Meet the Neighbors

On the US Merchant Marine Academy’s Campus, there are several houses which are not part of the Academy. Two of these, at the top of the hill at 8 and 8A Elmridge Road, are occupied by the Alumni Association. Another house, 305 Steamboat Road, was a recent acquisition. According to www.trulia.com, the house was bought in March 2006 for $1.5 million, and has been stricken off the Nassau County’s tax roster. It is now known as “Quarters P”, and is used for senior staff housing. What I found interesting was that the house was built in 1952, after the Academy was founded, but before the property east of Steamboat Road- including what is now the Merchant Marine Museum- became part of the Academy. (It is known as the McNulty Campus, for the name of the Superintendent who worked to acquire the property). These two roads, Steamboat and Eldridge, are still maintained by the Town of Kings Point. That also means an occasional police patrol by the local police department. Their intersection bears a distinctive road sign unique to Kings Point- a green, hanging plaque with an ornamental holder. The final house of note is at 307 Steamboat Road. What this homeowner has in common with the midshipmen of the Academy, well, is a taste for a waterfront view. Perhaps the property will become part of the Academy in the future, and end the idiosyncrasy. One thing going for Mr. Waterfront View is his home value- $5.85 million dollars that the Academy would rather spend on other capital improvements. But the waterfront view comes with a cost. Property tax? $78,221 per year, or $1.33 per $100 assessed: cash that Nassau County would loathe to lose. Back to the pros- in addition to the town cops, and Federal police patrols, there is a 24-hour, year-round security guard at the Academy’s front gate. Drawbacks? Guests need photo ID to visit without an escort. You also need to make sure that your domestic help, and any contractors, are authorized to work in the US. One idea that has come up occasionally is the creation of guest lodging on campus. Until the Maritime Administration closed the Academy’s Continuing Education program (GMATS) in 2012, one wing of the barracks was sectioned off for transient learners. Because of reduced midshipman enrollment, it became feasible in the 1990’s to take one of the seven barracks and turn it into a full-service hotel. This idea never came to pass. Today, with faculty members and adjuncts living hours from their homes- whether it be in New Jersey or Connecticut or West Virginia, the concept of a Bed and Breakfast (B&B) is being floated in casual conversation. With 6 bedrooms, isolation from NIMBY-ist neighbors, and an acre of land, 307 Steamboat is better situated than most other homes in town to become a B&B.

A Day to Remember at KP

"I expect to see maximum turnout at morning colors tomorrow at the War Memorial. While you hear this every morning, remember that tomorrow is not an ordinary day. 13 years ago, the Academy was deeply involved in the historic events of 9/11/2001. Midshipman and faculty watched the events unfold firsthand from the War Memorial. In the aftermath, the Academy’s vessels served an important role in shuttling personnel and materials between New Jersey and Lower Manhattan. Two alumni perished that day at the hands of Osama’s henchmen. I remember that day, with the flurry of government helicopters and marshaling of National Guard tanks in my neighborhood, backdropped by smoke from the damaged Pentagon. I am sure that some of you have similar memories as well. So indeed, I encourage you all to come to morning colors tomorrow".

