sid=67564532432&h=oqWPB&u=56Cwl
Please don't forget to check out for an opportunity to donate money
to Fruit of the Vine International! http://www.fviministries.org/
Grace & Peace,
Tel

It's Hard to Spend Three Quarters of a Trillion Dollars

Surprisingly, it's hard to spend three quarters of a trillion dollars. My left-leaning friends may disagree, but that much federal money is bound to not be spent well. Ed Glaeser apparently thinks so, and check out the reference to my man Henry Hazlitt over at Market Urbanism.

It seems the Obama teams is finding this to be true too, as it appears it is assigning more of that $750 billion to tax cuts. With just days until Obama's first day on the job, it'll be interesting to see what the final package looks like, and how the American economy - and the American people - respond.

Pray for the Children

I'm not sure if we would call it a New Year's resolution as much as a commitment borne of love and desperation. But Amy and I want to do better in praying for our kids. Here's a useful reference to anyone else like us who needs help to remember to pray and to know what to pray:
"Texts to Pray for Our Children."

MY FAVORITE POSTS OF 2008 - DECEMBER

December 7 - Sanitizing Our History from Religion

More Acclaim for "Dear Zachary"

More honors and more info on my friend Kurt's documentary, "Dear
Zachary." You simply must see this movie. Kudos to Kurt for all of
his hard work.

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Sat, Jan 3, 2009 at 5:16 PM
Subject: "Dear Zachary" airs again on MSNBC Sunday night (Jan. 4) at 8
PM PST/11 PM EST

Happy New Year!
Hope you all had a fabulous holiday season and are enjoying a great
first weekend of 2009. Just wanted to drop a quick note for anyone
interested to let you know that "Dear Zachary" is being broadcast on
MSNBC again Sunday, January 4th (tomorrow) at 11 PM EST (this is 8 PM
Pacific, 9 PM Mountain & 10 PM Central). The premiere broadcasts on
December 7th did so well that they aired it again in the afternoon the
following Sunday, Dec. 14th, and have now put it back on the air in
prime time. I've been receiving hundreds upon hundreds upon hundreds
of emails from viewers affected by the film, most of whom said they
would either be writing Parliament or who had already done so and
attached their letters.
In other news, in December, "Dear Zachary" was named one of the top 5
documentaries of 2008 by the National Board of Review and was
nominated for Best Documentary by the Chicago Film Critics
Association, both tremendous honors. It has, that I know of, made it
onto at least 30 film critics' lists of the Best Films of 2008.
The DVD is now available for pre-order on the front page of
www.dearzachary.com, or on www.amazon.com, and will be released
February 24th.
It continues to play theatrically in the meantime; it's currently
showing this week in:
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Circle Cinema
12 South Lewis Avenue
www.circlecinema.org
...then opens next Friday, January 9th in:
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Center for Contemporary Art
1050 Old Pecos Trail
http://www.ccasantafe.org/
and
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Regent Square Theater
1035 South Braddock Ave
http://pghfilmmakers.org/exhibition/upcoming.html#zachary
and returns by popular demand on January 30th to...
Chicago, IL
The Gene Siskel Film Center
164 North State Street
http://www.siskelfilmcenter.org/
And shows on February 12th in...
St. Louis, Missouri
Webster University Film Series
http://www.webster.edu/filmseries/current.html
Hope you're having a wonderful weekend and all the best,
Kurt
www.dearzachary.com

Father Knows Best

I must confess that while I love my daughter, I often can't stand her.
She's in a tricky situation because she's clearly got a lot of
cleverness going on for her, but her verbal skills stink. Add the
typical sassiness of this age, and her deeply engrained anxiety about
abandonment, and you have all the ingredients for back-talk,
misunderstandings, and meltdowns of epic proportions.

Today, I was holding my ground on something she was pushing back on me
on, and she just absolutely lost it. It occurred to me that she just
wasn't getting that what I was not allowing her to do that she wanted
to do was in her best interest; rather, she took it that I didn't care
about her, that I didn't get her, that I wasn't committed to her. And
so she felt what a three-year-old who has already been left once would
feel: hurt, betrayed, alone.

I let the profundity of this analogy of God's love and our waywardness
sink in today. I can't tell you how many times I tell Jada we have to
do A and she wants to do B (or, as a corollary, we can do A1, A2, or
A3, just not B), or we can't do A and she wants to do it (or, as a
corollary, we have to do A and she doesn't want to do it). God must
do this every day with us. And just as Jada's resistance is
frustrating for me because I know that I know best for Jada and her,
how it must be for God when I am like Jada with Him: Him givng me tons
of viable choices, and me only wanting to choose something that's not
on the table; or Him saying I can't do something I really want to do,
or vice versa. One can trace most every base sin - lust, jealousy,
greed, sloth, gluttony - to the thought that Father doesn't know best.

Here's where the analogy breaks down, and where I get a little
misty-eyed. As much as I love Jada - and while sometimes I can't
stand her, I will always, fiercely, tenderly, unwaveringly love her -
God loves me even more fiercely, tenderly, and unwaveringly. I may
see barely into the future - if you run into the street, something bad
might happen - but God sees all at once and so has perfect knowledge
about what will work out and what won't. And He is all-powerful,
while my powers are dwarfed by many forces seen and unseen.

And just as Jada back-talks me and tantrums when she doesn't get what
she wants and wonders tearfully if I am really for her, so I am with
my God. And yet He continues to love me, and not only love me but
endeavor to chase after me with His goodness (Psalm 23:6) and
abundance (Luke 15:20). Will I endure to love Jada and hang in there
with her even when she is being obstinate and disrespectful? Yes, in
the hopes that she will know that I will never leave her and am
committed to be her father with all I got; and in the hopes that she
will see in that a faint glimmer, however human and tainted, of a
greater love, that of a Heavenly Father who has made her, who will
shepherd her, who will ever love her.

MY FAVORITE POSTS OF 2008 - NOVEMBER

November 23 - Winter is a Season, Too

MY FAVORITE POSTS OF 2008 - OCTOBER

October 2 - A Greater Day of Reckoning Awaits

MY FAVORITE POSTS OF 2008 - SEPTEMBER

September 1 - Sorrowful, Yet Always Rejoicing

MY FAVORITE POSTS OF 2008 - AUGUST

August 6 - Unsustainable

Easy Win

Tom Friedman, respected columnist for the New York Times, says it's time for a national gas tax: "Win, Win, Win, Win, Win . . . " He had previously argued Bush could've used our post 9/11 patriotism to swallow such a blow to our love of gas guzzlers and open spaces, but he didn't.

Obama similarly has political cover, especially if he trades a gas tax or carbon tax for a payroll tax cut. But time's a wasting; in the article, Friedman notes that CNNMoney is reporting that trucks and SUVs will outsell cars in December 2008, and that sales of hybrids are way down. Apparently, the memory of $4 a gallon gas isn't good enough; gas actually has to be $4 a gallon to get us to do the sorts of things we need to, from a long-term environmental and geopolitical standpoint.