Naval Historical Foundation: Brown Water Bluejackets

I was recently asked to participate in this round table discussion on Vietnam Riverine Warfare in the Mekong Delta.  Although lengthy, its quite a fascinating mix of historical and first hand perspectives of the role of the Navy in the Delta region and how they leveraged a unique mix of assets and strategies to keep the waterways safe and navigable.

"This panel of historians and veterans relate their first hand experiences containing an excerpt from Admiral Zumwalt's memoir On Watch describing his innovative approach to riverine operations in Vietnam, as well as vignettes detailing the in-theater experiences of Vice Admiral David Robinson, Captain Richard Krulis, and Lieutenant Rolland Kidder, three veterans of the brown water warfare who discuss the war in greater depth as part of an ongoing webinar series on naval history."

Rolland Kidder

Too Big to Fail

Back in 2008, during the financial crisis, we were introduced to the words: “too big to fail,” referring to banks that had to be saved because they otherwise could take down the whole economy.  The legislation that was then passed was intended to provide warning signs and protections so that, in the future, these companies couldn’t fail.

Despite all of these efforts, I think we must admit that we still have companies that are “too big” or “too important” to let them fail. One of these companies is Boeing.

Boeing got itself into deep trouble by rushing the 737 Max passenger jet into production.  The 737 airframe had been around for 20 years, and had become a big money-maker for Boeing.  In aviation, it is always quicker and easier to make changes to an existing air-frame than in asking for FAA certification for a new design.  If you build or a design a new airplane, it takes years (usually) to get it tested and flight approved.  

Boeing had kept adding seats, carrying capacity and bigger engines to the 737, but in going to the Max, they really “maxed” it out.  In order to accommodate new and larger engines, they had to move the engines forward and higher so that there was enough ground clearance.  This changed the stall and stability characteristics of the plane.  A new computer was designed to address this problem, but the needed sensors and, especially, new training on how to operate the system—were not made available to all who flew or purchased the new plane.  Two 737 Max planes went down within months of each other, and the plane was grounded.

Though not currently flying, but as one who has loved aviation having been a pilot with a commercial, instrument multi-engine rating — I found the story of the Boeing 737 Max to be especially distressing. Profitability and aircraft production targets trumped safety, and we have ended up with our premier large American aircraft company sitting on the edge of bankruptcy.  It has been a sad story.

Recently, the news has been better.  The FAA has announced its approval for the 737 Max to fly again. The aircraft’s computer control system has been improved, and all pilots must now be trained in how that works.  In addition, the federal government made the company eligible for billions of dollars in financial aid to keep Boeing afloat.

In the end, Boeing didn’t need the federal aid—just the promise of it propped up the credit markets and Boeing was able to float a multi-billion-dollar bond issue of its own.

All of this has pointed to an inconvenient truth. Some of our companies are so important to our economy and national security that we can’t let them fail.

But, all of this has pointed to an inconvenient truth.  Some of our companies are so important to our economy and national security that we can’t let them fail.  There is nothing that our adversaries like China and Russia would like to see more than a company like Boeing going under.  We can’t let that happen.

Maybe we have learned a lesson.  When it comes to air safety, the FAA must reassert its authority and its independence over the matter of certifying or re-certifying aircraft for commercial flight even if this means slowing the process down.  We will not have a robust and growing airline industry again until the flying public has the confidence and trust that the planes it flies in are, in fact, safe to fly. 

Rolland Kidder

We were fortunate for 18 years with Amo Houghton

I first got to know Amo Houghton in the mid 1970s when I represented Chautauqua County in the New York State Assembly. He was chairman of Corning Inc. and would periodically call together all of the state elected officials representing the Southern Tier to discuss common problems and issues facing the region.

Amo Houghton reflects here on his service to the Western New York community in
his remarks from 2004 at the Robert H. Jackson Center.

Usually, I would receive a call from Reggie Lenna or Quint Anderson, two local business leaders, and they would coordinate the schedule.

State Senator Jess Present and I would meet Reggie and Quint at the Jamestown Airport. We would fly to Olean, pick up Assemblyman Dan Walsh and then head to Corning.

Walsh and I were Democrats and most everyone else was Republican. But that didn’t make any difference. We were going to Corning to talk about jobs, the economy and what we could do jointly to help advance the region. Amo would chair the meeting.

In 1986, when then Congressman Lundine announced that he was running for Lieutenant Governor, Stan called and asked me to consider running for the Congressional seat. I declined the opportunity. Fortunately, that was one of the smarter (or luckier) political decisions I made in my life because Amo Houghton soon thereafter made the announcement that he would seek the post.

It was pretty much a foregone conclusion that a Democrat was not going to beat a highly respected business leader like Amo Houghton in a district which was and still is a Republican bastion.

