Mommies crying on TV news about not wanting to close the little schools, but saying the authorities know best. Not just my school district, but in numerous nearby counties. It's the thing to do you see, it's the final solution, it's for change, people want change. Something new and exciting to feel good. Hey, how about a new middle school in this faltering economy, with half of the student-parent population moving out of state to find a frickin' job because the taxes are too bleepin' high, and businesses moving out, etc. Most districts, it's 3 or 4 school buildings shut down and torn down. It cost $1 million to tear down the middle school instead of selling it for ONE BLEEPIN' FRICKIN' DOLLAR. Nothing wrong with that school building, half of that building was only about 25 years old. Wish my drafty, freezing-winter-cold house was only 25 yrs old. What's really hilarious is that dozens - hundreds? - of parents have to drive so much further to pick up their kids after school etc., where they could walk before. Saving money and resources. This has been going on for decades of course but now more rapidly and the ruse is to save on fuel and services, usually only saving - supposedly - a couple hundred $K. No money for fuel for buses and heat, but we got a new school costing tens of millions. Eventually with everyone moving out of the district, they could put all the kids in the high school, which is really old at about 35 years, time to tear it down and build a new one. Mostly rural area with a bunch of small towns. As a kid, my local school 1.5 miles away, decided to join a larger school district which eventually resulted in the bright idea of closing down my local school and busing us to the other school 12 miles away, so I had to ride the bleepin' bus for about 1.25 hours each way, first loser on the bus in the morning and the last loser off the bus in the afternoon. 7 years of that crap. Gravel roads, too damn hard to read or do anything. Just waiting for all the other losers to get loaded or unloaded. I read in the local paper recently that at one time there were 80 schools in this county, now about a dozen. There is no such thing as a failed proposed money grab, eventually they keep putting it up for a vote until it passes. Reports of kids being encouraged by school employees to tell their parents to vote for the new school. "Mommy, Daddy please vote yes. The school is old and not cool." "Ok, spoiled brat junior, your parents are morons. We will do what our children tell us." I would name the school district, but I would fear for my life. My brother told me that someone that he works with was threatened while voting - against- the bond proposal for the new middle school. Two officials - can't remember the details - told him as he was voting that he had better be voting yes for that huge increase in property tax. He said no. Can't remember the threats said, I remember not knowing what to do about it. Sick, disabled, depressed, no big bucks for an attorney to consult, I cowered under the covers. Happy "Independence" Day everyone.
The level of stupidity and graft in our local Sch. Dist. hasn't reached that level yet, maybe they just hide it better. They did just have a bond election, and they're spending 32 Million on a Football Stadium and Swimming Pool. The School Board just spent $600,000.00 on a Football scoreboard.
I'm sorry, but this whole plan is a crock of $hit!!! This is ALL ABOUT having 3 day weekends for non-producing government employees (as in they do not produce a product or service for commerce).
How about the Post Office. We could live with mail delivery every other day. Mail delivery on Mon-Wed-Fri. Cut gas use and labor in half. At the very least stop Saturday delivery. That was only part of a give-in to labor union at one time.
I like that every other day delivery, less crap to put up with from the mail carriers. And or hire more efficient mail carriers and screen for ADD, ADHD, ETC. Observation of two or three different mail carriers on my road reveals a huge waste of fuel. Getting your own mail and not your neighbor's is rather hit and miss over the years. Usually we all call each other up saying, "I've got your mail." Well, I've got your mail! Let's trade shall we!" The mail carriers I've had are apparently supposed to have the mail presorted and in order of the houses. Well, it's bloody hell for us to pay on the days that her whole route is off by a house or two or three. They do often catch their own errors though. She will go flying by my mailbox without stopping and I'm thinking no mail for me today. About a minute later I see her backing up her car to my mail box. Well, I guess I do have mail. Such a tease. Or she will stop at the mail box, put mail in it, stomp on it, slam on the brakes, back up, pull the mail out, all or some, I can't see. I go out there, sometimes there is mail, sometimes not. Or appear to have stopped and put mail in it, and pull it right back out without me watching with binoculars, 'cause when I go out there, there's no bleepin' mail in the box. I really like that in the blasted winter, get all my snow gear on, with a trade going on, thinking it's safe to step out for a minute, but having to deal with the anxiety of not being at the screen. Get out there and there's no blasted mail. Arrrgh! That makes me mad! What I really like is waiting and expecting important mail, but I don't want to leave home without getting the mail first. Identity theft protection, you know. Well, I don't know what time the mail carrier will show up. She's been here as early as 8:20 AM and as late as 12:25 PM. Every day, you don't know within which hour she will show up. Mail carriers and their bleepin' mind games they play. What would help her out would be for her to stop constantly talking on her cell phone all the time and pay attention to her job, or maybe she's calling headquarters and asking where her next stop is. What really cracks me up is every once in a while she backs up and turns around in my driveway like she has to go back and start the route all over again. Then up to a quarter hour later she stops at my mail box again. What the..... I just thought of something. Maybe she realizes she has left her cell phone in one of the mail boxes. Government is going to save on fuel costs! How much will this program cost the taxpayers?
FightTheFuture, Excellent summary. Probably the average mail route has about 100 "spys" such as yourself watching the mail carriers every move. Mail carriers clock in and are surrounded by surveillance cameras, on the floor are supervisors who watch you but at all times your back is to them. The PO has spotters on the road checking up on you. Mail carriers are paid on the volume of letters per route and per house. The po knows how many steps it takes to go to each house (you are paid by the piece and the step, among many other factors). Mail carriers check in sometimes more than once per route with handheld upc showing the time of arrival or departure. First class mail is "very" monitored, you cannot bring it back or there is a big problemo, hence going back and forth on the route if you discover a mistake. If you in any way are prone to paranoia, I would suggest a different occupation. So along with you there are hundreds of unseen eyes staring at your back.
Hey nutmeg, better watch how you talk about my relatives! Yes, these mail carriers are my relatives. Not genetically related. Related by marriage. I don't know where and how you and your mail carriers live, but it's much more easy going around here where we all help each other. No need to complain to the post office 'cause we all know each other, and we all help to get the mail sorted out, eventually. As far as I know I have gotten at least all my expected mail. Sounds like it's all backstabbing paranoia where you live. Must be in the big city, eh? Pity. Things are so much easier around here. I love this place. Back in the old days, 20 years ago, there would have not been any material for me to write all sarcastic about. But then, I didn't have any non-related relatives working at the PO. You say they drive back to the post office to check in? You don't know how things work around here. Looks like she drives back often to the neighbors which are my relatives and are chatting about important stuff for about 15 minutes. I've got other stories from my neighbors and relatives who know all about the carrier's actions like throwing mail out the car window along the route and just a hootin'. I worked at United Parcel Service a long time ago. Sending a package to the wrong place would have you fired. Immediately. Sending mail to the wrong house here is a common occurrence. Time for the USPS monopoly to be divvied up - private company mail delivery. Save on energy.