Please Vote

Above is one piece of literature my neighbors and I distributed this past weekend to residents of Back Bay and Beacon Hill in Boston.

If you can't see it, it's a picture of Sarah Palin, Newt Gingrich and Christine O'Donnell. The text under the pictures reads: "These politicians are voting on Tuesday. They would like you to stay home. We can't afford for that to happen."

Please get out and exercise your right to vote this Tuesday.

Endorsement: Governor Deval Patrick

Governor Deval Patrick (D-MA) and Me
Invesco Field, Denver, Colo.
August 28, 2008

There is a clear choice in this year's Massachusetts Gubernatorial race. One candidate thinks the electorate is angry, and that the solution to all of our problems is to put the state government on notice. He promises to cut state jobs, a lot of them, in the thinking that a more streamlined bureaucracy will promote job growth. He promises to bring corporate board room precision to his job to reign in spending, whatever the consequences.

The other candidate, who happens to be the current Governor, Deval Patrick, doesn't think the voters are angry as much as they are perplexed and worried-- perhaps even scared. The sluggish U.S. economy over the past few years has us all anxious. We aren't so eager to go to Beacon Hill with pitch forks and torches as much as we want a state government that's part of the solution. We want a governor who understands. Deval Patrick is that governor.

To be fair, I have long had concerns that Governor Patrick does not focus enough on the future. He talks of his accomplishments during his first term. Looking at them on paper, I can see why. He has implemented quite a bit of reform. He took on big pensions. He worked with my State Representative, Marty Walz, and others to pass a new education bill. He's a huge champion of Cape Wind, which is a project that for far too long has been subject to NIMBY politics.

Unfortunately, the current mood of the electorate is not interested in what the Governor has done as much as in what he will do. And there is one issue that matters most (CNN caught onto this in the waning weeks of the 2008 Presidential campaign when they literally made it "Issue No. 1"). And that issue is jobs and the economy.

After volunteering for the Governor for the summer, I am convinced that he understands his constituents better than his opponents. On the stump with President Obama last weekend, he put it bluntly: "I am not satisfied." You are right, Governor. We are not satisfied, either. And it's because we are all worried about what's next.

At work each day, I stave off thoughts of the dreaded "double-dip" recession, wary that sometimes we get ourselves in these mental cycles that turn economic possibilities into economic certainties.

I definitely think the Governor could be doing more to help bolster the markets that I work in each and every day. I don't think he pays enough attention to the technology industries beyond clean tech. His administration has been suspiciously absent from the table at discussions organized by the Mass Technology Leadership Council; it's members have pledged to create a significant number of jobs in the near term.

But by the same token, my concerns cannot and do not outweigh what the Governor has done and what he pledges to do. And I cannot overshadow what his policies have accomplished for Massachusetts. An economy that is coming out of the recession faster than other states, according to job growth figures. An education system that was recently labeled the best in the country, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP), SAT and ACT exams. An administration that believes in generational responsibility, especially with regard to the environment.

I also applaud the fact that Governor Deval Patrick has not "cut and run" like his predecessors. He has not used his current office as a stepping stone to something else. He is committed to finishing what he started. There's no question that his policies have seen success, and there's no question that his general belief in how government can work with private industry to grow our economy is the prescription we must continue to fill.

Finally, I cannot write about the Governor without also saying how much I am a fan of the Lt. Governor, Tim Murray. He is the perfect complement to Deval Patrick. Tim Murray used to be the Mayor of Worcester, and he carries himself like someone who will talk about cleaning the streets and then roll up his sleeves and literally clean the streets. I like that.

I am voting for Governor Deval Patrick and Lt. Governor Tim Murray on November 2. And I encourage you to do the same, because despite their accomplishments, they know we are not satisfied. And they aren't, either.

Charlie Baker: Too Tall to Govern

A Boston Globe profile on Mass. Republican Gubernatorial candidate Charlie Baker provides the perfect example of why he is just too tall:

"Baker’s 6-foot 6-inch frame makes him visible in any crowd, a definite plus. But his height can lend an awkward feel to his attempts at bonhomie — the big, arcing high-fives that sometimes miss their targets, the deep knee bends to fist-bump with silver-haired ladies, the emphatic punches at the air."

