One of the Heritage Foundation's Founding Fathers and "Cautiously Optimistic" on Trump

Emily’s father, Fritz was eager to speak with us.  Fritz emailed, “your listening is a big deal imo (In My Opinion).  Happy (eager) to participate.” Emily (see blog “Racine Arts and Business) had mentioned in passing that her father had written the original business plan and prospectus which became the Heritage Foundation.  She put us in touch with each other.  And as Dave and I sat at the back table in the RV we spoke by phone with Fritz who was with his wife in South Carolina where they have their main residence.

Early life and development of Freedom Philosophy

Fritz was born in Racine.  He is now in his 80’s.  His mother: British, “Anglican and fiscally conservative” emigrated to the Racine area in the early 1900’s.  His father “came off a bankrupt farm in Iowa,” lost a sports scholarship at Grinnell College due to poor health and was dying his whole life, although he lived to 79.  He “was in advertising and marketing.”  He worked for Hamilton Beach then, with a partner, bought the carpet cleaning product line when Hamilton Beach was unloading it.  The business did well and is still operating from the Racine Business Center.

Fritz is Episcopalian (although later in our conversation informs us that the Episcopal  Church has “lost its way”), went to Wharton School and  served in the Army as a 1st Lt..  He took over the business with his brothers from their father: “I was the one who got the opportunity...or got stuck with it.” [Later Fritz regretted this statement, “sounds negative.”]

In the late 50’s, the UN was running a nationwide program called “Great Decisions.” Fritz and his wife joined a group of six couples. They would meet monthly and discuss a case study furnished by the UN of a “problem” somewhere in the world.  The leader would also receive the UN “solution.”  Over time Fritz noticed that all of the UN “solutions” were what he called “collectivist.”  This bothered him.  What impressed him further was that three of the couples who were Jewish friends usually agreed with these collectivist, liberal/Left (“although I wasn’t political or thinking politically at that point”) solutions.  And Fritz, shocked by the  Holocaust, believed it  occurred partly BECAUSE of the collectivist regimes of the 30’s and 40’s..  It was that study group experience which led Fritz to “decide to dedicate the rest of my life to promulgating the Freedom Philosophy. “Not election politics, but the theory, the education side.”

From Freedom Philosophy to the Heritage Foundation

Fritz dove into the study of the Freedom Philosophy. He studied the early sentences in the Declaration of Independence.

Back to the Declaration:

We ask Fritz to “break down” the Declaration of Independence for us following his studies.  He does:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

Fruits of Thomas Jefferson's Labor

Endowed by the Creator: “that is the spiritual antecedent.”

With certain unalienable rights: “that is the moral antecedent.”  “So it is spiritual and moral.  So if I have the right to my life spiritually and morally two things of importance result:

1. “I have the rights to the “fruits of my labor” which may not be creating steel, it could be crafting ideas or doing art or working at a job or just fishing with Thoreau or somebody.”
2. “Whatever I claim as an inalienable right I need to grant to you or I do not have a moral position.”

Peter: How did you come up with “Fruits of our Labor?”

Fritz: From the rough draft of the Declaration of Independence.  It said life, liberty and property that is how it was first written.  And that didn’t make the cut.  I think it sounded like all of these rich guys doing this, it sounded too self serving.  So they replaced it with Happiness, and happiness would be the release of natural human energy by free people.  I can release my energy the way I can, or I want.  I decide if I’m going to release that energy in work or for this cause, or that cause, my cause or her cause.  And that is why freedom leading to the the free market system has worked better than any other system over the millenniums.  It is the moral and logical climate for maximum release of that natural human energy.  Controlled by the individual, that release becomes the fruits of his or her labor.  And that would be the pursuit of happiness as determined by individuals, not by outside forces.  

Fritz: The Declaration was followed by the Constitution, which was the follow up.  It was created as a document of restrictions on the “outside force” of government.  Not granting rights.

