Snow Removal..For Better Or Worse?

With this recent spate of lake-effect snowfall in our area, it's good to see all those snowplows out and about our highways, making them much safer to traverse. What is NOT good is the manner in which the plows come down residential streets.

Now, according to city code, people "should" have their sidewalks devoid of snow by around 9AM. Not a problem...seems reasonable. Of course with my neighbors, they'd MUCH rather lift an 40 oz. Olde English to their pieholes than lift one single shovelful of snow. Here's ONE instance where the city "could" make a ton of money on citations for non-removal of snow from the pavements across the city.

But then there are those "dumb" people, like myself, that feel the NEED to keep a clean sidewalk. Hey, in today's "lawsuit-happy" mentality, it makes damn good sense to play the CYA tune every time it snows. I mean you don't want to lose everything because some dipshit with "ATHLETIC SHOES" on (instead of proper cold weather footwear with a decent tread pattern) decides to fall on their ass on YOUR property, after staggering home from the local taproom (or house party), now do you? Herein lies our problem.

When the plows DO come down our streets...they zoom by at such a HIGH rate of speed (even 30MPH is excessive), that they "rooster-tail" the snow BACK ONTO your freshly cleaned sidewalk. Most times, this snow flies about 5-6 feet in distance at about 4 feet in HEIGHT! That will effectively cover most ANY sidewalk damn well, too! And most of THIS snow has all that crappy litter and chunky ice mixed into it...yummy! Of course, if you live in an "upscale" part of town, this probably doesn't occur, and if you live on a winding street...ditto!

Easy way to fix this problem (wherever it happens)...
SLOW IT THE F$CK DOWN, MORONS!

At a slower speed (under 20MPH would be a good start), sure it might take longer to do the entire city, but look at all the HAPPIER people (like me) you'll have on your hands, COMPLIMENTING you guys, instead of bashing you (deservedly so) on blogs....where people can READ all about your exploits.

Sorry, but the adage "Slow and steady wins the race" DOES apply here.
(your mileage may vary)

City-County Consolidation? Not THIS Way!

Fort Wayne City Council members were expressing several concerns over the reinstitution of the Allen County Tax Assessment Board, not the least of which is having the city council decisions being "controlled" by a board based on "philosophy". Now I don't now about you (and your tax-ing situation), but when common sense has flown the coop, and reason is tossed out with the bath water, maybe a "fresh" approach is needed. And if using any form of philosophy can get the job done to the mutual benefit of the citizenry without overinflating (further) the price of their homes, I'm all for it.

(((CAUTION - - - - -TANGENT ALERT)))

Tim Pape, 5th district councilman (or as I like to call him..the INVISIBLE COUNCILMAN) was the one mainly voicing the concerns. Well, Timmy-Boy, it's like this:

Once upon a time, there USED to be people on the southside that gave a damn about the area. Now, all we have are miniscule pockets of like people who are struggling to keep their property from being devalued further by the influx of section 8ers, who don't give a rat's ass about anything or anyone, save that next freebie welfare check. How's the picture looking So far, Tim? Add to this the fact that YOUR district has the highest crime rate, the most homicides, and the greatest concentration of minorities. We on the same page YET, Tim?
Councilman Pape is doing little if anything to improve the quality of life here (from what I can see anyway), and yet hedges at something that would bring some semblence of tax relief to those in his district that STILL DO pay taxes (an ever-shrinking number). Yo, Tim, make you a deal...you want to BUY MY HOUSE at the ASSESSED VALUE, so I can move the f$ck away into a part of the COUNTY where I don't feel like I'm living in Darfur or Chad? I'm sorry, I can't hear you...speak up, will 'ya? PROVE to me that our tax dollars mean more than just another project along Pontiac Street, or a new HUD development that doesn't serve me or my family in any way, shape, or form, and will wind up increasing the ghettoesque nature of THIS part of town.

At this point, I could launch into some tirade about how the city NEEDS "distressed" parts of town to ASSURE federal and state grant monies to "fund" all the projects that do no one any good, but DO raise taxes...and how MAINTAINING these distressed areas (and actually allowing them to grow) means MORE state and federal funding....