---From The Boston Globe, October 20, 2010; "For Baker, Relaxing Can Work," by By David Filipov.

How can we elect someone who can't even high-five his constituents?

Chuck Norris

Taftville village within Norwich, Connecticut

October 17, 2010

Chuck Norris is running to be probate judge in the part of Connecticut I grew up in. I would vote for Chuck Norris.

Need a Reason To Vote?

Please vote November 2!

Charlie Baker is Too Tall to Be Governor

I am voting for Deval Patrick to be re-elected Governor of Massachusetts. I think he has the best plan to continue to grow the Mass. economy (even though we disagree on casinos). I like his talk of generational responsibility. I also like that he wants to stay in his office and finish what he started.

I also think that Charlie Baker is too tall. Governor Patrick's Republican opponent is a nice guy, and I met him in East Boston this past Spring. But I think his height kind of freaks me out. I know it's not a rational reason, but it's a better reason than what I have heard from some people.

AP photo ahead of a recent debate. Charlie Baker (far left) towers above the rest. Gov. Patrick is second from right.

Where Obama Messed Up

President Obama had a choice in late January. Scott Brown had just defeated Martha Coakley to win a Senate seat from Massachusetts. It was clear to those who helped with the campaign that the overriding issue was healthcare. At the time, separate versions of healthcare reform had passed the House and Senate, and a soon to be convened conference committee would rectify the two versions into one. The Brown victory put that process in jeopardy. Brown became the crucial 41st Republican vote in the Senate; the Republicans could filibuster any action on the Senate floor and as long as they remained united, there was nothing the Democrats could do.

I support the President, and I supported healthcare reform (even though it didn't include a public option), and I voted for Martha Coakley. But the decision the President made in the days following Scott Brown's victory created the current political environment, where the President's party is poised to lose majorities in the House and potentially the Senate.

So what was President Obama's choice? He could have pulled a "Bill Clinton." In the days following the Brown victory, he could have declared the healthcare bill dead. He could have said he heard the will of the voters, and would instead focus all the energy within his administration's domestic policy agenda on creating jobs and making the economy better.

Even today, the economy kind of freaks people out. The recession officially ended in June 2009, but even since then, people have been skittish about the recovery. That's what voters cared about in January, and it's what they care about now.

The President instead decided the time was then to pass healthcare, even with Scott Brown a U.S. Senator. It was a bold move. The American people were confused by the healthcare bill. People I know who spoke to a lot of voters ahead of the Brown/Coakley vote concur that even in Massachusetts, voters didn't want the bill to become law and wanted Brown to win to stop that from happening.

In January, the President had already lost the messaging war regarding the bill, and he had lost it badly. The electorate thought the bill was a huge government takeover of healthcare, a government intrusion into personal decisions about health, and a costly, risky bureaucratic mess that was irresponsible given the shaky nature of the economy. None of this was true, but it didn't matter. The fact a large percentage of the electorate believed those reasons was enough. [Side note: How the President lost the messaging war in the months leading up to the Brown election would make for an excellent PR thesis topic.]

President Obama was able to get the healthcare bill passed, despite the Scott Brown victory. In the process, he angered quite a few voters, including those who previously weren't upset at him, simply because he ignored the mandate of the Brown victory; he didn't accept the Senate victory as a reason to stop the push on healthcare reform. For that reason, anything the President has done over the past eight months has been interpreted through that mindset. Everything he has done to help create jobs has been overshadowed by his insistence on healthcare reform.

The unfortunate part of the entire situation is the President has done quite a bit to help the economy. Efforts that Republicans have spun as bad have worked. But those programs are lost in the rhetoric.

If I were to give the President some advice, I would tell him one thing he probably already knows. That being that his decision on healthcare (while I applaud) has created the current volatile political environment and threatens the Democratic majorities.

