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Strategic Citizen: a citizen's guide to playing and winning the game of politics, is based on in-depth first hand knowedge and experience plus rigerous research examining the political system and the political behaviors of the players of the game of politics. The concepts and practical political theory developed within the research has been extended into a practical guide for understanding the process within which politicians make decisions on who and what to support. More importantly the "Strategic Citizen" offers a plan and process for individuals and groups in how to influence and control public decisions and public policy. The basic premise of "Strategic Citizen" is that citizens are at a disadvantage when seeking political favor or political change. Politics is a contact sport with specific rule of engagement. "Strategic Citizen" explains the rules in a manner that the average non-political reader can understand.
Morgan James Publishing • New York THE STRATEGIC CITIZEN ©2008 GERRY PATNODE. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any manner, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotations for a review. ISBN: 978-1-60037-309-1 (Paperback) 978-1-60037-310-7 (Hardcover) PUBLISHED BY: Morgan James Publishing, LLC 1225 Franklin Ave Ste 325 Garden City, NY 11530-1693 Toll Free 800-485-4943 www.MorganJamesPublishing.com GENERAL EDITOR: Heather Campbell COVER & INTERIOR DESIGN BY: 3 Dog Design www.3dogdesign.net firstname.lastname@example.com TABLE OF CONTENTS Table of Contents i Acknowledgements iii Introduction v One: Unlocking the Puzzle of Politics and Political Power 1 Two: Wishing for Change is not Enough 11 Three: Change requires Action 23 Four: Politicians Think Differently 41 Five: Shoring-up, Political Self Preservation 57 Six: Are You Perceived to be a Threat? 71 Seven: How Politicians React to Threats 87 Eight: Politicos love to Kick Ass! - Then Make Nice 103 Nine: Political Power as a zero Sum Game 111 Ten: How to Counteract Shoring-up Behaviors 129 Eleven: Just Do It! 141 Twelve: Your Role as a Community Leader 161 Thirteen: Putting Community Forces in Action 187 Fourteen: So What? 203 Bonus 213 Bibliography 215 i ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I want to acknowledge and thank the persons who without their support and encouragement, the research conducted to produce "The Strategic Citizen…" would not have been possible. First, I want to thank my research colleagues and mentors, Dr. Toni A. Gregory and Dr. Odis Simmons, both of Fielding Grad- uate University, who introduced me to a new way of view- ing and interpreting the world through the use of Grounded Theory. I also wish to acknowledge the friendship, support and candor of my colleagues in the political arena especially, former Baltimore County Executives, Dennis F Rasmussen and Charles "Dutch" Ruppersburger, now a member of Con- gress, who provided candid assessments and allowed me the opportunity for unobstructed in-depth research and analysis. Additionally, I want to acknowledge the current and former public officials, community activists, community and busi- ness association executives, and community members, who gave me total access to the political process in their communi- ties. Finally and perhaps most importantly, my wife, Nancy who encouraged, critiqued and supported this effort. iii iv INTRODUCTION In my life as both a player of the political game and a serious scholar of Leadership, it has been my observation, that in the beginning, the decision to enter public life is a noble gesture. Often, the newcomer to the political game is filled with ideal- ism and good will. However, over time, the idealism and good will are replaced by an exercise in political survival. The process turns to a constant struggle to retain political power, not for the benefit of the public, but for maintaining ones position. Political power is an aphrodisiac. Once an individual has experienced the narcotic effect of power in the public sector; they are, more times than not, consumed by its allure. They tend to crave more and higher levels of power. Just as the drunk; the politician does not easily relinquish the glass. However, citizens, acting as society's bartender, have the responsibility to cut off the patron who has consumed too much. Citizenship requires that we remain vigilant to the politician who enjoys the power to the exclusion of the people they serve. My purpose for writing this book lies in two areas. The first, as an insider I have a unique perspective. Even though I was unable to rise in elected political position beyond township-community levels, I did attempt to move up the political food chain. Although defeated in my attempts, I was through my increased visibility, able to garner several appointed positions at the Federal, State and County levels. In these positions I found myself drinking from the same bottle of wine as my elected brethren. Upon retrospection, I found the process both rewarding and troubling. It is in that light that the second reason for this book emerged. Citizens v must understand that politics is a game. For those of us who play the game, we recognize that it is a contact sport with a set of unique and sometimes hidden rules of engagement. The problem for the average citizen is that first, they are disengaged from the political process. In addition, even when they attempt to join the political game, they do not under- stand the nature of the game and they most certainly don't understand the rules. This uncharted realm is confusing and is partly the reason citizens don't bother to engage. As I will demonstrate later, this is a state of affairs which the seasoned politico hopes continues. In fact, many politicos will find ways to foster the general citizen's disengagement from the political process. When a citizen seeks to influence a political decision, they in most cases have no concept of the process that will cause any favorable action. Politicians and bureaucrats will utilize their own particular brand of a cost benefit analysis before any action is taken. The calculated outcome will determine whether a politician finds merit to address a person's concerns. They weigh first whether seeking a solution is politically desirable. What should be understood is that political decision making is different from the approaches taken by those not involved in the political process. Knowing and appreciating that differ- ence is crucial in leveling the playing field and understanding the rules in the game of politics. The positions I take within these pages are based on my personal experience and observations coupled with extensive primary research. The result is an insight into the political mind's calculus. These pages offer a look at the dynamics of political behaviors. The citizen self-defense options and solu- tions offered are all field tested. The starting point for the initial research was an interest in understanding the types and dynamics of behaviors exhib- ited by political leaders and the impact of those behaviors vi on the political process and decision making at the commu- nity level. Even as an insider, I was sometime mystified by how hard it was to get anything accomplished. I am deeply interested in discovering why substantial progress in attack- ing persistent social problems rarely occurs and why change within the political and social scene is for the most part resisted. I simply decided to understand, why? The truth of the matter is that we are constantly plagued with the same repeating problems; such as, the failure to fix social security, poverty, and education deficiencies. In order to get at the core of political reasoning, I chose to use my personal knowledge combined with a sociological research methodology known as grounded theory. This meth- odology allows for incredible insight into behaviors and social process even by those intimately engaged in the process under study. The method, developed by Bernie Glaser Ph.D., of the University of California, allowed for the emergence of a theory from the collected data. The models of behavior and processes presented here help to describe and explain the dynamics of political leadership and the decision process of politicians. At the core of the presented model, is a central behavioral variable, which I have named "Shoring-up". The understand- ing of the dynamics of this behavioral variable and of the resultant process model derived from it, allows for a greater understanding of political decision-making and the ramifi- cations for individuals, groups, government officials, com- munities and public institutions. Shoring-up is a behavior exhibited by political leaders as part of their problem-solving process. The behavior of Shoring-up has the goal of diffus- ing opposition and insuring the continued support of criti- cal constituencies for the sole purpose of retaining political power and control. To help the reader achieve some basic understanding of the research methodology used as a basis for explaining the vii behaviors and processes in this book, Grounded Theory is an inductive research tool rather than a deductive approach. The approach gives the researcher a systematic method for exam- ining complex social issues. It provides a set of strategies for collecting, and analyzing data. The Grounded Theory pro- cess requires the researcher to remain open to the emergence of relevant theory that is derived from the data as opposed to testing some logically elaborated hypothesis as found in the deductive approach. viii ix x CHAPTER 1 Unlocking the Puzzle of Politics and Political Power 1 2 Chapter 1 Unlocking the Puzzle of Politics and Political Power We cannot assume today that men must in the last resort be governed by their own consent. Among the means of power that now prevail is the power to manage and manipulate the consent of men. That we do not know the limits of such power—and that we hope it does have limits—does not remove the fact that much power today is successfully employed without the sanction of the reason, of the conscience of the obedient. – C. Wright Mills The Issue I am thankful that you have made a decision to explore the ideas and concepts on the following pages. The understanding of the political process and your potential role in that process is important for the political health of our nation. Too few citizens take that interest, but I have hope that the numbers will continue to grow. I believe the future of America and perhaps the world depends upon a re-engagement of Americans in the political process. I suspect that you are someone who cares greatly about your country and community. As such, I am going to give you the brutal facts and the reality of how political life really works and how it directly effects you and everyone you hold dear. Even though you may care, you struggle to make sense of the puzzle of political process. You probably are some- 3 THE STRATEGIC CITIZEN one who also struggles to understand the rationale of decisions made by those who hold public leadership positions. Perhaps you are even someone who toys with the idea of becoming a more involved citizen as an activist or com- munity organizer but don't see how you can make a differ- ence. Maybe you even toyed with the thought of running for public office but have no idea how or where to start. If any of these fit, I wrote this for you, but even if you are just some- one who has asked the question; "why do the same issues and problems seem to be present year after year without resolution?" This effort may just help answer that question. Who among us has not thought that the