The WWII generation, demonstrates what our society has lost
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.
It has been stated repeatedly that the generation of those who fought and served in World War II was the “greatest generation” of modern US History. I can not refute that statement.
For in my experiences of knowing those of that era, who living and dead, are now turning eighty years of age or more, a significant majority of them reflect those characteristics of humanity which demonstrate the best of mankind. I have found them to be of high moral character, sincere in their faith, devout in their patriotism, loving in their family relationships, caring in their friendships, sincere in their word, honest, hard working, and life-long contributors to the benefit of our American society.
The truth of this statement at our local community level was demonstrated vividly last week by the magnanimous acts of two local citizens who are part of that generation of greatness. In fact, they were school mates here in Jackson County, back in the 1930’s and 1940’s. In separate, totally unconnected actions, each based on personal beliefs and desires, these two aging heroes of another era, made contributions which will serve many future generations of Jackson County citizens.
I am referring to the participation of Dick Hinson, with the support of his family, in making their family estate of 150 beautiful acres on the Chipola River, available for at least another hundred years as a city park. Dick has always had a deep love for the natural beauty of our area, especially the Chipola River. He has now preserved what he has enjoyed so much. The other, equally significant act of caring, was the donation of the new “Chapel at Chipola” by Creshull Harrison, with the support of his family. Because of his demonstration of goodness, thousands of future students will enjoy this beautiful site of refuge and cohabitation with God amidst the pressures of college.
Both of these wonderful men have taken part of the worth accumulated from their lifetime accomplishments, worth garnered through hard work and productivity, and have left behind treasures for all to enjoy and use. This is a demonstration of the best in man, what our society should and can be made of. It is another instance where this generation of men (and women) have set standards of morality and goodness which we should all accept as personal goals.
The attributes of this generation of people stands in sharp contrast to many in our society of today, where Godless secular progressivism, corruption, self destructive behavior, acceptance of immoral acts as necessary, lack of concern for society and the common good, belief that they are “entitled” to unearned government handouts from systems designed for redistribution of wealth, lack of regard or caring for fellow man, and absolute focus on greed, are common human attributes.
Take a moment and reflect on whether you are a ‘giver’ or a ‘taker’ in our society. What significant contribution will you leave behind for future generations? Inventory your personal attributes and objectively sort them by “good” and “bad”.
This comparison of the inherent qualities of our society marks what is really wrong with our government. Government is a mirror of society, and what we are seeing most of the time today is very ugly. If we truly hope and wish to create a good, moral, workable government in Washington and Tallahassee, we must also create a better society in the day to day world we live in. We can not condone, accept, and rationalize socially destructive behavior and beliefs. We must change the world we live in, and the change in government will occur automatically.
If we stand up for what is right, and speak out against the things which are wrong….we will all be “Getting it Right”.
Rudiments:
Odds and Ends Worth Mentioning-
● I think I now understand the concept of “law enforcement” in the United States. A Hispanic family can violate our international borders by illegally sneaking the father and his family into the United States, and law enforcement officials will look the other way. However, if while they are on the way to sign everyone up for our welfare programs….they had damned well better have their seat belts fastened, or the law will be all over them!
● I don’t have to say anything nice in the rudiments section this week because my entire column was so nice.
● I almost decided to enter the “Drop” program here at the paper this week….until I realized that in private business, when you “Drop” you fall all the way to the bottom!
● Did you know that if you make less than $20,000 per year you may be eligible for food stamps?
● It makes me feel good to see all of those “stimulus” created jobs out there on Caverns Road as they build that new $1,000,000 sidewalk to MHS. I can just picture the empty school parking lot after the walk is finished, when all of those students stop driving to school and begin using that wonderful sidewalk!
● Have a good week!
Note: The opinions stated in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Hatcher Publications.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Marianna City Commission
Legislating With An Anti-Business Approach?
