Revolution

“The way people in democracies think of the government as something different from themselves is a real handicap. And, of course, sometimes the government confirms their opinion.” ~Lewis Mumford, in Anne Chisholm, Philosophers of the Earth: Conversations with Ecologists, 1972

“It might be more worthwhile if we stopped wringing our hands and started ringing our congressmen.” ~Author Unknown

“Democracy is two wolves and a lamb deciding what to have for dinner. Liberty is a well-armed lamb.” ~Benjamin Franklin

Along with most Americans, I’ve become quite disappointed with the politicians in Washington. It’s time for a REVOLUTION.

My expectation of our representatives is they provide a good government for a fair price. Unfortunately, the two parties in power are controlled by special interest groups that are hell bent on extreme political agendas without the financial means to support their agenda. There appears to be no room for Americans that want to apply common sense approaches to the world’s problems.

Imagine you were over budget at work. Every year? How long would your boss tolerate your job performance if you were always spending too much and did not get along with your coworkers? Not only are our politicians tolerated, they are rewarded when they are able to spend extra funds – as long as it’s in their district.

There are justified arguments that Democrats are spending too much money on social programs AND Republicans are spending too much money on corporate and military programs. I want to assure you that you are BOTH right. All of the politicians are spending more money than they (we) have – and blaming each other. They work very hard to make us believe it’s the other Parties fault. Much of our population is worked into a frenzy of true hatred against anyone in the “wrong” party, while politicians on both sides are operating out of control.

Some say we need more government, while others maintain that we need less government. I maintain we need good government.

When asked, politicians always have 2 defenses: “it’s the other guy” and “you don’t understand”. I’ve heard several politicians in both parties claim it’s the other party out of control. EVERY politician comes home to their district and promises they are doing the best they can – if they could just get the rest of Congress to follow their lead. All 535 Senators and Representatives are blaming the other 534. They also claim that they just can’t be a one issue politician. They just can’t focus on a balanced budget and forget everything else.

Of course, this is all bogus!!!! The only issue each politician is really interested in is getting re-elected.

I can understand a well intentioned politician going to Washington to make things better. Unfortunately, the party leaders coerce their members to tow the line. There is no room in the current parties for politicians that try to meet the real needs of their constituents.

I had suggested that we “throw the bums out”. By this, I originally meant that we should continually vote out all incumbents – no matter which party – until they started to listen to their constituents. Sadly, I am now convinced this approach will not work. Each party is too entrenched in their divisive positions and party leaders have too much control over each representative.

That is why we need to completely eliminate both Parties. I encourage each American to vow to never vote for another Democrat or Republican – FOREVER. I am hopeful that both Parties will be eliminated within 20 years. At this time, I don’t care if they are replaced by 2 or 10 additional parties as long as those parties are more responsive to the needs of Americans.

“The best argument against democracy is a five-minute conversation with the average voter. “ ~Winston Churchill

“If people behaved like governments, you'd call the cops.” ~Kelvin Throop

“Democracy: The state of affairs in which you consent to having your pocket picked, and elect the best man to do it.” ~Benjamin Lichtenberg

“Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys. “ ~P.J. O'Rourke

“The marvel of all history is the patience with which men and women submit to burdens unnecessarily laid upon them by their governments.” ~William E. Borah

DIET DIET

Where do you go to get anorexia? ~Shelley Winters

I've been on a constant diet for the last two decades. I've lost a total of 789 pounds. By all accounts, I should be hanging from a charm bracelet. ~Erma Bombeck

It’s no secret that I could lose a few pounds. I along with too many people have become a society out of control. I’d read that more people die now of eating too much than eating too little. Excess weight has become a prevailing health issue among many people, including me. Whether a person is a few pounds overweight or truly obese, excess weight can detrimentally affect mental and physical health. Weight control is a misnomer by any definition.

Our attempts to control our weight are due to many motivations, some good and others not so good. We want to look better for a date, or reunion, or wedding. We fear heart attacks, personal rejections, and career frustration. We view any excess weight as a personal failure to control an important part of our life, our body.

We look for answers to conquer this failure. We struggle through unhealthy diets, expensive health plans, risky operations, and supplemental drugs in an effort to rid our bodies of undesirable pounds. Billions of dollars are spent, and millions of dreams are dashed as we struggle to resolve our dilemma.