But I digress...

County Council President Paul Moss stated that the current tax system is fractured, as DOZENS of taxing "entities" are looking out for THEIR BEST INTERESTS (like the FWIA)...no one is looking at the big picture. He went on to say that any opposition for the TAB is coming from (get this)...the TAXING BODIES....(wow, big surprise there, huh?) and he hasn't heard from one TAXPAYER that thinks it's a BAD idea (to bring back the TAB).

I will say that even though City Council has done a good job of watchdogging CITY service overruns, and has kept CITY departments holding the line with frivolous costs, they need to think about the long-term here. Holding the CITY costs down (and taxes pertinent to those costs) is one thing...allowing those ambiguously vague 30 "entities" to levy tax increases with cavalier regularity is quite the other.

Now the city and the county want to "merge" governments to "streamline" themselves and thereby become more efficient. Well, friends, I can't see that happening when ONE side wants property tax relief, and the OTHER side wants the keep the status quo (i.e. no relief). How the hell can ANY effective merger become reality when it's not in "game plan" for BOTH sides?

City Council has got to stop tis constant vacillation...it's getting annoying as hell. Personally, I'd do away with the city council in favor of having the COUNTY COUNCIL be the decision-making body for the city,. It seems they have their heads screwed on a bit tighter. It's not a case of sounding too good to be true...it just sounds GOOD...period.

I'm certainly no politician, and I don't profess to know a hell of a lot about all the legalese crap we're bombarded with daily...all I know is what my "gut" tells me. And my gut is saying LOUD and CLEAR...REINSTITUTE THE TAX ASSESSMENT BOARD.

And if doing that somehow manages to "derail" the city council's gravy-train...oh well. So much for bringing that "rapid rail transit" system back to Fort Wayne, people.

I am however am entertaining the notion of changing the name of this city from FORT WAYNE, Indiana...to...TAXUS, Indiana!

Now Tim...about you buying my house, so I can move AWAY from here....

Smith and Wesson "Aims" To Increase Growth...

Move over, Dirty Harry!

No pun intended here, but S&W (to anyone who knows JACK about firearms) has rested on it's laurels for way too long, and is now getting ready to reclaim it's share of the marketplace. Nice thing, as it's been an AMERICAN-OWNED AND OPERATED gun manufacturer for 155 years. With the rollout of it's newest firearm, the M&P (Military and Police) pistol (seen at left), it hopes to nab some serious defense and law-enforcement contracts. And it looks like they do have a winner here.

Recently, S&W has had a negligible share of the law-enforcement market. Glock has had a 65% share and is the most widely used pistol on the hips of LEOs. I do know some officers that carry the S&W Sigma in .40 cal, and that's not a bad weapon. The tried and true auto pistols (like the M39 and M59 series) from S&W are roughly relics from the past. They're all steel, weigh substantially more than the newer players on the block, and are looking a bit long in the tooth. Still, I always liked the 5900 series..had a reload that tore the cartridge case open, blowing off the walnut grip. No damage to me, and the bullet still hit the target, but S&W x-rayed the frame and slide, checking for fractures, bench-tested it, and sent it back GRATIS! How cool is THAT? Nice to know they stand by their products! BTW...I only use *new* ammo now...!
Smith & Wesson has been producing the SW99 (and now the newer SW990-top) under license from Walther (maker of the P99-bottom right). Personally, I can find no equal to this pistol. it's light, smooth operating, and thanks to German engineering is one of the finest pistols for the money out there. Another personal favorite of mine would be the Springfield Armory XD (x-treme duty-bottom left) auto pistol in 9mm or .40 cal. This baby has been put through some SERIOUS tests (frozen in ice, buried in sand, encased in mud, and even run over by a truck), and comes up shooting every damn time, even after 20,000 rounds without a hangup or misfire! And to think this is IMPORTED from CROATIA! And while the SIG P229 is the pistol of choice for the NYCPD (as well as some federal agencies), it is a bit pricey, as is the H&K series of composite guns. But when dealing with life and death, you DO (and will) get what you pay for.