solutions to many of our social problems seem obviously clear, but yet, as a society we find it impossible to solve. Have you ever asked yourself; why can't, or more accurately, why won't our politi- cians do something? I believe that my analysis will help you fully understand the dynamics of the answer. I sometimes ask, given track records, "How do these people get elected?" The real question may be, given our track record of non-involve- ment, "don't we have the political leaders we deserve?" Truth is, under the current "game" most of us believe that we don't have the time, energy, or skills to deal with the political process. It is a tacit recognition that most citizens haven't a clue as to not only "what to do" but "how to do it". The problem is that most of us feel that we don't have any control over what happens or over what "they" do. I am here to tell you that that attitude and assumption is dead wrong! Furthermore, I want you to know flat-out, that such a belief puts America at risk. You have the ultimate control. What you don't have is an understanding of the informal process we refer to as poli- tics. Depending when you went to high school, you, if lucky, were at least taught basic civics of how the formal governing process supposedly works. I am totally confident that unless 4 GERRY PATNODE you too are a "routine player" in the game politics that you don't know the informal process. I am also willing to bet that you are unaware that an informal process even exists. How things work It is true that we can't easily change the system, but what we can change is how we react to, and interpret what happens within the system. We have an ability to have some impact on the informal system processes. The really big things in politi- cal life tend to be accomplished within the informal system. I will spend considerable time describing the political behaviors around making decisions. I offer a detailed descrip- tion of a mostly unseen political process. Secondly, I offer a prescription for how to bring about political change. While most of what I offer lends itself to or is about local political process, the truths uncovered here are true from the local to the international political arena. The rules and processes used by politicians are universal at all levels. Politicians and the bureaucrats that run the government are responsive to only one thing. That is political pressure that threatens to undermine their power base. Threats to power will always get their attention. Politicians are not secure in their role. If citizens want to get favorable reactions from politicians, they must learn to use the fact that politicians are insecure. While most love the process of getting elected, the skills needed for staying in power are difficult work. The activist seeking change or political favors can use that fact to make positive things happen. However; you need to know the secrets of how politicians think and know the hidden rules of the game in order to play at the "professional" level. I have developed a simple model offered for your understanding. It better identifies and explains a typical politician's behaviors when they are presented social and political problems. Having the knowledge of these behav- 5 THE STRATEGIC CITIZEN iors allows potential activists to understand that when you want something from a politician, you must make it impor- tant to the politician on a very personal level. Quite frankly, your issues if not important to them on a personal level are simply unimportant. Taking Control If you're ready to gain an understanding of the rules for the game of politics and ready to become an effective catalyst for political change, I am ready to lead the way. It is now time to change not only your misperceptions but to give you the skill to play and win the game of politics. To be fair, you should recognize that your guide and mentor into this journey is what must be considered a recovering poli- tician. Truth be told, I'm not sure that I won't relapse. The allure to the game is hard to get out of ones system once they have tasted the fruits of the game. I have run for office. I love to campaign. It's a narcotic for those who love the "grin, greet and grab" of wading into a crowd. I have been elected to office and have been defeated in attempts at higher office. In retrospect, I am now convinced that my political loss came as a result of the collective wisdom of the citizens of Balti- more County. I have also breathed the rarified air of politically appointed positions at the Federal, State and local level. In my conversations with my fellow non-politically engaged citizens, I am struck by the general feeling of their believed powerlessness. They believe that under the current state of affairs, we are at the mercy of our political leaders. The sad truth is that until citizens take an active role in our democracy, we are at the mercy of our own inaction. Rediscovering Citizenship The future for winning the political game, particularly on the local government levels lies in transforming passive consumers of public services into responsible citizens. The 6 GERRY PATNODE demands of time and the complexity of problems facing communities,cause many to sullenly withdraw from the political process. This is a withdrawal from their civic responsibilities. Instead, many make unrealistic demands on local government officials without regard to the complexi- ties. This in turn forces these same government officials, in order to save their perches of power, to engage in the nega- tive behaviors that we will explore in the following pages. I will shortly introduce you to the concept of political "Shoring-up". Most certainly you have been exposed to the practice of Shoring-up. Whether you recognized it at the time as such, it has been performed to and on you. It is for this reason that we will fully explore this universal political behavior and will fully explore the triggers and mechanisms of the Shoring–up process. These outcomes are designed to keep the average citizen on the sidelines of the playing field. My hope is that once this political behavior is recognized, that it will easily be defused. This will be a necessary action if any real progress is to be made in actually solving political and social problems. Interestingly, for citizens to be "shored up" against, they must allow themselves to become powerless and non-factors in the decision process of politicians. In effect, we allow for our own disenfranchisement. We surrender our civic roles through political disengagement. Citizenship is not limited merely to voting in periodic elections. Frank Benest, (November, 1996.) International City/ County Management Association Journal suggests; "Even when individuals do not have a personal stake, active citizenship requires them to: Inform themselves on key issues confronting their communities. Participate in civic improvement groups. 7 THE STRATEGIC CITIZEN Struggle to find common ground with others, as well as advocate their private interests. Become responsible for their local governments and their communities" Ultimately, cities and counties cannot govern and cannot solve complex problems if people are merely passive con- sumers. The community leader and political activist has a vital role if America is to continue as we know it. The activ- ist citizen is not only needed as the political antagonist, but they have a role in engaging more people into becoming responsible citizens. Politicians would like nothing better than to have citi- zens as non-participants. That would mean a lack of need for accountability. More importantly, for those that accept the challenge of leadership, it is vital to understand how to take control of the political process. This means being able to recognize, under- stand and intervene effectively in the political process. In short-you need to know how to play the game. What has changed? I am certain that the founding fathers would not recognize the democratic republic they formed. First, they would be horrified at the strength of the central government and the unconstitutional role of the courts in mandating and creat- ing law versus interpreting law. They would also not understand the concept of politics as a career. The envisioned citizen legislator as a temporary period of community service left the scene during the Lin- coln administration and the concept of state's and commu- nity rights began their journey away from what the founding fathers had created. 8 GERRY PATNODE It was at this time politicians discovered the emerging apathy of the American voter. This apathy allowed a few activist citizens and the political leaders that pandered to their needs to set in place the informal political system as we see it today. Just in case you haven't gotten the truth about how our political systems work, here it is pure and simple. Less than ten percent of the adult population con- trols 100% of the political process and rewards those who do their bidding. Why is this true? We as a political collective have become…well fat, dumb and lazy because we are com- fortable. We get just enough to keep us from rioting in the streets. As we sit in our stupor of un-involvement, the erod- ing of our civil liberties happens just like the bull frog in a pot of consistently warming water. He sits there until his butt is cooked. Without the rediscovery of our civic roles, Americans can start looking for the fork. We are almost done. I am of the opinion that the vast majority of citizens would not be happy at that prospect. Even if we were to suddenly understand that we are being ruled by an existing power elite, we seem to be too paralyzed to act. The issue is that on some level we are apathetic. We fall to the 'not my direct problem' mode. Additionally, we are paralyzed into inaction because we don't how to proceed. We have been lulled or marginalized into a trap that allows the power brokers to play the game with us on the sidelines. Examples of hope The example of the new minutemen of the American south- west have proven that we can protect our borders and inhibit, intimidate and just plain stop the "illegals" from crossing over into Texas and Arizona in spite of the best political efforts to ignore the ninety percent of the population who desire to secure the borders. 9 THE STRATEGIC CITIZEN It's that pesky ten percent that keeps the border open. These are the politically involved folks. These are people, who most likely own businesses needing cheap labor. This cheap labor keeps cost down and profits up enough to fund their favorite politician who works hard to keep their favor and their political contributions. It is time to reclaim America for the majority of Ameri- cans. The ability to regain control lies in our collective ability to understand what is going on, and who is at the controls. This is accomplished first by making the commit- ment to take control. Second, is to know what and how to effect political change. 