In the old Pink Panther movies Inspector Jacques Clouseau, played by Peter Sellers, had the uncanny knack of bumbling to a successful resolution of whatever case he was on. His farcical approach stood in contrast to his antagonist, Inspector Dreyfus, who was more or less a by-the-book crimefighter. Throughout the movie, Inspector Dreyfus, succumbing to Clouseau's manic assault would begin to crack. It started with a twitch and often ended in an insane asylum.
Fidel Castro gave his two week notice today. He's spent and is turning the revolution over to his younger brother Raul. Rumor has it he's got his eye on a nice piece of beachfront property in Miami.
I've thought the embargo against Cuba a national disgrace for a long time. It's an indefensible relic of the Cold War if not the Monroe Doctrine. The news of Castro's retirement made me think of Inspector Dreyfus. I believe I even twitched. Not because Fidel threw in the towel,(incidentally, it was not too long ago that one of Castro's doctors had pronounced him such a fine physical specimen that he would probably survive to the age of 144, likely something to do with the sea air) but rather, because our own Commandant Bush said, now Cuba might enjoy "free and fair elections". Cuba, as we all know, lays a mere 90 miles from the scene of the crime where the Arsenal of Freedom abandoned the concept of "free and fair elections". This is the place where ancient Jews, including many Holocaust survivors, passed up the opportunity to vote for then-Democrat Joe Liebermann and instead cast their butterfly ballot for Pat Buchanan. This is the place where paid Republican Thugs rushed the county clerk's office to show "outrage" at a possible recount of votes. This is the place where Bush flew in his pajamas (I saw it on TV) to inveigh against the heathens who would allow Terri Schiavo to die. I'm reminded of the line from the movie Chinatown and think the Bush version might be, "Forget about it Jake. It's Florida". Bush invokes virtue. I twitch.
Another twitch-inducer is the orgiastic pursuit of property tax avoidance by certain elements of our community.
News Flash....No one likes to pay taxes.
But...
No one likes to live in a city saddled with rising costs and shrinking services
No one wants to give up essential services like police and fire
No one wants to live in a city where the first question is often the last question as well ,"how much does it cost?"
No one wants the future of their children circumscribed by the fearfulness and penury of our day
No one should enjoy the harvest of savings in our day, while salting the fields of their day.
The anti-taxers seem unable to grasp the concept of the Civic Compact which states that we will provide a City that meets not only our needs and broadens our horizons but builds the infrastructure to pass that on to future generations.
It is only by happenstance that we live now. We are like pebbles dropped into a river. The anti taxers don't seem to care if the stream dries up after they hit the surface. The only way we can truly value the now is to build for the future, which we won't see. That is the only way we have what we have today. We owe no less to the future. Some see running the city as a business, some see it as tending our small corner of civilization.
Two more twitchers from the day's news:
1) A fevered group of Hoosiers worries that we must quickly move toward a Constitutional amendment classifying same-sex marriage as illegal. If quick action is not taken, the amendment may have to languish until 2012. What element of privacy escapes these people's purview?
2) From the Courier-Journal headlines: Smoking Ban Shows Dramatic Results...in the level of unhealthy particulate matter in the air of selected venues. I spoke to my cousin in Minneapolis the other day, she was nonplussed that smoking is still allowed in restaurants and bars here. New Albany will get there some day. Until then, Smoke Gets in My Eyes, and I twitch.
Finally, driving is becoming more hazardous around here. I'm driven to twitching as I see the numerous billboards featuring those creepy androgynes with the doe eyes.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
10 comments:
This is really an awesome post, John.
I do have several observations.
First is that I'm not sure that we actually do have a 'Cuba Policy' as much as a 'South Florida Policy,' and that comes into effect mostly during election years. It is strictly a pandering policy towards people who want to maintain boycotts on Castro. I strongly suspect that Castro has benefited and been empowered more by the boycotts than he ever suffered. No one has had the fortitude to challenge the absurdity, however.
Your comments about Florida----even Pat Buchanan made the observation that the elderly Jewish population that 'voted' for him didn't really vote for him. What was truly pathetic was the Gore was vilified for trying to force a valid outcome.
I do not like to pay taxes. But:
I like someone to answer when I call 911 and I want someone to show up in the emergency.
I want the children in the community to get a quality education.
I want those people who answer the 911 calls and respond to be paid fairly.
I want there to be elected officials who are compensated and who have competence at what they do.
I want water when I turn on the faucet and things to disappear when I flush the commode.
I want the roads treated and cleared when the weather gets bad.
Etc. I don't enjoy paying taxes but I also recognize that we do have this covenant in communities where there is an implied promise to support and care for one another. It costs me money but that's the cost of living with others.
