Culture of Saving $$ seems to be spreading

Isn't it great to see all these signs that maybe, just maybe our government is starting to hear us? I know, I'm being super optimistic but hear me out.

Things like Johnson County deciding to get out of the housing business thanks to great reporting from Steve Rose (btw, proving that the paper can still be important) and saving us the taxpayer real money.

Other small things like Kansas NOT spending $20 million like Oklahoma did on a meaningless anniversary and the Governor NOT spending tons on an inauguration bash.

I read today how Jackson County....even democrats.......are upset they got a pay raise against their wishes and are figuring out how to give it back. Well done.

Talk in Washington is about pushing back discretionary spending to 2008 levels and some are pushing for 2006 levels. It can be done.

Jay Nixon however still believes that government should give every Missouri high school student a free 2 year college education. While admirable.....it isn't a right. Thank God I don't live in Missouri. People are squawking about how much he travels around on the state's dime....finally. There is too much of that from all politicians.

Also on the "still needs work side" of the ledger was the closing of a KCK post office. On one hand a good thing if because poor people no longer write letters or get 10 credit card offers a day we can close a government office but a little weird the report was quick to point out that nobody who works there was losing their jobs but being transferred to other locations. And we wonder why the post office loses money. How about we end postal service on Saturdays and maybe even Wednesdays? Shit, I haven't received much meaningful in the mail in years! How much could we save?

There was another article this weekend about the decline of union membership in the private sector and that the largest membership now exists with teachers and the government.

I'm telling you. There are signs they are starting to hear us. We aren't crazy. Not every good and worthy thing means it is something that should be government supported and funded. I'm convinced that the best displays of compassion are not corporate but individual. The sad thing about a big government is that people tend to stop looking at their family, friends and neighbors with responsibility toward each other and start expecting the compassion and aid to come collectively.

There is the great quote that goes something like "individuals with vision and purpose change the world while committees exist to share blame".

I had a professor in college teach that if a politician ever tells you they can find significant savings by eliminating waste they are lying or ignorant. I used to believe this. I think government has gotten big enough this is no longer true. How about this though....let's try. Let's freaking try it. It is an attitude and a culture. We need to cultivate this new attitude. Instead of saying every little savings is insignificant or symbolic let's see how many we can find?

What do you say?

Steve Rose Reads Life in SOJOCO

I might be one of the few people reading The Sun these days but I have to admit I was a little flattered that Steve Rose basically ripped off my post primary analysis specifically my thoughts on the Yoder-Lightner race for the 3rd and my continuing thoughts on John Toplikar and the dogmatic pharisee right of the conservative party. He just made it sound....well, nicer for broader publication. I don't have to be so nice.

Did you see my post on Monday?

You can compare to my post here. So, what do you think? Rose reads Life in SOJOCO....don't you think??

Well, at any rate, I'm honored...........though it would have nice to have been given credit for it. My dump of a blog needs all the support it can get.

Oh well............I'm a blogger not a member of the media and I steal stuff all the time. Oh, come back a little later on Friday and I'll still have a wine post for you.

Thanks Steve.

Awesome Post by JOCO SOB: Tom Scherer is a Classic.

PHOTO REMOVED.

I have to say I hadn't read JOCO SOB's post from Sunday with the email from Tom Scherer, candidate with probably little, er, uh, I mean NO chance of winning the nomination, until after I blasted Steve Rose for his memo on the race. Really, since Dennis Moore-Pelosi dropped out even Lightner is a done. This race was returned to the big boys, the power brokers of Johnson County Republicans the second Moore-Pelosi dropped out. Forget it Scherer....you are fighting with Lightner over who gets picked last for the recess kick ball game.

Classic stuff from the SOB you lucky bastard. Scherer thinks SOB is helping him by posting that email, er rant but really......not so much. Really? A rant at the media....with typos included? Embarrassing I'd say. As a conservative does he really really expect a fair shake from the media. Naive. He says in a comment to SOB's post, "Wow, you really put that email up quick" adding there will be more of this whining and sniffling on his blog at http://www.schererforyourcongressman.blogspot.com/. Seriously, Tom, you have my attention. I'm be checking back for more (good laughs) for sure. Tom, you really got the liberal media back in line with that blast. Wow....direct hit! wink. "United States of the News Media". Gold. Pure Gold there Tommy Boy.

Classy Mr. Scherer. Stay Classy. It reminds me a little of John Toplikar stealing signs......himself. Guys, how many times do I have to tell you......you have to get others to do your dirty work. This is politics rule numero uno.

This is exactly how we would want someone representing us to act up in Washington.......nice. Like Moore-Pelosi wasn't embarrassing enough.

As a footnote I want to say after trying to spend a few precious moments of my day looking at his blog I'll say he seems like a real conservative whose heart is in the right place. I respect that. He served our country in the Vietnam War in the Navy. I absolutely respect that. Let's get real here. Really, just a look at the ramblings of the blog and that email SOB posted will tell you he isn't ready to be our Congressman. Citing Jane Doe as an important part of his campaign team??? Really? "Invited" to attend Harvard Graduate School.........why didn't he go? Completed one year of law school.....why didn't he finish? Current work is as a Civil Rights Activist, Writer, Statesman since 1994.......seriously....I can't make this stuff up. Go to the blog and read it. I guess if people believe Community Organizer is a job I guess they might believe this too. Of course there is the work with an unnamed Fortune 50 company as a consultant. It all sounds purposefully vague. I'll admit it is nothing if not really entertaining. I just hate for it to be at another conservative's expense. I hate that this is probably a really well intentioned man who yells at the TV when watching MSNBC and really thinks he can help. Sorry Tom, you'll have to move over now.....the big boys are here to eat and there is a seat at the kid's table if you are still hungry.

