The Washington Post has an article about South Carolina Governor Mark Sanborn’s reaction to the stimulus package

Asked whose mission it is to help the widening pool of people in financial pain, the governor said that such aid “has to be leveraged through church, civic and private hands. . . . If you take care of the need in government circles, you dissipate the ability of civil society to take care of that need.”

Timothy Ervolina, president of the United Way Association of South Carolina, worries that the web of philanthropic and nonprofit groups may not be able to fulfill the governor’s expectations. Ervolina has watched fundraising fade at United Ways across the state, even as calls pour in to their crisis hotlines.

“Policymakers have said, ‘You guys are just going to have to step up to the plate.’ I hear that,” he said. “But when I step up to the plate and no ball even is coming at you, it’s pretty hard to make a hit.”

The governor is mirroring the words of Herbert Hoover as the nation slid into what is now called the Great Depression, and he fails to provide any attribution, or to explain why he thinks this plan will be any less of a failure than the last time it was tried.

When the preamble to the US Constitution delineates the purposes of government, it includes “promote the general Welfare”. It says that is a reason for establishing any government, and the government of the United States in particular. There is no mention of non-profits, or churches: it is a function of the government.

If you are Lance Mackey (47), it’s a seven course meal. Josh Rogers at Iditablog tells us What’s for Lunch in Anvik? Oh, yes, the Millenium Hotel, which provides the meal also hands the First Musher to the Yukon 3,500 one dollar bills. [It’s a tradition, it doesn’t have to make sense.] There is a mandatory 8-hour stop on the Yukon, so he really could stop for a lunch like this.

The back of the race is finishing up their mandatory 24-hour stop in McGrath.

Whatever the trail conditions are for others, the Super Sixteen that haul Lance from place to place don’t seem to mind.

The Dorothy Page Halfway Award and $3,000 in gold nuggets go to Lance Mackey (47), or, more properly, to his 16 superdogs. They made the run from Ophir in under 10 hours, just over 9 mph. In fresh snow that’s amazing.

Only Kim Darst (52)^R and Rob Loveman (50)^R have yet to arrive in McGrath.

The weather is forecast to get colder, which is good news for the dogs. Cold weather during the daylight also helps Rachael Scdoris (58), who is totally blind at night.

The Current Standings [12:50 AM CDT]:

1 Lance Mackey (47)
2 Aaron Burmeister (56)
3 Hugh Neff (55)
4 Sebastian Schnuelle (34)
5 Ken Anderson (54)
6 Jeff King (41)
7 Mitch Seavey (21)
8 Paul Gebhardt (15)
9 John Baker (44)
[Read more →]

For Bloggg

What do you mean, weird?

[Editor: See, all toms do it, not just Ollie. I told you that Friday the 13^th happens a lot.]

Friday Ark

In Memoriam
OWL had to say goodbye to Cotton this week. He was a beautiful white tom.