Try being a Governor and craft a budget.

Ever wonder how hard it is be the Mayor, Governor or President?

Well go to this link and find out how hard it is to craft a balanced budget. Well, I tried and gave up after 3 rounds. I thought it'd be easy, you know smooze a few legislators, submit a budget that people could live with and be the next President. Boy was I wrong! It is such a tightrope walk trying to balance the needs of your state while facing an income shortage. Too bad we can't be like the Federal Government and raise our own Credit Limit (otherwise known as the debt ceiling)!

Try it out and let me know if you were successful!

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Note:The original opinions shown on this blog are mine unless quoted from someone else via "" marks and () showing source. Remember, these are only opinions and if you really want to convince me otherwise, post your own response. "Go ahead, make my day!" BTW, I ask for registered users to comment only because I'd like to get to know each and every person that does, o.k.

A wise man once told me "Listen to the opinions of the extremes and you'll discover that the truth is somewhere in the middle."

Visiting Friends...

We're out visiting our moderate friends (kindred spirits). When friends move away, even if it is only an hour, the time you spend with those friends becomes all the more precious. In the short time we've been here, we've discussed blogs, Terri S., politics, movies, VeggieTales and what to eat for dinner. We're having fun and enjoying our time togther. I am glad that I can take the time and just relax! Have a good Easter!

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Note:The original opinions shown on this blog are mine unless quoted from someone else via "" marks and () showing source. Remember, these are only opinions and if you really want to convince me otherwise, post your own response. "Go ahead, make my day!" BTW, I ask for registered users to comment only because I'd like to get to know each and every person that does, o.k.

I'm mad @ Idiotic Drivers in Farraugt

Yes, that's how I feel right now. There appears to be such a rush to get somewhere that people are willing to do just about anything to get to that next stoplight a few seconds in front of me. Now I drive a mid-sized SUV, and I drive typically no more than 5mph over the posted limit (at least within the town and county roads, when it comes to the interstate, now I have a totally different opinion on that). Since the first day I moved down here, people treat me as if I'm driving a "stealth car" when they pull out right in front of me (especially if there aren't any cars behind me), or they'll treat me like I'm some "moving roadblock" if they're behind me. Just this morning on my way to work, there were a couple of these guys flying by @ about 60mph on Parkside Drive! This has got to stop. And since there currently is not much enforcement of speed in Knox County, I'm thinking there should be a means of getting these folks off the street.

Here's my proposal--
1. Mount a paintball gun in the grill of vehicles with 10 rounds that they may reload monthly.
2. For every idiotic maneuver by someone in front of them, the driver may shoot however many paintballs at the offending vehicle up to their limit.
3. When a vehicle has accumulated 10 "pings", a sensor goes up and flags a patrolman who then is required to ticket the primary driver for reckless endangerment.
4. If a vehicle accumulates 100 pings, the car should be impounded and the primary driver sent for driver "re-education" course(s).
5. Remember, each vehicle is only allowed 10 shots/month, so they have to be really conservative on when to pull that trigger.

Note: We could use those "laser-taggers", but personally, I'd want to see that the effect of the "ping" on the idiot's car.

This may be a bit extreme, but I'll tell you in some countries if you speed even 1mph over the posted limit, there is a light that comes on in your car that starts blinking, giving you 30 seconds to pull over before the car shuts down. This signals a police officer who walks over, gives you a ticket and then resets the switch. Meanwhile, you and your car just sit there until the cop comes and hands you a ticket whether that is 1 minute or a week!

What do y'all think? Comment and LMK.

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Note:The original opinions shown on this blog are mine unless quoted from someone else via "" marks and () showing source. Remember, these are only opinions and if you really want to convince me otherwise, post your own response. "Go ahead, make my day!" BTW, I ask for registered users to comment only because I'd like to get to know each and every person that does, o.k.

Things for the next mayor to do in Farragut...

This is a list I'd do this in a "Top 10" style, but I don't want to offend David Letterman (lol), so these are in no particular order.

1. Improve relationship with community and neighborhoods
2. Improve relationship with school board
3. Improve relationship with Sheriff
4. Improve relationship with County
5. Improve relationship with Businesses
6. Improve relationship with Rural/Metro
7. Improve relationship with students
8. Create a board to listen to safety concerns
9. Eliminate all conflicts-of-interest from the administration of the town (i.e. no family members on boards and commissions).
10. Strenghten the image of the town with its own residents. Why? Because a significant number of the people that live here think the town is on the wrong path.

