April 19, 2007
RIP JM
We recently had a guest in our house. Even though he was uninvited, he wasn't much of a problem. At first.
We called him JM. He was quiet, hardly made a sound. A perfect guest, JM mostly
kept to himself almost never coming out of his room. But often at night, he would silently slip from room to room
keeping a low profile exploring the house. He especially enjoyed the kitchen. After helping himself
to a snack, JM never cleaned up his mess. At first this was a minor inconveinence but as time went on
our guest began to wear out his stay. JM was the unsocial, silent type, which does not help grease the wheels
of hospitality. We decided it was time for JM to go.
So I concocted a plan to hasten our guest' exit. It was a simple strategy, I placed a little extra food in
strategic places in hopes that JM would take the hint. But being the sly devil that he was, this did not
provide the results I planned and JM stayed on as our unwanted guest. Day after day my efforts
became more determined. Our guest was a little unsanitary for our taste and we were tired of cleaning
up his "mess". After all, kitchen counter tops are not the place for that sort of thing. As his determination
to make himself at home increased, our determination to speed his exit likewise increased.
The ultimate planned was hatched. Small panels of food were placed all around the house, each with
JM's favorite food. Four places where he was known to frequent were ladened with mini feasts of
cheese and peanut butter. We waited, and so did JM. But I have the patience of peanut butter and cheese.
He obviously could not resist the enticing arouma of such delicacies. I found him the next morning
behind the refridgerator, his neck broken in a trap.
JM was gone. Just a mouse of a life. RIP Just Mouse.April 9, 2007
Taxes
I guess most everyone has filed their income taxes or plan to shortly. If you haven't, time is getting short!
I bought a vehicle tag not long ago. If you live in Mississippi you know how high tags are. If you live
in the city of Greenville you really know how high tags are! I know the answer to this question but I will
ask it anyway, Why are the vehicle tags so much higher in the city? The answer is simple, because if you live
in the city you pay city taxes. That makes sense, I benefit from city services such as police and fire
protection. The city takes care of the streets (sort of) and we have city schools, the courts and
other services must be funded. I live in the city therefore I pay my share for city services.But this tax that I pay also includes county taxes. Here is where things get a little grey. Why do I pay county
taxes. I dont use the county sheriff, we have a city police department. I dont use the county fire department,
we have a city fire department. The county does not repair my street. We have our own court system.
And the city has it's own school system. Why do I pay county taxes. As a resident of the city, I don't
use the county services. So why am I required to help fund the county?I know, your running through you head the "many" county benefits that we city dwellers use everyday.
And I might have missed one somewhere, but generally speaking I get no benefit from the county for paying
county taxes. When was the last time you heard a county dweller complain about paying city taxes? Never.Think about it city dwellers. Why do you pay county taxes? The next time you see a city counselperson
ask them that question. And the next time a county supervisor asks for your vote, ask them the same question.
Maybe we should suggest to the county that county dwellers pay city taxes. When you do that,
be sure you take a step backwards the reaction will be violent. After all county dwellers get NO benefit
from the city, so why should they pay city taxes. That would not be fair!That's exactly my point.