It Started with a Pen
I love that we get to celebrate Independence Day, because I love what it stands for, the freedoms that it represents. We often take our liberty and freedom for granted and that is understandable. After all, none of us stood at the Old North Bridge, ready to fight and die for a way of life […]
Jumping the Shark
The world may have just gotten a wake up call and it came from an unlikely source. Great Britain. Generally known as lying on the politically correct side of the global blanket, it was a bold move on the part of the people to demand that Great Britain exit from the European Union. The European […]
The Fight is On, Again
Things got a little hot in Jefferson County last week, as the County Commission convened for their Work Session. Despite the Budget Committee presenting a balanced budget document with no tax increase for the fiscal year 2016/17, there seemed to be little joy in the meeting room. Tensions ran high as the Department of Education […]
What is Next?
Just when I thought that last week had passed with relative ease-no County meetings and all the fuss and muss passed to this week I awoke to the news regarding the mass Orlando shootings. Many of us are busy planning vacations for ourselves or our families and some have just returned from a Memorial week […]
The Sad, Sad Truth
The news item of the week appears to center around the death of a gorilla and people are lining up on both sides of the question to make their opinions known. There are a few facts about the shooting that cannot be escaped. The death was tragic. Most experts(and I in no way purport to […]
Something Smells in Here
The start of Summer 2016 is upon us and it is a welcome sight for many. School is out but it appears that the teachers did not let the monkeys out, as the well know chant from childhood goes. Nope the monkeys and the clowns never seem to take a day off. It always seems […]
Just an Opinion
Do you ever wonder how things appear to get so out of hand so quickly? Or just exactly what someone is thinking? I spend a fair amount of time scratching my head and wondering just how things are so askew. Rarely do I find the answers to the little questions, never mind the large ones, […]
Spreading It Thin
Question of the week: What responsibility do administrators have to protect the interests of the people they supervise? This week that was a really relevant question. Jefferson County Department of Education received $2.5 million dollars in funds to equal out salaries for educators in Jefferson County. For some time, the County has struggled to keep up […]
Do We Stay or Do We Go?
Even in a week that is thin in regard to meetings, there always seems to be something interesting that comes up. Take this week for example, I thought that the issue of a County Complex was dead in the water. Imagine my surprise when it was revealed that some Commissioners are still interested in taking […]
A Little Bump in the Road
In these days of budgets and amendments and motions that never seems to find any traction, it is possible that we sometimes forget the really big stuff. No, it is not the Trump/Cruz fight or the Hillary/Sanders saga. Really, in the end, it is not the political posturing or the local, state, or nation debt […]
Grace Under Pressure
It was an interesting evening for those in attendance at the budget committee meeting. And by interesting, I mean that it was compelling, sort of like watching a train wreck. You really want to look away but you just can’t. And then for days afterward, the carnage is all that you see when you close […]
Just Another Day at the Office
Every budget season I begin asking myself questions. Actually, I ask myself questions often while examining the actions and reactions of people but it is during budget season that I begin to answer myself as well. Put it down to hours sitting on a hard bench and mold. Hey, that seems to be the answer […]
Whose View?
Is it possible for those with differing opinions to actually communicate and even, gasp, like each other? I have heard it told that it is true, but you can’t prove it by me. In another world, another day and time, people may have respected others and their opinions. Heck, they might have even been open […]
Do the Numbers Lie?
I think that it is interesting that people adhere to the theory that numbers never lie. Has anyone checked the weight listed on their driver’s license lately? Do the numbers lie? Let’s just say that they are only as good as their base and only as truthful as their presenter. It is worth noting that […]
Are They Really Afraid of Chalk?
I wonder how many people were as stunned as I was this week at the situation at Emory University, as a chalk wielding maniac ravaged the campus, striking fear into the hearts of students. Let’s see, we have multiple terrorists attacking people in Brussels, a mosquito born virus that can cause serious birth defects here […]
Just a Little Respect
It was a rousing week in Jefferson County and those of us that sit in the cheap seats have the stiff backs to prove it. Two County Commission meetings in the space of a week is one more than anyone needs to attend. And, of course that doesn’t count the committee meetings or the school […]