Lastly, Scott Pelath is my new hero. He's holding up an amendment to ban something that is already not legal in Indiana. Not to mention privacy and basic civil rights...
If government did the things John mentions, as they already do, we would run a surplus form here to eternity. It is all the other nonsense that municipalities have no business in that sinls the boat.
"It is all the other nonsense that municipalities have no business in that sinls the boat."
I'll ask again: Like what?
Hmmmmmm - glad you asked. Issuing bonds on buildings that have little public input and no crystal ball to tell them where to find the money. Letting sewers lapse to the point of the federal government threatening to take over, then having to raise the money through outrageous sewer tap fees. Over hiring staff, under hiring necesssary safety persons. Paying former mayors consulting fees. Please tell me you see waste in local government. All government entities have areas to trim. I understand the need for taxes, but governments were not designed in this country to be as large and inefficient as they are.
John Manzo:
Thank you.
One of the reasons we have rising costs and shrinking services is that we are wedded to the concept of anti-sustainability, or Get Yours While You Can. Many developers insist on pushing out beyond the limits of current services. The people who move there are then committed to reliance on an auto-centric model. The city they fled in pursuit of profit becomes a shell unable to meet the needs of the remaining residents while saddled the maintenance cost of the expanded services.
Not every person needs to live in the "old" city and outward growth is inevitable. What strains the budgets of New Albany and many other cities is abandonment of the wealth passed on to us in the form of interesting, functional elements of the built environment whether commercial or residential. Of course we're stretched thin; we keep starting over,building anew, at square one rather than accepting with grace where we are and moving forward from that point. Part of the civic compact is not seen through the windshield but rather through the rearview mirror. And it's all the same. We value the past by accepting with gratitude the fruits of our ancestors' efforts, as we do that we pass on to future generations a healthier environment ordered on a sustainable model.As the New Albanian wrote the other day "Time...what a concept."
______________________________
Daniel Short:
Cities need to do a lot to honor the civic compact. New Albany does not pursue too many things that are frivolous.
I think we get in trouble by applying patches and band-aids when we need to address more fundamental issues. We shouldn't pursue a certain brand of morality (you didn't suggest that we should) in the religious sense but we should recognize "civic morals" which dictate that we are here for a short time and are duty-bound to leave the place in better shape than when we found it. The Iroquois Confederation guided the chiefs to make decisions with an eye toward the benefit of those decisions to the seventh generation hence. That's a pretty good definition of a civic compact. I don't think we're doing a good job of that now.
My belief is that if we do that, citizens are in a good position to pursue their own vision of happiness, as the Declaration of Independence lays out. That is, or should be, the classic definition of conservative.
Whether or not they need more personnel, Police and Fire make up approximately 85% of New Albany's budget.
All of the other departments, many of which are staffed with people who would be paid more for similar jobs in the private sector, survive on the remaining 15% while being held accountable for every other city function.
To suggest that as some sort of bloat is extremely short-sighted.
If our city government did more accurately reflect private business, we'd have a larger staff and pay higher salaries.
Mr. Manzo, I truly believe there aren't many fiscal conservatives out there. When I learned of President Bush's 3 trillion dollar budget proposal, I was flabbergasted. That is 3,000 billion. That is by far the largest government in the history of history and is definitely not a traditional conservative value. It has been estimated by watch dog groups that the budget contains one trillion worth of earmarks - that is fully one third of the budget. Let's bring this money back home to fund our state and local governments instead of supporting someone else's vision of a bridge to nowhere in Alaska. Pay as you go has been a joke and running a deficit is uncalled for except in times of grave economic conditions. You are correct about the get it now attitude. It is a plague on the people when career politicians of any party bring home the pork for votes. There should be no pork available to bring home. I am not even in favor of the tax rebate that we will all receive this spring, though I won't be sending it back. Does it makes sense to borrow 150 billion from countries like China to spur our economy? Wake up Americans, it has to be paid back.
"What strains the budgets of New Albany and many other cities is abandonment of the wealth passed on to us in the form of interesting, functional elements of the built environment whether commercial or residential."
Indeed and we've got to do everything we can to save what it left of the beautiful Victorian city that was gifted to us and has been trashed. My ancestors would be shattered to see what has become of their home. What kind of people destroy such richness and then bitch about their lowering quality of life?
g.coyle:
Unfortunately,as the old comic strip character Pogo said, "We have met the enemy and it is us."
Fortunately though, we have the means to outwit the enemy if we have the will.
go Hillary, now what do you have to say about Obama John? Texas and Ohio spoke loud and clear!
Post a Comment