One Cent Sales Tax Increase in Little Rock Passes

If you haven't heard already, both sales tax increase proposals passed 54% to 46% in yesterday's local election. I was against one of them and for the other and I don't mind saying it. One was a 3/8 cent hike for "Capital Investments" (primarily a huge pot of money to be generated for ten years for "discretionary" spending/investment in local commerce, i.e. a research park, whatever that is--pretty vague), and the other a 5/8 cent hike for "City Operations" (maintenance and improvements on what we already got that we can't afford anymore--roads, sidewalks, parks, zoo, bike trails, half-burnt recreation centers).

The voting groups in this election were pretty telling. The votes split primarily along socio-economic lines and neighborhood lines--but not necessarily along party lines. Still, once again though, we were split almost dead-down-the-middle. We're polarized again, even when we don't split on political ideology.

There was a significant African-American turnout that was divided. I heard they broke down along local/personal political lines. It's a bad time to ask people who are struggling financially to take on more of the tax burden. But lots of the neighborhoods (sidewalks, streets, and services) that will be spruced up are in poorer, largely African-American neighborhoods.

Many of the residents of the older neighborhoods in Little Rock voted against the 3/8 cent increase largely because some of the money is headed out to west county for two new fire stations. We didn't ask anyone to clearcut the Ouachitas and build McMansions and new strip malls. They can obviously afford their own "green" fire stations. After all, Obama is paying 10 million of the 10.8 million that they need if I understand correctly.

Some wanted their shiny fire engines, but didn't want to pay for cruddy, inner-city sidewalks.

And yet another group simply believed that the city needs more money, and in the grand scheme of things, we're talking about an extra dime on a hundred dollar purchase. These guys won, and they're probably right. I just wish it had been handled better by the political big-dawgs in the city--on all sides. We were divided before, and this hasn't helped any. We will need to keep a Q-beam spotlight on that big ball of money that's being generated for the next decade. Forgive me if I'm cynical. I just fear that money's gonna be doled out to the same 4 or 5 guys that always get the big money in Arkansas.

I watch students at school every day--rich and poor--drop dimes in the hallway and not even bother to stop and pick them up. I may start collecting them in a mason jar and see how long it takes to fill up.

Get ready for school board elections next week. I suspect some more of the same. Wonder if we'll ever get together and agree on what's best. If we can't get together on what's good for Little Rock, how are we going to do it as a nation?! I want to see an election where the turnout is impressive and the winner gets 75% or 85% of the votes. This 50-50 stuff is just more bad news.

Controversy Abounds!

Prompt:

Zygotes have the unequivocal, inherent right to mature into living, human beings--regardless of the circumstances, and impoverished American mothers should be required to have their tubes tied after they give birth to two babies.

Please, discuss.

Obama or Bust

It appears to me as if President Obama's just waiting, like a tiger in the high grass. He can't start too early. And he's got a job to do; he's a little busy. He's waiting patiently and the dude's gonna pounce. And when he does, his people are going to be ready to go with him.

Reagan/Mondale-esque landslide in 2012? An Independent, conservative friend of mine said that to me yesterday. As crazy as that sounds at this point in time-------------just remember where you heard it first. I will, C.D. I don't think it will be a landslide of that magnitude, but I am starting to think the American people are just voicing their valid frustrations with politicians, and he is their whipping boy right now--as he should be as the leader of American politicians. As it gets closer, and Americans begin to face up to the real facts and the real-life choices they are going to have, sensibility and pragmatism are going to prevail. To some, he may be the most accurate incarnation of the "better of two evils" line that we hear so often. To others, he may be the most qualified and noble President they've ever had the opportunity to vote for in an election. I'm with the latter. Regardless, I'm growing more and more optimistic with each passing day.

The more I've thought about this, and the more I'm reading people I have a great deal of respect for, the better I'm starting to feel about everything. At this point. But I never underestimate the power of the Karl Rove-dark side. That's why I'm getting prepared now.

We're Talkin' 'Bout Taxes?! Taxes?! (Insert Allen Iverson's voice here.)

• • My old friend Ron and I reconnected a couple of years ago on Facebook. We were inseparable, best buds in middle school before he moved away to another town. It's been neat getting to know him as an adult. He's got a beautiful family and a great life.
    
