2012 Sucked So I Will Simply Move On

I’m not going to sit here and reflect on a year that was filled with so many disappointments.

I like to think that I am an eternal optimist, but did anyone else notice the negative tone of wherever you looked? It was everywhere.

ONE positive that I noticed is that, firefighter fatalities were down in 2012. Since 2009, firefighter deaths have been well below the “100 per year” threshold. Also noteworthy is that deaths attributed to cardiac issues were also down. It would appear that health and wellness initiatives are starting to see some positive results and we should. There are plenty of blogs and books dedicated to firefighter fitness. One that easily comes to mind is Fire Service Warrior and its founder, Chris Brennan.

In fact; when you partner the work that the FireSmoke Coalition is doing with its research on the effects of gases present at the foreground that adversely affects firefighters and preventive measures AND we work to improve over all fitness, it is no wonder that there has been a reduction in cardiac-related episodes.

So, when I say that last year sucked, it is a broad response to the many personal negatives that have affected me. It is not summed up simply by saying that “my guy lost” the Presidential election. It goes much deeper than that. Since I started preparing my first article for 2013, I have lost another brother-in-law and it leaves me with the opinion that I am attending more funerals of family members than I care to.

All I know is that it has hit me like a ton of bricks and has forced me to be more introspective on setting priorities in this Life. I will strive to find the edge that saw several readers of Chief Reason blogs, but in order to do that, I have to get a couple things off of my chest.

So, this is To Whom It May Concern:

I am tired of all of the “fiscal cliff” dramedy. Our federal government has proven time and time again that the two-party system is self-destructing. The two houses of government want to go in two, separate directions with a President who doesn’t understand the art of compromise. Instead of finding real solutions to the problems that we face, they want to spend time looking for gimmicks that kicks the can down the road for future generations.

I mean; what has happened to “representative” government? When did it become this bloated behemoth of amendatory bills and points of order and all of the trickery and chicanery that it has become?

How is it that, in Congress, John Boehner decides what goes or doesn’t in the House and the singing duo of Reid and Pelosi decides what goes to the floor of the Senate?

Did you know that you don’t even have to be present to filibuster? Now, all you have to do is notify leadership of your “intent” to filibuster. You know; “phone it in”, as they say. Jimmy Stewart (Mr. Smith) must be rolling in his grave.

And why are legislative bills 2700 pages long? I actually know the answer to this one. It is because of all of the “augmentations”. Let’s call it “pork” or “sausage”. Regardless, it goes through the meat grinder known as Congress and is packed into a prophylactic to make it easier to shove…well, you get the picture.

And for the record; Illinois has its version of Boehner, Reid and Pelosi. It’s called Mike Madigan, the “most powerful politician in the state”.

Having little influence THERE, I will spend my time focused at a local level. As a trustee for our fire protection district, I will not use the federal budgetary process as a template for our fire district finances. For me, that means a balanced approach. Borrowing will be limited and money will never factor into discussions of firefighter safety. Firefighter safety will always come first and we will tax and budget for it. Period.

I have seen too many fire districts struggling just to pay the interest on apparatus or a new building that they can’t afford. If either was needed, then a budget plan that included savings, applying for available grants, increasing tax rates or calling for a bond referendum should have been in the plan. You don’t just wake up one day and discover these problems. They can be years in the making, if you don’t exercise restraint.

Next; I am tired of the pension banter. Illinois has the distinction of having the most underfunded pension system and the worst credit rating in our country. So, again I say;

To Whom It May Concern:

You believed that it was your civic duty or your “calling” to serve on your city council or in the state legislature. You sat there while your loyal public servants were negotiating employment contracts-legal, binding contracts.

And even though you didn’t bother to look at actuaries, investment statements or take the advice of financial analysts; you kept agreeing to new contracts; knowing that you would have to borrow money to pay them or skip payments all together.

Why would you lock in return on investment at 8.5 %, even though statements were showing anywhere from 0 to 5% and then express total shock to hear the economy was driving everything down?

In the Land of Lincoln, pensions are underfunded by $95 BILLION. And because pensioners are expecting YOU to honor YOUR word, you are now labeling them “selfish and greedy”!

Do you even realize that a contract is a legal and binding PROMISE? Because if you do, then quit whining and figure out a way to pay them without sending my taxes even higher than they already are; keeping in mind that I am trying to save for my own retirement.

Two years ago, Governor Quinn got a 67% increase in the state income tax to pay past due bills to medical care providers and schools, to name a few. It was only to be for one year and it has been two. He lied. He also said the added revenue would go for the purposes that I stated. Instead; the money went to pension funds. He lied again.

