Wrong Storm, Wrong Place

Sad ironies abound in the accounts of Irene's devastation in the Catskills and Vermont.

Who might have predicted that the Mayor of New York would order evacuation of parts of the mighty city, driving some folks to the northern latitudes for safety? And that those northern havens would then get flooded like nobody's business as Lower Manhattan stayed pretty much okay?

Who had mapped the possibility of intense flooding hundreds of miles inland even as reporters dutifully manned it out safely on the blustery beaches? Who might have predicted Senator Bernie Sanders (I)-VT bellowing for aid on national news as smug simpletons in Washington dryly state that federal disaster aid is more or less a lousy idea and that we really can't afford it?

Who could have predicted that anyone in any public office at any point in time would have the temerity to suggest the United States cannot take care of disaster-struck citizens?

Who could have predicted that States' Rights would be invoked in the middle of a hurricane?

How about this: New York, Vermont, Massachusetts and like places that send much more to the Feds than they ever get back--how about we invoke our states' rights? How about we just throw off Alabama and Texas from our backs and set our own standards and with all the money we saved by not supporting givebacks to red states, build ourselves anew?

How quickly would that action provoke a call for unity by the hypocrites now claiming they can't rescue Vermont from the worst disaster in its history?

Call their bluff. Sure. States' rights. Tell me when we start. And by the way, some of y'all may need passports to come here if you want to help with the flood cleanup.

I Will Never Again Say The Government Does Nothing

My last post was a fairly desperate affair, telling of abuse and partial ruination by the state. You know, where they taxed me thousands and then ruined my credit? Great human drama,that.

But it turned out with a happy ending.

First I tried to talk with the tax bureau itself and encountered only a clown, a doofus and a give-a-shit attitude throughout. Then I got in touch with my local state senator's office (Sheldon Silver) and spoke to a young man there who took the case under his wing. After a few conversations with me and one false start, he actually got someone at the tax compliance bureau to do something I thought impossible:

They vacated the tax liens. This means they disappear from the record (of course they are paid). This means they take the downward pressure off one's credit rating which, as we all know, is like having your oxygen back, financially speaking.

So even though I have been a doubting progressive (in other words, I always think government can do good, but have almost never seen it and must own to almost a libertarian's native distrust of functionaries and postal-types), I can no longer say it's folly to "call your congressman" because this time it really really worked.

Hats off to the office of Sheldon Silver and the summer intern who hooked me up!

One hopes I shan't wait forever to post again here. . .