Only God Can Make A Tree...

...but Spandex can bring them down.

As reported in a local paper a key factor in the removal of trees at the site of the new Old Hickory House Bank of Dunwoody is the requirement, primarily to appease a vocal, militant minority, for bike lanes. It should be noted that these Lance-a-littles never use these lanes. 

Knee Replacement

Lost in the media circus around the athlete-cheerleader attention junkies, none of whom have offered a coherent, logical explanation of their goals and how their actions achieve them, is an even better question. Why does old glory fly over those fields?

After all these are athletic fields of glory where "giving it all" means you are unusually tired and sore. And this is not to the greater glory of that flag and the country for which it stands. It is first and foremost about money. Even at the high school level there is money involved from boosters to salaries to equipment. Moving up the food chain makes the money component even more obscene but in no way does this contribute to or commemorate the innovation of this country's founding or celebrate what this country offers to its citizens and the greater world.

And "we can not dedicate-we can not consecrate-we can not hallow-this ground." Why not? Because nothing, not-a-thing, has or ever will happen on this field that is worthy of anyone's dedication, consecration and hallowing. If you think there is something there rising to that high bar then you need more sessions with your therapist.

But we need not question why that flag still waives o'er that field of sport. No, we simply need to remove it. That flag stands for more than a mere game--a paternalistic game where men take the glory while women, and only the pretty, cheer them on--pageantry to be relegated to the dustbin of history not condoned and certainly not celebrated by this nation's foremost symbol. 

Grace And Courage

Rural Outreach

Industrial academia, while still smarting from a stinging loss is not taking the defeat of Hillary Clinton lying down. They are fighting back in the only way they know how: they will grow their business, replacing foreign students frightened off by Trump's rhetoric with sons and daughters of the deplorables themselves. Really.

The money game is simple and obvious. As out-of-country tuition-payers flee, colleges and universities might fight it out for the limited pool of non-deplorables but this is a tragedy of the commons they only preach to others. Another option is to reach out to those peculiar folk living in the fly-over states. And that is what they intend to do.

Thirty eight percent of surveyed* schools have increased recruitment in rural areas, but not to fear, only eight percent have shown interest in recruiting students of the conservative persuasion. There is some reason to believe that colleges and universities may have briefly realized that they are not in touch with nor in any way aligned with the sensibilities of the greater community. Rather than apply much ballyhooed critical thinking to their own worldview they are taking to proselytize the susceptible as half have reported they would not increase diversity by recruiting those with conservative views and hardly a third as many suggesting they might give that a try.

While money is in play it would appear that a significant goal is to turn rural America blue, seemingly thinking if you take the student out of the deplorables you can take the deplorable out of the student. After all, indoctrination has been their stock in trade for some time.


* Higher Ed survey conducted with Gallup

Guns And Campus Deaths

The fact that the only gun death since passage of the campus carry law was a suicide by cop[1] has done nothing to quiet the hysterics in the ivory towers. A herd of them have gathered together to petition the Courts to intervene assessing that the state constitution deems their work place a sovereign entity. Perhaps that explains why campus harassment cases lack anything remotely resembling due process. To their credit they have listed their new-found fears catalyzed by the possible presence of legally borne weapons, though, as usual they ignore the presence of illegally carried weapons. And yes, the irony of University Professors promoting "safety thru ignorance" is lost on no one.

So who are these blokes? Of those making the AJC's cut we have one philosopher[2] and two geographers, one of whom is also a local Board of Education member.

University of Georgia geography professor John Knox, who is described in the complaint as a gun owner, said guns on campus “make the learning environment less safe for everyone and negatively impact his educational mission.” Valdosta State professor Michael Noll fears “armed intimidation or gun violence from students who receive failing grades.” Noll has posted a “no weapons” sign on his faculty office door, according to the complaint. Aristotelis Santas, a Valdosta State professor, said he “will no longer promote discussion of hot-button issues in his classroom” and allows students to leave his class if they don’t feel safe.

