The congressman Chris Lee matter is depressingly human. If you haven’t yet learned of it, it’s a sad tale: A promising New York congressman resigned yesterday after a shirt-less photo that he emailed to a young woman was passed onto bloggers, who promptly posted it on the Internet. The congressman, 46, is married and a father.
After one gets all the recriminations out of the way — he’s married and a father — one has to wonder, sympathetically or not, what drove Lee to do what he did.
Sex, of course. But it has to be more than that. Between-the-sheets encounters can be acquired in ways far likelier to remain confidential. Lee was a sitting congressman, a member of the House Ways and Means Committee, and he sent a stranger on the Internet a photo of his face – and half-naked body – using his real name. He fibbed only about his marital status and job description. (He claimed to be a separated lobbyist.)
In this partisan and digital environment, Lee had to know that getting caught — and being publicly humiliated — was imminently feasible. How could he be so reckless? It was political and personal suicide.
The human condition is a mysterious animal, and in Lee we see another inexplicable example of it. Why would Lindsay Lohan, while on probation, rip off a very average necklace and risk career-ending jail time? Why did Daryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden throw away Hall of Fame careers? Beloved American comedian John Candy ate himself to death. How do you explain Pete Rose’s gambling? Why do each of us, on a daily basis, do things, however small, against our own personal interests?
Each slice of human frailty is more bewildering than the last. Yet we are fascinated, titillated even, when sensational stories like Lee’s splash across our computer screens and televisions. We gawk – myself included – at what, in one form or another, could be any of us if we just ventured over that line.
Is America’s not-for-profit industry the next bubble to burst?
It very well may well be. Consider this:
There are approximately three million not-for-profit organizations operating in the U.S. today — who knew we had so many problems? — and no fewer than A LOT of them are in some way reliant on the government teat, if you’ll pardon the expression. Not-for-profits large and small receive state and local government funding streams to operate, and the lakes feeding those streams have run dry.
Many, if not most, of these organizations perform important functions, but how many of them provide services that are essential — truly essential? Those that don’t better begin adjusting their funding models. Government money is no longer there, and the drain caused by underfunded public employee pensions on state and local resources has only just begun.
You can’t blame the not-for-profit industry for getting hooked on government money. For the past couple of decades, access to it has been cheap and easy. The dealers were local politicians who couldn’t have been happier to provide annual streams of revenue to worthwhile organizations with politically connected boards. It was a win-win situation, with a cause and an annual cocktail party attached to it, that everyone could feel good about.
I first caught a glimpse of how the process works in the late 1980’s. I was working for a senior New York state senator and attending a local police precinct meeting on his behalf. The issue du jour was guns in schools — there was a rumor that a gun had been seen in a local classroom. Parents, understandably, were upset. What to do?
I raised my hand. “Can we set up an anonymous tip line at the local precinct house? One where students can call in gun sightings with their identities protected, a 1-800-RAT, if you will?”
The idea went over well (better than the name did), and I said I could probably arrange the funding through my office. I figured if my boss wouldn’t pay for it, I would. How much could an old phone and answering machine cost? I was sure the phone company would spring for the number for the PR value.
“But wait”, I was interrupted by a well-meaning representative for a powerful and sprawling local community organization. “Before you do anything, let us put together a proposal. We can probably run this thing.”
A week went by and nothing. I called and said I couldn’t wait any longer; I was submitting a budget of $150 to my boss (turns out we needed an old desk, too.) The local not-for-profit rep pleaded for one more day.
The next morning I was hand delivered a half-inch thick proposal. The annual price tag: $150,000. I can’t recall what all the money was to go for, but it included: a full-time staff member to man the line; a full-time counselor who would work in the local schools, and a part-time statistician who would analyze the data and issue big fat reports on it. 1-800-RAT was turned into 1-800-JOBS, all with the best intentions I’m sure.
Had this plan gone through — my boss and the police precinct commander shot it down in a hail of laughter – I think we could have logged this one in the non-essential column. Or at a minimum, in the this-can-be-done-a-hell-of-a-lot-more-cheaply column.
There are great no-profits out there. I have proudly served on the boards of several of them. But, again, how many are essential? That’s what we invariably will find out in the next couple of years.
Meals on Wheels, “yes”. 1-800-JOBS “no.”
This is going to hurt badly in New York. We are the Mecca of 501c3 corporations, and so many of them are umbillically reliant on a state and local government. Those governments are now so broke, though, that our new Democratic governor is being cheered for proposing (unspecified) cuts in education and health care, the super-electrified third rails of politics.