I would then tell him one thing he probably doesn't know, and that's to simplify and focus his message. The American people are scared to death about the economy. That came through in January with the Scott Brown victory. For that reason, starting right now, the administration should not tout any of its previous accomplishments. It should focus on what it's going to do to help the economy. Every day and every minute. Nothing else matters.

Cheap Early Morning Entertainment

I went to both Red Sox/Yankees games yesterday at Fenway Park. The first was a regularly scheduled 4:10 p.m. game that was broadcast on Fox. The second started at something like 9:30 p.m.-- a game rescheduled from the night before due to rain. The strange schedule put Kim and I-- who attended the late game-- on the street at 1:30 a.m. when the nightcap finally ended.

The streets of Kenmore Square at 1:30 a.m. are quite lively. The T is pretty much closed, even though many fellow fans tried to get into the Kenmore station (signs inside Fenway advertised that extra trains would stop running at 1 a.m., before the close game ended).

First, we saw a gaggle of three young women alternatively shouting that the "Yankees s**k" and the "Red Sox s**k." Apparently they couldn't make up their mind, or they were confused by the fact that the two teams split the double header. Or maybe they just think all baseball teams s**k?

Second, we saw a separate group of women sprinting down the street in a vain effort to hail a cab. They would run ahead of us to a corner, try to flag down random cars (whether cabs or not), let Kim and I pass them, and then sprint ahead of us again, screaming, "NO ONE WILL STOP FOR USSSSSSSS!"

Third, we saw a strange display at the bus stop at the corner of Mass. Ave and Commonwealth. A group of young women were trying desperately to hold each other up. One woman was on the ground in front of the bus stop, pretty much asleep, while still smoking a cigarette. To be fair, Kim and I stopped and asked if they needed help or medical assistance. The response: "Not yet." A rather weird interchange ensued.

Finally, we saw one of those stretched hummer limos parked on Beacon Street, with a gentleman standing in the sunroof screaming "Let's gooooooo!" The driver was outside the limo, and another guy was banging on the door of a Beacon Street residence until some other man answered the door. A pretty loud argument followed. What I could surmise was the person living in the residence owed money to help pay the fare for the limo. At least that's my totally unconfirmed guess.

At that point, Kim and I found a cab of our own (at about Beacon and Fairfield, so you know how far we had to walk from Kenmore).

P.S. Very shocking to see how many revelers, especially young women, don't heed the call of the weatherman and wear appropriate clothing. It was cold out there. Yes, I am officially old.

It's Time To Take Some Responsibility, Vol. 1

Governor Deval Patrick talked about generational responsibility when he addressed delegates at the June state Democratic convention in Worcester. I like the term. As a citizen, I feel responsibility to those who will come after me. It runs counter-intuitive to many, though, who want it all and don't want to spend anything for it. I am going to start looking to my elected officials to support initiatives that do not pass on ridiculous burdens to anyone who might still be here when I am long gone. I don't see this as a Democratic or Republican concept. It's a question of being, honestly, a responsible adult.

1. It's time to reduce our national debt.

Vice President Dick Cheney told journalist Bob Woodward a few years back that "deficits don't matter." Now, I am not an economist, and I have not taken a math course since high school, but even I can see that our current way of operating the national budget is not sustainable. We can't keep spending way more than the revenue we bring in. The dollar can't hold up forever.

Reducing the debt means raising taxes and reducing spending. It means reforming large entitlement programs that themselves will become insolvent in only a couple years. It means potentially having less government-funded benefit in the future if the benefit is smarter. The benefits themselves are very important and serve their purpose, but we just can't afford them anymore.

Reducing the debt means making tough decisions about government-funded jobs that, frankly, are waste. At the same time, if the government pulls away funding for certain programs that will generate jobs-- such as the second engine research for the new joint strike fighter, which is up for debate right now in Congress-- the government must invest in programs that over time allow the displaced workers to find new jobs.

The tough decisions mean that politicians have to get rid of the rhetoric when they talk about government waste. Some government programs are wasteful and are pork spending, however other programs that seem specious are actually very important. Republicans have had a field day pointing out what they think are random programs funded by the stimulus bill passed last year. It turns out, if you get beyond the rhetoric, that those funded programs have meaning. Let's get rid of the sound bytes and really discuss waste.

