Bureaucrats gone wild 1

Phoenix CrossRoads United Methodist Church hits snag in feud over feeding homeless

After a three-hour hearing Thursday, the Phoenix Board of Adjustment unanimously upheld and affirmed the hearing officer’s interpretation that feeding of the homeless at a place of worship in a residentially zoned area is not an allowed use.

via Azcentral.com.

Legislators legislating legislation

I’m talkin’ about the whole kit and kaboodle. US House, US Senate, Wisconsin legislature. Probably yours. Could include county supervisors, city councils, school boards. Go ahead take your turn at naming one.

What most of these have in common (I can’t say all, because some one would say, “Prove it!” and I can’t) is the propensity to invade into areas that don’t really concern them or that are a waste of time and they wouldn’t have thought about it except for the fact that some lobbying group is telling them how many votes they would get if they would co-sponsor this wonderful bill that is really non-controversial.

Right.

OK, let’s look at some particulars:

The first is the most recent of Wisconsin state symbols–cheese as the official state snack.

Cheese would become Wisconsin’s official state snack under a bill up for public hearing on Thursday.The proposal by Democratic state Sen. Jim Sullivan of Wauwatosa doesn’t differentiate between cheddar, blue or Swiss. And it also doesn’t say anything about curds.

Yes, folks a state snack. I’m sure you also remember hearing that the Wisconsin legislature is debating the state microbe and state motorcycle:

But a pair of contenders hoping to join the state symbol club would honor two equally famous Wisconsin traditions: cheese and Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

One bill, introduced last week, aims to celebrate Lactococcus lactis, a tiny organism that makes the state’s estimated $18 billion per year cheese industry possible, by naming it the official state microbe. The other, introduced in the Senate on Wednesday, would designate Harley-Davidson the Wisconsin state motorcycle.

No time for less important issues like school funding and the budget deficit.

Congress, of course, gets in on the act. Now that they have successfully given us the 2,000+ page health care bill, they have time to tackle important things like probing NFL  concussions.

These are not the only examples. Most states have symbols ranging from amphibians to trees.

It’s mostly harmless cheerleading. And it keeps them away from serious legislation that might screw with my life some more.

My “ideal” health care system

Here’s what I would like to see in a health care system (and I’m pretty sure I’m not alone):

• I want one where I don’t have to worry whether the doctor, hospital or anything else is covered by my insurance.
• I want one where I don’t have to pay the doctor an extra 25% (or whatever it is) because he might have to pay $100 million for some poor soul’s “mental anguish.”
• I want one where my doctor and I determine if and when I need a procedure, not some insurance company rules or government panel.
• I want one where ANY treatment is fairly and accurately tried and tested.
• I want one where the doctor doesn’t feel as though he needs me to take umpteen tests just so he can cover his backside against me suing him.
• I want to be sure I can get insurance, even with my diabetes and high blood pressure.

There are probably more but those will do.

Is it too much to ask? Apparently.

New Years, 2010 resolutions

Hey, it’s not that long after the first. And I wrote them before the first.

Everyone should make resolutions, right? well, at least goals. So here are mine for the coming year.

1. Read 2 books a month. Lame, I know. A book a week would be better. But since I haven’t been reading much, I thought I’d work up. Here’s my current list.
2. Read through the Bible again. Always a worthwhile endeavor. Here’s the one I’ll be using. It has 25 readings per month, giving you some leeway. And you can start it at any month
3. Lose 30 pounds. Need to. Period. No special diet–just eat less and better.
4. Exercise more. Will help with #3. Both will help me sing better, too.
5. Blog. I’d like to do 3-4 main posts a week, with small ones in between, if I can manage.

There’s probably more but that should keep me more than busy.