Now while I like the Glock (Philly police were selected for the pilot program back in the mid- 80s), it doesn't do much for me other than have "the name". No external safety is a big minus to me. It does have a nice weight to it, but most ALL composite pistols these days are in the 24-29 OUNCE range, so it's a tossup.

With the military contract on the venerable Beretta M92F (9mm) coming up for bid this year, it's no surprise that an American company wants to bring that contract back home to our soil. And (imho) S&W could make a damn good go of it. This could be a contract worth about $310 MILLION for the winner. And it would be nice to see a lot more American pistols back on the hips of soldiers and LEOs (like the old .45).

But the new CEO of S&W, formerly of Black & Decker, Stanley, and Kohler, isn't just looking at handguns. He's got his innovative "sights" set on long guns as well. Smith and Wesson will soon be marketing a line of shotguns, and even a bolt-action hunting rifle. And it's all (still) being done right here in the USofA!

It's nice to see an American company with a promising future for a change.

Aw Geez...Here We Go Again...

You might want to grab your copy of Merriam-Websters for this one... Frank Gray (J-G) had an interesting article in Sunday's paper about how WORDS are taken to task quicker than ACTIONS these days. I found it enlightening to say the least. Even Noah Webster here seems POed at this.

Today, people are just so damned "touchy"...about WORDS. We have the *n* word, which cannot be uttered by ANYONE other than a black person without having the Rains of Ranchapur wash your sinful ass from the face of the planet! . That to me is pile of horse-hockey. People show me what they "wish" to be called by their actions first, and THEN by their words. And in most every case, their words WILL mirror their actions, so it becomes a no-brainer as to what my assessment of them will likely be. When you utter just ONE sentence, you speak volumes to others, and will be treated accordingly. Remember years ago when some coach made an "offhand" remark saying that black atthletes were "physically-endowed" for the sport (or something approximating that)? That coach (or announcer) caught more FLAK than the 8th Air Force over Dresden! You just can't say that about them (however true it actually has been proven to be)...!

Now get ready, because we have (yet) ANOTHER word that some blacks are finding "offensive"...and the word is...ARTICULATE.

ARTICULATE: Adj - INTELLIGIBLE : able to speak ; expressing oneself readily, clearly, or effectively.

I've been called articulate many times, and not once did I feel the need to take it as an affront, insult, or debasement of my intellect. But it now seems that if you call an articulate *black* person well...articulate, you're just being a condescending whitey. Parts of the black community are jumping all over our President for stating in a recent interview that Senator Barack Obama is ARTICULATE. Joe Biden was recently chastened for calling him "clean" (again, taken totally out of context). Well, for cripes sake, he IS articulate! Just listen to the manner in which he speaks. He talks TO people, not AT people. There's a huge difference. And we KNOW he bathes regualrly....Geezus, will you people stop with all this nonsense!

George Washington Carver was articulate. Frederick Douglass was articulate. Martin Luther King, Jr. was articulate.

Larry Elder IS articulate, and so is John McWhorter, Colin Powell, Bill Cosby, Condoleeza Rice, Juan Williams, William Raspberry, Will Smith, Montel WIlliams, Oprah Winfrey....the list is damn near endless.

((However, I can't with good conscience place SNOOP DOGG in the same category...must be all that pot smoking slurring his speech and killing off brain cells - plus ebonics aka lazy english, is not just another form of the language, and disqualifies itself on it's own "merits"...WORD up))

These are people of substance, color aside. They have risen above stereotypes, fought the system biases, and have succeeded. And you don't have to be a "celeb" to be in this group...the same can be said for common, everyday people, as well as the many friends I had throughout my school years, and my professional life. There is no degradation going on when I state that all of these people (or any others that demonstrate such like proficiencies in life) are ARTICULATE. They speak well, carry themselves with confidence and self-assurance. They treat others fairly, and want to be treated in kind. Seems like a good scenario from where I sit...so what's the damn problem?

Well, there isn't any..at least none worth mentioning. Any so-called "problem" is a mere contrivance, drummed up so some loons can thump their chests and play that old race card. People (today as well as in years gone by) will judge you by the way you SPEAK as much as the way you present yourself (by dress, cleanliness, mannerisms, body language, etc.)..that's a given. Again, we call it human nature. Don't know of many slovenly people (living in some sort of squalor) that cuss every other word, who are taken seriously, do you? Much of this is by choice or design.

