column for June 9, 2010

A few random thoughts:
Why is it that when I allow myself to get in a political discussion with someone from the right, and I ask them a specific question, the response inevitably sounds like one of those scripts that gets read to you by the “expert” appliance repairman over the bad phone connection from New Delhi, India? Example: Question--“Why is it that our tax money pays for schools, police, fire departments, libraries, highways, parks, and other services, but you don’t want to have it pay for health care for everyone?” Answer: “ That bleeping Obama is trying to turn our country Socialist, and we won’t stand for it!” Second question: “What is the temperature outside?” Answer: “ That bleeping Obama is trying to turn our country Socialist, and we won’t stand for it!” C’mon, folks. You’re not that dumb! Think for yourselves!
Can we all now agree that a Wal-Mart will never pop up in Butts County? Now that a new “Wally World” is being built just ten miles up the road in Locust Grove, there wouldn’t be much financial logic for the company to put one here in our little community. (Not that there ever were enough people for a Wal-Mart here anyway.) Sure, we lose all of that tax revenue but the county keeps its small town charm. If folks want to toss curses in the direction of the county commission for screwing up, they should have done it when Tanger Outlets was allowed to slip away years ago. For those of you who still want to shop at Wal-Mart, it’s literally up the road. Ten miles is about a 15 minute trip on Rt. 42 (except if, and this seems to happen to me everytime I take that trip, the world’s oldest, blindest, most intoxicated phone texting grandmother is on the road at the same time) so if you are too lazy to drive for fifteen minutes, then you didn’t really want to go anyway. Also, once the new road widening project is completed, the trip will be much smoother.
It’s nice to see some nameless individuals who are often seen walking the sides of the road where Routes 23 and 42 fork off to the south. These people are carrying garbage bags and are cleaning up other slobs’ messes. It’s a real heroic task you are performing, so thank you. It’s a shame you even have to take your own precious time to do what you do. The worst offender/item is old scratched-off lottery tickets. Possible solution: The state should come up with a plan to give a free ticket for every 20 losing tickets. Sure, stores would need to keep them stored somewhere but I can guarantee that you wouldn’t see any more of those darned things blowing around the streets. Also, the state should adopt the deposit and redemption laws for beer and soda cans and bottles. It works wonderfully in the northern states like New York, where there are people who often redeem hundreds of dollars a day in bottles and cans. And you won’t see any of those cans and bottles all over the roads either. A nickel per can or bottle is much more than the aluminum would pay at a recycling place and the glass, which pays nothing now, would be a nickel profit.
Just clearing out the clutter! Next week, back to saving the world from ourselves!