I am so fed up with the convoluted process known as politics that I a swearing off blogs about politics UNLESS they directly affect the fire service. You may quote me.

And last; to my friends at NIOSH:

Since we are seeing fewer firefighter deaths per year, can we see a more timely and detailed fatality report? Could you possibly widen your pool of resources and end the “template” approach?

I, for one, appreciate the work that you do, but let’s be honest; can “poor communication” or “a lack of leadership” be present at every fatal incident? You might be right; I am just asking, but consider that there is a culture to change in the fire service that may require stepping outside of the box, because without compelling, well written reports; fire departments will continue to dismiss NIOSH firefighter fatality reports as “same old/same old”.

To my fellow bloggers and critics: I am bringing back a strong voice of reason in 2013. However; I will continue to be uniquely qualified in matters of opinion.

TCSS.

The opinions and views expressed are those of the article’s author, Art Goodrich, who also writes as ChiefReason. They do not reflect the opinions and views of www.fireengineering.com, Fire Engineering Magazine, PennWell Corporation or his dog, Chopper. All articles by the author are protected by federal copyright and cannot be reproduced in any form without expressed permission.

Rescuing the Lady

Oh, where to begin.

As if things weren’t already bad enough in Illinois, I read today where my state is the third most corrupt state in the nation. Chicago has the distinction of being named as the number one most corrupt city in the nation.

For many of us who have lived in Illinois our entire lives, this doesn’t exactly come as a revelation, but it is very frustrating after spending so much time in politics with the idea that we were going to change it.

I want to say that our politics in this state isn’t reflective of the people who live here, but unfortunately, it is people (real and imagined) who vote for the jamokes that get into state politics long enough to muck things up, plead guilty, serve their sentence and then become lobbyists when they get out. Our most recent poster child for Illinois politics comes courtesy of the Illinois Department of Transportation, where a mob bookie got a $70,000 a year job with the DOT and now, with the help of the union, continues to work for the state; much to the chagrin of his DOT supervisor.

You probably never thought that turning a key in a lock could be hazardous to your health, but at Menard State Prison, over $10 million was awarded to prison guards AND the warden for injuries caused from this innocuous act. Apparently, some of our Illinois Industrial Commissioners had their own workers’ compensation claims and were suffering “sympathetic” pain for the guards.

In an effort to cut our deficit and to bolster our credit rating, the state raised my state income tax by 67% and they also raised the corporate tax by 47%. Makes you want to run a business and work there, doesn’t it? Caterpillar recently told Governor Quinn the Mighty that they will not increase their business in this state, as long as the climate is so “anti-business”. Let’s see; we had the money to bribe Sears and the CBT to keep their business here, but not Caterpillar? I lost my job at Cat when they moved the engine assembly to Texas. Then, at about the same time, they moved the road graders from Decatur, IL to North Little Rock, Arkansas. And now; a new Cat plant is going to Athens, Georgia, but Quinn still thinks that Cat is just “blowing smoke”.

It was clear that the Gov was hurt by Oberhelmann’s statements and he could barely muster a reply. He said, “We overhauled the workers’ compensation system in this state”. Quinn’s idea of “overhaul” must mean that, when you get your oil changed, you are having your engine overhauled. The work comp “overhaul” did NOTHING to lower rates in this state.

So, there has been no meaningful spending cuts made yet, but Quinn and his bobble heads are still finding ways to RAISE money through the good taxpayers in this state. Now, Quinn and Chicago mayor Rahm Emanual want to charge a $65 “fee” for gun registration in this state and as we all know, a “fee” is not a “tax”.

It wasn’t that long ago that Rahm the Merciless was President Obama’s Chief of Staff, but Rahm couldn’t get everyone on board with doing things the “Chicago way”, so, feeling like a fish out of water, Rahm returned to the familiar waters of Chicago politics, where he has been doing a yeoman’s job of bullying his city council AND our governor.

So, that brings me to Obama. He got his start in politics as a community organizer. There must be a playbook or instruction manual that teaches one to organize. Now; I have to wonder if he was organizing in the most corrupt city in the nation in spite of it. After-all; he is a product of that environment. Did he escape it squeaky clean? I don’t think so. Look at his shadow cabinet of czars, his recess appointments, Obama Care, activists judges, the NLRB, his fast and furious attorney general’s willingness to sue private citizens and businesses to stop them from exercising their liberties, suing states to keep them from enforcing immigration laws and then it becomes very clear that President Obama is a by-product of his environment. His hypocrisy has no limits.