Not a good sign for goo-goo groups with squishy missions.
The New York State United Teachers (NYSUT)-spawned Alliance for Quality Education (AQE) just announced a video contest to pressure Governor Cuomo to keep spending more money on schools, AKA teachers, despite the catastrophic condition of state finances.
The contest, called “Dear Governor Cuomo”, invites “concerned community members” to submit videos lamenting Mr. Cuomo’s proposed spending modifications to the most expensive educational system in the country, and itemizing how those reductions will ruin their lives.
The well-funded AQE — when are public service union fronts not well funded? — will award cash and prizes to the winners: Three IPads and $1,000 in greenbacks that must be spent on classroom materials. Cute idea.
So cute in fact that The Alarmclock has decided to sponsor a contest of its own.
It is called “Dearest Governor Cuomo” and it invites “concerned community members” to submit supportive videos to Mr. Cuomo, cheering him on and itemizing how the highest taxes and the worst state business climate in America have affected them and their families.
The AlarmClock does not have a budget like AQE’s (NYSUT gave AQE $425,000 to play with) but we are offering lovely prizes, and cash as well.
First Prize: A used AT&T Blackberry Bold 9000.(Only went through the 2009 campaign cycle.)
Second Prize:A brand new retro lime-green Motorola Razr V3. The coolest.
Third Prize:Four shiny quarters that must be used in New York parking meters.(DOT needs the money. Have you seen those potholes?)
Heard an expression last night for the first time: Pigs get fat, hogs get slaughtered. NYSUT is slipping into the latter category with this campaign. That won’t serve anyone well, not even its members.
The New York Times weighed in this weekend on the new smoking ban in the five boroughs and got it right. The Gray Lady compares the soon-to-be-signed law to Prohibition, which it rightly called a “civic disaster.” (Editorial below in case you haven’t seen it.) It is doubtful, though, that this will delay the bill signing by a millisecond. Big Nanny marches on.
“When Mayor Michael Bloomberg began his campaign against cigarette smoking eight years ago, most New Yorkers breathed a sigh of relief. The great indoors — bars, restaurants, hotels, office buildings — all are now smoke-free by law, making New York City a healthier place. And, for those already addicted or tempted, the city offered kits to help people stop smoking and gruesome television ads to try to keep them from starting.
“That antismoking campaign has been a great public service, but now the mayor and City Council have overreached. The council voted — 36 to 12 — to ban smoking outdoors in city parks, beaches and even plazas, including in Times Square.
“No smoking at the crossroads of the world? The vortex of tourism that brings smokers and nonsmokers in great numbers? The site of the world’s most famous New Year’s Eve party, where who knows what goes on? All of this takes the mayor’s nannying too far, even for those of us who want to avoid the hazards of secondhand smoke.
“Already smokers are forced to huddle outside, these days perched on the city’s gray, leftover snowdrifts. Starting in early summer, after the mayor signs the bill into law, they will not be able to stray onto the 14 miles of city beaches or into the city’s 1,700 parks, not even Central Park or windswept Battery Park. Instead of smoking on Brighton Beach, what does a smoker do — take a boat out 12 nautical miles into international waters?
“Some City Council members wanted to find a less-drastic solution — like having the ban but establishing smoking areas on the beach or patches of the park. It’s not great, but it’s better than an all-out ban. Also, the city would have to provide a lot more receptacles for cigarette butts and enforce antilittering laws in those areas.
“Meanwhile, there is talk that the mayor and the City Council want even more, like banning smoking near doors of office buildings and apartments. They need to take a deep breath and remember that we tried prohibition 90 years ago. They called it a noble experiment. It turned into a civic disaster.”
I saw a report on school bullying on the local news this morning while getting an oil change. It must have lasted a half hour, with the number of psychologists, sociologists, guidance counselors, parenting experts, student committee leaders, safety patrol officers, and PTA bullying subcommittee co-chairs interviewed (no such thing as an “instant” oil change anymore.)
Not one of them told the truth. They talked about community strategies, adolescent dynamics, stress disorders, and state-sponsored counseling programs. But they never talked about how to stop bullying from occurring.
There is one tried and true method to dealing with bullies, and everyone knows it: Clench your fist, walk over to said bully, and punch his nose as hard you possibly can. If that doesn’t work, hit him with a stick.
That works every time.
