Positive Reinforcement

This year, 2009, was to the year I stayed positive. Specifically, I meant to not criticize others. That is proving very difficult. Just look at some of the posts on this blog.

The positive resolution is one I've made before. I truly want to be known as someone who speaks well of people, without being critical or denigrating, but the natural tendency is to speak evil and not good (at least mine is, you can speak for yourself).

The thing is, I really don't think of myself as being overly negative, but I know that is relative. I, and we all, know folks who complain, kvetch, and bellyache about every detail of their lives, and who can stand these people? It's a reaction against these fault finders I think that makes me want to ride the pendulum to the other side (man, that sounds negative).

(OK, I'm back. I played Old Maid with my kids and then watched The Flowers of St. Francis.)

You know who stayed positive? That St. Francis of Assisi. Wasn't it St. Francis that said, "Preach the Gospel at all times. When necessary, use words."? What is the Gospel but the Good News? Perhaps that's what I strive for, to tell the good news with my actions rather than the bad with my words.

One last thing. I really don't know what to expect from being positive. Will I be happier? More likable? Or will people find me strange? Pious? Oh well, I just think it's something I should do.

OK, here's to a positive rest of 2009! Salute!

Cut the Fat/Build a Monorail

This is what I'm talking about. The President said he is going to direct his cabinet to find wasteful programs and cut them. Bravo! I applaud that effort. I'll give them a head start-federal funding of abortions (I should really get off that single cause lest I be labeled a right wing extremist terrorist).

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124002247015831371.html#mod=whats_news_free?mod=igoogle_wsj_gadgv1

The President, who wants to cut wasteful spending, announced he wants to spend $13 billion on high speed trains. I'm of the opinion that an industry that is highly subsidized by the government today should not be given $13 billion. Public transportation, as much as I've appreciated it when I've had the need for it, doesn't support itself at all.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123989461947625407.html

I know there are probably dozens of subsidized programs that I've benefited from through the years, but this is a matter of principle for me. If a service cannot be supported by the free market, should I have to support it with my tax dollars? Should anyone? If something is truly needed, won't the free market find a way to provide it? I think so, assuming the government stays out of the way, or merely protects the rights of free people to make their own choices.

This notion of letting the free market work itself out is probably a little simplistic, but the alternative is a bunch of elected officials pretending they know best how to spend my money. They don't.

Tax

It's not that I don't think we should pay taxes, it's just that I doubt they are being spent wisely once collected. Well, for instance, once elected, our President, who would like to work together to reduce the number of abortions, immediately authorized the federal funding of abortions in foreign countries. That is probably the last thing I'd ever spend money on. I'd sooner pay to study the mating habits of snail darters, or some other useless endeavor.

Please don't tell me we're creating jobs. Give us our money back, and we'll spend it on the things that matter to us, creating real jobs that provide real services.

It's doubtful we'll ever end poverty, especially by taking money from those who have it and dolling it out to those who don't. Didn't Jesus Christ say we'd always have the poor among us? We might as well let government get out of the way so that those who have the ambition have a chance to become upwardly mobile. Isn't that what's great about America? We all have the same opportunity, or at least we don't have to worry about the government getting in our way?

Roads, military, space exploration. That's what I want my government to spend my money on. I'll study the mating habits of various life forms myself, for free.