I voted.

A week ago I got my new property tax bill.   It had gone up over a 1,000.00 per year!   WHAT??!?   I dont have a fancy house.    I have lived in it for 21 years.   Upon looking closely I can see all these little extra charges that apparently were voted in or legislated in by my County.   So apparently we are being hit from all corners.   Sales tax only goes up, property tax is subject to change, income tax is a moving target but never going down, and a myraid of taxes masked as fees for use of services.  It is a minefield out there!!!

Everyone is screaming we need more money.   It IS a giant pyramid scheme.   The past umpty nine years of lawmakers who allowed this should be jailed alongside Bernie Madoff.   ....and Yes it WILL crash if we stop feeding it.   Yes we will suffer if we stop feeding it.  It will be mad because it has grown dependent on us as have its suckling babies.   Keeping this dragon at bay by feeding it our children's financial future will only prolong the pain and put off the inevitable.   This country needs a brave strong Knight to slay it and release us from the oppression.

Our population is larger than ever so one would think we have more tax revenue than ever coming in.   I can only assume that there are more people who need help than ever or that we have fewer tax payers than ever.   WOW   I do believe that dependency breeds dependency.   I worry that when you support someone (or a country) for so long and then you pull back they get MAD!!    I also believe if you make a dependent, honor dictates that you continue to help even if you should not have helped in the first place.  It can be a viscious circle.

My opinions:

Schools:  The biggest problem with schools is parents and breakfast.   Parents need to be more involved in their kids lives.   Parents need to support the school system and teachers and help their children succeed at school.   Parents are the key to a child becoming a responsible, thoughful and intelligent adult.   The best schools are the ones where the parents have the most interraction with their children and support learning and good school ethic.   There may be good excuses but there isnt any good enough for not helping your child succeed at school, their future (and possibly yours) depends on it.   Children are more apt to learn if they are not hungry.   I am not even going to get into this topic because I know there are a million excuses why "my kids are hungry" but honestly none are acceptable particularly with the amount of Gov 'entitlements" available. 
  
Medical: The insurance industry is partly to blame for the medical mess we are in, the system of judicial blame is also to blame but so are the people who no longer know basic medical skills and are using the Emergency Room for basic medical care.  How to treat and help your child and yourself for the most basic medical problems is a lost art.  People need to read and learn how to care for themselves.  People should know their bodies better than the doctors.  Insurance should be for major medical not every little thing.  Health care is a lifestyle choice.   I know many very wealthy people who will not go to the doctor for anything and I know many very poor mothers who take their kids in for a sniffle.    As a society we should not have to pay for certain things.   As sad as it is not everyone should be medically propped up unless someone can afford it.    Death is part of the wondrous circle of life.  We should learn from the past and embrace and prepare for it rather than constantly fight it.

Debt:   How was it approved for us to go so deep into debt?   Between all of the check boxes on my ballot wanting more money for one thing or another and all the myraid of taxes and fees not to mention the ginormous amount of money we have borrowed you would think we would be set up forever!  Why is it even considered acceptable to go deeper into debt?   We literally have nothing to show for all this debt.   See above plus a whole bunch of other stuff.

Social Security and Medicare:  These are not entitlements.   We have paid into Social Security because the Gov thought we were not responsible enough to save for our own futures, guesss who is not responsible?  Social security is OUR money it should have never been used for anything else but like a giant pyramid scheme there there was plenty to skim because there was always more coming in.  Well guess what a whole lot more seniors are retiring now than the number of younger people paying in, this is basic simple mathematics!!!   We aren't called the Baby Boomers for nothing.  What the heck happenned?????    We are forced to pay for Medicare as a deduction from our social security even if we want and can afford another health care of our own choice.   Stop calling these entitlements.  We do not have our hand out for these, this system is forced on us. 

BIG Corporate bad guy:  Stop asking the Gov to fix the big rich guy problem.  The masses have much more power to hit them where it hurts.   Stop buying their product and start buying your own politicians.    You can start by concentrating locally.   Farmers markets instead of Walmart, throw away your cell phone and dont buy another, every time you pick up a product see who makes it and who you are supporting and try to find an alternative.   99% can move a mountain if they want to.  I have learned that the 99% just wants to bitch at someone else to fix it. 

So, I voted.    I voted NO for anything that costs communities and taxpayers more money EVEN if it appears that it will cost more money not to.   I voted for those people who I feel are brave enough for the challenge of getting us out of debt.  In the end I dont mind paying taxes.  I dont mind helping those who need help.  BUT I really hope that there will be something left in my pot so that I can continue to personally help my community, my family, my friends and the animal world.    

Copyright 2013 Ciera Reflections. All Rights Reserved.