The House and the Senate haven’t been much help, either. Many of them still believe that they are beefing up their re-election victories by pigging out on pork projects for their home districts, because they are too chicken to base their chances on the moral and ethical strength of their votes on various pieces of legislation. And besides; giving the special interests groups that support and the special attention that they deserve isn’t “buying” votes in the strict sense is it?

Sure; everyone wants their taxes to come back home in some way, but it has caused a de facto redistribution of wealth. However; in Illinois, tax money that is taken and is supposed to come back to the school districts isn’t. Instead, Quinn the Mighty is simply telling school districts that they are going to have to take on a bigger share at the local level which will most likely cause property taxes across the state to skyrocket. I wish that I could tell my creditors to eat it in the same way that Illinois government tells their taxpayers.

In his “State of the State” address, Quinn offered NOTHING; only get tough talk, but no plans to get tough.

The 2012 elections will be the most important election in my lifetime and I don’t exaggerate when I say that. I cannot think of another single election where there was so much at stake at the state and federal level. We have an opportunity in Illinois to flip the entire legislature as ALL of the seats are up for re-election. There are but a very few who deserve the privilege of our vote for them.

At the federal level, I can’t wait to pay $5 a gallon for gas, even though we sit on enough oil to truly become energy self-sufficient and cut the cord to Middle East countries that don’t like us very much, but are more than happy to take our money and the lives of our soldiers and citizens.

That is not to say that I am for price controls, because I’m not, but why is it that gas prices can go up whenever a sheik farts, but a utilities company must “request” a price increase from the legislature?

I fully understand a company’s duty to shareholders and yea, though I don’t know what “obscene profits” are or what it is to have “too much money”; I know that our country survives because of capitalism.

I believe that, in many cases, those who have their hand out because “they can’t help it” are a myth. I have always felt that those in need will receive their help from charitable donations from kind-hearted givers. Government is not a charity nor should they determine for us how we should spend our money.

It’s a fact that not everyone can afford to buy a house, a car or go to college. Those decisions should be made by potential purchasers. When I took out the loan for our first house, interest rates were eight percent. I made my payments without the help of the government. I borrowed money for my vehicles from the bank and never missed a payment. Back then, there were no incentives to buy and interest rates were eight to nine percent. We took out student loans so that our son could go to college and we paid back every dime. We never looked for a bailout from the government. What has changed, other than loan rates have dropped dramatically?

All of us who came from poor beginnings know that we had two choices: stay there and wallow in self-pity fueled by government cheese or to change it.

I chose to change it. I won’t apologize for it and I refuse to stand by and allow government to tell me that I have too much and must give some of it to someone else.

I pay my taxes and I donate to charities. I volunteer my time in my community and will help where help is needed.

THAT is MY decision and because I am opposed to extending that charity to flimflammers and scammers of the System, I will not believe that I am a bad person.

The state of the government and the condition of our country is our fault.

So, I say that it is time to rescue Lady Liberty and to take back our country from dysfunctional governance.

It is a non-partisan approach. Republicans and Democrats alike have managed through several parliamentary procedures to set themselves up as the ruling class and in the process have trampled on our Constitution.

I will not consider any candidate from any party who will not work to change it. I want a government who will allow me to keep what I have earned and return upon my retirement the Social Security funds that I have paid since I was sixteen years old.

I have supported government at all levels. I don’t expect any more than what I have paid for. I expect government to honor their contract with me. Period.

Rant off.

Game on. November can’t come soon enough.

TCSS.

The opinions and views expressed are those of the article’s author, Art Goodrich, who also writes as ChiefReason. They do not reflect the opinions and views of www.fireengineering.com, Fire Engineering Magazine, PennWell Corporation or his dog, Chopper. All articles by the author are protected by federal copyright and cannot be reproduced in any form without expressed permission.

ChiefReason for Dummies

Over the years, I have had others try to tell me how to blog and what to blog. 

What they fail to understand is that just like anyone who writes, you develop a style that becomes distinctive and that differentiates you from others who engage in that type of writing, because let's face it; blogging is writing.

With that said, it has also been suggested to me on occasion that I shouldn't blog about politics at a fire service website, because it isn't about fire service issues.

Really? The fire service in our country has no ties to politics? That is absurd.

First of all, I blog on a wide range of subjects/issues.

When a fire service issue strikes me, I will blog about it, as I have. The funny thing is that there are several bloggers who blog at the many fire blog sites about fire service issues-many on the SAME issues. How many ways can you say the same thing and make it interesting?

