Friday's Piece of Cake

Friday is here.  No Monday holiday to extend the weekend.  Be nice to have those every other week wouldn't it?

Enough wishful thinking.  About the only thing people can afford on their wish list right now, thinking.  Some can afford to actually do more, and others can't afford not to.

We will find out the public sentiment in Taunton on the casino by the end of the day tomorrow.  The voters there go to the polls.  Should be a closer vote than in the other locations, and depending on the size of the turnout, the proposal has a shot at being passed, a good one from what I am told.  Not really close enough to the issue to predict.

Interesting piece on the state higher education system in the Our View" in today's Standard Times.  Higher education these days is big money for everyone involved.  The simple fact, at least on the state level, like all things provided for by the state, you cannot continue to do everything for everyone at the same level (and at the same time start doing more things that everyone wants done).

You can be as innovative as you want.  The simple fact is that the state, just like you and me, has a finite amount of money to spend every year.  And every year more people seem to be jumping on the wagon rather than lining up to pull it.  Sooner, rather than later, there aren't going to be enough people left to pull that load.

There certainly are a lot of things that can be looked at, that need to be looked at and priorities have to be made.  You know, the same things that need to be and should be done year after year.  If someone looked at the system, and did what actually needed to be done, I hazard a guess that doing it right would create an uproar.  

See what happens if you propose closing a campus somewhere, eliminate a program or a host of other things that would have to be done.

We are a society which wants its cake and wants to eat it too.  We have become accustomed to it.  The solution when more people want a piece seems to be just simply make a bigger cake.  You do eventually run out of ingredients however.

Every good cause and idea is deserving and needs to be funded.  No one should do without anything.  

It is not just individuals either.  Hey got an available grant for a free something or other, you don't see too many towns or cities turning it down.  Never mind if you cannot afford it in the long run, or really doesn't meet your needs, better yet, you don't need it.  What the heck its free.  Once you got it, now of course we have to spend money to repair it, service it, use it, store it, and every other it.

Get the picture.

Government cannot be all things to all people.  We may like it to be, we may demand that it be, but in the end, we just end up stealing from Peter to pay Paul.

Okay enough disjointed ramble today.