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.
I find it increasingly difficult to comprehend the thought processes of some of our national leadership when I hear them express their attitudes and opinions on network television. The very elements of our economic system which have made our nation the envy of the world have suddenly become evil and socially distasteful. Examples of their attitudes are reflected in the following statements:
● “Businesses are evil and exploit their workers…”
● “Profits are obscene. Profits should be controlled and held to a minimum through
● Government regulation…..”
● “The U.S. Chamber of Commerce ‘fronts’ for thousands of businesses…”
● “Redistribution of wealth is a worthwhile social objective….”
● “Corruption and waste in the national medical system can be created through enabling our
● Government to manage and operate the system…”
● “We should cede regulation of our international trade and banking to a world government order chartered through the United Nations….”
If these concepts are valid and are really a better way to run our economy, then let’s take it to the next level in the natural evolution of these ideals. Let’s get rid of those greedy, abusive oil companies through nationalization of the oil industry. Replace “Exxon Oil” with “U.S. Oil”, and hire bureaucrats to locate, drill, transport, refine, and sell our oil and gasoline. Then instead of greedy oil executives we would have greedy government bureaucrats and politicians to blame when we pay high prices for this increasingly scarce resource. I am sure the government workers would be more productive, less wasteful, and less corrupt than the private companies and their incompetent managers and employees.
Look at how well managed and controlled the existing Medicare and Medicaid systems are. I read last week where over $92 million dollars was spent in bogus payments made to claims processed from doctors who have been dead for many years. Another story demonstrated how Medicare is paying outlandish charges for medicines and equipment in response to favoritism and “special agreements” engineered through lobbying our politicians. Among these were paying over $6,000 for oxygen tanks and systems which sell for $1200 on the public market. This is just one example of thousands where improper purchasing controls is creating billions in waste.
Socialism is one of those theories which might look good on paper, but it doesn’t work in the real world. Socialism has proven itself to be a failed social and economic approach through history. The reason for these failures is the fact that socialism de-motivates businesses and workers by removing the potential of enjoying any benefits and rewards for bringing extra efforts and skills to the task. It encourages low productivity, corruption, and only doing the bare minimum in order to get your share of the common ‘entitlements’. Under Socialism, only the bureaucracy succeeds, since it is controlling and dispensing all wealth.
However, there is still hope. I see people speaking out, taking an active role, and expressing real patriotic concerns. These are people who never before have stood up to be heard. They have always worked hard, paid their taxes, and only complained privately in conversations with friends and relatives. They are now prepared to become activists if that is what is required for us to reverse all of these negative trends which are about to forever change our nation. My only concern is that they may have waited too long…..they may no longer be the majority.
There is a growing movement to throw out all existing elected representatives and to replace them with new, energetic people who have pledged to restore our nation, to lessen the size, intrusions, and cost of government, to eliminate abuses and corruption, and to return to a system where the public does not depend on government for things which they should do for themselves.
We should return to the realization that we are a nation under God, based on Christian principles, and the desires and needs of the majority should always take precedence over the few.
If we do not reclaim our nation now, the opportunity may be forever lost.
Rudiments: Odds and Ends Worth Mentioning-
● We recently traveled to Kentucky. As we went up Hwy 231 to Montgomery I
noticed how visible the economic decline was as you look at buildings and businesses. We went past four empty sewing factory buildings which once employed a total of over 1000, we passed three empty auto dealership buildings who did not survive the bail out, we passed at least a dozen empty and decaying filling station properties which were no doubt victims of the EPA regulations in their “green” movement, and billboard after billboard was blank and empty, a sure sign of low economic activity. New construction was rare and scattered.
● Thank heavens for talk radio and Fox News! Without these voices we would be pawns for the liberal brainwashing programs of the traditional networks. I was pleasantly surprised when these other networks stood up for Freedom of the Press when the Administration tried to remove Fox News from the White House Press Corps.
● Our County Commissioners are enacting stronger laws to create a local monopoly for our publically funded Fire and Rescue Ambulance system, which will prohibit private ambulance services from serving Jackson County. I hope the Commissioners are doing the citizens of the county a service instead of a disservice.
● Breast Cancer Awareness Month is over. Ladies, please heed the lessons presented by this paper and by the Breast Cancer Symposium…and engage in personal early detection programs. Do this and 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.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Should We Reevaluate the Cost of Fire and Rescue? Would Privatization be more cost effective?
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.
Local Items:
40 Years of Steady Growth and Intrusion of Government-
When I first moved to Jackson County thirty-eight years ago, the entire county budget was just under six million dollars, and almost every county function was housed inside the space provided by the existing county court house. Our county population was around 40,000 non-inmate residents, as compared to the 46,000 estimated population of today. (+15%)
Since that time, programs, functions, requirements, regulations, more programs, more requirements, and on and on and on, have been added through those years as the county bureaucracy steady swelled and the system dug deeper and deeper into the public pocket book. Add to this a steady barrage of new fees, fines, permits, and licenses requirements with steadily increasing costs….and you have our impossible situation of today. Much of this was caused by the State Legislature, and much was also caused by local officials.
And more looms on the horizon as the bureaucracy seeks more “revenue streams”, with impact fees, and a state mandated system which is steadily being put into place cleverly named, “County Comprehensive Plan”. This program will take away many, many of the few property rights we have left. When fully enacted and enforced, I predict a huge public uproar from property owners, but by then the noose will have already been tied by our officials.
County Fire and Rescue….Could Better Approaches Be Used?
When we first moved to Jackson Co in 1971, Jackson County Fire and Rescue did not exist. If someone needed help you called the neighbors, loaded them into a vehicle, and rushed them to the emergency room. Additionally, every community had a proud, well trained volunteer fire group.
I realize I am attacking what has become a “sacred cow” when I make any statements which might diminish the condition of our fine fire and rescue personnel. In my opinion, however good and professional they are, their presence in our budget structure must be justified by necessity and cost justification.
This leads to two questions. (1) Could these services be provided to the citizens of Jackson County by private services more cost effectively? (2) Can the population of Jackson County continue to support the $2,800,000 budgeted cost of these functions in today’s strained economic environment?
This issue was brought to the forefront at last weeks meeting of the County Commission when Fire Chief Wesley complained before the Board about the fact that Jackson Hospital had entered into a contract to use a private ambulance service from Alabama to perform patient transfers, instead of using Jackson County Fire and Rescue.
“This is taking money away from our Fire and Rescue Budget”, Wesley stated. “We are supposed to have exclusive rights over any ambulance deliveries within a hundred miles, and they are violating that rule.”
This leads to several obvious questions. Why has the hospital chosen to use another means of transferring patients to Dothan, or other locations, instead of using the Jackson County Fire and Rescue. Is it convenience? Is it because our county services cost the patient more? Are the citizens of Jackson County being forced to pay more than they should for these services, just to support the function and its budget?