This year's Master of the Obvious Award: Steve Rose

I was going to wait until the end of the year to announce all these prestigious awards but this one just can't wait.

I was getting ready to drop my copy of The Johnson County Sun in the recycling bin as I took my normal glance below the fold on the front page to glance at Steve Rose's wisdom.

I'm used to reading old news in the paper that I've already seen either online or on television but I like to go to the paper to read about stuff that you can't get in a sound bite. I think the paper is still pretty relevant for breaking complex news stories and investigative reporting......if they would actually do it. They have to help themselves as they spiral toward irrelevancy. Please something insightful and I'll read and enjoy it.

I was hopeful when I saw Steve Rose write about the upcoming race for the Kansas 3rd District that there would be some real insight instead what I got was serious Master of the Obvious stuff that was truly award worthy.

Mr. Rose breaks the news that this seat will go back to Republicans and notes some incredibly insightful (not) assertions that conservatives show up for off year primaries more so than casual moderate Republicans resulting in pro-life conservatives getting their candidate to the general. Whew....thanks Steve. He notes that there isn't a Democrat in view and that Dennis Moore was vulnerable because of his 100% support of a liberal agenda over the past year. Double whew.......thanks Steve. Strong analysis there. Any first year Political Science student could have nailed all that. I'm surprised he didn't also predict that Adam Taft wouldn't run.....cuz I was wondering about that. Steve, buddy, please work a little harder and assume your reader has a half a brain. Look, I'm not saying Steve Rose isn't a smart guy I'm just saying he mailed it in on this one and he has to do better. I'm not even saying it is easy. I'm sure it is hard but Mr. Johnson County? I expect more. Lame effort.

I'll take the seat back however we can get it but I will say the victory will be a little less sweet by not ever getting to beat Mr. Moore-Pelosi. I so would have enjoyed seeing that two faced jackass squirm and dance through this campaign. The kill is officially no joy.

And for this effort.........Steve Rose gets my 2009 Master of the Obvious Award. Congrats!

The Sun will rise from your mailbox

I received a call this week at of course a less than convenient time from some nice lady at Johnson County Sun newspaper. You know the one? The one that shows up free on the end of the driveway. If you ever open it you would also recognize it is the one with a Steve Rose op-ed covering half of the front page. That one.

I wrote a post about The Sun last summer quipping that I actually found something useful and insightful......you know like it was a shock of sorts.

I'll admit that most times it goes straight from the driveway to the recycling bin. ((For the Olathe crowd.............Recycling bin: a dedicated container for collecting refuse that can be reprocessed and made useful again.)) Olathe doesn't have curbside available unless you pay extra for the service. Idiotic isn't it? Can you imagine how much stuff is wasted and sent the landfill from that city? Anyway......over in Leawood we recycle curbside and candidly I probably have a bigger pile for the recycling bin than for regular trash anymore and that doesn't include glass which nobody will take anymore. Another reason the west side of the county might be better off in Wyandotte County. But I digress.....

Anyway, she called and started asking about The Sun and I was about to tell her I'm already a subscriber, er, I already get it. You know, I want to shake the call. She tells me that she just wants to know if it is okay that they start sending it via mail instead of driveway delivery. You can read Steve Rose's announcement here. I'm like okay.....which ever. I'm thinking it will be just as easy to take it from the mail to the recycle bin and I won't even have to bend over?

I guess what she really wanted to know is IF I wanted to still get it? She didn't ask it that way. Anyway, I guess if they will go to all the trouble to mail the darn thing the least I can do it open it and peruse it before it stick in the recycle bin. At least I'll know what' s on Steve Rose's mind.

Crap! I found something useful in the The Sun

In these days of going green and reducing your carbon footprint I had been bothered by the decision of the The Sun newspaper to deliver something I had little intention of ever reading to my driveway once a week.

I made it a practice of simply taking it off the driveway, skinning the plastic and putting it straight into the green tub. I didn't even want to give it the chance that I might be interested in the content. I always just viewed it as worthless.

Today was different. Today for some reason I looked at it after pulling back the plastic. I saw an article by Steve Rose breaking some news about the admission of Sam Brownback that he might be interested in running for governor. It was interesting so I read it. Then I saw another article about the Stilwell annexation. As you know, I've been interested in that so I read that as well. Okay this is getting silly, I'm finishing my first cup of coffee and haven't even broken open The Star. So, I think to myself......The Star probably wrote on these same topics today if I'd just look. So, I look but no.....this is news only reported by The Sun.

Crap, I am forced to admit that I read The Sun and found it nice and useful. Well done.

Brownback for Governor? Whatever it takes to get the governor's mansion back in republican hands I'm pretty much for right now. I mean in this solid red state it is embarrassing to have a democrat.

Stilwell annexation fight? I wrote pretty extensively on it awhile back so if you want to see where I stand go back a few months but in a nutshell I think those who want to fight to keep Overland Park out are selfish and emotionally unrealistic. It was interesting to see that a couple property owners are asking for OP annexation and the guy quoted, Darrel Dougan, thinks they are just trying to make a buck. Like I said before......there will be many, many more. Further, he is dreaming if he thinks he can maintain services without raising the mill. This is fight I think they lose.