But you can’t say that publicly, of course. You could get jailed for it these days. In the confines of homes across America, however, I would venture to guess that this terrible time-tested wisdom is imparted on boys and girls through the whispers of parents on an almost daily basis. I feel badly for the ones who aren’t clued in.
In almost all cases – and I say this anecdotally but with supreme confidence – win or lose the fight, bullying stops when the bully is physically confronted.
When I was in junior high school, there was a gorilla of a bully in my class. We were in seventh grade and he had a full grown beard and a voice like Sam Elliot’s. The ground shook when he walked. I barely had pubic hair, and this guy was shaving twice a day and carrying girls over his shoulder into the boy’s room where I could only venture to imagine what was happening. There was nothing he liked more than meatball heroes and picking on smaller kids. He was stupid and he was mean, and everybody feared him, including me.
One day it was my turn. He pushed me over a bench in the boy’s locker room and then laughed and laughed with his friends, and his garlic meatball breath, while I lay dazed on the floor looking up at him. It made quite an impression on me.
What I did the next day was rooted in fear and practicality, not bravery. I fully realized that he would push me over that bench every day for the rest of the year if I didn’t confront him. So I did.
I will not write here exactly what happened, but I will hint that it involved a hypodermic needle, my thumb, and his thigh. From that day on, neither the behemoth nor any of his cronies would walk within 100 feet of me. (I was a bartender at his wedding about a dozen years later and we had a good laugh about it. Turned out to be a great guy, just a little hairy.)
No one denies that bullying is a problem, and I am not making light of the problem. There have been bullies in classrooms since the dawn of time.
But if everyone knows how to stop them, why can’t we say it any more?
Yes, violence begets violence; two wrongs don’t make a right, and the meek shall inherit the earth – yadda, yadda, yadda. But none of those sayings will do a damned thing to help a frightened child a.) avoid being picked on, and b.) gain back his self-respect.
We all want safe schools and a peaceful society. But sometimes that requires a good punch in the nose. I’m just saying…
“The Egyptian government must fulfill the promise it has made to its
people — and to the entire world — by giving its citizens the freedom to choose.”
Thank you, Dr. Mustafa, for that kind introduction. I am honored to be here in the great and ancient city of Cairo.
The United States values our strategic relationship and our strengthening economic ties with Egypt.
And American presidents since Ronald Reagan have benefited from the wisdom and counsel of President Mubarak, whom I had the pleasure of meeting again today.
The people of America and Egypt have always desired to visit one another and learn from one another.
The highest ideals of our partnership are embodied here, at the American University of Cairo.
This great center of learning has endured and thrived — from the days when our friendship was stormy, to today, when it is strong.
Throughout its history, Egypt has always led this region through its moments of greatest decision.
In the early 19th century, it was the reform-minded dynasty of Muhammad Ali that distinguished Egypt from the Ottoman Empire and began to transform it into the region’s first modern nation.
In the early 20th century, it was the forward-looking Wafd Party that rose in the aftermath of the First World War and established Cairo as the liberal heart of the “Arab Awakening.”
And just three decades ago, it was Anwar Sadat who showed the way forward for the entire Middle East — beginning difficult economic reforms and making peace with Israel.
In these periods of historic decision, Egypt’s leadership was as visionary as it was essential for progress. In our own time, we are faced with equally momentous choices — choices that will echo for generations to come.
In this time of great decision, I have come to Cairo not to talk about the past, but to look to the future — a future that Egyptians can lead and define.
Ladies and Gentlemen: In our world today, a growing number of men and women are securing their liberty.
And as these people gain the power to choose, they create democratic governments to protect their natural rights.
We should all look to a future when every government respects the will of its citizens — because the ideal of democracy is universal.
For 60 years, the United States pursued stability at the expense of democracy in the Middle East — and we achieved neither.
Now, we are taking a different course. We are supporting the democratic aspirations of all people.
As President Bush said in his Second Inaugural Address: “America will not impose our style of government on the unwilling. Our goal instead is to help others find their own voice, attain their own freedom, and make their own way.”
We know these advances will not come easily, or all at once.
We know that different societies will find forms of democracy that work for them.
Our goals are idealistic. But our policies must be practical. And progress must be evident.
When we talk about democracy, we are referring to governments that protect certain basic rights for all their citizens — among these, the right to speak freely. The right to associate. The right to worship as you wish. The freedom to educate your children — boys and girls. And freedom from the midnight knock of the secret police.
Securing these rights is the hope of every citizen, and the duty of every government.