Reducing the debt means talking about raising taxes, and removing the stigma that everyone places on those discussions. Based on our current debt, it's clear the Bush-era tax cuts for all Americans were not smart. And no one in Washington has a good solution for keeping the tax cuts and reducing the debt.

2. It's time help our environment.

I read closely all of the debate about the health care reform bill. However, I was disappointed that the ultimate political fallout from the bill meant that proposed climate change legislation was shelved. To me, the climate bill was more important than the health care bill.

Our use of natural resources is not sustainable. We are dependent on oil from the Middle East, which makes discussions about renewable energy discussions about national security.

It's time to increase dramatically our investment in clean technology. It's time to support projects that would lead to long term national security and economic benefits, even if there are short-term costs.

It's time to end the debate over whether global warming is happening. It is, and now it's time to change our habits and make the changes to stop the damage.

3. It's time to address runaway industries.

President Eisenhower talked about the military industrial complex in his farewell address. He cautioned that the industries supporting the military were self propagating. For reasons probably not as sinister as Oliver Stone would like, the military was growing, if for no other reason because of a combination of psychological (fear) and economic concerns.

The military industrial complex certainly exists today, and for the same reasons Eisenhower probably fretted over, no one speaks of cutting the defense budget.

At the same time, there are other runaway industries in the U.S. that are now large enough that they impact in some detrimental ways how we work, live and think as Americans. Take higher education. All smart kids want to go to very expensive colleges and universities. There is no lack of interest in attending, and so the universities can continue to raise their prices. The U.S. government subsidizes higher education with inexpensive loans and grants.

The runaway growth of higher ed flies in the face of two facts that are just not part of American culture. First is that you don't have to go to an expensive or elite college or university to succeed in life. You certainly don't need to go to one of those institutions to live a happy life (which for many would be a definition of success, I would imagine). Second is the fact that many professions, even advanced ones, do not necessarily require a college degree---certainly they require a lot of advanced training, but going to college is probably not necessary.

Certainly many of my arguments are open to debate, and I welcome them. But the bottom line is I just got a note from my alma mater, Boston University, noting how interest from high school grads is way up. BU costs something like 50K a year now, and the fact that demand is up, even in the midst of the current economic malaise, tells me something is fishy.

-----

I note the three challenges above as they are all directly impacted by the many levels of government. These challenges are a tapestry of smaller discussions and debates. They require discussions about the conventional wisdom our society puts forth. These challenges are not easy.

However, I am putting my elected officials on notice. I want to hear more talk of sustainable policies. I want you to start caring about who comes next, and our responsibility to our children. That might mean unpopular ideas, less sound bytes and difficult discussions. But if you are not expecting them as an elected official you should not have run for office in the first place.

Happy First Birthday, Peter Levanto!

Flanked by his big brother David on his right, and good friend Chase on left, and in the arms of his mom, Gina, Peter Levanto prepares to blow out the candle on his first birthday cake.

North Stonington, Conn.

September 18, 2010

Annmarie Connors is an Ironman, again

Some people know a person who has completed an Ironman, the special triathalon that covers 140.6 miles in the water, on the bike and via a marathon. Well, I know someone who has done two. Last weekend, I traveled to Madison, Wisc. to watch good friend Annmarie Connors finish the Ford Ironman Wisconsin. It's a race that is pretty tiring to watch, too, given it starts at dawn and finishes well after dark. Congrats, Annmarie! Also congrats to Annmarie's entire team, Dreamfar (which is based in Boston). Matt, Phil, Kaitlin, Jean... You all did it! And Boston is proud of you!

Dreamfar Ironman team (and fans): (L to R) Me, Kim, Annmarie, Jean, Jamie, Kaitlin, Joe. At the start of the Ford Ironman Wisconsin.

Madison, Wisc.

September 12, 2010

Life is About Taking The Sack

If I had to write a book, I would write the book "Life is About Taking the Sack."

The sack is a curious play. For those out there who are not in tune with football, it's when the defense catches up to the quarterback behind the line of scrimmage. A sack is often dramatic, because the defensive linemen who tackle the quarterback are much larger than the quarterback. Sometimes, the QB gets hurt.