I know a few can bring different perspectives to the same issue, but in the end, they pretty much beat a dead horse, don't they?

Now more than ever, politics is having negative impacts on many of us.

And if politics isn't impacting the fire service, then why do we have so many lobbyists lobbying for fire service legislation and why is so much money being donated to political candidates by fire service organizations, including unions?

I know why many shy away from political discussions.

It's because of emotion and sometimes, raw emotion.

You see; it's hard to convince someone to change their political views and even harder to get someone to change their political party.

When we decide that we like and support certain politicians from the various political parties, we want to believe that we have made an intelligent decision and when someone else challenges us on our choices, we believe that our intelligence is being questioned. So; we get emotional and take it as a personal attack.

When the dust has settled, a discussion has degenerated into an argument and the argument degenerates further into a verbal brawl.

That makes it very unpleasant for someone willing to state their political position.

I GET IT!

But, if we don't state our views, then we have become sheep, willing to place our fates into the hands of people bought and paid for by OUR tax dollars and I'm sorry, but that's not how I want to live.

The fact is that government and the politicians who populates it have become the problem.

Why?

Because the fire service thought that they would always come first; that they would be taken care of by our government and the politicians.

Take a look at how many firefighters have entered the political arena just in the past ten years and it should answer your questions about why I, for one, blog about politics. Firefighters are getting more involved in the political process to protect what we still have; to preserve the programs that we have fought so hard to get and to further define that linkage between our core missions and our governments; local, state and federal.

Is that the current climate that the fire service enjoys? I don't think so and here's why:

WE let it happen. America let it happen.

We were so naive to believe that our elected officials would make their decisions in our best interests. We became so jaded and detached from the process that we ALLOWED the politicians to work the system to their best advantage, putting us all at an extreme disadvantage.

The politicians have devised a process that is so convoluted and so complex that many of us no longer see a government that is working for the people. We see elitists who are telling us that we don't understand how government works, which is exactly how they devised it.

If you ever took a civics class, you know how government should work; at least in theory.

America has sat by for too long and allowed political parties to write rules that marginalize the other side. Representative government has become government by the party in power.

Any hope that we have of fixing the mounting problems in this country are lost in the rules that have stacked the deck against compromise. Too much time and energy has been spent on parties beating the other into submission and because of that, we have a government sitting idle in gridlock. We have representatives scared to do the right thing, because their re-election is at stake and in order to get their golden parachute when they leave office, they will go with the Washington establishment. They can go back to their constituents and make a litany of excuses that will convince their voters that they are working hard for them in Washington!

I am a registered Republican and I will not apologize for it.

However; I am prepared to vote out those who were obstructionists at a time when we needed solutions for our debt crisis and high unemployment. Even though I understand the parties' political platform, I also believe that opposing political parties can reach agreement without violating a party's base.

And to take this article full circle...

If you believe that blogging about politics doesn't belong at a fire service website; I have two words for you.

Baa-baa.

TCSS.

The opinions and views expressed are those of the article’s author, Art Goodrich, who also writes as ChiefReason. They do not reflect the opinions and views of www.fireengineering.com, Fire Engineering Magazine, PennWell Corporation or his dog, Chopper. All articles by the author are protected by federal copyright and cannot be reproduced in any form without expressed permission.

I Punted; Super Committee Fumbles!