But this constant, self-fostering misplaced attempt at perpetuation of racism by those with a radical axe to grind, is simply appalling. I say let your actions and words determine how others will view you. And if by that I mean get a good education, don't be afraid of a dictionary, don't dress like a pile of thrice-worn clothes, and treat others with a level of respect that you feel YOU deserve...yeah, that'll work.

I just shudder to think what fringe group(s) might get pissed at ME if I dare to try to call a black person (in today's world) ERUDITE...or (heaven forbid) PHILANTHROPIC!!!

Is it OK to call you "Well-Learned"?
What about "Brilliantly Intelligent"?
How about "Highly Skilled? "Highly Motivated"? "Highly Educated"?
What about "Above Reproach"?
Is "Intellectually Succinct" all right?

You people BETTER pick something you LIKE, because there are too many people out there walking on eggs when approaching you and engaging you in common social intercourse for fear of "offending" you when THEY open their mouths.. And I'm sure NOT being talked to will piss you off soon enough as well.

I just say grow the hell up, and get more concerned about your homicide rates. Take the damn COMPLIMENT, know that people think highly of you, and get on with your lives!

More "City Stats"...

Fort Wayne police are being called to task for targeting central city for DWI arrests. Now while getting ANY drunk off the road is a good thing, there are those that feel that THIS part of the city is being unjustly singled out. Downtown bar owners are calling this the "pink elephant"; an effort by the FWPD to target drunken drivers in ior near the downtown area while neglecting others.
Considering that Fort Wayne is making MORE DWI arrests than INDY (since 2001) speaks volumes as to OUR concern to remove these hazards to others from the roads and streets of our city, and is to be commended. But while this is all well and good, is there a real basis for the bar owners' claims?

With 1142 arrests in the central downtown area, it IS the highest rate citywide. And yet, there are only 23 bars and restaurants that can serve or sell liquor. THAT number is surprising to me, actually. In my area, where we seem to have a bar or food store that can sell alcohol within WALKING distance from anywhere to anywhere else, I would expect the Southeast to have the highest number. Yet, no specific data is listed for the southeast per se. Interesting, hmm? Maybe the JG needed to further define the boundaries for their story?

Downtown is what I call an "honest" venue...easy access to streets, one-way streets, nice square blocks, etc. Sure, that's easy to patrol (and catch people). It's what we called (in Philly) a "gravy" assignment. On the southeast side, you have all these alleys (used for secondary streets), abandoned houses, different sized blocks, winding streets (been there, done that at 70mph on a ride-along...lots 'o fun), and a lot of YIELD and STOP signs instead of traffic lights. It's easier than anything to evade, elude, and escape (until you hit a major cross-street that is). Hell, I"ve got a THREE-TIME DWI FELON at the end of my street...but someone keeps letting his ass the hell back out. How fair to the rest of us is that? The ACSD has a cell with a revolving door on it just for him! And this same scenario is probably being replayed all across the city.

What this blogger finds intriguing, is that the area with the largest number of liquor licenses (Coliseum/Coldwater corridor), has only the THIRD highest number of DWI arrests, after the aforementioned central downtown area AND the Dupont Road corridor (northeast). What these numbers do correctly reflect is the "checkpoints" set up by the FWPD to catch drunk drivers. When you see the PD blotter, it makes sense in that regard at least. Of course there is that "quota" the officers (at those locations) HAVE to make, or lose the assignment.

What makes no sense is that by directing their efforts at these SAME areas, the FWPD misses so many more drunk drivers that simply find alternate routes past these places. In my area alone, I see people drinking WHILE they are driving all the time....and the reason? No police presence...plain and simple. I have several BAGS full of liquor bottles and beer cans (removed from my property and willing to show to ANY city representative or FWPD official) that attest to the FACTS here. Let's face it...if you KNOW where the police ARE, and you want to skirt the law, where DO you go? You go where the police ARE NOT. You go where you can get away with anything. You go to areas the police don't know AS WELL, because they don't LIVE around there. When officers lived in areas they patrolled, they knew the area intimately...places AND people. It's not rocket science people! It's called human nature. And it IS predictable.