Notice a trend there??? Well considering the current administration has done nothing but have relationships with developers and road contractors (at least from the looks of the meetings in the planning commission and FBMA). Are we going to continue to allow the running of our town into the ground? A lot of people think that the town of Farragut is a stuck-up bully that basically tosses table scraps to everyone else. I mean, Mayor Ford honestly believes that giving 200K over 9 years to the Farragut schools (btw, it averages 22K/year, which if you calculate it comes out to about a couple of bucks each year per student) is helping out the schools when the budget is in the MILLIONS of $$$. Come on, do something with that $7.5 Million (which the town has in the bank) to benefit the current and future residents and leaders of our town.

If you think I'm extreme, you haven't been talking to some of your neighbors. Some of them want property taxes, others want business signage the size of billboards, still others want nothing but residential communities and no businesses whatsoever. Personally, there has to be a balance between all those beliefs. Like I belive, the truth is somewhere in the middle.

Take the case of Rural/Metro--they increased their membership fee again this year. IMHO, this is a non-tax-deductible property tax no matter what way you look at it! At least if its a property tax, I could deduct it, but because it's a membership fee, I can't. If you decide not to be a member, they send that fact over to your insurance co., who then charges you higher rates (and from the ones that have done this it's about the same cost as the membership). Can you come up with a solution? Personally, I'd start by bringing retail development back within the town limits (starting with the currently vacant K-mart building). The more residents can spend within the town means the more revenue the town receives. The more revenue, the more that can be done. Can you do better than me? I want to see it. Submit a comment.

Like I said, this is a musing and these are just my opinions, feel free to comment on them.

Note: The original opinions shown on this blog are mine unless quoted from someone else via "" marks and () showing source. Remember, these are only opinions and if you really want to convince me otherwise, post your own response. Go ahead.

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A wise man once said, "listen to the extremes and the real truth is somewhere in the middle!"

Mike's Musings on the Town of Farragut Elections...

Well, Early Voting has started and I've already taken part of my civic duty. If you haven't, get out there and vote! You can vote at the Farragut Town Hall or the Knox County Election Commission until March 31st (with the exception of this Friday and Sunday). Or you can wait and vote on April 5th at Farragut High.

Has the campaign for Mayor has taken a bitter turn from the incumbent's side (or is it just me?) So far, Bill John's campaign seems to be the only one looking at the future of Farragut as opposed to the "right now". I congratulate and encourage Mr. Johns to continue to run his issues-focused campaign and ignore the rest of the BS.

Mayor Ford claims that this is a premiere residential community. Well, he's right on 1/2 of that (I'll let you guess which 1/2).

If Premiere means that we have dilapidated or shoddy-looking buildings, o.k.
If Premiere means boarded up businesses and malls, o.k.
If Premiere means overcrowded schools, o.k.
If Premiere means nothing for our young people to do here in town, o.k.
f Premiere means no fire protection, o.k. (You have to purchase a "membership" through Rural/Metro--BTW, this amounts to a non-tax-deductible property tax IMHO!)
If Premiere means people can speed through and get away with it, o.k.
If Premiere means no law enforcement, o.k. (Our protection is via the Knox County Sheriff's Dept.)

Just my opinion.

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The original opinions shown on this blog are mine unless quoted from someone else via "" marks and () showing source. Remember, these are only opinions and if you really want to convince me otherwise, post your own response. Go ahead.
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A wise man once said, "When it comes to politics, listen to the extremes and the real truth is somewhere in the middle!"

Mike's Musings...

Well, welcome to my first blog. The purpose behind this blog is to just give y'all a peek inside my mind and the things that I think about during a "normal" day (if you can call me normal, that is--lol). Anyway, the reason I've started this is to vent my frustations or to rave at things I have found to be great while living in East Tennessee. Just remember, everything I say here is an OPINION, nothing more, nothing less. If you agree, fine. If you disagree, fine. I don't care either way. I'm not here to judge, but if you want my .02 then let me know and I'll let you have it!

If you must know where I stand (politically, that is), I'm pretty much a moderate. I have friends that are hard-line republican and others that are hard-line democrat and I'm hard-line Independent (trust me, people on both sides have tried, so quit it!). A friend of mine told me that if you listen to the opinions of those on the extremes, the truth is somewhere in the middle. For the most part, at least in my experience, that statement is true.

Anyway, I think that's enough for my first post. Feel free to comment and bash me if you want, but remember "turnabout is fair play"...