Tell Us It Ain't So Jeff...

Question: What would you call a guy who wants to be the next mayor and issues a press release that he knows full well is full of misinformation, and misrepresentations?
A lot of people I know would probably come right out and say the guy’s a liar. I mean what the hell, if he’s putting forth information he knows isn’t true, what’s he doing? You make the call.
What would you call him if he’s issued this same press release that’s full of the same misinformation, the same misrepresentations, but he didn’t realize that because of the votes he made he now owns the issue he tried to raise in the first place. Call him what you want. Just don’t call him Mr. Mayor.
In case you haven’t figured out by now, I’m talking about our very own deputy mayor, Jeff Preisner and the press release he put out a few days ago claiming that current mayor, Bill Bunten personally hand picked like minded people to our library board in his successful attempt to push his own agenda. That may or may not be an exact quote but it’s close enough for me. You know the story so I’m not going to spend a lot of time boring you with the details.
What is it Jeff? Did you intentionally set out to mislead us? Or is it that you really, truly don’t understand that when you and the rest of the city council voted for and approved every library board appointee put forth by the mayor, you pretty much took ownership of the whole thing? Tell us it ain’t so Jeff. Please tell us you’re smarter than that.
But that’s really not it, is it Jeff? You knew damned good and well what you were doing. You knew the whole library thing was a hot button issue that’s still fresh in people’s minds. You knew you could use it as a wedge issue to keep people stirred up. Maybe you figured as long as you could keep people fighting with each other you might not have to spend so much time explaining your support of some very unpopular issues in recent years. I’m just guessing.
How about that helicopter vote Jeff. How’d that work out for you? Damn, you caught hell over that. Oh yeah, the whole software fiasco you voted for. Man, it had to be hard knowing you were voting against the will of the people. What’s next Jeff? How long before you drag out Phill Kline’s name. I mean what the hell, Bunten and Kline have both lived in Topeka, right? There’s your connection, run with it man.
Jeff, I think you really screwed up big time. I think you’re only listening to one side of the whole library issue. I think what you’re listening to is a small,very loud, and very angry, group of people. You know, the side that didn’t get their way. What you’re missing here is the fact that this small group of people don't necessarily speak for the majority of Topekans.
Personally, I’m not all that passionate about the library issue one way or the other. To me, it’s more of a standards issue. Maybe I’m wrong here but I really do believe that most people in Topeka really don’t want their kids exposed to the kind of books everyone’s fighting over. I also believe a lot of them think simply keeping them out of the reach children is just common sense.
You handle it however you want. Sure, you’ll have the support of the people who bought into your foolishness. But I doubt it’ll be enough to win an election with. Good luck with that.
Where am I wrong here? Let me know on the blog www.rm235.blogspot.com or e-mail me at www.kevinmcginty@sbcglobal.net

This is the letter to the editor written by Mary Lou Schmidt I'm refering to...

Dear Editor:
Ashley Judd did an ad for Defenders for Wildlife showing a wolf being shot by a person in an airplane.
Sarah Palin stated that Defenders of Wildlife is an extreme fringe group just because they want to stop the senseless murder of wolves by humans using airplanes. This is a cowardly way to hunt just as fishing with dynamite is a cowardly way to fish.
Some think we should not blame Palin for the hunters being able to hunt this way because it was law when she became governor. Now that she is governor she could change the law but she won't. She is a proud member of the NRA and she appears to enjoy killing animals. Wolves have the right to survive and feed their young.
For those who support the delicate balance of nature please contribute to the Defenders of Wildlife 1130 17th St. NW Washington DC 20036-4604.
We have already lost too many species of mammals.
Mary Lou Schmidt

Dear Mary Lou...

