"God heals, and the doctor takes the fees." - Benjamin Franklin

I named one of the bottle babies Itzhak because he's all black except for a white spot on the top of his head that made me think of a yarmulke.
This afternoon I heard a very short promo by Itzhak Perlman on the DishTV classical music station. He's probably the world's preeminent violinist. He has a fascinating personal story, including polio at age 4 that requires he walk with two crutches and perform sitting. But mostly he has a cheerful and engaging personality that belies the stuffy label most people attach to classical music and musicians. Impossible not to like the guy.

Years ago I heard him interviewed and he told a story about giving a master's class in China. (That's an invitation only class for a limited number of young promising artists where they get group and one-on-one time with a master on a particular instrument.) He listened to a young woman perform a very technical piece and play every note perfectly, but, he said, it lacked artistry, feeling. He told her to sing a section of the piece. She did, and couldn't help but do it with emotion and feeling. "Now, play it like you just sang it, with the violin as your voice."
He said it transformed her performance.

Sermon illustration. When the Christian life is a set of rules - notes on a page - that require obedience and conformity it becomes a stilted, lifeless thing. This was meant to be music, to be filled with freedom, joy, and elan. Sing it.

I drove Sally into town today, her maiden voyage of any length, to get the title transferred and OR plates. I wanted personalize - Sally - but wasn't surprised to hear that was taken. I've got more tweaking to do on the carb now that the manual choke is installed, but I'm pleased. She has surprising acceleration and drives easily. Once the truck is sold and I can get it in the garage I'll crawl underneath to look at the tie rod ends, which I suspect need to be replaced. Handling and steering are a bit mushy. But this ride has a future and I'm eager to get her looking good.
Speaking of the truck, I got another bid this morning. Only a $100 bump, but from a new bidder, which seems like it indicates interest. The auction is scheduled to end Thursday at 1:15 not counting extensions for last minute bidders.

I can feel myself turning into a budget hawk. Why should the federal govt. take money from me and then turn it over to programs that have nothing to do with its key functions - things that could better be done by local govts. or by community based NGO's?

So I was thinking this morning about things that the federal govt. should do, or can do better than state and local govts.

• Defense
• Infrastructure things like interstate roads, dams, rails, and the like that cross state lines. 
• Interstate commerce, communication, finance, and stuff like that (stuff is a technical term)
• BACON

Then there are things that are better done by local govts.

• deciding things like property rights, local utilities, traffic flow
• infrastructure things that are local, like streets and sewers
• Schools (yep)

Then there's a LOOOONG list of things that govt., federal or local, just shouldn't do. Not because they're bad things - they might be very good things - but because they're better done by people working together on something they decide is important for them or their community. Examples:

• The arts, including museums, symphonies, and ballet companies
• media, including radio and TV stations, newspapers, and websites
• libraries

I suppose some things could be done either informally by community groups or by local govts. because the community decides they want it to happen at a level greater than an NGO can accomplish:

• Assistance for widows and orphans and the like, those who need help with basic life needs
• Arts programs so valued that the community decides to fund them with tax dollars and oversight

When something is done by local govt. that can and should be done by the community something is always lost. Members of the community abrogate their responsibilities and become social slackers while the local govt. consumes resources for administration that could go into services. See the donations that poured into Meals On Wheels as an illustration of this dynamic in reverse as people responded to a perceived need, a very good thing. 

When the federal govt. does something that should be done by NGO's or local govts. it is guaranteed to go badly. They suck up money like our vacuum sucks up dirt, they view things from D.C. with little or no sense of Main Street USA (a thoroughly perverted view), and will never, EVER reduce the scope, never mind end their work. They are genetically programmed to want to do MORE and require MORE MONEY to do it. 

That's what I'm thinking.