FEE - Free Market Economics

Fritz found the Foundation for Economic Education (FEE) in Irvington NY, founded in 1946 and led by Leonard Read.  FEE’s mission is to "inspire, educate and connect future leaders with the economic, ethical and legal principles of a free society."  He dove in, taking weeklong and weekend seminars, bought the offered library of relevant texts and strove to reach the third level of leadership -- where upon he would be a “go to person” to people wanting to understand these ideas.  He studied the “Austrian School” economists von Mises and F.A. Hayek and, of course Milton Friedman of Chicago to learn how the Freedom Philosophy applies to economics.  Fritz explains, “Free Market economics has a moral and spiritual context.  I or my group can’t take from you and give to my cousin unless you and your group have the right and permission to take from me or my group and give to your cousin.”

Pulled into Politics

By the 1960’s Fritz had met a number of political “players.” As he says, “I got sucked into politics and turned out to be good at it.  Too bad.”  Early in the 60’s Paul Weyrich, a future founder of the Moral Majority and Heritage Foundation, became Fritz’ mentee. Paul grew up in Racine. He was very conservative, devout, “orthodox” Catholic and a politically active.  Fritz became a prominent, award winning Young Republican.  And like many young “business types” he campaigned for Barry Goldwater in 1964.  “Ten days before the election I made a serious (not a joke, but just for $10) bet that Goldwater would win.  And when he lost 60:40 I realized I didn’t know what I was doing.” Fritz decided that if he was going to dedicate himself he needed to understand it from the ground up.  “I began working on voter identification and turnout.” He means getting like-minded conservatives registered and turning out to vote.  “Being a Republicans was not my priority, rather, being a free market conservative.  Yes, Goldwater got the nomination, but many Republicans were squishy back then.  Lots of ‘Rockefellers.’  Someone said, ‘If you want to suppress free enterprise, send a bunch of business people into the schools.’”

1969 - Gets a call from DC

In 1969 Weyrich calls Fritz.  He and a couple of friends have figured out how liberal Democrats get liberal/left policy crafted and passed in not so liberal Congress.  Fritz recounts how Weyrich explains it, “They have ‘inside’ study committees within Congress and because it is official they even have floor rights. And the ‘outside’ [policy think tank] is Brookings Institute.”  He wants Fritz’s help.  So Fritz insists they come to Racine (“Everyone in DC has their datebook out thinking about the next meeting before THIS meeting begins”).  They spend a couple of days together. Fritz asks, “Do you have a business plan? A budget? A prospectus?  Weyrich answers, “What are they?”  So Fritz “gets” volunteered to write them.  He spends six months on and off, in the sub basement of the Capitol Building: “SB6, a 20’x20’ office, all by myself.”  He writes the plan for what becomes the “outside” “policy purity” conservative think tank.  Then he says, “Adios” to Weyrich and leaves it to him to sell it. [In a later email Fritz adds, “Weyrich also leads establishing working groups “inside” the Senate and House.”]

The Heritage Foundation is Born...and the Contract with America

Joe Coors (“I didn’t know him at the time, but we became close personal friends”) finally was the one who funded its founding.  Finally in 1973 Heritage Foundation was formed. Fritz served as its Secretary for many years and is still closely associated with it.  He suggested Dave and I go and meet with the current Director.

“Then the Reagan years…”

Then in ‘82 Fritz gets another call for help from DC.  He insists the group come to Racine and he designs and facilitates their meeting which includes Newt Gingrich, his current wife, Weyrich and a few others.  The meeting became the beginning of the Conservative Opportunity Society which, twelve years later, in 1994 becomes the Contract With America.

Policy Purity and Integrity

Fritz is very critical of politicians who are not “pure” [later Fritz uses “transparent”] in their policies and do not demonstrate integrity.  He explains that the Contract With America was good example of Gingrich setting clear policy goals and then delivering on them.  Several times in our conversation Fritz criticized “squishy” Republicans who were too willing to “go along to get along.”  “They listen too much to the media or their lobbyists in Washington.” “Trading favors.” They “cause the system to be opaque, inconsistent and foundering.”

