Monday Musings

Only one round of snow shoveling today, after four of them yesterday.  About 4 to 5 inches from last night, early this AM.  All tolled, the accumulation was probably close to 15".  My neighbor, who was pretty much out there when I was, thought that was about right, too.  "Oh, easily that...."  Now, the deep freeze has moved in, dropping from 29 degrees yesterday afternoon to 5 degrees.  Apparently, the low tonight will be 11 or 12 below zero and I believe it.  The wind is whipping up, quite blustery at times.

My neighbor and I also did some of the elderly couple's driveway and esp the street in front of it and their mailbox.  Bopper was with me until I sent him in to avoid any frostbite--teenagers don't want to appear to be whimps/wimps by wearing hats, gloves, etc.  I did much of the street in front--it doesn't make much sense to clear out the driveway if we can't get out of the street.  I feel surprisingly good today--not sore nor tired.  Maybe I have a few years left in me after all......

The Det Free Press had a surprisingly good editorial yesterday.  I normally find them lacking in logic or, at least, quite hypocritical.  This one, by Stephen Henderson, was very worthwhile.  He took the current governor of Michigan to task for dishonesty, in fact, using the word "liar" more than once.  And, Henderson provided examples.

I know Rick Snyder has polarized many Michigan voters.  Staunch Republicans and diehard Democrats see him in quite different terms.  That seems to be the status quo for American politics right now; so be it.

But perhaps there's yet another angle, one that looks not necessarily at programs, policies, and achievements (good or bad), but at actions.  That is, as Henderson notes, let's look at principles.  "Snyder is no more trustworthy than any other politician I've dealt with.  Given the hordes of political liars prowling this city--and this state--that's quite a distinction."  Yes, it is and is something voters should strongly consider as they complain about politics, government, etc.

Republicans might not like this, but given all their criticism of the tactics of Obama, Reid, Pelosi, and the other Democrats in Washington, they should certainly entertain another look at Snyder.  Republicans claim dishonesty, deviousness, lies, etc. were all involved in passing ObamaCare and other planks of the Obama platform.  Yes, they certainly were and deserve our scorn and disdain.  Yet, they should, unless filled with hypocrisy, take a good long look at what the Snyder administration and his Republican cohorts in the state legislature have done.  Just a few examples involve the right-to-work legislation, transparency (Henderson rightly calls this "laughable'), campaign contribution disclosures including the NERD slush fund, and the EAA.  As Henderson notes, "If Snyder so willingly trashes ideals he claimed for himself, he simply can't be trusted." Indeed!

Here's another thing to ponder, from the editorial, "It's the rare politician who says what he means and does what he says.  So only the uninitiated [the naive?]are shocked when a public official takes naturally to equivocation or tortured semantic gymnastics to go back on promises made."  Isn't it pathetic that this can't really be debated?