It's certainly bad for the offense, and good for the defense. The quarterback gets hit, sometimes hurt, and the offense loses yards. The defense gains "momentum." The offense needs to gain more yardage to keep a drive alive and keep the ball.

However, taking the sack during a game is sometimes a good idea. If a play breaks down, it's sometimes better for the QB to take the sack. He can protect himself from injury. He can protect the football and at the very least, make sure his team keeps the ball.

Sometimes in life, you have to take the sack. Because life ain't fair. Sometimes the dice come up as a seven. Some days are worse than others.

And in those cases where somehow life isn't fair to you, sometimes it's better to just let your frustrations go. It's better to not lash back out at the person who you think wronged you. In these cases, that would make the situation worse.

A few years back, I told everyone I knew that my favorite name was "Grace." And it's because I don't think people show enough grace. Grace means forgiveness. It means not blaming others, even if they are at fault. It means taking the sack to keep the football.

Make no mistake about it, taking the sack hurts on the way down. You can protect yourself, but you still might get bruised. But I have never seen a QB take a sack and then not get up again.

Endorsement: Sonia Chang-Diaz

With the State House in the background, the hosts of a recent meet and greet for State Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz gather around the candidate. From left to right: Myrialis Moran-Nieves, Dave Greenwold, Kim Jennings, Khadijah Britton, Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz, me, Pat McDonough and Pat Amend.

On a Beacon Hill rooftop

August 26, 2010

It's hard to be an elected official right now. It's especially hard to be a first-term elected official. I kind of get the feeling when State Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz took office less than two years ago, she realized she didn't have time to rest on her laurels. It's been a whirlwind several months, during which time my State Senator has not stood still. Just this summer she stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Gov. Deval Patrick when he signed into law CORI reform, something desperately needed. CORI is a process by which information about arrests is kept available to potential employees; the reform bill shortened the time such information is kept.

There's so much more for the young Chang-Diaz to do, and she has the same energy level as when I first met her back in 2008. I am voting to send her back for (at least) two more years, most immediately in the Mass. State Primary on September 14.

What I have learned while Sonia has been in the Senate is that while her district is the most diverse in the state, its residents really do share a lot of similar priorities and concerns. We all want better schools. We all want safe streets. We all want an economic environment where everyone who wants a job can find one. We all want to raise families in the city.

A former schoolteacher, Sen. Chang-Diaz shares these priorities. She has ideas for improving public schools throughout Massachusetts, and in Boston specifically. She is focused on the root causes of youth violence in the city. On a much more tactical level, Sonia is against casinos in Massachusetts, because she knows they draw revenue disproportionately from the poor and do not spur economic activity outside of the casino walls.

Beyond her stances on issues, Chang-Diaz represents a new type of elected official in Boston. She has the courage and integrity to say what she believes and stand by her beliefs, even if this "say it like it is" approach doesn't make everyone happy. I think we need to see a lot more outward courage in our elected officials, especially when the cause is right. For Sonia, her causes are ones I agree with. And I like that she will be on Beacon Hill fighting for them on my behalf.

Special Neighborhood Event for Sonia Chang-Diaz

What's the Problem? Look in the Mirror

There is a strong anti-incumbent mood in American politics right now. I think the problem is the American voter today is a dangerous combination of selfish, stubborn and short-sighted.

We want it all, but we don't want to do anything for it.

The government is too big and wastes too much money, yet we complain when the government doesn't have the resources to get things done.

We don't want our taxes to go up... ever. But if anyone thinks about taking away social security, we let them have it.

We want better paying jobs, but we're not willing to learn the skills to deserve them.

We care about the environment, as long as doing so doesn't cost anything.

We don't like to admit we're wrong.

When someone says something we like, we believe it even when it's not true.

Then again, we don't question what we hear anyway. Nearly one in five Americans say President Obama is a Muslim; a majority of those people say the media told them so. [President Obama is not a Muslim; he's a Christian.]

