5 Oct 2009

Big Bone, Kentucky

 

I woke up in the middle of the night this week end with an idea. It has come to my attention that no one is attending the meetings of public boards that are spending lots of tax money. The reason, of course, is the meetings are so boring; often only a few people show up for Fiscal Court meetings, and there is virtually no citizen input, most of the time.

 

I suggest P.I.G. parties. P.I.G. stands for  Public Information Gathering, and we should send parties of two or three people (at the least) to every public meeting of boards that receive tax money, and report. This will let the public know what is going on, and allow something to be done about spending before it is too late.

 

I have read that in France pigs are used to hunt truffles, and I suggest that those who attend P.I.G. parties should be called Truffle Hunters, and the mascot (perhaps worn on a tea-shirt) be a Pot-bellied P.I.G. The reports generated by the Truffle Hunters could be digested and served up in a newsletter to be called "Pork Chops" and then at the end of the (fiscal?) year the most pork-piggish official or department could be roasted at a great Pig Roast and Tea Party, where we serve pork and tea, and chocolate truffles for desert.

 

That pork-piggish official could be offered a  pig's ear and cracklin's in a gift-wrapped box, probably in absentia, with instructions on how to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear. The Truffle Hunters who attended the most boring meetings in the pursuit of P.I.G. could receive awards, perhaps a case of tea and some cracklin's or truffles.

 

Anyway, you get the idea. I think it could be fun. (I would plan to take tea, a chess set, and a tape recorder to board meetings, so I wouldn't miss anything, or be "board".)  Don't you think getting information from the places the money is being spent would be at least as effective as working on candidates before they get elected? Once they are in it is often too late; but P.I.G. parties might give some of the spendthrifts second thoughts before going in to a massive spending program.

 

With all best wishes for lower taxes,

James Duvall, M. A.
Rabbit Hash Teaparty

Big Bone University: Think Tank & Public Policy Center
Nec ossa solum, sed etiam sanguinem

Certificate for Presenters of a Federalist Paper

at the Grass-roots Teaparty

Boone County, Kentucky

2012

Dear Sir,

Someone forwarded your Teaparty Newsletter to me.  I appreciate you including a link to my article "A Party in the Dark".  I tossed off that article in frustration, but it seems to have resonated with Republicans across the district.  I have had replies about it from a number of people who were there.

My belief is that we as a party are going to have to get more inclusive.  We must hear many points of view.  It is true the majority rules, and should, but — and it is a strong but — the majority should not make its decision until it has heard from virtually everyone who wants to be heard.  Our leadership should encourage debate and discussion and not try to cut it off to get their own way.

The way it is done now only the minority of a minority get their say and way.  You will admit that the delegates to a district convention are already a tiny fraction of all the Republicans in the district.  Now five or six people, more or less, appoint themselves the officers (I certainly didn't have any say in that.  Did you?), and they decide what they want to do, and keep everyone else in the dark!  That means far from majority rule, it is not even rule by the minority.  The Greeks called it Oligarchy:  rule by a few.  And those few, by refusing to listen to what the rest of us have to say are not at all well informed.  That means idiots are ruling, and you know that is a recipe for revolution.

Let the Revolution begin.  Here we call it the Teaparty, and that is why so much of the Republican establishment try to act like we are creatures they don't want anything to do with.  We are  pure-bred registered Republicans, and full blooded Americans, so we aren't going to let a handful of self-appointed guardians of the sacred flame of Republican compromise, which has been worshipped for at least fifty years, stop us from turning the country around.

I guess I had better stop now, I don't even have a soap-box!

With all best wishes for a better America, and God bless the Teaparty.

James


James Duvall, M. A.
Big Bone University
Nec ossa solum, sed etiam sanguinem.
Big Bone, Kentucky

Beast Feast: The FDA Chows Down!

I thought you might be interested in pictures of the Annual Beast Feast held by a church in Anderson County, just to the south of Frankfort.


It seems that Kentucky Hunters know so little about what they hunt and whether it is safe that the FDA had to get into the picture. The Beast Feast which serves wild game shot by Kentucky hunters is now regulated.

Here are some pictures from the feast:

Beast Feast

Isn't is a shame our pioneer forebears did not realize that we needed the government to tell us what we can eat, and what is safe? Do you think they might be a little shocked that they would only approve wild boar with their stamp for this year's feast? I wonder what they might have done if someone had confiscated their deer or turkey? Do you really think the FDA knows more about the safety of wild game than the people who actually eat it?

Do you think this has gone a little too far? Enough is enough!


Defund the FDA!


James Duvall, M. A.
Big Bone University
Nec ossa solum, sed etiam sanguinem.
Big Bone, Kentucky


Let's say the whole list:

Defund the FDA! EPA! and ATF!

and Hellcare, among others!

On Library Science

Deference 2 Reference

Library Research

How Much Work Really Gets Done?

Library Scientists Ply Trade

http://deference2reference.blogspot.com/2011/03/on-library-work-and-library-workers.html

Kentucky Senate Bill 153

I looked at Senate Bill 153. This is not at all the bill we wanted. This is a rerun of the bill Kenny Brown tried to get through and did not succeed.

Kentucky Senate Bill 153

This bill might be better than nothing, but it is not really worth fighting for. All it really does is throw a little more responsibility on the Fiscal Court, and we have enough problems with them. In the end it turns any question about raising taxes into a political ballgame, and avoids the problem of forcing the boards to face responsibility for their actions.

We want NO taxation without representation. Only our elected officials should be able to tax us. This bill does not do that. I think we should push hard to get this bill rewritten to state that:

No unelected board can levy taxes.

If Library and Fire Departments want to fight that then they are fighting a Teaparty principle by demanding the right to tax without responsibility to the people. This directly contradicts our cherished principle of responsible and limited government, not to mention fiscal responsibility.

If we insist on this we can win. If we allow the lame excuse of passing the buck to Fiscal Court they will beat us again! Can we afford to keep losing on a cardinal principle like this?


James Duvall, M. A.
Director, Archivist, and Chief Firefighter
Big Bone University
Nec ossa solum, sed etiam sanguinem.
Big Bone, Kentucky

Expenses of Commonwealth Legislators

The Legislature has come clean (we hope), and decided to open itself to the public.

Check out this searchable webpage:
Expenses of Commonwealth Legislators


This is an excellent start.  Now let's demand our Libraries, Fire Boards, Conservation Districts, and Boards of Health, etc., do the same!

We have only just begun!  The Legislature of Kentucky is now leading the way!  Good work.

Big Bone University
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