In mid-January the credit card bill for Christmas arrives.  What shape will you be in when you open that envelope(s)?

Perhaps you’re one of the few who never spends beyond their savings account.  My grandmother was like that.  I’ll never forget the advice she gave me shortly after graduating college and purchasing my first car on credit.  I asked her experience with car loans.  She replied, “Scott, if we didn’t have the cash, we never bought it.”  She lived her life that way.  That was in 1991.  She was 82.  I wish she was here to visit my kids, and now my grandson, to impart such wisdom.

When was the last time you looked at the US Debt Clock?  If it’s been a while, I would strongly urge you to check it out at www.USDebtClock.org.  I implore you to look a number that isn’t today’s current debt of over $ 20 Trillion, but the Unfunded Liabilities number, which due to commitments we have made, which aren’t funded, adds to our current debt.  As of Sunday, our republic’s Unfunded Liabilities was over $ 111 Trillion.  Stated differently, that’s over $ 111,000,000,000,000.00.  Watch the pace that number grows.

In short, we are creating one hell of a credit card bill for our grandkids and great grandkids.

I am sure when the bill comes due, they will be happy they provided us such a tremendous, decades long spending spree.  What do you think?  #Sarcasm.

Personally, I think our descendants will look at our lives and ask, “Why did they do this to us?”  They, being us collectively.  Then our descendants will look at our personal lives to ask, “What did he/she do to prevent this bill from being delivered?”

Personally, I believe our national overspending and overcommitting to spend future dollars, as a republic, is a national security issue.  Furthermore, I do not believe our elected leaders, or the deep-state bureaucracy in Washington, DC is capable of reigning in our collective appetite for spending our descendant’s future income.  I believe spending beyond our means as a nation is a non-partisan, non-respecter of person issue.  It should concern every one of us, regardless of race, creed or party.  Furthermore, I believe it is a moral issue.  Proverbs 13:22: “A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children.”  I would assume the opposite of this Proverb is also true.

I do however believe there is a solution, and that is called The Convention of States.  https://conventionofstates.com/.  If you are concerned about the debt bill we are sending to our future generations, I would encourage you to do three things:

• Go to https://conventionofstates.com/ to learn about this process for yourself.
• Watch a debate on this issue, which is between two personal friends. In this case I agree with Michael Farris.

• If you live in South Carolina, please consider joining your fellow South Carolinians at the State Capitol on January 17^th as they meet with State Legislators about this Constitutional process. You can find more information about this event by clicking here.

I’d like to mention The South Carolina Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, who serves most of us as our State Senator fully endorses Convention of States, and will be involved in the January 17^th event mentioned above.  I greatly appreciate Senator Massey for leading in this effort.  I also appreciate my State Representative Bill Hixon, who supports this effort and Representative Bill Taylor who has spear-headed this effort in South Carolina, and is known nationwide for his efforts.

In closing, one of the best things we can do for our great grand-kids is to get our republic’s debt-house under control.  More next week!

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Last week (http://hscottcooper.com/contrasting-three-events-on-memorial-day-ea-may-31-2017/) I closed my editorial with the following paragraph:

“What encourages me about our time period in history, where our collective knowledge of these conflicting worldviews is so poor, is that we can rapidly improve our knowledge, if we are willing to make the investment.”

When it comes to making the needed investment, there are two critical points I believe we must begin with:

First, parents must be willing to make the educational investment in their children.  Dropping them at the schoolhouse isn’t enough.  To grandparents – if, for whatever reason, your children are not making the required investment in your grandchildren’s proper education, you have a civic duty, indeed a moral obligation, to ensure your lineage is properly educated.  Your legacy depends upon it.

Second, we must begin as early as possible.  There is a lot of focus this time of year on Graduation.  Graduation from High School, Graduation from College and perhaps graduate school.  If we look back in history, say a century ago – young men graduating from eighth grade had great expectations placed on them.  Many had already become men, bearing responsibility for helping provide their families’ sustenance.  Young women graduating from the eighth grade were also being taught to think about their role in providing for the family, both existing and future families.