Fast Forward to 2017

Peter: With your Pure Freedom perspective, where do you think we are right now?

Fritz: Cautiously optimistic. 

The Integrity of Trump

Fritz: The reason I put it that way [“cautiously”], is that Trump’s policies seem spot-on while his style is, if it doesn’t make someone totally upset, it certainly makes one nervous about what a loose cannon he is.  On the other hand, it is important that he speaks up, confirming that he is doing what he said he was going to do [for] his constituency.

Peter: Back to the integrity…? Is that what you were talking about?

Fritz: Exactly.  Donald Trump is not a lovable person, personally, at least that is what he is in his civilian life.  But he is trusted to say what he thinks and do what he says.  That is one definition of integrity.  He won on that, he got to that third level of leadership (production...people follow because of the results) because people were attracted to him, because he is trying to tell it like it is.  The heartland, some because they are quite well informed, others just from a visceral reaction were thinking things were sick east of the Alleghenies, west of the Rockies and within the Beltway of Washington DC.  They don’t know why things are sick, but it just doesn’t work. These guys in DC say one thing, and vote one way, and then come out to the district and say something else.  Promises are not being kept. This is just going down the tubes creating general unrest.  In contrast, like the "Contract with America" in 1994, you had the Trump promises of “gonna do this, this, and this, and this and here’s why.” And it resonated with these people who were wondering what is going on in this country, all the way down to my job, and if not my job, my church or school or my moral position, and Trump appears to be trying to do what he said.  

Fritz: Some easy-to-see examples of Trump doing what he said he was going to do.  Getting out of the Paris Accords - terrific idea.  Getting out of UNESCO - terrific idea.  Now getting these ideas out [past the media] is another story.  Thus [I’m] guardedly optimistic.

The Message Control of Trump...and the Fake News of the NYT 

Fritz: And meanwhile [Trump’s] got twitter and social media going.  In a way he HAS to do it.  In a way I wish they had a little better way of doing it, but the press is so rabidly, actively, cynically, sadistically attacking anything Trump, and his administration, and any policies, that he can’t get the word out unless he gets it out directly.  The media agenda, because it is so active, is breathtaking.  So the tweeting is a good thing, but it makes me nervous the way that it is managed, particularly with Trump popping off and shooting from the hip.  But I give him a pass on it.  

Fritz recently wrote an opinion piece in the local Camden, South Carolina paper recounting an incident in the 1980’s when a well reported NYT’s article about an event he attended, had an inaccurate final paragraph.  And that paragraph was then picked up by and further twisted the NYT editorial team over the next four days.  Fritz, shocked, spoke with a former editor at Time Magazine who explained, “Fritz, an editor added the ending to the reporter’s story. They (NYT) do that all the time ... nothing new.”

Fake News Source

Fritz’ option piece ends:

Apparently the NYT fake news penchant was so common to them, as not to deserve even further discussion.  Stunning and frightening ... and that event took place in the mid 1980’s.”  That NYT’s penchant is common knowledge among national media editors, my guess is Reichert knows it as well.  So I’ve not picked up ... or believed ... a New York Times newspaper in over 30 years.

Conservative America

Fritz helps us to understand how he sees the conservative factions.  There are four groups.  And it seems some overlap.

1. Libertarians
2. Social Issue Conservatives. These are the “true believers, evangelicals.”
3. Country Club Republicans. Not sure where they stand.  Grudgingly Trump.  Some big business. Some Wall Street.  They have big Washington representation.  Their attitude is: “they are going to spend it, so we might as well get our share.” Fritz says, “I don’t trust them.  I’d give them the benefit of the doubt but am skeptical of what they do.” 