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 ongoing problems with the Marianna Sign Ordinance, and the repeated denials for any latitude of reasonable leniency or consideration of unusual circumstances which might alter the intent and application of all standing codes, has prompted repeated accusations that the Marianna City Commission is “anti-business”. It is also claimed that this history of refusing to recognize any degree of cooperation with businesses when construction, safety, or sign codes are at issue has over time caused many businesses to locate or relocate outside of the city’s boundaries. At best, this history of rigidity has created many hostile attitudes toward the City among many of the Marianna businesses.
In my opinion, this situation has been created, and is perpetuated by, three long time City Commissioners, Paul Donofro, Jr., Howard Milton, and Roger Clay. These three individuals have been in office without interruption for over fourteen years, and through their votes acting in concert, they have effectively denied almost all requests for variances on any code issues, when the request was generated by a private business or a private citizen. The only variances which they have historically viewed favorably are those which are needed by the City itself as projects are conducted, or by other government and government related entities. Requests from the private sector have been denied in every instance I can recall.
The reason repeatedly given by this “trio of negative votes” on the Commission is that since they have previously denied requests for variances from private individuals or businesses, so they must now deny all requests in order to not appear to be engaged in any degree of favoritism. Thus, by this logic, all variance requests must be denied…regardless of any extenuating circumstances.
This approach thus leads to the following question…Why have a variance request procedure if all requests are to be denied? It becomes a waste of time if this “trio of negative votes” will surly vote as a majority bloc on the decision making panel. They have been engaging in this approach for many, many years….and in my opinion through this process they have hurt the city of Marianna. The appeal process was created because it was realized that no code is ever written so perfectly that it meets the requirement of fairness and justice in every possible instance. Thus, a provision for intervention of human judgment is an essential ingredient in the process. That ingredient is missing in Marianna.
Another result realized by these Commissioners always voting ‘No”, is that this approach enables them to avoid the uncomfortable role of making a decision. The Southern Building Codes and the Life and Safety Codes, which are used by the City, have a preamble which states that these codes are to be used as “guidelines” and should be administered with common sense and good judgment. Apparently that portion of the code books was never read by our “trio of negative votes”.
My criticism of these Commissioners only relates to their approach to handling requests from private citizens and businesses for consideration on code matters. The Marianna City Commission is to be commended for their ability to create a new waste water treatment system for the city at no cost to the taxpayers. This step forward has removed pollution from the Chipola River, and has provided the city with a state of the art waste system. Also, the aggressive approach the Commissioners are taking to replace and repair the aging infrastructure systems of city water and sewage denotes good management on their part. I also applaud their efforts to increase the land area of the city through an ongoing annexation program.
One reason this situation on variance requests has been perpetuated for over a decade is the general lack of interest and or participation from other eligible citizens. I can only say this to any residents who feel we have problems in Marianna’s leadership….. “ If you are unhappy with the way codes, ordinances, and interpretations of law are being administered, or if you disagree with decisions such as the Commission granting the Florida Public Utilities franchise renewal…then you need to run for a seat on the Commission, or you need to encourage some other qualified citizen to run.” If you only stand back and complain….you are not solving the problem. You are not “Getting It Right”.
Rudiments: Odds and Ends Worth Mentioning –
● The Marianna City Commission has scheduled a workshop for hearing recommendations for changes in codes related to the City Sign Ordinance. The meeting is at 3:30 PM on Thursday, May 27, in the Commission Meeting Room. You are encouraged to take part.
● (Always Saying Something Nice) I want to commend Richard Hinson and his family for their magnanimous role in creating the ‘Hinson Conservation and Environmental Park”. This treasure will be enjoyed by many future generations of Jackson County residents.
● In the same breath I want to commend Creshull Harrison, Jr. and his family for donating the funding for the beautiful new chapel on the Chipola College campus. Both of these families deserve a big “Thank You” from the residents of Jackson County.
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.