This week, I encourage you to think about the young adults you know graduating from Middle School.  I think two of the books which should be on the summer reading list for these young adults, ages 13 and 14, are:

The first book was actually written by two teenagers. Alex and Brett Harris, at the age of 19. Do Hard Things, A Teenage Rebellion Against Low Expectations, in short tells stories of great teenagers from our history who accomplished amazing feats during their teenage years, and contrasted those stories with today’s culture where adulthood (responsibility) is actually being pushed further and further into an individual’s future.

The second book deals with Economics.  In my opinion, we must educate all young adults entering High School the truth about Economics.  Specifically, how government run systems created in the last two generations have placed a tremendous economic burden on them.  Much of that burden, which they will bear, began prior to their conception!  The author states, “this upcoming generation has been plundered and deceived.”  Thus, the title of the book is Plunder and Deceit: Big Governments Exploitation of Young People and the Future by Mark Levin.

I am hopeful The Edgefield Advertiser will place my editorials online, so after your Middle School Graduates, or you, have read the books, we will be able to discuss the merits of their content online.  They will be placed at my website, www.HScottCooper.com as well as my Facebook Page, www.Facebook.com/ScottCooperSC.

Here’s wishing you a productive week!

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It’s true, this week I travelled through Paradise.

I travelled to Michigan for business, as well as to take time to visit several dear friends along the way.  Midweek I found myself at the very top of the Upper Peninsula, having several hours to myself, which I had not planned.  Initially I thought I would simply go to a library to study, but after thinking I might never make it to that part of the country again, I decided to travel the scenic route to Whitefish Point to visit the Great Lakes Shipwreck Museum.  To get there, you travel North Whitefish Point Road, which actually ends at the lighthouse and museum.

My destination was the museum, however I had not adequately studied the map – I had just keyed what I thought was the museum into my GPS.  When my GPS told me I was there, I wasn’t.  I was actually still 11 miles away, but I was in Paradise!  Unsure exactly where the museum was, I pulled into a small driveway of a home, which had a sign by the driveway stating there was a gift shop that was “Open for Business.”

After parking, I followed the cute signs back to a small building beside the adorable small home, which was on the edge of Lake Superior and Whitefish Bay.  When I walked in the woman at the counter said “Welcome to my little piece of Paradise!”

The woman was most pleasant and had a great selection of gifts.  She was extremely helpful in getting me back on the path toward my destination.  She said, which if I had studied a map what would have been obvious, “just keep taking this road to the very end – it dead ends at the lighthouse and the museum.  There is no way you can miss it!”

I spent the rest of the week thinking about that incident, the journey I was on, and today, Independence Day.

That day I was on the road to learn about shipwrecks, and found myself in Paradise.  For some reason my mind took me back several days prior to arriving in Paradise, when I had decided to drive through Detroit to see the devastation which I had read, seen pictures of, and watched videos on YouTube about. (If you click on link, you can see pictures, and once there, you can click on the video button to see videos).  For some reason, I had wanted to see with my own eyes what many claim to be the result of flawed policies.  It’s true, there are blocks and blocks and blocks of devastation, just like the picture below.  I spent time looking at it myself – and I spent a large portion of the week grieving about it, in particular the lives of countless families represented and impacted by the devastation…….a week when I wanted to be thinking about the glories of Independence – and all that we are celebrating today.

The most famous of shipwrecks on the Great Lakes in our lifetime is the Edmund Fitzgerald, made famous by Gordon Lightfoot’s song.  What I did not know prior to this week is that The Edmund Fitzgerald is but one of 240 ships lost in Whitefish Bay alone, and some 6,000 ships and 30,000 lives have been lost on the Great Lakes.  What impressed me about the museum was not only the history of the devastation of the wrecks, but the history of constantly improving not only the industry of shipping, but the technology of recovering and studying shipwrecks.  Later that afternoon I took a boat tour of the Soo Locks, which opened in 1837, and still today some 10,000 ships per year pass through the locks, which connects Lake Superior to the lower Great Lakes.