   4. “Total Integrity” [Later Fritz calls them “Economic”] Conservatives.  This is a Trump base at least in the Presidential election.  It includes “blue collar, American, Patriot/realist, wage earner, Boy Scout leaders.  Church goer.  Small business owners are “basically conservative.  They would tend to be more reliable.  They retain some integrity.”

The Birthplace of the Republican Party - our visit to Ripon, Wisconsin

How Trump Won

Fritz: If you look at 2016 there is the Trump reason for attracting voters. Hillary had NO message.  Trump had a message and repeated it ad nausea.  No reason to vote for Hillary except that it is her turn.  That was the Bob Dole situation.

How about 2020?

Fritz: You know Trump will have a message.  Whether or not the Democrats will have a message is not clear.  Because they don’t have a party if that means cohesiveness. They are coalitions of interest groups (in a positive sense) and they pull different ways.  The Sanders campaign was an example of that, and he was not that radical relative to the Democrat current trends. The Union segment.  The Left.  So whether they will have a message that will resonate I don’t know.  The republicans will have a message that will resonate, though they did not in 2008 or 2012.   Will it win, we’ll see?

Issues:

We then shifted gear to specific national issues:

Climate Change and The Paris Accord

Peter: The Paris Accord and Climate Change: How do you see this?

Fritz:  All overblown by questionable data.  In the sense of Mankind's effect on the climate.  The climate changes all the time.  Growing up on the shores of Lake Michigan I observed water levels change in 5-8 year cycles, washing away some of our land -- not the house but the land and then the lake goes down again.  It’s like not recognizing that the best conservers of the wild game environment are the gun guys, the hunters.  All overblown on questionable assumptions and untrustworthy data.  And questionable ethics in terms of developing and reporting the data to ascribe mankind's effect on climate change.  And those numbers aren’t in.  And the science is suspect.  It is barely science and other panels have highlighted that.  And it goes to other issues and to the man on the streets west of the Alleghenies, something is screwy.  The Paris accord has massive economic impact potential globally, but as you get into it, it is mostly smoke and mirrors.  And that has been the way with so many important issues.  They have been finessed to support the "go along to get along" men in the striped pants and the hanger on.  Okay, France is really hot on this, so we’ll support them, so they’ll support us over here in Africa.  All the political trade offs that go into that kind of stuff. Not transparent. I don’t trust it any more.”  Mantra for the new millenium may be ‘stay positive but nurture a healthy skepticism.’

Peter: Why would the existential objective be, that Liberals or Progressives or the NYT would  want, that would tie man’s impact to the environment?

Fritz: That’s a hell of a question. I don’t know.  It’s being driven by fanatical religious fervor.  So on one hand we should be studying climate all the time because it is always changing.  But the climate realities have been hijacked.  Let's start with a new clean sheet of paper.  Let’s start over and get it right.

Health care:

Peter: How about healthcare?

Fritz: Don’t get sick.  That goes beyond any ideological divisions.  The question of healthcare and safety net healthcare -- when you get right down to it, what it is all about -- it goes beyond any partisan or boundaries

Peter: How would the Declaration of Independence see the delivery of healthcare?

Fritz: It would at best be looking through the glass darkly. The market has been so distorted.  As an example, this week insurance companies want to cross state lines.  The fact that by law they couldn’t cross state lines is a critical distortion with consequences we can’t measure.  How do we afford the people, who can’t afford the disasters.  Should stay open, evolving without political, opportunistic compromised open markets.

Bipartisan Solutions?

Peter: You’ve been at the table (an advocate, a partisan advocate) that has gotten us to where we are today.  Is there a way to find some middle ground or is it a winner take all?

Fritz: I think we are going to have to depend on people like Heritage from the free market limited government side and whoever on the other side -- maybe Brookings on the other side, I don’t know who on the left, the Liberal side, not meaning that in a negative way. [Fritz added later: But they are so prone to distorting reality that bad legislative decisions are made.  Dig into the 1978 Community Reinvestment Act (Dodd and Frank debut). It led to the crash of 2008.]  