Such is just not the case these days. Be nice to see an officer living on MY street (like my uncle in Portland that has TWO within walking distance from HIS house).

The FWPD is missing so many opportunities in OTHER parts of town, its not even funny. I have asked time and again to "just park" a patrol car in my area...and you WILL get citations...by the score! If not for drunk driving, then for other violations such as improper vehicle illumination, noise/music, erratic driving, speeding, and the like. I have stated in other posts that the city misses approx. $60K-$90K per officer per month regarding the number of citations "available" for writing. That is some SERIOUS change, folks!

Other cities have teams such as NET (Neighborhood Enhancement Teams) to provide a more PROACTIVE approach to problems before they get out of hand, thereby forcing the department to become solely a "complaint-driven" agancy. The FWPD is in such a situation now. They are complaint-driven, but it could be turned around.

I am not stating all this to knock the department...quite the opposite. I support everything these men and women do, as well as what they stand for. Coming from a police family back in Philly does that to you. I just believe that much better utilization of resources are currently on the table. All that needs to be done is to sit down, take a look at it, and begin implementation of such things, as to make the entire city more amenable and responsive to the police, instead of being just the other way around. THEY are here to protect and serve US.

It's high time that means in ALL parts of Fort Wayne, & not just where it's "easy" or "convienient".

"Super" Bowl???

After I managed to disassociate myself from all this "hype" for the past two weeks, I do admit to watching it (off and on)...it was self-serving curiosity mostly. And while although the FIRST FIVE minutes got my eyes opened a bit wider, the overall game was a quasi-yawn-fest.

Yeah, it was nice to see Dungy and Manning get their rings finally. But that was about it. The halftime show packed more punch. See, I remember football when it WAS football. Take Super Bowl V for instance. The last time the COLTS won. Hell, for that matter, take most ANY Super Bowl before the 'modern era" (and that's around the early-mid 80s). The contrasts between teams THEN and NOW are remarkedly pronounced. Maybe you fans today are impressed a lot easier than WE used to be back then. I really don't know.

Teams in decades past used to play in ANY weather (screw covered stadiums), wore a lot less protection (it was all low-tech back then), and gave us (the fans) a helluva lot more action on the field (unlike TODAY'S players that seem to excel in "off-the-field" shenanigans). You used to be able to count how many players had been arrested back THEN on ONE hand (with 4 fingers missing). Today, well, it IS a whole other ballgame. Yesterday, they even let one player attend (and play) "under watchful eyes", as he was involved in some "thing" with a lot of guns and ammo.

The quarterbacks on BOTH teams yesterday lacked any real "creativity" on the field, and there were VERY FEW opportunities to step into the pocket and look for a receiver. Time was you'd "think" (since it was 3rd down and short yardage) the QB would keep the ball and get the yardage HIMSELF. None of that these days! I was predicting what was going to happen on any given down regularly...and I never could do that in the "old days". Just when you "thought" the QB would run the ball, he would lateral to a halfback, and THAT guy would toss it 40 yards to a tight end! THAT was a football game! Anyone recall the (now infamous..or famous) "Heidi Bowl" (Raiders vs.Jets) from Nov. 1968 for the AFC Championship? Best 50 seconds of football we *never* saw!

Fran Tarkenton...best damned scrambler ever on the planet...Roger Staubach, a damn close second. Joe Namath had some of the worst knees in the game, and he STILL would run the ball. Johnny Unitas...one of the best play-action passers ever. Earl Morrell...not only a good (and old) QB, but a damn fine KICKER as well. And what about the Daryl Lamonicas, the Len Dawsons, the Y.A. Tittles, the Eddie LeBarons, Don Merediths, the Bob Grieses, and the Bart Starrs? There are SO many notable players from eras gone by that can never be bested byanyone today. We might have someone that can beat their records, but we can never have men like this that had such a passion for the game, that while playing for peanuts (by today's hugely overinflated standards), they brought their souls to the stadium every Sunday with the rest of theri equipment....
And we watched...and marvelled.


