I woke up one morning out of a deep, coma-like sleep. Inexplicably, I felt awash in a sense of newness. Foreignness. Something had changed. Something was different.
I looked at the calendar—Monday, January 21, 2013. Oh yes. Now I remembered. It was the day after the inauguration of President Romney. I had stayed up to watch the most boring array of inaugural celebrations in the history of my long life.
Has-been celebrities were resurrected for the occasion. Pat Boone arrived to sing Love Letters in the Sand. Anita Bryant sang My Little Corner of the World. A film montage of John Wayne and Charlton Heston was presented by Michelle Bachmann. Sean Hannity served as master of ceremonies at the banquet.
Willard “Mitt” Romney had looked extremely presidential when he took the podium for his swearing in. Hatless, his silver-kissed temples gleamed in the cold sunlight. He walked with the familiar swagger he had adopted since that fateful day back in October, 2012, when the U.S. Senate voted in concert with the House of Representatives to eliminate every federal tax on the books, effective January 1, 2013. He had been victorious across the board.
Red state governors had wasted no time following suit and Georgia, my state, was the first to repeal all taxes. Georgia Tea-Partiers were literally dancing in the pot-holed streets and the 2012 holiday season was the best ever for them.
I slowly shook my head as I stumbled into the bathroom to start my day. Monday was garbage day, so I needed to get my herbie-curbie out to the street.
Ooops. Old habits die hard. I had briefly forgotten that the herbie –curbie was already at the curb, buried in the garbage that had gone uncollected by the City of Atlanta for the past three weeks. The mayor had been forced to put the Department of Sanitation on a monthly pickup schedule, due to budget constraints. Rats and copperhead snakes were taking up residence amidst the rubble. Where are those freakin’ coyotes when we need them?
After I walked the dog and ate a light breakfast, I jumped in the car and drove the three blocks to the Senior All-Purpose Center, where I took free cardio dance classes three times a week. A crowd was forming around the entrance to the building when I turned into the parking lot. They were reading a posted notice: This facility has been closed by the Fulton County Commission due to an abrupt reduction of funding. It will remain idle until further notice.
Damn, I thought, I was really enjoying this center – meeting people and staying in shape. I sure can’t afford to join a real gym… What’s going to happen to those seniors in the daycare wing? Some of the people in my exercise class probably won’t eat very well without these $2 hot meals they served here.
Frustrated and defeated, I did the unthinkable and stopped at the Highland Bakery for one of their to-die-for scones. The familiar clerks behind the counter noticed my unusual cloudy mood, but said nothing. The surprise came when the price I was used to paying (or overpaying!) had been reduced nearly 50 cents. No more sales tax. Well, that was a ray of sunshine.
As I rounded the corner onto my street, visions of my heated scone dancing in my addled head, I noticed three youthful men running from my neighbor’s house, each carrying a piece of expensive electronic equipment. I grabbed my cell phone and dialed 911. The phone rang and rang. Thinking I had made a dialing error, I tried it again. Still no answer.
Hmmmm…I wonder if those layoffs the mayor announced last month included 911…what if there was a fire?!? I’d better go ahead and replace that busted garden hose outside my townhouse.
Out of the corner of my eye I spotted one of my ‘grandneighbors’ (that’s what I call the youngsters in the ‘hood I help look after from time to time) It was now about 10:30 a.m.
“Hi, Jordan. Why aren’t you in school? Surely the holiday is over this late in January.”
Jordan smiled that blinding white smile of his.
“Haven’t you heard? The public schools have had to cut classes down to two days a week. I only have to go on Tuesdays and Thursdays.”
Well, I sighed as I thought, I guess they’ve taken their country back.
So, bye-bye, Miss American Pie
Drove my chevy to the levee
But the levee was dry
And them good old boys were drinkin' whiskey and rye
Singin' this'll be the day that I die
This'll be the day that I die
Don McLean
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Comments
zanelle: It won't take long to get that bleak, I'm afraid.
Sheila: It will serve them right. It's idiotic.
Kosh: The word 'patriot' comes from the Latin 'pater' (father,) I believe. Some father that allows large percentages of his 'children' to go hungry and die.
nerd cred: Great idea!
Al Loomis: Assault weapons are for killing people. What's your point?
Chilling thoughts, Lezlie. Much to ponder.
r./
Maybe someday I will be in your neck of the woods. Perhaps you’ll meet me for coffee at Starbucks; and I will proffer my explanation of how the adjective “general” before “welfare” in the General Welfare clause of the enumerated powers of Congress limits how tax collections may be expended.