The ongoing problems with the Marianna Sign Ordinance, and the repeated denials for any latitude of reasonable leniency or consideration of unusual circumstances which might alter the intent and application of all standing codes, has prompted repeated accusations that the Marianna City Commission is “anti-business”. It is also claimed that this history of refusing to recognize any degree of cooperation with businesses when construction, safety, or sign codes are at issue has over time caused many businesses to locate or relocate outside of the city’s boundaries. At best, this history of rigidity has created many hostile attitudes toward the City among many of the Marianna businesses.
In my opinion, this situation has been created, and is perpetuated by, three long time City Commissioners, Paul Donofro, Jr., Howard Milton, and Roger Clay. These three individuals have been in office without interruption for over fourteen years, and through their votes acting in concert, they have effectively denied almost all requests for variances on any code issues, when the request was generated by a private business or a private citizen. The only variances which they have historically viewed favorably are those which are needed by the City itself as projects are conducted, or by other government and government related entities. Requests from the private sector have been denied in every instance I can recall.
The reason repeatedly given by this “trio of negative votes” on the Commission is that since they have previously denied requests for variances from private individuals or businesses, so they must now deny all requests in order to not appear to be engaged in any degree of favoritism. Thus, by this logic, all variance requests must be denied…regardless of any extenuating circumstances.
This approach thus leads to the following question…Why have a variance request procedure if all requests are to be denied? It becomes a waste of time if this “trio of negative votes” will surly vote as a majority bloc on the decision making panel. They have been engaging in this approach for many, many years….and in my opinion through this process they have hurt the city of Marianna. The appeal process was created because it was realized that no code is ever written so perfectly that it meets the requirement of fairness and justice in every possible instance. Thus, a provision for intervention of human judgment is an essential ingredient in the process. That ingredient is missing in Marianna.
Another result realized by these Commissioners always voting ‘No”, is that this approach enables them to avoid the uncomfortable role of making a decision. The Southern Building Codes and the Life and Safety Codes, which are used by the City, have a preamble which states that these codes are to be used as “guidelines” and should be administered with common sense and good judgment. Apparently that portion of the code books was never read by our “trio of negative votes”.
My criticism of these Commissioners only relates to their approach to handling requests from private citizens and businesses for consideration on code matters. The Marianna City Commission is to be commended for their ability to create a new waste water treatment system for the city at no cost to the taxpayers. This step forward has removed pollution from the Chipola River, and has provided the city with a state of the art waste system. Also, the aggressive approach the Commissioners are taking to replace and repair the aging infrastructure systems of city water and sewage denotes good management on their part. I also applaud their efforts to increase the land area of the city through an ongoing annexation program.
One reason this situation on variance requests has been perpetuated for over a decade is the general lack of interest and or participation from other eligible citizens. I can only say this to any residents who feel we have problems in Marianna’s leadership….. “ If you are unhappy with the way codes, ordinances, and interpretations of law are being administered, or if you disagree with decisions such as the Commission granting the Florida Public Utilities franchise renewal…then you need to run for a seat on the Commission, or you need to encourage some other qualified citizen to run.” If you only stand back and complain….you are not solving the problem. You are not “Getting It Right”.
Rudiments: Odds and Ends Worth Mentioning –
● The Marianna City Commission has scheduled a workshop for hearing recommendations for changes in codes related to the City Sign Ordinance. The meeting is at 3:30 PM on Thursday, May 27, in the Commission Meeting Room. You are encouraged to take part.
● (Always Saying Something Nice) I want to commend Richard Hinson and his family for their magnanimous role in creating the ‘Hinson Conservation and Environmental Park”. This treasure will be enjoyed by many future generations of Jackson County residents.
● In the same breath I want to commend Creshull Harrison, Jr. and his family for donating the funding for the beautiful new chapel on the Chipola College campus. Both of these families deserve a big “Thank You” from the residents of Jackson County.
Note: The opinions stated in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Hatcher Publications.
Friday, May 14, 2010
“Sign of Our Times”
An Assortment of Subjects and Perceptions
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.
