A Few Random Thoughts...

As applicable today as when this poster first premiered (ca 1940s).

Eat them left-overs and save money!

I'm really not in the Christmas spirit. I need to get my rear-in-gear and get to it for the family. I'm a depressed sort of person normally. Lately I've been thinking of some simple fixes to help our government start pulling out of the huge pile of debt they've put us in. and that's not a cheerful subject by any means. Actually, we're demanding people. We want minimal government in our lives but let there be a disaster and look at the media and local politicians jump all over our elected officials in Washington D.C. for not taking action quick enough especially with FEMA dollars. Folks filing taxes getting more money back than they paid in because they have so many dependents/deductions seems like a form of welfare to me. My little family was never in a position for that to happen and now that the kiddies are grown men, we get hit super hard at tax time--doesn't seem fair does it? Get close to retirement age and instead of being able to put some money in the bank it is going to taxes. I am fortunate to be able to use the V.A. for my medical care because I'm a veteran with service connected disabilities. Recently one clinic I go to got beautiful new waiting room furniture. The old was in perfect condition--clean, good repair and stylish too! Rumors (remember I'm saying rumors)  abound that housing that was built for the troops at Ft. Knox just about 5 years ago is to go under the wrecking ball because of the need for a landing strip due to expansion of the base related to base realignment. Does that make sense? Does it make sense that the majority of enlisted family housing units are being demolished and new ones built? That's after many were rehabbed with Pella windows installed! Drive past the old housing units and see crushed furnaces, water heaters, toilets, tubs, etc... that are all items with potential reuse and resale.

On the local level, the city has had to fire layoff employees. You can bet your bottom dollar that next year, like this year, city public works employees will be out planting thousands of dollars worth of annual flowers. I love flowers but I just think that some things need to be done without during financially hard times. You want flowers, call for civics groups to provide and maintain a variety of flower beds and strategically located giant flower pots.

Be conservative with office supplies. Everyone stop buying those "sticky" note pads. Use the back side of "waste" computer paper. Wassa matter with folks throwing out something that still has use and can save the government us money? Stop providing cell phones to workers and allowing them to use as "personal" phones after hours. Collect the darned things at the end of the work day and see how much of a cheaper plan you can order when the phone contract comes up for renewal. I am NOT responsible for providing cell phone service for Mr./Ms. X to call their significant others to say "What's going on Honey."

Now I'm going to make some people mad. I'm sorry but I just have say this--if a family receives assistance for groceries with what is traditionally known as "food stamps" or more recently known as EBT then why do the kids get free lunches at school? Aren't they already receiving money for that meal with the food stamps or EBT? What's the matter with packing a lunch and toting it to school like a large number of us grew up doing? I don't mind helping folks out so they don't go hungry but lets face it, times are tough and double-dipping isn't fair to the folks paying the bills.

Here's another suggestion. Don't cut taxes, make them more fair--filers who CHOOSE to have many dependents should carry their fair load of the tax burden. Let's give a little break here--allow deductions for no more than 5 total family members.

A while back there was a poll on Facebook about instituting a requirement for welfare (not disability) recipients to take random drug screen testing as a requirement to receiving assistance. There was an overwhelming response in support of this idea. Isn't it fair to those paying the bills that illegal drugs aren't paid for with "assistance" money? Military members have to take such drug screens randomly and they put their lives on the line for us so why not ANYONE getting a check from the government???

These are just small things when you look at the big picture. We have to start out small though and let the more knowledge able people we elect look at the bigger things that a woman sitting at her home computer knows nil about.

I'm in a negative mood today can you tell?

I promise to make my next post more upbeat and maybe even FUN. After all this moaning and groaning I've done I hope y'all have a GREAT day!