Timing

A sizeable argument with a Facebook friend about an ammendment that failed to pass in the last election has really made me think about a few things. I know that which hand you use to vote with makes a huge difference in how you vote, but there are just plain old common since issues too. Many people let their party decide for them how to vote and leave it at that. Others read each ammendment and vote for it on it's merit alone. Personally the language in these proposed ideas scares me to death. "Shall the state constitution be ammended to....Hard to swallow for me, and hard to go back from.

But really how could now be the time to ask taxpayers to pay for anything extra? Is it a good idea to pay an extra $10 for your car tag with an unemployment check? That is like buying a Walmart gift card with a credit card. We all do it but it feels weird! What about the small business owner with a fleet of delivery trucks? Not a stretch to say that maybe somebody would either lose their job or at least lose some hours. This is not an issue for the right or the left, this is about timing. It's a bad time to ask anybody to give more money. I was told that the people that voted no on this issue were "tightwads".

Seven hundred lives a year would be saved. This is great! I am all for saving lives. I remember years ago when the speed limit was lowered to 55. Everybody hated it, but we agreed because of how many lives would be saved. How much did this cost? Well, it wasn't free because we had to make up new road signs, but I don't think it cost $80 million. We lowered the limit for driving under the influence. Made it illegal to have an open container in a vehicle. Construction workers hated it! You mean I can't have a beer on the ride home with my buddies? Unfair. Well we passed these rules anyway. Saved a lot of lives I'm sure. How much did this cost? Well it wasn't free because we had to beef up law enforcement to cover the new laws, but probably less than $80 million.

See what you can do without asking the tax payers for more money? Wait until times are better and ask again. We can't give what we don't have. Don't call me a loser because you won the game and don't call me a tightwad when I'm broke! When money is tight you don't vacation in the Carribean, you go on a picnic in the park. You have to eat anyway. Use what you have.