Amo didn’t need the job of Congressman. He had plenty of money and had recently retired from a successful career at Corning as head of a Fortune 500 Company.

He was running because he wanted to help grow and advance the Southern Tier.

He actually had been considering becoming a missionary in Africa for the Episcopal Church when the Congressional seat opened. I have always thought that, in a way, he chose Congress as an alternative missionary project, giving him an opportunity to represent and help his home community.

I have always thought that, in a way, he chose Congress as an alternative missionary project, giving him an opportunity to represent and help his home community.

Among other accomplishments, Amo was a World War II Marine veteran and was very supportive of efforts I became involved with in Washington to build a National World War II Memorial. Periodically, I would stop by his office on Capitol Hill and update him on where we were with the project.

Amo was always fighting to keep his Republican Party in the middle of the road.

My father would have described him as an “Eisenhower Republican.” Amo was also not afraid to “buck” his own Party when he believed they were going in the wrong direction.

The last time I saw him was about a year ago. I stopped and had coffee with him in the old family residence in Corning. His grandfather had built the home on a hill that overlooked the glass company’s factory down below. Though he also had a house in Massachusetts, for Amo, Corning was always home.

It was here where he wanted to spend his last days.

This is where his heart was.

We are fortunate that for 18 years this great man represented us in the United States House of Representatives.

Rolland Kidder 

This commentary originally appeared in The Post Journal on Mar 14, 2002  

State of our Union

“The state of our union is good” if you are talking about the recent Super Bowl. Not so good if you watched the action recently in the House of Representatives.

How can things “be good” when the President won’t shake the hand of the Speaker and she responds by ripping up his speech?

Whether you are a Republican or a Democrat this was a sad spectacle to behold.

On the other hand, at the Super Bowl, World War II veterans made the honorary coin-toss to start the game, America the Beautiful and the Star-Spangled Banner were sung, and then we were treated to one of the best football games ever. It was a battle between a mid-America team, Kansas City, and a west coast urban team, San Francisco.

Yet, nobody was shouting “coastal elites” or “mid-west rednecks!” Nobody cared about the Republicans vs. the Democrats. All in the stadium (and millions on TV) were experiencing America as it is and, in the process, enjoying each other.

There was NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell sitting next to an African-American player’s union representative. There was Coach Andy Reid being hugged by his black and white players after an incredible come-back victory. The game was a pure American slugfest followed by a hug-fest.

I didn’t particularly like the half-time show which I thought was a bit bawdy and risqué. Yet, some of the younger, female members of our family viewed it as a Latino, female affirmation for women. But, in any event, nobody was arguing the politics of it.

I can remember when black Americans were not allowed as students at universities in Mississippi and Alabama. Now, college football teams in the South are often, in racial make-up, more black than white. I can remember when it was illegal in some states for people of opposite races to marry… it was called “miscegenation.” This year the MVP of the Super Bowl came from a mixed-race family.

This is the America we have become, and it is something to celebrate. In our diversity, the “state of the union” is good.

Maybe it takes a good football game, like this year’s Super Bowl, to wake us up a bit. We are a better country than our current politics would indicate. We can compete, be different and still get along.

We will find our way through all of this. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Maybe it takes a football game to show us that there is even light in the tunnel.


Rolland Kidder

Time Marches On

Recently, thanks to a good buddy who helped with the driving, I took a road-trip to Chicago and the Midwest to see two old friends.  Both are experiencing what could be life-ending health issues.

It was a reminder that “time marches on,” and that there is nothing you can do about getting old.  It was also an energizing trip in that life-long friendships never get old.

Both of these men were educated in theology.  One I met while in seminary, and he had a remarkable 40-year career in the Christian ministry.  Both have counseled many over the years on the issues facing those nearing the end of their lives.  Now they are living it.

The experience caused me again to pick up the book “Being Mortal” by Atul Gawande which I keep on the reading table next to my bed.  There is a lot of good reading in that book.

I told my doctor once that this book should be mandatory reading for everyone reaching retirement age.  It puts a lot of things in perspective.  The underlying message is that aging is inexorable and irreversible.  We can deal with it or not.  We can affirm or deny it.  We can ignore it… but it is not going to go away.

We can deal with it or not.  We can affirm or deny it.  We can ignore it… but it is not going to go away.

The one thing that we cannot really control is how we will die.  I remember my Mom always saying that she wanted to die quickly without a lot of drawn out pain and anxiety.   Her prayers were answered.  During a hospital stay for heart-related issues, one night after a walk with an aide, she toppled into bed and was gone.  On the other hand, my Dad died a prolonged death from cancer, sort of wilting away a day at a time until the end of his life.

