The Ambulance in the valley - A Tale for our Times
(unknown author)

'Twas a dangerous cliff, as they freely confessed,
Though to walk near its crest was so pleasant;
But over its terrible edge there had slipped
A duke and full many a peasant.
So the people said something would have to be done,
But their projects did not at all tally;
Some said, "Put a fence 'round the edge of the cliff,"
Some, "An ambulance down in the valley."

But the cry for the ambulance carried the day,
For it spread through the neighboring city;
A fence may be useful or not, it is true,
But each heart became full of pity
For those who slipped over the dangerous cliff;
And the dwellers in highway and alley
Gave pounds and gave pence, not to put up a fence,
But an ambulance down in the valley.

"For the cliff is alright, if you're careful," they said,
"And, if folks ever slip and are dropping,
It isn't the slipping that hurts them so much
As the shock down below when they're stopping."
So day after day, as these mishaps occurred,
Quick forth would those rescuers sally
To pick up the victims who fell off the cliff,
With their ambulance down in the valley.

Then an old sage remarked: "It's a marvel to me
That people give far more attention
To repairing results than to stopping the cause,
When they'd much better aim at prevention.
Let us stop at its source all this mischief," cried he,
"Come, neighbors and friends, let us rally;
If the cliff we will fence, we might almost dispense
With the ambulance down in the valley."

"Oh he's a fanatic, "the others rejoined,
Dispense with the ambulance?  Never!
He'd dispense with all charities, too, if he could;
No! No! We'll support them forever.
Aren't we picking up folks just as fast as they fall?
And shall this man dictate to us? Shall he?
Why should people of sense stop to put up a fence,
While the ambulance works in the valley?"

But the sensible few, who are practical too,
Will not bear with such nonsense much longer;
They believe that prevention is better than cure,
And their party will soon be the stronger,
Encourage them then, with your purse, voice, and pen,
And while other philanthropists daily,
They will scorn all pretense, and put up a stout fence
On the cliff that hangs over the valley.

Dan Rutherford at Picnic

Fremont Township Chair Cornelius  Connie  Shanahan and State Treasurer Dan Rutherford at the Annual Fremont Township Picnic.  Several other elected officials and candidates for election attended the event.  This looks to be a very important election for Lake County and the Nation.

Fremont Picnic

Fremont Township Republican Picnic this SUNDAY at Lakewood Forest Preserve shelter C from 2PM - 5PM. Free to all voters and friends of voters. Come enjoy good food, conversation and meet some of our elected officials, then tell them what you think.  You never know who will show up?

Pension Reform?

From the Desk of State Sen. Dan Duffy:

Interesting fact about the “special session” last Friday - as you know the legislature was called to Springfield for a special session to vote on a “Pension Reform” bill. The Union bosses have been adamantly opposed to ALL pension reforms. To guarantee Madigan and Cullerton would not call a bill for us to vote on, the SEIU Union donated $97,000.00 to Madigan’s campaign…and $95,000.00 to Cullerton’s campaign on the very day, Friday, we were all in Springfield for a “special session”. No bills were called for a vote. Taxpayers paid 40k for the trip…while President Cullerton and Speaker Madigan raked in the campaign donations. Do you think this is “pay to play” politics, Chicago style, or just a miraculous coincidence?

Fremont Township Meeting

The August 13th Fremont Township Board Meeting was packed.  It seemed someone may have passed around a rumor that the Highway Commissioner Bill Grinnell was not doing his job.  Many citizens and Home Owners Assoc. Presidents went on the record that Bill goes beyond the call of duty.  Bill could have been elected President of the U.S.A. at that meeting.

The other reason for showing up at that meeting was to witness the Township Board debate pay raises and health care coverage for elected officials.  The over all feeling was the Township Board was doing a good job but voters wanted to make sure the Board keeps spending down.

What is that Noise?

While sitting on my back deck enjoying the HOT dry weather, I heard a noise.  But it could not be the noise I heard.  That noise I heard was a mower cutting grass.  My lawn is short, dry, and looks more like straw then grass.  My mower has not been seen for many weeks, so what was this noise I heard?

The Lake County Dept. of Transportation had sent a worker out on a tractor towing a mower to cut the few weeds that have grown since the last time they cut the parkway.  I walked out to see these weeds that must be cut and it was hard to see the difference since last they cut these weeds.  He made not one pass, not two passes but three passes to cut these weeds that must be cut.

This may sound funny but not when you consider the wages and gasoline used to cut these hard to see weeds.  Do you think there might have been other duties, jobs and tasks this man on the mower might have done?

Glad to be Back!

Your Lake County Central blogger has been to Europe to see how they live.  Very nice people, good food, beautiful countryside, historic sites, and socialist governments.

Whenever a problem pops up the first question asked is what will government do to resolve the problem?   A local radio reporter asked a member of parliament why it was taking several years for government to approve or disapprove an industry permit that would bring needed jobs?  In response the member of parliament said he was not office during the previous years in question but things would be resolved in good order now.  When pressed on what he would be doing to get the permit, the member of parliament said any pressure on his part to the permit office would be seen as an abuse of his office on the permit process.  In other words the government bureaucrats will not be bothered by the elected representatives of the people.

A large portion of the people over there are looking for public services but at the same time do their best to avoid paying taxes owed to the government.  They see government as corrupt, with no way to improve or influence it.  Corruption in government at the national or local level is seen as the norm, with only the rare occasion of someone being caught and being brought to justice. 

At the same time loud voices are heard asking for more public services and money to be spent on a variety of problems.  No matter what the problem, local or national the first questioned asked is what will the government do to solve it?

Does this start to sound familiar to you?  In this country have we started to forget:  "Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country."  

Think about that this November.