Then, our conversation may drift to how much our national government collects annually and how this amount compares to what it disburses on programs that likely violate the General Welfare clause. We might even chat about how both the rich and the poor scam the tax code and the welfare system, respectively.
At that point, maybe I’ll say that, while most social entitlement welfare programs are unconstitutional (in my view) I understand that you and I won’t get far in devising a solution to our nation’s fiscal crisis if I insist that all such programs be terminated. Your view of me as a hardhearted, conservative jerk may soften to the extent that you will admit that we can’t keep spending as we have.
Our subsequent discussions on how to reform the tax code and the welfare system at the national level, will, in addition to closing tax loopholes, include welfare reforms that eliminate many of the disincentives incorporated therein to returning to productive citizenship. When we both understand how such reforms might go a long way to balancing our national budget, then maybe your nightmares will end; and I can put another notch on my bedpost for hearing someone else say “Yeah, Uncle, I can get behind that kind of plan.”
Best part of all of this: you and I will probably be able to conduct this conversation largely without mentioning Democrats, Republicans, Conservatives, Liberals, Progressives, Socialists, or TEA Party members.
OK, maybe I am dreaming. . . . . .
Speaking of Goobers, if Chris knew what he was talking about he'd just explain his position instead of using 3 times the words on his way to pretending he does.
For the record, he doesn't have a clue. You'd be better off knowing nothing than what Chris thinks he knows. Instead of studying Chris just makes it all up, I guess because he read parts of the Constitution. However, it is fun watching his unique detailing of "meaning" that escaped lesser minds, such as the Founders, 200+ years of congressional lawmaking and Court rulings.
However, his position on avoiding taxes is consistent. He has never taxed his mind, for example.
LL2: So do I.
Uncle Chris: We could absolutely have such a conversation. You see, I am not closed minded to compromise. I do believe there is fraud perpetrated by the rich (with tax loopholes) and the poor (usually welfare fraud.) I don’t recall ever referring to you as a “hardhearted, conservative jerk,” mainly because I don’t know you that well. AND, I do agree we cannot continue to spend as we have.
Our disagreements would probably begin when we reached the part of the conversation where we talk about where the spending cuts need to happen. But I believe we could actually reach a compromise before we finished our second latte. And I would be more than willing to agree to a ground rule that prohibits the use of any of those labels you listed.
And if we could do it, our government leaders ought to be able to do it, too.
Paul: I love your Mayberry simile. I can’t agree or disagree with your harsh assessment of Uncle Chris – I just don’t know him that well.
I've discussed this with Chris before. He truly knows nothing worth knowing about the Constitution. So, if you did have a conversation that avoided political labeling, it would be more worthwhile if it avoided the Constitution as well. If, after the platitudes, nostrums and fabricated history, you arrived at an agreement, I suspect it would be that Starbucks makes a decent cup of coffee.
Wonder how great it will be when the libraries close, the public schools close, kids have 50 in a class, no one is immunized, there are no courts, no police, no fire departments, no road maintenance, no building inspectors, no fish and wildlife employees. Oh, and no pesky building regulations either, they just get in the way of progress. No kindergarten teachers, no eldercare, no regulations about lead in paint. No national parks. No rangers in Yellowstone, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, or anywhere else. We'll just stick a McDonalds in there, and maybe few Motel 6s at the base of Half Dome.
Kids can go back to work in factories where they belong, and "get as much education as they can afford."
I work nights and when I showed up at the office I was surrounded by pro-Bush people who were smirky and finally someone said something to trigger me less than two minutes of my coming into the room. I was not a big talker about politics (sjurprise) but I sported anti-war buttons from time to time.
I decided to take a sick day and go home, I was sick at heart, but before I left I turned to the women, mostly young mothers, and I declared, "I hope you remember this moment when your children are facing life and death in the MiddleEast in a war that shouldn't be waged!!!! Remember this moment of superiority and victory!"
I can be very arch in writing, but RARELY in person. I have to be really really really pissed off. It was a cruel thing to say, maybe, but it was the most blunt and honest thing I ever said.
I no longer work there. One of the women, at least one, has a son in danger's way in the Middle East now. I wonder if any of them ever admitted to having been wrong supporting Bush. But now with Obama I realize the system is evil. Not just a little gang of criminals. Criminality and corruption have saturated the system and group think and shameless lack of accountability and responsibility of 99% of our 1%er Congress and WH and SCOTUS have contracted with evil. Scott Peck says evil is laziness to the nth degree. Moral laziness. Lack of proactive empathy.
I say ENOUGH!!!!
best, libby