It is my understanding that there is more administration and bookkeeping involved under the existing system. It appears that the County Fire and Rescue bills Jackson Hospital, who in turn bills the patient and any involved insurance providers. Each month Fire and Rescue gets approval from the Commissioners to “write off” many thousands of dollars for uncollectable charges. If a private system is used, that company merely bills the insurance companies and the patient, with no involvement for collection or administration on the part of the hospital.
As to costs, that is a matter which warrants more investigation. I plan to examine this matter and will report in a later writing. Meanwhile, the Commission is preparing a new ordinance to enact a monopolistic advantage for our Fire and Rescue, which may cost the citizens of Jackson County more money than other available options.
The basic question remains….Would it be better if local ambulance services were provided by a private firm and paid for by those who use the service instead of having all county property owners pay for the system each year, even if they do not use the service?
In my opinion, if Fire and Rescue isn’t competitive in its charges, other options should be considered.
National Issues:
Years ago I was a huge NFL football fan. However, when all of the players joined a union, and eventually went on strike and ruined an entire season, including the Super Bowl, and thus destroying the meaning of many career records….I quit watching. I decided that if belonging to the union and making money meant more to the players than the game and the competition, then it wasn’t worth my time to follow the sport. I have since turned my total attention to College and local football.
They have confirmed the wisdom of my initial decision this week when they used their union, led by oratory from Al Sharpton, to pressure the NFL owners into disallowing Russ Limbaugh the right to participate in partial ownership of one of the teams. This means the union is now deciding who can and who can not own a franchise. It has added the ugly truth that the union is now making these decisions based on racial acceptance and political philosophy. These issues have nothing to do with the sport, and in my opinion, the personal liberties and rights of Limbaugh have been violated.
The primary reason stated in his omission was that he was a “controversial individual” and should not be considered. This is coming from a group which welcomes participation by player felons such as Michael Vick and many others. In baseball, I guess Ted Turner and Jane Fonda, who are traitors as far as I am concerned, are acceptable as owners. Political ideologies and personal philosophies should not prohibit a person from purchasing a business.
This is another example of the distorted, sick, liberal led society we have allowed to form in our precious nation. I vow to never watch another NFL football game. If you do the same I think you will be “Getting It Right”.
Rudiments: Odds and Ends Worth Mentioning
• We are neck deep in two wars, our unemployment is at 10%, the economy is crumbling as more and more businesses fail, the banking system remains frozen due to recently imposed over-regulation and unreasonably stringent rules, …..and we are wasting our time arguing over the “Health Care” system. Nero fiddled while Rome burned.
• I encourage everyone to get a flu shot as early as possible. This may be an exceptionally bad year since we are apparently going to get a “double whammy” from two strains at once.
• We are in the middle of “Breast Cancer Awareness Month”. If you know a lady who has suffered from this terrible problem, please take time to give her an affectionate hug. If you do this, you will be “Getting It Right” for sure!
• The Breast Cancer Symposium is scheduled for Thursday, October 22. Two nationally recognized experts involved in “cutting edge” research (no pun intended), are scheduled to speak. I encourage every woman to attend.
• “If you consider that there has been an average of 160,000 troops in the Iraq theater of operations during the past 22 months, and a total of 2112 deaths, that gives a firearm death rate of 60 per 100,000 soldiers.
The firearm death rate in Washington, DC is 80.6 per 100,000 for the same period. That means you’re about 25 per cent more likely to be shot and killed in the US capital, which has some of the strictest gun control laws in the US, than you are in Iraq.
Conclusion: “The US should pull out of Washington.”
Note: The opinions stated in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Hatcher Publications.
Local Items:
40 Years of Steady Growth and Intrusion of Government-
When I first moved to Jackson County thirty-eight years ago, the entire county budget was just under six million dollars, and almost every county function was housed inside the space provided by the existing county court house. Our county population was around 40,000 non-inmate residents, as compared to the 46,000 estimated population of today. (+15%)
Since that time, programs, functions, requirements, regulations, more programs, more requirements, and on and on and on, have been added through those years as the county bureaucracy steady swelled and the system dug deeper and deeper into the public pocket book. Add to this a steady barrage of new fees, fines, permits, and licenses requirements with steadily increasing costs….and you have our impossible situation of today. Much of this was caused by the State Legislature, and much was also caused by local officials.
And more looms on the horizon as the bureaucracy seeks more “revenue streams”, with impact fees, and a state mandated system which is steadily being put into place cleverly named, “County Comprehensive Plan”. This program will take away many, many of the few property rights we have left. When fully enacted and enforced, I predict a huge public uproar from property owners, but by then the noose will have already been tied by our officials.
County Fire and Rescue….Could Better Approaches Be Used?
When we first moved to Jackson Co in 1971, Jackson County Fire and Rescue did not exist. If someone needed help you called the neighbors, loaded them into a vehicle, and rushed them to the emergency room. Additionally, every community had a proud, well trained volunteer fire group.
I realize I am attacking what has become a “sacred cow” when I make any statements which might diminish the condition of our fine fire and rescue personnel. In my opinion, however good and professional they are, their presence in our budget structure must be justified by necessity and cost justification.
This leads to two questions. (1) Could these services be provided to the citizens of Jackson County by private services more cost effectively? (2) Can the population of Jackson County continue to support the $2,800,000 budgeted cost of these functions in today’s strained economic environment?
This issue was brought to the forefront at last weeks meeting of the County Commission when Fire Chief Wesley complained before the Board about the fact that Jackson Hospital had entered into a contract to use a private ambulance service from Alabama to perform patient transfers, instead of using Jackson County Fire and Rescue.
“This is taking money away from our Fire and Rescue Budget”, Wesley stated. “We are supposed to have exclusive rights over any ambulance deliveries within a hundred miles, and they are violating that rule.”
This leads to several obvious questions. Why has the hospital chosen to use another means of transferring patients to Dothan, or other locations, instead of using the Jackson County Fire and Rescue. Is it convenience? Is it because our county services cost the patient more? Are the citizens of Jackson County being forced to pay more than they should for these services, just to support the function and its budget?
It is my understanding that there is more administration and bookkeeping involved under the existing system. It appears that the County Fire and Rescue bills Jackson Hospital, who in turn bills the patient and any involved insurance providers. Each month Fire and Rescue gets approval from the Commissioners to “write off” many thousands of dollars for uncollectable charges. If a private system is used, that company merely bills the insurance companies and the patient, with no involvement for collection or administration on the part of the hospital.