I punted for our high school football team.
Punting was a very strategic part of our offense.
Back then; you know, in the "leather helmet" days, there were no fair catches. You either took the chance of catching the ball or letting it hit the ground and bounce until it was downed by the punting team.
My punts might average 35-40 yards-not very long-but they were extremely high.
The coach at the time taught me a soccer-style of punting that allowed me to kick very high, tight spirals.
The idea was that, when the punt returner saw many of my teammates surrounding him, just begging for him to catch it, he would let it bounce and since the ball would hit flat on the ground, it would bounce and then roll a long ways; pinning the opponent deep in their own territory.
It was really a thing of beauty.
Which is why you CANNOT compare what the Super Committee did today as "punting".
Lately, we seem to find ourselves searching for cute, little analogies for failure-utter and complete failure.
Failure is not punting.
Failure is not getting the punt off at all.
And the truth is that punting  is more complex than what we are seeing out of our government.
So; I am tired of that analogy.
How much practice and hard work would you guess that it took me to punt the football accurately?
I worked the entire summer before my senior year to completely change my punting style-so much so that I beat out the guy who had punted the three, previous football seasons.
THAT is the sweet science of learning the skill, improving it and then executing it at game time.
If you want to compare this current crop of legislative losers who are supposed to be "leading" our country to my football team of 1969, then there is no comparison.
My team is in our high school's hall of fame and Obama & Company are walking the halls of shame!
At a time when we need hall of fame efforts out of our government, we find ourselves with a group that couldn't even carry the water for this country.
And I apologize to all of the hard-working trainers and assistants for that remark. I have tons more respect for them than I do for our Congress at the moment.
It's time to clean house and put a new team on the field.
At least if they punt, it will actually have an impact on the outcome of the game.
For the record; what we are witnessing in this country is not some game or sporting event.
Our elected officials need to stop reaching into their bags of cliches, stop making excuses, suck it up and GOVERN.
You know; give us something to cheer about.
Sorry; they have me doing it, too.
But, the clock is running down and there are no more time outs.
Crap; I did it again.
You get my meaning, though.
TCSS.
The opinions and views expressed are those of the article’s author, Art Goodrich, who also writes as ChiefReason. They do not reflect the opinions and views of www.fireengineering.com, Fire Engineering Magazine, PennWell Corporation or his dog, Chopper. This article is protected by federal copyright laws and cannot be re-produced in any form.

You Have the Right to Remain Salient!

Yes; I like titles that are a play on words.

Salient – (say-lee-ent) adj. Projecting or jutting beyond a line or surface; protruding. Strikingly conspicuous; prominent. Noticeable. Springing; jumping.

As we are seeing, many Americans who have held silent over the years are now speaking out about the condition of the human condition (and especially THEIR condition); how exclusive our “representative” form of government has become; how they can feel a positive future slipping through the loopholes in legislation passed in the dead of night, when few were watching; how the “needy” have become the “greedy” with their selfish sense of entitlement; how “community organizing” is nothing more than code for organized demonstrations that are designed to deceive the majority into thinking that they are the minority; and how they are seeing their voice getting smaller, as the private sector shrinks and government grows bigger by the day. It has allowed for the unions to add another layer of bureaucracy onto the already-bloated bureaucratic behemoth of government.

Of course; I am stating my opinion, which is salient.

Have you ever noticed how some will disguise their opinions as statements of facts?

Or, how some will state fact and then offer up their unsolicited opinions? The news media has been doing a lot of that lately.

No; it isn’t just the “mainstream” media doing it.

TV, radio and print media have all been practicing various spin mastering for the candidates of THEIR choice. Bias has been around for some time in that once unbiased arena known as our world of news.

It’s funny, but I could never figure out where Walter Cronkite, Chet Huntley, David Brinkley, John Chancellor, Peter Jennings or Dan Rather were positioned politically, because they approached their jobs as newsmen; as if they were asking questions for the rest of the nation, regardless of political affiliation.

But, look at the state of the media today. Truly; it’s not like the old days. Investors with political agendas pour money into a news company and exert tremendous influence on the political direction of the news outlet. I’ll stop there for fear of sounding like Glenn Beck.

But let me ask you this: if people with special interests are spending millions of dollars in political campaign contributions in the various political parties, then how can they NOT be buying influence on legislation that affects them? If that is not the case, then why can’t they put containers out like UNICEF and get their money that way; that is, if what the money is going for is a worthy cause?

I have to point out the irony in National Public Radio (NPR), though.

Their name would lead one to believe that they exist for the public-the ENTIRE public, but it doesn’t. Yet, they receive public (taxpayer) funding. I suppose if you are an intellectual elitist or have liberal tendencies, then you probably have the channel programmed into your radios and I would suspect that you also enjoy your share of public television too. It’s OK; public radio/public TV; it’s all the same. It’s funny but it was public television where I first met Monty Python’s Flying Circus, Benny Hill, Black Adder, Fawlty Towers and Red Green. Exquisite comedy is its only redeeming quality, I guess. Wait; I can’t forget Austin City Limits. It reminds me of the old days of Midnight Special hosted by Wolfman Jack or Don Kirshner’s Rock Concert. I must pause…

How can groups of people, who are participating in freedom of assembly, exercising their rights to free speech-both that are rights provided to Americans under the Constitution-use these very tactics to trample the same rights of those with opposing views?

When did it become fashionable to shout down differences of opinions?

Don’t bring a bullhorn to a PA address.

When live, streaming video shows these organizations using tactics designed to intimidate or coerce their political opponents, then why is it so surprising that some reporters would refer to them as a “mob”? Why is there a criminal charge of “mob action” that can be filed under the law under certain circumstances, but disrupting the workplace of elected officials and littering state property is OK?