We like things presented in black and white; we don't make the effort to understand the colors in-between. One is either with us or against us; you are either right or wrong.

We care about here and now and here and now only. We are completely neglecting long-term challenges; we are passing a debt written, environmentally filthy society on to those that will follow us.

With this type of mindset, it's no wonder politicians can't do anything right. It's no wonder it's so easy to pick on anyone who's driving an agenda.

A Half Marathon Takes A Long Time

Next month I am traveling to Madison, Wisconsin to watch my friend Annmarie compete in her second Ironman, the Ford Ironman Wisconsin. I have watched Annmarie quite a bit over the years as she's marked pretty amazing athletic achievements. I have spotted her within the thousands that run in the Boston Marathon. I drove from Atlanta to Panama City a few years back to see her complete the Ironman there.

Watching someone in an event like an Ironman or a marathon takes a long time. It takes patience, careful planning, and a little bit of luck. Along with Annmarie's roommate Kim, we have it down to a science. In Panama City, Kim and I went for two swims (one in the ocean, one in the hotel pool), had lunch, watched an entire college football game, and took at least one nap---all while Annmarie was completing just the bike portion of the Ironman.

Earlier this year, I was the one watched during a long race. It wasn't an Ironman, but I did complete the Run to Remember half-marathon in late May. Annmarie, Kim and my parents came out to watch.

Even a half-marathon can take a long time, especially if you are a spectator. My parents decided, for the sport of it, to take photos of everything they did while I was running. Here's my favorite:

Mom and Dad Levanto Finishing Breakfast

Paramount on Charles Street, Beacon Hill, Boston

May 30, 2010

Two Weeks, Two Candidate Meet and Greets

I am joining a few of my neighbors in hosting two separate candidate meet and greets over the next week. What's really neat about these events is that, while they are fundraisers, a donation is not required to attend. So they end up being a great way for the candidates to meet new people.

First, this Tuesday, Mac D'Alessandro, candidate for Congress, is on Beacon Hill. Below is the official invite. The event is on Tuesday, August 17, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the home of Hilary and Rajan Nanda, 25 Garden Street, on Beacon Hill.

Second, State Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz, who is running for re-election, is attending a rooftop Beacon Hill event on Thursday, August 26. From 7 to 9 p.m., the event as on the roof of 21 Beacon Street (right next to the State House). Below is the official invite for that event.

The End of Movie Convenience

Mike's Movies, my local movie rental shop, is closing at the end of August.

I am a bit of a serendipitous movie renter. There are times I am sitting on my couch on a lazy weekend afternoon and I decide to rent a movie I enjoyed when I was a kid. Just for kicks. I mean, there are times when you just want to watch "Sixteen Candles," and that time doesn't happen enough to warrant buying the movie. I own "Bourne Identity," for example, but not "Sixteen Candles."

It would seem that my habits in movie rentals are a bit arcane, or at least not common. Because local movie rental houses are going out of business. With Mike's Movies leaving, there is no other movie rental shop in my neighborhood or anywhere nearby.

Reluctantly, I signed up for Netflix and am in the middle of the free trial. I like the concept, and so far, the service has been easy to use. I am in the middle of season 4 of "The Wire," for example. I send back in a DVD, and in a few days I have a new one with four new episodes to watch.

Netflix does not have a good solution to my serendipitous movie watching tendencies. You can watch certain selections from Netflix online, and I can connect my computer to my HD TV. But many of the movies I want to see quickly, like "21," are not available online. I have to add them to my queue and wait.

I think I will stick with Netflix. But the days of randomly watching "Sixteen Candles"? Well, it looks like they are over.

While Casinos Distracted Us All

The debate over casinos in Massachusetts, which came to a climax overnight, has distracted Bay State lawmakers from economic programs that could be creating jobs in the state.

Thursday's New York Times profiled programs in place in several states that take advantage of money provided in the federal stimulus bill to subsidize jobs for small businesses. The article talks about a few scenarios, particularly in Illinois, where small businesses have been able to fill openings they otherwise would have left alone, were it not for the jobs programs. As a result, those companies were able to grow and, in turn, potentially hire additional workers.

