Wake up Call to Taxpayers

I was reading a document prepared by the Intelligent Community Forum that generated an aha moment for me.  The quote is:

“Education has cultural, social, spiritual and aesthetic value, but its most tangible value is in preparing a young person for work.  Unless that young person successfully crosses the last mile from school to work – work in a prospering local industry that pays a living wage – the years of schooling produce little pay off.”

The “aha” was in realizing that we, the tax payers, were the ones being taken when youth fail to matriculate and be prosperous.   We are paying for their education.  We actually have a vested interest in said education.  If it is not working, we have a right to investigate.  We then should get involved.  We should admonish and encourage youth to take advantage of it.  They are wasting our money if they do not graduate with the skills the community needs.  We should actually be incensed when they flaunt ignorance and attitude because we have paid for a product we are not getting.

We should also take this same attitude to the schools and parents.  What are you doing, what is not working, what are the barriers?  Why do I feel like my tax money is going into a bottomless pit?

Let me also indicate that taxpayers also include renters.  Most renters do not consider themselves property taxpayers, but I suspect that part of their rent includes the taxes on the property in which they live.  Although they do not get the official tax bill they are probably paying at least a portion of it while living in the community that is getting short changed. 

As taxpayers, we are paying twice if they fail to receive gainful employment because our tax dollars support many of the services they will need to survive – WIC, various social services, etc.  So as taxpayers, the outcomes are financially important to us.  Do we need to stop paying?  No, but we really do need to pay attention, voice our outrage, and demand a better return on our investments than we have been getting.

Lights Out

       Recently we had an area wide power outage (over 700,000 people without power) for at least four days.  It also happened when we had 100 degree weather and were in the middle of a drought.  I was not happy about losing all of my frozen and perishible foods, but on the other hand, I sort of enjoyed the time off.  I missed my air conditioner, but I had battery operated fans and lights so except for missing the Internet and a few tv shows, I was pretty content. I work in an air conditioned environment so for most of the day I was cool.  By the time I returned home, the temperature had dropped a little.  I could enjoy quiet time - literally since nothing was running in the background.  I could read, play cards, use my Fire for electronic games (recharge it the next day at work).  Talk on the phone (recharged at work as well).  Or I could sit in the backyard and contemplate nature while dinner cooked on the grill.  At night, I slept like a rock.  The windows were up and there was a breeze aided by the battery operated fans. And all in all it was really quiet.
       When we regained power, I took the opportunity to change.  I did not turn the TV on - I read a book.  I also used my time to finish some craft and other projects.  Things seem to be slower now that I have let go some of the creature comforts. 
      I thought it was amusing to listen to others complaining about the lack of things to do and how tough this was.  I grew up before there was air conditioning for the masses; when TV went off the air at 6 on Saturday and I think it was not even on Sunday. The Grocery store also closed at 6 on Saturday and nothing much was open on Sunday - a few restaurants, maybe but busninesses were closed.  Somehow we survived and had a really good time doing it. I am not saying let's go back in time, but I do think there are a few things to be learned from surviving the past.

Why Black History Month?

Recently, I was asked the question, why it was still important to celebrate Black History Month.  I had wondered that myself once and after Obama was elected President, I remembered why.  I, too, had become complacent.  I sort of knew that his election was the upswing before the swift down swing of the political and cultural pendulum.  I sort of knew when I began to hear an on-going piece of rhetoric, the “take back our country” mantra, that we hear ever so often as if some foreign agent or country had invaded and taken America over.  I sort of knew that once his tenure is up, we would be in for a new day; a time very similar to that of post reconstruction era USA.   

The first real tell-tale clue was the incident where a member of Congress interrupted the President’s speech before the nation by yelling “you lie” as the President spoke.  You will find a nice list of the top 10 (so far) worst moments of disrespect towards President Obama here.  It was blatant.  This person felt comfortable enough not to just disrespect the man but the office he represented as well.  As if the office was no longer worthy of respect.  These are all major clues as to why Black History is still important but they are not even the tip of the tip of the iceberg, though.

What it is to be black in America is changing.  How do you even define being Black, or African-American when there is such an influx of refugees from Africa pouring in to America every day?  What do you call these people?  How will you define their history in America and differentiate it from that of African-Americans whose arrival to this country was mostly of a negative and inhumane nature?  Can most people even tell those who have adopted American (European) clothing styles, habits and accents from those of us who have deep roots in this country? 

Back to the Presidency.  President Obama was dealt the Old Maid in our political card game when he accepted the nomination.  He knew she was in his deck of cards and there was nothing he could do but accept his fate. And he did so with dignity and....Hope.  A Hope that he tried hard to instill in all of us.  He was taking over at a time that was so much like the Panic of 1873 that the only difference was the clothing style, technology and the color of the President’s skin.  The interesting thing about the Panic of 1873 is that it began during the middle of Reconstruction.  After Reconstruction, African-Americans were relegated to (in the best of times) second-classed citizens whenever they were remembered to be human at all. 

Do we still need to celebrate Black History?  Now more than ever.  Now that television shows like “Who Do You Think You Are” are popular and many Americans are trying to find out about their heritage.  Especially now since there is freedom of access to a lot more information about that heritage.  We need to make  sure that this information stays available, is not deemed folklore, myth  and legend, or obliterated all together.  We need to take up the slogan, "Never Forget", and instill in current and future generations the knowledge of where we came from so we do not have to go back there ever again.  Remember, those who do not know their history are doomed to repeat it. The Panic of 1873 is just one of many examples of that.  Let's let it stop, now.

The Gym

I have finally decided to admit what I've known all along:  I hate the gym.  I don't want to "work out".  I don't want to "work" period.  I want to play.  I want a playground for adults.  I think it would be great to have large indoor playgrounds where the "ground" was a really tight trampoline (like a boxing rink floor?) so that if you fell down, you may not break anything, and getting up may be easier.  On this ground you would have:

•  swings (wide bench seats for one) and lots of them.  Nothing like stretching out in a swing to get height to your pendulous motion to work every leg and stomach muscle (not to mention arms) that you have.
• monkey bars (several sets to accommodate short, average and tall people) along with the climbing dome and a rock wall for those linear thinkers; 
• the horsey ride (work those abs!).  
• There could be dodge ball, volleyball, and of course badminton courts! 
• What great playground does not have a pool?  And, because we are adults, it would have a sauna and a hot tub!  
• I wouldn't mind a sandbox either for some creative outlet.
• Let's add a line dance hall as well.

It would not have showers.  Go home grimy. When you get there, take your shower or bath, relax and go to bed.  I bet we would be less stressed and a lot happier if we did this.

After a hard day at work, I'd rather go play.  What about you?