Bogus Justifications

In Far Middle episode 170, Nick offers a different take on this installment’s sports dedication. It’s a dedication that comes “with very mixed emotions because it ties to my alma mater, Penn State, and its beloved football program, which I'm a lifelong fan of,” says Nick. “But those core Far Middle beliefs and policy foundations, they can't be superseded by simple emotion or personal preference.”

Nick then comments on the state of college athletics, focusing on Penn State’s decision to approve a $700 million renovation of its football stadium. Given the uncertain future of college sports and the university's existing budget constraints, Nick questions the decision and the financial assumptions that are justifying the project.

He compares the move to a similar $440 million stadium renovation at Cal Berkeley, which resulted in financial strain for the university. Ultimately Nick presents episode 170’s sports dedication to the two Penn State trustees who had the courage to act rationally and with fiscal restraint by voting against the renovation plan.

From higher education in 2024, Nick shifts back a century offering a must-listen examination of President Calvin Coolidge’s “Education: The Cornerstone of Self-Government” speech delivered on July 4, 1924. Nick calls Coolidge one of America’s most underrated presidents and highlights many insights from his 1924 speech.

Connecting from Coolidge’s argument that an educated and knowledgeable citizenry is fundamental to ensuring sound policy from government, Nick then discusses the history of America’s withholding tax on employee wages.

Enacted in 1943, the withholding tax is readily accepted by workers today. Nick tells the story of Vivien Kellems, a businesswoman who opposed the withholding tax system, arguing it misled taxpayers about their tax burden. Kellem’s unique activism illustrates the broader theme of citizens being unaware of government policies due to inadequate public education.

“As Calvin Coolidge pointed out, if the public education system isn't teaching and instructing the citizen how to be aware and awake, then all is for not,” says Nick. “Expect the citizens to accept whatever the government ends up handing them from a policy perspective, along with the bogus justifications.”

In closing, Nick references Ms. Kellems’ campaign for the U.S. Senate in 1956, and that year Elvis Presley’s “Heartbreak Hotel” and “Don’t Be Cruel” would top Billboard’s singles chart. “Put on some Elvis, pay your taxes, and stay connected to that Far Middle,” concludes Nick.

For more Far Middle, the year 1956 would also see Rocky Marciano retire from the ring and Frank Robinson hit his first of 586 home runs. Listen to Nick’s respective dedications to Marciano and Robinson in episodes “Knockin’ Out 100” and “The Fastest Power Wins.”