As to costs, that is a matter which warrants more investigation. I plan to examine this matter and will report in a later writing. Meanwhile, the Commission is preparing a new ordinance to enact a monopolistic advantage for our Fire and Rescue, which may cost the citizens of Jackson County more money than other available options.
The basic question remains….Would it be better if local ambulance services were provided by a private firm and paid for by those who use the service instead of having all county property owners pay for the system each year, even if they do not use the service?
In my opinion, if Fire and Rescue isn’t competitive in its charges, other options should be considered.
National Issues:
Years ago I was a huge NFL football fan. However, when all of the players joined a union, and eventually went on strike and ruined an entire season, including the Super Bowl, and thus destroying the meaning of many career records….I quit watching. I decided that if belonging to the union and making money meant more to the players than the game and the competition, then it wasn’t worth my time to follow the sport. I have since turned my total attention to College and local football.
They have confirmed the wisdom of my initial decision this week when they used their union, led by oratory from Al Sharpton, to pressure the NFL owners into disallowing Russ Limbaugh the right to participate in partial ownership of one of the teams. This means the union is now deciding who can and who can not own a franchise. It has added the ugly truth that the union is now making these decisions based on racial acceptance and political philosophy. These issues have nothing to do with the sport, and in my opinion, the personal liberties and rights of Limbaugh have been violated.
The primary reason stated in his omission was that he was a “controversial individual” and should not be considered. This is coming from a group which welcomes participation by player felons such as Michael Vick and many others. In baseball, I guess Ted Turner and Jane Fonda, who are traitors as far as I am concerned, are acceptable as owners. Political ideologies and personal philosophies should not prohibit a person from purchasing a business.
This is another example of the distorted, sick, liberal led society we have allowed to form in our precious nation. I vow to never watch another NFL football game. If you do the same I think you will be “Getting It Right”.
Rudiments: Odds and Ends Worth Mentioning
• We are neck deep in two wars, our unemployment is at 10%, the economy is crumbling as more and more businesses fail, the banking system remains frozen due to recently imposed over-regulation and unreasonably stringent rules, …..and we are wasting our time arguing over the “Health Care” system. Nero fiddled while Rome burned.
• I encourage everyone to get a flu shot as early as possible. This may be an exceptionally bad year since we are apparently going to get a “double whammy” from two strains at once.
• We are in the middle of “Breast Cancer Awareness Month”. If you know a lady who has suffered from this terrible problem, please take time to give her an affectionate hug. If you do this, you will be “Getting It Right” for sure!
• The Breast Cancer Symposium is scheduled for Thursday, October 22. Two nationally recognized experts involved in “cutting edge” research (no pun intended), are scheduled to speak. I encourage every woman to attend.
• “If you consider that there has been an average of 160,000 troops in the Iraq theater of operations during the past 22 months, and a total of 2112 deaths, that gives a firearm death rate of 60 per 100,000 soldiers.
The firearm death rate in Washington, DC is 80.6 per 100,000 for the same period. That means you’re about 25 per cent more likely to be shot and killed in the US capital, which has some of the strictest gun control laws in the US, than you are in Iraq.
Conclusion: “The US should pull out of Washington.”
Note: The opinions stated in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Hatcher Publications.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
County System Encourages Illegal Dumping ---Sink Holes are a logical alternative
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.
Local Items:
In my opinion, Jackson County has a terrible system of trash collection and disposal. The existing system encourages locals to illegally dump the trash which routine household collection refuses to pick up. The lack of reasonable alternatives for many citizens results in their trash being left in places which worsen our local area’s appearance, environment, and ecology. The system needs to be improved if our community leaders are really serious about our environment.
Let’s assume you live in a small house somewhere in the extreme southeastern corner of the county, around Hickory Hill on Highway 286, and you replace the roof on one of the sheds behind your house. Now, how do you dispose of the building and roofing materials that are piled up in your yard?
To dispose of these materials legally, as intended by existing systems and laws established by our County Commissioners, you would first have to locate a trailer large enough to carry the items. If you do not own such a trailer, you would either have to borrow one from a friend, or go to a dealer and rent a trailer. (Hopefully your vehicle has a trailer hitch.) Then you take the trailer to the site and load the materials into the trailer.
Next, you pull the trailer some fifty miles to the Spring Hill Landfill near Campbellton and Graceville. You enter the landfill, get weighed on the way in by a very personable and happy clerk, spend a dollar on a stupid green safety vest, and drive up a slick, stinking mud pile to wait your turn to unload. When your turn comes you get out and wade in the gooey, putrid slush and kick out the materials to be shoved away by a waiting bulldozer. Then, after getting the interior of your vehicle good and muddy with your caked boots, you return to the gate where you pay the fifteen or twenty dollar fee to the happy clerk at the landfill, and start the fifty mile trek back home.
Of course, if you happened to have any empty paint cans or a water heater in the load, you were told you could not dump them, and you still have them in the trailer on the way home. As you drive along, you try to figure out a way to make lawn ornaments out of these items when you get back home. If you are unfortunate enough to have more than one trailer load, you can look forward to doing it all again.
In the process you have wasted over a half day, spent over $100, and have ruined a pair of boots in the process. And you end up very angry.
The scenario I describe is for those docile, law abiding, rule following, citizens which would never do anything out of bounds. Now let me describe what many people would do.
Most local citizens know where remote, unattended sites exist which invite an easier method of getting rid of these materials. These numerous locations are within a few minutes drive of their home. These sites are usually unfenced wooded land with small dirt trails winding into the forest, or even better, trails which lead to gaping “sink holes” waiting to welcome the materials. If they can not find any such spots within easy access, the roadside bar ditch offers a last resort solution. After all, why shouldn’t the county road crews take care of the refuse, it is the county which is making the disposal system such a traumatic experience?
So the dumping continues, environmentalist hold seminars about the problem, and the County Officials act as if they have no responsibility in the matter.
Recommended Solution:
The best public system I have seen is the system used by Marion County in the remote areas of the Ocala National Forest. At strategically locations they have a well managed, fenced, and very clean, refuse compacting and sorting collection station. An attendant is on duty to monitor and assist citizens as they bring items to the collection point. In the center of the circular drive is a large industrial compactor which crushes your trash after you place it on the conveyor. Periodically a huge trash truck comes to the site and picks up the compacted trash which has accumulated.
Our county is considering having fuel depots in outlying areas in order to make fueling of road equipment more efficient, so why not combine these fueling stations with these types of trash collection centers? One attendant could operate two sites by spending alternating days on a 2 ½ days per week operating schedule.
Until the county creates a more simple and easy process to get rid of trash, our dumping problems, our sink hole ground water pollution problems, and our county beautification problems, will persist. When I see these ugly, trash filled, sites…..I blame county government.
National Items:
What a mess!!