As I journeyed home yesterday to celebrate Independence Day with family and friends – I reflected on my week.  Not only did I accomplish my business and visit with friends, I witnessed a devastated city, which 100 years ago was the pride of our nation.  I studied shipwrecks.  I travelled country roads and marveled at the number of old farm homes which were in disrepair, with outbuildings surrounding them, which were in extreme disrepair, and quite honestly needed to be razed.

But you know what else I noticed – I passed countless farms which were thriving and had grass which my cows would love!  I saw modern farm buildings sitting beside old farm homes, as well as new farm homes.  I passed numerous old homes which had been restored to the glories of their by-gone era.  I spoke with a man who spends time in Detroit, who shared with me stories of the effort to revitalize Detroit, and families who maintain their little piece of Detroit (their paradise), despite the chaos which surrounds them.

I passed through 9 states this week, and at each stop, I made a point to try and speak with folks, to look in their eyes as I spoke with them or watched them as they went about their business.  Whether it was the individual working in the coffee shop I ate breakfast in, in Wheaton, IL, the good folks I attended church with in downtown Columbus, OH, the truck driver I spoke with at the rest area in Kentucky, the black woman who needed a jump start at a gas station outside of Chicago, or folks on the tour with me in the UP of Michigan and even the individuals who were leaving the baseball stadium in Detroit, headed back to their cars – just a couple blocks from the devastation so many write about in Detroit.

There are things going on in our country which grieve our hearts.  But the potential ingenuity and compassion of the human heart is no different today than at any other point in the history of man.  While I did witness devastation and shipwrecks this week – I truly believe our country is about the closest we can get to paradise.

As we celebrate Independence Day, many may choose to write about the growing dependency in our nation – and how it is the exact opposite of the liberty our founders were brave enough to pledge their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to bequeath to us.  Many point out that it is going to lead to shipwreck and devastation.  That may be true.

As we celebrate our birthday – I hope each of us will think about the lighthouse our founders provided for us – the tool required to keep our inheritance.  And that is the Constitution.  If we follow that path, we can restore our republic to its founding principles of Liberty and Independence which were birthed this day, 239 years ago.  Kind of’ like the woman at the gift shop told me on Wednesday – it is the dead end, and “there is no way we can miss it!”

#IChooseHope

#HappyBirthdayAmerica

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Those who know me, my concern with overall healthcare, its  costs, how overall nutrition impacts those costs, and how much of our food supply is actually unhealthy will likely find this title strange – that there is anything I would appreciate about McDonalds.

But it’s true – there is something that I greatly appreciate about McDonalds.

When I was a Branch Manager with Capital One Bank in Central Park, Fredericksburg, VA, our branch had several McDonald’s restaurants which had their business accounts with us.  One day, while taking one of my various routes to work, I noticed that one of the restaurants, which was also a client, had been razed since the last time I had seen it.  It was GONE!

Later that morning, when the restaurant manager came in to do the daily banking, I walked over to ask her if that particular restaurant had burned down, if that was why the site was completely flat and clean now.  “No,” she replied, “McDonalds is in the process of razing and rebuilding  hundreds of our restaurants.  That building was ancient. Everything in it was old and needed to be replaced. It was razed last week, and construction for the new restaurant begins next week.  Construction should be completed in “X” weeks.” I put X weeks, because I don’t remember the exact number, but I was impressed with the aggressive time table to get that store re-opened, operational and once again profitable.

It was at that point, at least once a week I took the route to work, which would enable me to watch the construction progress.  It was phenomenal.  Closing to reopening, with its new building, completely new equipment and a new and improved menu took place in mere weeks.

Even though I am relatively health conscious, and rarely enter a McDonalds to eat – I have noticed that not only are they installing new, modern buildings with new equipment all throughout the country – but their menus have changed with the times as well – to accommodate the growing number of folks like me, who are being more health conscious with their diets.

That is proactive, innovative leadership.  Leadership which doesn’t lead with the status quo, but sees the writing on the wall and takes the required steps to change with the times.  I appreciate that bold investment in the future which McDonalds is visibly executing – and will likely stop in for a salad, or a breakfast parfait more often, as a result.