Maybe what the elderly fear most is not being in control.  For all of their adult lives, they were working jobs and running households.  They were “in charge.”  Now, they are subject to events beyond their control.  In the case of my friend in Chicago, he seemed most concerned about the ill-health of his wife.  She has her own problems with dementia and needs lots of care.  Yet, with his own declining physical condition, he is not able to provide it and must depend upon others.

In most cases, doctors are at the forefront in all of this.  My own doctor has been seeing me for over 30 years and has been spectacularly successful in keeping this “old used car” running.  Yet, he has also been there when there have been bumps in the road.  He has seen hundreds of patients over the years move through their life cycle.   He will be there at the end doing whatever he can to provide good health care to his patients.  This is what doctors do.

If there is a gold star award in heaven, it should go to those in the medical community who dedicate themselves to lifetime patient care.

There is, of course, a spiritual and emotional dimension through all of this.   Faith, friendship and the love of family are most important as one reaches the end.

These two friends I visited had a great, positive impact on my life.  I felt a need to visit them at this time in their lives.  I hope that the visit was as meaningful to them as it was to me.

Rolland Kidder

Republicans Struggle in Albany

I am a Democrat, so it might seem strange for me to be concerned about the future of the Republican Party in Albany… but such is the case. Though the Republican Party is dominant here and in many Upstate areas—as a statewide political force, it is in decline.

Today, the Republican Party has no state-wide elected leaders, and is falling into a permanent minority status in the state legislature. Competition in politics is a good thing and right now the Republican Party in New York is not providing it.

Competition in politics is a good thing and right now the Republican Party in New York is not providing it. 

During the years I was in Albany, the Republicans controlled the State Senate and were a check on the policies of the Democratic Party in the Assembly. Yet, the situation also created an opportunity for Chautauqua County. Most of the legislation I passed in the Assembly was co-sponsored in the Senate by my good friend, Republican Jess Present. As a result, we got a lot done in Albany for the people of the area. Our both being in the majority meant that we could deliver for our constituents.

Republicans in the State Assembly have been in the minority since 1975. They recently experienced a “bump in the road” when their Minority Leader was picked up driving drunk in a state car which he is eligible to have as a legislative leader. The optics weren’t good. He quickly announced his resignation as Republican Leader.

Now, it has been announced that an Assemblyman from the Oswego Area will lead the Republicans in the Assembly. I thought that it might have been an opportunity for our Assemblyman, Andy Goodell, but he indicated that he would not seek the position preferring to retain his role as floor leader. Yet, the reality is that the Republicans only have 43 of the 150 seats in the Assembly and so their power in Albany is minimal.

Until last year, the Republicans in the State Senate were in a much better position—they were in the majority and had great influence in the budget and legislative process. However, they lost the Majority in the last election and now have only about 1/3 of the seats in the Senate. Many incumbent Republican Senators have since announced their retirements or are seeking other offices (like running for Congress.) Therefore, chances of Republicans regaining control of the State Senate seem nil at this point.

Being in the Majority, they were able to draw Senate districts which favored Republicans being elected.  This time around in the “gerrymandering” process, they won’t be in that position.  

Another “nail in the coffin” for Senate Republicans is that after the 2020 census, there will be a redrawing of legislative district lines. Assuming that they are not in the Majority, they will probably lose even more seats in that legislative body. By being in the Majority, they were able to draw Senate districts which favored Republicans being elected. This time around in the “gerrymandering” process, they won’t likely be in that position.

Perhaps a “white knight” will come charging to the fore and win the Governorship for the Republicans. Aside from that possibility, I see little happening in Albany to change the current state of affairs. It would better for all of us if the Republican Party could find a way to resurrect itself and again become a competitive force in New York politics.


Rolland Kidder

The Demise of Political Parties

From the time I was a kid, there has been a big change in the way political parties operate. There used to be robust political conventions where state delegations dominated, and the nominees for President were decided. Today, all of this has all shifted to a Primary election format where the nominating process goes on “forever,” and the winner often ends up being the person who can raise the most money.

Four years ago, it was the Republican Party battling it out. This year it is the Democrats. It has become a circus in a way. Candidates with the most extreme positions tend to move toward the “front of the pack” in both parties, and the so-called debates have become exercises in who has the better “show-biz” techniques. It is a tiresome and demeaning process.

Right now, the Democrats still seem far from selecting a middle-of-the-road candidate who could win the general election. In comparison, the Republicans, appear to be solidly lining up behind their real estate tycoon and self-made reality show personality from Queens and are following him like the Pied Piper to an end yet to be determined.