State Government: Virginia’s Lonely Liberal

On election night, 2013, I was working an internship in Portland Oregon. I finished dinner and washed the dishes in my attic apartment, pulled up my laptop, and streamed the news from DC. In neighboring Virginia, elections were being held for the governorship, lieutenant governor, attorney general, and the locally-elected House of Delegates. A special election in January would decide control of the State Senate. My prediction for Virginia was that the Democrats would take the Lieutenant Governor’s seat: the GOP picked a weak candidate during its convention. With a law-and-order platform, the GOP’s Obenshain would take the Attorney General’s seat for a sixth consecutive term. The Governorship could go either way: Cucinelli (R) was marred by a gifts scandal (which also consumed the incumbent Republican governor), hard right social views, and the government shutdown. McAuliffe (D) was viewed as a party hack who became a millionaire from big government programs, the troubled Obamacare rollout, off-year disadvantage, and Virginia’s decades-long history of voting against the party occupying the White House. The Democrats won the top two offices: Obenshain lived to see another day--- at the end of the night, he lead by 163 votes of 1 million cast. In the House of Delegates, the GOP kept its large majority: in addition, several districts in the DC suburbs, with margins of less than 1%, fell into the GOP’s pot, giving the party its largest share of the House in state history. In January, all the dust was settled. Obenshain (R) lost in the recount. Lynwood Lewis, and Democrats, won that crucial State Senate seat with 11 of 20,000 votes, after a recount. (I rooted for the Republican, a maritime professional, in that race). Democrats held the three statewide jobs, both US Senate Seats, and the State Senate. Akin to its Federal counterpart, the US House, the Virginia House of Delegates was branded by commentators as reactionary, and irrelevant to the new, diverse, and tolerant Virginia. To use their good fortune, the Democratic majority in the State Senate changed chamber rules to allow a change in leadership during the legislative session. The GOP was a bit irked about that. During the 60-day 2014 legislative session, the Democrats in the State Senate and the Republicans of the House of Delegates were able to pass bills. As long as they could secure one or two Democratic votes in the State Senate, the House leadership could pursue a center-right agenda. The question was, “Will Terry McAuliffe go along with it?” Since the 1990’s, when the GOP took control of the House of Delegates for the first time since Reconstruction, it was pretty common for split government to solve the State’s problems. July 1 was the drop-dead date that a budget had to be passed by. While finalizing the budget in June, Republicans and enough Democrats agreed that Medicaid expansion was dead for this year; however, the Senate’s Democratic leader wouldn’t allow a vote. Tension ran high in state government, and among Virginia’s citizens, businesspeople, and observers. During this time, I was serving as a Cadet aboard the SS Cape May, a reserve ship berthed in Norfolk, VA. Indeed, this showdown was on the list of concerns of my mentors. The inability for the Senate to vote on the bill changed around June 11th. A Senate Democrat, Phil Puckett, suddenly resigned from office, citing his wish to allow his daughter to accept a judgeship. (Conflict-of-interest precedent keeps State Senators from having family serve in a State judicial role). Mr. Puckett himself eyed a new job in the Tobacco Commissioner’s office, created this year in no small part by Republicans. With the resignation, the Senate majority went to the Republicans. Using the same Senate rules the Democrats had passed five months before, the GOP triggered a turnover in leadership positions. I checked the State GOP’s website for joyous words about regaining their State Senate majority after five months in the wilderness. But the State GOP was mum about the ‘good news’. What went on between Mr. Puckett and State Republican leaders behind closed doors is unknown, if it did happen. The FBI is looking into it right now. When the news broke, Mr. Puckett was immediately labeled as selling out his (former) needy constituents; breaking the backs of the poor. I would not want to be him right now. The State Senate reconvened, and passed the budget without Medicaid, and with a rider to keep Governor McAuliffe from attempting to expand Medicaid without legislative approval. The legislature, both Democratic and GOP, already knew that McAuliffe wasn’t a business-as-usual type of Democrat. He had vetoed bipartisan gun legislation affirming a State Court’s decision. When it was too late for the state legislature to override a veto, McAuliffe vetoed a bipartisan exemption from boater education for older and experienced boaters. He vetoed an ethics bill regarding the Governor’s office (though he imposed on himself an executive order with the same concept). In the same train of action, McAuliffe held out for several days as the July 1 deadline drew closer, feeling the temperature of the State’s constituents. But the functioning of State Government is a different matter than whether one must take a 6-hour boater safety course: a slight but palatable shift in opinion occurred. McAuliffe, not the GOP-controlled legislature, was being seen obstructive. McAuliffe struck the rider with a line-item veto, then passed the budget. He made it clear to his base of supporters- inner-city residents of Norfolk and Richmond; and the upscale liberals of Arlington- that he was under duress by a ‘hostile’ legislature. In keeping with old tradition, the Virginia Legislature is a part-time job. Asides from special sessions, legislators serve no more than sixty days in even years and forty-five days in odd years. The odd-year meetings were a fairly recent addition. During their absence from the State capitol in Richmond, the newly-empowered Republicans put their legislative specialists on the job, making sure that the new governor doesn’t overstep his authority in the meanwhile. Before January comes around, there are elections to be fought and won. Just today, Ben Chafin, a Republican, won Mr. Puckett’s empty seat. Indeed, this election was not about the issues, from Medicaid to taxation, within the rural district; but which party should hold two branches of state government. In November, there is a U.S. Senate race. The incumbent Warner (D) is an entrepreneur who helped found Nextel with my fellow St. Anselm’s alumnus from the Class of ‘62, won by a large margin in 2008. He is running against Ed Gillespie (R), a political consultant who wrote Gingrich’s Contract with America of 1994. In the moderate and diverse 10th US Congressional District race, Republican Barbara Comstock, currently holding an upscale, swing-voting House of Delegates district inside of DC’s beltway, is attempting to make inroads with the less-affluent immigrant communities. To that regard, there are a few faux pas in her voting record; namely, about voting for questioning suspects about their immigration status, and charging for interpreter’s services in court. Democrat John Foust, a supporter of Medicaid expansion, has a problem of his own. His wife’s medical practice doesn’t accept Medicaid cases. Entering office 8 months ago in a Democratic sweep of the top three offices, Governor Terry McAuliffe probably didn't anticipate how one part-time state senator could thwart his hope for a progressive agenda. At the moment, he is Virginia's lonely liberal.