Armed intimidation? Really? Perhaps an argument against tenure because until you cannot be fired bad course reviews pose as real an existential threat as any "intimidation." At least he pulls up short with a vague allusion to "gun violence" by not indicating this might include suicide. Noll toes the party line pretending that the sign posted on his office door actually works but exposes the signage silliness by offering only virtual office hours for the foreseeable future. Just imagine how pissed off that gun-toting, F-enraged snowflake is going to be when they bust into his office only to find it empty.



[1] Too soon?
[2] "PhD" kinda, sorta means "Doctor of Philosophy," so technically all PhD's are "philosophers." Another mystery solved, right?

DeKalb Negotiators

When it comes to the upcoming annexation of Emory, Inc. into the City of Atlanta, DeKalb fancies itself a Trump-like, Art of the Deal negotiator. The Commissions top dog, who must be coming up for election, toots their horn thusly:

“The idea was to make sure that our citizens are being protected,” said Gannon, the commission’s presiding officer. “We had to raise those concerns in good conscience.”

Protected? From? Concerns? Really? Here's what she was able to deliver:

The agreement grants several concessions to the county. The city will pay $1 million a year for up to a decade for county firefighting services, adopt the county’s zoning restrictions on development and tall buildings for a year, and require a public meeting on MARTA’s transportation plans.

For up to a decade is an interesting qualifier. Turns out one year fits that definition. As does one month. And nearby residents are protected from the overbearing shade of tall buildings for an entire year. Twelve full months. And MARTA is going to have a public meeting on their transportation plans. Now this seems odd if only because both Fulton and DeKalb and therefore the City of Atlanta are charter members of the MARTA Tax Club.

What no one seems willing to discuss is the transfer of a significant tax based from the County to the City. What tax base you say? Isn't Emory, Inc. tax exempt paying no property tax? Indeed. However they do pay franchise fees and given their power bill that ain't chump change. More important is the occupation tax which is essentially an income tax paid either to the county or, should there be one, the city. Annexation moved these taxes from DeKalb's account to Atlanta's with nary a peep from DeKalb's "leaders." 

Happy Ending

Tolerated (encouraged?) by District One's business representative.

BYOB?

Constituents know what they've been getting but November is nigh upon us and maybe there will be a happy ending.

Take A Knee

The recent theatre of the absurd that is society in America has NFL players "taking a knee" rather than show the more customary respect for flag and anthem at the start of football games. Setting aside that their bloated celebrity is based on little more than playing with pigskin covered balls, their antics have nonetheless captured the nation's attention. We all hear the hyperbole, "giving 110%," "leaving it all on the field," but they believe it.

Pushback has come in the form of calls to boycott all things NFL. Games, in person and televised. Merchandise. Memorabilia. These will have limited impact. After all who is really going to give up fantasy football? But there is one group that should boycott immediately and permanently.

And that would be the U.S. Military. All branches. All manifestations. No Marine color guard. No Army band playing the anthem. Not even the local high school Junior ROTC. No "surprise" re-unions. And certainly no fly-overs. No symbols of national pride for those with no pride in their nation.

Those taking a knee may be surprised to learn that nearby to almost any game played on any given Sunday there is a National Cemetery. Let them go there. Let them find the final repose of a soldier who died in service to this country. Then let them take a knee. Let them reflect as they kneel at the feet of a soldier who gave only 100%, who was not left on the field of conflict. Who gave up their future to secure a present where those with an inflated sense of self can speak their shrill opinions born of shallow thought. A soldier who gave that last full measure, fighting for the country and under the flag that now stand guard over them both.

And as they rise from their genuflection, if they have anything else to say, let it be "I'm sorry."

Isn't That SPECIAL?

Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax. Special? Really? How so?

The plan, if you can call it that, includes routine operations, including maintenance, that are part of what any reasonable government should provide as a matter of course. Nothing special there.

There is also nothing special about local governments, bureaucrats and politicians alike, squandering every penny they get their hands on and then demanding more. More. And even more. And this is a 14% increase in sales tax rate representing systemic incompetence within local governments when asked to meet even minimal fiduciary obligations.

It may be time to raise taxes but if it is then it is also time for the voters to upgrade the capabilities and integrity of those who have backed us into this corner.