    
    It didn't take long, however, for us to learn that we come from opposite sides of the political spectrum. Neither of us have much of a filter when it comes to telling people what we really think about things. We've had a couple of spirited exchanges over the span of our Facebook friendship. I've developed an admiration and respect for the way he handles himself in debates and discussions. He listens and he is courteous. It made me realize how rare these qualities are these days--in the current national political environment.
    
    
    The other day, Ron saw an article that I shared on Facebook from abcnews.go.com about some millionaires that didn't have to pay any federal income taxes last year. Very soon after I posted it, I reconsidered and pulled it down--I've been staying away from politics on Facebook lately because I've been so frustrated. I had kind of hoped no one had seen it, but Ron was on it. Here's how it went down:
    
    
    Ron: What happened to your article??? I had a GREAT rebuttal and now it's gone???
    
    
    Me: Dude, I pulled it down. I just can't get my thoughts together on all this business. What is your rebuttal?
    
    
    Me: Every time I think I'm ready to engage in discussion, I change my mind... But I'd like to hear what you have to say.
    
    
    Me: Speaking of taxes. It's a sales tax "holiday weekend" in AR for back to school shopping. Think I'll go cash in like a big ballin' high roller! Lol.
    
    
    Ron: I had the presence of mind to hit copy before I lost it. So, [below] was the exact post that I was going to put on the article. What do you think?
    
    
    Ron: I'm sorry, but good for them. They have been smart with their money and have chosen investments that have gotten them the lowest tax burden. Do you have a ROTH IRA? If you don't, then you should. It just makes good investment sense. I myself do everything I can to pay as little to the govt as possible. What do they want to do, stop deductions for charities? That would just doom the charities. The real issue is the 46% overall that don't pay taxes. You can't vilify the millionaires without pointing the finger at them as well. Most of the millionaires enjoy the protection of the [government] and enjoy the roads they provide, but they are not taking advantage of all the entitlements that most of the others that don't pay taxes use. This is why a flat tax or a national sales tax is so attractive. A national sales tax would even get money from illegal revenue (drug dealers don't pay taxes) as this money still has to be spent. I just think blaming some people who are fortunate enough to make millions without paying taxes should be the bad guy. They should be admired by the rest of us. Don't we all want financial success?
    
    
    Me: In a perfect world, good for them. Unfortunately, wealth reciprocates wealth and poverty reciprocates poverty. Wonder how many of those 1500 millionaires that didn't pay taxes were born into poverty and climbed out to claim their tax free American dream? It is possible though--as we are constantly reminded. Highly unlikely, but possible.
    
    Heather and I both have a Roth IRA. We contribute as much as we can on our "fixed budget" every month. We purchased a new home last year in time to receive a 6000 dollar tax credit--not deduction--a credit. So I agree with part of what you said: it is wise to take advantage of tax credits and deductions every chance you get. I think we saved ourselves 10K or 12K last year alone by taking advantage of these "tax incentives." We still paid near a third of our income to the government. I also understand that the government provides goods and services for me and my family and my fellow citizens that we need. Things that make America what it is--the awesome home that it is to so many citizens.
    
    I commend the millionaires that donated enough of their money to charity to avoid taxes. (The article indicated that someone who made 2 million dollars, for example, could have donated 1 million and avoided federal income tax). Forgive me for being cynical, but I doubt that was the case very often. On the other hand, many of the tax-free millionaires paid significant income tax in other countries but not here. I have a hard time wrapping my mind around that one. It wasn't their money paying for handouts like basic medical care, food, and shelter. Let's be honest, the millionaires who did all those "smart" things with their money to avoid taxes were playing by rules that they got to write. It is corrupt--immoral. There is nothing fair or noble or admirable about it. Please tell me you know and understand that.
    
    There is no doubt, your mentality will make you and other people like you rich. Good for you. I'd like to see more people with that kind of money with a little more compassion and concern for others. I don't admire wealthy people because they are wealthy. I admire them when they use their wealth to make the world a better place. Castles, and yachts and diamond rings don't. Polo shirts and Gucci purses don't. Trust fund babies don't. Food, shelter, and basic medical services do. Clean drinking water does. Pot-hole free interstates and energy efficient cars do. Computers in public school classrooms do and qualified, passionate, well-compensated teachers do. Disaster relief funds and other emergency services do. College scholarships and the Peace Corps do. Etc., etc., etc.
    
