Sunday, May 18, 2008

King Corn

I'm a documentary watcher. The really good ones present a story for you and let you form your own opinions. The best ones are the ones that make you ask questions and think, "wow... I didn't know that." Last night I watched King Corn.

From Netflix:
In Aaron Woolf's thought-provoking documentary, friends Ian Cheney and Curt Ellis move back to America's Corn Belt to plant an acre of the nation's most-grown and most-subsidized grain in an attempt to follow their crop into the U.S. food supply. What they discover about genetically modified seeds, powerful herbicides and the realities of modern farming calls into question government subsidies, our fast-food lifestyle and the quality of our food.

Being a parent has made me aware of food in a way that I wasn't before. How much we buy, how much it costs and especially what we feed our kids. One thing that we have tried to cut out of our diet is high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). This was even before I had heard about King Corn. We make sure that the juice we buy doesn't have it, we buy ketchup now that doesn't have it, and no more soda. We are finding out that it is hard to buy items without HFCS. After watching this documentary, I can see why. HFCS should be on the same list of "very bad for you ingredients" as trans-fats, or hydrogenated oils.

So the one question that watching this film brought up: is the federal government, through their agriculture policies over the last thirty years, inadvertently making us literally fat and happy?

Take ninety minutes of your week and check this documentary out. If you have Netflix, it is available for instant viewing on your computer.

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Freethinkers

"Freethinkers are those who are willing to use their minds without prejudice and without fearing to understand things that clash with their own customs, privileges, or beliefs. This state of mind is not common, but it is essential for right thinking."

-Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

The Sun Also Rises In Manchester

The sun rose in the east for yet another day. A fresh, spring day like we get to enjoy every year in Manchester. People getting ready and going to work, kids eating breakfast and finishing last minute homework before school, dogs barking to be let back in the house, newspapers being delivered and read, and town offices and departments opening their doors to serve our town and take care of our community needs yet again. As I drove through town on my way to work this morning, I did not see a single piece of the sky on the ground.

Much to the chagrin of the Democratic Caucus, the Republicans passed their budget last night. I am sure that things are going to be busy for the next few days in General Manager Shanley's Office, as well as in Dr. Ouellette's office; however, this is why they earn what we pay them. Like most of the taxpayers in this town, they are also going to have to make do with a little less than they were expecting.

I have to admit that prior to last night's meeting, I was almost caught up in the emotions caused by the proposed budget cuts. If you are a parent, it's hard not to get riled up when there is a perceived threat to your kid's education. I then took a step back, and decided that I was going to wait and see what was going to happen. Like it or not, the decisions that were made last night were set into motion on election day last year by only seventeen votes. Last night there was little, if anything, a packed Lincoln Center hearing room could have done to change that fact.

I, much like the town, run my household budget from June to the following May. By the beginning of May, I know what my raise is, I have the new tax rates by then, and some good data from the previous year to make an educated guess at the upcoming year. (If you don't use Quicken or MS Money, I highly recommend it.) It was hard this year. I have seen almost every single line item in my budget climb faster in the last year, than in previous years. Those rising costs have eaten into financial plans that are made as a family in my house. Repairs to the house, paying off debt, and saving more. In order to maintain those plans, cuts were made. Sure, we could take the easy path and justify anything really, but we had to be realistic and make the hard choices. It was this process at home that gave me pause, and provided me with a willingness to try to be objective last night.

No doubt about it, there was political grandstanding on both sides leading up to, and during last night's budget adoption meeting. It didn't help that there was some sensationalized press coverage to fan the flames, and the usual party faithful with their cans of gasoline to add fuel when needed. When it came to the end of the meeting, and listening to the majority budget message, I had to agree. In this current economy, how can our town ask for more money that outpaces average taxpayer cost of living increases yet again?

There was a point made last night by the Democrats that I could not agree with more: there needs to be more cooperation and openness during the budget process. Each year in October and November I hear all about bipartisanship from both parties and how the BOD and BOE need to work together. Six months later it is always business as usual. The BOD and BOE battling each other over money, and budget adoption voted along party lines. Both parties need to be more open with their plans earlier in the process, and then allow the voters to speak their minds on those plans. If the BOD wants more citizen involvement, it's time to have their actions match their words.

Voltaire wrote that we should, "Judge a man by his questions rather than by his answers." If that is the case, then here are the questions that I am asking:

  • If there is such an outcry by the Democrats about being heard on the budget, why didn't they speak at the Waddell Auditorium on April 2nd encouraging the BOD to fully fund the BOE and General Manager's recommended budgets?

  • The Republicans have said that they are going to be bipartisan and would have a more open and accountable government. Then why would they cancel the joint budget deliberations and not reschedule the meeting? Also, why wait until 36 hours before the budget adoption meeting to release their changes?

So, like every year after the budget adoption meeting, the sun rose once again, and the sky is right where it belongs. To me there is one positive outcome of all that has happened over the past six months, according to the Journal Inquirer, the Lincoln Center hearing room was filled to capacity for the first time in six years for a budget adoption meeting. Agree or disagree with the current majority, they are getting more people involved.
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