10 CHAPTER 2 Wishing for Change is not Enough 11 THE STRATEGIC CITIZEN 12 Chapter 2 Wishing for Change is not Enough We are not likely to change the political system in one life time. It took two-hundred years to distort. Social systems change slowly and not all at once but in incremental steps. In any attempt to orchestrate change, we need to think in terms of managing the process within the current system. It is also useful for future strategy development to understand how change happens. This too is a designed and orchestrated process. The process of "change management" from my per- spective can be interpreted in two ways. The first is an individuals' or organizations' ability to cope with and process change. This is change thrust upon them by some external set of factors. In short, learning to accept and live with change even if it has a negative effect on your life. This is the process of adaptation. The Second, and the one to be examined here, is the process of making change happen in some planned and systematic fash- ion. The aim is to change how the system processes affect you. You then intervene in the process so that something different occurs within the existing system thereby effectively creating a new sub-system that supports your political or social goals. For the average citizen forced to deal with the instability of political environments, it is more common for us to have devel- oped the skills at coping with what has been dealt rather than attempting to create change. It is increasingly more important 13 THE STRATEGIC CITIZEN for the public to change that dynamic for the sake of preserv- ing the original vision for our republic. We typically distinguish between knee-jerk reaction responses associated with coping, versus the proactive response indicative of managing change. The management of proactive change requires a brief understanding of and knowing that a scholarly and applied body of knowledge for implementing change does exist. The knowledge consists of models, methods, techniques and other tools that can be called upon to develop and imple- ment a change process and strategy. The context for this knowledge is drawn from the theories and approaches found in psychology, sociology, business, engineering, human and organizational behavior. For the professional change agents, this process is linked and integrated into what has been part of our discussion of interventions within existing systems. The basics in under- standing methods and consequences of various interventions is essential for anyone seeking to create system change. Communities are highly specialized systems just as any corporate organization and no two are exactly alike although they all have some commonalities. When we approach the concept of community and politi- cal change, the process has been characterized as having three basic components or stages. These stages are "unfreezing", "changing" and "refreez- ing". This draws heavily upon the work of Kurt Lewin in his systems concept of homeostasis or dynamic stability. In plain English- destabilize, implement change- stabilize the new process and system. The major benefit of this work in exploring the process of political interventions and change is that it gives us a frame- work for developing staged approaches to instituting change. It allows the political and community activist a format to use for looking, learning and planning, before leaping. Probably 14 GERRY PATNODE the only downside to Lewin's approach is that it demands a certain system or organizational stability that is often non existent in the chaos of political environments; but even at that, knowing how the political and community systems operate is useful in our understanding of process within the organization or system. The domain of Organizational Systems The Arena of Political Decisions The process of political decision making does not happen in a vacuum. The political process could be considered the "grease" within human organizational systems that lubri- cates the mechanisms to keep things operating. For our pur- poses, know that systems are designed for those for whom it benefits. When we think we observe dysfunctional systems, it merely illustrates that we are not the designed beneficia- ries of the system's design. Political systems are designed for the benefit of the politicians and those who support them. All others are left to mount campaigns and issues to garner enough support to re-design the system for their benefit. In essence, we don't really change the political system, just our position within the system. The objective becomes dislodging place holders. As an example, think of the "Republican Revo- lution" in 1994; in which out of power Republicans mounted a national campaign to win the majority in the Congress of the United States. While pledging to "change the system and rid it of corruption"; all that really happened was that the players changed positions and everything stayed the same. We just traded one set of power holders for another. In 2006, the Democratic Party revised the system to their benefit and took control of the Congress. If citizens choose to engage in political actions, they need to understand the structures of the systems in which the action takes place. Whether it is the community struc- 15 THE STRATEGIC CITIZEN ture, political party structure or a community association; knowing how the system works will allow the strategic design for effective interventions. A community system can in its most basic form be con- sidered an input-out put model. This type community sys- tem's operating processes extract resources from the external environment and use them to produce a level of community wellness. This wellness is the output of the community pro- cesses. A desire to change any part of the input, processing or outcome requires an ability to break these three areas into the system component parts. Without this knowledge, it is impossible to develop interventions for change. The extracted resources are then used by the community, public and economic institutions to produce the outputs that are required by the community. The outputs are both tangible and intangible and deliver the quality of life which members of the community desire. When community systems fail to provide value for its members, an imbalance occurs within the system. We see a shift from a continued state of social equilibrium, to a condi- tion of disequilibrium. As we will see later, this contributes to a state of "Political Tension" that will require political atten- tion and action. In order for the citizen activist to ferment change, they will require the skills necessary to purposely create this situation. That requires knowing all the parts and interactions of the community and political system. It is precisely this process that can be used later to create "purposeful disequilibrium". It is this disequilibrium that leads political leaders to seek actions and engage in behaviors that address any directed political pressure. For the activist seeking to get the attention of a political leader, purposeful disequilib- rium is the preferred state which the activist wants to establish to force favorable political action. 16 GERRY PATNODE It is this disequilibrium that leads political leaders to seek actions and engage in behaviors that I now have identified as "Shoring-Up" behaviors. Getting Local…Your community system Former Speaker of the House, Tip O'Neil, once remarked that all politics are local. It is for this reason I begin the examina- tion of political systems at the community level. The community system is in effect the playing field for ini- tial political activity. It is a logical beginning for understand- ing how the political system functions and reacts to various interventions into a community's system processes. If we are to avoid the unintended consequences of our actions, it is important to appreciate that any attempt to correctly design corrective interventions is dependent upon how well we have understood how a particular community system operates. In its generic form a system is a collection of parts interre- lated to perform some function or achieve some goal. Systems by definition have input functions, a processing function and outcomes with ongoing feedback. If any part of the system is changed in anyway or removed, whether it is by design or to a default mode through inaction, the system is changed and relationship between the associ- 17 THE STRATEGIC CITIZEN ated parts is also changed. What now exists becomes a new system with new rules and processes (Thompson, 1969). The basic community design will have groups of compo- nents that satisfy the input, process, output function and a feedback / communications loop that will cause inputs to adjust to the demands of the community at large in satisfy- ing quality of life issues. Should any of these components become a negative impact on the community creating politi- cal dis-equilibrium; a political action on the part of the effected political leaders will occur. The preceding diagram is representative of a typical com- munity system. Seeing the community as a system is benefi- cial in that it forces community planners and those engaging in problem solving to bring a new perspective in the inter- pretation of patterns and events within the community as opposed to a focus on single issues or events. As I previously stated, social systems are designed for the benefit of someone or some group. The origins of the current design are essential to understanding if activists are to cope with the system dynamics, while introducing change. Instead of focusing on one symptom or a limited aspect of a prob- lem, a systems approach forces a look at the whole system as links and causal effect processes. It is possible that component parts of the system work just fine on an individual basis; but when these components are integrated into the whole system and become interdependent, we sometimes see an unintended change. The use of a systems approach forces a look at all the parts and the feedback loop process that identifies system inef- ficiencies, or other undesirable functions. Why all this systems thinking stuff? The use of systems thinking in defining and analyzing human systems is a relatively new approach. The importance to this approach is a belief that the task of gaining political 18 GERRY PATNODE advantage for any group of citizens is impossible without knowing the workings of the community system process. The observation of natural systems and man's attempt at understanding the nature of the universe can be traced back to the first conscious recognition of the existence of the stars, moon and sun and the constant and predictable relationships between them. The desire of humans to explain or make sense of the surrounding environment has also inevitably led to man's desire to intervene and change his surroundings. Our preoccupation with the need to control or change things is demonstrated not only within our human systems but also in our efforts to challenge natural systems. We attempt to change everything from the course of rivers to the re-engi- neering of our basic genetic structure. Given such pre-occupations, it would seem to be a natu- ral extension for the social/political activist to notice that political change requires an analysis of what the system is and how it operates. This obviously ends in efforts to change the social system to a preferred change. The use of a systems approach to understanding both simple and the most complex relationships can therefore refer to the smallest "whole" or to the entire universe. In fact, the systems approach can help us understand atoms, cells, man, families, committees, corporations and governments. The use of a systems approach to understanding both natu- ral and human systems and more importantly as a diagnostic tool for interventions has proven to be a tempting tool in the management and development of organizations. The potential usefulness of a systems should be appreci- ated as a powerful diagnostic tool. I will demonstrate through- out the following examples why looking at the whole is more important that dealing with component parts. In the realm of business, education and government, the most promising use of the systems approach is in the area of 19 THE STRATEGIC CITIZEN building efficient human organizations. Applying a systems approach to analyses of organizations gives the citizen-activ- ist cohesion to disparate facts and the relationship between systems enhancing problem definition and solving abilities. Community Systems are "Open" Systems A community is an example of an open system. Open sys- tems are defined as having the three major perspectives of being open, rational and natural (Katz and Kahn, 1966). The characteristics of an open system are; self-maintenance based on a process of resources from the environment, and interaction with the external environment. Katz and Kahn summarize that an open system approach begins with the identification and mapping the repeating cycles of inputs, transformation, output and renewed inputs which comprise the organizational patterns. Organizational systems, as a class of open systems, have properties of their own but share in characteristics common to all open systems. These as expressed as the importation of energy from the outside environment (inputs), trans- formation of inputs (process), and an end product of value (output) which is exported to the environment in exchange for more inputs. This approximates the basic model offered by Thompson. It is these elements that a political interven- tion seeks to influence or change. Natural systems include social and political communi- ties. These type organizations will develop a system on their own even if no formal governance structure is in place. Par- ticipants of the community share a common interest in the survival of the system and will engage in collective activities and informal structures that will insure that the community achieves acceptable levels of wellness. 