There is hope for all of us. But first we must understand our body and mind. We need to understand how we make mistakes and how we allow others to make mistakes for us. This is your body, your choice, and your life. I’m not sure you should take diet advice from a guy that loves Krispy Cremes, but hopefully the concept makes a little sense. I call my wellness program the DIET/DIET.

DIET/DIET is a simple concept. However, the application will take a lifetime, hopefully a long lifetime.

DIET/DIET is a question you must ask yourself everyday.

DIET/DIET is a dual acronym designed to balance healthy food choices and exercise.


Do I Eat This?

Did I Exercise Today?

Our food choices are the primary culprit in weight gain, and preventing loss. You should see a nutritionist or find a few good books to insure you are eating the right foods. It’s difficult to eat right with our busy lives and the availability of poor food choices. Essentially, you should be able to answer the question “Do I Eat This?” every time you take a bite. Find out if you don’t know. Here is a GREAT website that can help with food choices: http://mypyramid.gov/

Exercise can be as simple as taking and extra walk or joining a gym. (AND GOING!) You need to exercise at least 3 times per week. I often hear there isn’t enough time. My theory is any time spent exercising doesn’t count against the time you live. Here is the proof to my theory.

Research has indicated that your life expectancy will decrease by 3 years if you are 50 pounds overweight. So I figure each pound lost will add 22 days to your life. You should lose 1 pound with 7 hours of exercise. That’s right – work out for 7 hours – live another 22 days. And you don’t have enough time – give me a break.

I understand that’s a bit simplistic – so let’s look at a long term exercise investment. Let’s exercise 4 hours per week for 60 years. (15 to 75). Assuming you work out every week for 4 hours, you would invest 10,400 hours over 60 years. In return for these 10,400 hours of exercise, you live another 3 years or 26,280 hours. That means you add 2.5 hours to your life for every hour you exercise. So, ask yourself everyday “Did I Exercise Today?”

I’ve always joked that I’d rather be happy for 65 years than miserable for 70 years. However, you don’t have to be miserable. It’s just a matter of balancing your food choices and your exercise. Easier said than done – maybe I’ll have to write more about motivation later – but that’ll need more research.

I'm not including too many pictures this week - you don't need to see it.

The biggest seller is cookbooks and the second is diet books - how not to eat what you've just learned how to cook. ~Andy Rooney

Stressed spelled backwards is desserts. Coincidence? I think not! ~Author Unknown

the Sheriff wants to talk to you

The guys who fear becoming fathers don't understand that fathering is not something perfect men do, but something that perfects the man. The end product of child raising is not the child but the parent. ~Frank Pittman, Man Enough

Parenthood is the passing of a baton, followed by a lifelong disagreement as to who dropped it. ~Robert Brault

I’ve been drafting blogs about “perfection” and “volunteering”, but just can’t complete my thoughts ~ still may focus on those subjects later. Instead, I’ve settled my mind today on a few Scout stories that are related to perfection and volunteering.

I’ve had a lot of fun with Boy Scouts over the years. I didn’t get into Scouting until my kids were old enough – what a great learning experience for all of us. I learned that seldom was it perfect, and we always needed more volunteers.

I’ve been a Unit Commissioner for 2 troops the past few years. The Commissioner advises the troops when needed. For the most part I’ve helped resolve a few problems. The fun part has been attending Eagle Scout ceremonies. I’m not a really good Commissioner. Frankly, my interest has always been working with boys rather than leaders. When I was a Scoutmaster, parents would complain that we needed more volunteers ~ or that we needed certain parents to be more involved. I usually responded that my mission in life was to raise kids – not their parents, and that I’d met some of “those” parents and doubted they should really be involved with the troop.

I am convinced that participation in Scouting, sports, music, or any other youth group should not be considered a volunteer activity by Mom’s and Dad’s ~ it’s a parental responsibility! It’s also a joy and opportunity for personal growth ~ for both kids and parents.

Many of my close friends are former Scouts or parents of those Scouts. I am proud of their accomplishments – Doctors, lawyers, teachers, programmers, soldiers, ect. You really get to know people well when you’ve had hundreds of meetings together, scores of nights camping, and completed projects and events. I usually see somebody daily that was associated with past Scouting activities. It’s a real joy to recall old stories – and catch up on what the grown Scouts are now working on.