In my own country, the progress of democracy has been long and difficult. And given our history, the United States has no cause for false pride and every reason for humility.
America was founded by individuals who knew that all human beings — and the governments they create — are inherently imperfect. After all, the United States was born half free and half slave. And it was only in my lifetime that my government guaranteed the right to vote for all of its people.
Nevertheless, the principles enshrined in our Constitution enable citizens of conviction to move us ever closer to the ideal of democracy.
Here in the Middle East, the long hopeful process of democratic change is now beginning to unfold.
Millions of people are demanding freedom for themselves and democracy for their countries.
To these courageous men and women, I say today: All free nations will stand with you as you secure the blessings of your own liberty.
I just came from Jordan, where I met with the King and Queen — two leaders who have embraced reform for many years.
Jordan’s education reforms are an example for the region. And the government is moving toward political reforms that will decentralize power and give Jordanians a greater stake in their future.
In Iraq, millions of citizens are refusing to surrender to terror their dream of freedom and democracy.
When Baghdad was first designed, over twelve-hundred years ago, it was conceived as the “Round City” — a city in which no citizen would be closer to the center of justice than any other.
Today — after decades of murder, and tyranny, and injustice — the citizens of Iraq are again reaching for the ideals of the Round City.
Despite the violent attacks of evil men, ordinary Iraqis are displaying great personal courage and remarkable resolve. And every step of the way — from regaining sovereignty, to holding elections, to now writing a constitution — the people of Iraq are exceeding all expectations.
The Palestinian people have also spoken. And their freely-elected government is working to seize the best opportunity in years to fulfill their historic dream of statehood.
Courageous leaders, both Palestinians and Israelis, are dedicated to the cause of peace.
And they are working to build shared trust.
The Palestinian Authority will soon take control of Gaza — a first step toward realizing the vision of two democratic states living side by side in peace and security.
As the Palestinians fight terror, and the Israelis fulfill their responsibilities to help create the conditions for a viable state, the entire world — especially Egypt and the United States — will continue to offer its full support.
In Lebanon, supporters of democracy are demanding independence from foreign masters.
After the assassination of Rafiq Hariri, thousands of Lebanese citizens called for change.
And when the murder of journalist Samir Qaseer reminded everyone of the reach and brutality of terror, the Lebanese people still were not afraid.
They mourned their fellow patriot by uniting publicly with pens and pencils held aloft.
It is not only the Lebanese people who desire freedom from Syria’s police state. The Syrian people themselves share that aspiration.
One hundred and seventy-nine Syrian academics and human rights activists are calling upon their government to “let the Damascus spring flower, and let its flowers bloom.” Syria’s leaders should embrace this call — and learn to trust their people.
The case of Syria is especially serious, because as its neighbors embrace democracy or other political reforms, Syria is harboring or directly supporting groups committed to violence — in Lebanon, in Israel, in Iraq, and in the Palestinian territories.
It is time for Syria to make a strategic choice to join the progress all around it.
In Iran, people are losing patience with an oppressive regime that denies them their liberty and their rights.
The appearance of elections does not mask the organized cruelty of Iran’s theocratic state.
The Iranian people are capable of liberty. They desire liberty. And they deserve liberty.
The time has come for the unelected few to release their grip on the aspirations of the proud people of Iran.
In Saudi Arabia, brave citizens are demanding accountable government. And some first steps toward openness have been taken with recent municipal elections.
Yet many people still pay an unfair price for exercising their basic rights.
Three individuals in particular are currently imprisoned for peacefully petitioning their government — and this should not be a crime in any country.
Here in Cairo, President Mubarak’s decision to amend his country’s constitution and hold multiparty elections is encouraging.
President Mubarak has unlocked the door for change. But now, the Egyptian government must put its faith in its own people.
We are all concerned for the future of Egypt’s reforms when peaceful supporters of democracy — men and women — are not free from violence. The day must come when the rule of law replaces emergency decrees — and when the independent judiciary replaces arbitrary justice.
The Egyptian government must fulfill the promise it has made to its people — and to the entire world — by giving its citizens the freedom to choose.
Egypt’s elections, including the Parliamentary elections, must meet objective standards that define every free election.
Opposition groups must be free to assemble, and participate, and speak to the media.
Voting should occur without violence or intimidation.
And international election monitors and observers must have unrestricted access to do their jobs.
Those who would participate in elections, both supporters and opponents of the government, also have responsibilities.
They must accept the rule of law, reject violence, respect the standards of free elections, and peacefully accept the results.
