VOTER APATHY OR BURN OUT?

We’ve got a primary election coming up in our city on May 2. So far, early voter turnout has been pathetic. According to our county clerk, only 2.2% of registered voters have shown up to vote and there isn’t much time left. What’s keeping folks away from the polls? Is it voter apathy or burn out?

The truth is, most of us don’t vote in primaries unless there’s something controversial on the ballot. Like increased taxes for new schools, or whether or not we should allow a casino to move in and fleece the surrounding populace. Those issues get people to the polls. But most of us have found that no matter who we vote for, some things in the city never really change.

The city council is controlled by one party, so naturally the other party is pretty much staying at home. The current mayor represents the opposing party, but he’s been in office long enough to have a firm base of supporters who like things just the way they are.. As an Independent, I can’t see declaring a party affiliation just so I can vote in more of the same.

A perfect example is the on-going, abysmall state of our side streets and roads. District councilmen live in these neighborhoods, but they do nothing to improve the pothole issue for their constituents. And they’ve been getting away with it forever. Folks in low income neighborhoods have learned not to expect much.

VOTER APATHY OR BURNOUT? No matter who is elected, the city streets remain the same — VOTER APATHY OR BURNOUT? Folks have learned that the potholes will remain long after the election.

Sometimes, they attempt to cover the potholes with lumpy piles of asphalt or whatever they use to avoid re paving a tire-killing street. The council dithers around about how to allocate taxpayer and other, unexpected sources of revenue. God forbid they would do anything to lower the profits of car dealerships and repair services.

A pothole can puncture your tire or bend or crack your wheel. It can damage your tire’s sidewall or belts. Even a minor impact may knock your vehicle out of alignment. A pothole strike can damage your shocks or struts, or harm your suspension. They can cause fluid leaks under your car. But never mind, your local dealership or repair service will gladly fix all the damage.. Drivers pay an average of $600 for pothole repair work . It’s estimated one out of every ten drivers in 2021 sustained vehicle damage significant enough they needed immediate repairs after hitting a pothole.

Do local citizens believe that voting in the primaries will fix the city’s potholes? No, they’ve given up on that years ago. Which begs the question: Are voters apathetic or burned out?

April 14, 2023April 13, 2023

DESPERATE FOR NORMAL IN 2024

Looks like neither Biden or Trump are very popular with voters. And yet, those are the only names we hear as serious presidential candidates in 2024. It’s hard to believe that these could be our choices in the next election. Surely, there’s a young, smart man or woman in all of these 50 states who could inspire Americans and salvage what’s left of this country. Desperate for normal in 2024.

Desperate for Normal 2024. We must find a better candidate.. — DESPERATE FOR NORMAL 2024. We need a better presidential candidate than either of these two.

As an octogenarian, I can get away with saying both Biden and Trump are way too old. They might have a suntan or smear their faces with pancake makeup, but things aren’t working nearly so well inside their bodies. Especially after 70, physical fraility begins to accerate. There is no fountain of youth. While your kids may say you’re “sharp as a tack,” they don’t realize all of the aches and pain you’re trying to conceal as you navigate through the golden years. Yes, your mind may be clear, but it doesn’t process information quickly. Solving a crossword puzzle takes longer than it used to.

It comes on gradually and may not show up right away, but 33% of those over 65 have Alzheimer’s dementia. Let’s assume that both Trump and Biden are in that lucky 66% who will not develop the disease. Pretend they are as fit as any 50 year old person. Even if that were true, both of them have way too much baggage to command the respect needed to lead this country out of these troubled times.

Do we really want a president who’s being charged with tax fraud, voter fraud, and Lord knows what else? On top of which, his personal life is a mess, with children by three different women and past relationships with porn stars and models.

Consider the alternative: Does a man who smells women’s hair, has a son who does business with China, and abandons our servicemen in Afgahnastan have the credentials needed to serve as president of these United States?

As an Independent voter, I throw up my hands. What in the world is wrong with die hard Republicans and Democrats who can’t see that these men are way past their prime. Both have done some good things , but now is the time for them to go . A younger, more , respectable person must lead this country out of the quagmire that we’re currently in. We’re desperate for normal in 2024.

April 7, 2023

MAIL DELIVERY SLIP SLIDING AWAY

The United States Postal Service announced in August that they were discontinuing 1st class mail deliveries on Saturdays. That sorta slipped by the general public, because we were still receiving junk mail and catalogs. Anyway, it didn’t matter much to younger people, who tend to correspond mainly by email, texting or social media. But all of a sudden, we notice the postman may skip a day or two during the week. Mail delivery is slip sliding away , because The United States Postal Service is a financial failure.

