Flush 'em Friday: The 4 15 11 Edition

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Helllllllllllllo Anybody!!!!!! Happy Flush 'em Friday!

This weeks' list of entries needing to be flushed are:

• People who dress young when they are not. No one is forever 21....
• Politicians...for being more concerned with reelection than doing what is right and passing the burden down
• Green policies...what a sham...going green just means my money in someone else's pocket
• George Stephanopoulos for being such a liberal chearleader in the guise of an open-minded journalist
• ABC news for being such a blatant propaganda machine for the Democrats
• David Stern for fining  Kobe but not KG and everyone else
• People who turn without using their turn signals (I know I flush 'em a lot, but, they bug me)
• Bailouts, stimulus and "investment/taxes"
• People who paint their houses pink 

Come on now and share who you would like to Flush 'em Friday!

Thanks to the Scout House Old Guard

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Last night I attended a meeting for the Scout House where my son Cub Scout Pack meets a few times a month. Why? Because I want my son to have a great experience with scouting. Isn't that why we as parents  do anything?

As the meeting progressed I became more involved in the discussions involving things like Spaghetti Dinners, people who aren't paying rent, and floors that need to be redone. What I appreciate are the people who have been there for years working behind the scenes making sure that Cub Scout, Boy  Scouts, and Girl Scouts can have a place to meet.

Now, how do I fit into all this? Me, I guess my personality does not allow me to just be a recipient, but, I feel compelled to be an active member at whatever I am involved with. I am blessed that there are people like the leaders of my Scout House to lead me.

So, here's to the old guard who is trying to train up the next guard. Thanks!

No Tax Tuesday 4 12 11 Edition

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Hello and Happy No Tax Tuesday!

Message to California Governor Jerry Brown: No.

I  can not pay any more taxes. I do not want to pay anymore taxes. I do not see any reason to pay any more taxes. 

To the contrary, I want less taxation. I want to pay less taxes. I do not see any reason that my taxes should not be lowered. Yes, Governor Brown, I hear you blathering nonsense about there being no other way to "fix" the budget, but, it sounds like the same old tune where I (the tax payer) gets the shaft and you the "leader" just passes the buck of responsibility of  decision making on to the tax payer. Horrible leadership. 

Where does all the money go right now? Every time I fill up my car with gasoline I notice that a huge percentage of the per-gallon cost is taxes! Where is that money going? What is the state government doing with the tax revenue it extracts from  the tax paying working class?

In short, I do not want to pay more taxes, I want the government to what I am doing and what they would be forcing me to do: make do with less, do more with less, live below your means.

NO MORE TAXES. 

What are you going to do about the problem I created?

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Well Happy Monday to you all.

How people react to crisis or problems, to me, shows a lot about who they really are. There are those who go face the problem, those who run away from the problem, and then there are those who throw someone else at the problem. 

How does this relate to me (and maybe you)? Glad you asked. First of all at work I am amazed at how people keep trying methods that have been unsuccessful. As I have said before I work at a good sized Middle School. One of my duties is to deal with students who have behavior issues, discipline. I have never been a strong proponent of the "hold 'em and scold 'em" approach. That is where the teacher sends the student to the administrator or dean and the students is severely punished, returned to the classroom never to misbehave again. Not since corporal punishment has been removed has that been effective. At my school the AP over discipline developed a plan which he call a WIP (Work In Progress), which we have never worked on. It is not a bad plan, it just needed progressive work. Anyways, when I suggested that we needed to work on it because of a growing number of behavior issues and his response was to add another layer of detentions, without discussion from those who are attempting to deal with the students. More hold 'em and scold 'em. 

Now, in government I see my President, Governor, Congressmen and Representatives response to the current budget crisis.  Medicare and the entitlement programs are eating themselves alive. Benefits can't keep up with cost of living because the cost to run the programs just morphs into uncontrolled spending. So, the suggestions by my top leaders is to borrow more money and ask the people to pay more taxes. So, the leaderships pathway is to lower my standard of living by taking more money out of my pocket to run government programs that are mismanaged and only cost more to run. 

So, my leadership at work wants to avoid proximity (sometimes just visible discourages foolishness) by adding discipline which is a misshapen band-aid at best and my government leadership wants to thrown (borrowed) money rather than make real choices. 

Lord, help us....