Peter: Have you ever sat down with Brookings to have these types of conversations?

Fritz: No, not personally, but our Heritage people have.

Peter: How would Heritage redesign our system to address these imperative issues?  Obviously what we have is not getting us what we need.

Fritz: I can’t help you on that.  I wish I could.  [Fritz later adds, It is the right question but the answer can’t be articulated in a few words.  Still it’s mission statement Heritage frames the issues regarding what principles to follow trying to “fix” stuff.  

Mission: To formulate and promote conservative public policies based on the principles of free enterprise, limited government, independent freedom, traditional American values and a strong defense.

Vision: To build an America where freedom, opportunity, property and civil society flourish.

He finishes with, “These are solid ideas, not empty words!"

We thanked Fritz for the conversation, and he was eager for us to call him if we had more time.

Follow up Emails:

After we spoke for about 90 minutes Fritz followed up with this email:

Guys...as was pulling out of Paris, Trump's adios re UNICEF-Iran-et al reinforces:

1. Critical strategic issue: integrity re doing what he promised &/or inferred...and
   
2. Tactics of: putting  issue balls into the courts of Congress plus removing the previous veils of secrecy/ineptness hiding various suspect "deals" domestic & international.
   

"Telling it like it (really) is" was what the folks west of the Alleghenies and west of the Rockies desperately wanted to hear...and DT was the only one among the friends & foes perceived both able and willing to try just that. Thus, "resonated".  Using tell-tale examples is why "the man on the street" elected DT 2016...in the face of mass Rep. attack in Primaries and Dem. zillion $ & media against him re Nov election.

Above is why, imo, DT campaigns(s) 2016 resonated a'la 1994's Contract With America.
Forgot to mention...we didn't vote Trump in the Primaries…

-- Peter

Vignettes III -- Packers, Traffic Circles and Cracker Barrel

 Traffic Circles and Flashing Yellow Turn Lights!

Racine traffic circles - ready for Foxcomm commuters!

Not only in Racine, but elsewhere in Wisconsin, traffic is managed in part by the use of Traffic Circles.  Not just the little “traffic calming” things like we have in Redwood City, California, but full on, European-Style Roundabouts.  The land is mostly level and relatively inexpensive.  Traffic circles move traffic faster than stop signs or stop lights and they need much less maintenance.

At complex intersections with left turn arrows, the arrows go green when they control the intersection, but then flash yellow when they do not give the driver the right of way, but the driver can see that a turn is safe without waiting for the green arrow.

These are two innovations we should adopt in California to reduce the cost of traffic management and move traffic through intersections with less delay.

G.M. Plant Confrontation

When we met with Robert (see blog “Rock County Job Man”) on Thursday afternoon, he asked how long we were going to be in town.  We said that we had to go back to Racine that evening.  He strongly suggested that we go by the G.M. Plant before we left town, saying that it was about to be torn down.  We did, arriving there right at dusk.  It is huge, hulking and pretty sad, closed for nine years now and deteriorating.

Janesville GM Plant soon to be torn down, and well guarded in the meantime

As we drove up there were two signs:  “No Trespassing” and  “Trespassers will be Prosecuted.”  The signs were ambiguous.  Did they apply to going into the plant, or to the road itself?  The road was an extension of a public road; there was no gate or intersection that would indicate that it had become private, but up the road were two cars that looked like they could be private security.  Curious to fill in our impression of the Janesville Plant about which we had read so much, we decided to drive past the signs so we could look and take photos -- but NOT to go up to the buildings.  In doing this we passed the cars that looked like private security; they didn’t budge.

So we photographed the building in the failing light.  Then we turned around to drive away.  A car was coming toward us and drove in front of us, at least partially blocking our exit.  We stopped and I rolled down the window.  A private security guard got out and asked what we were doing there.  I told him that we had come to see this famous building.  We were not communicating well, l guess the building was more famous to me than it was to him.  He asked my name and I gave it to him.  My concern, of course, was that he could call the Police and that the PD, in support of General Motors, might take action.  I did not offer my driver’s license or other identification.  He got on his radio.  We explained that we were interested as a result of reading the book Janesville and Peter took the book off our shelf to show it to him through the window.