Political parties, like people, have a history. Just think back to over 50 years ago when the 1965 Civil Rights Act was passed. From shortly after the end of the Civil War until then, the South had been solidly Democratic. Now the “solid South” is Republican. States like New York back then could elect Republicans statewide, now there are no Republican statewide elected officials in our State. Political parties are not what they used to be.

The Democratic Party really doesn’t exist much except as a debate forum for people who either have money or can raise a lot of it.

I attribute a lot of this to the power of money in American politics. When Senator John McCain was alive, he and Senator Feingold sponsored bi-partisan legislation to limit the impact of money on politics. That legislation was thrown out by the Supreme Court. So, look what happened. Now, in the Democratic race for President, you are not eligible to join Presidential debates unless you can raise money, and then keep raising more money. The Democratic Party really doesn’t exist much except as a debate forum for people who either have money or can raise a lot of it. Similarly, the Republican Party of pro-business and small government seems to have disappeared into a personality cult of some kind.

Where are the political parties in terms of their own status in American political history? This may be too simplistic, but I see the Republican Party as morphing back into the Whig Party of the 1850s from whence it came. The Whigs became known as the “know nothing” Party. They preached fear of immigrants and urbanization, became insular in their politics and ultimately became irrelevant. All of this talk today of building a wall to keep people out and spreading fear about immigrants, etc. reminds me a lot of the 1850 Whigs.

And where is the Democratic Party? Again, some might take issue with this, but I see it struggling like it did in the 1920s. It didn’t have focus, the old “solid south” and urban north hadn’t figured out how to build a winning coalition. It took the Great Depression and Franklin D. Roosevelt to do that.

Yet, back in those days, the national party conventions at least had a purpose. They were the center of power for nominating the Presidential candidates. Today, they have become a coronation affair for a big money/media game and that is not good for the country.

Rolland Kidder 

Our American Holiday

Since 1863, when it was announced by President Lincoln, Thanksgiving has been an official American holiday. It is uniquely American, almost as much as the 4th of July, and it has become all about families getting together and celebrating our common freedoms in this country.

He asked citizens to acknowledge “our national perverseness and disobedience” and thank God for “singular deliverances and blessings.”

Sometimes we forget how deeply religious and spiritual this proclamation was. It was to be a day of “Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens.” Proclaimed during the violence and anguish of a national Civil War where thousands had already been killed and more thousands would die, it asked citizens to acknowledge “our national perverseness and disobedience” and thank God for “singular deliverances and blessings.”

The last sentence ended with hope for a better time: we “fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and restore it as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility and Union.”

So, part of what makes Thanksgiving my favorite holiday, is that it has these noble and deeply-embedded aspirations. It has become a time when families gather to remember the fundamentals of the Nation they live in as well as just the pure joy of being a family.

In my view, it is also the most relaxed of any of our national celebrations. There is no gift-giving to worry about, it doesn’t really matter exactly what time Thanksgiving dinner will be, the shopping can wait until the next day, kids can go outside and toss a football or hike in the woods, adults can just hang out and wait for the football games to begin on TV or tune in to the Macy’s Day parade in New York.

The dinner in our family is always the same: turkey with stuffing, mashed potatoes, squash, cranberries, pumpkin pie for dessert and a tasty old family recipe that we call “green surprise” … a gelatin-based salad that has marshmallows mixed in. Why we don’t have this delicious cuisine more than once a year—I really don’t know. But, then, there is only one Thanksgiving Day.

At the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, there is a magnificent, imposing, marble sculpture created by Daniel Chester French where Honest Abe is seated in a chair with arms extended looking out over the country “for whom he saved the Union.” It is a powerful image. Around this time of year, I can almost visualize Lincoln gazing out at that same Nation saying: “I am pleased that we created Thanksgiving Day for the people of the country. It has become all that I could have hoped for, and it appears that they are remembering it well.”


Rolland Kidder

The Nation's Park

Ever since I was a small kid, it has been engrained in me that of all our national parks, there is one that is our premier and most pristine park–Yellowstone. I visited it with my parents in my teens, we took our children there in the 1980s, and we just returned from visiting again in September. The place is unchanged. The wildlife, the geysers, hot springs and the Canyon and Falls of the Yellowstone River–remain, as they have always been, a place of monumental natural wonder.

Prior to going this time, I read some old histories including that of Hiram Chittenden, one of the early Superintendents of the Park. It was relatively late in our national life, after the Civil War, before a group of explorers, geologists and academics went into this untouched area and came back to Washington, D.C. recommending that it be preserved as a National Park. It was so established in 1872.

Think about that. Ulysses Grant was President, Wyoming was not yet a State, and there was no National Park Service! In an unprecedented move, Congress created an area larger than the States of Rhode Island and Delaware combined to be preserved in perpetuity for its natural wonder and beauty.

