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August 4, 2003.
From time to time while owning The Buzz, we enjoyed printing added items at the end of this column. These have always been fun. We have added something to the end of this week's column.
Just a few thoughts for the moment.
Just loved the comments by Jack Patton’s attorney in a local paper last week. If everyone would raise their hand if you have ever had a secretary with as much mischief in them as implied about Patricia Fleming. Goodness sakes alive, and this is Patton’s defense? Surely Jack knows better than this. “Surely” (Shirley) may have done all of the damage, but not Patricia.
I liked School Board President Mark Chapman’s question about the “spending freeze” and the question to what happened? This same question was asked by myself over 8 months ago. I guess this is one item where there was truth. The school board members don’t read my writings. Sure wish they would have. Mark’s spending freeze could have saved a lot of money since January 1. I wonder what the school board members were thinking about the budget at that time? That will now, and forever be the question about the school board from 2000 through school year 2003, “What were they thinking?”
I think that the format of my thoughts through this web site may be very much to my liking. Thank you, so many of you for your e-mails and thoughts. Your comments and thoughts have always been the reason for my writing. My original thoughts are few. Yours are many.
I know getting away will be hard for many, but August 25th is first day of trial for Jack Patton. In Johnson City, at the Courthouse. 9 AM I think. I will confirm that by next week. Many Llano people will be there, as Patton has most everyone involved in LISD called as witnesses. Those people need our support. Getting there early will only guarantee a seat. Little will happen other than opening statements, and legal side-stepping.
Rumor #1…the Llano Hospital is still on a day to day in regards to staying solvent. I have faith in Hospitial Administrator Kevin Leeper. But, advice may not be the best…in the interest of Llano Memorial. I know there still is a strong group that would like to see the Hospital closer to Horseshoe Bay. But, the only way to get that plum, is to mortgage our hospital here in Llano. Those same people that feel so strongly about that need is to put their money where their best interest lie…and if they are sure a $20 million dollar facility could really be a money maker on the Eastern edge of Llano County, then build it, and see if it will work. What makes me stratch my head is…how can Seton…and Scott & White feel another hospital would not work….yet promoters, real estate folks, and self interest people seem to know for sure that it will. When people put their own money up, instead of Llano County tax payers will you see what projects are real, and which ones are about selfishness.
Rumor # 2…unless the City Council sees fit to replace the present
Llano Economic Development Corporation board, there will be…someday…another
new “in town” community center. After a meeting with the
present Llano County Community Center Board, nothing has changed. The
LEDC, with the City Council called the meeting in order to try and get
cooperation and a blessing for the move to have a new center, located
near downtown. That did not come. The property in which the present community
center is located belongs to Llano County. The Commissioners, and the
County Judge are on record that the County will not spend any more money
on the falling down facility.
The County would work out a trade with the City of Llano to convey the
property, with like kind or dollars for a trade. The City, nor the LEDC
can spend City of Llano tax dollars on property not owned by the City.
This should have been easy to understand. For some, it was more complicated
than that, thus, status stays the same. The City, and the LEDC are trying
to plan long term, and long term makes economic sense to move a facility
closer into town where more weddings, receptions, small meeting rooms
could not only facilitate happenings in Llano, but keep those local dollars
at home. Many of these happenings now take their events to newer and
nicer facilities that are in Horseshoe Bay, Burnet, and Fredericksburg.
The long term ideas being formulated by the LEDC and the City include a new facility for the livestock show nearer to the new Llano High School, and talk of a covered arena with ample parking located anywhere but on FM 152 West. The Community Center Board, representing about 14 organizations in the County, will likely maintain the status quo. Oh, the dog old days of Dutch Swenson.
Don’t hesitate to e-mail me with your comments. I look forward to your remarks.
Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her "How could God let something like this happen?" (regarding the attacks on Sept. 11).
Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said "I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives.
And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?"
In light of recent events...terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found recently) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK.
Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school . The Bible says thou shalt not kill, thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK.
Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said OK.
Then someone said teachers and principals better not discipline our children when they misbehave. The school administrators said no faculty member in this school better touch a student when they misbehave because we don't want any bad publicity, and we surely don't want to be sued (there's a big difference between disciplining, touching, beating,
smacking, humiliating, kicking, etc.). And we said OK.Then someone said, let's let our daughters have abortions if they want, and they won't even have to tell their parents. And we said OK.
Then some wise school board member said, since boys will be boys and they're going to do it anyway, let's give our sons all the condoms they want so they can have all the fun they desire, and we won't have to tell their parents they got them at school. And we said OK.
Then some of our top elected officials said it doesn't matter what we do in private as long as we do our jobs. Agreeing with them, we said it doesn't matter to me what anyone, including the President, does in private as long as I have a job and the economy is good.
Then someone said let's print magazines with pictures of nude women and call it wholesome, down-to-earth appreciation for the beauty of the female body. And we said OK.
And then someone else took that appreciation a step further and published pictures of nude children and then further again by making them available on the Internet. And we said OK, they're entitled to free speech.
Then the entertainment industry said, let's make TV shows and movies that promote profanity, violence, and illicit sex. Let's record music that encourages rape, drugs, murder, suicide, and satanic themes.
And we said it's just entertainment, it has no adverse effect, nobody takes it seriously anyway, so go right ahead.
Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves.
Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with "WE REAP WHAT WE SOW."
Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says.
Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing..
Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace.
Are you laughing?