beterwas
honestly misbehaving
Archive for May, 2009
May 26, 2009 at 10:00 am · Filed under Call Bullshit, Raise The Debate
As President Obama settles into his third month in office, a long-raging debate continues over whether the best place to find the answer to our economic woes – government spending or tax cuts?
I’m going to go with spending.
The idea of lowering taxes to increase revenues has been given a fair try. Twice in our lifetime, and once before that. What it results in are massive deficits, unemployment, the evisceration of vital programs like education and health care, and increases in local regressive taxes, such as property and sales tax. Read the rest of this entry »
May 25, 2009 at 1:54 pm · Filed under Call Bullshit, Confound Authority
I just received a phone call from Mayor McShurley.
It was a “courtesy call” to tell me that my email addressed was being blocked, and that her entire staff was informed to no longer take my calls.
None of my calls or emails have been abusive, profane or harassing. I’ve been polite, friendly and helpful to everyone at City Hall, despite having being met with rudeness and contempt (such as that stunt she pulled during the last CC meeting).
I have offered suggestions and assistance, volunteered my time and expertise, and until recently, been supportive of the city administration (almost to a fault, according to some).
Admittedly, I did recently make a comment about “pissing contests” between the Mayor’s office and the City Clerk’s, in response to spending six months trying to get some documents emailed to me. I can’t believe that’s it, though. Saltier things have come out of her mouth, to be sure.
I guess that’s how she rolls. Funny, I thought she worked for me.
Has anyone else out there received a similar call, I wonder?
May 20, 2009 at 3:18 pm · Filed under Finish Ahead, Raise The Debate
Yes, the city is in crisis, to answer the question posed by Tuesday’s front page headline.
There is certain to be much continued discussion over who’s to blame. Republicans will continue to rattle off lists of Democrats, and vice versa. Members of anti-tax groups will blame the City Council, members of the Council will blame the Mayor, the Mayor will blame the unions, and it will go on and on and on. At the crux of this round-robin of finger-pointing will be endless debates over what to cut and how much; and lost in the din will be all of the sustainable suggestions.
The time has come to shout above the noise: I believe that, in pursuit of misguided political objectives, our city is being taken the wrong direction. The answer is not to try and cut our way out of this, but rather to build our way out.
Whenever I read thoughtless suggestions like “just cut X% across the board,” or “get rid of the deputy mayor,” or some other such position; it’s usually followed by some mission-accomplished sort of proclamation. “See? Problem solved.”
Except it’s not. We still can’t pave or even clean up our streets. Our fire department is one flat tire away from being incapacitated. Our police department is still using ’80s-era technology. Why would anyone want to move to, or more importantly, invest in a city that so clearly can’t manage itself?
Next year we’ll still have to cut more, and then more after that, and so on. If we eviscerate the city government now, what do we eliminate next year, or the year after that?
Such discussion always reminds me of the disgraced surgeon in Stephen King’s Survivor Type, stranded on an island, slowly eating himself, and rationalizing each amputation along the way – until finally, he’s left with only his hands and his hunger.
Read the rest of this entry »
May 12, 2009 at 11:06 am · Filed under Musings
Mayor Sharon McShurley said this week: Muncie must cut $2.1 million NOW or go broke by November.
Why is it that the city must cut $2M? Why can’t the city raise $2M?
That’s the real problem with this Mayor. She lacks vision and leadership; but more importantly, she refuses to even hear, let alone consider any ideas that come from outside her small circle.
Read the rest of this entry »