Economic Perceptions from Trip To Branson, Missouri
After completing processing of last week’s paper, my wife Judy and I rushed out of town on our way to a five day trip to Branson with friends who live in Bremen, Georgia. It was part of our tribute to Judy’s ability to endure living with me for fifty years.
As we traveled those seemingly endless miles across six states, I could not avoid noticing the visible impact the prolonged and severe economic recession is having on communities across our nation. It is obvious many businesses and citizens are suffering.
Our first leg was to go due North up to Bremen, Georgia to join our friends. There are a total of twenty one buildings along that 240 mile route which once housed apparel/textile factories, and employed approximately 10,000 workers. They now sit with empty parking lots and un-kept grounds. Most of those jobs were women who were working to supplement their family income. When those jobs were traded away by our Federal Government during the 1990’s, most of those women eventually dropped out of the labor force, and are not included in the economic statistics we look at every month. However, the lost earnings are felt each month as those families struggle to pay their family household bills.
As we traveled along the interstates heading west, I noticed that approximately 30% of the billboards along the highways were vacant. Many had now been empty so long the stands themselves were in need of repair. These blank billboards stand as stark reminders of reduced advertising budgets, struggling businesses, and in some cases, businesses which no longer exist.
Also along the highways were vacant filling stations and mini-market buildings, with concrete forms which once held gasoline pumps. These represent thousands of lost small businesses and lost jobs which were all victims of the new EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) regulations which took effect January 1, 2010. These new, rigorously enforced regulations required ALL stations to install the latest design of storage tanks, at an average cost of $250,000, even if the existing tanks were in good condition. In a few instances the ground may be cleaner around these new tanks, but in the process our nation lost thousands of businesses, ten of thousands of jobs, and millions of dollars in property was rendered unsalable. All at the arbitrary, unsupervised whelm of a federal bureaucratic agency.
Then we arrived in Memphis where Judy finally got to visit Graceland, and see the grave of her idol when she was a teenager, Elvis. I’ll have to admit, it was well done and I also enjoyed the tour.
The next day we crossed the flooded Mississippi River, crossed the flat, fertile delta land where farmers were busy planting this year’s corn crop, and finally began to climb into the foothills of the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas.
The economy of the Ozark area has always been poor and depressed. However, it seemed even worse as we passed small communities with vacant industrial parks and decaying large buildings begging for a renter. Dead or dying shopping centers were commonplace…except for those few where a Wal Mart Supercenter was housed, ..they had full parking lots.
We topped one hill on the winding mountain highway to find both sides of the road lined with cars. After traveling a little further we came upon a small family farm where an auctioneer was busy selling the farmer’s possessions. I couldn’t help but feel a deep sadness as we passed the scene.
During the entire trip I saw two houses under construction, and no commercial buildings. However, it seemed that every city, county, and state was busy spending stimulus money building or improving roadways and sidewalks. It seemed more of the miles we traveled were classified as highway construction zones than not. Along the fringes of many of these construction zones, herds of policemen lurked, hoping to catch a negligent driver and enjoy the fruits of a doubled fine.
These roads and sidewalk projects are creating many jobs in every area. These jobs will probably last for many months, based on the speed at which most of them were working. However, what will happen to all of these workers when all of the sidewalks have been built??
We stopped for gas at one small Arkansas town. While there I couldn’t help but read the front page of the local newspaper which was displayed through a sales rack. “City Commission Refuses $50,000 Grant” was one story banner. This made me feel good, since it gave hope that some government groups around the country are putting the benefit of the greater good ahead of self serving local, unnecessary projects.
Finally we arrived in Branson, Missouri. We enjoyed three great shows and had a great time. Judy has a high school classmate named Jim Owen, who has been entertaining in Branson for eighteen years. His show was not scheduled to begin until two days after our departure, so we felt we would not get to visit with him. However, we happened to catch him during rehearsal, watched some of his upcoming show, and after they finished he came out and sat and talked with us. He said that the economy has had a disastrous impact on Branson.