Ports you won't visit again as an American cadet

Subic Bay, Philippines A vestige of our colonialist days, the United States’ Subic Bay Naval Base in the Philippines remained active until the 1990’s. Before the days of the “21st Century Sailor”, an initiative that started after the embarrassing proceedings of Tailhook 1991, the nearby town of Olongapo catered to sailors’ rest and recreational needs. “Hunkey Dory”- nightlife like that in the 1986 movie “Top Gun”- could be found, as well as shopping and local culture tailored to the Americans’ tastes. The following website maintains a list of the hundreds of establishments that sailors patronized. With it, old salts and former sailors can recall memories of a different Navy. (http://www.subicbaypi.com/subic_barlist_olongapo.htm) Australia In the days before Asia became an exporter, and when Mainland China was Red China to the Western World, Australia relied on American ships to deliver the goods from their trade partner and defense ally across the Pacific Ocean. American ships headed to Australia could take advantage of cabotage-protected ports of call in Hawaii, Micronesia, Guam and the American Samoa. As Asia began to make goods in quality equivalent to the US, trade shifted towards the East. A handful of ships still call on Australia, and the continent is a wonderful port-of-call for cadets lucky enough to be on that trade route. Kaoshiung, Taiwan Taiwan, an island nation once estranged from its communist neighbor, the People’s Republic of China, found its biggest trade partners in Japan… and the United States. In its younger and poorer days, the US sent foreign aid and armament to Chiang Kai-Shek’s land. Taiwan’s emergence as an economic powerhouse led to the end of foreign aid for the nation; and the establishment of trade with mainland China meant that fewer goods had to be imported from the United States. Despite this, an occasional American vessel will hail in Taiwan: just less frequently than before. Durban and Cape Town, South Africa Just over 20 years ago, South Africa had a trade problem. After surrounding nations gained independence from British, French, Portuguese, or Dutch in the 1960’s, these nations established boycotts against South Africa because of its apartheid policies. But the nation was an American ally, and much trade between the US and South Africa was conducted on American ships. In the latter half of apartheid, South Africa and East Asia began significant trade (which was possible when the African nation gave East Asian nationals ‘white status’). Since then, ships from the world plied the trade route across the Indian Ocean. Despite open trade with the US, apartheid still posed a moral dilemma for Americans. I recall one teacher- then a cadet- and his boss, a black engineer, wanted to go to a bar together. But because of apartheid, this was not possible, so they drank on the pier. In another case, a Polish ship’s officer sought to shop at the ‘colored’ store, for the better prices. But again, apartheid reared its ugly head. Deep-Six In an effort to improve the health of the oceans and reduce marine debris, the UN’s maritime arm known as the International Maritime Organization passed amendments to the MARPOL (Marine Pollution) treaty, which took effect in 2013, before my second sailing trimester. Whereas in the past, anything other than plastic could be thrown into the deep ocean, the new policy prohibits tossing anything but food and animal carcasses into the deep. During my first sailing trimester, it was a common cadet job to throw garbage overboard: preferably farther, and with a bigger splash than the other cadet (it was a contest). Today, garbage is compacted and kept onboard or incinerated. If dumping trash overboard still happens occasionally, it is something that is not discussed in the company of maritime professionals. Hawaii? In 2010, Senator John McCain of Arizona introduced legislation to end the Jones Act as we know it. If the Jones Act were ended, foreign vessels could take over the lucrative ocean trade between the West Coast and Hawaii. I acknowledge McCain’s heroism as a Naval Aviator and prisoner of war during the conflict in Vietnam; but I am not too surprised by his view of the Jones Act. McCain spent his Navy career as a “Line Officer”, on the path to becoming a Rear Admiral responsible for the Navy’s fighter jets. Logistics was not his specialty. Throughout his Navy career, from Annapolis to flight squadrons to Washington, support for the aircraft carriers he travelled on- from fueling to ammunition to food- was brought by Naval Auxiliary ships crewed with sailors and junior officers. Today, the same ships are crewed by civilian merchant mariners- at a cost savings to the Navy.

