What has happened? None of our public servants serve in their public offices to serve the people. They now serve to serve themselves. The title should change from public servant to public speaker, since that's about all they do. Black, white, Republican, Democrat--it's non-partisan and non-racial. Their entire goal is to be re-elected. Not entirely--they want to be re-elected and "please don't let the ship sink on my watch."
Yesterday Arizona overwhelmingly voted to pass a one-cent sales tax increase to mostly fund public safety and education. I'm not deluding myself into thinking that all the recipients of these funds are listed on the website. But I'm sure the money collected will stem the tide of financial implosion for a little while, at least.
Unfortunately, I don't think it will solve any of our state's problems long-term. A cork has been found to plug the hole in the dike, but the dike is already bulging and the pressure behind it is increasing. The same can be said on the federal level. Ideas are passed without the cash to back them. None of our officials want to be the unpopular one to mark programs or facilities for the guillotine. But something's gotta give, or the whole structure is doomed.
Why can't we cut all-day kindergarten to save $10 million?
Why do we need to widen more freeways?
Why did we need to cut the public library's hours, but we still found enough funds to repaint it?
I'm an underinformed citizen, to be sure. But surely someone somewhere crunches these numbers and sees what I see, and more? Doesn't anyone have the courage to say, "We just don't have the money for that?" And then do away with it? Doesn't anyone have the cajones to stand up and say NO!
I've had to tighten the purse strings at my house. I bet you have, too. Why are our public officials still trying to support enormous projects without financial support? Where will this lead? Will we have another crisis like the banking fiasco? Or the auto industry? Or the state of California? What will be next?
Isn't there anyone left in public service with a drop of common sense? If there is, I'd like to talk to them. Because, quite frankly, I don't have the time to run for office yet. I still have too many kids at home that need me. But watch out. I may be heading there, because common sense is something I've got in spades.
This rant and rave is brought to you today by the letter R. Political opinions are that of the author only, no reflection on Mrs. Jenny (unless, of course, she agrees with me).
Thank you.
I will now retire my soapbox and return you to your regularly scheduled mommy blog entries.
I don't get it either. Seriously, do you really need me to come down there and spill it for you? Budget cuts are easy, cut out everything that is not absolutely necessary. And I'm sure I could find plenty within any city, state or country's budget. It drives me bonkers!
ReplyDeleteAmen! Amen!! Amen!!! No more turning a blind eye and winking at favorite projects with the other. I am tired of the hypocrisy. Blatant lies. And treating the American people like we have no idea what we are talking about and that they know better than we do. Hello!
ReplyDeleteAnd so I say it one more time:
AMEN!
ps I would vote for you!
THANK YOU! You said it so well. I a on your side!
ReplyDeleteI'll bet you'd be in Washington in a minute if you declared your candidacy!
ReplyDeleteA good rant is good, once in a while - and heaven knows, we have reason!
It is really hard to understand the choices made. Here in South Carolina the governor didn't sign a bill to raise cigarette taxes whle the house is debating whether to freeze teachers salaries.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my blog. You have a gorgeous family!!
ReplyDeleteBut I have a question...are you WANTING them to cut full day kindergarten?
I teach first...and unless they lower the expectations placed on 1st grade learning they better not cut kindergarten! I think we are expecting too much of these babies already (ie...making them do things that use to be 2nd and 3rd grade learning expectations) b/c they are expecting our kinders to do what we use to do in 1st. So unless we (and I don't mean to say it in this way, but really there's no other way to say it) "lower our expectations" to what 5 and 6 yr olds are REALLY capable of doing, and not what the powers of be THINK they should be able to do, then I hope they do not cut full day kinder, or then we'll really fall behind!
There are NONE left. That I Can find anyway. They are Charging kids to ride the bus to school in my neck of the woods next year. Yup. 50 cents per ride (not per day, per ride). Imagine what that would cost you!
ReplyDeleteI do wish I was better informed. My husband listens to talk radio daily and is usually ranting and raving about something similar. You are right!
ReplyDeleteAnd I can't beleive the .50 bus ride...crazy!
