The Washington Post has provided an answer to the question that many of us have been asking for some time: what in the heck are they smoking?

Arash Shirazi is a pretty cosmopolitan guy. A music agent and filmmaker, he hangs out with creative types and bohemians. He’s lived in L.A., and spent time in cities such as, yes, Amsterdam, so it’s fair to say that he’s not particularly prudish in his social life.

And yet. . . leaving a Washington parking lot recently, he took pause when a distinctively skunky scent passed under his nostrils.

Of course he’d smelled marijuana before. But this was a weekday afternoon — in Georgetown!

“I was surprised,” he explained. “Georgetown’s a bit more buttoned-up.”

Well, that’s what they used to say about Washington in general. But now, more than two years after the District legalized marijuana possession, it seems that everywhere you go in the nation’s capital, you catch a whiff of weed. And it’s often in the places where you least expect it.

On H Street downtown, as you wind your way between officeworkers rushing back from lunch.

At 10th and E, in the shadow of the FBI headquarters.

It’s everywhere and all of the time.

Sounds like a credible explanation to me. It would be a shame if they were behaving the way they are straight and sober.

For those of you who have just tuned in, here’s a summary of Illinois’s fiscal situation.

• The state hasn’t passed a budget in three years.
• The ratings agencies have threatened to downgrade Illinois’s credit rating again if it fails to enact a budget.
• The next downgrade will put Illinois’s debt a junk status.
• Since many institutions are required by their governance rules to purchase only instruments of investment grade, that will greatly limit the pool of possible purchasers of Illinois’s debt.
• Illinois’s House just voted to raise the state’s personal income tax by a third.
• The state’s Senate is expected to approve the House’s tax increase.
• Gov. Rauner’s staff has said that he will veto the measure.
• The bill passed the House with enough votes to override Rauner’s veto.
• Consequently, unless Gov. Rauner can turn some votes a veto would be symbolic.
• Illinois’s constitution requires the state to have a flat tax, i.e. the state legislature does not have the power to impose a graduated income tax.
• Illinois’s constitution requires the state to pay the public employee pensions it’s promised. That’s been fully litigated and is unambiguous.
• Changing that would require a constitutional amendment which is not politically possible.

The ratings agencies might decide to downgrade Illinois’s credit rating any way. Republicans are portraying Illinois’s problems as being mostly or solely due to Mike Madigan, Speaker of the Illinois House. Democrats are portraying Illinois’s problems as being mostly or solely due to Gov. Rauners unwillingness to compromise. What compromises have they offered? A tax increase now in exchange for what later? I will gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today.

I don’t think that anyone really believes that raising Illinois’s personal income tax will solve its fiscal problems. After the tax increase the rate will be within .05% of where it was when Gov. Rauner took office. The state legislature couldn’t straighten out Illinois’s fiscal problems then; it certainly won’t be able to with that tax increase.

Illinois’s basic problem is that its tax base is declining while its liabilities increase. The solutions available to it are quite limited and none of them are appealing to the legislature’s Democratic leadership in the slightest.

It should have converted all public employees to a defined contribution plan decades ago. It can give present public employees a big haircut. It can reduce the number of public employees substantially. You can see how Democrats, who derive much of their shall we say durability from public employee labor union support, would find those measures difficult to stomach.

While I largely agree with this article at the Washington Post on animal-assisted therapy:

A therapy-animal trend grips the United States. The San Francisco airport now deploys a pig to calm frazzled travelers. Universities nationwide bring dogs (and a donkey) onto campus to soothe students during finals. Llamas comfort hospital patients, pooches provide succor at disaster sites and horses are used to treat sex addiction.

And that duck on a plane? It might be an emotional-support animal prescribed by a mental health professional.