Changes at Sea, 1970- now

The role of women In the sailing ship days of lore, the Captain’s wife was the only women on board. Far from idle, she was the nurse to officers on board. Mrs. Mary Patten was one such wife, who cared for her sick husband while helping the remaining officers with celestial navigation. She had a Liberty ship named in her honor, as well as the USMMA’s health clinic. Later on, as voyages shortened, and captains left their wives at home, the women aboard were passengers. Acknowledging the salacious desires of young deckhands and grease-monkeys, only officers (who presumably had manners) were permitted to talk with passengers. In the days before insurance liability and port security, local women were often invited onboard during the extended ports of call. Many sailors found wives this way, and these “port brides” were often interracial marriages in an age when it was rare. Today, women are found in all positions aboard ship, in the Steward and Deck departments. It was a struggle to tear down the masculine wall: though the Coast Guard had no restrictions on licensing women for sea, the USMMA was the first Maritime School in the US to admit women to a “licensing” major, beginning in 1974. The other schools would join by 1981. Even more remarkable is the entrance of women into the Engine Department. (But old barriers linger: Most women engineering graduates of the USMMA still pursue alternatives such as military service or government work ashore). Today, all deck officers are proficient in terrestrial and celestial navigation before graduating maritime school or getting a license. Food on board: predictable today. Dry staples garnished with local meat and vegetables. Hasn’t been lacking since World War Two. For food safety purposes, shipping companies plan to stock enough fresh food for a roundtrip voyage. Non-perishable milk cartons are taken for the trip. The steward knows better though, and he or she will ensure that fresh vegetables are brought onboard overseas. Today, the Coast Guard requires 2300 calories. Since last year, these calories must be part of a well-balanced diet, thus formally ending the long-gone days of bread-and-water rations as a punishment. Eating the dog Out of respect for the host, it is obligatory that you have a bite of what is offered, even when it is man’s best friend. “I’d never pay for it, though”, said one captain. Today, ports stays are shorter, so there is less interaction with locals. And those locals who interact with crewmembers, such as the port agent, understand American cultural norms: dogs are friends, not food. On my trip to Korea, lamb skewers were a staple, but the dogs remained no more than pets. More to Come Later...