This type of innovation inspires – and gives hope.  Perhaps some of the folks who executed this massive transition into the future: on schedule, on budget, with a goal of attaining profitability, would consider running for public office someday – as the status quo we see in government needs some drastic innovation, with such goals.

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It is hard to believe it has been 30 years since my father was lobbying me to become a Clemson Tiger.  I was his last hope, after both my sisters chose to become Virginia Tech Gobblers.  Well sadly, I let him down when I chose to become a Taylor Trojan, and attended Taylor University in Indiana!

The good news is, now that I live in South Carolina, I have had multiple opportunities to be on the campus of Clemson University – and one opportunity is next weekend, Saturday April 18th at The Palmetto Panel.  The Palmetto Panel is a citizen led one day conference on state level solutions to many of the key issues we are facing – from healthcare, energy, national security, school choice, tax policy, political corruption, and many, many others.

High Frontier, the organization I am working with, will be there speaking on the critical issue of securing our nations electric grid and the role South Carolina could and should play in leading the nation.  Specifically, we believe we should harden the cooling systems of South Carolina’s four Nuclear Power Plants ASAP, which would enable South Carolina to lead the nation in getting the electric grid back up, if God forbid we don’t solve the entire problem on time.

I am well aware that you may not live in South Carolina.  If you do, I hope you will join us next Saturday!  If you do not, I encourage you to share this information with your sphere of influence WHO DO live in South Carolina.  Please click here to R.S.V.P. or to see event details.

To follow, in alphabetical order, are all the presenters – and the subjects they will be discussing:

Talbert Black – Mr. Black is the founder of Palmetto Liberty PAC and will provide an overview of issues at the State Level

State Senator Lee Bright – Senator Bright will be discussing three key issues:  American Laws for American Courts legislation, Registration by Party legislation and the Conflict of Interest that exists when the State Senate appoints South Carolina Judges.

State Senator Kevin Bryant – Senator Bryant will be discussing School Choice Legislation and The Healthcare Freedom Act.

Ambassador Henry Cooper – Ambassador Cooper is the Chairman of High Frontier and will be discussing solutions to Securing our Electric Grid and how South Carolina can and should lead the nation.

SC U.S. Congressman Jeff Duncan – Congressman Duncan will be discussing the importance of Off Shore Drilling, and what that would do for the economy of South Carolina.

Sheri Few – Ms. Few is the President and CEO of SC Parents Involved in Education. She will be discussing two issues: Common Core and the Refugee Resettlement Program taking place in South Carolina.

SC Representative Jonathon Hill – Representative Hill is a freshman representative and he will be discussing what life is like for the freshman legislator and what it is like running for office.

Ashley Landess – Ms. Landess is the President of the South Carolina Policy Council.  She will be discussing 8 points necessary to make South Carolina the freest state in the country.

Emery McClendon – Mr. McClendon is a board member of Project 21, and a nationally known Conservative activist.  He will be discussing the importance of strengthening citizen engagement at the state level.

Kurt Potter – Mr. Potter is a Founding Member of the Center for Self Governance.  He will be discussing the work the Center for Self Governance is doing and the training of citizen activists they offer.

Alex Saitta – Mr. Saitta is a member of the Pickens County School Board, and he will be discussing his journey of exposing the truth about the funding of our schools at the county level.

Thom Shea – Mr. Shea is a retired Navy Seal and is currently the CEO of Adamantine Alliance.  He will be providing an inspirational message “Never Give Up!”

Dan Tripp – Mr. Trip is the Founder of Ground Game Strategies.  He will be discussing the Healthcare Compact – which is a program encouraging states to contract together to move medical decisions back to the state level.

Ellen Weaver – Ms. Weaver is the President of Palmetto Policy Forum and she will be providing an overview of the issues effecting South Carolina.

I look forward to seeing many of my South Carolina friends at this timely and critical event next weekend.  Again, I would appreciate you forwarding this to your sphere of influence living inside South Carolina.

Blessings,

Scott Cooper