I’m sure that most of my readers have heard of the California city of Bell – and how the city elders fleeced their constituents (I doubt anyone knows for exactly how much). I’m pretty sure that this is just the tip of the iceberg! This type of graft is probably operative in about 90% of America’s cities: probably at every level of government. When we Americans abdicated democracy in favor or capitalism – that’s when the rot set in…and though I’m not exactly sure when this occurred – perhaps it’s been part-and-parcel of Americana ever since the slaughter of the Native American and the appropriation of his land – I do know that no one living in the good ol’ U.S. of A. should be surprised by any American attempting to line his/her pockets.
My readers also know that Nixon’s behavior never surprised me! When a Nation rejoiced at Trick Dick’s departure in 1974 — naively thinking that political business was conducted otherwise – I took it as par-for the-course. I just received my 2010 – 11 property taxes and noted that my taxes just jumped $900-plus — because I now get to help out the Los Angeles Unified Schools. While the California Lotto brags that it is helping California schools with billions (I know the organizing board overseeing the lotto make seven digits) – they neglect to mention that INSTEAD of augmenting the General Fund that supports schools – they merely REPLACE the money that was taken from the General Fund in lieu of lotto monies!
We Los Angelinos have also watched our sales tax spike to 10% in recent months. Not only is this taxation without representation – but it’s another example of how we, the worker ants, have to bend over for the American bourgeoisie – to support their never-ending, and unsustainable habits. And now we are informed that the city of Los Angeles is already $63 million in debt thanks to contributions to the retirement funds of the police and firemen.
Far-be-it-from-me to suggest that the men and women who put their lives on the line for-the- rest-of-us don’t deserve solid retirement packages and generous overtime (if they actually earn it) – but if we are paying cops millions to consume donuts and coffee, and firemen to sit around and decide who they are going to trick into eating dog food – I think some of their money has to come back into the taxpayers coffers. Let’s face it, these folks have a lot of down time! And when I think of the bastardized roads and freeways that I traverse each day, not to mention the crazed drivers who use the road at the same time I do – I kinda think that my life is in as much jeopardy as the average cop or firepunk.
George Orwell suggested in Animal Farm, that even though all animals were created equal – some animals were created MORE EQUAL than others (just ask Zsa Zsa). The allusion to Miz Gabor is purposeful, because the bourgeoisie are not necessarily an American artifact, but have been around ever since the first chief/warlord or whomever; took his vanquished foe’s possessions…and, they haven’t stopped taking.
Daniel Quinn notes that the man who needs to support 100 women – always needs more than the men who must support but one woman (from Ishmael). Duh……………