The Real Bus Problem: ECAT survival

ECAT, the Escambia County Area Transit system, is the name used for the buses here where I live. The past year or so, there has been a number of articles in the Pensacola News Journal decrying the fact that ECAT is not making enough money to support its activities.

Basically, they're trying to make those of us who work, own cars, and pay taxes feel bad about the dire straights that public transportation is in, so that we won't complain as loudly when the city/county government tries to up our taxes to give them more money.

Today, there's an editorial in the PNJ saying that due to the upcoming homestead exemption increase, local government is going to be looking for programs to cut (hooray!) and that ECAT is an obvious one.

I say, what's the problem.

Consider, when was the last time that ECAT raised its rates? When was the last time someone could get from one point to the other, in less than two hours? There are a number of other things to do with ECAT before we provide tax money to them. Actually, we should never provide them tax money.

Frankly, it's a hassle no matter how you look at it, one which should be solved by market forces. Raise those rates, and pull my tax money away from ECAT. I don't need to subsidize what should be a business.

Of course, local liberals will complain, and say that with the way all costs are raising, that it's not fair to the low-income folks for ECAT to raise its rates as well.

My response there is: heck, you libs are the ones who voted for this cost of living increase, by voting in a higher minimum wage. So, you really have no one to blame but yourselves for that.

One day, I really hope that everyone will wake up and realize that the government should not be supporting them. That it's not the government's responsibility to take care of your family and provide the basic necessities of life for you. Welfare, and the war on poverty, has done nothing but created a generation of imbeciles who believe they are owed something by the government, that they somehow deserve a portion of my hard-earned money. That somehow it is all right for Uncle Sam to steal it from me to give to them.

What rubbish.

Florida Finally Got One Right...

Well, Florida has finally achieved something it should have been doing all along. Ensuring that it's public high school graduates have achieved a certain level of education. Starting this year, students must pass the FCAT test to earn their diploma. What's sad is this test (generally held to a 10th grade reading/math level) was failed by 1 in 10 students in the state of Florida.

Kinda amazing isn't it?

Anyways, here's to Florida, having done some incredibly stupid things (a number of which I've chronicled on this site) actually holding those it's says have a certain level of education to ACTUALLY having that education.

The Great American TV Turn Off

he state of Florida wants you to turn off your TV. Well actually, it's a program, running this week, sponsored and endorsed by the Department of Health called "TV-Turnoff Week." In it, we are supposed to not watch TV this week, rather we're to go exercise or read a book, or stare at the wall, whatever, as long as we're not watching TV.

Why is this worthy of a rant you ask? Simple. Government, especially ours, has no reason to be doing this. What this amounts to, is a simple attack on a private enterprise. It's our government trying to destabilize a business. That's not very capitalistic if you ask me. But wait! There's more. not only is this action socialistic in an economic sense, it's the government once again saying "We know what's good for you." This is evil, plain and simple. The government does NOT know what's best for me, only I can make that decision. Just like the government does not know what's best for my son, for my wife, or my family in general. That is a decision that I make, and likewise I have to deal with the consequences.

You ask, what can it hurt? It's simple, we start with a week without TV, then it's a week without carbohydrates, next it's a week without a book. Before you know it, the government has everyone doing exactly the same thing. What they want you to do. As long as what I do, does no harm to anyone else, the government has no business dictating to me, what I should or should not do. If I want to eat myself into a stupor, and being grossly overweight, then who cares? Does it hurt anyone but me? Nope (though it could be argued it hurts my wife and child, but that is an extension of hurting me). The point is, we need less government in our society, and programs such as this do not acheive this goal. Always be wary of when the government says to do something. Ask yourself is this worthwhile? Is this something the government should be asking/telling me to do? WHY is the government telling me to do this. I think I watched more tv this week (just upgraded cable so I get Cartoon Network ), than I have in the past year, and I'm proud I spoiled this department's evil plan.

The Pig Admendment....

That's right. Floridians rejoice! The lovely folks of our state have come up with yet another way to make us the laughing stock of the nation. They want us to amend our State Constitution so that it would be against the State Constitution for pig farmers to use pig gestation boxes.

My first question is this: Why would this be an amendment???

I mean come on. A law? That's conceivable. It's why we have laws. To regulate little things such as this. To amend the constitution means that those who are lobbying for this, couldn't make the legislature care about this. So they decide to do an amendment, because they believe Florida voters are dumb. Of course I do have to wonder if they might be onto something here, but I digress. Just the concept of this amendment boggles the mind. I mean would we amend the US Constitution to require all cow's milk to be homogenized? No. That's covered under federal laws and regulations. Why would we want this attached to our State's Constitution?

I can hear it now, "Oh? Your from Florida? Isn't that the state with the pigs in the constitution?"

No Smoking. It's the Law

Which is stronger in you? Your desire to not have people smoke, or your desire for personal freedom? There's a law on this November's ballot about baning smoking from all businesses. This scares me. This scares me very badly.

I don't like smoking. I think it's a nasty habit. That said, I think if someone wants to partake of this habit, it's their right as an American citizen. If they want their business to cater to smokers. It's their right as an American citizen.

Yet this law denies that right. It is saying that the Government knows what is better for you, and your business than you do.

Not only that, but how many steps is it from No Smoking in businesses to No Smoking in Apartment Complexes? Then how many steps is it from Apartments, to everyone's homes. What I wonder is, after they banish cigarettes from everyone and everywhere, what are they going to hit next? Sodas? Candy? Milk? Video Games? Once we ban 1 item from our life. The next one to go is just that much easier. Ben Franklin said "Those who give up a little freedom for a little security, deserve neither freedom nor security." The freedom that we are deciding on is the freedom of being able to choose to do as we want with our business, homes, and self, as opposed to a little security from the potential threat of cigarettes.

So, do we deserve freedom? Or do we throw away our security.

The Flag that stands for What?

Currently in Crestview, FL, a group is trying to make the city take down the confederate battle flag from city land. Why do we wish to remove this flag? Do we not want to remember the Civil War? Or are they so brainwashed by the left-wing liberals that they do not even realize what the flag stands for. Extremist groups aside, the Confederate States of America (CSA), stood for the Constitutional concept of government by the state. The CSA thought that the federal government was growing to big and powerful and trying to overstep the bounds of it's constitutional powers and mandate. The entire slave issue was added on in the final year of the Civil War, and was entirely UNSUPPORTED by the North. How can I say this you ask? It's simple, the only way the amendment to disallow slavery was ratified was that was the only way for the Southern states to rejoin the Union. The Northern states could have passed that amendment at any time, but they did NOT want to. Additionally, there were times when slaves were returned to their owners by President Lincoln. But now to take down this flag, whatever it might mean to you or to me, is wrong. It is wrong because it represents the past. Whether you see hate or a stance in government controls is irrelevent. Whether or not that past is right or wrong is irrelevant. What is relevant is that it is OUR past.

There is an old saying "If you forget the past, you are doomed to repeat it."

Do we really want to repeat it?