Eventually the guard and the person he was talking to on the radio lost interest and asked us to leave.  We promptly complied, relieved.  We proceeded to Cracker Barrel for dinner.

Cracker Barrel

Neither of us had ever been to a Cracker Barrel before.  It was time to end this particular cultural deficit, and there was one close by in Janesville.  For the few of you who also have been deprived of this opportunity, a description:

Guns, flags, warm hearth, hunting, portraits of patriarchs...Feeling at home in the heartland

You enter through the store, and the path is not direct, you have to walk around lots of kitsch; items for sale that would be mementos of the visit.  We told the Vicki, our greeter that it was our first time in a Cracker Barrel and she offered a tour.  I wanted to eat and said, “maybe later.”  You exit through the same store, and yes, she remembered us. The store staff and servers are friendly to a fault, but Vicki was clearly well selected to “up-sell” diners.

...and eating our fill

This is a “themed” restaurant with the displays, menu, staff uniforms and food all reinforcing the sense of a country store/home in the warm, soft focus past.  Our fellow diners were mostly older.

The meal itself was huge, relatively inexpensive, and while not particularly healthy was tasty and hit the spot -- that evening and, because we took half of it “home” the next day as well.  

On the way out, Vicki, our friendly greeter cornered me and gave me the full tour of the shop.  I ended up purchasing some candy as a memento of this out-of-our-bubble experience.

End of the Packers Game

Serious business on a autumn Sunday afternoon

When the Green Bay Packers are on TV, life generally stops in Racine and I suspect much of the rest of Wisconsin.  The first Sunday we were in town the Packers were playing the Cowboys.  We had retired to our campground to write these Blog posts, but took note that our neighbors were gathered around the large flat-screen TV that was on the outside of the 5th wheeler in which they lived.  Sitting in camp chairs, husband chewing a cigar, they seemed to live and die with each play.  Peter took a break to ask them how it was going.  He came back to the Roadtrek to say that I should join the group.  I did.  In the last minutes the lead changed three times.  Green Bay was trailing by 4 points with 40 seconds to go, but had the ball.  All they needed was a touchdown.  They marched down the field and with 4 seconds left the Green Bay receiver caught the ball in the end zone.  Our neighbors were elated.  It was fun to be a part of something this important.

Our neighbors are full-timers, living in this huge trailer with 5 slideouts.  The husband had fixed up a full sized highway tractor truck to haul it; a pickup truck, he let us know would just have been too small.  The wife drove the Escalade behind him when they moved during the year.  They were heading to Arizona for the winter, but had to stop by the factory that made the trailer in Indiana for repairs on the way down.  In Arizona they told us they had friends who were Packers fans and with whom they’d get to watch the rest of the season's games.

--David

Evangelical Insurance Agent

We met Craig on Friday, October 13, 2017, in the morning at his insurance office in Racine.  He was the first of our “Pastor Jerry” interviews and, in part because Jerry had just returned the night before from Bolivia, we interviewed him without Pastor Jerry present.  Craig’s office is very tidy and, in addition to being his office, it features his family and his faith.

Childhood in Rural Illinois

We asked about Craig’s backstory.  He told us that he is from North Central Illinois.  He will be leaving later today to drive three hours to return to his hometown to visit his father who is terminally ill, and may have only a few days to live.  His mother predeceased his father, leaving his dad as the last of his generation in the family.  When we set up the interview, his father’s condition, had it changed, could have kept him from seeing us. Craig’s generosity of spirit and strong relationship with Pastor Jerry let him set the time for us, if he could possibly make it.