Must been a pretty "snug" fit in those uniforms
then...carrying such a burden...and passion.

It's Super Bowl XLI Sunday....

...And you know what THAT means, right?

It's PUPPY BOWL III SUNDAY...!

Oh yeah, those adorable bundles of fur are BACK...and as in the past two years, we'll be seeing more hits, more tackles, and more tongues hanging out than at a KISS concert!

Who needs COLTS and BEARS when you have PUPPIES and KITTENS? Yessirree....much better than watching overpaid, underworked glitzed-out, blinged-out men calling themselves athletes (where's my blow, dawg?). NO steroids at work here....no sir!

Here's the link for the site complete with "starting lineups":

animal.discovery.com/convergence/puppybowl/puppybowl.html

None of the hype...none of the yelling...none of the spilled beer. Just good old rock'em, sock'em paw-to-paw, tail-to-tail canine and feline antics with the ocassional "mishap", and the penalties assessed accordingly. Not to mention the (always) marvelous KITTY HALFTIME SHOW...(my personal favorite). The play-by-play itself is just too funny.

I mean why bother with what EVERYONE ELSE will be (probably) doing, when you can be a real "trend-setter" (with your Irish Setter no less)...!
Choose your MVP....have an indoor "tail"-gate party...with REAL TAILS (wagging)! Don't brave the sub-zero weather outside to hit some sports bar and pay for overly-priced, wattered-down drinks, and those annoying fans that smell as if they were gnawing on an ashtray (or worse)...stay at home, call fido and kitty over, and fire up that TV.....!

The real game starts at 3PM today...so be there...or get bit!

Groundhog Day....A "New" Diplomacy?

Every year, on the same day, we have this "quasi-festive / quasi-celebratory" ocassion. Mr. Groundhog (usually Punxatawney Phil) gets rousted (read dragged the hell out) from his warm and cozy "den" by some top-hatted human with gloved hands, is thrust into an area that has more KLIEG LIGHTING than that island where Indiana Jones watched the Nazis open the Ark of the Covenant, is held up for all to see, and a proclamation is made whether or not "he" SEES his shadow. This is to confirm when the advent of Spring will occur (allegedly).

First, let me state that if ANYONE EVER woke me in THAT manner, especially before sun-up, they'd be missing some (critical) body parts!

Second, with THAT much lighting on his furry ass, if he CAN see at all (his retinas are probably burned the hell out), AND doesn't wind up spontaneously combusting from the HEAT, he'll most likely see about THIRTY shadows...which, if we are to interpret this portent "correctly", would mean we're all headed for another frigging ICE AGE by next Tuesday.

I've been doing some "clandestine" work, and I've noticed that not all of these cute critters are going to stand for this yearly invasion of their domicile ANY longer! Confirmed sources have discovered that a cadre of groundhogs (with obvious ties to the volverine and weasel clans) have secured certain "unobtainable" ordinance to defend their territory. Where the money has come from to fund this venture is anyone's guess at this point. What this person has noticed is increased activity along specific plots of ground in or near woodland areas.

This photo was taken from a covert camera, mounted inside a dented Fresca can placed nearby. Clearly we can see these groundhogs have acquired some SERIOUS "Whoop-Ass"! Since we have no true idea of their numbers, we can only surmise this "cell" is but one of many, spread across the fields of this nation. NO evidence of WMDs has been uncovered, and it is believed that none exist. Special Forces units HAVE confirmed to finding caches of various nuts buried close by their "den", and have uplinked the GPS coordinates. Since these groundhogs have initiated NO action of their own, it can be determined that they will retaliate ONLY IF provoked.
The US has sent an envoy to various woodland areas in an attempt to negotiate with these grounghogs. Preliminary talks do look promising, as the envoy has stated that "All they want...is to be left the hell alone on February 2nd". America is not seeking sanctions OR any overt military repsonse at this time, and is willing to "live and let live" unless the scenario changes drastically.