Several years ago, we took an ambitious trip to the San Juan Islands. The San Juans are an archipelago located off the coast off Northern Washington. There are 4 main islands with unlimited activities. There were 24 boys, and 8 parents. We camped the first and last night of the trip in Issaquah. This made transportation reasonable. We camped 6 nights on the Islands, 3 nights on San Juan Island and 3 nights on Orcas Island. What a great trip. Here are just a few of the activities:

1. Attended Seattle Mariners game.
2. The older boys completed a 50 mile bike ride.
3. Toured an oyster farm.
4. Group 10 mile bike ride.
5. Swimming
6. Hiked to the top of Mt. Constitution – 10 miles.
7. Toured the Whale museum.
8. Toured the Air Museum in Seattle.
9. Completed several merit badges. (Cooking was GREAT!!!!)
10. Observed a “replica” Pig Wars battle.
11. ++++

Our last night of camping was back at Issaquah, at a campground outside of Seattle. We’d travelled from Orcas Island, visited the air museum, and were getting ready to call it a night. It had been a long week – and everyone was certainly tired.

As we were settling down for bed, Cody came to my tent to advise that another man in camp was harassing a lady who needed help. I was tired – told him “have her call 911”. After a few minutes, and a little prodding from Connie, I got up to see what was going on. I walk through the campground – found some older scouts working on a craft project – and everyone else seemed to be in bed. Whew – time to get back to bed. About a half hour later, Cody comes to my tent again, “Mr. Hachquet, the Sheriff wants to talk to you”.

So – I get dressed – again - and walk down to the campground office. Apparently a couple in the campground was having an argument. (After several drinks). The man disrobed himself and was chasing the lady. Four of the younger Scouts, Bob, Cody, Cody, and Aaron were by the phone checking with their Mom’s. They jumped into action when the man was chasing the lady. The Scouts assigned each other tasks – 1 followed the guy, 1 followed the girl (to make sure she was OK), one was looking for the campground host, and the 4th called the Sherriff. They believed the man was going to attack the lady – but knew better than confront him. So far the story is scary – hmmm – it get's better.

Once the Sherriff arrived, the fighting couple settled down and apologized to each other. Then he wanted to talk to me. Apparently the man had disrobed to show his girlfriend that he would give up everything for her. The Sherriff explained the situation to me, and asked me to determine if the Scouts had been offended. If so, the Sheriff would arrest the man involved. Once I explained the situation to the Scouts, Aaron immediately responded “how poetic” ~ the others laughed. They were more amused than offended. There were no charges.

We are not done yet ~ remember that I’d mentioned a battlefield replica during the trip. Once we got back to our camp area, two of the boys decided they should do their own replica for the Scouts that missed the show – including one Scout representing the stripped man. His Mom, who was in camp, was less than impressed.

We finally got to sleep about an hour later. What a memory!!!!


In "If I Had My Child To Raise Over Again" Diane Loomans writes:

If I had my child to raise all over again,
I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later.
I'd finger-paint more, and point the finger less.
I would do less correcting and more connecting.
I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.
I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.
I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play.
I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.
I'd do more hugging and less tugging.~



As a child my family's menu consisted of two choices: take it, or leave it. ~Buddy Hackett

The child supplies the power but the parents have to do the steering. ~Benjamin Spock, Dr. Spock's Baby and Child Care

Here are a few Scout pictures - sorry I don't have digital copies of the San Juan trip - I need to work on that.

Heaven has a new Angel and King

"When I stand before God at the end of my life, I would hope that I would not have a single bit of talent left, and could say, "I used everything you gave me." ~Erma Bombeck

"I arise in the morning torn between a desire to improve the world and a desire to enjoy the world. This makes it hard to plan the day." ~Elwyn Brooks White

WHEW – it’s been a sobering month – time to reflect on what’s really important in life. There have been several – too many – events that have caused me to reflect – even more than usual.

Nickelback has a current song on the charts entitled “If today was you last day”. The lyrics are toward the end of this blog ~ enjoy. This is a perfect song. This is the song I’d write ~ if I could write a song. I enjoy much of the music that is currently played. Frankly, I did not enjoy much during the 80’s and 90’s, mostly preferring music from the 60’s and 70’s. But – it’s sounding better the past 10 years – thanks!!!

We’ve had tragedy and success at work the past month. The great news is Kelly, my boss, is doing well after a triple bypass last week. Kelly is a relatively healthy and active guy – but discovered heart problems after riding his bike 50 miles. He went home from the hospital on Fathers Day – and has a very positive and inspirational attitude.