An area larger than the States of Rhode Island and Delaware combined to be preserved in perpetuity for its natural wonder and beauty.

For decades, since there was little federal presence in this part of the West, the Park was administered by the Army Corps of Engineers. As soon as the railroads discovered what a magnet this gem of real estate would become, they made attempts at extending their tracks and presence into this wilderness. The answer was “No!” and it is still “No!” You can make your way into the park only by two-lane road and from just five entrances. There is no development allowed within the park, with the exception of some lodging facilities owned by the National Park Service.

It is inexpensive to visit the park, but not cheap if you stay overnight in a hotel. There are also no neon signs or blinking lights advertising the next fast-food restaurant or big-box store. If you do stay over-night, don’t expect a fancy restaurant–you are more likely to find a cafeteria with a limited menu. It is also difficult to get Wi-Fi or cell phone service.

By design, the park is a preserve. It opens in May and closes in October. Since most of the terrain is 7,000 or 8,000 feet above sea level, Yellowstone has a short summer. Its roads are officially closed during the winter with the exception of specially equipped snow vehicles that operate between Mammoth Hot Springs and the lodge at Old Faithful.

The geology is young. The explosive caldera that the Park sits on produced, over the last 2 million years, most of what you see. In geologic time that is like yesterday. The continental divide runs across this high plateau. Some of its waters run east to the Missouri River and on to New Orleans via the Mississippi. The Snake River drains south and then West to the Columbia River and then to the Pacific. Within the Park you will find incredible white water and dramatic waterfalls. Yet, there are also beautiful, clear trout streams meandering through scrub brush and grassy meadows.

Traffic moves slowly. Lines build up when a bison herd crosses a roadway. An elk or antelope siting brings out cameras and binoculars. Don’t expect to rush through Yellowstone National Park.

There are not a lot of flags flying except at major Park installations. Yet, you feel patriotic and glad to be an American as you travel though Yellowstone. It makes you realize that the foresight and vision of earlier generations have made possible what you can still see today. 

Rolland Kidder 

 

The Mystique of Living Here

It is not easy to describe the “mystique” of living around here, but you know it when you see it.

I see it often in the morning when I pick up the paper at Hogan’s Hut and listen to the bevy of truck drivers, linemen, and construction hands talking as they purchase their morning coffee and breakfast sandwich. It isn’t deep intellectual conversation, but it is real–about the weather, the morning news, sports or what happened in their families over the week-end.

The talk is non-pretentious and friendly. It reflects the concerns of making a living and raising a family. No one is on a “high horse” trying to sell an opinion. The conversation is about the challenges and reflections of everyday life. It is part of what draws me to go down and buy the paper. How do you describe something like this?

You get glimpses of it at hunting camp. How can you describe sitting around in an old trailer or cabin trading “war stories” and talking about the big buck that you saw which is still out there? You sense it sitting in a sugar shack in the Spring watching sap boil. Sometimes, even when they are having a bad year, you get it in the optimism of Bill’s fans at a tailgate party.

There are times when I have attended an exceptionally good concert at the Civic Center, or seen a student production or sporting event at a local school when the feeling comes. It is often present when you sit down with friends of many years over a glass of wine and reminisce about old times.

It is hard to describe but there is a love for this place and this community which is really difficult to explain in just rational terms.

My brother recently related an experience to me illustrating this. He had gone to a “celebration of life” event for a friend of ours who had been tragically killed in a truck accident. This man had been in the trucking business his whole life and had obviously made a lot of friends. The celebration began at the shop where he had worked from for most of his life, and ended at the volunteer fire department where he had been a long-time member and leader. A dozen or more road tractors (the kind which make-up 18 wheelers) showed up for the parade. Fire trucks joined in. There were also a number of Harley’s ridden by friends. This man had made a positive impact in the lives of many people, and this was their way of saying “thanks.”

How do you explain the power and meaning of something like this unless you live around here? It would be hard to explain to someone living in Manhattan or L.A. But, you know it when you see it. There is a mystique, a mystery, a meaning to all of this. If you live here, you know what I mean.

So, all of this to say that I am not moving anyplace else. How could there be a better place to live? I can’t always explain it, but I know it when I see it.

Rolland Kidder

is a Stow resident.

The Nixon Tapes and Now

I had predicted in an earlier article that the Democrats in the House would not bring impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump. I was wrong. After revelations of his conversation with the President of Ukraine, Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the House, authorized an “inquiry” into impeachment proceedings against the President. 

My earlier prediction was based upon the fact that impeachment would fail in the U.S. Senate; and so why waste the time of the people of the United States in an effort which was doomed to failure? What has changed is the President’s own recent admission that he was trying to influence a foreign government to bring down Joe Biden.