As to the impact this will have on future global weather conditions (six more weeks of winter or not) no one is saying at this point. Al Gore has been rumored to be quite agitated over the whole thing, as receipts for his movie on global warming will suffer greatly after today. We are hoping the Weather Channel will play some part in these negotiations with the groundghogs. And we have every confidence that a speedy, non-violent solution will be found. Elements of the 82nd Airborne will be on stand-by for the next 24 hours, just in case the talks fail.

It's called....Just let the little buggers SLEEP, for Christ's sake!

Global warming?...
6 weeks of winter?...
Wake me in MAY, will ya?

((Now stop smiling, and get back to work....!))

The Numbers Are In...

And I can't help but think of that marvelously apropos R&B sing: "You Dropped a Bomb On Me". The Yellow Ribbon Task Force has made it's decision on this "Hostage Deal" and the grand total is (I trust you ARE sitting down).....FIVE HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS! Well, that IS half of what was originally proposed, and a tad less than the $600 million, but STILL...that is a huge honkin' chunk o' change! They must have spun the "Wheel of Fortune" to arrive at THAT number....now all they have to do is pick a letter. I can think of three offhand...W-T-F.

Now...lemme do the math on that...$500 Million split between 53 buildings...comes to about $9,433,966.26 per building (give or take a buck). I have the twenty six cents right here! But wait you say, maybe not ALL the buildings will need THAT much. OK then...even after you spread the "wealth" around, it all goes into the same pot, more or less. Some schools will need more than the amount (per building) shown, while others will require less. It all balances out.....except in OUR bank accounts, where it really matters. All we will see from this is a lot of MINUS SIGNS!

So...by the year 2012, a homeowner with a $100,000 (that's THOUSANDS, not millions like FWCS likes to use) house will pay an ADDITIONAL $330 a year in property tax...that's *IF* the county doesn't go and RE-ASSESS that home HIGHER (which they probably will...you know how THEY work). Still, if we were to take a page from the MAYAN calendar, the world will come to an END on December 21st, 2012. Maybe we shouldn't sweat it so much then?

Funny, but with ALL the TOLL ROAD money coming in, why not "tap that keg", and get some of THAT? I mean the INTEREST alone for the "leasing" of that toll road comes to about $1 million PER DAY....let's check into that, 'ya think? Ironically, I can see people taking more LOANS to pay for things, while FWCS gets a "free-ride" at our expense. Hell, let THEM take out a loan...a big HUGE loan...interest rates are pretty good right now, and they DO have all those buildings as "collateral", right? Nah...all that makes too damn much SENSE to even consider those options...besides, why even bother the STATE (who mandates the testing & achievement levels in every school system as it is), right? It's wrong to bother that "rich uncle" when you can fleece Mr. & Mrs. taxpayer of Fort Wayne.

The word "EXODUS" (from Fort Wayne) comes to mind about now.

But I'm certain as the sun will come up tomorrow that when this $500 million buckaroo debacle is passed, and we get it up the "canal" again for years to come, our kids will be the SMARTEST little buggers on the face of the planet...right? I said... RIGHT? I'm not hearing anyone in agreement here. What? You don't think ALL that money will ENSURE a better educational venue that will allow every child to NEVER be left behind, provide them with every aspect of human nature and scholastic aptitude required for college entry? You doubt that?

You're putting up all the money....so you should be well "on board" with this, right? Oh, you're saying it's not all about the buildings, or even the educators..it's about the kids learning to become personally responsible and having the parents accountable for their success (or failure)...I get it now. So how much money do we decide to toss at THAT premise? Personally, I don't think all the money on the planet can DO what is required in this instance. How can you teach people about things they don't wish to be taught about in the first place? That $500 million won't buy (or even rent) THAT now...will it?

And therein lies our conundrum. Do we spend ALL that money to redress these 53 school buildings, and "hope" the kids learn better, or do we spend ONLY what is needed to keep the buildings safe and functional for the kids, and DEMAND better from every one of them (because we know they have it inside themselves to do better)?

Now there's something that "task force" probably didn't even consider.

Maybe we should just forget all the "city" mottos, and decide to change our STATE'S name instead....from Indiana to TAXUS!

(It does have the novelty of not having been tried yet)