However, we lost 2 great friends this past month. Mike succumbed to cancer on June 2 after a long fight. He was a great guy – always had a smile. Mike worked with our growers to make sure we had product. He also has a small farm, which he was able to have cows. We really enjoyed the hamburger meat we bought every year from Mike. I’ll miss his positive attitude and great spirit.

Ted lost his life on June 11 to a sudden heart attack. Ted worked on our Maintenance crew, and had been a part of our business for 34 years. He had several family members that also work here. Ted was an active outdoorsman. He was always willing to do the extra things at work – I’m wondering who will use the tractor next winter to remove the snow.

June 25th was another tough day – as we all lost Farrah Fawcett and Michael Jackson. WOW – how sad. There is a new Angel and King in heaven.

Farrah was 62, and had fought a long public battle with cancer. I hope that she brought even more public awareness to this dreaded disease. She proved to be stronger than anyone imagined! I have to admit that I’ve been a Farrah fan for a long time. She became an Angel on our TV screens – and I’m sure she is an Angel today. I wasn’t really into pin ups when I was a youngster. I only had 2 when I was in college – one was Farrah – do you blame me?

Michael was only 50 when he died yesterday of a cardiac arrest. WOW. There is probably nothing I can write that hasn’t been written a million times already. He was the King of Pop ….and he was Wacko Jacko. I believe Michael was a genuinely kind and benevolent person. I am convinced he had no conceptions of limits or boundaries – not that he was a villain – but he just didn’t understand why there were limits. That’s why he was so great on the stage – and so odd off stage. I believe he was certainly an odd character off stage – whether inappropriate or not, we’ll never really know, but I leave that for God to decide. I do know that he was great on stage. He was the best entertainer – EVER. I didn’t like all his music – but most of it stretched well beyond previous limits. He was a great singer. He was a great dancer. He was a great humanitarian. And there is no denying together he was a great entertainer on stage. He sold more records than anyone - ANYONE! I’d mentioned there was not a lot of music I enjoyed in the 80’s and 90’s ~ Michael was a clear exception. I can’t help but wonder if he could have extended his creativity. Maybe, as Erma Bombeck quoted "I used everything you gave me."

Hmmm~

Farrah was 62
Mike was 58
Ted was 55
Michael was 50

I’m 54, Kelly too – ouch – better make each day count!!!! Kelly and I have had bucket list conversations in the past. One of the items in our collective bucket is to ski when we are 70. I sure hope we achieve that goal.

If Today was Your Last Day (Nickelback)

My best friend gave me the best advice,

he said each day's a gift and not a given right.

Leave no stone unturned, leave your fears behind,

and try to take the path less traveled by
that first step you take is the longest ride.

Chorus:

If today was your last day,

and tomorrow was too late, could say goodbye to yesterday?

Would you, would you?

Would you live each moment like your last?

And leave old pictures in the past?

And don't hate any night you had?

Would you, would you?

If today was your last day?

Against the grain should be your way of life.

What’s worth the price is always worth the fight.

Every second counts, cuz there’s no second try.

So live like you'll never live it twice.

Don’t take the free ride in your own life.

Chorus

Would you call those friends you never see?

Reminisce on memories,

Would you forgive your enemies?

Would you find that one you're dreaming of?

Swear up and down to god above,

that you'll fight only for the love?

Chorus

Would you, would you?

Make up it up like mending a broken heart?

You know, it's never too late.To shoot for the stars,regardless of who you are?

So, do whatever it takes,

cuz you can't rewind a moment in this life.

Let nothing stand in your way,

cause when your hands are tied,

I’m always there, I'm on your side.

Life is simple, it’s just not easy. ~Author Unknown

Life's not always fair. Sometimes you can get a splinter even sliding down a rainbow. ~Cherralea Morgen

Life is like a coin. You can spend it any way you wish, but you only spend it once. ~Lillian Dickson

I'm a pretty lucky golfer!!!

I'm about five inches from being an outstanding golfer. That's the distance my left ear is from my right. ~Ben Crenshaw

The only time my prayers are never answered is on the golf course. ~Billy Graham


I could write a book about golf – so reasonable blogging will take serious editing ~ but it probably means that I’ll have to write more in later blogs ~ we’ll see where the writing spirits take me. It’s not that I’m a good golfer ~ or even addicted ~ just that I have a great respect for the game.