20 GERRY PATNODE 21 THE STRATEGIC CITIZEN 22 CHAPTER 3 Change Requires Action 23 THE STRATEGIC CITIZEN 24 Chapter 3 Change Requires Action The first step in effecting a change to the political status quo is a willingness to attack the entire system and not just the symptomatic parts that have attracted our attention. In addition, recognize that single issue attempts to make change rarely work. This means finding complimentary issues or at least non competing issues that can be joined into a more powerful political change force. Hopefully you will recognize the value of this approach as we proceed. First, for the benefit of social and political activists; a social system failure is any change in the status quo that is viewed as detrimental to the perceived short or long term "wellness" of the community. In short, something has changed that negatively effected the quality of life for some segment of the community population. To illustrate the importance of viewing change as a total systems issue, I have chosen to utilize the concept of sys- tems archetypes as introduced by Peter Senge in "The Fifth Discipline". Systems Archetypes are basic and understand- able cycles that systems go through. They are instructive in understanding how problems arise through unintended out- comes when the entire system is not attacked in addressing social problems. The use of archetypes can be found in vari- ous works on social systems. 25 THE STRATEGIC CITIZEN Applying the use of archetypes can be useful in gain- ing insight into the nature of community systems and the underlying problems that lead to a system imbalance or dysfunction. Such imbalances traditionally divert the sys- tems functions from the purpose of the originally designed system. By using typical system interventions currently in use by most politicians, or attempted by activist community members, we see the folly of addressing only the symptom- atic elements of social problem in the social system. The archetypes that are thought to offer the most insight into how systems change with various interventions are examined below. It will also be helpful to utilize an exam- ple of political process with the use of a partially contrived case study example. For the purpose of illustration, I have developed a case study that is a composite of communities located in Maryland. The composite communities have been given the fictitious names of Hill Top and Lakeside. The use of a case study allows for some flexibility and efficiency in describing mostly factual information combined with some logical elaboration on my part to illustrate a point. It is also necessary to provide anonymity to the participants. Although some are public figures, many are not. An explanation of the community operating system of both Hill Top and Lakeside provides insight into the elements that contribute towards community wellness. The specific standard archetypes utilized are known as; "Shifting the Burden", "Eroding Goals", "Success to the suc- cessful", "Tragedy of the Common", "Fixes that Fail" and the "Attractiveness Principle". These system archetypes will help identify common system functions, interactions and the result of specific interventions. As you read the description of these actions, I am sure you can think of many situations within your own communities that have taken the same approach to problem solving with the same unfortunate results. 26 GERRY PATNODE Shifting the Burden archetype is defined as a short term attempt to attack the symptoms of the real problem. It is my observation that this method of system correction is one of political expediency and one that is easily seen and demonstrated in any community. It allows the political pres- sure to lessen and is a cost effective approach. It is a process to divert enough resources to dampen the political fire and move the attention or focus towards other issues. Eroding Goals archetype is similar to Shifting the Burden. It too is an approach to sanitize or create the illusion of a fix. In the communities under examination, community leaders and politicians both recognized that schools must appear to be meeting the performance goals. When not met the easier approach is to change the standard to a lower and easier to achieve level. Success to the Successful archetype is a standard system phenomenon that directs resources to where it is least needed but most likely to be visibly successful. As an example, the herd mentality of investors is to invest where things are already investment winners, not recognizing that by that time the incremental value has peaked. The better investment is where investments are needed and currently at the low point with better upside value. Tragedy of the Commons archetype is a consequence of an attempt at creating economies of scale without thought as to the effect that sharing resources may have on the system parts or competing systems. This process can cause system performance to erode and effects the sharing components will also experience declining performance. Some would legitimately say that our military system has experienced this in the war in Iraq. Fixes that Fail is a very similar to the Shifting the Burden with a notable difference. This situation always has unintended consequences based on a lack of knowledge and 27 THE STRATEGIC CITIZEN understanding of the sub-system's interaction with the larger system environment. Attractiveness Principle archetype takes its name from the process of selection. In terms of systems intervention, it is the process of deciding what symptom to attack first based on the resources available to mount an action. It is a process that has constraints or limits which force selection of ele- ments of the problem deferring a full systems approach. A Community Case Study with the Concepts Applied. In this case study example, two concepts are intro- duced as the action component of our archetypes. The first is the single issue action approach to addressing complex social issues. As will be demonstrated, this approach is generally too narrowly focused to offer permanent fixes. Yet it is usu- ally politically expedient and lessens the political pressure in the short term. The action which addresses the situation is preventative in that it seeks only to establish or maintain political equilibrium. The second is the previously mentioned political leader- ship behavioral concept - "Shoring-up." Shoring-up as will be seen in detail later, is a group of prescribed behaviors which are initiated when certain conditions are present. These behavioral actions are designed to defer any attempt at per- manent solutions because the obtainment of a solution holds enormous political jeopardy. We can also clearly see how these approaches to decision-making are a reflection of the system archetypes. Case History The examples below are real but have been compressed into two communities from multiple communities studied in Maryland. The composite communities were experiencing a notice- able decline in what is described as their community wellness factors. These include the issues of economic stability and 28 GERRY PATNODE general quality of life. Within our case communities, these same dimensions were under assault due to an aging infra- structure, demographic changes, economic decline and social changes that when combined showed a change in the basic quality of life previously enjoyed by these communities. The fictitious communities of Hill Top and Lake Village are typi- cal of edge communities throughout America which have matured and are in close proximity of major cities. As such political leaders, who included county council members, the county executive and state legislative delegates were under considerable public pressure from several organized interest groups to stop and reverse the deterioration of these commu- nities and improve the quality of life. Symptoms experienced in these communities consisted of rising property crime, closing of retail businesses, declin- ing property values and a drop in student performance in the community elementary and middle schools. These same conditions and situations have been demonstrated through- out the United States (Rusk. 1999). This set of circumstances and conditions changed the political environment to a state of disequilibrium. In an effort to regain a state of equilibrium and lessened political tension, the political leadership needed to restore the leader follower dynamic of confidence and support. Gen- erally this means needing to have the majority of support from the community's active persons. As I will continuously remind you, this is usually about ten-percent of the total adult population. As stated earlier, that means that five per- cent plus one person of the entire population is controlling public policy. The situation was made more difficult from a political position because the groups competing for favor and political resources tended to be grouped along racial lines which is always a highly charged emotional issue. The ten- sion was created when one minority faction was blamed for 29 THE STRATEGIC CITIZEN the rise in crime, lowering of property values and the decline in school performance. This set of circumstances made any political action fraught with danger for the political leader and the community groups. Community data collected generally supported commu- nity leader's assessment that overall community wellness was showing signs of stress. The downward trend was docu- mented over a three year period. The issues creating the ten- sion from elements within the community were that home sales in terms of units sold and the average sales price was rapidly declining while surrounding areas were enjoying a robust real estate market with rising prices. The difficulty of selling a home in either Hill Top or Lake Village added to home owners bailing out and selling to inves- tors who converted from owner occupied to renter units. This ownership change became a concern since it changed