Rudiments: Odds and Ends Worth Mentioning-
• It should be noted that our Congressman Boyd recently voted against a House Resolution to remove Congressman Charlie Rangel from his position as Chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee while he is under investigation for ethics violations and tax fraud. Boyd voted in support of Rangel, along party lines. Thus, a purported tax chief remains in charge of the committee which oversees our tax codes. Ain’t That Special!
• Work is about to begin on our three sidewalk projects which are being funded by stimulus money. The resulting demand for workers will surely put a real strain on our area labor supply.
• I want to thank all of the businesses and individuals who supported this paper’s “Pennies for Pencils” fund raising effort to buy school supplies for needy children in our schools. Those Principals were very happy to get their checks to take back to their schools for this purpose.
• I want to caution everyone to be sure and lock your homes and vehicles at night. Crime is worsening as fees and utility rates go up, making more and more people in our area desperate.
• I see many comments from elected officials around the state and the nation describing the need to discover more “revenue streams”. Regardless of the stream, the source of the flow eventually ends up being from the pocketbook of the citizens. I see few comments relating to significantly cutting costs, unessential programs and services, salaries, and benefits among the bureaucracy. Additionally, they might have to do like the rest of us and begin driving their vehicles and using computers and other equipment until they actually wear out instead of automatically replacing everything every three or four years. If they begin to do these things, they will be “Getting It Right”.
Note: The opinions stated in this column are solely those of the author and do not represent those of Hatcher Publications.
Local Items:
In my opinion, Jackson County has a terrible system of trash collection and disposal. The existing system encourages locals to illegally dump the trash which routine household collection refuses to pick up. The lack of reasonable alternatives for many citizens results in their trash being left in places which worsen our local area’s appearance, environment, and ecology. The system needs to be improved if our community leaders are really serious about our environment.
Let’s assume you live in a small house somewhere in the extreme southeastern corner of the county, around Hickory Hill on Highway 286, and you replace the roof on one of the sheds behind your house. Now, how do you dispose of the building and roofing materials that are piled up in your yard?
To dispose of these materials legally, as intended by existing systems and laws established by our County Commissioners, you would first have to locate a trailer large enough to carry the items. If you do not own such a trailer, you would either have to borrow one from a friend, or go to a dealer and rent a trailer. (Hopefully your vehicle has a trailer hitch.) Then you take the trailer to the site and load the materials into the trailer.
Next, you pull the trailer some fifty miles to the Spring Hill Landfill near Campbellton and Graceville. You enter the landfill, get weighed on the way in by a very personable and happy clerk, spend a dollar on a stupid green safety vest, and drive up a slick, stinking mud pile to wait your turn to unload. When your turn comes you get out and wade in the gooey, putrid slush and kick out the materials to be shoved away by a waiting bulldozer. Then, after getting the interior of your vehicle good and muddy with your caked boots, you return to the gate where you pay the fifteen or twenty dollar fee to the happy clerk at the landfill, and start the fifty mile trek back home.
Of course, if you happened to have any empty paint cans or a water heater in the load, you were told you could not dump them, and you still have them in the trailer on the way home. As you drive along, you try to figure out a way to make lawn ornaments out of these items when you get back home. If you are unfortunate enough to have more than one trailer load, you can look forward to doing it all again.
In the process you have wasted over a half day, spent over $100, and have ruined a pair of boots in the process. And you end up very angry.
The scenario I describe is for those docile, law abiding, rule following, citizens which would never do anything out of bounds. Now let me describe what many people would do.
Most local citizens know where remote, unattended sites exist which invite an easier method of getting rid of these materials. These numerous locations are within a few minutes drive of their home. These sites are usually unfenced wooded land with small dirt trails winding into the forest, or even better, trails which lead to gaping “sink holes” waiting to welcome the materials. If they can not find any such spots within easy access, the roadside bar ditch offers a last resort solution. After all, why shouldn’t the county road crews take care of the refuse, it is the county which is making the disposal system such a traumatic experience?
So the dumping continues, environmentalist hold seminars about the problem, and the County Officials act as if they have no responsibility in the matter.
Recommended Solution:
The best public system I have seen is the system used by Marion County in the remote areas of the Ocala National Forest. At strategically locations they have a well managed, fenced, and very clean, refuse compacting and sorting collection station. An attendant is on duty to monitor and assist citizens as they bring items to the collection point. In the center of the circular drive is a large industrial compactor which crushes your trash after you place it on the conveyor. Periodically a huge trash truck comes to the site and picks up the compacted trash which has accumulated.
Our county is considering having fuel depots in outlying areas in order to make fueling of road equipment more efficient, so why not combine these fueling stations with these types of trash collection centers? One attendant could operate two sites by spending alternating days on a 2 ½ days per week operating schedule.
Until the county creates a more simple and easy process to get rid of trash, our dumping problems, our sink hole ground water pollution problems, and our county beautification problems, will persist. When I see these ugly, trash filled, sites…..I blame county government.
National Items:
What a mess!!
Rudiments: Odds and Ends Worth Mentioning-
• It should be noted that our Congressman Boyd recently voted against a House Resolution to remove Congressman Charlie Rangel from his position as Chairman of the powerful Ways and Means Committee while he is under investigation for ethics violations and tax fraud. Boyd voted in support of Rangel, along party lines. Thus, a purported tax chief remains in charge of the committee which oversees our tax codes. Ain’t That Special!
• Work is about to begin on our three sidewalk projects which are being funded by stimulus money. The resulting demand for workers will surely put a real strain on our area labor supply.
• I want to thank all of the businesses and individuals who supported this paper’s “Pennies for Pencils” fund raising effort to buy school supplies for needy children in our schools. Those Principals were very happy to get their checks to take back to their schools for this purpose.
• I want to caution everyone to be sure and lock your homes and vehicles at night. Crime is worsening as fees and utility rates go up, making more and more people in our area desperate.
• I see many comments from elected officials around the state and the nation describing the need to discover more “revenue streams”. Regardless of the stream, the source of the flow eventually ends up being from the pocketbook of the citizens. I see few comments relating to significantly cutting costs, unessential programs and services, salaries, and benefits among the bureaucracy. Additionally, they might have to do like the rest of us and begin driving their vehicles and using computers and other equipment until they actually wear out instead of automatically replacing everything every three or four years. If they begin to do these things, they will be “Getting It Right”.
Note: The opinions stated in this column are solely those of the author and do not represent those of Hatcher Publications.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
“Beware the Ides of March!”
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.
After the infusion of unbelievable amounts of public dollars,
I continue to hear rumblings from the foundations of our national banking system.
National:
This week a new report emerged which disclosed that our national banking system was even closer to total melt down than reported by grim faced “moneycrats” when the first infusion of TARP funds was being sold to the public. Even worse, there are some who feel another crisis is coming from the same sources.
