The Downward Spiral Continues...

The Sentinel recently reported that the county commissioners have instituted a hiring freeze in order to save money and balance the 2009 budget. How ironic! In a county that seemingly wants to lower unemployment to improve the local economy, another door has been shut to unemployed county citizens looking for work.

You can certainly understand the commissioners’ logic; reduced revenues from a sagging economy dictates that they look for ways to save money and make payroll for county employees. And what better way to save money than not having to pay new salaries and benefits.

But at what point will the light bulb go on when they realize that spending money on projects like the community college would stimulate the local economy. Don’t they realize that our county’s economy has been sagging for decades? If you don’t believe me, then ask anyone who lived here in the 1960s how our economy was then compared to now.

It’s easy to blame outside forces for our current crisis but these are forces that affect every community. The ones that survive and thrive are the ones where elected officials think proactively and take action to adapt, just like a business.

Unfortunately, our local public officials don’t think this way: Keep taxes low, don’t spend on infrastructure or any projects that would draw new business, then pray that our local economy will miraculously grow. It doesn’t work that way.

What possible motivation would a business have for relocating here other than paying newly hired workers low wages? And worse, what incentive is there for unemployed workers or young people to stay here? Answer: There isn’t any.

Turning a sagging local economy around requires courage by elected officials to take action and invest in our community, and such action will require a tax increase. If they sit back and hope, nothing will happen and Mifflin County will continue its spiral of decline. It’s really that simple.

Want to Hear a Good Joke???

No one enjoys a good joke more than me. I get plenty of them and pass along the good ones to my friends. And with the election of Barack Obama as president, there is no shortage of jokes about him being the first black president. Most of them are racist and some are funny. The most recent one I received is written below.

Night Befo' Crizzmus

Wus da night afo' Crizzmus, and all thru da hood,
everybody be sleepin' and da sleepin' be good.
We hunged up our stockins, an hoped like all heck,
dat Obama gunna brang all us our checks.
All of da family, was lay'in on da flo',
my sister wif her gurlfriend,
my brother wif some ho.
Ashtrays was all full , empty beer cans and all
when I heared such a fuss, I thunk...."Sh'eet,
must be da law".

I pulled the sheet off da window and what I'ze could
see, I was spectin' the sherrif, wif a warrent fo' me.
But what did I see, made me say, "Lawd look 'a
dat!"

Dere was a huge watermelon, pulled by eight big-ass rats.

Now ovah da years, Santy Claws he be white,
but it looks like us brotha's, got a black un'
tonight.
Faster than a poe'lice car, my homeboy he came,
and whupped up on dem rats, as he called dem by name.

On Biden, On Jessie, On Pelosi and Hillary Who On Fannie,
On Freddie, On Ayers, and even Slick Willy.
Obama landed dat melon, right there in da street,
I knowed it fo' sho', - can you believe that Sheet?

As with many off-color jokes, some may find it funny while others find it offensive. I did not find it particularly funny or offensive, probably because I am a white man. But what I did find offensive was that a Secretary of the Mifflin County Regional Police, sent it from her office on company email to the officers and staff of the Mifflin County Regional Police.

Initially, I reacted by feeling thankful I wasn’t a black man living in this county. But after re-reading the joke, I realized it may speak to a larger problem in our area.

But it was sent by the secretary, by all accounts the de facto head of the department. If she felt comfortable enough to send it to everybody in her address book without repercussions, that tells me almost everyone there is either prejudiced against Afro-Americans and democrats, or is afraid to speak out against departmental lapses of integrity

Why does that bother me and why should it bother you? Because there is no one in charge there who can make sure the police department acts fairly when enforcing the law. What also disturbs me is that the joke was forwarded to the Lewistown Sentinel and I have read nothing about it. Why haven’t they reported it? Is it because The Sentinel holds the same views and thinks it no big deal? You tell me.

In closing, I wish everyone a safe and pleasant holiday season. I can only hope that the regional officers share the same sentiment. But just to be safe, if you are an ethnic minority, democrat, or anyone who has publicly voiced an opinion critical of the police department, make sure your break lights and turn signals work, and come to a complete stop at every stop sign.

Can you pass a tissue??

Ok so my son just recently came home from a Mifflin County Elementary School. He brought with him a note from the school. They were asking for tissues.

I don't really have a problem donating to the school but what really bothers me is having to donate tissues. This district is in the process of building a brand new high school. So we have enough money to pay for a new building, but a box of kleenex is out of the question?

I know this may sound stupid. But, if our district is in bad financial shape, how is it that we can build a whole new building, but not have enough money for tissues? This is really hard for me to comprehend.

Why is it that we are failing to provide the basics, like tissues but we can afford a new school? Doesn't this sound crazy?

I was wondering if anyone out there can shed some light on this, has it always been up to the parents to support the school with tissues?

Skate Park: Unanswered Questions

I first want to thank John Brittain and the Lewistown Skatepark Committee for their efforts to help the youth of Mifflin County. We need more people like them who want to invest in our community. However, there are too many unanswered questions that need answered before moving forward with the skate park.

The skate park website, http://lewistownskatepark.com talks a lot about the benefits of a skate park but little about the funding and nothing about how it will be managed. Below is a starter list of questions.

What are the stipulations of the matching grant? Will the park be free for public use? If so, who will pay an adult to supervise the facility during the hours it is open? Depending on volunteers to man the park is extremely unreliable and volunteers will dry up once the novelty of it wears off. Who will pay the yearly costs of maintaining the park?

How much will the liability insurance cost? Will the park be open at night? If so, lights will need purchased and the cost of electricity must be considered? Will the facility have a telephone to be used for emergencies? Will users be required to wear helmets and follow other safety procedures and will adherence to these rules be enforced? Will there be adequate security from the local police to patrol the area regularly during its open hours? Will there be admission fee and snack bar to provide revenue to operate and maintain the park?

If the skate park operates like a local public swimming pool, then I have no problem with building it. At the local pool, parents are reasonably assured that their children are safe. However, if it is built and left alone for anyone to use like our local tennis and basketball courts, then it will become a hangout for crime that I wouldn’t allow my child to use, even if he were the next Tony Hawk.

New Sheetz a Done Deal???

According to several high ranking public officials known the the Mifflin Blog, the new Sheetz in Burnahm is a done deal.

As I am sure most of you remember this was something that was reported on a while ago. However, it appears that the new Sheetz is ready to go in across the street from Burger King.

While this may sound like something small I believe it is a big step for our area's economy. While I have to admit it is just "another gas station" it does speak volumes for our local economy. For a corporation to settle on this area for another gas station is a good sign. Couple that with the new proposed hotel, movie theater and restaurant it seems like our area is ready to take off.

Let's just hope that our leaders realize what is happening and do whatever is possible to help facilitate new and improved economic life.