the basic character of the communities. With the increase in rental occupancy, the communities saw increases in violent and property crime in each community. Finally, the aggregate tax base for each community was declining with the prop- erty values. Nothing gets political attention more than the threat of a lessening of tax revenue. The need to engage in some visible activity to relieve the mounting tension was precipitated by the pressures being exerted on politicians by the community associations and other community power groups that demanded action on the issues. Remember my original premise is that political officials will seek to lessen the political pressure but not necessarily by solving the problem. The action taken by political lead- ers was to increase police presence by reducing police pres- ence in adjoining communities. As a result, police patrols were increased resulting in higher arrests but no measurable decrease in the crime rate for the calendar year. To the con- trary, property crime increased in Lakeside while personal 30 GERRY PATNODE crime remained the same. The results in Hill Top showed that the levels remained the same. Additionally, property values and the aggregate tax base continued to decline because of the perception of a worsening crime problem as witnessed by the increased police activity. Community leaders who routinely supported the cur- rent political leadership complained that an undesirable ele- ment was moving into the community bringing crime and property deterioration with them. These community lead- ers forced the introduction of additional police action. Not surprisingly, emerging opposition groups countered that increased police activity was targeting a minority commu- nity group for no other reason than race. Outside groups, such as, the NAACP and the ACLU joined in the process creating a more powerful alliance with minority groups. Political leader 's reacted to lessen tension. This was accom- plished by political slight of hand creating the illusion of action. Through the creation of a community study com- mission, community leaders from all factions were asked to explore new approaches for solving the problem. While to the politically naïve, this may seem a logical approach; it was designed to lessen the immediate pressure and refocus on a process with no ability to enact change but only to recommend an approach. This move effectively moved the politicians from the immediate line of fire and kept their support groups in a lessened state of tension for an extended time period. It is important to note that at no time was the issue of cause and effect relationships examined by this commission but only short term tactical decisions to address the symptoms. This was a political process made in heaven as far as the elected officials were concerned. In reality, the most significant output from this commu- nity study commission was to recommend political action to stop or impede the emerging trends, not to address the real 31 THE STRATEGIC CITIZEN causes. You can see that we are back to the political game of inclusion and exclusion. The willingness of the political powers to allow a change in the community system evolved into actions designed to make community membership more difficult for new entrants into the community. New ordi- nances made selling residential property to investors nearly impossible or financially onerous. This cut down the avail- ability of rental housing which discouraged those groups that could not afford to enter the community via home own- ership. This created other problems within these community systems. The lack of buyers for homes for sale forced county leadership to Shore-Up relationships with the older residents who had political voting clout. As a result, new home buying assistance was funded by the county to help young family groups buy the available housing. Under normal community life cycling, this would, in the normal community evolution- ary process, be a positive precursor for community renewal. In contrast, the influx of families proved to be from poorer socio economic locations with school age children who hap- pened to be academic under achievers. This situation brought a decline in performance on standardized test scores by stu- dents in the community's schools. This in turn seems to have kept the more upwardly mobile younger family buyers away from these communities. The plain truth is that bad schools do not attract good families. The continued attraction of new residents from the poor urban areas of the state continued. They had fled city schools in favor of the better but declining county schools. This caused the communities to further deteriorate. The urban poor and economically disadvantage sought a relative improvement in the now declining county schools over the urban city school system. Now let's examine what political leaders were forced to address and the results of their actions. First, by examina- 32 GERRY PATNODE tion of those community attributes that define community wellness, we have declining communities. Political leaders were careful to frame the problems not as the poor ethnic minorities that moved into the area but the "evil" real estate investor. The potential for "inviting" the NAACP and the ACLU to enter the problem was averted by this important refocus. The fragmented and the perceived rich group of real estate investors from outside the community was an easy target to vilify. The approach was really a touch of political genus. If a way could be found to limit or stop the influx of poor minority families into the area; the perceived cause of new crime would be eliminated without a direct attack on a demographic group that has the ability to attract strong political advocacy groups. Through the use of the legisla- tive process, new laws were created that made transforming single family homes into rental property an onerous exercise that soon stripped the profits from the investment. Of course this action dried up real estate sales causing another out roar from the aging white middle class home owners who still wanted to leave the area. The situation forced an alliance with this group and groups representing the poor minorities that were now excluded from living in the community. This coalition became a formidable political action group. They were able to force politicians to address the issue by creating a pool of funds supplied by area banks seeking to comply with new Community Development Act regulations that could assist previously unqualified families in buying the available homes in the community. While it was politically expedient to address the pressures from activists, the actions taken still did not address the core issue that started this whole process, which were increased crime and more police actions. If you are starting to feel that this is sounding like that old children's folk song of "There Was a Little Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly", and eventu- 33 THE STRATEGIC CITIZEN ally ended by swallowing a goat; it is not accidental. With all the dimensions of this community's problems emerg- ing, political leaders are forced to find short term solutions to address the symptoms enough to get the political pres- sure defused or diverted to something else. In this case the approach made both political and solution sense. An attempt was made to stabilize the community and address those pres- sures that had the highest potential for posing a threat to the local politicians involved. Those homeowners in the commu- nity found a way to limit renters and therefore undesirables. Those wishing to sell (the no longer committed) found a way to sell. The political/social groups, like the NAACP and the ACLU, were appeased enough to give ground since people of color were now able to buy property in the community with government assistance. Even with the skillful Shoring-up by the community's political leadership, we saw the community confronted with yet another problem created from the past decisions. The new political equilibrium sowed the seeds of further community deterioration. The influx of lower socio-economic groups into the community via the new ownership programs had a nega- tive impact on the local schools. With limited preparation and poor academic skills, these children from city school systems were "hurting" the results of school test results. Poor schools have a tendency to limit the number of families who wish to relocate in a community. In this case people were fleeing the failed city school systems to a system that even though it was beginning to fail was better than the city schools left behind. The county schools therefore only appeared attractive to poor socio-economic and racial minority families. As a result, the political forces had to find a way to mask the deterioration of the local school's performance so that other demographic groups would also consider moving into the community. The political survival of local political leaders 34 GERRY PATNODE depended on their ability to recruit citizens likely to to accept the new academies at face value without the negative history. The needed Shoring-up action was to create a new perception of school quality by first renaming the schools and calling them "academies". The maneuver to rename basically destroyed the history of the "old schools". New schools meant a new history to write. Old higher test scores no longer existed for schools in the community. You can't get deteriorating scores if the former higher base score simply goes away. A second issue to arise was political pressure from com- munity leaders with new coalitions of support from new community minorities. They sought to "re-norm" the school testing methods to be more attuned to the new popula- tion. Translation, dumb it down. This did nothing but make people feel better. The schools true performance was masked by political leaders who were now facing the new realities of a potential power shift toward minority groups and doing what ever it takes to retain power for as long as possible in a new emerging political environment. The declining schools and all that it effected had forced additional political action as opposed to real problem solving. As a consequence, more Shoring-up activity was instituted. The course that is taken will be directly effected by the level and intensity of the tension and disequilibrium. The presence of the new or prolonged community tension and perceived potential power disequilibrium caused the political leader- ship to engage in activity based on certain current situational expectations from constituents. In short the demands to "fix it" but don't hurt me in the process echoed in the ears of the political leadership. It did not take a seasoned politician to understand that political longevity was becoming severely limited. Politicians found grounds for accommodation to garner short term support. In several cases it was to insure support for higher office. 