Optional Tax for Fire Trucks?

Today, the fire truck rushed by and I noticed the following plastered on the side; "paid for with local option sales tax." For those who don't know, the Local Option Sales Tax (LOST, how ironic) is an additional sales tax voters approved to help the municipalities.

Here's the thing; taxes should pay for essential services first and I can think of no government services more essential than fire and police protections, yet they both have numerous vehicles paid for with this tax money. Ergo, each time the LOST comes up for a renewal vote, we're told it is needed for these essential functions. Well I have one question; Where the hell is the money going that's supposed to go to these services? Our property taxes are levied to cover these functions as well as schools.

I was told by a very knowledgeable newsman that these vehicles are paid for from that tax because that tax revenue can legally only be used for those purposes. Again though, I don't understand why we don't start with a zero budget every year and justify all expenses, prioritizing the most essential first. Of course everyone thinks their department is the most important and we've got contractual obligations with government employees that must be kept and there are capital improvements needed and blah, blah, blah.

Just one more thing about government that is bass ackwards.

Veteran's Day Thoughts

As Veteran's Day came and went last week, I reflected on my military service and gave thanks for all who've served. But as people made a big deal of the day, the attention started to wear on me. Sunday morning, sitting in church Veteran's Day just seemed to lose most importance for me.

I know this is gonna make many people mad (although this blog isn't read by many anyway), but I find many veterans braggadocious about their service. I support and appreciate the special parades and memorials put forward each Veteran's Day, but as a veteran who did my job and was compensated for it, I need no special recognition.

I believe Veteran's Day is a day of remembrance for those who've given their all in service to our country and suffered as a result. Veteran's Day is not a happy day. For those of us who were paid, clothed, fed and housed by a grateful nation appreciative of our service, no additional special recognition is needed. If you want to say thank you, I'll respond with a polite, "you're welcome" and you are. Thank you to the United States of America for the opportunities you gave me and the support you continue to offer us veterans.

I am glad I served and feel honored to have done so. I appreciate that like many, my superiors and nation took me, faults and all, and used me as they needed.

For those who think I'm being silly, consider that the military is a microcosm of our society with good and bad. Therefore, not all who served were the romantic heroes we so often portray them to be. I know I wasn't one. I have the perspective of more than 12 years of military service in two branches and I know some were people who had the choice of jail or military, some joined to learn discipline, some stayed in because the retirement benefits were better than they could get anywhere else and some joined to gain an education.

For me, I joined for three reasons; 1) I was patriotic and wanted to be in the US Military, 2) I wanted some education and wasn't going to college to get it, and 3) the military would pay me while I got that education.

You see, I believe I was just doing my job. The heroes were the other guys. One of the heroes was a 17 year-old I saw die from exhaustion in Army Boot Camp. Two other heroes were the guys badly burned from a boiler blow-out onboard my first Navy ship. Other heroes (for me) include the helicopter pilots who took me safely from land to a carrier in the Persian Gulf. Another hero is my deceased Uncle who flew missions during Vietnam. The Drill Sargent (Ellis) who wouldn't give up on me is a hero (I wonder where he is today).

But as for the rest of us, and there are millions of us, we were just doing our jobs.

Government Competition Again?

Recently local business owners expressed their excitement over a "prime" piece of Gulf-front property being developed for a resort. These business owners feel this will bring more business to their area. Sounds great right?

So who is offering the property for development? The US Air Force. That's right. According to the news report, the Federal Government is looking to make better use of "it's" properties. In this case, apparently they'll charge rent for a private company to develop and use the beach property for a resort. What's wrong with that, right?

Here's the thing; is our Federal Government supposed to be in the business of land development? If the land is sitting idle, why not turn the property back over, completely, to private industry. In addition to this, many private enterprise operations (especially off-shore oil rigs) get denied for the area because they'd have an "adverse impact" on the military's ability to perform training missions in the area.

I've ranted on this before and I believe few people see the actual long term damage done by government that controls more and competes more with private sector businesses. Just look at the local trend; city rents prime office space to private company, city gives property to local company and now, Air Force rents out prime beach property for resort development.

Though this issue will probably have little affect in my lifetime, I keep on this because the slow disappearance of free enterprise will eventually lead to the total loss of freedom of the people to conduct commerce without significant government competition.

Pay attention, the returns on your investment are great!