The trend, which has accelerated hugely since its initial stirrings a few decades ago, is underpinned by a widespread belief that interaction with animals can reduce distress — whether it happens over brief caresses at the airport or in long-term relationships at home. Certainly, the groups offering up pets think this, as do some mental health professionals. But the popular embrace of pets as furry therapists is kindling growing discomfort among some researchers in the field, who say it has raced far ahead of scientific evidence.

I also have some reservations about it. My first reservation is that the author of the article is conflating different things as though they were one thing. No distinction is made among therapy animals, service animals, and comfort animals and, well, they’re very different. Here’s a quick example of a difference. If someone asks if you want to pet his or her dog, it’s probably not a service dog.

Part of what I think is going on in the United States is a sort of pendulum swing. By comparison with some other countries dogs in particular are very restricted. In France seeing dogs in restaurants or stores is a commonplace (the French tend to ignore “No Pets” signs). Today more and more businesses, e.g. Amazon, allow workers to bring their pets with them to work. If we were less restrictive here, perhaps so many people wouldn’t be looking for pretexts for bringing their pets with them.

And there are some people who don’t like that one bit. Some people have cultural problems with it.

My other reservation is that just because something doesn’t have iron clad proof doesn’t constitute iron clad proof that it’s ineffective. In the past we have spent billions supporting programs that are now considered suspect. When something is cheap and benign it deserves to be cut a little slack. I think that more attention should be devoted to ensuring that the practice is benign.

The reality is that not every person should have animals and not every animal is a candidate for every setting.

In honor of Canada’s 150th birthday, Bill Gardner provides what to my eye is an excellent primer on Canada’s health care system which American supporters and opponents both misunderstand. Among the misconceptions are that it’s not a federal program, although its administrative costs are lower than ours they’re higher than those of most other OECD countries, and by U. S. standards it’s a small program—just about half as many people are covered by it as are covered by Medicaid here. Another important feature: Canada’s health care system covers a small percentage more of total health care expenses than is the case when you combine all of the various local, state, and federal programs here. In other words Canada’s system is cheaper than ours because health care is cheaper there, not the other way around.

Basically, my view of Canada’s health care system is that it would be a good model for us if we had Canada’s immigration laws, didn’t have a 1,500 mile land border with Mexico, and health care were a lot cheaper here. As it is, it’s a good system for Canada but not a model for us.

In the New York Times of all places Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has a rather surreal op-ed touting his record in making the trains run on time:

CHICAGO — On Thursday, in the wake of a subway derailment and an epidemic of train delays, Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York declared a state of emergency for the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the busiest mass transit system in America. That same day, the nation’s third-busiest system — the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority — handed out coupons for free coffee to riders stuck in the second year of slowdowns caused by repairs to prevent chronic fires.

Meanwhile, in Chicago, a recent survey found that 85 percent of passengers are satisfied with service on our transit system, the nation’s second most used.

The L, Chicago’s system, turned 125 this year. The elevated railway began as four wooden cars powered by coal and steam. Last year, more than 238 million rides were taken on the system, which, unlike the ones in New York and Washington, has not been troubled by systemic failures, breakdowns and delays. Even during a 28-day stretch of arctic temperatures in 2014, the L was never interrupted.

How have we done it?

He lists two factors:

• Putting reliability ahead of expansion.
• The CTA’s management structure works.

There’s a name for his first factor: making a virtue out of necessity. The CTA serves fewer riders than it did when Rahm Emanuel became mayor and less money is available for operating it. Obviously, the need for expansion is reduced. There’s also a name for the second claim: political posturing.

As the late Mayor Daley was known to say, let’s look at the record.

1. Chicago’s population has continued to decline under Emanuel.

That is particularly true of the black population:

CHICAGO — Chicago lost an estimated 8,638 residents in 2016, the third consecutive year the city saw a dip.

The city led all American cities in population loss, an expected title after the U.S. Census Bureau released data earlier this year that Cook County as a whole lost an estimated 21,000 people last year.

