— Bumper
sticker of the week: Why is there always money for war but none for
health-care?
— Quotes of
the week: ÒWeÕre in a giant car heading toward a brick wall and everyoneÕs
arguing over where theyÕre going to sit.Ó David Suzuki
ÒThe time to
begin most things is ten years ago.Ó Mignon McLaughlin
— The
council giveth and taketh away: A 14% raise in real estate taxes! At the last
council meeting, it took them all of ten minutes to give BNSF a tax break.
Galesburg remains a prime example of the home owner assuming a larger and
larger share of the property tax burden, while businesses move out or bail out
of their obligation. The city council wants us to pay up, even though our
property is based on a market value that no longer exists. The burden has
become unbearable for many elderly and fixed income families. Much of the
property tax goes to pay city employees who have an excellent health-care plan,
decent wages, and a good retirement plan, something many of the citizens no
longer have. We pay for something we ourselves donÕt get. To a taxpayer, that
donÕt make any sense at all. Or shouldnÕt. What can we do about it? The same
thing businesses are. Hire ourselves someone to fight it. If 100 of us go
together, we can make it worth while for someone to protest our real estate
taxes. Our taxes should be going down, not up. Market value is down. ItÕs time
to stop this nonsense. Why not here? Why not now?
— The
President signs torture bill into law: Congress does it again. Passes an
illegal international law, and the President, of course, since he doesnÕt pay
any attention to international law, signs it. All we can hope for is that one
day the President and congress are captured in a war zone. That would be a
fitting ending to a lousy law. But thatÕs not likely to happen. They keep their
distance. ThatÕs what our kids are for. It amounts to bad government, lousy
laws, international crimes.
— Joe
Lieberman wants Democrats to change their ways. We want him to change his
party.
— Happy 300
millionth person in the U.S. The kiss of death.
— Speaking
of real estate taxes and GalesburgÕs downfall: My wife and I bought a home in
Arkansas worth three times what our home here is worth. On ArkansasÕ # 1 golf
course. The bottom line: We pay the same real estate taxes as we pay here.
(ThatÕs before a proposed 14% increase. Here.). And the big dogs wonder why
people are leaving.
— I canÕt
wait for the election. IÕm having nightmares over how the Democrats will screw
it up before Nov. 7.
— Whoever
knew about Congressman Foley and didnÕt do anything should be sent home.
Democrat or Republican.
— Speaking
of Foley: So far, the congressman has declared himself an alcoholic and was
molested by a priest, presumably when he was young. While perhaps explaining
some of his behavior, it doesnÕt excuse it.
— In the
scheme of things, there are only two things worse than death: taxes and
hemorrhoids.
— I voted
early. Democrats three, Republicans zero.
— My golf
game has gotten better since I retired. ItÕs not that IÕm playing all that
much. I think itÕs because I have so much less stress. I can go out and address
the ball and it doesnÕt talk back. Nor does it yell at me for not having my
paperwork done. If the ball does me wrong, I just throw it in the pond and get
out another one. I couldnÕt do that at work. I didnÕt work at the post office.