Unpredictable mail delivery is the new norm. Some days, our mailbox is empty. Maybe a package from Amazon. Then, the mail begins to tricle in, day by day. All of a sudden, you need a shopping bag to clear out your mailbox Apparently, they save up magazines and catalogs for once a week deliver. I’m not sure how they make these decisions. Most people look forward to receiving their mail in the morning or early afternoon. This week, the postman stopped by here around dinner time. I suspect he’s doing a double route. Like everyone else, I guess the USPS is experiencing a labor shortage, but I’m not sure why. It’s actually a pretty good gig.

Postal worker job requirements aren’t too tough. To get hired, you need to have a high school diploma and be able to speak and understand English well. Employees must pass a written exam that covers address cross-comparison tasks, forms completion, memory and coding.

Once hired, you must pass a criminal background check and take a physical exam and drug test. You may be asked to show that you can lift and handle heavy sacks, depending on your position. If you’re a mail carrier, you’ll need to have a safe driving record and pass a road test. The median annual wage for postal service workers in 2016 was $56,790, and they have excellent benefits (worth about 33% of wages) and a great retirement plan. .

Unfortunately, , unlike other government agencies, the USPS doesn’t receive taxpayer funding, and instead must rely on revenue from stamps and package deliveries to support itself. However, they don’t get to set their own postage rates—that’s up to Congress.

It’s no wonder that the USPS is a failing business, losing millions of dollars each year. Seems to me Somebody up there in Washington DC ought to take a look at things and streamline the entire operation—even if we only get mail every other day. At least we could know what to expect, and when.

The Postmaster General of the United States, General Louis DeJoy, is appointed by a board of governors, not elected. He’s had the job a couple of years, and he’s stil trying to straigten things out. I guess efficient mail delivery is a low priority for the current administration.

March 30, 2023March 30, 2023

WHAT DO KINGS DO?

Charles is already the King of England, but they will make it official in a coronation ceremony on May 4. Britons will get a day off to watch the parade and celebrate. After that, Chucky will finish out his royal duties until the day he dies, according to tradition. But as Americans watching from afar, you have to wonder. What, exactly, do kings do nowadays?

In past centuries, Kings had clearly defined roles and responsibilities. Kings were usually warriors who lead their men into battle and conquered territories. If they succeeded, they got to make the laws, wage wars on other tribes or countries, and be in charge of all the money collected. Eventually, they became emperors, chieftians, or whatever they called the top dog in a particular part of the world.

When kings died, it was assumed that their progeny had inherited their same traits. Sons automatically succeeded their fathers. That didn’t always work out so well. Just look at King Tut of Egypt who died at the age of 19 and was buried with all that gold. And in the case of England, the royal DNA has been watered down lately, what with Princes marrying commoners, thus diluting those kingly genes.

It seems strange that there still kings and queens hanging around in Europe. All of whom are in countries governed by elected officials who make the laws, decide how taxes will be spent, and declare war. Which begs the question: What do Royals do in this century? Since Charles is the most visible king, it’s easier to figure out his job description.

It seems to me that another title might be more appropriate. First, Charles might be called the Royal Property Manager, since he owns a lot of rental property in Cornwall. In addition, he’s in charge of numerous castles and their various artifacts and treasures.

However, he’s also involved in Public Relations. Right now, he’s making official visits to places like Germany and France. He can’t negotiate any agreements, so it’s not quite clear what the point of these tours are, except to promote goodwill between the different countries.

Probably the most important role he plays is in Sales. The pomp and pageantry of royalty draws millions of tourists a year from all over the world, which greatly enhances the profitability of hotels, restaurants, tour guides, and whoever else feeds upon tourism.

Putting those three areas together (real estate. public relations, sales), I think I would settle on the title of Royal Marketing Manger rather than King of England. And luckily for Charles, he didn’t have to interview for the job

March 13, 2023March 12, 2023

SHOULD WE STASH CASH IN COFFEE CANS?

Back in the 1930s, my husband had a great uncle who owned a farm in Nebraska. He was ill tempered and slovenly. His wife and children finally moved to town. When he died at the age of 89, his daughters were left with the task of selling the farm and cleaning out his property. One of them remembered her father burying a coffee can out back. After poking around the yard, they found numerous coffee cans stuffed with cash–which enabled them to live more comfortable lives than they had anticipated. The recent failure of the Silicon Valley Bank in California gives me a new respect for Uncle George’s peculiar savings habits. Should we stash cash in coffee cans?

In my hometown, there was a grocery store on every corner. Mostly owned by immigrants from Middle Eastern countries. Our local grocer was crafty and secretive. During World War II, he sold black market meat and coffee to those who could afford it. Years later, I worked for an oilman, who managed to convince this same person to invest in the drilling of oil wells. Apparently the grocer didn’t write a check; his money reportedly came out of “greasy coffee cans.”

People still distrust banks, but not the way they did after the Great Depression.. Things got things straightened out in 1933, and people began opening bank accounts. If you were running any kind of business, you really had no choice if you wanted to purchase inventory and pay bills. The average middle class person mostly lived from paycheck to paycheck, so there wasn’t much to lose if their bank would happen to fail.

