Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Wharton and the privilege tax

Ok, I don't know about you all but when I run out of money there's nobody I can turn to in order to get more. The city and the county have got to get out of my pockets. Consolidation is a good idea as long as after we consolidate we focus strictly on what a municipal government should be providing. Fire, Police, garbage and sewage. The rest is questionable. I suppose vehicle registration and roads. Take a good long hard look at the rest. Nobody needs a bodyguard unless you're doing wrong. 24% of the cost of my annual house payment goes to city and county taxes. That's just unacceptable to me. And this garbage about keeping the schools separate. Whatever. That's just trash talk about class. It's not a racial thing anymore because the county is majority minority now. That's all about money. Combine the schools. Hire competent and honest administration and pay the teachers a good wage. Hold the students and the parents accountable and stop dumbing down the tests. If a student is disruptive, throw them out and give them mandatory military service time or some sort of social service time but make them do that time in another country. Perhaps some time spent in Africa or South America with no running water or electricity and they might begin to appreciate the life they have here. Regardless of where they end up just get the fuckers out of the schools so the serious students can learn in peace. There is NO guarantee of an education. That's a privilege and should be treated as one. Make school year round. Periodic short breaks. Summer time breaks were set when we were farmers and the kids were needed to work the farms. Nobody is doing that anymore. It's time to adapt. The chinese and japanese are out schooling our kids at an alarming rate. It's time for us to catch up and to treat our teachers with the same respect that the asian countries do. Otherwise, we're doomed. Let the parents holler about childcare for their kids. Tough. Childcare....stupid children....childcare....stupid children.....you decide. Society will adapt to year round school. Seems to me that it would be easier to find periodic childcare than it is for find someone for the entire summer. The market will adapt. Trust me.

I could go on and on but need a second cup of coffee.

I told you that we bought an elliptical trainer. I'm not sure the calorie counter on it is accurate. Don't see how it could be because it doesn't know how much I weigh or how old I am. Nor does it make the distinction between me or my son. My son. My youngest decided to stay on the machine until he burned 1000 calories. I have no idea how long he'd been on it because he was working when I got home. I walked in the door at 4:15 and he didn't get off the machine until 5:00. He collapsed in the floor then went to his room and turned into some variation of Mr. Hyde. If burning 1000 calories makes him that mean then I'm not allowing it ever again because I'll end up killing him. Gawd.

I'm going for coffee now. Then to work. Toodles.