And once again, Mary Lou Schmidt has spoken. I’m talking about her letter in the Metro News last week as she told us the heart-wrenching story about the out-of-control, slaughter of innocent wolves that Alaska Governor, Sarah Palin was more or less personally responsible for.
Mary Lou did acknowledge the fact that laws permitting hunting the wolf in Alaska were already in place when Palin took office. What she didn’t tell us is that these laws were in place “way” before Palin took office. But that fact doesn’t help her cause, so it was simply tossed aside.
Mary Lou, I wonder. Is this like the global warming debate, you know, settled and all?“ Or are you willing to consider the possibility of another point of view?
First off, I find it amusing that you and the group you’re supporting are suddenly referring to Sarah Palin as “Governor” instead of some “small town, hick mayor” in the middle of nowhere now that using her name actually benefits your cause. I know, you do what you gotta do to these days to raise money. And what better way is there than attaching Sarah Palin’s name into it.
Mary Lou, have you ever considered the consequences of allowing the wolf population to grow unchecked? As their numbers grow they will need to kill more and more caribou just to survive. Sooner or later the caribou population will diminish to the point where wolves start dying off by starvation or disease. No way, right?
I’m not trying to start a fight here today. But have you heard about the deer problem they’re having over towards Kansas City? Shawnee Mission Park covers about 1280 acres and straddles the cities of Shawnee and Lenexa, Kansas. For the last decade the deer population has been allowed to grow unchecked to the point the deer are beginning to starve to death and dying of disease brought on by the ticks that thrive on them. There has been at least one confirmed case of a woman coming down with Lyme disease because of these ticks. Not good.
Officials are finally coming to terms with the fact they’re going to have to do something to get the number of deer down. Some of these officials refer to the situation as “culling or thinning” the herd. Another one was more to the point . She asked why not tell it like it is. Because so many of these deer are in such bad shape all we can do now is kill the estimated 400 deer in Shawnee Mission Park and allow for a new generation of deer to repopulate the park at a sustainable level.
This whole thing should have been dealt with years ago. And had the right thing been done concerning wildlife population control back then it wouldn’t be an issue today.
Mary Lou, I wonder if you’re going to hold Kathleen Sebelius personally responsible for the slaughter that sooner or later this one’s going to be. I mean, why not, she’s the governor and could change these laws if she wanted to, right? I also wonder if she’s going to hold every governor in every state personally responsible for the wildlife population management laws that exist in every state. I would guess, probably not.
Mary Lou, I’m assuming you’re not a hunter. That much we have in common. I’ve just never had the desire to go out and kill something. I have an old rifle my grandpa gave me years ago but I haven’t even seen it in years. So, no I’m not a big gun person either.
But you know what? Just because you and I don’t like something doesn’t automatically make it wrong for the millions of people all across the world who enjoy the thrill of the hunt. They cherish the time it allows them to spend tromping through the woods with family and friends in search of that perfect shot. And whether you like it or not. It’s their right to do so.
It’s kind of like the fairly new “pro-choice” chant I keep hearing. If you’re against abortion, don’t have one. Same thing here. If you don’t like hunting, don’t go. See how easy that was.
Want to talk about it? Stop by the blog: www.rm235.blogspot.com or e-mail: www.kevinmcginty@sbcglobal.net

Tic Toc...

You know, life can really suck sometimes. I guess I ought to start off by telling you about the weekend road trips I’ve taken over the last five weeks.
It all started out with an e-mail telling me my uncle Terry from Lyons had gotten seriously ill and was in intensive care at the Promise Regional, Medical Center in Hutchinson. My youngest son and I headed to Hutch to see him. He was really in bad shape and it was hard for him to talk but he did know who we were and I really believe he was glad to see us. I took that as a positive sign. My son wasn’t so sure. Anyway, the trip home that afternoon was pretty quiet.
A few days later I received another e-mail informing me that my uncle had been moved back to Lyons and was receiving Hospice care to make his final days as comfortable as possible. I drove out to Lyons the following weekend to see him one last time. He was still in really bad shape but like the previous visit in Hutch, he knew who I was and he knew his time was about up. We didn’t talk much. I did thank him for all the cool things he used to do for my brothers and I when we were kids. Then I told him goodbye for what I was sure would be the very last time.
Three days later I received another e-mail concerning Terry. I just stared at it for a while. It was one of those you really don’t want to open. But when I did, I learned that Terry had improved considerably and was being released from Hospice care. That prompted another trip the following weekend. When I got there he was sitting up in his wheel chair eating lunch. I couldn’t believe this was the same guy I’d just said my final goodbyes to just a few days earlier. We talked for quite a while that day. He was totally pumped that his Cardinals were headed to the Super Bowl. And he just as pumped about Obama being our new president. I stared to argue with him about that but figured there wasn’t really any point in going there. He asked about my wife and kids and wanted to know how my brothers were doing. I told him instead of telling him about them, we’d just all load up next weekend and he could see them for himself.
So we did. The following weekend fifteen of us in four vehicles headed back to out to Lyons. It was such a good visit. He was really proud of the fact that he was now a “great-great uncle.” And he started telling stories about me and my brothers when we were little. One particularly embarrassing, story involving yours truly, my grandpa, and what I thought was a bear trying to kill me really cracked him up. We took a bunch pictures and he made me promise I’d make him copies so he could show off his great-great nieces and nephews to his friends. I assured him I would and that I’d see him in a couple of weeks. And off we went.
I got up early last Sunday morning and like always, put on a pot of coffee and checked my e-mail. The first one was simply titled “Terry.” I guess I was expecting to find out he was still recovering and getting stronger by the day or something, I don’t know. Well, that’s not exactly the way it worked out. It was to inform me that my uncle Terry had passed away about three hours earlier and to assure me he had died peacefully. The news hit me pretty hard. I guess mainly because it caught me off guard.
I’ve had a few days now for the news to soak in so it’s easier to talk about. But I’ve also had time to realize that because my uncle has passed on, the designation of “family elder” has been passed on to me.
I’m not sure, but I think there’s a certain level of responsibility that comes with the title of family elder. I’ll do my best from here on out not to bring outright shame to my family and all that stuff. Also, depending on how you look at it, it kinda makes me the boss.
Problem is though, because time marches on, it’s just a temporary position. I don’t know how long my reign as family elder will last. But I do know, the countdown has begun. Tic Toc.
If you get a chance, stop on by the blog: www.rm235.blogspot.com or like always feel free to e-mail me at: www.kevinmcginty@sbcglobal.net

