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Opinion
Hotter and higher
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
It is a wonderful time to drive through the Rockies west from Denver. The broadleaves are just starting to assume their fall palette of glorious color. The aspens that haven't turned give a lacy light green background to the brilliant yellow so characteristic of that species but others are starting to lend their reds and golds to the background of forest greens and blues of distant mountain peaks.
Above Georgetown we spied the usual herd of big horned sheep. I have memories from years ago parked along the same highway, though I think it was Highway 6 at that time, watching rams from the same herd vying for dominance in their violent way. After a short charge the two would smash head on into each other hard enough that both would rear into the air up onto their hind legs before separating. Then each would stand back momentarily head down to let the stars clear before backing up to do it all over again. Ooh that had to hurt! Evidently the prize was worth the headache but the ewes just stood back and watched the show.
On west through the ski areas it is disconcerting to note huge patches of trees killed by, what I understand is, the spruce bud worm. In places it looks like a forest fire had gone through and killed the trees which now stand gaunt and bare.
What a waste! If that forest was privately owned and could be logged I'd think that the destructive insect pests would have been sprayed and the damage prevented. But I suspect that the majority of those dying stands of trees are on public land, owned by everyone and cared for by no one. Public opinion won't stand for logging and forest fires are prevented from renewing the forest the natural way so Mother Nature allows an ugly disease, to change the makeup of the forest. From my farmer background of looking at things it would appear to be much better to systematically log our national forests and allow capitalism to find the best use for the lumber produced. If allowed private enterprise would manage the forest in a productive way that could cut way down on the frequency of huge forest fires and or large areas of disease killed trees of little use to either mankind or nature. Unfortunately we let bureaucrats, and now "green bureaucrats" attempt to accomplish a management task that is impossible so mother nature finds another way to tend to one of our more scenic national resources."
Diverting a bit on our way west we to took a break in the posh ski resort town of Vail. It appears that the people who frequent the golf courses and ski areas there aren't affected by the current recession. Building construction is proceeding at a furious pace and a cramped area of multi-million dollar structures appears to just be getting more crowded.
Further on Las Vegas newspapers and radio commentators were bemoaning a local unemployment rate of 40 percent. So evidently the broader economic swath of people frequenting that gambling paradise aren't coming this year and revenues are down, down, down. Even so, Ann found the slots no "looser" than normal so after "investing" her usual $10 we moved on. That place just makes us uncomfortable -- sin city indeed!
A two-and-a-half-day ride across half our beautiful country affords plenty of time to listen to AM talk radio. Of course I agree with the commentators but can see why those of a more liberal political bent, and more especially the current administration, would want to shut down this segment of the press! Most of what I heard was an expose' of an unrelenting quest for ever increasing federal power coming from Washington. Our country is a beacon to the world of life lived under liberty and it is hard to hear how, little by little, our personal freedoms are being eroded by an administration hell bent on expanding its own political powers. It is tough to form a balanced opinion when all we hear is how wrong President Obama and his ring of corrupt power brokers are in their every move. And yet I don't think that it is the talk radio industry that needs to change, I can always just turn them off. For sure, though, we have to keep paying ever-increasing taxes levied by our current crop of liberal leaning politicians.
I still think that the root of all that exposed evil is the concept of earmarks. Stealing money from those who earn it and giving it to those who don't all for the purpose of buying votes!
If I want to donate to a candidates' political campaign it is one thing to willing give my hard earned cash to the cause. But to take my tax money, which I have no choice but to forfeit, and then "earmark" it for some pet project in order to buy votes for re-election makes me a bit angry. Maybe just maybe Rush, Sean, Laura and Glen are right and our country is going to hell in a hand basket.
But other than vote out any scoundrel that claims an earmark what can we do about it?
At least the scenery was beautiful as we made our way southwest. I did note that the farther we traveled the hotter the temperature and the higher the price of gas. More than three bucks a gallon prevails here in the L.A. area, their sales tax is an even 9 percent and property tax rates even higher! It is a nice place to visit.
This column was written on my little notebook computer on the way to California. I then filed it online to the Gazette over a wireless connection. Who would have foreseen such a thing when the Internet was conceived by Robert W. Taylor and brought to fruition for the first time forty years ago today? Technology at the speed of light. What a wonderful time to be alive in God's world today!
That is the way I saw it.