Having been alive long enough to have seen some things pass in American society, I would now like to make a modest proposal to our elected officials. since the end of World War 2, it has become fashionable in the political life to give your electorate whatever they want. Seems that the way to get, and keep getting, elected (so that you do not have to work for a living, like the hoi polloi do), is to promise the electorate the moon, stars, and planets. I now propose a radical thought. Most of us have, in the course of our adult lives, had kids. What happens when you give your kids everything they want? Come on, you all know....... So here it is. Mabye, just mabye, it is time for a return to the principles that made this country great. Instead of giving us what we all want, you politicos should give us the things we have to have- and let us be responsible for our own wants! Example: Claiborne Pell and his bunch made it possible for everybody to get a college education, back in 1965 or so. Without speculating on whether it is a good idea for plumbers and garbagemen to have PhD's, follow this thought. if everybody has a college degree, pray tell- what is it worth? A bachelors' degree has become the new high school diploma- it MIGHT get you in the door, but little else. I remember, in 1966, my mother bought our first color TV. She paid $2000 for it. Now, Walmart is selling them for $99. Homeless people have them. You can get a good one in the classifieds for $25. The principle applies to government as well. If everybody can get the government to do for them what they ought to be doing for themselves, then what is government worth? I realize that I might be starting to sound like Herbert Hoover, here, but I have considered that our society has reached the point of no return. We EXPECT the government to give us what we want, and then we get mad when they hand us the bill! We need Policemen, Firemen, clean air and water, and Garbagemen (and other things that I might be missing for now). We don't need taxpayer supported swimming pools, taxpayer donations to private businesses, and other money-wasters. One of the reasons that we do not trust our politicians is because we don't trust ourselves. The major difference between us and our forebears is that they had the ability to exercise restraint and delay gratification. We do not. We want it NOW, and we've been getting it now since 1960 or so. Bad news, folks- there is no longer enough of the pie to go around. As a society, we need to start making some hard choices, to wit: Do we really need this? Do we really want this? What sort of legacy are we leaving, "to ourselves, and our posterity"? We must return to the exercise of self-control and restraint, and pass that legacy on to our children, otherwise things will NEVER get better. 

Permalink:
http://my.kentuckynewera.com/post/localpolitics/a_modest_proposal.html

Trackback URL:
http://my.kentuckynewera.com/post/localpolitics/a_modest_proposal.trackback

This is my comment

Permalink:
http://my.kentuckynewera.com/post/localpolitics/my_entry.html

Trackback URL:
http://my.kentuckynewera.com/post/localpolitics/my_entry.trackback

I know a lot of other cities are starting to enforce new polices. I was wondering if Hopkinsville was going to follow suite. Hopefully not. I heard that starting next year in some states like California and Florida that women were going to be allowed to drive. Not just during the day time but at night time too. Can you just imagine how dangerous our streets would be? If we give into these new women’s “rights” soon they will be eating at restaurants, playing pro sports, and worst of all….they will be voting. Just think of what these changes will do to our city and in the long run, our country.

Permalink:
http://my.kentuckynewera.com/post/localpolitics/new_laws.html

Trackback URL:
http://my.kentuckynewera.com/post/localpolitics/new_laws.trackback

It's budget season, and officials from both the city and the county are busy sorting the myriad of funding requests from outside organizations.

In your opinion, what outside organizations (such as the Economic Development Council, the Emergency Operations Center, the library, the museum, the airport, the Chamber of Commerce, the volunteer fire department, and many others) should our local governments be concentrating on funding?

Do you think the city and county have done a good job in the past being a good steward to the community through funding local organizations? Have they ignored an organization that should be funded or funded one that shouldn't?

What do you want your government representatives to remember as they look through their budget options?

Permalink:
http://my.kentuckynewera.com/post/localpolitics/budget_season.html

Trackback URL:
http://my.kentuckynewera.com/post/localpolitics/budget_season.trackback