35 THE STRATEGIC CITIZEN The Shoring-up actions taken by these political leaders was never directed at cause and effect of problems within the system for an important reason. The true solutions are not politically viable. To pursue any real long lasting solution is a political death wish for anyone wishing to remain in power. In most cases such solutions are now not politically correct and they are likely to cost a great deal and take a long time. We will revisit our communities at a later time to see how implemen- tation of systems knowledge and defenses against politicians seeking to "Shore –up' their own positions of power allows the citizen activist to become a powerful force with the true power to address social problems in the political context. Knowing What Needs to be Changed Any attempt to intervene in, or divert the community/politi- cal system is an attempt at changing outcomes generated by that system. This requires not only knowing what really needs to be changed to address the key or underlying problems faced, but also eventually knowing how to make those changes. Understanding the change process is the first step to initiating change. Attacking current system outcomes suc- cessfully is an exercise in problem solving and is a basic skill needed by the community and political activist. The inter- vention of strategic actions to implement change is the pro- cess of a planned move from one state of being to another more desirable situation. This is the movement from prob- lem to problem solution. The beginning step is that of problem analysis. That sounds so simple but is amazingly tricky. Quite often we are not in a position to view the entire playing field. That is why an understanding of the systems concept is critical. We need to know what and how all things are connected. An attempt to change one little element within a system, changes the entire system frequently into something that 36 GERRY PATNODE was never imagined. This change, if planned, controlled and understood; can be beneficial; but if our actions create "sur- prises" known as unintended consequences, we have failed to understand the workings of the community system. Our above examples of the community in a state of change are a good example of this situation. The political process is one tied to the ability to exert influence and pressure. We need to understand the types and nature of pressures that can be brought to bear on politi- cians by citizens and conversely by politicians on those that attempt to challenge the status quo. Assessing and diffusing sources of influence and power requires great skill and insight. We always have blind spots as to facts or insight into human behavior. We often are exposed to symptoms, mistaking them for the problem. The ability to recognize the real core problem, its source and power is essential for change strategies to work. Using the systems thinking approach means we have taken the time to observe and analyze the cause and effect relationships and have assessed the impact of any intervention. Once the problem and its components are identified, a community leader can gain support from vital support groups. These groups will find value in changing the existing system or at least elements within the system that contribute to individual self interest. The perceived or actual power and influence of a new coalition will by its mere existence exert pressures within the system's processes to force reaction. This approach would be recognized by those who study organiza- tional behavior as a planned change model. The heart of change process lies in defining the change problem. That is, what needs to occur before a desired future state can be achieved? An organized and directed process for getting from one condi- tion to a desired other needs to be planned. To seek change for the sake of change without having a valid plan for what new 37 THE STRATEGIC CITIZEN system and processes will take the place of the old system is to invite disaster. This is an important distinction particularly in the political arena. Citizens groups have a tendency to only be able to describe what is wrong and all the accompanying evils. People who get things done plan for what they want. I think this is an important issue. Thinking in positive terms of what is to be, and not wasting energy and time bemoaning all the negatives. Ask any Cuban exile that when they sup- ported the overthrow of Batista, if Fidel Castro was what they had in mind? Their energy was towards elimination of a nega- tive without a clear plan of what the alternative should be. It matters little as to whether the change problem is large or small the process remains consistently the same. The move- ment from one state of being to another as a planned process is accomplished through the achievement of three goals. These are; transformation, reduction, and application. The transformation goal is that of achieving recognition of the critical and essential differences between the current state and the desired future state. The reduction goal is achieving the recognition of what must be "reduced" or eliminated and the processes or rem- edies required to bring the current state to the desired state. Perhaps a better term might be what strategy and tactical methods will move things to the desired state. The third goal of application brings us to the "action plan" required to introduce and implement change using the strategies and tactics developed under the reduction goals. Political Change is a WHAT, HOW and WHY Problem At the very beginning of community discontent is the desire to effect some sort of positive change. Almost anybody and everybody effected by the current state of affairs can come to some consensus as to what the problem is, but the real 38 GERRY PATNODE problem becomes how to effect change. The "what" problem is defining what is it that needs to be changed? Any type of diagnostic analysis is assumed since the desired outcome becomes the focus which forces the focus on what is the desired outcome. What does it look like and "what" changes are necessary to reach the desired condition. Let us not forget to also understand and anticipate the con- sequences of our actions within our community systems. Remember the archetype example given earlier. This chal- lenge requires an identification of the processes that foster change within the current system. It is within this context that we seek to understand what will cause change. How do we get political leaders to act in the community inter- est when such behavior is in conflict with the political well being of the politician? In our consideration of the "Why" question the ends and the means are relative notions, fluid, not absolute. The "why question", in this instance, becomes the push at expla- nation into the true relationships within the system. These often need to be traced to the final ends of change in order to understand systems and relationships. Consider the fol- lowing string of Why questions which brings us to a true understanding of how the political system works in most communities. 1. Why do some political leaders appear to be non-respon- sive to public need? Because there is not a compelling reason to respond. 2. Why would a politician not be compelled to respond to constituents needs? Because they only serve a special interest minority with politi- cal clout. 3. Why do they only serve special interest? Because special interest control the fate of political leaders. 39 THE STRATEGIC CITIZEN 4. Why do special interests control the fate of political leaders? Because they control the resources of political power. 5. Why do they control resources for political control? Because the average citizen has abdicated responsibility 6. Why have they "dropped" out? Because the special interest have built power to steer political action, create alliances that control money, and access to media and votes. 7. Why do they create alliances that control money and access to media? Because political leaders want or need money and access to media. 8. Why do they seek money and media access? Because such access insures the ability to garner votes to stay in power. 9. Why do they get votes from special interest groups?


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Funbook - Fall 2014
Funbook - Spring 2014
February 28, 2015
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Updated May 30, 2012 11:49 PM By PETER M. GIANOTTI AND JOAN REMINICK email@example.com,email@example.com
A new restaurant in East Hampton, Andrra offers views of Three Mile Harbor. (May 18, 2012) (Credit: Daniel Gonzalez)
It looks like 2012 is shaping up as the summer of pulled pork, bockbeer and Greek-style whole grilled fish. With three beer-focused eateries, two barbecue spots and two Greek restaurants joining in, the East End restaurant scene is looking like a robust one. As in years past, there's also a fresh infusion of New American and Italian restaurants on an arrivals list now numbering 19. And there's...
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Cracker: Season 1, Episode 3To Say I Love You: Part 1 (11 Oct. 1993) 8.4
Sean Kerrigan and Tina Brien, two of society's rejects, are drawn together and will do anything to stay together forever, even murder. Fitz is drawn into the conflict when he begins to uncover the murder of Tina's loan shark. Director:Andy WilsonWriter:Jimmy McGovern |
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The EU-U.S.Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership
Karel De Gucht discusses the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, and what it means for EU-U.S. relations and for world trade.
Speaker: Karel De Gucht, European Commissioner for Trade
Presider: William Drozdiak, President, American Council on Germany
May 21, 2013
Karel De Gucht discusses the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership, and what it means for EU-U.S. relations and for world trade.
This meeting is part of the C. Peter McColough Series on International Economics, which is presented by the Corporate Program and the Maurice R. Greenberg Center for Geoeconomic Studies.
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Mercedes Benz 280SL Pagode 1971 automatic gearbox restored Beautiful restored 1971 Mercedes Benz 280SL Pagode. Car has automatic gearbox, Sonnenland sofftop, hardtop in colour of... More
1968 MERCEDES BENZ 280SL, Vin # 11304412000569,signal red roadster with matching hardtop.It has a black leather interior with records back to 1981. It has... More
Private sale- For sale: 1969 280SL in IMMACULATE condition. Car was fully restored over three years. I bought it restored from Aventura Motors in 2010, but I... More
Assembled at the Mercedes-Benz factory in Stuttgart, Germany, during the summer of 1969, this fine 280SL left the factory on July 18 that year.... More
Offered here is at beautiful 1970 280 SL Pagoda roadster. Being a European market car, it is a much more enjoyable car to drive.... More
Representing Mercedes-Benz's trend towards producing more usable and practical sports cars, the 230/250/280SL line was meant to replace both the 190SL and the illustrious... More
1971 Mercedes-Benz 280SL RoadsterTo be OFFERED AT AUCTION at Auctions America's Fort Lauderdale event, March 27-29, 2015. Click here to view this listing on... More
1970 Mercedes-Benz 280SL RoadsterTo be OFFERED AT AUCTION at Auctions America's Fort Lauderdale event, March 27-29, 2015. Click here to view this listing on... More
1971 MERCEDES BENZ 280SL W-113 This car was build in January of 1971; Therefore a true 1971 and one of the only 830 produced. Very nice interior... More
1970 MERCEDES BENZ 280SL - W113 2 tops, hard top and soft top. 4 Speed Manual with A/C This very nice and original 280SL, has the original... More
For sale in our Tampa showroom is a 1984 Mercedes Benz 280SL. Mercedes Benz second longest running series line the SL series was built... More
To be offered at Bonhams' premier Amelia Island Auction at the Fernandina Beach Golf Club in Fernandina Beach, FL on Thursday March 12th beginning... More


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Obituary: Paolo Vivante 1921-2004
Paolo Vivante, John MacNaughton Emeritus Professor of Classics, died peacefully in his 82nd year on Saturday morning, July 17, at the Montreal General Hospital, of respiratory complications.
