Monday, March 3, 2014

I'm sorry. I'm becoming one of the masses.

If you want to play a blame game, then I'm totally responsible myself for neglecting my duty to attend the Republican Caucus in Scarborough this year.  In fact, I don't even know if one was held here.  After the last elections, I had my name removed from the from the Town Party mailing list.  My reason was simple:  the republicans were moving into a liberal spending course which I could not and would not support.  The democrats were already there and as a result, we're seeing higher and higher taxes both in the Town and in the State.

I'm selfish.  I'm retired and have had no increases in income nor benefits for several years.  In fact, both have been diminished.  When I want something, I have to find a way to pay for it and that usually means cutting back on something else.  Government entities in Maine don't do that; they just raise taxes.

That's not true for all cities and towns.  There are couple municipalities in Cumberland County that instead of raising taxes have cut them and modified their budgets so they would live within their means.  It can be done.

No so in Scarborough nor in State departments.

Whenever I make such statements, I'm asked, "Just what would you cut to balance the budget?"  If I had the ambition to do the research, I'd run for office on a platform that would cut the spending and, thus, the taxes.  If I were willing to spend the time researching, I'd bet I could find many ways.  I wouldn't win a government seat, however, as Maine's too liberal leaning has given so many people so many "free" things that there is no longer any desire to save.  Imagine if more people had to contribute to paying for our society how much could be freed up for the workers.

So I withdrew from the mailing list and missed the caucus this year.  Understand, I'm only assuming I missed it and assuming one was held.  Not only was I not informed which was my choice, but also I did not see a word in the town's weekly newspaper that one was being held.  On the news Sunday, reference was made to the caucus season winding down and that both parties now have all, or nearly all, of their caucuses behind them.

I will research any candidates and issues I'll face on ballots in both the Primaries and the Elections as the seasons approach us.  I will cast my ballot as I have done in every election since I turned 21, the magic age then, well over a half century ago.  I can remember only two that I missed.  One thing is pretty much for sure:  I won't be on too many winning sides.

Golly.  Sounds rather negative, doesn't it?  Perhaps it is.  The United States is no longer the great one in which I grew up and lived much of my life.  The day will come when we'll regret letting it slip away.  Unfortunately, I've already begun letting it go.

Dave

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