Sidewalks, Electricity and Stumps

This column presents conservative viewpoint about items of interest in our community and our lives. Focus is on items impacting your pocket book, your personal freedoms, and your rights. I hope you will read the column regularly and it occasionally influences your opinions and actions.

Comments on State and National Issues:
♦ Well, our carefully selected and elected national representatives have now returned to Washington…or “Disney World North” as some would call it. I hope we scared our legislators bad enough during town hall meetings and personal encounters while they were home to make them toe the line during this next session of Pelosi’s Congress. Let’s all watch very carefully.
♦ The court proceedings start soon on those terrible coaches and teachers over at Pace High who dared say a blessing before an off campus school function meal. Don’t they realize that in today’s politically correct world you no longer have the right to pray in public. The ACLU is filing charges against these terrible school officials……By the way, a sizable amount has already been collected in Jackson County for the “Freedom to Pray Defense Fund” and will be delivered to them to help with lawyer fees.
♦ A few weeks ago I made a remark about how clever our current administration in Washington was because they were finally solving our national dependency on the Mid-East for oil and gas. By creating a society where everyone is on welfare, no jobs are available, industry is shut down, and everyone is living on a third world standard of living…..no one will be able to afford a car. Thus, we would no longer need the Mid-East oil, and will be energy independent! Also, we will be well below the desired emission levels for pollutants. We can breathe beautiful, clean air while we ride our bicycles around.
♦ Well, I now realize that this novel economic approach simultaneously solves another serious national problem with which previous administrations have had to struggle. By cleverly destroying the economy in the United States through foolish economic decisions based on over regulation, over taxation, programs replete with extra costs caused by the “green” movement, and dogmatic adherence to an unfair global trade concept, we will finally move our standard of living downward to the point where we are on par with Mexico.
When our lifestyle is as miserable as theirs is….they will no longer want to come here. Thus, we will have solved our Illegal Immigration Problem!

Comments on Local Issues:
♦ While the nation seems to be focused on medical costs, it seems to me that the problem which most local citizens are really struggling with each month is the cost of utility service. I hear many citizens talking about record breaking, budget busting utility bills even after they have taken extreme measures to cut consumption. The cost of medical coverage, medicines, and treatment are ridiculous…but the people are struggling even more to keep a light on. I even know of one family which had its cable service discontinued……now that is sacrificing!
♦ At Tuesday’s meeting of the County Commission they finally resolved the issue of the Sneads Stump. This problem arose last March, when a home owner on Lake Seminole Road requested county help in removing a stump which was partially diverting water in a drainage area coming from a county road. The Commission requested FDEP approval, since drainage into the lake was possibly influenced by the stump. This led to also getting clearance from the U.S. Corps of Engineers who control the shoreline, and finally the North Florida Water Management District.
So this one stump in a ditch took over six months of decision making and bureaucratic paper shuffling as well as the actions of One Federal Agency, Two State Agencies, and One County Agency….before someone had the right to pull it out of the ground and unclog the ditch. A great example of bureaucratic efficiency in this wonderful world we have created.

♦ Also at Tuesday’s meeting they awarded the bids for the new “sidewalks to everywhere” construction projects which are being funded with stimulus monies. One is on River Forest Drive, and the other is to run from Citizens Lodge Park to the Marianna High School. Soon hundreds of new jobs will be created as these needed projects get underway…..huh! (I hope you enjoy this week’s cartoon about this sidewalk to everywhere.)

For Your Information:
Florida House Democratic Leader Franklin Sands (D-Weston) issued the following statement today:
“Because of high unemployment, record levels of home foreclosures, and unemployment compensation drying up for many out-of-work Floridians, this is a horribly bad time for families and small businesses to contend with even more exorbitant utility costs.
Meanwhile, I am aware that news reports suggest that a questionably cozy relationship exists between the Public Service commission and regulated utilities. I have stated publicly on several occasions that state legislators deserve a full and public explanation of how rate hikes are reviewed and approved. Similarly, the public deserves a high level of confidence that any increases in their utility costs are legally justified and well deserved.”
♦ There are two ceremonies observing 9-11 next weekend…you might consider taking time to go to one. If you do…you will be “Getting It Right!”

Note: The opinions stated in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Hatcher Publications.

“It is a Crazy, Crazy World”

“I don’t know where this nation is going….and I’m not sure I want to be aboard when we arrive.”

This column presents a conservative viewpoint about items of interest in our community and our lives. Focus is on items impacting your pocket book, your personal freedoms, and your rights. I hope you will read the column regularly and it occasionally influences your opinions and actions.

Localizations:
A Full Nelson -Senator Nelson did a good job during his Q & A session while he was in Marianna. He made good sense, was pleasant and not over-bearing in his approach, and openly discussed his feelings on issues with the crowd. The only area where I really disagreed with him was his opinion on global warming, and thus the importance of “cap and trade”.
He seems to have totally accepted the “An Inconvenient Truth” doctrines expounded by the now wealthy Al Gore. Gore has made millions by riding in the engine of the green gravy train of global warming hysteria. His supporters are led by those others who are reaping millions from the possibly unnecessary and wasteful, hundreds of new ecological requirements legislated into existence by a combination of well intended ecologist, and greedy profiteers who promote and expand these concepts and “the sky is falling” emotions.
Personally, I tend to side with those scientists who believe the warming trend is directly related to increased solar output which occurs in cycles lasting hundreds of years. This is supported by the fact that the polar caps on other planets and moons within our solar system seem to be in a cycle of reduction. Also, there is dispute as to whether increased CO2 is really harmful to the planet, since increased levels of CO2 enhances plant growth, which then creates more oxygen.
I am suspicious of the real motives behind the new rush to legislate “green”, when I see ex politicians making millions off of the movement. Meanwhile, the unproven, disputed theories are costing US businesses and citizens millions and millions of dollars because of hasty political reactions.
Remember, this same crowd was scaring everyone in the 1970’s with their theories that the planet was entering another “Ice Age”.