These “too big to allow to fail” banks haven’t helped themselves any in the public eye as they continued to hold corporate junkets at expensive locations and to award huge bonuses for performance to executives responsible for the impending bankruptcy of the organizations. This tends to make the public more skeptical and unsympathetic.
The pronounced goal at that time was to “loosen” available credit to enable businesses to operate and to thus retain jobs. This hasn’t happened. It seems they are all either sitting on the money, or are busy stuffing it into dark corners and their own pockets. Instead, in the normal fashion of government overreaction, they have tightened credit rules to the point that few can qualify. Loans are not being lent, money is not flowing, businesses continue to fail, and unemployment continues to rise.
I keep hearing of several local banks that are “on the brink” and that we are in for another year or two of constant business closures, bank failures, and rising unemployment. In my opinion the actual current unemployment level is actually near 20% instead of the quoted 9.8%. If the statistics included those who have depleted their benefits and have given up, as well as the under employed, and the self employed who are now unemployed but are not eligible for unemployment compensation (one of the great benefits of being self employed), the rate would double.
Meanwhile, most governments have refused to lay off any “crats”, they are continuing to give annual raises to their bureaucracy, new fees and taxes are being forced upon the struggling masses, and the utilities are continuing to reap and rape. Also, in the name of the “green movement” the FDEP and EPA are continuing to impose more and more unnecessary regulations and requirements on businesses which either causes them to go out of business because of these costs, or if they can pass the costs on to the public (as in the case of a utility), the struggling families pay for this environmental lunacy. I sense a mounting pressure upon the public, and fear an oncoming calamity…..I hope I am NOT Getting It Right.
Local:
I personally know of two long-time businesses here in Jackson County that will either close or be in receivership by the end of the year. One of these businesses is closing because of continued new requirements levied upon them by the FDEP, and the other business owner will lose his business because of the lack of available financing in today’s banking world of “no money”. We have already lost Beall’s, Swearingen-Lord, Bryant’s Enterprise Gulf Station, and the Great Oaks Golf Course, all of which provided jobs in our community for many, many years. Our government is too busy spending money on sidewalks and fire trucks to worry about business failures and loss of jobs.
♦ Due to continued allegations of corruption, Governor Crist has replaced two of the Public Service Commissioners with new appointees. One is a newspaper executive and the other is a bean counter in government. I hope they are both honest and really look after the interest of the thousands of families across Florida who are struggling to pay their electric bills each month.
♦ A good example of how things work in the dirty game of politics: Political Formula = Auto Workers Union donates huge funds to Obama campaign + Obama gets elected President + President bails out bankrupt auto companies with taxpayer funds and saves union jobs : then, Saturn division is closed and auto jobs lost (just happens to be the only non union plant in the industry) + State of Tennessee loses jobs (Tennessee voted for McCain in election) = POLITICAL PAYBACK! Who said life had to be fair?
♦ I encourage our elected officials to get involved with the local tea party group “Concerned American Patriots”, by at least attending some of their meetings. This group is growing and will have an impact on the outcome of our future elections, locally as well as statewide and nationally. If our local officials are really concerned about controlling the size and cost of government, and want to help get our nation restored to what it once was…they will participate. If they wait until a few months before their next campaign and then suddenly start attending meetings, the voters in this group will see through that ploy. Thus far, Brad Drake, James Wise, and Eddie Hendry are the only ones who have been involved.
♦ The only two elements of our economy where I see growth is in government employment, especially at the federal level … and in the auctioneering business.
♦ At the Marianna City Commission meeting this week they increased the cost of remodeling or building anything within the city limits by $.07 per sq. ft. in a plans review fee for the fire department. How did our forefathers ever get anything designed and built without having all of these expensive bureaucrats around to help them?
♦ The first “Marianna Day Fall Festival” was held last weekend. It featured a re-enactment of the downtown battle which occurred on the streets of Marianna in 1865, and a five band “Bluegrass Festival” at Citizens Lodge Park. If you missed it this year, you need to plan to participate next year. It is a great addition to our annual community agenda, and I thank all who helped make it happen.
Note: The opinions stated in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Hatcher Publications.
After the infusion of unbelievable amounts of public dollars,
I continue to hear rumblings from the foundations of our national banking system.
National:
This week a new report emerged which disclosed that our national banking system was even closer to total melt down than reported by grim faced “moneycrats” when the first infusion of TARP funds was being sold to the public. Even worse, there are some who feel another crisis is coming from the same sources.
These “too big to allow to fail” banks haven’t helped themselves any in the public eye as they continued to hold corporate junkets at expensive locations and to award huge bonuses for performance to executives responsible for the impending bankruptcy of the organizations. This tends to make the public more skeptical and unsympathetic.
The pronounced goal at that time was to “loosen” available credit to enable businesses to operate and to thus retain jobs. This hasn’t happened. It seems they are all either sitting on the money, or are busy stuffing it into dark corners and their own pockets. Instead, in the normal fashion of government overreaction, they have tightened credit rules to the point that few can qualify. Loans are not being lent, money is not flowing, businesses continue to fail, and unemployment continues to rise.
I keep hearing of several local banks that are “on the brink” and that we are in for another year or two of constant business closures, bank failures, and rising unemployment. In my opinion the actual current unemployment level is actually near 20% instead of the quoted 9.8%. If the statistics included those who have depleted their benefits and have given up, as well as the under employed, and the self employed who are now unemployed but are not eligible for unemployment compensation (one of the great benefits of being self employed), the rate would double.
Meanwhile, most governments have refused to lay off any “crats”, they are continuing to give annual raises to their bureaucracy, new fees and taxes are being forced upon the struggling masses, and the utilities are continuing to reap and rape. Also, in the name of the “green movement” the FDEP and EPA are continuing to impose more and more unnecessary regulations and requirements on businesses which either causes them to go out of business because of these costs, or if they can pass the costs on to the public (as in the case of a utility), the struggling families pay for this environmental lunacy. I sense a mounting pressure upon the public, and fear an oncoming calamity…..I hope I am NOT Getting It Right.
Local:
I personally know of two long-time businesses here in Jackson County that will either close or be in receivership by the end of the year. One of these businesses is closing because of continued new requirements levied upon them by the FDEP, and the other business owner will lose his business because of the lack of available financing in today’s banking world of “no money”. We have already lost Beall’s, Swearingen-Lord, Bryant’s Enterprise Gulf Station, and the Great Oaks Golf Course, all of which provided jobs in our community for many, many years. Our government is too busy spending money on sidewalks and fire trucks to worry about business failures and loss of jobs.