Grad students explore space and art in new speaker series
Hell in cinema, Fluxus performance art and... necrophilia?!?! With topics like that, the new grad student speaker series promises to keep people awake if nothing else.
Student Research Day!
Medicine students who participated in the Summer 2004 Research Bursary program will present their findings.
Kudos: Levitin, Urquhart and Martlets score
We will take them on the bookshelves, we will take them on the hockey rink.
Le Conservatoire de danse de Montréal is holding a fundraiser for Gilda's Club, a resource centre for people living with cancer.
R&D's amazing race
Canadian universities pick up the pace in the global sprint for top-ranked R&D. Who will make it to the podium and who will be lapped?
The deeper meaning of wear and tear
Roland Bennewitz, an experimental nanomechanics professor, is researching friction at its most fundamental level.
Students with axes to grind
At the Canadian Intercollegiate Lumberjack Championships, college students from across Eastern Canada and New England will forgo the cold to compete in an array of timbersports: the axe throw, the standing block chop, log decking and the cross-cut saw. Wood chips will fly, logs will roll and lumberjacks and lumberjills will most likely leave with some scrapes and bruises.
P.O.V.: Lifestyles of the rich and famous; why do we care?
Tom Mole, assistant professor in the Department of English, tells us that our obsession with Britney and Paris has precedents that are centuries old.
Ignatieff — coming home?
Michael Ignatieff to give Beatty Lecture at Homecoming.


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recipe reviews for:
"This tangy brined chicken will have your guests coming back for more."
Cooking Level: Beginning
My Profile | Cooks I Like Reviews | Photos | Recipes | Menus | Blog
Cooking Level: Intermediate
Cooking Level: Expert
Muffins are great for breakfast, with coffee, or just as a snack on the go.
Soup is what the doctor ordered to cure those winter blahs.
Delicious recipes, party ideas, and cooking tips! Get a year of Allrecipes magazine for $7.99!
A zesty marinade for grilled chicken breasts. Dinner's ready in minutes.
Simple recipe that helps combat dry chicken blues.
See how to make a great marinade and basting sauce for grilled chicken.


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Lew's® Laser® SL Speed Stick Fishing Rod
Item # WX2-225026
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This item cannot ship via any of our Next Day or Second Day express delivery methods.
This item cannot ship to Canada.
This item cannot ship internationally.
- Details & Specs
Lew's® Laser® SL Speed Stick Fishing Rod. Top quality components, impressive styling, made affordable.
So, you don't get to fish as much as you'd like. But when you do, you don't want to be frustrated with some drug store special. With the Laser SL Speed Stick, Lew's brings you the performance you demand for a fun day on the lake!
- 1-Pc.
- Lew's proprietary Advanced Performance Technology blank construction
- Premium 60 million modulus graphite blanks
- Black coated stainless steel frames with polished hard aluminum oxide micro guides
- Skeletal graphite reel seats
- Hi-density EVA split grips
- Quick-lock foregrips
- Fast action
- Lew's Limited Lifetime Warranty.
State Model, as available in the Shopping Cart. Order ONLINE Today!
Stock No. 225026:- Model: SL60MFS
- Type: Spin
- Length: 6'0"
- Power: M
- Guides: 7+tip
- Line: 6-12
- Lure: 3/16-5/8
- Reviews
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Rapala® 50 lb. Digital Scale - (No memory feature)
Buyer's Club $17.99 Non-Members $19.99 -
Guide Gear 7'6" 3-Rod / Reel Case
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12 Balsa Floats
Buyer's Club $8.99 Non-Members $9.99
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Lew's® Laser® LG Graphite Fishing Spinning 1 - Pc. Rod
Non-Members $59.99 -
Okuma® Dead Eye 1-Pc. Spinning Rod
Buyer's Club $71.99 Non-Members $79.99 -
Wright & McGill® Tony Roach Rigging / Jigging Rod
Buyer's Club $89.99 Non-Members $99.99


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$149.99 |
With Free Shipping Both Ways |
Product Features
What do you think about the 2015 RIP-IT AIR Senior League Baseball Bat: B1505 ? |
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4 Product Reviews
Questions and Answers
Got a question about the 2015 RIP-IT AIR Senior League Baseball Bat: B1505? Ask our team of experts, and they will respond within 24 hours.
Ask A QuestionMy son has been using the Easton MAKO. I understand that the CAT 6 barrel balance is similar. How does this RIP-IT compare? Is it more end loaded like the Voodoo OVERLORD or the CAT 6?
The 2015 RIP-IT AIR Senior League Baseball Bat (B1505) will feel more like the Marucci CAT 6 bat. It is a very balanced model with a light swing weight.
Why is this bat already reduced? 2015 just started.....
RIP-IT actually made the call to reduce all of their 2015 product lines recently and gave that authorization to all of their authorized dealers. You'll likely see them at this price elsewhere now, too. They have informed us they were able to improve production capabilities, which reduces costs and the price for customers.
We have owned several Rip-It bats, BBCOR and Youth Big Barrel and have loved them all. The only problem with both types is the end cap pops off or cracks. Have they solved this problem yet? Rip It always replaced promptly no questions asked.
RIP-IT continuously tries to improve on their design. Several improvements to the durability and feel of the 2015 RIP-IT AIR Senior League Baseball Bat (B1505) have been made but they have not come out with information on any widespread issues with the end cap.
Product Description
New for 2015! RIP-IT believes that speed matters when it comes to your swing. With AIR Technology, the RIP-IT Senior AIR is made for speed. By lowering the M.O.I., AIR Technology helps players increase their bat speed and control on every swing. The Senior AIR features a one-piece construction made from R3 Alloy. RIP-IT's strongest alloy ever, R3 Alloy is designed with deeper grooves inside the barrel to produce the fastest and most balanced senior league bat yet! The -5 Senior AIR brings back Rifle Barrel; the technology that started the speed revolution. The handle is outfitted with RIP-IT's Contact Grip that features incredible vibration elimination properties and extreme durability. RIP-IT is so confident you'll love this bat that they're offering a 30 Day Love It or Return It performance guarantee. If you don't like it, simply send it back to RIP-IT within 30 days and they'll give you a full refund. You've got nothing to lose. RIP-IT: Speed Matters! The Senior AIR features the USSSA 1.15 BPF stamp. It is backed by a Full 400 Day Manufacturer's Warranty. Free Shipping!
About RIP-IT
Armando, You made one 11 year old boy very happy, thank you.
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I installed a new version of WinDVD and almost at the very end of the installation there was a sneaky screen offering to install G toolbar and the checkbox was ticked by default.
I understand when related software comes bunled with each other, but a software dvd player and a browser toolbar have nothing in common.
Do you know of any other software that bundles G toolbar?


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The BBA's Public Service blog, Beyond the Billable is your one stop shop for everything Public Service at the BBA. Check it out here.
How We Got Here. For the full post, click here.
Contact: Contact: Kerry Crisley 617-778-1902
(Boston) -- As the number of well-known law firms and corporations on the Boston Bar Association Sponsor Firm list continues to grow, BBA President Jack Regan today announced that Rose, Chinitz & Rose -- a prominent litigation boutique based in Boston --has become the BBA's newest Sponsor Firm.
"Sponsor Firm membership signifies the very highest level of commitment to professional excellence, access to justice, and serving the community," said Regan. "Rose, Chinitz & Rose has a reputation for high quality litigation services and good corporate citizenship, and the BBA is proud to have them on board as a Sponsor Firm."
Rose, Chinitz & Rose represents clients in civil and criminal trial and appellate matters in federal and state courts and in arbitration. The firm's expertise includes business litigation, college and university law, employment litigation and counseling, and defense of state and federal government and regulatory investigations and prosecutions.
"The BBA is nationally recognized as a platform for public service and public policy activities, legal education, diversity and inclusion, and shaping the future of the legal profession," said Alan D. Rose, Managing Partner of Rose, Chinitz & Rose. "Our firm has long been involved in the BBA, appreciates the depth and breadth of its activities, and considers Sponsor Firm membership an important way of saying that we share the BBA's values and want to help advance its mission."
3.10.15 @ 12:00pm
3.11.15 @ 12:30pm
3.12.15 @ 6:00pm


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For more than 10 years, dentists have been helping patients regain confidence in their full and partial dentures by using 3M™ ESPE™ MDI Mini Dental Implants for denture stabilization. 3M ESPE's MDI Mini Dental Implant system is minimally invasive and immediately stabilizes loose dentures using a patented protocol, often completed without a flap and frequently using the patient's existing denture.