But the Covid stimulus money enabled many who kept their jobs to accumulate a sizable amount of cash. They weren’t inclined to keep it hidden away in drawers and coffee cans. The banks are insured, right? There’s nothing to lose. That’s what most of us believed. Many didn’t realize that if you were lucky enough to have more than $250,000 in one bank, that extra money was not insured.

Now, we have business people who were too short sighted to spread their money around. Most weren’t old enough to remember when banks failed and people lost everything. I don’t know what will happen now. Will savers panic and cause a run on banks everywhere? Hopefully not. Meanwhile, you have to wonder. Should we stash our cash in coffee cans?

March 3, 2023March 4, 2023

KING OF MEAN EVICTS SON HARRY

In America, a landlord cannot evict a tenant before his lease is up without just cause. Non payment of rent, or destruction of property might convince a judge to kick a tenant out. I’m not sure what the landlord-tenant statutes are in the UK, but it seems King Charles is above the law. He went ahead and evicted his son from Frogmore Cottage in England because he didn’t like his memoir. I’ve been to court in cases like this, and I can assure you no judge would allow me to evict a tenant because he said something about me that I didn’t like. But the King of Mean evicts son Harry without the blink of an eye.

I can see where Charles was upset with Harry’s memoir, “Spare.” It pretty much explained how a 12 year old boy might be depressed when his mother is killed and he is forced to march in her funeral procession. Things got worse for Harry from then on, but he was just supposed to grin and bear it when his emotional well being was ignored, and his older brother was given all the glory.

It all makes sense now. Charles cheated on Harry’s mom, Diana, and ruined her life. Now he’s cheating his son out of a property that was leased to him by his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth. All of which means he doesn’t care if he ruins his son’s life, and has no interest in seeing his beautiful grandchildren, Archie and Lilibet, ever again. At the very least, I would think he’d compensate his son for the 2.4 million dollars he spent on renovating the property before he was forced to leave England six months later.

One might argue that Harry and Meghan left of their own volition. But if you look back, they were encouraged to leave when they asked to go part time in their jobs. We’re told that the handlers of the monarchy said, “you’re either in or out. No in between.” Which didn’t give them a whole lot of choice. For the sake of their own mental health, they had to find a different path, but they got no sympathy from Charles and William.

The Britons have been mad at Harry lately because of all the things he said about his dad, brother, and stepmother. But did they really want to see him treated in such a cruel way? When the King of Mean evicts son Harry, it may come back to bite him. His royal subjects might see him as cold hearted, callous, and indifferent to the needs of anyone with mental health issues.

February 27, 2023February 27, 2023

HOW MANY LIES CAN YOU TELL?

Most of us think of ourselves as honest people. Which means we would not steal from our employer or cheat on our income tax. However, the true definition of honesty is someone who never tells a lie. Since numerous studies have shown that the average person lies four times a day, it would appear that none of us are truly honest. Actually, we expect politicians to lie. Washington Post fact checkers determined that Biden made a total of 78 false or misleading statements during his first 100 days in office. Using the same methodology, they found that his immediate predecessor, Donald Trump, made 511 false or misleading statements during his first 100 days. The question is, how many lies can you tell?

Psychologists have identified four main colors of lies: White, Gray, Red, Black. Some go on to include Blue and Green lies. I would add Orange

White lies are thought to be harmless, and meant to please someone or spare their feelings. As an example You would tell someone you like their new dress, even though it’s unflattering. _White lies are seen as a necessary part of everyday social interactions.

Gray lies are the untruths we tell to keep ourselves out of trouble. As in, “officer I was only speeding because I think I’m having a heart attack.” Kids lie to their parents about drugs, sex and alcohol. Sometimes it works, and other times it doesn’t, depending on the skill of the liar.

Black Lies are deceptive–an effort to gain personal benefit. People cheat on their partners. Lawyers may raid their client’s trust funds. Most of us can spot a bold faced lie , but not if the person is very clever. .

Red lies are about revenge and spite. They’re meant to deliberately harm someone, and they often do. Especially in the workplace.

Blue lies are made in defense of a group or organization. Church members may cover up the failings of a popular minister.

Green lies are told by those who don’t even realize they’re lying. They’re just telling a good story. They’re full of blarney, as the Irish would say. They’re so entertaining that no one cares if they’re truthful.

Orange lies are what I call bragging lies. They indicate the liar is insecure and wants to bolster his own self confidence. The flip side of this is humblebragging, defined as bragging masked by a complaint or humility, intended to show what a fine person they really are.

But sometimes, we’ve put up with all the lying we can stand, especially if it’s the black kind. I think Republican Congressman George Santos has probably reached the tipping point with his numerous, blatant lies about his background before he got elected. But then again, you never know. His constituents may not really care, as long as he votes the way House Speaker Kevin McCarthy wants him to.

Eventually, we get fed up with frequent liars. Do they really think we’re dumb enough to fall for their fabrications? How many lies can you tell before no one believes a word you say?