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Vegasoldtoad

When I was stationed near Washington DC I noticed that every time Congress cut the Park Service budget, the first thing they did was close the Washington Monument to tours. Tourists would complain loudly to their Congressional Reps while visiting the capitol and the money cut would be restored. In the six years I was there, I started to suspect a pattern of government agencies gaming each other and ultimately the taxpayers.
As the economy tightens, our bureaucrats have found ways to sustain their lifestyle and cash flow by hitting taxpayers where it hurts: by tacking fees and supplementary fees onto essential services. Look at your registration renewal. There is a "Government Services Fee" that costs us around $50 (I guess depending on the age or value of your vehicle). Now the legislature has added another good one, a "Supplemental Government Services Fee" that cost me $43.
Our political overseers have added a 5% fee to our electric bills and it looks like all the other utilities, business license fees, recording fees, etc., are going to go up while the average citizen's income continues to go down. These "professional" politicians and bureaucrats pat themselves and each other on the back for finding new and more creative ways to squeeze more blood from we clueless turnips.
Remember California's Proposition 13 some years back? All the politicians and bureaucrats predicted the end of civilization if the voters passed that. After it passed, the bloated State government was forced to become more efficient and things actually got better over time.
Money is like heroin to the government. The more money we allow them to squeeze from us, the more they will find ways to spend it. I think David Schwartz was very insightful when he included the quote that noted the bureaucrats' need to create a groundswell of discontent so that we will be willing to pay more taxes so our government class can avoid facing austerity of any kind.
When a government feels they must "hit us where it hurts" to get their way, we citizens must hit back where it hurts by voting term limits and voting incumbents who tolerate this vicious gamesmanship out of office. Our vote is our only real leverage to curb these abuses.
We have our chance to reward our clever incumbents in about a month and a half. Those who like paying these higher and higher fees should just cut a check to the State's General Fund and give the rest of us a break. Please have your say at the polls in November.

I feel incredibly priviledged to have worked with the teachers and students at both Hinman and Ullom Elementary Schools. We all learned a lot about the capacity for growth and learning in each other. These excellent teachers are on the front lines of the fight for the next generation of our Country's citizens and deserve our wholehearted support. I strongly recommend to those who can find the time and energy, that they volunteer at their local schools. This VFW initiative is only the start. When times are tough for our schools, this is when we all need to pitch in and show how much we care and appreciate what our teachers are doing for all of us. Thank you fellow volunteers for making this free program possible.