Golf is an opportunity to get in a nice walk, and focus on something else. More often than not I am relaxed on the course. I like walking – you have time to reflect on your game, or the day, or whatever you want. While I play some rounds in a cart – it’s just not the same game. You don’t get the exercise, and you spend most of your time between shots chatting. When walking, I get a little more needed exercise, but you also have a lot of time to just mentally wind down. I believe a person enjoys the game if they take it serious enough to want to get better, but understand you will never truly conquer a golf course.

Golf is just like any other game or sport ~ they more you play, the better you get. You can take lessons, buy the best clubs, and the newest balls ~ but you are not going to get better until you play – a lot. While physical strength can help, a lot of the game is played between the ears. The more you play, the better you get ~ both physically and mentally!

I’m a pretty lucky golfer. My boss loves to play golf. My wife loves to play golf. There is no problem getting out. I had to institute a 40 degree rule at home. We play year round, whenever we can get away for a few hours ~ which is most weekends. This includes the winter which can get a little chilly. Connie is worse than me; she’d play in any weather. Thus the 40 degree rule – we don’t go out until the thermometer hits 40 degrees. There are a lot of days during the winter when Connie will be checking the thermometer every 20 minutes. The only complaint she has is when the wind is blowing. She’ll play in rain ~ or even snow, but hates the wind.

I had the chance to visit my boss today - after his triple bypass surgery last week. WOW - he's doing great thanks to everyone's prayers. Our conversation quickly turned to golf. Kelly indicated since he couldn't play again until August - he wanted me to hit a few for him. He added that anytime I hit a bad shot - that could be his shot - I could drop another ball for "my" shot.

While I seldom talk business during golf, I’ve had many work related golf days. You get to know people a lot better when golfing. That may be true of other social activities – but golf exposes how the player reacts to events on the course – both good and bad. Some people definitely take it a little too serious – or at least more serious than me. I don’t mind a little smack talk – it reminds me that we should just be a having fun.

I’ve had the good luck to play on some great courses, and play with GREAT golfers. I’ve played with a lot of golfers that think they are good – but probably only 3 that are really good. One friend actually played on the Senior golf tour. You realize what a really good player is when you play with him. The rest of us better just be having fun – ‘cuz the guys that are good are having fun.

Here are a few golf pics:





Leavenworth, WA

Bandon, OR #18

Lake at Bandon

Bandon, OR

Bandon, OR

Bandon, OR

Bandon, OR

Mike in a little trouble at Pumpkin Ridge - Portland ~ yes, I did get through the trees!

Golf is so popular simply because it is the best game in the world at which to be bad. ~A.A. Milne

It's easy to see golf not as a game at all but as some whey-faced, nineteenth-century Presbyterian minister's fever dream of exorcism achieved through ritual and self-mortification. ~Bruce McCall

Hockey is a sport for white men. Basketball is a sport for black men. Golf is a sport for white men dressed like black pimps. ~Tiger Woods

101 dog hints

I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive. ~Gilda Radner

If you think dogs can't count, try putting three dog biscuits in your pocket and then giving Fido only two of them. ~Phil Pastoret

We love our dog - most of the time. We have a relatively large Shih-tzu named Bowie. Bowie is more of a mammas boy. We'll both be sitting in the living room, I'll call him to sit on my lap. He will look at me, look at Connie ~ and promptly walk over and sit on her lap. I have to have treats to get his attention. Oh well - gotta love dogs. We've had a lot of great dogs - and dog stories.

I've heard that you can always trust dog people. I don't know if all people that have dogs are good ~ probably not ~ but I do believe that all people that have dogs are better for it. The dogs teach us how to have a good day - no matter what is going on around them.

We had a dog that learned how to jump in the back window of the car to go for a ride. One day, while we were working in the front yard, a car was driving by the house slowly. Our dog ran and jumped in the back window that was open. It was especially embarrassing because the car was a police car. Hmmm - fortunately, he had a sense of humor!

I'd be remiss if I didn't point out that pet ownership is also a tremendous responsibility. Here is a link to the American Kennel Clubs 101 suggestions to become a responsible dog owner:

http://www.akc.org/public_education/responsible_dog_owner.cfm

Wow - it takes a lot of hard work to be a good pet owner - but it's the best investment you'll ever make!!

I have pictures below of our dogs and others in the family - gotta luv 'em! Roscoe was a great dog - learned lotza tricks - and was always great with kids. Blackie was Dad's dog. And the two in the baby carriage were Pam's dogs.