    I'm afraid the ideological divide in this country has become insurmountable. It's not a good situation. I'm at a loss...
    
    
    Ron: I guess where we agree is that the system is hopelessly broken. Is it fair for someone to make massive amounts of money and pay no taxes? No. Neither is it fair to me for someone to make moderate amounts of money and pay no taxes. I guess that is my point. Most of the tax breaks in the tax code are there for a reason. The mortgage deduction was put in place to spur spending in realestate (though many would say it is a bad idea and encourages people to purchase homes more expensive than they should and helped cause our current economic problem). Charitable deductions encourage charitable donations and billions are given every year to organizations that do a much better job at helping the poor than the government does. The problem is when the govt does stupid stuff like making large trucks deductible for companies as "farming equipment" just to spur spending for new cars (done under Bush) or cash for clunkers which was ment to spur new car purchases and get old vehicles off the road (Obama). But cash for clunkers only artificially increased used car prices and got more people into debt that they couldn't pay.
    
    My problem is that making these 1,200 millionaires the bad guys will do nothing to fix our current problem. They are beating the system and there will always be people that are able to do that. The way we fix our problem is by getting more people to pay a share of the load. We have far too many people that do not contribute; they just take. We also need to stop spending. We need to fix entitlements and shut down parts of the govt that have outlived their usefulness. Have you ever heard of a government program that has ended? They don't. They just go on. Programs are created to fix a problem. The problem is that if they succeed, they fix the problem but don't go away. They continue. If they don't fix the problem, they continue. This mentality has to change. If it works, end the program. If it doesn't work, END THE PROGRAM and do something that does fix it. The truth is that most of what our federal govt does, it was not intended to do. Those of us that are paying taxes are asked to do too much for too many. We need to stop creating programs for what they are "intending" to do (though the intent may be admirable, i.e. Obamacare) and look at what we are truly able to do and what will be successful.
    
    Many difficult decisions are on the horizon. We have made a culture of people that live off of a few. That is not fair. We should get the govt out of the way and let people make and spend their own money. That in turn will increase revenue for the govt. For example, no one who has a TV with cable and a DVD player should be on food stamps. I don't want to pay for your food if you are spending your money on "wants" instead of "needs."
    
    Well, I could rant forever, but that would just make me late for church. Also, I due to the length of this note, I can't go back and proof what I wrote, so forgive me for typos and poor grammar. (I hate writing to you educators:)
    
    Btw, if you aren't going to church this morning, you can watch our service (I am singing) on calvarynow.com. I will be at the west campus at 11a. Have a great day.
    
    
    
    
    We ended it with some small talk and my request to publish this little dialogue on my suffering, neglected blog. He graciously and enthusiastically agreed. And he's looking for a debate. If you're interested, have at it!
    
    
    Ron's a good friend. I like having someone out there that I can talk to about these things without getting blood-spitting angry--someone who I actually like that can give me insight into what the other side is saying and thinking. At the very core, there are some things we can agree on. We're gonna have to find these things and talk about them if any of us want to have any *hope* for the future.
    
    
    Thanks old buddy. To use one of my dad's old jokes, you're alright I don't care what Dina says about you!

Volunteer!

A service club I sponsor at Central, Project 10, is going to the Arkansas Rice Depot this morning to do some volunteer work. H, RL, and I are gonna go chaperone and help out too. Should be a fun experience.

Many of my students are devout volunteers, yet too often I'm guilty of overlooking their efforts. From what I can tell, most do regular community service projects. It is heartening to see Little Rock's youth habitually reading to sick patients at Arkansas Children's Hospital, bagging rice to send to Haiti, or tutoring at-risk 2nd graders in after-school programs. These kids are doing it for the right reasons too. Yes, it helps them with college apps and scholarships, but they get it on a deeper level than that. I'm gonna join them today and report back. I think the kids have a lesson to teach me this morning. I'm embarrassed to admit that it's been too long since I've given my time freely for a greater purpose. I'll let you know how it goes soon.

In the meantime, I challenge you to think of things you can do to make your community and world a better place. Get busy--with stuff that matters.

Ain't that the truth:

Reality continues to ruin my life.