♦ Due to continued allegations of corruption, Governor Crist has replaced two of the Public Service Commissioners with new appointees. One is a newspaper executive and the other is a bean counter in government. I hope they are both honest and really look after the interest of the thousands of families across Florida who are struggling to pay their electric bills each month.
♦ A good example of how things work in the dirty game of politics: Political Formula = Auto Workers Union donates huge funds to Obama campaign + Obama gets elected President + President bails out bankrupt auto companies with taxpayer funds and saves union jobs : then, Saturn division is closed and auto jobs lost (just happens to be the only non union plant in the industry) + State of Tennessee loses jobs (Tennessee voted for McCain in election) = POLITICAL PAYBACK! Who said life had to be fair?
♦ I encourage our elected officials to get involved with the local tea party group “Concerned American Patriots”, by at least attending some of their meetings. This group is growing and will have an impact on the outcome of our future elections, locally as well as statewide and nationally. If our local officials are really concerned about controlling the size and cost of government, and want to help get our nation restored to what it once was…they will participate. If they wait until a few months before their next campaign and then suddenly start attending meetings, the voters in this group will see through that ploy. Thus far, Brad Drake, James Wise, and Eddie Hendry are the only ones who have been involved.
♦ The only two elements of our economy where I see growth is in government employment, especially at the federal level … and in the auctioneering business.
♦ At the Marianna City Commission meeting this week they increased the cost of remodeling or building anything within the city limits by $.07 per sq. ft. in a plans review fee for the fire department. How did our forefathers ever get anything designed and built without having all of these expensive bureaucrats around to help them?
♦ The first “Marianna Day Fall Festival” was held last weekend. It featured a re-enactment of the downtown battle which occurred on the streets of Marianna in 1865, and a five band “Bluegrass Festival” at Citizens Lodge Park. If you missed it this year, you need to plan to participate next year. It is a great addition to our annual community agenda, and I thank all who helped make it happen.
Note: The opinions stated in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Hatcher Publications.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Festivals Are Fun!! I love the spring and the fall, those are the seasons when communities “show their stuff”
(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.)
This week Jackson County held the first annual “Marianna Day Fall Festival”, which highlighted a meaningful moment in the history of the city, and an evening of entertaining “Bluegrass”, foot stomping music. Since I was on the organizing and planning committee for this event, I saw it take shape from a concept to a weekend filled with events and fun for approximately 2000 visitors and citizens. Not bad for the first year of an event which will surely grow in fame and participation.
In my opinion, community festivals are great! They pull together the best the community has to offer, create a day of fun and entertainment for locals and visitors, and generate interest and retail business for the area.
The panhandle is full of fun filled annual festivals and events, many of which I look forward to attending each year. Among these are the Apalachicola Seafood Festival, The St. George Island Auction and Chili Cook-off, The Panama City Seafood Festival, The Graceville Harvest Festival, The Pork and Paint Spring Festival in Marianna, The Peanut Festival in Dothan, and of course, the Possum Festival in Wausau. Now we can add the Marianna Day Fall Festival to our list.
In order to be really meaningful, each event must have a theme or themes which draw the crowd and help create the excitement. Our new Fall Festival has two very good themes, (1) Reliving a meaningful moment of our history, and (2) Assembling some of the best “Bluegrass” musicians in the southeast to entertain us.
I am especially pleased to realize that over 700 of our local students had the opportunity to learn first hand about life during the Civil War era through the “living history” exhibits on Friday. I also found it thrilling to see the ‘Battle of Marianna” re-enacted by soldiers in uniforms of the day….on the very site where the battle raged many years ago. We stood where lives were lost defending Marianna, and replayed the event.
If you missed it this year, you need to be sure and come next year. Planning for the next fall festival will begin next week.
Rudiments: Odds and Ends Worth Mentioning-
♦ As noted in last weeks issue, a local businessman, Thomas Bower is enlisting Marianna businesses to join in a petition requesting the Marianna City Commissioners to modify the existing city sign ordinances. They feel the existing rules are anti-business in design and enforcement. I support Mr. Bower in his effort.
♦ Hooray! Common sense and justice prevailed in Santa Rosa County where two coaches/teachers at Pace High were being prosecuted at the request of the ACLU for daring to say a prayer at a fund raising banquet. The judge threw out the charges, stating there was no “intent” to contempt the court. I applaud those local citizens, including two church Sunday school groups, who through the drive initiated by the “Tea Party”, Concerned American Patriots, gave almost $2500 to the “Right to Pray” defense fund for those teachers to use in fighting the ACLU.
♦ I believe it is time for us all to stand up and stop these inane “rules” which have been created to stifle our religious freedoms and our freedoms of expression through the courts by the ACLU. First, it is time to reassert the concept that the wishes of the Majority overrules the wishes of the few. Second, the right to have non-denominational prayers at school functions and even in the classrooms should be restored. Courts will react to public pressure….we need to begin to rigorously apply that pressure! Vote only for those who feel the same as we do, and are willing to sponsor bills for this goal.
♦ “The greatest tyrannies are always perpetuated in the name of the noblest causes” – Thomas Paine
Note: The opinions stated in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Hatcher Publications.
This week Jackson County held the first annual “Marianna Day Fall Festival”, which highlighted a meaningful moment in the history of the city, and an evening of entertaining “Bluegrass”, foot stomping music. Since I was on the organizing and planning committee for this event, I saw it take shape from a concept to a weekend filled with events and fun for approximately 2000 visitors and citizens. Not bad for the first year of an event which will surely grow in fame and participation.
In my opinion, community festivals are great! They pull together the best the community has to offer, create a day of fun and entertainment for locals and visitors, and generate interest and retail business for the area.
The panhandle is full of fun filled annual festivals and events, many of which I look forward to attending each year. Among these are the Apalachicola Seafood Festival, The St. George Island Auction and Chili Cook-off, The Panama City Seafood Festival, The Graceville Harvest Festival, The Pork and Paint Spring Festival in Marianna, The Peanut Festival in Dothan, and of course, the Possum Festival in Wausau. Now we can add the Marianna Day Fall Festival to our list.
In order to be really meaningful, each event must have a theme or themes which draw the crowd and help create the excitement. Our new Fall Festival has two very good themes, (1) Reliving a meaningful moment of our history, and (2) Assembling some of the best “Bluegrass” musicians in the southeast to entertain us.
I am especially pleased to realize that over 700 of our local students had the opportunity to learn first hand about life during the Civil War era through the “living history” exhibits on Friday. I also found it thrilling to see the ‘Battle of Marianna” re-enacted by soldiers in uniforms of the day….on the very site where the battle raged many years ago. We stood where lives were lost defending Marianna, and replayed the event.
If you missed it this year, you need to be sure and come next year. Planning for the next fall festival will begin next week.
