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. Now, on to the subjects of the week:
National – Transportation Systems: The transportation system within the United States is broken. During the 1960’s and 1970’s our astute politicians allowed the lobbying influences of the airline companies to influence legislation which channeled the bulk of funding for transportation infrastructure into air transportation …at the expense of the railroad transportation industry. As a result of these decisions, we are today faced with a transportation crisis in our nation.
The sheer magnitude of the volume of travelers, combined with the fact that the air line system is very sensitive to disruptions and delays caused by suspected or real terrorism activities, and extreme weather conditions, has created a system which today is an expensive, horrific experience for the traveler. It is time for our politicians to face up to this situation, and to begin to develop a national transportation infrastructure which coordinates air travel with high speed rail networks which feed air hubs. In addition, two or three cross country high speed rail routes should be constructed. These types of projects will provide needed jobs and will solve a serious problem for the nation. This is much better than wasting taxpayer dollars on sidewalks to nowhere, standby generators, and studies on “irritated bowel syndrome”.
I blame years of inept, corrupt management decisions in Washington for this deplorable situation. Those who participated in our Government during that time should be held accountable. Also, those who are in power today and are doing nothing to correct the problem should be held accountable. So, the next time you are standing in an endless line at an airport, barefooted, trying to hold up your beltless pants, and waiting your turn to be patted down, sniffed, screened, and searched….blame a politician who is probably traveling somewhere in a government provided private jet.
National – Industry – Today our national industrial complex is suffering from over-regulation and an unfair import/export environment. During the past ten years the USA industrial output has declined from producing 34% of the world’s GNP to 22%. Meanwhile, China, India and several Asian nations have experienced dramatic gains. Our economy is suffering from the impact of a flawed political trade concept which unconditionally embraced the concepts of a global economy and free trade. These trade policies have been anything except free for the United States.
Again, the politicians in Washington who embraced these policies which “gave away” the jobs which we so desperately need at this time should be held accountable. It is time for them to be voted out of positions of authority and decision making.
National – Industry – To those thousands of unemployed and displaced auto workers in Michigan and the thousands of similarly suffering steel workers in Pennsylvania and Ohio (where the unemployment levels are 20-30%) …do you suppose your blind loyalty to unionization and the excessive greed it satiates could have anything to do with what has transpired in your industries? You are joining those union workers of Eastern Air Lines and thousands of other failed, unionized companies as victims of your own ignorance and greed. By the way….has the union you adored and loyally followed also gone out of business? Could it be possible they were really looking out for their own benefit while pretending to be looking out for yours?
National – “Government Gone Wild” – For the benefit of all citizens out there who are struggling to pay your electric bill, or have a credit card company harassing you every day, I want to make you aware of what is going on among the bureaucracies which thrive and multiply from your tax payments. The average federal worker now earns $31,000 a year more than workers in the private sector. When the recession started the Defense Department had 1,868 “crats” earning over $150,000 per year….now it has 10,100! Similarly, the Transportation Department had only one person earning $170,000, it now has 1,690 earning above $170,00/yr. Now, be sure and file your income taxes on time this year….they need it!
Local – Living Costs – Things seem to be getting crazier and crazier as local citizens attempt to survive in a world where it seems everything is working against the private citizen. Last month my FPU electric bill was $252.00….this month it was $774.00 and we have been wearing coats in the house and have kept the thermostat on 61 most of the time. Our Marianna water/sewage bill was $96.00 last month, this month it was $172.00, and we didn’t flush or bathe any more one month than the other. Meanwhile, my social security check remained unchanged. Our standard of living is declining, and we are helpless to do anything about it.
Local – Living Costs - The price for gasoline has been steadily rising, and is now once again approaching $3.00 per gallon. This is only adding to the strain on most family budgets. I believe the primary reason for this increase is the steadily weakening of the U.S. dollar which is occurring on the world market. As the dollar weakens, it takes more of them to buy a barrel of oil. This makes us all pay more for gasoline. Thus, the wild binge spending which has been underway in Washington is making us all suffer at the pump. If we want to “Get it Right”, it is time for us to seek new management.
Keeping my New Years Resolution.. “Say something nice each week”
● God bless those poor souls in Haiti. They already live in unbelievable poverty and pain, and now a severe earthquake has struck them. Please take part in any relief action you can. Haiti is a perfect example of the miseries corrupt and inept governments can heap upon its citizens.
“I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.” - Thomas Jefferson
Note: The opinions stated in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Hatcher Publications.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Friday, January 8, 2010
“Now is Not The Time”
In this time when the national economy is experiencing threats of failure which rival the times preceding the Great Depression, our County Commissioners should take the “Path of Caution”.
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 Issues:
Next Tuesday morning (January 12, 2010) at 9AM, our County Commissioners will once again approach the issue of whether or not to enter into millions of dollars in debt to finance construction of a new “County Administration Building” on the site of the old jail and the existing Farmers Market.
Some feel that this choice is inappropriate, involves spending millions in extra costs over options of renovating other existing facilities, compounds an already untenable parking problem in the Court House area, and involves the Commission spending money for offices for themselves and the bureaucracy instead of spending money on roads and other needs which benefit the taxpaying citizens of the county.
Others argue that the downtown area businesses would be hurt if these administrative county functions were moved out of the downtown area to an existing vacant building in a nearby shopping center. They feel the downtown area needs this activity. Some of those in Administration argue that being in close proximity to the Court functions is advantageous.
The Commissioners will hear the report of comparative costs between renovation of existing space and construction of new space which is being prepared by Ajax Engineering, the company which would build the proposed new building. Some feel this data should have been prepared by another, uninvolved engineering firm instead of the firm which stands to make higher profits if the new building option is chosen.
