there are always three pointing back
but who cares?
As I began stroking the keyboard keys attempting to form letters into words, thus sentences, I was reminded of an adage: Put up or shut up. The problem of me being a complainer without action; the finger pointer sans solutions, knowing full well three fingers are always pointing back. Yet, not being a politician, nor able to be one, as in life, past actions beget future repercussions, there also comes a time when it’s said: Music calms the savage beast.
Thus, recalling a song from years ago, I’m reminded the more things change, the more they stay the same: Oh, give me a home where the buffalo roam and … Understanding in the wild, those dumber or weaker become sacrificial lambs to those smarter and stronger. Like the tourists in Yellowstone who feel the need to walk up and pet a wild buffalo and its reaction is to gore them. Which begs: Have things always been this bad, or which one is actually the alpha: The human or the buffalo? Much more: Which one is smarter questioning if people are really as stupid as politics makes them out to be Party irrelevant? Especially when the Yellowstone petting zoo signs read: DON’T, but someone always does. Maybe selective herding, like in the wild, where one either survives or dies becomes relevant to those seeking power? Thus, can things get worse before they get better?
Example: The school district we live in being exactly a case I speak of. Now, over the years residing in the district, I had encounters with a previous superintendent where consternation was a word not strong enough to convey my true heartfelt angst with the individual. But he’s gone, now replaced with one new, begging: Which ones worse? Take budgets. And I get it, everything costs money and government needs such to operate, which begets the taxpayer. Only, what happens when those who are elected to represent those who put them in office (school board) fail at a magnitude registering 10 on the Richter scale? Because the question always begs: When is enough, enough?
And better or worse, simple math and simple grade scales magnify the idiocy of America today. For the 2025-2026 school year, the district is forty-eight million dollars over budget (that’s six zeroes’ folks and just one school year), begging: Where do they get the extra money needed? But worse, the district also went grade wise from “B” to “D” in student literacy. Yes, the district is intentionally dumbing down the student population while increasing spending. Their solution: don’t fix the spending problem but raise taxes on those supporting the district by allowing residents to vote themselves deeper into a debt they can’t recover from. Plus, if the district doesn’t resolve its spending problem, the debt problem won’t resolve itself either as more property tax increases will only beget more spending. The vicious cycle of government increasing poverty by placing those above it into poverty through increased taxation.
Like Trump wanting to raise the debt ceiling while claiming DOGE (department of government efficiency) is finding and cutting monetary waste. An oxymoron, because if DOGE was finding and cutting wasteful spending, why does the debt ceiling need to be raised? Better, why not just control spending by those elected who promised to protect and defend the nation? The very ones who, while spiraling the country into insolvency, need to explain their definition of protect and defend. Adding in the desire to cut taxes while spending even more than it brings in, someone really needs to make things make sense. But I get it: Just do my duty and pay my taxes while leaving the decision making to those who are educated and literate. The shut-up part of not putting up.
And in the school district where we reside, this coming November, they’re planning to place on the ballot a VATRE (voter-approved tax rate election). Where taxpayers willingly get to pay more in property taxes than allowed by TEA (Texas Education Agency). In other words, let the people vote in their own self-destruction while the district has no accountability to anyone except the spending gods of how much dumber can one get, all while the school board yells “Squirrel!” So, what the hell, go ahead, pet the buffalo. Because, whether it’s a wild buffalo or a legislator, you’re going to get gored. Plus, at the end of the day, since I’m not willing to put up, then I best shut up. As either way, it’s a no-win situation, while singing: The wheels on the bus go round and round.