So far, we have been getting “redactions” and summations of what the President said to the leader of Ukraine. A “whistleblower,” still unknown, says that the White House has covered up the complete conversation of the President. It all reminds me a bit of 1974.

In the Watergate scandal, there was an inside source, known as “deep throat” who “spilled the beans” about the break-in at the Democratic headquarters in D.C. When it became known that the President knew of and had authorized the operation and that there had been a taped conversation and a cover-up–a subpoena was issued for the tape. That matter went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court and in a unanimous decision the Court essentially ordered the White House to give up the tape.  (United States v. Nixon, 1974)

When that happened, we all know what happened next. President Nixon got in his helicopter, gave his last “V” for victory salute, and relinquished the Presidency to Vice President Gerald Ford. He was then pardoned by the new President Ford, and the country moved forward.

There are differences today but also similarities. Assuming that the “inquiry” by the House results in articles of impeachment, the matter will end up in the U.S. Senate. There, the future of Donald Trump’s Presidency will be in the hands of his own party. In 1974, though Democrats were in the majority in the Senate, Republican Senators controlled the impeachment process because 67 votes (two-thirds) were needed for conviction. When the tapes were ordered released, a group of Republican Senators, including Barry Goldwater, went to the White House and told President Nixon that probably only 15 Senators would support him, far less than needed to stop an impeachment. 

“I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn’t lose any voters. It's like, incredible.”     – Donald Trump

President Trump said during his last campaign that his supporters would back him, no matter what he did. “I could stand in the middle of 5th Avenue and shoot somebody and wouldn’t lose any voters,” he said, “It’s, like, incredible.” That sentiment could continue to hold, or it could change depending on what more comes out during the inquiry.

U.S. Senators tend to have a longer-term view of things. The framers of the Constitution gave them longer terms (6 years) than either the President (4 years) or Representatives in the House (2 years.) That is probably why Senators were given the last say in something as serious as removing a President from office.

If evidence builds that President Trump violated his oath of office or committed a crime, it is possible that history could repeat itself and we could have President Pence in the White House before this is over.

Rolland Kidder

This article first appeared in The Post Journal.

Words Make a Difference

Words, especially those used by national leaders, make a difference.

The words that President Trump used in three “tweets” on, Sunday, July 14th were especially divisive. This is what he said:

Donald Trump:
“So interesting to see ‘Progressive’ Democrat Congresswomen, who originally came from countries whose governments are a complete and total catastrophe, the worst, most corrupt and inept anywhere in the world [if they even have a functioning government at all], now loudly and viciously telling the people of the United States, the greatest and most powerful Nation on earth, how government is to be run. Why don’t they go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came. Then come back and show us how it is done. These places need your help badly, you can’t leave fast enough. I’m sure Nancy Pelosi would be very happy to quickly work out free travel arrangements.”

That those in his base would be shouting “send her back!” at his next political rally should not come as a great surprise.

A little more than a week earlier, the President had stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on the 4th of July. I wish that he had gone inside and read the words of Lincoln. Lincoln was a President, presiding over a much more divided Nation, then engaged in a catastrophic Civil War. The words of Lincoln in his second inaugural address did not attack, they did not blame, they did not attempt to divide. They were words of prayer, healing and of restoring unity to a torn country, and ended with hope for a better time: 

Abraham Lincoln:
“With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle and for his widow and his orphan, to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.”

Words make a big difference. They also reflect the character of those who speak them. We need to be healing the Nation’s wounds, not promoting divisions based on our fears or differences. That may be an effective election strategy, but it is not the American way that I was taught. 


Rolland Kidder
This commentary appeared in the The Post Journal on July 28, 2019

Dan Girgis

D-Day is a time to reflect

National World War II Memorial, Washington, D.C.

For the past decade or more, I have been on the Board of an organization, Friends of the World War II Memorial, that helps sponsor events at the National World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C.  Though we co-sponsor five days of national commemoration with the National Park Service, including Veterans Day and Memorial Day, perhaps our biggest event took place this year with the 75th Anniversary of D-Day, June 6, 1944.

D-Day is not an official holiday in the United States. The Post Office stays open, kids go to school and life goes on as usual. Yet, something deep in the American psyche is touched on D-Day. The nation can’t or won’t let it go.

Everything, of course, about what happened on D-Day was big: the largest amphibious attack force in world history, the courage displayed in places like Omaha Beach and Point Du Hoc, the decision to delay the invasion for a day because of the weather, the struggle to get off the beaches in Normandy and begin the liberation of Europe. Freedom itself was at stake and victory wasn’t guaranteed.