This is especially scary for child welfare departments. Where I live the county child services budget will be cut by 33% by Jan (but we've still got pretty new signs for our lamp posts every season). I asked the worker at my agency what this will mean. In her opinion, and many that she works with in the county, this means that supportive programs for troubled families will be cut. Families that are just barely hanging on will fall apart without that support and more children will be put under the care of the government. They are anticipating more children in foster care. My guess is, as horrible as it is, we'll also hear more stories about children being harmed or killed by their parents. These monetary issues will hugely effect our country, our families.
ReplyDeleteDo NOT get me started on a subject like this. I can get really worked up about it. I totally agree.
ReplyDelete**think about puppies. think about puppies**
Sorry. Just talking myself down. :)
Amen!
ReplyDeleteThis may sound ridiculous, but hear me out--
ReplyDeleteAfter living in Phoenix, I wondered why on earth the United Stated government would ever allow people to build up a humongous city in an unnatural, uninhabitable land. It is not naturally a place that can sustain life, and yet bazillions of dollars are spent to make it inhabitable...the water in all of those pools that dot each neighborhood and resorts, the energy strain from running air conditioners 9 out of 12 months a year-- has to come from other states. Talk about poor judgement and wastefulness--I've just never understood that a bit. Phoenix should've been declared a wasteland and left alone. And yet, every time I've visited, it's just grown bigger and bigger.
I have always wondered what would happen if, for whatever reason, water and energy couldn't get to Arizonans what would happen? It'd become a terribly huge ghost town.
Like I said, makes no sense to me to put people in a place that's naturally uninhabitable.
Common sense died a long time ago.
I'd vote for you too!
Oh no PLEASE keep standing on your soap box! I love it. This crazy spending is SO ridiculous...it's no different than someone racking up credit card debt because they "need" one more thing..a big screen TV, new clothes, fancy dinners out! I think some of us mothers who've had to budget like crazy in our lifetimes...cut everything but the bare essentials...should get together and start slashing.
ReplyDeleteAnd what's next...all day preschool to keep up with all day kindergarten? It just never stops...all these wants turn to needs and soon we are just awful people for not supporting this or that.
Amen sista! The library issue you mentioned reminds me of a local school district in the KC area. (Actually the district I grew up in.)
ReplyDeleteTwo years ago budget cuts were HUGE. Just at the same time schools needed BIG improvements. New AC units, railing, painting, flooring...you name it they needed it. (It's an old district with old buildings.)
The district asked the public for help. They pleaded that if these services could be done by donation programs would not have to be cut because the money would still be there. They dedicated two weekends in the summer to revamp the schools. ALL THE SUPPLIES AND PROFESSIONAL SKILLED LABOR WAS DONATED. Thousands of people turned out to support their local school. This allowed funding to not be cut for the important stuff...education.
Which brings me to my point: if we the people are smart enough to come together for such a revamp project...why can't we elect people who are like minded?
Just my two pennies...
please keep speaking your mind. The world needs to hear it. Common sense people. And where we live we pay $500 for our kids to ride the bus..to public school. Ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteIt seems like it is the same every where with politics. The gouvernment wants to pay billions for starfighter aeroplanes, and they want to cut down on childrenscare and old peoples and sick peoples care. We all get sick and tired of it. Great R post
ReplyDeleteLove it! My children protest when I cut out non-essentials like hershey's syrup and store bought cookies, but I am simply trying to teach them about budgeting and saving and all those other good things. They might learn the ideas in the schools, but they won't see them applied. Ex.: $100k grand pianos for the high schools... among others. I am afraid it is just the start of things to come.
ReplyDeleteps thank your husband for passing on the secret to the humungus carrots!
Help me understand this - My children's elementary school looses work books that were tax funed at a cost of $8000.00+ for one year. No more school work books. Yet our state will fund an illegal pregnancy which surely comes close to costing $8000.00 which in turn makes that illegal pregnancy/child a legal citizen - At the cost of my entire schools work books. It's time we all wake up and look beyond the xugar coating.
ReplyDeleteGreat rant...and don't even get me started on that Illegal Immigration issue. Just think what we could do with all the money we spend on health care, education, law enforcement, etc. for the illegals.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you... illegals are breaking this country in more ways than one!!