My goal in life is to be as good of a person my dog already thinks I am. ~Author Unknown

A cat, after being scolded, goes about its business. A dog slinks off into a corner and pretends to be doing a serious self-reappraisal. ~Robert Brault

Welcome to Pendleton – gothcha

The taxpayer - that's someone who works for the federal government but doesn't have to take the civil service examination. ~Ronald Reagan

Taxation with representation ain't so hot either. ~Gerald Barzan

Bridge to nowhere, lofty dream, or great project?

Pendleton recently held an election to increase the local gas tax by 4 cents per gallon. The purpose of the tax is to pay for a road project that will make land available for business development. There has been a fair amount of controversy. For the record, I support the road project, but oppose paying for it with gas taxes.

I am concerned about the decision process to start the road project and the source of funding. However, I’m certain we need to have industrial ready land for potential businesses.

Let’s get real. Before I list my concerns, I want to address the cost of the gas tax because there are a lot of local citizens that are angry. Those that voted “no” need to settle down a little. Let’s look at the math for those, like me, that opposed the tax. We are only talking about $20 per year. Give me a break!!!! Most folks that commute to work drive about 50 miles per day. This equates to 12,500 miles per year. This would require 500 gallons of gas for a typical car that gets 25 miles per gallon. Your incremental tax is $20 if you add 4 cents to 500 gallons of gas. Some a little more – some a little less.

Here is a list of my concerns:

The purpose of the road project was to promote local business. However, the 4 cent gas tax creates a situation where a few current local businesses have a disadvantage with other similar businesses in the region. The gas stations in the city limits will have a 4 cent disadvantage against stations within just a few miles. It is too easy for people to opt out of the tax by buying gas outside of city limits.

The gas tax will disproportionately affect people that consume more gas. This includes many that have to commute for work. Nothing could be less fair than paying for this project through gas taxes.

The supporters explained that taxing gas was a great idea because 40-45% of the gas sold in town was to people that lived out of town. This concerns me for 2 reasons. The first is we should be trying to find more reasons for visitors to come to our town – not fewer reasons. It’s a “Welcome to Pendleton – gothcha” mentality. The second reason is that I feel it is not responsible to spend other people’s money. The local residents that will theoretically prosper should be the ones that pay. I believe that politicians in general make bad decisions when they insure that “somebody else" pays for it.

The other option to a gas tax would be for property taxes to pay for the project. I was in the minority that feels this is the best option. It’s a little self centered because my property holdings are less than others, but again this is a fairer method of taxing for this type of project. Theoretically those that benefit the most should pay for the project. IF the road project brings industrial business to Pendleton, then the property values go up – or at least stabilize – and property owners benefit.

I am also concerned that some supporters of the project have been misleading and arrogant. (NOT ALL SUPPORTERS) They had argued that the election was to support the community. That is not true. The project has already been approved and started: the only issue was how the project would be financed. They also expressed appreciation to the community for supporting the project. While the tax passed by a 54% yes to 46% no, our community leaders need to understand there are still 46% of local citizens that may not financially support the project. I would be more comfortable if they at least recognized the legitimate concerns rather than demonize opponents.

I’d rather have a gas tax to repair current roads in town – geez. Pendleton now has the second highest gas tax in Oregon. Only Eugene surpasses at 5 cents. You gotta know that Eugene is a tax and spend haven! Most other cities in Oregon that have a gas tax – there’s about 20, have limited the tax to 1-2 cents. Most of these taxes are directed only for current road repair. There are a few that have taxed for development projects – but not many.

There are private land owners along the new road that will realize significant improvements in their property value due to this project. It’s a mixed bag issue – they will realize a gain at public expense if the land is developed, or they may be taxed at a higher property value even if there is no real benefit.

OK – so why am I ranting? Folks, I think it makes a difference what our public projects are – AND how we pay for them. The whole concept of letting somebody else pay for it bothers me. That’s why my great-great-great grandchildren will be paying for my stimulus check. Oh well ~ it’s just a part of my political frustration. I know that Republicans blame Democrats for getting us into a mess, and Democrats blame the Republicans for the same. My theory is they are both right. ~ more on that another day .

I think I’ll go buy a bike!

Here are a few photos that fit my opinion – enjoy:


















If you make any money, the government shoves you in the creek once a year with it in your pockets, and all that don't get wet you can keep. ~Will Rogers

When there's a single thief, its robbery. When there are a thousand thieves, its taxation. ~Vanya Cohen