Chicago has lost just 0.3 percent of its population since 2015, but 2016 marked the year of its largest population drop in a three-year slump. In 2015, the population dropped about 4,934 people, and the year before it dropped by 357 people.

and most of those who have left are black. The white population is actually increasing.

2. Chicago’s homicide rate has risen to historic levels.

According to HeyJackass! more Chicagoans are murdered every year under Emanuel than under his predecessor, the number of homicides is higher than it was at this time last year, and the homicide rate per 1,000 population is higher than any time in decades, possibly the highest ever.

3. The Chicago Police Department’s homicide clearance rate is abysmally low.

When he took office the one year clearance rate was almost 30%. Now it’s 20%.

4. Chicago’s credit rating has fallen to near junk status under Emanuel.

When he took office the city’s credit rating was AAA. Now it’s Baa, moving towards junk. Here’s a graph of the CPS’s falling credit rating:

5. Property values have continued to fall under Emanuel.

Consider this graph:

6. Property taxes are rising sharply.

Tax bills came out last week and many Chicagoans may have been surprised to find their taxes are 10% higher this year than last despite flat or declining property values.

But, hey, he made the trains run on time.

Congratulation are in order for the city of Chicago. According to the web site HeyJackass!, my augur on such things, as of yesterday the number of homicides year-to-date in the city in 2017 has exceed the the number as of that date in 2016 which was the highest in absolute numbers in decades and in all likelihood the highest rate per 1,000 population ever.

Way to go, Rahm. You’ve failed in your most basic responsibility to the city.

Yet again the corrupt and incompetent Illinois legislature has failed to enact a budget. Each day that they delay puts the state’s bonds that much closer to a junk rating which, since some institutions are not allowed to hold instruments that are not investment grade, will narrow the pool of possible investors. At some point no one will buy the state’s bonds and the state will be unable to re-finance its debt. Will that point be reached this week? Feel lucky, punk?

At the Chicago Tribune Jeffrey Collins leaps to the legislators’ defense:

The states without a budget on July 1 are Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Wisconsin, while in Pennsylvania and Michigan the budget has passed the Legislature and is on the governor’s desk.

There are major differences between those other states’ situation and Illinois’s. Illinois’s credit rating is the lowest of any state. And Illinois is the only one of those states that has not enacted a budget in three years.

Furthermore, of the states that have failed to enact a budget only Connecticut and Illinois are actually losing population. A declining population means a declining tax base while a falling credit rating means greater demands on what revenues the state is able to drum up. Unlike most of those states median house prices in Illinois still haven’t recovered to their pre-2007 level. Most of Illinois’s counties have not recovered from the Great Recession.

I don’t know what sort of fool’s paradise the Illinois legislature is living in.

Update

The Illinois House has approved a more than 30% increase in the state’s personal income tax. The Chicago Tribune reports:

The Illinois House on Sunday approved a major income tax increase as several Republicans broke ranks with Gov. Bruce Rauner amid the intense pressure of a budget impasse that’s entered its third year.

Rauner immediately vowed to veto the measure should the Illinois Senate approve it.

“Under Speaker Madigan’s direction, legislators chose to double down on higher taxes while protecting the special interests and refusing to reform the status quo. It’s a repeat of the failed policies that created this financial crisis and caused jobs and taxpayers to flee” Rauner said in a statement.

“Illinois families don’t deserve to have more of the hard-earned money taken from them when the legislature has done little to restore confidence in government or grow jobs. Illinois families deserve more jobs, property tax relief and term limits. But tonight they got more of the same.”

The measure, which needed 71 votes to pass and got 72, is designed to start digging the state out of a morass left by the lengthy stalemate. Pressure to act had built up amid the stalemate between the Republican governor and Democratic House Speaker Michael Madigan, as public universities and social services languished and the threat of road construction workers being laid off after the holiday weekend loomed.

It is likely to pass the Illinois Senate.

That should be enough to pacify the ratings agencies for a while. They don’t really care about the long term impact on the state’s economy; their only concern is that there’s money for making the state’s interest payments and they’ll get that.