But today what seems to motivate its remembrance by Americans is the nostalgia of a better time. A time when Americans were all “pulling on the same oar,” when our goals and objectives were clear and people responded to the call. There is yearning to again recapture that spirit.

It almost seems impossible to conceive of something like D-Day happening again. It is hard to even comprehend such a world-wide conflict and one wonders whether civilized society would have the strength and resilience to rise up and defend itself today if we faced a similar challenge.

One of our Board members, Elliott “Toby” Roosevelt III, great grandson of President Franklin Roosevelt, reflected this year on the occasion of the 75th anniversary suggesting that the nation’s feelings about D-Day relate to the idea of sacrifice:

“When compared to the sacrifices of the men who hit the beaches of France on that day… few of us have given much to merit the freedoms and protections we have enjoyed our entire lives.

- Freedoms and protections we love;

- Freedom and protections that we take for granted; and

- Freedoms and protections which the vast majority throughout history, have never known. 

When we were born, these were simply handed to us.”

Toby Roosevelt has a point. It could be the fact that others sacrificed for the greater good to preserve the freedoms we now enjoy–that makes D-Day so important. Whatever the reason, June 6 has become one of those days when we stop and ponder what it means to be American.

Rolland Kidder
This commentary first appeared in The Post-Journal on June 30, 2019

Jared Short

Republicans are Bailing

It is not usually newsworthy when a state legislator switches political parties, but, recently, a news article caught my eye when the longest serving Republican legislator in the Iowa General Assembly announced that he was switching political affiliation to the Democrats. How could that be?

I did some research on this gentleman, named Andy McKean, and found that he had served both in the Iowa State Senate and the Assembly for a total of 24 years. The reason he gave for switching parties is that Donald Trump had become the face of the Republican Party.

“I believe that his actions have coarsened political discourse, have resulted in unprecedented divisiveness and have created an atmosphere that is a breeding ground for hateful rhetoric and actions,” McKean said. “Some would excuse this behavior as ‘telling it like it is” and the new normal. If this is the new normal, I want no part of it.” “Unacceptable behavior should be called out for what it is,” he added.

“Some would excuse this behavior as... the new normal. If this is the new normal, I want no part of it.”     - Andy McKean (R - Iowa)

To some, Mr. McKean might be suspect because he spent some time in the State of New York, and attended school at SUNY Oneonta. Perhaps he picked up some unknown liberal genes while residing in our fair State… and they have just come to fruition in Iowa. But, it is hard to make that argument when, for 24 years, he has represented a largely conservative, agricultural area in Iowa.

Some might be suspicious of him because he is a retired attorney and, on top of that, a square dance caller! But, let’s face it, this is not good news for Republicans. We are not talking about a young, progressive coming out of nowhere and deciding to switch parties. This is a person who is the longest serving Republican in the Iowa legislature.

I guess the article caught my eye, in part, because it identified, better than most arguments, why I have had trouble liking this President. It is not his policies or lack of government experience that most irk me… we knew going in that he had been elected, in large part, because he had no governmental experience and ran against the “elite” in government.

But, it is the “coarseness,” the continual goading and blaming, with demeaning attacks on people and institutions in four-letter “tweets” that have turned me against him. Despite having run (and both lost and won) in political campaigns, I never thought my opponent was a “jerk” or incompetent—or a pariah of some kind. Having a competitive race between good people who may disagree on some of the issues has been a hallmark of American politics.

One of my political idols around here has been Amo Houghton…our former Congressman.

One of my political idols around here has been Amo Houghton…our former Congressman. He is the only Chairman of a Fortune 500 Company to ever have been elected and served in the U.S. Congress. He was the epitome of competence and civility while he served. Last year, as a Republican, he came out and called for national unity and for replacing Donald Trump from the highest office in the land.

The Democrats though would be smart not to “take the bait” and get off on a tangent of impeachment which is certain to fail in the U.S. Senate. Instead, if more people like Rep. Andy McKean in Iowa start to switch parties and the Republican nominee is Donald Trump—the people will decide, and we will likely be having a new President starting in 2021.

Rolland Kidder
This commentary first appeared in The Post-Journal.

Voter Participation

One day, when I was in the State Assembly, I had an interesting conversation with another Assemblyman who represented Harlem.  “How many people voted in your District in the last election?” I asked.  He said, “about 10,000.”  I was astounded, for in the same election, 40,000 people had voted in my Assembly District here in Chautauqua County and the population represented in each District was roughly the same.

Out of curiosity, I checked on some voting numbers for 2018, and found similarities.  For example, in our Congressional District, in the general election, Tom Reed received about 130,000 votes and Tracy Mitrano 110,000 votes… a total of 240,000 for a participation rate of about 60% of the 400,000 active registered voters in the District.  By comparison, in the general election, the much-touted new Congresswoman from the Bronx & Queens, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, crushed her Republican opponent by a total of 110,000 to 20,000.  Yet, it was with a turn-out rate of only 44% out of 320,000 active registered voters in her District.