It's frustrating that Massachusetts was not one of the states listed as having such a small business program. I would gander that legislators on Beacon Hill have been so distracted by casinos that they have not had a chance to think about other programs that would help the economy in the Commonwealth. The casino debate has sucked the oxygen out of the larger discussion of how to create jobs here; ironically casinos themselves suck the economic oxygen out of the towns around them (something I outlined in a previous blog entry).

I am sure there are many other initiatives that, like the small business jobs subsidy programs, would help tremendously. My friend Tom Hopcroft leads the Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council, which supports the many technology-centered markets in the state. Earlier this year, at the group's annual meeting, the membership pledged to work toward creating a significant number of new jobs. Speakers discussed how to make it happen. It was very informative, however it was too bad that no elected officials were present.

Proponents of the casinos argue they will create jobs, and there is no dispute there. They also lash out at their opposition, saying lawmakers (including the Governor) who do not support casinos or the most recent casino proposals are voting against the jobs those casinos would create. The deeper truth is that there's no telling how many jobs could have already been created had the legislature focused on other programs---seeing success in other states---that can create jobs. Those programs were lost at the craps table.

P.S. The New York Times article is just one of many stories I have read recently that shows how the federal stimulus bill passed early last year has helped the economy in measurable ways. It's too bad many have already made up their minds that the bill was a failure.

P.P.S. Very pleased that my State Senator, Sonia Chang-Diaz, and my State Representative, Marty Walz, both voted against the casino bill.

Editor's Note: Referenced story is: "The New New Deal: Public Money for Private Jobs," New York Times, July 29, 2010.

What I Read on Vacation

In a process similar to the NCAA bracket, I narrowed down a pile of books and picked a few to take with me on vacation. Curiously enough, of the seven books I took with me on vacation, none of them was fiction. I ended up reading four from start to finish, kicking off the week by reading the last few chapters of a fifth. Here's what I read in chronological order:

"The Big Short," by Michael Lewis. I had hoped to finish this one on the trip that preceded by vacation, but that didn't happen. So I read the final eighty pages or so the first night I arrived at the beach cottage in Connecticut. I like the way Michael Lewis writes, and it's not simply because he's married to Tabitha Soren, or because I had the chance to meet him (following an industry event when he was promoting an earlier book, "The New New Thing.") Lewis translates very complicated topics and presents them in a way that makes you wonder why you had problems understanding them in the first place. His break down of the financial crash in 2008 is top-notch.

"The Last Lecture," by Randy Pausch. At times a tear-jerker, I brought this book since it's been on my reading list forever. It's tough to argue with a man who passed after suffering from cancer, but there are some things Pausch believed that I disagree with. He argues that life is black and white; not sure how that's even close to the case. Still, his verdict in the final chapter is right on: If you live your life the right way, good karma will take care of the rest. Your dreams will come to you. Randy's kids should be very proud of their dad.

"Bicycle Diaries," by David Byrne. Yes, you read the author's name right-- It's David Byrne from The Talking Heads. I saw him in concert in Boston in 2001. Byrne chronicles his many trekks, on his bike, through cities around the globe. Like Byrne, I am a city person (I think, anyway), and his extolls on the benefits of cities strike home to me. The first section of the book, which follows Byrne through several second-tier U.S. cities, is a must read. One also must love how he speaks in striking and disparaging terms about his hometown of Baltimore. This was the book, above all the others, that I was definitely looking forward to read on vacation.

"The Five People You Meet in Heaven," by Mitch Albom. I wasn't expecting this book to be fiction, given Albom's first book. However, this was a surprisingly touching read. We are all connected on this planet. Not sure if anyone reading this has seen "The Sliding Doors," but the interconnectedness of who we meet and see each and every day can have significant consequences. And many the afterlife is when we actually figure that out.

"Bringing Down the House," by Ben Mezrich. This book had been on my reading list since I went to Las Vegas something like five years ago. The pages are even starting to yellow. The only problem with this book is it will give you the consistent urge to drop everything and go to a casino. I resisted the temptation, even though the two Connecticut casinos were mere minutes away from where I was staying.