The Unconquerable Crown

If you were looking for the synonym for a good time, it’s found with the exclamation: “PREAK-NESS!”. Preakness, for my classmates, started with travel plans for getting to Baltimore. Because of parking limitations, only Seniors can keep cars on campus. But enough seats were found, including some in an RV. Baltimore promised a cheaper, less stuffy night on the town; and the neighborhood bars provided opportunity for young, white working-class Baltimorean ladies to meet the collegiate, yet salty, types. Preakness occurred on Saturday. In high school, some of the “cool” kids went to Preakness. What it was to them was beach week- without the local NIMBY (not in my backyard) types looking to shut down the party. Saturday was the race day. It was a day for casual button-down attire (unbuttoned shirts skirted the shirt-and-shoes requirement). Among the festivities, California Chrome won the second race of the Triple Crown at 6:10 betting odds. (A friend took home $160 off a $100 bet for the horse). When Belmont approached, there was pretty good hype about the dwindling sport. I’m not a horse fan, but I paid attention. And there are of course some who see horse racing as an outdated practice, where these pampered horses mask a bleak, invisible world we’d rather not see. But California Chrome, the horse with potential, was easy to make comparisons to legendary race horses of lore. I remarked about the similarity between the legendary Seabiscuit (though never a Triple Crown winner) and the horse in question, California Chrome. On the first note, neither horse was supposed to be a winner. Seabiscuit was too small. Chrome wasn’t of good pedigree. They were bought from the bargain bin. And both horses were photogenic, and both liked to sleep a lot. But, as has happened 12 times since 1978, a hyped horse, twice winner, is tripped up by the extra ¼ mile of the Belmont racetrack. Through a special military member deal with the racetrack, a number of Kings Point midshipmen were able to attend the race- rather, event- where history could be made. I was pre-scheduled with a swanky event in downtown Manhattan with the Port Engineers of New York during the start time of 6:52pm. For those at Belmont, and those watching on TV, there were several hours of hype before the marquee event. In three minutes, it was over. After California Chrome came in two horse-lengths short, it was time to move on with life. Because of the way the spur track was designed, the special racetrack train station couldn’t handle the crowd. After an hour to two of human gridlock, the MTA fixed the problem with shuttle buses to the main transfer point some 10 minutes away. Also happening in New York that night was a Rangers’ hockey playoff game. Yes, I remember, because it was standing-room only, with heavy police presence, heading back to Kings Point. That was when I found out that I hadn’t missed history. In 1978, the last year that a horse, Affirmed, won the three races (Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont), Gerald Ford was President, Vermont voted Republican, and the drinking age at Belmont, in New York, was 18. While they might card for drinks today, they still turn a blind eye to some things at the race track: I have a classmate who grew up in Baltimore near the racetrack. In high school, he netted a small profit on the horses. “18 to bet on the horses? I don’t know about that”. It is of note that the Triple Crown was conquered in 1973 and 1977 as well.