Make no mistake. What has happened is that the Illinois House Republicans have folded and thrown Rauner under the bus. I guess they were satisfied that the tax increase was limited to a third more.

The next step will be to see what happens when Gov. Rauner vetoes the bill as I expect he will.

On Friday one of my coworkers said something that almost brought me to tears. He characterized me as a “high energy guy”.

When I was his age I worked 50 hours a week on my job, ran 5 miles a day 5 days a week, practiced martial arts six times a week, conducted a church choir, managed a drama group that produced four or five shows a year, and sang for a couple of weddings every weekend. No exaggeration. That was my life.

Now, that was high energy.

I’m not sure what brought this subject to mind. Maybe it was this post at Small Wars Journal and this passage in particular:

Our adversaries and allies alike must know that Americans do not love war for war’s sake. To do so is the definition of fascism. We are, and always have been reluctant warriors. But, we are a nation that is deeply attached to liberty and independence. When provoked, we know how to fight, and we will persevere until victory and an enduring peace is won.

While I’m in agreement with that passage, I’m beginning to wonder if it’s true. I find it hard to reconcile the pursuit of global American hegemony with it. I don’t think there’s a straight-line connection between dropping bombs on civilians in Iraq and Syria and preserving American liberty and independence.

Maybe it was watching Hacksaw Ridge yesterday. I found it very moving and recommend it, at least if you have a strong stomach. If you don’t know of it, it’s the story of Desmond Doss, the first conscientious objector awarded the Medal of Honor. It depicts in nauseatingly graphic detail events in the invasion of Okinawa in 1945. Surrounded by hatred, fear, anger, and blood, Cpl. Doss brought only courage, faith, and determination to save his troopmates. A remarkable story and a true one.

Maybe it’s the Fourth of July tradition of political speeches, reflection on U. S. history, and quoting American presidents (frequently apocryphally).

I think we’ve made a lot of very bad decisions in recent decades and I’m sorry to say that I find myself ashamed of my country far too frequently. I cannot imagine myself as anything other than an American. My grandfather’s grandfather was an American. That said I think we need a new mission statement. Consistent with our July 4th tradition here are some quotes from American presidents of the past that I’d be proud to take as parts of a renewed mission statement.

George Washington:

The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries, which result, gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of Public Liberty.

John Adams (from a letter to his wife, Abigail):

I must study politics and war, that our sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. Our sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history and naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry and porcelain.

Thomas Jefferson:

The legitimate powers of government extend to such acts only as are injurious to others. But it does me no injury for my neighbour to say there are twenty gods, or no god. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg.

Ulysses S. Grant:

As the United States is the freest of all nations, so, too, its people sympathize with all people struggling for liberty and self-government; but while so sympathizing it is due to our honor that we should abstain from enforcing our views upon unwilling nations and from taking an interested part, without invitation, in the quarrels between different nations or between governments and their subjects. Our course should always be in conformity with strict justice and law, international and local.

Grover Cleveland:

A truly American sentiment recognizes the dignity of labor and the fact that honor lies in honest toil. Contented labor is an element of national prosperity. Ability to work constitutes the capital and the wage of labor the income of a vast number of our population, and this interest should be jealously protected. Our workingmen are not asking unreasonable indulgence, but as intelligent and manly citizens they seek the same consideration which those demand who have other interests at stake. They should receive their full share of the care and attention of those who make and execute the laws, to the end that the wants and needs of the employers and the employed shall alike be subserved and the prosperity of the country, the common heritage of both, be advanced.

In researching this post, I encountered quotes from James Garfield, Woodrow Wilson, Calvin Coolidge, Dwight Eisenhower, Ronald Reagan, and Barack Obama that I could wholeheartedly endorse. Including all of them here would make this post entirely too long. I wanted to close with a famous quote from our national patron saint and tutelary spirit, 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 strive on to 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 a lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations.