A Time for Action

POL 213: In an article entitled, “Graduating to Public Service,” Stephen Barr attempts to alert Americans to a growing trend among young college graduates: they don’t have the sense of civic duty, undying patriotism, optimism in the character of men, or financial incentive to motivate them to apply for positions in the federal government. This is a concern for both government officials and for the average citizen because of the imminent shortage of employees to fill critical roles. The Baby Boomer generation is entering the retirement phase of their lives in droves. Who will step up to take control of our nation as they vacate official positions? This question also begs another, deeper uncertainty looming over the American psyche. Namely, why is there such a disconnection between the younger generations and the federal government? And how can we bridge this gap?

The writers of the Anti-Federalist Papers once advocated for individual states that would hold more power than a federal government. For the most part, their opinion reigned during the Constitutional convention. As a result, a national government was formed that required the input of the individual citizen to make it function well. Over the last two centuries, the size of our government has grown exponentially. No longer does an average citizen feel that his vote holds a sway in the direction of our country. In fact, he more often feels that it won’t matter if he votes or not, the decision is made by an electorate far removed from everyday realities. Or why should he petition his congressman, or call his legislator? They are too entrenched in the concerns of lobbyists and campaign contributors to listen to the voice of an individual constituent. Some of this may be due to the population growth of our country. It is true that legislators today represent a much larger number of citizens. Perhaps we do need to modify the required number of representatives. But at what cost? Would the legislature be able to function properly with more than 435 representatives, or would it bog down in committees, party politics, and hidden agendas? As the nation considers its future, there are several citizens finally sounding the alarm. I believe our past actions in allowing big government and its accompanying distance from the individual citizen has contributed to the attitude of apathy among our youth. If we continue to allow this trend, we deserve to suffer the consequences of our actions. I, for one, would hate to see the results of an overextended and understaffed bureaucracy. Or am I staring it in the face?

An indecent proposal

POL 213: I was shocked and taken completely off guard this week. It doesn't often happen that I fail to respond to a situation with words, but this time I was left with none. It happened Monday night, as a co-worker and I left work after our shift at one of the thousands of restaurants in New York. He began, hesitatingly, to tell me his story. How he had come from an Eastern European country with $150 in his pocket and was now attending school and working fulltime to support himself. His story continued with his portrayal of himself as a hard-working individual who lives according to the law and even pays taxes, but is viewed as an illegal alien by the authorities. Evidently his work visa had run out before his student visa application could be properly processed, and now he remained in the United States on the slim hope that he could work something out to be able to stay permanently.

"Mike," as I'll call him here, continued his conversation with me by broaching a subject I'd never have expected. I could tell he was struggling for words and for courage as he finally suggested an arranged marriage between us in an attempt to gain legal status, and possibly even his permanent green card. The price he was willing to pay? $10,000.

I was dumfounded. How was this possible? My response was that no man should ever have to resort to such a desperate measure in order to stay under the law. I told him that I would look into an appeal, and that perhaps my legislative representatives would be able to help.

This scenario again brought the immigration problem to the front of my consciousness. What IS the best way to integrate newcomers to our country? Do our laws serve as aids or hindrances to this process? It is time to review them and discuss our options and responsibilities as citizens of the United States. President Bush has introduced several initiatives. Let's analyze them fairly, apart from our party and personal agendas, and create a workable solution to this problem.

As we do so, we'll need to take several aspects of the debate into consideration. We need to realize that immigration is not going to go away. It's with us for better or for worse. Congress could sign a bill tomorrow granting universal amnesty for all illegal aliens, or they could choose to erect a 2,000 mile wall. Day labor, falsified papers, and arranged marriages will remain a fact of life for thousands of individuals.

Amity Shlaes addresses Mitt Romney's attack on supporters of immigrants in an article entitled Romney Ignores Blessings of New York's Immigrants by stating that historically, "New York may have served as a sanctuary for illegal immigrants, but it is illegal immigrants who have blessed the city, not the other way around." My friend Mike seems to confirm this sentiment with his story, and even though I'm not willing to compromise my moral stand on the sacredness of marriage, I'd like to see him succeed in his quest for citizenship or legal status in my country.

Hidden costs

POL 213--The winning car in this year’s Indianapolis 500 race was completely fueled by ethanol for the first time in the history of the race. The evidence that corn fuel can perform on a level equal to traditional gasoline is plain, and leaves hope for farmers and politicians that it will soon replace traditional sources of fuel in the race to gain independence from foreign oil.
As an Indiana native, I know from personal experience the effects on the local economy that this switch would have. Farmers such as my uncle and grandpa would be motivated to plant more of their fields and fallow land with the corn or soybeans that the market required. Prices would jump, as indeed they already have. My small county has already experienced a tremendous economic boost, as three huge processing and refining companies have moved into the area and are in the process of constructing gigantic facilities to accommodate the local crops. New companies mean jobs, revenue, and a desperately needed positive forecast for the future.
However, the tradeoffs that America is facing as we continue to pour resources into this market are somewhat hidden. The fervor surrounding the possible reduction in emissions and subsequent benefits to the environment has limited testing the effects of ethanol content in fuel. At this point, legislation limits ethanol content to 10% of a gallon of gasoline. They are considering raising this limit to 20%, but have spent very little on testing anything other than air emissions. For an engine, the alcohol content wears the plastic and rubber parts at an extremely high rate. For small car and motorcycle engines, the risks could be tremendous!

Perhaps a better option would be to invest in the newer field of cellulosic ethanol, made of plant materials. The most efficient option would be algae, with its possibility to produce over 5,000 gallons of biofuel per acre contrasted with corn producing around 300 gallons of ethanol in a year.¹ If we were to back the preliminary research now being conducted, perhaps our government wouldn’t need to subsidize oil tycoons, Alaskan pipelines, or corn ethanol. Indiana has a few lakes and bogs in addition to its cornfields!

¹ Bourne, Joel K. Jr. “Green Dreams.” National Geographic October 2007: 38-59