Rationalizing the GOP's Kamizake on the Minimum Wage

The Republicans in congress are repeating the tired argument that, despite the rate of inflation since 2007, any increase in the minimum wage would derail the economic recovery. To their credit, though, the Congressional Budget Office reported that many jobs could disappear at Obama’s desired $10.10 minimum wage. Indeed, job shops like coupon processing centers; and fast food outlets, which rely on lots of low-cost labor, would be hurt if their labor costs increased by 39% (not including the Health Care mandate)- the proposed change in the minimum wage. Tell me a business that has a 40% profit margin, and I’ll like to be in it. This is the math that many small and medium business owners and managers face. It is these owners and managers who make campaign contributions and attend local GOP dinners. They are also the ones who show up at the voting booth. Yes, since the days of Abe Lincoln, the GOP has always been the party of business owners and professionals. Now what about the working-class voters who supposedly replaced the liberal professionals in the GOP? Not as large as a problem as the media makes it out to be. The majority of the minimum wage and working-class workers are in thrall to the Democratic Party already. Seeing the results from the 2012 Presidential Election, the majority of those making less than $30,000 per year (or $15 per hour) rejected the candidate who derided the 47%. The common theme is that working class whites vote Republican because of social issues and cultural concerns, against their economic self-interest. But this is not entirely true, since Bubba might say: “The illegal immigrants are taking our jobs”. Or, the pest exterminator’s apprentice, who is worried that the EPA will increase their paperwork burden. Anyhow, the Democrats believe that they have a winning message in wanting to raise the minimum wage. Or, on the flip side, make the GOP look like a bunch of bitter, stingy grinches. To the middle class Republican voting base, making $30,000 per year, but not yet a manager or owner, $7.25 versus $10 per hour is semantics. Perhaps, even, they are worried that they will lose a pay raise, as wages are redistributed downwards in businesses with tight margins. To others, it becomes a matter of perception of the GOP: Do you feel that your party cares about the working poor? Yes or No? Then there is the Texas “miracle” and California “nightmare”. To the Right, anything California is doing is self-destructive. To this element, teaching “gay” in the schools, powerful teachers’ unions, lax enforcement of immigration laws, and a $10 .10 per hour minimum wage (in “lockstep” with Obama-Pelosi-Reid) all contribute to the Golden State’s malaise. But Texas has written a different story over the past 20 years. After putting “that liberal” Ann Richards out of office in 1994, The Bush-Perry model of social and fiscal conservatism has led to booming business, better public colleges, and millions of proud Texans. If it works (that is, keep the GOP in office), then don’t change it. For working-class Republican voters, the reasons for “voting against one’s economic interests” are simpler- guns and religion: Mistrust of the “gimmick”: After all, the party of Pelosi wants to take away your “assault” rifles while at the same time give murderers a free pass from the electric chair. Or there is a religious element: The San Francisco “devil incarnate” promises a pay raise, but only if I vote for secularism in the public sphere and for abortion on demand. As Jesus resisted temptation, so must I. This made it clear to me why some Republicans really hate “RINOs”- that is, fiscal conservatives with socially liberal leanings. One meme read: “Moderates… they’re more…electable?”, interlaced with sad photos of Bob Dole, John McCain and Mitt Romney. If the GOP were to be taken over by anything less than a firm stand on social issues, then Bubba has little incentive to vote Republican. Enter West Virginia. Bucking the southern trend, the Democratic Party still wins the white working class vote. There may be some union influence- particularly among coal workers- but it’s that the Democrats there know what the voters want. While recent Democrats running for the presidency have lost by ever increasing margins in that state. (Yes, Bill Clinton carried it twice), local Democrats have been able to paint themselves not as gun-grabbers or elite secularists, but as “for the working man”. The risk for them is the “D” next to their name. So they don’t attend the Party Conventions, put a bullet through Cap-and-Trade, and attack Obama in their campaign ads with as much zeal as a conservative Republican. With a candidate who is pro-gun, moderately pro-life, opposes the Welfare Queens, and talks about “securing the (southern) border”, Bubba can be sold on liberal economics. As for this year’s elections, each state has a different dynamic. In Massachusetts, Connecticut and Oregon, a redo of the close Governor elections in 2010. In Maryland and New York, rural conservatives versus urban liberals, with suburbanites breaking a tie. In Virginia, the GOP wants to reestablish their 1990’s-era mandate by winning a statewide election for the first time since 2009, despite nail-biter races in 2013 (McAuliffe (D), didn’t break 50%...Obenshain (R) for AG, 163 ballots short of 2 million cast… GOP control of the State Senate, 11 ballots shy). In the more liberal states, social issues have been decided, and the minimum wage has already been raised. The question for GOP candidates in these liberal states is if the recalcitrance of Southern, Western, and rural republicans will tarnish their otherwise credible campaigns.