“God Bless This Food”
In nearby Pace High School, they crucified a teacher for saying a blessing before an off campus banquet. The court will address the matter on September 17. In protest 400 Pace High seniors stood and recited the Lords Prayer during their graduation ceremony. This incident made me wonder just what our local schools would have done if one of our teachers dared to say a prayer at a school related function.
I called School Superintendent Lee Miller and asked him what would happen if a similar incident occurred here in Jackson County. He replied that schools are advised by a lawyer in Tallahassee on how to deal with issues related to the First Amendment. “We can teach religion in school as long as we are not promoting religious concepts. We can even use the bible. However, we are cautioned against having invocations and benedictions as part of any official programs, including graduations. At times students voluntarily initiate prayers, and we have no control over that. I am personally very sympathetic to the situation of these school officials in Pace, and I hope we never are faced with something like that here”, Miller stated.
I think all of these cases should be taken to a jury trial. I can not believe a jury of peers would ever rule against these teachers. Also, in protest, it would be good if every school board in the state would ignore this bull crap and follow their beliefs and what is right. We could all unite and overwhelm their actions to stop people from exercising their freedom of religion. We should not tolerate allowing a few idiots to prohibit the majority from doing what is really desired.
The local tea party group, Concerned American Patriots, is organizing a defense fund drive to assist those teachers at the Pace High School. If you wish to donate, please read the story on our front page of this issue.

Taxes-Taxes-Taxes!
On Monday there were long lines at the tag office at the court house. These were local citizens desperately trying to avoid the new TAXES our legislators put on us as their remedy to declining revenues created by the economic downturn.
If you were lucky enough to have a birthday in September or October, you could go ahead and buy tags and licenses for two years and thus avoid some of the impact of the doubling of many fees by the State. If your birthday is outside of that period, you will have to feed the bureaucratic kitty with higher tag fees, license fees, and all other fees when your time comes.
They passed these costs to a struggling population to avoid cutting jobs for many of the “fat cat”, unnecessary, overstaffed, overspending, functions in those multi-storied state buildings all around the state of Florida, including Tallahassee.
So we endure another increase in our cost of living. We lose a little more of our disposable income. And the bureaucracy lives on!

Fees-Fees-Fees
Let me see now, what have the “crats’ done to our pocket books this year? The city of Marianna raised city millage, the school board raised their millage, the property appraiser did not lower property valuations, leaving Jackson County as only one of eleven such counties in the State, the state legislators raised every license fee and court fee in the system by tremendous amounts, the county and city have both raised water rates, and I am sure FPU is working on their next rate increase. All in all….they have taken several hundred dollars per year out of every household’s disposable income during a time of hardship for the public. Long live the bureaucracy!

Non-Local Tid-Bits:
Just another million I had pigeonholed away!
That wonderful Senator from New York, Charlie Rangel was in the news this week. It seems that ole Charlie happened to forget about a million dollars or so in investments he had when he filed his tax statement and financial disclosure forms. Oops! He said, “I’m so sorry.”
I wouldn’t think for a minute he was guilty of tax evasion, would you?

Some Relevant Facts:
● In 1981 during the Carter administration our astute legislators promoted programs to enable our nation to achieve energy independence. At that time, renewable energy was 7% of our total usage. Today, after years and years of talking, regulating, spending of tax dollars, talking, over-regulating, and tough enforcement, and spending of more tax dollars, ….. renewable energy is 6.7% of our total usage. Good Management, Washington Gang!
● Another example of the tremendous progress made through the legislation passed by our dedicated and determined politicians during the past years is the fact that in 1981 the average fuel efficiency of the US auto and light truck fleet was 20.5 miles per gallon. Today, 28 years later, after much diligent work and oversight, the average fuel efficiency of our automobile and light truck fleet has soared to 20.8 miles per gallon. Astounding!
● Many of our most liberal political leaders are also dedicated to the protection of our environment and are staunch participants in the “Green” movement. Almost everything Obama is doing has a “green” element added to it. This would include “Cap and Trade”, “Cash for Clunkers”, and most of the pork served out in the budget and stimulus expenditures of trillions of dollars. Remembering this, it is interesting to note which politicians received giants amounts of funding during election years from lobby groups related to the “Green” movement.

1. John Kerry 2004
2. Al Gore 2000
3. Paul Wellstone 2002
4. Barbara Boxer 2004
5. Bill Bradley 2000 6. Mark Udall 2000
7. Jay Inslee 2000
8. Jeanne Shaheen 2002
9. Jean Carnahan 2002
10. Barack Obama 2004
(Source of data = “An Inconvenient Book”)

Rudiments: Odds and Ends Worth Mentioning –
● It takes amazing management ability to be able to provide free medical care to 50,000,000 people, without adding any doctors or hospitals, and to simultaneously improve the level of service, improve levels of care, and to lower total costs.
● One huge benefit we may realize from all of these town hall meetings generated by the aggressive actions of the administration in Washington is we may see a reinforcement of the fact that the “people” are still in charge….Whether our elected officials think so or not! Hopefully some “pink slips” will be issued during mid-term elections. After that, maybe more of them will start “Getting It Right”.
“When plunder becomes a way of life for a group of men living together in society, they create for themselves in the course of time a legal system that authorizes it and a moral code that glorifies it.” F. Bastiat (1801-1850) Sent by Dick and Dinorah Kranker

Note: The opinions stated in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Hatcher Publications.