MDIs are designed for stability in soft and dense bone, which is essential for immediate loading. Attachment designs are available for custom retention, with three retention options and attachment designs that forgive up to 30 degrees divergence with no need for an angle correction inventory. 3M ESPE mini dental implants are available in diameters of 1.8mm, 2.1mm, 2.4mm and 2.9mm at lengths of 10mm, 13mm, 15mm and 18mm.
Place orders online for 3M ESPE Dental Implant products.
Take advantage of these special offers on MDI Mini Dental Implants. To place your order, call 1-800-634-2249 option 2.
PDF Document Download the Special Offers Flyer (778KB)
Get customized marketing materials for the 3M Denture Attachment System to help attract patients into your practice.
3M ESPE is no longer offering the MDI Seminar Training Programs. Please continue to check here for more resources as they become available.
The 3M™ ESPE™ MDI Mini Dental Implant housings are now colored pink to blend more esthetically with the denture base.
Excellent companies offer MDI training courses that include advanced mini dental implant techniques:
Dynamic Dental Instruction, featuring Dr. Benjamin Oppenheimer »
Implant Dentistry - Enhancing Diagnosis, Case Acceptance, and Restorative Outcomes Using the Latest Technology
Presenter: Dr. David Little, DDS
Successful Implant Impressions and Impression Materials
Presenter: Dr. Izchak Barzilay
Marketing and Case Acceptance Strategies for the Mini Dental Implant
Presenter: Benjamin Oppenheimer, D.D.S. FICOI
Download for use in your office.
Download this video for use in your in-office media player (MOV' 6.3MB)
For PCs: right-mouse click on link and select "Save Target As…"
For Macintosh computers: hold down the shift+ control key and select link. "Save linked file as…" from the pop-up menu.
Study results and product information for review and downloading.
PDF Document Patient Brochure (401KB)
PDF Document MDI Patient Home Care Brochure (1.6MB)
PDF Document Product Catalog MDI Mini Dental Implants (3MB)
PDF Document Technical Data Sheet (1.7MB)
PDF Document Build your Practice Brochure (1MB)
PDF Document MDI Product Catalog (3 MB)
PDF Document Endure Product Quick Reference Guide (1.2MB)
PDF Document Hexed Head Quick Reference Guide (1.4MB)
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Please be aware that this information may be transferred to a server located in the United States for metrics and storage. If you do not consent to this use of your personal information, please do not use the email system.


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delivered promptly and they answered my questions forthwith. happy with sourdough culturing and bread is delicious. i will continue to make sourdough bread with this original culture from Cultures for Health.


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Jessica Simpson Pregnancy Rumors | Pictures
Jessica Simpson Follows Up Game Night With a Lunch Date
by katie henry
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Jessica Simpson Follows Up Game Night With a Lunch Date
Jessica Simpson and her fiancé Eric Johnson had a lunch date at Kings Fish House in LA yesterday. She stuck to a dark palette, wearing all black for the meal. She's been keeping a low profile in recent weeks since pregnancy rumors began circulating late last month, though she did join friends for a game of cards this week. Jessica has not confirmed or denied the pregnancy reports. However, Jessica was spotted looking at new homes with Eric, leading some to believe they're looking for a bigger home for an expanding family. Their seven-month-old daughter Maxwell Johnson's birth made our list of the biggest headlines of 2012 — where do you think her arrival ranks? We'll have to wait and see if Jessica plans on surprising us again in 2013.
Link Love
- India didn't even like the edited version of Fifty Shades — Us Weekly
- This Clueless star was almost cast in Titanic — HuffPost Celebrity
- Find out about Nicholas Hoult's latest project — Lainey Gossip
- Which star was Cupid for Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard? — Dlisted
- Demi Lovato talks about a possible Eminem collaboration — ET
- Rosie Huntington-Whiteley is well aware of her privilege — JustJared
- Eva Longoria is still in magnificent shape — Hollywood Tuna
- Guess which celebrity quit Instagram? — Pink Is the New Blog
- Chelsea Handler did not get a breast lift, OK? — The Superficial
Latest Celebrity


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Anyone who hasn't read this article yet should do so immediately:
It's an older story (2013), but this particular site just posted it now which prompted me to relay it to you.
It's well-written, a fun story to read, and has some amazing insights into what the future may hold for regeneration. The researcher, named Michael Levin, has been studying how electrical signals can be used to tell the body to start regenerating limbs and organs. So far he has only been able to get it to work on frogs, but the article states that his next project, which he is supposedly working on last year to current, is testing mammals - starting with mice. The initial test they are conducting is attempting to regenerate a mouse's digits completely after they have been cut off.


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Stop Ordering It Wrong: Espresso Drinks
By James MulcahyFebruary 25, 2014
You may think you know your coffee order by heart, but do you really know what half those fancy coffee drinks are? From the Gibraltar to a flat white, we're here to help you stop ordering it wrong! We spent some time in NYC with Ground Central's owner Etienne Wiik, who will make sure you get your next order right.


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charlotte byj greeting cards, bless us all and a childs prayer greeting cards, bless us all greeting cards, a childs prayer greeting cards, children greeting cards, kids greeting cards, youngsters greeting cards, babies greeting cards, infants greeting cards, pajamas greeting cards, pj greeting cards
Digital Watercolor Reproduction of a vintage image. Charlot Byj (pronounced "bye") was an artist known for her greeting card designs, posters and advertising artwork in the mid 1940's. She is most famous for the transformation of her artwork into a line of figurines created by Goebel. Living in New York after art school, Charlot ducked into the doorway of a greeting card store during a rainstorm. She admired the greeting card line, noted the name of the publisher, and called the company for an interview. She was hired by the publisher, and began creating illustrations for greeting cards, featuring the impish, redheaded children that became her trademark, namely, Shabby O'Hair, his sister Raggy Muffin, and their plump mother, M'Lady...
Welcome to FASGallery and thank you for visiting. Browse through what we believe is the finest gallery on the Internet. We are adding images all the time so please check back often Follow us on Facebook: Frame House Gallery and see new images as they arrive. Enjoy! FASGallery and FASGAllery.net are divisions of S&S Enterprises, a Floyd Snyder Production. S&S was established in 1971, owns and operates a number of online art galleries Any questions email firstname.lastname@example.com Here are our Top Selling Arists! Enjoy! - Floyd Snyder Barbara Snyder Charles Russell & Frederic Remington William Bouguereau Van Gogh Pierre-Auguste Renoir
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News 1 - 5 of 5
Bryan Singer's Valkyrie Moved to October 3, 2008 Release Date
December 17, 2007 04:12:39The WWII thriller originally was slated for a theatrical release on June 27, 2008.
Three More for Reese Witherspoon-Starrer Four Christmases
December 17, 2007 04:12:06Tim McGraw, Dwight Yoakam, and Jon Favreau have all been added into the romantic comedy's cast.
Stars Rounded for "Two: Thirteen"
June 21, 2007 04:06:48Teri Polo, Dwight Yoakam, Mark Pellegrino, Mark Thompson, and Kevin Pollak are all coming onboard to star in indie thriller horror "Two: Thirteen."
Dwight Yoakam to Host the Lil' Ole' Oscar Hayride
February 18, 2006 01:02:21Amidst his ongoing North American tour, Dwight Yoakam is planning to host the Lil' Ole' Oscar Hayride March 3 at Los Angeles' Wiltern Theater
Stars Walk the Line for Johnny Cash
October 26, 2005 11:10:55U2, Foo Fighters, Norah Jones, Sheryl Crow and Dwight Yoakam are amongst the stars to perform in a special tribute show in honour of Johnny Cash


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The ladies running this place are really lovely and welcoming! The location is about 5 minutes walk from the main centre bit. The room was great, as we are backpackers, this felt like a bit of luxury - we had our towels changed, room cleaned, tv in the room etc.. The shower is hot and great breakfast. In all really... More
- Reservation Options:
- TripAdvisor is proud to partner with Booking.com, Agoda and Odigeo so you can book your Cold River Guest House reservations with confidence. We help millions of travelers each month to find the perfect hotel for both vacation and business trips, always with the best discounts and special offers.
- Also Known As:
- Cold River Guest House Hotel Luang Prabang