17,000 voters out of some 320,000 in that Primary District decided who the next Representative in Congress would be.

In the case of Cortez, the “real” election came a few months earlier in the Democratic Primary where she beat an incumbent Congressman, Joe Crowley, by a vote of 17,000 to 13,000.  (The Republican Party, in most of New York City, is not a significant political force so the ultimate election winner is usually determined in the Democratic Primary.)  When you think of it that way, 17,000 voters out of some 320,000 in that District (or about 5% of the total number of active registered voters) decided in the Democratic Primary who the next Representative in Congress would be.

That is an important fact to be considered before people become taken with the idea that Ms. Cortez is leading a “new wave” of progressive thought which is sweeping the country. My own view of the Cortez/Crowley race is that the Congressional District had become ethnically more Hispanic… and that was a major factor in determining the outcome of the Democratic Primary.

No one is alleging any wrong doing in the process, but it does illustrate how low participation rates can skew an election.  It also should provide some perspective that there was no “landslide” victory equating to a big public mandate.  Of course, there was no “landslide” either in the last Presidential election where Donald Trump lost the popular vote but won in the Electoral College… but that doesn’t mean that he can’t assert that there was.

We can hold our heads a bit high here in the Southern Tier where 240,000 people showed up.

But, back to voter participation: we can hold our heads a bit high here in the Southern Tier of New York where 240,000 people showed up in a contested general election to vote for a Member of Congress… a 60% participation rate of all active registered voters.  I wish that our voter participation rate was higher but, here in this Congressional District, we are still beating a lot of other places when it comes to exercising our right to vote.

Rolland Kidder

This commentary originally appeared in The Post-Journal

   

The State Budget

I doubt that many people have been keeping track of the various moves and shenanigans that have been going on in Albany relative to the state budget. Most citizens don’t care much unless it hits them directly in the pocket book. Yet, as an old-time observer of Albany budget-making, I found it especially interesting this year. After a lot of arm-twisting and compromise, the state legislature worked through the last day of the fiscal year (Sunday, the 31st of March) finally passing a budget for 2019-2020 on Monday, April Fool’s Day.

The Governor was more in charge than ever this year. Under a court ruling made several years ago, he can now put all kinds of legislative and social policy changes into his budget. So, this year the budget was a real “mish-mash” of legislative changes combined with spending and tax proposals.

For example, the budget has a provision for “congestion pricing” in New York City to discourage car traffic in Manhattan, but the measure was also designed to bring a lot of money into government coffers. If you travel by car below 60th Street, you are going to be charged a hefty fee of over $10 per day. The new revenue is supposed go toward fixing up the dilapidated subway and train system in the metro region. Some people from the region, including the Governor of New Jersey, are calling it a “rip-off,” but then people from New Jersey don’t get to vote in Albany.

The question is: Did Albany find a workable solution in the rush to get it into the state budget?

There is also a ban on plastic bags in the budget and some “window dressing” legislation aimed at trying to get more oversight of the money being spent on the state’s economic development programs. In my view, the issue of trying to reduce the use of plastics in our society is laudable. The question is: did Albany find a workable solution in the rush to get it into the state budget?

There was also a provision in the budget allowing the closure of 2-3 Upstate prisons. Local government officials are worried this will likely reduce good-paying jobs in the areas affected.

There were also some “social issue” decisions that got taken out of the budget. There had been hopes of a big windfall of new tax dollars from marijuana sales. Now, the legislature and Governor will take that up as an issue separate from the budget. That is probably a good idea because there are legitimate concerns over the impact of legalizing marijuana and how, if legalized, the State should properly regulate the sale and use of it.

There had been hopes downstate that more gambling casinos could be opened in New York City. That also got thrown out of the budget, one of the concerns being that a lot of the Upstate casinos (which were supposed to be the answer for Upstate growth and jobs) are already struggling to make a profit.

As is normally the case, the largest single budget item was for financial aid to School Districts. School Districts don’t know what their spending plan can be until they get “computer runs” based on the state aid formula. The “fail-safe” of having Republicans protect Upstate in this process is over because the GOP is now a weakened minority in both houses of the legislature.

You might not know what it is going to cost you until we get a little further down the road!

So once again the great State of New York has passed its budget to try and cover all of the public’s needs and desires. Just hang on to your wallet. You might not know what it is going to cost you until we get a little further down the road!


Rolland Kidder

This commentary was first published in The Post Journal

Emiliano Bar Qijin Xu