Throughout the Middle East, the fear of free choices can no longer justify the denial of liberty. It is time to abandon the excuses that are made to avoid the hard work of democracy.
There are those who say that democracy is being imposed. In fact, the opposite is true: Democracy is never imposed. It is tyranny that is imposed.
People choose democracy freely. And successful reform is always homegrown.
Just look around the world today.
For the first time in history, more people are citizens of democracies than of any other form of government.
This is the result of choice, not coercion.
There are those who say that democracy leads to chaos, conflict, and terror.
In fact, the opposite is true: Freedom and democracy are the only ideas powerful enough to overcome hatred, division, and violence.
For people of diverse races and religions, the inclusive nature of democracy can lift the fear of difference that some believe is a license to kill.
But people of goodwill must choose to embrace the challenge of listening, and debating, and cooperating with one another.
For neighboring countries with turbulent histories, democracy can help to build trust and settle old disputes with dignity.
But leaders of vision and character must commit themselves to the difficult work that nurtures the hope of peace.
And for all citizens with grievances, democracy can be a path to lasting justice.
But the democratic system cannot function if certain groups have one foot in the realm of politics and one foot in the camp of terror.
There are those who say that democracy destroys social institutions and erodes moral standards. In fact, the opposite is true: The success of democracy depends on public character and private virtue.
For democracy to thrive, free citizens must work every day to strengthen their families, to care for their neighbors, and to support their communities.
There are those who say that long-term economic and social progress can be achieved without free minds and free markets.
In fact, human potential and creativity are only fully released when governments trust their people’s decisions and invest in their people’s future.
Education — for men and for women — transforms their dreams into reality and enables them to overcome poverty.
There are those who say that democracy is for men alone. In fact, the opposite is true: Half a democracy is not a democracy.
As one Muslim woman leader has said, “Society is like a bird. It has two wings. And a bird cannot fly if one wing is broken.”
Across the Middle East, women are inspiring us all.
In Kuwait, women protested to win their right to vote, carrying signs that declared: “Women are Kuwaitis, too.” Last month, Kuwait’s legislature voiced its agreement.
In Saudi Arabia, the promise of dignity is awakening in some young women. During the recent municipal elections, I saw a father go to vote with his daughter.
Rather than cast his vote himself, he gave it to his daughter, and she placed it in the ballot box. This small act of hope reveals one man’s dream for his daughter. And he is not alone.
Ladies and Gentlemen: Across the Middle East today, millions of citizens are voicing their aspirations for liberty and democracy.
These men and women are expanding boundaries in ways many thought impossible just one year ago.
They are demonstrating that all great moral achievements begin with individuals who do not accept that the reality of today must also be the reality of tomorrow.
There was a time, not long ago, when liberty was threatened by slavery.
The moral worth of my ancestors, it was thought, should be valued by the demand of the market, not by the dignity of the soul.
This practice was sustained through violence.
But the crime of human slavery could not withstand the power of human liberty.
What seemed impossible in one century became inevitable in the next.
There was also a time, even more recently, when liberty was threatened by colonialism.
It was believed that certain peoples required foreign masters to rule their lands and run their lives.
Like slavery, this ideology of injustice was enforced through oppression.
But when brave people demanded their rights, the truth that freedom is the destiny of every nation rang throughout the world.
What seemed impossible in one decade became inevitable in the next.
Today, liberty is threatened by undemocratic governments. Some believe this is a permanent fact of history.
But, Ladies and Gentlemen, there are others who know better.
These impatient patriots can be found in Baghdad and Beirut, in Riyadh and Ramallah, in Amman and Tehran and right here in Cairo.
Together, they are defining a new standard of justice for our time — a standard that is clear, and powerful, and inspiring: Liberty is the universal longing of every soul, and democracy is the ideal path for every nation.
The day is coming when the promise of a fully free and democratic world, once thought impossible, will also seem inevitable.
The people of Egypt should be at the forefront of this great journey, just as you have led this region through the great journeys of the past.
A hopeful future is within reach of every Egyptian citizen — and every man and woman in the Middle East. The choice is yours to make. But you are not alone. All free nations are your allies.
So together, let us choose liberty and democracy — for our nations, for our children, and for our future.
The congressman Chris Lee matter is depressingly human. If you haven’t yet learned of it, it’s a sad tale: A promising New York congressman resigned yesterday after a shirt-less photo that he emailed to a young woman was passed onto bloggers, who promptly posted it on the Internet. The congressman, 46, is married and a father.