Craig was raised in a town of about 7000, the county seat in a rural county about 100 miles from Chicago.   He was raised in a “very conservative church in a community with strong family values.”  Then one day when he was in his 20’s he met a young woman from Racine.  He and his wife have now been married for 31 years.  With Milwaukee to the north and Chicago to the south, there was more opportunity in Racine than where he grew up.  Craig started college at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana and finished his education at Concordia, a small Christian private college just north of Milwaukee.

Craig has been in the insurance business since he was in his early twenties, then 12 years ago, he had an opportunity to work for a small, family owned company, where  he oversees the employee benefits insurance programs.  They now have 3 offices, Racine, Kenosha, and a small, recently acquired agency in Door County, about 3 ½ hours away the “beautiful New England of Wisconsin" peninsula jutting northeast into Lake Michigan near Green Bay. 

Role as Elder in Grace Church

Craig grew up in a Baptist church.  When he and his wife moved to Racine and were looking for a church, they visited several until a friend suggested Grace Church, then at its prior location.  As soon as they attended and heard Pastor Jerry speak they heard something that they liked.  Later that week, Pastor Jerry and his wife Jane made a home visit and they learned that Grace has a theological basis that was completely consistent with their values.

Grace Church

Craig has been on the Board of Elders, served as its chair, and has partnered with Pastor Jerry in helping to operate the church.  “Now Jerry is retired, but you could hardly notice it,” Craig reflects given Jerry’s level of activity.  Craig has traveled with Pastor Jerry as well, two times recently to Cuba.  The purpose of the trip was to Proclaim the Gospel and give the Good News.  “Cuba has been spiritually dark,” Craig informs us. For example, “they cannot talk with a person on the street about faith, nor can they preach in public.  But if they are invited into someone’s home they can speak.  The people are good people and want what everybody wants, including freedom to speak. They are warm and wonderful people.”

Faith and Spiritual Practice at Work 

We asked how his spiritual perspective affects his work.  He said that his “worldview, everybody has a worldview, is rooted in God’s Word, in the Bible.”  He sees the Bible to be the inspired, holy word of God that is truth.  It guides him in all of life.  “I am just a flawed human being, but I want to see the world through the grid of God’s Word.  I want God’s Word to guide me in everything.”

Craig's Insurance Company: David to local Goliath

This is true in all of his relationships; professional, personal, in his marriage and as the father in his home, including the parenting of his three daughters.  He points to a photo of his three beautiful daughters,  placed on a low cabinet visible to Craig and us.  Peter asks about “A day in the life of Craig Vaughn as an insurance agent.”  After saying that he does not want to put us to sleep, he discusses the areas of insurance he works on.

We then return to ask how his faith guides him. He responds,  “When faith guides your life that includes your work life.  It includes integrity, ethics, and fairness and is always rooted in Christ.  The Holy Spirit dwells within you and you want to live your whole life in Christ.  That drives all behavior, work, play; all of life.”

Peter asks for a specific example of where he consciously said, “This is how I’m going to approach this because of my relationship with Christ.” Craig responds by saying, “Any business involves stress as errors occur.  Hopefully, there is fruit in your life that comes from maturing in the faith.  One can deal with problems in a way that is God honoring.  There is still ugliness in life, but how one chooses to deal with it matters. Perhaps others can see that you are driven by your faith in Christ.”

Peter says that he would like to know what it feels like to have the clarity of God’s presence that Craig’s faith gives him in dealing with business problems.  

Craig says that he begins each and every day with a time with the Word, usually at home, but sometimes at work.  Through prayer he asks for God’s guidance because “he is not equipped to handle problems on his own as a flawed human being, but with God he can cope.”  Craig is experiencing stress as he deals with the end of his father’s life. He knows that his father has accepted Jesus Christ as his savior, and that he will see his father again.

He praises his parents as great examples of dealing with what matters in life; as it applies to eternal life.  “They have been great teachers for their own children and for mine [Craig’s daughters] as well.”