Rudiments: Odds and Ends Worth Mentioning-
♦ As noted in last weeks issue, a local businessman, Thomas Bower is enlisting Marianna businesses to join in a petition requesting the Marianna City Commissioners to modify the existing city sign ordinances. They feel the existing rules are anti-business in design and enforcement. I support Mr. Bower in his effort.
♦ Hooray! Common sense and justice prevailed in Santa Rosa County where two coaches/teachers at Pace High were being prosecuted at the request of the ACLU for daring to say a prayer at a fund raising banquet. The judge threw out the charges, stating there was no “intent” to contempt the court. I applaud those local citizens, including two church Sunday school groups, who through the drive initiated by the “Tea Party”, Concerned American Patriots, gave almost $2500 to the “Right to Pray” defense fund for those teachers to use in fighting the ACLU.
♦ I believe it is time for us all to stand up and stop these inane “rules” which have been created to stifle our religious freedoms and our freedoms of expression through the courts by the ACLU. First, it is time to reassert the concept that the wishes of the Majority overrules the wishes of the few. Second, the right to have non-denominational prayers at school functions and even in the classrooms should be restored. Courts will react to public pressure….we need to begin to rigorously apply that pressure! Vote only for those who feel the same as we do, and are willing to sponsor bills for this goal.
♦ “The greatest tyrannies are always perpetuated in the name of the noblest causes” – Thomas Paine
Note: The opinions stated in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Hatcher Publications.
Stop Milking!! The Cow is Almost Dead
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.
The U.S.A. is in the midst of an economic downturn which threatens to hurl the nation into a miserable condition which would destroy individual and corporate wealth, weaken our nation, and move us into despair and unthinkable lifestyles. As families and small businesses struggle to survive in this faltering economy, our federal, state, and local governments continue to put the needs of the bureaucracy ahead of the plight of the people. At the same time, monopolistic semi-private functions such as utilities continue to dig deeper into the almost empty pocketbooks of the families they serve (misnomer?) as they continue to make profits without sacrificing anything.
We stand back and watch quietly as family homes are foreclosed and those involved lose all they have worked for. At the same time personal and commercial bankruptcies are keeping once starving lawyers busy. These sad results for families and small businesses are being caused as greedy banks and credit card companies continue to squeeze and milk debtors; as City Governments, County Governments, School Systems, and State Governments continue to increase fees, assessments, fines, taxes, and all other revenue flows coming from the pockets of the defenseless public; as greedy utilities exercise their monopolistic advantage to the maximum by steadily increasing rates; and as those industries which have lobbied enough to create corruptly legislated robbery of the public such as insurance companies, oil companies, pharmaceutical companies, and most elements of the health care industry all exploit the suffering public. Meanwhile, the Federal Government outdoes them all by spending at unbelievable levels while they borrow and print money as fast as they can.
As this process continues, more and more failures occur, and with each our nation sinks a little deeper into the mire. We must unite in our efforts to stop this destructive cycle. The old wasteful ways of dealing with public monies by our governments must end, greedy monopolies must be controlled, and legislated advantages for certain industries must be repealed. Our nation must get its house in order, or it too, will soon end in foreclosure.
Rudiments: Odds and Ends Worth Mentioning -
• I noted where three local citizens in Cottondale have been indicted by Attorney General Bill McCollum for Medicaid fraud. I applaud the officials for taking time from doling out public money to work on stopping some of the rampant fraud occurring in the Medicare-Medicaid systems. However, the information was given to Medicaid fraud investigators in 2004 By the Dept. of Children and Families Adult Protective Services….and it only took them five short years to execute an arrest. During the interim the culprits stole another hundred thousand dollars from the taxpayers. However, they may recoup $40,000 by including a fine in their sentence….speedy work, “Welfaricrats”!
• Please read the short story titled “Rotary Report”. In it is presented information from Attorney Wade Mercer’s speech to the Rotary in Marianna last week. Note the fact that Cottondale is reaping over $150,000 per year (today’s traffic fines rates) from their ‘speed trap” operation on Highway 231. They are giving tickets at a rate 15 times greater than Marianna, which is much larger. In my opinion, Chief Watford, the City Commissioners, and the Citizens of Cottondale should be ashamed of what is going on. It will only give their city a bad name in the long run. Locals should shut this operation down. If they do this….they will be “Getting It Right”!
• There are farmers going out of business, and some 34,000 farm workers on unemployment in California because our “Green” crowd has blocked use of available irrigation water for the crops over some three million acres in the fertile San Joaquin Valley. It seems an endangered smelt minnow is in the lake where the needed water is contained. Some liberal, numbskull judge in California ruled against the farmers and in favor of the tree huggers and their minnow. What a world!
Note: The opinions stated in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Hatcher Publications.
The U.S.A. is in the midst of an economic downturn which threatens to hurl the nation into a miserable condition which would destroy individual and corporate wealth, weaken our nation, and move us into despair and unthinkable lifestyles. As families and small businesses struggle to survive in this faltering economy, our federal, state, and local governments continue to put the needs of the bureaucracy ahead of the plight of the people. At the same time, monopolistic semi-private functions such as utilities continue to dig deeper into the almost empty pocketbooks of the families they serve (misnomer?) as they continue to make profits without sacrificing anything.
We stand back and watch quietly as family homes are foreclosed and those involved lose all they have worked for. At the same time personal and commercial bankruptcies are keeping once starving lawyers busy. These sad results for families and small businesses are being caused as greedy banks and credit card companies continue to squeeze and milk debtors; as City Governments, County Governments, School Systems, and State Governments continue to increase fees, assessments, fines, taxes, and all other revenue flows coming from the pockets of the defenseless public; as greedy utilities exercise their monopolistic advantage to the maximum by steadily increasing rates; and as those industries which have lobbied enough to create corruptly legislated robbery of the public such as insurance companies, oil companies, pharmaceutical companies, and most elements of the health care industry all exploit the suffering public. Meanwhile, the Federal Government outdoes them all by spending at unbelievable levels while they borrow and print money as fast as they can.
As this process continues, more and more failures occur, and with each our nation sinks a little deeper into the mire. We must unite in our efforts to stop this destructive cycle. The old wasteful ways of dealing with public monies by our governments must end, greedy monopolies must be controlled, and legislated advantages for certain industries must be repealed. Our nation must get its house in order, or it too, will soon end in foreclosure.
Rudiments: Odds and Ends Worth Mentioning -
• I noted where three local citizens in Cottondale have been indicted by Attorney General Bill McCollum for Medicaid fraud. I applaud the officials for taking time from doling out public money to work on stopping some of the rampant fraud occurring in the Medicare-Medicaid systems. However, the information was given to Medicaid fraud investigators in 2004 By the Dept. of Children and Families Adult Protective Services….and it only took them five short years to execute an arrest. During the interim the culprits stole another hundred thousand dollars from the taxpayers. However, they may recoup $40,000 by including a fine in their sentence….speedy work, “Welfaricrats”!