Just Wondering...

How many of you still believe the government is here to save us? Locally, we have our own problems. A couple weeks ago we learned that former District Attorney Robert Hecht helped himself to an extra $480,000 because he knew nobody was watching. We have our county commissioners doing their best to blame this obvious oversight on anyone and everyone but themselves. Our city council in their infinite wisdom has now made the mayor’s position one of total and absolute power. I don’t think that’s what we thought we were getting when we voted for our current city manager form of government. But what do I know?
Have you been watching the Bologovich circus unfold in Illinois? I can hardly wait to see how this thing unfolds over the next few months. You have to wonder how more heads are going to roll once he starts talking and naming names.
How about Obama’s Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel’s now famous quote “ You don’t ever want a good crisis go to waste; it’s an opportunity to do important things that you would otherwise want to avoid.” You don’t suppose that’s why we’re heading full speed ahead with Obama’s $1 trillion emergency bailout plan, do you?
You know what I’m talking about.The stimulus package Obama’s pushing as the only way America can survive. The same package he promised would be free from pork filled, pet projects. Yeah right.
I did a little poking around on the internet last night to find out just how pork-free this whole thing’s going to be. Evidently, in order for us to survive as a nation and jump start the economy we have to provide $88 million for the Coast Guard to design a new polar icebreaker. We have to supply $448 million for a new Homeland Security building and another $248 million to furnish it. They threw in $600 million to purchase new hybrid vehicles for federal employees. We’re going to fork over $200 million to create public computer centers at our community colleges. The FBI wants $75 million to give their employees a raise. $25 million is earmarked to go towards tribal alcohol and substance abuse reduction. The Smithsonian Institute was thought of when it was decided they should get about $150 million to do with as they see fit. Evidently the headquarters of the Public Health Service is in pretty bad shape because they stand to get $88 million so they can have a little nicer place to work. There’s $412 million set aside for the CDC (whatever that is) buildings. And another $500 million for repairing and refurbishing the buildings of the National Institute of Health in Maryland. The list goes on and on but I think you get the point.
Is this the change you were expecting? Sorry, nothing new here. This is the exact same way Washington’s always operated. If these pet projects were so critical to our survival as a nation and would in fact put a significant number of people back to work, they should be able to stand on their own merits rather than being crammed into this stimulus package and hoping nobody will notice. Like Rahm Emanuel said; never let a good crisis go to waste. Whatever.
One thing really did change though. Once Obama’s cabinet appointees started dropping like flies because it came out they were tax cheats, he took a stand. He stood up and told the American people he screwed this up. Don’t get me wrong here. I still oppose almost everything Obama stands for but it is refreshing to know he’s willing to take responsibility when things do go wrong. And for that he's earned my respect.
But then he blew it by saying later the same day, he “just had to get out of the White House." So he and his wife visited a classroom full of second graders. Sorry Mr. President, I know it had to be a stressful day and all. But what's going to happen if something really bad happens? Where are you going to run to then? Just wondering.

I’d like to thank everyone who stopped by the blog last week and joined in on the conversation, it was the busiest week yet. According to your votes on the survey question, 55% of you thought Kim Borchers is on the right track by asking the Shawnee County Library to keep four sexually explicit books behind the counter and out of the reach of little kids. Stop on by: www.rm235.blogspot.com or e-mail me: www.kevinmcginty@sbcglobal.net