Healthcare: The perspective of a Healthcare Insurance Provider

Peter changes the topic to healthcare.  He starts with the question: “Is healthcare a right?”  Craig separates health insurance from health care in the question and answers that health insurance is not a right.  “Just because someone thinks it is a right does not make it a right.”  He says that healthcare is what happens when you go to a doctor’s office or hospital.  “Is that a right?  Or is it simply a benefit that having access to it is just something that happens in this country?”  He does not think that it is mentioned in the Constitution.  So it is not a right.

Peter then sought to overlay the teachings of Jesus about our responsibility to the poor and other people who cannot care for themselves.  How does that impact Craig’s thinking?  How does that impact the rights people have?  Craig said that Jesus taught about caring for the poor and that people should give to support and help people in their community, and even to the extent that we can help people and set up safety nets for those who don’t have the ability to meet their own needs.  He thinks that those are important things, but that there is a limit to what we can do based upon the finances that we have.

Peter asks where we draw the line.  Craig says that it is a difficult question.
“You want to do what you can do to help your fellow man, but the issue gets complex.” Peter asks if Craig gets guidance in prayer as to how to determine the direction we are going.  Craig says that he has not prayed on this specifically on how we can make it better.  He says that there are people smarter than him who are working on it. 

Politics and Intransigence in Washington

Unfortunately, people got stuck because “politicians in Washington, on the left and the right both have their own agendas.  Neither side wants to see the other get a “win” and get credit.”  The environment does not exist where people can engage in healthy dialog or come together in a collaborative way.  “To get things done and to do good work we need to have people working together in a healthy way and then we can have a good outcome.  But both parties have gone to their own corners and the environment is toxic.  All parties need to help.”

Craig sees toxic environment in DC

I asked him what it would take to get the politicians to cooperate and work toward helping people with solutions.  He says that this is a hard question.  He thinks the best way would be to continue to try to elect people who are willing to hold their principles and yet engage in dialog or policy making.  “There are some people, men and women in Washington who have good will.  There are people who love their country and want to work to resolve things.  He does not know how to find people who will keep promises. They put out a good message when “interviewing for the job.”  The problem is that they do not perform when they get the job.  There is far too much bureaucracy; government has grown to a size that the founding fathers warned us about, where it is too big, out of control and too intrusive in people’s lives.”

Foxconn

Peter shifts to the Foxconn development.  Craig responds by saying “this is going to create quite a stir locally.”  He thinks that ultimately positive and a “win” for not only the community, but for the region; not just for the jobs, but the related and connected businesses.  With Amazon and U-Line and Foxconn there will be a need for workers.  It will be a challenge to get good people to fill that many jobs.  The economic impact will be enormous and he thinks positive for the region.  I noticed that he seemed to sense the impact of Foxconn as greater than others that we interviewed.

David Insurance, the company Craig works for, has already been in contact with the Foxconn people to see what services may be needed; not Foxconn itself, but the people and companies that will be located nearby.  There is only one other local insurance company, Johnson Insurance (a subsidiary of Johnson Wax, headquartered in Racine) which is huge, David Insurance is second.  He likes to say that “Johnson is Goliath and his company is David.”

They will probably not be doing insurance for Foxconn itself, but can be a resource for their employees and are exploring the ripple effect of the Foxconn arrival.

Peter asked about Racine itself, including the 19th and 20th century manufacturing industries, and asked how Craig sees Racine evolving over the next few decades.  Craig came thirty two years ago from Central Illinois and has seen a lot of positive progress and steps forward.  He sees much potential and a beautiful location on Lake Michigan. There are lots of opportunities and he is optimistic.  He discusses the careers of his daughters, including the last one who is now a 4th grade teacher in a disadvantaged school in Racine. He anticipates that she will become the principal.

Magic Wand

Then Peter asks the “magic wand” question.  Craig considers it carefully.  There are a lot of things.  But the “one” would be “to see the Church of Jesus Christ growing and thriving within our community and beyond, reaching out in a way that is just vibrant and powerful with the hope that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

--David