• Please read the short story titled “Rotary Report”. In it is presented information from Attorney Wade Mercer’s speech to the Rotary in Marianna last week. Note the fact that Cottondale is reaping over $150,000 per year (today’s traffic fines rates) from their ‘speed trap” operation on Highway 231. They are giving tickets at a rate 15 times greater than Marianna, which is much larger. In my opinion, Chief Watford, the City Commissioners, and the Citizens of Cottondale should be ashamed of what is going on. It will only give their city a bad name in the long run. Locals should shut this operation down. If they do this….they will be “Getting It Right”!
• There are farmers going out of business, and some 34,000 farm workers on unemployment in California because our “Green” crowd has blocked use of available irrigation water for the crops over some three million acres in the fertile San Joaquin Valley. It seems an endangered smelt minnow is in the lake where the needed water is contained. Some liberal, numbskull judge in California ruled against the farmers and in favor of the tree huggers and their minnow. What a world!
Note: The opinions stated in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Hatcher Publications.
Out of Most Things Bad...Something Good Can Be Found
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.
Out of tragedy, some good usually emerges:
Eighteen years ago my wife and I lost our sixteen year old son, Les, in a horrible automobile accident. We were hurled into the pit of utter despair, overcome with choking, unbelievable grief. At the time it seemed to be the absolute worse thing which could happen to us, with no logical reason for God to have allowed this sickening event to occur.
Now, many years later, the grief and pain lingers and occasionally rises to the surface. However, I can now see some positive results which evolved from this family tragedy. True, any benefits are trivial in comparison to the loss we suffered, but I can now see that some gains were realized.
First, the act of sharing the deepest of grief between my wife and me, and helping each other through those waves of unbearable pain, strengthened the bond between us. We already loved each other, but the event resulted in a deeper relationship which will endure until one of us dies.
Secondly, having survived the worse pain a parent can experience having gone to the bottom of the pit of utter despair and finally emerging back into the light, has made me into a better, more compassionate person. I now realize that there were times in the past where other friends and acquaintances were dealing with similar personal situations, and I failed to respond to their pains.
I remember feeling awkward and uncomfortable being around them while they were suffering. I felt the desire to help them but could not, so at times I stayed away. I now realize the importance of the expression of sympathy and being there to give comfort. …The mere act of just being there even if you find no useful words, are acts which are very important to the person suffering. As a result, I am a now a much more caring friend, and am able to overcome my own discomfort of the situation with the knowledge I am helping when I give a hug and tell them how saddened I am for them.
So, out of bad does come some good. It made me become a better human being.
Hopefully that same axiom holds true for the trauma now occurring as the United States of America is seeing its economy shudder and sag to a shameful level, while the basic foundations of our faith in a free enterprise, capitalistic economic system, and even our freedoms of religion, speech, and right to own firearms, are challenged. We have evolved into a dysfunctional nation, divided and combative. We are destroying ourselves from within.
With the liberal, left wing elements in control of the Democratic Party, and the Democrats in control of our government, we have created a “dream” situation for the extreme anti-secular, socialistic, and environmental movements. Before the stage had been dismantled from the inauguration ceremony they began pushing their radical agendas through Congress.
In order for our nation to realize its full potentials we may have to first see the way of life which past generations have enjoyed, completely dismantled. We, as a nation may have to enter the dungeon of hell with our economy bankrupted, our liberties consumed by legislation and liberal court rulings, and our wealth transferred to government for redistribution. Our national condition might have to decline to a level worse than the Great Depression of the 1930’s before we awaken and begin to rebuild. We may have to become a third world economy before we can again become the world leader.
When the time of national rebirth comes, we must first rebuild our national moral character. We must restore the family structure, with a Mother AND a Father, who are married! We must create a culture of honesty, self reliance, self responsibility, neighbors aiding neighbors instead of relying on Government, restoration of States Rights, diminishing of Federal Government and its domination of everything, and a common sense approach to life, again recognizing the concept that the will of the majority is more important than the demands of a few. We must reform the government processes to eliminate influence buying, lobbying, bias, and political “money laundering”. We must become a nation where self interests are set aside for the good of the nation.
I pray we do not have to go into total ruin as a nation before this rebirth can occur. I take some hope from what I see happening in the national “Tea Party” movement. This movement has been created out of concern for the direction our nation has take since the new administration took control. Disgust and disdain for the actions of our national leadership has been building for decades. The sudden thrust towards greatly increasing the role of the Federal bureaucracy and the emergence of Communistic and Socialistic ideals among leadership has perhaps finally awakened the sleeping, silent majority of the moderate middle class.
I am thrilled when I see local housewives, farmers, and small business owners who have never before stood up and complained, suddenly attending these meetings and voicing an opinion! I can not recall such a sincere, patriotic, movement in my lifetime. Perhaps there is hope!
If the ramrod actions of this administration results in the beginning of the rebirth of the concepts which created our nation, then I believe this Good Result from their Bad Actions will be the true lasting legacy of their time in power. Help in this effort and you will be “Getting It Right”.
Rudiments: Odds and Ends Worth Mentioning-
Local Comments:
● I want to again recognize the wisdom and leadership of our School Board and Staff. When I compare the trauma which many counties are enduring, Bay County included, as a result in the State cuts in educational funding, to the impact on our local school system, I realize that the reason we are not suffering is because instead of spending the geyser of new funds which was flowing for many years, they only spent moderately. They set aside reserve funds for future security. Those reserves are now resulting in few disruptions to the normal function of our schools. However, if the economy continues to suffer, these reserves will eventually deplete, and more drastic cuts to the system will be required.
● I want to note the actions of several individuals and organizations in generously reacting to the “Right To Pray” defense fund for those educators at Pace High who are being attacked in the courts by the ACLU, for daring to say a blessing at a fund raiser. The ‘Concerned American Patriots” leaders are delivering over $2000 to them this week, as support from Jackson County. It is time we created a national organization to combat the evils of the ACLU, take back our rights, and end this foolishness. I would suggest the name R-ACLU, Reclaiming American Civil Liberties Union. If the ACLU is attacking Pace High today, they will be in Jackson County tomorrow.
● I can not help but react with disgust when I see local businesses about to go out of business because of the non-availability of financing and thus local jobs being lost, ….while our government officials proudly come into town to give us big checks for sidewalks and fire trucks. It is political stupidity! I have lost my taste for this kind of “Pork”.
I’ve gotta go! Thanks for reading!
Note: The opinions stated in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Hatcher Publications.
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