Personally, in previous columns I have made it clear that I feel new construction is wasteful and unnecessary when other, suitable space is sitting vacant. However, another issue has risen while these old arguments are being voiced…….The Sky Is Falling!!
Until we know that our national banking system, our monetary system, our national economy, and our national survival is assured…….I feel we should not enter into any significant long term debts….personally or as a local government! It is time to be ultra conservative. It is not a time for risk taking.
It is easy for career bureaucrats and politicians to believe that the flow of tax revenues and grant funding from the state are eternal and enduring. However, this is not the case. If our economy fails, these funds will cease to flow into the county’s bank account. The debt load caused by an ill conceived and ill timed construction project based on the presence of many millions of future taxpayer dollars, could be a decision which would place terrible hardships on the county and its residents.
Other debt laden counties around the nation have already experienced the inability to meet their obligations and have been forced to severely cut back on services and lay off county workers. Birmingham’s Jefferson County in Alabama is an example. Incurring this huge debt could endanger the job security of the very bureaucrats which it was built to house.
So to the Commissioners I say, “Let us fight this battle on another day. This is not the time!”
If you do not want the Commissioners to proceed with this construction project, please take time to voice your opinion to them. You can do this directly, or by being at the next meeting on Tuesday, January 12. Those who want to proceed will be there.
Rudiments: Odds and Ends Worth Mentioning -
● I recently read the results of a $1.3 million dollar scientific study funded by stimulus funds which provided irrefutable data proving that the immoral behavior of Tiger Woods, Charlie Sheen, the Governor of South Carolina, David Letterman, John Edwards, Bill Clinton, and others is being caused by an over abundance of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. These emissions were found to stimulate the primitive animal instincts in a man. Thus, it wasn’t their fault… it was global warming!
● FPU customers! That whirring noise you hear when you go outside of your house is your electric meter…. It is trying to calculate your next bill with the combined impact of the cold weather and their new rate structure which was just approved by the Public Services Commission.
● “Say Something Nice” 2010 New Year’s Resolution – I want to commend Chief Bagget and his MPD staff for the work they have been doing to detect, stop, and apprehend vehicles in Marianna in which the occupants are using and carrying illegal drugs. They have made several significant arrests during the past few weeks. This is REAL police work, much better than spending all of their time giving citizens tickets for minor traffic violations.
Note: The opinions stated in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Hatcher Publications.
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 Issues:
Next Tuesday morning (January 12, 2010) at 9AM, our County Commissioners will once again approach the issue of whether or not to enter into millions of dollars in debt to finance construction of a new “County Administration Building” on the site of the old jail and the existing Farmers Market.
Some feel that this choice is inappropriate, involves spending millions in extra costs over options of renovating other existing facilities, compounds an already untenable parking problem in the Court House area, and involves the Commission spending money for offices for themselves and the bureaucracy instead of spending money on roads and other needs which benefit the taxpaying citizens of the county.
Others argue that the downtown area businesses would be hurt if these administrative county functions were moved out of the downtown area to an existing vacant building in a nearby shopping center. They feel the downtown area needs this activity. Some of those in Administration argue that being in close proximity to the Court functions is advantageous.
The Commissioners will hear the report of comparative costs between renovation of existing space and construction of new space which is being prepared by Ajax Engineering, the company which would build the proposed new building. Some feel this data should have been prepared by another, uninvolved engineering firm instead of the firm which stands to make higher profits if the new building option is chosen.
Personally, in previous columns I have made it clear that I feel new construction is wasteful and unnecessary when other, suitable space is sitting vacant. However, another issue has risen while these old arguments are being voiced…….The Sky Is Falling!!
Until we know that our national banking system, our monetary system, our national economy, and our national survival is assured…….I feel we should not enter into any significant long term debts….personally or as a local government! It is time to be ultra conservative. It is not a time for risk taking.
It is easy for career bureaucrats and politicians to believe that the flow of tax revenues and grant funding from the state are eternal and enduring. However, this is not the case. If our economy fails, these funds will cease to flow into the county’s bank account. The debt load caused by an ill conceived and ill timed construction project based on the presence of many millions of future taxpayer dollars, could be a decision which would place terrible hardships on the county and its residents.
Other debt laden counties around the nation have already experienced the inability to meet their obligations and have been forced to severely cut back on services and lay off county workers. Birmingham’s Jefferson County in Alabama is an example. Incurring this huge debt could endanger the job security of the very bureaucrats which it was built to house.
So to the Commissioners I say, “Let us fight this battle on another day. This is not the time!”
If you do not want the Commissioners to proceed with this construction project, please take time to voice your opinion to them. You can do this directly, or by being at the next meeting on Tuesday, January 12. Those who want to proceed will be there.
Rudiments: Odds and Ends Worth Mentioning -
● I recently read the results of a $1.3 million dollar scientific study funded by stimulus funds which provided irrefutable data proving that the immoral behavior of Tiger Woods, Charlie Sheen, the Governor of South Carolina, David Letterman, John Edwards, Bill Clinton, and others is being caused by an over abundance of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. These emissions were found to stimulate the primitive animal instincts in a man. Thus, it wasn’t their fault… it was global warming!
● FPU customers! That whirring noise you hear when you go outside of your house is your electric meter…. It is trying to calculate your next bill with the combined impact of the cold weather and their new rate structure which was just approved by the Public Services Commission.
● “Say Something Nice” 2010 New Year’s Resolution – I want to commend Chief Bagget and his MPD staff for the work they have been doing to detect, stop, and apprehend vehicles in Marianna in which the occupants are using and carrying illegal drugs. They have made several significant arrests during the past few weeks. This is REAL police work, much better than spending all of their time giving citizens tickets for minor traffic violations.
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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