He said that attendance is down by over 30%, and around forty shows have closed due to the slow business. “Branson was good to me for sixteen years”, Jim Owen stated, “but these last two years have been hell!” Most of the shows we went to had around five hundred attending, and the theaters would hold around two thousand people. It wasn’t hard to get a great seat.
There were two areas I saw during the trip where economic growth and activity seemed to be flourishing. The first was a huge transfer-loading terminal we passed in Memphis. A steady line of trucks moved under giant frames which were picking up shipping containers and placing them upon the truck beds for highway delivery. The containers were being offloaded from barges positioned in a canal, and moved to a truck. The barges were coming up the river from Louisiana terminals where they had been delivered from Asia via ocean freighters. These containers were full of the merchandise which had once been made in all of those now empty American factories. After being placed on a truck, the container was sped away to be delivered to an inland distribution center at some convenient location.
The only other economic “plus” I saw on the trip was the giant KIA assembly plant located on I-85 a few miles south of LaGrange Georgia, in Alabama. The huge buildings and parking lots full of worker’s automobiles were testaments to the jobs which existed there. The last time I traveled by that road, this plant did not exist. It helped make up for the large empty West Point Pepperill – Stephens plant which faced the expressway a few miles away.
So, it was a great trip…but it is always wonderful to get back to good ole Jackson County. After seeing many other areas of the country and going by other towns, I can honestly say that we seem to be doing better here than most others. I just pray we do not have a “double dip” recession, or things are worsened by some international calamity.
Rudiments: Odds and Ends Worth Mentioning –
● (Always Say Something Nice) …I applaud the County Commissioners for making the decision to purchase the building now housing the Supervisor of Elections. This decision will result in savings for the county.
● In my opinion our Governor, Charlie Crist has demonstrated the fact that he is a professional politician who is only interested in self preservation, even if it requires violation of pledges and integrity. We must rid the nest of those who want to keep on “doing business as usual” in government. If we can accomplish that goal…we will be GETTING IT RIGHT.
“When life starts giving you lemons…..
It is time to stop and make a margarita!”
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.
Economic Perceptions from Trip To Branson, Missouri
After completing processing of last week’s paper, my wife Judy and I rushed out of town on our way to a five day trip to Branson with friends who live in Bremen, Georgia. It was part of our tribute to Judy’s ability to endure living with me for fifty years.
As we traveled those seemingly endless miles across six states, I could not avoid noticing the visible impact the prolonged and severe economic recession is having on communities across our nation. It is obvious many businesses and citizens are suffering.
Our first leg was to go due North up to Bremen, Georgia to join our friends. There are a total of twenty one buildings along that 240 mile route which once housed apparel/textile factories, and employed approximately 10,000 workers. They now sit with empty parking lots and un-kept grounds. Most of those jobs were women who were working to supplement their family income. When those jobs were traded away by our Federal Government during the 1990’s, most of those women eventually dropped out of the labor force, and are not included in the economic statistics we look at every month. However, the lost earnings are felt each month as those families struggle to pay their family household bills.
As we traveled along the interstates heading west, I noticed that approximately 30% of the billboards along the highways were vacant. Many had now been empty so long the stands themselves were in need of repair. These blank billboards stand as stark reminders of reduced advertising budgets, struggling businesses, and in some cases, businesses which no longer exist.
Also along the highways were vacant filling stations and mini-market buildings, with concrete forms which once held gasoline pumps. These represent thousands of lost small businesses and lost jobs which were all victims of the new EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) regulations which took effect January 1, 2010. These new, rigorously enforced regulations required ALL stations to install the latest design of storage tanks, at an average cost of $250,000, even if the existing tanks were in good condition. In a few instances the ground may be cleaner around these new tanks, but in the process our nation lost thousands of businesses, ten of thousands of jobs, and millions of dollars in property was rendered unsalable. All at the arbitrary, unsupervised whelm of a federal bureaucratic agency.
Then we arrived in Memphis where Judy finally got to visit Graceland, and see the grave of her idol when she was a teenager, Elvis. I’ll have to admit, it was well done and I also enjoyed the tour.