--Bill Watterson

30,000 30,000 30,000 30,000 30,000 30,000 30,000 30,000 30,000 30,000 30,000 30,000 30,000 30,000 30,000 30,000

For the last couple of days, I can't stop thinking about the men and women in uniform, many of them National Guardsmen and Reserves, who are leaving for Afghanistan this year, their third, fourth tours of combat in under seven years. They're going over there to do a job that many argue can be accomplished with a few CIA operatives, Special Forces units, and drones. Many argue nothing can be accomplished at all for that matter.

When I voted in the last Presidential election, I had hoped I was voting for peace on Earth, revolutionary environmental policy reform, universal health care, education reform. Was I not?

It's complicated, I know--nonviolence, stewardship, compassion. Oh, the humanity!

No... More... Hope.

However many holy words you read, however many you speak, what good will they do you if you do not act upon them? - Buddha

My friend BC at MTHRBMPR finally got me. Initially a supporter of Obama, he jumped off the train very early on and started railing on the campaign and administration. At the time, it seemed like he was pissing in the ice cream or something. With the benefit of hindsight though, his words just scared me because he is right.

Whatever you do, don't read through his archives.

Yes, We Can.

My buddy The Wiz sent me this note.  I highly recommend that you click on the link and put it on the "full screen function" by clicking the window box near the bottom right-hand-corner of the video screen:

Dude,
I've just been goofing off on my computer and I ran across this.  I know you've seen it and you have the location saved, but this is just a reminder to look at it every now and then.  I have been and I'm still as inspired by it as I was when I first saw it.  I'm going to try and listen to it tomorrow morning before going to work.  Everything is gonna be alright.

Love you bro,

The Wiz

PLEASE WATCH IT AND THINK ABOUT IT.  TURN UP THE VOLUME.

Elizabeth Alexander and Colbert

Elizabeth Alexander and her inaugural poem "Praise Song for the Day"  have been raked across the coals by just about everyone I know and everything I've read.  I was not horrified by her poem.  I even liked it.  She.  could.  have.  done.  a better.  job.  with the.  presentation, sure.  But remember, she was following up Obama's speech.  That's like Jimi Hendrix opening for The Jonas Brothers.  She has fun and even briefly explains what she was doing with the poem in this interview on The Colbert Report.  Check it out.  It's funny. 

Don't Shoot!!

I volunteered for the Obama campaign for two years. Mass-emailed. Phone-banked. Raised and donated money. Registered and rallied a posse of new voters. I strutted Obama garb through street fairs, Walmarts, and faculty meetings to evoke discussion and debate. Mind you, Arkansas is conservative/Clinton heaven; it wasn't easy or fun. I quickly learned to shun that unpatriotic closet-Muslim terrorist hoohoo and avowed to dismiss those potential-voters with glee.

The debate that niggled me was over gun control. I was assured by the conservative quacks on more than one occasion that Obama would take my guns away, come to my house personally and confiscate them. And I was sermonized by pink pistol anti-gun zealots and instructed to "go shoot a wolf from a helicopter [if that's how I felt]." The more it came up, the more exasperated I grew with Republicans and Democrats on the issue. I've come to the conclusion that gun control theory can be as divisive as abortion and gay rights. It's an American political party litmus test. One that can result in excommunication--on either side! Typical conservatives [one can infer] seem to think that drug lords and gang members deserve full access to extremely compact-highly concealable-fully automatic-high caliber-assault weapons, while bleeding heart liberals like me want to take shotguns from duck hunters.

After 2 years of superfluous debate, I've landed in the same place that my boyhood hero Edward Abbey did in the conclusion of his essay "The Right To Arms":

If guns are outlawed, only the government will have guns. Only the police, the secret police, the military. The hired servants of our rulers. Only the government--and a few outlaws. I intend to be among the outlaws.

I assure you, Obama will not revoke your 2nd Amendment rights. He [and I] will protect your right to target shoot for fun [an Olympic sport by the way], to sustain your family hunting wild game, and to guard your home against invasion by the criminal or the tyrant. And this sermonizer also prophesies that, given 8 years, Barack Hussein Obama will single-handedly inspire monumental reductions in inner-city gun violence in America. You don't have to believe me. Just watch and be willing to admit it when it happens. And quit fighting over the 2nd Amendment, the flippin' BILL OF RIGHTS! Gah!!!

Dad and I are going to a gun and knife show today at the fairgrounds. Maybe trade up on a nice, new piece. So shoot me.

--MJF