Coming from you, I find that a lot more flattering than you might imagine.

A big concern with a political career is that it would demand that I compromise my principles far more than I would like. The sad fact is that it's not the politicians that have set up government as a Santa Claus Machine, not any more. Now it's imbedded in the system, and a politician who doesn't play the game, who doesn't pass out the goodies to whatever constituency his particular party prefers, won't be a politician very long. This is one reason Libertarians, despite good name recognition, don't make a dent. If they're not going to throw the coins out of the limo, what the heck does anyone need them for? I just don't fit. Very square peg. Very round hole.

How do I explain to those countless people "bombarding me with their stories," asking for that vast majority of favors that shouldn't be the government's job, that there are alternatives? That there are ways they could do this without me? If I fail to get the concept of independence and of a free society across to them (and judging by my very limited success here it ain't easy), they'll flip me the bird, put someone more cooperative in my place, and say, "What the hell do we need YOU for?"

And if I DO get my point across, and they smile broadly and realize that they can get the job done without the government, they'll wave to me as they go out the door and say "What the hell do we need YOU for?"

See the problem?

Anyway, I'm already stretching my principles to the point where creaking noises are becoming apparent, just by working on NASA contracts. I can make a case that this is not government largesse, that I am accepting payment in return for a product, with the government my customer, just as though they had purchased a hammer. I can also make a case that it is damn hard to do ANYTHING in the aerospace field without government money showing up somewhere*, although most of my efforts up to now were privately financed. But I am still eating off of taxpayer money, and shining it up to a pretty gloss doesn't change that basic fact.

Good luck in running for school board! Judging by what you've written, it sounds like they could sure use you there. There are damn few people on school boards who ought to be, and too damn many on school boards that shouldn't be let within five miles of an educational facility.

Send me a bumper sticker! My Bush-Cheney sticker is dated, and my Harry Browne sticker is REALLY old.

*You work for a big aerospace company like Lockheed, you're mostly being paid with government money.