The next day we crossed the flooded Mississippi River, crossed the flat, fertile delta land where farmers were busy planting this year’s corn crop, and finally began to climb into the foothills of the Ozark Mountains of Arkansas.
The economy of the Ozark area has always been poor and depressed. However, it seemed even worse as we passed small communities with vacant industrial parks and decaying large buildings begging for a renter. Dead or dying shopping centers were commonplace…except for those few where a Wal Mart Supercenter was housed, ..they had full parking lots.
We topped one hill on the winding mountain highway to find both sides of the road lined with cars. After traveling a little further we came upon a small family farm where an auctioneer was busy selling the farmer’s possessions. I couldn’t help but feel a deep sadness as we passed the scene.
During the entire trip I saw two houses under construction, and no commercial buildings. However, it seemed that every city, county, and state was busy spending stimulus money building or improving roadways and sidewalks. It seemed more of the miles we traveled were classified as highway construction zones than not. Along the fringes of many of these construction zones, herds of policemen lurked, hoping to catch a negligent driver and enjoy the fruits of a doubled fine.
These roads and sidewalk projects are creating many jobs in every area. These jobs will probably last for many months, based on the speed at which most of them were working. However, what will happen to all of these workers when all of the sidewalks have been built??
We stopped for gas at one small Arkansas town. While there I couldn’t help but read the front page of the local newspaper which was displayed through a sales rack. “City Commission Refuses $50,000 Grant” was one story banner. This made me feel good, since it gave hope that some government groups around the country are putting the benefit of the greater good ahead of self serving local, unnecessary projects.
Finally we arrived in Branson, Missouri. We enjoyed three great shows and had a great time. Judy has a high school classmate named Jim Owen, who has been entertaining in Branson for eighteen years. His show was not scheduled to begin until two days after our departure, so we felt we would not get to visit with him. However, we happened to catch him during rehearsal, watched some of his upcoming show, and after they finished he came out and sat and talked with us. He said that the economy has had a disastrous impact on Branson.
He said that attendance is down by over 30%, and around forty shows have closed due to the slow business. “Branson was good to me for sixteen years”, Jim Owen stated, “but these last two years have been hell!” Most of the shows we went to had around five hundred attending, and the theaters would hold around two thousand people. It wasn’t hard to get a great seat.
There were two areas I saw during the trip where economic growth and activity seemed to be flourishing. The first was a huge transfer-loading terminal we passed in Memphis. A steady line of trucks moved under giant frames which were picking up shipping containers and placing them upon the truck beds for highway delivery. The containers were being offloaded from barges positioned in a canal, and moved to a truck. The barges were coming up the river from Louisiana terminals where they had been delivered from Asia via ocean freighters. These containers were full of the merchandise which had once been made in all of those now empty American factories. After being placed on a truck, the container was sped away to be delivered to an inland distribution center at some convenient location.
The only other economic “plus” I saw on the trip was the giant KIA assembly plant located on I-85 a few miles south of LaGrange Georgia, in Alabama. The huge buildings and parking lots full of worker’s automobiles were testaments to the jobs which existed there. The last time I traveled by that road, this plant did not exist. It helped make up for the large empty West Point Pepperill – Stephens plant which faced the expressway a few miles away.
So, it was a great trip…but it is always wonderful to get back to good ole Jackson County. After seeing many other areas of the country and going by other towns, I can honestly say that we seem to be doing better here than most others. I just pray we do not have a “double dip” recession, or things are worsened by some international calamity.
Rudiments: Odds and Ends Worth Mentioning –
● (Always Say Something Nice) …I applaud the County Commissioners for making the decision to purchase the building now housing the Supervisor of Elections. This decision will result in savings for the county.
● In my opinion our Governor, Charlie Crist has demonstrated the fact that he is a professional politician who is only interested in self preservation, even if it requires violation of pledges and integrity. We must rid the nest of those who want to keep on “doing business as usual” in government. If we can accomplish that goal…we will be GETTING IT RIGHT.
