Yellow Orchid

J. Lynn received this orchid as a birthday gift from a friend. Don't think I've ever seen one so bright and huge.

Two Down, One to Go!

I finished volume two last night.  Wish I remembered more of what I read.  I did note that TR and other higher ups always bailed out of Washington during the summers because they couldn't take the heat and humidity.  TR was probably the first "progressive" president, pushing for more government regulation of business, starting a conservation movement, etc.  He was also a strong force internationally, encouraging Panama to break away from Colombia when he failed to get the canal treaty he wanted during his first term, and sending the "Great White Fleet" around the world as a show of force in the Pacific toward the end of his second term.  He could probably have been easily reelected a second time -- and served a third term -- but for his decision that it wouldn't be right.  Interesting read.  After a break, I'll have to finish the trilogy.

One More Time

We had quite a storm -- lightning and thunder -- Monday afternoon and evening. J. Lynn was stuck at the Honolulu airport for an extra hour due to the storm. This morning we woke up to quite a bit of fresh snow.

Mauna Loa had even more snow.

Ah, April!

 The month began with a last winter storm of the season.

Now we have Jacaranda in full bloom.  (View from my office window yesterday.) 

Also, clear morning skies (this morning), with midday temperatures in the mid-70s.

Disastrous Budget Cuts

A recent column by Michael Gerson (“The real world effects of budget cuts”), as well as the frequent predictions of disaster that we’ve seen in the media during the budget debates, reminded me of an experience I had almost forty years ago. I was serving on the USS Enterprise during Vietnam, when word came down of cuts that were expected in the military budget. We had a new photo officer on the ship. Most of his previous assignments had been in joint commands. As we discussed the cuts, he said: “Let me tell you how this works. When the Navy is told its budget will be cut, the response is: ‘Can do. It will be hard, but we will make do.’ When the Air Force is told its budget will be cut, the response is: ‘That’s too bad. We won’t be able to fly bombers and fighters.’ So the Navy budget is cut and the Air Force budget is restored.”

I have thought of that occasion often over the years. Government departments and agencies at all levels seem to have learned from the Air Force. When the National Park Service was told a few years ago that its budget would be cut, it immediately announced that the Washington Monument would be closed. When the state DOE is threatened with a budget cut, we are told that will mean no books for our children’s classes. When the Agriculture Department is threatened with cuts, they announce that will be the end of the school lunch program. So when the administrator of USAID announces that a cut in his budget will mean 70,000 additional deaths as a very successful program is cut, I’m not surprised. Bureaucrats have learned that the way to preserve their budgets is to threaten to cut their most visible, critical and/or popular programs. No one suggests cutting personnel in middle management or eliminating programs or expenditures that would hardly be missed by the public.

Had I been in that House committee hearing, I would have said: “So you are telling me that the malaria control program is the least important program that you have and that there are no other places your agency could make cuts that would have a lesser impact?”

We need leaders in government that have something of the old Navy “Can do” spirit. Government, after all, is not a “jobs program.” Government agencies need to prioritize, focus on their most important functions and be willing to cut and streamline bureaucracies and programs so as to accomplish as much as possible at the least cost to the public. I have no use for administrators who threaten to cut their most important programs as a ploy to avoiding cuts in their budgets.

Arches National Park

Saturday morning the kiddies and I arose at 5 am, met David Taylor at 6 and headed for Moab. Court and Rob have so enjoyed the parks in southern Utah and wanted to pay a return visit. Arches was a new experience for Whit and me. We missed Anna and family but did the best we could. Our morning's hike took us to Delicate Arch. For more and better pix, see David's blog. (And Court's when she gets it up.) After lunch we stuck out in another area and saw a multitude of arches.

This is Dark Angel.

Kids on a fin.

It was a long but very enjoyable day. At the end, I felt like I'd gotten more exercise in the last ten days than in the previous six months! Good for me, huh?

Utah Skiing

After Phoenix, I flew to SLC. Had a couple of good days to visit with Mom and Dad. I picked up Court and Rob on Wednesday, and we had a great day of hard skiing on Thursday. Then Whit flew in Thursday night, and we did it again on Friday. So I got to enjoy a couple of days at Snowbird with my kiddies. (I swear they were trying to kill me!) I forgot to bring my camera, so all I got were a few Iphone pix. I do love the snow and the mountains!

Whit & Rob, in case you can't tell.