ReplyDelete"Isn't there anyone left in public service with a drop of common sense?" the answer is yes, but sadly these are the people without a lot of political clout ... and they will never have it because they are the unpopular kids on the political playground ... It's all just one big giant game ...
ReplyDeleteIt sounds to me as though you may have a few followers here. Have you considered running for office in your spare time ; )
ReplyDeleteDana
You've dashed my hopes. I've been eyeing your neck of the woods in the event that CA becomes impossible to survive in. (We're almost there!) Don't stop speaking up - I think more and more of us need to step forward and start a common sense chain reaction!
ReplyDeleteUntil every person in the U.S. (congress people and citizens) wrap their minds around the fact that everyone has to face reality, I think we are doomed. We have become and instant society. Everyone wants things when they want it and don't want to wait until they have the money. I could go on and on about this but I'll stop. I get too hyped up LOL.
ReplyDeleteYou know what? I LOVED your rant. I just looked at my husband the other day and said, "The whole world has gone mad." As a teacher in the public school system, I completely agree with the fact that expectations need to be lowered, it is insane what "the powers that be" are expecting children to do. What do teachers know anyway. Also, the budget cuts in education are felt everywhere from the staff to the students to the families. This year we are all pulling supplies out of closets and trading, because we only get 200 dollars for supplies, cut from 550 (I have 72 students; 2.77 per child) which means that parents and families will need to buy more for their children, when they are hurting as well. Yet, in my town, the federal government passed "highway" project which costs a total of 2.5 million dollars (building walls and widening the freeway at only two exits a one mile stretch) OUTRAGEOUS!!!! Let's spend less on education and more on the highway so we can get to our non-existent jobs faster!!! "Breathe in, Breathe out..."
ReplyDeleteI never could understand how funds work but I keep hearing wrong-doing of this man/woman in office but I doubt it's easy being in their shoes
ReplyDeletethanks for your visit
Cut the Ospreys and F22s from the military budget. We don't even use them, except for air shows.
ReplyDeleteApplauding wildly over here in Oklahoma! :)
ReplyDeleteI agree completely- someone needs to just say 'that's a great idea- I'm sure it'd be a great program BUT WE JUST CAN'T AFFORD IT RIGHT NOW' like a good grown-up would. But alas none are brave enough or smart enough to do so.
ReplyDeleteI read your blog from time to time because you read my I Heart Mesa blog (and you live down the street from my in-laws).
ReplyDeleteI just have to say amen as well. Your words are true.
I say cut the standardized testing. That'll save us a load and lessen stress on teachers and kids.
(And I do have to say, there might be a few upcoming politicians that are willing to say no to more spending. My brother-in-law is running mostly in part because he is tired of the lies and knows that we can't keep spending. We have to cut. It's not a popular thought, but he'll stick to it.)
Wow! R definitely got your juices flowing. I hope you feel better getting that off your chest. Scary times we live in, no doubt.
ReplyDeleteGirl you certainly got your Rant On! I would vote for you too. ;o)
ReplyDeleteSome days it seems like anyone could run our government better than our elected and appointed officials.
I completely agree with you. As Jess so eloquently put it "someone needs to just say 'that's a great idea- I'm sure it'd be a great program BUT WE JUST CAN'T AFFORD IT RIGHT NOW'".
ReplyDeleteI dont understand half the things the government does.....I just try to stay out of it....chicken I know, but otherwise it just makes me want to scream......or rant...lol
ReplyDeleteI finally started writing to letters to the editor to the AZ Republic and other local papers.
ReplyDeleteNever published.
I share your rant.
I also wonder why we need to take the speed cameras off our death-trap freeways and lose that 60 million plus in yearly revenues because some people feel they shouldn't be infringed upon to follow rules!
I never used to be political but man oh man, I am just getting outraged at our government here.
And since I have totally deviated from Alphabe-Thursday's Letter "R" let me just say that this I applaud this post!
And I give you an A+ Mesa sister.
We got into a big talk about this when I was in Dallas this weekend. They really are in it only to be re-elected, and it's ridiculous.
ReplyDeleteYou'd think they could care about the country and the people they represent, but that just isn't the agenda.
"/
PS. I am home now and will post the rest of my women's conference talk tomorrow.