“When life starts giving you lemons…..
It is time to stop and make a margarita!”
Note: The opinions stated in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Hatcher Publications.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Let’s Get Serious About Solving the Immigration Problem
This column presents a non-partisan, 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.
Be Honest, Playing Politics is keeping our Politicians from doing the right things to resolve the problem…
Solving the Immigration Problem:
I applaud the Governor of Arizona for taking a dramatic stand against the deplorable conditions which the ineptness of the Federal government has created in that state and other border states with Mexico. The enactment of this law has, of course, ignited a reaction from those who have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. This group consists of the illegal aliens who broke our laws by sneaking across our border and are now living here and reaping the rewards of our generous and easy to get welfare entitlements, the liberal loonies who will take up any cause which has a social implication, and the drug dealers who are enjoying the easy systems of running drugs into our nation and into the hands of our youth.
While these millions of Mexicans were allowed to pour across our border, the Hispanic voting population has become a major player in the political scene of America. This has compounded the solution of the problem, since successive administrations have been too politically sensitive to stand up and do what is needed and correct. As a result, we have a situation where we have millions of illegal immigrants working in our country, while we pay millions of others who are unwilling to work, billions of tax dollars in welfare and unemployment benefits. Talk about a stupid, politically generated situation!
The reason I applaud Arizona’s action is that it has finally focused a bright, undeniable spotlight on the severity of the problem. This problem has been created by the inability and unwillingness of the Federal government to enforce existing immigration laws. This inaction has been caused by the political implications related to the growing impact of the Hispanic voting block within our system.
The growing threat and costs related to our “open” border with Mexico has been ignored by the Clinton, Bush, and now Obama administrations. Meanwhile, each week thousands more sneak into our country and worsen the problems. The resulting costs on social programs is bankrupting border states, the drug problems result in a lawlessness which endangers their law abiding citizens by creating within those states a living condition which is unsafe for their families. Finally the State Government decided to take action in the absence of any support from Federal law enforcement.
I hope that this new focus of attention will finally force our “Federal fools” into action. It is a classic States Rights vs. Federal Control situation.
I would propose the following course of action:
Phase 1 – Immediately get serious about sealing the border. Use National Guard troops, build the fence, use electronic surveillance, and increase the border patrol staffing….get serious. Simultaneously establish a “Special Resident Visa” system which would give every illegal person living here one year in which to sign up and obtain the easy to get five year visa. This would get everyone registered. Use county government as the registration points at local court houses in the Court Clerk or Supervisor of Election offices.
Phase II – Establish a five year “Road to Citizenship” program for every registered “Special Resident”. This would be administered by special instruction courses provided by evening programs in the Adult Education systems across the nation. At the end of successfully completing one of these courses, testing would be administered by an Immigration official, and citizenship would be granted.
If five years passed and an illegal had refused to participate in this program, they would be considered fugitives from justice, and would be apprehended and prosecuted. In the interim, any person involved in this process who is convicted of a felony for any other violation would also be prosecuted for illegal entry.
Through this process, at the end of six years we would have control of the situation. To wait another six years will enable millions more to enter our country and thus further strain our welfare systems, our school systems, our medical systems, and our society. If we can finally stop all of the political bull crap in Washington over solving this problem, maybe they can “Get It Right”.
Rudiments: Odds and Ends Worth Mentioning-
● The Marianna sign ordinance continues to create discord between the business community and the City Officials. It is time to write a degree of common sense and flexibility into this group of codes, and thus stop the appearance of being “anti business” in Marianna. The action taken at Tuesday’s meeting which involved causing a local Church to waste $6,000 because their new sign was too large is a great example of autocratic, inconsiderate, and ill directed action by some of the City Commissioners.
● It was a blessing to interview 10 year old Noah McArthur and his family for the story on the front page of this issue. To see a boy his age already sensitive to the needs of other children is wonderful. Maybe there is hope for our society after all.
