Waivers, Civility, and Splash Park
by Barry Bauer
I’ll bet you didn’t know there’s such a thing as an exemption from Obamacare. As of this writing there are 773 waivers issued that includes four states. Unions make up the bulk of the rest list. The real reason given for this, political favors.
As for those organizations that are not on this list, you’re screwed because the bulk of the cost for Obamacare falls on your shoulders.
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I have a small camera collection but it doesn’t come close to the collection Jim Ortman has at his studio. I recently received a donation through my son-in-law, Scott, from his boss, Mike Molitor. Mike was going to throw out an older 35mm SLR film camera and Scott intervened on my behalf.
I have one camera which is the same model as one that appeared in National Geographic. So far that’s my favorite.
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We’re told we have to be more civil in this country. The problem is if you don’t challenge people, their ideas, or hold them responsible for your loss of freedoms or income, you’ve bought into it. Don’t throw a handful of manure at us and tell us it’s ham on rye. We deserve the truth from our government. They fondly call it transparency but that’s just a fancy word that means nothing to them. We’ve gone through years of government’s failed policies and they keep telling us to give them a chance and believe in them.
The current Recession started out as a financial crisis because some people made terrible decisions in the name of greed. If they were getting a 10% return on their money, they wanted 12%. When that turkey came home to roost the rest of us had to bail them out while we took the worst of the Recession.
Wall Street wasn’t just simply made whole again, they were made better. Just like the six million dollar man. At a time when social security recipients aren’t getting cost of living raise, Wall Street and financial institutions are getting bonuses.
Yes, we’re having a hell of a time getting the government to listen to us. Most of us aren’t looking for handouts; we just want government to get the hell out of the way and quit looking out for their buddies.
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Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, has called upon Egypt to move toward democracy, improve their human rights, and fix their economy. All of this while our country is moving toward socialism, and is suffering from a poor economy unless you’re rich or very well to do. As for human rights, the President of the United States has for the first time in the history of the United Nations, allowed this country to be scrutinized by the World organization. One of the violations presented by our government to the UN was Arizona’s law against illegal immigration.
Does that make sense to you?
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I’m trying to figure something out. If Superman’s home planet was made out of Kryptonite, and a little bit of it made him sick on Earth, shouldn’t a whole planet full of the stuff kill him?
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The Veterans Memorial Pool at the City Park did not desert us, we deserted it. The pool came into existence because of a lack of swimming places and the fact that young people were drowning in local swimming holes with no life guards on duty. The pool was built at a time when there were very few swimming pools owned by private residents and there wasn’t a public pool at the high school.
All of that has changed now.
I hope the idea of a Splash Park is a huge success but that, like a lot of things, could just be a fad and really won’t replace a Willy Water Bug sprinkler or a water slide in the backyard after the newness wears off.
Don’t get mad at me, I’ve been voting on the “We Hear You America” website for St. Johns right along with the rest of you.
Until the next time . . .