These are just some of the questions that populate my mind.

Next subject:

I have read many articles lamenting about the fire services’ loss of status; post 9/11.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but the heroes of 9/11 were at Shanksville, the Pentagon and the World Trade Center on that day. From every day Joes to the police, port authority, fire/EMS and hospitals; heroism was on display for the rest of the world to see on September 11, 2001.

Suddenly and without warning, ALL fire, police and EMS were seen and treated as heroes.

9/11 wasn’t some PR campaign. It wasn’t a “light bulb” that went off in someone’s head.

It was the darkest day in the history of our fire service and of our country.

While families and friends of those who died on 9/11 were grieving, many others were recognizing and realizing the complexities and risks of those in public safety. A profession that was already held in high regard was taken to even greater heights.

In my opinion, it is denigrating and disrespectful to even consider an “upside” to this tragedy, because there should be no mistake that this act of war was perpetrated on a country with a rich heritage of helping the rest of the world for nothing more than humanitarianism. No upside; no takeaways; simply people helping people.

But, one “upside” discussed in several articles on the subject was the new-found elevated stature of public safety employees.

I guess what I am trying to say is that I have seen 9/11 used as a “marketing” tool and I think that’s wrong. It is my opinion and there are those who will disagree with me. That’s cool.

I believe that our “fall from grace” is due to over exposure; too many pictures and video clips of public servants “just doin’ their jobs” as they would say. The public face is one of compassion, commitment, strength, honor and courage. It is a reminder of why communities could sleep easy at night. THEY are fearless because their public servants are fearless in protecting them.

And at the time, the cost for that protection didn’t seem to matter. No one seemed to care. Very few participated in their participatory form of government, so unless the very few were very vocal or worked for the newspaper and felt that public payroll issues were “newsworthy”, then it was regarded as budget expenditures…no big deal!

That seems innocuous enough, but then, the economic bubble burst.

Cities and states began “skipping” their payments to the pensions, mistakenly believing that their financial house would improve and the money would be paid into the pension fund at some point. And the money that WAS getting into the pension funds and then into investment funds were taking a beating along with the rest of us who had retirement funds.

With less money coming into the cities, states and yes, the unions; no one was doing anything to rein in spending. Their “economic engines” weren’t very “fuel efficient”!

So; with regards to what I have seen with fire departments: taxpayers believe that they are paying taxes that are too high. They won’t say that they are being assessed a fair cost for services; they only know that it costs too much in their opinions.

All of a sudden, benefits and pensions are “Cadillac” plans. Illinois firefighters contribute 9.5% of their paycheck into their pension. What I don’t know is what is contributed by their “employer”. But in the end, the firefighter is to get somewhere around 85% at retirement. It will vary because there are five public employee pensions that are governed by five different pension boards and that could be lending to the problem. That is; Illinois wasn’t paying its agreed-upon contributions; yet nothing was popping up as a cause for concern. It’s also an example of how close state government-i.e. representatives-have gotten to public and private sector unions. Who was the union listening to while payments were being skipped? The people that they supported for election/re-election; that’s who.

If you listen to Illinois Republicans on the most recent legislative session; they are the only ones trying to reduce spending. They want legislators to “be honest with their constituents” and to tell them that the money isn’t there to spend. So; has the process lacked honesty, if they are now calling for honesty?

It’s interesting to note that, when THEY had the majority AND a Republican governor, THEY weren’t that interested in spending cuts. Oh wait; they would want to pull out the “we had a surplus back then” argument. Really? My taxes didn’t go down.

NOW; everyone in government and their lobbyists on a leash claims that they have seen this coming for YEARS. So; I guess that they are complicit after-all.

Anyone with a stake in this can shoulder some of the blame.

From governments not honoring their commitments to an apathetic/disengaged electorate to unions feeding their own bureaucracy; the once rosy picture is now a harsh reality.

No one should be shouted down for raising questions or for voicing opinions.

Solutions may very well be found during very heated exchanges.

Hopefully, if the debate remains respectful, consensus will build and communities will flourish once again.

Regardless; you have the right to remain salient!

TCSS.

The views and opinions expressed are those of the author, Art Goodrich, who also writes under the name ChiefReason.  They do not reflect the views and opinions of www.fireengineering.com, Fire Engineering Magazine, PennWell Corporation or his dog, Chopper. Articles written by the author are protected by federal copyright and cannot be reproduced in any form.