● Politicians and dirty diapers should both be changed regularly….and for the same reason.
Note: The opinions stated in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Hatcher Publications.
Be Honest, Playing Politics is keeping our Politicians from doing the right things to resolve the problem…
Solving the Immigration Problem:
I applaud the Governor of Arizona for taking a dramatic stand against the deplorable conditions which the ineptness of the Federal government has created in that state and other border states with Mexico. The enactment of this law has, of course, ignited a reaction from those who have a vested interest in maintaining the status quo. This group consists of the illegal aliens who broke our laws by sneaking across our border and are now living here and reaping the rewards of our generous and easy to get welfare entitlements, the liberal loonies who will take up any cause which has a social implication, and the drug dealers who are enjoying the easy systems of running drugs into our nation and into the hands of our youth.
While these millions of Mexicans were allowed to pour across our border, the Hispanic voting population has become a major player in the political scene of America. This has compounded the solution of the problem, since successive administrations have been too politically sensitive to stand up and do what is needed and correct. As a result, we have a situation where we have millions of illegal immigrants working in our country, while we pay millions of others who are unwilling to work, billions of tax dollars in welfare and unemployment benefits. Talk about a stupid, politically generated situation!
The reason I applaud Arizona’s action is that it has finally focused a bright, undeniable spotlight on the severity of the problem. This problem has been created by the inability and unwillingness of the Federal government to enforce existing immigration laws. This inaction has been caused by the political implications related to the growing impact of the Hispanic voting block within our system.
The growing threat and costs related to our “open” border with Mexico has been ignored by the Clinton, Bush, and now Obama administrations. Meanwhile, each week thousands more sneak into our country and worsen the problems. The resulting costs on social programs is bankrupting border states, the drug problems result in a lawlessness which endangers their law abiding citizens by creating within those states a living condition which is unsafe for their families. Finally the State Government decided to take action in the absence of any support from Federal law enforcement.
I hope that this new focus of attention will finally force our “Federal fools” into action. It is a classic States Rights vs. Federal Control situation.
I would propose the following course of action:
Phase 1 – Immediately get serious about sealing the border. Use National Guard troops, build the fence, use electronic surveillance, and increase the border patrol staffing….get serious. Simultaneously establish a “Special Resident Visa” system which would give every illegal person living here one year in which to sign up and obtain the easy to get five year visa. This would get everyone registered. Use county government as the registration points at local court houses in the Court Clerk or Supervisor of Election offices.
Phase II – Establish a five year “Road to Citizenship” program for every registered “Special Resident”. This would be administered by special instruction courses provided by evening programs in the Adult Education systems across the nation. At the end of successfully completing one of these courses, testing would be administered by an Immigration official, and citizenship would be granted.
If five years passed and an illegal had refused to participate in this program, they would be considered fugitives from justice, and would be apprehended and prosecuted. In the interim, any person involved in this process who is convicted of a felony for any other violation would also be prosecuted for illegal entry.
Through this process, at the end of six years we would have control of the situation. To wait another six years will enable millions more to enter our country and thus further strain our welfare systems, our school systems, our medical systems, and our society. If we can finally stop all of the political bull crap in Washington over solving this problem, maybe they can “Get It Right”.
Rudiments: Odds and Ends Worth Mentioning-
● The Marianna sign ordinance continues to create discord between the business community and the City Officials. It is time to write a degree of common sense and flexibility into this group of codes, and thus stop the appearance of being “anti business” in Marianna. The action taken at Tuesday’s meeting which involved causing a local Church to waste $6,000 because their new sign was too large is a great example of autocratic, inconsiderate, and ill directed action by some of the City Commissioners.
● It was a blessing to interview 10 year old Noah McArthur and his family for the story on the front page of this issue. To see a boy his age already sensitive to the needs of other children is wonderful. Maybe there is hope for our society after all.
● Politicians and dirty diapers should both be changed regularly….and for the same reason.
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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